10 Ye Cheng Fu

FlamingoBees

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

Ye Cheng Fu

Chapter 10:

“The Phoenix Pavilion deals in intelligence. How could we do business if I didn’t know more?” His tone was somewhat repressed, and this repression was directly reflected in the force of his fan. He flicked his fan, and it sliced through a wall. I swallowed hard, watching this display of power, and couldn’t help but say, “Shen Ye, you’ve trained your martial arts to such a high level. Have you ever considered that it might make it hard for you to get married?”

“Never considered it.”

“You’re not planning to get married?”

© 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 was a bit surprised and was about to applaud his independent attitude when he calmly said, “No, I just think that if someone is beautiful enough, they’ll always have people chasing after them.”

“That’s true…” I had to agree, “Just like me, with enough money and power, there’s always someone chasing after me.”

He didn’t respond, just scoffed. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke, “Marriage isn’t something you should compromise on. When you go back, you should marry someone you truly like.”

“You mean Su Rongqing?”

“Someone you like,” he emphasized again, “Whether it’s Su Rongqing or someone else, the key is that you like them.”

“Even if their status is awkward, I should still marry them?” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Even if he insists on breaking off the engagement, even if he might be a spy for the Empress, even if he isn’t a spy now but could become one tomorrow, even if he isn’t a spy, he still represents a faction in the court. Despite all this, I should still marry him?”

“Are you a woman?” he mocked. “If you only want someone when they’re easy to get, but let them go when they’re hard to reach, is that really love?

“Loving someone means that even if they don’t belong to you, you should fight for them. If they’re out of reach, you should seize them. If they break off the engagement, you should chase them until they’re moved. Besides, if he has broken off the engagement, how could he be a spy for the Empress? A spy should be doing everything to marry you, not break it off!”

“What if he really is?”

“What if he really is?” He chuckled softly. “If he really is a spy, then bind him to your side, completely sever his ties with the Empress, or better yet, turn the Empress into a puppet and control everything yourself. Even if he is a spy, so what? Not to mention that from what you said, Su Rongqing likes you. Even if he doesn’t, you should still defile him, possess him!”

“But…” I found his words shocking. “But molesting an innocent man is a crime…”

“If you’re afraid of even committing a crime for him, then don’t talk about liking him!” His words were full of contempt. Suddenly, I seemed to understand something.

“What you’re saying makes some sense.” He dodged arrows as he carried me, skillfully weaving through the attacks. I seriously considered his words, feeling a sudden clarity, and couldn’t help but praise him, “Shen Ye, you really are my closest confidant. But Shen Ye,” I asked, confused, “just a moment ago you said you liked me. Why are you now encouraging me to pursue another man?”

“Because I bet you can’t catch him.” Shen Ye’s movements slowed down, but I didn’t notice, still pondering the issue with Su Rongqing. I was about to say something when Shen Ye suddenly stumbled, stepping on a stone slab. A rain of concealed weapons shot out from the walls. He rolled aside with me in his arms, then pressed me against the wall, spitting a mouthful of blood onto my face. The sudden turn of events left me momentarily stunned, and the entire tunnel began to rumble. Shen Ye’s expression changed. He pulled out the map, speaking in a hushed tone, “The formation is disrupted. Your lightness skill is good. Don’t worry about me, just go.”

“What’s wrong with you?” I tried to support him, only to find his back covered in poisonous sand, each grain embedded in his flesh, and his arm covered in dark purple bruises. I suddenly remembered that when we were first captured, that guard had forced him to take a lethal poison. My face turned pale as I realized he had been using his inner strength to suppress the poison all this time, and he must have faltered just now.

“Don’t…” He tried to push me away again. But I ignored him, hoisting him onto my back and starting to run. “I can’t read the map. Without you, I won’t make it out.”

Shen Ye was stunned for a moment before shouting, "Left!" Then he cursed loudly, "Shu Cheng, how can you be so stupid! So incredibly stupid! Right!"

"Stop yelling at me..." I felt a bit embarrassed. "Save your strength. You've been poisoned and hit by arrows. At least get me out of here first..."

"Three-three step method..." He vomited a large mouthful of blood but continued to curse persistently, "You’re going to get us both killed... How can you be so stupid... You can’t even read a map..."

"I can't tell directions..." I replied awkwardly. He kept cursing while spitting blood and directing me. We were actually quite close to the exit, but the entire tunnel was collapsing, with large sections falling and various traps going off randomly.

Shen Ye struggled to guide me. A beam came crashing down, and I instinctively turned to shield him. Both of us were pinned beneath it, and he immediately spat out another mouthful of blood, continuing to curse, "How can you be so stupid... so stupid..."

While cursing, we managed to push the beam off together. Fortunately, it wasn’t too heavy, and although we were both injured, we were martial artists and managed to move it aside with some difficulty.

