Golden Age Legitimate Fei Chapter 10

Note: The names are retained in traditional Chinese characters as the RAWs I’m translating from are in traditional Chinese and it also makes it easier for me when I’m translating. The new vocabulary terms on the other hand are in simplified Chinese. Characters Shown / Mentioned in this Chapter:

葉璃 璃兒 – Ye Li Li er – Main Female Protagonist – first di daughter of the Ye family, but the third child in the family.
清霜 – Qing Shuang – Ye Li‘s yatou

定王 定國王墨修堯 – Ding w.a.n.g Ding guow.a.n.g  Mo Xiu Yao – Imperial Prince Ding of the highest rank
黎王  墨景黎 – Li w.a.n.g   Mo Jing Li – Imperial Prince Li

Ye Family Members:

葉尚書 尚書大人  葉老爺 – Ye Shangshu  Shangshu daren  Ye laoye – Ye Li‘s father who has the t.i.tle or position of official in charge of presenting memorials to the emperor and official correspondence

葉老夫人 葉老太太 祖母 – Ye laofuren  Ye laotaitai zumu – Ye Li‘s grandmother from her father’s side the old madam of the family

徐氏 – Xu shi – Ye Li‘s mother
王氏 王夫人 – w.a.n.g shi  w.a.n.g furen – the current main wife of Ye Shangshu and current zhumu of the household
(葉夫人 – Ye furen – can refer to either Xu shi or w.a.n.g shi)

趙姨娘 – Zhao yiniang – a newly-arrived concubine of Ye Shangshu

葉昭儀 (大小姐) – Ye Zhao Yi (da xiaojie) – Ye Li‘s eldest sister
葉瑩 瑩兒 – Ye Ying  Ying er – 4th daughter in the Ye family
容哥兒  令公子 – Rong ge er Ling gongzi – Ye Li‘s younger brother who had just turned seven w.a.n.g shi‘s son

Bold - Names of people, places Italic - Chinese terms in pinyin Underline - Unknown

Fu Imperial Capital

Chapter 10: Zhao Yiniang Asks for Help

Ye Li‘s eyebrows knitted, lowering her head and fiddling with the jewelry in a box and said, puzzled, “What is Zhao yiniang[1] talking about? Now in our family, who doesn’t know that the one father dotes on the most is Zhao yiniang? In the fu[2] besides laofuren[3] and furen[4], for any good thing wouldn’t it be Zhao yiniang who would be of priority? Unless…Zhao yiniang still has something to be unsatisfied about?”

The smile on Zhao yiniang‘s face showed some bitterness, “Nubi[5] doesn’t dare. Although nubi‘s birth status is low, I had once read books for several years, how could I not know that at present indeed the grandeur is unlimited. I only fear….once furen manages to free her hands to do something, it would be nubi‘s time to die.”

Qing Shuang frowned and said, “What is Zhao yiniang talking about? How could you say something like this in front of our xiaojie[6]? What’s more, it won’t be long before our xiaojie gets married, what could she do to help you? With this kind of effort, why not just go seek help from laofuren and laoye[7]?” Qing Shuang was very dissatisfied with Zhao yiniang for thinking of wanting to pull in her own xiaojie to deal with w.a.n.g shi[8], this Zhao yiniang really had a lot of nerve to actually want to take advantage of her own xiaojie.

“What Qing Shuang said is right, you also know that after two months I have to get married. Even if I were to help you one time, I only fear it won’t be of any use. Not to mention…for what would I want to offend Zhao Yi in the palace for you? As long as Ye Zhao Yi and fourth younger sister are around, no matter if it was you or if it was me, neither of us would be able to pull down furen.” Ye Li asked indifferently, watching her attentively.

Zhao yiniang nibbled on her bright red lips, looking somewhat blanched, how could she not know of this reasoning? But even if she knew it, so what? She originally thought that by having a child she can have someone to depend on, but that w.a.n.g shi wouldn’t even allow her to have her own child.  A few days ago she had faintly felt that there was something not right in her own surroundings. If it weren’t for a bestowed marriage suddenly happening this time, she only feared that w.a.n.g shi would have already made a move on her, “Third xiaojie, nubi doesn’t beg others, only begs third xiaojie to be able enough to help nubi protect nubi‘s child. Nubi will definitely be grateful for third xiaojie‘s extreme benevolence!”

