Chapter 7 Scarlet Heart

FlamingoBees

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

Scarlet Heart

Chapter 7:

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

After sitting for a while, I figured if I didn't return soon, Qiaohui would surely be worried. So, I got up and started walking back. Despite the lively scenes ahead, my heart felt desolate. It was as if there was a grander stage, and I was merely a spectator. What unfolded before me was a tragedy. If I could remain indifferent, I could simply watch and move on. But now, I found myself deeply engrossed in the drama, empathizing with the characters, yet powerless to change their fate.

As I walked with my head lowered, suddenly a voice snapped, "Do you have eyes? Watch where you're going." Startled, I stopped and looked up. It was Mingyu, from the Guo Luo family, standing about ten steps ahead of me, with a little maid trailing behind her. I wasn't in the mood to engage with her, so I tried to walk past quickly. She took a few steps forward, blocking my path, and sneered, "Such a wild person, no manners at all." I sidestepped, attempting to go around her, but she followed suit, still blocking me. Irritated, I stared at her, trying to figure out what she wanted.

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With a smug smile, she said, "I heard your brain got damaged."

I replied with a smile, "Some people don't need to fall to have a broken brain."

Her smile faded, and she retorted, "A savage without a mother's upbringing!"

I maintained my gaze and replied, "Some people have mothers, but they're still worse than wild."

She grew impatient, and the more agitated she became, the funnier it seemed to me. She suddenly blurted out, "Just like your sister, both of you are ignorant bitches!"

Being called names didn't bother me much; it was just basic vocabulary from my insult dictionary. But insulting my sister was unacceptable. Since the moment I opened my eyes in this world, my sister had cared for me with love and affection, nurturing me. She was the person I cared about the most in this world, my only family! I stared coldly at Mingyu and asked, "Where did you hear that from?"

She looked smug, "Where I heard it from doesn't matter, it's just bitch—" she deliberately elongated the word.

Without a second thought, I slapped her across the face. The little maid rushed forward to support her, calling, "Miss!" She looked at me, incredulous.

I continued to glare at her, asking coldly, "Where did you hear it from?" Suddenly, she pushed the maid aside and rushed at me, intending to slap me back. But I was mentally 25 years old while physically only 13. So, what followed could be described as "too gruesome to bear witness to."

Have you ever seen girls fighting? It's like scratching, pinching, clawing, pulling, twisting, and sometimes even biting, not to mention pulling each other's hair. Because we were both wearing flowerpot bottoms on our feet, when we fell to the ground and started wrestling, we even resorted to biting. All we could hear was the little maid beside us crying out, "Miss, miss!" She tried to separate us, but two women wrestling on the ground, she had no idea how to intervene. In the end, all she could do was shout, "Someone, come quick! Someone, come quick!" Eunuchs, servants, and maids rushed over upon hearing the commotion, shouting, "Stop it, stop it!" But the two delicate mistresses on the ground were too engrossed in their fight to listen. They didn't want to use too much force for fear of causing serious injury to either of them, which would be hard to explain.

The fight was happening not far from the banquet hall, and eventually it alarmed the princes, princesses, and concubines. The younger princes arrived quickly, followed by the elder ones and the crown prince, who were more composed and walked more slowly.

Before the princes arrived, their voices preceded them, shouting, "What are you doing? Stop it right now!" But who would listen to them? We kept on fighting! In the end, Thirteen and Fourteen rushed over to intervene.

Suddenly, there was a splash, and everyone cried out in alarm. It turned out that the place where we were fighting was by the lake, and in the heat of the moment, we tumbled together and fell into the water.

When I first fell into the lake, I felt a bit relieved, thinking that I had passed the 200-meter breaststroke swim test in college. But soon I realized I was wrong. My feet were caught, stuck in my shoes, I was dressed in beautiful palace attire, and my head was weighed down by heavy ornaments. On top of that, someone was pulling on my clothes, making it impossible for me to swim. I had no choice but to hold my breath and wait for someone to rescue me, thinking it would happen quickly.

However, time seemed to pass slowly, and I felt increasingly suffocated and anxious. Just when I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, I felt someone close behind me. A hand reached around me, passing under my armpits to embrace me, and the hand that had been pulling on my clothes was released. Slowly, we floated to the surface of the water. As soon as I emerged, I began gasping for air. After getting onto the shore, I realized that it was Thirteenth Prince who was holding me.

