Chapter 51: "Slapping one's face - Again and again...and again (3)"
While looking at the sparkling star dust trailing off her fingertips, Jun Wu Xie did not have a single trace of emotion shown on her face.
Everyone stood at their spots petrified and stared at her dumbfounded with their eyes and jaws both wide open.
Mo Xuan Fei and Bai Yun Xian were absolutely livid.
From the beginning, this kid had no intention to win their favor, what this kid did was akin to slapping them in the face!
As she swept off all the remnants off her hand, she looked at Mo Xuan Fei in the eye as she slowly trailed her pinky finger across her neck as she looked at him provokingly.
Mo Xuan Fei was seething and had almost gone ballistic. The veins around his neck were popping out.
If this wasn't Ghost City, he'd have killed this arrogant young punk a million times!
Bai Yun Xian bit her lower lips she stared viciously at Jun Wu Xie.
Feeling satisfied from watching Mo Xuan Fei's expression, Jun Wu Xie turned around and handed the box containing the nine Eastern Pearls over to an unkempt youth behind.
"My book." She demanded.
The youth froze for a moment as he absentmindedly handed over the few dilapidated books to her.
As the crowd saw the exchange being carried out, their mind frazzled.
This kid...is not that stupid... right?
Crushing priceless gems into dust easily and now traded a box of precious Eastern Pearls for...for a few dilapidated books?!!
Everyone went crazy.
This kid really had character! He was too rich! Too domineering!
When Mo Xuan Fei saw that Jun Wu Xie had changed those lustrous Eastern Pearls for some old and worn out books, he almost vomited blood. Some of these books had some of their covers partially torn, these books were in such bad condition that even if they were left by the roadside, no one would have bothered taking a look at them. These books were actually traded for NINE Eastern Pearls?
Today, he was really humiliated to the bone.
Once Jun Wu Xie had gotten hold of the books, she could feel Little Lotus's happiness. Now that all has been settled, she turned to leave.
"Little Guy! When you have time please come again! Come by whenever you are free, no matter if it's Eastern Pearl or whatever Spiritual Gems you are looking for, I have plenty!" The old man clamoured after her.
After she left, Jun Wu Xie felt someone following her from behind. She whirled around and saw the unkempt youth. He blinked a few times and gave her a rogue smile.
"What do you want?" She asked coldly.
"Well, I was wondering if you still have any more of that elixir you've just traded? He scratched his head in an embarrassed manner.
"You said you had no interest?" Jun Wu Xie frowned. It was because he had rejected her elixirs that she had to go through all that just now.
"Uh, I did not know you had such quality elixir, in such places usually nothing of that calibre appears. " He answered truthfully with a sheepish tone. He did not even put Qing Yun Clan in his eyes, what more could a young kid offer?
However when that old man opened the bottle, he knew he had made a huge mistake!
"Well, didn't you say that you would give me one?" He asked as his dirty smeared face hid some of the redness.
"That box has NINE Eastern Pearls." She cautioned.
Previously she had promised him an elixir but now that she had paid in double, she no longer needed to pass him a bottle of the elixir.
What's more, he didn't want it in the first place!
"I can pay you five!" He quickly offered.
"I don't need." She answered immediately as she turned around. She still needed to find a suitable cultivation method for herself.
Seeing her leaving just like that, the unkempt youth scratched his head in a depressed manner as he looked at the box of pearls in his hands in frustration.
Chapter 52: "Followed (1)"
"Oh no, I'm finished. I screwed up again. When I go back, that group of people will never let me hear the end of it." The unkempt youth drooped his head down in dejection as he walked back to his stall.
Jun Wu Xie's luck wasn't very good, after scouring through the whole of Ghost City, she still could not find a suitable cultivation method for herself.
During this trip, she had not gained anything. All she had were those few gardening books and she even made a loss of three bottles of elixir.
It was late in the night and not a single soul could be seen.
On an empty street of the Imperial City, Jun Wu Xie and the little black cat were on their way back, the lonely silence of the night with the moonlight shining on them, elongating their shadows - only her footsteps could be heard. She walked back in resignation with her mind full of thoughts.
