Another weekly freebie by Chau :)
1Qianjin - honorific for Xiaojies, literal translation: thousand jin 斤 (pounds) of gold
Hostility = unfriendliness or opposition
Animosity = strong hostilityàTherefore animosity >> hostility
Chapter 60: Ripples in Spring Water
Taken aback, everyone immediately shifted their gaze and saw a young man standing beyond the door.
His eyes were as bright and clear as the full moon. The clarity and coldness in them could be seen even from afar, isolating him from the world around him, which made others had difficulty keeping their eyes open. His plain white robe was exquisite with its flowing, intricate silver embroidery.
Although it was as simple and natural as that, it had stirred admiration within everyone.
Seventh Prince, Tuoba Yu, Li Wei Yang frowned, even he came…
As Tuoba Yu entered through the doors, he looked straight at Li Wei Yang. Perhaps since the first time they met, when she had schemed against that family with a performance, he found a bit ironic, if not laughable, and up until now, he could easily recognize her among the crowd of young ladies gathered there.
Although she had changed into beautiful silk clothing, her face cleaner and clearer, and even with her deceptive, bright smile, he could recognize her, even with a single glance. She was indeed the little girl that had intentionally let the pigs loose and then pitifully wept and lamented by the well, and moreover, she had deliberately avoided him at the tea shop.
However, looking at her now, she seemed much more beautiful than before.
After all, it was the silk clothes that made someone seem beautiful. Tuoba Yu’s lips slightly curved as he looked at the wide-eyed qianjin1 Xiaojies. This Seventh Prince was known as the most handsome member of the Imperial family, and of course, he was also known to be rather cold and indifferent.
San Huangzi Tuoba Zhen smiled and said: “Seventh brother.”
The bright smile on Tuoba Yu’s face seemed tense: “Third brother.”
Two handsome imperial princes of the Imperial family in one place was certainly a pleasant sight to behold. Li Wei Yang smiled. Who would have thought these two were actually sworn enemies of a lifetime? Brothers in the Imperial family could not avoid the inevitable struggle for the throne. Looking back, she had only once thought for Tuoba Zhen’s sake and always saw Tuoba Yu as her sworn enemy. Now, it seemed like this feeling had changed.
Rather than allowing Tuoba Zhen to rise to the throne as Emperor, Li Wei Yang would willingly make Tuoba Yu the ultimate victor.
Fifth Prince Tuoba Rui was evidently surprised: “Even Seventh brother has come here today too.”
Tuoba Yu’s gaze seemed to sweep over Li Wei Yang: “The Prime Minister had held a banquet for his beloved daughter, I certainly must come to celebrate.”
In truth, he had been in his imperial mother’s palace when someone happened to bring up the fact that Bixia had bestowed the title of Xianzhu to someone. That someone happened to be Li Wei Yang, a concubine’s daughter of Li Xiao Ran. The palace maids quietly gossiped about this San Xiaojie who grew up in a small village not far from Ping Cheng.
Once he heard the name, Tuoba Yu could not understand why he thought of those clear, dark eyes. He left the palace, and when he realized it, the horse carriage had already arrived at the doors of the Prime Minister’s residence.
His intuition told him the girl he saw at that tea shop must have been Li Wei Yang. He wanted to come to confirm this and ultimately confirmed his suspicions.
Li Xiao Ran’s face brightened. He only sent the invitations out of courtesy. Who would have thought three honored guests would suddenly arrive? It was enough to showcase the extent of his authority and influence in the Imperial court … With a bright smile, he raised his cup of wine: “I thank the three princes that came, allow me to offer the first toast.”
Seventh Prince had suddenly appeared. Moreover, the host of the banquet was in high spirits, improving the overall atmosphere of the banquet, so the guests began to exchange toasts with one another.
Tuoba Zhen stood and said: “Prime Minister, the Crowned Prince is preoccupied with official matters and could not personally come. However, he had me bring a gift in his place.”
Li Xiao Ran smiled: “The Crowned Prince is truly considerate.”
