Chapter 186 – Chen Fourth and Little Princess Hua Yang

 

The eldest son was going to get married, and Chen Tingjian, who had already entered the cabinet, had no way to leave the capital for a long period of time, so it was only Sun shi who took their three sons back to their hometown.

As for why there were three sons, it was because her fourth son, Chen Jingzong, ran back by himself in the spring!

Whenever she thought of this, Sun shi couldn’t help but grit her teeth, not knowing whether to scold her son for being stubborn or scold her husband for being too strict. If she had known that her husband was as cold as ice in disciplining his son, Sun shi might not have agreed to marry him so easily. If she had known that the well-behaved and lovely fourth son would become more and more stubborn after meeting her husband, Sun shi might not go to the capital to reunite with her husband!

“Is Mom thinking about Fourth Brother again?”

Chen Yanzong, who was in the same carriage, saw his mother showing a familiar annoyed look and asked with a smile.

Sun shi’s attention instantly returned to her second son. She touched her son’s hand, looked at his face, and said distressedly: “It’s a long journey, Mom feels sorry for you.”

The sixteen-year-old Chen Yanzong was tall and slender, but too thin, and his face was also pale and weak.

But his eyes were gentle and his smile was like spring breeze: “I want to see Eldest Brother get married. It’s hard on the road, but I’m very happy.”

Sun shi smiled and said, “Mom is also happy. Our family is happy, leaving only your father in the capital.”

After saying that, Sun shi looked out the window and sighed: “The town is in front. It seems that several new rows of houses have been built.”

Chen Yanzong also approached the window and paused. He pointed to the mountain behind their house and asked: “There seems to be someone on the mountain road. Could it be Fourth Brother?”

Sun shi squinted her eyes to identify, and indeed saw the figure of a gloomy child, but it was too far away and she couldn’t see his face clearly.

Chen Yanzong: “Fourth Brother knew that we were coming today, and he must have been looking forward to it long ago.”

Sun shi: “If he really missed us, he wouldn’t be so cruel to come back by himself.”

Chen Yanzong coughed.

Sun shi: “Okay, okay, you are right!”

A quarter of an hour later, the convoy stopped outside the Chen’s house.

The old lady and the second branch’s family came to pick them up. Sun shi got off the carriage first. Chen Bozong and Chen Xiaozong had already come over and helped Chen Yanzong together.

Sun shi saluted the old lady first, and her red eyes expressed her longing and guilt, and then asked: “Why don’t I see the Old Four?”

The old lady said: “He went to the mountains to play. I told him that you would arrive today, but the stinky boy pretended not to hear. Eldest brother’s wife, please tell me why the Old Four has become like this. He was obviously very well behaved when he left to the capital!”

Sun shi said: “You should ask your eldest son about this. Please write him a letter and ask him to answer everything.”

Chen Bozong stepped forward and explained for his father.

The old lady shook her head. Her son was far away, and she couldn’t control him even if she wanted to.

Everyone went to the hall to talk. Sun shi looked forward to it. When it was almost time for lunch, the Old Four finally came home.

As soon as Chen Jingzong came in, the eyes of his mother and brothers fell on him.

Sun shi was surprised and said: “Why you become so dark?”

The ten-year-old Chen Jingzong’s face tightened and his eyes looked up.

The old lady: “After the Old One got married, you should take him away. I’m tired of worrying for him if he continued to live here.”

Chen Jingzong: “Grandmother is saying one thing but meaning the other. You obviously love me so much that you squinted and smiled when you saw me.”

The old lady: …

Chen Jingzong walked behind his second brother’s chair and looked at his pale face. He moved his lips but swallowed his words back.

Chen Yanzong smiled and said, “I saw you in the carriage. I was far away and couldn’t be sure. Now that you are back, the color of your clothes really matches.”

Chen Jingzong’s face changed slightly, and he said immediately, “I was practicing archery in the mountains.”

Chen Yanzong did not expose his brother, but Chen Xiaozong took over the conversation: “Why didn’t you move for so long if you’re practicing archery? Eldest Brother and I saw you standing on the mountain road like a piece of wood for a long time.”

The old lady smiled: “I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”

Chen Jingzong’s tanned face turned red.

