HDWWA Chapter 26

Unwilling to Lose Either the Palm or the Back of One’s Hands¹

Seeing his response or lack thereof, Grand Eldest Gongzhu Ningyang felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

On the one hand Rouwan-junzhu is her biological daughter, but the other is her grandson.

As they say, both the palm and the back of one’s hands are made of flesh.

She was reluctant to part with either side, and wanted to protect them both.

But things didn’t go according to her wishes, and the mother-child relationship between Rouwan-junzhu and Li Ji has all but completely broken down.

Even if she used all her strength and influence to deal with this matter, she still couldn’t mend the relationship between this mother and son.

Ningyang-gongzhu is already very old.

Even though she took good care of herself, there were still many deep lines on her face, her hair had already gone white, and her pupils were slightly glassy.

She let out a long sigh, her tone full of helplessness and the gravity of one who has lived through many great changes in life.

“Never mind. You should try to go back to Duke Zhen’s Residence as little as possible in the future. Perhaps after a while, your mother’s mind will become clear again, and you’ll be able to have a good chat.

Li Ji didn’t respond to this.

Ningyang-gongzhu fiddled with the white jade beads on her wrist and sighed.

“I heard that Hua-ruren stepped forward to protect you this time. It seems like the scholar Zhili from the Bureau of Astronomy was correct. You’ve killed too much, and the evil energy you’ve accumulated is too strong, which can easily lead to disasters.

Fortunately you married Hua-ruren in time, and she was able to prevent this disaster for you.

She deserves credit for this matter. I’ll ask someone to send her some rewards later.”

Li Ji didn’t believe a word of what those quacks at the Bureau of Astronomy had to say.

But he didn’t refute his grandmother’s words either. Instead, he responded casually:

“Mn.”

Ningyang-gongzhu earnestly reassured him:

“You don’t have to worry about Li Lou potentially taking your place. Even though you both have the Li surname, you are the only one who can inherit the title and residence of Duke Zhen.

Later, I will personally go to Duke Zhen’s Residence to have a good talk with your mother, and send Li Lou back to where he belongs.”

“There’s no need for you to worry about such a trivial matter,” Li Ji replied casually. “I can handle it myself.”

Ningyang-gongzhu didn’t insist, and instead changed the topic to discuss other matters.

“The two Han-shi² will enter your household and arrive at your residence in two days. You should prepare well after you return. Once the Han-shi enters your household, they’ll be able to help serve you alongside Hua-ruren.

In the future, you can entrust all the trivial matters of the inner court³ to them. You can just focus on resting in peace and recuperating.”

Originally she was planning on sending the two concubines to Zhao-wang‘s residence tonight, but in consideration of Hua-ruren who was injured after saving Zhao-wang, she decided to give Hua-ruren some face and send the two concubines after Hua-ruren recovered from her injuries.

This way, Hua-ruren will also have more opportunities to spend time alone with Zhao-wang, which can be considered a reward in disguise for her.

Li Ji responded indifferently:

“Mn.”

There were already many women in his inner court. Most of them were arranged by Ningyang-gongzhu, others were sent by the Emperor and Empress.

After those women arrived at his residence, Li Ji immediately sent them all into the inner court, so they’ve never even seen his face.

At this moment, these women were gathering in front of the Liuli Pavilion where Hua Manman lives.

They were all dressed gorgeously and painted a picture of swaying flowering branches, and they had come to pay respects to Hua-ruren who had just officially entered the household.

Hua Manman looked at this large group of orioles and swallows⁴ chattering pleasantly, gathered over single man, in front of her. She couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. To be a Wangye in ancient times really is fortunate; to think that one man can have so many beautiful young ladies.

Ever since they were sent to Zhao-wang‘s residence, they haven’t even seen Zhao-wang‘s face, so naturally none of them have a rank or title.

Therefore, when they all bowed to Hua Manman, they all addressed themselves as “servant”.

Hua Manman didn’t waste time putting on airs. After she exchanged greetings with them with a smile, she signaled for them to leave.

However, two girls were unwilling to leave.

Notes

“unwilling to lose either the palm or the back of one’s hands” = an idiom meaning that means you cannot choose between one or the other because you’re fond of both options. The literal translation is “both the palm and back of one’s hands are made of flesh”. I’d love to know the story behind this idiom if there is one.
-shi = suffix that denotes a person’s family name. Think of it like how you’d use “Miss [Last Name]”. This is also the same -shi suffix of Hua Manman’s mother, He-shi.
Inner Court = basically the personal apartments where everyone officially registered in the household resides. Managing an inner court includes managing a household’s personnel and concubines. Can also be translated as “back palace”.
“orioles and swallows” = originally this just meant “a crowd of women chattering pleasantly, like the sounds of orioles and swallows.” Now it has a more derogatory meaning of “a crowd of women all going after the same goal/man”.

Whew, lots of notes this time!

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HDWWA Chapter 25

Must be Severely Punished!

Hua Manman had thought that she was out of her mind when she had rushed forward so foolishly to protect Zhao-wang.

But after waking up from her dream, she realized that she hadn’t lost her mind at all.

She had seen a familiar shadow in Rouwan-junzhu‘s expression.

A shadow of her father.

With open jaws and piercing claws, full of ferocity and violence, just like a man-eating monster.

Back when she was being abused by her father, she always held hope that someone would come to save her.

It turns out this hope turned into a lingering obsession.

It prompted her to rush forward when Rouwan-junzhu tried to attack.

No one was able to become her savior.

