“You don’t care if I am angry.” Ignoring her lack of response, Ning Yi continues “So I don’t have to be concerned with what you are thinking either, right?”
“Your Highness is trying to dredge up an old score?” Narrowing her eyes, Zhi Wei asks with a most sincere smile “The other purpose of having you come today is to also explain to you that I didn’t purposefully save the Princess before.”
“But you never planned to help me kill her either.” Ning Yi cuts right to the chase “You had planned to deceive me right from the beginning.”
After a long moment of silence, Zhi Wei replies “I couldn’t let someone with that face die in front of me.”
Both of them knew what her words meant. Rising her eyes to look at Ning Yi who has stayed silent “That is a question that I have been trying to figure out all this time. Do you have an answer?”
Ning Yi was silent for another long moment, Zhi Wei even saw an expression of confusion flashing across his eyes but then he shook his head “When I first met you I was also very surprised.”
So that means he doesn’t know the answer either. Zhi Wei peers closely at Ning Yi, feeling like there is something else he is not saying but then also feels that he is not lying to her either.
“I am sorry the fact that the Princess is still alive has brought you a lot of trouble.” After a bit, Zhi Wei mutters in a low voice “But I could only do that then.”
“Things between us are always like that.” Ning Yi laments with a somewhat bitter smile “Don’t want to be on the opposite side but always is because of various reasons.”
“But I don’t understand why it needs to be so?” Zhi Wei stands up and leans close as she fixates her eyes on him “Tell me, why limit my growth here? Why put me under someone who will hinder me at every turn? (She is not talking about Xin Zi Yan, but a minor character) Why are you certain that I will stand against you? And, why are you so interested in Feng Hao?”
She is so close. Even though there is a mask on her face but her eyes are sparkling like morning dew and her eyelashes seem unbelievably long…Ning Yi couldn’t help himself and reaches out a hand to touch it but Zhi Wei moved away like she has been zapped by lightning.
“We are discussing official business.” Zhi Wei chides with a serious expression “Focus.”
Silently thinking that her annoyed expression is quite cute, Ning Yi’s eyes linger on Zhi Wei’s face longingly for a few more minutes until he finally says “You saved Shao Ning twice, you seem to be connected to her somehow, even your appearance is stunningly identical to her, you know too many of my secrets but you are not necessarily on my side. If you were someone in a position as I am in, wouldn’t you try to constrain you, kill you even?” (The Shao Ning/Princess and Zhi Wei thing is THE big mystery of the story so I am not going to answer any questions concerning it since that would be a huge spoiler. You are of course welcome to ask questions about what we would know by this point concerning the mystery or any clarifying questions of what had happened in the past.)
“Your Highness never thought about getting me, the “nation’s scholar” on your side?” Something about Ning Yi’s answer seems off, Zhi Wei asks with a frown.
Ning Yi doesn’t reply as he raised the cup up to his mouth but makes no move to drink it, his expression hard to see behind the light steam of water vapor.
Zhi Wei didn’t speak either. Her fingers softly caress the edge of the teapot, her finger could feel the warmth but it couldn’t warm the coldness seeping into her heart.
After a moment, Ning Yi says softly “Zhi Wei, listen to my advice on this. Leave this and go back to Qiu manor. I will figure out a way to get Helian to give up on you. In the future, then you will be my…”
Ning Yi reaches into his pocket seemingly ready to pull out something but a hand stopped him in midmotion.
Looking down at the long slender fingers on his hand, Ning Yi asks “This is your rejection?”
Pulling her hands away, Zhi Wei says with a leveled voice “Let’s finish our discussion first, there is time for that later.”
Slowly pulling his hand out of the pocket, Ning Yi smiles forlornly and finally says after a bit “Alright, then tell me first, why as a woman you are unwilling to get married and have kids like all the other women but instead wants to climb the dangerous ladder as a government official?”
“There are probably very few people who have seen my father in the capital.” Silent for a long moment, Zhi Wei finally begins to talk, seemingly starting a completely different subject “In my memory, before the age of four, he existed.”
“He was very busy, very aloof, never really around sort of existence.”
His gaze on Zhi Wei, Ning Yi has a vague feeling that the man who was once the subject of wild rumors in the Capital, the man who caused the legendary female general to elope then return to the Capital in disgrace might be the crux of the problem.
