RVW – Chapter 27

The Empress Dowager gloomily looked at the eunuch who had buried his face, her strained face making it difficult to guess her thoughts. Was it anger of shame, anger of shame, or anger of shame¹恼羞成怒 fury due to humiliation. Yeah you read that 3 times, it was like that in the raws (是恼羞成怒呢，还是恼羞成怒呢，还是恼羞成怒呢)….

But Emperor Chongde was, after all, a filial son and couldn’t bear the Empress Dowager to be too embarrassed. He softly coughed and asked solemnly, “What happened? How is Su Wang Mansion now?”

The eunuch respectfully replied, “Your Majesty, this is the news sent by Housekeeper Qin from Su Wang’s Mansion, this slave is not yet clear on the matter.”

Emperor Chongde asked a few more questions, but the eunuch didn’t know the details, so he waved his hand and let him go.

Chonghua palace descended into silence again.

Emperor Chongde looked at the Empress Dowager with a dull smile, saying, “Mu hou²母后 is an address used by imperial children to the empress (legitimate mother, who may not be their birth mother)., let’s give up the matter of choosing a Ce fei for Ba Ning for the time being.” Emperor Chongde knew the Empress Dowager’s feelings, so he had no intention of letting her give up at once. Although as a good elder brother, he actually hopes that his younger brother can have more than one person to embrace³The word used here is 左拥右抱 (literally there is one to embrace on the left, there is another one to hug on the right), enjoying everything that a man has. But more importantly, he hopes he can live in happiness.

The Empress Dowager expression tensed, squeezing the fan in her hand, saying displeasedly, “Is this considered a problem? It was just an accident! What does it have to do with my son?!!” Empress Dowager’s thoughts were similar to Housekeeper Qin, scolding that dead palace maid whose time of death really being at fault, isn’t it adding on people’s anxiety? (Empress Dowager, life and death are destiny! Taking your anger on a dead person is wrong!)

Emperor Chongde sighed in his heart, the Empress Dowager’s stubborn order really frustrates him. This repetition back and forth isn’t just between her and Chu Baning, Emperor Chongde really thinks it is unnecessary. However, after Emperor Chongde tried to persuade her multiple times, he saw that the Empress Dowager had no intention of changing her mind, there was no need to talk more. Thus he left Chonghua Palace on the grounds that there were still memorials to approve.

After Emperor Chongde left, Empress Dowager felt more and more frustrated as she thought about it. Amidst the deadly silence⁴ 噤若寒蝉 keeping silent due to fear of the palace maids and Momos, she angrily swept the pictures of the beauties on the table to the ground, stroking her chest to catch her breath, feeling both angry and disappointed.

The Empress Dowager really don’t understand, what sin has Chu Baning committed to warrant such an inauspicious fate, it was as if he was really slapping her face.

Perhaps she should be grateful that her eldest son has now become the emperor, no one would dare to shame her⁵ 给她没脸 (not giving her face). Otherwise, if the late emperor is still here… The empress dowager shuddered and quickly threw away this idea, asking Momo to bring Buddha beads and start reciting Buddhist scriptures, seeking peace of mind.

The Empress Dowager originally intended to summon Ah Nan to the palace to inquire clearly, but she remembered about the gossip circulating outside about Su Wang’s “Ke Wife.” If she were to summon her, it would seem as if it was his own doing⁶As in it was really caused by Chu Baning’s fate of “killing wife losing son”. The empress dowager’s summoning Ah Nan would mean that the empress dowager is anxious about her son’s fate. If she didn’t summon her that means she knows what caused the maid to die and doesn’t think it’s a big deal., wouldn’t it make those gossipy people have even more things to talk about? Thus she quickly put that thought aside and decided to wait for Su Wang fei to enter the palace on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to pay respect before asking again.

Coincidentally, Shu fei’s birthday would be in a few days. As a younger sister, Ah Nan will definitely go to the palace to give Shu fei a birthday gift, and will also come over to greet her. In this way, the Empress Dowager restrained the urge to forcefully summon someone.

On the other hand, after Emperor Chongde left the Chonghua Palace, he summoned the head eunuch Liu Gong gong⁷A form of address for eunuchs and ordered, “Go figure out what’s going on, come back and report to me!”

Liu Gong gong made a noise of affirmation and left.

When Emperor Chongde was sitting in the main hall of Zichen Palace, looking at the account book, Liu Gong gong finally returned.

