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Beginning of New Year (1)
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!
The emperor actually got splashed a face full of water by the imperial canal!
This was a major matter!
The palace servants lost their heads out of fear, frantically kneeling down to beg for forgiveness. Lu Qi Yang and Shen Lan Chi crouched in the bushes, both holding their breath and not making a sound, as if they were just two little leaves, not daring to move in the slightest.
Finally, the Chu Emperor wiped away the water droplets on his face and said, “Merely the children playing around, forget it, it’s just going back to change clothes.”
After saying this, the Chu Emperor led along the palace servants and walked away.
The two in the bushes both relaxed a breath.
“It’s all your fault.” Shen Lan Chi poked Lu Qi Yang’s chest, saying in a low voice, “How old are you, still playing this kind of game. See, his Majesty suffered again because of you.”
“What suffer?” Didn’t his Majesty already say, ‘this is a sign from heaven’. Perhaps, his Majesty is even very delighted inside.” Lu Qi Yang softly chuckled as he crawled out from the bushes.
Some snow had accumulated on the branches of that evergreen plant. When Lu Qi Yang crawled out, those fine snow landed on top his head. Seeing this, Shen Lan Chi grabbed his hand, saying, “Wait.”
“What are you doing?”
She fished out a handkerchief and stood on her toes as she brushed away the chunks of snow little by little, her movements extremely gentle.
The handkerchief embroidered with azaleas moved down little by little from the center of Lu Qi Yang’s hair and landed before his forehead. Afterwards, all of a sudden, that handkerchief just covered his eyes.
Everything went dark before Lu Qi Yang’s eyes. By his ear, he heard a girl’s giggling laughter, knowing that Shen Lan Chi wanted to tease him again. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat helpless. Coincidentally, at this time, the lively chants of ‘long live the emperor’ sounded in the palace hall’s direction, with the firecrackers crackling from time to time. The lights of the imperial palace were further like the starry river in the night sky, with thousands of colorful lights shinning brightly.
“His Majesty’s side is getting lively again.” Lu Qi Yang wasn’t in a hurry to remove the handkerchief over his eyes, instead grasping her wrist, his lips hooking into a smile, “Since you covered my eyes, letting me miss the firecrackers just now, how will you compensate me?”
“Keep dreaming.” Shen Lan Chi softly chuckled, “I’m not going to compensate.” Although saying it like this, she still stood on her toes and quickly kissed his lips, softly saying, “This isn’t compensating you. This miss is in a good mood, so rewarding you.”
After saying this, she no longer cared about the handkerchief on the heir’s face, just turning around on her own.
Lu Qi Yang removed the handkerchief. Seeing her figure bashfully twisting around, unwilling to turn around, he also had a smile on his face.
After playing around outside like this for a while, Shen Lan Chi became a bit cold in the freezing wind, so wanted to go back inside the hall. The two of them walked one behind the other for a while. When about to reach Qianfu Hall, they just saw under a nearby rockery a person sitting there in a daze. Turns out, it was the second prince’s study companion, Song Yan Li.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
The night was cold, the wind heavy, yet Song Yan Li was as if completely unaware, absentmindedly sitting on the ground. He ignored the cold as he blankly stared ahead, as if there was some Wushan goddess[1] there. Hearing the footsteps, Song Yan Li hurriedly return to his senses, getting up as if nothing was wrong.
“Young master Song, why aren’t you going in to drink? This look of yours, did something happen?” Lu Qi Yang asked in concern.
“Just….just drank a bit too much, so came out to sober up.” Song Yan Li shook his head, hurriedly saying, “Thanking heir for the concern.”
Lu Qi Yang sneered, unknown as to what he was laughing about, before going past him.
Shen Lan Chi although was a distance away from Lu Qi Yang, she still heard their conversation.
In the previous life, Song Yan Li took Ji Fei Xia as his wife. Moreover, for the sake of Ji Fei Xia, he betrayed Lu Qi Yang. Presumably, Song Yan Li still has some feelings towards Ji Fei Xia. But, in this lifetime, the second prince is perfectly alive, and even accidentally got engaged with Ji Fei Xia.
The lord he served marrying the woman in his heart, the feelings within certainly won’t be good.
Judging from Ji Fei Xia’s bashful look when looking at the second prince, she certain doesn’t know that this study companion of the second prince also likes her. The current Ji Fei Xia will soon marry one of the most esteemed person in Great Chu, her entire heart filled with sweet honey, so how could she notice others?
Don’t know, in the future, what will become of these two?
This banquet in the palace concluded in satisfaction, not having any mishaps. The night gradually deepened. Shen Lan Chi followed her parents and older brother out of the palace and returned home.
Although exhausted, everyone still needed to wait for the new year together.
Shen first madam ordered the servants to set up round stools in the middle of the reception hall and arranged a long table, putting up a few long candles for the new year, also letting the servant girls bring over the prepared dried red dates, almonds, persimmon paste, and such items.
The whole family sat around the table, happily chatting.
Unknown as to when, there were already faint sounds of firecrackers going off, far and near, like wanting to have this whole year’s bad luck expelled. That crackling sound was extremely lively, practically about to have the night split open.
Shen Lan Chi was somewhat tired, propping up her cheek on the table. Her gaze swept over her family in the surrounding. Seeing her parents and older brother all carrying a smile, her heart couldn’t help but somewhat warm up.
Shen Xin Gu and Shen first madam were sitting together, randomly talking about the matters inside and outside of the capital. Shen first madam just happened to have nothing to do, so called over her dowry mama, letting everyone chat together while checking the account books. Shen Rui had his leg propped up on his knee, leisurely reading a miscellaneous book to the side.
