Judge Bao and the Swapped Prince · chapter 2 of 6
The Food Box
小小食盒
Kou Zhu has a baby prince in her arms and no way out of the palace. With a food box, a plate of hot buns and a very brave friend, she tries a clever escape.
Read what you hear
- Kou Zhu 刘娘娘要我把太子带走……她的意思，我听懂了。
Liú niángniang yào wǒ bǎ tàizǐ dàizǒu… tā de yìsi, wǒ tīngdǒng le.
Lady Liu wants me to take the prince away... I understand what she means.
- Kou Zhu 小太子，你这么小。你睡得这么香，什么都不知道。
Xiǎo tàizǐ, nǐ zhème xiǎo. Nǐ shuì de zhème xiāng, shénme dōu bù zhīdao.
Little prince, you are so small. You sleep so sweetly and know nothing.
- Kou Zhu 我不能交出你。可是每个宫门都有守卫，我怎么出去呢？
Wǒ bù néng jiāochū nǐ. Kěshì měi gè gōngmén dōu yǒu shǒuwèi, wǒ zěnme chūqù ne?
I cannot hand you over. But every gate has guards. How do I get out?
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Judge Bao and the Swapped Prince is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Chen Lin 寇珠姑娘？这么晚了，你在这里做什么？
Kòu Zhū gūniang? Zhème wǎn le, nǐ zài zhèlǐ zuò shénme?
Miss Kou Zhu? What are you doing here so late?
- Kou Zhu 陈公公！小声一点！被人听见就完了！
Chén gōnggong! Xiǎoshēng yìdiǎn! Bèi rén tīngjiàn jiù wán le!
Eunuch Chen! Keep your voice down! If anyone hears us, it's over!
- Chen Lin 你怀里……是一个孩子？谁的孩子？
Nǐ huáilǐ… shì yí gè háizi? Shéi de háizi?
In your arms... is that a baby? Whose baby?
- Kou Zhu 李娘娘的太子。刘娘娘把他换走了，还要对皇上说，李娘娘生下了一只狸猫。
Lǐ niángniang de tàizǐ. Liú niángniang bǎ tā huàn zǒu le, háiyào duì huángshang shuō, Lǐ niángniang shēng xià le yì zhī límāo.
Lady Li's prince. Lady Liu had him swapped, and she will tell the emperor Lady Li gave birth to a civet cat.
- Chen Lin 狸猫？！天哪……这是杀头的大事！
Límāo?! Tiān nǎ… zhè shì shātóu de dà shì!
A civet cat?! Heavens... this is a matter of life and death!
- Kou Zhu 宫门口的守卫，都是郭槐的人。我出不去。
Gōng ménkǒu de shǒuwèi, dōu shì Guō Huái de rén. Wǒ chūbuqù.
The guards at the gates are all Guo Huai's men. I can't get out.
- Chen Lin 我每天早上，要给八王爷送早饭……对了，食盒！
Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang, yào gěi Bā wángyé sòng zǎofàn… duì le, shíhé!
Every morning I take breakfast to Prince Ba... Wait, the food box!
- Kou Zhu 食盒？你要把太子放进去？
Shíhé? Nǐ yào bǎ tàizǐ fàng jìnqù?
A food box? You want to put the prince inside?
- Chen Lin 盖子上有小洞，他不会难受。上面再放几个热包子，没有人会想到。
Gàizi shàng yǒu xiǎodòng, tā bú huì nánshòu. Shàngmiàn zài fàng jǐ gè rè bāozi, méiyǒu rén huì xiǎngdào.
The lid has little holes, so he won't be uncomfortable. I'll put hot buns on top, and no one will suspect.
- Kou Zhu 陈公公，要是被发现，你会没命的。
Chén gōnggong, yàoshi bèi fāxiàn, nǐ huì méi mìng de.
Eunuch Chen, if they find out, you'll lose your life.
- Chen Lin 我这条命不值钱。太子的命，比我重要一百倍。
Wǒ zhè tiáo mìng bù zhíqián. Tàizǐ de mìng, bǐ wǒ zhòngyào yì bǎibèi.
My life is worth nothing. The prince's life matters a hundred times more.
- Kou Zhu 好。小太子，睡吧，别哭，别哭。
Hǎo. Xiǎo tàizǐ, shuì ba, bié kū, bié kū.
All right. Little prince, sleep now. Don't cry, don't cry.
- Chen Lin 我走了。寇珠，你一个人留在这里，千万小心。
Wǒ zǒu le. Kòu Zhū, nǐ yí gè rén liú zài zhèlǐ, qiānwàn xiǎoxīn.
I'm going. Kou Zhu, you're staying here alone, so be very careful.
- Kou Zhu 你也是，陈公公。路上一定要平安。
Nǐ yě shì, Chén gōnggong. Lùshàng yídìng yào píng'ān.
