PeachCh3 - The Imperial Consort

On hearing this, the children all turned to look at Zhang Dazhuang, the Zhang family’s son.

“Why are you all looking at me?” Zhang Dazhuang asked, confused. He had been talking to Chang Jiabao, and hadn’t heard what Chang Qi said. When he opened his mouth to say this, the little ring of small blisters around his mouth were painfully apparent. Some of the blisters had burst, and they looked like freakish chicken eyes. qIpCKE

“Ahhh—” a few children screamed in horror. They looked at Chang Qi with a mixture of awe and apprehension, then turned their gaze back to Zhang Dazhuang, thinking to themselves that they should start minimizing their interactions with the latter.

The blisters on Zhang Dazhuang’s mouth were actually considered pretty alright. His mother and granny had it far worse; they had huge sores on their mouth that immediately attracted the attention of anyone who laid eyes on them.

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This rumour spread like wildfire in the farmlands. Before the day was out, everyone had heard of it. Initially, people didn’t believe it, but when they saw the Zhang family’s sores, they couldn’t help but think twice. Whether the rumour was true or not, it was safer to act as if it were true. The people in the farmlands all behaved themselves for a while as a result.

“I heard the Jingang Sect is taking in new disciples,” the Qiu family’s grandson said enigmatically to a group of people. “My grandpa said that they will check your bone structure, and if your bone structure is good, you can become a core disciple. You might even inherit the whole sect!” bBL0n

“Wow! Then you can just laze around and eat good food every day?”

“You wish. You’d have to practice martial arts every day. But if you’re good at it, you would really be somebody.”

The children discussed this excitedly. Practically everyone hoped to become the disciple of a martial arts sect.

The only rose among the thorns, a little girl called Yingying, didn’t participate in this discussion. She instead sidled up to Chang Qi.

“Chang Qi, are you going to join the Jingang Sect?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.

“Nope,” Chang Qi said. He was reclining on a haystack with his legs crossed, and he shook the horizontal leg idly.

“I’m not going either, since they don’t take girls as disciples,” Yingying said, puffing out her cheeks. “Then where are you planning to go?”

Martial arts sects controlled everything. Even the Imperial family was inextricably linked to the martial arts sects and had to give them some face. Studying and scholarly pursuits were not valued; martial prowess was. Becoming a disciple of a good sect was the most illustrious career one could aspire towards. UKFrMh

“The Jiyang Sect, perhaps,” Chang Qi said, after some thought.

The Jingang Sect was a satellite sect of the Jiyang Sect. The Jiyang Sect’s martial arts could only be practiced by men, and as such, the entire Jiyang Sect and its satellite sects only took in male disciples. When Yingying heard this, she was rather disappointed, having hoped to go to another sect with Chang Qi.

“Clop-clop-clop-clop!” The sound of horses galloping towards them could suddenly be heard. Chang Qi looked up quickly and grabbed Yingying by her clothes before swiftly rolling out of the way with her.

Just then, heavy horseshoes trampled on the haystack they’d just been resting on, causing the half-dried hay to scatter. Had he been just a heartbeat slower, Yingying would have been trampled on by those horseshoes. 3V2BJc

“Whoa—” said the horserider, bringing the horse to a halt. The horserider was a young man wearing a turquoise martial outfit. He turned to look at Chang Qi, a cavalier smile on his face.

“Nice move, young lad!” he said.

Chang Qi didn’t reply. He took in the rider’s clothes, which was embroidered with the Jingang Sect’s unique motifs. The rider also didn’t seem to have any intention to chat with them anyway. He tapped the horse’s belly lightly with his boots and made straight for the residence of the chief of the farmlands.

At this time, Chang E was delivering a bolt of woven cloth to the chief’s office. She couldn’t do manual labour, but she had a pair of clever hands. She could weave cloth and sew clothes, and she relied on this for income to maintain herself and her son. It was not convenient for her to go to town to sell the goods directly, and she certainly didn’t want to pass them to her brother’s wife to sell, so the next best option was to sell it to the chief. iowQOY

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.

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“Shifu asked me to come have a look…” Zhang Youde said, his voice trailing off as he caught sight of Chang E. He looked rather dazed as he stared blankly at her.  Meanwhile, Chang E was still clutching the bolt of cloth.

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“Ah, this is Chang Sheng’s younger sister. Miss Chang, this is the Jingang Sect’s third young master,” the Chief said, smiling as he introduced the two.

