Volume II, Big Summer Dynasty Chapter 10: Just started
By Xiao Xiang Dong'Er Translated and Arranged by Angel Chua
Edited by Angel Chua - 01 June 2019
In December, the West is still in discreet chaos, Chishui (吃水 means opening and red or scarlet) wind, Sirius ( 天狼星 means to bridge between heaven and hell )chill, Daikin (means cold air) pavement.
Within twenty days, the turmoil intensified, tens of thousands of people still involved in the war. Shangxian (means wind) County, a special geographical location, located in the Western fife (means high-pitched transverse flute used commonly in the military and marching musical groups). The Bathuja (means favored) family and Yanbei are between the jurisdiction of the Emperor. The peace of the two sides competes for the chaos of the calamity year through bypassing each other, although, the real Huangdi (means military stars) is under the jurisdiction of Bathuja family and Yan Wang Qi sent elite troops but it is only assumed on paper snow-like documents. The victims of the riots did not repose but rather intensified, emergency paper snow-like letter sent to the Royal Park to request that the Huangdi Ministry troops should be suppressed.
On December 27th, breaking the Huangdi (means military stars) would become Zhaoming (means guidepost or light) Hermitage (means hideaway), Qin Temple wishes to clear as this will be bloody, implied to be decisive as blood dipped to the icy waters as broken Huangdi's were fierce in their battles.
Seven on and off arguments was discussed within the night and decided to send to Huangtian (means above, mighty, heaven) Department to Shang Shen (side notes: some sources relate Shang with Shang dynasty ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Zhou dynasty) to alleviate the northwest chaos.
After its release, it was presented to the Golden Palace and the Emperor read the paper-snow like documents, actioned it by stamping its seal re: Prospective.
Suddenly, the Emperor is in chaos as if he was at the major hall of tension, dark like the night, while the blustery aura of the heavy ice is under the rapid outpouring from his outside palace.
From a distance of the Northwest Pavillion, Chu Qiao seems to be busy. Careful to find winter cat snake in the cave. Suddenly her ears heard the sound of the drum, prolonged, graceful and forceful. She slowly stood straight, her eyes half squinting, slowly looked to the Southern Plains where Sheng Jin Gong was located.
The night is deep and it is not a good idea to leave.
The snow was clear on its second day. Castle Peak Prefecture under its lustrous tile, two snow jade dog in the first light of the day appears. It is crystal clear, bright and light. While last night, under the heavy snow where a foot thick snow was collected it cannot be seen. Now the snow layers have been shoveled where the next person looking after the snow jade dog, her head and eyes seemed not cross-eyed but look as if she is afraid to see more than she is willing to get to trouble in general.
The jealous Jin Chen is wearing a thin pitch black shirt, her hair wrapped in a small clip with her pink skirt, she wears in her waist a baby pink sash. Standing on white snow she became more gorgeous and glamorous. This day the girl was in the fourth juvenile service, but now only 13 years old, she got herself a classy meal and usually she is always with the fourth young master's side. Out of her finesse attitude is some domineering side, her bereft tone, her eyes were always showing disgust in the public. Only wearing a thin shirt tightly holding the snow jade dogs the youngster's cold voice said: "Attention! the fourth young master said, this jade is alive, its power will be more and more bright and clean. The servant slaves are fortunate enough to be able to pay a visit for the fourth young master and cannot be lazy. If I come back and sees who is not obedient, I will make sure to send them to the Jile Pavillion to feed them to the crocodiles."
The timid children nodded and forced to obey, Jin Chen had a mocking eye on them, turned to the warm flowers and went to the room.
As the snow falls, colder weather settles, holding a shovel and a kiln that some cannot use, not to mention wearing only a thin shirt standing in the snow these children lips are frozen the entire time.
Chu Qiao carrying a fresh bale of peaches just came from the Blue Mountains, Jin Chen sees and meet her quickly from the flower room walked out and greeted her. Chu Qiao turned to stop, her look is rude and looks at Jin Jiao, she tilted her head and said: What is it? "
"Fourth young master is napping, just hand over the fresh bale peach to me."
Chu Qiao smiles and nodded her head, and she handed out the peach to her. Jin Chen sneered and went into the flower room. Chu Qiao does not know yet if she is going to give it to the fourth young master so she sat tight, suddenly she put her ears to the Xuan Hall and she heard a voice of anger, Jin Chen looked on panic and she put down the peach then ran away. From the door, a colorful shadow from the door fly out to her, the shadow brushed her and twisted her face, soft and cold, there is a trace stench of vapor like a creamy smoke.
Jin Jiao bowed and then looks, finds herself in a high spirit of the snake, suddenly the soul of flying outside, exclaimed and sat on the ground.
