"… …"

Finally, Fu Qiuning decided to laugh first before saying, "This humble woman doesn't have any Jinchuang ointment [1] here, what kind of healing do you seek? Feng'er and Jiao'er will be back later, so this humble woman shall get dinner started soon."

Jin Fengju smiled and said, "[a1] Nothing would heal me better than having you move into Elegant Mansion. Even if Elder Sister scolds me eight or ten times, they can all be treated like a passing breeze."

[a2] Fu Qiuning paused. Then, she said, "I supposed it is in your nature to treat unfavoured words from women like passing breezes."

Jin Fengju gritted his teeth, [b1] he had miss-stepped with that joke, causing Fu Qiuning to doubt his sincerity again. His heart itched with tenderness and pain, wondering when Fu Qiuning would finally let go of what was clearly a youthful mistake on his part. Why couldn't she just forgive him? Surely everything would be right in the world so long as she forgives him?

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The next day, nothing much happened at morning court, so he was able to return home early. He made a stop at Health & Longevity Court and found Old Madam's place filled with people. The women of the household were all there, and so were the Feng sisters and his cousin who were seated around Jin Yanfang.

Thus, after greeting Old Madam Jin, he then greeted his mother and elder sister.

Jin Yanqiu looked at her younger brother with disdain, recalling how he tried to intercede on her husband's behalf, and could not help the cold snort that exploded from her nose. [c1] The loud noise caused everyone to freeze.

[c1] The Princess Consort is displeased!

[c1] What do we do?!

[c1] Eyes swung over to Jiang Wanying, who had always been the reliable person to come out and fix things as the occasion needed. However, in that instant, Jiang Wanying was also frozen in place. Her body recalled the hard scolding from just yesterday, paralysing her vocal cords.

[a3] Finally, with a service industry smile, Fu Qiuning said to the general room, "Shall we have a hotpot tonight? Sister-in-law has sent me some sauces made by restaurant chefs. I trust they should be many times better than my humble creation."

Taking her cue, the Old Madam laughed and said, "Indeed, that is a wonderful plan. Everyone must eat at my place tonight. Wan Girl mentioned that the estate had just received fresh venison and roe dear meat this morning. Let us have these with the new sauce as hotpot tonight."

And just like that, the tension was smoothed out. [a3]

Right then, aside from the old brothers, Jin Yu and Jin Shu, [b2] Jin Fengju was the only significant man of his generation, therefore, Old Madam Jin had no one else but Jin Fengju to shower her affection upon. Thus, she refused to let him leave. Helpless to deny the [b2] manipulative old lady anything, Jin Fengju agreed. [b1] Still, he managed to arrange it so that he was seated next to Fu Qiuning and made sure to furtively whisper about how he had made special arrangements for some rose bushes to be planted at Elegant Mansion. He was still speaking when the maid outside called, "Second Master, Chief Steward Jin is here. "

Following this, they heard Jin Ming call out, "Master, quickly come and change clothes. Eunuch Qin has come to pass on His Majesty's words. Master has been summoned to the palace immediately."

Everyone stood up. Old Madam Jin sat up very straight and she called out, "Did he say what it was about?"

"This servant doesn't know. This servant heard from Eunuch Qin that His Majesty was very angry. Perhaps an official has caused trouble and angered His Majesty again?"

At that, Jin Fengju cast a glance in Jin Yanqiu's direction.

At the sudden look from her much [c3] respected and capable younger brother, Jin Yanqiu's heart suddenly went 'thump' and she returned the glance with a fierce glare. However, when Jin Fengju merely walked out quickly with a troubled frown, a sense of unease wrapped itself around her heart. She thought [c3] of distracting herself by chatting with Madam Jiang, Jin Yanfang and the rest of the ladies. However, in her distracted state, she could barely answer three or four questions out of ten.

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With Jin Fengju's current status and position in court, being summoned to face the emperor was not something unique. However, thanks to Prince Rong's blunder and the Princess Consort's stubbornness, everyone within the estate had this sinking feeling in their hearts, as though a large boulder was weighing on their chests.

Even Madam Jiang had ventured forward to advise her daughter for a time. As for Old Master Jin, due to her status as Princess Consort, he could not say anything directly to her and could only have Madam Jiang convey his intent. Even so, due to Jin Yanqiu's noble status, she dare not speak too obviously and could only retreat without achieving anything.

With the atmosphere rapidly cooling off, the more astute people left first, followed by others, leaving the Health & Longevity Court empty.

As Fu Qiuning, Yu Jie and Jian Feng made their way towards Night Breeze Pavilion, [a4] they happened to see Elegant Mansion. Fu Qiuning eyed the courtyard walls for a moment before saying, "Let's have a look. I want to see the Thorny Rose flowers again."

Yu Jie was naturally shocked, but she hurriedly trotted after Fu Qiuning into Elegant Mansion. Sure enough, several clusters of Thorny Roses were blooming brightly in the courtyard. The walls were literally covered in them too. When a light breeze picked up, the entire courtyard was resplendent with the unique fragrance of roses.

Fu Qiuning looked at the Thorny Roses silently: [a5] Well, looks like this is the result of the information purchased from my 'loyal' maid Yu Jie. Should I be flattered that the most respected and sought-after (married with concubines and kids) man values my opinion so much?

She was still staring at the roses when an old matron came running out of a small unknown building. The woman beamed as she saluted Fu Qiuning, her smile very wide as she said ingratiatingly, "Greetings, Second Madam Ning. Why is Second Madam Ning here? Is Madam moving in?"

Fu Qiuning [a6] stared at her until the beaming smile faltered, "Why would I be moving here?"

The matron froze and said in confusion, "Master ordered people to plant Thorny Roses into this courtyard, saying that Madam likes them very much. Therefore, this maid thought that, that if Second Madam really like them, shouldn't they be planted at Night Breeze Pavilion? Why here instead?"

Fu Qiuning was silent for a long time before she said quietly, "You are saying that the Young Marquis instructed for these roses to be planted here?"

"Isn't it so?" the matron grinned again. "When the Thorny Roses were first brought in yesterday, the Young Marquis himself came to look at them and say they bloomed very well. However, when they were first transplanted, some of the vines looked a little droopy. This servant even thought they would not survive. After all, there's a saying that goes 'a shifted man lives, a shifted tree dies"' [2], ah. This maid did not expect the Thorny Roses to perk up so quickly. Madam, look, see how beautifully the flowers are blooming. This maid has just sprinkled water on the petals, and it has not dried out yet."

Fu Qiuning nodded absently. Then asked, "You take care of the chores around here?"

The matron nodded and said, "Yes, ever since the unmarried maidens have been living in this garden, every courtyard has been assigned with people. Even the courtyards without anyone living in them have been assigned at least one person to take care of them. This old maid has been assigned to Elegant Mansion, when is Second Madam moving in? This place is close to the garden gate and Health & Longevity Court is right outside.

In other words, it is not too different from living in the inner court, but this place is much quieter and more peaceful. How could Night Breeze Pavilion be compared to this place? That terrible place was where the Old Marquis' concubine lived. After that incident, many people called it inauspicious."

Fu Qiuning [a8] stared at the grinning and impertinent servant for a long time. She thought: So, you have also recruited the servants to speak on your behalf as well. I wonder, did you pay her two leaves of gold too? Just look at her enthusiasm. Even her arguments are practically the same as yours, word for word.

She gave the Thorny Roses one final look before turning around, [a8] abandoning the grinning old maid with a curt, "We're leaving," to Yu Jie and Jian Feng.

She made her way directly towards Night Breeze Pavilion.

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[a9] Fu Qiuning managed to maintain her serenity most of the day, even with random news about Jin Fengju's unfortunate situation at court coming in to bug her at random moments.

She had no idea why these people were bringing news about this matter to her… wait, considering how public the Princess Consort's temper tantrum was and its possible consequences… could it be that the Young Marquis had decided that the whole case between Prince-thinking-with-his-third-leg-Rong and Princess-throwing-a-tantrum-Consort was a lost cause and tried to seek some benefit for himself by making her feel oh-so-sorry for him?

She was still pondering over these thoughts when one of the servants, Cai Feng, sidled up to report, "The Young Marquis has returned. Chief Steward Jin informed me that Prince Rong received a scolding from Prince Lie. His Majesty was also incensed, and the Young Marquis also received a scolding. Oh, and the Young Marquis is at the study right this moment!"

Fu Qiuning frowned, [a9] she thought: And just what do you expect me to do?

