Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 32 (Part 3)
This is the chapter we’ve all been waiting for! 🤩
Oh also Minister Cui mentioned in this chapter is the same one from chapter 18.
Translated by Pure (ko-fi)
Chapter 32.3 False Rhetorics and Flowery Speech
"You still have your paternal grandmother in your family, but Chu Nine holds the authority in his. We often went to his residence to drink, sword-dance, chant poems, and sing… until the Prince of Wu’s incident occurred."
Shen Shaoguang tightly gripped the pen in her hand. Prince of Wu’s incident, Chu Nine... Grand Chancellor Li's other friend should be her original body's father, or the father she had never met in this life.
After carefully recollecting her memories, Shen Shaoguang soon recalled a memory of an uncle surnamed Chu. He was square-faced and square-jawed, a proper looking man. Although he had an upright appearance, he liked to secretly stuff malt sugar candy into the children’s hands—this may be the reason why she still remembered him. However, Shen Shaoguang didn’t feel any familiarity from his then house, which was now the Guangming Nunnery. Most likely, whenever her father went there, he didn't bring his children.
Shen Shaoguang looked over at Grand Chancellor Li, she also didn’t have much of an impression of him.
"Prince of Wu was most dignified and elegant, and we’ve all had dealings with him." Li Yue didn’t abstain from the topic of the vessel king’s putsch during the previous emperor’s reign. That baseless rumor had been viciously spread back then, and to this day, the verdict had never been reversed. One reason was because it was personally conferred by the late emperor, and secondly, there were some practical factors.
"...Among them, Shen Five completed the most couplets with him; they were close confidants. When Prince of Wu’s royalty had been questioned, we all tried to find ways to save him. Shen Five appealed for help wherever he could, and knelt in front of the Daming Palace[1], pleading on behalf of Prince of Wu. With Prince of Wu’s idling cloud and wild crane-like temperament, it would be impossible for him to have any intentions of rebelling. Upon the Danbi Stone Carving Stairway[2], in front of the palace hall, was where Shen Five wept tears of blood."
The corners of Lin Yan's mouth pulled taunt. Back then, for the sake of Mentor Cui, he anxiously roamed around, only to hit walls; so he empathized and could well-relate with this man called Shen Five. His only regret was his humble official standing back then, he couldn't honor a presence in front of the holy emperor, and couldn't plead upon the Danbi Stone Carving...
"Shen Five's actions enraged the previous Emperor, and later..." Li Yue closed his eyes, unable to continue.
After a while, Li Yue's voice calmed down. "During Minister Cui’s incident, I heard that you were running all over for his sake. It reminded me of him."
Lin Yan nodded, somewhat understanding why this grand chancellor thought so highly of him; it turned out that he resembled an old friend. Based on the extrapolation of the given time periods, when Chancellor Li was demoted to Jiangnan, and when Teacher Chu resigned out of anger… presumably was related to this matter.
Chancellor Li turned the topic back to Chancellor Qin. "Qin Thirteen also spoke for Prince of Wu back then, and was publicly berated by the former emperor. It’s not..."
Li Yue speculated, "Qin Thirteen didn't help you during Minister Cui’s incident because what had happened with Shen Five had most likely scared him." What Li Yue didn't mention was the possibility of Chancellor Qin being frightened by the madness during the final years of the former emperor's regime.
"He is not a heartless person."
Lin Yan stood up and saluted Chancellor Li solemnly, "Thank you, Grand Chancellor, for sharing these past events. I am utmost grateful."
Li Yue raised his hand to signal him to sit down. "I'm not telling you this because I'm speaking for the little lady of Qin Thirteen's family. It is also due to revisiting the nostalgia of Chongxian Lane today; I’m feeling a bit sentimental and wanted to find someone to talk to."
"I injured my legs and feet in my earlier days. As the seasons change, it feels increasingly uncomfortable. My chest would also occasionally throb in pain. Maybe I will retire in the next year or two. Thirty years of ups and downs in the officialdom, but where there's a start, there's an end; this old withered heart can still be comforted. Qin Thirteen is also not far away from resignation due to old age, along with several other aging officials. The imperial court will need young people like you to continue supporting it."
Lin Yan continued to listen respectfully.
"...It is best to act more prudent."
After holding his official post for several years, Lin Yan had lost the enthusiasm of the past—mainly due to no longer having someone who made him passionate about it. Chancellor Li spoke to him earnestly, like a real elder exhorting their junior, like how Mentor Cui treated him back then. Lin Yan accepted this affection and nodded respectfully.
Lin Yan suddenly asked, "May I be so bold to ask more of this Sir Shen?"
"Shen Qian, descendant of the Shen Clan in Luoyang. He was the fifth son of the family, and was the Deputy Minister of Rites when the incident happened."
