Your Ninth Royal Highness, Please Change Your Clothes

This is actually one of the Kofi chapters that I kinda…… delayed. Thank ya again Kiritaru. Runs away

The Dan family’s carriage was as gorgeous as the royal family’s and in the scorching days of summer, large amounts of ice cubes were placed internally in the carriage. As soon as Wen Chan got inside, he immediately felt the refreshing coolness that hit him in the face.

A layer of summer sleeping mat that was neither hard nor did absorb cold, was spread on top of the ruanta and it was extremely enjoyable.

Wen Chan had been tossed about from yesterday to the present and didn’t get a good sleep at night. The moment he sat on that ruanta, he fell into a deep sleep in the shaking and swaying of the carriage.

After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, he smelled a fragrance while in a trance.

Maybe because he was too hungry, Wen Chan immediately opened his eyes when he faintly smelled the fragrance of rice. The sunshine came in through the blinds, and the carriage had been parked for a long time. But no one came to wake him up.

For a moment, his heart was a little empty. He lifted the curtain of the carriage to look out. He saw a few horses tied around the carriage, but not a single person was seen.

The sounds of children’s laughter came from the back. Wen Chan carried the hem of his clothes and got off the carriage. He saw a noodles shop and there were four tables and chairs arranged in front of the noodles shop. Three children were sitting on one of them and were sucking in noodles.

Wen Chan felt that this noodles shop looked familiar. He opened his eyes wide and ran his eyes over the surroundings to find that they had returned to Bafang City, and this noodles shop was located at the very border of Bafang City. It could almost be considered as not in the city.

At that time, Wen Chan was riding a horse. He galloped east from the lane in front of the noodles shop, and then met the bad-hearted man who was lying on the old black ox.

He walked slowly to one of those tables and chairs and sat down. The aromatic smell of rice became even stronger and his stomach rolled frantically. His eyes involuntarily stuck to the noodles of one of those children and gulped down a large mouthful of saliva.

When the child became aware of his gaze, he subconsciously circled the bowl with his arm and fished into his arms.

I’m so hungry…… Wen Chan rubbed his stomach. He didn’t have a single copper coin on his body. He didn’t know where Ah Fu, Qin Qi, and Shu Hua went. There was only half a steamed bun left in his sleeves that he didn’t finish eating yesterday. It had already hardened after a night. Wen Chan stared at the noodles bowl and let his saliva flood.

How about I still eat it? It is important to fill your stomach. Wen Chan persuaded himself by saying that although it was a bit hard, in any case, it was still a steamed bun and it was totally better than nothing.

His hand reached into his sleeve and took out the half of the hard steamed bun. The dumpling skin that originally had a yellow color had unexpectedly developed a faint black color. He pinched it hard1 and actually pressed out three irrecoverable fingerprints. Wen Chan looked at the steamed bun from left to right and felt that it was hard to swallow.

He closed his eyes and crossed his heart, getting ready to swallow it into his stomach. Wen Chan gritted his teeth secretly, closed his eyes tightly, and opened his mouth wide. But just when he was about to take a big bite, the steamed bun in his hand was suddenly snatched away by others.

Wen Chan’s first thought was: Even a steamed bun that had developed black color like this was snatched away. Is there still humanity?!

He opened his eyes in a rage, and it turned out to be Liang Yanbei.

He pinched the steamed buns like Wen Chan, and glanced at Wen Chan in surprise, “Young master Wen, can you eat this entire stuff?”

Wen Chan became angry all of a sudden, and he was not in good mood, “What else can I do? Starve to death?”

Liang Yanbei was amused by his appearance, and raised the bowl in his other hand, “I just asked the boss to cook noodles, and I was about to call you. But you woke up earlier.”

The noodles were neither thick nor thin. A few pieces of meat, radishes, and Chinese cabbage were set up on top of them. The soup exuded an alluring fragrance and was steaming hot. Wen Chan only glanced at it and all his moodiness was gone. He stood up and held out his hands to receive the bowl of noodles.

Liang Yanbei’s hands but ducked back, “Go inside and eat. It is too sunny outside.” After saying this, he took the lead in turning around. He then threw the steamed buns in his hands far away before walking into the noodles shop.

Wen Chan, who was thinking about eating the noodles, hurriedly caught up with him. After entering the room, he saw Liang Yanbei placing the noodles on the table, even drawing out a pair of chopsticks and putting them in the bowl.

