CH 52

Happy December! I really thought I would be able to release this chapter in late November, but it turns out I couldn’t… Left some footnotes to let you guys know how I perceive the scenes, it’s purely my own opinion, you can debate it in the comments. Thank you for reading ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) —Bambi.

some reading notes:

It was considered a fortunate event for a man to marry a virtuous and beautiful woman. Although Yinyou was only marrying a Ce Fu Jin, the whole of the nobility still gave him face. Those who didn’t have anything particularly important to do came to join the fun; their wedding gifts were as luxurious as when he first married the legitimate Fu Jin. Everyone was aware that this marriage with the Fuca family was bestowed by the emperor as compensation to the seventh prince for the unvirtuous Fu Jin he had married, and they guessed the wedding must thus follow the rites and etiquette of marrying the principal wife. Everyone could understand this so how could they not give the gifts appropriate to such an occasion?

The people of the Nara family also knew how to hold their breath1It means they knew how to behave and were smart, imagine if they made a ruckus, they would get in a lot of trouble, especially because it’s a woman from their family who did something wrong, maybe the matter would get publicized that the seventh Fu Jin killed the concubine, which in turn would make the reputation of the girls of the Nara family awful, maybe they would get the reputation of being jealous women, and no family would want to marry them. If they can’t marry a good family, slowly, the links with other noble families will weaken and the Nara family will lose their place in the powerful circles.. They sent people from their clan to represent them, and they gave generous gifts and sat down at the guest table with a smile. They looked cheerful, without any moodiness. They were clearly being slapped in the face, yet they didn’t give anyone a chance to say anything.

Many smart people guessed the truth about the dead Ge Ge in the seventh prince’s mansion and they all thought that this time, the Nara family must’ve lost some teeth and swallowed the blood from this huge slap in the face. They were still lucky, though, after all, the emperor hadn’t cleaned them all up.

It was the eldest prince who didn’t give face. Sat next to his younger imperial brothers, his face looked dark. After all, the Nara family was her mother’s maiden family and his backing. Seeing today’s occasion, he guessed that Huang Ama must’ve known the particularities of that event. In no way could this reflect well on him.

At this time, the groom had already entered the bridal chamber, but the imperial princes —the groom’s brothers— were still laughing and making noise without any sign of leaving their tables. The Crown Prince was even more cheerful than any of them. Even when the eldest brother was made furious by his dilly-dallying and chit-chatting, he could only forcefully endure it.

After the banquet was over, the brothers went back to their mansions. As Yinzhen walked out of the gate, he looked back to stare at the bright red lanterns hanging on Yinyou’s mansion, his expression was dim, and not the least joyful. 

He slowly trailed his gaze down until he was left staring at the snowy ground. The snow was no longer white, but dark and dirty from being trampled by the brothers when they left. At this time, they all had left with a cheerful smile in their sedan chairs, and only he was left behind. Suddenly, and without any explanation2I think the trampled snow made him feel like he was similar to that dirty snow. After all, he is in love with his half-brother which is in no way morally right, but also, it causes him to be unable to feel joy when Yinyou is marrying someone, even if that person is of the right temperament and status. The world also showcases how lonely he feels, knowing Yinyou doesn’t belong to him and their relationship is not as close as a married couple. So this is a low moment for our boi Yinzhen. , as he stood there all alone, he felt a chill coming from deep inside his bones…

“Fourth Lord, it’s a good thing you haven’t left, otherwise this slave would have come to your house to bother you.” At this exact moment, Fu Duo came out of the house, looking for Yinzhen. 

He was already chubby, and today he wore thick clothes, which made him look bloated, yet he still ran diligently to Yinzhen’s side, bowed, and voiced,  “Fourth Lord, the Master ordered the slave yesterday to give this to you this day but there were too many things, and this slave lost track of time. Please forgive this slave, Fourth Lord.” After finishing speaking, he offered a delicate small box with delicate hibiscus flowers carved on it. The flower petals were inlaid with jade, and it looked luxurious and beautiful.

Yinzhen took it into his hands. Surprisingly, inside was a piece of warm jade. On the milky-white surface, there was beautiful intricate carving. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be two children playing with a little dog. 

