Translator: 🍓SassyStrawberry | http://www.sassystrawberry.com
Project: 🐟 Jinyiwei (锦衣卫) | Author: Fei Tian Ye Xiang (非天夜翔) | Rating: Mature
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Arc 1: The Qilin Pendant
Chapter 11 Outsmarting yourself
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“We’ve found the Deputy Commander!”
At daybreak, behind a piece of artificial rockery in the Imperial Garden, the Jinyiwei discovered a silently spreading large pool of blood. Yunqi had Tuoba Feng’s embroidered spring knife stuck in his chest. The blade had miraculously passed through his chest and protruded from his back – nailing him to the artificial rockery. The long knife between his ribs supported his entire weight.
“Rong Qing inhaled sharply, before roaring, “ Quick! Summon the Imperial Physicians!”
Yunqi had lost too much blood, and his complexion was ashen. He lay fevered on the sickbed for several days.
After examination, the Imperial Physicians determined that his condition wasn’t life-threatening, just that he’d suffered from severe blood loss and exhausted a great deal of his physical strength.
Zhu Yuanzhang flipped through the Imperial Physician’s diagnosis records. With his hands folded in his sleeves, Zhu Di stood quietly in the hall, occasionally observing Rong Qing’s expression. Zhu Di opened his mouth to speak, “This son-subject made an error, believing that Tujue dog’s parents had both died, thus sending him to serve in the palace as an official. Unexpectedly, this wild…this person would actually be in collusion with Northern Yuan, and nearly killed Yunwen.” Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a while, before stating, “Rong Qing, you may withdraw.”
After Rong Qing had departed, Zhu Di said in a low voice, “Imperial Father, Yunqi grew up together with Yunwen, if… I fear that the Jinyiwei will be disappointed and heartbroken, as well as Yunwen, and Xu Wen. [1]”
“Wen-er [1] and Yunqi share the same mother, although they are the children of a concubine [2]… Imperial Father, there have been enough deaths this year. Leave the Xu family one of their sons to offer incense. [3]
Zhu Yuanzhang set down the memorial and nodded. “That’s enough.” Yunqi took back his hands.
Commander Tuoba Feng had committed a serious crime and fled for fear of punishment. Deputy Commander Xu Yunqi was seriously injured, and Zhang Qin sacrificed himself in service of the country. The arrogant and domineering Jinyiwei had lost two of its members this year. The vicious dogs finally have to tuck their tails between their legs [4] and behave like proper human beings. Rong Qing was neither capable enough nor could he shoulder the heavy burden. Neither was he like Yunqi, with illustrious family background.
There was no verdict yet on Tuoba Feng’s crimes. No one could tell whether Zhu Yuanzhang would be in a bad mood one day, and choose to have all 48 members of the Jinyiwei dragged out and executed. The future of the Jinyiwei currently rested on Yunqi’s shoulders. Yunqi’s injuries hadn’t yet recovered, and he could only lean drowsily on a bamboo chair in the corridor, basking in the sun.
Autumn had arrived, and it was time to prepare for winter. “That’s enough.” Yunqi took back his hands.
“Yun-ge’er.” A bodyguard smiled, “If you are always in low spirits, the brothers will also all be sickly and weak. Try to be a little happier. Let’s go back to the room and play weiqi?”
Yunqi massaged his temples, and said, “Playing weiqi hurts my brain. I’ll sun myself for a while before going inside.”
The warmth of the afternoon sun spread over his body, and the guard spoke again, “Doesn’t the Xu family have an iron voucher [5]? Your father was a meritorious official. That matter with Lao-Ba won’t be drawn onto us, don’t think too much into it.”
Yunqi smiled, “That plaything is at my er-ge’s house. If the Emperor truly wanted to pronounce me guilty and punish me, are you going to spur your horse and rush to Yangzhou to request for the ‘ Exemption from death gold plaque [5]’ and bring it back for me to use?” That guard laughed at this.
