How To Survive as a Villain-Chapter 50: This May be the Pseudo-Plot of a Birthday Celebration.
When the tribute ceremony was sent to Yongning Palace, Xiao PingYang was resting there. After all, Princess Yongning dragged her around the whole Imperial City until finally she said that she wanted to take her to her Palace, of course, Xiao PingYang didn’t refuse.
“The Emperor seems to love you very much?” Xiao PingYang looked at the tribute and then asked her.
“Yes!” Princess Yongning nodded exaggeratedly: “My Imperial Brother is very kind to me. How about you, do you have an Imperial Brother1?”
Xiao PingYang said: “I have many Royal Brothers, but there’s only one that I get along with.”
“Come this way.” Princess Yongning took Xiao PingYang to sit at the table, Xiao PingYang saw a gold needle and silver thread on top of the table. There was also a sachet halfway embroidered, but this sachet was crooked and looked unsightly.
Princess Yongning’s face was blushing red, she entered into panic and then she was in a hurry to hide it.
“Wait a minute.” Xiao PingYang reached out and took the needle and thread. “Can I embroider it?”
“You, you know how to do needlework?” Princess Yongning asked incredulously.
Seeing Xiao PingYang nodding her head, Princess Yongning said: “Yes, you can embroider it.”
Xiao PingYang twisted the needle and thread, turned her fingers, and after a while, the oddly shaped sachet was completely transformed, becoming delicate and refined. Princess Yongning exclaimed: “Oh heavens, it’s amazing, but Hong Xiu told me that you were a General?”
Xiao PingYang squeezed the thread and said softly: “I can do needlework and also lead soldiers to fight.”
“Wow, are all the women in the Western Shu Kingdom like this?”
“No, but we can do whatever we want.” Xiao PingYang paused, suddenly raising her head at Princess Yongning, her voice fluttered softly: “I can also love anyone I want.”
“Awesome.” Princess Yongning put her hands on her face and smiled innocently: “I really want to visit the Western Shu Kingdom.”
Xiao PingYang lowered her head, hooked her lips and smiled: “There will be opportunities.”
“By then, you must show me around the Imperial City.”
“Yes, a promise is a promise.”
In the spring night, the cuckoo cries loudly at the moon.
Hong Xiu worked the whole day, and she didn’t have the time to take a break. Even then, she hurried to the Imperial bedchamber to wait for the Emperor to sleep at night.
Xiao YuAn was dressed in white and he was reading the memorials with the light of candles. When he saw Hong Xiu, he waved at her: “Hong Xiu.”
“Your Majesty”. Hong Xiu stepped forward and saluted him.
“Come, take it. This is for you.” Xiao YuAn took out a small makeup box and handed it to Hong Xiu.
Hong Xiu took it doubtfully, and when she opened it, she was even more surprised. Inside the box was a cinnabar red flower hairpin. It was made with exquisite workmanship, gorgeous and elegant.
“I think it suits you very well, so please accept it.” Xiao YuAn smiled tenderly and softly as the calm waters.
As the President of a Company!
As the President of a Company with proper life values, he should respect the elderly, cherish the young, and spread positive factors!
Xiao YuAn used to say: For the subordinates, it’s important that we show them that we’re on their side by telling them the truth, that’ll arouse their sympathy!
Hong Xiu looked at the flower hairpin in a determined way, and suddenly knelt down with a choked voice: “Thank you, Your Majesty! For such a valuable reward, this maidservant will work extremely hard for I don’t have a way to reciprocate it in this lifetime.”
Xiao YuAn was astonished, what she said was out of the question, so he hurriedly helped Hong Xiu to stand up.
This flower hairpin can’t be returned? How harsh the Young Monarch used to be! There’s no wonder that the Northern Kingdom destroyed itself, after all, how can the supreme leader lack affinity! There’s no cohesion!?
“It’s just a flower hairpin. It’s not very expensive, besides, you already help me a lot everyday.” Xiao YuAn helplessly glanced at the tearful eyes of Hong Xiu.
“This, this maidservant will wait for His Majesty, for His Majesty to wash himself.” Hong Xiu was still sobbing.
