Chapter 41 (2/2)
“Which wild place did you go to?” Yun Shi Yi reprimanded him.
“I……I went to buy some jewelry for Zhu Zhu. I’ve said I’d do it before, but I still didn’t have enough money so I just went to the Dong Ling warehouse and helped them haul foodstuffs inside all day. Anyway, I finally bought the piece I wanted.” It was as if Yun Shi Wei was presenting a treasure. From his lapel, he fished out a small but delicate case: “A phoenix hairpin forged out of pure gold with a green gem suspended from its beak. I know you like precious stones and the shop had cheaper ones than this but I didn’t buy those, only this one, because I knew Zhu Zhu would like it.”
Ruan Zhu saw that although this design was not as original as the one she had designed, the craftsmanship and skill was very exquisite. The beak of the phoenix held a long pendant and on the lower end was an emerald green jadeite.
Gold phoenix hairpin
Emerald green jadeite
“Thank you, Second Cousin! The golden phoenix is really beautiful, I really like it! Insert it for me, okay?”
Yun Shi Wei giddily agreed and carefully inserted it into her hair. Perhaps he was too excited for his hands were trembling.
After eating the evening meal, the three of them laid on the bed with Yun Shi Wei taking the innermost spot. Maybe he was too tired from carrying the foodstuffs all day for he had quickly fallen into a deep sleep and started snoring, without forgetting to drape a hand over Ruan Zhu’s chest.
Ruan Zhu gently nudged his hand away and huddled inside Yun Shi Yi’s embrace. She couldn’t sleep no matter what she did. Her experience from today was too frightening, beyond the limit of what she could accept.
“Still thinking about that matter?”
“Are Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s enemies very formidable?” Ruan Zhu was completely at a loss. “He is part of the imperial family and is also one with an honorable status. There’s not enough time for others to curry favor with him so why are there so many people that want to kill him?”
“After Xuanyuan Min Zhi had been given up by adoption by the Emperor to the Duke of Nan Ling, he became a candidate of inheriting the title of duke. It is possible there are quite a few people that can’t accept it, right?” Yun Shi Yi rubbed her back: “Us ordinary people do not have to worry about the imperial family’s matters. Whether they kill or hover between life and death has not the slightest to do with us. Whoever inherits the title would not be able to share some benefits with us anyway. Granted, even if Nan Ling was destroyed, doesn’t the Celestial Empire still exist?”
“That’s true. We are also not citizens of Nan Ling.” Ruan Zhu paused for a moment before again saying: “Lu Piao Xiang is also strange. He has that much skill, why did he enter the brothel? What is his history with the black-clothed men? Previously in order to help Lu Piao Xiang, they opposed Xuanyuan Min Zhi but then they afterwards stood alongside the latter to kill his enemy?”
“I don’t know, ah, Wife.” Yun Shi Yi sighed.
He previously had the intention of arranging Lu Piao Xiang as a secondary husband for his wife, but after this matter, he once again hesitated. Lu Piao Xiang’s family background was presumably not ordinary. Seeing how those black-clothed men had protected him as well as Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s level of apprehension, no matter how he had been framed into entering a brothel, the strength of the forces behind Lu Piao Xiang was no small matter.
To accept a secondary husband that was more powerful than himself and was also not suppressed by him at all in any regard, Yun Shi Yi’s conclusion was that he was not so broad-minded. The woman in his arms was his life. Even if the other secondary husbands shared her, he had to take and remain in the lead spot.
Another ten or so days passed and the fetus in Ruan Zhu’s belly entered the stable period, resulting in her nausea symptoms becoming much better.
On this day, the assistant that had previously been sent to Liu Zhou returned, reporting that only a small part of their batch of wood had been embezzled and the majority still remained. He had tried using money to settle the matter as it basically was not a big issue, but Yun Shi Yi was still required to personally pay a visit to the local authorities.
Yun Shi Yi remained silent for a long time before deciding to head to Liu Zhou. On the day of his departure, he had Yun Shi Wei, Nuan Chun, and Nuan Qing stand before him as he warned them again and again before finally mounting a fast horse and departing with Yun Shan and the assistant in tow.
Ever since her transmigration, Ruan Zhu had never gone a day without Yun Shi Yi and she was extremely unaccustomed to life without him by her side. For a few days in a row, she stayed holed up in her room, too disinclined to leave. Disliking Yun Shi Wei’s nagging, she had kicked him out of her room.
“Miss, the guest in Sky Room #3 has come for a visit.” Nuan Chun pushed aside the door as he entered and saw his master sitting in front of the window to cool off, wearing a dudou and shorts. Her three-month pregnant belly slightly swelled but it did not decrease her beauty. Her previously ill complexion had become soft and dewy again thanks to all of the maintenance she had done over this period. Her skin was white and sparkling, as if bathed in a layer of light.
“I don’t recognize the guest in Sky Room #3, ah!” Ruan Zhu lazily stood up, the small fan in her hand continuously moving up and down, “What kind of weather is this, how long has it been yet one drop of rain refuses to drop? It’s hot enough even at midnight to kill someone.”
