Palace Full of Delicacies Chapter 5   18 Jan 31, 2019

New year, new chapter! I know you've been waiting too long for this chapter, but I have something very important to explain:

Arch Princes and Vice Princes

In ancient China, there were these two ranks: 亲王 and 郡王. The usage varied between dynasties, but both are generally understood to be princes. However, 郡王 could be used for non-nobility as well, such as ministers who had made significant contributions e.g. Zheng Chenggong who was dubbed Prince of Yanping by the Yongli Emperor.

亲王 can be translated easily as 'prince', but what about 郡王? It's higher than the nobility/peerage ranks (ranging from duke to baron), so it's not just plain old nobility. But it's definitely lower than 亲王.

The 亲王/郡王 thing troubled me for the longest time (and it straight up destroyed my motivation to translate PFoD, resulting in zero progress and updates), until I finally did a proper search and found out that . (!!!) If you click the link, you'll see that the top answer holds translations for numerous terms in the Qing dynasty hierarchy. Which showed me that 亲王 could be 'arch prince' and 郡王 could be 'vice prince…There was my answer! Problem solved! Motivation doubled and tripled! Chapter 5 was finally translated completely!!!!!!!

In short, for the entirety of Palace Full of Delicacies, anyone with the rank of 亲王 will be called Arch Prince (insert name), and anyone with the rank of 郡王, Vice Prince (insert name).

That's all, now time to read!! Once again, really sorry for the wait, off you go.

C5. Family Heirloom

If you are seeing this text, you are NOT reading it on the original site. Head on down to lovelysweetdream 959085286 dot wordpress dot com to read the original!

"Saucey, are you cold?" Swathed in blankets, Su Yu blinked at him.

This foolish, insolent slave still dared to use that silly name! Today he would teach this idiot a lesson! His soft paws moved forward to step on Su Yu's neck, his amber-coloured eyes full of rage.

An Hongche's body was still that of a little kitten that was only palm-sized, his round head full of soft fur that had been messed up during his sleep. How he would present a cold, harsh, and dignified image with this appearance was truly an age-old puzzle…

At least the subject in question, Su Yu, had not felt anything like 'oppression from the one above' at all, holding in his laughter as he watched the little one whose hairs were about to stand on end. Su Yu, who understood cats somewhat, knew this fellow must be feeling that he had invaded its territory and was ready to smack him. Reaching out from under the blanket, he dragged the little furball into his embrace, holding down the struggling limbs. He took the chance to plant a kiss on the top of its furry head, "Okay, okay, you can't fit in such a big bed anyway, so be merciful and share some of it with me."

Those soft lips, wet from just having bathed, touched his head; they felt warm. An Hongche was taken aback for a while, and when he slowly raised his head, he happened to see a bit of neck, some shade of pink visible within the fair skin. This damned lowly one, had, had actually, kissed, kissed him…

His little golden ears folded back, the hairless side having turned completely red. An Hongche rolled over, nuzzling furiously against Su Yu's inner top. Curse this, his head had become wet, making him lose all his dignity. How was he to issue imperial edicts while looking like this? Hmph, he would spare the fellow today, but next time he wouldn't be messed with so easily.

Watching the furball who looked so reluctant as it curled up in his arms, Su Yu laughed silently. The wind was still howling; within the blankets where it was usually cold, it was suddenly different, thanks to the added presence of a little body.

Temple fairs weren't held every day, but the group of roadside food stalls in the west side of the city would always be there; just that business would be better on every even-numbered day. When one ran a business for specialty street food, it was best to stay in one place. Thus, Su Yu didn't change his location, setting up his stall punctually under the tree every day.

The plump young man who wanted to buy the kitten hadn't appeared again, and Su Yu gradually forgot about the three taels of silver. However, there hadn't been any improvement in the condition of his mother, Lady Zhao, which troubled him a little.

After working for nearly half a month and saving up some money, Su Yu went to the apothecary shop and bought a few fifty-year-old ginseng root fibres[1]. He slaughtered an old hen and made soup with it, then brought the soup to his mother.

Fifty-year-old ginseng cost at least a hundred taels of silver, which Su Yu couldn't afford, but he could still afford to buy a few of the root fibres. In truth, the problem with his mother Lady Zhao's health wasn't too severe. Su Yu felt that it had been caused purely by poor nutrition. People in ancient times had simple meals and the women ate little; when their bodies became weak, they weren't allowed to eat this or do that. Even if they weren't ill, resting in bed every day would probably starve them enough to make them ill.

"Yo, Boss Su's been earning quite a bit recently, huh." A tall figure stood in Su Yu's way, blocking out a large amount of light.

Su Yu frowned slightly. When he looked up, he saw a man with a face full of acne scars; the man stuck his belly out, obstructing the moon gate[2] that led to the rear courtyard. In ancient times, people would view a face full of these reddish acne scars as a pock-marked face. Food in ancient times was lightly seasoned, so if someone could eat till they grew pimples during adolescence, it was enough to show how well they ate and how greasy their food was.

This greasy man was Su Yu's older cousin, Su Ming.