“Before the age of four, my family’s circumstance was quite good. We lived deep in a mountain that is far away from the Capital. Even though the area didn’t have much but we had plenty for our needs. Father is often gone and would be home once in a long while. When he is home he didn’t pay too much attention to me or my brother. There didn’t seem to be much joy in my mother when she sees him either. Sometimes, there are even traces of sadness in her expression.”
Ning Yi brows knitted into a frown. Something doesn’t add up. After throwing everything away to elope together then becoming the parents of a son and a daughter, this couple should’ve been blissfully happy so why did it turn out like that instead?
“Because of that, I slowly stopped having the desire to have father home. When he is around the house became suffocatingly depressing, without any trace of the warmth that is shared by the three of us when he is gone. To me, a man like that, a man who left my mother alone with the sole responsibility of raising her children, a father who is as if he didn’t exist and when he is back only brought unhappiness…it might as well be better to not have him.”
“Ever since I can remember, mother keeps on telling me that many women in this world live their lives being dependent on others but some are not lucky enough to find a man who they can rely on. So instead of waiting for fate to decide which group you belong to, you might as well learn to rely on yourself and love yourself.”
“That’s why mother taught me many things. She tried to teach my brother too but it didn’t really work. Mother said since my brother can’t be counted on then as the older sister it is my responsibility to provide for both of them. I have always remembered that.”
“Nonsense!” Ning Yi couldn’t help but protests “Why would it fall on a fragile woman to support the whole family?” (The Chinese wording “fragile woman” here is more like a common adjective often used by both men and women to describe the female sex. It sounds pretty offensive in English but just know that it is not necessarily the case in Chinese.)
“Feng family does not produce fragile women.” Zhi Wei’s gaze was calm and clear “If the women in Feng family are weak then they would’ve long been crushed into dust.”
Holding Zhi Wei’s gaze, Ning Yi suddenly puts his hands over hers. The hands in his are soft and smooth with spots of callus…callus that sends dull stabs of pain into him.
Lowering her eyes to stare at their intertwined hands, Zhi Wei smiles then pull her hands away.
“The year I was four, he really stopped coming back.” Zhi Wei continues “Without his support, the family eventually had difficulty making ends meet. Mother had no other choice but to bring us back to the Capital.”
“This is my beginning in the Capital.” Zhi Wei flashes a smile at Ning Yi “It began with kneeling in front of Qiu Manor during the dead of winter and being drenched with a bucket of dirty foot-washing water after they refused to open the door to us. My never-ending battle with the Capital, with Qiu Manor, with the society’s rejection and humiliation began then. There is no going back.”
“There is no one to stand by you or to shield you when you most needed it. It’s up to you to protect your family from all the malice attacks, humiliation, hindrance, and bullying. You are tired of having to always be your guard with every step you take but no matter how tired you are there is no stopping. If you stop then that means others will gain control of your life and decide your fate at their whim.”
“We are the shame of the Qiu Manor, a shame everyone wish would simply disappear. If we don’t want to disappear then we have to pay the price.” Her eyes lowered, Zhi Wei continues “I have spent the last ten years like this. Eating the most meager pitiful New Year’s meal in our little room while listening to the festivities in the main hall. I vowed then that I will never rely on anyone. I will never place my hope on anyone else. I vowed one day I will use my only abilities to rise above all and triumph over all those who used to look down on me.”
“Do you think you are someone who can be depended on?” Zhi Wei’s voice was no higher than a murmur but her tone was piercing “You were taught to ascend to the highest point, you practice the art of trapping dragons (dragons are usually a reference to the royal family- especially the emperor in Chinese), your mission is to destroy the dragon with the dragon killing knife held in your hand. Win, you will stand at the highest sumit gazing down on all those below. Lose, blood with stain all those who have the slightest connection to you. Your life has always been and will always be like walking on a thin steal wire. Lose, I will lose my life with you. Win, I am just a number among your three thousand concubines. (Three thousand is a common number when one refers to how many women an Emperor have but it is just a saying since obviously various emperors could have much less…or more than that.) What do you have to promise me a life of bliss?”
Her questions right to the point and unforgiving, Ning Yi who was caught completely by surprise, sat stunned.