“Your Majesty, this is the case…” Liu Gong gong repeated what he knew.

After listening, Emperor Chongde smiled dimly and said, “Is there such a coincidence?” He lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then asked again, “Is Su Wang fei alright now?”

Liu Gong gong bowed back and said, “Su Wang fei looks really fine. Housekeeper Qin said she can⁸Can here means she has an appetite and no trouble sleeping, not meaning as capability. eat and sleep, in good spirits, and is very healthy!”

Emperor Chongde smilingly pursed his lips, “It seems that Su Wang fei is indeed blessed! Liu Gong gong, you say, what if Zhen⁹朕 (zhen) is how emperors address themselves, like how Su Wang refers to himself as Ben wang. have someone go to the gambling house and bet to make a profit?”

Liu Gong gong also smiled and said, “Your Majesty, if Su Wang knows he will be angry.”

Emperor Chongde, being reminded, recalled his brother’s solemn face and immediately dispelled that thought.

“Just that, who knows how long this blessing can last.” Emperor Chongde knocked on the table, sighing, and said, “Tell them to continue to protect Su Wang fei. If something happens to Su Wang fei…… tell them there is also no need for them to live.”

“Yes!”

*****

The accidental death of an insignificant palace maid did not change anything in a mansion, whether it was the masters or the servant, they are doing their own thing.

On the day when the autumn wind suddenly blows, the sunlight is dim and the sky is grey.

Ru Cui, who was wiping the table with rag, looked at the sky outside the window, muttering, “It’s really unlucky. Why choose to die at such a time? Isn’t this jeering¹⁰The RAW was 这不是膈应咱们嘛. 膈应 here can mean a lot of things, from unpleasantness, disgust, annoy, nauseating (not actually making one vomit), making people uncomfortable, etc. But the point is that it’s a word with negative meaning. I don’t really know what word to use, but basically Ru Cui is saying that Shi Qing’s death makes others mock them (because of the Ke Wife fate). at us….”

Ah Nan only gave her a glance, lying comfortably on the gui fei seat¹¹ 贵妃椅 is like this  , flipping over to continue reading.

Ru Cui wiped it for a while, she put away the rag after a period of dullness, then walked slowly to Ah Nan and said, “Na¹²呐 (na) is just a sound, no meaning (like Ah when someone talks or Wei when you greet someone on phone), usually used when you want someone to pay attention to you. , Xiao jie¹³小姐 (miss), the gambling outside has changed again. Should we go bet again?”

“What has it changed into?” Ah Nan has no strength left to think about what gamble those idle annoying¹⁴She used 蛋疼 again here, it literally translates to egg pain, but can actually mean ridiculous, troublesome, or even boring. people had made. Every time she heard it, it always made her feel pain even if she had no eggs¹⁵See previous T/N to understand what is egg pain. Ah Nan here also says she feels pain even if she has no eggs because 蛋 can also be translated into balls… as in testicles. Honestly I am at lost on how to translate this. But basically Ah Nan feels annoyed/disgusted even if she had no balls.

Ru Cui chuckled and said, “Of course on when the remaining two women will die~ Xiao Jie, should we bet they die or should we bet they live well?” Ru Cui chattered for a while and then proposed enthusiastically, “Xiao jie, let’s also bet they die! Little mistresses¹⁶小三小四 are so shameful, they should be struck by thunder!”

At this moment, Ru Lan happened to come in and heard Ru Cui’s words, scolding, “What nonsense did you say, little hoof¹⁷小蹄子 is a kinda rude word to refer to a woman (wench, hussy), so I translated it literally.?! Be careful or else the housekeeper and Momo will bind your mouth, see if you still dare to talk nonsense.”

Ru Cui quickly straightened up with a serious expression. Ru Cui is not afraid of Ah Nan, but rather afraid of Ru Lan. She feels that Ru Lan is too serious, even though her eyes are pretty, her glare always makes people feel terrified.

Ru Lan came in carrying a tray with a medicine bowl on it.

“Rulan Jiejie, what is this?” Rucui asked curiously.

Ah Nan also put down her book, equally curious.

Rulan looked at the curious appearance of the master and servant, pursed her mouth and said, “Medicinal diet made by Chef Liu from the kitchen for Wang fei.”

