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I wanted to translate the scene where Shaoshang and her harem gather and then she proceeds to roast her aunt's ex-boyfriend, as it was one of my favorite scenes in the novel and the drama. Unfortunately, this is a very long scene so I've only gotten through the first part so far. I already regret starting this segment so early in the novel (why didn't I just start my translation when they were at the banquet and the scholar had started telling his "story about a friend" already???) but I'm in too deep now. Anyways, this starts midway through chapter 46.
General Timeline Note: Lou Yao did not accompany Shaoshang and her family to Hua County, but came to Hua County to find her after her rescue by Ling Buyi. Shaoshang efficiently organized Hua County’s “hospital”, but had a bit of a mental breakdown from all the stress she was under and from seeing so many people continue to die around her despite her best efforts (including the cute girl from the drama, who only gets a few lines in the novel but whose death is still very sad). Afterwards, she and Lou Yao got engaged (and they are basically fully and formally engaged because Shaoshang’s mother did not object to the betrothal in this timeline).
Mid-Chapter 46
Lou Yao rode on horseback to the side, smiling and watching his beautiful young fiancee skillfully drive the small carriage. The more he watched, the more pleased he became. When he saw they had come to an unusually beautiful hillside next to a pond, he suddenly said: "Such a beautiful scene, why don't you play a tune on the flute?"
Shaoshang looked around and readily agreed. She immediately had Lou Yao sit next to her and handed over the reins and bamboo whip to him to free up her hands to play her flute.
The flute sounded along the wind, the tune light and happy, full of vitality and hope, that the spring weather had warmed, the flowers bloomed, the sorrows and misfortunes of the past few days turned into joy, seeking the protection of the heavens, praying for favorable weather, wishing for warmth and abundance for all — from the guards accompanying them to the farmers in the fields they passed, all had smiles on their faces.
— "Beautiful! Beautiful flute-playing, beautiful melody!"
An astute and powerful voice suddenly called out from the hillside, startling everyone. The guards behind the carriage went on high alert. Shaoshang hurriedly put down her flute, Lou Yao put down the reins, and the two looked all around.
They saw a middle-aged man in a raincoat made of alpine rushes with a bamboo hat hanging on his back walking slowly from the pond. Although he was holding a fishing rod in one hand and a fishing basket in the other, and dressed as a fisherman, a group of respectful servants followed behind him.
The middle-aged man had originally come out only because he heard the sound of the flute. Who would have thought that when he saw the carriage that Shaoshang was sitting in, he immediately frowned, and the gaze he turned on Shaoshang became contemplative. He said slowly: "You are the niece of Cheng Zigu of Hua County?"
Shaoshang was no longer the same person she’d been when she first met Yuan Shen and exhibited rancor towards everyone she met. Seeing that this middle-aged man had a bearing out of the ordinary, behaved ostentatiously, and could inpoint her origins with only a sentence, she hurriedly pulled Lou Yao off the carriage and waved her hand at the guards for them to retreat to a distance. She bowed to pay her respects and said: "I humbly make my greetings. The old gentleman speaks truly. Could it be that this old gentleman is on good terms with the Cheng family?"
Lou Yao felt this middle-aged man looked familiar from the moment he first saw him, and hearing him speak at this time, he suddenly exclaimed: "Ah, you are Senior Official Huangfu! I humbly pay my respects." He had once been forced by his elder brother to attend one of the man’s lectures.
Shaoshang was not familiar with court matters in the slightest, and understood only that this middle-aged man held quite a senior title. As such, she chose the "womanly" path of shrinking behind Lou Yao and leaving him to handle matters.
Unexpectedly, Huangfu Yi ignored Lou Yao, instead staring fixedly at Shaosheng, joking: "Young Lady Cheng, since your name is Shaoshang, why don’t you play a song on the zither, instead of playing the flute?" [Note: This is a reference to the fact that Shaoshang is named after one of the strings on the zither.]
Seeing there was no way to avoid it, Shaoshang laughed dryly: "... I, I do not know how to play the zither, just the flute, which my aunt taught me not long ago …" Speaking of which, how did this guy know her name?!
Looking up, Shaosheng saw the middle-aged man's face clearly for the first time.
The man named Huangfu Yi was not young, and had not taken good care of his health. Even though his facial features were lean and his bearing stately, yet his face showed the hardships of his life, covered by fine wrinkles. As such, Shaosheng dared not guess his exact age.
