Category: The Big Landlord

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Chapter 160.2 – Heartless and Unjust

Wei Shun Qing lowered his eyes. There seemed to be a blue light reflected in his eyes. Then he said each word clearly, “It’s very simple, if one day your mother suddenly appears and identifies us, you just need to insist that you are not An Qiao E, and leave the rest to me.”

Consort Yan covered her mouth and looked at him with wide eyes, “You mean you want me to deny my mother?”

There was a hint of ruthlessness in Wei Shun Qing’s eyes, “Yes, this is the only way to protect us. It’s not enough for just Emperor Chong Ming to believe in us. At that time, I will make everyone believe that you are just someone who looks exactly like An Qiao E.”

“Then what about my mother?” Consort Yan asked loudly.

Once they successfully prove that they don’t know Fang Jun Ping, her mother will have no more value to the other side, and then those people will definitely kill her to vent their anger.

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

“I know you can’t let go of your mother, but this is the only way, otherwise we will all be doomed. Only by sacrificing your mother can we save us.” Wei Shun Qing grabbed her shoulders and stared fixedly at her, as if there was a whirlpool in there sucking away her soul.

Consort Yan was dazed.

Wei Shun Qing’s gentle and bewitching voice sounded in her ears.

“Qiao E, don’t you like me? Are you willing to let me die? I know you feel sad, but have you ever thought about it, your mother is willing to tell our secrets to our enemies just to survive. She never once thought about your circumstances. The crime of deceiving the emperor is to be beheaded. If she is heartless, then we will be unjust.”

Clarity gradually returned to Consort Yan’s eyes, and her eyes suddenly revealed a firm light, “You are right, if she doesn’t spill our secrets, then I can still respect her as my mother. But if she really stabs us in the back, then she can’t blame me for denying her relation to me.”

Wei Shun Qing stroked the side of her face and smiled with satisfaction.

He did have some contacts after operating for ten years. It was not impossible to sneak into the third prince’s mansion to find Fang Jun Ping, but he would have to make some sacrifices. He didn’t want to lose any of his subordinated for Fang Jun Ping. She had no value to him and she was a nuisance. To him, it would be better if she were dead.

Ever since An Zi Ran told Fu Yuan Cheng that Consort Yan was probably the eldest daughter of the An family, Fu Yuan Cheng ordered his men to start investigating along this trail.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

An Qiao E and her mother had quite a reputation in An Yuan County. But it was a bad reputation. The story of the two of them stealing precious things and escaping from the An family was spread around, and everyone from the elderly to the young knew about it, so they were able to get a portrait of the two women in a short amount of time.

The eighteen-year-old girl in the portrait indeed looked exactly like Consort Yan.

If there was any difference, it was in the temperament.

The girl in the portrait has a stern face. Although she was beautiful, the first impression she gave people was not pleasant. She even seemed a bit lifeless. Her eyes seemed to be soaked with a kind of resentment, but it’s understandable when you think about her status in the An family.

However, Consort Yan was a charming woman, with flirtatious eyes. It was as if she was tempting men all the time. She was completely different from the person in the portrait.

Although they looked similar, if most people saw the two women, their first impression would be that they were two different people, and that they just happened to look alike.

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That was what most people would think, but Fu Yuan Cheng’s intuition told him that they must be the same person.

Afterwards, he continued to investigate along this trail, and his men found Feng City. At first, they thought that they could find traces of their life there, but the result was beyond their expectation. There was not a single person in Feng City who knew the mother and daughter pair.

If they had not been certain that Fang Jun Ping and her daughter had indeed gone to Feng City, then they might have really thought that the two of them had never been to Feng City. There was only one answer to this result, and that was that someone deliberately erased the traces of the two of them living there.

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Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Chapter 187
Chapter 186
Chapter 185
Chapter 184
Chapter 183
Chapter 182
Chapter 181
Chapter 180
Chapter 179

The Big Landlord

Chapter 163.2
Chapter 163.1
Chapter 162.3
Chapter 162.2
Chapter 162.1
Chapter 161.3
Chapter 161.2
Chapter 161.1
Chapter 160.3

Male Lead 2 and Male Lead 3 Happy Ending!

Chapter 129
Chapter 128
Chapter 127
Chapter 126
Chapter 125
Chapter 124
Chapter 123
Chapter 122
Chapter 121
Chapter 120

This Alpha’s Pheromones Are Exploding

Chapter 159
Chapter 158
Chapter 157
Chapter 156
Chapter 155
Chapter 154
Chapter 153
Chapter 152
Chapter 151

Didn’t Love You Enough

Chapter 132
Chapter 131
Chapter 130
Chapter 129
Chapter 128
Chapter 127
Chapter 126
Chapter 125

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Chapter 160.1 – Heartless and Unjust

Consort Yan quickly dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs who were serving her and she stood up from the wicker chair. The lazy look that was just on her face a moment ago changed into a soft smile. This smile was different from the formulaic coquettishness used to deal with Emperor Chong Ming. This smile came from the heart.

Consort Yan’s weak body nestled into Wei Shun Qing’s arms.

“Yesterday, didn’t you tell me that you were going to see the emperor? Why did you come here so suddenly?”

