"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 5

T/N: Surpriseeeee I'm really enjoying this story and I hope you are too ^_^

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Looking at the heavy aroma of cured meat stewed with radishes on the side of the kitchen stove, a peculiar expression appeared in the emperor’s eyes, like what was contained inside the bowl was not ordinary food, rather a very rare delicacy of fine taste, he couldn’t help go over jumping along, the food’s fragrant got stronger and stronger, flooding his nose, causing people to be somewhat dizzy, only when he saw his shadow on the ground, all of a sudden his face froze, his round little shadow reminded him he was a stone right now…, but even if he was a stone, he is still the most respectable stone, he was the emperor of Hanzhen dynasty, how could he be enticed like this by a two-bit bowl of food?

The emperor fumed by himself at the kitchen stove for quite a while, trying hard to maintain the majestic presence of an emperor, only the result wasn’t great, even strongly controlling his longing, however in a moment he again was unconsciously attracted by that bowl of food above, the emperor simply did not discover, since he had changed into a stone, his self-control was completely lacking, temperament was also somewhat childish, the cold, hard cruelty declined, what was left over his pure innate nature, he would pursue instinctive longing even more.

Eat, eat, regardless if it’s a bowl of common dish or an exquisite dish in keeping with his status, after all nothing compared to his happiness right?

The emperor couldn’t help aggressively think about it, as long as he want it, nothing was impossible!

As an emperor when his mouth was flooded with saliva, he finally decided he would eat that bowl of food, again thinking of that girl disrespecting us, she ought to pay the price, a bowl of food was letting her off lightly, at most when he caught her, he’ll let her die with an intact corpse.

Convinced the emperor was extremely happy, jumping along he headed up, preparing to jump up onto the kitchen stove side, it was a little high, again because of hunger he didn’t have much strength, therefore jumping a few times he couldn’t get up, finally he had to first jump onto a stool on one side, then did he jump onto the kitchen stove counter.

The delicious food was in front of him, he only needed to lightly touch it, there was simply nothing which brought more joy to people than this, the emperor only felt after he had changed into a stone, this moment was when he was most content, but when he was just about to take a bite of the refreshing and sweet radish, the stone hit the porcelain bowl producing a crisp noise, then did he discover he was a stone right now how was he supposed to eat things?

A dark cloud immediately covered the emperor’s face, a chilling violence filled his body, he appeared to be very much suffering from pent-up frustrations.

Zhao Jin Yu was seen off to her door by Wen Shi, she somewhat apologetically said, “I originally wanted you to stay and eat…” Wen Shi pitifully looked at Zhao Jin Yu, lightly patting her shoulder, “these clothes are also too thin, why don’t you wear another one?”

“This short journey, I’ll be returning right away, it’s not cold.” Zhao Jin Yu also really liked Wen Shi, from her eyes she could see sincere feelings of concern, reaching the door she took a step away blocking Wen Shi outside the threshold, saying, “Auntie no need to see me off, I did not know you had a visitor before, otherwise I would have bought some more.”

Wen Shi hurried to say, “That bowl is enough, there’s food at home.” Afterwards she again chatted warning, “you must tell auntie if there’s a problem, a single girl living in a completely empty house, auntie thinking about it cannot feel relieved.”

Zhao Jin Yu cutely nodded her head, saying, “Thank you auntie.”

Wen Shi stood at the doorway, insisting on see Zhao Jin Yu enter her courtyard, put the door lock on then did she return at ease, only thinking of Zhao Jin Yu appearance just now standing outside the door in a flimsy outfit and alone, she really couldn’t bear it, even more resolute to plan for Zhao Jin Yu’s future.

Wen Shi had just reached the veranda when she saw her husband Zhao Yao with a grey rodent fur overcoat draped over him walking out, because he had drank his face was slightly red, but his eyes were still very sober and calm, seeing her return he asked, “You’ve sent her off?”

“En, master, why have you come out?” Wen Shi very naturally stepped forward pulling on his wrist.

Zhang Yao however evaded her coughing heavily once, Wen Shi was stunned, she looked behind Zhang Yao, as it turns out Su Qing Chen was standing behind Zhang Yao, she only felt her face heat up, uneasy she bowed her head not speaking.

Su Qing Chen seeing this couldn’t help smile knowingly, changing the subject he said, “That young lady just now is Lord Zhao’s daughter that older brother just spoke of?”

“Precisely her, so young yet born under an ill star.” Zhang Yao speaking up to here showed a bit of hesitancy on his face, hesitatingly he asked, “Qing Chen, I know this sort of thing shouldn’t be asked, but that girl and your sister-in-law are truly kindred spirits, I also truly very much like her, if she really becomes the daughter of a guilty official, her who life would genuinely be ruined! Does Lord Zhao still have a hope of being free?”

Su Qing Chen’s face quickly became grim, with a kind of intensity, he slightly lowered his eyelids, saying, “Older brother, in the future don’t ask me these sort of things again.”

Zhang Yao and Wen Shi paled, very quickly understanding Su Qing Chen’s meaning, everything clearly pointed to disaster for Zhao Chang Chun, and no wonder next door’s Xu Zhi immediately took her son back to her native home of Jinling.

Su Qing Chen saw Zhang Yao and Wen Shi show an alarmed expression, recalling this was home, when he got angry even the subordinates who had followed him for many years were also afraid, let alone the always simple to the ways of the world older brother and sister-in-law, quickly it vanished, squeezing out a thread of a smile, saying, “Older brother do not be nervous, you cannot ask Lord Zhao’s matter, but if it’s his daughter…, you say she’s an adopted daughter?”

