CH 26

Chapter 26: Tangled hair

When Yinzhen came to visit Yinyou, he found him sitting at the head of the bed reading with a calm expression, and when he saw him coming in, he just smiled and put down the book, “Fourth brother.” [1]

[1] In this dialogue, Yinyou said 四哥 sìgē,  fourth brother. He usually calls Yinzhen 哥哥 gēgē, “brother” informally, thus showing closeness. In chapter 3, they agreed to let Yinyou call Yinzhen gege when there was only two of them.

Yinzhen was slightly startled, then walked to the side of the bed and sat down, took the book by the bedside, and put it aside, “You are still sick, don’t read books, rest.”

“Staying in the room is boring, but Huang Ama still ordered the servants not to let me out,” Yinyou moved, after sitting for too long his waist felt a little sore, “How come does the fourth brother have time to come over today?”

Yinzhen touched Yinyou’s forehead. Sensing the fever was gone he was relieved and withdrew his hand, but facing Yinyou’s luminous eyes, he looked away uncomfortably, “There was nothing to do today, so I came to see you, how are you feeling now?” 

“Much better,” Yinyou stated. Seeing Yinzhen’s worried look, he couldn’t help laughing, “Fourth brother, it’s just a cold, you don’t have to be so serious.”

Yinzhen still had a frowning face, “If I know that you are sick and didn’t call for a doctor, in the future, don’t recognize me as your fourth brother.”

“Don’t, fourth brother, I know I’m wrong,” Seeing that Yinzhen was indeed a little angry, Yinyou smiled at him flatteringly, “I [2] asked the servants below to collect some snow to make tea, why don’t you try it too.” After speaking, he clapped his palms, and next, a court lady came in with two steaming cups of tea.

[2] Yinyou started talking informally here.

Seeing him like this, Yinzhen didn’t continue nagging him. Holding the teacup, and smelling the sweet scent of the tea, he suddenly felt nauseous, “A few days ago, Huang Ama bestowed me the Ula Nara girl.” After saying this, he took a sip, but both his heart and tongue had a bitter and astringent taste.

Not understanding why Yinzhen’s complexion was so bad, Yinyou leaned sideways, “Fourth brother, accompany me out for a walk.” 

Yinzhen put down the teacup, “When you get in better shape. Right now it’s snowing outside, what are you doing out there.” Then he pressed down the person who was about to get out of bed with one hand.

Yinyou held his hand and spoke with a smile, “Fourth brother, I’m a man, how can I be so fragile, trapped in this bed every day, I’m not sick merely just lacking a bit of energy.” After finishing speaking, he sat down in the bed and searched for his boots.

Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, Yinzhen had no choice but to take a thick robe and a fur coat for Yinyou to put on, and looking at his loose hair, he sighed, and pressed Yinyou in front of the bronze mirror.

“Fourth brother, it’s better to leave these things to the maids.” Yinyou noticed Yinzhen’s intentions, and his face showed a little embarrassment. A big man like him making a boy braid his hair, he felt a bit awkward.

“Don’t move,” the fourth master’s face remained unchanged, and he began to comb Yinyou’s hair with unfamiliar movements. Yinyou grinned in pain and silently that the fourth brother would never have a chance to touch his hair again. He asked himself why the fourth brother agreed with him to go out, it turned out that he used this method to toss himself.

It was a bit poisonous, the fourth brother really killed without spilling blood.

Yinyou didn’t see that a few strands of hair that didn’t belong to him were entangled into his braids, so intertwined that they couldn’t be distinguished from one another.

Yinzhen braided the fine black in his hands quietly. He once heard an old eunuch say, “don’t mix your hair with other people’s hair, otherwise the two of you will be entangled for a lifetime until death.” If he and Yinyou could be entangled for a lifetime and not be separated after death, then that would be great.

He took the white fox fur hat and put it on in Yinyou. At first glance, he looked like a handsome and peerless prince. People couldn’t take their eyes off him. Yinzhen slowly looked away, and stretched out his hand to hold Yinyou’s wrist, “Let’s go”.

The servants outside did not dare to stop them when they saw that the fourth brother had taken their master out, even Xiao Luzi and Fu Duo who wanted to follow up to serve were stopped.

After leaving the yard, it was already white outside, even the dazzling bright yellow was buried under the snow, Yinyou pointed to the west, “I heard that there is a plum garden over there, let’s go and have a look.” 

Yinzhen didn’t object, but positioned himself to block Yinyou from the wind, and quietly turned his head to look at the side face of the person beside him.

