Who Cares

Who Cares – Chapter 24

Chapter 24 Until We Meet Again

 

Zhao Chunxi originally came to ask for a dowry, but didn’t expect she would be belittled by her stepmother. How could she be happy? She seldom mentioned her mom in front of her daddy, but because she was really angry in her heart, after thinking about it and thinking about it, she still retorted, “Mother don’t look down on my maternal family, now Jieyu niangniang who is in charge of the sixth palace has surname Ye, and she is the sister from the same mother of my mom.

Zhao Luli thought that his daughter knew nothing about his wife’s identity. Hearing her mention Ye Zhen in a proud tone, his heart ached.

Guan Suyi picked up a thin porcelain bowl the size of a palm, slowly scooped the turtle soup, she said slowly, “Your aunt have saved the emperor’s life, this is her good fortune, otherwise, based on the Ye family’s status, she will never be able to enter the palace. Such good luck is rare, you just have to look at it, don’t take it seriously. Let’s discuss our marriage and married in an upright manner, don’t covet those undeserved wealth and honor.” When the words fell, she handed the bowl to Zhao Luli, and said softly, “Lord Marquis, drink the soup. ”

“Thank you madam. “Zhao Luli’s voice was hoarse and his face was gloomy, obviously stabbed in his sore spot. Yes, if it wasn’t for his father and mother coveting the undeserved wealth, how could he and Zhen’er have separated? If his daughter was fascinated by the power of the imperial family, and determined to plant herself in, how would their mother and daughter get along in the future?

Clenching his fist hard, Zhao Luli said sternly, “Don’t talk about your aunt. Your aunt married into the palace, that is the blessing of your aunt and the Ye family, and has nothing to do with us. All you have to do is follow your mother to learn how to run the family, in the future, you can find a steady and reliable husband from the right household and live a steady life.”

Zhao Chunxi rarely saw his father’s stern expression, so she couldn’t help being frightened, and nodded quickly in agreement, her eyes were slightly red.

Guan Suyi tucked the falling hair on her cheek to the back of her ear, as if affectionate, “Okay, don’t be sad, I’m just saying a few words for your own good, otherwise I might as well not mention anything and let your daddy make a mess. Your dad doesn’t understand anything, and it almost delayed your future. If you follow me in the future, I will teach you. The world’s requirements for women are inherently harsh, not to mention the mistress and matriarch who are responsible for the family’s reproduction and prosperity.  Among virtue, speech, performance, and appearance. Virtue ranks first, it means being upright and establishing the foundation; speech and performance, one is to be cautious in words and deeds, and the other is the way of running a family, which also includes the husband and the children, serving the elders, increasing income and reducing expenditure and so on; appearance ranked last, but it does not mean beautiful appearance and good looks, but more dignified and sophisticated, calm and broad. So you see, there are so many things you need to observe here, and there is enough for you to learn before you get married.”

Zhao Chunxi felt her whole body numb from her cool fingertips, but she couldn’t evade in front of her father. Those words were all for her own good. If she showed any disgust or grievance, it would seem that she didn’t know what was good for her, so she could only bite the bullet and expressed her gratitude.

Zhao Luli saw that the two of them were “get-along” well together, and his gloomy expression was gradually replaced by relief. At this moment, Zhao Wangshu walked in reluctantly and said in a muffled voice, “Mother, are you looking for me?”

“School is over?” Guan Suyi waved at him, “Come and have dinner together.”

Zhao Wangshu hesitated for a moment, and finally sat down beside his sister.

Guan Suyi personally served him a bowl of rice and smiled, “In the future you will come to me after school to have meal. After dinner, I will help check your homework and practice calligraphy with you. You can rest after two hours.”

“What? Practice calligraphy for two hours?” Zhao Wangshu cried out in fear, when he met his father’s sharp eyes, he hurriedly swallowed all the words of protest, his face turned blue.

“Madam is willing to teach you personally, that’s your good fortune. Follow along in the future, don’t be lazy. I’m ashamed to say, if it wasn’t for Madam to wake me up, I would have educate you badly, but fortunately it’s not too late to correct it now. Madam, in the future, they will trouble you to tune and teach, if any one is disobedient, directly give the family law and no need to ask me.” Nowadays Zhao Luli calling the word madam very smoothly, and even felt very happy and fearful in his heart. If Guan Suyi hadn’t married into the Marquis Mansion, in a few years Xi’er would get married, and Wangshu would become adults, but didn’t know where the road ahead lead them.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt gratitude and admiration for Guan Suyi, and he gradually became more obedient.

Guan Suyi hurriedly waved her hand to deny, said that the two children were not bad by nature, with smart minds, and they would have great potential in the future.

Zhao Chunxi and Zhao Wangshu were extremely aggrieved in their hearts, but they did not dare to disobey, had no choice but to agree. After dinner, the few people went to the study together, there was one who practiced calligraphy, there was on who painted, there was one who watched from the sidelines. They looked happy and harmonious. But when it was time to go to sleep, Zhao Luli left with the excuse to send the two children, and in the end hid himself, making Guan Suyi very satisfied.

“Miss, why doesn’t lord marquis ever consummate marriage with you? Is he have any hidden disease? How about this servant help you to inquire?” Mingfang said with a blushing face as they walked away.

“How are you going to inquire?” Guan Suyi soaked the used brush in the brush tub, and watched the ink balls change shape in the water. Minglan glared at Mingfang behind her back, and silently scolded “sassy wench” with her mouth, which made Guan Suyi chuckled.

“This servant is thinking…” Mingfang was about to fool her mistress, but she heard the voice of steward woman from outside, “Madam, just now Marquis Zhenxi Mansion deliver a post, please take a look.”

“Marquis Zhenxi Mansion?” Guan Suyi took the post and glanced at it a few times. She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows. It was actually sent by Qin Lingyun’s sister-in-law, Li shi, who invited her to gather at Wencui Building tomorrow. Guan Suyi felt pity for this woman who had fate worse than her, and if possible, wanted to help her get rid of the tragedy of the previous life. Of course, she wouldn’t get involved with the other people’s emotional drama, just tell her to stay away from her clansmen.

After writing a reply and changing into her bedclothes, she occupied the large bed with peace of mind and fell asleep.

The next day, the Wencui Building was still full of guests. Qin Lingyun and his sister-in-law, Li shi, sat in the original position, looking forward to it. Emperor Sheng Yuan was still dressed as a bodyguard. His height of nearly nine feet tall and strong figure made him stand out among the weak scholars.

“She said she would definitely come today?” The deep and rich voice suppressed the surrounding noise.

Qin Lingyun squeezed the purse around his waist, his expression melancholy. Li shi gave him a distressed look and answered on his behalf, “Madam marquis replied yesterday and said that she will definitely come. The Guan family made a heavy promise and will never break it.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan responded faintly, walked to the railing and looked down. Xu Guangzhi was sitting and talking with the Jiuli noble who sponsored him to hold the Ten Days Battle of Words. Old Master Guan and Father Guan had not yet arrived, they might be delayed by something.

He paced back and forth a few steps, and seemed a little anxious. He was about to order the dark guard to go to Marquis Zhenbei Mansion to inquire some news, when he saw a slim figure walking in slowly. The goose-yellow ruqun was covered with plain white cotton coat. The wide sleeves were embellished with raw edge circles, which revealed a bit of playfulness and agility in the elegant. A veil hat was covering her face, and after being blown by the wind the black gauze was tightly attached to the face, outlining a few delicate and beautiful arcs.

From the graceful ups and downs, it was not difficult to see the smooth forehead, the upturned nose bridge and the soft lips, and it was precisely because of this vaguely visible mysterious feeling that made people want to see more and more. Emperor Sheng Yuan’s pupils shrank slightly, and after watching for a while, he suddenly came back to his senses, walked behind Qin Lingyun and stood still, pretending that he was just a bodyguard.

Guan Suyi went up the stairs, smiled and greeted Marquis Zhenxi and Li shi, and was about to take off the veil hat, but Minglan, who was disguised in a  man clothes, tugged her sleeves twice, and reminded in a low voice, “Miss, Old Master and Master are here!”

The black veil that was lifted immediately dropped down again, not only that, but Guan Suyi also swiftly walked around behind the strong man of the Jiuli tribe and said with a smile, “Help blocking me, I don’t know how angry my family will be if they see me hanging out with your lord marquis.”

At this time the Legalists and the Confucians were fighting fiercely, and Marquis Zhenxi was the leader of the Legalism scholars, so it stands to reason that Guan Suyi should not be involved with him.

Emperor Sheng Yuan felt an unfamiliar aura approaching, and the vigilance developed over the years from the battles made him straighten his back immediately and gripped the handle of his knife. Then there was a feeling similar to thorns on the back, but there was no sense of crisis, it slowly seeping into the pores to the depths of the bone marrow, making the skin on the side close to the woman felt numb. Vaguely, he smelled a fragrance, not the precious spices used by concubines in the harem, but a faint smell that could only be acquire by immersing in pen and ink and books all year round. It was easily overlooked, but once caught, you would indulge involuntarily.

He secretly took a deep breath, but when Old Master Guan and Father Guan looked over, he took the initiative to shift a step, covering the woman behind him even more tightly. The two did not recognize him, and soon joined a group of famous scholars to converse.

Guan Suyi hid for a while, and asked in a low voice, “Did they not find me?”

“No, Madam, please sit down.” Emperor Sheng Yuan’s voice was a little hoarse. After she sat, he released the grip on the knife and stroked his itchy back with his backhand. The faint aroma was gone, leaving his mind blank for a moment, but this moment was too short, without noticing it was forgotten.

In big hall on the first floor, Xu Guangzhi and a Legalist walked up to the high platform together, and each picked up a brush and wrote two lines of characters—human nature is inherently good, and human nature is inherently evil. Legalism and Confucianism these two school were opposed with each other in many points of view, as if they were natural enemies and incompatible with each other. The good or evil of human nature was another highly controversial argument, and it was also a difficult problem for scholars from both Legalism and Confucianism to argue for hundreds of years, but they still could not decide the winner or loser.

Despite deliberately pretending to be a pitiful in front of his sister-in-law, when Qin Lingyun saw this topic, he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Xu Guangzhi is so brave!” He frowned and took out a Buddhist bead from his purse.

“Is this question difficult?” Li shi, who was from the countryside, only roughly knew a few characters. She could read accounts and manage the household, beside that not a single character.

“It’s very difficult. From ancient times to the present, scholars of the two schools have never determined the winner. Even if I go up, I’m not sure  I can refute Xu Guangzhi. Of course, it would be difficult for him to refute me too. Legalism understands the evil of human nature best, and Confucianism understands the goodness of human nature best. We can cite hundreds of arguments at will, so we can never distinguish which one superior or inferior.” Qin Lingyun took out three Buddha beads and put them into the tray placed  by the side.

Guan Suyi shook her head and sighed, “This is a false proposition, what’s there to argue about? It’s really a waste of time.” She got up, intending to leave.

“Madam, why do you say this is a false proposition? Please advise.” The Jiuli man standing behind Marquis Zhenxi asked in stammering (ancient) mandarin, his deep eyes flashing with the look of seeking knowledge.

Guan Suyi was nurtured by old master Guan, and since childhood, she was infected with the problem of being a “good teacher”. She couldn’t stand this expression the most. She tilted her head to think about it, and sat back again. When she bent her white fingertip and flicked the rim of the cup, the meaning was self-evident. The Jiuli man hurriedly walked over to serve tea, his every move was well coordinated, and there was even a faint smile in his eyes.

 

Translator rambling: in historical Chinese novel I often find the height of the male character to be nine-feet long, if we use the modern measurement then it will be extremely tall, turns out the length of ‘foot’ in each dynasty can be different, but I think in most case nine feet tall should be 2 meters tall.

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7 thoughts on “Who Cares – Chapter 24

  1. The great Emperor of their nation has been turned into a tea pouring fanboy by our siyi😂😂😂

  2. I hope the face-slapping is over soon, although refreshing, it’s still annoying to read about their ugliness. I rather have more of the knowledge-seeking emperor listening to the philosophical reasonings of the smart witty protagonist.

  3. My god, I really thought he’s 9foot tall 😂
    Even Yao Min is only 7feet-something, and I’m here like, that 9foot is overkill for tall lol

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