Huangfu Yi heard her words, and became inexplicably depressed, handing his fishing rod and fishing basket to the servants at his side. He waved his hand for them to go farther away, before saying: "Your aunt did not like to play the zither when she was young, saying it hurt her fingers. However, she still learned to play the zither in the end, and played very well."
Shaosheng put away her smile and was silent for a long time before she said: “Is this senior official on good terms with the Sang family?” She already knew who this Huangfu person was, but was it really good to talk about other people's wives with such a tone?
“Naturally there is. I've been studying at Bailushan since I was a child. When I left the academy, your uncle hadn't even entered the academy yet." Huangfu Yi slowly untied the bamboo hat behind him, "I didn't expect that he would be the one who ended up marrying Shunhua."
Shaoshang’s face sank. She put her hands together and said: “If the senior official doesn’t have anything to discuss, this young lady will bid her leave.” As she spoke, she turned around to get in the carriage. Lou Yao to the side was standing there blankly, completely unaware of what had just happened.
"Wait!" Huangfu Yi suddenly raised his voice, twirling his whiskers and smiling, "Were you aware that this carriage was a gift to your aunt from me?”
Shaoshang's face remained cold: "So what?!" In her heart, she cursed her pig-trotter uncle for the millionth time. He really did cause trouble for her not just once, but again and again!
Huangfu Yi took a few steps forward, slowly stroking the beautifully curved axle, and said: "I heard that her leg was injured. In order to avoid any difficulties for her if she traveled, I specially built this light horse-drawn carriage to give to her. Who would have thought that your uncle would give it to you?"
Shaoshang became unhappy: "The scholar speaks incorrectly. This carriage was not gifted to me by my uncle. It was gifted to me by my aunt!" Although Third Uncle was not very bright, he had a pretty face, a good figure, and an innocent and sincere temperament. Third Aunt loved him like nobody’s business. The past was the past and times had changed, what did this damned old man want to do about it?! Why didn’t he count the wrinkles on his face!
"As for my aunt's leg injury, the senior official doesn't have to worry. From bandaging the wound to dressing it, and even to sucking the pus and blood from the wound, my uncle did not let anyone else help and did everything by himself." Ordinary young girls would find this kind of proclamation embarrassing to make, even if every word were true. But Shaoshang was hard-hearted and thick-skinned. At this moment, for the sake of her pig-trotter uncle’s dignity, she was willing to fight for it.
As expected, Huangfu Yi's expression changed greatly upon hearing those words. But after a moment, he returned to his elegant and relaxed appearance, only smiling bitterly and shaking his head repeatedly. He pondered for a moment and said: "In terms of seniority, I can be considered your elder in part. Over this hill is the courtyard where His Majesty was once stationed. Why doesn’t this young lady accompany me there to converse?"
Shaoshang laughed coldly: "My aunt told me that she once made you promise never to seek her out, or have anyone around you do so, or write or send her anything. As such, there is no need to converse." This master-and-disciple-pair were the same sort, making requests of people so boldly and assuredly, regardless of any impact on the recipient of the request.
Huangfu Yi smiled slightly: "Your aunt truly treats you with intimacy, speaking of everything with you. But last time after Shanjian entrusted you with the message to pass on, your uncle sent a letter to say that there’s no harm in old friends meeting each other."
Shaoshang gritted her teeth, wishing she could drag her pig-trotter uncle over here to beat him a hundred times, yes, a hundred times!
Huangfu Yi saw this little girl’s expression change many times in an amusing fashion, and said both sincerely and warmly: "I have no ulterior motives. It’s just … alas, I want to see your aunt, but I don’t think she wants me to appear before her again. You are someone close to her, so speaking with you is almost like seeing her."
Shaosheng heard his earnest words, and saw his humble posture, and thought to herself that this person was one of Yuan Shen's teachers, so he probably had a significant background. If possible, it was better not to offend him, so she could only hold back what she wanted to say and nod.
The slope was gentle. Huangfu Yi walked in front with his hands behind his back, followed silently by Shaosheng, after which Lou Yao, who still did not fully understand the situation, followed about 10 feet behind, leading the horse, followed by a large number of guards and servants.
Unexpectedly, before they finished climbing over the hill, they came across a tall, wide pavilion built at the top of the hill, with a bronze qilin on top of the eaves, six hexagonal columns underneath, extending out.
There were two young men in the pavilion. The one wearing a light blue scholar’s robe was holding a bamboo volume in his hand, standing facing east towards the mountains. The other one wore a plain white jacket with buttons over a hazily patterned brocade robe, slim-waisted and slender-bodied, his side profile still handsome, sitting quietly in front of a chessboard on a stone table, one hand resting on his knee, the other wrist on the stone table, white fingertips tapping a black chesspiece.
