epiphany: “a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.” from the Cambridge dictionary.
Today’s chapter, ay! The title says it all… be ready for our dense protagonist to notice… it! ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)9 Since it’s December already, I’ll focus on this project cuz it’s my fave. Thank you for reading, let’s enjoy it together~
“Now I have to give it away even if I didn’t intend to give it away,” Yinyou faked a melancholic sigh and then joked. “Honghui, this child looks so cute and tender, I really want to take him to my house to raise.”
When the fourth Fu Jin heard this, she burst out laughing. Li shi7She was a very favored concubine of the Yongzheng emperor, in novels she appears seductive and somewhat stupid and impulsive. She was considered favored because she gave birth to one princess and three princes: Hongfen, Hongyun and Hongshi. To give birth to so many children was a merit and thus she became the Secondary Consort, inferior only to the legitimate Fu Jin or Principal Consort. When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne he raised her rank to Consort Qi and when the emperor died, she became the Dowager Consort Qi. and Song shi8Song shi appeared in chapter 29, she was the first concubine bestowed to Yinzhen. She gave birth to two daughters, but they all died in infancy. She never had any children after that and she wasn’t particularly favored. She remained a concubine when the emperor ascended the throne. , who were behind her, were in a complicated mood. Both of them knew that the seventh Lord had a close relationship with their Master. When the seventh Lord said this, didn’t he make it clear that he was biased towards Fu Jin’s son? The two of them glanced at Honghui sourly, wishing it was their own child.
The thirteenth brother joined in, “Seventh brother, in the past, you used to go to the fourth brother’s house to drink his tea and eat his food. Today, you actually want to take the fourth brother’s son away! Fourth sister-in-law, you quickly beat him with a broom and see if he’s still greedy. Seventh brother, if you want children, you can ask your own Fu Jin to give birth to them, where’s the need to stare at the fourth brother’s children?”
“For sure!” The fourth Fu Jin now knew that her child’s sickness was nothing serious so she was in the mood to joke around. “When you have your kid, afraid you will feel that Honghui is not as good as your own!”
Yinyou smiled and let the two of them make fun of him. He turned his head and looked at Yinzhen. He found a cold-faced Yinzhen, seemingly in a bad mood. Yinyou glanced at the other women in the fourth brother’s mansion. It was not good to stay here for a long time, so he found an excuse to go out of the yard9Since they’re male guests in the courtyard of the Fu Jin it wasn’t good to stay too long. In ancient China, men and women were restricted by etiquette to not get together, that’s why the whole “backyard” is for women to live, and the front of the house is for the male relatives to live. There’s a whole discourse about virtue and just more patriarchal values which caused this kind of etiquette and atmosphere., and the thirteenth brother followed him out.
The thirteenth brother lived in the palace, and he had riding and shooting classes in the afternoon so he left early. Now alone, Yinyou stood under a plane tree10The plane tree is a large deciduous tree that usually grows between 20 and 30 meters. It has thick and broad leaves that have a similar shape to maple leaves. In China, it is called the French plane as French immigrants first introduced it to the then-French concession in Shanghai during the early 20th century as a means of combating homesickness. Source. B: In the Qing dynasty I don’t think you would’ve found these kinds of trees…, mulling over something.
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In his previous life, he had heard from his ex-girlfriend that the fourth brother seemed to have many sons who would die young, and there was also a concubine-born son who was very close to the eighth brother11It was Hongshi, the son of Li shi. His first teacher when he was young was He Qing, a member of the Bordered White Banner. Yinzhen was not at all interested in Hongshi’s studies and it took him nearly five years to realize He Qing’s character problems and expel him. After Yinzhen succeeded to the throne, he also complained that He Qing only served to delay his son’s studying. Compared with his younger brother Hongli [the future Qianlong emperor], Hongshi had no political achievements and was not awarded a title; he also had a close relationship with his father’s political enemy, Yinsi. On the 4th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1726), Emperor Yongzheng believed that there was something wrong with Hongshi’s character and ordered him to be adopted as Aqina’s son [meaning, Yinsi’s son]. Hongshi was expelled from the Forbidden City and placed under the supervision of his twelfth uncle, Prince Yunqi. It was said that Hongshi was young and indulgent and acted imprudently. On th 5th year of Yongzheng (1727), Hongshi was dismissed from the imperial family and imprisoned until his death at the age of twenty-four. Regarding Hongshi’s death, historian Tang Bangzhi, who was a co-editor of the Qing History Museum, proposed in the book «Four Genealogies of the Qing Imperial Family» published in 1923 that he was ordered to die by Yongzheng. However, a more credible statement is that Hongshi was not killed by Yongzheng, but died in depression after being expelled from his family. On the 13th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1735), after Emperor Qianlong came to the throne, he restored Hongshi’s clan status. Source: Chinese Wikipedia page of Hongshi. / The English Wikipedia focuses more on the partiality Yinzhen had for Hongli, the Qianlong emperor: “To prevent a succession crisis like he had faced, the Yongzheng Emperor was said to have ordered his third son Hongshi (an ally of Yinsi) to commit suicide. He also devised a system for his successors to choose their heirs in secret.” /mfn]. However, due to the passage of time, he couldn’t remember the details. Nevertheless, he didn’t have much fondness for the child who was close to the eighth brother.
Which emperor had a son, but the son ended up getting close to the uncle threatening to the throne, and causing great unease for the emperor? The child in question must lack insight, otherwise, why would he foolishly tread down such a dangerous path? In later generations, some people claim that Yinzhen was cold-blooded and heartless. He felt disdainful just thinking about those people Could it be that as an emperor, he could calmly watch his son getting involved with his political rival and still wear a gentle expression, saying, “Son, come back early for dinner”? If that were true, how could Yinzhen become a great emperor? Comparing family relationships in commoner households to those in imperial families was indeed a laughable matter. Those who speak without experiencing it have no right to say that Yinzhen lacked compassion. It was he who genuinely cared about Yinzhen that he understood his difficulties best.
