Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚喬傳 Chapter 152 English novel translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳 

Chapter 152: The Yellow Springs Are Near (the frozen lake scene following the last chapter's battle)

The tragic sounds of death came from farther up ahead.  HeXiao's eyes were red as he ran back and shouted, "Excellency, Cheng Yuan is blocking the path beneath MinXi Mountain, His Highness' army has already made it over there.  General Zhuge is already on QianZhang Lake."

The icy wind blew tight and gusty. Everywhere between heaven and earth it howled bleakly like a wild beast.  Chu Qiao's lips pulled tight, and looked down at He Xiao who was covered in blood, and slowly asked, "He Xiao, can you kill a path for me?"  With a tough expression he went down on one knee, the intonation of his voice rhythmic and impressive as he slowly responded, "Our lives are yours, please do not worry, the Southwestern Garrison army is 2,000 strong, and we will not let you down."

A strong surge of gratitude suddenly rose from her heart.  When she looked at the soldiers standing behind He Xiao, Chu Qiao felt as though bubbling hot oil was burning the bottom of her heart.  

She had only saved their lives once, and only because she was afraid Yan Xun would lose the hearts of the people.  But from then onward, they followed without regret, a few times rescuing her from a tight spot.  She had only to give the order, and no matter if it was right or wrong, they would never hesitate to execute.  They were her subordinates, her war blades, her most loyal beloved soldiers who would never turn their back no matter what she did.  Forever standing steadfastly behind her, turning the edges of their blades towards any enemy who would harm her.

This type of kindness was too deep, pressuring her so that it made her gasp for breath.  Chu Qiao dismounted and clasped his hand, holding back her tears with all her might, saying from the bottom of her lungs, "He Xiao, thank you."

"Excellency, to us, you are more important than the entire continent of XiMeng.  Heaven and earth can be destroyed, the mountains and fields topple and fall.  As long as Your Excellency is still here, then we have confidence to continue and persist.  So as a favor to us, please, take care of yourself."

Chu Qiao nodded in silence. Her gaze swept over the faces of the warriors who were not good with words, and then, she steadily looked towards MinXi Mountain, at its snowy peak, towards the lofty temple towering above where two goddesses stood back to back inside, staring out at Yan Bei's vast expanse since the distant past, like two sacred beacons.

Chu Qiao turned and mounted her horse, her tone a firm apology as she said, "Warriors!  Thank you!"  (TN: she actually says, 'please,' or 'it's up to you' as in a favor or request, but it seems more translation friendly to say 'thank you' here for the consistency in tone.)

The solders shouted in unison, "Excellency! Take care!"

Their fur cloaks rippled in the desolate wind.  Chu Qiao gave a hard cry, and immediately spurred her horse away.  He Xiao led the soldiers following behind, pressing forward with indomitable spirit towards the bleak snow field.

*huuuu, huuuu*  The sound of the battle horn echoed over the land.  Cheng Yuan led the Black Hawk Army to stand on the dyke of QianZhang Lake, surrounding Zhuge Yue's men that numbered less than 10,000.

Dense clusters of arrows shot up like a burst from a volcanic eruption, like lightning bolts fired towards the center of the troops on the ice sheet.

Those arrows had gone through Chu Qiao's revised specifications, vastly improving their horror.  (TN: Epic face palm, Chu Qiao)  Yue Da led the Moon Guard to gather around their commander, and in a flash the people standing in the very front were riddled like sieves. Blood-curdling screams and the whizzing of arrows spread over the vast land.  Yue Jiu took his sword and charged forward, roaring his battle cry.  Cheng Yuan didn't spare him a glance and continuously gave orders to shoot the arrows.

The moon guards' bodies fell together like sheaths of rice straw, going down clusters at a time.  In the face of such power there was no method of counter-attack, but in spite of this, the warriors continuously rushed over like mad, without shields, without cover, using their own bodies to buy more time for their commander.

Fresh blood stained the snowy ground, rivulets snaking everywhere on the ice field.  Because of Huo An's report, the 200,000 strong Black Hawk Army came early to set up the ambush.  This was no longer a battle, but rather, it had transformed into a massacre dripping with blood. 

The rain of arrows flew like locusts, the sound of their piercing the air overflowed inside that space.  Because of the disparity in power and the geographic disadvantage, the Moon Guards had lost any ability to fight back.  As the tide of death surged, the bodies gradually piled into a small mountain.  Those who hadn't yet died toppled onto the ground with piteous cries, gradually moving the forms inside and exposing them, their bodies clearly seen.

