CH 42.1

“Your Highness, once Yunhan left the dungeon of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, he accidentally bumped into three passersby. He also had some contact with the other convicts. Our people have monitored all of it,” said the court eunuch who was always by the crown prince’s side. He hesitated before casting his master a glance. “A-also, just now Commandery Princess Fushou handed him a deep dish of pastries. However, the other convicts have already snatched them away. There does not seem to be anything suspicious going on for now. Should we send people to…”

“Commandery Princess Fushou is the daughter of General Hua and General Wei. She absolutely would have no connection with these rebels of unknown origin,” said the crown prince, blunt in his words. “The Hua and Wei clans are incredibly loyal to their country, establishing many heroic contributions for Great Jin over successive generations. If they harbored traitorous thoughts, then they would not have done their utmost in attacking Jinpo Country until Jinpo Country had no ability to fight back. Suspecting Commandery Princess Fushou would be to deny the contributions of the two generals. In the future, don’t say such things.”

“Yes,” said the court eunuch, lowering his head. “This slave has misspoken. May Your Highness please forgive me.”

The crown prince cast him a glance, tone ice-cold as he said, “In many situations, don’t draw any opinionated conjectures on good subjects before there is any evidence.”

The court eunuch shivered. “Understood.”

“Your Highness,” said an imperial guard outside the carriage. “We’ve arrived at Yanlai Lake.”

The crown prince lifted up the door curtain and disembarked from the carriage. Then he turned around for a look. Hua Liuli was in the middle of disembarking from her carriage, her silk cloak lightly dancing in the breeze.

“Commandery Princess.” The crown prince made his way in front of Hua Liuli. “Before us is Yanlai Lake. Every time it rains, clouds of the immortal realm seem to curl up from the lake’s surface. Sightseeing on a boat feels like roaming high in the clouds.”

Hua Liuli caught sight of a decorated pleasure boat upon the lake. Standing aboard were imperial guards and court eunuchs, as well as a few palace maids in colorful attire.

“Come, let us board.” The crown prince led Hua Liuli onto the boat, said boat swaying.

Several musicians knelt aboard. Once they noticed the crown prince and Hua Liuli arrive, the musicians promptly rose to their feet and saluted.

Smelling the faint scent of incense, Hua Liuli said, “Many thanks, Your Highness.”

“I’ve said before that I would invite you to listen to the palace’s musicians, so how could I go back on my word?” A teapot sat on the tea table; although Hua Liuli did not know the exact type of tea, she could make out a faint sweet fragrance drifting from said teapot.

“I know that you can’t drink tea, so had people make some flower dew soup,” said the crown prince, inviting Hua Liuli to sit. “Have a taste and see if it’s greasy or not.”

To which Hua Liuli picked up her tea cup and took a sip. A slight sweetness wrapped itself around the fragrance of tea; once the tea entered the mouth, the sweet and fragrant taste traveled all the way to the stomach. A smile graced Hua Liuli’s lips. “After drinking this tea, it feels like my entire body gives off a more fragrant scent.”

“It’s good that Commandery Princess is fond of it.” The crown prince raised a hand, and the musicians began to play their instruments. Rather than a soft folk song from the south, the first song on the menu was of the battlefield genre that had one’s blood racing.

The hand that Hua Liuli held the teacup with trembled a hint. She turned her head to look at the musicians, listening with rapt attention.

Once the soldiers stepped onto the battlefield, whether they lived or died was not up to them. Daddy once said that as a general, he hoped that the martial and military arts he had learned his whole life would be useful, but also that there would be no more wars.

The battlefield proved ruthless. Behind every number was a life. And every person who died had perhaps missed someone from his hometown. Or perhaps, there was someone waiting for him to return.

The only thing of rejoice was that the emperor was a good emperor who did not skimp on his generals and soldiers. They had enough to eat, and if any of them were misfortunate enough to die on the battlefield, their family would receive a generous monetary compensation.

Translated by Sleepchaser at https://sleepchaser.wordpress.com/ If you read it anywhere else besides Sleepchaser’s wordpress, that copy was stolen.　

Daddy has often told me and my brothers this: When a good general encounters a wise emperor, that is the best start and conclusion for them. Her father’s luck had been good. He had been able to meet Emperor Changlong. However, the Hua clan wasn’t so fortunate every generation. As such, how to properly preserve one’s strength in order to survive had almost become an instinct for every generation.

Compared to the ghostly wails and wolf-like howls of the soldiers at the border station, the music was more beautiful and pleasant to the ears, though lacking much of the border station’s unconstrained flavor.

Following the melody, Hua Liuli sang a few notes in a soft volume, such as, “Close as brothers, we share the same clothes.” Then she smiled. “Your Highness, the song these musicians played is truly meaningful. What a pity that this official’s daughter doesn’t have the same talent in leading an army and fighting in battle like my father and mother, only able to listen to such songs to amuse myself.”

“No two people are completely alike in this world. While it’s true that General Hua and General Wei are rare talents in the art of war, Commandery Princess has your own elegant manner. There’s no need to compare yourself to them or your elders,” said the crown prince. He refilled Hua Liuli’s teacup all the way. “In the eyes of the people who love Commandery Princess, you are unique and unrivaled.”

Smiling, Hua Liuli turned her gaze to the crown prince. “If Your Highness feels like praising someone, you can definitely praise them until they’re full of joy.”

“Commandery Princess, these words are inaccurate.” Light laughter spilled from the crown prince’s lips. “I never praise people insincerely. I only tell the truth.”

And Hua Liuli could not help but smile.

Oh, men. Especially handsome men. When they praise people, their voice can become as beautiful as the sounds of nature.

On this side, Hua Liuli had the handsome crown prince accompanying her on a boat ride upon the lake. Meanwhile, the captive Prince A’Wa could only sit in an absolutely empty prison, pulling rice straw from the ground in an effort to cure boredom.

Today, many of the convicts had been rounded up and thrown into the quarry. Due to A’Wa’s special identity, he was spared from forced labor and did not need to participate in group activities with the other convicts. Every day, he only stayed in his one-person cell, passing his days in a daze.

Although the other convicts typically were too lazy to bother with A’Wa, at least he could hear them chatter on. Now, there wasn’t even anyone talking, the prison unbearable in its chill and loneliness.

If this went on, his brain would become a pig’s brain sooner or later.

“Prince A’Wa,” said Pei Jihuai, the deputy head of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, once he was right outside A’Wa’s cell. When he noticed A’Wa pulling at and playing with rice straw, he said with an expressionless face, “It seems Your Highness passed your days well in our Imperial Court of Judicial Review. You’ve grown two sizes bigger.”

To which A’Wa glared at Pei Jihuai but dared not talk back to him. The one who made him go hungry for several days back then had been this person.

Pei Jihuai raised his hand. Everyone else withdrew while he remained.

“You, what do you want to do?” said A’Wa, drawing back again and again after seeing the prison emptying. All the way until his back hit the wall. Anxious, he said, “Let’s talk things out. It’s wrong to punish me in secret.”