Chapter 28 Scarlet Heart

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Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Scarlet Heart

Chapter 28:

(Qing Dynasty) Masterpiece, Best Quality, flat, Manga Scan, Anime, cinematic lighting, drawn Art, by Studio Trigger, cli...

A eunuch passed by me and, upon suddenly seeing me, was startled and hurriedly bowed to pay his respects. I quickly stood up and motioned for him to rise, composing myself before heading back.

As I walked towards my residence, I noticed a figure ahead that looked like the Fourteenth Prince. I hastened my steps to get a better look and indeed, it was him. I called out to him.

He turned around, saw it was me, and stopped to wait for me to catch up, smiling as he said, "Birthday girl, where are you coming from?"

I smiled and, without bowing, simply asked, "And where are you headed?"

© 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 smiled and replied, "After morning court, I went to pay my respects to Mother. I was just on my way to see you!"

I softly responded with an "Oh."

As we walked together, I casually asked, "Why didn't you stay with your Mother a bit longer?"

He was silent for a while, which puzzled me. Was this question difficult to answer? After a moment, he finally said, "I won’t hide it from you. I saw Fourth Brother and Thirteenth Brother there, so I didn’t stay long."

As I pondered silently, we walked together until we reached the courtyard. I said, "Wait here! I'll bring out a small table and brew some good tea for you today!" After saying that, I went inside. He followed, offering to help me move the table, but I quickly pushed him back out, saying, "You hurry outside! It's fine if someone sees you drinking tea here, but if they see you moving a table for me, that would be quite something!" He chuckled and stepped back outside.

I set the table under the osmanthus tree, arranged two low chairs, and placed a small wind stove nearby with a set of purple clay tea utensils on the table. I glanced at the open courtyard gate and decided it was best to leave it open. While I fanned the fire, the Fourteenth Prince played with the tea set on the table. He remarked, "This tea set seems to be the one you asked me to find for you a couple of years ago. I specially had it brought from southern Fujian. I remember thinking how different southern things are from ours—the tea cups are so small, just enough for a single sip. The teapot is only about the size of the three-piece bowls commonly used in the palace."

I laughed and said, "Yes, people in Fujian and Guangdong love drinking 'kung fu tea[1].' The essence lies in taking small sips and savoring it slowly, hence the name 'kung fu tea.'"

As the water started to boil, I quickly took the kettle, rinsed the teapot, added tea leaves, and poured in water until it overflowed. The first brew was used to rinse the cups, and the second brew was for drinking. I performed the 'Guan Yu patrolling the city' and 'Han Xin counting his soldiers' techniques while pouring. After everything was ready, I gestured for him to take a cup. He smiled, picked one up, took a small sip, and savored it quietly for a moment before finishing it in one gulp, saying, "It's quite bitter!"

I picked up a cup, finished it in one gulp as well, and explained, "This is 'Da Hong Pao.' You usually drink green tea, which has a lighter taste." He smiled again and picked up another cup to drink.

I looked at him and asked, "Are you upset with the Fourth Prince because of what happened last time?"

Fourteenth Prince gazed at the cup he was holding and replied, "Not upset, just disappointed." I took a sip of my tea as he continued, "When Father was about to execute me with his sword, the first one to rush up and hold Father tightly was Fifth Brother." He let out a cold "hmph" and said, "Although Fifth Brother is Ninth Brother's full brother, he usually doesn't interact with us much. But even so, he cried and begged Father to spare me." He paused, then drained his cup and took a deep breath before saying, "Fourth Brother is my biological brother. Though I've been close to Eighth Brother since childhood and not very close to him, he... he..." He abruptly stopped, unwilling to continue. After a long silence, he added, "Back then, Eighth Brother and he were both granted the title of Bel, but now Eighth Brother is already a Prince! No one can match him in pursuing benefits and avoiding risks!"

After a moment of silence, I said, "But I heard that Fourth Prince also knelt and pleaded for you."

Fourteenth Prince shook his head, "Who didn't kneel later?"

I truly didn't know what to say. The rift between them started long ago due to their incompatible personalities—one being lively and playful, the other gloomy and unpredictable. Moreover, the two brothers didn't grow up together. Fourth Prince was raised by Empress Xiaochengren, while Consort De naturally favored her own son, Fourteenth Prince. From the 42nd year of Kangxi's reign until now, the secret struggle for the position of Crown Prince has been ongoing. Fourth Prince has always sided with the Crown Prince, while Fourteenth Prince has followed Eighth Prince, plotting to depose the Crown Prince. The two brothers have only drifted further apart. Thinking about their future, when they would directly compete for the throne, I couldn't help but sigh softly.

I brewed another pot of tea and raised my cup with a smile. "Today I saw Jie Jie and we had a long chat. Thank you! Let's toast with tea instead of wine."

