I don’t know if I am translating the poem in this chapter correctly. If you know the appropriate translation, please tell me ...!!! (Ed: Don’t worry, I’ve placed the correct translation of the poem there.)(Ed: Everyone, this is Little Kitty here~ All the previous chapters edited.)
~ THE CRY OF PHEONIX ~
Mu Yunyao returned with Lady Jin to the backyard, where many people had already congratulated them.
The Governor’s wife had a bright smile on her face. The reward did not belong to her, but the Emperor bestowed Governor Zhang Lan Ling*. Lan Ling is a very favorable reward for the officials. More importantly, Governor Zhang earned this reward for free. How could she not be happy?
Lan Ling*
Lady Jin was also surrounded and congratulated. The Emperor rewarded her with a 9th-rank title, and these people would sincerely congratulate her no matter how envious they were. The exchange of pleasantries continued for more than two hours before the Governor’s wife arranged for everyone to take their seats.
Mu Yunyao’s seat was on Lady Jin’s side, and many people smiled and nodded at her as they spoke.
Mu Yunyao’s face carried 70% happiness and 30% fear. From beginning to end, she returned the greeting with a smile, causing Lady Jin, who was at the side, to sigh in admiration. This girl was so intelligent that it was frightening. She’d even worried about getting carried away after receiving His Majesty’s reward. It looked like she had worried for nothing.
The banquet was very lively, yet Mu Yunyao ate absentmindedly. The arrival of Su Qingwu caused her heart to beat wildly. The life experiences she had buried deep in her memory began to surface. She felt an excruciating pain piercing her heart as she thought about it.
“Yunyao, why do you have such an ugly expression? Does your hand hurt?” Lady Jin felt regret in her heart. She was too excited to notice that her hand hurt when she arrived.
“It’s nothing, just feeling a little depressed. Madam, you don’t have to worry about me.”
“If you feel uncomfortable, you can go to the yard for fresh air. There is a small garden nearby.”
Mu Yunyao nodded, but she didn’t move and persisted until the end of the banquet.
At the door, Jin Lan and Jin Qiao stood by the side of the carriage. Upon seeing Mu Yunyao leave with an unpleasant expression, they hurriedly went forward to support her. “Miss, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, let’s go.”
After getting on the carriage and leaning against the pillow, Mu Yunyao’s face suddenly turned pale. She held her chest and took deep breaths. It was as if this could make the pain in her heart dissipate a little.
As the carriage passed the Jingling Bridge, Mu Yunyao couldn’t help but call out to stop it. Clutching her chest, she ran over to the river bank to vomit.
Jin Lan and Ji Qiao were shocked, “Miss, what’s wrong with you? Did you eat food you shouldn’t eat?
She felt disgusting but couldn’t spit anything up immediately because she hadn’t eaten much during the banquet. After a while, she stood up and walked towards the Jingling Bridge.
“Miss?”
“I’ll walk for a while. You guys wait below.”
“...Yes, then Young Miss should be careful.”
At this time, it was already late at night. The red mist hadn’t completely disappeared and reflected on the river’s surface. The sparkling red light made it seem like her entire body had been coated with blood from her memories.
When she thought of the Su family, the hatred in her heart became difficult to control. That was a nightmare that enveloped her entire life, causing her to be unable to calm down at all.
Mu Yunyao closed her eyes and clenched her fist tightly. The wound on her palm had torn, and her hand was instantly drenched in blood. If she met her mother in this state, her mother would be so worried, so she would have to work hard to adjust.
Mu Yunyao forced herself to think about the Su family. She rummaged through her terrified memories, replaying them while continuously thinking..!
The pain in her palm overshadowed the pain in her heart. Her heart, pierced by the arrival of Su Qingwu, slowly began to be covered with a layer of armor, blocking her dripping wounds.
After a long while, Mu Yunyao finally opened her eyes. The sky had darkened, and the clouds had dispersed without a trace. She gently lifted the corner of her lips, and her smile was even more perfect and sweet.
If it hadn’t been for Su Qingwu’s unexpected appearance, she would not have realized that she had despised the Su family and was terrified of them. It is also good because she was aware of her fears and could slowly overcome them.
