CH 9

Chapter 9 – Zhao’s Lingyun, courtesy name1from Wikipedia: also known as a style name, and is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one’s given name. It’s no longer commonly practised in modern Chinese society. Xi Lou2西楼 Xi Lou: West Building

“Ai 3Ai: a sighing/letting out a breath sound effect, something’s not right.” After Jiang Mingyue dragged Old Madam Xu onto the carriage, the latter suddenly smacked her thigh, forcefully making Jiang Yue’e, who was just about to ask about the situation, shut her mouth. The old madam hurriedly asked Jiang Mingyue, “Earlier, I only saw our eldest4 referring to the oldest young master of the family, i.e. for this family, the oldest of Jiang Mingyue’s younger brothers. What about Jiang Xian, that little calf?”

Jiang Mingyue blanked out for a moment. That’s right. She didn’t see her little brother, Jiang Xian, earlier.

“You were gone for so long, yet you didn’t see Little Brother?” Jiang Yue’e asked in disbelief.

“This won’t do. I must go look for him.” Old Madam Xu jumped off the carriage yet again. If Jiang Xian were to have suffered major injuries and losses, she would not be able to let off that little shriveled calf of the Weis’. This was not something that could be resolved with just a few kowtows!

Jiang Mingyue followed her family’s old madam down the carriage. Before she even stood steadily on her feet, she heard the voice of her little brother, Jiang Xian. The Jiangs’ second young master yelled out, “Grandma!”

Old Madam Xu took one look at her grandson and immediately yelled out, “Why have you become like this? That gang of conscienceless little calves!”

The sight of her little brother stifled Jiang Mingyue’s breathing.

Jiang Xian’s head was swollen, and cloth was stuffed into his normally large pair of nostrils. His eyes had swelled so much that there were only two narrow slits where his eyes opened. There were bloody scabs on both corners of his mouth, and the robes he wore were covered in blood and ash to the extent that it was impossible to see the original colour of the robes. This appearance was a truly miserable sight.

“Who beat you into this state?” Burning with rage, Old Madam Xu reached out to grab Jiang Xian at once, wanting to go seek revenge for him.

“Old Madam, the several people who hit him are currently still lying in the medicine shop5medicine shop: or also a clinic. In ancient China, some medicine shops sold herbs/medicinal items at the front of the shop but also had an area at the back for patients.,” someone beside them said with a grin right then.

“Hm?” Old Madam Xu raised her head to look and finally noticed there was someone standing beside Jiang Xian. Upon seeing that this person was holding her grandson’s hand, the old madam took a good look at the person before saying, “This young master seems familiar.”

The person holding Jiang Xian’s hand was a young master, who was dressed in indigo spring robes that were embroidered with dark flowers. This appearance seemed to be of someone from a painting. Just his peach-blossom-like eyes alone were enough to pull in a person’s soul.

In Old Madam Xu’s view, this young man was not inferior to that world-famous Crown Prince of Tushan! She had definitely met such a young man before, yet she unexpectedly could not recall who he was. Old Madam Xu was somewhat puzzled. Was it truly that she had gotten old and muddled, so she was having trouble remembering things?

This young master smiled and wanted to formally greet Old Madam Xu.

However, before the gentleman could bow in greeting, Jiang Xian opened his mouth and said, “Grandma, he’s the lord of Yueguo Gongfu (Yueguo’s government official’s manor). Aren’t you acquaintances with the old matriarch of Yueguo Gongfu?”

The smile that had just emerged on Old Madam Xu froze. She was indeed acquainted with Yueguo Gongfu’s old matriarch. Moreover, they were not mere acquaintances. She was old friends—sisters even—with Old Monarch Wu. Unfortunately, this older sister of hers had already passed away three years ago. As for the lord of Yuegong Gongfu… Old Madam Xu did not feel so good now when she looked at this immortal-like person who seemed to be from a painting.

