The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 145
by Little PandaThis Female Subject Will Not Disgrace the Imperial Mandate
When Qu Jian’s coffin was welcomed back to the Capital City, the Emperor issued a decree of commendation. The Fourth Aunt of the Qu family was granted a first-rank patent of nobility1 and now enjoyed a stipend from the court.
In less than a year, the Qu family had held two funerals.
This time, the Crown Prince himself came to pay his respects, accompanied by several court ministers.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao, dressed in white mourning robes2, knelt side-by-side in the mourning hall, their eyes red-rimmed from weeping. The Crown Prince and his ministers offered their respects, lighting three sticks of incense and performing the ritual bows.
When it came time to offer condolences to the family, the Crown Prince’s gaze fell upon Qu Sheng, then drifted to Lin Xizhao beside her.
He had never seen Lin Xizhao before and did not know who she was.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao knelt and bowed their thanks. The Crown Prince nodded. “Restrain your grief3.”
Qu Sheng looked up, her eyes meeting the Crown Prince’s. She noticed his gaze kept straying toward Lin Xizhao.
Lin Xizhao kept her head lowered the entire time. The sorrow in Qu Sheng’s eyes was suddenly overlaid with a layer of ice.
The Crown Prince’s gaze returned to her. Sensing her displeasure, he hastily looked away.
“Father Emperor has already instructed the Ministry of Rites to build a temple and erect a stele for General Zhaoyong, and has posthumously promoted him to General Dingguo. The imperial edict will be issued in a few days.”
“We are grateful to Your Highness. On behalf of my Fourth Uncle, I thank you,” Qu Sheng said, her head bowed, her voice devoid of emotion.
The Crown Prince gave a slight nod. After bowing his head to the Fourth Aunt of the Qu family, he led his men out.
As the Crown Prince turned to leave, Qu Sheng’s cold, sharp gaze followed his back. Only after Qu Jinian had escorted the Crown Prince away did Lin Xizhao turn to her and ask, “What is it?”
At the sound of her voice, the trace of ferocity in Qu Sheng’s eyes dissipated. Her expression softened as she met Lin Xizhao’s gaze. “It’s nothing. Does my wife need to go back and rest?”
They had been kneeling for half a day. Lin Xizhao’s constitution was delicate, unlike her own martial artist’s body.
Kneeling on the rush cushions4 was not tiring in itself, but Lin Xizhao’s thoughts were with her Fourth Aunt. She glanced over at the woman, who wore a white mourning kerchief and was silently feeding paper money5 into a brazier, her head bowed. A heavy feeling settled in Lin Xizhao’s chest. She looked back at Qu Sheng. “Let’s take Fourth Aunt to have lunch.”
Qu Sheng followed her gaze to her Fourth Aunt, taking in her thin, frail form. After a moment, she nodded.
The two of them rose and helped their Fourth Aunt to her feet.
With the Crown Prince’s visit over, no other guests were expected in the mourning hall for a while.
After lying in state6 for seven days, Qu Jian was cremated. The Emperor ordered a stele to be erected for his cenotaph7, while his bones remained in a small funerary urn.
Once things here had settled and Qu Yu’s condition improved, Qu Sheng would escort her Fourth Aunt back to Shoulin with Qu Jian’s ashes, to be buried beside their ancestors.
Over the past few days, battle reports had arrived frequently from the Northern Frontier. The two sides were still at a standoff, with occasional skirmishes. Now that it was deep winter, provisions were exceptionally precious. The Heyi Kingdom, the Taoshan Kingdom, and the Chemu Tribe had initiated the war, and they had prepared their troops and supplies well in advance.
The Capital City was also gathering provisions and continuously sending reinforcements to the Northern Frontier.
Within Tiansheng, the rebellion that had started with three vassal kings and feudal lords had now grown to seven. The flames of war had spread to Lingyi in the southwest.
The troops dispatched by the various vassal kings were either old, weak, sick, or disabled, or else they were untrained recruits. Shortages of carts, horses, and provisions were constant, leading to low morale and a significant number of deserters who preyed upon the common people.
As the number of refugees grew, ministers in the capital pointed fingers and shirked responsibility, eventually pinning the blame on Qu Jinian.
The Qu family in Shoulin was currently holding its forces back, leading some to accuse Qu Jinian of harboring treacherous intentions. But anyone who voiced such a thing was dismissed from their post and investigated the very next day.
