The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 13

Waiting for Jiejie

The palace eunuch official repeated the words that Imperial Uncle Cheng had said, along with the money he had been stuffed with to ensure he said them. The Tiansheng Emperor looked up at him, then after a moment, turned to the equally bewildered Qu Jinian.

“Beloved Minister Qu, what have you done to Ziying¹?” Ziying was Imperial Uncle Cheng.

Hearing this, Qu Jinian stood up and bowed. “This humble servant does not know.”

Qu Jinian had been kept in the palace after the morning court session, and it wasn’t just him; other ministers were also present in the Imperial Study at this moment.

The Tiansheng Emperor looked suspiciously at the reporting eunuch official again and asked, “Do you know what this is about?”

The eunuch official replied, “Imperial Uncle Cheng did not say, only that he wished to tell Your Majesty personally and ask Your Majesty to uphold justice for him.”

With so many people in the Imperial Study, for Imperial Uncle Cheng to come at this time, it was certainly no small matter.

“Let him in.” The Tiansheng Emperor set down his vermilion brush. He wanted to hear why this brother-in-law of his was accusing Qu Jinian.

The eunuch official accepted the order and withdrew. A short while later, Imperial Uncle Cheng walked in. The moment he reached the front of the Dragon Desk, he dropped to his knees with a thump and cried, “Your Majesty, this humble servant wishes to accuse Qu Jinian of allowing his daughter to injure someone!”

Seeing this, everyone in the Imperial Study looked toward Qu Jinian, whose expression suggested he had no idea what was happening.

Imperial Uncle Cheng recounted the matter of Qu Sheng carrying a bow in the academy and injuring Cheng Mianrong, and even added oil and vinegar², saying, “If not for the family servants being present, a moment later and that Qu Sheng would have taken my child’s life! I beg Your Majesty to grant this humble servant justice!”

The Tiansheng Emperor listened to Imperial Uncle Cheng’s righteous denunciation of Qu Jinian, feeling puzzled himself. “You say Qu Sheng shot and injured Mianrong with an arrow? She is merely three years old, how could she possibly draw a bow?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, although Qu Sheng is small, the bow and arrow she carries are custom-made for her. While it cannot pierce a hundred paces³, it can still injure someone within a few steps. If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can summon her. A single test will reveal the truth.”

Qu Sheng was summoned into the palace. Her small, tender figure looked at the court ministers before her without a trace of fear, but her gaze was somewhat vacant.

The Tiansheng Emperor had seen her once before, but that time Qu Sheng had an epileptic fit, and he hadn’t had a good look. Now, the little girl was dressed neatly and cleanly. Aside from her eyes, there were no other signs of foolishness.

“Sheng’er, quickly, pay your respects to His Majesty.” Jin Yunfei brought Qu Sheng into the Imperial Study. After she knelt, she realized her daughter was still standing there motionless. She quickly reminded her and reached out, intending to pull her down to her knees.

But even after she spoke, Qu Sheng’s small body showed no sign of moving.

“No matter.” The Tiansheng Emperor raised a hand, indicating it was fine. He had heard that Qu Sheng had been like this before in the Empress’s bedchamber. For such a small child, kneeling was not absolutely necessary.

The Tiansheng Emperor glanced at Qu Jinian, his gaze narrowing slightly. He pondered for a moment and said, “Bring her bow and arrow up as well.”

Qu Sheng’s bow and arrow were brought up, and the Tiansheng Emperor had her draw it on the spot.

Qu Sheng stood in the Imperial Study, bow in hand, as all the ministers watched. She looked down at the bow in her hands, then looked at her mother.

Jin Yunfei’s expression was worried, but she didn’t dare to speak up and stop it.

“Your Majesty, my young daughter is mischievous and I fear she may injure Your Majesty. It would be better to…”

“Eh, no matter. We⁴ want to see if such a small child can truly draw it.” Listening to Imperial Uncle Cheng’s accusations, the Tiansheng Emperor had also grown curious about Qu Sheng.

Although Qu Sheng was about to turn four, she was still young. To not only be able to draw a bow but also injure someone and even hit the bullseye truly made him suspicious.

“This…” Qu Jinian showed a rare expression of difficulty.

