CH 35.1

I’m on my finals and this chapter was taking too long to translate so I simply split it into two. The next part is the one with the most plot though. This part is all the fluff, and you can also see how Xiao Luzi and Shu Ya kept staring at these two love-birds. Yinyou and Yinzhen are a bit of show, don’t tell. —Bambi.

Chapter 35.1: Change

“What are you looking at?” Yinzhen noticed Yinyou’s sight, “Is there something wrong with me?”

Yinyou shook his head and put down the book in his hand, “It’s nothing.” Can he say: Brother, get ready, war is coming, and you are about to start to intrigue? No, right?

Seeing him hesitating to speak, Yinzhen got up and walked to him, “Sleepy?” He stretched out his hand and softly touched the white and tender cheek, “Did you sleep well at night?”

Yinyou yawned, “If you don’t ask, I wouldn’t feel sleepy.” Putting the teacup into Yinzhen’s hand, he changed into a more comfortable sitting position, “I went to bed late last night.”

Yinzhen had been married for several years, but he still had no heirs. Some people on the eldest brother’s side had already made a fuss about this matter, but he didn’t know what Yinzhen thought about this subject. Yinyou tried to recall, but he couldn’t remember when Yinzhen started to have children.

“You are being lazy, but you still blame me,” Yinzhen put the teacup aside, “Now you are in the Ministry of Revenue, so being lazy won’t do.” Nowadays, the eldest brother’s faction was slowly rising again, and he was really afraid that these people would use the seventh brother as a knife. Even though the seventh brother was not in the Crown Prince’s faction, this wouldn’t stop Huang Ama from putting the seventh brother as the Crown Prince’s minion1 Yinzhen is saying that he fears people would use Yinyou to hurt the Crown Prince, as this would harm him. The part of Yinyou not being in the Crown Prince’s faction, reminder that Yinyou has made it clear with Yinzhen that he doesn’t want to intrigue anyone or take sides, so mostly he is just being “friends” with (or clinging to the golden tigh of) Yinzhen, and because Yinzhen is part of the Crown Prince’s faction, Yinyou got stuffed in there too by Kangxi (check chapter 14 where they fought because Yinzhen sent a Crown Prince’s spy to Yinyou’s side and since there they have been clear that Yinyou does not plot.).

“With the fourth brother here, how could there be a problem?” Regarding the finance policies of the dynasty, Yinyou didn’t have the mind or the guts to intervene, so he half-closed his eyes and said, “Instead, I want to go to the Ministry of Work to research inventions and benefit the people.”

The Ministry of Works was not an important department, instead it was the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue that were the most important. After hearing Yinyou’s words, Yinzhen laughed and said, “You actually like these things?” But he also felt that it would be interesting for Yinyou to like these things. If he was the (emperor)…

Yinyou knew that in a feudal society, liking these things was a little bit unprofessional, but he didn’t mind, and he replied calmly, “Personal hobbies.”

Yinzhen smiled slightly, “There will be a chance in the future.” After finishing speaking, he took the book in Yinyou’s hand, “If you want to sleep, go to my room and take a nap.”

“Fourth brother, you still haven’t prepared a guest room for me?” Yinyou caressed his injured left shoulder, “You said you’d prepare a comfortable room for me.”

“Is my room not good?” Yinzhen got up and put the book back in the bookcase, “Is it my room or sleeping with me that you don’t like?”

Yinyou was speechless for a while, “That’s not what I mean…”

Two men squeezed together on the same bed, to be so close, wasn’t it a bit unbearable?

But having said that, their relationship was pure and they were brothers, anyway, it was not a big deal to lie in the same bed. In fact, they could be regarded as arty and elegant if they talked by the candlelight2秉燭夜談 bǐng zhú yè tán: Talking late at night with lit candles in hand. Refers to a conversation that is very congenial and in-depth. It can also mean that someone works very seriously and is very dedicated..

“Okay, go to sleep if you want to, don’t disturb my work,” Yinzhen sat back at the desk and continued to deal with the previous matter.

“Who said I’m going to sleep,”, then Yinyou yelled at the door, “Xiao Luzi, make a cup of hot tea for the Master, as for your Master’s share, let it be saved!”

“Aye,” Xiao Luzi didn’t hesitate, and, when he entered the room, unexpectedly, he actually only had one cup of tea for Yinyou.

Bringing the tea in front of Yinyou with a smile, he said, “Seventh Master, please use tea.” The attitude was so flattering, was he not afraid of making his real Master angry?

Yinzhen glanced at the two of them without the slightest displeasure on his face, and put down the brush in his hand, “Why, are you not sleepy now?”

“I wasn’t sleepy in the first place,” Yinyou took out a snuff bottle3From Christie’s: Conceived as precious containers for ground tobacco imported into China, snuff bottles were initially made for the emperor and the court, and eventually produced in much greater quantities for a public who enjoyed their functionality as well as their display as symbols of status. / Snuff bottles were made to fit comfortably in the hand. / They are made with many mediums: glass, stone, jade, agate, wood, lacquer and mixed media. and handed it to Xiao Luzi “Here, this is for you.”

“This can’t be done,” Xiao Luzi saw that the snuff bottle was a high-end product, and looked at his Master, how dare he accept it.

“Since little seventh gave it to you, just use it. It’s rare that this stingy guy is willing to take out something,” Yinzhen scolded with a smile, “as your Master, I’ll let you take it, just don’t take it for nothing.”

When Xiao Luzi heard the words, he smiled and said, “This servant thanks the seventh Master for the reward.”

But silently, he became more and more aware that the relationship between the seventh brother and his Master was indeed unusual. Who among the brothers would dare to reward him in front of his Master? Indeed, the seventh Master was the only one.

He stuffed the snuff bottle into his sleeve, “Seventh Master, do you want some pastries? This slave will bring them to you if you want.”

“This is a good mindset to have.” Yinyou patted Xiao Luzi’s shoulder with a smile, “Bring the best snacks in your house, don’t save money for your Master.”

“You’re not only stingy, but also really cheeky,” Yinzhen said, then to Xiao Luzi, he instructed, “Go and see if there are any cinnamon cakes that the seventh brother likes in the kitchen, if not, bring some other ones first, and tell the kitchen to hurry up and make some.”

“Aye.” Xiao Luzi backed out, and before closing the door, he seemed to see his Master smiling at the seventh brother. Secretly, he was shocked. His Master rarely smiled, but today, in front of the seventh brother, he actually laughed several times.

He went to the kitchen to get the cakes, and met Fu Jin on the way, “Servant pays respects to Fu Jin.”

Seeing that it was the eunuch next to Yinzhen, Shu Ya’s attitude was quite gentle, “It turned out to be Xiao Luzi,” she glanced at Xiao Luzi hand holding the plate of cakes, “Is the Master hungry?”

“Back to Fu Jin, it’s the seventh brother who is visiting. Master and the seventh Master are in the study right now.” Xiao Luzi bowed, “I don’t know what orders Fu Jin has?”

“It’s okay, go get busy,” Shu Ya smiled and let Xia Luzi leave.

Seeing him go away, the smile on her face slowly dissipated. The women in the backyard were treated indifferently by the Master. She sometimes wondered what it would be like if the Master treated her as well as he treated the seventh or thirteenth brother. What a scene it would be.

She secretly thought so, but she sighed again, she should count herself as good, right? At least her Master gave her the power of housekeeping and respected her opinion in family affairs. In the Mansion, there were only a few concubines. Compared with the eldest Fu Jin, the Crown Princess and the third Fu Jin, she should be satisfied with her present situation. Her E’Niang had once said to her that being satisfied was a blessing, but she was too demanding.

Yinyou, who was going to stay at Yinzhen’s mansion for one night, finally left after finishing the pastries, because Kangxi had summoned him to the palace. He was a little startled and thought, could it be that Kangxi knew of his encounter with Gorolo shi on the street so quickly?

It was a bit of a pity to leave the fourth brother’s house. After eating some pastries, Yinyou reluctantly got on the sedan chair and left.

Yinzhen looked at the sedan chair that was slowly going away, and stood there, neither entering nor moving. Xiao Luzi behind him also stood obediently.

“Xiao Luzi,” Yinzhen suddenly turned around, “Did Master forget to give the seventh brother the Dragon Well tea4Dragon Well tea or Longjing tea (Chinese: 龍井茶; pinyin: lóngjǐng chá), sometimes called by its literal translated name Dragon Well tea, is a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the area of Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title. that I just got?”

Xiao Luzi was stunned, “Master hasn’t given it to the seventh brother this year.”

His Master was even planning on giving the Dragon Well tea to the seventh brother? Xiao Luzi thought with emotion that his Master was really good to the seventh brother, and in fact, the seventh brother also seemed to be very good to his Master.

1 Yinzhen is saying that he fears people would use Yinyou to hurt the Crown Prince, as this would harm him. The part of Yinyou not being in the Crown Prince’s faction, reminder that Yinyou has made it clear with Yinzhen that he doesn’t want to intrigue anyone or take sides, so mostly he is just being “friends” with (or clinging to the golden tigh of) Yinzhen, and because Yinzhen is part of the Crown Prince’s faction, Yinyou got stuffed in there too by Kangxi (check chapter 14 where they fought because Yinzhen sent a Crown Prince’s spy to Yinyou’s side and since there they have been clear that Yinyou does not plot.)2秉燭夜談 bǐng zhú yè tán: Talking late at night with lit candles in hand. Refers to a conversation that is very congenial and in-depth. It can also mean that someone works very seriously and is very dedicated.3From Christie’s: Conceived as precious containers for ground tobacco imported into China, snuff bottles were initially made for the emperor and the court, and eventually produced in much greater quantities for a public who enjoyed their functionality as well as their display as symbols of status. / Snuff bottles were made to fit comfortably in the hand. / They are made with many mediums: glass, stone, jade, agate, wood, lacquer and mixed media.4Dragon Well tea or Longjing tea (Chinese: 龍井茶; pinyin: lóngjǐng chá), sometimes called by its literal translated name Dragon Well tea, is a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the area of Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title.