Chapter 18: Will You Feel Distressed For Me?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
New Name
戚毅将军 - General Qi Yi
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No matter how frightened the Young Master feels inside, she still maintains a calm appearance and says, “Imperial Father, my sword is a killing sword. If I were to dance with this sword, it might not be quite appropriate.”
"Mm, what the son-in-law said makes sense."
Upon seeing the Emperor nod in agreement, Meng Chang'an finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, before she could fully catch her breath, the Emperor immediately raised his voice and called out, "All ministers, the son-in-law still lacks a sparring partner for a sword match. Are there any skilled warriors proficient in swordsmanship willing to engage in a battle?"
The Young Master was almost choked by the breath she hadn't fully released.
With words spoken to this extent, isn't His Majesty clearly indicating his desire to see her wield the sword?
Now the Young Master finally understood. It's not just the women in the harem; even the Emperor and these Princes, every one of them are full of evil. Not a single one is easy to deal with.
The deep palace is terrifying. With this, the Young Master became even more aware of the goodness of the Princess.
The Emperor's call sparked immediate discussions among the people in the hall.
Within a moment, someone stood up from their seat.
"I, Qi, am not skilled. I have long heard of the exceptional swordsmanship of the Young Master of the Qingyang Clan. Despite being young, you have already ranked first among the young heroes in the martial world. Today, having the fortune to meet you, I would like to request some guidance. I hope the Prince Consort will not hesitate to impart knowledge!"
"Oh, it is actually General Qi!"
Before Meng Chang'an could refuse, the Grand Prince, who had remained silent for a while as if detached from the situation, unexpectedly spoke up ahead of her, "I heard you did not return after last night's drinking. Today, you might not even be completely sober yet. This sword match... General, I think it is better to reconsider. It is also to prevent you from suffering from the effects of your drunkenness and getting injured by the Prince Consort’s sword due to a careless move."
Having said that, the Grand Prince lightly chuckled and said to the Emperor beside him, "How about this, Father? If you do not mind, let me present a sword dance to you. How about that? Recently, I have learned a sword dance in the army, which I can perform for you."
Meng Chang'an naturally wanted someone to come to the rescue. It's a pity that there are always people in this palace who deliberately don't make her happy.
“Your Highness Prince, how can you condescend to perform a sword dance for all the ministers? Is this proper?" Following closely behind the Grand Prince, the Empress spoke up with a smile, "Today, the entire court, civil and military officials, are seated here. Your Highness, it might be wise to think carefully before speaking."
No matter how these two individuals spoke, Li Ruiyuan remained indifferent, continuing to lightly tap the armrest of the dragon throne with his knuckles, calmly scanning the faces of the people present.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I am fine. It is just a sword match, so there will be no problem."
Before the Grand Prince could speak further, General Qi, dressed in military attire, had already solemnly bowed in the direction of the Emperor. "I hope Your Majesty will agree!"
However, despite his initiative, the Emperor didn't directly consent. Instead, he turned his head slightly towards Li Qiubai and asked, "Lao Er*, what do you say? Is it good to let General Qi have a sword match with your husband?"
*Second Child
The Emperor had already spoken like this, so how could Li Qiubai not understand his intentions?
Since this test was inevitable, Li Qiubai could only try to smooth things over. "Father, blades have no eyes. If they accidentally shed blood in the grand hall, it might harm the harmony among courtiers. How about this? Let them fight bare-handed, which can also be entertaining for everyone. What do you think?"
"That would not be as interesting. After all, the Prince Consort’s sword is a weapon for killing, and General QÃ's spear is for killing the enemies. Naturally, letting them use their proper weapons for comparison would be more intriguing."
The Emperor chuckled, stroking his beard, and continued, "Since Lao Er has no objections, have their weapons brought into the hall. You two can also get ready."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Sheng immediately responded: “Yes."
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Meng Chang'an, feeling helpless, could only choose to resign herself to fate.
Under this imperial authority, not to mention Meng Chang'an, an ordinary commoner, even the several Princes present seemed powerless to resist.
Afraid of worrying the Princess, Meng Chang'an took the initiative to grasp her hand, leaning close to her ear, and soothingly whispered, "Your Highness, do not worry, I will try my best to keep a low profile, then everything will be fine."
In this way, Li Qiubai calmed down.
She didn't say much, just curled her lips slightly and said, "Okay, I believe you."
As a result, Meng Chang’an unknowingly felt relieved.
Since she's already here, then be at peace with it.
Since she has already embarked on this path of deceiving the Emperor, there is simply no reason to fear death.
When Qiu Sheng was instructing someone to bring the weapons, the Sixth Prince stood up from his seat and hurried over to Meng Chang'an.
Without giving the two more opportunities to communicate, the Sixth Prince squatted beside Meng Chang'an and whispered to her, "I heard that General Qi Yi went to the tavern and got drunk after the wedding banquet last night. During his grief, he accidentally smashed several jars of wine from the shop owner. Today, there has been a lot of buzz in the capital, saying that General Qi was trapped in love and secretly hurt himself due to the Imperial Sister's marriage."
The Sixth Prince seemed quite interested in the commotion, showing no concern for the seriousness of the situation. After speaking, he even raised his hand and patted Meng Chang'an's shoulder, inciting, “Brother-in-law, look, he dared to provoke you openly today. Can you still endure this?”
Although he deliberately lowered his voice, the sound was clear enough for the nearby Princess and Yuechu to hear every word distinctly.
