Tip: Hover/click on the red text to see the english translation.
Chapter 75 Part 1: A flower and two servant girls
Xiaojie? Not Yun xiaojie!
Yun Qian Meng regarded the two yatou with some interest. An exquisite pair of sparkling eyes, shining with imperceivable wisdom, sized up Ying Xia and Yuan Dong!
The two people before her wore the typical style of clothing of yatou. Ying Xia had an adorable charm while Yuan Dong had a stylish bearing!
Yuan Dong seemed comparatively steady and calm, a contrast to Ying Xia’s vivaciousness. Yuan Dong had a reverent and respectful appearance, but what she lacked in the liveliness of Ying Xia she made up for in her cautious and steadfast manner!
With just one glance one could see that the two yatou were very well trained servants. But it was just that Rong Yun He had sent them to xiangfu today, and moreover they were both empty-handed. It made some thing certain in Yun Qian Meng’s mind, and she asked in a soft voice “I don’t understand what Rong gongzi sent you two here for!”
In reply, the two girls each pulled out a letter from their sleeves and presented it Yun Qian Meng with both hands. They said in unison “This is nubi’s slave contract, young master wants us to serve xiaojie from now on!”
The faces of Ying Xia and Yuan Dong were very serious. Mi mama and Mu Chun’s looked turned to each other, their eyes filled with alarm. They could see that Rong Yun He was not playing a joke, but really did send two yatou over!
This Rong gongzi was being excessive. These two yatou were originally from Rong fu. He directly sent people over in this manner, wouldn’t he make xiaojie appear very selfish? If the old madam in Bai Shun Tang or Su yiniang in Feng He Yuan were to find out about this, would it not cause trouble for xiaojie?
Mu Chun was reprimanding herself with such thoughts. If she had understood the situation sooner she would not have let these two people in. Not to mention they were sent by the young master of Rong fu. Even if it were as simple a matter as Rong fu sending over some people, she should not have let them in directly to meet with xiaojie, else it would give overambitious a chance to embellish the story and harm xiaojie’s reputation!
These thoughts were running through Mu Chun’s head until she could bear it no longer. She dropped to her knees and knocked her forehead on the floor once before Yun Qian Meng. Owning up to her mistake, “Xiaojie, this is nubi’s fault! Nubi should not have sent these people in! Xiaojie please punish nubi!”
Yun Qian Meng lowered her hand that was holding the circular fan, and turned to look at the guilty Mu Chun, “Stand up, we’ll deal with you later.” She said indifferently.
A circular fan http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/143Arts4851.html
Mu Chun saw that Yun Qian Meng was unperturbed and did not seem to intend to rebuke her. Because she had just made a mistake and caused Yun Qian Meng an inconvenience she dared not say anything more. Red-faced with shame, she meekly went to stand beside Yun Qian Meng!
Yun Qian Meng was looking at Ying Xia and Yuan Dong. Her eyes looking over the slave contracts they were presenting to her. She said in a cold voice “I don’t lack servants here. You two should return to Rong fu and express my thanks to the young master Rong on my behalf.”
When Ying Xia and Yuan Dong realized that Yun Qian Meng was going to send them away, they knelt on the floor with arms still raised, still offering up the slave contracts in their hands, and said in a chorus “When the two nubi came here, gongzi had already cast both out of Rong fu. Said that nubi are no longer part ofRong fu. It was our own choice to come to xiangfu servants! Please xiaojie do not send nubi away! Nubi wishes to loyally serve xiaojie!”
Yun Qian Meng knew that this was a deliberate move on Rong gongzi’s part to make her accept the servants. She had only met Rong Yun He a few times, but she knew that Ron Yun He was not the type of person to take advantage of people’s difficulties. However, Yun Qian Meng was very careful about the the people she surrounded herself with. Her servants might be few, but they were loyal!
Yun Qian Meng’s decision did not waver in the face of the pretty and pitiful faces of the two girls. She straightened her back on the stool and gazed at them with sharp eyes, and said in a cold and severe manner “Since you claim to have chosen to enter into the service of xiangfu by your own choice, you must follow the procedure and first go through the broker. The broker will bring you into the xiangfu to be selected by the butler before you can be introduced to the master! If you were no longer servants of Rong fu, why did you have to bring up Rong fu and Young Master Rong’s name to gain and audience with me? This sort of attitude and reasoning is very lacking in propriety! When I look at you two I can see from your every move that you were trained very well. How come you would make such a thoughtless mistake as this? This type of person, acting like you are the zhuzi, what use is there for you?”
