ROHYX Chapter 676 : Obstacles

The crabapple trees in the Jing Wangfu 1 gardens were lush and luxuriant. It happened to be the season when the crab apple blossoms were i...

The crabapple trees in the Jing Wangfu¹ gardens were lush and luxuriant. It happened to be the season when the crab apple blossoms were in full bloom — tree after tree covered in pink flowers, ranging from light to deep shades, glowing with extraordinary grace and brilliance in the sunlight.

As Yuchen walked beneath the trees, she reached out to catch a blossom drifting down. A faint smile lingered on her lips as she said, "Pick some of them." They could be made into flower tea or used in a bath — they were pretty useful in many ways."

Shiqin bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes, Wangfei²."

After staying in the yard briefly, Yuchen returned to the main hall. Zhou Yan had been sent to study under a tutor a few days earlier, leaving Yuchen with nothing to occupy her time. In the past, whenever she had leisure time, she would write or paint. However, with the situation outside being so uncertain — the Imperial Court was plagued by internal troubles and external threats³ — and with her own interests closely tied to these affairs, Yuchen no longer had the heart for such refined pastimes.

At noon, Jing Wang⁴ returned for lunch. With a relaxed expression, he said, "The other day, I had a roast goose at Heji Restaurant — it was delicious. I brought one back today. Try it later and see if you like it."

Seeing him so cheerful, Yuchen asked, "Wangye⁵, has something good happened?" Jing Wang⁴ had always looked worried these past few days, but today he was smiling and had even found the time to bring her roast goose. That could only mean that the situation at the front had improved.

Jing Wang⁴ nodded. "Lin Fengyuan has kept the rebel forces at bay outside the walls of Huangzhou." Not only did Lin Fengyuan halt the rebels' advance — which had been as unstoppable as if they were splitting bamboo⁶" — but he also killed two of their generals, greatly boosting the morale of his soldiers and striking down the rebels' arrogance.

Yuchen poured Jing Wang⁴ a cup of tea to rinse his mouth and asked, "What's Lin Fengyuan's background?" She was certain she had heard the name before.

Smiling, Jing Wang⁴ replied, "Lin Fengyuan is the second son of the Duke of Dingguo's household — a rare young talent indeed. With such a great achievement, he will soon be renowned throughout the land."^🦊

Before Yuchen could ask any more questions, Shiqin came forward and announced, "Wangye⁵, Wangfei², lunch is ready." Due to the war, Yuchen had scaled down her meals to eight dishes and one soup — a restrained standard for nobility during wartime.

Yuchen looked at the golden-hued roast goose and signalled the maid to serve her a piece. She dipped it in plum sauce and slowly chewed. After finishing, she smiled as she praised it: "The meat is tender and the bones are fragrant — rich but not greasy. Very good." Then she added lightly, "But such things are fine to eat occasionally, but not often."

Jing Wang⁴ was in high spirits and said with a laugh, "If you like it, I'll have the kitchen make it again next time. But the choice of goose is quite particular — the best ones are those of moderate size, with thick meat and small bones."

Not wishing to spoil his good mood, Yuchen smiled and asked, "Does Wangye⁵ know how roast goose is made?" Jing Wang⁴ was not only fond of flowers and plants, but also of good food — he had tried the signature dishes of nearly every reputable restaurant in the capital.

Jing Wang⁴ laughed and answered immediately, "I asked the cook. First, choose a good goose, k!ll it and clean it thoroughly, then remove the wings, feet, and innards. Next, blow air into it and coat it with five-spice seasoning…"📹

Instead of using their mouths, the cook used a special air pump.

Yuchen's face lost its colour and she exclaimed, "What? You have to blow air into it? Wouldn't that mean saliva gets inside?"

When Yuchen saw Jing Wang⁴ nod, she immediately vomited. Startled, Jing Wang⁴ asked, "What's the matter?" As her mourning period had not yet ended, he didn't even consider the possibility that she might be pregnant.

After vomiting, Yuchen said, "It's nothing, my stomach just feels uncomfortable." She wouldn't have touched it if she had known that someone would even have to blow air into the goose.

Not long after Jing Wang⁴ had finished his lunch, he went off to attend to business again.

Yuchen asked Momo Gui, "Where have I heard the name Lin Fengyuan before?" The name must have stuck in her memory because she must have heard it more than once.

Momo Gui actually knew about this and replied, "Wangfei², this Lin Fengyuan and the Second Lord are fellow disciples under the same master. Lin Fengyuan was ranked second, and the Second Lord was third." She tactfully left unsaid the fact that their master was now serving as Yuxi's guard at the Yun Residence.

