What An Audacious And Sly Servant! Chapter 10

Our Crown Prince even had to take precaution with Mei Qian Deng who was liked by his parents. (In the past, I always mistyped his t.i.tle as Crow Prince… Sorry, Chu Xun)

Chu Xun was practically supported by those servants of his as he was half-forced to paint for Lady Su a half-body length drawing of the swindler.

The dignified Crown Prince felt his whole body was not well. Why, Mei Qian Deng had just arrived for two days and yet his servants had copied Mei Dian Deng to not listen to his orders anymore?! Such serious contagious pathogen, must be brought under control!

That said, Chu Xun's painting technique was considered the current number one painter. Merely relying on Lady Su's several a.n.a.logies:

"The eyes are slender a bit than this Young Master. The nose is much flat a bit than this Young Master. The mouth is much bigger a bit than this Young Master……" (The referred Young Master was Mei Qian Deng)

With several simple touch ups in between the drawing process, Lady Su was excited until she clapped her hands. "Alike! Alike! Alike! It's like this Young Master had personally seen that swindler once before."

Chu Xun's mouth twitched. He was completely disdainful of such praise. This Crown Prince was the most perfect Crown Prince in the history. Such a trivial painting was nothing.

In the end, Chu Xun tossed the writing brush aside, announcing the end of his work. It was Di Mu Yang who went and kept Chu Xun's precious scroll of painting. He decided that later on the way back home he would go to the local government office to help Lady Su report the case. Chu Xun flung his sleeves and turned his head around as he walked away. He didn't want to stay here any longer for even half a moment.

"Please wait!" Lady Su chased over.

Chu Xun with an arrogant face stopped his steps. Typically, when one chased over at this moment, it would be a plot of that person wanting to earnestly thank the benefactor. Chu Xun had thought properly in his heard. If Lady Su wanted to thank him, he would ask Lady Su to make an advertis.e.m.e.nt of the Crown Prince for all the customers who went to her shop for a meal —— The Crown Prince is brilliant, divine and mighty. The only one in the world.

"This Young Master……" Lady Su pulled and stopped Mei Qian Deng who was walking at the furthest back.

She stuffed a small cloth wrapping to Mei Qian Deng with her face slightly red. "This is nujia[1]'s personally made flaky pastry. This Young Master, please have a taste of them. If they are delicious, do come often to have a sit in nujia's room."

Chu Xun silently clenched both his hands into a pair of fists. Lady Su, your benefactor is right here actually.

Mei Qian Deng kept away the flaky pastry as she said, "Take care next time. Don't get deceived again."

After saying so, she took a step, wis.h.i.+ng to walk away.

Lady Su followed her again. She pulled Mei Qian Deng's sleeves, unwilling to let them go. "This Young Master, may I dare to ask for your surname and given name? If nujia got deceived again, where should I go to find you?"

"If in the future, you got deceived again, go straight to report to the authorities." Mei Qian Deng was extremely upright and plainspoken as well as accurate as she corrected the white dress young lady's mistaken idea. When one got taken advantage of, of course the first thing to do was to report to the authorities. The Crown Prince even said earlier, before the Son of Heaven's eyes, the law is the most absolute.

That young lady was still reluctant to part. Chu Xun suddenly turned his body around and raised his hand that had been curled up into a fist with one finger popped up. He leaned forward and politely said, "Big sister, that unfaithful lover of yours who had cheated you of your wealth had yet to be captured. Yet, you then changed your mind the moment you see something new. Is this really fine?"

"……" Lady Su's small face quickly burst in red as she lost her speech for a moment. Then, she let loose a torrent of curses. "Who is your big sister, your whole family is big sister!" After cursing, she stamped her foot and ran back into the vegetarian shop inside while fuming. Then, she smoothly closed the door too. Bang!

(Author: Hey, you really cursed rightly. In Chu Xun's whole family, he was the only little brother. The others were all elder sisters.)

Xiao Jing Zi, Zhu Li and Di Mu Yang looked at the Crown Prince, they didn't dare to say anything. Mei Qian Deng was studying the flaky pastry. Chu Xun glared at everyone. "What are you all doing, standing here stupidly? Let's go now."

"Your Highness, where are we going for our next stop?" Xiao Jing Zi pitiably asked.

"We are going nowhere. Instantly! Return! To! The! Palace!"

Chu Xun swore, he would never bring Mei Qian Deng go out of the palace for a walk. This was truly annoying.

