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The Heir Returns to the Capital (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 winter of this year, the days of snowfall were particularly many. This was also the case outside of the capital.
Although Lu Qi Yang said in the letter that he will rush back to right before the end of the year, the heavy snow blocking the road made him waste quite a bit of time on the road. By the first day of the new year, he was still half a day away from the capital.
It’d just snowed these days before the new year, the capital covered in a blanket of white all around. The An Duke Manor’s horse carriage rolled over the snow on the ground, heading towards the palace, creating two lines of carriage tracks amidst the white.
Shen first madam has now regained her noble title, so need to enter the palace to pay respect to the empress according to custom.
However, the old has gone; the new has come. The current head of the imperial harem was now the young Empress Ji, no longer Empress Shen. This Empress Ji although had the same surname as Shen first madam, their relationship was somewhat awkward, truly making one somewhat embarrassed.
Shen Lan Chi accompanied her mother to the new empress’s residence, Ziluan Palace.
Because it was the day to meet the titled madams, Ji Fei Xia wore a bright yellow formal gown with a jeweled crown on her head, appearing dignified and majestic. The flowers on her forehead were embellished with fine gilded beads. When Shen Lan Chi saw her face, she vaguely recalled Ji Fei Xia’s look swinging on the swing in the plum garden prior to marrying.
Ji Fei Xia at the time sat upon the swing, smiling innocently. But, the Ji Fei Xia now has already become the empress of the six palaces. The innocence and naivety of a young girl had shed from her face, now possessing a deliberate matureness.
There were already quite a few noble daughters and titled madams standing in Ziluan Palace, each and every one all womenfolk of prominent households in the Chu capital. The palace was radiating with rich colors. Seeing Shen Lan Chi and Shen first madam, they secretly started whispering to one another.
“Really lucky…..”
“It’s just an empty duke title, ultimately unable to compare with the past.”
“A skinny camel is bigger than a horse. By having a noble title, that is already better than other families.”
When Shen Lan Chi swept her eyes over, everyone fell silent and guiltily averted their eyes, secretly pondering inside whether or not they’d tried to ‘throw stones down the well’ when the Shen family fell, so as to avoid incurring retaliation.
Ji Fei Xia saw Shen Lan Chi and couldn’t help but want to stand up, but suddenly remembering that she was the empress and can’t act rashly, she could only softly whisper something to the mama by her side.
The titled madams successively paid their respects to the empress, and Empress Ji bestowed down the fruits and vegetables one by one. When the crowd was about to scatter, a mama blocked Shen Lan Chi and said, “Miss Shen, the empress wishes to see you.”
Shen Lan Chi paused in her steps, telling her mother Shen first madam to head home first, while she turned around and headed inside.
The titled madams in the surrounding saw. It was another wave of soft whispers.
“Nearly forgot, she’s even the empress’s cousin.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Already said that they can’t be offended. Now that they’ve risen up again, afraid there will be trouble.”
Shen Lan Chi pretended to not hear.
When she entered Ziluan Palace’s side hall, she saw Ji Fei Xia standing before the window. The window was wide open, the snow dancing in the wind outside. There were even some snowflakes that directly hit her cheeks.
Hearing the footsteps, Ji Fei Xia fell into a daze for a moment. She semi-furrowed her brows as she turned around and said, “Older sister Lan Chi, you’ve come.”
“Greetings your Highness.” Shen Lan Chi lowered her body for a bow.
“No need to be this formal.” Ji Fei Xia lightly supported her up and said, “Older sister Lan Chi, I had you called here just for the sake of asking you one thing.” In front of Shen Lan Chi, she no longer had the bearing of an empress from a moment ago, also no longer addressing herself as this empress.
“Your Highness, please speak frankly.” Shen Lan Chi said.
“I know that his Highness….his Majesty, he once had a past with you.” Ji Fei Xia slightly bit the corner of her lips, deliberating over every word, feeling extremely nervous, “But, afterwards, knowing that it wasn’t meant to be, he cut ties with you. You got engaged, while he has taken a wife, no longer having any contact. Older sister Lan Chi, is this…..true? Please don’t trick me, I feel very anxious inside.”
When Shen Lan Chi heard, she revealed a slightly surprised look and asked, “These words were said by his Majesty?”
Ji Fei Xia shook her head and said, “I guessed it. If I ask about you, his Majesty would refuse to say anything, just saying that he will treat me well in the future. But, if unable to figure out the past, how can I think of the future?”
As she spoke, there was a sense of melancholy.
Shen Lan Chi pondered for a while and said, “Truth be told your Highness, I don’t have much involvement with his Majesty. I just happened to have once saved his Majesty’s life. Moreover, this debt has already been repaid now. His Majesty and I indeed don’t have anymore connections. Your Highness doesn’t need to worry too much.”
Ji Fei Xia sighed and said, “I just knew it. Older sister Lan Chi is also unwilling to tell me. Such words, I actually don’t believe. Previously, when sister Lan Chi became destitute, his Majesty immediately ordered my mother to go get you. Such deep feelings, how can I just let go?”
Shen Lan Chi was speechless.
Pausing for a moment, Shen Lan Chi tentatively asked, “Your Highness doesn’t believe his Majesty?”
“I naturally believe.” Ji Fei Xia said, “His Majesty is someone that will definitely keep his word. He said that he will treat me well in the future, then he certainly will treat me well. Just, with sister Lan Chi in the capital, I ultimately feel somewhat…….uncomfortable inside.”