“Yes, she just turned fifteen this year, a child Lord Zhao adopted nine years ago.” Wen Shi seeing Su Qing Chen asking this, a bit of hope again appeared in her heart, carefully observing Su Qing Chen’s expression without missing a beat she replied.

Su Qing Chen saw Wen Shi’s eyes held a polite longing, unconsciously thinking of the shoes Wen Shi would make for him every year, every time they fitted his feet comfortably…unexpectedly he was speechless.

　　***

Zhao Jin Yu returning to the courtyard she hurriedly walked towards the kitchen, thinking in a moment she must eat two bowls of rice in order to satisfy her stomach rumbling with hunger, only when she had just set her foot into the house she halted her footstep…, somewhat unconvinced she rubbed her eyes, the obscure moonlight through the window cast a light in the house, inside the scarce large blue bowl, completely packed with food before more than half was already gone, in the soup laid a spotless white Yuhua stone.

After all where did her food go? And why would this stone be in the bowl? Was it a practical joke by someone or did she meet a supernatural matter?

Waiting until Zhao Jin Yu neared, when she clearly saw that stone’s appearance, the pit of her stomach jolted, very quickly she discarded her previous thoughts, because she saw this stone was the one she had distinctly thrown into the water jar in passing, so a scenario involuntarily appeared in her mind, a stone that can jump, this stone’s ability to jump may be because it’s a stone spirit, or was like her a time traveller, possessing a stone? Then it’s stomach got extremely hungry, smelling food at night it rushed in, eating some food afterwards?

But why does a stone need to eat?

Zhao Jin Yu stood still for a while, then hesitantly she opened her mouth asking, “What exactly are you?”

“Who are you?”

“Can you not speak?”

“So you’re a weak stone spirit?” Reportedly low ranked stone spirits do not have much power, it can’t even speak, of course these thoughts were from all kinds of mystery and fantasy novels in Zhao Jin Yu’s previous life, she also didn’t know if it was right, but she did not have anything else for reference, therefore in this way she kept trying everything in her desperate situation.

For a very long time she couldn’t get a response, as well as her stomach rumbling, Zhao Jin Yu unconsciously frowned somewhat, she saw the already destroyed unable to be eaten dish, with a bit of anger, “Just leaving this much food, what can I eat?”

The emperor had eaten fully before, although it wasn’t clean floating in the greasy soup, but compared to previously lying in the both cold and dark pile of snow more than a little eager to get out, like this the full and satisfied emperor was in the warm soup, with a lot of dissatisfaction, unware he fell asleep. Because a few days before he did not sleep well, it would be precise to say since he had been turned into a stone he had not slept properly at all, that’s why he slept somewhat deeply.

Eventually, under Zhao Jin Yu’s incessant clamour the emperor finally woke up, he saw that girl who had thrown him out with her hand on her waist, her lips pursed unhappily, clear eyes with a kind of nasty malicious intention.

“Impudent!”

Zhao Jin Yu did not know how to pick up that stone, again thinking the dish she had not eaten yet was being wasted, with bad intentions she thought of simply throwing it into the back street, tomorrow it would be busy with carriages, make it frequently experience being crushed down by carriage wheels?

In the end before she carried out her bad intentions, she heard the main culprit shouting impudent once with such aggressiveness, she suddenly froze a little, “…”

The moonlight was clear, the mud brick kitchen stove because it had just been lit was still warm, the stone and the girl stared at each other for a short time.

Zhao Jin Yu only returned to her senses a good while later, unable to bear it she asked, “You can speak?”

The emperor did not speak, rather using a very disdainful look he stared at Zhao Jin Yu…, of course a stone simply did not have any expressions, but Zhao Jin Yu unexpectedly still felt the emperor’s arrogance, and maybe because the stone emitted an excessively intense imposing manner? Anyhow Zhao Jin Yu understood what she was seeing, moreover she also felt that the stone lying in her soup not only could speak, but was also extremely arrogant.

With a steady heart Zhao Jin Yu cleared her throat, calmly saying, “Little thing, I don’t know what you are, perhaps you’re a stone spirit, or maybe you are some sort of evil spirit? Anyhow you ate my food and still look down upon me with such righteousness and self-confident, how do you think I ought to punish you this sort of thief?”

“Thief?”

Zhao Jin Yu gaze was calm, saying, “Turning up uninvited, if not a thief what else?”

The emperor narrowed his eyes dangerously, his eyes filled with murder intent now, sinisterly saying, “Who actually gave you such courage to dare to be so impudent?”

In fact in accordance to the past, if the emperor said such words, other people would burst out in cold sweat, scared that they immediately kneel on the ground, not only just because of the emperor’s status and the way he handles people who disobey him, even more important was the brutal evilness emitting from his body, it makes people feel frightened from the bottom of their heart.

However this time it was in fact somewhat different, the emperor changed into a stone’s voice contained a bit of tenderness, softness, sticky, like a child’s voice, with a voice like this speaking out violent words, as a result it was naturally greatly reduced.

The first time Zhao Jin Yu heard it because she was so shocked she did not react, in the end she heard it this time and actually felt this stone seemed like a spoiled child…, such a cute voice!

Zhao Jin Yu pulled a long face, saying, “Even if you act like a spoiled child, I still won’t lightly forgive you.”

Spoiled? The emperor’s nose was almost out of joint.[1]

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[1] When you wrinkle your nose so hard in anger it almost goes out of place.