《Jun You Ji Fou》


 CH 1

    Daxia, Eighth Year of Yonghe, summer solstice.


    On the outskirts of the capital Chang¡¯an, a sea of forests stretches with waves of green and the wind leaves behind its presence as it sweeps past. The whistle of a bird echoes, and from the verdant green pine woods an unremarkable black-feathered bird shoots into the clouds. It flies across towering buildings and bustling streets before diving into the Residence of the Grand Marshal, landing on the shoulder of a cheerful-looking man in black robes.


    Qin Zhao takes the bamboo tube tied to the bird¡¯s legs and roughly sweeps his gaze across the contents of the letter, before turning around to step onto the pavement.


    The study is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. A youth in ink-blue robes is leaning behind his desk, peeling lychee with his gaze held low. The brilliant red skin of the lychee contrasts his fair crystal-white skin.


    ¡°Back at the right time.¡± Chu Mingyun does not even raise his head. He asks the person who came in, ¡°Have one?¡±


    Qin Zhao hands him the letter. ¡°Chen Xuanwen is dead.¡±


    Chu Mingyun hesitates. He raises his head to cast Qin Zhao a look. Using a brocade handkerchief to wipe his hands clean, he accepts the letter, casually reading through every line. His expression is indifferent, only giving a low laugh when he places the letter onto the table. ¡°I owe Chen Xuanwen the grace of his support. Sending someone to escort him back to his hometown had originally been a dutiful act on my part, but it¡¯s unexpected that there would really be such a change of events.¡±


    ¡°This humble subject has failed,¡± Qin Zhao says.


    ¡°Leave it.¡± Chu Mingyun says, ¡°Suicide isn¡¯t something you could have stopped.¡±


    Qin Zhao says nothing.


    Chen Xuanwen was in his seventies. He occupied the position of the Minister of War and had served three generations of the Imperial Family. He was greatly looked up to in the Imperial Court. A few days ago, he begged to resign and return to his hometown. His Majesty bestowed him with gifts and officials of all ranks watched his departure, calm and peaceful like all the years of his life. Even the Shadow Guards they sent had returned to report the completion of their task; who could have known that he would suddenly commit suicide in his own home?


    When the Shadow Guard heard of the news and hurried back, all that was left was a room smeared with traces of blood. The local authorities had taken and buried Chen Xuanwen¡¯s corpse. The rumours go that he was indulging in a night of song and alcohol when suddenly he went completely silent. The neighbours visited his home to check on him, yet what greeted them was the sight of fresh blood pooling on the floor and what was apparently Chen Xuanwen¡¯s suicide with a blade to his throat. There were even people who claimed they saw the words he¡¯d written on the wall with blood:


    ¡°Could not bear the pressure, and so unyieldingly offers death.¡±


    ¡°This is truly what he wrote before his death?¡± Chu Mingyun asks.


    ¡°The Shadow Guard hadn¡¯t seen those words upon their return. Whether it¡¯s real or not is still unknown. The local authorities have withheld information, simply claiming he passed and offered silence to everything else.¡±


    ¡°Heh, what kind of a person was Chen Xuanwen? The local authorities surely fear that the suspicions of his sudden death would bring trouble from the capital. Since the capital is far away, it is natural that this incident is silenced. Aren¡¯t those people skilled in creating a false appearance of peace and harmony?¡± Chu Minyun leans against the chair, tapping the letter with the tip of his finger. ¡°Rumours don¡¯t materialize from thin air. Moreover, those words did carry the style of his character. They should be true. I fear that the clues were left in a way too obvious; someone has destroyed them.¡±


    Qin Zhao freezes. ¡°There is really something amiss here?¡±


    Chu Mingyin asks instead, ¡°Has anyone ever seen Chen Xuanwen¡¯s family over there?¡±


    Qin Zhao ponders over it for a moment, then shakes his head. ¡°According to the reports, none.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s no wonder.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡®Could not bear the pressure, and so unyieldingly offers death.¡¯ This certainly isn¡¯t a personal grudge. In the years Chen Xuanwen was an official, even if he did not have a hundred students, all the favours he¡¯d done for others big and small would be unnumbered. Let alone the confidential secrets he knew. If one could convert him to their side and make use of him, they would be in an advantageous position in Court without a doubt.¡± Chu Minyun coldly sneers. ¡°And if they were unable to recruit him, that would leave using his family members against him. It¡¯s not a very new method to use.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s is the case, then we cannot stand by and watch,¡± Qin Zhao says.


    ¡°Only, we do not know whether he¡¯s relocated his family to someplace else or they have already fallen into someone else¡¯s hands.¡± Chu Mingyun says, ¡°Let the Shadow Guards scout for information from the local authorities, and see if they can find anything out.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Qin Zhao hesitates before saying, ¡°There is something else that seems relevant. The Shadow Guard found someone secretly tailing Chen Xuanwen when escorting him home. They have discovered the same person in Chang¡¯an. They could confirm that he¡¯s from the Su family.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The Su family?¡± Chen Mingyun vaguely raises a brow. ¡°Su Shiyu?¡±


    Qin Zhao nods his head as he looks at him.


    A hundred years had gone since the founding of the Kingdom of Daxia; due to the founding Chancellor¡¯s attempt to usurp the throne, that position was since abolished. Only two of the Three Lords remain with the Grand Marshal holding power over military services, and the Grand Secretary in charge of supervision. Together, they assist the Emperor in country affairs.


    The current Emperor is young, ignorant, and incapable. The Imperial Court is under the control of the Grand Marshal, Chu Mingyun, and the Grand Secretary, Su Shiyu. This creates two opposing powers, the Chu and Su Factions1, posing as rivals in court.


    ¡°You suspect this is the doing of Su Shiyu?¡± Chu Mingyun looks at him and quietly says, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say.¡±


    Qin Zhao ponders over it and says, ¡°True. After all, everyone says Su Shiyu is  a virtuous man. These methods are a little underhanded.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Chu Minyun sneers. ¡°Just because he shows a virtuous side, how do you know if he is truly a virtuous man?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Then what are your opinions?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Chu Mingyun says, ¡°It¡¯s not like I am close with Su Shiyu.¡±


    Qin Zhao: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°However, I am concerned over another issue.¡± The corner of Chu Mingyun¡¯s lips curls and he slowly says, ¡°The Censorate are all loyal to the Imperial Court. It would be impossible for Su Shiyu to order them for his personal use. In that case, who was it who tailed Chen Xuanwen?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. There were a few times we were a hair out of reach from tracking the other down, yet they escaped in the end.¡±


    ¡°And one time you almost exposed yourself to them.¡± Chu Mingyun raises his hand, stopping Qin Zhao from apologizing again. ¡°The Shadow Guards were trained by myself. I know very well how capable they are. Would you think a pursuer who could leave our people looking so sorry would be a person Su Shiyu casually hired?¡±


    Qin Zhao is enlightened, yet couldn¡¯t respond within a tick of a second.


    Chu Minyun faintly smiles, yet his gaze is clear and calm. ¡°Is this colleague of mine supported by some powers in the Jianghu, or is he like me, raising trained troops in secret? So many years have passed and yet I am ignorant of it. It seems like our understanding of him is truly too little. Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t help thinking that what I had seen was just meant for presentation.¡±


    ¡°What you mean is¡­¡­?¡±


    The smile at the corner of his lips hardens, his fingers holding the seed of a lychee and with a flicker of strength,  the seed turns into dust between his fingers. ¡°Investigate. Investigate everything very carefully. After all, with all present things considered, he is my greatest rival.¡±


    ¡°But from this perspective, the powers behind Su Shiyu could not be underestimated. If he is alerted, it would be troublesome when he puts up his guard.¡±


    ¡°Your worries are rational, we¡­¡­¡±


    A knock rings all of a sudden from the door. Chu Mingyun pauses and grants them access. The door of the study creaks open and a woman holding a lacquered tray walks in gracefully, bending the knee as she faces him. ¡°Your Excellency busies himself with country affairs all day long; Ruji has no capabilities to share in the burden. After a long thought, all this humble one could do is offer some meat soup. Hope Your Excellency does not frown upon it.¡±


    Chu Mingyun replies with an affirmative ¡°En,¡± before waving his hand and saying, ¡°Put it down, then you may leave.¡±


    Ruji obeys and places the soup down, yet she doesn¡¯t leave. She glances at Qin Zhao who is standing at the side; in a gust of fragrance, Ruji has already taken a detour around the desk to Chu Mingyun¡¯s side. She bites her lip lightly, and her soft, perfumed body leans on his shoulder. She speaks in Chu Mingyun¡¯s ear in displeasure: ¡°This soup was cooked for a  great many hours. If Ruji couldn¡¯t watch Your Excellency sip them all down, she would refrain from leaving.¡±


    Chu Mingyun turns his head to the side. He raises his hand to hold her jaw as warm fingers brush over her lips. Her gaze turns southward like a smile, but suddenly her face turns pale, a sharp scream jams in her throat, no longer able to utter a sound.


    Chu Mingyun grips her neck, his eyes cold. ¡°Don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Ruji is forcibly restrained. She cannot utter a single word, shivering as she shakes her head violently until Chu Mingyun lets her go. With a low sob, she quickly leaves.


    Chu Mingyun raises the bowl of soup and stares at it for a while, before pouring it all into the pot of flowers at the corner of the table. He casts a glance at Qin Zhao. ¡°What did you want to say?¡±


    Qin Zhao expressionly replies, ¡°Shige2 is a man blessed with fortune.¡±


    ¡°Your shige is a man blessed with ill-temper. Pull my leg again and I will give you a good beating.¡± Chu Mingyun returns to his seat and impatiently says, ¡°My position in court is stable, hence there are many people who set their gazes on me. These few years, of all the women who were sent to the manor, which one of them didn¡¯t try their hardest to gather information? Yet we still had to exhaust our budget to let them spend lavishly. Had it not been necessary, I would rather admire myself in the mirror for a night than stare at them.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you have planned?¡± Qin Zhao asks.


    ¡°The most worthless thing in this world is the lives of those used as spies, since they¡¯d have to be cleaned out eventually.¡± Chu Mingyun raises his hand and rubs his eyebrows. ¡°Where did we stop in our discussion?¡±


    ¡°Su Shiyu.¡± Qin Zhao says, ¡°And wanting to investigate his whereabouts as well as those working underneath him. I fear it¡¯s impossible to not draw his attention.¡±


    ¡°He would find out eventually.¡± Chu Mingyun ponders over it for a while, before saying suddenly, ¡°What if he knows but could not do anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible?¡± Qin Zhao asks curiously.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s gaze brushes across the empty bowl on his desk, and he suddenly curls his lips into a smile. ¡°Precisely. There is no need to wait for him to find out sooner or later.¡± He straightens his back and looks at Qin Zhao before commanding, ¡°Give orders to spread some stories. It doesn¡¯t matter how those stories are made; just say that I am attracted to males. They must be spread throughout the capital by tomorrow morning, especially to Su Shiyu. Let him know about this clearly.¡±


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    The bureaucratic system is a combination of the Three Lords and Nine Ministers, and the Three Departments and Six Ministries. The Three Lords excluded the Chancellor, so there is only the Grand Marshal and the Grand Secretary. The rest are the Six Ministries. There are no records in history; calm down, researchers.


    Lastly, believe me, this one is the gong!


    Note:


    In the summary, the sentence ¡°The mountains and rivers in your pupils champion all that passes me by¡± was inspired by the song, ¡°I am a lonely blue whale in the sea¡± in which its lyrics are modified.


    I neglected to mention in the beginning it was my fault, I apologize to the song writer as well as the readers.


    [1] µ³ (lit. Gang/Party/Faction). People of power within the capital in this setting are split into two groups: those who support Chu Mingyun and those who support Su Shiyu, hence they¡¯re called the ¡®Chu Factions¡¯ and ¡®Su Factions¡¯.


    [2] ʦ¸ç: Elder apprentice brother.

 CH 2

    If the unmarried ladies in Chang¡¯an could suggest a suitor for themselves, at the top of the list would no doubt be the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty, Su Shiyu.


    Su Shiyu was born in an eminent family. The three generations before him were famed generals. His father, Su Jue, was the subject the former Emperor entrusted his country to, and as one of the Three Lords, he earned the deep trust of the Emperor. Yet there isn¡¯t anything domineering in the nature of Su Shiyu¡¯s character¡ªhe is proper and refined, well-mannered and gentle to people around him. People who tried to matchmake their own relatives with him were all declined, yet they refused to submit or give up, insisting on wanting him for their son-in-law.


    But Chu Mingyun could not help feeling that Su Shiyu¡¯s well-mannered behaviour enables him to conveniently put a distance between himself and others. He looks gentle and easygoing, but in reality he is distant. Chu Mingyun is disinterested in dealing with people of this type, hence even though they have shared the same court for many years, the Chu and Su Factions never stopped fighting. Between Su Shiyu and himself, they have never done anything more than nodding heads upon meeting.


    But after today, being involved would be inevitable.


    Chu Mingyun walks out from the great hall and finds the figure of the most desired man in the capital amongst a hundred varying officials.


    ¡°Your Excellency1 Su.¡±


    Su Shiyu steps and turns around to ask, ¡°Is something the matter, Your Excellency Chu?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Mingyun walks up to him. ¡°There is something I have been thinking for a long time. I feel like I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    Chu Mingyun inhales deeply and grabs Su Shiyu¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you really willing to listen?¡±


    ¡°What is this talk about willingness?if there is something you want to say, speak it.¡± Su Shiyu draws back his hand without a trace, yet finds himself gripped even tighter. He gives a faint smile to the officials passing by before adding, ¡°Rumours about Your Excellency Chu¡¯s attraction to men are abound in the capital recently. In my humble opinion, we should avoid suspicion as the best course.¡±


    ¡°You want to avoid suspicion?¡± Chu Mingyun cants his head to the side slightly with a sorrowful expression, yet within the blink of an eye, before Su Shiyu could react, he grabs his arms with both hands and raises his voice to say, ¡°Shiyu, I¡¯ve liked you for a very long time.¡±


    On the palace¡¯s path, some officials almost trip.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu freezes for a while, but in the blink of an eye, turns as gentle as he had always been. ¡°This is not a funny joke to make, Your Excellency Chu¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Chu Mingyun interrupts him and tightens his grip with a face full of honesty. ¡°The Heavens and Earth may bear witness, in this life of mine I would only marry¡­¡­ coughs, would only grow old with you alone. Are you willing?¡±


    ¡°No, I am not,¡± Su Shiyu honestly replies.


    ¡°I could have guessed. That is why I have never dared to confess my feelings in the past.¡± Chu Mingyun¡¯s expression doesn¡¯t change. ¡°But I have managed to put it past me in recent days. Even if it is unattainable, one should still try.¡±


    Su Shiyu laughs and says, ¡°Has Your Excellency Chu been mistaken? You and I have always just been colleagues. Since when has it turned into miseries and woes?¡±


    Chu Mingyun glares at  him. ¡°Are these words of yours just accusing me of not being nice enough to you?¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant; Your Excellency Chu has overthought.¡± Su Shiyu forcibly withdraws his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re irreproachable in your distrust of me. In the future, I will prove it to you. Shiyu, my heart does not lie.¡± With these words of deep passion, Chu Mingyun inserts his hand back into his sleeve and pinches himself.


    Su Shiyu¡¯s smile deepens all of a sudden. He squints his eyes and gently parts his mouth to say, ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°Lovesickness,¡± Chu Mingyun answers resolutely.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Su Shiyu nods, turns away and leaves.


    ¡°I will wait for the day your heart changes.¡± Chu Mingyun warmly sends him off, dropping his expression only after Su Shiyu¡¯s figure vanishes. His lips curl into a soft smile. He cares not for all the conflicting gazes of officials on him all around. Recalling all the words he¡¯d said just now, he suddenly feels that although his acting skills were shallow, its effects were extremely obvious. He feels quite satisfied.


    The footsteps of His Excellency Chu as he walks out of the palace today is light and swift.


    Summer is peaceful; the guard by the gates of the Su Residence could not help raising his head. He squints his eyes as he enjoys the sunlight. Just as his mind is at ease, a sudden rumble of messy footsteps sound at his ears. He holds his halberd horizontally to stop the shadow going into the residence, halting them loudly: ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    The intruder stops just in time before the halberd. He pants with his body bent as he raises his head, revealing a clean-cut and handsome young face. Su Bai wipes the sweat off his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    The guard recognized him as the Young Master¡¯s personal attendant. He immediately withdraws his weapons, apologizing but couldn¡¯t help teasing with a laugh: ¡°Why in such a hurry? Which little Young Master have you lost this time?¡±


    ¡°Go to hell.¡± Su Bai is impatient. ¡°Something big happened. Where is the Young Master?¡±


    ¡°I saw the Young Master walk in the direction of the study just now. He should still be there.¡±


    Su Bai immediately rushes towards the study. Without pause, he shouts urgently as he pushes the door open, ¡°Young Master! It¡¯s a disaster!¡±


    The two people talking inside the room pause to turn in his direction. Once he sees the middle-aged person next to his Young Master, Su Bai¡¯s knees grow weak. He lowers his head to shut his mouth.


    The housekeeper, Su Yi, turns around to bow at Su Shiyu and says, ¡°Then this humble one will take his leave first.¡± Once Su Shiyu nods his head and allows it, Su Yi walks towards Su Bai and reprimands him with a low voice, ¡°Not even a lick of manners. Jumping around like that, what does that make you look like?!¡±


    Su Bai lowers his head silently. ¡°Dad¡­¡­¡±


    Since Su Shiyu is present, Su Yi didn¡¯t say much. He glares as a warning and leaves.


    Su Shiyu smiles, lightly standing behind the desk. ¡°Not knowing to ask who is present before coming in got you a scolding, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Su Bai raises his head at this and rubs his nose, flushing as he says, ¡°Young Master is still the best.¡± He approaches and catches sight of the invitation in Su Shiyu¡¯s hand. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°An invitation from the new Zhuangyuan2, Song Heng. In a few days, he will be having a celebration banquet.¡± Su Shiyu places the invitation aside. ¡°He was fluent in diction during the Imperial Examination. Could be a worthy fellow to get to know.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Su Bai nods his head.


    ¡°What did you say just now? What happened?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Su Bai abruptly recalls and urgently says, ¡°Everyone outside is saying that Grand Marshal Chu seeks after you!¡±


    Su Shiyu takes a sip of tea and replies plainly, ¡°That¡¯s just nonsense.¡±


    ¡°But¡ªbut everyone is talking about it in the teahouses! His Excellency Chu goes all out gathering information to gain your favour, including even the places you¡¯ve been to! Even all the beautiful maidens in his residence were dismissed without a single one left¡­¡­¡± Su Bai looks like a tangled mess. ¡°This subject thinks¡­¡­ it might not be nonsense.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve interacted sparsely, and yet all of a sudden he says he seeks after me, would you believe it?¡± Su Shiyu raises his eyes to look at him.


    Su Bai nods his head and after meeting Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze he immediately shakes his head.


    ¡°Baseless gossip; just let them be. To argue with them on purpose would instead be suspected of concealment., so why not let them dissipate on their own?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do, Young Master!¡± Su Bai urgently says, ¡°If this continues, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for you to get married in future! You aren¡¯t even married presently, and after this series of events, let alone others suspecting whether you are¡­¡­ with a love rival like Grand Marshal Chu alone, how would any maiden dare marry you in future?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You truly think far ahead.¡± Su Shiyu sighs, looking at Su Bai behaving like he is on fire. Su Shiyu helplessly reaches into his sleeve to take the jade and says, ¡°Then, order¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No! Young Master, you don¡¯t know what they have said!¡± Su Bai urgently interrupts his words, then bites his lip down in determination and steels his heart as he spits out the words: ¡°They say that you look righteous, and therefore when Chu Mingyun is on the bed he is¡­¡­ mostly on the bottom.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu withdraws his hand, taking his time to raise the cup and replies with an ¡°Oh¡±, before he nods his head with a smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t they just praising me then? Why pay attention to gossip?¡±


    Su Bai¡¯s face turns from shock, confused and undecided, before he is finally enlightened with admiration. ¡°Young Master, you are truly extraordinary in your magnanimity!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this here.¡± Su Shiyu smiles. ¡°How is the person I ordered you to receive?¡±


    ¡°We met. He¡¯s at the back. He should have arrived by now.¡±


    [1] ´óÈË(daren) a form of address to higher-ups or aristocracy.


    [2] ×´Ôª (Zhuangyuan): title given to the scholar who achieved the highest score on highest level of the Imperial examination.

 CH 3

    The gentle voices of songstresses fill the tavern as they lightly float into the room on the second floor. A pity that the two sitting inside of it carry no mood to admire refined pleasures at this moment. Their hearts are not here to indulge in it.


    Chu Mingyun opens and closes the glittering gold fan in his grasp a few times before finally putting it aside on the table impatiently, shattering the inherent silence. ¡°After six years of not meeting each other, we convene here instead of my residence. What is Du Yue playing at?¡± He idly grabs a white ceramic cup and plays with it with his fingertips before asking Qin Zhao, who sits next to him, ¡°Could a person whose brain lacks a tendon1 like him find his way around the capital?¡±


    Qin Zhao doesn¡¯t talk back¡ªa rare sight to behold¡ªand coldly states, ¡°The first person he meets upon arriving in the capital isn¡¯t us, but his cousin brother. After a while, his cousin brother would accompany him here, so why wouldn¡¯t he be able to find his way?¡±


    Chu Mingyun cannot help but to turn and study Qin Zhao¡¯s expression closely. Although he has never carried much of an expression, those tightly pursed lips would be enough to give away a hint of nervousness.


    Six years ago, when he bid his Master farewell at Mount Cangwu, he hadn¡¯t expected this shidi2 of his to stubbornly insist on following him. After all, Chu Mingyun had always felt that whether it was hatred or aspiration, they were all his private concerns. He had never mentioned them, neither did he want someone else¡¯s interference.


    However, Qin Zhao is a person with a cold facade but a warm heart. He obviously knew nothing, yet packed his belongings and waited for him at the gates at dawn. Qin Zhao said nothing, but regardless of how Chu Mingyun tried to chase him off, it had been unsuccessful. In the end, when Chu Mingyun was about to be enraged, he only quietly said, ¡°Shige, Master says the path you chose is a bitter one.¡±


    And then Qin Zhao followed him. From the battlefields beyond the walls, to the halls of the Imperial Court filled with jades and gold. Step by step, Chu Mingyun ascended on the path paved with corpses and wandering souls, becoming the Grand Marshal of supreme power and arrogance, and turning into the nefarious scheming subject of the Emperor who curried favours.


    This is something Chu Mingyun hasn¡¯t anticipated: After all, there was someone in Mount Cangwu whom Qin Zhao constantly had on his mind.


    Qin Zhao tolerates his arrogance and wayward behaviour, has taken beatings and blame in his stead. Qin Zhao carefully spoils him, yet Du Yue feels nothing in his stupidity. Only Chu Mingyun, who watches as a spectator, sees everything clearly.


    These years, the most Qin Zhao could do is to visit when he has nothing to do. A few days ago Du Yue¡¯s Master passed, and he sent a letter saying that after he had taken care of everything, he would come to Chang¡¯an and look for them. These days, Chu Mingyun caught Qin Zhao occasionally drifting off, and now he¡¯s feeling anxious from seeing someone close to home.


    Oh, there is even a very thick scent of jealousy.


    Chu Mingyun feels a spark of interest. He places the cup down and gives a pensive ¡°Oh¡± before saying, ¡°It¡¯s that cousin brother he often talks about who is always smiling with a gentle exterior, looks intelligent and smart while being peerlessly skilled in the five arts?¡± He sneers out loud. ¡°I have always thought that he¡¯s just using every character he knows to string that description out.¡±


    Qin Zhao glares, but doesn¡¯t say anything.


    Chu Mingyun takes pleasure in his misfortune and only holds himself back when Qin Zhao¡¯s expression darkens. He taps on Qin Zhao¡¯s shoulder with his fan, taking his time to say, ¡°It¡¯s good to meet. Half of this capital is under my control, and you are the leader of my three thousand Shadow Guards. Who else would you lose to?¡±


    Qin Zhao¡¯s expression softens before saying ¡°Yes,¡± and nothing more.


    After a while, Du Yue arrives. A joyful voice saying ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± followed by the sound of a door being pushed open. The doors with flower-engravings open, and as they meet, other than Du Yue, the other three people were stunned.


    ¡°How long since we met!¡± The young man is at his coming of age and still carries a bit of childishness between his brows. The azure robes he wears made him appear a few years younger. Du Yue¡¯s greetings come warmly, yet no one responds to him.


    When Qin Zhao catches sight of the people who came, he immediately gets to his feet and retreats behind Chu Mingyun, holding his gaze low and saying nothing. Chu Mingyun¡¯s gaze drifts pass Du Yue to fall on the person behind him, an unfathomable smile slowly showing itself at the corners of his lips.


    Du Yue follows his line of sight and turn around to look. Su Shiyu meets Chu Mingyun¡¯s gaze as he returns the smile, ¡°Couldn¡¯t have guessed to meet Your Excellency Chu here.¡±


    Chu Mingyun supports his chin with a hand, his smile deepening. ¡°That¡¯s to say Your Excellency Su and I truly share fate.¡±


    ¡°The talk of fate would better be left alone.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Both of you know each other?¡± Du Yue interrupts.


    ¡°We just see each other often.¡± Su  Shiyu smiles and says, ¡°This morning after the court was dismissed, he pulled me aside and said many things without a clear mind; we aren¡¯t considered close.¡±


    ¡°Without a clear mind? What did he say?¡± Du Yue asks curiously.


    ¡°Speaking of the matter, it does make one feel surprised. Are they the friends you talk about?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    ¡°Yeah. Our Masters are the best of friends who all live up on Mount Cangwu. On the mountain, we were the only three apprentices. I¡¯ve known them since I began learning the medical arts. They¡¯re my best brothers!¡± Du Yue asks again, ¡°Cousin brother, what did he say in the morning?¡±


    Su Shiyu turns his gaze back onto Chu Mingyun. ¡°Since that is the case, I should thank His Excellency Chu for looking after him.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for His Excellency Su to be so polite.¡± Chu Mingyun replies with good humour.


    ¡°¡­¡­Cousin brother, there¡¯s no point in thanking that fellow.¡± Du Yue walks forward a few steps and puts a hand on Qin Zhao¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He is the one who is nice to me. Every time Chu Mingyun bullies me, he is the one who helps me. He should be the one to thank.¡±


    Qin Zhao lowers his head and glares at him helplessly. Du Yue realizes belatedly and looks around before asking, ¡°Qin Zhao, why are you standing here?¡±


    Qin Zhao keeps his head low and his mouth silent. Su Shiyu sweeps his robes aside and sits down calmly at the table. He raises his hand and smiles. ¡°There is no need for customs at a private banquet, and you are A-Yue¡¯s friend as well. No harm in sitting down.¡±


    Qin Zhao furrows his brows when he hears how he addresses Du Yue. He looks at Chu Mingyun hesitantly. Chu Mingyun opens and folds his fan a few times, snickering impassively. ¡°Since His Excellency Su has spoken, then it wouldn¡¯t cost you your life to take a seat.¡±


    Qin Zhao obeys and returns to his seat. Su Shiyu gives a slight smile and says nothing. It is instead Du Yue who is displeased. ¡°Ei, the one surnamed Chu, what do you mean by those few sentences? Speaking as if my cousin brother would devour humans!¡±


    Chu Mingyun casts him a glance. Du Yue instinctively wants to take a step back, but before he opens his mouth Su Shiyu interrupts. ¡°A-Yue.¡±


    Du Yue immediately shuts his mouth and quietly sits next to Su Shiyu.


    ¡°I recall a question.¡± Su Shiyu calmly changes the subject. ¡°A-Yue was sent to learn the medical arts from a young age, far away from home and was never disciplined. Once he was discovered to have learned inappropriate things, it was already beyond saving. Originally, one thought that the school of the Medical Sage was mixed with good and bad, but seeing His Excellency Chu and this gentlemanly person, what is this all about?¡±


    ¡°Because his Master was disrespectful as an elder,¡± Chu Mingyun leisurely says.


    ¡°Ei¡ª¡± Du Yue is displeased again, but forcibly swallows his words upon being reminded by his wisdom that Su Shiyu is sitting just next to him. ¡°How can that be? Didn¡¯t he just lecture you with a few words? That was just my Master being ¡®lively¡¯.¡±


    Qin Zhao looks at Du Yue, yet doesn¡¯t feel that his word choice is accurate.


    Chu Mingyun coldly gives him a squint.


    ¡°Cousin brother, let me tell you, this one surnamed Chu isn¡¯t a good person.¡± Du Yue turns his head around and tells Su Shiyu in all seriousness, ¡°My Master said before: This person Chu Mingyun is a lunatic when he¡¯s happy and a pervert when he is not.¡±


    Chu Mingyun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The Medical Sage truly is different from the norm.¡± Su Shiyu laughs softly. ¡°However, there is no need to take this to heart, Your Excellency Chu. My humble opinion knows what sort of a person you are.¡±


    Chu Mingyun twitches his lips. For a moment, he can¡¯t tell whether Su Shiyu¡¯s words were of solace or mockery.


    Only Du Yue takes them at face value. He smiles and says, ¡°Isn¡¯t it so? I too think my Master is a lively fellow.¡± He scratches his head and says again, ¡°However, cousin brother, I think that when it comes to being mean to others, my Master is beneath you.¡±


    The other three people present¡¯s gazes on Du Yue become more conflicted.


    Whose side is he on?


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu are not people who cannot have a talk. With Du Yue present, the atmosphere at their table is considerably peaceful. As the banquet progresses halfway, Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu exchange words and start talking about state affairs. Qin Zhao finally finds an excuse to take Du Yue away to talk in private.


    ¡°Do you know what your cousin brother does for a living?¡± he asks.


    Du Yue nods his head. ¡°I know. He¡¯s an imperial official.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Then do you know what shige does for a living?¡± he asks again.


    Du Yue nods his head. ¡°I know. He¡¯s an imperial official.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Qin Zhao suddenly gives him a dull and sunken gaze. ¡°Nevermind; let us return home.¡±


    [1] ȱ¸ù½îµÄÄÔ´ü (lit. someone whose brain lacks a tendon) refers to people who are single-tracked minded or incredibly stubborn.


    [2] ʦµÜ (shidi): younger apprentice brother.

 CH 4

    What they didn¡¯t know is that the moment both of them leave, Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu unanimously stop talking about business, taxes, and state affairs¡ªissues that were not their part to worry about even after eight generations had gone.


    Two great foxes stare at each other with a smile. Su Shiyu is the first to speak. ¡°Your Excellency Chu, what is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chu Mingyun asks, canting his head to the side.


    ¡°On the road, A-Yue said that this time he came to the capital to assume a post through a friend. That friend is you, Your Excellency Chu?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Mingyun says without haste, ¡°If I knew he could allow me to meet Your Excellency Su in private, I would have called him here earlier.¡±


    Su Shiyu faintly smiles, yet his voice turns more serious: ¡°I know his ability with medicine clearly; it would not disappoint. However, he is still young and could not tell the good apart from evil. Hopefully Your Excellency Chu will provide some guidance.¡±


    ¡°If Your Excellency Su agrees to my proposition, then Du Yue and I will be of one family. Naturally, I will guide him properly.¡± Chu Mingyun smiles.


    ¡°Leave these jokes aside.¡± Su Shiyu glares at him. ¡°I can tell you have no intention of letting A-Yue misunderstand our relationship.¡±


    Chu Mingyun meets his eyes and raises a brow. ¡°Are you blaming me for not telling him?¡± He bargains with a serious look, ¡°Am I not just afraid that you would be shy? In this case, once Du Yue comes back, I will tell him. How about it?¡±


    Su Shiyu looks downwards and gives a light laugh, emotions indiscernible through the calmness of his tone. ¡°It seems like Your Excellency Chu has no intentions to face my question head-on?¡±


    Chu Mingyun sighs lightly and raises his teacup to say, ¡°Obviously, every word comes from my heart.¡±


    Su Shiyu takes a sip of tea as he looks out the window at the long street lit with lanterns outside.


    Very good. Now, they could not even continue the banter.


    After a while, he hears the sound of opening doors; only then does Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze turn back. He speaks to Du Yue, who is behind Qin Zhao: ¡°The sky is turning dark. A-Yue, we should go back.¡±


    Qin Zhao instinctively grabs Du Yue¡¯s arm, staring at Su Shiyu warningly.


    Du Yue gives Qin Zhao a curious look before bewilderedly telling Su Shiyu, ¡°Cousin brother, do you mean I should go back with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Shiyu and Qin Zhao stare at each other before coming to an understanding. Then he heedlessly turns away and continues: ¡°If you want something to do, I could arrange it for you. Why bother His Excellency Chu?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s troublesome.¡± Chu Mingyun glares at Su Shiyu with a smile sitting on his brows and drawls, ¡°His Excellency Su, are you feeling heartache for me?¡±


    Su Shiyu turns a deaf ear to it.


    Du Yue scratches his head. ¡°There is no need. I have already discussed it with them. I couldn¡¯t go back on my words.¡± After he finished speaking, he¡¯s afraid that Su Shiyu would be displeased and adds, ¡°Although I also want to search for you, but¡­¡­ if my Mom knew about it she¡¯d scold me, saying I¡¯ve been giving you trouble all the time.¡±


    Su Shiyu remains silent for a while, but after seeing that Du Yue truly looks torn, he could only give a low laugh. ¡°All right, then.¡± He glares at Chu Mingyun before reminding Du Yue again, ¡°But if anything is difficult for you, don¡¯t hesitate to look for me.¡±


    ¡°If there is anything difficult for him, Qin Zhao would rush to help him. Most of the time, there would be no need to bother His Excellency Su,¡± Chu Mingyun says slowly.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu turns around to look at Chu Mingyun and smiles. ¡°With His Excellency Chu here, naturally I am reassured. Since this is the case, this humble one will take his leave. Excuse me.¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Su Shiyu answers him in tranquillity.


    It could be seen that the Imperial Secretary¡¯s will is unlike normal people.


    The decorations and placement of everything inside and outside the medicine house in the Residence of the Grand Marshal were done by Qin Zhao personally. Du Yue excitedly walks around the place and feels incredibly pleased. Chu Mingyun crosses his arms and looks at him for a while. Then he greets him before turning away to return to the main residence. Du Yue immediately follows suit until they arrive in the main hall.


    Chu Mingyun turns his head to look at Du Yue who is following him, then looks at Qin Zhao who is following Du Yue, and impatiently says, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There is something I need to tell you both,¡± Du Yue says.


    Qin Zhao feels surprised. ¡°What?¡±


    Du Yue hesitates for a long time before saying quietly, ¡°Master Baili has also passed away. On the day my Master was buried.¡±


    Chu Mingyun is taken aback. He catches sight of Qin Zhao¡¯s similarly panic-stricken look before taking a seat. ¡°En, what else?¡±


    ¡°Master Baili allowed me to bury him with my Master. He said there was no need to inform you people to go back, but he wanted me to bring some words to you.¡± Du Yue looks at Chu Mingyun as he speaks.


    Chu Mingyun supports the side of his face with a hand, his gazing downwards as he answers quietly, ¡°Hm?¡±


    Du Yue hesitates for a moment, In the shade, he couldn¡¯t see Chu Mingyun¡¯s eyes, so he could only carefully say, ¡°He said: You are on your own now.¡±


    Chu Mingyun closes his eyes and chuckles briefly, saying nothing at all.


    Du Yue doesn¡¯t know what to do all of a sudden. He is only here to pass the  message, but he doesn¡¯t understand the meaning of it. He didn¡¯t know how to respond to this reaction of Chu Mingyun¡¯s. Qin Zhao finally comes back to his senses. He places a hand on Du Yue¡¯s shoulder, trying to make his voice sound gentle. ¡°Are you the only person on Mount Cangwu?¡±


    As he hears this, there is a twinge in his heart. The sobs he¡¯d held inside could no longer be held. He musters the strength to nod his head. ¡°Master Baili didn¡¯t like people making noise. Neither do I want someone to go up the mountain.¡±


    Qin Zhao pats his head and says quietly, ¡°You did very well.¡±


    Realizing the warmness of his touch, Du Yue rubs the tears that fell and musters up a smile. ¡°Master liked fir trees, so I planted one next to his grave. So even if the three of us aren¡¯t there, it could shield them from the winds and rains.¡±


    Qin Zhao lowers his head to look at him, unaware of the gentleness in his gaze. Du Yue doesn¡¯t catch it; he only discovers that Chu Mingyun hasn¡¯t uttered a word for a long time, and so quickly finds a subject to talk about. ¡°Oh, yes¡ªyou, the one surnamed Chu, I¡¯m calling you. Do you both have a bad relationship with my cousin brother?¡± After all, he isn¡¯t a complete fool. After their return, he could feel something wasn¡¯t right.


    Chu Mingyun lazily opens his eyes. ¡°Is that so? I think we are quite well off.¡±


    Du Yue suddenly recalls the words Qin Zhao said that he didn¡¯t understand, and so tested him: ¡°Is it because the identities between you and my cousin brother contradict?¡±


    Chu Mingyun laughs quietly and pays him no attention.


    ¡°If this is the case¡­¡­¡± Du Yue gives a conflicting look and says, ¡°Both of you are my best friends. My cousin brother took care of me since I was little, so I cannot choose. Even if both of you fought, I would most definitely serve both sides¡­¡­¡± His voice becomes softer and softer. It is rare to see Du Yue feeling awkward, and so he gives up. ¡°I best return to take another look at the medical house!¡± After he finishes, he turns and leaves.


    Within the hall, everything quietens down. Qin Zhao¡¯s gaze follows Du Yue¡¯s figure until it disappears before turning back around. ¡°Shige, then should we still scheme after Su Shiyu in the future?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Chu Mingyun asks instead, ¡°They are relatives, but would it be a hindrance?¡±


    ¡°But Du Yue¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°At most, we keep Su Shiyu alive so it would be fair to Du Yue.¡± Chu Mingyun watches him, his gaze cold. ¡°Otherwise, are you convincing me to give up?¡±


    Qin Zhao shakes his head silently. What he knew was just a little bit more than Du Yue. He didn¡¯t understand the conversations between Master and Shige. Even though Qin Zhao has known Chu Mingyun for years, he couldn¡¯t tell what he is thinking about. Just like how at this moment, he could tell that something is going on with Chu Mingyun, but he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking about, and hence is in no place to console him.


    ¡°Shige¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what Du Yue said yesterday?¡± Chu Mingyun suddenly asks.


    Qin Zhao looks at him worriedly. There is nothing he could say, so he just replies flatly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chu Mingyun puts his hand down. ¡°¡®Both of you are my best friends¡¯. You are his best friend.¡± Chu Mingyun glares at Qin Zhao straight in the eye. ¡°Du Yue¡¯s best friend. When are you telling that rascal that you don¡¯t want to be his friend?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Qin Zhao has never thought of this question. He lowers his eyes and peacefully says, ¡°I don¡¯t want to force him. Once he realizes it, he can make his choice.¡±


    ¡°You want that brain that lacks a tendon to understand, I wager his son could call you ¡®Uncle¡¯ when that time comes.¡±


    Qin Zhao¡¯s hands grip into tight fists. He pauses for a moment before insisting on saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to force him.¡±


    Chu Mingyun quietly looks at him. Suddenly, he gives him a half-smile. ¡°Do you know what I am thinking of just now?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Qin Zhao abruptly lifts his head.


    He only sees Chu Mingyun being incredibly serious as he says, ¡°You are a tendon1; Du Yue lacks one. Between the both of you, who do you think is more helpless?¡±


    Qin Zhao: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Why was he worried over this kind of person just now? Qin Zhao turns around to leave. Behind him, Chu Mingyun laughs to his heart¡¯s content.


    Until Qin Zhao¡¯s shadow vanishes from sight and not a linger of breath from him is left, Chu Mingyun¡¯s laugh blends into the night lightly before dissipating into the air.


    ¡°¡­¡­You are on your own?¡± Chu Mingyuan spreads his hands open, looking at his palms, then raises his gaze to look at the endless chilly expanse of stars outside. ¡°I have always known this very clearly.¡±


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    Only with the CP stable we can see some fluff.


    Chu Mingyun x Su Shiyu.


    Qin Zhao x Du Yue.


    Don¡¯t think too much. The ones remaining are all platonic love.


    [1] Ò»¸ù½î: Meaning someone who is single-tracked mind.

 CH 5

    The night breeze picks up, the trees flourish with flowers, and a display of fireworks and a sea of lanterns sparkle like silvery stars in pouring rain.


    As the farmost burgeoning Chang¡¯an city beneath the sky, even as the day sinks into night, it is still extraordinarily bustling. This night, a residence in the west of the city is crowded with visitors¡ªlavish horse carriages fill the roads with royalties and nobles. All of a sudden, most of them gather here.


    Chu Mingyun scans his surroundings, his gaze falling upon the smiling Song Heng, who is welcoming guests by the gate. ¡°Four of the Six Ministries have arrived. Half the  civil officials and half the martial officials are here. Such a man this Zhuangyuan is.¡± He pauses for a moment and coldly laughs. ¡°Such daring.¡±


    Someone who dominates the Imperial Examination has always been a figure people would rush to curry favours with. Dynasty after dynasty and generation after generation, there were even cases of people who hurry to spot and grab them in person. However, this is the first time a top scholar of the Imperial Examination hurries himself to set up a huge feast with an invitation to all. Song Heng has even invited people from both the Chu and Su Factions. For a moment, one couldn¡¯t tell what the host is thinking, because it is just like a normal and simple celebratory party, fearless of drawing neither the suspicions of the Emperor nor the gossip of other people.


    As the throng of horse-drawn carriages thin before the gates, the sound of clanging bamboos rings from inside the manor, and Song Heng starts to look around nervously. Chu Mingyun draws the curtain close and tells Qin Zhao, ¡°Alright. The display of authority is enough. I will go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I will come with you,¡± Qin Zhao says and attempts to stand up.


    Chu Mingyun turns back to cast him a gaze. ¡°You aren¡¯t invited to the feast;  what meaning is there for you to stand there like a pillar?¡±


    ¡°You did not bring weapons,¡± Qin Zhao says.


    ¡°Am I going there to look for a fight?¡± Chu Mingyun raises the fan in his hand. ¡°This would be enough.¡±


    Qin Zhao says nothing, but insists on standing up.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Chu Mingyun impatiently says, ¡°Shidi, you have an ice-block for a face, yet why do you carry the worry of a mother all day long?¡±


    Qin Zhao: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Since when do I need your protection?¡± Chu Mingyun sweeps the curtain aside and gets off the carriage.


    When Chu Mingyun appears, Song Heng immediately goes to welcome him, letting out a breath of relief, saying, ¡°I thought that His Excellency Chu was shackled by court affairs and could not show up.¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t one come even if they¡¯re busy, since it¡¯s Lord Zhuangyuan¡¯s invitation?¡±


    Song Heng speaks humbly as he brings him into the residence personally. The courtyard is huge, rows and rows of seats occupied; women in vermilion dresses dance slowly to the music in the vicinity while familiar officials chatter and laugh nonstop.


    Yet Song Heng¡¯s feet take another course of direction, leading Chu Mingyun to the higher grounds of his residence. He gives Chu Mingyun a strange look and immediately explains, ¡°Your Excellency Chu, this way please. A special seat is prepared just for you.¡±


    All the way up, passing through the flourishing branches,a vermilion pavilion is revealed. Three sides of it face the pond and the winding waters flow southward around the perimeter of the pavilion. That footing of the land could allow one to have an overview of everyone below their eyes, yet the people below would not steal a glance there; a blissful and elegant silence.


    Chu Mingyun couldn¡¯t help but sigh in regret. ¡°This residence of yours is furnished beautifully.¡±


    Song Heng smiles. ¡°How could a poor scholar like me afford such a place? It was only because a wealthy person I knew from my hometown bought this. After he failed the examination and returned home, he said it would be a pity to leave this uninhabited, thus it was gifted to me.¡±


    Chu Mingyun nods his head in disinterest. After a few steps, he finally catches sight of someone else who is a step quicker than him and has occupied the pavilion. He feels a series of complicated feelings and glances at Song Heng, who is standing next to him.


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu hold the same positions. During large or small feasts there would always be two seats prepared for each of them opposite each other, so neither could stand in the way of the other. Presently, one wouldn¡¯t even know if this new Zhuangyuan of the Imperial Examination had heard of Chu Mingyun¡¯s pursuit of Su Shiyu and wanted to earn his favour, and so purposely picked such a pavilion for them to sit together. It really is a suitable place for lovers to meet.


    It is unknown whether this method to curry favours works on Chu Mingyun or not, but this gentleman of a Zhuangyuan surely has stepped on Su Shiyu¡¯s toes.


    Su Shiyu has changed out of his official¡¯s uniform, into white robes full of scholarly elegance. Just as he turns to ask a maidservant something, one could vaguely hear words along the lines of ¡°burning incense¡±. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned just in time to see Chu Mingyun¡¯s vague lift of his eyebrow. Su Shiyu greeted him with a faint smile. Chu Mingyun simply answers him before falling into the seat next to him. Song Heng converses with them for a while before taking leave with the maidservants. All of a sudden, they are the only two people left in the pavilion.


    Chu Mingyun sighs from the bottom of his heart; for Song Heng, for Su Shiyu, and for himself. What a difficult night to endure.


    The soft and gentle singing from the courtyard suddenly becomes clear. Both of them have nothing to say to each other, and Chu Mingyun even spreads his fan open to cover himself from the occasional glare his way. It was so completely silent that the strange, eccentric atmosphere even chased away the manservant who brought dishes and wine.


    Chu Mingyun raises the wine cup and glances at the waning moon; the sigh in his chest hasn¡¯t yet dissipated. A hand reaches out from nowhere and holds down his hand that is raising the wine cup, his long fingers and bones distinct. Chu Mingyun conveniently allows his gaze to linger on them and drift northwards. Su Shiyu shakes his head at him.


    Su Shiyu takes the wine cup from his hand and opens the cover of the incense burner sitting at the corner of the desk before pouring the wine into it. The incense burner is extinguished immediately before another wave of intense fragrance rises again and spreads out.


    Chu Mingyun has already clapped his fan shut, propping his chin on it as he watches him. After the fragrance fills the air, he understands and immediately holds his breath to pay attention to his surroundings.


    Su Shiyu sits down quietly. After he finishes drinking the water in his cup, his gaze falls upon Chu Mingyun before he finally speaks: ¡°Why did His Excellency Chu come unarmed today?¡±


    ¡°Song Heng emphasized that security on these grounds is strong and dense, so there is no need to bring weapons to ruin the festive mood.¡± Chu Mingyun gives a half-smile. ¡°Additionally, didn¡¯t I displease a great many people by bringing a sword to the palace¡¯s feast last time?¡±


    ¡°Rare of you to comply with the rules for once, yet you have entrusted it to the wrong cause.¡± Su Shiyu laughs lightly.


    Chu Mingyun twists the jade-white cup in his hand. ¡°A high grade incense, a high grade wine; once both of them seeps into the body, they¡¯d form a high grade knockout drug. Your Excellency Su, why don¡¯t you guess whether this Zhuangyuan Gentleman is working for the third faction aside from you and me, or is he overestimating himself and wants to be the third person in power?¡± As he finishes speaking, before he could wait for a response, he throws the cup onto the ground. The jade-white cup shatters from the force.


