Category: Didn’t Love You Enough

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Chapter 49 – Return Trip

Inside the steady horse carriage, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng hugged Lin Jia Bao, who was still a little sad, and comforted him: “Okay, baby, don’t be sad. If there are chances in the future, I will definitely let you see your family.”

Lin Jia Bao’s eyes lit up immediately after hearing this, “Really? Truly?”

“You don’t believe your husband again. My dear treasure, I will fulfill all your wishes. You can continue to write letters and send things back to your family.”

“Husband, you’re really too good to Jia Bao. Thank you, husband.” Lin Jia Bao memorized the palace rules by heart, so he knew that what the crown prince said was an exception for him, and in his heart he was full of gratitude.

“It’s not enough to just say thank you with your mouth, baby…” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng said as he looked at Lin Jia Bao.

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Lin Jia Bao understood what the crown prince was implying without being told explicitly, and he pressed his lips against Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s lips in a firm kiss.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng smiled, “It’s not enough, baby.”

Lin Jia Bao kissed him several more times. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng grabbed the back of Lin Jia Bao’s head and kissed him deeply.

It took a long time for Xuan Yuan Han Cheng to let go of Jia Bao. He touched the baby’s red and swollen lips with his hands, and said in a low voice, “Still not enough… Baby, thank me well at night.”

Lin Jia Bao’s ears turned red from hearing his words, and he replied back faintly. “Yes.”

Dawn of the next day, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng woke up very early. Today was a rest day, so he didn’t have to attend court, and Xuan Yuan Han Cheng was not in a hurry to get out of bed. Instead he stared at the sweet sleeping face of his treasure. Even if he looked a hundred times, he still would not get tired of it.

Lin Jia Bao was tossed about by him for a long time last night and now slept very soundly. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng reminisced on the beautiful memories of last night. Last night, his darling really gave it his all to express his gratitude. Thinking of the feeling of Jia Bao’s warm mouth holding onto him, and of the movements of his flexible tongue, it really made him unable to stop himself.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng normally paid great attention to cherishing* Jia Bao, and seldom had Jia Bao use his mouth to please him. Usually it’s holding Jia Bao’s little hands to help, or asking Jia Bao to use his legs…

[*T/N: 爱护 ai hu – to cherish / to love and protect]

Last night, Jia Bao’s initiative really made him very happy. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng felt both happy and distressed in his heart for his darling who worked hard to please him. In the end, he couldn’t control it and released into his darling’s mouth. That feeling was like ascending into heaven and falling into hell.

Later, he used Jia Bao’s legs and did it once more. His actions were somewhat fierce, and Jia Bao’s inner thighs were a little red and swollen. When applying medicine for his darling, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng felt very distressed. Alas, his treasure was just so tempting… Xuan Yuan Han Cheng secretly vowed to exercise restraint in the future. He could not hurt his darling anymore.

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Underneath the brocade quilt, Lin Jia Bao’s body was covered with various crimson traces planted by Xuan Yuan Han Cheng.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng thought about the expressions on Shu Ya and Shu Qin’s faces when they came to dress Jia Bao and felt a little helpless. Le sigh…

Lin Da Zhuang and Lin Jia Wen both got up late today. Their experience yesterday was too shocking for them. After going back at night, both of them tossed and turned in bed and could not fall asleep.

Qin Kai Xing got up comparatively earlier and was already instructing the shop assistants to sort things out. The goods he brought to the capital this time were all sold out. Afterwards, he bought a cartful of fabrics that were fashionable in the capital at a moderate price point to bring back home.

Qin Kai Xing accompanied Lin Da Zhuang and Lin Jia Wen for lunch. He looked at them and saw that they both seemed to have things weighing heavily on their minds.

He comforted them and said: “Father-in-law, eldest brother, don’t think too much about it. Now everything is a foregone conclusion, and there is no way to change it. Yesterday, I saw that Jia Bao’s complexion looked well, and he has grown taller and plumper. I think his life must be pretty good nowadays…”

Qin Kai Xing thought about the way that Lin Jia Bao was dressed and accessorized yesterday. Everything was of fine quality. His family was in the clothing business, so he knew a lot about fabrics and material.

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Chapter 48 – Meeting

“I have lived very well these two years, I just miss everyone very much.” Lin Jia Bao told them more or less about his circumstances from when he entered the palace to present day. When it came to explaining how he became the crown prince’s xiaoshi, he was also unclear on the situation. “I don’t know how or why, but I received an imperial decree from the empress, and then I became the crown prince’s xiaoshi just like that.”

Lin Jia Wen looked at his younger brother, saw how Jia Bao couldn’t even explain the situation clearly, and sighed in his heart, “His Royal Highness… is he… good to you?”

“En! His Royal Highness is kind to me!” Lin Jia Bao nodded vigorously. His Royal Higness was Jia Bao’s husband. Husband said he liked him very much, and Lin Jia Bao also liked his husband very, very much.

Lin Jia Wen looked at his younger brother who had a face full of adoration for the crown prince, and in his heart he felt increasingly unwell. Lin Jia Bao was still young. He didn’t understand what it meant to be the crown prince’s xiaoshi in the future. His younger brother’s thoughts were simple and pure. From his manners, it looked like he thought of the crown prince as an ordinary husband from a common family.

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Sitting to one side, Qin Kai Xing looked at the expression in Lin Jia Bao’s eyes as he spoke of His Royal Highness, and he also sighed in his heart. He was afraid that this child has already fallen into the hole. It should be noted that right now Lin Jia Bao was young and cute, and favored by the crown prince, but it’s hard to say that things would stay the same in the future. Moreover, Lin Jia Bao was a ger…

Lin Da Zhuang thought for a while and then asked Lin Jia Bao, “The crown prince… Is there a lot of women around him?”

Lin Jia Bao was stunned after hearing this, and said dazedly: “Women?”

“Are there a lot of concubines around the crown prince?” Lin Da Zhuang looked at Lin Jia Bao and was anxious for him.

Lin Jia Bao thought for a while and then replied, “I don’t know if there’s a lot or not, I’ve never seen any.”

After hearing his reply, Lin Jia Wen asked, “Then what about the crown princess? You also haven’t seen her?”

“Haven’t seen her. His Royal Highness said the crown princess is sick, so I don’t have to go see her.” Lin Jia Bao had also asked the crown prince before if he should go and greet the crown princess. His Royal Highness said he only needed to go greet the empress.

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“This… this is not in line with convention.” Lin Jia Wen and Qin Kai Xing looked at each other.