Fourteenth Prince was carrying Mingyu Gege ashore; she seemed to have choked on water, her eyes tightly closed and her body motionless. Although I was in better shape than her, I was also physically weak. I collapsed on the ground, leaning against Thirteenth's chest, struggling to catch my breath.

Tenth Prince rushed over, pulling me up and asking, "Are you alright?" I weakly shook my head. Meanwhile, there was chaos on Mingyu Gege's side, with everyone desperately pressing on her abdomen. I wondered if I should go over to give her artificial respiration if necessary. Just as I was thinking about it, I saw her spit out a few mouthfuls of water and slowly open her eyes.

At this moment, my Jie Jie had just arrived. Seeing me sitting on the ground, she rushed over, visibly shaken. I reassured her, saying, "I'm fine, really!" After she made sure I was unharmed, she stood up and hurried to check on Mingyug Gege.

Qiuheng and Dongyun also approached, taking me from the embrace of the thirteenth prince, helping me to stand, and then wrapping me in a cloak. Eighth Prince wore a stern expression, showing no trace of a smile, while the little maid next to Mingyug Gege was bowing her head and answering questions.

Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince stood silently to the side. Over where Mingyug Gege was, she had regained her strength and forcefully pushed away Jie Jie, sitting on the ground wailing loudly. Jie Jie stumbled and sat down as well. Seeing this, I struggled free from Qiuheng and rushed over.

Mingyug Gege shouted angrily, "What are you trying to do?"

I halted abruptly at her command. Jie Jie demanded loudly, "What's going on?" I stood there wrapped in my cloak, casting a disdainful glance at Mingyu Gege on the ground, and "hmphed" without saying a word.

Jie Jie then turned to Mingyu Gege and said gently, "Stop crying, be careful not to hurt yourself. If Ruoxi bullied you, tell me, I'll take care of it for you." She took out a handkerchief intending to wipe away her tears. Mingyug Gege forcefully pushed Jie Jie's hand away and, with tears in her eyes, shouted, "You all bullied me, you all are..."

I sternly shouted, "Say one more word!" She glared at me fiercely, and I stared back at her with equal intensity. Compared to me, she ultimately swallowed her words back, and then tried to cry again. I took two steps forward and shouted, "No more crying!" She sat on the ground, looking up at me with her mouth open, clearly taken aback by my unyielding demeanor.

However, stupidity wasn't limited to just her. Jie Jie, Ten, Thirteen, Fourteen, they all seemed shocked. Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, and the Crown Prince, they all watched quietly, the scene was as silent as a graveyard.

Finally, the Crown Prince chuckled and said, "I didn't expect Thirteenth Brother to have a little sister here!" It was only then that everyone reacted, but Mingyu continued to cry. Jie Jie looked at me with resentment and gestured for Qiaohui and Dongyun to help me back. She busied herself with taking care of Ming Yu.

・・・

Since the day I fell into the water, it's been five days. But no matter if I act humble, gentle, or pretend to be crazy, Jie Jie still won't talk to me. The maids in the house also come and go quietly, treating me as if I'm invisible. I thought that even if I confined myself to the room, it wouldn't bring forgiveness, so I decided to go out.

As I wandered around, I noticed that the eunuchs, servants, and maids I encountered along the way all looked at me differently, with a bit more respect and caution than usual. I didn't pay much attention to it. I continued to wander around the garden.

From afar, I spotted the figures of Tenth and Fourteenth Prince, so I hurried over to them.

When they turned around and saw me, they were both surprised, just staring at me. I tilted my head and looked back at them casually. Finally, Fourteenth Prince chuckled and said, "What's with your appearance?" I smirked and replied, "Just a broken jar." Tenth Prince grinned mischievously and said, "I thought you were pretty fierce towards me, but now it seems like you were actually quite nice to me before!"

Fourteenth Prince shook his head and sighed, "At first sight, I thought you were a delicate and beautiful lady!"

I asked, "And now?"

He suppressed his smile and asked back, "Do you know that you've 'made a name for yourself'?"

