Chapter 7: Oh! My Sweet Liar! (Wang Fei Bu Kao Pu)
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Chapter Seven:
Nothing is as Important as Roast Chicken
Xiong Xiruo kicked Huangfu Jixun under the bed with all her might. “Get in there, quickly…”
“Be gentle. I’m flesh, not a wooden stake,” Huangfu Jixun complained.
“What kind of flesh are you, pork belly or chicken? Anything inedible isn’t really meat,” Xiong Xiruo said as she pushed him under the bed.
“Miss Xiong,” Jingyi called as she entered.
“Hehe, Aunt[1] Jingyi, you’re here,” Xiong Xiruo quickly turned around and forced a silly smile.
Aunt Jingyi glanced behind her. “What are you doing? Who were you talking to?”
Xiong Xiruo waved her hands in front of her chest. “No one, no one. I wasn’t talking to anyone. I was just practicing my vocal exercises. Yes, practicing my vocal exercises, ah ah ah…”
Xiong Xiruo spoke a bit nervously, making a series of vocal scales with her mouth.
Aunt Jingyi found her behavior a bit eccentric and thought she was saying some odd things. She had been like this from the start, but since she was pregnant with the Prince's child, Aunt Jingyi decided to overlook it.
Aunt Jingyi looked at her palace maid attire and seemed somewhat satisfied. “Was it you who burned things in the yard?”
“Yes, I was preparing to roast a chicken, but when I lit the fire, I realized I didn’t have any chicken to roast, so I put it out,” Xiong Xiruo said, admiring her own ability to lie so easily.
“Stop focusing on eating. The artists are about to start painting. Go help set up the painting area,” Aunt Jingyi instructed.
“Painting? I’m great at that!” Xiong Xiruo’s eyes lit up at the mention of painting.
“Go clean up quickly and don’t keep the artists waiting,” Aunt Jingyi urged.
Xiong Xiruo cast a worried glance at the space under the bed before following Aunt Jingyi out.
She walked toward the art studio with a broom, feeling quite gloomy.
At home, she was considered a treasure. Her parents never made her do chores, let alone sweep the floor. She was always served hand and foot.
But here in this ancient era, she had to do everything herself.
Ah, such unfortunate fate.
From a distance, she saw three people sitting by easels, painting with brushes. The three flower stands were lined up in a row, and the elderly artists, who looked about as old as her father, had a refined air about them.
Xiong Xiruo was mesmerized by the sight.
So it’s true, they really do paint here.
With her broom in hand, Xiong Xiruo hurried over.
She admired each artist’s work for a while.
The artists were painting a scene of lotus flowers in the distance. Each painting had its own style but all were beautiful.
Xiong Xiruo was standing behind the third artist, marveling at their skill.
Wow, ancient people really can paint so beautifully, with such mature brushwork. She was completely stunned.
“You’re from which palace? I’ve never seen you before,” the artist suddenly turned and smiled gently, looking quite kind.
“Ah? Me? I’m, I’m a palace maid from the Hanlin Academy,” Xiong Xiruo replied, somewhat flustered.
“You’re here to clean up, right? Please tidy up the paint area,” the artist said.
Xiong Xiruo wasn’t interested in cleaning. She threw down the broom and grabbed the artist’s arm excitedly. “Master, I also love painting. You paint so well, could you teach me how to paint?”
The artist was startled by her action. “Do you know who I am? A mere palace maid has the audacity to ask me to teach you how to paint!”
Xiong Xiruo blinked in confusion. “Who are you?”
Well, she had no idea what ancient people looked like. She might have heard of this figure in history, but recognizing him was another matter.
The artist’s mood darkened. He stroked his beard and put on an air of dignity. “I am Dong Yuan.”
“Wow! You’re Dong Yuan! Dong Beiyuan!” Xiong Xiruo exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Dong Yuan’s sleeve and hopping up and down. “I’m finally meeting my idol in real life. Dong Yuan, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve always wanted you to come back to life, and now you’re here, haha…”
Dong Yuan had long been her idol. Although she didn’t know he was from the Southern Tang, her admiration for him was intense. She knew that even recent forgeries of his works could fetch millions, so the real Dong Yuan must have been incredibly renowned. His fame rivaled that of Tang Bohu, though at least Tang Bohu had some surviving paintings, whereas Dong Yuan’s works were mostly replicas. If someone studying painting didn’t know him, it would be a great loss.
She had admired Dong Yuan for a long time, even dreaming of him coming back to teach her. Now, he was truly here.
It was like a dream come true.
But wasn’t the Dong Yuan she imagined a handsome guy even more charming than Yang Yang? How come he looked so plain, about as old as her father? Never mind, she’d have to forget about the idea of making Dong Yuan her husband.
“Impudent, let go of me!”
A sharp rebuke snapped Xiong Xiruo back to reality. Other palace maids quickly grabbed her hands and pulled her away from Dong Yuan.
“What are you doing? What’s going on?” Xiong Xiruo noticed that Dong Yuan’s face had turned a dark shade, and the other two artists were watching her with amusement.
Dong Yuan angrily shook his sleeve. “How dare a mere palace maid cause trouble in the Hanlin Academy. How can I keep you here!”