After the lunch, Chen Jingzong followed his second brother to his courtyard. Unexpectedly, his eldest and third brothers also followed.

Chen Jingzong: “What are you doing here?”

The more the old man praised the nineteen-year-old Juren and the fourteen-year-old Xiucai, the more he disliked them.

Chen Xiaozong was surprised: “We are here to accompany Second Brother. What does it have to do with you?”

Chen Jingzong: “Second Brother doesn’t need you to accompany him.”

Chen Xiaozong was about to retort, but Chen Yanzong suddenly put his fist to his lips and coughed softly.

There was silence all around. Finally, Chen Yanzong said: “Come on, we brothers haven’t gathered for a long time.”

No one objected.

After entering the house, Chen Yanzong sat back on the couch, while the other three brothers sat in a row.

Chen Jingzong ignored his eldest and third brothers, but if his second brother asked him something, he would answer awkwardly.

After talking about each other’s lives, Chen Xiaozong glanced at his eldest brother who was sitting upright, and winked at his fourth brother: “Have you seen our future sister-in-law since you came back?”

Chen Bozong looked straight ahead, neither at his fourth brother or at his third brother.

Chen Jingzong asked: “Does Second Brother want to know?”

Chen Yanzong smiled: “I just hope everything is going well at her family.”

Chen Jingzong then said: “I went there once when I just came back, to give the gifts that Mom prepared for her. Sister-in-law came out to talk to me for a while.”

Chen Xiaozong: “Did she ask you about Eldest Brother?”

Chen Jingzong: “She didn’t mention Eldest Brother, she only asked about the old man, Mom and Second Brother.”

Chen Xiaozong: “Then let me ask for Eldest Brother, is sister-in-law more beautiful than when she was a child?”

Chen Bozong finally looked over coldly.

Chen Jingzong also glared at his third brother: “Do you think I am you, always looking twice at every woman you see?”

Chen Xiaozong: …

Chen Jingzong reached into his arms, took out a piece of wedding candy wrapped in red paper, and handed it to his second brother: “Grandmother prepared this candy for Eldest Brother’s wedding. It tastes good. Second Brother, you try it.”

Chen Yanzong took it with a smile.

.

Chen Bozong’s wedding date was set for the eighteen of Tenth Month.

The Chen family was in a festive mood. Before dawn, Chen Bozong took his third and fourth brothers to the Yu family to welcome the bride.

Chen Jingzong was tall and could ride a horse properly. But he was still sandwiched between his two brothers, fearing that he would accidentally fall.

“Usually, you don’t give your Eldest Brother a good face, but today you insist on following us. If you fall, we will both be embarrassed.” Chen Xiaozong smiled and made fun of his younger brother.

Chen Jingzong: “You have the nerve to look down on me when you yourself is inferior.”

Chen Xiaozong: …

Chen Bozong never got involved in these undisputed verbal disputes.

After riding for a while, Chen Xiaozong teased his fourth brother again: “Eldest Brother and his wife were engaged as children. Second Brother and I will definitely marry noble ladies from the capital. Fourth Brother, just follow us and Father will definitely choose a lady from a wealthy family for you.”

Chen Jingzong: “Do you dislike that our sister-in-law and mother came from humble families?”

Chen Xiaozong: “You know I just want to persuade you to return to the capital. You don’t have to sow discord in front of Eldest Brother.”

Chen Jingzong: “What’s the good of returning to the capital? Are noble ladies from famous families in the capital necessarily beautiful? Besides, if the rich and powerful are willing to marry their daughters to you, they just want to curry favor with the old man, it’s that really something worth showing off?”

Chen Xiaozong: “Okay, I haven’t seen you for half a year, but your ability to mock people has improved a lot. Just wait, when you can’t find a wife in the future, you’ll be the one worrying.”

Chen Jingzong sneered, “Just take care of yourself. My wife will be better than the three of your wives combined.”

Chen Xiaozong clicked his tongue, “Aren’t you afraid of spraining your tongue?”

Chen Bozong also glanced at his fourth brother.

On the same day, in the capital.

Hua Yang had breakfast with her mother empress and was about to leave Kunning Palace.

Empress Qi: “Study hard and don’t run around anymore.”

