A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City-Chapter 127

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Prince Jing was escorted in by several Imperial Guards, their leader flashing a grin at the Crown Prince.

"Your Majesty," Empress Su whispered into Emperor Longfeng's ear, "Whatever the matter, let the Court of Judicial Review and the Imperial Clan Court investigate after the sacrificial rites conclude. For today, let them be detained. What do you think?"

No matter how incompetent Prince Jing might be, he was still of royal blood. To make such a spectacle before the civil and military officials would only bring shame to the imperial family.

Emperor Longfeng was seething with rage. He dared not imagine what might have happened had Jiuzhu not been standing beside the Empress today.

He glared coldly at the three kneeling before him, then after a long pause, closed his eyes and exhaled wearily.

"Father," Yun Duqing stepped forward to support his arm, "This is the first time I’ve brought your daughter-in-law to the Grain in Ear sacrificial rites. You can’t abandon it halfway."

"Take them away for now," Emperor Longfeng reopened his eyes, now clear and resolute. "The sacrificial rites will proceed as planned."

"Jiuzhu," Empress Su handed her a peachwood gourd from her palm, "Help me tie this on."

"Is this… the peachwood gourd I carved for you, Mother?"

Warm from Empress Su’s touch, Jiuzhu knelt and carefully fastened it, then looked up with a smile. "Do you like it, Mother?"

Empress Su bent down to take her wrist, helping her rise. "This is something you made with your own hands to ward off misfortune for me. I treasure it."

"I’m glad you like it."

Standing nearby, Yun Duqing silently reached out, using his wide sleeve as cover, and took Jiuzhu’s other hand in his.

Noticing her son’s gesture, Empress Su chuckled. She released Jiuzhu’s hand and returned to Emperor Longfeng’s side.

The imperial couple glanced back at the Crown Prince and his consort behind them. Emperor Longfeng extended his hand, and Empress Su placed hers in his.

Together, they ascended the sacrificial altar once more.

Upon the altar, the Crown Princess’s hair danced in the wind, yet none dared call it unseemly.

The ritual officer recorded a few lines in his book:

The Ming family bore a daughter, fair as a pearl, beloved by the Emperor and Empress, and cherished by the Crown Prince. In the sixteenth year of Longfeng, during Grain in Ear, she drew her hairpin to shield Their Majesties, proving her loyalty and filial devotion.

Despite the absurdity of the royal assassination attempt, after the rites, the attendees carried on as if nothing had happened, feigning festive cheer for a bountiful harvest.

Beneath the warm sun, Yun Duqing changed into a short-sleeved martial outfit, rolled up his trousers, and began planting seedlings with practiced ease.

"Your Highness!" Jiuzhu stood at the field’s edge, waving. She wore a narrow-sleeved, water-blue dress, her hair braided simply, like a lotus shoot just peeking from the pond—adorable to all who saw her.

The sunlight adored her, casting a golden glow over her figure.

Yun Duqing straightened, staring at her in a daze.

The scent of earth, the warmth of the sun, and the sight of her vibrant smile filled him with an indescribable contentment.

She always called him the finest of princes, an immortal descended from heaven. freewēbnoveℓ.com

But she didn’t realize—she was the fairy who had tumbled into his heart.

On the day they met, the vine-patterned hairpin in her hair had shimmered.

She had shone in his eyes then.

And ever since, in her gaze, he too began to glow.

"Come," he walked to the field’s edge and opened his arms.

Without hesitation, she leaped into his embrace, her feet sinking into the fertile mud.

"Legend says," he murmured, "if newlyweds mark each other with mud from the fields during Grain in Ear, the heavens will bless them." With a muddy finger, he dotted her forehead. "May the heavens ensure my Little Pig Ming is always bathed in sunlight—safe, joyful, and free from sorrow."

Before he could pull back, she pressed a muddy finger to his brow in return.

"And may my prince be free from illness and harm, living long in health. May we never part, may the moon always be full, and may fortune smile upon us in all things."

Their grimy hands clasped together. "And may the world know peace and prosperity."

