Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 71: Trickery

"Shen Zechuan’s eyes were cool. He said, “I serve in the Brocade Guard. What would I want an army for? My only path to salvation is in Qu capital. Outside the bounds of this city, I lose all of my leverage. I am Shen Wei’s eighth baseborn son, and you are the Wei family’s second trueborn son, but has your life been easy, or has mine? It seems that the hierarchy of one’s birth doesn’t make much of a difference after all. That’s the thing with people— before we’ve reached the end of our roads, no one has the last word on us, not even the heavens.”"

Next chapter, Li Jianheng continues to drive Hai Liangyi towards an early grave.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 70: The Temple Reopens

Shen Zechuan was his trim and immaculate self again, clad once more in his quadruped-dragon robes and tasseled belt. Sword at his waist and badge in place, he stood before the gates. Xiao Chi’ye had tidied himself up as well, dressed in his scarlet robes embellished with fiery lions, looking very tall and long in the legs.

The two of them made a little disingenuous charade of bidding each other farewell.

Next chapter, Xi Hongxuan vs Shen Zechuan (humpty dumpty doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell)

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 69: Credit Where Credit's Due

Shen Zechuan looked at him. “Where’s my fan gone?”

Chen Yang was coming in through the curtains with a tray, and without a moment’s thought Xiao Chi’ye said, “It’s lost, Chen Yang lost it.”

Shen Zechuan looked towards Chen Yang, and Chen Yang, thunderstruck, recovered enough to nod once, then began desolately, “Master Adjudicator, I…”

“It’s just a fan, Er-gongzi will compensate you on his behalf,” Xiao Chi’ye said breezily. “That ivory fan was tacky as all hell. I’ll give you another one.”

Next chapter, Lanzhou gains a camp follower.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 68: To Summon Clouds and Conjure Rain

“His roving hands drew soft pants from Shen Zechuan. It had been a long time since either of them had had any relief, and in that moment of aftermath, having come through disaster by the skin of their teeth, all that just-unwound tension came to coil up low in their bellies. And in all this kneading and cuddling they were doing, they’d somehow set that little lick of flame ablaze.

“Chaste and sober Shen Zechuan,” Xiao Chi’ye sighed softly. “Why don’t I know him?””

Next chapter, Qian Tianya has a love affair with potatoes.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 67: Pillow Talk “You’re too thin,” Xiao Chi’ye said as he ran his hands over him. “You’re all knobbly to hold. In autumn, when the wild game from Libei comes in, we’ll have to feed you up properly then. That way, you’ll be fattened up by winter.” Xiao Chi’ye’s breathing deepened slightly. His eyes were very heavy, and he turned his head to the side, nudging the tip of his nose into Shen Zechuan’s hair, just by his ear. With the last of his energy he managed a smile as he said, “……Come sleep awhile with your Er-gongzi.”

Next chapter, these two have no compunctions about talking about other men in bed at all.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 65: The Plague

He had no love for snow days, nor overcast or rainy days. The cold and wet made him think of the Chashi sinkhole, of Ji Mu, and of all those days he had spent on his knees, living at the mercy of other men. And the cold and wet made him uneasy, turned him bitter, turned all of the inside of him to ice-cold repression and rage.

Shen Zechuan drowsed a while like that, leaning against the wall, but his head only grew heavier as time went by, until he actually fell asleep there in that corner.

Next chapter, even more ghastly infection control measures. Don’t try this at home, children. Don’t make someone half-dead from a virulent infectious disease call you “daddy” in bed.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 64: Cloudburst

“Governor-General!” The curtains flew up and Meng Rui came in, expression grave. “A dozen people have suddenly taken ill at the Temple of Penitence, and two of the men sent down from the Ministry of Revenue have gone down as well!”

Just as Xiao Chi’ye was about to issue orders, Chen Yang barged in amid a deluge of rainwater and reported, “Master, Tiger’s down with a fever too!”

All of a sudden, the rumble of the rain outside seemed to surge in volume and urgency, rising all around them like the thunder of war-drums, beating furiously, as though it would shatter the pitch-dark night.

Next chapter, very poor infection control measures are taken...

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 63: Clearing the Way

“Where the two of them stood, it would be imprudent for Xiao Chi’ye to touch him again. But he looked at him and saw how he looked a little more unwell under the scouring rain, and said, “Elder Hai told you to watch over the Palace. Get back there, sit down in the office and have a cup of hot tea. All you need to do is keep an eye on the doors.””

