I promised to release the chapter last week, but what can I say, the internet in my place was disconnected for days. As compensation for last week delay, I’ll release another chapter today, 12 hours later.
o(╥﹏╥)o This chapter is twice longer than the usual, and most of it was descriptive.
In case you all still remember about Sese"s sword in the prologue which literally means curved/bent-blade. Based on its function in the later story, the sword isn"t curved in it shape (cutla.s.s), but an elastic sword that could bend (bent-blade), my apologies, I have changed the prologue"s content.
Glossary
w.a.n.g: prince or va.s.sal king.
Zhen: I; my; the sovereign; we (used by a royal person in proclamations instead of I).
Zhengfei: primary, legitimate consort of a w.a.n.g.
Chapter 6 Gentleman Xianxian (unedited)Xianxian: slender. I won"t be using the english translation for this because it is a name, not an adjective.
It was late at night, the cold wind blew heavily.
Sese knelt on the ice-cold stone step, letting early spring"s very cold night wind to brush against her delicate body.
Regarding the trick of breaking the string at the banquet, she could conceal it from everyone, yet couldn"t conceal it from Daddy"s pair of sharp eyes. Daddy knew of her excellent qin skill, even if it were a complicated high note, her play also wouldn"t break the string. Therefore the matter of tonight, the only possibility was Sese had deliberately broken the string.
Therefore, the Marquess of Ding"an, Jiang Yan, was angry, he had Sese knelt on the stone step.
Sese was not concerned with this punishment by protracted kneeling, she was worried about Mother.
Today, the matter of the banquet, in the end, was pa.s.sed to Mother"s ear. She then didn"t want Sese to marry into the imperial household, didn"t want her daughter to be like her —became someone"s concubine. Since Xuan w.a.n.g already had someone in his heart, the only thing to do was to withdraw from this marriage.
However Sese"s father didn"t have the same idea. The marriage was referred by the Emperor, how could he defy it.
Thus, the two persons in the same room quarrelled. This was the first time Sese saw Mother and Daddy had a falling-out, moreover, it was because of her.
Sese secretly made up her mind that this marriage must be broken off, of course not by her withdrawal of marriage, but let Xuan w.a.n.g withdraw from the marriage, in addition she had to make the Emperor agree.
How very difficult was this!
Sese furrowed her brows and pondered, eventually there would be a way.
It was night, the sky was unclouded, the stars were still and beautiful, layers of flowing clouds suddenly sailed across and unfolded, making the sky somewhat dimmed.
Jiang Sese wore a greenish-blue changshan, adorned herself into an elegant gentleman. Her hand was holding a fan, however it wasn"t a paper fan, but a fan layered with silk yarn, the fan"s surface was embroidered with the pattern of several bamboos, like smoke and ink, graceful and elegant.
Changshan: lit. long shirt is a traditional Chinese dress (or robe, long jacket or tunic) worn by men. In function, it is considered the male equivalent of the women’s cheongsam (qipao).
changshan
She floated across the bustling street of the imperial capital, pa.s.sed the street through an alley, and finally arrived in Shengrong gambling house.
Sheng: to hold, contain; Rong: glory, honour, thriving.
"Oh, dear customer, please come in, wanted to do some gamble?" A waiter with a good eyes saw Sese and greeted her with lavish hospitality.
Sese fluidly glanced around, her eyes were looking at each and every one in the hall, until she saw two juveniles who were gambling happily and excitedly at the fifth long table, she furrowed her fine long painted eyebrows. She climbed up the stairs and said in slow measured tones: "To gamble or not to gamble, it depends on this gentleman"s mood. Requesting for one elegant room, pick the clean one, ordering light vegetable and meat dishes, the wine must be carmine red with ten years of age. If it"s not important, do not disturb, this gentleman was waiting for a person." She also pointed at those two juveniles who were gambling at the fifth long table and said: "Pa.s.s this words, let those two young fellows go to the elegant room to find me, just tell them it"s Gentleman Xianxian"s invitation!"
This gentleman: Sese was referring to herself.
"Gentleman… Xianxian?" The waiter looked at Sese with astonishment, his eyes was filled with reverence.
