ALT chapter 2.1 Yan Lin

       She is reborn.

       To the eighteen and a half years old’ her.

　　But neither at the beginning of everything, nor after everything had completely happened.

       When she returned to the capital at the age of fourteen, she began to disguise herself as a man. She pretended to be the Biao[2] Young Master of Assistant Minister Jiang's family in the capital, and followed Yan Lin to wildly play in the capital. In September when she was eighteen, she was summoned to the palace to accompany Princess Le Yang as a study companion. In November of the same year, something happened to the Yongyi Marquis Mansion.

       Jiang Xuening dazedly remembered that in the period of her true youth, Yan Lin was always there.

　　She is not afraid of anything if there is Yan Lin.

       He was born in the family of a General. He had been in the frontier fortress for a period of time. He had the high spirit that most men in the capital didn't have. Dressed in fine clothes and rode on well-groomed horses, walking with a sword, always around her, loving her, protecting her.

       If there is no accident, he should be marrying her and bringing her to his house.

       Only, in this year when she followed Yan Lin, she unexpectedly ran into the King of Linzi, Shen Jie, who came to find Yan Lin.

       At that time, she did not know Shen Jie’s identity yet.

　　But when Yan Lin saw this gentle and elegant, splendidly clothed young man, the first sentence he blurted out was: "Why did you[1] come out?"

       What is Yan Lin's identity?

       The Shizi of the Yongyi Marquis Mansion, which is comparable to the Xiao clan, was personally appointed by the Emperor since long ago and he is very popular in the palace. Wherever he goes, others will respectfully call him with the honorable ‘Young Marquis’ title.

　　There are not many people who can make him use the word ‘you’.

       Jiang Xuening, who always wanted to be the Empress in her previous life, secretly thought about it. After a careful inquiry, she indeed found out that Shen Jie was actually the King of Linzi. It was rumored in the capital that the Emperor had no son and wanted to establish Shen Jie as the Emperor’s (eldest) younger brother.

       So the originally unintentional contact, turned into an intentional approach.

　　Later, something happened with the Yongyi Marquis Mansion, and she married Shen Jie as she wished.

　　Within two years, the Emperor died of illness and passed the throne to Shen Jie, and she also became the Empress.

       However, although Shen Jie grew up in the palace since he was a child, he was different from his other brothers. He was too kind-hearted that he is irresolute and hesitant. He was too gentle that he behaved cowardly. Although he had the means, he couldn't bear to use it on others, so he couldn't even hold down the civil and military officials. He always needed the newly appointed Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, Xie Wei, to deal with it for him, to encircle him.

       In the end, he was poisoned to death.

　　Jiang Xuening had been put under confinement by Yan Lin at that time, and she could not even see him for the last time.

       People who are too kind cannot be the Emperor.

　　This is the only enlightenment that Jiang Xuening could get from Shen Jie's tragedy in her previous life.

       Now, she happened to be reborn just shortly after she met Shen Jie. Fortunately, she was not too deeply involved with him yet.

       In this life, she does not want to enter the palace again.

　　Kunning Palace is her tomb.

       The simply furnished room is elegant.

       In the cool air of early autumn, still floated with it the scent of wine from last night that has become lighter.

　　Outside the closed window, there was a faint noise from the market in the distance.

       Yan Lin was still holding a sword in his hand. Although he has the stature of a teenager, the clear curve of his back could already be seen. When he pursed the corners of his mouth and didn't have a smile on his face, it was quite impressive.

       He didn’t pay attention to Shen Jie temporarily.

　　He only turned his head back, without being able to get rid of the coldness between the corners of his eyes and the tips of his eyebrows, and asked in a cold voice: "Which hand did he touch you with?"

       Jiang Xuening finally recovered from the trance when she suddenly realized her rebirth. The teenager's eyes that were as bright as the morning star were close to her. They were not yet filled with the suffering when the whole Yan clan had met with catastrophe, nor were they corroded by the darkness of the court's fierce fighting.

       Clean, bright and dazzling.

　　It's like the scorching sun hanging in the sky.

       Just, this question…

　    He is taking the posture of ‘when she answers it, he is going to chop off Shen Jie's paws’.

[1] This ‘you’ is the one with honorifics. There are two ‘you’ in Chinese. A normal one 你 (Nǐ) and respected one 您 (Nín). Try using google translate to listen to the pronunciation if you are curious.

[2] Biao : the relationship between the children or grandchildren of a brother and a sister or of sisters.

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ALT chapter 1.4 A sunny day covered by snow

        The exquisite golden Buyao smashed to the ground, and the deep ruby inlaid on it’s top broke and splashed out. The warm blood, slowly soaked along the steps on the cold ground, like the shallow stream that she used to play with barefoot when she was young.

       The mistake of entering the palace wall, spinning a cocoon of prosperity.

