Chapter 27 Scarlet Heart

 FlamingoBees 

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Scarlet Heart 

 Chapter 27: 

 

It was indeed the vibrant April days on earth! Butterflies fluttered and swallows danced, flowers bloomed in profusion, the mountains and rivers seemed to smile, and life thrived with vitality!

At this time, Beijing was not yet troubled by sandstorms, and the sky was clear and blue, pure yet translucent, resembling a fresh watercolor painting. The wind meandered through the air, and one could occasionally hear its gentle laughter as it played with the new leaves in the forest. The freshly sprouted leaves shimmered with a bright green hue under the sunlight, a green so vivid it could brighten your eyes and seemingly light up your heart.

© 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.

This was the season for lilac flowers, with clusters of small, varying shades of purple flowers densely covering the branches, their fragrance detectable from afar. I was holding a bamboo basket, picking lilac flowers. When dried, they are excellent for flavoring dishes; used in baths, they soothe and moisturize the skin. However, lilac flowers are small and need to be picked at their peak; those not fully open or nearly wilting are unsuitable. After a whole morning, I had only filled half the basket, and my back was sore, and fine beads of sweat dotted my forehead.

As I was wiping the sweat with a handkerchief, the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince approached with smiles. I quickly bowed to greet them. They glanced at the lilac flowers in my basket, and the Tenth Prince said, "Do you really need to do this yourself? You could have a young eunuch pick them for you. Your face is all flushed." 

I smiled and replied, "If I let them do it, they wouldn't discern the quality of the flowers and would just fill the basket with anything. I can't trust them with this task." 

The Fourteenth Prince sighed with a smile, "You always have so many little whims!" I just smiled without saying anything.

© 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.

After a while, seeing they had no intention of leaving, I asked with a smile, "Are you both very free today? Or do you plan to watch me pick flowers?" 

The Tenth Prince said, "We came specifically to find you. Yu Tan mentioned you were picking lilac flowers, and we figured this was the only place with lilac flowers." 

The Fourteenth Prince looked at the lilac flowers behind me and said, "These lilac bushes were personally planted by Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang." 

I gasped and couldn't help but turn to look at the flowers. Dayu'er! That legendary woman from the grasslands! For a moment, I couldn't help but feel a poignant sense of loss, thinking, "The lilacs still smile in the spring breeze, but the person has long since gone with the wind."

I collected my thoughts and asked, "Specifically looking for me? For what reason?" 

The Fourteenth Prince turned to the Tenth Prince and said, "See? I told you! She forgot again!" 

The Tenth Prince nodded, "She remembers everyone else's birthdays perfectly but always forgets her own."

Upon hearing this, I suddenly remembered that my birthday was in three days. It was going to be Maertai Ruoxi's eighteenth birthday and Zhang Xiaowen's thirtieth. What a coincidence that Ruoxi and Xiaowen share the same birthday. Perhaps this coincidence is one of the reasons I ended up here.

For a moment, I felt an unexpected sense of age and couldn't help but say, "What girl likes to remember her own birthday? It's just a yearly reminder that we're getting older." 

The Fourteenth Prince, smiling at the Tenth Prince, said, "Listen to her! Now it's our fault!" 

The Tenth Prince also laughed and asked, "Never mind about getting old. Do you have anything special in mind?" 

I replied, "Just get me some small things like every year. That will be fine." 

The Tenth Prince said, "Isn't it boring to get the same thing every year? We should give you something special." 

I casually said, "The things I really want, I can't have. Just get me some interesting and novel things from outside the palace."

As soon as I finished speaking, the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince exchanged glances. The Fourteenth Prince looked at me intently and said seriously, "Tell us what it is. We'll see if we can make it happen." The Tenth Prince also looked at me eagerly.

I tilted my head and thought for a moment. Ever since entering the palace, although I could see my Jie Jie during festivals, it was only to pay respects and exchange pleasantries. We never had a chance to speak privately. If my Jie Jie could spend my birthday with me, that would be the best gift. But the palace rules are strict, and it’s not easy for us sisters to have a casual conversation. Compared to those who find it nearly impossible to even meet, I’m already very fortunate. Besides, the storm surrounding the Crown Prince has only recently passed. The Eighth Prince rarely comes to the palace these days, and I haven't seen him at all. There's no need for me to cause more gossip for him because of my personal wishes.

When I turned back, I smiled and said, "It's just a birthday. You can just choose something fun for me." The Tenth and Fourteenth Princes fell silent. 

© 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.

The Fourteenth Prince looked at me and said, "You've been in the palace too long. You've learned to speak with only half your meaning, unlike the straightforwardness you had before!"

I thought to myself, what kind of place is this palace? Even the most straightforward person has to become cautious here. I didn't want to explain further, so I looked at the Fourteenth Prince seriously and said, "What's so important about a birthday? The most important thing is that you all are well. That we all are well." 

The Fourteenth Prince listened, his face calm, silently watching me. The Tenth Prince, too, seemed to recall the recent turmoil, his expression suddenly becoming serious, standing quietly by.

Since that incident, although I had seen the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince twice, we all pretended as if nothing had happened, greeting each other as usual, never mentioning the incident. Today, my anxious words made both of them quiet down.

I quickly pushed away the sadness in my heart and smiled, saying, "If you don't leave, I won't pay attention to you. I still need to pick flowers. While I have some free time these days, I need to hurry and pick some. Otherwise, I'll have to wait until next year." The Tenth Prince quickly smiled and said, "We're leaving! We won't delay you any longer."

The Fourteenth Prince, however, seemed startled, looking at me for a long time without speaking. The Tenth Prince and I exchanged puzzled glances. The Tenth Prince patted his shoulder and asked, "What are you thinking about?" 

The Fourteenth Prince finally smiled and said, "Nothing! Just remembered a poem." The Tenth Prince teased, "You bookworms, always afraid others won't know you've read books. What were you thinking of?" 

The Fourteenth Prince smiled at me and slowly recited, 

"Persuade you not to cherish the gold-threaded robe, 

but cherish the youthful time; 

Flowers bloom and should be picked, 

don't wait until there are no flowers, 

only to break branches."

After quietly listening to the Fourteenth Prince's poem, I smiled slightly but didn't reply. The Tenth Prince seemed to be in a daze, looking at me for a while before letting out a gentle sigh. I bowed to them both and then turned back to picking flowers, ignoring them.

Once they left, the smile on my face gradually faded, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. In both ancient times and the modern era, I was already past the typical age for marriage! As I carefully picked the flowers, I found myself questioning the heavens. I didn't want to be a legend; I just wanted to be an ordinary woman. Despite having been hurt and hiding my heart deep within, I still yearned for someone who would use his true feelings to uncover the core of my heart, hidden beneath the many layers of petals. But where was that worthy person whom I could entrust my heart to?

© 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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