Chapter 167: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Home    :    Novels

 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 167: 

 

Mian Tang didn't respond and didn't want to continue the topic. Instead, she took a bite of the purple sweet potato cake and changed the subject, saying, "This is really delicious, Madam. You are quite skilled at making it..."

Cui Fu was left somewhat speechless and sighed, "You taught me how to make this cake..."

After sending Cui Fu away, Mian Tang flipped through the manuscripts on the desk in her room, which contained many practice sheets. According to the maid Bicai, these were her regular writing exercises.

To be honest, if they hadn't mentioned it, Mian Tang wouldn't have believed she could write so beautifully. Back when she was on Yangshan Mountain, she had studied under Zi Yu for a long time but still struggled to write well.

It was admirable that Cui Xingzhou had prepared so many practice sheets for her to work on.

While on Yangshan, Mian Tang never imagined that one day she would be capable of entering the kitchen and the parlor, making delicate pastries and writing beautifully, feeling refined in ways that seemed almost foreign to her.

It wasn't that she disliked these skills; it was just that during her time on Yangshan, she had been so focused on military strategy and making a living that she had completely forgotten she was a young woman with her own grace and charm.

With her delicate hands nurtured into softness and her tongue spoiled, Mian Tang couldn't help but believe that Prince Huaiyang truly hadn't mistreated her. Now, every time she looked at her son, Little Yi'er, she couldn't help but think of the man's picturesque brows and eyes.

The resemblance between father and son was striking, almost like a perfect stamp.

From what Cui Fu said, it seemed she was the one forcing Prince Huaiyang to stay away from home.

After thinking all afternoon, Mian Tang decided that regardless of whether Cui Xingzhou enjoyed watching the young girls bathe outside the military camp, she should graciously make an appearance. After all, this was his residence, and if anyone were to leave, it should be her.

With that thought in mind, the next morning, Mian Tang told Bicai and the others, "I'm going to the military camp soon... What should I bring with me?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xie and Bicai were as excited as if they were preparing for a matchmaking event. They hurriedly organized food boxes, pressed her dresses, mixed cosmetics, and matched accessories for her hair.

Mian Tang felt that their preparations were a bit too extravagant. Bicai, with a serious expression, said, "Your Highness, the eldest lady made it very clear yesterday. Your visit is meant to instill confidence and deter the enemy, so you must dress splendidly. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?"

Mian Tang thought it was too deliberate and didn't want to go that far, but when it came time to change clothes, she reconsidered and ultimately put on the dresses, allowing Bicai and the others to adorn her.

As Mian Tang styled her hair high and painted her lips a deep red, Fangxie and Bicai let out a collective sigh of relief, feeling that their princess had returned. They hoped she would quickly reconcile with Prince Huaiyang and that nothing would disrupt her progress again.

When they arrived at the military camp, however, Mian Tang asked the carriage to stop and inquired of Bicai, "Where's the stream near the military camp? I want to check it out first."

Bicai pointed to the west side of the camp. "It's over there!"

Once the carriage got closer, Mian Tang decided to get down and walk along the clear stream.

From a distance, she could hear cheerful laughter coming from the streamside. Standing on a small hill, she looked down and saw a group of soldiers who had just finished training, splashing around in the water, bare-chested.

On the other side of the stream, a group of girls was beating clothes and playfully laughing at the soldiers. Some bolder girls even brought homemade bamboo wine to offer to the soldiers they fancied.

Mian Tang’s keen eyes quickly spotted Cui Xingzhou sitting on the grass by the stream. There was no escaping the fact that handsome men stand out in a crowd; he was hard to miss. Though he wasn't bare-chested, he wore only a thin shirt with the collar open, revealing his well-defined muscles.

Next to him, a sweet-looking young woman approached, holding a bamboo tube filled with rice wine, ready to present it to the prince.

Unfortunately, before she could get close, the guards stopped her.

The girl, in a soft voice, said, "I am Cuoyang, the daughter of the village chief. I admire the prince's bravery and have specially brought this rice wine that I brewed myself!"

Hearing this, Mo Ru immediately explained to Cui Xingzhou, "Your Highness, that village, Azhai, is where we’ve been sourcing lumber for ship repairs. It’s customary there to offer rice wine to distinguished guests."

Cui Xingzhou waved his hand, signaling Mo Ru to accept the bamboo wine. Although he wasn't keen on drinking, he thought it polite to adhere to local customs.

Just as Mo Ru approached to take the wine, an arrow suddenly shot through the air, striking the bamboo tube and causing the rice wine to spill everywhere. Cuoyang let out a startled scream.

Cui Xingzhou's gaze quickly shifted to the hillside across the stream, where a girl stood holding a small bow, exuding an aura of fierce determination.

He immediately stood up, tossing his riding whip to Mo Ru behind him, and strode purposefully toward the hill.

"Why aren't you wearing a veil? You'll get your face sunburned," he called out.

Seeing Mian Tang come to watch him, Cui Xingzhou felt a surge of joy, momentarily forgetting to reprimand her for her reckless actions earlier.

However, Mian Tang seemed displeased, ignoring him and fixing her gaze on the enthusiastic village chief's daughter. Cui Xingzhou was well aware of Mian Tang’s jealous nature, no matter which part of her memory she had lost. He grasped her hand and reassured her, “She was just offering a drink... I don’t even know her.”

Mian Tang fixed her gaze on the large hand that was holding hers, fighting the urge to shake it off. She looked up at Cui Xingzhou and asked, “Do you often bring people here to bathe?”

