Chapter 4: 4

Mrs. An Guogong was so angry that it was like she was spouting smoke through seven orifices. At the moment, her body struggled and could not break free. She simply grabbed the young woman next to her before the thing could completely lock her in: “Such a young child whose teeth have yet to fall (still very young), Dare to use such a sinister method to plot against me, so what if I’m tied up? I will bury her with me immediately.” 

Her arm was about to stretch out when suddenly in front of her, something came forward and stabbed her. The blade of the sword was green and cold. It was precisely that exact same jadeite sword that had caused her to suffer a great loss earlier today. 

Teng Yuyi was prepared to move as early as when Mrs. An Guogong was distracted. The surprise attack on this monster was not necessary for the worry of the young woman’s safety, but more so for the monster to die immediately. 

In her lifetime, she will never let go of a grudge. She had long been eager to crush this thing’s bones into ashes. Being aware that this thing might play tricks again, how could one let it have its wishes fulfilled. 

Before she could stab the monster’s left paw, the rope suddenly tightened a lot and Mrs. An Guogong’s eyes bulged. In an instant, she was pulled off the ground. 

The bai sema (boundary stones which designate the sacred area) was broken and the noble ladies were extremely frightened that their faces turned pale. The courtyard turned into chaos and the rope went around in a circle before the end of the rope ended up into the hands of the young man. He smiled happily and bundled up the evil spirit. He casually threw something at Teng Yuyi: “Give this medicine to the injured victims.”

Teng Yuyi cautiously took the medicine bottle and carefully looked at the man. He was wearing a white jaded crown, with a gold sword on his waist, a purple gown, and cyan colored shoes (Note 1). According to the regulations of this dynasty, this is the apparel of a prince. 

To look at his appearance again, he looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, his body was slim like jade, and showed elegance and handsomeness. If the smile on his face wasn’t so wicked, he would without a doubt be a rarely seen handsome man. 

Teng Yuyi had long ago already recognized who this person was. The nephew of the current emperor, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Chengwang. The well-known son of the imperial clan who was loved by thousands of people: Lin Chengyou. 

Teng Yuyi glanced at him and turned around while dragging her yi mu  who was still in a bit of shock. She walked towards the room and said: “Many thanks, shi zi (prince).” 

In her previous life, the only time she was in contact with Lin Chengyou was at the Yuzhen ladies temple during the flower viewing banquet. 

At that time, the Teng family had already canceled the marriage agreement and her father was still the general of the Huainan province. In order to take care of her sick yi mu, she had voluntarily stayed in Chang’an and lived in an ancestral residence in Yanshoufang (name of a street). As the days of her father’s resignation drew nearer, the mansion would often receive letters from her father in Huainan. She did not understand the whole story, but she secretly guessed that it was related to her father’s transfer back to the capital. 

At that time, the cause of her biao jie’s death was still unknown. She served by her aunt’s bedside every day. Because of her being in low spirits, she had not gone outside for a long time. That day, the steward brought an invitation, she originally did not want to go, but heard that the person who set up the banquet was the Empress. Only then did she decide to brighten up her mood in preparation to go. 

As Teng Yuyi expected, the flower viewing banquet was more lively than ever. The ladies were all dressed and gathered in groups. It was said that it was not only the Empress who was here, but Princess Consort Cheng, who has already been traveling abroad for many years, has also come. 

Teng Yuyi followed the noble ladies to greet the Empress and Princess Consort Cheng. Overhearing someone speaking in a low voice: “Look, that is Prince Cheng.” 

Teng Yuyi looked over and saw a handsome and elegant young man walking through the garden. 

The man wore a light gown with arrow-like sleeves and a golden bow in his arms. It doesn’t look like he is coming to the banquet, but rather like he casually wanted to leave this place to go hunt.  

“Ah, he doesn’t look like he is coming here to look at ladies, but more like he came here to have fun.” 

“I heard that he was originally going to go play ma qiu (polo), but at the last moment, was forced to escort Princess Consort Cheng here.” 

The banquet has officially begun and Teng Yuyi accompanied the ladies to play the guqin, drinking tea, and enjoying the flowers. Because she had vaguely guessed the deeper meaning behind the Empress’s holding of this poetry banquet, she behaved very well, chatting about the pearls and jades and composing poems. Even if one is dealing with servants in a secluded corner, one is still more patient than usual. 