On New Year’s Eve8, Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi came to the residence.
After hitting her head on the pillar, Jin Mingyi had used the excuse of her “injury” to recuperate at the Qu Marquis Residence, refusing to leave. Zhu Ming’an took this opportunity to have Qu Sheng, writing in her own voice, inform Jin Yunyou that the Zheng family had a great deal of bad debt. For years, they had been exchanging valuable items for silver.
Zhu Ming’an suspected these items were a wife’s dowry. She urged Jin Yunyou to investigate thoroughly, lest they be saddled with the Zheng family’s debts after becoming relatives.
Jin Yunyou was skeptical at first, but a secret investigation revealed the truth: the Zheng family, much like the Jin family in the past, had been operating at a loss for years.
The taxes on the commoners in their domain had reached fifty percent, and the people were living in misery. This was due to major problems with their governance. The land had long been seized by powerful gentry clans, so the taxes from the hard-working peasants were not nearly enough to sustain the glory of the Zheng clan.
The deficit grew larger and larger, until they could no longer even pay their soldiers’ wages.
Zhu Ming’an had stumbled upon this by chance at her father’s pawnshop and had asked about it casually. The Zheng family’s heirloom, a small bronze rectangular ding9 from the Warring States period, had been pawned at one of the Zhu family’s shops. Zhu Ming’an had been fascinated by it for some time. It was a shame it wasn’t a dead pawn10, or she would have certainly claimed it for herself.
Upon learning all this, Jin Yunyou immediately returned home and broke off the engagement with the Zheng family.
The rebellious vassal kings to the west watched covetously, but they did not dare to rashly send troops into the Jin family’s territory. They couldn’t figure out why the Qu family hadn’t sent an army to suppress them, and so they hesitated to make a move against the Jin family, who were allied with the Qu family by marriage.
That evening, Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng had gone to the Lin Residence to have dinner with Lin Jianhai, who was now able to walk around. Only then did they return to the Qu Marquis Residence.
Throughout the meal, Lin Jianhai did not speak a single word to Qu Sheng, though the rest of the Lin family chatted and laughed. It was as if Lin Jianhai was deliberately ignoring her existence. However, since Qu Sheng was not one for conversation anyway, she was happy to focus on her food.
After dinner, on the way back, Lin Xizhao snuggled into Qu Sheng’s arms. Qu Sheng looked down at her wife, who was worried she might be in a bad mood, and smiled, tracing her delicate brows with the pad of her thumb.
How could she possibly be angry just because Lin Jianhai had deliberately ignored her?
The Qu family passed New Year’s Eve amidst the sound of fireworks and firecrackers. Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an stayed over. The morning began with the usual routines, only with less than half the people.
Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi were in high spirits. After breakfast, they didn’t even wait for noon before dragging Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao to a small courtyard.
They had already instructed the servants to prepare wine and food. Eating with the elders was always so restrictive; only among the younger generation could they drink without restraint.
Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng had rarely drunk in recent months. Seeing Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an so happy, they joined in and had a few more cups than usual.
Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an had come prepared today. The two of them kept toasting Qu Sheng. Watching Qu Sheng drink cup after cup, Lin Xizhao figured out what Jin Mingyi was up to.
“Sheng’er,” Lin Xizhao called softly.
“Come, come! To our everlasting bond as cousins, another cup!” Jin Mingyi’s voice overlapped with Lin Xizhao’s, but the slightly tipsy Qu Sheng looked at Lin Xizhao first.
“Wife…” A blush had already crept onto Qu Sheng’s face, and her eyes were a little unfocused.
When Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an heard Qu Sheng call Lin Xizhao “wife,” they immediately exchanged a look.
Jin Mingyi wore a triumphant, “I knew it” expression, while Zhu Ming’an glanced at them awkwardly.
“Cousin, what did you just call Xizhao-jiejie?” Jin Mingyi asked, clutching her wine cup and tilting her head. She was one step away from standing up to get a better look at the expression on Qu Sheng’s face, who had now buried her head in Lin Xizhao’s embrace.
Qu Sheng looked up at the question, a hint of shyness in her eyes. Slurring her words slightly, she grinned. “Wife.” With that, she snuggled contentedly against Lin Xizhao.
Lin Xizhao was a little embarrassed, but after a moment, she didn’t mind. These people would find out sooner or later. She just hoped they wouldn’t spread it around for now.
