Martial King's Retired Life

Having made a simple mention of Princess Hongzhuangʼs recent condition, the prime minister quickly developed a suspicion. He said, ”Fret not, Your Majesty. In your subjectʼs opinion, if Her Highness truly saw him, she would not be sighing and low in spirits. To the contrary, she should be joyous and eager to venture outside. There has to be another reason for Her Highnessʼ low spirits. There is actually no reason for you to be bothered, Your Majesty. Among your three Princesses, Princess Hongzhuang is the most valiant and upright. Further, she grew up studying Buddhism. She would not actually associate with someone from the Demon Sect.”

As they conversed, many had joined them at Wuying Hall. Even Princess Jingan had been seated.

”Jin Wangsun has arrived!” shouted a eunuch by the door.

Jin Wangsun entered the hall with a disgruntled look. That night, he sneaked out of his abode to go and give Ming Suwen grief, only to end up being smashed into the river - courtesy of Ming Feizhen. Then, he went to find Huo Qingʼer, only to encounter Tang Ye and Situo. Needless to say, the two didnʼt let him off the hook so easily after that. They assigned men to guard his room. As a result, Jin Wangsun was even followed to the bathroom for the last few days. For days, he was despondent.

After greeting the Emperor, he was granted the right to rise. The Emperor scanned him and asked with bewilderment, ”Wangsun, are you not feeling well? Have you not slept well recently?”

”Wangsun was insolent in the past and erred. Fortunately, you are an Emperor of benevolence, Your Majesty. That is how I have managed to reflect on myself,” replied Jin Wangsun, putting on a charade. ”Having spent these past days reflecting on myself at home, I have comprehended many morals worth taking to heart.”

”Good, good.”

The Emperor looked at Jin Wangsun with joy. While the Emperor received plenty of reports from the prime minister and even dozens more from officials, he was the one who chose Jin Wangsun, after all. Plus, the mess was one he brought upon himself. Additionally, while he received reports of Jin Wangsunʼs absurd behaviour, he didnʼt hear Ming Feizhen doing anything better. He heard Ming Feizhen visited Heavenly Fragrance Garden several times in a single month, so his behaviour was far more outrageous than Jin Wangsunʼs.

”It is normal for young ones to do outrageous things. You are a considered a hero. Being a bit of a womaniser isnʼt an issue, but you must make sure to keep yourself in line after marriage. My son may lack anything, but being upright and conducting himself properly is a must. If you want to catch her attention, you must…”

”No! No! No means no!” exclaimed Princess Hongzhuang from outside.

”It is Princess Hongzhuang.”

”Yes, it is Hongʼer,” reaffirmed the Emperor, sounding more energetic after finally hearing Hongzhuangʼs voice.

However, as soon as the Emperor went to speak, he heard, ”Your Highness, please show your kindness and accommodate your subject for this once.”

The Emperor immediately expressed his displeasure with his face and words, ”Th-Th-That is just ridiculous! Who is that?!”

Earlier on when the worshipping Kitchen God ceremony ended, Ming Feizhen immediately started to cling to Princess Hongzhuang.

”Kind Princess, great heroine, nice Princess, please lend me your sabre for a bit.”

Princess Hongzhuang had red shades on her cheeks. Though they were talking about sabres, if you didnʼt hear their dialogue, one would think Ming Feizhen was asking for her. The usually suave and valiant beauty surprisingly didnʼt dare to look straight at him.

Ever since that day on Ethereal Beauty Boat, where Princess Hongzhuang followed Ming Feizhen to search for his Martial Grandaunt, she heard their conversation. However, after witnessing him split the boat in two, subsequently revealing Lord San Shen on board, she no longer knew what to think. It was impossible for her to identify him. Even if he was… was Lord San Shen… She lived under the same roof as him and even told him she liked him! Poor Princess Hongzhuang didnʼt have energy or time. As a result, she and her father behaved as if they were at odds with each other. Their hostile situation frightened and concerned the entire palace for days.