Hi I’m Little Lizard, a long time translator who has recently rebranded themselves due to a one of kind project I’m working on.
In my experience on translating I’ve never gotten the permission from the authors translate the books to English. However with this project, I’m actually working with the author in the means of sharing these two books for an international audience.
The books are -
1. ‘地狱不允许赎回’ (Dìyù bù yǔnxǔ shú huí) or the English title ‘Hell Allows No Redemption’
2.’再次发现你’ (Zàicì fāxiàn nǐ) or the English title ‘Found You Again’
I prefer to refer to these books by the acronyms of ‘HANR’ and ‘FYA’.
The first chapters of each will be coming out - Monday 21st November 2022!
And since I took on this project for free (a reason I’ll explain more later) and since author has no plans to make money with these books, you can support us both on -
https://ko-fi.com/littlelizardtransl
To discuss and generally chat, I’ve created a discord -
https://discord.gg/2YuXprdhKw
(I’ll tell you more about this project once the website goes up) - I look forward to sharing this project!
The Emperor Plans, The Minister Executes: Chapter 2
Gu Bing knelt there, soaked through all over with cold sweat. In that moment, it felt as if he were back in the drawing room in his maternal uncle’s house.
Several days a year, his younger self would go kneel there, receive a few scraps of silver from his maternal aunt, endure a round of everyone’s mockery, then silently leave, alone. After that was a crude dwelling, a single lamp, and classics, essays, and poetry.
That sensation— of being pitied and held in contempt, of having no more power over his own fate than a floating bit of algae.
He was long used to it, and thus able to endure it.
“Do you know why I picked you alone, out of the several hundred examinees ranked within the three tiers?” the man on the dais asked idly.
“This commoner does not know, Your Highness.”
“You’re a Retainer of the Crown Prince now. Don’t call yourself a commoner anymore.”
Gu Bing’s brows knitted. Retainer of the Crown Prince was a sixth-rank second-class position, better than what even many scions of good families could hope for. This good fortune had arrived so quickly that it left him fearful.
“Should you not express your gratitude?” The man on the dais chose a forbidding wording, but his tone of voice was so gentle as to seem a touch careless.”
“This minister thanks Your Highness for your generosity.”
A fine-featured handmaid went back and forth, topping up teacups and waving a fan. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Gu Bing sighed inwardly. “Most likely the show of myself I made at the banquet at the Apricot Garden amused Your Highness--”
The other man startled. “You remembered my voice all this time?”
Gu Bing shook his head. “Your Highness’s voice is akin to the cry of the dragon and the call of the phoenix, but I didn’t recognize you by voice.”
The man on the dais stood and ambled his leisurely way down. Gu Bing saw the train of his robes trailing on the ground, embroidered with cloud patterns, like the lavish ripples of light atop Daming Lake.
“Tell me more.”
“In fact, I realized during the banquet itself. There were three main points of notice.”
“What three points?”
Gu Bing hesitated for a moment before replying deferentially. “First, Your Highness was youthful and magnificent, and of handsome bearing. No one less than a scion of the great families could’ve obtained the clothes you wore. Second, Your Highness had keen knowledge of the affairs at court. You even knew that Zhou Qi was going to the Prince of Jingxi as an aide. I doubt an ordinary princeling would’ve had the ability and interest. Third, no ordinary ministerial family could have employed the servants who blocked my way and asked after my name that day.”
The Crown Prince mulled over this for a moment, then clapped and laughed. “You really are a meticulous thinker, Gu Bing. I’d forgotten that several of my servants are the kinfolk of fallen ministers, tattooed as punishment and sent into the palace to serve the emperor’s family. Looks like I really was right to keep you.” The Crown Prince half-turned and eyed Gu Bing, then sighed. “But I really didn’t choose you because I found you amusing. Rather, I… never mind, you probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I didn’t expect you to be like this either.”
