Chapter 89
Chapter 89
Hearing him, Xie Chengze looked up. At the sight of two small heads above the wall, confusion filled his eyes.
Princesses?
*The Powerful Minister* did seem to mention that the Jian’an Dynasty had several princesses. But only the Eldest Princess ever played a role in the novel. The other two received no more than a few passing mentions. Since the original was so long, Xie Chengze had long forgotten what those mentions said.
“What are their names again?” Covering his mouth, Xie Chengze asked in a whisper.
Zhu Xiaobiao: ?
Your Highness, are you serious?!
I’m the one who only just entered the palace! Even I know the princesses’ names. How can you not know the names of your own younger sisters?
“The one on the left should be Princess Anhe, and the one on the right Princess Zhaohe.” After a pause, Zhu Xiaobiao lowered his voice further. “Ping’an. Shu.”
He did not dare say their full names. He was merely a commoner and truly lacked the courage to address princesses by their personal names.
“Oh~!” Hearing those names finally awakened a long-buried memory in Xie Chengze. He remembered now. Early in the original novel, the Xiongnu invaded the frontier, and the court officials proposed marriage alliances. The matter later came to nothing. In the end, the Eldest Prince led his elite troops into a bloody battle against the Xiongnu. At the cost of his entire army and his own severe injuries, he captured a Xiongnu prince as a hostage, finally bringing the frontier war to an end.
Let him think. That should have happened around this time, should it not?
Xie Chengze scratched his cheek in puzzlement. During those days he had attended court, he had heard no one mention the Xiongnu. Had it already happened?
Never mind. No news was good news.
Xie Chengze beckoned to the two girls. “Come over~”
At his invitation, Xie Ping’an and Xie Shu exchanged a glance. They hesitated at first, but soon nodded together, nimbly swung over the top of the wall, and leapt down in impressive fashion.
Xie Chengze: !!!
Xie Chengze stared in shock at the height of the wall, then at the two girls who had landed with effortless grace.
They were –
So strong!
Feeling like an old man with decrepit arms and legs, Xie Chengze gazed at them in envy.
“Second Brother.”
“Second Brother.”
The two young girls greeted him obediently and stood stiffly across the stone table. Now and then, they stole a look at Xie Chengze’s beauty. Then they nudged each other’s arms, apparently urging – or yielding to – one another.
At last, Xie Ping’an, the elder sister, coughed softly and said, “Second Brother, we were not deliberately spying. We came specifically because we have business with you.”
“What business?” Xie Chengze patted the stone table and said in a friendly tone, “Sit and tell me.”
The two girls exchanged another glance and obediently took seats on the stone stools. Xie Ping’an cleared her throat and continued, “We came to thank Second Brother.”
“Thank me?” Xie Chengze looked at them in confusion. “For what?”
He did not remember doing anything.
“If it weren’t for Second Brother, we would have been sent off in marriage alliances two months ago!” Xie Shu blurted impatiently. “Father said we escaped only because Second Brother devised a strategy behind the scenes!”
Xie Chengze: ???
Why do I not know I did that?!
Xie Chengze’s eyes widened slightly. “Did Father tell you what idea I proposed?”
“No.” Xie Shu shook her head, then puffed out her chest proudly. “But I have secret channels! I heard Second Brother invented something incredibly powerful and even threatened to blow up the entire grassland! The story has spread throughout the Xiongnu. They even call Second Brother the Jade-Faced Demon King, mmph, mmph, mmph – ”
Xie Ping’an clapped a hand over the rest of her words. “Third Sister! There was no need to say that!”
Xie Chengze: …
Xie Chengze silently wiped a hand over his face.
Dog emperor! Spreading rumors about him again while he was away!
“Then what is the current situation at the frontier?” Xie Chengze asked. With such a major change, would the Eldest Prince’s fate still follow the original course?
Emperor Jian had received the blasting powder formula. Surely he was not foolish enough to remain incapable of dealing with the Xiongnu?
“They made peace ages ago!” Xie Shu pulled Xie Ping’an’s hand away and rushed on. “I hear Eldest Brother will return to the capital for New Year! If it’s true, everyone will be present at the family banquet this year!”
Xie Ping’an kicked Xie Shu. Only then did the younger girl realize what she had said and secretly glance at Xie Chengze’s expression.