Wei Shun Qing put his arms around her waist and rubbed her waist with his hands. A wave of heat suddenly spread throughout the body. Consort Yan’s face turned red and she leaned almost all of her body weight on him.

“Not now, it will take half a month for our child to be stable in the womb.” Consort Yan thought he wanted it. Ever since she got pregnant, they haven’t done the deed again. She also wanted to do it, but she had to endure it for the sake of the child.

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

Wei Shun Qing’s complexion suddenly cooled. “How many times have I told you that you can’t say these words even in private. Don’t you know that there are ears on the other side of the wall?”

Consort Yan’s expression froze. Knowing that he was really angry, she quickly soothed his chest and said softly, “Okay, okay, I won’t dare anymore, don’t be angry.” She was just happy to be able to have a child with the man that she loved.

Wei Shun Qing’s expression softened, “I came here this time to tell you something.”

“What’s the matter?” As long as he wasn’t angry, Consort Yan had no interest in what he wanted to say. In any case, he was the one who made the final decisions.

“It has something to do with your mother.”

Consort Yan was stunned, “What happened with my mother?”

Wei Shun Qing said lightly, “Your mother is missing. A dark shadow took her away last night. Her whereabouts are still unknown.”

Consort Yan’s expression changed and she grabbed his arm forcefully. “How could this happen? Didn’t you send someone to protect her? Why was she still captured?”

Consort Yan was gripping him so tight that the tips of her fingers were white. Wei Shun Qing glanced at the hands holding on to his elbow and frowned without showing it.

“Just as humans make mistakes, so can a horse stumble*. This is normal. Just calm down. For now, your mother will be fine. What you have to worry about is that if your mother can’t bear it and confesses stuff about us, it will be very detrimental to us!”

[*T/N: “just as humans make mistakes, so can a horse stumble” is an idiom meaning “everyone makes mistakes”]

Consort Yan had already calmed down. After hearing his last words, she opened her mouth but could not speak, because she could not guarantee that her mother could keep their secret.

She knew her mother’s character very well. Her mother was not young anymore and she was also a woman. If the torture was severe, she would definitely not be able to withstand it.

“Then what are we going to do now? Do you know who kidnapped my mother?”

Consort Yan still had good feelings for Fang Jun Ping. After a ruffian raped her, it was her mother who did not hesitate to sell her body to seduce an old man to avenge her. Although she knew part of the reason was to survive, she couldn’t just sit back and ignore her mother’s safety.

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Wei Shun Qing shook his head and said, “We don’t know yet. Since the other party can search all the way to the South District and also knows that your mother lives there, his identity must be quite high. Right now, my suspicions are on the three princes. But in the end it may be possible that the one who kidnapped your mother was the third prince.”

“What do we do then?”

Consort Yan was already feeling somewhat frazzled. She had heard of the third prince, who was a cruel and cold-blooded man. If her mother fell into his hands, she didn’t know how she would be treated. She was a little worried that her mother would spill all their secrets.

“The top priority is to prevent your mother from telling on us.” Wei Shun Qing said.

Consort Yan looked at him, “How will we prevent that?”

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Chapter 159.3 – In Love With

Before Fang Jun Ping was taken away, Wei Shun Qing’s men once told him that strangers had been coming in and out of the South District in the past two months. It seemed like those people were looking for something. The most eye-catching one of the bunch was Gong Yun, the deputy commander of the imperial bodyguards, who originally had no interest in the South District. But two months ago, he suddenly led a large group of subordinates and began to strengthen patrols in the South District.

Although it was not good to make assumptions without justification, Wei Shun Qing knew that they must be looking for someone. It couldn’t be such a coincidence, so he became suspicious.

Now that Fang Jun Ping has been taken away, it was very likely that she has fallen into their hands.

Fang Jun Ping was not a reliable person. She was craven and cowardly, and only interested in saving her own neck. If the other party tortured her to extract a confession, there was no guarantee that she would not sell them out. Fortunately, she did not know many secrets. There were a lot of things that Wei Shun Qing was afraid of her leaking, so he did not let her know in the first place.

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Thinking of this, Wei Shun Qing, who originally wanted to go to Emperor Chong Ming, changed his route and went to Zhaozi Palace.

He did not intend to hide this matter from Consort Yan. He was not certain that he could rescue Fang Jun Ping, so the next time they see her, she might give them a fatal blow. In order to prevent Consort Yan from ruining their performance, she needed to be mentally prepared, and therefore he had to tell her about this.

At Zhaozi Palace

Spring was ending, summer was approaching, and the weather was starting to get hotter.

Consort Yan, who was already two and a half months pregnant, was wearing a gauze dress, and her slightly bulging belly was vaguely visible. She was lying lazily on a wicker chair and holding a sour plum in one hand. Plums that were too sour for other people was like a delicacy to her.

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

These plums were all top-quality plums that Emperor Chong Ming had given her and each one was carefully selected. Even the Imperial Noble Consort could only have these plums a few times, but Consort Yan could eat them every day.

For some reasons, Emperor Chong Ming still valued her very much after she became pregnant. Although he took the fetus into consideration and spent the nights with other concubines during her pregnancy, he still came to see her every day. Even if he only stayed for less than two hours, it still made her very proud of herself.

