The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 67

In the capital, at a poetry gathering hosted by several princes.

“That’s the young lady from the Bai family. It’s said she excels in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The Bai family is clearly a military family, yet they’ve raised such a scholarly daughter. It’s really…”

“Really what?”

“Really wonderful.”

Chu Yingbai looked towards the girl everyone was talking about. The young lady had a bright smile and was chatting with someone beside her. It truly was remarkable—a young lady from a military family who appeared delicate and pitiable.

Suddenly, the young lady looked up, and their gazes met from afar. Neither looked away.

One had a delicate and fragile appearance, while the other was radiant and bold. The young men of the capital referred to them as the “Two Beauties of the Capital.”

They say that two kings cannot meet. One was the daughter of a military general, and the other came from a family of civil officials. The two had rarely crossed paths.

Bai Hongmo curled her lips and said something to her elder brother, her gaze never wavering.

“Then I’ll head back to the estate first. Don’t forget the important matters. Spend more time with the Third Prince.” Bai Shu said, following his sister’s gaze to the figure not far away. His eyes narrowed slightly. That must be the eldest daughter of the Chu family.

The Chu family, a lineage of scholars, had produced several prime ministers. The current Prime Minister Chu was the father of this eldest daughter, Chu Yingbai.

It seemed beneficial for his younger sister to associate with such a person. After some consideration, Bai Shu slowly left.

Chu Yingbai watched as the young lady approached her. Her hand holding the teacup tightened slightly. They had never interacted before.

Bai Hongmo walked over with a smile and stood in front of Chu Yingbai’s table. “Hongmo greets Sister Yingbai.”

Chu Yingbai raised an eyebrow. This girl was quite forward, addressing her as “sister” right away. There was a bit of the straightforwardness typical of military families, but such people were simple.

“Please have a seat, Miss Bai.” she said, not opposed to interacting with someone like this.

“Sister Yingbai, aren’t you curious how I know you?” Bai Hongmo sat down, took the cup Chu Yingbai had pushed over, and poured herself half a cup of tea.

She looked completely at ease, as if she were talking to someone she had known for a long time.

Chu Yingbai smiled. “I also know Miss Bai.” So it wasn’t strange. After all, the capital wasn’t that big, and they were both daughters of important court officials. Even if they weren’t familiar with each other, they knew of each other.

Moreover, there were always those who liked to compare the two of them.

Bai Hongmo chuckled, hinting at something. “So Sister has also been thinking of me for a long time.”

Chu Yingbai: “…” No, she hadn’t.

“Sister, why aren’t you saying anything?” Bai Hongmo took a sip of tea, looking at the woman before her who exuded grace and propriety. She sighed inwardly. Her father and elder brother wanted her to be like this—a proper young lady from a prestigious family.

Despite being from a military family, they wanted to emulate civil officials, not thinking of loyalty to the country but only of befriending this minister or currying favor with that prince. How boring.

Chu Yingbai pursed her lips. “Miss Bai, you didn’t seek me out just for idle chatter, did you?”

“No, not for idle chatter.” Bai Hongmo said bluntly.

A look of understanding flashed in Chu Yingbai’s eyes. As expected, she had come with a purpose. “May I ask what Miss Bai wishes to discuss?”

“I came to Sister’s place to escape the noise.” Bai Hongmo said, glancing into the distance.

Chu Yingbai followed her gaze. “The Third Prince?”

Bai Hongmo nodded. “My father and elder brother told me to spend more time with the Third Prince. They say he might rise to power one day, and if I’m lucky, I could become a concubine.”

But she didn’t like the Third Prince at all. He didn’t seem like a good person.

Chu Yingbai’s breath hitched. This Miss Bai was truly straightforward. She didn’t know how to respond.

“Sister Yingbai, what about you? Which prince has Prime Minister Chu asked you to get close to? I’ll join you.” Bai Hongmo said with interest. Her father and elder brother were too unreliable. It would be safer to follow Prime Minister Chu’s lead. After all, he was the head of the civil officials—no, the head of all officials.

His judgment surely wouldn’t be wrong.

Chu Yingbai paused. “My father is only loyal to the current Emperor.”

The Chu family didn’t need her to get close to any prince. Her father wouldn’t take sides prematurely. Loyalty to the one on the throne was the safest.

Bai Hongmo spun the cup on the table, her tone ambiguous. “Prime Minister Chu is a wise man. Unfortunately, there are always those who are never satisfied, like my father, who is eager to take sides, or my elder brother, who keeps pushing me to spend more time with the Third Prince.”

She spoke casually, as if talking about unrelated people.

Bai Hongmo’s intuition told her that this eldest daughter of the Chu family liked honest people. So she held nothing back. Such people were interesting. If this graceful and proper beauty were to lose her composure one day, it would surely be even more amusing.

Chu Yingbai seemed surprised by Bai Hongmo’s directness, completely disregarding the propriety of discussing her father and elder brother with others. She was slightly stunned before saying, “Miss Bai is also a wise person.”

If she weren’t wise, how could she see through the situation? Especially as a military general, holding military power, she shouldn’t be stirring up trouble.

Bai Hongmo smiled wryly. “Unfortunately, I’m the only wise one in the Bai family, and they don’t listen to me.”

