Chapter 24: The Fallen Gentleman – Part 12
Translated by: Ritpoppy
Edited by: Ritpoppy
"When you are unable to bear the karma that you have created, you will run into retribution."
It was completely silent.
The youngsters that were all huddled around him to hear the story stared at him, expressionless. They were motionless like they themselves just experienced the ma.s.sacre.
"This person definitely won"t have a good death." Zhao SuTong suddenly said.
Zhao XiaoLan turned around to glance at him.
After a long time, Zi Gui was the first to come back to his senses. He let out a tragic sounding wail, waking everyone who was in a daze.
"That scared me to death!!!!" Zi Gui hugged himself, violently rubbing his arms as he closed his eyes and yelled, "Why are there so many bad people in this world!!!"
Zhao XiaoLan couldn"t endure the ear-shattering shout, promptly saying, "What are you squawking for? Stop yelling, my ears hurt."
Ming ChangYan said, "What did that Sect Leader do to attract such an awful person?"
This black-clothed man that BaiLi mentioned in his story, was truly vicious beyond redemption. They were clearly toying with the other"s life like it was merely a game. Besides ordering disciples from the same sect to slaughter one another, furthermore even going as far as to boast to the man to tell him to come take revenge? Wouldn"t he be afraid that his actions might have consequences?
One of the youngsters said, "He must"ve committed an offense towards him before, so the other came back for retaliation."
Zhao XiaoLan said, "Then does that mean that everyone else in the same sect offended them as well?"
"This…..we can"t say for sure!"
Another person tolerated the noise and asked, "Then what about that young boy, did he live? If he survived, then where did he go?"
BaiLi shook his head, "I don"t know. This story is just something I heard."
Ming ChangYan stared blankly for a while. He had memory loss when he first came here, but hearing BaiLi Deng"s description and how similar it was to the murders in the palace – don"t tell me that it really was all done by him? After thinking about it, this story was explained in an extremely descriptive way; like the narrator was personally there when it occurred. But it still doesn"t rule out the possibility that this story was something spread among the people. It"s because of the possibility that it"s something that"s been spread around by the people, that some parts of it might"ve been fabricated, and it just so happened to fall into BaiLi"s ears. Then he may have tweaked it a little and then linked it together with the strange occurrences in the palace, and then just so happened to run into these little children to give them a scare.
When he raised his head, he noticed that BaiLi Deng had been staring at him with a smile on his face. Ming ChangYan unintentionally shivered, thinking: What are you doing looking at me for? Don"t tell me that this story was deliberately told for me?
Ming ChangYan remained calm as he lifted his teacup, and thought that his acting was extremely profound. Thinking that his disguise as a woman was imitated to perfection, so there was no way anyone found out.
BaiLi Deng asked, "Mistress, what happened to your hand?"
Ming ChangYan came back to reality, "Huh? Hand? Oh, my hand – was wounded."
BaiLi Deng said, "I know. Mistresses body is important, so it"s best if you take value to your health more. I heard that last night you were supposed to attend-"
"ShaoShi!"
Fu Ling came rushing over, interrupting what BaiLi Deng was about to say.
Ming ChangYan stood up and cupped his hands together, "I"ll shall take my leave first."
Zi Gui hugged his arms and curiously said, "XiaoLan, where did you find such a concubine, she"s quite interesting."
Zhao XiaoLan smiled, "I think she"s quite interesting as well. She"s nothing like a concubine, more like…..more like a man!"
The people around them laughed and continued on to the next story.
"ShaoShi, Peony and I waited for in the Small Lotus Terrace, but you didn"t come back for the entire night. Where did you stay for the night?"
Ming ChangYan said, "Ah this, it"s not like I slept in the palace corridors, no need to ask further."
Fu Ling"s complexion changed, she was unaware just how far she had considered this, but in short, she had the appearance of someone who held deep animosity and hard to dispel melancholy.
Along the way, many palace maids and eunuchs casted sidelong glances at them. Ming ChangYan touched his chest, consoling himself: Could it be that I forgot to stuff the steamed bun in today.
Peony stomped her foot, cursing, "What are you guys looking at??!"
The palace eunuchs quickly bowed their heads and rushed away. In moments, no one was looking.
Ming ChangYan said, "Don"t worry, don"t worry, although my get-up today is a little ragged, I"m still handsome, it doesn"t matter if they take a glance or two."