Wen Chan didn’t want to say any superfluous words at all. So he walked over, picked it up, picked up the chopstick, inhaled two mouthfuls, and hurriedly filled it in his mouth. It was not too hot at all.

Liang Yanbei didn’t leave after giving the noodles. He sat down opposite him and watched him eat while resting his chin in his hand. He smiled while watching him, “You eat a bit slowly. No one will snatch it away from you.”

In fact, Wen Chan was already eating really slowly. Although he was very hungry, his self-cultivation was still there. Not wolfing down his food under such a circumstance was already considered good. It was just that in Liang Yanbei’s eyes, the difference between this appearance and the usual mature and stable Ninth Royal Highness was extremely distant.

In a blink of an eye, most of the noodles had been finished.

When he was eating the fragrant food, Xie Zhaoxue suddenly came in from the door and at a glance caught sight of Wen Chan eating the noodles. He asked Liang Yanbei who had his back to the door, “Liang Yanbei, are there any more noodles?”

He didn’t even turn his head back on hearing Xie Zhaoxue’s voice, “Go to the shop owner and ask for it yourself. Ten wens2 for a bowl.”

“It’s so expensive. It’s more expensive than in the capital.” Xie Zhaoxue muttered in a low voice, turning to find the store owner.

The person next to him said, “Young master Xie, I want a bowl for me too. Thank you.”

This voice belonged to a girl. Nevertheless, it was neither coquettish nor charming. But it was gentle and polite. Ordinary people would find it pleasant to hear. But when it was heard in Wen Chan’s ears, it was like a sudden clap of thunder, which struck his breathing into a mess.

He suddenly raised his eyes and saw a slender figure at the door that was sweet, fair, and graceful.
She was wearing a ruffled bamboo green dress with white muslin; and snow-colored jade hairpin and earrings. Her ink-black hair was held lightly with light-colored ribbons. Her eyebrows were umber black and her lips were vermillion. Her eyes were like water, and her ten fingers were slender. She was precisely the woman who Wen Chan had loathed in his previous life – Situ Zhoulan.

Choking on a mouthful of noodles in his throat, Wen Chan started coughing reflexively. His face suffocated into the color of pig liver, and the sound of his coughing was piercing. Liang Yanbei was scared into jumping and hurriedly poured him water.

Xie Zhaoxue was about to respond to Situ Zhoulan, but he heard the sound coming from the movement of Wen Chan. When he turned around to look, he saw Wen Chan rushing out in front of him with his mouth covered, and he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Wen Chan coughed and coughed, feeling uncomfortable in his stomach like overturning the mountain and draining the sea3. He felt that the noodles that he had just eaten wanted to gush out. So he ran out like crazy without caring about anything else. Liang Yanbei also carried a glass of water and went out on seeing this.

After clearly vomiting clean the things that he had eaten just then, Wen Chan crouched under a tree. It was like he was about to vomit out his stomach and intestines. The sound was highly mournful. He vomited till he could not vomit out anymore. His stomach felt as uncomfortable as if it was twisted and when he stopped, his face was full of tears.

When his head was dizzy, he closed his eyes slightly to alleviate it. But unexpectedly, just when he closed his eyes, the scene from twenty years ago emerged in his mind.

The young and handsome Liang Yanbei was dressed in a crimson-colored wedding dress and was wearing a groom’s cap on his head. With a smiling expression of spring breeze4 that overflowed on his face wantonly, he steps by step lead the bride who was dressed in a rich wedding attire into the big hall under the staring eyes of thousands and walked up to Wen Chan.

The marriage matron’s5 voice was high; and the guests were laughing happily and making noises. Under Wen Chan’s unblinking gaze, Liang Yanbei and his bride finished the wedding ceremony of meeting the bride.

The smile on Wen Chan’s face seemed to be numb, and he let the hand that he held tightly and hid in his sleeve to tremble. His heart ached as if it was stabbed by an awl. But he still had a flawless smile on his face and he still congratulated like the clouds were pale and a light breeze was blowing6.

Even after many years, Wen Chan couldn’t bear it as long as he thinks of that scene. It always felt like someone was standing in the pit of his stomach and was digging with a shovel. The more they dug, the more painful it got. The more they dug, the emptier it became.

The bride who was congratulated and praised by thousands of people, the girl who was held in the palm of Liang Yanbei’s hand, was none other than Situ Zhoulan, who later became the birth mother of Liang Shaojing too.

In fact, sometimes Wen Chan felt that his heart was particularly small. He could love Liang Yanbei the same every day for decades and could also view Liang Shaojing as his own and love him dearly. But he never liked Situ Lan. So much so that he even reached the point of feeling disgusted7.

