You Translate It for Me

At the Sound of the Tide Manor, the sun shines brightly, and the tides surge in from the cliff face.

Wei Yunyuan gently gathered her long sleeves and set down the teacup in her hand. Her soft, boneless fingers gathered like water, every movement graceful and elegant, her demeanor ethereal. Sunlight streamed in through the window, covering her cloud-like hair and framing her beautiful face. A golden hairpin swayed gently with the movement of her head.

The beauty of the woman was breathtaking, elegant and dignified. The beauty of this scene transcended gender boundaries, leaving the girls opposite her completely mesmerized, unable to even feel a trace of jealousy.

The girl sitting directly opposite Wei Yunyuan was youthful and lively, with a bright and beautiful face. Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and the few light freckles on her face did not detract from her beauty. Instead, they added to her charming and lovely appearance.

She glanced at Wei Yunyuan a few times and exclaimed sincerely, "Ms. Wei, you are truly beautiful. I have never seen such a beautiful Eastern lady before... No wonder our ancestors fondly remember our friends from Cathay. It is precisely because of a powerful empire that such a beautiful and elegant lady as you was born."

Wei Yunyuan smiled slightly and bowed in thanks.

She had heard similar compliments countless times since childhood and was no longer shy about them. She replied in perfect human language, "Ms. Airuina is very beautiful too."

The girl in front of me is named Airuina, and she is a very likable girl.

She was formerly the daughter of a baker in Distant Harbor. A few months ago, she mustered up the courage to sign up for the Broken Isles Great Evacuation Operation as a volunteer. She performed well in the interview and received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Major Event Medal, and the Outstanding Volunteer Medal for her positive performance.

They accumulate merits and rankings through this process, and then complete basic training in skills, experience, and common sense within a month. They are then hired as employees of the Sound of the Tide Manor, with a basic monthly salary of eighty work points, all-inclusive room and board, and opportunities for further study. Currently, they are studying management at night school.

Last month, I took advantage of a discount promotion and used a month's worth of work points to redeem six life-sized plush toys. I named each one, and I slept very happily every night.

--The above is the information that Wei Yunyuan extracted from the lively and lovely Miss Airuina.

She's been visiting Sound of the Tide Manor every day lately.

Some time has passed since the arrival of the people from Cathay. The more than 3,000 people who crossed the sea have gradually been accepted by the city and integrated into the Duke of Qin's Shogunate. They have been assessed on their abilities, assigned jobs, and are trying to accept their new lives. Only the 36 female officials, led by Wei Yunyuan, are still waiting in their temporary residence.

They were nominally concubines bestowed upon the Duke of Duke of Qin by the emperor, a supreme mission. In order to make the Duke of Qin miss his homeland and return to his capital as soon as possible, each of them was mentally prepared. Unfortunately, although the Duke of Qin was courteous and treated them extremely well, he delayed letting them into his residence.

Although the ladies-in-waiting remained calm, continuing their daily practice of singing, music, reading, and martial arts, their hearts grew increasingly uneasy as the days passed. These women were well-versed in history, familiar with the power struggles and mutual distrust between powerful ministers and emperors throughout the ages. They feared that the Duke of Qin might have already become suspicious of His Majesty and was unwilling to allow the women bestowed upon him to approach him. Had he already decided to imprison them in a secluded place, leaving them to live out their days in solitude?

In the past few nights, several female officials have quietly knocked on her door and poured out their hearts and concerns to her, while low sobs can often be heard from the residence where the female officials are housed.

Wei Yunyuan could only put on a calm demeanor and gently comfort them, saying that based on what they had seen and known about the Duke of Qin these past few days, he could not be a heartless and cruel person.

Despite saying that, she still mustered her courage and set off for the Sound of the Tide Manor, determined to find a peaceful home for her sisters who had left their parents and gone to a foreign land.

She had already considered many possibilities for the Duke of Qin's indifferent and cold treatment.

--For example, the Duke of Qin was suspicious of His Majesty, or Princess Tina was extremely jealous and the Duke of Qin happened to be afraid of his wife... and so on, and so forth, she was determined to overcome all difficulties.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the Sound of the Tide Manor, she was not only not met with coldness or difficulties, but was warmly welcomed. Apart from not seeing the Duke of Qin, even Princess Tina personally met with her and spoke with her for a while. Her smile was sincere, her words were genuine, and her welcome was completely genuine.