[b3] Yu Jie suddenly appeared with a food box, "M-madam… perhaps you should visit the Master…"

[b3] Fu Qiuning quirked up an eyebrow. She looked outside and said, "It's almost dark, Feng'er and Jiao'er will be back soon. Why should I go? If he's really in need of consolation, he knows the way. He has made it safely by himself all this time."

[b3] Next, it was Aunt Yu who ventured to say, "Perhaps the Master really needs comfort at the moment…"

[b3] Fu Qiuning looked up to see the faces of the earnest servants staring at her and knew that she had lost their loyalty. She gave a bitter smile and said, "Look at all of you. How dare any of you call yourself my servant? Indeed, the one who pays your salary is your master, and I have no money of my own. So why should I expect to receive your loyalty?"

[b3] Frightened, the maids and servants throw themselves at her feet and began to protest their innocence. However, she had had enough. "Since all of you wish me to see your true master, who am I but a servant as well? Let us go." Thus, she snatched up the food box and stormed out. Just before leaving, she pointed at Cai Feng, "You, since you know this place so well, lead the way to your Master's study."

[b3] Cai Feng stuttered, but dared not say anything else to Fu Qiuning as he scurried ahead, only belatedly remembering to offer to take the food box from her when they were already out of the courtyard gate.

[b3] They walked for a good quarter of an hour before they reached what was presumably Jin Fengju's study. It must have been so, since Jin Ming was standing at the door. Aloud, she said, "No wonder Lord Husband complains that I live too far, he must find it inconvenient to come to my place."

Jin Ming jumped. However, when he saw it was her, his face immediately lit up in joy. [b3] He scuttled over to smile and say in a low voice, "Master is in a bad mood. Prince Rong has caused a lot of trouble this time, and he just went to Princess Consort's place. The two siblings butted heads and quarrelled. Master came back with a sullen face, and now even this servant has been scolded several times. Madam, quickly go inside. When he sees you, I think that Master's feelings might be a little relieved."

Fu Qiuning [a9] stared down at this clever steward. Then, she snatched the food box and stormed into the study. Jin Fengju was fiercely pushing books off his desk, furiously demanding, "Didn't I say you were not allowed to enter? Who is…" before he could finish, he looked up and saw that it was Qiuning.

[a9] Expressionlessly Fu Qiuning placed the food box on the newly cleared table with a thump and said, "I know when I'm not wanted." Then, she turned to leave.

[b4] "Wait! Wait, wait, wait!" He suddenly leapt over and grabbed her hands. "No, no, indeed, my Qiuning is always welcome. It's just, ah,"

[b4] Here, he sighed deeply and launched into his opening lines, "A thousand different operations, a handful of yellow sand. [3] Elder Sister still argues with me, but she doesn't even know just how much is at stake."

[a9] "Indeed, Elder Sister is short-sighted," she recited dutifully.

[b4] "It is most terrible! Prince Rong is likely to follow in the steps of Prince Hong over this matter and be removed as a crown prince candidate. Though all he did was tease a courtesan, the emperor values a person's moral character the most. This current generation's emperor has an unmatched mind and great pride in his self-control.

Indeed, looking at the emperor's 46 years on the throne, there were many major events where, if not for holding back a moment of anger, the results may not have been so perfect. Though Brother-in-law being interested in courtesans is a small matter, if the emperor sees it as an inability to control a momentary desire, he may deem it as an inability to be trusted with large matters. Qiuning, this would be most terrible!"

[a10] Fu Qiuning put a hand over her mouth, the one not being dramatically held by Jin Fengju, and said, "Indeed, what a shock. How terrible."

Jin Fengju's eyes flashed sternly. He coldly sneered and declared, "There must be a spy from Prince Lie's faction within this estate! Still, no matter what, it is still Elder Sister's capriciousness that aggravated this entire matter. To openly come to the estate without even attempting to cover up her anger, even a three-year-old would know that she and Brother-in-law had a disagreement!

Since Prince Lie is such a careful person, he would definitely investigate such an unexpected action. As for Brother-in-law, he left too many traces back when he dallied with the courtesan. Before I could even come up with a way to take care of the matter, investigators had come in and left no stone unturned and submitted a memorial to the emperor immediately!"

Gumihou: We now know that in addition to being soft in the head, Prince Rong gets hard in the pants for women other than his wife. This is normal for men in this era, so fine, whatever.

Let's talk about Jin Yanqiu for a bit instead. In the beginning chapters, she was someone who had 'practically raised JFJ' and showed quite a lot of power at Prince Rong's palace. However, in this chapter, the woman who 'practically raised' JFJ turned into a temper-throwing child, which, fine, could be attributed to that evil being 'stubbornness' because she was hurt by her stupid and disloyal husband. Much fun, yay for everyone, but especially for Fu Qiuning because this is where she could shine and could show her maturity at the expense of other characters.

In Gumi's opinion, this is not fair to JYQ.

To damage a person's character to the point of OOC so that others could shine is so evil that it's not funny. How could you, White Pear Flower-san?

Pill Bug TL Notes:

[1] 金疮药 Literally "Golden Sore Medicine", it's used to treat open wounds.

[2] 人挪活,树挪死 Chinese idiom, means "Man is adaptable, trees are not". If a person is not treasured and can't use his talents, he should not defend that place to the last. Try out a few other places, and there will always be places where he can use his talents.

[3] 千般经营,一捧黄沙 Chinese idiom, means: trying so many different things, but it was all wasted effort.

[a] Remove the AR Qiuning:

[a1] Replace the 'kyaa~~ let me heal you~~' with 'ugh, cringe'

Also, deleted: I'll cook your favourite dishes~~

[a2] Give a serious reaction to JFJ's remark other than 'aww that's cute~' and leaving in a 'flutter 333'

[a3] Deleted detail that mentioned 'Lord Husband kyaa~~' but address the room in general.

[a4] Reduce the level of enthusiasm from 'kyaa~~!' to 'hmm'

Delete the very obvious 'kyaa~~': She hesitated and said to Yu Jie, "Just now, Lord Husband told me that a few Thorny Roses were transplanted into this courtyard. Let us go in and have a look."

[a5] Add detail on FQN's thoughts. How convenient that the author only showed her standing quietly until a matron came running up with her duster and polish ready to shine someone's ass.

[a6] Replace 'could not help but laughed' with 'a stare'

[a7] Delete the leading question: "Were all these Thorny Roses instructed to be planted here by the Young Marquis?"

It only serves to allow the servant to squirt more polish on someone's ass.

[a8] Fu Qiuning had 'nodded quietly' three times now without us accessing her thoughts. That's fine, let us see what she is truly thinking.

[a9] Fu Qiuning walking towards the study in the evening and thinking that Night Breeze Pavilion is far away is sooo AR Qiuning that it is not funny. Will work around it. After all, there are so many maids and servants ready to be bribed by the Young Marquis to speak well of him and persuade her to sympathise with his situation.

Moreover, it would not be his first time using the 'To injure oneself to gain an advantage', which was totally canon.

In short, replaced 'oh noes oh noes AR Qiuning' with 'Actual Qiuning'

[b] Reveal the asshole:

[b1] Work around some details to show JFJ's asshole behaviour

Deleted: This made Jin Fengju grit his teeth with hatred, but when he thought about Qiuning's frowns and smiles, he felt a little itchy in his heart, which significantly weakened the melancholy and boredom he felt on the road.

The above statement was meant to make readers sympathise with the asshole and see him as somewhat fancy and scholarly-ish. Except, the 'melancholy' here is mostly 'self-pity' at this point.

[a10] Instead of being shocked that the emperor knows, have Fu Qiuning be 'uh huh, sure, go on'

[b2] Reveal Old Madam's less than stellar behaviour

[b3] Reverse all actions from 'FQN willingly and heroically go and see JFJ' to 'The servants practically herded her towards the guy'

The servants are all assholes serving the giant asshole

[b4] JFJ's reaction to Actual Qiuning's Actual Reaction

[c] Prevention of OOCness for Jin Yanqiu:

[c1] Give more detail for the awkward, bring Jiang Wanying's name up too.

[c2] Give more details about JYQ's reaction

[1a] At the end of the emotional speech, Fu Qiuning had to resist the urge to clap. Woah, incredible, much wow.

Instead, she said, "I supposed it's best to think of a way to deal with the problem."

[2a] Jin Fengju began to stomp around the room, looking irritated as he declared, "Of course, I know this! His Majesty is truly angry, and my brother-in-law is clearly in the wrong!" He panted a few times, obviously tired out from his dramatic performance. Spotting the food box, he suddenly smiled and said, "Did you make this? I haven't had dinner yet." He opened the box and stuffed something into his mouth. He chewed the food and beamed at Fu Qiuning, "It's delicious."

