This is not a professional translation; you have been warned. ʘ‿ʘ
Today, the East Palace will welcome new comers. Although they are just carrying two concubines into the door, they all know that they are the family of the Crown Princess, so the East Palace has to give them some face.
The Crown Princess ordered that the eunuchs to go in and out, tidy up the yard and clean the house. At last, they hung red lanterns in the yard and made some red silk, which made a little happier picture.
The hexagonal palace lantern made of glass that can has been hung in the corridors of the East Palace has been lighted up.
Against the background of this royal wealth, the few red lanterns in the small courtyard were naturally very poor.
In the Jide hall where the crown princess lived, there was silence.
After eating, the crown princess went to copy Buddhist scriptures.
Whenever the princess copies Buddhist scriptures, the servants were at most careful not to disturb her. Therefore, the eunuchs of the imperial palace were very careful in going in and out. They were very careful not to annoy the master.
They also know that the master is in a bad mood today.
“Has His Highness returned?”
In front of the book case, there stood a woman in the age of [1] táolǐ niánhuá. She was wearing an imperial dress embroidered with phoenix, a peony make-up, red bèi zi and pleated skirt in royal blue. On her head, a phoenix hairpin with seven tassels, her hair wrapped in a bun adorned with red and gold jewelry.
She has an oval face, [2] danfeng eyes, straight nose and thin lips. Obviously just standing, but very dignified, let people dare not despise.
Standing not far behind her, Chen Mama said after a moment of silence, “According to Fu Chun, there is something to done by the prince and I’m afraid that His Highness won’t go to the courtyard tonight.”
The courtyard does not refer to any place, but the fourth entrance of the East Palace of the five entrance courtyard. There are eight small cross courtyards where the concubines of the crown prince live. However, the crown prince always knows how to control and doesn’t pay attention to women. Nowadays, only four courtyards are occupied by people.
There will be more in the future. And today the new comers.
New comers!
This is undoubtedly digging meat in the heart of the Crown Princess.
Chen Mama looked at the eyes of the Crown Princess and couldn’t help but feel some heartache. She can’t help but think of the words that the old madam said when she came into the palace a few days ago and what she ordered the Crown Princess to do. Even if Chen Mama understood that what the old madam doing is for the sake of the Crown Princess, she could not help but feel a little cold.
Which woman is willing to give up her husband to another woman, but who calls the Crown Princess the Crown Princess? In the future, people who want to show their mother’s respect to the world are doomed to look at new people with a smile.
Even if the heart is still dripping blood.
When the Crown Princess tightened her hand, the last stroke of the word “blissful” was broken.
On the other hand, she said to Chen Mama, “Nanny, you don’t have to worry about me. I understand in my heart that grandma is right. Who is to blame? I can have two more helpers, which is better than…”.
It’s better than the Empress’s order that she carry people into the East Palace.
When the Crown Princess first married the Crown Prince, it was better for a while.
The prince doesn’t pay much attention to female charms. Apart from the Crown Princess, there are only two maids who have been serving him for many years. If the crown prince doesn’t mention it, the Crown Princess doesn’t mention it too. Until the Crown Princess has been married for a year, the Empress intervened.
When the Palace held a draft [choosing new concubines], she gave two people to the East Palace as a reward.
One year later, in addition to Xu Liangyuan giving birth to the eldest daughter of the crown prince, the East Palace has nothing else. The Empress chose the legitimate daughter of Hu family, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, to make Liangdi for the crown prince.
Later, the crown princess gave birth to the second daughter of the crown prince, and Hu Liangdi gave birth to the third daughter of the crown prince. So far, there is still no male child in the East Palace. Empress Fu became more anxious. There is no lack of [3] beating the Crown Princess in the dark, and praising Hu Liangdi, making her unsightly to the Crown Princess.
