Although Zhen Ting Yun grew up in the countryside, she seldom partook in chores, even needlework was rarely touched. Thus, her hands were white and dainty.
At this moment, her hand was raised as she waved it in front of his face. Her fingers were long and fair with pronounced joints, they looked very tender and delicate. Her nails were also neatly trimmed, pinkish-white as if they were the finest pink pearls.
Despite that, looking at the hand swaying in front of him, the smile on the man’s face gradually faded. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Zhen Ting Yun, not wanting to answer her question.
Zhen Ting Yun scrutinized him, wholeheartedly worried. She secretly sighed, ‘Oh gosh, did he really turn into a fool?’
Zhen Ting Yun was easy to read. With just a look, the man could guess what was going through her head. He frowned and coldly stated, “I just don’t remember anything, not an idiot.”
Zhen Ting Yun paused momentarily. Then she gradually understood what he mean when he said ‘I just don’t remember anything, not an idiot’. She then continued to ask hesitantly, “Then, do you remember your name?”
After she grasped the situation, she now somewhat understood the man’s initial aggressive and interrogative behavior. But of course, comprehending was one thing, being able to forgive him was another.
The man shook his head.
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Lsvknkdt vbl zssj sq zspp sd bkp qynl, Hbld Mkdt Zwd pweeldzu clnyxl y zkvvzl lmnkvle. Fbl tyhl bkx y takd obkzl rasckdt, “Rv’p dsv hlau dknl vs jllr nyzzkdt usw, yp ‘usw vbkp’ yde ‘usw vbyv’. Ebu esd’v ol nsxl wr okvb y vlxrsayau dyxl qsa usw?”
Mbl xyd eke dsv nyal ycswv vbkp ps bl fwpv nyzxzu zssjle yv Hbld Mkdt Zwd kd yd wdawqqzle xyddla.
Hbld Mkdt Zwd oyp ellr kd vbswtbv yp pbl hsnyzkgle vblx, “Fkdnl usw olal nyaakle cynj cu xu bsapl, Yy Nyd Msw. Mbld obu esd’v usw vyjl sd kvp pwadyxl? El nyd yeealpp usw yp Yy1马 = Yy, obknb zkvlayzzu vaydpzyvlp vs bsapl.…”&dcpr;
“Eykv,” vbl xyd nwv vbaswtb Hbld Mkdt Zwd’p xkdezlpp xsdszstwl. Wwaasokdt bkp casop pzktbvzu, bl pyke, “R alnyzzle xu dyxl.”&dcpr;
Hbld Mkdt Zwd pvyale pwprknkswpzu yv bkx, ‘Tso oyp kv fwpv y plnsde yts, bl nzykxle vs dsv alxlxcla yduvbkdt, yde dso, bl pyke bl alnyzzle psxlvbkdt.’
Mbl xyd nyzxzu pvyvle, “Zwyd Twk. Mbl pyxl ‘Twk’2Zwyd Twk [元晦] oyp kdqsaxkdt Hbld Mkdt Zwd obknb ‘Twk’ nbyaynvla xyel wr bkp dyxl. Mbkp kp clnywpl vblal yal xydu osaep vbyv yal rasdswdnle vbl pyxl cwv dsv oakvvld vbl pyxl. [RSSONOAGLM RLWXSYGMRXL] Tl wple vbl qkapv ryav sq vbl rashlac, &zv;朝菌不知晦朔，蟪蛄不知春秋&tv; obknb ekalnvzu vaydpzyvlp vs ‘Jynvlaky elhlzsrle kd vbl xsadkdt esd’v jdso eyajdlpp, yde naknjlvp esd’v jdso sq plypsdp’. Rv’p y xlvyrbsa qsa pbyzzso, pwrlaqknkyz jdsozletl/kdpktbv; cynvlaky byhl pbsav zkhlp, vblu dlhla zkhle vkzz dktbv vs jdso obyv eyajdlpp kp yde naknjlvp yal ynvkhl kd oyax plypsdp, eukdt sqq kd qyzz bldnl dlhla jdsokdt obyv okdvla kp. yp oakvvld kd ‘cynvlaky elhlzsrle kd vbl xsadkdt esd’v jdso eyajdlpp’.”
