Chapter 1312

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "The Emperor has already publicly announced this matter, and he has restored his throne; the whole world knows."

The Emperor has publicly announced this matter and restored his throne; everyone under heaven knows.

We need to keep meaning. Use "the Emperor". Use "his throne". Use "the whole world knows" or "everyone under heaven knows". Choose natural.

Let's do: "The Emperor has already publicly announced this matter, and moreover he has restored his throne; everyone under heaven knows."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Emperor's meaning is to use him to replace the Yongyang Princess."

The Emperor's intention is to use him to replace the Yongyang Princess.

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "The ruler's heart is hard to fathom; what exactly the Emperor means, I, an old man, dare not rashly speculate. However, judging from the present situation, it seems intended to weaken the Yongyang Princess's power, and the Yongyang Princess has shown great cooperation in this."

I, an old man

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "You have worked together with the Yongyang Princess for some time; what is your evaluation of her?"

Zhou Ruiyuan cautiously replied: "As a subject, I dare not speak recklessly."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If she were a man, in terms of mental clarity and decisiveness in handling affairs, she would be the most suitable heir to the Dakang throne."

Line 7: This is long. Need to translate fully.

Zhou Ruiyuan also deeply agreed with Hu Xiaotian's remark; he had once thought that the Emperor was preparing to make Seven Seven the heir apparent, but the Emperor's trust and reliance on Seven Seven were limited to the early days of his restoration, and afterwards the estrangement between him and Seven Seven grew deeper and deeper. The deployment of Long Tingzhen should be preparations to replace the Yongyang Princess, and the Emperor's marriage of the Yongyang Princess to Hu Xiaotian was meant to ensnare them both. Zhou Ruiyuan said: "Actually, Sir Hu should go see the princess." In Zhou Ruiyuan's view, Hu Xiaotian and Seven Seven face the same perilous situation; they should help each other and overcome the difficulties together.

Let's break:

"Zhou Ruiyuan also deeply agreed with Hu Xiaotian's remark; he had once also thought that the Emperor was preparing to make Qiqi the crown prince, but the Emperor's trust and reliance on Qiqi were limited to the early period of his restoration, and afterwards the estrangement between him and Qiqi became deeper and deeper; promoting Long Tingzhen should be precisely to prepare to replace the Yongyang Princess, and the Emperor arranging the marriage of the Yongyang Princess and Hu Xiaotian is to net them both in one go." Then Zhou Ruiyuan said: "Actually, Sir Hu should go see the Princess." In Zhou Ruiyuan's view, Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi face the same dangerous situation; they should share the same boat and overcome difficulties together.

Actually, Sir Hu should go see the princess.

Let's produce translation:

"Zhou Ruiyuan also deeply agreed with Hu Xiaotian's remark; he had once also thought that the Emperor was preparing to make Qiqi the crown prince, but the Emperor's trust and reliance on Qiqi were limited to the early period of his restoration, and afterwards the estrangement between him and Qiqi became deeper and deeper; promoting Long Tingzhen should be precisely to prepare to replace the Yongyang Princess, and the Emperor arranging the marriage of the Yongyang Princess and Hu Xiaotian is to net them both in one go. Zhou Ruiyuan said: 'Actually, Sir Hu should go see the Princess.' In Zhou Ruiyuan's view, Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi face the same dangerous situation; they should share the same boat and overcome difficulties together."

Check we kept all clauses.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I have received news that Hong Beimo has recently been secretly communicating with the Yongyang Princess."

Zhou Ruiyuan furrowed his brows; he did not know about this matter. According to what he knows, it should be that Hong Beimo found and rescued Long Tingzhen; since the affair of Long Tingzhen was solely orchestrated by Hong Beimo, he and the Yongyang Princess should have become enemies, right? Why would they turn from foes to friends?

furrowed his brows

Hu Xiaotian said: "The reason the Emperor trusts Hong Beimo so much is fundamentally because he believes Hong Beimo can help him find the way to immortality; however, people inevitably lose patience, and Hong Beimo's elixir of eternal life has long failed to succeed. Therefore, the contradiction between the Emperor and him has begun to gradually intensify."