“You……”

Zhao yiniang nodded with tears, saying, “Nubi had only entered the fu for some months, but have already lost one child. This child by all possible means needs to be protected, I beg third xiaojie to give me a helping hand.”

Ye Li softly sighed and nodded towards Qing Shuang.

Qing Shuang walked up to support Zhao yiniang over to sit on a chair on the side. Qing Shuang‘s right hand was over Zhao yiniang‘s wrist for a bit before letting go, covertly nodding her head towards Ye Li.

Ye Li took the proffered handkerchief Qing Shuang handed over to hand over to Zhao yiniang, softly saying, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to help you, but that I indeed am unable to help. Two months later I will need to leave the fu; by the looks of it, it would at least still take several months more before you can give birth, right?”

Hearing this, Zhao yiniang‘s face flashed a trace of disappointment, tightly holding the handkerchief in her hand to wipe away her tears and said, “Do you mean to say that…do you mean to say that this child is destined not to come into this world? I…I only ask that he be able enough to be properly given birth to, to properly live on; even if it wasn’t in this Ye fu and he isn’t this Ye family’s shaoye[9], it wouldn’t matter ah.”

Ye Li calmly watched her pained expression. She could clearly see that this time, what Zhao yiniang had said was all from the heart; she was indeed doing this for this child’s life and not for her own future’s possible splendor. Ye Li wasn’t a cold-blooded person, but all the same, she also wasn’t an easily impulsive hot-blooded person.

“Third xiaojie! As long as nubi is able enough to give birth to this child, nubi is willing to have him adopted under the already deceased furen‘s name to go on burning joss sticks for furen. Nubi can make an oath, never to get to know him even for a lifetime!”

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Ye Li‘s expression didn’t change, looking at her indifferently and said, “It’s already been severals years since my mother pa.s.sed away, the so-called matter of burning joss sticks is something I don’t care about at all. Not to mention, on one hand it’s yet to be confirmed if this child is a boy or a girl, on the other hand, depending on his age even if you were to never recognize him as yours, wouldn’t he be able to guess it for himself when he grows up? Getting adopted under my mother’s name would mean this child is a di[10] son, the position would be even higher than that of w.a.n.g shi‘s own flesh and blood Rong ge er[11]. I only fear that even if you were able to give birth, the child still wouldn’t be able to live.” Ever since her mother pa.s.sed away, there weren’t anymore children being born in the fu. Based on w.a.n.g shi‘s character, how could she allow anyone to put pressure on her son’s head?

Zhao yiniang also knew that these words she said were impetuous, lowering her head somewhat upset and said with her eyes turning red, “It was nubi who said the wrong thing. I beg third xiaojie to save nubi, regardless of how it is said…this kid is still third xiaojie‘s own blood relative ah…”

Ye Li pondered for a moment and asked, “Fuqin‘s[12] doting and this child, which one do you want?”

Zhao yiniang was startled for a moment, not understanding why Ye Li would ask something like this. But then reacted very quickly, her face flashed a trace of unswerving determination as she thought it over, gritting her teeth and saying, “I want the child, as long as this child properly lives on, even if I never get to see him it also wouldn’t matter!”

“I heard that if there is someone whose birth chart isn’t good, it will influence the family’s predestined marriages and heirs.” The room had been silent for awhile when Ye Li‘s voice unhurriedly made a sound.

“Third xiaojie wants me to….?!” Zhao yiniang stared in astonishment at the girl who appeared tranquil and calm in front of her.

“Don’t do it yourself, leaving out a trace by mistake would instead be self-defeating.”

Zhao yiniang finally understood why Ye Li had to ask whether she herself wanted the child or laoye‘s doting. Now the fu‘s fourth xiaojie is going to marry Li w.a.n.g[13] to be a zhengfei[14], and yet w.a.n.g shi‘s flesh and blood as well as the Ye family’s only son’s health has continuously been unwell. If she herself were to be burdened with the reputation of having a no-good birth chart, don’t even think about ever getting laoye‘s doting again in this lifetime. Actually, there was a big possibility of getting kicked out of the family clan or sent outside the city to another yuan[15] or a temple to cultivate one’s self.

