Forced to Marry the Enemy Prince

Translator Xiao He Lian

Chapter 69:

It wasn’t until Zhan Zhen left that Xian Shang was able to regain his senses. With an expression as if he was struck by lightning, he returned to the house in a daze.

“…It doesn’t matter if he treats brother well or not, you don’t have to be too harsh on him.”

Xian Sheng was stunned for a moment and then he smiled: “I didn’t have to ask him. If he treats brother well then he must be willing.”

Xian Shang’s mood is complicated.

He still had the stab wounds given by Zhan Zhen’s long knife on his waist. He still remembered the unstoppable strike of Zhan Zhen’s long knife. In any case he could not associate with the man who had just smiled and called him brother.

“ I thought that as the crown prince of a country, he would show off his power……. Now it seems that he still knows how to be humble and watch his words. Sheng’er, Zhan Zhen is a mysterious man. You have to be careful…”

Xian Shang reminded him with a solemn expression, Xian Sheng couldn’t help but sneer: “Brother… It’s just that he is always like this, so don’t worry about it.”

“ He was so fierce just now… Did he hurt you?”

“He is just temporarily angry. He won’t hurt me.”

Having said that, Xian Sheng was born in weak health. Together with Zhan Zhen, it is like a bison and a porcelain doll. No matter how you look at it, you can’t help but worry.

After Zhan Zhen left, the yard became quiet again. Don’t know what Emperor Jin was thinking. He just kept them locked up, but didn’t bother to see them.

Having not seen him for so long, Xian Sheng was very sticky with Xian Shang, and asked him to accompany him to play chess and throw pots. While they’re at it, he talks vaguely about the affairs of South Liang.

.

Emperor Jin was testing his arrows again, but unfortunately the arrow he hit this time still hadn’t passed through the iron armor. He sighed and said, “Where is the short gun sent by the Crown prince?”

The eunuch Liao hurriedly brought it in. He held it in his hand. Then he shot the target. The lead hit the iron armor and bounced off immediately. He looked closer and saw a deep hole punched into the armor. He laughed and said: “Yes. Much better than this arrow.”

“The prince is well versed in weapons, in time, everyone in the Jin army will be able to use the guns.”

“It still takes time.” He rubbed the firearm reluctantly and said: “This is a good item. That kid was always unhappy when he lent me this to play with. By the way, did he go to see Xian Sheng?”

“ He went at dawn today “

“This Xian sheng is not easy.” He sat on the chair and said slowly: “His looks are unparalleled in the world, and is extremely intelligent. If he (XS) wavers, the Crown prince will be in a tight spot.”

Eunuch Liao thoughtfully asked: “ His highness just ordered some guards to leave the city.  don’t know what you want to do.”

“Only when the South Liang delegation entered the capital could Xian Sheng be reassured. Naturally, this kid was fooled into running errands.”

“In your majesty’s opinion…”

“Well, this beauty, let’s just turn a blind eye.”

“Then why did your majesty want to catch prince Xian Shang?”

“I also wonder (ah).” Emperor Jin showed a pensive expression and said, “What do you think is going on here? Why is he so worried about Xiang sheng? And why is Xiang sheng so worried about him? How could a woman from a boudoir have the guts to send a letter to her brother at the risk of being disliked by the crown prince? Our great Jin is also a great country, the marriage is well written, as long as she is in Jin, even if she does not get along with the crown prince, it is not so bad that she thinks the crown prince is going to kill Xian Shang …… After all, the crown prince is also a man who wants to save face, will he mess up the big picture because of this small matter?”

“Why don’t you just ask them?”

“I can’t ask anything.” Emperor Jin shook his head and sighed: “This little beauty has a very clever mind. If I ask, what would she say?”

“What will she say?”

“She is going to use Zhan Zhen’s early wedding date to stop me.” Emperor Jin laughed, seeming to find it very interesting: “She will say that while showing that kind of pitiful expression. I can’t say anything to her.”

“Then… maybe it’s because of this?”

