This chapter has been brought to you by me, Adnana, and Vivie.
府 fu: compound or estate; junwang fu: prince’s estate/compound
氏 shi: clan/maiden name
郡王 junwang: second-rank prince; also referred to as junwang ye, i.e. “His [Your] Royal Highness”
妾 qie: I, your servant (used by a wife or concubine)
郡王妃 junwang fei: the official wife of a junwang
Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Beauty’s Anger
The soup dumplings of Yi’an Marquis Fu were fresh and fragrant. They were what Hua Xi Wan liked to eat the most before her marriage, so early in the morning of the seventh, Lu shi had arranged for the servants to make the porridge that Hua Xi Wan liked to drink, the soup dumplings she liked to eat, and all kinds of little dishes.
Yan Jin Qiu accompanied Hua Xi Wan to the main yard to greet the parents before the entire family moved to the meal hall. Together, they ate this morning meal that was more than an hour later than usual.
After washing his hands and waiting for Hua He Sheng and Lu shi to move their chopsticks first, Yan Jin Qiu picked up his chopsticks to grip a crystal little soup dumpling to put into Hua Xi Wan’s plate. Then with a natural movement, he poured a small bowl of almond milk to place next to her left hand. After doing all this, he started to serve himself what he liked to eat.
Lu shi noticed his movements and there was a content expression in her eyes. Even the candied fruits that she usually ate were much more delicious than usual.
She had been thirsty when she got up, so Hua Xi Wan quickly drank the half bowl of almond milk. Putting it down, she pushed the bowl in Yan Jin Qiu’s direction and then smiled. Lu shi saw this and originally wanted to order a servant beside her to pour for her daughter. But when she saw Bai Xia and the other personal servant girls did not move at all, she thought about it again and then she pretended to not see this.
Hua Yi Liu’s movements slowed after she saw the two interact. She looked at Xian Junwang’s considerate actions, and her hand gripped the spoon tighter. She found that Hua Chu Yu was looking at her. She looked back coldly at the other and bent her head to drink the porridge in her bowl that had become tasteless.
Sun shi’s gaze seemed to accidentally sweep over the two, and then she moved her eyes away with a slight smile.
After the meal, Hua Xi Wan was going back with Yan Jin Qiu to the junwang fu. Before she got onto the carriage, she turned to face her father and two brothers behind her. A moment later, she said, “Do not miss me, take care.”
Hua He Sheng watched as his daughter got on the carriage. A curtain blocked off his eyesight. As the carriage moved away, his gaze moved away with it. Only when the carriage disappeared did he turn and say to his sons, “Return.”
Just now when she left, Xi Wan had said only six words, but he could hear the deep meaning contained in these words.
Xian Junwang was of a deep mind, and very ambitious. However, he was one who could act. Xi Wan was not willing for the marquis fu to be pulled into this, so she had said “take care.”
Hua Chang Bao followed his father with a serious expression. Thinking about his sister who had been taken away in that grand carriage, he sighed inwardly.
On the carriage, Yan Jin Qiu played with two carved pits[i]. He tilted his head and smiled at Hua Xi Wan, saying, “Does Xi Wan know the trumpet vine[ii]? This kind of flower is beautiful when it blooms, but in truth, even the proudest flower can only bloom when relying on the support of others.”
“A flower like the trumpet flower sounds proud, but it is not like that.” The corner of Hua Xi Wan’s mouth rose as she said sardonically, “Flowers are just a decoration. We can just look at them. Why do we have to study how they grow?”
Yan Jin Qiu examined her with a faint smile. A moment later, he threw the carved pits back into a beautiful box. “You are right.”
Hua Xi Wan curled the corners of her lips but did not speak.
When the carriage entered the junwang fu, Hua Xi Wan got off first. She did not wait for Yan Jin Qiu to come out, taking Bai Xia’s hand and preparing to go back to the main yard.
“Xi Wan.” Yan Jin Qiu poked his head out of the carriage. He looked at Hua Xi Wan’s back and said, “Why are you walking so quickly?”
Hua Xi Wan turned her head back to look at the man sitting in the carriage. She raised her chin slightly and snorted. She said, “Junwang Ye still has important matters, qie won’t disturb you.” Finishing, she turned to leave. When she had walked a few steps, she saw that there was a piece of rock poking out of the fake mountain. She stopped and said, “This fake mountain has a protrusion; it doesn’t look pleasing.”
After she said this, she took a few steps back, raised her skirts to her waist and then kicked forcefully. With a crack, the protruding piece fell to the ground.
