The Elegant Dancing Years - Chapter 61 - Volume 2

Chapter 61 - Vying Against Each Other

Since someone made a request to me a while ago and because the plot intrigued me, I have decided to pick up The Elegant Dancing Years (´▽｀ ；)
But first of all a warning, as you may know, I am really, really, really slow, even more so when I have to translate two stories (´∀｀；)
So if anyone thinks that they would be faster and/or better, please don’t hesitate to pick it up though it would be nice if you notify me ( *^_^* )

For anyone who read the other chapters a while ago, but have forgotten most of it and do not want to reread, I have made a summary with the main plot points, which of course contains SPOILERS.

Summary

• Cheng Ziyao works as a host at Midnight, but dies from a gunshot when he is with his f•ck buddy J.
• He reincarnates as Qi Mingyue, the son of Consort An Ruolan and the Emperor of Cang He, Qi Xutian, as the Second Prince. The First Prince, is Qi Musheng, because Consort Hua Fengjin, whose real name is Jing Fenghua, had given birth first.
• Cang He is considered one of the world’s great powers, surrounded by many small countries. Two other powerful countries are: An Yang in the north and Lian Tong in the south.
• At the Hundred Day Banquet, Grandmaster Tan Wu predicted that one of the two sons is the ‘Alien/Abnormal Star’ (I will use Abnormal Star from now on). The Abnormal Star is destined to bring calamity, take his mother’s life and have no offspring into the world.
• Till Qi Mingyue is five he lives in Zixia Palace with Hong Qui, a dancer from Lian Tong, and Ying Ran, who is skilled in the art of poison from An Yang.
• When Qi Mingyue is five years old, he is kidnapped by Jing Huang, the brother of Consort Hua Fengjin. He wants to obtain Zuizhu, something that can increase someone’s power, and has the incredible effect of bone replacement and marrow cleansing. When he is kidnapped, he meets Wu Yao, a blind guard, who later becomes his shadow guard. This incident ends with Qi Mingyue taking Zuizhu himself and Consort Hua Fengjin being thrown into the Cold Palace.
• When Qi Mingyue is about twelve years old, he meets Empress Jiang Yao, who is the eyes and ears for Qi Xutian in the Jianghu. She possesses the skill Tianyin, which is the ability to manipulate people’s hearts and minds through music.
• At one point, when Qi Mingyue and Qi Xutian are about to do the deed, consort An Ruolan enters, revealing to them that Qi Mingyue has been poisoned, at the instigation of concubine Han Ziqi, with the Lianxin Gu. The reason is that Han Ziqi's father Han Ji is conspiring with An Yang to take over the throne. Fortunately, Qi Mingyue can counter this by using the Clear Heart Technique of Tianyin, which he learned from Empress Jiang Yao. It turns out he has an affinity for Tianyin because he is a Celestial. This incident ends with Qi Mingyue accidentally killing his mother Consort An Ruolan while she was protecting Han Ziqi, after which Han Ziqi is let go.
• To get rid of the Lianxin Gu, Qi Mingyue has to learn Tianyin. He does this on Lofty Mountain with the help of the master of the Empress, Chu Yu, whom he first had to safe. There he also meets Chu Yu’s other disciples, Xiao Yin and Lan.
• During the time Qi Mingyue is on Lofty Mountain, Consort Hua Fengjin along with her son the First Prince spread the rumour that Qi Mingyue is the Abnormal Star. This ends with Consort Hua Fengjin being poisoned to death, while First Prince Qi Musheng takes the blame. But because Qi Mingyue had asked Qi Xutian not to kill him, Qi Musheng was stripped of his title and exiled to Tanzhou, which is a remote area near An Yang where many bandits roam, instead of executed.
• After three years, Qi Mingyue masters Tianyin and returns to the Imperial Capital, YeYao City, where he meets Ruan Tianqi and his sister Zi Lian during an accident. He then goes with Ruan Tianqi to Liufang Pavilion to visit Yan Qing who invited him.
• When they get there, it turns out that Yan Qing wants to kill Qi Mingyue because he knows Tianyin. But Qi Xutian, now wearing a golden mask, interrupts him and takes Qi Mingyue with him, after which they do the deed.
• During the time Qi Mingyue was not by Qi Xutian's side, Qi Xutian favoured the Third Prince, Qi Lanshuo. The Third Prince was the son of Concubine Xiao, someone sent by An Yang, who had died in the fire during the Field Hunting Day. This brings us to this chapter where Qi Mingyue is finally back in the palace after three years.

