Chapter 187

"Pei Nanjia was still a little surprised—how did Li Qingluo know Qingyangzi?"

We need to produce a line that translates the Chinese parts. Let's rewrite the whole line in English, preserving the structure but with translations.

we already have.

This line is a comment about names and place names. We need to translate fully.

【8】

Pei Nanjia stared blankly for a moment, then she tugged at her pale lips and smiled: "I know many people want to help him, but I just can't get over it…"

Names: Pei Nanjia. Also 'he' refers to Qingyangzi. No new names.

Li Qingluo grabbed Pei Nanjia's hand and said: "What on earth is going on? Nanjia, although Grandmother thinks Qingyangzi is innocent, both Grandmother and I also want to help you."

Names: Li Qingluo, Pei Nanjia, Qingyangzi. Also 'grandmother' is a generic term, not a name.

Is Qingyangzi really being framed by you?

Names: Qingyangzi.

But why would you do that? If Qingyangzi is investigated and found innocent and released, you won't be able to escape the charge of false accusation!

Names: Qingyangzi.

Before Pei Nanjia could respond, someone behind her spoke up in an unfriendly tone, answering Li Qingluo ahead of her.

Names: Pei Nanjia, Li Qingluo.

Our Jia'er ended up like this because of his poisoning; do we still owe Qingyangzi anything?

Names: Jia'er (a nickname for Pei Nanjia). Also 'he' refers to Qingyangzi. Also Qingyangzi again.

Pei Nanjia: "Mother!"

Names: Pei Nanjia. Also 'mother' is a generic term, not a name.

Li Qingluo and Princess Nanping hurriedly turned around and saw a gracefully dressed woman walking in with a worried expression; her appearance closely resembled Pei Nanjia's, and she appeared to be Pei Nanjia's birth mother, the concubine from the second house, second branch.

Names: Li Qingluo, Princess Nanping, Pei Nanjia. Also 'second house, second branch' is a description, not a name. 'Concubine' is a generic term.

The master of the second house, second branch is Pei Nanjia's father.

Names: Second House Second Master (referring to the master of the second branch, second house) – this is a rank/title and should be translated by meaning. Also Pei Nanjia.

His father never took a principal wife his whole life, so the only woman in the inner court was Pei Nanjia's concubine mother.

Names: His father refers to the Second House Second Master (not a name). Pei Nanjia's concubine mother (the concubine who is Pei Nanjia's mother) is a descriptor, not a name.

Most people in Jinling City praise him for being affectionate and righteous, but many also criticize him for lacking propriety, integrity, and shame, disregarding ritual ethics and actually treating a concubine as the mistress of the inner household.

Names: Jinling City (per glossary). Also 'he' refers to the Second House Second Master. 'Concubine' is generic.

Moreover, besides Pei Nanjia, the couple has no other offspring.

Names: Pei Nanjia.

Thus he is their sole beloved child.

No names.

Li Qingluo suddenly recalled that, aside from Pei Nanjia, the Pei family has one exception.

Names: Li Qingluo, Pei family (Pei Clan), Pei Nanjia.

That is this Second House Second Master, who, like Nanjia, is also out of place among the men of the Pei family.

Names: Second House Second Master, Nanjia (nickname for Pei Nanjia), Pei Clan.

Because, it is heard that he currently still counts as a minor favorite in the imperial court.

Names: He refers to the Second House Second Master. 'Imperial court' is a place? Not a proper name. 'Minor favorite' is a nickname? Not a proper name.

Even compared to the Duke Pei's influence, his is even stronger…

Need translation.

Meanwhile, the men of the Pei clan are clearly as low‑key as the women, wishing to stay hidden and conceal their talents.

Names: Pei Clan. 'Men' generic.

Moreover, Pei Sanlang, who clearly looks like an extraordinary young man, still idles about all day doing nothing.

Names: Pei Sanlang (nickname for the third son of the Pei family).

Moreover, he has intricate, hard‑to‑break ties with the former crown prince and even the Lotus Sect.

Names: He refers to Pei Sanlang. 'Former Crown Prince' (title). 'Lotus Sect' (per glossary).

This Duke Pei's mansion is truly full of complexity and strangeness everywhere.

Need translation.

Li Qingluo rose to pay respects to Pei Nanjia's concubine mother, and Princess Nanping, bewildered, followed suit.

Names: Li Qingluo, Pei Nanjia, Princess Nanping.

The woman also understood propriety; she quickly stepped aside and hurriedly said: "You two ladies must not! I am merely a concubine and dare not accept your salutations. I have just been rude; I have now greeted you two ladies."

Names: (none) – the woman is generic.

Li Qingluo, however, still bowed slightly: "You are Nanjia's mother, thus naturally an elder."

