Chapter 134: Outcome of Ghostly Trick
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
Jin Fengju pondered over the thought for a moment before nodding. Indeed, this was a good plan. Thus, he gave the go-ahead for this new plan. Beside him, Jin Ming beamed, “That’s right, that’s right, this is a better plan. By chance the Madam is not afraid, it is not too late for the actual ghost to appear-”
A kick from Jin Fengju cut him off. His master growled, “You crow-beaked idiot! Can’t you speak something good? Do you want I, your master, to suffer until who knows when?”
Jin Ming dare not say anything more. He thought: This master of mine is really unreasonable. You are the one who could not deal with Second Madam Ning, but I am the one who has to suffer your ire. If Second Madam Ning could move into Elegant Mansion sooner, I shall also be as happy as our Master and not have to participate in these schemes, ah.
Once the plan was decided, Jin Fengju went back to the inner court and had his meal at Concubine Xu’s place. Then, with the excuse of needing to work in the study, he left. Naturally, he did not go to his study, but sneaked quietly to Night Breeze Pavilion.
He found a hidden nook just outside the courtyard gate and hid himself. The sky had completely darkened and there were a few big trees just outside Night Breeze Pavilion’s gate, therefore it was very easy to hide. A short while later, Yang Ming appeared right on schedule. After giving two cuckoo calls and hearing the two owl calls from Jin Ming, it was time to start.
Coincidentally, it was the exact time when Fu Qiuning was looking through the twins’ homework in the study. After tucking the children in, it would be the ladies’ turn to go to bed. Yang Ming leapt lightly onto the roof, hung upside down by his toes on the eaves and blew sharply at the back of Yu Jie and Aunt Yu’s necks before disappearing back to the roof. His actions were faster than lightning.
Sure enough, both Yu Jie and Aunt Yu shrieked at the sudden gusts of air. Fu Qiuning quickly turned around, “What is it?”
Yu Jie trembled and said, “Madam… j-just now, it felt like someone blew at this maid’s neck. It- it had never happened before, this… c-c-could it be…”
Beside her, Aunt Yu was also nodding frantically, “I felt it too. It really felt like a breath. Heavens, ah, Madam… could it be… could it be some kind of… thing?”
Fu Qiuning frowned, [1a] someone blowing at the back of necks? This had never happened before. This brought to mind the other thing that had never happened before. The sudden arrival of not one but six fat snakes, but not a single chicken, duck or even a chick was missing. What sort of odd coincidence is this…
Even so, she decided to play along, “Something of thing? What thing? Are you talking about ghosts? En, well, I guess it is possible.” She said dismissively. “It’s fine, it’s probably just passing through and spilt out some dark energy. Just ignore it and all will be well.”
“M-madam, that’s a ghost, ah. A ghost! A-are you not afraid at all?” Yu Jie was a shivering ball of fear.
Jin Ming and Jin Fengju, the two schemers felt a little comforted by this. They thought: Brother Snake, who had died a most tragic death, this fearless woman who had killed you is now frightened half to death, may you rest in peace knowing you have your revenge.
“It’s not like I’m not afraid. However, I have never done anything that would court death or the fury of the spirits, therefore I do not fear ghosts that come knocking in the night,” Fu Qiuning said as she continued to walk to her room. “As for you two, let me ask you, have you done anything bad lately? If not, why are you so frightened- [2] eep!”
[2] “Eep!!” the maids reflexively screamed. Yu Jie was hyperventilating.
[2] However, Fu Qiuning merely smacked her soundly on both cheeks, “Enough with that. Don’t wake the children or the other servants. I just saw a shadow passing by. I do believe you’re right, but…”
[2] “G-ghost! Ghost, ah!” This time, Aunt Yu was next to Yu Jie, huddling and trembling with fear. “Wh-what should we do? What should we do!?”
Fu Qiuning looked around, the shadow was gone, but she still had to deal with these two trembling maids. “Maybe the passerby wanted some travelling money. Send someone out to buy paper money tomorrow and we’ll burn some for them tomorrow night. Poor thing, looks like even in death, money is very important for travelling.”
“M-madam, are you not afraid at all?”
Fu Qiuning looked at the window where she had seen the shadow and smiled, “Aren’t ghosts just souls of people who had shed their flesh? Without flesh, what harm could they do to us? It is one thing if we have wronged them and they haunt us for revenge, but since we have nothing to do with them, what is there to be afraid of?”
“M-madam is really not afraid of things that come knocking?” Yu Jie looked like she was about to cry.
“Not really, to be honest, I’d like to meet one. I wonder what the afterlife is like. I also want to know, when an old person dies, would they revert back to their youthful looks? Or would they enter the underworld as old and bent people? Is the underworld filled with old people? I can’t know unless I ask them, right?”
[2] Hidden on the roof, Yang Ming nearly tumbled off. He had whooshed across the window directly in the Madam’s line of sight just to frighten her, but… what kind of backbone did this Madam have, ah? Are you some kind of spirit or immortal yourself? What normal person would even think about meeting ghosts and asking them questions, ah?
Aunt Yu’s trembling voice said, “S-surely not, all kinds of people die each year, including the young. Surely, the underworld can’t be full of the old…”
Fu Qiuning said, “Well, isn’t it normal for the old to die first? Unless there is a war, of course. Thankfully, our nation is stable and happy. With the protection of soldiers and other people who defend the nation, more people die of old age than any other reasons…”
Meanwhile, Yang Ming retreated in defeat, abashed and guilty…
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“Young Marquis, I believe it is best to give up on this scheme. This pretending to be a ghost thing will never work.”
