R:DSAT Chapter 225 – White Jade from Nanzhao

Translated by Uhei and edited by Cyrrene.

The Second Prince Long Xuan and the Third Prince Long Xing both had their grand weddings on the same day, and the capital (Shangdu) once again became inundated in a cacophony of merrymaking. People swept into the streets to witness the two princes receiving their brides, even hoping to see what kind of lunar and flower-like beauty the red veil-covered brides had. Amidst the drumbeats of the procession, two girls were lifted in two large gold-outlined palanquins painted with phoenixes, one from the northern area of the city, one from the eastern part, both heading towards the Imperial Palace.

Surrounding the palanquin were sounds of laughter and cheers, yet within the palanquins one bride was troubled, and the other was uneasy. The lady of the Chang clan didn’t know what was awaiting her in that magnificent-looking palace¹. She would not remember the congratulations of the bystanders, but she would only remember the forced smile on the faces of her parents and her elder brother from the main line. On the other hand, the lady of the Luo clan was thinking about how as she changed into this set of marital robes, and boarded the palanquin, she could hear the anguished crying of her grandmother coming from behind her. The tears of the lady of the Luo clan soaked into her luxurious robes. Her grandmother would soon return to Youyan City, and spend the remaining days there. Yet she entered the imperial family, the Imperial tomb in Xiachuan would be her final resting place. For the rest of this life, they would never meet again.

Luo Wei entered the palace in the afternoon this day. Even though he didn’t really feel too genuine about it, but as a subject of the court, he had to express his congratulations to the two princes. The congratulatory gift from the Luo Family had already been sent into the palace yesterday. So even though Luo Wei came in the name of congratulating the marriage, but in truth he only needed to enter the palace empty-handed, kowtow and say some congratulations outside the Empress’ Gracious Phoenix Hall, let the Head of Rites eunuch note down his name, and this round of congratulatory rites would be over.

“Young Master,” The Head Steward eunuch of the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix², Shang Xi had come up to him after Luo Wei had finished completing the congratulatory rite, and said: “Would you like to enter the palace to see Her Ladyship?”

Luo Wei looked at the people streaming in and out of the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix, each of them looking very busy, “Perhaps not today,” Luo Wei said to Shang Xi: “Her Ladyship will surely be very busy today, I shan’t bother her.”

“Though Young Master has returned to court in victory, Her Ladyship has been occupied with preparations for the grand wedding of the two princes, and couldn’t find the time to meet with Young Master even once,” Shang Xi said to Luo Wei quietly, “Her Ladyship has already repeated this a good few times.”

“Wait a few days,” Luo Wei stuffed a few banknotes into Shang Xi’s hands, this indeed was a loyal one. [Shang Xi] was offering him an explanation on the Empress’ behalf, why the Empress as his aunt couldn’t even summon him, Luo Wei, for a visit even though he had made a long journey back after being stationed in Northern Yan.

Shang Xi received the reward from Luo Wei, and was intending to escort Luo Wei out, but again there was someone calling for him within the palace.

“Go on,” Luo Wei smiled and said: “You don’t need to bother with me today, go do your duties.”

Only then did Shang Xi run back to the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix.

Luo Wei walked out of the Palace, thinking that Emperor Xingwu’s Hall of Eternal Light was surely just as busy as the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix, so he wouldn’t need to go bother them.

“Young Master,” Fu Yun had been waiting for Luo Wei on this arch bridge outside the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix for a long time, and seeing Luo Wei mount a palanquin, he hurriedly went up to it, making a deep bow of greeting towards Luo Wei.

“Why are you here?” Once Luo Wei saw Fu Yun his brows creased as he said: “Do you have any business with me?”

“Replying to Young Master,” Fu Yun said: “My family’s Highness is inviting Young Master to come by Qingwen Palace.”

“Today is the day of His Highness’ grand wedding,” Luo Wei said: “Why would he still have things to say to me?”

“Young Master,” Fu Yun pleaded with Luo Wei: “Just come by this once. This slave does not know what my family’s Highness has to speak with Young Master, but looking at my family’s Highness face, this slave thinks it must surely be something important.”

“What could possibly be more important than the grand wedding today?” Luo Wei said: “You go back and tell his Highness, Luo Wei is ill-fit to disturb him today, but will surely come to visit him on another day.”

“Young Master,” Fu Yun bent at the waist in front of Luo Wei, just about kneeling to Luo Wei, “This slave begs that you take pity on him, my family’s Highness said, if this slave is unable to bring Young Master, this slave will also no longer need to return to Qingwen Palace, and should just go directly to the Cold Palace to stay with the ladies that have sinned.”

“So I actually still have to bear Fu-gonggong’s future prospects in mind ah,” Luo Wei said: “You can rest well assured, your family’s Highness can’t be parted³ from you.”

