The Wife is First

Ch67 - Coincidental Meeting

The scenery in Jiangnan was good, but it was a little bleak in winter. 

A small bridge over flowing water, the gentle rhythm of soft conversation, and two people hand-in-hand on the blue stone path, wandering aimlessly.

They had already been in Pingjiang for two days, and had visited several special scenic locations. There were some public botanical gardens that were quite beautiful, but a few others were privately owned and not often open.

“If you gentlemen have no place to go sightseeing, you can go to the green bamboo pavilions in the east of the city to listen to music,” said the boss of the painted parasol stand.

“Is there anything special there?” Jing Shao picked out an umbrella with a painting of an ink phoenix on it and showed it to the person next to him. 

Mu Hanzhang nodded and paid the shopkeeper.

“The green bamboo pavilions sound sophisticated, but it’s not a teahouse.” The boss took the money. He smiled and explained that teahouses were the usual places to listen to music, but these green bamboo pavilions were different. The place was sophisticated and elegant, but sold snacks instead of tea. The snacks there were very expensive and also very exquisite. The rich sons of Pingjiang City who just wanted to have a good time and not put on an act of just drinking tea liked that place most.

When Jing Shao heard this, he was immediately interested. His Wang Fei liked elegant things, and he himself liked all kinds of snacks. This way, they could kill two birds with one stone! He thus pulled along the person beside him to the east of the city.

The green bamboo pavilions were indeed a place of elegance. There were rows of evergreen bamboo with only a pebble path which led to the center. In the middle of the bamboo forest was a small pavilion made entirely of bamboo and surrounded by gurgling water. A girl sat inside with a Chinese lute in her arms as she softly sang a Jiangnan folk song. There were 16 smaller bamboo pavilions which surrounded the main pavilion, each of which had a table, chairs and a coal heater. One pavilion could only sit one table of guests. In order to retain its elegance, this place did sell snacks, but there were no noisy waiters to order from. Instead, guests had to go to the back of the bamboo grove and order directly from the shopkeeper.

Perhaps it was because of the cold weather, but when they arrived, there were only five or six pavilions with people in them.

Plum blossom cakes fresh out of the oven and bowls of steaming wontons; these truly were delicacies of the human world. Mu Hanzhang picked up a plum blossom cake. These things were delicious, but they were just too expensive. One plate of pastries and two bowls of wontons cost one tael of silver! No wonder business was so bad.

Jing Shao took a sip of the soup. The fragrant and hot soup was quite heartening to drink on this cold winter day. When he looked up and saw his Wang Fei looking at the plum blossom cake in a daze, he scooped up a wonton with his spoon and brought it to Mu Hanzhang’s lips. “Have a taste. It won’t be as delicious once it’s cold.” 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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Mu Hanzhang ate his wontons gracefully and earnestly. Suddenly, a man came over from the pavilion next to theirs. His voice was clear and pleasant. “Excuse me, Gongzi.”

Mu Hanzhang turned his head to look and was stunned. 

The man in front of him was dressed from head to toe in snow white. Although it was winter, his robe was still covered with a layer of light gauze. Following his slender figure up, he had delicate facial features and the corners of his eyes slanted upward; it was truly the face of a beauty. However, the smile that wasn’t a smile on his lips made him look a little dangerous.

“What can I do for you, Gongzi?” Mu Hanzhang stood up and subconsciously put his hand over the hilt of the sword at his waist, his thumb pressed to where the blade and sheath were connected.

The man got a clear look at Mu Hanzhang’s face, and his lips couldn’t help curving up further. “May I ask, is Gongzi’s blade the famed ancient Hanzhang treasure sword?” His mouth uttered words about the treasure sword, but rather than look at the blade, his eyes were fixed on Mu Hanzhang’s handsome face.

Mu Hanzhang frowned slightly. “This blade was a gift from a friend; I don’t know its name.” The scabbard of the Hanzhang treasure sword was old and dull. Even if he had it polished by a silversmith later, it would still look ordinary. This man had to be very knowledgeable if he could recognize the sword at a glance. 

“May I have a look?” The man stepped forward and almost drew close to Mu Hanzhang’s ear. The next moment, he was grabbed by the collar and dragged backward.

Jing Shao had just come back from the bamboo grove with a bowl of wontons when he saw a lecher drawing close to his Wang Fei’s body, even reaching for his waist with one hand. He immediately exploded and threw away the wontons at once. Charging forward a few steps, he grabbed the back of that person’s collar, then threw a punch at his eye.

That person’s reaction wasn’t slow as he almost subconsciously raised his hand to block Jing Shao’s fist. Jing Shao was about to hit the man’s chin, but when he saw his face, he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. He had seen this face for so many years, and definitely wouldn’t be mistaken; this man was the most important reason for his trip to Jiangnan – Gu Huaiqing, the Huainan King!

The split second in which Jing Shao froze was all Gu Huaiqing needed, and he suddenly turned, freeing himself and quickly striking at Jing Shao. Jing Shao immediately raised his hand to block him, but that fist didn’t make contact. Instead, the fist retracted and the person jumped away. 

Gu Huaiqing gracefully adjusted his clothes and looked at Jing Shao coldly. “Attacking someone out of the blue is not befitting a nobleman.” Next to the pavilion, two bodyguards heard this and quickly ran out, guarding him on both sides.

Jing Shao ignored him and wrapped an arm around his Wang Fei, pulling him closer to examine him. “Jun Qing, are you alright?”

Mu Hanzhang shook his head. “I’m fine.” Seeing that Gu Huaiqing looked to be a rational person, he gently leaned into Jing Shao’s arms and comfortingly rubbed his back that was tense with anger.

