[1] Sleeveless, halter top, equivalent to a bra. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudou

  [2] Story behind it: http://www.freechineselesson.com/chinese/chinese-idiom-playing-music-for-cow

  [3] See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuling_jiabing

  Knock knock knock. It wasn’t long before they heard a knock on the door.

  Li Min De stared at the person who pushed the door open and came in with disapproval and coldly said: “Fourth Prince of Mo Bei, what kind of etiquette is coming when you haven’t been invited?”


  Li Yuan Heng just smiled and said: “Little brother, we have fought last time, so I know your martial arts are not inferior, but you might not want to fight here, it wouldn’t look too good!” His attitude appeared very friendly and even had an air of generosity that made people unable to hate him.

  Zhao Yue and Zhao Nan both eyed Li Yuan Heng with wariness at once, the expressions on their faces didn’t look good. There was also a young woman behind Li Yuan Heng, her round eyes looking around. It wasn’t long before her eyes were fixated on Li Min De and began to shine with a strange kind of brilliance. She was born very beautiful. Her slender, arched eyebrows resembled two crescent moons. She had a small, straight nose and a pair of soft, red lips. Her eyes even had the likeness of a lake in autumn, clear and bright. She could steal people’s souls with just a single glance. Other than her skin, which was a bit rough due to the enduring winds and sandy environment of Mo Bei, she was most certainly a beauty.

  Li Wei Yang noticed that her eyes were clear like flowing water, mesmerizing, and understood that she was interested in Li Min De. She subconsciously shook her head. How many times has it been this month? Every time Min De went out onto the streets, he always attracted a following of many young ladies who wanted a closer look. Some even boldly stepped forward to profess their love, and it was said that a little young lady even tossed her dudou [1] onto his carriage last time…… Such boldness, it goes to show how important beautiful appearances are. Those women who had never been close with Min De had blatantly professed their love and hopes of becoming a couple, hence Li Min De hated them to the extremes. In this world, no one will love on a whim. There’s no need for further discussion, it is only out of vanity.

  Thinking of this, Li Wei Yang had gained some understanding of how Min De felt. Being surrounded by a swarm of bees and butterflies was quite uncomfortable. No wonder he dealt with the Ninth Princess in such an inconsiderate manner last time. It was kind of like what he had said: “You get used to dealing with it after a while.”


  “Anping Xianzhu, this is my meimei, Princess He Chang.” Li Yuan Heng noticed that Li Wei Yang had her attention on his meimei and happily introduced her.

  In terms of personality, Princess He Chang seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. She came forward and smiled at Li Wei Yang: “I am the Sixth Mo Bei Princess, and this is the first time I’ve come to Da Li with my elder brother. Are you Anping Xianzhu? Gege said he wanted to marry you and make you a concubine! Would you be willing to go back to Mo Bei with us?”


  Li Wei Yang was speechless. Li Min De sneered and said: “I’m afraid your gege hasn’t woken up from his lovely dream. His Majesty canceled this marriage, so this is final, and there won’t be any further changes.”


  Li Yuan Heng refused to accept it: “As long as I like Anping Xianzhu, I can just take her away. What does it have to do with your Emperor of Da Li? He manages Heaven and Earth, he even manages marriage and fate between people now? There’s no need for his permission!”


  Such horrible and vulgar words stunned everyone in the room. For the most part, in their minds, no one has ever been so daring, but the Prince of Mo Bei was not a Da Li subject though. There was nothing strange with the fact that he had no respect for the Emperor of this country.

  Li Wei Yang lightly responded: “His Majesty’s permission may not be needed, but my permission is needed. I said this marriage won’t happen, so it won’t happen.”


  Li Yuan Heng was stunned, as if he had been struck hard.

  He Chang looked at Li Wei Yang strangely: “Why? My gege has a lot of land, many servants too, and his cattle and horses are also the best in Mo Bei, the most fertile on the steppe. He doesn’t have a Princess Consort yet, so if you marry in, you will be the Primary Consort, and all of his Side Consort will have to obey you! How dignified! Much better than living day by day here! You see, I can go out whenever I feel like it, but all of the young ladies here have to be accompanied by a group of people whenever they step foot out the door, how annoying!”


  Li Wei Yang looked at He Chang’s face full of surprise and couldn’t help laughing: “Your gege’s wealth is his own. It has nothing to do with me. I’m not interested in managing cattle and sheep for him, nor do I want to manage his Side Consorts. I wish to peacefully live out my days in the Capital free of any obligations, do you understand now, Princess?”


  He Chang made a disappointed face and even looked at her as if she was looking at a fool, as if Li Wei Yang’s refusal to marry Li Yuan Heng was a great loss.