"Li Qiubai felt rather helpless and immediately reached over Meng Chang'an to knock on his head.
"Sixth brother, please be quiet!"
Unexpectedly, the Sixth Prince showed no fear at all, still cheerfully holding Meng Chang'an's arm as he continued, “Brother-in-law, let me tell you, General Qi and our Imperial Sister have a deep bond from childhood. We brothers have been beaten up by him since we were children! Back then, General Qi had already sought marriage with our father, but if it were not for you suddenly appearing, the one who would be the husband of our Imperial Sister now would be that paralyzed-faced! This opportunity is rare. You must give us brothers some face and teach that guy a good lesson!”
The Princess felt extremely helpless, worrying that the Young Master might take these words seriously. She hurriedly explained to her, “He just wants to watch the excitement, do not listen to his nonsense!”
Rarely did the Princess seem nervous for a moment, which Meng Chang'an found interesting.
“Mm, in that case, it is indeed intolerable!"
The Young Master struggled to put on a serious face and solemnly asked, "If I accidentally injure him, will Your Highness feel distressed?"
"What stupid thing are you asking?” The Princess scolded her with a glance and added, "If there's any distress, it would only be whether you will hurt your own hand."
Upon hearing this, Young Master Meng unexpectedly felt a bit pleased.
“Mm, that is about right!"
The Sixth Prince: "..."
This is unbearable to watch!
Thanks to the little farce caused by the Sixth Prince, the Young Master was able to think of some countermeasures.
In just a few words, the guards had already presented Meng Chang'an's Lightning Swan Sword and Qi Yi's Red-tasseled Spear.
After the provocation failed, the Sixth Prince returned to his seat dejectedly without seeing the angry face of Young Master Meng.
After receiving the Lightning Swan Sword, Meng Chang'an didn't act politely. With a light tap of her toe, she leaped from the high platform to the stage in the distant hall.
The movement was seamless, without the need for a mid-air stop or support, and it was graceful and light when she landed.
At first glance, she looked quite a bit like an immortal descending to the mortal world.
Among all civil and military officials, a general with superb martial arts skills is indispensable.
Onlookers may only see the spectacle, but those knowledgeable about martial arts see the tricks. The Young Master's Qinggong skill* has genuinely impressed many people who know martial arts, eliciting sincere admiration: “Excellent!”
*轻功 (Qinggong) or light body kung fu is a training technique for jumping off vertical surfaces from the Chinese martial arts. Similar to Parkour.
Even the chief eunuch, Qiu Sheng, beside the Emperor, was full of admiration. He proactively explained to the curious Emperor, “The Prince Consort's Qinggong skills are not comparable to those of his age, not to mention, those experienced elders from the martial world might not necessarily have attained his level of expertise.”
Qi Yi has been following the Duke of Dinguo since he was young, participating in battles far and wide. His military achievements are outstanding, making him a model among the generals.
“Excuse me."
The two exchanged a preliminary greeting typical of martial artists. As they withdrew, Qi Yi was the first to move, thrusting his spear straight toward Meng Chang'an's heart.
That movement was fast and cruel, almost threatening to kill someone.
Meng Chang'an narrowed her eyes, unperturbed. Standing her ground calmly, she waited until the moment the red-tasseled spear was about to touch her heart. Employing her exquisite and mesmerizing Qinggong skill, she leaped from in front of Qi Yi to behind him.
Her figure seemed almost ghostly.
Before the onlookers could fully comprehend how the Young Master had moved, she had already changed her position.
The Lightning Swan Sword hadn't been unsheathed, yet the tip of its scabbard struck Qi Yi's vest.
Soldiers accustomed to battles and skirmishes on the battlefield found it challenging to deal with such a subtle figure from the martial world. This single move already placed Qi Yi at a disadvantage.
The Young Master was incredibly nimble, darting around and refusing to engage directly.
Fortunately, Qi Yi is not the kind of barbarian general who only knows brute force. Although his martial arts skills are not as sophisticated as Meng Chang’an's, he will not be reduced to the point where he is unable to fight back.
In their subsequent clash, Qi Yi was no longer as careless as in their initial encounter.
As the red-tasseled spear swung, it generated wave after wave of vigorous winds, each aimed directly at Meng Chang'an suspended in mid-air.
However, regardless of his efforts, he couldn't even touch a corner of the Young Master's robe.
In just a short while, dozens of moves had been exchanged between the two. At first glance, it seemed like they were evenly matched.
A more attentive observer would easily notice that Meng Chang'an was always in complete control, playing around with General Qi, and making him twirl around like a toy.
Li Ruiyuan, regardless of the outcome, remained unconcerned. Throughout the bout, he kept his gaze fixed on the Young Master's unsheathed Lightning Swan Sword.
"Why do you think the son-in-law isn't drawing his sword, Qiu Sheng?" After a brief pause, Qiu Sheng shared his thoughts, "Your Majesty, this servant thinks there might be two possible reasons."
“Mm, go on."
"One possibility is that he intends to publicly humiliate General Qi. For a martial artist, it is an absolute disgrace if, in a duel with a swordsman, the opponent doesn't even need to unsheathe their sword to defeat them."
Li Ruiyuan nodded slightly, continued tapping the armrest of his dragon throne, and asked, "What is the other possibility?"
Then, Qiu Sheng sighed slightly, “If not that, then it is probably because he cannot use a sword.”
