Chapter 1 To Devote One’s Life

 

Yuan Ci Xian had a strange dream again.

This was the third time.

It was pitch black in the dream, and nothing could be seen. Trapped inside a block of damp bridge stone, she was very depressed.

The common people were discussing on the bridge, saying that the Yuan family’s father and son raised an army to rebel and deserved to die tragically, but it’s a pity that the young lady of the Yuan family was innocently implicated. Such a stunning beauty actually ended up being thrown into the river.

Someone said: “I heard that she fled to this bridge and was shot to death by random arrows.”

“Tsk, so young, only eighteen.”

Another person answered and ridiculed: “But a beauty is a beauty after all, even dead she still popular, just last night, I saw a group of people sneaking here trying to fish her up.”

At the first month last year, Yuan Ci Xian had this dream for the first time, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She, the beautiful flower, turned into a stone trampled by thousands of people, scorched by the scorching sun, frozen by rain and snow, and accompanied by dirty and smelly shoe soles and carriage wheels every day. What the hell is this?

Not to mention how her father and brother rebelled, she was curious who would care about her dead body.

But don’t bother try to fish her up. She’s in the stone, can they help to chisel her out?

However, the first time she encountered such an absurd dream, she laughed it off. It wasn’t until she was tortured by this dream again on the first month of this year, she realized something was wrong.

She heard someone on the bridge lamenting that the world was unpredictable, saying that back then, Yuan’s father and son were brutally killed by the sixth imperial son of the emperor, but now, the case of rebellion had taken a new turn and been rehabilitated.

Some people quietly echoed, saying exactly, look at what had changed rapidly in the past half year. First, Emperor Huining was forced to abdicated, and became a retired emperor with empty shell, and then the thirteenth ranked young prince ascended to the throne, assisted by the most favored minister of the retired emperor… Who would have expected such an irony?

Speaking until here, it seemed that a carriage was approaching, and the two were silent for a while.

Yuan Ci Xian also woke up, opened her eyes to think about it, and couldn’t help being startled.

How come this dream seem to be more than just a dream.

She was born in Chang’an, the capital of the country, and moved to Yaozhou with her father who was named the “DiannanSouthern Yunnan Prince” when she was nine years old. It was not until last year that she returned to the capital to be conferred “Lancang County Princess”, and then soon returned to the southwest.

Since she had been far away from the court center for many years, she knew very little about those boring political affairs, so how could she dream of these things out of thin air? What was even more shocking was that after she indirectly questioned her father, she found that the current monarch really had a four-year-old son, who was ranked thirteen.

After thinking about it, Yuan Ci Xian shivered.

At that time, she was already jittery, and then a few days later, she learned from the letter from her brother, who was remained in the capital, that he seemed to be getting close to the sixth son of the emperor recently. Recalling that two years later in the dream, her brother was killed by this person, she couldn’t sit still. She packed up and went to Chang’an, intending to find out.

Right now, she was in a carriage rumbling north. The carriage had been on the road for two months, and it was close to the capital of the country.

…

Early in the morning, Yuan Ci Xian was jolting awake, feeling depressed.

There was nothing new in this third dream, it was mostly a repetition of the first two dreams. The only gain this time was that she kept an eye on it, discerned one or two messages from people’s mouths, and roughly knew where the bridge was.

Inside the carriage, the maid Shi Cui, saw that Yuan Ci Xian looked tired and her temples were wet, so she quickly twisted a plain silk towel to wipe her with it, and said, “Young lady have a nightmare?”

She came back to her senses, shook her head, picked up a copper mirror to look at her face, and pressed her palm on her cheeks: “It’s nothing, I just dreamed that someone praised my beauty.” After saying that, she blinked twice, “What did he say again? Oh yes, stunning!”

Shi Cui looked at her with a smile. The young lady’s appearance was indeed impeccable. The ice flesh and jade skin seemed can be broken by blowing it, the black eyebrows were like distant mountains, and the pretty nose was like precious jade, and what was especially stunning was a pair of eyes shaped like peach petals, moving like autumn water, glittering welcoming people.

She added: “Then this man has a vision.”

Yuan Ci Xian nodded, deeply agreed, she then looked outside the carriage through the curtain and asked: “Jian Zhi, how long until we get to Chang’an?”