“Sheng’er, you’ve had too much to drink. Let me help you back to rest, alright?” Lin Xizhao said, her eyes lowered, her voice gentle and coaxing.
Qu Sheng, nestled in her arms, inhaled Lin Xizhao’s cool fragrance and nodded after a moment.
“Hey, didn’t we say we wouldn’t stop until we were drunk? Jiejie, look, she can still talk. Let’s have a few more,” Jin Mingyi said. She had achieved her goal, but she wasn’t ready to let them go yet. She wanted to pry a little more information out of them.
Lin Xizhao gave a helpless little laugh. “Sheng’er is a lightweight. She’s already drunk. It’s best I help her back to rest.”
Since Lin Xizhao had put it that way, Jin Mingyi hesitated, but Zhu Ming’an asked the question directly. “Sheng xiaojie just called you wife. Have you… gotten… married?”
Hearing Zhu Ming’an’s halting but stutter-free voice, Lin Xizhao raised her eyes from looking down at Qu Sheng, a faint smile on her lips, and replied, “Yes, Sheng’er and I are married.”
Lin Xizhao’s admission was perfectly composed. Beside her, Jin Mingyi was stunned for a long moment. “Cousin’s wife?”
The words tumbled out, making everyone at the table freeze for a second. Then, a wide grin spread across Jin Mingyi’s face. “Should I be calling Xizhao-jiejie that from now on?”
She had noticed for a while that Qu Sheng’s way of addressing Lin Xizhao was unusual. She had thought she’d misheard, but it turned out they had really gotten married.
Zhu Ming’an’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them.
Lin Xizhao seemed to consider the new form of address. After a moment, she smiled. “You can call me whatever you like, but we don’t plan on announcing this publicly yet.”
“I get it, I get it,” Jin Mingyi said, nodding eagerly.
Zhu Ming’an nodded vigorously as well.
Seeing how adorable the two of them were, Lin Xizhao laughed softly again. “Sheng’er really can’t hold her liquor. I’m sorry to have spoiled your fun. Once I get her settled, I’ll come back and keep you company.”
“No, no, don’t worry! We’ve had a great time today, and Ming’an and I have had too much to drink as well. Cousin’s wife, you should just stay with my cousin,” Jin Mingyi said, waving her hands dismissively.
She had come today partly for the lively atmosphere, and partly to find out about the change in their relationship. It hadn’t been long at all, and the two of them had secretly gotten married. Lovers finally becoming family—she was thrilled for them.
Lin Xizhao nodded and didn’t insist further. She helped Qu Sheng to her feet and led her out.
As Lin Xizhao supported Qu Sheng out of the room, the winter air was cold. The moment the maid closed the door behind them, Qu Sheng sobered up.
Lin Xizhao sensed the change in her and looked down just as Qu Sheng straightened her posture.
“I’ve tired you out, wife,” Qu Sheng said quietly, a smile on her face.
Lin Xizhao was stunned for a second before Qu Sheng swept her up into her arms and strode directly toward their own courtyard.
A light snow was still falling outside. It was as if wind was at Qu Sheng’s heels. Lin Xizhao looked at Qu Sheng’s cheeks, flushed from the wine, but felt not the slightest fear that she might fall.
Lin Xizhao wrapped her arms around Qu Sheng’s neck. The instant they were inside, before Qu Sheng’s leg had even hooked the door fully shut, Lin Xizhao kissed her.
Cool lips, touched by snow and wind, met warm, soft ones. It was different from the light kisses of the past few days. This was filled with long-suppressed passion.
A fierce fire of heat and restraint soon blazed through the room.
Dresses embroidered with cloud patterns and flowers fell to the floor, scattered along their path like a carpet of silk blossoms, heralding the splendor at their source.
One of Qu Sheng’s hands rested on Lin Xizhao’s slender waist. Her warm lips descended, at first teasing gently, then, unable to hold back, nipping lightly.
The cool fragrance filled Qu Sheng’s senses, and she lost control, her mouth slowly moving, gently taking, making the woman beneath her tremble and letting a few suppressed moans escape from between her teeth.
When there was room enough to move, Qu Sheng slowly entered…
Daylight filled the room. Even though the bed curtains blocked some of the light, Lin Xizhao’s face was flushed crimson.
