月都花落，沧海花开 Sea of Flowers: Chapter One (2)

Seeing as Suzhao had already moved position, the snow had stopped. But it was still close to the moon, and now deep into the night, I could still see the most beautiful moonlight in the world. The magnificent blue light shone over all the land, and the snow had not vanished, but piled upon a world made from jade. If we did not mention what had happened, no one would know that the king of this place was no longer here. I ran madly to the luoshui, searching for Father’s soul by the coast, but could only see the wind blow at the snow, the reflection of the waves in moonlight, the withered reeds, and weeds being blown around.

I didn’t think that Father would deceive me. 

月都花落，沧海花开 Sea of Flowers: Chapter One (1)

杨叶牂牂东倚楼，静女洛水弄箜篌。

鸿雁含珠落沧海，溯昭五杰皆风流。

身披星斗花满袖，一日品尽月都酒。

故人相去万余里，新客还来过九洲。

——西涧《溯昭辞》*

*This is a poem from the Ballad of Suzhao. I’m not going to translate it because I barely understand what it says.

Take a look at the above poem. It was written by our past king, telling of a time after the Hongyan Reform, painting a beautiful image of a flourishing Suzhao. I swear as the Younger Princess Luo Wei, that my great Suzhao is a treasured place of wonders, and a sacred place in the hearts of demons, men, gods, and mythical creatures.

I still couldn’t figure out how it was that something like this to happened today. As part of the Royal Family of Suzhao, if I, a princess, wanted to tell my tale, it should have been scenes of other tribes bowing and submitting to us, or the my Master praising my writing, or me using water magic to make myself look like a flower demon twirling in the air…

But alas, one cannot have all her wishes fulfilled.

月都花落，沧海花开 Sea of Flowers: Intro + Prologue

Sea of Flowers 月都花落，沧海花开
by Jun Zi Yi Ze 君子以泽
Part: 1/21

Introduction:

I first read this book about a year ago, and some months ago, I thought about it enough to read it again which is extremely rare for me (even for English books, which take me no time at all to reread). Sea of Flowers left a deep impression on me, not because of either of the male leads, but because of the female lead. This story takes us through over two hundred years of her life, and the roles that the male lead and the second male lead played in her life. The way that she grew up and changed really stuck with me, and although the ending is sad, I found it particularly poignant.

This story is about Luo Wei, a princess of an island called Suzhao and a water spirit. The male lead is Yinze, a powerful water god. The second male lead is Fu Chenzhi, Luo Wei’s adoptive brother. After Luo Wei is forced to flee from her home, she becomes Yinze’s student, and it all spirals from there.

I’ll be translating from the Chinese published edition which means longer chapters (but also a longer wait in-between). I’m not fluent in Chinese, and this novel draws from the mythology of the Classic of Mountain and Sea, which I am also not familiar with, so there may be mistakes and misinterpretations.

Prologue: The Moonlit First Meeting

Three hundred and thirteen years later, in my dreams I once more returned to my childhood, to a night when the sea was frozen.

That was also the night that I first met that person.

During the pearl-diving day which happened only once a year, I was fiercely competing with my elder brother. I dived straight into the water, but fate was unfavorable, and a tsunami appeared. A huge whirlpool appeared nearby, and in the center where the water parted, there appeared the gaping blood-red mouth of a monster, as large as the whirlpool below. I couldn’t help but cry out in fear, wanting to escape, but the monster suddenly surged upwards, and caught me in its talons. It was 4 zhang* tall, a criss-cross of green and black, golden eyes like fires, scales like silk brocade. It was easy to tell that this was a legendary coiled dragon.

翻译官 Les Interprètes (Chapter One+Two)

I just started watching the drama, and it made me curious about the novel so I started listening to the audiobook (which is actually really good!). It’s really quite different, and definitely has a New Adult genre type feel to it.

I’m not sure if I’ll carry on translating as I did this just for fun as a break from studying, but I thought I’d post it for anyone who is curious about how it differs from the drama!