Zhou Ruiyuan secretly wondered how Hu Xiaotian knew so much of the inside information; it seems he must have ears and eyes in the imperial palace. He whispered: "Although everyone wants immortality, who throughout ancient and modern times has actually succeeded?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Dakang state treasury is empty; one important reason is that the Emperor has invested most of the revenue into the construction of the imperial mausoleum."

As the Dakang Chancellor, Zhou Ruiyuan naturally knows how much has been invested in the imperial mausoleum over these years. Moreover, the reason he was dismissed from the chancellorship by the Emperor back then was partly because he earnestly advised the Emperor to reduce investment in the imperial mausoleum, which instead offended the Emperor, leading to his demotion to commoner; he returned to his old home in Xichuan Xiezhou and lived in idleness for three full years, until Long Yelin ascended the throne and he was reappointed. He can be said to have learned from a setback; from then on, he never again raised the matter of the imperial mausoleum in court, nor did he discuss it even in private.

learned from a setback; from then on, he never again raised the matter of the imperial mausoleum in court, nor did he discuss it even in private.

Hu Xiaotian said: "A single imperial mausoleum can actually drag down a nation; Uncle, do you know what secret is actually hidden in this mausoleum?"

Zhou Ruiyuan shook his head and said: "The imperial mausoleum was designed and supervised by Hong Beimo; besides him and the Emperor, no one else knows the inside story. However, outside rumors say the mausoleum is related to immortality; whether this is true or not, only the parties involved can know."

"Uncle, do you believe there truly is a technique for immortality?"

But we need to keep the quotation marks? The instruction: translate the Chinese lines; we should output English translation, preserving meaning but not necessarily the quotation marks? Usually we keep the quotes as part of translation? The Chinese line includes the quotation marks as part of the text. We should translate the content, but we can keep the quotation marks as English quotes. We'll output: "Uncle

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Emperor's meaning is to use him to replace the Yongyang Princess."

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "The ruler's heart is unfathomable; I do not know what the Emperor really means, and as an old man I dare not speculate wildly, but judging from the present situation, it seems intended to weaken the Yongyang Princess's power, and the Yongyang Princess has been very cooperative in this regard."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said: "You have worked with the Yongyang Princess for a while; what is your evaluation of her?"

Zhou Ruiyuan cautiously replied: "As a subject, I dare not speak recklessly."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If she were a man, in terms of clear-mindedness and decisiveness in handling affairs, she would be the most suitable heir to the Dakang throne."

Zhou Ruiyuan also deeply agreed with Hu Xiaotian's words; he had once thought the Emperor intended to make Qiqi the heir apparent, but the Emperor's trust and reliance on Qiqi were limited to the early days of his restoration, and later the rift between him and Qiqi grew deeper; promoting Long Tingzhen should be preparation to replace the Yongyang Princess, and the Emperor's marriage of the Yongyang Princess to Hu Xiaotian was meant to ensnare them both. Zhou Ruiyuan said: "Actually, Sir Hu should go see the Princess." In Zhou Ruiyuan's view, Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi face the same perilous situation; they should share the same boat and overcome the difficulty together.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I have received news that Hong Beimo has recently been secretly involved with the Yongyang Princess."

Zhou Ruiyuan furrowed his brows; he did not know about this, but according to what he knows, it should be that Hong Beimo found and rescued Long Tingzhen; since Long Tingzhen's affair was wholly orchestrated by Hong Beimo, he and the Yongyang Princess should have become enemies, so why did they become allies?

Hu Xiaotian said: "The reason the Emperor trusts Hong Beimo so much is fundamentally that he believes Hong Beimo can help him find the way to immortality; however, people eventually lose patience, and Hong Beimo's elixir of eternal youth has long failed to succeed. Thus the conflict between the Emperor and him has begun to gradually intensify."