“This looks much more pleasing.” Hua Xi Wan turned to smile brightly at Yan Jin Qiu. “What do you think, Junwang Ye?” After she said this, she did not wait for Yan Jin Qiu’s reply. She elegantly put down her skirts, then allowed Bai Xia and the other servant girls to neaten the corners of her dress before she flowed away.
In a deathly silence, Mu Tong looked at the corner of the fake mountain that had been broken off due to the kick. He felt that his calves were hurting. After swallowing, he said, “What are you dazing about for? Since Junwang Fei said this fake mountain is not pleasing, demolish it and put something else up.”
“Yes.” The frightened servants finally reacted and started to clean up the fake mountain. A brave servant glanced out of the corner of his eye at Junwang Ye. He sighed inside, as expected of Junwang Ye. Even though Junwang Fei was so valiant, he could still sit with a normal expression in the carriage.
“Junwang Ye?” Mu Tong went forward and called.
There was no response.
“Junwang Ye?”
Yan Jin Qiu turned to glance coldly at him. “Take this fake mountain away, and plant a bush of roses.”
Plant roses with thorns by a path? Mu Tong looked in puzzlement at Junwang Ye. Seeing the other’s serious expression, he lowered his head and said, “This small one will remember.”
Fine, roses. At least that was better than the round bulbs from the eastern countries that had thorns but no leaves.
When Hua Xi Wan returned to the main yard, she took down her palace wear and put on a fiery red silk dress. After she used a blood jade hairpin to put up her hair, she summoned a non-descript second-rank servant girl. “What did Lu Zhu do yesterday?”
This second-rank servant girl obediently narrated Lu Zhu’s conduct for the whole day before falling silent with a bowed head.
“Bai Xia, how long has Lu Zhu served me? Hua Xi Wan used a brush to draw a blooming blood blossom on her brow and threw a seductive glance. “Time is what wears down people the most. Good could become bad, yet bad can become good.”
Bai Xia and the other two did not dare to speak because they had been with their mistress for many years. They naturally knew that their mistress was angry.
“Come, get Lu Zhu.” She put down the brush and examined her own makeup in the mirror. She used the charcoal to draw her eyebrows. She then opened a random jewelry box. The things inside almost dazzled the eyes.
“Mistress.” Seeing this, Bai Xia and the others knelt.
Hua Xi Wan seemed to not see them kneeling down. She picked out a bangle inlaid with red stones and slowly put it on her wrist.
The room was so silent that the sound of breathing was clear to hear. No one dared to move. They even tried to lessen the sound of their breathing.
“Junwang Fei, Junwang Ye has sent someone to deliver a box of precious stones,” a servant reported.
“Put it down.” Hua Xi Wan didn’t even look at the precious stones the servant delivered. Her white hand picked up the bright green teacup without any expression.
When Lu Zhu came into the main room following the servant girl, she detected the mood was not right. When she saw her mistress wearing a red long-sleeved dress and sitting expressionlessly in the main seat, and her other three sisters kneeling on the ground, her heart skipped a beat. Her knees weakened and she knelt down.
“Dong.” This was the sound of the teacup touching the table. It was very small, but it was enough to frighten Lu Zhu’s heart into beating rapidly.
“Lu Zhu is seventeen this year, right?” Hua Xi Wan propped her hand on her chin as she looked lazily at Lu Zhu kneeling in front of her. She sighed and said, “You have been with me at least six years.”
“Miss, this servant has made a mistake.” Before Hua Xi Wan could say anything else, Lu Zhu started to beg. “This servant was possessed for a moment. Please, Mistress, based on our relationship of mistress and servant these years, please give this servant another chance.”
When Hua Xi Wan saw her act like this, she smiled rather than get angry. “What kind of relationship could get you to have thoughts of getting close to your male master?”
Lu Zhu had always been in the inner compound and had not seen many outstanding males. Seeing Junwang Ye being so gentle to her mistress, after a while, she had thoughts that she should not have. Right now, as she was exposed in front of her sisters, her face paled and she was unable to defend herself. She knew what she should say, but under her mistress’ humoring gaze, she wasn’t able to make a sound.
“Junwang Fei, Junwang Ye has sent this small one with two plates of fresh lychee for you.” When Mu Tong walked into the main room, his gaze swept straight past Lu Zhu, and then he bowed in front of Hua Xi Wan. “This is produced in the Yue Area[iii]—have a taste and see if you like it?”
“Put it there.” Hua Xi Wan did not look at the two plates of lychee. “Junwang Ye has spent great effort.”
Seeing this, Mu Tong could only put down the things and retreat. It seemed that Junwang Fei was still angry. Nothing that Junwang Ye sent now would be of use.
