Chu Wang Fei (Princess Consort Chu)

CHAPTER 9

Glossary

本 ben – I, me; often used before the status or position of the speaker when they are talking down to someone of a lower status then them; Qian Meng uses 本小姐 ben xiaojie – this lady; Xuan Zhi uses 本相 ben xiang – this minister; all of these are used when the speaker is demanding respect from the listener

小姐 xiaojie – young miss; usually from a good family, but can be used to refer to any young girl

来人 lairen – come, people; the zhuzi commands all the servants nearby to come over before giving them their orders; usually used to direct a large number of servants at once

儿 ‘er – child; added to names as a form of affection, closeness or endearment

主子 zhuzi – the masters of the household;

奴婢 nubi – slave servant girl

奴才 nucai – slave servant; referring to themselves in third person is a form of debasement

老爷 laoye, 相爷 xiangye – old master, master; the head of the house

Gold Medallion 金牌 jinpai – this was given the Shui’er and Bing’er by the Empress Dowager; it carries some status, as the people who carry one are usually related to the imperial family; no one will mess with them

园 yuan – literally garden; here, it means courtyard, which is where noble women will be spending most of their time, since they can’t go out freely

国 guo – country; the story is set in ‘West Chu Country’

后院 houyuan – the backyard or inner yard of the residence; the womenfolk: concubines, daughters, are generally not allowed to leave the houyuan of their own accord; something about women’s rights

(TL Note: Zhao was described to have been overly pleased with his own cleverness. That’s what I’m trying to deliver with the phrase ‘gleefully smug’.)

(Edit: I made a huge mistake! Butler Zhang’s name was actually butler Zhao! Even if he doesn’t deserve to have his name remembered correctly, all instances of Zhang have been replaced with the correct reading of Zhao. My apologies!)

(Edit: I was advised that Zhao’s position 管家 guanjia was more equivalent to the role of a butler in feudal China. It certainly makes sense, since he seems to hold a rather high position amongst the servants. Might take a bit to get used to it.) 😅

Yun Qian Meng stared coldly at butler Zhao’s widely grinning face; she had planned well in her heart!