The more he thought about it, the tighter his brows frowned. Yinyou picked at the tree bark with his right hand unconsciously. As he thought of the useless behaviours of Qianlong, who would inherit the throne of the fourth brother11The Qianlong emperor inherited the empire when it was at his most prosperous —Yinzhen had been eradicating corruption all his reign—, so when he ascended he had the money and power to do what he wanted. “As a military leader, he led military campaigns expanding the dynastic territory to the largest extent by conquering and sometimes destroying Central Asian kingdoms. This turned around in his late years: the Qing empire began to decline with corruption and wastefulness in his court and a stagnating civil society. (…) In his later years, the Qianlong Emperor became spoiled with power and glory, disillusioned and complacent in his reign, and started placing his trust in corrupt officials such as Yu Minzhong and Heshen. As Heshen was the highest ranked minister and most favoured by the Qianlong Emperor at the time, the day-to-day governance of the country was left in his hands, while the emperor himself indulged in the arts, luxuries and literature. When Heshen was executed by the Jiaqing Emperor —the Qianlong successor—, the Qing government discovered that Heshen’s personal fortune exceeded that of the Qing Empire’s depleted treasury, amounting to 900 million silver taels, the total of 12 years of Treasury surplus of the Qing imperial court.” Source. The Jianqing Emperor basically cleaned his ass, lmao. He’s what Wikipedia says about that, “During his reign, he [Jianqing] prosecuted Heshen, the corrupt Manchu favorite of his father, and attempted to restore order within the Qing Empire while curbing the smuggling of opium into China.” / B: When I read this novel, the comment section really bashed the critics the author made of the Qianlong emperor, so I’m guessing this opinion of Qianlong is not the most popular. , his brows had already begun to knot.
“Seventh brother, are you going to pull the bark off?” Yinzhen was in a bad mood after hearing the fourth Fu Jin joke about Yinyou’s children but when he came out of the courtyard and saw that Yinyou fighting with a plane tree, his mood turned lighter and had the mind to tease Yinyou.
“Fourth brother?” Yinyou turned his head and saw Yinzhen standing a few steps away, with a faint smile on his chiseled, handsome face. Thinking of the cold-blooded reputation the fourth brother got in later generations, he couldn’t help feeling aggrieved for Yinzhen. He retracted his hand and walked in front of Yinzhen, barely squeezing out a smile. “It’s time for me to go back to the mansion too.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Yinzhen felt that something was wrong with Yinyou’s mood, and he stretched out his hand and grabbed his wrist. He walked into his courtyard before letting go of Yinyou’s wrist, “Did something bad happen?”
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“It’s nothing.” Yinyou himself felt a little baffled. He glanced at the gray sky outside, could it be that the winter had stirred his mind into melancholy?
Perceiving that Yinyou didn’t want to say anything, Yinzhen didn’t pursue the matter. At this moment, Xiao Luzi who was outside through the curtain announced, “Master, the stewards of several farmlands have come to hand in the ledger.”
At the end of the year, all the stewards will come to report the accounts. Yinzhen glanced at Yinyou and sighed, “You can rest in my room. If you want to leave later, just send someone to let me know.”
When Yinzhen walked out, Yinyou touched his chin and thought, Yinzhen trusted him too much. Who knows whether there are other important things in this room? Just letting him stay like this, wasn’t he afraid he would find something?
In spring and winter, one became easily sleepy. Yinyou walked to Yinzhen’s bed and sat down. He moved the pillow, preparing to sleep for a while, but this movement exposed a little jade ornament. Yinyou stretched out his hand to get it out of his way, without paying much attention, but when he saw what was in his hand, he was stunned silly.
The little child in the wedding clothes smiled innocently and bowed directly at him, but the bride who had originally bowed alongside the boy was nowhere to be seen12This doll appears in chapter 30: Yinzhen’s Grand Wedding. Ula Nara shi breaks the jade dolls and the bride and groom separate, Yinzhen tells Xiao Luzi to throw her away but leaves the boy groom. This was the wedding gift Yinyou sent to Yinzhen. Amazing how he only discovers it now, when it’s been like four years or so, right? Wonder if it’s Yinzhen thinking that the frog has been boiled and so he deliberately left it there. Can’t recall for the life of me if he did it intentionally, we will see next chapter (I guess!).. There were no flaws in the broken jade, and it was obvious that it had been polished by a jade craftsman.
The jade doll, which was originally so cold, felt a little hot in Yinyou’s hand at this time. Speechless, he put the things back in place, got up, straightened his clothes, and left the house. Seeing Xiao Luzi guarding the door, he smiled very naturally and explained calmly, “I’m feeling sleepy. I’m going back to the Mansion to rest. When the fourth brother comes back, you can tell him for me.”
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“Seventh Master, wait a moment.” Xiao Luzi turned to the wing and took out two pairs of boots, which seemed to be newly made. “Seventh Lord, Master said that your feet can’t stand the cold, so he commissioned people to make two pairs of fox fur boots for you. It’s a good thing, and it was just rushed out at noon today. Lord should try it to see if it fits. If there is anything uncomfortable, it can be changed.”
Yinyou took the two pairs of boots, but did not let Fu Duo behind him take them. “Which of the things the fourth brother has given me ever been unsatisfactory?” He stroked the boots that were ordinary in style but extremely luxurious inside, and perked up the corners of his mouth, “This Lord will go back first. Remember to serve your Master well.”
“Aye,” Xiao Luzi smiled, bowed, and sent Yinyou outside the mansion. Seeing Yinyou entering his own Prince’s Mansion, he turned around and returned to the Fourth Prince’s Mansion.