Peony said, "ShaoShi, you really are stupid, they"re mocking you!"
Ming ChangYan was surprised, "You can get mocked at for being handsome? What kind of world is this? Ai, public integrity isn"t what it used to be." He said, "Do you guys have food, all I did back there in the pavilion was talk, so I didn"t get to eat my fill."
Fu Ling said, "I knew that you wouldn"t have eaten breakfast yet, so I brought you some jujube cakes. You can eat these for now."
Ming ChangYan took a piece and placed it in his mouth. He happily giggled, praising, "So sweet! The person"s sweet, so things that they bring are also sweet."
But Fu Ling sighed, "ShaoShi, you really are too carefree."
Ming ChangYan stuffed another jujube cake in his mouth, "People"s worries aren"t always necessarily shown on their face."
Another palace maid pa.s.sed by, upon spotting Ming ChangYan, they showed an expression that was both of pity and curiosity.
This was translated by , any repost of this is stolen and if you steal my translations, I"m going to drown you in soapy water.
Ming ChangYan said, "Why are they looking at me like that?"
Peony fumed, "Of course it"s because of what happened last night! ShaoShi, yesterday was undoubtedly your turn to serve the emperor, yet you ran off to the Ninety-Ninth Temple. The Young Prime Minister stole you on your way, and then went to DaMing Palace Hall to say that your fortune this year can subdue the entire nation. Telling the emperor that you can"t serve him for an entire year and it"s for the best that he doesn"t even see your face, or else it would cause a disaster for the entire country and anger the G.o.ds."
Ming ChangYan swallowed the jujube cakes too fast, causing him to choke. Upon seeing this, Peony quickly said, "I won"t say any more, ShaoShi don"t be angry. If you weren"t able to do it this time, there"s always next time!"
Who would"ve thought that at this moment, Ming ChangYan would let out a laugh.
Being stolen by the Young Prime Minister in the middle of the night can already be considered a major event, something that the emperor must attach important value to. As a result, this matter has already been widely spread across the imperial palace first thing in the morning. Causing him from being a no-name little concubine to someone who is rumored to have failed to gain the favor of the emperor; turning him into the object of ridicule within the palace. Ming ChangYan thought, no wonder Huai Yu didn"t want to tell him last night how he resolved the situation, he was deliberately allowing him to lose face without even being aware of the whole ordeal! Isn"t this simply just the mindset of a little child?!
Ming ChangYan thought for a moment, then said, "What kind of magic did the Young Prime Minister perform, that allowed the emperor to trust his nonsense to such degree?"
Fu Ling was startled, "ShaoShi! How could you say such a thing! Long ago, the imperial concubines, princes, and officials of the palace caught a serious illness; even the imperial physician couldn"t do anything about it! But as soon as the Young Prime Minister took a visit, purged the evils and set down some spells, their health improved only after a few days. This isn"t something that was done to deceive people! How could you call it nonsense?"
When Ming ChangYan heard this, he suddenly came to a realization and began to laugh even louder. Apparently, this little brat had relied on his expertise in the medical field, secretly treated the patients with medicine, then turned around and told everyone nonsense that he just expelled evil that was causing disease by casting spells. Because of this, he gained both privilege and respect from this very superst.i.tious country. This way of handling things was cunning to the highest degree!
He said, "Alright, alright, alright. You guys better stop feeling sad, or else I"m going to have a headache. I didn"t sleep well last night so I"m going to go back to the Small Lotus Terrace to take a nap. Peony, help me heat up some water, I want to drink some when I wake up."
The three went back to the Small Lotus Terrace together, along the way Ming ChangYan remembered Huai Yu"s injunction: Telling him that he should rest for a few days, wait for Teacher to return to the academy, then he would personally bring him there.
After a huge issue in Ming ChangYan"s heart was resolved, he lied down and fell asleep. He was roused awake in the middle of the night, rolling around in his bed due to insomnia, he once again got up from his bed, and heavily sighed. He had so many thoughts in his head that it was making him unable to put his mind at ease, so Ming ChangYan grabbed his clothes and was ready to sneak away to the Ninety-Ninth Temple.
The moment he pushed open the door, Fu Ling was already guarding outside the door. She looked as if she had been waiting there for a long time, letting out a faint sigh she said, "You"re going to go look for the Young Prime Minister again aren"t you?"
Ming ChangYan curved his lips to form a lovable smile, "Does it look that way?"
