Sorry for the delay, but here's the latest chapter. Here, we et JR's father and step-brother (one can imagine how they turn out to be) and get to read more of the sufferings from her past. As we read, we realize that Jiang Chao & Su Su, they are definitely cut from the sa cloth.
In the garden's reception pavilion, Xia Yan was dressed in a primly-coloured short-sleeved satin lined jacket and a cyan woven silk pleated flare skirt. The garnts were tightly fastened around her waist without any ease to spare. Although she was already a mother of two, she appeared to remain slender; just like the young girls in the cusp of their spring. Her glistening, moist and supple skin was highlighted with the slightest adornnts, bringing the main focal point to her beautiful hair accessories. When compared to the many concubines in the residence, she was precisely like a slender and elegant silhouette of a pure white lotus. On top of that, she had a faint image of a scholarly, literary lady and hence, seed like an extrely rare, and beautiful woman.
As Jiang Quan's gaze fell upon her, it beca rather gentle. As he said to her, "It's been hard for you," his gaze was completely filled with tenderness. Left in the lurch as she saw this, the Second Yiniang could not put up with this scene any longer. As her shapely eyebrows, that had been ticulously drawn, rose, she deliberately cleared her throat softly, "Laoye[1], we can finally welco you ho."
[1] Laoye ( 老爷 ) - (respectful) lord / master.
In fact, the Second Yiniang was also a beauty. Only, her beautiful features were sowhat sharp and with a slimr than average face, it only made her appear sowhat shrewd, unlike Xia Yan who seed sentintal and tender. Moreover, with her attempt at acting submissively in order to ingratiate herself, Second Yiniang's actions seem rather forced. Therefore, Jiang Quan seed to reveal a rather impatient visage and rely replied distractedly. Upon seeing this, Second Yiniang's hands artlessly wrapped around and clenched onto the hems of her clothes.
Dressed in a faint blue coloured straight-cut decorative skirt, at the corner of First Yiniang's lips was a smile filled with humbleness as she quietly retreated to a corner. In stark comparison to the two servant girls beside Xia Yan, who seed as delicate as flowers and as refined as precious jade, the First Yiniang, in contrast, had an appearance that seed more like a second-tier servant girl. Jiang Quan did not even glance at her. Jiang Su Su then stepped forward with a smile, "Father[2] has returned."
[2] Die ( 爹 ) - informal way of saying 'father', like Dad in modern lingo.
On normal days, as he went about his official business, Jiang Quan would constantly be stern, however, in front of Jiang Su Su, he had never shown such a visage. On his face, a trace of a smile seed to have erged as he reached out to pat her head, "I brought so playthings for you; later, I will have soone bring them to your courtyard."
Standing at the side, a flash of resentnt, hatred and jealousy flared in Second Yiniang's eyes. Among the four daughters in the Jiang fu, the only one that would receive this sort of special privilege was Jiang Su Su.
Jiang Chao, who was talking with the Old Jiang Mada, suddenly thought of sothing as he said, "Didn't Ruan ii just return ho too, why have I not seen her person yet?"
Jiang Su Su's smile beca heavy as Jiang Quan too suddenly recalled this. His smile faded and his brows furrowed. Seeing this, Xia Yan smiled and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a light girlish voice that ca from the hall, "Jiang Ruan greets Esteed Father[3]."
[3] Fuqin ( 父亲 ) - formal way of saying 'father'. This is in stark contrast with the way Jiang Su Su addressed him earlier, revealing the level of closeness each of them share with their father.
Simultaneously, both Jiang Quan and Jiang Chao directed their gazes toward the direction of the voice, and then saw a young girl with beautiful deanour, dressed in a crimson hemstitched double layered jacket, move forward. At the bosom, there were large rounded embroidery designs of eight flowers and plants colourfully embroidered, and her crow-black tresses were coiled up with a multi-coloured bead hairpin. Her clothes seed simple yet extrely vibrant. Inversely, what seed even more vibrant was her features. Snow-white skin and cherry red lips, her limpid and beautiful eyes appeared to contain a countless amount of passion. Yet, contrary to expectations, from the corner of her raised hoods, a faintly discernible aloofness and coldness welled forth. Therefore, her beautiful, calm looks were akin to both, the fiery fire as well as the icy cold. If Jiang Su Su could be said as one who possessed exquisite beauty that was found in the human world, then the extrely vibrant and charming young girl before their eyes was like the unearthly beauty that could not be found in the human realm. Her every movent made one unable to shift their gaze away from her.
Step by step as she steadily ca forward, her manner as she moved was gorgeously charming and in a gentle flutter, she stopped before Jiang Quan as she softly uttered, "Father."
At this, father and son both finally recomposed themselves. In disbelief, the two people could hardly take a asure of her; this was the eldest young lady of the Jiang fu that had just returned from the village manor? In comparison to herself from five years ago and now, Jiang Ruan seed like a changed person. From inside and out, there was hardly any trace of the figure of the little girl of the past. Most of all, as she steadily moved closer, her eyes were filled with an impenetrable gaze that was indecipherable. At this mont, she seed like soone foreign to them and in the depths of one's heart, it had made one feel a trace of cold shivers. However, as she stood before them, she smiled enchantingly, as if that cold and aloof gaze from before was rely an illusion.
Jiang Quan's probing gaze fell on Jiang Ruan as he delayed in deigning her with a reply. Jiang Ruan paused as she slowly raised her head and straightforwardly t Jiang Quan's gaze.
