Selling Cakes: C08

Chapter Eight

This novel was posted on cntranslations [dot] com, by anasiana. If you're not reading it there, you get what you get ￣へ￣)

_{When Shen Yunjie pushed open the doors, it was precisely when his master was gently wiping away crumbs from Xiao Yuan’s little lips, and upon hearing the disturbance, he looked towards the sound with a chuckle. “Look, Xiao Yuan. Your papa has returned.”}
Shen Yunjie held no expectations of a future with Xie Yunyi. Giving birth was solely due to his own desire to have a keepsake of those memories and nothing more.

When Shen Yunjie pushed open the doors, it was precisely when his master was gently wiping away crumbs from Xiao Yuan’s little lips, and upon hearing the disturbance, he looked towards the sound with a chuckle. “Look, Xiao Yuan. Your papa has returned.”

_{Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.}Shen Yunjie held no expectations of a future with Xie Yunyi. Giving birth was solely due to his own desire to have a keepsake of those memories and nothing more.

Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.

_{“Master…” Shen Yunjie strained out after dropping to his knees.}The first was after they had turned one. He had just returned from a mission outside the city, so he used the hour being late as an excuse to stay overnight at a farm on the outskirts of Jinling. There, resided a mute man, his honest wife, and a small, tender child raised as their own.

“Master…” Shen Yunjie strained out after dropping to his knees.

_{“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."}Just as he did when his Guan’er was a child, Jiang Lingxin defeatedly and gently stroked the head in his lap.

“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."

_{“Xiao Yuan…” Shen Yunjie caressed the little face before him, tenderness filling his entire gaze.}
Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.

“Xiao Yuan…” Shen Yunjie caressed the little face before him, tenderness filling his entire gaze.

_{Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness.}Just as he did when his Guan’er was a child, Jiang Lingxin defeatedly and gently stroked the head in his lap.

Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness. So long as his “Little” Yuan was safe and sound, his heart could be at peace. With such thoughts in mind, he brought that poisoned wine to his colourless lips, the pungent aroma of the concoctions lingering on his nose. But before he could gulp it down, that master of his reached out to stay his hand.

It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.

_{Jiang Lingxin stared at the crouched form before him, a long sigh skirting past his lips. “You are aware of the consequences of betraying Tianyi, are you not?”}
The first was after they had turned one. He had just returned from a mission outside the city, so he used the hour being late as an excuse to stay overnight at a farm on the outskirts of Jinling. There, resided a mute man, his honest wife, and a small, tender child raised as their own.

Jiang Lingxin stared at the crouched form before him, a long sigh skirting past his lips. “You are aware of the consequences of betraying Tianyi, are you not?”

_{“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”}Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness. So long as his “Little” Yuan was safe and sound, his heart could be at peace. With such thoughts in mind, he brought that poisoned wine to his colourless lips, the pungent aroma of the concoctions lingering on his nose. But before he could gulp it down, that master of his reached out to stay his hand.

“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”

_{“Master… this disciple swears to repay your kindness in his next life.” As he said those words, Shen Yunjie watched Jiang Lingxin’s hand fall from his wrist, the poison now free to enter his throat.}
That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”

“Master… this disciple swears to repay your kindness in his next life.” As he said those words, Shen Yunjie watched Jiang Lingxin’s hand fall from his wrist, the poison now free to enter his throat. It was bitter—a bitterness that lingered. But that sensation was instantly cut short by an explosion of pain from inside his gut. A surge of heat barrelled up his gullet; exploding from his mouth was a gush of blood. It covered Jiang Lingxin’s robe from his knees, staining the once snow-white and luxurious fabric in its tarry, not crimson, hue. As the stain slowly seeped into every untouched inch, Shen Yunjie’s consciousness seemed to drain from him too.

_{“Foolish.” Jiang Linxin sighed. “How could you do something so foolish?!”}
The woman obediently stepped forward, handing the child to the gentle-looking official before her, who carefully took the child into his embrace.

“Foolish.” Jiang Linxin sighed. “How could you do something so foolish?!”

When Xiao Yuan was five, he had fallen seriously ill. Upon receiving the news, Shen Yunjie left for the farm under the cover of darkness. Luckily, Tian Nanxing had come to Jinling to visit him at that time, and thanks to that man’s presence, Xiao Yuan’s life was saved.

