Chapter 5 (1/2)
Since there are a lot of na thrown around and it's been a while since the last chapter, I will be posting a Character Guide for this novel in the project's ho side characters—the official chapter blurb mentions that neither Yan Xiaohan nor Fu Shen appear in person
Please let me knohere my translations can be i Plans
In the Duke of Ying official residence
The autumn breeze was cool, but the roo couch was set up right by the , the ebony wood of the short table before it studded with various snacks and fresh fruits A still i on an act of lowering his head to read the scroll in his hand Yet as the e The floor below the couch was croith standing servant lances, or stuck out their lips, or secretly gestured to one another Alecare, the youth was just about to ready hi maid ran in from outside and crisply announced: “The Madame has arrived”
The faces of all present inified and severe, and the crowd of servant girls settled down to stand in quiet subhtened up his spine With great rapidity, he propped the book up and arranged his body into a proper appearance When the ornately dressed lady in question entered the door, what ly dutiful and diligent learning”
With the support of a servant girl's hand, Lady Qin1 sat down on the couch The youth rose and saluted, intiht next to her Lady Qin pulled his hand and spoke with displeasure: “The sky outside is dark, why is the la her words, the servant girls i out fresh tea The youth carelessly gave a fabricated tale: “I was so absorbed in , I did not even keep track of the time Why did mother come over here?”
Lady Qin said: “I went to the front yard to see your third uncle and discuss soh here so I took the opportunity to co another trip tonight”
The boy's eyes flickered2: “Did those lared at hi properly during the day, all you do is inquire around about these trivialities”
“The news has gone around the entire capital by now, do I even need to deliberately inquire?” The teenager sneered, “Isn't it just 'legs broken, cannot stay on the frontier any longer, can only return to the capital in retire this, Lady Qin pursed her lips She pressed his hand heavily, but did not rebuke hi servants: ”All of you withdraw I shall speak to YEr3 alone for a while”
The crowd of servants retreated out of the roouarded the hallway outside, while the rest went to the courtyard to play Serving the young immicks, some of theood together Two girls ere particularly close friends huddled together, whispering on the topic of what they had just heard in the young rily said: “No wonder Eldest noble son4 wants to live away from here If he was home here, wouldn't he be incessantly tormented by 'that person'?”
Another servant smiled: “Thatthe period he was ho master looked at him the way mice look at a cat The appearance of a talented beauty5, but with the temperament and disposition of storm and thunder—that's what's called a truee, yet he has beco rateful, far inferior to his own elder brother, and only listens to the proirl cahtly patted the back of her hand: “Don't you know? Since they were born from different mothers, how could the eldest noble son count as his ”own big brother'? Only Second young lady, the current Prince of Qi's Consort, can truly call hi master and that crown prince's primary consort7, in the eldest noble son's heart they are likely a thousandFu Tingzhong's original wife had died early, leaving behind one son Fu Shen and one daughter Fu Ling When Fu Ling was seventeen years old, she married the third izhong's second wife Lady Qin gave birth to two daughters and a son Her elder daughter Fu Ting had entered the palace and was chosen as a prier son Fu Ya and younger daughter Fu Xi were still young, and were therefore kept at houidance
When Lady Qin married into the family, Fu Shen was already an adult who could think for his own, and was therefore not close to her at all After Fu Ya was born, the two became even more alienated Due to the limitations of their identities, conflict between the stepmother and the eldest son of the first as inevitable After all, with Fu Shen as the eldest son leading the way, Fu Ya could never get anywhere near the future succession to a noble title
But before Lady Qin could take any s was assassinated in northern Xinjiang At that time, the Yuantai Eiven outstanding service, giving preferential treat anyone's official rank, and even broke the rules to grant Fu Tingxin the title of Duke of Ying Later when Fu Tingxin passed away and the war at the border grew urgent, Fu Shen rushed to the battlefield before the xin's death had passed When the title of Duke had remained consistently vacant, the officials of the Board of Rites followed the secret suggestions of the Yuantai Eyi succession to nobility When Fu Shen distinguished hireat contributions and returned to the i instead
Borrowing this excuse, Lady Qin used the reasoning of ”one family, two noble titles” and ”a tall tree attracts the wind9” to bring up her idea to have Fu Shen live elsewhere in a separate residence
Fu Shen knehat calculations were going through her head—nothingto squeeze hiht, the new Duke of Ying Fu Tingyi thought further into the future What the Fu family truly relied on was not the title of Duke, but the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry But three generations of the Fu family had all held close relationshi+ps with the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry——if this continued, the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry would sooner or later change its name to the Fu family's personal army What would the world think of this, and ould 'that one' on the Dragon Throne think of this?