He smiled and said, "I should be the one toasting you, the birthday girl." Nonetheless, he drank a cup. After finishing, he said seriously, "The person you should really thank isn't me." I looked down at my teacup in silence.

Fourteenth Prince observed me for a while, and seeing I wasn't going to say anything, sighed softly. "Ruoxi, what exactly are you thinking? Hasn't Eighth Brother done enough for you over the years? The Aisin Gioro family often produces passionate men, and now Eighth Brother is like that too!" I was shocked, thinking to myself that it's a pity he isn't one of those passionate men. He isn't Dorgon or Shunzhi, who could give up the throne for a beauty. Could Eighth Prince do that?

He continued, "Before you entered the palace, Eighth Brother asked me to plead with our mother to keep you off the selection list and to have you serve in our mother's palace. Eighth Brother's mother, Consort Liang, couldn't openly intervene due to her status, but she must have helped in secret." He snorted lightly and added, "Though I don't want to take too much credit for this; Fourth Brother also asked our mother on Thirteenth Brother's behalf. Seeing that we rarely agreed on something, our mother readily consented."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but ask, "Then why did Consort Hui want me later?"

Fourteenth Prince replied, "I thought you would never ask about these things in your life." I gave a slight smile and remained silent.

He explained, "Tenth's wife's elder brother is Eldest Brother's study companion. As for Consort Hui wanting you, I suspect it was Eighth Sister-in-law and Tenth Sister-in-law's idea. They didn't want you to be chosen by the Emperor. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise; with Consort Hui's involvement, it saved our mother a lot of trouble. We just didn't expect that you would end up serving Imperial Father directly." Now I understood.

Fourteenth Prince chuckled as he saw my expression of sudden realization, and he began, "You don't know, but when we first heard that you were serving the Emperor, Eighth Brother was both anxious and angry. It wasn't until later, seeing that the Emperor had no interest in you and observing your cautious behavior, that he calmed down."

I listened silently, only to ask after a while, "Did Consort Hui's lack of troublemaking towards me later also have to do with Eighth Brother?"

Fourteenth nodded and said, "Eighth Brother was once raised by Consort Hui for a period of time, so pleading with her wasn't so difficult. Besides..." He paused, furrowing his brows, and didn't continue. I understood that because Eldest Brother later supported Eighth Brother's bid for the crown prince position, there would naturally be no more trouble. Then I thought of Eldest Brother's current situation and his previous words to the Emperor about assisting Eighth Brother wholeheartedly. I couldn't help but feel distressed.

We sat in silence for a while. Fourteenth poured another cup of tea, but I said hurriedly, "This one has cooled down. Let's brew another pot." As I spoke, I brewed another pot of tea.

Fourteenth watched my movements and asked, "Ruoxi, do you really have feelings for Eighth Brother?"

I poured the tea quietly, finishing a cup slowly. It was the fourth infusion, so the flavor had become light, but there was still a bitter taste in my mouth. After a while, I wanted to say "no" firmly, but somehow it came out as, "I don't know."

Hearing my words, the Fourteenth Prince suddenly stood up, staring at me with anger on his face. "You still don't know?" he exclaimed. "All these years, Eighth Brother has been constantly worried about you, secretly taking care of so many things for you in the palace. Do you really think life here would have been so smooth otherwise? I won't bother you with the details, but think about it. Eighth Brother has only had his main consort, who he married years ago, and your sister, his secondary consort, along with two concubines who have served him since childhood. Which other prince in the Forbidden City can say the same? I already have four consorts and a concubine. Thirteenth Brother has three consorts. Tenth Brother also took in two concubines a few years ago. Do you know? The princes in the Forbidden City privately say, 'Eighth Prince is afraid of his fierce wife and doesn't dare to marry again!'"

As he spoke, he became increasingly agitated. He finally took a deep breath, his anger evident, and shouted, "Maertai Ruoxi, what exactly do you want?"

I was sitting facing the courtyard gate, listening to the Fourteenth Prince's words with a sense of sorrow. What do I want? Even if I told you, would you understand? Could he give it to me? Suddenly, I noticed not far away, Fourth Prince and Thirteenth Prince were walking towards us. I wanted to signal the Fourteenth Prince to stop talking, but his loud question, "Maertai Ruoxi, what exactly do you want?" had already been heard by both Fourth and Thirteenth Princes, and they paused in their steps.

I quickly stood up and said to the Fourteenth Prince, "Fourth Prince and Thirteenth Prince are here!" He glanced back at the two approaching figures and coldly remarked to me, "No wonder you don't know!" Then, without looking at me again, he turned and walked away, passing Fourth and Thirteenth Princes without acknowledging them. They exchanged a glance and stopped. Thirteenth Prince called out, "Fourteenth Brother," but the Fourteenth Prince pretended not to hear and hurried away. The two of them turned back to look at me.