Lin Jia Bao thought for a while and then added, “But His Royal Highness often brings me to go greet the empress.”

Lin Da Zhuang, Lin Jia Wen, and Qin Kai Xing nodded when they heard this. It was certainly more important to greet the empress.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, “Lin-xiaozhu, it’s time for lunch. How about the little master and his family dine first?” Yuan Fu came in and saluted to Lin Jia Bao.

“Okay.” Lin Jia Bao responded.

Thus, Yuan Qing quickly arranged a table full of dishes in front of them.

After all the dishes were arranged on the table, the servers left quickly. “Please enjoy your meal, little master.”

After the servers left, Lin Da Zhuang and the other two men swept away the awkward conversation topic that they were having with Lin Jia Bao, and gradually relaxed.

Lin Jia Bao and the three men had lunch together, and then they chatted again. Lin Jia Bao told them about the things he did every day in the crown prince’s East Palace.

Lin Jia Wen and the others were very pleased to hear that His Royal Highness had specially asked a famous scholar to teach Lin Jia Bao calligraphy and painting. It seemed that His Royal Highness really liked Jia Bao.

Lin Jia Bao also asked his father, eldest brother, and eldest brother-in-law about what happened at home. Hearing that the eldest brother-in-law said that the eldest sister gave birth to a pair of twins last year, he was very happy.

He also learned that his eldest brother passed the county level imperial exam at the beginning of this year, and his sister-in-law was about to give birth next month. He wondered if it was a little nephew or a little niece. Thinking about it, he was really happy for his eldest brother…

Lin Jia Bao listened to his dad saying that the money he had sent back home was used to expand the house, and also to buy some land. Dad and the others talked about all the little things at home, and Lin Jia Bao listened with great gusto.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The happy time of a reunion was always very short. Not long after dinner, Yuan Fu knocked on the door and reported, “It’s getting late. The carriage to pick up Lin-xiaozhu has arrived.”

Lin Jia Bao and his family reluctantly said goodbye at the door of the restaurant. Yuan Qing stepped forward and helped Lin Jia Bao into the carriage.

After Lin Jia Bao got into the carriage, he found that His Royal Highness was also there. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng looked at his baby’s red-rimmed eyes and helped him open the curtain. Lin Jia Bao stretched his head out of the carriage window, and waved goodbye to his family.

Lin Da Zhuang and them also waved to Lin Jia Bao. They watched the carriage slowly drive away and getting further and further. Only when the carriage was no longer visible did they drop their hands.

“The crown prince… seemed to have been on the carriage just now…” When Lin Jia Wen saw Lin Jia Bao getting on the carriage, there was also a vague figure of a tall man in the carriage, and that man should be His Royal Highness…

Lin Da Zhuang and Qin Kai Xing were surprised when they heard this. They just cared about saying farewell to Jia Bao and they didn’t even notice. His Royal Highness… they were unexpectedly so close to the future emperor of the Xuan Yuan Empire…

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Chapter 47 – Meeting

Yuan Qing saw the three of them all looking sad, and was afraid that they might have misunderstood. So he said to them: “Don’t worry, Lin-xiaozhu’s days at the crown prince’s East Palace are very good. His Royal Highness likes Lin-xiaozhu very much. His Royal Highness keeps him in the palm of his hands and is still afraid of him not being well. His Royal Highness has never treated anyone else like this before. Lin-xiaozhu is the number one person in the crown prince’s East Palace.”

Lin Da Zhuang and the others listened to the little eunuch’s words, but they didn’t feel much relieved. They were still more on the concerned side. They all waited silently for Lin Jia Bao’s arrival.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng came back with Yuan Fu early in the morning. Upon arrival at Ping Le Courtyard, he saw Jia Bao standing at the gate of the courtyard and peeking his head out to wait for him. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng laughed lightly.

Ever since Jia Bao knew that he could meet with his family, he has been in a state of excitement. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng coaxed him for a long time last night before getting him to sleep. And today, he was craning his neck, eagerly looking forward to his arrival. This was a treatment he had never experienced before, and he became a little jealous just thinking about it.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Lin Jia Bao was dressed up very well today. Shu Ya and Shu Qing knew that the little master was going to meet with his family today, and they specially dressed him up.

Lin Jia Bao was wearing a royal blue dress today, with beautiful embroidered patterns, and the cufflinks on the neckline were inlaid with gold threads. It made his skin look crystal clear and dazzling.

Lin Jia Bao’s hair was tied with a jade hairpin. The belt around his waist was dotted with gems of various colors. He looked very much like a young boy from a rich family.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng couldn’t take his eyes away from Lin Jia Bao, “Darling is dressed so well today. The clothes from the Jinxiu Workshop* are not bad. Let’s get a few more sets made.”

[*T/N: 锦绣坊 jin xiu fang – literal translation is “beautiful workshop”]

“Yes.” Shu Qing and Shu Ya replied in unison.

The Jinxiu Workshop was a clothing-manufacturing workshop for the use of the imperial household. The workers in the workshop comprised of women from all over the country who had outstanding embroidery work. They specially made clothes for the emperor, empress, princes, and so on. Only people with high status in the palace were eligible to enjoy this treatment, whereas, ordinary concubines and nobles could only have their clothes prepared by the Clothing Bureau of the Imperial Household Department.

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Since having Lin Jia Bao by his side, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng has let Jia Bao enjoy the best in everything. The empress was the phoenix in charge of the harem, so she naturally knew what Xuan Yuan Han Cheng has done and understood his intentions. Therefore, she has never interfered with the needs of Ping Le Courtyard. In the eyes of the people within the palace, this held deep meaning. As long as one was not stupid, he or she would understand how much the empress and the crown prince loved Lin Jia Bao.

For Lin Jia Bao’s trip out of the palace this time, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng sent Yuan Fu along with him, and arranged for two guards to escort him. On top of that, there were the two secret guards that were already assigned to Jia Bao. The meeting place was in Fuyuan Building in the imperial city, which was also a property under one of his subordinates, so there shouldn’t be any problems.

Lin Jia Bao and Xuan Yuan Han Cheng got in the horse carriage, and the carriage slowly drove towards the palace gate and exited the palace smoothly.

“Today, baby can be reunited with his family for one day and have dinner with your family before coming back. How about it, are you happy?” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng entwined his fingers with Lin Jia Bao and spoke softly to him.

“Really? That’s great! I haven’t seen them for a long time. I really miss them. I have a lot to say to them.” Lin Jia Bao didn’t know which members of his family came to see him today.