— As soon as Shaoshang saw these two, her legs suddenly turned to lead, her head filled with boiling lava. No matter what, she could not make herself walk over there.
In the end, it was Yuan Shen who saw them first and bowed gracefully towards Huangfu Yi, saying: "Scholar, it's time for you to drink your medicine."
Shaosheng was clearly standing next to his teacher, but his gaze refused to turn toward her, as if he did not see her. As for the kind brother playing chess, not even a corner of his clothing moved.
Huangfu Yi smiled and explained to the girl: "A few days ago, His Majesty returned to the capital after touring Qingzhou. But my body is disappointing, and cannot stand the exhaustion of further travel. So His Majesty sent me here to recuperate. Shanjian you’ve met before, he’s accompanying me. As for Zi … oh, Lord Ling … He and I came just two days ago. His Majesty instructed him to take good care of his injuries."
Shaosheng nodded awkwardly. Truly, deep down she felt that this feeling of awkwardness was irrational, because she didn’t feel that she had anything to feel awkward about, yet truly the atmosphere was awkward for no reason.
Huangfu Yi walked to the stove at the side, and a young boy helped him sit down to drink medicine.
Shaosheng felt she needed to break through this awkwardness, so she took two steps forward, bowed and said, "Young Master Yuan, long time no see. How are you doing?"
The cold-expressioned Young Master Yuan finally moved his gaze over a little bit, his voice even colder than his expression: "I haven't seen you for two months. I heard that Young Lady Cheng has been betrothed. I congratulate you here and now."
The tone of the sentence was very elegant, the words “two months” were bitten off with heavy emphasis, giving the sense that he was gnashing his teeth in anger.
Shaoshang swallowed. Before she could reply, a young man came out from the other side with a tray in his hands. Seeing Shaoshang, he exclaimed, "...... Young Lady Cheng ......?"
Shaoshan smiled and said: "Guard Liangqiu, it turns out that you are here."
Liangqiu Fei inexplicably pulled a long face, saying with a weird tone: "‘Only a month has passed since we last saw each other, and I hear that Young Lady Cheng has been betrothed. A-Fei congratulates you here and now!"
Shaoshang made an awkward expression.
Why are you saying the same thing as Yuan Shen?
To be continued when I start translating Chapter 47
General Timeline Note: Lou Yao did not accompany Shaoshang and her family to Hua County, but came to Hua County to find her after her rescue by Ling Buyi. Shaoshang efficiently organized Hua County’s “hospital”, but had a bit of a mental breakdown from all the stress she was under and from seeing so many people continue to die around her despite her best efforts (including the cute girl from the drama, who only gets a few lines in the novel but whose death is still very sad). Afterwards, she and Lou Yao got engaged (and they are basically fully and formally engaged because Shaoshang’s mother did not object to the betrothal in this timeline).
Mid-Chapter 46
Lou Yao rode on horseback to the side, smiling and watching his beautiful young fiancee skillfully drive the small carriage. The more he watched, the more pleased he became. When he saw they had come to an unusually beautiful hillside next to a pond, he suddenly said: "Such a beautiful scene, why don't you play a tune on the flute?"
Shaoshang looked around and readily agreed. She immediately had Lou Yao sit next to her and handed over the reins and bamboo whip to him to free up her hands to play her flute.
The flute sounded along the wind, the tune light and happy, full of vitality and hope, that the spring weather had warmed, the flowers bloomed, the sorrows and misfortunes of the past few days turned into joy, seeking the protection of the heavens, praying for favorable weather, wishing for warmth and abundance for all — from the guards accompanying them to the farmers in the fields they passed, all had smiles on their faces.
— "Beautiful! Beautiful flute-playing, beautiful melody!"
An astute and powerful voice suddenly called out from the hillside, startling everyone. The guards behind the carriage went on high alert. Shaoshang hurriedly put down her flute, Lou Yao put down the reins, and the two looked all around.
They saw a middle-aged man in a raincoat made of alpine rushes with a bamboo hat hanging on his back walking slowly from the pond. Although he was holding a fishing rod in one hand and a fishing basket in the other, and dressed as a fisherman, a group of respectful servants followed behind him.
