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Old Dreams of the Past
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!
Yu Lingxin first blanked, then immediately after, her face just heated up. However, in the Wen’an Marquis Manor, it wasn’t good for her to sort him out, so could only wait until after getting on the horse carriage, ruthlessly pinching him, “Saying nonsense again!”
Xun Che inhaled a breath of cold air, but still endured the pain, reaching out to hold her, “How is this nonsense? We indeed never………”
“Still saying?!” Yu Lingxin prepared to pinch his arm again.
Xun Che laughed, “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore. In any case, Cong’er being this cautious now is ultimately better than before when not knowing his own weight. I see that Ying’er has also put bit more thought into the matters at home, so actually a little better.”
Hearing him mention Ying’er, Yu Lingxin slightly hesitated for a moment, but still asked out loud, “Actually, I’ve always wanted to ask, ‘in the past’, exactly how did Ying’er meet with mishap?”
The smile on Xun Che’s lips somewhat stiffened. After falling silent for a moment, he finally slowly let out a breath, lightly caressing her back. Just, this movement, rather than say it was for comforting Yu Lingxin, it was better to say that he was trying to soothe his own emotions.
Yu Lingxin thought for a moment, “Actually, I roughly remember that it was related to the third prince. In this matter, was there also Ruiyang and Xun Yan’s involvement?”
Xun Che nodded, “In the last lifetime, the empress had continuously pushed for his Highness Qin Wang, the big and small matters, the front court and inner palace, all fighting with Changchun Palace. At the time, I was too full of myself, not yielding in any aspect, so my family naturally were also at the heart of the struggle because of me. In Tianxu year 15, Changchun Palace mentioned wanting to propose to Ying’er for Wei Wang. Our family was naturally unwilling. At the time, I thought that this was nothing more than just Changchun Palace giving their attitude, especially since Cong’er was also continuously involved with Ruiyang, thus I was also somewhat distracted.”
Slowly speaking to here, he paused again, turning his face to gaze in the direction of the carriage window, “Thinking back on it now, I really was too confident in myself.”
Yu Lingxin leaned in his arms, voluntarily going to hold his right hand in her palm, “It’s not like you’re a deity. If they have the intention to scheme against you, not being able to guard against is also possible.”
Xun Che followed along her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers, continuing with a sigh, “Even if unable to guard against, should still guard against. At the time, it’s not like I didn’t know Xun Yan and Ruiyang had some dealings, just the second branch have been toadying for personal gain for a long time already, moving about everywhere. I just coldly watched, figuring that they were merely struggling in vain, so didn’t interfere too much. At the time, I really didn’t think that Xun Yan actually had that kind of guts, scheming onto Ying’er.”
Yu Lingxin softly said, “Ying’er is your whole family’s pearl in the palm. If really able to control Ying’er…………”
A trace of bitterness emerged on Xun Che’s lips, “Precisely this meaning, ‘treasuring a jade ring leads to a crime[1]‘. Some family clans, even if marrying off a daughter in a political marriage, when really meeting with trouble, it’s also just abandoning. But, Ying’er is different. That’s why, if Ying’er really becomes the third prince’s consort, then whether it’s me, or the Jin Duke Manor, our positions will become very difficult. Even if not changing sides, we will still ‘refrain from shooting the rat in fear of breaking the vase’.”
“Actually……” Yu Lingxin could sense that despite Xun Che mentioning this many cause and effect, stakes and interest, he was still more or less avoiding that tragic incident back then. She hesitated for a moment, “Actually, some past events, since it won’t happen again, if you don’t want to mention, then just forget it. I also shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s only natural for you to ask.” Xun Che shook his head, “That matter, I cannot forget.”