Chang E accepted the money from the Chief, put down the bolt of cloth, bowed briefly to the two men, then left without a word. Zhang You’de’s eyes never left Chang E, and his gaze followed her dreamily as she disappeared into the distance. “Chang Sheng’s younger sister… she’s really pretty…” he said. 3vynNG

The Chief laughed. “So what if she’s pretty? She’s still a…” His voice trailed off as the recent rumour about mouth sores suddenly came to mind. “Pei pei!” he spat, as an added measure to ward off bad luck.

“The Sect is going to take in new disciples soon, and Shifu asked me to come have a look at the children in the village,” Zhang You’de said with a smile. Most of the people who lived in the farming village had some blood ties with the Jingang Sect, and good things were always shared first with family.

“You’re absolutely right, good things should be kept within the family. They say that rich waters shouldn’t be used to irrigate an unrelated person’s farmlands, don’t they?” Chang Qi’s aunt said, beaming as she put a plate of food on the table. She called Chang Jiabao over to introduce himself.

A few days after this incident, Chang Qi was on his way home after working and was just about to enter his house when he suddenly heard people speaking inside. OtsCEb

“Miss Chang, I’m sincere about wanting to marry you, and your brother’s wife has already agreed. I’m a core disciple of Jingang Sect, and if you’re my wife, you won’t have to work anymore.”

That voice was Zhang You’de’s.

“Chang Qi’s father will come to get me. Mister Zhang, please don’t joke around,” Chang E said. Her voice was full of suppressed anger.

“To be honest with you, I’m here to pick disciples for my sect. If you marry me, Chang Qi will be guaranteed a spot as a core disciple!” Zhang You’de said confidently. At the same time, his words carried a hint of a threat. If Chang E refused to marry him, then Chang Qi could forget about being selected. He wouldn’t even be considered to fill the low-ranking satellite disciple slots. NQd02R

Chang E clenched her fist. She looked at her sister-in-law, who was listening in at the door, then shifted her gaze to the rude disciple in front of her.

“You want to marry me? You should first go ask your Shifu whether he dares to let you marry me! Who was the one who made me service a nobleman in the first place? If that nobleman comes back and asks for his son, who is going to accept responsibility for this?” she said loudly.

This stern warning had its intended effect. Zhang You’de was suitably alarmed, and he turned to look at Chang Qi’s aunt in consternation. The aunt had vanished by this point.

“Given the situation, it seems prudent for me to go back and ask Shifu about this thing you mentioned,” Zhang You’de said. He had no choice but to leave, but as he stepped out the door, he couldn’t resist turning back to look at Chang E. 1Aq75h

Beautiful women were truly hard to chase.

“I’ll be back tomorrow!” he declared.

Chang Qi hid behind a stack of firewood during this exchange. As Zhang You’de left, he glared fiercely at his retreating back, and wished to the high heavens that looks could kill. If they could, he would have run Zhang You’de through with his sharp gaze, no questions asked. His words were grandiose, but in the end, he was just a lecher, lusting after his mother’s beauty.

“Was what Miss Chang said true?” Mrs Zhang asked Chang Qi’s aunt quietly. kYXTWp

Chang Qi’s aunt recalled what happened the year Chang E was sent to the nobleman and became a little panicky. She glared at Mrs Zhang. “After that episode with the sores, you still want to eavesdrop on Chang E?”

“I asked because I was concerned for you!” Mrs Zhang retorted, stung by this unjust scolding she had received.

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Chang Qi came out from behind the firewood stack and headed out of the farmlands. He went looking for Da Chen and Xiao Chen, and before long, found Da Chen’s stall. “Da Chen ge, help me look for a dagger.”

“A dagger? What do you want that for?” Da Chen asked, eyeing Chang Qi closely. Chang Qi’s eyes were burning with hatred, and he looked like an angry wolf cub dying to bite someone’s head off. Da Chen couldn’t help but be concerned. klGsSB

“If that son of a turtle refuses to give up, I’ll kill him,” Chang Qi said, gritting his teeth.

Da Chen listened to Chang Qi’s account of what happened and went silent for a while before replying again.

“Deal. You come here tomorrow morning. I’ll have a good dagger ready for you then.”

Chang Qi left. His eyes reddened with emotion as he walked the familiar road home. At the end of the day, he was really still just a child, and whilst he could surmount many obstacles with his superior intellect, there were still things that were just beyond his ability to manage. sWjgbm

“Xiao Qi?”

A soft, sweet voice called out to Chang Qi. It was Xiaoru, from the Scarlet Robe Court.

“Xiaoru jie, are you shopping for cosmetics?” Chang Qi replied by way of greeting, looking up at her.