They suddenly heard the voice of someone from outside, declaring, “Sun Tao! Even daring to joke about the Imperial Court’s iron voucher. I’ve only been gone a year, but this great courtyard has fallen into such a state of lawlessness and disorder ?!”
Sun Tao was immediately horrified, and yelled, “Jiang–shi [6] is here!” Jiang Huan had retired from his post after many years, and this was the first time that he’d returned to the Jinyiwei’s residence.
In an instant, the doors of the rooms all swung wide open as the imperial bodyguards hastily sprinted out, in turn standing within the courtyard.
Yunqi hurriedly got to his feet, “Why has Shifu come?” After speaking, he glimpsed the man who followed behind Jiang Huan – it was Zhu Di.
Jiang Huan walked all the way through the great courtyard. Yunqi was just about to usher the visitors into the hall, but Jiang Huan said, “Move over two bamboo chairs, and we’ll sit here.”
As he spoke, there were guards who left to carry chairs and brew tea. Jiang Huan hollered at yet another person, “Li Yu! Why are you not properly attired! Where is your hat?” The guardsman who had been singled out was so frightened that his souls practically fled his body. He repeatedly requested permission to leave and returned to his room in search of his guard hat.
After a short while, Yunqi led the group of Imperial Guards to stand in the courtyard. A tea table laden with tea paraphernalia was placed before the two bamboo chairs. The Prince of Yan, Zhu Di took his seat first.
Only then did Jiang Huan take his own seat, sweeping a glance toward the dozens of disciples that he’d personally trained. He spoke derisively, “Tuoba Feng was playing a double-dealing game [7]; with one act to your face, and another behind your back. What instructions did I give you in the past?”
Jiang Huan spoke sternly, “ Sun Tao, fall out. Before I retired, what did I say to Tuoba Feng – what did I say to all of you?”
Sun Tao stepped forward apprehensively, and answered, “ Jiang-shi commanded: Being a person is like utilizing soldiers, one must remember Sun Zi’s Art of War: Be swift as the wind, as slow as a forest. Invade like fire, be as unshakeable as the mountains. As inscrutable as darkness, your attacks like thunder.” [8] Jiang-shi sneered at this, “Look at yourselves now, what unshakeable as a mountain?! What sort of regulations does Tuoba Feng normally hold you to?” The entire crowd of Jinyiwei shivered in unison, straightening their backs.
Jiang Huan ridiculed them again, “All day you address one another as brothers, and behave in a boisterous and frivolous manner – you’re practically a band of brigands! Thieves and hooligans! Rabble! Treating the Shangfang Baojian [9] like a rug beater! Is this the image of the Jinyiwei?!”
“The Twenty Fourth Guard! Of which the Jinyiwei are the leaders! Now just look at yourselves, look…” Jiang Huan put the teacup down firmly and came threateningly close as he grabbed someone’s collar, and dragged him out of the ranks. He bit out angrily, “Other than being a clothes rack, pretty boy toy [10], beating helpless scholars who don’t even have the strength to kill a chicken during court sessions, is there anything about you that’s even somewhat like a man? ! Pussies [11] !”
Having said all this, he was infuriated and booted that unfortunate soul to the ground. Jiang Huan was extremely high in terms of seniority, and once his temper flared, the people in the courtyard cowered quietly like cicadas in the late autumn, deeply afraid of making even the slightest sound.
The only one who dared interrupt was the seated Wang-ye [12]. Upon seeing that the old man’s face was flushed red, Zhu Di feared that he might burst an aneurysm and collapse while lecturing his disciples – which would be extremely troublesome. Thus he quickly tried to persuade Jiang Huan, “Jiang–lao [13], don’t be angry. The present situation differs … from the past, harming your own health is not good, not good.”
