thank you beks for the ko-fi! this is 2/2 of the promised bonus chapters!
Upon Jiang Xiaoman’s return to the Tower of Ascension, as he recollected his actions towards the Crown Prince and envisioned the murderous expression on the Crown Prince’s face, he suspected that his own head might be on the chopping block.
However, after hiding in the Tower of Ascension for two days, the Crown Prince didn’t seek him out. Surprisingly, it was the Empress who came to summon him first.
In the novel, the Empress also summoned Nangong Xue. By then, Nangong Xue had already offended Princess Yunmeng due to the incident involving the cat. Wanting to vent her anger for her most favored niece, the Empress invited Nangong Xue over, intending to suppress her spirited nature.
However, as the female protagonist, Nangong Xue adeptly countered every move, emerging unscathed and even landed a fierce slap on the Empress’s face. What’s more, she garnered the favor of the Empress’s son, the Third Prince Rongzhe, becoming his first admirer.
Furious, the Empress, known for her temper, instructed her senior palace maids to secretly reduce the food provisions for Nangong Xue in the Tower of Ascension, leaving her with nothing to eat.
Unexpectedly, while sneaking out to steal some food, Nangong Xue coincidentally ran into the Crown Prince. This encounter provided them with another opportunity to develop their relationship, inadvertently foiling the Empress’s plans.
At this point, Jiang Xiaoman hadn’t offended the princess, so the Empress likely didn’t have any intentions to do anything to him.
As a precautionary measure, Jiang Xiaoman changed into the Taoist robe he had secretly altered during the two days he hid in the Tower of Ascension. He also placed some candies in a small pouch before heading out.
Jiang Xiaoman was carried in a sedan chair to the Empress’s residence, the Cining Palace1, and then guided by palace attendants to the garden.
In the garden, a gracefully dressed middle-aged woman sat beside a stone table, flanked by Princess Yunmeng and a teenager around the same age as Jiang Xiaoman. Adjacent to the young man was the Emperor.
Jiang Xiaoman refrained from bowing to anyone, merely nodding lightly, and took a seat opposite them.
Today, Jiang Xiaoman wore a pristine white Taoist robe, adorning his hair with an elegant wooden hairpin. He carried a small sleeve furnace2 in his hand, still maintaining an ethereal and Taoist demeanor.
“It has been many days since we last met, and you appear even more spirited than before, immortal,” remarked the Emperor.
“Eating well and sleeping soundly daily contribute significantly to one’s spirits,” Jiang Xiaoman replied. “The serene environment of the Tower of Ascension, coupled with diligent cultivation, naturally invigorates the spirit.”
The Emperor had a mild temperament, making Jiang Xiaoman less nervous while conversing with him, almost treating him like an elder gentleman one might encounter casually. However, he felt a bit apprehensive around the Empress. Seeing her beautiful eyes fixated on him made him somewhat uneasy, unsure of her intentions.
Just as he pondered, the Empress spoke, “I3 have heard from Yunmeng about the previous incident. The immortal truly possesses remarkable skills. Would you be willing to lend your guidance to me as well?”
Jiang Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she was just looking at me. If everyone knew about my confrontation with the Crown Prince, they’d all come to me for help, and that would be quite troublesome.
Jiang Xiaoman glanced at the Empress, then at the sky, and finally lowered his head, pretending to ponder for a while. Eventually, he spoke up, “Your Majesty is not in grave danger. It’s a recurring headache, a common ailment. Adhering to the prescriptions of the imperial physician will suffice. It’s advisable not to worry excessively on ordinary days.”
Jiang Xiaoman truthfully addressed the Empress’s headache issue, as mentioned in the novel. Observing the delighted expression in the Empress’s eyes, he saw her turn towards the Emperor, saying, “Your Majesty, indeed the immortal is truly remarkable, eloquently revealing the chronic ailment I’ve been suffering from!”
“Inviting the immortal into the palace was indeed a good decision,” the Emperor expressed in satisfaction. Then he inquired, “Regarding the destined woman for the Crown Prince that the immortal mentioned earlier, has she appeared yet?”
Jiang Xiaoman didn’t confirm or deny it, instead, he wore a mysterious smile towards the Emperor and said, “These days, this humble immortal has been observing the stars at night and has seen the celestial omens indicating the Crown Prince’s recovery.”
“That’s excellent news,” the Emperor smiled.
On the side, the Empress also remarked, “Wonderful news indeed. If the Crown Prince is healthy, then I can also rest assured.”