  Li Yuan Heng apparently did not care about Li Wei Yang’s refusal. He smiled and said: “I know girls of your Da Li are very reserved. You are clearly unwilling to say that you are willing.”


  Li Wei Yang and Li Min De looked at one another and saw the four words “playing zither to cows” [2] in each other’s eyes. Li Wei Yang smiled and only said: “If you don’t mind, then please sit down and have a cup of tea. Let’s be friends for now.”


  If it was an ordinary young lady, it was too late to avoid the other party, so it would be embarrassing to be generous now, but Li Wei Yang seemed at ease, obviously unconcerned with what happened in the main hall of the Palace that day.

  The Fourth Prince of Mo Bei felt that he had a good eye for people and pulled his meimei to sit down as well: “Since that’s the case, no need to be courteous. Releasing animals with Da Li subjects just now is very interesting, but I feel thirsty after standing for so long.”


  When Bai Zhi and Mo Zhi came into the room one after the other, they saw this strange situation and also heard what the people standing outside had said. They knew that a Prince and Princess of Mo Bei was inside the room and slightly choked on their words. Look at what their family’s Xiaojie was doing, she was actually entertaining the Fourth Prince of Mo Bei whose marriage proposal had been rejected! Although this marriage had ceased to exist, did Xiaojie not feel embarrassed at all?

  “Bai Zhi, prepare tea for the two guests.” Li Wei Yang ordered.

  Bai Zhi quickly came forward and poured tea for them. Princess He Chang didn’t care about maintaining the image of a beauty at all. She picked up the cup of tea, drank it and stuck out her tongue: “Not as good as our family’s wine.”


  People in Mo Bei are good at drinking and have good brewing techniques as well. Their wine is quite strong, but it sells well in various countries. Li Wei Yang had known this for a while, so she did not find it strange when she heard it: “Wine has the taste of wine, tea has the taste of tea. The tea here is brewed with water from the first snowfall in winter, so it has a particularly fragrant and gentle plum flavor.”


  Princess He Chang clearly didn’t believe it, lowering her head to take another sip, then nodded: “Indeed, it really does!”


  With a smile, Li Yuan Heng said: “I have long heard that Anping Xianzhu is extraordinarily talented. Your reputation has spread far and wide, and I had long admired you back in Mo Bei. At the time, I genuinely wondered if you were as clever and capable as the rumors said, and now I am relieved.” From his words, it seemed like he hadn’t abandoned his intentions.

  Li Min De’s face did not look good. The Fourth Prince of Mo Bei wasn’t actually stupid. Listen to these words, they were not inferior to those spoken by the gallant, handsome gongzi of Da Li and even sounded a little more sincere than others. Based on what he said, it was clear that he would continue in his pursuit, would Wei Yang’s heart stir? Thinking of this, he quietly observed Li Wei Yang’s facial expression.

  The smile on Li Wei Yang’s face was very gentle. She slowly said: “Your Fourth Highness is making fun of me. Everyone knows this method of brewing tea, it’s not just me. Not to mention, I have not left home yet, so there’s no chance that my reputation will spread to Mo Bei.”


  Li Yuan Heng shook his head and called an attendant to retrieve a painting. He smiled and said: “I said I’ve seen you before. Xianzhu may not believe it, but when you see this painting, you’ll know that I’m not lying.”


  He unraveled that painting as he spoke. Li Wei Yang glanced over. It was a painting of a young woman with a lovely, delicate face, sitting before a game of Go, her eyes focused on it, contemplating. Her expression was natural and at ease, and her eyes were gleaming. It was just what she looked like.

  Li Min De’s eyes changed at that moment.

  Stunned, Li Wei Yang asked: “Your Fourth Highness, where did you get this painting from?”


  Li Yuan Heng responded: “Three months ago, a good friend of mine in the Capital heard that I’d be coming here to choose a bride and immediately had someone send this painting to me. He also told me many things about you.”


  One had to admit that Li Yuan Heng was a very straightforward person on the surface. It was hard to find him annoying. Li Wei Yang laughed: “Is that person Jiang Hua, Third Gongzi of the Jiang family?”


  Li Yuan Heng laughed loudly: “That’s right! Four years ago, I toured Da Li in disguise and met someone well versed in literary arts and military affairs at Bei Ming Mountain. We were both like-minded and got along well, friends at first sight. I didn’t know he was the son of a General until I returned to my country. Since there was no war at the border and someone led the troops in his stead, he was able to spend two idle months, playing around. He happened to meet me, and we became friends.”


  Between his words, he did not shy away from his association with Jiang Hua, making him seem generous and uphold a clear conscience Li Min De, who had not spoken for a long time, looked at him, frowning. The Fourth Prince of Mo Bei came to prove something today because he naturally realized something. Seeing him continuously striving to win Li Wei Yang’s favor, Li Min De felt even more annoyed towards this person.

