CFB Chapter 119

Translator – Xiao He Lian

This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.

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Chapter 119

 

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of December. Various countries came to the capital one after another. On land, there were countries from the Western Regions and the Southwest Barbarians, on land and sea, there were countries from the South China Sea, and in the east, there were countries such as Goguryeo and Japan. Now, the whole of Chang’an was bustling.

On the twenty fifth, a quarter past wei shi[mfn](the period of the day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m)[/mfn], a carriage stopped in front of the gate of the Shen Mansion. A woman with a flowing braided bun, a tight-waisted Hu costume, and small leather boots bent down and got out of the carriage.

Red lips, white teeth, bright eyes. This is the second daughter of the Shen family, Shen Yao.

The maid beside her put a cloak on her.

Shen Yao raised her eyes to look at the man riding a horse beside her and said, “Thank you, My Lord, for sending me back.”

This gentleman was Lord Lu, the Governor of Jingzhao, who was responsible for the safety of envoys from various countries.

Lu Yan dismounted and said, “Your Highness, there is no need to be polite. This is my duty.”

Since the Lu family and the Shen family had no dealings in the past, Shen Yao was not very familiar with the heir apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion. She only met him a few times because a certain someone was his close friend. She vaguely remembered that… he had a somewhat arrogant and cold temperament.

But he seemed a little different today?

On the way back to the capital, although Shen Yao learned that something had happened in her mother’s family and that the Yunyang Marquis’ Mansion was no longer there, she also didn’t know the way to the Shen Mansion in Baoning lane. After all, the year she left Chang’an, she was just a girl raised in the boudoir.

Shen Yao was just thinking about where to find a guide when Lu Yan came up to her and asked, “Your Highness, are you going back to the  Imperial Guest House or the Shen Mansion?”

She replied: “I want to go back to the Shen Mansion.”

Lu Yan said: “Then I will take Your Highness back.”

Shen Yao hesitated and said, “With all the countries coming to pay tribute, Jingzhao Prefecture is busy right now. If Lord Lu is busy, don’t worry about me. I can just find a driver.”

Lu Yan said directly: “Your Highness, please come with me. I am on my way there too.”

Unable to refuse the kind invitation, Shen Yao had no choice but to nod.

At this moment, Shen Yao still didn’t know what he meant by “on the way”.

Shen Yao turned around and knocked on the door, but Lu Yan was reluctant to leave, which made her frown suspiciously.

After a while, the door of the mansion slowly opened, and Shen Shu subconsciously covered her mouth.

Shen Yao thought that after four years, all those difficult days were over and she should have been transformed long ago. However, the moment she looked into the eyes of her loved ones….tears rolled down instantly.

Only Chang’an will be her home.

Shen Yao threw himself over and after a long while, she choked up and said, “Sister.”

Shen Shu also started to cry and called out “Yao Yao.”

It’s great to see you again in this lifetime.

At this moment, Shen Zhen came running over from not far away with her skirt lifted up. Although she was mentally prepared that her second sister would come back, she still couldn’t help feeling sad when they really met face to face.

Tears, naturally, began to fall.

Shen Yao tilted her head to look at Shen Zhen crying pitifully, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter: “Zhen’er, come here, let Second Sister take a look.”

Shen Zhen walked over and hugged Shen Yao.

“You’ve grown taller.” Shen Yao touched her head, “You’ve become a big girl.”

Now, Shen Zhen couldn’t stop crying.

However, the man standing outside the gate of the Shen family had a very dark complexion. He rubbed his chest, suddenly coughed lightly, and said, “Shen Zhen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yao was the first to turn around.

What… was going on? Why was he calling Shen Zhen?

Shen Zhen then realized that there was someone standing next to her. She stepped forward and asked with red eyes, “What’s the matter, My Lord?”

Lu Yan sighed almost inaudibly and took out two pieces of calligraphy and paintings. “Chu Xun went for a business trip and sent two pieces of calligraphy and paintings to Shen Hong.”

Shen Zhen took it, sniffed and said, “My Lord, please thank Lord Chu for me.”

Lu Yan nodded, wiped her eyes, and whispered, “Your eyes are red, cry a little less.”

Shen Zhen readily responded with a “hmm”.

This look and tone, how well behaved one must be.

Seeing this scene, Shen Yao’s almond eyes widened twice as much, as if she had seen a ghost. She turned her head and whispered: “Sister, what… is going on?” The implication was, how did the two of them get together???

In broad daylight, touching the face?!

Could it be that the people of the Jin Dynasty have become more open-minded recently?

Shen Shu whispered back: “This is a long story.”

It was a long story, but I had to be told. After dinner, the three girls from the Shen family comforted the sobbing Minister Shen and drove away the nagging Shen Hong.

Finally they sat on the bed together, just like many years ago.

The story naturally starts with Shen Shu. After she finished, Shen Yao couldn’t help but say, “How dare Li Di treat you like that?! It’s a good thing you divorced.”

The three of them sat together and couldn’t help but sigh together.

