Author: Vanilla Muse

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! ｡ﾟ.(*♡´◡` 人´◡` ♡*)ﾟ °・

I hope you all have a wonderful day with your loved one(s), be that romantic, familial, or platonic. 💖 🍫 🍰 🌹 💕

Thank you so much for all the love and support on my Patreon and Ko-Fi during these trying times:
Papyrus
blue_forget_machine
Katharina
M&M’s
juuree
Mary: I will do my best to be careful with my health. If the caretaker gets sick then there’s no one to care for the patients. Also, I don’t want to get sick either, because that will set me back a lot. o(>_<)o 💦 Thank you again for your lovely comments. I really appreciate your care and concern. 🥰

Please take care of yourselves and stay safe everyone!

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Chapter 113.3 – Lin Family Matters

Steward Su went over to the horse carriage at once. When he saw the young master whom he had not seen for the past few months, his smile suddenly faltered. The handsome youth in front of him… was this really his young master?

Dong Lan and Xia Lan also froze.

The young master seemed to be the same as before, but also felt a bit different. The last time Steward Su saw him, the young master still had a relatively round face with a bit of baby fat to his cheeks. He not only grew in stature, but his appearance was even more mild and elegant. Right now, he was really a graceful youth.

“Young Master… you…” Steward Su’s tongue seemed to have been caught by a cat.

An Zi Ran did not know what they were thinking. He only thought that their attitude was a little strange, it did not seem like they were welcoming him back.

“Did something happen during my absence?”

Hearing this cool voice, it was indeed the young master. Steward Su finally recovered his senses, only to shake his head subconsciously, but then he nodded immediately after that reaction, which was extremely contradictory.

“Is it a yes or a no?” An Zi Ran was confused by him.

“Yes.” Steward Su replied firmly.

An Zi Ran frowned, “Does it have to do with Third Concubine and her daughter?”

Steward Su did not think that the young master’s intuition would be this accurate. He nodded. “It is indeed them. I was just planning to write to you, Young Master, to tell you about it when I received the news that you and gu ye were coming over.”

“Go in and then talk.”

“Yes.”

Although the new An family house was smaller than the old one, the layout inside was not much different from that of the old one. After moving in, Steward Su decided to arrange a new study room for An Zi Ran, and it was practically in the same location of the house as before. Even the things inside were arranged in much the same manner.

Nothing felt unfamiliar to An Zi Ran, but he also did not have the inclination to praise Steward Su’s meticulousness. After dismissing Dong Lan and Xiao Lan, only the three of them were left in the study room.

“Speak. Exactly what happened?”

As soon as Steward Su closed the door, An Zi Ran cut straight to the topic.

Steward Su considered the language a bit and then said, “Young Master, the matter is like this, ever since the second young miss married into the Lin family, there has not been a single peaceful day…”

The reason by Zheng Bi agreed to have her daughter marry into the Lin family was because of the family property. She realized that letting her daughter marry some influential official could garner a higher status and position, but at best she would merely be a concubine. The identity of a concubine was very awkward and embarrassing, this she understood deeply.

That day, when she saw the betrothal gifts from the Lin family, Zheng Bi had these thoughts. Which one was better, money or power? The average person would definitely think that power was better. In fact, she also thought so, but the premise was having the status of main wife. If it was being a concubine for life, then money was the better option.

So Zheng Bi thought of a plan.

She persuaded An Ke Xin to marry Lin Xin, and then conspired with her daughter to prepare to take the Lin family property.

As the saying went, mothers relied on their children for wealth.

The two women’s plan was to first have An Ke Xin give birth to a son for the Lin family, this way her position in the Lin family would raise a lot, and she would even have absolute say in the family. So after An Ke Xin married into the Lin family, Zheng Bi went around looking for some folk remedies that would help a woman conceive rapidly. But their plan could not trump change.

They never imagined that Lin Xin turned out to be a person with different appearances. Within half a month after the two got married, he showed his true face.

Lin Xin was an ambitious person. The reason he took An Ke Xin as a wife was not because he had fallen in love at first sight. He conspired to obtain the An family lands. Just as Zheng Bi had said, when An Chang Fu was still alive, he had said that he would include some real estate as a part of An Ke Xin’s dowry. But no one knew how Lin Xin had gotten a hold of this information.

It was a pity for him that the one he met was An Zi Ran. On the dowry list that An Zi Ran provided for An Ke Xin, there was no real estate listed, not even one acre.

The Lin family was greatly disappointed. But because of the An family, they did not dare to mistreat An Ke Xin.

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Happy 2021! May this year bring positive changes to all!

I really wanted to get this up on January 1st so that I could wish everyone a proper Happy New Years, but I haven’t had a day off since New Years Eve, so I simply didn’t have the time or energy to translate. Today is finally my day off, so I’m getting this update out to you now. My workplace is severely overworked and understaffed at the moment. One third of the people in my department are out sick. So please excuse the sparse updates as of late.