He was very clear in his heart. Liang Yanbei and Situ Lan were green plums and
hobby-horse8. Since childhood, they grew up together in Jinling. So she had been involved in the life of Liang Yanbei in a way in which Wen Chan could not involve in his life and held a position that Wen Chan couldn’t replace.

The jealousy and hatred that had been forced into his heart by Wen Chan tore apart his nerves like crazy. He slumped on the ground, his hands shook uncontrollably.

At this moment, Liang Yanbei came over and squatted down in front of him, asking softly, “Your Ninth Highness, are you okay? Do you want to drink water?”

When Wen Chan heard this voice that was familiar to him to the deepest level, he knew that it was Liang Yanbei, and a strand of hatred suddenly gave birth at the bottom of his heart. He held out his hand to push him away with all his strength and shouted out uncontrollably, “Leave! Don’t come near me!”

Liang Yanbei was caught off guard by the push. He fell onto the ground and the cup in his hands fell off too, spilling everything onto the grass. He looked stunned and he stared at him blankly. After a while, the expression on his face slowly cooled down, and he asked calmly, “You hate me so much?”

Wen Chan’s eyes were red and he replied angrily, “What else do you want me to do? Like you?”

What’s the use? In the end, won’t he still marry a stunning wife, and give birth to a brilliant son. The flesh and fragrance of a beauty every day. Benevolent father and filial son.

Facing the cold palace that was so big, and a group of harem concubines he didn’t love, he was the only one who endured loneliness.

After a moment of silence, Liang Yanbei calmly said, “You may not believe it when I say it. Before I went to the capital, I dreamed of you.”

Wen Chan was stunned and he raised his eyes to look at him.

But he saw him still talking with a calm expression on his face, “I know that this sounds really ridiculous. You reside in the palace in the capital. I grew up in Jinling. It is definitely impossible for us to have met before. But I really and truly did dream about you.”

“In my dream, you and I were friends. We were so close that we drank a pot of wine together, slept on a couch together, and even went to war together…… On the night of the New Year Eve Banquet, you were wearing the clothes as that of a palace eunuch. I recognized you from far away. That’s why I took the liberty of stopping you. But you were very resistant towards me.”

“Maybe it’s because of that dream, I always want to make friends with you, although I don’t know why you hate me……”

Wen Chan recalled that wintry new year eve that took place a few months ago, when Liang Yanbei had pulled his hand and inexplicably asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”

At that time, he was still flustered about encountering rebirth and did not pay attention to it.

The dream may seem unfathomable to Liang Yanbei. But when Wen Chan heard it, he knew that he had dreamed of things from his previous life. It was very likely that this was the effect of Wen Chan’s rebirth.

In the previous life, the relationship between Wen Chan and Liang Yanbei was indeed really good to that degree. At that time, he recklessly brothered with Liang Yanbei9 and the only thing that lacked was wearing the same pants. Basicaly, there wasn’t a great deal of worries as later.

Wen Chan glanced at his slightly downcast countenance, and his heart that had hardened with great difficulty softened into a complete mess. And then the amount of anger also dissipated and he felt sad in his heart. Both his shoulders collapsed and he said, “Sorry.”

That’s right! How innocent was the Liang Yanbei of this life and he didn’t know anything too. How unfair it was to be cold and detached towards him like this. He held a passionate heart about making friends with him, but he was repeatedly rejected. Even if he didn’t say anything, he would still be feeling very wronged in his heart.

Liang Yanbei still didn’t react even though he heard what Wen Chan said. He sat motionless with his eyes down. Wen Chan slowly stretched out his hand and grabbed the corner of his clothes. He once again said, “Liang Yanbei, I’m sorry.”

Only then did Liang Yanbei raise his eyes to look at him, feeling slightly surprised. He clearly didn’t expect that his Noble Ninth Highness would actually apologize in a low voice when he pretends to feel wronged and say a few words. He asked, “You don’t hate me anymore?”

Wen Chan shook his head, wanting to to say: How could I hate you? But he restrained himself and didn’t say it in the end.

Even if he hated anyone from the surge of red dust10, and hate every manifestation of nature in this mudane world, it was impossible for him to hate Liang Yanbei for even a bit.

Liang Yanbei seemed to have met Qiao Yanci in front of the noodles shop. After seeing her, he asked lightly as a courtesy, “Miss Qiao, we are going to the inner island in the afternoon, do you want to come with us?”

