Chapter 238: A Word or Two
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
Gumihou: Sprinkling logic and sense into the chapter
After being vouched by Fu Qiuning, Luo Cui breathed a careful sigh of relief. Not even Old Madam Jin could fault Fu Qiuning’s argument. She nodded and said, “What you said makes sense. Are we only waiting for Yi’er to wake up? If he had seen those two people, all we need to do is have him quickly name those evildoers.”
Fu Qiuning thought: [1] What two people? Where did you get these ‘two people’ from?
[1] Instead of pointing out this weird detail, Fu Qiuning merely smiled and said, “To reply to the Old Ancestor, Brother Yi has just woken up. He was struck in the head and his mind may not be very clear. He had woken up once before, but I have not pressed him for any answer. For us to have a clear answer, it is best to wait until he has properly calmed down before questioning him. While it is important to capture these ‘evildoers’, surely what is more important is Brother’s health?” [2]Old Madam Jin nodded again, “That is true, that is true. You have a valid point. I am relieved that you are here to take care of the matter. Be sure to investigate it properly.”
Just then, Bai Lu called from outside, “Brother Yi has woken up. Madam, Madam Concubine, please come and see him quickly.” It was only after she had stepped through the door curtain that she realised Old Madam Jin was sitting right in the middle of the most honoured position. Shocked, she quickly knelt to salute the old lady. However, Luo Cui quickly pulled her up. Old Madam Jin was already standing and ready to go. “Good, good, good, now that he is awake, let us quickly go and have a look.”
As an elderly person, Old Madam Jin enjoyed having her grandchildren around. [1a] Moreover, Jin Zhenyi was one of her more lively grandsons, and though he gave Jin Fengju a headache, what elderly did not like a lively grandchild? Even in that ancient era, parents who were strict with their children would still spoil their grandchildren. Otherwise, how would these children dare to defy Jin Fengju all those years? Aside from their mothers, Old Madam Jin was their staunchest backer.
[1a] Even so, her visit was brief and the next thing Fu Qiuning knew, she found the old lady directing Elegant Mansion’s maids to pack up some snacks for her before leaving. [1b] Moreover, Fu Qiuning made sure to have a sedan chair ready to bring Old Madam Jin back. After all, it was one thing for the old woman to arrive huffing and puffing to her place, and it was quite another for Old Madam Jin to leave in the same way. If the old woman dropped dead on the way to her courtyard, who do you think would be blamed? [1c] Once the commotion was over, and Concubine Xu left to sit by Jin Zhenyi’s side, Fu Qiuning returned to her embroidery. However, she had barely managed a few stitches when someone called out, “The Young Marquis is here.”“… …” [3]
Before she could decide what to do, the door curtain was thrown open with a flourish and Jin Fengju was already talking even as he strode in, “I saw the carriage in the courtyard. So, they have brought that person here? Well, Zhenyi should be happy to see his mother, right?”
“As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water,” said Fu Qiuning vaguely. [3] [3a] Jin Fengju beamed at her, still wearing his fox fur cloak. Fu Qiuning knew that he was waiting for her to remove his cloak for him, but then again, the man had arms and hands, so she focused her attention on her embroidery.
“Goodness,” he said loudly. “I have been so busy that I could only return at this hour. I’m so exhausted.”
“Then, Young Marquis should go and rest.”
[4] In the end, he took off his own cloak and sat next to her, crowding into her space as he said, “I have been so busy today that my foot nearly hit the back of my head. That’s right, has Zhenyi woken up yet? Did he say anything? What did he see? Where did the evildoer strike him?”Fu Qiuning thought: You are certainly Old Madam Jin’s grandson. The two of you are too alike.
Instead of answering him, she changed the subject and said, “Just now, Old Madam arrived at my place. She was here to complain about not being told about what happened to Jin Zhenyi. Concubine Xu happened to be here as well, which may be why she was even more upset.”