Then she’ll be the one to fulfill this obsessive wish in her heart.

The next day, rumors about the fight between Zhao-wang and Rouwan-junzhu spread all over the capital.

For outsiders who didn’t know the details of what happened, when they first heard that Zhao-wang dared to stir trouble with his own biological mother, they thought it was incredibly treasonous.

There were even officials who immediately submitted an impeachment of Zhao-wang.

‘The current Emperor rules the country with filial piety. Such a disobedient and unfilial person must be severely punished!’

Under such pressure, the Emperor sent someone to summon Zhao-wang into the palace in order to inquire about the truth of the matter in person.

Although he was facing the Emperor with supreme authority, Li Ji didn’t feel very nervous. He sat in his wheelchair with a blank expression on his face.

The Emperor first inquired about Li Ji’s injury, then asked an imperial physician to check on Li Ji.

With the pleasantries out of the way, the Emperor only then seemed to have remembered to ask about the matter with Rouwan-junzhu.

“I heard that you went back to Duke Zhen’s Residence yesterday and had an unpleasant quarrel with your mother?”

“Mn¹,” Li Ji responded calmly.

The Emperor sighed helplessly.

“I know that Duke Zhen’s death has nothing to do with you, but your mother refuses to believe this fact. She seems to be convinced that you’re responsible for Duke Zhen’s death.

I even asked the Empress to persuade her, but she wouldn’t listen.

There’s really nothing I can do about this.

Fortunately, you’ve already moved out of Duke Zhen’s Residence now, so you don’t have to live with her every day.”

“My apologies for troubling Your Majesty with this,” Li Ji said in an emotionless voice.

“The rumors this time arose very strangely,” the Emperor said. “Would you like me to help you investigate the circumstances?”

“No need, I know who did it,” Li Ji said.

Hearing this, the Emperor stopped discussing this matter. He offered some gentle words as comfort, and in the end even permitted Li Ji to remain in the palace for lunch.

By the time Li Ji left the palace it was already afternoon.

At the gates of the palace, there was already a carriage from the Grand Eldest Gongzhu² Ningyang’s Residence waiting for him.

The servant stepped forward to salute him, respectful and sincere.

“Wangye, Her Highness the Grand Eldest Gongzhu invites you to her residence to have a meeting.”

Li Ji gave a slight nod in response.

He knew that for Ningyang-gongzhu to invite him over at this time, it must be to discuss the matter with Rouwan-junzhu.

Sure enough, he was correct.

Once Ningyang-gongzhu saw him, she began playing peacemaker as soon as she opened her mouth.

“The blow that Duke Zhen’s death dealt to your mother was too heavy, it was too much for her to bear, so something went wrong with her mind.

No matter what she says, don’t take any of it to heart.

You are still her child that she bore for 10 months, and her cherished darling. She has always loved you.”

Li Ji smiled lightly, but it was a mocking smile.

“Really?”

He had also once believed that there was no mother in this world who could not love her children.

But the facts proved to him that he was too naïve.

Rouwan-junzhu never loved him.

In this world, there is no one who could ever love him unconditionally.

Ningyang-gongzhu tried to persuade him for a long time, until her mouth became dry from talking, but Li Ji’s expression remained calm and unmoved, obviously not listening to what she was saying.

Notes

Mn = an onomatopoeia, more like a grunt of affirmation. A very casual/informal way of saying yes, just to show how casual Li Ji is being to the Emperor.
Gongzhu = Princess, just figured I should try to be consistent with italicizing titles.

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HDWWA Chapter 24

Don’t Be Scared

Ever since Li Ji acquired his special ability to “read minds”, almost all the inner voices that he could hear were mixed with calculations, suspicion, and hostility.

He’s grown used to it.

Living in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, where all the power is located, all sorts of conspiracies and calculations are necessary to survive. It’s impossible for him to escape.

But Hua Manman has become an exception.

She was like an outsider who had strayed into this world, and was seemingly on a different page than everyone else.

She really is pretty weird.

Hua Manman didn’t expect that the almighty Zhao-wang would be so unwilling that he wouldn’t even give her some soft bedding. But she could only scold Zhao-wang for being too stingy in her heart while pitifully retreating and settling for the next best thing.

“If bedding is not possible, I’m okay with a soft pillow instead.”

On the bamboo couch, even the pillows are woven out of bamboo.

While it’s nice and cool to sleep on in the summer, it’s too hard for Hua Manman and makes her head hurt.

She felt like if she continued to sleep with her head laying on this kind of pillow, her head will eventually become deformed.

Li Ji called in the mama in charge of the room and told her to bring a new set of bedding and pillows, specifically soft and comfortable ones.

The mama didn’t understand what he meant, but she didn’t dare to ask any questions and obediently complied.

Soon, the bedding and pillows on the bamboo couch were replaced with a new set.

Hua Manman sat on it, rubbing the left side and pinching the right side. It felt nice and soft to the touch, and she was very satisfied.

“Thank you Wangye for the reward!” she said, smiling so brightly that her eyes curved into crescents.

Li Ji had actually wanted to say that she didn’t need to go through all this trouble. If she found it uncomfortable to sleep on the bamboo couch, she could just sleep on the bed. It’s not like he would spend the night in her room everyday.

But just as the words reached the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them back down.

Forget it. In return for her risking her life to save him, he’ll continue sleeping in her room for a few more days.

It’s a good opportunity for everyone in his residence to see that he highly values her, in order to deter short-sighted people¹ from trying to plot against her in the future.

So tonight, Zhao-wang continued to stay in Hua Manman’s room.

