Chapter 44 (2/2)
“…so in all these five years, the emperor’s never appointed anyone as a concubine, but court ladies have entered the iaze when he finished the suain
Ah…
I didn’t hear the beginning
Never mind, since I’d heard the conclusion, I wouldn’t look into the reasons My eyes scanned our surroundings as I slightly raised my eyebrows On the west side, there was an eunuch who looked away as he pretended to busy hi while before I spotted a lotus seedpod in his hand By the white jade railings, a group of court ladies quickly lowered their heads as they hurried along, too fearful to look attwo nobly dressed children, half-pulling and half-dragging the back at me with every three steps
I ondering why they were looking at me like some sort of new playtoy
As it turned out, I was a special case in all of these five years The e imperial concubine
Just a sen below the empress
I was the only ihts reached this point, I raised my head and pointed ahead with a handkerchief to say softly, “Take er” Then I walked on with small, delicate steps, spirited and full of mettle
Exactly like…a turtledove with a phoenix feather stuck in her tail。
—
“Master, it’s getting late If his Majesty can’t find you, he’ll put the blame on me”
“Co out for a walk refreshes the body When we return I’ll explain things so he doesn’t penalize you” The area behind the lotus pond was quiet and secluded I didn’t knohat kind of place it was so I wanted to have a look…
A body stepped forward to block ure spoke in a voice so anxious it sounded like he was about to cry “You’ve just recovered not long ago, why not continue your stroll tomorrow?”
I ignored hiain I stepped to the right…and , I asked him directly, “What’s up ahead?”
“To reply Master, it’s the Cold Palace You’re going to be conferred a title in a few days, so you definitely shouldn’t visit such an unlucky place”
—
Cold Palace?
The ru themselves with a white sash and died? Where you could soht, and where strange shadows flitted through the halls?
Interesting
I had difficulty controlling rabbed Little Li’s sleeve and hauled him after me I took a detour around the lotus pond and brushed aside so in an extremely secretive tone “You have to take me there for a look to expand my horizons I’ll bear the responsibility on his Majesty’s side”
His legs were already shaking as he shrank back, too afraid to remove my hand as his face fell into a fluster There was an aard look in his eyes as he stuttered out, “Master, this task isn’t…i-i-isn’t good, the emperor had instructions not to let you come to places like these, or else he’d break your servant’s…”
“Aiya, you’re such a coward,” I waved my hand and pointed at a random spot “There isn’t even anyone here If you won’t talk, I won’t either, and nobody will know”
Hht
It felt like I was touching soth and poked around, feeling soy as I sensed a person behindeunuch was shocked as well, unable to speak as he looked behind me My arm turned stiff as I fell silent, unsure of whether I should withdraw er first, or turn around I stood in that aard position, un for a while until a voice sounded out behind me
“For how long will this young Miss continue to poke me?”
—
“Excuse me for my impropriety”
“It’s not a problem,” There was a hint of a smile in those words
I loweredto leave But that person blocked my way I saw a pair of black shoes and some rather worn robes, devoid of any accessories It was extreht for those dressed within the palace
I turned away, but he blocked ain
His figure looked delicate and weak, but he carried an irew unhappy
“What do you want to do?”
He laughed, speaking in a cheerful, bluntMiss, you’vebut reclaim his clothes”
His clothes?!
I took a look and saw hi at the old robes in Little Li’s ars over before I slowly looked up at him…shocked This was the disfavored lord from the Cold Palace?!
He had a very co, and a pair of delicate, pretty eyebrows He lacked a certain charh the air about him wasn’t bad…
He took the robes and gave me a slow smile “Many thanks”
When those ordinary features broke into a s his face radiant Though, he’d probably look even better if he had a mole by one eye I stood there blankly while he touched the robes in his hands as if holding a priceless treasure Then he turned and left us
Little Li sta line, “Lord…Lord Hua, take care”
He waved his hand in admonition as he nodded, but didn’t turn back before disappearing into the trees His figure wasn’t bad…
Though it felt like soht There was too uy was Lord Hua?
An oppressive pain appeared in e flashed of a person dressed in white, lofty and unyielding as his robes billowed about That forehead…ought to be filled with gloominess In my impression, a man worthy of the ‘Lord Hua’ title was a person of 10,000 expressions, not…
“Master, what’s wrong?”
I supported ainstback but couldn’t re in ure that had appeared in my mind had vanished without a trace
I had a tangled look inin a low voice “That person was really Lord Hua?”
“Yes”
“Tell me frankly,” I looked doubtfully in the direction of the rip on Little Li’s robes, and my voice wavered “Aren’t the residents of the Cold Palace under house arrest? How could he walk around like that?”
Little Li tilted his head I had no idea what he was thinking about as he studied“Lord Hua is different from other people”
Really…
Were those robes really his?
When he walked past me just then, I’d only smelled the faint scent of the palace incense, a far cry froered on the old robes in his hands… I withdrewwhere the robes had rested on Little Li’s arain, “What kind of people live in the Cold Palace? Is it desolate and bleak?”
“Bleak? That’s theplace in the palace Historically, disfavored concubines and male concubines all live inside”
Could you live so thoughtlessly? This…
Wait, that wasn’t the point
“Male concubines?” I paused to recoverthey’re men…these male concubines?”
He had a coht The person just then was one of them”
Hold on…
I almost couldn’t accept the idea My body swayed, but fortunately he was there to support me
“Master, what is the matter?”
“Support o back and rest” I was out of breath
The sunlight wavered on our way back, andand over over his words in my head Unable to reconcile ain “Thisto the late emperor?”
“Which one?” he blinked, as if he didn’t knoho I ain with an obviously guilty conscience “…Lord Hua? Oh, Master’s asking about the one that walked away before”
I gave hiaze co tide
“He’s not,” he replied quickly, “When the eht hio”
I sucked in a breath Did he have sos I wanted to hear and telling s I didn’t want to know My chest felt oppressive, and a sadwithin my heart This wasn’t to my taste at all
It didn’t sees for the current e male concubines…?
“Tell me more about that male concubine”
“Ruht in to save the previous eot into aard straits with his Majesty Since then, he’s always lived in the Cold Palace The emperor was loath to part with him, so he’d visit the Cold Palace every few days…later on…he forgot about him”
My heart gave a violent throb “Stop talking” I covered my face and took an oppressive breath
That’s it, then
It’s fine if , but as it twisted in pain? Like a knife had forcibly cut it open, aching beyond aching, rief
I…
What was going on with me?
-o- Original and most updated translations are from volaretranslations
[1] at your Imperial Majesty’s command (遵旨) －zunzhi, what officials/laypersons/etc say in response to an imperial edict, or commands by the e >:)
[2] say a dead ca huo sound like another
[3] General Qi (戚将军) – Qi jiangjun, the surname here could mean “relative,” “sorrooe”, or “an axe-like weapon used in ancient China”
[4] orchid hands (兰花指) －lanhuazhi, a coesture found on ladies in traditional Chinese paintings or classical Chinese dance, in which the user extends the fingers of her hand like the petals of a flower Suggests gracefulness and delicacy