I took a few steps forward, intending to call out to the Fourteenth Prince, but seeing Fourth and Thirteenth Princes already at the courtyard gate, I swallowed the words "Fourteenth Prince." Instead, I stood still and bowed to greet them.

Thirteenth Prince, with a calm expression, glanced at the tea set in the courtyard, then at me, and walked over to sit on a low stool. He casually placed the wooden box he was holding on the table and said, "We came to ask the birthday girl for a cup of tea as well."

I had no choice but to give a wry smile and invited the Fourth Prince to sit on the other low stool. I squatted to pour out the remaining tea in the pot, rinsed the cups with hot water, refilled the teapot with fresh leaves, and brewed a new pot of tea. After pouring the tea, I stood up and said, "Please, Fourth Prince, Thirteenth Prince, have some tea."

Thirteenth Prince did not take the cup immediately. Instead, he looked at me with a smile and said, "Find a chair and sit down." Hearing this, I respectfully replied, "I dare not, Your Highness."

Thirteenth Prince stood up abruptly and, before he could speak, Fourth Prince also stood and said, "She is too restrained with me here; I will leave first."

He then turned to leave. Thirteenth Prince grabbed him and, still looking at me with a lazy smile, said, "Today, I insist that you sit." He then strode into the room and came back with a stool.

Not wanting to offend Thirteenth Prince, who had come specifically to wish me a happy birthday, I could not let him leave in a huff. I bowed slightly to Fourth Prince and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the seat," and then I sat down.

Only then did Thirteenth Prince take a cup of tea, sip it slowly, and, with his eyes half-closed, said, "The 'Da Hong Pao' from the cliff of Jiulongke in Wuyi Mountain has been a tribute tea for generations. Its production is extremely limited, with the highest yield being only seven or eight taels." He opened his eyes and looked at me, sighing, "No wonder Fourteenth Brother was drinking tea here. It truly is good tea! The Emperor treats you very well indeed, gifting you with such a rare tea."

Then he examined the tea set closely and added, "You really put in a lot of effort, even gathering the tea set used by people from Fujian and Guangdong. But to truly appreciate 'Da Hong Pao,' you must use the 'kung fu tea' method with small pots and cups, savoring it slowly to taste the true flavor of this top-grade rock tea." Seeing that he recognized the quality, I gave him a knowing smile.

After finishing a small cup of tea, the Thirteenth Prince put down the teacup and, imitating someone, said, "Maertai Ruoxi, what do you really want?"

When the Fourteenth Prince had asked this question, he did so angrily, but the Thirteenth Prince's tone was soft and humorous, making it quite funny. Despite the bitterness in my heart, I couldn't help but smile and said, "I want a birthday gift!" With that, I extended my hand towards him, eyeing the wooden box on the table. "You've had my tea; where's my gift?"

The Thirteenth Prince laughed and lightly slapped my hand. "None!" he declared.

I retracted my hand, gave him a playful glare, and said, "None!? And you dare come for tea?" He just laughed and didn't respond.

After a brief silence, I looked at him and said, "Thank you."

He was taken aback and asked with a smile, "There are many things you could thank me for. Which one is it today?"

I smiled and said, "For speaking on my behalf to Consort De."

He glanced at the Fourth Prince and said, "You should thank Fourth Brother; he was the one who spoke up."

I stood and bowed to the Fourth Prince, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness." He remained expressionless and told me to rise. The Thirteenth Prince seemed surprised by my formal gesture.

After sitting back down, I continued looking at the Thirteenth Prince and said, "Your Highness spoke up because of you, so I still have to thank you."

I lifted my teacup towards him, and he smiled, raising his own cup to drink. After finishing his tea, he looked at me with a slight smile and said, "I had no choice but to speak for you. You said something like 'I would rather be a shattered jade than an intact tile.' I couldn't just stand by and watch."

I thought for a moment and remembered that when I first entered the palace and was being selected, the Thirteenth Prince had come to see me and asked what I would do if the Emperor favored me. I had indeed said, "I would rather be a shattered jade than an intact tile." Remembering this, my heart warmed. I looked at the Thirteenth Prince with a gentle smile, and he smiled back. We both raised our cups and clinked them together, drinking in unison. I thought to myself, even though it's not out of personal affection, he still treated me this way. The Thirteenth Prince was just a young boy back then, with no real power, yet he went out of his way to seek help from the only person he could trust, all for my sake. One true friend is enough.

The Fourth Prince saw the Thirteenth Prince and me smiling at each other and drinking another cup of tea together. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he glanced at the Thirteenth Prince and then at me.

I was about to brew another pot of tea when I saw Yu Tan walking towards us. As she approached the courtyard gate and realized who was sitting inside, she looked startled and stopped in her tracks. I put the water kettle back on the stove and stood up, looking at her. She quickly walked a few more steps, bowed to the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince, and the Fourth Prince said lightly, "You may rise." For a moment, no one spoke.