Names: Li Qingluo, Nanjia (nickname for Pei Nanjia).

Nanjia smiled at the concubine mother: "Mother, why have you come? Luo'er and the Princess are my true friends; Mother, you need not worry."

Names: Nanjia, Luo'er (nickname for Li Qingluo), Princess.

This concubine mother bears the surname Guan; everyone in the Duke Pei's manor calls her Concubine Guan.

Names: (none) – the surname Guan is part of the title.

Also Duke Pei's Manor (we already have).

Upon hearing her daughter's words, Concubine Guan wiped her eyes, came over and smiled: "Mother is delighted; I have long heard Jia'er mention you, and now Jia'er finally has a true confidante among her inner circle. Seeing you, Mother knows you are indeed excellent young ladies."

Names: Concubine Guan, Jia'er (nickname for Pei Nanjia).

"Then, would you like them to know about your situation?"

No names.

Pei Nanjia nodded with a pale face.

Names: Pei Nanjia.

Concubine Guan tightened the fur wrap around her.

Names: Concubine Guan.

Only then did she slowly reveal the truth: "Back then, Qingyangzi was still the second son of the Chen family, a Vice Minister of Revenue. Jia'er's father, having been a longtime schoolmate of Mr. Chen, privately arranged a marriage between Jia'er and Chen Erlang."

Names: Qingyangzi, Vice Minister of Revenue, Chen family, Jia'er, Mr. Chen, Chen Erlang.

But a few years ago, Qingyangzi suddenly announced his retirement to become a monk, completely disregarding Jia'er's reputation and the difficulty it caused.

Names: He refers to Qingyangzi. Qingyangzi. Jia'er.

Although his family later suffered a great disaster and we understood his reasons for suddenly becoming a monk, to this day he has never personally explained to Jia'er a single word.

Names: He refers to Qingyangzi. Qingyangzi. Jia'er.

Jia'er is stubborn; she wants him to say outright that there is no longer any possibility between them, or at least to write a divorce letter himself. But every time she goes to Green Pine Temple, Qingyangzi avoids her, seeing her as if she were a poisonous snake or ferocious beast—she cannot even bear to look at him.

Names: Jia'er. He refers to Qingyangzi. Qingyangzi. Green Pine Temple. Jia'er again.

Jia'er has been delayed for several years already; how many more years can she continue to be delayed?

Names: Jia'er.

Although our second house, second branch has only one concubine‑born daughter, she is still the sole pearl in our palm; I and her father cannot help but feel anxious.

Names: Second house, second branch (description). Her father refers to the Second House Second Master (not a name).

Last month, the master himself personally went to Green Pine Temple once again.

Names: Master (generic). Green Pine Temple.

But you two ladies, guess what our master actually saw?

Names: Master (generic).

"They are preparing a wedding at Green Pine Temple. And the person about to be married is none other than him—Qingyangzi!"

Names: Green Pine Temple. He refers to Qingyangzi. Qingyangzi.

Princess Nanping slammed the table and exclaimed: "He is a Daoist, yet he can still marry? What sort of monstrous affair is this? Does he not fear the heavenly immortals who would strike him down?"

Names: Princess Nanping. He refers to Qingyangzi. Qingyangzi.

Li Qingluo pulled Princess Nanping aside to explain: "I have also heard Grandmother say that the Daoist path in this world divides into two schools: the Quanzhen School and the Zhengyi School."

Names: Li Qingluo, Princess Nanping. Grandmother generic. Quanzhen School. Zhengyi School.

The Quanzhen School observes strict precepts: its Daoist priests must live in temples, abstain from marriage, avoid meat and alcohol. They believe that 'cutting off lust, wealth, and anger, clinging to love and thought, worry and reflection'—that the secular seven emotions and six desires are obstacles on the path of cultivation and must be severed to attain truth.

Names: Quanzhen School.

However, the Zhengyi School's rules are far less strict; they hold that 'without the union of yin and yang, there is (extinction) of worldly kinds,' so its Daoist priests may marry, have children, and need not avoid meat.

Names: Zhengyi School.

Grandmother said that Green Pine Temple follows the Zhengyi School; its former abbot, a few years ago, took his wife down the mountain to wander the world, leaving the abbot position to his direct disciple, Qingyangzi.

Names: Green Pine Temple. Abbot. Direct disciple. Qingyangzi.

But if Qingyangzi really intends to marry, has he not yet given Jia'er a divorce letter?

Names: Qingyangzi. Nanjia (nickname for Pei Nanjia).

Nanjia gave a bitter smile and slowly nodded: "You're right, Luo'er. My father, seeing this situation, was naturally furious, so he gave Qingyangzi a beating."

Names: Nanjia, Luo'er (nickname for Li Qingluo), my father refers to the Second House Second Master. Qingyangzi.

