Chapter 232.1: Take You To Eat Sticky Rice Dumpling

Two days later, it was said that Rui Qinwang fell ill, and moreover, seemingly had started on the night of the first.

His Majesty had already sealed the brush, but during the new year’s holiday, the various imperial princes that have already gotten bestowed a wang title and have opened their own manors, for the most part, will enter the palace every day. Even for the already married princesses, the times they’ve entered the palace was also relatively frequent, letting rarely idle Le Cheng Emperor enjoy the domestic bliss of familial love.

Although lately Le Cheng Emperor has found Li Hong Ming unpleasant to the eyes, but no matter what, he was still the son he’s always regarded highly, so during the new year’s holiday, he naturally didn’t bring up those annoying matters. Rui Qinwang actually also slightly relaxed a breath, just he strangely fell ill for some odd reason. However, this for Li Hong Ming, how was it not necessarily a good thing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Rui Wangfei entered the palace with her children. Between her brows, there was a distinct look of slight weariness, yet she still forced herself to smile.

When Le Cheng Emperor asked with a frown, Rui Wangfei seemed to appear very relaxed, lightly stating, “To have caused imperial father to worry, wangye doesn’t have anything major, just a bit of a cold. Wangye also wanted to enter the palace to wait upon imperial father, yet worried he would have the illness passed on to imperial father, the various highnesses, as well as the other family members. That would truly be unfilial and unfitting of one’s duty as a brother.”

Noble Consort Su aptly asked a few more words, “This consort saw that Ming’er was still perfectly fine before the new year, and you have always been a virtuous one, so unlikely to not be able to take care of him well, so how did he just catch a cold this easily?” Between her brows was also a trace of worry.

Rui Wangfei lightly furrowed her brows, “It’s this daughter-in-law’s fault. Just, wangye has already not entered the rear court in a very long time, and every day, after returning, for the most part, all stayed in the front study. This daughter-in-law at most can only send people to go inquire. Wangye sometimes won’t rest until very late.”

(T/N: The front courtyard is normally where male guests are received so womenfolk generally are not allowed to go there without permission.)

To put it in even simpler terms, both mental and physical exhaustion were the main cause of the illness.

Noble Consort Su swiftly pressed against the corners of her eyes, yet when she opened her mouth, she just reprimanded, “This can’t be blamed on you. Just, that bastard thing clearly knew it was currently the festive new year’s holiday, and instead of properly resting, went looking for bad luck instead. His Majesty has already sealed the brush, so what is there for him to be busy over? Such an unfilial son, ought to properly sort him out.”

“Beloved consort’s words are too serious. He’s currently sick, never mind that you, this consort mother, not heartaching for him, how come even pointed out his faults? Later, call a few more imperial physicians to properly examine him, and get well as soon as possible.”

“That bastard is just asking for it, what is your Majesty bothering with him for? After suffering the hardship, next time, he’ll know the severity.”

Le Cheng Emperor laughed, “How can one just ignore and not be concerned? After the fifteenth, he still needs to help share the burden for this Emperor. There will be plenty for him to be busy over.”

“It was this consort that was short-sighted.”

Le Cheng Emperor later bestowed quite a few good medicinal ingredients down, letting Rui Wangfei take care of him at home. He knew that they were filial, but once Rui Qinwang properly recuperates his health, it’s not too late to come pay his filial piety then.

The others just watched this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair echo one another, as they dispelled Li Hong Ming’s bad impression in Le Cheng Emperor’s heart. Moreover, the areas they could use against him, Noble Consort Su already enumerated without the least bit of hesitation, so what could the others even say?

What was that saying again, ‘setting to the task oneself so as to end up half dead, better than others doing it to directly put one to death’.

The twists and turns inside, who wasn’t clear, but there simply wasn’t the opportunity for them to open their mouth. In the end, he was still a son Le Cheng Emperor loved dearly. Try switching with one that wasn’t favored, the same move perhaps would even get berated.

Originally, seeing Li Hong Ming frequently make mistakes in the last few days, repeatedly getting reprimanded, greatly angering Le Cheng Emperor, quite a few people were all secretly delighted inside. Yet in the end? Before they could even do anything, he just turned the tables again. How could they not be angry, not resent? And towards Li Hong Ming choosing to act out a ‘bitter flesh scheme[1]‘ at this critical junction, playing the emotion card, it also was something they didn’t expect.

That’s right, not that many believed Li Hong Ming really caught a cold. Nine times out of ten, it was just him being deliberate.

Precisely because he’d picked such a special time, it thus made them surprised by the turn of events.

Li Hong Yuan coldly watched from the side. These days, he has curbed his temper, being an obedient son. Even Le Cheng Emperor was still baffled at how he just changed. As a result, Li Hong Yuan didn’t give him a good face, and his heart finally steadied instead.

(T/N: Le Cheng Emperor is so much a masochist that LHY actually behaving himself makes him anxious.)

It was just a cold, who can suspect anything? No one will be able to make out anything in several months. However, once it exceeds a year, when time comes, Rui Qinwang Manor’s rear court no longer having any movements, someone naturally will get anxious. At first, perhaps still won’t have any suspicions towards Rui Qinwang’s body, but once the people that have once gotten pregnant before all no longer having any movements, when that time comes……………….

