Category: The Big Landlord

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Chapter 139.2 – State Preceptor Hao Ran

“This poor Taoist* greets junwang and junwangfei.”

[*T/N: 贫道 pin dao – literally “poor Taoist.” A humble way for a Taoist to refer to himself.]

The state preceptor raised his right hand like a Taoist priest, and saluted Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran in a friendly manner. The aura around him was very auspicious and peaceful, and it easily gave other people a favorable impression of him.

Fu Wu Tian kept one hand behind his back and stared at the other man, “For the state preceptor to appear here, did he perhaps just come from the empress dowager’s place?”

“Precisely [as you said].” The state preceptor was not affected by Fu Wu Tian’s imposing manner. He calmly explained, “His majesty was worried about the empress dowager’s health and ordered this poor Taoist to come and pay a visit to the empress dowager.”

“So what does the state preceptor think [of the empress dowager’s condition]?”

“She’s much better now, but exercise more caution in the future and do not make the empress dowager angry again.”

Fu Wu Tian said: “The state preceptor has worked hard.”

The state preceptor smiled and shook his head, “Thank you for your concern. It is this poor Taoist’s responsibility. How can it be considered hard work? If there is nothing else, then this poor Taoist is going to report to His Majesty about the empress dowager’s condition. This poor Taoist will take his leave now. Farewell!”

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The state preceptor quickly left.

Throughout the entire interaction, An Zi Ran kept feeling like there was something strange about this person, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. He was even more certain that this state preceptor was not that simple.

“What kind of person is this state preceptor?”

“Just a yaodao*.” Fu Wu Tian looked coldly in the direction where the state preceptor had disappeared. After a while, he withdrew his gaze.

[*T/N: 妖道 yaodao – a derogatory term for Taoist priests]

For someone to make Fu Wu Tian describe him as such, it seemed like he was not just some ordinary yaodao.

“The state preceptor’s original name is Wei Shun Qing. His Taoist name is Hao Ran. Ten years ago, he was named State Preceptor Hao Ran by the emperor’s decree. He’s someone that the emperor has always deeply trusted. As long as he speaks up, he can easily change the emperor’s mind on a lot of matters. The princes and ministers do not dare to look down on him.”

An Zi Ran asked curiously: “According to your meaning, this state preceptor is very likely to be a swindler. Why does Emperor Chong Ming trust him so much?”

“He’s not just a simple swindler.” Fu Wu Tian said, “Wei Shun Qing has studied bagua* before. It is rumored that he used to tell people’s fortune when he was young, and from that he learned how to fool people. Later, he entered the palace by chance and led the emperor around by the nose. So now the emperor believes him firmly without any doubt.”

[*T/N: 八卦 bagua – the eight divinatory trigrams of the Book of Changes]

“To be able to fool the emperor is not a trifle ability.”

“Does wangfei really think that he only knows how to trick people?” Fu Wu Tian suddenly asked with a deeper meaning to his words.

An Zi Ran shook his head, “Of course not.”

Conning people required a profound level of knowledge, but it has its limits after all. No matter how good he was at speaking, he could not make a person who has been the emperor for twenty-seven years believe in him, so he must have other skills.

“Wangye knows the reason?”

“Don’t know.”

An Zi Ran looked at the other man, struck speechless. He really should be used to Fu Wu Tian’s bad taste in fun by now.

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Fu Wu Tian just wrapped his arms around An Zi Ran’s waist and whispered in his ear: “Although this prince does not know the reason, this prince knows another interesting thing. I think wangfei would be very keen to know.”

“What kind of interesting thing?” An Zi Ran did not push Fu Wu Tian’s hands away.

“Wangfei should still remember that a few days before the state banquet, Great-Grandmother called this prince into the palace. At that time, this prince heard something related to Consort Yan from other people. At that time I did not know that Consort Yan was An Qiao E, so I didn’t pay it much mind.” Fu Wu Tian said with a sigh. It was quite an unpredictable feeling.

An Zi Ran knocked his elbow against the other man’s arm, “Don’t keep me in suspense.”

Fu Wu Tian said calmly: “I heard that Consort Yan and the state preceptor are very close, and according to this prince’s inference, they may have already known each other before the talent selection.”

An Zi Ran’s brows wrinkled as his brain churned. After knowing that Consort Yan was probably An Qiao E, he kept thinking that there must be someone behind An Qiao E. If what Fu Wu Tian said was true, then the person behind her was most likely to be the state preceptor. With his abilities, the possibility of him helping Consort Yan to attract Emperor Chong Ming’s attention was very high.

“Suppose that Consort Yan is An Qiao E. Based on An Qiao E’s capability, it’s impossible for her to be so watertight and not let anybody discover her past history.”

Fu Wu Tian nodded and said, “That’s right, the talent selection needs to register the contestants. An Qiao E is not a smart person. If things weren’t already arranged in advance, her identity would have been found out long ago.”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

In fact, Fu Yuan Cheng and the others also knew that Consort Yan had colluded with the state preceptor, and that Consort Yan was able to confuse Emperor Chong Ming must be the credit of the state preceptor, but they could not find any evidence and could only wait and see.

Just as the two men finally arrived right outside of Ciming Palace, the State Preceptor Hao Ran that they were talking about was meeting with Consort Yan, who had left the banquet early.

“So it turned out to be Consort Yan, may I have a word with you in private?”

The state preceptor took the initiative to speak first. It stood to reason that the emperor’s consort and the state preceptor could not meet in private, but it was not a problem for them, because the emperor had agreed to it.

Consort Yan smiled enchantingly.

“Of course.”

