Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳, Chapter 185, English novel translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳 

Translator’s notes: After going through my Game of Thrones withdrawal, I finally feel ready to tackle my other projects, including reading a bunch of romance novels on my new Kindle, cleaning my house, finishing my Regency period pelisse and finishing this translation.   (I have a lot of hobbies.)  

I think this may be the first and last novel I translate since it really is quite a task!  After a reader suggested Legend of Fu Yao to me, I thought about it because I love Fu Yao, but yeah, I think I’ll pass.  Still, I want to finish what I started here.  

So I’ve put on my iTunes Chinese soundtrack (not only drama soundtracks like 楚喬傳 but also pop music that I think sets the mood for stars/moon 星/月 inspiration) and I’m diving right in.   

I’m still crossing fingers for a 2nd sequel series of 楚喬傳 …. But until then, I’ve also started listening to a podcast that is super interesting and puts a lot of the Chinese cultural references and holidays of Chu Qiao Chuan into perspective.  Why is the author fascinated by the New Year?  Why is there a Lantern Festival?  What time period did Chu Qiao transport into?  Was this a parallel to the Chinese bronze age (B.C.E.)?

The podcast is literally called The History of China and it’s really well done.   Being raised outside of Asia (in the West), this is not something I would have studied at any time in my life since it had nothing to do with my major in university.  From the mythical beginnings to the first emperors, to the Summer and Autumn periods of the Zhou Dynasty (where I think the time period from 楚喬傳 is modeled after) it’s a really well done account of all the kings, all their struggles, and all their legends.  So far I’m in the Zhou Dynasty (3rd? dynasty with a written record) where a king (like the emperor of DaXia) tricked and executed a loyal but powerful vassal duke (like Yan Xun’s father) because he was afraid of his power.  And then later, another powerful vassal state (like Qing Hai) rose from the ashes from nothing to become the power that deposes that dynasty.   I think my mind is really twisted by Korean and Chinese TV dramas because I keep thinking every dynasty I hear about could be its own drama series ^__^;  

Every dynasty seems to have its share of greedy uncles and regents, crazy kings and concubines and exiled princes.  And, if you thought only crazy fictional ladies like Chu Qiao and Mulan put on armor and fought armies, around the time of the Egyptian pharaoh King Tut, there was once a female queen/general called Fu Hao who won pretty much all the battles she fought for her husband the emperor (reminds me of that quirky Chinese drama Oh, My General).  Why doesn’t she have a drama yet?

So how many times have you all watched the 1st series of Chu Qiao Chuan by now?  If we’ve watched more than twice, is that something we can admit out loud?  Hang in there, everyone.  LOL

-Kero

Chapter 185: The Yan Family Memorial 

When the ShangYuan festival (TN: Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first month of the lunar calendar) arrived, the Royal Palace held a large banquet.  Perhaps to divert attention from the prior year’s turmoil, this night’s dinner party was especially sumptuous.  Even Zhuge Yue, who was under house arrest to ponder his errors in seclusion, had been invited.  Had it been during peacetime, he could have found some excuse and claimed to be ill, but had he done this, it would have been difficult for him to avoid the onslaught of the boundless well wishers.  (TN: ^_^; Zhuge Yue is so anti-social)  At dusk, Zhuge Yue donned his court attire and entered the palace in a very low key fashion on horseback  (TN:  the source material uses the words 轻车简骑, translated literally as light ride, single mount, but it also sounds a lot like the idiom, 轻车简从, which refers to a very distinguished person traveling with few attendants, incognito)

Chu Qiao stayed in her room.  Lately she always felt tired after a short period of time and her appetite was poor.  (TN: Omo…O_O is she pregnant??)  Eating, then sleeping, it seemed a rather indulgent, charmed existence.

A sudden creak at the door was followed by the door being pushed open and Mo’er  entering with halting steps.  He walked over to Chu Qiao’s side looking slightly nervous, his nose red from the cold.

“Mo’er, what’s the matter?”

Mo’er hesitated a bit, then turned his head to look towards the door, and after a while longer, he asked in a small voice, “Mother, are we not going out tonight?”

If she counted correctly, Chu Qiao was only about ten years older than this child.  In the beginning, hearing him call her mother all day was a bit uncomfortable.  But then, she gradually got used to it, and now she thought nothing of it.

She sat up straight and furrowed her brow, “Go out?  Go where?”

“Today is the ShanYuan holiday.  There are temple festivals and lantern viewings going on outside.”

Mo’er’s eyes lit up with excitement, and when Chu Qiao turned towards the door, she noticed the sounds of a few more loiterers outside.  

These days, since Zhuge Yue was confined, those in his manor also rarely ventured outside.  She pinched Mo’er’s cheek and smiled, “Very well.  Let’s go.”

The continent was a vast land.  By modern accounts, it was roughly 40 million square kilometers, which was near five times the size of modern China.  The land had been imparted and inherited for many years now, even through the chaos of war and the frequent unrest.  But the people had always flourished, and the city of Zhen Huang was the capital of the nation, so the population was also very dense.

Chu Qiao and her group walked along the street, only to observe brilliant lanterns in all directions, beautiful lanterns of every eye-catching color vying for their attention.  The commoners of the capital, regardless of gender, age, wealth or nobility all came out to celebrate the occasion.  A hundred stage plays were going at the same time, all the musicians were creating a myriad of sound, and everywhere the scene was bustling and lively.

This year’s ShangYuan Festival was a little more festive than the last, with the cacophony of human voices, and the deafening sound of gongs and drums.

The children were laughing heartily, but as soon as an hour passed, it started snowing.   The north wind came whistling forth, the wind stirred the level ground turning it into white tendrils of flurries and the entire scene of colorful lanterns was blown apart.  JingJing and the others cursed loudly as they got into the carriage, and the guards waved their whips to hurry back to the manor.  But the wind became stronger and stronger, and the carriage horses were unwilling to move forward further.  When they reached a more secluded area, one horse suddenly startled, and it broke away from its harness.

Yue Thirteenth ran up to tell them the storm was getting too big, and it was better for them to find a place to shelter through it.

Chu Qiao nodded in agreement, and just happened to see the image of a shadowy building ahead, and ran up to knock on the door before noticing that it was actually a temple for the goddess of Yanbei.  (TN: irony…)

Even though Yan Shicheng was born into the royal family, because he was marked a traitor to the empire, he could not be entombed in the ancestral temple.  The name of this mansion was the Temple of Peace, but it was actually a memorial.  It was not only the resting place for Yan Shicheng and his children, but it was also the resting place for a few commoners nearby.  In the beginning, DaXia had sent some guards to strictly keep a lookout, but since YanXun had returned to Yanbei, there had been no attempts by the Datong Association to steal the bodies.  Gradually, the place became more desolate, and the empire was no longer willing to justify the expense of sending soldiers to guard a pile of white bones.

Chu Qiao and the other entered the sloping antechamber. (TN: the words 偏屋 can literally mean “partial house” but the word 偏 also means slanted, and in this case, I think the words refer to the architecture.  I could be wrong, but it sounds better in English this way.)  The guards found some candlesticks and torches and the interior gradually became brighter.  It revealed a clutter of memorial tablets arranged inside the gloomy hall.  There are also over twenty coffins, shrouded under a display of pure white candles.  At a glance it was both horrible and ghastly.

Jing Jing’s face went pale, as if she was a bit scared, and she stayed close behind Duoji, tugging on his sleeve.  Her usual quick wit was absent.

MeiXiang said to her with a laugh, “Never thought there was actually something that would scare our Miss JingJing.  At one point I even thought you were a little demon incarnate, afraid of no one in this world.”

Upon hearing her playful banter, the atmosphere momentarily became lighter.

Rong’er was now one years old, constantly babbling to practice speaking, wobbling as he walked around out of doors rather like a duckling.  He was dressed all in red, rolled up in a red padded jacked.  He used his chubby little hand to stifle a yawn, and burrowed into Chu Qiao’s arms, adjusting to a more comfortable position to take a nap.

Chu Qiao stood up and handed Rong’er to Mei Xiang, saying softly, “I’m going out.”

“Miss, where are you going in a big storm like this?”

Chu Qiao mentioned the boxes of foodstuffs Mei Xiang had packed, and lit a lantern.  “I’ll just go next door and take a look.  You needn’t follow.”

As soon as she said this, she exited through the chamber doorway.

The wind outside was astonishingly strong.  In the fifteen years she’s lived on this continent, she had never witnessed such gales.  The lantern in her hand quickly extinguished.  Chu Qiao’s large, fur cloak flew upward and cold snow pelted her face in multiple pricks, as if being hit by pebbles.  Chu Qiao tightly held onto the collar of her cloak and with great difficulty she walked forward, walking for a while before stopping before a dilapidated room.  She then reached out her hand and slowly pushed open the groaning doors.

In that moment the heavy gale suddenly rushed in, it stirred up the layers of dust all over the floor.  Chu Qiao coughed a few times then quickly close the doors, pulling a chair to hold the doors in place.