The maid who was originally in charge of night duty was kicked out by Hua Manman.

Hua Manman said that it was enough for her to serve the Wangye by herself, and insisted that there was no need for anyone else to stay in the room.

The maids all thought that Hua-ruren was going to do something unspeakable with the Wangye, so all of their faces were flushed red with shame as they quickly walked away.

But what they didn’t know is that nothing ever happened between Hua Manman and Zhao-wang.

The two slept in different beds, complete separate from one another like the Jing and Wei rivers.²

In a liminal space between wakefulness and sleep, Hua Manman’s mind was immersed in memories from many years ago in her past life.

She was only eight years old at the time, and her father’s company had just gone bankrupt from poor management.

As a result, her father became so depressed that he drank heavily all day long. Every time he was drunk, his temperament changed drastically, and he would become extremely violent and cruel, often beating and kicking his wife and daughter.

Her mother couldn’t stand it anymore, so she secretly ran away.

Her mother had left, but Hua Manman couldn’t leave.

Her drunk father looked like a demon when he grabbed her hair and slammed her onto the ground.

She struggled and cried desperately, but her strength was no match for that of a grown man’s at all. Her head hit the ground hard, and it hurt so much that she couldn’t help but cry in pain.

“If it weren’t for you, you cursed omen, my company wouldn’t have gone bankrupt! You are a scourge! An evil star! No one who gets close to you will end up well! Why don’t you die already?”

His voice overlapped with that of Rouwan-junzhu‘s.

Even the expressions on their faces seemed to overlap when they said:

“You are a scourge! An evil star!”

Hua Manman suddenly opened her eyes, waking up from her nightmare.

Her eyes rested on the house’s inner beam in front of her, decorated with colorful pictures of wealth and blooming flowers. Her surroundings were quiet.

The doors and windows were closed tightly. Without light, the room was extremely dim, and it was hard to see anything clearly.

She didn’t know what time it was, and she didn’t dare to call out for someone, so she could only quietly raise her hands and place them over her eyes.

It’s in the past.

It’s already all in the past.

Don’t be afraid.

Notes

“short-sighted people” = not literally near-sighted people, but meaning people who lack foresight.
Jing and Wei rivers = now, my geography isn’t great, so this is a bit of a shot in the dark. But pretty sure the Wei river mentioned here is the largest tributary of the Yellow River; the Jing River is then the largest tributary of the Wei River. Despite this, the two rivers look completely different; the Jing River has clear and calm waters, vs. the Wei River’s turbid water.

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HDWWA Chapter 23

Reward

Li Ji didn’t even spare a glance at Zhang-mama.

Ever since Hua Manman was injured, his eyes never strayed from her body.

Hua Manman thought he was worried about herself, so she said hurriedly:

“The wound isn’t deep, it’s okay. I’ll be fine once I go home and apply some medicine.”

Li Ji stared directly into her eyes and heard the sound of her inner voice loud and clear:

‘Hiss! It hurts so bad! That hairpin has never been sterilized before, is there a chance that I’ll get tetanus? Am I going to die from this? wu wu wuu¹!‘

“I don’t need you to save me. Don’t do stupid things like this again in the future,” Li Ji said coldly.

Hua Manman shut her mouth, aggrieved.

Truth be told, she’s not a very kind person. Just now she had acted purely out of instinct; her body was already moving by the time her rational brain finally caught up.

But if she had known in advance that she wouldn’t a single word of thanks for saving someone, then she wouldn’t have said she was okay just now.

Wuwuwu, this wound really hurts!

Li Ji ignored Zhang-mama, who was still begging for mercy, and gave a cold order:

“Let’s go back.”

Because Hua Manman’s arm was injured, the duty of pushing Li Ji’s wheelchair fell upon Chen Wangbei.

Before leaving, Li Ji took one last look at the two words written at the top of the arch, “Hai Yan”, meaning “Calm Ocean”.

When his father had written those two words, his father had told Li Ji seriously:

“Ji’er¹, as ministers who serve the people, our most important duty is to assist the Emperor so that the Yellow River is clear and the oceans are calm, to achieve peace under the heavens.”

Now his words are still etched in stone, but his father himself has turned into a pile of bones.

And the warmth that once lingered in this yard has already withered away.

… …

After returning to Zhao-wang‘s household, Hua Manman rolled up her sleeves, revealing the wound on her arm.

The wound was not deep, but it was quite long, and bled quite a bit. The flesh along the edge of the wound was slightly turned outward, which looked a bit scary.

The household’s official doctor carefully helped her clean the wound and wrapped it with a gauze.

Siyun accompanied the household doctor out so that she could also retrieve medicine.

Hua Manman pulled down her sleeve. When she raised her head, she saw that Zhao-wang was still looking at her.

“I need to change my clothes,” she said, standing up. “Wangye, please make yourself comfortable.”

Li Ji didn’t move, instead quietly watching as she went around the screen and entered the inner room.

Through the screen, he could vaguely make out the outline of her figure.

She took off the clothes on her body one-by-one, and the curves on her figure became more and more clear.

But Li Ji’s mind wasn’t filled with such charming thoughts.

Instead, his mind was full of the image of Hua Manman protecting him just now.

This woman was obviously very weak, and couldn’t even properly protect herself, yet she had the guts to stand up and protect him at that time.

She really has no self-awareness at all.

Even if a fool like her is sold off by someone, she might just turn around and help pay off their debts³.

