Higher Level Wife

by Usui Takumii

not mine, Kitchennovel. Waiting for the translater to update.

10. 91 to 100

"You… you are saying… You intend to… to treat her like a wife? Then, where do you intend to place Wanying?" Madam Jiang's voice was trembling.

"Mother." Jin Fengju, who had his back on her, turned around to face his mother and said gravely, "Why are you acting in such a muddled way? So long as Wanying does not act too outrageously, I would naturally love and respect her as her due. In your heart, is your son or your niece more important? Wanying's children are your grandchildren, but what of Feng'er and Jiao'er? They, too, are my flesh and blood, ah. I am not asking you to be fair and impartial, I ask only that you limit your partiality."

"Outrageous? What outrageous act are you speaking of? Isn't everything done for your sake? How can a woman driving out an interloper who robbed her of her husband be called excessive?" Madam Jiang's heart was sour. She felt that this was all very unfair to her niece.

Jin Fengju's laughter was very cold as he said, "Mother, how can such words leave your lips? Do not forget, Wanying is the secondary wife. Fu'shi is the true official wife. According to your own words, Fu'shi is more than qualified to act thus, right? What's more, why had Mother not said anything when the concubines and lesser concubines came in? Why are you questioning your son now? If you believe your own words, you should have had this son only take Wanying in as his wife. Otherwise, each and every woman in this son's harem would be qualified to act in such an outrageous fashion. Do you not think so?"

Madam Jiang was speechless. In the end, it was the feudalistic system of thought that crippled a woman's position in society. However, how could she understand the biases she grew up in? In that era, jealousy was one of the Seven Offences [1] capable of eliciting a divorce, therefore, what woman dared to admit to it? To be virtuous meant stifling one's own will and [a] welcoming other women into her husband's arms with a benevolent smile. Within the entire marquisate, only Fu Qiuning dared to disdain such a repulsive system against women. [b] First, because she has no interest in the man, and second, she has even less interest in battling those crazy women for one fickle man's 'favour'.

"Mother, although jealousy is one of the Seven Offences, this son also understands that it is part of human nature. Even so, there is a limit to all things. If you deny your conscience, do not blame this son for not keeping a married couple's bond in mind. This son is not targeting Wanying today. Should the situation is reversed and Fu'shi the one scheming to harm Wanying, this son would remain true to his words." Jin Fengju said plainly. He thought: Enough, surely this is enough to make Mother back away for some time. Let us leave it at this.

He then turned and was about to leave when just after a few steps, Madam Jiang's bitter laughter reached his ears and she said, "In other words, you are determined to protect that Fu'shi? For her, you did not hesitate to disgrace me and Wanying in public. Now, it is likely that the two of us are the targets of ridicule for the maids and servants of the marquisate. Dear son, ah. This is your scheme against Mother for taking a stand against Fu'shi, right?"

Jin Fengju frowned slightly. He turned around and said, "You overthought the matter, Mother. Although this is indeed a scheme, it is not aimed at Mother. This son has bigger concerns than mere inner house squabbles. Moreover, surely there's no need for this son to speak further with Mother upon today's incident? Fu'shi has openly admitted to selling things for six years, so, why did the matter suddenly come to light today?

That Third Brother Zhang has always been a reliable person, never revealing anything until now. [c] To suddenly break his silence after five years, something must have changed. I happened to know that there is only one thing he desires above all else. Marriage to Aunt Yu, who could not secure a divorce paper from her merchant husband. A letter from a recognised noble household like ours would have secured the papers easily.

However, who was the one who had shaken this man's loyalty with the promise of marriage to Aunt Yu? Mother, just who was it that, for the sake of driving Fu'shi out of the marquisate, actually dared to damage the face of the marquisate? This kind of reckless behaviour, should Father finds out, do you understand what the consequences would be?"

Madam Jiang fell into her chair with a "thud". She stared up at her son with fear. She had always known that her son was smart. Though she had not believed that she could get rid of Fu Qiuning without raising his suspicion, she had seriously underestimated Jin Fengju's desire to protect Fu Qiuning. Not only that, she had not expected her son to find out everything in less than a day! Jiang Wanying had told her that Fengju had stormed into Night Breeze Pavilion, clearly full of rage, just the night before.

"Besides that, does Mother know? Prince Lie was the one who enlightened this son regarding the rumour. He waved the handkerchief embroidered by Fu Qiuning to this son's face, right in front of the Imperial Hall of Diligence, forcing this son to accompany him to a banquet in order to hear what happened. Surely, Mother should understand just what kind of person this Prince Lie is. To this day, this son is not clear on his true purpose. Mother, ah, Mother, do you know that your momentary bout of foolishness could have ensnared this son into a dangerous situation?"

"How… how can this be? I- impossible, how could it be Prince Lie? You have been a little busy these days, so I know you would not be paying attention to rumours. Therefore, I purposefully let the rumour grow a little and thought to spring it on you suddenly to have you divorce Fu'shi in a fit of rage. Although the rumour may be widespread, it was deliberately spread by me for only a day.

Moreover… moreover, the rumour involved the relative of a prince and the honour of the imperial family, thus Wan… I… I had specially ordered the people to not make it too excessive. It was only meant as an excuse to drive out Fu'shi. How could Prince Lie have gotten hold of it?" Panicking, Madam Jiang automatically revealed everything, but still managed to catch herself and take the blame for her niece.

"Not do anything excessive? But the matter has already spread to every street. Moreover, in just one day? Then, just how did Prince Lie get hold of the rumour so quickly?" Jin Fengju straightened up, his eyebrows drawn together as he suddenly turned to Madam Jiang. "Mother, your words just now. Are they all true?"

"Y… Yes." Madam Jiang's spirit had been overwhelmed by fear. She certainly knew the cruelty of imperial political struggle. She clung to Jin Fengju's hand, "My son, my dear son, ah. Did Mother cause you to fall into a trap? Wh-what is Prince Lie trying to do? Is he planning to ruin you? Why… why don't you go and hide for a while…"

"The matter has already developed to this point, what's the use of hiding?"Jin Fengju patted his mother's hand. "Do not worry. Your son is a man who has braved many storms. While working under the emperor's command, who knows how many dangers I have gone through? Haven't I turned those risks into opportunities instead? If Prince Lie wishes to make a move, he will reveal his tail sooner or later. When it happens, we shall just counter whatever move he makes.

Mother, please be at ease. Let this be the end of the matter. On Father's side, this son would not say anything. It is likely that Old Madam understands everything. However, as she had specifically ordered this son to speak with Mother, it is clear that she wishes to calm matters down. After all, a peaceful and harmonious home is a family's blessing. As for the servants, they have no minds of their own and merely know how to repeat what others are saying, thus, there is even less need to worry about them. Mother may be at ease, there's no need to be frightened. Today, your son had been a little heavy with his words too."

Madam Jiang kept nodding. However, the fear in her heart had not subsided in the slightest. Jin Fengju studied her for a moment, before privately sighing and thought: If I had known that today would happen, [c] would I have chosen to ignore Qiuning's rare request on Aunt Yu's behalf…? Enough, enough, I do believe that mother should have learnt her lesson. I hope that in the future, she would treat Qiuning fairly, although it is most likely impossible.

After leaving Elder Madam's courtyard, Jin Fengju returned to Clear Soft Pavilion. He saw Jiang Wanying sitting alone on the couch, lost in thought. When she saw him, she sprang up with a forced smile and said, "Have you come from Night Breeze Pavilion? Come, let's take off the cloak first." As she spoke, she quickly stepped forward to remove his cloak.

"No need, I still have to go out later." Jin Fengju said mildly. He thought for a moment and said, "About today's matter, Mother has already taken the blame onto herself. I also do not wish to pursue it anymore. I trust that certain people have learned from their mistakes and have committed the lesson to their minds. However, Wanying, your past actions have been lacking. Though I have placed Fu'shi into Night Breeze Pavilion, I had no intention of harming her life.

At that time, I also expressly told you that all the allocations should be sent over in a timely manner. Otherwise, why else would I have sent the two children there? Did you imagine that I intended to starve my own children to death alongside Fu'shi? Although I was young and angry and did not like them, they were still my own flesh and blood. Even tigers do not devour their children. Do you truly see me so cruel and callous as to starve them to death? Hmm? Is that the person I am to you?"

"No, cousin, I never thought of you that way," Jiang Wanying had turned pale. Tears were about to fall from her eyes.

Jin Fengju said, "If you do not think me cruel, why have they never gotten even half a month of their allocation in the past five years? Don't tell me, are you going to say that they had lied to my face? That in all these years, they have never been missing their allocations?"

Jiang Wanying had long thought through her schemes and the possible consequences. It was not like she did not know that this matter could implicate her. However, she believed that she would be safe so long as she had Madam Jiang's protection. What's more, for the sake of driving Fu Qiuning away, she had not hesitated to sacrifice a pawn or two. What was unexpected was Jin Fengju's overprotectiveness. For that woman's sake, he did not hesitate to make elaborated arrangements and break open the siege that she had so thoroughly set up around the enemy. Because of this, she ended up smashing her own feet with the stone she had lifted to bash the enemy. Therefore, she could not be careless about cutting off this tail and throwing the blame away.

Thus, she hardened her heart, gritted her teeth and said, "It is all that Lai's Wife's fault. Because I did not want to hear anything about Night Breeze Pavilion, I told her that the responsibility for Night Breeze Pavilion's monthly allocation would be placed in her hands. Who would have thought that muddle-headed creature would be so greedy and dare to covet the marquisate's things? She believed that Lord Husband had thrown those disgusting people away to die and, and dared to actually swallow all the money and things into her belly. I… it is my fault for never asking after her about it."

"Oh? To be so bold? Is she not afraid that I would want her life for starving Fu'shi and the children to death?" Jin Fengju's face was tinted green with anger, his sword-like eyebrows standing straight up.

Looking at him, Jiang Wanying's heart almost leapt out of her throat. However, she could only stiffen her scalp and say, "I- I-'m afraid to say that poisonous hag must have thought that 'the dead cannot reveal anything' and, and, Cousin, don't be angry. I have investigated the matter thoroughly and driven that poisonous couple out of the marquisate. In the future, I shall personally oversee Elder Sister's monthly allocation and make sure no shortages would ever happen again."

"Oh? You drove them out?" Jin Fengju raised his brows. His sharp eyes fixed on her, as though they could read her thoughts.

"Yes, what's the point of keeping such heartless things? C-cousin, do you think I overdid it? I… I was so furious at the time." Jiang Wanying appeared to be sincere, tears falling pitter-pattering down her face as she spun her words.

Jin Fengju thought: Apparently, the skill to cry on command at any time or place is a necessary womanly skill.

Looking at the pitifully crying Jiang Wanying, he said mildly, "No, if they have been driven away, they have been driven away. However, I do feel that Cousin has handled the matter a little too hastily. In the future, when handling matters of great importance, you should act with more prudence. Do not forget, you are effectively in charge of the entire marquisate.

For matters that require magnanimity, you should act with great magnitude. To gain respect and confidence from the people around you, you should act in a manner that would gain respect and confidence. Although Mother is your aunt, you should not seek her support for everything."

After Jin Fengju was done speaking, Jiang Wanying dared not answer back. It was not that she did not want to argue back. However, Jin Fengju had already opened with 'Let the matter go', so why should she argue when he already stated that he will not pursue the incident? This husband of hers was shrewder than a fox. [e] Moreover, there was no guarantee that he had not already grasped most of the necessary facts. She might as well go along with it and let the matter die a natural death.

If she tried to argue back, she could provoke Jin Fengju's anger and draw his ire toward herself instead. [a] The man was too good with his logical arguments and might trap her into revealing something in a bout of carelessness. In the end, she did scheme against Fu'shi, so it was not like Jin Fengju had wronged her with his suspicions.

When she considered all of this, Jiang Wanying decided to count her blessings and complied with a docile, "Yes."

Apparently satisfied with this answer, Jin Fengju turned to leave. A few steps later, he suddenly stopped as though remembering something, and turned back to her. In a serious tone, he said, "You should pay more attention to the goings on within the marquisate. Find out any one has been handing out information to Prince Lie."

Jiang Wanying's heart trembled. She managed to choke out, "Cousin… why would you ask this? Is… Is it because you suspect that there are Prince Lie's people… in our marquisate?"

Jin Fengju nodded. Still in that serious tone, said, "Indeed, otherwise, how could they get hold of such information so quickly? However, they must have some skills to escape our eyes for so long. You take your time and observe the situation carefully. If you find any suspicious people, inform me and I will look into the matter myself."

"Yes, I understand, Cousin." Jiang Wanying nodded solemnly

Jin Fengju looked lost in thought for a moment. Suddenly, a bitter smile spread across his face and he said, "I had wanted to use [b] this as something to hold over her, who would have thought that it got out of my hand on its own? Forget it, forget it, just be sure that Night Breeze Pavilion's monthly allocations are properly sent to them from now on. As for Third Brother Zhang and Aunt Yu's matter. Since you have personally promised them, be sure to carry it out properly."

He openly stressed the word 'you'. Jiang Wanying's heart stuttered and she thought: Indeed, Cousin knows it all. He knows how I bribed Third Brother Zhang, and what it means. Forget it, fortunately, I did not try to stand my ground earlier, otherwise, what would become of me? Only, that hateful Fu'shi. How did she enter Cousin's eyes? She is clearly so ordinary looking and her only worth was bringing two cheap brats up. Just… why?

The more she thought, the more her chest ached with hatred. Her hands clenched into fists under her sleeves, but her expression remained passive and submissive. Only after Jin Fengju had gone far enough away that she finally released a sigh of relief and unclench her fists.

Madam," Qiu Xia ran over, distressedly saying, "The Master suspects Prince Lie…"

"And? What does that have to do with us?" Jiang Wanying flashed a glance at her maid before slowly exhaling, "He has nothing but suspicions. The matter had only been revealed for a day, but Prince Lie happened to know of it even before Lord Husband. As the saying goes, 'there is no good story without curious coincidences', therefore, it made sense for Lord Husband to be interested in the matter. As for you, what are you all in a muddle for? Are you the one who leaked the information?"