“Consort, the state preceptor is here.”

The palace maid’s voice came from the outer hall.

Consort Yan, who was a little absent-minded at first, suddenly became energetic. One good thing about Emperor’s Chong Ming’s shorter stay in Zhaozi Palace was that she got to spend more time with the state preceptor.

Consort Yan had never tried the taste of love. Although she forced herself to like Emperor Chong Ming, she felt sick every time she faced Emperor Chong Ming’s ugly face full of lust and desire.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Later, when she started a relationship with Wei Shun Qing, she gradually discovered that the state preceptor was actually pretty good-looking. Although his facial features were not handsome, his outline was firm and very masculine. Her heart involuntarily turned towards him, so now the thing she looked forward to the most every day was the state preceptor’s arrival.

Even is she couldn’t do the deed with him because of her pregnancy, it was still satisfying as long as she could look at him.

Consort Yan knew that this kind of relationship was dangerous, because she and Wei Shun Qing were just cooperating. During the time they worked together, she knew to some extent what kind of person he was. The An Qiao E of today was different from the her of before. Influenced by the corrupting influence of the imperial palace, she no longer had the same naive thoughts as before.

Now, her only hope was to be with her beloved. That was enough for her.

As soon as Wei Shun Qing came in, he saw Consort Yan exposing a shy expression. Her thoughts seemed to be wandering. A hint of craftiness flashed through her eyes.

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Chapter 159.2 – In Love With

When the authorities arrived, Fang Jun Ping and her daughter realized that they had been cheated. However, this was not the worst part. The owner of the house demanded compensation from them because they had lived in the house and made a mess of it. As a result, they lost a big chunk of what was remaining of their savings.

This was the consequence of inexperience, which was essentially the same as Zheng Bi and her daughter.

After the two moved out of the house, they had to rent a simple place to live in temporarily because their remaining savings were no longer enough to buy another house or for them to live in a restaurant.

Life was hard after that.

Because they didn’t know how to manage money, they spent their money quickly. Within a month, they were living on one meal a day. Until one day, a local ruffian raped the beautiful An Qiao E. Now that she was no longer a virgin, she could no longer marry a rich and powerful man, and there was no man willing to take her as a wife. The hopeless An Qiao E went mad.

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

In order to survive, the pampered Fang Jun Ping had to demean herself to be together with a wrinkly old man. That was until Wei Shun Qing appeared.

The next time they appeared, An Qiao E had become a favored imperial consort.

Only they themselves know the hardships involved in between.

Fang Jun Ping has never forgotten the dark days they lived before they met Wei Shun Qing, and she felt that An Zi Ran was responsible for all this, so she thought to herself that she must seek revenge on An Zi Ran one day, but she never expected that An Zi Ran’s husband was not an ordinary businessman like they had thought, but a genuine wangye. In an instant, An Zi Ran had transformed from the son of a landlord to a noble wangfei!

Fang Jun Ping’s chest violently heaved for air. She glared hatefully at An Zi Ran.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

“So what if you’re a wangfei, so what if you’re a wangye. No matter what, you can’t be greater than the emperor. My daughter is Imperial Consort Yan, the emperor’s most beloved concubine. As long as she says one word in front of the emperor, your so-called Prince Fu’s Mansion will be destroyed.”

People who don’t know the truth are happy people.

If Emperor Chong Ming could do something to Prince Fu’s Mansion, would there be any need to wait for the mother and daughter pair to take action?

Obviously not!

The Fang Jun Ping who said such things did not know that Wei Shun Qing was actually aware of An Zi Ran’s identity. When he found the mother and daughter pair, he had investigated their background. At that time he already knew that An Zi Ran was married to Fu Wu Tian. Their marriage was such a big fuss, it was impossible for him not to know.

Wei Shun Qing has been a state preceptor for ten years and he has a deep understanding of Prince Fu’s Mansion. The reason he didn’t tell them about this knowledge was because he knew that Prince Fu’s Mansion was not an easy target to bully. He didn’t want any hiccups in his plan, so he didn’t tell them about it.

“Second Concubine, it seems you still don’t understand your current situation.”

An Zi Ran waited for her to finish feeling proud before speaking. He was so calm that Fang Jun Ping’s face became a little distorted. There was a crazy thought in her heart, and she always felt that he was just pretending to be calm.

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“I may be in your hands now, but no one can be certain of the future.” Fang Jun Ping felt confident.

“Then let us wait and see.”

After saying that, the two left the woodshed.

Fang Jun Ping really wanted to go out, but upon learning that this was Prince Fu’s Mansion, she knew that she would not be getting out any time soon. What she was more anxious about now was how to let her daughter know that she was here. Although she was full of confidence, without this precondition, there was nothing she could do.

In the palace, Wei Shun Qing already knew that Fang Jun Ping had been kidnapped. His initial suspicions were on the three princes, because only they would try so hard to find leverage over Wei Shun Qing’s group. Also, according to his knowledge, the princes seem to know that there was a high likelihood of An Qiao E being the eldest lady of the An family.

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Chapter 159.1 – In Love With

“Where is this place?” Fan Jun Ping asked.

