CH 2

As XuanYuan Han Cheng woke up from his sleep, and looked at the strange yet familiar palace, he was abruptly stupefied. This was not the palace he was at before going to sleep. This is the ChangLe Palace, where he lived when he was a Crown Prince. What happened, how come he is back here once he woke up, XuanYuan Han Cheng habitually called “Yuan Fu.”

“His Royal Highness, you are up.” Yuan Fu was already waiting outside; he immediately entered the chamber as he heard the voice of XuanYuan Han Cheng. Yuan Fu led several palace servants along to help XuanYuan Han Cheng cleanse and change outfits.

*His Royal Highness [太子殿下] = it translated into tai zi dian xia that means His Majesty Crown Prince

“Yuan Fu, you…how are you…” XuanYuan Han Cheng looked at the currently only 20 years old  Yuan Fu, he internally felt very surprised. Then he looked at his own young appearance in the bronze mirror. Swallowing the question he did not ask, with a pretended calm appearance, and a storm already surging in his heart. He asked: “What day is it today?”

“Replying to Master, today is the fourth year of Yun Dynasty, February the 7th.” Yuan Fu looked at XuanYuan Han Cheng’s face and replied without the slightest bit of doubt. A few days ago, Master Yu’s young prince had passed away due to cold. This is already the second son of His Royal Highness Prince who passed away at a young age. Master had recently been in a state of gloom, and his psychological state was a little absent-minded.

“His Royal Highness, you have to take care of your health. You are still young, in the future, you will definitely have more sons and much blessings.” Yuan Fu said, cautiously and solemnly.

Now that it is only the fourth year of Yun Dynasty, he actually returned to the year where he was 18 of age. It really is unfathomable! XuanYuan Han Cheng slowly calmed down his emotions. No matter why he had returned to the past, but since God had arranged it this way, then he surely must not let down the good intentions of God. He must live well in this lifetime and not leave any regrets.

“The Crown Prince Consort sent people to inquire if His Royal Highness would like to dine for breakfast together?” Yuan Fu heard the news relayed from the lower palace servants and asked.

“Go relay my words; I will be there in a while.” XuanYuan Han Cheng thinking that he would have to see Xue Cai Yu again and recalling her various acts from his past life, his heart had a peal of annoyance.

“Yes.”

When XuanYuan Han Cheng arrived, the Crown Prince Consort and other concubines had already been waiting for a long time. When they saw the Crown Prince arriving, they all promptly bowed to pay their respects.

After XuanYuan Han Cheng took a seat, “Let’s dine.” The palace maids from the sides began to serve the dishes. XuanYuan Han Cheng focusedly dine the food and did not take initiative to speak.

After finishing the meal, drink the tea that Yuan Fu served, XuanYuan Han Cheng began to observe the ladies currently in his harem. It is now the fourth year of the Yun Dynasty, therefore, there are not many ladies around XuanYuan Han Cheng.

In addition to the Crown Prince Consort Xue Cai Yu, there are three concubines. Concubine Xu, Xu XueYing, Concubine Yu, Yu Qin and Concubine Song, Song Yi Yun. Previously, there was a Concubine Zhang, who suffered through a difficult labour to give birth to a baby boy then passed away. Unfortunately, the child’s physique was too weak, and passed away after a few days.

Within this three people, Song Yi Yun was the first palace maid who followed him and educated him about human affairs. Her appearance looks common therefore could only be praised as delicate and pretty, and her character was honest yet inarticulate. She gave birth to two daughters for him. The first daughter passed away after birth and the second daughter was ill-prone with a weak physique. She was given a pet name, Kang Er, and is currently 3 years old, if there is no accident, when she grows up, she will be his eldest princess, Princess Kangping.

“How is Kang Er’s health recently?” XuanYuan Han Cheng questioned to Concubine Song.

