The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband

The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband – Chapter 42

Translated by: Oinkoink

Proofread by: Silkscreen

Chapter 42 – Set Off

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Intentionally not allowing Chu Jinglan any preparation time, the Emperor ordered him to leave the next day. Meng Chen was extremely worried that she couldn’t be bothered to maintain the appearance of docility, making a scene of wanting to go with Chu Jinglan and was still arguing pointlessly until the moment before he set off.

“Cousin, just let me go with you and save me from being restless at home. What’s the difference between there and staying in Northern Land?”

It would have been better if she didn’t say anything, once she mentioned this it reminded Chu Jinglan who merely said unhurriedly, “You should return to Northern Land.”

Meng Chen stomped her feet, seemingly getting anxious, “Why are you always driving me away? Even if I can’t help with the matters outside, aren’t matters within the mansion not a problem? I’ve heard from Brother Lu that you and cousin-in-law didn’t get married because you are in love with each other, but was methodically plotted by her. She clearly has an ulterior motive. So, isn’t it better for me to stay here and keep an eye on her?”

Chu Jinglan didn’t say a word as he flicked his sleeve and walked out.

The trip to Jingzhou is a thousand miles away and the journey is bumpy. Tang Qingfeng prepared the best carriage and horses, as well as dozens of shadow guards to ensure Chu Jinglan’s safety. Pei Yuanshu had nothing to prepare. He is alone and has been waiting in front of the mansion for a long time. The moment he saw Chu Jinglan walking out of the spacious courtyard, he bowed respectfully.

“This lowly officer pays respect to Wangye.”

Chu Jinglan raised his hand and gestured for him to get up, saying, “You are not stuttering today.”

Feeling embarrassed, a wisp of fine sweat slid down Pei Yuanshu’s forehead and he didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, a pink shadow flashed from the corner of his eyes where a girl appeared from behind Chu Jinglan, with four words ‘to speak one’s mind’ gleamingly written on her pretty face. However, Chu Jinglan holds the principle of ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ that he silently retreated to the side of the carriage.

Seeing that he was so perceptive, Meng Chen no longer cared about anything and simply clutched onto Chu Jinglan’s sleeve without letting go, her dewy lips pouted and eyes filled with fervor, as if she would turn coquettish if acting reckless was useless. Chu Jinglan lowered his eyes to look at her face when images of Ye Huaiyang unexpectedly appeared in his mind.

She is the best at pretending to be a spoiled brat and succeeded time and time again; which she had repeatedly tested and was proven right.

With this thought in mind, he suddenly realized that the one who should be pestering him like this should have been Ye Huaiyang. But since she learned the news, she had not made any noise to the extent of not even coming to see him off today. Is it possible that the sky will rain red*?

[T/N: 下红雨 (Xià hóng yǔ) – rain red – describe an unexpected and rare things/abnormality]

Chu Jinglan looked past Meng Chen’s shoulders towards the King mansion. Staring across the thin air for a few seconds, Tang Qingfeng immediately stepped forward as he sensed the stringed song and knew the thoughts*, and softly said, “Wangye, Wangfei has gone back to her clan home this morning, saying she has something to do, so she won’t come to see Wangye off.”

[T/N: 闻弦歌而知雅意 (Wén xiángē ér zhī yǎyì)- sense the stringed song and know the thoughts described the person is smart enough to be able to understand the thought or ​​see through and guess what the other party wants.]

Meng Chen abruptly stiffened at those words. She looked up at that handsome face, which indeed swayed with an obvious look. Was he really looking for Ye Huaiyang just now? The realization hit her doubly hard that even the hand clutching his sleeve unclasped without her noticing.

How could…he shouldn’t care so much about that woman!

Just as she was wandering, Chu Jinglan’s gentle voice reached her ears again, “Chen’er, go in.”

The unwillingness in Meng Chen’s heart has yet to dissipate when instantly, it has turned into reluctance to part. The glistening bright eyes seemed to have endless words to say, but under the tenacious gaze of Chu Jinglan, it eventually condensed to a mere single entreaty, “Cousin, do be careful.”