“No, no, no, please don’t say more,” Xiong Xiruo quickly interrupted, knowing that ancient people’s words often led to her misfortune. “I only wanted to admire your painting and ask to be your student. Is that so unacceptable?”
She was heartbroken. Why wasn’t her idol the kind and gentle figure she had imagined? Not only was he not handsome and young, but he was also so fierce.
Her heart was shattered.
“I just love painting. What’s so great about you guys? Do you believe I can paint better than you?”
Xiong Xiruo snorted defiantly, her stubbornness showing.
“Presumptuous talk. Someone come!” Dong Yuan dismissed her words with disdain.
“Wait, let’s make a bet. If I lose, you can punish me however you like. But if I win, you won’t bring this up again,” Xiong Xiruo proposed, determined not to let this ancient world get the best of her.
Dong Yuan looked at her with a dismissive smile. “Oh, you have some spirit. Fine, let’s hear it. A little girl like you, do you really think you can make a difference?” He stroked his beard, clearly confident.
Xiong Xiruo freed her hands from the other palace maids, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and said, “Face is important! A person’s face is worth a fortune!”
“Let’s make a deal. Give me some paper and pens. I’ll draw a comic. Don’t tell anyone it’s my work. If most people in the palace like my comic, then I win. If not, then I lose. How about that?”
Xiong Xiruo raised her chin, full of confidence.
Dong Yuan laughed heartily. “A comic? How long will it take you?”
He was amazed that she even knew what a comic was. Ancient people were so clueless; this gave him some relief.
“Don’t worry about how long it takes,” Xiong Xiruo replied confidently.
“Alright, I accept. We’ll see how this turns out,” Dong Yuan agreed, not believing that this seemingly unremarkable girl could have any real talent.
“Then it’s settled. Give me the paper and pens. My masterpiece will be ready in two days,” Xiong Xiruo extended her hand, demanding the materials.
Dong Yuan had someone fetch the paper and pens.
Xiong Xiruo took the materials back to her quarters. After setting them down, she quickly went to look under her bed but found only darkness.
“Stop looking. There’s nothing under the bed,” a clear voice suddenly spoke from above.
“Ah!” Xiong Xiruo almost bumped her head as she jumped in fright.
She looked up to see Huangfu Jixun lounging comfortably and watching her.
“How did you get out?” Xiong Xiruo dusted herself off.
“Obviously, if I had waited for you to come back and let me out, I would have suffocated long ago,” Huangfu Jixun replied.
“Wasn’t there any air?” Xiong Xiruo wondered aloud.
“It’s not about breathing; people need to take care of their necessities,” Huangfu Jixun said, moving over to grab the paper and pens from the table.
“You can write?”
“No, I’m going to paint,” Xiong Xiruo said as she took back her paper and pens. “I’m going out to paint. You rest for now.”
Lost in painting, Xiong Xiruo lost track of time and only realized it was evening when her stomach growled.
“Stop it, stop it. I’ll find some good food for you right away,” she comforted her hungry belly.
She put away her half-finished comic and headed out.
The palace was so vast. Where could the kitchen be? How to find something to eat?
As she wandered around, she caught a whiff of delicious food.
Energized by the smell, she followed it to a palace and stopped in front of a plaque that read “Fangyi Hall.”
“Fangyi Hall,” she murmured, looking at the sign. “Who’s cooking something so delicious in there?”
Her stomach growled again, and she swallowed hard.
No, she couldn’t resist any longer.
People are made of iron and rice is steel. If she didn’t eat, she’d be starving. She couldn’t be Xiong Xiruo without a meal.
She licked her lips and was about to go inside when she hesitated.
This was the palace, and everyone in these halls was extraordinary. As a mere palace maid, she shouldn’t just barge in, or she might end up caught without even tasting the food.
What to do?
Steal it!
Yes, steal it.
For the sake of food, she would risk it all!
Xiong Xiruo sneaked around to the back of Fangyi Hall, climbed over the wall, and saw a group of palace maids heading to the kitchen. After they left the kitchen and went to the main hall, it was the perfect opportunity.
Xiong Xiruo slipped into the kitchen, moving stealthily.
The kitchen was filled with all kinds of food—chicken, pork, meatballs, and more!
Wow! Xiong Xiruo’s mouth watered as she grabbed a chicken and began devouring it.
“Prince, princess…” She suddenly heard someone greeting outside.
Oh no, someone was coming!
Panicked, Xiong Xiruo looked for a place to hide, still clutching the half-eaten chicken.
Should she throw it away? No, no, she had to hide with both herself and the chicken.
She found a spot among the firewood and hid there.
“Royal Brother, I heard there’s a woman of unknown origin in the palace who’s pregnant with your child. Is that true?” Xiong Xiruo overheard a woman speaking in a soft, melodious voice.
“Yes, it’s true,” a clear, magnetic male voice responded.
Oh no, that voice—it was the icy prince’s voice!
It was him!
Xiong Xiruo broke into a cold sweat, clutching the chicken tightly.
Today, she was determined to share her fate with this chicken. If the chicken was gone, she’d starve to death. Forget about princes, princesses, and rulers—nothing was more important than her chicken!
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