Zhu Di was laughing “hehe” by the side as he invited Jiang Huan to sit again. Jiang Huan’s voice was sonorous as he replied, “ I didn’t come here today to teach you all a lesson, it’s just that I had anger in my heart, and I had to let it out. Now let’s speak about serious matters. Xu Yunqi, fall out.”
Yunqi walked forward a step, as he replied in a serious and inviolable demeanor, “This disciple is present.”
Jiang Huan stroked his beard as he evaluated Yunqi for a moment, before saying,” How many years have you been training together [14] with Tuoba Feng.”
Yunqi was secretly alarmed by this, and replied, “Since I entered the palace at four years old until the present – it has been thirteen years.”
Jiang Huan questioned him, “Thirteen years, and how did you treat your Shixiong?”
Yunqi’s voice quivered, “That night Shixiong poisoned…assassinated the Imperial Grandson…”
Jiang Huan raged, “You and he drew weapons and pit your lives against one another, isn’t that so!”
Yunqi cried out, “Yes! But under those circumstances, Shixiong had committed a great crime, if I were to let him go, Yunqi would have been disloyal [15]…”
Jiang Huan said, “However, taking the spring embroidered from where it hung on your waist, and attacking your own Shixiong, is unrighteous [16]!”
Yunqi sucked in a breath, before responding, “Shifu, Loyalty, and Righteousness cannot both be satisfied [17].”
Jiang Huan said, “Very good. Today, you’ll be beaten because loyalty and righteousness are not satisfied! Bring the steel rods here!”
The group of Imperial Bodyguards was so terrified by this that their limbs were icy cold. Jiang Huan’s power and influence were at their peak. He shouted again, “None of you listen to me anymore? Must I go fetch them?”
Several guards hurriedly left for the hall and fetched two steel rods the thickness of a child’s arm. Jiang Huan had always been very strict with his subordinates; Ever since the Jinyiwei entered the palaces as youths for training, they have all suffered painful floggings from these steel rods – each time their bodies would be covered in bruises and wounds.
Yet, it was Yunqi, since childhood, who had never experienced the feeling of being beaten by this steel rod.
“In the past, it was always Tuoba Feng who suffered the floggings on your behalf. Today, it’s time for Deputy Commander Xu, you, to personally experience it once.”
Jiang Huan articulated coldly, “ Hold him, eighty strokes, strike!”
It was as if the group of Imperial Bodyguards had been struck by a bolt from the blue. Yet it was Yunqi who took the initiative to lower himself down and closed his eyes, saying, “Strike then. Don’t fake it.”
The two guards holding the rods had no other alternatives, and could only grit their teeth as they brandished the steel rods, and struck downwards. Yunqi groaned in pain once, the rods fell with dull sounds.
Jiang Huan spoke again, “Don’t think that I’m not aware of those shenanigans that you usually play at the Imperial Court. If you hit him lightly, there’s be another eighty strokes afterward.
The hearts of the Jinyiwei wielding the rods suffered an unexpected shock, they didn’t dare go easy on him – and could only exert strength with their strikes, fearing that Jiang Huan would not be satisfied.
As the force of the strikes increased, Yunqi immediately gave a pained yell.
Jiang spoke leisurely in time with the sounds of the strokes, “Loyalty and Righteousness cannot both be satisfied. Had you protected Tuoba Feng, you would have committed a great crime that warrants extermination of your nine clans!”
Yunqi gritted his teeth and endured painfully, he replied intermittently, “Shifu…’s lesson is appropriate.”
Jiang Huan said, “Tuoba Feng stabbing you once has satisfied your Loyalty; Flogging you at this time, is for you to solemnly remember the countless times that Tuoba Feng has endured the beatings for you. Today, you’ll have repaid him in full!”
As Zhu Di watched, the corners of his eyes twitched slightly. Unmistakably, this was the first time that he’d observed such a brutal and inhuman corporal punishment.
Generally, in accordance with military law, it would be at best twenty or forty strokes, and also, they used wooden clubs.
