Chapter 99: Spy
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
Gumihou: …when characters are being uncharacteristically dramatic, just let them be melodramatic [1].
Fu Qiuning looked over them both a few times before smiling slightly, “Since Elder Madam is so thoughtful and considerate, stay and serve us.” Then, she stood up and addressed Yu’shi and Luo’shi, “Mother and Concubine Mother only have two maids here, do you have enough people?”
“All the maids do each day is clean the house now and then, what is there to be enough about?” Luo’shi said with a smile. She cast an eye towards the fragrant herbs and incense rings before retracting her gaze and said, “I had heard from the people here that you have brought some generous gifts to us. Silly girl, living at the marquisate is like walking on thin ice. Aren’t you just making things difficult for yourself by bringing all these gifts here? What if they make trouble for you just for this momentary display of wealth?”
Fu Qiuning smiled, “Don’t say that, Concubine Mother Luo, the Young Marquis was the one who helped me prepare these gifts. With so little time, even with another two days, I could not have gotten these prepared. Right now, he treats me very well.”
When Yu’shi heard this, she was very relieved, “Then, mother may be assured. Don’t think that just because you don’t say it, that mother would not know. Back when you married into that place, your life must have been very harsh. Otherwise, how could you not be allowed to come and see me these past six years? Luckily, fortune had smiled on my dear child, and you have managed to hold on until now to return to me. If mother had known that you would one day return, I would not have suffered until my hair turned white and my eyes nearly blinded with tears.”
Fu Qiuning held her mother’s thin hand tightly, and in a firm tone, she said, “This is natural, of course. Mother may be at ease. In the future, our lives will be better.” As she spoke, she began to think: Is there any way for me to get Mother and Concubine Mother Luo out of this den of tigers and wolves? Once Zhenjiang Palace loses power, surely there is no need for them to be dragged down by that conscienceless old man? No, I must plan this well.
Mother and daughter continued to chat until it was time for lunch. Thanks to Fu Qiuning’s presence, Luo’shi and Yu’shi were suddenly served a very hearty meal. Xiang Huan smilingly set the table and said, “Elder Madam originally thought to have Young Miss have lunch with her. However, the Master reminded her that Young Miss has just met with Madam Concubine and most likely cannot bear to leave. Moreover, Madam Concubine cannot get up easily, and therefore he had this maid deliver the meal to Young Miss .”
Fu Qiuning smiled, “I see, Father is really considerate of me.” As she personally served Yu’shi and Luo’shi, she casually instructed, “There’s no need to stand here and wait on us. You take your meal with Aunt Yu and Yu Jie.”
When Xiang Huan hesitated, Fu Qiuning raised her eyebrows and said, “What is it? Do my words carry no weight in this palace?”
Xiang Huan dared not refute and retreated instead. Luo’shi whispered, “Wait on us? Clearly, they are just waiting to listen in on us. Young Miss, you must be careful when speaking within the palace, ah.”
They spent the rest of lunchtime talking about her life at the marquisate. After lunch, Yu’shi usually had to go and rest due to her weak body. However, seeing that her daughter was back, and with such a radiant face no less, made her so happy that she did not wish to go to sleep. Luo’shi had to advise her several times before she was willing to lie down and close her eyes, and proceeded to promptly fall asleep.
Only then did Fu Qiuning and Luo’shi leave the room to speak quietly with each other.
“Concubine Mother Luo, is there something wrong with my mother’s leg? I only heard that she is bedridden, but her complexion is not bad. Is her leg somehow disabled?”
Concubine Luo smiled, “Be at ease. Nothing of the sort. She is just weak and has not been eating well. Lying on the bed all day, pondering over your fate was not good for her health either. Now that she has seen you, the burden in her heart has lessened and I expect she will slowly recover her health.”
Fu Qiuning nodded, “I see, then I shall not fret either.” She took out a small purse from her bosom and tucked it into Luo’shi’s hand. “Concubine Mother Luo, there are 20 silver taels here. A large house has its own rules and way of doing things. Neither you nor my mother is favoured by Father, which in turn made others overlook your comfort. Take this money and have someone buy something nutritious to eat. I am living well at the marquisate now and my days will only get better. Therefore, it is only right that I take better care of you. Take these for now.”
Luo’shi was immediately frantic, “How could we? Your life at the marquisate must be hard too. How could we take this silver…”
Fu Qiuning smiled, “My monthly allowance is 5 silver taels. Moreover, there is no need for me to spend any money while residing within the marquisate. No matter what, my position is still a little better than yours.” In the end, she managed to convince Luo’shi to take the money. Once the money was tucked away, she leaned forward to whisper, “There is no need for my mother to know about this. You may use this money to buy some food and snacks for yourself and Mother. No need for her to worry on my behalf.”
