After the funeral was over, Yuchen also fell ill and was currently recovering.
Jing Wang1 returned from outside and sat down beside Yuchen, asking, "Are you feeling better?" He had been very busy with the Crown Prince's accession and had not returned to the wangfu2 for three days.
Yuchen nodded. "Much better." Her illness was not serious; she was just using it as an excuse to rest at home. Otherwise, she would have had to assist the Crown Princess, just like Jing Wang1.
Jing Wang1 asked, "Chen-er, you have known Madam Yun for over ten years, and your relationship has always been close. Do you know if she has the ability of foresight?"
"Ah..." Yu Chen knew that Jing Wang1 must have had a reason for coming home at such a busy time, but she hadn't expected it to be something so absurd.
Yuchen asked, "What foresight? It's not another nonsense from Heshou, is it? Do you actually believe what she says?"
Jing Wang1's expression slightly changed as he responded, "That's what Heshou said, and Huang Xiong3 was somewhat sceptical." Heshou solemnly vowed that Yuxi also possessed the ability of foresight, and the Crown Prince somewhat believed it. After all, although Heshou's abilities were somewhat like chicken ribs4, they were still useful.
Yuchen couldn't hide her disgust for Heshou at that moment. "If my Si Mei6 truly had the ability of foresight, she wouldn't have suffered so much. She wouldn't have been engaged to Second Young Master Chen either. If my Si Mei6 hadn't gotten engaged to Second Young Master Chen, many things wouldn't have happened. She would have married in the capital instead of marrying Yun Qing, who was thousands of miles away. If she hadn't married Yun Qing, she wouldn't have run into danger so many times." After pausing for a moment, she continued, "Wangye5, at the end of last year, Yuxi even experienced an assassination attempt and almost lost her life. If Yuxi could foresee, how could she not have known that someone would try to assassinate her?" If there was one thing Yuchen detested the most, it was this superstitious and deceptive practice.
Jing Wang1 did not believe in premonitions. He considered them completely groundless, but he couldn't dissuade the Crown Prince from believing in them.
Yuchen asked, "Wangye5, can you tell me why the Crown Prince suspects my Si Mei6 of having the ability to see the future?"
Jing Wang1 replied, "Huang Xiong3 received some information that Madam Yun had mentioned that there would be a drought this year, which made him suspicious. So he went to ask Heshou..."
Frowning, Yuchen said, "That's impossible. My Si Mei6 is extremely cautious. How could she say something like there will be a drought this year? Someone must have been framing and setting her up."
Jing Wang1 hesitated for a moment and asked, "You grew up with Madam Yun. Did you ever notice anything unusual about her? For instance, her mastery of double-sided embroidery at the age of eleven and her equally remarkable paintings."
Yuchen now felt that the Crown Prince's mind was not quite right. He could even believe the words of that madwoman, Heshou. Wasn't that crazy? Yuchen explained, "Yuxi didn't learn double-sided embroidery overnight. It took her five years of research to master it. As for painting and chess skills, she learned them from a teacher. When she first started learning these things, she knew nothing about them. I still remember that she spent all day long studying chess manuals to improve her chess skills. I even joked at the time that she was obsessed."
Jing Wang1 wondered, "It only took her *five years to learn double-sided embroidery. Don't you find that strange?" Under normal circumstances, achieving this without ten years of practice wouldn't be possible.
Yuchen sneered. "That's her talent. What's so strange about it? Does that mean I'm an abnormality, too?" She also had a photographic memory. Did that make her an abnormality as well?
Jing Wang1 also felt uncomfortable. It was the Crown Prince who asked him to investigate these things; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought them up. Jing Wang1 asked, "Are you absolutely sure that there is nothing wrong with her?"
Yuchen replied, "Yuxi wasn't very clever when she was young but worked hard. Wangye5 may not know this, but Yuxi woke up at three-quarters of the early hour of maoshi7 and slept at the end of haishi8, with only a two-quarter hour nap at noon. She spent the rest of the time studying. Through this effort and perseverance, she has become wiser and wiser." She didn't need to mention the saying that the more books you read, the smarter you become.
