"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 20

Three days later.

Zhao Jin Yu was seasick, the first day she had happily explored everywhere, even going up on deck to watch the riverside scenery, but by noon she started feeling dizzy, retching from her stomach, soon after she continuously threw up, unable to eat, just lying in bed.

A knock was heard outside the door, “Lady Zhao, I’ve bought you medicine.”

Zhao Jin Yu felt very surprised, saying, “Auntie Chen, come in.”

Chen Rong carried a small porcelain bowl in her hand, a black and thick medicine in the bowl, emitting a strong traditional medicine smell, smelling it Zhao Jin Yu’s stomach once again overturned, she couldn’t help but retch again.

Chen Rong somewhat worriedly said, “Even if it smells unpleasant you still have to drink it, otherwise it’ll be even worse”

Zhao Jin Yu also understood this reason, waiting until her mood settled somewhat, she used a clean handkerchief to wipe her mouth preparing to hold the medicine bowl, again that smell of traditional medicine caused her stomach to roll, after trying it several times unsuccessfully, Zhao Jin Yu shook her head at Chen Rong with a pale face, saying, “I really can’t drink it.”

Chen Rong blamed herself slightly, saying, “I should have asked that physician to add more peppermint.”

Zhao Jin Yu shook her head, “Adding peppermint won’t prevent this smell, I’m sure I still wouldn’t be able to drink it.” There wasn’t a physician on the ship, even if there was there was no medicinal ingredients, Chen Rong had especially caught a small boat to a small town to buy it, Zhao Jin Yu was very grateful for her kind intentions, “Auntie Chen, thank you so much.”

Chen Rong had been an armed escort for many years, most of her jobs were delivering items, even if it was escorting people, then it was only sons of nobles going for a wander, a dozen or more servants following them, she simply did not need to take care of these small things, at first when she started she had only thought of doing her job, afterall she wasn’t hired to be a servant, rather an armed escort, but for some reason the closer she got to this amiable and approachable Young lady Zhao the more she liked her, when she saw Zhao Jin Yu did not forget to thank her even now, in her heart she already felt this child was thoughtful and proper, but she also felt a bit sorry for her, reportedly her father was a fifth ranked official, with her status if this matter hadn’t happened she would be at home enjoying her parent’s love, passing her days innocently and unaffected right?

“I’ll see if there are any tangerines on the boat.” Chen Rong recalled the taste of tangerines can supress seasickness.

Zhao Jin Yu hurriedly nodded her head, saying, “I want to eat a lot.”

Chen Rong seeing Zhao Jin Yu’s impatient gaze, seeming rather like a child, she couldn’t help smile, saying, “Then wait a moment.”

When the emperor woke up he discovered, apart from the tangerine peels covering the floor, a certain person was lying on the bed with wispy breathes, an extremely weak appearance, he frowned, saying, 

“How is your seasickness still not well? Could it be you’re almost dead?”

Zhao Jin Yu flushed with anger, picking up a tangerine at her side she threw it at the stone, saying, “If I die you’ll also starve to death!”

The emperor saw the tangerine coming over but did not dodge, biting it in a mouthful, then cheerfully enjoyed it, saying, “Hey, if you’re not dead then say something?” The emperor finished eating the tangerine, thudding he jumped over to ask, Zhao Jin Yu was annoyed, turning her head she ignored it, the emperor had never been ignored like this by someone before, he was very unhappy, hopping to the other side he bumped against Zhao Jin Yu’s cheek, Zhao Jin Yu then again turned her head…, it repeated in this way, the emperor was rather angry, by accident he knocked into Zhao Jin Yu’s teeth.

The stone hitting teeth, it produced a sharp and clear sound, in pain tears fogged up Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes immediately.

It was an extremely quiet night, the curving moon rose to the middle of the sky, contrasting the river water like gleaming reflections of waves in sunlight…, the atmosphere in the room was slightly depressing, the stone stood rigidly for quite a while, suddenly seeing sparkling and translucent droplets flow out of Zhao Jin Yu’s fair narrow slits, all of a sudden there was some strange feelings in his heart, he said, “Why are you crying?”