[1b] Fu Qiuning waited until he had cleared off half the contents before saying, "You'll have to thank Yu Jie for packing that."

[2] Jin Fengju froze for a moment before beaming again, "You have trained your maids well."

[1b] Not as well as you have, thought Fu Qiuning. Out loud, she said, "Lord Husband's appetite appears to be quite good. Perhaps we should have the kitchen send in more food."

[2] "Cough, ahem, that is…"

[1b] Fu Qiuning raised her voice and yelled, "Jin Ming, go to the kitchen and see if there are any dishes they could heat up. Your master is hungry!"

[3a] "… R-right away Madam!"

[1c] As Jin Ming's footsteps faded away, Fu Qiuning stared outside, contemplating what to do next.

[1c] Dinner passed by silently. They were served by Cai Lian and Bi Yu while Jin Ming stood at attention nearby. When dinner was over, Fu Qiuning stood up and said, "It's about time for me to return. The twins would be back by now, I should check on them."

[1c] "Wait! It's dark now and the road is treacherous. You can stay here, Cai Lian and Bi Yu will serve you," Jin Fengju said a little desperately as he grasped her sleeves.

[1c] Fu Qiuning raised her eyebrows. "It is a mere quarter of an hour's walk, Jin Ming can make himself useful and lead the way. If you're truly worried, the maids Cai Lian and Bi Yu can light the way with lanterns."

[1c] "I, that is, it would help me greatly if you could stay here and be my confidante. I would appreciate your wisdom."

[1c] Fu Qiuning looked at the pleading man making wet eyes at her. Even the twins never tried this sad puppy tactic with her. Should she be impressed by how low he would stoop to force her into this farce?

[1c] Considering the lengths he would go through to make her stay, if she left then, it could have a negative impact on their relationship. For now, she still has the upper hand, he was willing to play the fool to eat the tiger, so to speak. If she abandoned him then and insisted on going back, who knows what kind of tricks he would pull next? The servants had all been bribed to his side, even her so-called loyal maids. The children would be next. It's one thing if he bribes them to follow him, but what if he suddenly decided to threaten the twins' lives like a crazy yandere?

[1c] After pondering over her options, Fu Qiuning sat down again. No, it was not advisable to leave when all the elements were against her. She could potentially lose a lot of things, perhaps be locked up in a windowless room in the name of 'protection'. Just how many forceful CEO stories had she read? Jin Fengju was starting to exude a similar aura to those weird characters. It was best not to tip him over to that side.

[1d] Seeing that Fu Qiuning had sat down, Jin Fengju smiled, happily pinched her cheek, and made to kiss her. To distract him, she said, "Are you planning to make use of Prince Hong?"

Jin Fengju paused. Then he grinned and planted a kiss right on her cheek and declared, "I know I cannot hide anything from you. Since you are so clever, how about guessing what method I plan to use?"

[1d] Fu Qiuning shrugged, "Not the specifics, but the only thing you can do now is muddy the waters, drag Prince Hong into the mud as well and rouse His Majesty's displeasure and suspicion on all the eligible princes."

Jin Fengju looked at her with admiration. He stroked her hair and said emotionally, "What a pity that my Qiuning was born a woman. If you have been born a man, I dare say you will also be a great pillar of society."

[1] Fu Qiuning look straight at Jin Fengju and said, "Indeed, it is a great pity."

[2] Jin Fengju coughed, and said, "Well, ahem, this is the general plan." Then, he launched into a detailed explanation of his plan, which he insisted on whispering into Fu Qiuning's ear despite the lack of other people in the room.

[1e] It was really uncomfortable, but she had to put up with his dramatics and need for PDA. After he was done speaking, she dutifully declared, "How clever! But, wouldn't it make Sister Fang and the rest of the ladies uncomfortable?"

Jin Fengju shook his head and sighed, "This is not the time to concern ourselves over such things. No matter what rumours are brewing outside, so long as we treat them well, it should be fine."

Fu Qiuning nodded absently. [2b] When he did not elaborate, she coughed, wondering if he needed more encouragement. When meaningful coughs did not elicit further speeches, she considered her options and decided it was in her best interest to go ahead and say, "Lord Husband, I have one small suggestion. It may not resolve the matter entirely, but it may help the emperor be a little more understanding of Prince Rong's situation and reduce his anger a little."

[2b] While she had resolved to stay out of the situation as best she could, how could she not voice an obvious solution to this problem? In fact, it was entirely possible that this silence may be deliberately made to make her voice her opinion.

"Oh? Let us hear it," [2c] Jin Fengju beamed at his wife. His heart swelled with love as he listened to Fu Qiuning. To hear her actively contribute to the well-being of the estate made him feel as though his wife had truly forgiven him for what he had done in the past. That she had finally considered herself his wife and a daughter-in-law of the Jing Dukedom. This was a most wonderful and encouraging phenomenon.

After Fu Qiuning was done speaking, Jin Fengju naturally could not help but nod enthusiastically and said, "En, en, that is a wonderful idea. Indeed, let us do it that way."

[1f] "… …" Jin Fengju was beaming toothily at her. It was oddly creepy. He was also touching her a lot. The man had probably deluded himself into thinking that she had forgiven him or something. To avoid any more interaction, she declared that she was tired and they went to bed. He did not initiate sex that night, but it was almost as bad being hugged all night by the man. Fortunately, she was so mentally exhausted that she fell asleep almost immediately.

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The next day, Fu Qiuning woke up alone.

Jin Fengju had obviously gone to morning court.

She sat up, wondering what to do next when two maids hurried in. It was Cai Lian and Biyu, Jin Fengju's [2d] maids slash sex partners who look after the study. What a joy to be born a rich man in this era, thought Fu Qiuning ironically.

They hurried over with a basin and other washing up things with beaming smiles, "The Master warned us not to wake Madam, saying that you had a late night. That we should only serve Madam when you have woken up." Their status as Jin Fengju's bedroom maids meant that they were socially higher than normal maids and did not have to address themselves as 'this maid' or 'this servant'.

"En," said Fu Qiuning. [2d] What else could she say to her husband's personal prostitutes?

After washing her face, she sat down before the mirror, surrendering herself to the routine of being waited upon. Cai Lian, who was combing her hair, remarked, "Why are there so few accessories in Madam's hair? Did the Master not bestow any for you? Even if Madam did not like to dress up, you must still wear one or two. Otherwise, wouldn't those shallow-minded people look down on you? Furthermore, it is best to take steps to take care of ourselves. The Master is a brilliant person with a bright future. Who knows how many so-called talented ladies from famous families are eyeing him eagerly as we speak."

Then, she turned to Biyu to say, "Just last month, Master bestowed an eastern pearl buyao to me. It is so precious, that I could not bear to wear it. Madam ought to put it on first." As though waiting for this signal, Biyu immediately showed the shiny buyao decorated with large eastern pearls to her. Cai Lian beamed as she inserted the buyao into Fu Qiuning's hair, taking care to say, "Do not worry, Madam. No one but us has laid eyes on this buyao. No one will know that it is mine."

[1g] Fu Qiuning studied the image of Cai Lian through the mirror. Of all the women in Jin Fengju's harem, these two bedroom maids have the lowest status. That they could hang around until now meant that they have some measure of cleverness and discretion to keep Jin Fengju's attention but not attract the attention of any of his higher-status bedmates. Just now, Cai Lian's complimentary words hid a warning for her to be vigilant about keeping Jin Fengju's attention on herself. The last thing these two wanted was more women added to the harem. After all, so long as Jin Fengju did not tack on more women in, they could still hope for a little sexy time with him.

As for lending this buyao to her, the odds of this being some sort of trap were low. Cai Lian was probably purchasing a little favour from Fu Qiuning, currently the most favoured [2e] chicken in Jin Fengju's henhouse. Also, bedroom maid 1 may be showing off how favoured she was, just look at that lustre on that pearl. That's a top-notch item for an old bedroom maid, so it made sense for her to show off a little. Perhaps she is hoping that by sharing this valuable accessory with her new best friend Fu Qiuning, Jin Fengju would suddenly see her in a new light and decided that hey, he wants to bang his side chicks too. Failing that, they could still receive nice gifts from him, so this was a win-win move for her.

Fu Qiuning [1g] accepted the buyao with some sympathy for this clever woman. What a pity that she is stuck here in this dead-end place as a bedroom maid. She might have become a manager or a supervisor if she had been born in the modern era. Instead, she is stuck here sucking up to higher-status chickens, hoping all the while that Jin Fengju would deign to point his crotch at her. Fu Qiuning sincerely wished her luck, although unless and until Jin Fengju decided to drop his devoted lover act with his current obsession, all the scheming in the world would only end in vain. It was probably better to be more like Biyu, quiet, obedient, not too bright or demanding and floating blissfully along the river of life.