At night, Yinyou did not go to the seventh Fu Jin’s yard but just stared at his fox fur boots, luminous pearls, waist knife, and various agate jades with a thoughtful expression on his face.
He picked up a pair of socks made of excellent rabbit fur, these were sent from the fourth brother’s mansion. Then he picked up a delicate hand warmer, which was also sent from the fourth brother’s mansion. Picking up an excellent piece of jade, huh, it was also sent from the fourth brother’s mansion.
Thinking of the white jade that Yinyou had been hanging around his waist in recent days, it was given by Yinzhen himself. Yinyou silently stuffed a piece of dim sum into his mouth… And then, he choked.
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That night, the servants serving in the seventh prince’s mansion found that the candles in the Master’s house stayed lit the whole night. For a while, the whole mansion thought that something grave had happened to their Master, and they were all cautious. Who knew that after returning from morning court the next day, the Master was still the same as before, and his spirit seemed to be very good?
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A few days later, the fourth prince Yinzhen sent a lot of exquisite things to the fourteenth brother and also invited this younger brother to his mansion for dinner. The relationship between the two brothers seemed to be harmonious. When the fourth Fu Jin went to greet Consort De, she noticed that her mother-in-law had become more amiable.
At this time, the New Year’s Eve of Kangxi’s 37th year was about to come.
The translator has something to say: Yinyou is very much biased, so… Take his opinions with a lil grain of salt! I’m so excited for the next chapter, can’t recall this part of the plot so it’s low-key like reading it anew! Thank you for reading!!
1The 14th brother is the full-blooded younger sibling of Yinzhen, and one of the stronger contenders for the throne in the later stage. After Yinsi, the eight prince, lost the standing to pursue the throne, he supported the 14th brother. The 14th brother was an important general, and was out of the capital when Kangxi died; when he arrived at the capital the fourth prince was already named emperor. Some rumours were saying how Kangxi wanted to name “14th prince” as his heir and not “4th prince” but that’s utter bullshit as Yinyou already discussed some chapters back. The 14th brother was also the favorite of Consort De, the birth-mother of Yinzhen, and it’s particularly important since Yinzhen was never close to her since he was adopted by Tong Jia shi. According to the historical records, Consort De was one of the ones disputing the naming of Yinzhen as the future emperor and she never accepted being the Empress Dowager. She also went in a hunger strike because she couldn’t accept her eldest son being the emperor and not the youngest one, Yinzhen could only persuade her saying that if she died, he would also die. Then she stopped making trouble. Later, she refused to accept the responsibility to entertain guests during the Yongzheng Emperor’s New Year “enthronement celebration” which led to its cancellation. Then, she died suddenly which caused many people to gossip, saying that the emperor had forced his mother to death. When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne, he ignored his younger brother who had military merits when bestowing titles, and simply imprisoned him. After their mother’s death, he granted the 14th brother the rank of a Prince of the Third Rank but did not gave him a title. In the 4th year of Yongzheng, the emperor once again stripped the 14th prince of all his duties and imprisoned him. Source. / This is the historical context. Basically, Yinyou is trying to heal the brother’s distance, this eliminating Yinzhen’s future contender and cleanse Yinzhen’s reputation. Honestly, the Yongzheng Emperor has such a bad reputation, like being ruthless, cruel and petty… As a modern man, Yinyou knows this best.2Guessing Yinzhen thought that Yinyou wanted him to be closer to his full-blooded sibling and his birth mother. He certainly couldn’t know the consequences of not being close.3Children are very important for imperial China’s noblemen. They represent prosperity, blessings, and ability. Having an heir also secures one’s position. Children are the most important, particularly because they were frail when young and many died when toddlers. This is the case for the eldest son of Yinzhen, Honghui. He was born from Ula Nara shi, the legitimate Fu Jin —which meant he was the di son, from higher standing than the shu sons—. (The eldest son being di also showed the Yongzheng Emperor followed proper etiquette.) Honghui died of illness when he was seven years old, and her mother never had any children after him. The Yongzheng emperor’s heir turned out to be a shu son, Hongli, his fourth son and the Qianlong emperor. Speaking of this Hongli, he was favored by his grandfather, the Kangxi emperor. There was some gossip about how “the Kangxi Emperor appointed the Yongzheng Emperor as his successor was because Hongli was his favorite grandson. He felt that Hongli’s mannerisms were very similar to his own. As a teenager, Hongli was capable in martial arts and possessed literary ability.” Sources 1, 2.4The name 弘暉 hónghuī which might be loosely interpreted as “great radiance” or “vast brightness.” Posthumously, he got the title of Prince Duan of the First Rank which was granted by his younger brother, the Qianlong Emperor. Honghui was born on the 36th year of Kangxi, and died at the 43th year. Sources 1, 2. / We’re currently in the 37th year of Kangxi, so author made him be born one year later than official history. (Daily reminder that Yinyou should be 17-18, Yinzhen 20-21 and Yinxiang 10-11.)5微臣 wēi chén. this small official, humble servant.6In Chinese tradition, the first 100 days of the baby is considered as an auspicious occasion that should be celebrated. It has been practiced since the ancient times when the mortality rate of infants increased significantly because of scarce medical care. It was such a major milestone for the family whenever the babies reach one full month. The Chinese Full Moon or one full month after the baby was born was a common tradition. However, the 100 day mark is more common nowadays. It marks the first 100 days of the baby and of the mother who recovered from the delivery. Source.7She was a very favored concubine of the Yongzheng emperor, in novels she appears seductive and somewhat stupid and impulsive. She was considered favored because she gave birth to one princess and three princes: Hongfen, Hongyun and Hongshi. To give birth to so many children was a merit and thus she became the Secondary Consort, inferior only to the legitimate Fu Jin or Principal Consort. When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne he raised her rank to Consort Qi and when the emperor died, she became the Dowager Consort Qi. 8Song shi appeared in chapter 29, she was the first concubine bestowed to Yinzhen. She gave birth to two daughters, but they all died in infancy. She never had any children after that and she wasn’t particularly favored. She remained a concubine when the emperor ascended the throne. 