As they continued walking, the cold wind was howling loudly through the dark streets. As they turned at the corner of the street, with the veil of darkness shrouding it in its entirety, an outstretched arm reached out for her and pulled her into the darkness.
"Meow!" The cat called out shrilly.
Jun Wu Xie was drawn into a warm embrace as the man behind her hugged her from behind, gently pressing a finger over her lips with breath of warm breath beside her ear. A deep enigmatic voice hushed her.
"Shhh." The black shadow directed it this time to the black furball.
The little black cat stiffened.
"Going out so deep into the night all alone is not a very good choice." The deep voice said in a teasing voice as he breathed down her slender neck. She trembled slightly.
"Jun Wu Yao, let go of me!" Without turning back, Jun Wu Xie knew who it was right away.
This playful voice was ingrained deep within her.
"Hold still, its so cold at night. Look, your body is so cold,here, let me warm you up." Under the veil of darkness, Jun Wu Yao smiled contentedly as he held her close and hugged her even tighter. He loved this feeling, so small and petite and her body was so soft.
"I'm not cold." She retorted.
"Oh? I'm cold, you help me warm up then." The chuckled as he leaned in further bending slightly, chin resting on her shoulder.
"Your are really not aware of your surroundings. You need to be more alert, you've been followed by other people for a whole night and yet did not notice." His dark purple eyes narrowed. Her small stature coupled with her faint scent of herbs made it unbearable for him to let her go. She fitted perfectly in his arms.
"I thought you are not considered a person?" She replied calmly, never once had she thought that he was a normal person.
"I'm not referring to myself..." Jun Wu Yao raised his hands as he used two fingers and gently clasped her chin and turned her head to the direction of the street.
Along the deserted streets suddenly appeared a tall figure anxiously looking for something.
The moonlight shone on his face and his features were slightly revealed.
"Long Qi." Jun Wu Xie immediately recognized that man.
"Lin Palace has so many guards, yet you ran out in the middle of the night, turning the whole palace into a state of frenzy. Once you stepped out of Lin Palace, the news already spread to Jun Xian." Jun Wu Yao hugged her closely as he spoke to her in a playful yet soothing tone.
"Long Qi really knows how to show his gratitude, personally protecting you in the dark." Jun Wu Yao scoffed as a dangerous glint flashed across his deep purple eyes.
Chapter 53: "Followed (2)"
All these years, Long Qi had been solely responsible for the care of Jun Qing, never meddling in any others of Lin Palace's affairs. With Jun Wu Xie sneaking out at night, just having some of the elite shadow guards following her would have sufficed, there wasn't a need to have Long Qi personally guarding her.
Her medicines seem pretty incredible, they have really won quite a number of people over!
Jun Wu Yao frowned slightly, not waiting for her to say anything, he turned her back, with one hand on her waist, the other hand clasping her jaw and lifted her face.
Under the moonlight, a face that could move countries was replaced by a plain ordinary face.
As Jun Wu Yao's rough fingertips gently rubbed against her delicate lips, he gave a teasing and playful grin.
"Really ugly." The foreign face with the different facial features staring back at him really made him want to wipe them away completely.
"Do not look then." Jun Wu Xie frowned, she really could not understand what was on his mind.
He rarely stayed in Lin Palace, his presence was very elusive. He would sometimes surprise her by suddenly appearing, at times not a single trace could be found. As he had said before, he had no animosity with Lin Palace meant no harm to them. He only tampered slightly with their memories, when those people see him they will remember his identity. Or else, no one will think of him, if he's not around Jun Xian and Jun Qing almost forgot his existence.
"I want to go back." Jun Wu Xie voiced out rather abruptly, as she looked down at this hands, suggesting him to let go.
"Alright, let's go back together." Jun Wu Yao said as raised an eyebrow as he suddenly lifted her up and carried her like a princess.
".................." Jun Wu Xie glared at him.
Jun Wu Yao paid no heed to her silent threat as he whisked her out, the little black cat following closely behind.