“As long as you’re happy.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng gave Lin Jia Bao’s little mouth a small kiss. Lin Jia Bao was not very used to Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s kisses, and sometimes he had hearned to respond to him. Every time Lin Jia Bao took the initiative, it would make Xuan Yuan Han Cheng incessantly happy.

The horse carriage quickly came to a stop at the entrance of the Fuyuan Building. “Go ahead. I will have Yuan Fu follow you, and tonight I will come back to pick you up.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng instructed Yuan Fu: “Serve [him] carefully, and don’t make any mistakes.”

“Yes. Please rest assured, Your Royal Highness.” Yuan Fu helped Lin Jia Bao get off the carriage. Then they entered the restaurant with the two guards following behind.

Lin Jia Bao followed Yuan Fu to Heaven Room No. 1. He couldn’t help pushing the door open with excitement. Lin Jia Bao finally saw the family he had missed in the past two years.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

“Dad! Big brother! Big brother-in-law!” Lin Jia Bao ran up to them and hugged his dad. “Jia Bao misses all of you so much!”

“Jia Bao, we miss you too. Let Dad take a good look at you.” Lin Da Zhuang this big, sturdy man was also getting somewhat teary-eyed.

The family was very excited when they met, and it took a long time for them to calm down.

Yuan Fu and Yuan Qing took the opportunity to withdraw, leaving only the two guards to guard outside the door.

When the outsiders were gone, Lin Da Zhuang couldn’t wait to ask, “Jia Bao, how have you been in the past two years? How did you become His Royal Highness’s xiaoshi?”

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Chapter 46 – Meeting

The head of the guards then looked at the roster again, “The people from Yong Shou Palace have all been released, what is the name of your younger brother?”

“My younger brother’s name in the palace is Lin An Zhu. May I trouble sir guard to help us check again?” Lin Jia Wen asked.

“Lin An Zhu… there is no such name in the Yong Shou Palace roster. Could you have remembered incorrectly?” The head of the guards showed them the page with the list of names from Yong Shou Palace.

Lin Jia Wen scanned the page quickly, and indeed his brother’s name was not there. He felt very anxious. How could they not have his younger brother’s name? Lin Jia Bao clearly wrote in the letter that he was a servant working in the Yong Shou Palace of the empress.

The head of the guards thought for a while and said to them, “Maybe he was transferred to another palace again. Wait a bit more. In a moment there will be more servants from the palace coming out.” He hasn’t heard of any palace servants being punished lately, but the name Lin An Zhu was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it from somewhere.

Lin Da Zhuang and the other two could only thank him and wait to the side when they heard this. The three of them felt a little uneasy.

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After a while, they saw a little eunuch run to the gate of the palace and show a palace token to the head of the guards. After that, he said a few more words, and then the head of the guards pointed towards the place where Lin Da Zhuang and them were standing. Then they saw the little eunuch running towards them.

“Are you three Lin An Zhu’s family members?” Yuan Qing asked them, still panting for air.

“We are Lin An Zhu’s family. May I ask if something has happened to delay my younger brother?” Lin Jia Wen asked Yuan Qing.

“Yes, yes, the three of you please come with me. This isn’t the right place to talk.” Yuan Qing said vaguely. He motioned for Lin Da Zhuang and the other two to follow him.

Lin Da Zhuang’s group had some doubts in their hearts, so they followed Yuan Qing. After that, Yuan Qing took them to a large restaurant. Yuan Qing showed a small token* to the shopkeeper, and then the shopkeeper greeted them and took them to Heaven Room No. 1.

[*T/N: 令牌 ling pai – a wooden or metal token of authority in ancient times]

Heaven Room No. 1 was very large, and it comprised of an inner and outer room. In the outer room there was a large round table that could seat ten people. The inner room was for meeting guests. The decoration was exquisite and elegant, and the furnishing was beautiful. At a glance, one could tell that famous artists drew the paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall.

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After Yuan Qing invited the three of them to take a seat, Lin Jia Wen couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked again: “This gonggong, why did you bring us here?”

“This little one is Yuan Qing from the crown prince’s East Palace. Please don’t worry, you will see Lin-xiaozhu very soon.” Yuan Qing said gently and politely.

“Lin-xiaozhu?” Lin Da Zhuang, Lin Jia Wen, and Qin Kai Xing were all so shocked when they heard this that they couldn’t help exclaiming.

“The three of you must not know yet, on the fifth day of the last month, Her Majesty bestowed Lin An Zhu, Lin-xiaozhu, as a xiaoshi to His Royal Highness. Lin-xiaozhu has ascended into the royal family, so isn’t he a xiaozhu (little master) now? Pei County of Xu Province is far away, so the news has been delayed. I am afraid that side has not been notified of the news yet.” Yuan Qing explained.

Lin Da Zhuang and the other two were so shocked when they heard this news from Yuan Qing.

“How come? How could this happen? Jia Bao is too young! This…” Lin Da Zhuang stood up out of control. His darling ger actually became the crown prince’s xiaoshi. Lin Da Zhuang didn’t feel happy about it, instead he was very sad. It could be said that the crown prince could not compare to normal people, but the xiaoshi was actually equivalent to a tongfang* in a wealthy household.

[*T/N: 通房 tong fang – a maidservant that sleeps with the master of the house. Her room is often close to the master’s to facilitate serving him at night. She might be considered the most favored maid due to the location of her room, but she has no status and is not even considered a concubine.]

Alas… the crown prince was the future emperor, who would have a harem of three thousand women, how could Jia Bao’s life be good in the future… why was Jia Bao’s life so bitter…

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Both Lin Jia Wen and Qin Kai Xing’s hearts were also in turmoil. Lin Jia Wen recalled what Qian Qing Kun had told him about the crown prince, but he had laughed it off at that time and didn’t take it to heart. Unexpectedly, that xiaoshi was his younger brother. His younger brother just passed fourteen years old and he was so young. He looked lovely and cute, but it was certainly not the kind that stood out compared to all the different kinds of beauties in the palace.

His younger brother has always been naïve and kindhearted. He also didn’t know how to scheme. Even in common families, wives and concubines would fight endlessly for favor, so there was no need to talk about the imperial family who was at the top of the power pyramid. How could he adapt to a life of palace intrigue in the future? Lin Jia Wen was deeply worried about this.

Qin Kai Xing was also shocked. He didn’t think that his ger brother-in-law would have such good luck, to gain the attention of the empress and the crown prince. But when he thought of Lin Jia Bao’s temperament, he was also very worried.