"Yes, yes, this servant knows her error, Madam please do not wrong this servant, this servant naturally is not that kind of person." Qiu Xia nodded repeatedly. Seeing that Jiang Wanying's face was emotionless, without even a hint of joy or anger, she boldly came forward again and whispered, "What are Madam's plans for Fu'shi's monthly allocations?"

"Humph, just let her enjoy her moment of triumph. Could a woman like her keep her hold on Cousin? Once she loses all favour, just see how I slowly break her to pieces." Just talking about Fu Qiuning made Jiang Wanying grit her teeth with hatred. She gripped the table so hard that there was a sharp snap and a jolt of pain. When she raised her hands, she found that she had snapped off half a fingernail.

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"Master, this servant has made secret inquiries according to your instructions. To date, thirty-six people have frozen to death within the Capital alone. Most of them died in the huge snowfall a few days ago. Eight or nine people froze to death yesterday due to the Great North Wind. In other provinces, many local officials have set up certain measures against the cold and there were very few deaths. However, in the territory of Liaodong under two of Prince Lie's trusted aides… they must have been [c] both greedy and incompetent, because, after only two bouts of snow, more than 300 hundred people have died…"

"DONK!"

Jin Fengju's fist landed solidly on the table, interrupting Jin Ming's report. Seething with hatred, he said, "That flock of corpse-eating beasts! What does the country pay a salary to this group of beasts for? They could not plough the land, and even brought harm to the people!"

Jin Ming stood to the side, not daring to say anything as his Master seethed. After some time, Jin Fengju finally calmed his anger enough to dully say, "The information I wish you to spread, have you done it?"

Jin Ming quickly nodded and said, "To reply to the Master, the information has been dispersed. It would not be traced to us."

Jin Fengju nodded back and said, "Then, we may expect Zhenjiang Palace to send someone to invite their girl back, right?"

Jin Ming smiled and said, "This servant believes so. Perhaps, it is better for Madam to prepare herself?"

Jin Fengju laughed in return, "Idiot, what is there to prepare? Are you afraid that no one knows I am planning to lure these people into a trap?"

Jin Ming bobbed his head several times, smiling ingratiatingly at his master. Jin Fengju picked up the teacup from the table and took a slow sip. After some thought, he suddenly said, "That's right, how long has it been since Prince Rong invited me to a banquet? Was it eight or nine days? Do you remember?"

Jin Ming hastily beamed and said, "Isn't it so? This servant had been wondering about it too. Usually, an invitation would come after no more than three days have passed, even if it is only an invitation to sit and chat for a bit. This servant remembers that the last invitation happened to be when High Highness invited Young Marquis to his palace, but Master could not go due to Second Madam Ning's matters. Master even promised to bring wine to see His Highness. The Lord Prince even said Master's offer was merely perfunctory. Doing the math, it looks like it really has been eight or nine days since he had invited Master over."

Jin Fengju tapped his fingers on the table and mused, "Did Brother-in-law experience a sudden change in temperament and learned how to avoid suspicion? That's not right, he has always been spontaneous. I know that the emperor understands his nature, and thus has never truly been cold with him. Otherwise, the emperor might suspect him of posturing and intending to make a grab for the throne.

Besides, I am his brother-in-law and not his henchman. I am only there to drink and chat every now and then. It did not matter if the emperor found out about this, so why the sudden alienation?"

Jin Ming quickly replied, "Young Marquis is too serious, how can that be considered to be alienation? Perhaps His Highness is busy with something these days and did not have the heart to invite the Young Maquis over. It has only been eight or nine days, surely there's no need to worry about it?"

"You do not understand, if he really has such a difficult matter, he really should not hide it from me." Suddenly, Jin Fengju stood up and said, "Go and send a message to him. Say that I have prepared some good wine and am just waiting for Brother-in-law's invitation to drink with him."

Jin Ming hastily acknowledged the order and left. As he reached the door, Jin Fengju said, "Ah yes, when you return, remember to look for me at the Night Breeze Pavilion." Leaving those words, he also stood up, tidied his hair and clothing a little and left for Night Breeze Pavilion.

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Right at that moment, Fu Qiuning was harvesting snow from plum flowers.

Because the courtyard door was not closed, Jin Fenju entered on his own. Seeing no one in the house, he went through the corridor and made his way to the backyard. As expected, the person he was looking for was there among the dozen over plum trees. A slim figure draped in a pale yellow dress embroidered with floral patterns, a satin overcoat covering her shoulders as her slender fingers busied themselves with some mysterious industry.

"White snow and red plum blossoms, a woman stands alone, what a beautiful scene indeed," Jin Fengju enjoyed the scenery on the side for a moment before letting himself laugh out loud. As expected, Fu Qiuning jumped and whirled around to say, "Why are you so silent? I really should rear a dog here to prevent strangers from just walking in. You really gave me a fright." She performed a salute and asked with a smile, "It has only just snowed, what attracts Lord Husband to my place?"

"While treading snow, seeking plum blossoms, my steps lead me here," Jin Fengju came up to watch as she brushed snow from the plum flowers into a blue and white urn. Curious, he asked, "What are you doing? Where are Aunt Yu and Yu Jie? Why are they not doing it together with you?"

"Aunt Yu is in the study, tidying up the place. Yu Jie is making snacks in the kitchen, I think. I had been sewing for a little while and felt a little sore in the neck, so I came out to harvest some snow off the plum blossoms. Back in the day, we had a cultured teacher in the village. He was very good at teaching and the children all enjoyed his lessons a lot. I was too young for school, so I eavesdropped on his class.

Now and then, he spoke of curious ways to brew tea. It was said that snow collected from plum blossoms and stored in a blue and white urn should be buried under a flowering tree. In the following year, when the snow had turned into water, tea made with that water will have an extraordinarily refreshing and cool fragrance.

This humble woman has no talent. Even so, this humble woman thought of attempting it, but in the absence of good tea, the thought has been abandoned to gather dust. [d] With Lord Husband's care and the good tea leaves at hand, this humble woman thought to give this brewing method a try."

As Fu Qiuning spoke, Jin Fengju stretched out his neck to look into the urn. Seeing that the urn was little more than half full, he could not help but laugh, " [d] Why waste your energy in such a troublesome manner? Would it not be better to just grab a branch and shake the snow off the blossoms into the urn?"

He was just reaching out to grab a branch when Fu Qiuning covered her urn and cried out, "[d] Do not! Only snow from the pistils should be collected. I have spent a long and troublesome hour collecting this. Please, do not ruin my water."

This recipe was naturally the one recorded in Dream of the Red Chamber, just spun out by Fu Qiuning using a different story. Jin Fengju laughed aloud, "I did not expect you to be this cultured. Alright then, good, I will await this plum blossom next year." He also stretched out his hand, brushing off a bit of snow from the plum flower pistils into the urn. [1]

"Lord Husband, do go inside and sit down. [d] I'm fine doing it alone."

Jin Fengju immediately shook his head and replied, "No, no, is it so easy to drink your special tea? Especially when brewed with such a troublesome water collecting method? If I do not put in a little effort, I might not even get a sip next year."

Fu Qiuning smiled and said, "It's not like people ever visit this place. Only the Young Marquis ever comes by. How could I be accused of stinginess? That's right, it is neither early nor late, what is Young Marquis here for?"

Jin Fengju replied, "I have already spread the news. I'm afraid it would not be long before your maternal family comes. I thought you might wish to have some warning, they should send word in two days. We should think of a way to get information out without alerting them when you return." He added with a smile, "The matter will require some work. Jin Ming will come looking for me soon. Let us return to the house, alright? I see your face has turned pale from the cold." [1]

Fu Qiuning was also starting to feel the cold. Looking into the urn, she found that it was more than half-filled with snow and smiled, "Since that is the case, let us return. I have been collecting for half a day but only managed to gather this much. Today's snowfall is quite light. When heavier snow arrives, I should have more."

Even as she spoke, she made for the porch where she had left the lid of the blue and white porcelain urn. Jin Fengju accompanied her all the way, walking beside her as they made their way to the front yard and entered the house through the front as the backdoor was locked.

Still smiling, Fu Qiuning said, "Yesterday, Second Madam's maids personally came with the monthly allocation. I received five silver taels, Aunt Yu and Yu Jie one tael each, and Feng'er and Jiao'er two taels each. Jin Zhuan and Lu Hua also received 500 copper coins each. I must thank Lord Husband for this. If you had not brought the matter up to Second Madam, we would not have these silvers in our hands. From the moment Aunt Yu and Yu Jie entered my Night Breeze Pavilion, they never received their monthly salary and were both very excited. Even Feng'er and Jiao'er are very happy."

Jin Fengju smiled and said, "It is what you deserved, it is good that it had been sent. I am worried that Feng'er and Jiao'er would no longer have the mind to learn if they suddenly have money. Otherwise, it is no great matter for me to grant them a few hundred taels of silver. We have wronged you all these years and ought to compensate you. You may calculate the total yourself later. Have you looked at the monthly allocation list that I gave you that day? If you do not receive anything on time or are short on something, you may come directly to me about it. Ah yes, has Wanying spoken to you about Aunt Yu's matter?"

"What about Aunt Yu?" Fu Qiuning frowned. [a]

Jin Fengju laughed, "I'm afraid after that last incident, she might be too ashamed to see you in person. No wonder you did not know. You believed that Third Brother Zhang is a reliable one and will never sell you out. Well, it turns out that Wanying had tasked someone to inquire after the relationship between him and Aunt Yu. She had promised that so long as he speak of the things he had done for you and give her leverage over you, she would matchmake Aunt Yu to him. That is why Third Brother Zhang sold you out."

"I see." [b] She thought back to how Third Brother Zhang had stared at them with shock when he heard that the ladies were nearly thrown out of this place. Back then, she had thought that he had been devastated because of the potential separation from Aunt Yu. However…

[b] Fu Qiuning looked straight at Jin Fengju and said, "Indeed, the word 'love' turns men into fools and brings nothing but calamity." [c] Then, she looked away before he could say anything and continued. "We have not seen him for a few days. Perhaps he is regretting his actions at home. If he is feeling guilty over this, I should perhaps send Yu Jie over to speak with him. Lord Husband mentions that Second Madam might come by, is it because of this?"

Jin Fengju nodded, "Of course. Wanying is the cause of all these regretful matters [h]. Elder Madam fears that I would punish her and took the blame herself to preserve our husband and wife connection. Therefore, it would not look good if I were to overdo things. I have ordered someone to go to the landlord's house for the letter of divorce. For everything else, I left it to Wanying to arrange. I believe that we should hear some news in a few days."

[d] Fu Qiuning frowned and thought: Is it that easy to get a divorce letter-

Clang!

Before the thought was fully formed, it was derailed by the sound of a tea tray falling to the floor. Fu Qiuning [d] looked at Jin Fengju's smugly smiling face for a moment before calling out, "Is that you, Aunt Yu? Why don't you see what kind of snacks Yu Jie has made? Bring some over for Lord Husband to try."

When the sound of footsteps hurrying away faded, Fu Qiuning [d] forced herself to smile, "Looks like Aunt Yu has heard everything. Who knows how much she is rejoicing now? This humble woman thanks you gratefully on Aunt Yu's behalf."

A short while later, Yu Jie came in bearing a tray of tea and some snacks. Aunt Yu must have been too embarrassed to show herself and so Fu Qiuning did not ask after her. More footsteps were heard and Jin Ming came in. He cast a glance at Fu Qiuning, but Jin Fengju said, "Qiuning is not an outsider, just say it. Is Brother-in-law refusing to see me?"

Jin Ming bowed and said carefully, "H-how did Master know? This servant personally brought the invitation to Prince Rong's residence. However, even before stepping through the great door, a serving boy came out with a message that said His Highness was feeling unwell, and that an invitation would be sent to the Young Marquis some other day. This servant had been pondering over the matter but… it looks like Master knows?"

Jin Fengju picked up the invitation he had written from Jin Ming's hand, weighed it in his hand, and laughed bitterly, "Really, he is clearly annoyed at me, but why? As for this honest and good-hearted person, he could not even make up a reasonable excuse. This morning, I clearly saw him all rosy-cheeked and energetic at court, but he became unwell in the afternoon. He is annoyed but cannot be bothered to come up with a decent excuse. It's not like I have done anything that would aggravate him recently, not in days, not in years. So, what could it be?"

On the side, Fu Qiuning listened quietly, [d] not saying a word lest this was another of the Young Marquis' little games.

Jin Fengju smiled bitterly and threw the letter to the bed, his voice flat as he continued, "Not saying a word? Well, the only thing I can think of is that one invitation I had declined on your behalf. He did not look for me after that. Was I too abrupt with him? However, it's not like I have never declined a meal invitation from him, so what could it be?"

Fu Qiuning's heart jumped, [d] she thought: Is this guy for real or just testing me?

[d] Having no other choice, she decided to act out her part in this play and carefully said, "Perhaps this day has to do with the matter of the embroidery and Prince Lie? Could it be related?"

Like a dreamer being woken, Jin Fengju suddenly stood up and dramatically cried, "Jin Ming, think back carefully. Do you remember what Brother-in-law said the last time he saw me? Did he say something about Prince Lie?"

"That, he has. Lord Prince said he heard that Young Marquis and Prince Lie were having a banquet together, did he force you to do something? Was there anything that bothered you? And he bid you tell him if that was the case. However, because of the family matter, Young Marquis merely gave a perfunctory excuse and His Highness left." Jin Ming said as he hastily recalled that day's situation.

