Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves · chapter 16 of 25
The Emperor's Robe
皇帝的衣服
Morning comes, and Inspector Wang has seen the Prime Minister's night visit with his own eyes. What will he do about it, and what game will Xiaocui think of next?
Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天早上，王谏官去见皇帝。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, Wáng jiànguān qù jiàn huángdì.
The next morning, Inspector Wang went to see the emperor.
- Inspector Wang 昨天晚上，宰相去了王御史家，到半夜都没出来……
Zuótiān wǎnshang, zǎixiàng qù le Wáng yùshǐ jiā, dào bànyè dōu méi chūlai…
Last night the Prime Minister went to Lord Wang's house, and by midnight he still hadn't come out...
- Inspector Wang 他们两个这么好，我还敢找王御史的错吗？
Tāmen liǎng gè zhème hǎo, wǒ hái gǎn zhǎo Wáng yùshǐ de cuò ma?
If those two are that close, do I still dare look for Lord Wang's mistakes?
Chapter 16 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Narrator 那时候真的宰相，胡子也是又长又白，跟小翠打扮的一样。
Nà shíhou zhēn de zǎixiàng, húzi yě shì yòu cháng yòu bái, gēn Xiǎocuì dǎban de yíyàng.
In those days the real Prime Minister had long white whiskers too, just like Xiaocui's costume.
- Inspector Wang 王大人，昨天晚上，宰相去您家了吧？
Wáng dàrén, zuótiān wǎnshang, zǎixiàng qù nín jiā le ba?
Lord Wang! The Prime Minister called at your house last night, didn't he?
- Lord Wang 是……是啊。
Shì… shì a.
Y-yes... yes, he did.
- Inspector Wang 他不想多说……一定有什么事！好，我不找他的错了。
Tā bù xiǎng duō shuō… yídìng yǒu shénme shì! Hǎo, wǒ bù zhǎo tā de cuò le.
He won't say more... something big must be going on! All right, I'll stop looking for his mistakes.
- Lord Wang 夫人，王谏官现在天天对我笑！
Fūrén, Wáng jiànguān xiànzài tiāntiān duì wǒ xiào!
My lady, Inspector Wang smiles at me every day now!
- Lady Wang 小翠，我不骂你了。可是以后，别再这样玩了！
Xiǎocuì, wǒ bú mà nǐ le. Kěshì yǐhòu, bié zài zhèyàng wán le!
Xiaocui, I won't scold you. But from now on, no more games like that!
- Xiaocui 好，娘，我听您的。
Hǎo, niáng, wǒ tīng nín de.
All right, Mother. I'll do as you say.
- Narrator 一年以后，换了一个新的宰相。
Yì nián yǐhòu, huàn le yí gè xīn de zǎixiàng.
A year later, there was a new Prime Minister.
- Inspector Wang 王大人在家吗？我来借一点儿钱……不多，一万两。
Wáng dàrén zài jiā ma? Wǒ lái jiè yìdiǎnr qián… bù duō, yíwàn liǎng.
Is Lord Wang at home? I've come to borrow a little money... not much. Ten thousand taels.
- Inspector Wang 等了这么久，王大人还不出来？好，我走！
Děng le zhème jiǔ, Wáng dàrén hái bù chūlai? Hǎo, wǒ zǒu!
I've waited all this time, and Lord Wang still won't come out? Fine, I'm leaving!
- Xiaocui 元丰，客人要走了！快出去，让他看看你！
Yuánfēng, kèrén yào zǒu le! Kuài chūqu, ràng tā kànkan nǐ!
Yuanfeng, the guest is leaving! Quick, go out and let him see you!
- Yuanfeng 你看，我是皇帝！小翠给我打扮的！
Nǐ kàn, wǒ shì huángdì! Xiǎocuì gěi wǒ dǎban de!
Look! I'm the emperor! Xiaocui dressed me up!
- Inspector Wang 皇帝的衣服？皇帝的帽子？……好孩子，借我看看，好吗？
Huángdì de yīfu? Huángdì de màozi?… Hǎo háizi, jiè wǒ kànkan, hǎo ma?
An emperor's robe? An emperor's crown?... Good boy, will you lend them to me for a look?