The deathly quiet in this room was the same, and it seemed colder than the outside.  In several places the roof had caved in, and the wind stirred in the rafters.  All around the pitch darkness was deep enough so one couldn’t see their own fingers in front of their face, but she was well acquainted with the floor plan here.  She took out her fire starter and after several tries, managed to light all the candles around her.  Faint candlelight quietly ignited, slowly turning the room bright.  Four, deep black colored coffins were placed within without spiritual tablets, without banners or tapers, or even a single marking.  They had just been nonchalantly left there, with straw and litter all around, and a few pieces of frozen buns scattered everywhere.  Normally, this place was a temporary shelter for wandering beggars.

Chu Qiao placed the food box to one side, rolled up her sleeves and began to tidy up.  Her movements were fast and although she didn’t have any cleaning tools handy, the garbage on the floor was cleared away.  She tied the straw together to make a makeshift broom and swept the cobwebs aside and the space within looked much tidier.  Then, one by one, she took out the dishes inside the box, placed them on the floor, and knelt down, bowing deeply a few times in homage.

Indeed, these four coffins were the remains of YanXun’s father, his two brothers and his sister.  In those years before, on the anniversary of the King of Yan’s death, she and YanXun would secretly come to worship.  In those days, there were still officials and soldiers guarding here, and in coming here they would have to expend a lot of effort.  But nowadays, this place had already become so desolate.

Since returning to the capital, she never even thought about returning to pay homage here.  Moreover, she never thought she would wander here by mistake today.  Perhaps this too, was a kind of fate.

There were no incense sticks, so they were replaced by incense.  There was no paper money, so there was a silk cloth as a substitute.  There was no good wine, only one pot of goat milk and two cups of green tea.

Your Highness, I’ve come again to see you.

She got up with a few splotches of dust slightly soiling her knees.  Snowflakes fell down from where there was no roof, covering the coffin lids bit by bit.  She quietly stared at those coffins, trying hard to recall those bloody, severed heads from long ago, and it left a vast, bleak feeling in her heart.

Earlier, before LongXi experienced the snow disaster of a generation, Yan Bei had already sunk into its own catastrophe.  The people’s homeland was destroyed, and the snows that hit the Blue City was particularly bad and would affect its people for generations to come.  Thousands of livestock froze to death in the lands around ShangShen, the people were not eating, and Yan Bei was in danger.

However, while the hundred DaXia ministers were clapping in glee, Yan Bei secretly mobilized 100,000 guards from the Dragon Pass who trekked over the Lan He Plateau and the over 6,000 meters above sea level rise of Dusk Wolf Peak, to enter the territory of Da Tang.  Bypassing TangJia Pass, they suddenly attacked the Da Tang checkpoint, robbing over 200,000 sacks of food, then returning to Yan Bei with lightning speed.  The entire operation took less than four days.  When Da Tang’s border war report reached Tang Jing City, the guards from Dragon Pass had already returned to their post, and even crossed swords twice with DaXia troops who had wanted to take advantage of Yan Bei’s disaster to attack.

When word got out, it was like a drop of water dropping into a vat of sizzling oil, which set off a fierce reaction.

DaXia and Bian Tang were furious, but had no means of taking on Yan Xun.  DaXia’s imperial censor and his lot wrote passionate declarations, saying Yan Bei was born of thieves, their base nature was to burn, kill and loot, doomed to disobey the righteous path.  The old scholars of Bian Tang had even more fire in their eyes, raising a hue and cry all over the world, calling out Yan Xun’s ancestry and forefathers in a flood of invectives.

Moreover, they wrote books to lash out at the injustice, in agitation barely letting their anger pass.

But this was the only thing they could do.  The Dragon pass was an impenetrable fortress, Yan Bei’s army was cruel and ruthless.  In the current situation, as long as they did not come out and fight in open war, they could only burn the incense high.  (TN: burning incense can be akin to waiting, or letting time pass; or praying to the gods for a breakthrough) Who would dare go up to the door and provoke them?

When Chu Qiao heard the news, she couldn’t help but smile in contempt.  The soft will always fear the hard, the hard fear dying, and that was the way of it.

Fittingly, Zhuge Yue continued to disapprove, facing down the court and commons and continuing to ignore their cries to go to war.  Everyone knew that DaXia was now unable to even fend for itself, and the situation with several of its princes vying for power was already reaching its apex.  In a time like this, who had the time to go out in open war?  It was only griping.  If he had really wanted to amass the army towards Yang Ming, what those old bastards feared would really come to pass: blood three feet deep, a demonstration of sincerity by death.  (TN: traditionally, in olden days, people would commit suicide, or posture themselves to suggest they would do it, to demonstrate their sincerity and conviction in their belief.  That is what the phrase 以死明志 means.  In this case, Zhuge Yue knows it would be a pure bloodbath)

When he heard the news, he was slightly surprised, saying that he did not think Yan Xun would do such a thing.

In fact, aside from him, it was doubtless the entire continent would not have thought it either.

After all, once upon a time, he had used all of Yan Bei in a bet, positioning its soldiers and civilians as bait, leading DaXia’s army into the pass, and dispersing his own army.  Not long after that, he eradicated the dissidents to his rule and completely destroyed the Da Tong Association who had once helped him onto the world stage, taking the head of even his own teacher.

In the face of such a man, it was doubtless that no one would have thought he would do something like this for Yan Bei’s people, and at such a risk.

Even Chu Qiao couldn’t figure out what the catch was.

However, it was good that the commander of the Tanghu Pass was the son of the Bian Tang empire’s Prince Jing’an.  Even though he had aligned himself with the crown only after Prince Jing’an met his end, he held military power and oversaw critical holdings of the empire.  In the end, it was still difficult to make them completely at ease.  Every time Yan Xun went after him, it was not DaXia’s loss. 

And it was Da Tang’s grain that was lost.

Chu Qiao’s brows slowly lifted, in her mind she once again recalled living in those years on Shang Shen Plateau, and returned to the snowy mountain…. and the simple herdsmen and common folk there….

Yan Xun’s capabilities were becoming more and more impressive.  Hiding for a thousand li (TN: a li is a little over a mile), in rapid action, tens of thousands of troops were mobilized without stirring the slightest breeze, without anyone noticing, in a perfect strike.  His methods were accurate, his vision sharp, his daring strong, his men were first class in the world’s ranking.  As long as he is there, DaXia can’t imagine breaking through the Dragon Pass.  Even if Zhao Che himself attacked, there wasn’t even the slightest opportunity.  Though perhaps in tactics, military strength, intelligence, weaponry, logistics, supplies and other aspects he was slightly better.  But no matter how ruthless or how tenacious, there was no way to surpass Yan Xun’s ability.

The terrible thing about Yan Xun on the battlefield was his ability to make perfect use of everything around him to aid in his victory in warfare.  His ability to fathom the human heart had already reached great heights.

In this world, the only one comparable to him was perhaps Zhuge Yue.

Yan Xun’s strength was in his hate, while Zhuge Yue’s strength was in his cunning.

Like this, if the two of them were able to meet on the battlefield free of other worries, they might in fact have a legendary battle worthy of being recorded in the annals of war.

She shook her head slowly.  Although she had given up that lifestyle, when she was idle, her mind would still unintentionally drift towards these things.  She would take news that she had heard, take it apart and piece it together over and over, creating a rough model of the situation, and then deducing, calculating and rearranging.  Like a chess player who loves to play chess but doesn’t play anymore, she imagined all sorts of game play in her mind.

In actuality, though she and Yan Xun ultimately ended up being at odds with one another, she did not wish to see him fall.

Therefore, after knowing that he had successfully attacked Tanghu Pass, she was still a bit delighted, completely disregarding her status as Bian Tang’s XiuLi royal.  

In between the two of them, though they could not remain side by side, they also didn’t have to be at odds trying to kill each other to survive. (TN: um, girl, he tried to turn you into Swiss cheese....)

The wind suddenly became stronger, and the door groaned aloud, pushing the chair aside a bit.  She thought it was the wind and turned back to close it, but who knew that at the moment she reached the doorway, the door would suddenly be pushed open.  A man in a black cloak stood amid the flurry of snow fall, behind him, only a single escort dressed in dark clothing.

She couldn’t see his face, and momentarily, could only see a pair of eyes, black like an abyss, aiming unflinchingly at her person.  (TN: the words used here by the author remind us that Yan Xun is an excellent shot)

Endnotes:  Wow, that’s interesting! Is that really Yan Xun??  She can tie up this loose end, finally.  So many pop songs going through my head right now in songfic form.  ^_^  What soundtrack would you play for this moment?  I imagine their soundtrack would include 简单 (Simple) by Claire Kuo, 崇拜 (Worship) by Fish Leong, 很久很久以後 (A long time from now) by Christine Fan.  Maybe Irreplaceable by Beyoncé?  ^___^;

I wonder if Zhuge Yue will be upset he wasn’t there?  I doubt he would be jealous, since he knows she loves him and not Yan Xun.

