"No Wedding Unless Enemies and Lovers" 《不是冤家不拜堂》Chapter 181

 Darkness covered the earth, the city outskirt was pitch-black, the red lanterns of Qingfengyashe swayed in the wind, the night wind caused the flag outside to flap about.

Ji Ling Xue stood at the door looking up at the red lantern hung up high, she felt like things had remained the same but the people had changed.

Ever since a branch of Qingfengyashe opened in the city, the business on the outskirt reduced a lot.

The gongs sounding the second of the five night watch struck, the restaurant's door was wide open as usual, the table directly opposite it sat Xiao Si, Lian Xin and Mo Xiang, several dishes were placed on the table, they were talking and laughing, the scene was very warm and comforting.

Xiao Si said: "Mo Xiang, today when I was buying ingredients in the market, I saw there were notices stuck on the entrance of the market street, I heard prince Chen has become the emperor, our restaurant owner has become the empress, is that true? Why don't I see the owner, ai, she's the empress now, she must be in the palace from now on, unable to see her."

Mo Xiang lowered her head, she picked up her chopsticks to eat, giving a noncommittal smile.

Lian Xin and Xiao Si looked at each other, not understanding what Mo Xiang's smile meant.

Ji Ling Xue touched her face, making sure the mask was on, she coughed and entered the door, Xiao Si looked at the unfamiliar girl in confusion, dark browed and suntanned skin, wearing an unremarkable gown, there weren't many people who came out for a midnight snack at the second of the five night watch, unless it was someone travelling by but unfortunately was unable to enter the gates of the city before they closed.

Xiao Si stepped forward and greeted: "Customer, please sit here, you must be tired from travelling in the middle of the night, here's the menu take a look to see what you like?"

Ji Ling Xue found a place to sit, she ordered a few dishes, Xiao Si turned to the kitchen.

Not long after, a tall figure stood at the doorway of the restaurant, Ru Ge looked and smiled at Ji Ling Xue who sat behind the dining table with chopsticks in hand waiting to eat, striding in he sat next to her.

"Was there not enough food tonight that you had to run out to sneakily eat?" Ru Ge smiled as he knocked on the table, calling Ji Ling Xue who was lost in thought back to the present.

Ji Ling Xue smiled: "I'm just a glutton, I heard this Qingfengyashe's sign was personally written by the emperor, a much praised restaurant, a one in a million."

"Hehe, so you were attracted by its reputation..." Ru Ge deliberately left the rest unspoken, this was the reason.

Carrying over the dishes and hearing Ru Ge's words, he smiled striking up conversation: "This customer is right, the origin of our Qingfengyashe, it couldn't be told in three days and three nights, the emperor has endlessly praised our restaurant, customer I promise after trying it once you'll crave our food!"

Ru Ge smiled, he hadn't come to Qingfengyashe a lot, Xiao Si and Lian Xin didn't recognise him, only Mo Xiang sat pensively looking over at their table.

Ji Ling Xue picked up some food with her chopsticks and nodded, the scholar chef and chef Liu used their hearts to cook, even though the taste fell short of her own cooking, there was another kind of taste.

Ru Ge said: "Bring us a pot of wine! How can we have food but no wine."

Ji Ling Xue glanced at Ru Ge, "Adopted brother you're paying?"

Ru Ge nodded, "As long as you finish all the food, I'll pay."

Ji Ling Xue's lips twitched, "You have proper business to attend to tomorrow, don't drink too much wine." If he got drunk, she wouldn't send him back.

Ru Ge nodded, when the wine arrived, he poured a cup and pushed it towards Ji Ling Xue, "Have a cup."

Ji Ling Xue raised the cup and drank it in one, the bitter consolation immediately spread from the tip of her tongue.

Having eaten and drunk to one's heart's content, Ji Ling Xue cheeks were flushed, she waved her hand: "I...can't drink anymore."

Ru Ge laughed, draining the wine in his cup in one gulp, pointing at Mo Xiang he said: "This miss, my adopted sister is drunk, can I trouble you to send her back."

Mo Xiang was stunned, Ru Ge threw a silver ingot at her, then Mo Xiang agreed to send her back, carrying Ji Ling Xue's rather heavy body on her back she walked out.

Ru Ge however still poured himself a cup of wine, picking up some cold food with his chopsticks, following Mo Xiang and Ji Ling Xue's figures with his eyes as they got further away.

Mo Xiang and Ji Ling Xue walked to where no one was around and stopped, Mo Xiang tugged on Ji Ling Xue's hand and looked her up and down in the moonlight, "Mistress, you've returned, it's so good to see your fine."

Ji Ling Xue nodded, before she left, she had invited Mo Xiang to meet her at Qingfengyashe, only she didn't expect Ru Ge to follow her, she could only have some wine with him, she also pretended to be drunk just now, she didn't think Ru Ge would believe her, directly paying Mo Xiang to send her back.

Ji Ling Xue asked: "After I left the capital, what happened?" She spent a few days at the border, it was hard to access news there, Mo Xiang also didn't know how to get news across to her, she could only remain at the Guanyin temple to wait for Ji Ling Xue's news.

Mo Xiang nodded, "That day mistress and An Ge left, prince Chen...no, the new emperor came to the Guanyin temple to find this servant, fortunately mistress was clever, you didn't let this servant go with you, otherwise our secret would have been exposed."

