Little Cardamom - Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve – Admiration

After Ming Tan left, the treasure hall returned to silence. In the quiet room with the aroma of tea rising, it’s difficult to continue the discussion at hand.

Master Hui Yuan still hung a light smile on his face, and said warmly: “Since it is difficult to determine the heart, Your Highness do not have to force.”

Jiangxu ignored, raised the chess to continue playing, but when the chess piece was hanging in mid-air, that Ming family Miss’s tedious and complex world of a rare husband requirements sounded in his ears again. The chess game in front of him seemed to be scattered in a mess, without the alignment of rules and regulations.

He did not push, put the black piece back in the chess pot, got up with his hands behind his back, and said in a faint voice: “I’ll ask the master to teach me again some other day.”

Master Hui Yuan looked at his sharp departure, twisted his white beard, and smiled without saying a word.

Coming out from the Treasure Hall after praying, Ming Tan walked haphazardly for a while, and finally circled back to a familiar place.

Su Xin and Lu’e had been searching for her for a while, and when they suddenly saw her, they were busy welcoming her.

“Miss, where have you been, you scared the hell out of me!” Lu’e said anxiously.

Su Xin also nervously said, “Just now I asked the small master of the fasting hall, the small master said that miss left her food, went to the small Buddha hall to introspect, but the slave girl and Lu’e went to the small Buddha hall and didn’t find miss.”

“Nothing, just got lost.” Ming Tan said lightly, “I found another treasure hall, anyway, the matter of introspection, regardless of where it is, the sincerity of the heart is the essence of the spirit.”

She is so sincere, I think the Buddha will not blame, and perhaps will bless her to find a husband.

Well, this is the reason.

Ming Tan: “By the way, you guys were looking for me, have you guys eaten?”

“Nothing, slave girl is not hungry.”

“No, the slave girl is hungry.”

Su Xin and Lu’e both answered at the same time.

“……”

These two people’s temperament is the opposite of each other since they were young, and they haven’t learned a single bit more from each other in so many years.

“The hour has not yet passed, you guys quickly go and eat, I’ll enjoy the flowers in the neighborhood.”

In order to prevent Su Xin from bringing out “there is no reason for the master to wait for the slave girl” these kinds of rules, Ming Tan also added: “I want to be alone for a while, don’t come to bother me.”

Su Xin no longer dares to say anything to refuse.

Seeing Lu’e pulling Su Xin into the fasting hall, Ming Tan breathed a sigh of relief. With nothing else to do, she wandered slowly to the side of the Blessing Pond, with her hands behind her back, she stretched out her head and looked down.

The early spring wind in February is gentle and warm, blowing across the surface of the pool, creating shallow ripples. The reflected face of Qingcheng on the water is also swaying lightly with the ripples.

When Ming Tan looked at the left and right, she felt sorry for Liang Zixuan. Not applying powder and not wearing hair pins, she can still be so delicate and attractive. Liang Zixuan, he missed it.

And he missed more than just a face, he missed dozens of years drinking wine with colleagues and being proud about having a good wife!!

Then again, I don’t know who has saved up eight lifetimes of good fortune to end up marrying a woman as good as herself. I just hate that she cannot be a part of it. If she were a man, she would have to remove all the difficulties, and offer her ten miles of red makeup to marry herself.

Ming Tan on this side of the pool was feeling sorry for him, but she didn’t realize that two dark figures were walking through the plum forest opposite the Liushang Pond.

“Your Highness, Young General Shen will not be able to enter the city until late at night, and will personally come to the royal residence tomorrow to report to you about the handover between Dongzhou and Sui Bei Road.” The dark guard followed behind Jiang Xu, whispering back the latest news he had gotten.

Jiang Xu’s steps did not stop, his voice was light: “Didn’t he already arrive in Wo State yesterday, why is he entering the city only this night?”

Wo state and the capital are connected, the official road is convenient, and this time Shen Yu is riding back alone to the capital. Under normal circumstances, the latest he can arrive is at noon today

“Subordinate don’t know.”

The dark guard was ashamed of himself. Based on the distance, entering the city tonight was indeed a bit slow, but from the information he received, it was indeed so.

Jiang Xu did not ask any more questions.