The middle-aged man had originally come out only because he heard the sound of the flute. Who would have thought that when he saw the carriage that Shaoshang was sitting in, he immediately frowned, and the gaze he turned on Shaoshang became contemplative. He said slowly: "You are the niece of Cheng Zigu of Hua County?"
Shaoshang was no longer the same person she’d been when she first met Yuan Shen and exhibited rancor towards everyone she met. Seeing that this middle-aged man had a bearing out of the ordinary, behaved ostentatiously, and could inpoint her origins with only a sentence, she hurriedly pulled Lou Yao off the carriage and waved her hand at the guards for them to retreat to a distance. She bowed to pay her respects and said: "I humbly make my greetings. The old gentleman speaks truly. Could it be that this old gentleman is on good terms with the Cheng family?"
Lou Yao felt this middle-aged man looked familiar from the moment he first saw him, and hearing him speak at this time, he suddenly exclaimed: "Ah, you are Senior Official Huangfu! I humbly pay my respects." He had once been forced by his elder brother to attend one of the man’s lectures.
Shaoshang was not familiar with court matters in the slightest, and understood only that this middle-aged man held quite a senior title. As such, she chose the "womanly" path of shrinking behind Lou Yao and leaving him to handle matters.
Unexpectedly, Huangfu Yi ignored Lou Yao, instead staring fixedly at Shaosheng, joking: "Young Lady Cheng, since your name is Shaoshang, why don’t you play a song on the zither, instead of playing the flute?" [Note: This is a reference to the fact that Shaoshang is named after one of the strings on the zither.]
Seeing there was no way to avoid it, Shaoshang laughed dryly: "... I, I do not know how to play the zither, just the flute, which my aunt taught me not long ago …" Speaking of which, how did this guy know her name?!
Looking up, Shaosheng saw the middle-aged man's face clearly for the first time.
The man named Huangfu Yi was not young, and had not taken good care of his health. Even though his facial features were lean and his bearing stately, yet his face showed the hardships of his life, covered by fine wrinkles. As such, Shaosheng dared not guess his exact age.
Huangfu Yi heard her words, and became inexplicably depressed, handing his fishing rod and fishing basket to the servants at his side. He waved his hand for them to go farther away, before saying: "Your aunt did not like to play the zither when she was young, saying it hurt her fingers. However, she still learned to play the zither in the end, and played very well."
Shaosheng put away her smile and was silent for a long time before she said: “Is this senior official on good terms with the Sang family?” She already knew who this Huangfu person was, but was it really good to talk about other people's wives with such a tone?
“Naturally there is. I've been studying at Bailushan since I was a child. When I left the academy, your uncle hadn't even entered the academy yet." Huangfu Yi slowly untied the bamboo hat behind him, "I didn't expect that he would be the one who ended up marrying Shunhua."
Shaoshang’s face sank. She put her hands together and said: “If the senior official doesn’t have anything to discuss, this young lady will bid her leave.” As she spoke, she turned around to get in the carriage. Lou Yao to the side was standing there blankly, completely unaware of what had just happened.
"Wait!" Huangfu Yi suddenly raised his voice, twirling his whiskers and smiling, "Were you aware that this carriage was a gift to your aunt from me?”
Shaoshang's face remained cold: "So what?!" In her heart, she cursed her pig-trotter uncle for the millionth time. He really did cause trouble for her not just once, but again and again!
Huangfu Yi took a few steps forward, slowly stroking the beautifully curved axle, and said: "I heard that her leg was injured. In order to avoid any difficulties for her if she traveled, I specially built this light horse-drawn carriage to give to her. Who would have thought that your uncle would give it to you?"
Shaoshang became unhappy: "The scholar speaks incorrectly. This carriage was not gifted to me by my uncle. It was gifted to me by my aunt!" Although Third Uncle was not very bright, he had a pretty face, a good figure, and an innocent and sincere temperament. Third Aunt loved him like nobody’s business. The past was the past and times had changed, what did this damned old man want to do about it?! Why didn’t he count the wrinkles on his face!
"As for my aunt's leg injury, the senior official doesn't have to worry. From bandaging the wound to dressing it, and even to sucking the pus and blood from the wound, my uncle did not let anyone else help and did everything by himself." Ordinary young girls would find this kind of proclamation embarrassing to make, even if every word were true. But Shaoshang was hard-hearted and thick-skinned. At this moment, for the sake of her pig-trotter uncle’s dignity, she was willing to fight for it.