　　This Kunning Palace eventually became a tomb where her bones are swallowed and her life is buried.

　　Out of the window, the sunny sun comes out and shines on the snow. Little by little, it slowly melt to the end…

　　*

       What a long dream. In the dream, the cause and effect of the first life are all chaotic. Only the feeling when the blade passes the neck is extremely clear.

       Really painful.

　　Jiang Xuening thought, if she knew it, she would choose a painless way to die.

       "Cough."

       In the dream, it seemed that something was pressing on her chest that made her breathless, so she coughed and finally opened her eyes laboriously.

　　However, what she saw frightened her.

       She was lying on a messy bed, or more precisely, between two men. Close at hand, is a handsome and elegant young man's face. His breath almost intertwined with her breath. He even raised a hand to embrace her carelessly.

       Jiang Xuening's head was blown up at once.

　　This scene has to let her remember the time when Yan Lin had just come back from the court and put her under confinement, he always quietly stepped into her palace and made her didn’t have a good sleep…

　　She threw the man's hand away at once, turned over and got up from the bed.

The young man opened his eyes from his drunken dream, and was surprised at her behavior. He just sat up halfway and stretched out his hand to pull her: "Umm, Brother Jiang, let’s continue to sleep——"

       "Presumptuous!"

　　At least she was once an Empress and even commanded hundreds of officials. Jiang Xuening heard his rude remarks and also saw his unrestrained behavior, and she slapped him in the face completely subconsciously!

       “Pa！”

       This sound was so loud that it finally startled the teenager in dark robe who was sleeping soundly with a sword on the other side of the soft bed.

　　He opened his eyes. He has long eyebrows, a straight nose and thin lips, and was enveloped with his own dashing spirits all over. When he saw this scene, he was at a loss for a moment, but then he caught a glimpse of the messy robes of the splendidly clothed young man, the five reddish finger marks on his right cheek, and Jiang Xuening's surprised and angry face.

       As if there’s a crashing sound in his mind, the teenager’s senses returned and he instantly stepped forward to block in front of Jiang Xuening’s body, drew his sword out of its sheath, and pressed the tip of the sword against the young man's neck!

       Frost covered the facial features that still have some greenness left on it.

　　He asked with a cold voice: "What did you do to her?!"

　　On one hand, the young man was surprised that he was so impulsive that he even dared to draw a sword at himself. On the other hand, he was aggrieved and innocent. He couldn't help covering his cheek: "What can I do? This King is not a cut-sleeve[1]!"

　　The teenager furrowed his brows and his eyes were looking at him suspiciously.

       This King…

       Jiang Xuening suddenly froze.

       Only then did she realize that her whole body was full of alcohol’s smell and found that she was wearing a green robe embroidered with silver thread and bamboo pattern. She was dressed up as a teenage boy. There was also a burning pain on the palm of her hand from when she slapped the person just now.

       She was disguising herself as a man.

       She is not inside the dream.

       The face of the young man being pointed at by the sword, and the figure of the teenage boy standing in front of her, finally emerge from her memory gradually. One was her future husband, the Emperor of the world, now still the King of Linzi[2], Shen Jie. The other was the Shizi[3] from the Marquis Mansion, Yan Lin, who later rebelled and put her under confinement in the deep palace...

[1] cut-sleeve : err, guy liking guy…

[2] Linzi : haven’t found a translation for this one. It’s a district’s name when I googled it. 

[3] Shizi : the eldest heir (usually eldest son from the legal wife) that was going to inherit the family’s title.

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ALT chapter 1.3 A sunny day covered by snow

       Jiang Xuening doesn't know what a steam engine is.

       But You Fangyin always said that she was not from here, but came from a far away place. A place that she could not go back to anymore.

       She also said that there was a huge secret in the previous dynasty. If they knew about it, anyone with even a little brain would not take a wrong step in this battle.

　　It's just a pity that she knew about it too late.

　　You Fangyin faintly sighed and gave a bitter smile: "Being bullied in this era where even the birds don't poop[1], whoever likes to transmigrate, just let them transmigrate then!"

　　Jiang Xuening hadn't heard such vulgar words for a long time already. She was in a trance for a while, but when she thought of the time, she suddenly raised her voice and called out, "Xie Daren[2]!"

       The vermillion palace walls were covered with pure white snow.

       There was a dense mass of people outside the palace door.

       As if Yan Lin was pressing down the sword on the side.

　　The leader stands tall, but he doesn't answer.

       Jiang Xuening knew he could hear it.

       This is the most thoughtful person in the whole Da Qian Dynasty.

       The skin of a saint, the heart of a devil.

