Chapter 25
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The next day, I took part in various ceremonial activities of the royal family. In front of Emperor and the forefathers, those members of the royal family showed filial obedience with great respect. However, I was afraid nobody knew how big a secret they had in mind.
I didn’t have a chance to talk to Xiao Yi until evening.
“My Prince, did I make you unhappy? Although I’m not smart, I can still feel it.”
Xiao Yi sighed and said after a long time, “It’s nothing. I just feel you are a little too impulsive.”
“Impulsive? Please tell me what should I do in that case.” I was very concerned.
“Well, you’re just my concubine, and there is no need to help me out. You should know that the most important thing in life is to act on the golden mean. If you act too recklessly, you will cause trouble. Do you understand, Pei?” Xiao Yi finally spoke his mind.
“What are you afraid of?” I was very unhappy and turned my face. Why couldn’t we attempt to defend ourselves if they could willingly fan up the flames of trouble?
“Different hearts in different breasts. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in the minds of other people, so we’d better keep a low profile. If you are eager to show off your wit and show your ability to its fullest extent, you will be envied by others. A person in a high position is liable to be attacked, do you understand?”
“When can we not be so tolerant? Do you know about the scandals of the Princess Yongxing and the prince of Linchuan?
“Don’t mention it. Emperor already knows.” Xiao Yi closed his eyes.
“What?” I was shocked for a moment. “Didn’t Emperor mind that such a shameful thing had happened to the royal family? What’s more, they are going to rebel, did you know?” I almost fainted.
“How do you know that?” Xiao Yi was gloomy.
“If there is a mere crack in the wall, the wind will blow in. I know the emperor is very charitable, but how can he tolerate that?”
“Alas, Emperor just said to the Prince of Linchuan, ‘I can’t govern the country with all my ability, let alone you’?”
“Oh my god, this endless indulgence will only encourage them to act more arbitrarily, and the country will be in chaos one day. Doesn’t Emperor know?”
Xiao Yi laughed helplessly and said, “What can we do with our ability?”
“Those people are not even afraid; what are you afraid of?”
“What am I afraid of? So far, my mother is only a virtuous concubine, at the bottom of all the precious junior concubines. And I was laughed at everywhere because I had only one eye. What can I do?” Xiao Yi seemed a little frustrated.
I did not speak, and suddenly there was an inexplicable fear in my heart. It seemed that the storm would come at any time, and I could not help shivering.
“You need to take a rest. I’m going to the study.”
“It’s so late, aren’t you going to rest yet?” I was a little frustrated.
“You must have heard that the Prince is compiling a book. I also intend to compile a book in the future. I’ve got the name of the book in mind, it’s called ‘Golden House.’ I need to sort out some manuscripts now. Concubine, you have to rest.” Suddenly he became serious and went out of my room. When he opened the door, the cold wind outside blew on my face instantly.
“Golden House?” I said to myself. Although he said he didn’t care about fame and wealth, he was going to force himself to write a book because the Prince did that. He compared himself to the Prince in every respect. What he said about indifference to fame and wealth was just deceiving himself. I had a slight feeling that something was wrong. Oh, I got it! It was the first time I heard him call me Concubine, not Pei. It sounded strange.
In a twinkling of an eye, the big day had come. I presented the elaborate gifts of a scroll consisting of a hundred forms of the character for “shòu” and a pillow consisting of a hundred forms of the character for “fú.” As I expected, my mother-in-law, The Virtuous Concubine Ruan, was not pleased to look at treasures of gold and jade and nodded satisfactorily at the changeable characters of “shòu” and “fú.”
My heart was filled with joy beyond words.
Seeing The Precious Junior Concubine Ding coming slowly with maids, The Virtuous Concubine Ruan rushed forward to welcome her.
The Precious Junior Concubine Ding smiled kindly and said, “Sister, I’m here to congratulate you.”
“Thank you for your kindness. Time has taken away my youth, what else can I be blessed with? I’m sorry to bother you to come here personally to congratulate me.”
“Why do you say that? Everything is going to be all right, and that’s enough.”
“Alas, how could I have all this without your help?” At the beginning, my mother-in-law was only a little girl. If it weren’t for the recommendation of The Precious Junior Concubine Ding, she would not have been favored by the emperor, and there would be no existence of my husband Xiao Yi. For this reason, the most important person for her for many years was The Precious Junior Concubine Ding. Nowadays, she finally became The Precious Junior Concubine Ruan, so it was inevitable that she was so excited that she couldn’t help crying again.
“Hey, don’t cry. Today is a happy day.” The Precious Junior Concubine Ding, with a smile on her face, took out her handkerchief and wiped The Virtuous Concubine Ruan’s tears personally. “That’s all right, you need to accept the congratulations of other concubines after a while; it’s not good to let others see you crying.”