His words left Gu Bing bewildered. All he could do was obediently answer in the affirmative. “This minister fears he presents an incommodious sight to your imperial eyes.”
But the man didn’t spare him another glance. He only said, “After this you’ll be at my side attending upon me. Naturally you’ll be moving into the Crown Prince’s residence, the East Palace. You must be tired today— go retire and rest. Come to the inner court tomorrow at quarter past the fifth hour to await me.”
Gu Bing arrived at the courtyard neatly dressed before five the next day, neatly dressed, only to find that the tutors of the Crown Prince’s Academe, the Secretary of the Crown Prince, and even the Grand Guardian and Grand Tutor, were already lined up there, all present and accounted for. Even though everyone wore new court robes, they more resembled rows of wilted, sickly trees.
The Secretary of the Crown Prince was a rather forbidding man. “Minister Gu.”
Gu Bing immediately bowed, afraid to even raise his head. Secretary was a fifth-rank first-class official position, a full three grades higher than his own.
“Having just entered officialdom, I fear you possess little understanding of the court, let alone the East Palace. His Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent and kind in character, and treats his subordinates with great generosity. But this does not mean we ministers can grow careless. The East Palace morning meeting is at the fifth hour, after which His Highness must attend court at Liangyi Palace at quarter to six, so ministers should arrive here by three. You’ve newly passed the exams, Minister Gu. Do not make the mistake of sinking into idleness in your youthful prime!”
Spittle flew as Secretary Huang spoke; Gu Bing’s head sank lower and lower, almost burying itself into the dust too deep to pull back out.
Now he heard a series of rustles. The palace handmaids walked out in a line, with Crown Prince Xuanyuan Zhaomin standing in their midst. In an instant, everyone in the inner court was kneeling on the ground.
Gu Bing hurriedly knelt too, feeling sore of back and dizzy of head.
Xuanyuan looked at his gathered subordinates and smiled a little. “You have a voice like a great bell, Minister Huang Yong. You must be in fine health, if I could hear you a mile away.” Secretary Huang hurriedly begged his pardon, but Xuanyuan waved him aside. “Xiao-Gu only just arrived, and he’s had to work a good deal lately with the examinations. I was the one who told him to come at a later hour. With the chilly weather lately, I want to push the time of the meeting back fifteen minutes from now on, and everyone can get more sleep. What do you think, Grand Tutor?”
Gu Bing couldn’t resist raising his head. Xuanyuan looked cheerful, his phoenix eyes half-shut with his smile, like an enlightened old fox. Where was the slightest shadow of his wild, willful self from the banks of the winding river a few days ago?
As he woolgathered, he spotted Xuanyuan’s gaze suddenly turn toward him. His lacquer-black eyes could suck in souls. Hurriedly, Gu Bing lowered his head.
The corner of Xuanyuan’s mouth curved. He directed everyone indoors.
After the meeting, Gu Bing’s head spun with the multitudinous official position names and relationships— something something Attendant Liu was Chancellor Wang’s brother-in-law, something something Senior Minister Shi’s protege Zhao Zixi was the cousin of His Majesty’s current favorite Consort Zhao, something something Grand Tutor Su’s son was serving as Inspector in Huizhou, but due to an unhappy relationship with his father had gone over to Senior Minister Shi…”
How fortunate that he sat next to another Retainer named Wu Yong, who dragged Gu Bing into his incessant chatter. The buzz of his secret-sharing made Gu Bing’s head hurt. His face was turning pale.
Xuanyuan banged on his table somewhat impatiently. “So, after all that talk, how are we going to arrange for Third Brother to depart the capital as a regional prince? We still haven’t settled on how to respond to my Emperor Father. Can’t everyone give me one unified answer?”
“The Third Prince’s mother occupies a lowly position in the harem. The title of Prince of Lingnan should be good enough for him.”
“You don’t understand, his mother is cousin to Senior Minister Shi’s daughter-in-law!”
“And what do you know? Senior Minister Shi’s son favors Lady Ru.”