I seemed to have broken a rib, and even breathing was painful, but I couldn't say anything. I gritted my teeth and carried Shen Ye on my back, running towards the exit. When we finally reached it, we found the path completely collapsed. Shen Ye could no longer speak, only managing to mutter, "Shu Cheng, how can you be so stupid..."

Behind us was the sound of the tunnel collapsing, and ahead was the fallen passage. I knew that if I left Shen Ye behind, I had a 90% chance of jumping across, but with him, it was only 50%.

I also knew that my life was extremely valuable, not only because of my parents' expectations and my clan's hopes but also for the stability of the country.

But I carried him on my back, lacking the courage to let him go. I might be overthinking it, but I always felt that he wasn’t just here to gather information. He was here to accompany me.

Even if it wasn't to accompany the heir of the Shu family, even if I might face death at any moment.

I often told others that my life was precious, but in truth, I knew that all lives were equally valuable.

When I was young, I loved reading tales of chivalry and war chronicles. They spoke of righteousness. When I was a child, my teacher once asked, "What is the fundamental duty of a scholar?" All my peers answered "loyalty," but I answered "righteousness." The teacher hit my palm with a small bamboo stick ten times for that. After that, I stopped mentioning righteousness, but I knew it was ingrained in my bones.

You give me a melon, I return a gem. My mother was right to worry about me with this kind of personality.

For instance, right now, all my teachings told me to leave behind Shen Ye, this burden, but I still decided to take him with me.

Shen Ye lay on my back, unconscious from vomiting blood. I took a few steps back, then leapt forward, jumping across.

The tunnel entrance was getting closer and closer, but I felt us both starting to fall.

I realized that at this rate, neither of us would make it to the other side, so I suddenly threw him upward, landing him on the ground above, while I continued to fall.

I thought I was going to die.

Or rather, at that moment, I wasn't thinking about life and death. My mind was blank, and all I could hear was the wind rushing past my ears. However, in that instant, a pair of cold hands suddenly grabbed me. I thought Shen Ye had already passed out, but he was lying at the edge of the cliff, half his body hanging over, gripping my hands tightly. He rasped, "Shu Cheng, you are really stupid."

Below me was a bottomless abyss, yet at that moment, I wasn't scared at all. I couldn't help but smile at him. I extended my foot to the nearby rock wall while he pulled me up. With my feet pushing against the wall, I leveraged my strength to help him lift me. As soon as I was up, he grabbed me, and we rolled out together. I watched as the ground we had been on collapsed bit by bit. By the time we tumbled out of the cave entrance, the entire tunnel had turned into an empty space, with the entrance door closing with a bang and vines hanging down, erasing any trace of the doorway.

Shen Ye and I held each other, overwhelmed with the joy of surviving a disaster. Tears welled up in my eyes. He looked at me quietly but still said only, "Shu Cheng, you are really stupid."

"You should have thrown me down just now," he said seriously.

I smiled, "But I don't know the way."

"You do know," he said, closing his eyes slowly. "I know. There was a part where I passed out and didn't guide you, but you found your way. Shu Cheng," he raised his hand and touched my hair, "how can there be such a foolish girl like you?"

After saying that, he fell silent, seeming to rest. I lay on the ground too, feeling pain in my chest. I thought, I need to rest as well...

We both closed our eyes and fell into a deep sleep. When we opened our eyes again, it was already noon. We had escaped in the middle of the night, and now we were greeted by the sun of the next day. I nudged Shen Ye, and he opened his eyes too, slowly sitting up. He seemed to have a resilience akin to a cockroach. After resting for one night, his injuries had significantly improved, even the purple bruises from the poison had faded. Though he still looked weak, he had recovered quite a bit.

He surveyed our surroundings and then frowned, "We need to change our clothes first, then find a doctor in the city."

Saying this, he came to support me. As soon as I moved, I felt a sharp pain in my ribs and couldn't help but gasp. He frowned and placed his hand on my pulse, then said, "You’ve broken a rib. Can you change clothes by yourself?"

"I can, I can," I nodded quickly. "Give me the clothes. You find a place to change, I promise I won't look at you."

"Are you sure you can?" He seemed worried. "Even if I help you change clothes, I won’t force you to marry me. After all, I'm from the Phoenix Tower, unlike those noble sons who care about their reputation."

"You don't care, but I have to," I said, taking a sharp breath. "Besides, you'll eventually have to learn to care, Shen Ye. You are going to get married someday."

"You really have a wide range of worries," he sneered, pulling out the clothes Bai Shaotang had prepared for us from his bag and tossing them in my face. He then turned and walked into the nearby bushes. I struggled to change my clothes and waited for a while before I saw him return, dressed in the attire of the Qi Nu tribe and carrying a wicker chair.

The Qi Nu tribe's clothing was simple: men wore pure white robes with a black belt around the waist, while the women's attire was more complex. The women’s robes were also white but were draped with a layer of silk, fastened at the shoulders with petal-shaped clasps that exposed the shoulders and arms, giving a particularly graceful appearance.

