The Deer and The Cauldron

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs. As for the New Year, it was alright. It was just another day. Nothing special. It was more fun when we were kids, but as adults, it just doesn't have that same feeling anymore. How was yours?

The story is getting more and more interesting. Can't wait for the next update to find out how WXB is going to get out of there and who the other palace maid is.

[smurf120]

Happy New Year! Carrying around a pair of feet would scare me witless!

[morbiuz666]

I echo SkyWalker's sentiments, things just aren't the same as it were before . Guess it's part and parcel of getting older. Nowadays every festive holiday just seems to feel like another ordinary day. Minor excitement but nothing earth-shattering like it used to be.

How's new year for everyone by the way? Great, okay, tolerable? Foxs how's yours with the family?

[aliderhamy]

I echo SkyWalker's sentiments, things just aren't the same as it were before . Guess it's part and parcel of getting older. Nowadays every festive holiday just seems to feel like another ordinary day. Minor excitement but nothing earth-shattering like it used to be.

How's new year for everyone by the way? Great, okay, tolerable? Foxs how's yours with the family?

I whent camping with 4 dudes for new years eve.. (not chines but western new years)

any ways... after that horrible trip home felt like paradise. all the booring mondain things were so exciting and owesome.

travel can sometime help us to really appreciate how amazing our own homes and lives are

If you ever get boored with the same old mondane day to day holidays... pack you hiking bag and go into the mountains for a week... when you come out you will be dieing to use your shower and stove at home.

let me know if you think this a good idea guys... or is just me ?

[aliderhamy]

Empress Dowager in it

I kinda like the parts with empress in it... its like WXB has to pick up his game when hes around her... you get to see all the meanest swears and funniest insults.
all the other guys just arnt on wxbs level.

[tweety365]

^ Camping and me do not mix. I need modern technology .

I also agree that WXB has to work harder to get the upper hand when around the Empress Dowager. The only other person that really scares me is Hai gong gong. Good thing he's dead. Otherwise, WXB is able to handle everyone else well enough.

Thanks foxs!

[foxs]

Sky, Morbiuz, I guess to some degree where you live also affect how you see the holiday. Nobody around me celebrate the New Year, well, I mean, some of my co-workers celebrate Chinese New Year, but nobody did or dress anything special that day, so it did not feel like a holiday at all. To answer Morbiuz's question, I did not do anything special, except had a dinner with a family friends, only our two families. Smurf, Ali, Tweety, now that you guys mentioned it, I can see that up to this time, the Empress Dowager was WXB's top adversary, except they battled with wits, not martial art. To me, she was just too creepy. I think WXB's adventure outside the Palace are more interesting. About the camping, one or two days sleeping outside to me is tolerable, but a whole week? No, not for me. Well, Ali, you learned your lesson.

Anyway, here is the last part of Chapter 14. It seems that I do not have enough time to translate these past few weeks, that I had to really squeeze some times to deliver regular updates. Oh, I know, you did not demand it, it's just that I wanted to do it. But looks like I cannot keep up. So ... according to my own schedule, I would post something on Tuesday, but if I can't get enough time translating, I will try my best to post something on Wednesday. Hopefully I can get some extra time during the weekends.

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The palace maid reached out and picked the feet. "These are women's feet," he said.

The Empress Dowager was scared, "It's Liu Yan, she ... she has been killed," she said.

With a cold laugh the palace maid said, "I wasn't wrong, was I?"

The Empress Dowager was startled and angry at the same time, "What do you mean you weren't wrong?"

The palace maid said, "You are the only one in the world who know the secret hiding place of these books. If it was not you who killed Liu Shimei, how can her feet end up here?"

The Empress Dowager angrily said, "You are still accusing me blindly in here? The sutra thief can't leave too far, let's quickly pursue him."

"Correct," the palace maid said, "Perhaps this person is still in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful. You ... are you sure you are not playing trick?"

The Empress Dowager did not reply, she turned around and looked at the wardrobe. Step by step she walked toward it, apparently she began to have suspicion toward the wardrobe.

