Chapter 123: Hello Chang’an
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Chapter 123: Letting People Know Who Chang Suining Is
She had thought that Yuxie would appear today.
Therefore, besides Ah Che, she also had Ah Zhi secretly keeping an eye on things, but all day long until now, there had been no news at all.
Yuxie had tried to leave the Princess’s residence, which indicated that she had some intention to act.
Repeated hesitation and retreat were undoubtedly born from fear.
But what was she afraid of?
Someone who hadn’t left the Princess’s residence for over ten years… Obviously, her fear wasn’t solely about the sudden appearance of a signal that had vanished for many years.
Hiding in the Princess’s residence, under the watch of the holy emperor, was likely also to save her own life.
Thus, she was afraid that if she truly stepped out of the Princess’s residence, she would be silenced—
Chang Suining's eyes held a contemplative look.
What could make Yuxie so terrified must be an extraordinary person.
Or rather, the one who persuaded Yuxie to poison her back then could not have been an ordinary individual either.
And judging by Yuxie's many reactions now, the mastermind behind that incident certainly didn’t seem to be revealed yet.
Although years had passed and old matters had turned to dust, if the crime of poisoning and the accusation against the Princess were exposed, it would be far from ordinary. Thus, whether that person was still secretly watching Yuxie remained uncertain—
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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Therefore, to prevent Yuxie from being silenced before revealing the truth, while luring her out of the Princess’s residence, she needed to prepare further.
In this case, relying solely on Ah Che for surveillance would be far from sufficient.
She needed some reliable people.
As Chang Suining pondered, a gradually intensifying argument in front of her caught her attention.
Looking up, she saw two children fighting over something.
The shorter one turned and ran a few steps, while the taller one caught up and tackled him to the ground.
“You still dare to run! Give it to me!”
“This is mine…!”
“Give it to me!”
The taller child pinned the other down, forcefully snatching the item from his hands.
The child beneath him struggled and resisted, while he stuffed the stolen item into his pocket, gritting his teeth, pressing down on the other child with one hand and raising his fist to strike him in the face with the other.
Just as that fist was about to come down, someone grabbed it tightly.
The boy turned to look, momentarily stunned.
“Little boy, stealing is one thing, but why do you want to hit someone?” Chang Suining asked.
The dirty, ragged boy didn’t answer; he tried to pull his hand away but found it gripped tighter. Frustrated, he shouted, “What’s it to you! Let go of me!”
Ignoring his words, Chang Suining exerted force and pulled him up from the other child: “I’m asking you, why hit him?”
“I just want to hit!” The boy’s dirty little face flushed, looking fierce as he insisted, “If I beat him this time, he won’t dare to resist next time!”
Xi'er looked at the dirty bun in his arms and asked, “Just for a bun?”
Hearing this, the boy’s eyes filled with humiliation and anger as he retorted, “Of course, you people look down on a bun!”
Xi'er met his gaze, momentarily at a loss for words.
Looking at the fierce eyes before her, Chang Suining glanced at the shorter boy, who looked wronged and uneasy—
“But he did nothing wrong. If you hit him, he’ll just be afraid of you, but not respect you.”
The boy frowned. “What’s the difference!”
In the next moment, pain shot through the wrist that was being held, and he cried out, “Ouch!”
Chang Suining had controlled her strength, so she loosened her grip: “Were you scared just now?”
The boy frowned in silence.
“But you won’t respect me.”
“Those who are wronged yet beaten into submission are afraid only of your strength, but one day when you are sick or weak, they will surely retaliate.”
Chang Suining said, “That’s the survival instinct of wolf packs in the wild, while people can make others yield. True respect is the lasting way.”
The twelve or thirteen-year-old boy was old enough to understand her words, yet he turned his gaze away, his expression stubborn and dissatisfied: “What’s the difference between people and wolves…”
Chang Suining looked at him: “The difference is whether you want to be a person or a wolf.”
“It’s not up to me!” The boy replied, his tone sharp but tinged with a hint of unrecognized grievance.
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the girl reach out her other hand to take the bun from his arms, handing it back to the other child.
“That’s mine!” The boy exclaimed anxiously.
Chang Suining replied, “It’s what you stole—”
“I took it by my own ability, so it’s mine!”
Chang Suining replied, “But now I’ve taken it from you by my own ability, so it’s up to me how to deal with this.”
“You!” The boy was both angry and aggrieved, tears welling up uncontrollably in his big eyes. “I haven’t eaten in three days!”
He was about to sit down and cry, but since Chang Suining was holding one of his hands, he couldn’t. Instead, he pointed at the other child: “But he’s only gone two days without food! I obviously need it more! Why does he get to eat and I don’t? Wuwuwu!”
