The two of them shamelessly stayed in Cheng'en Hall for a few days, and only set off for the summer villa after Yan Guan had recovered.
The carriage was spacious and comfortable. Yan Guan reclined, feeling a little drowsy. He felt that he had been spoiled a bit too much these past few days, and now couldn't bear even the little bumps [of the carriage]. Reflecting on this, he realised that this couldn't go on. As they say, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go back. He decided to pick up his old habits again. So, he sat up straight.
"Just sleep if you're tired. It's okay," Chao Ge suggested as noticed his motion-sickness.
Yan Guan stubbornly shook his head, placed his hands on his knees, and sat very upright. This is a way of maintaining health, and of preventing qi and blood from stagnating after sitting for a long time. The previous slouching posture was not good [for health].
Since Yan Guan was determined, Chao Ge didn't persuade him any further.
When they arrived at the mountain villa, the sleeping chambers had already been tidied up. Yan Guan was stunned as soon as he got off the carriage. This mountain villa was not as big as the Imperial Palace, but it was exquisitely built with the Southern aesthetic in corners and eaves.
Chao Ge took his hand and went in, explaining, "It's modeled after Liang Dynasty’s architecture, as a symbol of the friendly relationship between the two nations. But, in truth, it was built because the founding monarch once favoured a woman from the Liang Dynasty."
Yan Guan found it novel but didn't look around too much. Hearing this, he couldn't help but be intrigued and asked, "Then what happened to this concubine later?"
Chao Ge paused, his expression stiffening, and changed the subject, "Our bedroom is over there. The servants are all outside, so there will be less restraint." After speaking, he pulled Yan Guan inside. Yan Guan understood that the concubine's ending was probably not good. Looking at himself and Chao Ge now, didn’t it feel like some kind of a karmic cycle?
Yan Guan hurriedly banished these unpleasant thoughts from his mind and focused on listening to Chao Ge's rambling.
The Cheng'en Hall in the Imperial Palace was the emperor's residence. Naturally, it was built to be grand and majestic, with an abundance of heavy and opulent furnishings, but lacking warmth. But here, the sleeping chamber was called Tongfeng(1). Just hearing the name evoked a sense of romance, and upon entering, indeed it was [romantic] — jade-carved balustrades, every object, every item inside was exquisitely crafted. The most eye-catching thing, however, was the large bed — intricate patterns, emerald gemstones, gold-threaded brocade quilts…all these were secondary. The most important thing was that it was too big...
Yan Guan stopped in his tracks, wondering whether he would fall off even if he rolled over three times. He had heard before that some wealthy families used such large beds where they could eat and dress without needing to move. Chao Ge wouldn't possibly... well, it was hard to say. After all, he had been treated quite roughly before, and hadn't gotten out of bed much.
Chao Ge saw him lost in thought and tugged at him, "What's wrong? Is there something you don't like?"
Yan Guan shook his head, quickly replying, "No, everything is fine, it's just a bit too extravagant."
Ordinary people yearned for a life of ease and abundance, but Yan Guan still couldn't adapt to it, always feeling unworthy of such treatment. Chao Ge understood that and, after a moment of contemplation, said, "In a few days, I'll introduce you to someone. She is proficient in witchcraft, which has some similarities with medical theory. Didn't you say you were thinking about medical books? You can discuss them with her. The borderlands of Wugan are freezing cold and frequently plagued by epidemics. Most of the people are illiterate and only know folk remedies. If you two can compile the folk remedies and medical theories into books, it would greatly benefit Wugan."
Yan Guan's eyes lit up. Doing something useful would also make him feel more at ease. Thinking this, Yan Guan couldn't wait to meet the person he was talking about.
Since helping to suppress the rebellion in Dezhou last time, Bindeya had been staying in the Holy Mountain to avoid the limelight. She was so bored that she was about to burst. When she finally received Chao Ge's summons, she immediately rushed to the mountain villa.
Bindeya’s identity was special. As a secret agent of the Imperial Court with a rare set of skills, ordinary people didn't dare to approach her, and with her elder brother, Boerjin, staying in Sangta, she had no one to talk to. When she learned that Chao Ge wanted her to interact with Yan Guan and work on medical books, she didn't even have time for gossip and was eager to meet Yan Guan.
Seeing them both so excited, Chao Ge inexplicably felt a bit jealous, and pressed Yan Guan down for a kiss.
"Don't bite there, I'm meeting someone tomorrow," Yan Guan pushed him away, his face flushed. Chao Ge stubbornly nipped at the skin on his neck.
Inevitably a mark was left, the dark red standing out starkly against the fair skin, obvious to anyone. Yan Guan covered his neck, belatedly realizing Chao Ge's intentions.
Chao Ge snorted, "You're already thinking about her before you've even met." It wasn't that he was wary of anything, but the thought of Yan Guan being busy all day in the future, spending more time with Bindeya than him, made him feel uneasy. At this moment, he had forgotten his own past actions of working day and night.