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Chapter 45 – Meeting

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Lin Jia Bao’s mood got lower and lower. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng looked at Lin Jia Bao and felt very distressed, but when he asked his baby, Lin Jia Bao always shook his head and remained silent.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng actually knew what Lin Jia Bao was brooding about. He must be thinking about meeting his family during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng was just waiting for Lin Jia Bao to take the initiative to tell him and to ask for his help. But he was unable to wait for that moment. It seemed that his baby still didn’t trust him enough.

Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Seeing that his baby was still not ready to bring up the topic of meeting his family with him, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng sighed, “Darling, let’s talk…”

In the afternoon, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng did not go to the inner study to deal with government affairs. Instead he sat with Lin Jia Bao, who had just woken up from his afternoon nap, on the bed.

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“Baby, do you have something you want to tell me?” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng asked him.

Lin Jia Bao shook his head.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng lifted his darling’s face to look at him, and asked: “Who am I?”

“Your Royal High…” Before Lin Jia Bao could finish speaking, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng blocked his mouth. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng swallowed Lin Jia Bao’s words and used his tongue to poke into Lin Jia Bao’s mouth. His tongue swirled around in Lin Jia Bao’s mouth and twined together with his baby’s little fragrant tongue.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng reluctantly withdrew his tongue from his little treasure’s mouth, and then asked, “Baby, who am I? Who am I to you?”

“Husband… Jia Bao’s husband,” Lin Jia Bao replied obediently.

“Very good! Darling, I am your husband. You can talk to your husband about anything.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng saw Lin Jia Bao go silent again. “Or is it that you don’t believe in [your] husband…?”

“That’s not…” Lin Jia Bao said.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng encircled Lin Jia Bao in his arms, “Baby, you have to know, there is nothing that your husband can’t do.”

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Xuan Yuan Han Cheng kissed Lin Jia Bao’s cheek and asked gently, “Is it that you want to see your family?”

Lin Jia Bao nodded vigorously when he heard the word “family,” and teardrops rolled down his cheeks instantly. “Want! Want!”

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng kissed away Lin Jia Bao’s tears, “Don’t cry baby, I will definitely let you see your family tomorrow…”

“But… but… palace rules…” Lin Jia Bao’s voice still carried a sobbing tone.

“Okay… okay, don’t cry anymore, my dear treasure. You’ve been fretting these past few days and you haven’t eaten much. [Your] husband feels so distressed. In the future, no matter what it is, talk to husband about it. No matter how difficult the problem, husband can help you solve it. Understand?” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng hugged Lin Jia Bao, placated him on the back, and spoke softly in his ear.

“I… I understand. Husband is so good!” Lin Jia Bao reached out and hugged Xuan Yuan Han Cheng back.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng was very happy that Lin Jia Bao took the initiative to hug him. “In the future, no matter what hardships you have, you are not allowed to hold it inside, understand?”

“Yes. I won’t [hold it in] in the future.” Lin Jia Bao promised.

“Tomorrow, I will have Yuan Fu and the others arrange it. You don’t have to worry about it.” Xuan Yuan Han Cheng lovingly kissed Lin Jia Bao’s reddened nose.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lin Da Zhuang, Lin Jia Wen, and Qin Kai Xing arrived at the gate of the five outer palaces very early to wait. Many families of palace servants have also gathered at the gate of the palace.

When the visiting hour arrived, the palace gate opened and a team of guards came out to maintain order. The head of the guards began to announce the name of the palace. Every time a palace name was reported, a group of palace servants would be released.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

After the palace servants came out, they all looked left and right for their families. Some saw their families rushing over, and come cried and laughed when they hugged them. Everyone was envious when they saw the scene. Those still waiting for their family members to come out all listened attentively to the head of the guards calling out the names of the palaces.

Lin Jia Wen and the others waited for nearly an hour, and finally heard the head of the guards announcing the Yong Shou Palace. Lin Jia Wen and the other two men craned their necks and looked towards the gate of the palace. Up until the head of the guards reported the next palace name, they still did not see Lin Jia Bao come out.

After waiting for a while, Lin Jia Bao was still missing, and Lin Da Zhuang was a little anxious. “Why hasn’t Jia Bao come out yet?”

Qin Kai Xing said to Lin Da Zhuang, “Don’t worry, father-in-law, I’ll ask.”

Seeing that the head of the guards have already stopped calling out the names of the palaces, Lin Da Zhuang and the other two walked over to him.

“Sir guard, have all the palace servants of Yong Shou Palace come out already?” Qin Kai Xing stepped forward and asked.

The head of the guards glanced at the three of them and said: “They’ve long came out already.”

Lin Da Zhuang became anxious when he heard this, “Is there someone left behind? My family’s child hasn’t come out yet?”

Qin Kai Xing stuffed a bag of money into the guard’s hand, “Sir guard, can you check for us? My family’s younger brother sent a letter and said that he was working as a servant in the Yong Shou Palace.”

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Chapter 44 – Family

Early the next morning, after having breakfast, Lin Jia Wen went to the bookstore that Qin Kai Xing spoke of yesterday. The bookstore was really big, with three floors. It was the largest bookstore Lin Jia Wen had ever seen.

Lin Jia Wen entered, and someone similar to a server* immediately greeted him. “This brother, do you have a rank**? Please come and register first.”

[*T/N: server, waiter, wait staff, etc, like the ones at a restaurant]

[**T/N: 功名 gong ming – scholarly honor in the imperial exams]

After registration, the server said to Lin Jia Wen: “You can read the books on the first and second floors here as you like, but you can’t take the books out of the bookstore. You can only read them in the bookstore. If you need tea or snacks, you can go to the third floor. Please take care of the books. If you damage it, you will have to compensate for the price of the book.”

Lin Jia Wen thanked the server. First, he strolled around the first floor. There were many kinds of books in this bookstore. There were tables and chairs to the side of each row of bookshelves. There were many people in the bookstore, but it was quiet. Lin Jia Wen saw that everyone was sitting quietly and reading. Even when there was a discussion going on, they kept their voices low.

Lin Jia Wen excitedly chose several books he was interested in and sat off to the side to read.

Over the next few days, Lin Jia Wen plunged into the ocean of knowledge, soaking in the bookstore every day.

In the bookstore, Lin Jia Wen also met Qian Qing Kun, who was also a scholar. The two hit it off and they admired each other’s talents.