Cheng Yuan slightly wet his lower lip, he briefly stepped back, quietly watching Yan Xun who was standing in the crowd.

A meritorious military service that rose to the skies was now upon him: the great strategist and DaXia's Northwestern Marshal would soon die by his hand.  Cheng Yuan was so excited his palms were sweating.  

It was in this moment he only heard the penetrating sound of war horses cries suddenly come through, and the southeast corner was routed, creating a breach.  The gong of alarm pierced their eardrums.  People rushed into their defenses, sword in hand, their ink black armor indeed the uniform fashioned for the XiuLi Army.

"The Southwest Garrison Army is here!"

Someone had declared it from within the ranks, and Chen Yuan's gaze suddenly cooled, saying spitefully, "They're here!"

Just at the time he was about to turn his archers against the XiuLi army, a deep voice by his ear interrupted.  Who knew when Yan Xun had stepped forward, but he said slowly in a low voice, "Surround them, do not kill them."

Chen Yuan was surprised, but hurriedly bowed at the waist, "Acknowledged."

"Stop!"

The purely cold, ear-splitting voice rose towards them, and everyone raised their heads in astonishment.  They only saw that from the space in the southwest corder a warhorse suddenly leaped and flew over the heads of the soldiers who were still fighting, and then landed onto the battlefield with a crash.  The young woman swiftly leaped off her horse, and in a few large steps ran to the center of the two forces, shouting, "Stop!"

The Black Hawk Army soldiers who didn't know her were scared to shoot and momentarily stayed their hands, and in succession, they came to understand the situation with dread, turning their heads towards Yan Xun.

"Yan Xun!  Stop this!"

Chu Qiao stood in the center, both eyes staring directly at him, her voice shouting loudly.

Yan Xun's eyes sank with displeasure, and after a long while, he said, "Ah Chu, move!"

Chu Qiao slowly opened both her arms, her eyes clear as she stared back at him, saying low "You'll have to kill me first, then."

"Xing'er, move."

The low and icy pure voice came from behind.  Chu Qiao fiercely turned around, and only saw Zhuge Yue standing in a pool of blood.  The wound on his chest had been wrapped yet the bright red color continued to drip without stopping, permeating outward.  He gazed at her, his eyes so peaceful, with none of the intensity of one about to meet death; no anger from being ambushed; with continued cool clarity as he stood alone in the middle of the remnants of his weak force, fearlessly staring down Yan Bei's troops.

Her eyes just suddenly turned red and she stubbornly shook her head and whispered, "I'm so sorry."  (TN: Literally she says, 'I've done you wrong,' but that sounds a little stiff.)

Heaven and earth were indistinctly shrouded in the vast and boundless snow, the white blurring the contrast of the tragic red.  Like a dazzling, beautiful demonic flower coldly blooming on the ice field. 

The sound of the wind rushed behind her ear: an arrow pierced the snowy haze.  She hurriedly turned around and finally saw Yan Xun's bow arm behind her.  The golden arrow came at her quickly, in that second she could hear it cutting the air.  She had nowhere to dodge, had no way to prevent it.  The cold wind blew past her clothes, and icy cold feeling drilled through her entire heart.  Her eyes silently watched as he made this fateful shot of no return, like the hand of destiny, ruthlessly pulling at the figure standing in the middle of the snowstorm that covered the sky.

The image slowly burned her eyes.  The arrow scraped across her neck leaving a fiendish blood welt, going directly into the recently wrapped chest of Zhuge Yue.  In an instant, a bloody flower shot out, bursting in mid air with dazzling splendor.  The steaming hot blood beads even reached her cold cheeks. She instantly stopped breathing and stood there in complete shock, watching Zhuge Yue's lonely figure in the cold wind. The color of blood diffusely filled her two eyes, and everything turned crimson. 

Behind her she heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled back once more.  She jerked back only to see Yan Xun's iron blue face, his hand like that of a sharp knife, steadily fixed onto his chest, as if he was just about to forcefully release another volley.

No longer caring--to hell with dignity, to hell with pride, these did not compare to the overwhelming horror and fear she felt at that moment--she prostrated herself onto the ground facing him.  Shortly after kowtowing twice her forehead was stained with blood.  Tears overflowing she screamed, both hands wide open, shielding in vain. 

"Yan Xun I beg you, I beg of you don't.  Yan Xun I beg you…."

