Higher Level Wife – 173 – The Emperor’s Incognito Visit

Chapter 173: The Emperor’s Incognito Visit

Author: White Pear Flower

Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/

Translated Pill Bug

Edited by Gumihou

Gumihou: Someone was OOC here, but it’s been fixed.

 

Li Dezheng thought: Sigh, looks like there is no dislodging this idea from His Majesty’s head. Although it is true that this type of incognito visit would save the Duke of Jing’s estate some ten or twenty thousand silver in reception money, Your Majesty could cause a ‘direct scare’ instead of a mere ‘disturbance’. Really, what unprepared subject could bear an incognito visit from an emperor? Excessive favour could become unbearable at times.

All sorts of thoughts tumbled through his mind, but he dared not let any pass his mouth. In the end, all he could do was trail after the Emperor to the estate gates.

The servants at the gates had already noticed them, especially their expensive clothing. Moreover, the older man in the lead exuded dignity and elegance as well as an aura of noble authority that betrayed his aristocratic background. There was an oppressive air around him despite the amiable expression on his face. Still, they dared not neglect their duties and after giving their humble greetings, politely inquired, “Honourable guests, please halt. May we ask if you have an invitation?”

Li Dezheng was about to reprimand the servant when the Emperor’s folding fan snapped open. With a slight smile, the Emperor said, “Ignorance is not a sin. What are you showing off for? This is good. The Jin family is an old and prestigious clan that had been around for over a hundred years. Even the gatekeepers are not the type that would bully others for no reason.” He smiled and continued, “Go and inform your masters that Xiao Zou [1] has come to visit.”

When the servants heard his lofty tone, they dared not delay and one of them dashed into the estate.

Right then, Jin Fengju, Jin Shi and Jin Yu were speaking together in the study. Jin Yu said to his son, “It’s getting late, you should make your way to the Old Madam’s place and pay your respects. Come back quickly after that. I fear guests will keep arriving one after another and those young masters from influential families will want to speak with you. Those youngsters will naturally be more restrained before us older folks.”

Jin Fengju stood up and smiled, “Yes, Father. This son will go to Health & Longevity Court now.”

He was about to leave when he heard nervous voices at the door. Jin Ming came in with a bemused expression on his face, “Old Master, there is a person at the door seeking an audience, he calls himself Xiao Zou.”

“Xiao Zou?” Jin Yu, Jin Shi and Jin Fengju looked at each other in confusion. Jin Yu asked, “Did he say anything else? Surely he would have explained his background, right?”

Jin Ming laughed and said, “This servant fears that our gatekeeper had neglected to ask. I had specifically questioned the young man, but all the information they had was ‘Xiao Zou came to visit’, I don’t know if…”

He stopped speaking because his Master’s face suddenly paled.

“Fengju, what’s wrong? Do you know this Xiao Zou?” Jin Yu furrowed his brow. It was extremely rare for this admirable son of his, who had always been reserved and strong-willed, possessing great self-control over his expression since young to show such panic and anxiety. Even he, as a father, had never seen his incredible, amazing, wow, so awesome stuff son lose his composure like this. [2]

“Xiao… Xiao Zou.” Jin Fengju appeared to have lost all his strength. He barely managed to maintain his calm as he stretched out trembling fingers and traced out the character ‘Zhao’ (趙) on the table.

“What?” Jin Yu and Jin Shi immediately understood. Blood drained from their faces as the two older men stared at Jin Fengju. Jin Yu trembled as he stammered, “C-could it be a coincidence? Surely, the emperor… someone of that venerable position would not suddenly visit us like this? If he intends to grace our place with his presence, surely he would have given us notice months ago and allowed us time to properly prepare?”

“I fear that it really is that venerable old person himself,” Jin Fengju slapped his forehead and muttered, “What kind of situation is this?” Then he said to his father and second uncle, “Regardless, even if it’s a mistake, we cannot be negligent. Let’s quickly go to the gates. If it truly is him, there must be a reason for his sudden visit. We cannot be blamed for our lack of preparation. As the saying goes, ignorance is not a sin.”

Although he said all of that, it was mostly to comfort his father and Second Uncle. Jin Fengju himself was so nervous that his heart thundered like a drum as he herded his father and Second Uncle to the side entrance. When they finally caught sight of the tall figure standing just outside their gate, who else could it be if not the Emperor?

Jin Fengju felt his legs go weak, but he still had to gather his courage and support his elders, Jin Yu and Jin Shi. Making sure to keep his face calm, he whispered, “Father, Second Uncle, don’t lose your composure,” before falling back and allowing the two elders to greet the emperor first. When Jin Yu and Jin Shi reached a certain distance, they fell to their knees, touched their foreheads to the ground and shouted, “We, the guilty officials, pay respects to Your Majesty. Long live, long live, long live! Your Majesty has arrived, but we guilty officials have failed to give a proper welcome. This… this great offence, cannot be atoned with ten thousand deaths.”