9Since they’re male guests in the courtyard of the Fu Jin it wasn’t good to stay too long. In ancient China, men and women were restricted by etiquette to not get together, that’s why the whole “backyard” is for women to live, and the front of the house is for the male relatives to live. There’s a whole discourse about virtue and just more patriarchal values which caused this kind of etiquette and atmosphere.10The plane tree is a large deciduous tree that usually grows between 20 and 30 meters. It has thick and broad leaves that have a similar shape to maple leaves. In China, it is called the French plane as French immigrants first introduced it to the then-French concession in Shanghai during the early 20th century as a means of combating homesickness. Source. B: In the Qing dynasty I don’t think you would’ve found these kinds of trees…11It was Hongshi, the son of Li shi. His first teacher when he was young was He Qing, a member of the Bordered White Banner. Yinzhen was not at all interested in Hongshi’s studies and it took him nearly five years to realize He Qing’s character problems and expel him. After Yinzhen succeeded to the throne, he also complained that He Qing only served to delay his son’s studying. Compared with his younger brother Hongli [the future Qianlong emperor], Hongshi had no political achievements and was not awarded a title; he also had a close relationship with his father’s political enemy, Yinsi. On the 4th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1726), Emperor Yongzheng believed that there was something wrong with Hongshi’s character and ordered him to be adopted as Aqina’s son [meaning, Yinsi’s son]. Hongshi was expelled from the Forbidden City and placed under the supervision of his twelfth uncle, Prince Yunqi. It was said that Hongshi was young and indulgent and acted imprudently. On th 5th year of Yongzheng (1727), Hongshi was dismissed from the imperial family and imprisoned until his death at the age of twenty-four. Regarding Hongshi’s death, historian Tang Bangzhi, who was a co-editor of the Qing History Museum, proposed in the book «Four Genealogies of the Qing Imperial Family» published in 1923 that he was ordered to die by Yongzheng. However, a more credible statement is that Hongshi was not killed by Yongzheng, but died in depression after being expelled from his family. On the 13th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1735), after Emperor Qianlong came to the throne, he restored Hongshi’s clan status. Source: Chinese Wikipedia page of Hongshi. / The English Wikipedia focuses more on the partiality Yinzhen had for Hongli, the Qianlong emperor: “To prevent a succession crisis like he had faced, the Yongzheng Emperor was said to have ordered his third son Hongshi (an ally of Yinsi) to commit suicide. He also devised a system for his successors to choose their heirs in secret.” /mfn]. However, due to the passage of time, he couldn’t remember the details. Nevertheless, he didn’t have much fondness for the child who was close to the eighth brother.
Which emperor had a son, but the son ended up getting close to the uncle threatening to the throne, and causing great unease for the emperor? The child in question must lack insight, otherwise, why would he foolishly tread down such a dangerous path? In later generations, some people claim that Yinzhen was cold-blooded and heartless. He felt disdainful just thinking about those people Could it be that as an emperor, he could calmly watch his son getting involved with his political rival and still wear a gentle expression, saying, “Son, come back early for dinner”? If that were true, how could Yinzhen become a great emperor? Comparing family relationships in commoner households to those in imperial families was indeed a laughable matter. Those who speak without experiencing it have no right to say that Yinzhen lacked compassion. It was he who genuinely cared about Yinzhen that he understood his difficulties best.
The more he thought about it, the tighter his brows frowned. Yinyou picked at the tree bark with his right hand unconsciously. As he thought of the useless behaviours of Qianlong, who would inherit the throne of the fourth brother11The Qianlong emperor inherited the empire when it was at his most prosperous —Yinzhen had been eradicating corruption all his reign—, so when he ascended he had the money and power to do what he wanted. “As a military leader, he led military campaigns expanding the dynastic territory to the largest extent by conquering and sometimes destroying Central Asian kingdoms. This turned around in his late years: the Qing empire began to decline with corruption and wastefulness in his court and a stagnating civil society. (…) In his later years, the Qianlong Emperor became spoiled with power and glory, disillusioned and complacent in his reign, and started placing his trust in corrupt officials such as Yu Minzhong and Heshen. As Heshen was the highest ranked minister and most favoured by the Qianlong Emperor at the time, the day-to-day governance of the country was left in his hands, while the emperor himself indulged in the arts, luxuries and literature. When Heshen was executed by the Jiaqing Emperor —the Qianlong successor—, the Qing government discovered that Heshen’s personal fortune exceeded that of the Qing Empire’s depleted treasury, amounting to 900 million silver taels, the total of 12 years of Treasury surplus of the Qing imperial court.” Source. The Jianqing Emperor basically cleaned his ass, lmao. He’s what Wikipedia says about that, “During his reign, he [Jianqing] prosecuted Heshen, the corrupt Manchu favorite of his father, and attempted to restore order within the Qing Empire while curbing the smuggling of opium into China.” / B: When I read this novel, the comment section really bashed the critics the author made of the Qianlong emperor, so I’m guessing this opinion of Qianlong is not the most popular. 12This doll appears in chapter 30: Yinzhen’s Grand Wedding. Ula Nara shi breaks the jade dolls and the bride and groom separate, Yinzhen tells Xiao Luzi to throw her away but leaves the boy groom. This was the wedding gift Yinyou sent to Yinzhen. Amazing how he only discovers it now, when it’s been like four years or so, right? Wonder if it’s Yinzhen thinking that the frog has been boiled and so he deliberately left it there. Can’t recall for the life of me if he did it intentionally, we will see next chapter (I guess!).
epiphany: “a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.” from the Cambridge dictionary.
