Chapter 63: The Confused Abbot
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Xie Cheng Xi’s heart sank into a cold abyss.
On the very first day, he had managed to make the young mistress cry.
He was doomed. Utterly doomed.
When Lu Yan Shu entered, pushing his wheelchair, Lu Chao Chao was already hiccupping with anger. The righteous demeanor she had exhibited moments before, condemning the unfairness of the Heavenly Dao, was now replaced by sobbing accusations.
“Bad… bad…” she wailed, pointing at him.
“Pish him! Pish him!” she demanded furiously, descending into unintelligible mutters.
Lu Yan Shu scooped her into his arms, barely concealing his amusement. His eyes gleamed with barely restrained laughter.
“Forgive my unruly little sister, Your Highness,” he said, inspecting the Crown Prince closely. Though fatigued, the prince’s familiar warm smile still adorned his face, putting Lu Yan Shu somewhat at ease.
“No, no,” the Crown Prince interjected hastily. “Chao Chao is pure and true. It’s my fault for upsetting her.”
He glanced cautiously at Lu Chao Chao, who responded by pointedly turning her back to him, her small figure brimming with indignation.
“For dinner, we’ll have Four Happiness Meatballs,” Lu Yan Shu remarked casually.
Chao Chao’s sobs momentarily paused, though she still covered her face and whimpered.
“And honey-glazed pigeon,” he added.
Her cries softened further.
“Oh, and since the weather’s cool tonight, we should prepare a hotpot. Chao Chao seems uninterested, so we’ll just…”
“Eat! Eat! Eat!” Chao Chao cried out, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she turned to glare at her elder brother.
“Chao Chao eats!” Her wide, round eyes glinted with determination as she puffed out her cheeks and stared at Lu Yan Shu.
The Crown Prince sighed in relief, hurriedly instructing the palace servants to prepare the meal.
Lu Yan Shu’s gaze held a trace of suspicion. Over the past few days, he had spent considerable time with the Crown Prince, a man he greatly respected for his intellect. Yet… when it came to Chao Chao, the prince seemed completely different.
During the meal, the Crown Prince meticulously deboned fish for Chao Chao, served her warm water, selected dishes for her, and even helped her wash her hands and face. His attentiveness bordered on reverence.
The Crown Prince seemed to elevate Chao Chao’s status, treating her as if she were a celestial being.
Even when it was time for her to return to the Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor, he stood wistfully at the door, unwilling to leave until her carriage had disappeared from sight.
In the carriage, Chao Chao leaned against her second brother, Lu Zheng Yue, drowsily nodding off.
“Chao Chao,” Lu Yan Shu inquired, “did something happen at the Eastern Palace today?”
“Ate chicken drumsticks,” Chao Chao mumbled, smacking her lips in recollection.
Lu Yan Shu’s eyelid twitched. “Apart from the drumsticks, was there anything else?”
Chao Chao pondered for a moment, then replied, “Pigeon…” referring to the honey-glazed pigeon she had also eaten.
“Besides eating!” Lu Yan Shu’s patience wavered as he felt a headache approaching.
Chao Chao scrunched her little brows in deep thought. “Cry-cry…” she finally offered. “Prince Brother cry-cry.”
“Bang-bang…” she said, pointing to her forehead in a gesture mimicking bowing.
Lu Yan Shu’s expression turned incredulous. [Should I… just give up and complain internally?]
But even now, her mind was loudly exclaiming: [The Eastern Palace’s food is so good!]
[The crispy pigeon was heavenly—melts in your mouth! So delicious!]
[The soup tonight was amazing. Ah, why do I only have one stomach?]
[The roast lamb leg smelled incredible. Such a pity I didn’t get to try it… sniff sniff.]
[Grow teeth, grow teeth, hurry and grow teeth…]
Lu Yan Shu silently blocked out her thoughts. Forget it. He didn’t need to hear more.
By the time the carriage arrived at the Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor, the moon hung high, its light illuminating the courtyard.
Lu Yuan Ze had, as expected, spent the night in Su Zhi Qing’s quarters again. Ever since Madam Xu had promised Su Zhi Qing the title of Equal Wife, she had used every strategy to keep Lu Yuan Ze by her side. Even Pei Jiao Jiao had handed over all of Lu Yuan Ze’s preferences to her, making Su Zhi Qing’s task easier.
Lately, Lu Yuan Ze had been riding a wave of triumph. Lu Jing Huai’s fiancée’s family, the Jiang family, had risen in prominence. Old Master Jiang had been promoted to the head of the Hanlin Academy, a second-rank official. Furthermore, Lu Jing Huai’s recent poem had taken the realm by storm, cementing his reputation as a literary genius.