_{Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”}“This disciple has failed to live up to your grand expectations of him in this life, Master." Shen Yunjie reached out and took the cup from the table. “I dare not ask for your forgiveness. My sole wish is that after I am gone, Xiao Yuan... I wish for Xiao Yuan…”

Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”

_{Xiao Yuan is gone. This was the message the mute man staggered towards Shen Yunjie to hurriedly gesture.}
Shen Yunjie held the child gently, his fingers quivering as the little one entered his arms. But on his face, no emotion showed the simple embrace had affected him, nor did his voice reveal a thing as he went on to calmly speak. “What a cute child. Do they have a name?”

Xiao Yuan is gone. This was the message the mute man staggered towards Shen Yunjie to hurriedly gesture. The words caused a chill to shoot through him, leaving him frozen for a long time. With his brows tied into a knot, he then told the mute attendant calmly, “Leave this place at once. Do not concern yourself with Xiao Yuan’s affairs any longer and escape this place as swiftly as you can. Never return.” He then stuffed as many silver taels into the man’s hand as he could before turning to leave for the Tianyi Mansion.

_{Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”}“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”

_{Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.}When Xiao Yuan was five, he had fallen seriously ill. Upon receiving the news, Shen Yunjie left for the farm under the cover of darkness. Luckily, Tian Nanxing had come to Jinling to visit him at that time, and thanks to that man’s presence, Xiao Yuan’s life was saved.

Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.

_{“Master…” Shen Yunjie strained out after dropping to his knees.}
The mute man waved his hand to gesture a response, his wife lowering her head as she hurriedly voiced his words, “Because they are still quite young, they still do not have a name, Sir.”

“Master…” Shen Yunjie strained out after dropping to his knees.

_{Lifting his bloody head, Shen Yunjie responded, “So long as Master lets Xiao Yuan live, it matters not…”}Without lifting from his knees, Shen Yunjie shuffled towards his master, who lifted his face by grasping hold of his chin.

Lifting his bloody head, Shen Yunjie responded, “So long as Master lets Xiao Yuan live, it matters not…”

_{Lifting his bloody head, Shen Yunjie responded, “So long as Master lets Xiao Yuan live, it matters not…”}With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”

Lifting his bloody head, Shen Yunjie responded, “So long as Master lets Xiao Yuan live, it matters not…”

_{Jiang Lingxin paid him no mind as he walked past the door to call a maidservant. He handed the boy to her, instructing her to put him to sleep. It was only after the boy was gone that he waved Shen Yunjie towards him. “Guan’er, come here.”}
Hearing this, Shen Yunjie lightly tapped the babe between its brows with the tip of his finger, a hint of laughter mixed in his voice as he spoke. “Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li... So how about ‘Yuan’?”

Jiang Lingxin paid him no mind as he walked past the door to call a maidservant. He handed the boy to her, instructing her to put him to sleep. It was only after the boy was gone that he waved Shen Yunjie towards him. “Guan’er, come here.”

_{But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg {you}!”}“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”

But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

_{Chapter Eight}With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.

Chapter Eight

_{“No, never.” The corners of Shen Yunjie’s eyes reddened, clearly struggling to restrain his tears. “This disciple would never dare betray the imperial court or Master. Xiao Yuan will be an ordinary farmer in the future, nothing more. This disciple swears he will never set eyes on Xiao Yuan ever again. So I beg thee, please spare his life.”}
“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.

“No, never.” The corners of Shen Yunjie’s eyes reddened, clearly struggling to restrain his tears. “This disciple would never dare betray the imperial court or Master. Xiao Yuan will be an ordinary farmer in the future, nothing more. This disciple swears he will never set eyes on Xiao Yuan ever again. So I beg thee, please spare his life.”

_{Shen Yunjie held no expectations of a future with Xie Yunyi. Giving birth was solely due to his own desire to have a keepsake of those memories and nothing more.}
“Xiao Yuan…” Shen Yunjie caressed the little face before him, tenderness filling his entire gaze.

Shen Yunjie held no expectations of a future with Xie Yunyi. Giving birth was solely due to his own desire to have a keepsake of those memories and nothing more.

_{Chapter Eight}
It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.