I thought to myself that at that time, the most prestigious young lords and ladies in the capital were probably all present, and someone would surely spread the news of my deeds. I tightened my lips and said, "I can guess."

He laughed and said, "These past few days, all the young gentlemen in the Forbidden City have been joking about 'Fearless Thirteenth Sister'!"

I exclaimed, and he continued, "Even His Majesty jokingly asked Thirteenth Brother, 'When did you get yourself a sister?'" I couldn't believe it, covering my mouth and staring at Fourteenth Prince. I thought, my goodness! Even Kangxi knows about me. Fourteenth Prince, seeing my reaction, laughed even more happily.

Just as we were joking around, a young eunuch hurried over, wiped the sweat from his forehead, bowed to me, and then bowed deeply, saying, "I've been circling around the garden several times but couldn't find you! His Highness said he wants to see you and is waiting for you in the study!" I thought to myself that the verdict was finally about to be announced. I felt nervous, not because I was afraid of what he would do to me, but because I was afraid it would affect Jie Jie.

Tenth Prince noticed my worried expression and said bluntly, "Now you're afraid?"

Fourteenth Prince, on the other hand, stopped laughing and said softly, "Don't be afraid! I'll help plead for you." I looked at him in surprise, and he smiled slightly.

I whispered, "Thank you then!"

As we entered, Eighth Prince was sitting at the table writing. He nodded to Tenth and Fourteenth Princes, didn't even glance at me, and continued to lower his head and write. Tenth and Fourteenth Princes found chairs and sat down. I stood motionless in the middle, head down, thinking to myself, another person treating me like an 'invisible person.'

After a while, Tenth and Fourteenth Princes had finished their tea. Eighth Prince finally put down his pen, sealed the document he had written, and said to the eunuch next to him, "Deliver this directly to the Ministry of Personnel." The eunuch took the item and left. Eighth Prince took a sip of tea and asked Tenth and Fourteenth, "What do you think of the impeachment of Chang Shou, who pacified the Guangdong pirates, Ah Bao Wei, this morning?" Tenth Prince exclaimed, "What is there to think? How can we be soft on these rampant pirates? Without making an example of one to warn a hundred, the rest will become even more rampant!"

Eighth Prince ignored him and just looked at Fourteenth Prince. After thinking for a moment, Fourteenth said, "Although His Majesty hasn't spoken, I believe he has already made up his mind. He probably approves of what Chang Shou did. These 237 pirates are all brave and skilled fighters, and they are very familiar with the surrounding seas. Recruiting them as soldiers not only strengthens our naval strength and makes other pirates fear us, but also enhances the dignity of our Qing Dynasty. His Majesty knows that anyone capable and willing to serve the country will be given an opportunity." Eighth Prince nodded in agreement after listening. I didn't pay attention to the rest of their conversation, just thinking to myself, politics, strategy! And then I stood and stood and stood...

The night had fallen completely, and a eunuch came in to inquire about dinner preparations. Eighth Prince chuckled and said, "We were so engrossed in conversation that we forgot about the time! It's so late already, it would be troublesome for you to go back now. If there's no urgent matter, let's have dinner here!" Tenth and Fourteenth Princes both agreed with a smile. The eunuch acknowledged the order and left the room.

Eighth Prince looked at me, lightly tapping the table with his fingers, still wearing a smile on his face. The room was quiet, with only the sound of faint tapping on the table. I remained standing with my head bowed, thanks to the strict military training from years ago, I stood like this for more than two hours. Eighth Prince turned to Tenth and Fourteenth Princes and said with a smile, "You two can go ahead! I'll join you shortly."

After the two princes stood up, Fourteenth Prince left directly, while Tenth Prince hesitated and said, "Shall we leave together?"

Eighth Prince smiled and looked deeply at him, saying, "Why not go now?" Tenth Prince glanced at me and eventually left.

Eighth Prince dismissed the eunuchs in the room and then walked over to stand in front of me. I felt an invisible pressure that made me feel like I was about to lose my balance. I lowered my head and looked at his shoes, my heart pounding rapidly, my mind racing, yet not knowing what I was thinking about. After a while, he whispered, "Raise your head!" Despite my reluctance, I obediently lifted my head slowly. My gaze traveled from my neck to my chin, then to my mouth, nose, until finally meeting his eyes. His eyes were like a deep lake, seemingly clear but unable to see the bottom. I wanted to look away, but for some reason, I didn't move, I just kept looking.

