Chapter 249: An Accident on the Lake (1)
Translator: Guy Gone Bad
“I don’t think the war between Qingyan and Nanjiang started because of the emperors’ ambition.” Duan Wuluo turned around to look at Murong Xue with a glimmer in his dark eyes.
“Indeed, it wasn’t. It was all because of Cang Qiong. He wreaked such havoc that the Emperor of the Qingyan Kingdom declared war out of rage…” Murong Xue looked at Duan Wuluo with his calm eyes as if suggesting: the one who provoked the war was from Nanjiang Prime Minister’s Mansion instead of Qingyan.
“It was Cang Qiong’s mistake to have offended the emperor,” Duan Wuluo said, staring at Murong Xue. “But why did the emperor declare war against Nanjiang and embitter innocent people?”
“No emperor of integrity can tolerate such humiliation and assassination. Suppose Cang Qiong assassinated the Emperor of Nanjiang Kingdom in the capital, the emperor would definitely sentence his whole clan to death out of rage.”
“Likewise, if the Emperor of Qingyan Kingdom wanted to punish Cang Qiong, he would send troops to liquidate Nanjiang because Cang Qiong, a lineal descent of the prime minster, is backed up by the entire kingdom…”
Strictly speaking, it was the Prime Minster of the Nanjiang Kingdom who had brought up such an arrogant son that provoked the war between two kingdoms. If Duan Wuluo would like to question someone, he should question Prime Minister Cang. Why did he question Murong Xue? Was he trying to sound her out?
Murong Xue raised her eyebrows and looked at Duan Wuluo with an alarmed look.
Duan Wuluo was lost in thought, with a touch of sullenness in his half-closed eyes…
“Wow, so many beautiful lotus flowers…” There came a clear voice before Murong Xue looked up and saw bunches of lotus flowers dotting the lake 100 meters away. They covered the whole surface, and even stretched to the horizon, on which light pink flowers bloomed, all of which created this uniquely fresh and elegant scenery…
Murong Xue blinked with excitement and looked up at Duan Wuluo. “Prefect Duan, do you have a canoe here?”
“What do you need it for?” Duan Wuluo looked at her confusedly.
“I’d love to pick some lotus flowers and seeds by canoe,” Murong Xue answered gently. The giant pleasure boat was too high for her to reach the lotus. But she could shuttle through the lotus clump and pick whichever lotus she liked by canoe.
Looking at her sparkling eyes, Duan Wuluo said softly with a touch of happiness in his eyes, “They’re tied behind this pleasure boat…”
“Thanks,” Murong Xue said happily as she hurried down the decks to the back of the boat.
Cang Ying blinked and followed Murong Xue hastily. “I’m coming with you…”
Murong Xue untied a canoe at the back of the pleasure boat before boarding carefully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cang Ying running to her. When Cang Ying was about to jump onto her canoe, she said blandly, frowning, “There’s one over there. We don’t have to share this one.”
Cang Ying abruptly pause as the big smile on her face froze. She said, glowering at Murong Xue, “I don’t know how to row.”
“But all servants here do, you can order anyone…” Murong Xue said casually as she put away the rope and picked up the paddles.
Cang Ying retorted with a snort, “Will I deign to share a canoe with any vulgar servant? You look kind of pleasing, so I guess I can share the canoe with you…”
Well, Cang Ying treated her as a boatman.
“Thank you for deigning to share a canoe with me. But I’m sorry I don’t share a canoe with strangers. If you don’t row, then just wait here. I’ll pick up more lotus flowers and seeds to share with you…” Murong Xue said gently as she rowed the canoe.
As Cang Ying watched Murong Xue rowing away, her pretty face was flushed with anger instantly: it was respectful enough of her to board Murong’s canoe, but unexpectedly, Murong rejected her. That was awful! In spite of that, she insisted on boarding Murong’s canoe.
Upon pushing herself off on tiptoe, Cang Ying flew up towards Murong Xue’s canoe. The moment she was about to land, Murong put on a strange smile and rowed her paddles, making the canoe drift several meters away like a shooting arrow.
Cang Ying had no time to react and fell into the lake with a splash. She struggled and surfaced but her delicate chignon was ruined and her dress was drenched, pressed against her body. Sinking and floating in the water, she yelled in panic, “Help…Help…”
Duan Wuluo heaved a sigh at the awkward Cang Ying and ordered servants to save her. He cast a glance at Murong Xue and found her looking as if nothing had happened, before he sighed meaningfully, “What a pussycat friend of Heir Ouyang…”
A pussycat could scratch people with its sharp claws protracted and leave them in rage with its claws retracted, but it would not get hurt either way…
“At least that can prevent her from being pushed around!” Ouyang Shaochen said in a bland tone. He looked up at Murong Xue with the barest hint of a smile on his face.
As Murong Xue rowed through the lotus clump, she admired the view leisurely, inhaling the light addictive aroma. Whenever she fancied a lotus or a seed, she would pick it and throw it onto her canoe…
Rowing alone without Cang Ying allowed Murong Xue some time in peace and spared more space for lotus flowers and seeds…
There suddenly came the faint sound of rowing. Murong Xue looked up and saw a rustically-dressed middle-aged woman rowing through the clump slowly.
On the canoe stood a pretty lady, looking slightly pale in her red clothes. It was obviously Cang Ying, who had got changed after cleaning herself up.
Murong Xue slightly raised her eyebrows and thought: she showed up just a while after the cleaning up, so the drowning didn’t seem serious; or perhaps she messed around so often that she could easily survive this kind of trifle such as choking…
Whatever its reason was, since Murong Xue didn’t hold a grudge against her, Murong would ignore her as long as she stopped stirring up trouble.
As Cang Ying toured in the lotus clump standing on a canoe, all she could see was nothing but the lotus clump. Her pretty face turned slightly sullen as she thought: it was nothing difficult to pick lotus flowers and seeds. She decided to provoke Murong Xue by picking more than her…
All of a sudden, she felt her throat scorching, which made her cough. She picked a lotus, twisted off the green stem and threw it onto the canoe: Murong Xue was to blame for everything…
The wind blew with a vague voice, “Ah… Help…”
Something happened! Cang Ying narrowed her sparkling eyes, “Hurry up. Over there…”