Shen Lan Chi bluntly asked, “What does your Highness want Lan Chi to do?”
Ji Fei Xia’s eyes lit up and said, “Sister Lan Chi, I know, you will marry the Zhennan Wang heir in the future. If I convince his Majesty to bestow a fief to Zhennan, will you be willing to leave the capital together with the heir to live carefree days by yourselves?”
When Shen Lan Chi heard, she said with a smile, “If your Highness can accomplish this, I’m naturally willing.”
The premise being that Ji Fei Xia can accomplish this.
Zhennan Wang already has heavy military power in hand. If he were to also obtain a fief, then he can just command his own army and act independently. Lu Zi Xiang wasn’t stupid. He won’t do something like raising a tiger into a threat.
Ji Fei Xia although became the empress, she still maintained the heart of a maiden. Seeing this dejected look of hers, she must have already fallen deeply in love with Lu Zi Xiang, thud wanted to let Shen Lan Chi leave the capital. Although somewhat out of jealousy, for her to be willing to use this kind of peaceful tone to discuss with Shen Lan Chi, it was already much better than Shen Xin Yi, Noble Consort Liu, and the like.
Ji Fei Xia was the empress, so one naturally needed to follow along her words.
“It’s fine to want me to leave the capital, but your Highness also knows, my family was once in that kind of scandal. Now, my parents just have me, this one daughter. The two of them are already elderly in age, so certainly will need someone to take care of them.” For the sake of not appearing half-hearted, Shen Lan Chi pretended to be cautious.
“No worries, I naturally will help you take care of your parents.” Ji Fei Xia revealed a sweet smile, “I will certainly keep them safe and sound.”
Shen Lan Chi and Ji Fei Xia talked for a little while longer before leaving Ziluan Palace.
After Shen Lan Chi left, Ji Fei Xia had the window pushed open wider, saying to the person outside the window, “Sir Song, older sister Lan Chi also said that she never had any relationship with his Majesty in the past. So, this matter really was just my paranoia? But, if his Majesty has already given up on this thought, then why did he order my mother to go fetch her?”
Her voice was full of confusion.
Standing outside the window was Song Yan Li.
He has been standing in the snow for a long time, his ears already frozen red.
He slightly blanked for a moment. There was a bit of bitterness in the bottom of his eyes as he said, “Your Highness over-worries, his Majesty is a sincere person. In the future……he naturally will treat your Highness extremely well. In the past, his Majesty refused all the beauties the empress dowager bestowed, wasn’t it precisely for your Highness’s sake?”
Ever since Noble Consort Liu got stripped of her consort position, she has been living in seclusion in the cold palace. Now that Lu Zi Xiang ascended the throne, Noble Consort Liu also became the empress dowager. However, Lu Zi Xiang was somewhat concerned about the ‘bad omen’ on Empress Dowager Liu, so ordered her to stay in Lingshan Temple.
“Just afraid that his Majesty refused those three beauties not for my sake, but for someone else.” Ji Fei Xia muttered.
“It’s naturally…..for your Highness’s sake.” Song Yan Li replied.
After saying this, Song Yan Li swallowed a sigh.
He still can’t bear to shatter Ji Fei Xia’s sweet dream.
Deceiving it is then. If able to trick for a while, then just trick for a while longer. If lucky, perhaps can deceive her for life, letting her enjoy a lifetime of peace and honor.
• • •
The heaven and earth was filled with snow, a sheet of silver wrapping. A palace maid dressed in jade green dress held the umbrella for her, leading the way in front, taking Shen Lan Chi to the palace gates.
The snow in the palace although have been swept, there’s still new snow fluttering down from the gray horizon. In the time it took to pay respect to the empress, the palace pathways got covered in a layer of slippery snow again. The pedestrians must slow down their pace and walk carefully.
Shen Lan Chi hung her head, walking extremely slow.
The wind was strong, making the snow wildly dance in the sky. Unexpectedly, a snowflake drifted into her eye. She was somewhat uncomfortable, so blinked a few times. And precisely in this blink of an eye, she accidentally slipped.
Fortunately someone reached out in time, supporting her.
“The snow was heavy, so the journey was slow.”
She heard that man say by her ear.
This voice was too familiar, making Shen Lan Chi suddenly feel shaken.
“Heir……..”
She lifted her head, perfectly meeting Lu Qi Yang’s face.
He clearly had rushed back covered in frost and bathed by snow, a layer of white covering his cloak. His face hadn’t changed much, but he was even leaner than before, and his eyes increasingly spirited. If to really say what was different, then he had shed away that layer of frivolity on his face. Now, he was further like a piece of polished jade.
Shen Lan Chi couldn’t contain the joy from the bottom of her heart. In the next moment, she immediately revealed a bright smile, “You’re back!”
“Yes.” Lu Qi Yang nodded his head, but then frowned, pretending to be stern as he lectured her, “How can you be this careless? To even be able to nearly fall on the ground from just walking. If not for me supporting you, afraid you would’ve slid all the way from this side to that side, personally helping his Majesty sweep the palace grounds.”
Shen Lan Chi: ………….
Finally reuniting after a long separation, you just say this to me?
After Lu Qi Yang said this, he completely didn’t feel that he’d said anything wrong, even lifting his brow and laughing out loud. However, too much joy brings sorrow. In the next moment, he took a wrong step, his entire body suddenly slipping, planting on the ground. His toes pointed forward, drawing out two snowy trails on the ground.
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