Therefore, the better option would be to retreat one step back today in order to advance two stepsforward in the future In the future, Fu Shen would undoubtedly grasp the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry fir official residence, also known as the Fu faer be so closely tied to the Northern Yan Ar the trade-offs, the subsequent situation looked like this: the co Ning Fu Shen opened another residence to live alone, al the Duke official residence; The third lord of the Fu fayi, inherited the Duke title to act as an idle noble10; Lady Qin took her children to live in the Duke official residence, waiting for Fu Ya to coe so as to request he be sealed as Heir11
Neither s towards Fu Shen For Lady Qin, her guilty conscience pained her with every outstanding glory he earned, out of fear that he would bite her back in the future As for Fu Ya, he probably felt that because Fu Shen had not knelt before him and offered him the Heir title with his own hands, Fu Shen must naturally owe him
In the an to chide Fu Ya: ”This mouth of yours… At home you can talk like this, fine, but you ossip like this outside”
“Motherrrrr——” Fu Ya chucked a fruit into his ed his voice out, full of dissatisfaction: “He has long since already separated from the Fu family, why should I be afraid of him?”
“What do you know? Are those words you should be saying in public?” Mada, “Thein another residence——how is he not a member of the Fu family? He is your elder brother after all, who has achieved a high station at a young age Although it is said that he has curbed his temper these past few years, he has always been a merciless devil You should beany offenses that may fall into his hands”
Fu Ya snorted carelessly
Lady Qin: “After a few years, the fa Your third uncle is biased towards Fu Shen, and is eagerly awaiting for you to make any mistake This is a crucial ti move, do you understand?”
She lowered her voice: “My son, endure for a while longer The ti title and family business shall all be yours Even Fu Shen… will only be able to stand on the side and watch”
Lady Qin's voice was so low as to be a mere whisper Fu Ya's heart trembled, and he looked up: ”Mother…”
“Mother has a way,” Lady Qin held his hand tightly “Rest assured”
In the East Palace
The crown princess consort13 Lady Cen faced a bronzeher hair leaned down and whispered in her ear: “I residence sent a family member to pay respects to Pri while in the palace hall”
The hands of the crown princess consort paused After aand smiled: “Shehas returned to the capital——Lady Qin's heart must be rather uncohness”
This inally sent as part of her dowry Hearing these words, she still did not understand: ”But isn't the Marquis of Jing Ning…”
“He is crippled, but not yet dead,” Lady Cen said, “The Marquis of Jing Ning retains an extre the commonfolk and the officials of the iht of Northern Xinjiang Even if he later returns this power to His Majesty, the Northern Yan Army is filled with those who had been under his personal close command, and ill still answer en masse to his call15 To put it somewhat disrespectfully, not just Lady Qin, but even our own Highness must make way for him
The crown princess consort Lady Cen's father was Cen Hongfang, the provincial governor of Jingchu16, who had historicallyofficial residence In her childhood, Lady Cen had been influenced by what she heard and saw under his knees, and her insight for hidden connections was not inferior to anyback then, Cen Hongfang arded hi tehtand valiant, the heartthrob of countless young unmarried ladies in their boudoirs