The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 102
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 102
The Noble Consort’s birthday banquet ended in great success.
The schedule of receiving guests for the birthday banquet, followed by two days of preliminary festivities and the day of the actual banquet, was quite grand, with people whispering behind the scenes that it was comparable to the Thousand Autumn Banquet held only for the Empress’s birthday.
Thus began the after-banquet festivities that made the entire Nanjing area buzz with excitement.
They said it would continue for three more days, making it a total six-day event.
It was such a splendid event with much to see.
However, Hahee was not enjoying it at all.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“The lady of the Ban family speaks too harshly.”
“I’ll kick his butt.”
“Oh my. How unseemly.”
“I’ll pull out his tongue.”
“Oh dear. Please stop saying such things in front of the person himself.”
Whiiiiing. Bang.
Fireworks burst in the distant Nanjing sky.
Below that, the Jinhuihe area would be scattered with colorful lanterns spreading their light.
The people of Nanjing, having received tax exemptions and obtained wine and meat, would be praising the Emperor and shouting long live.
Even at the ferry terminal in the windy night, the heat of that festival flickered.
If they were with lovers or family, they would be pulling each other’s hands toward that festival ground with tickling hearts.
Glare.
Hahee shot a fierce look at the annoying girl standing beside her.
That mouth of hers.
“Wicked girl.”
“Ah, I said I’m sorry…”
Hmph.
Jegal Seolhye, who had been standing together facing the strong river wind, turned her head dejectedly.
Though she was being cheeky with her words, she herself wasn’t feeling comfortable either.
Even as the chief strategist of the busy Hongcheokhwon, she had to show her face at the Noble Consort’s birthday banquet.
She had tried to slip away somehow to avoid Hahee’s eyes, but ended up getting hit on the back of the head.
If it hadn’t been such an occasion, she would have been struggling with a bruise settling around her eye socket.
“You should have sent me.”
“…The distance was far, I tell you! What could I do when I couldn’t think of anyone trustworthy among those immediately available!”
Jegal Seolhye’s dejected voice grew a bit louder as if feeling wronged.
Of course, she had plenty of reason to feel wronged too.
Recently, various voices had been going around within the Jegal family as well.
No. It wasn’t just Jegal, but words that were being whispered throughout all of Jungrim.
“Perhaps it’s fortunate that the Blue Sword has disappeared?”
That’s how frightening the momentum of Nanglian centered around Namgung was.
Moreover, if an outstanding talent like Namgung Bin were to grow, the next center of the Gangho martial world might be entirely seized by Nanglian – wasn’t it Guanzhong Yilin led by Hongcheokhwon that was busiest trying to wield influence in the Wulin Alliance out of such crisis awareness?
There was even a time when even Jegal Seolhye secretly devised schemes to check Namgung Bin.
And now, look at the cracks appearing in Nanglian as soon as the center called Namgung Bin disappeared.
Like the keystone of those round domes in the Western Regions suddenly vanishing, that massive roof of Nanglian was also cracking and crumbling.
Just with the word “missing,” it was already like this.
If he actually disappeared.
“We must kill the Blue Sword.”
It wasn’t unreasonable for such words to surface.
Even those she trusted couldn’t hide such expressions.
It wasn’t anyone’s conspiracy – if they were thinking people, no, the more brainless they were, the more they chattered about it.
So… whom could she send? Whom should she send?
Even the two from Jungrim Chilseong sent for immediate mediation left saying things like “if one dies, it can’t be helped” and “the other doesn’t need to desperately try to stop it, right?”
To be honest, didn’t even Jegal Seolhye endlessly agonize both before and after sending Xie Baowei?
So.
Now that news from Wuhan had arrived, her feelings were more restless than ever.
When her thoughts reached that point, the indignation that had welled up quickly subsided.
“…”
Seeing such Jegal Seolhye, Hahee opened her mouth slightly then closed it.
It wasn’t as if she was completely unaware of such circumstances.
The matters at stake were too big to just grumble about not seeing her husband.
She should stop here.
Wasn’t today a good day?
“…There, they’re coming.”
Yingying, who had been continuously brushing away with her small hand the hair scattered by the wind across her eyes, stretched out that hand and spoke.
Her other hand was firmly holding Hahee’s hand.
At those words, Hahee quickly crouched down, embraced the child’s body, and turned her head following the child’s gaze and hand.
A boat with Jegal’s flag planted on it slowly entered.
At the bow, a tall person waved his hand back and forth.
Hahee, as if she had never been gloomy, stretched out her hand and waved back.
Yingying likewise leaned against Hahee’s body and stretched out her arm.
“He’s coming back safely. Safely. He looks fine. Right?”
“Yes.”
“Yes. That’s fortunate. Truly.”
Fortunate indeed.
Remembering those nights spent awake with worry, Hahee’s heart surged with emotion.
“You really lived thanks to Wei.”
“Geez. Ah, I got it.”
Feeling her nose tingle for no reason, Hahee glared at Jegal Seolhye with force in her eyes, then moved toward the approaching boat with Yingying.
Jegal Seolhye followed behind, grumbling.
Soon, the boat stopped and a person stepped down.
It was Xie Baowei.
***
The days of rest at the Huangbo Family felt like such sweet holidays that it seemed like ages ago.
In tune with Nanjing’s bustling atmosphere, Xie Baowei, Hahee, and Yingying cheerfully wandered around various parts of Nanjing.
The turbulent political situation of Gangho was none of their concern.
Using the birthday celebration as an excuse, the noble consort was still staying, so the streets of Nanjing remained heavily guarded but equally peaceful.
Even if a furnace was boiling beneath the surface, the atmosphere wasn’t ready to explode.