Chu Jinglan nodded slightly and immediately boarded the carriage. Pei Yuanshu and Tang Qingfeng followed closely behind. The moment the long whip pierced through the air, the carriage cut through the dust and left.

The three of them headed straight northward after leaving Wangdu. The scenery was not bad as the sky was high while the clouds were low and golden fields were everywhere. Occasionally, wild geese flew overhead heading south for the winter, making several soft cries which were soon masked by the sound of the trundling carriage wheels.

This carriage is not the same as the one Chu Jinglan usually rides on. The interior is spacious, not only was there a small rounded red sandalwood table placed in it, but right next to the wall of the carriage stood a row of low cabinets fully containing booklets related to Jingzhou’s situation. Chu Jinglan had begun browsing through those since he boarded the carriage and from time to time, he would annotate or fall in deep contemplation. The peerless handsome face was serene and calm as an ancient well.

Pei Yuanshu never shared a carriage with any royalty before. Sitting on the side, he dares not even take any deep breath. He just selected a booklet to read, but Chu Jinglan spoke before he even turned two pages.

“What does she have to deal with in the clan home?”

Taken aback, Pei Yuanshu realized Chu Jinglan was asking about Ye Huaiyang, so he immediately buried his head deeper, as if he wanted to stare out a hole in the pale yellow page.

“Reporting to Wangye, Wangfei did not go into detail with this subordinate, but she left in a hurry. Perhaps it’s not a trivial matter.”

Chu Jinglan frowned and did not ask any more questions. His gaze inadvertently swept over Pei Yuanshu and noticed that he was behaving slightly strange, so he raised his voice and asked, “Minister Pei, are the wordings of the book that this King brought printed too small?”

Pei Yuanshu, whose name was mentioned, immediately raised his head and said, “No, no, it’s this lowly official who has bad eyesight…”

Bad eyesight? That was not how he read just now.

Chu Jinglan did not expose his lie to his face. He merely narrowed his eyes and stared at him for a while, as if to penetrate through his skin and probe into his heart. Pei Yuanshu instantly felt as if he was overshadowed by a strong pressure, seemingly overwhelmed by more than a thousand troops. Soaked with sweat, Pei Yuanshu didn’t even dare to turn nor look to the right. He only focused on the book in his hands. Heaven knows that he could not even read a single word.

Fortunately, Chu Jinglan shifted his gaze back to the table. Pei Yuanshu sighed in relief, moving his body slightly. Heat immediately gushed out from his nape, just like making a roundtrip in the steamer.

As the saying goes, everything has its nemesis. He should have understood long ago that one who could subdue that obnoxious witch would not be an ordinary character!

Just like this, Pei Yuanshu sat rigidly throughout the journey, and even read the booklet absent-mindedly. He finally felt relieved after they arrived and set foot at a small town in the evening. He descended to the ground even before the carriage had come to a complete stop and looked up at the inn’s worn-out signboard when he suddenly felt that he had thought wrongly.

This is not relief, it’s doomsday….

Chu Jinglan soon got off the carriage. His tall stature calmly stood in front of the door. Even though he did not move, his extraordinary temperament was difficult to conceal, as it contrasted sharply with the simplicity of the inn and attracted countless curious glances from the passersby.

Seeing him lingering without moving , Tang Qingfeng asked in a low voice, “Master, what’s wrong?”

To avoid attracting trouble, they have all changed their form of address and disguised as a rich family young master out for a tour with his servants.

“It’s nothing. This inn seems too clean.”

The cleanliness that Chu Jinglan mentioned was obviously not its literal meaning, Tang Qingfeng, however, immediately understood. He shuffled around and noticed that everywhere else appeared normal, except for the absence of peddlers and beggars around the vicinity of the inn. The adjacent shops were closed, making it seem to stand aloft in the middle of an isolated island. Although the town was remote and rather small, it nevertheless was unlikely to be so deserted, which seemed to be a bit of a problem.

“Master, do you want to change to another place?”

“No need. It’s getting late, just stay here.” A faint sharpness swept over Chu Jinglan’s eyes that was unfathomable.