At that moment, the boy’s true self was revealed.
“Are you trying to talk to me about being a person now?”
The boy broke down and wailed, “Who wants to talk to you about that! Give me back my bun!”
“Alright.” Chang Suining let go of his hand and turned to walk ahead. “Come with me.”
The boy, pouting and genuinely crying, followed her. The taller boy, who had just stuffed the bun into his mouth, hesitated for a moment before following suit.
Cui Yuanxiang, who had just brought out a horse for his General, was taken aback by this scene—how did he end up crying like that? Could Lady Chang have hit a little beggar too?
Then he saw Xi'er rush into the building and come out carrying two baskets of food.
“Miss, the kitchen said this is all that’s left!”
Just looking at those baskets made both boys swallow hard.
Usually, when they walked past a bun stall, they would be chased away for just getting too close, let alone actually eating!
“One basket each, no stealing,” Xi'er distributed them to the two boys.
The boys sat down on the ground, not bothering to wipe their hands, and with nothing to clean them with, they began to eat the buns.
Chang Suining sat down on the stone steps nearby.
Seeing the two kids choke occasionally on their food, worried they might choke to death, Xi'er hurried back inside to grab two pots of honey tea.
Chang Suining gazed up at the densely packed summer night sky, her mood not particularly light.
Tonight, a grand banquet was being held in Dengtai Tower, showcasing a scene of peace and prosperity—
But true prosperity shouldn’t be viewed from above; it should be seen from below.
She turned to look at the two children devouring their buns.
Her actions tonight might seem intrusive, but these children at the very bottom shouldn’t be neglected or abandoned. If no one cares for them, then who will?
They were all subjects of her great nation, and should not learn to be wolves just for a bun.
They finished the buns and drank all the honey tea.
“Thank you, miss!” The shorter boy ran up to her and, imitating a gesture he had seen somewhere, clumsily bowed to Chang Suining.
The other boy, having finished even faster, seemed to hesitate for a long time before walking over to Chang Suining and saying, “You’ve given me too much…”
Sitting on the steps, Chang Suining laughed at him: “You only say that after you’re done eating.”
The boy scratched his head and smiled shyly.
This innocent smile softened Chang Suining’s heart.
While some are born bad, it was clear that this child was not truly evil.
Extreme poverty and injustice can breed and amplify malice—when simply living is a challenge, kindness and softness often become a knife handed to others.
As their gazes met, the taller boy awkwardly began, “I… I shouldn’t have stolen your bun.”
“I should have shared half of it with you…”
Now that their bellies were full and they had drunk the sweet honey tea, they were no longer in a tight and hostile mindset focused solely on finding food.
Chang Suining smiled.
This moment of beauty was real.
But if it were to last, there were conditions.
Children this small cannot withstand too many trials of survival and hunger.
“Thank you, miss… we should go now.”
If they returned too late, they wouldn’t have anywhere to sleep.
Though summer nights could be spent almost anywhere, not every place was suitable to sleep; if they unwittingly offended a noble, it would be disastrous. Moreover, with dawn approaching, the patrolling officers would be out chasing people away. Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, so they dared to come to this bustling area to find something to eat.
As the two children prepared to say their goodbyes, the lights of a shop across the street were extinguished, casting their little shadows into darkness.
At that moment, they heard the girl sitting on the steps suggest, “Why don’t you come back with me?”
Both boys widened their eyes in surprise.
“Chang Suining solemnly promised, ‘I guarantee you will have buns to eat.’
If she only talked about beautiful principles that didn’t apply to wolves, gave them food, patted their heads, and then sent them back to the pack, that would truly be a foolish act of meddling— that wouldn’t save them, but harm them instead.
Since she had intervened, she had to see it through to the end.
The two children took a while to react, still finding it hard to believe, but fearing they might miss this good opportunity, they knelt down and bowed their heads to her.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Chang Suining glanced toward the carriage and smiled, “Alright, go wait for me over there.”
They nodded eagerly, and as the taller boy got up, he didn’t forget to pull the other child along.
The two of them walked toward Chang Suining’s carriage, standing upright and waiting obediently.
Cui Yuanxiang, who was waiting nearby with a horse, blinked in surprise.
As Chang Suining rose from the steps, Cui Jing walked out from the building.
“General Cui,” Chang Suining immediately expressed her gratitude, “Thank you for today.”
Cui Jing glanced at the two beggar children waiting by the carriage but said nothing more.
As the two descended the steps, Cui Jing asked, “Why do you want to hold this poetry gathering?”
This poetry gathering wasn’t a coincidence; it was entirely organized by her.
It wasn’t easy to pull off such an event; timing, location, and the right people were all crucial. Therefore, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea; she had long prepared for it.