Facing the direction of the screen, he cursed in a low voice:

“How stupid…”

Hua Manman changed into a clean dress. She was still in a daze when she walked around the screen and heard Zhao-wang saying something, but his voice was too low for her to hear clearly.

She couldn’t help but ask:

“What did Wangye say just now?”

Li Ji leaned back.

“Although you are foolish,” he said lazily, “I have always been very clear about rewards and punishments. Just now, you blocked an attack for me. Whatever reward you want, just say it.”

Hua Manman never expected to actually be rewarded.

She automatically filtered out the sarcastic jibe from Zhao-wang earlier and immediately began to think. What sort of reward should she ask for?

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the bamboo couch nearby and an idea immediately came to mind.

“Wangye, could I have some soft bedding? This bamboo couch is too hard, it’s honestly uncomfortable to sleep on.”

Li Ji really didn’t expect her request to be so small.

He stared into Hua Manman’s eyes. He wanted to see the truth. Was this really what she wanted? Or was this a ploy, to act coy while seeking greater benefits?

But even though he stared at her for a long time, he couldn’t hear any calculating thought running through her mind.

She really did just want softer bedding.

Hua Manman couldn’t help but feel anxious when she saw that Li Ji was silent.

“Is it not possible?”

Notes

wu wu = a common Chinese onomatopoeia for sobbing.
Adding ‘er to a name is a common affectionate nickname in Chinese.
Idiom, meaning that she’s easily taken advantage of.

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HDWWA Chapter 22

A Stab Wound

“You have no right to speak about the Lord Duke. If it wasn’t to protect you, he wouldn’t have died on the battlefield! You are a plague! An evil star!

All those who get close to you will suffer a miserable death!”

By the time she finished speaking her last sentence, Rouwan-junzhu‘s voice was practically hoarse. Her eyes were full of hatred and resentment, and she had completely lost the bearing of a junzhu.

This was the main reason why Rouwan-junzhu was reluctant to ask for Li Ji to officially inherit the title.

She believed that Li Ji killed the man she loved most in her life.

It was Li Ji who separated her from her lover.

Damn you, Li Ji!

Everyone present lowered their heads, not daring to say a word.

Even Li Lou, who held the most annoyance in his heart, shrank his shoulders and remined quiet at this time, trying to reduce his presence.

Although he wanted to compete for the title of Duke Zhen, he didn’t want to be entangled in the whirlpool of a topic that was Duke Zhen’s death.

The atmosphere was terribly oppressive.

Hua Manman subconsciously glanced at Zhao-wang.

His facial expression didn’t change, and it seemed as if he was not affected by Rouwan-junzhu‘s words. But when Hua Manman looked closely, she could see that his hands were firmly gripping the armrests of his wheelchair.

He was gripping with so much force that his knuckles were turning white.

After what seemed like a long time, Li Ji slowly opened his mouth, his voice low and hoarse.

“Father died because of an enemy ambush. It had nothing to do with me.”

Rouwan-junzhu refused to believe his words, and continued to glare at him resentfully.

“Don’t you dare try to deceive me. If it weren’t because you were holding him back, how could the Duke possibly die? He has been on the battlefield for so many years, and encountered so many ambushes and traps, but none of them cost him his life.

So why would my Dudu¹ lose his life on the battlefield the first time he took you with him?!”

Li Ji didn’t have an answer to this question.

He could only remain silent.

To Rouwan-junzhu, his silence was a tacit agreement of her words.

Hatred surged in Rouwan-junzhu‘s chest. Both of her eyes were red with rage, and she looked like a madman.

“You’re a scourge, a baneful lone star! Why weren’t you the one who died back then instead? Why do you still have the face to escape and come back here? You should have been the one to die! It should have been you!!”

Because of her overflowing emotions, she had lost all sense of reason.

She shook off Zhang-mama‘s hand, pulled out a golden hairpin from the top off her head, and recklessly rushed towards Li Ji!

Because Li Ji sat in a wheelchair, his legs and feet could not move. It would be difficult for him to escape.

Countless terrified shouts rang out.

“Junzhu, no!”

Chen Wangbei’s complexion changed drastically. He immediately tossed away the antique calligraphy and paintings that he was holding in his arms and sprinted towards Zhao-wang at breakneck speed!

But there was someone faster than him.

Hua Manman clutched the handles on the back of the wheelchair and forcibly turned the wheelchair around in a half circle, helping Zhao-wang avoid the golden hairpin in in Rouwan-junzhu‘s hands.

However, she herself wasn’t able to avoid the blow and her right arm was scratched by the golden hairpin.

Blood slowly spilled from the wound, staining her sleeve with a hint of red.

Rouwan-junzhu saw that Li Ji was unharmed, and the hatred in her heart surged. She raised the golden hairpin and wanted to stab at him again, but she was now completely surrounded by a crowd of people who had finally reacted, and she couldn’t find an opening to attack again.

As Zhang-mama directed the servants to send Rouwan-junzhu back, she continuously apologized to Zhao-wang.

“I’m so sorry, Wangye. Her highness, the Junzhu, was just acting impulsively. She didn’t really mean to harm you. Out of consideration for her kindness towards you in your youth, I beg that you don’t make a big deal out of this matter.”

She tried to assassinate a Wangye openly. Even though she’s a Junzhu, it’s impossible for her to get away with it unscathed.

Given the Emperor’s favoritism towards Zhao-wang, if the emperor found out about this matter he would definitely pursue it to the end, and Rouwan-junzhu would have to face punishment.

Notes

Dudu = I’m assuming this is Rouwan-junzhu‘s nickname for her husband/Li Ji’s father.