“Rise, rise. Ignorance is not a sin. It was a sudden decision for Us to come here. What crime have you committed?” The Emperor smiled slightly as he strolled leisurely through the gates. Suddenly, they heard two ‘thuds’ behind them. The two nearby servants who had been keeping an eye on the ‘honourable guest’ finally realised who the mysterious guest was and could not handle the shock and fainted dead away. The rest of the remaining servants had frozen in place, as though someone had hit their paralysing acupoint. Some of them barely breathed.

“Your Majesty, please forgive them. The servants in this official’s mansion are all honest and simple-minded. Upon recognising Your Majesty’s person so suddenly, they must have been overwhelmed with joy and fainted as a result.” Jin Fengju once again forced himself to calm down as he hurried over to personally assist the Emperor down the steps. He turned to Jin Ming, “Call for a few young men to come and carry these two back to the inner court. If they wake up, that’s fine. If they cannot wake up, call for a physician.”

Then, he turned to look at the people travelling with the Emperor and found that there were only a few guards and Eunuch Li Dezheng with him. He could not help but anxiously ask, “How can this be? Even if Your Majesty is travelling incognito, surely it is better to bring more people? With so few people with you, what if you encounter danger? This is no joking matter…”

The Emperor cut him off with a loud burst of laughter. He pointed at his guards with his fan and said, “Did you hear that? Fengju is questioning your skills. He thinks you are not capable enough to protect Us.”

Jin Fengju managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He thought: Really? This person still has the mood to make fun of me like this?

The few guards spoke in unison, “The Young Marquis’ concerns are reasonable. We are concerned for Your Majesty’s well-being as well.”

Seeing that his attempt to sow discord between the guards and his favourite minister had failed, the Emperor appeared somewhat displeased as he snorted and said, “You are the emperor’s guards, and your skills are all top-notch. Where is your confidence? Why are you speaking on his behalf anyway? What benefits did he give you to make you so loyal to him?”

Jin Fengju smiled bitterly and said, “Your Majesty, your guards are all upright and honourable people. Please do not make a joke about your safety. Human capabilities are limited and we cannot guarantee everything. We are all sincerely worried about Your Majesty’s safety. Of the people here, there are two guards whose names I do not even know, so what kind of benefits could I have given them?”

The Emperor laughed heartily as he snapped his fan open, after fanning himself a bit he smiled and said, “We have been feeling a little stifled at the palace and decided to take a little walk on the streets. The Capital is right at the emperor’s feet, We don’t believe there is a single thief with the guts to come pluck a whisker from the tiger’s maw. Moreover, what is the point of dragging too many people around when travelling incognito? Wouldn’t that reveal Our position even more and spoil the fun? As We walked through the streets of Our city, We felt more at ease and comfortable. Eventually, We somehow ended up at the gates of your ducal estate and decided to enter and rest Our legs here. We still have to return to the palace in the evening.”

As he spoke, Jin Fengju had no choice but to nod along agreeably. At that point, there was absolutely no time for any kind of elaborate preparation. Even so, it was still the Jing Dukedom after all. To anyone’s eyes, it was already quite impressive and had been swept spotless in anticipation for the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Emperor was led to the main hall by Jin Yu and Jin Shi, and though they were nervous, they managed to keep a conversation going as they ushered the Emperor into the main chair while they sat in lower-status chairs. Meanwhile, Jin Fengju used the excuse of arranging tea and snacks to sneak a retreat.

Li Dezheng was currently standing right next to the Emperor, so Jin Fengju could only drag one of the eunuch’s apprentices aside and ask in a low voice, “What’s going on? Why did the Emperor suddenly want to go out in disguise?”

The junior eunuch pulled a face and said, “In truth, this servant does not know either. After lunch, His Majesty said he was feeling a little bored and wanted to go out for a walk. After changing into ordinary clothes, he brought only a few people with him and went out. My master tried to dissuade him, but not only did he refuse to be dissuaded, he even scolded my master. Walking through the Capital Streets really did seem to brighten his mood. When he asked after the Duke of Jing’s estate, knowing that the Young Marquis and the Duke were not at all prepared for a visit, Master tried to arrange for the Emperor to visit one of the princes’ estates, but the Emperor refused. This…”

Unsure what else to say, the junior eunuch just spread his hands helplessly.

Jin Fengju furrowed his brows and asked, “Did anything happen before that? Was it really just a spontaneous idea?”

The junior eunuch blinked. He pondered for a long moment before shaking his head, “The emperor’s mood had been very good these past two days. Master and I attended to the emperor most of the time and haven’t heard anything. If there was an incident, someone would naturally inform my master. It should be a spontaneous decision.”

