Author: Vanilla Muse

T/N: This is a longer chapter. Happy reading.

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Chapter 27 – Want to Marry Him

After returning to the courtyard that they rented, neither master nor servant spoke.

An Zi Ran shut himself in the study and did not go out. He was thinking about the conversation with Fu Wu Tian. He was certain that he would not allow An Yu Zhi to marry into the Fu family as a concubine.

In general, the position of a concubine was not high. After marrying, a concubine basically could not leave the house. And they could not attend a lot of events, such as banquets hosted by the imperial family or other influential people. Essentially, they received the title of a wife, but not much benefits.

Although his original motive was to look for a backer for the An family, he was not cold-blooded enough to exchange his sister’s lifetime of happiness for the An family’s prosperity. Since she was now his family, he was more or less responsible for her.

“Knock knock!”

[T/N: Yes, the sound effect was in quotations in the raw.]

The door of the study was being knocked on. Steward Su pushed the door open and entered.
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An Zi Ran looked over. “What happened?”

Steward Su said helplessly, “Young Master, the Young Miss said she has something to say to you. She is just outside in the yard.”

There was no need to ask, they all knew what An Yu Zhi wanted to talk about.

An Zi Ran was silent for a moment. “Let her come in.”

Steward Su sighed and went out to call her in. Not long after, An Yu Zhi’s figure appeared in the entrance to the study. Softly she called out, “Brother.” An Zi Ran let her in.

“You wanted to know the Fu family’s answer?” An Zi Ran took a look at the restless An Yu Zhi. After hearing his words, her small face reddened, just like a red peach. She looked tender and particularly good looking. Indeed, a beautiful child. But he was not happy in his heart.

An Yu Zhi was blushing. It was really hard to tell her the answer. A girl like her running over to inquire about such matters, she must be feeling every embarrassed. If she said anymore he would not be able to answer her anymore.

An Zi Ran looked calm, as if he did not notice her distress, and then said, “Do you really want to marry into the Fu palace?”

“Brother!” An Yu Zhi’s pretty face burned even brighter. It seemed that her elder brother was very straightforward. Her little face was so bashful that if one were to pinch it, water would come out*. But there was a hint of happiness in her eyes.

[*T/N: No, I don’t understand this description either, but she’s essentially really embarrassed.]

“Tell me the answer.” An Zi Ran saw her response and knew what her answer would be, but he still wanted to hear it from her lips.

An Yu Zhi stomped her foot. Her little face was all pinched together. She saw that her brother was indifferent. She felt ashamed for a while, and finally said in a tiny inaudible voice, “Yes… I… I want to marry him…”
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With an expressionless face, An Zi Ran said, “Even if he could only give you the title of a concubine?”

An Yu Zhi stood in a daze.

“I talked to him already, and he said he could only name you his concubine. Even if it’s like this, you’re still willing?” An Zi Ran ignored her sudden pale face. Some things must be put out in the open before it could be solved.

An Yu Zhi’s face was pale and white. She was not a woman without a brain. The gap between a wang fei and a concubine wasn’t just the normal distance (between a main wife and concubine). Once she became a concubine it was almost impossible for her to rise from concubine to wife status*. Not to mention she was still the daughter of a landlord. The difference in position was too large. She had heard many stories like this when listening to the actresses talk.

[*T/N: The word used here is 扶正 which can mean “to set something upright or straight,” “to promote an employee from part-time to full-time (or from deputy to principal)” or in olden times “to raise from concubine to wife status.”

I chose the last meaning since it seems like a literal fit for the story and time period, but I’m actually not sure how the wife and concubine thing works. I thought concubines couldn’t become the main wife, period, unless by imperial decree. This was what I understood from reading Doomed to be Cannon Fodder.

If I choose the first meaning, then I would interpret it as the concubine’s power and status in the family is so low that she wouldn’t be able to set things/matters straight or argue for justice even if she were wronged.]

An Zi Ran said, “If you do not want this, I will not force you. I will make another trip to the Fu palace and reject the marriage.”

Merely the position of a concubine, it would seem that the other side does not want to marry his sister. He was also a man, so he could understand Fu Wu Tian’s thinking. Therefore, he knew that An Yu Zhi would not be happy after she marries into the Fu palace. Although it would impact his future plans, he could still settle for the second best plan*. On the condition that the marriage would be canceled, he could make Fu Wu Tian promise to put the An family under his protection. This was the best way he could think of.

[*T/N: 退而求其次 “to settle for second best/the next best thing”]

However, An Yu Zhi’s reaction stupefied him.

“What are you saying?” An Zi Ran thought he heard wrong.

“I… I’m willing…” An Yu Zhi lowered her head and repeated her response. The section of her neck exposed under her collar had become red. The handkerchief in her hand was twisted to the point of fraying.

An Zi Ran stared at her. “You are certain you want to marry him as his concubine?”

An Yu Zhi was silent for a long time before lifting her head. This time she finally had the courage to look at him directly. Slowly and firmly she nodded. “Brother, I… still want to marry him.”

…..

Steward Su entered, “Young Master, the Young Miss, she…”

He knew that the young master must’ve told the young miss about the answer that they got from the Fu palace. But just now, when the young miss brushed past his shoulder (while leaving the room), he seemed to have seen her face flushed red with a shy expression. She was not sad (like he’d expected). The old man was confused.
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An Zi Ran said lightly, “That’s her own decision.”

Steward Su stood there in a stupor for a long while. Finally he let out a long sigh. For the sake of the An family, this was truly a hardship for the young miss.

[T/N: I think the steward is misunderstanding something…]

Fu Palace

A piece of information about the An family was delivered to Fu Wu Tian in less than half a day. The contents were very detailed. Not only did it detail their every move while they were in Jun Zi City, it included their situation in An Yuan County, and also information about their ancestors from eighteen generations back.

[T/N: The last part is just an exaggerated figure of speech. It basically means they found out a lot about the An family.]

If An Zi Ran were to see this detailed report, he would be shocked. To be able to do this much in such a short amount of time, Fu Wu Tian was definitely not some scrub that just returned to the capital.

“Wang ye, this An Zi Ran has quite a lot of nerve,” said Ge Qian An, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. This was the young man from before (the one that took the bloody body out of the great hall). He has already read through the report. At a glance, he realized An Zi Ran’s purpose for making Fu Wu Tian fulfill the marriage contract. He just wanted to take advantage of wang ye’s status. For a mere landlord, he sure had a lot of guts.

