Over 2,580 words.
This chapter was translated by Sian for only and edited by Din2.
By Ye Shuang
Chapter 9
The dragon and phoenix candles were facing each other at a distant away, the first time when she got married, her father was not present and she was bullied and humiliated. If it were not for Chai Zhe Xia, she was afraid that she would ruined by Wu’s landlord, that old dried meat long ago. Now, doing the ritual wedding ceremony again, her dad was sitting upright in front of the main hall, but her husband was not actually here in this world. Looking at her dad’s tearful eyes, Cui Miao He could only raised a trace of smile faintly. She adorned herself beautifully that made people so touched, and with a smile that could ruined and overturned the state.
Her tears were steadily concealed deep in her heart, she could only smile from the moment that Chai Mu Xiu took the memorial tablet and continued smiling.
She wanted to let him see her smile, so that she could let him be contended in his heart, under the nine springs (hades).
These days, she had not set her foot in the Cui’s family, when her father came to the Chai’s family, he found out at that time that she wanted to have a ritual wedding ceremony with Chai Zhe Xia’s memorial tablet. He actually did not say anything, only calmly nodded his head, and even used and gave all of the dowry that her mother had set aside for her.
Surprisingly, the amount of that dowry was big, having these silver taels, the Cui’s family did not have to worry about any money at all.
She would like to return the silver taels back to her father, but father said that silver taels were set aside for her by her mother, so she could be at ease receiving them.
Looking at her dad’s face that seemed to age a lot in an instant, although she had a lot of resentments in her heart, but Cui Miao He let the resentments go at this point.
The Buddhist term said that one had to return evil for good, be merciful and accumulate merit, even if one had to die in tragic circumstances, one’s ability would be able to ascend to heaven shortly.
She wanted to accumulate good fortunes for Chai Zhe Xia, so she could only take part of her mother's dowry as a keepsake memory for her, and the rest of the dowry was given as a present to Liang Yu Xia and Cui Yun Xiu.
An impoverished family would not be able to find a good husband’s family (I supposed that she’s thinking for her 1/2 sis), she disregarded her former hatred and did not want Liang Yu Xia to be embarrassed even more.
Since then, she exercised restraint to blame anything to Cui Miao He, and sincerely treated her as her daughter. But it was a pity that Cui Yun Xiu’s jealousy towards her was very deep, even though she arranged a good marriage in secret, the two people still did not have any sibling relationships just like before.
“First, kneel to heaven and earth!” Holding Chai Zhe Xia’s memorial tablet on her hands, Cui Miao He followed the the ceremony official’s voice and slowly knelt and bowed down.
“Second, pay respect to the parents!” Cui Miao He and the memorial tablet knelt and bow down again.
“Pay respect towards the married couple!”
Cui Miao He was staring fixedly at that cold memorial tablet, her tears that she endured silently for a long time, finally could not be held anymore and they fell down.
She wanted to pay respect, but she was shriveling all over and unable to move.
That willful and reckless appearance suddenly appeared in her mind, if she would have known about the conclusion of today, she would let him have his willful way on that day.
Her broken heart had not yet gone, suddenly, there was a sound of horses' hoofs that were galloping quickly from a distant place, and it was mixed together with a sharp voice from the Imperial secretary who was shouting. “The Imperial edict has arrived!”
Hearing the voice, Miao He’s refined and long eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, she only wanted to complete the marriage with Chai Zhe Xia who was already passed away, why did the Emperor happened to come in excitement?
Her heart did not understand it at all, but Cui Miao He still looked at Chai Zhe Xia’s memorial tablet to kneel and bow down.
After the sounds of long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, raised up, everyone lied low on their heads, then the man who announced the Imperial edict came…..
“Receive the mandate from the Emperor, the Emperor summons and speaks, there is a woman from the Cui’s Shi (clan name or maiden name), who is loyal, righteous and can be a role model, her loyalty is beautiful…..” A familiar voice suddenly entered into Cui Miao He’s ears, and it made her shivering from all over, a train of thought in her heart was in chaos.
