She asked, “You all are no longer against us?”
Sheng Chuling was the first to change his tune. “We are definitely not against it! As the second brother of Sheng Chumu, I will announce that I highly approve of this. This marriage is simply adding more close relatives. Let’s form a strong collaboration. The two of you are the ideal combination, no flaws at all!”
Ma Hainiu and the pirates’ gaze turned to Sheng Chujun.
“...” Sheng Chujun was frightened. He glared at his second brother. His second brother already said everything he could think of! He thought for a long while before managing to force out a sentence. “Have children early!”
Ma Hainiu was satisfied. “Since everyone always says words have no meaning, you two shall write that down. Put your fingerprints on it before you can leave.”
Sheng Chuling and Sheng Chujun exchanged glances. It was a mistake making this trip!
The Crown Prince was invited to Grand Prince Liang’s residence. He had finished an entire pot of tea but Grand Prince Liang had yet to appear. Suddenly, he saw a person wearing Turkish clothes walk past the hall. He was startled. His Imperial Father had just begun a war against Illig Qaghan. Why was there a Turkish person in Grand Prince Liang’s residence? He immediately sprung to action as he silently followed the person. He realised that the Turkish person had smoothly made his way into the back garden. Grand Prince Liang, who had yet to appear in the front hall, was actually waiting there.
Grand Prince Liang asked, “Is everything ready?”
The Turkish man replied, “Everything is ready. I have checked every blade, they are all sharp.”
Grand Prince Liang lowered his voice. “It is rare that the Crown Prince is willing to visit me. We cannot make any mistakes.”
“Please rest assure, Your Highness.”
“Good.” Grand Prince Liang spoke mysteriously, “I will go and meet the Crown Prince now.”
Hiding in the dark, the Crown Prince heard everything clearly. He never thought that Grand Prince Liang would harbour evil intentions and collude with the Turkish people to set a trap to bring him down. He turned to leave. However, Grand Prince Liang’s residence was huge and very soon, he met with several guards. They seemed to be looking for someone. He knew that they were looking for him and had no choice but to retreat to the back garden, hoping that there would be another exit.
Initially, he was still clear as to which direction he should go. However, as the footsteps of the guards neared, the Crown Prince had to give up using the corridor and hide within a small forest. He was panicking and could not recognise the way. All of a sudden, a green field appeared before him. He was extremely astonished. There were several tents set up and Turkish people were walking about as if he was the uninvited guest.
The Crown Prince suddenly turned around. Grand Prince Liang was standing behind him with his guards.
“Grand Prince Liang…” What are you trying to do!
Grand Prince Liang laughed lightly, “Aiya, you found out. I wanted to give you a surprise.”
“I am not feeling well, I think I should go back…” The Crown Prince thought that Grand Prince Liang would not realise that he had found out and that he still had a chance to escape.
“Eh! It is so rare that you are here, you can’t leave like this. I prepared all these for you and you haven’t got to taste any yet. Come come come!” Grand Prince Liang enthusiastically pulled the Crown Prince to the tents.
The Crown Prince was being dragged by Grand Prince Liang. In front of him, two fierce looking Turkish warriors brandished their bent swords. The Crown Prince could not help but clench his fists, ready to fight for his life. They lifted their swords towards the skies. However, the swords did not swing down and the soldiers started to cheer.
The Crown Prince was stunned. “Aren’t they Turkish people?”
Grand Prince Liang laughed and replied, “Of course not. These are my soldiers dressed up as them. How is it? Isn’t it rare to see such plains in Chang’an? Desert scenes are my favourite. It is a pity that I am Grand Prince Liang and cannot wish to ever go to a desert. I can only ask people to dress up and set up some tents to satisfy my craving.”
The Crown Prince smiled as well. “Grand Prince Liang, you are in a good mood.”
Grand Prince Liang ordered his men to start the bonfire and bring out the huge pot. The huge pot was filled with meat and a thick bone soup. Ladies dressed in Turkish attire started to dance as the guards scooped out large pieces of meat from the boiling soup. They placed it in a huge bowl and served it to Grand Prince Liang and the Crown Prince. Grand Prince Liang took out a Turkish-looking small knife and heroically cut up the meat. He pierced a piece of meat and placed it into his mouth. A guard presented a small knife to the Crown Prince.
These were all new to the Crown Prince.
Grand Prince Liang boasted as he ate, “This knife is a genuine item bought back from the desert. It is extremely exciting to use it to cut meat. I especially asked them to sharpen the knife. Crown Prince, use it and see for yourself.”
The Crown Prince was interested as he cut up a piece and placed it in his mouth. “Not bad, it tastes especially nice. But is this...beef?”
Grand Prince Liang nodded. “Yes.”
The Crown Prince hesitated, “Imperial Father ordered the cows to be cherished and not to kill them for no reason. The number of cows are all recorded. Grand Prince Liang, how did you report to the officials after killing a cow?”
Grand Prince Liang grinned. “It doesn’t matter, there is no need to report. This cow was stolen.”
“What?” The Crown Prince was shocked. “You stole a cow? Whose did you steal? Stealing cows from farmers is equivalent to hurting farmers and the punishment is severe.”
“Aiya, my dear Crown Prince. With our status, what is the big deal about stealing a cow? Even if we get found out, it is not like we kidnapped women. We can just compensate them for a cow. You should let go of those rules for the time being and happily enjoy your time. Can you do that? Grand Prince Liang cut a piece of meat and handed it over, along with the knife, to the Crown Prince. “Eat!”
The Crown Prince suddenly reached out to take the knife and ate the meat heartily. Take it as if it is a dream. When he wakes up, he can go back to being the Li Chengqian who was bound by his hands and legs by the uncountable number of rules.
Chapter 33.1: Instigate
The Crown Prince opened his eyes and realised Sun Lingshu was lying on his chest. He vaguely remembered getting drunk the previous night. Grand Prince Liang asked his men to send him back to the Eastern Palace. The internal attendant then asked where he wanted to rest and he replied with the Crown Princess’ quarters. Prince Han’s words had touched his heart. As the saying goes, not for the sake of the monk but for the Buddha. He was going to be a father.
The Crown Prince stretched out his hand and shifted Sun Lingshu’s head, allowing her to sleep more comfortably. He saw how well she slept and could not help but brush her cheek. On the day of their marriage, Sun Lingshu’s face was as bright as a red apple, it was moist and healthy. Now, not much time had passed but she had lost a lot of weight.
The Crown Prince’s gaze fell onto the bump on her belly. It was actually very tough on a mother to give birth to a child. His hand subconsciously shifted over. A foreign warmth blossomed in his heart. Maybe, he could become a good father.
Sun Lingshu woke up and saw the Crown Prince. She quickly sat up. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable.
“Did I squash you? It is all my fault. I fell into too deep of a sleep. Is your shoulder numb?”
“It is okay.” The Crown Prince got off the bed and picked up his clothes.
“I…” Sun Lingshu paused, “Let me help you.”
The Crown Prince stopped her. “There is no need.”