What an Audacious and Sly Servant!

CHAPTER 55 – PLEDGE

At night after Chu Xun heard Mo Nian Yuan’s words, he tossed about on the bed while trying to sleeping.

One moment he would think, if Mei Qian Deng really had already guessed Mo Nian Yuan was the one behind the scenes, then why didn’t she say it out? Was she trying to cover up Mo Nian Yuan? Or should he say, Mei Qian Deng had already knew Xiao Jian’s identity but she pretended not to know. Why? Because Yue family’s incident was caused by someone in the government and Mei Qian Deng was worried after saying out Xiao Jian wouldn’t be safe in the palace. This was obviously not trusting him.

He thought further, previously he chased Mei Qian Deng out of the imperial palace and then recruited Alliance Leader Zhao’s son to be the Crown Prince’s study partner. Would Mei Qian Deng that kuudere[1] blockhead think too much? Would she assume the imperial family was probing the Mei family and Zhao family’s bottom line, playing around with the martial alliance in their hands?

Chu Xun turned his body around. The most urgent thing was, Imperial Father had the idea of taking back Mei Zi River Islet. If it was known to Mei Qian Deng, she wouldn’t because of anger left the imperial palace and cut off their relationship forever.

Thinking up to here, Chu Xun had already imagined in his mind the scene where Mei Qian Deng decided to leave far away.

Cannot! The usually arrogant His Highness Crown Prince currently couldn’t take it any longer. He decided to get off his high horse, to go find Mei Qian Deng and talk clearly. In case that boor misunderstood him something and kept it in her stomach without saying anything and it caused an unnecessary harm, it was really the loss outweigh the gains……

In the dead of the night.

Chu Xun felt his way to Mei Qian Deng’s room. The room was still lighted up inside. He had already knocked the door but he didn’t get any response. Chu Xun thought she was already asleep so he tried to push the door. The door opened but there was no Mei Qian Deng inside.

At this moment, Mei Qian Deng was returning from the rear of the Ming Jue Palace. When Chu Xun walked out of the room, he indistinctly heard flapping sound of a flying bird. He raised his head to find it but the current night was too dark, he couldn’t see clearly. Chu Xun frowned. Something clicked in his heart as he silently thought: It can’t be that boor is sending mail with flying pigeon?

“Crown Prince?” At the end of the corridor, Mei Qian Deng’s calm voice resounded.

“Where had you been?”

“I was at the backyard practising my sword.”

Chu Xun didn’t lay it bare. He only considered it as she was really practising her sword at the backyard. He tensed his beautiful face. With both his hands at the back, he heavily said, “Follow me into the room. I have some words to talk with you.”

“Oh……”

Mei Qian Deng had her head lowered, staring at her own feet. She seemed extremely quiet and obedient. Most of the time when Chu Xun had a tense face, Mei Qian Deng would follow up with this expression. Probably she felt with this way she could make His Highness Crown Prince cool down faster.

Chu Xun poured a cup of tea for himself. Facing the randomly arranged items on the table, one look was enough to know someone had already drank tea from that cup. As for Mei Qian Deng, she obviously had her head lowered but she seemed to have a pair of eyes grown on the top of her head as she immediately reminded, “Crown Prince, I had already drank from that cup before. Those inside the tray are still clean.”

A certain person pretended not hearing it as he held that cup that Mei Qian Deng had drank before. He emptied the cup in one gulp, as if he was eager to drink Mei Qian Deng’s saliva.

After drinking, he even gave Mei Qian Deng a bold and confident, petty glance.

So what if this Crown Prince drink from your cup, humph.

“……”

Chu Xun even pondered over the taste of the cold tea in his oral cavity. Swallowing the excess saliva, he said, “Xiao Jian’s identity, had been found.”

Mei Qian Deng raised her head, she was slightly stunned. She was a calm person yet she showed her worry and surprise on her face. Chu Xun silently noted her reaction. In his heart, he was convinced of the previous guess. Mei Qian Deng this audacious servant, it looked like she had long aware of Xiao Jian’s identity yet she purposely kept it a secret from him.

“Xiao Jian ought to be member of the Yue family. Two years ago, the Yue family was massacred in one night. Someone saved him who was still in swaddling clothes. Now that that person sent this child into the palace, presumably he wanted to clear this matter.” Chu Xun just thought of it as Mei Qian Deng didn’t know anything as he told everything to her. “And the person who sneaked that child into the palace, it’s Mo Nian Yuan.”

Mei Qian Deng’s eyes flickered. She carefully asked, “Then, you didn’t do anything to Mo Nian Yuan right?”

Chu Xun blandly smiled. After receiving a reminder from Mo Nian Yuan, today he had finally seen through Mei Qian Deng’s little idea. He suddenly felt this such big girl was so cute. He changed his legs posture and raised his priceless head. All the time he never forgot to strike a pose.

