The entire Cining Palace changed from the usual quiet and order. There were laughter and giggles from young girls¹ everywhere. Even the show girls² were running past Yu’an gugu with a smile without being reprimanded. The court ladies³ and eunuchs⁴ were busy carrying large and small boxes, and cage. The head maidservants⁵ hanging around the masters⁶ who were going with Lao Zuzong to Chengde were holding small books while checking the luggages one by one. Everywhere is bustling and festive.
Mei Li walked silently behind Xiaozhuang, helping Lao Zuzong quietly and diligently. Suying did not enter the palace yet. Xiaozhuang was talking to her with concern, and she had not been close to the large group of state and imperial princesses, a group of gugu and momo, show girls and eunuchs coming and going.
The carriages stopped outside the Longzong⁷ Gate, and the excitement of the long journey made everyone happily talk and laugh. Even the usually eccentric⁸ Jingxian, is full of spring breeze, talking to other people amiably this time.
The emperor also arranged the spring hunt to travel from the Mulan Meadows⁹ and then stay at Chengde after wards. Although this long journey implies a military parade before the war, and staying at the Jehol¹⁰ Dwelling Palace¹¹ is not just to relieve the heat of the summer but to is to increase supervision and deter the situation in Mongolia, in the eyes of the young women in the hunt, they are far from the tension of the war and is just in an exciting long-distance travel.
Yonghe is responsible for all itineraries related to the Grand Empress Dowager; the chores are tedious, and lately, and the preparations for the departure in the recent period often made him lose his temper. Because of Zi Yu’s great help, everything was handled very properly and he won the approval of the emperor and Lao Zuzong.
Mei Li just carried a small baggage at hand, and she politely refuses anyone who wanted to help her take it. When Yonghe, wearing the soft armor of the Plain White Banner¹², came to greet the old ancestor against the vast procession of flowery and colorful women, Meili felt proud. His youthfulness was faintly erased, but his youthful vigor made him look strong and calm. The luster he has seems to have even brightened, making him more stunning.
The young girls were asking him mundane things like where to rest and where to camp along the way. A few of them also deliberately shoved Yindi towards him, teasing her and laughing. Yindi blushed and laughed as she went to playfully hit the girl beside her.
Mei Li slowed down her steps. This kind of Yonghe… made her reluctant to stand close to him. He is so outstanding that the the girls who are following Lao Zuzong can’t help but stare at him with admiration and shy eyes…
She knows that look very well, because she has seen others with that look. In the eyes of everyone, they did not know that Yonghe came to her, that he once pulled her hand slightly nervously in the night, that he hugged her and trembled slightly… She looked at him from the countless gorgeous backs separating them, the sorrow of gains and losses sprouted from her heart. For a time, his simple and straightforward affectionate words once healed her. But no one knew that.
After Lao Zuzong has boarded her broad and gorgeous carriage, the girls also walked to their respective sedans. Mei Li took the eunuch’s hand and was just about to step up, but she felt her arm was suddenly pulled by another person. She was startled. He looked up but saw Yonghe’s smiling face.
“Why did you bring such a small baggage?” He stared at the small luggage on her arm, and looked all the way the other princesses who all brought large packages of snacks and some entertainment on the road.
Before she could reply, he pushed him gently into her carriage; leaping inside thereafter. The carriage was small, although he was also slender, and she was very close to him. With so many people going to and fro outside, Mei Li was a little shy.
“You… maybe you need to go out.” She pretended to be calm, trying to keep herself from blushing.
“I’m tired. Let me stay here for a while.” He smiled and leaned against her shoulders with a little coquettishness, but the weight of his body was not really exerted on her.
Mei Li sighed dumbly. Just now maybe he was pretending to be so mature and gallant in front of those girls. But now with her he was showing his true form again. She really how would the girls feel if they would find out how childlike this person was? And this is the kind of Yonghe she was familiar with.
“Let me buy you something when I go out of town in a while.” He smiled, his arms lightly wrapped around her waist.