Zhou Ruiyuan secretly wondered how Hu Xiaotian knew so much of the inside information; it seemed he must have spies in the palace, and he whispered: "Although everyone wants eternal life, who in ancient times to the present has actually achieved it?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Dakang national treasury is empty, and one important reason is that the Emperor has invested most of the revenue into the construction of the imperial mausoleum."

As the Dakang Chancellor, Zhou Ruiyuan naturally knows how much has been invested in the imperial mausoleum over these years. And the reason he was dismissed from the chancellorship by the Emperor back then was, among others, his earnest advice to reduce spending on the mausoleum, which offended the Emperor, leading to his demotion to commoner status and his return to his hometown in Xichuan's Xiezhou, where he lived in idleness for three full years until Long Yelin ascended the throne and was reappointed. He could be said to have learned from his mistake; thereafter he never again raised the mausoleum issue in court, nor even discussed it in private.

Hu Xiaotian said: "An imperial mausoleum can actually drag down a country; do you know, Uncle, what secret is really hidden in this mausoleum?"

Zhou Ruiyuan shook his head and said: "The imperial mausoleum was designed and supervised by Hong Beimo; besides him and the Emperor, no one else knows the inside story. However, outside rumors link the mausoleum to longevity; whether that is true or not, only the parties involved can say."

Uncle, do you believe there really is a technique for immortality?

Zhou Ruiyuan smiled faintly and said: "Whether I believe or not is not important; the key is that the Emperor believes." If he were not deeply convinced, the old emperor would hardly keep pouring Dakang's wealth into this place; in fact, the mausoleum has already become a bottomless pit. Unless the day the old emperor reaches a natural end, its construction will not easily cease.

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Emperor wants immortality; what does Hong Beimo want?"

Zhou Ruiyuan has also considered this question countless times, but never found an answer. For a subject, one either seeks power or fame and profit, yet Hong Beimo seems uninterested in either; what does he really want? And what secret is hidden in the mausoleum? Zhou Ruiyuan said: "This seems unrelated to you."

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly and said: "Uncle, you are right; on the surface, the mausoleum affair has nothing to do with my marriage, but there are undercurrents in the court; if the realm changes hands and the throne changes, we cannot remain aloof, can we?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "A change of realm and throne? Could someone be plotting to overthrow the court?" His words carried meaning; his deep eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian, as if hinting that this person was Hu Xiaotian himself.

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Emperor's health has been deteriorating lately; the closer one gets to a natural death, the stronger the survival ** becomes; Hong Beimo's promised immortality has long failed to materialize, and the Emperor is about to lose patience; once he loses faith in Hong Beimo, what will he do first?"

Zhou Ruiyuan said: "Stop the construction of the mausoleum!"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Hong Beimo finding Long Tingzhen at this time and helping him regain the throne—what does that signify?"

Zhou Ruiyuan sucked in a breath of cold air and said: "Could he intend to use Long Tingzhen to replace the Emperor's position?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If he can help Long Tingzhen ascend the throne, Long Tingzhen will certainly be grateful to him and firmly support his continued construction of the mausoleum."

Zhou Ruiyuan pressed his lips, finding Hu Xiaotian's analysis quite reasonable, and he whispered: "The Emperor may not fail to see through his intentions."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The Emperor should have sensed something; his refusal to let the Yongyang Princess nominate Long Tingzhen as heir apparent may be for this reason." He whispered: "I hope Uncle can find out what the Emperor really means."

Zhou Ruiyuan sighed and said: "Do you think the Emperor would tell me the truth?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What the Emperor says is not important; the key is how you, Uncle, speak, to make the Emperor understand that his current foremost enemy is not me."

Zhou Ruiyuan finally understood Hu Xiaotian's main purpose in coming today; looking at Hu Xiaotian's confident eyes, he sighed and said: "It seems my worthy nephew does not want me to refuse."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "Uncle, you have a choice!"

