"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 25

Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes were fixated on that red-purple good fortune slip of paper, using all her strength she swam over, less than half a wall’s length away, she could take it immediately, unfortunately the believers on the shore saw Zhao Jin Yu’s movements, very quickly they discovered there was actually still a personal good fortune paper overlooked on the river surface, many people one after the other jumped into the water prepared to fight over it, amongst them was a shameless man closest to Zhao Jin Yu, he went as far as to use his robust body, directly smashing into the side of Zhao Jin Yu’s body, splashing up sprays scorching Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes closed, she was inattentive for a moment, almost slipping into the water.

Chen Rong obscurely said damn, in three quick steps, she lightly jumped up, using the bannister for a boost she successfully[1] jumped to Zhao Jin Yu’s side pulling at her collar, again using the force from wrapping a whip around a willow at the shore, using her strength to pull, Zhao Jin Yu was pulled free from the water. The entire motion was natural and unforced, in one go, it was very pretty and clear-cut.

Zhao Jin Yu was dripping wet from head to toe, she didn’t feel it in the water, but once she got out of the water she felt the ice cold wind blowing, freezing her bones, she however shook off Chen Rong’s hands, saying, “The fortune paper!” Having spoken she wanted to struggle free from her, to again enter the water.

Chen Rong did not imagine Zhao Jin Yu to be this determined, in a moment without paying attention she had thrown her off and once again with a splash, she jumped into the water.

“Lady Zhao! What are you doing!” Chen Rong was again worried, she couldn’t help sternly shout.

However it was like Zhao Jin Yu did not hear her and heading towards that good fortune paper, when that sturdy man who had leapt in the water saw Zhao Jin Yu head over once again, he used more energy to swim over to it, the two people one from the right one from the left, that good fortune paper was in fact floating two chi[2] away from them on the water surface.

It was at this time, a shadow treading on water came over, effortlessly picking up that good fortune paper, again holding onto Zhao Jin Yu’s waist, utilising a piece of plank floating in the water, he jumped back, jumping on a small boat by the shore.

Zhao Jin Yu’s teeth rattled from the cold, however she had no time to control it, she urgently and panickily opened up the wet good fortune paper in the hand, making sure it was in good condition before releasing a breath.

A warm and fluffy fox skinned cloak wrapped around her, a familiar voice came from above her head, “Is this good fortune paper so important? To even give up your life?”

“Lord Su?” Zhao Jin Yu raised her head, sure enough she saw Su Qing Chen who she hadn’t seen in a long time standing in front of her, seeing Zhao Jin Yu look at him, in an explanatory manner he said, “I’m also passing by here, I saw you by coincidence.”

Zhao Jin Yu did not have the time to question why Su Qing Chen was here, at that moment she had an even more important thing to do, she raised the good fortune paper up highly, yelling, “I got a personal good fortune slip of paper!” Seeing someone approach her, she then sighed, facing Su Qing Chen she bowed, solemnly saying, “Many thanks Lord Su.”

Su Qing Chen frowned, silently enduring for a while before saying, “I’ll see you back.”

At that time Chen Rong had also hurried over, seeing Su Qing Chen she was stunned, but very quickly she naturally said, “Many thanks Lord Su, but we truly are destined.”

Su Qing Chen courteously smiled, saying, “Precisely, indeed we truly are destined.”

Niceties rushed forth between the two of them, Zhao Jin Yu unwaveringly stared at the Xianjun, she itched to grow wings at this very moment to fly over there.

In a short while, Zhao Jin Yu was escorted onto the vessel, Chen Rong and Su Qing Chen also followed on either side, the lotus flower vessel actually had several decks, there was a lofty platform in the middle, on either side stood believers the red attire of the sect, lotus flower lanterns hanging down from their hands, looking from a distance there was nothing more beautiful, looking closely it was also exquisite beyond compare.