Chu Qiao ran inside the Xuan Hall and went straight and found Zhuge Yue room, his eyebrows locked and weak, wearing a lake green Jin Yinhua garment with brocade and his waist belt solely created to Zhuge Yue household leaning on the soft couch, on his left wrist was dripping red-black blood apparently were snake bites.
Chu Qiao ran again a few steps and grabbed the left wrist of Zhuge Yue, picked up the knife on the table near him and then cut a fruit. She dripped it against the wound and put down his wrist so the snake's poison does not reach the veins of Zhuge Yue's heart.
Zhuge Yue full of anger wanted to speak but was surprised to see Chu Qiao draw a small cross in his wound, squeeze a few times and to suck up the poison in her mouth, and then she spit on the floor twice and she anxiously said: "Young Master, please do not make the effort, otherwise the poison will spread faster." The servant slaves already went so fetch the physician.
At the moment, the door has gathered a large number of servants carrying a candle while on panic rushed to come forward and pushed Chu Qiao, the servants kneeling on the ground to seize Zhuge Yue's hand and cried: "Master, how are you?"
"Get out!" Zhuge Yue frowned. Kicked in the Jin Chen, he exclaimed but his voice is light even in a manner of shout he said: "you are a group of useless waste!"
Thin spider-like arms touched Chu Qiao and suddenly startled as she saw the insects crawling on the ground, like an army attacking the young master more than twenty. It looks scary and terrible.
Chu Qiao quickly got the candle holder stand and quickly lit the candlestick, to drive snakes away, and the worms and when the snakes feared, it scattered and suddenly went out.
Zhuge family physician was outside Aoyama (means Castle Peak) courtyard and quickly came as the crowd was dispersed at, the elite family members who are all trembling at the castle door, left one by one.
Soon the physician arrived and came forward to the audience and said: "Who is the Xing'er?"
Chu Qiao stood up, short stature, face tender, whispering raised his hand and said: "Sir, I am."
The doctor did not expect such a big child, slightly dizzy, pondered for the meantime while, Chu Qiao coldly said: "You come in, fourth young master said do you have the antidote of the poison's snake bite, please come to the young master for you to see."
Before and after more than a hundred people on both sides came to probe the thriller incident. They looked up to Chu Qiao and her face not merely in panic, she knelt first and bowed her head grateful for fourth young master's bestowed grace, then followed the doctor into the Xuan hall.
Chu Qiao was cold and her hair iron tassel was lower than Zhuge Yue household and to avoid further impression as one of the lowest slaves, in her quick mind she turned, so the physician would not see her iron hair tassel.
Soon for the effort, Chu Qiao came out of the Xuan hall looking sadly and did not have that usual arrogant look. After the doctor left, Jin Chen and two girls holding the candle with a few high officials into the Zhuge Yue room, Zhuge Yue leaning on the back, eyes half closed, he softly said: "Who is that bold someone who came here and cut my wrist?"
Jin Chen glanced at Jin Jiao and bowed their head and said: "Master, she is just a slave…."
"You do not have to say," Zhuge Yue's voice is indifferent and explained he said: "You know my rules here, always do not eat and drink with idlers." No more than own thirty whips for the back of slaves facing the board, and then his soldier servants took a letter from his office and he said: "Approved."
Jin Chen holding the candle, tears suddenly fall down, kneeling on the ground loudly cried: "Master, you have to spare the slaves this time, slaves would no longer dare."
Zhuge Yue raised his brow lightly, two Kong Wu and powerful Dan (means business and military marshals) suddenly came forward after some instructions they set their foot to a mission, holding a candle and went out.
"Who are the gatekeeper guards?"
Two knees kneeling on the ground, trembling, could not hold the kowtow said: "I am guilty and ashamed I let my young master risk his own life but this one beside me also made me do it and I let the servants inside without checking."
Zhuge Yue opened his eyes and with a glimpse of his two eyes questioned and said: "is it the two of you?
"You have always been playing others, and now so go to the patio, hold the board to fight each other, let's see who die first and whoever lives will not be punished."
With Zhuge Yue who almost died and got wrist injury, he is upset, frowned and said: "All of you get out of it and do not come near me to watch while I am upset." Slaves know how is the young master's rules and if it turns out to rage, it'll be hard to turn it off. So as Zhuge Yue hunts the criminal, the entire Zhuge Yue household seemed like the dead animal that no one can hide.
Everyone in the case of amnesty, suddenly Qi (means breath) will soon go out. Before every slaves has to leave their breaths, a little bold voice suddenly said: "Young Master, slaves do not go out of the castle peak and I saw that a few pots of fire rattan vine was installed in the Castle Peak."