“When I married, the marquis fu gave your contracts to me.” Hua Xi Wan put out a contract and slowly said, “You can go.”
“Mistress!” Lu Zhu had not expected that her mistress would neither scold nor beat her, but would have her leave the junwang fu. But she was a young female. What could she do outside the junwang fu?
“ I had said this before I married. What is the use in begging for mercy now? When you did this behind my back, you should have thought about this result.” Hua Xi Wan looked coldly at Lu Zhu. “I’m letting you go to protect your face. Otherwise, you won’t even protect your own reputation.”
At this time, Lu Zhu was very regretful and irritated with herself. She had originally thought, based on her and Mistress’ relationship these years, if Junwang Ye really wanted her, the mistress would give her a position because of these years. But who knew that the matter would turn out like this. The junwang ye didn’t want her, and the mistress had no mercy.
She wanted to call Bai Xia and the others to plead on her behalf, but when she looked at them, they buried their heads where they were kneeling and didn’t even have the courage to look at her.
In this moment, the hopelessness inside turned to fury. “Mistress, you are born beautiful and noble. To you, anything is just a word away. But this servant’s birth is not as good as that of the ladies of prestigious families, and I am fated to never have good matters. I do not even dare to look much at the man I love. How can you understand the pain I feel?
“What do you love about him?” Hua Xi Wan looked expressionlessly at Lu Zhu. “If it is beauty, there will always be a day when he will become old. If it is talent, can you speak poetry and make songs? If it is personality, when has he been good to you—you do not even know what kind of person he is. You dare to use the word love?”
Lu Zhu was unable to argue, but she felt that she was not as shallow as Mistress was saying. She fell in love with Junwang Ye at first sight and not for anything else.
“Or is it that you like Xian Junwang’s outstanding appearance? If he were a scholar from a common family, would you still like him?”
“If Junwang Ye was a scholar from a common family, Mistress, would you look at him?”
“Of course not.” Hua Xi Wan snorted. “I was born a noble lady of the marquis fu; I was fated to marry a male from a prestigious family. If he was a common scholar, what chance would he have of appearing in front of me?”
“Then isn’t what you like Junwang Ye’s status?” Lu Zhu felt angry on behalf of Junwang Ye. He was so considerate to Mistress, but Mistress was so cold and emotionless. Even she, a servant girl, could see the love Junwang Ye had for Mistress. Would a person as intelligent as Mistress not detect it?
“Then do you know what he likes about me?” Hua Xi Wan closed her eyes and did not look at Lu Zhu. “Go. Starting from today, our relationship of mistress and servant has ended.”
Lu Zhu dazedly looked at the red-clothed female and then kowtowed three times. “Mistress, please, treat Junwang Ye well in the future. Lu Zhu bids farewell.” Finishing, she turned and walked out of the main room.
After Lu Zhu left, Hua Xi Wan said coolly, “All of you, stand up.”
She was never a person to easily get soft-hearted. In the past, she was so, and she would be so in the future.
When Bai Xia and the others had learned that Lu Zhu had intentions towards Junwang Ye, they were so frightened they paled. While they received orders to stand, their expressions did not ease greatly.
What was going on in Lu Zhu’s brain that she would say such nonsense?
[i] The carved pits are of walnuts, peach and other fruits.
[ii] The trumpet vine’s name in Chinese is ling xiao (凌霄), ling meaning rise or approaching a summit, xiao meaning the sky or the firmament.
[iii] Yue is another term for the area that is now called Guangdong.
Translator Ramblings: Really, Hua Xi Wan’s day just got worse and worse though she did seem to come out the winner of their first fight. Yan Jin Qiu, you need to get better at sucking up.
Yay! First :3 ufufu….I had to read this twice because of all the subtext….HXW was very merciful in this, death is the best option….or will Xian junwang have her taken care of once she leaves the fu?
Death? Why? I really don’t understand you. She is a girl who fell in love – this is not her fault!!!
Her fault is acting on her feeling.
I thing HXW was angry not because she feels something for her husband but because someone who served her- someone she was supposed to trusted betrayed her.
yes, but if you think about it. She have been serving HXW for a very long time and think of all the secret that could come out. She betrayed HXW once so she’ll betray her again. Best do the blow and let’s go. In the play of powers, feelings are a stupid thing to act on impulse. Although I high doubt that happening
well she didn’t “love” him at all. just a little spoiler hint; you’ll find out in the next two or so chapters why she did was she did (talking about Lu Zhu’s), also she has a tragic ending too.
