Chapter 239: Another Mole
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Gumihou: Delete all instances of ‘Wife Farts Gold and Hubby Shits Rainbow’
Watching Concubine Xu seethe through gritted teeth, she resisted the urge to pat the other woman’s shoulder and say ‘there, there’. Concubine Xu would probably explode with anger if she actually did that. In the end, Fu Qiuning could only sigh and say, “Well, at least you did not storm off to Clear Soft Pavilion to scream at those people [a].”
Concubine Xu was silent for so long that Fu Qiuning wondered whether she had overdone it with her little quip. She was about to reassure Concubine Xu when the woman whispered, “When I was at the farmstead, I faced all kinds of treatment. During my idle moments, I spent a lot of time thinking [b]. I was cast away due to my greed. I desired so many things, status, love, favours for my son… I hated that I could not drag Second Madam Wan down from her high position. I cared not for right or wrong and charged forward like a blind bull into a tree and brought disaster upon myself.
I was jealous of Madam, and my greed for Lord Husband’s favour is what landed me in that farmstead. Lord Husband must favour Madam for your lack of greed or jealousy. It is my fault for failing to achieve that kind of enlightenment. I deserved to be punished. Though I have yet to ‘see through the dust of mortal affairs’, I am no longer as muddled and clueless as before. At the very least, though I cannot say to have achieved great understanding or benevolence, I can at least not cause trouble for my benefactor.”
Fu Qiuning [a] looked at this pitiful woman and sighed, “It is good enough that you know this. Also, you think too highly of me; are we not all in the same boat? Are we not all made of flesh? So long as you can reign in your impulses, we can all get along in this courtyard. I can make arrangements for you to stay in one of the smaller houses in the inner court. You will not be shortchanged on food, clothing and other necessities. As for your businesses, Bai Lu has been taking care of them in your stead. Have her report to you as you see fit. While you cannot stay in my courtyard forever, at least you can live worry-free inside the estate and visit your children at any time. So long as you mind your actions, not even the Young Marquis can get rid of you easily…”
[b] “This…” Concubine Xu could hardly believe her ears. To be able to stay within the Duke of Jing’s estate, even if it was in a smaller room in the inner court, would be like a great boon to a sinner like her. [b1] She came to the estate nearly sick with worry for her son, unable to think about the future. To think that her worries would suddenly be resolved this way was…Was…
Concubine Xu threw herself at Fu Qiuning’s feet and touched her forehead to the floor. She resisted Fu Qiuning’s attempt to help her up and cried with tears streaming down her face, “Back when I was found guilty of the things I did to Madam and Brother Feng in the past, no one within the estate spoke on my behalf. To think that Madam would be so kind as to overlook my misdeeds and even extend a helping hand… I, I do not know how to thank Madam!
As for Lord Husband, I understand that Lord Husband is a strict man who values loyalty and righteousness. Lord Husband is not a man who would tolerate my crimes, nor do I dare to ask him for anything, not after he had the kindness to not cast me out for my sins. My only hope is to see my son and daughter from time to time. That is more than enough generosity for the likes of me. Madam, this foolish woman thanks you from the bottom of her heart, thank you so much…”
She moved to kowtow again. Fu Qiuning quickly seized her by the shoulders before she could actually hit her head on the floor. Complicated feelings roiled within her heart as she did her best to comfort the slightly hysterical woman. She thought: [a1] These poor women of the ancient world. They have so little control over their life that the only way they can have any agency is to threaten their own lives or the lives of their children just for a bit of security. What is a husband’s love but security and the promise of a good life? Having little access to their own wealth, or a guaranteed way to protect their money and children, most women can only depend on a ‘man’ to be the face of the family.
[a1] Concubine Xu considered it a kindness not to be cast out of the family because a woman is considered ‘spilt water’ once they married out. Once the Jin Clan casts her out, she would have nowhere to go. Didn’t Jin Zhenyi mention how his maternal side of the family refused to even help the children meet with their mother? Technically, the businesses were her dowry and could probably be used to sustain a decent living, but she willingly gave it up to her husband’s official wife as a gesture of goodwill and a bribe for the sake of her children’s safety.As Fu Qiuning patted Concubine Xu’s back, she said, “Enough of that. There is no point in dwelling on the past. What is done, is done. As women, we should do our duty, which is to love and protect our children as best we can while equipping them with the best tools to survive this world….” she stopped speaking when Concubine Xu frowned, probably having no idea what Fu Qiuning was talking about.