An Zi Ran did not answer her immediately. Instead, he looked at Fu Wu Tian beside him, “Wangye, why don’t you tell her.”

Fu Wu Tian, who was named, smiled lightly. He looked at An Zi Ran indulgently and dotingly, and said with a smile in his eyes, “Wangfei, you are so naughty.”

Fang Jun Ping was gobsmacked when she heard how they were addressing each other.

Wangye, wangfei?

Wasn’t this Fu Wu Tian a businessman?

“Second Concubine Fang, the name of the land you are standing on now is Prince Fu’s Mansion. The one and only Prince Fu’s Mansion in Jun Zi City.” Fu Wu Tian obeyed wangfei’s wishes and told her the truth.

Fu Wu Tian’s voice was sonorous and powerful. Each word he spoke was like a hammer striking at Fang Jun Ping’s heart.

She stared at them with wide eyes.

She has been in Jun Zi City for more than half a year. Although she has been living in the South District all this time, how could she not have heard of Prince Fu’s Mansion? When the man who was guarding her allowed her to go out on the streets, she would occasionally hear some people talking about Prince Fu’s Mansion.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

But she never knew that the master of Prince Fu’s Mansion’s, Fu Wu Tian’s, wangfei was An Zi Ran. When people spoke of An Zi Ran, they could not directly call him by name. Usually, they would call him junwangfei or junwang’s wangfei. And she was unable to inquire more as the person guarding her wouldn’t let her approach strangers, so she never knew that An Zi Ran was the junwangfei.

As for Fu Wu Tian, she and her daughter did not know his true name, and the An family’s servants just called him the son-in-law.

Fang Jun Ping suddenly returned to her senses. She glared at An Zi Ran angrily and shouted loudly, “How can you be the wangfei of Prince Fu’s Mansion?”

“Why can’t I be?” An Zi Ran asked calmly.

Fang Jun Ping’s eyes were red. If she had known that Fu Wu Tian was a wangye, she would have definitely made her daughter seduce him. Even if she couldn’t become the wangfei, being a cefei* was still superior to normal people. Then she and her daughter wouldn’t have to suffer so much.

[*T/N: 侧妃 cefei is one rank below 王妃 wangfei]

After the mother and daughter pair left the An family, life was not as beautiful as they had imagined.

The gap between reality and delusion was huge.

Upon leaving the An family, they made their way to Feng City. They were afraid of bumping into An Zi Ran in Jun Zi City, so they decided to go to Feng City for the time being. However, the two of them were women, they were more delicate and could not endure hardship, so they took breaks often. What should’ve been a one day journey was delayed indefinitely, and it eventually took them two days to reach Feng City.

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The two of them checked into a restaurant* that day, and then went out to look for a house the next day. They felt that having a family status would make them more respectable and thus make An Qiao E more appealing to others. However, because they spent money lavishly, they were targeted by people with evil intentions.

[*T/N: According to Chinese dramas that I watch, some restaurants in ancient China had rooms for rent on the second floor.]

They set a trap by pretending to need money in a hurry and were willing to sell a courtyard at a cheap price. The mother and daughter pair thought that they had found a great deal, so they bought it without much thought. But in actuality, that courtyard belonged to someone else. The owners simply have not moved in yet.

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

In order to buy that house the two spent half of their savings.

As a result, on the third day after they moved in, the real owner of the house came.

After discovering that their house was occupied, the owner of the house and his family wanted to kick them out. Of course, Fang Jun Ping and her daughter refused. They immediately transformed into shrews and started a dispute with the other part. They claimed that they had purchased the house and even brought out the house deed that the swindlers gave them. In actuality, that house deed was actually a forgery

The owner of the house noticed it was a fake and reported it to the local official right away.

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Chapter 158.3 – Goodbye Fang Jun Ping

The servant outside looked at her indifferently and said, “Quiet. If you keep making noise, you’ll regret it.”

Those words frightened Fang Jun Ping.

Seeing that she finally calmed down, the servant stopped paying attention to her. If it weren’t for the fact that the prince’s mansion didn’t have a dungeon area, they wouldn’t have locked her in the woodshed, because the woodshed in Prince Fu’s Mansion was also a very clean place. It was too good for her.

Fang Jun Ping was afraid that they would kill her, so she felt a little safer by squatting in a corner.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Not long after, there was the sound of rattling chains coming from outside. The door to the woodshed opened again. This time, it was opened all the way and two people walked in.

The two people had their backs to the light and the dazzling light made it hard for her to see their faces clearly. Only when they came in front of her did she see their faces, and Fang Jun Ping’s face instantly turned pale.

“An… An Zi Ran?”

“Long time no see, Second Concubine.”

An Zi Ran looked at her calmly, but there was a hint of indifference in his eyes that frightened Fang Jun Ping. It had been almost a year since they fled the An family with the stolen money.

Fang Jun Ping obviously also remembered what she and her daughter did when they left the An family house, and her face turned a little pale.

An Zi Ran said, “It seems that Second Concubine has also recalled what happened. Then I don’t need to remind you.”

Fang Jun Ping knew that he was talking about the money they had stolen. Her lips immediately trembled, and she argued, “That’s what Qiao E deserves. Since you refused to give it, we could only take it back ourselves. Don’t think that I don’t know, when the lord* was still alive he left a dowry for Qiao E.”

