Yuxi's departure from the capital was scheduled for the first day of the second lunar month.
As the first lunar month would end soon, the State Residence was also starting to get busy. All the things they should pack have been packed, and now these things would all be taken away.
Yuxi looked at the pile of things and became a bit helpless. There were sixteen big chests, the number of things that Qiu Shi had picked out.
After looking at it, Yuxi said, "Mother, if I bring this much stuff now, it won't be good if we need to rush." All these skins and satin would only be a burden, and Yuxi did not want to carry them. If she brought so many unimportant things on the road, it would take a long time before she could reach the northwest. Besides, having a lot of stuff was not good, as it was easy to attract bandits. Yuxi picked and chose and ended up with four boxes. She was unwilling to take any more.
Qiu Shi felt terrible. She had prepared so many things for Yuxi, clothes, furs and silks, furniture, paintings, antiques, porcelain, fine rouge and so on, all of which Yuxi could not take with her. Qiu Shi took Yuxi's hand and said, "My child has been wronged." If she continued speaking, her tears would come out again.
Yuxi smiled and said, "Mother, don't feel wrong. Mother can temporarily keep these things for me. When I return to the capital later, I will have someone come and take them away." Besides the essential things like gold, silver and jewellery, Yuxi did not want to bring anything else. However, not everything was left untouched. Yuxi symbolically took one or two of each. In addition, she picked out a box of rouge and powder. She was worried that she could not buy such good ones as the capital when she arrived in the northwest. She would also need them when she got married. She had brought a box with her to be on the safe side.
Qiu Shi wiped her tears and said, "Alright. Mother will seal all these dowries of yours in Taoran House. Mother will send them to you when you come back in the future."
Mama Li suggested, "Miss, why don't we have someone send the things to you after you leave. I heard there is a shortage of clothes and food in the border town."
Yuxi waved her hand and said, "If there is a shortage of clothes and food in the northwest, how can they dare to make me have a shortage too? Besides, it's not as bad as Mother and Mama Li think. It's just that the best satin there is more expensive than in the capital. If we send the stuff to the northwest, the round trip cost would be enough to buy several carts of satin." It was an utterly uneconomical deal.
Even after Yuxi made even more streamlining, she still came out with over fifty large chests. She muttered, "Why is there still so much stuff?" This amount was already the result of her reducing many things. Some things could be left behind, but she had to bring along items such as her wedding dress with the embroidered quilt, her four seasons clothes, the clothes she would wear after the wedding, and the four large chests of silk and satin. Qiu Shi refused to let these things be cut down no matter what. She argued that all of these represent a young lady's family's dignity, thus, should never be less. These items already took nearly twenty chests.
Zisu muttered, "If Miss could take out Miss' books, writing brushes, inks and inkstones, Miss could reduce several more chests." There were two big chests just for books alone, but only one chest for writing brushes, inks and inkstones. [T/C]
Yuxi conceded. "You can take everything out, except for the books." How could she not bring these books with her after all years of hard work? [T/N]
Zijin said, "Miss, it should not be safe to put the jewellery in the back of the carriage, is it? Or should we put it in the carriage we are sitting in?" Yuxi had quite a lot of jewellery, bought using the family public account over the years; some were personally bought by Qiu Shi and gifted by Ye Shi and Lu Xiu, which had accumulated for over ten years.
Yuxi had streamlined everything else, but jewellery was the only thing she had not lessened. Yuxi called for Zisu and asked her to sort out the jewellery. She intended to put the jewellery boxes in long boxes with cushions on top as stools. In this way, only a few people would think that she had placed the jewellery on their personal carriage. And this way, it would also save some space.
Zisu thought it was a good idea too. With this idea, the jewellery would not be easy to be discovered. "We need Han Ji's cooperation in this matter!" Han Ji was the one Yuxi had brought with her to Red Jujube Hamlet last time, and Han Jianming had noticed that Yuxi was comfortable using him, so he had given Han Ji to Yuxi.
Yuxi smiled and said, "Han Ji already knows about it." It must have gone through him first. Otherwise, where else would they have found just the right box.
That day, Qiu Shi told Yuxi, "Tomorrow, all your friends and family will come over to add to your dowry, so you should not be busy tomorrow."
Yuxi let out a sigh. "Adding to my dowry?" She had been so busy all this time that she had forgotten about it.
Qiu Shi couldn't resist knocking on Yuxi's head and said, "Even if you marry to the northwest, you can't leave out the adding of the dowry ceremony!" She had gifted many things, so she had to let Yuxi take them back.
The first people to come to add to the dowry were Ye Shi and Lu Xiu, who had come together. Both were very practical, picking up precious stones and jewellery worth a lot of money. Yuxi didn't want to accept them, as they had already given her a shop each. Hence, she didn't want to take anything from them anymore. Please read this chapter at xinshou blogspot com.
Ye Shi laughed. "I knew you would say that. Just take it! These gifts are also our wish as your sisters-in-law. It's nothing much anyway. I just hope you will be safe and sound and that you and meifu will forever be in peace and happiness."
Lu Xiu put the item into Yuxi's hand and said, "Here, just take it!"
Yuxi smiled and said, "Thank you, Dasao and Er Sao." After a pause, she said, "Mother will have to be taken care of by Dasao and Er Sao from now on too." She was so far away that she could no longer care for Qiu Shi.
Ye Shi held Yuxi's hand and promised, "Don't worry, I will take good care of Mother." Now that Qiu Shi was no longer managing the household, spending her days chanting sutras and taking care of the children, she had no more conflicts with Ye Shi. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along very well now.
Lu Xiu also nodded beside her.