But when Wei Yunyuan recalled the events of that day, she still felt a little cold.

She could sense the cold scrutiny and indifferent distance beneath Princess Tina's warm smile.

But what's frightening is that her warm welcome was also genuine—she hoped they could come here soon, that this would become their home, that Kang De would like them, and urged them to keep up the good work.

That's what she said.

And it was from the bottom of my heart.

What exactly happened?

But apart from that, everything was fine. Princess Tina arranged for Airuina to receive her and answer all her questions—such as what to be careful about after entering the Sound of the Tide Manor to serve the Duke of Qin.

That's why she came today.

"To serve His Highness Kang De..."

Airuina touched her lips—a gesture that looked adorable.

Of course, this skill of acting cute wasn't entirely innate; it stemmed from Marshal Astolfo's frequent secret screenings at the Sound of the Tide Manor, where he would show animated paintings of cute girls making adorable gestures, prompting Marshal A Fu to give various subtle hints.

Some of the most insightful young women were the first to grasp this, attempting to refine and integrate these actions and behaviors into their daily lives, which then influenced those around them. Later, more and more employees were unconsciously affected, and even a female assassin from the Brotherhood subconsciously made a cute gesture before revealing a look of grave danger and remaining withdrawn for a full day and night.

Showing off her natural, innocent charm to the fullest, Miss Airuina raised her arm and made an "X" gesture. "No need, His Highness Kang De doesn't need to be served."

Wei Yunyuan exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"

Airuina thought for a moment, glanced around, and blushed slightly. She whispered, "Princess Tina needs help. Usually in the early morning, Her Highness needs to get dressed, wash, and style her hair. We need to help because it's too much for one person. Sometimes, while helping Her Highness with her makeup, someone has to read the Ministry of Unity's work report. Only employees who have passed the political vetting and have a reading and writing level of four or higher can do this..."

"In addition, we also serve Her Highness when she bathes and rests at night, but this is usually done by the maids she brings from the Maple Leaf Palace; we just assist her. For example, we apply some royal skincare products to pamper her skin and appearance, and then use massage techniques to relieve fatigue. During this process, Her Highness also receives work reports..."

Wei Yunyuan glanced at Airuina's shifty expression and understood what was going on.

Although she was a young woman in her prime, before her departure, she had been taught a great deal of royal knowledge by older palace maids, knowledge that could not be discussed in detail. She also brought fifty such books with her in her book box.

She was so ashamed at the time that she wanted to die, but now she is much more composed. She can even tell at a glance that the phrase "serving Her Highness the Princess in the morning to bathe and change clothes" must be some indescribable scene.

She had met Princess Tina and was amazed by her stunning beauty and fair skin, which were comparable to His Majesty's, and even had advantages in some aspects.

Such a beauty could indeed drive the Duke of Qin mad.

That's normal.

The atmosphere in the room became ambiguous and shy. After glancing at the bashful young women present, Wei Yunyuan smiled and asked softly, "Doesn't the Duke of Qin need anyone to serve him?"

Upon hearing this, the girls all burst into laughter.

"No need," Airuina said, suppressing a laugh. "Helping Her Highness get dressed and washed is quite a task. Just washing her hair takes a long time, and even after that, there's a hairdryer, but that still takes a long time. Then there's dressing, combing her hair, and getting her made up... Even with our help, it's still very time-consuming."

"But Kang De Highness Kant..."

She finally smiled, a sweet and innocent smile, waving her hands.

"His Highness Kang De simply threw back the covers, jumped up, grabbed a garment from the hanger, and quickly put it on. Then he pulled up his trousers, stood on tiptoe, and dressed in two quick moves. He waved to us, saying, 'You're busy, you're busy,' and then ran to the bathroom, turned on the tap, splashed some water on his face, squeezed out shampoo, and smeared it all over his head..."

She made onomatopoeic sounds, vividly describing the scene in "The Daily Life of Duke of Qin".

"He just rinsed his hair with water for a while, then shook his head wildly. There were some things we dared not say, but Princess Tina laughed and said he looked like a puppy shaking off the rain... But Prince Kang De only shook his head a few times, and his hair was dry, and the water on his face was gone too..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yunyuan couldn't help but laugh.

"So that's how it is..." she said softly, "It seems that Duke of Qin does everything himself..."