    A dull ring comes from the stone step beneath their feet, responding with a shattering sound, before they plummet down along with it.


    Both of them got to their feet a second before the ground collapsed beneath them. The stone platforms then close themselves above their heads and seal themselves tight. Within the blink of an eye, they have already touched the ground. The air is filled with the scent of decay and darkness greets their eyes. Chu Mingyun cants his head slightly in the direction of a soft rustling sound. ¡°Your Excellency Su¡­¡­ Still alive?¡±


    What comes in response is a flicker of light, steadily spreading open into a sheet of brightness. Su Shiyu surveys his surroundings as he speaks with a guarded voice: ¡°I have not gone to such a weak state. I¡¯m grateful for your concern.¡±


    Chu Mingyun comes forth to hold his hand and raise the light in it higher. Su Shiyu furrows his brows and glares but he does not struggle from his grip in the end. The place they are in has three smooth stone walls and one with bars of iron, without even a door. Through those bars, one could vaguely tell that the outside is a very long and deep tunnel.


    ¡°No wonder the pond is situated on high grounds. Beneath it is a prison.¡± Su Shiyu pauses for a while. ¡°Could Your Excellency Chu release his hand now?¡±


    Chu Mingyun releases his hand. ¡°Why did you bring a firelighter to a feast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten to take it out after returning home yesterday, but this is the last one; it won¡¯t hold for long.¡± Su Shiyu looks at him. ¡°Only, if Your Excellency Chu discovered a mechanism, why initiate it on purpose?¡±


    ¡°He dared organize such a glaring Feast at Hongmen1, would you think he would let us go without a scratch?¡± Chu Mingyun slowly says, ¡°Why not see what he¡¯s prepared for us instead?¡±


    Su Shiyu declines to comment. His gaze falls upon the iron bars in front of him. ¡°That sword of yours has a reputation for cleaving iron like dirt. Such a pity that I don¡¯t have the fate to see it today.¡±


    Chu Mingyun reaches out to hold the iron bars. He takes a step back to fish out the fan from his sleeve, smiling indifferently and says, ¡°Keep the mockery for the time being; this serves the same purpose.¡± After he finishes, he tightens the grip on the fan and in one fell swoop swipe it across the bars sending a spray of sparks flying. Following the sound of a powerful and loud grating of metal on rocks, a hole the height of a man bursts open, shattering the bars as they fall to the ground with a resounding clatter.


    ¡°Regardless of the circumstances, you and I best join hands to step out of this place.¡± Su Shiyu follows him out of the prison cell.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Mingyun turns around upon hearing those words. With a flourish of his arm, he slaps the fan close and tips Su Shiyu¡¯s chin up with it.leaning in close, his smile and eyes are ice-cold. ¡°These words of yours¡­¡­ are they an invitation or a beg for mercy?¡±


    ¡°Join hands¡±¡ªthese words are hilarious. Even if he is here alone, it is nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. Additionally, with how proper and mannerly Su Shiyu is, no matter how one looks at it, he would only be a burden. If he died here, then Chu Mingyun would benefit from it and lose nothing. He could not fathom the need to join hands.


    Su Shiyu gives a low little laugh. He raises his hand to hold the fan and looks at him.


    This is the first time Chu Mingyun looks at his rival up close¡ªlong, slender and narrow fingers, a dark pattern of clouds on his white scholarly robes. His eyes travel along Su Shiyu¡¯s arm to his shoulder, to the exposure of a fair neck and the curve of dark-coloured lips with a touch of a smile, eyebrows looking like they came out of a picture illustrated in the warming glow of light, and a gaze that gives off a cold expression.


    There is truly nothing to lose to have rumours of being cut-sleeve spread throughout the city with a person like this.


    ¡°Pa!¡± A sound.


    Inch by inch, the fan breaks in Su Shiyu¡¯s hands. As he withdraws, the smile at the corner of his lips deepens. ¡°You understand my words.¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s gaze flickers, and slowly a laugh sounds from his lips. He raises his hand to light the fan on the firelight before tossing it away with force.


    The paper fan turns into a bundle of fire as it dives into the pitch black tunnel, spinning as it lights up the lamps lining the walls before it finally hits the other end of the stone wall. The soft sound of its fall ensues as it turns into ash on the ground, yet the tunnel is already lit brightly.


    He raises his hand, a three parts smile sitting between his brows. ¡°Your Excellency Su, this way please.¡±


    [1] ºèÃÅÑç (lit. Feast at Hongmen) referring to a banquet that is used to kill its guest.

 CH 6

    This prison is a little strange. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu find out after they turn a corner.


    A few steps after the corner, the lamps remain brightly lit, exuberantly lighting up the place. At a glance, only the place they were previously in had been unlit, like a line separating the world of the living and the dead. The more they walk deeply into it, the more prison cells appear in front of them. Thick and solid doors are tightly locked with little iron windows and not a soul behind them. They are all empty. The scent of blood gathered in the air, and as they walked they could pick up a stench of old rot. Their surroundings are so quiet that only the sound of their footsteps is left behind.


    The prison¡¯s structure is incredibly complex. Forked roads overlap. Chu Mingyun takes a few turns just by instinct alone, and after stepping out of a tunnel he suddenly pauses, the colour of his face freezing. Su Shiyu, following behind him, sees the pile of ash not far away and says, ¡°We¡¯ve returned to where we began.¡±


    There is no ridicule in his voice. Chu Mingyun couldn¡¯t help twitching his lips. ¡°Then, does Your Excellency Su have any brilliant ideas?¡±


    Su Shiyu gently smiles. ¡°What brilliant ideas? You and I are not familiar with these types of places, so we can only try walking around.¡± He looks at Chu Mingyun. ¡°People who have long been shedding blood on the battlefield have more accurate instincts. Your Excellency Chu may continue leading the way.¡±


    Chu Mingyun cants his head to the side and meets Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze. He turns around to once again walk into the tunnel. This time, he no longer takes turns simply. Along the way, he pays attention to the markings on the stone walls. After walking for the period of one cup of tea, Chu Mingyun suddenly raises his hand to block Su Shiyu. Listening intently for a while, his lips have a hint of a smile and he looks to the forked road on his left before telling Su Shiyu, ¡°Finally, there are people we could ask for directions.¡±


    In the next second, the sound of clear footsteps rings. A dozen patrolling guards come by. The leader is surprised when he sees them both, and what follows is a loud roar: ¡°Seize them!¡± There is a rumbling of footsteps and sound of weapons being unsheathed. Then a rain of blades strikes at them.


    Chu Mingyun stands in front of Su Shiyu and inwardly sighs. ¡°This is really troublesome. You¡¯ve ruined the fan, so now I can only take it in flesh and blood.¡±


    He speaks somewhat pitifully, yet his actions are incredibly cruel. He dashes towards the patrolling guards and with no effort at all, he grabs the wrist of a guard, turning his saber around to stab through two other guards.Then he turns to the side to avoid a sharp blade while his backhand gets hold of the guard¡¯s throat, crushing it under his grip. Although Chu Mingyun is surrounded by patrolling guards, he does not look troubled at all. His movement amidst the attack of sharp blades is flexible and casual like a leisurely stroll, not a single drop of blood staining his clothes.


    The enemy¡¯s attacks gradually wane, and only then does Chu Mingyun suddenly realize that someone has dashed towards Su Shiyu, so he immediately turns to look.


    Yet all he sees is that behind him had long lain a few corpses. Su Shiyu stands there with a flat expression; He keeps his hands behind his back while evading the attacks. Only when the blade gets too close as to be unavoidable that he will strike back almost reluctantly. Slitting throats and breaking bones, so swift and clean that it takes one¡¯s breath away.


    Chu Mingyun raises his brow and turns his gaze away, thinking to himself: It¡¯s certainly right to investigate Su Shiyu. At least in this capital, there aren¡¯t many people who know this prim and proper Imperial Secretary knows martial arts.


    He suddenly hears footsteps rushing in his direction. With a flourish, he forces back the person in front of himself, just in time to see another wave of patrolling guards pouring forward. The troop of people seems to have increased in morale, looking like this would be an endless fight.


    Chu Mingyun feels a tug on his arm suddenly. Su Shiyu speaks before he can react: ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Su Shiyu pulls him towards the way they came from. Chu Mingyun doesn¡¯t understand but he followes anyway. The patrol guards feel agitated and rush up to them with large steps. Along the way, there are even patrol guards coming in from the forked paths. What has originally been a quiet and soulless place turns into chaos within a blink of an eye. It¡¯s unknown how so many people could hide in here.


    Su Shiyu stops before that pile of ash and raises his hand to touch the walls, as if searching for clues.


    Chu Mingyun leans against the wall, not even looking over his shoulders at the path the patrolling guards have yet to arrive at. ¡°What did you discover?¡±


    A clicking sound came as his reply. Chu Mingyun turned around in surprise and saw the stone panel in front of Su Shiyu rising up, revealing a brightly lit path before him.


    He opens his mouth to say something, but he feels a cutting wind suddenly from behind. Chu Mingyun turns around with a kick which send the attacker flying away. Raising his gaze, he sees a surge of patrolling guards pour forward. Su Shiyu reaches out to grab him and pulls him behind the door. At the wave of his sleeve, a burst of blue-coloured smoke explodes, forcing the patrolling guards to retreat a few steps. At that moment, Su Shiyu slams on the control of the mechanism and shuts the door.


    Chu Mingyun is taken aback, watching as Su Shiyu places the empty ceramic bottle on the ground. Chu Mingyun says in disbelief, ¡°Couldn¡¯t have guessed His Excellency Su would know how to use poison.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the art of war say ¡®All is fair in war¡¯? These are just methods to achieve one¡¯s goal at the least expense.¡± Su Shiyu looks at Chu Mingyun and faintly smiles, unperturbed. ¡°Additionally, since Your Excellency Chu has never taken me for a righteous goody-two-shoes, so why would I insist on the act?¡±


    Chu Mingyun admits it with a silent smile, then changes the subject. ¡°How did you know there is a hidden tunnel here?¡±


    ¡°A guess that turned out to be true.¡± Su Shiyu turns around to look at the long path ahead. ¡°According to the bearings, the prison cells we saw when we walked deeper were built beneath the pond and guarded by patrolling guards. Obviously, that place is used to lock people up, and so the cell we¡¯ve fallen into was most probably made for you and me. Setting that aside, when we showed up where we began, it could prove that many places in this underground prison are interlinked, so why waste effort on connecting a dead end?¡±


    Chu Mingyun understands what he meant. ¡°So that is to say, from the beginning we fell in from the exit of the prison. Hence, that is why the paths were more complicated the deeper we went, and we might in fact never find the exit.¡± He pauses for a moment and narrows his eyes. ¡°From these events, it seems like Song Heng wants to make use of this to lock us up here?¡±


    Su Shiyu smiles and says, ¡°That is right.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Mingyun cants his head to the side to look at him.


    ¡°The mechanism could still be opened. Does Your Excellency Chu want to take out his fan?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    Chu Mingyun asks, ¡°Why would I want that for?¡±


    ¡°After a while, if there is another change of events, there would be no need for you to take it in flesh and blood again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chu Mingyun could never have anticipated that Su Shiyu would take something he¡¯d casually said to heart. ¡°It¡¯s reduced into a pile of ash. Would you want me to learn from you and toss them into the air?¡±


    ¡°The fan has indeed turned into a pile of ash, but those iron pieces Your Excellency Chu placed inside the fan are still there.¡± Su Shiyu says, pausing a while before adding, ¡°I also did not use the poison tactlessly.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the same.¡± Chu Mingyun walks forward. ¡°This flesh and body of mine could still take it;  just forget about the fan.¡±


    Su Shiyu doesn¡¯t insist on this subject. He follows after him.


    The stone path remains silent, but without those complicated twists and turns, the deeper they walk the broader the road. Chu Mingyun, however, feels in his heart that something has gone wrong.


    A sudden chill wind brushes past his face and Chu Mingyun stops. Even Su Shiyu could feel that breeze and asks, ¡°Are we approaching the entrance?¡±


    Chu Mingyun doesn¡¯t utter a sound. He regards an oil lamp on one side of the stone wall in thought. That oil lamp is extinguished. The oil stains on that bronze lamp look different from other lamps, indicating that it is not often used.


    Su Shiyu follows his line of vision and after some thought, he walks up.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s heart skips a beat. He calls, ¡°Come back!¡±


    Too late. Su Shiyu has already taken a step in front. The stone platform beneath his feet sinks and the stones at the top of the wall flip open. With a burst of strong wind,a rain of arrows weaves a pitch black shadow.


    Chu Mingyun watches as Su Shiyu raises his eyes to survey above, yet still walks forward. Chu Mingyun dashes behind Su Shiyu and grabs him. This movement is carried out swiftly, but the falling arrow is already aiming between his eyebrows. He pulls Su Shiyu into his embrace; within a flash of lightning, he only had enough time to take a step back and turn his body sideways, taking the arrow that means to strike between Su Shiyu on his shoulder, and steps out of this arrow rain.


    Su Shiyu is locked in his arms in discomfort, but just as he could move, he hears the sound of an arrow piercing through human flesh. The person behind him is momentarily stunned and slowly, the scent of blood fills the air. Time seems to slow down for Su Shiyu before he turns around to look.

 CH 7

    Chu Mingyun lets go of Su Shiyu. Raising a hand, he pulls the arrow out and casts it aside. His face turns pale but other than his eyebrows knitting themselves tightly together, he didn¡¯t budge. Chu Mingyun glances at the spreading bloodstain on his shoulder. ¡°Still manageable. The arrow isn¡¯t poisoned.¡± He seals his acupoint to stop the bleeding, then lets out a long sigh and speaks faintly: ¡°It seems like words like these cannot simply be said. I¡¯ve just said that I could take it even with flesh and blood; couldn¡¯t have guessed that at this moment, I truly did have to shield you with my flesh and blood.¡±


    ¡°However, since there is a mechanism, at the very least it proves this is the right path.¡± Chu Mingyun, in dead silence, glances at his side where arrows had pierced into the ground. He suddenly realizes that he had been speaking for half a day, yet Su Shiyu had not even answered him once, and so, he glances over curiously.


    Su Shiyu withdraws his sight from the mechanism, once again stepping onto the sunken stone platform. He raises a hand, wanting to touch the oil lamp. Chu Mingyun grabs his hand and pulls him back with a few hints of fury: ¡°Are you still going to touch it?¡±


    Su Shiyu gives him a complicated look before lightly prying his hand away. After a moment of thought, he pulls Chu Mingyun in front of him. Su Shiyu carefully avoids the wound on Chu Mingyun¡¯s shoulder, using his own body to protect him entirely. His palm falls on Chu Mingyun¡¯s uninjured shoulder, then gently says, ¡°Relax.¡±


    For a moment, Chu Mingyun could not tell whether Su Shiyu¡¯s¡®relax¡¯ meant that he would shield Chu Mingyun from the arrows, or that he had an inkling as to where they¡¯re heading.


    On the other side, no one stops Su Shiyu from grabbing the bronze oil lamp again. Using a little strength, Su Shiyu slowly turns the oil lamp and with a dull clicking, the mechanism on both sides of the wall flips upwards. With another click, the road ahead reveals another narrow path.


    Su Shiyu takes a step back and asks Chu Mingyun, ¡°How is the wound on your shoulder?¡±


    Chu Mingyun coldly snickers. ¡°Still alive.¡±


    Su Shiyu presses no further. He turns around to look ahead. ¡°According to Your Excellency Chu, where should we go?¡±


    Chu Mingyun walks forward to pluck an arrow out of the ground, inspecting its arrowhead. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±


    Su Shiyu sighs and helplessly says, ¡°Your Excellency Chu¡­¡­¡±


    Chu Mingyun abruptly casts the arrow out, and as it flies through the air with force, it pierces deep into the wall at a junction. ¡°We will know after asking,¡± he tells Su Shiyu, then look at the chilly junction, ¡°Come out.¡±


    There is a rustling at the junction and suddenly, a black shadow appears. The incoming person rushes at them with the speed of light, leaving a trail like a ghostly image. Chu Mingyun remains in his position. When the enemy reaches him, Chu Mingyun raises his hand and parries  the attack with one swift move, grabbing the attacker¡¯s neck and locking him in a death grip against the wall.


    Su Shiyu had originally been standing there watching, until he sees Chu Mingyun¡¯s retaliation.Su Shiyu¡¯s irises contract; he cants his head to the side to close his eyes, as if he is holding something back, before opening his eyes again. His gaze returns to that faint little smile he usually carries.


    The person who came is obviously one of the patrolling guards from earlier, for his face still carries a green tint from being poisoned. Choked by Chu Mingyun, his breathing is labored and a few shades of pink are now on his face. From the looks of it, it does look quite frightening. The guard¡¯s martial skills are only above average; he seemed to not have been heavily poisoned and was seeking an escape. Taking advantage of the chaos in those flying arrows, he had followed them from behind and even thought that he wouldn¡¯t be found out.


    ¡°Know the way?¡± Chu Mingyun asks.


    The guard glares at him with a reddened face.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Chu Mingyun tightens his grip harder and coldly laughs. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have guessed this is a man who doesn¡¯t value his life, so in this case I will make myself at home.¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency Chu.¡± Su Shiyu squeezes his arm.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Mingyun turns his head to the side to give Su Shiyu a glance.


    ¡°There is no need for brute force when one¡¯s goal can be achieved through talking.¡±


    Chu Mingyun casually smiles and releases the guard, letting him fall to the ground. ¡°Then you have a go.¡±


    The guard coughs bitterly as he holds his neck, glaring at the white-robed man in front of him with both suspicion and fear. Yet all he hears is Su Shiyu gently saying, ¡°If you did not value your life, then you wouldn¡¯t have held on and escaped here. Since you want to leave alive, why don¡¯t we make a deal? If you can lead us out then we will spare your life. How about it?¡±


    Theguard glares at Su Shiyu¡¯s gentle eyes. He didn¡¯t forget that this is the person who released the poison, and so hoarsely asks him, ¡°Why should I trust you?¡±


    Su Shiyu withdraws his expression to ponder over it for a while, then takes out an azure-coloured ceramic bottle from his sleeves and hands it over to him, smiling. ¡°You lead the way, and since you don¡¯t trust us, let us trust you instead.¡± He puts the bottle into the guard¡¯s hand, his fingers warm. ¡°Take this.¡±


    The guard holds the medicinal bottle in his hand and ponders over it for a long time before gritting his teeth. ¡°Deal.¡±


    Chu Mingyun expressionlessly crosses his arms  as he watches Su Shiyu turn around. ¡°Let us go,¡± says Su Shiyu, reaching out to help him.


    Chu Mingyun raises a brow and teases. ¡°You want to help me out?¡± He looks at Su Shiyu. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just carry me?¡±


    Su Shiyu glowers at him, then reaches out over his shoulder, bending his body as if he really wants to carry him. Chu Mingyun immediately presses his hand down, the previously brimming temper in him all gone at once, finding it funny as he says, ¡°All right. I was just pulling your leg. How would I be so fragile?¡±


    ¡°Are you really all right?¡± Su Shiyu inspects his expression meticulously, yet isn¡¯t able to tell anything from it.


    Chu Mingyun waves his hand casually and approaches the guard, who watches their conversation with a conflicting expression. Su Shiyu takes up the rear, and after confirming that Chu Mingyun can walk perfectly fine, he relaxes.


    The guard leads them back the way they had come from. Chi Mingyun inquires about the purpose of that narrow road revealed by the mechanism, but the guard concentrates only on leading them forward, refusing to open his mouth.


    After a few turns, the patrolling guard brings them to a stone room. There is no other way out of the room. Chu Mingyun raises his brows and asks, ¡°Another mechanism?¡±


    The guard gives him a look before hastily turning away. ¡°Yes.¡± He retreats behind Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu, searching the stone wall for half a day until he finds a copper ring. The guard lifts his eyes, and just as he meets Su Shiyu¡¯s smiling gaze, he¡¯s stunned. Suppressing his panic as he lowers his head, he uses all his strength to turn the copper ring before turning around and running in the direction they came from.


    Even if that man could be trusted, but with that blue-robed man¡¯s martial arts and fickle temper, he is just an ant to him, so how could he guarantee his own safety? As the copper ring behind him rings loudly, he sprints quicker, not daring to look back.


    The door of the stone room suddenly closes.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s palm lashes the second the door shuts. The force from his move hits the thick stone door squarely, but despite the door vibrating fiercely, it is still intact when the dust settles.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Chu Mingyun angrily lowers his hand and turns around to look at Su Shiyu, then recalls that this man doesn¡¯t have any expressions other than the smile he always carries. He sits down against the wall, smiling mockingly and says, ¡°Couldn¡¯t have thought that His Excellency Su would make a wrong judgement, and that person has instead managed to have his life spared.¡±


    Su Shiyu raises his head to survey the roof. After hearing those words, he doesn¡¯t even turn his head as he answers, ¡°Being locked up here, we will starve to death in three days. As for him, the poison will kill him after a period of three cups of tea.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you give him the antidote?¡± Chu Mingyun asks.


    ¡°Why would I carry the antidote on me?¡± Su Shiyu curiously looks at him as the smile on his lips deepens. ¡°I simply gave him the poison I have left to prove that I will not attack again. It¡¯s a pity he thought too highly of himself and forfeit his only chance to live.¡±


    ¡°This is your so-called trust?¡± Chu Mingyun asks, raising a brow..


    ¡°I never said that was the antidote.¡± Su Shiyu lightly laughs and says unperturbed, ¡°But I truly am not skilled in trusting others; instead, I find what I see and hear myself more trustworthy.¡±


    Chu Mingyun sits in the shadow of the candlelight, squinting as he coldly studies the silhouette of the person close to him. ¡°As expected of the kind, gentle, and modest Su Shiyu, who is praised by the people of the mortal world.¡±


    ¡°You are flattering me.¡± His response is plain, and he turns his gaze back to the smooth walls of stone.


    The attack just now pulled on his injury, and biting pain surges up his shoulder. Chu Mingyun lets out a frustrated breath, raising his hand to seal the acupoint on his shoulder again, forcibly stopping the bleeding before he gives a half-smile. ¡°If we really die in this place, presumably we wouldn¡¯t even be found after decades have passed. Having someone with a face like Your Excellency Su¡¯s for company wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Perhaps they might even bury both of us together once they found our bones.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± Su Shiyu walks close to a stone wall. Reaching out a hand, he knocks on the wall and feels around it. ¡°With Your Excellency Chu¡¯s conduct, it will surely be crowded before you are buried. My humble person doesn¡¯t wish to get involved, otherwise one would not be granted peace even after arriving in the Yellow Spring (the Afterlife).¡± His actions pause momentarily and he suddenly smiles. ¡°Truly, this stone room is a disguise; even the walls are hollow. There are more paths behind it. After you¡¯ve rested enough, get up. We should be leaving.¡±


    ¡°Wait a little longer. I can¡¯t move.¡± Chu Mingyun¡¯s voice is a little hoarse.


    Su Shiyu halts. He turns around kneeling by Chu Mingyun¡¯s side to see his face has gone ash white, making his originally outstanding eyebrows even more conspicuous.


    Chu Mingyun watches as Su Shiyu undoes his own outer robes and couldn¡¯t help teasing: ¡°Is Your Excellency Su trying to take advantage of me now?¡±


    Su Shiyu doesn¡¯t look at him. He tears a piece of cloth off the sleeve of his inner robe, preparing to wrap Chu Mingyun¡¯s wound, but after a moment of thought he explains, ¡°The incense I usually use are all Nerve-Soothing Incense. They would have a bit of use in easing the pain.¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency Su, you¡¯re a cut-sleeve now.¡± Chu Mingyun gives a slow laugh. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve given me clothes that you¡¯ve worn close to your own body, it¡¯s considered that we have skin contact. Presently, my innocence has perished. Is Your Excellency Su going to take responsibility for it?¡±


    Su Shiyu couldn¡¯t help looking at what expression Chu Mingyun uses to say such things as ¡°My innocence¡±, then lowers his head to glare at the spreading red spot on Chu Mingyun¡¯s robe, dyed by blood. ¡°If Your Excellency Chu utters more nonsense, I fear that the time for me to take responsibility for you will never arrive.¡±


    Only now does Su Shiyu see clearly where the arrow had pierced. It is even deeper than he first thought, practically into the bone. It¡¯s unknown from where Chu Mingyun found the strength to joke. Su Shiyu ponders over it for a while before speaking softly: ¡°There was no need for you to take that arrow for me.¡±


    Chu Mingyun leans against the icy-cold walls on his back and allows Su Shiyu to wrap him up as he pleases. When Su Shiyu leans in close, Chu Mingyun could smell the faint scent of his incense, dissimilar from the usual Nerve-Soothing Incense. There is a mild warmth to the scent, and once inhaled, the pain did indeed fade. He looks at Su Shiyu¡¯s lowered gaze, at the shadows of his eyelashes that fall upon his cheeks, and curls up his lips to say gently, ¡°Didn¡¯t I confess my feelings to you just recently? How the entire capital knows that I am yearning for you, yet you are so quick to forget?¡±


    There is some faint amusement on Su Shiyu¡¯s face. ¡°There are only the two of us here now; there is no need to pretend. You and I shared the same court for many years, and for so long we had nothing to talk about outside of court, while in court we have many conflicting opinions. I know very well a few times I stood in your way, and if you could still fall deeply in love with me after that, unless¡­..¡± He tries to pry open Chu Mingyun¡¯s lapels, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡°The blood sticking to your clothes has dried up; it might hurt a little.¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡± Chu Mingyun insists, feeling a little interested.


    ¡°Unless you really are sick.¡±


    Chu Mingyun lightly coos, pitching his voice low, ¡°Lovesickness.¡±


    Su Shiyu stares at him, pleasure surfacing in his eyes. ¡°Grit your teeth.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Zsst!¡± The sound of cotton being torn open. A sheet of crimson red spreads over Chu Mingyun¡¯s bare shoulder.


    Dead silence in the room until Su Shiyu finishes wrapping him up and readjusts his clothes. Only then Chu Mingyun slowly cups his shoulder and speaks in a hoarse voice: ¡°¡­¡­Couldn¡¯t you have been gentler? ¡­¡­Was there a need to be so vengeful?¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s mood seems to have brightened a lot. He raises his hand to wipe the sweat off his temples, gently speaking with a smile in his eyes, ¡°What did you say just now? I couldn¡¯t hear it clearly.¡±


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    Retaliation from a kind, gentle and humble gentleman =o=

 CH 8

    The cracks in the stone wall spread out bit by bit, falling apart after a few dull thuds, pieces of debris littered the ground as a narrow tunnel was revealed.. Su Shiyu withdraws his hand, there is a flash of something sharp between his fingers, slipping back into his sleeve in a blink of an eye. Yet, it was enough for Chu Mingyun to see clearly that it was a dagger hidden inside his sleeve.


    It¡¯s no wonder he didn¡¯t hesitate breaking the fan just now, because he had brought weapons himself.


    Su Shiyu takes the candle stand from the wall, and turning around, he calls for Chu Mingyun to stand up.


    Chu Mingyun tries to move his shoulder and stands up. He couldn¡¯t help but to be impressed by the excellent skill Su Shiyu exhibited in wrapping his wound. His gaze falls to Su Shiyu¡¯s sleeve and he suddenly says, ¡°With Your Excellency Su¡¯s foundation of strength, it would be impossible for you not to sense that guard hiding at the corner.¡±


    Su Shiyu smiles and honestly says, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then what were you scheming for since you did not expose him earlier?¡±


    Su Shiyu shakes his head. ¡°Whatever I was scheming would just be empty talk now. There¡¯s no use in bringing it up.¡±


    He rarely strikesso Chu Mingyun cannot tell the extent of his martial arts. Even in words, he is skilled in the art of deflection, it¡¯s hard to elicit any information from him. This person truly is a difficult opponent. Chu Mingyun mulls over it and says, ¡°It¡¯s boring on the journey. Would Your Excellency Su like to banter with me?¡±


    Su Shiyu lends the light of the candle to survey the tunnel and doesn¡¯t pay attention to what he said.


    Chu Mingyun presses onto his shoulder and leans back against the stone wall. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ My wounds hurt.¡±


    Su Shiyu turns his head around, taking all his time to examine Chu Mingyun from head to toe, only saying, ¡°Is Your Excellency Chu¡­¡­ hinting to me to go over and carry you?¡±


    ¡°Not to that extent.¡± Chu Mingyun says, ¡°But you can chat with me.¡± Before Su Shiyu can open his mouth, he adds, ¡°At least distract me, so it doesn¡¯t hurt so much.¡±


    Su Shiyu looks at him. ¡°What does Your Excellency Chu think we could talk about?¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling. ¡°How about this: you and I can take turns to ask each other some questions.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu sighs., ¡°If the other refuses to speak the truth, then what use is there?¡±


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s just to pass time.¡± Chu Mingyun walks next to him and slowly says, ¡°Whether one could tell the truth from lies would depend on oneself. Additionally, if one is to lie, then wouldn¡¯t it prove that they are avoiding the question?¡± His gaze flickers with ambivalent humour, as he looks at Su Shiyu.


    Su Shiyu helplessly sighs. He steps into the corridor. ¡°Then ask what you please.¡±


    Chu Mingyun follows him and says, ¡°Your Excellency Su looks refined on the surface; I couldn¡¯t have guessed that you would be someone so secretive. Since you carry a sleeve-dagger everywhere you go, why has no one spoken about you knowing martial arts?¡±


    The flame is the size of  a bean, illuminating only a small piece of ground beneath their feet. There is only the sounds of their low voices in the narrow tunnel. They were walking side by side; Su Shiyu could practically feel the warm breath of the one behind. He shifts his head away uncomfortably, then says, ¡°It¡¯s not as complicated as you thought. It¡¯s just a habit made over the years.¡±


    ¡°I once went to a war campaign with my father when I was fifteen,¡± Su Shiyu says.


    Chu Mingyun stares at the side of his face in astonishment. There is a glimmer of nostalgia on Su Shiyu¡¯s face, but more than that are complicated feelings that are difficult to put into words. The corridor is extremely dark and his expression is gone in an instant. Too little time to see the truth behind it.


    Su Shiyu lightly continues, ¡°After that, he was even more strict about me fighting with others and wanted me to be a literary official. During that time, Chang¡¯an was not the same as it is now. Occasionally, it would be a bit chaotic. I was young and arrogant at that time, so it was difficult to keep me away from fights. Thus, Father ordered me to wear white, as it would be easier to restrain me. Every time I was discovered, I would have to kneel in front of the Ancestral Hall. Over a long period of time, I¡¯ve learned how to hide the dagger in my sleeve and conceal traces to avoid being discovered by him, hence escaping from punishment many times.¡±


    ¡°This is certainly a surprise.¡± Chu Mingyun glances at Su Shiyu¡¯s face, lit by candlelight. ¡°You were cuter when you were little compared to now.¡±


    Su Shiyu smiles but does not comment on this remark.


    ¡°Why did your father forbid you to fight anymore?¡± he asks.


    Su Shiyu gives him a look and chuckles. ¡°This is the second question.¡±


    Chu Mingyun raises his hand nonchalantly to make a gesture of invitation. Su Shiyu expressionlessly withdraws his gaze and opens his mouth to say, ¡°I have always felt curious about one thing. With Your Excellency Chu¡¯s present wealth and position, why didn¡¯t you retrieve your family to live with you?¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s expression changes, his eyes sweeping past Su Shiyu¡¯s face like sharp knives. Seeing Su Shiyu¡¯s indifferent expression, he looks away and lightly says, ¡°I am an orphan found by my Master. From where would I have family?¡±


    Su Shiyu nods his head and only says, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He still remembers the first time he saw Chu Mingyun. It was already a widespread chatter in the capital that when Daxia and Xiongnu were at war, there had been a youth of unknown origin who won every war he fought, triumphant as he walked. The three provinces were returned, and the barbarians retreated over a hundred lis. In the great hall, this youth walked in with a proud posture, allowing the curious looks of all the various officials to fall upon him. He carried a languid smile, yet gave off a cold, scheming look when people weren¡¯t watching.


    During that time Su Shiyu¡¯s father was still alive. The great general Su Jue had looked at Chu Mingyun for a long time, then told Su Shiyu, ¡°This is not a common person.¡±


    Su Shiyu agreed. After the court was dismissed, he had ordered people to investigate Chu Mingyun¡¯s background. Only after several years did he manage to find out:


    The Chu family of Liangzhou was also a wealthy and distinguished family who knew many outstanding talents in the Jianghu. When the Xiongnu plundered southwards, they massacred countless cities. The Chu family naturally could not escape that fate, yet it was unknown how Chu Mingyun had survived. Some people said that once, during a freezing winter¡¯s night, they saw a youth drenched in blood kneeling before the doors of the secluded Sword Saint. His eyebrows looked as proud, as wild, and as unbridled as the Grand Marshal Chu¡¯s.


    It seems like Chu Mingyun truly disliked this question.


    ¡°My turn. Still the same question as before: Why didn¡¯t your father approve of you fighting?¡± Chu Mingyun asks.


    Su Shiyu drags his focus back, raising the lamp so his face could be seen clearly, then smiles as he says, ¡°Something along the lines of¡­¡­ he doesn¡¯t like the way I kill.¡±


    Chu Mingyun is surprised. Before he could grasp the meaning of his words, he heard Su Shiyu saying, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    They stop walking. Su Shiyu turns around to give Chu Mingyun a look, handing the lamp over to him, both his hands pressing onto the stone door as he pried it open. There is a dull sound of grating rocks before a glint of light seeps in. Then, as the fissure starts to grow, they couldn¡¯t help shutting their eyes momentarily to adjust to the brightness.


    When they open their eyes again, everything is clear. A house of primitive simplicity, a bookcase made from fortune paulownia wood, yellowish scrolls and green lanterns¡ªit¡¯s the study. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu walk out, turning around only to realize that the back of the stone wall is disguised as a bookcase. Once it closes, not a single trace would be left.


    ¡°¡­¡­It certainly is easy to come out.¡± Chu Mingyun takes his time surveying the surroundings before looking over his shoulder with a smile at Su Shiyu. ¡°Let us go find Song Heng and have a little chat.¡±


    From the study, the atrium is at the end of a long alley. The moon is already hanging in the sky and the songs have quelled; they were inside the underground prison for so long that all the guests above have already been dismissed. Maidservants are collecting used plates with their heads hung low, rushing to and fro.


    Su Shiyu stops one of them and asks with a smile, ¡°Miss, pray tell where is your master at this moment?¡±


    The maidservant is young. She shivers and steals a glance at him before shaking her head quickly, ¡°This humble servant doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°When were the guests dismissed?¡±


    The maidservant trembles even more. ¡°A period of one cup of tea ago.¡± She practically begs, ¡°This humble servant is just a worker. I beg Your Excellency to stop asking.¡±


    Su Shiyu withdraws his gaze and lets her go. He then turns around to look at Chu Mingyun. The latter nudges his head to his right. ¡°I heard some noise coming from this way.¡±


    On the right is a small forest; the flowers and trees are evenly spaced, their shadows intertwined as the moon shines over the snow-like gardenia flowers. Someone is indeed there.


    ¡°This branch? Or this other branch?¡± Tan Jing taps on the gardenia flowers as he turns around; a woman wearing a skirt made from thin silk giggles as she looks at him without answering. Yet, he nods his head as if he hears something. ¡°Everything will be as you say.¡± He breaks a branch and hands it over to the woman,


    The Minister of Works, Tan Jing, pats the dust on his clothes, looks up and is taken by surprise when two people walk over to him. He immediately bows and says, ¡°Your Excellency Chu, Your Excellency Su.¡±


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu are still some distance away, yet the woman quickly retreats behind Tan Jing, only half an elegant face peeking out to look timidly at them. Tan Jing turns around to hold her hand and gently says, ¡°A-Xiu, don¡¯t be scared.¡±


    A-Xiu holds Tan Jing¡¯s hand tightly, lowering her head, refusing to meet their visitors¡¯ eyes.


    Tan Jing apologizes to them. ¡°My wife is afraid of outsiders. Please take no offense to it.¡±


    ¡°There is no harm.¡± Su Shiyu smiles.


    ¡°Where is Song Heng?¡± Chu Mingyun gets straight to the point.


    ¡°This lowly official doesn¡¯t know.¡± Tan Jing shakes his head. ¡°Perhaps an urgent matter happened. Just now a servant came to report something to Zhuangyuan Song. He looked a little panicked. After excusing himself to us, he ended the banquet. My wife doesn¡¯t go out often, and since she finds this place strange and interesting, I asked for permission to walk around. He agreed and then left in a hurry.¡± He ponders for a moment, then raises his hand to point somewhere. ¡°He went in that direction. If Your Excellencies have need for him, you could take a look there.¡±


    Tan Jing is pointing to the location of the study, but when Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu came, not a soul was present.


    Chu Mingyun curls up the corner of his lips in a smiles. ¡°There is no need. We just want to offer him a greeting. It¡¯s nothing urgent.¡± He turns around to look at Su Shiyu and says, ¡°Such a pity. It seems like we won¡¯t be meeting tonight.¡±


    Su Shiyu smiles, but says nothing.


    Since Song Heng has left, they bid farewell to Tan Jing and leave as well. The night is dark outside of the residence, with only faint candlelight. All that is left are a few waiting horse carriages .


    ¡°Chu Mingyun,¡± Su Shiyu suddenly speaks from behind.


    Chu Mingyun stops s. He looks over his shoulders, the corner of his eyes lit by the light. With a low voice, he says, ¡°Hm?¡±


    Su Shiyu hesitates in a way that is rarely seen. His glance falls upon his side, his tone even and steady. ¡°In the end, you still saved me once¡­¡­ In the future, don¡¯t act like that again. My humble person hasn¡¯t gone to the extent that I cannot care for myself.¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives a long ¡°Oh¡±, his emotions incomprehensible. With a knowing smirk, he says ¡°It seems like thanking a person like me is truly too difficult for a man of good-standing like Your Excellency Su.¡±


    Su Shiyu remains silent for a moment. ¡°I am humbly grateful. In the future, if you have any needs outside of country affairs, I will naturally try my best to help.¡±


    Hidden in the shadows, his eyes look cold. Chu Mingyun presses a hand onto the wound on his shoulder, then suddenly turns around and smiles. ¡°The time is just right. There¡¯s no need for me to wait for the future.¡±


    He taps his own face, showing a grin that is going too far. ¡°Kiss me, and we owe each other nothing therein.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu furrows his brows as he looks at him, but he refuses to move.


    Chu Mingyun inhales a cold breath, holding his shoulder, his gaze low as he makes a pitiful face. ¡°Tsk¡ªhow my wounds hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Your Excellency Chu.¡±


    ¡°I think even my bones are injured, sighs, this really is¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Chu Mingyun,¡± Su Shiyu interrupts.


    Chu Mingyun steals a look at him, but he could not control his expression any longer and laughs out loud. He restrains the tremble of his shoulders, waving a hand. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stop playing.¡± He pauses for a moment, laugher ebbing. ¡°Give me a smile and all your debt is repaid. But I do not want that fake smile you hang on your lips all the time,  just like¡­¡­¡± He ponders over how to describe it for some time. ¡°Just like how you laughed at Du Yue a while ago. A real laugh. That shouldn¡¯t be difficult, I wager?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I have never laughed at him for being silly before.¡± Su Shiyu corrected. He stares at Chu Mingyun, surprised to find that the other is serious about it.


    Su Shiyu gazes at Chu Mingyun from a few steps away, the soft curves of his eyes and the look of helplessness making him appear extremely mild. He slowly curls the corner of his lips and a pool of gentle warmth spreads from his irises.


    For a moment, Chu Mingyun falls into a trance. As the light from the residence flows behind his opponent, the colour of the night falls into his hands, as if he could reach out to grab a sliver of warmth.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re unlike how I knew you before,¡± Su Shiyu says.


    Chu Mingyun raises his eyebrow slighttly when he hears this. ¡°Those words don¡¯t sound much like a compliment.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they?¡± Su Shiyu smiles. He looks at the horse carriage next to him. ¡°It¡¯s deep into the night. This humble person will excuse himself.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Qin Zhao stands and waits by the carriage for a long time. Once he sees Chu Mingyun, he immediately goes up to him. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Chu Mingyun tells him about the night¡¯s adventure briefly. Qin Zhao remains silent for a long time, his usual expressionless face trying its best not to show any complicated emotions on it. Qin Zhao only asks, ¡°Shige, are you injured on your shoulder or your head?¡±


    Chu Mingyun leans against the soft cushions, rolling his eyes at him.


    ¡°Are you serious about what you felt for him?¡± Qin Zhao insists.


    ¡°Would that be possible?¡± Chu Mingyun snickers, adjusting his position to look up at him. ¡°What kind of a person do you think Su Shiyu is? The talk about granting me a favour is more or less a test. I had to take an arrow for him in order for him to let his guard down. We must not waste it just like that.¡±


    ¡°Then what conclusion have you drawn from this request?¡± Qin Zhao asks.


    Chu Mingyun looks at the night outside the carriage¡¯s window, and after half a beat he slowly says, ¡°I realize he is quite good-looking when he smiles.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    Su Shiyu: Don¡¯t wanna pay you attention= =


    Chu Mingyun: Heh ¡ú_¡ú

 CH 9

    Early morning on the following day, someone came to report a case. At the outskirts of the capital, a body was discovered. His face was torn away, his flesh and meat an indistinguishable mess; it was so gruesome that it was a difficult sight to behold. The governor immediately sent people over to examine the body. The deceased was finally identified as the present Zhuangyuan, Song Heng. Quickly following that, a man came forward to own up to the crime, claiming that he is a candidate who failed the examination. Plagued with jealousy, he murdered Song Heng out of impulse. Other candidates came forward to testify, saying that this is the person who gifted Song Heng the lavish residence. They originally thought that it was an act of justice, but who could have guessed he was so evil?


    Due to the solid evidence, the judge arranged for him to be beheaded. The case is then swiftly closed. In the end, when the report is brought to the Emperor¡¯s desk, although a Zhuangyuan was murdered, it was after all a crime out of personal grudges between folks of the same hometown. It had nothing to do with country affairs. To this, the Emperor and his subjects sigh, and those who admired Song Heng for his talents felt pity in his stead, and then put it behind them. Just like a small pebble that fell into a lake, creating faint ripples.


    As worldly matters pass, even the gossip in teahouses would change every day. Discussions pertaining to a scholar with weak interpersonal relationships like Song Heng, who had not even assumed his post yet, would not last. The case is closed, just like sawdust and sand settling down in peace.


    The people who cared were only two in total.


    Listening to the report in the Golden Hall, Su Shiyu and Chu Mingyun exchange glances, harbouring different thoughts within themselves. Both of them coincidentally mention nothing about the underground prison from that night. Naturally, they both understand that the ¡°Song Heng¡± who had  invited people to the feast that night had been someone else using his face. After that, once he sees that something has gone wrong, he quickly uses the death of the Zhuangyuan to cover up everything else. After all, there is no testimony if the conspirator died.


    When the court is dismissed, Chu Mingyun calls after Su Shiyu, asking deliberately, ¡°Your Excellency Su, why didn¡¯t you report the underground prison to His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is young yet, his heart is fickle, so why the need to bother him with empty guesses?¡± Su Shiyu emotionlessly says, glancing at Chu Mingyun. ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Excellency Chu neglect to mention it as well? Then what did you deduce from this incident?¡±


    Chu Mingyun curls his lips into a smile, meeting Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze. ¡°Is what Your Excellency Su thinks different from me?¡±


    Su Shiyu lightly laughs, looking away to gaze at the green tiles on a far building. ¡°¡­¡­A single swaying yellow leaf would show that autumn is coming.¡±


    From a small clue, one could see where it¡¯s coming from; this is the first move of a player on their board of chess, the beginning of their flight of ambition.


    A few dozen li outside of Chang¡¯an, in the western suburbs are many meandering mountains and ranged hills blanket by verdure. The birds and beasts snake their way through trees, between branches, and the chirping of birds answers. It is a place brimming with life.It is a secluded place, rarely visited by people.


    On a cliff two men are reining in their horses, observing the countryside from above. The leading man is wearing an ink-blue robe billowing in the wind. On his sleeves are layers and layers of blood-red lotus patterns. He turns to ask the person behind him, ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡±


    Qin Zhao answers, ¡°Yes, but the exact location couldn¡¯t be determined at this time.¡±


    Chu Mingyun turns his head back, raising his hand to smooth down his ink-black hair that had been tousled by the wind. His tone has unhidden disgust. ¡°Such a desolate place.¡±


    That day in the underground prison, Chu Mingyun noticed that a complicated structure like this could not have been built overnight, and the heavy scent of blood in the air implied that there were prisoners there not long ago. It was obvious that the owner emptied out the prison just to capture Su Shiyu and himself. Yet, when they walked deeper, they came across those patrolling guards. Judging by how their movements in the underground prison, those patrolling guards were probably only moving around that area, so Chu Mingyun guessed that someone was still inside the prison and could not be moved out in time.


    When he left expressionlessly that night, he ordered the Shadow Guards to keep an eye, and truly, a few horse carriages filled with goods left the residence before dawn. The Shadow Guard followed them quietly along the way, but their opponent was incredibly alert. Once they entered the western suburb, they traveled in a strange manner. The geography here is complicated to begin with, and not even a ray of light could pierce through the covers of trees that shielded the heavens. Finally, the Shadow Guard could only vaguely determine their location in the mountains.


    Qin Zhao says, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to investigate in a place like that to begin with. To avoid detection by the enemy, we need to take the utmost precautions.¡±


    ¡°You meant that I should mobilize more people and wait up to ten days or half a month?¡± Chu Mingyun asks.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too troublesome.¡± Chu Mingyun shakes his head. He looks at the lush green forests on top of the mountains. ¡°A waste of energy, and it hinders the Shadow Guards freedom in coordination.¡±


    ¡°Is Shige going to let them roam as they please?¡± Qin Zhao asks.


    Chu Mingyun sneers lightly. ¡°How unhappy it would make me to give them that privilege.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Qin Zhao.¡± Chu Mingyun narrows his eyes. The sunlight is thin; white clouds overlap one another heavily in the sky. ¡°Even in the day, such is the weather. I fear a stormy rain will come soon enough.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Qin Zhao is taken by surprise.


    ¡°A torrential flood.¡± Chu Mingyun says plainly, ¡°Since we couldn¡¯t find it, why don¡¯t we detonate the mountaintop? The sky is in favour of us at the right time, and when that time comes, the rainwater washes down carrying sand and pebbles. Nothing can escape. If they want to hide in this place, then let them be buried.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡± Qin Zhao hesitantly asks, ¡°The person they imprisoned is most likely here as well.¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± he asks instead, withdrawing his gaze to look at Qin Zhao. ¡°Who knows what sort of person they have imprisoned? Moreover, from Song Heng¡¯s case, even if they¡¯re found imprisoning hostages, they will be killed before we could rescue them. None of them could be saved.¡±


    Qin Zhao remains silent.


    Chu Mingyun turns away and continues saying, ¡°Although the Ministry of War heeds my orders, if we overdo it, we will draw suspicion. I remember that Tan Jing made use of his Ministry of Works to conduct illegal trades, so why not talk business with him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhao says.


    Chu Mingyun casts him a glance and smiles. ¡°Ice-block face, have opinions of me now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Qin Zhao shakes his head.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s smile fades away. He knows his Shidi¡¯s nature of character, hence turning the horse around to go back and change the subject. ¡°Right. How is the investigation on Su Shiyu going?¡±


    Qin Zhao immediately urges his horse to follow, saying as he rides behind Chu Mingyun, ¡°Nothing was found.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Mingyun raises a brow.