Sorry for the long wait! I’m finally back to translating, thank you for your patience!

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HDWWA Chapter 21

You Unfilial Son!

“Stop!” Rouwan-junzhu shouted sharply.

Although she was rather advanced in her years and no longer as stunningly charming as she was in her youth, she was still attractive.

Additionally, she had been holing herself up in her room these past few years, so her already fair complexion was paler than usual.

At this time, she was wearing a long, snow-blue dress. Her willow-leaf eyebrows were raised, her thin lips were tightly pursed, and her pale cheeks were abnormally flushed in anger. Her facial expression, coupled with her excessively slender and thin body, gave the appearance of almost a morbid level of fragility.

Leaning on Zhang-mama¹ for support, she quickly walked over to Zhao-wang, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger.

“First you insulted your brother, and now you’re going around smashing up the Duke’s Estate, are you trying to rebel?!”

Li Ji raised his head to look at her.

He had went out of his way to bring the newly married Ruren over to greet her, yet she deliberately avoided meeting them.

Yet now, as soon as he had slightly bullied Li Lou², she couldn’t wait to hurry over and bring a crowd to condemn him.

Looking at it this way, Li Lou seems more like the son born of her flesh and blood.

Then what is he?

Li Ji knew that he held no place in her heart.

If this had taken place a month ago, he might have been hurt and saddened by this revelation.

But now, he’s able to let out a quiet chuckle.

“Ha, a rebellion would implicate nine generations of our family. Mother should speak more carefully.”

Rouwan-junzhu was furious at his indifferent attitude, and her voice rose suddenly:

“You unfilial son! You still have the face to tell me what to do?!”

Hua Manman’s eardrums trembled at the shrill voice, and she couldn’t help but frown.

She had thought that Zhao-wang‘s temperament was already pretty bad, but it seems that Rouwan-junzhu‘s temperament was even worse.

After just a couple words, Rouwan-junzhu‘s emotions were already out of control.

Even as an adult, she wasn’t able to exert control over her emotions. This clearly meant that she has some sort of psychological issues.

In modern times, this kind of issue could have been treated by a psychiatrist. But in ancient times, people had no awareness of mental illnesses at all, so it was naturally difficult to resolve Rouwan-junzhu‘s psychological issues.

At this time, Chen Wangbei emerged from the residence with his team of guards. Each of them were holding a large collection of objects in their arms, ranging from treasures adorned in gold and silver to calligraphy and paintings, everything and anything.

They first bowed towards Rouwan-junzhu, then looked towards Zhao-wang as they awaited his next instructions.

When Li Lou saw that they were about to snatch away all of the valuables from Haiyan Residence, he finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He jumped up and shouted:

“You dogs all have such great guts! To think you even dare to rob things from the Duke’s Estate?

Just look at this, Aunt! My cousin clearly knows that you’re ill, but not only does he not come back to look after you, he even wants to have his people empty out the Duke’s Estate. He doesn’t have you in his heart at all!”

When Li Ji looked over at him, Li Lou instinctively felt fear and immediately hid behind Rouwan-junzhu.

There was a thick tone of disgust in Rouwan-junzhu‘s voice as she spoke:

“These things all belong to the Duke’s Estate. Since you have already moved out of the Duke’s Estate, you are no longer entitled to a single needle or thread belonging to the Duke’s Estate.”

Li Ji responded in a leisurely manner:

“When my father bequeathed me with the Haiyan Residence, he told me that everything within the Haiyan Residence belongs to me, and I can do whatever I want with it.”

Upon hearing him mention the late Duke Zhen, Rouwan-junzhu felt a sting of pain in her heart, and her face became even paler than it was before.

Upon seeing this change, Zhang-mama, who was beside her, asked worriedly:

“Junzhu, are you alright?”

Rouwan-junzhu ignored the caretaker’s question. Her stare was trained on Li Ji the entire time. Her gaze was not that of a mother looking at her son, but more as if she were looking at her mortal enemy.

Notes

Mama = not written with the same characters as “Mom/mother”, here it refers to a wet nurse or a caretaker that helps watch over someone. Can also refer to a nun.
We can all agree that Li Ji bullied Li Lou pretty harshly here, but keep in mind this is from Li Ji’s point of view and his default when people annoy him is to immediately kill him. Having Li Lou stripped near-naked is considered pretty tame for him.

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HDWWA Chapter 20

Just You Wait

Although Li Lou’s face bore resemblance to Li Ji’s in two or three places, his physique was not as slender or tall as that of Li Ji, who used to practice martial arts all year round. Without the cover of his clothes, Li Lou’s thin and slender figure was completely exposed.

The melon-eater¹ Hua Manman pretended like there was nothing to see here.

Chen Wangbei held out the clothes that had been stripped off of Li Lou in front of Zhao Wang and waited for Zhao Wang‘s next orders.

Li Ji didn’t even look at the clothes. He sincerely didn’t care about them.

“Since they’ve already been worn by him, the clothes are now dirty. It can’t be washed clean, so just burn it all.”

Hua Manman, who had been watching quietly from the shadows, began to feel her common folk’s mentality tremble upon seeing this. She couldn’t hold back, and suggested:

“The clothes are still fairly good, it would be a pity to burn them. How about you exchange them for money and donate them to charity instead? This way we could also accumulate some merits for Wangye.”

Li Ji glanced at her from the corners of his eyes.

Hua Manman blinked back at him, smiling cutely and innocently,

At this moment, Li Ji couldn’t hear any other thoughts from her heart.