"That must be it. Here I wondered why Prince Lie was acting so affectionately that day. No matter how reckless he might be, he should not have shown improper manners right at the palace gates. Was it possible that he deliberately put his arms over my shoulders while Brother-in-law was watching? He must know that Brother-in-law is not the type to overthink and would definitely ask me about this matter in the future. I naturally would not reveal the matters relating to the marquisate's reputation.

Thus, as Brother-in-law was brushed off by me and sensed that I kept something from him, he would naturally grow doubts against me as time went on. So long as I am not by Brother-in-law's side to scheme for him, with his nature, it would not be difficult to lead him to death, or at least cause him to lose out in the race for the crown prince seat."

[f] "… …" Fu Qiuning watched as Jin Fengju dramatically laid out all his reasonings in front of her. Again, she had no idea whether he was putting on a show or had to verbally tell himself a story to work his thoughts out. He was considered a genius in his generation, right? Were the people here just stupid or did they not have the advantage of a modern person's experience watching political historical dramas? Considering his dramatic monologue, she could only assume that he was… showing off his intellect? Was that it?

[f] Finally, Jin Fengju dramatically sighed after going through the layers of deep thought in his solo performance. He sighed again and said, "These days, my mind has been in a state of agitation, wondering how Prince Lie could resist the feelings of alienation and delay making his move over and over again. It turns out that he has already made a move, but since I did not understand his intention, I was still being kept in the dark like a fool.

However, I believe that Prince Lie never expected Brother-in-law to favour me to this extent. The moment he doubted my affection, he immediately opted for a clean break and to not associate with me at all. Otherwise, if he was the type to suppress his own feelings, we would eventually grow estranged as our relationship deteriorated over time. Once Brother-in-law and I break off, would they still need to fear Prince Rong's faction?

Though it sounds absurd, the plan was in fact, sophisticated and meticulous, ah. For the sake of his end goal, he had planned his first step very well and had sowed this vicious seed skillfully and with a light hand. Such skill and audacity can be described as 'Using Two Taels to Move a Thousand Catties'!"[1]

[f] On cue, Jin Ming gasped with sudden realisation.

Sudden laughter escaped Fu Qiuning's lips. [g] When the two men looked at her, she coughed delicately, "Prince might be a talented man with deep schemes, able to maintain a smiling face to effectively scheme for the downfall of others. However, he must not have expected Lord Husband to so thoroughly see through his plan. Not only that, he did not take into consideration the sincere and genuine bond between Prince Rong and Lord Husband, to the point that His Highness did not even attempt a perfunctory invitation once a rift developed. Surely the Will of Heaven must be at hand here?"

Jin Fengju laughed and said, "You are right to call him a talented man with deep schemes. All else aside, the timing of the matter alone was incredible. He must have fashioned some reason for the emperor to ask Brother-in-law to stay awhile and made those gestures of affection where it could be clearly seen by a certain person. That kind of affected timing alone showed just what kind of person he is.

A pity that his cleverness is limited because of that cleverness itself. Being so clever, he must have overestimated his own calculations and become overly self-confident. He had been blinded by his own cleverness indeed. Otherwise, we would not have caught the flaw in his plan."

[g] Still maintaining her smile, Fu Qiuning nodded at his every reasoning. It was all very obvious to her, but she knew that an [f] agreeable audience is always appreciated.

Deduction done, Jin Fengju stood up with a flourish and said to Fu Qiuning, "Once your family comes to pick you up, have Feng'er and Jiao'er stay with the Old Ancestor for two days. You may collect them when you have returned to Night Breeze Pavilion."

At Fu Qiuning's acquiescence, he continued, "I still have some matters to attend to and will not return here. When your family comes, send word to Old Ancestor."

Fu Qiuning acquiesced to all the orders. She also walked with him to the door and only once he left the gate did she turn around and return to her room.

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"Master, with Prince Rong annoyed at you, what should be done? Should we think of a way to go and explain our side of the matter?" was Jin Ming's careful question.

Jin Fengju sneered in return, "No need. If he wants to be angry, let him be angry. To lose his temper and suspect me after a couple of provocations, do you think he would not be trapped by someone else's scheme in the future? Let him stew in his anger for a few more days to polish his nature. His Majesty could decline in health one day and decide to raise the matter of succession in the future. With his straightforward nature, do you think he could remain as a candidate for the crown prince position?"

"Yes." Jin Ming said agreeably. He thought: Aiyo, mother, ah. Is Master the elder or is the Lord Prince the elder, ah? Just listen to this lecture, ah. It clearly sounds like an elder lamenting over immaturity of the future generation. If Lord Prince finds out, wouldn't he vomit to death?

Sure enough, three days later, an entourage from Zhenjiang Palace arrived. The official reason for their visit was that Qiuning's mother was seriously ill and she missed her daughter very much. They entreated to invite her back to the palace for a visit.

Madam Jiang, who had already received instructions from her son earlier, merely said that she understands and allowed the people to return to the palace with the understanding that they could come and pick up Fu Qiuning from the marquisate the next day.

Early next day, Zhenjiang Palace's Eight-Treasure carriage stopped before the marquisate's west gate and several maids and female servants made their way to Madam Jiang's courtyard. A little while later, a maid came out and led the entourage to Night Breeze Pavilion. [a] Right now, Fu Qiuning's place was no longer the barren, simple place it was. The main house was extremely luxurious and filled with exquisite stuff. Even the cloth on the canopy bed was a tribute from overseas, a reward bestowed by the emperor.

Naturally, this was all arranged by Jin Fengju to give the impression that their Young Miss was not the abandoned wife she used to be, but was now the Young Marquis' most beloved woman. The most beloved woman in his heart.

[b] It was in fact, all very gaudy and tacky. Fu Qiuning had to tell herself that all the shiny stuff was fake and some sort of very good stage props in order to maintain a cool head amidst the unnecessary glittering. Luckily, she had taken lessons in acting as part of her operatic background. That's right, this is all fake. She is an actress playing the part of a rich young madam with a fake loving husband about to meet her equally fake loving maternal family in a fake rich backdrop.

After letting the entourage of maids and servants sing praises on the gorgeousness of the very nicely made-up backdrop for a while, Fu Qiuning finally addressed them, "I need to visit the Old Ancestor first. I need to entrust these two children to her before coming with you." After that, she changed into a gorgeously made dress, complete with a black fox fur cloak that Jin Fengju had [a] especially ordered for the occasion. Then, she lead a pair of twins, also [a] very exquisitely dressed and accessorised, to Old Madam's place.

After giving her salutations to the senior woman, Fu Qiuning proceeded to perform the song and dance about how it was vital that she had to go home and visit her sick mother. Several of the female servants also came up to give their greetings to the Old Madam. The Old Madam merely nodded at them and with a smile, said, "It is as it should be. Ever since Qiuning married into the marquisate, she had never returned to her maiden home. Her health had always been poor, which is why I have never felt comfortable letting her go. However, her health has improved a lot after all these years and, moreover, it is to visit her mother. In fact, it is about time that she pays a visit, regardless of her mother's health. There is no reason for a daughter who had married out to not reunite with their mother after so many years, yes?

Only, although it is right for Qiuning to visit her ill mother and to wait on her and feed her medicines, considering the deep affection between the loving couple, and considering how the Young Master (Jin Fengju) is so busy dealing with so many stressful and difficult jobs, he needs a tender and caring person by his side to take care of him. Thus, if the palace could spare the people, our side would be grateful if you could send Qiuning back earlier. Once the busy period has passed for the Young Master, he will personally escort the palace's beloved daughter back to her maternal home. I trust that such an arrangement would not be too inconvenient?"

When the maidservants heard this, they privately rejoiced and hastily replied, "Of course, of course, this is only natural. It is only right for married girls to follow their husbands. Since our Young Miss is already married, it is only right to put her husband first. This is merely a little trip to visit an ill parent. She shall return very soon. There is certainly no need for her to wait upon the sick, after all, an ill wind blows nobody good."

Old Madam Jin appeared satisfied by their answer and nodded, "In that case, you should go quickly. The Elder Madam already knows about this matter, so there is no need to make a trip to her place. I shall send a maidservant over later to notify her."

Fu Qiuning acknowledged the instruction. She stood up and saluted Old Madam Jin once more before taking the twins by the hand, instructing them firmly to listen to their great-grandmother, study hard and be patient with their brothers and sisters. After leaving a bunch of instructions, she finally left Old Madam's courtyard.

[c] As she travelled with the entourage of maids and female servants, Fu Qiuning felt numb. She was about to leave the marquisate where she had been shut in from the moment she had transmigrated into this world. Although she had inherited some memory from her body, the information was little better than vague outlines of information that could have come out of a television. The previous Fu Qiuning must have been equally as numb and shocked as she was taken from the palace to the Marquisate on the day of her unhappy marriage.

[c] Zhenjiang Palace… What is that place like? Worse than Jinxiang Marquisate? Perhaps.

[d] That despicable father of hers had knowingly stuffed a helpless girl into an enemy's nest just to thumb his nose at their face. That his daughter could have been tortured or killed did matter to him at all. Or, perhaps he was hoping that the Jinxiang Marquisate would cause her death so that he could demand reparation and humiliate them even further?

As for the Jinxiang marquisate, she has [b] no expectation for this bunch of rich, entitled bourgeoisie. They are at best rich, spoilt and entitled. At worse rich, spoilt, entitled, abusive and delight in trampling upon the powerless. [d] She should probably be grateful that they did not practice selling their children for benefits. Although, really, the children are currently too young at the moment for that just yet.

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As the carriage made its leisurely way to Zhenjiang Palace, Jin Fengju stood in his study, listening to Jin Ming's report of how the Madam has already left the Marquisate for the palace.

As he gazed upon the plum blossoms in the courtyard, he suddenly chuckled and whispered, "Qiuning, your husband bids you good luck in your journey. May your journey be smooth and unimpeded, may you hold your head up high in the presence of your relatives."

He suddenly turned to Jin Ming and said, "Change clothes, it is time to visit Prince Rong's residence."

"Aiyo, yes~" Jin Ming cheerfully accepted the order. In fact, Jin Fengju had long since been dressed for a visit to the prince's palace. The order to 'change clothes' was merely throwing on an overcoat, which was already waiting on the side. Jin Ming bustled over to fetch the overcoat and assist Jin Fengju. As he was putting the coat on Jin Fengju, Jin Ming sighed, "Master can really hold your temper, ah. In the past three days, this lowly one's heart felt like it was being scratched by cats. So itchy and so anxious, ah.

I'm worried that if Master keeps avoiding the palace, a rift would appear between Master and His Highness. Speaking of which, His Highness has been very reserved too. How cordial and affectionate is His Highness to Master, ah? He used to send us an invitation every two or three days. This time, it has been nearly half a month since our last visit."

"That is because he believes that he is in the right, that all the fault is on my side, which is why he felt justified in ignoring me," Jin Fengju sneered. Once Jin Ming had properly fastened the overcoat, he stepped outside. "Good, this time we should let him experience Prince Lie's scheme, let him know just how dangerous the road he is stepping on now."

At Prince Rong's palace, when the door boy saw Jin Fengju, he quickly stepped forward with a flattering smile. Presumably having received instructions from Prince Rong, he said, "Young Marquis, our Highness is not feeling well…"

"I'm not here to see His Highness, I'm here to see the Princess Consort." Jin Fengju cut him off directly. The servants at the door looked at each other uncertainly. They all seemed to be at a loss. He sneered and said, "Well? Don't tell me the Princess Consort is sick as well? If so, why has no one said anything when the people came to pay respects to the Old Madam?"

"Uh…"

With just this single line, all escape routes were cut off. While at a loss for what to do, Jin Ming snorted and said coldly, "What a daring servant you are, still not hurrying off to inform the Princess Consort? Even if the Princess Consort is unwell, surely she would still wish to know that her younger brother is here to see her. The one with the final word on whether our Young Marquis should visit could only come from the Princess Consort. Are you saying you have the authority to decide on the Princess Consort's behalf? Still not hurrying off to inform her?"

Helpless, the doorkeeper could only back away and run off to deliver the message. Not long after that, he returned with a face wreathed in smiles and said respectfully to Jin Fengju, "Her Highness the Princess Consort bids the Young Marquis hurry in."

With a 'hmph', Jin Fengju stepped through the side door and into the palace. Having visited this place many times, he naturally knew where his elder sister's courtyard was.

He easily made his way to the courtyard and found maids already waiting for him. When they saw him, they all smiled and crowded around him to say, "Why hasn't Young Marquis visited the palace lately? Her Highness talks about you every day, wondering when she'll see you. His Highness says that you've been busy with official business lately and we servants thought that you must have gone to the Northwest or Jiangnan again."

Jin Fengju laughed and replied, "Is that so? His Highness said I was too occupied with official business to come and visit? Is he in the Princess Consort's room?"

The maids all laughed, "Well, His Highness was. He had been playing chess with Her Highness earlier. However, when he heard that Young Marquis is coming to visit, he suddenly raised his feet and left, saying that he had just remembered there were some account books left in the study that must be tended to at once." By then, they had reached the entrance to the Princess Consort's room. The maid pulled back the beaded curtains with a smile and announced, "Your Highness, the Young Marquis has arrived."

Jin Fengju stepped through the door and found his sister with a welcoming smile on her face. She first pulled him in for a thorough inspection before shaking her head and saying, "As expected, you have lost weight. His Highness said that you have been so busy lately that you cannot spare the time from your official business to visit us. Even so, you should take care of your health. You are only in your twenties, but it is still possible to exhaust yourself. What would you do then?"

As she spoke, she pulled Jin Fengju and led him to a couch. She pushed the delicate snacks on the table towards him with a smile, "Have a taste, these are some of the new snacks made by the new chef in my palace. His Highness and I both love them. I know you like these kinds of snacks too. If you really like them, I shall send an order to the kitchen and have more of them made. I shall have some sent over to Old Ancestor and mother once they are ready."

Jin Fengju picked up a piece of snack and nibbled at it. After a few more words were exchanged between brother and sister, he asked the Princess Consort. "Does Sister know where Brother-in-law is? I have something I wish to ask him about. However, he seems angry with me and has been refusing to see me."

