Chapter 157: Chapter 157 - Maidong (1)

The moment Yuchen and Yuxi returned to the State Residence, Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort’s bestowed rewards arrived soon after. The amount of gifts given to Yuchen was twice that of Yuxi. When everyone heard the different amount of gifts between the two, they realised that Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort was very pleased with Third Miss. As for Fourth Miss, she just followed Yuchen along to join the fun.

Yuxi was rewarded with a pair of tribute silks, a pair of green jade auspicious clouds gilded with gold beads phoenix tail hairpin and a pair of sapphire blue jadeite pearl beads hairpins. In addition, there were also a pair of round fans, and a pair of scented bead bracelets.

Green jade auspicious clouds gilded with gold beads phoenix tail hairpin probably looks like this. Though there’s only one auspicious cloud in this picture. Phoenix tail hairpin means the curved shape of the bottom part of the hairpin that is used to attach the hairpin to one’s hair.

Image Credit | As stated in the image

Sapphire blue jadeite pearl beads hairpin probably looked like this. Maybe the one Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort gave to Yuxi have more gems or pearl beads?

Image Credit | As stated in the image via 宝蓝点翠珠钗 (第3页) at QQ.com

A pair of round fans

Image Credit | As stated in the image (风情万种的中国宫扇, July 25th, 2018)

Scented bead bracelet

Image Credit | As stated in the image via Taobao

Yuxi noticed the ugly look on Zisu’s face. She smilingly said, “The 10th Prince has taken fancy of San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, and it is a human nature for Guifei[+]Noble Consort to reward her with more favourable gifts than mine. Furthermore, the rewards from Guifei[+]Noble Consort are not to be looked down upon.” To Yuxi, these pieces of jewellery worth a lot of money.[+]This noob translation was translated by a noob translator, きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.

Zisu was taken aback that she had to ask, “Did Miss see the 10th Prince? I heard that he inherited Guifei Niangniang[+]Guifei=Noble Consort, Niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine’s appearance which must have made him look extraordinarily outstanding.”

Yuxi gently nodded her head, “Yes. In fact, the 9th Prince’s look is also not bad, but he is so imposing that no one dares to look at him squarely in the eye.”

Zisu hurriedly asked, “What is Miss’ impression on Guifei Niangniang[+]Guifei=Noble Consort, Niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine?” The10th Prince had taken a fancy on Third Miss. While, based on her own self-knowledge, the 9th Prince would have surely turned up his nose at her Miss. It was not that she was being unduly humble[+]Chinese idiom : belittle oneself, but what kind of beauty hadn’t the 9th Prince seen? Besides, her Miss was still young, and she hadn’t properly bloomed yet!

Yuxi shook her head and answered, “I don’t know. Guifei Niangniang[+]Guifei=Noble Consort, Niangniang=addressing or referring to an empress or an imperial concubine didn’t talk to me. But that’s okay. That place, the Imperial Palace, try your best not to go if you can! That place has too many rules that need to be followed.” One had to be on one’s knees at every turn. Moreover, one was not allowed to raise up on one’s feet until one had been told to do so! Even now, her knees were still hurting from doing all the kneelings!

Zisu felt that it was a great pity for her Miss to have this kind of thinking.

Two days later, Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess sent someone to pick up Yuchen to the palace. Zisu felt awfully sorry for her Miss over this matter. Yuxi, however, was unconcerned about it. She just went into her study to read once more.

When Yuxi got tired of reading in the study, she went out. It was very hot at this time of the day, and only her second-class maid, Cai Die, was standing alone with folding arms in the corridor, while the others were shrinking in the room. But Cai Die was looking like she was extremely at a loss.

Yuxi laughed, as she stepped forward, and asked, “What made you look this awkward?” Yuxi never made things difficult for her lower level maids. Although Zisu was rather stern towards them, as long as they did their jobs well and didn’t stir up trouble, she wouldn’t casually scold them. Therefore, the maids who worked with Yuxi had a very good life.

When Cai Die saw Yuxi, her face turned pale with fright and she started to stutter, “Mi, Miss…”

How could Yuxi don’t understand after looking at Cai Die’s current appearance, and then combine it with how Cai Die’s act just before. “Come to my study,” she immediately said. The matter which had made Cai Die looking so at loss, perhaps had something to do with her. Otherwise Cai Die wouldn’t have looked so scared when she saw her.

