Chapter 11

Note: The names are retained in traditional Chinese characters as the RAWs I’m translating from are in traditional Chinese and it also makes it easier for me when I’m translating. The new vocabulary terms on the other hand are in simplified Chinese.Characters Shown / Mentioned in this Chapter:

葉璃璃兒 – Ye LiLi er – Main Female Protagonist – first di daughter of the Ye family, but the third child in the family.

清霜 – Qing Shuang – Ye Li‘s yatou

定王定國王墨修堯 – Ding w.a.n.gDing guow.a.n.g Mo Xiu Yao – Imperial Prince Ding of the highest rank

黎王 墨景黎 – Li w.a.n.g  Mo Jing Li – Imperial Prince Li

Ye Family Members:

葉尚書尚書大人 葉老爺 – Ye Shangshu Shangshu daren Ye laoye – Ye Li‘s father who has the t.i.tle or position of official in charge of presenting memorials to the emperor and official correspondence

葉老夫人葉老太太 – Ye laofuren Ye laotaitai – Ye Li‘s grandmother from her father’s sidethe old madam of the family

徐氏 – Xu shi – Ye Li‘s mother

王氏王夫人 – w.a.n.g shi w.a.n.g furen – the current main wife of Ye Shangshu and current zhumu of the household

(葉夫人 – Ye furen – can refer to either Xu shi or w.a.n.g shi)

趙姨娘 – Zhao yiniang – a newly-arrived concubine of Ye Shangshu

葉昭儀 (大小姐) – Ye Zhao Yi (Da xiaojie) – Ye Li‘s eldest sister

葉瑩葉兒 – Ye Ying Ying er – 4th daughter in the family

Bold - Names of people, placesItalic - Chinese terms in pinyinUnderline - Unknown

Fu Imperial Capital

Chapter 11: Yatou Embroidery Mother

Zhao yiniang[1] went back panting with rage and indeed made a scene once again. It hadn’t been half a day’s time when the entire Ye fu[2] all knew that Zhao yiniang went to third xiaojie‘s[3] Qing Yi Xuan[4] in hopes of currying favour with and roping in third xiaojie, the result was that she was mocked and ridiculed by third xiaojie‘s yatou[5] Qing Shuang and driven out of the yuanzi[6].

Even though Zhao yiniang was now currently the favourite, Shangshu[7] daren[8] had played it down by only giving third xiaojie a few words as warning. It seemed Zhao yiniang wasn’t as much of a favourite as was talked about.

For a matter like this to happen, the houyuan‘s[9] yiniang naturally didn’t hold back from taking the schadenfreude opportunity in sourly adding a couple more words. Not to be outdone, Zhao yiniang retorted with the gift of the gab in return. w.a.n.g shi[10] was grounded and was only in her own yuanzi teaching Ye Ying, these yiniang who rarely exercised control over the houyuan were very much lively.

This time, w.a.n.g shi paid bitterly at the hands of Ye Li; not just talking about gratuitously compensating several ten thousand taels of silver but she was even grounded by laofuren[11]. Ye Li wasn’t interested in the number of chinaware w.a.n.g shi smashed when she returned to her own yuanzi, she only inwardly reckoned and feared that Ye laofuren‘s so-called ban therein had no small amount of moisture[a] .

Because there weren’t many days until the day in which the Li w.a.n.g[12] fu sends betrothal gifts, with w.a.n.g shi‘s ident.i.ty as the Ye family’s zhumu[13], Ye Ying‘s birth mother naturally couldn’t not go out to see people.

During the time in which people from the Li w.a.n.g fu came to send betrothal gifts, Ye Li was then leisurely sitting inside her own yuanzi and picking out people. The people inside the fu were perceptive, they were busily waiting to receive Li w.a.n.g fu in the front hall but they still didn’t forget third xiaojie‘s orders from this side. Early in the morning the housekeeper woman had people sent over for Ye Li‘s selection.

Ye Li was sitting upright on a chair placed under the eaves, her expression was serene as she sized up the group of more than ten yatou standing inside the yuanzi. Seeing Ye Li not speaking up for a long time, the housekeeper woman looked at her somewhat uneasily, thinking that third xiaojie was dissatisfied with these people. Just as she was mulling over whether to speak up to change them and have another batch of people come in, she only heard Ye Li say indifferently, “Qing Shuang, take a look. Keep the ones who are suitable.” Qing Shuang could really feel how her own xiaojie trusted her in this way and answered promptly and clearly, “Nubi[14] will do as you bid.”