Yuegong Gongfu was an imperial clan. Its lord’s surname was Zhao, and his given name was Lingyun. His courtesy name was Xilou. In the capital, he was a well-known hedonistic son of rich parents, an “ancestor” who ate, drank, and had fun happily—abandoning himself to a life of pleasure. This chief of wastrels, this wretched thing—he unexpectedly looks like this? Did the heavens not open their eyes, or did they suddenly lose their minds and go crazy6失心疯 more literally: develop the Loss of Heart Disease when they were making him?

“Second Elder Sister,” Jiang Xian called out Jiang Mingyue’s name at this moment. He said, “This time, it was Elder Brother Xilou who helped me and my elder brother.”

Although he had been hit until his head became like a pig’s head, the Jiangs’ second young master was still very complacent. This was because he had beaten the one who hit him into an even more horrible state!

At this time, a wave of discomfort swept over Jiang Mingyue. She recognized this person. In her previous life, the defeated troops had thrown her corpse into Mount Wugou 7吴钩山 wu gou shan: wu gou mountain. Wu (surname? or area comprising of Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang and Shanghai – name of states in southern China at diff historical periods). Gou means hook.. She did not see the two grim reaper deities, one in black and the other in white 8黑白无常 – they escort spirits of the dead to the underworld, so essentially grim reapers come and collect her soul. So her soul was able to keep watch by her corpse’s side for many years, personally witnessing it get battered by wind and rays of the sun until it gradually became a skeleton in the end. By the time even flowers had bloomed in the skeleton, someone finally came to bury her corpse.

“Old Madam.” Zhao Lingyun was, at this moment, boasting about Jiang Xian to Old Madam Xu. Then he smiled; his beautiful eyebrows curved, and the corners of his lips tugged gently toward the sides. He was as stunning as the rain of peach blossom petals in March 9三月里的桃花雨 – It’s referring to the time of the year when peach blossoms are in bloom in China. For more info: https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/shanghai-peach-blossom-festival.htm. However, this was just a facade. When this beautiful person spoke, he would make others shake their head. “This can’t be considered as Xian-ge’er suffering losses. Those few rascals who hit him are all unconscious in the medicine shop. Xian-ge’er merely looks to be in quite a miserable state.”

When Lord Zhao got to this point, he deliberately lowered his voice and told the old madam, “The physician in the sitting hall of the medicine shop said that Xian-ge’er only suffered superficial wounds and that he’ll be fine after resting for a few days. Meanwhile, those other guys have to spend about a month or so in recovery.”

The old madam said, “So that means we still have to compensate them for their injuries?”

“Why should you?” Lord Zhao replied in rushed whispers. “I know that physician. We’ve already discussed that he should speak of Xian-ge’er’s wounds as if they’re more serious than they actually are.”

By making Jiang Xian’s injuries seem more serious, the Jiangs could avoid compensating the other parties and could even demand for compensation of Jiang Xian’s medical fees from them. The old madam suddenly felt Zhao Lingyun was rather pleasing to the eye.

Right when the old madam wanted to praise Zhao Lingyun for having dealt with the matter beautifully, Jiang Xian—who seemed like a victorious fighting rooster with his chest sticking out—cried out loudly at the top of his lungs, “Second Older Sister!”

“Do you want to die?!” The old madam was frightened by her grandson’s cry. While scolding Jiang Xian, she turned her head to look at Jiang Mingyue. With one glance, the old madam’s face paled, and she cried out fearfully, “My Mingyue’er!”

Jiang Mingyue was having an intense headache, and waves of black appeared before her eyes. She reached her hand toward the carriage for support, wanting to use it to stop herself from falling to the ground. However, sharp tendon-snapping and bone-splitting pain emerged from a narrow slit in her bones, spreading to her entire body in the blink of an eye.

The Jiangs’ second miss did not make contact with the carriage. Instead, she fell toward the ground. Before the scenery in front of her became completely pitch-black, she saw Zhao Lingyun, who had been flusteredly following the Jiangs’ old madam from behind, run toward her. Then, the Jiangs’ second miss fainted once more.

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