Akiha: ohohoho, I was binging some other novels during the alst few weeks which si why I did not update for this long…. I"m not dropping it, so don"t worry~
Translated+Edited： Akiha
Chapter 4 Send Me up the Heaven Someday
"Miss Han?" A soft laugh can be heard from behind me.
My eyes widened and my heart stopped beating for a moment, standing while feeling dumbfounded: Who"s that?
"You"re Han Bai Qing"s daughter?" Listening to it closely, it was a clear, child-like voice. I breathed out of relief and turned my body to the black slowly. A boy who was two heads taller than me was standing in the dark.
Holding onto the decorative hill, I asked in a low voice: "Who are you?"
"Miss Han! Miss Han!" A suppressed voice calling out to me can be heard and a palace lantern was lighted at the dark garden.
Feeling someone pulling my arm, I frowned as I turned my head back: "What are you doing?"
"Do you want to be found out?" The boy"s said so softly, "Or does Miss Han want the Crown Prince to find out that you heard everything?"
My heart jumped as I widened my eyes, what should I do now?
"Miss Han!" "Miss Han! Don"t be scared, this servant is coming for you!" The voice trailed away.
Clenching my hand, I thought to myself: If I were to be found by the attendants, it"s basically telling the crown prince that I witnessed him killed someone in a fit of rage. This will for sure leave a thorn in his heart, and will for sure let his sharp mother have the intention to kill her. Rather than having all of that happening, it will be better to leave this yard and escape Zhui Yue Terrace.
After making up my mind, I slightly bend my body down and sneaked into the bushes nearby. "What an ungrateful Miss Han that escaped all by herself first." The child-like voice continues, "Are you really Han Bai Qing"s daughter? Not alike, really not alike at all~"
Without turning my head back, I jogged until I"m out of the yard and stood at the side of the isle. Listening to the sound of the lake waves splashing and looking at the palace satin that moved along with the wind by the waterside pavilion, my hanging heart then felt relieved. After I calm my breathing, I turned to my back and softly said: "Thank you."
Borrowing the lights from the palace, I was finally able to see the face of the boy in front of me. A pair of smiling peach blossom eyes, wide hill brows,[1] and vermillion coloured lips.
The two words can describe how good looking he is: Disaster inducing[2].
His eyes looked hazy, and within that haziness, it seemed clear. Tilting his head, his dark green hair slid down onto his clothes. "Hehe. What a sharp little girl." You sure do have the leisure of calling me a little girl while you yourself are just a brat! Rolling my eyes towards him, I squatted down on the floor.
"You do run away quite quickly." He stood in front of me and lowered his body to look at me with the peach blossom eyes that can tug the heartstrings.
Disaster, he"s a male version of disaster. When he grew up, fruits be thrown into the carriage, and the amount wins even Tan Lang[3]. Who knows how many will fall for his face!
Raising my eyes to glance at him, I flatly asked: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"What do you think? Who am I?" He squatted down suddenly. Hugging his head, he smilingly looked at me.
The eyes that looked like the crescent moon were alluring. Taking back my dumbfounded glance, I cleared my throat and snorted: "Don"t tell me you"re the brat of any of those ministers that left the banquet just to catch crickets."
"Brat?" His eyes widened and glared at me angrily, "How old are you, you little brat? Daring to speak so insolently towards me[4]!"
Me? Perhaps he"s King of You"s son? Great, entering the wolf"s den after escaping the tiger"s den. Biting my lower lips, I quickly kneeled down: "This here is Han Yue Xia, greeting his highness the prince." With the help of the weak light, I peeked and was able to see a serpent figure embroidered on his white robe. From the looks of it, he is indeed someone from the n.o.ble family, so what he said was not faked.
"Haha~ Hahaha~" A loud laughter can be heard from above. Carefully raising my head, I saw him laughing so much his body were bending front of back.
Laugh, laugh all you want. Borrowing your parents" name, enjoy the right given to you. None of You Country"s prince are good people!
"Aiyo, little girl, look at how timid you are!" He rubbed his own stomach and patted my head: "If General Han learns that his precious daughter was grovelling like a little puppy in front of the hostage that was sent here, I wonder what the General"s thought will be?"
