Chapter 11 Scarlet Heart

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Scarlet Heart 

 Chapter 11: 

The leaves on the trees were dwindling, and I was gradually returning to normal, at least on the surface. Sometimes I would exchange a few laughs with the maids, but I still didn't eat much. I had thought about escaping from the mansion. But if I were just a servant girl, perhaps I could have managed it, and they might have eventually given up looking for me. But as the daughter of a second-ranking official stationed as the commander-in-chief of the northwest, and as the wife's younger sister of Eighth Prince, and as a prospective bride, the entire world here belonged to the Aisin Gioro family. Where could I possibly go? Besides, I had Jie Jie, and if I were to leave, I feared she wouldn't be able to bear it.

One day, while I was practicing calligraphy in my room, Qiao Hui said that Fourteenth Prince had arrived. I put down my brush and walked out, seeing Fourteenth Prince standing in the courtyard. I went forward to greet him, "Why don't you come inside?" 

He replied, "Let's take a walk in the garden!" I nodded. Qiao Hui handed me a water-green embroidered cloak with flowers and reminded me not to stand in the wind. After assuring her, I followed Fourteenth Prince out of the courtyard.

We walked in silence the whole way. After a while, I forced a smile and said, "What are you doing? Not a word for so long, you'll bore someone to death!" 

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Fourteenth Prince chuckled dryly, "I seemed to have a lot to say before coming, but now I don't know what to say." 

I stopped and looked at him, saying, "I'm fine now!" 

He stopped with me and sighed, "You may be fine, but Tenth Brother is still in trouble." I didn't say anything, just looked at him with my eyes.

He sighed again and said, "Since the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, Tenth Brother hasn't attended court. His Majesty has inquired several times, and Eighth Brother always replies that he's unwell. If this continues, His Majesty will send the imperial physician to check on him." 

I lowered my head, looking at my shoes, and asked, "So what do you want me to do?" 

He replied, "Go see him and then try to persuade him." 

I remained silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "When?" 

He said, "I'll come to escort you into the palace to see him after tomorrow's court session." 

I responded, "Alright!"

・・・

I sat with Fourteenth Brother in the carriage, both of us silent the entire way. Jie Jie didn't ask anything when we left. I suppose Eighth Brother had already informed her. When we reached the palace gates, we alighted from the carriage, and attendants were there to assist us in switching to a sedan chair. After a while, the sedan chair came to a stop.

Fourteenth Brother led me into a courtyard and pointed towards the door ahead, saying, "I won't go in!" I nodded, about to take a step forward, when he added, "After a while, the eunuchs I've sent away will come back. Try to be quick!" I responded with an "Okay" and lifted the curtain to enter.

Upon entering, I found myself in a side hall, filled with the scent of alcohol but devoid of people. I glanced at an arched doorway to the side, adorned with beaded curtains, and proceeded through. The beads of the curtain clinked against each other as I passed, creating a crisp and pleasing sound. Tenth Brother lay on the couch, his eyes shut, bellowing, "I told you not to bother me, get out!" 

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

I took a couple of steps forward, standing still as I looked at him. The words I had prepared didn't seem appropriate anymore. He suddenly opened his eyes, initially with anger, but then surprised to see me. His expression softened into sadness before he slowly sat up. I walked to a chair by the table and sat down, picking up the wine jug and giving it a shake. There was still some wine inside, but I placed it back down.

After a moment of silence, I asked, "Are you planning to drown yourself in alcohol like this? Do you think being drunk will exempt you from marrying Mingyu, Prince?" 

He remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm just feeling troubled." 

I inquired, "What's troubling you?" 

He lowered his head, fiddling with his shoes, and muttered, "Can't you see what's bothering me?"

At this point, I no longer felt the initial panic I had when I entered the room. Instead, I grew calmer. "First, you're troubled because you don't like Mingyu, Prince, but you have to marry her. Second, you have feelings for me, but you can't marry me," I said. He stood up and walked to the table, pouring himself a cup of wine and staring at it blankly. 