At Yun Qian Meng’s analysis the two turned to look at each other in dismay, not knowing what to do. After a while, the cold voice of Yuan Dong said “All that xiaojie has said is not wrong! But, both nubi swear to the heavens, we mean xiaojie no harm, only seeking to be able to serve xiaojie, do not think if him anymore!”
Yun Qian Meng saw that Yuan Dong could extract the most important parts of what she said in her speech, and a glint of praise flashed across her cold eyes. To have an intelligent yatou to be loyal and stay by her side was a good thing!
After all, Mi mama had to manage Qi Luo Yuan and take care of Xia mama. Her energy was not enough!
And Mu Chun had to wait on her as well as watch Shu’r and Bing’r carefully all the time. Naturally it must be hard for her to attend to both at the same time!
If she were to add one more smart and and loyal yatou by her side, it wouldn’t be a bad thing!
But their loyalty was only words.
“In light of this, you two must leave. Find a better way to get an audience with me.” Saying this, Yun Qian Meng indicated to Mi mama to lead the two out of the room.
Ying Xia and Yuan Dong were both extremely clever people. They thoroughly analyzed Yun Qian Meng’s words in an instant, and did not say more. They immediately knocked their heads once in farewell then allowed themselves to be led out of the room by Mi mama.
“Xiaojie, this is all nubi’s fault!” When the two people had left, Mu Chun bowed down in apology.
Yun Qian Meng did not admonish her more, and only instructed “Don’t make such a mistake next time! If any new servants come to the fu in the coming days, have Liu yiniang bring them to Qi Luo Yuan first!”
Mu Chun expressed her acknowledgement of the command. But in her heart there was concern. She asked with furrowed brows “Xiaojie will you really use those two people? They came from Rong fu! Although Young Master Rong bears xiaojie no ill will, it’s really hard to trust other people…”
When Yun Qian Meng heard her say this, she smiled with indifference but did not explain her thoughts further.
Because of Rong Yun He’s head of white hair he had been shunned by people all his life. From their past encounters she saw that he had only one manservant to wait on him. Clearly whether or not it was Chen laotaijun that picked out a person on his behalf, or that he picked out his servant for himself, they were extremely cautious people!
On top of that, in the banquet, laotaijun had judged Chen laotaijun’s character. Though she was an reclusive person, she could tell that Chen laotaijun was an upstanding and honest person. Otherwise, waizumu would not have made friends with her!
Yun Qian Meng completely trusted Gu laotaijun’s judgement of people.
So, if these two people really came from Rong fu and were sent by Rong Yun He, Yun Qian Meng could be at ease and use them!
She was only worried about them having ulterior motives and using the name of Rong fu to appear before her like Heibai Wuchang!
Somebody’s drawing of hei bai wu chang 黑白无常 http://www.ohwonews.com/96580/
So, Yun Qian Meng used the excuse of their going against the proper procedures, and had them go through the filtering process first before coming, to allow herself some time to gain information about them. If no strange issues come up then she would use them! Furthermore, if the two girls really came from Rong fu, she could not let herself appear too eager to receive them, it would not be appropriate on Rong fu’s part or on her own part. Making them go through the selection process would prevent malicious gossip from spreading!
The boundless night sky was full of stars. The night was quiet save for the sound of cicadas singing their lullaby in the garden. But the torrid heat of the day had bled into evening and not even a trace of cool wind could be felt. It was hot and stuffy this night, making people toss and turn in their beds, unable to sleep!
After freshening up, Yun Qian Meng sent Mi mama and Mu Chun away from the room to retire. She blew on the candle to and sat alone beside the windowsill, gently rocking a circular fan with her white hand to disperse the summer heat!
The moonlight poured down in torrents, spraying on Yun Qian Meng’s face that sparkled white like gems. A halo of glittering pearl seemed to frame her face, adding a touch of charm to her elegance.
But at this moment she was furrowing her brows. The heat of the day was still bearable, but since the beginning of the night the atmosphere started to turn stifling and it was very unbearable. It made Yun Qian Meng wish for an electric fan. She could not sleep, and could only sit beside the window in her light summer clothes, hoping to catch a cold breeze from outside to relieve the irksome heat!
At this moment, the hottest part of Yun Qian Meng’s body was her back!
Yun Qian Meng glanced at her waist-length hair, and reached behind her to sweep the long hair behind her shoulders and sighed. If she could only cut it shorter it would be great!
After all she wasn’t really a born in this time, she was not an expert at putting her hair up in a bun. After she had finished her bath, she had no choice but to let it down so that the wet hair could dry faster!
But because of this her back was suffering the heat. Yun Qian Meng felt that her back was starting to sweat, making her usual tranquil face betray a frown. She hated that she couldn’t grab a pair of scissors to cut off the annoying locks!