Jin Fengju had stationed himself by the gate, waiting for his beloved to scream in fear before leaping out from the shadows to ‘coincidentally appear’ before his beloved to perform the Hero Rescuing the Beauty act. However, the only thing that came out of this scheme was his bodyguard slinking like a goose with a broken wing. Before Jin Fengju could ask his questions, Yang Ming had already sunk his plans with this one statement.
“Imperial Guard Yang, no need for such defeatist words. We have yet to launch the main attack. Our Second Madam Ning’s courage is great, so how could a few gusts of wind frighten her? Now that we know that she is not so easily frightened, surely we can now put on proper makeup and launch another attack tomorrow night? I’m sure she would be frightened then.” Jin Ming quickly supported his master. What a joke, if this ghostly trick failed here, what other ways could they use to force Fu Qiuning out of Night Breeze Pavilion, ah?
“Jin Ming is right. Yang Ming, do not be discouraged by temporary setbacks. What did I say to you before? One must keep fighting in spite of setbacks and never give up. Come, tell us in detail what happened tonight. We are too far away to hear what they were saying, but I have the impression that Aunt Yu and Yu Jie were frightened. It looked like only the Second Madam maintained her composure.” Jin Fengju was a little embarrassed to call Fu Qiuning by her name in front of his subordinates and addressed her by ‘Second Madam’ instead.”
“There is no need for the Young Marquis to be modest. The Second Madam is clearly a heroine in her own right. This subordinate had been with Young Marquis for many years and had to question my own eyes and ears. Just where did this courage and composure come from, ah? It is as though nothing could shake her,” Yang Ming was about to continue when he saw Jin Fengju waving a hand, indicating for him to stop.
Indeed, this information alone was enough to make the Marquis press a hand over his heart in pain. Yang Ming looked at his leader sympathetically, he thought: Luckily the Marquis had been trained from birth till now on ways to maintain his composure. Otherwise, in the face of such a Madam, surely the Capital’s most beautiful man would have been tormented to death? Why is there such a bold and daring woman, ah?
“Master, what… what should we do next?” Jin Ming blinked his eyes at his master, thinking: What a tiresome person this Second Madam Ning is, ah. Look at how she makes us men miserable. Even our poor Young Marquis, with his unparalleled wisdom and schemes that won him battles from a thousand miles away, unexpectedly kicked an iron plate when it came to the Second Madam. Moreover, this iron plate was red-hot and covered in spikes.
“Move according to the original plan. Dress up well for tomorrow,” Jin Fengju announced expressionlessly as he stood up.
“Ah? We… we are still going through with the ghostly costume?” Yang Ming was becoming anxious. He thought: I am no match for Second Madam Ning, ah. Young Marquis, please spare this one.
“Success or failure will be decided in one stroke. If this scheme truly fails tomorrow, I shall never trouble Imperial Guard Yang again,” Jin Fengju patted Yang Ming’s shoulder comfortingly before turning around to leave.
“Imperial Guard Yang, our Master has never treated anyone with such courtesy before. It shows just how much esteem he has for you. No need to make such a face. Didn’t Master already say? Regardless of whether the scheme is a success or not, he would not trouble you anymore,” Jin Ming said with a beaming smile.
However, Yang Ming was not at all comforted by his words. After all, [1b] he of all people knew just how tricky and cunning this Young Marquis was. That the Young Marquis had already stepped on this dark road of sending ghosts to plague the Second Madam, and if it were to end up in failure, the Young Marquis would only come up with another clever trick to achieve his goals.
What ‘shall never trouble’ me again?
[1b] Until the Young Marquis gets what he wants, he would use this poor Imperial Guard again and again.
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“Has Fengju been sleeping badly? The dark circles under your eyes are rather prominent,” the old emperor raised his head from looking at various memorials to adjust the glasses at the bridge of his nose. That’s right, glasses. Although Fu Qiuning had not seen them yet, things like glasses already existed in this world. The Old Madam did not need to read any fine print, and therefore did not need them.
“To answer Your Majesty’s question, this minister is just anxious over some household matters,” Jin Fengju answered respectfully. He had just handed over the memorial for the impeachment of the Ministry of Rites. As the official censor, he had the power to start rumours. Naturally, he wielded this power with prudence. Without evidence, he would not act.
“Oh? What kind of household matters? Tell Us about it, perhaps it could relieve some of your worries. We have lived many more years than you,” the emperor placed the memorial back on the table and looked at this young man, whom he regarded as a son, with great interest. After all this young man was incredibly intelligent and capable, therefore, it was difficult for the emperor to imagine just what kind of problem would cause Jin Fengju to lose sleep. Thus, the emperor became inordinately interested.
On Jin Fengju’s side, he was dumbfounded to hear the emperor’s question. He thought: Your Majesty, ah. When did you become so curious about other people’s business, ah? Could it be that you caught the old people’s nosiness from the empress dowager?
Even so, there was no way he could give voice to these thoughts, instead, he vaguely said, “It’s really nothing much. Just some general issues. The relationship between my wives and concubines is not very harmonious, ah.”
The old emperor nodded sympathetically at this. He sighed and said, “That’s right, ah. Women’s hearts are like needles at the bottom of the sea. Who knows what they are really thinking? As the emperor of three palaces and six courtyards, it is even more difficult to maintain harmony between the many imperial concubines.”
[Gumihou: I think we are meant to find Jin Fengju’s desperation cute]
[1] Add Detail:
[1a] Allow Fu Qiuning enough brains to put two and two together.
[1b] Show JFJ’s scummy attitude from poor Yang Ming’s perspective
[2] Make the ghost attack more dynamic.
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