Tuoba Zhen ordered a silk-covered box to be opened to reveal its contents. Everyone immediate offered high praises. As it turned out, there was a beautiful golden peacock inside. Fragile, golden silk was used to craft its feathers, which gently quivered in the wind as if they were actual feathers. Its eyes were a pair of emeralds that were the size of rice grains which gleamed mysteriously under the candlelight. The tail of the peacock was embedded with colorful, precious gemstones, cleverly pieced together so it had a rainbow-like effect in the light. It was certainly a rare treasure to behold.
Such a gift seemed highly valuable and enough for others to see that the Crowned Prince respected this Xianzhu, or rather, it was that he noticed that Li Wei Yang was made Xianzhu.
Li Wei Yang kept a neutral smile on her face and accepted the silk box.
Tuoba Zhen was staring at her when he vaguely caught a glimpse of a sneer on her lips, but it was like a faint impression and quickly disappeared.
At that moment, Li Min De came running in with ragged breaths. His gaze shifted back and forth until he found Li Wei Yang. His form was no longer tense, and he quickly came to her side. When he saw Tuoba Zhen standing not too far away from her, his gaze seemed to grow hostile as he stared at Tuoba Zhen.
Tuoba Zhen sensed a strange stare boring into him and instinctively turned around to see a young boy with a strangely beautiful face standing there.
He was——the young Shaoye that San fang had adopted. Tuoba Zhen did not think much of the little child but he subconsciously looked back at the child a few more times. Aside from his unique and extraordinary appearance, the child’s lively eyes seemed to be harboring a hidden animosity.
Animosity? Animosity towards him? He did not recall offending the child in any way.
Intending to take the young boy’s gaze lightly, he thought he could dismiss it, but Li Min De’s stare was rather unusual. It subconsciously made him uneasy.
He did what he could do to avoid that stare and turned around to return to his seat. Sometime later, he felt the unnerving stare leave him.
Li Wei Yang saw the sweat on Li Min De’s forehead and curiously asked: “Is there something wrong? Why are you covered in sweat?”
A strange light appeared in Li Min De’s eyes: “Nothing. I went to the flower gardens to look for you, but I couldn’t find you.”
Li Wei Yang’s gaze fell on Li Min De’s gold-embroidered robes, a small stain in particular, and grew slightly worried: “You fell?”
Li Min De cheerfully smiled: “Not at all.” At the same time, a strange mist seemed to glaze over his eyes, which did not suit someone his age at all.
Li Wei Yang felt even more perplexed. She had never seen this child reveal an expression like this. Perhaps he had just heard something, but even so, it did not explain where the stain came from.
“Min De.” She softly said.
The outline of Li Min De’s mouth was extraordinarily beautiful, his lips slightly curved upwards. When he was not smiling, there seemed to be a vaguely cruel and wicked light: “Sanjie, earlier, I met a very strange person--- ”
A very strange person? Li Wei Yang was perplexed by his wording. As she was about to ask him, Li Min De changed the subject. His eyes were innocent and clear as day as he offered her a bowl of pear soup: “Let’s not talk anymore. Here, try this, it’s really good.”
Li Wei Yang remembered there were more important matters left. For that reason, she quietly let it go this time.
At that moment, San Furen glanced in Li Wei Yang’s direction. They exchanged a smile, fully understanding one another’s intentions.
After a cup of tea, a terrifying shriek suddenly rang out, frightening everyone.
Li Xiao Ran’s face grew solemn. He was about to order someone to go to see what had happened when he saw Da Xiaojie of the Wang family with military authority, her face drained of color, leaning against a young maid as if she was about to faint.
Da Furen saw her and immediately frowned: “Wang Xiaojie, what is the matter?”
Wang Xiaojie let out a shriek, shaking from head to toe as her face turned pale white, unable to say a word.
Wang Furen stood up. She was only a stepmother and seeing a daughter, who was not her flesh and blood, cause trouble at a banquet. She sternly said: “You are a Xiaojie of a prestigious household, and yet you do not have proper manners at all. Quickly leave.”
It was then that Wang Xiaojie suddenly broke down and sobbed: “Mother, it has nothing to do with me but - but just now when I went outside to be alone with my thoughts, I saw … I saw a dead person hanging from a tree!”