CH 65

The smile on Rong Xia’s face froze, but in a blink of the eye, he asked in surprise, “So the prettiest peacocks are not female? My fault, every time I see you, I always think of prideful and leisurely pretty peacocks.”

“It is fine. It’s not a big deal to not know that all pretty peacocks are male,” Ban Hua assured Rong Xia with understanding tone, “We have some peacocks in our bieyuan, next time I will show you.”

“Good.” Rong Xia sighed, “In the past I had teachers to teach me to write, and now I have Hua Hua to answer my questions.”

He performed a student salutation to Ban Hua, “Many thanks Teacher Hua Hua.”

Ban Hua covered her mouth and laughed lightly, the tips of her brows were tinged with laughter. Sunlight sprinkled in her hair, the whole person appeared to be glowing. Rong Xia looked at her with a smile on his face, his eyes gradually warmed up.

—

At Count Zhongping residence, Xie Qilin was about to enter when the head eunuch of the Empress’ palace came out followed by a few young eunuchs. He stopped and greeted them.

“Second Master Xie, greetings,” The head eunuch smiled gently, “Zajia is here on Empress Niangniang’s order to bring Miss Xie some gifts.”

* zajia 杂家 =  I, myself (a eunuch).

“Many thanks Empress Niangniang, have troubled Gonggong.” Xie Qilin said his thanks and tried to slip the eunuch a jade pendant but it was rejected.

“Second Master Xie is too courteous.” The head eunuch smiled, “Zajia is looking forward to drinking the wedding wine from your noble family.”

Xie Qilin and the head eunuch exchanged a few more polite words. After the head eunuch left on his horse, Xie Qilin walked passed the gates of Xie residence. In the main hall, his sister and mother were looking at the gifts from the Empress. He could see the smiles on their faces from far.

“Qilin, you are back?” Mother Xie put down the pearl in her hand, beckoned to him to sit down. “Empress Niangniang rewarded this year’s new tea, I’ll let the servants brew it for you.”

Seeing his mother’s and sister’s joyful faces, Xie Qilin didn’t mention the slanderous rumours heard outside. He plainly said, “The gifts from the Empress Niangniang should be good things. This Son isn’t a particular person, no need to specially brew for me.”

Mother Xie saw his face was not very good, she thought he was still unreconciled with the lost of his one eye, “Nonsense, tea is for drinking. Nothing to do with being particular or not, good to drink then it’s fine.”

Xie Wanyu put down the things in her hands, she sat besides Xie Qilin, “Second Brother, what happened?”

“I am fine,” Xie Qilin forced a smile and patted her forehead, “Next month is your wedding with the Second Prince, don’t go out these days. People in the Capital are troublesome, I am afraid people will go on at you.”

“Don’t worry, Second Brother. I am learning rules with the momo‘s from the Palace everyday, so busy that my head is spinning, how do I have time to go out meeting people.” Xie Wanyu was perceptive, she could see Xie Qilin’s face was not right and guessed that he had encountered something. “Brother, did you hear anything outside?”

Xie Qilin laughed, “Nothing, you think too much.”

“Second Brother, don’t lie to me. There must be something.” Xie Wanyu was close to Xie Qilin since they were children, she knew when he lied. “Is it related to me so you don’t tell?”

“Nothing to do with you.” Xie Qilin shook his head, “I saw Fule Junzhu today.”

“Her?” Xie Wanyu’s expression was a little complicated. She used to hate Ban Hua very much, and still did, just not to the extent of wishing to snuff her out.

Her dislike for Ban Hua was real. Ever since Ban Hua became engaged to her Second Brother, someone kept  whispering to her ears that Ban Hua was not good enough for him, and that after they were together, Xie Wanyu would lose her Second Brother’s affection.

That time, who was it?

Xie Wanyu shook her head. She couldn’t remember, or perhaps…… there were more than one person?