  “Fourth Mo Bei Prince is someone of high status, how can you trust others with just a few words?” Li Min De suddenly spoke up.

  Li Yuan Heng smiled and said: “Li Gongzi, I wouldn’t blindly trust anyone either, even if it is a good friend. When I came to Da Li this time, I saw Anping Xianzhu with my own eyes. She’s not only intelligent but also born beautiful, so I fell in love with her at first sight. What’s so strange about that?”


  Li Wei Yang is indeed a beauty. There are many other beauties in Da Li too, various types of beauties, each with their own charm, but they are not as good as what the Fourth Mo Bei Prince calls a cold-faced beauty. For the first time, Li Min De felt that the person in front of him was not that simple. They just happened to run into each other earlier, but this person brought a portrait of Li Wei Yang with him. How can there be such a coincidence? He must have followed them a while ago. One could not help but sigh in admiration. This Fourth Mo Bei Prince is an ostensibly open-minded person on the surface, but deep down, he was hardly a straw bag. He understood a woman’s mind very well.

  He first expressed that he had admired Li Wei Yang for a long time now, gaining a good impression. Then, he brought out the painting to show his sincerity and expressed his feelings for Li Wei Yang in front of everyone. He even talked about his friendship with Jiang Hua, leaving a profound impression on his audience. If the average person knew the grudges between Li Wei Yang and the Jiang family, they would leave out the part about Jiang Hua, but then once he has been exposed, it will make others highly suspicious. On the other hand, Li Yuan Heng talked about everything without reservation and seemed sincere, as if Jiang Hua had taken advantage of his enthusiasm and winning sympathy at the same time. If Li Wei Yang was an ordinary woman, she will naturally be impressed by him. This person should not be underestimated, Li Min De secretly warned himself.

  Li Yuan Heng smiled and earnestly asserted: “I don’t like beating around the bush like the people of Da Li. I don’t have any other intentions, I just genuinely like you and hope you can become my Princess Consort. If you don’t like having other women around me, I can also make proper arrangements for them. I can even guarantee you that your son will be the one to inherit all of my property in the future.”


  Li Min De smiled expressionlessly. This person’s skills in chasing women are really high. He keeps saying he has no other intentions, but he acts intentionally in all kinds of ways and even expresses a look of utmost sincerity, making shocking and crude promises. Even if Li Wei Yang had a heart of stone, she will certainly be moved.

  Li Yuan Heng obviously wasn’t finished yet: “I know that Mo Bei is not as prosperous as Da Li, but I intend to build a lavish mansion, I guarantee that the landscape inside will be exactly the same as where you are living now. I can even purchase goods from Da Li and transport them to Mo Bei for your daily use, but I know you are not a woman who is greedy for glory and will not care about these things, but this is from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you can accept it.”


  Li Min De internally rolled his eyes. Li Yuan Heng really used every trick one after another. Li Wei Yang likes to drink rose water and eat Fu Ling cakes [3], all of which are the Capital’s specialities. They would have soon turned moldy along the way to Mo Bei. Even if they found a chef to make it, the hellish likes of your Mo Bei is a place where even the birds don’t want to lay eggs, so what will it be made of! Hmph, so what if you brought it from thousands of miles away? Did you really think that taking out a painting, saying a few good words can move Wei Yang’s heart? How naive. What methods haven’t I tried in the past year? The result is still failure. Wei Yang is smart and beautiful, and moreover, with her unfinished business and lofty ambitions, she would not bother to follow an ignorant fool like you for a lifetime.

  He originally didn’t intend to raise objections against the other party. Rather, he wanted Li Wei Yang to personally turn him down, so that the other party loses all hope, but he didn’t expect Li Wei Yang to completely stun him with what she said next.

  Li Wei Yang’s face slightly reddened as she slowly said: “Thank you, Your Fourth Highness, for treating Wei Yang so kindly, it’s just that a marriage cannot be decided in such a reckless manner, please forgive me——”


  These words had a hidden meaning. Everyone in the room understood that Li Wei Yang retained a three-tenths sliver of hope and did not reject it on the spot.

  Li Yuan Heng immediately rejoiced and said: “I will be hunting in the suburbs tomorrow afternoon. I would like to invite Xianzhu to join me in relieving sorrows, would that be possible?”


  No, of course not—Li Min De gritted his teeth in secret, his face grim as if he was about to spit in disgust.

  Li Wei Yang only smiled: “Of course it is. But Wei Yang cannot ride and shoot on horseback, I’m afraid I’ll be a joke to the experts.”