Hostage? Is he perhaps Qing Country"s prince? Standing up, I stared with my eyes wide opened and sized up this boy that looked like he was around ten years old. Lightly breathing in, I opened my mouth after thinking over my words: "You, do you hate my father?"
"Hate?" He lightly snorted, "Why should I hate him? Compared to Qing Country, it"s a lot better here."
With his hands behind him, the boy looked at the lake quietly. His eyes were cold, and the corner of his lips curved downwards. Being sent to the country that won the war, he possibly might be the prince that was not favoured. He can only blame his birth, blame the fact that he was born into the imperial family. And possibly, the power struggle in Qing Country might make the situation more dangerous.
Thinking up till this point, I can"t help but pity this young prince. "Thank you for your help earlier. I"m Han Yue Xia and I will be six years old next month." Generously extending my right hand towards him, I showed him a sincere smile.
He was slightly surprised. Raising his eyebrow, he looked at my hand: "Is this You Country"s etiquette?"
"No." I shook my head and replied with a light mood, "This is a gesture special to only me. Holding it, and we will be friends."
"Friends?" The corner of his lips curved upwards and an alluring smile can be seen, "You want to be friends with me?"
"Mmn!" I nodded my head heavily. At this dark palace, for us that had almost the same circ.u.mstances, it will be better for us to know one another.
With a half opened eyes, curiosity and interest can be seen from his eyes. After scrutinizing for a little, he then smiled: "Hmm~ You are quite the air-headed little girl."
Looking at his face acting like an adult, I felt my blood boiling. Putting my hands down quickly, I glared at him: "Just say so if you don"t want to!" After saying so, I turned my body to leave.
My right hand was suddenly grabbed back and I turned my head back to glare at him. This good looking boy laughed with a clear voice: "Hehehe, I see that you are quite the impatient little girl!"
Impatient! You"re the one who"s impatient! I swung my arm to shake him off. The strength gripping my hand becomes stronger, he then sighed: "Don"t be so angry, it was just a joke!" Standing back, I glanced at him.
"My family name is Ling, given name is Yi Ran. My courtesy name is Yun Zhi. I"m 11 this year."
"Courtesy name? Isn"t that bestowed only when you"re twenty[5]?" I looked at him, feeling confused.
The smile was wiped off Ling Yi Ran"s face and he looked up into the sky, with slightly deeper voice: "Yun Zhi, it is a name my mother bestowed upon me before she pa.s.sed away. I will for sure use this name after becoming an adult."
"I"m sorry for having you talking about your sad past." That pained glance made me unable to look straight into his eyes. After breathing out, I opened my mouth once again, "Yun Zhi, my pet name is Qing Qing (卿卿)."
"Qing Qing (青青)[6]?" He looked at me in disdain and pointed to the gra.s.s on the ground, "The green gra.s.s by the lakeside (青青湖畔草Qing Qing Hu Pan Cao)?"
"Of course not!" I stomped and pulled his left arm. Using my stubby finger, I wrote on his hand, "Qing, the one with the "卯", and p.r.o.nounced with the same intonation as "皂Zào"."
"I see, it"s the "Qing" of Three Lord and Nine Ministers (三公九卿 San Gong Jiu Qing)" Ling Yi Ran exclaimed, "Han Bai Qing is really patriotic."
"No!" Staring at him intently, "It"s the "Qing" from "Giving you warmth no matter how freezing it is (不辞冰雪为卿热 Bu Ci Bing Xue Wei Qing Re)", the "Qing" from "Never going to disappoint you or the Buddha (不负如来不负卿 Bu Fu Ru Lai Bu Fu Qing)"; it"s not those ministers or officials or Three Lords and Nine Ministers!"
"Giving you warmth no matter how freezing it is? Never going to disappoint you or the Buddha?" Ling Yi Ran slightly squinted and bent his body down. The hazy peach blossom eyes became clear and glimmer can be seen from his eyes, "Are these two poems by General Han?"
