by La Mi Tu
“Letting big cousin brother wait, I should be punished!”
Knowing that Li Yun Qing was helping her, Murong Qi Qi gave him a thankful smile. She directly picked up the jug of wine and raised her head. Her red lips parted slightly. She tilted the jug. The pure wine slowly fell into Murong Qi Qi’s mouth.
At this moment, the moonlight fell on Murong Qi Qi’s body, casting a dreamy fog on her. Silence surrounded her. Only the sound of the wine going into the mouth could be heard. Beauty and good wine. The original ordinary Murong Qi Qi at this moment gave out a hallucinatory effect, making people unable to do anything but stare in rapture.
“Good capacity of liquor!”
After Murong Qi Qi put down the jug of wine, Shangguan Wu Ji cheered loudly.
“Didn’t expect third miss to be such a good drinker. Simply comparable to a man!”
Shangguan family came from a family of generals. Shangguan Wu Ji’s was also very forthright. Around him, there was also a masculine and brave aura.
People of the army naturally liked straightforwardness. So Murong Qi Qi, being a girl drinking forthright like this, left a good impression on Shangguan Wu Ji.
Seeing Shangguan Wu Ji praise Murong Qi Qi, Duanmu Yi Yi’s expression turned uglier.
“So what if she can drink? She is still a rubbish!”
Relying on the fact that the current empress Duanmu Qing is her aunt, Duanmu Yi Yi was a bit more arrogant than others.
Duanmu Yi Yi’s words made Shangguan Wu Ji frown.
“Miss Duanmu talking like this in front of people is not ladylike.”
Shangguan Wu Ji speaking up for her made Murong Qi Qi look at him with new eyes. She is not familiar with Shangguan Wu Ji, but he saw injustice and generously helped her. Such a person was worthy of becoming friends with!
“A rubbish or not, testing it won’t we know?!”
Duanmu Yi Yi didn’t dare to butt heads with Shangguan Wu Ji. Although her aunt is the current empress, but the empress dowager Shangguan Fei Yan is Shangguan Wu Ji’s grandfather’s biological little sister.
Even Shangguan Wu Ji had to call her gu nainai3. The empress dowager loved this younger generation of Shangguan family very much. Even the emperor trusted Shangguan family very much.
But not fighting with Shangguan Wu Ji didn’t mean that Duanmu Yi Yi would let Murong Qi Qi off. She picked up a soft persimmon to pinch. In Duanmu Yi Yi’s eyes, Murong Qi Qi was just a soft persimmon.
Soft persimmon is a Chinese saying for someone who is easy to deal with.
“Murong Qi Qi, if you have the skills, then compete talents with this miss. If you lose then you have to admit that you are rubbish!”
“Good idea!”
Again, it was Li Yun Qing who opened his mouth first to approve.
“This idea of miss Duanmu, I’ll be the first one to approve! But only competing is too boring. If we bet……”
Li Yun Qing’s words immediately let the atmosphere rise.
Although Duanmu Yi Yi was spoiled, but she was also a famously talented woman in the capital. She has real ability.
Now Duanmu Yi Yi was competing talents with the rubbish Murong Qi Qi. Was there even a need to compete?! Was the result not clear yet?!
* * *
Wang/wangye: the prince of first rank
Wangfei: main wife/consort of the prince of first rank
Gu nainai: grandfather’s sister/ great-aunt
Chapter 12: Pressing Harder with Each Step
* * *
“Little cousin sister, I bet that you’ll win!”
Li Yun Qing, who wouldn’t be satisfied if he didn’t startle people once again, threw out these words, making people dizzy.
He took a medal from his body and threw it on the table.
“This is the medal of our Li family. Let it be the award of the winner.”
“Yun Qing, could it be that you’re joking?!”
Bai Mu Fei at a side picks up the medal and looked at it for a long time.
“Could this be the Long Hu Ling from the legend? I heard that with this medal, you can command every people of Li family to do anything……”
“Right, it’s Long Hu Ling.”
Murong Qi Qi didn’t know what Long Hu Ling was, but the other three families including Murong family knew the importance this Long Hu Ling had in the Li family.
Li Yun Qing casually bet the Long Hu Ling on Murong Qi Qi. Waht was he plotting?
“Little cousin sister, I put the lives of my family on you. If you lose, when I return, I’ll need to kneel at the ancestral shrine.”
