Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 407 - 228: Boudoir Name_1

Chapter 407: Chapter 228: Boudoir Name_1

Qian Manjiang awoke hungry the next morning, having not eaten a single grain of rice since the day before.

Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on a carved and jade-inlaid bed, in a room exquisitely arranged, with a faint fragrance wafting through the air, and a "Flute Playing under the Moon" picture hanging on the wall. The painting, with its free and graceful style, was unmistakably the work of the most famous contemporary painter, Pan Zi’an.

Prince Consort Pan?

Qian Manjiang’s muddled thoughts suddenly became clear. Yes, when he had been chased with nowhere to turn yesterday, it was Prince Consort Pan who had saved him. After that, he knew nothing.

Glancing at himself, he was dressed in clean white inner robes. Touching his hair, it was smooth and clean, carrying a pleasant scent of soapberries. He had been in ragged clothes and drenched in sweat the day before.

Could it be that this was Prince Consort Pan’s home? Had he entered Capital City?

Just then, a handsome boy servant came over, saw that he was awake, and said with a smile, "Did the young master wake up? Are you hungry?"

Sitting up, Qian Manjiang asked doubtfully, "May I ask, young man, where is this place? How did I get here?"

The servant replied with a smile, "This is Mr. Pan’s Red Maple Garden in the Suburbs of Capital. The young master fainted last night, and it was our master who brought you here. This room is a guest room in Red Maple Garden, and I am in charge of it." As he spoke, he took a blue scholar’s robe with rounded collar from the carved lacquer wardrobe and added, "This is Brother Wu’s clothing, Brother Wu said that the young master is about the same size as him, so you could wear it first."

Qian Manjiang quickly stood up and, without shoes, he had to stand on the wooden step and bow with a fist-in-palm salute, "Thank you, Mr. Pan, and thank you, young man, thank you, Brother Wu."

The servant said with a smile, "I am called Dan Mo." He then took a pair of shoes from next to the wardrobe and placed them at the bottom of the wooden step, saying, "These shoes also belong to Brother Wu."

Qian Manjiang put on the clothes and shoes, which fit quite well.

Dan Mo went out again and returned with a food box, taking out two plates of buns, two plates of chicken oil rolls, two bowls of green rice porridge, and two bowls of egg vermicelli.

Starved, Qian Manjiang didn’t stand on ceremony, quickly consuming everything. After getting up and taking a few steps, he felt the vigorous Qian Manjiang had returned.

After that, he was led by Dan Mo to meet Prince Consort Pan.

They walked through a red maple grove to Prince Consort Pan’s study.

Without glancing around, Qian Manjiang entered the room and kowtowed three times to Prince Consort Pan, saying, "I shall never forget the great debt of gratitude I owe you for saving my life, sir. If there is anything you require of me in the future, I am willing to lay down my life and render service as loyal as a dog or horse."

From the moment Qian Manjiang entered the room, Prince Consort Pan had a favorable impression of him, finding his demeanor refined and his comportment measured. He said, "Stand up. Although I saved you, I don’t wish to invite any unnecessary trouble. What have you done to provoke the Third Prince?"

Qian Manjiang felt that there was no longer any need to hide certain things, and he also knew that many ministers disapproved of the Third Prince’s arrogance and the Ye family’s presumptuousness. Prince Consort Pan, who considered himself above such behavior, was even more displeased by them. So, he shared some of his situation with reservations, saying he was a man of the Imperial Army and had secretly carried out a task for Prince Ning, but had been marked by the Third Prince and the Ye family, who were now hunting him down.

Prince Consort Pan felt exactly as Qian Manjiang expected – he held the Third Prince’s and the Ye family’s behavior in contempt, for forming factions and seeking to exclude those who were different, and for their cruelty and ruthlessness. If this Third Prince were to become Emperor, with his usual arrogance and brutality, he was bound to be a tyrant, and the people would suffer as a result.