The court punishment rods were cast in bronze, but it would be at most forty strokes. If there were any more than that, one fears that they would beat the person to death in court – whenever had there been any rule that one must suffer through a beating of eighty strokes?!
Zhu Di coughed once, and couldn’t hold back, “That…Jiang-lao. Yunqi, he… isn’t it a bit…”
Yunqi had already been beaten into unconsciousness.assassinated the Imperial Grandson…”
Jiang Huan’s tone was chilly as he declared, “Intercede once, and it’s another ten strokes.”
Zhu Di shut his mouth. readthisontheoriginalsite.☐
After the requisite number of strokes, Yunqi’s legs were completely bloodied. It was impossible to find an intact piece of flesh, and even his feiyufu was shredded from the flogging.
Jiang Huan spoke again, “Two of them grab his arms, another two grab his legs, throw him down!”
Zhu Di was so frightened by this that his souls almost scattered, he trembled as he cried, “You can’t throw him! Jiang-lao! If you throw him, he’ll die!”
Jiang Huan smoothed his beard, and said, “The Prince of Yan wants to intercede? Throw him down twice.”
“…”assassinated the Imperial Grandson…”
Four Jinyiwei carried Yunqi, lifting him up before hurling him down heavily into the pool of blood.
Yunqi had already lost consciousness, and with this impact to his chest, he spat out a big mouthful of blood, as well as a bloodstained, otherwise bright white molar – he’d shattered a tooth while enduring the pain.
Zhu Di felt palpitations as he looked at Yunqi, and couldn’t help gasping for breath.
Jiang Huan had finally achieved his goal, and spoke unhurriedly, “ Four of you, go wipe the blood off him, and bring a litter! Carry him to the Hall of Supreme Harmony [18]. This old fellow wants an audience… with the Emperor.”
Zhu Di huffed out a breath and shook his head in disbelief.assassinated the Imperial Grandson…”
Translator: 🍓SassyStrawberry | http://www.sassystrawberry.com
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Zhu Di kept watch from outside the palace, straining his ears to listen to the dialogue inside.
As for Jiang Huan, Zhu Yuanzhang still held him in extremely high regard. The two of them spoke at length, and Zhu Di heard Jiang Huan’s quietly spoken ‘Tujue‘ ‘scout’, and the words of the like.
The great weight off Zhu Di’s heart was lifted.☐☐☐☐
After a while, he only heard Zhu Yuanzhang state, “Zhen is aware now.”
Jiang Huan withdrew and came out. The Jinyiwei entered the hall, picked up the litter with Yunqi on it, and returned to the Great Courtyard. Zhu Di reached out to feel under Yunqi’s nose, his breaths were feeble.
Jiang Huan replied slowly, “ It’s fine. He’s not in life-threatening danger. Take off the cloth bag that is around his neck.”
Zhu Di untied the bag that Yunqi always carried on him. Jiang Huan then said, “Inside it is a Kurong Zaohua pill, feed it to him, and he’ll be fine in a day.”
Zhu Di opened the cloth bag, and frowned slightly, “Jiang-lao, just now you mentioned…some pill?”
Jiang Huan was stunned. Zhu Di held the bag to let him look inside. The contents were a piece of yellowed talismanic paper, and a dark green Qilin jade pendant.
“…”
Now it was Jiang Huan’s turn to be struck by a bolt from the blue. Only to hear Jiang Huan’s quavering voice, “Zhang…daozhang bestowed him with that…panacea. Why isn’t it here? Yun-er gave it to someone to eat?!”
It was as if Zhu Di had been struck by a series of thunderbolts [19], as Jiang Huan and he gaped at one another for some time, before saying, “You…Jiang-lao, you can’t crack this kind of joke. He’s my xiao-jiu-zi! If anything happens to him, my humble wife [20] will…”
Jiang Huan opened his mouth, then recalled how formidable that “humble wife” in Zhu Di’s house was. He was transfixed for a moment, before he bellowed, “Imperial Physicians! Summon the Imperial Physicians! This is bad!”
