“You even have wine!” This time, Hei Ze’s eyes shone. “Hurry and bring it out, let’s drink!”
Wei Wei ‘mm hm’d once, and placed the things she brought in a row. Besides the stewed beef, there was also small ribs, neat and tidily arranged, both vegetables and meat, that were still steaming. Pouring out two cups of wine, they were truly living it up.
The young men naturally also smelled those fragrances, and regretted previously mocking Wei Wei. Even worse, when the wine and meat came, they could only swallow their saliva. Their faces were smiling, yet their hearts utterly envied Hei Ze. Within this environment he could still eat such food. One ought to know that after they entered Hidden Spirit Shrine, they’ll only be eating vegetarian food. Not to mention no more alcohol, they wouldn’t be given meat, either.
The young men tasted tea and cake, and whispered gossip. Unconsciously, their voices became louder and louder.
At a distance from them on the other side was Baili Jia Jue’s horse carriage. Eunuch Sun was worried that these loud comments would disturb His Highness’ rest. He brought his horsetail whisk and faced this side to smilingly say. “Gentlemen, His Highness will be leading the troops this afternoon and needs to rest. Will everyone please lower their voices.”
“Yes. Hehe. It’s a good thing Eunuch Sun reminded us. We were watching Hei Ze, that guy. Don’t know when he and that eldest daughter of the Helian family got along so well. We’re astonished, so we inevitably spoke a bit much.”
“Really? Such a good relationship?” An apathetic, deep and low voice transmitted over from the direction of the horse carriage.
Several young men lifted their heads and looked, to see Baili Jia Jua lean on the windowsill while propping up his chin, wearing the silver mask on his face. The corners of his mouth was slightly depressed. In the filtered sunlight through the shadows of leaves and branches, his form was quietly beautiful. Yet within the depths of his eyes, there wasn’t the slightest trace of a smiling expression.
“Third…Third Prince…I’m very embarrassed to have awaken you…”
“It doesn’t matter. It so happens that I was feeling bored and wanted to hear what you guys are talking about.” Baili Jia Jue calmly put down the cup in his hand, within his indifferent voice, there was a kind of indescribable feeling of oppression.
“Nothing. We just thought that it’s really rare to see Hei Ze the way he is today. The things Helian Wei Wei brought were indeed not few, sitting over there to dine together with Hei Ze.”
In front of Baili Jia Jue, these several young men naturally wouldn’t be as unrestrained as they were previously. They’re afraid Third Prince would mistakenly think that they purposefully talked behind people’s back and were unbridled themselves, so they immediately pointed towards a not so distant place. “Your Highness can see for yourself. Don’t those two people look like they get along quite well.”
Baili Jia Jue followed that person’s finger and looked over to see a picture of Wei Wei inclining to pour Hei Ze some wine. In passing, Hei Ze pinched a piece of pork spare ribs from her lunch box and put it into his mouth.
Baili Jia Jue’s dark colored pupils expanded in that split second, yet quieted down very quickly. That handsome face was as before, as calm as soft winds and floating clouds, appearing indifferent.
He seemed to not be very interested in the current conversation.
By comparison, those young men felt that they were too gossipy and smiled embarrassingly. “That person, Hei Ze had never been conventional. I reckon it’s Grandfather Hei pushing him too urgently, so he came up with an idea of his own. Speaking of which, he previously was very good towards Sister Qing Mei. Recently, he’s always rejecting that girl, and instead became closer to Helian Wei Wei. Is it possible that this time, he’s being serious?”
After he finished speaking, he then felt that talking like this, was apparently even more gossipy.
He rigidly bent towards Baili Jia Jue’s body and asked. “Your Highness, when will you settle down and get married?”
“Three days later.” Baili Jia Jue spoke emotionlessly, answering the other party with a few words.
Not to mention those several young men who were struck dumb, even Eunuch Sun appeared to be struck with lightning.
“Three, three days from now?” Eunuch Sun stammered, smiling with a little difficulty. “Your Highness is joking again. You haven’t even chosen who’s to be your consort, how can you get married?”
In addition, your getting married, how come I didn’t know anything about it, Retired Emperor, the old person, also hadn’t received the news, you know? Getting married, didn’t this kind of thing require two people in order to accomplish it, who’s the other person? Your Highness, speaking this way, indeed, making jokes truly isn’t your forte!
Baili Jia Jue looked slowly at Eunuch Sun.
Eunuch Sun’s scalp quaked.
The several sons of noble families looked at each other. “We shouldn’t bother His Highness further. There’s still an hour left for rest. Your Highness can have a good sleep.”
After speaking, those people all mounted their respective warhorses. Baili Jia Jue maintained his previous actions, slowly closing his eyes.
Eunuch Sun stood outside the horse carriage and watched the smiling expression at the corners of his mouth slowly vanish, as a slight chill burst forth.
After about half an incense’s time, Retired Emperor commanded the end of the rest period and for all to get ready to start again.
Having received the order, Hei Ze walked to the front of his warhorse, but didn’t have a chance to mount when he was obstructed by a slender silhouette.
That man didn’t seem to be waiting for him on purpose, an indifferent appearance, covered in silver clothes and black hair, rather like an otherworldly immortal. His face was covered by a silver mask, only exposing a pair of demonically cold, apathetic eyes.
“Your Highness.” Hei Ze’s motionless expression greeted him with courtesy.
Baili Jia Jue watched him with a smile that’s not a smile, his entire body radiated an aura of self-restraint that’s difficult to describe, yet made people tremble with fear.
“Stay farther from her.” The man slowly looked up and watched Hei Ze’s surprised gaze. His cold face seemed to be a perfectly carved ice sculpture. “Even if you don’t care about reputation, she, as a young lady from an influential family, needs to maintain appearances.”
Hei Ze smiled wickedly and was going to say then what if I don’t behave accordingly.
When he heard Baili Jia Jue’s voice again coldly sounded from the side of his ear. “That young lady that you grew up with, seems to be of marriageable age. Tell me, should I have Imperial Grandfather grant a marriage to her or not.”
Hei Ze suddenly raised his head, his eyes narrowing. He’d always known that Third Prince wasn’t easy to handle, however, what he didn’t expect was that he was difficult to handle to this degree.
How did that girl provoke this kind of man.
An expert at hitting someone where it hurts.
Hei Ze smiled. “Your Highness is right, getting too close to her indeed can affect her reputation. I thought about things too simplistically. Even if I want to get closer, I need to wait until Grandfather nod his head first.”
The last sentence was one Hei Ze deliberately added.
He didn’t believe that Third Prince would come and warn him because of a woman without a reason.
Baili Jia Jue curved up his thin lips, and walked forward one step. Those eyes hidden in depth seemed to be an iced fog rising in the dark of night. As he brushed past Hei Ze, he only left a chillingly ice-cold warning. “You can wait and see if the elder Hei will nod his head first, or if that childhood sweetheart of yours will be married off first.”
In an instant, Hei Ze’s left hand clenched tightly, his smiling expression became weaker in the next second. After a moment, he again smiled, his fingers pressing against his forehead.
He thought the matter of that girl provoking His Highness last time was already taken care of.
Didn’t expect it’s still not finished.
But to have him believe that Third Prince liked that girl, also wasn’t possible.
Could it be that the rumors were true, Third Prince choosing a consort was merely an excuse, in order to protect the girl he truly cared about?