    Qin Zhao gathers his words and says clearly, ¡°The Ministry of War¡¯s register had no records of Su Shiyu¡¯s name. After asking relevant people, none of them said they had seen him on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Have you investigated clearly?¡± Chu Mingyun says, ¡°Su Shiyu and I are the same age. Twelve years ago, when he was fifteen , it would have been the same year that Xiongnu attacked Daxia. In fact, he had gone with Su Jue. Even without the register, it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been looked into. During that time, the general was Su Jue, but neither expedition, big or small, mentioned Su Shiyu. As the only son of the General, he wouldn¡¯t have been just  a common soldier.¡±


    Chu Mingyue ponders over it and says, ¡°With Su Shiyu¡¯s tone, could it have been that something happened during that time? With Su Jue¡¯s authority, it¡¯s not impossible for him to erase Su Shiyu¡¯s name from the register.¡±


    ¡°Even so, the army under Su Shiyu during that time would have still been recorded. But there is nothing.¡±


    ¡°If there is nothing in the register and nobody else knew, then why haven¡¯t you gone to ask Du Yue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked before. But Du Yue was only eight years old at the time. In fact, Jinling  and Chang¡¯an are far away from each other. How could he know what happened at that time? From the way he reacted, his family seems to have never mentioned it to him either.¡± Qin Zhao says, ¡°Shige, Su Shiyu may be lying.¡±


    Chu Mingyun remains silent. He could still recall Su Shiyu¡¯s expression during that time, like a thousand thoughts were falling silently into the water, blending into a light rippling smile. He slowly turns his head and says with absolute certainty, ¡°They are not lies.¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡± Qin Zhao asks.


    Chu Mingyun ponders for a moment and slowly says, ¡°If it¡¯s false, this lie of Su Shiyu is too easy to expose. Why not just say that he knew we would find nothing, and so answer my question without hesitation?¡±


    Beneath those words are implications of numerous schemes. Someone else would have needed half a day to decrypt what they mean. For a moment, Qin Zhao doesn¡¯t know how he could comment on these two people. He could only expressionless say, ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Although I do not know what is happening at the moment, but¡ª¡±


    The tall walls of Chang¡¯an are already in the distance, its banners waving in the air. The yellowish walls could not hide the flourishing city within them. This is a place in the dreams of scholars in poverty, the capital of gold and jade for people in pursuit of ambitions, and the slaughterhouse of people in positions of power.


    Chu Mingyun curls his lips up, and the sound that follows has an undertone of eagerness. ¡°More days are to come for him and me.¡±

 CH 10

    Within a single night, Chang¡¯an becomes rowdy again.


    The young Emperor of Daxia, Li Yanzhen, has ascended the throne for eight years. The chaos with Xiongnu has long subsided. The nations no longer meddle with each other. The calamities of the year before have been weathered through. All under the Heavens now is similar to the name of its reign, Yonghe¡ªan impression of peace. When he has shown enough love and care for the world, Li Yanzhen then wants to show love and care for himself.


    The previous Emperor had few sons and many died young, hence Li Yanzhen succeeded before he came of age. During that time, Xiongnu assaults were often and times were in upheaval. The imperial concubines who were sent into the palace were just regular women hastily picked by families of nobility. They were quiet, law-abiding, and uninteresting. Yet, Li Yanzhen was born with literary pursuits. He held love for poetry, dance, and song, but when he composed works in his free time, no one could accompany him in admiring these arts. There are people who could appreciate such things among his literary officials, but once he mentioned them, all his subjects, as well as his harem, would unanimously agree: ¡°Your Majesty, country affairs take priority.¡±


    How heartbreaking.


    This day, once everyone has reported their part in the Golden Hall, Li Yanzhen surveys his surroundings, his gaze falling on Su Shiyu. Li Yanzhen tactfully brings up the imperial selection1 event, hoping he could pick a few sharp and lively women to accompany him.


    Su Shiyu gives an expressionless smile with his eyes low and answers, ¡°These are events within the royal chambers; there is no need for His Majesty to ask us subjects.¡±


    Chu Mingyun casts him a glance. He recalls one year, someone declined the selection event with such words of gentleness and sincerity that Li Yanzhen dare not ask again for many years.


    The conclusion had been: His Majesty is still young and should hone his character; the country affairs take priority, so please wait.


    At the time, Chu Mingyun mentioned it to Qin Zhao, shaking his head as he sighed. ¡°He is unmarried himself and so demanded for others to hone their character along with him. If there comes a day when he retires from the Imperial Secretary, he¡¯d go into secluded meditation.¡±


    Qin Zhao, with an impassive face, did not pay him any attention.


    Regardless, the selection has been decided. Women from good families will come to the capital awaiting selection by the Emperor.


    In just a few days, many carriages enter the city. All the women of nobility were nervously getting prepared and many beauties from other lands were also delivered by their nobilities. All the gossips in taverns were fixated on these women, paying far more attention to details compared to when they had had their own weddings.


    This atmosphere is indeed quite contagious, for even Qin Zhao cannot bear to just stand by and watch. He goes into the study to discuss this matter with Chu Mingyun.


    Chu Mingyun slowly raises his eyes to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re envious now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Qin Zhao¡¯s face steels. ¡°So many officials are in a hurry to deliver their people into the palace. Don¡¯t you know what they¡¯re up to?¡±


    The harem and the court have been mutually affecting each other since the beginning of time.


    Chu Mingyun holds a jade-green grape in his fingers. ¡°Want one?¡±


    ¡°Shige,¡± Qin Zhao couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°It¡¯s a gone opportunity that we¡¯ve yet to join the court when he ascended. But now there is a chance like this and you want to let it pass?¡±


    Chu Mingyun withstands Qin Zhao¡¯s gaze, taking his time as he moves the tray of fruits to the side, then sorts out a few scrolls on his desk before meeting his eyes. ¡°What opportunity?¡±


    He snickers coldly. ¡°Using women as assets, delivering them into the palace as spies? Only useless people would use such methods to reinforce their own position.¡±


    Qin Zhao is left speechless. He did not agree to such methods, but Chu Mingyun has always placed himself where the winds and waves are the highest. If he did not take this opportunity, it¡¯s hard to say that others wouldn¡¯t use the same chance against Chu Mingyun. With his Shige¡¯s pride, he would not take them seriously, but it was difficult for Qin Zhao not to worry.


    As Chu Mingyun looks at Qin Zhao, he suddenly says, ¡°If you are interested, it¡¯s not impossible to¡­¡­¡±


    Qin Zhao looks at him strangely.


    Chu Mingyun slowly says, ¡°Think of it this way,there are no women under my service that I could dispatch], but Du Yue is quite a likeable person. Why don¡¯t we send him into the palace? Would you be willing to?¡±


    ¡°Shige¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! What are you people saying about me?¡± Du Yue pushes the door open and enters.


    Qin Zhao: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Chu Mingyun: ¡°Wanted to give you some dowry, Qin Zhao wants to marry¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Du Yue casually sits on a chair. ¡°It¡¯s just you and your lack of morals. Qin Zhao wouldn¡¯t talk of what dowry.¡±


    The last few words of Chu Mingyun is drowned by Du Yue¡¯s loud and clear voice. However, Qin Zhao nervously shoots Chu Mingyun with a glare, his lips pursed into a thin line.


    Chu Mingyun tips his head to the side and laughs. He teasingly sighs a long breath, taking a stack of documents before getting up and heading in the direction of the study alone.


    Du Yue calls after him from behind, ¡°Weh! Where are you going? I just came!¡±


    Although Chu Mingyun has already gone ahead, his voice still slowly floats back: ¡°The oblivious energy in this room is too dense. I am taking a breather.¡±


    ¡°This bastard.¡± Du Yue scrunches his brows. ¡°Would you believe I would poison you?¡±


    In reality, he¡¯s encouraged by the fact that Chu Mingyun couldn¡¯t hear him before saying that.


    ¡°¡­..Du Yue,¡± Qin Zhao suddenly says.


    ¡°What?¡± Du Yue turns to look at him.


    Qin Zhao becomes tongue-tied once he meets those bright eyes of Du Yue¡¯s. Chu Mingyun¡¯s words from just now are hammering clearly in Qin Zhao¡¯s chest, making him so nervous that he doesn¡¯t know what to do. Luckily, he was born with an inexpressive face, and Du Yue isn¡¯t someone who pays attention to details, Du Yue sees nothing.


    Qin Zhao is left with nothing to say for half a beat before he speaks again with a dry throat: ¡°Want a grape?¡±


    Du Yue looks to the grapes on the desk, still with beads of water on them. He nods. ¡°Yes!¡±


    As Qin Zhao and Du Yue sit next to each other eating grapes, Chu Mingyun brings those documents into the palace.


    It¡¯s a common rule that the Grand Marshal and the Grand Secretary should report all the tasks in their hands to the Emperor on a monthly basis.


    When Chu Mingyun reaches the Imperial Study Room guided by a maid of honour, Su Shiyu is already there. He is holding a few manuscripts in his hand similar to Chu Mingyun, glancing at the desk with unknown thoughts in his head. Li Yanzhen, who is sitting on the host¡¯s seat with a carving knife in his hand, lowers his head as he scrapes patiently. There is a wooden block as tall as a person next to him, with a faint s fragrance; it was obviously an high grade material. Perhaps it was a rare type of wood delivered into the palace as a tribute.


    Other than managing country affairs, the present Emperor is skilled in every other thing, especially painting and woodcarving.


    Chu Mingyun bows at Li Yanzhen and is given a noncommittal reply. The Emperor doesn¡¯t even look up from his work as he says, ¡°Place those documents on the table.¡±


    There are a few half-opened scrolls of drawings of women from the selection and a few carving knives scatter over those scrolls. Chu Mingyun realizes what Su Shiyu is pondering. He is looking for a place to put his reports down. Chu Mingyun walks forward to place his reports on top of a painting immediately. Su Shiyu glares at him before following his lead.


    Su Shiyu adjusts his sleeves as he remains watching Li Yanzhen, who is immersed in his woodwork. He gives a light cough. The Su family had assisted him since he was the Crown Prince, and Su Shiyu is older than him. Li Yanzhen holds respect for him, and so immediately raises his head and smiles. ¡°I am listening. Go ahead with your reports.¡±


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu are used to this. They allow Li Yanzhen to look at his woodwork while he listens to them finish their reports, before he shifts his attention to them with a sigh and a smile. ¡°To have two beloved subjects assisting me, the world is at peace and the seas and oceans are clear; how truly fortunate.¡±


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu answer with a smile, harbouring different thoughts in their hearts.


    Li Yanzhen mutters to himself for a while, then says, ¡°There is something else I wish to ask both beloved subjects.¡±


    ¡°There is no harm in asking, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°This piece of wood is truly a brilliant specimen. I thought that only by carving a worldly beauty can one not betray this gift from the Heavens. Do my beloved subjects have any candidates?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, Su Shiyu opens his mouth: ¡°The selection is going on, beauties from all around gather here, His Majesty may just pick any one of them.¡±


    Li Yanzhen shakes his head. ¡°Naturally, I have taken a look at them. All the beauties could not surpass Beloved Subject Su, and so not one satisfies me.¡±


    ¡°How could a man like this humble subject be on the same level?¡± Su Shiyu smiles. ¡°Additionally, when it comes to appearance, His Excellency Chu could be considered the zenith of beauty.¡±


    Chu Mingyun, who has been quiet all along, turns his gaze over to raise a brow. ¡°I am also a man.¡±


    Su Shiyu meets his eyes and smiles faintly. ¡°Since when have I said otherwise? Why is His Excellency Chu in a hurry to emphasize that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chu Mingyun pretends as if he didn¡¯t hear that. Turning his head around, he met Li Yanzhen¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. He couldn¡¯t help feeling taken aback.


    Before he could speak, Li Yanzhen bitterly shakes his head. ¡°Although Beloved Subject Chu is also beautiful, his eyes are too devilish. His beauty¡¯s not the sort I like.¡±


    Su Shiyu descends into silence.


    Chu Mingyun wriggles his brows. He gives a cold snort and mocks: ¡°Since this humble subject¡¯s looks do not meet His Majesty¡¯s standards, he is truly¡­¡­ ashamed.¡±


    Li Yanzhen lifts his hand. ¡°There is no harm.¡± Then he turns to look at Su Shiyu. ¡°Did you laugh just now?¡±


    Su Shiyu calmly raises his gaze. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, would Beloved Subject Su like this type?¡± Just as he finishes speaking, Li Yanzhen shakes his head. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve forgotten. There is nothing you¡¯d ever like.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    There are countless beauties in this world. Other than those gathered in palaces or houses of nobility, there are also those in the Pleasure Streets3. Whispers like the chirps of birds and the scent of fragrance in the wind, it is a place of paradise in the mortal realm.


    A lavished sedan chair stops in front of the richly ornamented building of the Red-Sleeve Beckons2. The bawd who is welcoming guests at the entrance rushes up quickly to the man who got down from the carriage. She smiles. ¡°Ah, why did you come in person? If you have any needs, just send a messenger, this hurry¡­¡­¡±


    The man waves his hand and interrupts her. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Resting in her room. I¡¯ll call for her.¡±


    ¡°There is no need.¡± The man walks up the stairs. The rumbles of chatter and laughter down below gets faint. A servant girl opens the door for him and bows before stepping aside. This room is decorated in a quiet, gentle manner, without a lick of ostentation. It makes one feel as if they have stepped into an entirely different place. The silk curtains overlap one another, swaying in the wind, its shadows drawing near. A smooth shapely hand lifts the curtain and a woman smiles at him, her brows beautiful and gentle.


    Jingshu bows in front of the man before raising her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send word earlier that you¡¯re coming in person?¡±


    The man sits down and smiles. ¡°Nothing. I just want to see you.¡±


    Jingshu walks forward to pour him a cup of tea, her smile faint. Just as she parts her mouth to speak, there comes a dull ringing from afar that freezes the faces of all the people present. It¡¯s incredibly light, surpassed even by the laughter from down below. If not for people with a strong foundation of martial arts, it would be difficult for them to notice it. The man turns towards the window. They couldn¡¯t help feeling both doubt and surprise as they exchange glances, their instincts in alarm.


    Chaotic footsteps reach them. A servant in his urgency disregards custom as his head pokes into the room and shouts: ¡°Young Lord! Not good. Something¡¯s happened in the western suburbs!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± The man abruptly stands up.


    A deafening boom explodes on the horizon. Jingshu quickly walks to the window and sees in the distance,  snake-like lightning flashing in the clouds. The rumble of thunder is like the sound of drums reverberating in the sky. The heavy clouds finally collapse under their own weight and the rain crashes down like an overturned water jug.


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    Su Shiyu: Forgive me for being forward. I¡¯m not prejudiced against you, Chu Mingyun, I am just saying that everyone present is just as similarly sick.


    Qin Zhao: ¡ú_¡ú


    Du Yue: =¿Ú=


    Li Yanzhen: Then does Beloved Subject Su take a fancy to these types?


    Chu Mingyun: There¡¯s no need to ask. He likes it. That is why he likes me later on.


    Li Yanzhen: ¡ú_¡ú


    Su Shiyu: ¡ú_¡ú


    [1] ²ÉÑ¡: event in the Imperial Palace where the Emperor picks women for his harem.


    [2] »¨½ÖÁøÏï: Streets filled with brothels.


    [3] ºìÐäÕÐ: translated literally, but this is a brothel.

 CH 11

    Yan Ye follows Qin Zhao into the Residence of the Grand Marshal, passing through the vermilion red corridor into the study.  He compliments the grandeur of the manor along the way, while trying to pull answers from Qin Zhao with a few subtle questions, but that black-robed man only gave him his back and a few vague ¡°En¡±s. There is not much Yan Ye could do so he bitterly shuts his mouth. Following Qin Zhao¡¯s steps to the study, he readjusts his expression before the door and watches it open slowly.


    Chu Mingyun raises his pen to scribble something on the map; When he hears the other¡¯s footsteps, he raises his head and sees Yan Ye. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Yan Ye  bows and answers with a smile, ¡°This humble subject knew that His Excellency is investigating matters pertaining to the Old Minister Chen. Since I know a little about it, I immediately came over to inform His Excellency.¡±


    Chu Mingyun places his pen down and leans against the chair. ¡°Do you know where Chen Xuanwen¡¯s family is?¡±


    ¡°I only know a little bit of it.¡± Yan Ye says, ¡°A few days ago, this humble subject set out for Lin¡¯an for a gathering with the Governor. He mentioned that Old Minister Chen had sought his help to secure a manor outside of Lin¡¯an city and deliver all his family there for reasons unknown. Old Minister Chen was reluctant to say much so the Governor didn¡¯t question him further. Not a few days later, the manor caught fire in the middle of the night suddenly. When the Governor¡¯s people finally arrived at the scene, it had already been burned down.¡±


    ¡°A fire in the middle of the night?¡± Chu Mingyun raises his eyebrows.


    ¡°Yes. How would the Governor dare dally in this case? He sent people out a few times to investigate. There are no signs of the fire resulting from deliberate human interference. Perhaps it¡¯s because of lanterns within the manor.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Chu Mingyun says, laughing with a cold snicker. ¡°If the identity of the one who caused the fire could be unravelled so easily, then he should be too ashamed to murder Chen Xuanwen¡¯s family.¡±


    There are indeed many elements in the field of investigation; Chu Mingyun¡¯s tone had been too mocking and Yan Ye could not help feeling cold sweat breaking out. He dares not look at Chu Mingyun, awkwardly smiling. ¡°What His Excellency speaks is the truth.¡±


    ¡°What you meant is that Chen Xuanwen¡¯s family has been burned into a crisp?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­ might not be the case.¡± Yan Ye doubtfully ponders over it.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Mingyun glares at him.


    Yan Ye couldn¡¯t help uneasily wiping his cold sweat off with his sleeve. ¡°The,  the Governor is only taking a guess, and this humble subject is only delivering his word. I am not so sure.¡±


    Chu Mingyun laughs, then drawls: ¡°Why are you so afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°How is that the case?¡± Yan Ye musters the courage to say with a smile. ¡°Someone claimed that they saw a horse carriage stopping there in the middle of the night and saving someone. Perhaps it¡¯s the lone grandson of Old Minister Chen. However, the night was too dark and it was not easy to see clearly.¡±


    Chu Mingyun looks to Qin Zhao. Qin Zhao meets his eyes and acknowledges him with a nod, making a mental note to send someone to Lin¡¯an after Yan Ye leaves.


    Yet after Yan Ye has said all he wishes to say, he had no intention to leave just like that. He instead asks amiably, ¡°Perhaps one could ask why is His Excellency so concerned over Old Minister Chen? Although this humble subject is incompetent, he might be able to share His Excellency¡¯s worries.¡±


    Chu Mingyun casts him a glare and naturally understands his desire to make use of the opportunity to earn himself a favour, and thus casually replies, ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just that the saying goes that Old Minister Chen¡¯s grandson is quite handsome.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Ye recalls that the man before his eyes is someone who so shamelessly claimed all of a sudden that he likes men. The words he¡¯d intended to say are all swallowed back, replaced by a dry laugh.


    Chu Mingyun takes his time saying, ¡°Right. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being discovered by Su Shiyu for coming to my residence?¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency may be at peace.¡± Yan Ye immediately says, ¡°The Imperial Secretary is not at the Censorate at this moment. I followed behind him when he left.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Interest rises in Chu Mingyun. ¡°Where did Su Shiyu go?¡±


    ¡°Someone has impeached the Minister of Works, Tan Jing, for conducting illegal smuggling of firearms. You should know that presently, all the accounts within the Censorate have to go through His Excellency Su. This is indeed severe; if it¡¯s a false accusation, the ability of the Censorate would be questioned for pinning such a severe crime on an official of the Imperial Court. If it¡¯s true, one fears that it would alert the enemy in advance if the accounts were directly submitted to the desk of the Emperor. Hence, His Excellency Su retained the accounts and, taking his personality into consideration, this humble subject thinks he has gone to investigate in person.¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s face grows ever so slightly cold . ¡°Tan Jing¡¯s smuggling of firearms?¡±


    Qin Zhao¡¯s expression changes subtly, glaring intently as Yan Ye continues to speak.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Ye cannot tell what he is thinking from his reaction, but continues. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s strange. This Minister Tan hasn¡¯t been smuggling only recently. He has been doing it discreetly and we have all turned a blind eye to it. However, it¡¯s unknown why he subsequently smuggled huge shipments of firearms in.¡±


    Chu Mingyun taps the desk with the tip of his finger, his gaze flickering.


    His business of firearms with Tan Jing was done long ago. The western suburbs have been detonated and the torrential flood has buried that place cleanly. This incident was concluded, yet how did Tan Jing manage to create such a mess? Was someone meddling in his business in the capital?


    His expression doesn¡¯t waver as he says, ¡°Investigating in person? How does Su Shiyu intend to investigate?¡±


    Yan Ye thinks before saying, ¡°This humble subject had seen those accounts before delivering them to the Censorate. They seem to have Tan Jing¡¯s personal confession, saying that all the accounts of people within his network were kept in storage in the Western City. His Excellency Su might want to obtain those accounts.¡±


    Chu Mingyun slaps the map closed, rising to his feet to adjust his robes and says, ¡°Alright. Take your leave.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yan Ye stares at him, stunned.


    From the corner of his eyes, Chu Mingyun shoots him a glare. ¡°Are you waiting for me to escort you?¡±


    ¡°I dare not. I dare not.¡± Yan Ye stutters, ¡°Only¡­.. What does Your Excellency have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m missing Su Shiyu all of a sudden. I¡¯m going to see him,¡± Chu Mingyun says.


    ¡°¡­..Ah?¡±


    Didn¡¯t you guys just meet in morning court?


    Chu Mingyun looks at him with impatience. Yan Ye immediately takes his leave, knowing what¡¯s best for himself. Chu Mingyun and Qin Zhao exchange glances before walking out of the residence to mount their horses, going immediately to the Western City.


    Qin Zhao had always been the one to discuss business with Tan Jing. Naturally, he knows his way around. The warehouse is at the border of the Western City in Chang¡¯an. One can see it from afar with wild grasses overgrown and abandoned, like it had been left desolate and soulless. However, they are aware of how heavily guarded it is.


    Qin Zhao naturally offers to go in, yet he¡¯s held back by Chu Mingyun who says, ¡°Would you be able to deal with Su Shiyu?¡± Chu Mingyun equips himself with the knowledge of the warehouse¡¯s layout and location of the accounting room. He orders Qin Zhao to lead the Shadow Guards and conceal themselves to avoid Su Shiyu leaving before him, then in a flash, he flips over the walls.


    The warehouse is quiet, with only the occasional sound of patrolling guards walking past. Chu Mingyun skillfully avoids a few patrolling units as he assesses his surroundings.  Moving stealthily, he makes his way into the accounting room. A small brass lock still hangs perfectly from the fortune paulownia wood cabinet. Chu Mingyun studies it for a while before breaking the lock and tossing it aside. He pulls the drawer open but finds the inside to be empty.


    Su Shiyu is indeed a step ahead of him.


    Chu Mingyun straightens his body and pinches his brows. After leaving the accounting room, he ponders over it for a while before heading towards the vault. After no more than a hundred steps, he hears the sound of someone breathing and smiles. Laughing quietly, he follows along.


    Su Shiyu pushes the vault¡¯s door open and stops. He abruptly turns around, a sharp blade showing itself from his sleeve, yet it is hindered by someone gripping his wrist.. A vaguely familiar face comes into sight and smiles at him, half an inch away from the tip of his blade. ¡°Yo, Your Excellency Su.¡±


    Su Shiyu feels a little surprised. ¡°¡­¡­His Excellency Chu?¡± He withdraws his hand and presses the sword back into his hand, hiding it. However, he doesn¡¯t let his guard down. ¡°Just now, the person following behind me was you?¡±


    ¡°Other than me, who else do you wish to see?¡± Chu Mingyun¡¯s eyes curves with his smile.


    ¡°How could His Excellency Chu have come here?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of you?¡± Chu Mingyun looks at him and sighs deliberately. Speaking casually he continues, ¡°I ran into His Excellency Su on the street on my way here. Before I gave a greeting, you were already gone. Hence, my only choice was to follow. I¡¯ve gone through so much looking for you, trying to make use of the opportunity to speak with you, but one couldn¡¯t have thought you¡¯d put your guard up like that.¡± He pauses for a while and his smile deepens. ¡°If I had been slower just now, that sword would have pierced me through.¡±


    ¡°You are overly humble. Your Excellency Chu is a man who has experienced the throes of the battlefield. How would a small trick like mine be in your way? There is no need for ¡®what if¡±s¡¯.¡± Su Shiyu lightly smiles, putting his sword back into his sleeve. ¡°However, was Your Excellency Chu¡¯s motive for coming here really just to speak to me? It¡¯s not very like you from the sound of it.¡±


    ¡°I yearn for you, so I¡¯m  looking for an opportunity to get close to you; isn¡¯t this the fact?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu furrows his eyebrows and can¡¯t help saying: ¡°Your Excellency Chu¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you feel strange teasing a man like me?¡±


    Chu Mingyun raises his eyebrows faintly and says with humour in his tone, ¡°I think it¡¯s good. Additionally, with a heart filled with hot passion like mine, how could this be considered teasing¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve misspoke.¡± Su Shiyu raises his hand to interrupt him as he turns around to walk into the vault. When the sound of footsteps follows behind him, Su Shiyu¡¯s lips quiver and he couldn¡¯t help spitting out two words silently: ¡°Rebel1.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡° Su Shiyu suddenly asks, ¡°How is the wound on His Excellency¡¯s shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t been a problem for a long time.¡± Chu Mingyun closes the door to the vault room. He turns around and looks at him with a sly smile. ¡°Want to come here and touch it?¡±


    Su Shiyu turns around, his gaze brushing past Chu Mingyun¡¯s shoulder, then falling onto his face. Suddenly, he laughs. ¡°There is no need. It seems like fleshwounds are nothing to His Excellency Chu.¡±


    After all, even the skin on his face is so thick.


    Chu Mingyun somehow manages to hear the unvoiced part of Su Shiyu¡¯s comment.


    [1] Ô©¼Ò (yuan jia): the literal meaning of this word means ¡®enemies¡¯ but I think the author¡¯s intention is on wordplay referring to enemies-to-lovers. Since Ô©¼Ò is sometimes used on bickering couples.

 CH 12

    There is only a small window on the wall in the cold and dark vault. The light is a little dim, shining upon a few dozen big boxes stacked together against the wall casting a huge shadow.


    Su Shiyu walks forward to earnestly study them for a while. He reaches out to slowly open a box and the smell of gunpowder fills his nose. It¡¯s an entire box of black gunpowder.


    Chu Mingyun raises a brow and takes a step back. He waves his hand to fan that nose-piercing smell away, shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°Strange. What kind of a place is this with so much gunpowder? Sighs, in your opinion, are these enough to demolish the entire Chang¡¯an City altogether?¡±


    Su Shiyu opens a few boxes and sees that they are also filled with gunpowder. He laughs when he hears Chu Mingyun¡¯s words. He answers, ¡°I am unsure about Chang¡¯an City, but from the way I see it, it surely wouldn¡¯t be a problem to raze the Grand Marshal¡¯s Residence into a flat land.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Mingyun smiles. ¡°Is that so? I think they could still conveniently take down the Censorate as well.¡±


    Su Shiyu turns around and returns Chu Mingyun¡¯s smile; Each clearly having their own intentions.


    Chu Mingyun watches Su Shiyu from behind with his hands across his chest and his thoughts racing. Seeing Su Shiyu returning everything back to its initial state means that he¡¯s prepared to leave. Just as he wants to say something to stall the other, he catches the sound of movement from the side. The light in his eyes flikers. He turns around to give the tightly-shut metal door behind them a look and then tells Su Shiyu in a hushed voice, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Su Shiyu has already turned around, and so he curiously walks over. ¡°Your Excellency Chu, how¡­¡­¡±


    He is taken off guard as Chu Mingyun leads him behind the door, a hand on his waist as he is pulled into Chu Mingyun¡¯s arms entirely, his back against the other¡¯s chest. Su Shiyu instinctively wants to struggle free, but Chu Mingyun¡¯s other hand reaches across his chest and locks him in. He then tips his head to the side to press his lips against Su Shiyu¡¯s ear and speaks gently: ¡°Shh¡ª¡±


    Warm breath brushes his earlobe and the gentle voice that fills his ear makes Su Shiyu¡¯s eyebrows tighten, yet he forces himself not to move away. When Chu Mingyun spoke, he too heard the faint sound of footsteps from the outside.


    Smuggling gunpowder is an incredibly dangerous job. Compared to having to avoid the authority¡¯s inspection, these massive amounts of black gunpowder are life-threatening to begin with. If a careless mistake causes an ignition, not only would the capital invested be lost, but countless human lives would also be lost. And thus, Tan Jing made arrangements with patrolling guards to forbid any entry of fire starters. At this time, a patrolling unit happened to pass by.


    The wide iron doors are pushed open, covering both of their presences completely. Clear footsteps ring in this empty space.


    Chu Mingyun could feel the compromise and cooperation of the person in his arms. He slowly curls the corner of his lips and releases Su Shiyu, yet his palm reaches down to Su Shiyu¡¯s waist and, little by little, he starts feeling around.


    Su Shiyu freezes and shuts his eyes, trying his best to ignore his actions. He steels his focus on the sound of the patrolling units inspecting the crates.


    The fabric beneath Chu Mingyun¡¯s touch is soft and smooth, the waist in his hand narrow and slim. If not for the fact that now isn¡¯t a suitable time to speak, Chu Mingyun would have wanted to compliment Su Shiyu¡¯s body to see his reaction. It¡¯s quite a pity. Suddenly, his hand stops, his fingertips press down softly, certain that he has found the object he¡¯s looking for.


    His arm tightens its hold on Su Shiyu¡¯s arm. Chu Mingyun¡¯s hand slowly moves upwards, finally reaching the lapels. His fingers slowly draw circles on the dark-coloured patterns there, stroking for a moment before unhesitantly reaching inside.


    Su Shiyu¡¯s body went very stiff, his skin clearly feeling the warmth of that palm through a thin layer of inner clothes, like a snake snaking its way down.


    The patrolling guards head out after they finished inspecting, yet Chu Mingyun¡¯s hand continues to travel southward. Just as the iron door closes, Su Shiyu turns around to glare at him warningly with a sharp look  Chu Mingyun meets his gaze, a beautiful smile appearing at the corners of his eyes. He parts his lips to gently blow air into Su Shiyu¡¯s ear and his smile deepens.


    He had already felt one corner of the object; the footsteps had vanished outside the door.


    Su Shiyu lashes out suddenly, raising an elbow to jab into Chu Mingyun¡¯s chest and shaking himself free with the abrupt movement of his body, putting distance between them. Yet in the process, he feels something leaving his body at the same time Chu Mingyun¡¯s arm did. He raises his eyes to look and is stunned.


    ¡°Tch¡ªWhy did you take a book with you around?¡± Chu Mingyun doesn¡¯t miss the flash of anger in Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes. He stomachs the pain in his chest as he waves the book in his hand. Seeing the change of colour in Su Shiyu¡¯s expression as he had hoped, he lowers his gaze and  flips the object open. ¡°It¡¯s an accounts book.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not anything special. Your Excellency Chu, please return it.¡± Su Shiyu withdraws his expression, adjusting his sleeve.


    ¡°All right.¡± Chu Mingyun looks at him with a smile, tapping a finger to his lips. ¡°Give me a kiss then.¡±


    Su Shiyu raises his eyes to look at him and chuckles ¡°It¡¯s enough to make these sort of jokes once.¡±


    ¡°You think I am joking?¡± Chu Mingyun flips the accounts book open, raising his hand to cleanly tear off two pages. ¡°Then, how about now?¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze darkens at the sound of ripping papers. He stares at him with a silent smile.


    Chu Mingyun is full of himself, canting his head to the side to meet Su Shiyu¡¯s expression. He flips a few pages again and tears a few more pages out. ¡°Now, do you still think I am joking?¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency the Grand Marshal.¡± Su Shiyu¡¯s voice gradually quietens, the smile hanging at the corner of his lips deepening as he glares at him. ¡°That item in your hands is an important piece of evidence in this case. Even though you hold a position of high power, making a mess of state affairs would bring punishment upon yourself.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Chu Mingyun raises the account book to take a closer look, then tucks the item behind his back. His body leans forward as he looks Su Shiyu in the eye and smiles. ¡°How important is this case that it would need you to acquire the evidence in person? Why don¡¯t you tell me? Perhaps I could help.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive this humble man surnamed Su¡¯s incapability to offer anything.¡± Su Shiyu calmly says, ¡°How could such a trivial matter beg the attention of His Excellency the Grand Marshal? If you return the item now, you¡¯ve already done a big help.¡±


    Chu Mingyun calmly raises a brow, withdrawing his gaze as he hastily slaps those torn pages back into the account book, walking over to tuck it into Su Shiyu¡¯s hand. ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯ll not pester you anymore.¡± He studies Su Shiyu once over, shrugs his shoulders and walks heads out. ¡°With the way you look now, you probably don¡¯t want me in your sight. In that case, I should take my leave.¡±


    Su Shiyu silently watches as Chu Mingyun opens the door and leaves just like that, his figure disappearing. His eyebrows furrow as he squeezes the account book in his hand.


    Chu Mingyun glance behind him as he turns a corner and gives out a low laugh. Then he looks forward and slows his steps as he leisurely walks towards the outside.


    There are echoes in the vault¡¯s passageway, giving away the people who were hurrying in his direction long before they reached him.


    As expected, after a few more turns, there is a large batch of guards blocking the path ahead. The one standing at the forefront bows to Chu Mingyun. ¡°This inferior subject didn¡¯t know of His Excellency¡¯s visit, and so couldn¡¯t welcome him in time. I beg Your Excellency Chu¡¯s understanding.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Chu Mingyun slowly nods his head and says, ¡°Now, you have welcomed me. So step aside.¡±


    ¡°This inferior subject is just a lowly official. In the usual days, I wouldn¡¯t have much time to see Your Excellency¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The reason you bring these people to stand in my way is to speak this nonsense to me?¡± Chu Mingyun says.


    Tan Jing pauses. Looking at Chu Mingyun, he once again opens his mouth to say, ¡°Since His Excellency understands, then this inferior official will go straight to the subject.¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency has once been involved in this business of mine as well. As the present events progress, now that Your Excellency has shown up here, I couldn¡¯t help but want to take a look at you.¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives a low chuckle and says, ¡°You think I am here to destroy the evidence?¡±


    ¡°I dare not.¡± Tan Jing says, ¡°His Excellency the Grand Marshal is not the sort of person who would add misery to others so he could place himself alone in righteous standing.¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s smile gradually deepens. He raises his hand to take out two pieces of paper stacked together, then reaches out to an oil lamp hanging by the wall to allow its flames to lick at them. Once he releases them, they gradually turn to ash.


    ¡°But I am such a person.¡± His gaze cold under the warm light of the flame. ¡°So, don¡¯t ever think of using this to threaten me. Regardless of who you are.¡±


    Tan Jing is stunned. The guards behind him tighten their grip on their weapons, waiting for orders. A flicker of cruelty appears in Tan Jing¡¯s eyes as he waves his hand and wants to say something, but once again he is interrupted by Chu Mingyun.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not like me to be so unsentimental.¡± Chu Mingyun blows the ash off his fingers. ¡°Su Shiyu is still in your vault. He wouldn¡¯t have gone far at this moment. The one investigating you is the Grand Secretary himself. He is the one you should stop.¡±


    ¡°Su Shiyu?¡± Tan Jing looks at him suspiciously. ¡°Your Excellency would reveal his whereabouts to me?¡±


    ¡°Whether Su Shiyu is dead or alive, what does it have to do with me?¡± Chu Mingyun raises his gaze to give him a look. ¡°There are plenty of people who pray for his death.¡±


    Tan Jing savours these words for a moment, then a smile follows. ¡°Since this is the case, please be assured, Your Excellency. This inferior subject is willing to operate at your command.¡±


    Chu Mingyun twitches his lips and raises his hand, signalling him to step aside.


    ¡­¡­


    Su Shiyu turns a corner and pauses. He glances around his surroundings and his eyes fall upon Tan Jing. He says with a smile, ¡°His Excellency Tan. This formation doesn¡¯t look like you are welcoming me.¡±


    ¡°If not for being at the end of my tether, I would never be willing to offend Your Excellency,¡± Tan Jing says. The guards behind him flash their weapons; it is a little eye-piercing in the dark.


    ¡°Offend, huh? I thought ¡®a struggle for life and death¡¯ suits Your Excellency Tan¡¯s current situation more.¡± Su Shiyu glances at the path where he came from. ¡°Speaking of which, did you run into His Excellency Chu on your way here?¡±


    Tan Jing gives Su Shiyu¡¯s prim and proper exterior a look, but cannot help picking up the hint that this simple question is a warning. He snorts coldly and says, ¡°His Excellency Chu will not come to your rescue. The Grand Secretary will have to be disappointed.¡± He pauses, then says, ¡°Truth be told, Tan Jing is now just executing the orders of His Excellency Chu.¡±


    Su Shiyu can¡¯t help giving him a strange look. ¡°¡­¡­To what state of pathetic would I have to be that I need to hope for his rescue?¡±


    Without any more words, Tan Jing waves his hand and all his guards lunge forward. Su Shiyu doesn¡¯t move from where he stands, smiling faintly at him through the wall of people, the flash of a blade from the tips of his fingers piercing into his sight.


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    Author: Do you know what this is called? Sex/ual harrassment in workplace.


    Chu Mingyun: Heh.


    Author: Ah, but I also want to give Su Shiyu a hug. He surely smells nice/////


    Chu Mingyun: Heheh.


    Author: ¡­¡­

 CH 13

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asks.


    ¡°There is no need for you to know,¡± the man says, glancing through the window at the winding river the colour of the sky.


    ¡°Smuggling so much gunpowder, yet only storing it in the vault. Neither selling nor moving it away. Am I supposed to wait until somebody comes snooping around?¡± He grits his teeth lightly. ¡°You want me to be your scapegoat?¡±


    The man suddenly laughs and turns around to look at him. ¡°Even if I do not do this, how much longer can you wait? How long can your wife wait?¡±


    Tan Jing abruptly wakes up. He sits up and wipes the cold sweat off his forehead. He feels something heavy on his wrist, metal chains ringing with every movement. Underneath him is a bed of wet cattail. Tan Jing looks at the pale-white prisoners¡¯ clothes on his body and is stunned as the memory from before he passed out comes slowly rolling back.


    Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to respond. In his fuzzy memory, he only remembers Su Shiyu¡¯s smile, and then he¡¯d lost consciousness, save for the twisting pain at the back of his neck.


    One look at the state he is in would be clear enough. He lowers his head and lets out a bitter laugh.


    A gentle and clear voice rings. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Tan Jing¡¯s heart skips a beat. He raises his head to look across the cell. Someone stands tall and straight against the wall, gazing at him through the metal bars of the prison cell.


    ¡°The Grand Secretary truly is secretive about his martial art skills,¡± Tan Jing coldly says.


    ¡°You overpraise me.¡±


    ¡°Caught red-handed; why isn¡¯t the Grand Secretary concluding the case, but instead coming to this unlucky place?¡± Tan Jing says.


    ¡°I came to see you,¡± Su Shiyu says.


    Tan Jing icily laughs . ¡°But I do not think there is any value in me worth your visit.¡±


    ¡°I recall the year you joined our ranks. You were full of ambition, willing to sacrifice for the people and society.¡± Su Shiyu looks at the sorry appearance of the person inside the cell. ¡°Today you¡¯ve fallen to this state.¡±


    ¡°I fear His Excellency the Grand Secretary will have to be disappointed.¡± Tan Jing casually sits up, and honestly says, ¡°In the past, the present, even until the very moment I die, I don¡¯t regret the things I have done. Including enrolling as an official, as well as smuggling and illegal trades, murdering innocent folk.¡±


    ¡°It sounds conflicting,¡± Su Shiyu flatly comments.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, actually.¡± Tan Jing lowers his eyes and says, ¡°His Excellency the Grand Secretary would have vaguely heard that my wife had once fallen into an ice pool. After she was rescued, she had a fever that didn¡¯t stop, and she finally descended into madness. From then on, she is afflicted with a persistent illness; every time the illness attacks, the pain makes her break things, hurt others, and even injure herself out of control. The illness has no cure. It only relies on medicine to suppress the pain.¡±


    ¡°This is the reason you smuggled goods to gather money?¡±


    ¡°My position in the capital looked bright and filled with glory. How many people were envious? But compared to what was needed for that medicine, it was impossible. Yet, how could I just stand by and watch her die from pain?¡± Tan Jing bitterly smiles. ¡°If I could not even protect her, how could I protect the lives of the people?¡±


    ¡°If your wife knew this is what you¡¯ve become for her, she would rather die than let you walk this path,¡± Su Shiyu says.


    ¡°She would never understand these things.¡± Tan Jing stares at the teeth marks on his wrists, his voice softening a little. ¡°I¡¯ve spent an entire year making her remember me again, and another two years teaching her how to write my name. That time when her illness took hold again, she bit my hand bloody when I tried to hold her down. Once she came back to consciousness, she cradled my hand and kept crying, yet she couldn¡¯t speak. All she knew was to shed tears as she called ¡®A-Jing, A-Jing¡¯.¡± Tan Jing suddenly pauses, suppressing the sob in his throat. He raises his head to look at Su Shiyu. ¡°Had it been you, could you bear to see her in pain?¡±


    Su Shiyu remains silent for a moment, then says, ¡°Since it¡¯s an incurable illness, the way you forcibly kept her in this mortal world is the true suffering.¡±


    ¡°Su Shiyu.¡± As if he¡¯d heard something hilarious, Tan Jing laughs all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a heart?¡±


    Su Shiyu looks at him quietly. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t His Excellency the Grand Secretary ever fallen in love?¡± Tan Jing shakes his head and mocks, ¡°Previously people whisper in secret that you have neither a heart nor love. I thought they were furious due to being unable to wed their daughters to you, but I couldn¡¯t have guessed it was true.¡± He stares into Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes, his tone dripping with contempt. ¡°Truly pitiful and tragic.¡±


    Su Shiyu looks at him, unaffected by his words. After Tan Jing¡¯s laugh dies down, Su Shiyu speaks slowly once more: ¡°I hold the post of supervision and judiciary. Since you claim that I have neither a heart nor love, I can only say it¡¯s a coincidence.¡±


    Tan Jing snorts and says nothing.


    Su Shiyu slowly walks up to him. There is only a prison door between them. ¡°You said it was all for your wife, but do you recall that, according to your crimes, she will also have to be executed.¡±


    Tan Jing¡¯s expression changes.


    ¡°This case of yours is fully in my control. Were the things you said to me for the sake of driving me into a fury, or to spare your wife?¡± Su Shiyu looks at him quietly.


    Tan Jing opens his mouth and closes it, not speaking at all. After half a beat, he says, ¡°What purpose has His Excellency the Grand Secretary come here for?¡±


    Su Shiyu withdraws his gaze, raising a hand to brush the dust off his sleeves. ¡°Who is the orchestrator of that batch of gunpowder?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know after you¡¯ve seen the accounts?¡±


    Su Shiyu gives him a glare and lightly laughs. ¡°Whether the accounts are true or false, I have my ways.¡±


    Tan Jing lowers his head to avoid Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes, his heart racing.


    In his memory, the man standing by the window had told him, ¡°Just tell them what I told you to say, then I can guarantee your wife¡¯s safety.¡±


    The man before his eyes said, ¡°I always thought that you were someone of good judgement.¡±


    His heart sinks, and Tan Jing closes his eyes. Word by word he says, ¡°The Prince of Huainan.¡±


    In Xiaoshu1 of June, thin willows and lotuses float in the wind. The green colour of the trees ise like brocade clothes, the swallows and orioles swirl around each other. The young man absentmindedly caresses the open book on the desk as the carp leap from the shores of the green-coloured lake, as if reaching for the red lotuses on his robes.


    Su Shiyu follows a maidservant into this scenery. The maidservant bows and leaves; Chu Mingyun lazily raises his gaze, and seeing that it was him, he smiles. ¡°Yo, what a rare guest. How did His Excellency Su think of coming to my place?¡±


    Su Shiyu walks up to him and smiles faintly. ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s for certain affairs.¡±


    Leaving the vault, he matched those accounts and just as Tan Jing had said: written clearly  in ink was the Prince of Huainan¡¯s name. Su Shiyu felt a little suspicious about it, so he flipped forward to read and realized that two pages were missing from the accounts. Those two pages were torn off cleanly, leaving only a few crumpled strips. If not for the fact that he¡¯d looked at them closely, he would never have noticed them.


    ¡°If you said you¡¯d missed me, I might be a lot happier.¡± Chu Mingyun looks at him with a smile and points to the peaches on the table. ¡°Want one?¡±


    ¡°There is no need. After I¡¯ve asked my question, I will leave.¡± Su Shiyu glances at him and says, ¡°His Excellency Chu, do you still remember the account book you took in the vault two days ago?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    ¡°Two pages from that account book were torn off. Does His Excellency Chu know something about it?¡±


    ¡°Two pages were gone?¡± Chu Mingyun props his elbow onto the stone table, canting his head to the side and smiling at Su Shiyu. ¡°Then, does His Excellency Su think that I¡¯ve taken it, so he came here looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Preposterous; how would His Excellency Chu use that sort of underhanded method.¡± Su Shiyu meets his eyes, his smile faint, hinting at his words. ¡°I have come here asking for clues, so it may help my search.¡±


    After being implicitly scolded, Chu Mingyun¡¯s expression does not change. He honestly says, ¡°I don¡¯t have any clue.¡±


    ¡°When His Excellency Chu flipped the accounts open, didn¡¯t he notice that two pages were gone?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Chu Mingyun answers curtly.


    ¡°Since this is the case, did His Excellency Chu see anyone else in the vault?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°His Excellency Chu maybe you should think more carefully about it, there is no hurry to answer. I have the patience to wait for a moment,¡± Su Shiyu answers with a smile.


    ¡°If His Excellency Su refuses to believe me, why don¡¯t you look for it yourself?¡± Chu Mingyun spreads his arms at him, smiling cockily. ¡°As long as Your Excellency Su commands, I could even take off my clothes and let you search me thoroughly without hesitation.¡±


    Su Shiyu looks away, his expression unmoving. For a moment, he says nothing.


    ¡°Are you too shy to ask?¡± Chu Mingyun blinks lightly, his eyes bright like the twinkling reflection of spring waters. He raises his hand to hold his own robes. ¡°Then should I take them off myself?¡±


    As he finishes speaking, he tugs at his robes. A fair and pale collarbone immediately comes into sight. Su Shiyu turns his head to the side to avert his gaze. He raises his hand to stop him, ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve made a mistake. I will look for the missing pages elsewhere. I apologize for being a bother to His Excellency Chu.¡±


    Obviously Chu Mingyun knows that there is nothing Su Shiyu could do therefore it gave Chu Mingyun the courage to dare to be so shameless and bold. Setting aside looking away from things that are inappropriate, he understands that Su Shiyu doesn¡¯t want to get involved with him. It¡¯s not only because he treasures his reputation, but because the Chu and Su Factions have been fighting for years; if he and Su Shiyu become too close, even the Emperor would suspect him.