"Your relationship has always been good, why would he suddenly be angry at you? You're His Highness' most valued friend," the Princess Consort was very surprised. She instructed a nearby maid, "Go and quietly find out where His Highness is. If someone questions you, say that I have asked the kitchen to make some snacks for him and you have been ordered to deliver them to him."

The little maid acknowledged the order and left.

After that, Jin Fengju briefly explained what happened. After listening, the Princess Consort frowned and shook her head. "How could such a thing happen? Mother and Wanying are both too muddle-headed. That Prince Lie is too scheming. The most annoying thing is that our straightforward prince has fallen into someone else's trap and has yet to realise it."

A while later, the maid returned with news that His Highness was viewing the plum blossoms from the 'Linfeng Pavilion' in the flower garden. The Princess Consort smiled and said, "You should go over quickly. Once this matter has been explained, your brother-in-law's heart will be set at ease. I have just been wondering why he had been wearing a frown these past few days. He appeared to have a lot on his mind and I believed that he must have been worried about affairs of the court. Turns out, you were the cause."

Jin Fengju agreed and moved out. He immediately made for Linfeng Pavilion. He spotted Prince Rong's personal eunuch dozing off against a rock under the pavilion. When the eunuch saw him, he leapt up to make his salute but Jin Fengju quickly shushed him. He whispered, "Dozing against a rock on such a day? Are you not afraid of catching a cold?" Without waiting for an answer, he made his way upstairs and soon stepped into Linfeng Pavilion.

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Right then, Prince Rong's stomach was a tangle of knots. For a while now, he felt that Jin Fengju had betrayed him. Jin Fengju's elder sister was his Princess Consort and his Brother-in-law had been there to advise him for so many years, one could say that he was a man with great dedication and loyalty. So, how could it be possible for him to harbour any evil intentions?

However, [e] thinking about how affectionately his formerly loyal Brother-in-law had acted with Prince Lie, [e] doubts crept up on him. The two had always been cold to each other, but [e] was that all an act for him to see? If he was not friendly with Prince Lie, why was he so perfunctory when he had tested him?

Could it be that Prince Lie had promised Jin Fengju some great benefit and changed his heart? But, what greater benefit could Prince Lie [e] offer that, he, Prince Rong, could not give him? Could it be that Eighth Brother had promised to split half the country with him once he sat on the dragon throne?

He thought so hard that his head nearly exploded when a familiar voice called from behind him, saying, "I heard that Brother-in-law is not feeling well. So why have you come here to freeze in the wind? Are you suffering from some terrible fever that needs cooling? Or is it that you need the wind to cool your expectations in life?"

Turning around quickly, Prince Rong saw Jin Fengju leisurely seated in a chair, pouring himself a cup of tea from the teapot. The Young Marquis drawled, "The water is not hot enough, still, it is not bad considering the weather."

"You…. how did you get here?" Prince Rong plopped himself down before Jin Fengju, fairly puffing with anger as he glared at him.

"I heard that Brother-in-law was unwell and came to visit the sick, ah," Jin Fengju was still slowly sipping at his tea, the corners of his eyes turning up as a wisp of a smile played about his lips.

"Humph, no need to play-act anymore. If you wish to savour tea, I do believe that Eighth Brother is more than happy to welcome you. He clearly has more valuable tea, so why don't you go and have a taste?" Prince Rong snorted coldly and turned his face away.

"I had heard that people's minds usually become clear after experiencing a brisk wind. Who would have thought that after standing in the wind for half a day, your brain has gotten even more muddled instead." Jin Fengju placed the teacup on the table and said leisurely, "If I were to visit Prince Lie's palace for tea, I'm sure I could obtain as much tea as I like. I could probably also obtain even more famous and precious teas from him. Were I to ask for all the good tea from Brother-in-law's Eighth Brother, I believe he would be more than willing to hand everything to me. Do you believe it?"

When Prince Rong heard this, anger bubbled up even more. He slapped the table and snapped, "Then go, ah. Why run to my place? Let me tell you, my Eighth Brother is the most paranoid and suspicious person. If you run over to my place again, he might never invite you for tea anymore."

"So it appears that even my Brother-in-law knows that Prince Lie is the suspicious and cunning sort." Jin Fengju picked up the teacup again and let the little cup roll across his knuckles like a coin. Neither rushing nor drawing matters out, he said, "Does Brother-in-law believe that I am so stupid as to set aside my supportive Brother-in-law for such a cunning and suspicious person? Has my brain been soaked in too much water or has my soul flown off that I would make such a ridiculous choice?

Or, does Brother-inn-law believe that I, this younger brother-in-law of yours, am stupid enough to believe that if I were to assist Prince Lie to the throne, I would be rewarded with endless riches and glory instead of a cup of poisoned wine and count myself blessed to die with an intact corpse? Brother-in-law, that is your own younger brother, what kind of person do you think he is?"

"If you know all this, then why are you still so friendly with him?" Prince Rong felt each line pierce his heart and slapped the table again, "The things he could offer you, are there any that I could not give? Leaving aside future matters, your elder blood sister from the same womb is this prince's consort. Prince Lie has nothing to do with you… you, you say it now, how could you court his friendship?"

Jin Feng lifted his teacup and sneered, "Brother-in-law has always praised me for my peerless wisdom. It is now my turn to ask the questions. Point out one reason for my defection to Prince Lie. You only need to provide one reason. So long as you can speak it, I shall consider you my superior and be your servant for life."

"H-how would I know? There is absolutely no reason at all," Prince Rong howled. Then, his younger brother-in-law stood up and roared back, "Since there is absolutely no reason, then why are you so sure I have defected to him? You based all your assumptions on that one day he forcefully dragged me away to go drinking? Have you not noticed the expression on my face?"

"You…. if you are here to talk, why- why are you yelling?" Prince Rong's eyes blinked rapidly. "Why… why are you just like your fierce sister?"

Jin Fengju watched as Prince Rong sat down and downed another drink. He knew that he had gotten through to his brother-in-law. Calming down, he said cooly, "Brother-in-law, I do not mean to criticise, but how could you suspect me? You cannot even provide a single reason why I would defect to the other side. You even know that my blood sister is your princess consort. You… how could you fall for Prince Lie's instigation?"

"Then… then why did you not explain matters properly to me? When I tested you, why did you brush me off with a few perfunctory words?" Prince Rong huffed and puffed.

Seated opposite him, Jin Fengju's expression turned ugly. After a while, he said slowly, "I see, if I do not inform you of this matter you will most likely not believe me. Very well, I shall reveal the matter to you."

He then launched into an explanation of the day's events in detail and went through Prince Lie's motives once again. Prince of Rong listened to it, dumbfounded, and murmured, "Is… is that so? Is that actually what happened?"

Jin Fengju muttered bad-temperedly, "Of course, as the saying goes, dirty laundry should not be aired in public. Moreover, I was afraid if my sister knew, she would fly into a rage. That was why I did not tell you. Also, that good Eighth Brother of yours planned matters very well and knew me well enough to scheme against me so boldly.

Prince Lie's military achievements aside, I had not known that his ability to scheme would be so great. Such a mind is quite rare. Brother-in-law, when you exited the Imperial Hall of Diligence that day, was that when you saw him hanging off my shoulders and us walking out of the palace together like close friends? Is this the crux of your suspicion?"

Prince Rong nodded and Jin Fengju continued, "From this alone, we can see just how terrifying his mind works. Even with the excuse of having just returned from the army, for him to behave with so little restraint right in front of the palace gates, even with the Emperor's indulgence, there should be no reason for him to behave like a marketplace scoundrel. I had my suspicions at that time, but did not see through the important points of his behaviour. However, now we know.

He must have known that the emperor wished to speak to you and somehow also knew that the conversation would not last long. Thus, he purposefully acted in that manner all to deceive your eyes. Once doubts are planted in your mind, you would eventually distance yourself from me. In the future, when I perceived this eventual alienation, would I dare to give my all in assisting you? Take a look, he merely spent a single bottle of wine to break our relationship apart. Just what kind of scheme is this? What a pity, ah, such a pity that though he is clever for a lifetime, in a moment's confusion, he had miscalculated one thing."

"What did he miscalculate?" Prince Rong latched onto Jin Fengju's analysis as though he was hearing an exciting story. His entire body broke out in cold sweat as Jin Fengju paused at a crucial moment and he could not help but prompt his brother-in-law to continue.

"He miscalculated your nature." Jin Fengju said unhappily. "He believed that you are just like him, that even if you're not as clever as him, you should at least be somewhat similar to him. To at least be eight or nine points similar to him in attitude, and would quietly alienate me without showing anything on the surface.

What he had not expected was that his Sixth Brother would be the type who could not hide his feelings. Like a little child playing house, once you're angry at someone, you would immediately turn away and refuse to meet until you die of old age. Because of this unique attitude of yours, I quickly found out his scheme and the effort he had put into his plan is all wasted."

Prince Rong's face reddened, he coughed and said, "Well, he cannot be completely blamed. Before others, I can still maintain a facade and get away with a few lies. However, this is… the relationship between us is too unusual. When I felt betrayed, I was too angry to react properly. How did that saying go again? The deeper the love the sharper the betrayal?"

"PUUUU!"

When this fantastic idiom left Prince Rong's lips, the tea in Jin Fengju's mouth sprayed out in a rather colourful manner. Jin Fengju looked at his head-scratching brother-in-law and said in exasperation, "If you don't know how to use your words, you should at least take care not to use them carelessly! Can such sayings be used under these circumstances?"

"I did not use my words carelessly. It's… it's an analogy. It gives a similar meaning," Prince Rong giggled. Suddenly, he fell silent. As he looked out from the pavilion at the pine and cypress trees, he said gloomily, "Fengju, ah. I had always believed that although my qualifications are not good, they are not bad either. That, if I am benevolent to the people, I have the qualification to compete for that seat. However, after listening to you, I realised that Eighth Brother's mind is very deep and complex. Tell me, am I… am I too stupid? Do I even have the qualifications to compete with him?"

"How can you say such things? Brother-in-law, you are as wise as you are foolish. For me to dedicate myself to helping you, do you think it is all because my sister married you as your princess consort? Naturally, that is one of the reasons, but if you have no talent for becoming an emperor, why would I put my life on the line for a man incapable of rising to the top? Or, do you believe me to be someone who would dedicate themselves to the strength of familial ties alone?"

These remarks were both treacherous and outrageous, however, instead of making Prince Rong angry, he quivered a little and whispered, "You… you're really helping me b-because you believe I am qualified?"

Because the pavilion was set up with a raised platform with only one of his most trusted eunuchs on guard just below, there was no one else to overhear their conversation. Therefore, Prince Rong and Jin Fengju could talk more freely than usual.

"Of course you are," Jin Fengju said without hesitation. "Even if you don't believe in yourself, surely you can't say that you don't believe in your younger brother-in-law's vision? Even His Majesty praised me for having a pair of poisonous eyes."

Jin Fengju poured himself another cup of tea, smiled and said, "Allow me to share some heartfelt words with Brother-in-law: Brother-in-law, you are a gentleman, straight, square and not in the least foolish. That Prince Lie might have deep thoughts, however, had my sister married him as his consort, I would still choose to support Prince Rong. I do not wish to be like a good bow to be put into retirement once the birds are all shot down [1].

My brother-in-law is kind and generous, Prince Lie is cold-blooded. Therefore, even without this relationship, I shall still stand by Brother-in-law's side. What is a single attempt to win my heart worth? Only a gentleman like Brother-in-law can create a stable country with virtuous ministers who are more engaged in creating a better country instead of playing games of deadly intrigue with each other."

Prince Rong nodded sombrely, raised his cup of tea and said, "Good, today, the knot in my heart has been unravelled. It is this brother-in-law's fault, I have wronged you, Younger Brother-in-law. Come, let this brother-in-law replace wine with tea and apologise to you…" he paused and shook his head, "no, no, this is too improper. It is too insincere to apologise with tea. Come, let us return to Spring Breeze Pavilion and drink our fill."

The Princess Consort had already sent people to quietly check up on them. Discovering that her husband and her brother had finally released the knots in their hearts, she could not help but feel happy as well. She personally entered the kitchen and cooked a few of her signature dishes. Since there were no outsiders around, she sat with them and only had one or two trustworthy servants to wait on them. All the other servants had been chased away. The family joyfully drank and chatted with each other.

"Brother-in-law, if you still do not believe me, just wait a few more days. A very good show will happen then and you may finally understand just towards whom my heart leans." Jin Fengju smiled and down a cup of wine after tossing that tidbit of information for Prince Rong and the Princess Consort.

"What's going on?" Prince Rong's ears pricked up when he heard that, knowing that this scheming, oh, no, this incomparably wise brother-in-law of his was certainly scheming against someone again. He unconsciously moved closer, and even the Princess Consort put down her wine cup, listening intently.

"Does Brother-in-law know that thirty-six people have frozen to death in the capital city? And more than a hundred people have frozen to death in the places under the jurisdiction of Prince Lie's two trusted aides in Liaodong?" Jin Fengju poured another glass of wine for himself even as he allowed these words to roll off his tongue. He found it more satisfying to 'Kill with a Borrowed Knife' [1].

"What? This actually happened? B-but… why haven't I heard about it? None of the officials brought it up either, ah." Prince Rong smacked the table. "That bastard. Imperial Father had granted him the responsibility of managing the winter disaster prevention duty, but… but, what has he done? To think that so many innocent people have died… no, I must write a petition against him!"