“Okay.” Xiao YuAn smiled, “Wait a minute, by the way, when is the birthday feast taking place?”
“In five days from now, Your Majesty.”
Ever since ancient times, for the Emperor’s birthday was nothing more than two sentences: Everyone will celebrate this day, forget about the rest of the world.
To put it bluntly, it’s just like a holiday, blind and lively. The Imperial City is colorfully decorated with lanterns everywhere, the civilians and the military officials worship with rites and drink a ten thousand worth Birthday Wine. In the evening, they feast at the Yuhua Tower. The whole country is celebrating, and after that, take three days off.
In Yuhua Tower, where Xiao YuAn was holding the feast, he was drinking wine a little bit absent-minded.
It wasn’t because Xiao YuAn didn’t like festivities, but because he was looking at the Golden Lotus on top of the White Jade Platform in front of him and suddenly remembered a plot from the original book.
In order to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, Princess Yongning will sing and dance on the White Jade Platform every year. This particular year, she jumped and sprained her ankle, resulting in her falling into the water.
Yan HeQing, as the male lead, naturally reacted faster than ordinary people would, and jumped down towards the pool to save her without hesitation.
But now, the plot became a total mess. The male lead and the female lead hadn’t even met yet, and Xiao YuAn can’t guess what will happen next.
At this time, on the fifth floor of the Yuhua Tower, all the people sitting here are relatives of the Emperor; but in order to show respect, Xiao YuAn also invited the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom. Xiao PingYang was sitting on the west side calmly drinking a cup of wine.
Xiao YuAn suddenly realized something. He turned his head and looked right behind him. As a close bodyguard, Yan HeQing was standing a few steps away from him, half hidden in the shadows silently watching the drinks and gamble lying together in the large group2 in front of him. When he saw that Xiao YuAn turned his head, Yan HeQing gave him a questioning look.
Xiao YuAn shook his head, turned around and grabbed his porcelain cup. For a while, he was unable to suppress his inner excitement.
The male lead, the female lead and the second female are all in the same room!!!
He can’t wait for the male lead and the female lead to finally meet each other!!!
Will this plot turn into an epic love drama, a Shura scene3!!!
Suddenly, he heard the sound of the stroke of four drums4 but he didn’t know where it was coming from. It was sweet and clear, and the people that until that very moment were talking loudly, abruptly calmed down. Everyone looked at the Golden Lotus and White Jade Platform right at the center.
Four graceful dancers waved their wide sleeves around the Jade lake, their sleeves then fell to the ground and Princess Yongning appeared on top of the Jade Platform.
She was smiling extremely cheerfully, with rosy lips and ivory white teeth, she was looking just like the wind and the snow flying around the world.
With the sound of the strings, Princess Yongning danced gracefully, her appearance was as beautiful as fairies. From the beginning to the end, there weren’t any flirtleritious intentions in her moves. It only made people feel that her dance wasn’t indecent, instead it was truly stunning.
Xiao YuAn quietly looked back at Yan HeQing.
Yan HeQing was tightly holding the handle of his sword. Although his eyes were looking at the White Jade Platform, he actually seemed careless and absent-minded, like he was thinking about something.
Wow, he really is the male lead!
Tch-tch-tch5, look at this calm attitude, look at this seemingly innocent expression, in fact, he had long been amazed and became speechless!!! This must be love at first sight!!! As expected, the female lead’s aura is greater than the sky!!!
Xiao YuAn then glanced at Xiao PingYang.
Xiao PingYang’s lips were slightly open, and she was looking at Princess Yongning’s dancing on the White Jade Platform intensively. She was refusing to blink, like she was fearing to miss even a second of the spectacle.
Heavens!
The second female, she……
She.
Is she shocked by the female lead’s aura?!
Xiao YuAn was still thinking about it when Princess Yongning, accompanied by the sound of the Guqin, fixed her body, and ended the dance.
The whole audience inside the hall were completely shocked, and they instantly started to cheer loudly.
Xiao YuAn calmed down and was slightly surprised to find that Princess Yonging didn’t fall into the water.
It seems that this plot was skipped?