Xuanyuan laughed. “I know, you all write a petition and give it to me, right now. I’ll bring it to court afterward.”
Immediately, a clerk distributed sheets of paper. Gu Bing hesitated for a moment, then began to write. Wu Yong beside him snuck a glance, then frantically tugged at him. He was easy to lip-read: Are you crazy?
Gu Bing shook his head, and had the clerk bring up his response.
Xuanyuan’s gaze swept down the page. He gave a cryptic little smile and rose to attend court.
He gazed at the scenery as if he’d known it well a long, long time ago. But this was in fact the first time he’d come here.
The state of Chu.
The capital in sight.
Ji Guang gathered his long cloak, unfastened his sword, and leaned on the railing of vermilion at the boat’s prow, observing.
In the current were ripple after ripple of peach blossoms.
A smear of sensual spring color.
As Wu Zixu descended the stairs, the rustle of silk on silk flanked him. The sound brought him a touch of displeasure.
The Wu clan produced lovely girls. Now these lovely female clan-sisters and clan sister-in-laws and clan-nieces were charging downstairs with their skirts lifted in their hands, their chatter full of high spirits.
“The boat from Wu is here!”
And what did it matter, that the boat from Wu was here?
They merely brought foreign spices and silk.
What use were they, other than decorating the girls’ clothing?
He only felt powerless.
This latest skirmish between Wu and Chu had ended in casualties on both sides. But if he had been there, he believed he could’ve taken half the state of Wu.
Right, it seemed that the King of Wu, Zhufan, had died in battle.
He tilted his head and asked his older brother beside him, “The arriving envoy. Who is he?”
His brother’s brow wrinkled a little, then relaxed.
“Zhufan’s son, Ji Guang.”
The two brothers were silent for a while.
“He’s the crown prince. Why send someone so important as envoy?”
“He’s not the crown prince.”
“Oh?”
“Shoumeng, who was king of Wu, ordered his sons Zhufan, Yuji, and Yimei to pass the throne from older brother to younger brother, so that the throne would come to Shoumeng’s youngest son Jizha.
“Oh…”
Wu Zixu only sighed.
He thought, for many years to come, Chu won’t have to worry about the state of Wu.
Wu’s method of succession was sure to incite internal turmoil.
Power intoxicated; approach it, and one would fall.
He did not believe the four brothers in Wu would pass the throne over as they would a dish at the dining table.
It also occurred to him that this Wu prince Ji Guang was now utterly expendable.
That was why he could be sent as envoy.
He could be seized, imprisoned, executed, and Wu would not mind terribly.
As for he himself?
Did he mind?
His older brother was watching him again.
A trace of concern in his gaze.
He was used to being looked at in this way. He didn’t know when it started, but his esteemed, beloved father and brother would often look at him so.
They often said this to him, too:
The harder the iron, the easier it snaps. The soft and yielding endures.
You must do your duty to the country, but not exert yourself fully.
You must hide the sharpness of your edge, to preserve the Wu clan.
Too much talent in you, too much ambition, is not necessarily a good thing.
So on, so forth.
He was sick of hearing it.
This battle between Wu and Chu was only a skirmish, but by chance they’d slain the enemy king. If he’d commanded the Chu forces, there were many strategies he could’ve executed.
The poor: victory on the battlefield. Announce the news of King Zhufan of Wu’s death to strike at enemy morale, and smoothly take the city.
The middling: victory in diplomacy. Use Chu’s position to force down Wu. Strengthen the lords of Wu and incite them into civil war.
The best: one could even install a puppet king, such as…
Such as Zhufan’s son, Ji Guang, now disembarking the boat. His bloodline was pure, his birth high, yet he would have nothing to do with the throne. If he were anything more than mediocre, he must be burning inside with a fire that could burn Wu’s citadels to ruins. And if he were truly mediocre, that was even better. Puppets didn’t need to speak.
But the Chu commander had done nothing!