Please enjoy the new chapter, let me know if you find any mistakes and/or have suggestions for a better translation (*´-｀* )

In winter, Cang He was covered in snow, and the unceasingly falling snowflakes decorated the Imperial Capital into a pure color of white. The palace guards and all people of the palace put on thick winter clothes and stepped on the pure white beneath their feet to start the work of the day.

Inside the tranquil Imperial Palace, it was business as usual. The hundred Officials came one after another to the main hall, waiting for the Emperor to arrive to start discussing official matters in the Morning Court.

As usual, Head Steward Liu

This was often translated as Chief Liu, but I will change his title to Head Steward.

¹ stood expressionless beside the throne, his face unmoving, his eyes slightly downcast, unknown what he was thinking, until Qi Xutian slowly arrived. The two glanced at each other, then Head Steward Liu bowed to greet him as he mouthed the words of ceremony, with a certain hint in his eyes. Qi Xutian nodded slightly, his lips in a slight smile with a deeper meaning, and sat down on the throne.

“My beloved Officials, you may rise. What matters need to be discussed today?” With a casual wave of his hand, Qi Xutian nonchalantly picked up a teacup on the side.

The Officials did not know how His Majesty’s mood was today, so they did not dare to say too much, but only reported a few urgent matters. After receiving His Majesty’s approval, they stepped back and said nothing more.

The atmosphere in the court was a little strange. The Officials seemed to want to say something, but hesitated, fearing the reaction of the person sitting on the throne, and not sure if they should mention it today. Qi Xutian closed his eyes slightly and looked at the tender green floating in the tea cup. Then he curled his lips, glanced at the gazes of all the Officials below him, and said, seemingly inadvertently, “It is snowing heavily outside. If you have nothing to report, all Officials can go back early. We

朕
Zhèn
Majestic Imperial pronoun, like the Royal We
In the previous translation, this was translated as simply ‘I’, but I prefer to make a distinction between how the Emperor would speak and someone else.

² recall that the birthday of Xiao San’er is coming up soon, and We need to go find someone to make plans for it.”

Upon hearing His Majesty’s words, several Official’s brightened up and gestured to each other, after which someone stepped forward and said to the Emperor on the throne, “The birthday of the Third Highness is a great occasion, and if Your Majesty needs someone to plan it, we Officials are all willing to share in Your Majesty’s worries.”

“It is rare that Xiao San’er is popular like this. It seems that We do not need to worry about it. We are curious how Official Li plans to organize this matter?” Qi Xutian put down the teacup in his hand, seeming quite interested.

Please read The Elegant Dancing Years Chapter 61 on Project Bezemwagen :-)

The Officials below were all relieved to see that today was indeed a suitable day to bring up the matter. The Official surnamed Li also showed a cheerful look when he heard what was being said, and continued, “Your Majesty, this Official thinks that since Third Highness’s literary talent is outstanding and he is favored by Your Majesty, why not take advantage of his birthday to……” At this point, he paused and glanced at the Emperor’s expression. He saw that it was impassive, the calm face indistinguishable from joy or anger. When he thought about what he was going to mention, he did not know if it would offend the person on the throne by touching a taboo, so for a moment he dared not speak further.

“What do you want to say?” Qi Xutian raised his eyebrow, took a sip of his tea, and asked.

“Your Majesty, Official Li is trying to say that since the Third Highness is coming of age, we might as well take this opportunity to discuss the establishment of the Crown Prince.” On the side, someone stepped forward and continued to speak after Official Li’s words, but was careful not to say directly that the Third Highness should be established as the Crown Prince by hinting at it in a roundabout way, lest raising the matter without permission might anger the fickle and unpredictable Emperor.

Looking up cautiously, he saw the Emperor of Cang He leaning back in his throne. His face had not changed since they had spoken, so it was impossible to tell if he was upset by these words. He simply stared at them and did not speak, his lips curving in a faintly discernible arc. The heavy atmosphere immediately gave people a fright.