Zhuge Yue raises his brow: "What did you say?"
Everyone turned their backs to see this little slave just entering the Aoyama (means castle peak) courtyard standing behind the crowd, small size, tender voice slowly said: "Although it is the winter season, Castle Peak location is special, close to the Hot springs, a lot of warm climate means more mosquito and moths. Rattan vines attract these insects and these vines stores more heat so for the colder season it is easy for snakes to crawl and make the vines a temporary shelter as they have more food to eat like the mosquitoes, then birds eat snakes in return. This is common sense, slaves should have long thought of.
Zhuge Yue wrinkled his eyebrows and had a long pause of thought, turned to them and said: "Who put these pots of fire to send vine angles to creep in the castle peak?"
Jin Jiao face turns white, trembling and said: "Master, this pottery is sent yesterday by Zhu Shun and he said it is from southern specialty, he said that young master may like it and then deliberately the slaves placed it under your household."
"Zhu Shun?" Zhuge Yue turned out cold, his pair of narrow eyes went colder than his gestures, slowly said: "Are you also aware that the steward is after for more and more prestige, and next time if he bought a dagger from the Western Regions, he let you put in the young master's bed, with no doubt, you will do it."
Jin Chen shocked, promptly in a kowtow position and said: "your servants do not dare!"
Zhuge Yue indifferent without a word, some servants and slaves are dismissed when Zhuge Yue suddenly said: "You, after me, in the waiting room."
Everyone surprised a moment, they do not know who among them was called and then he said as Zhuge Yue throws an impatient frown, pointing to Chu Qiao said: "Yes, you star child."
All eyes and eyes suddenly gathered together, Chu Qiao down on her head respectfully said: "slaves obeys."
Out of the Xuan Hall, the Zhuge Yue servants put the blood of the candle on the carriage, a weak woman was hit no more than thirty plus on board, and will be thrown into the kind of place in the military, where their life will be in chaos. Zhuge Yue does not usually do what Zhuge Huai Jile Pavillion household does but thrives on punishing people to life sentence and see them perish.
Jin Jiao seeing her at the back is feeling cold, hands and feet are shivering. At this time, a sweet voice suddenly sounded behind, she turned to see Chu Qiao looked at her smiling, sweet face, said: "Jin Jiao sister, we will work together later, I am young, you have to take care of me!"
I do not know why Jin Chen at moment actually shows panic, she looked at Chu Qiao forced to become calm and said: "We are all slaves, we mutually take care of each other and that it should be."
"Is that so?" Chu Qiao smiled sarcastically then said: "There were still children here, do you think Jin Jiao did not do it?"
The children nodded and said: "They are almost there inside the room of the master at the same time."
"I would like to thank you for the first time" Chu Qiao smiled and she continued to walk. Then children felt frozen and then dispersed themselves. But one of them remembered turned and said: "If not for you, sister, the young master must have been killed and because of his kindness you are still alive and all of us slaves, so the children here feel good about you. Jin Chen followed her with a candle she is holding and told Chu Qiao:
Jin Jiao did not put in the pot, with a pair of eyes tightly looking at Chu Qiao she added: "just think this little child whole body is braved by the evil, it is scary" Chu Qiao slowly came forward, tiptoed as she knows Jin Chen is lying, on the jealous ear slowly said: "As the saying goes, good and evil in the end will be exposed, and retaliation will not come today because time has not yet arrived, correct?"
Jin Chen surprised, suddenly stepped back, turned and wanted to leave. Chu Qiao hands with her quick eyes caught her shoulder, the girl was shocked and she almost jumped then shouted: "What are you going to do?"
Chu Qiao in the cold hum and has no longer the slightest smile on her face and then coldly said: "Are you nervous or what? I just want you to go back to pick bale peach."
"bale peach?"
"You and I are now with the room maidservants, there is no distinction between high and low, I went hard to go to Nanyuan to gather baled peaches, do you not think that I was very safe when I was picking baled peaches?" By saying this, Chu Qiao has just announced she was promoted from the lowest slave to a room maidservant.
The thin one suddenly went on speechless.
Chu Qiao turned and walked toward the flower house while walking, someone from the other side said: "Castle Peak cannot cover as the river east flows, knowledge of the other party is always an advantage. Some words you can only say, some warning you can only do once, after how you acted today, how do you think about yourself?"
This day is not a calm ordinary day, the elders issued a destroyer to Shangxian thief who stole the paper-snow letters. Huangtian (means above, mighty, heaven) Department is tasked to suppress the stage of their rebellion but the seven gatekeepers who are powerful and well off homeowners are robbing the head to fight the Department of Huangtianand his days are numbered as the Commander of this position. Zhuge Household, the majority of Zhuge Muqing (means mothers or ancestors or families) is working in the Imperial Government, almost all of the authority and their affairs are subject to Zhuge Huai who presided over the vast Imperial Court of the above, its Imperial swords and its Imperial University.