I really like how the author compares and contrasts Zhuge Yue and Yan Xun in this chapter.  They had always been polar opposites in youth, and still are in adulthood.  Except they both switched places.  The young Yan Xun who was carefree died in tragedy, and in struggle he was reborn a ruthless, vengeful man of hatred.  The young and cruel Zhuge Yue was redeemed by love, and in struggle was reborn and saw a different path to live, using his cunning to achieve what was right.  They are both two sides of the same coin.  And whereas Yan Xun never really understood Chu Qiao though he knew her value, he set her aside when she became inconvenient.  Zhuge Yue always knew her value, learned how to understand her, and cherishes her as the love of his life regardless of how inconvenient.

I think that’s what makes Zhuge Yue one of my favorite fictional romantic heroes, right up there with Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Thornton from North and South.   —KERO

Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚喬傳 Chapter 148 English novel translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳

Chapter 148: Heart Like a Mulberry Path

Synopsis: Yan Xun questions how Chu Qiao escaped from DaXia with her army intact, and she did not want him to announce it was Zhuge Yue who had done it, so she concealed it.  Yan Xun is not satisfied with her answer, and that is perhaps the moment her feelings for him were nullified.  Chu Qiao leaves for war with no goodbye from Yan Xun.

Around a year has passed now, DaXia and Yan Bei are halfway into their war, and everywhere the world was changing again.  That is where we begin....

The day she left was a clear day, and even though the New Year was approaching the weather was cold.  The sky was a fine blue, like the water in a pool, without any clouds.  A gaggle of wild geese flew south, and the sun brought a taste of warmth with a spray of gold satin sunlight over the white snow.  A row of robust war horses along the horse road, in a continuous winding line, were altogether more than 2,000 people.

Now, it was the end of the following year, and in half a month it would be the New Year.  All along the road they had passed merchants from the mainland who dared to do business along this trade route, risking the danger for the promise of getting rich.  Now, Yan Bei's trade has flourished, so even if the war on the eastern border has continued, they use the southern waterway on the border to enter Yan Bei to do business.

Chu Qiao pulled down her heavy hood, lifting her face to the azure blue sky.  Her eyes were clear like water.  In the blink of an eye another year had passed, the once young girl has grown a bit taller, and the curve of her eyebrows possessed a more mature appeal and her hair was neatly wound up.  She was dressed in a cyan blue leather riding crop as she rode her fiery chestnut war horse.

Ge Qi came from the front of the line to report, "Excellency, He Xiao received a message that said we are to camp at the foot of MinXi Mountain tonight, and he has already taken the vanguard there and made preparations."

Chu Qiao nodded, and heard the cry of the war eagle overhead, and she suddenly lifted her head, her gaze looking into the distance.

After passing MinXi Mountain it was HuoLei plateau, and beyond that was Yan Bei's new conquest, the northwestern natural barrier.  That place used to be marked as DaXia territory on the map, and now it was Yan Bei's territory, and the war for Yan Ming Pass has been ongoing for a whole year.

In this year, many things had transpired. The prior year was a most turbulent and chaotic year for the continent that would be recorded in the history books.  After the war between DaXia and Yan Bei was halfway through, successive internal conflicts of the northern capitals and people in the interior created chaos for the seven kingdoms, which greatly limited the resources and scope of the northwestern war.  Zhao Che had no alternative but to change his original plans for war offense into war defense, and defended Yan Ming Pass to the death in order to stall for time until the internal unrest was quelled.  However just after his slow recovery, the emperor of Bian Tang suddenly passed away and the crown prince Li Ce ascended the throne amid political unrest.  Due to internal treachery and influences in the government sewing discord, DaXia and Bian Tang broke out into a small scale war on the border.  But for the fact Zhao Yang had been sent to the border, DaXia would have had to face the difficult position of fighting a war on three fronts.

The world had seen that just in the span of a year the former military power of DaXia was in obvious decline; in the west it was unable to recapture Yan Bei, in the north it was unable to placate the masses, in the south it was unable to subdue Bian Tang, and in the east it was economically pressured by Huai-Song.  Nowadays the continent no longer had any appearance of being unified.

Half a year ago Yan Xun officially ascended his throne on Sunset Mountain,  and northern Yan proclaimed itself a country, the country of Yan, altering its destiny.  With the exception of DaXia, he otherwise met with no opposition from Huai-Song or Bian Tang.  In this respect he finally became the real master of the northern Yan territory, firmly sitting on his royal seat both in name and in reality.

Chu Qiao did not go to his ascension ceremony that day.  She dismissed her subordinates and an climbed HuiHui Mountain alone, where NaDa Palace stood at its summit.  Originally built by Yanshi City for a queen, it was decorated with snowy white birds and flowers of stone.  Hidden in the natural bright red and pale yellow flora in bloom, it looked like an ink and wash painting.

Quiet and peaceful, there was not a single trace of bursting fireworks or the human world.  The upturned eaves and traditional architecture coupled with the sound of babbling water was a testament to how much that previous ruler loved his queen.

She had sat at the top of HuiHui Mountain, listening to the carefree song of a shepherd down in the midsummer pasture.  His sweet voice rising and falling, bringing peace to the people listening, chasing away all the bitterness.

Gazing down at the horizon, down at the iron gray shadow of the mountain that covered her heart. Even though at the time she was leagues away it was though she could see the man dressed all in royal gold robes, his golden radiance dazzling.  The corner of her mouth tilted upward, and she smiled lightly.  Lifting her head, the cool breeze lightly touched her face.  The young woman's blue-green clothes gently swayed, a solitary and lonely figure, like a single blossom.

Today's YanBei is not what it was originally.  With Huai-Song's economic support Yan had a strategic advantage.  In the past year Chu Qiao had pushed construction and reform in Yan Bei's mainland so the world could estimate its slow rise.  Yan Bei was far ahead of the other three major countries in terms of military weapons.  Under Chu Qiao's leadership they built large scale arsenals, developed more than 30 large mines, built water conservation projects and altered Yan Bei's unsuitable farming conditions.   In Shang Shen alone, compared to a generation past, a large number of grain production areas were developed.  Grain production in Yan Bei was more than doubled now this past fall compared with previous years, ensuring the self-sufficiency of its army.  They also opened medical facilities and military schools, as well as developed business contacts with Bian Tang and Huai-Song, making the Yan Bei market prosper through caravan trade.

Although Chu Qiao's proposal to reform slavery never passed, slaves were rarely seen in the markets within her jurisdiction.  Her enlightened policies and growing social system attracted a large number of businessmen creating a large scale, established urban residential area in less than a year.  Once a barren land, it was comparable to the northwestern trade capital.

Chu Qiao now understood that a country that had once lived in darkness for many years would absorb the light like a sponge.  Yanbei had trade routes surrounding it, vast territory, fertile land, developed animal husbandry which served as a lifeline to the mainland, as well as vast mineral resources.  The people were silent and simple and hard working.  Living in the modern era for many years Chu Qiao had never seen a government with a clear plan or such enthusiastic citizens.  People here work for free and have no requirements for their quality of life.  Having tens of thousands of free laborers was almost unimaginable in modern times.  Chu Qiao could not help but feel that Yan Bei had all the perquisites for rising and maturing as a nation.  But for the years of war, it might have been one of the most powerful forces on the continent.

The southwestern garrison army was disbanded, and it was no longer a regular Yan Bei force.  Because they were stationed at the XiuLi river under HuiHui Mountain, the southwestern garrison army was renamed as the XiuLi Army and the people of Yan Bei called Chu Qiao Her Excellency XiuLi.

The XiuLi Army now consisted of 9,000 troops, and today was the last time they would deliver supplies to the front line.  Soon it would be the New Year and their soldiers should have a holiday.

Before the sky was dark they finally made it to MingXi Mountain.  There were many plains in Yan Bei and though MingXi was called a mountain it was just a small outcrop only a hundred meters tall.

When Chu Qiao and her contingent arrived, He Xiao had already arranged for the tents to be pitched and dinner to be cooked, and after having a mouthful of hot, meaty soup, she finally shed a few layers of the day's fatigue.

The night in Yan Bei was always the most beautiful.  Mid month, the moon was big and round, the snowy plains a swathe of pure white.  On the other side of the mountain was a tributary derived from the ChiSui River, now frozen solid.  (TN: OMG is this the place I think it is? TT__TT) Yesterday when passing MaWei City, the head minister had wanted to give Chu Qiao a gift, and she had inattentively put it in a large box in the horse carriage, and only now did she have an opportunity to open it.  It was a fine green wind cloak with marten fur trim.  The large article was well made, brightly dyed, consisting of luxurious marten tails, smooth to the touch.  Altogether it was a gorgeous, rare commodity.

There were four lit braziers inside the main tent, which made it rather stuffy, so Chu Qiao donned her large cloak and went outside.  She walked all the way to the foot of the mountain, but seeing as the scenery was just pure white between heaven and earth, she went alone to the top of the mountain where a few old plum blossoms stood proudly in full bloom despite the snow, achieving the pinnacle of enviable beauty.