“Yes.” Tang Qingfeng bowed and responded, then gave a hinting glance at the hidden shadow guards before entering the inn.

As the proverb says, the sparrow may be small but it has all the vital organs. The inn seems inconspicuous, but all the needed furnishings like tables and chairs are available. To the left is a staircase leading to the second floor and a beverage counter is on the right. Dressed in a grey cotton robe, the innkeeper was immersed with the book-keeping and did not realize the arrival of guests over the crackling sounds of the abacus beads. It was not until Tang Qingfeng stood in front of him that he reacted and hurriedly hung up a smile as he greeted him.

“Oh, is this patron stopping for refreshment or staying in?”

Tang Qingfeng took out two silver ingots and tossed them on the counter as he said, “Staying in. Prepare three superior rooms.”

“Aiya! What an unfortunate coincidence. There are so many guests today that only one superior room is left.” The innkeeper rubbed his hands and negotiated in a pleasing manner, “There are however, two standard rooms so why don’t you make do with it and I’ll switch them over for you tomorrow when somebody leaves.”

Tang Qingfeng made the decision quickly, “There’s no need to switch them, just go with it.”

“Alright! The patron is truly a straightforward person!” The innkeeper accepted the silver with a smile, then gave the keys for the rooms.

Just right at this moment, Chu Jinglan also came in with Pei Yuanshu. Leading the way, Tang Qingfeng explained the situation to them, “There is only one superior room left. Lord Pei, I’ll have to ask you to put up for the night.”

Pei Yuanshu seemed a little surprised and confused. He only obtusely replied after all kinds of emotions flashed through, “No, no. There’s already a lot of inconveniences during the journey, just a bed will do.”

They arrived at the second floor as he stopped speaking. Both his and Tang Qingfeng’s rooms were on this floor, while Chu Jinglan’s room was on the upper floor. So, the three of them separated. After Chu Jinglan went up the stairs, he pushed the door open and halted abruptly.

There’s someone in the room.

The soft breathing sound was unobtrusive, which was also unlike the quick forceful breathing of a martial artist, it even sounded rather familiar. Sweeping all corners of the room with cold eyes, Chu Jinglan then pretended not to know as he slowly walked in. After he sat down next to the side table, a silhouette slowly moved out from the side of the slightly raised curtain and suddenly rushed over to cover his eyes!

The icy small hands are soft and seemed boneless, which also emitted the scent of orchids.

However, when Chu Jinglan realized this it was already too late. His body reacted faster than his mind. He found himself striking like lightning that the person behind him was instantly hurled before his chest. A ghastly cold dagger with an edge as thin as a mirror, pressed against the person’s neck that would have slit the throat if it went any deeper.

The person was obviously frightened but after a sigh of relief, an arm wound around his neck with a playful chuckle.

“Husband is so agile. This is the first time that Qieshen[1] saw it.”

The sharpness in Chu Jinglan’s eyes abruptly got restrained but the hidden anger somewhat increased – did she even realize that if he hadn’t had any good conviction she would have been dead by now?

This certain someone, who acts recklessly, snuggled against him once again forcing him to immediately throw the dagger away lest he hurts her. In pace with the clanking noise, a loud wet kiss was delivered to the side of his mouth.

“I haven’t seen you for the whole day, did you miss me?”

“Ye Huaiyang!” Chu Jinglan roared out. His black eyes stared fixedly at the face that is as beautiful as the flower, but like the rising and falling of the tide, the startled anger in his heart was hard to calm down.

“What are you roaring at me for? I’m already so tired after travelling on this long journey.” After saying that, Ye Huaiyang dropped into the hollow part of his shoulder and pressed her whole weight down, as if she was so exhausted and lost all her strength.

He remained unmoved but asked in a cold voice, “What are you doing here?”

Ye Huaiyang let out a low chuckle all of a sudden, as if laughing at him for being stupid.

“What else can I do? Of course to come find you, husband.”

[1] Qiè shēn (妾身) – a form of self-address modestly used by a wife when speaking to her husband in ancient days

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