On the street, Long Qi was angry at himself for losing sight of Jun Wu Xie as he searched frantically. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Jun Wu Yao carrying Jun Wu Xie in his arms as they came out from a dark alley.
"Young Master, Miss." He called out but he was secretly astonished that he could not sense the presence of his Young Master previously.
Without even giving a glance at Long Qi, Jun Wu Yao simply continued to carry Jun Wu Xie as they headed back to Lin Palace.
Long Qi silently followed behind them.
............................
The whole incident of Jun Wu Xie was simply 'forgotten'. When the sun rose the next day, Jun Xian and Jun Qing did not bring the matter up as Long Qi still followed Jun Qing and tended to him as they carried on their daily routines.
As soon as Jun Wu Xie and the little black cat entered the pharmacy, little lotus was called out in a firm voice by the little black cat.
[You rascal, come out!]
A trembling little figure could be seen as it quickly sprawled into the ground on all fours with its head bowed down.
Jun Wu Xie had her arms folded across her chest, looking at that little figure with a cold glare.
Little lotus shook involuntarily.
The room was quiet.
After half an hour standoff, little lotus could no longer bear the suffocating pressure. He started to cry out, with his watery eyes looking pitifully looking at Jun Wu Xie.
"Do not leave me....... P..Please do not ...*sniff*..se..send me back." Little beads of precious tears came rolling off his cheeks. He quivered as he looked over at Jun Wu Xie. He knew that he had incurred the wrath from his master when it appeared on his own accord in Ghost City.
Jun Wu Xie narrowed her eyes as she gave him a piercing stare.
Little lotus small legs began to shiver again.
[When I said that you were useless, I didn't think that you were that useless, even forcing Master to get these dilapidated gardening books. Tell me, what are we going to do with these musy old things?]
Little black cat jumped onto the table as one of its paws touched the pile of old books that were placed there as it looked menacingly at little lotus.
Chapter 54: "Strange Cultivation Technique (1)"
Little lotus was sobbing and sniffling as it protested: "T..Those books aren't useless..."
[Hmph]
Little black cat lifted his paw and swiftly swept the top book off the table as it landed with a loud thud.
"Nooooooooooooooo." Little lotus face became pale as it scuttled forward and lunged forward to 'save' the book as he brought it into his embrace protectively.
Little black cat narrowed its eyes at it looked at the little audacious lotus looking at him with pleading eyes.
Swish. Little Black cat ignored little lotus as it swiped another book off the table.
This went on as little black cat continued swiping the books off the table as little lotus scuttled about with its tear stricken face and is short legs scurrying around in his bitter attempt to save the books.
"Enough." Jun Wu Xie finally spoke up, interrupting the little drama of those two.
Little lotus fell to the floor in exhaustion with its two hands tightly clutching onto the few books that he managed to save, with its teary eyes looking at Jun Wu Xie.
"Why do you hold these books so dear? What do you want them for?" Jun Wu Xie glanced over at the sobbing figure on the ground with her hands resting on her chin.
"It's not for me, It's for you, Master." Little lotus sniffled.
Jun Wu Xie raised her eyebrows slightly.
When she browsed through the books yesterday, they were technically books on gardening, teaching people how to raise plants and flowers. Unless... this little guy wanted her to be a gardener?
"This is...this is... what you all call it cultivation technique." Little lotus brought the books over to her with his little hands.
"Cultivation techniques?" Jun Wu Xie was surprised.
Little lotus nodded.
"Yes, I'm a plant type so you can't use the ordinary cultivation techniques that you've been flipping through. Do not underestimate all these books, they are very hard to come by! The previous owner never found these good stuff so they could not cultivate any spiritual power. I must say your luck is really good..." Little lotus tried his best to explain it to Jun Wu Xie, except that his shy and reserved demeanor did not seem to be very convincing.
Jun Wu Xie looked at the books in hand if little lotus had not explained it to her, she really can't imagine these dilapidated gardening books actually turned out to be prized cultivation techniques!
"Growing plants can enhance spiritual energy?" Jun Wu Xie casually flipped through the topmost book.
Little lotus nodded enthusiastically.
