Chapter 175: The Old Emperor’s Belated Assistance
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
While Fu Qiuning pondered over what to say, Jin Fengju laughed and said, “Qiuning, did you not hear the Emperor’s question? Do you wish me to speak for you?”
Fu Qiuning thought: Can’t you just report to the Emperor that I’m a mute wife? What’s the problem with speaking for me? You brought this trouble here, and so it’s only fair that you shoulder it…
Wait, no, she should absolutely not let Jin Fengju speak for her.
It would be stupid to talk too much now. Speaking too many words would only make her look like she is being falsely humble while trying to take credit for something that is not hers.
Well then, if that is the case…
Fu Qiuning silently stepped forward, lowered her eyes and said, “In response to Your Majesty the Emperor, the Young Marquis overly praised this poor humble woman. This humble woman dares not take credit for something that belongs to others.”
“Oh? Something that belongs to others? Was it Fengju who created it?”
The Emperor took a sip of his tea as he recalled Jin Fengju’s words from that day. Certainly, it was more likely that Jin Fengju had created the hotpot than a shu-born daughter of Zhenjiang Palace. If Jin Fengju had really credited something he had made to this woman… now that he thought about it, surely it was too arrogant of Zhenjiang Palace to match a shu-born daughter as a main wife to the proud and talented heir apparent of such a house like the Jin Marquisate?
Fu Qiuning hesitated. She sported a confused look on her face as she said, “The Young Marquis mentioned that Your Majesty has a poor appetite and… that is all this humble woman knows of the matter.”
Her goal was to portray herself as a stupid woman. The dumber and duller she appeared, the better for her. Jin Fengju would look like an idiot in love, but that was not her problem. Her main problems were the eyes staring holes into the back of her head, wishing she would just catch fire and die.
Jin Fengju thought: Great, now all credit is pushed onto me, moreover, it looked like I was giving her unnecessary credit to make her look better before the emperor.
He was about to speak more of Qiuning’s accomplishments when the Emperor casually said, “You are from the Zhenjiang Palace, correct? How is your grandfather doing lately? It’s been a while since We last saw him.”
Jin Fengju’s heart skipped a beat, looking at the Emperor in disbelief. He wondered: What’s going on? Why is the Emperor asking about that old thing from the Zhenjiang Palace? Could he have remembered Qiuning’s identity, and he now wants to balance the scales? Aiyo, I beg you, old man, can you not meddle in this matter? Where were you when the Zhenjiang Palace slapped our marquisate? Now that Qiuning and I are happily married, you suddenly remember that I suffered, and you want to play the knight in shining armour and break up my lovely romance?
Fu Qiuning did not understand the Emperor well enough and replied to the question with a neutral, “Grandfather is still in good health when this humble woman visited him last year. Thank you greatly for Your Majesty’s concern.”
“Hm,” the Emperor hummed and said lightly, “although it is said that a married daughter is like spilt water. One should visit one’s birth parents often.” He looked at Jin Fengju and smiled ambiguously, “Should We grant your wife some vacation time, ah?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone in the room changed. Madam Jiang and Jiang Wanying nearly cheered while Fu Qiuning merely blinked. Hmm, if she was sent back, could she stay with her mother in her friend’s courtyard? From the looks of it, that courtyard was a little out of the way and… perhaps she could even escape the palace with her mother and set up shop in some small village-
Jin Fengju practically threw himself at the Emperor’s feet and begin talking very quickly, “In response to Your Majesty, when my mother-in-law was seriously ill, Qiuning went back to her maternal home for a few days. As a result, the estate was almost thrown into chaos during those days. Old Madam Jin fell ill, and the two children, who could not see their mother, refused to eat, causing a fuss and ending up catching a serious illness. That is why this official did not let Qiuning return to the Palace during this period. After a few days, when the weather becomes hotter, the shipments of ice blocks from Tian Shan will arrive, and this official would escort Qiuning to his mother-in-law at that time.”
His words were getting more and more incoherent. No one in the room, least of all the emperor, would believe that the Dukedom would fall into chaos just because one woman was gone. It was understandable that the children missed their mother, but the Old Madam falling ill due to an absent granddaughter-in-law was a bit excessive. Jin Fengju said all that just to indicate to the Emperor and everyone else that he didn’t want Fu Qiuning to leave. That he wanted this woman to stay beside himself.
The emperor’s eyes flickered slightly, and he couldn’t help but look at Fu Qiuning. No matter how he looked, she only looked like an ordinary woman to him. Not only was she not some country-toppling beauty, but from her words alone, she even sounded a little stupid. What was it about her that attracted the eyes of a young man whom the emperor admired, loved, and even wished was his own son?
As he pondered over various things, the emperor murmured, “If that is the case, then forget about it. This is your family affair after all. We shall not interfere too much.” When he was done speaking, his gaze fell upon Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao. He looked surprised, “Are these your children? Surely, they are about seven or eight years old?”
What kind of joke is this? Has Our memory declined? This Fengju brat only got married about five or six years ago, didn’t he? How could he have children this old with Fu Qiuning? Wait, they were from this woman, right? The children were right beside her when they entered earlier.
The emperor privately howled in his heart: Is there really something wrong with Our memory?
“In response to Your Majesty, Qiuning has no children. These two are fostered under her name,” said Jin Fengju with a flushed face. He thought: What are you doing, Your Majesty? Are you trying to expose my past behaviour?