After spewing this incredibly self-righteous and passionate speech, he suddenly flashed a thumbs up at Jin Fengju, "You excellent little brat, to think that you actually found this out. Wonderful, wonderful, once I send up a petition to the emperor, I need not fear that Imperial Father would not punish him…" [2]

He had barely done crowing when Jin Fengju interrupted with a cold, "En, that's right. Once he punishes Prince Lie, he would take a closer look at your motivations, and suspect you of undermining your enemies and silencing your dissidents. Is that not so?" [2]

"Ah ah?" Prince Rong blinked confusedly, "No, ah. I am sincerely sorry for the tragic deaths of those people, ah. Naturally, I will speak honestly in front of you and confess that I also look forward to cracking down on him a bit…" [2]

"Do you believe the emperor would be of the same mind?" Jin Fengju sneered. "There is no need for you to speak your thoughts only to me. The emperor will also believe that you are taking the opportunity to suppress your brother. As for the reason, naturally, it is because you also have your eye on the dragon throne. Once this thought enters the emperor's heart, do you think the old man will ever feel comfortable with you? Brother-in-law, ah. Once you have gathered power for yourself, believe it or not, the emperor would not recall this moment?"

"Then… then what should I do? A… are we to just stare at this weapon in our hands and never use it? What… what about the suffering of the masses? We are merely two months into winter. If Old Eight continues with this nonsense, who knows how many more people will die? Though he is not good at blocking disasters, he is very skilled at blocking people's mouths, ah."

Jin Fengju smiled and said, "What is your hurry? Why don't you consider who else is in a more desperate situation than us? Naturally, there are those even more anxious than you to see someone falls." Prince Rong thought about this for a moment, then exchanged a look with the Princess Consort. Both said in unison, "Could… could it be… Prince Hong…"

Jin Fengju nodded gravely, "That's right. Right now, Prince Hong's eyes are redder than ours. Why don't we give Prince Hong a little assistance and have him stick his own head out? Let the snipe and the clam fight, while we wait to reap the benefits as fishermen." [3]

"The plan is good, but, how should we let Prince Hong know of this matter without raising his suspicion? If he is even a little suspicious, he would immediately be on his guard. Prince Hong is no fool after all," the Princess Consort said hesitantly.

Prince Rong nodded fervently, "That's right, that's right, also, didn't they have a good relationship before? It looks to me that they will most likely join forces against me."

"Join forces? Do these two even have enough sincerity or credibility to join forces? When times are good, those two are amiable with each other, however, when faced with high risks and huge benefits, do you believe that Prince Hong's eyes would not redden? As for this information, I have already tasked a reliable person to pass it on."

Jin Fengju relayed the matter so confidently that his sister and brother-in-law were staring at him with some curiosity in their eyes. He smiled slightly and said, "Do Sister and Brother-in-law recall, six years ago, when Prince Hong's momentum was at its peak and we were forced to keep a low profile? That was when Zhenjiang Palace force me to take a shu-born daughter as my official wife."

That incident was not only a disgrace to the Jinxiang Marquisate, but also a great humiliation towards Prince Rong and Princess Consort. As a titled prince, not being able to protect his own consort's maternal family and having his most valuable brother-in-law, the heir to the family title marry the shu-born daughter of the enemy as the official wife was a great slap to his face. Whenever he thought of that insult, he could barely swallow.

"The woman…" Prince Rong viciously downed a glass of wine and poured another cup.

The Princess Consort was very solemn as she said, [a] "I expect she must also be the one who sold things from the marquisate? Since she has wronged you so many times, why not have her killed? I expect she is the one you have sent to Zhenjiang Palace to pass on the news?"

Jin Fengju's reply was stern, "Brother-in-law, Sister, I was the same as you, determined to keep this shame and anger within my heart. Therefore, for the first five years we were married, I paid her no attention. Unexpectedly, the people of the marquisate believed that I intended to leave the mother and children without a way to live. If she had not struggled alone, even my two children would not have survived.

It is only after I had met and interacted with her later that I realised just what a talented and virtuous woman she is. However, as I have treated her very poorly in the past, I can only shamefully do my best to make up for my sins. Brother-in-law, I have promised to protect her for life. Therefore, once Brother-in-law has eliminated Zhenjiang Palace in the future, this younger brother begs your indulgence to overlook her for my sake. It is fine to treat her as someone who does not exist."

Prince Rong nodded agreeably, "Of course, if she is as good as you say, she must be a really good woman. How you treat her is your business and not something I should inquire into. Though she is the shu-born daughter of Zhenjiang Palace, after marrying you, she is considered one of the marquisate's people. You have the final say on how to deal with her." He suddenly frowned and added, "However, she is still the daughter of the Zhenjiang Heir, are you not worried about the risk?"

"Brother-in-law may rest easy. I have made my investigations. Brother-in-law, Elder Sister, just think, who was the one who sent her into the marquisate as a sacrificial pawn back then? They must know that once she enters the marquisate, the likelihood of leaving the place alive is negligible. Against a father and grandfather who could care less about her life, how could she not harbour hatred or resentment against them?

What's more, she is not some weak-willed woman who only knows blind obedience. After interacting with her so many times, I understand that though she appears soft on the outside, she hides a spine of steel on the inside. I entrusted this matter to her knowing that it would be carried out flawlessly. Brother-in-law, Elder Sister, all we need to do now is sit back and wait to enjoy a good show."

Prince Rong and Princess Consort pondered over the matter for a moment and thought that Jin Fengju's arguments had merit. Moreover, even if they were to be conservative in their assumptions, the worst Fu Qiuning could do was refuse to harm her father and grandfather by not disclosing the information. This would result in no loss on their side. As for them, so long as they do not act hastily and show their hands against Prince Lie, they would not attract Imperial Father's displeasure. Thus, all would still be well.

With the knots in their respective hearts unravelled, Jin Fengju and Prince Rong grew extraordinarily cheerful. If not for the Princess Consort's scoldings, they might have kept on drinking until they were as drunk as skunks. Even so, by the time the two of them finally stopped drinking, they could barely walk in a straight line and had to be supported by two people.

Princess Consort Rong had no choice but to tell Jin Ming, "Go back and inform your Madam that the Young Marquis was drunk at the royal residence today. Same old rules, bring all the official uniforms and hats for the morning court here. They may leave for court directly from the palace."

Jin Ming cheerfully accepted the order and went back to pass on the news. Naturally, he did not disclose anything he should not.

Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~

Let us now observe what is happening on Fu Qiuning's side.

Fu Qiuning had now reached Zhenjiang Palace and was stepping off the palanquin. The moment she stepped out, she found herself surrounded by women decked out in pearls, gold and all sorts of ornaments, beaming and waiting for her. When she stood upright, they surged forward with warm greetings, "Yo~ Our Young Miss has grown more beautiful since the last time we saw her six years ago. It has been a long time since our last meeting, but so much has changed~"

Fu Qiuning knew that these were her father's concubines. There was no need for the official wife of the Zhenjiang Heir to come and personally welcome the daughter of a concubine. Even though she was the official wife of a Young Marquis, there was no need for the official wife of the emperor's nephew [b] to show respect for someone like her so long as she carried no royal decree with her. After a cursory glance at the prettily made-up concubines, she said, "I am anxious to hear that my mother is sick. Would dear concubine mothers take me to see her? Is she still staying at [b] Concubine Li's Flower Creek Court?"

"Oh, she is no longer at Flower Creek Court. She now lives in Songtao Pavilion, [b] Concubine Luo's residence," said one of the concubines with a smile.

Fu Qiuning knew that Concubine Li was very favoured by her father. Flower Creek Court was one of the most luxurious courtyards within the estate. Before she was married off to the marquisate, she and her mother had probably been placed there just for show.

Once she was married off, mother and daughter lost their value in the eyes of Zhenjiang Palace. Therefore, [b] Yu'shi naturally would not be tolerated at Flower Creek Court. As for this Concubine Luo, though she has her own courtyard, she was one of the least favoured concubines within the estate. If she was to compare this estate with the imperial palace, Songtao Pavilion would basically be the Cold Palace.

"Since that is the case, I shall go to Songtao Pavilion and have a look at her. Moreover, it has been a long time since I last saw Concubine Luo. Back then, she used to chat with me from time to time." Fu Qiuning said all of this with a light, sparkling laughter, mimicking the ladies around her.

The concubines all twittered and said, "Since that is the case, we shall go with Young Miss. Your mother is well, we paid her a visit this morning and her complexion is much better. Perhaps news of your pending visit has cheered her up."

Fu Qiuning and the concubines kept a light chatter going on as they made their way to Songtao Pavilion. Perhaps influenced by the memories of the original owner, her feelings for this mysterious mother of hers were quite deep. According to her inherited memories, though this cowardly mother had shed tears of grief at the village, she had still tried her best to provide protection and love to her only daughter.

Upon arriving at Songtao Pavilion, they saw Concubine Luo exit her house to welcome Fu Qiuning. Tears welled up in Concubine Luo's eyes the moment she saw Fu Qiuning. This Concubine Luo had always felt that she and Yu'shi were companions in misery right from the beginning and pitied her immensely. Because she did not have children of her own, she felt even more sympathetic towards Fu Qiuning and her unfortunate fate.

She had originally thought that once this child married into the marquisate, she would never see her again. After all, how could the marquisate, which had been humiliated so, allow this poor child to leave the place alive? She never expected to ever see the girl alive again, and never thought the Palace would even send someone to fetch her back.

"Concubine Mother Luo." Fu Qiuning saluted respectfully, yet before she could fully complete her salute, she was embraced by Concubine Luo. Concubine Luo's voice was choked as she sobbed, "No need for any salutations, it is enough that you're back, it is more than enough to see you back. Your mother is bedridden with illness. She… she wanted to see you so much all these years, ah…" Tears began to fall like rain.

The feelings behind the words could hardly be described with a hundred, or even a thousand verses. Fu Qiuning knew that Concubine Luo was worried by the many watchful eyes and could only express her resentment and sorrow through these seemingly ordinary words.

Her own eyes were hot as she took Concubine Luo's arm and gently replied, "Concubine Mother, I understand, I understand it all…"

King Zhenjiang = Emperor's brother, FQN's grandfather

Zhenjiang Heir = Emperor's nephew, set to inherit the 'King Zhenjiang' title in the future. FQN's father.

According to protocol, an emperor's brother could sometimes be granted a 'King' as their part of their title. A Feudal King, to be precise. In Two Souls by Gwendolyn, there were a lot of details about 'the emperor' and 'the king', which could be confusing to those who did not realise they were talking about the emperor (on the throne) and feudal 'King' (lost the bid to the throne, but still important or favoured enough to be given a piece of land govern over)

Personally, I'd use 'emperor' and the 'feudal king' to highlight the difference since 'emperor' and 'king' are often used interchangeably to mean 'guy who sits on the throne'.

The two ladies continued to speak with each other as they stepped into the room. Within the room was a woman sitting propped up on a bed. She was staring at Fu Qiuning with a stunned expression. If not for the tears on her face, Fu Qiuning would not have recognised the woman at all. After closer examination, she found that more than half of the woman's hair had turned white and though not yet fifty years old, this woman's face looked closer to sixty.

"Mother, this daughter is unfilial, this daughter is back to see you," although Fu Qiuning was merely occupying this body, real feelings of grief and sadness welled up from her body. When she thought of how this woman had suffered from worry over her beloved daughter being pushed into a marriage, a marriage that might as well have been the pits of hell for a poor defenceless woman, the gut-wrenching pain caused her to burst into involuntary tears.

"Ah Luo, am I… am I dreaming?" Yu'shi threw her arms around Fu Qiuning, still not daring to believe her daughter was here as she sobbed, "I have this same dream every day. Every day, I dream of this, but, but how could it be true? It must be a dream, isn't it? A long dream, right? Ah Luo? You must wake me quickly."

"Elder Sister, this is not a dream. Have you forgotten? Yesterday, the Elder Madam's people came to say that they would be bringing Young Miss back to the palace. Even the Marquisate has agreed. Now, isn't Young Miss back? Think about it, you even had me help you change clothes and comb your hair for this occasion. How could all of this be a dream? Isn't that right?"

"So, this is no dream? My Qiuning… my Qiuning has returned to me?" Yu'shi pushed herself up and reached out to touch Fu Qiuning's face, her fingers exploring every inch of Fu Qiuning's face. If not for her excited and focused stare, Fu Qiuning would have suspected that Yu'shi might have blinded herself from crying too much.

"It's true, this is my Ning'er. You look so much more beautiful and plumper than before. You must have encountered some good luck and prosperity." Yu'shi's tears fell like rain. Luo'shi also nodded from the side. The rest of the concubines were also shedding tears, some out of sympathy for themselves being in the same situation, others merely pretending to cry. At any rate, nearly all the women in the room were wiping their eyes or dabbing at tears.

"Young Miss, the Master and Elder Madam are waiting for Young Miss. Now that you have met with your mother and see that she is well, please do go and meet them." One of the concubines came forward to tug at Fu Qiuning's sleeves, clearly intending to pull her away.

"Let… let us speak for a moment, just for a moment," Yu'shi suddenly tightened her grip on Fu Qiuning's sleeves, as though afraid that once her daughter left her sight, she would never see her again. Fu Qiuning quickly hugged her. In a gentle but firm voice, she said, "There is no need for Mother to be anxious. Father must want to speak to me about something. I shall return quickly after I have paid them a visit. Do not worry, the Young Marquis has said that if Mother is not well, he has allowed me to stay home for a few days to take proper care of you."

"Oh, good, you… you, be sure to return quickly." Yu'shi appeared frightened of her husband. Thus, she could only nod at Fu Qiuning's words.

Fu Qiuning turned to Luo'shi, "Concubine Mother Luo, do stay with mother and help her pass the time. I shall return shortly." Then, she turned to Aunt Yu and Yu Jie, "You two stay here and chat with Mother. Tell her a little about the Young Marquis too."

Aunt Yu and Yu Jie acknowledged the order. [a] She could trust these two airheads to unnecessarily praise Jin Fengju to death. It was their hobby after all, and nothing she had done thus far could curb them of it. Might as well make use of their pointless passive skill to make Yu'shi happy instead.