    Now, he truly thinks this rival of his is incredibly interesting.


    The smile on Chu Mingyun¡¯s lips deepens, as  he  studies Su Shiyu¡¯s expression with keen interest. ¡°That¡¯s all right. It makes me happy to see His Excellency Su. Want me to escort you back?¡±


    ¡°There is no need for the trouble.¡± Su Shiyu still refuses to look at him. He turns around and leaves.


    ¡°Ah, right, Your Excellency Su,¡± Chu Mingyun suddenly calls after him, adjusting his robes with a casual smile as he says, ¡°I forgot to say, His Excellency Su isn¡¯t only beautiful in looks, your figure is just as attractive. Even when you¡¯re displeased, you look cuter than normal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± With his back facing Chu Mingyun, a dark shade flashes across Su Shiyu¡¯s irises. His voice is as indifferent as always. ¡°Flattering. Goodbye.¡±


    Just as he steps out of the Grand Marshal¡¯s Residence, Su Bai greets him. ¡°Young Master, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°As usual.¡± Su Shiyu says, ¡°Those two pages of the account book will never be found. I came here just to test him. Now, we can be certain who it is who took those two pages.¡±


    ¡°But there is no evidence. We can¡¯t just let him go like this, can we?¡± Su Bai suddenly has an idea. ¡°Right, Young Master, couldn¡¯t we accuse him of intentionally destroying evidence? At least we could give him a lesson!¡±


    Su Shiyu sighs, feeling a headache. ¡°I have no interest in letting others know how the account book fell into his hands.¡±


    Su Bai¡¯s face turns vacant. ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­¡­ didn¡¯t he snatch it by brute force?¡±


    Su Shiyu gives Su Bai a profound look, but doesn¡¯t answer him.


    [1]СÊî: The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. Xiaoshu is the 11th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 105¡ã and ends when it reaches the longitude of 120¡ã.

 CH 14

    When the report is finally submitted, Su Shiyu mentions nothing about Chu Mingyun, nor the suspicious Prince of Huainan.


    The Prince of Huainan is an incredibly powerful person among feudal lords. Jiangnan is a prosperous place, and the extravagance he so plentifully indulges within the feudal state is not inferior to that of the royal family. He¡¯s haughty and proud with excellent soldiers under his command. No matter if Tan Jing¡¯s accusations were true or false, it is impossible to take down the prince by Tan Jing¡¯s words alone. And so, rather than alerting the enemy, why not slowly reveal the entire picture first?


    Yet Li Yanzhen summons Su Shiyu to the Imperial Study.


    When he arrives, Chu Mingyun is also present. He had just offered a copy of a map, then smiled upon seeing him. Su Shiyu calmly meets his gaze and nods as a greeting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read the report. Isn¡¯t the punishment on Tan Jing a little too severe?¡± Li Yanzhen says.


    ¡°According to the law, aside from beheading and having one¡¯s property confiscated, all their relatives would also be demoted to common citizens and forbidden to serve the court for three generations. This humble subject has already taken the circumstances into consideration,¡± Su Shiyu answers unperturbed.


    ¡°I have also heard of the events revolving around Tan Jing and his wife these days. Since their love is so deep, why not demote their ranks and banish them instead? Retaining their lives,¡± Li Yanzhen says.


    ¡°Tan Jing is guilty of severe crimes. How could one instill authority if such matters were carelessly taken care of?¡± Su Shiyu looks up at him.


    ¡°In the end, he¡¯s just a pitiful person.¡± Li Yanzhen sighed.


    ¡°Are not the common people who died by Tan Jing¡¯s hand also pitiful people?¡± Su Shiyu calmly says, ¡°Regardless of how moving the story is, it¡¯s wrong. The Censorate has judged countless criminals and they all have their own stories and reasons. If everyone was pitiful, where would be the authority? And how could one grant peace to the country?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Beloved Subject Su is still so stubborn, I see,¡± Li Yanzhen helplessly says.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Su Shiyu says. ¡°Are you begging for mercy on behalf of criminals?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­This is the only part of you I cannot stand.¡± Li Yanzhen hesitates to respond. He turns his head to look away from Su Shiyu, his eyes falling upon Chu Mingyun, standing at the side with a face saying ¡®this is none of my business¡¯. ¡°Right, Beloved Subject Chu, what is your opinion?¡±


    Chu Mingyun takes his time bowing, paying no attention to Li Yanzhen¡¯s gaze as he says, ¡°This humble subject agrees to what His Excellency Su said.¡±


    Su Shiyu glances at him in surprise.


    Chu Mingyun casually continues: ¡°The strictness of the law depends on how it is executed.¡±


    And so Tan Jing¡¯s case is decided. The next day, he is paraded to the West Market and to be executed in public.


    Tan Jing kneels in the execution compound, raising his eyes to all around him. The streams of light are just right, everything is flourishing. He scans the angry faces of the common people below the stage and suddenly feels his heart is at peace. The rumbling, indistinct voices all around him, curses flying past him carried by the wind, but he hears nothing. When he started down this road of no return, he had already anticipated this moment.


    He lowers his head and thinks back to ten years ago when he was still in poverty. He thinks about the time when he finally puts on his official robes, the times when he chats and converses with friends as they indulge in wine. He thinks of himself, who was brimming with ambition, he thinks of¡­¡­ the woman by the lotus pond who looks at him fondly with a gaze of beauty.


    ¡°A-Xiu.¡± He didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d balled his fists, muttering in a voice that had long been hoarse, ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    You are the only one who will live, don¡¯t be afraid.


    With your current mental state, it won¡¯t take you a day before you forget me.


    Don¡¯t be afraid.


    In the manor, the maidservant guides Tan Jing¡¯s wife, who had been unconscious  the last two days. A rich meal is on the table. The maidservant fetches a bowl of soup to place in front of her. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    A-Xiu stares at the empty seat opposite her. She turns around to look at the maidservant. ¡°A-Jing?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? His Excellency won¡¯t come home anymore. Madam, enjoy your meal alone,¡± the maidservant says.


    ¡°A-Jing¡­¡­¡± A-Xiu looks at that empty seat in a trance.


    The maidservant pushes the bowl of soup towards her, glances at her and says, ¡°If Madam wants to see His Excellency, then quickly drink this.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t seem to hear her, mumbling ¡®A-Jing¡¯ repetitively.


    The maidservant looks at the sky outside and calculates the time in her heart. She can¡¯t help feeling a little bit on edge. She turns to look at the dullard who still stubbornly refuses to move, then quickly presses her hand onto her shoulder, raising the bowl with one hand.


    ¡°A-Jing, A-Jing¡­¡­¡± The dullard turns around to look at her and suddenly grabs her clothes. The maidservant catches sight of the sorrow in her eyes and is momentarily stunned. A-Xiu lets her go, then grabs her own chest, inhaling two breaths of fresh air nervously before once again raising her head to let clear tears fall down her face. ¡°A-Jing¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­A-Jing, A-jing!¡± She lets out spasmodic sobs, again and again as she calls Tan Jing¡¯s name. Her emotions become more and more unstable.


    The maidservant feels a little impatient, but she still grits her teeth to speak gently: ¡°Does Madam want to see His Excellency?¡±


    A-Xiu¡¯s body can¡¯t help shaking. She glares at the maidservant. The maidservant pushes the bowl into her hands. ¡°Drink this. Drink this down, then you can see him again.¡±


    A-Xiu slowly lets her gaze fall onto the bowl of soup in her hands. Splitter-splatter. Her tears fall  into the soup.


    ¡°It¡¯s noon!¡± The officer overseeing the execution bellows ¡°Carry out the execution!¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the order is thrown onto the ground signalling for the execution.The gleaming execution blade falls  and the corpse slumps heavily to the ground. Crimson red slowly spreads across the brown-coloured wooden board, dripping down into the dust and soil


    Su Shiyu withdraws the gaze he¡¯d kept on the sky, turning to watch Du Yue running towards him.


    Du Yue stops abruptly in front of him. Panting, he says, ¡°Cousin Brother¡­¡­ You were looking for me?¡±


    ¡°En,¡± Su Shiyu says, sweeping open the curtains in the horse carriage. After Du Yue burrows his way in, Su Shiyu continues: ¡°There is a patient who requires you. Today, follow me to Tan Jing¡¯s manor to take a look at the situation, then we will head over to my manor and take a look at her condition.¡±


    ¡°Tan Jing?¡± Du Yue thinks about it arduously. ¡°The one who¡¯s supposed to be executed today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Cousin Brother, you¡¯re even confiscating property in person?¡± Du Yue looks at him with respect. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder Qin Zhao said you were always busy, refusing to let me play with you.¡±


    ¡°I just happen to be free today.¡± Su Shiyu thinks about it for a moment, then says, ¡°On usual days, I¡¯m not too busy either. You can come whenever you like; there is no need to listen to him.¡±


    Not long afterwards, the horse carriage arrives. The officials and soldiers already have them surrounded. Su Shiyu gets out of the carriage and the officials in charge of confiscating Tan Jing¡¯s properties all rush over to welcome him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± The officials wipe sweat off their foreheads. ¡°Tan Jing¡¯s wife is dead.¡±


    The manor is empty. A woman is on the table, bloody foam bubbling up from the corner of her lips. Her corpse has gone cold.


    Su Shiyu¡¯s expression freezes. Silently, he studies the room. The officials all try to explain themselves, saying that everything happened before they arrived.


    Du Yue walks in a circle as he pinches his brow. His gaze finally falls onto the empty bowl next to A-Xiu¡¯s hand. He walks forward to dip his fingertips into the leftover soup and smell it. Suddenly, his eyes brighten and just as he wants to call for Su Shiyu, his sight catches A-Xiu¡¯s face and he pauses.Du Yue leans in and examines closely.


    Her face is green and pale and withered, looking vaguely ashen. Her hand on the table is skinny and bony.


    ¡°Cousin Brother.¡± Du Yue leans closer.


    ¡°She was poisoned to death?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    Du Yue nods his head and says, ¡°Cousin Brother, could you ask for where her regular medicines were placed? I want to take a look.¡±


    The servants in the manor lead them to the medicinal cabinet filled with ceramic bottles, yet all of them are empty. Du Yue opens and examines each bottle before he finally finds some black powder in one bottle in the corner.He examines it seriously for a while, his face slowly turns solemn.


    ¡°Something amiss with the medicine?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    Du Yue seems to be harbouring internal conflicts before giving him a look. Su Shiyu turns around to order the people to take their leave, then continues: ¡°Speak, be it any truths that you know.¡±


    ¡°This thing¡­¡­ is considered medicine, but if this is what the entire bottle is filled with, then the portion would make it toxic.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu tries to understand what he meant.


    ¡°Well, this is actually opium. We don¡¯t have much of this here. Even for me, I¡¯ve only seen it a few times at Master¡¯s. I heard it¡¯s especially expensive!¡± Du Yue says, ¡°It¡¯s a bit similar to Five Minerals Powder1. Ingesting too much would make one feel volatile or even addicted. If they were denied it, they would even lose control and descend into madness. From what you¡¯ve described of Madam¡¯s condition to me, I think it¡¯s not an illness. It¡¯s because of this.¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze slowly darkens and he  says, ¡°What you mean is¡­.. She¡¯s not ill. It¡¯s someone who made use of her madness to persuade Tan Jing that this poison is medicine in order to manipulate him?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Du Yue shakes his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought so much. But if Cousin Brother puts it in this way, it¡¯s more or less the truth.¡±


    ¡°This opium you speak of, could it grow in the regions of Huainan?¡± Su Shiyu asks.


    ¡°There are many poisonous things in the Southern Regions. This thing came from that place to begin with.¡±


    As Su Shiyu listens to this, he recalls the way Tan Jing looked when he mentioned his wife in the prison. Suddenly, he gives out a quiet laugh, then a light little sigh:


    ¡°Idiocy at its peak.¡±


    [1] Îåʯɢ a poisonous psychoactive drug popular during the Six Dynasties and Tang Dynasty periods of China.


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    You guys might want to say something at the appearance of opium¡­. But actually, since the Qin Dynasty, opium already existed. It has a long history as a toxin (wei, Five Mineral Powder was more popular during the Wei and Jin Periods. All the literary people were in love with it. It¡¯s quite similar to Methamphetamine.


    ¡­¡­¡­Sorry I¡¯m so dumb I forgot the time QAQ no wonder it didn¡¯t come!

 CH 15

    From Lin¡¯an comes the news when Chu Mingyun is in the main courtyard airing books. Scrolls are spread like laundry; ancient pictures cover the grounds as the sunlight stretches across the courtyard and a warm breeze stirs the air.


    He¡¯s holding a book about war tactics over his forehead, a rare stunned-looking expression on his face, curious as to whether he heard it wrongly. ¡°Just now, you said¡­¡­ where is Chen Xuanwen¡¯s grandson at this moment?¡±


    Qin Zhao looks at Chu Mingyun across several yards of scrolls. He repeats expressionlessly, ¡°In the Red Sleeves Beckon in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Heh, how interesting.¡± Chu Mingyun smiles. ¡°Did someone bring him here from a thousand li to sell him into a brothel?¡±


    Qin Zhao doesn¡¯t know how to answer him.


    He leisurely tosses the book onto the ground, his light footsteps stir a small gust of air ruffling the book corners, in the blink of an eye, he appears beside Qin Zhao. ¡°So be it. I will take a look. Wait in the manor for news of my return.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhao says as he looks at the ground so filled with books that it left no space for anyone to stand. ¡°Shige, these books¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°All yours.¡± Chu Mingyun waves his hand, not even turning back.


    Qin Zhao: ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    In the Red Sleeves Beckon, the scent of flowers and wine fills the air, welcoming delighted guests to exchange cups. The smiles of beautiful women follow one after the last as melodious voices sing in sweet tunes in the hall down below, floating clearly through wooden planks into all the rooms upstairs, except for this one.


    Su Shiyu withdraws his studying gaze. He turns to smile at the maidservant holding a teacup. ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    ¡°No need to be so polite, Young Master.¡± Blushing, the maidservant steps aside.


    ¡°You¡¯ve waited for long.¡± Jingshu hangs the side of the curtains on the silver hook and turns her head to look at the youth holding her hand behind her. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Come out.¡±


    The youth slowly walks in front of Su Shiyu. He appears prim and pure, except for a little paleness as he looks at Su Shiyu with worry.


    Su Shiyu scrutinizes him closely then softens his voice as he asks, ¡°You are Chen Siheng?¡±


    The youth nods his head.


    Su Shiyu lightly smiles and continues to say gently, ¡°You must have seen me before when you were little. Do you remember?¡±


    Chen Siheng hesitantly glances atSu Shiyu, then shakes his head.


    Su Shiyu ponders over it for a long while. He turns his gaze to Jingshu, who is standing at the side. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve forgotten to thank you. If not for your rescue, I fear he would have perished in the fire.¡±


    ¡°I only happened to pass by. I didn¡¯t break a sweat¡± Jingshu says.


    ¡°Only, there is something I do not understand.¡± Su Shiyu says, ¡°As an ordinary woman, how did you rescue him from the fire?¡±


    Jingshu shakes her head. ¡°How could I have that capability? He rushed out on his own and fainted in front of my carriage. Such a young age. I found him pitiful , so I brought him home. Now, since someone came to fetch him, I can be reassured.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Su Shiyu nods his head. He looks at Chen Siheng, who has revealed the tip of his head to him. After a moment of thought, he speaks gently: ¡°I am a colleague of your grandfather¡¯s. My family and him share a good relationship, so I¡¯ve been looking for you for a very long time.¡±


    Chen Siheng says nothing.


    Su Shiyu continues with extreme patience: ¡°I came to help. No need to be afraid.¡±


    Seeing how this man speaks in such a soft manner, Chen Siheng¡¯s tense body relaxes unconsciously.


    Acknowledging this, Su Shiyu slowly asks, ¡°How much do you remember from that day?¡±


    Chen Siheng slowly raises his head and looks at Jingshu, before turning to Su Shiyu once more. With vacant eyes, he seems like he¡¯s still caught in the nightmare of that night. He parts his lips, speaking with incredible difficulty: ¡°I¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t remember. It¡¯s too chaotic¡­¡­ Everywhere was fire¡­¡­¡±


    Just as Su Shiyu opens his mouth to offer guidance, Chen Siheng stutters, ¡°I only heard¡­¡­Father speaking to, he calls the other¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Calls the other who?¡± Su Shiyu looks at him.


    ¡°Call¡­¡­ Calls him,¡± Chen Siheng pauses a few times. He looks like he¡¯s in pain, vaguely saying, ¡°Calls him¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ay, ay, ay Young Master! This maiden of ours doesn¡¯t take guests!¡± All of a sudden the loud and sharp voice of a woman startles Chen Siheng, abruptly cutting his voice  off.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. Wait a while. I will go ask the maiden, aish, don¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    The door, engraved with flower patterns, is pushed open. The curtains are lifted by a sandalwood fan. A pair of unusually beautiful eyes reveal themselves; upon seeing Su Shiyu sitting inside, Chu Mingyun¡¯s lips curl into a smile. ¡°I was saying, why are they going out of their way to stop me.? Seems there¡¯s an honoured guest.¡±


    The madam helplessly follows behind him. She fearfully looks at the woman standing in front of her. Jingshu meets her gaze and smiles. ¡°Since this Young Master is here, let us not make them unhappy. You may take your leave.¡±


    As if receiving a great amnesty, the madam leaves immediately. Jingshu hesitates, smiling as she asks Chu Mingyun, ¡°Is there any reason this Young Master is looking for me?¡±


    Chu Mingyun sends her a smiling glance. He doesn¡¯t answer her, but walks towards Su Shiyu instead. ¡°I¡¯ve said earlier that you and I share Fate. Won¡¯t you believe me now?¡±


    Su Shiyu furrows his brows. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    This truly is a small world.


    According to the law, members of court shouldn¡¯t appear in places of entertainment. Presently, two of the most important officials of the present dynasty have gathered here. Either this brothel will become famous or be shut down.


    ¡°Since you are here, then naturally I¡ª¡± Chu Mingyun places his arm on Su Shiyu¡¯s shoulder, leaning in close. He bit the corner of his lips into a smile. ¡°Came here to catch an adultery red-handed.¡±


    Su Shiyu uncomfortably rises to his feet and takes a few steps back with a slight smile. ¡°You joke.¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s hand misses Su Shiyu¡¯s shoulder.. He slowly adjusts his sleeve, gaze falling upon the unnerved youth. ¡°This little critter is Chen Siheng?¡±


    When he speaks, his eyes meet Su Shiyu¡¯s once more. He recalls the news reported by the person escorting Chen Xuanwen earlier and gives a smile, then comes to a conclusion in his heart.


    Jingshu also smiles and says, ¡°It seems like this Young Master also came here searching for someone. Since both of you know each other, then please take a seat and have some tea.¡±


    As both of them take their seat, Su Shiyu consoles Chen Siheng. ¡°It¡¯s alright; keep talking about what you wanted to say just now. Who did your father call the other person?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡­¡± Chen Siheng parts his mouth. Jingshu presses a hand onto his shoulder. He jerks suddenly, then looks bewilderedly at the two men before his eyes, no longer able to speak.


    ¡°Why, are you still afraid?¡± Jingshu leans down to give him a gentle hug and softly says, ¡°These two Young Masters are here to help you. They would never harm you. There¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡±


    Chen Siheng grabs her sleeve, clenching his teeth, and no longer says anything.


    Jingshu helplessly sighs. She looks at them and says, ¡°There¡¯s something about the Young Master that you don¡¯t know. His condition since that day isn¡¯t good, so it¡¯s easy for him to be afraid. I fear he was just frightened.¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives her a half-smile. ¡°So, it¡¯s my fault for coming at the wrong time?¡±


    ¡°How can it be put like that?¡± Jingshu smiles. ¡°Could I please take him behind to have some peace? After he¡¯s restored, both of you Young Masters could come and ask again?¡±


    Su Shiyu smiles and says, ¡°Might as well. It seems we will have to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°Forgive us, both Young Masters.¡± Jingshu bows and pulls Chen Siheng into the inner room, their figures separated by green curtains.


    Su Shiyu drinks a mouthful of tea. His gaze falling upon Chu Mingyun, he says,  ¡°Couldn¡¯t have thought that you¡¯d be so concerned about the matters of Chen Xuanwen that you¡¯d come to this place in person.¡±


    ¡°The same to you.¡± Chu Mingyun says leisurely, ¡°I too hadn¡¯t thought that you would be here, yet you still look like you¡¯re here for state affairs. How admirable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s state affairs to begin with. What¡¯s wrong with me behaving like this?¡±


    Chu Mingyun cants his head to the side to look at him. He squints his eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t some proper place. Of course it¡¯s strange for you to act like that.¡±


    ¡°Pray tell what high opinions do you have? Enlighten me,¡± Su Shiyu says.


    Chu Mingyun curls the corner of his lips, lowering his voice until it is suspiciously soft. He glares at him and says, ¡°You want to know? Then let us find an empty room, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Su Shiyu pauses and doesn¡¯t react for a while. Only when he catches sight of the maidservant¡¯s blush from the corner of his eye, does he understand what Chu Mingyun said. After a long moment of silence, Su Shiyu only says, ¡°Chen Xuanwen is just a retired scholar and has passed away. Why are you so concerned about his affairs?¡±


    It¡¯s been a long time since Chu Mingyun sees someone change the subject so stiffly.


    Chu Mingyun looks away in disinterest and answers, ¡°I¡¯m a recipient of Chen Xuanwen¡¯s kindness. Since I was unable to protect him, naturally I would try to protect his grandson.¡±


    His response surprises Su Shiyu, but before he could ask anything else, Jingshu returns with Chen Siheng.


    ¡°Little critter, have you thought it through?¡± Chu Mingyun asks.


    Chen Siheng lowers his eyes. ¡°I¡­¡­I remember.¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡­ he called¡­¡­ that other person, His Highness.¡± Every word is choked out.


    Su Shiyu withdraws his gaze and is silent for a long time.


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu ask a few more questions and Chen Siheng answers them with an unclear mind. It seems like everything was indeed in chaos when it happened. He is young and doesn¡¯t know much. They can¡¯t get anymore information out of Chen Siheng so they stand up to leave. Chun Minyun stares at Chen Siheng who stands there unmoving and raises a brow: ¡°You are not following along? Are you having a good time here?¡±


    Chen Siheng takes a few steps back and stands behind Jingshu. Jingshu looks at him in surprise and gently convinces him to step back out. Yet, he stubbornly refuses to move. He looks pale, yet there¡¯s a rare determination in his gaze.


    Su Shiyu lightly smiles and says, ¡°He trusts you a lot. Since he refuses to leave, we won¡¯t force him.¡± He glances at Jingshu. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll have to trouble you for a few more days.¡±


    Jingshu recovers from her surprise, then immediately smiles. ¡°The Young Master is too polite. Since this is the case¡­¡­ I will watch over him in your stead.¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives both of them a look that speaks volumes, before snorting coldy and leaving for the outside.


    ¡°Your Excellency Chu,¡± After leaving the Red Sleeves Beckon, Su Shiyu calls after him from behind. ¡°There is a teahouse in front. Does His Excellency Chu have the time to come to tea with me?¡±


    Chu Mingyun takes his time turning around and walks towards him slowly. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just drink?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Chu Mingyun smiles. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They enter the teahouse and choose a quiet place to sit. Chu Mingyun supports his jaw with a hand as he pushes the teacup a bit further away. He goes straight to the point. ¡°There are no outsiders here. Speak what you want to say, since I don¡¯t think I am in the mood to drink anyways.¡±


    Su Shiyu slightly smiles and quickly replies, ¡°Does His Excellency Chu believe what he says?¡±


    ¡°Chen Siheng is real, but the words he says might not be the truth.¡±


    ¡°It seems like we¡¯re of like mind. Additionally, something about Maiden Jingshu seems to be amiss. Suddenly, I thought of something. If it¡¯s possible, I wish to ally with Your Excellency Chu once more as we did in the underground prison.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª?¡± Chu Mingyun looks at him. ¡°You knew something was amiss with that woman, yet you still dare to let Chen Siheng remain there?¡±


    ¡°Judging by his stubbornness, would Your Excellency Chu forcibly take him away otherwise?¡± Su Shiyu says, ¡°This is, after all,  the capital. Maiden Jingshu knows that we are keeping an eye on them. She wouldn¡¯t do anything to him, so there is no need to worry.¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles at him indifferently and says, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s fingers slowly brush against the side of the teacup. ¡°Your Excellency Chu understands in his heart that someone intends to sow trouble in the capital. Even if you and I aren¡¯t on the best of terms, at the very least we could be allies against an outside enemy?¡±


    ¡°I treat you with such deep passion, why couldn¡¯t we consider being on good terms? How it wounds my heart.¡± Chu Mingyun sighs.


    ¡°His Excellency Chu.¡± Su Shiyu looks at him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Speak.¡±


    Su Shiyu withdraws his gaze, no longer beating around the bush. ¡°The governor has been keeping an eye on an underground gambling den. It¡¯s incredibly hidden, so no secrets have been uprooted yet. However, these few days, while looking for Chen Siheng, I realized that the Red Sleeves Beckon has dealings with that gambling den.¡±


    Chu Mingyun ponders over it and his smile deepens, ¡°Passing messages and gathering information in a brothel; exchanging money and collecting wealth in a gambling den. If this is indeed the same person manipulating everything from behind, then this plan isn¡¯t bad at all.¡±


    Su Shiyu nods. ¡°Is His Excellency Chu interested in taking a look at it with me?¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives a low little laugh. ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    I feel happy every time I see comments or the number of bookmarks increase, knowing that all of you like my story. It¡¯s too good.


    Thank you =v=

 CH 16

    The afterglow is swallowed by the tall peaks of mountains as the curtain of night spreads itself across the mortal world. The bright moon is beautiful, shining upon a bamboo forest in the outskirts of Chang¡¯an. As bamboo shadows sway, in a strange and silent place, the sound of someone¡¯s presence carries on the wind.


    ¡°Your Excellency Chu, I suddenly feel like you¡¯re not here to investigate a gambling den.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at this soulless place. No matter how you look at it, we just look like we are eloping. Why don¡¯t you be a little honest with me: is your heart truly moved and you¡¯re planning to do something to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­..What can I do?¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives his sleeves a tug and the sandalwood fan is already in his hand. He gives Su Shiyu¡¯s figure a half-smile and says: ¡°Naturally, there are a lot of things one could do. Why don¡¯t we give this a thorough discussion? I could teach you the quickest way to take off your robes and you can tell me what type you like more¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency Chu.¡± Su Shiyu suddenly turns around. Chu Mingyun takes a step closer and pauses.


    ¡°Truth be told,¡± Su Shiyu says, looking at him.


    Chu Mingyun hesitates for a moment and answers, ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°This humble one surnamed Su has already forgotten the last time we had a civil conversation.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Su Shiyu turns around and tries to take a few steps forwards. He suddenly feels himself walking on something hard. He bends to look at his feet, lending the light from the firestarter to inspect the bamboo pole closely. After half a beat, he reaches out into the soil at the bamboo pole to pull out a narrow iron hoop. There is a grinding sound and a small patch of land rises up, sending dust and soil pouring down from all four directions.


    Chu Mingyun takes a step back with his nose covered. As he watches the soil falling cleanly off the patch of land, he realizes it¡¯s an iron board hiding a little stone path underneath. The path is narrow and pitch black, stretching down eerily, as if it¡¯s a path leading to the land of the dead.


    ¡°Is this the entry to the gambling den?¡± Chu Mingyun doesn¡¯t care to hide the disgust in his voice. ¡°People would still be in the mood to gamble after going through this ghastly place?¡±


    ¡°Honoured guests would naturally have another way of entry, but he could only bribe a few gamblers. So, Your Excellency Chu will have to deigna little bit.¡± Su Shiyu says, ¡°It¡¯s because of this the governor hasn¡¯t closed down this gambling den. Otherwise, one fears that before the officials could force their way in here, they will have already escaped from the other side.¡±


    Smiling, Chu Mingyun snorts at Su Shiyu in a way that speaks volumes.


    Su Shiyu kills the firestarter, and just as he enters, he suddenly thinks of something. ¡°It¡¯s extremely dark on this road. Will His Excellency Chu feel uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m uncomfortable? Are you going to hold my hand across?¡±


    Chu Mingyun was just giving a casual answer, but outside of expectation, Su Shiyu reaches out with a hand and holds his wrist lightly. Su Shiyu smiles slightly under the moonlight in prone shadows. ¡°Then let us go.¡±


    He fails to answer him for a moment.


    As they step into the entrance, descending along the stone steps, there¡¯s not a single light along the way. Thick blackness fills their sights, following them as they continuously advance. All around, it¡¯s getting colder as frost clings to their skin, as if they were blending into it. Chu Mingyun could only feel the last bit of warmth on his wrist from the palm of a person¡¯s hand, separated by the fabric of his sleeve.


    Nobody speaks. The only sound is footsteps stepping across stone steps.


    It¡¯s unknown for how long they have walked. They could only feel the stone steps coming from below. In front of them appears to be some light, and after a few dozen steps, the path widens.


    The place seems to exist in some valley. There is a tall pavilion in front of them, its eaves like spread wings lit with fires as bright as the day.


    In front of the red-lacquered door is a manservant wearing a mask. Once he sees Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu walking up close, someone has already rushed up to welcome them, eagerly pushing two white masks into their hands. ¡°Yo, welcome to the Lane of Everlasting Happiness, both of you Young Masters. All the best to enjoying yourselves to the fullest!¡±


    Chu Mingyun lowers his gaze to examine the beautifully crafted mask in his hand. ¡°What business do I have wearing this?¡±


    The manservant smiles and says, ¡°People who come here usually don¡¯t want themselves to be known. Put this on, and regardless of what you do, you¡¯ll feel more carefree.¡±


    The mask covers one¡¯s forehead and everything below that, concealing almost half the face and revealing only the jaw. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu exchange glances, then give a quiet laugh as they push the door in.


    The thick scent of wine mixed with fragrance fills the entire large hall. Sounds made by money jingle clearly in the air. The songstress¡¯s voice mixes into a messy blend of angry shouts and howls. At a glance, every table is brimming with people with prostitutes among them. How rowdy.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Chu Mingyun looks at Su Shiyu, opening his mouth as if he is speaking. He reaches out to pull him close to his ear. ¡°What did you say just now?¡±


    Su Shiyu hesitates for a while, but doesn¡¯t push him away. He says, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we could find in this place. We need to meet the owner of this gambling den.¡±


    ¡°It seems His Excellency Su has already found a way to accomplish that.¡±


    ¡°Other than boundless limits with nothing that cannot be gambled, this place is attractive to people for another reason.¡± Su Shiyu says, ¡°Those gamblers say this place has a rule: the one who wins the most money can have a chance of gambling with the owner on the second floor. If the gambler wins, he may make a wish and it will be realized.¡±


    ¡°Free world?¡± Chu Mingyun mockingly laughs.


    Even the present Emperor would not have said such extremely arrogant words.


    Su Shiyu nods his head. ¡°So I think something is off about this place. It¡¯s not just a place to squander money.¡± He looks at Chu Mingyun after he finishes.


    They are standing quite close. At a glance, Su Shiyu sees into the other¡¯s eyes. Chu Mingyun¡¯s gaze is bright and clear; it startles him, and so he unconsciously takes a few steps back.


    Chu Mingyun meets his eyes, and as if he understands why Su Shiyu said he needed his help, he asks, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about gambling, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Su Shiyu smiles. ¡°If it were just betting on large and small1, I could try. Yet, this hall is filled with paijiu2 and the like. There is nothing I can do.¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles. ¡°What a coincidence. Neither do I.¡±


    Su Shiyu turns around to stare at Chu Mingyun. From across the mask, he can see that curious look on his face.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chu Mingyun glares at him. ¡°Do I look like the sort of ignorant, incompetent, and arrogant person who leads the life of a loiterer?¡±


    Su Shiyu quietly withdraws his gaze and smiles, ¡°How would I?¡±


    Chu Mingyun raises a brow and coldly says, ¡°By the end of the day, I am still someone from the ranks of soldiers. Rules in the army are strict. Regardless of how I am as a person, one must still comply with regulations in this aspect.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Embarrassing.¡± Su Shiyu hesitates and says, ¡°Since this is the case, should we return to discuss a plan?¡±


    ¡°Why leave when we are already here?¡± Chu Mingyun looks at the largest gambling table in the center of the great hall. Over there, heads swarmed; he could vaguely see the little chips piled onto a small mound on the table. Everyone over there is dressed luxuriously, with a servant serving them tea from behind. Among them, one young man wearing purple robes stands out the most. He is wearing a variety of accessories, holding a gold-painted fan made of jade. He tosses out two pieces of black dominos, and from afar, one could see how frivolous that action was, completely showing off.


    Chu Mingyun looks closely for a moment and suddenly says, ¡°¡­¡­Why is that dandy so familiar?¡±


    Su Shiyu follows his line of sight over and thinks for a while before saying, ¡°This¡­¡­ This should be the only son of Xu Yin from the Ministry of War of the Chu Faction, Xu Tong.¡±


    Some dandies are more easily recognized by their manner of attire than their face. After all, the mask can¡¯t keep out the air of a black sheep of the family3.


    However, Chu Mingyun is concerned about something else. ¡°Why did you have to mention the Chu Faction on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Just so Your Excellency Chu will find it easier to remember this person,¡± Su Shiyu says flatly.


    Chu Mingyun doesn¡¯t want to be calculative with him. He glares at the gambling table and ponders for a moment, then immediately smiles. ¡°If something is truly afoot with this gambling den, then I have an idea to try out. But may I know if His Excellency Su is willing to cooperate with me?¡±


    ¡°No harm in speaking.¡±


    Chu Mingyun leans in close to the side of his ear to whisper a few words. Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze wavers but turns into a passive smile. ¡°Nothing too difficult.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Your Excellency Chu.¡± Su Shiyu glances around once. They have been standing there talking for a while now, and although their position isn¡¯t obvious, they have drawn some gazes on themselves. He takes a step back and lightly raises his voice: ¡°The Young Master is indeed generous. Naturally, I would never tell anyone you¡¯ve come here.¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles at him with his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve made the right decision to spoil you rotten.¡± Then he takes a step towards the center of the gambling table.


    At the same time, Xu Tong happened to win. The servant behind him immediately tosses out handfuls of shining golden chips. How cocky. Those who lost not only aren¡¯t angry, they instead congratulate him.


    ¡°Young Master Xu, how lucky you are today!¡±


    ¡°Why would it only be today? Wasn¡¯t I winning these past few days? From the way I see it, soon I¡¯ll be invited to the upper floor to meet the owner.¡±


    ¡°Does that need to be said? Great Young Master Xu, you truly need to decide what you want to wish for then. If you rise through the ranks, don¡¯t forget about us¡­¡­¡±


    Xu Tong waves his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine to just enjoy it when you play. What wish do I have? What meaning is there in rising up the ranks? I¡¯ve seen how the present Emperor entertains himself a few times, and that¡¯s all there is. How could he compare to us, who are wild and free?¡±


    Chu Mingyun can¡¯t help giving a cold snort.


    At this time, conveniently, nobody dared to continue Xu Tong¡¯s words. It became a little quiet, and Chu Mingyun¡¯s cold snort became exceptionally clearer.


    Xu Tong¡¯s eyebrows furrow. He looks over in displeasure. All the others also shift their gaze onto him at the same time.


    Author¡¯s Notes:


    P.S.: I borrowed the idea of the masks in the gambling den from ¡°The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng¡±.


    Originally, the Limitless Happiness Pavilion suggestion has been altered. Terribly sorry. I thought that as long as I reference the source, it should be alright. Thanks for telling me where it went wrong. Kisses =3=


    [1] Ѻ´óѺС refers to a game of chance in ancient China for gambling. Read about Sic bo.


    [2] ÅƾŠpaijiu is another game of Chinese domino. [1] and [2] are both popular gambling games in historical China. Su Shiyu probably means that he could easily figure out [1], but now paijiu [2] because its rules are more complicated.


    [3] °Ü¼ÒÖ®Æø refers to children of families who squander their parent¡¯s wealth or that they don¡¯t live up to the family¡¯s name. Technically the disgrace of a distinguished family.

 CH 17

    Although the man in front of them was brilliantly well-dressed, the corner of his lips beneath the mask curls up. He smiles at them coldly through his eyes before he turns his body sideways to lean on the gambling table, looking incredibly displeased as he studies.


    Everyone can see that this is someone obviously wealthy. Xu Tong suppresses his emotions and asks, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Chu Mingyun drawlly says, ¡°I¡¯m laughing at someone for being oblivious to the immensity of Heaven and Earth1. He is obviously a frog sitting in a well, yet thinks himself incredibly suave.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You have only been vaguely studying it from afar, and yet you dare to put up the facade of an impressive gambler. By just simply winning a few rounds in a small gambling house, you¡¯ve forgotten who you truly are?¡±


    Xu Tong glares at him and says coldly, ¡°I know who I am. What business do you have sticking your nose inside? What is the talk of impressive gamblers? Speaking like you know it better?¡±


    Chu Mingyun coldly glances at him. ¡°Naturally, I know more than you. That year, His Majesty and I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master.¡± Su Shiyu, who is standing behind him, cuts him off at an opportune moment.


    Chu Mingyun turns around to give him a look, then smiles and says, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s nothing in the past worth mentioning.¡±


    The one arranging the card decks on this table happens to be the manager of this gambling house. As he hears that, he raises his head to look at Chu Mingyun and says, ¡°Pray tell, what is the surname of this Lord?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Lin.¡± Chu Mingyun mutters the first thing that comes to his mind.


    The manager searches through his mind palace, but he couldn¡¯t find someone with that name in the capital. Just as he wants to ask for more details, Xu Tong steals the conversation and speaks up first, ¡°This is to say, Young Master Lin, you are not an ordinary person. Since this little gambling house is not your fancy, what business do you have here?¡±


    Those flatterers from earlier come back to their senses. There truly is no one by the surname of Lin among the important people of court. Additionally, Xu Tong¡¯s words further prove that this man is only a paper tiger. They immediately say:


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How dare you go seeking for a  fight the moment you get here. Isn¡¯t this just because your skills are too mediocre, you came here simply to flaunt empty talks?¡±


    Chu Mingyun sneers, then raises his hand to simply put it around Su Shiyu¡¯s waist. He speaks in a leisurely manner, ¡°My little baobei1  thinks this capital is boring, and so I brought him to a very interesting place to play. One couldn¡¯t have imagined that this is all this place has to offer. There is even a group of crows who toot their own trumpet.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu quietly gives Chu Mingyun a look of disbelief. He doesn¡¯t remember Chu Mingyun saying that he would be playing such an identity.


    Xu Tong and the others are shocked by his words. Yet, Chu Mingyun rises to his feet, still holding Su Shiyu. With a single hand, he pinches his bottom jaw and leans closer to gently say, ¡°You have already seen this place. There¡¯s nothing special here, so why don¡¯t you obediently follow me back to have a drink?¡±


    After a few interactions, Chu Mingyun naturally discovered that Su Shiyu deeply loathes physical touch. However, with so many eyes looking at them, they¡¯ll have to make the show convincing. Thankfully, the Grand Secretary has an incredible tolerance for this matter related to state affairs. Although his body grows a little stiff, he doesn¡¯t budge an inch.


    From the way he speaks, the manager concludes that he must be from outside the capital. Additionally, looking at the way he is hugging that white-robed young man, although one can¡¯t see their faces, it is difficult to mistake that air of refinement. For one to have such a person as a kept man, the manager thinks inwardly, could he be the heir of some Lord?


    Su Shiyu is lagging behind a little. Just as he wants to open his mouth, the manager immediately speaks his part, ¡°Don¡¯t go so fast, both of you Lords. There is nothing special on the floor below, but there are plenty of things to see here!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Mingyun turns around to give him a glare, then looks at Su Shiyu. ¡°Little baobei, what do you say?¡±


    He drags out the final tone, making Su Shiyu feel goosebumps. He almost pushes him away, and only after he collects himself does he say, ¡°No harm in taking a look.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Mingyun turns around. He immediately takes a seat by the host, his irises rolling to the corner of his eyes to give Xu Tong a look as he says, ¡°Scared out of your wits? Dare to come play a game?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± Xu Tong angrily says, turning to give his servant a glare and the chips are offered. ¡°Our abilities will speak for themselves!¡±


    Those few flatterers all follow his lead and place their bet.


    The servant in the gambling house takes the silver drafts3 Chu Mingyun has taken out. He changes them into chips and brings them back, drawing a cold laugh from Xu Tong when he sees it. ¡°How large of an ego do you have? With so little money,  you dared to play the host? Consider yourself lucky that this Little Lord would even play a game with you!¡±


    As the largest gambling table, all the people here always gambled at high stakes. After all, no normal person would bring a few thousand taels of gold on them when they leave their home. This gave Xu Tong an opportunity to mock him.


    Chu Mingyun pays him no attention. Behind him, Su Shiyu suddenly says, ¡°Added with this, what do you think?¡±


    Chu Mingyun turns around curiously and sees Su Shiyu taking a jade out of his sleeve. That white jade is incredibly elegant, its workmanship beautiful, gleaming in varying colours in his palm. At one look, it is worth a fortune. He reaches out to give it to the little servant of the gambling house. ¡°Take this in exchange for chips.¡±


    The servant had wanted to receive it with glaring eyes, but Chu Mingyun presses Su Shiyu¡¯s hand down. ¡°What are you giving this out for? Aren¡¯t you afraid I would lose it?¡±


    Su Shiyu smiles faintly, placing the jade into Chu Mingyun¡¯s hand instead. His palm is warm where the jade touches it. Su Shiyu says, ¡°As long as the Young Master is happy.¡±


    Chu Mingyun can¡¯t help giving a low little laugh. He tucks the jade back into his palm, taking the opportunity to finger his jaw. ¡°Look how obedient you are. How would I dare use your money? This little amount of chips will be enough. After a while, take a good look at how the ones sitting at the other side cry in poverty.¡±


    Xu Tong is also someone knowledgeable with jade stones. He practically lost his senses seeing that jade, and inwardly says, Could it be that he has truly offended someone of power? His heart beats frantically as he casually asks, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Chu Mingyun snickers and says, ¡°Why, since I heard you said you don¡¯t have much of a wish to make, then I will grant your desire. When you lose your money in a while, you can play your part of being a little more suave, but don¡¯t you cry. Otherwise, I won¡¯t know how to coax you.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell! It¡¯s undetermined who will lose and who will win! Look clearly!¡± Xu Tong pushes all his chips over. Even if this person is someone prominent, he wants to beat him to death.


    The ruckus has drawn quite a few people over here. The people watching quickly urge the manager to dispense the dominos. The manager meticulously examines Chu Mingyun¡¯s actions, then shakes the dice as he asks, ¡°Lord Lin, you have both wealth and women. What else would you wish for?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Chu Mingyun watches the actions of the other people as he recites the rules of gambling in his heart.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell everyone? This humble one could also see whether it¡¯s fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you people say you could fulfill anything?¡±


    The manager dispenses the dominos and smiles. ¡°Of course. But it can also be categorized as easily fulfilled or difficult. You should at least let us prepare ourselves for it, no?¡±


    Chu Mingyun takes those four dominos and splits them into two groups in front of him. He thinks for a moment and says, ¡°If I want to have a night with the Grand Secretary Su Shiyu, how about it?¡±


    All around him suddenly falls silent within a moment. Su Shiyu presses a hand on his shoulder soundlessly.


    The manager is taken aback. He doesn¡¯t know whether this person is trying to test him, or if he really is so frivolous.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s expression doesn¡¯t change. He decides not to turn around to look at Su Shiyu, examining the dominos in his hands instead.


    Xu Tong, who is standing by the side, suddenly explodes into a series of explosive laughter. ¡°How dare you insult me when you yourself are so lawless?! Is the Grand Secretary for someone like you?¡± He shakes his head in mocking. ¡°I say, with that sickening look you have. Even if they truly did bring Su Shiyu here, do you think you could keep him beneath you? Even as a cutsleeve, you don¡¯t know how to do it properly.¡±


    Chu Mingyun gives him a glare and earnestly asks for advice, ¡°I beg for your high opinions?¡±


    Xu Tong says, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the Grand Marshal Chu Mingyun is also into men? From the way he looks, one wouldn¡¯t even know how wild he is in bed. The feeling must truly be ecstatic.¡±


    As these words make their way out, the ears of everyone around them turn red. Some of the spectators had once seen those two people from afar. Even if they aren¡¯t into men, they can¡¯t help feeling restless at the thought.


    Su Shiyu¡¯s hand on Chu Mingyun¡¯s shoulder tightens, as if he¡¯s afraid he will lash out. Yet, he doesn¡¯t expect Chu Mingyun to laugh instead, and his voice even sounds a bit gentle. ¡°Then, are you interested?¡±


    Xu Tong feels a little puzzled at his response. He snorts instead, ¡°After I win against  you, I will give it a thought.¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiles at him through his eyes and says, ¡°Remember what you say.¡± He then looks away.


    His gaze is cold, making Xu Tong shiver a little and doubting whether he¡¯d seen wrongly. An unfounded chill seeps into his chest and when he comes back to his senses, he realizes that the dominos have already revealed themselves on the gambling table.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s stare doesn¡¯t waver as he looks on, feeling that it won¡¯t make a difference whether he bet on big or small. Both sets of dominos would compete for two rounds; two wins would make one the victor, two losses would make one the loser, and a win or a loss would make it a draw. The other three people reveal their dominos, watching the crowd as they say something like ¡°mixed¡± or ¡°bench¡±. He understands nothing from them; neither does he think of a strategy. He immediately reveals the dominos in his hand and the manager says, ¡°Twin blossoms! The host wins once!¡±


    Xu Tong is stunned. He didn¡¯t expect his luck to be quite this good. Chu Mingyun casts his gaze over and Xu Tong returns it, and shouts, ¡°Again!¡± Immediately, Xu Tong flips the dominos in his hand around. After being here for many days, it wasn¡¯t completely due to his flatterers. He did have some luck himself.


    Chu Mingyun quietly counts, smiling that the dominos in his hand could not even win against one person. He calmly looks at the opened dominos on the table, ignoring all the cheers from the crowd around him as he gives a smile that speaks volumes.


    ¡°Why? Couldn¡¯t take the loss?¡± Someone impatiently says, ¡°Be quick with it! Don¡¯t take your time!¡±


    The manager also looks his way. Just as he meets Chu Mingyun¡¯s smile and eyes, he is taken aback. However, Chu Mingyun reaches out to push the card in front of him and slowly says, ¡°Help me flip it open¡ªlet them take a closer look.¡±


    The manager looks at the domino for a moment, his expression growing conflicted. He sees Chu Mingyun¡¯s focus waver for a second.


    Chu Mingyun props his chin on his hand, smiling cockily. ¡°Go on, open it.¡±


    His gaze was cool. A shapeless pressure follows his gaze and rests on his shoulders, making him find it difficult to breath. That gaze belongs to someone who killed many through the years to keep the position he wields. The manager immediately lowers his head, no longer meeting his eyes. His fingers repeatedly caress the surface of the domino as he takes a deep breath, loudly raising his voice:


    ¡°Three Dings matching with two fours. The monkey king pair. All win. The host wins!¡±


    The respective domino suddenly flips open; white and red dots are clearly visible on the black-painted domino. These are the most powerful matching cards in paijiu. Among the crowd of people, Xu Tong suddenly rises to his feet with a slap on the table, looking at those dominos in disbelief.


