How to Survive As a Villain

Chapter 52: It must be that this way of doting him feels weird
In the capital, because it was early evening the lights were beginning to shine, and thousand of candles could be seen being lit for ten miles ahead. In order to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, the market was bustling and it was lively and crowded, the people was coming and going like tides.

Xiao Yu’an was full of curiosity, he was strolling through the streets, stalls and shops: “It’s quite interesting, the Palace is always too boring, I’ve long wanted to come out and stroll.”

Yan Heqing said: “In any way, you are the Emperor, you can take the Imperial Bodyguards and the maidservants with you at any time.”

“That’s not the same. Everyone else follows me in a state of fear, I feel at ease with just you.” Xiao Yu’an said while looking at the ink painted fan on top of a stall, he didn’t notice that Yan Heqing gently hooked his mouth.

The two of them strolled from the west street market to the east street market, where peddlers were shouting and juggling everywhere, and where the children were shuttling through the crowd in their jackets, one after the other, the city was flourishing.

Walking around, Xiao Yu’an suddenly saw something and walked into the shop with his hands down.

It was a jade shop. When the owner saw two imposing young men stepping into his shop, he turned his astute eyes and nodded bowing1 his head to salute them: “What can I do for both gongzi?”

Xiao Yu’an flicked his fingers through a wide range of dazzling jade until finally he stopped at the most striking place of the shop. There was a wooden cabinet which contained a jade flute made out of white jade inside. The flute’s body was outlined with cloud patterns and had a handing red spike.Even those that don’t know anything about flutes will know at a single glance that this one was particularly extraordinary.

The owner hesitated: “Ah, about this gongzi, you don’t know but this jade flute is the treasure of this town’s shop and the price…tch-tch, it’s quite expensive.”

“Oh?” Xiao Yu’an chuckled: “So it’s really precious, then, can you take it out so I look better at it?”

After thinking for a while, the owner opened cabinet and took out the Jade flute: “Humble me will give gongzi face2, after all, good things must be shared.”

Xiao Yu’an took the jade flute and played with it in his hands for a while, then he handed it to Yan Heqing: “Try it out.”

Yan Heqing was stupefied: “How did you know that I can play the flute…”

“Because I’m very smart. Now, play it for me.”

Yan Heqing takes over the Jade flute and placed it on his lips, the melodious flute sounds just like the limpid autumn waters3 and the spring breeze4.

In the original book it was described for many episodes that Yan Heqing and Princess Yongning played together, the flute and the guqin strings were described at the first half of the book as under the moon and before the flowers5, but Xiao Yu’an didn’t expect that Yan Heqing’s solo play could make people’s heart feel ripples6.

Xiao Yu’an, as the president of a company that could memorize the quotations of the tyrannical presidents, and a former president that attempted but failed to walk this lunatic road, a president that is still trying to go through the seduction road, in his 20 years of life, he would never think that it will come the day in which he would make use of a president golden sentence, which is what he just did in this situation.

It wasn’t even for his own wife, but for a stallion protagonist that could spend a night with ten members of his harem.

Life, it’s really tricky, it’s unpredictable, it’s incredible, it’s really… wow, how happy I am!

Xiao Yu’an pointed at the jade flute and said to the owner in a bold manner: “It doesn’t matter how much this flute cost, I will take it back with me.”

The owner’s heart was in full bloom7, but he pretended to be distressed: “Gongzi, don’t ask for this jade flute so easily, it’s worth a hundred liang of gold.”

Yan Heqing returned the jade flute to his owner and turned his head to ask Xiao Yu’an: “Do you want to buy it?”

Xiao Yu’an was smiling from ear to ear: “I want to buy it.”

“Do you even have any money with you?”

Can you stop hitting my mind so abruptly?

The two them came from out of the window of the Taiyi Hall, and they certainly didn’t bring anything with them, besides, ordinary people wouldn’t have a hundred liang of gold with them so casually.

Xiao Yu’an thought for a long time and said: “This is the Imperial City, am I right?”

The owner of the jade shop thought with pity: This gongzi looked very attractive and intelligent, but in reality, he was very stupid for his young age.

“Then I have a solution.” Xiao Yu’an pulled Yan Heqing out of the shop. Yan Heqing was very confused: “Where do you want to go?”

“Wuning Wangfu8”

In the original book, Wuning Wangye was a peculiar character, because he’s the worst villain from all the villains of this book, he’s not just a cannon fodder like the others.

