Category: The Big Landlord

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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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Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Chapter 186
Chapter 185
Chapter 184
Chapter 183
Chapter 182
Chapter 181
Chapter 180
Chapter 179
Chapter 178

The Big Landlord

Chapter 161.3
Chapter 161.2
Chapter 161.1
Chapter 160.3
Chapter 160.2
Chapter 160.1
Chapter 159.3
Chapter 159.2
Chapter 159.1
Chapter 158.3

Male Lead 2 and Male Lead 3 Happy Ending!

Chapter 127
Chapter 126
Chapter 125
Chapter 124
Chapter 123
Chapter 122
Chapter 121
Chapter 120
Chapter 119
Chapter 118

This Alpha’s Pheromones Are Exploding

Chapter 157
Chapter 156
Chapter 155
Chapter 154
Chapter 153
Chapter 152
Chapter 151
Chapter 150
Chapter 149

Didn’t Love You Enough

Chapter 130
Chapter 129
Chapter 128
Chapter 127
Chapter 126
Chapter 125
Chapter 124
Chapter 123

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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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Chapter 156.3 – Changeable Situation

“Up next, there will be a messy change in power in the capital,” Fu Wu Tian, who personally directed this event, sat back and watched the show from his mansion.

An Zi Ran heard him say this as soon as he came in, and he asked, “When did you plant people in Prince Wu’s Mansion? Did you plant people in other mansions too?”

Fu Wu Tian pulled him onto his lap.

An Zi Ran struggled for a while before he successfully sat on the chair next to him.

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

“Although I have been at the border for a long time, I also know that Emperor Chong Ming regards me as a thorn in his side. If I don’t make preparations as soon as possible, it will be too late when I come back.”

This made sense. Moreover, Fu Wu Tian was not in Jun Zi City at the time, so no one would suspect him.

An Zi Ran couldn’t help being surprised. In fact, he didn’t think the matter would become such a big thing. He just wanted to teach Fu Yuan Wu a lesson. He was a very narrow-minded person. Fu Yuan Wu made him unhappy before, so when he got a chance to get back at the other person, of course he would make good use of it.

It’s just that Fu Yuan Wu was so impulsive and arrogant that he personally pushed away the Pu family. Not many families would be willing to rely on him in the future now that they’ve seen what he had done. He had the best chance of inheriting the throne, but he was no longer in the dominant position.

Pu Song Yong was not a very smart person, but his father Pu Zhen Cheng was.

After the collapse of the Pu family, he had been bedridden, but that didn’t mean he was blind to what was going on outside the window. He also knew how ruthless and unrighteous Fu Yuan Wu was, so it was impossible not to be angry.

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Pu Zhen Cheng did not tell Pu Song Yong to immediately go and gather Fu Yuan Wu’s secrets. Instead, he too him to go seek out Fu Yuan Cheng and asked him to protect them in exchange for Fu Yuan Wu’s secrets, because with Fu Yuan Wu’s ruthlessness, he would definitely send people to kill them to silence them.

Fu Yuan Cheng readily agreed.

He had been waiting for this pair of father and son to come to him for a long time now, and he knew that they would definitely seek him out.

He was undoubtedly a better choice than Fu Yuan Yang, who has an irritable personality, was unstable and might go back on his word at any time.

Zhang Sun Cheng De soon learned the news that the two had taken refuge with Fu Yuan Cheng. When Fu Yuan Wu visited him, he immediately summoned him to the study. Facing this impulsive grandson, the prime minister felt that his actions were getting more and more ridiculous. He knew that this was because the second prince and third prince brought him a lot of pressure, but he was still getting more and more disappointed in him.

“Do you know where you went wrong?”

Fu Yuan Wu said arrogantly: “Grandfather wants to say that I shouldn’t push back when the Pu family is in decline, right? Then you can rest assured that the Pu family is of no use anymore. Even if they turn to Fu Yuancheng, so what? They’re just two people who think they’ve got information that they can use against me, but I’ve never told them my real secrets.”

Confidence was a good thing, but Zhang Sun Cheng De did not feel any relief.

