nycdaug Chapter 114 Summoning
Chapter 114 Summoning
When Shangguan Mufeng returned to Xiaoshitan, he was surprised to hear that Prince Duan had been summoned by Zisu to dig sweet potatoes in the field.
This child is incredibly brave! Who is Prince Duan? He's the Emperor's darling, the apple of his eye. In the Emperor's heart, Prince Duan is treated like his own son. And, absolutely, the one he loves most!
If the Emperor knew that his beloved nephew was being treated like this by Zisu, what would he think? I wonder if he would be angry with Zisu, or with him as the father?
Shangguan Mufeng felt very uneasy.
Madam Yu: "It's not Zisu's fault. It's because Prince Duan follows Zisu around all day, going wherever she goes, which annoyed her. That's why Zisu bossed him around like that!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Sigh, that's true, but this child is indeed a bit too bold!"
After bathing, changing clothes, and having a meal, Shangguan Mufeng hurried to the banana grove. Pan Kang led the way for him.
Along the way, Shangguan Mufeng asked about Zisu and Wuliping, and Pan Kang honestly told him everything in detail. Pan Kang's descriptions were vivid and full of genuine respect, which made Shangguan Mufeng very happy.
His daughter, Zisu, is becoming more and more of a source of pride and joy for him!
Alas, such an outstanding daughter—only a man as exceptional as Prince Duan could tame her. Only a man of such noble character as Prince Duan could win Zisu's genuine affection. But this child doesn't want to marry into royalty, nor does she want to marry someone too handsome. If Xiao Hao weren't Prince Duan, if Xiao Hao were less attractive, how wonderful that would be!
To be honest, Shangguan Mufeng was completely convinced of Xiao Hao's talent as a young marshal. He truly felt it was a great pity that such a fine hero wouldn't choose him.
However, what the daughter said wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Alas, life is rarely perfect!
Upon arriving at the banana grove, Shangguan Mufeng witnessed Prince Duan diligently digging sweet potatoes, his once magnificent clothes now filthy. He was both amused and exasperated, and quickly strode over, saying, "Your Highness, please stop! Come home with me and get some rest!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Duan stopped digging sweet potatoes, straightened his back, and smiled at Shangguan Mufeng: "General Shangguan is back. Was your journey smooth?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Successfully! With so many soldiers escorting us, no one dared to lay a finger on me! Your Highness, please come and rest with me!"
Prince Duan: "It's alright, if Zisu can do it, so can I! General, you must be tired from your journey. You should go back first! Zisu said that these sweet potatoes need to be dug up and brought home before the first frost, otherwise they won't keep well!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Don't listen to her. The family isn't short of money. She can spend the money to hire temporary workers!"
Upon hearing this, Zisu went over and greeted him warmly, "Father, you're back!"
Shangguan Mufeng glared at his daughter and scolded, "Look at you! The prince is such a precious person. How can you order him around to dig sweet potatoes? Is this a job the prince should be doing?"
Zisu retorted, "It was his own choice. I didn't hold a knife to his throat. Besides, he can go to the battlefield, so why can't he dig sweet potatoes? Going to the battlefield is such a tiring and dangerous thing. Compared to going to the battlefield, digging sweet potatoes is a piece of cake!"
Shangguan Mufeng glared again, lowering his voice, but with a hint of sternness: "Look at yourself, what kind of behavior is this? Do you think you can order the prince around like that? If His Majesty finds out, see what kind of trouble you'll get! You dare to order the prince around, what audacity!"
Zisu playfully made a face at her father: "I'm not afraid at all. The Emperor is a wise ruler, one of the most outstanding in thousands of years. He wouldn't punish his daughter for such a trivial matter. Besides, it was clearly the Prince's own choice to do it. I didn't force him! Even if he is a Prince, I'm still a Princess! If I can do it, why can't he?"
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Mufeng was so angry he laughed: "You dare to talk back? Can you, a princess, compare to Prince Duan?"
Zisu: "Why not? They're both bestowed by His Majesty, it's just that a prince is a bit older than a princess, there's no real difference! Was he born a prince? It wasn't until he grew up that the Emperor bestowed the title!"
"You brat, it seems you won't know what fear is until I beat you today!" Shangguan Mufeng was angry and raised his right hand to hit Zisu.
Zisu quickly jumped back a zhang away: "General Shangguan, I am a princess. How dare you, a mere general, hit a princess? This is insubordination!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "I'm your father, your biological father! Even if I hit you, you have to accept it obediently! Otherwise, are you going to complain to the Emperor?"
Zisu couldn't help but chuckle: "Father, I'm not one to take things lying down. I haven't done anything wrong. If you want to hit me, I won't just stand there and wait for you to hit me! If you want to hit me, come and chase me all over the place, and I'll let you hit me a few times!"