Oh no. I was so agitated that I forgot about my surroundings and those two sentences slipped out of my mouth. Walking back two steps, I widened my eyes and looked at him innocently: "It"s by my mother, what about it?"
"Your mother? The lady that was playing the Guqin earlier?" he turned his body to face the waterside pavilion.
"Yes."
Looking at Ling Yi Ran"s back, it felt lonely.
"My mother, she was also a woman who was talented in poetries and literatures." He glanced back with a smile, but the smile was heartbreaking, "My mother, she was also someone that is talented in Guqin as well."
The cloud turned into water droplets and rained down, and at the same time, they themselves also lost their life. The rain droplets left the sky without any hesitation, but even so, they always longed for their mother.
Quietly looking at somewhere faraway, silently feeling his pain.
A short while later, his soft laugh blew all the sadness away: "If Miss Han don"t return soon, the palace will soon be in ruckus."
"Ah!" I completely forgot about it. Clenching my fist, I stomped on the ground, "Where should I go, how do I go back?"
He smiled lightly and pointed to the right side: "There, just walk straight from her and you will reach Ju Yue Palace."
"Thank you!" I smiled and blinked my eyes. As I walked back quickly, I waved towards him, "Ling Yi Ran, it"s nice to meet you! Goodbye!"
Ling Yi Ran looked at the small figure walking further and further away, the corner of his lips curved upwards. His eyes also curved and it looked hazy: "Friends? Qing Qing?" After a while, he sighed and glared. With a cold voice: "Cheng Bi."
"I"m here." A deep and low voice belonging to a man can be heard.
"Did you enter?" The eyes of the young prince rolled slightly and glanced towards the shadow of a tree.
"I entered."
"Where"s the stuff?" Ling Yi Ran walked towards the dark alley and extended his right palm.
"It"s here." At the moment, a sheep skin parchment was placed on his palm.
"Mmn, not bad." The clear child like voice felt extraordinarily heartless. He looked back and glanced coldly at the palace where the banquet was held: "Looks like the chaos befalling onto You Country will be soon."
Moving my short legs, I ran as fast as I can. Outside of Ju Yue Palace, attendants and palace maids were running about, while Quan Fu was frowning and looking left and right agitatedly.
Moving to the bushes, I breathed in deeply and plucked a China Rose[7]. Humming a nursery rhyme, I skipped towards the palace filled with bright lights.
"Sir! Sir! Miss Han has returned!" A palace maid ran towards me while holding her dress up.
"Oh my lord!" Quan Fu slightly moved his sleeve and his brows wrinkled, "Where, where did you go to? Zhui Yue Terrace has become chaotic because you went missing!"
Hmph, is it possible for it to not be chaotic when His Highness the Crown Prince just showed his tyranny and a life withered away because of his action.
Innocently pursing my lips, I lowered my head and poking my own fingers: "The attendant had left Qing Qing behind after reaching a door and Qing Qing felt scared." Holding onto the flower tightly, the thorns on the China Rose p.r.i.c.ked into my palm and tears formed from the pain. I sniffed and frowned as I looked towards Quan Fu. Since that person had unfortunately lost his life, pushing the responsibility onto him won"t cause any innocent casualties.
"That d.a.m.ned servant Xiao Lu is really not dependable!" Quan Fu stomped as a cold glimmer flashed through his eyes, "I will punish him severely!"
You don"t even need to conceal anything. What sort punishment are you going to give when that person is not even alive. And now you"re pretending in front of me! Alright, I shall play along with your farce.
"Don"t punish him, don"t punish him! It"s alright to only lecture him for it." I tugged on his robe and said meekly, "Quan Fu, here. I will give this to you." And I handed a China Rose to him.
"This servant thank Miss Han"s gift." He received the flower with a fawning face and nodded his head while bowing his body.
Holding onto Quan Fu"s cold hand, we walked towards Ju Yue Palace which was filled the scent of rouge and disgust began to swell inside my heart.
"King, Miss Han has returned!" Quan Fu led me to the middle of the palace and reported as he stepped back.
Slowly kneeling down and raising my body, I said: "This General"s daughter is here to greet the King."
"Oh~ Do get up." The man from the throne seemed to be drunk from his voice.