Walking in between the yatou and seeing all the different expressions of the yatou, Qing Shuang felt slightly unused to it. Previously, her own xiaojie wasn’t well-liked and she herself was excluded among the yatou. This time these people were standing here and letting her choose. Qing Shuang carefully picked some that looked delicate and pretty, looking at the yatou who knew their place and brought them in front of Ye Li.

Ye Li took a look and laughed on the inside. Qing Shuang this yatou rather loved to worry too much; even in selecting yatou she also had to put so much thought into it.

Accompanied with a smile, the housekeeper woman said to Ye Li, “Is third xiaojie selecting these ones? How about picking two more so as to avoid not having enough when the time comes?”

Ye Li coolly gazed at her with a smile on her face, “Since it’s like this, then I’ll pick another two.”

When the housekeeper woman met Ye Li‘s cool gaze, she didn’t know why but she couldn’t help but feel a chill at the bottom of her heart and promptly avoided it.

Ye Li this time only looked but didn’t see, pointing without extra trouble and said, “Then I’ll have those two.”

Qing Shuang looked over in accordance to where she was pointing to; among the appearances of the two yatou standing at the very front of the line, one was mediocre and not particularly eye-catching while the other was gorgeous and looked flirtatious–one look and you could tell she was someone who wasn’t content with her own lot. Moreover, that yatou even went so far as to look at her own xiaojie with a face full of arrogance–truly didn’t know of life and death (means to act recklessly)!

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Waving a hand to have the housekeeper woman take the rest of the people to leave, Ye Li only then carefully sized up the six yatou standing before her and asked in an indifferent tone, “What are your names?”

“Nubi Yun[b] er[15], nubi Xiao Cui.”

“Nubi Jing er, nubi Tian er.”

“Nubi Xue Yan, nubi…Han Qing[16] [c].”

Ye Li nodded; the names weren’t vulgar in any place and Ye Li also didn’t really have any interest in changing people’s names. Her gaze landed on the last two people mentioned, “Xue Yan, where have you served previously? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

The yatou named Xue Yan with the ordinary appearance looked calm as she bowed towards Ye Li and said, “Replying to third xiaojie, nubi was originally a second-rank yatou in laofuren‘s[d] yuanzi. I wasn’t allowed to be seen in public so third xiaojie naturally hasn’t seen me.”

Ye Li smiled and said, “This appearance of yours doesn’t look like it can’t be seen in public. Since it is like this, you can be the same as Qing Shuang and serve at my side.”

To serve at her side would mean to be the da yatou[17] at the master’s side. Xue Yan was slightly stunned at Ye Li promoting her, but didn’t become pleasantly surprised to the point of forgetting her manners, “Many thanks to third xiaojie for the promotion. Nubi will definitely serve xiaojie with all my heart. I ask xiaojie to confer a name for nubi.”

A da yatou serving beside their master generally always left it to the master to personally confer a name, even if such grace also represented changing the name and that they wouldn’t have anything more to do with their previous human affairs, only vowing loyalty and devotion to their current master.

Ye Li raised her eyebrow and muttered to herself a short while before saying, “You’ll be called Qing Xia[18] then.”

“Qing Xia gives thanks to xiaojie‘s grace.” After making her salutation, Qing Xia then stood at the side respectfully waiting for the next command, well-behaved.

“Han Qing…could you perhaps do embroidery?” Ye Li asked.

Han Qing‘s eyes and brows flashed a trace of arrogance and crisply said, “Naturally I could. Nubi‘s embroidery is but one of the very best in this fu.”

Ye Li seemed to be very satisfied with her answer and nodded, “Very good. Since it is like this, you can serve during needlework.”

“Reporting to xiaojie, nubi isn’t an embroidery mother!” Han Qing‘s face changed; glaring at Ye Li and grinding her teeth as she said it, unreconciled.

“Impudent! Where is it your place to retort xiaojie‘s words!” Qing Shuang angrily rebuked.