“‘Let us drink near the river…’”
“‘Do you not see the Yellow River descending from the heavens, flowing to the sea, never to return? Do you not see, before the high hall’s mirror, how black hair turns white, like snow in a day…’”
From afar, the recitation of poetry could be heard from the Clear Peace Courtyard.
“What a masterpiece! A timeless verse!” Lu Yuan Ze exclaimed, his face flushed with drink. Joy shone in his eyes as he reveled in the success of his children, Lu Jing Huai and Lu Jing Yao.
Even the Emperor had inquired about Lu Jing Huai upon hearing the poem.
Seated in his wheelchair, Lu Yan Shu wore a calm expression. “To think Lu Jing Huai could compose such immortal lines.”
Lu Zheng Yue, hearing the poem for the first time, was stunned. Outside, countless others were equally astonished.
Chao Chao yawned. [My brother is borrowing the brilliance of five thousand years of Huaxia’s heritage!]
[With countless great figures to plagiarize from, of course he can do it.]
Lu Zheng Yue’s hands clenched slowly.
“For the imperial examination,” Lu Yan Shu said coolly, “poetry alone won’t suffice.”
Lu Zheng Yue’s unease subsided. Somehow, under his elder brother’s guidance, everything seemed simpler.
…
That night, at the National Temple, the Abbot stood under the moonlight. Though his eyes were blind, his disciple described the heavens to him.
The Fourth Prince, still a young monk, gazed at the stars above.
“Master, the Purple Star flickers, its light sometimes strong, sometimes faint. Why is that?”
The Abbot remained silent.
“Master, the Purple Star grows weaker. It’s turning black,” the Fourth Prince said uneasily. The Purple Star symbolized the Emperor and the royal family.
“Oh!” the Fourth Prince suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
“Master! Master! There’s an anomaly in the heavens! Something strange is happening!” The young prince jumped excitedly as monks gathered to witness the celestial event.
Many clasped their hands in prayer under the starlight, seeking peace and prosperity for the people.
“Master, a brilliant new star has appeared! It’s brighter than all the others!” the Fourth Prince exclaimed. “It has lifted the Purple Star, which now shines brighter than before!”
The Fourth Prince fell to his knees, bowing repeatedly. As a member of the royal family, he understood the star’s significance.
The Abbot was momentarily stunned. “What does this star look like?”
Previously, his calculations foretold calamity for the royal family, a disaster that would lead to the Xie dynasty’s downfall. He had kept the Fourth Prince in the temple to preserve the bloodline.
“Master, it’s the brightest, most dazzling star in the sky,” the prince replied. “It appeared out of nowhere, with all the stars orbiting it, even the Purple Star bowing beneath its radiance.”
The Abbot’s face softened into a faint smile. “The one who will break the calamity has arrived.”
“This person will disrupt the world’s balance, saving the people from suffering. The land is saved!”
He pressed his hands together in a prayer of gratitude.
“Master, can this person heal your eyes?” the Fourth Prince asked, his heart aching for his teacher.
The Abbot shook his head. “Such a reclusive, eccentric being would not be troubled for a trivial matter like this.”
[This great figure must already be burdened by the fate of the world,] the Abbot mused.
…
A mighty savior? One destined to rescue the world?
Meanwhile, ten-month-old Lu Chao Chao guzzled milk from her bottle. With a loud “plop,” the empty bottle fell to the ground as she contentedly mumbled in her sleep:
[Stingy. Didn’t even give me chicken drumsticks.]
[Not helping again… pish him.]
[Rice stew with pork belly… spicy tendon stew… braised sea cucumber with scallions…]
She was busy fretting over her teething troubles.
Thanks for the chapters!
Overall the story is fun and not nearly as angsty as one would think. But I’m so frustrated with the inconsistency of this child MC. I know they’ve mentioned more than once that her mind has regressed to match more of a baby status, however it is just very inconsistent. Sometimes she absolutely speaks as an adult (usually when it is in her mind and others are overhearing her thoughts, but not always). It’s also really unclear sometimes when she’s merely thinking and when she’s actually speaking now. In addition, it is again unclear if she’s aware that others can understand her thoughts or not, because sometimes they are CLEARLY having a conversation but she supposedly isn’t saying anything, so how could she not know?! Still gonna read but the inconsistency, man….it’s rough.
ya, i know right! the author is definitely a new writer and the raws are absolutely horrendous. trying to translate this novel is like playing a puzzle and sometimes drives me up the wall with the naming and dialogues