"What should I plant?" She did not recognise any of the species of plants in the book.
Little lotus immediately raised his hand and pointed to his nose.
"Me! Plant me!"
"................................" Jun Wu Xie was speechless. She also could not help but imagine a herself planting the lotus seeds in the earth and when it was harvest time... there were many many little lotuses. Only their heads were poking out of the earth while their body were still buried beneath. This was really quite a scene!
"..............................." She shuddered for a moment.
"Well, as it states here, as long as you place me in a place with water, well, not me but my seeds and they will start to absorb, develop and grow and accumulate spiritual energy after which only you can absorb. When they grow into lotuses, although the effects isn't as great like me, eating them will have lots of benefits!" Little lotus chirped merrily as he blinked his eyes which still had some tears attached to them.
Jun Wu Xie felt that if he had a tail, he would be wagging it happily.
It seems to be easier than the other types of techniques I've come across?" She had perused so many variety of books and they were all rather complicated, some even nitpicked about the way you breathed! These books, on the other hand, were simple, straight to the point.
All you needed to do was to plant flowers!
Chapter 55: "Strange Cultivation Technique (2)"
Jun Wu Xie carefully read through the contents of the book she had on hand, in addition to lotuses, there were many other types of plants that could accumulate spiritual energy as well, however those strange plant names, she had never heard of before.
"In addition to lotus seed, where do I get the other type of seeds?" Jun Wu Xie asked.
Little lotus frowned and hesitated for a moment before replying: "I'm not too sure as well... Most of the names I'm not sure where they're from but for some of the other guys, I do know of them and where they're from... It's just that.. It's currently out of reach for you."
"What do you mean?" Jun Wu Xie pressed on as she raised her eyebrows.
Little lotus dropped his head and his two little chubby hands grabbed his apron and whined: "Those few guys can't come out yet... So it's out of reach for you."
Jun Wu Xie furrowed her eyebrows. What this little lotus was trying to say, was really difficult to understand. He always says things that were hard to comprehend.
When he first appeared, he once said that his lotus seeds were eaten by some guy. And now from this little mouth if his he once again referred to some guys. Jun Wu Xie was referring curious to who those guys were.
"Who are they?"
"Contractual spirits......" Little lotus muttered.
"So they have to wait for an owner first before they are able to come out?" She asked.
Little lotus nodded.. Then shook his head..frowned hard as he was trying to explain himself.
Jun Wu Xue was even more puzzled.
"Erm...Uh..that.. Actually if Master practices hard and cultivates properly...you're sure to be able to find the others... However as you are now.... Isn't it better to grow my seeds first?" Little lotus hesitated for a bit before looking nervously on at Jun Wu Xie and took two quick steps and stood in front of and raised his little head with a pitiful expression.
"Master, you do not need to be in a hurry to find the other plants, ok? I'm sure I'll be of help to you, can you please start planting me first?" Little lotus pleaded with his misty eyes.
".........................." Jun Wu Xie had a feeling that if she shook her head, he would start bawling.
"Alright." She affirmed.
Little lotus immediately laughed and the whole room was filled with a sweet lotus scent.
Jun Wu Xie started looking through the pile of musty old books, searching for one that had a water cultivation method.
Previously she had thought that these were some regular gardening books however after little lotus's explanation, she noticed that the 'water' stated in the books were not regular water. The term "rootless water" came out a few times and this "rootless water" was the lowest grade and this was water that 'flowed out of heaven but have yet descended on earth', not the waters in the lakes and rivers.
The book described various water plants, one of which was the snow lotus cultivation method.
After reading that portion, Jun Wu Xie's face went black.
To plant the snow lotus, one needed "water". To call it water was no longer feasible as the records explicitly stated it needed the water from the heavenly spring.
Heavenly spring? Jun Wu Xie searched through her memories of both worlds but to no avail. She has never heard of this or heard anyone else mention this heavenly spring before.
Jun Wu Xie had always thought that there was always a balance in the world, her cultivation techniques were way simpler than others BUT the conditions were pretty tough. Who can tell her where can she find this heavenly spring?