The Virtuous Concubine Ruan finally burst into laughter, and I took a breath secretly.
“Lanzhi, take out my present.” I saw a beautiful girl coming out next to me. Yuan Lanzhi had become The Precious Junior Concubine Ding’s favorite maid. With a beautiful smile, she respectfully held a tray covered with a red brocade.
“What’s this?”
Yuan Lanzhi had a quiet fragrance on her body. She stretched out her finger and gently lifted the red brocade. There was a sigh of amazement from the people around. It turned out to be a sparkling and crystal-clear Goddess of Mercy! The kind smile of the Goddess of Mercy was like a timeless, sacred, and solemn shine, which made people hold their breath in deep concentration.
The Virtuous Concubine Ruan cried with joy, “Oh my god, it’s so beautiful!”
“Sister, this is a fine piece of jade from the Han Dynasty, treasured in the palace. I specially invited craftsmen to spend forty-nine days carving, polishing and elaborately making it. What’s more, I invited the master of Changgan Temple to chant. By the way, you have to take a bath and fast for three days before you can bow to the Buddhas.”
Note 1: It originated from Qiu Jun, a famous scholar of the Ming Dynasty. This poem was called ‘pitch-pot game,’ and the original poem is “The light of the gemstone reflects the tall buildings, and the flying arrows plunge straight into the pot. It can be seen from the action of people throwing arrows that they have great strength, and it can be seen from their words that they are very courteous, taking a drink as punishment for losing. Look at the distance beside the paling. Old men in the mountains don’t care about the drunken people, they could only count the empty cups on the table slowly.”
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The next day, I took part in various ceremonial activities of the royal family. In front of Emperor and the forefathers, those members of the royal family showed filial obedience with great respect. However, I was afraid nobody knew how big a secret they had in mind.
I didn’t have a chance to talk to Xiao Yi until evening.
“My Prince, did I make you unhappy? Although I’m not smart, I can still feel it.”
Xiao Yi sighed and said after a long time, “It’s nothing. I just feel you are a little too impulsive.”
“Impulsive? Please tell me what should I do in that case.” I was very concerned.
“Well, you’re just my concubine, and there is no need to help me out. You should know that the most important thing in life is to act on the golden mean. If you act too recklessly, you will cause trouble. Do you understand, Pei?” Xiao Yi finally spoke his mind.
“What are you afraid of?” I was very unhappy and turned my face. Why couldn’t we attempt to defend ourselves if they could willingly fan up the flames of trouble?
“Different hearts in different breasts. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in the minds of other people, so we’d better keep a low profile. If you are eager to show off your wit and show your ability to its fullest extent, you will be envied by others. A person in a high position is liable to be attacked, do you understand?”
“When can we not be so tolerant? Do you know about the scandals of the Princess Yongxing and the prince of Linchuan?
“Don’t mention it. Emperor already knows.” Xiao Yi closed his eyes.
“What?” I was shocked for a moment. “Didn’t Emperor mind that such a shameful thing had happened to the royal family? What’s more, they are going to rebel, did you know?” I almost fainted.
“How do you know that?” Xiao Yi was gloomy.
“If there is a mere crack in the wall, the wind will blow in. I know the emperor is very charitable, but how can he tolerate that?”
“Alas, Emperor just said to the Prince of Linchuan, ‘I can’t govern the country with all my ability, let alone you’?”
“Oh my god, this endless indulgence will only encourage them to act more arbitrarily, and the country will be in chaos one day. Doesn’t Emperor know?”
Xiao Yi laughed helplessly and said, “What can we do with our ability?”
“Those people are not even afraid; what are you afraid of?”
“What am I afraid of? So far, my mother is only a virtuous concubine, at the bottom of all the precious junior concubines. And I was laughed at everywhere because I had only one eye. What can I do?” Xiao Yi seemed a little frustrated.
I did not speak, and suddenly there was an inexplicable fear in my heart. It seemed that the storm would come at any time, and I could not help shivering.
“You need to take a rest. I’m going to the study.”
“It’s so late, aren’t you going to rest yet?” I was a little frustrated.
“You must have heard that the Prince is compiling a book. I also intend to compile a book in the future. I’ve got the name of the book in mind, it’s called ‘Golden House.’ I need to sort out some manuscripts now. Concubine, you have to rest.” Suddenly he became serious and went out of my room. When he opened the door, the cold wind outside blew on my face instantly.
