The Young Lady of the General’s House

When Shen Jin arrived, Rui-wangfei and Chen-cefei had been present in the Empress’s palace. After paying respect, the Empress let her sit down and smiled, “Look at this little one, she is now more delicate than last year.”

Chen-cefei missed Shen Jin but didn’t dare to talk, she just watched Shen Jin entering and found her to be quite a lot taller. She had no right to speak here, she was allowed to sit only on account of Shen Jin being the Countess Yongning.

Rui-wangfei smiled, “And a bit taller.”

The Empress looked at Shen Jin, “How was your days at border town?”

Shen Jin stood up, “Replying to the Empress…..”

“Silly girl, this is a family chat.” The Empress gently said, “No need to stand up, and don’t be like strangers, you can call me Imperial Aunt.”

Shen Jin’s eyes narrowed as she smiled, the Empress felt her heart softened a bit, “The golden roll here is not bad. Yuzhu, bring some for Jin Girl to taste.”

“Thanking Imperial Aunt.” Shen Jin was all smiles, she sat back when the palace maid brought the snack, she picked one and ate.

Rui-wangfei said to the Empress, “Imperial Sister-in-law, this girl is very good at conforming with others.”

T/N – Climbing along the pole 顺着杆往上爬 = conforming with others’ intention to obtain benefits.

“I like her as soon as I saw her.” The Empress smiled, “How are things at the border town?”

Shen Jin had finished the golden rolls, she was taking light sips from the tea in her hand, “I usually just stayed in the courtyard, I seldom go out.”

The Empress thought for a while, “Then what did you eat at in the mansion? What did you usually play with?”

Shen Jin slightly lowered her eyes, “It’s all meat dishes, we even had horse meat for a period of time. Usually I embroidered or read books everyday, there was not much else.”

Rui-wangfei’s eyes reddened, she wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief before saying, “It is good that you have returned, I can see you’ve lost weight. Imperial Sister-in-law, you probably don’t know but when Jin Girl was at home before, she liked plainer food. When writing back home, all she asked for was the food we usually had everyday at home. At a place like border town….”

Chen-cefei bowed her head, silently wiped her tears.

Shen Jin, however, was smiling, “Mother Consort, I did not lack anything. The food at border town are heavy-tasting but delicious.”

It was just the truth but the listeners felt distressed. The Empress was also a woman, she felt pity for Shen Jin, “Count Yongning drove away all your own attendants, how about the border town servants, are they good to you?”

“I had two maids, but when the Barbarians attacked the town, one maid…… Then Fujun returned and he arranged a Momo for me.” Shen Jin’s voice was soft and sweet, “This time returning to the Capital, I have one more maid.”

Let alone Rui-wangfei and Chen-cefei, even the Empress’ eyes were all red. Not sure how many parts of it was a show, but she still said with a very caring voice, “It’s hard on you.”

“It is enough.” Shen Jin said with soft and comforting voice, “Imperial Aunt, I don’t suffer.”

The Empress wiped the corner of her eyes, slowly sighed, “Good girl, Imperial Aunt knows you are understanding, the royal family owes you a lot.”

“……..” Shen Jin felt the Empress thought too much.

After some more caring talks, the Empress said, “How is it that I heard yesterday you dismissed all the servants at the Mansion? Was there anything wrong?”

“Nothing wrong.” Shen Jin looked at the Empress with confusion.

The Empress sipped the tea, put the cup down and warmly said, “So after they all left, are there enough people serving?”

“Enough.” Shen Jin smilingly said.

The Empress very slowly release a breath in worry then said, “Do you know this will affect your reputation?”

Shen Jin’s face was all confused, “How so?”

“You have just returned, and you’ve driven so many people away. Not sure how people outside will talk.” The Empress spoke, “Good reputation is very important for a woman.”

Unexpectedly Shen Jin replied in a comforting way, “It is alright. I don’t go out much so I won’t hear it.”

The Empress’ eyes twitched, she looked at Shen Jin. Rui-wangfei and Chen-cefei was holding their cups and didn’t pay attention at her expression. With lips pursed slightly, she said, “Then why did you dismiss them?”