“If it makes sense, it’s like Xian Shang sneaked into the capital, saying that he heard that his sister was critically ill and wanted to see her. He didn’t inform me because he heard that the Crown prince and his wife were incompatible and afraid of being implicated… This is the truth, but it’s just…”

“Your Majesty thinks?”

“Not enough connotation.” Emperor Jin said: “The marriage between the two countries should have been frank and honest. The prince said to advance the wedding date. I indeed promised. But it is not because I don’t put the Liang state and their princess in my eyes. Liang people have always been proud. When the southern Liang royal family was about to destroy the country, they also did not leave the people behind to escape.  The more I show off my power, the more they should sit upright, but this behavior is inconsistent with Liang people… It’s like…”

He searched for an adjective for a long time: “it’s like having a guilty conscience.”

Eunuch Liao ‘s heart twitched: “Then, could it be that the princess …… has some problem?”

“The problem lies with her.” Emperor Jin put down the firearm and stared at it for a long time: “But, she has never done anything to endanger the great Jin… This matter must be very important, but perhaps it is not that important.”

“…This Old slave doesn’t understand.”

Emperor Jin thought for a while, without a clue, he laughed loudly: “Let’s put it away, in case it breaks.  I’m afraid that the Crown Prince will have a temper with me.”

“yes.”

In the small house, Xian Sheng won another game of chess against Xian Shang. He glanced at his brother, looking upset: “You didn’t play well with me at all.”

“Brother is indeed absent-minded.” Xian Shang apologized to him, cleaned up the chess pieces and said “He made a great deal of trouble to put me under house arrest, why hasn’t he sent someone to announce it?”

“Brother, stay calm.” Xian Sheng beckoned people to bring water, got up and came to him, poured tea for him personally, and said in a low voice, “Maybe his arrest is just a test, just because he doesn’t know what’s going on, so he’s waiting for us to confuse ourselves.”

Xian Shang looked at him. Xian Sheng sat back again and said with a smile: “Play another round, Zhan Zhen should be back soon.”

Zhan Zhen returned quickly. He was energetic and stepped into the building. At first glance, he saw the two “siblings” in front of the window. His face sank, but he quickly adjusted his expression, jumped up the steps, directly lay down in front of the window and said: “The delegation is safe and sound. They will be here by tomorrow morning. I will send someone to meet them. so my brother can rest assured.”

Xian Shang looked at his kind expression and listened to that )’brother’ ( gege ), his scalp began to tingle again, and he said with difficulty: “His Royal Highness does not have to…have to change the way you address me.”

“You can’t say that. Since I married my brother’s younger sister, he is my  brother-in-law, so he should call him brother.” Zhan Zhen was very frank, he turned his head to look at Xian Sheng: “What do Sheng’er think?”

Xian Sheng found it funny and said to Xian Shang, “What he said makes sense.”

Xian Shang frowned, arched his hand in a vague way, and said, “Then it’s better to be respectful.”

“Brother is polite.” Zhan Zhen waved his hand and said: “When I left before, I said that I would pick up the wind and wash the dust for my brother. Tonight, let me be the host. The delegation is coming tomorrow and father will be the host. “

(t/n  pick up the wind and wash the dust – to treat sb. to a dinner on arriving)

“As your Highness’s wishes.”

Xian Shang looked down and raised his hand to drink water, still very complicated in his heart.

“Brother need not be polite.” Zhan Zhen said: “From now on, just call me by my name. Speaking of which, Sheng’er, you have so many brothers, how do you call them to distinguish them?”

Xian Sheng said gently: “This is the Crown prince brother ( Taizi gege ), sometimes called the Big brother (Da gege).”

Zhan Zhen said in his heart, Liang people can be really pretentious, if Zhan Yin daintily shouted a ‘ Crown prince brother’, I’ll be so disgusted I’ll pull her pigtails off.

He said: “If this is the case, I’ll just call you Big Brother, big…”

“puff–“

Xian Shang spit out a mouthful of  water and  got goosebumps all over his body. his cheeks flushed from coughing, and he turned his head to look at Xian Sheng, who was laughing nonstop.

