Upon entering the inner hall, Tie Kui asked Lu Yingyi, "Did you merely hear what you said just now, or did you see it with your own ey...
Upon entering the inner hall, Tie Kui asked Lu Yingyi, "Did you merely hear what you said just now, or did you see it with your own eyes?" Lu Yingyi had described it in such detail that he must have witnessed it personally.
Lu Yingyi scratched his head and replied, "Around dusk, I happened to overhear someone talking about it, so I took advantage of a free moment tonight and ran over to have a look. General, you have no idea. That woman really is just as they said. She doesn't look remotely like someone in her forties. Besides, she looks so flirtatious that it is unbearable1…"
Tie Kui frowned and interrupted him. "Did you hear how they intend to deal with that woman?" Given Yan Wushuang's temperament, he would certainly make the woman unable to live yet unable to die2. Tie Kui simply did not know what method he would use.
Lu Yingyi chuckled lewdly, looking exceedingly vulgar. "His Highness Jing Wang issued an order to send that woman into the army. At dusk, two guards fought a match to decide who would have her first. General Guo caught them and punished them severely. He also issued strict orders that no one was to touch the woman." General Guo was Guo Zhong, one of Yan Wushuang's most trusted commanders.
Lu Yingyi was greedy for money and women, but he was very obedient to Tie Kui. If Tie Kui told him to go east, he would never go west3 . Tie Kui did not want anything to happen to such a dependable and useful subordinate.
Tie Kui told him, "The Marshal said that the palace maids with bodies of intact jade4 may be matched with the unmarried officers and soldiers in the army. Should you be willing to settle down, I will choose one of them to be your poniang5. Once you have a wife and a few children, you can enjoy a life with a wife by your side and a warm heated bed6 at home. But should you refuse to settle down, forget it." There were only a few hundred palace women of marriageable age who were still virgins. Without the right connections, a man could forget about marrying one of them.
Lu Yingyi was both astonished and delighted. He asked, "General, are you telling the truth?" Lu Yingyi was already thirty-one and remained unmarried. In the past, he had been too poor to marry, and had spent all his salary in brothels. It was only during the past year that he had become more comfortably off. However, this was the capital, not Liaodong, and finding a woman who was exactly to his liking was not easy. Consequently, Lu Yingyi was still unmarried.
Now that Yan Wushuang had obtained power, they possessed both money and promising futures, so finding wives would not be difficult. Nevertheless, Lu Yingyi was unwilling to pass up the opportunity to marry a beautiful woman for free.
Tie Kui responded coldly, "When have I ever lied? But if you refuse to settle down, I will not ruin an innocent young woman's life by giving her to you."
Lu Yingyi immediately stood up straight and declared, "Rest assured, General. Once I am married, I will live a proper married life with my wife and never muddle around recklessly7 again." He had spent so many years fooling around outside because he had no other option. Now that he was getting old, he longed for a life with a wife, children and a warm bed at home.
Tie Kui grunted in acknowledgement and waved his hand. "Remember what you have promised." This was all he could do to help those palace maids. Beyond that, he was powerless. Whether their futures were good or bad would depend entirely upon their own destinies.
News that Yan Wushuang had murdered the Emperor reached the northwest three days later.
Yuxi was extremely astonished. "The Emperor was assassinated?" Seeing Xu Wu nod, Yuxi experienced a mix of emotions. In her previous life, it had been the Ninth Prince who had been assassinated, and Zhou Chaijin was still the Emperor when she died. This time, however, Heshou had unexpectedly thrust a pole across their way8, causing everything to change.
Xu Wu continued, "There have long been rumours that Yan Wushuang had the late Crown Prince's surviving child in his hands. This time, the boy has finally appeared. According to the information we obtained, his surname is Zhou, his given name is Jing, and he bears an extraordinary resemblance to the late Crown Prince, Zhou Kang." Assuming events proceed as expected, Zhou Jing would most likely become the next Emperor.
After hearing this, Yuxi said indifferently, "He is merely a puppet9.
Xu Wu informed Yuxi, "Wangfei, Yan Wushuang claims that he has no interest in the Dragon Throne." Xu Wu did not particularly believe that statement. Had Yan Wushuang truly possessed no interest in the throne, why had he killed the Emperor? After all, the Emperor had treated him quite well!🦊
Yuxi commented, "That is because he is clever. If he were to sit upon the Dragon Throne himself, he would be usurping the dynasty and seizing the throne. However, by making Zhou Jing emperor, he appears to be rectifying disorder and restoring legitimate rule. He thereby claims to occupy the great righteousness11."