Although it was said as such, he ultimately fell silent again before finally continuing, “That day was the third month of Tianxu year 16, the grand banquet of his Majesty’s fiftieth birthday. Our entire family all entered the palace to attend the banquet and celebrate. The sisters were all in one place, taking care of one another. At the time, Ruiyang had held up Jinrou, and Ying’er was also afraid that something had really happened to Xun Yan at the banquet, so just went over alone. Mainly, it was also because at the time, they were in Yanqing Palace. Ying’er figured that with the empress overseeing, it ultimately won’t be too serious, yet never thought that Wei Wang had long plotted with Xun Yan and Ruiyang, directly knocking out Ying’er’s servant girl———”
Yu Lingxin although had already guessed a portion of it, but when really hearing Xun Che speak to here, she still couldn’t help but softly gasp in astonishment, shortly after, covering her own mouth.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Xun Che closed his eyes, continuing, “The most vicious part of this scheme was that Wei Wang didn’t actually succeed on the spot, but rather, while halfway through assaulting Ying’er, deliberately let someone catch him, and immediately after, just went before the emperor and empress to acknowledge his mistake and ask for punishment. His Majesty just issued a decree, bestowing a marriage onto Ying’er, letting her become Wei Wangfei, marrying based on the standards of a princess.”
Even if knowing this was something of the past life, Yu Lingxin still felt her whole body turning cold from hearing. This move appeared dangerous, but in reality steady, truly ruthless and brilliant to the extreme.
Xuan Emperor although was benevolent, he was still Wei Wang’s father after all. His own son violating another family’s young lady, the simplest way to cover up and compensate was naturally just bestowing a marriage. If Wei Wang at the time had really stolen Ying’er’s innocence, then this dishonor and harm will be too great. The Xun family perhaps will be unwilling to accept, rather letting Xun Ying not marry, while also openly and secretly retaliating against Wei Wang.
But, Wei Wang just let someone catch him being somewhat intimate with Xun Ying. This kind of degree naturally was also greatly rude and offensive, just with a prince’s main consort position, in addition to the standards of a princess, these so called honor and glory of the imperial family, it can also be considered acceptable. If the Xun family were to still refuse, then it was just having the suspicion of forcing the ruler into submission, and not being grateful towards imperial honor.
That’s why, facing this kind of situation, the Xun family had no choice but to accept this marriage decree.
“That day, after returning from the palace,” Xun Che gazed towards Yu Lingxin, the scenes from that time all flashing through his mind, “father immediately just took his sword and went to the second branch. If not for grandmother blocking with all her might, that branch of theirs might’ve just gotten exterminated at the start of the year. Afterwards, the decrees from the palace came one after another. Aside from bestowing the marriage, it was just bestowing all kinds of bestowments and honor. Wei Wang also received twenty beatings with the rod, forfeited his salary, and confined in his home for three months to reflect on his mistake. His Majesty had all the face that he can give given, and also had all the punishment he can give Wei Wang as a father all given. We…….really were unable to continue defying the decree.”
Yu Lingxin felt really sad hearing and couldn’t help but hold Xun Che tighter, not knowing what else can be said.
Xun Ying got violated and dishonored by Wei Wang, yet even need to, because of this, marry Wei Wang. This practically was unimaginably absurd.
But, Wei Wang was a son deeply loved by Xuan Emperor after all. On Xuan Emperor’s side, he’d beaten and punished, giving all the face inside and out. If the Xun family were to still have anything else to say, then it was just harboring animosity towards the ruler.
Xun Che lowered his head, kissing Yu Lingxin’s hair, letting out another sigh, “Mother actually had also been impulsive, but Ying’er was nevertheless very calm. There was that period of time where we all thought that Ying’er had accepted her fate. However, on the fifth of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival, during a palace banquet, when the emperor and empress gave bestowments for Ying’er’s dowry, Ying’er just committed suicide in front of the emperor.”
“Committed suicide?” Yu Lingxin gazed towards Xun Che in shock, “She……..”
Xun Che nodded, “Afterwards, we only learned after seeing the letter Ying’er left behind that after the incident, she’d already had this thought, especially when seeing his Majesty’s decree. She knew that our family cannot defy the decree. Defying the decree was just harboring complaint, coercing the ruler. Her own justice was already unable to be sought. When time comes, whether it’s me, or father, Jinrou, Jincheng, and even Qin Wang, all will get implicated. Since that’s the case, she just decided to use her own life to break out of this situation.”
Yu Lingxin at this time recalled last time, when Ming Jinrou said that Xun Ying’er’s personality was normally very gentle and modest, not liking to bicker, yet if she has decided on something in her heart, it was just being resolute to the extreme.
At the time, when she’d heard, she also didn’t mind too much. However, hearing Xun Che say it like this, she truly came to understand exactly how Xun Ying inherited half of the Ming family’s blood, and exactly how soft on the outside and firm on the inside she was.