When Yuxi entered the study, she stood in the middle of the room and asked, “Tell me, what has been bothering you so much?”

Now that Cai Die had reached this point, she didn’t hesitate anymore. She explained, “Miss, it’s regarding Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister’s family.”

Yuxi was rather puzzled. “What happened to Maidong’s family?” Since her last warning, Maidong’s family didn’t have any more wicked ideas.

Cai Die made up her mind and told Yuxi, “Maidong’s mother and dasao[+]eldest sister-in-law celebrated Maidong’s grandmother’s birthday two days ago. My mother noticed that Maidong’s mother was wearing gold earrings, gold rings, and there were also four to five gold bracelets on her wrist. While Maidong’s dasao[+]eldest sister-in-law wore a jade bracelet.” The things that the two women wore together would cost more than hundreds taels of silver.

Yuxi asked calmly, “What’s wrong with that?”

Cai Die answered in a very low voice, “Not to mention Maidong’s mother’s gold bracelet, my mother said that the jade bracelet worn by Maidong’s dasao[+]eldest sister-in-law could be worth more than ten taels of silver. My mother also said that Maidong’s family had never been this well-off. In the past two years, although Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister had helped support her family financially with ample amounts of money, nevertheless her dage[+]eldest brother and er ge[+]second brother had spent a lot of money given by her just by marrying their wives in succession, thus her family could not have any savings. My mother thought that there was something odd with this, so she wanted me to tell Miss about it.”

Yuxi asked, “What’s so odd about it?”

Cai Die lowered her head even further, “My mother said that Maidong’s father and her two elder brothers are loyal and honest people, and they also haven’t done any shady business. Hence, it was impossible for such a large amount of silver to drop down on her family out of thin air. I began to think that they were rewards given by Miss to Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister, so I specifically asked Zisu Jiejie[+]elder sister. I found out that the Miss had never rewarded Maidong Jiejie[+]elder sister with any gold bracelets and a jade bracelet, so I thought this matter was not right.”

When Yuxi’s personal maids Moju, Motao and Hongshan had gotten married, she had rewarded them with gold and silver jewellery, but that was naturally for their dignity, which belonged to special circumstances. No matter how generous Yuxi usually was, it was impossible for her to merely give gold bracelets and a jade bracelet worth more than dozens of taels to her personal maids. If she really did this, then she would not be called as being generous, but rather mindless.

Yuxi nodded her head and said, “I know, and you must not tell anyone else about this.” Cai Die’s mother must have reckoned that the money used for Maidong’s family jewellery must have come from an improper source, so she had asked Cai Die to tell her about it. In fact, Yuxi already knew that there was something wrong with it as soon as she heard it.

Cai Die felt grateful, “Thank you, Miss.” Before, she was really hesitant to let Miss know about this matter. It was because, once she let this matter out, no matter if there was any problem with Maidong’s family or not, she would not end well. If there was no problem with Maidong’s family, then she was the one who had intentionally stirred up troubles; if there was any problem, Maidong would definitely be implicated, and several jiejie[+]elder sister who had good relationships with Maidong would definitely have bad opinions on Cai Die. If she was excluded, she would have a hard time working in Taoran House. Now that Miss wouldn’t let her tell anyone else, this meant that Miss was asking her to keep this matter a secret. No matter what the result would be, it wouldn’t effect her.[+]This noob translation was translated by a noob translator, きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.

Yuxi gave Cai Die a little nudge and instructed, “Grind the ink! I want to practice my calligraphy.”

Usually the work of grinding ink was done by Yuxi’s personal maids, so when Zisu brought over a bowl of lotus seed soup, she was very surprised to see Cai Die grinding the ink.

Yuxi waved her hand toward Cai Die and said, “You should withdraw first.”

After Cai Die withdrew, Zisu asked strangely, “Miss, why did you ask Cai Die to grind ink for you.”

Yuxi said, “I just happened to want to practice my calligraphy, and when I went out, I saw her standing on the corridor, so I called her in. What’s wrong? Is there any problem?”

Zisu shook her head and said, “No, it’s just a bit strange. Speaking of which, this maid, Cai Die, has been acting really weird these past two days. Last night, she asked me whether Miss had ever rewarded Maidong with gold bracelets. I don’t even know why she was asking about it.” Everything Yuxi rewarded had to be registered into the account book, which was managed by Zisu, so just by asking her would be the most effective way to inquire.