She really just wanted to do something good.

Li Ji suddenly smiled.

This time, his smile didn’t contain a single trace of sarcasm.

“Okay then, we’ll just do as you say.”

Hua Manman didn’t expect this. She was just casually suggesting an idea, and was even readying herself to get scolded, but she didn’t think that Zhao Wang would accept her proposal so readily.

This man’s temperament is indeed fickle, and hard to predict.

Chen Wangbei immediately folded the clothes away and handed them to the guard next to him.

Li Lou wrapped his arms around his thin frame, his whole body trembling. He looked like he was about to go crazy.

“Even if you are a Wangye, you can’t humiliate me like this! Just you wait, I’m going to go find Aunt!”

He firmly believed that Rou Wan Junzhu would help make things even for him.

When that comes, he’ll make sure Li Ji watches carefully²! .

Chen Wangbei looked at Zhao Wang and, upon seeing that Zhao Wang had no intention of stopping Li Lou, Chen Wangbei didn’t move a muscle and instead watched Li Lou run away.

It was impossible to know what Li Ji was thinking.

“Go to the Haiyan Residence,” he said leisurely.

Hua Manman didn’t know where the Haiyan Residence was located. Fortunately, with Chen Wangbei there to help point her in the right direction, she eventually successfully found her way to the Haiyan Residence.

As Li Ji sat in the wheelchair, he looked up at the words “Haiyan”³ written in calligraphy above the arch of the door.

This plaque had been written for him by Duke Zhen back when Duke Zhen was still alive.

Everyone says that words reflect the people who wrote them, and indeed Duke Zhen’s handwriting was just like him: upright, with integrity and courage.

Li Ji gazed at it for a while, then suddenly said:

“Even if I don’t want my possessions anymore, I don’t want them to be coveted by a dog. Wangbei, bring people with you and move out everything within the Haiyan Residence. Then take them, exchange them for money, and donate it to charity.

As for anything that can’t be removed, just smash and destroy it all.”

Chen Wangbei clasped his fists and responded:

“Understood!”

He immediately rushed into the Haiyan Residence with a team of personal guards.

Soon, the screams of maids and servants could be heard resounding within the Haiyan Residence.

“What are you doing? These are all belongings of Duke Zhen’s Estate, what right do you have to take it away? Put it down!”

Following that, there was the sound of shattering, as if something had just been smashed.

Even though she couldn’t see anything, Hua Manman could vividly imagine the current chaotic state of the Haiyan Residence just by hearing these sounds.

This was the place where Li Ji grew up. He must have plenty of memories that were born here, so normally speaking he should be filled with nostalgia at this place. But right now, as Hua Manman looked at Li Ji, there were no traces of nostalgia on his face.

There was only indifference and ridicule contained within his pair of long and dark narrow eyes.

After a while, Rou Wan Junzhu hurried over.

A large group of people followed behind her, including Li Lou.

He had obtained a piece of clothing from who-knows-where and randomly put it in on a hurry. Because the size didn’t fit, it looked inappropriate and out of place, truly comical.

Melon-eater = an onlooker who’s interested in watching a spectacle but has no say in what’s going on.
“He’ll make sure Li Ji watches carefully” = Li Lou wants Li Ji to watch as his mother, Rou Wan Junzhu, takes his cousin’s side and punishes Li Ji, so that Li Lou can rub it in his face that Li Ji is no longer favored.
Haiyan = should have included this last chapter, but the Hai in Haiyan means “ocean”. This is part of an idiom; the two characters mean “calm ocean”, and refers to achieving peace so that the “Yellow River is clear and the oceans are calm”

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HDWWA Chapter 19

This is Taking Bullying Way Too Far!

Even though Rou Wan-junzhu was unwell, she would rather have her nephew come visit rather than even meeting her own son. This all confirmed Hua Manman’s previous suspicions —

The mother-son relationship between Li Ji and Rou Wan-junzhu is really bad.

Li Lou didn’t seem to notice the other party’s cold indifference, and continued to smile brightly.

“During this time, I’ve been living in the Duke’s Estate, in the Haiyan Residence where you lived in before,” he said. “The clothes I’m currently wearing right now are also clothes you’ve worn before. Originally the size was a bit too large, so I asked a seamstress to help alter it, and now it fits just right. What do you think? I don’t look half bad, right?”

Li Ji looked at him coldly, and expressionlessly spat out one singular word:

“Ugly.”

Immediately, the smile on Li Lou’s lips couldn’t hang on any longer and slipped off his face.

He let out a long, seemingly helpless sigh.

“During this time, I was too busy taking care of my aunt, so I wasn’t able to attend your wedding yesterday. Are you perhaps upset about that? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to miss drinking your wedding wine. I’m just truly too worried about my aunt.

As you already know, since Uncle’s passing, Aunt has been depressed, and her health keeps getting worse. You are already very busy, to the point where you don’t have time to take care of Aunt, so I have no choice but to accompany Aunt in your place.

If this makes you unhappy, then I can go bid farewell to Aunt right now. After all, nothing I say can affect the relationship between mother and son.”

Hua Manman lightly sucked in a breath.

Obviously no one here was drinking tea, yet why did she seem to smell the scent of spilled tea in the air?

Li Ji looked at the other party as though he were watching a clown performing on a high beam, and he sneered unceremoniously.

“Do you think that if you wear my clothes and live in my house, you can take my place and inherit the title of Duke Zhen?”