He reached out his hands and applauded, then he saw that Princess Yongning while holding her skirt jumped down from the White Jade Platform and ran towards him.
Huh?
“Imperial Brother.” Princess Yongning holds Xiao YuAn with both her hands, she smiled vigorously and exerted a little force, “Come with me! Yongning has a surprise for you.”
“A-ah? What?” Xiao YuAn’s face was confused. When he came to reality, he realized that he was already on top of the White Jade Platform.
“Imperial Brother! Look!” Princess Yongning pulled Xiao YuAn around for two times, and a strange fragrance left her waving sleeves.
Xiao YuAn was really confused, and then, out of nowhere, someone exclaimed: “Butterfly? Is that a Butterfly?”
At the corner of the Yuhua Tower, an envoy of the Western Shu Kingdom opened a box, and a group of colorful butterflies spread their wings flying out! They were attracted by the exotic fragrance, flying right towards the Jade Platform, dancing around Princess Yongning and Xiao YuAn; they were even falling on the Princess’ sleeves, shoulders and fingers. It could be said that the butterflies were all fragrant and had thick wings, they could be difficult to find among flowers.
“Imperial Brother, did you like it?” Princess Yongning asked with excitement.
“I like it.” More than that, Xiao YuAn was shocked.
There’s no such paragraph in the original book!!! What’s more, the spring was still cold in the Northern Kingdom, and the snow haven’t even disappeared yet. Where are these butterflies coming from!
“These butterflies?”
“They’re part of the tribute from the Western Shu Kingdom! Xiao PingYang gave me this idea! For these butterflies, I’ve changed the dancing posture!”
Change the dancing posture?
Was this the reason that Princess Yongning didn’t fall into the water pond?
Xiao YuAn nodded his head clearly, and then, he was pulled again by Princess Yongning for a few more times.
The butterflies gathered more and more, in the end, his eyes gradually became a bit dazed. Xiao YuAn stared right at Princess Yonging’s feet, fearing that she would fall into the water, after all, it’s better to avoid suffering the cold weather.
Princess Yongning had enough with playing around and cheerfully said: “Imperial Brother, let’s go back to the feast.”
“Yes.” Xiao YuAn nodded with a gentle smile in his lips, but then, he turned around and stepped on the air, falling backwards.
Footnotes:
Footnotes
Here the Princess used two different ways to refer to “Imperial brother” and I wanted to point it out because the way she refers to her “Imperial brother” gives the impression that she’s very close to him: The Princess uses 皇上哥哥 huáng shang gē ge lit. translated as = His Imperial Majesty Elder Brother. Gege is a more affectionate way for calling an older brother. While asking PingYang about her “Imperial Brothers”, she uses = 皇兄 huáng xiōng lit. translated as Emperor/royal elder brother. Xiong being the more proper or respectful way of calling an older brother.觥筹交错 gōng chóu jiāo cuò; It’s a Chinese idiom, describes the lively scene when many people drink at a party / Describes a dinner party at which wine flows freely. From 《醉翁亭记》(zuì wēng tíng jì), “The Drunken Master’s Pavilion”. Written by (欧阳修 Ōu yáng xiū) Ouyang Xiu [1007-1072], a Northern Song Dynasty prose writer and historian.修罗场 xiū luō chǎng; Shura scene (also called Asura) is a term that originated from a Buddhism idiom and refers to “the tragic battlefield”. In Buddhist legends, there are two kinds of beings, Asura and Zhutian (led by Emperor Shitian). Asura has beautiful women but no food, while Zhutian has delicious food but no beauty. The two sides are jealous of each other and often fight, so later generations used this word to describe a fierce war situation. Later it was derived from the meaning of “a man is struggling to die in a dilemma”. Nowadays, it mostly refers to the scene of complicated interpersonal relationships, multiple connections or unequal identity cognition between people. It’s often used to describe a love relationship, such as a multi angle love in which many people are in the same situation. It’s also commonly used in workplace relationships. It can also be used to refer to very hard tribulations and challenges, but this usage is not common.击缶 jí fǒu; to beat time with a percussion instrument made of pottery.啧啧啧 zé zé zé; to click one’s tongue.