Xie Chengze was tapping his chin in thought. In the original novel, the Eldest Prince had indeed returned to the capital around New Year, but only to demand compensation for his dead comrades. His own wounds had not yet healed, yet he had dragged himself back for their sake.
Who would have thought that developing blasting powder for the Yizhou floods would inadvertently prevent an entire war?
“Then it really is good news.” Xie Chengze lowered his hand. “I only happened to play a small part in saving you. It was nothing as mystical as you make it sound.”
Blow up the entire grassland? Was Xie Chengze the sort of man who cared so little for flowers and grass – no, who cared so little for peace?
Xie Ping’an and Xie Shu blinked curiously. “So Second Brother truly invented something extremely powerful?”
Just now, Second Brother had been whittling charcoal. Charcoal meant fire, and fire meant burning the grassland. That seemed close enough to blowing it up!
“I certainly did invent something extremely powerful.” Xie Chengze rubbed his chin. “The sort that can blow a person into pieces too small to gather.”
Xie Ping’an and Xie Shu: “Whoa!!!”
The two girls’ bright eyes widened. Not only were they unafraid, they began asking whether it could blow up the great black bears at the autumn hunt, whether it could demolish city walls across the realm, and whether it could blow up the imperial palace.
Xie Chengze: …
Were the princesses of the Jian’an Dynasty truly this far ahead of their time mentally?
Who heard about gunpowder and immediately thought of blowing up their own palace and city walls?
Shaking his head helplessly, Xie Chengze lowered it to resume writing. An imperial guard hurried over and announced, “Your Highness, the Second Young Master of the Su family has arrived.”
“Oh?” Delight immediately lit Xie Chengze’s face. “Quickly, invite him over!”
“The Second Young Master of the Su family?” At the side, Xie Shu tilted her head in thought, then remembered. “You don’t mean that useless second young master of the Su family, do you?”
“Probably. Why did Second Brother invite him?” Xie Ping’an asked curiously.
Xie Chengze reached out and flicked Xie Shu lightly on the forehead. “Watch your words. Who is useless?”
“The Second Young Master of the Su family. What was his name again?” Xie Shu began racking her brains. Xie Ping’an prompted her, and she exclaimed, “Right, Su Qinghe. That is what everyone outside says. They say he is a use – *cough* – a man of no particular ability.”
Then she covered her mouth and protested, “I have definitely never sneaked out of the palace with Second Sister!”
Xie Ping’an covered her forehead in speechless despair.
“Everyone outside says that?” Xie Chengze frowned. He had known nothing of this. “Why?”
“Because every member of the Su family is talented. He alone is mediocre and incompetent. Even his poetry is awful, never mind his essays.” Xie Shu shrugged.
Xie Chengze: …
Xie Chengze could not help remembering that when he first met Su Qinghe, he had demanded the man compose a poem on the spot.
No wonder Su Qinghe had remained kneeling and refused. It was not that he looked down on Xie Chengze – he could not write poetry either?
Xie Shu continued chattering. “Those pampered wastrels in the capital despise him! They all say he is only a concubine-born son, indulged by the head of the Su family because his face resembles his mother, who died young. In truth, he is only a pretty shell, and he does not even hold an office at court – ow!”
Xie Ping’an had kicked Xie Shu hard again.
Xie Shu glared: *Why did you kick me?!*
Xie Ping’an: *Do you not think you sound as though you are describing someone else?*
Xie Shu: ?
Xie Shu: !!!
Oh. Now that she thought about it, Second Brother had once seemed like that sort of person too.
Xie Shu coughed twice and tried to repair the damage. “Of course, Second Sister and I merely like hearing gossip. What is wrong with possessing nothing but beauty? A kind person is still a good person!”
“You two certainly hear plenty of gossip.” Xie Chengze raised an eyebrow. “Young Master Su is my friend. When he comes, mind your words and show him respect. Otherwise, you will not be welcome at Chenghuan Hall again.”
Xie Ping’an and Xie Shu immediately sat up straight and thumped their chests in assurance. “Do not worry, Second Brother! You are our marriage-rescue benefactor, so your friend is our marriage-rescue benefactor too!”
Xie Chengze: ?
What kind of marriage-rescue benefactor is that? Do not make up bizarre idioms so casually!