Chapter 176: Violent Hate (Unedited)
Author:Â White Pear Flower
Raws:Â https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated Pill Bug
Fu Qiuning: I guess the hate is directed towards me, yet… I cannot help but feel sorry for her
Gumihou presses the corner of a handkerchief to her eye: It is all very sad
*her*: … I hate this
Gumi and FQN patted her on the back
Gumihou: Please read the Edited Version Here
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While the Emperor was escorted back to the palace, there were no assassination attempts or any other dramatic events that often occur in novels and legends. Jin Fengju personally watched the Emperor enter the study, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief and took his leave. The Emperor chuckled and said, “We actually wanted to keep you here, but you still have guests to attend to at home. It’s fine, you may leave. Do not forget to attend court tomorrow. We are only afraid that these days of leisure could have made you forget that you are still an official of Our Great Ning Empire.”
Jin Fengju quickly knelt down and said, “This official is filled with trepidation and dares not forget the heavy burden this official bear as an official of the Great Ning Empire.”
The Emperor’s gaze flickered, and he nodded with a smile. “That’s good. Keep these words firmly in your heart, and everything will be fine in the future, just as it has always been. Alright, you may leave now.”
“Yes, this official will comply with Your Majesty’s orders, this official and will take his leave,” Jin Fengju replied. He then backed out of the study and happened to encounter Li Dezheng, who had personally come with tea. Jin Fengju smiled and said, “Eunuch Li, if something like this happens again, please try to persuade His Majesty. Who can endure such a sudden event? I wonder how chaotic my estate has become now.”
Li Dezheng chuckled and replied, “Who says I didn’t try to persuade him? Does the Young Marquis still not understand our Emperor’s temperament? This servant knew that your residence wasn’t prepared, so this servant specifically mentioned it to the Emperor. This servant suggested that it would be better to go to the Prince’s palaces since you and the Duke were not in your estate. However, His Majesty did not agree. Young Marquis, your favour and prestige have truly reached the heavens. Except for the princes, among the officials, no one else enjoys such favour and grace.”
Jin Fengju laughed and said, “Indeed, I am grateful for the Emperor’s kindness. It’s just that this visit was far too sudden. If we had been informed a few months in advance, we could have made much better preparations.”
After exchanging a few more words with Li Dezheng, this chief eunuch who has been serving at the Emperor’s side for many years and had been observing from the side indifferently all that while, finally understood the situation. He knew that the position of the crown prince was almost certain to fall into the hands of Prince Rong. And who is responsible for this? Wasn’t it as clear as a mirror? Therefore, he paid special attention to Jin Fengju.
After leaving the palace, Jin Fengju hurried back home and went straight to Health& Longevity Court. As he entered, he heard a commotion inside. He quickly walked in and saw Huo’shi, Cui’shi, and others had also arrived in a group with Jiang Wanying, presently gathered around Fu Qiuning, talking about something. They were the concubines and basically didn’t have the qualification to enter the house and meet the Emperor directly, so they could only show their faces after the Emperor had left.
“What’s going on here? Are you all ganging up on her?” Jin Fengju approached and indeed saw Fu Qiuning with a flat expression on her face, a hint of anger in her eyes. She looked at him and said with a smile that wasn’t really a smile, “Lord Husband, ask these Younger Sisters about it. Maybe they couldn’t come in because they were outside, and when they heard that the Emperor asked me a few questions, now they probably want to tear me apart and eat a few pieces of my flesh to share in my glory.”
Jiang Wanying smiled sweetly and said, “Elder Sister is really good at joking. We were merely envious of how the Emperor praised Elder Sister, so we asked a few more questions. How could we dare to tear Elder Sister’s flesh and eat it? Lord Husband would be the first one who would refuse to let us off. Didn’t you see how protective he was of Elder Sister just now? I always thought that heroes saving damsels in distress only happened in plays, but now I’ve personally witnessed our real-life hero here saving a damsel himself.”