Hbld Mkdt Zwd lmralpple bla yexkayvksd, “Ohld vbswtb usw fwpv alnyzzle uswa dyxl, usw jdso sq vbkp rashlac. Mbyv’p yxygkdt!”&dcpr;
Zwyd Twk dseele pzktbvzu cwv eke dsv alprsde.
Zhen Ting Yun was not embarrassed as she continued cheekily, “Since you remembered your name, why don’t you go to the Officials? Who knows? Maybe your family has already reported your disappearance to the bailiffs. After all, there’s still much you don’t remember, it’s better to return home sooner…”
Only God knew how desperate she was to bring this dangerous horse thief to justice!
Yuan Hui raised his eyebrows. With bright eyes, the corners of his lips raised ever so slightly, “How can that do? I’ve already promised to teach Miss Zhen horsemanship. How could I ignore the grace of saving my life and leave just like that?”
Zhen Ting Yun was still putting up one final struggle, “I just remembered! In a few days, Grandma and I will be leaving for the Imperial City. I don’t think it will be convenient for you to tag along.”
“That’s no problem,” Yuan Hui chuckled while responding casually, “I also want to go to the Imperial City for a look. On the way there, I’ll be able to teach you a few things.”
Zhen Ting Yun believed wholeheartedly that she was carrying a big burden. One which she picked up on her own initiative. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that her journey to the Imperial City was very bleak.
Despite all that, Zhen Ting Yun could not bring herself to do things half-heartedly whereby she saved a person and then leave them stranded. After exchanging a few more words, she observed that Yuan Hui was still not in good shape. Looking at this fatigued appearance, she advised him to take a rest before leaving to head downstairs and have a discussion with Steward Lin.
Unfortunately for her, Steward Lin was also an early riser. By the time she made her way down, he was nowhere to be seen. From the mouth of others, she learned that he went out to enquire about some things.
So, Zhen Ting Yun took her breakfast while waiting for Steward Lin to return.
When Steward Lin came back, Zhen Ting Yun had him sit down beside her before asking when they planned to move off since the rain had stopped.
Steward Lin departed early in the morning to enquire about this specific situation. Now that he met up with Zhen Ting Yun, his expression showed that he was a little troubled as he informed her, “Prince She Zheng’s entourage of Honored Guards is still resting up front. If the Prince Regent doesn’t leave, we’ll not be able to depart.” After answering her question, he softly whispered to Zhen Ting Yun about the other information he gathered, “I’ve heard that something happened, I’m afraid we’ll have to stay here for a few more days…”
Since it was regarding the Duke, there was nothing Zhen Ting Yun could do about it.
Speaking of which, the Da Xi royal family that carried down to this generation faced difficulties when it came to their male descendants. There were only three brothers in total. One passed away too early in the years. With two remaining, one was Duke Yan and the other was Duke Su. Duke Yan was obsessed with the creation of elixirs for longevity. He preferred discussing Taoism with Taoist priests all day long. Currently residing in the Imperial City, he spent his days refining pills. Duke Su was the younger brother of the late Emperor. At an early age, he already conferred his title and received his fief. As the location of his fief was bitter cold and far, he guarded the borders and rarely returned to the Imperial City.
However, the late emperor was sicky and he only had one son. The prince was born from a palace maid, raised by the Empress. Before the late emperor passed away, he was unable to find peace. He saw that his heir was still small, his Empress was young and beautiful, and his trusted ministers of his cabinet were elderly. He worried that his nation would be in danger with a young heir and the Empress’s natal background was too powerful. He also feared that his young son would not be able to garner support from the ministers and end up becoming their puppet. Therefore, before the late emperor passed away, he named Duke Su, who resided far at the borders, as the Prince Regent in front of all his ministers. The late Emperor ordered Duke Su to return to court and take charge of the military affairs with the cabinet ministers in order to assist the new Emperor.