Today’s chapter, ay! The title says it all… be ready for our dense protagonist to notice… it! ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)9 Since it’s December already, I’ll focus on this project cuz it’s my fave. Thank you for reading, let’s enjoy it together~
“Now I have to give it away even if I didn’t intend to give it away,” Yinyou faked a melancholic sigh and then joked. “Honghui, this child looks so cute and tender, I really want to take him to my house to raise.”
When the fourth Fu Jin heard this, she burst out laughing. Li shi7She was a very favored concubine of the Yongzheng emperor, in novels she appears seductive and somewhat stupid and impulsive. She was considered favored because she gave birth to one princess and three princes: Hongfen, Hongyun and Hongshi. To give birth to so many children was a merit and thus she became the Secondary Consort, inferior only to the legitimate Fu Jin or Principal Consort. When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne he raised her rank to Consort Qi and when the emperor died, she became the Dowager Consort Qi. and Song shi8Song shi appeared in chapter 29, she was the first concubine bestowed to Yinzhen. She gave birth to two daughters, but they all died in infancy. She never had any children after that and she wasn’t particularly favored. She remained a concubine when the emperor ascended the throne. , who were behind her, were in a complicated mood. Both of them knew that the seventh Lord had a close relationship with their Master. When the seventh Lord said this, didn’t he make it clear that he was biased towards Fu Jin’s son? The two of them glanced at Honghui sourly, wishing it was their own child.
The thirteenth brother joined in, “Seventh brother, in the past, you used to go to the fourth brother’s house to drink his tea and eat his food. Today, you actually want to take the fourth brother’s son away! Fourth sister-in-law, you quickly beat him with a broom and see if he’s still greedy. Seventh brother, if you want children, you can ask your own Fu Jin to give birth to them, where’s the need to stare at the fourth brother’s children?”
“For sure!” The fourth Fu Jin now knew that her child’s sickness was nothing serious so she was in the mood to joke around. “When you have your kid, afraid you will feel that Honghui is not as good as your own!”
Yinyou smiled and let the two of them make fun of him. He turned his head and looked at Yinzhen. He found a cold-faced Yinzhen, seemingly in a bad mood. Yinyou glanced at the other women in the fourth brother’s mansion. It was not good to stay here for a long time, so he found an excuse to go out of the yard9Since they’re male guests in the courtyard of the Fu Jin it wasn’t good to stay too long. In ancient China, men and women were restricted by etiquette to not get together, that’s why the whole “backyard” is for women to live, and the front of the house is for the male relatives to live. There’s a whole discourse about virtue and just more patriarchal values which caused this kind of etiquette and atmosphere., and the thirteenth brother followed him out.
The thirteenth brother lived in the palace, and he had riding and shooting classes in the afternoon so he left early. Now alone, Yinyou stood under a plane tree10The plane tree is a large deciduous tree that usually grows between 20 and 30 meters. It has thick and broad leaves that have a similar shape to maple leaves. In China, it is called the French plane as French immigrants first introduced it to the then-French concession in Shanghai during the early 20th century as a means of combating homesickness. Source. B: In the Qing dynasty I don’t think you would’ve found these kinds of trees…, mulling over something.
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In his previous life, he had heard from his ex-girlfriend that the fourth brother seemed to have many sons who would die young, and there was also a concubine-born son who was very close to the eighth brother11It was Hongshi, the son of Li shi. His first teacher when he was young was He Qing, a member of the Bordered White Banner. Yinzhen was not at all interested in Hongshi’s studies and it took him nearly five years to realize He Qing’s character problems and expel him. After Yinzhen succeeded to the throne, he also complained that He Qing only served to delay his son’s studying. Compared with his younger brother Hongli [the future Qianlong emperor], Hongshi had no political achievements and was not awarded a title; he also had a close relationship with his father’s political enemy, Yinsi. On the 4th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1726), Emperor Yongzheng believed that there was something wrong with Hongshi’s character and ordered him to be adopted as Aqina’s son [meaning, Yinsi’s son]. Hongshi was expelled from the Forbidden City and placed under the supervision of his twelfth uncle, Prince Yunqi. It was said that Hongshi was young and indulgent and acted imprudently. On th 5th year of Yongzheng (1727), Hongshi was dismissed from the imperial family and imprisoned until his death at the age of twenty-four. Regarding Hongshi’s death, historian Tang Bangzhi, who was a co-editor of the Qing History Museum, proposed in the book «Four Genealogies of the Qing Imperial Family» published in 1923 that he was ordered to die by Yongzheng. However, a more credible statement is that Hongshi was not killed by Yongzheng, but died in depression after being expelled from his family. On the 13th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1735), after Emperor Qianlong came to the throne, he restored Hongshi’s clan status. Source: Chinese Wikipedia page of Hongshi. / The English Wikipedia focuses more on the partiality Yinzhen had for Hongli, the Qianlong emperor: “To prevent a succession crisis like he had faced, the Yongzheng Emperor was said to have ordered his third son Hongshi (an ally of Yinsi) to commit suicide. He also devised a system for his successors to choose their heirs in secret.” /mfn]. However, due to the passage of time, he couldn’t remember the details. Nevertheless, he didn’t have much fondness for the child who was close to the eighth brother.
Which emperor had a son, but the son ended up getting close to the uncle threatening to the throne, and causing great unease for the emperor? The child in question must lack insight, otherwise, why would he foolishly tread down such a dangerous path? In later generations, some people claim that Yinzhen was cold-blooded and heartless. He felt disdainful just thinking about those people Could it be that as an emperor, he could calmly watch his son getting involved with his political rival and still wear a gentle expression, saying, “Son, come back early for dinner”? If that were true, how could Yinzhen become a great emperor? Comparing family relationships in commoner households to those in imperial families was indeed a laughable matter. Those who speak without experiencing it have no right to say that Yinzhen lacked compassion. It was he who genuinely cared about Yinzhen that he understood his difficulties best.
