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Short Stay in the Palace
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!
In the fifth month, inside the imperial city, there was already faint cries of cicadas. The dark green shade of the trees half-covered the flying eaves of the buildings. The slight heat caused the palace servants to all change into light clothing.
Inside Cien Palace, Shen Lan Chi and her tang sister Shen Tong Ying bowed towards Empress Shen together.
Empress Shen ordered the palace maid to bring over iced drinks to relive the heat, also ordering someone to provide seats for them. Seeing her two nieces who each had their own charm, the empress’s smile deepened even more. Just, majority of the times, she was just carefully looking at Shen Lan Chi, as if Shen Tong Ying who’d came along was just a background prop.
“Previously, your mother said that your body wasn’t too well, thus recuperated for a period of time. Have you gotten better now?” Empress Shen asked Shen Lan Chi out of concern, “If unable to manage, paternal aunt won’t keep you.”
Previously, because of the rumors going around all over the capital, Shen Lan Chi got confined at home by her mother. Towards the outside, Madam Shen just said that Shen Lan Chi wasn’t in good spirits, needing to nicely rest for a period of time. Empress Shen naturally understood the twists and turns within, just she won’t explicitly say it.
“Thanking paternal aunt for the concern, Lan Chi is already better.” Shen Lan Chi answered.
“That’s good.” The smile by Empress Shen’s lips deepened even more. She studied Shen Lan Chi again, suddenly removing the phoenix hairpin in her hair and holding it up to Shen Lan Chi’s hair, saying, “This apricot blossom color that Lan’er is wearing today really is pretty, also very much matching this hairpin.”
As she said this, Empress Shen just had that phoenix hairpin inserted into Shen Lan Chi’s hair.
“Lan’er actually feels……..” Shen Lan Chi’s eyes spun, taking down that phoenix hairpin and handing it to Shen Tong Ying who was next to her, “This pair of southern pearl on eldest tang sister’s ears is what matches with paternal aunt’s hairpin.” After saying this, she slightly blinked towards Shen Tong Ying, asking with a smile, “What does older sister Tong think?”
Shen Tong Ying’s eyes fixedly followed that hairpin. Hearing Shen Lan Chi ask as such, she let out a cough, pretending to be indifferent, “It’s still paternal aunt that suits this hairpin more.”
Empress Shen’s smile slightly froze, and shortly after, she ordered the palace maid to bring back that hairpin.
Then, as if this matter had never happened, Empress Shen started asking about the two sisters’ life in the An Duke Manor, also bestowing some jewelry. After chatting a while about family matters, a palace maid came over to say that his Majesty is summoning Empress Shen to Ganyi Palace to talk.
“Today’s weather is good, so why not go for a walk in the imperial gardens.” Before leaving Cien Palace, Empress Shen said to her two nieces, “In the imperial gardens, there’s some newly planted rare flower breeds that were given as tribute from the foreign lands, extremely elegant. The crown prince likes them very much. Presumably, Lan’er will also like.”
Empress Shen’s meaningful words made Shen Tong Ying’s eyes light up. Once the empress left, Shen Tong Ying hurriedly re-tidied her look, then took along the palace maids as she headed to the imperial gardens.
Towards the crown prince and imperial gardens, Shen Lan Chi didn’t have the slightest interest in either, so parted ways with Shen Tong Ying, finding a pavilion in the garden near Cien Palace on her own, lazily lying down for a nap.
This pavilion perfectly blocked the slightly piercing afternoon sunlight, and nearby, there was also a trickling clear creek. Shen Lan Chi leaned against the stone seat, gradually sinking into her dreams.
Unknown as to how long she’d slept for, she faintly felt as if someone was playing with a lock of hair on her forehead, making her forehead itch. Without thinking too much, she reached out and grabbed that person’s wrist, softly saying, “Lu Qi Yang, stop messing around.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
After falling silent for a while, a voice like a cold icy spring finally sounded by her ear.
“Zhennan Wang Manor’s heir isn’t here.”
This voice instantly startled Shen Lan Chi awake. She lifted her head, just seeing her own five fingers currently locked around a man’s wrist. The bracelet and thin red string on her wrist practically were about to leave behind a few prints on his skin.
It was Lu Zhao Ye.
“Greetings your Highness Crown Prince.” Shen Lan Chi immediately let go, slightly tidying her clothes as she lowered her head and said, “The servant girls didn’t come to wake me. As such, didn’t know that your Highness has come, very much lacking in manners……..”