The Pu family was in decline, but the two forebears of the Pu family were not dead yet. They were both long-lived people. It’s just that they’ve retired to live in seclusion. So as long as Pu Zhen Cheng’s princess mother was still alive, the Pu family could still make a comeback.

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But Fu Yuan Wu did not know what Zhang Sun Cheng De was thinking. He only felt that his grandfather was unreasonable. It was just a down and out Pu family. What could those few people do to him? He was the legitimate son of an imperial family, the son of the Empress of Da Ya, and the grandson of the leader of hundreds of officials. So what if he didn’t have one measly Pu family on his side? As long as he married a few more daughters of powerful officials in court, he could easily make up for the loss, right?

The overconfident Fu Yuan Wu did not foresee the future at all.

By chance, Pu Song Yong had learned about one of Fu Yuan Wu’s big secrets a year ago. At that time, his daughter was already married to Fu Yuan Wu, so there was no way he could blurt out the secret. Thus, after discussing it with his father, he decided to keep the secret buried deep in his heart, and except for his father, he did not tell his wife or daughter about the secret.

Now they no longer have any misgivings, and this secret was the greatest thing they could rely on.

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Chapter 156.2 – Changeable Situation

The Pu family was not like the Zhang Sun family, who has blood relations with Fu Yuan Wu, but they did marry their daughter to Fu Yuan Wu and she even got pregnant. They had been supporting him all these years. Even if they did not achieve any meritorious service, they still put in a lot of hard work, but in the end, Fu Yuan Wu just dropped them whenever he wanted!

“You must save the Pu family. If you hadn’t asked me to approach Wang Qing Lan to investigate Prince Fu’s Mansion, how could I have ended up in this situation? The Pu family’s current fate definitely has something to do with you!”

Pu Song Yong slapped his hands heavily on the table and looked at Fu Yuan Wu aggressively.

Fu Yuan Wu’s eyes darkened, “Father-in-law, if you suffer from amnesia, I can help you restore your memory. You cheating on Mother-in-law is not what I asked you to do. I asked you to approach Wang Qing Lan half a month ago, and you started an affair with Wang Qing Lan two months ago.”

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

Pu Song Yong’s face flipped between blue and white as Fu Yuan Wu spoke. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down before speaking again: “Even so, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gone to the An Mansion at all. If I didn’t go to the An Mansion, the affair would not have been found out, and news of it would not have spread. Furthermore, the emperor wanted to deal with the Pu family because of the relationship between the Pu family and you, but you refused to save the Pu family. If you treat the Pu family like this, aren’t you afraid that the other families that are attached to you will be bitterly disappointed in you?”

Fu Yuanwu’s face turned completely cold, “Pu Song Yong, you are not qualified to judge me now. If you are here just to say this, then this prince has already lost his patience. Steward, see the guest out!”

The steward who was guarding the door immediately walked in.

“Pu-daren, this way please.”

Pu Song Yong was so angry that he trembled, “You’re not afraid that I will tell everyone about you?”

Fu Yuan Wu sneered and said: “Father-in-law, if you want to say something, I won’t stop you, but you have to think about your daughter. She is my wangfei. If my life’s not good, then her life won’t be good either. By the way, I have some happy news to tell you, Father-in-law. Yesterday, the doctor confirmed that wangfei is pregnant.”

Pu Song Yong’s face suddenly twisted. Fu Yuan Wu was actually using his daughter to threaten him?

“Fu Yuan Wu, you definitely won’t have a good ending!”

The steward quickly ordered some servants to drag him out.

Pu Song Yong’s abusive words got quieter and quieter as he was dragged away and calm returned to the area once again. Fu Yuan Wu’s body was hidden in the shadows, and half of his face showed a trace of cruelty. With a ‘kacha‘, the brush in his hand was suddenly split into two sections.

If the Pu family decided not to be tactful, then he wouldn’t hold back either.

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Not long after Pu Song Yong left, the steward suddenly knocked on the door hurriedly, and the first words he said when he came in were: “Wangye, not good, wangfei has had a miscarriage.”

Fu Yuan Wu frowned. Displeased.

“She was fine yesterday, why did she suddenly have a miscarriage?”

Instead of responding right away, the steward hesitated.

“Speak!”