Shen Jin looked at the Empress, “Because I don’t like them.”

The Empress looked at Shen Jin’s deer-like expression, her mind was busy in thoughts, “But you still can’t kick them out?”

“Why not?” Shen Jin asked back.

The Empress was lost for words, she certainly couldn’t say because there were Emperor’s people among them.

Shen Jin puffed her cheeks, she said in a matter-of-fact tone, “This is the Capital, I am a Countess, I have Imperial Father and Imperial Uncle on my back, so if I don’t like them then they could leave. I have even given them their deeds and some money.”

“Silly girl.” Rui-wangfei spoke, “Your Imperial Aunt is worried about you, driving out so many at once, there will be gossips.”

Shen Jin’s smile was sweet and pretty, “Thanking Imperial Aunt, but it is fine. I have Imperial Aunt and Mother Consort, they won’t dare to say it in front of me. The most they could do is gossiping at the back, and that doesn’t matter.”

It had been a long time since the Empress was choked speechless like this. What made her unable to respond the most was, Shen Jin said all this in a very sincere way while crediting her boldness to her connection with them.

Recovering after a sip of tea, the Empress continued, “Then what sort do you like?”

“I don’t now.” Shen Jin thought for a moment, “Someone who suits the eyes.”

‘Suits the eyes’ this answer was akin to no answer. She had kicked out those who looked pretty, kicked out those who looked ordinary and faithful, even the ones looking young and pitiful also gone.

The Empress forced herself to smile, “Count Yongning didn’t mind you doing this?”

“No, he didn’t.” Shen Jin slightly turned her head sideways, the dimples on her smiling face appeared, “Fujun had a good temperament.”

Killing without a blink, having a name that scared children, committed total massacres without survivors, and he had a good temperament? The Empress scrutinised Shen Jin’s expression, but Shen Jin was really sincere when she said that.

The Empress couldn’t help but looking at Rui-wangfei. Then she remembered Rui-wang Mansion’s situation, she suspected Shen Jin grew up to be this easily satisfied because she didn’t have a good life there. But she also heard Shen Jin was raised by Rui-wangfei?

The Empress kept thinking and thought she understood. After Rui-wangfei’s own daughter married, most likely Rui-wang that fool had wanted Rui-wangfei to raise Xu-cefei’s daughter. Shu daughters raised by their di mothers would have advantages when it comes to marriages.

Xu-cefei wasn’t only favoured but also had a son, Rui-wangfei wasn’t stupid, she wouldn’t be willing to raise Xu-cefei’s daughter, so she must had taken up the daughter of a not favoured concubine as a foil. She wouldn’t had been really sincere to Shen Jin.

That was what the Empress herself was doing. She was taking care of her shu children for appearance’s sake, but she wasn’t sincerely guiding them. It was already good that she didn’t spoil them until they became useless people.

The Empress had also heard Xu-cefei was a jealous person, someone who liked to push herself to the front. It was then understandable that Shen Jin grew up to be ignorant and easily coaxed.

The Empress felt quite pity to her, she softly said, “That time when the border town was under siege, His Majesty was so worried that he fell sick because he couldn’t sleep. It’s not that Your Imperial Uncle wasn’t willing to send help, but the situation at the Southern was really unstable.”

“Oh.” Shen Jin didn’t know how to answer. Did the Empress wanted her to say she wasn’t resentful? Even if the Empress had been more nicer to her, she still couldn’t say it. So she just let out an acknowledgement sound then smiled very sweetly to the Empress,

“It’s alright. It’s just that, the envoys that Imperial Uncle sent were wasteful.  Although horse meat is not tasty, but Fujun and I also ate horse meat so we gave them the same food. This is not good, Imperial Aunt I feel you could speak to Imperial Uncle, extravagant and wasteful officials shouldn’t be kept.”

The Empress remembered what the Emperor told her that time, her eyes twitched. Hearing it, Rui-wangfei said, “Don’t talk nonsense, don’t make trouble for your Imperial Uncle. Even if they were not willing to eat, you couldn’t force them, how could you be so foolish.”

