Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Ninety:
The Second Engagement War (Two)

This was a war of vastly different strength, without the smoke of gunfire, but every step was dangerous.

After arguing with Ling Buyi, Shaoshang was filled with confusion. For a moment, she was thinking about how to get rid of those who were following her, but then, she was also feeling tender. She thought that Ling Buyi was also a kind person, and that she shouldn’t have been so fierce at the moment. She should have softened up.

Unexpectedly, it was not until the end of the day when a eunuch next to the Emperor came to deliver an edict for Shaoshang to stay in Changqiu Palace for a long time from now on without going home. One could double their familiarity with etiquette, and also help organize the Empress’s birthday banquet.

In summary, accompanying the dignified and virtuous Empress day and night would leave a lasting impression on Shaoshang. Those who approached the red would be red – obviously, the Emperor didn’t consider that there were those who were close to black.

Shaoshang was already weak at the time; like a bolt from the blue or a bucket of expired pickled cabbage water being poured over her head. She was stiff and confused for a while before waking up. If one argues with their front foot, they’ll leave their back foot behind. Was there anything unclear about the matter?!

She cursed Ling Buyi ten thousand times in her belly, that wicked bastard of eighteen generations whose ancestors had no virtue. She didn’t ruin his family’s property, ruin his career, and didn’t cheat on him. This modern behavior of being openly married and being robbed was also considered a unique taste. In short, Shaoshang had a deep hatred like a sea that never calmed!

“Humble servant, I have taken His Majesty’s will and understands His Majesty’s kindness, but…” Shaoshang would fight to the death on this. “Can you allow me to go home today to clean my belongings? I will enter the palace tomorrow morning without any delay!” She wanted to go home and humbly ask Father Cheng and Director Xiao for advice on how to repair that bastard with the surname Ling!

The eunuch official gave a bright smile. “Young Mistress Cheng, don’t worry. Master Ling has already prepared everything for you. In a moment, the people around him will bring the things you need. You can rest assured that Master Ling has been working for His Majesty since he was fourteen-years-old. Everything is done properly and without delay.”

Shaoshang’s head spun. She felt like this was a hallucination.

As expected, before dinner time arrived, Liang Qiu Fei led a group of heavily encumbered eunuchs and maidservants to move her daily necessities to the room newly designated to Shaoshang by the Empress. Shaoshang could only watch the busy crowd gather her belongings indoors.

Four sets of lacquered wooden cabinets that were one person high were placed one by one against the wall. Eight tall brass palace lanterns were located at the four corners – four in the shape of flying swallows, two in the shape of palace maids, two in the shape of branches, and the first six could all hold smoke inside.

Six sets of newly embroidered brocade bed curtains, two sets of soft silk, two sets of thin gauze, as well as a breathable ramie silk and thick brocade satin.

Three tables, one square dressing table, one long writing desk, and a small circular table for placing snacks and flowers.

On the dressing table, there were two dowry boxes, one large and one small. The large one was a double-layer painted jewelry box, and the small one was a set of makeup boxes with powder and ointment. Judging from how heavy they looked, both boxes should be filled with a lot of things.

There were seven or eight fans stacked side by side, made of bamboo, lacquered wood, and even satin…

As Shaoshang turned around, the lacquered wood cabinet was filled with piles of colorful silk and fine linen, ranging from outerwear and underwear to cloaks made of silk, and even close-fitting undergarments.

She couldn’t help but sigh and say, “Imperial Bodyguard Fei, your young master is really swift in his business.” With everything ready so quickly, it shouldn’t have been stored at home for a long time. Thinking about that, her heart softened slightly and she decided to forgive Ling Buyi just a little bit.

Liang Qiu Fei stood far away outside the corridor, his lips wiggling a few times, and the young eunuchs beside him smiled. “I’m not sure, Young Mistress Cheng. Originally, Master Ling was going back to the mansion to collect this, but later his Majesty opened the palace treasury and let Master choose this himself.”