    Taking everything into his sight, Su Shiyu faintly smiles. He understands why Chu Mingyun said if something is strange about this gambling den, then he would most certainly win. This isn¡¯t a place of money-making; it is a palace to gather all the people of power within the capital. Even if his luck is poor, the people here would most certainly cheat on his behalf.


    The manager walks out from behind the table, bends his back and respectfully says, ¡°Lord Lin, this way.¡±


    Author¡¯s Note


    Actually I don¡¯t know paijiu¡­¡­  I don¡¯t even know how to play mahjong ORZ


    I wrote this after searching up a lot of information. If there is an error, please point it out =v=


    Chu Mingyun implies: All of you used money to show off your wealth, but I used Su Shiyu to show off my wealth (oi!)


    [1]Ìì¸ßµØºñ: Refers to someone who is ignorant, naive, and hasn¡¯t seen many things.


    [2] ±¦±´: Literally means ¡®My precious¡¯ to refer to a lover. I kept the pinyin because there¡¯s nothing as close to baobei in English.


    [3] 񿮱: A form of money paper.

 CH 18

    Please ask me for permission if you want to repost a chapter elsewhere.


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu were invited upstairs.


    The room was luxuriously decorated, with pearl lanterns and shining bead curtains. A charming maid served tea and snacks, and the manager bowed, greeting: ¡°If the two masters wait a moment, the younger ones will go and notify the master.¡±


    Chu Mingyun poured a cup by himself, walked to Su Shiyu and looked at the night of the distant mountains outside the window together with him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Su Shiyu looked back at him, then looked at the maid who was standing not far away, then leaned his head closer to Chu Mingyun and said in a lowered voice, ¡°I¡¯ve now recognized where this is.¡±


    Chu Mingyun hugged him and pulled him closer, causing his long crow-colored hair to slide down his shoulder and sweep across the side of Su Shiyu¡¯s ear, looking as if they were cuddling ear-to-ear from a distance. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Su Shiyu frowned slightly, and continued: ¡°West a few miles from the wilderness gravehills outside Chang¡¯an. No wonder no one discovered it, this valley is actually a burial mound.¡± Chu Mingyun looked at the other¡¯s eyebrows and raised his hand to press the cup of tea to his lips, whispering: ¡°The owner of the gambling house happens to be here, do you want to notify the Ministry of Justice?¡±


    ¡±If you want to, just drink it yourself.¡± Su Shiyu pushed back his hand and said, ¡°From what you say, am I to understand there is a way of sending out the notice?¡±


    Chu Mingyun drank the tea in his cup and suddenly laughed, ¡°You won¡¯t drink tea when I pour it for you, and you still say that you don¡¯t hold any grudges?¡± He sighed helplessly. ¡°I told you that it was a joke. Are you really jealous?¡± Su Shiyu silently pulled away Chu Mingyun¡¯s hand that was holding onto him, not knowing how to answer.


    Chu Mingyun flipped back his hand to hold the other man¡¯s hand, and looked him down with a grin: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if there were thousands of Su Shiyus, Baobei¡¯er, you are the one I love the most.¡±


    With complicated feelings and a flat tone, Su Shiyu went along with him: ¡°¡­Really?¡± Chu Mingyun pretended to sigh again, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then how about I write you a guarantee?¡± Turning around, he said to the maid who was staring with wide eyes, ¡°Is there any brush and ink here?¡±


    The maids hurriedly nodded their heads, and ran out to take brushes, inks, papers and inkstones, and spread them out on the table, awaiting Chu Mingyun¡¯s instructions.


    But all Chu Mingyun said was: ¡°He is thin-skinned, you all go out and wait, if the manager comes over with your boss, remember to announce them first.¡±


    The maids bowed their heads , filed out, but as the younger maid who was walking last in the row turned around to close the door, she couldn¡¯t help but glance at Su Shiyu, her face flushing instantly.


    After confirming that there was no one left in the room, Su Shiyu smiled and said


    quietly : ¡± Master Chu is really brilliant .¡± Chu Mingyun laid out a piece of white paper for him, ¡°Why do I feel that you are not complimenting me?¡±


    ¡±Naturally, if there was a way that didn¡¯t make you and I so uncomfortable, that would be better.¡±


    Chu Mingyun raised his eyes to look at him, spread his hands, and tilted his head saying: ¡°Come on, feel free to touch.¡±


    Su Shiyu turned around and dipped the ink, drawing back his sleeve to write a letter.


    Chu Mingyun chuckled lightly, stood aside for a moment, and then took a small, transparent whistle from his sleeve and placed it on his lips. It blew without sound. Not long after, there was a chip from a bird outside the window. A shadowy lump flew into the house. A black-feathered bird landed steadily on his shoulders, and seemed to call at Chu Mingyun twice with great joy, then twisted its head to peck at its wings.


    When the ink on the letterhead had dried, Chu Mingyun rolled it up and stuffed it into the bamboo tube on the bird¡¯s leg. He watched the black feather bird¡¯s wings tremble, flying faraway in the blink of an eye, and sighed: ¡°I hope that stubborn old goat Lu Shi, doesn¡¯t drive Qin Zhao out as soon as he sees that it¡¯s one of my men.¡±


    ¡±Secretary Lu still knows how to have a measured hand in important matters.¡± After a pause, Su Shiyu asked: ¡°This correspondence is¡­ ¡­¡±


    Chu Mingyun raised his hand to interrupt Su Shiyu¡¯s words, as knocking from the door came suddenly, and the manager¡¯s voice inquiring outside the door.


    ¡±It¡¯s a secret technique left by my teacher.¡± After he said so, he turned and called out, ¡°Come on in.¡±


    The carved wooden door was pushed open, and the manager followed a young man in. The other party smiled at them, and introduced himself: ¡°This one¡¯s surname is Mu, the owner of Eternal Joy Casino. Young Master Lin, it¡¯s my fortune to meet you.¡±


    ¡°My fortune to meet you as well.¡± Chu Mingyun nodded, and said with a smile, ¡°Boss Mu is in charge of such a large gambling house at such a young age, it¡¯s really amazing.¡±


    Boss Mu made a few courteous remarks then looked at them and said, ¡°There is no one else here, so can I request that you take off your masks to discuss?¡±


    Chu Mingyun was still hesitant, but Su Shiyu had already taken off the mask and smiled directly at him. He said, ¡°Boss Mu, may I ask you something?¡± Boss Mu was stunned as soon as he saw Su Shiyu¡¯s face. When Chu Mingyun took off his mask, Boss Mu¡¯s eyes hovered on their two faces for a moment. He lowered his eyes and smiled hurriedly: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the two younger masters would have such celestial countenances¡­ pardon my rudeness.¡±


    ¡±No problem,¡± Chu Mingyun said.


    ¡±Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Su Shiyu looked at him, and said, ¡°Daring to ask Mr. Mu if has ever met me before?¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ve never met you before.¡±


    ¡±Really,¡± Su Shiyu smiled gently, ¡°Then why do I rather find you familiar?¡±


    Boss Mu smiled: ¡°There are so many similar people in the world. My appearance is so common, maybe it resembles one of young master¡¯s friends.¡±


    Su Shiyu retracted his gaze and said clearly: ¡°Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed just a very similar-looking acquaintance. It seems that I was mistaken, sorry.¡± Chu Mingyun glanced over and asked Su Shiyu: ¡°Who does he resemble?¡±


    Su Shiyu narrowed his eyes and let out a slow laugh: ¡°According to their age, that person should call me elder brother. Young master must have recognized it too.¡±


    His voice fell, Boss Mu¡¯s pupils shrank suddenly, his expression on his face remained flat and calm, and he opened the topic: ¡°Seeing as the two young masters are so elegant, then we can¡¯t offer you games as vulgar as the ones upstairs. How


    about a different gambling method?¡± ¡°What gambling method?¡± Chu Mingyun asked.


    Boss Mu smiled, ¡°Young master, wait a moment and I¡¯ll make arrangements.¡± After saying this, the maidservants came in to wait on them personally, and Boss Mu ordered the chief to leave with him.


    Only after leaving the house, Boss Mu¡¯s expression instantly became unpleasant, and he whispered, ¡°What did you do? You actually brought these two people over to me?¡± The manager said in a panic: ¡°The subordinates just acted according to the rules¡­¡­¡±


    The music sounded with a lingering but loud tune, in time with the figure of the dancer maiden stretching softly, as light as a wave, and shocking vivacity in swaying. The red gauze rose with their movements, making an interlace of hazy red, with only a spot of dark blue standing idle, as if enveloped in an indulgent embrace1 and isolated from afar, looking rather surreal from a distance.


    It was indeed just a dance, and there was no attempt to murder. Su Shiyu frowned slightly unconsciously, for an unexplainable reason.


    The music gradually reached its climax, and the overlapping of the dancers¡¯ figures became faster and faster. From time to time, a slender hand touched Chu Mingyun¡¯s robe, passing by, almost imperceivable. It was a vision filled with red gauze and snow skin, light and shadow intertwined, as if entering the enchanted cave, seducing the ignorant to have a dream with them.


    A dancer maiden slumped back a few steps and slammed into the wall. The dream was broken, and the music was muted abruptly.


    The dancers who were still clinging to Chu Mingyun suddenly drew away by one foot, all of them with well-trained skills. The dancer who was leaning against the wall lowered her head in disbelief, and saw a sandalwood fan inserted into her belly. Blood spurted out of her mouth, and red blood stained her red dress, adding a bit to her beauty. The knife fell to the ground with a clang.


    Chu Mingyun raised his hand and hooked half of the belt covering his eyes, only revealing a single eye, and he turned to looked back. His eye was long and curved into a narrow corner, and the reflection of the crimson gauge made it seem smudged with rouge. He showed a broad smile:


    ¡±I guessed it correctly, does this mean I won?¡±


    If it¡¯s not quite clear, what happens is this: Chu-chu acts all coy with Shiyu as an act to disguise their whispered conversation since the maidservants are still in the back of the room with them. Chu-chu held up a cup of tea to Shiyu¡¯s lips as if helping him to drink. When Shiyu pushes his naughty arm away, he gets his hand held instead. The maids must be thinking, what a jealous male lover he has lmaooo.

 CH 19

    Everything had happened in a flash. Boss Mu was the first to regain his senses and shouted : ¡°You¡¯re still not coming in? Hurry up!¡± As his words were uttered, a group of people in black broke through the doorway, and the dancers in red also reacted, turning away and drawing soft swords from the qin at their side, approaching Chu Mingyun¡¯s side.


    T/N: Good grief, I hate translating action scenes since the way they¡¯re written is rather metaphorical in historical pieces, and it seems like there¡¯s quite a lot of it in this book. Now we have Chinese poetry too, I hope someone is reading the footnotes  The text in blue have hover text to tell you what the word is referring to when the original text vaguely writes several ¡®he¡¯s in the same sentence, but it takes a while to pop up and I¡¯m not sure how it appears on mobile so I might put it in brackets in plain text like ¡°his (Chu Mingyun)¡± instead. Which do you think works better? Please leave a comment! The scene in the beginning with teamwork between the two is so cool, the poor man in black who tried to dodge Shiyu¡¯s tea only to get his sword smacked out of his hand by Chuchu and then getting conked in the knees by Shiyu with his teacup. And he¡¯s supposed to be the gentle one. Edit 09/06/21: changed all the ¡®Jing Shu¡¯ to ¡®Jingshu¡¯ to be consistent with the chapters already translated by Dust Bunny. Tried to make it clearer that the Jingshu naming scene is a flashback.


    2. ¡°²»È±ÄãÒ»¸ö½«¾ü¡± which could mean that they have sufficient generals and don¡¯t require him (presumably Su Shiyu?)


    3.¡°»³ÖС± can either refer to something dropping from within his arms (if he was hugging something) or from his bosom; so since he was fighting I¡¯ll assume it was within the chest area of his robes the way the account book was hidden within Shiyu¡¯s robes a few chapters ago.


    4. ¡°Ò»Ïß»ðÉ«ºÓÁ÷¡± literally means a flame coloured line flowing like a river, presumably referring to the visual effect of a procession of soldiers on horseback carrying lit torches.


    5. This is quoting the first line from ¡°The Quiet Lady¡± which is a poem in the State of Bei (Úý·ç¡¤¾²Å®) B¨¨i f¨¥ng¡¤j¨¬ng n¨· section of the Shijing¡¶Ê«¾­¡·,the Classic of Poetry aka the Book of Songs or otherwise known as the Book of Odes. This is the oldest existing collection of written poetry, written the four-character stanza style of the Western Zhou period. The line goes, ¡°¾²Å®Æäæ­£¬Ù¹ÎÒÓÚ³ÇÓç¡£°®¶ø²»¼û£¬É¦Ê×õØõ顱, and it¡¯s a man writing about his gentle and quiet lover arranging to meet him in the city corner, yet deliberately hiding such that he becomes so anxious he grabs his ears and scratches his cheeks.


    6. The type of ¡®Young Master¡¯ used here is ÉÙÖ÷ which is a informal title as the owner of a small garrison of guards, which is also what the manager called Boss Mu in the previous chapter. This is different from the ¡®young master¡¯ ¹«×Ó that you generally call a young man of assumedly noble birth. I will try as much as possible to use small caps for the latter. Also, whenever Su Shiyu and Chu Mingyun address each other as ¡®Master Su¡¯ it is ¡®´óÈË¡¯ daren which is the general respectful address for an official.

 CH 20

    T/N: In case you forgot, Li Yanzhen is the emperor¡¯s name, and Xu Tong is the guy they were betting against in the casino. Please ask me if you wish to repost this translation on another site.


    Chen Siheng¡¯s stance seemed to imply that he was intending to perish together with this enemy. Light reflected in a sharp glint off the dagger in his hand as it stabbed towards Chu Mingyun viciously.


    Chu Mingyun turned his head, and squeezing Chen Siheng¡¯s hand, he shoved him away with ease. Chen Siheng fell heavily to the ground, his dagger dropped out of his hand and fell far away, but he didn¡¯t even look at it. As soon as he got up he lunged towards Chu Mingyun again and flailed indiscriminately towards him. He actually snapped Chu Mingyun¡¯s hair tie abruptly. Long crow-coloured hair immediately scattered over his shoulders.


    ¡±Tsk.¡± Chu Mingyun ran out of patience and threw him to the ground. He lifted his foot and stepped on the shoulder of Chen Siheng, who was struggling to get up but couldn¡¯t move anymore.


    ¡±Brat, what are you trying to do?¡± Chu Mingyun¡¯s eyes scanned him.


    Chen Siheng¡¯s eyes were reddened, and in a voice so loud it resembled a roar: ¡°You killed her! You killed her!¡±


    ¡±Oh,¡± Chu Mingyun sneered, ¡°Before you even grow up, you¡¯ve become muddled by infatuation with pretty ladies?¡±


    ¡±She saved me! Only her1!¡± Chen Siheng was already in tears, ¡°You said that you were colleagues of my grandfather, said you¡¯ll take care of matters for me, but where were you when my family was ruined? Only her! It was only her who saved me from the fire!¡±


    ¡±If she didn¡¯t cause your family¡¯s ruin, would you even need her to rescue you?¡± Chu Mingyun said coldly.


    ¡±You¡¯re speaking nonsense!¡± Chen Siheng glared at him, ¡°As if I¡¯d believe what you say!¡±


    Su Shiyu walked over, looked down at him and said, ¡°Earlier you said, that it was Miss Jingshu who went into the fire to rescue you?¡±


    ¡±Yes! ¡°


    ¡±Then do you remember, how you described it to us at the Red Sleeve House? ¡°Su Shiyu said.


    Chen Siheng was suddenly speechless.


    Su Shiyu then said slowly: ¡°She said, you escaped from the house by yourself, and then fainted in front of her carriage.¡± He gazed downward at Chen Siheng, and continued: ¡°There¡¯s something wrong about Miss Jingshu, you¡¯re aware of it in your heart, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Chen Siheng remained silent.


    ¡±You deliberately ignore and avoid it, because you are afraid that once you figure it out, you would no longer have anyone to rely on?¡±


    This man¡¯s voice was so gentle, and each word broke the self-deception that he used to go on living2. Chen Siheng closed his eyes, and lay back on the ground as if sapped of strength. Tears slid off his pale cheeks, and fell to the ground.


    The author has something to say:


    Su Shiyu: ¡°Wash up and sleep.¡±


    T/N: Thought this was going to be a simple chapter to translate, took even longer than the previous chapter ORZ. Acquired an adopted child, check. This is starting to resemble Word Of Honor/ Tian Ya Ke a bit. Because wordpress doesn¡¯t allow you to edit CSS unless you buy a premium plan, we can only have footnotes instead of embedded tooltips like the sort that Chrysanthemum Garden uses. But I hope you¡¯ll read them anyway because it took 2 hours to write them ;-;


    2. ½èÒÔ´­Ï¢ ¨C these two phrases put together literally means ¡°for the purpose of gasping for breath¡±, so I¡¯m going to interpret this as it being so important that he feels like he needs it to keep living.


    3. Õ¬×Ó ¨C this is a colloquial term for a residence that has an attached courtyard. The same word was used to talk about Chen Siheng¡¯s family ¡°house¡±. And Chu Mingyun got another one outside the city to put Chen Siheng in. Basically, these people be ROLLING in money.


    4. Óù¯¸¡Ï㣬ݺßùδÑë¡£½ðãÚÏþÖÓ¿ªÍò»§£¬Óñ½×ÏÉÕÌӵǧ¹Ù¡£This actually stumped me a bit because the author used different words for the first verse (matching phrases highlighted in blue), but this is actually a reference to the poem ¡¶·îºÍÖÐÊéÉáÈ˼ÖÖÁÔ糯´óÃ÷¹¬¡·by Cen Shen. The poem is in seven-character-verse ode-style, and the original verse goes: ¼¦Ãù×ÏÄ°Êï¹âº®£¬Ýºßù»ÊÖÝ´ºÉ«À»¡£½ðãÚÏþÖÓ¿ªÍò»§£¬Óñ½×ÏÉÕÌӵǧ¹Ù¡£Note that the last two verses are the same, but instead of talking about the spring scenery and the cold light of early morning, the author used four character verses to talk about the imperial incense and the call of orioles. Because the call of orioles has yet to stop, spring is not over. I can¡¯t remember if the earlier chapters mentioned that the current season is spring, but I¡¯ll edit this if that is the case.


    5. ڨЦ ¨C jeering at others. I¡¯m also not sure why the author used this word, perhaps she intended to use a word for self-mockery but accidentally used this one instead.


    6. È®×Ó ¨C literally meaning ¡®son of a dog¡¯, it is a very self-deprecating term for one¡¯s own son.


    7. ˯ÎÒ ¨C one of the less impolite ways to say ¡°f*ck me¡± but basically implies that Xu Tong wanted to be the top in the supposed reward of spending a night with Chu Mingyun.


    8. ²»Àä²»ÈÈ ¨C literally means neither cold nor hot, refers to having a lukewarm attitude that is neither intimate nor distant.


    9.°ãÅä ¨C to be a good match, as in an arranged marriage.


    10. Ò»ËÞ¶¼Î´ºÏÑÛ ¨C this is the same phrase used by Xu Yin, which means that Su Shiyu was likely eavesdropping on their conversation even as he was walking by the side. Enhanced hearing is one of the supposed benefits of proficiency in martial arts.

 CH 21

    T/N: If you¡¯re not familiar with chinese euphemisms PLEASE read the footnotes as you go.


    On a night with clear and bright moonlight1, at the Su Mansion.


    A few spoonfuls of incense were added to the beast-shaped burner, and the green smoke slowly rose and dissipated. Su Shiyu tightened the strings of the paulownia wood qin, and effortlessly plucked out a few syllables2, the sounds as smooth as a stream. He stood still for a moment in front of the waternut desk, and sighed softly: ¡°It¡¯s this late in the night, for your distinguished self to come uninvited, do you need something?¡±


    Suddenly, there was a rustling noise outside the house, and the carved window was slowly pushed open from the outer side. A voice that carried a smile said: ¡°If I say I came to pick flowers3, what would you do?¡±


    Moonlight brushed obliquely over the visitor¡¯s forelock and landed in the room. His plain white fingers hooked the window lattice, leaning against the window ledge and looked at him with a smile in his eyes and eyebrows4.


    Su Shiyu walked to the window and looked at him in silence for a good while: ¡°¡­Why is it you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it be me?¡± Chu Mingyun said.


    ¡±Master Chu is visiting late at night, why didn¡¯t you call someone to announce your arrival?¡± Su Shiyu asked.


    ¡±I intended to give you a surprise ah.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡± Su Shiyu said, ¡°The medical hall (hospital) is three miles to the east.¡±


    ¡±This illness of mine is lovesickness, won¡¯t you come and treat me personally?¡± Chu Mingyun raised a hand and casually hooked a lock of the black hair that scattered over Su Shiyu¡¯s shoulder. The hair still felt a little moist. Then he raised his eyes again to look at Su Shiyu. He only draped on his outer robe, and the moonlight outlined his thin figure in detail, also casting shadows over the side of his neck and collarbones. Chu Mingyun laughed in a low voice, ¡°It seems my arrival really wasn¡¯t timely. If I were earlier, would I chance upon you in the shower?¡±


    Su Shiyu took the hair back from his hand and said calmly: ¡°Come into the house to talk.¡± After a moment, he stopped Chu Mingyun who was about to come in directly, and was very exasperated: ¡°¡­the door is to the side.¡±


    Chu Mingyun shot him a look as if he found it troublesome, retracted his hand and walked around to the side, pushing the door into the house with a drawn-out sigh: ¡°When would there be someone coming through the front door for a tryst, Master Su is really no fun at all.¡±


    Su Shiyu had already put on his outer robe properly, and as he poured tea, said: ¡°If coming through the window is considered fun (your inclination), then don¡¯t tell me thieves are all great beauties in the eyes of Master Chu?¡±


    ¡±Don¡¯t I only have eyes for you?¡± Chu Mingyun said with a smile.


    Su Shiyu handed the teacup to him, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop there with the jokes, what did Master Chu come here for?¡±


    Chu Mingyun took the tea and held it in his hand, and said casually, ¡°Because I missed you ah.¡±


    ¡±¡­ ¡­Pardon me being frank, Master Chu would be better off getting rid of this habit of evading the main topic.¡±


    ¡±I studied that bronze seal for a few days and couldn¡¯t see anything of interest. But suddenly I thought of the numerous mechanisms in that house, perhaps there may be some clues in there.¡± Chu Mingyun said, ¡°Will Master Su be willing to explain to Lu Shi on my behalf, so that they will transfer custody of that house from Ministry of Justice to me?¡±


    ¡±The house has been vacant and there hasn¡¯t been a use for it, so this shouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, ¡°Su Shiyu looked at him, smiled and said, ¡°this is not an urgent matter, why did Master Chu not wait until tomorrow to discuss it with me, and insist on coming to my residence at night? I even thought it was someone with impure intentions breaking in. ¡°


    Chu Mingyun who had impure intentions drank a mouthful of tea, and said with no change in his expression: ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say I¡¯m here for a tryst?¡±


    Of course he had a plan for coming here at night. After his subordinates had investigated Su Shiyu for so long without any progress, Chu Mingyun simply took the opportunity to come here in person. Even before Su Shiyu noticed that he was outside the window, he had already made a round of Su Mansion avoiding the guards. The mansion was extremely ordinary, with no traces of mechanisms installed, and there was no areas for placing assassin killers like he did. The results were within expectations, but all the more baffling for being so.


    However, it is truly a time-tested method to deal with Su Shiyu by hitting on him.


    Su Shiyu stared at Chu Mingyun¡¯s expression for a moment, and lowered his eyes while lightly moving along the topic, ¡°After the mansion is assigned to the Grand Marshal¡¯s residence, neither the Ministry of Justice nor the Censorate will have easy means to interfere. Then if there is a clue, how does Master Chu plan to notify me?¡±


    Chu Mingyun tapped his fingertips on the porcelain cup, and said nonchalantly, ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, you can go and have a look together with me.¡±


    ¡±What talk is that,¡± Su Shiyu smiled softly, raised his eyes and looked at him, ¡°Of course I can trust Master Chu.¡±


    The shadow guard acknowledged the order, unanimously coming forward to carry the booklets.


    There was a knock on the door in the middle of the night.


    ¡±My lord,¡± the person called from outside the door, ¡°This subordinate has urgent matters to report.¡±


    Hearing this Zheng Wan put down the official document, got up and opened the door: ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­¡±


    There were already two or three dead bodies laying in the courtyard, and the person standing in front of the door was clad in black with his face covered. He slowly raised his face.


    A white light suddenly flashed, he felt a sharp and cold pain in his chest. Zheng Wan couldn¡¯t react and lowered his head, only to see a white blade submerged in his chest. Before the scream could escape his mouth the man in black had already pulled out the knife and retreated, and with a tap of the his tips of his feet, he disappeared in a blink of an eye. Zheng Wan shook, suddenly spouted a mouthful of blood, and fell to the ground face-up.


    The sky remained silent in cold moonlight.


    ¡ª-


    The author has something to say:


    I suddenly saw a lot of comments and can¡¯t contain my happiness ah.


    To me, the biggest happiness in writing things is to see discussion/interpretation of the stories.


    Of course, my lurking angels are also cute =v= hehe


    T/N: Chu Mingyun coming through your window after searching your perimeter: Shiyu~ I¡¯ve come to steal your innocence. I think he¡¯s starting to fall for Su Shiyu. And then lets his men embezzle money from the casino case under Su Shiyu¡¯s nose and said such a rude thing about the emperor HAHAH. That Chu Mingyun tried to install assassins in Shiyu¡¯s house, he¡¯s pretty ruthless. Another update so quickly because this one was a lot easier to translate, but the next one will take a few days because more politics incoming. Edit: Fixed problems with footnotes. Apologies!


    1. ÇåÔÂÒ¹ ¨C this may be a reference to Li Yu¡¯s poem ¡¶ÓñÂ¥´º¡·, the last stanza of which reads ¡°´ý̤ÂíÌãÇåÒ¹Ô¡± but I¡¯m uncertain. If it is, this is even more proof that the current season is spring.


    2. The author used ¡®Òô½Ú¡¯ (Y¨©n ji¨¦) here which translates to syllable, although I suspect it¡¯s a typo for Òô½× (Y¨©n ji¨¥) which is the term for musical scales.


    3. ²É»¨ ¨C a euphemism for sneaking into a house at night to rape someone.


    4. üÑÛ´øЦ ¨C refers to expressing humour in the curve of one¡¯s eyebrows or the light in one¡¯s eyes.


    5. Ö÷ÉÏ ¨C more respectful term for superior compared to Ö÷×Ó that you commonly see. Not to be confused with the ¡®´óÈË¡® that is the ¡®Master Chu/Master Su¡¯ address these two use for each other. Dust Bunny translated those as ¡®Your Excellency Chu¡¯ etc. but I find it too cumbersome.


    6. Jingji aka. Gyeonggi is a term for part of Korea when it was known to the Hans as Goryeo. It includes the modern-day Seoul. At this point in time, I believe the Liaodong Peninsula is under Han rule, I¡¯ll edit if we find out otherwise.


    7. Right Fufeng ¨C ÓÒ·ö·ç (CE 104-220), One of the Three Qins (ÈýÇØ), three of the Eighteen Kingdoms formed from the division of the Qin dynasty after the collapse of the empire in 206 BC.

 CH 22

    After the passing of Bailu, the swan-geese flew south1, the weather turned cooler, the skies were gradually overtaken by the desolate atmosphere of autumn, while a murderous air was filling the world. Over the past few days, the sky has been gray and gloomy, hovering over people¡¯s heads, and simultaneously pressing on people¡¯s hearts.


    T/N: Wow, this chapter is really exhausting to translate (just look at the number of footnotes), but Su Shiyu¡¯s cuteness gave me strength¡­even though he sounds like a villain waiting to push Chu Mingyun when he least expects it ala Shen Qingqiu & Luo Binghe, I expect he¡¯ll also be the one to offer rope if not accompany him on the way down¡­but this chapter can be boiled down to this:


    Su Shiyu: This letter is written too normally to be Chu Mingyun!


    Emperor: Yeah, but don¡¯t you want to get rid of him? Or are you really gay for him?


    1.Bailu °×¶ (literally white dew) ¨C the 15th cycle of the lunar calendar, or the start of the 8th lunar month. It marks the transition into autumn.


    2.ÓÐÍ·ÓÐÁ³µÄÈËÎï ¨C literally ¡®people who have a head and have a face¡¯, meaning all the who¡¯s whos/anyone of renown in the town.


    3. Ê®Íò»ð¼±¿Ì²»ÈÝ»º ¨C Literally: an emergency involving ten thousand torches that would not allow for slowing down. Likely an idiom originating from the passing of military news.


    4.ÐÝãå ¨C off-day declared for officials every 5 or 10 days depending on the post.


    5.ºÚ°×´Ôºá ¨C I translated it literally but I should also state that this is the title of a 2008 novel.


    6. Meaning that they seem to recognise Chu Mingyun¡¯s authority more so than the Emperor¡¯s authority.


    8. À¢²»¸Òµ± ¨C commonly used to ¡°modestly¡± reject praise, but here he¡¯s sarcastically saying that Chu Mingyun¡¯s body is a honor that¡¯s too large a reward.


    9. Ï·ÚÊÖ®Óï ¨C cracking jokes. Basically he wants Su Shiyu to repeat the words he used to flirt with him.


    10.ʱعªÇ× ¨C needing to handle matters by oneself.


    11. ½«ÎÒÒ»¾ü ¨C xiangqi chess-related metaphor originating from using a move to capture the General chesspiece. It means to make use of something or circumstances important to the other party to put them in a dangerous situation.


    12. ÐûÊÒµî ¨C Although it has the word for ¡®Palace¡¯, this building in the ancient imperial city is actually more like an discussion hall where the Emperor could receive distinguished subjects for private audience (sensitive matters related to the throne or imperial family). It is also mentioned in the Shiji under the ¡¶¼ÖÉú´«¡·and the Tales of the Sanfu, ¡¶Èý¸¨¹ÊÊ¡·


    13. ðÖ°öÏàÕù£¬ÓæÎ̵ÃÀû ¨C an idiom referring to two parties engaged in a conflict that results in heavy losses on both sides, only for a third party to take advantage of them. The snipe is a bird. This idiom originates from Liu Xiang¡¯s (of The Western Han Dynasty) Strategies of the Warring States¡¶Õ½¹ú²ß¡¤Ñà²ß¶þ¡·.


    14. ÒÉÎÊÑÊÁË»ØÈ¥ ¨C literally swallowing the question back.


    15. íøÉ«ÉîÁ² ¨C okay this one stumped me a bit, I translated it as closely as possible but it might be a typo for íøÉ«¼«Éî which just means that Su Shiyu had really dark eyes.


    16. ²»ñæÃû½Ú ¨C usually this phrase means that one does not use demand self-respect from others because of their status, but the way that Su Shiyu puts it here implies that he doesn¡¯t know how to act with self-respect befitting his stature.


    17. ÇàÔÆÖ±ÉÏ ¨C to literally ¡®rise in a straight line above the clear skies and clouds¡¯.


    18. ÓÒ·ö·ç, ¾©Õ×Òü£¬×ó·ëñ´ ¨C the first character indicates a cardinal position relative to the capital, so ¡®Jing¡¯ Zhaoyi probably governs the central part of the capital when the Sanfu (Èý¸¨) were in power. These are titles, not names. See the previous chapter notes for more details.

 CH 23

    Since they were to investigate the case, the first investigation would naturally be the first victim, Zheng Wan of Right Fufeng.


    The author has something to say:


    This time the two people sharing the same bed can still be barely considered straight, but the next time¡­cough cough, just goes to show that things of this world are really fickle and wonderful.


    (T/N: I¡¯ve been holding back on reading this novel so I can read it along as people get the translated version,¡­.but there¡¯s no one talking in the comments either hahah ;=;)


    1.ÓÎ×Ó¹éÏç ¨C literally translates to wanderers¡¯ return to their hometown, but in general these ¡®wanderers¡¯ refer to anyone who had to live outside their hometown for work/ travelling merchants etc.


    2. ´ÓÁËÄã ¨C meaning that you¡¯re willing to get married to the person (as a wife or concubine).


    3. Ê常 ¨C father¡¯s younger brother, though I¡¯m sure you could tell from the dialogue.


    4. ¡¶ÔÂÉÏÖØÂ¥¡·which is the title of a xianxia novel by ÄÏÒ¹¹«×Ó.


    5. ¹â©Èëç²»§ ¨C the ¡°Qihu¡± refers to a doorway ornamented with paper decorations, may be a reference to a poem on a sleepless night by Su Shi (Song Dynasty poet): ¡°×ªÖì¸ó£¬µÍç²»§£¬ÕÕÎÞÃß¡£¡±


    6. ºÞÌú²»³É¸Ö ¨C to be disappointed by


    7. ·þÉ¥ÆÚ ¨C this is a period after the passing of close relatives where one cannot become engaged or marry an engaged spouse, nor take concubines. It¡¯s usually 3 years for parents¡¯ death, so it has been nearly 4 years since Shiyu¡¯s parents died.

 CH 24

    T/N: Again, this is one of those chapters where you might have to read the footnotes in order to understand the conversation.


    After a short break, Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu set off to the home of Zheng Wan, who was killed first.


    Zheng Wan, the previous Right Fufeng, has been dead for more than a month, and his body has long been laid to rest in the ground, but everyone in his home was still in mourning clothes, the mourning banner had not been kept away; scented candles and incense lingered in the courtyard. A woman in mourning garb came out to greet them leaning on her maid. She wore a white flower pin1 slanted in her forelocks, her face was haggard, and her whole body was so pale white that the only colour were her eyes that had reddened from crying.


    After offering a few words of comfort, they were led directly to the courtyard where the incident occurred. The governor¡¯s office had come to examine the scene before, and had already held a funeral, so most of the objects here were not as they were at the time of the incident. Only the faint bloodstains on the stone slabs of the courtyard that could not be washed away were left, a silent memorial of everything that has happened.


    After Su Shiyu stood in front of the book case and looked at it for a long time, he picked up a few documents and concentrated on something in contemplation. Chu Mingyun retracted his gaze, but felt that he couldn¡¯t see anything odd in the courtyard, so he turned and walked towards Mrs. Zheng.


    The look on Zheng Wan¡¯s face as if he did not die a peaceful death2 was still vivid in her eyes, and this other courtyard had become a wound to Mrs. Zheng¡¯s heart. She was unwilling to set foot in it again, so she had been waiting for them outside the courtyard the whole time.


    ¡±Ms. Zheng,¡± Chu Mingyun asked, ¡°Since it is said that your husband was killed late at night, then what did he stay here for instead of going back to bed to sleep?¡±


    ¡±There were still some official documents in the mansion, so Husband brought them back to the study to review.¡± Madam Zheng replied slowly.


    ¡±Zheng Wan does this often?¡±


    ¡±Not exactly often,¡± she thought for a while, and said, ¡°If some important documents were just sent to him (before he left his office), Husband is used to taking them home to slowly read.¡±


    ¡±So if the murderer is not in your house. The attendant is someone who is familiar with You Fufeng.¡± A gentle voice sounded behind him, and Su Shiyu walked steadily.


    Chu Mingyun looked at him and smiled slightly: ¡°Was there something Master Su found?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find any useful clues originally,¡± Su Shiyu said, ¡°but the question Master Chu just asked reminded me.


    ¡± ¡­Grand Secretary, why do you say that?¡± Madam Zheng looked at Su Shiyu, the light in her eyes flashed.


    Su Shiyu smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s just my guess, but it should more or less be correct. There are still guards¡¯ bodies in this courtyard, which means that the killer¡¯s skill is not good enough to go completely unnoticed, but no one in the other courtyards were aware anything happened here, even Madam only found out yourself the next morning that Master Zheng was killed, so it seems that the murderer entered this yard directly.¡±


    Madam Zheng frowned and looked at him uncomprehendingly, ¡°What Your Honor has said, what does this have to do with the identity of the murderer we were talking about?¡±


    Chu Mingyun has already understood, ¡°He means that the other party must know that Zheng Wan has the habit of approving official documents here, and also knows the layout of your mansion, so he could immediately find it here, it won¡¯t be someone unacquainted with your husband.¡± He paused, turned his head and said to Su Shiyu: ¡°And it has to be someone who knew that Zheng Wan had important documents that night.¡±


    Su Shiyu nodded and wanted to speak, so he listened to Mrs. Zheng. The voice trembled and said: ¡°How could it be¡­¡±


    They looked at her in a little surprise.


    ¡±How¡­can that be¡­¡± Madam Zheng¡¯s fingers twisted her sleeves tightly, unable to accept it, ¡°My husband is kind, and we have never wronged any of the servants in this residence , and all of them have served us for many years. Nobody left after the incident, even the little girl from the accountant¡¯s family came to comfort me¡­how could they be murderers!¡±


    ¡±Madam Zheng¡­¡±


    ¡±If it is someone familiar with us¡­¡± Tears have appeared in her eyes and her figure trembled slightly, the maid next to her hurried to hold her up, she hung her head in compassion. Madam Zheng took a deep breath and stared at them, extremely confused, and in a near-interrogating tone asked, ¡°Since they are familiar with us, why would they commit an act so vicious?¡±


    Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu had no words to answer.


    Chu Mingyun looked at him, baffled, ¡°Are you talking to me?¡±


    ¡±This¡­¡­this subordinate did not do things well¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡± The man raised his head and quickly glanced at Chu Mingyun, shaking like chaff, ¡°I beg my lord to be magnanimous!¡±


    The jailers suddenly sucked in a breath, unanimously turning to stare at Chu Mingyun.


    Su Shiyu watched on thoughtfully, but did not speak.


    Chu Mingyun tilted his head and looked at the man for a moment, then suddenly shook his head and laughed, ¡°You want to drag me down with you yet you didn¡¯t even get your facts straight, there isn¡¯t anyone as ugly as you among my subordinates.¡±


    The man¡¯s words were immediately choked off.


    Su Xing glanced at Chu Mingyun with a subtle expression, then turned his head and said to Su Shiyu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re not going to ask anything?¡±


    Su Shiyu smiled faintly, ¡°Since he is pleading with Master Chu for mercy, then let Master Chu lead the interrogation.¡±


    Hearing this the man quickly looked at Su Shiyu, continually pleading: ¡°Grand Secretary, Your Honor! This peasant has committed a grave crime, and I know I¡¯ll be put to death3¡­¡­but, but that wife and child of mine are innocent after all, I plead Your Honor to save them.¡±


    These words held rather deep meaning, Su Shiyu looked at him with serious eyes, only smiling wordlessly.


    Chu Mingyun glanced at Su Shiyu, and then said to the man again: ¡°Okay, stop yelling. I ask you, it¡¯s been so long since Zheng Wan was killed, you didn¡¯t escape from Fufeng County earlier, why did you show up today instead? ¡°


    The man looked straight at Chu Mingyun, distorted his face a little, and said: ¡°I just acted according to orders, since my lord has said this to clear himself of suspicion, how could I explain it clearly.¡±


    The man glanced at him, not understanding his intention, and paused for a moment. Then he whispered: ¡°Yes, as long as they¡¯re safe, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I live or die.¡±


    ¡±You remind me of a person.¡± Su Shiyu smiled softly, ¡°You know the previous Minister of Works Tan Jing?¡± The


    (T/N: Honestly, Shiyu has so much patience, Chu-chu is so vulgar in his flirting any lesser man would have stabbed/slapped him by now. Translating instead of sleeping, give me energy by commenting)


    1.°×ô¢»¨ ¨C I can¡¯t exactly confirm this but judging from the contextual clues this is probably that fabric flower worn in the hairstyles of mourning women, although I believe this should only be for members of the imperial family.


    2. ËÀ²»î¨Ä¿ ¨C this is usually taken as the equivalent of ¡®rolling over in one¡¯s grave¡¯ but the text says Mdm Zheng vividly remembers the look of it, so it has perhaps been used in its literal meaning, which is ¡®to not close one¡¯s eyes even in death¡¯, i.e. he died unpeacefully so his eyes were open.


    3. ×ÔÖªµ±ËÀ ¨C literally ¡®I already take myself as a dead person¡¯.


    4. »Øʶù ¨C ¡®»ØÊ¡¯ is an archaic term for reporting to one¡¯s master, but adding the ¡®er¡¯ character to the end makes it sound informal on CMY¡¯s tongue so I translated it to ¡®manner o¡¯ reporting¡¯.


    5. °²ÖÃ ¨C refers to settling someone down i.e. finding a house for them and making sure they have a way to live like the way Chu Mingyun settled Chen Siheng.


    6. Åã˯ ¨C I translated it literally, but it actually means to trade sexual favours for benefits.


    7. To say one is thin-skinned means that they are easily embarrassed.

 CH 25

    Nearing the time of the third night watch (11pm-1am), there was a sudden sound of footsteps passing by and taking off on the eaves. It was especially clear in the quiet autumn night, but it went away in a different direction without pausing for even a moment.


    (T/N: The reason this took so long to come out, is because I lost the previous draft when it didn¡¯t save, so I had to translate half the chapter all over again. I lost patience and ended up reading most of the novel yesterday, and I¡¯m glad I did, because I realised some of the poem references are listed in the author notes for later chapters. The ending was¡­unexpected, and I have kind of mixed feelings about it tbh. I might take a break after chapter 28 to translate the extras for Luan Shi Wei Wang aka. To rule in a turbulent world. If you like my translation, please leave a comment.)


    1.To tear face is to not care about acting civil in front of someone because your relationship has soured.


    2. ÁíÔñľ¶øÆÜ ¨C A phrase originating from the idiom ¡®even birds pick which tree to perch on. Basically that people of intellect choose good masters or backers to serve.


    3. Referring to the ranking of officials by salary.


    4. For a heavy crime like treason, anyone within ¡®nine degrees of kinship¡¯ with the primary offender are executed along with them. So 1) Parents, 2) Grandparents, 3) Spouses 4) Parents-In-law, 5) Siblings and sibling-in-laws, 6) Aunts and uncles (both blood and married-in) 7) Children 8) Grandchildren and their spouses 9) Cousins. Technically SSY falls under this. Children below a certain age may be spared and sold into slavery instead.


    5.±Ë´Ë±Ë´Ë ¨C a phrase one usually uses to return a compliment.

 CH 26

    Over on the side of the official¡¯s residence, the jailer released the man in the cell after receiving the order. The man immediately led the official guards to a hidden mansion in the city, and while rescuing the detained wife and children, he also unearthed a few other people who were involved in the case and did not escape in time. The people were taken back to prison for interrogation, and it took until the next day before they finally opened their mouths.


    Chu Mingyun hailed down maidservant in passing, and while looking at Qin Zhao who stood unmoving in the hall, asked: ¡°How long has he been standing there?¡±


    The maidservant replied respectfully: ¡°Ever since Medicine master Du left he has not moved, it has likely been four hours already.¡±


    Chu Mingyun nodded, and walked over, looking for a while at Qin Zhao who stood wordlessly with his eyes lowered, and said after thinking for a bit: ¡°Shidi, if you don¡¯t eat dinner I¡¯m not waiting for you.¡±


    Qin Zhao looked at him expressionlessly, and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Chu Mingyun laughed with incomprehensible intent, and tilted his head to give him a measuring look, ¡°Ice-block face, what are you standing here for, are you waiting for Du Yue to run back?¡±


    Qin Zhao tightened the seam of his lips, clenching his fists.


    ¡±Ke,¡± Chu Mingyun let out a low mocking laugh, and the smile on his face was hidden away, saying in a cold voice, ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t force him, then why aren¡¯t you able to let him go? As long as he doesn¡¯t understand how you feel, then this definitely won¡¯t be the last time.¡±


    Qin Zhao¡¯s eyes darkened, and said hoarsely, ¡°Shi¡­..¡±


    Chu Mingyun turned and walked away, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­¡±


    Qin Zhao again looked outside the empty gate where there wasn¡¯t a single person, before finally stepping to follow Chu Mingyun.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    This author has something to say:


    The Grace Edict is based off the laws passed during Hanwu Emperor¡¯s time. The purpose is to weaken the power of the titled princes (different surname kings) and nobility, and stipulate that after the death of the princes, the eldest son will inherit the throne, and the other children will divide part of the land of the kingdom into the princes and princes, each falling under jurisdiction of the respective counties.


    Coincidentally, when confirming my information, I found that the background of the Han Dynasty promulgation was related to the rebellion of the king of Huainan during Emperor Wen, and it was the Grand Secretary who later ruled the case of king of Huainan. Perhaps the Grand Secretary and the king of Huainan had a bit of conflict . Reference to Liu Bang¡¯s arrest of Han Xin, who was king at the time, at the border.


    Finally, can you guess whether this king of Huainan is the big boss¡ú_¡ú

 CH 27

    As the foliage on the trees thinned, the winter wind blew north.


    Not long after, Du Yue walked up to the doorway in a dallying manner as expected. He was apprehensive, and after seeing Qin Zhao avoid his gaze he grew even more perturbed, and after trying haltingly to speak for a while, said insipidly: ¡°I¡¯ve come back.¡±


    Qin Zhao leaned his head slightly such that his expression could not be clearly seen, and didn¡¯t speak a word.


    Chu Mingyun responded to him in an expression of his great compassion, ¡°Yo, you actually remember to return? You¡¯re not going to stay at your cousin¡¯s place for a few more days?¡±


    ¡°I also wanted to ah,¡± Du Yue thickened his face and walked in to sit down, ¡°But it seems like I¡¯m kind of getting in the way of things over there, Su Bai runs errands even faster than me.¡±


    (T/N: Seems to be some sort of wordplay, to ¡®run¡¯ ÅÜ but ÅÜÍÈ = errand boy, so Á¬ÅÜ(,)Íȶ¼±ÈÎÒ¿ì could literally mean Du Yue saying SB¡¯s legs are faster than his, even though Su Shiyu probably means SB is running errands for him)


    There are some people, take Du Yue for example, you really don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s his head that¡¯s not working well or his heart is too honest.


    Chu Mingyun ate his kumquat, appreciating Qin Zhao¡¯s expression which had become even worse after being depressed for more than a month.


    Du Yue also followed his gaze and gave Qin Zhao several glances, and finally drummed up the courage to speak: ¡°Qin Zhao, I¡­¡­I¡¯ve come back.¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s words from that day still felt as if they were pricking his heart, Qin Zhao was bad at expressing himself from the start, and now it was even more like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, and it took a long while before he said hoarsely: ¡°En.¡± After thinking for a bit, he added, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯ve come back.¡±


    Du Yue looked embarrassed, and also didn¡¯t know what to say; he turned his head and saw Chu Mingyun wiping his hands, rising to leave, dressed clearly in a purple brocade robe. He (Du Yue) was suddenly curious, ¡°Aiy, when I came out I also saw my cousin like this.¡±


    ¡±En.¡± Chu Mingyun fixed his lapel, ¡°Today is the Winter Solstice1, the head of the literary officials also wears the same ceremonial garments.¡±


    ¡±Ah?¡± Du Yue was stunned, ¡°Eating a dumpling in Chang¡¯an is also so grand?¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s hand stilled, and he held himself back from giving Du Yue a look of disdain, ¡°¡­¡­The Rite of Offering Sacrifice (¼ÀÌì´óµä).¡±


    Offering a sacrifice to heaven during the Winter Solstice, praying for moderate winds and timely rain, praying for the mountains and rivers to flourish (stability of the empire).