Li Yun Qing’s calm words and his green jade colored clothes made him seem more upright.
He slowly walked to Murong Qi Qi, lowered his head and looked at her. How come in so many years, he hadn’t noticed that this little cousin sister had a pair of astonishing eyes?
He didn’t know how dazzling this pair of eyes would be under the moonlight.
“I’d like to see the appearance of big cousin brother kneeling at the ancestral shrine.”
Murong Qi Qi already understood this big cousin brother’s character. He was someone who liked to watch and wasn’t afraid that his back would get hurt. At this moment, he pushed her into the limelight while he was sitting at a side, watching a play! This guy absolutely did it intentionally!
“Haha ha……”
Hearing Murong Qi Qi’s words, Li Yun Qing laughed out loud. Because of his laughter, the hairs on his shoulder flew.
“Hearing little cousin sister say this, I know that I won the bet!”
A handsome man was a handsome man. Every gesture, every smile or angriness; all were like a painting.
“Demon girl!”
This time, Murong Qi Qi didn’t see the coldness in Li Yun Qing’s smiling eyes, instead she saw a touch of gentleness. Could it be that she saw wrong?
Not waiting for Murong Qi Qi to understand the reason. Li Yun Qing went back and continued to sit leisurely as if he was certain that Murong Qi Qi will win over Duanmu Yi Yi.
“I’ve always believed in Yun Qing’s eyes……”
Bai Mu Fei pulled down the jade ring on his thumb.
“Third miss, if you lose, when I return, I’ll have the same fate as brother Li, ah! Hoping that third miss will work hard!”
Bai Mu Fei’s ring also let people be startled. Everyone knew that among the four great families, Bai family was the richest in the capital. Now every business was taken care of by this eldest young master. This jade ring was also his keepsake.
“Since big brother thinks that third miss will win, I’ll also bet.”
Bai Yi Yue pulled out a golden buyao1.
buyao
“This is Guang Hua gongzi’s 2newest hairpin design Bu Bu Shang Lian. Third miss, add oil!”
Add oil is a Chinese saying for do your best
Duanmu Yi Yi never thought that Li family and Bai family would bet on Murong Qi Qi. This was really bullying people too much! Which one of the three things they bet wasn’t a treasure? Bai Yi Yue’s ‘Bu Bu Sheng Lian’ was Tong Bao Zhai’s Guang Hua gongzi’s work. You couldn’t even buy it money.
Guang Hua gongzi just put out a few jewelries throughout the year. Every single one was one of a kind. The moment it came out, it was sold. Even the consorts in the palace took pride at having Guang Hua gongzi’s jewelries.
Duanmu Yi Yi had wished for this ‘Bu Bu Sheng Lian’ for a long time. For a girl, having jewelry from Guang Hua gongzi would be the happiest thing.
“Humph! You all have full confidence in her. When the time comes, don’t regret!”
Duanmu Yi Yi gritted her teeth. She couldn’t believe it. Where was Murong Qi Qi better than her and could get Li family and Bai family’s affection?!
Right! Bai Mu Fei and Li Yun Qing have a good relationship. It must definitely be because of Li Yun Qing’s face that they stood at Murong Qi Qi’s side. It must be like that!
Duanmu Yi Yi’s words once again let Shangguan Wu Ji frown. He silently
put a black dagger on the table.
“I bet that third miss will win!”
Compared to the three others, Shangguan Wu Ji’s dagger didn’t seem significant, but Murong Qi Qi thought that the thing Shangguan Wu Ji carried on his body must be a treasure.
She picked up the dagger and pulled it out,
‘Ceng……’
A light shone, making everyone unable to open their eyes.
“Good dagger,” Murong Qi Qi said softly.
Although this dagger looked normal, the body was black. Lying on the floor, it would only be seen as an unusual dagger. But Murong Qi Qi who was familiar with a variety of weapons, knew that this was the ‘cutting iron like flesh’ treasure.
Seeing that Murong Qi Qi liked it, Shangguan Wu Ji felt like he had found one of his kind.
She was obviously a physically weak girl, but the focused look she had when holding the dagger, gave birth to a strange feeling in Shangguan Wu Ji’s heart.
“It’s good that third miss likes it!”
“Young master Shangguan, if I win, would this dagger really be mine?”