After a while, he asked softly, "Will you be my concubine?" I was taken aback. Among all the prepared topics for discussion, this was not one of them. I had forgotten how common it was for a man to have multiple wives in ancient times.

He looked up at me with fervent hope in his eyes and said earnestly, "I'll treat you well. I promise..." 

I quickly interrupted him, "I refuse!" 

He clenched his teeth, nodded at me, then lifted his cup and drained it in one gulp. "I understand! Even if I asked you to be my primary wife, you wouldn't agree. But I still held onto a glimmer of hope. Now..." He sighed bitterly, "it's even more impossible."

I picked up a wine cup from the table and toyed with it in my hand. "Since you understand everything, why not just be straightforward? Don't make Eighth Brother and the others worry, or anger the Emperor again!" 

He poured himself another cup of wine, drank it, and said, "I've already let the Emperor manipulate me. Can't I even vent my frustrations?"

I took the wine jug and poured myself a cup, saying, "Since you've already yielded in major matters, why bother with trivial matters that only bring pain to loved ones and pleasure to enemies?" After saying this, I also drank a cup.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

He drank hastily and choked, covering his mouth with a handkerchief, coughing twice. As I wiped my mouth with the handkerchief, I heard him ask softly, "Ruoxi, have you ever liked me?" 

I looked up and saw a mixture of anticipation, nervousness, and fear in his eyes. Lowering my head, I squeezed the handkerchief in my hand, and after a moment, I whispered, "Yes, I have." 

He let out a heavy sigh of relief, laughing softly, "Ruoxi, I'm so happy. Do you know? I've been wanting to ask you this face-to-face these past few days, but I was afraid of the answer I didn't want to hear, so I didn't dare ask." He drank another cup of wine, "Don't worry! I'll be fine. Thinking about how you sang for me, made me laugh, and felt sad for me. I already feel quite happy."

After a pause, he spoke slowly, "From childhood to now, everyone thinks I'm stupid, not studying hard, not making progress. But they don't know, I've tried my best, but no matter how hard I try, I can't be like Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, Fourteenth Brother. They remember everything after reading it once, but even after reading it three times, I still can't remember. When His Majesty says something, they quickly understand, but I have to rack my brains to understand what he means. With a quick temper, I often act rashly and cause trouble, and everyone openly or secretly mocks me, except Eighth Brother, who always protects me and reminds me."

He fell silent for a while before asking softly, "Ruoxi, do you think I'm stupid?" 

I chuckled and said, "Stupid? If you weren't stupid, would I be able to bully you all the time?" Pausing for a moment, I continued, "But I like playing with you precisely because you're stupid. Because I know that when you're happy, you're really happy, and when you're unhappy, you're really unhappy. When you say you like something, you really mean it, and when you say you hate something, you really mean it too. So, I can be happy and laugh in front of you, or be angry and show you. You know? I'm very happy when I'm with you, very happy." 

He looked at me the whole time I spoke, then turned his head after I finished, quiet for a moment, before softly saying with a thick nasal tone, "I'm happy too."

For a moment, both of us fell into silence, sitting quietly. Then we heard the voice of Fourteenth Prince outside, "It's time to go back!" I stood up, poured two cups of wine, took one for myself, and handed the other to the Prince. I raised my cup towards him, then drank it all in one go, placing the empty cup upside down on the table. He watched me finish my drink and did the same. I smiled, bowed slightly, and said, "Ruoxi takes her leave!" Then I straightened up and lifted the curtain, stepping out.

・・・

This is the first snow of the winter this year. The sky was perfectly normal the day before, but when I woke up the next day, I found myself in a world adorned in a powdery, crystalline beauty.

It's been over three years since I graduated from university and moved to work in Shenzhen, and I haven't seen snow since then. Today, unexpectedly, I was greeted by this glistening, jade-colored landscape, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of indescribable joy and excitement. I was eager to go out and walk in the snow. Despite Cant convince me to stay back, so she gave me a cloak and snow cap. I chose a big red feather cloak with a white fox fur collar and put on the matching snow cap. Then I hurriedly stepped into the snow. Qiaohui was calling after me: "Come back soon."