“Just what is making you feel so ill at ease?” While Yun Qian Meng was simmering in her annoyance, a smiling voice inquired behind her.
When she suddenly heard the male voice, Yun Qian Meng immediately turned around and saw Chu Fei Yang, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. He had once again secretly snuck into her bedroom. He was standing a little distance away from her watching her with a very pleased expression. He did not seem apologetic in the least bit that he had trespassed into her room so suddenly!
It seem that he had grown more daring since his last trespass. Not only did he come in when the moon was so bright, he was so secure in the knowledge that no one was watching and reached the window, positioned himself close to her and joined her in bathing under the seclusion of moonlight!
While waiting for Yun Qian Meng’s reply, Chu Fei Yang could not help but bow his head and watch the girlish figure sitting sitting upright beside the window. Yun Qian Meng knew she was being watched fixedly by those pair of sharp eyes. Like a hawk watching his prey he took in the sight of her, apparently seeking her look of confusion!
Yun Qian Meng could feel Chu Fei Yang’s attentive gaze, sweeping over her to the smallest detail. She felt very irritated by this and raised her head to look straight at him with extremely cold eyes. Her eyes were immediately concealed by a layer of clarity, making people feel that her initial confusion was just an illusion!
Chu Fei Yang saw her quickly hide her feelings and his eyes couldn’t help but flash with admiration. He congratulated himself on his decision to come!
He had just happened to pass by the xiangfu after finishing and errand and remembered that he hadn’t seen her in months, so he decided to go in for a look. He only intended to watch her sleeping face for a moment then leave. He didn’t imagine that she would still be up at midnight, that he would find her beside the window admiring the moon. He felt an urge to tease her so he decided to speak to break her tranquility!
Even though it was very hot, under the moonlight she looked like a hibiscus flower, fresh and clean, she was letting people be captivated by her. Chu Fei Yan said, almost unconsciously, “Are you feeling much better?”
When Yun Qian Meng heard him ask, she set her fan down and rose from her seat to bow before Chu Fei Yang. “Thank you for xiangye’s concern, chennu is well! Also very thankful to xiangye for saving my life.”
Chu Fei Yang shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly at her polite reply. He walked over to where Yun Qian Meng was just sitting and took a seat. He smiled slyly and said “Your getting the better of Hai Tian caused your own illness. Are you repentant?”
Hearing this, Yun Qian Meng expression momentarily turned cold, then she replaced it with a smile. She knew that the highly intelligent Chu Fei Yang had long figured out what happened that day. She didn’t try to hide it and replied “If people don’t cross me then I won’t cross them; But if they do cross me, then I will do the same! Xiangye can’t expect chennu not to retaliate when wronged! Besides, if xiangye really wanted to expose me you wouldn’t have waited till today to say anything.”
After saying this, Yun Qian Meng looked at Chu Fei Yang with eyes glinting with cunning. This was a battle of wits to see who was more thorough and careful between them!
Regarding Yun Qian Meng’s retort, Chu Fei Yang had not wished to hear people gossip about that incident. He smiled a little and looked at the moon with a serene expression. It made one think that he was being different from his everyday usual self. His calm and collected self also had feelings after all!
Chu Fei Yang continued to gaze at the night sky, Yun Qian Meng took this opportunity to size up Chu Fei Yang, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while he turned to look at Yun Qian Meng with and earnest expression. His voice did not have its usual languid, joking lilt but instead carried an injured tone “I’m glad nothing worse happened!”
When she heard him say this, Yun Qian Meng raised her head with a puzzled expression, and saw that today Chu Fei Yang’s face was very solemn. It was a face he never showed before!
But his pair of black eyes still flickered with endless wisdom, his handsome face still exuded confidence. It was no wonder that Hai Tian was infatuated with him. Because of him she had decided to risk her safety, almost causing herself to fall into the icy lake just to get rid of an imagined rival!
Recalling that day’s icy cold lake water, Yun Qian Meng once again noticed the night’s extremely hot temperature. Not wanting to lose face to Chu Fei Yang, she could only minimize her movements and lightly swing her neck, wanting to sweep away the annoying stream of hair on her back. But her long locks were glued to her back and small movements did not move them. Her uncomfortable and conspicuous movements caused Chu Fei Yang’s lips to curl into a smile, causing the annoyed Yun Qian Meng to glare at him!
Chu Fei Yang did not feel the least bit bothered by Yun Qian Meng’s glare. With a glint in his eye he suddenly stood up, under Yun Qian Meng’s guarding look and slowly walked to position himself behind her. Under the light his elegant fingers glided across her back to disperse Yun Qian Meng’s fine black hair, to her great surprise. He spread it with his fingers, gently grazing Yun Qian Meng’s scalp as he combed through the luxurious black hair. His dedication to the task made Yun Qian Meng very awwkard!
