What an Audacious and Sly Servant! Chapter 99

Finally finished these chapters. Sorry for the two weeks of no update. First two weeks in university are really hellish for me (lots of administration works were delayed due to system errors and we students had to do them during the first class week instead).

Chapter 99 – Princess Xiang Xiang

Translated by HaruOngy at Geniusly Plain (If you can see this line, you must have read this in the aggregator site which illegally steal various works. Be shameful of yourself for not appreciating the translator's hard work. Don't think only you want to have it the easy way. Support the fanbase and translator!)

At this side, Chu Xun had succeeded in dealing with the foremost empress candidate, Fourth Miss Di.

On the other side, the ministers led by the Grand Chancellor were unrelentingly seeking for new empress candidate.

As the saying went, as the virtue rose one foot, the vice rose ten. Whether the little angel Chu Xun could hold fast to his virtue and successfully escape the demonic grip of the old men from the imperial court, he himself expressed it was a pain in the ass.

A few days had just passed.

The news about the Emperor finally going to choose his Empress had spread far and wide.

It was as if a spring breeze came into the capital city in a night. Numerous gorgeously dressed young misses appeared in the main streets, with emotional look and even formed a group to stroll around the palace gate.

"It is said our Emperor is like an immortal descending to the mortal realm, with elegant bearing and fine features, he's incredibly handsome."

"If I can be his Empress~~hee hee~~"

"Yo, even you dare to be a toad wishing to eat the swan meat? Even the young brothers guarding this gate are disinterested of you!

"Hey, you little talkative b*tch. Not only the guards, even the eunuchs won't be interested with you!"

These two young misses were about to fight each other when Zhu Li returned to the palace. Hearing these two arguing, she felt like pranking so she went to them and hit the shoulder of one of them. With a smile, she said, "Young miss, if you say like that, it's like you're looking down on the eunuchs inside the palace!"

That girl didn't recognise Zhu Li, she thought she must be one of those rivals faking kindness. She rudely responded, "So what, I insist on looking down on those servants."

"You really know nothing about the situation inside the palace."

"What's wrong?"

Zhu Li must be wishing to cause turmoil for she intentionally spoke loudly, "This year, His Majesty is already twenty plus yet he doesn't appoint an Empress yet. Do you all think this is normal?"

Of course it was abnormal. Normally, when the Emperor was still the Crown Prince he would already have the Princess Consort. Around thirteen or fourteen, even if he was not married he would at least have several side concubines and tongfang[1]. Yet, this Emperor who is excessively handsome, from his birth until now there is no sex scandals at all. Not even half a girl. It was abnormal, too abnormal.

"That's why I said you don't understand the situation. Don't look down on the eunuch. The one His Majesty likes the most are the young eunuchs who are pretty and flawless like him, for example the one working as his personal eunuch."

The ladies flocked over, gasping endlessly.

Zhu Li chested up and raised her head as she strode into the imperial palace.

The guards in charge of the gate even politely gave Zhu Li a salutation.

The crowd unaware of the truth, "Who is this girl?"

"Don't know. Look at how she is entering the palace casually. She must not be a simple one!"

"Then, is it true His Majesty doesn't like girls but like eunuchs?"

One young miss among them might be one with more fervent admiration towards the Emperor as she didn't believe it at all and agitatedly denied it, "It's possible, it's possible this girl is secretly in love with His Majesty but failed. Only the pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first[2]. She intentionally spread rumours outside to scare us away. With this, her chance will become higher. I have never heard His Majesty have any unmentionable disease!"

The girls revealed scornful look in succession. And who are you, will you know more than that girl who can enter the palace?

"Humph." She was too lazy to argue, turning her head she left.

Zhu Li went out of the palace to help Chu Xun buy things.

Chu Xun was reading the memorandums in the Imperial Study with Mei Qian Deng at his side grinding the ink. The whole room was quiet and peaceful.

"Achoo——!"

Unexpectedly, Chu Xun's sneeze broke the silence. This sneeze was quite excessive, the memorandum in front of him was sprinkled with sprays of saliva. His snot even nearly came out. Chu Xun quickly covered half his face and violently inhaled, sucking back the snot.

"Handkerchief." The scheming Emperor who had appearance obsession was in a rush.

Fortunately, Mei Qian Deng was used to it and felt nothing. She silently passed a yellow cloth for him to wipe his snot.

In Chu Xun's eyes, a despair flowed out. He aggrievedly asked, "Zhu Li has yet to return?"

Coincidently, Zhu Li was outside knocking the door.

"Your Majesty, I have bought back the items you asked."

"Q-q-quickly bring them in."

It was a small cloth package in Zhu Li's hand. The packaging was a perfect one, unable to see what was within it. Chu Xun was as if seeing his father coming back to life as his eyes shone and hastily stretched out both his hands to receive it. And what inside that package was actually several exquisite snuff bottles.

Chu Xun smoothly took one and put it under his nose. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled. He repeated these moves several times until he was satisfied. He had revived and lamented, "Finally feel comfortable……"

"Your Majesty, your nose is too delicate." Zhu Li felt this was just Chu Xun making a ruckus. It was just smelling something not really pleasant to smell, why the big reaction?