In addition to her four personal maids, Yuxi didn’t have much contact with second-class and third-class maids, but she knew their basic situations. “I remember that her mother works in the teahouse, and she has a brother who seems to have trouble with his legs and feet.”

Zisu smiled and elaborated, “Even though her mother works in a teahouse, she is a good person and has a good relationship with people. His brother is still unmarried because of his bad leg! Cai Die is a good natured person, quick in her work and has a flexible mind, but not very talkative.” The teahouse was just like a nonprofit organisation, where it didn’t pay much attention on how much profit it earned.

Yuxi didn’t continue with this topic any longer, but took and ate the lotus seed soup. After she finished eating, she resumed her calligraphy practice. Zisu didn’t see any difference in her.

Yuxi was a very calm person, that was, until after dinner that she took Zisu to the Master Courtyard to look for Qiu Shi.

When Qiu Shi saw Yuxi, she smiled and asked, “What have made you think of coming here today?” Since Yuxi got those books from Han Jianye, she didn’t have much free time, and her visits to the Master Courtyard had decreased a lot.

Yuxi smiled and talked with Qiu Shi for a while, before she turned to Zisu and instructed, “I have something to tell Eldest Aunt. You should go and wait for me outside.”

Zisu was a little surprised, but she didn’t ask much and just walked out of the room.

With Yuxi acting like this, how could Qiu Shi still didn’t understand. She also asked the other maids in the room to go out, and then she asked Yuxi, “What’s the matter?” With such an incident with Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang, Qiu Shi had almost became like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow[+]Chinese idiom : sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences..

Yuxi brought up what Cai Die had told her to Qiu Shi, “That doesn’t sound right to me either, but it is not good for me to check it out with great fanfare. It’s okay if I managed to find out a problem, but if I couldn’t find any problem, at that time, it would make those who served around me always feel uneasy.” A personal maid should not be suspected casually, nor could she check it with great fanfare, or it would make everyone nervous.

It was impossible to do it quietly with Yuxi’s current ability. Therefore, this matter could only be investigated by Qiu Shi.

Qiu Shi said, “In all likelihood, this matter is indeed problematic, but it depends on the size of the problem.” Qiu Shi was a Lady who managed their household. Thus she knew exactly what was going on here. If it was the outer courtyard steward or the stewardess of the inner courtyard, these people would have some money left over. Especially from places like the kitchen where profits were abundant. This made their financial condition could be considered well-off in the residence. But for Maidong’s family, except Maidong, who had a pretty good job, her other family members’ jobs were only mediocre. Thusly how could they have the ability to get gold bracelets and buy a jade bracelet?

Yuxi requested, “Eldest Aunt, please check it for me!”

Qiu Shi nodded her head and said, “No matter what we find out, this Maidong can’t stay there any longer.” If there was trouble in one’s personal maid’s family, that personal maid was likely to bring future problems.

Yuxi smiled and said, “I’ll have to wait for the result first.” If it had nothing to do with Maidong, she would definitely not drive Maidong out. But if there was…she didn’t know what was wrong, but her intuition told her that this matter might not be related to Maidong.

After talking about Maidong, Qiu Shi then talked about Yuchen, “You went to the palace with Yuchen, but why did Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess only invite Yuchen alone to the palace?”

Yuxi smiled and said, “This is because Yuchen and Qinxin are brought together by fate, and I can’t force myself to be between them.”

Qiu Shi just felt it was a bit of a pity. “If you can also win Qinxin Gongzhu[+]Princess’s favour, there will be more opportunities for your future appearances, and you’ll have more room to choose your marriage partner.”

Yuxi smiled and said, “This kind of thing can’t be forced. Besides, the palace has a lot of rules, and I’m not comfortable with them. I prefer to be at home, free and unconstrained.”

Qiu Shi smilingly said, “Look at you. You just know how to guard your own acre of land[+]personal space. In fact, only when you are still a young miss at home will you have some days of easy living. Once you get married, there are a lot of tedious things to do, and you won’t be able to be as relaxed as before.”

Yuxi cheerfully responded, “It’s still too early for me to get married!”

Qiu Shi didn’t think it was still too early. “You will be thirteen years old after new year, and then after a few more years, you won’t be able to stay at home anymore.”