"No Wedding Unless Enemies and Lovers" 《不是冤家不拜堂》Chapter 210

 Xiao Yi Chen put down his chopsticks, lightly patting Ji Ling Xue's back, "Are you alright..." Didn't she like to eat before, the three months of morning sickness had already passed, why did things suddenly change?

Ji Ling Xue took the handkerchief offered by Mo Xiang, indicating she was fine.

Xiao Yi Chen ladled a bowl of soup and passed it to Ji Ling Xue: "Then drink the soup and moisten your throat."

Ji Ling Xue took a sip, gasping: "I've gotten used to nanny Rong's meat dishes, even my tastes have changed."

Xiao Yi Chen laughed, "We thought this meat had turned, effecting empress's appetite!"

Ji Ling Xue said: "Nanny Rong's cooking is really good, it really is a shame she's not a chef, if my Qingfengyashe had such a chef, business would double for sure."

Xiao Yi Chen shook his head helplessly: "Do you only have business on your mind, nanny is the wet nurse our mother personally chose, her best dish is steamed pork, if you take her as a chef, our little princess would have no one to take care of her."

"Oh my!" Ji Ling Xue rubbed her belly, "Look your little princess is kicking my belly, she must not approve of your words."

The reception pavilion was filled with joy and harmony, after dinner, Xiao Yi Chen took Ji Ling Xue by the hand for a rare walk around the imperial garden, looking at the moon in the sky, tonight there was a full moon, the moon was especially bright, the garden scenery was glowing.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "I heard the empress has been bored caring for the baby recently, today we will take you for a walk."

Ji Ling Xue's eyes brightened, holding Xiao Yi Chen's arm she asked with uncertainty: "Are we going out? I want to go to Changan street to have the soup wontons, will his majesty allow it?"

Xiao Yi Chen nodded, he remembered at the prince's residence Ji Ling Xue would like to wonder around the streets, he also remembered how happy she was, now she was heavily restricted by the layers and layers of rules of the palace, she was the current empress, as a person of status there were restrictions.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "Do you still remember where the secret tunnel out of the palace is?" Xiao Yi Mo had taken Ji Ling Xue down this path, even though months had passed, she still remembered it clearly.

"I remember." Ji Ling Xue looked around left and right to make sure there were no maids or eunuchs, if they didn't leave now when would they, she pulled on Xiao Yi Chen's hand towards the hidden passage in the garden.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "We allow you to leave the palace once a month, but you're pregnant right now so it's not convenient, after you've given birth, we'll go out with you again?"

Ji Ling Xue nodded, thinking about where they would go, she then halted in her steps, she turned her head winking at Xiao Yi Chen, "We're leaving like this?"

Xiao Yi Chen nodded, "We already ordered Chi Feng to bring the carriage round to the palace gates, there are spare clothes in the carriage, Chi Feng will arrange everything, don't worry."

Ji Ling Xue nodded, a quarter of an hour later they smoothly left the secret tunnel to the palace gates, sure enough the prime minister's carriage was waiting there, fortunately Chi Feng raised the carriage curtain and leapt down, "Get in the carriage, the palace gates have been arranged, you only need to return between at zishi."

Xiao Yi Chen who rarely had a day off was in a great mood, he carried Ji Ling Xue into the carriage, two sets of clothes were neatly placed in the carriage, the clothes were common, there were also two exquisite human masks.

Ji Ling Xue said: "This mask is very familiar, where did Chi Feng get it from?" For a mask as thin as cicada wings, such lifelike workmanship couldn't be found in the streets on vendor's stands everywhere, it was priceless.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "We nurtured a secret guard who is a master a changing appearances, he's also skilled at making human masks."

Ji Ling Xue nodded in understanding, the palace was of course a place full of talented people.

After Ji Ling Xue and Xiao Yi Chen had finished changing, Chi Feng then carefully got into the carriage, the coachman steadily urged the carriage out of the palace.

Changan street was very pretty at night as well, lanterns red, wine green, decorated pleasure boats stopped at the moat, red lanterns hung high, shadows were reflected in the surface of the water, the sound of the guqin floated in the air, even standing at a distance the sound of flute could be heard from the restaurants.

From afar, people moved around, mixed up in chaos; there were some peddlers at the western bridge as well as many visitors, jewellery, fresh flowers, embroidered pouches and such covered the vendors' stalls.

There were also some selling tea, some read fortunes, many visitors leaned against the bridge's railing, some pointing others shouting.

Ji Ling Xue left the carriage taking in a deep breath of the air outside, when she opened her eyes again, Xiao Yi Chen held a sugar-coated hawthorn stick in his hand, "I heard from nanny that pregnant women like to eat sweet and sour things, do you like them?"

Ji Ling Xue took a bite, the sugar-coated hawthorn still tasted the same, maybe because she was in a good mood, she felt the hawthorns tasted even sweeter today.

"Is there a gathering at the pleasure boats? It seems to be very lively." Ji Ling Xue looked at the boats on the river.

Chi Feng waved his fan, stepping forward with grace to explain: "The four greatest brothels in the capital are having a competition today over talent to decide which is the best brothel in the capital, all the talented youths in the city and those who like the hustle and bustle have gathered here, it's even more lively than Qixi festival."

Ji Ling Xue looked around, her eyes on Xiao Yi Chen were filled with meaning, Xiao Yi Chen always did things with added agenda, she thought he had been prompted by a sudden impulse today, wanting to make up for her staying in the palace for three months in boredom for the baby, she didn't imagine he would have other objectives.