Shen Jin meekly responded, asking for forgiveness and said, “Next time I won’t dare.” After saying that she puffed out her cheeks and complained,

“I only thought they represented Imperial Uncle. They were there because Imperial Uncle cared about us, so they were given the best food in the mansion.  Moreover Imperial Uncle said the Court had hardships because of natural disasters that even Imperial Uncle and Imperial Aunt had to cut back expenses in the Palace, so how come they wasted food.”

The Empress didn’t know how to answer, the Court wasn’t in any financial problem, it was just an excuse not to send provisions.

Shen Jin was still unsatisfied, she continued, “Fujun and I had only one dish one soup, but they had four dishes one soup.”

The Empress looked at her for a long time before saying, “They had not been sensible. Jin Girl, you had done right.”

Shen Jin smiled until her eyes narrowed like crescent, she looked extraordinarily cute. “Imperial Aunt complimented me too much, I just did what I had to do.”

Rui-wangfei’s smile was especially calm and collected, Chen-cefei was still on lowered head while occasionally wiped her eyes with handkerchief.

The Empress was going to say something when the Palace staff announced that Zhaoyang Gongzhu and Chenyang Gongzhu had arrived. The Empress smiled, “Take them inside quickly, let them meet Jin Girl.”

Shen Jin slightly lowered her eyes. Zhaoyang Gongzhu was the Empress’s own child, she was about 2 – 3 months younger than Shen Jin. Chenyang Gongzhu’s mother died when she was born, she was raised in the Palace by the Empress and she heard was terribly pampered, she was slightly older than Shen Jin.

Rightly speaking these two were of suitable ages to marry Chu Xiuming. The Emperor didn’t want his own daughters to suffer but still wanted to pull Chu Xiuming into his own family, that’s how he came to use Rui-wang’s daughter.

As the two princesses walked in, not just Shen Jin but Rui-wangfei and Chen-cefei also raised. Zhaoyang Gongzhu said with gentle voice and slightly smiling face, “Aunts please sit down.”

Chenyang Gongzhu’s eyes swept over Shen Jin before she sat next to the Empress. Everyone sat down again, the Empress smiled and asked for fresh fruits for the two daughters. She told them, “These are your Imperial Uncle’s family members.”

“Oh?” Chenyang Gongzhu raised her eyebrows towards Shen Jin, “Is this the one who married Count Yongning? According to birth order, you should be my younger cousin.”

Shen Jin raised and bowed, “Older Cousin.”

Chenyang Gongzhu responded slightly, Zhaoyang Gongzhu smilingly called, “Older Cousin.”

“Younger Cousin.” Shen Jin replied with full smile.

Zhaoyang Gongzhu was young, but the way she smiled was quite dignified, “Older Cousin please sit down, we are all family, no need to be too formal.”

Shen Jin sat down, “Yes.”

Chenyang Gongzhu suddenly asked, “I used to hear rumours that Count Yongning is hideous, terrifying and violent, but yesterday after Count Yongning attended the Palace, they said his appearance is as fine as crown jade, so which one is correct? But if Count Yongning’s appearance is really that good, then how come the foreign tribes are afraid of him? Didn’t they say he has great achievements on battlefields?”

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T/N – All of you familiar with Chinese novels know that there are a bazillion addresses to relations based on paternal/maternal, younger/older, etc. Unless it is important to the story, I will just use general terms so it would be easier for everyone reading (and me translating).

One example is, the Empress was Shen Jin’s 伯母, and Rui-wangfei was Shenyang Gongzhu’s 婶婶.. Both 伯母 and 婶婶 mean ‘aunt’, but one is wife of father’s elder brother, while the other is  wife of father’s younger brother. Both will be translated as just ‘Aunt’, okay? Same deal with cousins.

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T/N – Several sorts came up when searching for Golden Roll 金丝卷 . This one here I recognised, but oddly I ate it at a Thai restaurant. Maybe I need to go to Chinese restaurants more often and order something that’s not fried rice.