After pausing, Yuxi continued, "Furthermore, having no interest in the Dragon Throne and choosing not to sit upon it are two different things. Emperor Guangzong exterminated the Yan family, and Zhou Jing also has Emperor Guangzong's blood flowing through his veins. Do you believe Yan Wushuang would sincerely support Zhou Jing's accession? Moreover, a man like Yan Wushuang would never make another person's wedding clothes12. Zhou Jing is merely a chess piece13 in Yan Wushuang's hand. Once Yan Wushuang achieves his goal, that chess piece will have outlived its usefulness." If she were in his position, she certainly would never work for another person's benefit. Yan Wushuang was even more ruthless than she was, so he was even less likely to do such a thing.
Xu Wu said, "Wangfei, do you mean that Yan Wushuang is merely using Zhou Jing to reassure the Imperial Court officials, and that once his wings are fully grown14, he will discard Zhou Jing and take his place?"
Yuxi murmured in agreement. "Should Yan Wushuang proclaim himself Emperor, those principled officials would refuse to submit to him. Zhou Jing, however, is the late Crown Prince's surviving child. Placing him on the throne would stabilise the Imperial Court very quickly." Once the Imperial Court was stable, Yan Wushuang could slowly plan everything else. Once his wings were fully grown and he wished to rise to the supreme position, he could arrange for Zhou Jing to have an accident, or simply force Zhou Jing to abdicate the throne in his favour.
After thinking about it, Xu Wu agreed that this made sense.
Yuxi fell silent for a moment before asking, "What happened to the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince after the Imperial Palace was breached?" Yan Wushuang hated the Song family to the very marrow of his bones, so the Crown Prince was in great danger.
Xu Wu answered, "The Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince disappeared on the same day that the Imperial Palace was breached. Their whereabouts are unknown. However, Yan Wushuang has ordered a citywide search, so escaping will probably be extremely difficult."
Yuxi murmured, "I hope they can escape the capital!" Even if Yuchen managed to flee the capital with Zhou Yan, they would not be safe. Moreover, with Yuchen's appearance, she would expose her whereabouts the moment she appeared in public, unless someone skilled in disguise could alter her looks.
After a moment's thought, Xu Wu said, "Wangfei, Empress Dowager Song and many of the palace maids have been made into military prostitutes."
Yuxi involuntarily raised her voice. "What did you say?"
Xu Wu was badly startled. He explained, "Jing Wang ordered that Empress Dowager Song and many palace maids be sent into the army as military prostitutes." When Yun Qing and his troops had captured those prefectures and counties, they had merely confiscated the property of the wicked and killed those who bore guilt on their bodies15. They had not killed the maids, older female servants, or household servants. They did not even kill the relatives of criminals, let alone force the women in their families to become military prostitutes. Compared with Yan Wushuang, their Wang was exceptionally merciful indeed.
Yuxi shook her head. "It is nothing. I merely feel that those palace maids are terribly pitiful." She had previously wanted revenge, but now that Empress Dowager Song had fallen to such a state, there was no need for her to take action.
Xu Wu nodded. "Exactly! Zhou Jing is only fifteen years old, yet he already acts with such cruelty. Even if he becomes Emperor, he will certainly be a tyrant."
Yuxi was not surprised. "It would be strange if Yan Wushuang had educated Zhou Jing to possess both wisdom and courage, together with a compassionate heart!" If Zhou Jing performed too well, would that not obstruct Yan Wushuang's own accession? The only way for Yan Wushuang to rise and be what everyone hoped for16 was to allow Zhou Jing to become a foolish tyrant.
Upon hearing this, Xu Wu could not help asking, "According to what Wangfei has said, would that not mean he began plotting to seize the throne more than ten years ago?"
Yuxi shook her head. "No, not necessarily. No matter how formidable Yan Wushuang may be, he could not have possibly predicted what would happen more than ten years later. Nevertheless, he is an extremely difficult man to deal with. When we confront him in the future, we must summon twelve parts of our spirit17." Unfortunately, they had already become enemies. Otherwise, Yuxi truly would not have wished to oppose him.
At noon, the Yun residence received two baskets of cherries sent from Jiangnan. Cherries had not yet appeared on the market at this time of year, so they were a rare delicacy at present.
Yuxi sent half a basket to the Han residence and kept the other half for herself. She distributed the remaining cherries in another basket as gifts to the households of Feng Dajun, Yuan Ying, and several others.
The cherries were as beautiful as gemstones and tasted delicious. Zaozao ate half a bowl in a single sitting. Had they not feared that overeating would give her indigestion, she would have eaten another half-bowl.
Liu-er was still too young, so Momo Quan crushed the cherries into a purée before feeding them to her. Surprisingly, Liu-er finished the entire small bowl of cherry purée.
Momo Quan smiled and said to Yuxi, who had just returned to the rear courtyard, "I never expected Liu-er to enjoy cherries as well!" Liu-er was not a picky eater, but she ate very little.
Yuxi replied with a smile, "Cherries taste delicious. Wangye and I both enjoy them!" The problem was that they were too expensive for ordinary families to afford. If Wu Kuo had not sent them, Yuxi would have been reluctant to spend so much money on them herself.