Fu Wu Tian looked at that piece of paper, “Don’t you think he’s amusing?”

Ge Qian An didn’t understand what he was saying.

Fu Wu Tian released the paper and watched it float to the ground. The writing on it was still clearly visible. Calmly, he said, “Will most people forego an IOU that has accumulated for more than ten years? Will they reduce the rent of an entire county without saying anything?”
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Ge Qian An nodded, “To meet gains or losses with equanimity*, direct and efficient**, he is indeed a person of talent. However, does wang ye really want to marry the landlord’s daughter?” He could not guess Fu Wu Tian’s thought, and thus wrinkled his brow.

[*T/N: 拿得起放得下 lit. can pick it up or put it down (idiom)]

[**T/N: 干脆利落 gan cui li luo (of speech or actions) direct and efficient]

“(My grandfather was) even willing to gift the mandarin duck pendant to the An family, what reason do I have to refuse?” Fu Wu Tian looked up at the clear sky. The white clouds seemed to form a person’s face. His black eyes flashed. Then he turned his head slowly towards the left corridor. “Am I right, grandfather?”

Without knowing when, suddenly the figure of Fu lao wang ye was standing there in the hallway.

Ge Qian An startled. He completely did not notice. He hurried saluted him, “Lao wang ye!”

With his hands behind his back, Fu lao wang ye just stood there looking at them. His expression was almost the same as his grandson, calm and cold. Hearing the words of his grandson, he responded, “Since you know that grandfather attaches great importance to this marriage with the An family, then take the An family’s girl as your wang fei. Do you have a problem?”

Fu Wu Tian stared at him for a long time. Suddenly, he said, “Of course, there is no problem.”

Fu lao wang ye nodded his head with satisfaction. Then he turned and left.

Ge Qian An let out a breath of relief. Fu lao wang ye’s illness really was unpredictable. Suddenly recovering memories at this critical moment. It seemed that even the heavens were assisting the An family. Only that, wang ye changed his tune without saying anything, and it really made him surprised. He really did not know how wang ye’s brain worked.

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(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ katann13 and A Moncy ヽ(^o^ヽ)

Vanilla Muse: This is a holiday update. I hope y’all are having a wonderful day!

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Chapter 26 – Concubine

When those words were spoken the entire hall went quiet.

An Zi Ran took a deep breath and gently pulled his hands away. When he could not pull them away, he said patiently, “Lao wang ye, you misidentified, I am not your grandson.”

[T/N: I’m changing “old Fu wang ye” to “Fu lao wang ye” because I feel like the word “old” or “lao” here is meant to be a part of his title 老王爷 and not just a descriptor of his age. It was starting to feel weird translating 傅老王爷 as “old Fu wang ye.” And “Fu lao wang ye” is more compliant with the original order in Chinese.]

Your real grandson is watching you blanking from the side, An Zi Ran thought.

Fu lao wang ye did not listen to him. Instead, he grinned and said in a dejected manner, “Grandson, is it that you dislike your grandfather? Speak, grandfather will change.”
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An Zi Ran suddenly felt a headache coming on. It looked like there was something wrong with Fu lao wang ye’s head. He even mistook someone else for his own grandson. Could An Zi Ran still count on him to remember something from ten years ago? No wonder Fu Wu Tian had his grandfather brought over so readily. Fu Wu Tian must’ve calculated that Fu lao wang ye wouldn’t be able to say anything (about the marriage contract). An Zi Ran did not think Fu lao wang ye was pretending, because it was not necessary.

An Zi Ran looked at Fu Wu Tian and said, “Wang ye, can Fu lao wang ye remember this matter?”

While staring at his face, Fu Wu Tian said, “He had a serious illness six years ago. When he recovered and woke up, he became like this. Sometimes his memory is there, and sometimes it is not. He often misidentified people.”

Intermittent amnesia!

An Zi Ran immediately reached this conclusion. This condition could also be called forgetfulness. The elderly are the most likely to get this disease. It is almost incurable. It was entirely up to luck, whether he could remember that agreement from ten years ago.

Fu Wu Tian looked at him calmly*. His eyes flashed. He wanted to see how An Zi Ran planned to prove his claim.

[*T/N: 好整以暇 “to be calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos or at a busy time” (idiom). MTL translated this as “awkwardness”… That’s like the polar opposite meaning, ah! o(╯□╰)o]

An Zi Ran thought for a bit, and still decided to give it a try, so he took the jade pendant over and presented it to Fu lao wang ye. “Lao wang ye, do you still remember this jade pendant? Ten years ago, you gave this to my grandfather, as a token of promise to make our two families in-laws. My grandfather is your soul mate (close friend). You were once sworn brothers. Do you remember?”
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Fu lao wang ye tilted his head for a moment as he looked. Suddenly, with pleasant surprise, he grabbed onto the jade pendant, and said with a definitive voice, “I remember!”

An Zi Ran felt a spark of delight.

Fu lao wang ye then said, “This is Dan Xue’s jade pendant. How come there is only one?”

An Zi Ran’s expression froze.

Who was Dan Xue?

Fu Wu Tian saw the distress on his face. It was like seeing something interesting. His eyes lit up, “Dan Xue is my* grandmother.”

[*T/N: He addressed himself as 本王 ben wang, which means “this prince.” In ancient China there are many ways to address oneself and other people. Depending on which pronoun or noun is used it denotes status and/or one’s attitude towards the person being addressed. I know this from watching copious amounts of Chinese drama, but I am not familiar with all the varied forms of address out there, only the more common ones.]

Looking at the way Fu lao wang ye was right now, it was likely that he did not remember Steward Su either. It’s probably hopeless to expect him to remember the agreement from ten years ago. But it’s impossible for An Zi Ran to leave like this. Just getting here was hard enough. He wasn’t going to return home empty handed.
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Steward Su once told him, Fu lao wang ye was a very outspoken and straightforward person. He was talented, but he was not like literati, instead having the character of a war general. He was not the type to say one thing and do another. He was also a loyal person. His insistence on tying the two families together as in-laws should not be an impulsive act. Originally, he thought that even if Fu Wu Tian did not acknowledge the marriage contract, he could still depend on Fu lao wang ye to achieve his objective, but he did not account for this point.

The plan was completely disrupted. It was going to be difficult to go on from here.

