Xi Xingjiang replied, “I brought her here to see my horse. Also to teach her horseback riding and archery.”
Lin Qing was half joking and half reproaching, “You’re being unreasonable. Fifth Sister is still so young and small. You can be as stubborn and unruly as you like, but now you also want to corrupt my sister with your behaviour. And now she’s caught a cold. You should send her back to her palace now.”
Xi Xingjiang said, “No way, we came all the way just to be here. Actually, why don’t we have a little spar right now? Just one round?”
Lin Feilu: “…”
This guy probably won’t even know how or why he’ll die in the future.
Lin Qing did not speak, instead his eyes grew more intense by the second. Lin Feilu could not stand being in this situation anymore. She pulled the corner of Xi XIngjiang’s sleeve and childishly asked in a gruff, “Where is your horse?”
Only then did Xi Xingjiang remember their main purpose of visiting the hunting grounds. Finally he stopped courting with death (read: anger Lin Qing) as he smiled and said to Lin Qing, “Forget it, I’m taking Little Feilu to see my horse. Let’s spar another day, Your Highness.”
Like a gentleman, Lin Qing courteously replied, “I look forward to it.”
Lin Feilu cupped her hands, this time she clumsily bowed before Lin Qing, “Fifth Sister bids farewell to Your Highness.”
(T/N: Lin Feilu continues to speak in third-person to Lin Qing.)
Lin Qing was amused by her little antics and casually raised his hand to help her up, “There’s no need for Fifth Sister to act so reserved. You should return home once you’re done with your visit to the stables.” He seemed to have thought of something as he took off a high quality jade pendant that hung on his waist and handed it to her. He said, “This jade was blessed by an eminent monk to ensure good health and safety to its bearers. Since our first meeting happened so out of the blue, I can only present this to Fifth Sister to mark this occasion.”
Lin Feilu pursed her lips. Her gaze darted back and forth, looking at the jade pendant then back at Lin Qing. Finally, after receiving the jade pendant with her hands, she said softly, “This little one has nothing valuable on person at the moment. Fifth Sister will definitely return with a gift next time.”
Lin Qing smiled and said, “No need, your good intentions are enough and well-received.”
After such a series of events, Lin Qing did not continue his practice. He asked one of the palace guards to lead his horse back to the stables and left the hunting grounds while the other two children watched on as he left.
Lin Feilu looked at the jade pendant for a while. She detected a faint scent of sandalwood from the jade. A gift from the crown prince was not to be taken lightly. Furthermore, jade pendants were fragile and could easily break. She tucked the jade pendant into her robes properly and patted her small chest. She raised her head towards Xi Xingjiang who had been standing beside her and said, “The Crown Prince is really nice.”
Xi Xingjiang led her to the stable, and he agreed: “I think he’s pretty nice too.”
Lin Feilu: “…”
Yeah right, of course you do.
With a single sentence you’ve already offended people two or three times. When the time comes, you probably won’t even know why you die at their hands on any day.
Lin Feilu felt that this Xi Xingjiang was perhaps one of the most stupid person she had ever met asides from Lin Xi since she started her life in this Imperial Palace. Even Lin Jingyuan was better at reading other people’s moods. As the successor of the Zhenbei Marquisate and a future Great General of the Imperial Army; when Lin Qing succeeds to the throne in the future, if Xi Xinjiang were to continue acting as senseless as he is now, it’s likely that his days will be numbered.
(T/N: Lin Feilu means that when Xi Xinjiang officially becomes an vassal of Lin Qing and continues to act so rudely and insensitively in front of Lin Qing, Lin Qing will be forced to punish, or in extreme cases, execute Xi Xinjiang either out of personal enmity or to uphold courtly decorum. What Feilu thinks is sensible, as judging from Lin Qing’s reaction, the two boys don’t seem to be on best friend terms. For Xi Xinjiang to speak so brashly with Lin Qing is going against the strict social hierarchy of the Imperial Palace.)