Hua Yang blinked and nodded obediently.

The little princess only had one hour of class in the morning. After the class, Hua Yang excitedly said to Wu Run, “I want to go to the cabinet today.”

Wu Run bent down slightly and coaxed the seven-year-old princess in front of him, “Cabinet Elders only have a pile up memorials over there. There’s really nothing fun. Why don’t this servant accompany Princess to Imperial Garden to watch fish?”

Hua Yang ignored him and went straight to find her father emperor.

As expected, Emperor Jingshun personally took his daughter to the cabinet, and ordered the guards they met along the way that his daughter could enter and exit this road freely in the future, and no one could stop her.

How could the guards disobey?

Hua Yang raised her chin proudly.

However, after sending his daughter to the vicinity of Wenyuan Pavilion, Emperor Jingshun found an excuse to leave and let his daughter go there by herself.

He couldn’t go. If he went, he would definitely be admonished by the chief minister, saying that it was against the rules for him to bring his daughter there!

Emperor Jingshun didn’t like being lectured by Empress Qi or the chief minister. As long as he didn’t show up, he could evade by claiming that his daughter came there by herself because she was naughty.

After watching his daughter contentedly took Wu Run to Wenyuan Pavilion, Emperor Jingshun breathed a sigh of relief and strode away.

In Wenyuan Pavilion, the five cabinet elders were busy with their own work.

Suddenly, the curtain outside was opened, and the cabinet elders looked up one after another, and saw that the seven-year-old Princess Hua Yang had come. She was wearing a peach-colored Shu brocade jacket embroidered with peonies, a lifelike golden butterfly hairpin on her head, and a pair of clear and beautiful phoenix eyes that looked at them one by one. Although she was still very young, she was even more arrogant than Emperor Jingshun, and was not afraid at all.

The little princess looked around and her eyes stopped at the youngest, most handsome and elegant Cabinet Elder Chen who was farthest from the main seat and closest to the door.

Why did the five cabinet elders all recognize the little princess who was raised in the deep palace? It was because the little princess was very playful and often ran to the palace road to watch them.

“Why is the Princess here?”

Chen Tingjian and the chief minister asked almost at the same time. When he heard the chief minister also asked, Chen Tingjian stopped in time.

Hua Yang raised her little face and said, “I’m just taking a look. Cabinet Elders can continue to be busy. No need to entertain me.”

Chen Tingjian lowered his eyes and smiled.

Hua Yang really went around by herself, lingered at each cabinet elder for a while, and finally walked to Chen Tingjian’s table.

The little princess took a look and found two candies wrapped in red paper on Cabinet Elder Chen’s table.

Hua Yang looked at the candy, then at the bearded Cabinet Elder Chen: “You are so old, yet you still like to eat candy?”

Chen Tingjian bowed and replied in a gentle voice: “It’s not that this minister like to eat candy, but today this minister’s eldest son is getting married, and this minister brought some wedding candy from home to share with several elders.”

Hua Yang: “Your son is getting married, why didn’t you ask for leave?”

Chen Tingjian’s face turned slightly gloomy: “They got married in Lingzhou, this minister’s hometown, which is more two thousand miles away. So it’s inconvenient for this minister to go back.”

Hua Yang nodded, and her eyes turned to the two wedding candies again. She had never eaten wedding candies before.

Chen Tingjian took one and presented it with both hands: “It’s a common snack. If Princess doesn’t mind, please give some blessings to this minister’s eldest son and daughter-in-law.”

Hua Yang took the candy and said to Cabinet Elder Chen, who was very pleasing to her eyes: “Thank you for your kindness, Cabinet Elder. Your son and his wife will definitely have a happy marriage and everything will go well.”

After saying the polite words, the little princess left holding the wedding candy.

The little princess did not eat on the road, and it was not until she returned to Qifeng Palace that Hua Yang unfold the candy wrapper. She frowned at the ordinary-looking candy, covered her face with her sleeve, and tried to lick it.

Hmm, it’s quite sweet.

The author has something to say:

Old Four: Do you like to eat? I have some here too.

Little Princess: Where did this wild child come from!

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Translator’s note:

I’m picking up a new project already, please look into it if you’re interested.