Also on this day, Zhuge Household, the fourth son Zhuge Yue was on the news that he was bitten by snakes. Although the treatment was done timely, he still needs time to rest. Zhuge Yue holds the position as Major General of Huangtian Department, the old and origin of the Zhuge Yue Shrine. Once upon a time, three soldiers from the northwest Sharman became rebellious, with their superb Wuxia martial arts, Zhuge Yue together with Zhuge Huai seized the leader. Other major gate information source is very well informed and can quickly grasp the news. Zhuge Huai went on foot and saw his brother Zhuge Yue was at war with his household. The words of the opposition were followed by the cautious servant that was about to report to the Imperial Palace… In the afternoon, when the imperial physician was about to leave, Zhuge Huai ambushed him so he would not be able to report back to the palace then he said: "You don't have any idea or no sense of Zhuge family or Huang family days, so you had to be quietly be dispelled."
With the corpse in the Zhuge Huai's courtyard, as usual, he has to dispatch and his specialty to clean up this dirty mess. Then some of Zhuge family powerful elites of their blood relatives was at the family's door, Zhuge Huai's household is now in the moment of disturbance.
On the same day, because of young master Zhuge Yue's injury, Zhuge House was staged to melodrama for rewards or punishment. Jin Chen who always bully the children and other maidservants was now under the corpses, and two gatekeepers who were on fight with sticks beat each other and one died while the other one is in injury, and on its second day due to his condition was not able to treat, he expired. Zhuge Yue's household older housekeepers have also beaten no more than 30 whips on the board because the pots in the Castle peak was not thoroughly checked and caused snake bites to the young master. They stayed in their rooms and still groaning in pain while resting.
After the northwest mountain next to the warmth of the crocodile Pavillion Lake, once again quietly sank three corpses, let the fish and shrimp eat and no one dared to see.
Dark night, a starry night without light, Chu Qiao took it from her hands the last eight string of paper money from an old canister, then murmured on a whisper sound: "You look at it."
ACs Afterthoughts
This is Zhuge Yue nature and glad to find more details and inside look of his household. In this chapter, we were able to uncover who he really is, his own rules, the always peaceful kind of master yet it is very hard to turn off his offensiveness once he is being attacked. We also identified their differences with Zhuge Huai which actually was his full-blooded brother in the novel.
Zhuge Yue manages the old Zhuge Yue Huang Shrine. And he is regarded as the master of the inside while Zhuge Huai manages the Imperial courts, swords and their university which is considered the leader and master of the outside of Zhuge household.
Zhuge Huai has vast authority over the land while Zhuge Yue controls and manages the information of the land. Zhuge Huai does not really do melodrama's in the Redhills courtyard, Unlike Zhuge Yue, he is not at risk of direct attacks but what he does is different from Zhuge Yue.
If Zhuge Yue has a lake at the back of the blue mountain where he feeds the natural fishes and shrimps, Zhuge Huai has this fearsome Jile Pavilion where he hides his crocodile pets and feeds them with human flesh. Zhuge Huai does no punish but selects candidates and there is only one place to kill them and put them away.
As a death penalty law so is how he handles his affairs in his own hands and may bypass his courts which he is the head.
Zhuge Yue, on the other hand, is always at risk of direct attacks and his manner of handling his affairs is through rewards and punishment. He investigates and hunts the criminal. The fourth young master does not stop until he finds them.
Merits are given to those meritorious acts and punishments for those criminal acts and Zhuge Yue does not only punishes the involved but his entire household as we read in this chapter.
Zhuge Yue is not a fan of lethal killing but more on democratic like a life sentence to a shred of proven evidence criminal as he likes to see the person perish. Death is too easy. To Zhuge Yue, it is like grace.
While Zhuge Huai likes the shortcut of everything, he knows courts rules are boring and tiring. With Zhuge Yue its different perspective, he likes the spying, hunting game to capture the villains.
In the case of Jin Chen's cause of death, it was not revealed. In my own personal opinion, she may have done suicide because she cannot accept Chu Qiao's promotion. Probably when Chu Qiao said she has to pick baled peaches, it scared her and from thereon, Jin Chen may have been demoted to low slaves status.
Jin Chen did not die by Zhuge Yue's order and maybe through suicide, she has done to herself when the next day, Zhuge Yue found her dead. For Jin Chen, maybe dying is better than wallowing herself in pity, if she becomes a slave again after her fourth juvenile service with Zhuge Yue household.