Jiang Xiaoman smiled back at the Empress. He knew that if the Crown Prince’s leg were to heal, it wouldn’t alleviate the Empress’s headaches; instead, it might intensify her worries.
The Empress held an unwavering desire for her biological son to ascend as the Crown Prince. At present, with the Crown Prince’s illness, there lingered a glimmer of possibility for the Third Prince’s ascent. Yet, if the Crown Prince were to regain full health, the Emperor’s overwhelming favor towards him would effectively dissolve any potential claim the Third Prince held to the throne.
Contemplating this, Jiang Xiaoman cast a glance towards the Third Prince at his side.
The Third Prince Rongzhe, just a year younger than the Crown Prince, bore some resemblance in his features—handsome in his own right. Yet, his countenance represented the second male lead, undoubtedly attractive but somehow lacking the commanding aura of the Crown Prince, who exuded a vibe of ‘I may be crippled, but I can still take you down’.
Rongzhe glanced at Jiang Xiaoman upon noticing his gaze, raising an eyebrow in response. The expression resembled that of the Crown Prince, albeit with a slightly less aggressive undertone.
“Immortal, if you may, could you quickly tell us about the identity of this woman? Otherwise, Princess Yunmeng might grow anxious,” Rongzhe urged.
“Brother! Don’t talk nonsense!” Yunmeng exclaimed, her face flushed red.
“What do you mean by nonsense?” Rongzhe grinned mischievously, a smile that made him even more deserving of a playful reprimand. “Who knows, perhaps it could be you!”
“Zhe’er4,” the Empress furrowed her brow slightly, appearing unwilling to delve into that topic. Her underlying plan was to secure her own son’s position as the Crown Prince and further fortify their family by having her niece become the Crown Prince’s concubine. However, Yunmeng’s staunch support for the Crown Prince, combined with her own son’s rather heedless behavior, truly gave her a headache.
The Empress turned her gaze toward Jiang Xiaoman, only to find him smiling in silence. Suddenly, she felt as if he had seen through her, evoking a sense of being understood by Jiang Xiaoman.
Only to hear Jiang Xiaoman speak, “The one who heals the Crown Prince’s legs shall become the Crown Prince’s wife.”
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present displayed a startled expression.
Jiang Xiaoman couldn’t help but feel a sense of amusement, anticipating that the reactions following the successful prophecy would surely be even more intriguing.
Feeling like a great prophet is quite exhilarating.
“Indeed, Ting’er has reached the age for marriage,” the Emperor remarked. “Ting’er has been without a mother since childhood. Although he was lively in his youth, as he grew older, he became less inclined to socialize. If he were to have a wife, he would have someone close to him—a wonderful thing.”
Jiang Xiaoman nodded in agreement upon hearing this. He also considered that Nangong Xue being the daughter of the leader of the Demon Sect might pose some obstacles if she were to marry the Crown Prince. As a facilitator in this situation, he swiftly took the opportunity to provide some psychological preparation to the Emperor.
He spoke, “The person who heals the Crown Prince’s legs is already entwined in a destined marital bond with the Crown Prince, an unbreakable connection across three lifetimes. Therefore, regardless of their background, Your Majesty, please do consider granting approval for their marriage.”
“Certainly, Ting’er’s choice for a wife is of utmost importance. I5 shall personally oversee the marriage,” declared the Emperor.
Satisfied with the Emperor’s promise, Jiang Xiaoman felt content.
If the Crown Prince were to know of this strong support behind him, he would undoubtedly be moved to stand up and applaud.
T/N
this chapter was a bit shorter than i expected LOL. also, make sure to leave a high rating on NU!! the story is still in its early stages and people are already rating it 1 star…
1慈宁宫 also known as the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.
2袖炉 something like this img.
3本宮 běn gōng is a historical pronoun used by the empress, princess with a formal title, or a high-ranking consort when speaking to a person or an audience of lower rank or status: “I, who owns this palace”. I could have used ‘this Empress’ as a potential translation, but with how often it’s encountered throughout this novel, to keep everything natural, I’ll be using ‘I’ instead. Remember, though, that she is always using this pronoun, unless specified otherwise.
4儿 ér — indicates a diminutive or affectionate form.
5I’m not sure if I already explained this in a previous chapter or not, but the Emperor also has his own (imperial?) pronoun he uses: 朕 zhèn, which is not exactly an ‘I’, but at the same time it is!
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