Since ancient times, the establishment of a crown prince had been an extremely important matter, but when an emperor is at the peak of his power, rashly proposing the establishment of a crown prince was most certainly to offend the emperor. It was evident from His Majesty’s unconcerned attitude towards several of the Princes that His Majesty did not seem to be in any hurry at all to appoint a Crown Prince and was not at all interested in handing over the throne to someone else.

Suddenly remembering the rumors about how His Majesty had killed his siblings and how he had taken over the throne from the previous emperor, the Official who had just opened his mouth suddenly felt a thump in his heart, and broke out in a cold sweat.

It was all because of that gold and silver! If they had not been blinded by the jewels and money, how could they forget such things as His Majesty’s methods, His Majesty’s character, and the things His Majesty had done back then. Was it not obvious, only His Majesty could bring up the matter of establishing a Crown Prince!

Please read The Elegant Dancing Years Chapter 61 on Project Bezemwagen :-)

At this thought, the expression of the two Officials changed instantly. They lowered their heads, their backs drenched in cold sweat, and in the main hall with a heater that created a warm spring feeling, they were completely freezing cold. They did not even have the slightest courage to raise their heads to look at the expression of the Emperor sitting on the throne.

Officials who were already not in favor of the matter were now somewhat rejoicing in the misfortune of the other two, as they stood aside and simply waited for His Majesty to speak.

After a suffocating silence, a deep voice came from above, “It seems that all Officials are anxious on Our behalf to establish a Crown Prince……”

As the slow and deep words echoed in the silent main hall, the civil and military Officials all lowered their heads and stood frozen in place, not daring to answer, and listening to His Majesty’s tone at that moment. Although it was calm and not unusual, everyone knew that the Emperor of Cang He had always been known for his fickle temperament. One moment he was still speaking with a smile on his face, but the next moment something unexpected could happen. Although His Majesty remained calm and composed at the moment, who knew if he would burst into a terrible fit of rage the next moment?

“Your Majesty, the establishment of a Crown Prince is an important matter for the country. This subject

臣
Chén
I, your servant
Used in addressing the sovereign.

³ thinks that Your Majesty should consider a candidate for the Crown Prince as soon as possible.”

Just as the Officials were tense and remained standing in silence, they heard someone speaking in a blunt manner, and when they raised their heads, they saw Head Steward Liu bowing at the side of His Majesty. It was he who had just spoken.

“Ah, Liu Yi, you also think that We should establish a Crown Prince as soon as possible?”

“This servant thinks that since Cang He has His Majesty as ruler and we as subjects, it should also be time, to establish a worthy person as the Crown Prince, to calm the hearts of the people and stabilize the country.” The unhurried words, like the expression on his face, did not show the slightest emotion, but his words made the crowd sigh with relief.

Please read The Elegant Dancing Years Chapter 61 on Project Bezemwagen :-)

Head Steward Liu did not speak often, but every time he opened his mouth to make a proposal, it was rarely not accepted by His Majesty. So it seemed that the issue of establishing the Crown Prince proposed today could be settled.

“So, which of the Princes do you Officials think would be able to take this great responsibility? Who can become the Crown Prince?” Qi Xutian put down the teacup in his hand, and glanced at the expressions of those below him. The corners of his mouth turned up a little and a sharp light flashed in his eyes as he asked in an apparently nonchalant manner.

“As this Official said before, the Third Highness is someone with great literary talent, with an open and sincere nature, and is favored by Your Majesty. This Official believes that the Third Highness should be appointed as Crown Prince.”

“That is not true, Official Li. Although the Third Highness has extraordinary literary talent, but ruling the country is not something that can be done with literary skills alone. If we want to establish a Crown Prince, we must choose a worthy person, as Head Steward Liu said.” What open and sincere nature? Who in the palace did not know that the Third Prince, Qi Lianshuo, was unscrupulous in his words and actions, and acted out of order because of His Majesty’s favor. How could he be worthy of the position of Crown Prince? If Cang He really fell into his hands, it would most likely only take a few years for it to decline.

"Your Majesty, this Official thinks that the Fifth Highness is also eligible. In terms of literary talent and temperament, he is no weaker than the Third Highness, so if you want to choose a worthy person, the Fifth Highness is more suitable than the Third Highness.”

“What are you talking about? How is the Third Highness not suitable? Explain that to me!”

