The Pearl on the Emperor’s Crown

Chapter 10 – Jade Island

The little eunuch was watching the fight intently, but anyone paying attention could see that the crown prince’s attention was all on the little eunuch. With such a delicate beauty standing so close to him, if it wasn’t for the strength of the crown prince’s willpower, his desire would have been revealed on his face.
 

Next to the crown prince was his guard He Chong, a master in martial arts. He could rank among the top five in the entire country so there was really no need to worry about whether the guards hired by these ordinary rich people were a match for him.
 

Han Yun Rong was an expert in observing and interpreting words and expressions, and naturally, he recognised this immediately.
 

Speaking of the relationship between Han Yun Rong and Xie Ying – Han Yun Rong had a reputation. No matter what case he held in his hands was, he was resistant to all kinds of intercession, bribery, internal pressure, and even assassination. Since he would willingly reveal the facts of a case to Xie Ying, one could see that they have an extraordinary friendship.
 

Seeing Xie Ying turn around, Han Yun Rong, who was rarely talkative, spoke, “His Highness is accustomed to being cautious so this is really unusual for him. It’ll be a blessing for him if Princess Xi Zhen doesn’t get married in the future.”
　

But everyone knew that the princess had to get married. If the crown prince ascended the throne before then, Princess Xi Zhen would become a tricky problem. This was a warning to Xie Ying that he ought to stay away from Xi Zhen if he still desired her.
 

The corners of Xie Ying’s mouth twitched but he did not speak.
 

Han Yun Rong sometimes couldn’t see through Xie Ying, so he dropped the subject. He suddenly seemed to think of something, for his complexion changed slightly, and he hesitated for a while. “Your Highness, I’m really sorry,” he said. “I have an urgent matter that needs to be attended to today. How about pushing today’s appointment to tomorrow?”
 

Han Yun Rong rarely looked so anxious. Xie Ying looked at him and said, “Very well, then.”
 

As soon as Han Yun Rong left, Shen Xing Liu came to Xie Ying, who immediately gave him an order.
 

“Follow the crown prince.”
 

Zhu Yi followed the crown prince into an elegant room with very special furnishings. The paintings on the wall and the design of the jade pots and spring bottles on the desk were full of child-like fun.  The place wasn’t large, it was a place purely for discourse. It seemed that the crown prince wasn’t ready to enjoy the song and dance performances.
 

However, Zhu Yi didn’t have the mind to appreciate it now. Although it was difficult, she had to ask, “Imperial Elder Brother, is there a washroom here?”
 

Zhu Yi’s voice was soft and embarrassed, and she kept her gaze fixed on her feet. The crown prince stared at Zhu Yi. He had lived for decades and had tasted all kinds of beauties and yet he didn’t know how a little girl could say something that made his mind go blank.
 

“Yes, let’s go,” he replied simply.
 

“Imperial Elder Brother, let him take me there instead,” Zhu Yi said hastily, taken aback.
 

She pointed to Li Geng. At any rate, he was a eunuch, so she wouldn’t feel awkward. If the crown prince was seen guarding the front of the women’s washroom, it would not be decent indeed, so the crown prince agreed.
 

Zhu Yi followed Li Geng through the reception hall when a figure suddenly appeared in front of her and blocked her way.
 

“This official greets Your Highness.” 
 

Zhu Yi looked at Han Yun Rong with some surprise.
 

“May I have a private word with Your Highness?” He asked.
 

Zhu Yi glanced at Li Geng and stepped away with Han Yun Rong.
　

“Dare I ask Your Highness…but is Princess Rong Yu also here inside Jade Island?” Han Yun Rong believed that Zhu Chuo and Zhu Yi usually were always together. Since Zhu Yi was here, considering Zhu Chuo’s crazier and bolder character, wasn’t she likely to be here as well? He didn’t know that Zhu Yi hadn’t come out to play, but was backed into this situation.
 

Zhu Yi stared at Han Yun Rong coldly. She knew that it was impossible for him to ask the crown prince, so she said, “If Deputy Head Han wants to know, you can look for her yourself.”
 

How could Han Yun Rong fail to hear that Zhu Yi was deliberately mocking him? He knew that she was prejudiced against him because of Zhu Chuo, so he could only say, “Pardon this official for disturbing you, Your Highness.”
　

Zhu Yi chuckled lightly and walked away without comment.
 

Sure enough, this was a luxurious place. Even the washroom in this Jade Island was elegant and neatly arranged. The gilt ball hanging in the air was scented with nan incense, the white porcelain bowl was full of clean water, and clean cotton cloths were stacked on a tray next to it. It seemed that the men here were willing to spend a lot of money and it allowed the dancers to lead their lives like noble ladies.
　

While thinking, Zhu Yi went to the innermost cubicle, lifted the bead curtain and went in. After relieving herself, she was tidying up her clothes when she heard people entering the washroom.
 

“Elder Sister Dan Yan, the heavenly handsome young lord you served yesterday came to us again,” a lively voice said.
 

“I saw him,” the girl named Dan Yan replied softly.
 

‘If he’s as handsome as a heavenly being, isn’t he on the verge of ascension?’ Zhu Yi thought amusedly. 
 