Ji Ling Xue's heart leapt, she had thought after she left the prince's residence, this would be the best decision for her and Xiao Yi Chen, Xiao Yi Chen would forget about her, after all he still had Yi Yun by his side, but she underestimated that he had already infiltrated her heart, after being apart for so long, her heart still felt empty, she often was lost in thought recalling the past, thinking about her pretending to die, Xiao Yi Chen tightly holding her, wanting to warm up her body.

Ji Ling Xue asked: "What did he ask you?" 

Based on the current situation, Xiao Yi Chen still didn't know she had faked her death, unless Xiao Yi Chen suddenly went mad and deranged wanting to dig up her grave, this was an era where respect for the dead was great, opening a coffin, moving a tomb, were all ominous things.

Unless for special reasons, even if that person was the emperor, he also couldn't rashly disturb the dead laying at rest and lightly go digging up the grave. That was also the other reason why she wanted her tomb to be placed at Guanyin temple.

Mo Xiang said: "For a plant..."

Ji Ling Xue: "..." What plant, it was that important for him who was grieving over his deceased wife to travel so far to find Mo Xiang.

Mo Xiang explained: "Mistress do you remember, that morning when this servant went to your grave, I saw a plant, at that time this servant only thought that plant looked very special, the bright red leaves actually didn't wither in the middle of winter, after prince Chen left I looked through books, that's when I found out that plant is called huanhun herb."

"Huanhun herb? The kind that can bring back the dead?" Its name was very fascinating, was there really something that can bring the dead back to life?

https://translatingsloth.blogspot.com/

Mo Xiang nodded: "Mistress, the days prince wasn't around was to look for the huanhun grass, mistress, the prince actually cares about you a lot." 

You don't know, when he came to find her about the huanhun grass, he had withered and aged a lot, he looked even more miserable than Ru Ge's white hair, mistress did you take it too far, losing a man who loves you so much? He even bestowed the title of empress on you, but you had announced to the world you were dead, you and prince...no, the emperor's relationship can it continue?

Ji Ling Xue's lips twitched, "If you hadn't casually picked up that huanhun plant, maybe he wouldn't have looked for you, let it be, don't be so sad, I've already come back, don't return to the Guanyin temple, stay by my side."

Mo Xiang nodded.

Not long after they left, an unexpected guest arrived at Qingfengyashe, the armoured horsemen surrounded the restaurant, the leader with a treasured sword strode inside, his gaze sweeping over the hall, he loudly said: "Who is Mo Xiang!"

Xiao Si and the waiters in the restaurant looked at each other in dismay, not knowing why this bold and decisive soldier came to find Mo Xiang, could Mo Xiang have committed a great crime?

Seeing no one respond, the leader continued to repeat himself, "Who is Mo Xiang, be discreet and come out yourself."

The hall was very quiet, with a dong, Ru Ge's chopsticks lightly touched a plate issuing out a crisp sound.

The leader turned to look at Ru Ge asking: "Do you know Mo Xiang?"

Ru Ge looked at the sharp and solemn looking leader, he shook his head, calmly picking up the wine cup he put it to his lips, unhurriedly saying: "I don't."

The leader waved his hand, the soldiers swarmed in behind him, searching every room.

Ru Ge put the chopsticks down asking: "I wonder what this Mo Xiang's crime is?" This elite troop were the imperial guards, the emperor was looking for Mo Xiang, this was interesting, a little woman, did the imperial guards have to sent out?

The leader glanced at Ru Ge, "I urge you to mind your own business." Having spoken he turned his back to Ru Ge, he didn't say anymore.

The guards very quickly returned indicating they didn't find anyone, the leader frowned, cursing: "She can't have run, she has great reach, someone come, continue to pursue her." He led everyone out after speaking.

The elite troop came and went just as quickly, their presence was huge, it scared Xiao Si and Lian Xin who hadn't experienced this before to turn pale with fright.

Xiao Si said: "What did Mo Xiang do?" Luckily she had left earlier, otherwise it would be bad.

Thinking about it, he turned to Ru Ge who was still drinking calmly.

Lian Xin said: "Mo Xiang is the head maid of the empress, what can she do wrong?"

"Da!" Ru Ge stood up, tossing silver onto the table, he turned and left.

On another side, Mo Xiang who was still chatting happily with Ji Ling Xue wasn't aware she was walking past the gates of hell.

Ji Ling Xue held Mo Xiang's hand as she spoke of what she had experienced, Mo Xiang was shaken to the core and broke into cold sweat from Ji Ling Xue's journey.

An Ge's head suddenly appeared from the roof, he faced Ji Ling Xue's window, from afar he looked quite like a hanging bat.

An Ge said: "Mistress, second prince asked me to pass you a message."

Ji Ling Xue turned to look at the window, "What is it?"

An Ge copied Ru Ge's tone: "Adopted sister, I saw a great show at Qingfengyashe."

Ji Ling Xue raised an eyebrow, Qingfengyashe didn't have storytellers, where could he have watched a great show?

An Ge continued: "The imperial elite troop are looking for Mo Xiang, you need to change Mo Xiang's appearance, otherwise there'll be trouble when we enter the capital tomorrow."

"Imperial elite troop?!" Ji Ling Xue raised an eyebrow, looking at Mo Xiang.

Mo Xiang appeared innocent, she looked around, grasping hold of Ji Ling Xue's hand she said excitedly: "Mistress, could prince...no... The emperor discovered you faked your death, he wants to question me...then I...then aren't I deceiving the monarch..."

When Xiao Yi Chen was still a prince, she didn't feel much pressure lying to him a little, now he was the emperor who held people's lives in his hands, her back broke out in a cold sweat.