I’m also updating Let Me Shoulder this Blame! today, so readers of that story can go check it out.

Stay safe everyone, and happy reading!

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Chapter 113.2 – Lin Family Matters

Mei Yu Palace (Beautiful Jade Palace)

When she heard the news, Mei zhao yi’s stunningly beautiful face twisted in a split second. Right in front of the eunuch and the servant girl who were trembling with fear and trepidation, Mei zhao yi angrily swept the tea set on the table to the floor. The tea set broke into many fragments upon the floor.

“The emperor really conferred the title of Yan fei upon that cheap slut*?”

[*T/N: 贱人 jian ren – slut, cheap person, or b*tch]

Mei zhao yi tried hard to make her face look less fierce, but still failed. The formerly gorgeous face was flickering with malicious color. She looked just like a female ghost that had crawled out of the underworld.

The maidservant, Ning Liu, nodded hesitantly, “It’s true. The emperor has already passed the decree this morning and bestowed Zhao Zi Palace (Bright Purple Palace) to Yan fei niang niang*.”

[*T/N: 娘娘 niang niang – a respectful suffix for the empress or imperial concubines.]

Mei zhao yi’s face became more and more distorted. The emperor not only made that cheap slut Yan fei, but also gave her Zhao Zi Palace. This showed how much he valued that slut.

Obviously the title Yan fei and Zhao Zi Palace should be hers!

Mei zhao yi had always thought that both would be in her pocket, but this decree shattered her ambitions.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

It was not only her was shocked. Those most respected noble ladies were also alarmed. If it were just the title Yan fei then that would be fine, but Zhao Zi Palace had a great meaning in the harem, and the specific meaning could be seen just from the name of the palace.

Zhao Zi was a homonym for zhao zi*.

[*T/N: 招 zhao – to beckon; 子 zi – son, child]

This decree of the emperor’s clearly showed his extreme favoritism for this Yan fei niang niang. He liked her to the point that he wished for her to give the imperial family a son, an heir. This was an unprecedented favor. What virtues and capabilities did this Yan fei have to actually make the emperor favor her this much?

The whole harem was turbulent because of this decree.

Chong Ming Emperor was unlikely to have any peace in the upcoming period of time because of this, and would not have the time to pay attention to Fu Wu Tian’s whereabouts.

Imperial Cheng Palace

The news that Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran left Jun Zi City soon reached Fu Yuan Cheng’s ears. His first impression of An Zi Ran was good, although An Zi Ran was very estranged that day.

“Where are you going?”

The person who told him the news was Zhao Yi. He came to the main door of the Imperial Cheng Palace early in the morning. These two grew up together. After Fu Yuan Cheng’s palace was built, Zhao Yi would come over every so often. His visits were more diligent than anyone else’s.

Support the translator. Read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Zhao Yi replied, “I heard that they’re going back to An Yuan County. An Yuan County is the hometown of Fu wang fei, and the An family business is there.”

Fu Yuan Cheng had also heard of this. Although he did not attend Fu Wu Tian’s wedding reception, he still paid attention to Fu Wu Tian for a period of time because of the military power that he held. He also knew a little about the An family. He, like other people, thought that An Zi Ran was as fat and ugly as rumors said.

Fu Yuan Cheng had sent someone to inquire about An Zi Ran, but at that time, the person that he had sent went directly to An Yuan County to poke around. At that time, An Zi Ran had lost weight, but he was definitely not as slender and handsome as now. This was the real reason for his interest in An Zi Ran.

However, unlike the emperor, he always felt that things could not be so simple. His impression of An Zi Ran was not only that of a fat and ugly person, but also those things he did in An Yuan County, which also impressed him.

Zhao Yi seemed to know what he was thinking, so he stepped forward and whispered something in his ear.

Fu Yuan Cheng smiled suddenly, “Are you sure?”

Zhao Yi nodded. “I also found out that that person is already relying on the first prince’s help.”

“A pity. What a pity!” Fu Yuan Cheng suddenly shook his head and sighed. His tone and voice seemed to have a touch of regret.

Zhao Yi knew what Fu Yuan Cheng felt was a pity. He also felt that it was a waste of opportunity.

……

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

After a day and a half, An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian finally reached An Yuan County. In order to get to Ali Xiang, they must pass through An Yuan County, but in order to pull the wool over other people’s eyes, they decided to stay in An Yuan County for two days.

The horse carriage stopped in front of the An family’s new house. Steward Su, who had received the news of their return, took Dong Lan and Xia Lan, who were left here by An Zi Ran, to wait by the main door of the new house early in the morning.