Shaoshang swallowed down the chaotic energy in her belly and forced a smile. “I mean, why did it get done so quickly?” Okay, that was her lack of insight, and now she would never forgive him!

“…But Master Ling sent someone back to the mansion to collect those clothes,” the young eunuch continued.

Shaoshang thought to herself, ‘Can you finish speaking in a single breath?’

“Is there anything else your master wanted you to convey?” Shaoshang asked, pretending to be proud as the young eunuch eagerly ran to the house to command the palace maids.

Liang Qiu Fei seemed to know something as he said with a better expression, “Master said, according to your wishes, everyone has withdrawn. If you have anything to do, you can go to him on your own.”

The words were incomprehensible to others, but Shaoshang was clear in her heart. “He agreed?” She asked, pleasantly surprised. “So, I can go home now?” Knowing one’s mistake and being able to correct it was a great kindness, and she decided to forgive him a little bit again.

“…You can’t go home, yet,” Liang Qiu Fei’s voice became lower. “Master said that either everyone is here or everyone withdraws. Think carefully for yourself in the next few days.”

Shaoshang thought about what he said over and over before she realized. “Your Master doesn’t think I can live in this palace without him, right?” she sneered.

Liang Qiu Fei couldn’t even bring himself to lift his head. After a while, he mustered up his courage and said, “Young Mistress, Master is doing this for your own good…”

“Would I be doing this for my own bad?” Shaoshang interrupted, furious. “Only he is doing it for my own good!”

After shouting, seeing that almost all the eunuchs and maidservants were being led over, Shaoshang could only stomp her feet and leave.

Liang Qiu Fei didn’t dare open his mouth again and practically ran from Changqiu Palace. As he ran, he swore that he would seek advice from his elder brother, who had four beauties himself, on how to speak to women.

Shaoshang went straight back to her previous temporary residence, wrote a few words on a bamboo slip, and then sealed it with a cloth bag and fire paint to have the palace maid sent it to the Cheng family outside the palace. Unexpectedly, the palace maid expressed her embarrassment by saying that without a ‘secret,’ messages in the palace could not be sent out. If she casually asked to pass messages to guards outside of the palace, she would be accused of ‘secretly imparting and receiving information without permission,’ and punished severely.

Shaoshang took a deep breath to calm herself, vigorously slapped the letter down onto her table, and turned around to get help from the Empress.

“Send a letter?” the Empress sounded surprised, seemingly completely unaware of the matter. “No need. Zisheng said he would make an agreement with the family for you. Didn’t he tell you? You are willing to stay in the palace with me. I’m very happy about it, I’m just afraid that you may feel lonely.”

Shaoshang looked at the Empress’s smiling and joyful face, suppressed her internal injury, and returned defeated once again.

For the next few days, Shaoshang seemed to be isolated from the real world, only learning to eat and rest every day, and accompanying the Empress for a walk and gossiping. Standing in the palace, with walls all around, time passed particularly slowly. Even the water clock’s dripping in the copper pot was like an old slow-motion camera, with each drop taking a long time to actually fall.

On the second day in the palace, Shaoshang counted the number of hairs and whiskers on the cat kept by the palace maid. On the third day, she counted the number of limestone bricks from the entrance of Changqiu Palace to the corridor. Now she finally understood why the Empress was so knowledgeable. It was because she had nothing to do every day but hold a book and read slowly to comfort herself.

Ling Buyi visited every day but Shaoshang was very firm in not speaking to him, she wouldn’t even look at him. However, it seemed that Ling Buyi didn’t mean to talk or look at her. He was still polite and gentle, with a graceful demeanor, as clear as the spring moon and as cool as the autumn breeze. From the moment he stepped through the gate of Changqiu Palace, the maidservants in the palace were filled with joy.

Shaoshang could not tell anyone that they had an argument and could only hold in her anger.

Even though they acted like nothing was wrong, in just three days, the Empress could tell something was off.