The more he thought about it, the tighter his brows frowned. Yinyou picked at the tree bark with his right hand unconsciously. As he thought of the useless behaviours of Qianlong, who would inherit the throne of the fourth brother11The Qianlong emperor inherited the empire when it was at his most prosperous —Yinzhen had been eradicating corruption all his reign—, so when he ascended he had the money and power to do what he wanted. “As a military leader, he led military campaigns expanding the dynastic territory to the largest extent by conquering and sometimes destroying Central Asian kingdoms. This turned around in his late years: the Qing empire began to decline with corruption and wastefulness in his court and a stagnating civil society. (…) In his later years, the Qianlong Emperor became spoiled with power and glory, disillusioned and complacent in his reign, and started placing his trust in corrupt officials such as Yu Minzhong and Heshen. As Heshen was the highest ranked minister and most favoured by the Qianlong Emperor at the time, the day-to-day governance of the country was left in his hands, while the emperor himself indulged in the arts, luxuries and literature. When Heshen was executed by the Jiaqing Emperor —the Qianlong successor—, the Qing government discovered that Heshen’s personal fortune exceeded that of the Qing Empire’s depleted treasury, amounting to 900 million silver taels, the total of 12 years of Treasury surplus of the Qing imperial court.” Source. The Jianqing Emperor basically cleaned his ass, lmao. He’s what Wikipedia says about that, “During his reign, he [Jianqing] prosecuted Heshen, the corrupt Manchu favorite of his father, and attempted to restore order within the Qing Empire while curbing the smuggling of opium into China.” / B: When I read this novel, the comment section really bashed the critics the author made of the Qianlong emperor, so I’m guessing this opinion of Qianlong is not the most popular. , his brows had already begun to knot.
“Seventh brother, are you going to pull the bark off?” Yinzhen was in a bad mood after hearing the fourth Fu Jin joke about Yinyou’s children but when he came out of the courtyard and saw that Yinyou fighting with a plane tree, his mood turned lighter and had the mind to tease Yinyou.
“Fourth brother?” Yinyou turned his head and saw Yinzhen standing a few steps away, with a faint smile on his chiseled, handsome face. Thinking of the cold-blooded reputation the fourth brother got in later generations, he couldn’t help feeling aggrieved for Yinzhen. He retracted his hand and walked in front of Yinzhen, barely squeezing out a smile. “It’s time for me to go back to the mansion too.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Yinzhen felt that something was wrong with Yinyou’s mood, and he stretched out his hand and grabbed his wrist. He walked into his courtyard before letting go of Yinyou’s wrist, “Did something bad happen?”
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“It’s nothing.” Yinyou himself felt a little baffled. He glanced at the gray sky outside, could it be that the winter had stirred his mind into melancholy?
Perceiving that Yinyou didn’t want to say anything, Yinzhen didn’t pursue the matter. At this moment, Xiao Luzi who was outside through the curtain announced, “Master, the stewards of several farmlands have come to hand in the ledger.”
At the end of the year, all the stewards will come to report the accounts. Yinzhen glanced at Yinyou and sighed, “You can rest in my room. If you want to leave later, just send someone to let me know.”
When Yinzhen walked out, Yinyou touched his chin and thought, Yinzhen trusted him too much. Who knows whether there are other important things in this room? Just letting him stay like this, wasn’t he afraid he would find something?
In spring and winter, one became easily sleepy. Yinyou walked to Yinzhen’s bed and sat down. He moved the pillow, preparing to sleep for a while, but this movement exposed a little jade ornament. Yinyou stretched out his hand to get it out of his way, without paying much attention, but when he saw what was in his hand, he was stunned silly.
The little child in the wedding clothes smiled innocently and bowed directly at him, but the bride who had originally bowed alongside the boy was nowhere to be seen12This doll appears in chapter 30: Yinzhen’s Grand Wedding. Ula Nara shi breaks the jade dolls and the bride and groom separate, Yinzhen tells Xiao Luzi to throw her away but leaves the boy groom. This was the wedding gift Yinyou sent to Yinzhen. Amazing how he only discovers it now, when it’s been like four years or so, right? Wonder if it’s Yinzhen thinking that the frog has been boiled and so he deliberately left it there. Can’t recall for the life of me if he did it intentionally, we will see next chapter (I guess!).. There were no flaws in the broken jade, and it was obvious that it had been polished by a jade craftsman.
The jade doll, which was originally so cold, felt a little hot in Yinyou’s hand at this time. Speechless, he put the things back in place, got up, straightened his clothes, and left the house. Seeing Xiao Luzi guarding the door, he smiled very naturally and explained calmly, “I’m feeling sleepy. I’m going back to the Mansion to rest. When the fourth brother comes back, you can tell him for me.”
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“Seventh Master, wait a moment.” Xiao Luzi turned to the wing and took out two pairs of boots, which seemed to be newly made. “Seventh Lord, Master said that your feet can’t stand the cold, so he commissioned people to make two pairs of fox fur boots for you. It’s a good thing, and it was just rushed out at noon today. Lord should try it to see if it fits. If there is anything uncomfortable, it can be changed.”
Yinyou took the two pairs of boots, but did not let Fu Duo behind him take them. “Which of the things the fourth brother has given me ever been unsatisfactory?” He stroked the boots that were ordinary in style but extremely luxurious inside, and perked up the corners of his mouth, “This Lord will go back first. Remember to serve your Master well.”
“Aye,” Xiao Luzi smiled, bowed, and sent Yinyou outside the mansion. Seeing Yinyou entering his own Prince’s Mansion, he turned around and returned to the Fourth Prince’s Mansion.