Wei Xiaobao's heart almost jumped out of his throat; the dagger in her hand reflected the flickering light from the candle, the reflection flitted across the floor, presumably the Empress Dowager was opening the wardrobe door with her left hand, while holding the dagger in her right hand. If the dagger was thrust into the wardrobe, undoubtedly the palace maid inside would not be able to evade.

He saw the Empress Dowager was taking a step closer that she was now less than two chi away from the wardrobe. Suddenly 'crash! bang!' the wardrobe toppled over toward the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was caught off guard, hastily she leaped backward, quite a few clothing of every color flew out of the wardrobe, some landed and wrapped around her head. The Empress Dowager hastily reached out to grab, a piece of clothing was thrown onto her body, suddenly she screamed pitifully, while a dagger, dripping with blood, appeared from within the clothing. Turned out someone was hiding inside the bundle of clothing. The palace maid inside the wardrobe threw clothing to the Empress Dowager so that she was at a loss, and then with one strike she succeeded in stabbing her.

At first the palace maid with a man's voice seemed to be watching with blank expression on his face, only after hearing the Empress Dowager's miserable scream did he send a palm strike toward the bundle of clothes. Wei Xiaobao saw the bundle of clothes rolled away rapidly, the palace maid wearing green clothes leaped out of the bundle of clothes, with a blood-soaked dagger in her hand she pounced toward the palace maid with a man's voice. The palace maid with a man's voice sent out another palm strike, the palace maid wearing green clothes leaned sideways to evade, and then immediately pounced on the enemy again.

From under the bed, Wei Xiaobao could only see those two persons' four feet. The palace maid with a man's voice was wearing grey pants and black satin shoes. The feet wearing green shoes were swiftly advancing and swiftly retreating, the feet wearing black shoes only occasionally took one step forward, and one step backward. The two people were engaged in an intense battle, but Wei Xiaobao did not hear any clashing of the weapons, obviously the palace maid with a man's voice did not have any weapon. Wei Xiaobao cast a sideways glance toward the Empress Dowager; he saw her lying on the floor, motionless, apparently she had died.

He heard the whooshing noise of the palms. After the fighting had been going on for a while, suddenly he saw the room grew darker; one of the three candles had been blown out by the palm wind. Wei Xiaobao mused, "As soon as the other two candles are blown out, I am going to dash out in darkness."

'Whoosh!' another candle was extinguished by the palm wind. The two palace maids were fighting in silence, neither one dared to make the least bit of noise, as if both were afraid of alarming people on the outside. Actually, there were a lot of eunuchs and palace maids in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, the ruckus had been going on for quite a while, somebody should have had come to check early on, but obviously these people were always under the Empress Dowager's strict order, without her summon, nobody dared to come over and spy on her.

Wei Xiaobao heard ‘Crack! Crack!’ as table and chair’s fragments flew everywhere, secretly he was apprehensive, “This palace maid who talks like a man seems to have a profound martial art, the wind from his palms are everywhere, the table and chair that got hit are smashed.”

Suddenly there was a light shout, followed by a flash of white light, and ‘pop’; the palace maid wearing green clothes’ weapon flew up from her hand and nailed itself on the roof. And then the two of them fell to the ground, wrestling each other into a tangled heap.

Now Wei Xiaobao could see clearly, the two combatants were unleashing their qin na skills, attacking and defending from each other within an area of several chi wide, each move was extremely dangerous. Wei Xiaobao’s knowledge of other type of martial art was very limited, but his training in qin na was quite extensive, he had enough daily sparring with Kangxi. He saw the two palace maids were moving very fast, each attack was ruthless and fierce: gouging the eyes, pounding the chest, twisting the neck, locking the throat, sealing acupoints, cutting off arteries, hooking the wrist, striking with their elbows, not a single move was not attacking the enemy’s vital point. Wei Xiaobao was secretly flabbergasted, “If it were me, I would have cry out ‘surrender’ long ago!”