Perhaps because it had been so long since they had been so uninhibited, Lin Xizhao’s body gave Qu Sheng the very result she had hoped for. As her delicate frame shuddered, Qu Sheng rested her arm where it was and kissed Lin Xizhao’s brow, slowly licking away the glistening tears left behind after her whimpers subsided.
Lin Xizhao rested for a moment, and then a new, strange feeling began to stir in her body…
The snow continued to fall outside. Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an had also had about enough to drink. Their bodies were drunk, but their minds were not.
Back in their room, lying on the couch-bed, they both felt the bed curtains spinning endlessly.
“I told you not to drink so much, but you wouldn’t listen,” Jin Mingyi grumbled at Zhu Ming’an.
Though, thinking back, it seemed it was Jin Mingyi who had been challenging her to drink.
Zhu Ming’an subconsciously nodded. “Mm, I… I was wrong.”
Hearing Zhu Ming’an admit her mistake, Jin Mingyi, dizzy and annoyed, couldn’t find an outlet for her frustration. She rolled over, threw a leg over Zhu Ming’an, and buried her head in the crook of Zhu Ming’an’s arm.
If she couldn’t see, surely the spinning would stop.
But even with her eyes closed, the world was still spinning.
Jin Mingyi started to cry. Hearing the sound, Zhu Ming’an’s heart lurched, and she quickly turned to look at her. “What’s… what’s wrong?”
Jin Mingyi looked up, crying. “We’re so pitiful. We have homes but we can’t go back.”
Zhu Ming’an had wondered what was wrong; so it was about that. She missed home too, missed her mother. But the thought of going back meant marrying a man she didn’t like. It was better not to go back at all.
Zhu Ming’an said nothing, lost in her own thoughts. Receiving no words of comfort, Jin Mingyi propped herself up and gave her a shove. “Don’t you have a heart?”
Zhu Ming’an was bewildered. She looked at Jin Mingyi and asked, “Why… why would you say that?”
“You don’t even miss your home,” Jin Mingyi accused.
Zhu Ming’an’s expression flickered, but she remained silent. Jin Mingyi’s crying grew louder.
Zhu Ming’an had been drinking, and her head was already spinning. The grating noise, perhaps fueled by the wine overpowering her reason, made her act without thinking. She rolled over, pinning Jin Mingyi down and silencing her noisy mouth with her own.
The room fell instantly quiet…
Jin Mingyi stared up at the person above her, her eyes wide.
The softness of their lips made them both stop breathing. Zhu Ming’an’s lips pressed lightly for a moment before Jin Mingyi shoved her aside, and the contents of her stomach came rushing up.
“Urgh…“
Zhu Ming’an, pushed to the side and now sitting askew, froze for a second. “…”
Was she that disgusting?
As night fell, there still seemed to be some movement in Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng’s small room. Only this time, the movements were much smaller than before.
Qu Sheng’s cheek was turned to the side. A smile played on Lin Xizhao’s lips as she deliberately leaned over and kissed her swollen lips.
This biting habit of Qu Sheng’s was starting to annoy her a little. After the third time, she had put a stop to it and taken her turn to pleasure Qu Sheng.
A body like fine porcelain, with a crystalline, rosy-pink glow—Lin Xizhao couldn’t get enough of it.
Compared to Qu Sheng’s ‘savagery,’ Lin Xizhao was much gentler, but it was more than enough to send Qu Sheng, whose body was acutely sensitive to that ‘gentleness,’ to the summit.
She loved Lin Xizhao. Anything she did to her was magnified tenfold.
The snow outside had stopped. The rooftops were a vast expanse of white. The bright moon had appeared at some point, casting the swaying shadows of branches onto the window lattice. They fell upon the floor inside, creating a beautiful, painted scroll.
In the middle of the night, Qu Sheng woke from her sleep. Looking at the bewitching wife in her arms, she smiled and pulled her even closer.
The movement caused Lin Xizhao to murmur in her sleep. Qu Sheng’s ears perked up, and a vernal glow lit her eyes. The sleeping Lin Xizhao was forced awake, to once again be lost between Qu Sheng’s lips and tongue.
The next morning.
Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng returned to the main Qu Marquis Residence. They had spent the night in the small courtyard, and Jin Yunfei hadn’t asked any questions. They were adults, and Lin Xizhao had always been responsible; there was no need for her to worry about their whereabouts.
The two returned together and joined the family for breakfast.
