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The Jade Pot Revolves
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“What does Miss Xun have to explain?” Before the Xun family angrily opened their mouth, the crown princess, Ming Jinrou, suddenly opened her mouth with a clear voice, “Actually, if really need to explain clearly, then it should be the one that put out these words earlier, which family are you from?”
Everyone at this time had already completely quieted down. Those who were clever already started sensing the strange atmosphere, but majority of the womenfolk were still carrying the attitude of watching a play, thus casted their gaze back over again.
The one that had mentioned Xun Ying by name earlier sure enough was also an unfamiliar official madam, dressed in extravagant brocade, her head full of jade, pearls, and glittering jewels, quite the wealthy look. Just, the clothes and accessories were all more or less a bit too new, and from the looks of it, seemingly still having yet to adapt to them. But, that madam didn’t become flustered in any way, even able to still smile and laugh, “This subject is Hanlin Scholar You’s wife. If the crown princess wants to let this subject have the rumors related to Miss Xun explained again in more detail, this subject naturally is able to explain clearly.”
Ming Jinrou also laughed, “Sure enough, an eloquent person. Who let you mention other people’s business, it’s better to first have your own matter explained clearly. These words of yours, who taught you to say? How much money and how many jewelry did you accept? Which path cleared up for your husband in officialdom, how much money did you spend? The person that let you say these words today, how many promises of future prospects did they make? I meant to let you have these things explained clearly.”
If the empress’s words towards the Xun family earlier were somewhat like hiding a needle in silk, then Ming Jinrou’s words at this time were just not hiding anything in her palm, directly swinging and directly slapping. Her question after question made that Madam You’s entire face turn red, opening her mouth before forcibly responding, “Crown princess, you can’t just spit blood………”
“Ayooo, you’ve really opened my eyes today.” Ming Jinrou increasingly laughed, “First time hearing that a madam of a hanlin scholar can point at the crown princess and say that I’m spitting blood, where’s the blood? Where did I spit? Asked you how much did you accept, saying that you didn’t accept any, that is also an answer. A quick and clear reply, there’s none, but the disrespect of offending your superiors came quite swiftly. This kind of person, what right do they have to speak here?” Turning her head, her smile when gazing towards the empress was still as bright as a painting, “Your Highness, am I right?”
However, the empress’s face turned cold, “What does the crown princess mean by this? This is wanting to show off your might in front of this empress? What Madam You heard was one thing, could it be that this empress can’t even ask the Xun family miss some questions? Where do all these rules come from? This empress refuse to believe, this matter today, could it be that it can’t even be asked!”
She violently slapped the table, “Some come! Take the two Xun family madams and Miss Xun to the side hall. This empress will question them later!”
This time, the inside of Yanqing Hall was even more shocked. All the madams instantly went from watching a play to enormous alarm. Practically half of the people all sensed that the air was absolutely different from usual———–Want to have the Wen’an Marchioness, young madam, and Xun family miss all taken away?
How was this an unexpected incident that would occur during an ordinary palace banquet!?
Setting aside the fact that this was obviously just a follow-up, a rumor of a romantic affair brought out from gossip, even if a certain family’s madam truly was greatly disrespectful on the spot, offending the empress or an imperial clansmen, very rarely would they get taken away on the spot. Although, there were quite a few cases of getting kicked out of the palace on the spot. Afterwards, based on the person’s status, the matter will get handed over to the Zongjing Bureau to decide on the punishment. And after going through his Majesty’s judgement, a clear decree will be issued for the punishment. No matter when, there was never the saying of ‘taking away’!
Looking at the empress’s stance, although there was this furious tone as the cover, this order to have them taken away was too smooth and unhesitant, clearly deliberately wanting to have the Xun family womenfolk all arrested———Could it be?
“Your Highness can’t wait anymore and want to make a move now?” Ming Jinrou wasn’t scared in the slightest, coldly sneering while also slapping the table to get up, “The country has its laws, the palace has its rules. Your goal in taking us away for questioning, probably isn’t for Wei Wang’s reputation in life, right? How I see it, you’re clearly Xiang Zhuang performing the sword dance, your intentions on the Duke of Pei[1]!”
When the last words dropped, as if having been arranged in advance, a wave of voices and chaos suddenly sounded outside. The footsteps mixed among the chaos and the whistling north wind seemingly even had the faint sound of clanging metal!
Before the empress could open her mouth, they just saw a eunuch quickly run into Yanqing Hall, loudly shouting, “Help! His Highness the Crown Prince has assassinated his Majesty! Right now………right now……..outside……..”
His words were left unfinished as a dark color spread from his chest. That eunuch’s body swayed and unexpectedly just collapsed face down!
“Ah!!”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Blood!”