The snow continued to fall gently, not heavy, but enough to create a blurry scene between heaven and earth. It was hard to see clearly beyond ten paces. I didn't have any particular place in mind to go, so I walked casually. There was no one around, and I walked with each step sinking deep into the snow, feeling a sense of solitude, as if I was the only one between heaven and earth.

Walking along, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps in the snow, and someone caught up with me from behind, walking alongside me. When I glanced sideways, I saw that it was the Eighth Prince, dressed in a black sable fur cloak, wearing a broad-brimmed bamboo hat, which made his face appear even more refined and his spirit more elevated. I knew I should greet him, but for some reason, I didn't feel like acknowledging him. So, I turned my head away and continued walking on my own. He didn't speak either, just walking along with me in the snow.

The snow continued to fall, and the whole world became quiet, with only the sound of our footsteps crunching in the snow. I felt like in this vast white world, there was only him and me left. Although neither of us spoke, the sense of loneliness I had felt when walking alone gradually dissipated. I just felt calm and peaceful in my heart, feeling like we could just keep walking like this, forever.

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Suddenly, my foot stepped on a stone hidden beneath the snow, and I stumbled, almost falling. I sighed inwardly at my misfortune. But before I could fall, a hand steadied me. After I regained my balance, I didn't say anything, just took a step forward. He didn't speak either, but he held onto my hand and didn't let go. I tried to shake it off a few times, but when I couldn't, I just let him hold it.

He held my hand and we walked for a while. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings at all, just followed him. I had already lost my sense of direction, and with snow everywhere, I had no idea where we were. As we were walking, Eight Prince's personal eunuch, Li Fu, hurried over. By the time I noticed him, he was already close. I panicked and tried to pull my hand away, but he held it even tighter. I heard him instruct, "Have everyone in the study room leave!" Li Fu immediately bowed and hurriedly left. I tried a few more times to free my hand, but he still held it firmly. He continued to lead me forward. After a while, I realized we were nearing the study room.

There was only Li Fu guarding the courtyard gate. When he saw us approaching, he quickly bowed. Eight Prince paid no attention to him and led me straight into the study room.

After standing still, he let go of my hand, took off my snow hat, and reached to help me unfasten my cloak. I was startled and took two steps back, saying, "I can do it myself!" He smiled and ignored me, proceeding to unfasten my cloak and hang it up. The room was warm with a fire burning in the fireplace. After hanging up my cloak, not knowing what else to do, I just stood there.

He poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to me. I instinctively took it and held it in my hands, warming them. He sat down at the desk and started reading through a stack of documents. I stood there holding the tea, unsure of what to do. After a while, he looked up and smiled, "Do you enjoy standing?" Startled, I quickly found the chair farthest from him and sat down. He chuckled and shook his head, then went back to reading the documents, occasionally jotting something down with a pen.

We sat like that for a while. Li Fu quietly entered a couple of times to change the tea and add more charcoal to the fire. His movements were efficient and silent, and he quickly left each time.

At first, I didn't dare to look at him, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground in front of me. But as I noticed how engrossed he was in the documents, I slowly gained the courage to steal glances at him. He wore a light blue robe, with clear complexion, bright eyes, and a smile on his lips. Occasionally, he furrowed his brows while reading, but quickly relaxed them. His posture while writing was dignified. From my perspective, I couldn't help but admire his elegance, like a clear breeze through bamboo, or a lustrous pearl.

For such a graceful person, I couldn't fathom how Yongzheng could possibly, how he could bear to, bestow upon him the new name of "Aqina"? Perhaps this was Yongzheng's most intense expression of hatred, far stronger and more resolute than simply executing him!

As I watched him, my heart was filled with myriad emotions and countless sighs. I lost track of time, and soon my stomach began to growl with hunger. Looking around, I saw two plates of snacks on his desk. After hesitating for a moment, I decided to go and get some. I walked over and picked up a piece of snack, then started eating it. He looked up at me, lips curling into a smile. 

I said, "If I don't go back soon, my sister will be worried." He smiled faintly, then lowered his head in thought for a moment before looking up again. 

He rubbed his temple and called out, "Li Fu!"

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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