There were usually a few days of official rest11 during the New Year, but with the rebellion of the vassal kings and feudal lords in the west, this holiday period was even more tense than usual.
The ministers who would normally have returned to their hometowns for the New Year had almost all abandoned the thought of leaving the capital.
Qu Jinian and Qu Sheng were in the middle of breakfast when the Emperor sent someone to summon them to the palace. Qu Jinian hurriedly changed into his court attire. Qu Sheng, having no official rank, simply wore a set of everyday clothes and followed her father into the palace.
The Emperor had convened the ministers in the Audience Hall. Qu Sheng’s presence there was quite conspicuous. But since the Emperor had summoned her, he must have instructions for her. The ministers muttered a few comments at first, but when Qu Jinian and Qu Sheng ignored them, they fell silent, having brought the snub upon themselves.
With all the officials gathered, they hailed the Emperor with cries of “Long live Your Majesty,” and then the Emperor addressed the matter of the day.
“King Chao, Marquis Jinxiang, Marquis Gongding, Marquis Gongxiang… on New Year’s Eve, these traitors led a rebel army toward Lingyi, attempting to subvert our Tiansheng. I have summoned all of you, my beloved ministers, to the Audience Hall today to ask: who is willing to lead our troops to quell this rebellion?”
As the Emperor’s words fell, the hall became utterly silent. The Crown Prince glanced back a few times, his gaze landing on Qu Jinian.
Qu Jinian’s head was bowed, his expression grave, his thoughts unreadable.
The Crown Prince stepped out from the ranks and bowed. “This son and subject is willing to lead the troops.”
“The Crown Prince is the Heir Apparent. How can he be sent lightly onto the battlefield? Your Majesty, it would be best to choose someone else,” a minister objected as soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking.
The Emperor nodded. “My dear minister is right. Although the Crown Prince has been through a hundred battles, there are still matters at court that This Emperor needs you to handle. You cannot leave the capital.”
The Crown Prince blinked, then bowed his head. “This son and subject understands.”
As the Crown Prince returned to his place, the Emperor asked again, “Is no one willing to go? Does the Ministry of War have anyone to recommend?”
The Emperor had singled him out.
The Minister of War stepped forward. “Your Majesty, the rebellion of the vassal kings and feudal lords is no small matter. Most of Tiansheng’s elite troops and finest generals have already been sent to the Northern Frontier to resist foreign enemies. These treacherous subjects, taking advantage of Tiansheng’s critical moment, have actually harbored thoughts of treason. They are truly despicable. However, the matter of quelling the rebellion must be considered at length…”
“Enough. Say no more,” the Emperor cut him off, already tired of the Minister of War’s long-winded statements.
All he did was engage in pedantry instead of getting to the point. In the end, it was all just smoothing things over.
After the Emperor’s impatient outburst, the hall fell into a dead silence again. The ministers held their breath.
No one wanted to go to their death. Tiansheng had no good soldiers left at the moment, and the seven feudal lords and vassal kings had seen this clearly, which was why they dared to start another war.
To have chosen New Year’s Eve, they must have been plotting for a long time. If the lords along the way did not intervene to stop them, they would surely join the rebellion after their cities were breached.
The Emperor’s gaze swept across the hall. The civil officials offered no recommendations, and the military officials said nothing.
The Emperor snorted. “Since you cannot choose someone to lead the troops, then This Emperor will have to appoint someone personally.”
The hall remained silent.
The Emperor took a heavy breath. “Where is Qu Sheng?”
“This female subject is here.” Qu Sheng stepped out from the side and performed a military salute with cupped fists.
The Emperor looked at Qu Sheng with great satisfaction. Though she was in women’s clothing, the aura she exuded made all the men in the hall seem lackluster by comparison.
“Are you willing to lead the troops to eliminate the rebel army?” the Emperor asked, his tone gentle.
“This female subject will not disgrace the imperial mandate,” Qu Sheng replied, her head bowed, her voice firm and powerful.
“Good, good. Qu Sheng, hear the command. Today, This Emperor enfeoffs you as General Zhaoyong. You will lead an army of 200,000 and march on This Emperor’s behalf to Lingyi to support Marquis Guangduan. Furthermore, This Emperor grants you the authority to command and deploy troops. All feudal lords along the way shall obey your orders.”