Second Brother was once engaged to Fule Junzhu so it was not strange that he became distracted. She immediately said, “Brother, you better stay away from her. Everyone says her bazi is bad, and she brings you harm…….”

“Wanyu,” Xie Qilin interrupted, he was frowning, “It’s only a low class rumour spread by ignorant people. I never take it seriously, so don’t you believe it either. Moreover…… moreover during the time Fule Junzhu and I were engaged, nothing bad happened to me.”

When he thought of how Ban Hua had stood up to scold people gossiping about his sister, and yet his sister was still loathing Ban Hua, Xie Qilin felt very uncomfortable. It was their Xie family who had wronged Fule Junzhu. He hoped that in the future Fule Junzhu would live in happiness, that Rong Junpo would be considerate and sincere to her. Unlike himself, who was irresolute and unreliable, who had done harmful things to her.

“What low class rumour, a lot of noble ladies also said the same about her.” Xie Wanyu pouted, “Are you defending her because she once engaged to you?”

“Wanyu, enough. You are going to the Second Prince’s consort, it is taboo to talk about curses in the royal family. If you can’t control your mouth, you will come to trouble sooner or later.” Xie Qilin’s frown deepened, “The previous emperor’s Concubine Lin was a lesson to learn from.”

“I only say this at home,” Xie Wanyu was a little scared by what he said, she said in a lowered voice, “I will just not say it again in the future.”

“Alright, alright. You two, stop it,” Xie Mother stood up to cut if off, “It’s past lunchtime, get ready for lunch.”

—

“Hua Hua, heard you went out with Rong Junpo today?” Ban Huai saw Ban Hua didn’t eat much at lunch. He put the chopsticks down and finally out with what he had wanted to ask the whole noon, “Was it good?”

Ban Hua thought carefully for a long time, then nodded positively, “He is very interesting.”

Ban Huai’s shoulders instantly slumped, he looked a bit pitiful, “Oh.”

T/N – Ban Huai: Daddy is no longer the best man in the world… wuwuwu….

“But I most look forward to Father bringing us to the hot springs,” Ban Hua looked at him in expectation, “When are we going?”

“In a few days. I have told the servants to clean up the hot spring hamlet.” Ban Huai’s drooping shoulders raised back up, “The current weather is still not good, easy to catch cold in the mountain.”

“En!” Ban Hua nodded energetically. She started to discuss with Ban Huai of what to bring to the hot spring, of whether the large hot spring pool would be suitable for playing in the water. The pair of father and daughter soon had Rong Xia cast to the back of their minds.

Ban Heng silently looked at Ban Huai. Father, have you forgotten something?

He really wanted to know if his sister had a good time with Rong Xia.

T/N – Ban Heng: Was it better than playing with me? … wuwuwu….

—

“Master, the cloak is washed. Should we send someone to bring it back to Fule Junzhu?” A momo held the cloak in front of Rong Xia, she was very careful as if it had been a rare treasure.

“No need.” Rong Xia reached out and gently caressed the cloak. He smiled lightly, “When the mourning period has passed, I will give her a more beautiful cloak. Leave this one here.”

The momo understood, she retreated with the cloak in her hand.

Rong Xia returned to his study. He took <<Zhong Cheng Lun>> from a hidden corner and flipped to a certain page.

<<Zhong Cheng Lun>> was not only a teaching of ‘the way of an official, the way of a gentleman’, it also contained secret instructions written in a complicated way that most people wouldn’t notice even if they could read it.

Rong Xia had long known of the existence of the precious instructions, he had secretly sent people to look for the book for a long time with no avail. Never expected that in the end someone had carelessly delivered it to his hands.

The book that recorded countless secrets and location of treasures hidden by the previous dynasty, was now laying in his hand just like that.

Turning to another page, he met that silly little turtle again. Imagining Ban Hua’s bored face as she doddled the turtle, Rong Xia couldn’t help laughing loudly.