“Replying His Royal Highness, Kang Er caught a cold some time ago, and is now coughing a little. Physician Cui from the Imperial Physician Institute had come treat her and prescribed some medication. After Kang Er took some medical soup, is much better now.” Song Yi Yun heard that XuanYuan Han Cheng was worried about the condition of her daughter, was somewhat nervous as she replied, afraid that XuanYuan Han Cheng would blame her for not being attentive enough.

XuanYuan Han Cheng nodded. “You must look after her more attentively, if there are any palace servants who are careless, you must properly punish them.” Physician Cui is a doctor who specialise in treating ill children in the Imperial Physician Institute therefore he is more assured of his medical skills.

XuanYuan Han Cheng turned towards Concubine Yu and asked: “Is your body recovering well?” Yu Qin heard XuanYuan Han Cheng’s statement of concern and excitedly replied. “This concubine’s body had already gotten better. The Crown Prince Consort sent people to gift plenty good medical herbs and even requested for the Imperial Physician to frequently help me check my pulse. This concubine…. this concubine truly could not bear this. It’s all due to this concubine’s uselessness, did not properly look after the young prince.” She said as she started to choke with emotions and an expression full of grief.

Yu Qin and Xu XueYing are both concubines who were gifted to him by his Imperial Mother after his coronation as a Crown Prince. Xu XueYing is gentle person and looks very beautiful and therefore is his favorite. Yu Qin has a lively character with a small and exquisite figure. She gave birth to a princess and a prince for him in the past and the future. Although her daughter is also had a weak physique, she cautiously grew up till 2 years old. After growing up, she will be his second princess, Princess KangLe.

After Yu Qin gave birth to his son, he was complacent. Afterall, this is the eldest son of the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, pitifully not long later, before the child’s full moon, the child had already passed away due to cold. Looking at the current Yu Qin, whose complexion looks yellowish with a haggard expression, and then looked at Xu XueYing, who is sat beside her and intentionally expressing worry. XuanYuan Han Cheng, who already knew the truth of the matter, secretly sighs internally. How did he not see, in his previous life, Xu XueYing’s false expression of affection?

Xu XueYing felt that the Crown Prince was attentively watching her, hasten to expose a concerned gaze towards the Crown Prince.

“Alright, you carefully treat your health, you still have your daughter to take care of. You can’t make a careless mistake again.” XuanYuan Han Cheng instructed Yu Qin. Pretending that he did not see the concerned gaze of Xu XueYing.

“Yes. This concubine will definitely take good care of her.” For a mother is strong, Yu Qin knows that her daughter is her only hope now.

“Crown Prince Consort, you also pay more attention towards this.”

With a virtuous, Mother of the harem attitude, the Crown Prince Consort, Xue Cai Yu, replied.  “His Royal Highness, please rest assured. As the Imperial Aunt of the children, I naturally will attentively look after them.”

XuanYuan Han Cheng returned to the royal study after he finished breakfast. He recently just lost his child, the Emperor saw that he was feeling depressed and moody, specially ordered him to rest for a few days and does not required him to attend the morning court sessions.

Once XuanYuan Han Cheng sat in the study room, he was there for the entire morning. After eating a simple lunch, he commanded Yuan Fu to tell Zheng Rong to come and see him. After Zheng Rong went to the royal study, the two of them stayed in the royal study for an hour and then Zheng Rong left. XuanYuan Han Cheng then recalled, on a piece paper, of all the things that happened in the fourth years of Yun Dynasty in his past life.

Fortunately, after God let him return, many things have not yet happened therefore he can carefully plan it out.

Now is the second month of the fourth year of Yun Dynasty. Last month, Lì Wáng had just ended his filial piety to the Grand Empress Dowager and went to the vassal state, Li City. It is also after Lì Wáng went to the vassal state that his Imperial Uncle Li began to recruit soldiers in the vassal state and secretly trained them. He thinks that if he annihilates Lì Wáng’s influences, from the very beginning while it’s still spreading, then he would not have to meet Lì Wáng in the battlefield for many years in the future.