As a result, at the beginning of the year, the Heavenly One succumbed to his illness. Even people like Father Zhen had to return to the imperial court to report for duty. But the Prince Regent had used excuses such as guarding against the northern barbarians and handling fief affairs to delay his return to the Imperial City. That was, until now. They finally departed not too long ago, but now the entourage of Honored Guards stopped their procession again. This caused Zhen Ting Yun to neither be able to advance nor retreat.
Zhen Ting Yun was also worried when she thought about it. She changed the subject and enquired about Yuan Hui’s condition.
As Zhen Ting Yun rested early last night, everything, from the room to hiring a doctor, was handled by Steward Lin. Now, when questioned about it, he candidly answered, “The doctor diagnosed that he has some superficial wounds on his body, he’ll feel better after applying the ointment. However, the injury on the back of his head seems to caused by the impact of something blunt. The doctor could not deduce much from it but advised to apply medication, bandage the wound, and observe over time. On top of that, the doctor also said that he’s currently running a fever, so some medicine was prescribed for that as well…”
Zhen Ting Yun nodded, expressing that she understood. Then she asked, “In this condition, will he be able to ride a horse?”
After hearing this, Steward Lin was afraid that Zhen Ting Yun had not yet given up the thought of becoming the horse thief’s apprentice. His tooth ached as he forced out a response, “The doctor advised that until the injury on the back of the head is healed, it’s best not to engage in any vigorous activities.”
Zhen Ting Yun, “Okay then…”
Steward Lin then discussed with Zhen Ting Yun about staying at the inn for another five to six days to observe the situation. If by then, the Prince Regent still have not left, they could explore options like taking a detour to the Imperial City.
Zhen Ting Yun responded accordingly. Seeing that the day was brightening, she concluded their conversation, “Grandma is about to wake up, I’ll have to go up and check on her. Will have to bother Uncle Lin to spare more effort on the other affairs.”
Steward Lin quickly acceded.
Zhen Ting Yun then got up and made her way upstairs. As predicted, when she returned to the room, Old Madame Zhen was already up.
The two maidservants of the family, Ba Zhen and Liu Shun, were currently being ordered around by Old Madame Zhen.
While on this subject, even in the clan, the Zhen family was not counted as a wealthy one. Old Master Zhen passed away early, leaving Old Madame Zhen, a widow, to raise her only son. Their situation was extremely difficult back then. With not enough hands, their fields had to be rented out to others while Old Madame Zhen did some needlework to earn a living. As it so happened, since young, Father Zhen was also a smart child who had the aptitude for studying. There were so many places that needed money causing Zhen family to be financially strapped. Thankfully, Father Zhen was lucky. He encountered Old Master Pei who was retired from his government position. Old Master Pei then accepted Father Zhen under his tutelage. In the end, he even promised to wed his beloved daughter to Father Zhen, making him greatly indebted to Old Master Pei.
Later on, when Pei-Shi married into Zhen family, she brought along two servant girls. She also hired an old lady to be in charge of the kitchen. This was greatly despised and nagged by Old Madame Zhen. She felt that her daughter-in-law was really one that knew how to dissipate a family’s fortune. At the very end, when Pei-Shi brought her eldest daughter to the Imperial City to find her husband, she took away the two maidservants she brought over from her maternal home, leaving only the old lady who was in charge of the kitchen behind.
Old Madame Zhen felt that she was old but vigorous and she had no need for such servants. In addition, with her displeasure aimed at Pei-Shi, she dismissed the old lady, raising her granddaughter at home by herself. In any case, now that her son was a successful candidate in the highest imperial civil service examination, there was no shortage of money or land to farm. When Zhen Ting Yun was five or six years old, Old Madame Zhen was thinking about teaching her granddaughter to do some housework, giving herself the much-needed break, and finally enjoying the perks of having descendants. Who expected that Zhen Ting Yun was reluctant to do any chores? Although Zhen Ting Yun had a delicate temperament, she was very eloquent. She was able to convince Old Madame Zhen by saying, “My Father is now an Official, and you’re already an Official’s mother. Yet, we don’t even have a single servant serving us. Even our meals have to be prepared by ourselves. If this spreads out, wouldn’t people treat Father as a joke?”