A gentle breeze blew, and the midday sun was warm, casting a lazy glow on the young lady before her. Chu Yingbai was momentarily dazzled.

The peaceful scene was disrupted by an unwelcome guest.

“Miss Bai, our master is looking for you.” a servant-like figure approached.

As soon as the words were spoken, a slightly annoyed male voice followed. “A’cai, stop talking nonsense. Kneel down and slap yourself.”

The Third Prince walked over, wishing he could sew the servant’s mouth shut. This foolish servant didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. The Bai family had already pledged their loyalty, and Bai Hongmo was as good as his.

But the most important person here was the eldest daughter of the Chu family. With the head of the military already on his side, if he could also bring the eldest daughter of the head of civil officials into his fold, the throne would be within his grasp.

The servant knelt to the side, slapping his own face with a numb expression.

Chu Yingbai felt a pang of pity but didn’t want to get involved with the Third Prince.

Bai Hongmo stepped forward and smiled. “Your Highness, please calm your anger. This servant made an honest mistake. Please spare him this time.”

What she disliked most about the Third Prince was this—treating those of lower status as less than human. Could such a person be a benevolent ruler?

Would he treat his ministers well? Would he treat the common people well?

The Third Prince smiled and glanced at the servant who was still slapping himself. “Get out.”

The servant didn’t dare say a word and scrambled away.

Bai Hongmo took a clean cup and poured some tea. “Your Highness, please calm down. There’s no need to take it out on a servant.”

The Third Prince raised an eyebrow. This young lady from the Bai family was gentle and charming. It was a pity she was from the Bai family. In times of chaos, military generals could quell rebellions, but in peaceful times, they were nothing but troublemakers.

Once he ascended the throne, the first thing he would do was deal with the Bai family. But for now, he needed their support and had to endure.

“No need for formalities. This poetry gathering is for making friends through literature. I said earlier that today, we are all equals, haha.” the Third Prince laughed heartily.

Bai Hongmo and Chu Yingbai instinctively glanced at each other. They hadn’t paid their respects, yet this prince was already asserting his presence.

The Third Prince set down his cup. “Good tea. Do Miss Bai and Miss Chu have any works to share?”

If he could have both beauties by his side, how delightful would that be?

Bai Hongmo coughed lightly. “I’m feeling unwell today and haven’t written anything. I won’t disturb Your Highness’s enjoyment.” She really didn’t want to spend more time with the Third Prince, afraid she might not be able to control herself from rolling her eyes.

The Third Prince, misinterpreting her words, gave her an approving look. “In that case, Miss Bai should return to your estate and rest.”

This way, he could be alone with Chu Yingbai.

The Bai family was quite perceptive. They were going all out to curry favor with him.

Bai Hongmo bowed slightly and turned to see Chu Yingbai’s calm gaze. On a whim, she added, “Sister Yingbai, are you heading back to your estate? My elder brother had some matters to attend to and left first. Our families are in the same direction. Could I share your carriage?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Third Prince’s face darkened. How tactless.

“Of course. I promised my mother I’d return early today to accompany her to the temple. Miss Bai, you can ride with me.” Chu Yingbai said lightly, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

The Third Prince felt a pang of frustration. He didn’t know how to respond. One was feeling unwell, and the other had to accompany her mother to the temple. He didn’t have a good reason to ask them to stay.

When they reached the carriage, Bai Hongmo climbed in first and turned to offer her hand. “Sister, come on up.”

Chu Yingbai looked at the slender fingers before her and silently waved away her maid who was about to help her. She slowly took Bai Hongmo’s hand. “Thank you, Miss Bai.”

Bai Hongmo smiled and, as Chu Yingbai stepped onto the carriage, suddenly pulled her in with force.

With a thud, Bai Hongmo fell back onto the soft cushion, and Chu Yingbai, caught off guard, landed squarely on top of her.

Bai Hongmo winced in pain, clutching her chin. “Ouch, I forgot about Sister’s reflexes. My chin hurts.”

A faint, pleasant scent filled Chu Yingbai’s nostrils. She quickly lifted her head, her forehead having bumped into Bai Hongmo’s chin. It hurt a little, but the person beneath her seemed to be in more pain.

“Miss Bai, are you alright?”

Chu Yingbai looked up and suddenly realized she was lying on top of Bai Hongmo in an awkward position.

She tried to maintain her composure and frowned slightly, attempting to get up, but Bai Hongmo’s arms wrapped around her waist.

Bai Hongmo chuckled softly and pulled her closer. “Sister Yingbai, where are you going?”

Chu Yingbai’s breath caught. Where was she going? Where could she go? Of course, she needed to sit up properly.

The carriage wasn’t moving smoothly, and their bodies pressed together as it swayed. The one on top, being more reserved, had her ears turning red at some point.

“Miss Bai, what do you mean by this?” Chu Yingbai tried to push herself up, creating some distance between them.

“Let me hold you for a while, okay? Just a little while…” Bai Hongmo tilted her head and pleaded softly, almost like she was acting like a spoiled child.

—

Author’s Note:

“Spring Day Casual Poem” by Premier Zhou:

“Cherry blossoms red on the path, willow leaves green by the pond. Amid the chirping of swallows, another year of longing passes.”

(Bai Hongmo and Chu Yingbai’s names are derived from this poem. Yes, Bai Hongmo is the top.)