Under the shade of a tree, Emperor Longfeng watched the scene and turned to Ming Jingzhou behind him. "When I arranged for Jiuzhu to marry Duqing, it was partly for my own reasons. Yet since their union, she has been a great support to him."

"Your Majesty, my daughter was raised in the countryside, her nature simple and naive. It is only by Your Majesties’ grace that she has been tolerated." Ming Jingzhou bowed deeply. "I failed in guiding her properly, and I beg your forgiveness. I am unworthy of the title of Duke—please rescind the honor."

"Why say such things?" Emperor Longfeng faced him. "The Ming family’s loyalty is beyond question. I understand this well."

Ming Jingzhou fell silent.

"All these years, I have failed your family." The Emperor patted his arm. "I owe you a debt."

"Your Majesty is a ruler of rare virtue. To serve under you is our fortune." Ming Jingzhou bowed again. "A steed may be common, but a true judge of horses is rare. A scholar will die for one who knows his worth. The trust you’ve placed in the Ming family binds us to defend this peace with our lives."

Neither spoke of Jiuzhu’s master.

The Emperor had never doubted the Ming family, and the Mings cherished that trust.

For the identity of Jiuzhu’s master mattered not at all.

"Look at them," Emperor Longfeng gestured to the field. Prince Huai, Prince An, and their consorts had joined in, smearing mud on one another with abandon, royal decorum forgotten.

Ming Jingzhou glanced at the Emperor’s smile and mirrored it.

When he saw the Crown Prince shielding his daughter, his back streaked with mud, his smile deepened.

After Grain in Ear, the already crumbling noble families of the capital finally collapsed. Every vile deed they’d committed was brought to light.

The older the family, the more rot festered within.

Locked in his cell, Du Qingke laughed wildly upon hearing their fates.

Those who had once moved through noble circles were no longer men—just decaying monsters wearing the skins of aristocrats.

He stared at Yun Duqing beyond the bars. "Has the Crown Prince come to thank me for removing a scheming brother?"

"Tch." Yun Duqing lounged in a chair. "Do you think I needed your help?"

"My mistake. The Crown Prince needs no aid." Du Qingke studied him. "Some are born under heaven’s favor, escaping peril time and again. You are such a man."

Yun Duqing toyed with the peachwood charm at his waist, saying nothing.

He’d shamelessly begged Little Pig Ming for this trinket. If the Empress had one, how could her son-in-law go without?

"Would Your Highness care to hear my years-long plan to topple the nobility?" Du Qingke’s face twisted in vindictive glee.

"Not particularly."

Du Qingke’s smile froze.

Yun Duqing was never one to cater to others' wishes. Lazily rising to his feet, he said, "I'll come back to hear your story the next time I remember you."

"Don’t be impatient. You’ll be locked in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison for the rest of your life anyway. There’ll be plenty of time to wait for the day I’m in a good mood." With that, Yun Duqing turned and walked away.

He had no interest in listening to the stale, insignificant past of someone who had plotted to assassinate his mother, Empress Su.

Let him stew in his own misery!

Deep within the Court of Judicial Review were several hidden and secure prison cells, often reserved for prisoners of extraordinary status.

Prince Jing was imprisoned here.

When Yun Duqing saw him, Prince Jing was still wearing the royal robes from the Grain in Ear Festival, the hem slightly soiled, but his hair neatly combed. Stripped of his usual facade of mediocrity and silence, his expression was dark, his gaze filled with undisguised hatred as he glared at Yun Duqing.

Yun Duqing had rarely interacted with this elder brother privately. Their relationship had always been lukewarm, never particularly close.

Looking back now, the day the five brothers had gathered around a hotpot in Zhangliu Palace was the last time they had shared a moment of harmony.

"Third Brother, do you regret it?"

"The victor becomes king; the loser, a bandit. I schemed for so long, only to be defeated by a woman and the Imperial Guards. I can only blame fate for my misfortune." Prince Jing laughed mockingly. "You didn’t die at the royal horse grounds. I poisoned the incense you used, but you didn’t even touch it. I planned to kill Yun Yanze, but not only did he survive, he ended up getting all of us imprisoned in Zhangliu Palace by Father."

