Higher Level Wife – 218 – Shocking Changes

Chapter 218: Shocking Changes

Author: White Pear Flower

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

Translated by Pill Bug

Edited by Gumihou 

Gumihou: Eiii, let’s make things realistic yet dramatic. Also, make the children more like children and less like caricatures of children.

 

Jin Fengju still had more to say, but since Fu Qiuning was the one who made the decision and this was Elegant Mansion, he swallowed his anger and kept his annoyance to himself. When he looked up again, he saw Yu’shi, Luo’shi and his children crowding around the older women’s waists. The women looked shocked and fearful, the children’s faces were… Jin Changjiao and Jin Zhenyi looked fearful while Jin Changfeng and Jin Xiunan looked wary.

[a] Standing protectively in front of them was Fu Qiuning, staring back at him with a stony expression. It was then that his anger started dropping, replaced by a bottomless sense of defeat.

[b] “It’s been a tiring day,” said Fu Qiuning. “Everyone should just rest early.”

Once the children had been herded away, she took one look at Jin Fengju and said, “Well? What are you doing-”

Before she could finish, Jin Fengju suddenly covered his mouth and rushed out of the room as if he flew, vomiting in the courtyard. [a] Fu Qiuning looked at him in fascination for a while before turning to Jin Ming.

“What’s wrong with Lord Husband?”

Jin Ming shook his head. He even had the audacity to shrug and say, “This servant doesn’t know. The Emperor summoned a few trusted ministers and our Young Marquis to an evening banquet. This servant was waiting outside the whole time. When it finally turned dark and Young Marquis came out, he refused to wear his raincoat or even a hat, rejected both horse and palanquin and ran all the way back. Poor Little Four suffered for it.”

Fu Qiuning [c] turned to Jian Feng, “Go to the kitchen and instruct them to stew some ginseng chicken soup and prepare two more sweet porridge dishes.”

Jin Fengju was still heaving in a corner, so she could not just leave or it would look bad. She stood under the veranda with a blank-faced Jin Ming after having dismissed everyone else and said, “Your master has a rather dramatic temper.”

Jin Ming merely coughed and said nothing.

She considered leaving the man to heave and gag dramatically in the rain. However, it was clear that Jin Fengju wanted her to do something. Rolling her eyes, she picked up an umbrella and sloshed through the cold rain to recite, “Fortunes and misfortunes are two sides of the same coin, and extreme happiness can lead to great sorrow. When the sky falls, one should bear the weight first.”

She thought: There, that sounded nicely cryptic and dramatic, right?

As expected, after hearing Fu Qiuning’s dramatic lines, Jin Fengju shook himself in a ‘struck by a thought’ way and looked up with shimmering eyes at Fu Qiuning. Then, he turned to Jin Ming and said, “You can go back. Return in the morning to prepare me for court. Qiuning is right; even if the sky falls, we still have to bear the weight first.”

He turned his eyes back to Fu Qiuning and said, “Alright, have someone prepare hot water for me so I can wash up and change my clothes, then we will talk.”

Fu Qiuning raised her eyebrows: Talk? Talk what? You go do your man thing or whatever and don’t drag me into this.

However, knowing that this was impossible, she sighed and turned to Jin Ming, who was still dithering around, and said, “Just go back, I will handle it.”

After Jin Ming scuttled off with one last sympathetic look at her, she resigned herself to removing Jin Fengju’s wet clothes and left him to steep miserably in the hot water that the capable maids had already prepared. Probably at Jin Ming’s orders. [c2]

Fu Qiuning considered what could have happened to this man with the indestructible ego for a moment, before deciding that it was too annoying to bother herself with it. If he wanted to tell her, he would tell her, regardless of whether she wanted to know or not. Therefore, when Jin Fengju walked out with heavy footsteps, sat down opposite her and proceeded to gaze at her without speaking, she resolved to stay quiet and not encourage his dramatics.

Finally, the one who could not stand the silence sighed and said, “What are you thinking about?”

[a1] “If it rains tomorrow, the children will have to stay at home and study on their own. I am thinking that I should have the kitchen prepare more ginger soup to prevent colds.”

“… nothing else?”

[b1] Fu Qiuning considered the hopeful expression on Jin Fengju’s face and decided to take a stab. The only thing Jin Fengju was really concerned about in this world was himself, and… well, how others thought of him. Oh, yes, there was that one other thing, the steed he was betting on. “Does it have anything to do with the crown prince position?”

Jin Fengju immediately straightened his posture to stare at her for a long while. Fu Qiuning braced herself. Jin Fengju breathed in deeply and said, “You are right, it is about the crown prince position.”

[b1] “As expected,” Fu Qiuning said as she nodded to herself. “Did the… ahem, did something unexpected happen?” She very nearly said ‘the horse you bet on’. [c3]

Jin Fengju laughed bitterly and said, “You may find it impossible to believe, but the Emperor has just named Prince Lie as crown prince! Honestly, my heart was even more shocked than you. I wanted to go to the Emperor and loudly demand what he was thinking, but I had to endure it stubbornly. In that situation, I had to clench my teeth and bear it. Even though I am an important advisor to the Emperor, I am also Prince Rong’s brother-in-law. At a time like this, it is not my place to speak. And even if I forcefully spoke up, it would only worsen the situation.”