[*T/N: She calls her dead husband 老爷 lao ye, which is a respectful way to say “lord” or “master.”]

“You want to get a dowry before getting marry? Do you think that’s possible?” An Zi Ran said sarcastically.

“Who said Qiao E hasn’t gotten married yet? She has already…” Fang Jun Ping suddenly realized that she had said something that she shouldn’t have said, and she quickly covered her mouth.

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An Zi Ran’s lips curled up, “You mean, An Qiao E is already married?”

Fan Jun Ping’s eyes flickered. Her thoughts were waging war inside her head. She knew that she couldn’t say that her daughter was Imperial Concubine Yan now. They especially could not let An Zi Ran know about that. But if she didn’t, he would definitely hold her and her daughter responsible for stealing those things.

“Qiao E… is indeed married, but she is pregnant now and it it not convenient for her to come see you.”

“It doesn’t matter, it’s the same if I go see her.”

“No!” Fang Jun Ping refused without thinking.

“Why?”

“Because… because…”

An Zi Ran smiled lightly, “If you don’t say it, why don’t I say it for you, it’s because your daughter is the emperor’s favorite concubine, right?”

Fang Jun Ping’s eyes widened in shock, “H- how do you know?”

“You said it yourself.”

Fan Jun Ping then remembered what she had said before. When she first woke up here, she was panicked and was afraid that they would kill her, so she wanted to use her daughter’s identity to suppress her kidnappers. She then regretted it. But thinking of this, she instead felt emboldened.

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

“Since you already know, I won’t hide it from you. Yes, my daughter is indeed the emperor’s favorite concubine, Imperial Concubine Yan. I said she’s pregnant. That’s also true. So you people better let me go, otherwise if my daughter finds out that I disappeared, things will not end well for you.”

Fang Jun Ping was no longer panicked. One could even say that she was extremely proud of herself.

This was the scene that she has fantasized about for many years, and now it has finally come true. Thinking about it, she felt that it was not a bad thing for them to know. She could use her daughter’s identity to suppress them. In any case, An Zi Ran was just a businessman. How big of a wave could a businessman make?

Fan Jun Ping did not consider if An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian were just ordinary businessmen, then how did they track her down?

The corner of An Zi Ran’s lips curved up slightly in rare ridicule.

“Second Concubine, do you know where this place is?”

Fan Jun Ping did not hear the ridicule in his voice. She only thought about it now that he mentioned it. She recalled what she saw through the crack of the door when she just woke up here. Every carved railing and jade stone seemed to carry an imposing quality. Although she only caught a glimpse, she still knew that this place was not an ordinary house. But no matter how grand the house was, surely it could never be grander than the imperial palace.

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Chapter 158.2 – Goodbye Fang Jun Ping

Fang Jun Ping knew what the man was thinking and she couldn’t help but sneered.

“You think that I won’t find out just because you don’t tell me? But you don’t have to worry. I know about this because I accidentally heard some people passing by outside the courtyard talking about this matter, it wasn’t your people that revealed it to me.”

There was only a wall between where she was standing and the alley, and the two people talking happened to have loud voices.

Consort Yan’s pregnancy caused quite a stir int he palace, and the South District was the center of rumors. It was not an accident that this matter would spread.

The gloomy look on the man’s face did not disappear because of her words.

Although he was still very skeptical, it was true that Fan Jun Ping did not have the ability to sneak out under his watch. Maybe it was just an accident as she said.

“Regardless, before Consort Yan gives brith to a child, you can’t go outside without careful consideration. This is for your daughter’s benefit. There are many people in the palace who want to target your daughter. If these people find out about your existence, your daughter will be put in a dangerous position.”

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

Fan Jun Ping hesitated. She didn’t really understand all this, but what the man said seemed to make sense. In the end, she had to compromise. From the day they fled An Yuan Country, her future could only depend on her daughter.

The man watched Fan Jun Ping retreat into the house with a dark look in his eyes. It would be best if this woman would know her place and lay low, if not, he might have to ask the state preceptor for the next part of his plan.

The courtyard was quiet again.

The man cleaned a spot on the steps in front of the door and sat down. This was the only exit from the house. With Fan Jun Ping’s ability, she could only leave the house through the door.

The hardworking sun quickly passed its highest point and then fell towards the west. Dusk came quietly, and the sky slowly darkened. When night fell, the surroundings became silent…

Under the cover of night, a ghostly black shadow quickly flashed into the yard and landed on the ground without a sound. None of the people on guard duty noticed, and not even the man directly supervising Fang Jun Ping noticed. At this moment, the man was leaning against a pillar and taking a nap.

The shadowy figure bent down and picked up a stone from the ground. He flicked the stone out with a sharp move of his fingertips. The stone whistled through the air and smacked against the man’s temple. The pain was so severe that the man fell to the ground before he could resist.

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The shadowy figure walked into the room. His eyes swept across the room and landed on Fang Jun Ping, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. After knocking her out, the shadowy figure wrapped her up in a quilt, hefted her over his shoulder, and left.

No one noticed that Fan Jun Ping was missing.