"Just a small business to stay alive. I'd still have to rely on Elder Brother in future." Su Yu had no intention of getting into trouble with him, since the chicken soup wouldn't taste good if it got cold.

"Chicken soup, huh." Su Ming didn't seem to be letting him off either, craning his neck to look at the bowl in his hands. He was this close to burying his face in it to taste. "My mother's been fatigued these two days, having some chicken soup would be just right. Cousin's quite the thoughtful one, just pass it to me." Having said that, he moved to snatch the soup bowl out of Su Yu's hands.

Although Su Yu was considered tall and slender, he was at a disadvantage compared to the large, well-built Su Ming. Seeing that it was about to be snatched away, Su Yu gritted his teeth and raised his hands abruptly. As expected, Su Ming tried to grab it, causing the bowl of steaming-hot chicken soup to spill out and splash on the head of First Young Master Su.

"Aiyo, it's too hot!" Su Ming leaped up at once, shaking his head furiously to get rid of the things on his head.

"You could have said it directly if you wanted to drink some, Cousin. If you drink it so quickly, you should be careful not to burn your tongue," Su Yu said with false surprise, taking his time to smooth out his clothes.

An Hongche crouched in a nearby tree, quietly watching this farce. He had never seen such a straightforward, nonsensical way of doing things and thought it was interesting; he had no idea what this fish-slave was going to do next.

"How dare you splash me!" Su Ming still had scallion stalks clinging to his face. Gelatinous chicken soup dripped down from his bangs, making a large wet patch on the front of his clothes. His face completely red with anger, he swung his fist towards Su Yu's face.

Su Yu, who had been prepared, turned and ran at once. Some joke this was becoming—he was only a cook, not some master of the martial arts.

"…" An Hongche was stupefied for a moment; he thought this fellow had some masterful trick, but he had overestimated the fellow. Scratching behind his ear with one hind paw, the golden kitten went along the branch and leaped onto the top of the wall, vanishing between the houses in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, an entire pot of chicken soup had been prepared, and there was more left even if the previous bowl had been spilled. Su Yu filled another bowl and summoned a servant girl from his mother's quarters to serve it, lest it be snatched again.

Lady Zhao had already heard about the little scuffle that happened in the front courtyard. She held Su Yu's hands and stared at them for a while, fearing he'd been scalded. Seeing that he was fine, she let out a cold laugh, "These boorish things are getting more and more fearless. Just let them jump about for a few more days."

"Mother, your son can earn money now. If Uncle inherits the nobility rank, you could leave on your own and live with your son." Su Yu produced a few newly exchanged silver ingots from his sleeve, placing them on the low table on her bed. These days the squid was selling especially well, and he was able to sell about three buckets' worth per day. Thus, he had exchanged the copper coins for silver ingots and saved them up.

Lady Zhao looked at the little pieces of silver on her table. She held them in her hand, estimating them to be about five taels' worth. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Do you still have that thing you have been selling these days?" She knew Su Yu went out every day to sell cooked food from a roadside stand, but she hadn't expected it to be so profitable.

"Would Mother like to try some? Your son will go prepare a few skewers of it." Su Yu smiled, getting up and heading outside.

In fact, this grilled squid was loved most by the ladies. Every day, women from rich families would send their servants down to buy the squids, purchasing large bunches of squid skewers every time. However, he had neglected to bring any for his mother to try.

Lady Zhao didn't stop him or refuse the silver ingots he had given her. She slowly finished the bowl of chicken soup, then told Chuncao to open the bamboo carrier box[3]. When Su Yu returned with several skewers of grilled squid, he saw Lady Zhao sitting solemnly in the main seat, a yellowed book in her hands.

The golden kitten leaped lightly from wall to wall in the eastern side of the city. In a short time, he reached the Arch Prince Zhao Residence.

Fourth Uncle Yu collected his fish listlessly at the side door. He didn't know what he'd gotten into last month, but the large jars he used to keep fish had a large hole smashed in the side, and all the fish had been eaten by wild cats. This incurred heavy losses for him, and he reckoned he wouldn't be able to turn a profit even after half a year. Seeing a few cats on top of the wall, he couldn't help but make a spitting noise.

An Hongche shook his tail, jumping from the top of the wall into the manor. Being familiar with the place, he made his way to the main courtyard. In the courtyard there were flowers, birds, and a waterside pavilion; with its platforms and structures, it was furnished quite luxuriously. In the gazebo, there sat a young man dressed in light blue casual robes embroidered with five-talon silver dragons[4], the table in front of him loaded with good food and wine. This person was the younger brother of the current emperor—Arch Prince Zhao.

"My lord, these are freshly-caught scallops, please try some." A luscious-looking woman was eagerly laying setting out dishes for her lord. She scooped out the scallop flesh with an ornate silver spoon, dipping it in sauce and bringing it to the man's mouth.

"My lord, please eat this, they're little yellow croakers grilled with perilla fruit, prepared by this humble concubine." The other woman, delicate and refined in appearance, refused to back down, picking up a piece of fish and bringing it to him too.