    The ceremonial music filled the halls of the Weiyang palace, drums signalled the flags in the air, the hundred officials stood in rows, with Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu leading them, they bowed and kowtowed in greeting.


    The styling of the Xia dynasty favored black, Li Yanzhen wore his pure-black imperial robes, went up to the Emperor¡¯s place at the altar, offered up the jade objects and silk fabrics, singing the phrase, Coming harmoniously, ending with paying solemn respects**, an eight-row dance1 was offered in blessing below the alter.


    Chu Mingyun squinted over there, seeing a whole group all solemn and respectful, and inexplicably thought of what Su Xing had said. This splendour and harmony, was it perhaps really just like the reflection of flowers and the moon over water, unable to withstand a strike.


    The ceremony ended, and the officials gathered for the banquet. In the vast halls of the palace, musician and dancer ladies stepped across embroidered rugs in a single file, music blew from reed pipes, fluttering in a graceful dance. Li Yanzhen waved a hand from above declaring they enjoy themselves to the fullest today, and the gathered officials intertwined with wine cups and gaming chips (T/N: refers to having a large lively party, no actual gambling chips should be there), and the atmosphere became lively at once.


    Chu Mingyun propped up his cheek with one hand, disinterestedly sipping at his wine, sitting alone at the head of the left side, and because of his antisocial behaviour not many went forth to offer toasts, and compared to Su Shiyu on the opposite side who was continually pestered by others, he was rather enjoying his peace.


    It¡¯s just that midway through the banquet there was a person who decided to disturb his peace. The palace maid bowed in salute, and said softly: ¡°My mistress (niangniang) has put forth an invitation, hoping Your Honor will visit on her account.¡±


    Chu Mingyun lowered his eyes to look at her, and simply ditched the polite address since there was no one around, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t heard that I like men now?¡±


    Jiang Yuan lowered her head slightly, ¡°Of course I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s just that feelings of attraction are not so easily wiped away.¡±


    Chu Mingyun laughed, gripping Jiang Yuan¡¯s chin and lifted her face up, and lowered his voice to ask, ¡°Then you intend to have sex with me or else?¡±


    He didn¡¯t miss the flash of panic that passed through Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes. Her nails sank into his palm, forcing herself to meet those eyes calmly, ¡°Your Honor¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I indeed had some pretty ladies in my residence previously, but they¡¯re not like you.¡± Chu Mingyun interrupted her words, loosening his hand.


    Jiang Yuan quickly lowered her head, and gathered her wits before asking, ¡°How are they not alike?¡±


    ¡±They ¨C¡± Chu Mingyun swept his gaze over her, ¡°All had chests.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiang Yuan was stunned, then imperceptibly sucked in a deep breath, so as to calm down.


    Chu Mingyun completed his greeting with a placid expression, ¡°This humble subject bids his leave.¡±


    Jiang Yuan was shocked when she heard those words, and could no longer care about much, hastily grabbing onto him, ¡°Wait, Your Honor!¡±


    Chu Mingyun turned his body to look at her, and Jiang Yuan released her hand, taking out a scented pouch from her her sleeve, and stuffing it into his hand, ¡°Coming forward today, was actually just to give this scented pouch to Your Honor.¡±


    ¡±Can I not want it?¡± Chu Mingyun asked.


    The author has something to say:


    Coming harmoniously, ending with paying solemn respects (ÓÐÀ´ÓºÓº£¬ÖÁÖ¹ËàËà)£º¡¶Shijing¡¤ Ode to Zhou¡¤ Yong¡·, the song sung during the Zhou emperor¡¯s rites of ancestral worship.


    Taiye pond: The Taiye pond of the Han period was not in the Weiyang (outer palace) but in the Jianzhong (middle palace), the plot required me to move it over =v=


    Tianlu Pavillion: The national archive building during the Han period.


    Others¡ú_¡ú


    Chu Mingyun£ºDon¡¯t worry, I love even your flat chest.


    Su Shiyu£º¡­¡­¡­¡­Should I be moved?


    Chu Mingyun£ºYou can take initiative.


    Su Shiyu£ºYou think too much.


    (T/N: Attention, attention, there was a double update tonight so make sure you¡¯ve read Chapter 26 before this. After next chapter, I will take a break from translating this to do the extras for Luan Shi Wei Wang.)


    1. °ËÙ« ¨C eight-row dance (of sixty-four dancers, the highest rank dance only performed for kings)


    2.ÕÑÒÇ ¨C If this is set during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, this rank is the rank among the concubines, and only the Empress is superior to this rank.

 CH 28

    There was much snowfall in the northern country; with the passage of time it was getting closer to New Years¡¯ Eve by the day, such that it snowed even more flagrantly, the flurries of snow covered the ground, then getting picked up by the large winds, slowly swirling into flight. The lanterns within Chang¡¯an capital had long been hung high, the white snow setting up a backdrop for the flame red, the sight of it bringing festive cheer, like it could disperse much of the chill on a person¡¯s body.


    The author has something to say:


    In the story the year has passed so I scattered some sugar and we¡¯ll continue playing mind games again!


    (T/N: This marks the start of Chu Mingyun digging a pit for himself. Yes, I think the emperor has a small crush on Shiyu that he is not conscious of. I was going to say stay tuned for LSWW extras but something bad happened so I can¡¯t make any promises for the present moment. I just decided to finish translating this chapter to take my mind off things.)


    1.Òø×°Ëعü- a phrase describing an outdoors snowscape as simple and cleanly beautiful. Comes from the book¡¶ÖйúÐÐ: ¼ÇÊ·Ä­ÌØÀ³¡·.

 CH 29

    Very quickly, there was only Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu left in the hall, the charcoal stove making faint crackling noises as it burned on. The wind lowly howled outside the hall, and the heavy snow fell in a flurry, the accumulated snow reflecting the bright-white moonlight in the darkness of the night. The entire Marshall¡¯s mansion had actually become so silent not even a peep was heard.


    ¡±It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to eat.¡± Su Shiyu retracted his hands.


    ¡±Who says I¡¯ll not eat?¡± Chu Mingyun grabbed his hand in one move. Su Shiyu laughed softly, and unexpectedly didn¡¯t pull away.


    The sounds of the wind outside the hall gradually faded, the snow fell soundlessly, and one could hear the bells on the eaves tinkling softly, intermingling with the crisp sounds of ice suddenly falling from beneath the eaves.


    Chu Mingyun tore away a segment of orange, and suddenly thought of, ¡°Right, that day you and His Majesty mentioned being confined to the Eastern Palace on New Year¡¯s Eve, what¡¯s that about?¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s not really something worth mentioning.¡± Su Shiyu sighed softly.


    ¡±Master Su talking like this, makes me believe it¡¯s all the more worth listening to.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu gave him a look, saying, ¡°His Majesty has always been easily trusting of others, while he was yet the heir to the throne he accidentally said the wrong thing in front of a personal servant, giving someone material [to blackmail him with]. The previous emperor punished him with confinement to the Eastern Palace on the night of New Year¡¯s Eve such that he was unable to join the banquet, and as his study partner I copied books throughout the night on his behalf, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Chu Mingyun couldn¡¯t help tossing back a kumquat to him, in expression of sympathy.


    Su Shiyu laughed looking him in the eye, paused for a moment, and then suddenly said: ¡°Speaking of which, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve never found a good timing to tell you.¡±


    ¡±En?¡±


    ¡±The verdict on that case with Uncle, you should have seen it?¡±


    ¡±You¡¯re talking about the concealment of the King of Huainan¡¯s involvement?¡± Chu Mingyun said, ¡°I can more or less guess what you¡¯re trying to do.¡±


    Su Shiyu turned his head to look at him in surprise, ¡°You could guess?¡±


    ¡±It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Chu Mingyun said, winking at him. ¡°Just say I don¡¯t know, didn¡¯t see it, Du Yue doesn¡¯t trust me, but he¡¯ll definitely believe you.¡±


    ¡±And why would I help Master Chu deceive?¡± Su Shiyu laughed.


    Chu Mingyun directly pulled Su Shiyu to walk out of the hall, ¡°Because you are now an accomplice.¡±


    That pile of fireworks was hidden in that corner, they brought over (the pile) to arrange it one-by-one properly, and only then realised that Du Yue had truly bought many kinds, such that there was one of everything.


    Chu Mingyun lit up two torches, turning his head to look at Su Shiyu who was currently studying a firework that resembled a lotus lantern, ¡°That one burns fast, you leave it for the very last.¡±


    ¡±En, is there anything else I need to keep in mind?¡±


    Chu Mingyun thought for a while, ¡°After lighting them remember to run over and hug me tight.¡±¡°


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu thought about it for a bit, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡±I¡¯m worried that later the noise will be too loud and scare you ah.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­Master Chu is indeed thoughtful.¡±


    A few families rejoiced while a few others were melancholy, Su Shiyu recited in his heart, and could not help but laugh lightly. Amidst this festival, naturally there would also be a few lonely souls that would feel even more aggrieved. He turned his head to look, and discovered the other lonely soul had at some unknown point half-stooped beneath the plum blossom tree in the courtyard, and was currently absorbed in gathering up the snow.


    Su Shiyu walked over and also squatted down, silently looking at his fine-boned hands balling up two globes of snow, suddenly laughing: ¡°I¡¯ll mold another for you to see.¡±


    As soon as he¡¯d said so he really did gather up a bunch of snow, molding out a rounded figure, pressing on a round head, then using his fingertips to carefully sculpt out two pointed ears. Su Shiyu was in the midst of looking for fallen petals suitable to serve as eyes, when Chu Mingyun who had all this while tilted his head to watch him suddenly stretched out his hand. Su Shiyu looked on puzzledly as his hand paused on the side of that head (of the snow figure), and with a twist of his fingers, immediately sent one ear flying.


    ¡±¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu watched Chu Mingyun intensely, only seeing him smile so deep his eyes curved into crescents, and with the upturn of the corner of his lips, excitedly also destroyed the other ear heartlessly, in such a symmetrical manner that even Su Shiyu didn¡¯t know what to say.


    So Su Shiyu didn¡¯t say anything and emptily grasped a fist of loose transparent snow, and after considering it for a bit, stuffed it into Chu Mingyun¡¯s completely unguarded collar.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s reaction was already very fast, contact had just been made before he pulled away several feet, but he¡¯d still got a neckful of ice. He squinted his eyes slightly, not caring to pat away the snow before deftly grabbing hold of Su Shiyu who was trying to get up and run. On the other hand Su Shiyu had yet to stand stably, and could not guard in time before he¡¯d been pulled by (Chu Mingyun) and immediately his foot slipped. In that breath of a moment his thoughts took a precipitous spin; Su Shiyu suddenly no longer stabilised his position, but rather gripped back on Chu Mingyun¡¯s arm, and with one pull also pulled him into the same boat2.


    Just like that the two of them fell into the thick pile of accumulated snow without caring for appearances, and amidst the chaos of that collapse Chu Mingyun only had time to prop himself up with an arm to avoid crushing Su Shiyu¡¯s torso under his. He then let out a breath in relief, and with somewhat complicated feelings was about to say something; when he looked down and met Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes that deeply glinted with humour, and had a bad premonition.


    In that next instant Su Shiyu reached out a hand to smack the the plum tree next to him. With a shake of that plum tree, the snow that had piled up on the branches fell as if blotting out the sky and covering the earth3, the red plum blossoms and snow falling profusely to pound over Chu Mingyun¡¯s entire head and back, immediately chilling his whole body.


    Chu Mingyun propped up a single hand next to Su Shiyu¡¯s head, and with the other flicked away the snow at the back of his head, after which he looked at the handful of icy snow-water that¡¯d melted, ¡°Su Shiyu,¡± he said, ¡°If it was someone else who did this, they¡¯d already be buried alive in the snow by me.¡±


    While flicking away the fallen snow a red plum petal brushed over Chu Mingyun¡¯s temples as it drifted downward, as it leisurely landed over Su Shiyu¡¯s eye. He smelled a hint of sandalwood amid the cold fragrance of the plum blossom, a corner of crimson dyeing his field of sight, whereas Chu Mingyun¡¯s eyes were extremely close, that crow-coloured long hair dyed white with snow blown by the wind, hazing out the fireworks in the decadent night sky.


    Su Shiyu took away a fallen plum flower, looking calm and unruffled as he lay in the snow and smiled: ¡°If any random person could also make you so pathetic, I¡¯m afraid Master Chu would have no face to meet others.¡± He again raised his hand, attentively wiping away the scattered snow on Chu Mingyun¡¯s hair.


    His fingertips had been slightly cold when they just made contact, but as they tread through the hair they were warmed up gradually, the extremely light and gentle movements causing his (CMY¡¯s) scalp to tingle slightly.


    Not waiting for Chu Mingyun to process that deeply, Su Shiyu then retrieved his hand, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get up.¡±


    ¡±You can get up just because you want to get up?¡± Chu Mingyun laughed, eyes slightly curving into a squint, ¡°C¡¯mon, say something nice to hear.¡±


    Su Shiyu pondered a moment, then said: ¡°Many thanks to Master Chu for shielding me from all the snow.¡±


    Chu Mingyun pinched his chin with one hand, both pairs of eyes meeting in a gaze, ¡°Very good, you can cease thinking of ever getting up tonight.¡±


    Su Shiyu smiled resignedly, thinking of how to resolve the situation at hand, and didn¡¯t answer for a while.


    T/N: This is actually where I wanted to stop last time, oops. Now I have a clearer idea of what¡¯s going to happen to me, just that it won¡¯t go how I originally planned. Did I take the coward¡¯s way out? Maybe, but perhaps having an escape route is also a blessing.


    1.Ô¶ùÍäÍäÕÕ¾ÅÖÝ ¨C a Jiangsu folk song. See above for a link to a karaoke version.


    2. ÍÏÏÂË® ¨C although this literally translates to pull something into the water, it means to involve someone in your own troubles, therefore I translated it to the nearest english idiomatic equivalent.


    3. ÆÌÌì¸ÇµØ ¨C translated literally, but this idiom describes an earth-shattering event. RSWW is quite dramatic, hahah.


    4.¹íʹÉñ²î ¨C literally: the errands of gods and doing of ghostly assistants. (Basically CMY felt the force of the fandom compelling him to kiss SSY.)


    5.ÔƵ­·çÇá ¨C a reference to a poem describing clear and fair weather. Not sure why it¡¯s being used here but maybe the author thinks it means a casual manner?


    6. É«ÁîÖÇ»è ¨C idiom meaning that lust often cloud¡¯s one¡¯s intelligence. Also a way of calling someone sex-crazed.

 CH 30

    T/N: ¡°If you¡¯re reading this on Asianovel, you are reading from a source that does not have my permission to repost.¡±


    The New Years¡¯ holiday was over, the festive atmosphere slowly dying down. It was almost early spring, the accumulated snow vanishing as it melted.


    The stores in Chang¡¯an city re-opened for business and their customers were yet few in number, so the assistants leaned against the doorframe casually chatting away. Someone suddenly yelled in surprise, and following that crisp bell sounds leisurely resounded from the city gates, the passers-by sticking out their heads to look.


    The officials and soldiers cleared the way ahead, a long trail of carriages passing through the street, spurred toward the palace. The camel-bells lightly shook, the carriages rumbled. A lithe and elegant lady from the foreign land had a gauze veil over her face, the carriages accompanying her forming two trails behind a cushioned sedan. A corner of the embroidered curtain was sneakily lifted, revealing a pair of ink-green (greenish-black) eyes. A young child leaning from the floor above caught a glance, excitedly pointing and shouting, and was immediately pressed down by the adult next to him, who called out: ¡°Loulan.¡±


    The land of Loulan was situated in the great deserts of the Western Regions, holding onto the major trade route. Though it was a small country, its cities prospered, and it had an important status.


    Loulan was always caught up between Daxia (this fantasy Central Plains China) and the Xiongnu, only becoming closer to Daxia in the recent years; And though their contact had increased, there has not been an instance where they came forward once Spring started.


    This was exactly the day of returning to court, so Chu Mingyun who saw the insignia-bearing flag meant for reception from a far-off distance as soon as he stepped up out of the golden palace was bewildered. He turned his head to ask Su Shiyu, ¡°Who is the ambassador sent by Loulan this time, that they actually used the rite for Zhuhou1?¡±


    ¡±Today the princess of Loulan has come in person to visit bearing gifts.¡± Su Shiyu explained.


    Chu Mingyun nodded, thought a bit, and with that he was beginning to understand why he felt a deep meaning to the gaze Su Shiyu had when looking at him today.


    It was said that the Loulan princess¡¯ arrogance and wilfulness had reached its own peak; she married three times within a month. If it wasn¡¯t ordering someone to beat her husband to the point that he could only lie horizontally in the courtyard, then it was slapping her in-laws to humiliate her spouse, forcing the other party to use their life to plead the ruler dissolve the marriage. After all that trouble there was no longer anyone who dared to marry her from the vassal states. But the ruler of Loulan treated the Princess as the darling of his heart, spoiling her. That year he didn¡¯t hesitate to use three cities as her dowry, only seeking to find the right son-in-law in Daxia.


    At that time Chu Mingyun laughed lightly in court, and firmly pushed out his rival Su Shiyu (as recommendation). Saying something like there were no in-laws so that saved trouble, he was upright in conduct and gentle in nature, and just as well he didn¡¯t have any wife or concubine. In the end, he even leisurely added one claim, saying that previously he saw the Loulan princess smile like the spring wind (T/N: flirtatiously) at Su Shiyu when she stepped off her palanquin.


    Su Shiyu who had remained a calm and unrippled demeanour throughout finally turned his head to give Chu Mingyun an intense glance after hearing that last part.


    After he hadn¡¯t paid attention to how Su Shiyu managed to settle that affair,  he could only clearly remember that day after court Su Shiyu said something beyond the daily pleasantries to him for the first time after sharing the court for 5 years.


    Su Shiyu smiled at him like the spring wind, and said two words that were unusually simple yet rich with implication:


    ¡±Ke ke.¡± (T/N: Laugh sound)


    Thinking of this, Chu Mingyun coughed lightly, smiling as he said: ¡°Master Su, at that time I was¡­¡±


    Su Shiyu cast him a look.


    Chu Mingyun: ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Su Shiyu then laughed lightly, saying gently: Master Chu doesn¡¯t need to brood over it, the princess is in fact not as wilful as the rumors claim.¡±


    Chu Mingyun slightly lifted his brows, and didn¡¯t continue that topic.


    The first day back at court there wasn¡¯t actually any duties to handle, Chu Mingyun walked out shoulder-to-shoulder. In the middle of idle chat there was suddenly the sound of running along the palace corridor from behind them, accompanied by crisp bell sounds approaching from a distance. They stopped talking and turned their heads to look, a sweet and graceful-looking young lady threw herself with arms wide open, grabbing hold of Su Shiyu¡¯s arm, raising her head to reveal a charming smile, ¡°Anyi¡¯ruo!¡±


    Chu Mingyun was stunned for a moment, he vaguely knew the meaning of this Loulan word, it was a respectful address for Elder Brother.


    Su Shiyu smiled faintly looking at her, ¡°Have you already paid respects to His Majesty?¡±


    ¡±Seen him already! He even said there¡¯s nothing today, so you can go out with me to play!¡± Her Han language pronunciation showed a bit of strangeness, but it was sufficiently clear. Mulahe released Su Shiyu, turning a full circle where she stood, such that her smoke-purple skirts drifted up and bloomed outward, the silver bells around her wrists making crisp sounds, ¡°Does it look good!¡±


    Su Shiyu nodded in confirmation, Mulahe tilted her head and laughed, then after noticing Chu Mingyun those jade-like3 pupils lit up, ¡°Pretty Gege, who are you?¡±


    ¡±Chu Mingyun.¡±


    Mulahe nodded seriously, pausing for a bit, ¡°Pretty Gege will also come play together ba?¡±


    Chu Mingyun was unable to react for a moment, Su Shiyu explained: ¡°She can¡¯t remember Han people¡¯s names.¡±


    Chu Mingyun nodded disinterestedly, saying: ¡°You just go together and that¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s only fun when there are more people ah, you¡¯re not allowed to not go!¡± Mulahe cut him off, grabbing one (person) in each hand.


    A thinning sun hung high, the Chang¡¯an capital market was bustling with activity. The voices of hawking vendors along the street raised in an attempt to smother each other.


    There was an unending stream of pedestrians going to and fro; and they all could not help giving a few more glances towards one noodle stall. There, two handsome young masters were drinking tea in silence, opposite them sat a jade-eyed3 young lady from a foreign land, and was currently acting completely in contrast to her delicate and pretty appearance and eating large mouthfuls of noodles. There were already a few empty bowls stacked on the table.


    Nearing the bottom of a bowl, Chu Mingyun saw that her momentum of (eating) like a gale scattering clouds2 was not slowing, and couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°¡­¡­ Just how long has it been since you last ate?¡±


    ¡±Ever since preparing to come to Chang¡¯an I didn¡¯t eat a proper meal, almost starving to death!¡± Mulahe took a break to reply.


    ¡±Why didn¡¯t you eat?¡±


    ¡±Because I need to see Anyi¡¯ruo ah, it¡¯ll look nice if (I¡¯m) slimmer.¡±


    ¡±Then why are you still eating so much right now?¡±


    ¡±Didn¡¯t he already see me just now?¡± Mulahe said with a face as if this was completely matter-of-fact, turning her head and waving while saying: ¡°I still want (more)!¡±


    Chu Mingyun had no words to say to that, looking at the jubilantly smiling stall owner who immediately called out in response, he again moved his gaze back to Su Shiyu next to him.


    Su Shiyu indifferently returned his gaze, ¡°Does Master Chu also want to eat?¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­Forget it.¡± Chu Mingyun faintly sighed, ¡°I¡¯m full just from watching.¡±


    Su Shiyu laughed lowly, retrieving his gaze, and thought of the scene during the first time he met Mulahe.


    That year once Chu Mingyun had spoken to that point in court, there was no way for Su Shiyu to get out of meeting the Loulan princess once. He pondered for a long time before picking up his qin to go for the date, originally intending to uncommunicatively play a few songs to perfunctorily get through the matter. But he didn¡¯t think the other party knew a bit of Han language, and especially didn¡¯t expect that when he pushed open the door he¡¯d be greeted by a whip swung towards his face.


    Su Shiyu turned his body to dodge, stopping the whip with his free hand. Not only did the other party not get mad but rather was elated; As she was making a fuss about ¡®originally thought it¡¯s a useless civil official didn¡¯t expect they would know martial arts¡¯, at the same time calling him to come sit down at the table.


    After making contact Su Shiyu then realised, this Loulan princess was not actually wilful and brash in conduct like the rumors said, but rather had an overly straightforward personality developed from being overprotected since young.


    By the time he¡¯d taken a break from the song ¡¶Spring on the Moonlit River¡·beneath his fingers, Mulahe had already cleanly poured out her personal troubles. She married out three times, the former two were powerful officials plotting to seize control of the country and hence forced the ruler to marry his beloved daughter below her station. She¡¯d only crossed the threshold for less than two days before the other party started messing around with other women, and in a fit of anger she directly charged into the room, not sparing any strength in bringing down the whip, which then resulted in the ¡®beat husband to the point of lying horizontally in the courtyard¡¯ passed down in the rumors. However Mulahe unexpectedly realised she was helping her king father remove a great source of trouble, and hence was greatly encouraged. She decided that she¡¯d marry the subjects who kept threatening her king father at every turn, and drive them to beg for mercy even at the cost of being demoted.


    Su Shiyu was silent for a good while after hearing these words, and facing Mulahe whose had an expression seeking praise, muttered: ¡°Your wish in marrying someone is only this?¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s right, because they¡¯re bad to my king father.¡± Mulahe said.


    Su Shiyu laughed exasperatedly, ¡°Since times of old, a lady marrying out is for the sake of staying together with the person they like.¡±


    Mulahe tilted her head and thought a bit, ¡°But I don¡¯t have someone I like, but I have thought, in the future the person I really get married to must be a great hero unparalleled in martial arts.¡±


    Su Shiyu understood, ¡°No wonder you cracked the whip at me once you found out I was a civil official.¡±


    Mulahe leaned on the table looking at the hand he¡¯d laid on the qin, which had long and elegant fingers, ¡°Your martial arts must be awesome, I really like you,¡± She paused, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to marry you at all.¡±


    Su Shiyu couldn¡¯t help but laugh lightly, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I think you definitely won¡¯t like me,¡± She added, ¡°You look like you don¡¯t like anything no matter what it is.¡±


    ¡±How so?¡±


    ¡±You¡¯re very good, but you feel like you¡¯re very far away,¡± Mulahe stretched out her hand, her fingertips partitioned a bit of distance from Su Shiyu, as if obstructed by something, ¡°You look, it¡¯s just like a layer of fog, you¡¯re sitting in front of me, talking gently, but I can¡¯t feel your heart, your everything is faint, and separated off by fog, as if you might disappear after I blink.¡±


    Su Shiyu smiled4, not replying.


    Mulahe asked: ¡°Do you know what the feeling of liking someone is like?¡±


    Su Shiyu pondered it for a long while, and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve yet not had the chance to appreciate it.¡±


    ¡±I also don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, but our Loulan has a metaphor, translated into Han language it says there are scorpions and spiders crawling over your heart, your heart tightens up, beating very fast and very painful, like you¡¯re afraid, but also feel very happy.¡±


    Perhaps Su Shiyu had been also been shaken by this description using scorpions and spiders, yet seeing Mulahe¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t bear to ruin her excitement, so after thinking doubtfully for a moment he said: ¡°Our Han people also have a similar metaphor, but what it says is that there are ten thousand butterflies within your heart dancing in flight, the beating of their wings rousing the person¡¯s heart into confusion.¡±


    Mulahe nodded her head, half-comprehending and half-confused, pillowing her head on her arm to listen to him press the qin strings, the sounds of ¡¶Guang Ling San¡·startling the candlewicks5.


    When they parted that day Mulahe pulled at his sleeve and wouldn¡¯t let go, making a fuss over and over: ¡°I especially like you, but it¡¯s not the type of like for my special person, so I can¡¯t marry you, then can you become my Gege?¡±


    At the end of it Su Shiyu helplessly6 looked at his sleeve that was about to tear, lightly sighed a breath of air and acquiesced.


    ¡±Anyi¡¯ruo.¡± Mulahe had at some unknown point come up right next to him. Su Shiyu returned to himself, only then noticing she¡¯d finished eating, while the Chu Mingyun who was previously sitting next to him was off nearby settling the bill.


    ¡±What is it?¡±


    Mulahe lowered her voice and spoke in Loulan language: ¡°I just remembered, isn¡¯t he your enemy? Why are you still smiling and talking to him, is he forcing you? Do you want me to marry him and help you beat him to death?¡±


    Su Shiyu choked on a mouthful of tea, coughing twice before he was able to let out a laugh, he glanced at Chu Mingyun, and also used Loulan language to reply: ¡°He¡¯s not any enemy, at most he¡¯s considered a rival. Also, he¡¯s a very important person to our country, he can¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡±But, he¡¯s important to the country, still why do you have be so nice to him?¡±


    He could not reply.


    By this time Chu Mingyun had turned and walked over, just meeting the gazes of the two people looking at himself, and finding it strange, ¡°What are you both looking at me for?¡±


    Su Shiyu calmed his state of mind, and smiled faintly, ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Your (formal) good friend [Divine Gong Helper ¡¤ Mulahe] has come online.


    Also, I seriously could not search up Loulan language, that phrase [Anyi¡¯ruo] is made up by me, please don¡¯t take it for real _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_


    1.Depending on what the timeframe of this novel is held in, this term would refer to very powerful rulers over vassal states with actual military might before 221 BCE. So this rite would refer to the ¾ÅÎý (Jiuxi ¨C Nine bestowments) which as the name suggests is a very elaborate ceremony giving nine types of gift from carriage horses to fine robes, etc.


    2. ·ç¾í²ÐÔÆ ¨C The use of it to describe voracious eating is a reference to the book ¡¶·¢²ÆÃؾ÷¡¤µÚ¾Å»Ø¡·.


    3. Okay. Okay, so the original term used here was ±Ìíø . ±ÌÑÛ means ¡®blue-eyed¡¯, but the reason I have chosen to translate it as ¡®jade-eyed¡¯ is because Mulahe is implied to have dark green eyes in the first part. ±Ì can refer to dark green jade. íø means pupil but it would be weird to say jade-pupiled so there you have it.


    4. The phrase used here is a literary term for smiling ¨C ݸ¶û


    5. I don¡¯t know this one, the original phrase is ¹ãÁêÉ¢Òô¾ªÂäµÆ»¨£» ¡¶¹ãÁêÉ¢¡·is a song, and the imagery of falling candlewicks has been used in a poem but what is the ¾ª doing there¡­lol.


    6. Usually when ¡®resigned¡¯ or ¡®helpless¡¯ is used to describe Su Shiyu the phrase ÎÞÄÎ is used which implies a bit of impatience as well, but the one here is ÎÞ¿ÉÄκΠ¨C wherein you really have no other way, so he¡¯s especially helpless here lol. Helpless Susu.

 CH 31

    Having eaten her fill, Mulahe excitedly pulled them to roam the streets and alleys, as if posed to cover the entirety of Chang¡¯an on foot.


    Mulahe excitedly said: ¡°He looks like he¡¯s also very good at martial arts ah! I¡¯m going to compare with him!¡±


    ¡°The man is a street performer in order to earn a living, if you go up there and compete with him you¡¯ll make trouble for him.¡±


    Mulahe¡¯s enthusiasm immediately flagged, ¡°Is that so ah, but I really wanted to try it out ah.¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze landed on Chu Mingyun next to him, who had presently lowered his head to tear at a bag of sweets that Mulahe had just bought. While pinching a piece between his fingers and putting it in his mouth he looked up and returned the gaze, ¡°En?¡±


    Su Shiyu softly laughed, pointed at Chu Mingyun, and said to Mulahe: ¡°You don¡¯t need to be troubled, he also knows the gongfu skill from just now.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­¡± Chu Mingyun swept a look over that stone slab that had shattered into fragments all over the floor. He realised it was something he really could do, and even do a much prettier job of it than that fellow just now.


    There were many peddling acts along the street, each time Mulahe wanted to rush over and figure it out for herself, she would be plainly informed by Su Shiyu, ¡°He also knows (how to do) this.¡±


    Thanks to the Grand Secretary, Grand Martial Chu only realised today that he actually had so many talents and skills.


    Chu Mingyun, who had all this while wordlessly been finishing off the sweet, looked ahead of him. As if he finally could no longer take it, he pulled Mulahe in front of a stall selling headpieces and jewelry, ¡°You take a look at whichever, I¡¯ll gift (it to) you.¡± After saying this he turned his head to meet Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze, and faintly sighed, ¡°That one¡­..I truly don¡¯t know how to do it.¡±


    Su Shiyu turned back, and across the partition of bobbing heads could barely make out an entertainer performing sword-eating and fire-breathing performance. He again looked back at Chu Mingyun¡¯s extremely helpless expression, and suddenly couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Among the profane and noisy populace, he alone was gentle and progressive2.


    It felt like there was something that jumped abruptly in his chest, Chu Mingyun attentively looked at him. He picked out a jade hairpin from the stall, then mimicking the speaking manner of people from rich families laughed: ¡°Come, lil¡¯ beauty (Meiren¡¯er), this Young Master will also gift you one, how about you follow3 me?¡±


    Su Shiyu blocked the hand he outstretched, and said faintly smiling: ¡°Young Master¡¯s looks surpass others¡¯, this jade hairpin suits you a bit better.¡±


    ¡±Alright,¡± Chu Mingyun replied straightforwardly, ¡°Then you put it on for me, it¡¯s also okay if I follow3 you ah.¡±


    The stall owner maiden blushed and after much deliberation, spoke up: ¡°These two young masters¡­¡­ this place of mine, sells only lady¡¯s accessories.¡±


    Chu Mingyun shrugged his shoulders and put down the thing. Su Shiyu smiled while shaking his head, and unconsciously caught a glint of humor flashing across Mulahe¡¯s pupils, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Mulahe moved away her line of sight, slyly smiling and said: ¡°I¡¯ll tell Anyi¡¯ruo later.¡±


    Once it reached noon, the three of them found an inn to rest and have a meal. Mulahe tore at the things they bought in high spirits. Chu Mingyun absent-mindedly helped her tear open the food wrappings, whereas Su Shiyu looked at them quietly.


    It was unknown what the people a few tables behind them were talking about, but their voices suddenly got louder.


    ¡±Old brother4 (laoxiong), that is an appointed official of the court (you¡¯re talking about), you need to be careful when talking. With no proof or reason, are you trying to fool us?¡±


    ¡±Heh, really, what good would I get out of tricking you guys? I¡¯d just passed by Fufeng County on my return, it was my relative in the county yamen who told me himself!¡±


    Another person from a different table interrupted, ¡°What¡¯s this about? Isn¡¯t everyone well aware who¡¯s behind that case with the Right Fufeng, how come Su Shiyu¡¯s business gets dragged in again*?¡±


    Chu Mingyun exchanged a look with Su Shiyu, not batting an eyelid.


    ¡±You think about it, what sort of figure is Su Shiyu, if we all can guess who it is don¡¯t tell me he can¡¯t tell? That must be another ulterior motive involved,¡± The man¡¯s words paused, and lowered his voice as if to tempt the peoples¡¯ appetites (curiosity), ¡°This is him taking the opportunity to get rid of Su Xing for his own sake!¡±


    ¡±You really take us for fools ah? Su Xing is Su Shiyu¡¯s blood-related uncle.¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s why I say you guys don¡¯t know ba, how could the kinship relations of large clans and noble families be the same as us common folks¡¯, how do you think those internal struggles come about? Su Xing was someone who¡¯d just returned to Chang¡¯an by himself, where would he get the ability to commit such a large murder case, not to mention he had friendly relations with those victim officials.¡±


    ¡±Since you¡¯re so clear on it, then you say how all that came about?¡±


    The man coughed once to change his accent and pitch, saying: ¡°You all think carefully, since Su Shiyu was in charge of that murder case, put plainly the culprit is Chu Mingyun. The Chu faction and Su faction have also been at odds for so many years, such a good opportunity, yet Su Shiyu didn¡¯t capture Chu Mingyun but rather ran to investigate some case together with him, what does this mean?¡± Not waiting for a reply, he continued to speak on by himself, ¡°Obviously they¡¯ve reached an agreement of sorts! Su Shiyu helps Chu Mingyun cover up the case, Chu Mingyun helps Su Shiyu kill Su Xing, then simply pushes the case aside, isn¡¯t this a win-win for both sides? The more wealthy and high-ranking a person, the more vicious they¡¯ll be when dealing with blood relatives!¡±


    The others all didn¡¯t continue arguing, and felt that the man¡¯s words held a bit of reason, and had become uncertain and wavering.


    Chu Mingyun propped up his lower jaw, lowly laughing, ¡°Really well said, even I almost believe it.¡±


    Su Shiyu shook his head and laughed lightly, drinking his tea wordlessly.


    Mulahe¡¯s doubtful gaze went landed back and forth on the two of them, then turned her head to look at the people who were whispering to themselves, and unhappily asked Su Shiyu: ¡°Are they talking about you?¡±


    ¡±You heard wrongly.¡± Su Shiyu said flatly.


    ¡±I didn¡¯t! I heard your names!¡± Mulahe abruptly stood up.


    ¡±But you can¡¯t remember Han names correctly, how come you¡¯re so sure it¡¯s us?¡±


    ¡±I¡­¡­¡± Mulahe was at a loss for words, and looked towards Chu Mingyun, ¡°Pretty Gege, you say, were they talking about you?!¡±


    Chu Mingyun smiled, looking at Su Shiyu and leisurely saying: ¡°He said it¡¯s not so naturally it¡¯s not.¡±


    These words went in twists and turns, Mulahe couldn¡¯t understand them.


    On another side the waiter had keen eyes, seeing the situation was heading in an unfavorable direction he quickly came over to mediate: ¡°Honored patrons, while eating let¡¯s not talk about government affairs, not talk about government affairs!¡±


    (T/N: That¡¯s not a typo, he repeated it.)


    Su Shiyu tilted his head to look at her, ¡°Sit down ba.¡±


    Mulahe glared at the people behind them who still didn¡¯t know what had happened, and only then begrudgingly sat down.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s fingertips traced over the pattern on the porcelain cup, his words intent with humor, ¡°I¡¯d already told you previously, these people have never cared what the truth is, they¡¯re only thinking of using it as a conversation topic, what¡¯s there to explain to them.¡±


    ¡±How the matter truly is, is how it is. Even if there are others who maliciously conjecture, there¡¯s no need to steal away the chance for everyone to understand the truth.¡± Su Shiyu said, ¡°If one persistently thinks explaining is beneath them, then all that¡¯s left is rumors.¡±


    Chu Mingyun laughed as if taking exception to that, and didn¡¯t carry on the conversation.


    Loulan didn¡¯t actually have any official business for this visit, after sticking around in Chang¡¯an for a few days they chartered their return, and they were sent off from Chang¡¯an to Baling5 by the Grand Marshall and Grand Secretary.


    This just happened to coincide with early spring, so the ancient roadways were luxuriant with green grass, vast and torrential currents flowed beneath the bridge, the poplar and willow trees on the riverbanks had their first green leaves, like drooping ribbons of jade.


    They stopped at a pavilion to say their farewells, Mulahe waved her hand to chase her retainers off to the side, and only then taking out a letter from the breast of her robes, stuffing it into Su Shiyu¡¯s hands, ¡°For Anyi¡¯ruo!¡±


    Su Shiyu studied the tightly-sealed letter, asking, ¡°Was this written by you?¡±


    ¡±Of course, I¡¯ve learned Han words for a long time! But you can¡¯t open it to read now!¡± Mulahe thought about it then urged again: ¡°Even after you return you can¡¯t open, en¡ª¡ª wait for me to return to Loulan before you¡¯re allowed to look!¡±


    Su Shiyu laughed: ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you wrote something in here that you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll come after you for?¡±


    ¡±Definitely not, anyway (you) have to wait for me to return before you can look!¡±


    Su Shiyu smiled and promised. Mulahe then also pulled out a oil-paper bag, tossing it to Chu Mingyun: ¡°For Pretty Gege!¡±


    Chu Mingyun was slightly surprised, and as he caught it he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this thing?¡±


    ¡±Doesn¡¯t Pretty Gege seem to like eating sweets a lot, it¡¯s pine nut brittle ah!¡±


    Chu Mingyun darted a quick glance at Su Shiyu next to him whose smile had grown deeper, and frowned while looking at Mulahe who had the mannerism of having presented a treasure. He could not help but also laugh lowly, ¡°Okay, many thanks.¡±


    Having finished presenting the gifts, she was still not in a hurry to leave, and instead became a little hesitant, glancing at Chu Mingyun, summoning up the courage to pull Su Shiyu to one side, ¡°(I) still have something to tell Anyi¡¯ruo.¡°


    ¡±What¡¯s the matter?


    ¡±I found the person I like, ¡± Mulahe lowered her head slightly, blushing crimson, showing some rare maidenly disposition, ¡°He is a Han man doing business in Loulan, he saved me during an incident of unrest, his personality is very good and his martial art is also awesome. It was him who taught me how to write the Han words, among the people in the Central Plains apart from you I like him the most. King father has already agreed to let us marry, this time (visiting) it is also because he asked me to let you know.¡±


    ¡±En,¡± Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes held a smile, ¡°Then I really do congratulate you.¡±


    ¡±When I get married will Anyi¡¯ruo come?¡± She lifted her head to look at Su Shiyu, eyes filled with anticipation.


    ¡±Of course (I) will come to congratulate you.¡±


    ¡±Even if you have other things to do you¡¯ll still come?¡±


    Su Shiyu thought about it, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Mulahe smiled, ¡°Then you must come together with Pretty Gege!¡±


    ¡±You¡¯re really hoping for him to come as well?¡±


    ¡±Because Pretty Gege is really good-looking ah, what¡¯s more¡ª¡ª¡± She winked, ¡°When Pretty Gege is around the fog disappears!¡±


    Su Shiyu said uncomprehendingly, ¡°What fog will disappear?¡±


    But Mulahe no longer replied, her dimpled smiling face resplendent like a flower as she said goodbye to the two, then ran towards the carriage that had been waiting for a long while. She suddenly turned around in front of the carriage, her skirt billowing as she waved goodbye, the silver bells on her wrist crisply chiming.


    A few days flashed past since their parting, and spring gradually overtook the land.


    In the study, Su Shiyu put down his brush, placing the documents to one side and sorting them out, his gaze by chance sweeping past a letter placed on the side. He counted in his heart (mind), these few days should be sufficient for the carriage to have reached Loulan already, then he reached out to retrieve the letter.


    Mulahe had sealed the envelope very tightly, obviously still worrying he might sneak a peek, pinching it in his hand he could feel that the letter inside was considerably thick, but didn¡¯t know what could possibly be written in it.


    Su Shiyu had just torn open the corner of the envelope, when he suddenly heard sounds of running steps from outside. The door to the study was abruptly pushed open, Su Bai rushed into the room with a face full of anxiety, and opened his mouth to yell:


    ¡±Young Master, it¡¯s gone wrong! The Loulan princess met with an ambush at our border city, the whole procession has been massacred. The ruler of Loulan is furious, and has already sent an emissary over to demand an explanation from Daxia (the dynasty/country name right now), His Majesty the Emperor has an urgent summon for you to enter the palace to negotiate!¡±


    T/N: Happy Qixi (7th day of the 7th month on the lunar calendar, aka. Chinese Valentines¡¯ Day) you guys! I know by the time I upload this it will have passed, but probably few who would read this translation would be actually celebrating Qixi,¡­so. You guys might have heard the myth of Cowherd and Weaving Maiden, which is the traditional folktale associated with Qixi. I¡¯m not too sure where the bridge of magpies came about from, but the popularization of the tale is perhaps because it provided comfort during the chaotic period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The land was split with the Qinling mountain range and the Huai He river as the border, with Henan Nanyang and Xinyang etc. bordering areas being the most badly affected. Hope you¡¯re spending time with your beloved, or that you find your Cowherd/Weaving Maiden soon. Here¡¯s a Qixi poem for you guys:


    1.Âí²½ ¨C horse stance, a very common posture for martial arts where you stand with your feet apart, almost like a squat position. Here¡¯s to aid your mental image of the scene.


    2.üĿÎÂÈá ¨C if translated completely literally, it means his brows and eyes were gentle. Bu ¡®Ã¼Ä¿¡¯ means progress, and because of the words preceding it as well as context from the later chapters that is what I have chosen to translate it as.


    3. ´ÓÁË(ÎÒ / Äã)- meaning that you¡¯re willing to get married to the person (as a wife or concubine). Same phrase used by Chu Mingyun in Chapter 23.


    4.ÀÏÐÖ ¨C friendly/joking address for a friend of similar age (even though it literally means ¡®old brother¡¯). It means ¡®ol¡¯ fellow/chap/buddy/pal¡¯. Sometimes it can be used very informally by older brothers to refer to themselves when speaking to siblings


    5.Baling ¨C this is where the tomb of Emperor Xiaowen is, located 57 kilometres away from Chang¡¯an. Which means this has to be after his death in CE 499. By the end of the novel I¡¯ll have figured out what time period the author is taking as reference lol.


    Also, I just want to say, if you¡¯re not already reading this after having read Qiang Jin Jiu, then you should really check it out, because it has very similar themes to this novel. Despite both shous being martially-skilled civil officials and both gongs being generals (well not quite for XCA but you know the type) I¡¯m startled by how different the relationship dynamics of these two pairs are.


    Image from the è¶ùFM (www.missevan.com) QJJ Audio Drama Season 3

 CH 32

    The full entourage of palace maids and imperial bodyguards had been dismissed from the antechamber of the Xuanshi Hall1, yet within this astronomically large hall the air seemed considerably dense. Li Yanzhen alone sat on the seat-of-honor while Chu Mingyun, Su Shiyu and the emissaries from Loulan stood at two opposing sides.


    The imperial bodyguard who delivered the message had informed Su Shiyu of the situation¡¯s details along the way: That day Loulan had arrived at the border town according to the arrangement to receive the princess but had discovered the inn to be dead silent. In all the guestrooms upstairs, the walls and floors were dripping with blood, and the thick stench of blood assaulting one¡¯s nose would immediately make a person feel nauseated. And Loulan¡¯s most beloved and respected princess had fallen face-down and hair disheveled on the ground, a fair-skinned arm stained with streaks of blood outstretched to the front, seeming to have once expended all energy trying to grab hold of something.


    The ruler of Loulan nearly fell unconscious upon receiving the news, angrily yelling out orders to dispatch the army at once, but only agreed to send emissaries after repeated and forceful persuasions from his subjects.


    After reporting this the imperial bodyguard asked urgently, ¡°Grand Secretary, the land has only just achieved hard-earned peace, will war break out again because of this?¡±


    Su Shiyu furrowed his brow tightly, and didn¡¯t answer. The carriage blinds flapped in the wind as it sped on. Flowers were in bloom all along the street outside the window, a painting-like scene of spring.


    In the hall, the Loulan emissary¡¯s face sank, yet still made his greeting courteously, and went straight to the point: ¡°The matter of our princess her royal Highness¡¯ murder, (I) hope Daxia (dynasty name) will take responsibility for it!¡±


    Since Li Yanzhen did not reply after a while, Chu Mingyun spoke up: ¡°Naturally, will Your Honor, the Emissary please remain calm and not be impatient, we have already sealed the border and are searching for the suspects, if there is any news we will surely inform you.¡±


    The emissary looked at Chu Mingyun, ¡°Your Honor the Grand Marshall seems to avoid important matters and dwell on the trivial, surely speaking in such a manner isn¡¯t too good?¡±


    ¡±Oh¡ª¡ª?¡± Chu Mingyun turned to face his gaze, ¡°What ¡®avoiding important matters and dwelling on trivial¡¯, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡±A great and proud country such as Daxia, yet now our princess was killed within your borders, don¡¯t tell me it can be resolved simply with an investigation?¡±


    ¡±Otherwise, what?¡± Chu Mingyun said, ¡°Cracking the case and catching the evildoer is perfectly justified2, if even this is considered avoiding an important matter in favor of the trivial, then what would satisfy Your Honor the emissary¡¯s intent?¡±


    ¡±Not being able to guarantee the safety of envoys within your country, and shirking off responsibility after something has happened, is this the way Daxia handles matters?¡± The emissary said, ¡°The location of the princess¡¯ lodgings is not something ordinary people would be able to find out. Her meeting misfortune at the hands of the wicked, is it really unrelated to your court?¡±


    ¡±You can¡¯t say things like that ah,¡± Chu Mingyun said, ¡°The whereabouts of her royal Highness the princess was not only made clear to us but also to the royal family of Loulan, since it was an ambush that occurred at the border, it¡¯s hard to say who was the one that leaked the information.¡±


    Su Shiyu who was at his side froze as he heard those words.


    The emissary questioned coldly: ¡°Your Honor the Grand Marshall has already spoken as such, and you still dare say you¡¯re not shirking responsibility?!¡±


    Chu Mingyun said with no inflection: ¡°I was merely stating the possible scenarios, what are you so agitated for?¡±


    ¡±You¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡±Requesting Your Honor the emissary to calm down a bit,¡± Su Shiyu suddenly spoke up, ¡°This is a shared pain between Daxia and Loulan, disputing is ultimately useless, and would merely add to ill-feelings. As of now, only by sincere cooperation between our two countries will the suspect be found as early as possible.¡±


    The other party¡¯s attitude was courteous and warm, such that even though the emissary still had fire in his heart (still irritated) he was ill-disposed to flare up again.


