The Young Lady of the General’s House

Shen Jin yawned, “I am a bit sleepy now.”

“I have asked the kitchen to stew porridge, Madam can have some before resting.” Zhao Momo said, “The General had instructed in advance that the kitchen should prepare some easily digested meal, and Madam also doesn’t need to go to front courtyard to eat together with them.”

Shen Jin responded, “Right, I bought a litter of rabbits, get them to clean the place I planned for rabbits. Put the rabbits there when they are delivered.”

“Understand.” Zhao Momo saw Shen Jin was tired, she sped up her movements. After Shen Jin washed and changed clothes, An Ping had been back from sending the bedding, she arranged the food neatly. Zhao Momo said, “An Ping, help Madam dry hair, I will make the bed.”

“Yes.” An Ping responded, very carefully rubbed Shen Jin’s fine hair.

The meal finished and her hair dried, Shen Jin went back to washed up. After An Ping smoothed her hair, she was ready for bed. But when she lied down, she was not sleepy anymore, after eating Shen Jin’s spirit had lifted.

“An Ping, today you went home, how was it?”

“It’s good.” An Ping messaged Shen Jin’s legs through the blanket, “The house is fixed up.”

“Xi Le’s family….. How are they?” Shen Jin hesitatingly asked.

After Xi Le’s death, Shen Jin sent Xi Le’s family some goods and money as they were helping town people, but after that she never mentioned Xi Le again. An Ping thought Shen Jin had forgotten Xi Le, or maybe Shen Jin was still angry. Not long after the Barbarians’ attack, Xi Le had cried and begged to go home to help her family. In the end she was shot by a stray arrow on the way to deliver food for her brother.

Now that Shen Jin mentioned her, An Ping’s nose felt sour, “Not bad either, with the medicine that Madam sent, Xi Le’s elder brother was saved…. Xi Le’s younger brother is also much better now.”

“En.” Shen Jin closed her eyes, “An Ping I go to sleep.”

An Ping stopped her hand, “Madam sleep first, I will leave after.”

“Oh.” Shen Jin responded, rolled over and drifted off to sleep.

Half asleep, she seemed to hear Chu Xiuming’s voice but was too sleepy to open her eyes.

Chu Xiuming had come to deliver medicine, Zhao Momo said, “General please don’t worry, Madam had meal before resting.”

“Help her with this medicine later.” Chu Xiuming said in lower voice, “First time Madam rode a horse, tomorrow she might be uncomfortable.”

Zhao Momo responded and accepted the medicine. “This Old Slave understands.”

Chu Xiuming nodded, turned to the An Ping on her side, “I have known about your family matter, you just serve Madam well.”

An Ping eyes were red, “Yes.”

As Chu Xiuming didn’t continue, Zhao Momo took out the drafts Shen Jin drew a few days ago. He looked at it and make notes in his mind.

Zhao Momo said, “At first Madam planned to have a small pond but I advised her not to. Pond water is too cold in nature, it would be bad for Madam’s health if too close.”

“I know.” Chu Xiuming returned the draft to Zhao Momo, he left without saying anything else.

He was thinking of the fruit plants Shen Jin specifically marked on the drafts, he could see what she wanted, which was different from what Momo thought.

As for the pond, well fish and shrimp were better eaten fresh, right?

But it’s also correct that a pond shouldn’t be too close, in that case the yard next to it ..…. Chu Xiuming carefully thought of things. As he had formed a plan, he went straight to the study to roughly drafted it.

Shen Jin found Chu Xiuming suddenly became busy, and even Chu Xiuyuan had disappeared, but she didn’t mind, the rabbits had been delivered and were now kept in the yard.

These rabbits enjoyed better treatment than the ones Shen Jin had before, her position in the Rui Wang’s mansion was awkward so she could not ask for much. But now in here, everything was done properly even before she asked.

The snow rabbits’ wooden den was not only beautifully made, it’s also furnished with dried grass and small beddings inside. Outside the nest there were food feeder and water feeder that were cleaned daily.

