Lose My Heart to the Lovely Kitten Princess - Chapter 22

Chapter 22 Don’t mention it since you’re one of us
The imperial guards’ leader smiled and said, “Don’t mention it since you’re one of us.”

The guard came back about 15 minutes later after he checked. Then he leaned against the leader’s ear and whispered a few words.

Xiaowu walked up in front of the leader anxiously and frowned as he asked, “What happened, my friend? When can His Highness come out?”

The leader pondered before taking Xiaowu to a corner.

“My friend, say something! Did something happened to His Highness?” asked Xiaowu anxiously as he grabbed the arm of the imperial guards’ leader.

The imperial guards’ leader pulled Xiaowu’s arm off and said, “His Majesty hasn’t summoned Prince Jing into the hall, so Prince Jing is still standing outside Linde Hall.

“What?” asked Xiaowu as his mind went blank.

Xiaowu didn’t utter a word after talking to the guard, so Mu Bai furrowed his brows and asked, “Did you find out when His Highness is leaving the palace?”

“His… His Majesty…” said Xiaowu hesitantly as he furrowed his brows tightly instantly.

“What did His Majesty do? Xiaowu, you’re driving me insane with anxiety here! What did His Majesty do to His Highness?” hurried Mu Bai.

“His Majesty hasn’t summoned His Highness into the hall. His Highness has been waiting outside all day,” replied Xiaowu with his face all stifled red, “Doctor Mu, do you think His Majesty will…” asked Xiaowu as he cut his throat with his finger.

“No, he won’t!” said Mu Bai. He knew what Xiaowu meant and instantly interrupted, “If His Majesty were going to execute His Highness, he wouldn’t have made His Highness stand outside the hall for so long.”

“That’s true!” said Xiaowu after feeling more relieved. Then he continued, “Doctor Mu, what should we do now? I wonder how long His Majesty is going to keep His Highness standing there?”

“Meow.”

Was the emperor punishing Chu Yunshen by making him stand outside the hall?

Cheng Xiaoxiao stuck her head out of the horse carriage.

“Oh my, stop making trouble at a time like this,” said Xiaowu as he pressed Cheng Xiaoxiao’s head down and shoved her back into the horse carriage before pulling the blinds down.

Cheng Xiaoxiao darted off the horse carriage just as Xiaowu was about to turn and continue talking to Mu Bai.

“Hey!” shouted Xiaowu in surprise. He wanted to stop the cat but was too late.

The little fellow audaciously zipped into the palace past the imperial guards who were guarding the gates.

“What was that?”

“I think it was a cat!”

“What are you waiting for?” shouted the leader as the guards looked at each other at a loss.

Then he ordered, “Hurry up and chase after it! If it disturbs anyone in the palace, we are going to lose our heads!”

“Yes, Sir!” said the imperial guards before entering the place.

“My friend, that’s His Highness’ pet cat. Please ask them to be gentle,” said Xiaowu after he hurried over to the gates. Then he pulled out a bag of money and wanted to stuff into the leader’s hands.

But the guard shook his head and refused the money as he replied, “I can’t help you this time. It’s not the same for people. If the cat disturbs anyone in the palace, no one can save it.”

Xiaowu stood at the palace gates as he thought powerlessly. Not only was Prince Jing stuck in the palace, but now even the cat had run in.

Chu Yunshen had been waiting outside the hall for many hours by now, and the sky was turning dark, but his father had yet to summon him.

Despite all the years Prince Jing spent on the battlefield, he was starting to find all those hours under the scorching sun unbearable.

Chu Yunshen raised his head to look up at the black nanmu plaque, which read, ‘Linde Hall’, written with a flourish hanging over the red doors right in front of him.

The golden glazed roof tiles dazzled under the sun.

Slow footsteps suddenly came from inside Linde Hall. Chu Yunshen looked out to see his father’s chief eunuch walking out from the hall. Then Yuan Qing said, “Your Highness, His Majesty summoned you. Please come with me.”