Npe. At that time, a servant who even dare look at his master’s eye without permission can be beaten to death. Of course betray master become a great crime. T.T
Yes. Love is not a fault, but HXW is also right. What is love for her to speak of? She doesn’t even know him, never even really talk with him.
So talking about love is nonsense.
It is merely blindly worshipping like the way many chinese fans worship moviestars and call them husband and being angry when their idolis dating someone. It is not love and it is even fit to be called crazy.
Cos someone like her is exactly those who thinks they own their idol just because they like him.
It is true that dowry maid can be taken as concubine, but it should never be their turn to start having ideas and trying to seduce their master behind their mistress back.
The norm is often that while the mistress being pregnant and can’t attend her husband while her husband has the desire to get a concubine, then the mistress would take one of her maid to do that role cos her maid will be still loyal yo her and submissive.
But if the master has no interest and the maid is trying to seduce then her loyalty is definitely non existent, so such a maid is useless.
HXW is already very merciful to let her go…but she forgot the fact that Lu zhu is her personal servant.
She knows far away too much to let go.
It is too riaky considering her husband’s interest.
If Lu zhu was freed by HXW with the pretext of marriage is another thing, it would have meant that she is still a loyal maid, and no need to worry having her outside.
But with this circumstance…setting her free outside is the same like leaving a ticking time bomb, too risky.
Cos she is disloyal and has hatred now.
Xian wang wouldn’t allow that.
He will.take care of her.
first time commenting here! i dont understand why would HXW got mad at YJQ? YJQ didnt even responds to Lu Zhu’s feeling? i reread so many times but still didnt get it 😢
Nah, she’s didn’t get mad because of that. She got mad because even if she already said to her family that they should mind their own business and she’ll mind hers(“don’t worry about me, take care”), Yan Qing Jiu still insist for her to aid him.
“Does Xi Wan know the trumpet vine[ii]? This kind of flower is beautiful when it blooms, but in truth, even the proudest flower can only bloom when relying on the support of others.”
Yan Qing Jiu is describing Hua Xi Wan. Saying she is beautiful and extremely intelligent, but even if she is beautiful and extremely intelligent, she still needs a powerful support a. k. a her powerful family Marquis fu.
Hua Xi Wan just answered “Yo, I’m just a woman in historical era. I have nothing to do with your business so stfu”
Thank you for the explanation. Now i understand
I firstly interpreted the support as YQJ’s, so I git confused there. Thanks for the insight!
I thought of it more as probing than informing. You’re so beautiful and such, clearly your family raised you with great care, tell me all about it. He has not studied the members of her family; nobody exceptionally politically connected has. I sort of considered it a feeler, rather than a warning.
Her “flowers are a decoration…” I took less like I have nothing to do with you, and more like Beauties are all over, why look farther beyond the beauty itself? Still a total kiss-off. More of a warning to back off the family, with a side of I’m beautiful so that I won’t have to deal with this garbage.
OH! So that’s why he threw out the talk of trumpet flowers and replaced the fake mountain with thorny roses hahaha! Don’t forget YQJ, roses are beautiful but also can protect themselves!
Why? I still dont understand why she is angry before confronting Lu Zhu with kicking a fake mountain? Someone help, I think I understand just 40% of this chapter meaning.
Thank you for the new chapter!
I also need help, I don’t get why she’s suddenly angry, haha..
But I do understand that Lu Zhu’s more of an idiot than me, pfft.
I think it’s subtext. The fake mountain looking oh so pretty but the contents are ugly. It’s like she’s saying that their fu looks beautiful to the people outside but the contents are ugly. She’s just been isolated from her family thanks to her husband’s political stuff going on plus her maid is being stupid. I think she finally couldn’t keep her cool and just erupted in anger. Yan Jin Qiu can’t really refute since he’s one of the big reasons why she’s pissed.
I’m pretty sure Yan Jin Qiu low-key insulted her in the carriage so she was pissed and broke the fake mountain
Maybe it’s because she’s aware that Xian Junwang would want to pull her family into his mess. Afterall he’s so ‘dutifully’ creating a relationship with her family.
Therefore easier to ask for favours in the future…?
Or maybe there was something else. I guess sometimes I’m too simple-minded for this novel xd
I thought the same but he doesn’t seem like a person who’d need the help of his wife’s family. But if this was what he’d wanted, it would kinda explain what he was saying in the carriage and why she was so pissed.