Yuxi said to Momo Quan, "Momo, Liu-er is almost a year and a half old. I would like to wean her." Most children were weaned after turning one. Of course, exceptionally pampered children who remained unweaned until the age of three did not count.
Momo Quan responded, "I also asked Mama Lan about this. She believes that, since Liu-er was born prematurely and has a weak constitution, it would be best to wait until she is two." Under ordinary circumstances, a child should be weaned at eighteen months, but Liu-er was born prematurely.
Yuxi hesitated briefly before nodding. "Then we will wait until she is two years old before weaning her!" Having said this, Yuxi stroked Liu-er, who was sleeping with her brows furrowed. "Momo, do you think this child is far too lazy? All she does is eat or sleep. I have never seen such a lazy child."
Momo Quan shot back, "What sort of thing is that to say? Being able to eat and sleep well is a blessing18. Many people beg for such a blessing and still never receive it."
Yuxi laughed. "But she can't always eat and then sleep, and sleep and then eat, can she? It's like raising a little piglet!"
Momo Quan gave a dissatisfied snort. "Does all the walking Liu-er does every day not count?" Mama Lan was experienced in caring for children and knew that if a child remained inactive all the time, her bones would become weak, which would be detrimental to her health. Therefore, Mama Lan and Momo Quan would not truly allow Liu-er to lie in bed from morning until night.
Liu-er was unwilling to learn to walk at present. Therefore, since the beginning of the month, Momo Quan and Mama Lan had taken turns supporting Liu-er as they trained her to walk outside. They did this three times a day—morning, noon, and evening—for two quarter-hours, or thirty minutes, each time.
At this point, Momo Quan could not help but complain again. "Strictly speaking, this is something you ought to be doing yourself. But since you're busy every day, it's us, two old things19 who are the ones who must endure the hard work." Perhaps it was because she was getting on in years that Momo Quan had not only become more soft-hearted but also more talkative.
Yuxi knew that if she dared to argue, Momo Quan would have even more to say to her. "Yes, Momo. You and Mama Lan have been burdened with a great deal of work."
Momo Quan looked at Liu-er and admitted, "I can only help you care for Liu-er. I won't be able to help you raise any children you'll have after her." She was growing old, and no longer had the energy she once had.
P.S. (Author June) : Just thinking about those sweet and sour cherries makes my mouth water! O(∩_∩)O～ I will go and buy some tomorrow.
Footnotes Full List
- 风骚得不行 (fēngsāo de bùxíng)— a colloquial description of someone appearing extremely coquettish, provocative, or sexually alluring
- 求生不能，求死不得 (qiú shēng bùnéng, qiú sǐ bùdé)—'unable to seek life and unable to obtain death'; to be subjected to suffering so terrible that one can neither live peacefully nor escape through death
- 铁奎说东，他就不会往西 (Tiě Kuí shuō dōng, tā jiù bú huì wǎng xī)—to obey someone unquestioningly
- 完璧之身 (wánbì zhī shēn)—'a body of intact jade'; a euphemism for a woman who has preserved her virginity
- 婆娘 (póniang)—a rustic or colloquial term for one's wife
- 老婆熱炕頭 (lǎopo rè kàngtóu)—'a wife and a warm heated bed'; an image of simple, comfortable domestic happiness
- 胡混 (húhùn)—to behave irresponsibly, especially by drinking, gambling, or pursuing women
- 横插一杠 (héng chā yí gàng)—'thrust a pole across the way'; to interfere abruptly in another person's affairs and disrupt the original course of events
- 傀儡 (kuǐlěi)—figuratively, a nominal ruler controlled by another person
- Well, had Xu Wu forgotten that the Emperor still has the Song blood in him?
- 占了大义 (zhàn le dà yì)—to possess the morally or politically legitimate position
- 给他人做嫁衣裳 (gěi tārén zuò jiàyīshang)—'make bridal clothes for someone else'; to expend one's effort only for another person to enjoy the benefit
- 一颗棋子 (yì kē qízi)—a pawn or tool manipulated to achieve another person's objective
- 羽翼丰了 (yǔyì fēng le)—once his supporters, influence, and power base have become firmly established
- 有罪在身 (yǒuzuì zài shēn)—to be personally guilty of crimes
- 众望所归 (zhòngwàng suǒguī)—'where the hopes of the multitude return'; to enjoy universal support and be regarded as the person everyone expects or desires
- 打起十二份精神 (dǎqǐ shí'èr fèn jīngshén)—'rouse twelve portions of one's spirit'; to be exceptionally alert and devote more than one hundred per cent of one's attention
- 能吃能睡是福气 (néng chī néng shuì shì fúqi)—a traditional belief that a healthy appetite and sound sleep are signs of good health and good fortune
- 老家伙 (lǎo jiāhuo)—a humorous or mildly self-deprecating colloquial term for elderly people
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