“It was this crown prince that told them to withdraw.” Lu Zhao Ye retracted his hand, his thumb quietly rubbing his palm, “Seeing that you were sound asleep, thus didn’t let them wake you.” Recalling the name that Shen Lan Chi called out in her dreams just now, Lu Zhao Ye’s brows slightly furrowed, asking, “You and the Zhennan Wang heir although have a long-standing friendship, you should still know what it means to ‘avoid suspicion’. If so, then there wouldn’t be the rumors all over the capital previously.”
Hearing his words, Shen Lan Chi had a bit of disdain inside.
The marriage hasn’t even been decided on, yet this crown prince just rushed to discipline her on her private affairs.
“Your Highness, Lan Chi’s private affairs, what does it have to do with you?” Shen Lan Chi gazed towards Lu Zhao Ye, her smile still the same as before, “Although the crown prince is the esteemed heir apparent, but Lan Chi’s, a mere young girl’s, private affairs of the boudoir, no matter what, it shouldn’t be your Highness’s place to interfere, right?”
Lu Zhao Ye’s complexion slightly turned cold.
Previously, when he saw Shen Lan Chi sleeping here from afar, he originally wanted to avoid her like usual. Just, recalling the rumors regarding Shen Lan Chi and Lu Qi Yang flying all over the capital, his feet subconsciously started moving.
But as soon as Shen Lan Chi woke up, she just repeatedly called out ‘your Highness Crown Prince’, not calling him ‘big brother Zhao Ye’ like in the past. Moreover, when she saw him in the past, she would always rush to pester him. Where would she be like this today, as if covered in thorns, letting him be stifled with every word?
“What’s wrong with you this time? What did this prince do that annoyed you?” Lu Zhao Ye’s tone had a trace of impatience, “If you really want to marry into the Eastern Palace, then should keep yourself clean.”
“The eight characters[1] have yet to be matched, so for what reason is your Highness saying this?” Shen Lan Chi said, “Lan Chi heard empress paternal aunt say before that your Highness is always troubled by miscellaneous affairs, extremely busy, so presumably, today is also the same. Lan Chi won’t continue to bother, taking one’s leave right away.”
After saying this, like as if avoiding the plague, she quickly exited that pavilion.
Lu Zhao Ye’s heart sank.
Shen Lan Chi was actually avoiding him like avoiding a snake, what is this?
Shen Lan Chi left the pavilion, walking a few steps along the stone pathway when she saw three to four people not far from the pavilion. Turns out, it was the sons of Hejian Wang and Shenyin Wang, all Lu clan descendants that were relatively close with Lu Zhao Ye.
Shen Lan Chi knew that Lu Zhao Ye was still looking at her, so she halted in her steps at once and smiled towards Shanyin Wang family’s second son, Lu Jing Hua.
A smile from a beauty, like a brilliantly blooming flower. Lu Jing Hua immediately was somewhat at a loss for what to do, his fair and clean face also slightly turning red. The remaining Lu family sons also had varying expressions, looking around in the surrounding, appearing very nervous.
Very soon, Shen Lan Chi just heard Lu Zhao Ye’s extremely cold voice, “Jing Hua, why don’t you all go back first. This prince has something to say to Miss Shen.”
“What else does your Highness still have to say?” Shen Lan Chi didn’t turn around, her tone even having a bit of laziness and nonchalance.
“Playing hard to get isn’t considered that brilliant of a trick.” Lu Zhao Ye’s voice increasingly deepened, his tone like as if giving alms, “Shen Lan Chi, this prince will marry you. But, this prince is unable to tolerate a disloyal and unchaste woman staying in the Eastern Palace.”
“Oh?” Shen Lan Chi finally turned around, her pretty pupils turning, smiling even more, “Meaning, as long as Lan Chi become a fickle and licentious woman, your Highness will stay far away from Lan Chi?” After softly laughing for a while, she very earnestly said, “Thanking your Highness for the guidance.”
Lu Zhao Ye’s complexion darkened, saying, “This prince doesn’t mean this, this prince wants you to……”
“Eldest tang sister!” Right at this time, Shen Lan Chi suddenly loudly shouted in a certain direction, “His Highness the Crown Prince is also here. Why don’t older sister Tong come greet his Highness?”
Hearing the words ‘older sister Tong’, Lu Zhao Ye suddenly had a bad feeling. In the next moment, Shen Tong Ying who just happened to wander here immediately charged over, greeting Lu Zhao Ye in a delicate voice and looking up at him with eyes full of expectations.
Seeing Shen Tong Ying, Lu Zhao Ye immediately wanted to leave.
