Oops! The Black Lotus Can't Be a Female Supporting Character - Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Xie Wuduan
?¸.•´*¨`*•? ?•*`¨*`•.¸?
“Thank you, Princess.” Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but chuckle and opened the oiled paper package.
Inside, those snowy white and fluffy steamed buns were still steaming hot, and the enticing aroma of wheat wafted in the air.
Xiao Yanfei took a bite of the bun in front of County Princess Ning Shu. The bun’s skin was soft, and the unique savory taste of preserved mustard greens and dried bamboo shoots lingered between her teeth, incredibly delicious.
“Delicious,” Xiao Yanfei said, her mouth filled with the lingering flavors, and her eyes were full of delight.
“When this County Princess says it’s delicious, there’s no doubt!” County Princess Ning Shu said proudly, her voice crisp, and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks.
She waved her hand and called out to the others, “Let’s go.”
After leaving the scripture repository, it became even quieter outside.
There was no sign of the Crown Prince and his group of imperial guards around, just an empty space.
Xiao Yanfei nibbled on the bun and couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her from behind.
She sighed silently in her heart; the divination she sought at the West Forest Temple was remarkably accurate.
Xiao Yanfei casually touched the protective talisman hidden in her purse, feeling a sense of relief after narrowly escaping danger. Indeed, this protective talisman was quite effective, and she needed to keep it safe.
On their way from the back temple to the front temple, they didn’t encounter anyone until they reached the vicinity of the Grand Hero Hall. There, various pilgrims gradually gathered, chatting and making a commotion, with their eyes mostly on the imperial guards stationed at the temple’s entrance.
The mountain breeze brought with it some uneasy conversations among the pilgrims:
“Why are the imperial guards blocking us? What does it mean?”
“We’re all law-abiding citizens.”
“Hey, do you know what the imperial guards are searching for in the temple?”
“How would I know?”
“Wait a little longer. The Abbot in the temple said that once the Imperial guards finishes their investigation, they will let us go.”
“…”
The nearby worshipers seemed restless like ants on a hot plate.
Everyone was detained by the Imperial guards in the temple, not allowed to leave. The Imperial guards were unyielding, and they didn’t show any mercy to anyone, not even Princess Ning Shu.
Princess Ning Shu was usually spoiled and used to getting her way. Today, her dignity was hurt by the Imperial guards, and she was holding back her anger.
Her round cheeks puffed up like buns, and she drew circles on the ground with her toes, one after another…
After getting tired of drawing circles, she started drawing a rabbit on her tiptoes…
Xiao Yanfei, with nothing to do, bit into a bun and watched Princess Ning Shu’s aimless drawing. The rabbit she drew was simple but cute.
Princess Ning Shu caught a glimpse of Xiao Yanfei looking at her, and her mood improved slightly.
Well, let’s draw a cat for her to see.
Princess Ning Shu quickly drew a chubby little cat, and she became more skilled with each stroke.
As she finished drawing the cat and Xiao Yanfei finished her second bun, the nearby worshipers began to stir. Someone exclaimed, “Is that… the Crown Prince?”
The man’s voice carried both awe and excitement.
Xiao Yanfei finally looked up. She didn’t need to ask; she followed the gazes of the people around her.
Dozens of yards away, a group of people were approaching.
The Imperial guards had empty hands, and there seemed to be a gloomy aura above them, indicating that they hadn’t found what they were looking for, be it a person or an object.
The Crown Prince, wearing a saffron mink robe, led the group with a dignified air and became the center of attention in the crowd.
His gaze casually swept the area under the Bodhi tree, and his expression suddenly brightened.
He made a gesture with his hand, and the Imperial guards behind him stopped. The surrounding worshipers watched the Imperial guards cautiously, moving further away.
Both the Crown Prince and the Imperial guards were not to be trifled with by commoners.
The Crown Prince walked confidently towards Xiao Yanfei under the Bodhi tree.
“Luan’er,” the Crown Prince stared at Xiao Luanfei with intense eyes, his gaze shifting across her beautiful face, and his tone soft, “Why have you come?”
Xiao Luanfei’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled like spring flowers, “We came to request an amulet for protection.”
“Big cousin,” Princess Ning Shu no longer drew and asked in a displeased tone, “Why are you accompanied by the Imperial guards, and why are you stopping us from leaving?”
She was half-complaining and half-questioning, displaying a somewhat girlish demeanor.
Prince Yi is the younger brother of the current emperor, and Princess Ning Shu is his legitimate daughter, a titled county princess appointed by the emperor. She grew up in the palace and was quite familiar with her cousin, the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince’s gaze sharpened, and he said calmly, “Ning shu, don’t get involved in matters that don’t concern you.”
“…” Princess Ning Shu’s face instantly fell, and she pouted unhappily.
Seeing the princess’ disheartened expression, Xiao Luanfei nudged the Crown Prince with her elbow silently and gave him a coquettish look, as if to say, can’t we tell her?
The Crown Prince met Xiao Luanfei’s eyes, and his long and narrow eyes were filled with tenderness.
This matter could be disclosed.
He cleared his throat gently and then said, “Xie Wuduan.”
Princess Ning Shu hadn’t quite grasped it yet, but Xiao Luanfei seemed to be deep in thought and said, “Wasn’t Xie Wuduan supposed to be escorted to the capital early this morning?”
The news of Xie Wuduan’s impending trial had been widely publicized.
“Big cousin, are you searching for brother Duan… did he escape?!” Princess Ning Shu’s small mouth opened slightly in shock.
Xie Wuduan is the son of General Xie Yimo, the leader of the Golden Scales Army, and his mother is Princess Zhao Ming.