“Of course, I wanna go together. The more the merrier.” Qiao Yanci spoke to Liang Yanbei. Her face seemed to be lit up and her eyes were glistening. Anyone with discerning eyes could make out her feelings.

Wen Chan was precisely that person with discerning eyes. A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart and the eyes looking at Qiao Yanci were also full of frustration.

Liang Yanbei thought that he was a little impatient. So he quickly ended the conversation, “Then Miss Qiao will pack up first. I’ll ask someone to let you know when we leave in the afternoon.”

After saying that, he took Wen Chan into the vacant room by the side without waiting for the girl’s response.

After settling Wen Chan first, he asked the shop owner for a bowl of noodles.

Zhong Wenjin was sucking in the noodles when he saw Liang Yanbei passing by with the noodles in his hands. He glanced at him inadvertently and suddenly became angry. He slapped his chopsticks, “What’s going on? Why is there so much meat in his bowl, but only a few pieces in my bowl!”

Liang Yanbei turned his head and glanced at him strangely, “Don’t you know how to add copper coins yourself?”

Zhong Wenjin choked on these words. He didn’t have even half a copper coin on his body. Xie Zhaoxue paid for the noodles. Right now, how could he ask Xie Zhaoxue for copper coins to add meat to the noodles?

He secretly glanced at Xie Zhaoxue, who was sitting on the opposite side. He raised his breath a few times but didn’t say anything. In the end, he simply crossed his heart: You won’t die if you don’t eat a few pieces of meat! Have some integrity!

After seeing him tossing for a while, Xie Zhaoxue picked up his chopsticks to eat noodles again and he couldn’t help but feel amused.

Yesterday, after their group arrived in Bafang City, they planned to take a night off before setting off. But they happened to meet the young lady of the Qiao family. Qiao Yanci was so anxious originally that she almost cried when she saw them. She said that the Zhong Wenjin, who came with her, was arrested and taken away by the mountain bandits to work as a coolie. She begged them to save him.

Xie Zhaoxue had enough when he heard it! Instead of staying in the capital obediently, Zhong Wenjin went as far as to elope with Qiao Yanci to Wuyue island. In addition to that he even fell into the hands of the mountain bandits to work as a coolie. He immediately went dizzy with anger. After a few discussions, before the day became bright in the morning, he followed the route Qiao Yanci said and went to the mountain bandit’s nest.

When he reached, Zhong Wenjin, who was like a mud ball, was surrounded by a group of mountain bandits. He was yelling and wielding a broadsword. The blade of the mountain bandit almost stabbed him several times. Xie Zhaoxue’s heart was alarmed and his body leapt11 on seeing it. This nephew of his had never been knocked or touched since he was a child, and now he was actually fighting under the blades of a group of outlaws.

While his thoughts were still stretching long and unbroken, his sword blade had already been drawn out, and Zhong Wenjin was rescued in an instant.

After suffering hardship for a few days, Zhong Wenjin got obviously thinner, and his temper was much more restrained. If he were in the capital, there would be nothing that he couldn’t eat when he wanted to. But now he aggrieved for a few pieces of meat.

Xie Zhaoxue casually took out a few copper coins and slapped them on the table, “Why are you acting like this? You can eat it if you want!”

Zhong Wenjin, who saw the copper coins, was overjoyed and his eyes almost lit up. He grabbed the copper coins and the noodles bowl; and ran to the noodles shop owner without even thanking him.

Xie Zhaoxue didn’t care either. The corners of his mouth curled and he laughed inadvertently after looking at his elated back.

It was really strange that the darling young master of the Zhong family was also happy now because of a few copper coins.

Translator’s corner

His change is actually pretty fishy. Thinking

I will try to give 2 more extra chapters this week. No promises though. You know me~ BUt I will try my best.

Thank you so much for reading the chapter. If you liked my translation and wanna support me, you can comment down your thoughts or send me a Kofi.

1

To hold it.

2

(old) classifier for coins

3

Extremely uncomfortable

4

it means a joyful smile

5

Xi Niang’s literal meaning is marriage matron and she is a woman who accompanies, takes care of the bride, and assists in the wedding ceremony in Chinese weddings

6

Like he didn’t care.

7

I feel like that is normal as long as you don’t go hurting her…

8

childhood sweethearts

9

They called each other brother

10

Red Dust is a common connotation in chinese for the human world. The bustling people create surge of red dust from the ground.

11

fear and trepidation in the face of disaster