His words were like a knife, tearing off the layer of fig leaf¹ that was concealing Li Lou’s body and exposing all the dark thoughts that Li Lou had been hiding in his heart. Indeed, that was exactly what Li Lou had been thinking.

Indeed, that was exactly what Li Lou had been thinking.

Ever since Duke Zhen had passed away on the battlefield, the mother-son relationship between Li Ji and Rou Wan-junzhu fell below the freezing point.

Rou Wan-junzhu refused to request for the Emperor to legitimize Li Ji as the heir to the title of Duke Zhen, making it clear that she did not want Li Ji to inherit the title.

Since Li Ji can’t be the heir, why can’t Li Lou step up and become heir instead?

They’re both in the same generation of the same Li family, and he also has the right to inherit this title.

As long as he can obtain the favor of Rou Wan-junzhu and get her support, he would be able to pocket the title of Duke Zhen for himself.

Just now, Li Lou had learned that Zhao-wang was coming, so he purposefully ran over to Zhao-wang, for the sole purpose of vexing Zhao-wang and discouraging Zhao-wang from returning to the Duke’s Estate in the future.

But unexpectedly, Zhao-wang was able to reveal his thoughts with just one sentence.

Li Lou couldn’t help but panic.

He tightly clenched his fists, digging his nails into the flesh of his palm as he struggled to maintain his composure, using the sting of pain to bring him back into focus.

“There’s no need to think in such a way, cousin,” he said, squeezing out a helpless wry smile. “I also had no other choice. At any rate, I have a clear conscience.”

Li Ji didn’t bother exchanging more words with this clown jumping about.

“Servants, come,” he said coldly. “Strip off his clothes, let’s look at his unsightly form underneath.”

Li Lou was shocked.

When he saw the palace guards rushing towards him, he was so scared that he retreated in a panic while shouting sternly:

“You dare! Just try and lay a hand on me! I’ll make you suffer the consequences!”

However, Chen Wangbei completely didn’t take his threats to heart. Instead, he took the lead and easily restrained Li Lou.

The other two palace guards immediately stepped forward and stripped off Li Lou’s clothes.

Soon after, Li Lou was stripped down to only a pair of obscene trousers.

He had never been so humiliated before. His face had turned purple from rage, and his teeth were chattering:

“You’re insulting me too much! This is beyond excessive bullying!”

Fig Leaf = Can also be translated as a “loincloth”. It’s basically figurative language for something used to cover up a scandal or scandalous thoughts.

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HDWWA Chapter 18

She Doesn’t Want to Listen Anymore!

“I’m not hungry,” Hua Manman said shyly. “Wangye can go ahead and eat it.”

But in her heart she was crying out —

‘I really want to eat it!

But I’m way too full. How come humans can only have one stomach? Why can’t I have a couple more stomachs?!‘

As he listened to her inner thoughts crying out in mourning, Li Ji slowly took a bite of the almond butter cake. His long and thin eyes narrowed slightly, and traces of a happy smile could be found in the corner of his eyes.

“It’s actually quite tasty.”

Hua Manman swallowed.

“The almonds have a nice crispy texture,” Li Ji continued. “And the taste of milk comes through. It’s sweet and delicious.”

Hua Manman: “……”

‘Shut up, you asshole! Stop talking!

I don’t want to listen anymore!‘

Li Ji took his time and savored the almond butter cake in his hand until the last bite. In the end, he even remembered to stick out his tongue and gently lick the crumbs off his cold white fingertips.

When he heard the heartfelt voice of Hua Manman’s inner thoughts, his smile can’t help but grow more amused.

He really likes the way she can only watch him but can’t eat. How fun!

The housekeeper came back. As soon as he entered the door, he saw the happy smile on Zhao-wang‘s face and stopped in his tracks.

This housekeeper could be said to have watched Zhao-wang grow up since childhood. As a child, Zhao-wang was well-behaved and sensible, and often revealed such genuinely happy smiles. But ever since Duke Zhen passed away, Zhao-wang has never laughed from the heart.

This would make it the first time in five years that the housekeeper had seen such a comfortable smile on Zhao-wang‘s face.

Li Ji noticed the person who had entered, and the smile on his face quickly faded.

“How is it?” he asked coldly.

“Her Highness Junzhu is unwell, and cannot come out to greet the guests,” the housekeeper said hurriedly. “I hope Wangye will be understanding.”

Even an insensitive person like Hua Manman could tell by this point that the relationship between Li Ji and Rouwan-junzhu did not seem to be very good.

When the son gets married, if the mother doesn’t show up it can’t be helped. But now the son has brought his newly married concubine with him to greet his mother together, yet the mother still uses her illness as an excuse to avoid meeting face-to-face with her son.

This attitude can only be described as an extreme level of neglect.

But Li Ji didn’t seem to care.

“Seeing as my mother is still not feeling well from her illness, then she should take care and recuperate. I’ll visit her later when I have the chance to.”

The housekeeper hurriedly agreed.

“Return,” Li Ji said to Hua Manman.

Hua Manman pushed him outside.

Because the doorways in the Duke’s mansion all have a threshold, when it came time to cross the threshold Chen Wangbei had to lend a helping hand in order for Hua Manman to push the wheelchair across.

Just as they had left the hall, they saw a young man, whose eyes and eyebrows bore a resemblance to those of Li Ji, swiftly walking over.

This man was dressed luxuriously, and an overly enthusiastic smile hung from his lips. Even before this person walked over in front of them, he was already calling out:

“Cousin, I didn’t expect you to come visit today. Please forgive me for not greeting you when you first entered!”

