Lily of the Valley Translations

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 6 PART 3 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 6 Part 3: "Luoshen was shocked, and the letter slipped from her hand, falling to the ground. Gao Huan was one year younger than Luoshen, the only son of Luoshen's late third uncle. Gao Jie treated this nephew as his own child, and they grew up together, forming a strong bond. Among the younger generation of the gentry in Jiankang, many were more interested in cosmetics than martial arts, and they rarely engaged in physical activities. Few were willing to join the military voluntarily. However, Gao Huan was different. He had been practicing martial arts since childhood and dreamed of achieving military success. When news of the Northern conflicts arrived last year, Luoshen's uncle Gao Yun, along with his cousin Gao Yin, went to prepare for war in Jiangbei. Gao Huan insisted on going with them, but Gao Jie refused, citing his young age and forcibly keeping him in Jiankang. Unexpecte...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 6 PART 2 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 6 Part 2: Lu Jianzhi is not only regarded as the family successor among the younger generation of the Lu family, but also as an outstanding figure among the aristocratic descendants in Jiankang. Since Luoshen was a child, she knew that both families had intentions of a marriage alliance. Her parents had always seen Lu Jianzhi as her best support for the latter half of her life. The Lu family was also prepared to welcome the Gao family's daughter-in-law. After her coming-of-age ceremony last year, both families had the intention of arranging a marriage. If it weren't for the sudden news of the Northern war and the rebellion of Prince Linchuan, the two families should have already settled the wedding. Luoshen had been called "Big Brother" by Lu Xiu Rong since she was young, and every time she thought of him, she felt warmth in her heart. In the future, she would marry into the L...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 6 PART 1 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 6 Part 1: The Gao family's residence was not far from the imperial city. After entering the west city gate and passing the Imperial Street, it was located near the Vermilion Bird Gate in the southern part of the Imperial Palace. Today, Gao Jie returned home earlier than usual, but there were still several visitor carriages parked in front of the house. Luo Shen waited until all the people had left before entering the study. She saw her father, who had changed into a green robe and a lüan cap, sitting behind a desk, pen in hand, occasionally coughing. Her father was a renowned handsome man. When he was young, he had a face like beautiful jade, sword-like eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes. As he grew older, he retained a graceful black beard, and his elegant demeanor was unforgettable. Luo Shen had heard that once, her father had gone out to survey the situation among the common people. When he ...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 5 PART 4 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 5 Part 4: The Fifteenth Year of Xingping, It Seemed Fated to Be a Busy Autumn  Xiao Yongjia, Lady Luo's mother, typically showed little concern for her husband, but when it came to her daughter, she was extremely loving. She was startled by the news and quickly embraced Lady Luo, asking, "Are you alright? Where did you fall? Why didn't anyone inform me?" Lady Luo replied, "I fell quite hard, and my head still hurts today. I didn't want to worry you, so I didn't let anyone tell you." Xiao Yongjia hurriedly assisted Lady Luo out of the Taoist temple, and the mother and daughter returned to the White Egret Manor together. She asked Gao Qi to inquire about the incident in detail and, upon learning that there was no major harm, she felt relieved. However, she scolded Lady Luo's personal maids, Qiongshu and Yingtao, severely. The two maids knelt on the ground,...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 5 PART 3   Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 5 Part 3: The Fifteenth Year of Xingping, It Seemed Fated to Be a Busy Autumn  Bai Lu Zhou is located in the middle of the western part of the city, and to reach it from the ferry crossing, you have to travel along a waterway. Every spring, many white egrets gather along the shores, which is how it got its name. Lady Luo's mother, Princess Changle of Qinghe, Xiao Yongjia, has been residing at the White Egret Manor on Bai Lu Zhou/White Egret Island for the past few years and seldom goes into the city. The manor was a residence bestowed upon her by the late Emperor. After Lady Luo's uncle, Emperor Xingping, ascended the throne, he also gave her numerous treasures, and the interior was adorned extravagantly. Lady Luo's trip here was to visit her mother. She stood at the bow of the boat, facing the direction of Bai Lu Zhou as the wind blew against her. Today, the wind on the...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 5 PART 2 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 5 Part 2: The Fifteenth Year of Xingping, It Seemed Fated to Be a Busy Autumn  Flowing clear waters surrounded them, and by the riverbank, they washed their feet. Laughter and joy filled the air continuously. That carefree scene from that day remained vivid in her memory, as if it had happened just yesterday. However, not long after, the surrounding events began to cause worry one after another. First, news arrived that the Xiongnu in the north, led by the Xia Kingdom, were eyeing the south, preparing their forces to march southward and conquer Jiangnan. Since the latter half of the previous year, her uncle Gao Yun, who served as the Inspector of Xuzhou, had gone north to Guangling to recruit troops and prepare for war. The possibility of a North-South conflict loomed. Troubles did not stop there. Around the same time, the Prince of Linchuan, a relative of the imperial family, had rebelled...

  SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 5 PART 1 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 5 Part 1: The Fifteenth Year of Xingping, It Seemed Fated to Be a Busy Autumn In late spring, in the beautiful weather outside Jiankang city, with the grass growing tall and the birds singing, Lady Luo sat in a bullock cart, heading towards White Egret Island. Steward Uncle Qi, accompanied by a few family members, surrounded the bullock cart, ensuring its safety from all sides. Unless it was intentionally driven fast by skilled handlers, bullock carts typically moved at a leisurely pace. They offered a smoother ride compared to horse-drawn carriages and were favored by the well-to-do scholars and officials. This explained the prevalence of bullock carts in Jiankang city, where it was rare to see people riding horses. Nonetheless, Uncle Qi proceeded cautiously, instructing the handlers to move even slower. A couple of days ago, Lady Luo had slipped from a swing at home. Fortunate...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 4 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 4: From Now On, My Remaining Life Is Entrusted to You Her hands were tightly held in his palms, causing High God of Lo's heart to beat a little faster. She dared not look at the two burning gazes he directed at her and lowered her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered and gently withdrew her hand from his grasp, then got out of bed. She walked to the table, picked up a wine jug, and poured wine into the cup on the table, which had the inscription of yin and yang engraved on it. Both cups were filled, and she picked them up. Under his gaze, she slowly returned to him, offering the cup with the yang inscription to him. "From now on, I entrust my remaining life to my husband. Please drink this toast." She tilted her head slightly, parted her vermilion lips, and exhaled like an orchid. Her sleeves flowed like clouds, her fair wrist like jade, and the jade cup with the grape-like night glow shone br...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 3 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 3 - The Bridal Chamber Li Mu didn't make her wait for long. His arrival was much quicker than she had imagined. This was the first time they had seen each other in two years, since he had sent her away from Xuan City. He looked different from her memories. Back then, perhaps due to the busy preparations for war in the north and the rushed return to rescue the city, Li Mu, in Gao Luoshen's memory, was clad in bloodstained armor, with a disheveled beard that covered half of his face. A faint, bloody aura surrounded him, and his deep, intense eyes left the most lasting impression on her when he came to rescue the city as the Governor of Yanzhou. But tonight, the man standing before her was entirely different from the one in Gao Luoshen's memory. He was dressed in black attire with a large crown, a jade-studded belt around his waist, and his beard, which had hidden his face before, was now gon...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 2 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 2: Li Mu The one who summoned Gao Luoshen into the palace was the current Empress Dowager, Gao Yongrong, Gao Luoshen's cousin. After listening to Gao Yongrong's words, Gao Luoshen was stunned, and her heart was filled with confusion. Gao Yongrong expressed her hope that Gao Luoshen would agree to marry Li Mu. Li Mu, courtesy name Jingchen, came from a family of high officials and had been conferred the title of county duke due to generations of meritorious service. During the time of the collapse of the Divine Zhou Dynasty and the migration of the Dahu Imperial Family to the south, Li's ancestors refused to migrate with the flow of people and returned to their ancestral home in Xuyi, northern Huainan. Since the Imperial Family abandoned the Central Plains and moved south, the border regions between northern and southern Jiangnan became the battleground where both sides wrestled for control...

SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 1 Translations by: Lily of the Valley Chapter 1: Gao Luoshen By the White Egret Island, the spring was deep in the imperial capital. Once again, it was that time of year in Jiangnan, where apricot blossoms danced in the pear-scented rain, and bees and butterflies reveled in fragrant blooms. Gao Luoshen sat silently in the quiet chamber of her Daoist temple, where she had lived alone for the past ten years. "You should leave. Go as far as you can," she said to the few Daoist nuns who had not yet departed. Before her words could settle, a guard burst in with hurried footsteps from outside the cell. "Madam! The Jie people have breached the city gates! There are rumors that the Empress Dowager has been captured on her way south! Rong Kang, leading the Jie soldiers, is approaching, and it doesn't bode well for you! If you don't leave now, it might be too late!" Everyone knew that the Jie soldiers were known for their brutal...