Chapter Eight

_{The bit with Xiao Yuan’s name is a line from a poem by Qu Yuan’s [屈原] Nine Songs [九歌] called Xiang Furen (Lady/Madam) [湘夫人][]沅有芷兮澧有兰，思公子兮未敢言[]yuán yǒu zhǐ [xī] lǐ yǒu lán; sī gōng zǐ [xī] wèi gǎn yán[]Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li; []I miss you, how I miss you so, yet these are words I dare not speak.[]It’s not a literal translation, since it would not make a lick of sense T_T.}“No, never.” The corners of Shen Yunjie’s eyes reddened, clearly struggling to restrain his tears. “This disciple would never dare betray the imperial court or Master. Xiao Yuan will be an ordinary farmer in the future, nothing more. This disciple swears he will never set eyes on Xiao Yuan ever again. So I beg thee, please spare his life.”

The bit with Xiao Yuan’s name is a line from a poem by Qu Yuan’s [屈原] Nine Songs [九歌] called Xiang Furen (Lady/Madam) [湘夫人][]沅有芷兮澧有兰，思公子兮未敢言[]yuán yǒu zhǐ [xī] lǐ yǒu lán; sī gōng zǐ [xī] wèi gǎn yán[]Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li; []I miss you, how I miss you so, yet these are words I dare not speak.[]It’s not a literal translation, since it would not make a lick of sense T_T. The rivers are used to convey the passage of time, btw. So you can understand the sentiment behind Yuan’s name now. PS: Yuan the character is just the name of a river.

_{“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”}
When Xiao Yuan was five, he had fallen seriously ill. Upon receiving the news, Shen Yunjie left for the farm under the cover of darkness. Luckily, Tian Nanxing had come to Jinling to visit him at that time, and thanks to that man’s presence, Xiao Yuan’s life was saved.

“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”

_{That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”}
With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.

That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”

_{But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg {you}!”}Just as he did when his Guan’er was a child, Jiang Lingxin defeatedly and gently stroked the head in his lap.

But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

_{When Xiao Yuan was five, he had fallen seriously ill. Upon receiving the news, Shen Yunjie left for the farm under the cover of darkness. Luckily, Tian Nanxing had come to Jinling to visit him at that time, and thanks to that man’s presence, Xiao Yuan’s life was saved.}The bit with Xiao Yuan’s name is a line from a poem by Qu Yuan’s [屈原] Nine Songs [九歌] called Xiang Furen (Lady/Madam) [湘夫人][]沅有芷兮澧有兰，思公子兮未敢言[]yuán yǒu zhǐ [xī] lǐ yǒu lán; sī gōng zǐ [xī] wèi gǎn yán[]Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li; []I miss you, how I miss you so, yet these are words I dare not speak.[]It’s not a literal translation, since it would not make a lick of sense T_T. The rivers are used to convey the passage of time, btw. So you can understand the sentiment behind Yuan’s name now. PS: Yuan the character is just the name of a river.

_{Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness.}
Xiao Yuan is gone. This was the message the mute man staggered towards Shen Yunjie to hurriedly gesture. The words caused a chill to shoot through him, leaving him frozen for a long time. With his brows tied into a knot, he then told the mute attendant calmly, “Leave this place at once. Do not concern yourself with Xiao Yuan’s affairs any longer and escape this place as swiftly as you can. Never return.” He then stuffed as many silver taels into the man’s hand as he could before turning to leave for the Tianyi Mansion.

_{“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."}Jiang Lingxin stared at the crouched form before him, a long sigh skirting past his lips. “You are aware of the consequences of betraying Tianyi, are you not?”

“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."

_{With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.}“My Guan’er, you have always been clever and rational in all you do, and I have always been quite proud to have been your teacher. After I pass on in the years to come, all of Tianyi will be yours. It’s just one child after all. In the future, you can have another if you would like, yes?”

With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.

_{At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.}That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”

At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.

_{With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.}
At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.

_{The first was after they had turned one. He had just returned from a mission outside the city, so he used the hour being late as an excuse to stay overnight at a farm on the outskirts of Jinling. There, resided a mute man, his honest wife, and a small, tender child raised as their own.}That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”

The first was after they had turned one. He had just returned from a mission outside the city, so he used the hour being late as an excuse to stay overnight at a farm on the outskirts of Jinling. There, resided a mute man, his honest wife, and a small, tender child raised as their own.