How could it be possible?!
It would be impossible for her to be mistaken to recognize that voice that was deeply domineering.
Thus, she did not care about anything and suddenly raised her head up, to see that he was perfectly standing in front of everyone and announcing the Imperial decree.
“Bestowing her as the first rank Madam, bestowing her a thousand gold taels, bestowing her a residence, bestowing her several hundred servants…..”
But what was the importance with those rewards? Cui Miao he was stupefied and she was looking at him who was standing straightforwardly in front of her, an indescribable anger emerged in her heart.
How could he use this kind of way to deceive her?!
This kind of action was extremely disrespectful towards the Emperor, she suddenly got up, and hurriedly walked right in front of him. Chai Zhe Xia who was just reborn from death, just about to raise a smile. But she suddenly lifted her hand, then heavily slapped his cheek that was showing a glorious and handsome smile.
Not only Chai Zhe Xia who was staring blankly because of this slap, but also all of the people who were kneeling because of the Imperial decree, were staring blankly.
Everyone could only foolishly looked at Cui Miao He who took of her red and amorous wedding dress angrily, then she stormed off in a huff.
Looking at that figure that moved out of his sight rapidly, Chai Zhe Xia whose cheek felt heated up and hurt, could not recover after a good while.
“Hey, you are still not chasing her quickly!” Chai Zhe Xia still did not understand the situation clearly, but immediately after he heard Ju Su Sheng’s reminder, he understood where Cui Miao He’s anger came from, so he promptly called out.
“I am chasing after her…..” Once he replied these five words, Chai Zhe Xia recovered, and hurriedly abandoned the bewildered people in the room, then he chased after her.
He….. was still alive? How was it possible? If not for her hand that was still hurting, Cui Miao He simply did not dare to believe what she had just seen.
The person whom she thought was dead all along, actually came back to life, so looking at this memorial tablet that was on her hand, was even more ridiculous.
She was not clear whether she was angry or at ease in her heart, because she was definitely not clear about this, so she wanted to escape.
Being in a closed room by herself, even though she was in a rage inside, his smiling expression that he had on his face just now, was still floating before her eyes from time to time, and disturbing her mind.
He was so repulsive, how could he play with people’s feeling like this?
Cui Miao He was still very angry, but at this moment, she heard some heavy footsteps from outside the door and then a sound of a knock on the door.
Still not knowing what kind of attitude should she use to meet him, Cui Miao He was simply hiding inside the room and she would pretend as a tortoise, no matter how he yelled out, how he knocked on the door, she would just not open the door for him.
She thought that she could have this tranquility for this short period of time like this, and let her to think carefully how she could face this person who just came back from death. But who would have thought that the person outside the door was extremely lacking in patience, the door was only knocked three times, then it stopped.
She was just about to step forward to check it out, who would have thought that her leg had not moved yet, but her ears could hear a sudden burst and loud noise, the sound scared her and it felt that her heart was hanging on her throat.
Then, Cui Miao He who was scared witless, could only stare blankly at Chai Zhe Xia who came through a smoke and dust (from the broken door).
One step, two steps, three steps….. she was looking at him who used the quickest speed to come to her side, then, took her closely and embraced her into his bosom. Passing his warm body through his clothing to warm her body, she felt like she just woke up from a dream, recalled everything and felt that she should struggle away from his embrace.
After he broke her heart so much, how could he not give her an explanation and think just to embrace her, or he just wanted to talk out of it.
Even though she had many thankfulness in her heart that he was alive, but her anger in her heart had not been dissipated yet.
Just like that, the two people were confronting each other, the first time in all of his life, the extraordinarily strong General was unexpectedly without any strength or method to deal with a woman.
Because of her plumb abdomen, he was afraid to hurt her and the child if he wanted to use any force, so he could only carefully temper his pestering.
“Miao He…..” He softly mumbled the name that he had been calling out countless of times in his dream during the night.
Even though that soft calling was filled with love and regret, Miao He slightly stopped the struggle, but she still did not want to submit willingly and easily.