Not long afterwards, Yuchen had something sent over. She had always been a big spender, and this time was no exception. Yuxi looked at the ten different kinds of jewellery lined up side by side on the tray, each exquisite and valuable. At that moment, she smiled and said, "San Jie is truly thoughtful."
Momo Gui said, "Wangfei said that the day Miss leaves the house, she will personally come to see Miss off." By the time Yuxi went out, Yuchen was also out of her confinement.
Yuxi shook her head and said, "It will be freezing. Don't let San Jie out even if she's out of her confinement." It would not be a joking matter if Yuchen got cold because of the wind.
Momo Gui, who had been sizing up Yuxi since she entered, saw that Yuxi was not anxious, nor was she being hot-tempered. When she heard Yuxi's words, she responded with a smile, "If Wangfei had heard what Miss said, she would have been pleased."
Yuxi felt that this was not right. What did Momo Gui mean by Yuchen would be pleased when she heard her words? But Yuxi didn't think much about it. She might as well do something else with this foolish effort.
Not long after Momo Gui left, a reward came from the Imperial Palace. Song Guifei gave Yuxi a pair of jade ruyi. This pair of jade ruyi made from suet jade were glittering and translucent, worth a thousand pieces of gold. [+]
After Yuxi thanked Song Guifei for her favour, she looked at the pair of jade ruyi and smiled.
Zisu was a bit uneasy. "Miss, we can put this thing as a display for now, and you can do whatever you want with it after we leave the capital, even if you wish to smash it. But this time, Miss must not be touched by her gift!" Miss had endured for so long; thus, she shouldn't waste all her previous efforts at this juncture. [T/N]
Yuxi glanced at Zisu. She smiled a little and said, "I was thinking, if this jade ruyi is sent to a pawn shop, I wonder how much it will be worth?"
Zisu's heart thumped as she advised, "Miss, you can't send it to a pawn shop. It's from the Imperial Palace, and the pawnbrokers wouldn't dare to accept it."
Mama Qu said, "It's not that they wouldn't dare to accept it, but it depends on the pawnshop. No one dares to accept it in a normal pawnshop, but as long as they have a strong background, they will dare to accept it." After that, she told Yuxi and Zisu that some powerful eunuchs or momos in the palace would secretly transport things out of the Imperial Palace for money.
Zisu was shocked. "Won't they be caught?"
Mama Qu shook her head and said, "Naturally, there are those who got caught." There was always a risk in doing anything, let alone this kind of shady thing. Once caught, there was only one way for them: death.
Yuxi had little interest in this matter. "Just put these things in the house!"
It was unknown if the news about Song Guifei and Yuchen coming to add to Yuxi's dowry had spread, but by afternoon, more significant people came to add to her dowry and the things they sent out were not cheap. [T/N]
After two days, Yuxi's gain from her makeup dowry was not bad. "Put this jewellery in the box and take them with you." All the previous items had already been sorted and packed away, so there was no room to put the extra things.
Han Jianming came over to Yuxi and told her, "The escort agency will send out thirty armed escorts, and all of them are the best-armed escorts of Xinglong Escort Agency escorts. The one leading the team will also be their chief armed escort. The leader armed escort of the Xinglong Escort Agency has some reputation among the people, so if he leads the team, it will be much safer on the road." This time, Han Jianming had spent a lot of money. However, for Yuxi's safety, he had to fork out even if it would make things difficult for his finances. As for how much it cost to hire these escorts, Han Jianming didn't tell Yuxi, and Yuxi didn't ask because there was no need to ask. As long as she lived, what her Dage had paid for would be repaid later. Just in case she was dead, eh, there was no use of thinking such thing as just in case.
Yuxi nodded a little and said what she intended to do, "The armed escorts will be responsible for overall matters. The guards from our residence will be responsible for the safety of the goods, and the twelve guards of the Lu family are mainly responsible for my safety." The division of labour was clear so that no conflicts would arise when the time came.
Han Jianming nodded and said, "That's a good arrangement you've made. I'll talk to Escort Master Huang about it." Although he was ashamed, he had to admit that the Han family's guards were not even half as good as the Lu family's. By leaving Yuxi's safety in their hands, Han Jianming could put half his mind at ease.
Yuxi said, "The twelve guards from the Lu family will come over on the day of departure." Since Lord Lu had said he would lend her twelve good men, Yuxi believed that the other party would never skimp on the job and stint on materials.
Han Jianming nodded briefly, then said, "Yuxi, I have already sent a letter to your Er Ge, and he will bring someone to pick you up when the time comes." Han Jianming also knew that the journey would not be a safe one. Shaanxi and Shanxi were two places where bandits were notoriously numerous.
Yuxi smiled a little. "That's naturally good." But she couldn't count on Han Jianye. Han Jianye was a general who would be busy leading the army, so how could he just leave his post? Even if he came to pick her up, he would most be waiting in the Gansu area. But the places she had to pass through, such as Shanxi and Shaanxi, were places where bandits and pirates were prevalent. This situation was why she dared to beg her Er Sao to borrow some people from the Lu family. Without a reliable person to protect her, she would not feel at ease!
Image Credit | Travel China Guide
Noob Translator's Musing
@Leier had once asked me if the capital was in Beijing or Nanjing. I answered that the capital was probably Nanjing, the first capital of the Ming Dynasty before they changed to Peking/Beijing in Emperor Yongle's reign. But somehow, when I read that Yuxi has to go through Shanxi and Shaanxi to get to the northern border town in Gansu, the capital should be Beijing. This is based on the Ming Dynasty Map, which I believe the author used as the background. So, @Leier, you are right on this one.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi