Blessed by God

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Remember that Yinyou was born in the 20th year of Kangxi. Right now, he’s 15 years old, while the fourth brother is 17. Yinsi was born in the same year as Yinyou. 

Annotations for easier reading:

The Crown Princess’s surname is “Shi”. The princes’ legal wifes are called Fu Jin which means “wife” in Manchu (the Qing Dynasty was a Manchu family, from the grasslands). The Fu Jin will be called second, third, fourth, etc according to the princes’ order. So Fourth Fu Jin refers to Yinzhen’s wife, since Yinzhen’s the fourth son of emperor Kangxi.  The author created a name for Yinyou’s Fu Jin: Min Hui. So she’s Min Hui Hada Nara. In history, the women’s names were never recorded so this is a fake name.

 

Chapter 46. The tragic1杯具 bēijù. (slang) (pun on 悲劇｜悲剧, tragedy) so bad / terrible / bummer / fiasco / debacle marriage of little seventh

 

At the end of November in the 35th year of Kangxi, the seventh prince Aisin Gioro Yinyou married the daughter of Deputy Governor, Hada Nara shi. At this time, the seventh prince’s mansion was just newly built, the garden was brimming from auspicious red decorations, and the guests were full of enthusiasm.
They initially thought that the seventh brother was now valued by the emperor because of his low birth, but who knew! The emperor actually favored him so much, sending gift after gift, the emperor’s rewards were like flowing water, even more numerous than when the eighth prince married his Fu Jin.
The officials sitting in the outer room saw that many imperial concubines also sent eunuchs with congratulatory gifts, plus the emperor’s numerous rewards, and secretly clicked their tongues. Although the seventh prince could not inherit the throne, looking at it like this, the Holy One in the palace really seemed to value him.
“The Crown Prince is here! The fourth prince is here!”
“The first prince is here!”
“The third prince is here! The fifth prince is here! The eighth prince is here!”
The princes arrived back and forth, and the officials present were busy greeting them, each sizing up the princes’ temperament, unwilling to let go of any opportunity to beat on the right man. Yet it’s a pity they could only have such brief meeting since the princes and the minister had to sit in separate rooms.
In the other room, all the princes’ Fu Jin looked very harmonious. The Crown Princess Shi shi held a teacup, glanced at the fourth Fu Jin and the eighth Fu Jin and put down the teacup with a smile, “Why didn’t the fourth sister take Honghui out today? I heard my Master say that Honghui is a smart and cute child. I haven’t seen him for a long time and I do miss that child a little.”
The fourth prince’s Fu Jin, Shu Ya, got up to saludate the Princess Consort, and replied. “I made the Crown Princess worried. Honghui is still young. Today is seventh brother’s big day. If the child begins crying, it will not be beautiful.”
Shi shi nodded. She also knew that the fourth Fu Jin was always a careful person, so she stopped mentioning this matter and started talking about other things.
On the other hand, the eighth Fu Jin, Gorolo shi, was a little displeased. She had been married to the eighth prince for a year already, but she was still not pregnant. She thought to herself that there was a hint of ridicule in the words of the Crown Princess, and her face sank. Her face was still gloomy when the banquet started.
The female relatives of seventh Fu Jin’s maiden family were also sitting in the inner hall. It was a happy day and seeing the eighth Fu Jin’s gloomy expression, they were a bit displeased. Still, because of Gorolo shi’s powerful family, they silently endured it.
Imperial Consort Cheng had been bestowed the emperor’s grace and was thus able to attend Yinyou’s wedding banquet. She looked as usual, as if she didn’t see Gorolo shi’s rude behavior, yet under her sleeves, she tightened her hands holding the handkerchief.
The Crown Princess was being served closely by maids. Secretly, her eyes swept over the eighth Fu Jin. She took out a handkerchief to wiped the corners of her mouth, hiding a trace of ridicule. A child born to a lowly slave also wanted to compete with her Master for the Crown Prince position? He even thought that marrying a woman from Gorolo shi’s family will bring him benefits. Yet, looking at that woman’s brainless appearance, one couldn’t predict whether it would be a blessing or a curse…

“Fourth brother, we are here to toast today, not to drink.”
Yinxiang noticed that as soon as Yinzhen sat down the table he’d began drinking several glasses of wine. Since the two of them were sitting together, he couldn’t help but say something. “What does this look like? Wait for the seventh brother to come out and watch, what he will think?”
Yinzhen put down his wine glass, and answered calmly, “As his older brother, I’ve been taking care of him for so long. I only drank two more glasses of wine from him today, could it possible that he won’t let me drink?”
The thirteenth brother felt that what the fourth brother said was also reasonable, but he always felt that the expression of the fourth brother was not right. Still, no matter how he tried to guess what was wrong with the fourth brother, he wasn’t able to discern anything and finally, in a sullen mood, decided to eat some bites of the dishes in front of him.