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com
I feel that Ning Yi asking her marriage was a bit rush, I mean, they didn’t meet so often and their relationship is not so well developed. Anyway, I am surprised that Zhi Wei gave him so well constructed and straight-to-the-heart answer.
A pity we didn’t see this scene portrayed in the drama.
Our two leads have actually met A LOT more than most couples (at least the noble couples) would have before marriage. Remember this is set in a place and period of time when marriages are arranged through matchmakers and parents. The REALLY nice parents might allow the engaged couples to meet a few time before marriage but even then, it would be chaperoned. It could even be argued (according to this time period’s social rules) that our heroine is already a ruined woman and has no other choice than to marry Ning Yi after the many “shocking” things they have done together (ie. spending a night together on the bridge, meeting alone several times, Ning Yi undressing Zhi Wei…among other things…). Our two leads are of course not the kinda person to care one wit about social rules.
I loved ver argument against marriage!
So, what’s the mystery with the princess?
Spoilers sweetie…
That was a devastating, but well forethought answer. One guaranteed to put up walls as there seems no hope in breaching such an argument. I would have despaired had I been in Ning Yi’s shoes.
Oh, that’s so good!! I like Zhi Wei a lot here. She’s not trying to be cruel but poor Ning Yi must be crushed. I’m super-curious of Shaoning’s potential connection to Zhi Wei. Ooh! Half-sisters, same Dad – as in not the Emporer or that puts all kinds of ickiness in the equation! The more you translate, Ninja, the more I wonder why the writers of TROP didn’t make up an original script idea. It’s so different to the book really with differing motivations and back stories. The only thing that feels the same are our leads cunning and sizzling chemistry. Which is the best bit! 😊 Thank you for the Monday fix.
😱😱😱😱 cant wait for next week!!!
Thank you. I love reading your translations!
Great translation (also appreciate the translator notes), an extra long one today which gives so much insight into character development and motivation during the drama. I don’t recall any of these scenes in the drama and the intimate interaction here between the leads foreshadows much of their future difficult decisions.
I wonder what it was that Ning Yi was going to pull out of his pocket….. Does the author reveal it in the future? As for that big mystery between the Princess and Zhi Wei, can’t wait for it to be revealed.
The author never said it, but there is no doubt that it’s the pendent he had taken out during the feast.
Hello. Im one of those lucky few who are here and waiting for every Monday with anticipation. Thank you very much for all hard work you do translating and adapting this novel for our understanding.
I was so fascinated with story after watching the drama , I found actual novel and read it through Google Translator. It was painful sometimes:D some parts was bearable, and some parts I couldn’t understand, because of the depth of plot and huge number of characters. I have couple questions for you if you don’t mind,
It’s more about the whole novel.
First, what a “broken sleeves” mean? It seems like WZ / NY/ GN was seen as people who have “man+man “relationships? Next :what does “Quasi “means? And the last , for the moment, in which part of novel , ZW gets NY drunk and “have her way ” with him , I cannot find that part , it’s gotta be good ;D.
Thank you very much in advance and … can’t wait to see next part of these chapter.. I know it’s going to be smash;))
Please give a link to the site where you read the novel.
I don’t know if it’s ok to give a links here , if not, I apologize in advance. In any case ,easy way to find a novel is type the original Chinese name of it in google. A lot of links will come out . Im sure you can figure it out from here . But novel is huge and it’s not full in most of sites. I found full version of it on novel101.com
Adding to MissMint’s comment: try googling 凰权小说
By the way, the novel really is HUGE. I am starting to really feel how huge it is as I am translating…and appreciating the fact the you guys are okay with me just focusing on the best parts.
Thank yoy!
Qual link vc achou o romance ?
“broken sleeve” mean exactly what you thought. As for “Quasi” I am going to need the Chinese character to tell you what it means. Many Chinese words has the exact sound but different characters so “Quasi” could be a lot of things.
As for our heroine jumping our hero part: That part is shockingly short (as in we really don’t get any details on that) so I am not surprised you couldn’t find it. I can’t remember where it is either off the top of my head…at least not without me spending a lot of time going through the story.
Thank you for your generosity! I do understand now, indeed ,I reread the book and realized that that is really “broken sleeve “)) When I read it first time, I couldn’t get it straight because google translate is very “rough ” to be honest. HUGE THANKS to you NinjaReflection , because you doing amazing job of translating things to English. Can’t wait to see next chapter.