“It was Yang-cefei who pushed wangfei. When wangfei fell to the ground, she accidentally hit her stomach and she bled a lot. I have already sent someone to go get the doctor.”

Fu Yuan Wu’s expression was calm, “Wangfei has had a miscarriage and will definitely need to recuperate for a period of time. She won’t be able to manage the harem’s affairs. You go and pass on my orders, from now on, all trivial matters in the mansion will be up to Yang-cefei to handle. Also, this prince does not want too many people to know about this matter. Make sure all the servants keep their mouths shut.”

“Understood, wangye.”

After hearing this, the steward was a little frightened. Wangye really was a heartless and unrighteous person. The Pu family was already in dire straits. Not only did he not punish Yang-cefei, he even gave Yang-cefei the right to manage the harem. Was he really not afraid of negative repercussions if the Pu family found out?”

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The steward didn’t dare to think about it anymore, he could only sympathize with wangfei in his heart.

But there was no airtight wall in the world.

A lot of servants were present when Yang-cefei pushed wangfei. No matter how many times the servants were warned to not talk about the incident, the news would inevitably spread.

Originally, Pu Song Yong was somewhat afraid of consequences because he had his daughter to think about, but upon learning about what had happened, he went crazy. Fu Yuan Wu was heartless and unrighteous, so he would not have any more misgivings.The Pu family’s relationship with Fu Yuan Wu was not as close as that of the Zhang Sun family, but they have learned a lot of his secrets over the years. He would reveal all of those things to Fu Yuan Wu’s enemies!

A trace of crazy and determined bitter resentment flashed in Pu Song Yong’s eyes. He would drag Fu Yuan Wu into the murky waters even if he had to forfeit his life to do so.

…

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Chapter 156.1 – Changeable Situation

Three days after the incident happened, an official immediately wrote a petition to impeach the Pu family.

The impeachment memorial did not mention adultery at all. Instead, it targeted the Pu family for accepting bribes and forming cliques for personal gain over the years.

It was impossible for any big family, especially a famous family like the Pu family, to be completely clean. Therefore, under the instruction of Emperor Chong Ming, the officials wrote up to five memorials to impeach the Pu family. Emperor Chong Ming was determined to deal with the Pu family. Even Zhang Sun Cheng De did not dare to plea leniency for the Pu family in the imperial court.

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

In the end, Pu Song Yong and his father were dismissed from their government posts. Originally, Pu Zhen Cheng just wanted to return home to recuperate, but in the end, this temporary rest became an eternal vacation.

But the Pu family was still considered lucky.

In situations like this, the family would usually have their house searched and possessions confiscated. But Emperor Chong Ming decided to let the Pu family go for the sake of his imperial aunt. However, the Pu family would not be allowed to serve as officials in the imperial court from now on.

Although he was spared from a complete disaster, this result still made Pu Zhen Cheng’s* head turn gray overnight. They were not allowed to serve as officials in the imperial court. This meant that the Pu family would only gradually decline in the future.

[*T/N: Based on the context of the following paragraph, I think the author meant to say Pu Song Yong (the son) here instead of Pu Zhen Cheng (the father)…]

Despite this, he did not dare to tell his old father – who was living a leisurely life away from the imperial court while he recuperated – about this matter. His father was already very old. If he found out about this matter, who knew what would happen to his health?

On the fifth day, Pu Song Yong went to Prince Wu’s Mansion to discuss the matter with the eldest prince, Fu Yuan Wu. He really didn’t expect that the matter would become so serious.

Now that the Pu family was in decline, his wife’s maternal family decided to cut ties with them. His only son no longer recognized him as a father. The only person he could go to for help was his son-in-law.

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The steward of Prince Wu’s Mansion came out. Pu Song Yong went up to greet him, but the steward said, “Pu-daren, please leave. Wangye said he is really busy and does not have time to see you.”

Pu Song Yong’s entire body immediately turned cold and his eyes widened in disbelief.

As soon as the Pu family fell into decline, his son-in-law actually burned the bridge after crossing the river*.

[*T/N: “to burn the bridge after crossing the river” is a figurative speech meaning “to abandon one’s benefactor upon achieving one’s goal”]

His daughter was still that man’s wangfei!