“AHHH!”
The noble madams and official madams that were relatively close to the doorway were the first to see the sharp blade that was stabbed into that eunuch’s back, immediately screaming in a panic as they fled to the side.
And the empress’s reaction at this time was surprisingly quick, “The crown prince assassinated the emperor? Someone come! Someone come! Guards! Have the crown princess quickly arrested, and also the people of the Xun family! Arrested altogether!”
At this time, several eunuchs that appeared to be very brave and strong-looking immediately rushed in from Yanqing Hall’s side door, as if having long been prepared, directly going for Ming Jinrou and the people of the Xun family!
This time, the inside of Yanqing Hall was even more chaotic. The sounds outside, the eunuch’s words and death, the empress’s reaction and move, no matter how slow of a person, they still completely came to realization. Before their eyes was just a palace revolt!
However, at this time, one was also able to make out the various families’ true standing, as well as exactly what was different about the daughters of military households compared with ordinary womenfolk.
Practically just hearing a few banging sounds in a row, Ming Jinrou and Ming Huayue, this pair of aunt and niece that came from the Jin Duke Manor, completely didn’t have any fear on their face. Not only not having the slightest intention of escaping, they even went forward to fight instead!
And at this time, the servant girls that followed by Ming Jinrou, Ming Huayue, Yu Lingxin, and Xun Ying’s side also voluntarily went forward and joined in on the fight one after another. At first, the empress still carried a cold smile on her face, ordering and directing the guards to swiftly arrest these women. However, in less than a cup of tea’s time, the empress’s complexion just somewhat changed———Never mind Ming Jinrou and Ming Huayue, these two daughters of a military household, being able to fight, exactly where did those extremely ordinary-looking servant girls come from!?
At this time, there were naturally also noble madams and official madams that attempted to leave Yanqing, going out to check on the situation. However, halfway through opening the palace hall door, they could already hear the increasingly intense and chaotic sounds of the metal armor outside. And the guards and eunuch guarding outside Yanqing Hall clearly won’t let any womenfolk leave either. Thus, under immense fear, everyone could only quickly stand tightly together with the only people that they were familiar with, completely not knowing to what degree this palace revolt will reach.
Yet, the Ming Jinrou at this time was actually still able to laugh. In fact, after taking down an enemy with her palm, she suddenly looked towards the empress whose complexion was increasingly unsightly, also hesitating on whether or not she should call in the people outside to support, brightly laughing, “Your Highness, did you never hear of the Chen province breaking through the Yun camp?”
The empress really blanked for a moment. However, she immediately came to realization in the next moment—————That was when Cheng Yanling personally trained top elites. Afterwards, she just saw a servant girl, or rather, an elite master disguised as a servant girl, moving extremely agilely, suddenly leap up and actually pounce towards her!
“Ah! Save me! Someone come! Someone come!” Although it’s not like there was no one protecting by the empress’s side, just, in her life, she indeed has never seen an elite master that moved this agilely before. In a panic, she immediately started screaming.
But, in the next moment, she just heard crisp slapping sounds and the sound of bones breaking blend together. The empress simply didn’t see clearly exactly what happened by her side, just feeling her cheeks suddenly hurting immensely, getting slapped to the point where her entire body fell to the side, her head immediately buzzing. Then, in the next next moment, she slowly stood up again, also finally seeing what happened by her side. Although, she really didn’t want to believe, also not daring to believe! How come there was a sharp blade propped up against her neck!?
At this time, the guards and eunuchs outside indeed did rush in, but they also shockingly discovered——–the empress and Li Consort originally said to use the sixteen people hiding in ambush to subdue the crown princess and Xun family womenfolk, but how come now……..now turned into the crown princess and Wen’an Marchioness taking the empress and Li Consort hostage?!
But, that sharp blade propped up on neck was real. The empress and Li Consort trembling and despairing reaction was further real, “…….You all……..you all first withdraw!”
[1] This idiom is a reference to the Feast of Hongmen in 206BC, where Xiang Yu plotted to assassinate Liu Bang under the advice of Fan Zeng, his advisor. Xiang Zhuang was Xiang Yu’s younger tang brother who got told by Fan Zeng to perform the attack by disguising it as a sword dance performance. Duke of Pei was Liu Bang’s title before he became emperor.
T/N: The title of this chapter is actually the second verse of the previous chapter’s title. The full poem is ‘The moving sound of the xiao, the jade pot revolves, the fish and dragon dance through the night.’ You can probably guess what the next chapter is called.
This is a poem by Xin Qi Ji from the Song dynasty, the poem is about the merriment of the lantern festival, which is when this palace banquet is taking place. The jade pot refers to the moon. I figured without the context, the chapter title wouldn’t make sense.
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