“Then, his Majesty……………” In the past life, Yu Lingxin had also once entered the palace to meet his Majesty as the Wen’an Marchioness. Just, the Xuan Emperor she met in Tianxu year 21 already had one foot in the grave, having already lost two of his four sons. Noble Consort Zhu had already been sentenced to death as well. The Xuan Emperor at the time was fifty-six, yet appeared like a seventy year-old old man, having deteriorated to the extreme.
“His Majesty naturally was shocked.” Xun Che lowered his eyes, “From the incident to committing suicide, Ying’er had prepared for a whole month, having long been prepared. When thanking for the honor in front of the Emperor, Empress, and Noble Consort Zhu, she just had the maliciousness of Wei Wang’s scheme directly announced, even fearing that there’s some unforeseen change at the scene, so even left a letter in blood on her. However, his Majesty had listen to her speak. Shortly after, Ying’er just used the sharp hairpin that she’d prepared to pierce her throat and die, blood splashing three feet.”
Yu Lingxin at this time thoroughly understood why, in the past life, everything she’d heard regarding this matter was all very blurry and vague. Regardless whether it was Xun Che or Ming Huayue, or the people of the Ming family, no one was willing to mention the specifics of this matter.
This was truly…………
“Huijun, do you know…….” Xun Che tightly held her hand, his pretty eyes finally reddening once again, “That gold-plated steel hairpin that had a hidden blade was actually something I gave Ying’er. I originally hoped that she had something to secretly protect herself with, able to guard against the unexpected. Who knew that in the end, it was actually that hairpin………..”
“Shenzhi!” Yu Lingxin reached out to cover his mouth, not letting Xun Che have the last few words said out loud, “The things in the past are all merely just past old dreams. Those things all won’t happen again, absolutely won’t!”
“I know.” Xun Che had Yu Lingxin pulled into his arms, tightly holding, burying his face into her shoulder. That bit of heat in the corner of his eyes just soundlessly faded.
Several days very quickly passed by, reaching the fourteenth of the tenth month. The Xun family second branch’s letter had long reached Xun Che’s hands, saying that the old madam was somewhat unwell on the road, needing to delay for two more days, and can only reach the capital on the seventeenth.
Xun Che was well aware that this was because the martial law and questioning inside and outside of the capital were still continuing. Xun Yan was afraid that she won’t be able to leave the city and join up with the second branch in time. That’s why, they might as well have the entire schedule pushed back two days, hoping to be able to buy some more time.
However, on the sixteenth, another letter arrived, saying that there were some minor problems with the horse carriage, and might need to wait until the eighteenth to arrive in the capital. Xun Che had the letter directly thrown to Ming Jincheng, letting him assist in tightening the security inside and outside again, and at the same time, wrote back to the second branch, “If the old madam and second uncle’s return trip is this adverse in every way, don’t know where one is at currently? Is there the need to leave the city to welcome from afar?”
[1] Basically the idiom means that the more you treasure something, the more likely it will become a target. The classical anecdote behind this idiom is about two brothers during the Spring and Autumn Period.
Yu Gong was the ruler of the state of Yu. He had a younger brother, Yu Shu. In short, one day, Yu Gong heard that Yu Shu obtained a priceless jade, so he went to Yu Shu’s home to look at it. After seeing Yu Gong really wanted the jade and asked his younger brother to ‘borrow it for a few days’ aka never wanting to give it back. Yu Shu was already worried that his older brother would ask him for the jade so was hesitant in answering. Seeing this, Yu Gong was angered that Yu Shu was unwilling to offer him the jade, so angrily left. After Yu Gong left, Yu Shu already started regretting, feeling that he was just bringing disaster upon himself hiding the jade, so the next day, he immediately offered up the jade to Yu Gong. Yu Shu thought that he can now live in peace, but unexpectedly, Yu Gong wasn’t satisfied, sending someone to ask Yu Shu for his treasured sword. Yu Shu was pissed, saying that there was no end to Yu Gong’s greed and even if he gave him everything he owned, Yu Gong still won’t be satisfied, and once he was dissatisfied with him, he will just try to harm him. So, in the end, Yu Shu attacked Yu Gong out of self-preservation, forcing Yu Gong to flee in defeat.
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