Chu Yunshen bowed to Yuan Qing and replied, “Okay.”

He stretched his stiff legs and walked in with hefty footsteps.

“You brat!”

The moment Chu Yunshen entered the halls, a scroll of official document came hurtling at him. Although he could dodge it, he didn’t. Instead, he stood there and let it come crashing onto him before landing on the ground.

Chu Yunshen lifted his robe and stepped forward to kneel before Chu Hongzhen and greeted, “Greetings, Father!”

“Hmph!” replied Chu Hongzhen angrily as he grabbed the armrest on the throne tightly, “Do you even think I’m your father?”

Yuan Qing picked up the official document and walked up next to Chu Hongzhen. Then he placed it on the table and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. It’s bad for your health to blow your temper like that!”

“If you didn’t beg for this unfilial son, I would have left him standing there until he figured it out!” said Chu Hongzhen as he glanced at Chu Yunshen. Then Chu Hongzhen raised his hand and threw the official document in his hands in front of Chu Yunshen and said, “Just look at this!”

Chu Yunshen picked up the official document to read it:

‘I, Li Sanchuan, reports learning about Prince Jing’s hunger for success from citizens at the border. After hearing about it, I thought it was a false accusation, but I saw Prince Jing strategizing and planning to launch an attack on Wu at Baiyu Pass over sand tables in his tent.

I await the emperor’s judgment.

28 February, Hongde’s 20th year.’

“The blood of the Wu envoy has barely dried, but here you are planning to launch an attack? Aren’t you just wonderful, son?”

“I’m sorry,” said Chu Yunshen calmly.

“Sorry?” scolded Chu Hongzhen angrily, “Just look at yourself. Do you look the least bit sorry?”

Chu Yunshen didn’t say a word. He knelt there with his eyes hovering over the three words, ‘Li Sanchuan’, with his dark eyes narrowed.

Then Chu Hongzhen suddenly bellowed coldly, “Don’t go back to the border! Go to the justice department and report for duty as the commandant of justice tomorrow! You can spend the time reflecting on your mistakes during this time!”

“Get out!”

When Chu Hongzhen saw the nonchalance on Chu Yunshen’s face like he expected this outcome all along, he threw a temper as he shouted and pointed at the door.

“Yes, Father!” acknowledged Chu Yunshen perfunctorily.

He was used to such treatment.

Chu Yunshen headed out of the palace after he left Linde Hall.

The emperor was using the opportunity to strip military power from him and trap him in the capital.

Chu Yunshen’s father didn’t give him the chance to make any explanation.

The emperor didn’t ask him why he killed the Wu envoy, and only one-sidedly believed Li Sanchuan’s slander.

Chu Yunshen laughed coldly at the thought of that. When did the emperor ever listen to his explanation?

When she was a child, he was bullied by a eunuch and broke imperial concubine Su’s favorite vase.

In the end, the vile eunuch blamed Chu Yunshen for mischievously breaking the vase out of fear of the imperial concubine’s punishment.

Since he was still young, he couldn’t take it lying down and attempted to explain matters to his father.

But all Chu Hongzhen cared about was consoling imperial concubine Su, so he locked Chu Yunshen in a dark room all night without even seeing him.

Chu Yunshen was resentful about it, so he knelt outside his father’s room for three days and three nights before his father sent Yuan Qing out because he could no longer tolerate it.

In the end, Chu Hongzhen didn’t even bother to listen to a word of his explanation. Although the emperor took care of the vile eunuch, he always felt that Chu Yunshen was the culprit who broke the vase!

Then he suddenly heard a few hushed voices ringing in the palace corridors.

“Quickly, get hold of that cat!”

Chu Yunshen looked towards the voice and saw a bunch of imperial guards hurrying into the flower pond in search of something.

“Over there! Don’t let it escape!”

“Hurry up and catch it!”

Chu Yunshen didn’t linger and continued heading out of the palace until he suddenly caught sight of a familiar white silhouette from the corner of his eye. Then he hastily halted. Was that his cat?