Do you know what is this heavenly spring water?" She asked little lotus while frowning.
Little lotus shook his head left and right vigorously.
Chapter 56: "Birthday Celebrations (1)"
Jun Wu Xie's mouth twitched slightly - the book stated that snow lotus required a very special environment to be nurtured and could not be planted in regular water. If the seeds were placed in regular water, the lotus will wilt and have no chance of recovery. In other words, if she placed the seeds in regular water, they will die.
"........"
Sure enough, this troublesome lotus could not be raised with any regular water! In addition to the heavenly spring, she noted that another liquid that could plant the snow lotus was called 'jade nectar'.
In this world, this term meant that it was wine of the highest quality, even Jun Xian only ever had one chance to drink a small cup of this when the first Emperor had bestowed him a cup in celebration of winning the war.
"You can even use wine to cultivate a plant...hmmm." Jun Wu Xue rubbed between her furrowed brows to ease the tension as she was in deep thought. Although this wine was very precious and rare, at least she knew what it was. As for the heavenly spring, she's never heard of that before!
Jade nectar was given by the First Emperor, this meant that there was a high chance that there's still some stored away in the Royal Palace.
Jun Wu Xie thought back to the conversation she had with Jun Xian that day, it will soon be the Crown Prince's birthday celebration and she was invited as well. This would be a great opportunity to check if they still had this in the palace.
Although she got her cultivation techniques on hand, however she was not able to start her cultivation due to the lack of resources.
Just as she was pondering hard over the issues on the resources needed to kick start her cultivation, ever since they returned from Ghost City, Mo Xuan Fei and Bai Yun Xian's mood had hit rock bottom.
Under the laws of Ghost City, Mo Xuan Fei could not do anything to that punk who made him lose his face completely! He gritted his teeth as he thought back on how hard he was trying to appease Bai Yun Xian after the whole incident at Ghost City. That young punk! How dare he cross his path like that? He had summoned the court painter urgently and had him draw out that kids face based on their description.
Even though he could not touch him in Ghost City, once he's out, he won't let him off!
Mo Xuan Fei mobilised his secret forces and had them comb through the entire Imperial City that very night.
However, the strange thing was that no trace of that kid could be found. It was as if he mysteriously vanished into thin air.
He even had his men stationed at the entrance of Ghost City to inform him once that kid was sighted, however, there wasn't any news at all.
..............................................................
Time passed quickly as the whole city was busy in preparation for the Crown Prince's birthday celebrations.
Just the night before the birthday, Jun Xian called Jun Qing and Jun Wu Xie over to his study.
This time round, not only the 'waste' Jun Wu Xie was invited, even the 'dying' Jun Qing received an invitation.
"The Crown Prince's birthday is tomorrow, both of you need to come along with me. Long Qi is not allowed in so Wu Xie, I'll leave the care of your uncle in your good hands." Jun Xian looked over at Jun Wu Xie with pride. His little girl had grown up to be so dependable and this was such an assurance. Unknowingly he had placed all his hope of Lin Palace's future in this little girl's hands.
"Alright." Jun Wu Xie nodded.
"One more thing, people outside do not know the condition of your uncle. As of now, they all still think that he has not much longer to live. If they find traces of his recovery, I'm afraid... Wu Xie, can you ask your master if there is anyway to make your uncle seem 'terminally ill'?" Jun Xian was worried as he only received Jun Qing's invitation just five days prior to the Crown Prince's birthday.
Chapter 57: "Birthday Celebrations (2)"
All these years, only Jun Xian was invited to the Crown Prince's birthday banquet, however this year was an exception. Lin Palace had an additional two guests which made Jun Xian a little worried.
Jun Wu Xie's invitation was due to the 'Emperor's grace' when he extended his invitation to her as an 'apology' for breaking the engagement.
Whereas Jun Qing's invitation came late as it's since been more than a month since he was diagnosed and everyone that thought that he would die during this period. However no news of his expected death had spread and this made many restless.
It seems that tomorrow's Crown Prince birthday banquet was not just a simple celebration.
Many wanted to take this chance to probe Jun Qing's situation.
