I love the WKX/Gu Xiang relationship. I think I may ship them harder (platonically) than even ZZS/WKX.
Thank you Emma P for proofreading, and wishing you prompt recovery! <3
Notes
1. 鱼与熊掌 idiom translated literally. Similar to "you can't have a cake and eat it too" but slightly different. Originates from Mencius (4th century BC) who reportedly once had to choose between eating a fish or bear's paws (bears were just another type of game back then), and subsequently wrote a whole book about how to make that decision (he chose the bear's paws). The emphasis in the Chinese idiom is on a choice having to be made rather than the impossibility of having both.
2. Note that you'll rarely see pain killers used in Chinese historical fantasy. Both because non-fictional TMC, outside of acupuncture, never developed the domain much (suppressing pain in lieu of suppressing the cause of the pain goes against TMC's core philosophy), and because of fictional conventions (agony is more dramatic than popping in two pills and waking up slightly woozy a few hours later). IRL, analgesics as developed by western medicine led to amongst other things, more effective wars.
3. Euphemism for a father-in-law. Note that although a son-in-law is expected to call his wife's parents "mother" and "father", the son-in-law has little obligation towards the wife's parents if the couple doesn't live at their house. Also, noting here that despite WKX commenting about Gu Xiang being improper for a girl, what the text conveys is a deep affection between them. I have a soft spot for them: I can imagine WKX picking up baby Gu Xiang from rubbles as a kid, and keeping her for no other reason than he may have felt quite alone. The fact that he says she isn't her servant toes the line of him being a generous "boss" and him being sincere: a daughter in a household would be expected to take care of domestic shores if no other servants are present.
4. Variation on 久有时尽,此恨绵绵无绝期 or "The skies and earth are bound by the end of time, but my enduring regret knows no closing time". From "Song of Everlasting Regret", poem by Bai Juyi. About the doomed love affair between Consort Yang and Emperor Xuanzong.
WKX saying that GX is like a sister or daughter to her is so sweet and heartwarming
Him also stoping CW from helping her in packing for the journey is accurate to the historical setting but also hard to digest. I mean if a husband is willing to help, let him?
In footnote 2, what does TMC stand for?
Very sweet. "She is like a little sister to me." Aaw.. I just love their relationship. Thank you so much for translating! 💗
Aw, Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang are really each others family. Thanks for the chapter!