Airuina paused for a moment, then blushed and whispered, "It's not like I have to do everything myself."

Wei Yunyuan was taken aback, but seeing the girl's shifty eyes, she understood.

It seems that this innocent little girl may have accidentally witnessed the shocking scene of "someone else doing it for the Duke of Qin" one morning... and the image of Princess Tina reappeared in her mind.

With the most sincere and earnest smile, he said, "I hope to give Kang De the very best of everything, so that he may be happy and at peace forever," and looked at her with joyful anticipation... That gaze sent chills down her spine.

Such a topic was not appropriate for a lady's tea party. Just as she was about to change the subject, she suddenly heard a long whistle. The girls turned their heads and looked out the window at the sea and sky outside the Sound of the Tide Manor.

On the azure waves, a giant ship reflects the sunlight and rumbles past in the waters beyond the Distant Harbor.

Airuina said softly, "It seems like another war is about to break out."

News had already spread, and months later, war broke out again. This time, the opponent was the Council, one of the great powers that dominated the continent, standing alongside the Empire and the Elves as one of the three powers.

Thinking of this, Wei Yunyuan sighed silently, a gloom settling over her heart.

Although she was a woman, she was also educated; it was unwise of her to be rude and insult her neighbor.

In her view, if the Duke of Qin wanted to recruit troops from foreign lands, he should have adopted a strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones, first taking control of Goth to gain the full strength of his nation before considering other options. However, based on the intelligence gathered since arriving in Cathay east, the Duke of Qin had already provoked conflicts with the Empire and the Council several times, and was now completely hostile to the entire aristocratic system of the continent. In China, this would be equivalent to making enemies of all the powerful families and being hostile to several major neighbors... It was truly frightening.

Just as the months-long conflict and verbal sparring with the Council completely pointless, starting a war now would be one of the disastrous consequences. Even if we could win the war, it would not be a matter of a day or two. If the opposition within Goth's ranks were to rise up and we were to fight on two fronts, we would be in a chaotic situation. Even if we managed to quell the conflict, we would still face coercion from the Empire. If we showed any signs of defeat, the Elves would take advantage of our misfortune.

This series of alternating battles is too much for Distant Harbor, a tiny place. How could it possibly withstand such pressure? Even if the Duke of Qin is a genius, his foundation is still shallow. Even if he wins ninety-nine times, just one loss could lead to utter ruin... Why do this?

After reviewing all the intelligence materials she could find, Wei Yunyuan came to only one conclusion.

Duke of Qin was in a hurry to expand his army and prepare for war, so he repeatedly took risks.

Thinking of this, she felt admiration, gratitude, and even a little resentment.

Why didn't the Imperial Tutor offer any advice? Although the Divine Land hoped that Duke of Qin would lead his army to the rescue, the idea of a quick victory was absolutely unacceptable. Gambling every time is bound to lead to losses eventually...

The thought of this filled her with anxiety and worry.

I need to think of a way to advise Duke of Qin. Surrounded by wolves and tigers, every step is fraught with danger. He must not take every risky step in his campaigns. Looking at the prosperous scene at Distant Harbor, one can see that the fate of Divine Land rests on Duke of Qin's shoulders. He cannot...

Lost in thought, a commotion arose outside the door.

The girls immediately stood up. Airuina ran out to open the door, peeked in a few times, then quickly pulled back in, smiling, "Prince Kang De is back!"

Wei Yunyuan hadn't paid much attention at first, but upon hearing this, she immediately stood up.

She had been coming every day for the past few days, trying to catch Kang De, but she couldn't manage it. Today, she finally caught him. With that thought, she darted out the door from Airuina's side like a fish.

The fairy in white robes looked towards the corridor and stairs, and heard the sound of footsteps. A figure disappeared at the entrance of the stairs.

Wei Yunyuan's heart skipped a beat. She ran forward a few steps and called out, "Qin..."

As they approached, they looked up and discovered that it was not the Duke of Qin, but two Valentan Guards escorting an ordinary-looking man with a wooden expression up to the second floor.

When Wei Yunyuan met the other person's gaze, she felt as if their eyes were swirling like vortexes, filled with a thick mist that seemed to obscure all light, which gave her a chilling feeling.

The next moment, the man and she swayed simultaneously, one after the other. The man missed a step while going upstairs and made a thud. Wei Yunyuan reached out and braced herself against the wall, staggering to her feet.