As soon as Yinyou appeared, he was surrounded by several brothers, and then there was a toast to the left and to the right. On this kind of day, it was not inconvenient for him to refuse and in the end, drinking so much, he staggered.
In a daze, there seemed to be a person behind him supporting him, and that person seemed to be very familiar. Turning his head, it was indeed Yinzhen, so he just leaned his whole body’s weight on him.
“No, no, if I drink any more, I’m going to faint.”
“Knowing you’re going to faint, it seems to me you’re not drunk enough yet.”
Yinzhen stuffed a glass of wine into his hand, and wrapped his other arm around his shoulder. “No matter what, you should give your fourth brother face and drink this glass.”
Yinyou was so dizzy that his hand holding the wine glass trembled and even some spilled outside. He turned his head to look at Yinzhen and frowned, “Fourth brother, can’t I not drink it?”
The man’s eyebrows were picturesque, his eyes were shiny like stars, and his face was like a bright moon. Yinzhen felt that at this particular moment, no one in the whole world was more beautiful than Yinyou. He slowly tore his gaze away, “If you don’t want to drink, then don’t drink, that’s all.”
“Drink, I’ll drink.” Yinyou tilted his head and downed the glass.
A pity that this action was too heroic, which made his dizziness worse. His standing was also unsteady and he wobbled, almost falling down.
Yinzhen hurriedly stretched out his hand to support him, but like him, another person also moved very quickly to hold Yinyou down.
The eyes of the two met in the air, and it was the eighth brother who spoke first. “A spring night’s moment is worth a thousand gold. Come and send the seventh brother into the bridal chamber.”
After speaking, he let go of Yinyou’s hand.
Two young servants came up. Seeing that the fourth brother was still supporting the seventh Master, they didn’t dare to pull him so they just silently buried their heads and looked at their toes.
“Hold him carefully, don’t let your Master fall.”
Yinzhen finally loosened his grip on Yinyou’s wrist, and looked away from the drunken man. Clearly, the house was brimming with people’s energy and the decorations were beautifully red, yet the pain in his heart was even worse than when he himself got married.