“Don’t tease your brother.” With a clear voice, he rebuked Xian Sheng, and then said to Zhan Zhen: “If your Royal Highness insists on calling me, just call me eldest brother ( Da ge ).” 

(t/n ge ge sounds more chummy and intimate than just saying ge )

“Isn’t Big Brother close to Xian Sheng? Is it Sheng’er?”

Xian sheng nodded, smiling with red cheeks, and was gently reprimanded twice by Xian Shang, so he obediently steadied down.

Zhan Zhen was not too happy that Xian Sheng was here, so reached out towards him: “You have also accompanied your brother for a day, now isn’t it time to accompany your husband?”

Xian Sheng looked at the Xian Shang, and the latter said lightly, “Go.”

Xiang sheng pursed his lips, got up just to leave. Zhan zhen tugged at him and said: “From here, I will carry you out.”

“This is not decent ……”  Xian Shang frowned. Xian Sheng glanced at him, and suddenly retracted his feet on the couch towards Zhan Zhen. He was directly carried out of the window. Zhan Zhen contentedly embraced Xian Sheng, and to their surprise Xian Shang stood up. “return him back by evening.”

After walking out of Xian Shang’s sight, Xian Sheng then pushed him: “Okay, put me down.”

“I haven’t hugged you enough.” Zhan zhen found a stone to sit down, just under a peach blossom tree, kissed his cheek and said, “Did I do well just now?”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about my brother’s countenance, he doesn’t like you anyway.”

“I have done what you said, why should he dislike me?”

“You’re such a hooligan, it’s strange that you’re not disliked.”

“I’m not a hooligan. All my feelings for you are true.” Zhan Zhen rubbed his(XS) face in dissatisfaction. Xian Sheng’s cheeks were smooth and tender, making people want to take a bite, he hummed and gnawed at him, and said: “You have to praise your husband, your husband is all for you.”

A smile spilled out of Xiang sheng’s eyes and he said, “Zhan Lue Lue.”

Zhan Zhen immediately held his lips and hugged him tightly. Xian Sheng’s hair was messed up by him, and his cheeks were blushing. He was finally let go. Zhan Zhen’s voice became hoarse: “There is a room over there, I carry you there, okay?”

“No.” Xian Sheng rejected him, gently pushing his head: “You still have to host a banquet for my brother, don’t forget.”

Zhan Zhen was silently  unhappy for a while and said, “I’m sorry.”

Xian Sheng laughed: “How did you feel wronged?”

“I’ve tried my best to make your brother happy, but you don’t make me happy, I’m naturally wronged.”

“…You, why do you think like that?”

“Didn’t you say that you will have children and grandchildren in the future? You can give birth to my children.”

Xian Sheng blushed: “You …how can I give birth.”

He lowered his eyelashes and was full of depression. Zhan Zhen was so excited that he said, “In fact, Lingqiu also told me about my fortune. He also said that I will have children and grandchildren.”

Xian Sheng’s heart twitched slightly and said in a low voice, “You will.”

“From your point of view, he must be wrong.” Zhan Zhen said: “Because I will not let you go in this life. If you don’t want to have children and grandchildren then I must be the same.”

Xian Sheng wanted to say that he is different from Zhan Zhen. Because what the master said was that if he can survive, he will have children.

But since it was granted that Zhan Zhen will have children and grandchildren, perhaps it means that he will not live long.

He touched Zhan Zhen’s head and kissed him lightly.

He didn’t say anything. Zhan Zhen asked, “Why don’t you say anything?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Wish that we grow old together?”

Xian Sheng glared at him and said, “Speak properly.”

“…Then you say something nice?” Zhan Zhen let him feel his reaction, and his voice low against his ear, and said a little provocatively: “I want to make you hurt.”

 

 

Note from Translator – I like to keep most of the idioms and phrases in the novel ( like  pick up the wind and wash the dust..) to keep the original feeling in the novel. I don’t feel like over simplifying things so I left most of the phrases as it is.