He mistreated the country and wanted to usurp the throne, power is the only thing he wants in life, and because of that, he rebelled. And yet, he was described as a good prince…

Because he was at the male lead’s side.

Wuning Wangye was a foreign relative that was very determined in rebelling, he tried to take the position of the Emperor, but he lacked military power, so he could only join forces with the Southern Yan Kingdom and make use of their troops to rebel.

It could be said that Wuning Wangye was the only connection between Yan Heqing, who was imprisoned in the Palace, and the Southern Yan Kingdom. But then, after the east window incident happened, Yan Heqing fled with glory because he is the male lead, but Wuning Wangye was in a miserable situation instead, and his head was cut off by the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom.

Yan Heqing and Xiao Yu’an walked towards the Palace of Wuning Wangye, but they were stopped by the guards: “Who’s there?”

Xiao Yu’an replied with a smile: “I came looking for Wangye.”

The guard glared at him and roared with great force: “Is the Wangye that you want to see?”

Xiao Yu’an simply replied: “Yes.”

The guard looked at him up and down: “Who are you?”

“If you don’t change your name, you can’t change your surname9. The name Xiao Yu’an, is the name of the president of Jianghu10, but you can call me President Xiao.”

“……” Yan Heqing touched his forehead.

The guard drew out his sword with a brush and in a murderous voice he said: “Where is this madman coming from, leave this place right now, my sword doesn’t have eyes.”

When he drew the blade out he send it right towards Xiao Yu’an, but Yan Heqing stepped forward and blocked the attack putting Xiao Yu’an behind him. He held the guard’s hilt and coldly said: “Go and report to Wangye that the Emperor has come to see him.”

点头哈腰 diǎn tóu hā yāo; It’s a Chinese idiom used to describe excessive humility or politeness/humble pleasing. It comes from 《四世同堂》Sì shì tóng táng, or “Four Generations Under One Roof” by 老舍 lǎo shě; Lao She (1899-1966), Chinese novelist and dramatist. back
面子 miàn zi; The Chinese concept of “face” refers to a cultural understanding of respect, honor and social standing. Actions or words that are disrespectful may cause somebody to “lose face” while gifts, awards and other respect-giving actions may “give face”. back
秋水 qiū shuǐ; Autumn water is a metaphor for people/girl’s clear and beautiful eyes, such as “looking through the water in autumn”. back
春风 chūn fēng; refers to the wind in spring, and it also refers to the grace and harmonious atmosphere. It’s often used in ancient poems. back
花前月下 huā qián yuè xià; a Chinese idiom which means “the environment for recreation and rest, and then the place for love”, it’s a metaphor for an ideal setting for a couple in love. It comes from 《老病》lǎo bìng or “Old Disease” a poem written by 白居易 Bái Jū yì; Bai Juyi (772-846), a Tang dynasty poet. back
涟漪 lián yī; ripples. It comes from 《诗经·魏风·伐檀》Shījīng·wèi fēng·fá tán; “The book of songs, Weifeng and fatan”. It describes the ripples on the water surface blown by the wind and is often used as a metaphor for subtle activities in the mind. back
心花怒放 xīn huā nù fàng; Chinese idiom that describes the inner happiness. It comes from 《文明小史》Wén míng Xiǎo shǐ or “A Small History of Civilization” written by 李宝嘉 Lǐ Bǎo jiā; Li Baojia (1867-1906) late Qing journalist, novelist and social observer. back
王府 wáng fǔ; Prince’s mansion. back
坐不更名行不改姓 Zuò bù gēngmíng xíng bù gǎixìng; It refers to not conceal your real name under any circumstances. Described as being open and aboveboard. From an anonymous author of the Yuan dynasty, the first fold of 《盆儿鬼》pén er guǐ or “The pot ghost”. back
江湖 jiāng hú; Jianghu, invented by Taoist philosophy in which people exist is the Jianghu from the 春秋 chūn qiū; Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). It has multiple and extended meanings in Chinese culture. The original meaning of the Jianghu refers to the vast rivers and lakes, which later gave birth to the meaning of “the world”. This word was first seen in 《庄子·大宗师》 zhuāng zǐ dà zōng shī; or “Zhuangzi grand master”. Later, it also generally refers to the social environment in ancient times, which did not accept the command and control of power and legal constraints. Therefore, the word “Jianghu” has gradually evolved into a more multifaceted or specific term. back