An Zi Ran frowned. He glimpsed the jade pendant that Fu lao wang ye loved too much to put down*, and a light bulb flashed in his head. Slightly distracted; he’d been going around in circles. How did he not see such an obvious point?

[*T/N: 爱不释手 “to love something too much to part with it” (idiom)]

“Wang ye, actually you already knew about the marriage contract, did you not?”

Fu Wu Tian saw An Zi Ran’s sudden confidence in attitude. The gaze that looked at Fu Wu Tian was particularly steady. It was completely different from the shifty way that other people looked at him*. Very refreshing. “Yes.”

[*T/N: As in other people are too nervous to look the ML in the eyes, so their gazes always shift when talking to him.]

An Zi Ran’s breathing deepened. He should have guessed this earlier.

Fu lao wang ye only got sick six years ago. There was still four years before that. He couldn’t have hidden this matter from his grandson all that time. And when someone returns home they were sure to mention something like a marriage contract with their family. Fu lao wang ye was someone who took his words seriously, and definitely would not conceal the truth.

“Wang ye should be able to guess my motive for coming here. The promise token (jade pendant) is impossible to fake. I ask that wang ye fulfill the agreement made between lao wang ye and my grandfather.” An Zi Ran found that when dealing with people like Fu Wu Tian, if he over thought things too much, the easier it was for the other person to play him.

Fu Wu Tian stared at him with an unchanging expression. “How do you want me to fulfill it?”

An Zi Ran said, “Marry my sister.”

“Concubine?”

“Main wife.”

The An family was but the landlord of a small county, if Fu Wu Tian were to get married again in the future, then his sister’s status would be laughed at as nothing more than the daughter of a businessman. Thus, only the status of wang fei will keep her from being bullied. What he can do for An Yu Zhi was only this.
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Silence reigned in the hall.

Steward Su looked nervously between the two of them. Although he also wished that the third miss can marry the wang ye as his wang fei, he still felt that it was just a fantastical daydream. Just looking at the gap in status between the two families, how could the An family hope to climb so high up.

Fu Wu Tian said calmly, “If your sister wants to marry into the Fu family, she can only be a concubine.”

An Zi Ran’s expression became uncertain. Although Fu Wu Tian did not say it clearly, An Zi Ran understood the underlying meaning. The imperial family cannot have a businessman’s daughter as a wang fei. Otherwise, wouldn’t they be laughed at by the world? Although An Zi Ran thought it was ridiculous, the ancients seemed to be very concerned with face*.

[*T/N: The Chinese concept of face is like a mix of reputation, prestige, and respect.]

Fu Wu Tian’s words illustrated his attitude. An Zi Ran knew that even if he persisted it would not yield results. It would’ve still been okay if Fu lao wang ye had not gotten sick. Luck was not in accordance to him.

An Zi Ran retrieved the jade pendant from Fu lao wang ye. Then with Steward Su, he left the Fu palace.

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T/N: Shout Outs!!!

A special thank you to ElizabethLor and alix682 over on ko-fi. Thank you so much for supplying me the caffeine (and cake!) I needed when I was up translating this at the wee hours of the night. (๑╹o╹)φ

A super big thank you to Carmen Hall and Michelle ossiander for pledging to me on patreon. Woot! I didn’t think I would be getting patrons so quickly. You really surprised me and put a big smile on my face. o(^∀^)o

Once again, thank you to all the aforementioned people, you really made my day and you were a big motivator for kicking my butt into gear to pump out this special chapter for you all. (۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶ As this update is outside of my regular updating schedule, there will be another update tomorrow, on Monday, as per usual.
(๑ゝڡ◕๑)

Vanilla Muse: The author uses the “he” pronoun a lot without distinguishing who is being talked about, so I will be making my best guess, and occasionally changing out pronouns for names to make things less confusing.

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Chapter 25 – Which Grandson

His eyes were like cold stars, chilly as the edge of a blade.

Even though An Zi Ran was mentally prepared he couldn’t help the prickle that crept across his scalp. Out of all the people within that great hall, he could tell that the smell of blood was the strongest on this man. Seemed like this was the current lord of the Fu palace, Fu Wu Tian.

Fu Wu Tian, this was the man that was in charge of a hundred thousand troops. His imposing manner really lived up to his reputation. That gaze, it really looked like he did not put the law or the heavens in his eye*. From his body came an aura of killing intent that could not be ignored. Although Fu Wu Tian tried his best to suppress it, An Zi Ran could still feel it, and it was not far from the image in his imagination.

[*T/N: There is a Chinese pun happening here. The ML’s name is 傅无天 and the idiom that the MC then used to describe his gaze is 无法无天, which means “regardless of the law and of natural morality” or “maverick”]

The man’s tall, upright body is like a poplar tree. Standing in the middle of the hall, his presence was impossible to ignore. His facial features were handsome and stalwart*. He had a pair of heroic sword eyebrows. There was not a single soft line on his entire body. His broad shoulders looked like they could hold up the heavens. Such a person really did lived up to the imagination one would have of a hero, if he were not stepping on a bloody person that is.

[*T/N: 五管英俊刚毅 “five sense organs of TCM (nose, eyes, lips, tongue, ears) are handsome and resolute/steadfast/stalwart”]

If An Yu Zhi saw this scene, An Zi Ran wasn’t sure if she would still be willing to marry Fu Wu Tian.
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He was unable to guess at a girl’s heart. Although An Yu Zhi seemed soft and weak, her inner heart was not something that could be perceived based on her outer appearance. This he knew from experience.

Carelessly he had dropped his awareness, but An Zi Ran quickly regained his senses. In a flash, he realized that Fu Wu Tian and his men were all watching him. There was a hint of surprise in most of those gazes, as if they were seeing something inconceivable. An Zi Ran frowned slightly, but then he calmed down as if nothing had happened.

The man in the middle of the hall stared blankly at An Zi Ran for a moment. Then suddenly, to one of the young men on the side he said, “Take this person away.”

Steward Su froze, thinking that the man was talking about them.

An Zi Ran was afraid that Steward Su was going to slip and fall down, so he patted him on the shoulder in a placating manner.

The young man didn’t even look at them, and instead instructed two other men to lift the bloody person and drag him out of the great hall. Others simply cleared the blood on the ground and then withdrew.

The heavy smell of blood in the hall lightened a bit.

The man turned and walked over to sit on the main seat*. Then he leisurely** drank the hot tea that a servant poured for him. The man was not anxious or hurried, and gave other people the feeling of being pressured.

