A Seductive Gentleman Chapter 40

Chapter 40: A Seductive Gentleman – Part 2

When Huai Yu saw this, he couldn't help but be suspicious, "What's written in the newspaper?"

Ming ChangYan inwardly cursed: Xiu LingLong you're a dead woman, I'm going back to settle accounts with her!

He immediately tore the LingLong Pavilion newspaper in to shreds and kneaded the shreds together, but it still wasn't enough so he used some spiritual energy and crushed it until he felt better.

Ming ChangYan said, "There's nothing written on it. Xiu LingLong this woman loves to spout nonsense, don't listen to anything she says. Oh, by the way, don't buy any newspapers today."

Huai Yu noticed that he was extremely nervous which caused his curiosity to get even worse.

Ming ChangYan had a raging headache, after merely taking a quick glance at it he was able to clearly see the long and tedious text was nothing more than a classic romance between an unmarried man and woman. The common people love to read about the love affairs of people with high and noble positions. Huai Yu had a high position while also being a popular bachelor among the young women in the capital. Xiu LingLong went and took this as a commercial opportunity to gain some profit.

This rumor-making article fabricated a woman by the name of 'Zhao' who was clearly just Ming ChangYan.

He walked a circle around the room acting as if nothing had happened, changing the subject, "After sleeping for so long, I'm a bit hungry, is there any food?"

Huai Yu replied, "Already prepared."

After they finished eating, a secret report came from the palace asking for Huai Yu to return.

The two rested in GuangLing for two more days before they bid farewell to Zhu ChuanKang and went back with Xiao Cheng-daren. Just as they left the city gate, they ran into a Zhao XiaoLan who was gasping for breath.

"Yan-jiejie! Bring me along! Bring me along!"

Together with him was Zhu Rong.

Ming ChangYan looked at him and said, "You want to come back too? I saw that you were at a brothel earlier and you seemed to be having such a fun time that I thought you'd decided to stay at GuangLing."

Zhao XiaoLan climbed into the sedan, "No. Yan-jiejie I was just saying goodbye to them. If I'd just left without saying goodbye, they'd be heart-broken."

Ming ChangYan said, "You've only been here for a few days and you've already joined in with the sisters at the brothel?"

Zhao XiaoLan innocently said, "All the women of this world can be coaxed one way or another, how is this difficult?"

Ming ChangYan felt a bit inferior, "Romantic, romantic."

Zhao XiaoLan followed suit, "Ashamed, ashamed."

Ever since he was small he liked joining in on women's crowds and grew up covered in the scent of rouge. As a result, he had close female friends all over the area, an innocent yet romantic style.

The sedan was on the road for two days before they finally returned to the imperial palace.

Ming ChangYan rubbed his chin and skillfully changed into a set of woman's clothes. He was gone for several months, so the moment he returned to the Listening Lotus Building, Fu Ling and Peony was dumbstruck and burst into a fit of tears. They asked where Ming ChangYan had gone and why he seemed to grow taller than before. Ming ChangYan began to talk rubbish on the spot, rambling about this and about that till the two were fooled by him.

The reason the emperor called Huai Yu back was to further investigate the truth behind all the strange occurrences. As for this specific situation, since Ming ChangYan was still residing within the harem, he was temporarily unable to ask around. From what Fu Ling picked up, it seemed that the person behind all this was the Eldest Prince. But the moment Ming ChangYan heard that he was aware that the Eldest Prince had been wrongly accused.

But the year was almost coming to an end and so this matter could only be handled in a hurry. The emperor didn't look further into it and decided to conclude this case. Ming ChangYan could only think that the emperor was inconsistent with love, merely sighing in sorrow.

Out of habit he patted his chest, preparing to take out the steamed bun from his chest to fill his stomach when Jun suddenly arrived at his doorstep with Duan Duan.

"Important business!" she yelled before she kicked open the door that lead to the Listening Lotus Building's courtyard.

Ming ChangYan promptly stuffed the steamed bun back in his chest, "Wow, for the princess to come all this way, my apologies for not greeting you, my apologies!"

Jun sat down and said, "Stop greeting, I have some important matters to discuss with you, come with me!"

"Wait, hold up, what am I sitting down for! You stop sitting too, quick, stand up!"

Ming ChangYan exclaimed, "I haven't finished drinking my milk tea!"

"Drink what milk tea! Come with me!"

Ming ChangYan could only lay down his teacup and rapidly stumble behind Jun as she dragged him forwards.

There was a peach garden in the imperial palace that was named after the many peach trees that grew there. This place was close to the empresses palace while also being the place that Jun loved to play the most.

Ming ChangYan was pushed and pulled here, stopping, he supported his two steamed buns for a bit to prevent them from accidentally falling out.