“But, is the boy-” [4]
Fu Qiuning cut in by saying, “Concubine Xu is now sitting with Brother Yi. It is unclear when he will be clear-headed enough to be interrogated.”
Jin Fengju frowned. “She was here? No, this will disrupt my plans. Fine, I shall just make new ones. I will give you further instructions later. That’s right, have you decided where to keep Meiyun?”
Meiyun was Concubine Xu’s name.
Fu Qiuning said, “For now, Brother Yi is injured, so it would be best for her to stay with him for now. Once he is better, he could return with her to Calling Crane Pavilion…”
[4] The odd grin on his face made her stop speaking. An uneasy feeling coiled in the pit of her stomach.“Now, now, there is no need to think about such things. Why should they go to Calling Crane Pavilion? Are you trying to get rid of them? Have the maids clean out a room here and have her stay there. Brother Yi will be raised by you. So long as she behaves herself, he can see her from time to time. However, Brother Yi must be educated by you.”
[5] A cold feeling ran up her spine and Fu Qiuning gritted her teeth. The offhanded way he spoke about his child and… wife? Woman he slept with? Legally recognised mistress? It chilled her to the bone and she had to stand up and put some distance between them. [4] “Qiuning, are you upset-” [5] Fu Qiuning thought about it and answered, “Yes, I am upset.” [4] Jin Fengju immediately beamed and cuddled close to her, “There now, there is no need to be upset. I know that you do not like having the extra children over, but what can I do? You are the only one I can entrust my children to. Those other women are just, well-” [5] “How is your investigation into Concubine Huo?” She would rather stop whatever nauseating statement he was about to make by talking about something else. Anything else.Thankfully, Jin Fengju switched into work mode as he said in a deliberately calm voice, “Although there are some points of suspicion, now is not the time for a thorough investigation. If word got out, I may never catch the big fish lurking in the background. I have also cautioned my brother-in-law not to act rashly and to pretend that nothing is out of place.”
“I see, well, as they say, there are no walls that do not let the wind through,” said Fu Qiuning philosophically.
Jin Fengju was quiet for such a long time after that she could not help but look up. He was looking at her with such watery eyes that she had to stifle a shudder. “What?”
“Qiuning, ah. If I say that you may have to endure some hardships with me, would you be… willing?”
[3b] “… Young Marquis, please remember that I have already endured six years of hardship because of you.”“… …”
[4] Suddenly, Jin Fengju stood up. For some reason, he pointed a finger at the ceiling and said loudly “Recently, the ambitious Heartwind Kingdom in the southwest suffered a heavy blow. After rescuing Softstone Kingdom from great danger, who would have thought that trouble would suddenly brew in the northwest? When I was at the palace earlier, the Emperor was incredibly furious and declared that though he had accomplished great literary and military achievements in his life, the world must have been at peace for too long and those puny border countries had forgotten the might of the Great Ning Emperor. Although it was never directly mentioned, I believe the Emperor intends to personally lead the troops to war!”Fu Qiuning wondered whether she was required to clap at the end of this speech. Before she could decide what to do, Jin Fengju shook his head and said, “After the Emperor vented his wrath, he suddenly started to question myself and Brother-in-law. At that time, we did not think much of the matter and focussed on giving the best answer. Thinking back, I fear that the Emperor intended to take Brother-in-law northwest, leaving me to assist the Crown Prince in governance.”
“… is that so…” was the only thing she could think of to say. “Goodness, how, unexpected.”
“Indeed! As the saying goes, what noble son could sit still at home, let alone the emperor and a prince? I too was confused by what happened, but looking at another perspective, if Brother-in-law were to accompany the emperor, so long as His Majesty wishes it, it would not be impossible for Brother-in-law to earn military merit and establish connections with the army. Though Brother-in-law may not be the crown prince, I do not boast when I say that he, in fact, excels better than the Crown Prince in everything. The only thing he lacks is military prestige. Not to mention, with the Emperor gone, the Crown Prince would be given temporary authority over the Capital. There is no way that he can restrain himself from acting recklessly. Qiuning, this could be it! Isn’t it entirely possible that the Emperor did this to test how far his son would go? It must be as you said, the Emperor is a wise ruler who holds real power in his hands and is now testing to see which of his sons is worthy to succeed him!!”