Once she was properly decorated and accessorised, Fu Qiuning left the study. The sun was already high in the sky. Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao should be at school by now, so there was no reason for her to hurry. It was now late spring, and most of the flowers had fallen off. Even so, Yong Cui Garden blooms gorgeously with carefully tended, everlasting flowers. The addition of pavilions, small bridges and flowing streams, each step brought a different scenery to the eyes. It was all very pleasant.

As she strolled along one path, she suddenly caught sight of a person standing by one of the larger pools. Fu Qiuning squinted and saw that it looked like [1h] Jin Yanqiu, Princess Consort and the source of Jin Fengju's current headache. [1h] She thought: Goodness, is the Princess Consort thinking about jumping into the pool? Please don't, at least, don't do it in front of me. Can I still turn around and not be implicated? Is it too late?

[1i] While she was dithering, the Princess Consort suddenly turned around. The wary expression on the princess's face transformed into surprise. Clearly, the princess was sharp enough to realise someone was watching from behind, but did not expect it to be Fu Qiuning.

"So, it is you," Jin Yanqiu sneered.

Fu Qiuning blinked. It was then that she recalled how this grand Princess Consort had reduced Jiang Wanying to tears and thought herself above speaking to people of lower status. [2f] In short, an utter snob. In layman's term, a total jerkface and asshole. Fun. Wonderful. She couldn't wait to be insulted.

[3b] However, etiquette had to be observed and Fu Qiuning came forward to salute the Princess Consort ceremoniously, "Thus humble woman greets the Princess Consort."

[4] Princess Consort Rong stared at the woman greeting her. [3b] There was a smile on Fu Qiuning's face, but it was neither cringing nor flattering. She recalled how Jin Fengju had praised this woman to high heaven. This former abandoned woman had suddenly turned the tides on fate and became Jin Fengju's official wife for real. Disgust filled her heart, as well as a little curiosity.

[4] These past few days, nearly everyone within the estate, including Jin Yanfang had run over to speak to her, trying to persuade her. Eventually, the persuasion had turned to blame. Her beloved younger brother may have tried to restrain his tone, but she could tell that he blamed her for the current situation they were in. Even the Old Madam had used the same tone to speak with her.

[4] Thus far, only this Fu Qiuning had not run over to blame or coax her. Was she going to do that now?

[Gumihou: Hmm, instead of sneering at the clever side chicks, have Fu Qiuning be sorry for them instead.]

[1] Remove the AR Qiuning:

[1a] Instead of a 'kyaa~ we need to think~' continue with the previous 'uh huh, sure' attitude from before.

[1b] Replace 'aww, he's calmed down, he's so strong~ just look at him~~!' with 'I knew he'd been faking it'. Keep up with this attitude through the dialogue.

[1c] Reworked the situation so that it's JFJ making FQN stay instead of AR Qiuning making all kinds of excuses to stay with her beau, 'The twins are fine on their own, I must stay with Lord Husband~~ kyun~!'

[1d] Have Fu Qiuning throw out 'ideas' in a more plausible way.

[1e] Deleted 'the more she listens, the brighter her eyes became'. The 'clever plan' was not revealed, Gumi is going to assume it's just something inane. Also, instead of 'kyaa~~ that's so brilliant~~!' go with a lukewarm 'wow, awesome sauce, yay'

[1f] Deleted 'husband and wife kyaa~~ing~~ at each other for a while before going to bed uwu~~' replacing it with Fu Qiuning wondering why JFJ is being a weirdo.

[1g] AR Qiuning sneering and staring coldly at Cai Lian for her 'petty schemes' is… Anyway. replaced that with Actual Qiuning being sad for women who had to resort to such schemes.

[1h] Replaced 'putong!' of heart and various 'oh noes~', with 'ugh, why do I have to be the one here?'

[1i] Deleted 'hurrying over to catch her! What if she jumps?! Oh noes!'

[2] Reveal the asshole!

[2a] Have JFJ continue with his dramatic solo

[2b] Have FQN reveal her additional plan after JFJ did not show more brains. Like, he's actually not as clever as he thinks he is.

[2c] Reveal JFJ's delusion. Because it could only be a delusion. Seriously.

[2d] Add more details, because why not? Why shouldn't we think about these two bedmates of Jin Fengju?

[2e] Have Fu Qiuning referring to herself as a 'chicken' to illustrate her low opinion of the harem (yes, I understand that this is the ancient era and that it is normal for men to have many wives. But please remember that Fu Qiuning is from the modern world and that she teaches opera singing instead of performing on stage. This means she has the guts to opt out of the possibly nepotic and chauvinistic world of Chinese Opera but still loved the art enough to remain in the opera world. Meaning she has guts and enough sense of humour to get by. So calling herself a chicken in JFJ's henhouse should be in character. For FQN anyway.)

[2f] Reveal Jin Yanqiu's snobby and classist behaviour.

[3] Consequences:

[3a] Jin Ming's reaction per [1b]. Instead of being 'yay, yay, Madam really loves the Master~~' be a bit frightened of Madam Ning's insight.

[3b] Have Fu Qiuning use actual techniques on how to deal with assholes per [2f]. Because Jin Yanqiu is one huge asshole.

Having a character 'be neither humble nor overbearing' is just a lazy writing for authors to make their MC seem superior. Gumihou will demonstrate actual jerkface dealing techniques.

[4] Reduce the looooong ass polishing statement from the Princess Consort for Fu Qiuning.

I swear, it's like watching dramas where the madams competed by declaring 'aiya, we have to save lots of money for my son's education. He's sooooo promising, universities are sooooo expensive. Have you heard? Ivy league schools have contacted his brother. Aiya, we are lucky that one got a scholarship or we'll be in trouble now~~'

"So, are you here to persuade me on Fengju's behalf?" Jin Yanqiu sneered as she slowly strolled over to Fu Qiuning.

"Surely the Princess Consort's statement is too odd? As exceptionally intelligent people, is there anything the Princess Consort and the Young Marquis cannot see through? Indeed, the Princess Consort should understand this in her heart of hearts. This humble woman cannot imagine, just what on earth the Princess Consort ought to be persuaded about?" said Fu Qiuning with a service smile as she slowly followed after Princess Consort Rong, making sure to remain just a couple of steps behind her.

"Do not attempt to muddle me with those words. Do not imagine that I do not know what is in your heart. As Fengju's pillow mate, how could you not know when such an earth-shaking matter happened?" Jin Yanqiu stopped walking to turn around and glare at Fu Qiuning before slowly continuing her way towards the pavilion that she had been walking towards.

"So, the Princess Consort is speaking of this matter. As it has nothing to do with this humble woman, there is no reason for this humble woman to shoulder the guilt of attempting to persuade anyone. Further, hasn't the Princess Consort already decided? Since that is the case, there is no point in persuading. Surely it makes less sense to trouble the Princess Consort and provoke your unhappiness?"

Instead of being angry or hurt, Fu Qiuning maintained her neutrality. This bratty privileged woman could not hold a candle against the tiger moms, convinced of their children's genius, that haunted her teaching days.

"Hmph …" Jin Yanqiu sneered again. She continued her dramatically slow steps, the need to make drama must run in the family, for a little longer before she paused to drawl, "Your words hold blame against me, clearly criticising me for my lack of priority, understanding and excessive willfulness. Do not imagine that I am oblivious to it." She finished her speech with an impressive twirl of her skirts and she turned around and flounced onto a wooden bench in the pavilion.

Fu Qiuning nearly rolled her eyes out of her head. What. Ever.

What Princess Consort? Isn't this just a rich brat who knows she did something wrong, but is just too proud to admit anything? How many of these second-generation-rich princesses had she encountered trying to bullshit their way through art school? Stupid in the head, but were flattered by sycophants to imagine they had actual talent?

Look, even the way she sits reeks of the chuuni disease energy. Fu Qiuning hoped the princess hurt her butt plopping down so dramatically on the hard bench like that.

As for how to deal with such a person… Fu Qiuning breathed in deeply and immersed herself in her act. She would have to be the sycophant in question now. But, one that subtly steers their so-called social betters onto the right path. Suddenly, she had a lot of respect for Steward Jin. Now that man's a professional.

Thus, Fu Qiuning borrowed Jin Ming's energy and dramatically declared, "This humble woman swears to the Heavens that my heart harbours no such intention at all. Why would Princess Consort say such a thing? Has this humble woman said something that provokes such a response?"

