Jing-wang didn’t actually take interest in anyone from the dance troupe. Even Chu YanYu, who the 3rd Prince felt most confident in, Jing-wang only watched him dance, but didn’t spare this person a second glance.
The overabundant praises that Mu TianMing(3) had prepared ahead of time got stuck here.
However, Chu YanYu didn’t seem to panic. Eyes lowered, he considered something unfathomable.
The 6th Prince gave Mu TianMing(3) a light push: “3rd elder brother?”
Mu TianMing(3) thought internally, he had already been embarrassed plenty today, why not throw away shame once more. Grinding his teeth, he squeezed out a smile: “5th brother thinks it’s not bad, but I feel like it was pretty great. This man and woman from the dance troupe are people that I selected out of a thousand others. Why don’t I give them to you to pass time and relieve boredom?”
Speaking so frankly, no one can misunderstand the 3rd Prince’s meaning. Mu TianMing(3) refused to believe that if he voluntarily suggested gifting these two people, Jing-wang would still remain indifferent.
Jing-wang switched hands, idly resting his chin on his left hand. With his right hand, he pushed the little carp. who was just about to raise its head and look around, back into the water.
Jing-wang gave a meaningful sweeping glance at Wang Xi. On the same wavelength as Jing-wang, Wang Xi said: “His highness said…… he doesn’t want them.”
It’s ‘doesn’t want,’ not ‘no need’, or ‘not necessary’.
What did ‘doesn’t want’ mean? It meant that he didn’t think they were good enough.
Mu TianMing(3): “…….”
“Your highness Jing-wang, is there something about me that you’re unsatisfied with?” Chu YanYu stood with his slim back straight and upright, fingernails digging into his palms, an indignant flame faintly burning in his eyes.
He was already devoted to someone in his heart. However, to be ignored like this by Jing-wang was a huge humiliation to him. Chu YanYu had a very proud view of himself so he wanted to know the reason.
Li Yu: “……”
Li Yu was flabbergasted. Was this still the little pampered wife in the novel who always treated Jing-wang indifferently and gave him the cold shoulder!
Why did it feel completely opposite?
After saying these words, Chu YanYu somewhat regretted his impetuousness.
Jing-wang gave a sardonic smile and shook his head. Picking up the teacup in his hands and getting up, he ordered Wang Xi to send off the guests.
Chu YanYu: “……”
Chu YanYu thought carefully. Since Jing-wang shook his head, did that mean the other wasn’t dissatisfied with him?
Wang Xi just happened to give a cough: “Chu-gongzi, please don’t misunderstand. His highness didn’t mean anything just now. He was just saying, what does your state of being have anything to do with him?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
3rd Prince, Chu YanYu, 6th Prince: “……”
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But would changing the plotline cause a butterfly effect? Would it affect Jing-wang’s future?
Li Yu felt conflicted for a moment, and then stopped feeling conflicted.
His purpose for being here was to change Jing-wang’s temperament anyways. Wasn’t this, in itself, a kind of change to the content of the original novel.
Li Yu finally returned to the back courtyard, to Jing-wang’s bedroom.
Jing-wang placed him into the crystal fish tank. Li Yu saw the fish pillow had disappeared and assumed that Jing-wang discovered the decoy fish pillow.
Li Yu laughed jokingly. Jing-wang shouldn’t have discovered that he was the one who placed the pillow there, right?
Although that was pretty much impossible, Jing-wang even didn’t know the true identity and that this fish was a human, so why would he suddenly think that a fish could deliberately set up a decoy pillow?
Li Yu felt very confident inside. He followed Jing-wang around like a fawning lackey. Jing-wang walked around in front of the fish tank. Li Yu also swam around after him.
Suddenly, Jing-wang stopped, pulled out something from his sleeve, and put it into the fish tank.
Li Yu foolishly raised his head. He saw a black shaped mass floating down above his head, landing by his side.
Li Yu gave it a look. It was a fish that looked exactly the same as himself.
Li Yu: ???