[*T/N: An elevated seat at one end of the hall that’s for the host or head of the family.]

[**T/N: 不疾不徐 bu ji bu xu: neither too fast nor too slow (idiom)]

An Zi Ran did not feel anything. Before coming here, he was already mentally prepared. But Steward Su was different, and his expression revealed his inner consternation. After all, he was already at such an old age and the opponent was no ordinary wang ye. The fact that he did not crumple to the floor in desolation or flee from the hall was already a great show of courage on his part. If An Zi Ran knew that the situation would turn out like this, he would’ve had Steward Su wait outside.
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Just as he was thinking this, the sound of the man’s voice rang out in the hall.

“Where is the jade pendant?”

An Zi Ran looked up at the man to find that the man was watching him. There was not a single waver in those black eyes. They were excessively tranquil. An Zi Ran could not pick out any thoughts from those eyes. For the first time, he felt off kilter. An Zi Ran was used to observing other people’s expressions first before coming up with a plan to react according.

He was not used to procrastinating, so he brought out the jade pendant, and said in a decisive manner*, “Does wang ye recognize this jade pendant?”

[*T/N: 快刀斩乱麻 lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom); decisive action in a complex situation / cutting the Gordian knot]

Fu Wu Tian saw him without a trace of fear. His deep eyes paused on An Zi Ran’s face for a moment, and then flickered to the pendant. At one glance, he recognized that this piece of jade was indeed one half of his grandmother’s pair of jade pendants.

This mandarin duck pendant was made from top quality white jade. This type of jade was extremely rare. Only the royal family could own it. And the person who carved this piece of jade was a very famous sculptor. But that sculptor passed away more than ten years ago. Thus, this mandarin duck jade pendant had become a unique treasure, and no one could forge it.

“You have a lot of nerve. You dare to steal the jade pendant of Fu palace?”

A voice of anger suddenly rang out. An Zi Ran’s heart grew cold and thumped quickly once. Looking up, he saw that Fu Wu Tian’s dark eyes were staring at him. A sense of oppression washed over him in a wave. An Zi Ran steadied himself, and then said, “Wang ye, ten years ago the old wang ye gave this jade pendant to the An family as a token of marriage. If you do not believe, you can go ask the old wang ye. I believe he will give you an answer.
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He had just finished speaking, when he saw the corners of Fu Wu Tian’s mouth turn down slightly. It was a short-lived illusion. Then he heard his honest voice ring out in the hall.

“Since An gong zi wants a confrontation, let’s invite the old wang ye to come here.”

Immediately outside the hall, the response of Steward Li Nuo Nuo was heard. His footsteps quickly hurried away.

An Zi Ran saw Fu Wu Tian’s straightforward response, and instead felt a spark of doubt in his heart. No matter how one looked at it, it did not seem like he was aware of the situation concerning the jade pendant and the marriage contract. Could it be true that the old Fu wang ye did not talk to him about this matter? Before he could figure it out, a loud noise was heard outside the hall. Then a resounding and bold voice came in.

“Which grandson is looking for me?”

An Zi Ran turned around and saw a fat old man striding in from the outside. With his head held high, his chest pushed out*, and a dignified face, it was an awe-inspiring look. He walked with exaggerated steps, swinging his legs out left and right. An Zi Ran was tempted to laugh. Obviously, this was an old urchin with a ruddy face and an overstated character.

[*T/N: 昂首挺胸 head high, chest out (idiom)]

[T/N: Yes, the raws said “old urchin”… I can’t tell if the description is supposed to be positive or negative anymore…]

This person can’t possibly be the old Fu wang ye, right?

Old Fu wang ye entered through the door. His seemingly weird eyeballs passed over his own grandson and landed on An Zi Ran. Suddenly, he ran over and happily took An Zi Ran’s hands. With his eyes bright, he said something shocking*, “Grandson, for what matter did you seek grandfather?”

[*T/N: 一鸣惊人 to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom)]

An Zi Ran: “…”

Steward Su fainted.

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Chapter 24 – First Meeting

Ever since jun wang brought his army back to the capital, everyone in the Fu palace cheered. For an entire month, the royal palace had a festive atmosphere, but today there was one place that was not the same.

The solemn silence entangled the palace’s hall. Only the sound of lashing sounded from time to time. The pa pa sound of flesh being whipped caused one’s skin to break out in gooseflesh. None of the palace servants dared to go near the main hall. They’d rather take a detour than go through that place.

The center of the hall.

A person who was whipped until their flesh was a mess could not endure anymore and fell down. Fresh blood was splattered on the ground. The bloodied man with disheveled hair looked particularly miserable, but no one sympathized with him.
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The people standing around the hall looked on blankly at this scene. They all exuded a forbidding atmosphere. One glance revealed that they were all soldiers who have fought through bloody battles. On the battlefield, what kind of misery have they not witnessed? Missing limbs and eviscerated organs were all common occurrences.

The bloodied man was lying breathless on the floor. His vision was blurred by blood. A lash mark ran vertically down his left eye. The mark traced down his eye and halfway down his face. He vaguely saw a tall figure coming towards him. A sense of oppression followed.

He opened his mouth, letting out a haa haa sound, as if he wanted to say something. A foot suddenly stepped down on his chest. With little effort (from the foot), he coughed up a bit of blood and a few drops of blood spilled over the edge of the man’s shoes.

“I… aah…” The bloodied man’s face scrunched up and he vomited another mouth full of blood.

The foot on his chest suddenly exerted more strength. The force was almost enough to crush his sternum and drilled into his opened wound. His entire face turned paper white.

Not only did the man not have any sympathy, but he also continued to exert pressure. The person beneath his foot twisted with pain and started to struggle, but that only hurt himself more. With more blood spilling, the big hall was filled with the iron stench of blood. If this went on the bloodied man was likely to be trampled to death.
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Seeing him on the verge of death, the others were still indifferent. To them, even if this man were to die a thousand, ten thousand deaths, it would not be enough. Because betrayers did not need sympathy!

At this moment, a rush of footsteps came in from outside the hall.

The people in the hall finally reacted, but it was with a wrinkling of their brows. The general had commanded that no one were to disturb them. Didn’t expect that there was someone dumb enough to do so.

The group of men all immediately turned to look at the man that was stepping on the traitor. That man’s eyebrows did not move at all.