"How's Uncle recovery during this period?" Jun Wu Xie did not answer Jun Xian immediately as she did her usual check up routine, turning towards Jun Qing and checking on his recovery progress.
Jun Qing's condition had improved drastically. After his blood had been cleansed and all the poison purged from his body, they had started the body conditioning stage. With all the acupuncture and medicines personally done by Jun Wu Xie, even his legs had both recovered and he could feel his legs again. Now, he's doing therapy to strengthen his leg muscles and training to start walking again. He's been practicing walking with crutches to aid his recovery.
Although Jun Qing was struggling, as compared from before, this was a huge improvement.
"It's much better than before, I think I may be able to walk in half a year's time." Jun Qing beamed brightly, as he chortled. This time of recovery had been the happiest time he had in a decade.
"Everything cannot be rushed, even if you are recovering well we cannot overdo it or else it would all be in vain." Jun Wu Xie warned Jun Qing.
Although he looks very gentle and docile, when it comes to doing things, he was very resolute and aggressive and tended to push things to the extreme. This could be seen when he had been doing therapy lately and only until he collapsed and was carried back by Long Qi had he stopped practicing. Jun Wu Xie was called over many times due to this.
Jun Wu Xie had to sternly remind Jun Qing or else his over enthusiasm might result in a backlash instead.
Being nagged by his own niece Jun Qing laughed loudly as he slapped his legs in excitement, eyes filled with vigor, "Wu Xie, whatever you said I definitely understand...It's just that for over ten years...I've been a cripple. For over ten years! Now I have this chance of walking again, I really can't wait. The feeling of being able to walk again, I don't think ordinary people can understand this."
After he was crippled, the amount of ridicule and the humiliation he received was countless however the times he laughed could be counted easily. The despair he had felt were all washed away by this brilliant niece of his.
The day when he will soar back into the sky is near and it would be payback time!
"Take it as if I didn't say anything then. I will add in more tonic for you." Jun Wu Xie had seen such over zealous patients before, however this post treatment therapy stage was not entirely her responsibility.
Jun Qing was different from those other patients, she would not let anything happen to him no matter what.
"You've worked hard." Jun Qing looked warmly at Jun Wu Xie, in the past his fondness for this niece was because they had blood ties, but now he really loved this niece of his from the bottom of his heart.
He wanted a speedy recovery so he could protect with his two hands, this family which was very dear to him.
Chapter 58: "Birthday Celebrations (3)"
"Don't worry grandfather, you've said things that Master had also thought of. Tomorrow I will give something for uncle to take, it won't be detrimental to him, it just masks his health and let others view his pulse and his symptoms as though he is hanging on by a thread of life." She had long thought of this and had prepared in advance some pills that could act as a deterrent in the event of any emergency.
Jun Xian and Jun Qing were glad that her master had such foresight and had everything prepared so comprehensively.
It seemed this master of hers was determined to help their family.
During this period of recuperation, Jun Qing was not only given back the use of his legs, his whole body had been strengthened and conditioned from inside out. On the other hand, Jun Xian's health had improved so much, his whole body had become more robust, his mind was sharper and clearer, his whole body was conditioned to its peak.
"Your master has contributed greatly to the Lin Palace, we are forever indebted to him." Jun Xian sighed, this elusive master of hers had helped their family so much yet he refused to show up or made any demands on them.
"He does not care." Jun Wu Xie looked down wistfully while stroking the little black cat in her arms.
All she could do now was to let Jun Xian and Jun Qing get more powerful. However that was not enough, she wanted to be more powerful herself, strong enough to wipe out all the enemies off the face of this earth.
The day was soon over as everybody was busy preparing for the grand banquet. The sun rose and all the households were busy preparing for tonight's banquet. Horses brushed, carriages polished, lavish outfits donned on and as the sun began to set, the whole Imperial city was set abuzz as the streets were filled with the most luxurious carriages as they all went towards the Imperial Palace. With all the various carriages lined in front of the palace, all the various ministers had with them treasures from all over gathered here today to celebrate the Crown Prince's birthday.