Shen Ye looked naturally holy in such robes, but I might not have suited them as well. When Shen Ye turned and saw me in my new attire, his expression changed instantly.

"How can they dress like this..." he muttered repeatedly. "How can they dress like this..."

"When in Rome..." I laughed awkwardly. "It might look ugly, but bear with it."

He didn't say anything more, just stared at me for a long time before finally saying, "Fine, I'll carry you down the mountain first."

With that, he walked over, placed me on the wicker chair, and then squatted down to lift the chair onto his back.

I was a bit scared. "Is this wicker chair sturdy?"

"It’s woven with a special technique," he said, sounding a bit frustrated. "Don’t worry about it. I learned it from a craftsman a while back. It looks simple, but the structure is clever and very sturdy."

"Oh, okay." For some reason, his assurance made me feel at ease. When I realized it, I felt a bit puzzled. I wasn’t sure when it happened, but the unreliable Shen Ye in my mind was slowly fading away, and this thought made me a bit panicked.

He carried me down the mountain, and I didn’t know how he navigated, but after a short while, we indeed found a path made by people. Following the path for another half hour, we finally reached the city. The Qi Nu tribe’s city was similar to those in Great Chu, but it was surrounded by vast wheat fields. Men and women dressed in white robes worked in the fields, and upon seeing us, they all raised their heads to greet us.

They greeted us warmly, and Shen Ye responded in kind, waving and returning their greetings as if he had lived here for a long time.

The people here were not numerous, but they all greeted us as long as we wore their attire, regardless of whether they knew us or not.

Once we entered the city, we felt the tribe’s warmth even more. When we asked for directions, a kind person offered to guide us to an inn. Upon reaching the inn, noticing that Shen Ye and I were injured, the innkeeper immediately sent for a doctor without us asking. He also mentioned that if it was inconvenient to pay now, we could settle the bill later. This genuine and simple hospitality left me astounded.

Before the doctor arrived, the innkeeper prepared warm water for us, separating it with a cloth. Shen Ye and I each took a bath in a separate tub. After a long silence, Shen Ye slowly said, “I always feel that people who are too kind to you must have an ulterior motive…”

“I feel the same way. The people in this city seem almost unreal, like they’re performing.”

“I’ve heard that the Qi Nu tribe is known for their simple ways…” Shen Ye seemed to be reminiscing. “It’s said they truly don’t lock their doors at night and don’t pick up lost items.”

“But regardless, I’m still shocked. I feel that while there are many bad people in the world, there are even more good people.”

“I feel the same way,” Shen Ye agreed. “I’ve also felt that while there are more bad people, there are still good ones.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words. After a while, I cautiously asked, “Shen Ye, can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Did you ever believe there were good people in this world before?”

“Of course. I considered myself one.”

I guessed that Shen Ye must have had a very tragic childhood.

After soaking in the tub for a long time, the innkeeper knocked on the door to inform us that the doctor had arrived. Shen Ye and I got out of the bath, dressed, and respectfully went to wait for the doctor.

The doctor was a woman. She first fixed my rib, then turned to examine Shen Ye. After a while, she turned to me with a solemn expression and asked, “Are you a family member?”

“Yes,” I nodded.

The doctor shook her head and said, “Prepare for the worst. He’s beyond saving.”

I was stunned into silence, unable to utter a word. The doctor started taking out tools from her medicine kit: “The poison from ‘Absolute Death Pill’ and ‘Cold Fragrance Powder’ alone would be enough to kill him, and he has both. All I can do now is help remove the poisoned darts from his back to ease his suffering. As for the rest, eat and drink well, he won’t be around for long. Don’t deprive yourself.”

She picked up a pair of tweezers and looked at Shen Ye, saying, “Young master, I won’t take advantage of you. I’m a doctor. Can you please take off your clothes?”

Shen Ye remained silent, but he smiled and said, “Doctor, I bought these tweezers. Shu Cheng, see the doctor out.”

He placed a lump of silver on the table. The female doctor was taken aback but quickly stood up, saying, “I’ll leave the medicine kit with you. Miss, here are the tweezers, silver needles, bandages, blood-stopping medicine, detoxification medicine, and blood-replenishing medicine…”

She swiftly introduced the contents of the medicine kit, and after a long explanation, she took the silver, said “Goodbye,” and left in a hurry, leaving Shen Ye and me in the room, staring at each other. After a moment, he began to undress.

When he took off his clothes, I felt a surge of anxiety and instinctively wanted to run. I was worried that if he undressed, I would have to marry him. I had already become a notorious villain in the capital for not doing anything to him, and now seeing his body made it even more complicated.

But just as I was about to flee, Shen Ye saw through my thoughts and sneered, “Do you think my arms are long enough to remove all the darts from my back?”

His words made me stop in my tracks. I realized how petty my thoughts were, to judge him so poorly. I turned resolutely, walked back to him, and picked up the tweezers and gauze. I sat beside him, ready to assist.

•••

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10 Ye Cheng Fu

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