Zhao Jin Yu got more and more nervous as she got closer, on top of that having previously been soaked in the water, walking her hands and feet trembled, when she arrived in front of the Xianjun, 

she unconsciously fell to her knees.

The thin light muslin was pushed aside, revealing the Xianjun’s face, from afar she had only felt his appearance was picturesque, up close he had an even more handsome and smart charm,[3] truly a rarely seen handsome man, in accordance to the customs of the believers, naturally she could not raise her head, Zhao Jin Yu however fixedly looked, the chamberlains at the side couldn’t help heavily cough once to warn her.

The rims of Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes turned red, tears streamed down, “Older brother, why are you here?”

The Xianjun looked at Zhao Jin Yu indifferently, “I don’t know you.”

Zhao Jin Yu seemed to be struck by thunder, asking instead, “You don’t know me?” Zhao Jin Yu removed her hat, rubbed her face, making her cheeks slightly rosy, and asked, “Older brother, look carefully, how can you not recognise me?”

The Xianjun’s gaze lingered on Zhao Jin Yu’s pale face for a while, finally turning his gaze, he said to the chamberlains to the side, “Take her away.”

Zhao Jin Yu had been shocked from the start, it was hard for her to quell the later pleasant surprise, until now her heart cooled like the water…, she only thought it had only been less than an hour, but it seemed like she had experienced a lot, crossly she asked, “You are sure you don’t know me?”

“Young lady must have made a mistake.” The Xianjun voice was cold like the wintery river water, freezing people’s hearts.

Having gotten off the vessel, faced with the cold wind, Zhao Jin Yu was so cold like she had lost her soul, disappointed she sat paralysed on the ground, Chen Rong’s face was filled with concern, Su Qing Chen at her side said, “This won’t do, I have booked a tavern room in the town, let’s go over to get some hot water to bathe in, and drink some ginger soup.”

Zhao Jin Yu hearing Su Qing Chen speak unhurriedly, but considerately and attentively arranging things, like the older brother she had from long ago, again thinking that her older brother already no longer recognised her, her heart was even more miserable, she however said, “Many thanks Lord Su, I was too headstrong today.”

Su Qing Chen saw the tears in Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes, his immense anger also vanished completely, saying, “We’ll go back first then discuss it.”

Chen Rong also understood this wasn’t the time to be courteous, because the believers were pouring in, the taverns in the town were packed with people, the ship did not supply hot water to bathe, right now since Su Qing Chen extended this olive branch, she naturally needed to take it, wrapping Zhao Jin Yu up, she said, “Then we will trouble Lord Su.”

***

Inside a tavern in the town, Zhao Jin Yu was soaking in a wooden tub, her expression numb, like a person who lost their soul, the emperor hung from Zhao Jin Yu’s neck, trying hard to forget the handsome and wonderful figure on the water, he coldly asked, “Is that person really your older brother?”

Zhao Jin Yu buried her face in the water, until she almost suffocated then did she come up, she took a firm breath, tears again soundlessly flowed, “He is my older brother, supposedly he had returned to native Jinling, who would have imagined…, in a wink he actually became what Xianjun.” Thinking about Zhao Jing Feng’s indifferent appearance just now, she only felt a pain her chest like someone was heavily punching it.

“My older brother treated me wonderfully.” Zhao Jin Yu recalled even though adoptive father had loved her dearly when she was young, but he was too busy, and adoptive mother had an indifferent personality, it was older brother who brought her up, taking good care of her in every possible way like a treasure, able to say it could be considered her older brother by four years had raised her, giving her mufflers to wear in the winter, fanning her in the summer, taking her to pick fruits in the autumn, taking her out for hikes in spring, so long as she wanted it he would always take great pains to give her it, in this way she was able to grow up carefree and without worries, mostly because of this older brother.

She even thought…, if she married her older brother, then the family could stay together forever.

“Little thing, he had clearly said he was going back to Jinling, why would he be here acting as the Xianjun? Also even if he became the Xianjun again why did he not recognise me? Could it be Tiangui sect requires relatives to separate? There isn’t any reason for this right?”