I think so too… he showed how considerate he is too HXW mother and her cousin.. this will make other envy her (her cousin) and her mom become soft-hearted and pleading her husband to help YJQ in the future.. as you know.. HXW father only have his mother as a wife.. so he is someone who always tries to please her which might lead them to an argument if HXW father did not help YJQ in the future (You know his father is as cunning as HXW is despite his doting-ness to his wife)…that’s why HXW told her father not to be blinded with YJQ conduct and try to avoid him.
I think LZ is blinded with love.. as Translator said before, she only look at the other appearance and envy what she thought as someone fortune (When I belive HXW thought her marriage as her misfortune)… Based on LZ and HXW dialogue, it is obvious that HXW did not think highly of her marriage and only regarded is a political marriage which showed how level headed she is compared to LZ and her cousin. It still better that she let LZ go but for her to asked HXW to take care of YJQ better make me feel like slapping her!!! Urghh~ how blinded she is!
In regards of LZ, I don’t think she know what ‘love’ is? She is jealous of her own mistress n thinking all men in that era will definitely have a main wife, a few concubines n fei bings at the side but what she really do not know much about her male master. LZ also think that what her mistress can have, so could she? She also thought since she has a good relationships between ‘mistress n servant’ so also can be with her male master too without thinking of her mistress’s feeling at all.
Nonetheless, thanks for another translated chapter. 😀
Thanks so much for the chapter!
However I did not understand all that happens. Can someone explain to me why Hua Xi Wan is angry at Yan Jin Qiu and how did she learn about the attempt of Lu Zhu to seduce her husband ? Thank you !
She was either angry at Yan Jin Qiu because he was comparing her to the trumpet flower that can’t grow our flourish without the support of others (her family and him) or because he was saying that he would need her family’s support to make his ambitions succeed (but I’m pretty sure it’s the first one), so she just feels insulted. She knows about Lu Zhu because she had another, lower-ranked maid watch her (LZ) the whole time she (HXW) was gone
I think she’s angry because YJQ used a trumpet vine as a metaphor representing HXW. Or at least I think so. She learned of the attempt at this part:
When Hua Xi Wan returned to the main yard, she took down her palace wear and put on a fiery red silk dress. After she used a blood jade hairpin to put up her hair, she summoned a non-descript second-rank servant girl. “What did Lu Zhu do yesterday?”
This second-rank servant girl obediently narrated Lu Zhu’s conduct for the whole day before falling silent with a bowed head.
She knew about LZ intentions the day of the soup incident, and LZ has already get kind of out of hand when she talked about her mistress talents and telling that the most noble woman position could been hers if she attended more parties and polo whatever…
Maybe because on the earlier chapter, she already saw that the maid was having an intention to WJQ ( about the serving of shaved ice when WJQ where still on HXW’s room ) though HXW ignore it. Then in this chapter, HXW maybe felt that (not sure) WJQ where trying to pull her family in his issues then she got angry and at the same time, she took care about the made matter.
There is also one incident where she show her arm which had adorn some kind of bracelet. As you know ancient chinese provide felate to show their hand and feet. so she kind of seducing YXQ by showing her white tender hand and how soft and fragile it look against ornament~
Typo* (provide felate) forbid the female
Thanks for the chapter! HXW is a person you would NOT want to be your enemy, especially if she takes action! LZ’s probably gonna try to bring HXW down with dire consequences won’t she? Her life would’ve been so much easier later on if she just stayed loyal to her mistress. HXW!! Fighting!
Damn I want to quote so many but I’m afraid this comment would end up too lengthy so let me just pick three.
—
Xian Junwang was of a deep mind, and very ambitious. However, he was one who could act. Xi Wan was not willing for the marquis fu to be pulled into this, so she had said “take care.”
It’s her saying she won’t be able to visit so much if at all in the future thanks to all the political intrigues. It’s a little sad what with their family having such close ties to each other. I still think the subtlety is really nicely done here.
—
“What do you love about him?” Hua Xi Wan looked expressionlessly at Lu Zhu. “If it is beauty, there will always be a day when he will become old. If it is talent, can you speak poetry and make songs? If it is personality, when has he been good to you—you do not even know what kind of person he is. You dare to use the word love?”
The scenes that follow show such a pragmatic view of this marriage. I really don’t think they’re in love with each other and for this naive little maid to think that Yan Jin Qiu actually has affections for his wife is laughable. I’m sorry to the readers who might not agree with me but this relationship so far has only showed their mutual cooperation in getting this relationship to look spotless as possible.
—
“Then isn’t what you like Junwang Ye’s status?” Lu Zhu felt angry on behalf of Junwang Ye. He was so considerate to Mistress, but Mistress was so cold and emotionless. Even she, a servant girl, could see the love Junwang Ye had for Mistress. Would a person as intelligent as Mistress not detect it?