Wei Xiaobao’s heart was beating in sync with the two people’s palms and hands movement, his only thought was, “Why hasn’t that candle gone out yet?” He was fully aware that those people were entangled in a very tight battle, even if he was crawling out from under the bed in full view, walking out the door with grandiose, the two palace maids would have been no more than stunned to a certain degree, nobody would try to stop him; it’s just that he could not muster enough courage to do just that.

Suddenly the last candle flickered, a female voice grunted, the candle flickered back to light, he saw the palace maid wearing grey pants was pinning down the palace maid wearing green pants, her right elbow was pressing down the palace maid wearing green pants’ throat. The palace maid wearing green clothes’ left arm was suppressed by the enemy that it was hard for her to attack, her right hand made repeated attempts to hook, hit, seize and jab, but was always parried by the opponent’s left hand. Her throat was crushed by the enemy, she was gasping for breath with difficulty, the movement of her right hand gradually slowed down, both of her legs kicked up frantically, it looks like very soon she was going to be strangled to death by the enemy.

Wei Xiaobao thought, “As soon as this grey-clothes palace maid strangled the opponent, she would look under the bed to find the sutra. Wei Xiaobao will turn into Wei Sibao[17]!” Without giving himself any time to think, he sprang up from under the bed, raising the dagger in his hand, and thrust it into the palace maid wearing grey clothes’ back, and pushed it upward, slicing a very long gash, and then leaped back immediately.

The palace maid wearing grey clothes shouted loudly and sprang up, pouncing on Wei Xiaobao, her hands grabbed Wei Xiaobao’s neck and tightened the grip as hard as she could. Clutched by her hands, Wei Xiaobao’s tongue stretched out, bursts of blackness appeared in his eyes. The palace maid wearing green clothes flipped over and jumped up, her right palm fell ferociously down on the left side of the palace maid wearing grey clothes’ neck, and then using her left hand she grabbed her hair and pulled it backward. Suddenly her hand felt loose, she had pulled the palace maid wearing grey clothes’ entire hair away, revealing a bald head. Turned out it was only a wig. Right this moment the palace maid wearing grey clothes’ hands came loose, off of Wei Xiaobao neck. Her own neck twisted several turns, and then she fell to the ground in a heap, while blood gushing out of her back, right away her life had left her.

Still gasping for breath, the palace maid wearing green clothes said, “Thank you Xiao Gong-gong, for saving my life.”

Wei Xiaobao nodded. He was still shaking from fear, while stroking his own neck. With his left hand he pointed to the palace maid wearing grey clothes’ bald head and said, “She … she …”

The palace maid wearing green clothes said, “This man dressed as a woman and mingled in the Palace.”

Suddenly someone was shouting outside the door, “Help, there’s assassin in here!” The voice was half male, half female, it was an eunuch.

With her right hand the palace maid wearing green clothes seized Wei Xiaobao, broke the window and leaped out. Her left hand waved, ‘puff!’ followed by a miserable ‘ah!’, the eunuch was hit by a secret projectile and fell down on the ground.

The palace maid wearing green clothes wrapped her left hand around Wei Xiaobao’s waist to lift him up off the ground and take him rushing northward, going passed the Western Three Places and entered the Yang Hua Gate. By this time Wei Xiaobao was quite a lot taller than when he first entered the Palace, he was quite heavier too. This palace maid in green clothes was more or less the same height as he was, and she was slim, but when rushing forward while carrying him, it was as if she was carrying a baby, she did not show that she was expending the slightest effort. “Good skill!” Wei Xiaobao praised.

The palace maid carried him via a small path winding around the Yuhua Pavilion, Baohua Palace Hall, and arrived at the bank of burning ground by the Fujian Palace[18], before she finally let him down. The burning ground was near the Xi Tie [Western Iron] Gate, it was where the trash and waste from the Palace was incinerated, it was extremely secluded in the evening.

“Xiao Gong-gong,” the palace maid in green clothes asked, “What’s your name?”

“I am Xiao Guizi!” Wei Xiaobao replied.

