T/N: Not super relevant to this chapter, but I went back and changed “Dizang” to “King Dizang”. Also, if you need to check any terms (since I"m not including stuff I previously mentioned) I have a compiling footnotes I used previously. The 0th footnote is just a personal thought, so no need to click if you"re looking for a translation note. Happy reading!
Chapter 3: The Red Fades, the Fragrance Disappears; Who Will Pity It? (3)
After exiting the palace gates, Lu Qi followed behind Xie Fei, very carefully glancing at him, expression hesitant, making to speak several times.
"Speak, what are you hesitating about?" Xie Fei asked leisurely. He had finished discussing marriage matters today, and his mood was pretty good.
Lu Qi deliberated for a moment, quietly asking, "Young Master, do you really want to marry the Anping Princess?"
"Correct," Xie Fei affirmed, nodding.
"Anping Princess is indeed beautiful, but her body is delicate. I fear w.a.n.gfei will not like it." Lu Qi gave Xie Fei a complicated look. Today when he heard that Young Master fell in love at first sight with the Anping Princess, he was extremely shocked. But even if this Anping Princess became more beautiful, with her weak body, w.a.n.gfei would never let her marry Young Master.
But Xie Fei indifferently said, "If she doesn"t like it then she doesn"t like it. It"s fine as long as this prince likes it."
"But recently Anping Princess"s reputation is also not very good. General Liang Shao had just arranged a marriage with her when he met an ambush. I"m afraid that everything points to disaster. Looking at it this way, Anping Princess might really be a husband"s death omen…" Lu Qi immediately continued. His wavering eyes glimpsed Young Master"s cold smile, and he unconfidently lowered his voice.
"How important is this thing, reputation? This prince needs to care about it? What a joke!" Xie Fei coldly snorted. "Being a husband"s death omen is just rumors in the streets. The marketplace ladies are idle to the point of confusion, what won"t come out of their mouths? This prince really wants to know who dares to want my life."
Lu Qi was rendered speechless by Young Master"s words. On his head was Young Master"s apathetic gaze. He immediately said, sulkily, "Young Master is wise and divine, it was this subordinate who worried too much."
When the driver waiting at the corner outside the palace saw Young Master had come outside, he promptly led the carriage to Xie Fei"s side, bowing: "Young Master."
Xie Fei got directly onto the carriage, the driver and Lu Qi also sat side by side outside the curtains. The driver whipped the horses and the carriage slowly began to move.
The driver guided the carriage down a quiet alley. As soon as he turned the corner, they entered the lively main street. Soon, a burst of clopping hooves came from the other side, jolting so even the street shook. A few adolescent voices came closer and closer from mixed in the storm of dust. Seeing the horses galloping closer, the driver quickly moved the carriage aside to yield.
Xie Fei was resting, legs crossed and eyes closed, as if he hadn"t heard the happenings outside.
Chen Yuyan turned to look at the carriage they had almost brushed against. He pulled the reins, and his horse reared up, standing at its spot after a long call. At the same time, he shouted, "Tang You, isn"t that Fei-ge"s1 carriage?"
The couple of people in front heard his voice and one by one turned their horses around to look; no way! This was what was called wearing out iron shoes, searching high and low only to find what they wanted right under their noses; to get it, there was no need for effort. Tang You sighed and turned his horse around, chasing after.
Tang You hurried two steps, blocking Xie Fei"s carriage, rising his chin to Lu Qi. He said, "Your master inside?"
Lu Qi jumped from the carriage, bowing formally. Tang You waved his hand impatiently. "No matter, no matter, I have something to say to your master, lift the curtains for a second."
The words had just left his mouth when a well defined hand leisurely lifted the carriage curtains, revealing Xie Fei"s distinctly handsome face. The sun shined on his face, inexplicably adding on a few points of gentleness.
Xie Fei carelessly swept his gaze over the waiting Tang You. These few gentlemen were all sons of the Xie family"s long-time friends, and grew up with Xie Fei. He said evenly, "What matter has you rushing to find me?"
Seeing Xie Fei, in the blink of an eye, the Tang You who just had a face full of impatience smoothed out his expression. It was just those eyes that had a modic.u.m of frivolousness that made him look a little out of place. Tang You said in a small voice, "Fei-ge, you didn"t forget what you promised me last month, right?"
Hearing that, Xie Fei was startled for a moment. After thinking for a second, he looked indifferently at Tang You: "I don"t remember anymore."