Murong Qi Qi had always liked daggers. It was easy to carry and this dagger was a rare treasure. She held it in her hand and didn’t want to put it down.
“Of course!”
“Good! For this word, today this miss will risk my life!”
Murong Qi Qi loved the dagger so much that she didn’t want to put it down. Although in the eyes of others, Li family and Bai family’s bets have the most luring power, but in her eyes, this dagger was her favorite.
“Third big sister, even boasting should have some ability!”
Murong Qing Lian had also set her eyes on this dagger. Thinking that this dagger would simply be ruined in Murong Qi Qi’s hands, Murong Qing Lian directly bet on Duanmu Yi Yi. If Duanmu Yi Yi wins, she could ask for the dagger!
“I bet on miss Duanmu!”
Murong Xin Lian also bet on Duanmu Yi Yi. No need to say of Murong Jun. He had always looked down on Murong Qi Qi plus the fact that Duanmu Yi Yi was a beautiful lady, so, naturally he needed to please the beauty.
The remaining Duanmu Hong Chen, after looked once more at his little sister and Murong Qi Qi, smiled apologetically at Murong Qi Qi. He put a jade in front of Duanmu Yi Yi.
“Sorry, third miss.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Brothers and sisters should help each other. Besides, Murong Qi Qi felt that she didn’t have a deep friendship with Duanmu Hong Chen that was worthy for him to abandon his little sister and bet on her.
After it was settled, each side had the same number of people, but the bets on Murong Qi Qi side were obviously more expensive, making Duanmu Yi Yi’s heart imbalanced.
The four great families’ relationship wasn’t bad, but the other three families seemed like today they had drunk the wrong medicine by betting their treasures on Murong Qi Qi. How could Duanmu Yi Yi not be angry?
“Murong Qi Qi, what do you want? This is our bet; you also need to bet something! But looking at your poor appearance, you won’t be able to pull out any treasure.”
Gritting her teeth, Duanmu Yi Yi removed the egg-sized East Sea pearls on her skirt.
“If you win, these pearls will be yours. If you lose……”
Duanmu Yi Yi swept over the calm lake and smiled viciously. Slender fingers pointed at the sparkling lake.
“I want you to jump into the lake!”
* * *
Buyao: haiprin that shakes with every steps you take from her hair
Gongzi: unmarried men/ also used to call famous unmarried man/ young master
Chapter 13: A Glance at the Mundane World
* * *
Duanmu Yi Yi was unwilling to spare Murong Qi Qi. Murong Qi Qi finally got annoyed. She had already tolerated for a long time. This woman still wanted to force her, then she also didn’t want to hold in any longer.
“Good!”
Murong Qi Qi took out a box and opened it. She put it in front of everyone. Inside the box laid a pill, white-like jade filled with excellent fragrance.
“This is Xue Fu pill. If I lose, it’s yours. If I win, you also have to jump in the lake!”
“Xue Fu pill?”
Originally, they thought that Murong Qi Qi didn’t have any treasures. They didn’t expect that she would actually take out Lian gongzi’s 1 “Xue Fu pill”, making the way everyone looked at her immediately change.
Xue Fu pill was a first-class beauty product that improved one’s appearance and maintained a youthful appearance, and it was made by strange doctor Liangongzi. The rumors say that with just one pill, you could maintain a youthful look. The face would not get old. Why did Murong Qi Qi have this?
“You say it’s Xue Fu pill, is it really? Who knows if you didn’t just take out some rubbish for show……”
Duanmu Yi Yi hadn’t finished talking when Bai Mu Fei picked up the box. After carefully looking at it, Bai Mu Fei announced the result: “It really is Xue Fu pill! Third miss is really generous!”
Everyone knew that Bai Mu Fei’s ‘poisonous eyes’ are very powerful. If he said that this was ‘Xue Fu pill’, the others would no longer object.
Why did Murong Qi Qi have Xue Fu pill? Did she know strange doctor Liangongzi?
At this moment, Murong Xin Lian’s heart felt like it had spilled a bottle of flavors. The taste was really strange. She wanted to watch a play. Watch Duanmu Yi Yi humiliate Murong Qi Qi. But now, although she didn’t know why, Murong Xin Lian was actually somewhat worried.
The surprises that Murong Qi Qi had given Murong Xin Lian were already too many. Was she really the delicate Murong Qi Qi from this afternoon?