“No, I must see my son-in-law today. I have very important things to discuss with him.” Pu Song Yong yelled, wanting to rush inside.

The steward had already guessed that this would be the case and immediately ordered two servants to stop him. Pu Song Yong had been living in a position of dignity for many years and had no physical strength at all, so he was easily stopped by the two servants.

“Pu-daren, this insignificant one is just conveying wangye’s words. Please don’t make things hard for me.”

The steward did not dare to let the servants hurt Pu Song Yong. The Pu family might have lost power, but Pu Song Yong’s daughter was still the mistress of Prince Wu’s Mansion. Unless she commits some terrible mistake in the future, she would always be their wangfei. And if she found out that they treated her father horribly, she would not let them get off easy.

Pu Song Yong stopped struggling.

The steward thought that he had been convinced and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But Pu Song Yong just knew that a head-on confrontation would do no good to him. After calming down, he said to the steward: “Steward, go and tell your wangye that if he does not see me, then I might not keep mum about a certain matter.”

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

For his son-in-law, he not only sacrificed his official career, but also the Pu family. Since his son-in-law was being heartless, he would just have to return tit-for-tat.

The steward saw that Pu Song Yong was serious. After hesitating for a bit, he agreed.

He conveyed Pu Song Yong’s words verbatim to the wangye and saw the wangye’s expression change.

“Let him in.”

The steward didn’t dare to think too much and immediately went out to bring Pu Song Yong inside.

As soon as Pu Song Yong saw the heartless Fu Yuan Wu, he couldn’t help letting out a sarcastic sneer.

“My good son-in-law, as your father-in-law, it’s really hard to see you!”

It was all thanks to him that Fu Yuan Wu got to where he was today. Before, he had extravagant expectations that Fu Yuan Wu would help the Pu family. He didn’t think that the man would be such a thankless wretch.

“If you have anything to say, just say it.”

Fu Yuan Wu’s face was full of impatience. He had been very close to the Pu family before, but since the Pu family was no longer useful, there was no need for him to be nice to the Pu family anymore. This was the kind of man that he was. It’s not like this was the first time the Pu family saw him acting like this. When it came to useless chess pieces, he got rid of them without batting an eye!

Of course Pu Song Yong knew, but he never thought that the Pu family would be one of those chess pieces.

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Chapter 155.2 – Emperor Chong Ming’s Inner Thoughts

An Zi Ran could actually understand why Wang Qing Lan had an affair.

An Chang Fu passed away, and Wang Qing Lan became a widow, but she was still very young. Women have needs just like men, especially for a young widow, whose sexual desire might sometimes be very strong.

However, if Wang Qing Lan needed it, she could do whatever she wanted as long as she left the An family. Even if she wanted to get remarry, he wouldn’t care and he would gladly let her leave. But she didn’t do that. In a nutshell, she was unwilling to let go of the generous lifestyle that the An family provided.

Fu Wu Tian glanced at the ashen-faced Wang Qing Lan and was the first to break the silence.

“What does wangfei plan to do with her?”

After hearing these words, Wang Qing Lan’s body suddenly stiffened, and she felt very uneasy. She knew that things would not end well for her, but she still couldn’t help looking at An Zi Ran with some expectant hope.

An Zi Ran pondered and said: “From now on, Wang Qing Lan is no longer a member of the An family and will be sent back to An Yuan County. From now on, her life or death has nothing to do with the An family.”

Upon hearing this verdict, Wang Qing Lan fell to the floor in despair.

Fu Wu Tian had the servants bring her away. In the end, only the two of them, Ge Qian An and Zhong Yue, were left in the main hall. The other servants were also dismissed.

“Wangye, there might be more to this situation than meets the eye. Pu Song Yong probably has an ulterior motive for approaching Wang Qing Lan.” An Zi Ran thought of Wang Qing Lan’s previous assertions. She had emphasized twice that it was Pu Song Yong who wanted to come to the An Mansion to seek her out. An Zi Ran’s intuition told him that there was something fishy. Pu Song Yong’s official position was not high, but in a prestigious family like the Pu family, how could one not understand whether something was slight or serious? It was one thing to have an affair, but to carry out such acts under the An Mansion roof? Unless the man wanted to die, there must be something else.

