Please Treat Us Fairly, Your Majesty

In the inner area of a temple, Hua Qingxin, a delicate and pretty lady, walked quietly on a thick layer of fallen leaves to an ancient tree. Clearing her throat, she sang, “Ho! Huh!”

“Why do I have no one to marry with since flowers at the riverbank are blooming and dogs are playing in pairs? Eh, ah, eh, ah, oh…”

There was a sudden screech, “Ah—” while Hua Qingxin was singing.

A man was falling from the ancient tree together with some yellow leaves… No, to be exact, he was dangled in the air.

His neck was hooked by vines, and his feet were struggling. He was trembling as if he was just struck by a thunder.

Oh my god…

“You… you are hanging yourself!” Hua Qingxin covered her mouth in astonishment and stepped back.

God, she thought he was hanging himself.

Before she sang, Yun Cang who had an afternoon nap on a branch of the ancient tree was immersed in his own sweet dream. After sounds of “Ho! Huh!”, his sweet dream became a nightmare. He woke up with a start and fell from the sturdy tree trunk.

His neck happened to be hooked by a piece of vines, and he was hung on the ancient tree, which made him look like hanging himself.

“Hurry…help…” Yun Cang said painfully.

Hua Qingxin finally came around and shouted, “Let me help you!”

She then held legs of Yun Cang, and dragged him down with strength, “Why did you commit suicide? You still have a long way to go in your life. It’s good to live…”

Hua Qingxin kept dragging him down, and Yun Cang showed more whites of his eyes. His neck was more tightly hooked by the vines.

He could call help just now, but he could not now.

“Ah, why don’t you talk to me?”

Hua Qingxin sensed that something was wrong. She had a deep breath and jumped with all her strength, to drag the strange man hanging himself on the tree. Her feet were above the ground.

Luckily, they finally broke the vines. Yun Cang’s jaw slipped, and they two fell on the ground together.

“Ouch!” Hua Qingxin groaned on the ground, and then sat up.

Yun Cang escaping from death lied on the ground and panted. Touching the bruised lower jaw, he considered himself lucky that his jaw was not very long; or he would have really hung himself on the tree.

“What have I done that you tried to murder me in an ancient temple?” Yun Cang straightened his body and abused, “You should pity yourself for not being gifted with a good voice, not to use it as a lethal weapon to scare people off!”

“Ah, is it so terrible?” instead of being offended, Hua Qingxin seemed especially happy, “Good, then that emperor will not choose me.”

“Ah? Will you attend the consort selection tomorrow?” Yun Cang was shocked, and said, “What have the emperor done to make you present him such a terrible song?”

“He did nothing.” Hua Qingxin held her chin with hands, and said sadly, “He’s not the one I’m keen on.”

“Then who is that unlucky guy?” Yun Cang felt so sorry for him.

At the thought of that man, Hua Qingxin looked into the distance with wet eyes, “My singing was terrible in my childhood…”

“So is it now.”

“Back then Prince Yun Hai said he would arrest me with his sword if I sang again. I wonder, If I sing in the selection of the imperial concubine tomorrow, will Prince Yun Hai come to arrest me with his sword?”

Staring at this innocent girl, Yun Cang thought carefully, and said, “No sword is allowed to be taken into the palace.”

Hua Qingxin looked down in depress, tears falling.

Yun Cang sighed, “Prince Yunhai married the legal daughter of the prime minister a few days ago, and you can only be his concubine.”

“I…” Hua Qingxin got angry suddenly, “In fact… I am the legal daughter of the prime minister. In fact, he would not have married my elder sister.”

Yun Cang listened. He was so astonished that he kept his mouth opened.