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Noble Person’s Advice
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!
Shen Ting Zhu’s case stirred up huge waves in the capital. Even his Majesty asked about this matter in court. Fortunately, the Shen family had exterminated their own in the name of justice, just happening to offset the uproar brought about by Shen Ting Zhu. The people of the Shen family naturally all relaxed a breath. Only Xiao-shi was heartbroken, becoming bedridden.
She ended up lying in bed for an entire four days before finally recovering her spirits a little. During these days where she was resting in her room, she washed her face in tears everyday, crying to the point of her voice going hoarse. Shen Ting Kang went to visit Xiao-shi, but Xiao-shi just pointed at him and yelled at him for being unfilial, tearfully having her second son driven out of the room. Seeing the situation, Shen Ting Kang no longer went to visit Xiao-shi——–He wasn’t an idiot, why bother arguing with someone as short-sighted as Xiao-shi?
Without her son by her side, Xiao-shi could only let her daughter Shen Tong Ying accompany her.
Shen Tong Ying although nicely consoled her, she was nevertheless extremely unhappy inside. She was the future crown princess, yet this kind of thing happened on her own older brother, don’t know how his Highness the Crown Prince will view her? She just hope that her older brother’s matter can go by quicker, so that she can safely marry into the Eastern Palace.
If Xiao-shi knew what Shen Tong Ying was thinking, afraid she will vomit a mouthful of blood———She was painfully crying her heart out for her son, yet her daughter was only thinking about her own marriage, her entire heart just on her future husband. What will become of her maiden family, she already didn’t care about that much.
When Xiao-shi had finally recovered a little, the old duke, Shen Rui, on the other side ended up falling ill.
Shen first master although did everything he could to press down this matter, there were ultimately too many people and too many mouths. And it’s not like Shen Rui was deaf, so he naturally caught wind of it. Shen Rui originally just had an upright and strong character. Hearing that Shen Ting Zhu had actually committed such a crime, he immediately fainted from anger.
Xiao-shi had no choice but to drag her haggard self over to Songshou Courtyard to serve by the sickbed.
Upon entering Songshou Courtyard, Xiao-shi just smelled the scent medicine in the air. Shen Rui’s bedroom doors were tightly shut with faint silhouettes moving around inside. Turns out, the people of the first branch still haven’t left yet. Xiao-shi looked left and right. Seeing that Shen first madam’s servant girls all went out to fetch the medicine, she stuck her ear to the door, carefully listening to the voices inside the room.
“If madam doesn’t believe, then just ask father.”
“Eldest one’s wife, don’t listen to him unduly belittle himself. Even if really like this, so what? As my son…….”
“Father, why don’t you properly rest first. This matter, let’s discuss another day.”
Separated by a door, her brother-in-law and sister-in-law’s conversation with the old duke came through. Xiao-shi leaned closer and closer, hating that she can’t have herself mended into the door. While listening, at a certain moment, her face suddenly revealed a look of astonishment. Shortly after, she used the handkerchief to cover her own mouth, so as to avoid making a sound.
After another half an incense stick, Shen first master and Shen first madam came out. Seeing Xiao-shi come take her place, Shen first madam carefully instructed, “Younger sister-in-law, father’s medicine just needs to be set aside for half a cup of tea’s time for it to be more or less cooled. Remember, don’t set it aside for too long. The room needs to be ventilated, but can’t have the windows opened for too long, approximately an hour is enough. Just let the servant girls by your side remember……….”
Xiao-shi had her head lowered, randomly responding. She didn’t dare to lift her head to look at Shen first madam, fearing that her sister-in-law will make out the hatred in the bottom of her eyes. Currently, they were before her father-in-law’s sickbed. Even if she has a thousand resentments inside, she still can’t cause a scene in this Songshou Courtyard.
Once Shen first madam left, Xiao-shi straightened her waist and coldly sneered.
Turns out, the first branch actually had this kind of secret hidden. No wonder the first master was always accommodating towards her husband in every way. Turns out, it was because of having a guilty conscience, thus feeling ashamed.
Since the first branch took away a son of hers, then don’t even think about having a good end!
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
• • •
Shen Lan Chi served before her grandfather’s sickbed for two days, her heart a bit uneasy.
In the past life, her grandfather also fell ill because of this matter. In this life, Shen Ting Zhu’s case clearly took a different turn, but her grandfather still fell ill. Don’t know whether or not her grandfather will get better in the future?
Shen Rui although was already elderly in age, his temperament was nevertheless like that of a small child. He disdained the medicine for tasting bitter, never willing to drink it, always needing someone to coax and trick him into drinking it. Although the doctor told him to control his diet and eat less of spicy food, Shen Rui still craved it, secretly letting Shen Lan Chi get him Quande House’s spicy meat slices and roast duck. Having been ill for five to six days, Shen Rui only got to eat three halves of roast duck, his appetite good to the point where he was not the least bit like a patient.