The person before his eyes was unexpectedly the Capital City-renowned Gentleman Xianxian!
It was rumoured that Gentleman Xianxian was born with a fairy-like appearance, even more beautiful than woman, causing people who saw him to forget about worldly matters. But whether it is or it is not so, no one knew, because very few people had seen his genuine appearance.
There was a verse of poem circulated in the streets: "Faint smile, winsome figure, slender white hands, thousands concealed weapons."
This four lines of poem had three of them that described the appearance of woman, it was thus clear that Gentleman Xianxian was indeed very beautiful.
The waiter gazed at Sese"s figure as she was climbing up the stairs, the green robe fluttered, the wide sleeves drooped like floating clouds, indeed enchanting and elegant, extraordinary refined without peer. He secretly sighed, the man indeed matched the rumour, except that "thousands concealed weapons", didn"t know whether it was or not in accordance with the rumour.
After quite a while, the waiter snapped out of his thought. He repeatedly agreed and finally invited Sese in to the elegant room, he bowed reverently and respectfully before retreated out.
Sese walked up to in front of the window, she pushed open the window, appreciating the night scene of Feicheng.
Shengrong gambling house had excellent location, situated at the bridge of Feicheng"s riverside, outside the window directly faced the river. Tens of tourist boats made ripples on the river water, the lanterns on the boats illuminated the river water which flowed leisurely.
A small boat in the dim light of the night rapidly approaching to this side, on the bow of the ship, stood still a lofty silhouette. When the light from the lantern came to the bow of the ship, Sese saw the unique bent-blade on that man"s waist, the corner of her lips were raised into a light smile.
She stood still at the front of the window, waiting. Few moments later, there was noise at the door, a black clothed man strolled in.
His clothes was black as ink, his long hair was messily scattered, his face was the sharp as axe-cutting-sword kind of handsome, with a trace of coldness and pride. Sharp eyebrows and clear eyes, tall nose and thin lips, a pair of black eyes which was deep and serene like the dark night.
"Nuan, you didn"t knock on someone else"s door, did you?" teased Sese.
This kind of extremely cold and uncommunicative man, yet as it happened, was called Nuan (warm).
A man with a frozen face and completely lack of any facial expression, like wearing a mask. Only the corner of his lips were pulled, sullenly said: "You did not see me come!"
Actually when he had been on the boat then, he had seen Sese.
"It seems that your martial-art is almost fully recovered! Your eyesight has sharpened." Sese lifted up the hem of her changshan and took a seat with an elegant posture in the private room as she said with a faint smile.
The man called Nuan was silent, his pair of black eyes deeply gazed at Sese"s face.
"Gentleman, your face doesn"t look good, do you have something on your mind?"
Nuan"s voice was faint but with a concern that couldn"t be overlooked.
Sese"s expression stiffened, she showed a smile and said: "Feng Nuan, you actually guess correctly, I indeed have something on my mind, furthermore, it"s also an important matter."
"Oh?" Feng Nuan"s expression slightly came to a halt, he asked: "What kind of matter?"
Sese waved the brocaded fan in her hand and said with a shallow smile:" It"s not urgent, wait until Bei Dou and Nan Xing, I will tell you guys!"
Just as she was speaking, there was noise at the door, a pair of identical juveniles walked in.
Similar statures, identical facial features, but in a glance one could differentiate one from another. The juvenile walking ahead was all smiles with black and white clear big eyes, one could tell in one look that he was of gentle disposition. The juvenile at the back had a pair of quick-witted black eyes that were looking around very fast, one could tell in one look that he was bad, a scoundrel.
The one walking ahead was called Bei Dou, the one at the back was called Nan Xing, they were a pair of twins.
"Boss, long time no see you, this small one miss you very much." Nan Xing saw Sese and his first-rated mouth started to smear honey.
Sese had been used to his skillful and flowery speech, she paid no attention to his clamour and solemnly said: "You all are called today, because there is a matter that needs your help!"
"Boss, feel free to command us. We, two brothers, are willing to go through water and tread on fire for Boss." said Nan Xing.
to go through water and tread on fire (idiom); not afraid of any difficulty
Bei Dou and Nan Xing were former street hooligans, because they had offended the capital evil tyrant, they had almost lost their life, if not because Sese had rescued them and dealt with it, these two persons had long ago gone lost their life into the netherworld. Since then, these two persons determined to be Sese"s followers.