The lively girl smiled and whispered, “I heard Elder Sister Xiao Feng and the others say that when they looked at the waist of that young man, he has the impression of a dragon’s vitality and the ferocity of a tiger. How was it? Did you have a good time last night? ”
 

“Alright, don’t ask anymore, Xiao Tang,” Dan Yan replied shyly.
 

They actually discussed this so openly. Zhu Yi’s face burned red when she overheard others discussing this kind of thing. She didn’t want to go out now, so she had to hide inside and wait for the two sisters to finish whispering and leave.
 

“Elder Sister, have you inquired about the lord’s name and family background?” Xiao Tang asked.
 

“No, I haven’t,” Dan Yan said, shaking her head.
 

“Elder Sister, you are just too honest,” Xiao Tang said exasperatedly. “You have to seize the opportunity! Look at the lord’s demeanour and dress; he’s by no means from an ordinary wealthy family. What if he’s willing to take you away?”
 

Xiao Tang continued to persuade her. “It doesn’t matter if you give it a try. Even if he doesn’t take you away, you won’t lose anything. But what if he wants to?”
　

Dan Yan thought it made sense. More importantly, she couldn’t forget about the lord from that day. It happened that she had seen him coming from the corridor from a distance earlier, and if she didn’t go to him, she would miss the chance. 
 

“Alright, I’ll give it a try,” she agreed.
　　

Zhu Yi leaned out from behind the bead curtain, alas, the two finally left. She washed her hands and went out, and saw the two girls trotting forward. It seemed that the guest was in front. She couldn’t help but watch curiously, eager to see just how heavenly that heavenly lord was.
 

Dan Yan stopped the young man with a soft smile. 
 

Zhu Yi’s own lively smile collapsed at once.
 

She would recognize that person even if he turned into ash.
 

Did he let her smell it that day? In retrospect, he was disgusting.
　　

She hated people who lied to her the most. Zhu Yi’s mind was buzzing, and she felt that she and Zhu Chuo had really bad luck, and she didn’t know if they had somehow passed it to each other.
 

Dan Yan quickly ran away with reddened eyes, and Zhu Yi waited for Xie Ying to leave before moving. Li Geng glanced at Xie Ying’s back, then at Zhu Yi, and lowered his head.
 

Zhu Yi instantly felt exhausted. Her heart was tired, and her body was also tired. She looked out the window of the reception hall. It was already past eleven at night and she was afraid that Zhu Chuo and Mian Feng would be worried and anxious about her disappearance.
 

Back in the elegant room, the weariness on Zhu Yi’s face was still present. The crown prince was startled at the sight of it. 
 

“Xi Zhen, your elder cousin Xie Ying is here too,” he said.
 

Zhu Yi turned her face around, fixed her gaze at Xie Ying’s shoulder and greeted, “Your Highness.” 
 

Previously, if Zhu Yi would have known that Xie Ying would see her dressed like this, she might have felt guilty. But she now didn’t care what Xie Ying thought.
 

Xie Ying gaze flicked over the entirety of Zhu Yi.
 

“It’s so late, send the princess back to the palace,” he ordered directly.
　

Xie Ying commanded this in such a manner that the crown prince, who was the elder brother, naturally had to think of his younger sister as well, so he acquiesced.

“Yes, let’s go.”
 

The crown prince thought that it was a pity; if only Xie Ying hadn’t followed him today. Although he wouldn’t be able to seize Zhu Yi, whose name was still on the jade plate, there would always be other ways to quench his thirst.
 

She could return back? Zhu Yi finally smiled, not caring if the crown prince had managed to meet the person he was supposed to see, and immediately said, “Yes, please.”
 

Xie Ying and the prince both switched to horseback riding, and Zhu Yi took the carriage by herself. She was usually already resting at this time, and she was really sleepy. With the swaying motion of the carriage, her eyes slowly fluttered shut. Twice, her head knocked against the carriage pillar, but she wasn’t aware and didn’t even feel the pain, as her body slowly softened and fell onto the couch seat.
 

Before falling asleep, Zhu Yi was still thinking, why was Xie Ying’s face so unpleasant just now?
　

Although her clothes were not good-looking, the reclining posture made the girl’s body undulate with a different kind of delicate curve. She looked as lazy as a cat, with a head of green silk sinuously draped down. The carriage interior was more stuffy than the outside and the heat caused Zhu Yi’s face to flush lightly, invoking a sense of sensuality that wasn’t normally seen.
 

“Princess, princess!” They had arrived at the palace. Li Geng yelled twice from the outside but no one answered. He lifted the curtain at the crown prince’s request and looked inside. What he saw was a bewitching picture of a begonia flower sleeping in spring.
 

Li Geng immediately lowered his head, while the gazes of Xie Ying and the crown prince changed.
　

Xie Ying dismounted from his horse and walked to the front of the carriage under the astonished gaze of the crown prince.
 

Zhu Yi was dreaming. She dreamt that Xie Ying lifted the curtain, got into the carriage, opened his mouth and bit her chin. The pain was terrible. She cried and told him not to bite her. He did let her go, but only to turn her over and lay her down on his lap again before he slapped her bottom vigorously until it was swollen.
 

It was at this point that Xie Ying woke Zhu Yi up. When Zhu Yi saw Xie Ying in front of her, she couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality, so she raised his hand to hit him.