“Brother Lin, haha, I really couldn’t tell from your appearance. At first, I thought you were taking a martial arts exam! I didn’t expect many of our opinions to be so similar. It’s great to meet such a like-minded friend like you. We can often discuss articles together in the future.”

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When Qian Qing Kun first saw Lin Jia Wen, he saw this man with the waist of a bear and the back of a tiger* who was also a scholar. He was curious, so he started to chat with him familiarly. Unexpectedly, they talked so much, and then they went to the third floor of the bookstore to have tea and chat together.

[*T/N: tough and stocky build]

“Brother Qian, I am also very happy to meet you and become your friend. Unfortunately, this time I came to Beijing with my family to visit my younger brother during the Mid-Autumn Festival. After we see him we will be going back.” Lin Jia Wen felt very regretful. He hasn’t read enough of the books in this bookstore.

“Ah! That’s really a pity. Is your younger brother working as a palace servant in the palace? This tiem, thanks to His Royal Highness destroying the barbarians, the emperor and the empress decided to bestow a grace. The grace of the Mid-Autumn Festival this time is unprecedented.” Qian Qing Kun also said, “Let me say this, His Royal Highness is really an excellent prince. He is not only invincible in the military, but also very important to us literati. It is said that the backer behind this bookstore is His Royal Highness. It is to give the younger generation from poor and humble families a chance to read books.”

“That’s right, I am really grateful for this grace. Otherwise, I don’t know when I would see my younger brother! The family misses him very much.” Lin Jia Wen said with emotion.

“I have an aunt who also works in the palace, so I know a little bit. Which palace does your younger brother work for?” Qian Qing Kun asked.

“My younger brother works as a servant in the empress’s palace, and he makes dim sum in the Royal Snack Kitchen.” Lin Jia Wen answered Qian Qing Kun’s question factually.

“That’s pretty good. Compared to some places, this is really a good place. Your brother is very lucky.” Qian Qing Kun thought for a while. “Rumor has it that in the empress’s palace there is a secret story about His Royal Highness.”

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Qian Qing Kun said mysteriously, “I heard that His Royal Highness has taken a fancy to a palace attendant in the empress’s palace, and now he favors him day and night. I heard that the palace attendant is still very young!”

Lin Jia Wen frowned when he heard this, but didn’t think much of it. He just smiled. Which of those nobles didn’t have any romantic affairs? His Royal Highness’s wisdom and brilliance in martial arts have been spread all over the world, and he was resolute in dealing with the barbarians. Unexpectedly, there were also some quirks…

On Qin Kai Xing’s side, things were also progressing smoothly. Just a few days after opening, the cloth was selling very well. There were many good fabrics and silks here in Beijing, and the designs were also fresh and beautiful, but the prices were also high.

The fabrics that Qin Kai Xing brought were of good quality. The patterns were outdated on their side [in their hometown], but here in the capital they were considered fresher, and the price of the fabrics was relatively affordable. Moreover, it was very popular among the people in the west of the city.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Qin Kai Xing was very happy. If this went on, the goods that they brought this time would be cleared in a few days. He thought that coming to Beijing this time was a really good decision. Not only did he sell the inventory, he also made a small profit. He planned to buy some popular goods in Beijing before going back. At that time, he would definitely make a lot of money. If he could find a fixed client to cooperate with that would be even better.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the Lin family and Qin Kai Xing were full of expectations for meeting with Lin Jia Bao…

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As voted by the readers, today’s bonus update goes to DLYE. \(^o^)/

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Chapter 43 – Family

Lin Chun Er wasn’t able to be proud of herself for long before she discovered that the days of a young madam in an official’s household was not easy. Although she brought good luck to the Wang family, and the two elders of the Wang family treated her well, her husband, Wang Xue Bo, didn’t like her much.

Lin Chun Er was put to work since a young age, so her skin was dark and coarse. Wang Xue Bo acknowledged that she brought luck into the family, and would on very rare occasions visit her room. Lin Chun Er was also illiterate. Although Wang Xue Bo wasn’t even able to attain the rank of tongsheng*, he still liked to have pretensions to culture, so the two did not have any common topics of conversation.

[*T/N: 童生 tong sheng – candidate who has not yet passed the county level imperial exam]

The thing that irritated Lin Chun Er the most was that Wang Xue Bo already has two bed servant girls. Those two bed servants were both prettier and more beautiful than her, so they dominated her husband’s time every night. Only now did she know how difficult it was to be a bride for luck, who did not have her husband’s favor, did not have any children, and did not have a strong maternal family to support her.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

It was then that Lin Chun Er thought of her uncle’s family, especially after Lin Jia Wen passed the county level imperial exam and became a xiucai, she’s been wanting to restore the relationship between them, but every time Lin Da Zhuang’s family would refuse her.

Lin Chun Er was secretly angry as she watched the servant girl come back with the gifts. “Really don’t know good from bad…” Her parents had also gone to give gifts and apologize at her request, but they returned without success. Alas, if only her younger brother, Lin Jia Wang, weren’t a bum that only knew how to eat but not work, and didn’t pull her hind leg* that would be good. Then she wouldn’t need to depend on Lin Da Zhuang’s family.

[*T/N: to pull someone’s hind leg is to be a burden for them]

She heard that Lin Jia Bao was having a pretty good time in the palace. She wondered what would have happened if at that time she were the one who had entered the palace instead…

A few days later, Lin Da Zhuang and Lin Jia Wen waved goodbye to their family members and set off for the capital together with Qin Kai Xing.

Qin Kai Xing brought two large carts of cloth to test the waters in Beijing this time. Traveling with them were also two shop assistants and four servants. They traveled on the official roads for the entire journey and arrived at the capital after ten days without any troubles.

When they entered the capital it was already nighttime, so the group found a nice inn to stay at first.

“Father-in-law and eldest brother go take a rest first. It has been a long journey. Our travels were very smooth and we arrived a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tomorrow I will go inquire about the palace people first thing.” Qin Kai Xing took good care of the two Lin family members all throughout the journey.

“Kai Xing, you have worked hard. Rest early, ba.” Lin Da Zhuang was very satisfied with this son-in-law of his. Fortunately, they had traveled with his son-in-law this time. His son-in-law was very capable. He arranged everything really well from beginning to end, so Lin Da Zhuang and his son did not have to worry about anything.