　　The Imperial Teacher of two dynasties, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, how many people respect him, admire him, and look up to him? But they don’t know that under this noble and clean appearance, what is hidden is a heart full of hostility and murderous intent. Under the Sword of state[3] given by the Emperor, was a massacre that turned the river and moat into a red water with the blood of the royal family. A pair of hands that play the piano and learn the literary are closely linked to the life of the entire Xiao's clan, and the corpses of those that were implicated are stacked like a mountain.

　　This is the only person she can't please even after exhausting all her resources.

       "You killed the royal family, put the Xiao clan to death, and destroyed the Heavenly Sect. You are the one who holds the authority and also holds my life in your hand. It stands to reason that I am not qualified to make terms with you." Suddenly a tear fell from the bottom of Jiang Xuening’s eyes, and it burned on the back of her hand. "I have used a lot of people in my life, but thinking over it carefully, I own Yanlin, and Yanlin also retaliates against me; I use Xiao Dingfei and Zhou Yinzhi, and they also used me to get to the the superior position; I calculated Shen Jie, and now I have to be buried alive with him and go to the underworld together. I do not owe them..."

       The fate of drifting bold and unconstrained throughout one’s life, passed just like this.

       The dagger was in her sleeve.

　　She gently pulled it out, and the cold light that flashed from the blade, was reflected in her eyes and on the gorgeous golden Buyao[4] that was on the side of her temple.

　　Jiang Xuening's body trembled, and her voice also trembled. The bottom of her eyes were full of tears but she was not even qualified to cry. She only said every single word as if she was weeping in blood: "But there is only one person who has been pure and upright all his life, and has strict rules and regulations. I threatened and forced him to go astray and tarnished his reputation for half of his life. He is a good official. I sincerely hope that Xie Daren still remembers when we were on the way to the capital that year, the favor of Xuening feeding you blood, and use my life in exchange for his life. To let him live... "

       Who would have predicted that the ungrateful and cold hearted Empress who seems to have no heart, would one day exchange her life for a trivial Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Punishment?

       Was it because she has no heart, or was it because no one has been able to warm her heart yet?

       The person outside the palace door stood still for a long time.

　　After a long time, a plain word was finally heard: "Approved."

       What a beautiful voice.

       It's still like a long time ago.

　　Jiang Xuening smiled in relieve and resolutely raise her hand——

       "Puff."

　　When the sharp dagger cuts through the blood vessel on the slender neck, it was just like the sound of tearing the paper. What accompanied it, was the clanging sound as if someone's sword falling to the ground outside of the palace door. 

       She also fell down.

###

[1] where even the birds don’t poop: a place that lacks the necessary conditions needed for development, that even the birds do not want to come.

[2] Daren : something like ‘Your Excellency’.

[3] Sword of state : A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies, and his or her duty to preserve the right and peace.

[4] Buyao : a hair ornament for ancient women in China. A hairpin that was inserted into the hair, with tassels or pendants hanging on the hairpin head, which swayed along one’s step.

TN : I will use the mix between Chinese and English, because sometimes, it’s hard to accurately translate the title to English. And ouch, my brain hurts after translating this part. Too much time spent finding the right words. Also, transmigrator, everyone? I just finished reading this story, and the ending….hmmm.. I can say that I like it! No spoiler, please hahaha.

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Character List and Rank for A Lady's Tranquility

Will just dump it all here. Sorry for also putting the Chinese here, as I'm too lazy to edit it again so I just copy-paste it from what's in my word processor.

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Title and place :

勇毅侯府 : Yongyi Marquis Mansion. YL’s house.

勇毅 Yongyi : a title given by the Emperor, translated as ‘brave and steadfast’.

姜府 : Jiang Mansion. JXN’s house.

乐阳长公主 : Eldest Princess of Le Yang (as cheerful as the sun).

庶 Shu : Children born from a concubine.

大人 Daren : Your Excellency, a man with noble character and lofty aspiration.

临淄王 : King of Linzi (a district’s name). SJ’s title.

世子 Shizi : the eldest heir (usually eldest son from the legal wife) that was going to inherit the family’s title.

文华 Wenhua : excellent literary works.

会极 Huiji : Pillar of Meeting.

金陵 Jinling : Xie Wei’s hometown.

尚仪局 Shangyi Bureau : Government office’s name. The literal translation is ‘greatly respected ceremony’.

Characters :

姜雪宁 Jiang Xuening / Ning Ning (JXN) : the female lead.

婉娘 Wan Niang (WN) : JXN father’s concubine that raised JXN since she was a baby.

燕临 Yan Lin (YL) : the Young Marquis from Yongyi Marquis Mansion. JXN’s friend when she returned to the capital for the first time.

平南王 King Pingnan : a King that plotted a rebellion.

沈玠 Shen Jie (SJ) : the Emperor’s biological younger brother.

尤芳吟 You Fangyin (YFY) : JXN’s friend.

萧定非 Xiao Dingfei (XDF) : Minister of Official Personal Affairs (1st lifetime).