Fu Ling patiently persuaded him, "ShaoShi, you"re already the emperor"s woman. Being with the Young Prime Minister….it"s already impossible! If you have an affair with the Young Prime Minister, it will become the biggest scandal ever circulated within the imperial palace. Even though he has an unshakable position in the palace, you"re merely but a simple palace concubine. You ought to understand the consequences. ShaoShi, you must think this over!"
Ming ChangYan was both startled and bewildered: Since when did I have an affair with him!
The more Fu Ling talked, the more sorrowful she became. Trying to persuade Ming ChangYan to repent, telling him that there wasn"t anyone in the imperial harem who isn"t the emperor"s woman, and how since ancient times those who weren"t loyal and didn"t keep to their own roles all met a horrible end.
Ming ChangYan didn"t know whether to laugh or to cry, "Okay, okay, I won"t go, I won"t go. Stop crying."
Fu Ling said, "I"m not crying for myself, I"m crying for you. If ShaoShi doesn"t gain the emperor"s favor, I"m afraid that your days in the imperial harem will be hard to endure. If your heart truly cannot resist your desire and you want to meet with the Young Prime Minister, then go find him. At least with him taking care of you, your days will be easier. But by all means, you mustn"t allow anyone to find out about you two….."
"Stop!" After Ming ChangYan heard her in such a way, like he was truly having an affair with Huai Yu, he exclaimed, "My good Fu Ling, you"re thinking too much, I"m…..!"
Ming ChangYan added in his mind: I"m a man!
But these words weren"t something that he should reveal to Fu Ling.
After all this trouble with Fu Ling, Ming ChangYan went back to his room and thought that he truly had been sticking too close to Huai Yu these past few days.
He went back and lied on his bed, he rolled over and thought that he"s always walked a straight and ethical path, what was there to be guilty about. He turned around again and thought, it"s better to avoid arousing suspicion. He currently has the ident.i.ty as a woman, a single man, and a single woman being together all day long is considerably inappropriate. He rolled over a third time, exclaiming: I"m a man, what"s a man doing trying to avoid suspicion?
Ming ShaoXia rolled around his bed like he was pan frying sesame cake, frying the cake for over two hours. He suddenly pulled his quilt over his head: Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it. The more I think about it, the harder it is to fall asleep.
His body still carried that faint m.u.f.fled fragrance on him, clearly something that he acquired from Huai Yu. It precisely because of this, that caused him to be unable to not think about it, unable to not remember.
Ming ChangYan couldn"t take it anymore and sat up, shouting, "Fu Ling, Peony, come in!"
Fu Ling pushed opened the door, "ShaoShi."
Ming ChangYan asked, "Where do you boil your water, I want to take a bath."
Fu Ling was a bit astonished, "This late?"
Ming ChangYan replied, "Yup."
After he ordered the two to go heat up some water, Ming ChangYan sprawled back on his bed.
Suddenly, noise was heard coming from outside his window.
Ming ChangYan raised his eyebrows. Turning over and leaping off the bed, he pushed open the window.
Outside the window, Huai Yu was sitting coldly on a tree.
Ming ChangYan stretched his head out of the window, after taking a look down below, he put on an act of admiration and said, "Wow, the Young Prime Minister sure has a lot of skills! You must"ve climbed a bunch of trees before, I presume?"
Huai Yu said, "Your clothes."
He handed him an outer garment that was as thin as cicada wings, precisely the one that Ming ChangYan left last night at the Ninety-Ninth Temple. Just as he handed it over, a m.u.f.fled thunder was heard outside. In an instant, rain began pouring down.
Ming ChangYan said, "Sitting on a tree during a thunderstorm, it"s like you"re inviting to struck get struck by lightning." He reached his hand out, "Come in and have a seat."
The rain sprinkled in, as Huai Yu came through the window as light as a feather.
As soon as he sat down, Ming ChangYan began to undress. Huai Yu suddenly bolted up from his seat, "What are you doing?"
Ming ChangYan answered, "Taking a bath."
Huai Yu was silent for a moment, then sat back down.
Who would"ve imagined that Ming ChangYan would suddenly laugh, and began teasing him, "What did you think I was doing? What were you panicking for! Don"t tell me that after I impersonated a woman for so long, that you forgot that I was a man?"
Huai Yu picked up a book, callously saying, "I have not."