Hidden away in a cluster it felt even more desolate.  Chu Qiao's lonely figure was framed by the icy cold full moon.

Some of the locals had said this mountain was a temple of a Yan Bei goddess, built by Yan Bei's ancestors in the early days.  Having weathered countless hundreds of years of wind and rain, it was still watching over the vast expanse of Yan Bei.

Chu Qiao raised her foot and followed up the rugged mountain path.  The snow at the top of the road was so deep it covered up to her knees, and she continued like this for over an hour until she reached the summit.

The entire temple was built of Xilan white stone, thought it was not very big.  It was as tall as four people, with a door facing east and west.  Chu Qiao stood at the western door, from where she could see the tall effigy of the goddess reaching the top of the roof, occupying nearly the entire space of the hall.

The main hall was rather dilapidated, with snow coming in from more than one place, everywhere draped with shriveled cobwebs and covered in grey dust: it was a real mess.  Only the statue remained spotless, standing loftily, the goddess' face was plain and pale like a lotus.  Looking at her, it seemed Chu Qiao was looking into the serene eyes of Yan Xun's mother, gentle like water, on the Nine Demons Dais so many years ago.  Her outline was faintly visible from the flying skirt, and her abdomen presented a high bulge, as if she was pregnant.

When she was very young, Yan Xun had once told her that Yan Bei had a female goddess and she was divided into two faces.  One face was a fierce god wielding a battle axe in her hand, representing conquest and killing.  The other side was a mother goddess who was with child, representing guardianship and reproduction.  True enough, she saw it for herself today.

She was about to go to the other side to take a look, and when she moved her foot she simultaneously heard the slight sound of a footstep from the eastern side.

A large gust blew through the large hall, from the western door passing the statue and out the eastern door.  Chu Qiao's figure abruptly stood still.  She slightly furrowed her brow and slowly reached for the Breaking Moon sword hanging at her waist.  Before she even pulled it out, the blade suddenly vibrated, as if in jubilation, and in the large hall it quietly hummed.

An idea came to Chu Qiao's mind and an inexplicable impulse came over her.  She involuntarily moved, walking to the left side of the goddess' statute, and then gently, every so gently poked her head out.

Outside, the snow flew, the cold plum blossoms were bursting with blooms.  As if by accident, he raised his eye to the space in between, and a delicate silhouette appeared like a ripple in that space before his eyes.

Beneath the goddess wielding a battle axe, he wore a silver grey fox cloak,  his hood half on, the sound of his white robes rubbing together as he moved, just like that elegant wind instrument of years past.  His eyes were like a cold lake, deep and solitary.  (TN: Noooo…what's with all these lake references….? TT__TT)  His lips were as if painted with drops of vermillion lacquer.

He was still as outstanding as ever, handsome and extraordinary, pushing the limits of worldly description and exceedingly difficult to describe.

A gust of wind from outside brought ash upward, some of it hitting his shoulder.  A faint plum blossom fragrance lingered under the bright and clear moonlight.  A split second slowly pierced a length of time, cast through this casual moment.  (TN: that was a really hard sentence….)

He seemed a bit surprised, not expecting to see her here.  In the instant their four eyes met, the years fell away like water, and the image from memory gradually overlapped with the face in front of them.  The years flowed and fate was ever changing.  The two were speechless, neither of them knowing what to say.

A pale yellow fledgling flew in from the cold, settling on the shoulder of the goddess.  Its small black eyes looked at both of them, and then chirped a sweet sounding melody.  (TN: even the gods are trying to give them hints ^_^)

The man gazed at her, his eyesight penetrating deep into the misty hall.  His brows slightly rose, as if he wanted to say something, but he remained speechless.  His gaze was like warm water, sweeping over her thin shoulders, brushing over her slender neck and gliding over her slim cheeks.  Finally, it rested on her surprised eyes, for a long time, until he calmly withdrew his gaze, and indifferently turned around.  The view of his back was rather cold and lonely.  The tip of his cloak swept through the fine layer of dust on the ground, stirring up particles to fall upon his felt snow shoes.

His footsteps were steady as he walked towards the snowy grounds outside the temple.

"There will be a heavy blizzard in the hinterlands in the next few days, be careful as you go."

Zhuge Yue had just approached the doorway when Chu Qiao's voice carried from behind him.  It was very calming, like a good cup of Long Jiang tea from Bian Tang, gentle, smooth and thoughtful, with a trace a sweetness.

He couldn't help but halt his steps, turn his head and raised his brows gently, "And you are not worried?"

Chu Qiao nodded honestly, "I am, but I have no choice."

The young woman could not help but shrug her shoulders, and let out a rather worried look.  The words from her mouth carried the feeling of an early, temperate spring, and Zhuge Yue's eyes flashed a similar warmth.

Zhuge Yue's tone remained stead as he said, "Rest assured, my disguise in entering Yan Bei 's interior has nothing to do with the war, it won't harm your interests."

"That's good," Chu Qiao smiled.  "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes," Zhuge Yue nodded honestly.

Chu Qiao was surprised, not expecting that there would be, and hurriedly asked, "What is it?"

"Don't report me."

Chu Qiao stared at him, never once thinking the Zhuge Yue could tell a joke.  She stood surprised for a long time, and only after that did she respond, "How could I?"

The little fledgling chirped happily, the flew straight to a corner towards a brazier.  A scent of meat wafted in the air, and Chu Qiao took a few steps over to the goddess, and saw a short mahogany carved stool in the corner of the hall, with a delicate copper basin on top of it.  Cooking over a small fire, a thick soup bubbled, the fragrance of meat permeating, with a few plates of raw meat and vegetables placed aside.  An octagonal silver wine jug was placed on its side.

Chu Qiao smirked and pointed as she said to Zhuge Yue, "You're leaving?  Then this is all mine?"

Zhuge Yue thought for a bit, took a few steps toward the front of the stool, lifted his robe and sat down, lightly saying, "That would be a waste."

Zhuge Yue was worthy of being born into an aristocratic family of a large clan, growing up in gold and jade splendor, and even if he was away form home, out in an environment like this, he continued with his usual idiosyncrasies.  His food was always the best and most exquisite without exception.  There were thinly cut lamb slices rolled together neatly and fresh vegetables cleanly washed with drops of water still clinging to them, who knew how he preserved them so well, along with chopsticks cast in sterling silver and engraved with an intricate and delicate filagree.  Zhuge Yue took up a roll of lamb meat and placed it in the simmering copper basin, letting the meat change color as the soup rippled up and down and churned about.

Layers of steam drifted out, filling the space in between the two of them.  Eating out in cold weather like this was really a treat in life.

There was a whole set of cups, and Chu Qiao still remembered Zhuge Yue's old habits.  Back in QingShan Pavilion, even if he always ate alone, he always placed a full set of dinnerware on the dinner table, as if many people would be coming to eat with him.  (TN: That's kind of sad, bro….)

She picked up the wine jug and poured a cup for him, as well as one for herself.  Zhuge Yue watched and with a puzzled brow he asked, "I thought you never drank wine?"

Her hand gripping the cup trembled slightly, since he was right.  She never drank alcohol before, but since when did she start to like such a thing that befuddled the mind?  (TN: since she's had to turn a blind eye to the stuff Yan Xun does, probably…. )  She slowly raised her eyes and said calmly to him, extending her cup, "I pass on this blessing, and honor your with this cup."

Zhuge Yue's eyes were keen and he did not raise his cup, but quietly took her measure.

Chu Qiao raised her eyes and drank it down, saying indifferently, "This cup, is to thank you for these years past, repeatedly refraining from killing us and raising a helping hand."

Not having seen her for year, Chu Qiao seemed taller. Her eyebrows had thinned over her delicate and pretty face.  Her eyes were very large, and it was if they were covered with an added layer of haze, obstructing anyone's view.

With a cup before him, Zhuge Yue did not drink but only took his chopsticks, quietly added meat to the pot and did not lift his eyes when he said, "If you're going to eat, just eat, where did all these words come from--are you reciting a script?"

Chu Qiao frowned, "Every meal has an opening toast."

Zhuge Yue said dryly, "I get enough of that from the old men in the capital, I don't have enough energy to accompany you in saying such things."

Chu Qiao quietly muttered something to herself and took some meat with her chopsticks to eat.  Zhuge Yue saw that she was eating it too quickly, strongly urging her, "Careful, it's hot."

As soon as he said it, Chu Qiao cried out, as if she really burned her mouth.  Zhuge Yue looked at her with slanted brows and uttered, "Serves you right."

Although she did burn her tongue, the food was delicious.  The two of them sat there, and in the beginning, there may have been ulterior motives behind the idle chitchat.  But gradually, they focused on eating, and after a while, they got to the bottom of the large pot of boiling lamb meat.  Still unsatisfied, Chu Qiao took her chopsticks and fished around for more inside the pot, and like a rabbit, ate all the vegetables and leaves remaining inside.

"I heard you were promoted?  Congratulations."