His expression was calm, with a hint of curiosity as he stared at me, as if searching for something on my face. I couldn't tell how long it had been, maybe a second, maybe an hour. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, then slowly spread across his face, until finally his eyes were filled with laughter. I felt like I couldn't stand anymore and instinctively took two steps back, clutching my chest. He burst into laughter. I thought to myself, his laughter sounded so pleasant! Like faint electric waves passing through my heart, making it tingle and awaken.

Mockingly, he asked, "Where did your boldness from that night go?" My head was spinning a bit, unsure of what to say, so I just stood there foolishly. He chuckled a few more times, then walked towards the door. When he reached the doorway, he turned back and teased, "Do you still want to keep standing?" Upon hearing that, I quickly turned around and followed him out. He instructed the eunuch to escort me back to my sister's quarters before turning and walking away.

After standing for so long, my legs were stiff as I shuffled forward, with a eunuch leading the way carrying a lantern. While walking, I pondered over what the Eighth Prince meant by all this. Was this the end of it? As I walked, a eunuch ahead suddenly bowed and greeted: "May Tenth Prince and Fourteenth Prince have good fortune!" I realized Tenth Prince and Fourteenth Prince were standing by the roadside.

Seeing the sadness in my face, Tenth Prince anxiously asked, "What happened?" I bit my lip, wanting to speak but hesitated, several times, before finally lowering my head and saying nothing. Tenth Prince grabbed my hand and urged, "Let's go, let's find the Eighth Prince!" I pulled my hand away, glanced at him softly, then stared blankly ahead, my face filled with infinite sorrow, and slowly shook my head.

"Haha..." Fourteenth Prince bent over, clutching his stomach, and laughed heartily, exclaiming, "Oh my!" Tenth Prince was bewildered by his sudden burst of laughter, looking at him with anger.

"Haha!" I also laughed.

Tenth Prince glanced at me and then at Fourth Prince, suddenly turning around and walking away, angrily saying, "I've wasted my concern!" Fourteenth Prince and I hurried to stop him.

Suppressing my laughter, I softly said, "I won't dare again next time, forgive me for this time!" Fourteenth Prince also repeatedly bowed. Finally, Tenth Prince's expression softened.

I turned to look at the Fourteenth Prince and asked, "Who said they wanted to intercede for me?"

The Fourteenth Prince chuckled and said, "The Eighth Prince is known for his gentle demeanor, always polite and refined in his interactions. If he had treated you normally when you entered, I would have had to think about how to intercede on your behalf." He paused for a moment before continuing, "But later, as I saw you standing there for longer, I thought, 'Well, there's no need to intercede anymore!'"

I was speechless upon hearing this.

The Tenth Prince complained, "Why didn't you remind me then?"

The Fourteenth Prince just smiled and said, "I was just watching the show!"

The Tenth Prince sighed in frustration, "You..." The Fourteenth Prince interrupted, "The situation has passed now. Let's go eat!"

As we took a few steps, I stopped them and asked, "What was the reaction from the Main Consorts side?"

The Tenth Prince was about to speak, but the Fourteenth Prince cut in, "Anyway, the matter is settled now. You don't need to think about it anymore. Hurry back and have your maids massage your legs!"

Back in the room, Jie Jie looked at me as I entered, expressionless. She simply instructed the maidservant beside her, "Have the kitchen heat up the food and bring it over." The maidservant acknowledged and left.

Shortly after, another maidservant came in with a food box and informed us, "This servant ran into the Fourteenth Prince outside, and he brought this food box for the young lady. So, this servant came back to ask if you still want the kitchen to heat up the dishes?"

Jie Jie glanced at the food box and said, "Since there's already something prepared, there's no need for hot dishes." The maidservant took the food box and dismissed the servant, then served me the meal.

Having stood for over two hours, I was famished and began eating heartily. Jie Jie sat on the couch, observing me with a pensive expression. After finishing the meal, Jie Jie calmly said, "Wash up and rest early." I sighed, feeling frustrated but helpless, and returned to my room to rest.

•••

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Chapter 7 Scarlet Heart

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