Li Hong Ming has never really placed special importance on children. He has always believed that after ascending the throne, he can just have as many as he liked. But, if he learns that he can no longer have children, how much energy can he still spend in court, and how much energy on making children?

These first few days in the beginning of the year was nothing more than friends and family mutually visiting and paying respect for the new year. And after the sixth, it was more or less the time for the people below to pay respect to their superior for the new year, and naturally those wanting to pull in relations certainly won’t be in the minority either.

The Luo family naturally will be countless times more lively than previous years. The busiest was probably still Wang-shi. Who let her be in charge of running the household, needing to have all aspects handled appropriately. Since she was in this position, she needed to uphold her duties. She was the madam in charge of the household, so these were all necessary for her to do. If one really were to, for the sake of letting her be idle, have the power in hand divided out, she most likely will be unhappy inside. Not just her, no matter which family, it was all the same. However, if her zhoulis for the most part don’t fight with her over power, and don’t cause trouble for her in the dark, saving her a lot of troubles, she should just burn incense and thank the high heavens. To tax one’s mind and body, yet still have a stomach full of anger, now that would truly be sullen.

Once the visiting came to an end, starting from the eleventh and twelfth, every household began successively hanging up lanterns again. There were further the high officials and noble families that began building lantern buildings, lantern towers, and lantern platforms near the streets of the Thousand Lantern Building.

And starting from the thirteenth, the Lantern Festival will begin, lasting all the way until the fifteenth, lanterns brightly lighting the whole night for three consecutive days.

At the same time, each and every family all began sending colored lanterns. Speaking of the Luo family’s recently wedded daughters, there was only Luo Jing Qiang. She wasn’t as fortunate as Sun Yi Jia, getting pregnant as soon as she married, but not long ago, married young ladies not getting pregnant in the first year or two was all quite normal. However, because of Sun Yi Jia, even if Luo Jing Qiang didn’t say, she probably was still a bit anxious inside. Fortunately, just a few days ago, she was examined to have a pregnancy pulse, and practically a day later, the Luo family’s eldest young lady, Luo Jing Shu, also sent good news, having gotten pregnant with the second child. This for the Luo family naturally were all happy matters.

Their two families both got sent a pair of large palace lanterns, a pair of painted colored glass lantern, two pairs of small lanterns, hoping their pregnancy will be safe and sound. As for whether or not the Luo family has infertile relatives or friends, and sending a lantern in order to bring good luck on adding a son, Jing Wan didn’t know.

(T/N: Palace lantern example below since these are a very specific style of lanterns.)

And Sun Yi Jia naturally also received the lanterns from the Ding Duke Manor. Sun Old Madam had let someone send them.

Lasting until the fifteenth, those going out this night weren’t just the younger generation. It was practically the whole family all setting out. However, unfortunately, Sun Yi Jia still couldn’t go out. It was more or less just these days, that little guy might come out at any time. Luo Jing Bo naturally got left behind, but he didn’t really mind. By next year, bringing his wife and child together, wouldn’t that be even more wonderful?

And Le Cheng Emperor also will come out tonight, bringing along the imperial consorts, the unmarried princesses, as well as the princes that have yet to open their own manors, enjoying the festivity with the people.

After eating a round of various flavored tangyuan, Jing Wan, like her elders, put on her formal attire.

(T/N: I left the pinyin for tangyuan, pictured below, because I didn’t want to write ‘boiled balls’ as one dictionary entry I saw translated it as.)

The route wasn’t the same as last time during Mid-Autumn Festival, and from the start, it was just heading straight for the ‘walking hundred illness’[2]. Regardless whether it was the married or unmarried female, all stayed together in groups, crossing every bridge they saw. This was the so-called ‘crossing the bridge to pass through danger, driving away the illness to prolong life’.

In the capital, aside from the small bridges in certain areas, probably just the river by the Thousand Lantern Building, as well as the city moat that had a bridge. Because the Thousand Lantern Building was inside the city, separated very far from any one side of the city moat, aside from those that lived near the city moat, probably no one would deliberately go there.

However, because the womenfolk of high officials and noble families were numerous, for a very long period of time, the two sides of the river were directly cleared up. Moreover, in order to prevent, two parties from running into one another, the direction of the paths for the most part were all set.

Jing Wan coiled around Luo Old Madam’s arm. At her side were the others of the Luo family, following the crowd, slowly moving forward, even having a bit of ‘rubbing shoulders and following each other’s footsteps’ kind of sense. In the ten some years she’s been in Qi Yuan, this was still Jing Wan’s first time coming in contact with such a dense group of people. Of course, it still wasn’t as scary as certain environments in her past life.

However, walking too quickly, Luo Old Madam’s body most likely won’t be able to withstand. This kind of slow pace, however, was perfectly suitable.

Crossing a total of five bridges more or less took two hours.

[1] Bitter flesh scheme – A literal translation of ‘苦肉计’, where it’s just injuring oneself to gain another’s sympathy

[2] 走百病 – I just translated it literally; this is the popular northern custom/tradition that started during the Ming and Qing dynasties. On this day, all the womenfolk will put on their formal attire for the holiday and form groups, going out to cross bridges and such, all the way until midnight.