He cupped his hands in greeting towards Li Ji, then turned his gaze towards Hua Manman, who was standing behind Li Ji, and observed her from head to toe.

“This must be my little cousin’s wife, correct? She really is as lovely as a flower, my cousin is so lucky!”

Hua Manman was at a loss, and it showed on her face. Who is this person?

Chen Wangbei supplied in a low whisper:

“This is the Li Lou, son of Duke Zhen’s younger brother.”

Hua Manman suddenly realized that this was the nephew of the late Duke Zhen.

But Duke Zhen and his younger brother had long since established their own separate households, and the two families should have their own separate estates. Why was Li Lou showing up here? And on top of that, he was even acting like the host? It was as if Li Lou was the master of this estate, and Li Ji was just another guest.

Li Lou was still happily chattering on.

“It’s rare for my cousin to come back for a visit. No matter what, you must have lunch here first before you leave. I’ll have someone pass word to the kitchen and ask them to prepare some more dishes for us. In a bit, us two good brothers should get together and share some drinks! Oh, that’s right, have you seen Aunt Junzhu? Aunt’s health has been poor recently, and there’s no way we could just leave her without someone to care for her by her side. Fortunately Aunt likes me quite a bit, so she specifically asked me to accompany her.”

Li Ji didn’t react much to this, and coldly uttered one single syllable:

“Oh.”

……

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HDWWA Chapter 17

The More You Know, The Faster You’ll Die

Although Hua Manman wasn’t poisoned to death, she had almost eaten her way into an early grave.

She ate way too much for breakfast.

So much so that after she got onto the carriage, she couldn’t stop hiccuping.

The interior of Zhao-wang‘s carriage is very spacious. In the center there was a low table with fruits and melons placed on it, and smoke billowed from the incense burner.

Li Ji rests his back against a soft pillow. His wide sleeves hang down by his sides and his long and narrow eyes are slightly narrowed, giving him a lazy appearance.

He looks at Hua Manman, who is currently engulfed by nonstop hiccups, and smiled lightly.

“You could actually eat a bit more. That way you can eat yourself to death and become a satiated ghost, just like you wanted.”

Hua Manman hiccupped.

“How did you know that this concubine wanted to become a satiated ghost?” she asks.

Li Ji doesn’t answer, but instead asks: “Isn’t it obvious?”

Hua Manman: “…”

She has a sneaking suspicion that she’s being mocked right now.

Still, she can’t help but keep asking:

“How did Wangye know that the medicine was poisoned? Also, why did Wangye still drink the medicine even after knowing that it was poisoned?”

The smile on Li Ji’s face gradually fades.

“Did no one teach you?” he replies, his tone growing cold and low. “The more you know, the faster you’ll die.”

Hua Manman immediately stopped talking and didn’t dare to continue asking questions.

But in the next moment she couldn’t help but hiccup again, this time with enough force that her body trembled as well.

Seeing this sight, Li Ji found it quite amusing and kept his eyes on her, his gaze constantly lingering around her figure and never once straying.

It wasn’t until the carriage had come to a stop, when Chen Wangbei reminded him that they had reached the Duke’s estate, that Li Ji sits up a bit and beckons towards Hua Manman.

“Come over here.”

Hua Manman doesn’t know what he’s planning on doing, but nonetheless she still leaned over obediently.

“What are Wangye‘s orders?”

Li Ji’s right hand circles around her and quickly taps twice at the two acupuncture points on her back.

Before Hua Manman could figure out what his actions meant, Li Ji had already been helped out of the carriage.

It wasn’t until she also left the carriage that she realized. She wasn’t hiccupping anymore!

So it turns out those two taps Zhao Wang had used on her back just now were to help her stop hiccupping.

Duke Zhen had died on the battlefield five years ago. It stands to reason that the title of “Duke” should be passed down to Li Ji, the only legitimate and direct son. However, Rou Wan-junzhu had not yet petitioned for the Emperor to officially recognize Li Ji as the new Duke Zhen, so the title of Duke Zhen was still left vacant.

The reason for this was unknown to outsiders.

There weren’t many descriptions of the Duke’s estate in <<Palace Scheming>>, so Hua Manman knows very little about the grievances and entanglements in Li Ji’s personal family.

She pushed Li Ji’s wheelchair into the Duke’s estate.

The gates open one by one, and maids kneel down on both sides of the path.

“We welcome his Royal Highness, Zhao-wang!” they shouted in unison.

The carved beams and painted rafters within the Duke’s estate are magnificent.

But, perhaps because Duke Zhen often practiced martial arts, the overall architecture of the mansion was built to be simple and tough. Compared to the homes of the other nobles and people holding titles of equal status in the capital, the Duke’s estate is less extravagant and luxurious, and has a more solemn atmosphere.

Hua Manman and Li Ji were invited to sit in the hall.

“Wangye and Ruren,” the housekeeper said respectfully. “Please have some refreshments and tea. I will now go inform Her Highness Junzhu.”

Having said that, he respectfully backed away.

Hua Manman first took a look around the room they were seated in. The furniture in the room are naturally of excellent quality, but she couldn’t understand and appreciate the ancient calligraphy and paintings, so she quickly lost interest in observing her surroundings. Instead, her eyes focused on the refreshments on the table.

These refreshments looked really tasty.

It’s a pity that she ate too much this morning, to the point that even now she still feels bloated. She really can’t eat any more.

Li Ji immediately noticed where her gaze is directed and immediately reached out. As he held a piece of almond butter cake, he asked slowly:

“Do you want to eat it?”

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