However, in fact, the moment Chu Xun returned to the palace, he was annoyed with Mei Qian Deng too.

The Emperor's verbal edict arrived. It said that he had yet to formally received Mei Qian Deng previously. Therefore, he invited Mei Qian Deng for a meal together. Inside the palace, several of the princesses had already married. Normally, it was a family of three, the Emperor, the Empress and the Crown Prince had meals together. Although the Emperor had the other concubines, most of them were taken in thanks to the old officials who thickened their faces as they squeezed them inside. The Emperor merely considered this as a task to be fulfilled and reported. He had always been favouring solely the Empress.

"Ah, Qian Deng. You had entered the palace for two days already. Zhen and Empress had yet to give you a welcome dinner. Come, have a toast with zhen." The Emperor sat on Mei Qian Deng's left. He appeared to be truly happy. The more he looked at this Little Seventh Mei, the more pleasing she was to his eyes. He had the urge to praise himself a few words for he had made a thousand points correct decision. (Author: All of you, look at this. The Crown Prince's narcissism is hereditary.)

Mei Qian Deng had never been coy. With a raise of her head, she drank it all without delay.

"Truly a good child." The Empress sat on Mei Qian Deng's right. She too was radiant with smiles. She even personally took a silk handkerchief to help wipe the wine remaining at the edge of Mei Qian Deng's mouth. Smoothly, she even rubbed Mei Qian Deng's head.

Mei Qian Deng had a good-natured att.i.tude. She didn't say much words.

The scene was joyous and harmonious, an unparalleled harmony. There was only an extra of neglected Crown Prince who sat at the other side of the Emperor, silently ate the dishes. At his back, a faint strand of cold air was released continuously.

Ever since Mei Qian Deng entered the palace, whenever the Crown Prince met Mei Qian Deng, various kinds of p.u.b.erty complications would break out on him. One moment, his throat pain. One moment, he grew a pimple. It was as if Mei Qian Deng stimulated the chaotic power inside his body. Not only that, Imperial Father, Imperial Mother and even the palace servants of all genders had turned their attention from him to the newly arrived Mei Qian Deng.

And Chu Xun was the tsundere Crown Prince who specially like to live under the attention of the others. He wished for everyone to look up at him every moment. Mei Qian Deng had dispersed the others' attention towards the Crown Prince. It was just like a miser being robbed of copper coins. Indeed, it was grieving and lamenting, making him wanted to beat his chest and stamp his feet in sorrow. Chu Xun was even to the extent that he suspected…… It can't be, Mei Qian Deng is actually Imperial Father's illegitimate son?

"Xun er."

"Erchen is here, Imperial Father please speak." Chu Xun regained his sense. In a flash, he changed his face as he smiled arrogantly yet modest and courteous.

"In the future with Mei Qian Deng following you around, zhen is truly relieved. You have to be nice with him."

"Please be at ease, Imperial Father. Brother Qian Deng is erchen's good teacher and helpful friend." While the Crown Prince said so, he even picked some dishes for Mei Qian Deng. He picked several of the pork liver and beef liver which he personally didn't like to eat for Mei Qian Deng. "Brother Qian Deng, do eat more."

Mei Qian Deng was a good child. She had never been picky with her food. Silently, she ate all of them.

The Crown Prince added, "Imperial Father may not know this, Brother Qian Deng not only has unparalleled martial art skills, his literature talent is extremely good too. In these two days, he had discuss a lot with erchen about Mencius." Underneath his words was a strand of sourness. This guy actually used Mencius to slap this Crown Prince's face! How was this Crown Prince supposed to retaliate with the sage?! Shameless to the extreme!

The Emperor was delightedly surprised. "Qian Deng, do you like Mencius?"

Mei Qian Deng tilted her head and briefly pondered for a short time.  Then, she nodded her head. It could be considered as like.

"Good, good, good. Come, let's toast once more."

Bottoms up!

After the Emperor and the Empress had finished their meal, they were all 'cannot tear themselves away' with Mei Qian Deng.

Normally, after the meal the Empress would make the Crown Prince stayed and discussed on some state affairs. This time with the addition of Mei Qian Deng, the Emperor didn't even look at his own son as he pulled Mei Qian Deng's hands and smiled while saying, "Ah, Qian Deng, in the future, come and have a dinner here together with Xun er."

"Yes."

"Xun er, go back first. Zhen wants to talk further with Qian Deng."

The Emperor sent away his own son. The way he did was with cold rolled eyes and swinging of his palm.