Duanmu Yi Yi stared at ‘Xue Fu pill’. Her eyes were shining. If she won against Murong Qi Qi and got this treasure, she would surely give it to her aunt Duanmu Qing. There were no women who didn’t love beauty, not to mention the mistress of the harem. Didn’t Murong Xue Lian rely on a fox face to get the emperor’s favor and become Imperial Noble Consort?!
In chinese myth foxes are very beautiful in human form
When she gives the Xue Fu pill, aunt would certainly be overjoyed and would reward her. Then she can mention Longze Jing Tian. Jing wangfei2, that place was hers, Duanmu Yi Yi’s! She would surely not lose to Murong Qi Qi, this rubbish!
“Murong Qi Qi, you don’t know martial arts, I will not compete with you on that as to not have an unfair advantage. Today, this miss will compete with you on qin skills! And also while playing, we need to sing!”
Qin: Chinese zither. Guqin is a seven stringed zither
Although Duanmu Yi Yi said it very dignified, who didn’t know that she was an expert at playing the zither? At playing zither, even the number one beauty of the capital Murong Xin Lian would lose. Besides, Duanmu Yi Yi had a moving voice like the birds. Competing like this, it was obvious that she was bullying Murong Qi Qi.
“Duanmu Yi Yi, such competition is really unfair.”
Shangguan Wu Ji once again couldn’t help but protect Murong Qi Qi. He couldn’t take Duanmu Yi Yi’s arrogant appearance. Murong Qi Qi obviously didn’t do anything, why was Duanmu Yi Yi making things difficult for her?
“Shangguan Wu Ji, this is my and her bet. It’s none of your business! Murong Qi Qi, if you know your place, then obediently admit defeat and jump in the lake yourself. There might be a hero who rescues the beauty……”
Duanmu Yi Yi’s eyes swept once over Murong Qi Qi. The mocking in her eyes was really obvious.
“Miss Duanmu, I think your ears definitely have some problems. When did I say that I’ll lose?”
Murong Qi Qi’s originally gentle face turned calm. Shangguan Wu Ji protected her several times, she already saw him as a friend. Now Duanmu Yi Yi was even mocking Shangguan Wu Ji. This made Murong Qi Qi furious.
“Instead of mocking me, you might as well think how to win against me. If today, miss Duanmu loses to this rubbish, then I’m afraid that your face will get lost till your grandma’s
home……”
Murong Qi Qi humphed once. The elegance was exposed in her eyes, covering Duanmu Yi Yi’s limelight.
“You!”
Duanmu Yi Yi had been turned speechless by Murong Qi Qi.
“Servants, bring my guqin here!”
Duanmu Yi Yi’s instrument was the guqin. It’s the famous ‘Bi Lan Qin’. It seemed that this miss had already came prepared. In this regard, Murong Qi Qi didn’t care. She let someone bring out a liuqin and tried the tones.
guqin
liuqin
quzheng
Seeing the liuqin in Murong Qi Qi’s embrace, Duanmu Yi Yi scoffed. Liuqin wass mostly used by commoners. Noble ladies learned the high up guzheng or guqin. Where did people play that thing? Just from this, Duanmu Yi Yi already felt that she had won.
But even so, Duanmu Yi Yi was still very cautious. She knew that she could not lose today. In this competition, you must know yourself and know your enemy. That’s why she went to one side and let Murong Qi Qi play first.
“Are you sure?”
Knowing Duanmu Yi Yi’s little plan, Murong Qi Qi felt very disdainful. Holding the liuqin, she sat down on the edge of a stone in the pavilion. Jade-like fingers plucked at the strings. The song poured from the fingers.
笑红尘: a glance at the mundane world. Literal meaning: Laughing at a secular world. It’s a famous song from the film Swordsman 2
“The mundane world is ridiculous,
the love affair is meaningless,
so let’s just be arrogant and supercilious.
Life hasn’t ended, mind has already cleared,
and all I want is to be free and unfettered.
Put up a smiley face when I’m awake, dump away all worries when I’m asleep.
This nightfall came just too early. Afterlife is unpredictable, love and hatred are untraceable.
Get me a drink and I’ll start a tune and I’ll sing alone and I’ll get old but I’ll be bold……” “I won’t run away though the wind is chill.