Like was said…that scene was so subdued compared to the nearly almost scenes that I also missed it. I went back and had to reread the last half of the novel just to track it down.
It starts at the end of chapter 151 (so close and yet so far) and continues in the beginning of chapter 152. Seriously, I had to read that scene like 3 times just to realize that something happened. And the only clue was what she did when she reappeared back outside, literally 3 words…that I didn’t see the significance of in the first few readings.
The hottest scene was the hot springs, in my opinion…and that post novel scene that Ninja sort of covered in her ending translations…
Thank you very much! Just reread it again, seriously doubt I could understand what really is going on , because google translation it too raw and barely make sense. Thanks a lot!!!
The term “short” sleeve comes from a story of an emperor who cut off his own sleeve so as not to wake up his male lover, who was asleep on his sleeve.
Thank you!! I realized it , but without actual knowledge of Chinese characters, it didn’t make sense before, but it’s all clear now. Thanks a lot !
I like the dynamic between the characters here a lot!!! Could you explain the background of the Feng family a little bit more? And how that differs from the drama’s portrayal?
Look forward to next week!
The author actually doesn’t spend a lot of time on Feng family’s background but here are a few things:
1. Our heroine’s uncle is a government official. (Not a minor one but not a super big one either)
2. Our heroine’s mother was a female general and the Emperor knew her well when they were young. (This is the part that was left out in the drama.)
3. Mama Feng eloped with the leader of the Bloody Pagoda which is why she is out of favor with the Emperor and seen as a shame to her family. (Other than her own family and the Emperor, most people had no idea who she eloped with but the fact she eloped was bad enough to tarnish her reputation forever.)
Can I ask what did he have in his pocket and what did she put in his pocket?
He was going to pull out his jade pendent. Zhi Wei didn’t put anything into his pocket, she just put her hand on his to stop him from pulling out the pendent…thus rejecting his proposal.
Wow, thanks for the long translation between the lead. The chemistry is definitely between them. The seem reminds of when they first met in the drama, and emperor wanted them to get married and she refused. Does this scene in the book refer to that? I love the fact though that the book gives a lot of background information on WZ family. At this point does she know who she is? I will not ask about the connection with the princess, only to mention that she did save her from dying when Ning YI kills the crown prince in the drama. Is that what they are talking about? Also, I believe that is the necklace in Ning Yi pocket am I right.? Love the book details………..
I don’t believe the Emperor ever tried to marry Zhi Wei off to Ning Yi in the novel. Zhi Wei is not going to find out her real identity for a good bit. As for the princess, yes, they were referring to the time Zhi Wei saved the Princess during the Crown Prince’s rebellion. And that’s the jade pendent in Ning Yi’s pocket.
Does the novel have the same story about the crown prince rebellion or is it different? And was Ning Yi responsible for killing him? Ning Yi mention he wanted to save ZW from Prince Helian advances? In the novel is their relationship and how they ended up together different? I don’t want to jump ahead so you do not have to give details.
The crown prince’s rebellion was fairly similar in the novel but it was a lot quicker and simpler. In the show the crown prince was a villain our hero had to use a lot of effort and brain power to beat but that was not the case in the novel. In the book, the crown prince was just a pesky and foolish villain our hero had to systematically get rid off.
If I remember right, the reason Zhi Wei ended up leaving with Helian is the same in the novel as it was in the drama.
I’m with ZW! Marriage to a royal is pretty treacherous regardless of how things work out. Thanks for the awesome translation.
I love the heated conversation between our leads today. Can you explain if it’s correct that her father did not die when Da Cheng was wiped out? Or was this a fake father, just like her mother is not her biological one?
Mama Feng’s husband died during the last battle of Da Cheng. The author doesn’t going into the details, but it is safe to assume Zhi Wei’s biological father died around the same time when Da Cheng was wiped out.
Thank you for the translation. It is fascinating and opens up so many more possibilities than what was shown in the drama.
I am confused about ZW’s father. I’m presuming she is referring to her mother’s husband, who in the drama used his own son as a decoy for the royal infant prince and jumped off a cliff. How then is it that ZW remembers him up to age 4? Or is the background story completely different?
No need to explain if it’s a spoiler.