Although Pan Zi’an harbored little regard for the Emperor, he couldn’t deny that the Emperor was a wise ruler who had greatly improved the prosperity of the Capital City. Moreover, the Emperor’s health was still robust. For the faction of the Third Prince to be so arrogant was truly unbearable; it was a situation one could tolerate only to a point.

Pan Zi’an admired Prince Ning in his heart, or more precisely, he supported the learned, elegant, and talented Crown Prince. Because of the Crown Prince’s close relationship with Prince Ning, Pan Zi’an had been stamped as a part of the Crown Prince’s faction.

He felt the Emperor had been too hasty in handling "the major case of Prince Ning," sending Prince Ning’s family to the Northern Freezing Land despite the evidence being inconclusive. Most of the court ministers knew that the Emperor, grieving over the loss of the Crown Prince, had used Prince Ning as a scapegoat.

A few years ago, the Emperor had some regrets, prompting ministers in the court to start voicing grievances for Prince Ning, and Pan Zi’an was involved as well. Although Pan Zi’an had no real power, he still had the qualification to submit memorials to the Emperor. Of course, whether the Emperor read them or took any notice was another matter altogether.

That time when Pan Zi’an took a stand, many scholars joined the cause, writing lengthy, detailed petitions by the thousands.

That was also the time when the Emperor was most satisfied with Pan Zi’an, feeling that a man who sought disfavor sometimes had his uses. Of course, Pan Zi’an did not know of the Emperor’s thoughts.

After listening to Qian Manjiang’s words, Prince Consort Pan pondered for a moment and said, "Not long after the start of the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, it was rumored that Prince Ning, gravely ill and unlikely to live much longer, had surprisingly appeared. At that moment, the shock and anger on the faces of the Third Prince and Ye Shen were clear for all to see. They began their manhunt for you that very night..."

Prince Consort Pan tapped his fingertips on the desk and smiled knowingly without asking further. Changing the subject, he said, "Your daughter is very clever and obedient. She’s my little friend, and we have quite a few topics in common." Thinking of Qian Yixiu, he remembered the embroidery named "Hope."

He scrutinized Qian Manjiang carefully and said, "According to Yixiu, her father died in the Song River. Only her mother firmly believes that her father is still alive, night and day longing for her husband’s return, and so she created that ’Hope’ embroidery. In my opinion, that piece, unprecedented and likely to remain unrivaled, can truly be called a ’masterpiece of the ages.’ It’s a pity, though, that it ultimately ended up in the Prince Shou Mansion."

Upon hearing about his wife and daughter, Qian Manjiang’s eyes softened, and he smiled, saying, "Yes, my Yixiu is sensible and clever, my Yueyue intelligent and graceful; both of them are longing for my early return home. For them, I must stay alive. Thank you, Mr. Pan, for saving me." He bowed as he spoke.

"Yueyue? Yueyue?" Pan Zi’an seemed not to have heard anything else, repeating the name.

Qian Manjiang blushed and quickly explained, "In my confusion, I let slip my wife’s pet name."

Prince Consort Pan’s spirits seemed to plummet, and he waved Qian Manjiang off, adding, "Stay here as long as you like. I’m not afraid of offending the Ye family."

Qian Manjiang bowed and clasped his fist, saying, "No need, I will leave this afternoon."

Prince Consort Pan sneered and said, "You’re determined to leave? To go out and be a target? Just now, you were insisting on staying alive for your daughter, your wife. But if you hadn’t run into me yesterday, you’d be dead already."

For some reason, thinking of the young girl who somewhat resembled his daughter, as well as that little woman he had never met but who shared his daughter’s name, he was unwilling to let Qian Manjiang venture out into danger.

Qian Manjiang said, "Yesterday was an exception; I didn’t expect them to dare lay hands on me in the barracks..." There are people protecting me; everything has been arranged.

Qian Manjiang left the rest unspoken.

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