“Ah!” she exclaimed, “You are the Xiao Guizi Gong-gong who personally arrested Oboi, the Emperor’s most favorite Gong-gong.”

Wei Xiaobao smiled. “I don’t dare!” he said. Although he had seen this palace maid in the Empress Dowager’s bedroom, it was such in a rush that he did not have time to look at her carefully. He thought vaguely that she looked around forty years old. “Jiejie,” he said, “How must I address you?”

The palace maid hesitated slightly, then said, “You and I share fortune and calamity together, I can’t conceal it from you. My surname is Tao, people in the Palace call me Tao Gong’e. What were you doing under the Empress Dowager’s bed?”

Wei Xiaobao said whatever came into his head, “I am under the Emperor’s imperial edict to catch the Empress Dowager’s fornication!”

Tao Gong’e was slightly startled. “Did His Majesty know that palace maid was a man?” she asked.

“His Majesty knew a little bit, but he is not too sure,” Wei Xiaobao replied.

“I … I killed the Empress Dowager,” Tao Gong’e said, “Very soon the commotion will turn the sky and the earth, the Palace gates will be shut, there will be great search. I must leave the Palace immediately. Gui Gong-gong, we’ll meet again someday.”

Wei Xiaobao thought, “The old wh0re finally went to the netherworld to become a wh0re, now I can live in peace and quiet in the Palace, but if they close the Palace gates and launch a great search, Fang and Mu, two girls will face certain disaster; what shall I do?” A bright idea suddenly occurred, “Tao Jiejie,” he said, “I have an idea. I am going to report to His Majesty immediately, I will say that I witnessed that fake palace maid killed the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager had also killed the fake palace maid; the two of them fought until they perished together. The Empress Dowager is dead anyway, she could not testify, you don’t have to escape from the Palace.”

Tao Gong’e hesitated for a moment, then she said, “This idea just might work. But what about that eunuch? Who killed him?”

“I will say it was the fake palace maid who killed him,” Wei Xiaobao said.

“Gui Gong-gong,” Tao Gong’e said, “This matter is very dangerous. Although His Majesty likes you, he will most probably kill you to shut your mouth.”

Wei Xiaobao shivered. “His Majesty also wants to kill me?” he asked, “Why?”

Tao Gong’e said, “His mother had illicit relation with a man, if the rumor leaks out, how do you think His Majesty would react? Even if you guard your mouth like a closed bottle, each time His Majesty sees you, he would unavoidably feel ashamed. Sooner or later he would have to kill you.”

Wei Xiaobao was scared. “He … is he that ruthless?” he asked. But in his heart he knew Tao Gong’e was right, he must never say anything about this to the Emperor.

Right this moment, from the south came several sounds of gong, followed by other gongs all around. It was the Palace’ alarm system whenever there was fire or some other emergency; immediately all the Palace’s Imperial Bodyguards and eunuchs were being dispatched.

“We can’t get out now,” Tao Gong’e said, “You go and pretend to join the hunt for the assassins, I will go back to my room and sleep.” Stretching out her left arm, she wrapped it around Wei Xiaobao’s waist and took him off westward, toward the Yinghua Palace Hall, and put him down by the Palace. “Be careful!” she said in soft voice. Turning around, she disappeared behind the corner.

Wei Xiaobao was worried over Fang Yi and Mu Jianping, hastily he went toward the room where the two of them were hiding. He heard the sound of gongs was getting increasingly urgent, followed by the clamor of people shouting everywhere. Desperately he ran toward the room. “It’s me!” he shouted.

Fang and Mu, two girls were already frightened that their faces were drained of blood. “What’s that gong?” Mu Jianping asked, “Are they coming to arrest us?”

“Not that,” Wei Xiaobao replied, “The old wh0re is dead! People are shouting and jumping over everywhere. We’d better return to my room, it’s relatively safer there.”

“Return to your room?” Mu Jianping said, “We … we killed someone there …”

“Don’t be afraid,” Wei Xiaobao said, “They don’t know about it. Quickly go!” He bent down to help Fang Yi; grabbing his bundle with his left hand, he rushed outside.