Zhao Jin Yu was awfully angry, she was barely alive due to seasickness, even more her teeth was knocked against by the stone, it was simply when it rains, it pours, extremely unlucky, bursts of dejection in her heart.

She decided to ignore the stone, when she watched TV dramas before the little brats of other people’s, like Tang Bao in `The Journey of Flower`,[1] was a sweet little angel, but in the end she had met this loud and bad tempered, and bad mouth stone, thinking about it she heaved a sigh.

The emperor watched those irksome tears, in every case he felt very uncomfortable, saying, “Hey, girl, I’m hungry.”

Zhao Jin Yu was still angry, only out of the corner of her eye she glanced at the place where the stone was missing a piece, recalling the treatment it had suffered, and still couldn’t harden her heart, she unwillingly said, “There will be food in a while.” She had told Juan Er before, to deliver food every night.

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, saying, “Good, good do what you’re told, if you make us happy maybe we will forgive you for previously ignoring us, and will reward you.”

The stone’s words were very aloof and remote, with plenty of arrogance, Zhao Jin Yu was once again melancholy, but she reckoned she was still angry, an anger she would get used to, = . =, with some grudging ridicule she said, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s favour.”

“En, now you act us you should” The emperor was like a monarch set up on high, aloof and imposing he nodded his head slightly.

How much did Zhao Jin Yu want to strangle this little thing to death? She gnashed her teeth thinking about it, but when all the imposingness met food…, it would disappear, = . =, no different from a gluttonous child.

After Juan Er delivered food, the emperor soaked in the soup, comfortably drinking noisily giving off bubbles, thinking about it he like soup, lying on his back in the nice and warm soup, both tasty, and warm, and through the milky white soup he could carefully look at Zhao Jin Yu’s richly colourful expression, when she frowned she slightly pouted her rosy lips, when she got angry she would scowl puffing out her cheeks, like a cute little rabbit, when she was excited she was radiant with delight, eyes bright like the many stars in the sky…, compared to those imperial concubines whose every smile and scowl were perfected hers was more unrestrained, even more pure, even more genuine.

He know knew her name wasn’t Zhang Hong rather Zhao Jin Yu, that was only because yesterday night he had seen Zhao Jin Yu’s census register in the cabinet…, however his mood was different from several days before when he wanted to return to the palace as soon as possible, all of a sudden he felt travelling far with Zhao Jin Yu wasn’t a bad idea.

Ever since he ascended the throne, even if he left the palace he was accompanied by retinues, under the watch of countless people, granted that they revolved around him, incomparably revered, still the fact was he felt a lack of freedom, like he was right now, only an ordinary stone, able to see many, many sceneries he couldn’t see as an emperor, to him it was very rare.

Of course, if Zhao Jin Yu can be somewhat more well-behaved then it would be good, but it didn’t matter, he would eventually make her learn, the emperor haughtily thought.

The emperor finished eating dinner, he stared at Zhao Jin Yu, saying, “Girl, you still won’t come to give us a bath?”

Zhao Jin Yu did not know when her name became girl, but she felt this way of calling was no different from someone calling a servant girl to wait on them, summon and dismiss at will, = . =

Just at this moment, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside, the ship’s captain somewhat fearfully said, “My Lord, what wind has blown such an esteemed person here.” Even though his tone was pandering, but his shaking intonation was enough to illustrate his fear.

Zhao Jin Yu was startled, enduring the dizziness she walked to the door, opening a small crack she looked out, as a result with a look she was actually scared out of her skin, standing on the deck was an Embroidered Uniform Guard wearing a feiyu outfit, solemn and respectful appearance, under the moonlight he emitted an even colder air.

A man who looked like the leader stood with his back to Zhao Jin Yu on the deck, tall and lean stature standing straight, the gold embroidered crimson gown was set off by the moon, even though Zhao Jin Yu hadn’t done anything wrong…, but she didn’t know why her heart palpitated.