Seeing how uneasy Yu Tan was, I smiled and said, "You should go inside and rest." She quickly curtsied again and hurried into her room. The Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince stood up. The Thirteenth Prince smiled and said, "We've had our tea. We should be going now." With that, he picked up the wooden box from the small table and handed it to me.

I reached out to take it, smiling and saying, "Thank you."

The Thirteenth Prince chuckled, glanced at the Fourth Prince, and said, "This is something Fourth Brother had Li Wei bring back from the Northwest. I thought there was nothing better, so I didn't get anything else. Let's consider this as from both of us." I glanced at the Fourth Prince, wanting to say thank you, but when I opened my mouth, no sound came out, and I lowered my head.

The Fourth Prince gave me a look, then stepped out of the courtyard. The Thirteenth Prince laughed softly twice and quickly followed him. I stood in the courtyard for a moment, holding the wooden box. The box was quite ordinary, made of plain peach wood, without any carvings or inlays. I examined it briefly, then opened it casually. Inside were three glass bottles of different colors. While such items were common in modern times, their exquisite craftsmanship made them extraordinary in this era.

I couldn't help but become intrigued. I walked to the table, sat down, and first pulled out the wooden stopper of a milky white bottle. When I brought it to my nose and sniffed, I was shocked to discover it was "Yilimu" tree resin. Controlling my astonishment, I quickly opened another bottle, this one a deep red color, and indeed, it was "Hainaguli" juice. Eagerly, I put it down and opened the final black bottle. In my heart, I had already guessed that it was "Osman" juice, but I couldn't resist smelling it to confirm. Sure enough, I was right!

My emotions were overwhelmed by the joy and sadness of seeing these items again after so many years. How many years had it been since I last saw these things? Thirteen years! These were the memories of my childhood. In the Uyghur tradition, from birth, mothers use "Osman" juice to draw their daughters' eyebrows, giving them those crescent-shaped black brows. "Hainaguli" is a favorite among little girls, who wrap it on their nails and after a few days, reveal beautiful red nails. "Yilimu" resin is essential for braiding our hair. In those days, styling gels were scarce, and we relied on "Yilimu" resin to keep our braids neat and beautiful even after vigorous spinning and jumping.

As I looked at the small bottles on the table, my emotions surged, filled with both joy and sorrow. I suddenly realized that these were gifts from the Fourth Prince, which made my feelings even more complicated. He had been so thoughtful, considering that Maertai Ruoxi grew up on the northwest frontier, and thus sent these items. Little did he know how perfectly they matched my heart's desires. The items were not particularly valuable, but the effort to bring them from such a distance must have taken considerable thought and care.

•••

[1] Kung fu tea, also known as Gongfu tea (工夫茶): is a traditional Chinese tea preparation method that emphasizes skill and precision. The term "kung fu" (or "gongfu") translates to "skill" or "effort," reflecting the meticulous and deliberate process of brewing the tea. Here's a brief overview of what makes kung fu tea special:

1. Tea Utensils: Kung fu tea is typically prepared using a small teapot or a gaiwan (a lidded bowl), small tea cups, a tea tray to catch spills, a tea pitcher (also called a fairness cup), a tea strainer, and other optional tools like tea tongs or tea pets.

2. Tea Selection: While various types of tea can be used, oolong tea, particularly varieties like Da Hong Pao, Tie Guan Yin, and others from Fujian and Guangdong provinces, are popular choices. These teas are known for their complex flavors and aromas, which are brought out through the gongfu brewing method.

3. Preparation Steps:

- Warming the Utensils: The teapot or gaiwan and the tea cups are first warmed by pouring hot water into them. This step helps to ensure the tea brews at the correct temperature and enhances the tea's aroma.

- Washing the Tea Leaves: The first infusion of tea is usually a quick rinse that helps to "wake up" the tea leaves and remove any dust or impurities. This infusion is typically discarded.

- Multiple Infusions: The tea is brewed in short, successive infusions, each lasting only a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the tea and personal preference. The same tea leaves can be infused multiple times, with each infusion bringing out different nuances in flavor.

4. Pouring Techniques:

- Guan Yu Patrolling the City (关公巡城): This refers to the way the tea is poured around the rims of the cups to ensure an even distribution of flavor.

- Han Xin Counting His Soldiers (韩信点兵): This technique involves pouring the tea into the cups in a circular pattern, ensuring each cup receives an equal amount of tea.

5. Tasting: The small cups encourage sipping and savoring the tea, allowing the drinker to appreciate the full spectrum of flavors and aromas. The process is as much about the experience and the ritual as it is about drinking the tea.

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Chapter 28 Scarlet Heart

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