It wasn’t until dawn did the people on watch duty noticed that the courtyard was quiet. They went in to check and found the man collapsed on the ground. They couldn’t help but gasp.

When the man woke, his complexion was stormy.

“The person who took Fang Jun Ping away is definitely not an ordinary person.”

A person who could knock him out silently must be much better than him at martial arts, otherwise he would have noticed the stone coming towards him.

“Notify the state preceptor immediately.”

“Understood!”

In Prince Fu’s Mansion, Fang Jun Ping slowly woke up. For a moment, she did not know where she was. When she became more awake, she realized that she was not looking at the top of the bed that she usually saw. She instantly became alert. Looking around, she realized that she was in a woodshed. There were a lot of firewood piled neatly around the room.

What on earth was this place?

Why did she wake up in a place like this?

Could it be that the man held a grudge against her because of what happened yesterday, so he knocked her out while she was sleeping in order to cut off the connection between her and her daughter?

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

A conspiracy theory popped into her head, and she could only think of this reason.

The sound of her waking up alerted the people on guard outside. The door creaked open and a head poked its way in. Before Fang Jun Ping could speak, the head withdrew again.

Fan Jun Ping rushed over, wanting to get out, but she discovered that the door was locked from the outside with a chain. Through the gap, she saw a person standing outside, and another figure running off into the distance.

“Who are you and why are you locking me up? Let me go now. I’m telling you, my daughter is the emperor’s favorite concubine…” Fang Jun Ping yelled at the people outside the door, feeling very panicked. The door rattled as she pounded against it.

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Chapter 158.1 – Goodbye* Fang Jun Ping

[*T/N: The word “再见 zàijiàn” used here in the title literally means “see you again later,” but it is often used as a parting phrase, hence it would be translated as “goodbye.” The nuance of the phrase is “goodbye (with the intention of seeing you again later).” If you want to say “goodbye forever,” it would be 永别 yǒngbié.]

The South District was the area where those who have no money gather in Jun Zi City. It could also be called the slums. There were people from all trades here, so it was also the most chaotic place in the capital.

It should be impossible for a place like this to exist in the imperial capital, but because Emperor Chong Ming was not interested in political affairs, this kind of place formed over time. Fortunately, despite the chaotic nature of this place, this area was still under the control of the imperial guards, so as long as the people didn’t stir up too much trouble, the imperial guards would not intervene. Therefore, it made the chaotic South District a good place to hide.

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

And Fang Jun Ping was hiding here.

Some people would think that she might be here, but in truth, it was not easy to find her.

So Wei Shun Qing was relieved to have her confined in the South District.

Early this morning, Fang Jun Ping dressed herself up and prepared to go out.

The man who followed her under Wei Shun Qing’s order in the name of protection, but was actually watching her, immediately stopped her and said, “Fang Jun Ping, have you forgotten what the state preceptor told you? Go out less often to avoid being recognized.”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten, but Jun Zi City is not my hometown. How many people here know me? Isn’t your state preceptor being too careful?”

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Fang Jun Ping only felt that these people were making too much of a fuss about the situation. She knew that An Zi Ran was also in Jun Zi City, but how could he possibly come to the South District with his identity? So she thought that the chance of them encountering him was very low.

The man said expressionlessly, “If you’re careful with the ship, you can sail it for ten thousand years*.”

[*T/N: 小心驶得万年船 – this is a figure of speech which cautions the listener to always think carefully and account for both negative and positive factors in everything that one does]

When he said this, a hint of impatience quickly flashed across his face. From the start, he had been impatient with this woman. He thought her greedy and vain. If it weren’t for the fact that they needed to use her to control her daughter, he would have killed this annoying woman long ago.

“You say this every day, and I’m tired of hearing it even if you’re not tired.”

Fang Jun Ping felt like her ears were going to get calluses from all his nagging. Although she was very satisfied with her current life, it did not mean that she was willing to be restricted in her freedom. Ever since her daughter reached an agreement with the state preceptor to cooperate together, she has been restrained to this small courtyard everyday. There was always someone supervising her and she wasn’t even allowed to go out.

She had never been so constrained when living in the An family residence before. She could occasionally go out to go shopping and buy things or do other activities.

The man was unmoved. He said, “If you don’t cause trouble for me, then I wouldn’t have to say it.”

Fang Jun Ping turned around and went back into the house. After a while, she came out with a gauze hat and said, “If you are worried that someone will recognize me, I can always wear this.”

The gauze cloth hanging down from the edge of the gauze hat completely covered her face. No one would recognize her as long as she didn’t lift the gauze cloth.

The man frowned, and just when Fang Jun Ping thought that he would agree, the man’s expression suddenly became determined again, and he threw out two words without any doubt.

“No good!”

Right now was an important and sensitive time period [for their plans]. If it was a month or two ago, then there was a still a possibility [that she could go out], but right now it was an extremely important period for the state preceptor and Consort Yan. They absolutely could not let anyone get any leverage over them.

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Fang Jun Ping’s expression changed slightly, and she suddenly pulled off her gauze hat and threw it to the ground.

“This won’t work, that won’t work either. What do you want? I see that you clearly don’t want me to go out. Let me tell you, my daughter is currently pregnant with the emperor’s imperial child. Her status is very noble. You should know the consequences for offending me.”