周寅之 Zhou Yinzhi (ZYZ) : Commander of the Imperial Guards (1st lifetime).

沈芷衣 Shen Zhiyi (SZY) : Princess of Le Yang, the Emperor’s sister.

谢危 Xie Wei (XW) : Former Imperial Teacher (1st lifetime).

沈玠 Shen Jie (SJ) : King of Linzi. JXN’s husband, the Emperor (1st lifetime).

姜侍郎 Assistant Minister Jiang : JXN’S father.

延平王 King Yanping

公公 Gong Gong : the old appellation for eunuch.

Things :

古琴 Guqin or simply qin: a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument.

ALT chapter 1.2 A sunny day covered by snow

        The road to the seat was not so smooth, so in this short life of hers, there were quite a few people like Yan Lin.

       For example, Xiao Dingfei, the Assistant Minister from the Ministry of Civil Service.

       For example, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Zhou Yinzhi.

　　Even Shen Zhiyi, the Eldest Princess of Le Yang who perished in the Barbarians Tribe later…

       It’s just that, no one had thought that the teenager from the past would make a comeback. After the victory at the border, Yan Lin casted himself to Xie Wei, and under the banner of “cleaning up the ‘evil’ ministers by the Emperor’s side”, he returned in armor, led the army to encircle the capital, controlled the entire Forbidden City, and put her in confinement.

       Shen Jie was poisoned, bedridden with a lingering illness, and ignored the political situation and power in the imperial government.

       He went in and out of her palace grandiosely. When he came, he always ordered the palace people to withdraw, and sometimes with a drowsy alcohol in him…

　　Whether it was inside or outside the court, no one dared to say anything.

　　Everyone knows that he is Xie Wei's right arm.

　　When Xie Wei slaughtered half of the palace, it was him who led the soldiers to guard the gates of the palace to prevent anyone from escaping. When Xie Wei confiscated the Xiao clan's properties and executed the nine generations of the Xiao family, it was him who led the people to break open the tightly closed door of the Manor and catch the men and women, old and young…

　　Now, he and Xie Wei, the former Imperial Teacher, are standing outside of her palace.

       Shen Jie has already died, leaving an imperial edict ordering her to administer the state from ‘behind the veil’.

       However, the crown prince who came from the imperial clan that has yet to ascend the throne, was beheaded on his way to the capital by the uprising rebellion party from the Heavenly Sect, and his head was hung on the city gate.

　　Now, it’s her turn.

       Jiang Xuening blinked gently. Her thick and curly eyelashes cast a faint shadow under her eyelids, which made her look a bit desolate with the unpredictable changing in the world at the moment.

       You Fangyin looked at her with some disappointment.

　　However, she had put down the incense chopstick, covered the incense burner, took the big square brocade box on the table and opened it. Inside, there was the Imperial Jade Seal to hand down the state’s power, and a letter that she had written and sealed two hour ago.

　　Inside the Empress's decree, she wrote that she volunteered to be buried alive with the former Emperor and asked the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, Xie Wei, to support the country, assist the government in handling affairs, and select a virtuous monarch to succeed the throne.

       Jiang Xuening suddenly raised her head and looked out of the window.

       At some point, the snow that had been falling all night long, had stopped.

　　The dazzling sunlight came out of the dark clouds, and fell into the windows of the gloomy palace, casting a bright light down.

       She murmured: "If I had known that the ending would be like today, why did I have to anxiously bother with all the efforts from one place to another? It's better to travel thousands of miles, to see the rivers and mountains, and become the free bird that I have always dreamed about. In this life, it's a mistake to enter the palace wall in the end. It’s just a cocoon of prosperity.... "

       You Fangyin was silent without any word.

　　Jiang Xuening then asked: "Fangyin, if you were given a choice, would you still do it again?"

       You Fangyin is the strangest one among everyone that Jiang Xuening has ever known.

       She was originally the shu[1] daughter from a Count Mansion. Clumsy and pitiful. One day, she fell into the water and suddenly had a great change of temperament afterwards. From then on, she became the focus of public attention, engaged in trades and got rich. She issued a bill and established a Chamber of Commerce. In just a few short years, she became a leading merchant in Jiangning Prefecture.

　　It is not even an exaggeration to call her ‘You Half-A-City’[2].

       It's just that she was unlucky. In the court battle between the monarch and his officials, she first stood in the wrong line. Although she later defected to Xie Wei, she was also being guarded against these days and was put into confinement in this palace.

       They were both in a miserable situation together, but they became a confidant that told one another everything instead.

　　Jiang Xuening heard her talk about her experience of starting from scratch, and many of them were novel. Also heard her complained that when she had visited foreign countries during her  business trips, even a steam engine had never appeared.

###

[1] shu : children born from a concubine.

[2] ‘You’ is her surname, and her wealth is ‘half-a-city’.

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