“Hmph, don’t tell me Official Li does not know what the Third Prince has done in the palace? After receiving money from others, you have done nothing but talk nonsense. Where does that leave the important matters of the country? The Third Prince he……”

Hearing them arguing back and forth below him, an uncanny smile flashed in Qi Xutian’s eyes, yet the expression on his face sank, and he said indifferently, “That is enough, it is not appropriate to make a fuss in court.”

Please read The Elegant Dancing Years Chapter 61 on Project Bezemwagen :-)

At these words, the quarreling Officials immediately fell silent, and when they saw the displeased look on His Majesty’s face, they kept their mouth shut.

“We only asked you a question, but all Officials are arguing so much, so it would be better to let Us decide. Xiao San’er and Xiao Wu’er are both quite suitable, and although the other Princes are still young, they should not be deprived of their chance. Since the establishment of a Crown Prince is something they are directly involved in, we might as well ask them what they think.” The moment he said this, a murmur arose. As Qi Xutian sat on the Dragon Throne, watching the reaction of the Officials, his smile became more pronounced, and with a bit of interest, he raised his head slightly and ordered, “Someone! Go and summon the Princes to the palace hall!”

Waiting for the Third Prince Qi Lianshuo, the Fifth Prince Qi Zhongli, the Sixth Prince Qi Ziyu, the Seventh Prince Qi Yaoyu to stand together in the palace hall, the Officials looked at all the Princes with extraordinary appearance and temperament. For now it was difficult to say who was more suitable for the position of Crown Prince.

Among the several Princes, apart from the Ninth Prince who had lost his life in the fire, only the first two Princes were not among them. Thinking of the Second Prince, who had disappeared from the palace, the Officials sighed. They still remembered the Second Prince’s graceful demeanor. If he were here today, they would not be arguing over the position of the Crown Prince.

With a sigh from the bottom of their hearts, looking at the smiling face of the Third Prince Qi Lianshuo and remembering His Majesty’s love for him, several old Officials were worried. What were they to do if His Majesty really made the Third Prince the Crown Prince on a whim?

His Majesty had always been the only one who reigned supreme, and the dominance of a ruler seemed to be especially evident in him. As long as he made a decision, no one dared to oppose it. As a matter in fact, as long as it was His Majesty’s decision, there was no reason to object, since His Majesty would make no mistake. If the Third Prince was really appointed as the Crown Prince, they could only believe that His Majesty had other intentions and they, as Officials, did not dare to oppose it.

“ This son

儿臣
Ér Chén
son and subject
Used by children to address themselves when speaking to their father/mother, the king, queen, emperor, empress etc.

⁴ kneels before Father Emperor! May Father Emperor be in good health!” Qi Lianshuo stood among the group of Princes with the most relaxed expression, without any trace of nervousness. “This son heard that Father Emperor was looking for this son to come here because of the matter of establishing the Crown Prince, is that true?”

“We were not looking for Xiao San’er alone, did you not see that several of your Imperial younger brothers are also around? We want to choose one of you as Crown Prince. We wonder what San’er thinks about that?” Smiling at the young man standing in the palace hall without showing any fear, Qi Xutian softened and asked in a soft voice.

Please read The Elegant Dancing Years Chapter 61 on Project Bezemwagen :-)

“This son was so happy to hear that Father Emperor had summoned this son that this son did not notice that this son’s Imperial younger brothers were also here, so Father Emperor please forgive this son.” Qi Lianshuo smiled mischievously, smoothing his hair around his ears, looking sideways at the Imperial younger brothers standing beside him. Then he raised his head again to reply cleverly, “The matter of establishing the Crown Prince is naturally decided by Father Emperor, this son has no opinion on it, and only knows that Father Emperor’s choice will not be wrong.”

The other Princes had paid their respect first, but when they heard their Imperial father’s question to their Third Imperial Elder Brother, they all lowered their heads again, and in their ears they heard the soft laughter of their Imperial father. Standing here today because of the matter of establishing the Crown Prince, they did not know what to think. Since their Imperial father had long since set his heart on their Third Imperial Elder Brother, there was no need for them to come.

“Good, We already have a candidate in mind, why do the Princes not guess who We intend to make the Crown Prince.” The smile on Qi Xutian’s face did not diminish as he observed the expressions on the faces of his Officials and the Princes below him. Seeing a hidden joy in Qi Lianshuo’s eyes, the smile on Qi Xutian’s lips deepened slightly more, but contained an undetectable coldness.

