White Calculation Chapter 1: Youngster Chen Yu Bai narrowed his eyes, his whole body turned cold

The boys from Great Night Country must know their fate when they turn five years old. Ordinary people will go find a street stall to calculate their child’s future. Great Night Country’s first noble class, Zhen Nan wangfu’s¹ little shizi²: this really noble identity, of course will ask Great Night’s country’s Grand Tutor to deduct his fate.

Early this morning, the bodyguards of Zhen Nan wangfu opened a really beautiful carriage. That carriage, decorated with golden flowers and painted in five golden colors is Zhen Nan wangfei’s³ parade. Traveling all the way outside the capital, the winter’s cold wind was blowing through the outskirts. One hour later they stopped at the Grand Tutor’s mansion. The Grand Tutor already set some people to wait there, waiting for Zhen Nan wangfei and the little shizi.

After the carriage stopped, wangfei and two little children stepped outside. Her left hand was holding her only legitimate son, Zhen Nan’s little shizi, the heir Ji Nan. Today is Ji Nan’s fifth birthday. He has delicate features and a distinct bone structure. He was dressed in blue; noble and hearty. His body seems relaxed. Such a young age and already with such an air of elegance.

There was still a child in wangfei’s right hand, but it is a girl. She seems to be the same age as the shizi. Her looks are picturesque. She is dressed in the same dress as the prince, but hers is red. That red gives off a warm feeling. Her round little face has something mischievous in it. When that little girl smiled, there are two dimples on her face. Really lovely.

Wangfei held this golden pair and walked into the house. The Grand Tutor is already waiting inside. The tutor saw that the little prince’s eyes are really clear. Although it can’t hide his childishness, but you can see that he inherited Zhen Nan wang’s tiger like proud. Seeing his strong character, the tutor couldn’t help but nod slowly. He praised: “Good!”
When Zhen Nan wangfei heard this good, her heart rejoiced. She asked smilingly: “Asking Grand Tutor to give some advice. Which part of my child is good?”

Grand Tutor stroked his gray beard. His eyes were smiling, looked at Ji Nan and said: “The star is facing the world. He’ll be an important person.”

This prophecy is really excellent for the kind like Ji Nan who came from a noble family.

At first, Zhen Nan wangfei also looked happy, but the next moment she thought that this piece of her heart is fated to be in battles, how can a mother not feel worried?

While the Grand Tutor is talking, Ji Nan has been standing beside his mother and was really quiet and well behaved.

The little girl who is cute as snow jade has been turned impatiently by the words “really eminent in military” and “power will shine in the world”. She got rid of the hand holding her and ran away while playing.
She ran to the youngster with a cold face standing behind the Grand Tutor who has been referred to as “disciple of the grand tutor” just now and pulled his sleeves. With a crisp voice, she asked: “Little big brother, what more can you do besides closing the door for Grand Tutor? Can you calculate lives?”

This is the first time that Chen Yu Bai saw such a scene: on a normal day, except for when the weather is really good, there won’t be anything special. Just boring people with boring bazi⁴.
Last night, he watched the stars for the whole night. A little tired, he stood behind his master. The baby fat on his face hasn’t completely disappeared yet, but it already feels deserted. Normal people are afraid to stare. Don’t know where this plump and white lady who looks like a lotus that came out of fresh water gets the courage. She actually reached out and grabbed his black robe that even the moonlight is afraid to touch.

The youngster, Chen Yu Bai narrowed his eyes. His whole body turned cold. But this delicate lotus completely doesn’t know her situation. She looked up at his stupefied expression.

Ji Nan rushed over. This boy who after a few years will become the fearsome general amongst generals whom Zhou country is most afraid of. Now he is still a gentle little boy. He grabbed Ji Xian Li’s hand. Ji Nan apologized to Chen Yu Bai with a calm voice: “Little sister is young and naïve. She offended your lord. Please forgive her.”

Her left hand is being held by Ji Nan. She turned curiously and asked him: “Is this little big brother only responsible for closing the door? Like how a Xiang is only responsible for opening the curtains for gongzhu⁵ niangniang⁶?”

Chen Yu Bai’s mouth twitched uncontrolled. Gongzhu niang niang is of course referring to the emperor’s sister Yan Yang gongzhu. The whole capital of Great Night country knows about the story of Yan Yang gongzhu becoming a concubine of Zhen Nan wang. Chen Yu Bai of course also knows. So he clearly knows that he has been compared to a third rate maid who opens the curtain for a concubine.

The youngster with the cold expression suddenly laughed. The features that are cold as ice laughed gentle like that. It’s the same as pear tree blossoming. No words can describe the amazement.
“Tell me your bazi. I’ll calculate for you,” a smiling Chen Yu Bai said to Ji Xiao Li.

Let him predict. This cut looked like a delicate lotus and, what, kind, of, death!

The activities of the three children made the Grand Tutor and Zhen Nan wangfei look over.

Ji Xiao Li handed smilingly a note that she hid in her sleeve to Chen Yu Bai. Her bazi is written on it.

Mother said that girls shouldn’t have their lives calculated, but she really wants to know when she can cultivate into a god!