The commotion startled Valentan Guards. One took two steps back, standing between Wei Yunyuan and the man, while the other gripped his gun at his waist and hissed, "What are you doing?"

The man glanced at the guard, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Ridiculous, what could I possibly do to her?"

After saying that, he walked upstairs without looking back.

The two guards exchanged a glance and said coldly, "Don't do anything unnecessary."

The man didn't even reply.

Another guard glanced at Wei Yunyuan and took out a walkie-talkie. "There is a member of the Cathay Mission here who needs a mental examination. He is located in the first-floor corridor."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yunyuan said, "I'm fine, he..."

"Miss, please stay here and do not do anything unnecessary, otherwise I will have to classify your stance as hostile," the guard warned, then continued, "The target has shown unusual behavior; we recommend increased vigilance. We generally oppose His Highness Kang De's direct contact with him, but His Highness's orders cannot be disobeyed. We hope Marshal Horus will be on high alert."

The communicator replied, "Understood."

A short while later, a small girl with purple hair skipped and hopped downstairs.

This was part of the deal between Kang De and his sworn brother: to hire two powerful Faerie Dragon as magical advisors and to move into the Sound of the Tide Manor.

This man Kelamawei, solidified himself into the image of a young girl through shapeshifting because of the common fetish of human employers. He thought he would be very popular, but the first big order he received after being reshaped was scorned and regarded as trash by the Cathay employer who hired him.

However, he took out a huge business loan to solidify his transformation technique, and has been restricted from high-end consumption by the Dragon Emperor. He is unable to change his appearance until the contract expires and he receives his payment... He is still filled with endless regret.

"A psychiatric evaluation, is that right...?"

The Faerie Dragon skipped downstairs, glanced at Wei Yunyuan, and her innocent and adorable expression instantly turned into an annoyed look like that of an old woman. She turned to look at the guards left behind and said, "Inspection my ass, are you kidding me?"

Seeing that the suspicion had been cleared, Wei Yunyuan quickly said, "I would like to see His Highness Kang De. That person is very dangerous. Is there anything I can do to help? May I ask?"

Konoe looked troubled, just then a voice came from the walkie-talkie.

Marshal Horus and Marshal Astolfo said simultaneously, "Let her go."

This is the best pass. Since both marshals have said so, it must be His Highness Kang De's order. The guards nodded and made way. Wei Yunyuan bowed and quickly went upstairs.

The guard led her to the door of the reception room, knocked gently, and opened the door.

Wei Yunyuan stood beside the guards and looked over. She saw that in the study, the dangerous man was standing in the middle, while the Duke of Qin was sitting behind his desk... his whole body was covered in heavy armor that shimmered with light.

Both of them turned to look, and she heard Prince Kang De ask in surprise, "What's wrong?"

The guard was also taken aback, and somewhat frightened. "This... Marshal Horus and Marshal A Fu said they wanted to bring Miss Wei Yunyuan to your side to help, isn't that what you wanted?"

"... Grass."

Kang De was taken aback; needless to say, he had been betrayed again.

He was about to wave the two children off to where they wanted to go when he met Wei Yunyuan's clear, bright eyes. Time flies by on Earth; he's been busy assigning homework to the American Empire all day and it seems like he hasn't seen this long-haired, straight-haired older sister in ages... That beauty is as ethereal as a fairy, her white robes flowing gracefully, as if she were still in a painting.

Those eyes held a thousand unspoken words, a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

"... Come in."

He opened his mouth and beckoned with his hand.

Then, he saw the snow lotus bloom, Wei Yunyuan, who was as beautiful and ethereal as a fairy, revealed a surprised smile. Her steps were light and graceful as she entered the room and walked quickly towards Kang De from behind the man.

Kang De's gaze shifted slightly, noticing that the usually stern-faced man's muscles subtly tensed as he stepped forward behind Wei Yunyuan, revealing an extremely uncomfortable expression.

The girl seemed oblivious, her clothes fluttering as she approached Kang De, bowed, and then stood obediently and gently to his left, her hands clasped together, smiling as gracefully as a lotus.

This was the position she desired: a beautiful woman by her side, adding fragrance to her life.

Kang De remained calm, which was also the position he wanted Wei Yunyuan to stand in—spatial beacons were placed under her feet, behind her, and in front of her. If she suddenly attacked, the Phase Gate that opened at the same time would collide and disintegrate, instantly cutting her into minced meat.

