The Princess Wei Yang

66.1.Digging Your Own Grave

Niangniang -honorific for the Empress and imperial concubines

Da sao - sao is an honorificfor sister-in-law (in this case), children also use it to refer to the wife ofa paternal uncle

Dimei - honorific for asister-in-law who is the wife of a younger brother

Huibing - how servants/nubiaddress others of higher status

Zhang nu - eldest daughter of ahousehold

Sinister aura - the harmful or evil distinctiveatmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person,thing, or place

法師 Fǎshī - can betranslated to Taoist master; in many dramas and novels, their job is to:identify evil spirits in people’s homes, perform rituals, and hopefully banishthem

厌胜之术Yànshèng zhī shù- ancient witchcraft involving curses; if a family was cursed,they might be homeless, physically injured, die, or even lose their home andfamily

Convent - a monastery but specifically aninstitution of female monastics (nuns) only

Lao Furen frowned: “What?”

Luo mama hesitated for a bit, glancing at DaFuren’s tense expression, and said: “Huibing Lao Furen, it is tu.”

“Tu?” Li Xiao Ran was a Prime Minister and hadyet to come across this plant that grew in countryside fields, “What is that?”

Li Wei Yang’s lips slowly lifted. Shock appearedon Li Chang Xi’s face, how could that be?

Luo mama went up and carefully cut the clumpedmeat open. Everyone saw there was something indigo inside. Li Xiao Ran frowned:“Well, what is it?”

”This is a type of poisonous grass. If it growsnear crops, nothing can be harvested, therefore it is called tu.” Luo mama’sexpressions were rather solemn. She had lived many years in the residence buthad yet to see these filthy things. She had thought something like this couldnot possibly appear in the Li family…

“Why would it be here?” A bit of suspicionappeared on Li Xiao Ran’s face, “What is it used for?”

Li Chang Le hastily said: “This placenta herewas what Wumei had given me—— ”

Li Chang Xi saw that something was not right andquickly responded, “Dajie, I did not put this inside the placenta…”

Li Chang Le shot her a hostile glare. Li ChangXi truly did not put those things in, but because she could not stand the smellof the placenta, she secretly sought out Physician Song. He said she onlyneeded to add some herbs to suppress the smell, that was all, so she said: “Itwas Physician Song who suggested I put herbs inside to take away the stench.”

“Father, tu is not an herb but a harmful,poisonous weed. When I was at Ping Cheng, I had heard of it, that ten years ofdrought, nine years of flooding, if rice is stored there and tu grows in theyard, the whole family can only eat dirt! You see, isn’t this a lethal type ofpoison?” Li Wei Yang suddenly said.

Li Xiao Ran could not believe his own ears: “Thedestructive potential of this poisonous grass is even more terrifying thanfloods and droughts?”

Li Wei Yang nodded, “Indeed, it is much moreterrifying. For that reason, commoners despise these things. Furthermore, itdoes not have the ability to take away odors. Dajie, has Dajie misunderstoodthen?”

Da Furen suddenly realized something was notright. Her face grew solemn: “Wei Yang, do not speak carelessly!”

“Silence!” Li Xiao Ran motioned to her, then hefrowned, “Chang Le, why would you bring this into the residence?”