  Li Yuan Heng was already so happy that he didn’t know what to say and quickly replied: “It’s alright, I will teach you—” Halfway through his words, he realized that he was a little too forward, he quickly added: “My meimei’s riding and shooting skills are very good too, she can just teach you. Right, He Chang?”


  However, Princess He Chang over there was staring intently at Li Min De with a pair of wide eyes and peach blossoms all over her face. She didn’t hear a single thing her gege was saying, the look he was giving her seemed to be cast away into a ditch. There was no response from her.

  Li Wei Yang suddenly stood up and said: “In that case, it’s decided. It’s not early anymore, we should be on our way.”


  Li Yuan Heng immediately smiled and said: “Yes, yes, safe travels, Xianzhu.” He had the look of satisfaction of being indulged by a beautiful woman. He personally escorted Li Wei Yang onto the carriage and still stubbornly refused to leave as he watched her carriage disappear.

  In the carriage, Li Min De didn’t look at her and only looked at the scenery outside the window. It was already sunset. The twilight cast a beautiful arc onto half of his face, but his eyes were full of boredom, an aggrieved look, enough to make hearts stir.

  Li Wei Yang laughed: “What are you making that face for, are you blaming me for ignoring you?”


  Seeing that she took initiative to speak first, Li Min De slowly turned around, his eyes falling on her as he revealed a reluctant but lonely smile: “I thought you completely forgot about me.”


  Seeing the two of them so intimate, no different than good friends. The kind of man could still be tolerated——was what Li Min De clearly had written on his face.

  This guy was pretending to be pitiful again, Li Wei Yang subconsciously thought to herself. She smiled and pushed a cup of tea over: “Don’t be angry, drink the tea.”


  “Wei Yang, you don’t have to console me. I know you are very fond of that Fourth Mo Bei Prince. He is handsome and someone in a high position after all. Marrying him is indeed a good choice.” How strange. Gritting his teeth, he suppressed his emotions, secretly slandering him in his heart, what is good about this tall, dark and ugly kind of man!

  Li Wei Yang’s hand trembled. She laughed a little strangely. It wasn’t that she had a severe case of paranoia, but Li Min De spoke too resentfully. The hot tea unexpectedly spilled over, reddening and scalding her entire hand, making her frown. Before she could give Bai Zhi an order, someone else had grabbed her hand.

  Li Min De’s beautiful eyebrows tightly furrowed with an undisguised heartbrokenness: “Why are you so careless?”


  Li Wei Yang was about to say it was fine…… Who knew that she would be completely stunned the next moment.

  Not just Li Wei Yang, the other yatous in the carriage were also stunned. The interior of the carriage was quite spacious, but they suddenly felt the temperature rise. Mo Zhu immediately covered her face but secretly moved two of her fingers and peeked through the gap until Zhao Yue expressionlessly blocked the two yatous’ views.

  Li Wei Yang was still speechless, Li Min De was actually sucking on her finger! Feeling the warmth inside his mouth envelop her finger, she was at a loss for words, but he didn’t feel like it was enough, the tip of his tongue carefully licking her scalded finger.

  In spite of having a thicker face and colder heart, Li Wei Yang’s face became hot.

  Does this person not know shame? The yatous are all here, yet he turns a blind eye and no one else—Ah! Her reputation of a lifetime was ruined in his hands!

  Li Min De casually let go of her hand, distressed: “Don’t be so careless next time.”


  Li Wei Yang struggled for what felt like half a day, breathing in and out several times. She reluctantly said: “There must not be such unreasonable behavior in front of others, I will immediately kick you off the carriage next time!”


  Li Min De’s amber eyes flickered: “I’ll remember, to not do it in front of others.”


  Li Wei Yang breathed a sigh of relief, but Li Min De continued to say: “As long as no one else is here.”


  Li Wei Yang’s sigh of relief immediately turned into anger. When the reprimanding words came to her mouth, she saw his downcast eyes, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow as that tender and aggrieved look in his eyes made her swallow her words. Maybe he was so good-looking that she was momentarily bewitched, leaving her stunned.

  A hint of a smile crept up onto his face. Li Min De’s eyes curved. This smile could even eclipse all the stars. Li Wei Yang’s heart raced and deliberately looked away.

  Li Min De seemed to notice that her face was a bit off. He couldn’t pressure her too much, so he changed the subject and said: “Wei Yang suspects the Fourth Prince, is that why you deliberately gave him a chance to get closer?”


  Li Wei Yang frowned, then turned back. He was sometimes serious and other times, far from serious. She didn’t know how to act towards him anymore. She faintly gave an “en” in agreement, she apparently still had her mind on what just happened.

  Li Min De smiled: “Then tomorrow, I want to go too.”
——

  *****——

  Translator: Chau

  Editor: Chau