“Su Qingwu, Su Qingwu... Cicadas love green grass, and phoenixes love high trees**. His ambitions are undoubtedly high.....”
“I didn’t expect Miss Mu to know the origin of my name.” A voice filled with laughter suddenly rang out.
Mu Yunyao suddenly turned her head and saw Su Qingwu slowly walking over from the other side of the bridge with a gentle smile on his face. His voice was as soft as water and as warm as jade.
Su Qingwu also looked at Mu Yunyao. He had already been standing there for a long time, ever since Mu Yunyao had stepped down from the carriage. He was standing across the street looking at her.
He remembered his sister when she was thirteen. Although she had come to him all day to complain about the strict rules of Mama’s teachings, she was primarily happy and carefree. As for the young girl in front of him, she seemed to be trying to suppress something. That feeling was too intense. Looking at her made his chest tighten, causing him to have the urge to investigate.
This kind of feeling came too suddenly. After a flash, he suppressed it and reminded himself that the girl in front of him would not have any interaction with him. There was no need to waste time on someone who was not significant. However, when he heard her call out his name, she even said Cicadas love green grass, and phoenixes love high trees. He could not help but step onto the deck of the bridge.
Mu Yunyao bowed, “Greetings, Lord Su. This little girl spoke falsely. Please forgive my offense.”
Su Qingwu looked at her, and his eyebrows frowned again. The person in front of him had a gentle aura and a slight smile on her lips. She looked no different from the other girls he had seen and as if everything that had happened earlier had been an illusion of his own. “Miss Mu did not say anything wrong. What offense is that? My name does come from the two poems.”
“Thank you, Lord, for your generosity. It’s getting late. I should go home. Goodbye.”
“I wonder when Miss Mu’s palm injury will recover?” Su Qingwu asked with a smile on his face.
“Every time I get injured, my wounds heal very slowly. The weather right now is so hot as well. I think it should take at least half a month to recover.”
In another month, it would be the birthday of Su Qingwu’s grandmother. It would be too late by the time the wound on her hand had fully healed. Besides, she wants the injury to be worse than it already is.
There were plenty of ways.
Sure enough, a trace of disappointment flashed across Su Qingwu’s face. “What a pity. I once saw a double-sided embroidered screen. The embroidery work was astonishing as if the heavens had created it....”
Mu Yunyao’s expression was the same as usual, “Then Lord Su can find the person who embroidered this screen to help. I think your grandmother will be even happier.”
“A lot of people are looking for the person who embroidered the screen, but unfortunately, they haven’t been able to find that person.”
“That might be due to fate. It’s getting late, and my mother still waits for me at home. This humble girl will take her to leave now.” After Mu Yunyao finished speaking, she immediately turned around and left the bridge.
Su Qingwu moved his finger, looking at Mu Yunyao’s departing back view. Without saying anything further, she hurriedly fled, seemingly out of fear for him. Many people used to seek him out in the Capital, but it feels refreshing now that others suddenly despise him.
As Mu Yunyao got off the bridge, Jin Lan and Jin Qiao hurriedly rushed over.
Seeing that her face had returned to normal, they couldn’t help but sigh in relief. “Miss, are you alright?”
“Nothing, let’s go.”
*Lan ling is an ornament on the top hat of the Qing Dynasty. It is made of partridge feathers and inserted into the cap. Because of its blue color, it is called Lan Ling.
** 7th line of a poem from Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty : Mulberry on the road [Mo Shang Sang] Volume 165_2. 寒螀爱碧草，鸣凤栖青梧.[ Pinyin: Hán jiāng ài bì cǎo, míng fèng qī qīng wú.]
Cicadas love the green grass.
The phoenix loves high trees.
( ie. Cicadas grow out of the soil and naturally have nostalgia for the green grass, and the phoenix is high-clean and prefers tall trees to inhabit’. Also, Qingwu means high trees. Symbolically telling that, the phoenix always aims high, and so does a certain someone here, haha~).
Thank you, Hanamooi-san and Little Kitty-san 😍
ReplyDeleteSu Qingwu is probably suspecting that Yunyao was behind that unfortunate double-sided embroidered screen.
ReplyDelete