At night, Yinyou did not go to the seventh Fu Jin’s yard but just stared at his fox fur boots, luminous pearls, waist knife, and various agate jades with a thoughtful expression on his face.
He picked up a pair of socks made of excellent rabbit fur, these were sent from the fourth brother’s mansion. Then he picked up a delicate hand warmer, which was also sent from the fourth brother’s mansion. Picking up an excellent piece of jade, huh, it was also sent from the fourth brother’s mansion.
Thinking of the white jade that Yinyou had been hanging around his waist in recent days, it was given by Yinzhen himself. Yinyou silently stuffed a piece of dim sum into his mouth… And then, he choked.
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That night, the servants serving in the seventh prince’s mansion found that the candles in the Master’s house stayed lit the whole night. For a while, the whole mansion thought that something grave had happened to their Master, and they were all cautious. Who knew that after returning from morning court the next day, the Master was still the same as before, and his spirit seemed to be very good?
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A few days later, the fourth prince Yinzhen sent a lot of exquisite things to the fourteenth brother and also invited this younger brother to his mansion for dinner. The relationship between the two brothers seemed to be harmonious. When the fourth Fu Jin went to greet Consort De, she noticed that her mother-in-law had become more amiable.
At this time, the New Year’s Eve of Kangxi’s 37th year was about to come.
The translator has something to say: Yinyou is very much biased, so… Take his opinions with a lil grain of salt! I’m so excited for the next chapter, can’t recall this part of the plot so it’s low-key like reading it anew! Thank you for reading!!
1The 14th brother is the full-blooded younger sibling of Yinzhen, and one of the stronger contenders for the throne in the later stage. After Yinsi, the eight prince, lost the standing to pursue the throne, he supported the 14th brother. The 14th brother was an important general, and was out of the capital when Kangxi died; when he arrived at the capital the fourth prince was already named emperor. Some rumours were saying how Kangxi wanted to name “14th prince” as his heir and not “4th prince” but that’s utter bullshit as Yinyou already discussed some chapters back. The 14th brother was also the favorite of Consort De, the birth-mother of Yinzhen, and it’s particularly important since Yinzhen was never close to her since he was adopted by Tong Jia shi. According to the historical records, Consort De was one of the ones disputing the naming of Yinzhen as the future emperor and she never accepted being the Empress Dowager. She also went in a hunger strike because she couldn’t accept her eldest son being the emperor and not the youngest one, Yinzhen could only persuade her saying that if she died, he would also die. Then she stopped making trouble. Later, she refused to accept the responsibility to entertain guests during the Yongzheng Emperor’s New Year “enthronement celebration” which led to its cancellation. Then, she died suddenly which caused many people to gossip, saying that the emperor had forced his mother to death. When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne, he ignored his younger brother who had military merits when bestowing titles, and simply imprisoned him. After their mother’s death, he granted the 14th brother the rank of a Prince of the Third Rank but did not gave him a title. In the 4th year of Yongzheng, the emperor once again stripped the 14th prince of all his duties and imprisoned him. Source. / This is the historical context. Basically, Yinyou is trying to heal the brother’s distance, this eliminating Yinzhen’s future contender and cleanse Yinzhen’s reputation. Honestly, the Yongzheng Emperor has such a bad reputation, like being ruthless, cruel and petty… As a modern man, Yinyou knows this best.2Guessing Yinzhen thought that Yinyou wanted him to be closer to his full-blooded sibling and his birth mother. He certainly couldn’t know the consequences of not being close.3Children are very important for imperial China’s noblemen. They represent prosperity, blessings, and ability. Having an heir also secures one’s position. Children are the most important, particularly because they were frail when young and many died when toddlers. This is the case for the eldest son of Yinzhen, Honghui. He was born from Ula Nara shi, the legitimate Fu Jin —which meant he was the di son, from higher standing than the shu sons—. (The eldest son being di also showed the Yongzheng Emperor followed proper etiquette.) Honghui died of illness when he was seven years old, and her mother never had any children after him. The Yongzheng emperor’s heir turned out to be a shu son, Hongli, his fourth son and the Qianlong emperor. Speaking of this Hongli, he was favored by his grandfather, the Kangxi emperor. There was some gossip about how “the Kangxi Emperor appointed the Yongzheng Emperor as his successor was because Hongli was his favorite grandson. He felt that Hongli’s mannerisms were very similar to his own. As a teenager, Hongli was capable in martial arts and possessed literary ability.” Sources 1, 2.4The name 弘暉 hónghuī which might be loosely interpreted as “great radiance” or “vast brightness.” Posthumously, he got the title of Prince Duan of the First Rank which was granted by his younger brother, the Qianlong Emperor. Honghui was born on the 36th year of Kangxi, and died at the 43th year. Sources 1, 2. / We’re currently in the 37th year of Kangxi, so author made him be born one year later than official history. (Daily reminder that Yinyou should be 17-18, Yinzhen 20-21 and Yinxiang 10-11.)5微臣 wēi chén. this small official, humble servant.6In Chinese tradition, the first 100 days of the baby is considered as an auspicious occasion that should be celebrated. It has been practiced since the ancient times when the mortality rate of infants increased significantly because of scarce medical care. It was such a major milestone for the family whenever the babies reach one full month. The Chinese Full Moon or one full month after the baby was born was a common tradition. However, the 100 day mark is more common nowadays. It marks the first 100 days of the baby and of the mother who recovered from the delivery. Source.7She was a very favored concubine of the Yongzheng emperor, in novels she appears seductive and somewhat stupid and impulsive. She was considered favored because she gave birth to one princess and three princes: Hongfen, Hongyun and Hongshi. To give birth to so many children was a merit and thus she became the Secondary Consort, inferior only to the legitimate Fu Jin or Principal Consort. When the Yongzheng emperor ascended the throne he raised her rank to Consort Qi and when the emperor died, she became the Dowager Consort Qi. 8Song shi appeared in chapter 29, she was the first concubine bestowed to Yinzhen. She gave birth to two daughters, but they all died in infancy. She never had any children after that and she wasn’t particularly favored. She remained a concubine when the emperor ascended the throne. 