Feng Nuan was not the same as them, he had been saved by Sese at the outskirt of the Capital. At that time, he had sustained extremely heavy injuries, Sese had invited a famous physician and finally saved Feng Nuan"s life. However, Feng Nuan had lost his memory.
Feng Nuan was precisely the name that Sese had given him, because when she had saved him, it was precisely at the season when the wind (feng) had been warm (nuan) and the flowers had been fragrant.
"Tomorrow at 9-11 a.m, the Marquess of Ding"an"s Young Lady —Jiang Sese, will go to Mountain Xiangmiao at the outskirt of the Capital, to burn incense. The three of you will lay in wait at halfway up to Mountain Xiangmiao, stay undetected until appeared and kidnapped her, afterwards…" Sese paused once and then said with a beaming smile: "Afterwards feign an indecent a.s.sault on her."
Xiang means fragrant, Miao means endlessly long, boundless, vast
Feng Nuan stared at Sese in stillness, contemplating without speaking. Bei Duo and Nan Xing however opened their eyes widely and screamed: "Boss, letting us kidnap Jiang residence"s young lady, have you perhaps lose your mind? This, this is real? When have Boss became this kind of treacherous nasty person, do you aware that this kind of deed will ruin the virtue of that household"s young lady?"
"Right, I exactly want you all to ruin her virtue, do not want her to marry!" Jiang Sese lowered her brows and laughed shallowly, these two fellows naturally didn"t know that the so called Jiang residence"s young lady was precisely her, she was precisely the Jiang residence"s young lady.
"But, but I heard, that Jiang residence"s young lady has but been appointed by the Emperor as Xuan w.a.n.g"s w.a.n.gfei, ah. By doing this kind of thing, we will definitely cause her unable to be w.a.n.gfei, then will it not, will it not ruin a marriage predestined by fate? Furthermore, in the future, this young lady also will certainly not be able to marry. Boss, you always instruct us not to do bad deeds, but why do you want to do this matter, to offend Heaven and reason? Do you have great enmity and deep hostility toward Jiang residence"s young lady?" asked Bei Duo,
to offend Heaven and reason (idiom), b.l.o.o.d.y atrocities that cry to heaven; to do something unremittingly evil; outrageous acts
"There is no great enmity nor deep hostility!" Sese was smiling lightly, her smile under the lantern was particularly pure and handsome.
"Then why?" Nan Xing asked, he was not convinced that Sese was that kind of despicable nasty person.
"I just… just like her." Said Sese as she hanged down her head, she couldn"t resist to smile.
Such action of hers, in Bei Dou"s and Nan Xing"s eyes were however seen as being shy.
Both persons nodded as if they just had a moment of enlightenment and said: "Didn"t expect Boss to actually like Jiang residence"s young lady, this is indeed an enormously good thing. We will certainly help Boss to kidnap, it will certainly ruin the reputation of Jiang residence"s young lady. When the time comes, Young Lady Jiang won"t be able to marry, then Boss" proposal to marry will succeed."
At that moment, Bei Dou and Nan Xing were rubbing their fists and wiping their palms, they were in restless state. They merely hated that they couldn"t immediately kidnap that Jiang residence"s young lady to be Sese"s wife.
to rub one’s fists and wipe one’s palms (idiom): to roll up one’s sleeves for battle, eager to get into action or start on a task
Sese was observing the manners of these two persons, the corner of her lips were raised, unable to hold back to smile. If one day these two fellows knew that the her before their eyes were Jiang Sese, didn"t know how their looks would be.
Feng Nuan however silently sat there, the pair of his black eyes were without waves, unknown what was he thinking about.
"Nuan, how about you?" Sese slowly asked. To her knowledge, Feng Nuan would never refuse anything she asked.
Sure enough, Feng Nuan"s dark mysterious eyes made a contact with Sese"s clear and beautiful eyes, his eyes immediately became a bit darker, then he moved his line of sight and stated with heavy tone: "Feng Nuan is naturally at Gentleman"s disposal."