Jin Yanqiu stiffened. She thought: That's right, why did I suspect her immediately? She had only greeted me, but I had already accused her…

Angered by her own thoughts, she slapped the table harshly and growled, "Why I brought up such a matter, you ask? How many people have come up to me just to speak of these things? Clearly, the one in the wrong is not I. The one who committed all these wrongs, again and again, is not I, and yet, yet a noble and dignified feudal prince would harbour a desire to bring a courtesan into the palace.

He even dared to demand I call her 'sister' and wish me to tolerate a child from that dirty blood, wanted an impure brat to address me as 'Royal Mother'. Why should I swallow this anger? Why should I compromise? You tell me, tell me the reason now. Even the Three Obediences and Four Virtues must have limits. Does the Prince not know his limits? Can he not show restraint? Must I accept all sorts of women into the palace no matter their background?"

Fu Qiuning maintained a neutral gaze as Princess Consort Rong vented her frustration. After the princess ran out of steam, she remained silent for a little longer before saying in a grave voice. "This humble woman is of low birth and unworthy of Princess Consort's gaze. Even so, would the Princess Consort be so generous as to listen to the words from the bottom of this humble woman's heart?"

"Just speak," Jin Yanqiu sneered. She thought: I knew it. How many sincere from 'the bottom of one's heart' words have I heard these past two days? All the women in the family have already spilt words from the bottom of their hearts to me, what is one more? They are all the same, blaming and criticising me for something that is clearly not my fault.

"In the eyes of this humble woman, as a woman and a wife, the Princess Consort had done no wrong. The other woman, be they of high or low status, rich or poor, noble lady, courtesan, precious daughter of a dukedom or even a princess, this humble woman will never allow them to set even half a foot through the doorway and steal one's husband." The key to getting a brat to listen to you is to say something they wanted to hear first.

As expected, Princess Consort Rong appeared stunned. No matter what, she was a woman of an era where a woman's value was being a virtuous virgin, while the husband's was being a studly accomplished man. This ancient-era woman blurted out, "You have a big mouth, if… if others heard you, it would be too terrible. Have you never undergone feminine training? Do you not know that jealousy is one of the Seven Divorcing Offences?"

Fu Qiuning nodded sagely, "The Princess Consort is right. Such words can never be uttered in the presence of others. Therefore, this humble woman can only secretly support the Princess Consort within the confines of my own heart. No matter how unwilling, as women, we can only endure in silence as our husbands add women into the harem. As a woman of humble birth, how I dare monopolise a person of noble status such as the Young Marquis?

Even so, this humble woman wishes to know. Should the woman courted by Prince Rong not be a courtesan but a golden princess of the ducal family, would Princess Consort feel any better? Perhaps her existence would be more tolerable, but would her presence be any more pleasant than inviting a courtesan into the palace?"

The words struck like hammers against Jin Yanqiu's heart, causing her entire person to tremble almost uncontrollably. These were… words that she only dared to ruminate in the utter privacy of her heart, but never dared allow past her lips. Because women were bound by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, no matter how ruthless palace schemes became, only meaningless words crossed their lips.

Not a single woman seeking their husband's favour and attention dared to even show a speck of that vile ugly thing called 'jealousy'. A woman must be benevolent and humble. A woman must be demure and graceful. A jealous woman is an ugly woman. Never in her life could she have imagined that her secret thoughts would be echoed by Fu Qiuning one day.

"You… what exactly do you want to say?" Jin Yanqiu coughed even as her gaze skittered away.

Fu Qiuning, knowing that she had cracked this jealous kid's heart, pressed her advantage. She gently said, "Is jealousy such a bad thing? Can love exist in the absence of jealousy? Isn't Princess Consort's jealousy evidence of great love for the Prince? Jealousy is just a form of love, but it is considered a hateful emotion for women. Why is it that men can marry three wives and four concubines, but women can only cling to one man to the end?

At brothels, men can openly show jealousy and even fight over a courtesan, but we women are not allowed to experience jealousy in our own homes over our own husbands. Men are human beings, are women not human? Why are there so many rules in this world for women that men are exempted from? How could-"

"This… do you even know how shocking your words are? If this were to spread, do you imagine you could even keep your life?" Jin Yanqiu quickly interrupted her. Her eyes darted around anxiously. When she saw no one near them, her shoulders lowered a little and she sighed. "I shall pretend I did not hear any of this. You must never say such things before anyone in the future."

Fu Qiuning's words were indeed shocking in that world's period. Her words struck deeply within Jin Yanqiu's heart. This bold and spoilt golden princess of a marquis family, married into the royal family as a bold and opinionated wife, could not help but be bitter about the 'feminine education' she must have endured throughout her life. It was only on this day that her secret thoughts were finally given voice by an unexpected person. This shocking incident could only end with Jin Yanqiu reluctantly admitting Fu Qiuning as a close confidante.

Fu Qiuning blinked. She thought: Well, that was easy. It is generally like this with brats. After obtaining their trust, they would be almost blindly loyal to the person they believed to be someone who 'understands' them.

This Jin Yanqiu must have been so frustrated by everyone telling her to be 'sensible', when in her heart of hearts, she was so angry at having to bury her feelings or be revealed as an 'unfit woman' for experiencing that horrible emotion 'jealousy'. It was almost sweet how simple this noble, and supposedly clever, woman was.

Still, her act was not yet over. Now that she had Jin Yanqiu's sympathy, she threw herself into her role and declared, "Alas, 'tis true! Such thoughts could never be acted upon or even spoken of! Jealousy is treated like a treacherous crime. How dare we experience feelings! How dare we act like humans instead of virtuous goddesses! At times, I hate that I am born as a woman.

When Princess Consort says that I criticise the Princess Consort for being reckless and not knowing your priorities, my heart felt utterly wronged and aggrieved! To this humble woman's mind, the Princess Consort had acted as a woman should. Why is it treated as willfulness or recklessness? How is it reckless behaviour when Princess Consort is not the one raising a courtesan outside?"

Jin Yanqiu looked at Fu Qiuning with a pair of beautiful eyes made even more soulful with bitter tears welling up from the bottom of her heart. Finally, here is someone who understands and sympathises with her bitter heart. However, dignity would not allow her to shed tears before Fu Qiuning. Thus, she turned away to sob, "What a pity. What is the use of your personal opinion? Aside from you, who in this estate does not regard me as the sinner?"

Fu Qiuning… felt saddened. Yes, so what if she, a woman of low birth, sympathised with a Princess Consort who could not even openly show her jealousy, lest she is accused of the crime of jealousy?

Instead of answering the Princess Consort, Fu Qiuning sighed a long sigh and said, "What can we, as women, do when men hold the power? People only see the good life and prestige of a Princess Consort's position, but who could understand what sorrow or bitterness lies beneath the surface? To this humble woman's mind, it is better to be a lowborn girl from an ordinary family, married to a poor husband who works diligently and supports one wife as the pillar of the family.

The days may be more difficult and less luxurious, but as a couple, I can support him as his wife and raise his children, while he works and supports the family and love only one wife. Don't you think this is a beautiful scene? Also, if we are both lowborn commoners, if his gaze strayed too long at any girl, I could grab his ears and freely give him a scolding or three…"

Fu Qiuning watched as Jin Yanqiu stared silently at a distant pool. What was it with this girl and pools of water? However, it did not feel right to break the silence, therefore, Fu Qiuning also gazed at the pool. When a stray breeze flitted over, the surface of the pool rippled gently.

Finally, Fu Qiuning sighed and said sadly, "Indeed, as women born to a noble family, we are different from ordinary girls. We are raised to be political pawns. Back then, how much of my life was controlled by Father and Grandfather? My role was to marry into the marquis' family to slap the faces of the people here. Once I married out, my role ended, and no one cared whether I lived or died.

Even so, I shouldered less responsibility in my wretched fate. The moment my maternal family dismissed my existence, it also allowed me some measure of freedom. It is different for the Princess Consort, there are still many expectations and responsibilities on the Princess' shoulders. Your burden is heavier than mine."

Princess Consort Rong was silent. As someone who knew when silence is golden, Fu Qiuning also did not speak up. There was really no need. Instead, she stood up with a smile and said, "It is this humble woman's privilege to encounter the Princess Consort on my way to Night Breeze Pavilion. A foolish thought struck this humble woman's mind when I saw Princess Consort staring deeply at a pond. However, it is clear that this humble woman thought too much. Do forgive this humble woman's impertinence and allow this foolish woman to excuse herself."

Jin Yanqiu nodded her permission.