After the poetry meeting, the Empress and Princess Consort Cheng had specifically invited Teng Yuyi to come forward. She quietly and calmly answered a number of questions. When she came out, she heard a palace servant speak: “I guessed it would be the little lady of the General Teng’s family. This appearance is too eye-catching. Don’t look at the prince’s arrogant appearance. After all, he is now at the age of enlightenment (grown up). If he had personally seen Lady Teng in person, at most he would be moved.” 

“Yes, looking at the appearance of the Princess Consort, it looks like she is very satisfied with the Teng family. The little prince is not afraid of anyone, except for his parents. With the Princess Consort present, the prince would not dare to mess around and cause trouble. If the prince still dared to run away this time, it is inevitable that he will receive a beating from the Princess Consort.”

Teng Yuyi felt very fresh. She was already grown up, but it was still her first time to hear of a Princess Consort who would personally beat her son. She originally wanted to look at the Princess Consort who was sitting on top, but the Empress came and brought them to the garden to admire the autumn chrysanthemums. 

Passing by Diecui Pavilion, Teng Yuyi caught a glimpse of a number of richly dressed young nobles. The breeze blew the bamboo curtains and dozens of eyes were casted on the banquet. 

Teng Yuyi took back her gaze fixedly and leisurely walked. It was late autumn and a light drizzle of rain fell silently. There was a kind of furry coolness on her face. When she returned back to the Teng Mansion that night, she recalled the situation where the Empress and Princess Consort Cheng pulled her in to ask a couple questions. At that moment, she had already planned out what to say before. 

In her heart, she had no admiration for this Prince Cheng, but many ladies mocked and ridiculed her secretly. The one who was talked about the most was Prince Cheng. She listened with her ears open while drinking tea. Since he was so admired, there must be something superior about him. 

At that time, there were many sons of imperial clans who were looking for concubines. She, Teng Yuyi, could not deign (lower herself) as if she had to pick one, she must pick the best one among all. 

She calmly took off the ring from her finger and tomorrow, she was going to inquire about the news. The Empress and the Princess Consort took a drawing of her to look for opinions. Lin Chengyou had only said two words without mercy: Not marrying. 

At that time, Teng Yuyi rolled up her sleeves to mix the incense with white honey.   

Not marrying? She may not even be willing to marry in the first place. It must be the death of her biao jie and the illness of her yi mu that has disturbed her mood, which is why she would be so muddle-headed to participate in the marriage selection of the sons of the imperial clans. 

In fact, she had already thought about it for the past two days. They have  never met before and his temperament was also unknown. What she heard that day was just what he looked like in the eyes of outsiders. To actually know how he was on the inside, it would take a long time. If he was a person that one could not get along with, then it would be for a lifetime. 

She had lost her mother at the age of five. Her father was away for the Southern and Northern War, and over the years, she had long accustomed to everything being in control by herself. Marriage was not a small matter, naturally it was no exception. She should be glad that Lin Chengyou did not want to have this marriage, saving her from regretting it in the future. 

She looked up and laughed three times. In a blink of an eye, she forgot about this matter, and the next day, she went to the Du Mansion to take care of her yi mi as usual. At night, she returned home and ordered someone to make camel’s hoof soup. 

The delicious smell of soup with san le jiang (a type of broth) brought from the Persian liquor store. It really was a delicacy that only the gods could eat. 

After finishing, she went to take a bath and had a towel hanging around her shoulders. Two words came to her mind: “Not marrying.” 

Huh. She immediately lost her spirit and threw the towel into the water with a stiff face. The force was a bit strong and water splashed everywhere. Bai Zhi and Bi Luo sneaked aside and whispered: “Don’t know what has made the lady angry today. Her cheeks have been bulging all day.” 

What a joke! Her mood was obviously very good. She put on her clothes calmly without a rush and went back to her room. However, until she got in bed, there was a very uncomfortable itch on her back. 

The itch was not in the bones or on the skin. Even if one were to try to reach their back, one might not find the area where it itches. But if one does not care for it, from time to time, there will be an itch that surfaces. It came down to one sentence: Not feeling happy, your whole body will also not feel happy either.

This feeling of unhappiness lasted for three days. It was so long that she contemplated on doing something to get back to the gathering venue. At this moment, yi mu’s illness had suddenly gotten a lot worse. 

She had to serve the medicine without getting any rest. She expected that her yi mu’s health would improve, but did not expect that the more she tried to cure it, the worse it got. 