Fu Wu Tian refilled his tea for him. “Pu Song Yong is part of the eldest prince’s faction. If he has an ulterior motive, then chances are high that it has something to do with the eldest prince.”

“But why did he send Pu Song Yong to get close to Wang Qing Lan? Did he hope to learn something about Prince Fu’s Mansion through Wang Qing Lan?” An Zi Ran felt that this reasoning was too improbable. Wang Qing Lan was just a woman, and her relationship with him was not good. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Wang Qing Lan would not be privy to any of An Zi Ran’s secrets.

Fu Wu Tian smiled, “Maybe that’s exactly it.”

Sometimes the more improbable the reason was, the more likely it was to be the truth.

It was just a bad move. That’s all.

An Zi Ran also knew that this was the only explanation, but he didn’t expect that the eldest prince, who was surrounded by enemies, would still have the free time to pay attention to Prince Fu’s Mansion. Perhaps he had been in and out of Prince Fu’s Mansion too many times during this recent period, which probably aroused the eldest prince’s suspicion. Fortunately, there was a buffering period coming up next.

“Wangye, what do you think about spreading this news?” An Zi Ran suddenly suggested.

A hint of surprise seemed to flash in Fu Wu Tian’s eyes, “Why?”

Even Ge Qian An and Zhong Yue looked at him in surprise. The matter of adultery could be a big deal or just small potatoes. Although it would have a great impact on the Pu family, it would also be the same for the An family.

“Wangye, I remember that you said that the emperor never established a crown prince because he didn’t want people to think that he was old and incapable. And naturally, he did not like it when other people coveted his throne, even if it’s his own son.” An Zi Ran said as he looked at Fu Wu Tian.

Fu Wu Tian nodded.

“I have always been curious about why the emperor would praise the second prince so highly even though he does not have any support from the maternal side of his family. That is until today. It is because there are too many people supporting the eldest prince. He has both the Zhang Sun family and the Pu family in his pocket. Even the third prince, who has the support of the Yu family, does not measure up to the eldest prince. The emperor does not want to see the eldest prince’s faction grow bigger, so he deliberately supported the second prince’s faction in order to form a balanced distribution of power. However, even with the emperor’s support, the advantage gap between the two is still too large, so if the emperor is given a chance to punish the eldest prince’s faction, he will most likely do it. “

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

Whenever An Zi Ran talked about conspiracies and plots, his eyes would always shine. He seemed like a wise and farsighted sage, and his body seemed to be emitting a layer of light.

It was precisely his wisdom and his frank yet assured way of speaking that Fu Wu Tian liked.

“Wangfei’s conjecture is correct. The emperor does want to attack the eldest prince’s faction. However, due to the status of the Zhang Sun family in the imperial court, he has never been able to find a suitable opportunity. However, if this matter is made public, Wang Qing Lan cannot be sent back to An Yuan County.”

An Zi Ran frowned.

He had already said that he would send her back to An Yuan County.

But what they didn’t expect was that before they could spread the news, the story of Pu Song Yong’s adultery with a widow had already spread throughout the capital. Especially since the widow was a concubine of the junwangfei’s father, it became an explosion point of gossip. Within a few days, everyone knew of the affair.

By the time the Zhang Sun family and the Pu family wanted to remedy the situation, it was already too late.

When news of this incident reached the palace, Emperor Chong Ming was furious.

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Chapter 155.1 – Emperor Chong Ming’s Inner Thoughts

A servant from Prince Fu’s Mansion quickly went to informed the Pu family of the matter. The Pu family did not believe that Pu Song Yong would do such a thing at first, but the visitor wasn’t some Tom, Dick, or Harry that could be casually driven away. In the end, the Pu family decided to go to Prince Fu’s Mansion to take a look at the situation.

The group that went included Pu Song Yong’s wife, Yun-shi, and his son Pu Hui, who had just turned eleven. There was also an important figure, which was Pu Song Yong’s father, Pu Zhen Cheng, who normally stayed at home due to illness.

When they arrived at Prince Fu’s Mansion, the three of them immediately saw Pu Song Yong kneeling in the center of the main hall.