Yan Xun looked at her, looked at her bloody forehead, and felt the dull pain at the bottom of his heart as though a knife had slashed across it.

This woman was his only comrade in arms who would have died for him back when he was alone and desperate.  She was Ah-Chu, who had stayed with him eight years when he was imprisoned in the capital.  He once vowed to protect her for the rest of his life, give her a fortunate, peaceful and happy life, and realize her wishes and dreams.  A pity then, that the vows he spoke that day would be broken by his own hand.

The corner of his mouth slowly pulled upwards, pulling a faint smile, just like the way he did years ago when she had just come back from the outside, and saw him writing something in a book.  He had looked up to smile slightly at the girl standing in the doorway. The smile beneath the lamp had been so gentle, like the warm waters of three springs.

Ah-Chu, the fact of the matter is, I never changed.  You just never really knew what I truly wanted.  

Now, I definitely want to show you my ambitions and convictions, and this is how I will tell you.  (TN: not a drop of remorse for hurting her….  Did he think she would forgive him and everything would be OK after this?)

"Release!"

The world suddenly became so quiet, the snow and wind also suddenly stopped.  Her ears could no longer hear anything.  Only the fragmented fluttering of birds flying overhead, sweeping across their heads, buoyant and so free.

Twenty-thousand horseback riders of the Black Hawk Army released their arrows at the same time.  The dense cluster of arrows was like a thick cloud blocking the sunlight, the sky suddenly turned black as night.  The metallic waterfall slid across the sky and from there descended.  Long tails of rope were tied behind their shafts.  The sharp barbs of the arrows headed towards Zhuge Yue. 

"Protect the general!"  Yue Da was shot full of arrows, one of his legs had already been cut short, but like a tiger he seemed to leap up and rush in front of Zhuge Yue.  The remaining Moon Guards stained and dripping with bright blood, even if they only had a piece of finger left, they used all their strength to crawl.

The arrows did not hit them, but instead, like shafts of iron hands, deeply inserted themselves into the hard ice surface, holding onto it with a death grip.  Yan Xun gave the word, and 20,000 cavalry turned abruptly, their horses reared up and neighed as thousands of horsewhips cracked down.  The warhorses kicked, whinnied and galloped far into the distance.

The ropes at the ends of the arrows were instantly pulled taut and the hard layer of ice instantly fragmented.  The surface of the ice was falling apart, and with a loud crash the frigid water spread.  Chu Qiao turned her head in despair, through her bloodstained eyes, she looked on helplessly as Zhuge Yue's figure fell in flash into the frigid ice water, the hard ice splintering into skin and muscle, bringing forth a fascinating dark red.  His eyes watched her with such calm, without resentment, without hatred, joy or despair.  Just as he did so many years ago, when he looked at her without expression, watched her go far away from him again and again, watching her renounce him again and again, watched her fighting opposite him again and again, holding bow and sword to his head.

She was a wound in his heart that could not heal all year round, a wound covered with bugs, already festering, corrupting, driving deep into his flesh and bones and not even death could cure it.

Time passed so quickly, so fast she couldn't even catch his coattail.  Chu Qiao's eyes widened in horror, she knelt onto the ground, large tears dripping down.  Dejectedly she crawled two steps, like a doll scared out of her wits, watching everything helplessly.  Their eyes intertwined in one place, slowly moving, sinking.  The ice wind roared like a beast sweeping snow onto the ground, and raising a snowy mist between them, like clusters of white, deceased souls.

The icy waters momentarily covered his figure and she should not see those cold and indifferent eyes; could no longer see his haughty jawline, and even his ink dark hair was gone in a flash, disappearing in this place of icy sky and snowy earth, beneath the wide, ice lake.

Chu Qiao opened her mouth wide, wanting to shout, but she could not make a sound. The cold wind poured into her throat and she started coughing violently.  She struggled to stand, ran forward in large, stumbling steps, and with a splash she jumped into the frigid, bone stabbing lake water.

It was cold.  Cold like being pierced with sharp ice thorns, ruthlessly perforating her foot and calf, piercing her waist and neck.  She curled and drilled deeper, widening her eyes to rummage through the ice water in search.  The sun shone from the top of her head into the depths of the water, endless drifting shadows were before her eyes, with the intermittent taste of blood between the waves.

No, no, it can't be.  She sobbed in despair, her tears streamed out, mixing with the ice and blood in the water.  Her face was blue, her body was getting stiff, and her movements no longer nimble.  She felt as though someone had caught her waist, someone was pulling her up.