The noble consort’s birthday celebration wasn’t merely within the Imperial Court’s domain.
Though it had already been held during the eve festival, there was also Biwuyan and martial arts competitions.
While it didn’t match the format of ordinary Gangho, renowned sect warriors and Imperial Palace guards participated in large numbers, and talk about it circulated for quite some time.
“Oh. From the Jingyiwei?”
“Yes. His skills were remarkable.”
They said the honor of victory went to a military officer belonging to the Jingyiwei.
He was said to be one of Prince Zhou’s personal guards, and being a very handsome young man, he apparently stirred the hearts of many young ladies.
“Was he really that handsome?”
“Oh my. Are you jealous? Heh. I’m blind to someone else, so I wouldn’t really know.”
Giggle giggle. Chuckle chuckle. Laughter was exchanged, and Lüli continued chattering away.
“He was only flashy on the outside. If Gui Jian hadn’t yielded, he would have been greatly humiliated, wouldn’t he? The Imperial Army must not know shame.”
Who could feel the gap with their opponent as vividly as those who fought directly?
This was something that became even more apparent the more one was called a master.
While it might be different in a life-or-death duel, in clown’s play performed before the high-ranking members of the Imperial Court, it would be even more obvious, yet Gui Jian bowed his head while the Jingyiwei member held his head high stiffly.
However, if he had seen the face of young Prince Zhou raising both hands in joy, Nangong would have gained much as well.
“More than that, Dang Sohyeop must be disappointed, right? He had improved tremendously compared to when I saw him last time.”
The match between Dang Cheongi and Gui Jian, held a day earlier, ended in Gui Jian Nan Gong Chenxing’s victory more anticlimactically than expected.
The Dang Family’s martial arts were naturally disadvantageous in public sparring matches, and especially in this competition, the bigger factor was that they couldn’t dare mix hidden techniques in front of the noble consort.
Nevertheless, Dang Cheongi’s unconventional methods that momentarily flustered Gui Jian were still talked about among those in the know.
“Hee-mae didn’t participate.”
“Hmph. I didn’t participate because I was afraid Prince Zhou might recruit me as his personal guard.”
Lüli puffed out her chest.
Xie Baowei looked at her as if she were dazzling.
A mischievous smile played around his lips.
“That was almost dangerous. The husband would have stayed by Crown Prince’s side while the wife stayed by the youngest prince’s side.”
“Of course.”
Lüli nodded as if she believed it without doubt.
Though it was said jokingly, that joke was full of sincerity.
Just as Xie Baowei was nodding in agreement, it happened.
“Oh! Uncle Jin! …Senior, you’re here too?”
“‘You’re here too’ isn’t a proper greeting.”
“Yes. Well. Why is it so hard to see our team leader’s face! Come eat with us sometime! Alone!”
“Oh my. Why would my husband go to the Dang Family’s lodging to eat? The food here is much better.”
“Hmph. No matter how good it is, it’s bland and tasteless. We specially brought a chef from Sichuan. I’ll show you what real food is.”
“Hah. How can you grandly call that spicy, salty stuff that just numbs your tongue ‘flavor’?”
“Oh my. Have you gotten old and lost your sense of taste?”
“Oh my. Are you still too young to know what food is?”
The place where the three people including Yingying were walking was Nanjing’s Huashi.
It was because they remembered the gifts they had decided to buy but left without purchasing after sharing amazing peach blossom wine the night before.
Xie Baowei had said that to Lüli, and Lüli said with tears glistening that she had already received it all in her heart, then nestled into his embrace.
After that, the suggestion came up: “Then let’s go shopping together.”
So after various conversations, they had bought old pine bonsai, osmanthus saplings, and green plum trees, sending them all to their lodging.
Even after that, they had been wandering around choosing gifts for the family’s nephews and nieces as well as gifts for the elders, when they encountered Dangyeonhwa like this.
“Greetings, Senior.”
“Oh my. Ak Sohyeop. I watched Biwuyan well. You must be wondering where ‘Mighty Tiger’ would fit well in the name ‘Swift Absolute Pioneer Wind’?”
“I was lucky.”
Akmungi spoke with a serious expression.
These days, since before Xie Baowei’s departure, he had been having many thoughts, and it seemed his thoughts had been organized to some extent.
His face had become quite firm.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks to you.”
When Xie Baowei calmly praised him, Akmungi also calmly accepted it.
They say that after three days of separation, one should look at someone with new eyes, so it seemed he would have to work a little harder in the next sparring match.
As he was looking at the young team member with somewhat proud feelings, Dangyeonhwa suddenly squeezed between them.
“Ugh. What are you two doing so awkwardly? It’s not like you’ve only known each other for a day or two.”
“Oh my. Someone who barely obtained ‘Kun You’ wouldn’t understand certain things.”
“Hmph! I’m only fourteen years old. Just wait and see! Next time, forget Mighty Tiger! I’ll win Dragon Phoenix.”
“Yes, yes. Do your best.”
After Xie Baowei left, Akmungi had been staying at the Dang Family’s lodging, following Dangyeonhwa.
People from the E Family had come too, but they came according to schedule, stayed briefly, watched only the day’s banquet, and left.
Still, they had at least seen the noble consort’s face, even from the lowest seats, so it seemed the E Family’s name wasn’t completely dead.
He was in the middle of exchanging greetings with several people from the Dang Family standing behind.
Murmuring sounds began to be heard from every passerby, and then a group ran across the center of Nanjing.
White wings embroidered on one side of their vivid indigo martial robes.
It was a group from Nangong.
In every blue afterimage they left behind.
“The Young Household Head has arrived.”
The murmuring spread like waves.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