_{It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.}When Xiao Yuan was five, he had fallen seriously ill. Upon receiving the news, Shen Yunjie left for the farm under the cover of darkness. Luckily, Tian Nanxing had come to Jinling to visit him at that time, and thanks to that man’s presence, Xiao Yuan’s life was saved.

_{Jiang Lingxin used a finger to gently stroke Shen Yunjie’s cheek. “My life as a teacher has been lonely, and the only disciple I have accepted was you.}
When Shen Yunjie pushed open the doors, it was precisely when his master was gently wiping away crumbs from Xiao Yuan’s little lips, and upon hearing the disturbance, he looked towards the sound with a chuckle. “Look, Xiao Yuan. Your papa has returned.”

Jiang Lingxin used a finger to gently stroke Shen Yunjie’s cheek. “My life as a teacher has been lonely, and the only disciple I have accepted was you. From a boy until now, I have watched you grow before my eyes. So I know well that you have developed feelings for that little prince from House Xie. I know that it is no easy task for you youth to control the reigns of your emotions. So, as your teacher, I do not blame you for these acts. But I also cannot allow you to continually make such mistakes.” Like his fingers, the words he spoke were gentle. “So heed your master’s words and regard it as if you had never given birth to that child.”

_{With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”}The first was after they had turned one. He had just returned from a mission outside the city, so he used the hour being late as an excuse to stay overnight at a farm on the outskirts of Jinling. There, resided a mute man, his honest wife, and a small, tender child raised as their own.

With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”

Shen Yunjie held the child gently, his fingers quivering as the little one entered his arms. But on his face, no emotion showed the simple embrace had affected him, nor did his voice reveal a thing as he went on to calmly speak. “What a cute child. Do they have a name?”

_{“My Guan’er, you have always been clever and rational in all you do, and I have always been quite proud to have been your teacher. After I pass on in the years to come, all of Tianyi will be yours. It’s just one child after all. In the future, you can have another if you would like, yes?”}
“Master…” Shen Yunjie strained out after dropping to his knees.

“My Guan’er, you have always been clever and rational in all you do, and I have always been quite proud to have been your teacher. After I pass on in the years to come, all of Tianyi will be yours. It’s just one child after all. In the future, you can have another if you would like, yes?”

_{The woman obediently stepped forward, handing the child to the gentle-looking official before her, who carefully took the child into his embrace.}
Jiang Lingxin paid him no mind as he walked past the door to call a maidservant. He handed the boy to her, instructing her to put him to sleep. It was only after the boy was gone that he waved Shen Yunjie towards him. “Guan’er, come here.”

The woman obediently stepped forward, handing the child to the gentle-looking official before her, who carefully took the child into his embrace.

_{Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”}
Without lifting from his knees, Shen Yunjie shuffled towards his master, who lifted his face by grasping hold of his chin.

_{Jiang Lingxin stared at the crouched form before him, a long sigh skirting past his lips. “You are aware of the consequences of betraying Tianyi, are you not?”}“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.

Jiang Lingxin stared at the crouched form before him, a long sigh skirting past his lips. “You are aware of the consequences of betraying Tianyi, are you not?”

_{“Guan’er,” Jiang Lingxin’s tone was deep. “After drinking this, you do understand that the teacher-student bond between us will come to an end, yes?”}
“Foolish.” Jiang Linxin sighed. “How could you do something so foolish?!”

“Guan’er,” Jiang Lingxin’s tone was deep. “After drinking this, you do understand that the teacher-student bond between us will come to an end, yes?”

_{At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.}It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.

At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.

_{“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”}N/A

“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”

_{With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.}Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”

_{Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.}
“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”

Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.

_{“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”}“My Guan’er, you have always been clever and rational in all you do, and I have always been quite proud to have been your teacher. After I pass on in the years to come, all of Tianyi will be yours. It’s just one child after all. In the future, you can have another if you would like, yes?”

“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”

_{“Innocent?” Jiang Lingxin sneered. “Not only did you conceal an illegitimate pregnancy, you went as far as giving birth to a traitor's wicked seed. So, tell me, are you concocting some scheme?”}
“Innocent?” Jiang Lingxin sneered. “Not only did you conceal an illegitimate pregnancy, you went as far as giving birth to a traitor's wicked seed. So, tell me, are you concocting some scheme?”

