Chapter Forty-Two: The Proud Sun and the Fierce Steed
Because he was angry, Prince Jin's voice was slightly louder than usual. You De, who was outside the carriage, deliberately leaned closer, and all his words reached his ears. He grinned and turned to Xu Maoyu beside him, whispering, "His Highness is angry."
Xu Maoyu stroked his short beard, but smiled and remained silent.
"No wonder I felt the prince's expression was off these past few days; it turns out he suffered another setback with the Fifth Miss." With that, Youde leaned closer to the carriage to eavesdrop.
Ruan Bi angrily replied, "Fine, fine, go ahead and smash it. Why bother destroying the Ruan family mansion? It's not the Ruan family that provoked you, it's me. I'm kneeling in front of you now, so just smash me up."
"You..." The Prince of Jin was so angry that he couldn't speak.
You De shook his head repeatedly, leaned closer to Xu Maoyu, and said, shaking his head, "This fifth girl's temper is really damn fierce, fiercer than a wild horse."
Xu Maoyu said with a smile, "If it weren't for that, why would the Prince like her?"
Youde scratched the back of his head and said with a headache, "I really didn't know that the prince had such a strange temper. There are so many beautiful and gentle women, but he just doesn't care. Instead, he always runs over to see the fifth young lady's cold face."
Xu Maoyu nodded and said, "This is a case of one thing subduing another."
Hearing voices inside, Youde quickly went over to listen. It was Ruan Bi speaking: "...And the prince said I forgot who I am, which is a huge injustice. I constantly remind myself that the prince and I are worlds apart. I dare not forget that the first time we met at Yuxu Temple, the prince originally wanted to kill me. Today he smashed my carriage and beat my servants. Why bother with all that? Just call Youde in, give me a stab, and bury me somewhere. He's already made up a reason anyway."
She mentioned their first encounter at Yuxu Temple, and Prince Jin's heart stirred. Indeed, she had almost become a victim of Youde's blade. No wonder she had always been so cautious and wary of him. With this thought in mind, he felt a pang of regret, and his anger subsided. He said, "So you've always been afraid of me."
Ruan Bi remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together, her jaw clenched.
Outside, Youde stroked his stubble and said to Xu Maoyu, "That Fifth Miss is really vengeful. She still remembers what I said before. I'll have to be careful in the future." After saying that, he leaned closer to the carriage to eavesdrop.
After a long wait, the voice of the Prince of Jin finally came: "Stop kneeling, get up and sit down."
The carriage was large and luxuriously decorated, with exquisitely carved patterns and long-haired carpets. However, there was only a soft couch for sitting on; there wasn't even a small stool. To sit down, one had to either sit directly on the floor or next to Prince Jin. Ruan Bi felt it was too undignified to sit on the floor, and sitting next to Prince Jin was also uncomfortable, so she said, "No need, Your Highness. There is a difference in rank. How could a lowly woman dare to sit with you? Please kneel."
The Prince of Jin's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again. He really couldn't do anything about her, nor was he willing to lose face, so he said resentfully, "Fine, kneel if you want."
Outside the carriage, Youde shook his head as he listened, and leaned closer to Xu Maoyu, saying, "Master Mao, they're at it again inside."
Xu Maoyu's eyes darted around, and he said with a smile, "Youde, aren't we driving this carriage a little too steadily?"
Youde was slightly taken aback, but then he understood. He smiled mischievously and gave Xu Maoyu a thumbs up. "Master Mao is indeed resourceful." He spurred his horse forward a few steps and lashed the rump of the horse pulling the carriage. The horse neighed in pain and lurched forward a few steps.
Youde quickly listened, and sure enough, he heard Ruan Bi let out a soft "Oh!" He couldn't help but laugh smugly.
Inside the carriage, Prince Jin hurriedly helped Ruan Bi, who had stumbled and fallen on his knee, to her feet. He kicked the carriage and whispered, "Nanfeng, how do you drive a carriage?"
Although Nanfeng, who was driving, was already enduring internal injuries, he still kept a straight face and said seriously, "The road is uneven."
Prince Jin helped Ruan Bi sit down and said in a low voice, "Nanfeng, drive carefully."
Nanfeng replied solemnly, "Yes, Your Highness." Only after saying that did he remember that the prince had instructed him not to reveal his presence. He quickly looked around and thankfully, the three servants from the Ruan family were riding at the very back, quite a distance away.
Ruan Bi broke free from Prince Jin's hand and sat down beside him, feeling too embarrassed to remain kneeling any longer. She straightened her clothes and glanced at the curtains. It wasn't out of spite, but rather a sense of awkwardness and helplessness; she didn't know how to react. Especially his presence, so intense, like a tidal wave enveloping her from all directions, causing ripples with the slightest movement.
The Prince of Jin leaned back on the soft couch, staring intently at her.
They'd known each other for months, but each meeting was a hurried affair, a few words exchanged. She was always accompanied by maids and servants, preventing him from speaking to her or even glancing at her more than necessary. Sometimes, he longed to rush to the Ruan residence, drag her to the open fields, and just the two of them, where they could speak freely and look at each other without restraint. What was so special about her? Why did he keep thinking about her? He wondered about it himself, repeatedly comparing her to other girls, but he couldn't find anything particularly special about her. Yet, he couldn't help but think of her, wanting to see her, wanting to talk to her. "A day apart feels like three autumns"—it wasn't until his twenties that he truly understood the meaning of that saying.