Ming ChangYan laughed out loud, "You claim you didn"t. If you didn"t then why did you come through the window, we"re both men, why didn"t you come from the front door? Shy?"
Huai Yu said, "I"m not."
Ming ChangYan smiled, "You"re not what?"
Huai Yu humphed, flipping over a page, "Shy."
Ming ChangYan pointed at the book in astonishment, "If you"re not shy, how come you couldn"t even tell that you were holding the book in the wrong direction!"
Huai Yu looked distracted for a moment, promptly turning the book over. But when he took a look, the words were still upside down.
Ming ChangYan"s entire body convulsed with laughter. Huai Yu closed the book and decided to stop reading.
Lighting up a candle, Ming ChangYan said, "Alright, I was wrong. How come you can"t even take a joke?"
Huai Yu ignored him.
Ming ChangYan took a needle and a thread out from a case. After he finished threading them, he calmly began to mend his skirt. He was adept in his needlework skills, one look was enough to tell that he was accustomed to this kind of task. But to have the world-famous Ghost Gate"s Thirteen Needles to be used to repair a skirt, it truly was a comical and freakish sight to behold.
Huai Yu said, "What are you doing?"
Ming ChangYan tied a knot, only after nipping off the thread did he find the time to answer, "Weren"t you ignoring me. I"m repairing clothes; ripping open such a huge hole, I"m going to have to mend it before wearing it."
Huai Yu found this hard to believe, "Did the Imperial Household Department deduct your allowance?"
Ming ChangYan said, "What?"
Huai Yu didn"t respond, he merely changed his expression as he looked at this number one in the entire world raise the lantern and thread needles.
The two sat facing the candlelight, both of them stayed silent. Only the raindrops from outside the window could be heard, the echo of the flow of water growing louder. In a flash, the sound of rain was suddenly mixed together with the sound of countless footsteps. The two in the room were experts in fighting, their vigilance and hearing range were exceptionally high. Ming ChangYan said, "There are a lot of people coming."
Sure enough, from within the courtyard of the Listening Lotus Building, a person yelled, "The 13 Guardians are on patrol! You, you, and you go stand over there!"
Following that was Fu Ling"s voice, "What are you doing patrolling so late? Our family"s ShaoShi is inside taking a bath, how can I allow you to be so impudent."
The 13 Guardians cupped their hands together, "Sorry to disturb you ladies, but the Eldest Prince has suddenly died in the Eastern Palace. This is uncommon occurrence, so I pray that everyone here forgives me."
Peony was frightened for a moment, then said, "Are you guys suspecting that our ShaoShi is harboring an a.s.sa.s.sin!"
The 13 Guardians, "We are acting under orders. You guys, go open the doors of the Listening Lotus Building."
Ming ChangYan suddenly stood up, he said, "We"ve got some big trouble. Huai Yu, you….."
Before he even worked out a countermeasure for this situation, there was already the sound of knocking coming from the door.
Ming ChangYan and Huai Yu shared a glance, thinking: Granted that even if I"m not hiding an a.s.sa.s.sin, but with my current ident.i.ty, hiding a man is also a capital offense.
Huai Yu calmly said, "What are you so nervous for. If the door"s open, then the door"s open, I"m–What are you doing?!"
Ming ChangYan suddenly let out a powerful force and pushed Huai Yu into the wooden tub. The water splashed everywhere as he said, "Hide!"
After Huai Yu was pushed in, he was drenched from head to toe, "Why should I….."
The next second, Ming ChangYan proceeded to take off his clothes and stepped into the tub.
At the same time, the person who had been knocking on the door this whole time finally kicked the door open. Ming ShaoXia thought for a while, then perfectly imitated a woman and cried out in alarm.
This was translated by , any repost of this is stolen and if you steal my translations, I"m going to drown you in soapy water.
I got it out! Whew, I didn"t know if I was going to make it.
One more chapter after this one and then I"m outta here and off to Taiwan. If you guys feel comfortable telling me, what do you plan to do this summer? I"m personally gonna get the rest I need and have fun on my vacation with my girls.
If you see any translation/grammatical errors, please notify me or comment down below. Love your comments about everything. Like if you comment anything, my day just becomes 20% better than what it was before.
Anyway, chapter 25 will come out later today! I just need to finish editing (つ >ω●)つ
Give some love to your pet today, and if you don"t have a pet, a sibling will do.
Have a wonderful day~