Zhuge Yue said faintly, "Just as well, killing 80,000 Yan Bei troops, in exchange for meritorious military service. I heard you were promoted also?"

"Thank you.  I dealt with the remnants of DaXia's army at the MeiLin Pass, and also took down some government official."  Chu Qiao glanced at him and asked, "I heard you you had become commander of the western military forces, and you are no longer under Zhao Che?"

"I cannot discard what the Emperor has accorded me, and it was an insignificant contribution.  I am indifferent to this glorification."  Zhuge Yue then faintly added, "I had heard that the southwestern garrison forces were forced to retire their name, and was expelled from the Yan Bei regular forces, and their weapons were scaled back."

"The XiuLi Army is now more of a local peace keeping force, it is reasonable to limit their weapons.  But I had heard the Wei vassal clan sent Wei Shuye to come to Yan Ming Pass.  Isn't that just trying to infringe on your authority?" Chu Qiao raised her brow and smiled.

"Having wishes is always good, but whether or not one can achieve one's goal is another thing entirely.  I heard that the leader of the DaTong Association, Wu Daoya, has been banned from the Sunset City and didn't even participate in this winter's troop review."

"All organizations have their share of internal conflict, you yourself have risen and fallen.  Moreover, there are still a few things I heard that might not be accurate, such as Zhao Yang pulling troops to win at the southern line, which would drag on the hind legs of the war in the western front, so I don't know if it's true or false."

"The phrase 'three-legged tiger' is not said in vain.  I had heard you reformed Yan Bei's inland, invoking prosperity with commerce; even DaXia tradesmen have secretly done business with you all.  That is certainly not a simple task."

"I'm just operating on a small scale.  I had indeed heard that at the battles of Cao Qiu and Jin Hui you broke through Yan Bei's army, capturing 1,000 troops from the Second Army's Eighth Division.  Otherwise, we would have been able to use the opportunity to change DaXia's destiny and rush into its interior."

"DaXia has been standing for 300 years, you can't just charge into it just by saying you're going to charge into it.  I heard about 10,000 people in the northern tribes starved this winter.  Aren't you worried that they would declare open war now and take over the Northern Road?"

"They will come regardless.  Worrying about it isn't going to change that.  I had also heard the rural people in northeastern mountain region of DaXia want to follow Yan Bei's example and become independent.  Do you think they will be successful?"

"I heard Ms. Yu of the DaTong Association is only a figurehead now."

"I heard that DaXia's government gave an empty legislative seat to the Murong clan of HeXi last month, altogether making 30 years of HeDong and 30 years of HeXi."  (TN: I think she is poking fun that the seat did not go to his clan, and it also sounds rather 'punny'....)

"I had heard Yan Bei developed a very sturdy material from which they can forge even stronger weapons that are tougher than iron, and that it was of your making?"

"I heard the emperor passed his 46th decree locking down travel to root out espionage, limiting the circulation of goods in the market, and also using the army against Huai-Song, by your initiative?"

"I heard your recent mission was to deliver supplies to Yan Bei's base camp, and if the supplies didn't make it, the base camp would be cut off."

"I heard your current mission was to find out about Yan Bei's trade news, and to find out the extent of its trade contacts' influence, and at the same time purge all of DaXia's trade here."

*Hmmmmm*

The sound of two long hums suddenly interrupted their conversation.  The treasure sword that was placed on the ground started to hum, and it quivered slightly.  It seemed it could sense the atmosphere of daggers drawn and the scent of gunpowder.  The yellow bird was long since gone, outside the snow was falling heavily, leaving only two people sitting and facing one another.  The charcoal fire continued to burn, the liquid inside the copper pot continued to roll and boil, and the bright red chili pepper inside was like the color of fresh blood flowing out of slain soldiers.

In the end it was a different view point, in the end they were hostile adversaries, and just now, it was as if they were purposefully egging on this volatile mood, as if reminding themselves: this person is not my friend, nor is this person anything else, this person has their own responsibilities.

"I had heard, after this year, you will marry Yan Xun."

Zhuge Yue finally lifted the cup of wine and raised it to his lips, as if he had just carelessly spit out that sentence.

Chu Qiao lifted her head, calmed the disorder in her chest, and whispered, "I had also heard, you were already engaged to General Le Xing's daughter."

Zhuge Yue nodded: "Well, the wedding day is not far off."

"General Meng is already aged, General Le Xing's power is firm in the government.  If you married his daughter it would greatly benefit your career."

Zhuge Yue laughed lightly, "The next time I see you I may have to hail you as the Queen of Yan."

Chu Qiao shook her head, saying sternly, "Yan Bei has already declared its independence, to be precise, you would have to hail me as the Empress of Yan."

Zhuge Yue simmered, drinking alone, and didn't say a word.

Wind blew in between them, bring with it an icy cold chill.  Chu Qiao stared at Zhuge Yue, shuffling between everything that had come and gone between them in a trance.  She was spellbound for a while, holding her cup, not knowing what to say.

"I have seen him."

"Who?" Chu Qiao asked.

"During that time when I led my soldiers to kill members of the southwestern garrison army."  Zhuge Yue lifted his head and slowly said, "His name is Cheng Yuan, and now he is the leader of the first army, succeeding Wu Daoya, and he is presently a real power player in Yan Bei second only to Yan Xun."

Chu Qiao quietly lowered her eyes and said nothing.  Zhuge Yue looked at her, meditated upon her for a long while, then nodded his head and said, "You were right to return to Yan Bei's inland.  The internal influences within the Yan Bei Army are twisted and intertwined, it was never a place for you to stay."

Chu Qiao smiled, "Right, this past year I've lived quite comfortably."

"That's good then," Zhuge Yue chuckled.  "The political strategies in Yan Xun's position include the Yan Bei Army, its power is multi-faceted and disorderly, and also the DaTong Association, and its roots run deep.  If not for the threat of our army, Yan Xun would have been deemed unnecessary and cast aside.  One or two people with insight and good intentions is useless.  Seizing power inevitably becomes a game of chess.  The fact that you understand this benefits you greatly."

Chu Qiao nodded her head, "I understand there is always a high price paid for any great achievement.  A little setback won't topple me."

Zhuge Yue laughed.  His fox cloak bunched up against the slight blue stubble growth on his chin.  Zhuge Yue was beautiful, and in that beauty there was still a bit of sinister quality, but in this moment as he was sitting in front of her like this, he spoke words that only the two of them could understand.  She suddenly felt as though this person had a deep understanding of himself, while there were some things that Yan Xun didn't understand, and even things she was unwilling to face.  But he was keen enough to be able to go through the clues and figure it all out rather clearly, including her dreams, her beliefs, her hopes, her happiness, her frustrations, and the like.

This man was a frightening individual, he had an acute intuition for fighting, he possessed strong martial arts skills, he possessed artistic talents and he had the backing of his rich and powerful family.  However, there was one thing Chu Qiao had never been able to clearly see or know.  After all these years, what exactly did this man want?

Yan Xun wanted his revenge; to level the DaXia empire and be in contention to take over the world.  Zhao Che wanted the throne; to make his country rich and powerful and be master of a dynasty of heroes.  Li Ce wanted DaXia; as well as to recover the lands taken and revitalize the great Tang Dynasty.  But as for Zhuge Yue, what did he want?  No one knew, nor could anyone see clearly.  Staring into that pair of pitch dark eyes she felt as though she would gradually fall inside them.  His gaze was like that of an eddy, as he deeply stared at her.  On the surface it was breezy and light, but inside there was an unexpected burning fire.

And perhaps, perhaps he did say what he wanted once, in the misty rain of Bian Tang's JiangNan, as he held her and suppressed his pride as well as his anger when he said in a low voice, "I also need you."  (TN: *fangirl swoon*)

If that was the case, how could he possibly have uttered it from his own lips?  However, those words eventually became her magic barrier, confining her in a nightmare she would never overcome in her lifetime, becoming like a bad joke, as she would never have the ability to respond.

"Zhuge Yue, the swords on the battlefield are blind, the actions of the government are also unpredictable, you must take care of yourself."

Zhuge Yue smiled warmly, and he rarely showed such a gentle expression.  He looked up at the goddess effigy in the large hall, and slowly said, "Those things, cannot wound me."

Everyone had a weakness, and his will soon take up someone else's last name, and after that, he would never have any weaknesses again.

Zhuge Yue stood up, his slender figure standing under the moonlight had a transcending beauty.  His whole body was like a sculpture, his cheeks lit with a resplendent light.  He quietly looked up at the tall effigy of the battle goddess. Her beautiful face shimmered with a swift and fierce, heroic atmosphere.  The ancients had carefully sculpted her a suit of red armor.  Everywhere the red rock had traces of color, as if it was dripping faint streaks of blood.  She held a sharp battle-ax in her hand, standing against the back of the pregnant goddess, her eyes were keen and sharp, like an angry flaming sword.