- Yuanfeng 好啊，你看，帽子上还有玉呢！
Hǎo a, nǐ kàn, màozi shang hái yǒu yù ne!
Sure! Look, there's even jade on the crown!
- Inspector Wang 王御史想做皇帝！这一次，他完了！
Wáng yùshǐ xiǎng zuò huángdì! Zhè yí cì, tā wán le!
Lord Wang wants to be emperor! This time, he's finished!
- Yuanfeng 爹，客人拿了我的皇帝衣服和帽子，走了……
Diē, kèrén ná le wǒ de huángdì yīfu hé màozi, zǒu le…
Father, the guest took my emperor's robe and crown, and then he left...
- Lord Wang 皇帝的衣服？天哪，这一次，我们家真的完了！
Huángdì de yīfu? Tiān na, zhè yí cì, wǒmen jiā zhēn de wán le!
The emperor's robe? Heavens, this time our family really is finished!
- Lord Wang 小翠，快开门！你看看你做了什么！
Xiǎocuì, kuài kāi mén! Nǐ kànkan nǐ zuò le shénme!
Xiaocui! Open this door! Look what you've done!
- Xiaocui 爹，您别生气。皇帝要杀，就杀我一个人，跟您和娘没关系！
Diē, nín bié shēngqì. Huángdì yào shā, jiù shā wǒ yí gè rén, gēn nín hé niáng méi guānxi!
Father, don't be angry. If the emperor wants to kill someone, let him kill me alone. It has nothing to do with you and Mother!
- Narrator 王谏官跑去见皇帝。皇帝也让元丰来了。
Wáng jiànguān pǎo qù jiàn huángdì. Huángdì yě ràng Yuánfēng lái le.
Inspector Wang hurried off to see the emperor. The emperor sent for Yuanfeng too.
- Inspector Wang 您看，王御史家里有皇帝的衣服和帽子！
Nín kàn, Wáng yùshǐ jiā li yǒu huángdì de yīfu hé màozi!
Look! In Lord Wang's house there's an emperor's robe and crown!
- The Emperor 这是皇帝的帽子？这是高粱做的！衣服是一块旧黄布！
Zhè shì huángdì de màozi? Zhè shì gāoliang zuò de! Yīfu shì yí kuài jiù huáng bù!
This is an emperor's crown? It's made of sorghum stalks! And the robe is a piece of old yellow cloth!
- Yuanfeng 皇帝也穿黄衣服，跟我一样！
Huángdì yě chuān huáng yīfu, gēn wǒ yíyàng!
The emperor wears yellow too! Just like me!
- The Emperor 这么可爱的孩子，会想做皇帝吗？王谏官骗我！让他去云南！
Zhème kě'ài de háizi, huì xiǎng zuò huángdì ma? Wáng jiànguān piàn wǒ! Ràng tā qù Yúnnán!
Would a sweet child like this want to be emperor? Inspector Wang lied to me! Send him to Yunnan!
- Lady Wang 小翠，你用高粱帽子救了我们……可是你娘一直没回来。你是谁家的女儿？
Xiǎocuì, nǐ yòng gāoliang màozi jiù le wǒmen… kěshì nǐ niáng yìzhí méi huílai. Nǐ shì shéi jiā de nǚ'ér?
Xiaocui, you saved us with a sorghum crown... but your mother never came back. Whose daughter are you?
- Xiaocui 我是玉皇大帝的女儿啊。娘，您不知道吗？
Wǒ shì Yùhuáng Dàdì de nǚ'ér a. Niáng, nín bù zhīdào ma?
I'm the Jade Emperor's daughter. Didn't you know, Mother?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Inspector Wang think about Lord Wang and the Prime Minister?
“他们两个这么好”
- Why does Inspector Wang come to Lord Wang's house a year later?
“我来借一点儿钱……不多，一万两”
- What is Yuanfeng wearing when he runs out to Inspector Wang?
“我是皇帝！……皇帝的衣服？皇帝的帽子？”
- What does Xiaocui tell Lord Wang through her locked door?
“皇帝要杀，就杀我一个人，跟您和娘没关系”
- What does the emperor find the crown is made of?
“这是高粱做的”