Shen Yao said to Shen Shu: “So… Sister, are you planning to get married again?”

Shen Shu smiled and said, “No, now is the most relaxing time for me.”

Shen Yao held Shen Shu’s hand and comforted her: “It’s best to follow your own heart.”

Shen Shu said: “I understand.”

Shen Yao suddenly narrowed her eyes, looked at Shen Zhen who was curled up in the corner of the bed and said, “It’s your turn now. Tell me, what’s going on between you and Lu Yan?”

The hair on Shen Zhen’s temples stood up slightly, and she asked anxiously, “Shouldn’t it be second sister? Why is it my turn?”

Shen Yao looked at Shen Shu and said, “Why don’t you just tell me, sister? I’m really curious about the two of them.”

Shen Shu said directly: “Something happened in the Marquis’ Mansion last year…”

Before she could finish, Shen Zhen covered Shen Shu’s mouth with a “swish”, “Let me tell you, Second Sister, Lord Lu and I were bestowed a marriage by the Emperor.”

Shen Yao sighed and rubbed Shen Zhen’s head: “Forget it, if you don’t want to talk, I won’t force you… I guess you have forgotten how you used to clung to me when you were a child.”

Shen Zhen bit her lip.

She knew that her second sister was doing it on purpose, but she still couldn’t stand her tone, so she just held her hand and said, “Okay, I’ll say it.”

Shen Yao’s beautiful eyes were instantly filled with smiles.

The volume of Shen Zhen’s voice could only be described as buzzing. Some parts that were really not beautiful were skipped over and only a general description was given.

However, just this general idea had already chilled Shen Yao’s heart.

If Li Di was compared to a fire pit, at least Shen Shu has jumped out of it. What about Lu Yan? No matter how Shen Zhen beautifies him, it is ultimately an affair with a mistress.

But what can Shen Yao say?

The more you experience, the more you will realize that when one person was nice to another, it was hard to distinguish good and bad.

Shen Yao looked at Shen Zhen very seriously and asked, “What about now? Are you willing to marry him?”

Shen Zhen nodded, “Yes.”

Shen Yao said: “That’s good. If he can do this for you, he must really have you in his heart, but…”

Shen Zhen looked up, “But what?”

Shen Yao smiled, pulled Shen Zhen’s little ear over, and muttered for a long time. Shen Zhen’s eyes widened, “Second sister! You…”

Shen Shu couldn’t help laughing, “Zhen’er, learn from your second sister.”

The candlelight flickered in the room, and the veil fluttered. Shen Shu looked at Shen Yao’s Hu costume and said, “Yao Yao, is Wu Li treating you well?”

Wu Li was the second son of Uighur Khan Baoyi, but he was the most valiant and romantic one.

Shen Yao smiled sincerely, “Yes, he treats me very well.”

Shen Zhen asked: “Sister, you don’t understand Uighur either. How do you talk with the Second Prince? Do you always need an interpreter by your side?”

After hearing this, Shen Yao couldn’t help but think of Wu Li’s clumsy appearance, and couldn’t help but laugh softly: “He learned a lot of Chinese for me, but he also suffered a lot.” Shen Yao didn’t want to get close to him at first. Wu Li had no way to deal with this fair and delicate princess from the Central Plains, so he had to think of another way – he asked Shen Yao to teach him Chinese.

But the second daughter of the Shen family has always been unbridled. Wu Li wanted to be affectionate with her and enhance their relationship, but Shen Yao taught him a bunch of wrong things. Later, the interpreter pointed out this on the spot, but Wu Li just bit her ear in anger and didn’t have the heart to punish her.

After a while, Shen Shu said, “I heard that Wu Li has many concubines. Can you get along with them?”

Shen Yao shook her head. “At first, they respected me as a princess of the Jin Dynasty. But later, Wu Li favored me alone and might not even visit other concubine’s tents once a month, so we couldn’t get along anymore.”

Shen Shu nodded in understanding. This was similar to the harem and the inner chambers of their dynasty.

Shen Shu pinched her fingers and found that there were many calluses on her fingertips. She asked in surprise: “Have you practiced archery?”

“Yes. Sister, I am very good at horse riding and archery now. Wu Li taught me personally.” Shen Yao looked at Shen Zhen and said, “Shall I teach you someday?”

Shen Zhen smiled awkwardly, “Then I will have to trouble second sister.” Horseback riding and whatnot, she never had any talent.

The moonlight was sparse, and Shen Yao talked about the customs and folkways of the Uighurs for half the night.

She talked about how bold the men of the tribe were and how passionate the girls of the tribe were.

She talked about the vast skies and long clouds, about fine wine and delicious food…but she didn’t talk about all the grievances she had suffered.

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After chou shi[mfn](the period of the day from 1 a.m. to 3 p.m)[/mfn], the candles went out, and Shen Yao lay on the couch with a relieved smile.

She was extremely content to be able to go home and set foot on this native land again in this life.

All greed is in vain, she has to look forward, always look forward, after all, can never turn back.

 

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