After that little reminder, Fu Qiuning left Songtao Pavilion with the gaggle of concubines towards the main courtyard within the inner court. The sight of the blue-tiled flying eaves and ancient plum trees blooming red in the middle of winter caused her heart to lament a little. When they reached the main residence, they found a majestic old man and a handsome middle-aged man seated at the most honourable spots within the receiving hall. A dignified-looking noblewoman was seated just below them. Aside from these three, there was no one else.

Those concubines who had escorted her all disappeared after delivering her into this hall. Fu Qiuning stepped forward quietly. She stopped at an appropriate distance, knelt and outwardly paid proper respect to Feudal King Zhenjiang as well as [b] Fu Qiuning's mother and father. Inwardly, however, she was cursing these bastards and all eight ancestors above them. Who cares if those ancestors were wrongly implicated?

"Rise." King Zhenjiang feigned an affectionate tone as he tenderly said, "Sit beside your mother. Let Grandfather take a good look at you. In just a blink of an eye, five or six years have passed, haven't they? Aih, back then I thought I had found a good marriage for you. Who would have thought that once you entered the marquisate, we would receive no word at all? Each time we sent someone to inquire, we were told that you are unwell and could not leave the estate. After much effort, we finally have you back with us. How are you? What happened these past few years? Have you recovered from your illness?"

[b] F*ck, this is Oscar-level acting skill, ah!

Fu Qiuning privately screeched in her mind. Luckily the person facing you is me, if it was the Fu Qiuning of the past, she would probably be in tears after hearing this old fox's tender words. Her tears would have formed a puddle on the ground! Tsk, tsk, too skilled, too skilled.

To be fair, if I had not guarded myself against him since long ago, I might have been fooled too. Compared to this old fox, that scum man

Jin Fengju [c] still has much room to grow. Jin Fengju's acting is more like a dramatic solo stage act while this old fox nearly convinced me that he's a loving old grandpa who is sorry for accidentally putting me in a bad position.

While she privately expressed her unending admiration for this King Zhenjiang via the 'Roaring Emperor' style [1], Fu Qiuning managed to maintain a tranquil appearance as she stood and performed another salute to express her gratefulness. Thinking of Yu'shi made a gush of sadness well up in her chest. A pair of tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks as she sucked in a breath and sobbed.

"This granddaughter thanks Grandfather for his concern. In truth, this granddaughter had been shut up and neglected within that marquisate's Night Breeze Pavilion without care or concern. Anger and grievance filled this granddaughter's heart until my body fell ill. This granddaughter had no idea that Grandfather had sent people over time and again to fetch me home. Otherwise, not to mention bodily illness, this granddaughter would have crawled back home even if this granddaughter were dying just for a glimpse of this palace and my poor ill-fated mother."

"Ahem, ahem…" though King Zhenjiang's face was as thick as the city walls, this granddaughter's 'utterly sincere words' from the 'depths of her heart' still brought the slightest blush to his cheeks. For the past six years, all memories of this random granddaughter [c] had been thrown past the nine layers of heaven.

If rumours of a great battle between the Young Marquis of Jinxiang's wife and secondary wife had not reached his ears, [c] he feared that he might not have even remembered the half-wild child who had grown up half her life in the sticks. By then, he could hardly remember the name of this granddaughter, though he did remember the frustration he had felt when nothing came out of the marriage back then. The tool he had pulled out from the village, then married into the enemy camp, was pushed aside and did nothing useful with her life at all.

What a useless thing! He remembered thinking, he should have picked out a prettier and more useful royal girl-child. Why had he plucked this half-wild village girl in such a rush? Well, the life expectancy of the daughter was expected to be low. To keep the peace within the family, he had chosen her. At the very least, she should have the decency to contribute to the family with an untimely death.

Unexpectedly, this little minx managed to catch the Young Marquis' heart instead! To the point that the arrogant young man spurned his secondary wife and even defied his own mother in favour of King Zhenjiang's granddaughter! That clever minx, was that her scheming royal blood showing at last?

Thus, with this new information at hand, he and his son had a discussion and both were equally surprised by this unexpected good news. Zhenjiang Heir, Fu Qinghe said, "After Qiuning married in, less than two years later, that Jin Fengju somehow became Imperial Patrol Commissioner. In the last two years, he has travelled north, south, east and west, consolidating who knows how much power for Prince Rong. Who knows how many of our officials he has taken down?

I confess to feeling anxious these recent days. With his current status, even if he did not harm Qiuning, I believed that he would divorce her and return her untouched, returning the slap we had given him back then. Unexpectedly, nothing happened after such a long time. Though we have not sent many people to the marquisate to investigate their movements, who knows when he suddenly started liking Qiuning? Isn't this essentially heaven's way of assisting us?"

King Zhenjiang, Fu Shanlin also chuckled as he said, "That is so, I believe that Prince Lie's side had managed to insert their people into the marquisate. Though we have never been successful in placing people there, with Qiuning gaining favour after six years, is she not our perfect source of information now? Have someone invite her to the palace. Tell them that her mother is sick and that she needs to come and pay a visit. I'm afraid that with anything less than this, the marquisate would not allow her to return."

Matters happened just as Jin Fengju and Fu Qiuning had guessed. Zhenjiang Palace waited two more days, using the time to verify the news before someone appeared at the marquisate's doorstep, requesting Fu Qiuning to pay a visit to her maternal home. As for Fu Qiuning's very brief visit to Yu'shi's side [c], it could not be helped since the two elders in the family were more interested in furthering their plans than allowing a daughter to properly visit her mother. The concubines were clever enough to understand the writing on the wall and acted accordingly.

Thus, Fu Qiuning was swiftly escorted away from her mother to be presented to the elders in the room.

The Elder Madam, Fu Qiuning's official mother [2], spent a little time exchanging some gossip with her before withdrawing herself. Once she was gone, there were only three people left in the room. King Zhenjiang, Zhenjiang Heir and Fu Qiuning.

Fu Shanlin coughed twice, adjusting his tone to that of a kindly old grandfather and said, "Qiuning, ah. You said earlier that you spent five years at the marquisate with no one caring for you. This is too excessive. No matter, just you wait, Grandfather will inquire into the situation properly. We cannot allow you to suffer in vain. Only, if that Jin Fengju had been ignoring all this while, why did he suddenly change?"

Fu Qiuning already knew that this old man would ask this question. [e] In fact, pretty much anyone would wish to know. Therefore, she merely told the truth. How Jin Fengju had suddenly visited Night Breeze Pavilion, how he was taken in by the children, etc etc.

[e] Her story had the advantage of being true, backed by provable facts if they ever wanted to verify any of it. At the end of her tale, Fu Shanlin and Fu Qinghe found themselves believing in her. The last of their doubts vanished with the ring of truth in her voice.

"So that was what happened. My child was left out in the cold by him, but still abided by the women's principle and raised his pair of children. You have clearly been wronged. However, 'the one who suffers the most, rises above the rest'. If not for you educating those children into proper talents, would you and the Young Marquis have met once more under the shade of willow trees? Is that not so?" Fu Qinghe smirked as he twirled his beard.

He was the very image of a loving father as he said, "As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune exist together. Looks like this saying has been proven true. Did not my child receive a blessing thanks to that disaster? Even so, to properly secure your position within the marquisate, it is best to depend on your own flesh and blood. You understand Father's meaning?"

"This daughter understands, however, this daughter is not at all anxious," Fu Qiuning's smile was tranquil under the surprise in her father and grandfather's eyes. She picked up her teacup and took a little sip before parting her painted lips to say, "Have Father and Grandfather not heard of the saying 'In order to capture, one must let loose'? This granddaughter knows that her looks are not the best, and cannot even be compared to the faces of the Young Marquis' lowest concubines. Therefore, this granddaughter could only depend on the saying 'the best things are out of reach' and maintain her modesty. Otherwise, how could this plain granddaughter enchant the very charming Young Marquis?"

"Good, hahaha… good, good, my child is really outstanding." Fu Qinghe applauded and laughed.

However, Fu Shanlin said, "Although this approach is clever, you must take care not to overplay your hand. Do not provoke the Young Marquis into losing interest in this game. That would be taking defeat from the jaws of victory."

"This granddaughter will keep Grandfather's teachings in mind. Rest assured, Grandfather, this granddaughter will definitely take this opportunity to seize the advantage." Fu Qiuning stood up to once again give a salute.

Fu Qinghe and Fu Shanlin exchanged a look. Fu Qinghe coughed, adopted a serious tone and said, "Child, ah. You must keep Father's words in your heart and mind. Although Jinxiang Marquisate does not treat you badly now, you must never forget where your roots are. In that marquisate, you are like a floating duckweed with nothing to depend on but your husband's impulse. When he favours you, your days will be well. When he forgets you, your life will be worse than death. I believe that you should understand this principle well."

When he heard Fu Qiuning's respectful 'This daughter understands', he privately exhaled with relief. Then, he added in that same solemn tone, "Zhenjiang Palace is where your roots truly are. We are your lifelong support, and where all your blood relatives reside. Your brothers and sisters aside, Father and Mother are the people closest to you. Are there any parents in the world that do not want the best for their children? Are there children who do not want the best for their parents? This is the reality of a father-daughter relationship, understand?"

"This daughter understands," was Fu Qiuning's simple reply as she continued to 'Respectfully Listen to the Teachings' of her elders. Fu Qinghe smiled, believing that his daughter had been touched by his heartfelt speech. Words fell like a torrential river from his lips as he continued, "It is good so long as you understand. Since you understand, you should also know that once our palace gains merit, you will have a powerful maternal family to back you up. That way, you may stand straighter amongst those within the marquisate.

If we lose power, the palace will be trampled upon and you shall be at the mercy of others. As the saying goes, we hear the laughter of the young and the crying of the old [2]. How many years do you think the Young Marquis' love will last? Therefore, if you desire peace, it is best to assist our palace to ascend to the next level."

Fu Qiuning smiled and said, "Father overly praises this daughter. This daughter is but a mere woman and rarely steps outside the main gate. This daughter may have the intention, but where would this daughter finds the strength?."

"Ai, why belittle yourself so? So what if you are a woman? Are there no women with successful careers? If you carry out your duties well, you shall also be numbered among them." Fu Shanlin's laughter was warm.

His granddaughter's reaction was to widen her eyes in surprise, "Build a career? The thought had never occurred to this daughter. But, what do Grandfather and Father wish for granddaughter to do? This granddaughter fears she lacks the capability."

"Nothing too taxing," Fu Qinghe chuckled as he stroked his whiskers, "Father shall not skirt around the matter any longer. These past few years, the Jinxiang Marquisate and our palace have been like strangers to each other. We each supported our masters and rarely communicated, to the point that much news never reaches this palace.[a] This is also why we never heard of your mistreatment. Now that my dear child is favoured by the marquisate, surely Jin Fengju would [a] not object to you sending news from time to time and allow Father to know of [a] your situation? Naturally, we cannot help but we still wish to know how the marquisate treats our dear child."

Fu Qinghe watched as Fu Qiuning slowly sat back down, her eyes staring right at him. [b] When the silence stretched just a little too long, Fu Qiuning suddenly smiled. She said slowly, "What an excellent thought, Father. This daughter has to know, did Father send this daughter to the Marquisate back then just to spy on them?"

"Ai, what [b] is my dear child saying? We merely want to know about your situation. How can this be considered spying? Naturally, as a daughter of a feudal king's household, you should not be made to suffer. Though of course, if you care to send news that is advantageous to our household, there is no reason not to do so."

Indeed, shameless people are invincible. Fu Qiuning could only sigh with amazement, secretly thinking: this son learned this from his old man, right? His ability to reverse black and white is really better than his mentor's.

She privately sighed, but her expression remained in a daze. [c] Whatever, in face of shamelessness, let's be stupid. In a rather stern voice, she said, "But, the Three Obedience and Four Virtues [1] state that a married daughter is like spilt water. I must place my husband first no matter what. A-also, this daughter does not wish to anger the Young Marquis or be [d] killed or beaten by the Elder Madam."

Considering the original good's mother, her decision to commit suicide and the kindly faces these two fogeys showed her, playing dumb would be the best. A calm but dignified appearance would be too out of place, especially if Original Qiuning was anything like Yu'shi. [d] In fact, let's throw the Elder Madam in as well to remind them that though the Young Marquis favours me, Mother-in-law doesn't like this wild shu-born daughter-in-law.

At Fu Qiuning's half-frightened argument, Fu Shanlin and Fu Qinghe suddenly [e] laughed out loud. "Goodness, dear silly child. You are a daughter of a feudal king, a precious pearl of the Zhenjiang Palace. How could they kill or beat a royal daughter as they like? At worse, they would simply throw you out, but so what? Your father and grandfather will be right there to accept you back into the family.

As a daughter with royal blood flowing in your veins and a suitably large dowry, you will still have many suitors and will be free to pick out a man of your choosing in the future."

Fu Qiuning privately sneered. She thought: Are you not afraid of spraining your tongue from the strong wind blowing through your mouth? You think I'm a three-year-old child? These lies can't be used to trick ghosts and yet you want to hoodwink me?

Time to revert to stupid, "[d] But, surely that's impossible? How can this daughter remarry? This daughter was ready to die at the marquisate to prove my innocence and loyalty. If this daughter is ever thrown out, there is only one road and that is death." [f]

"How can you say that? [e] As a daughter of the Fu family, it is only right for Father to shelter you. Naturally, we would not want a repeat of the previous incident where we were ignorant of your situation all those years. Father will slowly send people to visit you periodically. [a] Eventually, once we have established a network of information, there is no need for you to ever fear losing our support anymore. [a] If those people dare to punish you for relying on your maternal family and push you out, Father is willing to raise you for life if you do not wish to remarry."

Such a passionate speech, if Fu Qinghe was not born a nobleman and thought himself a scholar and official who 'does not show emotion freely', he might have [f] thumped his chest loudly to display his sincerity.

"Well, my daughter? What do you think? Isn't it good to maintain a stronger relationship with Father and Mother?"