Unknowingly, Yinzhen’s heart had already warmed up, but his voice and face didn’t reveal anything. He asked flatly, “Where did your Master find this?”

“The Master found this in a jade shop in the east of the city two days ago. This jade was also spotted by a child from the Tong family and since the Master did not want to reveal his identity, it took him a lot of effort to get this piece.” Fu Duo noticed the Fourth Lord’s soft eyes and went on talking with a smile. “The Master said, looking at the two little boys, he felt like he was seeing himself and the fourth Lord when they were young, so he thought about sending it to the fourth Lord.”

Holding the warm jade in the palm of his hand, Yinzhan’s stiff mouth gradually revealed a subtle and imperceptible smile. “Your Master has a heart.” After saying that, he took the delicate box into his arms and said, “It’s getting cold. Be careful when serving your Master. Now it’s time for me to return home.” 

“Farewell to the fourth Lord.” Fu Duo smiled and watched the fourth Master go away silently. 

Secretly, he felt a little puzzled. His Master liked that piece of jade very much, so why did he give it to the Fourth Lord? Could it be that he felt that his usual behaviour of eating and drinking at Fourth Lord’s house was a bit excessive, and wanted to start making up for it?

After tightening his clothes, Fu Duo shook his head. He couldn’t understand his Master’s thoughts, so why bother pondering over it3Yinyou is very cunning and good at controlling people’s emotions, I wonder if he did this intentionally. Last chapter, he heard Yinzhen and his advisor talking about how his marriage was benefiting to Yinzhen’s party but later, when he gave Yinzhen a chance to say something about it, Yinzhen didn’t say a thing which surprised him. He doesn’t know Yinzhen hates him marrying because he’s jealous, so maybe he took it as a sign of trust or brotherhood. So I’m guessing he sent the puppy because he also wanted to express such feelings of closeness to Yinzhen. He certainly couldn’t know Yinzhen would be in a bad mood because of his wedding..

“Early the next day, Yinyou woke up and, upon opening his eyes, was greeted by a sea of red4Because of the wedding, the mansion must’ve been decorated with red tassels, lanterns, silks, etc. The wedding chamber must also be decorated red, which is an auspicious colour; it symbolizes good luck, happiness, joy, and celebration.. He sat up, and the woman next to him also moved, “Master, are you awake?” 

“It’s still early, you can sleep a little longer.”

Yinyou got out of bed, and soon, the eunuchs waiting outside the bedroom door came in to help him change clothes and wash up. Unexpectedly, a dainty hand appeared to hang the jade pendant on his waist for him. Although there was an obvious shyness, it did not stop the woman from finishing her actions.

When Fuca shi noticed that Yinyou was looking at her, she smiled at him.

Seeing the smile on Fuca shi’s face, Yinyou spoke out casually, “Go and freshen up. Just let the servants take care of these small matters. In the future, the mansion will need you to take care of it. I’m afraid you’ll have to bear more burdens.”

“Master, there’s no need to say this.” Fuca shi said with a gentle smile, “This is what I should do. Just, the matter of housekeeping… I’m afraid it’s a little inappropriate for me to take care of it. Not to mention that I’ve never taken care of a house before, I’m afraid I will just cause you trouble.”

“It’s okay. There aren’t many people in the house now. You can learn slowly.” Yinyou spread his hands to let a eunuch dress him up. “You are the only Mistress in the house now if you don’t care about it, who will?”

Fuca shi thought of the Fu Jin from the Nara family before her and swallowed the rest of her words. With her mother’s advice in her mind, she lowered her head and curtsied. “I will work hard. But if I meet something troublesome, I will bother Master to give me a hand.”

“You and I are husband and wife, why should we be polite to each other?” Yinyou said this in a steady voice, but inwardly, he was surprised by his calmness.

Somehow, in his heart, he felt an indescribable feeling of serenity. His head was cool, his heart faint. He knew this woman was his wife and his responsibility, but she represented nothing else. He was different from the past; he had no more romantic feelings,  no more youthful impetuosity.

He turned his head slightly to glance at the delicate woman behind him.  He guessed that in the future, this would be the way he felt towards women. He would never once again be tempted to love them.