She was able to coax Old Madame Zhen into giving her money. Zhen Ting Yun first went to hire back the old lady that Old Madame Zhen dismissed previously. Then, she bought back two maidservants named Liu Shun and Ba Zhen respectively.
And as Old Madame Zhen was unwilling to fish out more silvers, Zhen Ting Yun’s options were limited when it came to choosing the girls.
Liu Shun was only ten years old when Zhen Ting Yun bought her. Like all peasant girls, she was born tall and big-boned. She had thick hands and feet and her face was tanned and red causing her to not catch any other buyer’s eye. The slave trader was also anxious as she had Liu Shun for a long time. Seeing that as the girl grew, her appetite grew bigger, so the lady was desperate to sell her and cut losses.
On the other hand, Ba Zhen’s appearance was more pleasing, she looked smart and lively. But she was younger, at only eight years old, making her unable to undertake laborious chores.
As soon as the Zhen family bought slaves, they bought two at one go. But it was as good as a buy-one-get-one-free discount from the slave trader.
Although Liu Shun was not born good-looking, she was honest and hardworking. With her tall and bulky build, not only could she chop wood and draw water from the well she was also able to do house cleaning. Ba Zhen did some light work of sweeping the floor and dusting the furniture while she followed the kitchen lady to learn how to cook. When Ba Zhen turned ten, she was able to take over the work of the kitchen lady and cook for the family, saving them money for having to continue to hire the kitchen lady.
Now that they were heading for the Imperial City, Zhen Ting Yun felt that it was best to have reliable maidservants by her side so she brought Liu Shun and Ba Zhen along.
Currently, Ba Zhen was bringing hot water for Old Madame Zhen to wash up. While Liu Shun brought breakfast up. She informed them with a smile, “Old Madam, Miss, please have some breakfast first.”
Liu Shun used to have a darker skin tone. But ever since she was bought by Zhen family, she no longer needed to slave away under the hot sun, this allowed her to become fairer. As she originally looked honest and sincere, she became more pleasing to the eye.
As Zhen Ting Yun had already eaten her breakfast downstairs. Looking at the extra bowl of white porridge, her mind turned. She reached out and took the porridge bowl and turned to walk out. “I’ve already eaten. This bowl of porridge, I’ll bring it next door.”
After hearing that Yuan Hui was temporarily unable to partake in vigorous activities like horse riding, Zhen Ting Yun began to re-evaluate this person’s worth.
She secretly debated, ‘Why not, just cut my losses short and ditch the person at the inn?’
The author has something to say:
Yuan Hui: If I couldn’t remember, I would have to take the horse’s surname? How can it be?!
Zhen Ting Yun: You make it sound like ‘Yuan Hui’ is your real name. Haha!
(Some people’s appearance looked so bright and neat. But, said person nearly took on the horse’s surname…)
Sorry if it’s a bit confusing regarding male lead’s titles.
Duke: Duke Su was the given title of the Emperor’s brother. This is the highest title a male, who is below the Emperor and Royal Princes, could have; and could also be conferred on the husband of a Princess.
Prince: Prince She Zheng was most likely the title his Father Emperor conferred on him after his coming-of-age ceremony.
Prince Regent: Prince Regent is a title bestowed on a person who would aid in the administration of a country because the monarch is a minor, absent, or incapacitated. In this case, the current Emperor was a minor; male lead’s deceased brother’s (late Emperor) heir. I’ll interchange this title with Prince She Zheng depending on the context.
Hope this clears up some confusion… (｡-人-｡)
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