On Chen Yu Bai’s mouth, there’s still that cold smile. His gaze swept once over the bazi on the paper. His long fingertips gently moved. He paused and the smile vanished.

How……how can this be?!

“You calculate really slow. Is it that you don’t know how to calculate, ah?”

Ji Xiao Li stared at him without blinking. Without a half ounce of patient, she urged.

Ji Nan pulled Xiao Li and whispered that she can’t be so rude. Ji Xiao Li suffered a scolding, pouted and said forcefully: “Well……it’s alright. All children are really stupid. I also can’t memorize books……How about this? When you have a beard as long as the Grand Tutor, you’ll be able to calculate lives.”

Such generosity. She, herself is moved. But the expression of the person who has been comforted has turned worse. Chen Yu Bai tightly closed his lips. The always cold expression is actually showing bewilderment.

Right, the lotus didn’t say wrong. He couldn’t calculate it.

His family study past lives. Since becoming the grand tutor disciple, he has been studying the art of calculating lives day and night. In whole Great Night country, the people who are better at physiognomy than him, are not more than five.

But the clear and simple bazi and the silly and stupid soft white brat is obviously in front of him. But he only felt, there’s an invisible high wall blocking her past and future from him. Everything is in front of him, but still out of reach.

Can’t calculate her past, can’t calculate her level of birth, can’t calculate her future……he actually can’t calculate them!

That pair of ice like eyes firmly locked on her. Although Xiao Li is ignorant but she also felt that something isn’t right. Scared, she took two steps back. She turned and ran to wangfei’s side and flew into her milk nurse’s⁷ arms.

The voice of the Grand Tutor called not fast and not slow: “Yu Bai, come here.”

The youngster retrieved his gaze. With a pale face he walked over. Silently he fell on his knees.

“Shifu…..disciple’s skills isn’t enough.”

Don’t know why the grand tutor laughed after hearing him say that. While stroking his beard, he laughed like a spring breeze that was blowing. He also didn’t call his beloved disciple to get up. Smiling he said to Zhen Nan wangfei: “Wangfei niangniang, daughters are precious. Not easily will their lives be calculated. If you don’t mind, this old man will take a look at your beloved daughter’s bazi, alright?”

Wangfei naturally will say yes. Gentle, she called her adoptive daughter: “Xiao Li, come to mother.”

With a bitter face, the little brat came down from the milk nurse’s arms. Wangfei tidied her clothes for her. Softly wangfei said to her: “Be good. Don’t be afraid. Go let Grand Tutor grandfather take a look at you.”

Xiao Li has a mischievous personality and is originally not a timid child. After being appeased by wangfei, she openly walked to the front of the grand tutor and paid him respect.

Little girl wearing festive and lively red color. Clear eyes above the soft white cheeks. The Grand Tutor’s pair of eyes immediately have laughter in them. He carefully looked at her for a long time.

“Appearance of blooming flowers. Auspicious and lucky. Satisfactory longevity. Is a good child,” the Grand Tutor said affectionately.

From his sleeve, he took out a bright purse and put it in the hand of the ignorant little girl.

“This is for you. But you can’t open it now. Need to wait for ten years. The time when you get the hairpin ceremony, then you can open it.”
The little girl touched the purse with golden clouds embroidered on it. Happily, she nodded and promised.

The two children got good predictions. Wangfei was really happy. She thanked the Grand Tutor again and again.

For a time, everyone was happy in the hall. Aside from Chen Yu Bai who is still kneeling on the ground. His back has been completely drenched in sweat.

Of course, his skill is not not enough. Of course he knows: With his skills, the people that he can’t calculate have only one possibility……one does not calculate oneself. This silly and stupid girl has a grave entanglement with his life. That’s why he can’t calculate her life.

The youngster in black lay on the ground. His forehead is against the cold and white floor. His heart is even colder.

He knows what is in the purse.

It’s he, Chen Yu Bai’s calamity.

Comments:

1. 镇南王府 (Zhèn nán wángfǔ): fu is a mansion where the court official lives. Zhen Nan wangfu is the mansion of Zhen Nan wang (prince). Wang/ wangye are princes. Most of the time, they are brothers or son of the emperor. In rare cases this title is also bestowed to people with no blood relation to the imperial family like Chu Wang.
2. 世子(Shìzi): eldest legitimate son of a noble family. Even if a son of a concubine is older than a son of the official wife, the title of shizi will go to the son of the official wife.
3. 王妃(wángfēi): the official wife of a wangye. Wangye can have many concubines of different ranks, but only one wangfei. Only a wangfei’s sons have the right to inherit the title of wangye.
4. 八字(Bā Zì) eight letters: the four pillars of destiny. The four pillars represent the year, month, day, and hour of one’s birth. Every pillar has two letters, which will form a total of eight letters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Pillars_of_Destiny
5. 公主(Gōngzhǔ): princess. They are only sisters of the emperor.
6. 娘娘 (niángniáng): suffix only applied to the women of the imperial family.
7. Milk nurse are servants that breastfeed the children of a rich or noble family.

This is only a teaser chapter. I’m not going to translate this book. Hope that somebody else will pick it up.