“I am sorry…..”
Finally, that simple three words made her to stop her struggle completely, this kind of him who was a pride man, unexpectedly did not have any apprehension to admit his mistake to her, how could she not be moved?
Finally seeing that she was willing to properly hear his words, so he cleverly and promptly said it. “Faking my death was the exchange condition that I and the Emperor had agreed to, I used this method to make the opposition’s hundred thousands army to lower their guards. Then, I could do another secret arrangement again, and moved to defeat them, and he also promised me that after I returned victorious, he would be bestowing an Imperial decree to give you a title of a first rank Madam.”
She simply did not dare to believe what she heard, this was because he wanted to give her a first rank Madam, that false reputation. He would unexpectedly use the method to feign his death, make her broken hearted, and also make his parents broken hearted like this.
Her bright eyes were burning with rage when she was glaring at him, Cui Miao He could not help to regret that her own slap back then was extremely light.
“I understand that you want to give me this Madam’s title, but I do not wish for the common people to have more unfavorable rumors towards you. This is the only thing that I can do for you.” Once the words were spoken out, Cui Miao He was staring blankly at him, a thread of loving suddenly bursted out.
As it turned out….. everything was still because of her in the end! The overflowing anger immediately disappeared, she was looking at him foolishly.
Even though this man put his body in a risky condition, but it was still for her wholeheartedly, how could she still be able to criticize him?
This fool!
“I forgive you this time, but do not ever repeat this.” Raising her head to stare at him, she had tears in her smile, but she did not forget to use a warning voice.
This kind of piercing pain that split one’s lung, once was enough, she did not want to experience this kind of darkness in her lifetime again.
“You…..” Because of the easy forgiveness that she gave him, Chai Zhe Xia could not help to love her dearly, this woman was always like this. She would make threatening gestures, but she actually had softer heart than anybody.
Obviously saying that she did not agree to marry him, but she was happily guarding his ice cold memorial tablet alone for a lifetime.
Obviously being annoyed by him in her heart, but he only said ‘I am sorry’ sentence, and her heart was already soft again, and she forgave him.
Just looking at her soft heart, how could he dare die earlier than her, he did not want to be under the nine springs (hades), and still had to watch her being bullied by the other people.
In order to be able to legitimately protect her, Chai Zhe Xia suddenly pulled her hand, and said. “Let us go!”
“Where are we going?” Cui Miao He was puzzled, she still had not recovered from her happiness knowing that he came back to life.
“Ritual wedding ceremony ah!”
This time, even if the sky collapsed, he would completely finished the proper wedding ceremony with her, then he could legitimately put her under his wings.
“Did we not just finish the wedding ceremony just now?”
“You just had the wedding ceremony with the memorial tablet, it did not count. You have to have the wedding ceremony with me this time.”
It was impossible to make him do this perfunctory thing like this in the past!
Since he found out at the beginning about her plan to have a marriage with his memorial tablet, he actually ran several horses to die so that he still had time to return from the frontier. If he did not even do any wedding ceremony in the main hall, that would be a big waste, right? Following his hurried paces, Cui Miao He could not help to raise her lips to smile because of his willfulness and childishness.
This man ah, where was the cruel side that was known by the people, she should ask him properly about this in the evening, in regard to the terrifying news about the tyrannical death of the concubine and how did the rumor about him being gay come about.
Her husband was really good, he treated her like a treasure, it was because of that, how could she be willing to bear the false rumors (about him), and let the other people continue to have these type of beliefs. So this time, she would exchange her method of thinking to redress this injustice for him.
THE END!
Sian's notes:
Ah… another finished novel. I won’t consider this novel as one of my favorites but I do like Chai Zhe Xia's character. Cui Miao He's character is definitely not my favorite character. Even though she has a rather smart character but she also has a self deprecating character which I don’t like at all. Anyhow, it’s a happy ending and short novel so I can’t really complaint about it too much. Next Monday, we will start a new novel with an awesome female character that is probably even smarter and cooler than Zhuo Qing. 😃😃