Chapter 12: 12

My Harem

Translated by: Niladri

When I returned home, I was greeted by Hong Feng. I said, “Call Yao Jinzi to my study”, and walked towards the study without wasting any more words.

In the study, Xiao Lu was crouching on the desk and was struggling to write something. It was a funny sight. I smiled and said: “Xiao Lu, what are you writing about?”

The child was panic-stricken and wanted to hide his stuff. He realized that he couldn't hide them, and was ashamed. He finally pleaded: "Daren, Xiao Lu admits his wrongs."

“What wrongs?” I laugh and take a look what he had written.

It was a piece of rice paper that I wrote on and discarded yesterday. It looked as if ants were crawling down from the top of the paper, and the same crooked characters "Lu" and "Feng" were written repeatedly. I said, "Xiao Lu is learning to write his name? Very good, did Yao Jinfeng teach you?” [T/N: Just to be clear, his name isn't Xiao. Xiao or little is used to call someone younger lovingly]

Xiao Lu said embarrassedly: “En, yesterday ,Daren asked me to visit Yao Jinfeng and ask him what he wanted to eat. But he was fierce, not only did he refuse to eat, but also he kept screaming for daren. Xiao Lu tried to stop him. In reply, he said that Xiao Lu was a son-of-a-bitch, and that he was too lazy to deal with a cheap slave like me… “while speaking like this, not just his eyes, even his nose turned pink, one couldn't help but pity him.

“What happened later?” I asked warmly.

Xiao Lu was more embarrassed and said coyly: “Later, later, Xiao Lu started to cry. Although Xiao Lu is indeed a cheap slave, he really is illiterate. But he didn’t want to be scolded like this. He said that Xiao Lu has always admired scholars and, wanted to read books very much. While saying this, for some reason, I, en, Xiao Lu couldn’t stop the tears and kept crying." [T/N: yeah he totally said all these in 3rd person]

“What did Yao Jinfeng do?”

“En, he ignored me at first. Later, he saw me continuously crying, he came to me. Xiao Lu ignored him. After waiting for a long time, he offered me that if I wanted to read…. He would teach me…”

“And then you learned how to write your name from him?” Ha-ha, the friendship of the children is very interesting.

Xiao Lu nodded, then Yao Jinzi came in.

He came to me and called me a 'lowly daren'. I let Xiao Lu step back and observed him carefully.

Sure enough, my beauty is good! Although his tone was more bitter and stubborn than that Ying Qingyun, the voice I loved was this one!

He was embarrassed by my gaze and said, “Does daren want to take a stroll in the part where we didn't go yesterday?”

“En, where?”

“The servant quarters and the kitchen are unappealing to daren. The other place has six pagodas; you had dispatched craftsmen to renovate that place. That place is Fragrant pear courtyard, daren's harem .”

“My harem?” I was startled. Right, right , I have other male pets to favor. I should have had a look to see if there is any type I like. Ha, I’m interested in seeing my beautiful men!

“Daren have raised dozens of…cough, like me.” The beautiful young man adopted a tranquil expression, but underneath, he was quite abashed and resentful. Mmm, unexpectedly it’s very appealing.

Is this regarding your shoulder-blades? Do you still hold a grudge against me?

“Some of these are from slave dealers, some have been bought by Daren from brothels, some young children have been gifted to daren as concubines.” [T/N: not pedo]

So far so good, however, isn't this Zhang Qinglian excessively indulgent? No wonder despite being a young body, it is so devoid of vitality, and honestly speaking, now that I have no clue about this jade spider art, it is not an overstatement that Zhang Qinglian can die any moment! How come my second life is more dangerous than the first one?

I put on airs and the other person continued: “Daren usually dislikes them noisily struggling for favor, so they have been forbidden from stepping out of the fragrant pear courtyard…”

This is too much! However, anything that involves Zhang Qinglian does not feel strange anymore.

I went to see my harem with Yao Jinzi with great enthusiasm. I discovered that Fragrant Pear courtyard was the largest courtyard in the entire mansion. Front to back, it was around 3 jin long with a Japanese style garden. It was very beautiful.(1)

The door was locked, and there were guards in front of it. Oh, it feels like a Turkish harem.

As soon as the door opened, I saw a wonderful sight that I had rarely seen in my life: more than a dozen young men with delicate and pretty faces were dressed in styles contradicting the general tradition of this society. Bright colors, light texture, and styles suitable for taking part in the Paris fashion conference. Some even had fine gauze materials.

“Zi Luan Jiejie ma~? Who did you call today?”[T/N:Jiejie= Elder Sister=onee-sama]

“Daren hasn't turned the sign* of this place for 34 days! Is that Yao boy monopolizing daren's favor?” (Turned the sign? Does Zhang Qinglian think that this is a hougong ?) [T/N: apparently this system is only used for residences of imperial concubines (hougong). Probably…]

“What’s the kid like?”

“Zi luan jiejie, can you teach me how to get master's favor with pillow-talk? Or how to curry favor with Hong Feng jiejie…”

On seeing me and Yao Jinzi, silence descended.

My eyes swept past each of them, ah, it was truly a group of beauties.

A yatou that I have never seen before ran over panting, stood firm to pay respects, and said, “Why did Master personally visit today?”

I looked at her, She looked like Hong Feng, had a noble demeanor unlike common slaves, looked pretty sweet, but although her manner was little casual manner, her ability to advance and retreat was no less than Hong Feng.