You too, Eunuch Chen. Please, be safe on the road.
- Palace Guard 站住！这么晚了，你去哪里？
Zhànzhù! Zhème wǎn le, nǐ qù nǎlǐ?
Halt! Where are you going so late?
- Chen Lin 我……我给八王爷送早饭。
Wǒ… wǒ gěi Bā wángyé sòng zǎofàn.
I... I'm taking breakfast to Prince Ba.
- Palace Guard 现在是半夜！哪有半夜送早饭的？
Xiànzài shì bànyè! Nǎ yǒu bànyè sòng zǎofàn de?
It's the middle of the night! Who delivers breakfast at midnight?
- Chen Lin 王爷说他明天要很早起来。要是吃不到早饭，他会生气的，你担得起吗？
Wángyé shuō tā míngtiān yào hěnzǎo qǐlái. Yàoshi chī bú dào zǎofàn, tā huì shēngqì de, nǐ dān de qǐ ma?
The prince said he would rise very early tomorrow. If he has no breakfast, he'll be angry. Can you take that blame?
- Palace Guard 把盖子打开，我要看看。
Bǎ gàizi dǎkāi, wǒ yào kàn kan.
Open the lid. I want to look.
- Chen Lin 完了……完了……小太子，你千万别出声。
Wán le… wán le… xiǎo tàizǐ, nǐ qiānwàn bié chūshēng.
It's over... it's over... Little prince, please make no sound.
- Palace Guard 哎呀，全是包子！
Āiyā, quán shì bāozi!
Oh! It's all buns!
- Chen Lin 是的，大哥。刚出炉的，还热着呢。您也尝一个吧？
Shì de, dàgē. Gāng chūlú de, hái rè zhe ne. Nín yě cháng yí gè ba?
Yes, brother. Fresh from the steamer, still hot. Would you like to try one?
- Palace Guard 哦……真香！好吃！你快走吧，快走吧！
Ó… zhēnxiāng! Hǎochī! Nǐ kuài zǒu ba, kuài zǒu ba!
Mm... so fragrant! Delicious! Go on, hurry along!
- Chen Lin 谢谢大哥。……小太子，你今晚，多亏了这些包子。它们救了你一命。
Xièxie dàgē. … xiǎo tàizǐ, nǐ jīnwǎn, duōkuī le zhèxiē bāozi. Tāmen jiù le nǐ yí mìng.
Thank you, brother. ...Little prince, tonight you owe everything to these buns. They saved your life.
- Prince Ba 陈琳？天还没亮，你来做什么？
Chén Lín? Tiān hái méi liàng, nǐ lái zuò shénme?
Chen Lin? It isn't even dawn. Why have you come?
- Chen Lin 王爷，请您先看一看食盒，再原谅我。
Wángyé, qǐng nín xiān kàn yi kàn shíhé, zài yuánliàng wǒ.
Your Highness, please look inside the box first, and then forgive me.
- Prince Ba 这是……皇上的孩子？他是谁的太子？
Zhè shì… huángshang de háizi? Tā shì shéi de tàizǐ?
This is... the emperor's child? Whose prince is he?
- Chen Lin 李娘娘的。刘娘娘明天要告诉皇上，李娘娘生下的是一只狸猫，还要赶走她。
Lǐ niángniang de. Liú niángniang míngtiān yào gàosu huángshang, Lǐ niángniang shēng xià de shì yì zhī límāo, háiyào gǎnzǒu tā.
Lady Li's. Tomorrow Lady Liu will tell the emperor that Lady Li gave birth to a civet cat, and she will have her sent away.
- Prince Ba 别怕，陈琳。从今天起，他是我的孩子，我会保护他。
Bié pà, Chén Lín. Cóng jīntiān qǐ, tā shì wǒ de háizi, wǒ huì bǎohù tā.
Don't be afraid, Chen Lin. From today he is my child, and I will protect him.
- Prince Ba 可是寇珠还留在宫里。刘娘娘不会放过她。她会怎么样？
Kěshì Kòu Zhū hái liú zài gōnglǐ. Liú niángniang bú huì fàngguò tā. Tā huì zěnmeyàng?
But Kou Zhu is still in the palace. Lady Liu won't let her go. What will happen to her?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why can't Kou Zhu just walk out of the palace?
“宫门口的守卫，都是郭槐的人”
- What is Chen Lin's idea?
“食盒……盖子上有小洞”
- How does Chen Lin get past the guard?
“哎呀，全是包子……您也尝一个吧”
- Where does Chen Lin take the baby?
“从今天起，他是我的孩子”
- What will Lady Liu tell the emperor tomorrow?
“刘娘娘明天要告诉皇上……李娘娘生下的是一只狸猫”