This was the fish pillow?
Li Yu didn’t know what Jing-wang meant by this. He secretly shot Jing-wang a glance and then pretended not to understand anything. Considering the fish pillow to be a toy, he swam around in the water and nudged it a few times.
He didn’t dare to drag the fish pillow onto the white stone bed nor cover it with the grass blanket like he did before. Wouldn’t that be equivalent to exposing himself!
Jing-wang only saw the little carp playing enthusiastically with the fake fish. Looking from afar, it gave the impression like he raised a pair of fish instead.
Jing-wang paused and suddenly felt a bit displeased towards the fake fish. He decided that he would order Wang Xi to fish out the fake fish in a bit and get rid of it.
Jing-wang still had things to do. He walked to the table and sat down.
Li Yu thought of a new method of playing with the pillow. He carried the pillow around on his back, like he was carrying another fish. The pillow was very light, he didn’t feel tired at all. After playing for a while, he discovered that Jing-wang was busy working. The little carp and the pillow pressed against the side of the crystal fish tank together and secretly peeked at Jing-wang.
Jing-wang was drawing again.
Before in Jingtai Palace, Jing-wang drew a picture for the little carp already. After he finished drawing, he even ordered Wang Xi to hang it up. When they returned to the Jing Estate, the painting was also brought over and placed on the wall opposite the fish tank. Li Yu thought complacently, was Jing-wang drawing fish again?
He needed to go make an outstanding pose again!
Li Yu let go of the pillow and jumped into the teacups on the ground. He stuffed himself with food a bit too much just now when he changed into a human, so his movements weren’t as nimble. After jumping a few more times than usual, he finally managed to leap onto Jing-wang’s table.
Another flower shaped teacup was placed on the table. It was where he stayed often. Jing-wang seemed to know that this fish would come to watch him draw. He wasn’t surprised at the little carp that suddenly appeared.
Li Yu held his breath. Jing-wang was drawing something big this time and he wasn’t finished yet……
Although he couldn’t see the complete picture yet, he could see hands, feet, and clothes. Jing-wang shouldn’t be drawing this fish, but rather, a person.
Li Yu’s heart sank abruptly. Could it be Chu YanYu?
Even though Jing-wang rejected the 3rd Prince outwardly, could he be still thinking about Chu YanYu deep inside?
…… that wasn’t Jing-wang’s style at all. The Jing-wang in the book would definitely keep whoever he liked by his side. Since he straightforwardly refused already, it was impossible for him to be thinking about it again. The likelihood of this being Wang Xi was even higher than Chu YanYu.
Li Yu quietly waited for Jing-wang to finish drawing the outline and add color. This drawing was somewhat complicated and took a total of an hour to finish.
In the end, Jing-wang picked up the drawing and gave it a slight shake.
Li Yu finally saw the entirety of this drawing clearly. Jing-wang was very good at drawing, his brush strokes were rather graceful. Li Yu saw the drawing– a youth in green robes, sitting with both hands bracing on the windowsill, head looking back with a smile.
Li Yu: “……”
Oh fck. Why did he feel like the mysterious person in the drawing looked familiar?
Wasn’t this his human form? This drawing was the scene where he almost got caught!
Jing-wang drawing fish, he could understand. But why would Jing-wang draw someone he has never met before?
The little carp couldn’t figure it out.
Jing-wang placed the drawing to the side, took out a jade bell and gave it a wave.
This was one of the methods Jing-wang used to call his attendants. Wang Xi very quickly entered from outside.
Jing-wang solemnly handed over the drawing to Wang Xi. Wang Xi then leaned by his ear and exchanged a few words with him, asking for Jing-wang’s confirmation.
After Jing-wang confirmed, Wang Xi had a somewhat grave expression.
Li Yu thought, was he telling Wang Xi to hang this up as well, placing his human portrait and fish portrait together?
Although they were both him, he felt it was a bit strange.
Wang Xi then said: “Please rest assured, your highness. This old servant will instruct the imperial guards to search according to this drawing.”