“I see, I see,” Fu Qiuning nodded several times. [c3] She really could not care less who was made crown prince. Sure, the steed they were betting on lost the race, but Fu Qiuning had already resolved to run away if the going got hard. Only power maniacs would concern themselves with who got their bottom onto the big chair.

Jin Fengju coldly chuckled, “The Emperor’s mind is inscrutable. Who knows what the old man is thinking? I have also been racking my brain, but I still cannot make sense of it. Just how did the position of crown prince end up on Prince Lie’s head?”

Fu Qiuning nodded sagely, “Indeed, that is most inconvenient.” [c3]

Jin Fengju gave a bitter laugh in reply, “Inconvenient is the least of it! Naturally, some inquiries have been made, and several of them were from high-ranking officials. Lord Guo, the Minister of Finance’s words could even be called “fervent”. However, it provoked the Emperor’s anger. He claimed that while Prince Lie lacked significant accomplishments, he acted decisively and resolutely. He said that when Prince Hong previously wanted to stir up trouble, showing signs of disloyalty, only Prince Lie could quell such intentions.

Although Prince Rong doesn’t have any noteworthy achievements or faults, with such a moderate temperament, he would either be a mediocre person or a deeply strategic person. With his soft temperament, the Emperor fears that a hundred years hence, when Prince Hong causes trouble, Prince Rong will not be able to contain it with his gentle nature. He also said that since the officials were so vehement, had they formed a faction with Prince Rong? Furthermore, he banished Minister Guo from the palace. It was fortunate that several high-ranking officials joined forces to plead on his behalf, preventing him from losing his office and position.”

[b1] Fu Qiuning was getting dizzy from nodding along with everything that was said. She was still nodding when it grew too silent, signalling that Jin Fengju wanted her to say something. So, she murmured something perfunctory, “A thousand missions, all amounting to a pile of yellow sand. Now I truly understand. Indeed, this taste can be called the most unbearable.”

Jin Fengju drank two gulps of hot tea, and though he usually enjoyed it, he felt no taste on his tongue. He shook his head and said, “Should I encourage my brother-in-law to vie for the position? Prince Hong has already been banished to Shandong. Does my brother-in-law need to be banished too for it to be considered done with? The Emperor is partially right; Prince Lie is indeed resolute and decisive. Pei, what resolute and decisive, it would be better to call him ruthless. If my brother-in-law and I did not protect ourselves and show restraint everywhere, once Prince Lie ascends to the throne, I fear that the first thing he would do is to exterminate us.”

“Indeed,” Fu Qiuning resisted the urge to knead her forehead as the man continued to complain. [c3]

Jin Fengju paused and seemed lost in thought for a while, to the point that Fu Qiuning wondered if she could just sneak away and go to bed when he started muttering again. “The Emperor himself was a resolute man in his younger days. Perhaps he did not consider so many factors and simply thought that because Prince Lie had achieved remarkable military feats, he would be similarly resolute and decisive, and if Prince Hong stirred up any trouble, he would be able to swiftly subdue him, preventing widespread suffering among the people. Right, perhaps he is just thinking along these lines. As for being ruthless, Prince Lie is the Emperor’s own son after all. How could the Emperor think of him in such a way?

Fu Qiuning shrugged her shoulders in her best ‘I’m just a dumb woman’ way and said, “Who knows, it is possible that the emperor has a plan. It is possible that he was testing the princes. It is also possible that he was just senile. Who knows what is truly going on?” [c3]

 

[Gumihou: This chapter was painful, to say the least…]

 

[a] Let’s add realism!

[a1] Let’s add more realism!

[b] Replaced ‘der der clevered’ AR Qiuning with someone who is actually intelligent

[b1] Actually intelligent FQN and not a der der cleverer Qiuning

[c] Deleted false statement by Jin Ming: This servant also did not dare to ask him about it. After following him for so many years, this is the first time he’s physically attacked the servants. 

Gumihou: Dude, this asshole not only kick you wayyyy back in chapter 17, he also kicked Jin Zhenyi in chapter 214. What the heck are you talking about?

Jin Ming: Obviously, the one speaking was not me.

[c1] Deleted 150 words of ‘comforting speech’. It was mostly about ‘never gib up’ and ‘you da best’, so, eh

[c2] Deleted 400 words of AR Qiuning cracking her pretty little idiotic head over what could be bothering her dearest UwU hubby~~

[c3] Deleted 400 words of OMG hubby is soooo right!!

 

 

 

Come join kitchennovel’s subscription!

Or, you can still support us through Patreon or tip us via Kofi~!

     

Although… it’s, um, you only get half the benefits… but, the decision is in your hands!

Do also comment at Novelupdates and raise our ratings!