For a moment Zhuge Yue's mind went into deep contemplation.  He could not describe the feeling he had when he first saw the goddess' effigy.  In this trance, it was as if he could see another person through her, and like this goddess that person possessed firm beliefs and noble ideals.  The old him frequently scoffed at things like this.  As a child he wandered about inside the sphere of his family's power and influence, and he was used to seeing traps of intrigue and conspiracy.  The belief that human nature was the root of all evil was already ingrained in his heart.  Calculation and conjecture was a necessity of life, as commonplace as sleeping and eating.  But later on, gradually, he finally understood that when a person lived for others it was the most beautiful moment for that person.  He didn't know what powers were sustaining her, nor did he know how she could be so firm in her steadfast sincerity.  He never believed in fate, but there were times that he would think that perhaps Heaven's will was on her side.  Perhaps even Heaven would hate to let down someone like her.

Those feelings he thought were loathsome or shameful had very early on taken root in his heart.  He hated his own weakness and insanity, but he was unable to resist that part of his heart that burned him more with each passing day with this idea.

He already couldn't figure out when it all started, at the time they were both still very young, and she was not even as tall as a horse's withers.  How did such ridiculous feelings come about?

However, after so many nights past, going back to that midnight dream, he would always remember the child's eyes before she left.  There he saw perseverance and an unwillingness to yield, like a little hell cat that would never acquiesce to the hunter's whip.  He thought he must have been confused, confused for many years, confused within such a firm belief, confused by those sharp, pointed eyes.  She had also said to him many times before, "Zhuge Yue, just you watch!"

And so he watched her this entire time.  He watched as she came out of her cocoon and became a butterfly, watched as she climbed to the top, watched as she exhausted herself, watched as she was toppled over and over again only to climb back up every time, watched as she stood beside another, and despite her being hurt and treated unfairly, she never wavered, standing firm like a mountain.

In this life, who would stand by you when you fell into purgatory? Who would you count on to mutually depend upon to survive when you were left with nothing?  Who would follow you so closely and pledge their life?  Who else would stand unwavering after being shut out in the cold?

Yan Xun, how lucky you are, yet you still don't know how to cherish her.

Zhuge Yue shed a smile, turned, and walked outside.  The wind whistled outside, and with a *whoosh* it blew his cloak, the hem of his coat fluttering, and he went straight away.

If you cannot have it, why not just freely let it go?  In his life's vocabulary, Zhuge Yue did not use the word "please." (TN: The phrase is 请求 which means 'request' but it also has a tinge of begging or entreaty to it, so I used 'please' because Zhuge Yue doesn't 'beg' but he also doesn't say please  ^_^)

"Zhuge Yue!"  Chu Qiao suddenly called out.  Zhuge Yue's body was shocked to a halt.  The young woman eagerly hurried over, her footfalls stepping deeply into the snowy ground.

Zhuge Yue turned his head and frowned slightly, "Is there something else?"

Chu Qiao took the Breaking Moon sword from her waist, and then gripped it in her hand, giving it to him.  Her face was solemn when she said, "Take care on your journey."

Zhuge Yue looked at the sword in her hand, but he did not take it, nor had he any inclination to return the Breaking Rainbow sword at his waist.

Chu Qiao slowly felt a bit awkward, but she obstinately continued to hold out her arm, her eyes fixed on him, like a child who refuses to eat when she can't have any candy.

"What do you mean by this?"

Chu Qiao bit her lip, taking a moment to ponder, then finally said, "All out war between Yan Bei and DaXia will soon break out.  At that time it will be difficult to avoid meeting on the battlefield. I will show no mercy, and you don't have be considerate of me either, we…."  (TN: SMH)

Zhuge Yue's expression suddenly became a lot cooler, and he lowered his head, and slanted a frown.  His stare made Chu Qiao a bit uncomfortable, and her voice gradually became smaller.

"Xing'er, in all fairness, if we met on the battlefield would you really cut off my head?"

Zhuge Yue's voice was deep and slow, as if this sentence did not come from his throat, but it seemed to come in concert with his thick heart beat.

Chu Qiao's palm was very cold, but it was still slightly sweaty, her mouth went dry and she had to take a deep breath.  Pushing down the out-of-sorts feeling in her heart, she slowly said, "I will not kill you.  But I will do my best to defeat you."

A deep laugh came forth, and Zhuge Yue lowered his head and shook it gently.  He had nothing to say but took the sword from Chu Qiao, and step by step he trudged through the snowy ground, turned and left.

"Unfortunately, I cannot."

The hoarse voice echoed on the mountaintop.  Large gusts of wind blew across, and instantly tore the sound to pieces.

It wasn't that he could not, insofar as he was not willing.  Because he always knew that for people like them, at a time like that, failure meant death. 

As for him, how could he possibly deprive her of the only bargaining chip she had?  (TN: her bargaining chip is her life, and he could never take her life, therefore he would willingly die by her hand)

As the snow fell it became heavier and heavier.  On the eastern side of MinXi Mountain was an ordinary group of merchants, dressed as traveling business men in Anjing camp.  They seemed to be Zhuge Yue's people.

Chu Qiao stood at the doorway of the temple, watching the man's back slowly disappear into the snow and wind.  Her entire body felt like a sheet of ice.  She walked inside alone and took the wine jug off the floor and took a sip.  The warm heat of the liquid smoothly flowed down her throat, bringing a bitter but fragrant and rich flavor.

She looked up to see the war goddess' fierce gaze looking back at her, as if reproaching her for her impetuousness and failure to see the grand scheme of things.  On the other side, the mother goddess' eyes were gentle, as if she understood all her suffering.  She slowly settled down on the ground, leaning against the tall pillar as she sat, holding her thin knees, looking as though she were a child that had yet to grow up. 

For the first time in her life, she put her hands together in prayer and closed her eyes, her weary voice quietly echoing through the large hall, "Where is the path to the future?  I can no longer see it clearly."

Translator's notes:   This chapter is REALLY long, so I didn't have the energy to translate all of it.  I was only looking for this scene where they meet again, but I didn't think they would be separated for an entire year after meeting under the tree.  After the next major event (I think the Frozen Lake scene is coming up with all these icy-water-lake references) they will be separated even more.  Considering he spent 8 years away from her while she was growing up with Yan Xun and still his feelings did not change, he can probably handle it.  I feel like she's gonna fall apart though.

On the second day of her return to base, he finds a way to give the Breaking Rainbow sword to her.  At the end of the chapter, it's clear that Chu Qiao is no longer in love with Yan Xun.  Though Yan Xun tries to woo her over again she is extremely unresponsive and eager to go on her next mission.  We then see Yan Xun is plotting something behind her back.  Zhuge Yue is a thorn in his side and they learn that Zhue Yue will soon be returning to the capital.   As she departs her camp to embark on her next mission, her sword suddenly warns her that Zhuge Yue is in trouble.  Dun, dun, duuuunnnnnnn! 

As an afterthought, I finally realized that through this entire period she had his sword with her, and he wears the one that was meant for her.  Through thick and thin, when she was fighting for ChiDu City, while she was defending Bei Shuo City, his sword was with her as if it was the only way he could support her while she was in Yan Bei, but nevertheless, he supported her.  It's like she carried a part of him with her wherever she went. She is such a dunderhead for wanting to give it back (insert face palm here).  Also, it's kind of funny that the swords are suddenly magic swords, but oh wells, just roll with it.  ^_^; 

This scene is significant because this might be the first time she eats with him in the novels, though the TV series had her eating all the time…I especially loved that episode when the actress Zhao YiLing pigs out in front of Lin Genshin/Yuwen Yue after the bath fight in Bian Tang.  Zhuge Yue eats alone, always waiting for someone.  The fact that he eats with her here is his way of saying how he considers her an important person in his life.

But I also hate this scene because the two of them aren't saying anything of substance to one another and it feels like a goodbye.  The author loves to tease, but he's been built up so much, more than any other male character in the novels, from the very beginning I thought Zhuge Yue was designed to be Chu Qiao's counterpart.  Had the next traumatic event not occurred, they would have let each other go and married other people.  Ironic since they both have a very sharp understanding of one another.  Even the sword, the bird and the goddess were rolling their proverbial eyes.   -KERO

Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚喬傳 Chapter 125, 126 English novel translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳

Chapter 125: Not an Impractical Scholar

Chapter 126: Golden Summit
Chapter 127: Yan/Chu Different Paths One Goal (epilogue)

Translator's notes: 
If you're wondering why I have so much free time to do this, I'm wondering the same thing myself.  ^_^; But the story is getting better and better, so I thought I'd keep going.  

These chapters are the end of book 2, and I found them rather difficult to translate with my limited arsenal.  A lot of the phrases were complicated and it involved politics, some archaic terms and more fighting.  I had to switch some phrases and words to flow better in English, and some words had no single English meaning.  But still, I hope I got most of it right.

I was kind of surprised some of the fandom skipped this portion of the story.  It gives some closure to the 2nd installment and the characters introduced in this novel's arc.  It also has a brief Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue action scene, which is what I translated below.  

Chapter 126 is the epic conclusion to the 2nd novel (followed by Chapter 127 which is an epilogue of sorts), and it begins where this started, back with the Zhan family.