“Of course, I want to make a name for myself.”
The girl spoke openly, showing no shame in her desire for fame and fortune.
She looked up at the night sky and smiled, “I need the world to know who Chang Suining is.”
“Is it really that important?” Cui Jing asked.
Chang Suining nodded. “Of course it’s important.”
How can an unknown nobody achieve anything?
In this exchange, the young girl’s vanity was fully revealed, but Cui Jing didn’t mock her or probe further, simply saying, “Then you’ll get what you wish for tomorrow.”
“Mm.” Chang Suining smiled lightly, gazing at the stars, her tone relaxed. “I’m already looking forward to it.”
Cui Jing couldn’t help but smile a bit.
He then heard her say, “Thanks to General Cui’s help.”
Cui Jing replied, “With or without me, you were destined to make a name for yourself tonight.”
He had only made it so that the Madam Jie couldn’t argue any further, but she had already turned the situation around with her own skills beforehand.
“It’s a fact that General Cui has helped me a lot,” Chang Suining said. “But why did you help me? Or how should I repay you?”
Though she had the connection through Old Chang, she didn’t take it for granted and couldn’t help but wonder if he had any use for her.
“It was just a casual act.” His answer was surprisingly simple.
He merely thought she might need a little help, so he helped out without it being any trouble to him.
Chang Suining slightly turned her head to look at the calm, indifferent profile of the young man beside her, realizing—of course, someone like him wouldn’t stoop to seek repayment for kindness.
He and Wei Shuyi were indeed of two different natures.
Wei Shuyi always spoke and acted in a roundabout way, filled with schemes, while Cui Jing was straightforward and simple—this wasn’t to say that General Cui lacked cunning.
His simplicity made things easier for her.
Perhaps due to today’s events, the two had unwittingly developed a silent camaraderie. Chang Suining decided to ask, “General Cui, since you’ve casually helped me so much, can we consider ourselves friends?”
“Friends?” Cui Jing was taken aback.
Ordinary people might reflect, “Am I really overreaching here?” at his reaction, but Chang Suining was no ordinary person and rarely felt that she was overreaching—
She was merely curious, asking, “Isn’t it considered so?”
“I don’t know.” Cui Jing seemed to think for a moment and replied, “I’ve never had a friend before.”
Chang Suining said, “Isn’t Minister Wei one?”
Cui Jing replied, “...Let’s hope not.”
He turned slightly to look at her, “If they’re all like him, then it’s better we don’t become friends.”
Chang Suining couldn’t help but laugh, “There are many kinds of friends.”
Cui Jing didn’t respond, turning his gaze back to the night sky, landing on the crescent moon. “You mentioned you admire Princess Chongyue very much—”
“Mm.” Chang Suining was somewhat surprised that he suddenly brought up “Chongyue”—it would be easier to explain if he mentioned “the former crown prince,” since he led the Xuanzhe army and had connections there.
Looking at the moon, his tone was calm, “You seem to know quite a bit about the princess?”
Chang Suining replied, “...Not really that much.”
If she claimed to know a lot, it would be hard to explain.
Curiously, she asked back, “How much do you know about Princess Chongyue, General?”
Her curiosity was genuine.
Cui Jing felt he knew a bit more than she did, but he couldn’t express it, so he said, “It’s not appropriate to speak carelessly about the princess.”
“?” Chang Suining looked at him, puzzled by his sudden refusal to discuss it further. “...Didn’t you bring it up first?”
Cui Jing raised an eyebrow slightly.
That was true...
Hearing the girl’s slightly disdainful tone made him chuckle, and he couldn’t help but smile a little.
At that moment, Ah Dian ran over from a distance.
“Where did you run off to?” Chang Suining asked.
“I went to buy this!” Ah Dian proudly raised the colorful rope in his hand; he already had one tied around his thick wrist and held another in his hand. “Everyone has one!”
“Xiao Jing, let me tie one for you!”
Cui Jing was always patient with Ah Dian, and upon hearing this, he extended a hand from behind his back. “Thank you, senior.”
“Alright, now it’s time for Xiao A Li!”
Cui Jing glanced at the colorful rope on his wrist and instinctively looked at Chang Suining—tying on a similar colorful thread at this moment could count as a ritual of friendship, right?
Having never made a friend before, Cui Jing felt an unexpected sense of anticipation.
The next moment, he saw Chang Suining extend her hand, slightly rolling up her sleeve to reveal her wrist, which was adorned with various colorful ropes—
Cui Jing: “...?”
Cui Jing thought: That year during the Dragon Boat Festival, the colorful threads were ultimately misplaced…
Chang Suining: I have a few friends, hope you don’t mind (°ー°〃)
(End of chapter)
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