Ji Ling Xue asked Chi Feng: "You said all the talented youths in the capital have gathered here to watch the brothels' talent competition, including the sons from officials' families?"

Chi Feng nodded, "Of course, I told the emperor after hearing this so we can appreciate the beauties in the city together."

Ji Ling Xue turned to look at Xiao Yi Chen, using her eyes to ask, "You want to see how much money the sons of officials' families spend in a night?"

Xiao Yi Chen nodded, "The public purse is currently empty, this time the disaster relief in Jiangnan, we need to find some way to help."

Ji Ling Xue smiled, how did she forget, Xiao Yi Chen was a cunning fox, the public purse being empty was just a facade, he still had a personal gold mine which hasn't been transferred to the treasury, it wasn't good to ruin his own court councillors' plans...

Xiao Yi Chen walked to Ji Ling Xue's side picking up her hand: "Let's go!"

Close by an unremarkable small boat was docked, Xiao Yi Chen was worried the walk along river would be difficult, Ji Ling Xue would be bumped into, he simply picked her up by the waist, using light martial arts to fly towards the small boat.

Chi Feng waved his fan following behind the two of them, feeling like he was a prime minister treated as a dog, he looked up at the bright moon in the sky reciting poetry: 

"Tell me: Play'ng our flutes, could we ride the phoenix to float away?        

Could youthful lovers dance all day and let their best years decay?  

We'd die without regret if we could be a pair of sole;

Were we mandarin ducks, being immortal we wouldn't extol."

The small boat drifted along the waves into the middle of the river, Ji Ling Xue looked out the window next to her in happiness, Chi Feng was on another side other side preparing tea, right now there were tinkling sounds of the guqin on the pleasure boat, the audience were infatuated with the sound, no one would pay attention to the small boat passing by.

Ji Ling Xue looked at the peddlers behind the pleasure boat, there were a number of refreshment stands along the river, that green clothed figure looked rather familiar, wasn't it the scholar cook, seeing the sign behind him say Qingefengyashe, Ji Ling Xue's lips twitched, when did Qingfengyashe become so impoverished to set up a vendor stand?

Chi Feng said in question: "Empress seems to see somone familiar, that chef is interesting, I heard he had entered the city to prepare for public examinations, but unfortunately his money was stolen, he had nowhere to take shelter so he accepted a job at the prince Chen's residence, the housekeeper took pity on him and took him in, even though his cooking skills aren't great, prince Chen's residence doesn't keep idled people." As he spoke Chi Feng folded up his fan and tapped the palm of his hand, "This is the first part empress, you ought to know it, this scholar in green was forced to Qingfengyashe to take your place, his original name is Qing Shu, he stayed at Qingfengyashe until the spring civil examinations, he rushed to take the exam, sadly his essay was stolen and failed the exams, he stayed in Qingfengyashe to continue to study, Mo Xiang then made him the accountant for two days..."

Ji Ling Xue raised an eyebrow, "Then?"

Chi Feng smiled continuing: "That day I visited Qingfengyashe with a few officials, I happened to see Qing Shu writing a good poem at the counter, I wanted to invite him to my residence as a secretary, but he refused outright..." As he spoke Chi Feng let out a long sigh, rather distressed.

Ji Ling Xue said: "Why did he refuse?" A secretary for the prime minister was very good for him, he was merely a "cover" for the chef at Qingfengyashe.

Chi Feng copied Qing Shu's tone at the time: "I am the empress's person, even if you beg me with a thousand golds to be a secretary for the prime minister, I will refuse."

Xiao Yi Chen said: "A squandered noble person, not bowing to money is good."

Ji Ling Xue's lips twitched, "Since the emperor appreciates such a talent you should take him in, I won't mind...what's more, what has this got to do with Qing Shu setting up a stand in the middle of the night?"

Chi Feng opened his fan, smiling: "The refugees from the flooding at Jiangnan are destitute and homeless, quite a few refugees have dragged their hungry families up north to the capital, that's why there's quite a lot of beggars in the city, I've seen him give some leftovers to those refugees, I think he has set up a stall here for the same reason tonight."

Ji Ling Xue looked towards the shore, sure enough she saw a few noblemen leave after eating, he took the leftovers and put them elsewhere.

Xiao Yi Chen pulled on Ji Ling Xue's hand, Ji Ling Xue turned to look, from the pleasure boat with the most lanterns a woman dressed in red holding a pipa came out, with the sound of the qin that woman in red easily played the pipa and began to dance gracefully around the boat, drawing applause, and the shouts and claps of the noblemen could be heard.

Ji Ling Xue retracted her gaze and turned her head, looking around, she was surprised to see a familiar person on the pleasure boat, wasn't it Ru Ge who had just recovered.

Ji Ling Xue cried out in surprise: "Ru Ge, why is he here?" She wouldn't be surprised if an unmarried man was on a pleasure boat, Ru Ge wasn't a player, how could a man with a wife be on a pleasure boat.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "It's Ru Ge, we also didn't expect this from him..."

Ji Ling Xue felt like she had to help Ru Ge testify his innocence, "Ru Ge might have been too bored in the palace and came to relieve his boredom."

Xiao Yi Chen clicked his tongue and sighed: "We bestowed a marriage on him, looking at him now, he clearly came on his own, poor Ling Long and her infatuation..."

Ji Ling Xue rolled her eyes, really not understanding where Xiao Yi Chen's pity came from.