The three of them staggered along as they rushed forward for a while, they saw from a fork on the pathway several Imperial Bodyguards were rushing toward them. The leader raised up his torch and shouted, “Who’s there?”

“It’s me,” Wei Xiaobao shouted back, “You must go quickly to protect His Majesty. Is there a fire?[19]”

The guard recognized Wei Xiaobao, hastily he handed the torch over to the guard beside him. With hands by his side he respectfully said, “Gui Gong-gong, I heard something bad happened at the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful.”

“Alright,” Wei Xiaobao said, “You go first, I’ll come soon after.”

The Imperial Bodyguard bowed and said, “Yes!” Leading his men, he left.

Mu Jianping said, “They seem to be very afraid of you. And just now I said we were bad.” While saying that, she struck her own chest repeatedly.

Wei Xiaobao wanted to crack some jokes, to toot his own horn, but he was concerned over the disturbance caused by the Empress Dowager’s death, he wondered what would the aftermath be, he was panic-stricken and could not think of any joke. Along the way they met another group of Imperial Bodyguards before finally arrived at his own residence. Luckily Fang Yi and Mu Jianping were wearing eunuch attire, plus the Imperial Bodyguards were such in a frantic mode that nobody paid any attention to them.

Wei Xiaobao said, “The two of you stay here, whatever happens, do not change your clothes.” Putting his bundle into the chest, he left after locking the door behind him, and rushed to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where Kangxi’s personal chamber was located.

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[17] Xiao Bao means little treasure, Si Bao means dead treasure.

[18] Yuhua - Rain Flower Pavilion. The pavilion here is usually two-storied. Baohua – maintaining/guarding splendor (different ‘hua’ character from Yuhua). Fujian – Established Prosperity, same character as Fujian Province.

[19] Orig. 'Has the water flowed?' [是走了水吗] Many people consider saying 失火 [catch a fire] a taboo so they use 走水 instead. (Courtesy of Forgot Pasword)

[aliderhamy]

thanks foxs

umm yerh dont rush transations becouse of us bro. we will be getting on with our own lives; and enjoying what you translat when you do. Its nice to know that you enjoy translating and that you do it when your confortable. (i would feel bad if i thought your were forcing your self or something)

[forgot password]

Don't push yourself too much, foxs. If you're tired, just take a break and do something else that you enjoy (but make sure you'll return ) to recharge your batteries.

The sentence '是走了水吗' in your latest update roughly means 'Is there a fire?'

Many people consider saying 失火 a taboo so they use 走水 instead.

Thanks for the update.

[dragonsense]

what forget password say really true the translation for that phrase should be "is there a fire"
and this phrase Mu Jianping said, “They seem to be very afraid of you. And just now I said we were bad.” While saying that, she struck her own chest repeatedly. not i said we were bad i think it should mean i am really worried that we're doomed(hit a disaster, finished or etc) .

[athlonkmf]

I was meant to ask.. but ehm.. which edition are you using for translation actually?

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update foxs.

[owlHoot]

Thanks foxs!

[athlonkmf]

I've been rereading a bit of Milford's translation together with the chinese version (found that online) and I'm kinda shocked how much Milford has been summarizing...

I did that to see what milford made off 是走了水吗 and that "They seem to be very afraid of you. And just now I said we were bad.”
Milford chose to not translate that 是走了水吗 at all.... And that speech from Mu Jianping was not in the chinese or milford's version (unless my version is incomplete of course...)