When Yinyou woke up the next day, he felt that his forehead was hurting badly.
The woman sleeping next to him was only a girl in her teens. He took advantage of the drunkenness last night to make things happen, but for such a half-grown girl, there was always an indescribable strange feeling he couldn’t get rid off.
On the second day of their marriage, they needed to go to pay their respects to the palace. Yinyou got up from the bed and was changed by a maidservant. After everything was done, the woman on the bed was still quiet, so he asked someone to wake up Hada Nara shi.
Waiting for a long time, he finally saw his Fu Jin came out from the inner room. She was wearing a Fu Jin’s official dress. She was about fifteen years old, and although her appearance was very ordinary, she was still pretty.
Min Hui greeted Yinyou, and after that, the two of them had breakfast together, then climbed the carriage to go to the palace.
The sound of the wheels made Min Hui feel a little uncomfortable. As a daughter of the Hada Nara family, she had no choice in her marriage, but she felt regretful and unhappy about her future husband being a lame man.
Glancing at the man sitting across from her with eyes closed and meditating, she lowered her head and twisted the handkerchief in her hand. The seventh brother was handsome, yes, but he was still a disabled prince. In the end, that’s all she could do for the rest of her life.
At the palace gate, Yinyou got out of the car first, then turned around and went to help Min Hui.
Min Hui saw the beautiful hand in front of her eyes, and slowly extended her palm to his. The warmth of his palm made her panic decrease.
When Min Hui got out of the carriage, Yinyou let go of her hand. He had always respected women, and this move was just a habitual action without any other meaning.
After greeting Kangxi and the Empress Dowager, Yinyou took Min Hui to Xianfu Palace to greet Consort Cheng.
After the two entered the hall, Consort Cheng was already dressed and waiting. She was naturally happy when her son got married, and so she rewarded Min Hui with many jewelry. She then pulled the couple to talk for a long time before letting them leave.
After the two of them left Xianfu Palace, Consort Cheng let the smile on her face slip away and took off the pearl-encrusted nail cover on her little finger.
To the old momo who had been by her side for many years, she said quietly, “Why does bengong think this Fu Jin is not a attentive person?”
The old mama also noticed that Fu Jin seldom looked at the seventh brother when he was talking. At the threshold, she didn’t even care that the seventh brother was injured and crossed over herself. It was an eunuch next to Yinyou who helped the seventh brother cross and she didn’t even turn her head.
“Mistress, this marriage was bestowed by the emperor, so it is naturally good. But Mistress, you’re the seventh brother’s birth mother, so it’s only right that you find a good Ce Fu Jin for the seventh brother in the future.”
The old momo bowed to her Mistress, her words were spoke in a calm, reasonable manner.
“That’s true.” Consort Cheng put the nail cover back on her fingertips, with a hint of a smile on her face.
After leaving Xianfu Palace, there was not much to say between the newly married couple. Even though the weather was cold, the husband and wife walked together with a distance of two steps.
“Master, the fourth brother is at the front.”
The atmosphere on this journey was dull, and Fu Duo himself was also trembling with fear. Now seeing the fourth brother, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Fourth brother,” Yinyou also showed a hint of joy on his face.
Thinking of the scene in Xianfu Palace just now, he felt a slight disappointment this was his wife. Yet, as a man, he needed to be responsible for this woman. Even knowing all of this, he couldn’t get past his emotions.
“Seventh brother.” Yinzhen glanced at Yinyou.
Seeing the woman beside Yinyou, the smile on his face faded a little, but before he had time to say anything else, he saw the seventh brother hurrying towards him.
“Be careful.” Yinzhen hurried forward and took a few steps, stretching out his hand to support him. “Your injury was so long ago but it’s still not cured yet, it’s all because you’re not careful enough! Even now, you’re in the palace yet you’re still like this!” The more words he spoke, the more his face darkened.
“Fourth brother, don’t be angry, my injury is nothing serious. There are so many imperial doctors in the palace, and I have been back to the palace for almost two months. How can this be so serious!” Yinyou smiled cheerfully, hearing Yinzhen’s words, he was instantly in a good mood.
“Of course you’re fine now but when you get older, you’ll have to suffer!” Yinzhen frowned, but seeing that Yinyou was still smiling without a concern, he sighed and said helplessly, “You’re so old. You know it yourself, me, I’m too lazy to talk to you.”
Yinyou raised his eyebrows. After talking so much, why bother to say this? Those authors who wrote Emperor Yongzheng as cruel and taciturn should transmigrate here to see what the real Yinzhen looked like. If this was called cruel and taciturn, no one would believe it.
“You send the seventh Fu Jin back to the mansion, I still have something to discuss with the fourth brother.” Yinyou waved his hand to his entourage, and dragged Yinzhen away.
Secretly, he was thinking that this Fu Jin didn’t seem to understand the rules. As the seventh Fu Jin, meeting one’s in-laws in the road, shouldn’t she greet the fourth brother?
However, this road was not going to the Yonghe Palace, how did the fourth brother get here?
After the two left the palace together, Yinyou sighed in a low voice, in his handsome face there was not a trace of happiness. He more or less understood Yinzhen’s heart on the second day of Yinzhen’s wedding. It was so different marrying someone one loved and someone one didn’t love. Yet, his fourth sister-in-law still cared about the fourth brother. Not like that woman this morning. She was clearly awake, but she still hid under the covers and only dared to secretly look at his lame foot. Only after he went out of the inner room was she willing to get up.
As a man, it was truly depressing not being able to confide in anyone about this kind of matter.
Seeing that Yinyou’s complexion was not good, Yinzhen recalled Yinyou’s behavior with his newly married wife. Yinyou was polite, but not eager enough. Thinking about this, even when seeing Yinyou’s complexion was not good, Yinzhen’s mood still couldn’t help but get better.
When an imperial prince got married he was allowed three days off so he could accompany his Fu Jin. It stands to reason that the couple was young and energetic; and like burning firewood, the relationship of the newly weds should be fiery and harmonious, yet on the fourth night after his wedding, Yinyou moved into his own courtyard.
After all, although he didn’t care about the deformity and ugliness of his left foot, it didn’t mean that he liked to look at Fu Jin’s dodging eyes every night, and the undisguised disgust in her eyes when she accidentally glanced at his lame foot every night.
As a man, he would take good care of this young woman, but he couldn’t get close to her. Even as an old uncle, his heart could be hurt occasionally.

 

The author (Butterfly) has something to say: The seventh Fu Jin in history seems not to be favored by the seventh brother. I am indeed following official history, but it’s actually more conforming to the mind of little Four, alas. Seeing that I’m a mom to two children, you’re still acting like an Overlord! Are you not embarrassed?!
The translator (Bambi) has something to say: I also like Yinzhen more than Yinyou, so I hurt more because of Yinzhen hurting than Yinyou hurting, after all, Yinyou has Yinzhen, but Yinzhen only has us, readers! So this is my excuse! Thank you for reading *shy*

1杯具 bēijù. (slang) (pun on 悲劇｜悲剧, tragedy) so bad / terrible / bummer / fiasco / debacle