Ever since she learned that the emperor doted on her daughter and even got pregnant, Fang Jun Ping, who used to be dull in the past, gradually became more arrogant in her behavior.

The man’s gaze suddenly became sharp, “How do you know about this?”

He didn’t let anyone tell her about Consort Yan’s pregnancy, and he also told other people not to mention it in front of her. So how did she find out? Did she also know that the child inside Consort Yan’s belly was not Emperor Chong Ming’s child? Could Consort Yan secretly be communicating with her? But that shouldn’t be possible. They didn’t have the means to do such a thing.

Multiple possibilities immediately flashed through the man’s mind, but he still couldn’t figure out which one was more likely.

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Chapter 157.2 – Murderer

When Qi Qiao heard the news that the eldest young master was found frozen int he sound, she had a vague guess. She told Wang Qing Lan about her conjecture, but Wang Qing Lan told her not to tell anyone. If they made use of this piece of information properly, it would become a favorable leverage in their hands in the future.

Right now, that information really came in handy. Wang Qing Lan has never been so lucky.

“So it turned out to be her.”

It’s not that An Zi Ran did not suspect them of making this up, but he had investigated the issue and knew that Qi Qiao did in fact pass by the original An Zi Ran’s courtyard. Another maid had seen her, so he knew about this very early on. But because she did not linger, he concluded that there was no time for her to commit a crime, so she was not a suspect.

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Seeing that he was thoughtful, Wang Qing Lan asked hesitantly: “I’ve told you everything, when are you going to fulfill your promise?” All she cared about was her life right now.

An Zi Ran glanced at her and said, “I will arrange for you to leave tomorrow.” Then he left, leaving Wang Qing Lan with a happy expression.

The scandal about her was widely known in the capital, but as long as she went to An Yuan County, there would be very few people who knew about it. She could still live a leisurely life with the money she had saved up over the years.

At this time, Wang Qing Lan did not know that when she went to An Yuan County, her days would definitely be extremely uncomfortable. Country folk were not like city folk. They were extremely strict about things like a widow carrying on a clandestine love affair.

When An Zi Ran returned to Prince Fu’s Mansion, Fu Wu Tian was already waiting for him.

An Zi Ran told him what he had learned from Qi Qiao. He had told Fu Wu Tian a long time ago that he was found in the snow and almost died in the first month of the previous year, but he did not say that the original An Zi Ran really died.

“Is it definitely her?”

An Zi Ran nodded and said, “I’m 90% sure, but she’s in the palace now, so it’s difficult to settle the score with her.”

The person Qi Qiao was talking about was An Qiao E.

No one thought that this woman who always wore a sour expression on her face would actually kill someone. When he lived with her in the An family manor, he did not discern any weak point in her facade. This mean that her mental strength was not bad. This also explained why her character could have such a big change.

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

There were some people who usually looked inconspicuous, but once given the chance, they could transform from a chicken in to a phoenix. An Qiao E, who possessed excellent mental strength, could achieve this even more easily.

“Don’t worry, wangfei, An Qiao E won’t be able to live for much longer.”

Fu Wu Tian’s voice had a hint of meaning.

An Zi Ran’s eyes narrowed, “Wangye, are you talking about the eldest prince and the second prince?”

He had also heard what was going on in the palace. Since Consort Yan became pregnant, Emperor Chong Ming loved her more deeply than before. He sent nearly all the good things to Zhao Zi Palace. Moreover, he assigned fifty palace maids and fifty eunuchs to her palace, and there were five imperial physicians on call at all times.

This kind of situation never happened when Zhang Sun Tian Feng was pregnant with his legitimate son. At that time, Emperor Chong Ming still doted on the beautiful Zhang Sun Tian Feng. And because she was the empress, he was very fond of her and meticulous with her care, but no matter how fond of the empress he was, it could not compare to his affections for Consort Yan.

However, the more Emperor Chong Ming loved Consort Yan, the stronger the sense of crisis got for those women in the harem.

The respectable imperial concubines in the harem were all well-known figures who rose above the others and distinguished themselves from three thousand beauties. Each one of them was a woman who could not be underestimated. With their all-pervasive methods, An Qiao E’s life would definitely be very difficult in the next half month.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

An Qiao E has been pregnant for two and half months now. Pregnant women were prone to miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy, so if they wanted to take action, they must take advantage of this opportunity.

“By the way, wangye, how is the search into Fang Jun Ping going?”

Fu Wu Tian smiled, “I was just about to tell you about this. Fang Jun Ping has been found, but she is protected by someone, and there are people nearby who are monitoring her. Those people are probably Wei Shun Qing’s people.”

“It seems that the cooperation between An Qiao E and Wei Shun Qing is not one of complete trust. Fang Jun Ping’s stay in Jun Zi City is actually a leverage that Wei Shun Qing is using to control An Qiao E.” An Zi Ran spoke his thoughts out loud, “Wangye, why don’t we catch Fang Jun Ping?”

“This prince was also considering the same thing.”