One month later after Yinyou’s wedding, Hada Nara shi, the seventh Fu Jin, died of serious illness. Shortly after her grand burial, Kangxi decreed Fuca shi, the seventh prince’s Ce Fu Jin, to be the legitimate wife. After that, Consort Cheng, who lived deep in the palace, rewarded Fuca shi generously. She liked this daughter-in-law very much. Whether in words or deeds, Fuca shi was a virtuous woman and kept the seventh prince’s mansion in order. Every few days, she would send a sign to the palace to pay her respects to Consort Cheng. Even Kangxi once joked privately to Maqi that he had raised a good daughter.

“Jinsu, today Master encountered this jade comb on his way over. Take it, this jade’s purity is quite good.” Yinyou generously handed over a green jade comb to Fuca shi.

Jinsu thanked him with a smile and continued leisurely chatting, “Qieshen5 妾身 qiè shēn. I, This humble body. (A modest way women referred to themselves.) had thought that Master would have dinner at Fourth Master’s house. Didn’t think Master would actually come back.” After saying this, she asked the maid behind her to put away the comb.

“What’s wrong with the Lord saving money for the Mansion?” Yinyou took the tea from the maid next to Jinsu and took a sip. He talked with a relaxed smile, “Next time, Master will take you to the fourth brother’s house.”

“That’s all, qieshen doesn’t dare to walk around like the Master.” Jinsu smiled and stood up, asking the maids to set the meal. 

For more than a month, she had fretted over whether her future Lord would have a bad temper, or maybe was difficult to get along with, but who knew he was actually such a gentle and caring person? After their wedding, although their relationship was not like the thrilling love portrayed in opera, it was still very comfortable.

Her e’niang had once said that the most important thing for a woman was the power to make decisions, to be entitled, and to have rights. Emotions like love and affection were all sharp blades, and it was too risky to dance close to them. How could she ever dare to love her future Lord? Even more so when she knew he was an imperial prince.

But she was now glad that she had married someone like the seventh Prince. Their relationship was more like friendship or family, they simply accompanied each other through their days without any passion. Even when she had such a quiet life, this was something many women would feel envious of. Not everyone could get such peaceful days.

While the two were casually chatting, an eunuch announced from outside the door. “Master, Prince Yong sent someone to say they have a new chef from Yangzhou. Prince Yong asked Master to come over and taste it at noon today.” 

Upon hearing this, Yinyou couldn’t sit still anymore. He stopped talking mid-sentence, stood up, and said to Jinsu, “Fu Jin, Master’s going to the Fourth Prince’s residence to try out the food. If the chef from Yangzhou cooks well, Master will borrow him for a couple of days to let you try it.”

Jinsu stood up to straighten his robes and send him off with a smile. “Go ahead. The food cooked by our chef is to my liking, so there’s no need to ask another to come over.”

“Alright, but if you crave something don’t wrong yourself and instruct the people in the Mansion to handle it,” Yinyou commented, then turned and left with brisk steps.

Just a few days ago, he had raved about Yangzhou dishes to the thirteenth brother. He didn’t expect a chef from Yangzhou to show up in the Fourth Prince’s residence today. If he didn’t go, he would just be wronging himself.

“Fu Jin, has Master left again?” Qiu He, the maid serving close to Jinsu, returned to the house after ordering dinner but only saw his own Fu Jin at the table where previously there were two people. 

She guessed the Master must have gone to the fourth brother’s house again6My guess: Yinzhen got the news that Yinyou wanted to eat this type of food and got a cook for him especially. Also, I really like how it looks like Yinzhen cut Jinsu’s time with Yinyou and seduced Yinyou over to his courtyard, just like a concubine would rob the emperor of another concubine, lmao. Today, emperor Yinyou decided to favour little concubine Yinzhen~ I guess little scenes like these also show why this chapter is titled the way it’s titled..

Jinsu smiled, motioned to set the meal, and tapped Qiu He’s forehead. “Master has been dining at Prince Yong’s mansion for almost half of January, so there’s no need to concern ourselves with him. Let’s just have our meal on our own.”

Qiu He snickered and helped the other maids bring the dishes out.