The Xie family had once been full of heroes, and Xie Yimo and his son Xie Wuduan had been highly regarded by the previous and current emperors for many years, guarding the northern border and achieving great military feats.
However, in the twelfth month of the previous year, Xie Yimo and his son conspired with the northern barbarians, causing a series of defeats in the northern border, with three cities falling and the ten thousand loyal souls of the Golden Scales Army perishing, leaving countless casualties among the northern border’s people.
The emperor was furious, and the entire Xie family was executed, while Princess Zhao Ming, full of shame, committed suicide at her palace, her blood staining the surroundings.
The Imperial Guards had captured Xie Wuduan on the northern border and brought him all the way to the capital for trial.
Xiao Yanfei: “…”
Even if she didn’t look up in the scripture repository just now, she might have guessed that the person hiding in the rafters, still bleeding, was Xie Wuduan.
She really had a narrow escape today!
Lu San swallowed her saliva. “Someone actually dared to rescue a prisoner under the Emperor’s nose!”
Xie Wuduan had a special status, having committed the crime of treason. If he were to escape, it would be a huge joke, and the Emperor would surely be furious.
The Crown Prince didn’t dwell on Xie Wuduan’s matter and smiled tenderly at Xiao Luanfei, saying, “Luan’er, I’ll have someone escort you down the mountain.”
“No need,” Xiao Luanfei gracefully shook her head. “The Princess and I want to go to the temple fair.”
“Exactly,” Princess Ning Shu eagerly nodded, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.”
The Crown Prince didn’t insist and personally escorted them out of the West Forest Temple. Then, he instructed his Imperial guards, “Question all the monks and pilgrims here again.”
The Imperial guards continued to surround the temple, while the ladies eagerly descended the mountain in advance.
However, at the foot of the mountain, they received disappointing news.
The area was deserted because, as passerby mentioned, the temple fair had closed half an hour ago due to the Imperial guards’ search.
With the fair gone and their excitement dampened, they could only return to the capital ahead of schedule.
Princess Ning Shu got on her carriage unhappily.
To cheer her up, Xiao Luanfei called for Xiao Yanfei and Liu San to join the same carriage and suggested playing “leaf card” on the way.
Princess Ning Shu was a bit disheartened, but when she heard that Xiao Yanfei didn’t know how to play, her spirits immediately lifted. She excitedly said, “I’ll teach you!”
Afraid that Xiao Yanfei might refuse to learn, she patted her chest confidently and added, “If you lose, it will all be on me.”
Leaf cards required four players to be enjoyable, so Lu San also encouraged, “Let’s play together, it’s easy to learn.”
Princess Ning Shu stared at her eagerly, clearly adopting the attitude of “if you don’t play, I won’t be friends with you.”
Who could resist such a look? Certainly not Xiao Yanfei.
“All right!”
“Come on, let me teach you how to recognize the cards.” Princess Ning Shu was now delighted, immediately becoming a strict teacher and teaching Xiao Yanfei hands-on.
However, this apprentice disappointed her. They only played once, and it was just mediocre. In the second round, they got into the groove.
“Huh? Xiao Yanfei, you’re lucky, you won!”
“Why do you keep winning?”
“I don’t care, let’s play another round!”
“… “
Princess Ning Shu, who had lost nine out of ten bets, still had a strong gambling spirit. By the time they reached the western gate of the capital city, she had lost all the silk flowers in a box.
Pouting and a bit sulky, she pushed the cards, causing laughter from Xiao Luanfei and Lu San.
This time, she lost her favorite butterfly hairpin.
“You have to wear it every day, got it?!”
As Xiao Yanfei got off the carriage, Princess Ning Shu reluctantly handed her the hairpin and coquettishly said, “We’ll play again next time!”
Before she could finish her sentence, the wheels turned, and the carriage rapidly departed.
Xiao Yanfei followed Xiao Luanfei into the Huo mansion’s carriage. When the two sisters returned to the mansion, besides the silk flowers and hairpin she won, she also had a few medical books she had purchased from a bookstore, making her return quite fruitful.
It was nearing the hour of the monkey (3-5 PM), and the sun was gradually setting in the west.
The two sisters went to the main hall together to pay respects to Yin Shi. Xiao Yanfei then slowly returned to her Moonrise Pavilion. She occasionally played with the butterfly hairpin she had won in her hand.
The butterfly hairpin was very delicate, with red coral beads and golden threads, sparkling in the sunlight.
As she entered the courtyard, she heard Ding Xiang reporting with a smile, “Miss, Yiniang has arrived.”
Xiao Yanfei’s smile instantly faded. She nonchalantly put down the hairpin and followed Ding Xiang into the room.
Concubine Cui was sitting on an arhat bed against the east wall, holding a Buddhist scripture and flipping through it slowly.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, wearing a blue-green embroidered peony jacket. Her porcelain-like skin was so white that it seemed to emit light, giving her the appearance of fragility.
Upon hearing the commotion, Concubine Cui put down the Buddhist scripture and looked towards Xiao Yanfei, revealing a stunning face.
Her willowy eyes seemed to have something to say, her delicate eyebrows furrowing gently.
However, at this moment, the image that appeared in Xiao Yanfei’s mind was of the original owner, who had been whipped by Marquis Wu’an on a stormy night, with Concubine Cui dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, heartbroken, and a wicked smile on her lips.
Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but shudder.
Hello! If you’ve enjoyed the novel, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a rating or review for this series here or on Novelupdates. Your feedback means a lot to me, and it helps others discover and enjoy the story as well. Thank you for your support! ??????> . <??????
Translated By: Allthingsfluff