Was this fate?

How unfair was heaven?

"Was all this your doing?"

"The incident at the royal horse grounds wasn’t my work alone. The Xu family, the Lü family, Yun Yanze—none of them wanted you to walk out of there alive. Look how many people wished for your death?" The mention of it filled Prince Jing with resentment. "You, who loved riding and taming horses so much—that day, you said you would tame a horse, yet in the end, you didn’t even touch them!"

Seeing the fury in his third brother’s eyes, Yun Duqing fell silent.

Because that day, he had played the groom, leading a pony around the grounds with his Little Pig Ming in tow.

"Why?" Prince Jing demanded bitterly. "Why are you the one favored by Father and blessed by heaven?"

"Perhaps I’m just lucky."

At these words, Prince Jing’s eyes burned even fiercer.

Yun Duqing toyed with the peachwood carving at his waist. "And I have a fairy by my side. You don’t."

This was pointless. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here today. He should have stayed in Kirin Palace, watching Ming Little Pig paint.

"That day, where did the Imperial Guard who captured me go?" Seeing Yun Duqing about to leave, Prince Jing asked one last question.

"I found him clever and skilled, so I appointed him as the commander of Kirin Palace’s Golden Armor Guards." Noticing Prince Jing’s rising anger, Yun Duqing raised a hand. "Save your words. I won’t listen. Your opinion means nothing to me."

Watching Yun Duqing stride away without a backward glance, Prince Jing collapsed to the ground in rage.

Yun Duqing paused briefly but didn’t turn around. Then he strode out of the Court of Judicial Review’s prison.

When sunlight touched his skin again, he mounted his horse and rode back to the palace.

He missed his Little Pig.

Outside the city gates, two masters rode slowly on their donkeys.

"The feng shui in the capital isn’t good. Let’s not come back."

"Elder Sister, really?"

"If we take on a ritual assignment, we can stop by."

"I’ll miss Jiuzhu."

"We are people beyond the mundane world. We must not cling to worldly attachments."

"Elder Sister, you looked back nineteen times after leaving the Ming residence..."

"Be quiet."

"...Fine."

Kirin Palace.

Jiuzhu took the letter her two masters had left for her from Chunfen’s hands.

In it, they praised the capital’s prosperity and her beloved Crown Prince.

["The world is at peace, the people prosperous—a thriving era. But we are accustomed to the life of wandering clouds and wild cranes. The capital is not for us."]

["This is not farewell. Remember to dress warmly in winter and eat when hungry."]

["The fifth son of the Yun family is clear-eyed and righteous, kind-hearted—a worthy match for you."]

Though she had known her masters would leave the capital eventually, Jiuzhu still felt a pang of sadness. Carefully folding the letter, she placed it away and leaned against the windowsill, waiting for Yun Duqing to return.

She was feeling a little down and wanted to see him.

"Little Pig."

As if sensing her thoughts, Yun Duqing appeared in the courtyard the next moment.

"Your Highness." Jiuzhu lifted her skirts and, to the gasps of the palace maids and eunuchs, climbed straight out the window, running into his arms.

Catching her firmly and pulling her close, Yun Duqing kissed the top of her head, his laughter tender. "Missed me?"

"Yes." Jiuzhu hugged him tightly. "I missed you."

Longing cannot be measured by time.

When someone resides in your heart, you think of them constantly.

"We truly share the same heart." Yun Duqing whispered in her ear, "I missed you too."

Jiuzhu buried her face in his chest, giggling softly.

"On ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‍my way back, I passed by the Imperial Kitchen and brought some peppermint candies I loved as a child." Yun Duqing took two pieces from his pouch. "Want to try?"

"Yes."

They each took one.

Legend says peppermint carries a beautiful meaning.

A wish to meet again and never part.

"Just like the taste from back then."

"Is it sweet?"

"Very sweet." Jiuzhu looked up at Yun Duqing, her eyes curved in a smile. "So, so sweet."

The peppermint candy from ten years ago had been sweet.

The one from today was sweeter still.