Chu Xun: Imperial Father, it can't be that this boorish guy is truly your illegitimate son?!

"Qian Deng, follow zhen." The Emperor took Mei Qian Deng to a study room. The head eunuch closed the doors, leaving only the Emperor and Mei Qian Deng inside the room.

Mei Qian Deng bowed her head while standing still. All along, she would not take the initiative to ask others what matters they had with her. She would only patiently wait.

The Emperor first drank a cup of tea. Then, he observed Mei Qian Deng two times. He prepared his state of mind for a short while before he asked, "Ah, Qian Deng, do you know why zhen wanted to choose you as Xun er's study partner?"

Mei Qian Deng indifferently answered, "Of course Emperor has his own reason, Qian Deng doesn't dare to make own speculation."

The Emperor grinned. This child truly was not bad.

"Xun er is zhen's only prince. Since his birth, everyone surrounded him as they were afraid a slight mishap would result in him getting injured. They were much afraid of losing him."

"Xun er grows up in an all stars cupping themselves among the moon[2] surrounding. He is an intelligent child. In front of us, he spared no effort to perform perfectly and he likes to be praised by others. Qian Deng, actually you noticed too right?" The Emperor had a profound sight. He had already seen the truth a long time ago. No matter if it was Chu Xun's disguise or Mei Qian Deng's silence.

Mei Qian Deng nodded but she didn't speak for a long time.

She truly had found out from the beginning. The Crown Prince as a teenage boy who grew up in an environment where he was pursued, flattered and protected to the extreme, such environment had by a large degree influenced his att.i.tude. Chu Xun was kind-hearted inside his heart but he was narcissistic and arrogant as well as had a little scheming heart. He was protected too well by the Emperor and the Empress. An overwhelming majority of people were sincere in praising that the Crown Prince was outstanding, however……

"Xun er may be a perfect Crown Prince but with his current att.i.tude, in the future he can never be a wise monarch. Sometimes, zhen would blame oneself. Zhen should have never protect him like this but at the same time zhen was scared those struggles would harm him."

The Emperor sighed. He was a good emperor. The tens of years under his rule, the government was not corrupted and the world was at peace. However, as a father, the Emperor felt he had not done it correctly.

"Hence, zhen summoned you into the palace. You came from jianghu. For Xun er, you're a different existence. You have own habits which are different from him. You're unconventional like the thorn of the roses, able to provoke him to be more clear-headed while not indulging him in fragrance of flowers. Zhen hoped you can forever not flatter him and a.s.sist him to become a wise and able emperor."

Mei Qian Deng had never thought the Emperor would speak so clearly to her. She couldn't restrain and asked, "Why does Your Majesty believe me to such extend?"

"Because your heart is like a bright mirror. As such, you're the right mirror for Xun er."

Mei Qian Deng clasped her fists and saluted the Emperor. Usually, she wouldn't say anything but she had a steadfast mind. When she had made up her mind, she would do it to the end. Ever since the moment she received the imperial edict during Old Master Mei's birthday banquet, she had already decided —— she would become a competent study partner for the Crown Prince!

Before leaving, the Emperor was curious and spoke again, "Ah, Qian Deng. Since you like Mencius, why don't you say a phrase for zhen?"

"An excellent person will never lose own heart of a new-born baby[3]. Mencius said."

"Excellent! Such and excellent heart of a new-born baby."

Mei Qian Deng walked on the corridor of the Ming Jue Palace. She flung her head repeatedly. Earlier, she didn't notice when she was inside the Emperor's study room. Now under the cold wind blows, Mei Qian Deng's whole brain was dizzy. Even her steps were a bit unstable.

Her alcoholic tolerance was mediocre.

The wine inside the palace were all of good quality.

The delayed effect was quite heavy.

When she reached the door of her own room, her head knocked into the door with a bang. She stiffly used her forehead to open the door. Lifting up one feet, she weakly stepped inside. Not sure what was wrong but her whole body disobeyed her order as it turned soft and remained at the doorstep, unable to stand up.

It was at this moment, a pair of white soft hands extended forward and attached themselves to Mei Qian Deng's shoulders.

"It turns out you actually are one who can't drink wine."

After saying so, she was lifted from the floor and moved into the room. With a move of that person's foot, the door conveniently closed.

[1] 奴家, self-reference of young women which was usual in early vernacular.

[2]An idiom from a.n.a.lects, which means a group around a revered leader (Chu Xun)

[3] Being pure and innocent like a new-born baby