The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 153 : Evil Spirit (13)

After a long silence, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess asked, “Why do you want to kill Han Yuchen and Han Yuxi?”

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life explained, “Mother, in my dream, Han Yuxi is a yes-man kind of person, so unlike how she is right now. Moreover, many things in the Han family are completely different from my dream. I’ve even asked some people to check, and then I knew that Han Yuxi was just like me. She also knows about the future.” Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang didn’t dare to say that she had lived an extra life, since it would be too frightful to her mother’s ear[+]Chinese idiom : appalling.

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn’t really have any impression of Han Yuxi, so she asked, “How do you know that the Fourth Han Miss is in the same situation as you?” If Han Yuxi really had the ability to predict, then why was there no rumour about it at all? This made her feel quite doubtful with this claim.

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life’s expression was a little stiff. She toughened her scalp[+]summon up courage as she said, “The current situation of the Han family is completely different from the one in my dreams.”

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess endured her anger and asked, “What else?” Seeing that Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life didn’t say anything, she asked once more, “So you decided to kill her just because the situation of the Han family in your dream is completely different from their current situation?”

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life explained, “No. It’s like Han Yuxi has changed into a different person. The Han Yuxi in my dream was a yes-man, like she was a person of humble birth. For this reason, the Han family people never let her leave the front door. But now Han Yuxi is natural and graceful…”

Qingyang considered what Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had said and questioned, “I’m asking you, how can you be so sure that Han Yuxi is in the same situation as you? Other than the fact that she’s different in real life than in your dreams, is there anything else? Like she knows things like you do that others don’t. Does she have any unusual abilities?”

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life was dumbstruck by these questions. How could someone as cautious as Yuxi do something that would make people become suspicious of her?

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess really wanted to tear her heart out at the sight of Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life as she cursed furiously, “Are your brain all made of tofu-dregs? Can a dream be exactly the same as reality? So what does it have to do with you even if Han Yuxi and the Han family are different from the ones in your dream, huh?” If Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life and Han Yuxi had feuded in Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life’s dream, it would have been understandable for Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life wanting to kill the other. The two of them couldn’t hit each other with even eight poles[+]Chinese well-known phrase : be completely unrelated, and just because someone was different from the situation in her dream, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had decided to kill her. If one really wanted to kill Han Yuxi, one could just find some strong martial arts people to kill Han Yuxi while she was out. However Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life went to Han family residence to commit murder and set fire to it, thus making their family had a deadly feud with the Han family. This act didn’t show Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life had lost her mind, it simply showed that she was an absolutely brainless person.

At that time, Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life thought Han Yuxi was a variable, thus she wanted to get rid of her. For the reason that she was afraid Han Yuxi would tell the world about what would happen in the future, hence she had to make the first move. She searched for a lot of ways, but Han Yuxi had been acting too cautious for her to find a suitable opportunity. In the end, she had no other choice, other than to use the palace rebellion to get rid of Han Yuxi and destroy Han Yuchen along with it.

To say she didn’t regret it would be a lie. If Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life knew it would turn out like this, she definitely wouldn’t have done it that day. “I did it cleanly and it would be unlikely for others to find out about it. But I didn’t expect these people to be so incompetent that they couldn’t even kill Han Yuxi, thus exposing me.” She always thought that she had been exposed because of Yuxi.

When Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess heard this, she took a glance at Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life Xianzhu and said, “This matter has nothing at all to do with Han Yuxi, this person that you’ve been talking about. It was the people from Marquis Pingqing Residence who had captured the head of the bandits and thus traced it to you.”

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, “Impossible. I did it cleanly.” How could it have nothing to do with Han Yuxi! She always thought that it was Han Yuxi who had led the Han family. Thereby, the Han family had retaliated against her.

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess wanted to crack open Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life’s brain to see if it was really filled with tofu-dregs. “If there wasn’t any solid evidence, why would the Han family do such deadly things to the Qiao family?” She now felt an incomparable regret on why she hadn’t asked for clarification from Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life. If she had known, she wouldn’t have let Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life make such a big mistake.

Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang was stunned by her Mother’s scolding.

Talking about what had already been done wouldn’t change anything. Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess once again calmed down and asked Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, “You said that the 9th Prince will lose his life four years later because of someone’s murderous scheme. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life nodded, “I’m sure. After Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege’s death, the Emperor grieved so much and installed 10th Prince as the Crown Prince. The 10th Prince was later crowned Emperor, and Han Yuchen was made Empress.”

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn’t even know what to say at this point. All she knew now was that she had given birth to a fool. A fool who was even dumber than a pig. “If you know that the final winner is the 10th Prince, why do you want to get mixed up with the 9th Prince? And even want to kill Han Yuchen?” If it was her, she would have tried to win over the 10th Prince. As for the 9th Prince, to hell with him. In addition to this, she would definitely make a good relationship with the future Empress Han Yuchen.

Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life lowered her head and said, “I know when Ninth Ge[+]elder brother, short form for Gege will be poisoned, and I can help him avoid that calamity then.” She had never considered the 10th Prince. That was because the 10th Prince had been deeply rooted in love ever since he met Han Yuchen.

Since the 10th Prince married Han Yuchen, his Ce Fei[+]Side Consort and other concubines were all only for show. In his eyes and heart, there was only Han Yuchen. Not to mention, she didn’t even like the 10th Prince. Even if she did, she wouldn’t marry a man who had another woman in his eyes and heart. The 9th Prince’s side was much simpler. He married Yu Xiyu as his Fei[+]Consort not because he liked Yu Xiyu, but because he was interested in the Yu family’s power.

The reason Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang arranged for Yuchen to be killed was because of her jealousy for Yuchen. She was jealous of Yuchen’s good fate for getting what she wanted but couldn’t get. She was also jealous of Yuchen’s children. In short, she was jealous of everything that Yuchen had.

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess felt that her patience was really about to run out. For such a good resource to turn into something that was extremely undesirable because of her daughter’s tofu-dregs brain. “The 9th Prince owes you a big favour. Please help the 9th Prince with this matter. As for the rest, don’t say anything.”

Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang did not understand what her Mother’s words meant.

Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess didn’t want to explain to Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life anymore. She just said, “Just do what I say, and don’t ask any more questions.”

Yuxi was busy reading a book in her study. She was so engrossed in reading the «Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance» when Zisu called out from outside the door, “Miss, Master Shizi[+]a heir of a noble family invites you to come to the study.” The study in the Rose Courtyard only had a curtain and no door. The study in Taoran House side had a door. So every time Yuxi entered the study to read a book, she would close the door to avoid being disturbed.

An example of ivory sticks/toothpicks

Image Credit | 小雄美食 (古代的牙签有多种，最特殊的牙签竟是虎须，这种牙签有三个秘密, March 1st) via Sina CN

When Yuxi heard Zisu’s call, she picked up the ivory stick that had been placed aside and clipped it into the book. Then, she closed the book and put it back on the shelf. The desk had no drawers, which was one of the things Yuxi disliked the most about her study.

When she arrived at Han Jianming’s study, Yuxi looked at Han Jianming standing in front of the desk with a solemn expression. Her heart rushed out as she asked, “Dage[+]Eldest brother, is there something wrong?”

Han Jianming lowered his hands and said, “Yuxi, as you expected, the 9th Prince has stepped in to intercede. The Emperor has angrily rebuked Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess, forfeits her salary for a year and she has been instructed to shut herself away and ponder over her mistake[+]ponder over one’s mistakes in solitude for three years. Both men and women in Qiao’s Third House were sentenced to death; Eldest Lord Qiao was beheaded in public, while the other members of Qiao family, except for the Princess’ husband and Qiao Meng who had been released from prison, were all exiled to Liaodong…”[+]This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.

Yuxi asked the question on thing that she was really concerned about, “Dage[+]Eldest brother, where is Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang?”