“Innocent?” Jiang Lingxin sneered. “Not only did you conceal an illegitimate pregnancy, you went as far as giving birth to a traitor's wicked seed. So, tell me, are you concocting some scheme?”

_{But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg {you}!”}With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.

But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

“This disciple has failed to live up to your grand expectations of him in this life, Master." Shen Yunjie reached out and took the cup from the table. “I dare not ask for your forgiveness. My sole wish is that after I am gone, Xiao Yuan... I wish for Xiao Yuan…”

_{That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”}With eyes red and swollen, Shen Yunjie spent that night glued to his son’s bedside. It was only when dawn neared that he hurriedly returned to Tianyi. He was careful, as careful as anyone could be. Yet, in the end, it was for naught, as his secret was soon discovered.

_{Shen Yunjie held the child gently, his fingers quivering as the little one entered his arms. But on his face, no emotion showed the simple embrace had affected him, nor did his voice reveal a thing as he went on to calmly speak. “What a cute child. Do they have a name?”}
“No, never.” The corners of Shen Yunjie’s eyes reddened, clearly struggling to restrain his tears. “This disciple would never dare betray the imperial court or Master. Xiao Yuan will be an ordinary farmer in the future, nothing more. This disciple swears he will never set eyes on Xiao Yuan ever again. So I beg thee, please spare his life.”

_{With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”}When Shen Yunjie pushed open the doors, it was precisely when his master was gently wiping away crumbs from Xiao Yuan’s little lips, and upon hearing the disturbance, he looked towards the sound with a chuckle. “Look, Xiao Yuan. Your papa has returned.”

With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”

_{Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness.}The woman obediently stepped forward, handing the child to the gentle-looking official before her, who carefully took the child into his embrace.

_{Hearing this, Shen Yunjie lightly tapped the babe between its brows with the tip of his finger, a hint of laughter mixed in his voice as he spoke. “Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li... So how about ‘Yuan’?”}“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.

Hearing this, Shen Yunjie lightly tapped the babe between its brows with the tip of his finger, a hint of laughter mixed in his voice as he spoke. “Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li... So how about ‘Yuan’?”

_{With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”}
Jiang Lingxin used a finger to gently stroke Shen Yunjie’s cheek. “My life as a teacher has been lonely, and the only disciple I have accepted was you. From a boy until now, I have watched you grow before my eyes. So I know well that you have developed feelings for that little prince from House Xie. I know that it is no easy task for you youth to control the reigns of your emotions. So, as your teacher, I do not blame you for these acts. But I also cannot allow you to continually make such mistakes.” Like his fingers, the words he spoke were gentle. “So heed your master’s words and regard it as if you had never given birth to that child.”

With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”

_{Just as he did when his Guan’er was a child, Jiang Lingxin defeatedly and gently stroked the head in his lap.}
“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."

Just as he did when his Guan’er was a child, Jiang Lingxin defeatedly and gently stroked the head in his lap.

_{“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.}Jiang Lingxin used a finger to gently stroke Shen Yunjie’s cheek. “My life as a teacher has been lonely, and the only disciple I have accepted was you. From a boy until now, I have watched you grow before my eyes. So I know well that you have developed feelings for that little prince from House Xie. I know that it is no easy task for you youth to control the reigns of your emotions. So, as your teacher, I do not blame you for these acts. But I also cannot allow you to continually make such mistakes.” Like his fingers, the words he spoke were gentle. “So heed your master’s words and regard it as if you had never given birth to that child.”

“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.

_{Without lifting from his knees, Shen Yunjie shuffled towards his master, who lifted his face by grasping hold of his chin.}
“My Guan’er, you have always been clever and rational in all you do, and I have always been quite proud to have been your teacher. After I pass on in the years to come, all of Tianyi will be yours. It’s just one child after all. In the future, you can have another if you would like, yes?”

Without lifting from his knees, Shen Yunjie shuffled towards his master, who lifted his face by grasping hold of his chin.

_{Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.}Hearing this, Shen Yunjie lightly tapped the babe between its brows with the tip of his finger, a hint of laughter mixed in his voice as he spoke. “Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li... So how about ‘Yuan’?”

Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.

_{“Guan’er,” Jiang Lingxin’s tone was deep. “After drinking this, you do understand that the teacher-student bond between us will come to an end, yes?”}But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

“Guan’er,” Jiang Lingxin’s tone was deep. “After drinking this, you do understand that the teacher-student bond between us will come to an end, yes?”