"That body of foul smell, you all can bear with it?!" Chu Xun rebuked. His eyes were round, it was clear he truly hated that particular smell. He sized up Zhu Li, "Where are the other items?"

"All of them had been sent away."

"Find a quick-witted one to serve. No, never mind. Zhu Li, it's better if you do it yourself. Don't let her play any wicked trick on zhen."

"Yes."

Just as they said, there was another disturbance from outside. They only heard two 'papa' sounds, they were strong knocking sounds, without waiting for Chu Xun to allow them to enter, the door to the Imperil Study had been pushed open. At the same time, a certain young miss's joyful voice could be heard, "Emperor Chu, those gifts you sent to me, I had received them. Many thanks for them!"

A backlighting.

From Chu Xun's point of view, that young miss's eyes were completely hidden in the dark, only under the sunlight would they reveal the sturdy outline.

Chu Xun's whole handsome face collapsed. Taking up the handkerchief, he quickly covered his nose with a face in imminent death.

The situation was like this: The news in which Chu Xun wanted to choose his Empress was not only widely circulated inside the empire, even the neighbouring countries heard of it too. Nonstop, they sent marriage letters, wishing to send their princess over to Chu Xun as his wife.

This was not weird. The Chu empire had large land, abundant things, rich citizens and strong armies. The several smaller countries at its border other than the northern nomadic tribes who preferred to cause troubles, choose to maintain friendly relationship and peacefully coexist. Sometimes they even had to rely on the Chu empire for help.

In the past they would send princesses over for an alliance marriage but the men from Chu family were more faithful and peace-loving. In the palace harem, other than the Empress, there won't be much consorts and concubines. What they desired from the imperial princes and imperial grandsons had always been quality instead of quantity. Hence, most of these princesses who arrived for alliance marriage would be married to the emperor's relatives or high and distinguished officials. Since the Chu empire won't go on a campaign, the monarch of the neighbouring countries had lost the desire to maintain social stability through alliance marriage.

This time, Chu Xun was an excellent unmarried youth, probably everyone thought this was a rare chance. It was fine to even watch the scene if they were not selected as the Empress. Chu Xun specially sent officials to reject those small countries that only sent marriage letter. Yet, this princess from the horseback nationality, her moves were too fast as she was already personally in front of the door.

"Princess Xiang Xiang[3]……" Chu Xun held back the urge to throw her out, "Zhen is over sensitive of your body's fragrance and had let people to pick several popular perfumes in the capital city. Why don't you follow the natives, try see which perfume you like and change the fragrance?"

Ever since Princess Xiang Xiang entered the palace yesterday and met face to face for the first time with Chu Xun, Chu Xun's sneezes had never stopped. This young miss had thick eyebrows and big eyes, her hair was tied into multiple small twisted plaits[4], with wheat colour skin, in this early spring which still had traces of cold weather, she had already revealed her arms. When she was walking, the silver bracelets on her arms would ding ding dong dong as well. Her temper was bold and unrestrained, not princess-like at all.

Actually, Mei Qian Deng felt this girl was quite good. She was direct, active and initiative. Compared to those pretty girls of humble birth in Jiangnan[5], she had a different taste. The most vital thing was she was especially complement with Chu Xun. Look at how delicate and lustrous Chu Xun, normal princess wouldn't be able to be a proper couple with him.

"The men at our place like this fragrance the most!"

Princess Xiang Xiang lowered her head to smell her own body. In her house, she drank wine and ate meat. The meat had meat stink and cumin which was a strong aromatic spice was even added. After eating it for a long time, some of the smell had combined in her skin, sending the smell everywhere.

The imperial room had superior grade musk[6] extracted from the male deer's musk gland; Xiang Xiang her place had deer too and that male deer had musk too but the environment was different. The musk Xiang Xiang her family used on their body, Chu Xun only felt it was the smell of a wild beast, en……like a genuine fox smell.

Chu Xun really wished to send her back but he had never succeeded.

First of all, Xiang Xiang was unwilling to return. She the dignified princess ran to your house as your guest, naturally it was inappropriate to chase her away. It would surely tarnish the great empire's reputation.

Secondly, the officials were resolute as they disagreed with Chu Xun to send back Xiang Xiang. Other than harming their reputation, they even felt Xiang Xiang's family was the biggest tribe among the northern nomadic tribes. If they could really make an alliance, the battle at the northern border could be halted for the time being. The citizens at the border would be able to live peacefully too.

Chu Xun massaged his forehead, "Zhen is not a man who harness the horse, can't handle such heavy smell."

When a normal princess got looked down by others, nine out of ten they would be angry, the other one would be crying while running away. Princess Xiang Xiang was not offended at all. Instead, she laughed loudly, "I say, Emperor Chu, why are you so particular like a girl? Look at you, you're only lacking making the orchid fingers while pinching your nose!"

Chu Xun: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Someone come! Drag this barbarian and throw her back to the prairie for zhen!

[1] I can't find the proper name. A servant who was taken as a concubine by the master but has lower rank than proper concubines.

[2] An idiom. Means, a person in favourable position will get special advantages.

[3] 香香, literally Fragrant.

[4]

I'm going to assume her hair something like this….

[5] Literally, the south of the river. May refers to the south of Yangtze River.

[6]

A traditional Chinese medicine and perfume obtained from only the male musk deer.

Chapter end

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