Han Jianming replied, “Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang had been called as auspicious by the Emperor himself. So how can she be severely punished? However, I didn’t expect Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang to take the initiative to go to Wutai Mountain to fast from eating meat and pray for the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because of this, the Emperor had pardoned Qiao Meng, hence he won’t be punished.”

Han Yuxi asked, “If this is the case, why is Dage[+]Eldest brother frowning?” It was actually quite good to have such outcomes.

Han Jianming explained, “I wonder what kind of medicine Heshou[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life sold in her gourds[+]Chinese saying : what someone is planning? Also, it has been cleared that the 9th Prince was indeed prepared for the night of the palace rebellion. Instead, it was the Imperial Palace that had been acting a beat slower.”

Yuxi’s expression showed that she did not understand. “What does it mean that the Imperial Palace had been acting a beat slower?”

Han Jianming explained good-naturedly, “If my guess is correct, it should be that the Emperor already knew that the Crown Prince was planning to rebel, so he was already prepared. Except that, he wasn’t sure on which day it would happen. The palace was a bit chaotic when the palace rebellion began, but it soon calmed down.”

Yuxi understood now. “Dage[+]Eldest brother means that the Emperor had been waiting for the Crown Prince to turn against him?” To be precise, the Emperor had dug a trap and he was waiting for the Crown Prince to jump in.

Seeing Han Jianming nodded, on this day of the seventh lunar month, Yuxi felt ice-cold all over her body. This was not an act of biological, but rather like one treated one’s foe. “Why did the Emperor hate the Crown Prince so much?”

Han Jianming only uttered these words, “The Heavenly Family has no such thing as father and son. Only the monarch and his subjects.”

Yuxi smiled bitterly, “I’ve seen this situation in the history books.” When she read about it, she didn’t take it seriously. It wasn’t until this moment that she deeply realised the cruelty of this sentence.

Han Jianming had guessed that Yuxi had started reading history books a long time ago. “What is recorded in the history books were all real events.” The authenticity of the event was still quite high especially when it had been confirmed as a true history.

Yuxi fell into deep thought for a long time. When she finally looked up, she asked, “Earlier, San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie told me that the Emperor intended to match Miss Yu with the 9th Prince, and yet he hasn’t mentioned about this marriage even until now. Why is that? If I remember correctly, the 9th Prince is nineteen years old this year.” Previously it was said that there would be no wedding until Yu Xiyu was old enough. However, Yu Xiyu was already sixteen years old now and yet, there was still no marriage between them.

Han Jianming asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Yuxi told him her suspicions, “If the Emperor really favoured Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and the 9th Prince that much, after the death of the Empress, she would have been sealed with the title Empress plus crowned the 9th Prince as the Crown Prince. But up until now there has been no movement. Dage[+]Eldest brother, could it be that the Emperor fears Song Guifei[+]Noble Consort and the 9th Prince?”

Han Jianming shook his head and said, “The fact that you can think so much means the time you’ve spent on reading your books were not in vain. But the Emperor’s mind is something I can’t guess, and I don’t know what this old man is planning.”

Well, this kind of palace struggle was really not something she could play around with. Yuxi turned back to the main topic, “Now that Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess has to shut herself away and ponder over her mistake[+]ponder over one’s mistakes in solitude, what if she still wants to deal with us after these three years?”

Han Jianming said, “As long as we have enough power, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess will not be someone worth to be feared. Then again, Qingyang Gongzhu[+]Princess has been despised by the Emperor. So even if she finally comes out, she won’t be able to bounce around. Our only future trouble right now is Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang.” Although Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang brought up the matter to go to Wutai Mountain to clean up and repair herself, for some reason, Han Jianming felt that Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang was always a hidden danger that would stir up waves in the future. That woman was too evil in nature, and there was no way for him to be completely rest assured until she was killed. This, however, was not something he could say to Yuxi.[+]This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.