“Then do you know what he likes about me?” Hua Xi Wan closed her eyes and did not look at Lu Zhu.
A fitting reply as if saying, pot calling the kettle black. That maid has serious guts though and some thick skin. She never would have survived in this kind of household. -_-
Thank you for the update! Really enjoyable chapter as always 😀
Thank you for the enlightment, I feel that my brain is operating successfully now when I re-read the chapter again.
Second this!
All of the things I want to said already been said.
Yep, right now they don’t love each other. They only appreciate the other’s position, looks, temperament and talent.
I think he is on the way toward something more than just appreciation of a good and attractive partner. Recall the slip when he ordered Mu Tong to have the chef prepare new dishes for the Junwangfei who wasn’t even there. It could have been a deliberate slip, to illustrate the doting quality of their new relationship. I think it was a man with a woman on his mind, with a legitimate desire to please her. He probably thinks it was a minor slip of attention to detail, and not much else.
He really does need a good partner, though. She just needs a comfortable life.
Thank you for the translation but I feel like I’m mission tons of subtext here…
Is anyone kind enough to explain please? the one about fake mountain and roses?
I also read it twice to understand but I’m still feeling lost. Of course, I have some theories but they require so much reading between the lines and liberal interpretation. And we still can’t be sure of the two leads’ feelings, although we came a little closer to HXW’s thoughts. She had thought more deeply than it would seem about her relationship with YJQ.
I dont understand the translator’rambling. What “worse”? and why Yan Jin Qiu must sucking up to Xi Wan?
Hahahaha so many people confused by this chapter. Really,this is just the culmination of all past problems since we all know the male MC has hidden plans and our female MC wants to keep her family safe.
Also this is the first time that HXW showed her martial prowess on purpose to show that she isn’t helpless and that her beauty has thorns (the roses 🌹)
thank you for the chapter <33
aiya, i needed to read twice to understand more xD
My understanding :
‘Xian Junwang was of a deep mind, and very ambitious. However, he was one who could act. Xi Wan was not willing for the marquis fu to be pulled into this, so she had said “take care.”’
XJ is “abitious” most likely vying for power (to be emperor) – as you all know only one can sit on the throne, thus a power struggle between candidates (no emperor gained the title without bloodying their hands).
XW’s family will get pulled in the crossfire because of her position (wife) to XJ; so she’s making a clean break from her family to keep them all safe from implications with XJ’s ambition.
XJ himself implies of XW’s family’s ‘help’ : ‘“Does Xi Wan know the trumpet vine[ii]? This kind of flower is beautiful when it blooms, but in truth, even the proudest flower can only bloom when relying on the support of others.”’
A trumpet vine – implies “climbing” to power (‘blooms’) & he mentions “it” needs support (which is from her family)
Looking at XW’s personality she doesn’t like getting into political struggle (but since she practically married into it…there’s no way out for her) and especially if someone is egging her to drag her family members into the mess also (I would be pretty pissed also).
And to add to that (breaking off ties to her family because of XJ) she has to go back to XJ’s manor to clean up house (get rid of her disloyal servant).
Hopefully that makes a little bit of sense.
I didn’t think the talking about flower is about HXW, I thought it’s about HYL and I am thinking why HXW angry when the flower implied HYL. When I saw your comment I think YJQ implied the trumpet vine with HXW and that make her angry because she can survive on her own ( she doesn’t need to rely her family in the political struggle) and she showed her valiant side to show him…
I think YJQ will be extra careful to not make HXW angry, 😁😁
agree on this one, I also think that the trumpet vines is referring HXW. And that’s also implied about YJQ intention. About LZ, in that era the dowry maid/waiting servant usually also serving the Master in bed matter (referring to another ancient CN, they were called Yiniang after given status). That’s why in LZ point of view it was normal for her to climb up YJQ bed in hoping to upgrade her status, thinking YJQ as a gentle as he shown. besides the virtuous wife supposed to open branch and scattered leaves, so LZ think rather taking outside women, why not her?
HYL=Hua Yi Liu? I dont understand..
I think he’s saying she’s a beautiful power, but if he becomes emperor, with his support she’ll have more power
a beautiful flower*
(sorry for the nonsense above)
Thanks for the chapter!
It is a very subtle one with lots of hidden stuff going on – I had to read it twice Just to understand some of it – but i think the previous commentators are right. YJQ shows off his “love” in front of HXW’s family and talks about “How even the grandest flower needs help to bloom” in hopes of getting their help with his political plans but HXW wants to keep her family out of it and this gets mad when he brings it up. The reshaping of the mountain is clearly some sort of message to YJQ but if it’s simply a show of power, telling him she won’t be easy to push over, or if their is some deeper meaning behind it is hard to say. Either way, YJQ got the message.