Other than Li Wang, there was another big event happened in this year of Yun Dynasty, which had a great impact on him. In the tenth month of the fourth year of Yun Dynasty, the barbarians from the northern region went south and started burning and looting several small towns around the frontier fortress, doing evil and causing the citizens of the border town to have no way of making a living.

The barbarians in the northern region have always been a threat towards Emperor XuanYuan’s Dynasty. They are nomads who grew up on the grasslands. They have very little cultivated land, advocating barbarous violence and does not own a sense of propriety. Every few years, they will go to the border town to burn and rob. Wherever they went, they will rob the villages’ food and livestock, then set fire to the village.

XuanYuan Han Cheng had once led the soldiers to fought them in the second year of Yun Dynasty. XuanYuan Han Cheng bold and powerfully led the soldier to defeat them then force them to sign a treaty agreement, promising not to commit crimes and furthermore, every year, they must come to the capital to pay tribute. However, the barbarians are naturally shameless and did not truly care about the treaty contract therefore XuanYuan Han Cheng knows that the barbarian will strike again this year, after the autumn harvest.

In his previous life, after his Imperial Father knew of the matter, he suddenly became furious. His Imperial Father personally went to battle together with the second prince which was his blood related younger brother, XuanYuan Han Qi, and seized an overwhelming victory. Directly attacking the headquarters of the barbarians, never had he ever expected that they would ambush them on the road and therefore causing his younger brother to die, protecting his Imperial Father. His Imperial Father had also suffered heavily from a flow of arrows and injured his meridians. After returning to the capital while forcefully supporting his wounded body, he passed away shortly due to illness after passing the throne to him. His Imperial Mother lost two of her dearest people, her husband and son, at once, did not take long to follow their footsteps.

XuanYuan Han Cheng was enthroned under such hurried circumstance, and he was forced to face the unstable situation in the Dynasty. Externally, there are barbarians, who are preying like tiger while internally, there the overly ambitious Lì Wáng and within the Imperial Court, there is also the hard-to-handle, Xue Jia.

The period when XuanYuan Han Cheng had ascended the throne can be said to be a severely challenging moment. He spent more than a year to annihilate the barbarians and avenge his Imperial Father and his younger brother. Then he began to weaken Xue Jia’s influence within the Imperial Court and cultivate his own trusted aides. Vigorously conducting Imperial Examinations to select talented scholars, XuanYuan Han Cheng believed that he has done a good job.

Unfortunately, he neglected his harem and was unclear about its members. Not only had he allowed Xue Cai Yu and Xu XueYing to cause him to sparsely have heirs, he also permitted Xue Cai Yu to allied with Li Wang and arrange for his assassination and thus caused his baby to die!

In this lifetime, he will carefully strategize in order to prevent his baby from suffering any injury again. As he had reminisced about JiaBao for more than 30 years, he had fell in love with him deeply. In this lifetime, he, XuanYuan Han Cheng, only desires for Lin JiaBao alone.

The most important event about the fourth year of Yun Dynasty is that his baby will be entering the palace this year, and there is only one month left from now.

XuanYuan Han Cheng already could not wait to see Lin JiaBao, once he thought of it, he will immediately feel excited about it, and his mood will rise excitedly. Revealing his first smile since he had experienced rebirth.

Yuan Fu’s voice was relayed from outside the royal study. “His Royal Highness, Bi Zhu, the servant along Master Xu’s side, had requested for an audience.”

“Allow her come in.” XuanYuan Han Cheng ignited the rice paper that had just been written on, watching the ashes fall into the incense burner.

Bi Zhu carried a tray with an exquisite soup bowl. After entering, she saluted towards XuanYuan Han Cheng and said, “His Royal Highness, this is the chicken soup that Master Xu had personally cooked for you. Master Xu saw that your recent complexion is not good, deliberately made it for you. Master Xu also said that…”

“It’s alright, leave the soup and withdraw.” XuanYuan Han Cheng interrupted Bi Zhu and signalled Yuan Fu.

