"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 3

T/N: I'm baaaaaaaaack I was nearly done with this chapter before I went on holiday so I thought I'd finish this first hehe

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It snowed for several days, Zhao Jin Yu stayed at home for several days, she simply did not know, because of her thoughtless one move, the whole imperial palace even the entire capital city were shaken up.

Five days later, after she finished eating the meagre remaining food in the house the snow finally stopped.

Zhao Jin Yu put on thick cotton-padded clothes, and put on gloves preparing to tidy up the courtyard of snow, afterwards pleased with herself she made herself a meal, she remembered there was still a piece of cured meat in the kitchen, putting on two potatoes, and adding several chillies she stewed a pot, mixed with steaming hot rice, it was truly delicious on this cold winter day.

Outside a thumping sound knocking on the door could be heard, Zhoa Jin Yu put the broom to one side and quickly walked out, stopping at the door she cautiously asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Zhao Jin Yu hearing this voice then did she set forth to open the door bolt, outside the doors stood a married woman around thirty years old, she wore a small flower print cotton-padded jacket, gentle appearance, this neighbouring Zhang Zhi Shi’s wife was Wen Shi, she showed a somewhat worried expression, saying, “It snowed these past few days, I reckon you haven’t left the house at all, luckily your Uncle Zhang brought back some radish and salted duck eggs from outside yesterday asking me to come over and give you some.”

It wasn’t easy to get vegetables, on such cold winters it was even more extremely precious, Zhao Jin Yu knew Zhang Zhi Shi was born of a poor and humble family, completely relying on that little bit of official’s salary to live by, her life wasn’t that prosperous either, let alone at home she had two growing youngsters who could eat a lot, “Auntie thank you. But I still have food in my home.”

Wen Shi is an extremely mild person, but at times she also could be particularly stubborn, like now, hearing Zhao Jin Yu say this she immediately looked serious, displeased she said, “My family and yours have been neighbours for many years, how does auntie not know of your situation? Talking like this aren’t you treating your auntie as an outsider?”

Because Zhang Zhi Shi and Zhao Jin Yu’s father Zhao Chang Chun were successful candidates in the highest imperial civil service exam in the same year, and they were neighbours, the two families were especially close.

The two people declined for quite a while, Zhao Jin Yu under Wen Shi’s perseverance helplessly accepted that basket of food, the two of them again gossiped for a while, like whose house has collapsed due to the snow, how many people have come from outside the city to beg, after the snow how much the price of rice will increase and so on, finally Wen Shi again said, “Look after yourself these few days, don’t open the door to strangers, your Uncle Zhang said something big happened in the palace.”

“What?”

Zhang Zhi Shi worked in the Tianfu office so he naturally knew some internal news.

Wen Shi vigilantly looked all around, seeing there was no one around, she neared Zhao Jin Yu’s ears muttering, “The emperor is furious, extremely angry, arresting a lot of people in the palace, saying they have lost something very precious, now he’s looking for it in the entire capital, even the left and right Embroidered Uniform Guards have rushed back to the capital, investigating and handling this matter.”

“What exactly is this rare treasure that even the left and right Embroidered Uniform Guards have been summoned back?”

Wen Shi grudgingly shook her head, saying, “But everything which is branded with an imperial symbol, which one isn’t invaluable? Anyhow it merely has nothing to do with us, you only need to remember to be a bit more careful these few days.” Wen Shi said this and looked at Zhao Jin Yu’s complexion, seeing her prominence was slightly reduced, gaze clear, thinking about her situation, she still couldn’t help sigh.

Hesitating for quite a while she again said, “Jin Yu, you plan on continuing to watch over the house by yourself?”

Zhao Jin Yu pursed her lips lowering her head not speaking.

Wen Shi also wasn’t a person to nag, only when she had just married into the family she became neighbours with the Zhao family, she almost watched Zhao Jin Yu grow up, she watched over her quite a bit.

Zhao Jin Yu really wasn’t the Zhao family’s own child, rather a child picked up nine years ago. Ever since Zhao Chang Chun was implicated in a severe case of corrupt high official, the Zhao family almost lost their family fortune to rescue him, afterwards their desires were truly unclear, Zhao Chang Chun’s wife Xu Shi took her son Zhao Jing Chuan back to her native home Jinling, leaving Zhao Jin Yu by herself alone here, actually there wasn’t much difference between abandoning.

Wen Shi did not see Zhao Jin Yu respond, secretly sighing, she herself found a way out of the awkward situation, changing subjects, “Jin Yu, this radish is very sweet, you can eat it just peel it, Shu Bao, Shu Zhen those two brats nibbled through half a basket in just half a day, and ate the marinated beef your Uncle Zhang prepared for visitors, it angered your Uncle Zhang so much he took a wooden club and chased them down a street…”

Zhao Jin Yu really liked the Zhang family’s twins, laughing she said, “it’s the time when they’re growing, being gluttonous isn’t strange, but uncle Zhang must be extremely angry.”

“Exactly…, even I was scolded, telling me to hurriedly put them back into my stomach, and said it would be good if they were half as obedient as you are.” Even though Wen Shi sighed, but the distinctive devoting smile of a mother was on her face, “if there’s nothing I’ll leave first, I still need to go buy some marinated beef, ai, those two children are truly troublesome.” Cows were ploughing oxen, strictly supervised in the ancient times, therefore beef was also very precious, always expensive, Zhao Jin Yu knew this was Wen Shi’s heart-ache money.