[Gubrak]

There is speech from Mu Jianping

沐剑屏道：“他们似乎很怕你呢，刚才我还道要糟。”说道连拍胸口。

Thanks Foxs

[foxs]

Folks, I thought shorter update is better than longer one but you'd have to wait longer ... so here it is for today. Ali, Sky, Owlhoot, you are welcome. Forgot Password, Dragonsense, I added your explanation into the text. Thanks. Athlon, a while ago, Ace High shared with me this link: http://jyjh.net.cn/jyqj/20/index.htm I don't klnow which edition this is, but I always compare it to my hard copy, which is 2001 version; but the cover of my book is identical to the one on that link. Whenever I find some discrepancies, (especially regarding Wei Xiaobao's age) I always follow the book. Gubrak, thanks. My interpretation of that sentence is: 'They are afraid of you, and yet I thought we were doomed.' And thus she struck her own chest, i.e. bragging. About Minford, I guess whenever he found a passage he did not understand, he just skipped it ...

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Chapter 15 – Alliance undergoing concern over the wind and the rain, with a casual order roaming the extensive Rivers and Mountains.
(Translated by Foxs)

Hearing the sound of gongs, Kangxi draped his clothes over his shoulder and got up, an Imperial Bodyguard came to report that something bad had happened in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, but as for the details, he was not clear. Kangxi was feeling anxious when Wei Xiaobao came in; he hurriedly asked, "Is Empress Dowager well? What happened?"

Wei Xiaobao replied, "The Empress Dowager told your servant to retire to my own room for the night, and to come back tomorrow to the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful. Who would have thought ... who would have thought something bad happened in the Palace. I don't know what it is, your servant is trying to find out."

"I am going to pay my respect to the Empress Dowager," Kangxi said, "You come with me."

"Yes," Wei Xiaobao replied.

Kangxi was very filial to the queen mother, without changing clothes, he draped a long robe over his shoulder and hurriedly went out the door. While walking quickly he asked, "Empress Dowager wanted you to serve her, why did you come to my place?"

"Your servant heard the sound of gongs, I was concerned over Your Majesty's safety, so I rushed over," Wei Xiaobao replied, "I really ... really deserve to die."

As soon as Kangxi left his bedroom, the eunuchs around him, as well as a large number of Imperial Bodyguards, followed him, more than a dozen lanterns were lighted all around them. He noticed Wei Xiaobao's clothes and hair was in a complete mess, but how could he guess that it was because Wei Xiaobao had been crawling underneath the Empress Dowager's bed? He thought it was because of his loyalty in protecting his master, his wholehearted concern over the Emperor's safety that without having enough time to change properly, he rushed to the Emperor's room; Kangxi was quite pleased and was reassured.

Walking several more zhang ahead, two Imperial Bodyguards rushed over and reported, "The assassins broke into the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, they killed an eunuch and a palace maid."

Kangxi hurriedly asked, "Was the Empress Dowager's sacred self being disturbed?"

"Dolong Zongguan has already had the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful surrounded tightly to protect the Empress Dowager," the Imperial Bodyguard replied. Kangxi was slightly relieved.

In his heart, Wei Xiaobao said, "Even if he led a hundred thousand troops and horses to protect the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful, it's already too late."

It was not too far from the Palace of Heavenly Purity to the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful; they arrived after winding around the Hall of Mental Cultivation and the Taiji [Supreme Ultimate] Hall. They saw the area was as bright as daytime with lanterns and torches, row after row of several hundred Imperial Bodyguards surrounded the Palace, perhaps even a mouse would not be able to pass through, let alone any assassin. Seeing the Emperor, the Imperial Bodyguards kneeled down together. Kangxi waved his hand while quickly entered the Palace. Wei Xiaobao lifted the curtain on the door. Kangxi walked through the door and saw the chests, baskets, and all kinds of stuffs scattered around the bedroom, blood flowed everywhere, two corpses lay on the floor; he was so scared that his heart was thumping madly. "Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager!" he called.

From the bed came the reply in low voice, "Is it the Emperor? Don't worry, I am alright." It was the Empress Dowager's voice.

To say that Wei Xiaobao was mildly shocked was an understatement; he thought, "The old wh0re did not die. I was really muddleheaded, why didn't I stab my dagger onto her body? She is not dead, I may be dead soon." Turning his head around, he was thinking of running away, but outside was fully packed with the Imperial Bodyguards; if he ran away, in less than three steps he would have been captured by them. In his fright his legs went weak, his head dizzy, he felt he was about to collapse.