"Ooh, delicious…" Not knowing which one to eat, he put both in his mouth; his face, already slightly chubby, was so stuffed that it bulged. As he inadvertently looked up, he saw the golden-yellow furball standing on the branch, and choked at once, "Ack…"

"My lord, my lord!" The two women became flustered, rushing to help him clear his airways and give him water.

The golden kitten eyed him coldly, amber eyes full of disapproval.

"Enough, enough!" Arch Prince Zhao waved his hand impatiently. "All of you are dismissed, don't get in the way of my dining!"

No one dared to utter a word. Heads lowered, they left one after the other, and soon there wasn't a soul left in the courtyard.

An Hongche strutted over, jumping up onto the stone table. He crouched in the centre of the table, looking as if he was the greatest in the world, and cast a sideways glance at Arch Prince Zhao, whose mouth was greasy from eating.

Arch Prince Zhao looked graceful and refined, and was very handsome. However, his chubbiness made him look rounder and thus less majestic. At this moment, faced with the palm-sized kitten, he felt strangely uncertain. Rubbing his hands together, he asked, "About that…have you been well the past few days?"

The moon was at its highest in the sky. Su Yu returned to his quarters with a yellowed book in his arms, still unable to come back to his senses.

After Lady Zhao tasted his grilled squid, she handed to him, in the most serious manner, this book which had been closely guarded and passed down from generation to generation. Su Yu had thought about it before; this Su family had played a major role in the establishment of the An dynasty, so how could they become so poor that they couldn't afford food? Surely they must have possessed something of high value. When he received this ancient tome, countless thoughts flashed by in his mind.

Perhaps this was a book of military strategy, and one could rule the world after becoming familiar with its contents; perhaps this was a book of internal martial arts practices, and one could become invincible after cultivating these practices; there was a greater possibility of it being a treasure map left behind by the ancestors, with the locations of thirty-six hidden treasures recorded in detail…

Inexplicably excited, Su Yu opened the ancient tome to the first page, where four large words read 'Su Family Recipe Book'! The corners of Su Yu's mouth twitched as he tucked away the family heirloom, even more so as he listened to the story of the Su family's rise to fame.

…dreams and reality were different after all, and the difference was pretty big…

*Hagrid voice* You're a chef, Su Yu. (lol)

That aside, here's some info for you:

New names/characters introduced:

Lady Zhao 赵氏: Not her first appearance, but I forgot to introduce her properly. She is the official wife of MC's father in this universe. She has no children, so she adopted MC as her own son, which makes him an 'official' or 'proper' son of the Su family (嫡子 dizi). I need better terms for the Di/Shu system damnit

Su Ming = 苏名. (名=name) MC's older cousin. The Elder Brother thing is most likely just for courtesy/show of respect.

Prince Zhao 昭王: Younger brother of An Hongche (ML). He's that plump young man who tried to buy An Hongche in the previous chapter. I'm guessing he tried to 'buy' ML because didn't want to give away the fact that His Majesty the Emperor has a cat form, but he wanted to bring Big Bro over to his place, and he couldn't just steal ML from under MC's nose, so…You get the idea, don't you?

Footnotes:

[1]: The exact term was 参须, which refers to the thin hair-like things at the bottom of a ginseng root. And for the record, 'root hairs' can't be used here, because root hairs are microscopic.

[2]: Original term is 月亮门. A circle-shaped hole in the wall, likely named so because it looks like the full moon. Usually seen in the walls of Chinese gardens.

[3]: Original term is 箱笼. A box-like container woven from bamboo strips and usually carried on the back, like a backpack. Used by apothecaries when picking medicinal herbs in the wild, or by scholars to carry books and writing instruments when going to the capital for the imperial examinations. More likely to be used for luggage.

[4]: (A whole Chinese culture lesson coming up ahead) Before you ask "aren't dragons for the emperor only??", let me tell you: Dragon-patterned robes can be used by the rest of the royal family, and even court officials too. But don't worry, there are differences to distinguish them!

During the Qing dynasty, the ones on court officials' robes were considered 'pythons' (蟒) rather than 'true dragons' (龙 or 真龙). The pythons on court officials' robes had four talons, while the dragons on the emperor's robe had five talons. However, this concept seems to be true only for the Qing dynasty. In contrast, the Zhou dynasty rule was 五爪天子，四爪诸侯，三爪大夫. "Son of Heaven five talons, ruler of a state four talons, government minister three talons", with no indication of whether the three- and four-talon ones were pythons or whatever.

Something noteworthy is that (entirely in Chinese, sorry) states that during the Qing dynasty, arch princes had five-talon dragons on their outer robes, while vice princes had four-talon dragons on their outer robes. Generally, most other dynasties allow only the emperor to have five-talon dragons, and the princes and ministers only get pythons.

All in all, since PFoD uses a fictional An dynasty and it's obviously different from our world, we shouldn't say their customs are wrong. Just remember that in any fictional ancient Chinese setting, an emperor should always have five-talon dragons, but for princes and below, it really depends on author preference or (if they're using an actual dynasty) which dynasty they're using as a base.

[P.S. I tried to shorten this footnote, but the info is really too interesting to not share…]

If you are seeing this text, you are NOT reading it on the original site. Head on down to lovelysweetdream 959085286 dot wordpress dot com to read the original!