“With you covering him, what else can I do to him? That said, he dares to sneak Xiao Jian into the palace because he has confident you will protect Xiao Jian well. Only then he take such a reckless move. You say, ever since you met him at the Ru Nunnery, you had been taking good care of him. What’s the result? You have taken care a white-eyes wolf. For the sake of Yue family, he used you like this. You didn’t even notice even a tiny bit of clue from him?”

“Never notice.”

Female warrior Mei denied it not at all vague. However, she had lied. At first when she insisted on taking care Xiao Jian, she had already guessed it was probably Mo Nian Yuan. Although at start he lived leisurely while making bad ideas at Ru Nunnery, he never have the intention to hurt anyone. Hence, Mei Qian Deng only closed one eye to this. It just that Mei Qian Deng didn’t think he was related with the Yue family.

Chu Xun casted a sidelong glance at her. The looking down at the world type of glance. He secretly snickered: Little liar, still want to lie in front of your Lord Crown Prince. Look at what sort of IQ this Crown Prince has. “This guy naturally doesn’t want to expose himself. Merely depending on your heart wishing to protect Xiao Jian to your best, he made such a long plan. He bet we will one day found out Xiao Jian’s identity. But he never ever calculate that there is someone dropping hints and exposed Mo Nian Yuan.”

“What sort of person?”

Chu Xun shook his head.

Say, why did Chu Xun suddenly become so smart? Being able to deduce it was Mo Nian Yuan and even played out a catching turtle in a jar[2] scene. Actually, although the imperial family’s secret agents were trying their best to investigate this matter, their speed was not this fast. What Chu Xun knew now, it was all because that secretive person gave Chu Xun an information to point out Yue family still have an illegitimate son.

Who was that person in the end and why would that person want to help him……

His Highness Crown Prince too wanted to know the answers to those questions. Chu Xun stared at Mei Qian Deng. Suddenly he turned completely solemn, “Although I don’t know who that person is, think about it. The biggest possibility is the one who wants to incite problem for our relationship.”

Mei Qian Deng blinked her eyes, “Our relationship? Our relationship……”

Chu Xun anxiously said, “Think about it, Mo Nian Yuan had always been getting along with you. Can he be considered as one of your people? If I found out that it was Mo Nian Yuan who sent Xiao Jian into the palace and you’re too caring of Xiao Jian from the start until the end, it’s easy for others to suspect. Suspect that you originally knew this matter. That you’re an accomplice. What’s more, you will be the main criminal. Say, if this happened, how will I treat you?”

He said quite reasonably.

He had yet to finish talking. He followed with a complementary, “Furthermore, the ministers in the court had a good deal of objections about us taking care of Xiao Jian in the palace. Many of them reported to the Emperor that you can’t distinguish relative seriousness. If Mo Nian Yuan’s matter was revealed, the last bombardment’s target is highly possible you.”

Mei Qian Deng trembled. It was her first time actually realising the danger all around in the imperial court. She still had yet to understand clearly the matter yet her legs had already stepped at the tip of the blade. But she persisted in finish saying the words Chu Xun cut into, “Do our relationship need to be incited problem?” Mei Qian Deng was used to assume Chu Xun extremely hated her. This was something she already knew from the first day she entered the palace.

Chu Xun’s forehead fumed with rage upon hearing it. His fist tightened, loosened and then tightened again. Allow me a moment to regulate and suppress the impulse to swear nonstop. Mei Qian Deng you white-eyes wolf! This Crown Prince had really wasted a kindly feelings on you. Chu Xun suddenly stood up and approached Mei Qian Deng a few steps. While gnashing his teeth, he spit the words out, “Our relationship naturally has no need for a discord, because feeling is more solid than gold. No problem can be incited at all!”

“……” Female warrior Mei had no words to retort.

“Mei Qian Deng, this Crown Prince will only say it once to you today. Listen carefully. With the whole world I pledge, no matter what incident happened, I will never sacrifice you nor Mei family to become an Emperor. If I break my pledge, I will be struck down by the gods.”

Mei Qian Deng blinked her eyes again. She attempted to arrange the several phrases Chu Xun said earlier into a context. She managed to infer the unspoken words left in His Highness Crown Prince’s slightly brimming with loftiness last phrase. It couldn’t be he wanted to reveal Xiao Jian’s identity and Yue family’s matter to the public?

Chu Xun just watched her frowning one moment, tilting her head in another moment and then another moment she would carefully size him up. In his heart, he was awfully unhappy. He really wanted to go crazy. He really wanted to shout at Mei Qian Deng that his meaning was he wanted to protect her in this lifetime, you big idiot.

However, his rigid arrogant temper caused trouble. When he was still a muddled young man, he missed this chance to speak candidly. It was to the extent that in the future countless days and nights, Chu Xun would be upset of this day, this night and his self who should be thrown out of the street.

“Ai, not talking to you anymore. I’ll leave first!”

“Oh, Crown Prince take care.”

[1] The Chinese term used here is 闷骚 (mensao) which means someone who is cold outside but warm inside. There is no actual English equivalent. I was battling between dandere and kuudere since they are the best out of all terms I can think of for this. In the end, kuudere won after I was done with this chapter.

[2] Means, to go after an easy prey