I Am Not The Wangfei - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Haitang House 2

“Your Majesty, why isn’t there a single servant in this Haitang House?  Not even a guard?  Isn’t this dangerous?”  I start to get nosy.

“My mother hates to be served in the past.  Maids will occasionally come to clean but they are not here all the time.  We have guards, but they are expertly hidden.”  Long Zi Xuan rolls his eyes as he replies her.

The emperor didn’t look too happy and Long Zi Xuan looks cold.  This pair of father and son…

“I remember Ling Er writing and painting underneath the begonias.  She used to love doing that.  Brewing wine on her own, sweeping the fallen leaves on the courtyard while waiting for me to return from the court.  I sent her maids, but she sent them away.  She always said that changing clothes, combing her hair and bathing is something she can do on her own.  In the end, she allowed maid to come and clean, but only once in a while.  Everything in here hasn’t changed, just me.  I am old now.”  The emperor stares at the begonia trees outside; as though he can see Xiao Ling smiling amidst the begonia trees.

I look at the emperor’s old back, lonely and indifferent.  I cannot imagine Xiao Guifei, a beautiful maiden, waiting for the emperor’s return every day; no intrigue and no battle.  Wonder how the then Long Zi Xuan was.

And the emperor never uses zhen to address himself.  Why is it so?

(TN: zhen is the way the emperors address themselves.  In novels, even their inner monologues use zhen, most of them anyway.)

I silently turns to Long Zi Xuan, his face is still the same, cold and expressionless.

“Imperial father, Cang Long Kingdom from the north repeatedly tries to provoke us.  Do you need me to do anything?”  Looking at his father’s back profile, his heart is moved a little.  If his father wants him to, he will readily use his own secret network, one that only his imperial father is aware of.  He won’t really mind if Xiao Duo also knows.

“Xuan Er, you don’t have to worry.  General Dongfang will handle it.  Now is not the time.  A lot of our officials are being roped in by Noble Consort Yun.  They are aiming for the crown prince position.”  The emperor weirdly glances at me.  Is it appropriate for me to be here?

“Your Majesty, should I leave first?”

“No need.  It’s okay if you knows.”  Long Zi Xuan says.

“Correct.  You will be Xuan Wangfei soon.  No need.”  The emperor laughs lightly.

I am not!  I have only arrived here and my entire life is already determined.  I feel so helpless and also lazy to argue.

The emperor pulls out a box from a cupboard next to the window.  He places it in front of me and gently opens it.

“Miss Xiao Duo, you are no longer an outsider.  I prepared you a gift, I hope you likes them.”  The emperor pushes the box further in front of me.

A blood jade bracelet is tucked inside.  The color resembles the petals of begonia and there is the golden shape of a pair of phoenixes inside, looking very alive.

“Your Majesty, this is too precious.  I cannot accept this.” This bracelet must have something to do with Xiao Guifei.  I am just an outsider.

“Imperial father, you want to give this to Xiao Duo?  This….”  Long Zi Xuan stiffly stares at the phoenix bracelet, a little shocked by his father’s action.  This isn’t your regular bracelet.

“Xuan Er, father has my own reasoning.  Quickly put it on, Miss Xiao Duo.” The emperor says at the two speechless people.

“Your Majesty—- This— Long Zi Xuan….”  I don’t know what I should do.  This is a really precious thing.  If I bring it back to the modern era….  But seeing Long Zi Xuan’s reaction, this bracelet clearly means a lot more than that.

“Xuan Er, help her put it on.”

Long Zi Xuan takes that bracelet and picks up my right hand.

“Your Majesty, thank you so much.  But I don’t think I should put it on right now.  It is too precious, better if I just shield it away in a box.”  I mutters, but Long Zi Xuan already puts it on my right wrist.  I try to pull it out using my left hand, but it won’t come out.

The emperor and Long Zi Xuan watch Xiao Duo who is trying to pull the bracelet away.  They share a look.

“Miss Xiao Duo, as long as Xuan Er is by your side, no one will dare as to even glance at the bracelet.”  The emperor frowns.  This Miss Xiao Duo is really funny.   Who dares to mess with the phoenix bracelet?