The other party hesitated for a moment outside the hall and seemed to finally gather the courage to walk in. Seeing the bloody scene within the hall, the newcomer kept his head low and did not look about. It was the Fu palace’s old Steward Li.

The man’s threatening eyes fell on him as if to say ‘if you don’t give me a satisfactory answer, I will deal with you.’ Steward Li couldn’t help feeling afraid. Although it has been a month, he still could not get use to this man. Wang ye’s eyes always scared him, so he was always careful, afraid of being caught (doing something wrong) and penalized.

“Wang- wang ye, someone outside is asking for an audience,” Steward Li stuttered.

At this time, a young man standing to the right side, with a black band tied around his forehead, gave Steward Li a cutting glance and said in a cold voice, “Wang ye commanded that no one should be allowed to come in and disturb us. Knowing this, you still went against his order, you sure have guts!”

Steward Li immediately knelt down in fright. He looked anxiously at the man. “Wang ye please forgive me. This little person truly has an urgent matter. The two people outside have the old wang fei’s* keepsake and are asking to see you. That keepsake is a jade pendant of mandarin ducks**, so this little person dare not delay. That’s why…” He has been in the Fu palace for more than ten years, so he deeply understood the importance of that jade pendant to the old wang fei. Reportedly, the old wang fei had intended to leave that jade pendant for her future grandson’s wife. Such an important thing, he dare not delay!

[*T/N: 王妃 wang fei: princess. This is referring to the ML’s grandmother.]

[**T/N: 鸳鸯 yuan yang: mandarin duck. A pair of them signifies an affectionate (and/or happily married) couple in China.]

“You are certain that it is the mandarin duck pendant?”

The man slowly opened his mouth to speak. His deep and solid voice was not as cold as his appearance.

Steward Li nodded quickly. “This little person had personally seen the jade pendant before, so I should not be mistaken.”

“Let them come in.”

Once he received an answer, Steward Li immediately left that oppressive feeling hall. After he left, he realized that his back was soaked through with sweat, and in his heart he still felt a thread of anxiety. Not daring to think about it again, he tried to erase the image from his mind.
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Outside the Fu palace, An Zi Ran, who had just received permission to enter, looked over at Steward Li to see that the steward’s forehead was covered in sweat. There was some doubt in his heart, but he still pressed down that feeling of unease and stepped into the palace with Steward Su at his side. They headed towards the main hall.

Seeing the hall in front, An Zi Ran’s face suddenly changed slightly.

He could smell a hint of blood in the air, and as they got closer to the main hall, the smell grew stronger. He was almost certain that some bloody incident took place in the Fu palace, and it most likely resulted in someone’s death.

Once they arrived at the entrance to the main hall, An Zi Ran rearranged the expression on his face to something more neutral, not revealing the slightest peculiarity. Then together with Steward Li they entered.

The thick smell of blood slapped them in the faces. The first sight that greeted them was the bloody and mangled* body lying on the floor.

[*T/N: 血肉模糊 to be badly mangled or mutilated (idiom)]

Steward Su’s legs turned to jelly. It was his first time seeing such a cruel and bloody scene, so it was normal that he could not accept the reality of it right away. An Zi Ran immediately moved to support the elderly man.

After a short while, An Zi Ran could feel eyes on his body. It was a gaze that gave off a presence that could not be ignored. Unable to resist, he lifted his head to look. In a split second, his eyes clashed with a pair of deep and chilly black eyes that were like a swirling maelstrom.

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T/N: The ML is finally here! As I was translating, I chuckled a bit at how hard the author was trying to make him come across as cold and cruel. We all know he’s going to be whipped by the MC eventually. Huuhuu~

For a newbie translator like me I don’t think I could’ve made it here without the amazing support of the community. You have all been wonderful and patient readers. I would like to thank you again for all the kind and supportive comments you’ve given me. It’s especially fun when I see readers interacting in the comments section and speculating about the story together. I feel like I might really be able to see this story through to the end with all of you. So let’s enjoy this ride together!
~ Muse ♡

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Chapter 23.2 – Unexpected

An Zi Ran’s eyebrows rose. “What title?”

“Jun wang only returned to Jun Zi City a month ago. Before that, he was still on the battlefield near a border city. After coming back, he was conferred the title of jun wang by the emperor. Before that, he was the guardian war god of Da Ya Dynasty. He made numerous great contributions to the country. No one can match his meritorious deeds. This little person heard that he has never been defeated on the battlefield. The enemy would hear his name on the wind and lose their gallbladder while fleeing!” Liu Er’s speech was impassionate, and his eyes were colored with worship.

After hearing this, An Zi Ran finally showed a hint of surprise on his face.

Yu Zhi’s marriage partner turned out to be such a powerful figure. And from Liu Er’s tone of voice, he could tell that among the people this war god’s prestige was even higher than the emperor’s.

Fu Wu Tian, it would seem that he was not a simple figure!
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An Yu Zhi’s face was red with excitement. She did not expect her future husband to be so powerful. Beauties loved heroes, and she was no exception. In the past, the family would invite actors to perform opera. At the time she really worshipped the heroes (in the opera plays). Sometimes she would think that if she could marry a hero, then there would be no regrets in her life.

But she knew that in her life she could not make the big decisions for herself, especially when it came to marriage. Reality was often without choices, so she only dared to dream about it in her heart. She never thought that an opportunity would come unexpectedly*.

[*T/N: 峰回路转 feng hui lu zhuan: the mountain road twists around each new peak (idiom); fig. an opportunity has come unexpectedly]

An Zi Ran noticed her expression and immediately realized that she was very satisfied. However, he did not expect that a young lady sheltered in her boudoir would actually worship heroes. But this was a good thing. It looked like this marriage was still a possibility. Thinking of this, he turned to Liu Er, “Is there anything else? Such as, this jun wang’s parents?”

Liu Er said, “Gong zi, jun wang’s parents have long since passed away, leaving behind the jun wang and old wang ye.”

Liu Er was also a person that was good at reading others, but he couldn’t tell what An Zi Ran was thinking. But An Yu Zhi was too easy to read. One look at that flushed face and he could tell that she had designations towards the jun wang. Thinking about how they wanted to know about the jun wang, he (Liu Er) thought it was very interesting. In Jun Zi City, the number of women that have intentions towards the jun wang were few. He wondered if this lady had the courage.

An Zi Ran finally asked for the location of the jun wang’s palace, and then he gave the remainder of the five pieces of silver to Liu Er.