“Young lady, we’re almost there, probably around noon.”

She thought for a while and ordered: “Change the route to Yanxing Gate in the east of the city, let’s go to Lu bridge to have a look.”

The carriage turned a corner, and after half an hour, they reached Lu bridge.

This bridge was dozens of miles away from Yanxing Gate, and it could be regarded as the key link between the west and the east. It had always been a place where people in the city and traveler from the east reluctantly bid farewell. And because the bridge was where everyone heartbrokenly send-off people, this place also known as “broken heart bridge”.

Midsummer in May, the sun was shining brightly. The surface of the Lushui River was shimmering. The green willows on both sides were like shades, and farther away were dozens of locust trees that were about to end their flowering period.

Jian Zhi stopped the carriage beside the bridge, went down first, lifted the curtain and said inside, “Master, we’ve arrived at Lu bridge.” After she finished speaking, she saw Yuan Ci Xian nimbly stepping out, her heart couldn’t help but skipped a beat.

She had served the young lady for many years, and she was used to her gorgeous appearance, but this time travelling to Chang’an, for the convenient sake, the young lady dressed up as a man all the way. Right now she was wearing a moon white round neck robe, dark blue soft wings futouheadwear for men and black leather boots, looking like very much a handsome gentleman. This every gesture almost hooked her soul away.

Yuan Ci Xian paused for a moment, then raised her feet and walked towards the bridge.

The first time she had that strange dream was on the way to the capital last year when she was receiving the title. After arriving in Chang’an, she became curious and visited several nearby stone arch bridges, including Lu Bridge, but she was not sure where it was. Now she could be sure.

The stone arch bridge built made with blue bricks was majestic and quaint, and the length was endless.

Yuan Ci Xian stood on the bridge for a while, looked around carefully, and suddenly asked the maid behind her: “Shi Cui, tell me, if a criminal in the city wants to escape, is it wise to choose this bridge?

“The Lu bridge leads to the east all the way to Luoyang area, this servant thinks that it’s a good strategy for criminals to sneak into the bustling area through this. Why did Master say that?”

Her slender index finger, which was as white as scallion base, tapped on the bridge railing a few times. Having said that, escaping to this bridge and being shot to death by random arrows was too useless, after thinking about it, it was very ungraceful.

She sighed, and instead of answering, she just smiled: “I’m hungry, let’s go to the city.”

“Jian Zhi hasn’t returned from feeding the horse, Master might as well wait in Lu Pavilion.”

Yuan Ci Xian nodded.

Lu Pavilion was a post station located on this bridge. As it approached noon, there was an endless stream of people coming and going on the bridge, but this pavilion with red rooftop was isolated from the bustle and was very shady.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Yuan Ci Xian sat down on the bench beside the curved railing, there was a rush of footsteps coming from both ends of the pavilion.

A group of men dressed as guards approached menacingly, she immediately stood up on guard, and then heard a sweet female voice: “Don’t be rude, this is my savior!”

The surrounding guards spread out a little. A girl in a goose-yellow dress raised her skirt and rushed over, she was the speaker.

Yuan Ci Xian glanced at her strangely: “Did the young lady admit the wrong person?”

She had just arrived in Chang’an, even the soles of her shoes were not dirty yet, where have she saved anyone.

This girl in yellow dress had her black hair combed into a ring bun style. She seemed to be underage, and was also a bit shorter than Yuan Ci Xian, but her facial features were very delicate. When she spoke, a pair of crystal deer eyes looked very bright and high spirits.

She seemed to be stunned by Yuan Ci Xian. After her soul came back to her body, she hurriedly replied, “Benefactor don’t remember? In this Lu Bridge in the early spring of last year, benefactor saved this girl’s life, and this girl also introduced oneself.” Regardless whether Yuan Ci Xian had any impression, she took a few steps forward, her eyes showing a hint of shyness, “This girl has been looking for benefactor for a whole year, wholeheartedly hope to devote my life for you. If benefactor does not have a wife yet, this girl would like to repay the favor of that day!”

Shi Cui knew some kung fu tricks, and when she saw her approaching recklessly, she subconsciously raised the unsheathed barrier swordapparently it’s one of the four system sword in Tang Dynasty, similar to wakizashi sword but lighter and more flexible in her hand and placed it between her and Yuan Ci Xian. The surrounding guards were startled, and they also threw their fists in defense.

It was alright before, but all of a sudden, both sides were hostile.

Yuan Ci Xian was really stunned when she heard her said “Benefactor” one after another. After looking at her face carefully, she vaguely remembered that when she visited this bridge last year, she did encounter an accident.

At that time, the bridge was crowded with people, and a man who did not ride his horse properly rushed into the crowd in panic. After she dodged the horse’s hoofs, she saw that two women on the side were forced to retreat again and again, and when they were about to fall back over the bridge rail, in a hurry, she reached out and pulled. Although she was not able to save both, but she managed to pull one and spared her from falling into the water, and it seemed that it was the girl in front of her.

But she really couldn’t remember her last name was. At this moment, she could only guess based on the other person’s words that she hid her merits and name that day, and left the scene in a hurry, but she was misunderstood because of a pair of men’s clothes, and hooked this girl’s heart.

Yuan Ci Xian thought for a while.

Looking at the dress of this young lady, it seemed that she was either rich or noble. In the future, in this Chang’an city, it possible that they would meet again, so this matter must be explained as soon as possible. What’s more, her men’s clothing was only to avoid unnecessary trouble of traveling long distances, and now that she had arrived in the stable capital, there’s no meaning in concealing it.

She made a gesture for Shi Cui to put down the barrier knife, and just wanted to restore her original voice and explain to the other person, but while her eyes flickered, another person came into view.

It was a man in a dark crimson official robe, looking like he was in his early twenties, with broad shoulders and narrow waist, and a handsome figure. At first glance, his handsomeness was outstanding, but his slanted phoenix eyes showed a hint of coldness, which made people feel that the person who came in was not good.

This wave after wave, is it endless?

When the guards on all sides saw the person, they quickly spread out to make way. The girl on the side also turned her head, she stepped forward in surprise and said with a smile: “I just sent someone to invite brother, I can’t believe brother coming so quickly.” After saying that, she stretched out her hand and glanced at Yuan Ci Xian, “This is the life-saving benefactor I mentioned with mother, that is, brother’s future brother-in-law.”

This self-declaration really made Yuan Ci Xian want to cover her face and held her forehead. But before she could move, she felt the man’s gaze swept over her body, first at her waist, then up to her exposed neck, shortly after his pupils suddenly shrank.

This gaze seemed to have substance, causing her to suddenly feel that the piece of skin he was staring at was hot and itchy.

But the man quickly dismissed his scrutiny, turned his head and threw his sister a glance, then commanded in all directions: “Everyone return and send young lady back to the house.”

The girl refused to leave, and hurriedly said: “Brother! I already promise to devote my life to benefactor, how can I go back on my promise? When a girl is married, you and mother can’t keep me! Besides, what’s wrong with benefactor? Look at him, isn’t he exactly as I said before, dignified and personable?”

Because the man was born with a pair of phoenix eyes, even when he was not angry, he still looked threatening, and his face was even more gloomy when he heard this.

The girl seemed to be a little afraid of him now, and shrank her head.

Listening to this unconscionable and stupid excuse, Yuan Ci Xian was also sweating for her.

She opened her mouth and wanted to finish the explanation that she wasn’t able to say before, so as to send the brother and sister away, but unexpectedly, the man took the lead. She saw his exasperated look, flatly said “Um, indeed a dignified and personable one…”

He paused after saying this, stared at Yuan Ci Xian’s face and said, “Young lady.”

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Translator’s Note:

Welcome to my new translation project. the synopsis can be found on the title page, it’s basically a court intrigue with comedic undertone. I actually haven’t finish reading it, don’t know what will happen next, hopefully it won’t be suck.

The two previous novels that I worked on has more formal(?) writing, which most of the time the machine translator can translate well, and that I would edit to make it more readable. But this one has different kind of writing style that MTL doesn’t pick up properly, and I have a hard time understanding it too. In the previous novels I tried my best to follow the author’s words, in this I paraphrased a lot. So the translation is not 100% accurate, but I promise if you haven’t read it in the original language, you won’t be able to tell. Hope you all enjoy!!