Interesting chapter.
He got the message, but why did he make the mistake in the first place? It seems rash for him to bring that up so early in their relationship, especially when there doesn’t seem a need to address the issue at the moment, or is something else going on?
I also think it’s interesting that she basically says that he doesn’t understand her family. He thinks they want power but she’s saying they just are what they are, they don’t want help to maintain their position. It’s a misstep from him. Is he just assigning his motives to everyone? I thought he would have had more insight into them. Sows he is not infallible. Or does he maybe not believe her family doesn’t care about power even after her show of anger?
Thanks for the chapter.
“The soup dumplings of Yi’an Marquis Fu were fresh and fragrant. They were what Hua Xi Wan liked to eat the most before her marriage, so early in the morning of the seventh, Lu shi had arranged for the servants to make the porridge that Hua Xi Wan liked to drink, the soup dumplings she liked to eat, and all kinds of little dishes.”
I’m hungry too 🙁 I want some soup dumplings.
AAHAHAHAHAH SHE KICKED A FAKE MOUNTAINNNN. i think that’s my favourite scene so far. it’s the least subtle she’s been, but it sure did send a message
thank you (´∩｡• ᵕ •｡∩`)
Wow, this chapter was full of subtle implications. Thankfully, after reading the comments, I understood mostly everything. Xi Wan is definitely mad at Jin Qiu for implying that he wants to have her family’s support. And the maid is really naive, I feel sort of sorry for her but at the same time she’s quite shameless for assuming Xi Wan’s feelings about her own marriage. Sighhh, well Jin Qiu time to learn how to suck up and treat your wife better~
Thank you for the chapter!!! 💖✨
Thanks for all the readers’ clarifications. I wish I understand the Chinese language in order to catch the insinuations. Really interesting. Thanks for a really good translation.
I don’t understand chinese language. I’m just interested with chinese novels lately, mostly because of thwir hidden meanings behind a simple conversations just to be polite with the other. Sometimes it gets too much to the point I want to scream “Hey! human language, do you speak it?
Thanks for the chapter!
>In a deathly silence, Mu Tong looked at the corner of the fake mountain that had been broken off due to the kick. He felt that his calves were hurting.
These comedic lines made my day. Thanks for your work, everyone.
“In a deathly silence, Mu Tong looked at the corner of the fake mountain that had been broken off due to the kick. He felt that his calves were hurting.”
– Gotta love Mu Tong’s reactions to HX’s valiance ;D
“What was going on in Lu Zhu’s brain that she would say such nonsense?”
– What else can she have besides maggots in her brain 😛
Whew…Xi Wan shut that family support nonsense down REAL QUICK but cutting her ties with her family and kicking off a piece of the mountain to show her rage
HXW to her family was like ” peace,
I’m out! “. YQJ to HXW was like “yo, you still gonna lend me a hand, right?” and HXW was like “nah uh, keep dreaming”. She called Lu Zhu and said “out you go you, hoe” then Lu zhu called her a gold digger
I love how you simplify everything.. but the part with LZ boiled me back..
LoL! this make it so easy to understand!!
Omg perfectt
Don’t mess with the Hua Family otherwise feel HXW’s wrath
Thank heavens for comments section
My thought and guess on “trumpet flower” conversation which make her angry is this.
**The “trumpet flower” is indicate to Hua Xi Wan herself.
“trumpet flower is beautiful when it blooms”
(Hua Xi Wan is beautiful and must be cherished)
“, but in truth, even the proudest flower can only bloom when relying on the support of others”
(But in truth the beautiful Hua Xi Wan can be cherished when relying on the support of her family.)
And Hua Xi Wan hearing this so she answer that.
““A flower like the trumpet flower sounds proud, but it is not like that.”
(Hua Xi Wan herself look like a proud women, but it is not like that.)
“Flowers are just a decoration. We can just look at them. Why do we have to study how they grow?””
(Please only look at herself as decoration. Why do you want to look/seek help from her family?”
And boom! super angry at him and her own servant just mistake wrong for right.