When he raised his head, he noticed that in the peach garden there were already three women and one man sitting there. The man was naturally Zhao XiaoLan. The additional three women were at the prime of their youths, one was wearing red, another was wearing blue, and the last one was wearing green. He noted that they weren't dressed like harem members so they ought to have been Jun's friends.

Jun introduced, "This is the daughter of the Minister of Justice, Lady WanWan, this is the daughter of the Assistant Minister, Lady Jiao, and finally this is the daughter of the auspicious King Wen, Lady Zhu-er." She pointed at Ming ChangYan, "This is the person you guys are looking for."

It was evident that these rich young ladies were good friends of Jun.

Ming ChangYan was a bit confused, but he still sat down. He questioned Zhao XiaoLan first, "How do you have so much free time?"

Zhao XiaoLan answered, "The New Year's coming up so I don't have anything to do. Auntie wanted me to stay in the capital to celebrate the New Year so I've already finished greeting my older sister a Happy New Year."

Ming ChangYan nodded his head, unable to bear it any longer, he asked, "Then why didn't I see Huai, the Young Prime Minister?"

The moment he uttered those words everyone turned silent.

Ming ChangYan raised an eyebrow, "What's with your expressions?!"

The daughter of the Minister of Justice, Lady WanWan said, "It's true!"

Jiao remarked, "It's true, it's true, I figured it out."

Zhu-er, "Wow….so exciting."

Ming ChangYan was puzzled and at a loss. Even though he was number one in the world, a master of the Six Arts and martial arts, when it came down to the thoughts of women, it truly was difficult for him.

The four women shook their heads repeatedly, sizing him up until they were finally satisfied, all making a conclusion in secret. They scared Ming ChangYan to the point where he nearly took off.

Their touches were lighting fast, after they finished groping him they commented, "Long neck, not bad."

"And a thin waist, it's actually even thinner than mine, bad boys love thin waists. Wow, it's so tender too."

"Pale skin, ai. There's just too many calluses on her hands, but they're harmless."

"Indeed, she has some good looks. No wonder, my father has gone through countless beauties yet continues to keep you in his mind."

Ming ChangYan understood the words they just said just now were praising his handsome appearance.

This thick-faced person accepted all of them, "Haha, I'm flattered, I'm flattered."

WanWan exclaimed, "Ah, it's a pity, girls look, she's forcing herself to smile!"

Ming ChangYan's smile hung on his face: Huh??

Jiao comforted, "Ai, don't feel bad, although you're already the emperor's woman, love has been priceless since ancient times! If you really don't want to serve him, it's not like he can force you!"

Zhu-er said, "Exactly, no wonder the emperor can't touch you, I finally get it!"

Ming ChangYan's furrowed eyebrows became more and more ferocious, "What and what? Jun, you talk, what was the important business that you wanted to tell me?"

Jun encountered a setback and let out a deep sigh, "There's no need to keep it up, we all know about it!"

After having said that, she promptly turned around and felt around Duan Min's bosom until she pulled out a wrinkled newspaper. Jun flattened it over the table, Ming ChangYan thought it looked extremely familiar until he leaned a bit closer and saw the two bolded rows of words that he knew a bit too well. If it wasn't, 'The Full Moon Attracts the Immortal to Move Down, The Young Prime Minister's Love Affair with a Beautiful Lady,' then what else could it have been?

Ming ChangYan's complexion changed, abruptly looking towards Zhao XiaoLan.

Zhao XiaoLan was originally guilty drinking his tea and was struggling to make himself invisible, but after getting glared at by Ming ChangYan, he jumped out of his seat like a rabbit, "I-I-I-I-I-I-I DON'T KNOW!! IT WASN'T ME!!!"

After witnessing the exchanged between Ming ChangYan and Zhao XiaoLan, Jun was certain that her predictions were correct, and said in awe, "So XiaoLan saying that you and Huai Yu-gege were having an affair and that you were currently worried that he is going to abandon you is all true! Hey, don't feel too sad, they're men, they're all like 'I have three wives and four concubines'. Just look at Huai Yu-gege, he looks so charming and handsome, right? How could he only have one woman!"

After Ming ChangYan finished hearing those words, he was already patting his chest while coughing violently. He patted his chest so hard that the steamed bun was flattened by him and he could only take in a few breaths of air.

Jun was a gossiper at heart, but even this hurt her feelings. She sympathized with him and comforted, "It's alright, it's alright, I understand you. Which girl in this country doesn't love him, I know!"

Ming ChangYan thought: A little girl like you knows shit! Good lord! What kind of rumor is this, spreading it around the palace, you're hurting my innocence!