However, when Fu Qiuning reached the bottom of the pavilion steps, she suddenly said, "Were you at Fengju's study last night? Otherwise, you would not be making your way back to Night Breeze Pavilion at this time. He… what did he say?"

Fu Qiuning thought: Oh ho, someone's feeling guilty? Isn't it a little too late?

Still, she dutifully said, "The Young Marquis implied that the matter had not been handled well. We suffered absolute defeat. Prince Lie was particularly efficient and left no stone unturned. His Majesty values virtue a lot and was incredibly disappointed in Prince Rong's lack of moral character and self-control." She paused for a moment, debating whether to continue before hammering the final nail in, "The Young Marquis stayed awake till late last night thinking up ways to handle the matter."

Jin Yanqiu trembled for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure as she asked gravely, "Then, my younger brother, has he… thought of a way?"

Fu Qiuning sighed dramatically and said, "There is no good strategy to deal with it as yet. Only stopgap measures. Lord Husband said that he could only try his best to minimise the damage."

There was no reason for her to help Jin Fengju, but there was no reason not to help him either. If she could make this bratty girl-woman feel bad, she had no qualms about doing so. People should really learn to consider the consequences of their actions before recklessly throwing their temper around. That went for Jin Fengju too, naturally. What was her former exile to Night Breeze Pavilion and the abandonment of two children but a giant temper tantrum of a man-child?

Jin Yanqiu's body went slack. She slumped back against a pillar and whispered to herself, "Is this all, truly my fault?" However, when she spotted Fu Qiuning still standing at the bottom of the steps, she straightened up and wave a dismissive hand at Fu Qiuning, "You may leave."

"Yes, this humble woman will excuse herself." Fu Qiuning saluted, turned around and left. A dozen steps later, she paused to look back and saw Jin Yanqiu still seated like a wooden sculpture on the bench. Fu Qiuning considered the matter for a moment before shrugging: Eh, none of my business. Who cares about the scandals of the palace or fights for a shiny chair? I am a weak woman, lol. Nothing to see here! If things go south, let's just run away with the twins and some money.

With her thoughts free of worry, Fu Qiuning cheerfully returned to Night Breeze Pavilion. The place was nice and quiet. No one dared to even breathe too noisily, knowing that the Duke of Jing's palace was facing some sort of ambiguous danger.

Fu Qiuning collected her basket of embroidery and continued to embroider peony flowers on a silk handkerchief. Who knows, she might end up having to sell these for money again one day.

While she was busy thinking up ways to run off safely with the twins, Yu Jie suddenly appeared to say, "Madam, the Zhenjiang palace has sent someone to meet with Madam. They are waiting outside the door at this moment."

Fu Qiuning blinked slowly. "Is that so? It is neither New Year nor a festival season, why did they send someone? Just tell them I'm sick and can't see them."

She was about to return to her embroidery when an ingratiating voice said, "Young Miss, don't be angry, the Heir has been thinking of you since last year. He thought to send people to come to seek you out a few times but the Zhenjiang King has not been well. The Zhenjiang Heir had been seeking out doctors and various medicines for the King and serving by his bedside. Things had been so hectic that it slipped his mind. The old king's health has since shown some little improvement. If not for this, the Heir and the Madam would not have dispatched this lowly one to quickly come."

Fu Qiuning finally lowered her embroidery with an exaggerated gasp, "What was that? Grandfather has fallen ill? What sickness is this? How is he now? Why did no one inform me of such a major event?" She turned a slightly warmer look at Yu Jie, "Serve tea for Sister Zhou."

Matron Zhou appeared more relaxed after that. When Fu Qiuning told her to sit, she perched her buttocks on the edge of the chair, still wearing that ingratiating smile, and said, "Not to worry, not to worry, it is merely a chill. The physician had prescribed two doses of medicine. After taking them, the King received some relief. Even so, the Heir wishes for the Young Miss to return.

Ah, but it must be said, the King's illness is not terribly serious, so there is no urgency at all. Ever since the Young Miss' last visit before the New Year, so many things have happened. However, the Heir refused to let us disturb Young Miss. It is only after the King was safe that I am sent to report matters from the house to you. That is to say, my presence here is to report matters from the house to Young Miss and secondly, to assist the Young Miss in any way possible.

Aiya, so many things happened at the palace lately that the Heir especially sent me over to see if Young Miss needs any help at all. This maid is here to be of any use to Young Miss. If necessary, this maid has been ordered to stay and serve the Young Miss to the best of my ability."

Fu Qiuning was a little taken aback. She thought: Wait, do you think I don't have enough trouble on my plate that I'd resort to putting a spy in my own home?

Well, two could play the game. Considering the general IQ of the 'spies' from Zhenjiang King's place, some dramatics would be necessary. Let's see, what message do I want you to bring to dear old dad and grandpa…

Fu Qiuning took a deep breath, got to her feet, and launched herself into the cringiest melodramatic role of her life, "Enough! O, do not mention this matter anymore! Know you not just how suspicious the Young Marquis is of the people within the estate? Lord Husband has sent people to shake the very trees and bushes for spies from Prince Lie's palace. Were I to keep you here, should you be discovered, your very flesh shall be flayed off your bones!

The Young Marquis has already cast a suspicious eye on my courtyard after credit for taking down Prince Lie had been snatched away by Prince Hong! O, how the Young Marquis trembles with fury! I have sworn on my very life and honour that I have never mentioned such a thing outside of this estate, but my Lord Husband's fury still fell upon my poor head!

Enough, do not speak such misleading words before honest people. Had my tongue been less flexible and my mind less sharp, I would have been cast out of my Lord Husband's favour! O, how I had cried and beat my chest to prove my innocence. Surely Father of all people should understand the words I had spoken to the winds by the fake mountains of my maternal home? It must be so, as credit has gone where it should go!"

It was… incredibly horrifying to give such a cringey performance. Fu Qiuning could almost imagine her acting teacher turning white at this horrible act.

Fortunately, Matron Zhou, despite being the dowry maid of the Zhenjiang Heir's wife, proved to have the same two-digit IQ as the rest of the palace servants. The beam on her face already betrayed her thoughts as she said, "This maid does not know what Young Miss is talking about. Not even a little bit. This maid could only say that the Heir must take some of the blame.

My dear Young Miss, this maid can only say, in this world, there is no greater love than the love of a parent for their children. How could any parent ever bear to hurt their own beloved flesh and blood? How sad is a parent when their beloved child is led astray by lies and falsehood, ah? 'Tis true that the Young Marquis fawns upon the Young Miss now, but as the days drag on, who is to say that this favour would not fall upon others? When that happens, who would my poor Young Miss rely on? Surely the only person one could depend on is one's maternal family?"

Fu Qiuning thought: If I am dumb enough to believe a low-IQ spy like you, I deserve to die without a grave. My dear father and grandfather are the ones who kicked me into this godforsaken place, and you still want to talk about relying on one's flesh and blood? Pei!

Unfortunately, she could not reveal her true thoughts. Instead, she touched the back of her wrist to her forehead and sighed deeply, "Aih, of course, I understand. Life as a noble-born daughter is too, too difficult. A married woman without the backing of an excellent maternal family could only be fated to be trampled upon. Especially so, for a woman of my poor appearance.

The Young Marquis may have blessed me with his favour for raising his two children from obscurity to outstanding talents, and believed me to be virtuous and talented. Perhaps he was tired of looking at his other wives' and concubines' faces and found my face a novelty. However, once he gets tired of this face, would he not throw me away as he did his better-looking wives? O, what is virtuousness but the ability to endure hardships? He may favour me now out of guilt, perhaps, but what good is favour that is founded upon guilt?

Perhaps you do not know, but his uncle's daughter has recently been beset by rogues upon the road home, and the men of her family all killed, leaving her with nowhere to go. This is a pity indeed. A great pity as she brings with her, not only her children, but three sisters from that family. Tell me now, what is the justice of having to raise not only her, but the three sisters-in-law as well?!"

Naturally, Matron Zhou knew all about the Feng Family tragedy. However, the way Fu Qiuning worded the incident… though she may not be a clever spy, her ability to flatter her masters and fan the flames was second to none!

Taking her cue from the Young Miss, she gasped dramatically and declared, "Aiya, what's this? The three sisters mentioned by Young Miss, could they be the former Minister of Rites, Lord Feng's daughters and niece? Aiya, those three girls are famous in the Capital for their city-toppling beauty. H-how did they end up living in this estate? Even if Lord Feng and his only son are dead, surely they should still have a few living clan members?"

Fu Qiuning threw her head back dramatically, nearly causing a whiplash to her neck. Luckily, the unexpected wince caused her to look like she had 'accidentally' revealed her 'true feelings' as she sneered, "According to them, they did not have much contact with the other branch of the family. Even if they did try to rely on their clansmen, the family would not put them in their eyes.

