R:DSAT Chapter 213 – Luo Qi Gains a Son

T/L: Translated by Uhei and edited by Cyrrene.

Northern Yan’s Emperor Sima Changtian died from shock after receiving news of losing Black Frost City.

Northern Yan was holding a national mourning, but to the Zhou army, Sima Changtian’s life and death was at most a topic for idle chatter to them. What the Zhou army truly cared about, was that now that Black Frost City had returned to Zhou rule, they could return to their homes and families.

Outside the northern gate of Yunguan Pass, Ye Xiu held her son that had just reached three full months of age in her arms, waiting for the return of her husband and little uncle.

“Baby be good woh¹,” Ye Xiu coaxed her son who was making cries of “yi-ah” in her arms, “In a bit Daddy and Little Uncle will be back, when you see them you can’t cry woh, if not Daddy and Little Uncle won’t like you.”

“Madam,” The servant girls and older woman servant by her side covered their mouths as they smiled, “The Commander might not even be persuaded to leave once he sees the little master, you’re still afraid he won’t like him?”

“Yes ah,” Ye Xiu wasn’t afraid she would be made fun of by others, and said to her son: “See if your Daddy dares not to like us!”

From the distance came the army’s bugle call, the military on expedition were returning victorious.

Outside the northern part of the city in Yunguan Pass erupted into loud cheers.

Luo Qi saw Ye Xiu, and the infant in Ye Xiu’s arms, and Luo Qi whose emotions would usually be unreadable from his expression while serving in the army, was unable to reign in the joy in his heart this time; elation was written all over his face to the tips of his brows². 

“Commander has gained a valuable son³ ah!” The civilians who knew of this all called out loudly to Luo Qi by the side.

Luo Qi and Ye Xiu’s faces reddened amidst the well-intended laughter of the crowd.

“Big Sister-in-law gave birth to a son?” Luo Wei came up from behind, and after hearing the civilian’s calls, he went straight towards where Ye Xiu was.

“We’re still in the middle of the march,” Luo Qi gripped Luo Wei’s horse-reins in place, “The troops haven’t been dismissed, you’re already running off?”

“It’s not like I’m someone from the army,” Luo Wei wanted urgently to see his little nephew, and Luo Qi’s words wouldn’t reach him. He single-mindedly tried to push away Luo Qi’s hand, saying to Luo Qi: “Big brother, you just bring the soldiers into the fortress, they won’t listen to me anyway.”

“Everyone’s watching you!” Luo Qi was practically dragging Luo Wei’s horse to walk forward, “After returning home, you can look at your nephew all you want, but not right now.”

Luo Wei turned around as he sat on the horse. He couldn’t beat Luo Qi, so he could only wave at Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu watched the two brothers enter the fortress, and only then brought the female servants into the fortress and back to the residence, to wait for the two brothers to return home.

Only after the sky had darkened, did Luo Qi and Luo Wei return to the Yunguan Commander’s residence.

“Did something happen?” Ye Xiu asked when she saw Luo Qi’s expression was not good.

“Nothing much,” Luo Wei who was at the side laughed: “Just that I and the Second Prince argued a bit during the few days we returned to court, and made Big brother angry.”

“He’s a prince,” Luo Qi pulled Luo Wei over and said: “How could you just speak to him like that in public?”

The servants in the hall all tactfully dismissed themselves.

“Speak to him like what?” Luo Wei gestured for Wei Lan to also leave first with his gaze, and let him speak a few words with Luo Qi and Ye Xiu in private.

Wei Lan exited the hall, then closed the door to the hall and stood watch outside.

“The way you two are being this passive-aggressive⁴, hiding barbs in your words⁵, do you take all of us on the side for fools, that we cannot tell?” Luo Qi said, glaring at Luo Wei even as he was pulled by Ye Xiu to sit down.

“Really, Big brother,” Luo Wei sat by himself at the seat beneath Luo Qi⁶, saying: “Our family is protecting the Crown Prince, what would I be courteous to him, that Long Xuan for?”

“You,” Luo Qi looked around the hall, and only after confirming that it was only the three of them present, did he relax, hand pointed at Luo Wei as he said: “I know His Majesty dotes on you, have you been spoiled so much you don’t know who you are anymore? No matter how much we don’t get along with the Second Prince, are you able to call him straight by his name? Dad told us since we were young, we are outer relatives, and so need to be even more reserved; don’t let anyone catch us in any wrong, have you forgotten all these words?”

“Didn’t forget,” Luo Wei replied with one phrase absent-mindedly.

“Xiao Wei,” Luo Qi patiently advised, “Big brother doesn’t know the matters of the court, but Big brother still needs to keep in mind not to fight for temporary displays of ability with others in the army. The power struggles in court are even beyond our fighting with our lives staked on the battlefield. If you continue to fight with Second Prince like this, you’ll get the worst of it!”

Luo Wei rubbed his forehead for a bit, “Just now Long-, Second Prince was fighting for credit with Big brother, couldn’t Big brother tell?”

“Whatever credit he wants I can give it to him,” Luo Qi said: “Being able to sit in this position of the Yunguan Pass Commander, there’s no possibility of advancing a further step upward. Second Prince is the same, no matter how large his credit, don’t tell me he can even become the Crown Prince?”

When Luo Qi spoke the two words “Crown Prince”, he did remind Luo Wei; Luo Wei smiled and asked Ye Xiu: “It has already been more than three months since Elder sister-in-law gave birth to a son, has a reply letter come from Dad and Mom’s place in the capital?”