Yuan Fu advanced forward and overtook the tray, instructing Bi Zhu to withdraw. Bi Zhu still wants to say some things but seeing the Crown Prince’s gaze towards her, her heart shuddered. His Royal Highness’s gaze made her dare not to speak again and hurriedly retreated.

XuanYuan Han Cheng saw that Bi Zhu had went out the door, said to Yuan Fu: “You, immediately  bring people to seize Bi Zhu for me. Be quick. Search her body and make sure your movements are not too loud.”

XuanYuan Han Cheng has speculated that Bi Zhu is highly likely to carry the medical powder along on her body then poisoned the soup midway here. Because he had always been cautious about the items that entered and the rules within the kitchen are the strictest, she does not dare to do it there.

“Yes.” Yuan Fu thought that Bi Zhu was Master Xu’s capable Head Palace Maid. Why does His Royal Highness want to seize her? But, nevertheless, he still ran out quickly and brought along two Imperial Guards. He called Bi Zhu, who was not far out the compound, to stop then instructed one person to knock her out and seize her.

Not long after, Yuan Fu returned with headful of sweat and said towards XuanYuan Han Cheng: “His Royal Highness, we found this in Bi Zhu’s purse.” Yuan Fu presented a small paper package which still has a little white powder remained on it.

“Go to the Imperial Physician Institute and get me Qian Chunrong.” XuanYuan Han Cheng instructed as he looked at the chicken soup in front of him in a complicated expression.

“Yes.” Yuan Fu immediately instructed the servant to go call him.

In his past life, whenever Xu XueYing gave him soup, he would always praise her as gentle and considerate. He would often go to her for most of the occasion, even if he doesn’t go to her and go to Concubine Yu’s or Concubine Song’s, he will leave only after he drank the soup. Every time he finish drinking, he was always in great spirits. Never had he imagined that within those soups… haih…

Qian Chunrong is the son of the Head Physician in the Imperial Physician Institute. He grew up in a family of physicians and was very talented in the medical expertise. He had started working in the Imperial Physician Institute at a young age. In his previous life, he often accompanied him to the battlefield as a military doctor. His medical skills were superb and he was very loyal to him.

After a while, Yuan Fu led Qian Chunrong into the royal study then he dismissed the servants and instructed the Imperial Guards to keep guard in the outer courtyard.

XuanYuan Han Cheng said to Qian Chunrong: “You come over and see what is this. Is there any of this powder in the chicken soup?”

Qian Chunrong advanced forward with a serious look and carefully took over the paper package. Carefully taking a sniff of it, then used his fingertips to briefly tap some of the residual powder and inserted it in his mouth to taste it. His brows tightly wrinkled then he took a taste of the chicken soup. In the soup, other than some self-nourishing herbs, there is also a special fragrance which is hard to discover. Only after smelling the fragrance on the paper package, can he confirm that it is definitely the same smell and this taste is…

“Reporting to His Royal Highness, this fine powder is made of Huan Hua Cao and there is indeed a smidgen of this fine powder within the chicken soup.” Qian Chunrong replied.

*Huan Hua Cao [浣花草] = I left the original pinyin word in because I could not find the english name and I felt that the chinese name would convey it better and according to Baidu, this a type of herb in ancient china to prevent conception that is sorta like our nowadays birth control pills but more harmful.

“Huan Hua Cao?” Yuan Fu, who was by the side, was already frightened till he had cold sweat. He did not expect that Bi Zhu actually constantly carried this powder with her. Listening to the name, he already had a bad feeling. Looking at the hot steaming chicken soup on the table, Yuan Fu regretfully thought, how did he not manage to test it out with the silver needle. Fortunately His Royal Highness is wise, or else what would have happened if drank the chicken soup.

“You, explain. What is this Huan Hua Cao about? What is the effect of it?” Although XuanYuan Han Cheng has already known everything, but he still pretended to not know and asked Qian Chunrong.