Pu Song Yong had cut a sorry figure when Fu Wu Tian came over, but he had since recovered and was now putting on airs. If they didn’t know what he had already done, few people would believe that he would be involved with a widow.

Pu Song Yong’s eyes lit up upon seeing his father, but they immediately filled with guilt upon seeing his wife and son following his father. He could dress up the situation as nicely as he wanted with words, but he knew in his heart that he had indeed betrayed his wife.

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

Yun-shi knew her husband well. As soon as she saw his expression, the trace of hope and expectation in her heart was instantly wiped out. Her face turned pale, and her body swayed for a moment before her son supported her.

When Pu Hui looked at Pu Song Yong, his face no longer held the usual respect. Only deep disgust remained. Although he was young, he was not stupid. When he saw his father, he knew that there was a ninety percent chance that the purported affair was true. In any case, the Pu family were blue bloods. For such a disgrace to come out of their family, such a person was not worthy of being his father.

“You unfilial son!”

Pu Zhen Cheng was so angry that his beard trembled.

Upon seeing this scene, he understood everything. Even if Wang Qing Lan was just a concubine of the An family, how could Prince Fu’s Mansion deliberately create such a scandal to frame him? Moreover, he knew his son well. He nearly rushed over to beat him up.

“Dad, I was wrongly accused!”

Pu Song Yong quickly threw himself at his father feet and began to scream about injustice. Just like when he put the blame on Wang Qing Lan before, it didn’t matter if outsiders didn’t believe him. As long as family believed in him, he knew that nothing would happen to him.

The expressions on the three Pu family members were still ugly, but they actually preferred to believe in Pu Song Yong, because this matter was related to the Pu family’s reputation and honor. If word spreads, it would have a great impact on the Pu family.

At that moment, Wang Qing Lan coldly poured a metaphorical basin of ice water over.

“Pu Song Yong, keep farting out of your ass. The facts are laid out in front of you.

Everyone knows that we’ve been having an affair for more than two months. Let’s see who will believe your words. You say I seduced you? If you don’t have that intention, would you be seduced by me so easily? Don’t be ridiculous.”

[T/N: I have to agree with Wang Qing Lan here. It takes two to tango after all.]

The expressions on the three Pu family members suddenly became ugly again.

Pu Song Yong glared at Wang Qing Lan. “What do you mean?”

What did she mean by everyone knew? He didn’t believe that Prince Fu’s Mansion would let this matter spread and become known to everyone. This incident would indeed cause the Pu family to lose face, but it was impossible for Prince Fu’s Mansion to have no impact at all.

“What do I mean?” Wang Qing Lan sneered. “You really think that no one knows about our affair in the two months that we have been together? Just go to the restaurants we have been to and ask around. They will definitely recognize us. If you think that one restaurant is not enough and that it is just a coincidence, I can name a few more restaurants.”

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Pu Song Yong’s face turned red, then white, and then blue at her words. Only now did he realized that all the excitement and fun he had with her in the past had become a fatal weapon for Wang Qing Lan to threaten him with. If he had known this would happen back then… he already regretted it every much.

Pu Zhen Cheng stopped looking at his son and turned to look at An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian instead. The two were sitting in the seats of honor in the main hall with placid expressions on their faces.

He cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, junwang, junwangfei, for informing us about this matter. I know that both of them are wrong in this matter. I will bring this unfilial son back home and discipline him. We will take our leave now.”

Pu Zhen Cheng dian’t want to stay and make an embarrassment of himself, and he didn’t want to pursue the matter to find out who was responsible, so he left in a hurry after saying that.

Yun-shi, supported by Pu Hui, also left with her father-in-law. Neither of them looked at Pu Song Yong again.

Pu Song Yong quickly stood up and stumbled before chasing after his family anxiously.

Neither An Zi Ran nor Fu Wu Tian stopped Pu Song Yong from leaving.

In this feudal time and place, when a man cheated, it could be tolerated, and their treatment was many times better than that of a woman. But when a woman had an affair, they would be blamed much more than the man. They will think that this woman is dirty and look at her in a strange way. But for a man, they would just regard his dissolute ways as natural.

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