9Since they’re male guests in the courtyard of the Fu Jin it wasn’t good to stay too long. In ancient China, men and women were restricted by etiquette to not get together, that’s why the whole “backyard” is for women to live, and the front of the house is for the male relatives to live. There’s a whole discourse about virtue and just more patriarchal values which caused this kind of etiquette and atmosphere.10The plane tree is a large deciduous tree that usually grows between 20 and 30 meters. It has thick and broad leaves that have a similar shape to maple leaves. In China, it is called the French plane as French immigrants first introduced it to the then-French concession in Shanghai during the early 20th century as a means of combating homesickness. Source. B: In the Qing dynasty I don’t think you would’ve found these kinds of trees…11It was Hongshi, the son of Li shi. His first teacher when he was young was He Qing, a member of the Bordered White Banner. Yinzhen was not at all interested in Hongshi’s studies and it took him nearly five years to realize He Qing’s character problems and expel him. After Yinzhen succeeded to the throne, he also complained that He Qing only served to delay his son’s studying. Compared with his younger brother Hongli [the future Qianlong emperor], Hongshi had no political achievements and was not awarded a title; he also had a close relationship with his father’s political enemy, Yinsi. On the 4th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1726), Emperor Yongzheng believed that there was something wrong with Hongshi’s character and ordered him to be adopted as Aqina’s son [meaning, Yinsi’s son]. Hongshi was expelled from the Forbidden City and placed under the supervision of his twelfth uncle, Prince Yunqi. It was said that Hongshi was young and indulgent and acted imprudently. On th 5th year of Yongzheng (1727), Hongshi was dismissed from the imperial family and imprisoned until his death at the age of twenty-four. Regarding Hongshi’s death, historian Tang Bangzhi, who was a co-editor of the Qing History Museum, proposed in the book «Four Genealogies of the Qing Imperial Family» published in 1923 that he was ordered to die by Yongzheng. However, a more credible statement is that Hongshi was not killed by Yongzheng, but died in depression after being expelled from his family. On the 13th year of Yongzheng’s reign (1735), after Emperor Qianlong came to the throne, he restored Hongshi’s clan status. Source: Chinese Wikipedia page of Hongshi. / The English Wikipedia focuses more on the partiality Yinzhen had for Hongli, the Qianlong emperor: “To prevent a succession crisis like he had faced, the Yongzheng Emperor was said to have ordered his third son Hongshi (an ally of Yinsi) to commit suicide. He also devised a system for his successors to choose their heirs in secret.” /mfn]. However, due to the passage of time, he couldn’t remember the details. Nevertheless, he didn’t have much fondness for the child who was close to the eighth brother.
Which emperor had a son, but the son ended up getting close to the uncle threatening to the throne, and causing great unease for the emperor? The child in question must lack insight, otherwise, why would he foolishly tread down such a dangerous path? In later generations, some people claim that Yinzhen was cold-blooded and heartless. He felt disdainful just thinking about those people Could it be that as an emperor, he could calmly watch his son getting involved with his political rival and still wear a gentle expression, saying, “Son, come back early for dinner”? If that were true, how could Yinzhen become a great emperor? Comparing family relationships in commoner households to those in imperial families was indeed a laughable matter. Those who speak without experiencing it have no right to say that Yinzhen lacked compassion. It was he who genuinely cared about Yinzhen that he understood his difficulties best.
The more he thought about it, the tighter his brows frowned. Yinyou picked at the tree bark with his right hand unconsciously. As he thought of the useless behaviours of Qianlong, who would inherit the throne of the fourth brother11The Qianlong emperor inherited the empire when it was at his most prosperous —Yinzhen had been eradicating corruption all his reign—, so when he ascended he had the money and power to do what he wanted. “As a military leader, he led military campaigns expanding the dynastic territory to the largest extent by conquering and sometimes destroying Central Asian kingdoms. This turned around in his late years: the Qing empire began to decline with corruption and wastefulness in his court and a stagnating civil society. (…) In his later years, the Qianlong Emperor became spoiled with power and glory, disillusioned and complacent in his reign, and started placing his trust in corrupt officials such as Yu Minzhong and Heshen. As Heshen was the highest ranked minister and most favoured by the Qianlong Emperor at the time, the day-to-day governance of the country was left in his hands, while the emperor himself indulged in the arts, luxuries and literature. When Heshen was executed by the Jiaqing Emperor —the Qianlong successor—, the Qing government discovered that Heshen’s personal fortune exceeded that of the Qing Empire’s depleted treasury, amounting to 900 million silver taels, the total of 12 years of Treasury surplus of the Qing imperial court.” Source. The Jianqing Emperor basically cleaned his ass, lmao. He’s what Wikipedia says about that, “During his reign, he [Jianqing] prosecuted Heshen, the corrupt Manchu favorite of his father, and attempted to restore order within the Qing Empire while curbing the smuggling of opium into China.” / B: When I read this novel, the comment section really bashed the critics the author made of the Qianlong emperor, so I’m guessing this opinion of Qianlong is not the most popular. 12This doll appears in chapter 30: Yinzhen’s Grand Wedding. Ula Nara shi breaks the jade dolls and the bride and groom separate, Yinzhen tells Xiao Luzi to throw her away but leaves the boy groom. This was the wedding gift Yinyou sent to Yinzhen. Amazing how he only discovers it now, when it’s been like four years or so, right? Wonder if it’s Yinzhen thinking that the frog has been boiled and so he deliberately left it there. Can’t recall for the life of me if he did it intentionally, we will see next chapter (I guess!).