"Thank the King." Sincerity cannot be felt from the weak, childlike voice.
"Have you met him?" The King of You looked at me smilingly while his hands were caressing the waist of a beauty.
I was about to open my mouth but Quan Fu had hurriedly said: "They have met, but His Highness the Crown Prince was busy studying, so it was kept short."
I tried my best to control my lips that were trembling slightly and snorted coldly in my heart: What a good excuse. Quan Fu, you are quite the intelligent one - covering for one side and giving a satisfying answer for the other, no wonder this man can hold such power and position within the palace. This is really impressive, Qing Qing really is impressed.
"The You Country is really fortunate to have such a diligent Crown Prince!" A stirred voice can be heard and I glanced coldly at the flatterer.
"Hahaha~" The one on the throne laughed happily and creases were formed on that skinny face, "With such a diligent son, I feel really glad." Slamming the table once, he stood up shakily: "My You Country that has strong military prowess and united heart, no matter the position, shall conquer the southern region in no time! Come! All the ministers, come and drink it up with me!"
"Long live the King!" A united and loud chant resounded inside the Ju Yue Palace, with laughter appearing at times.
The King of You held a beauty in his arm and with unfocused eyes, waved his hands out: "Quan Fu, send this child back."
"Yes!"
Heaving a long breath, I raised my head and slowly walked towards the palace door. Suddenly, someone appeared in front of me and kneeled on front of me. It was an elderly man with grey hair and green colour official robe.
What is it this time around? Hiding behind Quan Fu, I looked at the old man on the floor and said nothing.
The noisy palace became quiet and an unhappy voice of King of You can be heard: "What is this?"
"This me, Chu Feng congratulate the King!" That old man raised his head and with eyes that opened so much it"s bulging, looked excitedly to the throne.
"Congratulate? What is there to be congratulated? Do talk about it?" King of You"s voice became light.
"When this me looked at the physiognomy of General Han"s daughter and did some fortune-telling from that, it seems that she is one blessed with great fortune, it is so great that words alone can"t describe it!" He bowed down as he said so.
"Chu Feng, you are quite the flatterer. The King had said that this girl will be wedded to His Highness the Crown Prince, of course it is a great fortune for her." A voice mocked and all the ministers laughed along.
"Not that, not that!" The old man grovelled by the side of my leg and stuck his forehead on my foot, "The fortune of this young lady is not due to You Country, but lies at the world."
The…… World! Subconsciously stepping two steps back, I looked at him warily. Has this old man gone mad?
Snickers stopped at that moment, the palace was so quiet that the sounds of water flowing can be heard.
"Is the young lady born on the thirteenth year of Tian Lu, eighth day of the eighth month, at the third quarter of the hour of the dog[8]?"
Feeling the eyes on me, with eyes that looked scared, I mumbled: "Yes."
"That"s right! That"s true! It is you!" The old man exerted some force and gripped onto my ankle and with his whole body trembling, he hurriedly spoke, "King, during the night this me read the stars and did some fortune-telling - the Polaris moved and the Sirius turned slightly[9], that is the sign when the Mother of the World has befall. When I once again read young lady"s face once again, Miss Han"s face which has a large forehead, where the purple aura mingles[10], and only the extraordinary human is able to accept such bless." As he said so, he grovelled and crawled towards the throne: "Congratulations, King, Congratulations!"
Deeply breathing in, I glared at the person on the floor with eyes filled with hate: No one will try to stop you from flattering or asking for a reward. But why did you have to push me to the centre of this charade? Me and my mother had our heads hanged in this deep palace and we tried to tread through it carefully. And you old geezer just had to add more troubles onto my plate, this is frustrating!
"Good, good!" The King of You slammed his hand onto the handle of the throne and stood up right after. With eyes akin to that of a beast"s, "Good! Good!"
An ominous feeling surfaced and I stopped breathing as I broke into cold sweat.
The King of You swung his hand with strength and his cheeks trembled in excitement, "I summon Chu Feng the Astrologer to step front."
"This me is here." The old man bent deeper as he grovelled on the floor.