Just before walking out of the plum forest, a familiar male voice came from the opposite side of the Liushang Pond: “Cousin Tan!”

Jiang Xu stopped walking and turned his head to look.

The dark guard also subconsciously glanced across the street.

Dark Guard: “……”

He figured out why young General Shen could not enter the city until late at night and could not come to see the king until tomorrow.

“Cousin …… why are you here?” Ming Tan turned around and was really a bit surprised to see Shen Yu.

Shen Yu is not unarmored, and seems to be dusty from the road. His handsome face is slightly reddened by the sun, and his forehead is covered with a layer of light beads of sweat.

“I went back to Beijing today and stopped by a teahouse. I heard that my cousin, you, and the prince of Lingguo had divorced. When I returned home, I heard that Ah Hua said that you came to Lingmiao Temple to avoid the limelight, so I hurried over here.”

……?

To avoid the limelight.

It is not necessary to say so bluntly.

Shen Yu realized that he missed the point, and then quickly said: “This matter is not cousin’s fault, cousin need not be too sad.”

Ming Tan avoided answering, and asked back in a detached but not impolite manner, “Cousin has come, is there something important?”

Uh…no.

Shen Yu has been admiring Ming Tan for a long time, when he first sent Shen Hua to the Marquis residence, he fell in love with Ming Tan at first sight, but he never had the chance to show his feelings because the beautiful woman had a marriage contract.

This time back in the capital, even before entering the city, he listened at the teahouse outside of the city, someone talking about the Ming and Liang families withdrawing from the marriage, and the calm heart steeply jumped up.

In order to see Ming Tan as soon as possible, he sent a letter to the royal secret guards, saying that he could not return to the capital until late at night, and that he could not report back to the king on the matter of the handover of the Dongzhou tomorrow.

When he rushed back to Marquis Jing’an House, he realized that Ming Tan in order to avoid the wind, had come to Lingmiao Temple early in the morning to pray for blessings. He really can’t hold back, even Shen Hua did not know that he would rush over here again.

Shen Yu came in a hurry, and for a moment did not really think of a good reason. However, he is different from Shen Hua, he has a young heart, and he is a man who marches and fights, and he doesn’t care about etiquette and tact.

Since he could not find a reason, he simply bluntly said: “I came to tell cousin, I have admired cousin for a long time, but earlier cousin and prince of Duke have a marriage contract, and you and I have a different status …… Now cousin has withdrawn from the marriage, it is difficult to get a marriage, not if you marry me well? After this Dongzhou victory, the prince will definitely tell the Holy Majesty to promote me. Although there is still a huge gap with your status as the Daughter of Marquis, I will definitely make military exploits again, and I will grant my cousin an imperial order in the future! ”

Shen Yu finished in one breath, his eyes glowing, and he even took off the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Ming Tan.

Ming Tan was first stunned by what he said, and then was shocked by the action of handing the jade pendant and retreated half a step.

“Be careful!” Shen Yu was afraid that she would fall into the water.

Ming Tan pressed down on the stone table by the pool, busy stopping, “Don’t move!”

After keeping a distance of ten feet away from Shen Yu, she settled down and asked, “Does cousin know what he is saying and doing?”

Seeing that Ming Tan was neither delighted nor shy, Shen Yu was a bit at a loss: “I… am I not asking cousin for marriage?”

“Cousin this is not courting me, it is setting me up for doom.” Ming Tan spoke out in a steady voice, “Asking for marriage requires the words of a matchmaker by the order of parents, such a simple rule, I don’t think cousin would not be ignorant of it. Cousin’s words and gifts, if I accept, to put it nicely, it would be a private decision for a lifetime between two lovers, or it would be a private gift and acceptance.”

Shen Yu was confused.

Ming Tan also said: ” Cousin both of us know that I came to the temple to pray for blessings and also for avoiding the wind, you should know that, A Tan’s every word and action is like walking on thin ice nowadays. As long as the cousin has three points of courtesy to A Tan, he will not come here rashly to express his affection.”