    Chu Mingyun tilted his head to look at Su Shiyu, ¡°Has Master Su thought of something?¡±


    He indeed had thought of something. At that moment when those words of Chu Mingyun¡¯s had sounded out, numerous and whirling disorderly thoughts abruptly stagnated and went still, and something had struggled free to surface distinctly.


    The messenger dispatched to visit should not have been too early, Mulahe with her position as princess should not have been visiting in person.


    It¡¯s only¡­¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡±I¡¯ve found the person I like.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª ¡°King father has already agreed to let us marry, (the visit) this time is also because he asked me to let you know.¡±


    ¡±Your Honor the emissary, may I ask if Her Highness the princess was about to get married to a Han merchant?¡± Su Shiyu asked.


    ¡±Your Honor the Grand Secretary is referring to Young Master Ji Heng?¡±


    ¡±Do you happen to know where he was after the incident occurred?¡±


    ¡±(I) didn¡¯pay attention to this matter in particular, he¡­¡­¡± The emissary¡¯s words abruptly stopped, and his pallor changed.


    Seeing the emissary react this way, several people present soon understood. Li Yanzhen finally opened his mouth: ¡°Since there is a lead, then quickly dispatch orders to arrest this person.¡±


    The emissary responded, several changes flitting through his expression before ultimately looking toward Su Shiyu: ¡°But how did Your Honor the Grand Secretary come to suspect him? There was an ambush planned out by someone within the territory of Daxia, and Ji Heng is a Han merchant, I wonder if there is a link between these things?¡±


    Chu Mingyun narrowed his eyes slightly, laughing coldly to himself. (They) repeatedly emphasized since the start that Daxia was responsible, and now this emissary from Loulan had finally made his true intent apparent.


    It was impossible for the dead to return to life, instead of clinging to attachment why wouldn¡¯t they plot to benefit from this; striking while the body was still warm to extort the last bit of value. Such was the nature of devising strategy and plotting against others, you could not blame (them) too much.


    Su Shiyu said blandly: ¡°Does your honor the emissary believe there is a link between these things?¡±


    The emissary had yet to speak up, when Li Yanzhen raised a hand to halt their conversation, huffing a sigh, ¡°We understand the Emissary¡¯s intent, We will definitely order someone to investigate this clearly, yet this matter happened within our borders, Daxia indeed cannot escape blame for this.


    The emissary turned his body, bowed his head in greeting to Li Yanzhen, ¡°Since His Majesty the emperor has said so, this subject can be assured. However, although Loulan is a small country and its forces cannot rival Daxia¡¯s, we still hope that His Majesty the emperor can be a bit more fair.¡±


    Li Yanzhen glanced at Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu below him, and said as if considering: ¡°That year the ruler of Loulan used three cities as dowry, then let¡¯s use three cities as compensation, and may the ruler take it as having married the princess to Daxia.¡±


    There was no way three cities of the great Desert could be compared and considered on equal ground with three cities of the Central Plains, this opening bid in compensation far exceeded expectations. The emissary was shocked into disbelief, and the joy had yet time to surface on his features before he heard Chu Mingyun say coldly:


    ¡±Your Majesty, please speak prudently.¡±


    Su Shiyu added: ¡°Your Majesty, the matter of the actual compensation still needs to be discussed at court before it can be set.¡±


    Li Yanzhen hence stopped talking and kept quiet.


    The emissary¡¯s expression slightly distorted, what sort of state Daxia¡¯s court was in, he understood; the only ones who had the power to make decisions were only these two Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu. Since as witnessed they had already spoken their opinion, the so-called court discussion was merely an excuse to buy time.


    This person Chu Mingyun had too strong a sense of , so the emissary¡¯s notice landed on Su Shiyu, ¡°Grand Secretary, Your Honor, our princess sees you as an elder brother, now that she has been murdered within your borders and her corpse has yet grown cold, you still want to dispute over the matter of compensation?¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes darkened, not saying anything for a while.


    Chu Mingyun laughed a ¡°Che¡± sound, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Your Honor the Emissary seem to be even more concerned about the compensation?¡±


    Under the current circumstances it seemed like they were heading towards another quarrel, so Su Shiyu lightly sighed, and said: ¡°What His Honor the Emissary has said is not false, Her Highness the princess treats me with sincerity, and for that I am ceaselessly grateful.¡± He paused, ¡°And that is exactly why, I hope to have a chat with Your Honor the Emissary one-on-one.¡±


    The emissary did not understand the intent for this, Su Shiyu made a greeting and asked Li Yanzhen, and after obtaining permission he raised his hand and made a posture of beckoning, ¡°May I trouble Your Honor the Emissary to come talk with me in the side palace.¡±


    The emissary was somewhat doubtful, but after hesitating still followed him out.


    Without Li Yanzhen observing on the side, Su Shiyu¡¯s re-negotiation with the emissary was without constraint, but even considering he was silver-tongued and had several tricks up his sleeve, regarding Mulahe¡¯s demise Daxia was still unable to escape from blame.


    This round of negotiation was extremely difficult; it was only until the sun had set over a thousand households did they reach a grudging agreement, ceding some territory as compensation. The emissary¡¯s expression was extremely displeased when he left, but after reporting back to Li Yanzhen he received approval, and now it only awaited a round of detailed discussion in court.


    Su Shiyu stepped across the setting sun spilled across the floor (T/N: probably a reflection in rain puddles), he lowered his eyes and looked at the flowing glow of the sunset on the limestone, and it seemed like fresh blood meandering into the distance.


    Who knows if that jade-eyed young girl also saw such a scene when she shut her eyes. Who knows what she felt when she was killed by her special person, who knows whether that wedding Su Shiyu agreed that he would definitely attend, that wedding destined for ruin.


    That sort of silly maiden, perhaps it was her who personally told the other party of the route.


    In fact Su Shiyu understood it clearly, with Mulahe¡¯s position in the ruler of Loulan¡¯s heart, unfortunately three cities would be useless to even eliminate a bit of his sorrow, but even as that may be, he could not agree to the Loulan emissary¡¯s demands.


    His home country came first, his personal feelings were of little importance, and were not worth mention.


    But if Mulahe was able to sense it from beneath the Nine Springs (the underworld), and knew he was acting like this, would she also regret calling him Gege, just like¡­¡­Su Xing who cursed at him bitterly in the water prison that day.


    Thinking of this, Su Shiyu laughed lightly, and a bit of fatigue showed between his brows, disappearing in the next instant.


    It was not even a day later when the news arrived, Ji Heng fell into the net (was caught). He¡¯d admitted to all of his crimes, and was currently being escorted to Chang¡¯an from Zhenjiang.


    After hearing this Su Shiyu only lowered his head and ordered everyone to be dismissed, not expressing much. He continued leafing through the documents one at a time, and he had picked up one leaflet when suddenly there was something that also landed onto the desk along with it.


    A yellowed letter sealed in a red envelope, and a corner of it had been ripped open at the seal.


    Su Shiyu silently stared at it for a while, stunned, then slowly reached out his hand. He was uncharacteristically hesitant, opening the letter bit by bit.


    Although the letter was thick, it was exactly because Mulahe¡¯s words were large and crooked, so the contents could not be considered long. Su Shiyu recognised word by word and read over it, and could not help smiling a little.


    The letter did not have even a bit of the Han literati¡¯s usual norm, it entirely seemed to be written according to Mulahe¡¯s whims. She started off writing about what she felt was delicious and where was fun within these days she spent within the city of Chang¡¯an, then abruptly cut in about the new and odd flowers that had bloomed a few days ago in Loulan.


    Su Shiyu flipped over a page, and the smile at the corner of his mouth faded.


    ¡±Anyi¡¯ruo tells lies without even blushing4! After that I remembered the pronunciation and asked a lot of Han people, they all said that is exactly the names of you two. That day that group of people were talking bad things about you guys and you still said they weren¡¯t!¡±


    ¡±I¡¯d only then realised not all Han people are that good, (I) don¡¯t know why these days I¡¯m constantly hearing people talking bad about you, but I remembered you seemed to not be happy letting me know about it, so I held it in and didn¡¯t go fight with them.¡±


    ¡±Have you ever heard that our Loulan women can read hearts, the Han people are all silly so they can¡¯t see it, but I just know you¡¯re especially especially good.¡±


    ¡±Anyi¡¯ruo has the world¡¯s best gentleness.¡±


    Anyi¡¯ruo has the world¡¯s best gentleness.


    A phrase so senseless in meaning, perhaps only Mulahe could write it out.


    The hand Su Shiyu gripped the letter in suddenly tightened, trembling lightly. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath extremely slowly, and then relaxed again. Su Shiyu lowered his eyes to stare at that line of words, and after a long long while, he finally let out an extremely soft embittered laugh.


    Su Shiyu flipped to the last page, but the moment the traces of ink entered his sight5, he was completely stunned.


    ¡±The question that Anyi¡¯ruo didn¡¯t reply to that day, I seem to know the answer to it already.¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s why¡­¡­¡±


    T/N: Hmm, I¡¯m sorry that it¡¯s been(?) nearly a month(?) since the last update hahah oops =/ I¡¯ll try to make up for the difference.


    1. ÐûÊÒµî ¨C I¡¯ve seen several interpretations of this name. This could either refer to a building in the ancient imperial city that serves as a discussion hall where the Emperor receives distinguished subjects for private audience (sensitive matters related to the throne or imperial family). I¡¯ve also seen it being referred to as the front hall of the palace where the emperor stays. It is also mentioned in the Shiji under the ¡¶¼ÖÉú´«¡·and the Tales of the Sanfu, ¡¶Èý¸¨¹ÊÊ¡·


    2.Ìì¾­µØÒå ¨C to follow the principles of heaven and earth; be so unquestionably moral that it is natural.


    3. ǧ¼ÒÂäÕÕʱ ¨C From the Tang Dynasty poem¡¶ÌâËÕ¹«ÁÖͤ¡·


    4. ˵»Ñ¶¼²»Á³ºì ¨C literally ¡®face does not redden even when lying¡¯.


    5. Ô¾ÈëÑÛÁ± ¨C ¡®jumping into one¡¯s eyes¡¯

 CH 33

    The moon was bright in the serene night, the courtyard was like a reflection of moonlight in accumulated water, the shadows of bamboo and cedar lumping to cover the ground like a criss-cross of seagrass. There was a youth practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard by himself, in the silence there was only the sound of the blade slicing through the wind.


    The author has something to say:


    The person to be moved first is the one who loses.


    T/N: That was a nightmare chapter to translate, not least because it¡¯s 50% longer than the other chapters. Next chapter is only 2.4k so hopefully I¡¯ll get it out on schedule. Today¡¯s is a little late for Mid-Autumn. There are so many different origin stories for this festival, who knows how it really came about. They say it was one of the Imperial family¡¯s sacred rites, because in the Book of Rites it says ¡°Ìì×Ó´º³±ÈÕ£¬ÇïϦÔ¡±, meaning to offer worship to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn, and this festival was born out from the literati and common folk¡¯s mimicry of the practices of offering worship to or celebrating the moon. As for why it is called ÖÐÇï; it doesn¡¯t actually mark the middle of autumn, it is the 15th of the eighth lunar month, which means that it is second full moon of autumn. So it is suggested that this day is called ÖÙÇï (¡®ÖÙ¡¯ meaning second in order) and this got corrupted to ÖÐÇï. Anyway, whether you gather with family, simply eat mooncakes or reserve enough energy to shoot down the sun, I wish you a happy Mid-Autumn!


    1. »³Àï ¨C As with previous instances, this phrase is used to indicate placement tucked against one¡¯s bosom rather than in one¡¯s arms.


    2. ÓæÎÌÖ®Àû ¨C reference to the same idiom mentioned in Chapter 22 (ref footnote 13 in that chapter)


    3. Õ¶¶¤½ØÌú ¨C literally ¡®to chop nails and slice iron¡¯, that¡¯s how firm CSH¡¯s answer was.


    4. ¾¶×Ô ¨C without consulting anyone / without so much as a ¡®by your leave¡¯, though in this case he DID tell them to leave so I chose ¡®unceremoniously¡¯.


    5. ¹ÊÈË is one of those phrases hard to translate without enough context. The best over-arching term is ¡®someone you used to know¡¯, but whether that is an old lover or friend, whether you grew apart or lost the other person to death;; there¡¯s like 5 meanings there. I interpreted it as an old friend that died since he was playing a ¡®song of loss¡¯, and you know, Mulahe


    6. Ìý×ÅÀ§ ¨C ¡°listening to it (makes me feel) sleepy¡± but I wanted to make it literally 3 words like the original.


    7. »Ä½¼Ò°Áë ¨C common phrases that fully translates to ¡®desolate areas far from town, in the wilds of the mountains¡¯


    8.ǧµþɽӰ ¨C reference to the line ¡®É½Ó°¾Æҡǧµþ´ä¡¯ from Liu Yin¡¯s poem ¡¶¸ßͤ¡·.


    9. ÂäµØÓÐÉù- literally ¡®making sound once it hit the floor¡¯.


    10. ÆðÏÒ·çÑÅ ¨C might be a reference to the song »ªñãÒý


    11. Íòô¥¾ã¼Å ¨C literally ¡®ten thousand living things were collectively silent¡¯.


    12. Ö»ÑÔƬÓï ¨C idiom literally meaning ¡®few words and isolated phrases¡¯


    13.ÊÇϲ»¶×ÅËûÂð ¨C contains the phrase ¡®liking him¡¯ but has an extra word so I took it as a colloquialism for being in love with him.


    14. ϲ»¶Âð£¿- these are meant to be echoes of Mulahe¡¯s statement above, where SSY is asking himself, does he like CMY. So the most direct translation would be, ¡°Is this like?¡± But then the last one would be ¡°Is this not like?¡± and these just sound kind of awkward so I translated Mulahe¡¯s words and this phrase to ¡°love¡± instead. (You know they barely use the word °® in danmei anyway)


    15. ²×º£É£Ìï ¨C literally ¡®the blue sea turns into mulberry fields¡¯, an idiom referring to how the world is transformed with the passage of time. This is just SSY¡¯s internal voice being super dramatic I guess.

 CH 34

    A man whose body was bound in shackles was brought to a small courtyard, and the black cloth over his head was only removed once he was forced by others to kneel in the house. He struggled and lifted his head, taking in the sight of the person in front of him at once. ¡°Su Shiyu?¡±


    Su Shiyu met Ji Heng¡¯s gaze with eyes dark and deep, and then he nodded, laughing lightly: ¡°You¡¯ve said it right.¡±


    As soon as the words left him Su Shiyu took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, a guard on one side bowing over to receive it, and immediately people came from the sides to squeeze Ji Heng¡¯s jaws, forcing him to open his mouth. Ji Heng clenched his teeth in a panic, struggling with all his might, yet his back was struck hard with an instrument. Something sank straight into his flesh, he could not hold back a pained cry, and that opening was used to shove a pill into his mouth, which passed down into his throat. Ji Heng violently coughed twice, and shaken with terror1 he yelled: ¡°What did you do?!¡±


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, it was a Heart-Protection Pill2 that was fed to you.¡± Su Shiyu took back the bottle, ¡°You will ultimately need to be handed over to Loulan, so as of now I definitely won¡¯t take your life.¡±


    Ji Heng immediately understood, ¡°Su Shiyu, as the Grand Secretary, you would actually torture and mistreat prisoners?!¡±


    ¡°Of course the Grand Secretary wouldn¡¯t.¡± Su Shiyu looked at him, smiling faintly: ¡°But these people are my privately-hired guards, this is my private villa, you and I also have personal enmity, it has nothing to do with public duty.¡±


    ¡°Personal enmity?¡± Ji Heng said disbelievingly, ¡°What personal enmity do I have with you?¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s smile deepened, and said with his eyelids lowered: ¡°Meimei¡¯s judgement of people is not good, as her brother¡­¡­I have to take care of these things for her.¡± With that, not even waiting for Ji Heng who was completely stupefied to react, he lifted his teacup to take a sip of Springtime tea3,


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Chu Mingyun put down his pen casually, and raised his eyes to look at Qin Zhao, ¡°You are ¡®unable to investigate¡¯, what is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Yan Ye said news within the Censorate is also tightly guarded, he only heard that Ji Heng was a few breaths away from death when he was escorted over. But apart from a few intermediate officials in the Censorate and Su Shiyu scarcely few people were able to see him, who knows if this is true or false, and the signed confession is all in Su Shiyu¡¯s hands, even the escort doesn¡¯t know what is written in it.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed uncanny, seems like it wasn¡¯t a crime of passion.¡± Chu Mingyun lightly knit his brow, ¡°Thinking back in detail, it¡¯s been one trouble after another these days.¡±


    After a bit of consideration, he opened his mouth to instruct: ¡°Go and investigate a person.¡±


    ¡°Which person?¡±


    ¡°He said that?¡± Su Shiyu¡¯s gaze moved away from the memorial7, and after a moment of pondering he slowly smiled, and nodded saying, ¡°He¡¯s actually not wrong in his evaluation.¡±


    T/L: No, I¡¯m not dead nor dropping this. In about a month you can look forward to near-daily updates, but for now I¡¯m quite busy.


    1. ¾ªÒɲ»¶¨


    2.»¤Ðĵ¤ ¨C translated literally here. ¡®Eating a heart protection pill¡¯ is often used as a phrase for something that puts someone at ease, but here it seems to be an actual Thing. Did the phrase originate from actual medicine in Chinese history? Idk


    3.´º²è ¨C refers to tea prepared with leaves harvested in spring. Supposedly the best time to harvest.


    4. Senior student brother ¨C people who were trained under the same teacher, but CMY has seniority.


    5.È˺£Õ½Êõ ¨C meaning that if they just overwhelm him with numbers in a fight they can kill him. Qin Zhao¡¯s not saying Su Shiyu¡¯s bad at math.


    6. Likely adapted from ÂúÔºÂ仨´º¼Å¼Å£¬¶Ï³¦·¼²Ý±Ì¡£from¡¶Ú˽ðÃÅ¡¤¿ÕÏàÒä¡·, a Tang dynasty poem.


    7. ÇØ±í ¨C an official report to the emperor.


    8. ÓñÅå ¨C This is a important item in this story, so I was very divided on what to translate this as for a long time. This could either be worn as a literal pendant, around the neck, or at the waist as a charm like most young masters of the nobility would back then.

 CH 35

    There was a tea stand near the city gates of Chang¡¯an that was extraordinarily bustling with activity. ¡­ most of them would stop for a moment to rest their feet and drink tea, and then talk idly about the major powers of the five lakes and four seas1.


    It was nightfall, and a dark shadow passed in a sudden blur outside the study.


    Su Shiyu¡¯s expression remained at ease, still lifting up his sleeve to slowly grind the pine-smoke ink. The room¡¯s door suddenly opened wide, the night breeze dimming the candle-flame buoyantly. A path of frost-glare8 broke through the gloom of the night, bringing with it a gale that hit one¡¯s face head-on.


    Su Shiyu indifferently kept his eyelids drooped and didn¡¯t move, quietly pressing the sleeve-dagger in his palm.


    The guard watching over the door of the Su residence leaned against the wall drowsily, when he was abruptly startled awake by the sound of footfalls his ears suddenly caught. Turning his head back to see the approaching person, he did not have time to react before he was again shocked by the jade pendant the other person took out, ¡°You¡­¡­(respectful)¡±


    The guard opened his mouth but was tongue-tied, took a glance at the dim lantern light from the distant study, and moved his gaze with difficulty to Chu Mingyun before him. He opened the residence door in a flustered manner, and could not help glancing at that jade pendant again, then bent his body forward, extremely deferential: ¡°You (respectful)¡­..please take care13.¡±


    Chu Mingyun cast a sidelong glance at the jade pendant in his hand, and frowned in incomprehension.


    T/N: Oh¡­it¡¯s me again¡­so updates will be more regular from now as promised. Maybe not daily but at least once every 3 days? This chapter took a whole week because it¡¯s written so well that it defies translation¡­also I¡¯m trying to improve readability of the translation so I will be replacing/ inserting some words not in the original text [like this] so that the grammatical flow is not impeded (as opposed to a direct translation, because sentences in chinese omit words not considered vital for understanding the sentence).


    1.ÎåºþËĺ£ ¨C idiomatic expression basically meaning ¡®all over the world¡¯.


    2.Èí¹ÇÍ· ¨C it¡¯s the equivalent of calling someone spineless / lily-livered.


    3. The previous ¡®conquer¡¯ was translated from ¡®´òÏÂÀ´¡¯ to which the person replies, ¡®´òʲô´ò¡® so I wanted to make it obvious it was a direct response to those words.


    4.Ѫº¹Ç® ¨C literally, ¡®blood-sweat money¡¯


    5. һͷÎíË® ¨C literally, a head filled with mist and water. Common expression meaning one is completely confused.


    6.ÌíÁËÆøÓô ¨C I¡¯m guessing at what this phrase means, because otherwise this says that his meridians were blocked which I don¡¯t think is what the author is referring to.


    7.ÓÎÏÀ ¨C martial artists wandering the jianghu who take on the odd security guard detail or mercenary work. It somewhat means ¡®wandering hero¡¯, but is the equivalent of ¡®knight errant¡¯.


    8.Ò»µÀº®Ã¢ ¨C this refers to light / glare that makes something look cold/ feel cold. It¡¯s a somewhat unique expression to chinese culture I guess.


    9.¹·¹Ù ¨C literally, ¡®dog official¡¯. Many chinese insults compare the object of your scorn to a dog or a pig, but more commonly the former.


    10. Á÷¹âÒç²Ê ¨C idiom that means something sparkles with brilliant iridescence, and that the refracted light resembles liquid in its movement.


    11. ²¨À½²»¾ª. An idiom from Pan Zhongyan¡¯s¡¶ÔÀÑôÂ¥¼Ç¡·.


    12. ÎÆÊÞ ¨C So the vassal kings all have this beast (may be mythical or a real animal) assigned to them that henceforth is representative of them. Like how the eagles represented the Prussian kings in German history I guess. It would be embroidered on all their official outfits and engraved on their seals and used as the motif for all the things relevant to their rule. This is pretty important because it also represents their rank at times. No one but the emperor was allowed to have a dragon pattern on their clothing, for example.


    13. ÄúÂý×ß ¨C literally, ¡°you walk slowly¡±. It was used as an expression of concern for respected guests, like ¡®walk as slowly as you need to, I won¡¯t rush you away¡¯.

 CH 36

    The faint fragrance of sandalwood loomed in the room.


    T/N: It was at this point that I went ¡®aight Chu Mingyun you¡¯re dead to me¡¯


    I¡¯ll be watching for him to chase his wife to the crematorium and regret his actions deeply zhenxiang.jpg


    1.¼ûÓñÈç¼ûÈË ¨C basically ¼û__Èç¼ûÈË means that the object is so symbolic of the person that it is equivalent to the person¡¯s authority.


    2.Óв¡°É ¨C although Du Yue asks him ¡°are you sick?¡± this is a colloquialism for being mentally ill¡­title drop?


    3.Å­Æø³å³å


    4.ÈÃÎÒÔùÈË ¨C okay so there¡¯s a few ways this could be interpreted but I think what¡¯s being implied here is that the jade pendant is a keepsake meant for SSY to give to someone, ¡®a person¡¯ but not specifying who that person is, (so it¡¯s probably meant for SSY¡¯s someone if you know what I mean )

 CH 37

    Flowers bloomed on the crosspaths between fields1, the poplar and willow foliage thicken like smoke2. Spring was approaching, and with it the time for the seasonal hunt neared.


    The Grand Secretary Su Shiyu had always handled matters stably and reliably, taking the past few days to handle the various matters suitably, after which he compiled a memorial and entered the palace to present it for the emperor¡¯s perusal.


    Li Yanzhen took a rough glance over it and nodded, ¡°This is fine, We can always be assured with how Beloved Subject Su conducts matters.¡± He put the memorial to one side, ¡°Beloved Subject seems to still have something to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Su Shiyu knelt down, ¡°May His Majesty temporarily grant military authority3 over the Southern border¡¯s troops to this subject.¡±


    Li Yanzhen said bewilderedly, ¡°Authority over the Southern border troops?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. This subject was informed by someone a few days ago, and after a few days of investigation I discovered that although the Huainan King¡¯s case has been resolved, but there are many points of suspicion that remain. Even if there isn¡¯t a conspiracy within it, I¡¯m afraid when the time comes he definitely won¡¯t come quietly either4. The King of Huainan has countless skilled troops in his employ, and the soldiers in the imperial retinue cannot be compared to them5 after all. If [I] have the aid of the Southern border¡¯s armed troops6, there will be the means to deal with even unforeseen changes should they suddenly occur.¡± Su Shiyu elaborated, ¡°Once this subject returns to court he will surely have the military authority timely returned, there will definitely not be any attempts to delay.¡±


    Li Yanzhen laughed, ¡°Why explain yourself, We will not suspect you of having ulterior motives. However,¡± He paused, and let out a sigh, ¡°Beloved Subject should also know, the Military Seal is not in Our hands. Even if We were to give you our word now, whether or not Beloved Subject Chu will give it to you, remains to be seen.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty need not worry about that, this subject will personally make a trip over to Grand Marshall Chu¡¯s side. Surely he won¡¯t defy an Imperial edict; if this can be an opportunity to take back the Military Seal (into the Emperor¡¯s possession), then that would be the best outcome.¡±


    Li Yanzhen nodded in agreement, but soon after looked like troubles had arisen to the forefront of his mind, ¡°Speaking of Beloved Subject Su, you¡¯ll be away from court for many days, if he were to take this chance to act out, what ever should [we] do?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what this subject intends.¡± The colour of Su Shiyu¡¯s pupils slightly sharpened.


    ¡°¡­¡­What does Beloved Subject intend?¡±


    (T/N: It¡¯s sad that this doesn¡¯t translate very well, but what LYZ says here is basically ¡°no, what do you mean, that¡¯s what you intend¡± lol)


    Su Shiyu lowered his eyes, and said in an unhurried manner, ¡°Exactly as what Your Majesty has said, during this subject¡¯s absence, Grand Marshall Chu will naturally have fewer concerns, and we can also take this as a chance to clearly see what exactly he¡¯s plotting. If something major occurs, [I] can rush back within a day if riding a horse whip and spur7.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Testing [him]?¡± Li Yanzhen pondered it deeply for a moment, and then nodded in agreement, ¡°Let it be as Beloved Subject says.¡±


    Within the study, Chu Mingyun reclined against the chair lazily. When Su Shiyu had explained his purpose for coming, he then nodded, and said absently, ¡°This8 matter is matter is of grave importance, naturally I need to comply. I¡¯ll write a letter of instruction right away, Master Su just needs to go pass it to the head of the troops over on that side.¡±


    ¡°Master Chu, since antiquity, the rules have always required a protectorate general to act only after seeing the Military Seal.¡± Su Shiyu reminded him.


    ¡°Of course I know that,¡± Chu Mingyun laid out the letter paper, ¡°It¡¯s just that to prevent any breaches in security, the Military Seal isn¡¯t placed here in my residence. Yet Master Su¡¯s itinerary is already set, I¡¯m afraid going to retrieve it would delay [you] a good few days. A letter will work just as well, no need to worry.¡± He said it so casually, and suddenly lifted his eyes to look at Su Shiyu, lips lifting in a quick sliver of a smile, ¡°Besides, that military seal is all hard and cold, how can it compare to a letter written personally by me. Who knows, seeing it daily might even let Master Su think of me more.¡±


    The intent to refuse was already made apparent; Su Shiyu was long prepared for this and didn¡¯t insist, but after hearing that last phrase, he smiled a bit helplessly, ¡°Even without the letter, I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult not to think of Master Chu.¡±


    ¡°Woh¡ª?¡± Chu Mingyun was in the midst of handing over the letter; upon hearing those words he used the momentum to grasp Su Shiyu¡¯s hand, his smile growing deeper, and lowering his tone he said: ¡°In that case, then Master Su may as well not return to his residence tonight, how about you stay over and keep me company?¡±


    Su Shiyu pulled back his hand and withdrew a step, smiling faintly and avoiding his gaze as he said: ¡°Master Chu is so busy with his duties, how could I possibly impose.¡±


    Chu Mingyun retracted his hand as if bored, and said suddenly, ¡°Right, on this trip to Huainan I¡¯m afraid Master Su won¡¯t be able to return for at least half a month, since you are intent on going in person, I¡¯m certain the varied matters at court have all been arranged suitably?¡±


    ¡°The numerous matters at court are muddled and hard to fathom, what is there to speak of arrangements beforehand.¡± Su Shiyu glanced at him, ¡°But since there is Master Chu here, what is there for me to worry about?¡±


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s pupils narrowed a slightly, understanding it clearly in his mind, and soon laughed, ¡°Master Su has already said this much, seems like I can¡¯t but perform a little better ah.¡°


    Su Shiyu didn¡¯t respond, he studied the letter in his hand, and suddenly spoke up to ask: ¡°The discipline amongst armies subordinate to Master Chu has always been held to the strictest standards, then if there is a letter and the Military seal present at the same time, I wonder which one the commander will obey?¡±


    Chu Mingyun propped his cheek in his hand, staring at him before slowly smiling as he said: ¡°Both the letter and Military Seal would come from my hand, so the orders wouldn¡¯t contradict anyway, why distinguish on this?¡±


    Su Shiyu lifted his pupils to meet his eyes, smiling faintly, ¡°Nothing much, just asking idly after a random thought is all.¡±


    Outside it had begun at some unknown point to drizzle with rain, twilight filling out in all directions9. The breeze brought along with it a slight chill, yet the warmth of Chu Mingyun¡¯s palm faintly lingered on his fingers. Su Shiyu inhaled a deep breath of air to suppress the palpitations that had arisen in his heart.


    He turned around and glanced at the Grand Marshall Residence door inscription shrouded in the rainy mist, and again took out the sealed letter in his sleeve, sighing lowly, ¡°It seems¡­..the Southern border troops have already changed its surname to Chu.¡±


    In the beginning of March, the Grand Secretary set out on behalf of the Heaven¡¯s Mandate (the Emperor), and patrolled the vassal territories on inspection in fulfilment of the emperor¡¯s order.


    It was a fine and clear sunny day, the spring clouds gathering round. Li Yanzhen brought the entire court of ministers both civil and martial to escort the envoy procession out of Chang¡¯an city. With flags and banners raised in the air in an imposing display of insignia10, the sounds of drums rose to the skies, and gradually descended.


    Offering wine was poured out on the ground in libation11, stirring up a slow drift of fine sand. The fragrance of wine was strong and sweet-smelling; accompanied by the singing of arias.


    Su Shiyu bent forward and knelt right in the center, listening to Li Yanzhen finish reading the verses of the ceremonial rite, and receiving the Seal with both hands. Only then did he stand up again and bow respectfully.


    Once the ceremony was over, Li Yanzhen studied the person in front of him for a moment, and spoke up to urge him again: ¡°On this journey, [We] hope that Beloved Subject will take extra care.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks to Your Majesty for the concern.¡± Su Shiyu replied.


    Seeing him stand up, the carriage procession behind him began making preparations to set off. Su Shiyu bade Li Yanzhen farewell, turning around to walk towards the carriage. As he brushed shoulders with Chu Mingyun while passing by him, he could not help taking another glance, and was caught off-guard by the other¡¯s gaze meeting his directly, those eyes as deep as the ocean.


    ¡°Master Su,¡± Chu Mingyun suddenly reached out his hand and pulled him to a stop, and said in a tone which emotions could not be determined from, ¡°Don¡¯t die on me out there ah.¡±


    His voice was bland, nearly without any undulation in pitch. Only a few officials behind him could vaguely hear it, and instantly their expressions became interesting12 and varied.


    Su Shiyu was also stunned for a bit, and could not guess at his intentions, thinking of how he was uncharacteristically sombre and silent today while staring into the distance as they went outside the city, and laughed casually, ¡°Master Chu can rest assured, [I] definitely won¡¯t.¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s arm was slender like the rest of him. He subconsciously gripped it a little tighter, steadily gazing into those eyes filled with humor; and could not help but slowly hook up the corners of his lips, leaning up close to whisper lowly right in Su Shiyu¡¯s ear, ¡°Then Master Su should remember to return sooner, lest my longing becomes lovesickness13.¡±


    Su Shiyu¡¯s posture abruptly slipped, and turned his head around to look. The two pairs of eyes met they were only a few inches apart, and the usually reserved and discreet Grand Secretary suddenly could not spare the presence of mind that this was in under the scrutiny of the public eye; he could only hear his heart beat like a thundering drum, and in an extremely rare display he didn¡¯t move away at all, only lowering his eyes and laughing lightly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He responded in warmly, his voice like the chiming of jade and the blooming of flowers14.


    T/N: TITLE DROP BLURB DROP BLURB DROP! Susu has fallen hard this is not a drill!


    Hi, I¡¯m really sorry for leaving you all hanging. I¡¯ve been doing more stuff for the a Danmei reading server on discord lately! Come say hi and discuss novels with us. You¡¯ll get updates on translations for novels and audio dramas I guess.


    Part of the reason I¡¯ve been away is that I wanted to confirm what the status of JYJF is with ÈçËÆÎÒÎÅ (the author), and she said that she¡¯s fine with me continuing to have an English translation available free. She doesn¡¯t have plans for the time being to have an official translation yet. So this novel is not being dropped. My friend helped me to message her since my Weibo got locked:


    However, I may lock the site if I ever find people distributing offline copies / posting on aggregator sites. In that case, I¡¯ll probably share the password for 1-2 weeks before locking the site.


    1.Ä°ÉÏ»¨¿ª ¨C ¡®Mo¡¯ are the little paths on the ground in between fields. [Return]


    2.ÑîÁø¶ÑÑÌ ¨C Both these plants have thin branches and leaves, so they thicken gradually. [Return]


    3.±øȨ ¨C basically having control over troops, the right to command their commander. This authority is usually granted with a specially made seal (sometimes called ¡®»¢·û¡¯, tiger seal¡¯) that is owned by the court and the Emperor unless it is handed to a prominent general or martial official during wartime. Since they only referred to this seal as ¡®±ø·û¡¯, I¡¯ll just use the generic term ¡®Military Seal¡¯. [Return]


    4.ÊøÊÖ¾ÍÇÜ ¨C literally; caught just with the outreach of one¡¯s hand. In this context, the King of Huainan won¡¯t be so easily caught because he won¡¯t surrender without a fight. [Return]


    5.ÏàÌá²¢ÂÛ ¨C comparable; literally ¡®to be mentioned in the same discussion¡¯. [Return]


    6.±ø¼× ¨C this term translates more accurately to armaments since it refers to weaponry and armour and whatnot, but I think in the context that Susu is referring to that would be kind of strange. [Return]


    7.¿ìÂí¼Ó±Þ ¨C literally, ¡®on quickened horse with extra whipping (spurring). [Return]


    8.×È ¨C very formal term for ¡®this¡¯ [Return]


    9.±¡ÄºËÄºÏ ¨C literally ¡®thin dusk¡¯ in the ¡®four cardinal directions¡¯, i.e. all over. [Return]


    10.ÒÇÕÌÍþÑÏ ¨C You should have seen this in Chapter 28. [Return]


    11.¼À¾ÆƒA±­ÓÚµØ [Return]


    12.¾«²Ê ¨C as in they probably looked shocked/scandalised/stupefied. [Return]


    13. ˼Ïë³É¼² ¨C Yes, this is the same ¡®lovesickness¡¯ as in the blurb! [Return]


    14. ÂäÓñ·±»¨ ¨C the first two characters may be a reference from¡¶ÅýÅÃÐС·, a Tang Dynasty series of poems, and the second two refer to feelings overtaking the heart, either of joy or, well, passion. [Return]

 CH 38

    The grass grew longer and the warblers flew1, spring had come to full-term in the blink of an eye.


    Chu Mingyun propped up his forehead with a single hand, and casually put aside the letter on the table. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he didn¡¯t even look up as he asked: ¡°Is there any news from Su Shiyu¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Shige.¡± The footsteps suddenly halted, and there was a strange note in Qin Zhao¡¯s voice.


    Chu Mingyun lifted his eyelids and looked over, ¡°En?¡°


    Qin Zhao looked at him with a complicated expression, and after a moment of hesitation he said: ¡°¡­..You¡¯ve already asked that seven times in the last two days.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± Chu Mingyun lifted his brows lightly, and continued to speak without any change in expression: ¡°How come there isn¡¯t any news even after I¡¯ve asked seven times?¡±


    ¡°Su Shiyu is already on the way back, there wasn¡¯t any incident, so of course there isn¡¯t any news.¡±


    Chu Mingyun nodded expressionlessly, Qin Zhao went up to the desk to put down the report, ¡°Zhou Yi wrote this after he went to take up his duties, said circumstances at the Western border are already within control2 now.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Qin Zhao¡¯s movements suddenly paused, and inhaled a deep breath, then looked at the fortune beast incense-burner lightly wafting smoke, curling upwards in thin threads. He said with some surprise, ¡°Shige, you changed fragrance?¡±


    ¡°En, calming incense3,¡± Chu Mingyun cast him a glance, ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°Wo¨C?¡± Those white fingertips tapped incessantly on the head of the beast outlined in gold, each tap making a light clink. Chu Mingyun said, ¡°How come I feel like this is lacking something, it¡¯s a little bland and odorless.¡±


    ¡°Calming incense has always had this sort of smell.¡± Qin Zhao said.


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t like this whenever I smelled it back then.¡± Chu Mingyun sub-consciously responded as he stared at the incense burner.


    ¡°Where did you smell it before this?¡±


    A name passed between his teeth, and he almost said it before he stopped himself. Chu Mingyun froze, and immediately regained his wits, retrieving his hand, and ended the topic with a non-committal reply.


    After he finished reporting matters in a simple manner, Qin Zhao left.


    The patter of spring rain on the roof¡¯s exterior, a blue veil over the Wutong tree4. The fragrant mist and warm smoke entangled within the room, silently binding the unbidden thoughts.


    Chu Mingyun lazily leaned against the backrest of the chair, and after a moment picked up the letter at the side, absent-mindedly reading over it word-by-word again.


    ¡®This is the last report,¡¯ The shadow guard who followed wrote, ¡®Su Shiyu has already disembarked from Huainan, everything went smoothly without a hitch.


    Everything went smoothly without a hitch.


    Everything in this past month, including the case of the Huainan King, all went so smoothly, unexpectedly smooth.


    When Su Shiyu first arrived, the Huainan King refused in utmost to greet him at the border. The city gate was tightly closed, it was clear how rigid an attitude they had. And there were even troops heavily deployed in the city, creating an opposing formation to the Southern border army Su Shiyu had gathered. The tension was as pulled as taut as a thread by both sides, and mounted with each passing day, seeming like it would explode with the slightest provocation.


    But everything overturned within one night.


    Over ten thousand elite soldiers took off their armour [T/N: not sure if this is more figurative as in they put down their arms] in unison, the vermillion city gate opened wide; and under the clammy moonlight a man walked out on bare feet, seal raised above his head and coming forward to surrender.


    That man proclaimed himself to be the Huainan King¡¯s strategist, and that he was only aiding and abetting such evil-doing5 and rebelling because he was coerced by said king; that he could hardly withstand how it was hurting his conscience. Seeing how the Huainan King was not only commiting heresy and treason but also bringing disaster to the civilians by sealing the city, he resolutely plotted with someone to assassinate the Huainan King, then came to open the city gates and welcome the Grand Secretary without a moment¡¯s delay.


    He knelt beneath the towering city walls, and recited his crimes in full: using the opium to implicate Tan Jing, setting up the Eternal Joy Casino in Chang¡¯an, sending Su Xing to assassinate government officials, blackmailing Ji Heng to ambush Mulahe, aiding the Huainan King to stir up troubles.


    He said that since most of these malicious plots were his handiwork, he knew he could not avoid a death sentence, and it was only right that he compensate with his life for all the people killed, only pleading that Su Shiyu could have mercy, and let off those loyal and brave soldiers that were kept in the dark and the entire city¡¯s innocent civilians.


    This one speech resounded with power, and at the end of these words he kowtowed for a long moment.


    There were soldiers with reddened eyes behind him, making the patrolling escort mutter a few lamentations.


    Yet Su Shiyu looked calmly at the decapitated head of the Huainan King, the frozen expression on that face that was streaked all over with blood had eyes bulging with violent rage and grievance, in the shadowed light of the gloom it was ferocious and ghastly.


    After a long while, Su Shiyu spoke up blandly: ¡°When did I ever say I wanted the Huainan King¡¯s head?¡±


    The strategist lifted his head, and as soon as he opened his mouth he listed in order the ten crimes of the Huainan King, each unpardonable, and marking him neither loyal nor benevolent, with no conscience to speak of, by any human¡¯s standard he was deserving of death.


    Su Shiyu looked at him silently for a moment, then smiled faintly, and no longer elaborated.


    Huainan was left temporarily to the management of the protectorate general of the Southern border¡¯s army, and after Su Shiyu sorted and collected the evidence he was in no hurry to leave, rather ordering people to investigate the entire territory. He discovered more than a hundred mu6 of opium poppy fields, and after that personally supervised their burning7, till they were destroyed in absolute.


    That strategist suddenly hurried over and sought an audience on the last day, greeting Su Shiyu extremely solemnly, (T/N: this could mean that he was kneeling or bowing deeply) and repeated his plea to spare the innocent once more in a resounding voice. Then, turning around he swung himself, leaping into the blazing sea of flames that was the ignited poppy fields. The inferno grew for a moment, and the figure of a person turned to ash within moments.


    Within the city of Huainan, everyone tsked and sighed, saying that that strategist wasn¡¯t a evil person after all, he was one with sentiment and righteousness.


    Chu Mingyun snorted upon hearing this.


    Amidst the scene of chaos at that time, the shadow guard paid special attention to Su Shiyu¡¯s reaction. The Grand Secretary who was being fought over by the inspection retinue in a protective circle only froze slightly, then lowered his eyes and laughed lightly with unknown meaning.


    Others did not know what Su Shiyu meant, but Chu Mingyun particularly understood:


    Before contact could be made the Huainan King was dead, ending all opportunities to interrogate him in detail. There was no way to tell whether that strategist¡¯s words were true or false, because he admitted guilt and killed himself before even being escorted to the capital for the hearing.


    This was again another round of theatrics where the suspects died and no testimony was left.


    This case appeared to have gone smoothly, and even had some inspiring and moving embellishments since justice was served, but in truth other than a head and a handful of bone-ash they had no other gains. Su Shiyu didn¡¯t encounter a dangerous scenario, and it wasn¡¯t the trap to ensnare the suspect with his own actions like they expected. The contradictions between the irrefutable evidence and the suspicious motive grew deeper, yet there was no longer any avenue to set about [investigation].


    If they were not overthinking it, then unfortunately this case wasn¡¯t as simple as what was shown to the common people.


    The cause for suspicion was revived, but even thinking about it yielded no solution.


    Chu Mingyun stared at the snow-white letter and spaced out, his gaze subconsciously landing on that person¡¯s name, the traces of ink carving out thin strokes, each sweep, curve and downward slant8 revealing that gentleness.


    One could just envision the humid gentle Southern winds passing between his fingers, the faint hint of a smile hidden between flaps of his flying sleeve; the flame-coloured poppy flowers in front of him incinerated into flitting butterflies fleeting in the wind, the mountain fires stretching unbroken for ten li (~5km), brilliant and inextinguishable.


    It was boundless elegance.


    ¡ª Then Master Su should remember to return sooner, lest my longing becomes lovesickness.


    It was obviously a coincidental turn of phrase, a he joke made unwittingly.


    The spring rain outside the window grew larger, making a sound with each time it knocked on the Wutong leaves, falling below the eaves.


    Chu Mingyun suddenly put out the incense burner with a cup of cold tea, threw the letter onto the table, and raised his hand to press between his brows.


    Longing becoming lovesickness, what kind of joke is that.


    ¡­¡­who would actually think of him.


    After a few days passed, Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t get to wait for the Grand Secretary, but rather the arrival of an unprecedented guest.


    An embassy visit from the Xiongnu, and the ambassador was even the


    Ninth Prince Yuwen Sun9.


    Since the start of the dynasty, Daxia was at constant war with the Xiongnu; who knew how many loyal souls were lost in the dusty wilderness of Mongolia10, the heaping bones along Wuding River¡¯s banks that all belonged to Daxia. Even the ladyfolk, young and elderly gnashed their teeth and pounded their chests11 when mentioning the Xiongnu.


    Even if because of Chu Mingyun in these recent years the Xiongnu had a reason to avoid acting out rashly, both sides of that border remained a strictly-defended stronghold, and no intercommunication and dealings had ever been allowed.


    Yet now the Xiongnu had suddenly sent a prince over here; the court was astounded, and hurriedly received them according to customary etiquette, at least not disgracing their demeanour.


    The ninth prince Yuwen Sun¡¯s spoken Han was unexpectedly accurate and fluent, andafter a simple rite was passed in the golden palace, he expressed their purpose frankly and straight-to-the-point12:


    They wanted Daxia to carve out five cities from Xibei to be given to the Xiongnu.


    The Xiongnu¡®s attitude was quite a clear display of arrogance. Simply put they were taking advantage of the opportunity while relations between Daxia and Loulan were troubled; half-threatening and half-negotiating as they attempted to haul some profits.


    And this Xiongnu prince was all the more a expert in rhetoric, speaking a whole round of sentiment, logic and reason in sequence; one could say that he was as eloquent as to make lotuses bloom from his brilliant tongue13.


    A strange silence fell within the palace, the officials of the court looking at each other blankly.


    After a moment, Li Yanzhen spoke up: ¡°Then according to what Ninth Prince says, after five cities are carved out and acceded to you, the Xiongnu will promise to never invade again?¡±


    ¡±Of course.¡± Yuwen Sun smiled, ¡°Actually we don¡¯t really hold much of a grudge against Daxia, the many times we advanced southward was but to find a way to survive. You all also know, we have been nomads living off the grassland and water for many generations, sandstorms cuts off both these means of subsistence; but we can¡¯t let so many people in the tribes just starve to death. So many people died fighting battles southward, but only snatched a bit to eat, it¡¯s truly not worth the cost, but there isn¡¯t any other way either. He paused, and said: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the emperor of Daxia is magnanimous, Father is also unwilling to continue the war, and so quickly sent me to negotiate peace with you.¡±


    Li Yanzhen didn¡¯t manage to reply before Chu Mingyun said coldly: ¡°Since you¡¯re here to negotiate peace, then naturally [we] are on equal terms; what right does the Xiongnu have to make us accede territory?¡±


    ¡±Didn¡¯t I already say earlier, we had no choice but to go to war in order to live. Daxia¡¯s lands are expansive and fertile; divvying out a bit is no great loss to you, but to us it would mean not letting people starve. Both parties can also avoid going to war, there¡¯s no harm either way.¡± Yuwen Sun then added, ¡°Besides we also heard that previously that just because a woman from Loulan died, his Majesty the Emperor was willing to compensate them with three cities. Yet we would be able to avoid the deaths of over ten thousand people for want of only five cities, surely this can¡¯t be considered too much to ask?¡±


    These words were simultaneously hinting that Loulan had actually already made contact with the Xiongnu.