Ah Nan looked surprised: “Medicinal diet? Really for me? No disease or pain, what medicinal diet do I need to take?” One of the things Ah Nan is most proud of is her healthy countenance from childhood to adulthood. Except for her weakness upon birth, she has never gotten sick after seven years old, not even a small cold. Unlike those pampered boudoir ladies, who frequently get dizzy or neuralgic! In fact, it can be said that these girls had too rough of a mental state. Even if they are ancient boudoir ladies whose personal freedom is restricted, if they still eat and sleep well, then they would be extremely healthy.

Ru Lan’s eye corner twitched, trying hard to suppress the feeling of powerlessness. She felt heartfelt sympathy for their family’s Wang ye: how pitiful it is to put his heart on such a tough¹⁸粗神经 (cu shen jing), having a tough (or even vulgar or crude) mentality and stupid person ah!

“This slave¹⁹She refers to herself here as 奴婢 (nu bi) heard from Housekeeper Qin that Chef Liu was the imperial cook that the emperor gave to His Highness Su Wang, and was once very popular with the Niang niang²⁰娘娘 here refers to ladies (who have relation with the emperor) in the palace, including concubines and empress. in the palace. It is said that she can make all kinds of medicinal diet for health preservation with praiseworthy taste. Wang fei, you have worked hard these days, so you should take more supplements. There is no harm to it anyway, isn’t it?” Ru Lan articulately added.

Ah Nan blinked her eyes, when did she work hard? It’s her family’s husband, Wang ye, who had worked hard.

“Wang fei, eat while it’s hot!” Ru Lan nimbly served a small bowl to Ah Nan.

Chef Liu deserves to be a royal chef. The medicinal tonic made by him does not have the slightest medicinal taste, really delicious. In Ah Nan’s previous life, she had tasted all kinds of modern dishes and seasonings, and had found it difficult to accept these relatively monotonous foods from ancient times. Although they were naturally pollution-free, there were only a few seasonings, she really didn’t find a lot of dishes delicious.

When Ah Nan finished eating half a bowl, she finally reacted, asking, “Is this about Wang ye’s matter?”

Ru Lan nodded, feeling greatly relieved and sighed: It’s really not easy ah! The tough mentality person finally reacted.

Ah Nan lowered her head to drink the broth, her face was full of black lines. Internally shouted and roared: Isn’t it obvious that they feared she would die in various ways so they quickly gave her medicine and tonic? It really gives off the spirit of 囧囧 ah!

After eating tonic, Ah Nan felt her stomach somewhat full, it seems like she doesn’t have to eat at noon.

Ah Nan was full, afraid that immediately sitting down to rest would cause a stomach roll, she took the maids to stroll in the garden to aid digestion.

Ah Nan circled around a tall hazel tree in the garden, looking at the hazelnuts on the tree, thinking of waiting until they ripen and then ask the servants to pick them for a taste. Hazelnut, also known as mountain chinese chestnut, pointed chestnut, chuizi, etc., comes from the hazel tree, they are good stuff. The nuts are plump, white, round, fragrant, and contain a lot of oil. They taste particularly delicious and have a lingering aftertaste. Therefore, they have become one of the most popular nuts, known as the “King of Nuts”, and together with almonds, walnuts, and cashews, they are called the “Four Big Nuts”. Ah Nan eat many delicious foods during the annual ripening season of hazelnuts.

When Ah Nan was yy-ing about hazelnuts, An Momo walked over and stood one meter away from her, respectfully paying respect. Ah Nan quickly told her to stand, looking strangely at An Momo. An Momo is the Momo serving Chu Baning, and also acted as his milk wet nurse²¹As is Chu Baning was once nursed from her (drank her breast milk) who has taken care and watched him grow up. Before Ah Nan married in, An Momo was the one responsible for Chu Banning’s clothing and food. Even after Ah Nan married over now, An Momo still enjoys a high level of authority, even Ah Nan must give her some respect.

“An Momo, what happened?” Ah Nan asked kindly. She wanted to give some face to those elderly around Su Wang.

An Momo nodded and said, “Wang fei, the two girls in the winter storage room want to meet you, asking to please decide what to do with them. However, they were stopped by this slave.”

Upon hearing the three words ‘winter storage room’, Ah Nan was a bit nervous because the deceased Shi Qing lived in the winter storage room. It goes without saying that the two girls who wanted to find her were the remaining two palace maids.

“What do they want Ben gong²²本宫 is how empresses and imperial consorts refer to themselves when speaking with those below or equal rank. to decide?” Ah Nan asked with a frown, then noticed the fleeting anger on An Momo’s face, which surprised her immensely. An Momo, like Su Wang, always kept a straight face all day long and looks very calm, as if there is nothing she cannot solve. Like masters like slave. So, whatever rarity could make An Momo angry must be very unpleasant²³She used 膈应 (disgusting, unpleasant, nauseating, etc.) again here. person.