_{Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”}Before Jiang Lingxin was his most beloved disciple. The youth coughed up burst after burst of blood before ultimately falling onto his lap without a sound.

_{“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."}
But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

“Master!” Shen Yunjie’s heart pained as if twisted by a knife, the pain enough to make him tremble. “No, please… Please do not do this."

_{It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.}“My Guan’er, you have always been clever and rational in all you do, and I have always been quite proud to have been your teacher. After I pass on in the years to come, all of Tianyi will be yours. It’s just one child after all. In the future, you can have another if you would like, yes?”

_{“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”}At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.

“I have done wrong. This disciple knows he has done wrong. But Xiao Yuan… he is innocent...”

_{The mute man waved his hand to gesture a response, his wife lowering her head as she hurriedly voiced his words, “Because they are still quite young, they still do not have a name, Sir.”}
Jiang Lingxin stared at the crouched form before him, a long sigh skirting past his lips. “You are aware of the consequences of betraying Tianyi, are you not?”

The mute man waved his hand to gesture a response, his wife lowering her head as she hurriedly voiced his words, “Because they are still quite young, they still do not have a name, Sir.”

_{“Master… this disciple swears to repay your kindness in his next life.” As he said those words, Shen Yunjie watched Jiang Lingxin’s hand fall from his wrist, the poison now free to enter his throat.}Shen Yunjie held the child gently, his fingers quivering as the little one entered his arms. But on his face, no emotion showed the simple embrace had affected him, nor did his voice reveal a thing as he went on to calmly speak. “What a cute child. Do they have a name?”

_N/A
Jiang Lingxin reached over for a teapot beside him—specifically a Jiuqu Mandarin teapot able to hold more than one type of liquid as its content. Pouring a cup, he told his disciple curtly, “As your teacher, I had given you a chance.”

N/A

_{“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”}Jiang Lingxin paid him no mind as he walked past the door to call a maidservant. He handed the boy to her, instructing her to put him to sleep. It was only after the boy was gone that he waved Shen Yunjie towards him. “Guan’er, come here.”

“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”

_{Jiang Lingxin paid him no mind as he walked past the door to call a maidservant. He handed the boy to her, instructing her to put him to sleep. It was only after the boy was gone that he waved Shen Yunjie towards him. “Guan’er, come here.”}“No, never.” The corners of Shen Yunjie’s eyes reddened, clearly struggling to restrain his tears. “This disciple would never dare betray the imperial court or Master. Xiao Yuan will be an ordinary farmer in the future, nothing more. This disciple swears he will never set eyes on Xiao Yuan ever again. So I beg thee, please spare his life.”

_{But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”}
“This disciple has failed to live up to your grand expectations of him in this life, Master." Shen Yunjie reached out and took the cup from the table. “I dare not ask for your forgiveness. My sole wish is that after I am gone, Xiao Yuan... I wish for Xiao Yuan…”

But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

_{Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.}But Shen Yunjie only slammed his head onto the floor at Jiang Lingxin’s feet, his words nothing but pleas. “Please, Master! Please set Xiao Yuan free. I beg you!”

Before his child turned five years old, Shen Yunjie had only seen them three times.

_{“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.}
“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”

“Since it’s a name bestowed by Sir, it is quite good indeed,” the woman quickly replied.

_{It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.}
Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness. So long as his “Little” Yuan was safe and sound, his heart could be at peace. With such thoughts in mind, he brought that poisoned wine to his colourless lips, the pungent aroma of the concoctions lingering on his nose. But before he could gulp it down, that master of his reached out to stay his hand.

_{“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”}Hearing this, Shen Yunjie lightly tapped the babe between its brows with the tip of his finger, a hint of laughter mixed in his voice as he spoke. “Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li... So how about ‘Yuan’?”

“I will be as you asked. I will find a small village far away from His Imperial Highness and allow him to live out a peaceful and mundane life.”

_{Lifting his bloody head, Shen Yunjie responded, “So long as Master lets Xiao Yuan live, it matters not…”}
“Guan’er,” Jiang Lingxin’s tone was deep. “After drinking this, you do understand that the teacher-student bond between us will come to an end, yes?”