He deliberately addressed Fu Qiuning by her name in front of the emperor, which was normally inappropriate. But didn’t the emperor say that he wanted to be treated like a close friend or relative while he was in the estate? Since he was so lonely at the top, Jin Fengju decided to ignore these little details and mentioned Qiuning’s name for the shock value. Moreover, it would also indicate to the emperor that the two were deeply in love with an underlying plea for His Majesty to be magnanimous and not try and seek revenge for him after all those years.
The Emperor [1] looked at the play before him with a raised eyebrow. He recalled the hotpot that Jin Fengju had brought in last time, and how every other word dripping from this minister’s mouth was filled with praises of his official wife. So, it looked like the ‘love’ might be real, considering how Fengju had more or less panicked and started to talk nonsense to try and stop him from sending that shu-born daughter away.
As for the two fostered children, if their looks were anything to go by, they have been treated well within the estate. Moreover, considering the suddenness of his visit, if the twins really had been mistreated, they would not be able to cover it up so quickly. This further cement the impression that this woman was both benevolent and virtuous. Perhaps that was why Jin Fengju wished to keep the woman by his side. Certainly, it would benefit the man of the house to bestow favour upon a virtuous and kind person who could endure hardship, and yet not carry a grudge.
The Emperor smiled approvingly at Jin Fengju. It looked like this beloved minister knew how to maintain his harem well. Perhaps he is one of those rare ones with a peaceful inner court. With this in mind, he beckoned for the twins to come forward, “Come here, what are your names?”
Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao quickly and respectfully answered. The Emperor questioned Jin Changjiao a little about literature. The questions were initially simple but grew more profound when the young boy answered with ease. Jin Changjiao’s composed response piqued the Emperor’s interest. He continued to grill the child, as though he was determined to be the winner in this little question-and-answer session. When Jin Changjiao finally struggled to answer, he stopped and looked at Jin Fengju, “Sure enough, a tiger does not beget a dog. Your son is quite extraordinary. I recall that you won third place at the Imperial Examinations? Perhaps one day, your Dukedom could produce a first-place winner. This must surely be your excellent guidance.”
What lofty praise this was! Jin Fengju quickly smiled and replied, “Your Majesty, you flatter me too much. It is all thanks to Qiuning’s good teachings. Over the years, this official has been busy with state affairs and was rarely at home. This official dare not claim credit for his children’s education.”
The Emperor turned to Fu Qiuning and nodded, saying, “It is as We heard. You are a virtuous one, having raised these outstanding seedlings.”
Fu Qiuning felt her throat go dry. As a shu-born woman of no importance, the only reason the emperor would have ‘heard’ about her would be through Jin Fengju. Sure enough, this man was out to have her killed.
Keeping her head lowered, she fell to her knees and said, “This humble woman dare not claim credit for these exaggerated praises. Talents nurture themselves, Zhenxuan and Second Young Miss are more well-read even at five or six years old.”
Jiang Wanying’s head lifted slightly, and she sneered in her heart: Hmph, at least, you understand the situation and know that you can’t hog all the limelight.
The Emperor gave Fu Qiuning a profound look. Then, he called Jin Zhenxuan over and began to question him about his studies as well.
Then, the Emperor looked at Jin Yanfang and the other young women next to her, recalling the officials who had been killed by bandits. A hint of sadness touched him, and he offered them a few words of comfort. As they continue to exchange words like that, the sun slowly moved towards the west.
Jin Fengju looked at the sky and stepped forward, saying, “Your Majesty, it is getting late. If this official is not mistaken, there should be a palace banquet during the Dragon Boat Festival, and there would also be dragon boat races. I believe that the boatmen from the princes’ palaces have been training hard for days, hoping to have the opportunity to be witnessed by Your Majesty. If Your Majesty is unable to attend, not only will they be disappointed, even the princes themselves will feel let down.”
Upon hearing these words, the Emperor stood up and said, “You’re right. We have tarried too long outside, and the Empress Dowager in the palace is probably worried.” Turning to Old Madam Jin, he continued, “When you have the time, you should visit the palace. The Empress Dowager has been complaining about the lack of company recently. Life in the palace, even with many children and grandchildren around, cannot compare to the comfort and ease of a family like yours.”
The Old Madam quickly agreed, and only then did the Emperor leisurely walk out of the door. Arriving at the front hall, he saw people pouring out from all sides of the house, the scenery black from all their bowed heads kneeling in the courtyard, shouting praises. The Emperor smiled and said, “Indeed, it’s the Dragon Boat Festival, and I suppose the visiting noble families’ young lords and young ladies will not be in short supply. Very well, you can all go back now. These people also need to be entertained.”
Jin Fengju quickly said, “This official will accompany Your Majesty back to the palace. If this official doesn’t personally see Your Majesty safely return, how can this official have the heart to entertain guests?”
The Emperor knew he was speaking the truth and smiled faintly, “Woo, alright.” After saying that, he walked out of the gate and saw that although the Imperial Guards did not come forward, Jin Fengju’s guards from his days as an Imperial Envoy were all assembled.
[Gumihou: I can’t believe White Pear Flower actually dared to use the Emperor to polish JFJ’s ass]
[1] The author made use of the Emperor to wash JFJ’s ass white. Eeeyaahhhh, nope. Since everyone’s been saying how nasty, sneaky, suspicious this emperor is, let him be portrayed as nasty, sneaky and suspicious; competitive too since he did not want to ‘lose’ to a child.
Pill Bug TL Notes:
￣\_(ツ)_/￣
Gumihou:
（￣□￣；）