Next chapter... A-tishoo! A-tishoo! They all fall down!

Woow Awa you're on fire!!! Thank you soo much for the updates. I love your translation it's very beautiful I find myself rereading the chapters because I can't get enough of the prose. I'm in love <3

Xx

Thank you anon <3

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 62: Beginnings

“Some of the walls in the Palace had low tunnels built into them, to allow access for dogs. Once, Li Jianheng went to play in these dog tunnels with some eunuchs. When he crawled through one, the little eunuchs would cover their mouths and giggle, then reward him with sweets from the Imperial Confectionary. Like a scavenging puppy, he was so pleased to receive those bits of melted candy that he might have wagged his tail if he had one. 

In that dog tunnel, he got to eat many things he had never eaten before. And in that same dog tunnel, he saw his mother.”

Next chapter, Xiao Chi’ye prepares his bento of love <3

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 61: Collapse Not only had the place been hollowed out beneath, but also filled with great vats. None of them dared voice the thought: the building had smashed the vats when it collapsed, and if Li Jianheng was buried down there, then he’d really be beyond saving! The first Emperor in Dazhou’s history to be crushed to death when he slipped out for a shag— which court recorder was going to write that down? Those poor historians.

Next chapter, more of humpty and dumpty... ._.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 60: Shackles At first glimpse he might pull one over on you. But bundle him up in your arms a couple more times, and you’d begin to be able to discern the moods behind his mild-mannered courtesy. Like the the moon in the puddle tonight, if you prodded him, you wouldn’t think you’d made a wrinkle, when in fact he would have immediately remembered you for it, and you’d better be sure he’s going to find a chance next time to kick you back.

Next chapter, humpty and dumpty fall from the wall.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 59: Nocturne

“Even the festival season hasn’t managed to fatten you up any.” Xiao Chi’ye opened the door and led him out.

“It’s been so busy that I’ve only had four hours of sleep a night,” Shen Zechuan clomped his clogs softly. “I thought the South Adjudicator was an empty office, but the armourers and weapon-smiths have their own bureaucracies too.”

“If Xi Hongxuan can’t save your skin anymore,” Xiao Chi’ye turned to look at him, “You should switch your banner to Er-gongzi‘s right away.”

Next chapter, "is that your waist-badge or are you pleased to see me?"

Thank you Awa 🥺♥️

<3 <3

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 58: Heavy Snow

“My lord!” Xiao Jiming was the person Ding Tao most admired in the whole world. He flashed his snow-white teeth. “Ask anything of me, my lord! Ding Tao will throw himself into it, come hell or high water!”

“Wow,” Xiao Chi’ye said, lifting his teacup, “Why have I never heard you say ‘ask anything of me, Er-gongzi‘?”

Ding Tao said, “Well because you keep throwing me out, Er-gongzi!”

“What did you do,” Xiao Jiming asked mildly, “That Er-gongzi had to throw you out?”

Next chapter, the softest, most adorable Lanzhou yet...uwu....

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 57: Case Closed

When Shen Zechuan emerged and climbed into his carriage, he found a guqin inside.

Qiao Tianya flipped the curtain up. Wearing the face of a burly roughneck, he said, “That qin‘s mine, Master, don’t throw it out. Took me quite some doing to con it from the place.”

“Looks expensive,” Shen Zechuan left it where it lay. “Where’d you get the money?”

Qiao Tianya smirked, “The ladies tipped me.”

But evidently, that qin was something that even money could not buy. If Qiao Tianya did not want to talk about it, it probably had something to do with his family, and so Shen Zechuan dropped the subject.

Next chapter, the Xiao family engages in their favourite pastime- picking on Ce’an.

Raise a Glass by Tang Jiuqing, Chapter 56: Fanning the Flames

Yuan Liu had been in the Imperial Guard for a long time, and he knew that Xiao Chi’ye was two different people when dealing with outsiders and when dealing with his own men. If Er-gongzi said he would look after his sons for him, then he really would see to it that they were well looked after. And if he was to make one wrong statement, then his sons would equally certainly be gone.

Next chapter, Qiao Tianya hides his baby in Shen Zechuan's carriage...