Loving your excerpts!
The novel doesn’t explain this in detail but let’s puzzle it out together. My guess is with that time line, Feng Hao would be about four years younger than Zhi Wei so that means four years before the “big last battle” Zhi Wei was already with her adopted parents. Remember, the Emperor (and those in Tian Sheng empire) has always been looking for the last royal prince of Da Cheng and has no clue that it was actually the last princess that the Bloody Pagoda is in charge of safeguarding. This sounds cruel but really, even the royal prince was a decoy to draw people’s attention away from Zhi Wei’s existence. It is also vital to remember that in the novel Bloody Pagoda has always known that Tian Sheng empire’s ending is inevitable (due to the predictions from their founder, the first Emperor and Empress of Tian Sheng, the two leads in Fuyao) so it makes sense they would make sure Zhi Wei would be raised far from the palace since birth. Unlike in the drama where the Bloody Pagoda is an organization that is struggling in vain to revive their destroyed empire, in the novel, Bloody Pagoda is a powerful and mysterious organization with one goal since its creation, and one goal only- to watch over Zhi Wei.
Aah, that makes sense now. I was stuck on the depiction from the drama of Feng Hao and Zhi Wei as twins, but if she was older and already installed in the household then it could also explain why it comes so naturally to ZW to be the responsible sibling, I guess.
Thank you again. Looking forward to next week!
Hello ninja-reflection.
Sending greetings from Russia ƪ (˘⌣˘)
I want to express my appreciation for translating the novel. I can not like the others to use the button “Donate” to somehow confirm that I take your work seriously. (Different currencies)
Automated translation of my message, of course, awkward. I’m sorry. Nevertheless, you should know: there is a person who reads your translation from Chinese into English via Google translator (who, in turn, translates from English to Russian). This man is me.
And I am very grateful to you. There is no other way to get acquainted with the novel.
┐ (￣ ヮ ￣) ┌
I also want to ask you not to worry about what you think is that you translate certain scenes badly (for example, intimate ones). After all, even reading your text through a translator, I understand everything and I think that everything always works great for you!
I also thank everyone who comments. And for what you, the author of the translation, answer questions. This is also very valuable and interesting.
Here you go. I have long wanted to express my gratitude, but did not dare.
I hope everyone understands my message.
～ (^ з ^) – ♡
Thank you for the kind words! It is certainly a big encouragement to me!
That mysterious book does not leave me alone. I joined late to read the translation. You have long passed that chapter.
You’re saying that Zhi Wei isn’t trying to find out about his background. I wonder how Zhi Wei finds out that she is a Princess of Da Cheng? Very interesting and mysterious Golden Book. Where Nin N know that this book is inherited by descendants Da Cheng?
And why is Zhi Wei doesn’t know about it?
“…Everything about that person is kept by the royal guards of Da Cheng, only passed down to the royal blood, never to be found by outsiders…”
Was this book just lying in the Zhi Wei family in the library? How did the mother explain to the children the origin of the book, how did she explain that the book should be kept secret?
Title of the book: “The Way to Quickly but Stably Develop a Nation.”
I realized that this is the dissertation of the king ??? Or not?
What, in general, is still written in the book? What tips for stable prosperity of the nation are given in the book?
Does the book have tips for Zhi Wei to recover Dacheng?
I am assuming you are asking about the book that was written by the first Empress of Da Cheng (also the heroine in Fuyao). Zhi Wei didn’t get the book from Mama Feng or chance upon it in the family library but she was given it by a mysterious old man she worked for. (We can of course safely assume the man is actually a member of the Bloody Pagoda) As a prince, Ning Yi would know quite a bit about Da Cheng’s history so it wasn’t difficult for him to guess who wrote the book. As for Zhi Wei, while she might not have known at first but it is clear that she figured out soon after.
Empress of Fuyao was actually from the modern time so the book contains various stuff she felt would be useful knowledge.
The first Emperor and Empress are immortals so they had already told Bloody Pagoda when Da Cheng would fall and had already ordered them to not interfere so there wouldn’t be any expectation on their part for Zhi Wei (or anyone else) to re-establish Da Cheng.
Thank you for the clarification
Dear Ninja,
Thank you so much for your translations. I have finally caught up on all your blogs. Very
entertaining. Looking forward to your next post.
Cheers