Yuchen thought for a moment and nodded. "So that's why it sounded so familiar! I didn't expect my Er Ge⁸'s senior to be so formidable." Not only had he repelled Yan Wushuang's attack, but he had even slain a rebel general—no small feat.

Momo Gui said, "That Lin Fengyuan has suffered a great deal of torment at the hands of the Lady of Dingguo. Otherwise, given his skills, he would never remain obscure in the capital." Duke Han's Residence and Duke of Dingguo's Residence had held a long-standing grudge against each other, so they rarely interacted.^🦊

Yuchen nodded slightly. "A capable person can never be truly suppressed, no matter how hard others try." It was just that they might have to take a more winding road.

Momo Gui sighed and said, "Not long ago, the Duke of Dingguo's Residence was in an uproar because the Shizi¹⁰ divorced his wife. Now, with Lin Fengyuan's rise, they'll probably be able to hold their heads high again." Momo Gui thought Zhang Shi was rather heartless—after divorcing from the Lin family, she now lived freely, but her daughter, whom she left behind, led an awkward life in the duke's household.

Yuchen had little interest in the affairs of the Duke of Dingguo's Residence. "I wonder how my Er Ge⁸ is doing now?" She knew Han Jianming was already on his way back, but there had been no news of Han Jianye, which worried her.

Momo Gui responded, "Wangfei², didn't you say Si Gunainai¹¹ would never harm the Second Lord?" She had seemed so convinced before, yet now she seemed to be wavering.

Yuchen smiled bitterly. "It's been over two months with no news—I'm losing confidence." The human heart could change so easily. Who knew whether Yuxi had already changed her temperament?

Momo Gui said, "Once the Duke returns to the capital, we'll know what's happened to the Second Lord. But I think he's probably fine; otherwise, the Old Lady wouldn't have remained so calm." If a white-haired parent has to bury a black-haired child¹², it would kill them with grief." Qiu Shi was ill, but not life-threateningly so.

Yuchen didn't respond to Momo Gui's remark. Instead, she asked, "Momo, now that the Northwest has fallen into Yun Qing and Yuxi's hands, what do you think they'll do next?"

Momo Gui thought momentarily before replying, "Back then, Empress Dowager Song tried again and again to have Si Gunainai¹¹ killed. With her temperament, she's certain to take revenge." Si Gunainai¹¹ had always been the kind of person who would avenge even a glare¹³.

Yuchen nodded slowly. "I never expected her to go this far. Back then, our teacher said Yuxi was born with a rebellious bone¹⁴, and I even argued against it." As it turned out, the teacher had been right.

Momo Gui said, "The Northwest is barren and constantly at war. So what if they've taken it? Once the Imperial Court has pacified the rebels in Liaodong and dispatched a large army, they won't be able to escape."

Yuchen gave a self-mocking smile. "If only it were that easy." Not only were Liaodong and the Northwest in rebellion, but the Southwest and Minnan regions were also restless. The Imperial Court was plagued by internal troubles and external threats³, and who knew how long it could hold on?"

Shiqin came over and announced, "Wangfei², Wu Gunainai¹⁵ has come to visit."

Yuchen was not someone who needed flattery or special treatment; rather than enjoying Yurong's obsequiousness, she found it repulsive. Swallowing her disgust, Yuchen instructed, "Let her in."

Before Yurong was married, she would visit at most once a month. But ever since her marriage, she had come every two or three days. However, since Yurong was her younger sister, refusing to see her when she came to her door would be improper.

Momo Gui hesitated and remarked, "Wangfei², this is rather strange! Even if Wu Gunainai¹⁵ wanted to borrow your influence, she shouldn't be coming to the wangfu¹ this often. Besides, Madam Jiang isn't known for having a good temper — how could she possibly allow her daughter-in-law to visit so frequently?"

Yuchen shook her head. "What could she possibly scheme against me?" Yurong's frequent visits were simply her way of borrowing Yuchen's influence to make her life easier in the Jiang household.

Momo Gui relied on her intuition and felt that things were not as simple as they appeared. Her instincts had always been sharp, and she thought she needed to pay closer attention to the Jiang household.

That same day, Lin Fengyuan received a messenger from Yan Wushuang: Meng Nian. Meng Nian said, "General Lin, that dog of an Emperor has betrayed the nation by selling us out to the enemy and letting over a hundred thousand men die beneath the iron hooves of the Donghu. Why, then, does General Lin still fight and bleed for him?"^🦊

A faint, careless smile crossed Lin Fengyuan's lips as he replied, "Tell Yan Wushuang not to hide like a turtle in its shell, too afraid to stick its head out. If he has any real ability, he should prove it on the battlefield."