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Early the next day, when they took breakfast, Qin Kai Qing had already inquired clearly about everything that he wanted to know, so he reported the information that he found, “On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, starting from seven a.m. the people will be divided into batches according to the palace they work for and they will be released from the palace to reunite with their families for two hours. The empress’s palace is naturally first, so I think we can see Jia Bao right away.”

“That’s wonderful!” Lin Jia Wen and Lin Da Zhuang were very happy when they heard this news.

After breakfast, Qin Kai Xing, Lin Jia Wen, and Lin Da Zhuang took a tour around the capital. The inn they were staying in was in the western part of the city. There were more of the common folk living here, making it very prosperous and lively. On the eastern side of the city lived the dignitaries, and further inside was the inner imperial city where the relatives of the emperor and the court officials lived.

After walking around for a while, Qin Kai Xing rented a small courtyard with a shop attached to the front. After paying for half a month’s rent, everyone left the inn in the afternoon and moved everything to the courtyard. Lin Da Zhuang and Lin Jia Wen helped organize the goods and set up the shop, and by nighttime they were all set up.

Qin Kai Xing planned to open the shop for business tomorrow and hang up the signboard of Qin Family Cloth House.

“Father-in-law and eldest brother, I have troubled you this afternoon. Tomorrow will be fine, there’s no need to bother you. It will be okay with just me and the shop assistants.”

“We’re all family, don’t be so polite. What your eldest brother and I have is strength. Ha ha!” Lin Da Zhuang said.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

“By the way, I found out that there is a place in the capital called “You Jian Bookstore,” where anyone with scholarly honor in the imperial exams can read and study books. Brother can go and take a look tomorrow. It is at the junction of the west and the east of the city.” Qin Kai Xing told them about what he had heard today while he was looking for this storefront.

“Then I definitely have to go take a look tomorrow.”

Lin Jia Wen was looking forward to it. There were not many large bookstores in Pei County, and there were few books that could be borrowed. Books were expensive, and his family conditions were average, so he couldn’t buy books too often.

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Chapter 42 – Family

In the Lin Village, the expansion of Lin Da Zhuang’s house has just been completed. According to convention, Lin Da Zhuang ordered half a pig from the village butcher to entertain some of the families that they were familiar with in the village.

After the expansion, the Lin family house was much larger than before. Now there were seven to eight rooms of different sizes, and the area of the yard was twice as large as before. Now there was a central room, one room for Lin Da Zhuang and his wife, one room for Lin Jia Wen and his wife, one room for Lin Li Er and Lin Xiu Er, one room for Lin Jia Cai, and they also set aside a slightly larger room for Lin Jia Bao.

“Da Zhuang’s family, these days your family has been living more and more prosperously. Jia Wen passed the county level imperial exam, and there will soon be a new member in the family. And Jia Bao has such prospects in the palace. It really is enviable!” At the table someone praised Zhang Hui Niang.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Everyone in the village has already heard from Lin Jiao Jiao’s mother that Lin Jia Bao was working the empress’s palace. Although Lin Jiao Jiao’s mother repeatedly emphasized that Lin Jia Bao was only doing odd jobs in the kitchen of the empress’s palace, whereas her family’s Jiao Jiao was directly serving a noble concubine, the people in the village were not stupid. The empress was the mother of the empire. Working at her palace wasn’t the same as working in any other place. And did you not see the big package that Lin Jia Bao sent back? The Lin family has also already built a big house. Henceforth, they would be considered one of the top families in the Lin Village.

“Haha… it’s all because the children themselves are working hard.” Zhang Hui Niang was very happy after hearing those words, and responded modestly.

“If I’m the one talking, I’d say, Hui Niang, you just wait to live comfortably. Your children are all so outstanding. Your family’s Jin Er is married so well. There’s also Li Er, she’s not young anymore, and she grew up well*. Have you had Jin Er look for a good match for her in the city yet?” One of the women on the side spoke up in agreement.

[*T/N: 长的好 – could mean she grew up well, her body developed well, or that she has a nice face]

Zhang Hui Niang looked at Lin Li Er, who was greeting Zhou Hai’s family, and smiled, “Li Er is not in a hurry. Besides, I don’t want to marry her too far away from me.”

From outside in the yard came the sound of horse hooves. It was Lin Jin Er along with her husband, Qin Kai Xing, and her eldest son, Cong Ge Er.

“Oh my… it’s my dear grandson! Come and let grandma hug you…” Zhang Hui Niang picked up her little grandson and kissed him soundly on the shoulder. Cong Ge Er gurgled with laughter.

Qin Kai Xing stepped forward to say hello to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, “I came this time to congratulate father-in-law and mother-in-law on their new home, and I’d also like to discuss with father-in-law and elder brother about going to Beijing.”

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While they were talking, they heard the sound of more horse hooves from outside the yard, “Who else is coming?” Lin Jin Er looked outside the yard. There was a small carriage stopped outside. A servant girl jumped out of the carriage, took some gifts from the carriage, and then came towards them.

They only saw that servant girl coming towards them with an armful of gifts. Then she spoke to Lin Da Zhuang and Zhang Hui Niang: “Greetings to Master Lin and Madam Lin. I am a servant of Official Registrar Wang’s family from the city. I am here on behalf of the young master’s wife, here to give you presents.”

Everyone in the Lin family frowned upon hearing this, and Zhang Hui Niang even said rudely to the servant girl: “We appreciate the kindness* of your young madam**. Just take back the presents, ba. We won’t accept them!”

[*T/N: 心领 xin ling – “I appreciate your kindness.” This is a conventional reply to turn down an offer.]

[**T/N: The term in Chinese here is 少奶奶 (shao nai nai) which means “wife of the young master” and I’m translating it as “young madam” in English.]

The servant girl stood in a stalemate with them for a while. She saw that they definitely would not receive the presents, so she could take the presents and return back to the city.

The young madam of Official Registrar Wang’s family was Lin Chun Er, the one who married into the family in hopes of ushering in good fortune for the Wang family.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Lin Chun Er’s luck was indeed good. After marrying into Official Registrar Wang’s family, her husband’s state of illness gradually improved. This made the two elders of the Wang family like her very much. They felt that she really was the right match for promoting luck.

At that time, Lin Da Li’s family was very pleased with themselves, especially when Official Registrar Wang’s family sent people to speak with Li Zheng and the elders in the clan to get rid of Lin Da Li’s jiafa*.

[*T/N: 家法 jia fa – can mean “the rules of discipline that apply within a family,” “a stick used for punishing children or servants,” or “the traditions of an artistic or academic school of thought, passed on from master to pupil.” In this case it is the first definition.]