Zhao Jin Yu hearing this said, “Auntie, I still have some dried meat…”

Wen Shi pretended to be angry, “That dried meat of yours was given by me last time, we still have a lot at home, can it be you still want to return it?”

Zhao Jin Yu heart was touched, rubbing her somewhat cold back of her hands, she thought of an idea for Wen Shi, “Auntie, radish really taste very nice when made well, fresh vegetables are most scarce in winter, shred the radish, sprinkle on some sesame oil, scallion, salt, mix it a little, both crisp, and fresh, especially appetising, as for the cured meat…, put on a hot pot, place some wood charcoal underneath, place dried mushrooms, bean vermicelli, and cured meat and other such things to boil, holds heat, and does not cool down, a dish that can quickly heat up.” Zhao Jin Yu was more and more absorbed as she spoke, gleaming eyes, not at all sad as before.

Wen Shi mood rolled for a time, if another young lady came across this sort of situation, perhaps she would have earlier cried suffering terribly, she however was fine, even though she was somewhat sad, but in a wink she was fine like a normal person, and still speak to her in such high spirits about food, it was clear she was completely generous and thoughtful, with these thoughts her heart hurt even more, thinking when she returned she must discuss with her husband no matter what they must find a way to look after her completely, her face didn’t show this at all, happily she said, “Your method is good, I will go back and make this, then I’ll go back first, you be careful in everything, if there’s anything just shout over the wall, we will hear it.”

Waiting until Wen Shi left, Zhao Jin Yu only felt her stomach rumble in hunger, as it turns out talking to Wen Shi for half a day she was terribly hungry, she put more and more energy into tidying up the snow in the courtyard, thinking the quicker she finished she could eat.

“Yi, what is this?”

Zhao Jin Yu looked at the white stone in the pile of snow, with some puzzlement she muttered.

This stone was exceedingly beautiful, spotlessly white and lustrous, beautifully round shape, under the bright sunshine it did not lose to a white jade, with some admiration she stroked it, suddenly she thought of something and slapped her thigh, this was the stone that could move a few days ago, thinking about it at that time she was both sleepy and cold, her train of thought was muddled, she simply did not think a stone which can move was so strange, now looking at it again clearly it was more interesting than that night.

“Didn’t you move a few days before?”

“Jump once for me to see!”

“Could it have been an illusion?”

“Why aren’t you reacting at all!”

“Ai, I must have only been half conscious from sleep!”

After Zhao Jin Yu spoke for quite a while and not see the stone react, she then had no choice but to admit at that time she had been half conscious, thinking like this again she felt relieved, how could there be so many inconceivable things on earth? In the end when she had barely put the stone down she immediately felt a violent hunger, it had been snowing for several days before, Zhao Jin Yu had cooked a pot of congee, when she got hungry she just heated it up, just like this she went through the motions for several days, thinking today no matter what she must eat something good.

Zhao Jin Yu conveniently placed the stone into an unused water jar in the veranda and turned to the kitchen to cook, = =.

As night arrived, the originally lifeless spotless white stone slowly gained some spirit, however once it had realised it had been moved from its original spot buried in the snow to a dusky place, his body filled with a violent anger, what lousy place is this!

Who threw him in here? Could it be that girl again from before?

Emperor Wuling’s nose was almost crooked from anger, gaze gloomy, thinking of his supreme self once it was night would turn into a disadvantaged stone, he felt that he had no way to vent his unhealthy anger, he only wished all the people involved in this situation, of course including Zhao Jin Yu who dared to throw him in here, would be put to death by thousand cuts then could he ease a little of his anger, it was simply clear, now was not the right opportunity.

All around was dark, the emperor wanted to go out no resigned, in the end after jumping a few times he then discovered, he had been thrown into a water jar this time, a sharp and clear sound produced from the stone hitting the surface of the jar, after experiencing turning into a stone for three days, the emperor more or less had already gotten somewhat used to it, he helplessly thought, sleep, wake up from sleep, tomorrow he can once again return to the palace, he had already instructed the Embroidered Uniform Guards to go search for this body, wait until it’s found…, place it inside the palace, even if he did change into a stone at night he would only be switching to another method of sleeping nothing more, as for what great master Hui Zhen said about massacres?

Hehe, the emperor only felt it was extremely funny, how many emperors didn’t step on corpses to get to this point, could it be every emperor would meet such a calamity? He simply didn’t believe it!

Even more important was he didn’t believe in fate, if he believed in fate he wouldn’t have gone from second prince to his current status, he only believe in himself!

The emperor settled his state of mind, gradually closing his eyes, and like before, he only needed to sleep then it’ll be fine, in the end this time unaware from a place not too far came a strong fragrant which enticed people, rippling at the tip of his nose, making people unable to stop salivating again and again.

What is this smell?

It smells so appetising!

The smell of food became stronger and stronger, continuously revolving around the tip of his nose, the emperor actually couldn’t sit still a little, he did not discover himself, since before he changed to a stone, his temper was somewhat more irritable, hard to control his anger and longing, just like now, if he was in his normal body, he naturally would not feel food was so appetising, however now he was however like a child very gluttonous, he almost salivated.

The emperor looked up down, left right in the water jar, all of a sudden he discovered, there was a small crack near the bottom left side of the water jar, just happen to be the size of a walnut, it would allow him to make his way through, this could at least be considered a glimmer of hope in his darkest hour.