Jing Wang1 pondered for a long time before saying, "You should have a good rest!"
After Jing Wang1 left, Yuchen sneered. "She is seeking death." Heshou was the Crown Prince's woman. If the Crown Prince didn't want Heshou to die, Yuchen would definitely have offended the Crown Prince if she started to make her move on Heshou. Otherwise, she would have done it long ago instead of waiting until now to give Heshou a chance to attack Yuxi.
When Momo9 Gui knew that Heshou was targeting Yuxi, she was puzzled and wondered, "Wangfei10, don't you think there might be something suspicious about this? Otherwise, why would Heshou insist on targeting Si Gunainai11?"
Yuchen questioned, "Are you suggesting that Yuxi really has the ability of foresight?" If Yuxi indeed had that ability, she wouldn't have gotten herself into such a terrible and dire situation.
Momo9 Gui shook her head. "No, I don't mean that. It's just that when I saw Si Gunainai11 back then, she really didn't seem like a typical five or six-year-old child." Yuxi was a child of five or six with such profound scheming abilities that she could rival the children in the palace.
Yuchen had known for a long time that Yuxi was a deep thinker. To speak against the norm, if Yuxi hadn't been calculating since childhood, who knew what she would be like now? "Do you think Yuxi should be like Wu Mei12?" Yurong wasn't foolish, but she wasn't exceptionally clever either.
Momo9 Gui hurriedly replied, "Of course not."
Yuchen continued, "Drought? I'm actually curious to see what would happen to Heshou if there were no drought this year."
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
Shiqin, accompanied by the other maids, removed the flowers arranged in the room three days ago and replaced them with fresh ones. "Niangniang13, there are two pots of longevity flowers🦊 over in the flower room that have grown exceptionally well." Longevity flowers were usually favoured by the elderly.
Momo9 Gui was very worried that Yuchen would have someone send the longevity flowers to the Duke's residence and then disclose what Jing Wang1 had said earlier. It was not surprising for her to have such concerns, as her mistress had broken too many norms in the past when it came to the Fourth Miss.
Yuchen instructed, "One pot for Waizumu15, and the other one is for Da Jiumu16." She wasn't an idiot, so why would she reveal what her husband had told her? If it got out and Jing Wang1 found out, their relationship would be severely damaged.
Hearing Yuchen's instructions, Momo9 Gui breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuchen murmured, "Yuxi's luck is really…" It was becoming difficult not to believe that Yuxi had a bad fate. No one knew better than Yuchen how ostracised Yuxi had been as a child. When her life at home finally improved, she was attacked by that madwoman, Heshou. By the time Yuxi eventually settled her marriage, the Gongzhu17 had taken a liking to her former fiancé. Just when everyone thought her life was settling down for good with her marriage and the birth of her daughter, the assassination attempt came.
After leaving the wangfu2, Jing Wang1 went to the Imperial Palace and relayed what Yuchen had told him to the Crown Prince. After listening to this information, the Crown Prince asked, "Your Wangfei10 truly believes that Han Shi can't foresee the future?"
Jing Wang1 said, "Huang Xiong3, if Han Shi truly could predict the future, she wouldn't have come close to being killed so many times." It would be too absurd for such an unlucky person to have foreknowledge.
After a moment's pause, Jing Wang1 continued, "In fact, we will find out whether Han Shi has this ability once spring arrives." Since there had been a drought prediction, let's see if it really happened.
However, the Crown Prince shook his head. "If Han Shi doesn't have the ability of foresight, we should act early to avoid unnecessary troubles in the long run." But if Han Shi had that ability, she could not be killed. They should make good use of it if it was true.
Jing Wang1 had concerns about this as he said, "Killing Han Shi wouldn't be a problem, but what if Yun Qing knows that we are responsible for her death? He might be enraged beyond measure!" If Yun Qing rebelled, the world would be in chaos.
The Crown Prince stated, "There is no what if."