Everyone in Lin Da Zhuang’s family* was so angry that their teeth itched. Official Registrar Wang’s family had effectively announced to the clan that they did not recognize Lin Da Li’s family as in-laws.

[*T/N: Not sure if it’s a typo, but in the raws it did indeed said Lin Da Zhuang and not Lin Da Li.]

Lin Da Li and his wife did not take it seriously, and they acted extremely ostentatiously in the village. They bought silk and satin clothes, and bedecked themselves richly in gold and silver, as if afraid that other people would not know that they were well off.

After that, Lin Da Li’s family lived in a big house, bought ten acres of good land and rented it out, and bought two servants girls to wait on them. Lin Da Li no longer worked as a carpenter. He has a good life now, collecting rent and enjoying comforts. Anytime they met someone they would brag about how wealthy they were and how they were in-laws with a government official. This made everyone in the village dread bumping into Lin Da Li’s family.

Lin Chun Er’s husband recovered after half a year, and Lin Chun Er lived the life of a wealthy young madam. Under Madam Wang’s guidance, she also entered Pei County’s upper class circle for womenfolk.

Lin Chun Er had seen Lin Jin Er several times, and she was very jealous. She saw Lin Jin Er’s style of dressing and the dignified air that seemed to permeate her entire body. It looked as if she was living much better days than Lin Chun Er. Humph! Lin Chun Er thought that Lin Jin Er only married a merchant. What’s so great about that…?

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Chapter 41 – Family

These days there was a Lin-xiaozhu in the crown prince’s East Palace whom His Royal Highness favored a lot. Everyone inside and outside of the court knew about this matter. And right now, this legendary little master Lin Jia Bao, who was as beautiful as a celestial deity, was absent-mindedly tracing over red characters* in his little study.

[*T/N: 描红 miao hong – to trace over characters written in red as a method of learning to write]

“Lin-xiaozhu, how about resting for a bit…” Li Zheng Qiu, who was the teacher assigned to instruct Lin Jia Bao, inquired.

Li Zheng Qiu was one of the crown prince’s followers. He once held an office at the Imperial Hanlin Academy*. Right now he was over halfway to a hundred years old. He was quite accomplished in calligraphy and painting. Xuan Yuan Han Cheng sought out Li Zheng Qiu to teach Lin Jia Bao.

[*T/N: 翰林院 han lin yuan – lasted from Tang dynasty until 1911]

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng had told Li Zheng Qiu that he didn’t need Lin Jia Bao to be able to take the imperial examination, nor did he expect Lin Jia Bao to be proficient in all aspects of poetry, songs, and the four arts*. As long as he could read, write, and understand the reasoning in the texts that he reads, then that would suffice. And he also hoped that Li Zheng Qiu could give Lin Jia Bao some pointers in painting and calligraphy.

[*T/N: 琴棋书画 qin qi shu hua – the four arts include zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. Knowing all four is the accomplishments of a well-educated person.]

Li Zheng Qiu came to the Ping Le Courtyard every other day and taught Lin Jia Bao for four hours. Then he would leave behind some homework for Lin Jia Bao to practice by himself. At first, Li Zheng Qiu was not happy when he received His Royal Highness’s orders, but because the crown prince ordered it, he could only come to the Ping Le Courtyard and teach Lin-xiaozhu.

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Li Zheng Qiu also had a bit of arrogance as an intellectual. He thought of himself as a dignified scholar, and here His Royal Highness was ordering him to teach his xiaoshi* how to read and write…

[*T/N: 小侍 xiao shi – first mentioned in chapter 22, it translates to a “little attendant.” The implication is that it is someone who serves a noble in bed. I can’t seem to find any historical context for this word, but in this story it is akin to the lowest ranking concubine]

But when Li Zheng Qiu saw Lin Jia Bao in the flesh, he changed his mind. Lin-xiaozhu was very different from the rumors. His temperament was clean and pure, and he had a childlike innocence. Looking at Lin Jia Bao, who was not much older than his grandson, Li Zheng Qiu easily developed a good impression of him.

Lin-xiaozhu was very polite and really respected him as a teacher. Moreover, Lin-xiaozhu studied very hard, and he was able to complete the homework assigned to him very well. In particular, Lin-xiaozhu’s talent in painting made Li Zheng Qiu like this well-behaved and sensible Lin-xiaozhu. It also made him more attentive in teaching Lin-xiaozhu.

“Master Li*, I’m distracted…” Lin Jia Bao looked at Li Zheng Qiu apologetically. He was thinking of how the Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching and that his family was about to come to Beijing.

[*T/N: Lin Jia Bao calls him “Li-fuzi” 黎夫子 in Chinese. Fuzi translates to Master and is an old form of address for teachers and scholars.]

“Lin-xiaozhu, are you perhaps tired?” Li Zheng Qiu looked at Lin-xiaozhu’s neck. There was a crimson mark there that could not be covered up by his collar. Li Zheng Qiu thought of the rumors that said His Royal Highness stayed overnight in Ping Le Courtyard every night. As someone with experience, how could he not guess why Lin-xiaozhu was exhausted? Alas… the crown prince was still young after all, and didn’t know how to temperate… Lin-xiaozhu was still young. His Royal Highness must have tired him out.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

“Master, I’m not tired. I will practice diligently. I won’t be distracted anymore.” Lin Jia Bao went back to writing in earnest.

Right now, most people in Ping Le Courtyard all thought the same thing as Li Zheng Qiu, but this was a great injustice to the crown prince!

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s current life was very sweet and happy. The only downside was that the nights were harder to bear. Every night was a test of his self-control!

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng never knew that he would be so strongly * Lin Jia Bao’s tender and immature body. Whenever his darling lied under him and looked at him with a face full of trust and dependence, it was so alluring.

[T/N: In the raws it is indeed a * in that sentence. A more family-friendly guess would be “attracted to,” but if it’s censored out, the word is more likely to be closer to “lusting over”]

Every time, Xuan Yuan Han Cheng would want to lick and kiss every part of his baby’s body. Of course, he did indeed do just that…

In short, the current Xuan Yuan Han Cheng could only be at a stage where he could satisfy his cravings, but could not swallow the morsel into his stomach.

After Lin Jia Bao earnestly finished tracing over a page of red characters, Li Zheng Qiu looked over it and explained each character one by one. In the end, he assigned him two pages of homework.