The Tiansheng Emperor lifted his chin slightly. Qu Jinian looked up, his brows knitting together. But before he could look at Qu Sheng and tell her to draw the bow, Qu Sheng had already shot the arrow. And this arrow struck the Tiansheng Emperor’s Dragon Desk.

“Protect the Emperor!” a eunuch official shrieked, rushing to stand in front of the Dragon Desk, shielding the Son of Heaven behind him.

Qu Jinian saw his daughter shoot the arrow squarely onto the edge of the Dragon Desk and was horrified. Before the guards could enter, he quickly pulled Qu Sheng into his arms, took the bow from her hands, and pulled her to her knees on the ground.

“Your guilty servant deserves death! My young daughter is ignorant. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness!” Qu Jinian knelt on the floor, and Jin Yunfei also pressed her head to the ground.

Qu Sheng stumbled as she was pulled down, and though kneeling, she still tried to get up. But Qu Jinian held her down with his hand, not letting her move.

The Tiansheng Emperor saw a crowd of guards rush in, drawing their swords and aiming them at the Qu family of three. He hadn’t even reacted before Qu Sheng had shot the arrow. It would be impossible to say he wasn’t shocked.

Qu Sheng’s arrow was too fast, and he had never practiced martial arts. If that arrow had been aimed at him, he certainly couldn’t have dodged it. But he was the one who had just told Qu Sheng to draw the bow…

“Your Majesty, you’ve seen it yourself! This child is a crazy fool! Please, Your Majesty, grant justice for this humble servant’s daughter!” Imperial Uncle Cheng had been stunned for a moment when the guards rushed in, but once the guards had surrounded the Qu family, he hurriedly knelt down to stick the knife in⁵.

The Tiansheng Emperor heard him and looked at Imperial Uncle Cheng, his gaze then sweeping over Qu Sheng’s slender little frame for a moment.

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The court ministers in the Imperial Study dispersed, but Qu Jinian remained.

Qu Jinian compensated the Cheng family with fifty thousand liang of gold for their daughter’s injury, reaching a settlement with Imperial Uncle Cheng. But the matter of assassinating the Son of Heaven was not so easily resolved.

Even if Qu Sheng’s act was unintentional, how could the majesty of the Son of Heaven be offended? Helpless, Qu Jinian had no choice but to reveal, in front of all the court ministers, that Qu Sheng had been born a simpleton.

But even so, Qu Sheng could not escape punishment and was to be imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison⁶ for several months.

Qu Jinian stayed behind, hoping to mediate and find a solution that would spare his daughter from entering the Heavenly Prison.

“Your Majesty, your guilty servant knows he deserves ten thousand deaths for knowingly concealing my young daughter’s simple-mindedness and failing to report it. But she is the only daughter below your servant’s knees⁷. After today, there will be no one in the capital who doesn’t know of my daughter’s…” Qu Jinian’s voice seemed to choke with emotion as he spoke. “If she must also spend time in the Heavenly Prison, what family will be willing to marry her in the future? I implore Your Majesty to show mercy…” Qu Jinian kowtowed, his head touching the floor, his lips pressed into a tight line.

The Tiansheng Emperor’s face was warm with anger as he said, “So you know you are guilty?” He had previously hinted at a marriage alliance with the Qu family. Qu Jinian, knowing full well his daughter was a simpleton, had concealed it. If she had truly been selected as the Crown Princess, the face of his Heavenly Family would have been completely lost.

“Your guilty servant knows his crime, but Your Majesty must also understand the love a parent has for their child. Your servant cannot go around telling everyone he meets that his daughter is a simpleton…” Qu Jinian said, raising his head, the corners of his eyes moist. “Your servant just doesn’t want his daughter to be criticized and talked about her whole life. Your servant also wants to find a good home for his daughter. I implore Your Majesty to show mercy and forgive my daughter’s unintentional mistake.”

“This matter—” The Tiansheng Emperor’s “needs no further discussion” was not yet out of his mouth before Qu Jinian interrupted him, changing his approach.

“Does Your Majesty not wish for General Gu Yi⁸ to go to your servant’s fief⁹ to study methods of leading troops? Your servant will immediately write a letter to my younger brother and have someone bring General Gu Yi into the military camp. I implore Your Majesty to withdraw the established command¹⁰ and forgive my daughter’s unintentional mistake.” Qu Jinian offered a condition the Tiansheng Emperor had wanted even in his dreams.