Once Fang Jun Ping disappeared, Wei Shun Qing would definitely know about it. This act would inadvertently alert the enemy, but the other party would never guess that Prince Fu’s Mansion was behind it. That’s because An Qiao E still did not know that An Zi Ran was the wangfei of Prince Fu’s Mansion. Moreover, Fu Wu Tian and Wei Shun Qing did not have any prior grudges. Wei Shun Qing would only suspect that it was done by one of the princes or their maternal families.

Prince Fu’s Mansion only needed to watch them fight and reap the benefits.

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Chapter 157.1 – Murderer

Things did not end just because the Pu family have collapsed.

It was only the prologue to the upcoming foul wind and bloody rain.

During this time, at Prince Fu’s Mansion…

Recently, An Zi Ran has been idling away in the mansion. The results from the two restaurants has been very good, so he intended to open a restaurant in the South District and the North Districts. Just the day before, he had Ge Qian An and Zhong Yue research the best district for opening a restaurant.

His opinion of Zhong Yue was actually not bad.

There was no rule stipulating that she could not like Fu Wu Tian, to say nothing of the fact that he was the man who had saved her life. For a woman that sincerely liked a man, it must be difficult for her to learn that he has gotten married. Most people would find it difficult to congratulate their crush. Zhong Yue’s performance was actually pretty good in that regard.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

That being said, An Zi Ran didn’t want to always have a woman who liked his man by his side.

Therefore, ever since he found out that Ge Qian An had feelings for Zhong Yue, he would bring the two of them together whenever he had the chance. It would be best if romantic sparks could develop between the two of them.

“Wangfei, there is a maid named Qi Qiao outside who wants to see you.”

Steward Zhou came in from outside.

An Zi Ran raised his head, “Qi Qiao? Did she say why she’s looking for me?”

Steward Zhou replied, “She said that Concubine Wang has something very important to tell you, so she must see you.”

“You, come along with me.”

An Zi Ran didn’t hesitate for too long. In fact, he also had something to ask Wang Qing Lan.

Wang Qing Lan was not waiting for him in the main hall. Since she has been found guilty, An Zi Ran would not give her a chance to escape. So during this period, people were sent to guard her and she was strictly prohibited from leaving her courtyard. Fortunately, Qi Qiao did not have the same restrictions. That’s why she was able to send Qi Qiao to Prince Fu’s Mansion to help her deliver a message to An Zi Ran.

“I heard that you have something important to tell me. What is it?”

Walking into the courtyard, An Zi Ran came to Wang Qing Lan who was standing at the door of her room with a worried look on her face.

Wang Qing Lan glanced at Steward Zhou who was following behind An Zi Ran, took a deep breath, and said, “It’s a very important matter. I believe you won’t want others to hear it. You don’t have to worry that I will lie to you. I don’t have the guts.”

An Zi Ran also felt that she would not dare to play any tricks, so he had Steward Zhou and the other servants stay outside. When they entered the room, Qi Qiao also followed them inside.

An Zi Ran turned around and glanced at her.

Wang Qing Lan explained: “Qi Qiao is also related to what I want to say.”

An Zi Ran refused to comment.

The door was not closed, but as long as they kept their voices down, the servants guarding outside the courtyard would not hear them.

“Tell me what it is.”

An Zi Ran turned to look at Wang Qing Lan who looked hesitant.

Wang Qing Lan hesitated and said: “What I want to say is related to what happened when you fell in the snow last year, but before that, I hope you can guarantee my life.”

Emperor Chong Ming’s imperial edict had been issued and the Pu family was severely punished, but he had to do a full show, so he reprimanded the two of them for committing adultery in the imperial edict, saying that they had lost their morals and needed to be severely punished.

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Wang Qing Lan learned about this from Qi Qiao. She was worried that An Zi Ran would change his mind and not send her back to An Yuan County. Because there had been no sign of activity for several days, she felt very uneasy, so she wanted to propose this condition to protect her life.

An Zi Ran had already had a premonition, so he was not surprised when he heard her words now.

In fact, he had already guessed that the murderer might not be her, but he didn’t expect that Wang Qing Lan would know about it, and might even know who the real murderer was.

“As long as you stay within the bounds of your role, I can guarantee your life.”

Emperor Chong Ming only paid attention to this matter to deal with the Pu family. Wang Qing Lan was just a nobody. After that imperial edict, he had obviously forgotten her already.

Wang Qing Lan breathed a sigh of relief.

“So now you can say it.”

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

Wang Qing Lan said: “Let Qi Qiao tell you about this matter, because she was the one who saw it.”

An Zi Ran immediately looked at Qi Qiao.

After receiving the go ahead, Qi Qiao immediately told him what she had seen last year.

In the previous year, during the first month of the lunar year, on the day when news of the master and madam’s deaths reached the An family mansion, the eldest son of the An family was found lying in the snow. At that time, his body was already frozen stiff. In fact, this was a deliberate murder. Someone took advantage of the timing and opportunity, ran into the original An Zi Ran’s yard, and used some means to bait him out.

Qi Qiao did not know the specifics, but she saw a person leaving An Zi Ran’s courtyard with her own eyes. At that time, her expression was a little panicked and her behavior was suspicious, so it attracted Qi Qiao’s attention, but at that time, Qi Qiao was preoccupied with the news of the master’s death, so she didn’t go over to look, and thus she missed it.

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