Tang You saw he didn"t look like he was joking and immediately became panicked. He whined, "Don"t, Fei-ge, to you it"s just a few thousand silver taels2. Such a small thing, why do you still have to play these shameless tricks?"
Chen Yuyan was scared by Tang You"s rambling, carefully looking at Xie Fei"s expression before pulling at Tang You"s sleeve. He quietly said, "Tang You, mind your manners."
Xie Fei took in the two people"s actions. He had lived for tens of thousands of years, he wouldn"t be so easily angered by one or two sentences.
Being pulled back to his senses by Chen Yuyan, Tang You immediately lost confidence. He glanced at Xie Fei with some grievance. Seeing he really seemed not to remember anything, Tang You pouted. "Last month at the Drunken Flower Building, didn"t I make a bet with Fei-ge that within a month I would get the queen of flowers"s3 affections? Today, she not only belongs to me, but is also infatuated with this master."
Tang You couldn"t resist getting c.o.c.ky again: "She even bought back her life contract to follow this master. Even if she had no name and no status she would be perfectly happy."
Xie Fei pensively lowered his eyelids. He was currently worried about how to win Xi Wen"s affections and cut off her feelings towards Liang Shao when this Tang You delivered himself to his door. Thinking in this way, he quirked his lips, then raised his head to see Tang You"s expression had already returned to normal.
Tang You finished explaining and looked at Xie Fei hopefully, waiting for him to give the silver. Looking into Xie Fei"s probing eyes, he pulled over Chen Yuyan and the others, and said hastily, "Fei-ge, I"m not lying, if you don"t believe me, ask them."
This little master Tang had mixed in the love market for so many years, would he be unable to take care of this small matter? Fei-ge was really looking down on him too much, how could he not believe it? Tang You was indignant in his heart; he inexplicably had some grievances.
Chen Yuyan and the others had come especially to serve as witnesses. When they heard Tang You, they naturally followed along, nodding: "Fei-ge, Tang You"s not lying, that queen of flowers was really picked by him, we all saw it personally!"
"Exactly, Fei-ge, although we"re silk pants4, we definitely won"t trick—"
That person hadn"t finished speaking when Xie Fei waved his hand and cut off his words. He indifferently said, "Naturally I believe you. If you bet, you accept to lose; I"ll have people send you the silvers soon."
"Thanks, Fei-ge!" Tang You immediately grinned from ear to ear. This was over a thousand silver taels! Only the Fei-ge who held Great Qi"s finances in his palm could give it away without even wrinkling his brow.
"However." Without even waiting for Tang You to finish celebrating, Xie Fei continued, "You must tell me how to capture girls" affections."
"Huh?" The people listening all opened their mouths with some surprise. Tang You raised his eyebrow slightly, jeering, "Who"s the beauty who unexpectedly moved our Young Master Xie"s worldly desires?"
"You want to know?" Xie Fei said unhurriedly, raising the corner of his lip.
"I don"t, I don"t," Tang You promptly waved his hands and shook his head. He paused for a second, leaning towards Xie Fei with an upright, proper expression, lowering his voice and saying quietly, "Actually, my house has a book of family secrets. Wait until tomorrow, I"ll send someone to give it to you. You"ll know as soon as you see it."
Tang You waved to the others and turned the horses around. With a lash of their whips, the view of the few people disappeared shortly.
The next day, Xie Fei sat on the divan with his legs crossed and eyes closed, feeling the spiritual influence of heaven and earth and cultivating. At this time, Tang You covered his chest with two hands, eyes glancing everywhere, and tiptoed into the house. Lu Qi followed behind him, head full of back lines5: Young Master6 Tang, do you really think our Xie Residence"s subordinates are all blind?
Tang You saw Xie Fei and took several large steps forward, sitting on the divan with great initiative. He took out a thick package from his bosom, simultaneously saying mysteriously to Xie Fei"s closed eyes, "Fei-ge, look, the thing you wanted."
Xie Fei glanced over. "Didn"t you say you"d send someone? Why did you come personally?"
Tang You chuckled. "Yesterday after returning home I carefully thought about it and really couldn"t be at ease handing over this treasure to them. This is my Tang family"s ancestral treasure, using a thousand gold to buy a single page to read. So there was no option but to have this little master personally come over."
Ancestral treasure?
Xie Fei suddenly remembered that what this Tang family was most famous for in Great Qi wasn"t there status or rank, but rather the Tang family"s sons and their bulls.h.i.t crazy luck. In the Tang family, whether it was Tang You"s grandfather"s generation or his father"s generation, all the males grew big and tall, demonlike and fiendish. But against reason, they, out of the entire city"s talented and outstanding young masters, were able to take the beauties home.