Before asking about my other projects, please read this post.

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Chapter One:

Qiao Fei

April. The National Specialised French Examination had just finished, and we were all waiting for our grade.

The sunlight was good, and it was a bright and beautiful spring day.

Looking out from the bright large window of the library, one can see the dark blue sea, the waves that flutter in the spring wind, and the seagull that opens its wings, enticing one to slack off.

I was sitting in the library, and I’ve studied so much that I’m a little sick of it. I flipped at pages of the dictionary out of habit. I saw a word, “fatalité,” a feminine noun; destiny, fate, karma. 

The General Only Fears the Maiden’s Escape 《將軍只怕姑娘逃》：Chapter Four (Part 2)

The voice was so deep and pleasant… and familiar…

Familiar?

When Cui Miao he eventually came to this realisation, she quickly lowered the hand rubbing at her forehead, and raised her head to glare at the person who had started it all.

The General Only Fears the Maiden’s Escape 《將軍只怕姑娘逃》：Chapter Four (Part 1)

Winding her way back to the main door of the Cui Manor (崔府), and seeing those vermillion doors that she had seen growing up, Cui Miao He’s heart actually skipped a beat.

This was the house she had lived in for over ten years!

Home should have been the most steadfast place, but today, was it no longer so?

“Young Mistress (大小姐), you’re finally home!” The moment the gatekeeper, Uncle De (德叔) saw the Young Mistress, he scrambled forward, unable to keep calm.

Uncle De was an old servant in the household, and because he had no home to return to, so Father specially allowed him to be the gatekeeper, and just look after the door.

The General Only Fears the Maiden’s Escape 《將軍只怕姑娘逃》：Chapter Three (Part 2)

“That’s right, it’s all thanks to My Lord, but you don’t need to be so grateful, I saw that he had a lot of fun with this.”

After those words sounded, a women who was charming from head to toe walked in confidently.

Cui Miao He’s mind was quick, and quickly realised that this maiden was the master of the house, the famous courtesan, Miss Ruo Ban. 

The General Only Fears the Maiden’s Escape 《將軍只怕姑娘逃》：Chapter Three (Part 1)

Chapter Three (Part 1):

Cui Miao He originally thought that she would not be able to sleep after everything that had happened, but the sound of his steady breathing was like a lullaby, and calmed her down.

In the haze, the stillness around them was suddenly broken by noise and disorder. She startled and immediately got up from the bed, her indistinct train of thought gradually becoming clear.

They’re coming?! 

The General Only Fears the Maiden’s Escape 《將軍只怕姑娘逃》：Chapter Two (Part 2)

Chapter Two (Part 2):

His words were extremely ambiguous, and it made her heart jump into a mess.

“What do you actually want for you to promise me?” Glaring angrily at him, she wanted to turn away, but thinking of the predatory stares of stepmother and daughter, she asked him through gritted teeth.

“Do you want to negotiate conditions with me now?”

This girl really didn’t know the meaning of the two words, “giving up!”

Seeing her quick eyes flicker around, the Chai She Xia who had always respected woman from a distance couldn’t help but have thoughts about teasing her.

The General Only Fears the Maiden’s Escape 《將軍只怕姑娘逃》：Chapter Two (Part 1)

Chapter Two (Part 1):

Disliking someone was actually a very easy thing to do, and after being provoked by Liang Yu Xia and Cui Yun Xiu, Cui Miao He had already decided to dislike that man, Chai She Xia.

And seeing as she had decided to dislike him, she certainly wasn’t willing to marry him.

What’s more, Liang Yu Xia used the wording “to choose.”

Who did this man think he was, only the current Emperor had the right to pick and choose girls, he was only an insignificant general, what right did he have to choose her with that high and mighty attitude?

What’s more if that in the streets, the news regarding him preferring men and beating to death the concubine was all abuzz, how could she like a man who treated human lives like grass?