Yun Qian Meng felt so uneasy, his actions made her break out in cold sweat!
She knew that Chu Fei Yang was not one to follow etiquette, but these intimate touches still made the hair on Yun Qian’s Meng’s body stand on end. Especially because as his cool fingers brushed through her hair, Yun Qian Meng could feel her scalp percolating lightly with sweat, she wanted to turn around and reclaim her own hair!
“Don’t move!” But Chu Fei Yang stopped her with those words before she could turn around, and continued his task. His voice was filled with a doting tone that made a person unable to resist. It startled Yun Qian Meng, and she couldn’t decide whether to continue to turning around or listen to Chu Fei Yang’s words!
After a moment, Yun Qian Meng felt her hair being raised up. To let Yun Qian Meng be able to sleep well, Chu Fei Yang hand tied her hair up into a bun. Soon after he walked towards the front of Yun Qian Meng with a smile on the corner of his lips as he regarded Yun Qian Meng’s hairstyle, seeming to be very pleased with his own handiwork!
While Yun Qian Meng felt much more comfortable now that her back was cooler, Chu Fei Yang suddenly doing such a thing without her permission made her frown at him with a displeased expression. She felt that in front of Chu Fei Yang, she was at a disadvantageous position. She said with a cold voice “Men and women should not touch hands when they receive things, Chu xiang may not care, but chennu thinks etiquette is very important!”
Chu Fei Yan knew that she was angry over his rudeness, but unexpectedly grinned, from his half closed lids reflected dazzling light. He suddenly bent and seized Yun Qian Meng by the waist, pulling her close to him. He put his lips close to her ear and whispered in a sly voice “That’s all well and good, but you see last time benxiang already touched xiaojie’s bare skin, last time also held xiaojie in my embrace, now personally have taken care of xiaojie’s hair, at this moment also holding xiaojie! Taking all of these things into account, would xiaojie not have to devote her whole life to atone for these transgressions against your ‘Men and women should not touch hands when they receive things’?”
Yun Qian Meng couldn’t free herself from Chu Fei Yang’s prison-like embrace. On hearing his dishonorable questions, she immediately inclined her head, and saw that Chu Fei Yang’s handsome face was only a few inches away from hers. Under the moonlight, those pair of smiling eyes were full of teasing, the lips were curved into an infuriating smile. When Chu Fei Yang’s hot breath radiated in her ears as he spoke earlier, Yun Qian Meng was unable to think calmly. She just looked at Chu Fei Yang with wide eyes. Taking advantage of a moment when the arms around her waist relaxed, she immediately pulled herself away, creating a distance between them!
But Chu Fei Yang seemed to be very displeased by her actions. A resentful look flashed in his shining eyes. He stepped forward as she stepped back, smiling darkly and said “What is Yun xiaojie afraid of? Afraid that benxiang is dangerous? Or afraid that she herself is eager?”
Hearing this Yun Qian Meng wrinkled her brows, the uneasiness she felt earlier had subsided. She returned to her usual cold self. She saw that Chu Fei Yang’s eyes were now teasing and contained no malice, and knew that he only wanted to frighten her a little, she smiled lightly and said “Chu xiang is a minister, the left arm of the emperor, at the same time receiving a lot of admiration from various honorable xiaojie. How can I expect to be singled out by you for any evil intentions? Besides, Chu wangye, is famed for his military prowess and is admired by many people. Chennu naturally believes in Chu xiang’s outstanding moral conduct!”
Yun Qian Meng had said the words “Oustanding moral conduct” through gritted teeth but Chu Fei Yan pretended not the hear the sarcasm in her voice. He smiled in a carefree way, like the night-blooming Tan flower it was dazzling to the eyes!
昙花 Tan Flower, “Queen of the Night”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyllum_oxypetalum
Then Chu Fei Yang stepped away from Yun Qian Meng, supressing the smile on his face. His expression turned grave as he said in a low voice “The next fews days will be even hotter, properly remain in the xiangfu to avoid the summer heat. The one to suffer will still be you!”
After he said this, he didn’t wait for Yun Qian Meng to reply. Chu Fei Yang had already disappeared from the room as if he had never been there!
Yun Qian Meng pondered deeply over his last words. His ordinary words of concern seemed to laced with strange meaning.
Lying down on the bed, her mind still couldn’t stop thinking about the recent events that happened in the past few days. From these things she tried to find some clues…
Translated by: korezmi