He had concluded the battle and smugly brought the heads of a few dozen enemy generals to show off at court.
And then both sides had sent envoys. Peace under heaven.
If it were him on campaign, if he were the commander…
Wu Zixu felt powerless, because all this strategy could only churn about in his head.
Every time he closed his eyes, he felt like heaven and earth were only a vast, empty void, with only his mind in between. Like a banner whipped about every which way by the wind, it struggled without rest.
Ji Guang slowly strode into this city.
Ancient, but not, in fact, imposing.
This city had too long a history.
One could even trace it to the time of the Shang.
Chu was too romantic a country.
The vines on the city walls were so green they enthralled the eye, decorated everywhere with bits of silk embroidered with the countless gods, a vision of spring.
Truly beautiful.
But give him three thousand soldiers, and he could conquer this city.
He thought. No more, no less. Three thousand was enough.
The walls were too low. Easy to prop up siege ladders.
The river entered the city without any obstacles in its way. A vanguard diving underneath the water could infiltrate the city before the defenders even realized!
And this capital’s streets were overly broad. Once the enemy entered the city, they could easily charge through without becoming embroiled in arduous street-to-street fighting!
But he didn’t have three thousand soldiers.
He only had himself. He’d even left his sword on the boat.
If Chu with all its might wanted to obliterate one person, what difference would having a sword in his hand make?
Maybe the difference was only whether he could choose an honorable death.
Ji Guang smiled faintly.
He was making a bet.
He bet that Chu wouldn’t do anything to him.
He bet that he had no value.
The throne wasn’t his, though Zhufan the dead king of Wu was his father.
He’d lost his value, and so he’d become safe. The thought made him feel a deep pain.
It tore at his chest.
If he had an army, everything would be different.
In that moment Ji Guang approached the tower.
And Wu Zixu looked down.
Neither of them knew how fate would turn.
Ji Guang didn’t know that one day, he really would trample this city under his feet, tormenting it at his whims.
And Wu Zixu didn’t know that one day, he really would lead a mighty army, plotting the fate of the land from his campaign tent. But it would not be to preserve Chu.
[The primary rule of selling weapons: Do not get killed by the goods of your trade.]
A cooling wind with a hint of saltiness blew across the azure ocean, gently lifting the tousled hair on a man's forehead.
Chen Zhang An gently blew out a breath of white smoke that dissipated swiftly in the ocean wind, leaving not a trace behind.
With a hand clasping a cigarette, he casually swept his hair off his forehead. Sitting on a balcony, he quietly watched this gorgeous scenery of a mono-coloured sky and ocean. The brilliant sunlight scattered down on the cerulean ocean like fractured gold, splintering and sparkling.
Truly beautiful.
There was a period of time when this scene was what Chen Zhang An imagined his life would be like when he retire. Only in that scene, he would have a head of white hair and not already living this life when he is barely forty.
Also, he wouldn't have chains on his hands and feet.
Nearing from a distance, a seaplane gradually appeared in the blue sky. Chen Zhang An knew who is on that plane.
A person he adopted 10 years before.
A successor he came to trust and rely on within 10 years.
A man who, in the name of betrayal, confined him in this small island 10 years later.
A man who look like the younger brother he lost 10 years ago.
Zhang Le…
Every time, every time he thought about Chen Zhang Le, his heart would feel irrepressible pain.
He promised their parents, who had long passed away, that he will definitely take good care of his one and only living relative in this world - his younger brother Chen Zhang Le.
Everything that he did, was so that his younger brother could lead a better life.
But in the end, Zhang Le used his own body to shield him from the very bullet he just sold.
Isn’t that hilarious?
Each time he thought about that, Chen Zhang An couldn't help but laugh heartily.
What was even funnier were the last words of his younger brother whom he treasured and doted on so.
[Big brother, I love you, I'm sorry, I love you…]
Obviously the person who should be apologizing should be him.