Shen Lan Chi even suspected that her grandfather was being like those children that pretended to be sick, so as to take the opportunity to eat to his heart’s content.
Feeling suspicious inside, she carefully started observing. And through this observation, she sure enough discovered some clues———Every time that doctor came to take Shen Rui’s pulse, he would always take a small pouch of money from Shen Rui first. The money for the duke’s medical treatment naturally came from the public funds, so the money grandfather gave, what was it for?
Once Shen Lan Chi started having suspicions, she just watched even more closely. Whenever that doctor came to the An Duke Manor, she would follow closely by his side without moving an inch. Every time Shen Rui asked her to step away for a moment, she would always make an excuse to stay. Finally, one day, Shen Rui couldn’t stand it anymore, saying to Shen Lan Chi, “Lan girl, don’t busy yourself in front of me all day. That Hong Yue Niang, because of our family, lost her daughter that she’d raised with great difficulty. Why don’t you go visit her and give her some money, so that she can peacefully live out the latter half of her life. In this way, it can also be considered helping grandfather resolve a worry.”
Since Shen Rui already opened his mouth, Shen Lan Chi had no choice but to go handle, and could only angrily leave Songshou Courtyard in a huff.
She purchased some gifts and prepared some money, then suddenly had the whim to dress up as a man, before finally heading to Hong Yue Niang’s home.
As soon as she arrived in the bluestone curb, she just saw a sedan chair brush past her side, passing through the crowded and tight alleyways, heading to the north district. That sedan was painted with a majestic Lu clan family crest in gold lacquer, truly very familiar-looking.
Shen Lan Chi glanced again at that sedan chair before lifting her foot and entering Hong Yue Niang’s home.
Having gotten what she wanted, Hong Yue Niang’s complexion was already much better. She set up a memorial tablet for her daughter in her home and lit three incense sticks on the small table. The incense smoke swirled around in the room. Seeing Shen Lan Chi come, Hong Yue Niang’s thin face revealed a smile, saying, “Shen second miss has come! This time really need to thank Shen second miss. If not for second miss’s help, Chun Xi would’ve died wrongly.”
Recalling the rumors in the capital about the Shen family first branch and second branch not getting along, Hong Yue Niang let out a sigh, saying, “Having this kind of tang family, Shen second miss also doesn’t have it easy.”
“It’s our Shen family that’s sorry to you. Aunt Hong, no need to thank.” Shen Lan Chi ordered the servant girl behind her to place down the prepared gifts, saying, “A small gift of apology. It’s hard to make up for the wrongs in the past, but still hope that Aunt Hong don’t disdain. Also, here’s some money. Aunt Hong can take to purchase some clothes and accessories. That way, the days in the future will be better.”
Hong Yue Niang blanked for a moment, shaking her head and saying, “I actually don’t need these things. Just now, that noble personage that gave me advice personally came to visit. He said that he felt remorseful, so insisted that I accept this money.” After saying this, she pulled open the wardrobe door behind her, revealing a large chest. Lifting open the lid, the white and shining silver nearly blinded Shen Lan Chi’s eyes.
This much silver……..
Could it be that this noble personage really felt guilty inside, feeling that they shouldn’t let someone hang themselves for no reason, thus sent money over as an apology?
“That noble personage……..” Shen Lan Chi was slightly astonished, “Exactly who are they?”
“Shen second miss, please don’t make it difficult for me.” Hong Yue Niang bitterly smiled, “I promised to tightly keep my mouth shut and not reveal a single word. The powerful nobles in the Chu capital, I can’t afford to offend a single one.”
Shen Lan Chi recalled that sedan chair she ran into earlier at the door, her heart suddenly tightening. She ordered her servant girl to place down the money and gifts, and hastily said, “Aunt Hong, I still have some business to attend to, so will be going now. In the future, if you have any troubles, come to the An Duke Manor to look for me.” After saying this, she lifted her gown and hurriedly ran out the door.
This bluestone curb lived full of people, with the family in the east hanging clothes to dry, while the family in the west was drying medicinal herbs. The entire street was crowded and tight, the ox and horses running right next to each other, extraordinarily lively.
Shen Lan Chi stepped out through the door and just saw a huge wave of heads bobbing up and down, the shouting sounds falling incessantly on the ears. How was she still able to find that sedan chair?
After looking left and right, and also asking the peddlers in the streets, she finally saw that sedan chair in front of a tavern. When she found it, a servant boy just happened to lift the sedan curtain, revealing a section of the brocade hem of the person inside the sedan chair.
