MHNEB 14 (1/2)

Book 1: Now we don’t hear the loom shuttle; we only hear our daughter sighing

迷惑木兰

Chapter 14: Confounded Mulan

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Translated by Pierrot

Translation proofread & edit by Fleur

Edited by Granny

Returning home after she purchased all the grains and daily necessities with DuGu Nuo, Mulan received a “noble guest” that’s been waiting for Mulan in the main hall of her house.

It literally was a noble guest.

Different from DuGu Nuo and the 13 horsemen he brought, surnamed Cui named Lin, was a young man that had full of fine qualities. From his head to toe, he exuded an “I’m very expensive, my ancestors were very expensive, my parents are expensive, my whole family is expensive” kind of air.

Where He Mulan came from, the era belonging to aristocracy had already died out. In addition, her job had made it nearly impossible for her to meet any aristocrats, or at least, nobles that were alive.

Even if the person had been one of the highest noble birth, had the most handsome face, or had the greatest charm, how could He Mulan feel anything when they’re stripped completely naked and dead on the autopsy table?

Was this body very expensive?

But right now, if He Mulan were to cut open this body in the world where she came from, she would no doubt exclaim, “Ah, this is probably the most expensive corpse I’ve ever done an autopsy on.”

With a black silk headpiece, a fine coat made of feathers, Cui Lin looked like the personification of a nobleman in ancient paintings.

This man was very handsome, and aside from his looks, he had an air of refinement. He’s also very aware of his own attractiveness and therefore dressed very meticulously, bring out every bit of his appeal to their utmost.

Was he another man who thought he could move Hua Mulan’s heart with his appearance?

Magistrate You introduced them. This young man is the grandson of Cui Hao, who was one of the higher-ranking Han ministers in the imperial court. Why was he looking for Hua Mulan?

Why did Dugu Nuo and his group show an ugly face when they heard his name? 　

The horsemen outside the house were feeding pigs, grinding wheat. From time to time the sharp trill of a little girl’s joyful cry mixed into the ruckus of the working men. It was in the middle of the cacophony that Cui Lin, who had been alone in the room with He Mulan, gave a sigh that was barely perceivable, and he warmly said, “To think that General Hua’s power is still as commanding as in the past. To think you’d be able to tell the horsemen, who serve the Emperor directly, to feed the pigs, fix the roof, and other tasks servants do. I am very much awed with admiration.”

Listen to this guy, to his patronizing tone.

She really wanted to punch this elitist as far as the southern border wall.

“If I may ask, what business does Gentleman Cui have in my humble abode?” He Mulan didn’t have the patience to beat around the bush with him, so she chose to ask him directly the purpose of his visit.

She was certain that Hua Mulan didn’t have any dealings with this person before today.

If she did, He Mulan would have remembered him the moment she saw him.

Cui Lin was taken aback for a moment. 　

He’d never seen anyone so blunt. In his experience, no matter what kind of woman, whether they were old ladies or young girl, they were all very amicable with they see him.

Since he’s always been very observant, he could also see that this “Hua Mulan” didn’t have much patience for him.

“I am not here because of your past. Rather, I’m here for your future.” With a hard to read face, Cui Lin grinned at the squinting Hua Mulan. His tone was firm.

“General Hua, you’re about to face great danger.”

He Mulan blinked, feeling odd that this line was very familiar.

Not only was it familiar, but even the way he dresses, like a nobleman, was strangely picturesque like she’s seen it somewhere before.

Suddenly, He Mulan had an epiphany!

Of course, it’s familiar! This was the scene she’d seen often, every summer when she was little, in the reruns of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”! (1)

When a strategist wanted to mislead someone, he would go to the target, pretend to be mysterious, and say, “Oh Lord/X Sir/General X, you’re about to face great danger!” to attract the target’s attention. The target, who’s scared for his life, would then question relentlessly the strategist until an answer was given.

The strategist would give a long-winded analysis of the situation and lead the target by the nose.

As to how the poor target would fare in the end, it would all depend on if the strategist had a heart.

When Zhuge Liang convinced Shun Quan and Liu Bei to form an alliance, the two parties became an excellent combination. However, the ideas from strategists could lead to death.

Every time Hu Mulan saw those kinds of situations, there was always this one line she wanted to say to see how these strategists would react.

And right now, she’s putting it to action.

“Ah, I’m going to face great danger.” Hu Mulan nonchalantly nodded her head. “Thanks, I got it.”

Cui Lin was surprised.

He had run through different reactions Mulan would have, including that she wouldn’t believe him or throw him out the house in anger, but he didn’t account for this reaction, saying, “Thanks, I got it,” like she’s eating a cucumber.

There it was! I was right to guess he would have a face like he’s constipated!

Even though it was only for a split second.

“General Hua must think that I’m overexaggerating, and therefore underestimate the situation. However, I’ve come far from the Capital, therefore it is no small matter. As a matter of fact, General Hua, His Majesty has always...”

“Gentleman Cui, I’ve already removed my armour and retired.” He Mulan looked into Cui Lin’s eyes, forcing him to stop mid-sentence.

Look at that, it’s not like Hua Mulan didn’t have an overpowering aura.

“I don’t know the reason for your visit, Gentleman Cui, but to say something like that to a woman who had survived more than a decade of battles and violence, I don’t believe it’s something that should be said by a gentleman who is benevolent or righteous.”

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(1) “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” is one of the Four Great Chinese Literature. It’s a historical novel based on the true war stories during the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. It’s so famous it’s been adopted into numerous TV shows, cartoons, anime, manga, etc. Its cultural significance extends to other Asian countries, and its brilliant battle strategies and tactics were especially noted in actual military use.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms

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Fleur's corner:

Sorry for the late upload. But here's the chapter as promised.

I would like to say a huge thanks to Pierrot, who has been a joy to work in this journey of translating this complicated story. She will stop translating from this chapter (after part 2). 

As usual, I'm looking for more translators/editors to help out in this project. Please drop a comment or a message if you are interested. 

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