Li Qingluo gasped in shock.

Names: Li Qingluo.

The Daoists at Green Pine Temple are not to be trifled with; if Qingyangzi really were beaten, would those Daoists merely stand by and not intervene to stop it?

Names: Green Pine Temple. Daoists generic. Qingyangzi.

Unless Qingyangzi himself forbids them from interfering!

Names: Qingyangzi.

Li Qingluo looked at Nanjia and asked: "Then what happened? How were you poisoned?"

Names: Li Qingluo, Nanjia.

Nanjia: "My father dotes on me; on the way back he bought me a chestnut cake from a pastry shop, but after eating it I vomited and had diarrhea, even vomiting blood, and that night I lost consciousness."

Names: Nanjia. My father generic.

My father hurriedly sought an audience at the palace gate, knelt before His Majesty to beg for an imperial physician, and even summoned renowned physicians from all over Jinling City to save me; the result was a diagnosis of poisoning.

Names: Palace gate generic. His Majesty generic. Imperial physician generic. Jinling City (per glossary).

But how could I have been poisoned?

No names.

Naturally my father investigated and finally traced it to the chestnut cake; the pastry shop had no problem, but after searching he found the cause on the head of Qingyangzi's intended bride.

Names: Father generic. Qingyangzi. Intended bride generic.

Rumor has it that she is a martial‑world woman, yet also a poison expert; and when my father struck Qingyangzi that day, she happened to be at the pastry shop, entering just before and after him.

Names: Martial‑world woman generic. Poison expert generic. Father generic. Qingyangzi. Pastry shop generic.

Luo'er, Princess, could there really be such a coincidence in the world? My father obtained evidence and nearly marched on Green Pine Temple; when he stated the facts, Qingyangzi, though somewhat surprised, merely said lightly that her sect had encountered an urgent matter, so she had already left Jinling two days earlier.

Names: Luo'er (nickname for Li Qingluo). Princess (referring to Princess Nanping). Father generic. Green Pine Temple. Qingyangzi. Jinling (per glossary).

Moreover, Qingyangzi was also preparing to pack his belongings to go to her sect and retrieve her.

Names: Qingyangzi. Sect generic.

Luo'er, what business is it of theirs with me!? If he had early written a divorce letter, why would my father have acted impulsively and sought trouble with him?

Besides that chestnut cake, was she originally planning to poison my father with it, or did she simply intend to poison me to death?

If my father ate this chestnut cake, and I could not possibly enter the palace to obtain imperial favor and summon an imperial physician, nor could I summon so many renowned doctors, would my father then lose his life directly because of it?

If my father were to die, how many more days could my mother and I struggle to survive in the Pei mansion?

Li Qingluo, it is because resentment and hatred have arisen in my heart that, in a fit of anger, I falsely accused Qingyangzi and had him brought to the Jinling magistrate's office.

That woman, having administered the poison and trying to flee, naturally had no way out.

The authorities have already gone to her sect to apprehend people, and Qingyangzi wanting to leave is absolutely impossible.

Therefore, Pei Nanjia used this despicable method to lock up Qingyangzi; if that woman truly loved Qingyangzi to the extreme, she would certainly come back to rescue him.

Moreover, she now hates Qingyangzi to the extreme.

As Pei Nanjia spoke, tears streamed down her face.

How could she not hate?

It is merely a letter of breaking off the engagement, yet Qingyangzi keeps delaying and refuses to give it to her.

So is he truly unfeeling, or does he still harbor feelings for her?

Over these years, she has contemplated everything.

She even once harbored a faint hope for Qingyangzi, and had fanciful thoughts in her heart.

He dare not even see her, yet his feelings for her are something he cannot possibly sever?

Only after this trip through the Gates of Hell did Pei Nanjia come to understand.

Regardless of what Qingyangzi may think, he silently became a Daoist back then, and thus their affinity has already been exhausted.

As for the fact that he now intends to marry another woman yet refuses to give her a divorce letter, that is purely a humiliation toward her.

Pei Nanjia: "Li Qingluo, no matter the consequences, I am willing to bear them. But the person who poisoned me, wanting to escape punishment, I will not allow either."

Anyway, my life won't last much longer; even if I stake my life in a struggle against them, what of it?

What does Pei Nanjia mean by these words?

Li Qingluo saw Guan Shi wiping her tears, and thus did not ask further.

Even the Nanping County Princess, being sensible, did not press further; her expression alone was uncontrollably sorrowful.

Having said those words, Pei Nanjia's body was already utterly exhausted.

So the maid took her back to rest, and at this point Guan Shi said to Li Qingluo and the Nanping County Princess: "Jia'er's poison has already entered her heart and spleen; even an imperial physician has no remedy… they say that Jia'er has at most three months left to live."