Is this yatou another tongfang of mine? And who the heck is this Zi Luan?

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I do not know her, but my experience and intuition tells me that although this harebrained yatou looks easy on the eyes, one should stay far away from her.

“I came in to take a casual look, no need for you to wait on me.” I said lightly.

“Yes.” The girl looked as if she was thanking her lucky stars, and failed to make a dignified exit. I was utterly dumbstruck.

Aside from her, those group of beauties crowded around me to enter the main hall, and then lined up before me. Not only did everyone try to curry favor with me but, it also seemed that they also feared me quite a bit.

I looked at them one by one and found that although all of them were young and handsome, but the general classification is nothing more than just two: delicate scholar type and precious jade type; these aren't the types that I am interested in very much. Although pretty, it was not the flavor that could move my heart. Compared to my beautiful youth, they would be like fish eyes to pearl. [T/N:Passing off fish eyes for pears => passing off genuine articles for fake ones]

Ah, they say first impressions are most lasting, is my brain wired differently?

Although I think they are tasteless that they are a bit annoying, my humanitarian spirit will still make me worry about their well being. After all, it is a bunch of young handsome fellows.

“What have you been doing in Fragrant Pear courtyard?”

Perhaps not mentioning this would have been better because, the moment this was mentioned, it was like a pot exploding. They started to complain and act spoiled like:

“Master, we are bored here!”

“Daren, Yunzhi haven't seen daren for a year. Yunzhi really wants daren…”

“Daren, it’s so stuffy that this one feels unwell!”

“Daren, hum, Jasmine misses her mother at home. Someone said something to this slave in the past few days saying she was sick…”

Hearing all these complaints, I got goose bumps, got up and said, “That’s the case. There is no need to stay confined in this courtyard. Feel free to take a walk around the mansion. Just don't go to the office. If you need to visit the study, ask Hong Feng to make arrangements beforehand."

A brief moment of silence, and then, Woah! deafening cheers resounded.

I look at these guys with cold eyes, creating a clamor like this, some had tears of gratitude, some were dancing with joy. Really, who can withstand them, no wonder that they can only be used by others as ornamental concubines.

But, among this group of people, in the corner of the hall stood a person who looked different from others. He looked to be around twenty years old. His clothes did not conform to the strange fashion of others, and instead was a clean bluish-green Chinese-style gown. He had a delicate appearance, his face shrunk in fear, like a young student devoid of any aspirations. Also, he was not at all delighted.

Seeing me, he cowered in fear.

I was curious and looked at Yao Jinzi. Yao Jinzi shook his head slightly at me indicating that he also did not know.

I was compelled to speak: “That… um,…”

The teenager’s scholar looked up in a panicked manner and looked at me. He was a bit depressed and he said, with a bit of a desperation: “Luo Yaozu … Daren only favored me once, not remembering my name is natural…”

Yes, although you are not bad, but in this environment, he was like a crow among peacocks. No wonder Zhang Qinglian snubbed you.

“Although your face is quite elegant, I feel that you look depressed. Have you suffered any injustice?”

He listened to my words and unexpectedly shed two drops of tears: “Daren may not remember but last year I sold myself to your mansion. It was because my old mother died from illness and all our money was spent on her funeral… I am not complaining and I don't mind. But despite studying in poverty and hardship for ten years, this one could not pass the preliminary examination and bring honor to his ancestors, could only be a mere clerk fit for copying paperwork and transcribing. Teaching a barbarian would have been better…Who could have thought that…." saying this, he broke down crying, almost kissing the ground.

Although I was a little annoyed at the way the ancients expressed such passionate feelings, I think this man is indeed miserable. In modern times, I have never seen such a weak man.

Looking at Yao Jinzi's silent expression, I said with my eyes glinting: "Yaozu studied assiduously for ten years, he really wants to master his writing skills. So, since the younger brother of Jinzi Darling has delayed his studies in the past two years, you can perhaps teach him. In addition, my little boy, Xiao Lu, has leant a few characters. I shall trouble you to help him as well.”

Luo Yaozu, hearing this, raised his head and rubbed his eyes, as if he did not believe it. He tried to appear tranquil, but his face was brimming with joy.

I said, “Call Hong Feng and ask her to arrange a room in “Zhongzhi Pavilion”.”

The murderous gazes full of venom from the surrounding were directed in abundance to one person- Yao Jinzi.

Yao Jinlu stood on my side, his eyes drooped, and he did not respond to those eyes.

I suddenly got bored and said, “Jinzi Darling, let's return to the studio, I still haven’t looked at the folded booklets.”

On our way back to the study, a grey pigeon fell in front of me. I was pretty startled and removed the small bamboo tube on its feet. Inside was a small piece of paper wrapped in waterproof grease and a handwriting that looked like a dance of dragons and phoenixes :

“Victorious in war, safe, in April returning to capital, don't worry.”

__________

*RAW: 才發現芳梨院是整個府裡最大的一處院落，前後三進加花園，算是府中府了，很是富麗

Better translation is welcome

Hurray, exams are over! But I am not gonna spend my whole day translating. Still, next update shouldn't take as long as this one and chapter 11 was. I am open to criticism (grammatical, spelling or translation errors) so do tell me if I have missed anything out regardless of which site you are reading this in.

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