Right now the fu was currently having a happy occasion (referring to weddings), so they absolutely wouldn’t easily have her driven out from the family clan, so then she would be sent out of the fu. If they were to be even a bit more heartless, they would have her sent somewhere even farther–only fear that she will never be able to return to the capital in this lifetime.

“I can only help you this much. What you said was right, this child of yours–no matter how it is said–is still my younger sibling. Our family has another yuan in the Yun prefecture. If you were to go there, I can personally insure the safety of both of you mother and son. Go back and think about it, let me know when you’ve thought it through.” Finished talking, Ye Li no longer cared about Zhao yiniang‘s reaction and got up to go to the inner room.

Although Zhao yiniang‘s birth status was humble, she was still once an intellectual family’s guniang[16]. She naturally knew what kind of place the Yun prefecture was, she was even more aware that the Yun prefecture was precisely the location of Da Chu‘s best educational inst.i.tute Lishan academy. And Lishan academy belonged to the family taking care of Ye Li. Ye Li talking about how the Yun prefecture can have people guarantee their own safety is indeed not just for show.

Anyway, with her ident.i.ty even if w.a.n.g shi were to go down, she wouldn’t be able to become a zhengshi[17] furen. The Yun prefecture was a place for gathering talented people, if she were to give birth to a boy…it was much better compared to waiting in the fu for w.a.n.g shi to put her to death. Thinking this through clearly, Zhao yiniang got up and kneeled again, “Nubi thanks third xiaojie for being extremely benevolent!”

Ye Li paused in her step and indifferently said, “This is your own decision to make.” The clear and exquisite figure then disappeared behind the screen.

Ye Li sat down and randomly found a book to read. There wasn’t a better solution to solve Zhao yiniang‘s matter, but she personally would need to stir up a lot of trouble. Among the women of this world, who wasn’t pitiful? Even if she wanted to help, she wouldn’t be able to, moreover she did not have such a huge capability.

A little while later, Qing Shuang came in carrying tea, “Why is xiaojie once again reading books? It’s not like you’re studying to be a top scorer of the palace level.”

“Went back?” Ye Li put down the book to ask.

Qing Shuang nodded and said, “Had an episode of making a noise at the yuan‘s doorway and only then left.”

“Zhao yiniang is an intelligent person. Perhaps she went back and also complained about me in front of father.” Taking the tea from Qing Shuang, Ye Li smiled as she said it.

Qing Shuang was somewhat worried, “Laoye wouldn’t punish xiaojie, right?”

“Even if father were to be more biased, he still wouldn’t punish a daughter who is about to get married over a couple of words from a yiniang.”

“Then that’s good. I forgot, our xiaojie is after all the future Ding guow.a.n.gfei[18].” Even if it were some Li w.a.n.gfei[19], she would still need to pay respects and send regards. “For xiaojie to promise to help her that quickly, what if in the future she makes a false countercharge against us…” Qing Shuang said, somewhat worried.

“She is favoured too much, furen wouldn’t tolerate her. She is an intelligent person so she naturally knows what price she would need to pay in using me.”

“It is good that xiaojie keeps scores inside.”

 Glossary: Yiniang (姨娘 – normal concubine) Fu (府 – official residence / family residence compound / household / term for family and home put together) Laofuren (老夫人 – old madam / t.i.tle for the mother of a n.o.ble or an official) Furen (夫人 – lady or madam of the house / wife) Nubi (奴婢 – slave servant / term used by servants to refer to themselves) Xiaojie (小姐 – young miss / lady) Laoye (老爺 – master / lord of the household) Shi (氏 – clan name / maiden surname) Shaoye (少爷 – young master / male equivalent of “小姐 – xiaojie – young lady or miss”) Di (嫡 – legitimate / of the official wife) Ge er (哥 儿 – elder brother term of endearment for one’s child / child) Fuqin (父亲 – respectful or intimate way of addressing father) w.a.n.g (王 – imperial prince) Zhengfei (正妃 – main imperial consort / official wife of an imperial prince) Yuan (院 – a residence within a family residence compound) Guniang (姑娘 – young lady / girl) Zhengshi (正室 – legal wife / first wife) Guow.a.n.gfei (国王妃 – consort princess / wife of an imperial prince of the highest rank or “国王 – guow.a.n.g") w.a.n.gfei (王妃 – consort princess / wife of an imperial prince or “王 – w.a.n.g“)