He had always wanted to insert his own people into the military camp in Marquis Zhengyi’s fief, but Qu Jinian had always refused, citing the imperial edic bestowed by Emperor Taizu¹¹.

Without entering the southeastern military camp, he could not shake the Qu family’s foundation, nor could he obtain the most important financial intelligence from the southeast. The Tiansheng Emperor’s warmly angry expression instantly turned joyous, his eyes shining. “Beloved Minister, are you serious?”

“Your guilty servant would not dare to speak rashly.” Qu Jinian’s hands were flat on the floor, his voice muffled, but one could tell he truly cared for his daughter.

“Good, good! Someone, go and bring Qu Sheng… no, Beloved Minister, rise quickly. Accompany Us to bring Sheng’er out.”

The Tiansheng Emperor personally went to the Heavenly Prison to bring Qu Sheng out, so naturally, no one would gossip anymore. However, the matter of Qu Sheng’s simple-mindedness could no longer be hidden in the capital.

After the New Year.

Ever since Qu Sheng was brought out of the Heavenly Prison by the Tiansheng Emperor, she had not returned to the Prime Minister’s residence to study. Zhao Jiayu was also recuperating at home and had not gone either.

Zhao Jiayu had visited Qu Sheng after she returned home. Qu Sheng was the same as always. Later, when Zhao Jiayu heard the rumors outside, she felt very puzzled.

She had always felt Qu Sheng was just young and hadn’t noticed anything foolish about her, but rumors were already spreading like wildfire that Qu Sheng was a crazy, simple-minded child. The Marquis Zhengyi’s family was large and influential, already attracting much attention. In just a few days, the news that his daughter was a simple-minded child had spread throughout the capital.

Before her injuries had even healed, Zhao Jiayu rushed to the Qu residence again. The Qu family treated her very warmly and led her to Qu Sheng’s courtyard.

A Qu family servant opened the door. Qu Sheng had both her feet propped up on a chair covered with a thick tiger skin, swinging them back and forth, her small mouth open to wrap around the food being offered to her.

“Xizhao, why are you here?” Zhao Jiayu asked in surprise, seeing Lin Xizhao holding a bowl of goat’s milk cheese and feeding Qu Sheng spoonful by spoonful.

Lin Xizhao’s eyes curved as she smiled. “You’re allowed to come, but I’m not?”

Zhao Jiayu gave a silly laugh. “Allowed. Are you here to play with Sheng-meimei?”

The Qu family servant closed the door and withdrew, and Zhao Jiayu walked over to their side.

“I came to invite Sheng-meimei to continue her studies at our residence after the Lantern Festival¹².”

The Qu family had previously informed the Prime Minister’s residence that since Qu Sheng was a simple-minded child, she would no longer attend school after the New Year. But Lin Xizhao felt that even if she were a fool, being able to learn to read was still better than not being able to.

Moreover, from beginning to end, she had never felt there was anything simple-minded about Qu Sheng. And the teacher had also asked about Qu Sheng many times. How could a student that even the teacher was willing to teach be a fool?

Hearing that Lin Xizhao wanted Qu Sheng to study, the heart straight and mouth fast¹³ Zhao Jiayu asked in a low voice, “I heard people outside say that Sheng-meimei is… is… is it true?” Zhao Jiayu was reluctant to say the words that Qu Sheng was a fool.

Lin Xizhao glanced sideways at Qu Sheng, her eyes curving into a smile after a moment. “She runs indoors when it rains. Do you think she’s a fool?”

Zhao Jiayu blinked, looked at Qu Sheng, and then smiled after a moment. “I don’t care what others say. My little Sheng’er is the smartest.” To be able to help her at such a critical moment, even if Qu Sheng really were a fool, she wouldn’t dislike her. She had accepted this younger sister.

“I think so too.” Lin Xizhao’s eyes were smiling as she took a handkerchief and wiped the milk stain from the corner of Qu Sheng’s lips, coaxing softly, “Our Sheng-meimei is the smartest, right?”

Listening to the two of them, one sings, the other harmonizes¹⁴, Qu Sheng nodded her little head, as if unintentionally or perhaps in agreement, making both of them laugh out loud.

Several years later.