All the doctors were unable to do anything about it. Her uncle and younger cousin were very worried, so she sent a letter to her father in a hurry, saying that all the doctors that were invited were not helpful and asked him to quickly find a solution as soon as possible.

Ever since the death of her mother, she hated her father and would never write a letter to him, but this time around, she begged her father several times, which was all for her yi mu’s illness. 

She did not want her Yi Mu to die. Her mother left early, and fortunately there was a yi mu and biao jie who took good care of her. If her yi mu was to also leave her, wouldn’t she become a very lonely person again? 

In a long night, her father did rush back and also invited Yu Fengyu of the Shang Pharmacy to privately diagnose the pulse that night. Unfortunately, it was still too late as the illness had already damaged the insides of her fundamentals. After dragging on for a few days, it was useless to try to cure it. 

On the night that her yi mu passed away, her uncle and younger cousin bitterly cried in front of the coffin. She knelt on her knees and knew that crying was useless. She had already experienced this when she was five. Even if she were to cry so hard that her lungs were torned, her mother would still just be laying silently in the coffin. 

Recalling back to the night that her mother passed away, she stood in the funeral hall and slapped the cold wooden plank with her small hands. 

“Ah Niang (mother), A Yu (herself) will never make you angry again.” 

“Ah Niang, Ah Niang, get up to look at A Yu.”  

The mansion was very chaotic. She climbed into the coffin without people noticing. Her mother was dressed in a luxurious attire with the temples of hair decorated with flowers. Her gentle and beautiful face was no different from usual. 

She awkwardly crawled in and held out her chubby arm to her mother: “Ah Niang, hold A Yu to sleep.” 

Her mother ignored her and she sobbed quiet, pressed her head to her mother’s chest. She clenched her small fists and said: “Ah Niang, don’t be angry. A Yu is very behaved. A Yu will help Ah Niang beat up bad women.” 

She fantasized that her mother would not ignore her once she woke up. She snuggled in her mother’s arms and unconsciously fell asleep.

Perhaps it was the prayer in her heart that had played a role. Half dreaming and half awake, she fell into a warm chest, but when she opened her eyes big with surprise, she was faced with the beard of her father’s wan and sallow face. 

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His father’s expression was very sad and his eyes were bloodshot. Just overnight, it seemed as if he had aged ten years. 

She was frightened for a bit, and suddenly remembered the women beside her father. She could not help and burst into tears: “I don’t want father! Father is a bad person! I don’t want my father to hold me!” 

Father shed tears in silence and with his knees bent, he carried her and knelt in front of the coffin. No matter how much she cried, he was still as silent as a mountain. 

She sobbed loudly and in that instant, she finally realized that her mother could never come back. The taste of fear expanded, like a boulder pressed into her chest. She kicked and punched her father and screamed at the top of her voice: “Father is a bad person! It is you who caused Ah Niang to be sick!”

Recalling this, that kind of sorrowful and resentful emotion surged up like a tide.

She blankly grabbed the collar of her dress, when someone suddenly shouted in her ear: “A Yu, A Yu!” 

Teng Yuyi came back to her senses, looking at her yi mu’s face that was similar to her mother’s. Her heart was filled with bitterness. She whimpered and hurled herself into her yi mu’s embrace: “yi mu.” 

Madam Du’s face went blank for a moment, immediately softened down. She raised her hand like she was about to comfort a child and gently stroke the back of Teng Yuyi’s head: “Good child, what’s wrong? It must be that spirit that has caused you to be frightened, yi mu is here, don’t be afraid.” 

They entered the room and the medicine bottle given by Lin Chengyou was in their hands. Teng Yuyi looked around her and quickly calmed down. She opened the bottle cap and poured out three pills: “yi mu, let’s take the medicine and give it separately.” 

Madam Du was unable to contain her joy, made an “ai” sound and went to arrange everything herself. 

Duan Fu was lying under the corridor, Teng Yuyi took the medicine and went outside to give it to people. The steward of the Dong County took three steps and two steps running up, dryly smiled: “Lady Teng, just now, this old maid spoke wrong. This old maid will kowtow and apologize to Lady Teng, but my second lady is anxiously waiting for her life to be saved. I presume that Lady Teng can quickly give the medicine to this old maid.” 

Teng Yuyu glanced at her. This pair of master and maid have not lacked in doing wicked things. In her eyes, they are not innocent at all, but it is a human life after all. She could not blatantly see one die and not do anything about it. It would seem a bit unreasonable, so she slightly smiled and generously opened the cap. Who knew that after this one pill was poured out, there would be none left. 