Ye Xiu first watched to see what these two brothers were fighting about, she wasn’t in a good place to speak up, but now that Luo Wei was asking her something she opened her mouth: “Dad and Mom, and also Second Uncle, he⁷ all sent a bunch of good things over, and even said that when Little Uncle returns to the capital, (you) should bring me and your little nephew along.”

“I’m not needed for this,” Luo Wei laughed, “Big brother will go to the capital to seek an audience⁸ with the throne, (he can) just bring along Elder sister-in-law and my little nephew along then.”

Ye Xiu shot a glance at Luo Qi, and said to Luo Wei, “There’s still some days yet until your Big brother goes to the capital, I’m afraid Dad and Mom over there want to see the child urgently.”

“Dad and Mom want to see all of the three of you,” Luo Wei laughed shaking his head, and said: “Don’t tell me Elder sister-in-law doesn’t want to be with Big brother, and wants to follow me on the road to the capital?”

“Stop making fun of your Elder sister-in-law,” Luo Qi wanted to lecture Luo Wei, but after being smacked once by Ye Xiu, he stopped talking.

Luo Wei shot a salute at Ye Xiu, thanked her once, and only after seeing Ye Xiu cover her mouth while smiling did he ask Ye Xiu: “That’s right, Elder sister-in-law, has there been any news from where the Crown Prince is?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince?” Ye Xiu said: “There isn’t ah, does he need to talk to your Big brother?”

“What are you asking about His Highness the Crown Prince for?” Luo Qi also asked Luo Wei.

“Woh,” Luo Wei smiled and said: “When I was in the capital I often heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has ongoing correspondence with Big brother, so I just asked.”

“Speaking rubbish again,” Luo Qi said of Luo Wei: “I’m a general protecting the border, how could I possibly be in private correspondence with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“That’s right woh,” Luo Wei said: “It was me mistakenly believing rumours.”

The cries of an infant carried over from the back hall, making the three people in the front hall share a knowing smile.

“Let’s go,” Ye Xiu told the two brothers: “All we’ve done is hear you two arguing, let’s go see our big fat baby.” 

Luo Wei followed behind the couple (Luo Qi and his wife), Luo Qi had gained a son, yet the Crown Prince actually didn’t even make a single gesture, was he so certain their Luo family were devotedly loyal to him? Compared to Long Xuan’s winning over people’s hearts, using all sorts of methods to grow his camp, this crown prince really seemed as if (he thought) he already had the country at hand. The disdain towards crown prince Long Yu in Luo Wei’s heart grew,  thinking of how the Empress had three sons by birth; if the crown prince truly was rotten soil that couldn’t be propped to rise up the wall⁹, then don’t blame him for choosing someone else.

Ye Xiu passed their son to Luo Qi’s hands, but Luo Qi didn’t know how to hold children, and only dared to clumsily hold him with both hands.

“I wouldn’t dare to hold (him),” Luo Wei saw his own little nephew, and put away the malice in his heart, waving a hand at Luo Qi: “He looks too small, I’m afraid of dropping him.”

“This is how you should hold your son,” Ye Xiu taught Luo Qi how to hold his son hands-on as she asked the two brothers: “You both didn’t hold Little You’er when he was small?”

“I was at Yunguan, You’er was already two years old when I saw him for the first time,” Luo Qi said, this time when he carried his son, he finally had the semblance of a proper hold.

“Neither did I,” As Luo Wei played with his little nephew in Luo Qi’s hands, he said: “Back then I didn’t like small children, but now I like them.”

“Back then you were still a small child yourself,” Luo Qi found a reason for Luo Wei’s dislike of Luo You.

“Young Master,” Wei Lan walked in, and called for Luo Wei, standing outside the folding screen.

“Perhaps Imperial Physician Wei is looking for me again,” Luo Wei let out a sigh, and said to Luo Qi and Ye Xiu: “I’ll just go for a bit and come back quickly, Elder sister-in-law must be sure to wait for my return before you guys start eating ah.”

“Quickly go,” Luo Qi laughed none too good-temperedly, “Could I still shortchange you of one mouthful?”

“Elder sister-in-law knows,” Ye Xiu also shot Luo Wei a smile and said: “Your Elder sister-in-law’s got your back!”

It was only then that Luo Wei laughed and walked away, the smile on his face completely disappearing only after he’d exited the hall.

“The people below¹⁰ came to report,” Wei Lan spoke to Luo Wei in a small voice in the courtyard: “Vice-Commander Chang Ling went to meet with the Second Prince.”

1. Speech consonant sound usually said to acknowledge/agree when someone has spoken, or at the end of sentences. Sometimes, (as when LW uses it) it is used to act coy.

2. 喜上眉梢

3. 贵子 – courteous way of referring to someone’s son. 

4. 阴阳怪气 – to speak cynically to someone, but since they’re both being cynical with each other I translated it to passive-aggressive

5. 夹枪带棒 – literally ‘holding a spear and bringing a club’, it’s an idiom meaning to snark at someone.

6. So in a main hall the seats are arranged according to the respect accorded by the people sitting in them. The main seat is usually meant for the master of the house, and the chairs ‘beneath’ that (closer to the door) are in descending order of respect.

7. Ye Xiu uses a informal vernacular that inserts the word ‘他’ (he) in front of every person’s address.

8. 见驾 – paying the Emperor an official visit

9. 扶不上墙的烂泥 – saying meaning that a person is so useless that even with others’ help and support, they cannot achieve things / lead.

10. 下面的人：Translated literally here, but in this instance it’s implying subordinates.