Resplendent – Chapter 466

Chapter 466: Guarding Against Thieves?

Hearing the sound of hooves behind him, Chu Bufan instructed the coachman to move the carriage to the side of the road, leaving half the official road clear. Hearing the familiar voice, his heart jumped, and his copper-colored eyes widened as he stammered in surprise: “Y-Y…Lord Huang… You… and Young Lord, how could you be here?”

“Ah! What do you mean by that, Duke Zhen?” Emperor Zhao Rong, seeing that the other had caught his eye signal, smiled with a hint of mischief. “This official road isn’t your family’s. Just because you can pass through, does that mean I… cough, cough… cannot?”

Emperor Zhao Rong was diligent and cared for his people—a good ruler. But his playful nature, which had persisted since his days as Crown Prince, remained. When Chu Bufan was young, he had often been taken out by the Crown Prince, who was in disguise, to wander the city. At that time, he had the Duke call him ‘Lord Huang.’ Now, whenever encountered outside, he demanded the respectful title ‘Lord Huang.’

Chu Bufan knew that when the emperor traveled incognito, the last thing he wanted was for people to kowtow excessively, as that would clearly reveal his identity at the emperor’s audience hall!

He exchanged a glance with his second son and said helplessly, “Of course not, of course not. The whole world belongs to the emperor. Every inch of this road, every blade of grass and tree by the roadside, all belong to Your Majesty. If I were to block others from passing, wouldn’t that make me a road tyrant?”

“Eh? The Black-Faced Duke can actually tell jokes, what a surprise! How rare!” Emperor Zhao Rong widened his eyes, looking the Duke Zhen over from head to toe, as if he were some precious treasure.

“Lord Huang flatters me!” Chu Bufan’s good mood had dimmed slightly upon seeing Emperor Zhao Rong due to worry.  However, the first time escorting his wife and daughter to offer incense still brought a faint joy to the corners of his eyes. Emperor Zhao Rong kept clicking his tongue in amusement.

Chu Bufan’s expression remained unchanged as he gestured for his sons to stay alert and cautious. The entire Chu family of generals had been mobilized. If anything were to happen to the emperor, how could he maintain face in court?

Trailing a horse’s length behind Emperor Zhao Rong, Chu Bufan leaned over quietly. “Your Majesty, this is hardly a place for conversation. Please forgive this humble subject and his wife and daughters for any perceived disrespect.” Joking aside, his wife and daughter were calmly seated in the carriage, as if merely visiting. Not standing to pay proper respects in the emperor’s presence would be a serious breach of etiquette!

“My loyal subject is simply being overly cautious. They say that ignorance is no sin. Do you truly think, in your heart, that I am the kind of petty and narrow-minded ruler?” 

Chu Bufan excelled in many ways, but he lacked the old general’s carefree boldness and heroic flair. Did it perhaps have something to do with his decades of experiences? Emperor Zhao Rong felt a twinge of melancholy in his heart.

Hearing her father chatting animatedly with his colleagues, Gu Ye couldn’t help but lift a corner of the carriage curtain and peek outside. Across the carriage, she saw the back of a young man speaking with her Third Brother, dressed in a moon-white robe with black trim, a mutton-fat jade coiled dragon belt at his waist. His back was as straight as bamboo, and even from behind, he exuded an air of nobility.

The Crown Prince, Nangong Chenrui, sensed a curious gaze and turned, only to see the carriage curtain flicker and a pair of deep, bright black eyes vanish behind it.

Inside the carriage, Lady Jun reached over and lowered the curtain in front of her daughter, gently shaking her head. From her husband’s demeanor, she could already guess with near certainty who the visitor was. The position of Crown Princess remained vacant. Her daughter was beautiful, adorable, lively, and ambitious, not suitable for that role. She must not attract the attention of the imperial family.

“Mother, Lord Huang… is the emperor, right?” Gu Ye giggled. It was such a predictable answer. After all, in historical novels and TV dramas, that’s exactly how one always referred to him.

“Oh? “Why do you think so?” Lady Jun asked, a little surprised.

“Heehee, I’ve seen the young man talking with Third Brother! He was in the procession welcoming the envoys of Yan Kingdom. I know he’s the Crown Prince of Dongling! As for the one who came with him, the ‘Lord Huang’ whom Father treated with such respect, there’s no doubt who that is,” Gu Ye said, playfully winking at her mother. 

See? Your daughter is just that clever!

Lady Jun tapped her daughter’s forehead with her index finger and straightened the collar of her ruqun. Today, Gu Ye was wearing a water-blue, chest-high ruqun embroidered with crabapple flowers, her hair arranged in an elegant hanging bun, adorned with ice-blue beaded flowers. She looked graceful, lively, and charming.

*A ruqun is a traditional set of Han Chinese clothing that consists of a short jacket worn over a long skirt.* 

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Before long, they arrived at Anguo Temple. The young girls in the following carriages could hardly contain their excitement and hurriedly stepped down. The Crown Prince looked curiously in the direction of the three girls. 

Among them was a girl wearing a rouge-red ruqun, about twelve or thirteen years old, with large eyes slightly reminiscent of Lady Jun, the Duchess of Zhen. Her movements were restrained, her expression timid, and her every gesture revealed her modest, small-town upbringing.

The Crown Prince couldn’t quite explain why he felt a tinge of disappointment. Sure enough, a girl raised in a humble household could not compare to the refined manners of the capital’s noble young ladies.

Chu Xiaoliu immediately leapt down from her horse and ran to the carriage with her mother and sister, first reaching out to help her mother down, then cheerfully stretching her hand toward the carriage. The Crown Prince was a little puzzled. Were there other people in the Duchess’s carriage?

A small, delicate hand, as white as snow, reached out from inside the carriage and rested on Chu Xiaoliu’s arm. The curtain embroidered with ‘Plum Blossoms Announcing Joy’ was lifted from inside, revealing a tiny dark head. Ice-blue beaded flowers adorned her hair bun, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

The Crown Prince squinted as he watched the lively little girl jump down from the carriage, giving Chu Xiaoliu a radiant smile that was brighter than the midsummer sun. Her large eyes bore some resemblance to the earlier girl, but they were even more expressive and spirited, evoking the phrase ‘born of exceptional talent and beauty’ in his mind.

Her beautiful eyes curved with her smile like a pair of crescent moons, and a small dimple appeared faintly at the corner of her lips. Standing beside Chu Xiaoliu, no one would doubt that they were siblings. Looking at the Duchess, smiling kindly at her daughter, the Crown Prince immediately confirmed the little girl’s identity.

Chu Mutong stepped forward, breaking the Crown Prince’s gaze toward his sister, and said with a smile, “Mother, this Young Master Huang is a close friend of mine. I didn’t expect to meet him along the way. Xiaoliu, lead Mother and little sister to the chambers we reserved so you can rest a while.”

Watching the little girl disappear through the archway in the rear courtyard of Anguo Temple, the Crown Prince teased with a smile, “Chu Xiaosan, I’m not some big bad wolf. Why are you being so cautious with me?  That’s your precious little sister, and she’s quite cute!”

Chu Mutong cast him a wary glance. “My future brother-in-law must be someone my sister personally approves of.  No matter his background, as long as he treats her wholeheartedly and cherishes her like we do, that is enough!”