Liu Er thanked him. “Many thanks, gong zi. In the future, if you have more errands like this, you can come find this little person anytime.” Then he took the money and left.

Only the three of them were left in that private room.

An Zi Ran sent Qiu Lan out of the room to guard the door, and then he turned to the blushing An Yu Zhi.

She flushed even harder under his gaze. Unable to meet his eyes, she kept her head bowed, but she knew what her brother wanted to say. After a long while, with a bashful face and a voice as quiet as a mosquito’s she said, “Little sister will leave everything up to big brother’s decision.”

An Zi Ran’s mouth twitched downward.

Even beautiful women have a weakness for heroes*!

[*T/N: The original idiom is 英雄难过美人关 which means “even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman.” Here An Zi Ran flipped the position of the “beauty” and the “hero” to 美人难过英雄关]

When they returned to the courtyard, An Zi Ran told Steward Su about the outcome and the incident. Not only did the elderly man not show a happy expression, but he also looked worried.

An Zi Ran figured out what he was worried about and comforted him, “Steward, you don’t have to worry so much. This marriage contract was set by the old Fu wang ye. I don’t think he will let his grandson break his promise. Unless they don’t care about their reputation anymore.”

Steward Su sighed and was not comforted.
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Who knew what went on inside the minds of royalty? If the old master knew that Fu Feng Zheng was the uncle of the emperor, then he wouldn’t have agreed to this marriage contract back then.

“Young Master, what do we need to do next?” If it were an ordinary family’s house then they could go right up to their front door, but this was a royal palace they were talking about, so they had to consider the consequences. This was another matter that Steward Su was worried about.

An Zi Ran thought for a while. “This matter still can’t be spread about outside. If the other side doesn’t want to uphold the promise, then it would be disadvantageous for us if they found out early. We need to make some preparations first. Then we will catch them off guard with something unexpected.”

Steward Su kind of understood and kind of didn’t. But it didn’t take long for him to know.

At 1:15 pm* An Zi Ran and Steward Su appeared near the Fu palace.

[*T/N: 未时一刻 my best estimate of this ancient way of telling time.]

Steward Su looked at the majestic gates of the royal palace. The two stone lions guarding the gates were more than double the size of the ones back home, and looked like they could be alive. Even before one got near one was already nervous and afraid. He couldn’t help looking at the young master beside him. He didn’t know if this decision was right or wrong. He could only hope that the old master had good judgment in people.

“Let’s go!”

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Next Chapter: First Meeting

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Chapter 23.1 – Unexpected

Steward Su rushed over from An Yuan County. His old bones were jostled in a horse carriage for two days.

Originally he was supposed to accompany the young master, but there needed to be someone left behind in the An family to make decisions. As he was the man most trusted by the deceased old master, An Zi Ran left him at home to oversee things.

But that was only for the time being. The one who witnessed the two families forging that marriage contract was Steward Su, therefore it would be more persuasive to have him here. That old man (Fu Feng Zheng) shouldn’t have forgotten about Steward Su.

“Young Master, I have settled things back at home. I have already instructed the four managers. In addition, Su Zi is there to help and keep an eye out, there should be no big problems.” Steward Su drank the tea that Chun Lan poured for him. Tiredness was written in the lines of his face. So as to not delay the time, he did not rest much these past two days. He also could not rest in the horse carriage, because it jostled too much.
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Seeing this, An Zi Ran told Qiu Lan, “Take Steward Su and have him rest. If there are anymore matters we will talk about them tomorrow.”

He directed that last sentence towards Steward Su.

Steward Su rubbed his temples. He was tired and did not object. With a sound of acknowledgement towards An Zi Ran, he then followed Qiu Lan out. A room was prepared for Steward Su from the moment they rented the courtyard, so they could just go in without having to clean up the room.

After the two left, An Zi Ran picked up a ledger that was on the table. It was very thick.

“Young Master, this kind of crude work, just allow this servant to do it.” Chun Lan hurriedly received the heavy ledger from his hand. She had always been pretty strong. Back at the An family household, what kind of manual labor did she not do?

Ever since the young master lost weight and was no longer fat, she felt that more and more the young master seemed like a frail young master to her. Along with the baby fat on his face, she thought he was particularly cute. During this time, the young master was still losing weight. In fact, she thought it was already fine, he didn’t need to lose more weight, but it was a pity that she was only a servant and did not dare to voice her thoughts out loud.
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An Zi Ran’s eyes fell upon Chun Lan’s face. There was a staunch tenacity to his expression, and also a bright smile on his face without a hint of impurity. He could not help but laugh. These account books were all brought over by Steward Su. They were really important and normally should not be handled by outsiders. However, it was not completely a bad thing to have her help with one.

When Chun Lan turned her head she saw that fleeting smile on the lips of the young master. She couldn’t help but be stunned. It was like she saw an incredible picture. The young master was laughing?

“Let’s go to the study.” An Zi Ran took the lead to go out.

Chun Lan finally regained her senses. Her cheeks floated up as a smile tugged on her lips. She quickly lowered her head and followed him out.

On the next day, the people that An Zi Ran sent out for information returned with results. The person he was looking for was a local of Jun Zi City and said to be an idle man. His name was Liu Er. The news of this type of people was generally fast and abundant. To this end, he (An Zi Ran) spent five pieces of silver.

Liu Er saw that An Zi Ran was generous and likely to give more with good results. Asides from a few things that could not be found out, most of the things that An Zi Ran wanted to know about was met with successful inquiry.
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The two sides decided to meet up at a teahouse.

An Yu Zhi’s cheeks were dusted red. Since early morning, she had been waiting in the lounge. This time, she was also going along, because An Zi Ran wanted her to personally hear about her marriage partner.

After a little while, the brother and sister pair plus the maidservant Qiu Lan went out together.

An Zi Ran chose not to have the appointment at the same restaurant he went to the day before. That restaurant was good, but the behavior of that server made An Zi Ran a little cautious. Due to his previous career, he had a keen eye for observing human expressions and body language. An Zi Ran could tell with one look whether that server had lied or not.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, An Zi Ran heard someone calling him. Looking inside, he saw Liu Er sitting in a private room on the second floor. Liu Er beckoned to him from the opened window. “Gong zi*, over here.”

[*T/N: 公子 gong zi: son of an official / son of nobility / your son (honorific)]

An Zi Ran declined the teahouse server’s offer to lead them, and brought his sister and maidservant upstairs.