“Golden House?” I said to myself. Although he said he didn’t care about fame and wealth, he was going to force himself to write a book because the Prince did that. He compared himself to the Prince in every respect. What he said about indifference to fame and wealth was just deceiving himself. I had a slight feeling that something was wrong. Oh, I got it! It was the first time I heard him call me Concubine, not Pei. It sounded strange.
In a twinkling of an eye, the big day had come. I presented the elaborate gifts of a scroll consisting of a hundred forms of the character for “shòu” and a pillow consisting of a hundred forms of the character for “fú.” As I expected, my mother-in-law, The Virtuous Concubine Ruan, was not pleased to look at treasures of gold and jade and nodded satisfactorily at the changeable characters of “shòu” and “fú.”
My heart was filled with joy beyond words.
Seeing The Precious Junior Concubine Ding coming slowly with maids, The Virtuous Concubine Ruan rushed forward to welcome her.
The Precious Junior Concubine Ding smiled kindly and said, “Sister, I’m here to congratulate you.”
“Thank you for your kindness. Time has taken away my youth, what else can I be blessed with? I’m sorry to bother you to come here personally to congratulate me.”
“Why do you say that? Everything is going to be all right, and that’s enough.”
“Alas, how could I have all this without your help?” At the beginning, my mother-in-law was only a little girl. If it weren’t for the recommendation of The Precious Junior Concubine Ding, she would not have been favored by the emperor, and there would be no existence of my husband Xiao Yi. For this reason, the most important person for her for many years was The Precious Junior Concubine Ding. Nowadays, she finally became The Precious Junior Concubine Ruan, so it was inevitable that she was so excited that she couldn’t help crying again.
“Hey, don’t cry. Today is a happy day.” The Precious Junior Concubine Ding, with a smile on her face, took out her handkerchief and wiped The Virtuous Concubine Ruan’s tears personally. “That’s all right, you need to accept the congratulations of other concubines after a while; it’s not good to let others see you crying.”
The Virtuous Concubine Ruan finally burst into laughter, and I took a breath secretly.
“Lanzhi, take out my present.” I saw a beautiful girl coming out next to me. Yuan Lanzhi had become The Precious Junior Concubine Ding’s favorite maid. With a beautiful smile, she respectfully held a tray covered with a red brocade.
“What’s this?”
Yuan Lanzhi had a quiet fragrance on her body. She stretched out her finger and gently lifted the red brocade. There was a sigh of amazement from the people around. It turned out to be a sparkling and crystal-clear Goddess of Mercy! The kind smile of the Goddess of Mercy was like a timeless, sacred, and solemn shine, which made people hold their breath in deep concentration.
The Virtuous Concubine Ruan cried with joy, “Oh my god, it’s so beautiful!”
“Sister, this is a fine piece of jade from the Han Dynasty, treasured in the palace. I specially invited craftsmen to spend forty-nine days carving, polishing and elaborately making it. What’s more, I invited the master of Changgan Temple to chant. By the way, you have to take a bath and fast for three days before you can bow to the Buddhas.”
Note 1: It originated from Qiu Jun, a famous scholar of the Ming Dynasty. This poem was called ‘pitch-pot game,’ and the original poem is “The light of the gemstone reflects the tall buildings, and the flying arrows plunge straight into the pot. It can be seen from the action of people throwing arrows that they have great strength, and it can be seen from their words that they are very courteous, taking a drink as punishment for losing. Look at the distance beside the paling. Old men in the mountains don’t care about the drunken people, they could only count the empty cups on the table slowly.”