At that instant when she had looked at him, Jiang Ruan was, for a split second, distracted. In her heart, a trace of indecipherable emotion, that seed like both sorrow and joy, erged. Now, Jiang Quan was still in the pri of his life and had an appearance of a renowned and morally upright scholar. Yet, before her very eyes, Jiang Ruan seed to see the image of Jiang Quan's that she last saw in her past life. At that ti, just like this, her own biological father ruthlessly had her dragged into the main Buddhist hall of the imperial mausoleum. In the full presence of all the civil and military officials of the imperial court, she had been labeled and prosecuted with the criminal charge of being a seductress that ruined the country. Lying face down on the floor, she could barely believe what she had heard as her eyes widened. In contrast, his gaze towards her was one of an extre indifference and heartlessness. With that kind of debasing gaze, it seed like he was looking at the one and only taint that had existed in his life. With such a penetrating gaze, in the depths of her heart, she felt a freezingly icy chill.
After she had been imprisoned and tornted by Jiang Su Su, in addition to hearing news of her implicating the entire Zhao family, she had heard of her own father's steady rise in officialdom. In his advancent, he had been promoted to the highest rank among the officials and ultimately, becoming recognised as the extended relative (an esteed figure) of the Empress's family: the maternal uncle of the Nation. As he put on his official robes, had he ever thought of the blood of hers that he had spilled in sacrifice for his official seal[4]?
[4] Guān yìn ( 官印 ) - The official seal of a governnt official, this is the most important possession a person could have, official or otherwise. It represents the power and identity of the person, a form of recognition of a person's status. Here, Jiang Ruan is referring to how her father has used her crudely and harshly as a dead stepping stone in his path and greed for power.
Moreover, Jiang Quan was precisely such a person. For Jiang Su Su, for Jiang Chao, for Xia Yan and most of all, for himself, he would have her and Zhao i, even the entire Zhao family beco the paving stones to lay a road for his success. In her past life, or even now, had he ever truly regarded them as his family?
If it could be said that in her past life, when she had been confined in that prison, what she had felt was despair and loss, then now, once again chancing upon these past faces of her family, nothing but hatred existed.
Hate, how could she not be filled with hatred. When she had beco a human swine that was completely non-ambulant because of Jiang Su Su, when she had personally seen her young child being abused by a powerful official, who could possibly be able to understand the extre sorrow, suffering and anguish that one would feel to the very core of their bones? Hearing the news of her close relatives and their entire household being executed in collective punishnt, yet, there being no way for her to seek for help[5]. Once again, how could she recount the grief and indignation she had felt for them? Since the underworld would not receive people like her and had made her return to the human world, then, how could she not resign herself to let these people have a taste of what it felt like to experience hell on earth. From the mont of her rebirth, she had already renounced all kinship with Jiang Quan and was bent on revenge.
[5] Qiú zhù wú n ( 求助无门 ) - It ans that Jiang Ruan wished to seek for others' help in a matter, however, no such apt social connection or way of getting help existed to get intervention.
As she lightly widened her large eyes, that pair of foggy eyes suddenly beca a little clearer and brighter. Looking deeper, it was rely a layer of clarity and calm like the surface of a clear spring flowing through the mountains that did not have the least bit of impurity. Before them, the person's voice was as soft as the breeze and called out once more, "Father?"
In a split second, Jiang Quan recovered. Yet, towards his own eldest daughter's bright and beautiful smile, for no reason at all, it made one felt ill at ease. As he glanced at Jiang Ruan, he uttered, "It's good that you have returned." After that, he did not express himself any further.
With such indifference, it even caused Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi behind her to feel sowhat indignant. As though she was not aware of it, Jiang Ruan then turned to face him as she smiled at Jiang Chao, "Second brother[6]."
[6] Èrgē ( 二哥 ) - second brother.
Jiang Chao still remained the sa as he did in her recollection. He was gifted with a bright and cheerful appearance, and sowhat restlessly, he scratched his head as he replied with a grin, "Ruan ii." Yet, in his gaze, there was a hint of unclear overtones.
Xia Yan's two children were both people that were extrely adept in putting on masks to conduct themselves. At that ti, shortly after Jiang Xin Zhi's death, contrary to expectations, this Second Brother had been extrely good to her. Although Jiang Chao seed to have an amiable and generous disposition, wherein it seed he would still make so foolish mistakes and suffer so losses, anyone would be willing to beco friends with this sort of person. Especially, Jiang Ruan who had just lost Jiang Xin Zhi, found that she too could find so of the lost warmth and affection from this second brother of hers.
Yet, the heart of the matter was that this foolish and honest young man had eventually married the beloved daughter of the Right Chancellor at that period of ti. And from that ti on, the Right Chancellor beca a part of the Eighth Prince's faction.
Now that she recalled, all of those fantasies that she had in her past life and her impression of Jiang Chao, they had all halted at the very scene when he had attempted to use his own charms as his ans into the officialdom. When she had finally entered the palace, that could also be credited to this wonderful brother of hers. She still rembered the pledge that he had solemnly vowed, "With ii's extrely beautiful appearance, after entering the palace, ii would definitely receive the pampering, favour and love of the Emperor. To have this utmost honor, respect and glory, that would be ii's blessing."
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Translated by : Irisu
Edited by : Anks & Ely
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