    Chu Mingyun¡¯s expression darkened, Li Yanzhen quickly raised a hand to stop him from speaking, and said to Yuwen Sun: ¡°What the Prince has said does have reason, but this matter is not a trivial one, We are unable to give you a reply immediately. You have made the arduous journey here, why not rest for a few days, and wait for the result of the discussions.¡±


    Li Yanzhen¡¯s expression was not very pleasant, but he didn¡¯t get angry14, simply looking at the people beside him, and hesitantly speaking up: ¡°Judging by this, perhaps [we] should still¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±Your Majesty,¡± Lu Shi stepped out of the rank and bowed in greeting, ¡°This subject thinks Grand Marshall Chu¡¯s words are reasonable, the Xiongnu cannot be trusted!¡±


    ¡±This¡­¡­¡± Li Yanzhen looked at him.


    ¡±This subject will definitely not agree to this,¡± Chu Mingyun¡¯s smile slightly dimmed, and said slowly, ¡°May His Majesty be prudent.¡±


    Li Yanzhen¡¯s desire to speak was then shut down.


    Wei Song bowed deeply in greeting, and said earnestly: ¡°Your Majesty, the larger interests should be prioritised!¡± As these words were spoken, they were immediately followed by several chorusing in agreement behind him.


    Li Yanzhen was placed into a difficult position, seeing Chu Mingyun standing with his back straight, and staring right over at him without a hint of giving in, his heart quaked once, and couldn¡¯t help but look towards the right anterior where the placement stood vacant.


    Chu Mingyun followed his gaze and looked over as well, his expression calming a little subconsciously, and for a moment nobody spoke.


    Li Yanzhen waved his hand, saying: ¡°Forget it, forget it, this isn¡¯t something that can be decided within a moment¡¯s notice. Beloved Subject Su is already on the road back to the capital, it¡¯s not too late to wait for him to come back before we discuss this further.¡±


    Among these few civil officials there were more from the Su faction, and naturally they had no disagreement with this, after responding in concurrence they looked towards Chu Mingyun in unison.


    It was only then that Chu Mingyun retracted his gaze, saying casually, ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡±


    Along the walkways of the palace, Wei Song slowed his steps, and then came to a complete stop. He held the railing and gazed distantly at the blue sky and green tiles, his troubled brows not easing.


    T/N: Joke¡¯s on you, Chu Mingyun. Sorry this is 3 days late. I¡¯m beginning to think that most of this novel is based in the Sixteen Kingdoms period (since you have Daxia) but borrowing elements from later dynasties. I discovered that my translations are still being uploaded to aggregator sites, so I might look into moving off WordPress and getting my own website. Please help support by donating on ko-fi so that I can raise a budget for the site :¡¯)


    1.²Ý³¤Ýº·É- Idiom describing the scenery of spring in Jiangnan at dusk. Comes from¡¶Óë³Â²®Ö®Êé¡·, a long essay-letter written by Qiu Chi advising the duke to return to Liang from Wei during the first years of the Liang dynasty. [Return]


    2. ÕÆÎÕÖ®ÖÐ- within grasp [Return]


    3.°²ÉñÏã; mentioned in that chapter they were sharing a bed. [Return]


    4. I suspect this is a reference to the line: ±ÌÉ´ÇïÔ£¬ÎàÍ©Ò¹Ó꣬¼¸»ØÎÞàfrom¡¶º³Í¥Ç±ðÀ´ÒôÐÅǧÀï¡·which is a poem about the poet¡¯s longing and missing their lover but not knowing when they will reunite. [Return]


    5.ÖúæûΪŰ ¨C literally, ¡®to aid King Zhou in his tyranny¡¯, a metaphor from the story about ÉÌæûÍõ in¡¶ºìÂ¥ÃΡ·(¡°Dream of the Red Chamber¡±). [Return]


    6.Ķ ¨C unit of measurement for area of farmland. 1 mu is equivalent to 0.165 hectares. [Return]


    7.¸¶ÖîÒ»¾æ ¨C idiom meaning to ¡®put a torch to something¡¯. [Return]


    8.ºáÕÛתƲ ¨C ¡®heng zhe zhuan pie¡¯ ¨C referring to four of the basic strokes in writing chinese characters. [Return]


    9.öÀ ¨C Falcon. [Return]


    10.»ÄÄ®ºú³¾ ¨C so strictly speaking it¡¯s not exactly Mongolia, because this phrase is referring to all the lands on the Northern and Western borders where foreign tribes lived, including Mongolia. [Return]


    11.ÇгÝÞÔÐÄ ¨C idiom meaning to hate someone/something so much you have a visceral reaction to it. [Return]


    12.¿ªÃżûɽ ¨C literally, ¡®to see the mountain upon opening the door¡¯. [Return]


    13.Éà²ÓÁ«»¨ ¨C idiom that literally translates as ¡®tongue brilliant lotus flower¡¯. [Return]


    14.¶¯Å­ ¨C more precisely speaking, this means that he may or not have gotten angry, but at least he didn¡¯t express it is a manner that everyone has to stop the discussion to placate him. [Return]

 CH 39

    In the cold and quiet of midnight, the dripping of the water clock seemed so distant; each sound coming from over the red-lacquered window lattice, stirring over the lantern¡¯s candle-flame, yet didn¡¯t disrupt the writing of the person seated at the desk.


    The warm-lit oil lamps tilted out a sliver of thin shadow, and those gorgeous features seemed a little cold and stern somehow when their owner was reticent. He silently examined the yellowed map spread all over the desk, the candlewick soundlessly dropping.


    Within this still there was a sudden ¡®kacha (kada)¡® click sound, as the secret door in the study was pulled open. Qin Zhao hastily walked out from within, handing over the letter that was in his sleeve, ¡°Shige, here¡¯s the brief report from the Southern border.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Chu Mingyun made a sound in reply, not even lifting his eyes, still sketching and annotating the map, ¡°Put it down for now.¡±


    Qin Zhao glanced at the sky outside, and asked: ¡°It is already past midnight, you¡¯re still not intending to rest?¡±


    ¡°You go rest first.¡± Chu Mingyun took an accounts book leaflet in hand, and as he wrote he said, ¡°The garrison defenses of the hunting lodge need to be handed over to the Imperial Army tomorrow, (I¡¯ll) need to be busy for a while.¡±


    ¡°Hunting lodge defenses?¡± Qin Zhao said, baffled, ¡°Isn¡¯t the garrison duty for the third month¡¯s hunt usually handled by the Commander of the Imperial Army?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Xiongnu emissaries still staying in the capital while they wait for the answer?¡± Chu Mingyun put down his brush, filled up the inkwell, ¡°In order not to lose propriety, we are also inviting them along on this Spring Hunt, Mount Qi is not like Chang¡¯an, it¡¯s hard to tell whether the Xiongnu might take the chance to do something, I¡¯m just worried that that Commander would still follow the usual arrangements of the past.¡±


    Qin Zhao nodded.


    Since times of antiquity emperors have needed to follow the norms of etiquette, and every year all of them would need to carry out hunts according to the seasons. It is recorded in the ¡®Interpretation of Astronomy¡¯ (Shitian) of the Erya; the Spring Hunt is for searching (Sou), the Summer Hunt is for the growth of seedlings (Miao), the Autumn Hunt is for harvesting (Xian), the Winter Hunt is for the imperial inspection (Shou). These four seasons were fixed as such; and they were important events to the country.


    The founding ancestors of Daxia placed especial importance on the winter hunts in order to avoid their descendants from falling to a tendency of being extravagant and decadent; and set down rules that cannot be defied. It¡¯s just too bad that a few of the later generations  of emperors didn¡¯t favour martial arts, and Li Yanzhen of current reign had even turned the Spring Hunt into some sort of Spring picnic outing for him and his officials to bring their family members along on, how harmonious and joyous.


    ¡°Over on the Xiongnu¡¯s side even child of a few years of age can draw a bow and hunt, yet look at the state of Daxia now, it really doesn¡¯t bear comment. I was originally a little worried that we¡¯d be mocked and looked down on by that prince, but you guess what our ol¡¯ His Majesty the Emperor said?¡± Chu Mingyun paused, pressed his voice to make it softer as he said, ¡°That¡¯s just as well, so we can let them experience for themselves the prosperity of Daxia that takes elegance in the arts.¡±


    He looked at that new well of ink, and then suddenly lifted his eyes toward Qin Zhao, ¡°Say, do you think Li Yanzhen heard the water swooshing around in his skull when he said this?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Qin Zhao had nothing to say in reply to that, and only after a good while could he say insipidly, ¡°Shige¡­¡­don¡¯t learn to speak like him.¡±


    Chu Mingyun didn¡¯t take it to heart and laughed, then said: ¡°Right,¡­..¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Chu Mingyun seemed to want to speak but stopped himself, actually seeming a little irresolute, he tightly furrowed his brow, then after a moment his gaze fell back to the map, before he spoke up: ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The way he was acting now was truly rare, so Qin Zhao stared at him for a long while, before suddenly speaking: ¡°There¡¯s also one piece of news from Su Shiyu¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Woh¨C?¡± This didn¡¯t make Chu Mingyun lift his head, ¡°What news?¡±


    ¡°Su Shiyu also brought a man back from Huainan.¡±


    The pen stopped in its tracks, instantly blooming a small ink stain on the plain paper, Chu Mingyun slowly lifted his eyes, expressionlessly looking at him, ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Qin Zhao said.


    Chu Mingyun looked steadily at Qin Zhao, Qin Zhao looked back at him expressionlessly, and this stretch of silence congealed the atmosphere into stiffness. In the end, Chu Mingyun let out a laugh, tonelessly saying: ¡°Do you believe me when I say, if you go on learning these terrible habits from Du Yue, I won¡¯t spare even you a thrashing?¡±


    Qin Zhao silently moved away his line of sight, saying: ¡°It¡¯s a little general that had been recently hired under the Huainan King¡¯s command, 18 or 19 years old, name¡¯s called Luo Xin. In accordance with Su Shiyu¡¯s instructions, he followed the inspection carriage troupe and returned to the capital along with them.¡±


    ¡°Luo Xin?¡± Having never of this person before, Chu Mingyun considered the name for a moment, before muttering: ¡°18 or 19 is just the right age for grooming a person, and as of now the court lacks talent that can lead the military, if Su Shiyu intends to recommend him to Li Yanzhen, I¡¯m afraid he is planning on whittling the amount of military authority in my hands.¡±


    Qin Zhao was instantly nervous: ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what do we do?¡¯¡± Chu Mingyun breezily gave him a sidelong look, a hint of cold smile at the edge of his lips, ¡°What are you worrying for, just grooming him is guaranteed to succeed? You think my level of accomplishment, is something any random Tom, Dick or Harry can also reach?¡±


    ¡°Wo.¡± Qin Zhao¡¯s heart was then at ease.


    Even though he said that, there was a bit of agitation gathered between Chu Mingyun ¡®s own brows. He lifted a hand to press between his brows, waving his hand to signal Qin Zhao to leave quickly, and didn¡¯t say any more.


    The candle-flame of a lamp on the desk seemed to drag and leap (dance) in its brilliance.


    Early the next morning, when the light of dawn was ash-white, the Commander of the Imperial Army saw the Grand Marshall waiting inside the palace hall as soon he entered the Palace. Amidst his great alarm, he quickly hastened to go up and offer his apologies.


    He received the map with both hands with fear and awe, after listening to some simple instructions by Chu Mingyun he couldn¡¯t help but carefully measure his expression, and asked in the manner of sounding out his intent: ¡°Today is a rest day, yet Master Chu is up so early, is it for something important?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else,¡± Chu Mingyun lowered his eyes to look at the accounts book in his hand, ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    The commander was awkward, ¡°¡­¡­Then I¡¯ll escort you out of the Palace.¡±


    He glanced at the Commander, passed the accounts book over, and turned to head out, so the commander respectfully followed behind.


    The palace was quiet in the light of dawn, a layer of the spring sun falling on the flying crests and green-glazed tiles of the roofs. Occasionally there would be a palace servant in the middle of sweeping that would bow in greeting to them, and then proceeding to step back and make way for them.


    Chu Mingyun suddenly spoke: ¡°Take a general look over it, quickly ask if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    The commander quickly opened up the account book upon hearing that, and after taking a look he couldn¡¯t help his slight surprise, ¡°Master Chu¡­¡­isn¡¯t there usually no garrison deployed to guard these southern foothills of Mount. Qi?¡±


    ¡°The Southern foothills of Mount. Qi are steeply-sloped, and underneath them flows the Wei river, its water level rises as soon as it hits Spring, the rapids of the river are so fast it¡¯s impossible for someone to cross. It¡¯s a natural obstacle, of course there¡¯s no need for guards there.¡± Chu Mingyun took the accounts book and glanced at it, walking leisurely in front, ¡°But this year there¡¯s been a shortage of rain, and the weather is also warming up slower than before, so the flow of the river has slowed down a lot. Once there¡¯s no obstruction from the Wei river, any person with some martial skill can pass through the Southern foothills to climb the mountain. And the Southern foothills are also close to the hunting lodge, should there be any¡­¡­¡±


    His voice grew softer, suddenly halting without completing the sentence. The commander had been listening attentively with his head lowered, and it was only when he gathered his wits did he realise Chu Mingyun had stopped walking.


    The commander turned his head to look in bewilderment, but only saw his excellency the Grand Marshall raising his eyes to gaze into the distance; his pair of eyes dark with unknown intent, yet a smile slowly but clearly emerged from the corners of his lips.


    ¡°Finally something goes according to my wishes.¡± He seemed to let out a low sigh, but it was blurred out in the morning wind and couldn¡¯t be heard clearly.


    The commander followed his gaze and turned his head to look, seeing a lone person passing below the rose trellis, their figure like that of an upright orchid and jade tree.


    ¡°Read it for yourself.¡± Just as he¡¯d spoken those words, the account book was stuffed into his hands; and the commander watched blankly as Chu Mingyun didn¡¯t even give him a second glance as he made a beeline straight over there.


    Each footfall stepping over slate tiles, stepping over the fallen flowers that littered the floor; yet to be swept away.


    ¡°Master Su¡ª¡±


    A faint fragrance drifted from the thick layer of scarlet petals were moistened with bright and limpid morning dew.


    Su Shiyu stood still amidst this spring scene, and seemed to jolt slightly as he turned around, and smiled once he lifted his eyes, ¡°Master Su, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Chu Mingyun stopped a few steps in front of him, stretching his tone as he teased with a smile, ¡°I wonder if Master Su thought of me while he was in Huainan?¡±


    ¡°What does Master Chu think?¡± Su Shiyu smiled faintly, looking at him.


    ¡°I think you did ah.¡± Chu Mingyun lifted both arms, tilting his head and smiling till his eyes curved into crescents, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then how about a hug?¡±


    As he said so he really made to embrace him, Su Shiyu froze slightly, seeing the bewildered commander of the Imperial Army from the corner of his eye he quickly ducked a step back and raised a hand to block him, and was a bit nonplussed, ¡°Master Chu, this is (we¡¯re) within the Palace.¡±


    Chu Mingyun put down his arms, unbothered, and glanced behind him. That commander jolted as if roused from sleep, and after making his greeting from a distance, he ducked his head and hurriedly left.


    Chu Mingyun then leisurely turned back his gaze, and asked: ¡°Just returned?¡±


    ¡°Yes, earlier (I) went to the Xuanshi Hall to present my report to His Majesty.¡± Su Shiyu walked out shoulder-to-shoulder with him.


    ¡°How is it over at Huainan?¡±


    ¡°As of yet it¡¯s still considered stable, but Master Chu has most likely also realised, that things might not be quite so simple. Right now we can only quietly watch how the situation develops, and I will also urge His Majesty to implement the Grace Edict as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°You really won¡¯t say you missed me once for me to hear?¡±


    Su Shiyu sub-consciously opened his mouth to reply, and then paused as he just realised what the other said, turning his head he was met with glint of humour flowing through Chu Mingyun¡¯s pupils. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned upward as he retrieved his gaze, yet didn¡¯t reply, ¡°Why has Master Chu come into the palace so early even on a rest day?¡± Chu Mingyun faintly raised the tip of his brow, ¡°Nothing much really¡­..¡±


    ¡°Wait up, Your Honour!¡± A loud yell sounded out suddenly from behind them, accompanied by the especially clear sounds of running.


    They turned around to look; a youth had caught up to them in the blink of an eye. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he took unsteady breaths, and said as soon as he opened his mouth: ¡°You (respectful) really walk fast, I haven¡¯t even had the chance to thank you properly!¡±


    Su Shiyu smiled blandly, ¡°You¡¯ve already said your thanks many times along the way here, and besides, recommending and promoting talent is only what I ought to do. It is also because you have sufficiently capable that you were able to attain His Majesty¡¯s recognition, there was no need to run over to thank me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± The youth persisted, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Your Honour, I¡¯m afraid I would never be able to come to Chang¡¯an in this lifetime, of course I ought to thank you properly! Then¡­¡­ how about I treat you to a meal?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Su Shiyu smiled, ¡°Sometime soon we will be colleagues, and there¡¯ll be plenty of opportunities to meet in person during banquets, there really isn¡¯t a need for you to be so courteous.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the person you brought back?¡± Chu Mingyun spoke up to interrupt, asking Su Shiyu


    The youth found this odd and let Chu Mingyun¡¯s scrutiny wash over him. ¡°That would be me, what about it?¡±


    Su Shiyu raised his hand a little, signalling him not to speak any further, as he turned to smile at Chu Mingyun, ¡°This is Luo Xin, soon he will be assuming duties in the Ministry of War. He is still of young age, and doesn¡¯t know the rules well, hoping Master Chu will be gracious with him from now on.


    ¡°Woh¡ª¡ª?¡± Chu Mingyun let out a laugh, ¡°Master Su has always deferred to the rites of etiquette, this person who doesn¡¯t know the rules, how did such a person catch your eye?¡±


    ¡°The rules can be taught later, but a temperament that is sincerely loyal and brave cannot be produced simply by teachings after all.¡± Su Shiyu smiled indifferently as he replied. Out of the corner of his eye he unwittingly glimpse Luo Xin staring fixedly at the two of them, and looked over: ¡° You still have something you want to say?¡±


    ¡°En!¡± Luo Xin hastily nodded, ¡°Your Honour I still want to ask, since there was no morning court today, does that mean we won¡¯t see other officials?¡±


    ¡°It is indeed the case.¡±


    ¡°Then where can I see General Chu?¡± Luo Xin chased with another question.


    Su Shiyu didn¡¯t get to reply in time before Chu Mingyun spoke up first, expressionlessly looking at him as he said: ¡°What are you looking for him for?¡±


    His attitude was inexplicably confrontational. Luo Xin couldn¡¯t help but feel discomfited, ¡°Not for anything, can¡¯t I just take a look at him?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to look at?¡± Chu Mingyun said.


    ¡°But that¡¯s the grand general who beat the Xiongnu into retreat!¡± Luo Xin raised his voice, ¡°A few counties and prefectures that had been occupied by the Xiongnu for a whole five years, were all recovered within one year of his appearance, if he isn¡¯t much too look at don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re worth looking at?¡±


    Chu Mingyun suddenly let out a sneering laugh, his gaze falling to the floor covered in fallen flowers, ¡°Remaining unmoved even as they allowed the Xiongnu to bully and humiliate them for five years, each and every one of the commanders and soldiers were incompetent yet full of themselves. Recovering lost territory was even encumbered by them and wasted a whole year of time, I really don¡¯t understand where it is that is worthy for you all to take pride in, and even repeatedly bring this up.¡±


    Luo Xin immediately felt aggravated, ¡°You talk like it¡¯s so easy, since you¡¯re so competent why didn¡¯t you go fight¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Luo Xin.¡± Su Shiyu interrupted him, ¡°This person is Grand Marshall Chu.¡±


    The words were instantly caught in his throat, and his face immediately reddened, Luo Xin stared at Chu Mingyun as if unable to react, ¡°W-,what?! You¡­¡­How could he¡­¡­Really?¡±


    Chu Mingyun shot him a glance.


    Su Shiyu met his disbelieving gaze, and snuffed out his hopes as he nodded.


    Luo Xin then abruptly turned his face away, not looking at Chu Mingyun, looking at Su Shiyu mouth agape and  tongue-tied for a good while before he finally spat out a sentence with some difficulty, ¡°General Chu?! He¡­¡­How could he look like this¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Su Shiyu said, not understanding.


    Luo Xin¡¯s brow furrowed into a knot, mumbling to himself with some disappointment, ¡°How could the dignified grand general look like¡­¡­like, like a little maiden¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Chu Mingyun instead laughed very lightly upon hearing those words, turning his head to look at him, ¡°Then in your opinion what should I look like; nine-feet high, tall and sturdy, full of masculine power?¡±


    ¡°En!¡± Luo Xin responded, nodding at once.


    ¡°An eloquent speaker, and also with the strength to lift a cauldron?¡±


    ¡°En en!¡± Luo Xin nodded.


    Chu Mingyun looked at this straight-browed and blank-eyed (meaning that he doesn¡¯t have much scheming and is even a bit silly) round-faced youth, and then shifted his gaze away with a complicated expression, too lazy to bother speaking further.


    Su Shiyu, who had fallen silent, took in this expression of his, and couldn¡¯t help but lower his eyes as he smiled faintly.


    Naturally he was different from ordinary people, what need was there for him to look strong enough to lift a cauldron, and have an oppressive martial bearing.


    Not even a thousand jars of wine, or ten thousand books could wash away that air of haughty dominance.


    He was just right like this.


    In a full suit of red clothes, like a flame on horseback; a figure entered Chang¡¯an directly, passing through the bustling market streets and turned into the alley, abruptly halting outside the gate of the High Minister of the Ministry of Justice Lu Shi¡¯s mansion.


    A girl in the prime of her youth alighted from the horse, throwing the reins to a servant that came to usher her in, and as she walked into the residence, she opened her mouth to call out, ¡°Daad, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Lu Shi came out of his courtyard briskly, and as soon as he spotted her he assessed her for head to toe, and only after seeing her healthy and hale he finally settled down enough to ask, ¡°Qinghe, I allowed you to travel around to your heart¡¯s content out there, and you really didn¡¯t intend to return anymore?¡±


    ¡°Who says? Aren¡¯t I back now?¡± Lu Qinghe said.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t sent a letter over ordering you to come back, would you have come back of your own accord?¡± Lu Shi said.


    Lu Qinghe quickly avoided this topic, affectionately hugging Lu Shi¡¯s arm, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve even just come back from the snow-covered mountains, have you seen a snow-covered mountain before? That place really is ¨C¨C¡°


    ¡°Let¡¯s not speak of this,¡± Lu Shi interrupted her, ¡°You know what purpose I had in calling you back.¡±


    Lu Qinghe didn¡¯t bat an eyelid as she shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know then I¡¯ll tell you once again,¡± Lu Shi said cut straight to the chase, ¡°Getting you to return, is for the sake of finding you a good husband and marrying, so that you can settle down as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Dad¨C¨C¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t you try this ruse with me,¡± Lu Shi remained unmoved as he pulled his arm free, his face turning stern as he said severely, ¡°You want to be a wandering chevalier, you want to travel the various scenic spots all over, sure, I¡¯ll let you do as you wish in this regard, but the matter of marriage can¡¯t be taken lightly. You¡¯re not young anymore, so stop thinking of trying to push a bargain with me!¡±


    Lu Qinghe pursed her lips silently.


    Seeing this, Lu Shi¡¯s tone stiffened several measures more, ¡°During the Spring Hunt in a few days¡¯ time, the nobility and imperial relatives as well as the major officials will all be attending. You just follow me there, and take a close look at those young talents, pick out one you like, and after we return Dad will go set up an engagement for you.¡±


    Lu Qinghe covered her face as she said faintly, ¡°This daughter understands.¡±


    T/N: Luo Xin, never meet your heroes. Aiy, I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s late again. This just happened to be a hard chapter to translate.


    1.ÕÛ×Ó ¨C I can¡¯t really think of a good word to replace this, but it¡¯s basically an accordion-style folded booklet, often with a hard cover on either side. This word is used during some time periods to refer to memorials, but when they¡¯re not addressed to the Emperor they¡¯re not called as such, so. [Return]


    2.²¼·À ¨C basically, the layout of stationed guards on duty to defend an area. [Return]


    3. ¡¶¶ûÑÅ¡¤ÊÍÌì¡·I had a bit of a time translating this because this is from the eighth chapter of a Zhou dynasty text and I¡¯m not that cultured. All four of the words ¡®xian¡¯, ¡®shou¡¯ etc. are different words for ¡®hunt¡¯, but in different contexts. Miao, in Spring, is when the hunters take stock of the numbers of wildstock in the forest, and they may hunt what animal is not having their breeding season in Spring. In Summer and Autumn, the focus is on raising crops, so any wild animals that enter the vicinity of farms can be killed in case they trample the seedlings or disturb the harvest. Shou, the winter hunt is during the imperial touring inspection (that SSY just went on, on behalf of the emperor). [Return]


    4. Basically, Li Yanzhen is saying that Daxia is so wealthy it can afford to be cultured and not focus on martial prowess or hunting. [Return]


    5. Saying a person has water in their skull is another way of calling them stupid. [Return]


    6. ÂÒÆß°ËÔã ¨C in great disorder; used to describe ¡°teachings¡± that have no logic to them. [Return]


    7. ˳ÐÄ ¨C literally, ¡®follows my heart¡¯. Describes something that makes a person happy or satisfied. [Return]


    8. Used to describe outstanding gentlemen with bright prospects. [Return]


    9. ²Ðºì- Literary term for fallen flowers, literally ¡®Remnant red¡¯ [Return]


    10. Ìú³ÝÍ­ÑÀ ¨C literally ¡®iron molars and copper teeth¡¯. [Return]

 CH 40

    Su Shiyu had trailed behind by a bit, and only after seeing the procession wrapping up as it should did he turn around to leave. He hadn¡¯t walked more than a few paces before someone came up to him from a nearby turn, greeting him as soon as he spoke up: ¡°Your Honour!¡±.


    The round-faced youth was dressed in a minor official¡¯s robes and carried a dao (cutlass) at his waist, so it surpressed the usual air of immaturity between his brows a bit, too bad that was all ruined by his jubilant expression in the moment.


    Su Shiyu hadn¡¯t noticed Luo Xin was among the guards, but was only slightly surprised. He then gently nodded, and said a few words in polite concern: ¡°Have you been doing well in the Ministry of War these days?¡±


    ¡±Not too well.¡±


    ¡±Not well in which sense?¡±


    ¡±Didn¡¯t Your Honour just conclude the King of Huainan¡¯s case a few days ago; the verdict notice has been pasted all over Chang¡¯an, now everyone knows that the King of Huainan is a bad guy. I¡¯m not really aggrieved towards Your Honour; but Your Honour, you know that I¡¯m stupid and don¡¯t understand all these complicated twists and turns, I only enlisted because I heard stories of General Chu¡¯s great battle against the Xiongnu growing up, and envied him in my heart, so I also wanted to repay the country by fighting its wars. The King of Huainan didn¡¯t really place me in any important positions, and I didn¡¯t really have much of an opinion about him before I knew he wanted to rebel. So when I followed Your Honour to Chang¡¯an, I didn¡¯t feel like it was a big deal.¡± Luo Xin was a little downtrodden, ¡°But in these few days, there¡¯s always someone asking me about things regarding the King of Huainan, and when I say I don¡¯t know, they just think I¡¯m not willing to talk about it. A few times I¡¯ve even heard them discussing in private, saying stuff like I¡¯m a remnant of the King of Huainan¡¯s faction, and that Your Honour bringing me to Chang¡¯an is akin to inviting the wolf into the house, that maybe even Your Honour, yourself might be harbouring disloyalty in your heart¡­¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off and he didn¡¯t continue that sentence, hanging his head.


    Su Shiyu wasn¡¯t bothered by that last sentence he said, simply smiling coolly, ¡°Since you have always understood what you want to do, why are you now being tripped over by others¡¯ criticisms.¡±


    ¡°But even a patrolling soldier doesn¡¯t trust me much¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±Is what you want to achieve wrong?¡± Su Shiyu suddenly asked.


    ¡±Definitely not!¡± Luo Xin said, as resolutely as slicing iron and chopping nails. ¡°How could killing the country¡¯s enemies be wrong!¡±


    ¡±Then when others are suspicious of you, will it make you waver?¡± Su Shiyu looked at him with a serene gaze.


    Luo Xin thought about it seriously, then shook his head, ¡°No, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have followed you (respectful) to Chang¡¯an either.¡±


    Su Shiyu retracted his gaze, and smiled, ¡°Since that is the case, why do you allow those criticisms to trouble you.¡±


    Luo Xin froze, and after a moment he was able to react, nodding solemnly at Su Shiyu, his gaze as determined as steel. And then after that he quickly couldn¡¯t hold himself back from saying: ¡°Your Honour¡­¡­I still want to ask one question.


    ¡±You may speak frankly.¡±


    ¡±Is your relationship with General Chu very bad?¡± He carefully asked.


    Su Shiyu was slightly surprised, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    Luo Xin deliberated for a bit, then evasively: ¡°During their discussion, they all believed you (respectful) bringing me to Chang¡¯an was to use me to divide up General Chu¡¯s authority, and even allow me to replace General Chu someday, but¡­..why? General Chu is clearly so awesome, and clearly did so much for Daxia, why would he still be treated like this?¡±


    Su Shiyu fell silent, slightly inclining his head to the front; where Chu Mingyun stood alone under the draping willows, lifting a hand to pull at a jade-coloured branch, studying something vacantly. The glow of the setting sun brushed over his long, sweeping eyelashes, creating a swash of gentle light.


    ¡ª¡ªWhy would he still be treated like this?


    Because you have never seen the Chu Mingyun who slaughters unhesitatingly, ghastly and ruthless.


    Because you have never seen the Chu Mingyun who smiles thinly as he calculatingly schemes.


    You have never seen his semblance when he casually left the Emperor of Daxia no choice but to hand over the military authority.


    You have never witnessed how he managed to stand at the peak of authority and influence within the short span of a few years.


    Only bones and blood can stack up to that sort of height.


    This trip to Huainan, Su Shiyu had the intent to test and confirm; but Chu Mingyun hadn¡¯t acted at all, as if he¡¯d already noticed, and deeply buried his wild ambitions.


    That night within the parting pavilion Chu Mingyun said, ¡®Expand the territory thousands of miles, and summon respect from all directions¡¯, Su Shiyu could tell he wasn¡¯t lying, but how could it be as simple as that.


    But he held his troops and made no movements, so he had no avenue to conjecture from.


    There was no other way.


    ¡ª¡ªWhy would he still be treated like this?


    (T/N: This can also translate to: Why must I still treat him like this?)


    And because even now, I still can¡¯t guess all of his thoughts completely.


    At the end of the tether, with no other strategy left to try, not knowing what to do, not knowing how I should treat him in order for all to be well, be it in the capacity of official duty,¡­¡­or in the capacity of my personal wishes.


    Luo Xin saw that Su Shiyu was lost in deep thought, and was self-aware that he¡¯d said something inappropriate, quickly apologising profusely. Su Shiyu returned to himself, giving him a glance, then smiling blandly, allowing him to change the topic to some idle chat.


    Chu Mingyun retracted his gaze, effortlessly tearing down the long and narrow willow leaf and crushing it into pulp between his fingertips, simply thinking that the conversation between those two seemed to have no end. (T/N: Lmao)


    The sap from the leaf seemed like a slight streak of faint-green polish on those pure-white fingertips, and while his mind wandered he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps from two people not far behind him. He slowly and leisurely turned around and was about to speak up, yet he realised it was the Xiongnu¡¯s ninth prince Yuwen Sun and his attendant passing by.


    Their gazes interlocked for the span of a blink.


    The attendant lowered his eyes in frightened alarm, Chu Mingyun turned back around indifferently.


    Following that, Yuwen Sun¡¯s voice sounded out, speaking in Xiongnu language, and he asked the attendant: ¡°Yu Lu, why the hell are you so scared of him for?¡±


    ¡±Ninth Prince, you (respectful) have never been on the battlefield, so you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s like how a person who has never seen a malevolent spirit, would certainly not know how frightful a malevolent spirit can be.¡±


    ¡±A malevolent spirit? Him?¡± Yuwen Sun was clearly displeased, ¡°Yu Lu, you are after all one of the Xiongnu¡¯s strong and fine men, whereas that fellow is all pale-white and soft-looking like a woman, don¡¯t you feel like it¡¯s disgraceful (a loss of face) to say that?¡±


    Chu Mingyun had been able to understand the spoken Xiongnu language long since the time he was still on expeditions, but he wasn¡¯t able to speak it and didn¡¯t think it worth his time to speak it either. Yuwen Sun assumed he couldn¡¯t understand, and made no attempts to be euphemistic in his wording, so he also just decided to play deaf and dumb, and couldn¡¯t be bothered to acknowledge them.


    Yet Yu Lu quickly pulled at Yuwen Sun(¡®s robe),¡±Be careful with what you say Ninth Prince, the Han people are more capable than you think.¡±


    ¡±I know the Han people are capable, they have been living in narrow cramped houses for a long time, such that their hearts are also filled with trenches and twists; they are most expert at plotting those schemes and intrigues, if not for relying on those, with our grasslands men¡¯s strength, this place would long have been our pastures.¡±


    Yu Lu sighed lowly, and mumbled: ¡°Ninth Prince is still young, and should slowly come to understand that not all those stories passed around in the tents are credible.¡±


    ¡±What kind of talk is that?¡± Yuwen Sun pulled his own sleeve back, and looked dazedly at him, ¡°You tell me, are Royal Brother¡¯s stories credible? Is the great victory we achieved in the battle thirteen years ago credible?¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­It is credible.¡± Yu Lu said.


    ¡±Then what are you so afraid of? Isn¡¯t it just that a general that is a little more decent appeared on their side?¡± Yuwen Sun said, ¡°Back then thirteen years ago when our grand army invaded, most of the Daxia commanders all abandoned their cities and ran, there was virtually no one who opposed us. The most ridiculous one is still Liangzhou, they actually let a woman stand up for them, and in the end that woman¡¯s corpse was hung on the wall tower, and long until it had been blown dry by the wind, still couldn¡¯t incite any bravery in the remaining soldiers, and during the entire ten days we took to slaughter the city there wasn¡¯t even a single one with the guts to resist, all a bunch of useless soft weaklings,¡± His tone was filled with scorn, ¡°That¡¯s all the Han people amount to.¡±


    Chu Mingyun clutched at a section of willow.


    Yu Lu was terribly startled, and glanced at the Chu Mingyun¡¯s absolutely still back silhouette; then ignored deference to rank as he grabbed hold of Yuwen Sun, hurriedly changing course to run down another path, their figures quickly vanishing into the verdant woods.


    That segment of thin branch was ground against his palm, bit-by-bit oozing out deep-coloured sap, letting out the creaking moan of near-destruction.


    Chu Mingyun slowly loosened his five fingers, and the sensation of that handful of stickiness was like that of viscous blood. He lifted his eyes into the distance. The blood-red remnants of the setting sun pooled out across the heavens, seeping towards somewhere not visible far out.


    ¡ª¡ªYou must not look back.


    The gunpowder and smoke in memories burned flagrantly for thirteen years without end, arrows flew loose across the sky before falling, the vermillion city gate toppled, and being an onlooker to this purgatory as he leaned against the ruins of walls reduced to rubble.


    ¡ª¡ªYou must not retreat.


    The pyres completely burned the entire landscape, cries and screaming pervaded the land through thousands of li that once fluorished. The iron hooves of the Xiongnu stepped over young children, branding the slate tiles with thick splotches of blood and deeply charred scars.


    ¡ª¡ªMingyun, you must not look back, you must not fall back here.


    ¡ª¡ªYou need to escape out of here!


    ¡ª¡ªYou need to escape out of here£¡


    ¡ª¡ªEveryone can feel scared, anybody might fall back, anyone could wait for death, but you cannot!


    ¡±¡­¡­A¡¯Jie (Sis).¡±


    The lady clad in red holding her sword paused, and sluggishly replied in an astringent, hoarse voice: ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡±¡­Right now you look really fierce ah.¡±


    The lady froze, and tears abruptly rolled from reddened eyes. She covered her eyes with her hands, and choked with sobs as she well-humoredly scolded, ¡°Scoundrel!¡±


    In the end he still couldn¡¯t resist turning back to take a look, and through the heavy overlapped silhouettes of trees, the colour of blood that diffused outward from that familiar townscape filled his eyes, continuously extending upward, dyeing the entire patch of the heavens red.


    Holding a sword and going forth, and ending up with the fate of having one¡¯s corpse hung as a warning to the public.


    Chu Mingyun closed his eyes, and very lightly and lowly, he laughed.


    The hissing of a blade cutting through the air echoed harshly.


    The gathered officials followed the sound with their gazes in surprise, and only saw a swaying of leaves and branches within the woods, with not a soul in the vicinity.


    They hadn¡¯t had time to even utter their doubt, when another figure swept briskly into the woods, close enough to have brushed past them, but they were not in time to see who it was clearly.


    Only Luo Xin stood in vacant astonishment on the spot, not understanding what exactly it was that the usually composed Master Su saw, that made him chase over without even so much as a by-your-leave.


    Corners of dark and blue-coloured robes flitted past gaps in the lush greenery, passing by in a flash, but was precisely caught by Su Shiyu¡¯s eyes. With rapt attention he increased his speed again, and within a flash of those robes in front of him he quickly shot out a hand and held back Chu Mingyun¡¯s shoulder, taking advantage of this one moment he slowed down to pull the other directly into his arms. His arms wrapped around Chu Mingyun¡¯s chest, strenuously suppressing him.


    ¡±Let go!¡±


    ¡±You calm down a bit.¡± Su Shiyu¡¯s breath still hadn¡¯t evened out, hugging him tightly from behind.


    But not a word or two would even reach Chu Mingyun right now, he single-mindedly and furiously struggled. He could not make free use of his arms within his ¡®shackles¡¯, yet the suddenly the long sword in his hand turned in his palm, piercing straight in the direction behind him.


    Su Shiyu didn¡¯t move even a hair, rigidly taking this blow from the sword.


    So the tip of the tilted blade slit open a wound at the side of his neck, leaving behind a swipe of chill, the line of blood immediately followed the line of his shoulder as it snaked and extended, blooming a patch of bright-red on that plain-white collar.


    Su Shiyu could not suppress a light shudder, tightly furrowing his brow. Yet the force exerted by his hands increased, locking Chu Mingyun firmly in his embrace, lifting the other hand to block his eyes. He didn¡¯t hold back at all with his strength, yet he softened his tone, ¡°Calm down a bit, they are ambassadors who have come to negotiate peace, at least for the moment you are not to kill them.¡±


    Chu Mingyun hadn¡¯t expected he wouldn¡¯t even try to dodge like this,  and his movements in attempt to struggle free unconsciously paused. In the instant the other¡¯s palm lay over his eyes, every kind of thought turned into a blank, and he nearly couldn¡¯t hold the sword in his grip.


    ¡±Don¡¯t act rashly, you calm down a bit, think about it, your enemies have all been killed in entirety by you on the battlefield, the lost land has all been completely reclaimed already¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s alright now, it¡¯s alright now, those people who once hurt you have all already been killed by you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­It¡¯s all in the past now.¡±


    He repeated it again and again, and finally felt the person in his arms gradually giving up the struggle, it¡¯s just that his entire body was still constantly trembling, and it seemed that he was doing his best to restrain himself.


    From his palm came the slightly itchy sensation of eyelashes sweeping past, and a long time after Chu Mingyun slowly spoke up:


    ¡±Hey,¡± His voice was low and hoarse, ¡°Using that tone of voice of yours, say a few more words to me.¡±


    ¡±What do you want to hear?¡± Su Shiyu asked.


    Chu Mingyun fell silent for a long while, then extremely softly, said: ¡°Say you¡¯re right here, say you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    Su Shiyu was startled, but immediately following that he turned his face to press close to Chu Mingyun¡¯s ear, slowly and earnestly saying, ¡°I¡¯m still alive, I¡¯m right here,¡± He paused, then in a tone filled with all his gentleness continued, ¡°I¡¯ll be here with you.¡±


    Word by word falling into his ears, each sounding as gentle as jade.


    This embrace was warm, that familliar fragrance of Calming Incense was smooth and kindly, within it mingled a faint smell of blood.


    All of it confirming with certainty and signalling to him this person¡¯s existence.


    Chu Mingyun gradually calmed down, and after a silence so still you could hear breathing, he suddenly let out a laugh: ¡°All you¡¯ve got is that bit of strength?¡±


    Su Shiyu hadn¡¯t had the time to react, before he was abruptly embraced fully by Chu Mingyun who turned around.


    He let go of the longsword in his grip, the three chi of sharp steel falling to the ground with a clank (¡®dang-lang¡¯).


    He tightly hugged Su Shiyu, with the amount of force like he was about to crush the other¡¯s flesh and bones to meld into his own veins, using this posture that absolutely dominated the other for his own, reluctant to part with even a bit of him. He lowered his eyes and buried his head in Su Shiyu¡¯s neck, and after scenting that bit of bloody smell, pressed closely without warning and licked.


    Su Shiyu abruptly stiffened, that warm and moist sensation continued to lap against the side of his neck almost senselessly, lips pressed to skin, the tip of his tongue tracing the track of that wound, licking clean the bloodstains bit by bit.


    Those breaths all fell on his neck, inciting a peculiar numbness to run down his spine.


    The arms Chu Mingyun were hugging him with unconsciously tightened, pulling his collar loose, following that trail of blood to lick downward, from neck to shoulder, and slowly, his lips had already pressed to his collarbone, desiring to seek out the tip of the blood welt.


    A thin breeze arose in the woods, and only then the bit of chill that brushed over his shoulder suddenly roused Su Shiyu with a start, ¡°¡­¡­Master Chu!¡±


    He pulled away Chu Mingyun¡¯s arm and took a step back, gathering back into place his own collar that had been pulled open for the most part, and lowered his pupils, masking off that shred of panic in his eyes.


    Chu Mingyun stood in that spot, the clarity gradually returning to his gaze. He slowly blinked, as if also being startled awake from a deep dream, and temporarily unable to react, ¡°¡­¡­Master Su.¡±


    Su Shiyu had already tidied his robes, and apart from that trace of blood on his collar, there was no other visible mark (of what had transpired). When he lifted his eyes to look at him even that smile was the same as always, indifferently saying: ¡°It is good that Master Chu has calmed down.¡±


    ¡±I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±This isn¡¯t an injury that will inconvenience me, Master Chu need not feel self-reproach or bothered over it.¡± Su Shiyu interrupted him.


    ¡±That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about, just now I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡±There are still people waiting over there, we should return as quickly as we can.¡±


    Chu Mingyun didn¡¯t say any more, silently looking at him, yet Su Shiyu moved away his gaze, and after a moment lightly laughed, ¡°You need not feel bothered over it.¡±


    Chu Mingyun was also not clear on what he wanted to say, in this moment where his train of thought was sluggish, Su Shiyu again glanced back at him with a smile, like that of water and of smoke, faint and peaceful in its solitary, then lifted his feet to walk away.


    The blood traces on Su Shiyu¡¯s collar were very eye-catching, yet couldn¡¯t be covered up; when he and Chu Mingyun walked out of the woods one after the other, whispers immediately arose among the officials that had yet to leave.


    Su Shiyu walked back in front of Luo Xin as it nonchalantly, nodding in apology as he said: ¡°Just now the situation was urgent, forgive me for the discourtesy.¡±


    Luo Xin, still a little stupefied, shook his head to express that he didn¡¯t mind, and asked: ¡°Your Honour, why have you been injured, just now was that sound General Chu¡¯s sword? You two¡­¡­¡±


    Su Shiyu placidly said, ¡°Just now there was a bit of an accident, General Chu brandished his sword to fend off a toppling tree, I¡¯d just come over and was carelessly scratched by a sharp branch, it¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    Luo Xin believed him without even thinking about it and those pair of eyes stared at Su Shiyu, and he couldn¡¯t help finding it a bit strange: ¡°Your Honour are you okay? Do you still have other wounds, why is it that your face is also a bit red?¡±


    Su Shiyu paused, pressing the back of his hand to his cheek, tone still held steady and proper as he replied, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s right ah!¡± Luo Xin nodded, and lifting his hand he pointed it out, ¡°Also your ears seem a bit (red) too.¡±


    ¡±¡­¡­¡± Su Shiyu put down his hand, and faced with Luo Xin¡¯s sincere gaze, he let out a sigh, ¡°Disregard what I said earlier, you needn¡¯t rush to achieve some feat to prove yourself for now, if you have the time you should read more books instead.¡±


    ¡±What would I read books for?¡± Luo Xin was unable to make heads or tails of this, ¡°I¡¯m a military official, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m aiming to be the Zhuangyuan.¡±


    ¡±Read more books, learn more about the ways of life.¡± Su Shiyu said.


    News like this that led people to conjecture wildly always spread overly fast, when Chu Mingyun returned to his residence, Du Yue and Qin Zhao were already standing at the door waiting for him, one at the left and the other at the right.


    ¡±Aren¡¯t you capable, (your) sword skills are so brilliant, I hear that if the angle was bit different it¡¯d take my Bro¡¯s life ah?¡± This was Du Yue simplifying ¡°Cousin (Tang-ge) to Brother (Ge) in his ambiguously snarking to show his standpoint.


    ¡±You¡¯ve decided to give up on continuing roundabout interaction to contend (with him) and simply struck out?¡± This was Qin Zhao whose face, usually stiff as an ice-block now even showed a bit of restlessness; ready to take action.


    Chu Mingyun kept to himself and walked to his own room as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    ¡±Your complexion looks so ghastly, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Zhao chased up to him to ask.


    ¡±Aiy Surnamed Chu have you finally been struck with lightning ah?¡± Du Yue¡¯s tone suddenly made a turn for the cheerful. (T/N: Implying that he¡¯s earned retribution for doing too many bad things)


    Chu Mingyun slammed the door shut to ward off those two things outside the room with a fling of his sleeve.


    Chu Mingyun sat down beside the table, and poured a cup of tea for himself. Only until he had drunk all of it down did his expression gradually turn complicated, and after that he lifted his hand to press between his brows, talking to himself as if he found it unbelievable: ¡°How is it that I would hug Su Shiyu and lick there¡­¡­¡±


    T/N: I¡¯ll be able to translate on painkillers, said nobody ever. Can you really blame CMY for falling for SSY? I think anybody would in that moment.


    1.Õ¶¶¤½ØÌú ¨C Because these actions (e.g. chopping off the end of a nail after hammering it in) cannot be undone, this is an idiom for being resolute and decisive, or for describing an unhesitating manner. [Return]


    2.ÀëÍ£ ¨C This is that pavilion by the side of the road in Chapter 33. It¡¯s like the ancient equivalent of a rest stop, so caravans usually stop there. It¡¯s also usually at the fork in the road, so people sending someone off usually make their goodbyes there. That¡¯s why I chose this term. [Return]


    3.The ¡®Zhuangyuan¡¯ is the title given to the top scorer in the Imperial Examinations, which one would have to take in order to become a civil official. A looser and much different path is required of a military official. [Return]


    4.ÍæÒâ¶ù ¨C ¡®Plaything¡¯, contemptuously used to describe someone as less than a person. It¡¯s usually used when someone is trying to scorn the other for being cheap or a prostitute, but in this case Chu Mingyun is just not taking them seriously. [Return]