The next day, I took part in various ceremonial activities of the royal family. In front of Emperor and the forefathers, those members of the royal family showed filial obedience with great respect. However, I was afraid nobody knew how big a secret they had in mind.I didn't have a chance to talk to Xiao Yi until evening.My Prince, did I make you unhappy? Although I'm not smart, I can still feel it.Xiao Yi sighed and said after a long time, It's nothing. I just feel you are a little too impulsive.Impulsive? Please tell me what should I do in that case. I was very concerned.Well, you're just my concubine, and there is no need to help me out. You should know that the most important thing in life is to act on the golden mean. If you act too recklessly, you will cause trouble. Do you understand, Pei? Xiao Yi finally spoke his mind.What are you afraid of? I was very unhappy and turned my face. Why couldn't we attempt to defend ourselves if they could willingly fan up the flames of trouble?Different hearts in different breasts. It's hard to tell what's going on in the minds of other people, so we'd better keep a low profile. If you are eager to show off your wit and show your ability to its fullest extent, you will be envied by others. A person in a high position is liable to be attacked, do you understand?When can we not be so tolerant? Do you know about the scandals of the Princess Yongxing and the prince of Linchuan?Don't mention it. Emperor already knows. Xiao Yi closed his eyes.What? I was shocked for a moment. Didn't Emperor mind that such a shameful thing had happened to the royal family? What's more, they are going to rebel, did you know? I almost fainted.How do you know that? Xiao Yi was gloomy.If there is a mere crack in the wall, the wind will blow in. I know the emperor is very charitable, but how can he tolerate that?Alas, Emperor just said to the Prince of Linchuan, I can't govern the country with all my ability, let alone you'?Oh my god, this endless indulgence will only encourage them to act more arbitrarily, and the country will be in chaos one day. Doesn't Emperor know?Xiao Yi laughed helplessly and said, What can we do with our ability?Those people are not even afraid; what are you afraid of?What am I afraid of? So far, my mother is only a virtuous concubine, at the bottom of all the precious junior concubines. And I was laughed at everywhere because I had only one eye. What can I do? Xiao Yi seemed a little frustrated.I did not speak, and suddenly there was an inexplicable fear in my heart. It seemed that the storm would come at any time, and I could not help shivering.You need to take a rest. I'm going to the study.It's so late, aren't you going to rest yet? I was a little frustrated.You must have heard that the Prince is compiling a book. I also intend to compile a book in the future. I've got the name of the book in mind, it's called Golden House.' I need to sort out some manuscripts now. Concubine, you have to rest. Suddenly he became serious and went out of my room. When he opened the door, the cold wind outside blew on my face instantly.Golden House? I said to myself. Although he said he didn't care about fame and wealth, he was going to force himself to write a book because the Prince did that. He compared himself to the Prince in every respect. What he said about indifference to fame and wealth was just deceiving himself. I had a slight feeling that something was wrong.Oh, I got it!It was the first time I heard him call me Concubine, not Pei. It sounded strange.In a twinkling of an eye, the big day had come. I presented the elaborate gifts of a scroll consisting of a hundred forms of the character for shu and a pillow consisting of a hundred forms of the character for f. As I expected, my mother-in-law, The Virtuous Concubine Ruan, was not pleased to look at treasures of gold and jade and nodded satisfactorily at the changeable characters of shu and f.My heart was filled with joy beyond words.Seeing The Precious Junior Concubine Ding coming slowly with maids, The Virtuous Concubine Ruan rushed forward to welcome her.The Precious Junior Concubine Ding smiled kindly and said, Sister, I'm here to congratulate you.Thank you for your kindness. Time has taken away my youth, what else can I be blessed with? I'm sorry to bother you to come here personally to congratulate me.Why do you say that? Everything is going to be all right, and that's enough.Alas, how could I have all this without your help? At the beginning, my mother-in-law was only a little girl. If it weren't for the recommendation of The Precious Junior Concubine Ding, she would not have been favored by the emperor, and there would be no existence of my husband Xiao Yi. For this reason, the most important person for her for many years was The Precious Junior Concubine Ding. Nowadays, she finally became The Precious Junior Concubine Ruan, so it was inevitable that she was so excited that she couldn't help crying again.Hey, don't cry. Today is a happy day. The Precious Junior Concubine Ding, with a smile on her face, took out her handkerchief and wiped The Virtuous Concubine Ruan's tears personally. That's all right, you need to accept the congratulations of other concubines after a while; it's not good to let others see you crying.The Virtuous Concubine Ruan finally burst into laughter, and I took a breath secretly.Lanzhi, take out my present. I saw a beautiful girl coming out next to me. Yuan Lanzhi had become The Precious Junior Concubine Ding's favorite maid. With a beautiful smile, she respectfully held a tray covered with a red brocade.What's this?Yuan Lanzhi had a quiet fragrance on her body. She stretched out her finger and gently lifted the red brocade. There was a sigh of amazement from the people around. It turned out to be a sparkling and crystal-clear Goddess of Mercy! The kind smile of the Goddess of Mercy was like a timeless, sacred, and solemn shine, which made people hold their breath in deep concentration.The Virtuous Concubine Ruan cried with joy, Oh my god, it's so beautiful!Sister, this is a fine piece of jade from the Han Dynasty, treasured in the palace. I specially invited craftsmen to spend forty-nine days carving, polishing and elaborately making it. What's more, I invited the master of Changgan Temple to chant. By the way, you have to take a bath and fast for three days before you can bow to the Buddhas.Note 1: It originated from Qiu Jun, a famous scholar of the Ming Dynasty. This poem was called pitch-pot game,' and the original poem is The light of the gemstone reflects the tall buildings, and the flying arrows plunge straight into the pot. It can be seen from the action of people throwing arrows that they have great strength, and it can be seen from their words that they are very courteous, taking a drink as punishment for losing. Look at the distance beside the paling. Old men in the mountains don't care about the drunken people, they could only count the empty cups on the table slowly.