“The plague in the north, don’t know if it’s real or not? Some say that it’s some charlatans in jianghu going around scamming people everywhere. There are also some that say it’s the barbarians secretly poisoning the well water, quite terrifying. If really a plague, and it spreads to the capital…….” Shen first madam said with worry.
“Madam, how can things be this coincidental? The north is millions of miles away from us.”
“True.” Shen first madam said.
When Shen first madam finished saying this, she looked up and saw that Shen Lan Chi had already passed out, sprawled out on the table with her eyes tightly closed. Shen first madam knew that Shen Lan Chi won’t be able to stay up, ultimately feeling somewhat worried for her inside, so ordered her two mamas to quickly support her back to her room.
After Shen Lan Chi who was nodding nonstop in her sleep left, Shen first madam turned her gaze towards the silent Shen Ting Yuan to the side.
“Yuan’er, those young ladies that I showed you portraits of a few days ago, what do you think of them?” Shen first madam placed down the account book in her hand as she nicely asked.
Shen Ting Yuan averted his gaze, quietly saying, “Mother, this son temporarily doesn’t have the intention to get married. Those young ladies’ portraits, it’s best to not give me anymore.”
“Preposterous!” Shen first madam lightly slapped the table, her face turning stern as she shouted, “You’re now already at the age to get married and establish a career, so how can you delay getting married? Don’t assume that by marrying a few years later, you can just stay at home and let your father help you some more. You sooner or later need to go out and live on your own!”
Shen Ting Yuan’s shoulders trembled as he said, “Mother, this son’s words are genuinely from the heart.”
“Yuan’er, honestly tell mother and father the truth.” Shen first madam fixedly stared at Shen Ting Yuan, saying, “Did you fall for a certain family’s young lady, but feel too embarrassed to say?”
Shen Ting Yuan was a bit guilty, his eyes lowering even more.
A long while later, he lifted his head, carefully deliberating for a while before saying: “If the girl I like and I are separated by an enormous chasm, and marrying her will be like marrying that Liu family’s daughter, will mother still…..consider?”
When Shen first madam heard, she slightly blanked, saying: “Could it be those few families that are related to the Liu family?”
There were several families that had marriage ties with the Liu family, with each and every one of them all standing on the second prince’s boat, having the Shen family viewed as the thorn in the eye. For instance, the Song family. Now that the Ji family has married a daughter to the second prince, perhaps they will also divide half their heart to the second prince.
The old duke, Shen Rui, who was reading the miscellaneous book to the side the whole time, when hearing these words, suddenly lifted his eyes, lazily saying, “As long as it’s not a daughter of that Liu family, you can marry anyone. Eldest one’s wife, you also don’t need to be too strict. The younger generation have their own blessings, just let them be.”
Shen first madam let the duke’s words go in her left ear and out the right ear, pretending to not hear.
——-The old duke had an eccentric temper, never having this An Duke Manor taken seriously. The duke dared to let the youngsters ‘marry whoever they want to marry’, but she can’t be this reckless. If marrying a daughter of that Song family or Liu family were bring the An Duke Manor trouble, what will they do?
“Son, if you have something you want to say in your heart, just honestly tell mother.” Shen first madam persuaded Shen Ting Yuan little by little, “I’m your mother, so naturally will prioritize your liking first. What kind of girl do you like? Regardless whether it’s the Ji family or Song family, or even that already engaged Princess Yong Chun, mother is all willing to try for you.”
Liu Ru Yan’s face surfaced before Shen Ting Yuan, his heart suddenly having a burst of courage. Listening to the sparse firecracker sounds outside, Shen Ting Yuan held his breath, tentatively asking, “Mother, If….if, the one that this son likes is that Liu family’s young lady…….this son is just saying, it’s not real, just want to ask if mother is willing……..”
When Shen first madam heard, her face instantly turned into a frown. Without waiting for her to open her mouth, Shen Rui who was to the side suddenly stood up, coldly snorting and having that book in his hand slammed on the table. Afterwards, he angrily stormed off. The momentum in his long strides wasn’t the least bit like an elderly person.
Shen first madam and Shen Ting Yuan both were startled, blankly watching the duke go out.
Seeing this situation, Shen Xin Gu who was sitting to the side spoke up and said, “Ting Yuan, that Liu family’s daughter, don’t even bother thinking about it. Your grandfather has some major grudges with the Liu family, unable to be resolved in this lifetime. If you want to marry a daughter of the Liu family, your grandfather absolutely won’t agree. If you really want to disobey your elders, then that is just being unfilial.”
With the words ‘filial piety’ heavily pressing down, the courage that Shen Ting Yuan managed to muster up with great difficulty just got erased like this. He dejectedly lowered his head and said, “This son was just randomly saying. The person this son likes isn’t a daughter of the Liu family. Father, mother, no need to be angry.”
Because it was the night before new year, Shen first madam was afraid of causing unpleasantness again, so didn’t mention this matter again. The rest of them continued to chat and the night went by like this.
[1] Refers to Yaoji who is the goddess of protection against the weather, and also responsible for raising and soothing storms. The myths regarding her are very old, and have changed or been adapted over the dynasties. For instance, in the older myths she was known as the daughter of the heavenly emperor, or the daughter of the flame emperor. Afterwards, towards the end of the Tang dynasty, Daoists had her taken in as the twenty-third daughter of the Queen Mother of the West.
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Poor Tingyuan, wonder what would happen to these two. :(((((((