Jin Fengju wasn’t interested in arguing with the women. He sneered and said, “It’s good that you know that I’m protecting her. Then, you should also learn to restrain yourselves sometimes. It’s only been a few days since Xu’shi left, and you’re already thinking about a comeback? If you want to make fun of someone, you should also pick a softer persimmon to target.”
Ignoring the displeased expressions on Jiang Wanying’s, Huo’shi’s and the other people’s faces, he then asked Fu Qiuning, “Where did the children go?”
Fu Qiuning replied, “They went to play in the inner court. Has the Emperor returned to the palace?”
Jin Fengju nodded and said, “He has returned. I’m afraid this sudden event has given the people in the estate quite a fright. I’ll go and check on Elder Madam. You should find a place to rest for a while. If it’s too noisy, you can go into the Old Madam’s room and sleep there.” As he spoke, he headed towards Old Madam Jin’s side.
Back there, Jiang Wanying sneered, “Elder Sister, you’ve truly become the apple of his eye. You have really given every little detail a considerable amount of thought. Why don’t you go rest in the room now? Please don’t waste Lord Husband’s efforts.”
Fu Qiuning watched her resentful gaze and suddenly smiled. She slowly sat down on a nearby chair and leisurely said, “Seeing Lord Husband return has lifted my spirits somewhat. It’s not bad to have some excitement to watch. Otherwise, if it were too quiet, life would be meaningless.”
It had been proven that even the most indifferent person shouldn’t be pushed to the limit. Fu Qiuning’s current situation was just the same, like a needle hidden in a sponge. As long as her own interests weren’t threatened, she could ignore their provocations and schemes and take a step back. But if pushed too far, the sharp tip of the hidden needle would reveal how sharp it was: You bitches want a fight, don’t you? Well then, today, this Mommy will play with you to your heart’s content.
In her mind, she roared brazenly without restraint. She finally understood why women in ancient times fought desperately, acted jealous, and tried to please their husbands. Because, in such a patriarchal society, when women had to rely on men to survive smoothly, the feeling of being arrogant and domineering through favouritism was indeed satisfying. At the very least, looking at the gazes of Jiang Wanying and the others, she felt quite happy.
“Elder Sister, please spare us. If Lord Husband turns back and sees us, he might suspect that we are causing you trouble. Younger Sister doesn’t want to bear that accusation.”
Jiang Wanying’s body was trembling faintly with anger. She, a dignified granddaughter of Duke Lu, was being suppressed like this by a shu-born daughter of the palace. Ultimately, who was the prime culprit behind all that? Her gaze involuntarily turned towards the grandparent and grandchild pair on the couch who were chatting and laughing. Hatred grew madly in her heart, accompanied by vicious curses: Don’t be too pleased with yourself yet, don’t think you have already won. There will come a day… There will come a day when I’ll trample you underfoot, all of you. Cousin, if you’re unkind to me, don’t blame me for being unjust to you. She shouted wildly in her heart.
Fu Qiuning’s voice came from beside her, a confident and indifferent tone, pretending to be “hypocritical”: “If you don’t want the master to suspect, isn’t it simple? Just keep your distance from me.” She faced Jiang Wanying’s venomous gaze and a disdainful smile appeared on her lips. “Your eyes look really scary now. Are you really planning to devour me? I advise you to restrain yourself a bit. The master is above, and you never know when his attention might turn this way.”
Jiang Wanying took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: Hmph, what was the point of fighting with this woman? She needed to broaden her perspective. She would make this smug and self-satisfied Jing Dukedom, when they were all in the clouds at their peak, fall from grace. At that time, not just this woman, even her cousin would have to bow down and beg for forgiveness in front of her. The thought of making the usually proud Jin Fengju grovel before her, lifted her mood considerably. She cast a final cold glance at Fu Qiuning before turning away and leaving.
Something… is not right.
Fu Qiuning watched Jiang Wanying’s retreating figure, her brows furrowing tightly: That wasn’t just a simple look of jealousy and resentment. Although it was indeed very venomous, behind that poisonous gaze, there seemed to be an unexpected firmness, as if… it was a look of something breaking inside.