Fu Wu Tian lifted the curtain of the horse carriage. He held the two hands that stretched out from the interior of the carriage, and helped the person get off the carriage.

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Chapter 113.1 – Lin Family Matters

The 27^th year of Chong Ming Emperor’s reign, November 15^th, clear skies.

An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian finally set off for Ali Xiang. They left quietly. There were people keeping tabs on them in secret, but they would only think that Fu Wu Tian was accompanying An Zi Ran back home to An Yuan County.

After all, An Zi Ran had a family business in An Yuan County. Last time he went back, they stayed in An Yuan County for a long time. Even if they stayed pass the new year in An Yuan County, no one would find that suspicious, furthermore, they needed to pass through An Yuan County to get to Ali Xiang.

This time when they passed by the tea shed again, they no longer saw a large number of stick-thin farmers migrating to Maple City.

Along the way, they would occasionally hear people talking about Fu Wu Tian.

The contents of their dialogue focused around the biggest corruption case in Hong Province’s history and the disaster in Chang Province. Most of them were praising Fu Wu Tian.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

To the common people, they worshipped whoever could allow them to have food to eat and clothes to wear. So after the two incidences in Hong Province and Chang Province, Fu Wu Tian’s reputation in these two places surpassed the emperor.

This incident spread to the ears of the Chong Ming Emperor.

The emperor was very angry, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Chong Ming Emperor had thought of sending officials to take the credit for Fu Wu Tian’s work, but Fu Wu Tian did a terrific job. Starting from the corruption case in Hong Province, he acted with great fanfare. At that time, many people had focused their attention on him, including those from several neighboring provinces.

Then later, Fu Wu Tian used all the money that he confiscated from the corrupt officials to mitigate the disaster in Chang Province, which helped him gain a very good reputation.

At that time, the Chong Ming Emperor already knew that it was impossible to send someone else to intervene in this matter. Fortunately for the emperor, he found an excuse to take back Fu Wu Tian’s military power. At long last, resolving one of the worries in his mind.

Hearing these rumors again, he did not get angry like before when he heard Fu Wu Tian’s name. He thought that Fu Wu Tian had no military power, so even if the people supported him, he could not make any big waves, thus he went back to indulging in the beauties within the harem everyday.

In the last talent selection, the harem count increased by dozens more beauties.

Chong Ming Emperor remembered that there was a beauty that was particularly special, always making him unable to stop himself. For one month straight, he showed special favor towards that beauty.

This was unprecedented.

The emperor was very lecherous, and he had never favored any beauty for more than a month, including Mei zhao yi*, who possessed remarkable beauty. She was the one who calmed his temper in the Imperial Study Room. At that time, the emperor gave her special favor for half a month. Just that half a month’s time was enough to make many concubines in the harem incessantly jealous.

[*T/N: 美昭仪 Mei zhao yi – this is her concubine title, not her name. ‘Mei’ means beauty and ‘zhao yi’ is the concubine rank.]

However, it was only half a month. In the end, she only got raised to the main second-level zhao yi*. She couldn’t even advance to one of the si fei*. This led to a lot of other concubines rejoicing in her misfortune.

[*T/N: Her rank is 正二品的昭仪 zheng er pin de zhao yi. According to baidu, 昭仪 zhao yi is a type of concubine placed in the Western Han Dynasty during the Yuan Emperor period. Apparently, at that time, it was second only to the empress. I’m guessing the author is using a mishmash of concubine rankings from different time periods, or perhaps she’s using a ranking system from a time period that I’m unfamiliar with (which is highly likely), because the text then goes on to mention 四妃 si fei (four concubines), which sounds like it’s higher than zhao yi based on context, but clashes with the baidu definition. However, I am aware that in certain dynasties the top three concubine ranks are: 皇后 empress, 皇贵妃 huang gui fei, and then 贵妃 gui fei. In this ranking system, there can only be 1 empress, 1 huang gui fei, and 4 gui fei. The huang gui fei is practically equal to the empress, so most of the time a gui fei would get the title posthumously.]

This was all until that particular beauty appeared.

At first, no one thought that she would be favored for a longer period of time than Mei zhao yi, but as it happened the results were contrary to their expectations.

Countless concubines in the harem nearly grinded their teeth into powder. They were confident that their appearance was not worse than that beauty, but why did the emperor favor her?

No one could figure it out, including some of the most respected noble ladies in the harem.

Then a subsequent decree astounded them all. Chong Ming Emperor went as far as to skip over discussion with Zhang Sun Empress. Without even saying a word to her, the emperor conferred the title of Yan fei upon that beauty, and she became the last fei among the si fei.

Although it was only one level away from Mei zhao yi, it was like a chasm that could not be bridged. In an instance, the identity gap between the two people widened. This kind of difference was not something that could be measured between a main second-level concubine and a side second-level concubine.

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