“Master,” A voice came from outside the door, “Wang Qu asks to meet.”

Rong Xia wiped off the laughter from his face, put the book back into it’s place, “Come in.”

A middle-aged man in the uniform of purchasing staff of the Count residence entered. He was about to prostate to salute when Rong Xia held him back personally, “Mister Wang, no need to be too courteous.”

“Master, shuxia is incompetent. It takes one year to obtain the proofs that Shi Chonghai sells titles and official positions.” Wang Qu produced a document. “Shi Chonghai is very cautious and almost never writes letters. Even when he does, he uses codes and alters his handwriting.”

“He wouldn’t have left traces if not because he has become conceited after Yan Hui fell.” Wang Qu thought about it and said in unease, “Master, Shi Chonghai is an old fox. Please be careful.”

“Even the most cunning foxes have tails.” Rong Xia accepted the document and slipped it inside an unremarkable plain book. “Mister Wang has worked hard this year, please take a few days of good rest.”

“It is shuxia’s duty to procure the books and paintings that Master likes. Shuxia dares not take the credit.”

Rong Xia had a servant take Wang Qu out for a bath and change of clothes, he also ordered that a comfortable room be prepared to let Wang Qu enjoy his return to the Count residence.

When the night was about to fall, Du Jiu returned to the residence in a rush. After saluting, the first thing that came out of this mouth was, “Master, has Wang Qu came back?”

Rong Xia nodded, after thinking for a while he said, “Withdraw the people we placed in Xie residence. Xie family is nearing the end, let them be.”

The two sons of Xie family, after the first one lost his official position and sat one or two months in prison, he was now wretchedly jumping around wine shops in depression. The other one with a damaged eye had turned gloomy and withdrawn. It was better to let them go, a desperate dog driven into a corner would jump the wall if pressed too hard.

Read this for free at SleepyPrawn site. Add to my viewer number and I will translate more happily!

—

The second month was leaving, the third month was around the corner. As the mountains and the plains covered with peach blossoms in full bloom, the noble sons and daughters of the Capital rode their horses to the countryside to enjoy the greenery.

As a noble lady with both talents and looks, Shi Feixian naturally had formed a poetry society with some other talented ladies, they gathered to appreciate poems and paintings in their leisure time. She and several famous noble misses were again annointed by the literary circle in the Capital an elegant designation of The Six Fairies of Bamboo Forest.

Their poetry society was formed in a bamboo forest, hence the name.

This time they were also together for a good time when an insensible noble miss said something that made the atmosphere stiffened in an instant.

“Do you know who Count Cheng’an’s fiancee is?”

T/N – Xie family’s sons official careers were gone, their sister was going to marry a prince who didn’t care for her. They look done for? The eldest Xie Chongjin seems to be set up by someone, but was he crooked or incompetent, or just unlucky to be a target because of his surname? The story hasn’t put him forward as a character yet, is he just a little cannon-fodder? I am curious — but please no spoiler though!

T/N – Tired of stupid and weak female MC? I spent the last few days bingeing on this. I was just carelessly clicking things to pass time at lunch breaks, but then I read a super assertive female MC who in her refusal to become a vicious cannon-fodder decided to jump from the top of a building to end the role. It didn’t work, so she jumped again…. and again…. and again…. and again…. until the world collapsed, the system rebooted, the story re-written itself….. and her halo changed! I was hooked from thereon, and wow…. love it. A tactical MC who looks careless but actually notices everything, who is not shy of showing her tough and decisive personality, but is not cruel or vindictive, mainly because as a commenter said she has ‘an overbearing aura with passerby mentality’, or in other words — she just doesn’t care.. The plot is also often clear of what she does to achieve something, instead of some other business world novels where the MC is only said to be ‘successful’ without doing much.

The first few chapters is not very smooth and some said parts were skipped here and there, but after a while it became good and melts like butter, the current translation is a good job.