The next day, Bindeya and Yan Guan met in the pharmacy.
Bindeya had heard a little about Yan Guan's background, but she wasn't narrow-minded. She didn't care about his status as a convict, only judging people by their character and ability.
"Dr Yan, just call me by my name. We'll be working together in the future," she said, taking out the books she had collected in the past few days for Yan Guan to see.
Her straightforwardness made Yan Guan feel much more relaxed, and he bowed in thanks.
Both of them were a bit obsessed with medicine, and they forgot the time as they discussed and learned from each other. When Chao Ge came to call them, they were still buried in their discussions, completely engrossed.
"Witchcraft isn't all evil. It's just that it has a long history and is difficult to explain with medical theory. Moreover, much of it is passed down orally, so there are many omissions. The language and writing is also a problem." [writing refers to old script/alphabet]
Yan Guan nodded in agreement, "These things are too mysterious, I need to study them carefully."
"It doesn't matter, take these books first, I've already translated them," Bindeya had tried to record the techniques into books a few years ago. Just using Wugan script wouldn't spread them widely, so she also wrote them in Chinese characters.
Both earnestly shared the knowledge. Bindeya realised that these traditions would be passed down, and found Yan Guan more and more adorable.
"Ah, no wonder Chao Ge likes you," Bindeya couldn't help the urge to pinch his cheek, but barely restrained herself. Her keen hearing had caught the movement behind her.
Chao Ge had been standing there for a while, deliberately suppressing his presence so as not to disturb them. Who would have thought Bindeya was about to touch his? He walked forward with a stern face.
"Chao Ge, you're here," Yan Guan stepped up to greet him, while Bindeya smiled awkwardly from behind, preparing to slip away.
"Mm," Chao Ge held Yan Guan's hand, giving her a subtle glare.
Bindeya was naturally free-spirited, and she had joined Chao Ge purely out of admiration. So they didn’t adhere strictly to the formalities of a Sovereign and his subject. He usually didn't demand much from people like her, valuing their abilities, which had emboldened her, Chao Ge thought with some irritation.
Back at Tongfeng Hall for dinner, Chao Ge served Yan Guan food while reminding him not to get too engrossed and neglect his meals and sleep. He also subtly reminded him to stay away from Bindeya, as Boerjin's sister was capable of doing anything eccentric and might lead him astray. [dang the foreshadowing!]
But that was impossible. Yan Guan met with Bindeya almost every day, and they became increasingly familiar.
After Yan Guan forgot the dinner time for who knows how many times, Chao Ge finally couldn't bear it anymore and took the time to call Bindeya over.
"What does Your Excellency want to see me for?" Her respectful demeanor was rather unsettling.
Chao Ge's eyes and nose were out of sorts, but he still patiently asked, "How's the progress of the book recently?"
"It's going well. Dr Yan is smart and understands everything with just a hint. He also taught me a lot. It's very enjoyable."
Very enjoyable? Chao Ge felt something was off. They were happy, but he wasn't happy at all. He had come to the summer retreat thinking there would be no one else, so he could be intimate with Yan Guan. But now, Yan Guan read until late every night, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. How could he be intimate? With a warm jade in his arms, who knew how much he had to suppress his desires every day?
Chao Ge didn't speak for a long time, feeling angry.
Bindeya suddenly chuckled, "My apologies, the outline has been completed, and it should be finished in a few days."
Chao Ge looked miserable every day, treating Yan Guan like a bone, making his affection obvious to everyone. Bindeya had been a secret agent for many years, how could she not understand? Only Yan Guan was oblivious, focusing solely on his work.
"Your Excellency," Bindeya winked, indicating she was about to act up again.
"What?" Chao Ge asked impatiently, feeling that this person could never say anything good. She wasn't old, but she had seen and done a lot, even disguising herself as a man to visit brothels and spending lavishly. Speaking of which, it still puzzled Boerjin. How could a normal girl think of doing that? [oh my sweet summer child!]
That's a story for later. In short, Bindeya placed a small porcelain bottle in front of him, "Consider it an apology. It's a newly concocted medicine. Why doesn't Your Excellency help me test it?"
It probably wasn't anything proper.
Footnotes:
Tongfeng comes from the Chinese idiom 桐花凤栖 (tóng huā fèng qī) which translates to translates to "The Phoenix perches on the Paulownia Tree."
The paulownia tree (桐, tóng) is believed to be the only tree where the phoenix (凤, fèng) will perch. This symbolizes the idea of finding the ideal home, partner, or environment. In poetry and romance, this phrase suggests a fated connection, where two people are destined to be together, just like the phoenix and the paulownia tree.
T/N: Sorry for taking so long. These few chapters (thanks to all the censorship) were basically hell to translate. I AM using chatgpt, but there was no coherancy between sentences. Which made the reading experience horrible. It was like a bad MTL and I couldn’t bring myself to upload it. It took a while, but I’m finally happy with this version. I have translated the rest of the story. Just some minor edits and then done. I will upload them soon as well.
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