Li Yu: “……”
Jing-wang used his brush to draw a circle on the paper. Wang Xi nodded his head: “I will tell them to search along the pond. We will definitely find this person.”
Li Yu: “………….”
No way. After selling fish charms that many times, Jing-wang was still perseverating on capturing his human form?
Whatever. Even if there was a portrait, they wouldn’t find him. There was nothing at the pond. He was currently being raised in Jing-wang’s fish tank hah.
After the banquet at the Jing Estate, the 3rd Prince brought Chu YanYu and co and returned home dejected.
Ultimately, Mu TianMing(3) was unable to accept that his meticulous plans would go to waste. After discussing for a while with his loyal confidant, he decided to still send Chu YanYu and another woman to the Jing Estate. In order to prevent Jing-wang from not accepting them, Mu TianMing(3) dropped the people off at the front door and then ran, escaping faster than a thief.
Very quickly, the Emperor received the news. The 3rd Prince gifted people to Jing-wang. The Emperor thought it was somewhat funny. However, since the 3rd Prince was willing to express his goodwill towards Jing-wang, the Emperor felt rather pleased.
In the end, that banquet was something he set up for Jing-wang and the 2nd Prince. But according to the intelligence reports, as soon as the 2nd Prince, Mu TianZhao, went to Jing-wang’s room, Jing-wang’s fish immediately disappeared. The Emperor thought perhaps the 2nd Prince was causing trouble for that fish again?
Right now he was still alive. Yet the 2nd Prince couldn’t even tolerate a fish. Would he dispose of Jing-wang in the future?
This wasn’t the first time Mu TianZhao(2) made the Emperor feel disappointed. The Emperor thought, perhaps leaking out his choice for the Crown Prince to Qiu-shi was too soon?
The Emperor wanted to give the 2nd Prince a warning. A few days after the banquet, he rewarded only the 3rd Prince with a tea set.
Although it wasn’t anything significant, none of the other Princes, including the 2nd Prince, received anything. Mu TianMing(3) felt like attempting to win over Jing-wang was the right path. The Emperor didn’t bestow this tea set earlier or later, it was immediately after Mu TianMing(3) sent people to the Jing Estate. This proved that the Emperor really did want him to maintain a good relationship with Jing-wang.
The 6th Prince helped the 3rd Prince analyze the Emperor’s inner thoughts. The Emperor only rewarded the 3rd Prince, and didn’t reward the 2nd Prince. This also proved that the Emperor was starting to become dissatisfied with the 2nd Prince.
“This is all thanks to your recommendation. Sending Chu YanYu into the Jing Estate was a really good step.” Mu TianMing(3) patted Mu TianXiao(6)’s shoulder with a smile.
“YanYu is smart. He definitely won’t disappoint you, elder brother.” The 6th Prince smiled warmly, not even a hint of resentment over the fact that the person he loved entered the Jing Estate.
When Jing-wang learned of this later from Wang Xi, his expression was indifferent. Wang Xi-gonggong was very experienced with dealing with these kinds of people who were forcibly shoved in from outside. The Emperor has sent many people to Jing-wang before as well. Men and women, thin and fat, everything imaginable. However, because Jing-wang didn’t like them, they were all placed together in a courtyard inside the Jing Estate. Without permission, they couldn’t walk around randomly. After an entire year, people who wanted to leave the Jing Estate can leave. Those unwilling to leave can stay and work as servants.
His highness already rejected these people, including Chu-gongzi, that the 3rd Prince sent before. Since the 3rd Prince sent them again and even tossed them behind without a care, just by looking at Jing-wang’s face color, Wang Xi was able to tell by, that courtyard was about to gain two more people again.
Thank You for the chapter (´,,•ω•,,)♡
thanks for the chapter!
Well at least he can leave and be with the 6th prince later I suppose
Haha, it’s a wanted poster!
I hope YanYu won’t cause any big (love) problems TT
he said he thought the face looked familiar? so does that imply he’s seen him before? or did he see the fish in the human?