“Your Majesty, this is unacceptable! Qu Sheng is a woman, how can she hold a military office? This is unprecedented in our dynasty’s history. How can we transgress the rules like this!”
“Hmph?” The Emperor glared at the dissenting voice. “Then why don’t you go?” he snapped.
The civil official, armed only with his tongue and his brush, felt as if he had swallowed bitter medicine. He fell silent, his throat tight.
The others who had been waiting to see which way the wind blew and chime in now lowered their heads. Qu Jinian had not said a word from beginning to end.
“This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for your immense grace. Long live, long live, long live His Majesty the Emperor!” Qu Sheng knelt straight and prostrated herself on the floor.
Some in the hall were unconvinced, but they did not dare to speak out, fearing the Emperor would send them to fight with the army.
“Are Generals He Hui and Yan Sang present?”
“This humble subject is here.” The two military officials, their names called, took a step forward and stood in the center.
“This Emperor orders you to protect Qu Sheng’s person and ensure her safety. If she is harmed, you need not return to the capital.” The implication was that they should take their own lives to atone for their failure.
“This humble subject will certainly protect General Zhaoyong’s safety.”
Qu Sheng had been appointed a military official. When court was dismissed, all the officials stared at the father and daughter. A few opportunists came over to offer congratulations, but most watched from a distance.
Qu Jinian and Qu Sheng started to walk out. They had just descended the steps when a young palace attendant hurried over. “General Zhaoyong, His Majesty requests your presence.”
Qu Jinian and Qu Sheng exchanged a look. Qu Sheng bowed and followed the attendant.
Qu Jinian waited at the palace gate. After about three quarters of an hour12, Qu Sheng emerged from the palace. She now carried a side sword and a suit of armor, bestowed by the Emperor.
A servant took the items, and the two of them returned to the residence by carriage.
Lin Xizhao already had a rough idea of what had happened. They had received news in the middle of the night that the vassal kings and feudal lords were in revolt. A message asking for help had also arrived from the Jin family.
This band of rebels was not just attacking Lingyi. Their ambitions were vast. They wanted to expand outward from the west, hoping that by the time they conquered the imperial city, they would have swallowed half of Tiansheng.
The Qu family’s territory was located in the southeast. To the east of Tiansheng were continuous mountain ranges shrouded in miasma year-round. On the other side of the mountains were a few other marquisates with fertile land and large populations. To conquer them, the rebels would have to pass through the Qu family’s lands. Otherwise, they would have to go north, detour through the territories of smaller states like the Chemu Tribe, or wait until after they had conquered the Qu family’s domain.
After some deliberation, they had decided to attack the Qu family last.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “My wife is so fragrant.”
Zhu Ming’an: “My wife thinks I stink.”
Jin Mingyi: “I did not! You’re lying!”
Footnotes
- A gàomìng was an imperial patent of nobility granted to the wives, mothers, or grandmothers of meritorious officials, conferring upon them a title and a government stipend.
- Traditional white mourning garments worn by family members during a funeral period.
- A common phrase of condolence (jié'āi), literally meaning 'restrain your grief.' It's equivalent to saying 'my condolences' or 'I'm sorry for your loss.'
- A round, woven cushion (pútuán), typically made of cattail rushes or straw, used for sitting or kneeling on the floor.
- Also known as spirit money or joss paper, this is paper money (zhǐbì) burned as an offering to the deceased for use in the afterlife.
- The custom of keeping the coffin of the deceased at home for a period of mourning (tínglíng) before burial, allowing friends and family to pay their last respects.
- A cenotaph (yīguānzhǒng), or 'tomb of robes and cap.' An empty tomb erected to commemorate a person whose body is lost or buried elsewhere. It contains personal effects like clothing instead of remains.
- The eve of the Lunar New Year (Chúxī), a time for family reunion dinners and celebration.
- A dǐng is an ancient Chinese cauldron, a type of ritual bronze vessel. Rectangular ones (fāngdǐng) are rarer and more prestigious than round ones.
- A 'dead pawn' (sǐdàng) refers to an item sold outright to a pawnshop without the option for the original owner to buy it back. Had it been a dead pawn, it could have been sold to another customer immediately.
- A traditional day of rest (xiūmù) granted to government officials.
- A 'ke' (kè) is a traditional Chinese unit of time equal to about 15 minutes. Three 'ke' (sān kè zhōng) is therefore approximately 45 minutes.
0 Comments