For some reason she felt this person was similar to someone.

The man was talking, then he turned, at that moment Zhao Jin Yu saw his appearance clearly, he was around twenty five or six years old, very young, but with a sharp gaze, calm expression, an imposing manner as if he occupied a leading position all year round, making the ship’s captain who was older than him by around twenty years speak nervously, sweating profusely.

Isn’t that Su Qing Chen? Uncle Zhang’s younger brother!

The emperor naturally heard the sound of activity outside, but calmly said, “Why are you not moving? Aren’t they just Embroidered Uniform Guards, quickly come over.”

Zhao Jin Yu nervously took a breath, shutting the door she walked over to the stone, lowering her voice she said, “Aren’t they just Embroidered Uniform Guards?” She placed emphasises on the three words Embroidered Uniform Guards, “didn’t you say before that the Embroidered Uniform Guards are looking for you?”

The emperor impatiently said, “Give us a bath!” Having spoken he saw Zhao Jin Yu look at him with wide eyes resentfully, his heart softened, he hmphed, “Look at us right now? I’m missing a piece, utterly broken, completely without spirit, would the emperor still want me?”

Zhao Jin Yu shook her head very naturally.

The emperor saw and said, “Isn’t that it, my original little bit of spirit has been spent, just to help you find out news of those women, now I’m only a useless stone, this sort of stone, why would the emperor still send Embroidered Uniform Guards to search?”

Hearing this Zhao Jin Yu nodded her head at ease, and was somewhat sad, thinking the stone was a little pitiful, it seemed extremely miserable without spirit, disregarding the fact it was because of her, she said, “Little thing, relax, if you don’t recover your spirit, I will still keep you, so long as I have a mouthful of food, you absolutely won’t starve, I will be good to you for a lifetime.” A tender and sympathetic tone, with a resolute conviction showing through, unconsciously making people have confidence in her.

The emperor felt these words were very refreshing, he a grand ruler of a country needs this girl to support him? He couldn’t help want to mock her, but for some reason a few unknown feelings rushed to his heart, warm, nice…, unexpectedly completely comfortable, but also very unfamiliar, making him somewhat frantic, in order to evade such feelings, he immediately said, “As for those women mistakenly arrested you worried about, didn’t we say to you, they have been released, the emperor even sent some money, it could be considered that they profited from a disaster.”

In order to make this girl even more obedient the emperor, even though he knew he had arrested the wrong people he still kept them locked up, until Zhao Jin Yu deeply worried and sick at heart begged him to think of a way did he then pretend to use up all his spirit to look over to the capital city for news, afterwards he ordered people to release the women, making Zhao Jin Yu thank him having received the news those women had been released, equally because he helped her and exhausted his spirit it gave rise to guilt, two birds with one stone.

As for what spirit, what the emperor had already given up on finding the stone, it was merely casual reasons that’s all, he was the emperor Zhao Jin Yu talked about, and didn’t he do whatever he wanted?

Zhao Jin Yu somewhat excitedly said, “If the emperor naturally knew he had arrested the wrong people, it also indicates, the emperor could have already known you are now like this, and completely given up on looking for you.” Zhao Jin Yu felt the weight on her heart finally disappear, making her breathing much smoother, the more she looked at the stone the more adorable and close it felt, “little thing, you are so good.”

“Right, that’s just it, from now on don’t ask such stupid questions, hereto this matter has concluded!” 

The emperor saw Zhao Jin Yu finally understood, slightly nodding his head, he pointed at the teacup to the side saying, “We want to bath in there.”

“That is a new teacup I bought.”

“If it wasn’t new we wouldn’t want it!” The emperor’s tone changed speaking up to here, pointing at his own nicked body, warningly he said, “Why did we become like this? En? Who just said they would be good to me for a lifetime? Don’t just merely say it and not remember it in your head!”

Zhao Jin Yu, = . =

Why did she feel the stone was intimate just now, very cute?

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[1] An actual Chinese drama based on a novel called 花千骨!