The emperor scoffed, “He treated you well by leaving you all alone in the capital city?”

Hearing these words Zhao Jin Yu dejectedly hung her head, saying, “You might laugh at me, but I always thought…, they had their own difficulties.” Zhao Jin Yu suddenly got up, droplets rolling down her body, revealing a beautiful and fair body, the emperor only felt his heart flutter terribly, 

“This won’t do, I had better go and ask, why he is here.”

“Such a shameless woman, do you know we are a man?”

Zhao Jin Yu rubbed the stone, in the right and confidently saying, “Every day you sleep on my chest, why don’t you call yourself shameless?”

“But we did not ask you to be naked!”

Seeing the stone’s reaction, Zhao Jin Yu rubbed her cheek against the stone, acting coquettishly she said, “Fine, from now on I’ll take note of it, anyway I don’t need you to take responsibility, why are you so flustered every day?”

Having lived with the stone for some time Zhao Jin Yu had sussed out a certain pattern, this stone was amenable to coaxing but not coercion, so long as she humbled herself every time, it would obediently feel better.

The young lady’s cheeks were soft and fragrant, sticking to his skin it was like the softest cloud in the sky…, the emperor again felt his heart flutter, he pushed down his heart beat, saying, “Don’t go, the Xianjun is the second most important person in the Tiangui sect apart from the founder, he won’t rashly see strangers.” Immediately he carried on, “Even if that Xianjun is your older brother, it’s best for you to forget him as soon as possible.”

“Why?”

“Because the Tiangui sect…” A dense coldness rose in the emperor’s eyes, “They really are an evil cult, the men are thieves and women are prostitutes, it is a malignant tumour of our Hanzhen, we are bound to wipe them out.”

Zhao Jin Yu felt these words of the stone really held a little attitude of an emperor, unconsciously she was a little blank, she asked, “How do you know so much?”

The emperor coughed loudly once, saying, “We are a spirit stone, we are different from an ignorant and narrow-minded woman like you.”

Zhao Jin Yu thought after all he was a stone spirit, he must have some remarkable ability, that’s why she did not linger on this, instead asking, “Since this sect is an evil sect, then isn’t my older brother in danger?” Immediately she firmly patted her head, with an expression like she suddenly realised something, saying, “No wonder older brother didn’t recognise me, maybe he’s scared to involve me?”

The emperor sneered, saying, “Do you think anyone can be the Xianjun? That position isn’t insignificant.”

At night, in bed, Zhao Jin Yu was tossing and turning on the bed like a flat bread, the emperor was agitated by the noise, asking, “What are you doing?”

“Little thing, I really miss my older brother, I still think this matter isn’t simple, you also said, not anybody can become the Xianjun…, that clearly states you can’t become it without the qualifications, but my older brother has always acted according to convention at home, he has never left the capital city, again how could he get to the position of Xianjun in such a short time? Also my mother? Where is my mother?” Zhao Jin Yu blinked miserably looking at the stone, “Has your spirit power recovered? Can you find out some news?”

The emperor felt the Zhao Jin Yu’s begging appearance was so different than the people in the palace, making you feel she was both pitifully adorable, and without that charming means, but…, why did it make his heart feel at ease?

“We need to sleep on the pillow.”

Zhao Jin Yu hurriedly gave her pillow away, saying, “Is this okay?”

“Shell melon seeds for us.”

“Massage us.”

“We want to eat sugar-coated tangerines.”

“And I want meat wedged in steam bun.”

Zhao Jin Yu gritted her teeth, saying, “Little thing, tell me Lord Su treats me so well, if I asked him to do this for me today, do you think he would handle it for me?”

“Shut up.” The emperor lividly said.

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[1] Literal saying is `The carp has leaped through the dragon’s gate`.

[2] A Chinese foot, a third of a metre.

[3] Literally it means the drunken handsome guy looks like a jade tree blown by the wind. From a poem.