Unable to help herself, she looked up at Jin Fengju, wondering: Could it be that I’m ignorant? Is divorce actually allowed in this era? Only in TV dramas do wives who have decided to completely break ties with a man they once loved, would reveal such a gaze, right? It would take an actor with exquisite acting skills to achieve this.
Jin Fengju exchanged a few words with the Old Madam and then went out to entertain the guests. That day, the Emperor visited the Jing Dukedom incognito, and it was easy to imagine what kind of storm and waves this honour would stir among the visitors. Jin Fengju was busy entertaining until late at night before he could return to Elegant Mansion. When he saw Fu Qiuning still waiting for him on the couch, he asked wearily, “You still have not gone to bed? There’s no need to wait for me on a day like this.”
Fu Qiuning stood up, noticing that the usually tidy and neat Young Marquis had red-rimmed eyes and unsteady steps. His dishevelled hair added to the disorder. He found the heated kang bed and immediately lay down, muttering, “This has exhausted me to death. Let me sleep well. I have to attend court early tomorrow morning. Qiuning, don’t forget to wake me up.”
“Alright, you can sleep peacefully now,” Fu Qiuning picked up a thin silk quilt and covered him. Thinking about how this man had risked himself to speak up for her, how he had managed to convince the Emperor before he laid out his ironclad sentence and save her from a certain fate, her heart was filled with tenderness. She lightly kissed Jin Fengju’s forehead and placed a sobering pill in his mouth before finally resting herself.
The next morning, Fu Qiuning woke up early. Seeing that the sky was already getting bright, she went to the kitchen. Jian Feng was already there, discussing breakfast arrangements with Aunt Qin, the cook. When she saw Qiuning approaching, she hurriedly greeted, “Madam, why don’t you sleep a bit longer? It gets bright very early in the summer, but it’s still early in terms of time.”
Fu Qiuning smiled and replied, “Lord husband has to attend court today, so I can’t be as leisurely as usual. What breakfast have you and Aunt Qin prepared?”
Jian Feng smiled and said, “Nothing special, just the usual, just made some white porridge, heated a few rice dumplings, and asked Aunt Qin to fry some Youtiao. This maid has already sent Xiao Si to buy soy milk from the street. Although it’s bought from the street, it tastes similar to the soy milk we get when we grind tofu at home. We also prepared a few small dishes and boiled some salted duck eggs. Madam, would you like to add anything else?”
Fu Qiuning smiled and said, “No need for anything else, this is very good.” She couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional, thinking that the customs of ancient times were truly simple. In modern times, how could store-bought soy milk compare to freshly ground soy milk at home? And at that time, there was no need to worry about food hygiene, nor worry about random harmful substances added to the food. In a way, this was one of the great advantages of transmigrating back to ancient times. [1]
Of course, along with the advantages, there were also many disadvantages. Life without computers, electric lights, running water, modern comforts, or flush toilets was indeed too inconvenient. Fortunately, when Fu Qiuning was in the modern world, she was deeply obsessed with traditional opera and not so interested in the Internet. Otherwise, if she had become addicted to gaming, life in that ancient era would have been truly torturous.
Still, she often thought about the two novels she was following. Over the years, the author must have already completed them, right? But for her, they had become eternal black holes, causing her heartache just thinking about it.
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1]      I have to object to this. Diarrhoea from food poisoning was a major cause of death in ancient times – it was why beer and wine culture was so widespread, because drinking raw unboiled water often lead to illness (they never realised they had to cook their water too…), and fermenting stuff created alcohol and killed the microorganisms, leading to safe drinks. Nonexistent handwashing before food prep also contributed.Also, no random harmful substances? Silly woman, we’re discovering traditional foods that cause cancer in modern days (chewing betel nut with limewater for example. Also, Koreans have 10x gastric cancer risk compared to US males due to Koreans’ high salt kimchi diet). The random substances were always in them, they just didn’t know about them yet.
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