“In other words, there is no point dwelling in the past because it will not benefit us or the children. Instead, we should think about the person behind Jin Zhenyi’s attack-”
[b1] “Madam!” Concubine Xu suddenly seized Fu Qiuning’s hands. “In my humble opinion, since they are trusted maids of those two people, they must have received instructions from that side. Otherwise, how could two maids ever dare to act like this? And so ruthlessly too? What a pity that Brother Yi did not manage to hear their conversation due to the windy day at that time.”Fu Qiuning [a] patted Concubine Xu’s hands again and said, “I know you are eager for answers. However, it is best to care for Brother Yi and not think of anything else for now. I have already put in a request for leave from school. He is doing quite well in his studies but is inclined towards more active pursuits. The Young Marquis had already promised to take the children out for a short hunting trip during the Autumn Exam [1] period. Sadly, the excursion was cancelled because none of the children’s riding ability was good enough for a proper hunt. Even so, Brother Yi is still very determined.”
[b1] “Is that so? That child had always been the wild sort…” said Concubine Xu half to herself. She had always imagined her child to be witty and precocious, charming and filled with energy, unlike her slightly gloomy daughter. He was her great pride and joy, something to be proud of since he was Jin Fengju’s first-born son, back when nobody counted the children born to that washerwoman. She had been viciously pleased when Jiang Wanying’s son turned out to be a gloomy type as well. What man would prefer a gloomy child over a bright and lively one? [b1] However, the one who had overthought her own position was herself, Concubine Xu. Of course, Jiang Wanying would never allow any child to overshadow her own. She would sooner scheme for the deaths of other children in hopes that her own would be the favourite, the heir. That scheme back then… wasn’t it to ruin her Zhenyi and Brother Feng at the same time? Regardless of who won in the end, one child would have been eliminated. [b1] Had Fu Qiuning not been the benevolent woman that Lord Husband had praised her to be, who knows what would have happened to her children? Back then, when her two children had suddenly appeared at the farmstead, she had thought the worst had happened. That her children had been banished away to suffer with her…Instead… Instead, it turned out that Second Madam Ning had taken the children under her wings and cared for them as though they were her own. Even made arrangements for them to secretly meet with her…
[b1] She recalled thinking how Zhenyi had appeared calmer and more mature, how Xiunan had looked more cheerful, almost glowing when she had last seen her…
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[c] When Jin Fengju returned, his first words to Fu Qiuning were, “Has Zhenyi woken up yet? Did he say anything?”
“… …” Fu Qiuning dutifully recited what she had heard from Concubine Xu. When she mentioned the name ‘Qiu Xia’, [c] he dramatically froze in place. [a2] Fu Qiuning reached out for a cup of tea and sipped it, waiting for the man to get over himself. When Jin Fengju said nothing for too long, she said, “You know, it is also possible that you are drawing the wrong conclusions from this-”
Jin Fengju suddenly clenched his fist. He glared at the wall and said through gritted teeth, “Drawing the wrong conclusion? Hah! I wish. Do not worry, Qiuning. I know you are benevolent and kind-hearted, but at times, you waste your kindness on evildoers! Do you truly believe she is innocent, Qiuning? Qiu Xia is her trusted maid. If Qiu Xia was bribed by the Crown Prince, would someone as shrewd as Wanying not have noticed? That is the person who serves her day and night. Moreover, the leaks of information from this estate… when I asked her to investigate, she kept saying that she could not find even a sliver of a clue. I was puzzled over this because she had always managed to show results regardless of the task I set her. Later, when I also discovered nothing, I dismissed the matter altogether.
Also, do you remember? A while ago, when the Crown Prince was declared, the entire estate was shrouded in gloom. She was the only one dressed in bright colours and seemed happy every day. At that time, I just thought she was harbouring resentment against the people in the estate and wanted to cheer me up when she saw my depressed mood. Now, thinking back, this was such a huge event that could determine the life and death of the entire estate. If we let the Crown Prince sit on that throne, she should also forget about escaping her fate. Why would she be so happy? Furthermore, have you seen her being noisy about you recently? I thought she had finally come to her senses and decided to get along with you for my sake. Now, thinking back, it was all my imagination. The reason she no longer appeared bothered by your existence is not because she had given up her feelings for me, but because she had never put you in her eye!”