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She stayed at Songtao Pavilion for another two days. On the third day, Fu Qiuning felt that it was almost time. The Jin Marquisate would probably send someone to the palace soon. Back then, she and Jin Fengju had already discussed the matter and decided that it was better for him to send for her sooner rather than later to display her good standing within the Marquisate. It would show King Zhenjiang and his son that Fu Qiuning was truly favoured.
[1] On this day, she went to the garden with Yu Jie and Aunt Yu after deliberately driving Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao away as usual. She had been consistently sending the servant girls away, making sure to act super suspicious with extra guarded remarks like ‘I must speak with my maids privately’ and ‘did I not tell you to stay away?’
[1] As for the reason why they went to the garden for a ‘super secret meeting’, well, that place was filled with trees, fake mountains and many other hidey holes for a small boy servant to hide in. [1a] From what Fu Qiuning had observed, this Xiang Huan was… how to say… not too bright?
[1a] While it was hilarious to see the maid visibly struggle to try and eavesdrop on her at every opportunity, she really needed to convey this information soon. [1a] It had been two days, but the spy maids Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao were a bit stupider than expected and still had not found a way to extract the necessary information out of her. Today was the last day, and [1a] Fu Qiuning decided to take matters into her own hands to ensure that these maids achieved their goals.
Hence, the special trip to the gardens.
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Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao were getting anxious.
Master and Elder Madam had sent them to monitor the Young Miss and investigate what she knew. How were they supposed to investigate anything by standing so far away, ah? While the two of them were fretting in place, Si’er whispered, “Miss, if the two misses would cover for this lowly one, I can sneak into the bushes and hide behind the fake mountain and listen in on their conversation.”
Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao both thought that this was a good idea and bade Si’er quickly carry it out. The boy sneaked into the garden after the women and clambered up a fake mountain, just in time to hear Fu Qiuning angrily say, “If Father wants me to throw my life away for the sake of the palace, why doesn’t he take a look at how he treats my mother? In my opinion, it is silly to blindly cling to the Palace. I care not for my husband’s wealth or glory, it is their love and sincerity that touches my heart. If my husband’s family were to lose power one day and I crawled to Father for assistance, would they still see me as a good child?”
[2] Yu Jie was staring at Fu Qiuning with large eyes. After she had given indication that she saw movement in the nearby bushes, [1] Fu Qiuning immediately launched herself wholeheartedly into her very dramatic performance. It was so melodramatic and out of character that Aunt Yu missed her cue.
[2] Yu Jie coughed.
[2] “Oh, oh my, oh my, then, then Madam is determined to abandon the palace and, and t-to fully support the Young Marquis?”
[2] Fu Qiuning swished her skirts dramatically in an ‘oh please’ fashion, “Only a fool would put all their eggs into a single basket. Obviously, one must think of the best way to survive, and one of these ways is to step on two ships with one foot. Only, hummm, I dare say the Young Marquis looks the most promising. He is both sharp and intelligent, a most worthy backer.”
Yu Jie eagerly chimed in, “Yes, yes, yes, Madam is the cleverest. If we could also connect with Prince Lie, isn’t that the best?”
[2] “Huhuhu,” Fu Qiuning was starting to feel like she was floating outside of her body as she covered her mouth with the back of her wrist and did a shoujo manga antagonist laugh. “Ohohoho, Prince Lie?” She shook her head dramatically, arms thrown out to indicate, ‘pfft, please’, “He is in charge of winter disaster prevention, but dozens of people have already frozen to death within the Capital alone. Who knows how many more had died outside the safety of the Capital walls under his two incompetent officials? What do you think would happen once the emperor finds out? Silly girl, it’s best to stay away from that star of disaster.”
Aunt Yu also laughed, “[2] Hoho, hoho, Madam is right. Prince Lie is about to kick a big rock soon. This maid really admires our sharp and intelligent Master. How did he manage to find out about this?”
[2] Her face was starting to cramp from laughing so much, but Fu Qiuning persevered. [1] Since their spies were so stupid, she would have to spell out everything for them. Sigh, what happened to all the intelligent people in the world?
“Ahem, didn’t I say that the Young Marquis is a true talent? Hoho, the smartest thing Prince Hong did was marry his elder sister. The true gain was not the marquisate gaining a Princess Consort, but Prince Rong gaining a helper in the form of his younger brother-in-law. Prince Hong, Father and Grandfather are all intelligent people, however, none of them thought to investigate this Prince Lie. If not for the Young Marquis’ great intelligence and cunning instincts, wouldn’t Prince Lie pull off this despicable move once again?
If he could do this, would he not be able to cover the sky with one hand? Not to mention, if this matter was never found out, wouldn’t the emperor not only not punish him for his sins, but reward him due to his ability to shut mouths and cover his tracks? To speak the unspeakable, what do you think would happen to the world if such a person establishes himself in the highest position of all?”