"You, you wild girl! You made me chase you all over the place? What kind of behavior is this? If word gets out, what will become of my reputation as a dignified General Protector of the Nation?" Shangguan Mufeng was amused by her.
Prince Duan watched the two bickering and couldn't help but feel envious.
His father passed away when he was young, and throughout his childhood, he longed for a father who could scold or even spank him when he did something wrong. Watching Zisu and her father bicker, he felt a pang of envy and momentarily forgot to try and mediate.
Only then did he suddenly come to his senses, and quickly smiled to smooth things over between the two: "Alright, General, it was indeed my own choice, so please don't blame Zisu. Digging sweet potatoes is actually quite interesting. With each stroke of the hoe, seeing so many sweet potatoes come out, the joy of harvest can only be experienced through labor!"
Zisu muttered to herself: Humph! You're smart to know what's good for you!
Having no other choice, Shangguan Mufeng rolled up his sleeves and followed behind Prince Duan, picking up the dug sweet potatoes and putting them into his basket. While picking up the sweet potatoes, he talked with Prince Duan and discussed the situation in the Northwest military camp.
Zisu looked around and then felt relieved.
Well, anyway, besides Prince Duan's seven guards, there are only pears and cherries in this sweet potato field. And these people are all very reliable, so even if Prince Duan and his father overheard their conversation, it wouldn't matter.
The banana grove had fifty acres of sweet potatoes planted. Prince Duan stayed at Xiaoshitan for ten days and spent those ten days digging sweet potatoes. It wasn't until the day the emperor sent someone to summon him to the palace that he finally bid farewell to the people of Xiaoshitan.
This time, before he left, Zisu gave him thirty completely yellow bananas, thirty bananas that were nine-tenths yellow, and fifty bananas that were seven-tenths yellow. In addition, she also gave him a large bag of dried sweet potatoes and sweet potato chips.
Prince Duan received the gift prepared by Zisu herself and left happily.
These dried sweet potatoes and sweet potato chips were all made by Zisu herself, watching her work.
Hehe, so that's why she was in such a hurry to make sweet potato chips and dried sweet potatoes—it was a gift for him. And, Zisu used a unique method to make them, making them incredibly delicious.
When Prince Duan arrived in the capital, he went straight to the palace.
He presented bananas, dried sweet potatoes, and sweet potato chips as if they were treasures: "Your Majesty, I have brought you two delicious things, which were made by Princess Yulin herself!"
The Emperor, being very accommodating, tasted it and said, "Hmm, it's quite good indeed; the children should really enjoy it!"
Prince Duan: "Your subject also enjoys eating it!"
The Emperor couldn't help but roll his eyes at him: "You like Princess Yulin so much that you won't marry anyone else?"
When Prince Duan returned from the border, the Emperor wanted to bestow a marriage upon him, selecting several daughters from noble families and high-ranking officials, but he refused them all. When pressed, he said that he already had someone he loved. That person was Princess Yulin.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor was immediately delighted. He liked Princess Yulin? That was wonderful; the girl was excellent in every way. If Shangguan Mufeng had truly died for his country, this marriage would have been somewhat inappropriate. However, now that Princess Yulin's parents were both alive, it was a very good match!
The emperor said, "Then let us bestow this marriage upon you!"
Prince Duan surprisingly said, "No, she doesn't fancy me. I want to win her over myself and don't want to force her into anything!"
Left with no other option, the Emperor granted him a ten-day leave, allowing him to go to Wuliping to pursue his wife. After ten days, judging by his demeanor, his feelings for Princess Yulin have likely deepened considerably!
Sure enough, upon hearing his question, Prince Duan chuckled foolishly and said, "Yes, in this life, I will marry no one but her!"
The emperor rolled his eyes at him: "So, did she agree to your request?"
The smile on Prince Duan's face dimmed slightly: "No, she dislikes that my status is too noble, and she also dislikes that I am too beautiful!"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor burst into laughter: "Haha, you arrogant brat, you've finally met your match! So many girls chased after you, crying and begging to be your women, and you didn't like a single one of them. Now you've tasted the bitterness of rejection, haven't you?"
Prince Duan: "She declared that she would not marry until she was eighteen, but she is only fourteen years old now. I have plenty of time!"
The Emperor said, "But you're already twenty-one years old this year, not young anymore. Everyone your age has a bunch of children. Why don't you take a concubine first?"
---There's another update today, muah! Tianjing has set up a survey for her work, it's in the description, you can click on it. It's about the male lead casting, everyone is welcome to participate. Thank you, thank you so much!