Synopsis:  After getting snared by the Luo gang (again) Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing have a political debate in a dingy slave cellar in Chapter 125.  The nerd says he can tell that Zhuge Yue is in love with her and shows some surprising clarity in this conversation (makes me wonder if his idiocy is an act).  Liang Shaoqing speaks of the great influence of the vassal families like Zhuge and Wei, and say essentially that they want to see Yan Bei and DaXia go to war.  They may in fact be instigating it.  No matter what, Yan Bei will lose, and DaXia will continue to rely on the these great families to exist.  Chu Qiao discusses the power of the people with Liang Shaoqing, something he has never considered in his political debates with fellow students.  He likens her to the DaTong Association, but she denies identifying with them, and considers herself more realistic.  She uses Yan Bei as her shining example, a land without slavery, and she sparks the interest of the others sitting in the cellar to believe in a better life.

Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing have apparently been thrown into a cellar at the Zhan family manor in Bian Tang.  They are set free by the Fifth Mistress, but not before learning that the Zhan family, like many noble families, had sent 100 slaves as human sacrifices for the prince's wedding, hence many of them had fled for their lives.  The Luo gang was hired to retrieve them.  Among their family slaves, the Jing sisters were the first to depart for the Meishan Mausoleum to be buried alive as virgin sacrifices.  

Chu Qiao is determined to save Jing Yue'er's sisters, especially Zisu, for whom she has a soft spot.  When she arrives, she mercilessly kills two guards who were raping one of the sacrifices and locates her sisters.  There at the temple, she can't rescue them all, so she encourages an uprising of a thousand virgins who greatly outnumber the guards as she frees Caiqin and Jinlian.  

Her sister Zisu was called to wait on Princess Zhao Chun'er, who is having a tryst with General Zhong Peng inside the temple.  Chu Qiao spies on them in the midst of rescuing her eldest sister.  In their throes of passion the general promises the princess that Li Ce is dead.  It's all a political ruse as the princess conspires with him against the Bian Tang throne if it means they will kill Chu Qiao and Yan Xun for her.  Peng spread news that Yan Bei, in league with the DaTong movement, has caused the deaths of both the Crown Prince and the Princess at Meishan.  At that moment, the Five Army Coalition (Northern Guard, Imperial Guard, Wei Contingent, Central Army, Bian Tang Army) were colliding into that one spot to meet the DaTong forces who were blamed for the sinister plot implemented by Zhong Peng.  Chu Qiao is caught when General Peng tries to assault her sister after laying with the princess, and Chun'er seizes the opportunity to hold Zisu hostage and take Chu Qiao captive.  (TN: Her sisters keep getting into trouble -__-;)

Li Ce was on his way to the temple, having lived through the assassination plot against him, but his father barely survived his own assassination attempt.  In the course of a day Bian Tang was sent into chaos.  General Peng faces DaTong on the field and routs them.  He holds an execution ceremony at Meishan of the DaTong rebels.  Chu Qiao could only watch as they were beheaded one by one after shouting their belief that DaTong would never die.  The crowd grew restless as it proves merely to be a celebration of martyrs.  The nobles present begin to doubt their purpose for gathering and the crowd seems to disagree with General Peng when he brings an adolescent boy onto the dais.  When the boy refuses to and admit his guilt in the conspiracy, Peng throws him into the fire.  That's where we begin….

Chu Qiao let out a sorrowful cry, and watched the boy's figure flash before plunging into the depths of the raging fire.  His piercing screams reached the heavens, like a demonic screaming owl.  Even the battle-hardened veteran soldiers could not help but cover their ears.

"You lunatic!"

Chu Qiao shouted, "I will not let you live!"

"What, can't wait your turn?" Zhong Peng snorted derisively and took large steps forward.  The man's broad arm picked Chu Qiao up by the collar and said callously, "You're in such a hurry, just go next then."

"Men!  Do you know who this woman is?"  Zhong Peng pulled her up and shouted, "This is one of Yan Bei's rebel leaders, the one who killed the DaXia princess, the one who instigated a conspiracy to set the state for a war between us and DaXia, the one who confused the crown prince and then brutally killed His Royal Highness!  What say you, men, does she deserve to die?"

"Kill her!"

An indignant roar of furious rage resounded in the open air space before the temple dais.  Zhong Peng's eyes were alight and he said in a clear, loud voice, "Very well!  We will use her as an offering for our flag!"

"Stop!"

A clear voice suddenly rang out loudly, surprising the crowd that then turned around to see.  In the vast field dozens of fas horses rushed forward, the man leading them dressed in green, painted with a spray of bamboo, holding a sword as he rode his horse, shouting, "Put your sword down and spare them!"

They saw quickly who was approaching.  Slanted swordlike brows and bright eyes shining, it was none other than the DaXia noble of of the most prestigious vassal family of Zhuge who had recently visited Bian Tang for the celebration, the Fourth Master Zhuge.

In his heart Zhong Peng knew that this was not an encouraging sign, and at once he wanted to strike, but at this moment Chu Qiao agilely dodged and the blade smoothly slid down the side of her arm and at the same time cut the ropes that bound her!

"Capture her!"

Zhong Peng shouted at the top of his lungs, and the soldiers of the Central Army immediately rushed forward.

"Master!" cried Yue Qi, pulling his bow taut and letting the arrow fly, fiercely embedding itself into the cliff face above.

Zhuge Yue rode vertically atop his horse, and with a nimble leap his body pulled using the arrow as leverage and climbed upward like an ape.  Immediately thereafter, Zhuge Yue's subordinates shot arrows in succession, with amazing archery skills, using their powerful bows they literally created a pathway on the cliff face for him.

The tide of army forces suddenly seethed with excitement, flapping quickly in advance, wanting to obstruct the Zhuge family forces from coming closer.  The throng of three thousand imperial guards came forth to shield the Zhuge family forces.  The Five Nation Coalition forces held bows with arrows drawn at one another, their war horses blowing white puffs of breath.  It was a large-scale confrontation on the verge of breaking out at any moment.

"Everyone stop!"

In the blink of an eye, Zhuge Yue had already jumped onto the second level dais, his had gripping a golden emblem, took a deep breath, and shouted in a clear, loud voice, "I have the crown prince's gold emblem in my hand, by order of the crown prince, all forces lay down your arms, he will soon arrive!"

 The autumn wind rose intensely, large gusts whistling by his impressive green clothes, white jade complexion and bright eyes like stars, proudly standing on the platform with an indescribable heroic bearing.  The words he spoke were even more shocking, causing Liu Ge to suddenly step forward and ask in a loud voice, "What did you say?  His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will soon arrive?"

"Yes," Zhuge Yue turned around and cooly stared down Zhong Peng, saying in a deep voice, "Crown Prince Li is not dead.  He will soon arrive with his soldiers."

"You speak nonsense!"

Zhong Peng interjected forcefully, afraid he would say something else, and shouted, "Kill him!"

The second unit of the Central army suddenly rushed forward, and Zhuge Yue shouted deeply, "You all want to rebel?"

"Master Zhuge you are a government official of DaXia yet you are not here to take revenge for your country's princess, instead you speak strongly in favor of Yan Bei, time and again interfering in the affairs of my country.  What exactly are you plotting?"

"Zhong Peng!  You are also a government official of your country but you are neither loyal nor do you protect its interests. Instead you have conspired to sew chaos, using soldiers to depose the emperor.  What are you plotting?" 

Zhong Peng wiped his bloodthirsty mouth, "I see you are just like the prince, both of you have been so mystified by this demon girl that you've lost all reason!"

Zhuge Yue's expression went cold, and suddenly drew his sword, his movement incredibly fast!  The Central Army's soldiers could barely believe their eyes.  Spattered drops of blood were cheap as his figure spun round and turned.  In a few moves Zhuge Yue had forced his way to Chu Qiao's side.  Taking up a sword from the ground he handed it to her and shouted, "Charge with me!"

Zhuge Yue's graceful figure was like that of a demon.  When he first plunged toward the crowd he was a pallid sparkling light in the tide of soldiers with killing red eyes, in brutal hand to hand combat and enemies everywhere.  Chu Qiao was behind him, her arms still numb from being tied, but she remained swift as always and able to adjust herself, tightly following behind Zhuge Yue.

Their breathing became heavier, their strength gradually consumed.  Yue Qi and the other guards were being pressed by the the army below, and seeing them in danger above, they wanted to charge upward.  They were helpless on the narrow path below the cliff face, clashing with layer upon layer of the Northern Guard contingent, while the imperial guards were still guarding against the other coalition forces twenty times larger in size in addition to clashing with the Northern Guard; it was momentarily in a difficult position.

The forceful collision of their charge left a stream of defeated troops in their wake, and the pair saw they were approaching the inner shrine.  Zhuge Yue uttered a long cry, the cutting edge of his sword drawing a circle, causing a bloody splash mark to fly.  The man pulled Chu Qiao by the arm, springing upwards in one leap into the shrine.