Liu Er saw that there were two more people. His eyes turned about, but he made no comment. He only chuckled a bit and then diligently poured a cup of hot tea for An Zi Ran and said charmingly, “An gong zi, please have some tea. The tea in this teahouse is quite good, a lot of people like it, but of course, the price is a little expensive.”

An Zi Ran quietly said, “You drink it ba. What happened to what I want you to inquire about?”

Hearing her brother mention this matter, An Yu Zhi nervously tightened her hands around her handkerchief.
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When Liu Er heard him, he also did not beat around the bush and immediately explained, “I already have the information. Old Fu wang ye is the emperor’s uncle*. He’s coming along in years now. A few years earlier, he still insisted on attending the emperor’s morning court assembly, but he has stopped in recent years. Reportedly, he stays in his palace and rarely comes out. He has one grandson named Fu Wu Tian, who was conferred the title of jun wang by the emperor himself. Speaking of jun wang, he’s a man that makes one feel intimidated at the first glance!”

[*T/N: 叔叔 shu shu: father’s younger brother]

“Why do you say this?” Hearing such an idiom* used to describe that man, An Zi Ran’s expression wavered.

[*T/N: 望而生畏 wang er sheng wei: intimidate at the first glance (idiom)]

Liu Er smiled darkly. “It seems that gong zi have not heard of jun wang’s title?”

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Chapter 22 – Imperial Family

Through the opened window, An Zi Ran saw a group of people surrounding one person. At the moment, that one person was telling an interesting story. You could say it was gossip. The person spoke with spittle flying. The group listened with relish. He listened for a while and found that he was talking about some palace gossip. It was hard to distinguish between true and false, but none of it was what he wanted.
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After a while, the server brought over the plates of dim sum that he ordered.

An Zi Ran took the opportunity to ask, “Brother Server, I want to ask you about a person.” Saying so, he took out a fragment of silver and placed it on the table. “Whether you can answer or not, this money is still yours.”

With a face full of smiles, the server took the money and said, “Sir, whatever you want to know, go ahead and ask without hesitation. If this little person knows, I will definitely tell you everything without leaving anything out.”
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An Zi Ran nodded and said without hesitation, “I want to ask you about a person named Fu Feng Zheng. In this Jun Zi City, have you ever heard of this person?”

As soon as the server heard this name he stood in stunned amazement.

“What is it? Is there some problem with this name?” An Zi Ran was keenly aware of the changes on the server’s face.

The server recovered his senses and smiled apologetically. “Sir misunderstood. There is no problem. It is only that this little person have not heard this name for a long time, so was unable to react right away.”

An Zi Ran said, “Then can you tell me about this person?”

“Of course.”

“This sir does not know, but old Fu wang ye* was once an influential figure in Jun Zi City. The older generation of people has all heard of him. However, the old wang ye is, after all, older. His body is not as good as it used to be. In recent years, he has rarely appeared before people. So the news about him is getting less and less…” The server said.

[T/N: I don’t know why the author separated the “of course” from the rest of the sentence when they’re all spoken by the same person…]

[*T/N: 王爷 wang ye: title for a prince, marquis, or other nobleman]

When An Zi Ran heard “old Fu wang ye,” these four words, his expression changed slightly.

He did think that Fu Feng Zheng may be a powerful person, or a businessman with good connections, but he never thought that he would be royalty. According to his age, it was very likely for him to be the imperial uncle of the current emperor.

The imperial family. There was no way whatsoever that the An family could claim connections with such high ranking people. Fu was the surname of the country, and it was the surname of the royal family. If An Zi Ran were an authentic citizen of Da Ya then he may have thought of this point, but unfortunately, he was not.

What the server told him was no secret. Asides from outsiders, many people in Jun Zi City knew of this. When the server started talking about how lots of women used to fall all over themselves over old Fu wang ye’s good looks during his prime, An Zi Ran stopped him.
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“Brother Server, do you know about old Fu wang ye’s family members?” An Zi Ran asked. Those things about Fu Feng Zheng can be said later, what was most important now was that marriage contract. Even though his family’s status could not measure up to that of the imperial family, since there was such an opportunity, they still had to take a chance and try. Not to mention, the person who proposed the marriage in the past was Fu Feng Zheng himself.

The server replied, “I do. Old Fu wang ye only has one grandson. The present emperor personally conferred the title of jun wang* to him (the grandson). Everyone in Jun Zi City knows this. There is no one who does not know.”

[*T/N: The text uses 珺王 jun wang with jun meaning “beautiful jade” and wang meaning “king or monarch.” The “king or monarch” status here is still below the level of emperor.

Alternatively, a different character with the same pinyin 君王 jun wang means “sovereign king.” In either case, this guy has a high rank that is conferred by the emperor. The first instance may just be a fancy title to denote his prestige (along with certain responsibilities). In the second instance, it is a title that carries inherent responsibilities with it.]

“May I ask for his name?” An Zi Ran said.

Unexpectedly, the server shook his head and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, sir. Jun wang’s name* isn’t something that us small folk can casually say. Please forgive me. If sir does not have other questions then this little person will excuse himself.”

[*T/N: 名讳 ming hui: taboo name (e.g. of emperor). Basically the person is of such a high rank that it is impolite and even taboo to say their name.]
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“Go ahead then.” An Zi Ran did not make things hard for him. He could understand.

After the server left, the atmosphere in the private room immediately calmed down.

Qiu Lan looked at the pensive young master and dared not speak, but there was a kind of premonition in her heart. The reason they came to Jun Zi City this time very likely had to do with the people that the young master had just inquired about. However, the other side was the royal family. She was confused but dared not ask.

After a quarter of an hour, An Zi Ran left the restaurant with Qiu Lan.

Not long after he left, that server told the shopkeeper what transpired, without leaving out a single word.

The shopkeeper patted his shoulder. “Well done. Don’t mention this matter with others for the time being. In addition, keep an eye out for that young master and see if he shows up again. If he inquires about old Fu wang ye again, immediately inform me. Do you understand?” He decided to observe for the moment. If that young master really were coming at the old wang ye, it wouldn’t be too late to report the matter then.

“Yes, Shopkeeper.” The corners of the server’s mouth drew back into a grin.

On the other side, An Zi Ran still did not know, he only went to ask some simple questions, yet he was already marked. At this time, his mind was preoccupied with worries, and he did not have room for other thoughts.

The imperial family was a very troublesome creature.