Yu Jie’s eyes sparkled as she happily engaged in her favourite hobby with her beloved mistress, “Since, since that is the case… isn’t it best that we follow Prince Rong’s light? No wonder Madam always tells us to look to the Marquisate more. If such a thing is exposed, would it not…”
[2] “Ahem!” Fu Qiuning coughed dramatically. It was time to bring this performance to a close. There was ‘laying a trail that even the blind could follow’, and then there was ‘putting too much bait around a trap’. “It is enough so long as you understand. No need to say more. The three princes all have equal chances. It is hard to know who would be the ultimate winner. Moreover, knowing too much is not conducive to a peaceful, salted fish [3] life. Also, have you forgotten where we are? Be wary with your words.”
[Gumihou: … …]
Yu Jie pouted, “In the end, this is not our own place. It’s so difficult to have to send those people away just to have a secret discussion. Madam, when will we return to the Marquisate, ah?”
Fu Qiuning smiled, “Look at you doing your best to hold yourself back. Do not worry, if not today, we will return tomorrow. It is about time.”
Aunt Yu smiled, “This maid is also looking forward to returning. However, it is quite fun to see those people watching us from a distance, wondering what we are speaking about. Still, this maid is puzzled, if Master found proof of Prince Lie’s crime, why did he not submit a petition?”
Fu Qiuning, “I expect it will be submitted soon. It took some time to properly investigate the matter secretly. However, with so many people freezing to their deaths, I believe that the emperor would be very angry. I do believe that Prince Rong will be handing his petition over in two days. Well, enough about that. These are not things that concern us women, let the men battle it out. We should think of the best way to return to the Marquisate soon. We have stayed for three days, the time can no longer be considered short. My mother’s illness has improved a lot. If I don’t return soon, those little wives and concubines will start to feel restless. Wouldn’t they take this opportunity to find ways to create friction between myself and Lord Husband, Elder Madam and Old Madam? Just thinking of this matter makes me anxious.”
“Surely there’s no need for Madam to be anxious? The Young Marquis treats Madam very well. He would never listen to the instigations of those lowly people…” Aunt Yu said with a smile as she supported Fu Qiuning [4]. The three ladies made their leisurely way back to where they had left Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao. One of the servant boys was conspicuously missing. [1a] This further convinced Fu Qiuning that this little spy ring was led by an idiot. They should have just had the two boy servants ‘run errands’ all this while and not be seen in a line with them to better eavesdrop on her while doing manual labour.
Still, curious about what kind of answer the idiot spy would give, Fu Qiuning raised her eyebrow and said, “Where is Si’er? Is he playing truant?”
Xiang Huan hurriedly said, “Just now, the second branch’s people sent news that his elder brother came looking for him. The details were unclear, but it appears that an emergency has happened at his home, so this maid decided to send him home first. It is nothing much, has, has this maid offended Young Miss? If so, it is fine to speak with the Elder Madam. Does, does Young Miss have any errands for Si’er? It is the same if Young Miss give the order to us maids or Wu’er.”
“Forget it, what errands could I possibly have? This is the palace and not my home.” [4] Fu Qiuning sniffed coldly. When Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao looked blankly back at her, she said [5], “I will be returning to the Marquisate in a day or two. I shall entrust my mother’s care to you. If something is lacking, we shall speak of it on my next return.”
Gumihou: This chapter was doing fine and dandy until the author ham-fistedly had FQN tell the eavesdropper to stand far away, before making sure one of the eavesdropper kids was nearby, to which FQN proceeded to vomit rainbows and fart golden clouds.
Charming.
[1] Very ham-fisted, shove square peg into round hole without lubricant scene…
It’s basically:
Deliberately alienate the spy > anxious spy > inept young boy spy > shaking tree leaf > signal that spy is onsite > gossip LOUDLY > Rainbow VOMIT & golden FARTS
Gumihou: … fine, I’ve calmed down. Let’s… create something plausible. It’s fine… Let’s, let’s… go with a, a deliberately ham-fisted acting. An inept, solo act worthy of the golden raspberry award.
Fine.
[a] Also, I’m sorry but I might as well play up your lack of brains, Xiang Huan. You are canonically stupid anyway, so…
[2] Instead of OOC Drama, have some Deliberate Melodrama backed by raised voices, skirt swishing and strategic arm flinging. Also, threw in some ‘Ohohohoho~’
[3] Salted Fish life – life of an idler
[4] 方秋雨 – Fang Qiuyu
Who is this? Probably Miss Typo since it was followed by ‘the three ladies walked together’, assuming Aunt Yu, Yu Jie and Fu Qiuning.
By the way, Fu Qiuning’s original name was 方楚瑜 Fang Chuyu, which only appeared once in Chapter 1.
[5] The maids were stupid yet, ‘did not look anxious’? Replace the ‘calm façade’ with ‘a blank look’ of stupidity per [1a]
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