"I hereby ent.i.tle you the Deputy Minister of General Affairs; you will be in charge of the General Affairs Official Residence. This will take effect starting from tomorrow!"
"This me thank the generosity of the King! Long live the King!"
"Hahaha! You are excused, my good minister!" The laughter of the King of You"s was so loud my eardrums were about to burst, "Quan Fu, serve her with the utmost hospitality. If Miss Han lose as much as a strand of hair, you shall answer me with your head!"
Glancing at the scared Quan Fu from the corner of my eyes, I snorted inside my heart: Metabolism is a natural occurrence; I would like to see if I have more hair or you, the King of You, have more heads on your hand.
The palace was once again filled with voices of flattering, congratulating, toasting, music and so on. Can such an Imperial power even conquer the world? Hah, what a joke! With a cold face, I followed Fu Quan and quickly exited the palace gate.
"Miss Han!" The old man Chu who was promoted ran out with a cup of wine on his hand. I glanced at him in disdain and turned my head to walk away.
"Miss Han, what this old man said earlier was true, but….."
What "but", I have no interest in this! I moved my leg to walk, and the old man then moved to my front and bowed with one of his palm on top of the other fist: "The star reading from five years ago, other than the Polaris and Sirius, the Alpha Ursae Majoris[11] also had a slight movement."
I don"t understand, and I don"t want to listen. I turned my head to look at the garden silently.
"Ah, I had forgotten that the young lady is still a child, how impolite of me." He apologetically bowed his head down and soon raised his eyes to look straight into me, "Your life has yet to be set in stone. All the fortune and blessing depends on the young lady"s thought."
Raising my head, I saw the stars that shone brightly and dimly at the same time.
The night, it"s so dark that it makes one feel depressed.
A thin smile formed on my lips. Swaying my sleeve, I stepped onto the decorative boat. Submerging my hand into the water, the luxury of the Ju Yue Palace moved further and further away.
Life filled with fortune and luxuries? What does it have to do with me?
The fate is like the lake water that"s slightly cold, it is within my hand.
[1] :") All this characteristics that does not make sense or have similar words in English…
Peach Blossom Eye:
Wide hill brows (2nd from last):
[2] To avoid confusion, it says 祸水, basically they are so good-looking that it will cause disaster to befall onto, at least, the country (refer to Daji/Da Ji)
[3] Tan Lang/Pan An/An Ren/Pan Yue is one of the four most handsome men in China history (yup, male version of the four beauties). It is said that he was so good looking that women, young and old alike, threw fruits into his carriage until it is full. Fruits throwing are a show of the women"s admiration towards men.
Just a side info: all the four men had tragic ending, and they have not only looks, but talented in their own ways as well.
[4] He"s using 本殿 Ben Dian, only used by those that are royalties.
[5] Why twenty? They are only considered an adult at 20. Thus, the courtesy name is only bestowed when one reaches 20.
[6] The first Qing Qing is 卿卿 (this can mean "you" in an endeared way), while Yun Zhi perceived it as 青青 (Green, gra.s.s is green thus what he said). :") I tried my best to make sense of it by including the original text and pinyin……
[7] China Rose:
[8] After thinking it through, I will leave it as which month rather than August; and dog hour is around 1900-2100 (7pm-9pm). Ancient China uses the 12 zodiacs as the time system (thus the Shi Chen 时辰, with 1Shi Chen=2 hours). Third quarter is around the 45th minute of the hour (Divide 1 hour into 4 quarters, first quarter=15 etc)
[9] Polaris, or Zi Wei Star 紫薇星 is also called as the Imperial Star during Ancient China, and the ones born under this star was said to be one that is born to be above the others.
Sirius, or 天府星, 天狼星 Tian Fu Star, Tian Lang Star, is known as the star that overlooks the person"s fortune.
[10] Having purple aura is said that that person has the greatest fortune
[11] Alpha Ursae Majoris, 天枢星 Tian Shu Star or formerly known as Dubhe, another star.
Akiha: This chapter had the most explanations till date…. And the bracket one"s I did not include them into the notes so that it will make mroe sense when you directly read from there rather than going down-up-down-up.