After Jun finished pretending to comfort him, she still couldn't hold back her gossipy self and scooted closer to him along with the other girls, speaking a sentence a person.

"When did you get together with the Young Prime Minister?"

"Did you know that he never gets close to any girls?"

"It's over, it's over, you've become the target of hate from all the girls in the capitol!"

When Jun heard this she promptly said, "Excuse me, stop! I don't hate her! This princess already has someone in her heart."

WanWan apologized, "Sorry, I forgot about you. It's okay, I know you only have Teacher Liu in your heart and that you're the only girl in the capital to do so!"

Zhu-er indulged in her fantasy, "Why don't you write a book and pass on your tricks? How did you even achieve such a thing! What you did is nearly as hard as reaching the sky!"

Ming ChangYan didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, "Good jiejie's, you don't even know where these rumors came from and you're just believing them!"

Jun said, "How would the words on a newspaper be fake! Besides, do you know who that beautiful lady that Huai Yu-gege is secretly meeting?"

Ming ChangYan wanted to strongly reply to her: ISN'T THAT JUST ME?!

But after thinking it over he thought that it would've caused a misunderstanding, so he could only seriously say, "I don't know and don't ask me. But, if you guys want to know so badly, why don't you just go ask the Young Prime Minister?"

Jun said unnaturally, "He's, he's busy! The blessings ceremony for the Lantern Festival is going to start soon so Huai Yu-gege has to take a bath and burn incense seven days in advance."

WanWan stuck out her tongue, "Are you afraid of him!"

Jun rebutted, "How, how could I be afraid of him! I'm not afraid of him!"

WanWan, "It's not like I'm able to meet him, so I've got nothing to be afraid of! Don't try to divert the conversation, hey, you!" She said excitedly, "Do you really not plan on writing a book, those books are popular in the capital, especially those about the Young Prime Minister! Everyone else makes stuff up about what he's like in love, but you're different! What you write will be true, plus, if you wrote them, you'd definitely earn a large profit!"

Ming ChangYan held up a hand and refused, "Sorry, but I politely decline."'

Jiao played with the tips of her hair, pouting, "Don't be so rigid. Yu YouXiang's daughter loves the Young Prime Minister to death, it's said that last year she prayed to the heavens that it was love at first sight and has been captivated with him for three years! Tch, that stupid stupid woman! Oh right, a few months ago, Jianghu Daily's QinYue-Jun wrote an issue, it was a very sentimental love story with the main protagonist naturally being the Young Prime Minister."

WanWan said, "I know, I bought that copy! It was right after class at Egret Academy, they were printing and handing them out at the study, they even added pictures! The price for paper soared, and I heard that Yu YouXiang's daughter bought a thousand copies! When they came to collect them that day, they had to use carts!"

"Ah, they sure are rich. My dad won't allow me to engage in this kind of honest work. All-day long he only gives me a few rings, so frustrating!"

WanWan suddenly turned around and asked Ming ChangYan, "Did you buy it?"

Ming ChangYan replied, "Where would I have the money to buy such a thing! Besides, even if I wanted to buy them, I don't know where to buy them!"

WanWan opened her mouth, "Why didn't you just entrust your servants to go buy them, plus every month on the fifteenth day, the doors to the Inner City will open for 6 hours. A lot of peddlers will set up shop there, you've never gone?"

Ming ChangYan didn't know about this at all.

WanWan lamented, "You really are stubborn, the only good point about you being your face. No wonder you weren't able to grab onto the Young Prime Minister's heart!"

She fished out a picture album from her sleeves, "Take it!"

Ming ChangYan was familiar with this sort of bright and flowery cover, definitely produced from the hands of QinYue-Jun. On the lower right of the cover, there was the official seal of the Jianghu Daily that prohibited any other studio to steal their work. Flipping it over, inside there were multiple images of Huai Yu in his everyday life. It was only natural that the majority of it was fabricated, for example, among them was: Him semi-clothed, holding a fan and cooling off underneath the shade of a tree. These sorts of images were used to cater to the young women in the capital. But Ming ChangYan knew for Huai Yu this person, putting on clothes was very rigorous, accompanied by the complex layers, it takes him roughly half an incense stick to finish.

WanWan said, "You better take care of it, there's nowhere else selling these!"

Ming ChangYan couldn't disappoint a pretty woman's good intentions, so he sincerely accepted it.

The young girl's conference continued for a long time, extending out from Huai Yu, they began to discuss the behavior and looks of different young masters in the capital. Who and who is the smartest, who and who's the most annoying, who and who's the most disliked, and so on.

Ming ChangYan began to feel drowsy from listening to them, deciding to get up and take his leave. The girls originally wanted to call over the legendary lover the Young Prime Minister over so that they could satisfy their gossiping desires. At this moment, if they'd seen him and talked about him, they would've lost interest and waved their hands, and finally give Ming ChangYan the time to kneel down and rest.

