For a moment, Ren Anle was dazed. She looked at An Ning, parting her mouth a little, the corners of her mouth quirking up slightly, “Oh? Who does the princess feel that I am like?”
“When I entered Mount Tai at five years old to study martial arts with shifu, I was only summoned down the mountain by Fu-huang once.” In the stillness of the night, An Ning’s voice was pensive, carrying some faint yearning, “You should know that twelve years ago, a young lady from an aristocratic family entered the capital. Fu-huang treated her with the respect of a princess, and at that time, there was no princess of age in the royal palace, so he had me return from Mount Tai to keep her company.”
Hidden in the dark, Ren Anle’s pupils were a bit deep, her voice indistinct: “There is no one in the world that doesn’t know that the highly favoured noble young lady was given a name by Taizu himself, the Di family’s beloved daughter, Di Ziyuan. How come, hearing the princess’s words, could it be that Di Ziyuan and I have very similar appearances?”
(TN: 掌珠 – lit. the pearl in the palm, used to describe a child that is extremely cherished)
Han Ye paused as he approached closer, and stopped in place.
An Ning was surprised by Ren Anle’s bluntness. She nodded and shook her head, and the wine pot in her hand spun around and landed quietly on the wooden table. “Appearance isn’t the same, however temperament is very similar.”
Ren Anle raised her eyebrows, and there was a bit of a ruffian look between them.
“Di Ziyuan is very intelligent. Although I was not convinced at the beginning, I have to admit that no matter what, even if I learned from the best Taifu in the palace, I would always be inferior to her.”
(TN: 太傅 – an official that serves as a tutor and teacher to royalty)
“Being intelligent at an early age does not necessarily bring success upon growing up. Gongzhu should adopt more of a long-term view. Di Ziyuan was imprisoned in Mount Tai for ten years. In terms of intelligence, she has long not been as good as you.” Ren Anle lazily took a sip of her wine and smiled widely.
“I still feel that this isn’t the case. You and her are the same, appearing mild and harmless, but actually harboring bad intentions. It was like this in the gambling house, and just now at Lingxiang Lou was the same.” An Ning shook her head, her voice clear and powerful, “Ren Anle, you are no easier to deal with than that little girl from the Di family back then.”
(TN: 一肚子坏水 – lit. a stomach full of bad water)
“I’m the biggest female bandit in Jinan. Using me as comparison is not a compliment to Di Ziyuan.” Ren Anle spoke while smiling, as if very casual, and asked, “It is heard that Di Ziyuan only stayed in the capital for a year. Unexpectedly, gongzhu has such a deep memory of the little girl from more than ten years ago.”
“The women in the Di family are different after all, aren’t they?” An Ning winked slyly, then sighed, “If the Di family was still safe, she would have long become my royal sister-in-law, and would not have been imprisoned at Mount Tai for ten years, and how would there be room for you to mess around? Anle, it’s better for you to give up, huang-xiong will not welcome you into the Eastern Palace.”
(TN: 皇兄 – royal brother)
“Oh? Why?” Ren Anle’s voice was lazy and noncommittal.
“I heard about you and your matters at the frontier. You are not only an outstanding commander, but also have the ability to manage the country and handle state affairs. Huang-xiong will not waste your talents and allow you to enter the Eastern Palace as a side concubine who can’t interfere in politics.”
(TN: 帅才 – a term that refers to someone who can command an entire army with their skills, who has high prestige and organizational leadership)
“An Ning, what you want to say seems to be more than that.”
“And there’s… Di Ziyuan.” An Ning’s voice was incisive and cold, with absolute certainty, “It’s not just because this marriage was arranged by Taizu. Huang-xiong, he will not give the position of Taizi-fei to any other woman in the world, even if… he has someone he loves in the future.”
(TN: 太子妃 – consort to the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess)
A long silence. Ren Anle laughed softly, saying: “An Ning, what makes you so sure that even a promise of an exchange of half a country won’t be kept, and what’s to say about a will left behind over a decade ago? Taizi will eventually become the master of Yunxia, how could he really do this for Di Ziyuan by this point? There is nothing in the world that is impossible to do, and I, Ren Anle, insist on trying.”
After finishing speaking, she raised her head and drank all the wine in the pot that she could. She stood up, her black robes reaching the ground, and lowered her eyes to look at the mournful royal princess: “An Ning, the past is gone. I am not Di Ziyuan, and I can’t fulfill the old dreams you’re reminiscing about. Gongzhu, life is only a few short decades, why not let it go.”
An Ning’s expression was complicated, looking towards Ren Anle’s faraway figure that was walking away, and softly exhaled.
How could she let it go? Her mu-fei died early, the crown prince was young at that time, and her shifu was far away on Mount Tai. Although she had been returned to the palace, there was no one to take care of her, and she suffered a lot of hidden losses. She still remembered that porcelain doll-like young girl from the Di family standing in the ice and snow, wearing a snow-white fur coat, holding her chin up high and sternly admonishing Jiang-fei, who had punished her to kneel.