If it were possible, An Zi Ran would rather not get the An family mixed up in the imperial family’s circle. They (royalty) were too complicated. An Yu Zhi that simple young girl would definitely be eaten until not even bones were left. But if he did not do this, then the An family would still be in trouble. He thought back and forth about this. In the end, he still decided to put the decision in An Yu Zhi’s hands.

In the afternoon of the same day, An Zi Ran had Qiu Lan call An Yu Zhi over.
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Ever since knowing that she had a marriage contract, An Yu Zhi had been very nervous. Hearing that her brother wanted to see her, she thought that the situation had a conclusion. When she entered, her face was red, and even her steps were cramped with tension.

“Brother…”

An Zi Ran had her sit and opened the door to view the mountain path. “About your marriage partner, I need to seek your opinion…” Then he told her the information he was able to get from inquiring in the restaurant.

An Yu Zhi’s whole person become wooden. She had also thought that her marriage partner was a businessman.

“Tomorrow, I will send someone out to inquire about the jun wang. It shouldn’t take long for them to bring back results. At that time, you will also come to listen and see, if you have no opinions, then older brother will choose a day to bring you to find them, and have him marry you,” An Zi Ran said.

An Yu Zhi was already unable to think, her brain had become like paste.

Upon seeing this, An Zi Ran did not force her. Right now, he was only giving her a shot of courage, to have her prepare herself, to prevent her from becoming stunned like so in the future.

This time, An Zi Ran did not go out personally to seek information.

He still remembered that server’s reaction. Although the server was able to collect himself quickly, An Zi Ran could tell that it wasn’t that the server could not say, but rather did not want to say. That jun wang must not be an ordinary person. So this time he took that into consideration.

The next day, the person he sent out had yet to return, when Steward Su finally arrived.

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Chapter 21 – Fu Feng Zheng

The An family did not have property in Jun Zi City.

In the past, An Chang Fu had indeed wanted to expand (his business) in Jun Zi City, but when he tried using money to buy his way up, one influential official told him that connections in Jun Zi City were complicated and fickle; a moment of inattentiveness will lead to bankruptcy.

The An family may be a big landlord in An Yuan County, but in the eyes of the Da Ya Dynasty they were but third-rate businessmen. To those important and influential people in the city of Jun Zi crushing a small county was as easy as stepping on an ant. Since then, An Chang Fu had not dared to think about this matter anymore. He stayed in An Yuan County, holding onto his comfortable title of landlord.

For this trip, An Zi Ran brought out a total of fifteen people, including the servants.
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It was impossible to put up this many people in inns. The price difference between Jun Zi City and An Yuan County was too much. The living expense for one month would require a great sum of money. Even if the An family had money, they should not squander it so.

Because he did not know how long they would have to stay in Jun Zi City, An Zi Ran decided to rent a courtyard*. It took some money to get people to find the place. The living space was not particularly luxurious, and it was not next to a flourishing district, but there were quite a number of rooms and can easily accommodate about twenty people. He only rented the place for a month and the cost was already a hundred silver taels.

[*T/N: The Chinese word translates into “courtyard,” but there are also living quarters included.]

The next day, everyone moved into the courtyard. The moving process made everyone terribly tired. As soon as night came, the entire courtyard was quiet. Most of them were already asleep.

An Zi Ran stood in the corridor looking at the clear pond outside. The gleaming reflection of waves sparkled beneath the moonlight. A few sheaves of lotus leaf dotted the surface. All alone, reflecting an extremely bleak image, he looked at the impression of the full moon in the pond. After a while he retracted his gaze.
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At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the door. Qiu Lan came in with a small pot of oil and added some to the oil lamp. “Young Master, it is late. You should sleep.”

“I know. You should go rest first.” An Zi Ran then entered the room.

Qiu Lan gave a sound of acknowledgement and left the room. Soon the light of her lamp disappeared.

Ai Zi Ran pulled out a fragrant sachet from his bosom. It was the one that the Old Master left behind. Thinking that the Old Master had some words he wanted to leave behind, An Zi Ran opened the sachet and saw that inside there was a piece of paper with information about the marriage contract. It was only a name.

Fu Feng Zheng. It was the name of that intimate friend* whom the Old Master had became sworn brothers with.

[*T/N: 知己 zhi ji: “intimate friend” sounds suggestive in English, LOL, but it’s kind of like soul mate. It means someone who knows you well (like they know a part of your soul), but you’re not necessarily lovers with the other person. Translating the two words separately you get “to know” and “self.”]

After An Zi Ran saw it, he almost didn’t know what to think. What was the identity of the other party? What kind of work did they do? What kind of people was in their family? He had no information on any of this. Unexpectedly forming a marriage contract with the other party, did the Old Master become foolish from studying too much? Why else would he make such a reckless move? Thanks to him, An Zi Ran now had a headache.

The next morning, after taking care of some things, An Zi Ran took the maid, Qiu Lan, out with him.

If the other party really was some important person with status and prestige in Jun Zi City, then it shouldn’t take long to inquire information on him. Even if that was not the case, even if the other party was really just a businessman, they should still be able to find something if they just spend more time inquiring about.

But Ai Zi Ran did not hold too high hopes. After all, ten years have passed.

The best places to seek information were in restaurants and brothels, but brothels were not suitable for them, so they went to a restaurant named San Quan. It was not the biggest or the best restaurant, but the number of guests entering and leaving was so great that when one stood outside, they could hear the loud voices inside.

“Come, let us go in and take a look.”

Without hesitation, An Zi Ran locked down on this restaurant and took the lead to go inside.

Qiu Lan did not know what the young master wanted to do. She could only follow after him. This time, if it wasn’t because Su Zi couldn’t come out, the one accompanying the young master should be him.
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“Sir, would you like to dine in the lobby or a private room?” The server saw that there was a noble air about An Zi Ran and quickly came over to greet him.

“Private room,” An Zi Ran said.

The lobby was too noisy. Although it would be easier to inquire information with everyone talking at once in lively conversation, it’s still not good for other people to know what they were doing.

“Understood, please follow me, sir.”

The three of them went up to the second floor. The server chose a room by the first floor corridor. If you open the reddish brown window, you can see downstairs and have a view of three to five groups of people getting together to talk about the latest gossip in Jun Zi City.

The server quickly got them a pot of hot tea.

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T/N: I’m looking for raws to a J-novel, if you have time please take a look at this post and see if you can help me out. Thank chuu~