An Momo’s face was expressionless, her voice also extremely serious: “The two ladies want you to let them serve you. They say that being a slave or a maid is fine, they don’t want to stay as masters²⁴If you are confused, those girls were indeed palace maids, but they were given by empress dowagers to serve Su Wang, in other words, similar to concubines (not official though, they are just bed warmers) and thus are still counted as ‘master’s. in the courtyard anymore.”

Ah Nan’s expression sank upon hearing. The two of them obviously think they would die a “Ke”, preferring to be maids rather than assuming the status as Su Wang’s women. In this era of strict hierarchy, many servants try their best to climb up the ladder, hoping for a dignified identity rather than a servant who can be killed at will. The fact that those two palace maids were sent here also showed that they also have a desire to climb up. However, they panicked and were restless because of a palace maid’s death. It was really anger-inducing.

Ah Nan felt extreme hatred, angrily said, “Momo, go tell them, they were bestowed by Mu hou, not some kind of servile life. Stay obediently over there!” Ah Nan was extremely resentful, feeling deeply hurt for Chu Baning. If he knows those two people made such a disturbance, who knows how hard it would be for him to swallow.

“Also, Momo, you can send a few Momo to keep watch the winter storage room. Don’t let them out if they don’t have anything to do! Also, let the guarding Momos understand the rules, do not let them randomly gossip unnecessary stuff. Anyone who dares to talk nonsense and gossip, ben gong wants them directly beaten to death.” 

An Momo made noise of affirmation and paid her respect to Ah Nan before leaving.

Ah Nan was really angry, no longer in the mood to stroll around the garden. She led Ru Lan and Ru Cui directly back to the room, spreading herself on the gui fei seat.

Ah Nan sat up the gui fei seat and asked Ru Cui to bring her book. This is a notebook written by Ah Nan when she had yet to master the language of this era. Inside was a record of some things Ah Nan considers important, specifically using modern time’s simplified Chinese, such as her family’s names from previous life, interesting novels or movies, the streets she liked to walk through in previous lives… as well as the names of various relatives in this life and their birthdays, events that happened along the way as she grew up… Just using a few words, but she almost wrote down the whole book.

Ah Nan kept turning the pages, until she arrived on the page of her relatives and sisters in this life, then her sight stayed on this life’s Da jie’s birthday. Murmuring: “As it turns out, the day after tomorrow is Da jiejie’s birthday… En, it’s time to prepare a birthday gift for her.”

Ah Nan asked Ru Lan to take note of this matter, thinking of going to the palace to send a birthday gift to Shu fei. Inevitably, she had to go pay respect to mother-in-law, the empress dowager. Then she would be obviously criticized indirectly by the esteemed mother-in-law for her birth and appearance, and Ah Nan would have to suppress her manner of speaking—birth and appearance were not something she could choose! If she doesn’t like her background that much, just why would she choose her to marry over? Isn’t this just foolishly doing something?

Ah Nan despised the Empress Dowager’s unkindness who quickly abandoned her. After all, without the Empress Dowager intervening unreasonably, she certainly would not be able to marry such a satisfactory Wang ye Fu jun²⁵夫君 (fujun) is how a woman addresses their husbands.. But, for the sake of Chu Baning’s face, Ah Nan decided to become a filial daughter-in-law instead of squeezing her mother-in-law’s heart by contradicting her.

Ah Nan flipped through the book page by page, looking at the written records, as if seeing that ordinary obedient girl²⁶The word used here is 循规蹈矩, an idiom meaning following the standard operation. Ah Nan here refers to her previous life’s self as someone who followed the rules of the world at that time. from the previous life, and the clever and calm Shu daughter of the Imperial Chancellor’s Mansion in this life….

After reading for a while, Ah Nan asked Rucui to grind the ink, picked up a Langhao bi²⁷狼豪笔 (Lang hao bi; literally wolf hair brush) is a brush made of weasel’s tail fur., and solemnly wrote three characters, “Chu Ba Ning,” on a blank page of paper.

The high-quality sandalwood ink was smeared on the paper, emitting the ancient ink fragrance.

The ink slowly dried up, and the name clearly imprinted on the yellowed paper, similar to how it had been imprinted on her heart.