Now, it seems that the Tang family really hadn"t happened on some bulls.h.i.t crazy luck; calling it strength was also inaccurate.
Thinking in this way, Xie Fei finally had some interest. This Tang You at the side had long been unable to wait. He rubbed his hands together, excitedly pa.s.sing the package to Xie Fei, urging, "Fei-ge, hurry and open it. I guarantee by my virginity, no matter if it"s pure jade girls or rude and unreasonable girls, all can be captured by your hands."
"You still have your virginity?" Xie Fei said.
"Even though you"re my Fei-ge, you can"t dishonor me like this," Tang You said righteously. "Although my chast.i.ty is gone, I still have my virginity!"
Xie Fei: "…" This dummy, not understanding chast.i.ty and virginity and still randomly using these words.
Looking at Tang You with some pity, he finally took the package, lifting it to look. Inside was a few volumes of thick books. On the covers were a layer of gray leather. "Ancestral Secret Techniques" was written in large words on the leather. Those ostentatious words were really as if they were afraid of not being recognized as a family treasure.
Xie Fei took these books from the package, opened the leather cover, and saw, written on the first page: Long nights are difficult to endure, spring nights pa.s.s slowly! Husband~~ Happy~~ Come on~~
Seeing this nonsense obscene enough to break the horizon, Xie Fei"s expression sank immediately. Pupils dark, he looked at Tang You and said slowly, "You brought this lousy book to beat around the bush with me?"
"How could I!" Tang You, who was originally sprawled on the table, vigorously looked at Xie Fei. Hearing these words, he immediately became panicked. Unhappily, he said, "Fei-ge, I"m telling you, this isn"t a normal book."
Xie Fei glanced at him and indifferently said, "Oh."
He wouldn"t even believe him!
Tang You couldn"t endure any longer. He threw out his chest, spiritedly saying, "Think of those days when my ancestors in the Liang Huai region were famous bandits. They burned, killed, looted, had no crimes they wouldn"t commit, then finally collected these disappearing books. This book is all-inclusive: 36 ruses to chase girls, girls" treasures, secret bedroom techniques… Simply put, it has everything."
Xie Fei"s gaze became colder. He frowned, muttering for a short moment, "You should take it back, this book doesn"t suit me."
"Don"t, Fei-ge, you can decide after you look too. I won"t disturb your reading anymore, when you"re done send people to let me know and I"ll come back to get it." As he spoke, Tang You waved his hand and fled far away.
Xie Fei opened his mouth, wanting to call Lu Qi to block Tang You. Before he spoke, he instead swallowed it down for a reason that had no explanation but demons and G.o.ds at work. He looked at the thick book on the table, thought for a bit, packed it away, and shoved it under his pillow.
The author has something to say:
Tang You: Fei-ge, quickly come to the mortal world to be happy with us~~~~
Xie Fei: I, King Dizang, understand【 Quickly come to h.e.l.l to be happy
T/N: The author"s note was formatted that way btw ヽ(@～@ )ノ I"m also finding myself becoming more liberal with translating and writing things to flow more naturally in English compared to sticking rigidly to the raws. Is that a bad thing or no (￣～￣;) Let me know what you thought of the chapter! Thanks for reading ❤
p.s. does anyone else also think Tang You and Xie Fei are the funniest thing together bc pls.
and also this line: "Correct," Xie Fei affirmed, nodding. I hate it. it"s the worst. you can tell he"s saying “yes” with three different words. why must there be all of them. so angry (`ー´)
1↩: Short for 哥哥, gege, which means "older brother". Like jiejie, this is used for literal older brothers as well as close older males. Ge is kind of like calling him "bro" versus "brother".
2↩: An ancient currency weighing around 40 grams. Depending on the dynasty, a single silver tael could buy up to 4130 RMB/600 USD worth of money. (source: Wikipedia)
3↩: 花魁 is a nickname for a famous courtesan.
4↩: Slang for rich kids, and often used for those who are hedonistic (extremely self-indulgent)
5↩: Something like depression/disgust.
6↩: I"d like to note that, despite both being Young Master in English, Tang You is called 公子 (gongzi), which means the son of an official/n.o.bility, while Xie Fei is called 世子 (shizi), which (to my understanding) is the eldest son of the emperor or a feudal prince by their first wives.