“I heard that the woman given to the fourth brother has a gentle personality and a pure nature. Her father, Lord Feiyanggu, is also a great minister. Isn’t it good for this woman to be the fourth brother’s Fu Jin?” Stepping in the snow, Yinyou’s body swayed a little, “When you marry a wife, you should marry a virtuous person. Even if the fourth brother already has someone else in his heart, you should treat this woman well. After all, if she married you, all she can look up to in this life is you. But you will also have Ce Fu Jin, Gege, and other concubines.”

Yinzhen didn't say a word, just stretched out his hand to clutch Yinyou’s hand.

“I don’t know if you like someone else, fourth brother, but you have to remember that this woman was given to you by Huang Ama, and only she can be your Fu Jin.” Yinyou was worried that Yinzhen would anger Kangxi because of this matter. Then it would only be Yinzhen himself who suffered.

After listening to Yinyou’s words, Yinzhen knew why Yinyou deliberately brought him to this cold West Garden. Every word of concern from the other party was like a needle pierced into his flesh.

Walking into the plum garden, a faint fragrance emerged, making people feel revitalized. Yinyou looked around: red, white, yellow. Not conspicuous or coquettish, but giving people a sense of freshness. He showed a smile, “Look at the red plums, they are always the most eye-catching. But in terms of fragrance, I don’t think they’re as good as the yellow plums, and in terms of elegance, they’re not as good as white plums. Sometimes the one that catches your eye may not be the best. Maybe it’s a vulgar thing that looks good on the outside but it’s useless on the inside.”

Many years after, Yinyou still thought his words rang true. Maybe because he was a common person, except for his skin, he had nothing worthy of notice [3].  But this was an afterthought. At this time, Yinzhen’s complexion was a little unsightly, but since the speaker was Yinyou, he could only endure it.

[3] Common person - 俗人 súrén: plebeian, vulgar person, ordinary people, common people, people. “Except for his skin”, Chinese people use the skin to refer to physical appearance. Meaning, apart from his beauty, he had nothing else remarkable.

Yinyou still could look at people’s faces. Seeing that Yinzhen’s complexion was not good, he hurriedly added, “Actually, people have a right to like red plums, isn’t it?”

Yinzhen's complexion was even uglier.

Yinyou felt very helpless, why did these princes were so difficult to serve, you couldn’t say bad things, let alone good things. He sighed. He won’t care about this kid, anyway, whether Yinzhen liked it or not, he was going to marry her, and after all, it was not his business to advise the fourth brother.

Asking the fourth brother to help break a few plum blossoms, Yinyou walked back discouraged. As expected, the role of a bosom brother was not suitable for him.

After leaving the plum garden, Yinzhen said, “Seventh brother, since you want me to treat that woman well, I won’t treat her badly.”

Hearing this, Yinyou felt a little confused in his heart, but seeing Yinzhen’s paralyzed face, he simply smiled and handed two of the plum blossoms in his hand to Yinzhen, “Then, take them back and put them in a vase.” Yinzhen held the white and yellow plums, then silently looked back at the bright red plum blossom in Yinyou’s hand.

Seeing Yinzhen staring at the red plum in his hand, Yinyou handed him one hesitantly, “Why don’t I give you this one too?” 

Sure enough, he was a child at heart and liked this bright red plum.

Yinzhen took the red plum and held it tightly.

In the spring of the thirty-second year of Kangxi, the third brother and the fourth brother moved out of the palace, and lived each in their own mansion.

In Wuyizhai, Yinyou was reading “Gu Wen Yuan Jian” [4], thinking about what gift to give to the fourth brother at his housewarming party. It stands to reason that the gift should not surpass the gifts he gave to the eldest and third brothers, but according to their close relationship, not giving something special seemed a little unreasonable.

[4] 古文淵鑒 Gu Wen Yuan Jian. A collection of literature that collects prose from past dynasties into one book. You can watch it here.

At noon, there were only three brothers in the room. Yinyou sighed while eating an eggplant cake with chicken stuffing. Thinking back a few years ago, how lively it was with the seven brothers in one house, listening to the Crown Prince and the eldest brother holding guns and talking with a stick [5], it was very interesting indeed. Now that the room was deserted, he suddenly felt a little bit lonely.

[5] 夹枪带棍 [jiā qiāng dài gùn]. Prickly speech that involves others.

After the meal, the eighth brother slowly drank tea and said, “Younger brother saw that the seventh brother was restless, are you not feeling well?”