No, she didn't want to go up.  She gripped the knife at her waist and turned to cut the rope that she didn't know when she had become entangled with.  But at that moment a pair of ice cold hands suddenly stayed her wrists with such strength, colder than the water, decidedly stopping her actions.

As if she knew his mind she looked back.  The clear, handsome face suddenly came into view, his pitch black eyes, his pale lips, his straight and tall nose. His brilliant eyes gazed at her, his hand grasping hers as he strongly pushed her upwards, fresh blood from his wounds spilling out nonstop, the scent going into her nose and mouth.  She cried tears of joy, opened her arms and wanted to embrace him, her hand dragged him firmly, wanting to pull him up together.

Snatching her weapon away, Zhuge Yue pulled her hand over, his finger tracing over her palm, writing messy words one by one:

Keep on living…keep on living…keep on living…

With me!

She opened her mouth to shout, but all she did was spit out some fragmented bubbles.

He slowly shook his head, and continued writing:

Keep on living.

Her tears flowed out like mad, and she shook her head desperately, firmly pulling at him.

With me!  With me! Keep on living with me!

I don't want to continue alone, I don't want to spend my life while still owing you! I don't want you to die!  I don't want that! I don't want it!

The strength at her waist continuously dragged up up.  She was already frozen stiff, and only her fingers continued to grip him tightly.

She never knew that his death would actually unsettle her so much. She never knew that she had already unwittingly let him burrow so deep into her heart.  She never knew that her so called hatred was just an excuse so she could avoid it. She never knew that in watching him leave her, she would completely feel as though she was stabbed in the heart with a knife and her whole body dismembered.

Zhuge Yue, Zhuge Yue.  I beg you, I'm begging you not to be this cruel.  Don't let me have this burden, this agony for the rest of my life.  If I have no way of repaying you, then let me use my life and accompany you into death.  That would be better than living in a world that has already made me lose all hope!

The light was coming closer and closer, and she wept bitterly.  Her tears blurred her line of sight, and she only saw his gentle eyes.  Her fingers desperately grasped his wrists, everything she could not express conveyed through her struggling fingertips.  She continued to shake her head in desperation, beseeching in despair.

In her dazed state she was so regretful, regretting that she had told Yan Xun those words she had concealed for over a year.  Why did she have to provoke him?  Why could she not have whispered her pleas earlier?  That way, perhaps Zhuge Yue would not be dying now.

Agony and fear are like an endless abyss, gradually swallowing her.  She clung to him, unwilling to let go.

Zhuge Yue was still very handsome, and for the first time in his life, he looked at another person with such tenderness.  His long-cherished wish of many years had become a short, tragic dream.  In a moment he had his response.  He used his strength to tread the water, gently upwards,  and he extended his arms to embrace her thin back.  Then, at the corner of her mouth, he left a gentle and soft, ice cold kiss.

Her tears instantly poured out, mixing in with the water and staining Zhuge Yue's lips.  Despair seemed to have pierced her heart in an instant, and ice cold water rushed in and filled all her arteries.

Her body was frozen solid now, the force at her waist continued to pull and she slowly drifted upward, slowly upward.  His arm gradually straightened, and Zhuge Yue relinquished the grip of her fingers one by one and their two hands finally separated from being entwined, and drifted farther and farther apart. Chu Qiao reached out, watching him sink deeper, little by little, bit by bit, the vividness in his eyes drowned out by the water, his once warm lips turned pallid white like paper, and everywhere around him the icy cold, pitch black darkness.  (TN: TT__TT)

There was a rending ache at the bottom of her heart.  When the light shone through the water, she could not see anything else, only his eyes, warmly and steadfastly watching her, as if he continued to tell her over and over: Keep on living, keep on living….

"Keep on living, don't forget, you still have a lot of wishes."

Once upon a time, she had said this to someone before.  But now momentarily looking back, she suddenly realized that another pair of eyes had been silently and attentively watching her from behind.

In the moment she broke out of the water she felt as though she had already died.  The sun shining on her face made her instantly so confused.  Yan Xun held her nervously, calling out her name loudly.  But she heard none of it.  Her everything had already died in the icy lake below, and what was pulled up was merely an icy cold body. 

The wind blew quietly over the snowy field, and pale white birds took flight in the sky above.  The sun was about to set behind the mountain, and the snow storm had already stopped.  The start of the day was red like blood, and now the endless red light was dropping down in the direction of Sunset Mountain.  It looked really nice.  So pretty.