Obviously Chen Zhang Le's alcoholism and drug addiction was meant to suppress the uncontrollable twisted love bleeding from his heart towards his own older brother.
Obviously he knew nothing about his inner thoughts even though he claim to love his younger brother dearly.
It is not wrong when they say, 'Chen Zhang An, you are a heartless devil.' All that gentle kindness is nothing but a pretentious mask to comfort yourself. You have never truly loved another person and is nothing more than a selfish demon.
The once all-powerful firearms crime lord has now been imprisoned on this lone island, played like a woman by the very successor he trusted the most.
To be reduced to this state of utter defeat and complete humiliation is his just desserts.
Chen Zhang An threw the remaining half of his cigarette to the ground. As he stood up from his rocking chair, the long slender chains on his hands and feet clinked sharp and clear.
He laid on the balcony. The seaplane had already landed steadily on the shore as a young handsome man exited the plane. As he looked at that familiar face, Chen Zhang An could not help but think that he must had been blind 10 years ago to think that this bastard look anything like Zhang Le.
Despite the far distance, Chen Zhang An could still see the heat in that bastard's eyes when he looked at him.
What a familiar expression in those eyes. He had seen that same emotion in Chen Zhang Le, only his shy younger brother had always lowered his head, too afraid to look at him.
Unlike this little bastard who had managed to kept it completely hidden for 10 years. Until the moment he had completely overthrown him and strip the clothes off his body did he reveal that expression that couldn't wait to devour him alive.
But other than the chains on his hands and feet to prevent him from escaping and the constant need to wrap himself all over his body every night, this little bastard treated him well.
But how long would this kind of good treatment last? Right now this little bastard is infatuated with him, but when it becomes boring, when he grows old and useless, Chen Zhang An would become an old dog that had been played rotten.
Chen Zhang An lifted his hand to smile and wave at the man closing the distance towards him in large strides from the seaside. He felt dark satisfaction when he saw the look of pleasant surprise and fervency on that little bastard's face.
If he recall correctly, this is the first time he had seen this little bastard smile since his imprisonment.
Go ahead and be happy. Be as happy as you can you little bastard.
The smile on Chen Zhang An's face grew deeper. He bent down to draw out a gun from under his chair and aimed it at his temple.
'Zhang Le, your brother is coming to keep you company.'
In the moment he pulled the trigger, Chen Zhang An could clearly hear that little bastard's desperate shouts.
------------------
'Uncle! Uncle please don't die!'
What is going on with that noisy wailing? He was sure that he killed himself with a gun.
'Uncle! You shouldn't take things too hard, please wake up!'
So! Damn! Annoying!
Chen Zhang An snapped open his eyes to deliver a slap to the person who would not stop the incessant crying. 'Why are you making so much noise for? Shut up!'
Title: Rebirth of Chen An/ 重生之陈安/ Chong Sheng Zhi Chen An
Novel Link: 重生之陈安
Author: Wan Mie Zhi Shang / 万灭之殇
Summary:
The notorious firearms crime lord Chen Zhang An a.k.a Old Fox was placed under house arrest by the very successor he groomed.
He thus ended his own life with a bullet right in front of Lu Feng, only to open his eyes and realise that he became an obese, myopic, snaggletooth, broke and abandoned loser.
Well that loser is gone; let Uncle Chen teach you what it means to be a real winner in life.
1 VS 4
* Chapter access below or use the tag RoCA.
Chapters:
Prologue
Chapter 1: An utterly terrible rebirth
Chapter 2: Discharge
Chapter 3: The Cemetary
Chapter 4: Going Home
Chapter 5: Love rival and competitor (1)
Chapter 6: Love rival and competitor (2)
Chapter 7: The raving mad traitor
Chapter 8: Uncle and Nephew
Chapter 9: Chen An’s job (1)
Chapter 10: Chen An’s job (2)
Chapter 11: A coincidental meeting with Ding Sheng (1)
Chapter 12: A coincidental meeting with Ding Sheng (2)