One unfortunate event after another, like an already leaking house encountering an entire night of rain [21]. Yunqi’s little body had just escaped a hurricane, only to be struck by a hailstorm; He’d suffered from excessive blood loss, and weathered a brutal flogging that caused a disc prolapse. In addition, his spirit had been repeatedly ravaged by fate – that he didn’t die, was in itself indeed miraculous.
Zhu Di couldn’t be bothered about begging the Gods or praying to Buddha for help. He first boiled a big bowl of concentrated, thousand-year-old Ginseng soup, and poured it in while holding Yunqi’s jaw open.
Afterward, he held a medical consultation with six of the Imperial Physicians, concurrently sending his personal guards to rush back at top speed out of the palace, traveling day and night towards Beiping.
The guards ran three horses to death in order to bring back a brocade box. In the box was a vermillion-eyed ice toad [22], as well as a letter from his humble wife：
My darling! What sins [23] must you have committed in your past life to suffer thus!
Zhu Di!!!!!! If anything untoward happens to Yun-er! My entire Xu family will not let you off even if we die and become ghosts!
Zhu Di felt a chill run down his spine, and questioned his personal guard, “Furen [24]…is her mood currently stable?”
The bodyguard answered, “Furen invited all the Taoists and monks in Beiping, half of them recite the scriptures, and the other half set up altars to perform their Taoist rituals. She’s also lit all the eternal flame lamps in the residence, and ordered the city’s populace to fast…saying that if she doesn’t receive news of xiao-jiu-zi’s safety…then…then…”
Zhu Di replied, “Noted.” don’treadonaggregators.
The personal guard and Zhu Di both had three black lines over their heads. 
Zhu Di thought hard, but finally couldn’t hold back from asking, “Then what?” The personal guard lowered his volume, before replying, “Then hack to death… that thing…regicide.”
Zhu Di nodded, knowing that what Xu Wen said must have been “hack your whole family to death”, and this whole family would naturally include Zhu Yuanzhang.
Rong Qing’s voice sounded from within the room, “Wang-ye, it’s time to change the dressings.” Zhu Di took the ice toad and mixed it with shaojiu [25], before pouring it into Yunqi’s mouth. The shaojiu was very potent, the moment that it entered his throat, Yunqi started coughing violently.
Zhu Di hurriedly took over the bowl, drank the liquid into his own mouth, then hugged Yunqi as he slowly fed it to him. After Yunqi had drank the elixir, he groaned once, before lying in Zhu Di’s arms, sleeping deeply.
Zhu Di stared at the erratically flickering tongues of flame in the oil lamp, lost in thought. It wasn’t clear what he was thinking about. Finally, he glanced again at Yunqi.
Zhu Di expressed casually, “You and Qing’er…both have General Xu’s eyebrows, and eyes like the tender moonlight… How beautiful must your mother have been? To have a pair of children blessed with such lustrous and spirited appearances.”
Yunqi struggled weakly. Zhu Di let go of him and let him lie down, pulling up a blanket to carefully cover him. He scrutinized Yunqi for a moment, before laughing like a ruffian, as he nodded.
Translator: 🍓SassyStrawberry | http://www.sassystrawberry.com
Several days later, with Zhu Di ruthlessly throwing money at them, Yunqi’s injuries finally took a gradual turn for the better.
Zhu Di had accompanied the armies on expeditions since he was young and therefore was accustomed to handling everything on his own. He may be a Prince, but when caring for a patient, he wasn’t averse to toil or fatigue. Every day he would change the dressings, secure bandages, and feed medicine, with great proficiency. Whenever he felt tired, he’d rest beside Yunqi’s bed for a while. When he was hungry, he ate and lived together with the Jinyiwei, co-existing harmoniously. Without realizing it, it had already been almost half a month.
Yunqi opened his eyes. At this time, Zhu Di and several Jinyiwei were kicking a shuttlecock around the courtyard.