Everyday after breakfast Shen Jin would slip to the rabbit den to watch big and small rabbits jumping around, Tiny Bit would lie in the nest with it’s head sticking out to watch the rabbits. At the beginning the rabbits would pee in fear when Tiny Bit came, but they were now used to this predator appearing every day at dawn time to occupy their place.

Everyday at a certain time, little rabbits marched behind the big rabbits out of the den to start jumping here and there. The servants filled up the feeder with mixture of rough flour and shredded cabbage. When Tiny Bit came running from the General’s courtyard, they opened the fence so it could enter.

With Tiny Big around, the fence didn’t even need to be locked. Last time the big rabbit tried to jump it’s way out, Tiny Bit who was sleeping in the den suddenly rushed in front of the rabbit, arching it’s back and woofed-woofed, drove the rabbit back inside.

Actually at this moment Tiny Bit was still smaller in size than the big rabbits, but it had a very imposing manner. A few times later even when the fence was open the rabbits didn’t try to run outside anymore. The rabbit enclosure was quite large anyway, enough for them to play inside.

Tiny Bit would sleep a while waiting for Shen Jin to arrive, when she was there it would play with her. At dusk Tiny Bit would returned by itself to the General’s courtyard. At first Shen Jin was afraid it would get lost so she followed, but she saw Tiny Bit had marked the road so it could get home by sniffing around.

The furs had arrived, Shen Jin picked out the ones for her Mother and the others, packed well and sent to the envoys.

As soon as the envoys were told they could leave, they packed up overnight and were gone before the sun rose. They definitely weren’t expecting any farewell party from the Mansion, they didn’t even dare to rest all the way, afraid that Shen Jin might send people to grab them back.

At the moment, Chu Xiuming’s memorial had been sent to Emperor Cheng. Nowhere mentioned in the memorial about injuries, and the writing was neat.

Emperor Cheng looked at it for a long time, he then had Chu Xiuming’s previous memorial brought up to compare. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, Chu Xiuming tried his best to hide it, but there were a few places where the writing was weak.

“It was said that ‘poems, writings, and paintings reveal the state of the person……’” Emperor Cheng used his fingernails to draw two spots on Chu Xiuming’s memorial. “Count Yongning’s handwriting is excellent.” The latter half of the saying was not spoken.

The personal eunuch standing on Emperor Cheng’s side silently finished it in his heart: ‘Poems, writings, and paintings reveal the state of the person, those with knowledge can divine wealth and longevity.’

It was surprising that the Emperor could notice two spots in a memorial of over one thousand words length. It showed how much importance he placed on Chu Xiuming, and also how much his distaste towards Chu Xiuming was.

“But….. It’s also possible that Count Yongning did it on purpose.” Emperor Cheng tossed the memorial aside, “You say how is it that Chu family is so insensible.”

Li Fu had served the Emperor for over ten years, he knew at this moment the Emperor didn’t need answer so he just pretended not to hear.

“Forget it, we’ll know when people are back.” Emperor Cheng said, his eyes showed some sternness.

Before the ones he was waiting for arrived, the mails sent through relay station came first. Not only the memorials for the Emperor, even Shen Jin’s letters to Rui Wang family members were also in his hand.

Emperor Cheng ordered all letters opened, when finished reading he rubbed the middle of his brows, “Li Fu, call Rui Wang here.”

“Yes.” Li Fu was curious what Countess Yongning wrote than even the Emperor couldn’t stand it.

Rui Wang happened to be visiting Empress Dowager so he could quickly present at the Imperial Study. Emperor Cheng gave him Shen Jin’s letters without the slightest guilt of opening his brother’s private letters.

The Emperor said, “Count Yongning guards the border for Zhen against foreigners, Zhen is very concerned about Count Yongning’s health. Late Emperor had seven sons, but only two of us left.”

“This Official doesn’t dare.” Rui Wang hurriedly knelt down and bowed his head.