Lifting his bloody head, Shen Yunjie responded, “So long as Master lets Xiao Yuan live, it matters not…”

_{The bit with Xiao Yuan’s name is a line from a poem by Qu Yuan’s [屈原] Nine Songs [九歌] called Xiang Furen (Lady/Madam) [湘夫人][]沅有芷兮澧有兰，思公子兮未敢言[]yuán yǒu zhǐ [xī] lǐ yǒu lán; sī gōng zǐ [xī] wèi gǎn yán[]Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li; []I miss you, how I miss you so, yet these are words I dare not speak.[]It’s not a literal translation, since it would not make a lick of sense T_T.}
“Master… this disciple swears to repay your kindness in his next life.” As he said those words, Shen Yunjie watched Jiang Lingxin’s hand fall from his wrist, the poison now free to enter his throat. It was bitter—a bitterness that lingered. But that sensation was instantly cut short by an explosion of pain from inside his gut. A surge of heat barrelled up his gullet; exploding from his mouth was a gush of blood. It covered Jiang Lingxin’s robe from his knees, staining the once snow-white and luxurious fabric in its tarry, not crimson, hue. As the stain slowly seeped into every untouched inch, Shen Yunjie’s consciousness seemed to drain from him too.

_{That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”}That night, the mute man prepared meals enough for several officials and placed them before him, while his wife held the child in her arms and looked on timidly from the corner of the room. While shedding his cloak, Shen Yunjie inadvertently cast a glance towards the child in the woman’s arms, saying, “Come, let me hold them.”

_{Hearing this, Shen Yunjie lightly tapped the babe between its brows with the tip of his finger, a hint of laughter mixed in his voice as he spoke. “Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li... So how about ‘Yuan’?”}
Before Jiang Lingxin was his most beloved disciple. The youth coughed up burst after burst of blood before ultimately falling onto his lap without a sound.

_{Before Jiang Lingxin was his most beloved disciple. The youth coughed up burst after burst of blood before ultimately falling onto his lap without a sound.}
With a downcast gaze, Jiang Lingxin breathed a sigh. “Since your heart is gone, what reason have I to keep you?”

Before Jiang Lingxin was his most beloved disciple. The youth coughed up burst after burst of blood before ultimately falling onto his lap without a sound.

At the Tianyi Mansion, in the Fengling Room, Xiao Yuan sat atop Jiang Lingxin’s lap while the older man fed him some snacks—every bit of that little one radiated extreme cuteness.

_{“This disciple has failed to live up to {your} grand expectations of him in this life, Master." Shen Yunjie reached out and took the cup from the table. “I dare not ask for your forgiveness. My sole wish is that after I am gone, Xiao Yuan... I wish for Xiao Yuan…”}It was two years after that when he got a second chance to meet his “Little” Yuan. By then, the chubby babe was now old enough to totter about and wear a pair of open-crotch pants as he swatted ants with a little shovel in his caregivers’ yard. Shen Yunjie didn’t dare make his presence known this time. Instead, from outside the farm, he observed the child at a distance.

_{Those words brought a smile to Shen Yunjie’s lips. Despite them being a bit tense, they were still overflowing with tenderness.}“No, never.” The corners of Shen Yunjie’s eyes reddened, clearly struggling to restrain his tears. “This disciple would never dare betray the imperial court or Master. Xiao Yuan will be an ordinary farmer in the future, nothing more. This disciple swears he will never set eyes on Xiao Yuan ever again. So I beg thee, please spare his life.”

Author's Note:

N/A

Notes:

The bit with Xiao Yuan’s name is a line from a poem by Qu Yuan’s [屈原] Nine Songs [九歌] called Xiang Furen (Lady/Madam) [湘夫人]

沅有芷兮澧有兰，思公子兮未敢言

yuán yǒu zhǐ [xī] lǐ yǒu lán; sī gōng zǐ [xī] wèi gǎn yán

Like the green angelica along the Yuan River, like the fragrant orchids along the river Li;

I miss you, how I miss you so, yet these are words I dare not speak.

It’s not a literal translation, since it would not make a lick of sense T_T. The rivers are used to convey the passage of time, btw. So you can understand the sentiment behind Yuan’s name now. PS: Yuan the character is just the name of a river.

Selling Cakes: C08

Chapter Eight

Author's Note:

Notes:

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