Shen Lan Chi’s movements were quick. Without a second word, she just charged up and shoved aside that servant boy, lifting the entire sedan curtain by the clump.
“Lan, Lan Lan……..?”
“How come it’s you?”
Two voices sounded at the same time.
The sedan curtains were lifted, and Lu Qi Yang who was inside the sedan chair met eye-to-eye with Shen Lan Chi.
Shen Lan Chi let go of the sedan curtains, thinking to herself ‘right’———Lu Qi Yang also had the Lu surname. His family’s sedan chair naturally will have the Lu clan’s family crest.
Recalling the ‘noble personage’ that Hong Yue Niang spoke of, Shen Lan Chi momentarily fell silent.
Inside the sedan chair, Lu Qi Yang had a slightly confused look. As he looked to Shen Lan Chi like looking at an idiot, he even reached out to test her temperature on her forehead, saying, “Lan Lan, have you gone mad thinking about this young master? To just this eagerly throw yourself at me in the middle of the streets?”
Shen Lan Chi slapped aside his wrist, asking, “You went to visit that Hong Yue Niang?”
Lu Qi Yang blanked and said, “Aunt Hong? She lives over here? I actually didn’t know. I merely had an agreement to eat here with someone, and just happened to return from outside the city, thus passed by this place.”
When Shen Lan Chi heard, she slightly sighed in relief inside.
Turns out, it wasn’t him.
“You really scared me to death.” Shen Lan Chi smacked his chest and said, “Do you know what I was thinking just now? That Hong Yue Niang said, there was a noble personage behind her that gave her pointers, wanting her to hang herself to death to bring about his Majesty’s rage. I then recalled, that day, when you took me to look for Hong Yue Niang, you didn’t go east, you didn’t go west, but instead directly headed for the Vermillion Bird Gate. So, I thought that, that ‘noble personage’ was precisely you. That’s why, you were able to appear right on time.”
Shen Lan Chi inwardly felt that this seemingly can also make sense. The only thing that didn’t add up was that Lu Qi Yang wasn’t like someone that would harm another for no reason———He won’t let Hong Yue Niang really commit suicide. If it really was him, then he probably also had a back-up plan, letting someone go save that Hong Yue Niang.
By doing something like this, he can make the situation bigger, letting Shen first master no longer be hesitant and resolutely decide to punish Shen Ting Zhu.
When the heir heard, he had a helpless look, saying with a laugh, “I’m merely a wastrel, where do I have this kind of ability?” After saying this, he studied the men’s clothes on Shen Lan Chi, teasing, “How come you’re dressed like this again today? A pity that you have such good looks, yet insist on dressing like this. Be careful not to scare away all the people in the streets.”
Shen Lan Chi originally still wanted to talk about that ‘noble personage’ with him in detail, yet got her thoughts interrupted by this line of his. Lu Qi Yang’s provocation, how can she ignore? She naturally needed to return it to him in double. Thus, she coldly snorted and said, “Your Boss Lan’s beauty surpasses all. No matter what I wear, it’s all the same.”
Lu Qi Yang said, “Save it, the sky is still bright, don’t be dreaming.”
“You don’t believe?” Shen Lan Chi swept a glance in the streets and pointed to a feeble scholar in the tea tent[1] by the road, saying, “See that young scholar? Wanna bet, by the time I count to ten, he will come up and talk to me?”
After saying this, she disregarded Lu Qi Yang’s reaction and just hooked her lips into a smile, smiling towards that scholar in the tea tent.
She although was wearing men’s clothes, that graceful figure of hers couldn’t be covered up. Although not having those usual accessories, she nevertheless displayed an elegant type of beauty. As the sun shone down, that snow jade skin of hers was practically glowing, not to mention her eyes that were like the autumn pond, further making others successively stop in their tracks.
The scholar in the tea tent blanked and suddenly turned red across the face, his hands randomly grabbing the teacup.
“See?” Shen Lan Chi was slightly proud, saying with a smile, “I’m going to start counting, you better listen, ten, nine, eight……..”
When she counted to ‘five’, that poor young scholar already got up and straightened his collar, a look of not daring to breath too heavily.
“Seven, six, five……..”
By ‘three’, the young scholar started walking in her direction with a red face.
“Two, one………eh?!”
Right as she counted to ‘one’, a pair of arms circled around her waist, having her quickly pulled into the sedan. The sedan curtains firmly came down, having the inside and outside divided into two worlds. She sat upon the heir’s lap, directly meeting his eyes———-In that pair of eyes, there was a bit of frustration, and also a bit feeling completely helpless towards her yet still very doting.
“I believe you, I believe you.” He held her and said, “When you counted from ten to one, I, this young scholar, already want to come talk to you.”
[1] Basically this canopy area set up by a tea stall.
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