“Get up now, you and I are brothers, no need to be so unfamiliar.” Emperor Cheng was satisfied with Rui Wang’s attitude, “Your daughter is the same as my daughter. There is a batch of brocade tributed from Jiangnan. Li Fu, take half of it for Rui Wang to bring home.”

(T/N: Notice the difference. When he was delivering a threat / gauging Rui Wang, he was ‘Zhen’ the Emperor. After he saw Rui Wang was terrified and his suspicion absolved, he turned into “I” the brother).

“Thanking Imperial Brother for the reward.” Rui Wang respectfully said before rising.

Rui Wang started reading Shen Jin’s letters on the carriage leaving the Palace. After finished reading he rubbed the middle of his brow, then put away the letters for Rui Wangfei and Chen Cefei.

Shen Jin’s letter to Rui Wang was simple. She asked about his health, then said she herself at border town was well so Rui Wang didn’t need to worry, also that she sent a precious knife for him.

Returning to his mansion, he took the letters to Rui Wangfei’s courtyard. Chen Cefei happened to be there as well talking to Rui Wangfei. After the two of them paid respect, Rui Wang took out the letters, “Third Girl sent letters, these were sent together with the memorial for Imperial Brother.”

“Really?” Rui Wangfei was full of smile as she reached out for the letters.

Chen Cefei’s eyes were full of joy but she dared not speak. Rui Wangfei pulled her hand and gave Shen Jin’s letter to her. The two of them then got busy reading as if they had been alone.

Rui Wang on their side helplessly sipped his tea.

“Jin Girl is really….. ” Rui Wangfei read her letter and laughed. Shen Jin’s letter to both of them were over ten pages long each, it took two cups of tea to finish a letter.

(T/N: Two cups of tea time = 20 – 30 minutes. 1 cup of tea time is 10 minutes in winter, or around 15 minutes in summer. It depends on when the tea is cool enough to drink.)

Rui Wangfei saw Chen Cefei had also finished, she pulled her hand, “See this, in one sentence she complained about the envoys, and the next sentence she already talked about stewed meat in town, however……”

Rui Wangfei didn’t finish her words, Shen Jin grew up in the Capital with so many good food around, but now she was so excited just for eating stewed meat.

Previously when Shen Jin’s letter requesting help during the siege was received, Rui Wangfei’s heart was gripped with panic, after all this was the girl she raised on her side for years. Chen Cefei didn’t know anything, in the mansion only Rui Wang and Rui Wangfei knew.

Chen Cefei was a little worried, “Only Wangfei doesn’t mind this girl, she has turned unruly since she went to the border town, she even dared to complain about the envoys.” As if afraid that Rui Wang would find fault, she slowly explained, “She is also a petty one, when the gifts are here, let me…. “

“It’s fine.” Rui Wangfei interrupted Chen Cefei’s words. She had also read the gift list, but she didn’t feel anything wrong with Shen Jin’s gifts.

“Jin Girl’s people were turned away as soon as they arrived at the border town, it probably took her a lot of efforts to send these gifts. Wangye, I haven’t seen the precious dagger Jin Girl wrote, when it’s here please let me have a look.”

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T/N: I also yawned like Shen Jin at the beginning of this chapter, translating rabbits jumping around is not the most exciting thing in the world. My patience paid, the story is picking up, we’ll get in touch with the murky water of the Palace soon. Hope noone dies too early.

I should probably add something about the saying Emperor Cheng muttered: 诗文字画，皆有中气行乎其间，故有识者即能觇人穷通寿夭 = ‘Poems, writings, and paintings reveal the state of the person, those with knowledge can divine wealth and longevity.’

The story is about someone named Fu Qingzhu from Qing dynasty who could foretell someone’s fate from their writing. One day he got drunk with an unfinished article on his side so his son finished it for him. In the morning when he saw the finished article, he thought he was going to die, and it really happened.

The story itself doesn’t make sense, but if you see the Emperor’s seemingly non sequitur words to Rui Wang about their father having 7 sons but only 2 of them left, while the unspoken second half of the saying is ‘longevity’, there is a bit of sinister feeling to it.