“Look at you, all sweaty.” She wiped him with her handkerchief. He was young and afraid of heat, and he was sweating all over the place when he moved.
“Hot, this soft armor is not conducive to wear..” He complained.
She untied her carry-on bag, which was full of large handkerchiefs with heavy colors; she picked up one of them and stuffed them into his cuffs. He was always like a child, and she almost instinctively wanted to nag to him. “Take it back to me if it’s dirty.” Ying Ru Fujin told her that every time Yonghe sweats profusely and is blown by the wind, he will get a rash all over his body.
Yonghe looked at her thick pile of kerchiefs in her baggage and shook his head. What she brought with her are just the handkerchieves for his sweat?
He smelled it and said, “What’s this scent?”
“Ying Ru Fujin said that you are prone to rashes and wormwood¹³ are good for hives. So I boiled these handkerchieves in wormwood water…”
He suddenly hugged her, her face felt feverish and her words were cut off.
“Mei Li…” he whispered in her ear.
“Where is Yonghe?” an indifferent voice outside the carriage shouted in a low voice.
The eunuch hesitated and couldn’t answer.
“Lao Zuzong is about to leave, but he suddenly is missing!” Jingxuan snorted.
“I’m here!” Yonghe quickly responded, unwillingly let Meili go, and jumped out of her carriage.
Mei Li covered her hot cheeks, breathed disorderly.
“Be more attentive!” Jing Xuan chided. “Still here at this hour? The enforcements have all departed!”
“Yes!” Yonghe knows his fault and does make any excuses
“Hurry up?” Jing Xuan snorted impatiently, “Where is Ruiying?!”
“Jingxuan-ge, I’m here.” Another teenager in soft armor inlaid with the Bordered Yellow Banner ran over while trembling.
“You, two! Go together and clear the way for Lao Zuzong! I’ll go to Ten Mile Slope first. Stop dragging your feet!”
Mei Li silently listened to him scolding his subordinates,; his tone is achingly familiar.
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Notes:
[1] 姑娘 (guniang) or young girl
[2] 秀女 (xiu niu) a girl 14yo above from noble families that were sent to the palace to be presented and can be picked as a concubine
[3] 宫女 (gong nu) court ladies or palace servants
[4] 太监 (taijian)
[5] 大丫头 (da yatou) literally big girls
[6] 主子 (zhuzi) masters or bosses
[7] 隆宗 (long zong) literally grand sect
[8] author used the term 阴阳怪气 (yin yang guai qi) literally full of yin and yang, or peculiar or mystifying
[9] 木兰围场 (mulan weichang) The royal hunting ground of the Qing Dynasty located at the Hebei province. It doesn’t have anything to do with Hua Mulan.
[10] 熱河 (Rehe also romanized as Jehol) literally means hot river. It’s the province where Chengde is located. It’s a very strategic place located at thd north of the Great Wall, west of Manchuria, and east of Mongolia. So situating an army in here is a political move
[11] 行宫 (xinggong) It’s a palace for short stays i.e. summer palaces, or any other temporary dwelling place of the emperor when he is out of the capital
[12] 正白旗 (zheng bai qi) one of the Eight Banners of Manchu military and society during the Qing dynasty. Included in the three “upper” banners together with together with 正黃旗 (zheng huang qi) which is the Plain Yellow Banner and the 镶黄旗 (xiang huang qi) which is the Bordered Yellow Banner
[13] 用艾草 (yong ai cao) or mugworts
T/N: My friend told me that she somehow has read a version that has more transitory scenes between Yonghe and Mei Li before this chapter. But we could not find anything as of now. I don’t know if she’s just dreaming haha but if ever I find something, but she seems to have a point. I found the sweat-wiping a little too fast for them. Perhaps I could squeeze in a chapter 14.5 later if ever I find out a deleted chapter or what. I will just update you guys. Thank you!
Kaye's Ugly Translations 
Many thanks
:C sad their bonding time
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Why are they allowed to interact so intimately when they are not even engaged? What is the setting? I was already shocked when 2 men barged into her room last time while she was in her undergarments.
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