Cui Xingzhou was about to respond when Mian Tang coldly added, “Your Highness, you really aren’t cautious enough. How can people come so close to the barracks? Aren’t you afraid that these women might include spies? That village chief's daughter seems to have come prepared, recognizing you so readily. I must have arrived at an inopportune moment, interrupting you while you were about to drink a betrothal wine.”

Cui Xingzhou furrowed his brow at her words. “What betrothal wine?”

Mian Tang slowly released his hand and articulated, “In some villages in Beihai, there’s a custom of sending wine to attract suitors. They mix the juice of a plant called fire snake grass into the wine they offer to their beloved. After drinking it, the men are overwhelmed with desire, as if they are truly in love…”

Cui Xingzhou was taken aback, unaware that the women from Beihai were so bold as to openly give men such drugs.

He turned and shot a cold glare at Mo Ru, saying flatly, “Now you know what to do?”

Seeing he had nearly caused a disaster, Mo Ru quickly shrank back, wide-eyed, and ordered someone to detain the girl named Cuoyang and inspect the wine that the other women had distributed to the soldiers to ensure there were no problems.

Cui Xingzhou felt that Mian Tang had misunderstood him. Even though he had asked Mo Ru to accept the wine, he had no intention of drinking it. He always paid close attention to food and drink during campaigns. But how would Mian Tang know about the customs here?

Mian Tang knew very well that the dozens of books about Beihai geography on her family’s bookshelf were meticulously annotated with delicate characters. Notably, the section about local women courting men from other villages was highlighted in red pen, with blood-red characters scribbled alongside: *Moral decay! Ensure that wayward women do not come close when delivering food and drinks to the barracks!*

Now, Mian Tang realized that these annotations were all her own handiwork. The emphasis she had placed on such critical points made her feel like all her previous efforts were in vain if left unchecked.

So when she heard Cui Fu mention that the number of women by the creek outside the barracks had been increasing, she knew it was likely because she hadn’t taken her maidservants to the military camp to brew cooling tea as a show of force in recent days.

Now that she saw the situation for herself, it was indeed the case. If she had not intervened, Cui Xingzhou might have become the son-in-law of the village chief! The thought made her blood boil with frustration.

She considered that she now held the title of the wife of Prince Huaiyang, yet he was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, he was off by the creek, dressed so lightly and provocatively.

What had she been thinking when she chose to marry such a peacock?

Gathering her composure, she said calmly to Cui Xingzhou, “Though I’m not sure how I ended up marrying you, you still carry the name of my husband. How can I let you put a green hat on me? Why don’t you sign a divorce agreement with me first, and then you can flirt with any young girl you like!”

Cui Xingzhou, once so spirited in his youth, never imagined that one day he would be repeatedly confronted with a divorce by the same woman after marrying her.

Now, seeing Mian Tang’s cold expression, he found himself amused rather than angry. He looked her up and down, saying, “Didn’t your grandfather tell you that you need real skills to make bold claims? Have you forgotten? You were utterly defeated when we sparred, and your martial arts are no match for mine. What gives you the confidence to demand a divorce every few days?”

His words sounded like those of a bratty ten-year-old, annoying and petulant.

Mian Tang was hit where it hurt, grabbing his collar and retorting, “What the hell are you talking about! Was it someone else who I knocked down with my pressure points on that island? You have no skills at all! A mere handful of pirates, and you still haven't taken them down! If you can't handle it, I’ll lend you a hand. After all, you’ve lost to me several times before; it’s only fair that I compensate you!”

Cui Xingzhou burst into laughter, staring at the defiant woman before him. “Still not convinced? How about going for a walk in the woods, just you and me?”

Mian Tang laughed as well, tearing a bit of her skirt to shorten it, tilting her chin at Cui Xingzhou. “Let’s go, who’s afraid?”

In no time, the two masters were set for a showdown in the woods, leaving only a few maidservants and guards exchanging wide-eyed glances.

What transpired in the forest that day was a mystery to everyone; all they knew was that the two of them emerged when the sun had set in the west.

The handsome face of Prince Huaiyang was marked with several injuries, while the lipstick on the princess's lips had smudged considerably.

However, the two of them held hands as they exited the woods. Although Mian Tang looked reluctant, shaking her hand to break free, Cui Xingzhou, with his strong grip, refused to let go.

What began as a vigorous exchange of punches and kicks eventually turned into a heated battle of lips and tongues.

The princess’s slightly naive reaction instantly reminded the prince of his first time with Mian Tang, filling him with the thrill of having deceived a young girl into his embrace. He found it hard to pull away.

Unfortunately, he also remembered that there were people waiting outside the woods and that there were official matters to attend to back in the military camp. So, he simply held onto Mian Tang, whose eyes were red with anger, and gently coaxed her all the way to the carriage.

Once he helped her into the carriage, he used a handkerchief to wipe the dirt off her little face. “Let’s make it clear beforehand: you have to abide by the terms of our bet. Tonight, the big ship is being tested, so I can’t return home. Will you come to the camp tomorrow to bring me some food?”

Mian Tang didn’t respond; her mouth and tongue were still a bit numb from their earlier exchange.

This man hadn’t even drunk that snake grass wine, yet he was acting like a love-struck bull, full of strength and vigor.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

•••

Prev  :  TOC :  Next

https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations

https://twitter.com/FlamingoBee2009

Thank You For Reading <3