Jin Fengju breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Jin Ming happened to arrive with a tray full of teacups, a teapot and plates of delicately made pastries rattling under his trembling hands. Jin Fengju hastened forward to chuckle, “You good-for-nothing, scared to this point?”

Jin Ming said to Jin Fengju, “Master, you can still laugh. Are you even human?”

Jin Fengju’s smile froze on his face before snorting coldly, “Only Qiuning would appreciate this kind of joke. Oh, what did she use to call it? A cold joke? The kind that can freeze people until they shiver?”

[a1] Jin Ming was quick with his reply, but quicker with his wit, seeing how unhappy his master was, he automatically rearranged his face to show contriteness. Anyway, dignity and pride do not put food on the table. Pride? What pride? Dignity? What dignity? Can these be eaten? Lowering one’s head and catering to the rich and powerful benefited him more. At that moment, he could only admire Second Madam Ning for putting up with this lord’s childish behaviour. That poor woman… Jin Ming mostly had to deal with work-mode Jin Fengju, but Fu’shi was the one who had to deal with that side of him that sends ghosts and snakes into her courtyard.

[a1] Apparently satisfied with his show of contriteness, Jin Fengju nodded sharply and strode off for the main hall. Jin Ming was too much of a professional to roll his eyes, no matter how desperately he wanted to. In the first place, the emperor was still in the estate! He continued to keep his head lowered and held out the tray as his master personally served the tea and pastries to the emperor. Jin Fengju personally poured cups of tea for Jin Yu and Jin Shi before cautiously sitting down at a position lower than his father and second uncle.

[a1] Jin Ming took that opportunity to withdraw and be one with the wall.

The Emperor took a sip of tea, picked up a piece of pastry, and smiled faintly, “Surely these ordinary pastries could not match up to the magnificent Jing Dukedom? Why not find a better chef? We recall rewarding Fengju with quite a sum of gold and silver, yes? Don’t tell me that he is so stingy that he could not spare even this bit of money?”

Jin Fengju thought: Your Majesty, why are you finding fault with our chef? Can you blame him for being nervous when you suddenly drop in on us like this? Do you know just how many plates of snacks and pastries have been dropped in the kitchen when it was made known that you were here? Fortunately, we have some already prepared. Otherwise, if ordered to make more on the spot, I fear that the entire kitchen would have gone up in flames.

 

[Gumihou: I think we’re supposed to find JFJ’s exaggerated ‘weakness’ and ‘helpless running around’ sweet or cute. It just feels all kinds of forced to me. BTW, Jin Ming’s been possessed by the Ghost of Gross Incompetence. Gumi did everyone a favour and exorcised it]

 

[a] To ‘bully’ this JFJ, they even started to make up things. Deleted:

Jin Ming had never joked around with his master before, but at that moment, he didn’t know what came over him. Looking back on it later, he realized that only the term “possessed by a ghost” could describe the impulse he had at that time. He actually said to Jin Fengju, “Master, you can still laugh. Are you even human?”

My memory is not so bad that I cannot recall the few times Jin Ming made similar cheeky remarks that needled JFJ so much that he actually kicked his servant. So, yeeted that bit out.

[a1] Even as the author ‘teased’ JFJ, she did not forget to put down others and raise AR Qiuning in JFJ’s eyes.

Except, ridiculing Jin Ming as ‘a little sycophant who is only occasionally smart’ is already a wrong opening move in so, so many ways. Not the least being that JFJ, being the so-called ‘smart’ man he is, would he really tolerate a foolish servant? Not to mention, Jin Ming’s already shown as a smart mouth, six years ago.

Therefore, deleted this: Seeing the expression on Jin Ming’s face as if he wanted to slap himself, Jin Fengju nodded in satisfaction and left

Gumi made sure Jin Ming has his sassiness with him.

Extra Notes: Aside from the above reasons, the author probably wanted FQN to be the only other intelligent person besides JFJ. Therefore, she dumbed down Jin Ming. This move would further solidify FQN’s existence as a ‘confidante’. Yeah, nope.

Also, subordinates thinking poorly of their masters’ actions is nothing new or groundbreaking. JFJ was being an ass, Jin Ming has every right to belittle him for it in the privacy of his sassy mind.

#GoSassyJinMing

Pill Bug TL Notes:

[1] 肖走 There is also a pun here, 肖走 also sounds like 悄走 “quietly sneaking out”. Watch out, Emperor’s sneaking around! The name joke is also explained later on. The emperor’s name is “趙”, i.e. “ 肖 Xiao + 走 Zou”

[2] The author really DID put something like ‘incredible, amazing, wow, so awesome stuff’ there… So, you get to read it too!

Gumihou: Curious readers may go and verify *nods*

 

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