Upon hearing that Yunqi had awoken, he sped into the room in a flustered state. “Brother-in-law, how are you?”
Zhu Di stared at Yunqi’s unfocused eyes anxiously, stretched out his fingers, and waved his hand in front of him. Zhu Di made a fist, and asked, “How many fingers?” Yunqi said, “All get out.” The room full of standing guards hurriedly scattered like a hive of bees.
Zhu Di raised his hands in a show of surrender, before resentfully turning to leave.
Yunqi’s debilitated voice was filled with an undisguised fury, as he spoke coldly, “Wang-ye, you are really very bold.”
Zhu Di sighed, “It’s fortunate that you didn’t shatter your front teeth, otherwise it would whistle when you speak…”
“It was you who gave him the paper money?” readonsassystrawberryd0tcom
Zhu Di put away his teasing expression. Yunqi slowly turned his head to meet his gaze. Killing intent flashed across Zhu Di’s expression.
Yunqi said, “There’s a knife by the wall, you can just kill me.”
Zhu Di laughed it off, and replied, “Don’t make this kind of joke. We’re a family, even if I were to kill anyone, I wouldn’t be able to kill you.”
Zhu Di shook the bottom of his robe and sat along the edge of the bed. His left foot rested on his right knee, as he patted at his black boots. He blurted out, “This beating…ultimately, it was Jiefu who caused harm to you. I’ll bear it in mind, and will make amends to you in the future.”
Yunqi’s eyes were filled with disgust and hatred, as he yelled, “Scram far away!”
Zhu Di wasn’t offended in the least. On the contrary, he smiled. Assessing Yunqi with great interest, he narrowed his eyes and spoke, “Xiao-jiu-zi, your appearance when you’re angry, is really similar to your Jie’s. Has anyone told you that before?”
Yunqi ignored this, and said coldly, “What do you take Tuoba Feng as?”
Zhu Di replied in a carefree and leisurely manner, “Of course as a son. Otherwise, what else could I take him as?” Presently, he looked at Yunqi again, and said in a teasing manner, “Jiefu certainly didn’t have a childhood sweetheart when he was young, nor did he have any tokens of love like a jade pendant or an embroidered fan…”
Yunqi lost control and roared loudly, “You didn’t regard him as a person. No one ever took him to be a person!”
Zhu Di put away his smile, and spoke seriously, “Yunqi, seeing is believing. You’ve never witnessed it with your own eyes, but from the moment that I adopted Tuoba Feng; Beyond the great wall, as long as they are of the Tujue tribe – they’ve been able to retain their lives due to Tuoba Feng’s blessings.”
“The wolf clan wasn’t killed by Jiefu. When the people of the Yuan dynasty fled, it was them who murdered his clan. Jiefu saved his life and sent him into the palace. Every year I send cows and sheep to his tribespeople. Any Tujue person surnamed Tuoba can come to my residence to seek my protection.”
Yunqi jeered, “So one day if you become the Emperor, you’ll send him back to the Kherlen River? How many fiefs, how many soldiers, how many women did you promise him? How many cows, sheep, and how much property?”
Yunqi uncontrollably gasped for breath as he cried out in agitation, Zhu Di hastily came forward to help him to sit up, but Yunqi coughed as he pushed him away.
Zhu Di wasn’t upset by this, and smiled, “I didn’t promise him anything. But it is ultimately what he deserves to receive. I buried his clan with great ceremony, saved the lives of his tribespeople, and raised him until he was five years old, before candidly informing him of his status.”
“Without hiding anything; I even taught him the Tujue language, and bade him to always remember who he is. If it were you…wouldn’t you also be willing to serve me to the death?”
Zhu Di smiled faintly, “Xiao-jiu-zi, don’t you understand Tuoba Feng’s character by now? The nature of the Tujue people is very stubborn. If you treat him well, he’ll repay you wholeheartedly. If he bears a grudge, then he’ll also singlemindedly return to wreak vengeance…Isn’t that the disposition of a wolf cub?”