Jun's family carriage arrived grandly at the Palace gates. Long Qi was sitting outside the carriage as he looked coldly at the carriage coming over to the side.
Wu Wang's extravagant carriage caught up with them, crystals clinking could be heard as Wu Wang stuck his head out of the crystal beaded curtain.
"Why isn't it Lin Wang? What a coincidence!" he sneered with his plump face and gave a greasy smile.
Jun Xian drew his own carriage curtain and nodded.
When Wu Wang saw the other two Jun family members in the carriage, he smiled even more.
"Little highness and Wu Xie really came? Wow, it's going to be so boisterous, oh, but I wonder if his little highness's body can take it? Rest assured Lin Wang, based on our close relation, I've already informed the servants to wait on him during the banquet, no need to worry!"
"Thank you for the arrangement." Jun Xian retorted curtly as he clenched his fist tightly and put the curtain down, not wanting to see that sickening face any longer.
"Oh!" Wu Wang contentedly shrank back into his own carriage as the crystals clinked together noisily.
Within the carriage, Jun Wu Xie raised her head and asked. "What filthy thing did that man eat?" His mouth was really cheap.
Jun Xian and his son immediately knew what she meant when she cursed that way as they smiled wryly.
"He is the king's brother - Wu Wang, he doesn't have much skills so he relies heavily on his relationship to have things his way. He doesn't use his brain much, no need bother about him, he's just a waste. You have to remember that the real danger are those who hide their hostilities deep within and stab you in the back when you least expect it." Jun Qing was worried about Jun Wu Xie as she was still young and had not much experience with the real world.
He really wanted to protect her from all danger if he could, to forever shield her from this cold and deceptive world.
Chapter 59: "The Banquet (1)"
"I won't call for a dog that bites." Jun Wu Xie casually said while stroking the little black cat's smooth fur.
Want to stab her in the back? Well, she must first give you an opportunity for that.
In the past, she only trusted her back with one person. In this world, she wouldn't give anyone that chance other than Jun Xian and Jun Qing.
Seeing that she understood his meaning, Jun Qing laughed.
Sometimes he felt that his little niece grew up way too fast. Her perception and mentality seemed to have gone through an enormous change overnight - fortunately it was a good change.
More and more carriages entered and dropped off various important Ministers of the State as the crowd trickled in to join in the celebration of the Crown Prince's birthday. While waiting to enter the banquet, all the guests entered from the side door and were ushered into a large waiting reception area.
When it was finally their turn as the carriage arrived at the side door, Long Qi prepared the wheelchair, assisted Jun Qing and took a thin blanket to cover his legs.
With the arrival of the three generations of the Jun Family, there was a huge commotion as many shifted their attention to the newly arrived guests.
Jun Xian was like a sleeping tiger, although he had more wrinkles over the years, no one dared to underestimate him. By his side was a young maiden who was an alluring beauty. She was like a little flower bud which had yet to bloom. In a few years, she definitely would be a beauty that could topple nations! She seemed to grow more beautiful each time they saw her.
In terms of appearance, very few could rival this precious flower from the Lin Palace, however everyone knew under this beautiful exterior lay a hot tempered fiery girl who could burn them easily and she brought trouble wherever she went! Jun Wu Xie's notoriety was known throughout, no one dared to treat her as a well behaved little rabbit!
However now the one that they were most concerned about was the handsome man sitting on the wheelchair.
Although he sat there quietly with his pale face, one could tell he had quite a bit of difficulty even breathing. His raspy and disorderly breathing could be heard, gripping people's hearts as they hear him struggling for his breath.
It was known that Jun Qing was in a bad shape for quite some time and everyone speculated that he would have died after a few days when Jun Xian forced his way into the palace asking for all the Royal Doctors. With one look at Jun Qing today, one did not need to be well versed in medicine to tell that he was really hanging onto his life by a fine thread. Even if Jun Xian used up all the precious herbs, nothing would be able to save his son.
Affirming their own notions, they looked over at Jun Xian and saw him brooding, this further confirmed their own speculation.
Some ministers went over and offered him some words of encouragement, portraying a noble front and disappeared into the crowd soon after.