This almost got me loss in though for three minutes…
Yan Jin Qiu can only support Hua Xin Wan so much because he has no support himself and the wolves are out to get him.The Emperor let them loose when he sent Xin Wan to Jin Qiu’s bed.This was to try and stop a true alliance with a military power by sending a wastrel to his bed knowing that he would find it hard to accept and then offend the wife and her family.But her beauty makes it easier to be a good husband and to gain loyalty from the rest of the family. The death of the cousin-brother was unavoidable. He had become a part of the play by attempting to murder Jin Qiu. Will this murder plot be revealed????Now we have the 3rd aunt fueling up herself and the daughter to direct police to Jin Qiu. And finally the maid however greedy and misguided did dare to flirt to grab a piece of the pie.Her time table was a bit off. They were newly weds . At least they were showing signs of enjoying one another even though this was a political marriage.Will this family survive I think so . But, it gonna be a rough ride through Hell first.
I suspect mutual dependence and the act of “being loving” will bring them emotionally closer. I don’t know that Hua Xi Wan is actually willing to love. Engaging her emotions is going to be harder than staying alive.
Just curious, why is everyone brain washing the readers to believe that male MC is in love with female mc? Nothing yet has happened for me to believe that there is love besides the ‘ahem’ “red mark on her ear” which might be a hickey or mosquito bite(lol) Pretty sure at this point in the novel, it is about making an image for him of being an adoring husband for an alibi to kill more people or sth. The way the death of the Zhang heir was presented felt more like male MC is a sociopath than an interrogation or murder for spying on him smh
I am kinda starting to lose my interest at this point nothing much is happening in the novel, all day we just read the praises for our female mc being a beauty and yada yada… I didn’t feel this annoyed when my family members were calling my baby cousin a prodigy for just moving or doing underwhelming baby tricks. I am not feeling the vibe for it. idk.
Nevertheless. I am very thankful for these translations to exist.
Although I do see a bit of love developing at an extreme slow rate. But there is love.
I think you’re wrong… At this point I feel there’s no love between them, only maybe mutual respect , passing affection and a lot of mistrust obviously shown by the way they converse with each other and test each other…
oh gawd thanks for all the commenters. hopefully u guys do it more in the future cuz i feel like i need a translation of the translation lmao XD. man i would never survive if i ever transmigrated with all these underlying meanings.
So, planting roses by the side of the road is like saying to servants, « walk straight or don’t blame me when you get cut in the thorns for looking at the beautiful flowers », metaphorically meaning if you admire something you shouldn’t, you’ll get your retribution ?
I have to read all the comments to understand this novel. 😁
The converstation that they had about the trumpet flower was what I was most confused about but it was answered like five times with like only one answer being super different. I like that. It greatly helped my understanding of the scene and rest of the chapter.
The commenters are really good at this. I think it comes with experience.
I think also that HXW starting to get irritated when YJQ showing off his acting skills of concern in front of her family at the table. HXW can sense that he was starting to pave the road to her paternal family for future support. When HXW said about “don’t miss me, take care”, YJQ knew that she won’t let her family involve to any imperial battle. A warning to YJQ and her family. Then, about the trumpet flower, as many commenter guess, its about her and power. YJQ also did this internationally to provoke her. His double hidden intention was, if you can’t have your family support..do your best, not to be lazy..have power of your own.
This novel makes me feel so dumb XD I’m hardly following their verbal war and I am not even sure if I understood the underlying meanings in their conversations correctly!!!! T_T
I won’t add more words about why HXW is pissed by her husband but I have some words for Luzhu.
Yes, dowry maids were commonly used to warm the male master’s bed too, but…they won’t just do it on their own accord.
The normal circumstance is that their own female master who sent them to their husband when they notice that their husband is yearning for something fresh or when the female master is inconvenient while being pregnant, sick or such things.
Sending own personal maids to serve the husband is safer then letting the husband favoring concubine sent by other people because one normally can atleast think that own dowry maid would be loyal to her master and won’t try to fight for favor nor status for the heir like what old Xian wang’s concubine did for example.
Lu zhu is being stupid actually. The fact that Xianwang with his status and trait hasn’t even have a single tongfang at this age already shows that he is not a lustful man, his brain is working, never let himself led by the thing between his legs, so trying to seduce him just 2 months after wedding is completely stupid…
More idiotic is because his wife is not only coming from a powerful family and truly loved, but also a devastating beauty…
Only an idiot would risk destroying a relationship with such a wife over a lowly servant who isn’t even more beautiful than the wife.
If she is a bit smarter, she should atleast wait until HXW is pregnant before trying unless it is the master himself who made the first move.
No matter how virtuous, generous and merciful the female master is, which woman would tolerate her own servant trying to steal her husband shortly after her wedding and which stupid lady would take the risk of having her own servant bearing a child that can fight over the heir position with her own child in the future.
So Luzhu is really being too stupid regardless if it is her personal delusion or for other secret purpose.