“What’s up with you?” Xiaoru saw Chang Qi’s red eyes and reached out to touch Chang Qi’s cheek, pressing a few sweets to into his hand at the same time. When Chang Qi didn’t respond, she squatted down and unwrapped a sweet for him to eat. “Life is hard. When you’re down, eat a sweet, and the sweetness will diffuse a little to your heart,” she said softly to him. rVRokZ

Chang Qi looked at Xiaoru, but he didn’t say anything. He nodded slowly as the sugary treat dissolved on his tongue.

The next day, Chang Qi got up early as usual, but instead of heading to the chicken farm to collect eggs, he went to look for Da Chen in Jiuru Town. Da Chen was as good as his word, and he handed Chang Qi a dagger as promised. Chang Qi pulled the blade out. It was a little rusted, about five inches long and an inch wide. It gleamed coldly in the morning light.

“Laizi found this in the south of town, in a rubbish heap,” Da Chen said, squatting down so that they were eye-to-eye. “It’s a precious blade – when you’re done, remember to return it to him.”

“Got it. Thanks, Da Chen ge.” Chang Qi kept the dagger in his sleeve and bumped shoulders with Da Chen, then walked back home with a spring in his step. vTd0Rr

Just before he got to the entrance to the farmlands, he saw people astride horses in the distance who were galloping in his direction. The riders wore elegant armour that gleamed in the sunlight, and their steeds were glossy-looking stallions. A beautifully decorated horse carriage followed behind the mounted riders.

The villagers in the farmlands had never seen such a grand procession before, and they all came out to watch the excitement.

Coincidentally, Zhang You’de was also riding toward the farmlands at this time. He linked up with this splendid-looking group before they reached the village.

“Good day, good sirs. I’m one of the disciples of the Jingang Sect. Could I ask what business you have in my Sect’s farmlands?” he asked, clasping his hands together respectfully. jYW4HP

“We are here on his Majesty’s orders to pick up his Imperial concubine and her son, the Imperial prince,” the leader of the grand company replied. He wore a green martial outfit and a lofty expression on his face. “We are to escort them back to the Imperial Palace.”

The prince? An Imperial concubine?

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

The gathered crowd was stunned. Zhang You’de also froze as he recalled what his Shifu had said last night. A light chill crept up his spine.

From this exchange, the leader had determined that Zhang You’de possessed no real power here. With a contemptuous sniff, he led his entourage into the farmlands. vAltPs

Chang Qi stroked the dagger in his sleeve, then ran like the wind to his little house.

The villagers didn’t dare to go near the Imperial entourage, and only watched curiously from afar. The Village Chief, having some experience in receiving nobility, nearly fell over himself receiving these important guests after they presented the gold insignia of the Imperial family.

“This village warmly welcomes the Imperial Commissioner!” he said, kneeling before the horses’ hooves with a thump. “Please accept my apologies for this poor welcome and for anything that you find lacking.”

Chang Qi returned to his home and saw that his mother was standing in the middle of the courtyard with an anxious expression on her face. 93B2K7

“Little bratty bastard, where did you disappear to?”

“There’s a bunch of people and horses outside, and they say they’re here to pick up the Imperial Concubine and some prince,” he said, looking up at his mother.

Chang E covered her mouth with her hand in shock. She froze for a second before running to the door to get a look outside. The splendidly dressed Imperial Commissioner and his staff were walking steadily toward the Chang residence. Chang Qi’s aunt and uncle stood foolishly by the main door to their residence.

The Imperial Commissioner swung off his horse, walked up to the Chang residence that the Village Chief had pointed out, then knelt respectfully at the entrance. kIpmQa

“This humble commissioner greets her Grace, the Imperial Concubine, and his Highness, the Imperial Prince,” he said. “The Emperor has requested that we bring you both back to the palace.”

On hearing this, Chang E felt a little faint, and Chang Qi quickly moved to hold her steady.

“Oh my… her Grace… an Imperial concubine…” Mrs Zhang cried out in surprise, before fainting dead away, her eyes rolling toward the back of her head.

Author’s note: Mini-theatre xSJLMR

“Winning through divine intervention”

Qiqi: They say I am a bastard

Mother: Don’t listen to them, your dad’s the Emperor ╭(╯^╰)╮

Qiqi: Alright, mother ╭(╯^╰)╮ VS4iBf

Imperial Commissioner: We’re here to bring the Imperial Concubine and the Prince back to the palace

Qiqi: WTF, my dad’s actually the Emperor?

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Mother: WTF, your dad’s actually the Emperor?

Qiqi: →_→ 0vWaLU