Lin Yan's eyes widened, he nodded slowly, and then turned his head slightly to look at the counter. The faint warm light reflected her pretty face, which was looking down; she looked serene and peaceful, the pen in her hand was swaying lighty, currently in the middle of writing.
Lin Yan turned back, poured a cup of wine for Chancellor Li, and poured another cup for himself.
The two of them finished their jug of wine while recollecting the past events, and while they were exiting the establishment, Grand Chancellor Li's legs could barely support him. Lin Yan and his servant supported him on both sides.
Shen Shaoguang saw them off with A’Yuan. "Safe trip home."
Lin Yan turned his head and saw that although the corners of her eyes were red, Shen Shaoguang insisted on maintaining her smile.
He nodded at her.
Grand Chancellor Li's chamberlain and servants were already waiting outside the shop with a palanquin, even Lin Yan's servants were also present and waiting. Lin Yan bid farewell to Grand Chancellor Li, and watched the palanquin slowly depart.
Lin Yan turned around to look at the slender figure under the swaying lanterns before he slowly walked back to his residence, with his servants following quietly behind him.
After entering the entrance of his dwelling, the sight of the rustling bamboo in the front courtyard suddenly awoke Lin Yan. He instructed Chamberlain Liu Chang, "Find out if there has been any fifth-rank or above official surnamed Shen that had lived in this Lane in the past ten years."
Liu Chang saluted and answered, "Understood."
Housekeeper Zhou next to him smiled and said, "Prior to Fang Biejia, someone surnamed Shen used to live in this residence."
Lin Yan stopped and turned around.
"A long-time inhabitant of this Lane mentioned this once, this old servant just so happened to remember," He then lowered his voice, "It seemed that the family had been forsaken."
Lin Yan nodded and continued walking. He visited his grandmother's yard, the lights in her room had been turned off, the maid on night duty came out and quietly reported to Lin Yan about the daily affairs of Elder Madam. There was nothing unusual, she just ate and slept, so Lin Yan gave a few instructions and then left.
"Master, are you not going back to your room?" Liu Chang asked. Lin Yan's yard was next to Elder Madam Jiang, making it convenient for him to check up on her, but he was not walking in the right direction.
"I just had dinner, I want to take a short walk. You are all dismissed." Lin Yan ordered.
"Does Master need me to hold a lantern and light the path?"
"No need." Lin Yan took the lantern from Liu Chang's hand.
Thus all the servants bowed and withdrew.
Lin Yan walked slowly to the pavilion in the garden, and sat on the stone platform to sober up.
It was a bit cloudy tonight, the dark night was missing its moon. All the flowers and trees in the garden were withered, leaving some tangled branches and vines rustling in the wind; it was indescribably grim.
The lantern was inserted onto a banister, lighting up the old markings on the vermilion pillar beside it. Each scratch had some words written beside it, which read ‘A’Ji, three years old’, ‘A’Ji, five years old’, ‘A’Ji, six years old’, and ‘A’Ji, eight years old’. There were two more streaks at a higher place, which read ‘A’Zhang, eleven years old’ and ‘A’Zhang, thirteen years old’. They looked casually carved, but it couldn’t conceal the graceful and free air within.
Lin Yan had seen the previous resident, Fang Biejia's handwriting. His style was upright and cautious, not like this.
"A’Ji..." Lin Yan could almost see those bright almond-shaped eyes.
—"When Military Counselor Pang became one of Liu Bei’s subjects, he must have felt pretty aggrieved. After all, his master used to sell shoes and weaved mats for a living."
—"What should I do if I encounter a similar situation?"
—"Beat him up! Beat him until he cries for his mother!" Shen Shaoguang said viciously.
—"Why is that? It's the expense the 'foster mother' used to nurture those girls! It's like our pork dish..."
Who could have imagined that astute, pretentious, and haughty but happy and contented rogue would have such a mournful past...
Lin Yan had met a fair share of convicted officials, most of them would end up overly cautious, to the point of cowering, or become pathetically embittered. Seldom do they ever continue to bloom as a bright person. Was she tenacious by nature, or—innately heartless?
In fact, being heartless was also a good thing; Lin Yan then thought of Cui Ning. If she had also... Lin Yan closed his eyes.
Forget it, everyone possesses their own fate.
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.
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Footnotes:
[1] Daming Palace (明宫) - The Daming Palace was the imperial palace complex of the Tang dynasty, located in its capital Chang'an. It served as the imperial residence of the Tang emperors for more than 220 years.
[2] Danbi Stone Carving Stairway (丹陛石) - the stone carving in the middle of the stairs leading to the Daming Palace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGNgdXGG8Y8