Eight years after the rumors of Qu Sheng’s simple-mindedness began, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister Lin’s residence, Lin Xizhao, held her hairpin ceremony¹⁵ in her residence.

“Little Sheng’er, come out with me for a bit.” Zhao Jiayu grabbed Qu Sheng, who was still sitting to the side in a daze, and started to pull her outside.

The eleven-year-old Qu Sheng was pulled, but her body didn’t move an inch. Instead, it was Zhao Jiayu who was pulled back by Qu Sheng.

“Jiejie won’t let me go out.” Her childish tone was gone, replaced by a clear voice that was, however, somewhat slow.

Qu Sheng looked at the food before her without much interest. Over the years, she had eaten all kinds of mountain delicacies and sea flavors¹⁶, but only the water chestnut cakes¹⁷ that Lin Xizhao made for her were her favorite.

Lin Xizhao had said she would bring some over for her later and told her to wait obediently in her boudoir¹⁸.

Hearing this, Zhao Jiayu blinked her eyes. “Do you want to go get a coming-of-age gift for your Xizhao-jiejie?”

Qu Sheng looked over, her little head pondering for a moment before asking, “What?” What gift?

Zhao Jiayu’s eyes held a sly glint. “I’ll tell you when we get there. I’ll count you in.”

Qu Sheng had already prepared a gift for Lin Xizhao and didn’t know what Zhao Jiayu was up to now. She stared fixedly at Zhao Jiayu, and after a short while, her resolve softened, and she moved her feet.

The two had just reached the door when it was opened from the outside. Lin Xizhao, dressed in a simple blue and white gown, walked in carrying a platter of soft, smooth, and sweet water chestnut cakes. Seeing the two about to leave, she asked in a gentle voice, “Where are you two going?”

Qu Sheng immediately let go of the hand Zhao Jiayu was holding, distancing herself from her. “Waiting for Jiejie.”

“Ooh, ‘waiting for Jiejie’,” Zhao Jiayu mimicked Qu Sheng’s coquettish tone, chiding her. “Weren’t you about to go out with me?”

Qu Sheng’s gaze darted elsewhere, deliberately avoiding looking at Zhao Jiayu, which made Zhao Jiayu huff in annoyance.

“Alright, I have to go over for the ceremony soon. You two don’t run around.” This morning, Lin Xizhao had heard Qu Sheng say she wanted to eat the water chestnut cakes she made, so she had disregarded the ceremony hall and rushed to the kitchens to make some for her. “Sheng’er.”

A smile appeared on Qu Sheng’s face. She reached out and took the water chestnut cakes, lowered her head to sniff them, and praised, “So fragrant.”

Lin Xizhao’s eyes crinkled with a smile. She reached out and straightened the colorful clothes that made Qu Sheng look fair and tender, instructing, “After you finish eating, someone will come to take you over. Don’t run, just walk slowly.”

Qu Sheng turned to look at Lin Xizhao. Today, because Lin Xizhao was still in the mourning period¹⁹ for her mother, she wore plain clothes, but they could not hide her gentle and beautiful face. Qu Sheng looked a few more times before nodding. “Jiejie, don’t worry.” Qu Sheng’s words were always brief, but Lin Xizhao could always understand.

After Lin Xizhao left, Zhao Jiayu, who never listened to advice, also went out not long after.

Qu Sheng was eating the fragrant and soft water chestnut cakes in the room when, after a moment, Feng Qi’s voice sounded from outside the door.

“Miss.”

Qu Sheng looked up at the sound. She got up and opened the door. She didn’t let Feng Qi in but led him to another room.

“Prince Fucheng’s²⁰ side has leaked some horse’s hooves²¹.” Feng Qi bowed as he reported.

Hearing this, Qu Sheng’s gaze turned sharp, shedding the slightly dazed look from before. Her voice was clear and melodious, without a trace of simple-mindedness. “Are you certain?”

“It was reported by Second Young Master’s men,” Feng Qi replied truthfully.

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The author has something to say:

Qu Sheng: “I’ve finally grown up. When can I start dating my wifey?”

Lin Xizhao: “Minors are forbidden from discussing romance.”

Zhao Jiayu: “Hey, hey, I’m an adult!”

Qu Sheng: “…”

Been a bit busy these two days, so the update was a little late. Added a bit more today. Happy Saturday.

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