Seeing that Hu Liangdi is pregnant again, the Crown Princess is in a more difficult situation, so she can only take the initiative to help the Crown Prince to take a concubine. Frankly speaking, it’s just the Crown Princess is really not magnanimous enough. However, Chen Mama is naturally biased to the princess because she has been with her since she was a baby.
Knowing what the Crown Princess said insincerely, Chen Mama wiped her tears, but she didn’t know how to persuade the Crown Princess, she could only say that it will be fine.
That’ll be fine?
The crown princess’s hand was tighter and tighter. After all, she lost her normal heart and lost her pen.
Fu Chun came in with two maids. She helped the crown princess to sit on the kang bed and then serves her to clean her hands.
One is kneeling and holding the basin, the other is holding the water to wash for the crown princess. After washing, Fu Chun takes the handkerchief from the maid beside her and wipes the water for the princess.
She took the balm, dug out a lump and rubbed it in the palm of the princess. She helped the crown princess to smear it on her every finger joint.
The miscellaneous people all retreated, Fuchun brought a cup of tea, the crown princess took a breath and drank half a cup of tea.
“Let Xiao Luzi go to the front and ask. After all, I, the Crown Princess, will be generous when the new comers enter the East Palace today.”
T/N: I don’t know what to say with the attitude of the Crown Princess. She obviously have the advantage and some privilege of an average ancient woman can’t have but she don’t know how to use it. Her relationship with the Crown Prince should have been better but she keep on overthinking.
- [1] [táo lǐ nián huá] <桃李年华> – (a Chinese idiom) The ancients refer to the woman’s age of twenty. Can also be referred to as in one’s young age (from 16 to 20. [literal translation: peach and plum age]
- [2] Danfeng / Phoenix eyes [dān fènɡ yǎn] <丹凤眼> – (of a woman) eyes of a phoenix; eyes slanting a bit upwardly (considered pretty in the Chinese traditional aesthetic viewpoint)
- [3] beat [qiāo da] <敲打> – (literal translation: to beat, strike) another meaning is to irritate people with sarcastic words [say sth. to irritate sb.]
*A little information on the titles of the concubine of the Crown Prince. On my previous notes about the harem title for the Emperor was similar to the Qing Dynasty but for the Crown Prince it’s similar to Tang Dynasty. ( I don’t have sufficient information about his, feel free to give some insights on the comment section.)
The principal wife of the Crown Prince is called Crown Princess (太子妃; tài zǐ fēi), which is held by only one person at any given time. There are 5 other ranks of consorts:
- 2 (良娣; liáng dì)
- 6 (良媛; liáng yuàn)
- 10 (承徽; chéng huī)
- 16 (昭訓; zhāo xùn)
- 24 (奉儀; fèng yí)
*As far as I know the number of tassels, pearls other ornaments for the phoenix hairpin and phoenix crown depends on the status. I’m just not quite sure how many exactly. I just know that the higher number means a higher status. Of course only noble woman can wear it.
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Thank you for the chapter!!!
Ohhh!!! Isn’t this the concubine who died in the Cold Palace during the earliest chapters?
She fell down pretty far, from crown princess to a imprisoned consort…
Can’t wait for more! 💕💕💕💕
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Yup. She actually became Empress but she was demoted into a noble consort.
Thank you for reading!
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Finally our MC “return ” to the palace.
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The Crown Princess is not smart, that’s true, knowing she was going to marry the Crown Prince, she should had understood she couldn’t give her whole heart to the man. If marrying a young master for any other rich or noble/official househol already implied bed warmers or even low concubines would’ve been there before and/or after, marrying a Prince, let alone the CP, meant the man had probably already been used to treat women as disposable in the matters of sex.
That is one of the things I despise the most from those times. They treated the sex for men as some vital necessity, so women had to be willing and ready to serve them, and wives had to put up with them bedding other people. Yet, for women, it was the complete opposite, it was huge shame for them to even dare to feel their sexuality and, if caught in an affair, they would be drowned in a pig cage or casted aside if the husband prefered not to have the matter taint his reputation.
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