Hearing His Majesty’s words, some of the Officials were joyous and some were worried. Looking at the situation in front of them, it was clear that the Third Prince was the one who attracted the most attention. The Fifth Prince was also good, but unfortunately he was too gentle and did not like to vie against others, unlike the Third Prince who knew how to please His Majesty. Apart from him, the other two princes were too young, so there was no telling whether they had special qualifications that could attract His Majesty’s attention. So, the only person that His Majesty could have set his heart on was the Third Prince.

For a moment, everyone’s eyes, with different meanings, looked at Qi Lianshuo, and the scorching eyes had already made Qi Lianshuo feel a little elated. Is it still necessary to guess the meaning of Father Emperor’s words? Who did not know over the years that he, the Third Prince Qi Lianshuo, was the most favored Prince. Except that he had never lived in Xuantian Palace like the previous Second Prince, Qi Mingyue, there was nothing else he could not have.

Please read The Elegant Dancing Years Chapter 61 on Project Bezemwagen :-)

Though he still felt concerned about snatching it from his Second Imperial Elder Brother, who was doted on and cared for by his Imperial father. But the other had long since disappeared from the palace, as he may have been implicated by his mother, Consort An, and therefore abandoned by his Imperial father. So now no one could prevent him from ascending to the position of Crown Prince. Before his Mother Consort died, he had been told to curry more favor with his Imperial father, and it now seemed that was no mistake.

Trying to restrain the look of joy that appeared on his face, Qi Lianshuo replied, “Who can guess Father Emperor’s intentions, this son will just accept it, no matter who Father Emperor appoints as the Crown Prince. This son will have no objection.”

Qi Zhongli, who was standing next to him, nodded. Qi Ziyu and Qi Yaoyu were only nine years old, and did not know what to say. Since their Imperial father had an idea, they just listened and both nodded as well.

Naturally, the Officials did not dare to speak rashly. Waiting for His Majesty to speak, the main hall fell silent again. After a while, they heard a voice coming from above.

“I got up late, and Father Emperor did not wait for me.” The slightly plaintive words were tinged with laziness, the voice very pleasant to the ear. Speaking abruptly from above in this court, each word casually, yet no one thought he was acting discourteously, and was only attracted by the rhythmic sound of his words. When they came back to their senses and realized the meaning of the words, everyone was astonished.

Looking up, amidst the light fragrance curling around like extremely thin, gentle mist, a young man, dressed in light clothes, walked leisurely to the side of the throne. His demeanor was indolent, but the look in his eyes was as bright as the cold moon in the sky. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, the faintly discernable smile was like the first rays of morning sun in winter. One could not help but be entranced by it, and could only look at that peerless figure, as if one’s mind had been deterred.

“The Second Prince, Qi Mingyue!” someone exclaimed in a trance, but the sound of what was supposed to be a self-explanatory whisper caused a boulder-like noise in the court.

With his mouth slightly open, Qi Lianshuo looked at the figure standing on the side of the throne and immediately froze in place. The face with the earlier expression of joy that had not yet faded had immediately turned pale.

---

Translator Notes
This was the new chapter ヽ(^◇^*)/, hopefully it was readable.

As I mentioned, updates will probably be really slow, especially if I am also translating His Majesty’s Hostage, which I will keep as my main project, depending on demand I think. Furthermore, I noticed that the length of the chapters is 2 times sometimes 3 times as long as the chapters of His Majesty’s Hostage, which already takes me a lot of time (◡﹏◡✿)

But as long as no one else is willing to pick this up, I will try to update this as often as possible (´∀｀；)

A disclaimer, neither Chinese nor English is my native language, so there are bound to be translation errors. Let me know if you find anything or have a better suggestion for a translation.

Translation Notes

This was often translated as Chief Liu, but I will change his title to Head Steward.

朕 - Zhèn – Majestic Imperial pronoun, like the Royal We - In the previous translation, this was translated as simply ‘I’, but I prefer to make a distinction between how the Emperor would speak and someone else.

臣 - Chén - I, your servant - Used in addressing the sovereign.

儿臣 – Ér Chén – son and subject – Used by children to address themselves when speaking to their father/mother, the king, queen, emperor, empress etc.