They refuse to return just to be insulted. Humph, they sounded all pure and high-minded, but who do they think they're fooling? Could any female still remain pure after falling into the hands of bandits? It is disgusting to keep hearing how they would rather starve to death than lose their modesty, how revolting."

Matron Zhou nodded along eagerly, beaming at every word that fell out of Fu Qiuning's mouth. She thought: Look at this sycophant. You want to hear more? Sigh, whatever, let's keep going.

Fu Qiuning threw her hand out, her voice scornful as she cried, "You tell me, Matron Zhou, is there something wrong with the minds of the people within the Duke of Jing's estate? Of the girls and women who had just tumbled out of the bandit's nest, could any of them be considered pure? If they were really virtuous women, they ought to have killed themselves to prove their chastity instead. To dare enter the ducal estate and even live here. If the imperial censors found out about them and reported those vulgar women to the emperor, who could bear it?

That foolish husband of ours has allowed the emperor's favour to get to his head. I have done my best to hint caution at him, yet was accused of having a heart of stone. To show a dark face at me when all I did was show concern for this family! To hear him tell me that I should sympathise with my sister-in-law's suffering… just hearing these words makes me clench my teeth in anger.

You tell me, I held only thoughts of this family's well-being but was judged instead. What did I work so hard for? I am so angry that I simply don't care about it anymore. He can do what he likes, so what? Not even a few days later, Prince Rong's side caused an incident, and yet the Princess Consort is still huddled within the estate. Tell me, why can't anyone in this family grow any brains between themselves?!"

Matron Zhou nodded along with Fu Qiuning's long rant, making appropriate noises as needed to show that she was paying earnest attention. Finally, Fu Qiuning closed her performance with a long sigh as she made a show of walking over to pick up her abandoned embroidery. She stared dramatically at the half-finished peony flowers and said sadly, "Lord Husband has hardly eaten these past two days. It breaks my heart to see him suffering. Though I am angry at his self-inflicted problems, he is still my man, my husband.

Sister Zhou, go back and tell Father this. The emperor is someone who values relationships the most. No matter what, he is still Fengju's father-in-law. If Grandfather were to speak a few words on Prince Rong's behalf, not only would Fengju be eternally grateful, but surely even the emperor would view the Feudal King's family with a new light in his heart."

Matron Zhou smiled and made some agreeable noises. Even so, in the privacy of her heart, she thought: Well, well, no matter what this person is still a helpless woman stuck inside a harem. Her head must be all muddled from panic, ba? Now that the Duke of Jing's estate is in shambles, for our palace to not add fuel to the fire is already generous enough. Yet, you still expect us to extend a helping hand?

The two women exchanged a bit more gossip. Sharp-eyed Matron Zhou saw that Fu Qiuning looked a little listless and distracted, understood that she must be burdened with all kinds of thoughts, bid her farewell not long after that and left. But not before leaving several entreaties to visit her maternal home.

Fu Qiuning agreed. She also personally escorted the woman to the door. It was only after Matron Zhou had stepped out of the courtyard gate with the two other women she had with her that Fu Qiuning re-entered the house.

She had just picked up her embroidery when Jian Feng's excited voice called, "Madam, Yan Xi is here. The Young Marquis had returned from morning court and is asking for you to come to the study."

Fu Qiuning contemplated the hard kang bed, thinking: Could I knock myself out if I flop onto that thing hard enough? Instead of doing something so juvenile, she proceeded to the bedroom to change into a light blue mandarin jacket embroidered with hibiscus flowers, paired with a light green pleated skirt embroidered with dark flowers. When she finally ran out of things to do, she had Jian Feng lead the way to the study.

The first thing she saw at the study was an eagerly waiting Jin Fengju. The first thing he did upon seeing her was to grab her hands and laugh, "Why didn't you bring me any snacks today? Could it be that you saw how well made they were, so you kept them for yourself and couldn't bear to bring them to me?"

[1a] Fu Qiuning studied the beaming person before her for a moment. "The snacks from last night were prepared by Yu Jie. If you like it that much, Jian Feng can go back and fetch more."

[2a] "Ah, that is. Ahem, I… heard you met with Elder Sister this morning?" Jin Fengju was quick to change the subject.

[1a] "Indeed, I found her by the pool. As expected, she understands the situation enough to feel regret. However, the method of persuasions were… too direct and came in waves, overwhelming her to the point that she dug her feet in just to spite everyone, including herself. I believe she also resented that everyone condemned her actions even though the fault originated from Prince Rong…"

[2a] Fu Qiuning paused long enough for Jin Fengju to wince before continuing, "After all, as a woman and a princess consort, how wronged she must have felt when her husband went behind her back to raise a mistress? Not only that, but to beget a child with her? As though these sins were not enough, His Highness opted to 'fix things' by having a golden daughter of a ducal family to voluntarily recognise that prostitute 'sister'. Surely Lord Husband can imagine the hurt she must have felt?

Imagine the betrayal she must have felt when she returned to her maternal family for support, only to be told again and again that she must 'do the right thing', that 'she must not aggravate the situation further' and that if she did not do as everyone tells her to the family's honour would be compromised. How is this persuading? Isn't this closer to coercing? You and the rest of your family should know your elder sister best, is she someone who would allow herself to be coerced into anything?"

Jin Fengju raised his hands and laughed, "You made some excellent points. It is our fault for being too anxious and not considering everything properly. No wonder your way of persuasion worked." He happily seized Fu Qiuning and kissed her on the lips, before nuzzling her neck and whispering, "My Qiuning is getting smarter and more capable. What should I do? Now, I am even more reluctant to leave you alone. I think, the next time I am sent on a mission, I must find a way to dress you up as a man and take you with me~"

[1b] The wet, blatant kisses sent cold shivers up her spine and Fu Qiuning had to stop herself from slapping the man's face away. Instead, she resolutely laughed and said loudly, "Enough with this nonsense. I have news for you."

[2a] Fortunately, Jin Fengju actually let her go in order to stare adoringly at her. It was disconcerting. In an indulgent voice, he said, "What is it?"

Fu Qiuning stood up, [1b] walked away from the man and sat very straight in a chair, and said, "The Elder Madam from my maternal family sent her dowry maid, Matron Zhou, to the estate. Officially, it was just an ordinary visit, however, I can only assume that she was really sent here to dig for news."

"Pfft!" Jin Fengju suddenly burst out laughing. However, when he saw that Fu Qiuning was still staring back solemnly at him, he attempted to mimic her and sat up straight as well. In a solemn voice, he said, "Indeed, Father-in-law worked hard, therefore, as the daughter, you should share his worries…"

[1c] "… Hahaha," said Fu Qiuning obligingly.

[2a] Having received the response he wanted, Jin Fengju grinned smugly and said, "In fact, it's not like the Capital officials are not aware of Prince Rong's private matters. However, because the Duke of Jing's power is too strong, no one would even consider striking our boulder with an egg over such a trivial matter.

Nonetheless, now that Prince Rong has provoked the emperor's anger, even the Duke of Jing has become like a [3] fallen dog. You have brought up an excellent point. How could Father-in-law ever resist an opportunity to beat up the fallen dog and reap some benefits for himself? Who knows just how grateful he is for your little nugget of wisdom?"

[2a] Jin Fengju was practically squirming with glee. [1c] Fu Qiuning braced herself and smiled determinedly, "Do not exaggerate. You keep calling yourself a fallen dog and declaring how much you respect your father-in-law even as you cheerfully manipulated him around. There is really no need to put up a show of respect or filial piety before me-"

[2a] For some reason, this stimulated Jin Fengju to suddenly lunge forward and embrace her. The grin on his face was both triumphant and somehow annoying as he said, "Speaking of which, didn't you just declare how you fear disappointing your own father's hopes? I must say, one should never offend a woman. If your father knew just how much you hated him, I'm sure he would not dare to throw you away like a chess piece into a fire pit like this. Even so, I like this side of you. If one could still show filial piety towards parents like them, it would be considered foolish piety. Women like those might as well be wooden stakes. How is she different from cattle, sheep, pigs or chickens reared in a slaughterhouse?"

"Such grand words," said Fu Qiuning [1d]. "Have you completely forgotten how you had treated Feng'er and Jiao'er?"

Jin Fengju made a 'hei hei' chuckle and said, "Little children don't hold grudges. Haven't I been doing my best to correct my image? Feng'er and Jiao'er's grudges have long since disappeared. Moreover, even if I did not fulfil my fatherly responsibilities, I will never treat them like chess pieces. Since they show such promising talents, I shall not be angry even if they do not show me filial piety. Without spring breeze, one should never expect autumn rain."