Zhong Peng and the others were quite shocked.  They never thought the two would cut through such tight defenses and quickly chased after them.

"Zhuge Yue! DaXia will punish you!"

Behind them was a large crowd of pursing soldiers, and Chu Qiao was yelling as she ran.

Zhuge Yue's color was ashen, one hand wielding his sword, and the other tightly clasping Chu Qiao's hand.  In the narrow corridor extending in all directions he traveled back and forth, avoiding making any response.

"Your family will punish you!"

Chu Qiao continued to shout, "You must leave immediately!  They will not touch you!  Do not throw your life away with me!"

*pang*  The two burst into a spacious chamber.  Zhuge Yue used his foot to push the deadbolt in place after closing the door, which was immediately followed by loud pounding behind it.  Fortunately every door in the place was made of cast iron and it would be impossible for anyone to break it in a short time.

"Are you insane?  Why did you come?  Did you forget what you said to me from the outset?  Time and time again why do you bother with my affairs?"

Chu Qiao planted a fist in Zhuge Yue's face, like an angry lioness, her eyes were red with rage, and she shouted at him, "You will die!  You will die, don't you know??" 

"Then do you know that if I was one step too late you would have already been a corpse?"

The man's anger finally exploded.  The place where Chu Qiao had punched him was swollen with a few traces of blood.  With one arm he pinned Chu Qiao against the wall.  His voice was low but it was infused with fury, "What do you think you are?  The savior of the world?  Buddha incarnate? You stinking woman, you are a simpleton, you are an idiot, you are a moron!" (TN: ^_^ he literally calls her an idiot three different ways….)

Chu Qiao's eyes were seeing red, so agitated that she couldn't control herself, "So what if I am?  I am an idiot, what of it?  And you still came back for me? I would have rather died fighting on that dais instead of watching you throw your life away with me!"

Zhuge Yue's eyes suddenly calmed, he heavily closed his eyes, and then slowly turned his head away, smiling with a self-deprecating tone, "Because I am a greater idiot than you are."

The air inside suddenly became more calm, regardless of the soldiers fast on their heels like wild wolves in pursuit, and the repeated, rhythmic sound of pounding as they rammed the door, one after another.  Chu Qiao's eyes stung and she felt as though she were about to cry.  She weakly turned her head and emphasized her words, "I don't want to owe you."

"You already owe me quite a bit."

Chu Qiao immediately turned her head and cried, "I don't want to owe you!"

"If you don't want to owe me then stay alive to repay me!"  Zhuge Yue turned his head around, his eyebrows arched upward at the ends like swords, as he sternly shouted, "Listen you and listen well; if you even dare die, I will hunt you down in the palace of Hell's emperor and kill you myself!"

But I'd already be dead, why would I be afraid of you killing me?  Chu Qiao silently argued back at him. (TN:  ^_^; these two….. I think Chu Qiao is missing the point. I think he means to tell her that if she dies he will follow her into Hell….)

She strongly held back the urge to cry, she turned her head away, and coldly said, "I know where Zhao Chun'er is, as long as I bring her out, the rumors about her will be disproven."

"Fine.  I'll lead our pursuers away, you go find her."

Chu Qiao nodded her head, and as she was about to turn away, Zhuge Yue suddenly pulled her back.

The man's eyes were deep, as if there was something hidden in their depths.  Very deep, so very deep, making one unable to think clearly.  He suddenly stretched out his arms and gently embraced Chu Qiao's shoulders.  Then he took the Breaking Moon sword in his hand and placed it into hers, saying in a low voice, "Be careful."

Chu Qiao's nose slightly tingled, and her voice sounded thick as she nodded vigorously, "If you die, I will set off a hundred strings of firecrackers, to celebrate my not having to remember year after year what I still owe you."

Zhuge Yue nevertheless smiled, unrestrained, and gently curled his fist, "I'm afraid you will never have the chance to set off those firecrackers."  

"Take care."

Zhuge Yue nodded, "You go first, after you leave I will open the door and lead them away in a different direction."

Chu Qiao nodded, and after one last look, she immediately turned away and ran off.

Her eyes felt wet but she shed no tears.

"It will be fine.  Nothing will happen."  Chu Qiao whispered to herself, and the hurried back into the temple, returning to the place where she last overheard the princess.

*Peng*  With a gust of air the door to the chamber was kicked open and the young girl rushed in.  She took the head of one of the guards and plunged her dagger into his neck, and before the other guard could draw his weapon she immediately let her silver sword fly into his chest.

Chu Qiao was covered in blood, making her figure in black gold robes all the more slender and graceful.  She brushed off her hands, looking back at her handiwork with dagger and blade, then coldly stared at Zhao Chun'er sitting on the bed whose expression remained unchanged, and cooly said, "Never thought we would see one another again so soon."  (TN: These were the words the princess said when she held Zisu hostage)

Synopsis: In the end, Chu Qiao presents the princess to the Central Army from the top of the temple, telling everyone that they've been deceived.  She tells the DaTong faction that Yan Bei would never deceive them or let them perish and that was a rather cringeworthy read considering what happened to the DaTong merchants earlier in the novel.  The Central Army wavers now that they no longer have a reason to fight, and the Bian Tang army just abandons their posts.  Chu Qiao reiterates to Princess Chun'er that the princess will never be her rival, and she can at least choose how to die.  At that, Chu Qiao leaps from the temple peak.  But just as she does, Yan Xun's army comes into view.  She uses her grappling hook to slow her fall and he rescues her.

Their reunion is quietly touching and it's obvious that she is still devoted to Yan Xun, having been separated for so long.  For now, he is everything she thinks he is.  

Epilogue -- After the incident at the Mausoleum, Chu Qiao and Li Ce have a nice talk about everything before he sends her off.  He tells her his scheme to delay any marriage with DaXia for as long as possible, and that he will not follow DaXia into war with Yan Bei for at least 5 years, giving Yan Xun enough time to solidify his force there. She and Li Ce know they will not have an opportunity to see one another again for a long time, and so fill the time with chatter and semi-serious discussions about politics, life and love.  He tells her to remember she is also a woman, and there are more things in life than just living for her beliefs, (i.e. shopping, make-up, hobbies, love).  TN: I love Li Ce, he's like her BFF.

Li Ce makes fun of both Yan Xun who is so inexperienced he probably sees Chu Qiao as the only woman in the world, and Zhuge Yue who passes a thousand beauties with a frigid stare but treats a raggedy thing like her as if she were a treasure.  ^_^;  He asks if she's had a change of heart about Zhuge Yue and she asks if he would believe her if she said no.  He affirms he would believe her and she explains that she doesn't like to owe Zhuge Yue.  Li Ce suggests that it would be best if she never saw him again then, if she didn't like to be reminded of what she owes.  Whether or not she cared or worried about him, Zhuge Yue was smart and will most likely overcome any obstacles he faces.

He warns her that she will have to fend for herself in Yan Bei, far from his protection or Zhuge Yue's.  When she says she will have Yan Xun there, he looks a bit surprised, but then plays it off saying jokingly that of course she will marry him and he will give her a giant wedding present.  As if he is foretelling that she will be unhappy there, he half jokes that if Yan Xun's three wives and four concubines get too tiresome, she is welcome to come back to Bian Tang and live off of him instead.  She says it will never happen though she doesn't deny that she will marry Yan Xun.  Then as she leaves he adds a few quips saying she shouldn't trust people so easily, eat more meat since her body frame makes people lose their appetite, etc.  ^_^  Then when she finally leaves he says quietly, "I hope you have chosen the path that is right for you."

When she returns to Yan Xun his immediate reaction to her long conversation is jealousy and suspicion.  When she questions it he reveals that he discovered someone wanted something of his, something he's been guarding for almost a decade, and he won't have it.  TN: Allusion to Zhuge Yue, perhaps?  Then they gallop away to Yan Bei.

Tranlator's notes:  So, Zhuge Yue risks his life and his reputation in bringing his own contingent to rescue her.  It seems he listened to her words before they parted, most likely saved the crown prince, and worked with Li Ce to retrieve her.  There would most likely be retribution from the empire and from his family, which he expects, but doesn't care.  That is hardcore devotion.  When they part she feels great sorrow and tries to convince herself that he will be fine and that nothing will happen to him, but it seems she doesn't understand what it is she feels for him.


What I love about the interaction between Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao is that they are building their feelings through their trials together.  Many things they say to one another are a repeat of a prior conversation or event, parallel and reciprocal, with hidden meanings and memories only they share (i.e. the conversation about firecrackers is reminiscent of his saying he would spend his wealth and set off fireworks if she accomplished her dream of making a utopia, and now at the temple her telling him she will light firecrackers if he dies is her way of telling him not to die; the way he gives her the Breaking Moon sword was similar to what she did before she left him in the cave) to show how their relationship is growing.

When I read the next few chapters of Yan Bei's introduction I realize how much I missed Li Ce!  Yan Bei is drab and desolate compared to the bright and beautiful Bian Tang, and the people there are much less interesting than the flamboyant Li Ce.