Ye Li didn’t get angry, nodding and said with a smile, “I know you’re not an embroidery mother. If I truly had any important embroidery goods to make, I wouldn’t let you do it.” The embroidery mother also occasionally would have to do something well; which outstanding embroidery mother wouldn’t have a minimum standard of more than a decade’s worth of knowledge in the fundamentals? No matter how you looked at it, this Han Qing didn’t look like she could do needlework and be content with her own lot.

Han Qing‘s charming face flushed red in anger, tenaciously glaring at Ye Li.

Yet how was she of any importance in Ye Li‘s eyes as Ye Li stood up and smiled at her, saying, “These days we might get quite busy, if we have more work than we can deal with then we will go find the head steward. When we get to the Ding guow.a.n.g[19] fu, there will naturally be more people for needlework. Also…let’s change your name. Let’s call you….Jing Wen[20].”

“Many thanks to third xiaojie, but nubi is very satisfied with my own name!” Han Qing‘s face flushed red in anger.

Qing Shuang smiled coldly and said, “Impudent! You being satisfied has what use? Our xiaojie is dissatisfied.” This yatou with a seductive face still went for such an indecent name. Did she think that Qing Yi Xuan was a brothel and wine store? Qing Shuang still couldn’t understand why xiaojie would choose this kind of person.

“Change the name, or turn around and leave this Qing Yi Xuan of mine. Or perhaps…you should go back and ask your former master?”

Han Qing‘s face changed and said with gritted teeth, “Nubi gives many thank to xiaojie for the conferred name.”

Ye Li‘s gaze indifferently swept from her, turning her face away and no longer looking at her, “Since you have entered this Qing Yi Xuan of mine, as long as you know your place, I’m not the kind of person who is fond of making things difficult for people. If there are any other inclinations then you’d best leave while it’s still early. Or else….in the days ahead, the people suffering from being beaten outside of Rong Le hall will be a prime example for you. Qing Shuang, give ten taels of silver to Qing Xia, as for the rest give each person five taels.”

“Yes, xiaojie.”

“Nubi gives many thanks to xiaojie!” Everyone promptly chorused in giving thanks. To these yatou whose monthly silver didn’t even reach one tael, five taels of silver indeed wasn’t a number to laugh at. Han Qing, no, Jing Wen although showed some disdain in her eyes, she knew that right now she couldn’t provoke Ye Li and also followed in giving thanks.

Leaving behind Qing Shuang to deal with the aftermath, Ye Li turned around intending to go back outside the house but then came the sound of the housekeeper woman’s voice requesting to meet, “Third xiaojie, Xian Zhao taifei[21] has summoned you.”

Glossary:Yiniang (姨娘 – normal concubine)Fu (府 – official residence / family residence compound / household / term for family and home put together)Xiaojie (小姐 – Young miss / lady)Qing Yi Xuan (清逸 – fresh and elegant 轩 – pavilion with a view / curtained carriage)Yatou (丫头 – young maidservant / young girl)Yuanzi (院子 – a small residence within a family residence compound)Shangshu (尚書 – t.i.tle or position of official in charge of presenting memorials to the emperor and official correspondence)Daren (大人 – adult / grownup / t.i.tle of respect toward superiors)Houyuan (后院 – rear residence / refers to the concubines of a.s.sorted rank and social status in a household themselves or their residence)Shi (氏 – clan name / maiden surname)Laofuren (老夫人 – old madam / t.i.tle for the mother of a n.o.ble or an official)w.a.n.g (王 – imperial prince)Zhumu (主母 – owner ‘mother’ / mother in charge of the household)Nubi (奴婢 – slave servant / term used by servants to refer to themselves)Er (儿 – term of endearment for one’s child / child)Han Qing (含 – han – to keep / to contain情 – qing – feeling / emotion)Da yatou (大丫头 – major or higher-ranked maidservant)Qing Xia (清 – qing – clear / quiet / pure霞 – xia – red clouds / afterglow / dawn)Guow.a.n.g (国王 – former appellation for '亲王 – qinw.a.n.g' which is the highest rank of a prince, used from Han to Ming dynasty)Jing Wen (靜 – jing – still / calm / quiet文 – wen – writing / literary / language)Taifei (太妃 – imperial concubine of the previous emperor)More Info