He composed himself, looked at the man in front of him, and continued the previous conversation.

"So..." he asked, "You're... one of Emperor Xu's men?"

Wei Yunyuan's lowered eyelashes trembled at the sound.

Your Majesty? Oh no... This is the emperor of a foreign land! The supreme ruler of the Holy Empire!

"His Majesty's loyal dog, Beimengde."

The man said in a deep voice, "His Majesty has sent you a personal letter, instructing me to deliver it to you personally. Please read it carefully and reply... His Majesty said it is a very important matter."

Kang De raised an eyebrow. "How can you prove you're the emperor's man? How can you prove this is the emperor's letter? What if you tamper with its contents, or suddenly assassinate me as the emperor's envoy, making me think the emperor is after me when you're actually framing me? Wouldn't it be exactly what you want for me to go after the emperor and turn the empire into a wasteland?"

"..."

Beimengde paused for a long while before slowly saying, "The letter is here. If you have any doubts, you can verify it by any means. My family has served the royal family for centuries."

After he finished speaking, he slowly took out a box from his person, skillfully and intricately untied the astrolabe on it, then took out the envelope inside and raised it high with both hands.

Seeing Wei Yunyuan said softly, "Please allow me to fetch it."

Hmm, your self-designation seems to be subtly taking advantage of me.

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "No, the emperor might have poisoned it..."

He tapped the table, flicked his finger, and a portal opened before Beimengde's eyes. "Throw this envelope in. What tricks are you trying to pull? I'll teach you a lesson."

Without hesitation, Beimengde tossed the letter in.

In an instant, the envelope was arranged into eighteen different shapes in the White Mist World. Finally, a new Phase Gate appeared in Kang De's palm, and several sheets of paper were spat out from the opened envelope.

Kang De glanced at it a few times, then his eyebrows furrowed.

"... Go outside and have some Oriental Leaf tea," he waved his hand and said, "Don't wander off, or I'll shoot you dead."

Beimengde said blankly, "Please be sure to reply. His Majesty said..."

"Alright, get out of here! You damn damn annoying people, you Imperials are so troublesome!" Kang De yelled. "Kelamawei! Come and keep an eye on this bastard, give him bananas and dates!"

"Okay, okay!"

Wei Yunyuan watched all this, her brows furrowing slightly. This was an envoy of the Empire's Supreme Being; why such disrespect and contempt? Should she offer some words of advice? Or...?

As she hesitated, she saw Duke of Qin glance at her with a strange expression, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

The young woman with long, straight black hair felt something was off, but she still offered a gentle smile.

Kang De asked, "Did you need something from me?"

Before he could reply, he added, "Wait a minute."

Wei Yunyuan saw Duke of Qin take out a strange, palm-sized black object, walk to a corner of the room, and whisper in the Continental Common Language: "Hey, Hong San, come here and translate this for me. Damn it, the emperor wrote me a letter, but I can't quite understand it. It's written in fancy handwriting. Show-offs love to flaunt their knowledge—hey, are you crazy? You want Tina to translate it? That old bastard has brought me messages more than once, trying to take advantage of me. He'll probably do it again this time. How can I ask Tina to translate it? Of course, I'll ask you, the one who keeps your mouth shut the longest. Anyway..."

"..."

Wei Yunyuan's mind raced.

Pretending to be stupid seemed like the best solution, but she remembered the last-minute lesson given by the old nanny in the palace before she left.

Sometimes, awkwardness, how to defuse awkwardness, and funny little secrets are the magic weapons for quickly improving relationships... Otherwise, you can only wait passively.

She said softly, "My lord, I understand foreign languages."

Spoken in the Continental Common Language.

She saw Duke of Qin's back, which was hiding in the corner, freeze. This amusing scene even made her want to laugh—the legendary hero who dominated the continent and intimidated the Mortal World turned his head stiffly, frame by frame.

She could even hear a voice coming from the strange object. "My lord, I am busy."

Beep beep beep.

"..." Kang De waved his hand blankly, "You translate this."

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PS1: 6,500 words... I'll stop here. I originally wanted to write 10,000, but today's 6,500 words took even longer than the 10,000 words in the last chapter. Ah, I need to make up for this shortcoming! (clenches fist)