“Huan Hua Cao is a flowering herb that prevents children. It is very potent and extremely harmful towards women. Now, it has already been replaced by musk, safflower and other herbs. So it is very rare for people who use Huan Hua Cao, and only some inferior brothels still uses it.” Qian Chunrong once saw in a medical book, which precisely existed a record of Huan Hua Cao. The fragrance recorded in the book and the fragrance he recently scented was exactly the same.

“What if a man used this drug?” XuanYuan Han Cheng continued to ask.

Qian Chunrong took a deep breath and said: “If it is used by a man, it will be greatly harmful towards its heirs! Huan Hua Cao have a slight aphrodisiac component. After using, the harm towards conceiving is great. If one went to bed with a lady after using this, it’s hard to make the woman conceive. Even if it’s fortunate that the woman does get pregnant,the medicine greatly affects the fetus. After the child is born, if it did not die young then it will carry along the toxin from within the mother’s womb, and become ill-prone and frail.”

When Qian Chunrong thought about the situation concerning the heirs in the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, his thoughts were in an extreme mess, and he dreaded the life-endangering news which he found out.

“His Royal Highness, His Royal Highness, this..” Yuan Fu had also understood the crucial point of the matter and felt very worried about His Royal Highness.

“Can this still be treated?” Yuan Fu impatiently asked Qian Chunrong. Afterall, this matter concerns the heirs of His Royal Highness, and he currently could not help but to feel extremely guilty.

“His Royal Highness can rest assured, although this drug’s temperance is overbearing, after bedding a woman, the toxin will remain in the woman’s body, and will not harm the man. As long as you don’t consume the drug in the future, you can heal it after a few months of reconditioning and it won’t harm your future children.”

XuanYuan Han Cheng satisfiedly nodded. Now is only the fourth year of Yun Dynasty and the matter was discovered early. Compared with the situation in his past life, it is naturally much better, and Yuan Fu was greatly relieved after he heard of the news.

“Physician Qian, for the task of reconditioning my health, I will leave it to you.” XuanYuan Han Cheng instructed Qian Chunrong. “On the other hand, I will report this matter to Imperial father and Imperial mother. They will definitely summon you to inquire about it. If they ask about my physical condition, you inform them that I need at least two to three years of reconditioning to recover. Do you understand?”

“Yes. This servant understands, this servant will definitely help His Royal Highness properly recondition his health.” Qian Chunrong highly admires and is loyal towards His Royal Highness, who is both wise in military strategy and courageous. Although he still has some doubts concerning the matter, he still promised without much thought. Afterall, His Royal Highness Prince must have his own intention.

“Then go back and properly prepare for it.” XuanYuan Han Cheng instructed, then made a look to Yuan Fu and Yuan Fu escorted Qian Chunrong out after a while.

“This servant shall retire.”

Exiting the royal study, Yuan Fu quietly slided silver ticket he prepared, into Qian Chunrong’s sleeves and said to Qian Chunrong seriously: “This is what the Crown Prince bestowed, you accept it. Today, this matter can not reveal a word to outsiders.”

“Eunuch Yuan, you can rest assured, even if I die, I will not reveal even half a sentence.” Qian Chunrong has always been loyal towards His Royal highness. After today, he learned the secret of the Crown Prince. There is no other choice for himself. As long as he follows the Crown Prince and performs well, he can predict that his future will be bright.

After Yuan Fu returned, he asked XuanYuan Han Cheng: “His Royal Highness, how would you like to deal with this Bi Zhu?”

“Secretly lock her up, and properly interrogate her. Give this to Zheng Rong to do. As for the outsiders, I will say that Bi Zhu has collided with me and had been taken down by my servants. After a period of time, relay the news informing that the royal study is not a place to seek favor and forbid Concubine Xu from entering.” XuanYuan Han Cheng instructed Yuan Fu.

“Yes.”

P.S – Some of you may be slightly confuzzled by my updating schedule so I would like to inform that I do updates based on the US time so it may be out on like friday evening or saturday morning. Sorry, I don’t schedule so when I remember then I’ll post it so sorry for the delay hahaha //(´ ∀｀;)

That’s all from your panda translator! Peace Out!