Shen Yu: “Without prior knowledge and coming alone, it is my recklessness, but cousin, I ……”

He panicked as he explained, but Ming Tan directly interrupted: “If you know that’s reckless, then please quickly leave this place cousin. A Tan can pretend that she has never seen cousin today, and she has not heard of any words of marriage proposal. And, Ah Tan has no intention to marry cousin, it is absolutely impossible to marry cousin as a bride, please cousin do not mention it again in the future.”

“……”

No intention, no possibility, never mention it again.

The secret guards following Jiang Xu couldn’t help but sweat for young General Shen.

This Fourth Miss of the Ming Family could truly be described as a heartbreaker who would kill someone.

As expected, when Shen Yu heard the second half of the sentence, his complexion went gray, and the light in his eyes dimmed, and the words of explanation were blocked in his throat, and he could no longer speak.

Coincidentally, Su Xin and Lu’e finished lunch and came to find Ming Tan, seeing Shen Yu, the two were a little surprised, and wanted to salute, but unexpectedly Ming Tan crossed Shen Yu, and directly commanded: “Go, go back to the room to copy the sutra.”

Su Xin and Lu’e answered yes in unison.

Following Ming Tan out of the area, Lu’e couldn’t help but look back in curiosity.

Shen Yu was still standing there lost in thought, not moving for a long time.

Green Calyx: “Miss, why is the cousin young master here?”

Ming Tan was too angry to speak and did not respond.

When she returned to the house, Lu’e said quietly: “Slave girl saw, the cousin young master seems to be interested in young lady, before the cousin young master from …….”

Ming Tan sent a swish of an eye knife flying over.

Lu’e as if being held by this knife against her throat, wisely shut up, and no longer dare to say anything else.

About the same time that Ming Tan’s trio returned to the room, Shen Yu, who was standing by the Liushang Pond, moved his steps, and walked back in the direction of the temple gate in a slightly stiff manner.

The little maid who hid behind the tree and peeked at the whole thing, also quietly left from another path.

This bit of movement naturally can’t escape the eyes of the secret guards, the secret guards reminded him, but Jiangxu ignored it, instead he suddenly commanded, “Go and check on the Ming family’s fourth young miss, check on whether she went to the Hanyuan Temple during the Qing Festival two years ago.”

I met this fourth young lady of the Ming family several times, either only hearing her voice or seeing her shadow, but I didn’t take a serious look at what this girl looked like.

This time I saw clearly, although I don’t know why is she not wearing the clothes from the five carriages, but her eyes and teeth are bright and white, and her face is delicate, and she is indeed a beauty that is hard to find. Looking at the appearance, the previous prayers do not seem so excessive. But these are not important, the important thing is that he found this woman looks somewhat familiar.

In the wing room, Ming Tan, who seemed familiar to Jiang Xu, became angrier as she thought about it. Although Shen Hua was not very likable, she was still a shrewd person with a brain. How could there be such a brainless brother! This is not admiration and courtship, it is clearly wanting her life!

However, she also knows that Shen Yu is only frank and straightforward, and has no bad intentions. This is what made her angry, can’t blame, can’t teach, can only be suffocated by herself!

No, she wants to choose a husband and her husband must not be like a general Shen Yu, acting recklessly as he wishes and talking nonsense, how can such a man protect her in the future?

Thinking of this, she got up in a hurry, organized her appearance in the bronze mirror, and took Su Xin back to the treasure hall where she prayed before.

She knelt squarely on the futon and worshiped three times, hands joined together and read brokenly: “Buddha in the heavens, the letter of the daughter A Tan was not well thought out before, on the matter of choosing a husband of your choice there are some things that still need to be added to …….”

The little shaman who was sweeping in the quiet room of the remote hall was confused for a moment, and his scalp tightened. This little lady’s choice of husband requirements, he has only seen His Highness the King of Dongbei in his lifetime can be satisfied.

…… Surprisingly, there is more?

TRANSLATOR’S CORNER:
I’m studying medicine and got real busy the last few months, so U couldn’t upload any chapters. I’m sorry for not giving any notice about it and I’m also dropping it. I am not a native speaker of either Chinese or English. I basically MTL and edit the text, sometimes I also use some sites for reference. I can’t guarantee that everything here is accurate, But I try to stick to the author’s work as much as possible. Please feel to comment any mistakes??.