“Young Master,” Fu Yun saw that Luo Wei was leaving, and really kneeled to Luo Wei this time, saying: “This slave has but one cheap life, not worth mentioning. Young Master, today is the day of my family’s Highness’ wedding, would Young Master please fulfil my family’s Highness’ wishes this once.”

Luo Wei wanted to say, why should I need to fulfil Long Xuan’s wishes? But seeing as the palace servants and eunuchs passing by were all watching them, and knew that now that Fu Yun was kneeling, this incident would be passed on throughout the entire palace within moments. “Lead the way then,” Luo Wei avoided Fu Yun’s kowtow. Fu Yun was Long Xuan’s personal servant, if he continued to let Fu Yun kneel here, who knows what sort of tales would be fabricated about him and Long Xuan by the people within and outside the palace.

“Young Master, this way,” Fu Yun quickly got up from the ground, walking to Luo Wei’s foreside and leading the way for him.

One of the minor eunuchs that served as the Third Prince Long Xing’s personal aides had followed Luo Wei all along the way from the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix to this arch bridge. He’d also wanted to speak with Luo Wei, but unfortunately Fu Yun beat him to it, and he could only stand below the arch bridge in wait. This minor eunuch saw Luo Wei leaving with Fu Yun, and quickly returned to Long Xing’s Fuze Palace to report to Long Xing.

“Why has your family’s Highness returned to Qingwen palace at this time?” Luo Wei asked Fu Yun along the way,

“Replying to Young Master,” Fu Yun said: “His Majesty (the emperor) let my family’s Highness return to rest for a bit.”

“Then what about the Second Prince’s Consort?” Luo Wei asked.

“The Prince Consort is in the Hall of the Gracious Phoenix,” Fu Yun said: “Her Ladyship the Empress still has things to instruct her on.”

Luo Wei no longer had anything else to ask, and followed Fu Yun to the Qingwen Palace. It was a palace that was normally silent and solemn, yet today it was decked with lanterns and coloured banners. Luo Wei looked at all of this jubilation, yet felt nothing for it. “Where is your family’s Highness now?” Luo Wei saw that Fu Yun was leading him to the back of the palace, and stopped to ask him.

“His Highness is waiting at the Inked Pond for Young Master,” Fu Yun said: “May Young Master follow this slave.”

Luo Wei did remember that Qingwen palace had such a pond. Long Xuan liked practising his letters next to this pond when he was younger, and would wash his brushes and inkstone right in the waters of the pond. Hence everyone simply called this pond the Inked Pond, and over time nobody remembered what the pond’s original name was.

Once Fu Yun led Luo Wei to the Inked Pond, he dismissed himself.

“Your Highness,” Luo Wei called out to Long Xuan, who stood by the Inked Pond staring at the waters in a daze.

“Do you still remember what happened right by this pond?” Long Xuan asked without even looking at Luo Wei who was bowing in greeting behind him.

Luo Wei said: “This is where Your Highness practised his letters in the past.”

Long Xuan said: “Anything else?”

Luo Wei said: “What else could there be?”

Long Xuan turned around, and extended his hand for Luo Wei to look.

Luo Wei saw in Long Xuan’s hand; there were actually two halves of a mandarin duck buckle that were buckled together in his palm.

“Do you still remember?” Long Xuan left his palm spread in front of Luo Wei’s eyes.

Of course Luo Wei remembered this mandarin duck buckle, but only thought of it after seeing it. This was what he had personally picked out to give to Long Xuan, it was Nanzhao white jade of the finest quality, he had even engraved letters on its surface. Luo Wei examined the two mandarin ducks’ wings in detail; and sure enough he saw a “Xuan” character and a “Wei” character. “Didn’t Your Highness already throw this away? Why has it returned to Your Highness’ hand?” Luo Wei asked. He remembered very clearly, Long Xuan had thrown a temper with him then, and threw one white jade mandarin duck into the Inked Pond. After Long Xuan left, he also threw the other mandarin duck into the pond.

“I ordered someone to have it dredged up,” Long Xuan said, his voice a little hoarse.

“This thing is truly made of the finest quality white jade,” Luo Wei said indifferently: “But there are tons of other jades better than it within the Palace, Your Highness need not be like this.”

“What about those words?”

“What words?”

“Those words you said when you gave me this mandarin duck buckle.”

What words did he say to Long Xuan at that time? For a moment Luo Wei couldn’t recall, but either way those words were likely nothing more than trying to woo Long Xuan. “Back then this minor subject was still ignorant, Your Highness should just forget all that nonsense talk,” Luo Wei said to Long Xuan: “This minor subject no longer remembers it clearly now.”

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1.金碧辉煌 – literally, as splendid as jade and gold. [Return]

2. Fengyi palace, but we’ve kept it named as ‘Hall of the Gracious Phoenix’ for consistency with previous translations. [Return]

3. 离不了 – Luo Wei is implying here that Long Xuan can’t do without Fu Yun, perhaps that he is doing dirty work that he can only trust Fu Yun to do. [Return]