This whole facade went on as both father and son played the victims and looked vulnerable. Jun Wu Xie on the other hand, was totally ignored.
Compared to Jun Qing's imminent death, being dumped by Mo Xuan Fei paled in comparison.
Anyway the impending fall of Lin Palace was nearing, what can this outrageous tyrannical little girl do? She seemed to have toned down a lot from previous occasions. At least she knew her place - various inner thoughts and whisperings went around masked with bright smiles and vibrant music. Regardless of what's happening on the surface, everyone had deemed Lin Palace a huge joke.
They had been in power for such a long time,showed their prowess before but all of that was in the past, now they were only waiting for their downfall.
After passing through the reception area, the guests were led to their seats in the banquet hall. Soon, it was in full swing as music, laughter and lantern lights filled the whole palace.
Chapter 60: "The Banquet (2)"
Many gasped at the scale of this banquet. The banquet was held at the Crown Prince Palace Wing and one could see that the Emperor really held the Crown Prince birthday in high regard. The main hall was decorated lavishly and the feast itself was pure luxury. Silk brocades with exquisite embroidery could be seen all around as beautifully carved wine glasses out of precious materials graced their presence. The finest dishes were brought out with rare and delectable ingredients in beautiful artistic designs were presented to the guests.
For this banquet alone, how much gold was splurged?
Jun Wu Xie was pushing Jun Qing on the wheelchair, following quietly behind Jun Xian as they entered the banquet hall. A small memory flashed by, in the past, the previous Wu Xie had attended the Crown Prince's birthday once and that was the time when she had met Mo Xuan Fei and fell for him.
"The Crown Prince doesn't have it easy as well." Jun Wu Xie looked at the grandeur surrounding her as she coldly stated her thoughts.
Jun Xian and Jun Qing's expression stiffened.
Jun Qing was about to say something when Jun Xian suddenly cut it and said: "Wu Xie, why do you think so?"
Jun Wu Xie replied: "If his Majesty really loved the Crown Prince, he would create an image of a benevolent ruler that doesn't spend the people's money in such ways. The way I see it, it's not the case."
"The Crown Prince's abode is so luxurious and just for a banquet such extravagance splashed out isn't it just for all to see?" She stated everything very matter of factly, in front of her this beautiful scene was just like an invisible shackle.
Jun Xian widened his eyes in shock, he did not think that the young Wu Xie could see through the secret.
Jun Xian glanced at the servants walking in front of them as he whispered softly: "His Royal Crown Prince was born by the Queen, her own family was very powerful which enabled her to sit on the Queen's throne. In just a few years after her death, her family also faced an unexpected calamity and their power declined tremendously."
Jun Wu Xie finally understood, the only reason why the Crown Prince could hold on to his title was because of his Mother's side of the family, not because the Emperor favoured him. From the look of things, with the decline of the Crown Prince's support, the Emperor seemed to have started making his move.
To say the least, the current Crown Prince's predicament was similar to Lin Palace.
Without a powerful backing, the Emperor who was previously helpless before them had his own designs.
However his schemes really ran deep, even when dealing with the Crown Prince, he portrays it as if he doted heavily on this son of his.
"Then who does His Majesty actually favor?" Jun Wu Xie asked softly.
"The Second Prince." Jun Xian answered coldly.
Jun Wu Xie suddenly realised how everything fell into place. No wonder Mo Xuan Fei was so persistent on pursuing Bai Yun Xian, her identity itself could boost him up to take over the coveted position of Crown Prince. If they were engaged, it was a great opportunity to make the favored son the Crown Prince instead.
"He have eyes but fail to see, how ignorant." she scoffed.
Although she did not know the Crown Prince very well, however in the eyes of Jun Wu Xie, Mo Xuan Fei's personality was rotten to the core.
Even a lump of **** was better than Mo Xuan Fei.
Jun Xian laughed, although his little princess did not talk much, her mouth was really quite toxic.
After all the ministers have arrived and sat at their seats, the Emperor turned to his right and whispered something to the handsome youth seated by his side.