How was that possible?

Wasn’t the little fellow in the horse carriage?

How could she be in the palace?

“Meow!”

Chu Yunshen came to a complete stop when he heard that familiar meow. Then he shouted for the nearest imperial guard and asked coldly, “What are you doing?”

“Your Highness, a white cat entered the palace, and we are trying to nab it,” explained the imperial guard to Chu Yunshen as he knelt on the ground.

“Meow.”

Then a white silhouette lunged towards Chu Yunshen.

“Be careful, Your Highness!” said the imperial guard as he unsheathed his sword and hacked the white silhouette. But Chu Yunshen carried the cat and turned to dodge the strike.

“Please forgive me, Your Highness!” said the imperial guard in shock as he promptly knelt when he discovered he almost hurt the prince.

“Did you find the cat?” shouted someone. Then a lot of imperial guards came chasing menacingly armed with their swords.

“AH! Your Highness!”

All the imperial guards turned pale when they spotted the white cat in Prince Jing’s arms. Then they knelt in unison on the ground.

“You’re dismissed,” said Chu Yunshen before he slowly left the palace with the cat in his arms.

“Yes, Your Highness!” the imperial guards glanced at each other but didn’t step forward to stop him from taking the cat.

He was a prince after all!

When the leader of the imperial guards saw Prince Jing walk out from the palace with the pesky cat in his arms, he was stunned. Then he immediately stepped forward to pay his respects to him, “Your Highness!”

“Rise,” said Chu Yunshen without halting as he left with Cheng Xiaoxiao in his arms and went in Xiaowu and Mu Bai’s direction.

The moment Mo Bai saw Chu Yunshen coming out from the palace, he stepped forward and bowed as he said, “Your Highness!”

Chu Yunshen nodded before boarding the horse carriage.

“Xiaowu, stop walking in circles! His Highness is back!” shouted Mu Bai at Xiaowu, who was walking in circles nearby.

Xiaowu hastily stopped. Then he turned towards the palace and asked, “Where is His Highness?”

“Xiaowu!” came Chu Yunshen’s deep voice from inside the horse carriage. Xiaowu instantly ran towards the carriage when he heard him and caught sight of Chu Yunshen sitting on the couch. Then Xiaowu couldn’t help bursting into tears as he said, “Master, you’re finally back! I wouldn’t have any idea what to do if you haven’t!”

Xiaowu lowered his head to see Cheng Xiaoxiao in Chu Yunshen’s arms. Then he opened his mouth in shock as he exclaimed, “Master, she found you! I was worried to death! The little fellow jumped off the horse carriage and went into the palace to look for you after you didn’t return for a long time, His Highness! I was so worried that she might have met with danger inside the palace, but I sadly couldn’t get in!”

Chu Yunshen tightened his embrace on the cat and lowered his head to glance at the little fellow in his arms when he heard what Xiaowu said. Then he slowly said, “Go home.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” said Xiaowu as he nodded hard.

Standing outside the palace for hours had sapped Xiaowu of his energy. Now that Prince Jing finally made it out of the palace, Xiaowu felt instantly relieved. Then exhaustion waved over him swiftly.

Xiaowu simply must have a good bath the moment he got back home and have a good rest.

Chu Yunshen and his men returned to his residence in Bianjing. All the help went outside the residence to await and welcome Prince Jing when they heard he was coming back.

“Your Highness!”

Chu Yunshen got off the horse carriage with the cat in his arms. Then he said calmly, “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

The servants and maids rose to see their cold prince with a white cat in his arms. Also, a baby bird was sitting atop the cat’s head.

Some of the maids who harbored designs on the prince couldn’t help feeling jealous when they saw the prince carrying the cat gently in his arms.

They couldn’t help taking second looks at the cat in his embrace.

Was this the cat that Prince Jing sent Miss Wan Yun back to Prince Qing’s residence for?

But Miss Wang Yun was sent by Prince Qing to serve as Prince Jing’s concubine!

And this cat looked absolutely no different from other house cats!