That day, she took the initiative to meet him for the first time. He had been discussing important matters at the military camp when he received the news. After finishing his business, he hurriedly rode back, covering over a hundred li in just a quarter of an hour. His horse, Qingzhui, was exhausted, panting and drenched in sweat. He was afraid of keeping her waiting, but she stormed off in a huff without even asking what happened. He asked Xiuping to find her and bring her back, but she refused. He patiently left her a note and waited anxiously for several days without a reply. Unable to bear it any longer, he went to the Ruan residence, only to find that the side gate was completely sealed shut. Looking at that impenetrable door, he was furious and almost ordered someone to break it down. He endured for several days, but still no news. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been high and mighty; he had never suffered such humiliation. His anger snowballed inside him, growing stronger day by day. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he had Xu Maoyu forge a letter in Ziying's handwriting, and then ordered another group to smash her carriage so that she could legitimately board his own… He went to great lengths, just wanting to meet her alone and vent his anger. Was it worth it? He didn't know, he only knew that he had never been so childish before.
Ruan Bi felt her face burning from his gaze and couldn't help but turn to look at him, saying stiffly, "Why are you staring at me like that?"
The Prince of Jin raised an eyebrow and said, "Nonsense, I've mobilized so many troops just so I can get a good look at you, haven't I?"
His words were so direct that Ruan Bi's heart pounded, her cheeks burned, flushed a rosy pink, and her eyes sparkled like pools of spring water. The Prince of Jin's heart stopped; he thought in a daze, "How could I compare her to those ordinary beauties? She is the most special and beautiful one."
Outside the carriage, Youde stroked his chin with satisfaction, turned to Xu Maoyu and said, "Our prince is a real man." He paused, then added, "It's just that this fifth young lady is too unpleasant." He spurred his horse forward and whipped the horse pulling the carriage. The horse neighed and lurched forward again.
Youde quickly approached the carriage, only to hear Ruan Bi exclaim "Oh dear!" again.
The Prince of Jin asked, "Where did you crash? Let me see."
Ruan Bi said, "Who wants you to look? Take your hand away."
The Prince of Jin said, "It's alright, it's only a little red."
Then he lowered his voice and said, "Nanfeng, how did you drive today? You're always on business trips."
Nanfeng suppressed a laugh and said in a serious tone, "Miss Wang... Fifth Miss, the road is really bumpy." He drew out the last syllable.
Youde couldn't help but burst out laughing. He was standing close by, and the sound carried into the carriage.
Ruan Bi realized someone was eavesdropping, and her face immediately turned red with embarrassment. She wished she could disappear into a hole.
The Prince of Jin also blushed and said through gritted teeth, "Luo Youde, get the hell away from me."
Outside the carriage, Youde laughed heartily, spurred his horse, and rode to Xu Maoyu's side, whistling triumphantly. After a while, he said, "Maogong, aren't you good at divination? Calculate when we'll be able to drink the prince's wedding wine."
Xu Maoyu said, "It's better not to dwell on this."
Youde looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"
Xu Maoyu sighed and said, "I have already seen the prince's fate. He is extremely noble and has everything he needs, except for his bumpy road in love."
"Where's the bump?" Youde gestured towards the carriage. "Look at him, he's so smug right now."
Xu Maoyu shook his head and said, "What do you know? His encounter with this Miss Ruan is truly a tragic fate."
Youde paused for a moment, then asked, "What did you mean again?"
“If this fifth young lady were of lower status and not born into the Ruan family in Jingxi, the prince could take her as a concubine. If she were of higher status, with a clean background and no connection to Prime Minister Shen, the prince could marry her as a princess. But she is neither here nor there, which is really difficult. In addition, this girl is strong-willed and extremely stubborn. The prince will probably suffer a lot in the future…” Xu Maoyu couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh again.
Youde stared blankly for a moment and then said, "Then why don't you try to persuade the prince? Why do you allow him to act so recklessly?"
"How can we persuade him? Doesn't the prince know in his heart that he has long been powerless to control his own destiny?"
Youde remained silent for a long while, then said, "Damn it, does the Prince have no way to get this Fifth Miss?"
Xu Maoyu thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid we'll have to resort to extraordinary means to obtain it..."
Youde nodded heavily and said, "Alright, if she refuses in the future, I will just kidnap her and send her to the prince."
Xu Maoyu shook his head and said, "Youde, don't be in a hurry, let me finish."
"Tell me, tell me."
"Given this girl's temperament, even drastic measures might not be enough to win her over."
Youde pondered it carefully for a moment, then said unhappily, "Maogong, isn't this just nonsense you're spouting?"
Xu Maoyu stroked his beard, but smiled without saying a word.
Youde became increasingly frustrated, so he slowed down his horse and moved closer to the carriage to eavesdrop.
The Prince of Jin asked, "How old are you exactly? I heard you were born around the beginning of spring in the fifteenth year of Xiande, so you should be thirteen years and eight months old now, but you don't look like it at all."
Inside the carriage, Ruan Bi was much more at ease than before, and asked, "What's wrong with it?"
"You don't speak or think like that. Even a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl wouldn't be like you."
Ruan Bi smiled and thought to herself, "Of course, I'm just putting old wine in new bottles."
The Prince of Jin looked at her smiling face, as if she were drinking fine wine, and thought to himself, "Forging letters and smashing carriages, no matter how childish, it's all worth it."
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