When they thought that this matter was finally over, they never expected that just at this time, there was a rumour outside saying that Yuchen and Yuxi were evil spirits. Hence, Heshou Xianzhu[+]he = harmonious, shou = long life, xianzhu=Princess of the Fourth Rank/usually granted to the daughter of a Junwang wanted to get rid of them because she knew about this matter.

Yuchen was better informed than Yuxi, thus she was restless when she heard this rumour. After some thought, she simply went straight to Taoran House. Ever since Yuxi moved to Taoran House, Yuchen had been a frequent visitor.

Hearing the rumours outside, Yuxi rolled her eyes and said, “Can I say I’m really flattered? As far as I’m concerned, for a person like me who have no talent nor appearance, it’s really a waste of the word ‘evil spirit’.”

Seeing Yuxi’s reaction, Yuchen expressed that she was speechless. “Evil spirit is not a good word, so why are you still looking so eager?”

At the same time, Kufu brought in a plate of cut fruits.

Yuxi looked forward to the slices of snow melons cut into pieces in the sweet white porcelain fruit plate as she said, “This is what Dage[+]Eldest brother had sent over last night. Originally, I wanted to wait for night to come before calling you over to have these together.” Snow melons, the cantaloupe produced in Xinjiang, were tribute melons.

Han Jianming got a total of five snow melons, and one was given to Yuxi. Yuchen, on the other hand, didn’t receive any, but Yuchen didn’t mind it. She just smiled and said, “Dage[+]Eldest brother really loves you.”

Yuxi said with a smile on her face, “It’s okay. I always go to your place to eat anyway, and I have this rare opportunity to treat you to delicious food that I have for once.”

Hearing these childish words, Yuchen’s irritated heart suddenly calmed down, as she also picked up a piece and ate it. Every year, Yuchen would always have snow melons to eat, but that was all sent by Marquis Pingqing Residence. This was the first time there was one in her own residence, and from here it could also be seen that the State Residence was now in a much better position than before.

Yuxi ate four pieces of snow melon in one sitting. After she had done eating them, she took water to rinse her mouth, and then wiped her mouth with a handkerchief before walking to the copper basin to wash her hands.

After doing all this, Yuxi talked about what happened just now, “With San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie’s appearance and talent, it is not an exaggeration for people to say San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie is an evil spirit.”

Yuchen’s head was full of black lines. Was this a compliment? Why did she feel a sense of taking joy in calamity and delight in disaster[+]Chinese idiom : rejoice in other people’s misfortune / schadenfreude coming from Yuxi?

Yuxi sat back in her chair and said, “San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie didn’t know how much I used to envy and jealous of your evil spirit-kind of qualifications. What I could only learn in a day, San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie learned in an hour. Too evil, too hateful.” The word ‘evil spirit’ was instantly misinterpreted by Yuxi.

After hearing this, Yuchen asked, “Why didn’t I feel it though?” Yuchen really didn’t feel that Yuxi was envious and jealous of her. While in her impression, Yuxi had always been working very hard.

Yuxi cheerfully said, “Later, when it was cleared to me that intelligence and appearance were bestowed by Heaven, my envy and jealousy didn’t come out anymore. Since then, I’ve been studying hard and try not to be left behind too far away from you.” Seeing that Yuchen looked much more relaxed, she continued, “San Jie[+]san=third, jie=elder sister, short form for Jiejie, the rumours outside are full of pure envy, jealousy and hate towards you. So, you shouldn’t be concerned about it at all.”

Yuchen leaned back in her chair and pointed out, “It’s not only me who has been talked out by people outside. They talk about you too.”

Yuxi spread out her hands and said with a mock sadness, “Me? I was just piggybacking.” Unique appearance and unforgettable talent, as long as one have one of this, it was already enough for people to envy and hate, but Yuchen had both, which showed that God had been too partial towards her.

While Yuchen couldn’t help laughing at Yuxi’s expression.

ps (from author) : Yuxi said, “Dear fans, please throw some small notes to congratulate me on my growth into an evil spirit.”