But all of this, he will never be able to see again.

She suddenly started to panic.  In the blink of an eye her body miraculously found strength, allowing her to ignore everything and push Yan Xun aside, staggering and running wildly in the direction of the broken ice.

Yan Xun was in a state of shock.  He took a few steps and tightly embraced her as she was only about five steps away from the opening.  Since she was held in a death grip she could not go a step further.

Her feelings of despair and pain were like a tsunami surprisingly rising over to blot out all else, finally no longer able to control it she knelt onto the floor, wailing and shouting, "Come out!  Come out, you!"

A mouth full of blood suddenly sprayed forth, dripping onto Yan Xun's hand.  Her despairing cry toppled her to the ground.  Her body was like a leaf in the autumn wind, violently trembling.

"Ah-Chu!"

Yan Xun called her name beside her ear, and in that moment she felt the sound was grating.  She jerked her head back, stopped her weeping, and looked at him with clear, cold eyes.

What kind of eyes were those?

Anger, hatred, disappointment, sorrow, one by one passed across them until finally, there was only despair and grief, like the remains of burnt cinders.

She looked at him, her tears streaming down.  All those years of hope all shattered; all that persistence and dreaming now spent; all turned into flying ash.

All of Yan Xun's worries, fears and grief from before finally cooled in these clear eyes as cold as snow.  He awkwardly let go of her, stood up, and looked down at her condescendingly.

The great earth blew forth a biting cold wind, and the pale white color veiled her eyes little by little, and her mind gradually flew away.  In a trance, she seemed to see looming in the distance, those pair of black eyes in the deep lake.

Keep on living, keep on living, keep on living….

From the unseen world, she heard a deep voice beside her ear and she closed her eyes in desperation, collapsed exhausted on the ground, and from there fell into the endless darkness.

The cold wind was unchanged, tossing the snowflakes slowly covering the surface of the broken ice.  The world was bleak and dreary, so very close to the Yellow Springs.  (TN: the nether world)

Translator's notes:  Yay!  Made it to the lake scene at the end of Season One.  Come on Season 2!  I posted Chapter 151 and 152 together because I didn't want to leave you hanging while Zhuge Yue was still dying.  Although there are no real interactions between Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao in Chapter 151, it's the chapter where she and Yan Xun finally break up.  We also get some insight into Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao's feelings for one another.   

BTW, Hell's springs is Huang Quan, which is in the title of this chapter.  It is the Chinese equivalent of Acheron from Greek mythology.

Chu Qiao is very emotional in this scene, something we have never seen in the novel.  She is a special agent and in many battles she is cool as a cucumber.  But when it comes to losing Zhuge Yue she deteriorates into one hot mess.

[SPOILER ALERT -- POST FROZEN LAKE SYNOPSIS]

I have to say if you think Chu Qiao is a hot mess in this scene, she is one steaming hot mess for 2 years after this.  She wears dresses.  She perfects her baking skills (^__^; stuff she learned from the palace cooks when she was younger).  She lives like a hermit on the mountain where Yan Xun gave her a palace but she lives outside of this palace in a small cottage on the side.  She talks to Zhuge Yue's ashes on a daily basis (that's not really him), and erected a tomb for him in her back yard.  (A cuckoo cries in the distance…)

The people below the mountain revere her since she made another prosperous little city with her innovative ideas.   Mr. Wu provides for her existence here.  She has acquired a makeshift family including a shepherd boy and his uncle who has been killing bears on the mountain to use the organs to make her medicine; little soldier Ping An and his younger sister; one servant she freed from slavery and HeXiao.  

The Xiu Li army retired and took up normal lives.  It takes her a while to recover from her illness/injuries and after dunking herself in the ice lake her body can't really take the cold in Yan Bei anymore.  All the more reason to leave!

But Yan Xun would rather kill her than let her leave! 

I don't know if I'm going to translate the chapter where Li Ce and Zhuge Yue save her from Yan Xun's clutches, because on the one hand, it's rather sweet how her bestie and her would-be lover work together, but on the other hand it's rather tragic how the XiuLi Army dies for her. Maybe I'll just start at the lantern festival where they meet for the first time in about 2 years.  

I have to warn you, the Chu Qiao for the next 20 chapters or so is very mild, rather docile, and has no interest in engaging the world anymore.

I also have other stuff going on, so my posts may not be as frequent as they've been these past weeks.  ^__^  -KERO