After everyone in the room left her to eat, Jinsu took a look at the cup of tea she had only taken a sip of. Her Master’s friendship with the fourth prince didn’t matter much to her. But before, she had heard her father praising the eighth prince, and she felt slightly uneasy. She had pondered over this matter many times and had finally decided to go back to her home and tell her father not to participate in the affairs between the princes7Fairly sure I explained this in earlier chapters. Basically, in official history, Maqi decided to support the eighth prince to be the Crown Prince. Kangxi got angry and demoted him, Maqi lost imperial favour for many years due to this incident. Apparently, Maqi had already been advised to stay neutral but he insisted on the eighth prince. Anyway, later Maqi supported the fourth prince who eventually became the emperor and continued being an important minister in the cabinet. .

“Master, the seventh brother is here.” Xiao Luzi announced with a smile, and then Yinzhen saw someone walking in from the door.

As the eunuch helped him out of his cloak, this cheeky person exclaimed, “It’s a blessing to live next to the fourth brother, every day I can use two more bowls of rice.” 

In the south, food was eaten with white rice8Yinyou is originally from the South and prefers southern-style foods. When they lived in the palace, they mostly ate northern-style foods which wasn’t to his particular liking. One of the ways Yinzhen shows Yinyou love is by letting him eat Southern food. As for the style differences, in the North people eat wheat while rice in the South. Northern food is stronger and heavier while many Southern foods are subtler and more complex, Southwestern food is also spicier partially due to the humidity. . The thirteenth younger brother, who also came to steal a meal, joked, “Seventh brother, being next to the fourth brother, I wonder how much rice you’ve mooched. When I get my residence, I’ll copy you and come over to the seventh brother’s house.”

When Yinyou heard this, he suddenly remembered that the thirteenth brother seemed to have been banned by Kangxi9English Wikipedia: During the succession battle among Kangxi’s sons, Yinxiang was imprisoned by the Kangxi Emperor for 10 years. The historical record makes nearly no mention of Yinxiang between 1712 and 1722. It seems like during these years he did not achieve anything remarkable, but did nonetheless conceive several children. Chinese Wikipedia:  Kangxi’s 47th year: In a rebuke to the Crown Prince in a memorial, Kangxi mentioned the handling of the Crown Prince’s associates, specifically noting the treatment of the thirteenth prince, Yinxiang. He together with others was restrained with nine iron chains at home (banned) Kangxi 49th year: When Yinxing, Yinzhi, and Yinti submitted a memorial, Kangxi expressed concern about Yinxing, suggesting that he was not diligent in learning loyalty and filial piety. Kangxi warned against indulging him to prevent potential problems. // B: I remember reading other novels, and basically, Yinxiang was one of the brothers who pleaded for the Crown Prince when he was deposed, saying the Crown Prince was innocent and the Emperor should not depose him. Surely there were many other reasons, but mostly he went against the emperor’s wishes, so he was banned.. As for which year, he couldn’t remember clearly. He had been here for almost eighteen years and he had forgotten of the TV series he’d seen.

Thinking of this, Yinyou walked to sit down next to little thirteenth, stretched out his hand and pinched his beautiful face, “This kid dares to laugh at his seventh older brother?”

“Fourth brother, why don’t you reprimand the seventh brother?” Yinxiang struggled to get away from Yinyou’s paws and asked help from Yinzhen who was leisurely drinking tea. 

Unfortunately, he only received a nonchalant glance from the other party. He couldn’t help but complain, “Fourth brother, don’t favour the seventh brother!”

“Who is being partial to whom?” Yinyou continued pinching Yinxiang’s soft cheeks and smirked shamelessly. “The fourth brother won’t help you, you can just try and save yourself.”

Yinzhen slowly put down the teacup, “It’s almost time to eat, don’t you two wash your hands?”

Hearing this, the big one and the little one stopped making trouble for a while. After Yinxiang washed his hands, he touched his red cheeks and groaned. “Fourth brother, you are being partial to the seventh brother again.” 

Yinyou wiped his hands and said matter-of-factly, “If he isn’t partial to me, who will he be partial to? You? Come on now.”

He and Yinzhen had grown up together, so their friendship was naturally not shallow.

When Yinzhen heard this, an inexplicable smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.