Kangxi rushed toward the bed and said, "Empress Dowager, you, Senior, were frightened. Child was not able to protect you satisfactorily, it was a grave sin indeed. Those rice bucket Imperial Bodyguards must be punished severely."

Panting, the Empress Dowager said, "No ... nothing. It was just an eunuch and a palace maid fighting ... they ended up killing each other. It has nothing to do with the Imperial Bodyguards."

"Is the Empress Dowager well?" Kangxi asked, "Has it alarmed you?"

"It hasn't!" the Empress Dowager replied, "I was just angry looking at those servants. Emperor, you may leave; tell everybody to go away."

Kangxi said, "Quickly summon the imperial physician to check the Empress Dowager's pulse." Wei Xiaobao was hiding behind him, he did not dare to comply, for fear that the Empress Dowager would see him, or recognize his voice as soon as he opened his mouth.

The Empress Dowager said, "No, don't summon the imperial physician, I will feel better after sleeping. You don't need to move these two people's ... these two servants' bodies ... My heart is really troubled, I don't want to hear people making noise in here. Emperor, tell ... tell everybody to leave quickly." Her voice sounded very weak, she was gasping for breath, obviously the injury she received was not light.

Kangxi was very anxious, but he did not dare to disobey. Actually, he wanted very much to investigate thoroughly why these eunuch and palace maid fight, so that the Empress Dowager was this angry. Although the two of them had died, they had committed such a big crime that their family members must be examined. However, listening to the Empress Dowager, it was obvious that she did not want this matter to be made public, so much so she did not even allow the bodies to be removed. He had no choice but to pay his respect to the Empress Dowager and withdrew from the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful.

Having narrowly escaped from mortal danger, Wei Xiaobao's legs were still weak, holding on to the wall, he also walked out. Kangxi was busy thinking with his head down, he thought that what happened tonight in the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful was quite major, there must be a secret in it, but the Empress Dowager clearly did not want him to get involved. Only after walking with head hung low for a good while did he finally look up and saw Wei Xiaobao was following behind him. "The Empress Dowager wanted you to serve her," he said, "Why are you following me here?"

Wei Xiaobao was thinking that come daybreak he was going to run away from the Palace anyway, hence he felt there was no harm in him saying whatever came into his mind. "The Empress Dowager has just said that her heart is really troubled, she would be angry at the sight of an eunuch. Seeing the Empress Dowager’s holy self is not too well, your servant thought that it would be better to leave her so that she won’t be annoyed.” Kangxi nodded.

Returning to his personal chamber at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he waited until all the eunuchs serving him had withdrawn before saying, “Xiao Guizi, stay here!” Wei Xiaobao complied.

Kangxi paced back and forth from east to west and back from west to east. After quite a while he asked, “What do you think, why did that eunuch fight the palace maid to their deaths?”

“I may not be able to guess correctly,” Wei Xiaobao replied, “There are so many palace maids and eunuchs with very bad temper in the Palace, they quarrel frequently, sometimes they fight in secret, it’s just that they never let the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty know.”

Kangxi nodded. “Go tell everybody not to mention this matter anymore to avoid provoking the Empress Dowager’s anger,” he said.

“Yes!” Wei Xiaobao replied.

Kangxi said, “You may go!”

Wei Xiaobao paid his respect, turned around and left, thinking, “This time I leave, I will never see you again.” He turned his head around to cast another glance at Kangxi.

Kangxi was also looking at him with a smiling expression on his face. “Come back here,” he said. Wei Xiaobao turned around and walked back. Kangxi opened a golden box by the head of his bed and took out two pieces of pastry. “We have been busy for half a day, your tummy must be very hungry!” he said with a laugh, and then gave the pastries to him.