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Li Zheng Qiu pointedly said: “Lin-xiaozhu, the body is still the most important. If you feel that two pages are too much, then just complete one. A healthy body is the most important… Don’t rely on being young and thus not knowing how to temperate. It must be borne in mind that thin streams flow forever*…”

[*T/N: “thin streams flow forever” means “to work steadily at something little by little”]

Lin Jia Bao did not get the underlying meaning of Master Li’s words, and replied foolishly: “Master Li, I know. Two pages are not too much. I will complete it well.”

Li Zheng Qiu looked at Lin-xiaozhu’s serious expression and sighed. If there’s an opportunity in the future, he thought to himself that he should muster up some courage to mention it to His Royal Highness…

After Li Zheng Qiu left, Yuan Qing stepped forward and caringly asked Lin-xiaozhu: “Is the little master tired? Would you like to go rest for a bit?”

Lin Jia Bao shook his head. He already took an afternoon nap today and didn’t feel tired.

“Then does the little master have something on his mind?” Yuan Qing asked, observing Lin-xiaozhu’s expression.

Lin Jia Bao shook his head again. He had learned the rules of the palace with the teaching momos. He was now the crown prince’s person, his status was different from before, and he couldn’t see his family casually. The palace rules were strict, so how could an exception be made for a xiaoshi like him?

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T/N: A small change in translation. I will start translating liwang 历王 as Prince Li. At first, I thought liwang was going to be used as an honorific suffix for Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong (the MC’s antagonistic imperial uncle), similar to momo or gonggong, but it’s actually a title specific to XYZH, so it makes more sense to translate it as Prince Li.

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Chapter 40 – Kang’er

The chattering of the palace maids outside of the courtyard interrupted Xu Xue Ying’s thoughts.

Xu Xue Ying walked into the yard. The maids were discussing something and they were talking about it with vigor. Xu Xue Ying thought, just wait until I return to my glorious days, I will definitely bring all of them under control.

Xu Xue Ying heard one of the palace maids say: “Hey, what do you think that Lin-xiaozhu looks like? His Royal Highness has never pampered a person so much before.”

Another palace maid said: “I heard from the sisters who work at Ping Le Courtyard that Lin-xiaozhu is very beautiful, just like an immortal, and His Royal Highness is completely enraptured. He favors* him every night, and hasn’t gone to another concubine since. They even partake in meals together!”

[*T/N: 宠幸 chong xing – to show special favor towards someone, often applied to the emperor in olden times. The connotation is, of course, naughty. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ]

“Wow… that Lin-xiaozhu is really amazing!” One of the palace maids said with envy. “I heard that that Lin-xiaozhu also started out as a palace attendant. Why is his life so good?!”

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

“Yeah, yeah, how come such a good thing doesn’t happen to us?!” Another one of the maids was fantasizing.

One of the older palace maids interjected, “What is there to be envious of? These nobles are always enamored with the new and bored with the old. We don’t even know how long this Lin-xiaozhu will be favored for!”

“That’s true, just look at that concubine Xu-shi. I heard that her days used to be very glorious. Even the crown princess didn’t dared to go against her. But right now, isn’t she still being confined. His Royal Highness must have long forgotten about her already,” another maid echoed the words of the previous one.

“That’s right, we only see the laughter and smiles of the new people, and not the tears of the old people. The palace has many cases like this. We better just do our duty, and let’s not think too much about it.”

The other palace maids nodded in agreement to this.

Xu Xue Ying received a huge shock from this overheard gossip. She walked to the other side of the yard. She looked at the tall walls beyond the courtyard fencing. So it turns out that His Royal Highness already has a new favorite… but was she going to be trapped in this yard forever? She was not resigned, absolutely not resigned.

Suddenly, through a gap in the courtyard fencing, a bit of movement caught Xu Xue Ying’s attention. Beyond the fence was a little girl in a beautiful floral dress playing with the flowers and plants by herself.

After ascertaining the identity of the little girl, Xu Xue Ying was delighted.

She whispered, “Kang’er, Kang’er…”

The little girl was Xuan Yuan Han Cheng’s eldest daughter, Kang’er. She was almost five years old this year. The little girl heard someone calling her and walked up to the fence curiously. She looked inside through the gap in the fence.

“Who are you?”

“Kang’er, you don’t remember me? I held you before, when you were a baby.” Xu Xue Ying said softly and kindly. “Why are you by yourself? Where is your nanny?”

“My nanny, I don’t like her. She never lets me come out to play. So I snuck out by myself.” Kang’er said triumphantly.

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Kang’er has been weak and sickly since she was a child. Usually, her nanny looked after her closely, and seldom allowed her to go outside and play, for fear that something might go wrong.

“Kang’er, you’re so amazing! The momo in my courtyard is so strict, you see, I can’t come out to play.” Xu Xue Ying said.

“Haha, that’s right, I’m more amazing!” Kang’er said happily.

“Kang’er, do you usually get to see your father often?” Xu Xue Ying asked.

“Yes, my father sometimes come to check up on me during naptime, to see if I’m good. I’m very good. I always take a nap obediently.” Kang’er replied.

Xuan Yuan Han Cheng would sometimes visit his two daughters when Lin Jia Bao was taking a nap. Especially because Kang’er was his first child, he liked her more.

“Then Kang’er can’t see your father at other times?” Xu Xue Ying asked again.

Kang’er shook her head.

Xu Xue Ying thought to herself, that Song-shi is really useless. His Royal Highness is already at her place, but she doesn’t think of ways to keep him there.

“Kang’er, do you know why your father doesn’t visit you at any other time?” Xu Xue Ying said with a mysterious voice.

“Why?” Seeing Xu Xue Ying’s theatrics, Kang’er asked curiously.

“Because… there is a freak* clinging on to your father and not letting him see you.” Xu Xue Ying lied to Kang’er.

[*T/N: 怪物 guai wu – literal meaning is “strange thing,” but it translates to “freak” or “monster.” Freak makes more sense in this context, since XXY is implying that LJB is a freak of nature by referencing his ger identity.]

“Freak? What freak?” Kang’er questioned.

“It’s a freak that is neither male nor female.” Xu Xue Ying continued to deceive.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Kang’er nodded, half understanding, but not really understanding. Then she heard her nanny’s voice calling for her from the distance.

“Nanny is here, I have to leave now…”

“Kang’er… Kang’er, can you come and talk to me often? Look at how pitiful I am. The momo won’t let me go out and play.” Xu Xue Ying said miserably.

“Okay, I will come and talk to you the next time I sneak out.” Kang’er bounced away vivaciously.

Xu Xue Ying watched little Kang’er run away, and smiled a cold smile.

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