“Ah… that’s…” Fu Qiuning resisted the urge to knead her forehead. “Lord Husband, this humble woman only has this to say. The sage’s heart is deep and difficult to fathom. It is best not to speculate too much…” [2]
“Yes… yes, that’s right. You’re right, of course, Qiuning.” Jin Fengju nodded and went silent for a long time. Then, he said, “That’s right, it is too early to speculate about anything. It would be best to… figure out the issue closer to us now. We must discover the evildoer who had injured Brother Yi. If it truly was that wench, my plans would be completely disrupted. It would be impossible for a seven-year-old child to act as though he had forgotten everything he had seen. If it was Changfeng, it would still be possible…”
[3] Fu Qiuning thought: Wow, you really have no faith in your son, do you? Even now, you’re more concerned about him ruining your ‘plans’ than his actual health. [3] “Are you truly concerned about your son, or your plans?” [4] “O-of course, I care about my son. I care for him very, very much!” [5] “Of course you do,” said Fu Qiuning serenely. “I’m sure you do, very much.” [4] “Yes, yes, I do.” [5] “Which means you’re also willing to give his mother some face and see her.” [4] “This…” Jin Fengju frowned. He recalled how that woman had stirred up trouble in the past. To frame Fu Qiuning and Jin Changfeng, she had even taken a blade to her son’s face. She even taught her children to speak those nasty words to provoke Jin Changfeng into attacking. How could he think well of such a despicable person?However, looking at Fu Qiuning with her clear, expectant eyes, he suddenly felt his own heart softened. That’s right, from the reports he had received, Concubine Xu had been much quieter lately. He was still thinking about it when Fu Qiuning left to check on dinner in the kitchen. After some more thought, he sent for Bai Lu, who had been sitting vigil for Jin Zhenyi. When she arrived, he said, “Go and tell your Madam Concubine to take good care of Zhenyi. There is no need for her to come and see me.”
Bai Lu bowed her head, breathing a private sigh of relief. She knew that this master loathed the sight of Concubine Xu. Rather than making him angry, it was better to just stay out of sight. After answering some questions about Jin Zhenyi’s condition, she bowed and left as quickly as possible.
When Fu Qiuning found out about this later, [5] she thought: As expected, he refused to even take a second look at a woman who had ‘wronged’ him. How typical. Back when original!Fu Qiuning married him, he refused to even share a room with her, acting like he was the biggest victim in the whole world…
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The next day, after sending the biggest victim in the whole world to morning court, Fu Qiuning was about to settle down and relax when she saw Concubine Xu stalking towards her, her face wreathed with anger.
The sharp glint in her eye had Fu Qiuning send all the maids out of the room and had Yu Jie guard the door. Even so, Concubine Xu did not take any chances. She stormed closer to Fu Qiuning and whispered, “Madam, Brother Yi told me last night that the ones who injured him were Concubine Huo’s maid and a maid from Second Madam Ying’s place.”
Fu Qiuning thought: Wow, Old Madam must be a psychic.
[Gumihou: The whole chapter felt rushed, it felt like the author was rushing through the scenarios just to linger around the lovey-dovey scenes.]
[1] Point out plot holes, which could well be Old Madam being senile [1a] Explain Old Madam’s ‘love’ for her grandchild in a more reasonable way other than ‘absolute goodness and lurv’ [1b] Fix sedan chair plothole by turning it into a scheme [1c] Fix the existence of Concubine Xu’s plothole [2] Deleted kleber and leading statements [3] Deleting unwarranted ‘kyaa~’ scenes since 2021 [3a] Removed the ‘loving cloak removing’ scene [3b] Deleted unwarranted ‘iyan~’ moment [4] Creeper Fengju [5] Real reaction to a creeper