Wei Xiaobao received the pastries with both hands, thinking that the Empress Dowager was dangerously ruthless, she concealed a man in her bedroom; there would come a day where she would harm the Emperor, while the Emperor was kept in the dark inside a drum, he did not know anything. The Emperor treated him very well, just like a friend or a brother, if he did not make the Emperor aware of this matter and he was killed by the Empress Dowager, Wei Xiaobao thought he was really lacking yi qi. Thinking to this point, a vision appeared in his mind, in which all the muscles and bones in Kangxi’s entire body were broken, his corpse lying on the ground in a miserable condition. His heart ached, he could not hold tears from flowing out of his eyes.

“What is it?” Kangxi asked with a smile, he reached out and patted Wei Xiaobao’s shoulder, saying, “You want to be with me, don’t you? That’s easy; wait till the Empress Dowager is feeling better in a few days, I will talk to the Empress Dowager. To be honest, I also do not want to lose you.”

Wei Xiaobao was overwhelmed with excitement; he thought, “Tao Gong’e said that if I tell the Emperor the truth, he would unavoidably want to kill me to shut my mouth. A hero or a warrior can do anything, but has no choice but to uphold yi qi. If a real man must die, so be it.” Placing the two pieces of pastry on the table, he grabbed Kangxi’s hand and with a trembling voice said, “Xiao Xuanzi, can I call you Xiao Xuanzi again?”

Kangxi laughed and said, “Of course you can. I have already said that whenever there’s nobody else around, we will be just like in the past. You want to have a martial art contest, don’t you? Come, come, come, let the horse come out.” While saying that, he flipped his hands to grab Wei Xiaobao’s hands.

“There’s no hurry to have a martial art contest,” Wei Xiaobao said, “I have a secret important matter I want to tell my good friend Xiao Xuanzi. I simply cannot tell my master, the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, if His Majesty hears it, he will immediately chop my head. But Xiao Xuanzi is my friend, so it is alright.”

Kangxi did not know the gravity of this matter; in his young frame of mind, he only felt that this was all very amusing. Hurriedly he pulled Wei Xiaobao to sit side-by-side on the bed and said, “Tell me quick, tell me quick!”

Wei Xiaobao said, “At this moment you are Xiao Xuanzi, and not the Emperor?”

Kangxi smiled. “Right,” he said, “Right now I am your good friend Xiao Xuanzi, not the Emperor. I have been the Emperor all day long, without any really caring friend; there is no fun in that.”

“Alright,” Wei Xiaobao said, “I’ll tell you everything. If you want to chop my head, I can’t do anything about it.”

Kangxi smiled and said, “Why would I want to chop your head? How can a good friend kill his good friend?”

Wei Xiaobao took a very deep breath, and then said, “I am not the real Xiao Guizi, I am not an eunuch, I killed the real Xiao Guizi.”

Kangxi was flabbergasted. “What?” he asked.

[athlonkmf]

My interpretation of that sentence is: 'They are afraid of you, and yet I thought we were doomed.' And thus she struck her own chest, i.e. bragging.

Nah, judging from the adaptions, she probably "patted" her heart as a way to calm down. Something small kids tend to do. You must have seen those scenes "oooh, scary"

About Minford, I guess whenever he found a passage he did not understand, he just skipped it ... [/I]

It seems more to me that he was getting lazy or just didn't find it important enough.
Kinda annoying, because some passages were actually quite important to how people receive WXB.

click to show/hide spoilers

Like the scene you'll be translating this chapter, when he and the girls get out of the palace and how his identity as the hall master is introduced to the girls.
It's that scene that made FY actually respect WXB and made her change her mind. Instead of going back to her bro-in-arms, she really wanted to uphold her promise to take care of WXB.

[JoeLee]

Thanks for the updates foxs!

[smurf120]

When Kangxi gives a pastry to WXB, it really shows their friendship is on a different level. Then WXB resolves to protect his friend to the end even if this means death for him. I think this shows more character than self professed heroes because WXB IS afraid of death and getting hurt.

This is one of my favorite tender moments between WXB and Kangxi.

[tweety365]

I really like this scene. WXB cares for the Kangxi more than his life. Perhaps it is spur of the moment thinking, but for WXB, it is a huge act.

Thanks foxs!