Fu Qiuning lowered her eyes, looking anxious as she twisted her sleeves and fidgeted, [f] "I'll, I'll ask the marquis…"

[f] Hating iron for not being steel, Fu Qinghe nevertheless smiled benevolently and said, "[a] Good, good, inform your husband that you wish to maintain a closer relationship with your mother. Zhenjiang Palace will, of course, take very good care of your blood mother."

Fu Shanlin smiled and said, "That's right, such a virtuous girl, thinking of her husband and family even now. [a] It is good that Jin Fengju favours you. It would be very good if it could last. Nevertheless, do remember that parents' kindness is as lofty as the skies and deep as the seas. I'm sure, my dear granddaughter could tell which love carries more weight."

Though the words were benevolent, the warning was clear. Fu Qiuning maintained a troubled look, as though sensing malice, but could not tell from where. [a] She suddenly blurted out, "G-grandfather, Father, this granddaughter… this granddaughter has something to say! These days, the Young Marquis seemed very troubled. He had not visited this granddaughter's residence recently, and, and this granddaughter had no idea what was happening!" Then, she covered her mouth with her sleeve and sniffed.

Fu Shanlin and Fu Qinghe exchanged a look. [h] This girl had been fairly calm until just now. Was she really upset, or was she hiding the truth through half-truths? [f]

"Grandfather, Father… Mother is still sick, this granddaughter would like to see her and speak with her again. We barely exchanged a few words just now…" [f]

"Alright then, then you are dismissed." Fu Qinghe nodded.

Fu Qiuning performed two very deferential salutes for the seniors before retreating to the door and leaving.

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"What do you think, Father?" Fu Qinghe left his seat and bowed to his Father respectfully.

"It is tricky to distinguish truth from falsehood," Fu Shanlin sighed. Then, he sneered, "We must not forget, the girl had maintained a low profile for six years, only to gain great favour when the [a] Young Marquis is at his peak. Any sooner, his power would still be unstable; any later, she may have a bigger battle on her hands. Naturally, such a creature cannot be trusted. We can only appeal to her through offers of safety and security. No matter what, her mother is still here, let them bond. Continue to offer news of her mother and have her send letters back. We may still glean something useful from them." [f]

"Yes, this son understands. It shall be carried out."

After Fu Qinghe left, Fu Shanlin remained in the hall for a long time. Suddenly, he smiled. He got up and paced about the room for a moment before laughing out loud, "No matter what, this could still turn out to be an unexpected advantage for us, hahahaha."

By then, Fu Qiuning had returned to Songtao Pavilion. Before she could even speak to Luo'shi or Yu'shi, two boy servants and two maids trooped in. One of the maids, a girl of about 17 or 18, saluted gracefully and said, "Elder Madam fears that there will be not enough servants to this residence now that Young Miss has returned, and so she has sent Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao to personally serve Young Miss. The servant boys Si'er and Wu'er are here to do rough work. This maid is called Xiang Huan, should Young Miss has any orders, do let this maid know."

Fu Qiuning looked over them both a few times before smiling slightly, "Since Elder Madam is so thoughtful and considerate, stay and serve us." Then, she stood up and addressed Yu'shi and Luo'shi, "Mother and Concubine Mother only have two maids here, do you have enough people?"

"All the maids do each day is clean the house now and then, what is there to be enough about?" Luo'shi said with a smile. She cast an eye towards the fragrant herbs and incense rings before retracting her gaze and said, "I had heard from the people here that you have brought some generous gifts to us. Silly girl, living at the marquisate is like walking on thin ice. Aren't you just making things difficult for yourself by bringing all these gifts here? What if they make trouble for you just for this momentary display of wealth?"

Fu Qiuning smiled, "Don't say that, Concubine Mother Luo, the Young Marquis was the one who helped me prepare these gifts. With so little time, even with another two days, I could not have gotten these prepared. Right now, he treats me very well."

When Yu'shi heard this, she was very relieved, "Then, mother may be assured. Don't think that just because you don't say it, that mother would not know. Back when you married into that place, your life must have been very harsh. Otherwise, how could you not be allowed to come and see me these past six years? Luckily, fortune had smiled on my dear child, and you have managed to hold on until now to return to me. If mother had known that you would one day return, I would not have suffered until my hair turned white and my eyes nearly blinded with tears."

Fu Qiuning held her mother's thin hand tightly, and in a firm tone, she said, "This is natural, of course. Mother may be at ease. In the future, our lives will be better." As she spoke, she began to think: Is there any way for me to get Mother and Concubine Mother Luo out of this den of tigers and wolves? Once Zhenjiang Palace loses power, surely there is no need for them to be dragged down by that conscienceless old man? No, I must plan this well.

Mother and daughter continued to chat until it was time for lunch. Thanks to Fu Qiuning's presence, Luo'shi and Yu'shi were suddenly served a very hearty meal. Xiang Huan smilingly set the table and said, "Elder Madam originally thought to have Young Miss have lunch with her. However, the Master reminded her that Young Miss has just met with Madam Concubine and most likely cannot bear to leave. Moreover, Madam Concubine cannot get up easily, and therefore he had this maid deliver the meal to Young Miss ."

Fu Qiuning smiled, "I see, Father is really considerate of me." As she personally served Yu'shi and Luo'shi, she casually instructed, "There's no need to stand here and wait on us. You take your meal with Aunt Yu and Yu Jie."

When Xiang Huan hesitated, Fu Qiuning raised her eyebrows and said, "What is it? Do my words carry no weight in this palace?"

Xiang Huan dared not refute and retreated instead. Luo'shi whispered, "Wait on us? Clearly, they are just waiting to listen in on us. Young Miss, you must be careful when speaking within the palace, ah."

They spent the rest of lunchtime talking about her life at the marquisate. After lunch, Yu'shi usually had to go and rest due to her weak body. However, seeing that her daughter was back, and with such a radiant face no less, made her so happy that she did not wish to go to sleep. Luo'shi had to advise her several times before she was willing to lie down and close her eyes, and proceeded to promptly fall asleep.

Only then did Fu Qiuning and Luo'shi leave the room to speak quietly with each other.

"Concubine Mother Luo, is there something wrong with my mother's leg? I only heard that she is bedridden, but her complexion is not bad. Is her leg somehow disabled?"

Concubine Luo smiled, "Be at ease. Nothing of the sort. She is just weak and has not been eating well. Lying on the bed all day, pondering over your fate was not good for her health either. Now that she has seen you, the burden in her heart has lessened and I expect she will slowly recover her health."

Fu Qiuning nodded, "I see, then I shall not fret either." She took out a small purse from her bosom and tucked it into Luo'shi's hand. "Concubine Mother Luo, there are 20 silver taels here. A large house has its own rules and way of doing things. Neither you nor my mother is favoured by Father, which in turn made others overlook your comfort. Take this money and have someone buy something nutritious to eat. I am living well at the marquisate now and my days will only get better. Therefore, it is only right that I take better care of you. Take these for now."

Luo'shi was immediately frantic, "How could we? Your life at the marquisate must be hard too. How could we take this silver…"

Fu Qiuning smiled, "My monthly allowance is 5 silver taels. Moreover, there is no need for me to spend any money while residing within the marquisate. No matter what, my position is still a little better than yours." In the end, she managed to convince Luo'shi to take the money. Once the money was tucked away, she leaned forward to whisper, "There is no need for my mother to know about this. You may use this money to buy some food and snacks for yourself and Mother. No need for her to worry on my behalf."

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She stayed at Songtao Pavilion for another two days. On the third day, Fu Qiuning felt that it was almost time. The Jin Marquisate would probably send someone to the palace soon. Back then, she and Jin Fengju had already discussed the matter and decided that it was better for him to send for her sooner rather than later to display her good standing within the Marquisate. It would show King Zhenjiang and his son that Fu Qiuning was truly favoured.

[1] On this day, she went to the garden with Yu Jie and Aunt Yu after deliberately driving Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao away as usual. She had been consistently sending the servant girls away, making sure to act super suspicious with extra guarded remarks like 'I must speak with my maids privately' and 'did I not tell you to stay away?'

[1] As for the reason why they went to the garden for a 'super secret meeting', well, that place was filled with trees, fake mountains and many other hidey holes for a small boy servant to hide in. [1a] From what Fu Qiuning had observed, this Xiang Huan was… how to say… not too bright?

[1a] While it was hilarious to see the maid visibly struggle to try and eavesdrop on her at every opportunity, she really needed to convey this information soon. [1a] It had been two days, but the spy maids Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao were a bit stupider than expected and still had not found a way to extract the necessary information out of her. Today was the last day, and [1a] Fu Qiuning decided to take matters into her own hands to ensure that these maids achieved their goals.

Hence, the special trip to the gardens.

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Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao were getting anxious.

Master and Elder Madam had sent them to monitor the Young Miss and investigate what she knew. How were they supposed to investigate anything by standing so far away, ah? While the two of them were fretting in place, Si'er whispered, "Miss, if the two misses would cover for this lowly one, I can sneak into the bushes and hide behind the fake mountain and listen in on their conversation."

Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao both thought that this was a good idea and bade Si'er quickly carry it out. The boy sneaked into the garden after the women and clambered up a fake mountain, just in time to hear Fu Qiuning angrily say, "If Father wants me to throw my life away for the sake of the palace, why doesn't he take a look at how he treats my mother? In my opinion, it is silly to blindly cling to the Palace. I care not for my husband's wealth or glory, it is their love and sincerity that touches my heart. If my husband's family were to lose power one day and I crawled to Father for assistance, would they still see me as a good child?"

[2] Yu Jie was staring at Fu Qiuning with large eyes. After she had given indication that she saw movement in the nearby bushes, [1] Fu Qiuning immediately launched herself wholeheartedly into her very dramatic performance. It was so melodramatic and out of character that Aunt Yu missed her cue.

[2] Yu Jie coughed.

[2] "Oh, oh my, oh my, then, then Madam is determined to abandon the palace and, and t-to fully support the Young Marquis?"

[2] Fu Qiuning swished her skirts dramatically in an 'oh please' fashion, "Only a fool would put all their eggs into a single basket. Obviously, one must think of the best way to survive, and one of these ways is to step on two ships with one foot. Only, hummm, I dare say the Young Marquis looks the most promising. He is both sharp and intelligent, a most worthy backer."

Yu Jie eagerly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, Madam is the cleverest. If we could also connect with Prince Lie, isn't that the best?"

[2] "Huhuhu," Fu Qiuning was starting to feel like she was floating outside of her body as she covered her mouth with the back of her wrist and did a shoujo manga antagonist laugh. "Ohohoho, Prince Lie?" She shook her head dramatically, arms thrown out to indicate, 'pfft, please', "He is in charge of winter disaster prevention, but dozens of people have already frozen to death within the Capital alone. Who knows how many more had died outside the safety of the Capital walls under his two incompetent officials? What do you think would happen once the emperor finds out? Silly girl, it's best to stay away from that star of disaster."

Aunt Yu also laughed, "[2] Hoho, hoho, Madam is right. Prince Lie is about to kick a big rock soon. This maid really admires our sharp and intelligent Master. How did he manage to find out about this?"

[2] Her face was starting to cramp from laughing so much, but Fu Qiuning persevered. [1] Since their spies were so stupid, she would have to spell out everything for them. Sigh, what happened to all the intelligent people in the world?

"Ahem, didn't I say that the Young Marquis is a true talent? Hoho, the smartest thing Prince Hong did was marry his elder sister. The true gain was not the marquisate gaining a Princess Consort, but Prince Rong gaining a helper in the form of his younger brother-in-law. Prince Hong, Father and Grandfather are all intelligent people, however, none of them thought to investigate this Prince Lie. If not for the Young Marquis' great intelligence and cunning instincts, wouldn't Prince Lie pull off this despicable move once again?

If he could do this, would he not be able to cover the sky with one hand? Not to mention, if this matter was never found out, wouldn't the emperor not only not punish him for his sins, but reward him due to his ability to shut mouths and cover his tracks? To speak the unspeakable, what do you think would happen to the world if such a person establishes himself in the highest position of all?"

Yu Jie's eyes sparkled as she happily engaged in her favourite hobby with her beloved mistress, "Since, since that is the case… isn't it best that we follow Prince Rong's light? No wonder Madam always tells us to look to the Marquisate more. If such a thing is exposed, would it not…"

[2] "Ahem!" Fu Qiuning coughed dramatically. It was time to bring this performance to a close. There was 'laying a trail that even the blind could follow', and then there was 'putting too much bait around a trap'. "It is enough so long as you understand. No need to say more. The three princes all have equal chances. It is hard to know who would be the ultimate winner. Moreover, knowing too much is not conducive to a peaceful, salted fish [3] life. Also, have you forgotten where we are? Be wary with your words."

[Gumihou: … …]

Yu Jie pouted, "In the end, this is not our own place. It's so difficult to have to send those people away just to have a secret discussion. Madam, when will we return to the Marquisate, ah?"

Fu Qiuning smiled, "Look at you doing your best to hold yourself back. Do not worry, if not today, we will return tomorrow. It is about time."

Aunt Yu smiled, "This maid is also looking forward to returning. However, it is quite fun to see those people watching us from a distance, wondering what we are speaking about. Still, this maid is puzzled, if Master found proof of Prince Lie's crime, why did he not submit a petition?"

Fu Qiuning, "I expect it will be submitted soon. It took some time to properly investigate the matter secretly. However, with so many people freezing to their deaths, I believe that the emperor would be very angry. I do believe that Prince Rong will be handing his petition over in two days. Well, enough about that. These are not things that concern us women, let the men battle it out. We should think of the best way to return to the Marquisate soon. We have stayed for three days, the time can no longer be considered short. My mother's illness has improved a lot. If I don't return soon, those little wives and concubines will start to feel restless. Wouldn't they take this opportunity to find ways to create friction between myself and Lord Husband, Elder Madam and Old Madam? Just thinking of this matter makes me anxious."