Yunqi retorted, “Wholeheartedly devoted himself to repaying you for your grace of raising him, but ultimately, he only received a cup of poisoned wine.”
Zhu Di’s face paled, “What poisoned wine?”The great weight off Zhu Di’s heart was lifted.☐☐☐
Yunqi frowned slightly as he met Zhu Di’s eyes.
Zhu Di’s expression was like he’d fallen into a bottomless abyss, “He drank poisoned wine?!”
Yunqi asked doubtfully, “The Red Arsenic [26] wasn’t sent by you?”
Zhu Di couldn’t speak for a while. Thereafter, he asked, “He died?”TLSassyStrawberry
Yunqi was supremely bewildered at this, his thoughts in chaos.
Zhu Di abruptly seized Yunqi’s hand, and said, “You…Xiao-jiu-zi, didn’t you already set him free?! The night after everything happened, I sent someone to rescue him from the prison during the second watch – that person reported that the prison guard had died. Events had just happened, you…” Yunqi struggled free and cried, “He didn’t die!”
Yunqi stared at Zhu Di for a while, before speaking slowly, “That night someone sent poisoned wine, and wanted to kill him to ensure his silence. This is odd, who could it be? Could it have been the Emperor…?”
Zhu Di asked, “What was he poisoned with? Where did you send him?”
Yunqi shook his head and said, “ I had him take the Kurong Zaohua pill. This medicine can detoxify a hundred types of poison…I then sent him on a boat, to Yangzhou.”
Zhu Di felt a sense of relief as if a heavy weight had been lifted off him, and said, “Later I’ll have him write a letter to you, and you’ll understand what’s going on.”
Yunqi pursed his lips as he considered for a moment, as his head started to hurt again. Zhu Di turned to fetch brush and ink, and prattled on endlessly, “You recuperate first. Since you’re better, write a note to your sister, otherwise, for the rest of my life, I’ll never be able to enter the house again.”
Yunqi’s bellyful of rage had mostly simmered off, so he took the brush, and carelessly wrote:
Zhu Di, Turtle’s Egg [27]
before pushing it back to him.
The Turtle’s Egg [27] replied earnestly, “Brother-in-law, your statement is equivalent to calling the current Emperor a Turtle…”
Yunqi got angry and blacked out the word “Egg”. The great weight off Zhu Di’s heart was lifted.☐☐☐
The Turtle grinned as he folded the paper properly and stuffed it back into his robes. He said, “I’ll go now. Don’t miss me.”
At the moment that Zhu Di turned his back, Yunqi said coldly, “My mother was the most popular girl at the House of Dancing Smoke. While the Emperor was seizing the Yingtian Fu [28], in the chaos of war, she met my father.
When Zhu Di heard this, he couldn’t help but turn around. Yunqi continued speaking, “We brother and sister are children of a concubine, and my mother is of low birth, so I’m destined to live out a dog’s life. No matter how good my relationship is with the Imperial Grandson, it’s of no use.” “The civil officials of the Imperial Court won’t allow me to receive an official title or have my descendants inherit. You should save your effort. If you have such intentions, you might as well go curry favor with the people of the Six Ministries.”
Zhu Di scratched his head, saying, “Jiefu doesn’t even know my own mother’s name. That year when the old man and Chen Youliang fought from east to west…he even misplaced my mother. Now I’ve acknowledged Empress Ma as my mother, but if we speak about it carefully…”
Zhu Di regained his usual ruffian soldier smile, and crowed proudly, “This is called “If we weren’t already like family, we wouldn’t have become family [29]”
After saying this, he spoke ironically, “Brother-in-law, you’d already woken up the first time I fed you medicine, but you pretended to be unconscious for over ten days. Why, were you too lazy to move, so you waited for this Wang-ye to wait upon you?”