(TN: 母妃 – lit. mother consort, address for mother if she’s a concubine)
“Jiang-fei niangniang, An Ning is the eldest princess of Da Jing. Taihou can punish her, Bixia can punish her, the empress can punish her, you… can’t punish her.”
(TN: 娘娘 – address for imperial concubines, 太后 – the Empress Dowager, most often the Emperor’s mother)
When she said these words, her small body walked step by step through the path of the deep palace that was covered with ice and snow. She stood in front of Jiang-fei, straightening herself up, without any fear in her eyes at all.
From then on, although they only spent one short year together, it was Di Ziyuan who taught her what it means to be a self-reliant person.
There were only two people in her life who she couldn’t ever repay the favour of. One was her crown prince brother who had taken care of her since she was a child, and the other was… Di Ziyuan who was imprisoned in Mount Tai ten years ago.
It had already been ten years… It’s really been too long, so long that the appearance of that child had already been forgotten by her, and only the clear and powerful voice of the girl and her persistent gaze was left in her memory.
“An Ning.” A cold voice suddenly sounded, and Han Ye stepped out of the shadows.
“Huang-xiong, when did you come here?” An Ning looked up in a daze, and spoke in astonishment.
“After returning to the capital, before even seeing Fu-huang, you have caused an uproar and even dragged along a minister of the Da Lisi. Your courage has truly grown!” Han Ye glanced at her and ordered, “Bring the princess back to the palace.”
(TN: 满城风雨 – to be the talk of the town, a big scandal, 大理寺 – equivalent to the Supreme Court, in charge of criminal cases)
Looking at the expressionless Han Ye, An Ning stood up, took two brisk steps, and suddenly opened her mouth: “Huang-xiong, how much do you remember of her?”
Both of them knew who An Ning was talking about. Han Ye’s expression wavered slightly, and he said, displeased: “An Ning, you care about too much.”
An Ning’s eyebrows furrowed. Seeing Han Ye’s cold face, in the end, she didn’t dare to offend him again, and unhappily followed the guards back.
Han Ye stood silently in front of the wine shop, beneath the light of the moon.
After a long time, he sat at the spot where Ren Anle had just sat, hiding himself in the shadows, pouring cup after cup of strong wine into his mouth.
Remember how much? He rubbed at his eyebrows. That girl, he remembered everything about.
The steadiness when entering the capital, the unruliness when living in the Eastern Palace, the generosity and calmness when interacting with others, the reluctance when leaving the city, and the last glance of ice-cold decisiveness at Dibei City.
No one knew, but ten years ago, he had been to Dibei City during the armed rebellion of the Di family. He traveled thousands of li just to let the Marquis of Jing’an know ahead of time to avoid the area beyond the Great Wall. But when he had arrived, he only saw the bricks of the Di family’s ancestral hall washed dark with blood, and… a thin and pale figure kneeling beneath the ancestral hall.
In the end, he was one step too late. Of the one hundred and thirty-two members of the Di family, except for Di Ziyuan, there was no one else left.
How could he not remember? The royal family had ruined everything of hers. Even if Han Ye died, he could not fail Di Ziyuan again.
(TN: 负 – to burden, betray, fail in one’s duty… a very strong sentiment to say about someone)
The Shangshu Pavilion of the royal palace. Emperor Jia Ning threw the memorials all over the floor, looked at his eldest daughter who was standing still with her head lowered, and paced back and forth with a face full of anger.
“Entering a gambling house, visiting a brothel, causing an uproar, and bringing along Zhen’s Da Lisi minister, An Ning, do you still want your reputation!”
(TN: 朕 – royal pronoun commonly used by emperors)
An Ning didn’t answer, and didn’t even raise her eyelids a single bit.
The more Emperor Jia Ning looked at it, the more angry he became. Look at this, what kind of virtue was this? If he hadn’t trained his temperament on the throne these years, he would have long brandished a whip to teach this unfilial girl a lesson.
“You even need your royal brother to mobilize the soldiers to kidnap you back. Good, great general, you’ve grown up now and don’t take me as your Fu-huang seriously in your eyes anymore, is that it!”
Emperor Jia Ning’s roar almost penetrated Shangshu Pavilion. Next to them, Zhao Fu was secretly worried, but this father and daughter’s temperaments were very stubborn. Both of them were masters who refused to give in.
“Fu-huang, eldest royal brother’s gambling house is making a lot of money. I have been in the frontier fortress all year round, and it is hard to save any money for myself. Both things are equally important and difficult to give up. You have to be a little well-proportioned, right? Besides, my reputation is just like this. I am the dignified princess of a nation, still afraid that I will not be able to recruit a Fuma? As long as you issue a decree, who would dare not to marry?”
(TN: 手心手背都是肉 – idiom, lit. the palm and the back of the hand are both flesh)
Emperor Jia Ning’s breathing did not smooth out, stifled in his throat and surging. He looked at his eldest daughter for a while, snorted coldly, turned around and sat back on the imperial chair, and said calmly: “Alright, you and Zhen have shown our abilities. After this time’s reports, you won’t go back to the northwest.”