"Surely there's no need for Madam to be anxious? The Young Marquis treats Madam very well. He would never listen to the instigations of those lowly people…" Aunt Yu said with a smile as she supported Fu Qiuning [4]. The three ladies made their leisurely way back to where they had left Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao. One of the servant boys was conspicuously missing. [1a] This further convinced Fu Qiuning that this little spy ring was led by an idiot. They should have just had the two boy servants 'run errands' all this while and not be seen in a line with them to better eavesdrop on her while doing manual labour.

Still, curious about what kind of answer the idiot spy would give, Fu Qiuning raised her eyebrow and said, "Where is Si'er? Is he playing truant?"

Xiang Huan hurriedly said, "Just now, the second branch's people sent news that his elder brother came looking for him. The details were unclear, but it appears that an emergency has happened at his home, so this maid decided to send him home first. It is nothing much, has, has this maid offended Young Miss? If so, it is fine to speak with the Elder Madam. Does, does Young Miss have any errands for Si'er? It is the same if Young Miss give the order to us maids or Wu'er."

"Forget it, what errands could I possibly have? This is the palace and not my home." [4] Fu Qiuning sniffed coldly. When Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao looked blankly back at her, she said [5], "I will be returning to the Marquisate in a day or two. I shall entrust my mother's care to you. If something is lacking, we shall speak of it on my next return."

Xiang Huan and Xiang Cao dared not retort. However, they both pouted in their hearts, thinking: What the- Just who do you think you are, ah? Do you really think you are truly the official wife of a Young Marquis? You're just favoured now because he wanted something fresh…

The thoughts had barely formed when a maid came running in. She was in such a hurry that she nearly bumped into Fu Qiuning.

"What are you running around for? What could have happened to make you panic like this?" Xiang Huan shouted. The maid immediately threw herself to the ground. She pointed behind her and gasped, "Th-th- this… th-th-that…"

"What this and that? Take a few more breathes before speaking," Xiang Huan raised her hand and pushed at the maid. "How unsightly, stammering and stumbling like this. Are you trying to make me look bad in front of the Young Miss?"

Fu Qiuning had already turned pale. She stepped forward and asked, "What is going on? Has something happened to my mother?" Suddenly, Fu Qiuning made to run off towards Songtao Pavilion, ready to leave the maids behind.

"N-no, E-elder Madam… Elder Madam and Master… the hall… Young Miss… the, the Young Marquis has arrived to fetch Young Miss!" the maid finally managed to collect enough breaths to gasp out her message, shouting the final message out.

"The Young Marquis? Jin Fengju?" Fu Qiuning [1a] paused. She turned to the maid again and said, "You're sure? There are no mistakes? The Young Marquis is a busy man, you know." [1a] Also, what is he thinking of, coming into enemy grounds without preparations like this?

Xiang Huan hastily came up to beam at her, "Surely Young Miss is overly thinking on the matter? How could it be wrong? This maid guessed that the Young Marquis must have missed Young Miss and came here to personally fetch you back." Even as she continued to urge Fu Qiuning to go to the main hall, she did not forget to flatter this Young Miss for being so favoured, sooo loved by the great Young Marquis.

Fu Qiuning ignored the flattery. She looked at her two personal maids, Aunt Yu and Yu Jie, who were both staring at her with huge eyes. Though these two maids were very pro-Jin Fengju, they knew enough about politics to understand that Jin Fengju's presence here was not something that should happen.

After all, the Jinxiang Marquisate and the Zhenjiang Palace were great enemies. Moreover, Zhenjiang Palace had humiliated him by stuffing Fu Qiuning into the marquisate as the official wife of the Jinxiang Heir. Therefore, no matter how much he 'favoured' Fu Qiuning, he would never willingly lower his status by stepping into this place.

[1b] Just what game is that man playing now?

Anyway, let's go to the hall and see what's going on.

The ladies reached the hall and sure enough, there, Jin Fengju was sitting along with Feudal King Zhenjiang and her father. All three were laughing and chatting like old friends.

[2] Fu Qiuning felt the corners of her lip curl up, but she quickly lowered her head to salute the men that had controlled poor original Qiuning's fate. As expected, they were all the same. Two-faced, cunning and capable of pretending warmth when there wasn't any.

"May I know why is Lord Husband here-" the words were barely out of her mouth when the Elder Madam quickly pulled her up with a beaming smile, "What are you saying? Look just how much your husband dotes on you? After three days of not seeing you, he fears for your mother's health and worries that you will be too saddened. So much, that he personally came over to fetch you."

Through this thrilling, gushing explanation, Fu Qiuning found herself being ushered to Jin Fengju's table and more or less pushed into a chair.

The Elder Madam beamed again, "The Young Marquis is truly filial. Please be at ease, while it is true that Concubine Yu's health is poor, it mostly stemmed from her worry over her beloved daughter. Naturally, [3a] as a mother, she must wish that dear Qiuning could stay for a few more days."

Jin Fengju smiled, "Of the hundreds of virtues, filial piety comes first. Since Qiuning's mother is unwell, it is only right for me to come and accompany her for a visit. Unfortunately, with official business occupying my time… I'm sure the King and the Heir understand as well. Matters about the Duke of Yue occupying some very good agricultural land had been troubling the emperor these past few days. Even I dare not neglect my duties in the slightest. Now that the dust of those matters has settled somewhat, I was able to leave court early and return home. When I found that Qiuning had not yet returned, I hastened over here."

Zhengjiang Heir smoothed the ends of his beard with a smile, "My, my, isn't it so? Speaking of this matter, I cannot help but admire how Fengju solved the matter for the sage emperor, ah. Really, the ease and wisdom with which you handled the situation and returned the farmer's land to them are impeccable. You even managed to preserve Duke of Jing's [6] and his family's safety, earning the emperor's approval in the matter. The Duke of Yue is an old and valued minister of the emperor, if the matter had hurt the vitality of the family, I dare say the emperor would be saddened as well."

"What wisdom are you speaking of? Father-in-law overly praised me. All I did was reconcile both sides and assist them in a compromise. It is also in line with the emperor's wishes. I merely provided a way for the emperor to save the old minister's face." Jin Fengju smiled modestly. Then, he turned to Fu Qiuning, "Well, how is your mother's illness? Do you need to stay another two days? If she has improved, how about returning to the marquisate first? The Old Madam has been missing you these past few days. What's more, it will be New Year's Eve soon, we can always come back then."

Before Fu Qiuning could answer, Elder Madam Fu laughed, "It is clear how the couple dotes upon each other. They are so affectionate that they could not bear to be apart from each other. Concubine Yu's illness has indeed improved, but surely it is fine to allow Qiuning to stay home for two more days and return when her mother is well? The Young Marquis is so [3a] impatient to take our Qiuning away."

Fu Qiuning was quick to say, "I dare say it is not that the Young Marquis is impatient for my return. The Old Madam had been a little unwell when I came. I'm afraid that it is not good for me to stay for another two days. Even my Concubine Mother had urged me to return, saying that how could a married daughter be doing living at home for so long? I had intended to come and bid goodbye to Grandfather, Father and Mother. Now that Young Marquis happened to come by, I believe I should take this opportunity to say my farewells."

King Zhenjiang hesitated for a moment. That was when Xiang Huan cheerfully piped up, "Please do not disdain this maid for being mouthy. To answer the Elder Madam, though we slaves strived our best, I fear we are a little lacking when it comes to preserving the Young Miss' comfort. Perhaps this maid oversteps her bounds, but could it be that Young Miss' discomfort is partly due to worry over the Old Madam's condition? If that is so, then, surely it would be best for Young Miss to return. As the Young Marquis mentioned, they would be back for the New Year, which is only two months away."

When the Zhenjiang Heir heard this, he nodded, "Well said, girl. Since that is the case, Qiuning, ah. Go and bid your farewells to your mother. Remember to comfort her properly. Once she has recovered, I shall see to having her move out of Songtao Pavilion and into her own residence. Surely having a peaceful environment would be more conducive to her recovery."

"In this daughter's opinion, it is best that Father not move Mother from her current residence," Fu Qiuning said, [3b] allowing a little petulance to colour her voice. After her ridiculous performance in the garden, might as well follow through and give the impression of a cocky woman favoured by her hubby. "This daughter sees that Mother and Concubine Mother Luo get along very well in that place. Seeing as how Father rarely visits them anyway, it's fine for the two sisters to keep each other company. Songtao Pavilion is a quiet place, very suitable for recuperation."

The Zhenjiang Heir coughed. Annoyance filled him, knowing that his daughter was eluding at how unhappy she was at the way he had neglected Luo'shi and Yu'shi. However, seeing how valued she was by the Jinxiang Heir and considering his position within the imperial court, he merely smiled awkwardly and nodded, "Very well, it shall be as you say. Now, quickly say your farewells to your mother. If you leave now, you can reach the Marquisate before the sun sets."

Fu Qiuning saluted and accepted his order. She was about to leave for Songtao Pavilion when Jin Fengju said, "If that is the case, I, too, shall visit my mother-in-law with Qiuning."

Naturally, since he had put it that way, there was nothing the Feudal King or the Zhenjiang Heir could do to stop him. They could only accompany the couple to the courtyard gate and bid the couple farewell as the two made their way to Songtao Pavilion.

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Luo'shi and Yu'shi were chatting together when someone brought news that the Young Marquis was heading for their place. Shocked and amazed, they descended into panic. Both of them were worried that the Young Marquis had arrived to interrogate them about making Fu Qiuning stay back for three days. What would happen if he blames Qiuning! While they were fluttering about, another piece of news came. The Young Marquis was coming to their place together with Fu Qiuning!

The faces of these two women who had never seen the world paled. Unsure whether to hide or stand their ground, if they wanted to hide, where? Yu'shi panicked even more at the thought of meeting the Son-in-law that had only [4] recently started to favour Qiuning. What if seeing her lowly status or meeting the elders of this family provoked his anger again?! She grabbed onto Luo'shi's sleeves tightly, her only friend and sister in this whole world, for comfort.

Luo'shi was helplessly stuck. She had no relations with Qiuning or her husband, therefore, she could theoretically run away and hide. However, [4b] Yu'shi was her friend. In the end, she chose to stay with her sister and together, they quaked in place as they waited for the arrival of the Son-in-law.

What happened was Jin Fengju and Fu Qiuning stepping into Songtao Pavilion, surrounded by several people. They had never seen what this Son-in-law looked like, but they did hear that he was very good-looking, enjoyed the favour of the emperor and was rumoured to be both a beauty and brilliant with words and brush. [5]

[5] [4] So what if he was a beauty? So what if he was brilliant? He had alienated their Qiuning and they, of all people, should understand that looks were merely skin deep and that cleverness was reserved for scheming against others.

Today, they finally saw that part of the rumours were true. When Jin Fengju stepped into the room, the afternoon sun happened to slant just so and lit up his person. It was as though his presence had taken on an immortal-like quality and [5a] Yu'shi gripped Luo'shi's sleeves harder. If beauty brought calamity, just what destructive force hid behind this beautiful face? As unfavoured concubines in a great palace estate, both she and Luo'shi knew the saying 'Your Presence Brings Light to my Humble Dwelling' well.

[5b] Yu'shi had already experienced this once, back when she was living as a village woman with her hair bound in cloth and was suddenly visited by the Zhenjiang Heir. He had appeared to take mother and daughter back to the palace. The feeling of being overwhelmed right now was the same as back then.

[5c] Feeling numbed and frightened, she accepted Jin Fengju's generous words at face value. Words about an unwell Old Madam, a pair of twins missing Qiuning and a few others. As the words washed over her, Yu'shi's eyes stared at the way the Young Marquis gripped Qiuning's hand. Was this a good thing? A bad thing? [5d] Tears fell reflexively from her eyes at the emotions roiling inside her. She hastily said to Fu Qiuning, "If- if you have to go, you must quickly speak with your Father and Mother now and leave with the Young Marquis. I am fine here."

Fu Qiuning smiled and said, "I have already bid Father and Elder Madam goodbye at the hall. I came especially to wish mother farewell. Mother, you may stay here and be at ease. I shall come and visit during the Chinese New Year." After a few more words to placate Yu'shi, she bade her mother farewell once more with tears in her eyes.

That was when Jin Fengju took out a purse from his waist and said warmly, "Ever since Qiuning married in, our two families rarely meet. Qiuning only had two days to prepare for this visit and overlooked many things. As today is my first day visiting my elders, I am ashamed to say I brought nothing much on my person. However, it just so happen that I had a little bet with my brother-in-law and won this purse of gold leaves from him. I shall leave this purse for my two elders to spend as you like.

Although, it is unseemly to bring out such vulgar things. This junior confessed to being too busy with official business and is unclear as to what manner of gifts is appropriate. Mother also did not know that I have come to fetch Qiuning home today. Otherwise, I would have certainly not forgotten to prepare a generous gift."

Even as he spoke, Yu'shi and Lup'shi had long since thanked him a few times. After all, they were women of a large family dealing with a man. Moreover, he was their illustrious Son-in-law, therefore they could not physically or verbally stop him in his speech. In the end, it was Fu Qiuning who stopped his increasingly 'self-debasing' speech. Even so, [3c] Fu Qiuning did not prevent him from handing the little purse of gold leaves to her mother. Instead, she smiled faintly and said vaguely, "Mother, Concubine Mother Luo, please accept this gift. If there is something our Lord Husband is not short of, it is money. Things like gold and silver are nothing to him. Mother should just take it and spend it as you like."

"Nonsense! How could you say such a thing?!" Yu'shi was frightened by Fu Qiuning's bold words. Jin Fengju's response was to tie the purse to the bedpost and smiled winningly at Fu Qiuning. The two women had never seen such a warm and dazzling smile in their entire lives. As for this smile, how should they describe it? It certainly seemed to define the saying 'A Great Love that is Conveyed Without Words'.