Meng Nian refused to give up and warned, "When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is boiled; when the birds are gone, the fine bow is put away¹⁷. Does General Lin not fear meeting such an end?"

Lin Fengyuan laughed heartily and said, "That's not something you need to worry about. But I would truly like to witness the grace and talent of Young Nobleman Wushuang." In Liaodong, Yan Wushuang had long been admired and was respectfully known as 'Young Nobleman Wushuang'.

Meng Nian returned empty-handed.

Lin Fengyuan's trusted aide, Gu Jiu, said, "General, the situation is very unfavourable to us." Although they had managed to hold Huangzhou City, which was easy to defend and hard to attack, morale was low. Keeping their ground until now had already come at a tremendous cost.

Lin Fengyuan asked, "It's already the middle of the third month — do you think the Donghu will let such a good opportunity slip away?" In this situation, as long as the Imperial Court provided troops and funds, Huangzhou City would remain unbroken.

Gu Jiu understood the hidden meaning in his words. "Does the General think Yan Wushuang is unreliable?" As his confidant, Gu Jiu knew well that Lin Fengyuan felt no loyalty towards the Imperial Court, let alone a foolish, traitorous Emperor. The General fought so fiercely only to make his own mark in history.

Lin Fengyuan neither nodded nor shook his head. Instead, he said, "Relying on others is never as good as relying on yourself." Taking orders from no one — that was what he truly desired.

Just as they spoke, another trusted aide, Li Ada, came in and reported, "General, we've just received news that the Northern Barbarians have gathered an army of two hundred and fifty thousand to attack Yu City!"

Gu Jiu exclaimed, "General, what should we do? The Old Master is still in Yu City!" To this day, Gu Jiu still could not understand why Elder Yang had gone to serve as a guard for Han Shi.

Lin Fengyuan remained silent for a long moment before replying, "That is Yun Qing's concern." When he first heard that Han Yuxi had killed her brother, Han Jianye, he immediately sent his men to Yu City to try bringing Master Yang out. However, Master Yang refused to leave and even wrote a letter to Lin Fengyuan. In it, he mentioned Yan Wushuang and said that if Lin Fengyuan could no longer stay in Liaodong, he could come and find him.

It was that very letter that made Lin Fengyuan realise that the rumour about Han Shi killing her brother was false — a story deliberately spread by the Imperial Court to ruin her reputation.^🦊

Footnotes Full List

1. 王 wáng: king, 府 fǔ: residence
2. 王 wáng: king, 妃 fēi: consort
3. "内忧外患 (nèiyōuwàihuàn)" is an idiom meaning 'internal troubles and external threats', used for a nation in crisis
4. 王 wáng: king
5. 王 wáng: king, 爷 ye: lord
6. 势如破竹 (shìrúpòzhú)" — an idiom meaning "to advance irresistibly," used to describe overwhelming momentum
7. For those wondering, Lin Fengyuan was Han Jianye's senior brother, who was both trained by Master Yang.
8. 二 èr: second, 哥 gē: elder brother
9. Well, except for Han Jianye and Lin Fengyuan.
10. 世子 shìzǐ: heir of a noble house
11. 四 sì: fourth,  姑奶奶 gūnǎinai: (respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
12. "白发人送黑发人 (báifàrén sòng hēifārén)" literally means 'the white-haired sending off the black-haired', a Chinese idiom for the tragedy of parents losing their children.
13. "睚眦必报 (yázìbìbào)" is an idiom for being extremely vengeful.
14. "天生反骨 (tiānshēng fǎn gǔ)" refers to a person with a defiant, unyielding nature.
15. 五 wǔ: fifth, 姑奶奶 gūnǎinai: (respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
16. For those curious about the guy who impersonated Yan Wushuang in front of Yuxi and Yun Qing, this is your answer. I'm not sure if he was released or if he had escaped. But the answer is obvious. He's still alive.
17. 狡兔死,走狗烹;飞鸟尽,良弓藏 (jiǎotù sǐ, zǒugǒu pēng; fēiniǎo jìn, liáng gōng cán)— a classical idiom from Chinese history, meaning 'Once a ruler no longer needs his allies or servants, he disposes of them'. It warns of the danger of being discarded once one's usefulness has ended.
18. Hmm... wasn't this actually Yuxi's idea? 🤔

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