[a2] “… I see,” Fu Qiuning said simply. She recalled the look of resolution in Jiang Wanying’s eyes back then. She had thought that the woman had come to a major decision of some sort. Well, deciding to betray your husband’s family clearly counted as a ‘major decision’. [d] As for Jin Fengju’s reaction… well, he had just discovered two spies within the Duke of Jing’s estate, and two out of two of them were married to him. How embarrassing. She could just see rumours popping up all over the place about how the Emperor’s favourite, the intelligent, beautiful and fantastic schemer Jin Fengju had two women who entered his harem as spies. Come to think of it, this partly explained how rumours about her selling her embroidery spread so easily back when not many people were even aware that Jin Fengju still kept his official wife around.She had read a lot of novels and watched a lot of movies about beautiful women acting as spies, but this was the first time that she encountered an instance where a granddaughter of a Duke was sent to enter a man’s harem as a secondary wife just to spy on her husband by a crown prince candidate. [e] If this was a plot point in a novel, she would have derided the writer for lazy writing.
That’s right, [e] surely this kind of ‘lazy writing’ type of story can’t be real? She could hear the scepticism dripping in her own voice as she said, “Is Lord Husband serious? You are not saying this just to rid yourself of her presence, are you?” [d1]
“Qiuning! You–!!” Jin Fengju jumped to his feet. He was practically trembling as he paced around the room. Then, he strode over to the window and threw it open, letting in the biting cold. The dramatic action made him choke from the suddenly dry air and he started coughing.
Fu Qiuning frowned and closed the window. “If you wish to choke in the cold air, go outside yourself. If you wish to catch a cold, go ahead. I, for one, am not interested in getting sick in this kind of weather.”
However, Jin Fengju did not answer her. He was standing facing the window dumbly. Suddenly, he slapped the innocent windowsill and said, “I understand how this would look to you. After all, it is not like I have ever given you a reason to trust me. But Qiuning, that woman… I fear that from the beginning, all this has been planned long ago.”
“… …” [e] Fu Qiuning thought: This is all starting to sound like one of those cheap ‘we met when we were kids’ scenes that were shoved late into the narrative to cook up some last-minute rapport between two feuding characters to manufacture some sense of instant connection. [d2]
In short, more lazy writing.
“Wanying and I have been cousins since childhood and also have played together for several years. Later, her father was appointed to an official position in a distant place. Yes, now that I think about it, wasn’t Uncle’s posting back then not far from the border? If any connection with Prince Lie grew during that time, it would not be surprising either.”
[Gumihou: Have some shade, everyone. Also, lazy writing is lazy writing]
[a] Reduce ‘humorous’ remarks that were actually condescension. [a1] AR Qiuning, please don’t look down on ancient women: If it were me, even if my heart loves Jin Fengju even more, as long as I can secure my livelihood, I would never allow myself to be so humble. Not being cast out was considered kindness? Such kindness is truly too cheap.
Not when not being cast out meant having the protection of a ‘family’ so that you don’t literally starve in the streets or be sold into a brothel.
[a2] Actual Fu Qiuning reaction pack instead of ‘oh noes, oh noes, them hoes probably not the bitches uwu’ [b] Give Concubine Xu some real contemplative speeches that did not gear towards ‘aww madam is the absolute saint’ [b1] Give Concubine Xu more depth under USMiC (Union in Support for Minor Characters) [c] Give excruciating details on JFJ’s reaction. Come now, author, don’t be shy about lavishing details here [d] Fu Qiuning’s ‘real thoughts’ that did not involve ‘uwu’ [d1] Deleted 120 words of the very unnatural ‘uwu, surely that can’t be gasp!’ scene [d2] Deleted 80 more words of ‘uwu, surely that can’t be gasp!’ [e] Gumi throwing shade.
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1] 秋闱 The rural imperial exam is held during Autumn, usually around August. Candidates who are selected for the mid-term examination are, in principle, qualified to elect officials. All those who pass the examination can participate in the joint examination held in the capital the following year.