His feelings towards Shen Lan Chi have always been complicated and unspeakable, but towards Shen Lan Chi’s older tang sister, there was just annoyance left.
Shen Tong Ying got up, already starting to endlessly chatter on her own, “Heard that your Highness likes the newly planted flowers in the imperial gardens, so Tong’er also went to carefully admire. Don’t know if your Highness is willing to do the honor of…….”
Shen Lan Chi hid behind her, bowing and leaving on her own.
If Lu Zhao Ye wants to chase after her, then he will need to first deal with Shen Tong Ying in front. Thus, he could only helplessly watch her walk away.
At nightfall, Shen Tong Ying and Shen Lan Chi rested in the side halls of Cien Palace. Shen Lan Chi frequently stayed over in Cien Palace. As such, this side hall was stocked with her usual clothes, pillows, mats, incense, and accessories. Even the serving palace servants, she was all familiar with.
Maybe because she’d slept in the daytime, she still wasn’t that sleepy yet. As such, she dismissed the palace maids and sat alone on the beauty recliner in front of the window. Outside the window, there was a still lake, reflecting the sparse stars and pale moon in the sky. In the shade of the grass, the cicadas softly sounded, rising and falling like the matters in the heart.
Out of habit, she gazed towards a small pathway in the garden behind the lake.
In the past, when she was little, she’d also once gazed out at this little pathway every night when staying in this Cien Palace.
Cien Palace was near the Lu clan school. Every evening when school ended, Shen Lan Chi would be able to see the noble young sons of the Lu clan pass through here in groups. Although separated by the flowers and trees, also faint and distant, she was still able to make out Lu Qi Yang’s figure every time.
And the young Lu Qi Yang would also stop here for a while, deliberately picking up a pebble and throwing it in the lake, so as to make a splash, best if that splash is big and steady, able to directly splash onto Shen Lan Chi’s face.
Back then, Shen Lan Chi once thought for a time that Lu Qi Yang was a diligent and studious person, thus would pass through this path to and from the clan school everyday. It wasn’t until one time when Empress Shen accidentally had a slip of tongue did Shen Lan Chi learn that Lu Qi Yang, this brat, always ‘fished for three days, then dried the net for two days’, able to skip school four out of five days, everyday not letting the teacher catch his shadow.
Don’t know what Lu Qi Yang was busy with at that time, clearly not going to the clan school to study, yet always appeared on this little pathway.
Perhaps………
Shen Lan Chi recalled the matters in her childhood and couldn’t help but prop up her cheek, revealing a sweet smile.
Right at this time, borrowing the pale moonlight, she caught a glimpse of a figure seemingly passing by on that small pathway. Carefully looking again, she discovered that it was precisely Lu Qi Yang.
Lu Qi Yang clearly also saw her leaning by the window, because he bent down and picked up a rock, weighing it in his hand. Afterwards, he just had that rock thrown into the water.
Just, unfortunately, the force was too small, not making the slightest splash, and that rock also just sank to the bottom.
A while later, the young heir secretly went around, sneaking before her window. For the sake of lightening his steps, he took off his brocade boots, holding it in his hand, as he stepped over the muddy ground barefoot.
“You came to see your future husband again?” He asked.
“Yes, I came to see my future husband.” She propped up her cheek, hooking the corner of her lips, “His surname is Lu and currently in the palace right now.”
“Tsk, you previously were still saying that ‘you didn’t want to marry Lu Zhao Ye’, how long has it been, yet already showing your true colors.” Lu Qi Yang chuckled, “This young master just knew it. You’ve wanted to be that crown princess since childhood, so how could you change your mind that easily?”
“Who said I came to see the crown prince?” Shen Lan Chi said.
“Else, could it be that you specially came to see this young master?” Lu Qi Yang jokingly said, but very quickly denied on his own, “That also isn’t right. If not for me just happening to enter the palace today to look for the second prince, going to get this pair of bracelet that I’d just obtained appraised, afraid you wouldn’t even be able to see me. So, you certainly didn’t come to see me.”
“Why unduly humble yourself like this?” Shen Lan Chi extended her slender fingers and grabbed his collar, forcing him to bend down, so as to meet her eyes, “What if I say, I want to marry you?”
She just this fixedly stared at him, her lips blooming into a smile.
Lu Qi Yang fell silent for a while, slightly sighing as he said, “Lan Lan, don’t be like this. I can’t take this kind of joke. I’ll take it seriously.”
[1] Refers to the eight birthdate characters, specifically, the time, day, month, and year, each two characters.
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I’m falling in love and growing attached more and more on these two 🥰😍