As expected, Huangfu Yi's expression changed greatly upon hearing those words. But after a moment, he returned to his elegant and relaxed appearance, only smiling bitterly and shaking his head repeatedly. He pondered for a moment and said: "In terms of seniority, I can be considered your elder in part. Over this hill is the courtyard where His Majesty was once stationed. Why doesn’t this young lady accompany me there to converse?"
Shaoshang laughed coldly: "My aunt told me that she once made you promise never to seek her out, or have anyone around you do so, or write or send her anything. As such, there is no need to converse." This master-and-disciple-pair were the same sort, making requests of people so boldly and assuredly, regardless of any impact on the recipient of the request.
Huangfu Yi smiled slightly: "Your aunt truly treats you with intimacy, speaking of everything with you. But last time after Shanjian entrusted you with the message to pass on, your uncle sent a letter to say that there’s no harm in old friends meeting each other."
Shaoshang gritted her teeth, wishing she could drag her pig-trotter uncle over here to beat him a hundred times, yes, a hundred times!
Huangfu Yi saw this little girl’s expression change many times in an amusing fashion, and said both sincerely and warmly: "I have no ulterior motives. It’s just … alas, I want to see your aunt, but I don’t think she wants me to appear before her again. You are someone close to her, so speaking with you is almost like seeing her."
Shaosheng heard his earnest words, and saw his humble posture, and thought to herself that this person was one of Yuan Shen's teachers, so he probably had a significant background. If possible, it was better not to offend him, so she could only hold back what she wanted to say and nod.
The slope was gentle. Huangfu Yi walked in front with his hands behind his back, followed silently by Shaosheng, after which Lou Yao, who still did not fully understand the situation, followed about 10 feet behind, leading the horse, followed by a large number of guards and servants.
Unexpectedly, before they finished climbing over the hill, they came across a tall, wide pavilion built at the top of the hill, with a bronze qilin on top of the eaves, six hexagonal columns underneath, extending out.
There were two young men in the pavilion. The one wearing a light blue scholar’s robe was holding a bamboo volume in his hand, standing facing east towards the mountains. The other one wore a plain white jacket with buttons over a hazily patterned brocade robe, slim-waisted and slender-bodied, his side profile still handsome, sitting quietly in front of a chessboard on a stone table, one hand resting on his knee, the other wrist on the stone table, white fingertips tapping a black chesspiece.
— As soon as Shaoshang saw these two, her legs suddenly turned to lead, her head filled with boiling lava. No matter what, she could not make herself walk over there.
In the end, it was Yuan Shen who saw them first and bowed gracefully towards Huangfu Yi, saying: "Scholar, it's time for you to drink your medicine."
Shaosheng was clearly standing next to his teacher, but his gaze refused to turn toward her, as if he did not see her. As for the kind brother playing chess, not even a corner of his clothing moved.
Huangfu Yi smiled and explained to the girl: "A few days ago, His Majesty returned to the capital after touring Qingzhou. But my body is disappointing, and cannot stand the exhaustion of further travel. So His Majesty sent me here to recuperate. Shanjian you’ve met before, he’s accompanying me. As for Zi … oh, Lord Ling … He and I came just two days ago. His Majesty instructed him to take good care of his injuries."
Shaosheng nodded awkwardly. Truly, deep down she felt that this feeling of awkwardness was irrational, because she didn’t feel that she had anything to feel awkward about, yet truly the atmosphere was awkward for no reason.
Huangfu Yi walked to the stove at the side, and a young boy helped him sit down to drink medicine.
Shaosheng felt she needed to break through this awkwardness, so she took two steps forward, bowed and said, "Young Master Yuan, long time no see. How are you doing?"
The cold-expressioned Young Master Yuan finally moved his gaze over a little bit, his voice even colder than his expression: "I haven't seen you for two months. I heard that Young Lady Cheng has been betrothed. I congratulate you here and now."
The tone of the sentence was very elegant, the words “two months” were bitten off with heavy emphasis, giving the sense that he was gnashing his teeth in anger.
Shaoshang swallowed. Before she could reply, a young man came out from the other side with a tray in his hands. Seeing Shaoshang, he exclaimed, "...... Young Lady Cheng ......?"
Shaoshan smiled and said: "Guard Liangqiu, it turns out that you are here."
Liangqiu Fei inexplicably pulled a long face, saying with a weird tone: "‘Only a month has passed since we last saw each other, and I hear that Young Lady Cheng has been betrothed. A-Fei congratulates you here and now!"
Shaoshang made an awkward expression.
Why are you saying the same thing as Yuan Shen?
To be continued when I start translating Chapter 47