When the Emperor stayed in Changqiu Palace that night, she couldn’t help but ask the Emperor questions. He pretended to be ignorant at first, but after asking a couple of questions, the Empress smacked the phoenix couch and whispered, “…They pretend that nothing is wrong, but their words and actions no longer have the intimacy they had before.”

“Zisheng was intimate with Shaoshang in front of you?” the Emperor asked, sounding excited.

The Empress changed from beating the phoenix couch to beating the phoenix himself. “I’m talking about intimacy, intimacy! Not intimacy! Where did Your Majesty hear that? In the past, sometimes flowers and leaves would fall onto Shaoshang’s head, and Zisheng would brush them off for her. When they walked together, they would hold hands while talking and laughing. And the looks they gave each other… Aiyo, everything has changed these days. Your Majesty, did they have a fight?”

“It’s just a misunderstanding,” the Emperor said. “It’s nothing serious.”

The Empress lowered her head for a moment of thought. “Your Majesty,” she said clearly. “It’s not her own intention for Shaoshang to stay in the palace. Was it because Zisheng forced her to stay?”

“What do you mean force?” The Emperor pretended to be indifferent. “Young men and women fighting is just them playing tricks and joking around.”

“Your Majesty, Shaoshang has been listless these days!” the Empress exclaimed. “She looks so pitiful. She has become accustomed to being at ease and can’t withstand the constraints of the palace. This is not acceptable!”

“Zisheng is also very pitiful!” the Emperor immediately retorted. “He has lost more weight these days.”

“In the eyes of His Majesty, Zisheng is losing weight every day,” the Empress, in a rare display, retorted back.

The Emperor looked at the Empress and became angry. He grabbed her shoulder and lay down on his side, coaxing her, “You don’t know. It means that without complaint, they can’t get married. How could they get married without arguing? They used to be friendly, but I always feel like there’s something missing. It’s good to argue, but it’s not a bad thing to argue from time to time. When they get back together again, there won’t be any separation between them. Besides, it’s just an argument…”

“Is there a literary argument?” the Empress exclaimed in surprise. “Is there still a martial arts argument? It’s only when we fight that counts!”

The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh. “Heaven knows, don’t be afraid. If they really start a fight, it’s not a fight, it’s called a ‘fight inside the tent.’ A fight is like Uncle Ruyang and the old princess, where everyone knows who is arguing and their faces are gone. Where are they going now?”
[Faces are gone means their reputations or dignity.]

The Emperor’s words were joyful and smooth, as if he were very familiar with them. The Empress felt a bit sad and, after a while, she whispered, “What if they don’t reconcile? Wouldn’t it just be a stalemate?”

The Emperor seemed to recall something and sighed. “How can there be a perpetual stalemate? Oh, there’s no such thing as an eternal stalemate in this world. After a fight it’s either reconcile or split up. However…” He laughed again. “Don’t worry, Zisheng and Shaoshang won’t be like this. With me, they will live a peaceful life…”

The Empress remained silent for a long time, resting against the Emperor’s arm. “Your Majesty,” she gently and earnestly pleaded. “Although Shaoshang may occasionally be ignorant, she has a simple and honest nature and her heart is pure. She treats me with sincerity and filial piety. Can you give me face and let Shaoshang go home every day to be able to breathe?”

“This little girl does have some ability to please people,” the Emperor said with a smile and a sigh. “Alright. For the sake of divine understanding, she will stay until after your birthday banquet. After, I will let her go regardless of whether they reconciled or not. However, you cannot tell Shaoshang this, otherwise she will be in a hurry and just wait to go home!”

Seeing that the Emperor had made some concessions, the Empress could only smile and nod in agreement.

…

I don’t know what it is, but the way Ling Buyi and the Emperor played Shaoshang like this rubs me the wrong way. Even so, this Emperor is hands down the best Emperor I’ve ever seen or read in Cdrama-land.

Next Chapter:  The Second Engagement War (Three)