Yinyou shook his hand holding the teacup, “Thank you, eighth brother, I’m fine, it’s just that I slept late last night and I’m a little sleepy.” He didn’t know if it was his illusion but he felt that the eighth brother always paid attention to him, was there something wrong with him?

After hearing this, the eighth brother offered a smiled, “Soon the fourth brother will host a banquet for our brothers. Could it be that the seventh brother is busy thinking about how this big meal will be eaten and can’t fall asleep?” He, the fourth brother, was really capable, even people like the seventh brother who didn’t want to form cliques were close to him.

“The eighth brother is really attentive,” Yinyou chuckled, “Anyway, I will soon drink the wedding wine of the fourth brother, so there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to this wedding wine.”

The fifth elder brother listened to the jokes of the two, and said, “I see, it turned out that you guys were plotting against the fourth brother. I will tell the fourth brother to ask for your gifts quickly, then throw you out.” 

Yinyou smiled when he heard the words, and like this, the three of them chatted together and returned to the study later.

After school in the afternoon, for some reason, the eighth brother walked next to Yinyou, and seeing that he was silent, even took the initiative to speak, “Seventh brother, tomorrow let’s go to the fourth brother’s house together.” 

The eighth brother opened his mouth to ask this, Yinyou couldn’t refuse, so he nodded, “Your yard is not too far from mine, just remember to call me when the time comes.” Then it’s best to call the fifth brother so they all three go together.

The eighth brother had a smile on his face, and his voice was as gentle as a fine tea falling into a fine porcelain cup, “Okay, seventh brother, remember to wait for me.” Smiles filled his eyes as if he was really happy.

“As an elder brother, this is what I should do.” When Yinyou noticed that Yinsi was genuine, his tone became better, “The tea you delivered last time was very good.” 

The eighth brother was indeed very kind to him, but Yinyou always felt that there was something weird it, what was there about him that deserved so much effort from the eighth brother, why did he felt he needed to win him over? 

The eighth brother smiled more when he heard his words, “If the seventh brother likes it, I'll ask someone to send some more.”

“Ama also said that I am a foodie, afraid that my reputation is set in stone.” He didn’t know whether Kangxi loved or hated him, but everyone in the harem now knew that the seventh brother had a big appetite. Although this reputation was not good, it was still better than being lustful. Yinyou was very satisfied with this.

“It’s a blessing to be able to eat. Doesn’t Huang Ama remember to give you a piece of food when he eat something? Isn’t this a blessing?” Yinsi recalled that Huang Ama made fun of his seventh brother on New Year’s Eve, and the smile on his face became even stronger. 

His seventh elder brother was really cunning, to the point of making Huang Ama not annoyed, but able to pay more attention to him. Such a smart person, if there was no problem with his feet, he could even plot for that position and his success would not be impossible. Alas, now it was a pity.

Perhaps Huang Ama also wanted a pure son who wouldn’t care about his throne and would not engage in intrigue. The seventh brother showed a straightforward temperament, his mother’s family was not powerful, and he was born with a foot disease, so he fit the criteria that would make Huang Ama pleased.

The eighth brother smiled wryly. As a prince, if there was even a chance, how could he want to give up that thought, but the seventh brother was like this and there was no way to do it.

When parting ways, Yinsi said to Yinyou, “Seventh brother, you are lucky to be like this.”

Yinyou looked at Yinsi’s back with a blank face.

From Empress Dowager Xiaozhuangwen [6] to this eighth brother, they all loved to say that he was blessed. Where was his blessing?

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▲ Footnotes 

[1] In this dialogue, Yinyou said 四哥 sìgē,  fourth brother. He usually calls Yinzhen 哥哥 gēgē, “brother” informally, thus showing closeness. In chapter 3, they agreed to let Yinyou call Yinzhen gege when there are only two of them.

[2] Yinyou started talking informally here.

[3] Common person - 俗人 súrén: plebeian, vulgar person, ordinary people, common people, people. “Except for his skin”, Chinese people use skin to refer to physical appearance. Meaning, apart from his beauty, he had nothing else remarkable.

[4] 古文淵鑒 Gu Wen Yuan Jian. A collection of literature that collects prose from past dynasties into one book. You can watch it here.

[5] 夹枪带棍 [jiā qiāng dài gùn]. Prickly speech that involves others.

[6] Empress Dowager Xiaozhuangwen. Kangxi’s grandmother, she appeared and died in later chapters.. Her Wikipedia page is this.