There were still two people who were injured. How can one grain of pill be divided? The steward’s expression changed many times. On that side, it was only an old servant and it would not be much of a big deal if he died. Since there was only one pill left, it should certainly be left for her second lady. She hurried forward to try to snatch it: “This old maid will thank Lady Teng on the behalf of the second lady!” 

Unexpectedly, Teng Yuyi slightly leaned sideways, grabbed the pill and quickly rushed over to Duan Fu.  

The steward was left dumbstruck, seeing that Teng Yuyi had run away like a wisp of smoke. She stomped her feet in a fit of rage and turned back to step down the stairs. She looked at Lin Chengyou with tears in her eyes: “shi zi, the second lady is on the verge of death. Lady Teng took your medicine and refused to give it to me. Isn’t this failing to live up to the prince’s act of righteousness?” 

Lin Chengyou did not respond and the steward swallowed her saliva. The Lady was anxiously waiting for help and this could not just be recklessly arranged by the young lady of the Teng family. Knowing that there was an evil spirit there, she remained stiff and went over. 

“shi zi, that medicine… …” 

Inadvertently, she glanced at the front of the court. She was so frightened that her body shook uncontrollably. Only to see Mrs. An Guogong’s face had an undescribed strange phenomenon to it. The milky white base exudes radiant color of light, not resembling the skin of a human, but more like the highest quality of white porcelain of Xingkilin. Her eye sockets looked like it had been smeared with bright-colored rouge, as if drunkenly while revealing a vicious intoxicated idea. 

Mrs. An Guogong had a talisman on her mouth, only feeling full of hatred as she could not speak. She looked at Lin Chengyou for a moment and suddenly smiled without making a sound. 

When she smiled, the curtains in front of the courtyard rose without any indication of wind, and black clouds were forming from all directions. 

The steward’s legs became numb. This scene is reminiscent of a peony swaying in the wind. How beautiful that face looked before and how scary it is now. 

Just when one did not know what to do, there was suddenly a change that came from under the feet. Looking down, a number of colorful sprigs sprouted from the ground. The branches and leaves rustled and as if sniffing something. Turning its head and seeing the steward, as if striving to be first, approached quickly. 

The steward was scared out of her wits and retracted back again and again. However, the sprigs followed the legs and started to climb up it, the more one struggled, the tighter it was. 

“shi zi, help, help me!” 

The sinister smile on Lin Chengyou’s face disappeared and leaped to the roof beam. Without saying a word, he looked around until the steward was frightened to the point where she could have peed her pants. Only then did he throw out a talisman: “Can you get out now?” 

The talisman striked the courtyard and splashed out a scorching smell. The sprigs could not dodge in time and most of them were burnt black while the rest of them had learned a lesson and retreated back into the ground. 

The steward loosened her feet and hurriedly crawled underneath the corridor to hide: “Say to get out, this old maid will definitely get out.”

She knew that Lin Chengyou could have rescued her a long time ago, and it was nothing more than just a way of making her suffer. It was said that this shi zi is not to be messed with, and tonight, it was enough to have one learn a lesson. 

 

The author has something to say: 1The relevant regulations on the costumes of princes and princes in “Old Tang Book.Yufu Zhi” are referenced here. 

In the Tang Dynasty, purple clothing was the most honored. Since the Wude period, it was regulated that only “princes and officials above the third rank” could wear purple clothing. 

Accompanying the Emperor to the Moon Lantern Pavilion to look at big breasts can be regarded as a formal event, so A Da made his appearance, wearing the most coquettish color of purple hahahahahaha. (TL’s note: lol I don’t know what to say…) 

2. Camel’s hoof soup was a famous delicacy of the Tang Dynasty. Sanlejiang is a kind of fine wine brewed by the Persians. It is brewed from three kinds of fruits: phyllanthus emblica, terminalia bellirica, and terminalia chebula retz, which is why it is called sanlejiang. (For further details, see supplement of the History of the Tang Dynasty). 

1Footnotes:  Kowtow = traditional greeting, esp. to a superior, involving kneeling and pressing one’s forehead to the ground Shi zi = prince  Sprigs = a small stem bearing leaves or flowers, taken from a bush or plant.

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

1Footnotes:  Kowtow = traditional greeting, esp. to a superior, involving kneeling and pressing one’s forehead to the ground Shi zi = prince  Sprigs = a small stem bearing leaves or flowers, taken from a bush or plant.

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