[1a] Fu Qiuning forced the corners of her lips to go up at this grandiose remark. She said, "Very good. I shall note these words down immediately. Once Feng'er and Jiao'er have grown up, you are not allowed to force them into positions that would benefit you either politically or financially. You must not force them into relationships either."

[1a] Seeing Jin Fengju eagerly agreeing to her every word, Fu Qiuning had to wonder whether he had completely forgotten his initial promise to her and was hoping that new promises would supersede whatever he had said thus far. It would not surprise her. She had better get this latest promise down in writing.

Now that everything that should be discussed had been discussed, [1f] there was really no need for Fu Qiuning to stay longer. She could see the gleam in Jin Fengju's eyes and feel the hands around her waist moving downward and spoke, "You were at court today. How did the emperor treating Prince Rong?"

Jin Fengju [2b] tenderly squeezed Fu Qiuning's waist and said with a smile, "No matter what, Prince Rong is his son. I noticed that Brother-in-law has blisters around his mouth and the beginnings of a stubble, clearly suffering from internal heat. The emperor made him stay back and even scolded him a bit. Even so, he did not add any more blame onto him. The fact that the emperor was willing to scold him meant that the emperor has not completely abandoned Brother-in-law. I believe that once our schemes have come to fruition, we may pass this hurdle safely."

[1f] How nice for you, thought Fu Qiuning. Clearly, the only lessons he had learned here were 'how to handle an angry wife', 'ways to manipulate the situation to your advantage' and 'take advantage where you can'. The calibre of people she was dealing with were all self-centred men who could not stand the idea of being thought of as being less than perfect, made and broke promises at a drop of a hat, expected their women to support them 100% and acted like the women had betrayed them when it was really the other way round.

[1a] Unable to stand the idea of having to spend another night there, Fu Qiuning made her excuses and fled back to Night Breeze Pavilion.

As for Jin Fengju, he would love to follow after Fu Qiuning, but he had to stay at the study and continue to think up ways to sort out the current mess. While he was there, Concubine Huo and Concubine Xu came by to deliver Lotus Seed Soup. Naturally, [2c] they were hoping that Jin Fengju would favour them like he did Fu Qiuning and invite them to stay the night. That way, the people in the estate would know that their husband valued them too. Who would have thought that after a few words, Jin Fengju's expression remained stiff with no sign of affection or playfulness?

Neither women were ignorant and knew when they were not wanted. They realised that heaping more flattery on Jin Fengju would only invite shame upon themselves and left with their tails between their legs.

That night, Jin Fengju was resting in the study, thinking about the night he had spent with Fu Qiuning there. Somehow, he had the feeling that something was missing in the study. However, it was getting dark and he could not in good conscience ask her to come over. Not to mention, if he had his wife sleep in the study with him all the time, it would only invite ridicule from others. Thus, he had no choice but to suppress his longing by taking out a book and flipping through it listlessly.

Speaking of which, Cai Lian had been going in and out of his study several times now. He knew what the girl was thinking, how could he not? However, did she not know just how heavy his thoughts were then? Even those two concubines knew how when to advance and retreat, but this senior woman was being too frivolous for some reason. After giving it some thought, Jin Fengju finally understood.

He closed his book and sure enough, Cai Lian came over to lightly massage his shoulders.

"When Qiuning arrived today, I noticed that she was wearing a buyao in her hair. It was the one I gifted you a few days ago, yes?" Jin Fengju said softly as he leaned against the couch, pretending to be half asleep.

"Yes, this morning when Madam got up, this maid noticed that Madam had no accessories for her hair and thought that it was too plain. Therefore, this maid gave the buyao to madam. The buyao is the one that Young Marquis bestowed during New Year, a very good piece. It is too precious an accessory for a maid such as myself, which was why I had been keeping it in a box all this time. This morning is the only time I dared to take it out for Madam. As for the other things in this maid's box, surely none could meet Madam's eye."

Cai Lian's answer was very respectful. Even so, anxiety broiled in her heart as she thought: Who knows what the Master is thinking now? If I could give the impression that I am on good terms with the Second Madam, that buyao would not be wasted.

She was still thinking when Jin Fengju's mild voice floated over, "You have made a mistake. No matter what, she is still your Madam. She has plenty of gold and silver accessories but prefers a clean and tidy look. That is why she rarely wears jewellery at all. As for you, with your status, no matter how valuable that buyau is, you are in no position to gift her anything. Being a benevolent and intelligent person, Qiuning wears the buyao as a way to give you face. This is all due to her kindness, do not think you have fooled her at all.

You have been by my side for many years now. I found you intelligent and stable with no flirtatious thoughts, which is why you have remained in this place for so long. Should such a thing happen again in the future, I can only assume that your heart has grown too big for your chest. If that were to happen, I dare not have you serve me any longer. You understand my meaning?"

This line alone frightened Cai Lian so much that she threw herself to the floor, crying, "Master, spare this maid! This maid was ignorant and did not have such complicated thoughts in her head. I just… I just adore and respect the Madam and wished to gift her something… This- this maid knows her mistakes! Master…"

As she spoke, she crouched closer to the ground and nearly banged her forehead against the floor. Jin Fengju stretched out his hand to stop her. He sighed and said, "Silly girl, why are you crying? I already have so many wives and concubines that I could barely give them any attention. Were you to stay by my side, you will only become more and more lonely. What is the meaning of bearing this kind of life? Isn't it better to marry well and find a good husband than to trail after me like this for the rest of your life?

Do not worry, you have been with me for so many years, I will naturally find a good family for you. Though you are my bedroom maid, you have followed me for many years. Therefore, I will make sure to find an honest man from a good family for you. Not only will he be honoured to have you, I will also gradually promote his station. That way, wouldn't you two live a good life together?"

At the end of his speech, Cai Lian would only cry and repeatedly say that she would rather die than leave. Therefore Jin Fengju could only try and coax her with a few words of comfort. Even so, that incident continued to plague him and he thought: Surely Cai Lian is only crying so hard now because she did not wish to give up her position? If I were to find her a good match, surely she would be happy, right? What woman would be happy to live the life of a widow… No wait, isn't Qiuning perfectly happy to live as a widow? That she could forgive me, must mean she has feelings, right? However, if not for Mother and Cousin forcing her hand, who knows how long I'd have to wait to [2b] share a bed with her?

Now that thoughts of Qiuning [2b] (and bed sharing) had entered his head, his heart could not help but fly out of his chest again. It was a long time before he regained consciousness and looked outside to find that it had gotten very late. He knew that he should not, but for some reason, his heart yearned to go to Night Breeze Pavilion.

Finally, he could not restrain the impulses in his heart and said to Cai Lian, "I shall be going to Night Breeze Pavilion. I will leave my official uniform here and change before I leave for court on the morrow. Go and light up the gilded lantern for me."

"Master, this… Jin Ming has already gone home," Cai Lian was shocked.

Jin Fengju laughed, "Must I rely on him? What nonsense, am I incapable of doing anything for myself in his absence? Enough, just go and light the lantern."

Thus, without even bothering to change, he picked up a lotus-coloured cloak from the peg, parted the curtain door and went out.

[Gumihou: You sure the impulses did not come from somewhere lower? Like your crotch? Also, this was an uncomfortable chapter, made 'sweet' by dumping too much syrup on poor Fu Qiuning]

[1] Remove the AR Qiuning:

[1a] General chemotherapy to remove the tumour that is AR Qiuning

[1b] AR Qiuning is of course happy to be kissed and nuzzle, but Actual Qiuning? Ugh, just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.

[1c] A lot of solidarity 'pffftt hahaha~~ others are so dumb~~' scenes here to make it look like FQN and JFJ are the perfect couple, when in fact JFJ was being creepy and FQN was just mirroring his actions to make it less obvious that she was creeped out by him.

[1d] Deleted: 'patted him lightly' because it's just more ways for JFJ to go 'bwahahaha!' and ignore the core problem.

[1f] Deleted: 'husband and wife shared a tender moment' because obviously this never happened.

[2] Consequences:

[2a] Consequences of dealing with Fu Qiuning instead of AR Qiuning. Double as 'add detail' since author conveniently forgot to include them.

[2b] Creep moment from Jin Fengju

[3] 'fallen dog' the actual idiom is 'dog that has fallen into water' it has the meaning of an evildoer who had fallen on hard times.

Possibly an extension of 'to beat a fallen dog', which carries the meaning of 'to kick someone when they are down'