While the two brothers were talking, they saw a eunuch from the Crown Princess' side rush over. He prostrated himself on the ground and begged, "Your Highness Crown Prince, please go and save the Crown Princess!"
Upon inquiry, the Crown Prince learned that Song Guifei18, for some unknown reason, had become enraged and thrown a jade cabbage carving she was playing with at the Crown Princess, Yu Xiyu. Yu Xiyu's forehead bled, and she fainted.
When the Crown Prince found out what had happened, he was furious. Even if they had a disagreement, Song Guifei18 should not have resorted to violence, let alone knocking someone unconscious. Upon seeing Song Guifei18, the Crown Prince could no longer contain his anger. "Mu Fei19, no matter what the circumstances, you should not have laid your hands on the Crown Princess." Since he had not yet ascended the throne, he naturally could only address his wife as the Crown Princess.
Song Guifei18 was also feeling restless. She didn't know why, but she had a burning anger that she wanted to release. As a result, when she came to her senses, she had knocked Yu Xiyu unconscious. Song Guifei18 had been overly indulged by the late Emperor over the years, and everything had to go her way. She would turn hostile if things didn't go according to her wishes. "I hit her by mistake."
Hearing these words, the Crown Prince felt like he was going to vomit blood. However, the person standing before him was his mother, and he couldn't scold or hit her. He said, "Mu Fei19, in the future, please don't ask the Crown Princess and Le-er to come to the Liuli Palace if it's unnecessary." After all, his mother wouldn't stay at Liuli Palace for much longer.
While they were talking, the Imperial Physician arrived and reported, "Guifei Niangniang20, Your Highness Crown Prince, the Crown Princess has regained consciousness."
The Crown Prince hurried back to his bedchamber. His attitude made Empress Song feel very uncomfortable. "He has completely forgotten about his mother now that he has a wife." He relied heavily on the Yu family in the Imperial Court, suppressing the Song family. Now, in order to protect this b*tch, her son even dared to contradict her. Song Guifei18 felt that Yu Xiyu should not be allowed to remain in this world.
When the Crown Princess woke up and saw the Crown Prince, tears streamed down her face. She didn't bother to pretend. Whenever she thought of her innocent eldest son, who had passed away, her tears would flow. "Your Highness, Le-er is still young and can't be separated from his mother." Her eldest son had already perished at the hands of Song Guifei18, and Yu Xiyu couldn't allow her youngest son to be raised by her. The Crown Princess would rather bear the name of an unfilial person than put her youngest son in the slightest danger.
Only then did the Crown Prince understand the reason for their quarrel. "Don't worry, Le-er won't be taken to the Liuli Palace. If Mu Fei19 fears loneliness, I will bring Ling-er over to keep her company when the time comes." Ling-er was the Crown Prince's daughter.
When the Crown Princess heard that the Crown Prince was on her side, she felt a sense of relief. Although she had been preparing for the worst, it was good for the family and her son to resolve this matter peacefully without her bearing the name of a disobedient and unfilial person.
Footnotes Full List
- King
- wang=king, fu=residence
- huang=Emperor, xiong=formal way of saying elder brother(?)
- sth. of little value or interest/sth. of dubious worth that one is reluctant to give up / being physically weak
- wang=king, ye=lord
- si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei
- 5-7 am
- 9-11 pm
- (dialect) elderly lady
- wang=king, fei=consort
- si=fourth, gunainai=(a respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
- wu=fifth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei
- addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine
- Can anyone tell me what kind of flower is 长寿花 (Chángshòu huā)? When I did my research, it led me to the Kalanchoe. But the Kalanchoe is a new species in China. The only flowers that represent longevity in Chinese culture are chrysanthemums.
- maternal grandmother
- Da=eldest, jiumu=wife of maternal uncle; aunt
- princess
- Noble Consort
- mu=mother, fei=consort
- guifei=noble consort, niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine
きつね's Musing
Han Jianming, you have guessed correctly, and your sister is very clever in using this trick to inform you without alerting the enemy.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi