Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Hundred Flowers Event (2)

Ye Fu[1] Main Entrance

Ye Li still wasn’t able to go out the door in time when she saw Ye Ying surrounded by yatou[2] leisurely coming over, followed by Ye Lin and Ye Shan whose faces showed happy expressions. It would appear that the matter regarding the Hundred Flowers Event‘s invitation had nevertheless been resolved. Ye Li wasn’t at all familiar towards these two younger sisters, therefore normally–even though they occasionally would make her stumble (metaphor for secretly using means to frame others) for the sake of currying favour with w.a.n.g shi[3] –as long as they didn’t really provoke her, she generally also didn’t want to bother about with them. After all, she had also never taken up the responsibility of being an elder sister; naturally she also couldn’t hope for the other person to treat her with the camaraderie of being a younger sister.

Seeing Ye Li, Ye Lin and Ye Shan somewhat unwillingly stepped forward to salute her.

“h.e.l.lo, third elder sister.”

Ye Li nodded her head, “Fourth younger sister, fifth younger sister, sixth younger sister.”

Ye Ying was dressed in a snow-white, wide-sleeved outer garment decorated with specks of pink cherry blossom petals. A head of fine black hair was gathered into a simple hair bun; in the middle of her hair was a golden buyao[4] of a pair of b.u.t.terflies continuously flying, the refined b.u.t.terflies’ wings slightly trembling realistically amidst movement.

步摇 – buyao – dangling hair ornament – (Example)

Ye Ying was undoubtedly a young lady who would very much dress herself up. Actually, all the Ye family’s sisters’ appearances weren’t lacking, but once Ye Lin and Ye Shanwho were equally dressed up in a way that wasn’t lacking had walked up in front of Ye Ying, their remarkable likeness ended up serving as a contrast. Seeing the makeup of a few specks of pink cherry blossom petals on the s.p.a.ce between the eyebrows, it made her entire self seem to have an added bit of refined fairy-like temperament. Number one beauty in the capital–indeed the name wasn’t in vain.

At the same time that Ye Li was sizing up Ye Ying, Ye Ying was also sizing up this third elder sister that both she and muqin[5] equally didn’t like. Ye Li who had never joined any of the capital’s gatherings and furthermore normally didn’t seem to be good at dressing up at all, Ye Ying originally considered

her to be beneath her notice and seeing Ye Li dressed in light cyan clothing verified this way of thinking. Although Ye Lididn’t at all wear those clothes that muqin had people send over, it didn’t at all mean that her own response would be much better.

However, after she walked closer, Ye Ying only then discovered that this dressed-up look of Ye Li‘s wasn’t at all as unremarkable as she thought it would be. The light cyan material that appeared to be plain and lacking splendor, the hidden pattern that vaguely flowed in a magnificent way under the sunlight, as well as that decorative design of the broken branch and peony embroidered from silver silk thread made the young woman before one’s eyes give people a reserved as well as graceful kind of n.o.ble flavour.

There were also those two jasper orchid flower hairpins inlaid with night pearls in the middle of her hair that were precisely this month’s newly released product from Fenghua Lou[6]. She herself had already fancied it at an earlier time, it was just that mother had continuously didn’t agree to buy it. She didn’t expect that she would actually see it on Ye Li‘s head. Seeing this kind of clothes and ornaments of Ye Li‘s that was low-key yet impressive, simple yet not losing respect, Ye Ying who was originally vaguely pleased towards her own look was itching to immediately turn around and go back to tear this set of clothes.

Recalling the matter she heard about how Ding guow.a.n.g[7] fu had sent people over to give things to Ye Li two days ago, Ye Ying was even more depressed on the inside. Ever since she and Li w.a.n.g[8] got engaged, Li w.a.n.g had never sent her anything!

“Since everyone’s present, let’s set off. It wouldn’t be good to be late.” Ye Li withdrew her gaze and spoke to the three sisters.

Outside the door were already three parked horse-drawn carriages. The one in front was Ye Li‘s, the one after was Ye Ying‘s. And Ye Shan and Ye Lin as shu nu[9] could only share one carriage. Ye Shan who was the youngest looked at the carved red sandalwood carriage and then at the carved pear wood carriage with light muslin curtains that belonged to Ye Ying, and then once again looked at that carriage that she and Ye Lin commonly used, her little mouth curled in grievance.

Seeing Ye Ying and Ye Li who were mounting their carriages on their own, Ye Shan‘s eyes twirled (means getting an idea) and ran towards Ye Li, “Third elder sister, can Shan er[10] sit together with you?”

Ye Li who had already mounted the carriage looked back to see Ye Shan with a face of naivety and longing and indifferently nodded, “Get on then.”

Ye Shan promptly stepped on the brocade stool to mount the carriage in delight. Ye Ying who was behind them obviously also heard their words and slightly raised a corner of the muslin curtain and smiled towards Ye Lin who was still standing at the side, saying, “Since it’s like this, fifth younger sister, you come sit together with me then. Also prevent me from being very bored on my own.” Ye Lin gratefully thanked Ye Ying at once and also followed in mounting Ye Ying‘s carriage.

The carriage slowly and steadily moved in the direction of the Mudan (tree peony) park. Ye Li sat inside the carriage and looked at Ye Shan‘s face that clearly was unable to conceal being upset and only thought it was very funny on the inside. Was this look of hers due to her behaviour a moment ago and the high possibility that she had offended Ye Ying and was thus regretting it? The daughters of this era somewhat thought too much; there were still a couple of months till Ye Shan fully turned thirteen years old. Recalling how in her own past life, even when she was only twelve years old, she was already compelled to be burdened with countless books on the art of war and strategies; essentially, she was still only a little brat who didn’t understand anything. Being able to occasionally play pettily with yeye[11] or her tangxiong[12] tangjie[13] wasn’t bad; where would she be able to think up these thoughts of fighting and scheming against each other? This was also merely a kind of tactic for them to survive, so Ye Lididn’t at all think of deliberately making things difficult for this young girl who was currently upset.

“Being excessively compet.i.tive isn’t at all a good thing.” Handing the book in her hands over to Qing Shuang to be properly put away, Ye Li studied Ye Shan whose expression kept changing irregularly with interest. In the end she was still of young age, there were many times in which she would be unable to conceal her own expressions and way of thinking.

“You…what nonsense are you saying? I wasn’t at all!” Ye Shan‘s soft and immature little face flushed red, biting her lip as she glared at Ye Li.

“Sitting in my carriage and sitting in your own carriage–is there really such a big difference?” Ye Li indifferently asked.

Ye Shan ferociously glared at her, her eyes revealing her feelings of being unreconciled and resentment, yet very quickly became dispirited once more, “That’s right, even if you were to lose favour again, you are still a di[14] daughter. Even if you had your engagement broken off by Li w.a.n.g, you could still marry Ding w.a.n.g to be a di fei[15] . As for me, even if I were to be smarter and how much more well-liked I am by fuqin[16]and zumu[17] , I would forever be a shu nu; in the future if I don’t marry another person to be a ceshi[18] , I would be marrying a shuzi[19] to be a main wife.”

Ye Li remained silent as she looked at the embittered and indignant little guniang[20]before her eyes, only twelve years old and yet was already thinking over these things; even though it had been already so many years, she was still somewhat unused to it. Furthermore, the way this yatou talked still really wasn’t particularly good to hear. “Speaking to hurt people isn’t at all a good habit.”

“Hmph!”((This translation is originally found on: h t t p : / / g u q i n t r a n s l a t i o n s . w o r d p r e s s . c o m))

Ye Li also felt disinclined to bother about with her. It was only until they nearly arrived at their destination did she then seem to think aloud as she said, “If there was no way to change one’s ident.i.ty, rather than going to make extravagant demands of things that one is incapable of attaining, it would be better to allow one’s self to get by much better within the realm of possibility.

Ye Shan was distracted for a bit. After a while, only then did she seem to react as she glared resentfully at Ye Li and said, “Are you warning me that I shouldn’t have wishful thinking about good things?

Ye Li felt that she was being choked and after a long time, only then said, “I am saying that you are still young, you can also take your time in thinking about anything. Also, it seems we ought to get off the carriage now.”

Seeing Ye Shan displaying her face as she tried to be the first to get off the carriage, Ye Li shrugged her shoulders, finding it funny. Qing Shuang‘s pretty face was gloomy as she said, “Xiaojie[21] , why would you pay attention to sixth xiaojie? She normally has had her fair share of antagonizing you. Really doesn’t acknowledge people’s goodwill.”

Ye Li patted her hand, reaching out to raise the hanging screen of the carriage and said with a smile, “She is still a child. Every person has their own means of survival; as long as she hadn’t really endangered me, could it be that I would still get into a dispute with a child?”

Mudan (tree peony) park was the capital’s as well as the entire Da Chu‘s biggest place for viewing tree peonies; every year people from the entire country and even people of various countries would travel a long distance in order to come, only for the sake of appreciating the fragrant beauty of all the colourful tree peonies. The fourth month was the season in which the tree peonies were in full bloom, the flowery fragrance faintly diffused in the atmosphere could even be smelled from far away.

Tree Peony / Mudan / Moutan – Example

The Shangshu[22] fu these days in the capital could be said to be rapidly increasing in visibility; one daughter who was bestowed the t.i.tle of “Zhao Yi[23] ” had conceived a dragon heir (child of the emperor), among two daughters one was the future Li w.a.n.gfei[24] and one was the future Ding guow.a.n.gfei[25]. So when the carriages had just arrived at the entrance, it attracted quite a lot of people’s attention. At the same time that the people were praising the good looks of the capital’s number one beauty, they cast even more sympathy (pity?) towards the carriage in front. That’s why when Ye Shan had come out from the carriage in that moment, it caused everyone who was feigning to accidentally stand in a circle around to watch to be momentarily distracted. When they recomposed themselves, only then did they then see a pretty and charming young woman dressed as a yatou come down from the carriage, followed by the curtain being raised as a quiet young lady whose appearance was clear and elegant came out from within.

This was the future Ding w.a.n.gfei ah?

Everyone didn’t know if they were amazed or disappointed on the inside. This Ye third xiaojie clearly wasn’t at all as ugly, crude and awkward as they had imagined; the calm and graceful incomparable bearing showed that she had a very good upbringing, which caused the people to coincidentally recall this Ye third xiaojie‘s waizu[26] –that hundred-year-old large and influential Xu family whose literary gift had pa.s.sed on through the generations. Looking at the fairy-like delicate and inaccessible Ye fourth xiaojie at the side, it was clear that it was third xiaojie‘s, this pretty appearance, magnanimous bearing, and dignified manner of a young woman that was even more suited to be a zhumu[27]  managing a household.

It was also possible that it was due to jealousy towards Ye Ying that a trace of doubt emerged in the gaze of many of the young ladies present in their admiration of His Highness Li w.a.n.g, at the same time also having an added trace of certainty in their own selves.

Inside Mudan park were indeed flowers in full bloom and colourful b.u.t.terflies fluttering about, whereas the young women in the middle of their nostalgia at their age had an even more added clear fascination for these beautiful colours. In twos and threes, the young women stayed together with girlfriends that they had good relationships with, laughing shallowly as they muttered, the semblance of a group of flourishing peace and security.

When Ye Li and the others had arrived at the meeting place at the center of Mudanpark, there were already a lot of people who had arrived earlier. Among the places that the young ladies encircled, there was a place to play the zither, play chess, make paintings, and recite poetry. The Gongzhu[28] fu‘s maids traveled back and forth between them, perfectly waiting upon these well-bred young ladies of n.o.ble birth.

“Ying er…”

Once Ye Ying approached, someone immediately called out to her. The several young women of the same age who greeted as they came over clearly normally had a rather good relationship with Ye Ying. The others also revealed welcoming smiles towards Ye Ying in succession.

“Ying er you finally came, ever since you and His Highness Li w.a.n.g got engaged, we haven’t seen each other in so long.” A young lady in bright coloured clothing happily pulled Ye Ying, smiling as she spoke.

Ye Ying smiled, her beautiful face also affected with a trace of a blush, “Mother made me stay at home, I also missed everyone very much.”

After everyone busily gave compliments like Ye Ying, that young lady in the bright coloured clothing only then asked, “Ying er, this person….is Ye third xiaojie?”

“I am Ye Li, giving courtesy to every xiaojie.” Ye Li had a smile on her face as she spoke.

The young ladies each swapped glances, only feeling that this Ye third xiaojie wasn’t at all as unbearable as was rumoured. Not to mention, she was also the future Ding guow.a.n.gfei, the Shangshu fu‘s true di daughter, as well as Xu laoxiansheng‘s[29]waisunnu[30].

Very quickly, someone expressed goodwill towards Ye Li, “Ye xiaojie, h.e.l.lo. I am Qin Yushi‘s[31] second daughter, Qin Zheng.”

“My name is Murong Ting, general Yang Wei‘s daughter.”

“………”

“Hmph! I wondered who it was? So it turned out to be the Ye third xiaojie who had her engagement broken off by Jing Li elder brother ah.”Glossary:Fu (府 – official residence / family residence compound / household / term for family and home put together)Yatou (丫头 – young maidservant / young girl)Shi (氏 – clan name / maiden surname)Buyao (步摇 – dangling hair ornament)Muqin (母亲 – respectful or intimate way of addressing mother)Fenghua Lou (风华 – magnificent 楼 – storied building)Guow.a.n.g (国王 – former appellation for ‘亲王 – qinw.a.n.g’ which is the highest rank of a prince, used from Han to Ming dynasty)w.a.n.g (王 – imperial prince)Shu nu (庶女 – concubine’s daughter)Er (儿 – term of endearment for one’s child / child)Yeye (爷爷 – paternal grandfather)Tangxiong (堂兄 – paternal uncle’s son / paternal male cousin)Tangjie (堂姐 – paternal uncle’s daughter older than one’s self / paternal female elder cousin)Di (嫡 – legitimate / of the official wife)Fei (妃 – wife / female consort / concubine)Fuqin (父亲 – respectful or intimate way of addressing father)Zumu (祖母 – respectful or intimate way of addressing grandmother)Ceshi (側室 – sideroom / concubine)Shuzi (庶子 – son of a concubine / b.a.s.t.a.r.d)Guniang (姑娘 – young lady / girl)Xiaojie (小姐 – Young miss / lady)Shangshu (尚書 – t.i.tle or position of official in charge of presenting memorials to the emperor and official correspondence)Zhao Yi (昭仪 – a type of ancient concubine t.i.tle / 昭 – bright / clear仪 – instrument / ceremony / rites / appearance)w.a.n.gfei (王妃 – consort princess / wife of an imperial prince or “王 – w.a.n.g“)Guow.a.n.gfei (国王妃 – consort princess / wife of an imperial prince of the highest rank or “国王 – guow.a.n.g”)Waizu (外祖 – referring to maternal family)Zhumu (主母 – owner ‘mother’ / mother in charge of the household)Gongzhu (公主 – imperial princess)Laoxiansheng (老先生 – old mister / old teacher)Waisunnu (外孫女 – granddaughter through female descendant)Yushi (御史 – imperial censor)