“How has Miss become so muddle-headed? A guqin master resides in Sky Room #3 and had come here previously to play the guqin. Miss had even instructed this slave to make a bowl of iced pineapple juice and deliver it as thanks, hmm?”
Lu Piao Xiang, it was him! Ruan Zhu furrowed her brows in hesitation. Recalling his gentle eyes brimming with affection, it was as if she had been stabbed. She promptly waved her hand: “Tell him I am not well today and do not wish to receive visitors.”
“Miss is not feeling well?” Nuan Chun was alarmed, “This slave will immediately invite a physician.”
“Ai, don’t go, I said it as an excuse. Just follow my instructions in responding to Mister Liu. You may withdraw now!”
On such a sweltering day, one could not stay in their room the entire day. If one did not go outside to relieve their boredom, one would become bored to death. On an afternoon of a day such as that, Ruan Zhu neatly dressed and led her two bedwarmers on a stroll. While they were selecting fabrics at a silk store, they unexpectedly ran into Lu Piao Xiang.
“I’m saying this blue one is good. The fabric is resistant to dirt so it is quite appropriate to be used to make a small blanket for our soon-to-be-born Young Master.” Nuan Chun held up an azure block of fabric as he muttered. “Silk becomes bad after it’s washed a few times. This blue material can preserve it for longer so we can also save some money.”
“You have forgotten that Miss prefers simple and plain colors, but you still chose blue against all reason. Hmph! Why must it be resistant to dirt? What our family has is money. Could it be that we’re unable to afford bedding and bedclothes for our Young Master? If Master knew of this, perhaps you would be caned.”
Ruan Zhu held up a block of white cotton, lifting it to view it from all angles. Cotton had been imported into China during the Three Kingdoms and it was first used as a decorative plant in peoples’ gardens and was not recognized for its economic value. It was finally planted in the Central Plains during the Tang and Song dynasties but at this point in time, it was far from reaching the point of popularization and high quality cotton fabrics were rare.[e]
Not only was the texture of the cotton cloth in her hand soft, it was also tightly woven and very absorbent. It would be very nice to use as diapers for infants.
“The white cotton that Miss is holding in her hands is from Gao Chang[f] and is very famous. During the last fair, I purchased a batch from Tu Bo merchants. If Miss likes them, I still have a lot here and can offer a discount.”
“How many do you have here?”
“Let me think, en, should be around thirty five bolts!”
“I want them all.”
After paying, Nuan Chun and Nuan Qing both carried the white cotton bolts as they followed their Master in leaving the store. They caught sight of a man clothed in white with a guqin case tucked under his right arm standing in front of the store and sending a tranquil smile in Ruan Zhu’s direction. Bright eyes, white clothes, black hair, leisurely handsome and talented–all the men and women walking along the road couldn’t help but to give him a second glance.
“Has Mister Lu been well?” Ruan Zhu respectfully bowed with an estranged attitude.
Lu Piao Xiao cupped his hands in return and stared at her, but did not respond.
“Does Mister Lu have a matter?” If there was no matter, she would leave. Others will misunderstand if she were to dawdle with an unmarried man in broad daylight.
Lu Piao Xiang abruptly opened his mouth: “Simu xiaojie yijiu, yuan zhi ji zhou, tingcong chaiqian! I have been thinking of Miss for a long while and wish to serve you!”
Ruan Zhu stared at him in shock, and then with great alarm. In history, wasn’t it written that the first words of the woman, Wu Yan, upon seeing King Xuan of Qi were: I admire Your Majesty’s virtues and wish to serve you![g]
[a] All three of these are actual swords in Chinese history. 湛卢 (Zhan Lu) was made by the legendary sword-making master Ou Yezi. Gan Jiang and Mo Ye were a swordsmith couple that forged a pair of swords and named them after each other after King Helu of Wu ordered them to make him a pair of swords to tragic results. (Wikipedia) All of these swords were allegedly forged during the Spring and Autumn period (~771 to 476 BC).
[b] 剑拔弩张, idiom meaning a state of mutual hostility
[c] 泰山, considered one of the five Sacred Mountains of China (Wikipedia)
[d] 心惊肉跳, idiom meaning fear and trepidation in the fear of disaster
[e] 三国时代, the Three Kingdoms (220-280 AD) was the tripartite division of China into Wei, Wu, and Shu, after the breakup of the Han. This is the time period where Romance of the Three Kingdoms (obviously) took place. And again for a refresher, Tang dynasty is 618-906 AD and Song dynasty is 960-1279 AD.
[f] 高昌, an actual ruined, ancient oasis city on the northern border of Taklamakan Desert in present-day Xinjiang, China.
[g] 无盐 Wu Yan is referring to Zhong Wu Yan, a very intelligent female regarded as one of the four-worst looking women in Chinese history, who famously said those lines upon meeting King Xuan of Qi (350-301 BC) in an attempt to advise him, which worked.