Ming ChangYan was exactly who they were looking for, so he yawned and left.

Zhao XiaoLan quickly caught up to him, faithfully saying, "Yan-jiejie, it really isn't me who said that. It was Jun who saw the newspaper and came to me demanding information. Of course, I definitely didn't say anything. So she went to find you."

Ming ChangYan raised his eyebrow, "Alright, I'll believe you for now."

After he was disturbed by Jun, it had already begun to turn dark.

Ming ChangYan's stomach was empty, letting out a wild rumbling sound. Zhao XiaoLan coughed, whispering, "Yan-jiejie, are you hungry?"

Ming ChangYan nodded his head, "Obviously."

Zhao XiaoLan said, "Then are you going back to the Listening Lotus Building?"

Nowadays, it was like Ming ChangYan was going back to the Cold Palace, the food at the Listening Lotus Building was inferior to that of any other palace.

Ming ChangYan would simply eat steamed buns to pass his days, it truly was too miserable.

"Not going back!"

Zhao XiaoLan beamed, "Great, then you can come to my Auntie's place to eat, their food is better than yours and mine!"

Ming ChangYan heart stirred: Auntie's? Isn't his Aunt the empress! How could the stuff the empress eats compare to the stuff that concubines can only see! These exotic delicacies would never even be able to grace my table.

When he first arrived at the Central Plains, he had discovered that the food there was delicious. Compared to the delicacies of the Central Plains, Tokhara's food was like fishing up whatever was in the sewers and adding some salt, it was almost unpalatable! Among the culinary delicacies of this world, just how delicious would the empress's food be?

Reaching this thought, he quickly said, "Yes yes yes, let's go eat at the empress's place, let's go together!"

Zhao XiaoLan saw that he truly was starving, almost floating as he walked. He didn't dare dely them, walking straight to the Yongxian Palace.

Before they even arrived at the Yongxian Palace, Zhao XiaoLan exclaimed, "Why are there so many people here?"

Moving forwards, Aunt LingZhi who's always beside the empress said, "Young Master XiaoLan, you're here. And this is?"

Zhao XiaoLan replied, "Oh, this is Listening Lotus Building's Yan-shaoshi. I bumped into her along the way, she was just about to come pay her respects to Auntie so we came together."

He continued, "Aunt, why are there so many people at Yongxian Palace?"

Aunt replied, "The empress is feeling unwell today, it seems that an evil spirit is agitating her. The Immortal Yun Qing his here at Yongxian Palace to exorcise the place."

Ming ChangYan's heart stirred and his footsteps inexplicably slowed down. The two gracefully continued walking, passing by a fishpond at the front of the courtyard. When Ming ChangYan crossed over the bridge, he looked into the waters and tidied up his clothes.

Zhao XiaoLan stepped into the courtyard and cheerfully yelled, "Auntie!"

The moment Ming ChangYan stepped inside, he only saw that in the courtyard, there was a dignified woman adorned in jewels resting on a chaise couch. With one look at her style of dress, it was definitely the empress. Standing close the empress was Huai Yu wearing an even more refined and complicated outfit. In his right hand he held a willow branch, dipping it in a porcelain cup filled with water, he scattered the droplets across the ground.

After he finished scattering them, he was just about to take his leave when the empress faintly sat up and asked, "You're leaving just like that? Why don't you stay for a meal."

Huai Yu cupped his hands together, "Yun Qing won't disturb the empress."

He turned around just in time to catch Zhao XiaoLan together with Ming ChangYan come through the doorway.

Before they arrived, a voice echoed.

"Auntie, I'm hungry! Oh right, I brought someone to eat together with us! It's the Listening Lotus Building's Yan-shaoshi, she just so happened to come here to pay her respects!"

Huai Yu paused, retracting the step that he'd just taken. Expressionlessly, he turned back and said to the empress, "Sorry to disturb you."

The author has something to say: Young Prime Minister, you're not sincere *shakes my head*

This was translated by , any repost of this is stolen. Stamped by the Jianghu Daily's copyright seal.

Happy 2020! I live in an area where while everyone's celebrating the new decade, I'm a day behind so I'm still in 2019. Kinda trippy isn't it?

XiaoLan, I would like to thank you for inviting our boy to this feast. I will always be in your debt.

Also, I love the empress. I love her so much. The author's going to be spilling a lot of sugar guys so get your dentist appointments ready.

If you see any translation/grammatical errors please notify me! Another really quick chapter that I pumped out, so I hope you guys enjoyed it~

Have an amazing day! (ｏ'ｖ｀ｂ)ｂ

Chapter end