But this kind of comfort looked very different in Jing Shao’s eyes. Jun Qing seldom took the initiative to cuddle in his arms. For him to be like this, he must have been wronged! The anger that had just subsided flared again. Whether the other party was the Huainan King or Huaibei King, he would get a good beating! 

Astonishment flashed across Gu Huaiqing’s face. He had only been paying attention to the treasure sword and not to the two people. Being so intimate and ambiguous in broad daylight, they had to be officially wed husbands! Before he could apologize, Jing Shao rushed over again.

Gu Huaiqing gestured to the two bodyguards not to intervene, and he went forward to meet Jing Shao.

Jing Shao struck at him, and when Gu Huaiqing raised his hand to block him, he suddenly dropped and his leg swept out. Gu Huaiqing immediately jumped up, then kicked at Jing Shao. Jing Shao spun, kicked Gu Huaiqing’s leg away, then flew up.

They were equally matched in their martial arts and were in a deadlock. 

Mu Hanzhang watched in astonishment as the two men fought with all their limbs all over the place, first with martial arts, and then by pulling dirty tricks, before it finally turned into rolling around on the ground, fighting each other without technique.

The people who had been listening to music around them came over to see the excitement, but the two bodyguards pulled out knives, and those idle rich young noblemen were scared to death, running away as fast as they could. When the shopkeeper heard the news, he came up in a hurry to dissuade them; this disturbance would cause him to lose business for a long while. Mu Hanzhang came forward to give him a Southern sea pearl as compensation, and the boss’s face which was wrinkled into a ball immediately unfurled into a smile. “Please take your time to learn from each other, I’ll make you a pot of tea!”

The two men on the ground didn’t care if they lost face fighting like this. They fought until both of them were black and blue, panting and gasping. They finally broke apart with difficulty and lay on their backs on the leaves scattered over the ground, gasping for breath.

Mu Hanzhang thought that there would finally be a truce, but after three breaths, the two men looked at each other, and at the same time, suddenly got up and locked two arms together as they stealthily tried to sound out the other’s strength through arm-wrestling. Gu Huaiqing looked at Jing Shao, who had a blue bruise at the corner of his mouth and a bloody nose, but was still glaring ferociously at him. He couldn’t help laughing. He threw his head back on the ground and said, “Ha ha ha, I didn’t know you were married, I was wrong. If brother is still angry, hit me again!” 

Jing Shao ignored him, got up from the ground, and kicked him.

Gu Huaiqing: “…” Usually, when someone heard words like this, wouldn’t hostility turn into friendship?  This person was really… too interesting!

Mu Hanzhang hurriedly went forward with a cloth towel from the boss and gave it to Jing Shao to wipe his face. “You said it was fine, why did you start fighting again?”

“Hmph!” Jing Shao snorted; he wasn’t sure how to wrap up the current situation. 

His initial plan for coming to Jiangnan was to see the Huainan King and discuss the future with him; he didn’t expect to meet him here. Even though they had fought each other for so long in his last life, Jing Shao had never regarded this man as an enemy, but as a rival that was hard to come by; even perhaps a kindred spirit or a close friend from a previous reincarnation! Therefore, he had another plan for the Huainan fiefdom this time, but he didn’t expect this situation to develop as soon as they met.

Gu Huaiqing got up from the ground, rubbed his aching shoulder, then grasped Jing Shao’s arm. “An exchange of blows may lead to friendship; I’ve never met such a kindred spirit. I want to become sworn brothers with you today.” He recalled how Jing Shao hadn’t been afraid to use any and all dirty tricks when they started fighting. He had never seen a man of extraordinary origins with excellent martial arts who was nevertheless as shameless as himself! He was truly a potential once-in-a-lifetime friend!

“Ah?” Jing Shao paused. This Huainan King really didn’t do things by the book. How did their fight turn into becoming sworn brothers?

A prince and a vassal becoming sworn brothers. How could that be a thing? Jing Shao frowned and looked at him. “Gongzi’s position is certainly extraordinary. I’m afraid it’s not appropriate to just casually make a vow with another?” 

However, Gu Huaiqing ordered the guards to prepare candles and yellow paper without hesitation, then pulled Jing Shao to his feet. “No matter who I am and who you are, it’s hard to meet a kindred spirit. Today, the two of us must make these vows!”

Mu Hanzhang looked at the two people who were all beaten and battered, but still trying to maintain their poise, and couldn’t help pressing his lips together to laugh softly.

Burning yellow paper and killing a chicken for the blood; once Gu Huaiqing decided something, he went all out. In one moment, he got everything ready and pulled Jing Shao over to make the vows.

(The vows for this sworn brother ritual include burning incense and using chicken blood which they then both drop some of their own blood into and both drink. I think killing the chicken and burning yellow paper is also a way of “burying the hatchet” and putting their fight behind them.) 

“With the Heavens above, I, Gu Huaiqing, here today with…” Holding the incense in his hand, Gu Huaiqing suddenly stopped, chuckled and turned his head. “Brother, you haven’t introduced yourself yet.”

“…” Jing Shao sighed helplessly. The Huainan King, who was a few years younger than he had been in Jing Shao’s previous life, was still so unpredictable. “Jing Shao.”

The smile on Gu Huaiqing’s lips froze at once. “Jing” was the emperor’s surname. There weren’t many people surnamed Jing in the world, or named Jing Shao, or who would even appear here in Jiangnan. At that moment, the only person who came to mind was the Cheng Wang.

Jing Shao copied Gu Huaiqing’s smile that wasn’t a smile. “So, do you still want to become sworn brothers?” 

“Yes! How could we not!” Gu Huaiqing came back to his senses and put the incense in Jing Shao’s hands. “Heavens above us, I am Gu Huaiqing. I am here today with  Jing Shao to become sworn brothers. From now on, we will share in blessings and calamities together!”