Zhou Ruiyuan retorted: "Do I still have a choice?"

Qiqi stood before the gate of the Yongyang Prince's mansion, gazing at the plaque above the lintel, and softly sighed: "Take it down!" Removing this plaque means returning things to their rightful owner.

Quan De'an gave a glance to the two warriors beside him; the two warriors set up the prepared ladder and prepared to take down the plaque before the gate.

A clear, ringing sound of horse hooves came from afar and grew nearer; Qiqi was drawn by the sound, looked up, and saw two riders approaching, one after the other; the leader was tall and straight, graceful as a jade tree in the wind—who else could it be but Hu Xiaotian? Qiqi widened her beautiful eyes; she had thought Hu Xiaotian would only reach Kangdu in early May, but she did not expect him to return early, and this return came without any omen.

Hu Xiaotian reined in his horse two zhang away from Qiqi, dismounted, casually tossed the reins to the attendant Zhan Peng behind him, and strode forward to stand before Qiqi.

Qiqi had not yet recovered from the shock of his sudden appearance, exclaiming: "You……" Hu Xiaotian, however, seized her shoulders and, before everyone's eyes, embraced her in his arms. Qiqi only felt her head buzz, instantly going blank; Hu Xiaotian's actions always exceeded expectations. Although they were fiancés, yet under the gaze of all, Hu Xiaotian openly embraced the princess; Qiqi's cheeks flushed, and Quan De'an and the others either lowered their heads or turned their faces away—such a scene was best avoided.

One of the warriors preparing to take down the plaque, in his haste to turn his head, twisted too far, lost his balance, and screamed as he fell from the ladder, landing spread-eagled on the ground; fortunately the height was not great, so he suffered no serious injury.

Qiqi, her cheeks flushed, whispered into Hu Xiaotian's ear: "Let go; don't you see where we are?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed loudly; although Qiqi was deep-minded, after all she was just a girl whose emotions had just begun to awaken, and in matters of the heart she was nowhere near his equal; one reason for his behavior was to disturb her state of mind.

Hu Xiaotian released Qiqi, turned to Quan De'an and grinned: "Eunuch Quan, how have you been?"

Quan De'an coughed embarrassedly and said respectfully: "Thanks to Sir Hu's favor, I am still doing alright."

Zhan Peng walked over and helped the fallen warrior to his feet.

Hu Xiaotian looked at the plaque on the gate and said: "What? You want to take down the plaque? Isn't this mansion a gift bestowed by the Emperor?"

Looking at Hu Xiaotian suddenly appearing before her, Qiqi's heart was in great turmoil, yet she could be sure that there must be joy in this long-awaited reunion; she just did not know how to express it.

Still, Quan De'an replied: "The Princess's third imperial brother has returned; she intends to restore this place to its rightful owner."

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Quan De'an, his expression showing some displeasure, clearly telling him: "I wasn't asking you; when is it your turn to chime in with nonsense!"

"Ten years east, ten years west"—Quan De'an watched Hu Xiaotian's imposing presence and could not help recalling the timid, shrinking boy who once stood before him. He had not misjudged; this lad was no pond-dweller; in just a few years he had transformed from a little palace eunuch into a regional hegemon, but human fortune cannot last forever; his rash return to Kangdu might be the greatest blunder of his life, and once he takes the wrong turn, there will be no chance to turn back. Quan De'an lowered his head and quietly stepped aside.

Qiqi said: "Not only here, but I will also return the ShenCe Palace to the third imperial prince."

Hu Xiaotian, however, shook his head and said: "Let's discuss this later; there's no need to take down the plaque for now."

Qiqi's heart skipped a beat; she had not expected Hu Xiaotian to react so strongly to this matter, and she whispered: "But I have already promised the Emperor."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You haven't discussed this with me yet." His tone actually carried a hint of anger. (To be continued~^~)