Zhu Di turned to leave and led his personal guards to leave Nanjing that very afternoon.
Yunqi lay on the bed and closed his eyes, as he said, “ Nothing to be sad about… Shixiong, take care of yourself [30].”
Translator: 🍓SassyStrawberry | http://www.sassystrawberry.com
“Why are you crying, you’re already so old.”
“A big man crying and whimpering…” ☐The great weight off Zhu Di’s heart was lifted.☐☐☐
Little Tuoba Feng squatted by his bedside, and carefully observed little Yunqi.
He frowned slightly, displeased, “Don’t cry anymore.“ ☐read☐on☐og☐site
Little Yunqi sobbed, “Someone in my family died…” Afterward, he sniffed up his snot.
Little Tuoba Feng answered, “Oh.” Both stared determinedly at one another for a moment.
Little Tuoba Feng spoke again, “My family members are all dead too.”
Little Yunqi burst out into loud wails again, and cried, “The one who died is my father! My two silver coins every month are no more!”
Little Tuoba Feng said, “Oh, no more.”The great weight off Zhu Di’s heart was lifted.☐☐☐
“Why do you have a scrape on your head, come here, Shi-ge will rub it for you.”
Little Yunqi with a handful of snot and a faceful of tears said, “From kowtowing…”
Little Tuoba Feng stroked little Yunqi’s head in sympathy, “Call me Father. ”
“…”
Little Yunqi crossed his eyes and squinted at little Tuoba Feng. That gaze resembled that of a dirty little kitten that was rather wary of humans.
Little Tuoba Feng said quietly, “Call me Father. In the future, Shi-ge will be a Jinyiwei, and I’ll give all my salary to you. Two taels of silver a month.”
The word ‘father’ had almost reached little Yunqi’s mouth, but he ultimately didn’t say it aloud. He said feebly, “It’s better that I don’t. I can’t call casually call someone Father.”
Little Tuoba Feng studied his manner, he looked like he was stewing in his emotions. Fearing that Yunqi would start crying again in a moment, he quickly gave in, and said, “Even if you don’t, I’ll give it to you. Don’t cry.”
“Don’t want…I want to cry.”
“Even if you don’t want it, you’ll still have to take it.”
“I’ll give you two coins [31] of silver, let me cry for a while…”
“Not allowed to cry.” ☐☐☐“Not allowed to cry.” ☐☐
“Waa! Shi-ge, my father is dead…my father is dead!!”
From that day onwards, every month, little Tuoba Feng would give two silver coins to little Yunqi.
Only heaven knows where a twelve-year-old would have gotten this money…
Translator: 🍓SassyStrawberry | http://www.sassystrawberry.com
Nonetheless, that’s not important.“Not allowed to cry.” ☐☐
From ten years old to fifteen years old, every month there were two silver coins – a total of twelve taels; From fifteen years old to nineteen years old, every month there would be two taels of silver – A regular Jinyiwei’s official salary, totaling ninety-six taels.
From nineteen years old to twenty years old, every month three taels – the Jinyiwei Commander’s official salary, a sum of thirty-six taels.
All of Tuoba Feng’s income from working these years had been given to him. Tuoba Feng hadn’t spent money carelessly at all. Sure enough, he was a man of his word.
Yunqi burned the accounts book, quietly committing the silver values to heart.
Arc 1: The Qilin Pendant – end
Wow that’s a twist, I thought for sure it was Zhu Di who sent the poisoned wine 😮
I was scolding him in my heart too, but apparently not? I’m wondering if it was the Emperor though.
For a moment, I thought Jiang Huan was trying to kill Yunqi (if not maim him) with 80 strokes. Zhu Di didn’t send poisoned wine!? The mysteries deepen. I don’t trust the lot of them.
Same! I was so worried for Yunqi… But Old Jiang…. the horrible joke was also on him. Everyone’s kind of sneaky… but Zhu Di is really growing on me.