An Ning raised her head, and her expression finally fluctuated: “Fu-huang, I am the northwest guard’s general, how can I have a long-term absence?”
“With old Shi-jiangjun on guard, Beiqin will not be able to rebel.” Emperor Jia Ning said in a deep voice, “Your ninth younger brother is clamoring every day to join the army; Zhen is preparing to send him to the northwest to practice.”
The ninth prince was Jiang-fei’s only son and the left minister’s only grandson. The father and daughter must have taken a fancy to the military power in the northwest. Speaking so pompously, An Ning snorted darkly, her brows and eyes full of objections and disapproval.
“Fu-huang, then when can I go back to the northwest?”
“Don’t panic.” Emperor Jia Ning took a sip of his tea, opened the memorial again, and said unhurriedly, “After you choose a Fuma to marry and give birth to a few grandchildren for Zhen, it’s up to you however far you scram to.”
This time it was An Ning’s turn to stifle a breath that wouldn’t come out. She glared at Emperor Jia Ning in indignation for a while, bowed carelessly, and took large strides out of Shangshu Pavilion without a look back.
“Ai.” After the sound of An Ning’s footsteps faded away, only then did Emperor Jia Ning sigh, “An Ning was very well-behaved when she was young, it’s hard to know when she started to change into this temper. The battlefield has no eyes, does Zhen have to see my child die before me? Besides, she is eighteen. Even if she is a princess, she still has to marry someone.”
Seeing that Emperor Jia Ning was rambling to himself, Zhao Fu stepped forward to refill some hot tea and advised him: “Bixia, the princess has unparalleled majesty, any family’s sons that are assigned will yield, you don’t have to worry about it.”
Emperor Jia Ning lightly snorted: “That’s natural. Being able to marry Zhen’s daughter is their greatest honour.” He paused, and then said in a deep voice, “Taizi has also left the Eastern Palace?”
Zhao Fu nodded: “Listening to the imperial guard’s report, Taizi-dianxia personally ordered the princess to be sent back to the palace.”
Emperor Jia Ning’s eyes narrowed, and there was some slight surprise in his voice: “It’s already been ten years, is there really a person who can make him change his mind? This Ren Anle, if used well, will be Zhen’s sharp weapon.”
Zhao Fu’s heart trembled; he didn’t answer. He stood quietly behind Emperor Jia Ning, looked at the emperor’s gloomy expression hidden under the candlelight, and slowly lowered his eyes.
The weather was poor, and it rained heavily and continuously for a month in the capital. Even the eldest An Ning-gongzhu’s impressive feat of visiting a brothel and keeping a courtesan was forgotten by the people of the capital in the continuous heavy rain.
Ren Mansion. Drenched from the rain, Yuan Shu ran into the book pavilion, dragging water stains all over the floor. Yuan Qin served a cup of hot tea and gave it to her, “So frazzled. How are things in the west of the city?”
“Still good, a few days ago xiaojie ordered to send over a lot of food and clothing.” Yuan Shu panted, clasped the tea that Yuan Qin handed over, and took a large gulp, “Where’s xiaojie?”
“Xiaojie has also just come back and is changing clothes in her room. More and more foreign people have entered the capital, and all the government offices in the capital are busy.” Yuan Shu’s eyebrows furrowed, worry crossing her face.
There was heavy rain in the capital city and its surrounding area. Many houses had collapsed, fertile fields were flooded, and the common people had nothing to rely on, so they had to flee to the capital, but… there were a little too many refugees pouring in.
While they were speaking, Ren Anle changed into a vermillion quju and walked in. The steps of the wooden clogs made a low sound, and her long hair was loose, carrying a dampness.
(TN: 曲裾 – a style of hanfu, with a curved skirt that covers the back)
Yuan Qin cried out in alarm, and immediately grabbed a cloth towel, scolding as she walked over to dry her hair for her.
Ren Anle stood by the window, squinting at the sky that almost seemed to be collapsing: “If the rain keeps falling like this, I’m afraid there will be problems with the water courses.”
Yuan Shu blinked, not understanding the situation. She was about to ask what happened when Chang Qing walked across the corridor, his gait a little hurried.
“Xiaojie, just now there was news from the imperial city. Taizi-dianxia, Prince Mu, and the two prime ministers were all summoned into the palace by Bixia.”
Ren Anle turned around, speaking in a deep voice: “What happened?”
“I heard of a group of people who flooded into the capital and trespassed into the palace gates. Within the chaos, the commander of the Yulin Army found a blood book on someone, with thousands of people’s signatures on it, and then reported it to Bixia.”
(TN: 血书 – a blood book is often a compilation of signatures and letters from the common people, written in blood, making heavy requests and wishes, and expressing concerns to the emperor.)
“Blood book? From the people that are fleeing from the districts of the capital city and its surrounding area?”
Chang Qing shook his head, his voice a little dry: “No, it’s from the people fleeing calamity from Jiangnan.”