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Chapter 139.1 – State Preceptor Hao Ran

Da Ya’s imperial palace was just as majestic and spectacular as the Forbidden City that An Zi Ran had seen during modern times. Because he was sitting in a horse carriage when he first arrived, he did not see the place very clearly. Now, walking out of the Taiqing Palace, he could see the layers of red bricks and glazed tiles that made up the structures. The palace towered over the residents, solemn and stately.

The Ciming Palace, where the empress dowager lived, was a bit of a distance from the Taiqing Palace. Fu Wu Tian had originally proposed taking a chariot there, but An Zi Ran rejected the idea.

An Zi Ran was not sure whether he would enter the palace in the future, so he wanted to take this opportunity to have Fu Wu Tian take him around to get acquainted with the palace.

“Wangye, tell me about the late emperor and Grandfather?”

An Zi Ran took the initiative to bring up the topic. He didn’t know what attitude the laowangye would take towards his union with Fu Wu Tian when his dementia was better. In order to take precautions for that moment, he felt it was necessary to do his research.

In the silent night, Fu Wu Tian’s low voice flowed slowly.

“Both the later emperor and Grandfather were born from the empress dowager. They were taught from childhood that brothers should support each other and love each other, so their relationship is better than that of brothers in ordinary families. It was to the point that they both evaded the title of emperor. But the late emperor was the elder brother, so in the end it was decided that he would succeed the throne. Back then, the late emperor’s other brothers were also interested in the throne. In the end, it was Grandfather who did his best to help the late emperor clear away the obstacles so that he could inherit the throne.

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“The late emperor knew that Grandfather did a lot for him, so he would send all sorts of good things to the Fu Manor, so much so that he took care of everyone connected to Grandfather. He cherished my father and I very much.”

Although Fu Wu Tian downplayed it, the fight for the throne was a bloody and cruel struggle, and An Zi Ran could fully imagine how tragic it was at that time.

An Zi Ran thought of what Fu Wu Tian had told him in the past, “I’m guessing, when the late emperor was on his death bed, he regretted not having Grandfather inherit the throne back then?”

Fu Wu Tian stopped abruptly. His eyes in the darkness lit up slightly, and a warm smile flashed past, “This prince has always known that wangfei is very smart, but you still surprise me every time.”

That meant that An Zi Ran guessed correctly.

An Zi Ran was neither modest nor proud. This outcome wasn’t that hard to guess.

The late emperor had sincerely liked Grandfather and his family, otherwise when he was on his deathbed he would not have granted Fu Wu Tian the right to ignore the imperial power in witness of all the civil and military officials, nor would he have gifted Fu Xiao a feudal fiefdom. He even promised that the fiefdom could be inherited. Just from this one point, it could be seen that the late emperor’s love for Fu Xiao and Fu Wu Tian outstripped the love for his own son.

It’s not like the late emperor was blind to the absurd actions of Emperor Chong Ming. Therefore, based on the late emperor’s affection for the Fu Manor, he must have regretted it.

“What does Grandfather care about the most?”

“My grandfather has two regrets in his life. One regret is about my father, who died an untimely death. In the past, Grandfather was actually against my father and mother being together.”

“Because Mother is not from Da Ya?” An Zi Ran guessed.

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Fu Wu Tian nodded, “Grandfather has always disliked Mother, and Mother’s temperament was also strong. Not long after they got married, she followed my father to the battlefield. After she got pregnant, Father sent her back, but Grandfather did not change his attitude towards Mother because of her pregnancy…”

“I understand.”

Fu Wu Tian tilted his head to look at him with a smile in his eyes. “What does wangfei understand?”

An Zi Ran’s eyes seemed to flow with a glimmer of confidence, “That’s also why the late emperor brought you into the palace when you were young, right?”

“Smart.” Fu Wu Tian praised him without hesitation.

Chatting can easily make people forget the time.

Before they knew it, the two of them have already walked two-thirds of the way, and they were not far from the Ciming Palace. They could even vaguely see the brightly lit Ciming Palace in front of them. Grandfather should also have arrived by now.

The sound of footsteps in the dark caught their attention.

Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran looked in the direction where the sound had come from, and a figure came out of the darkness.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

An Zi Ran looked at the man dressed in a cyan Taoist robe in surprise. His long hair was tied with a cyan ribbon that draped down into two long fluttering strands. He had a square jaw and a mustache. He carried a horsetail whisk in his hand. The long white silk strands of the whisk draped over the crook of his arm. His entire getup looked like a dignified and upright Taoist priest.

“It turns out to be the state preceptor.”

When Fu Wu Tian saw the other man, a strange emotion flickered through his eyes. It happened so quickly that bystanders did not have enough time to catch it. His gaze also deepened by a lot.

Hearing this sentence, An Zi Ran was not surprised. There was a Taoist priest in the palace for no reason, and the other party could even walk freely within the palace. Obviously, it could not be an ordinary Taoist priest. An Zi Ran could already largely guess the identity of this state preceptor.

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Chapter 138.3 – Consort Yan

“Looks like this An Qiao E encountered a guiren*.”

[*T/N: 贵人 gui ren – usually means a person of nobility or high rank, but can also mean any person who changes your fortune for the better]

In his heart, An Zi Ran has already marked Consort Yan down as An Qiao E. He just felt like the likelihood of two people looking exactly the same to be exceedingly rare.

But his verdict was not just based on pure intuition. There was also the matter of the timing when Consort Yan entered the palace.

Fu Wu Tian would occasionally make visits to the palace, so he had also heard about Consort Yan, but he didn’t pay much attention to it. However, he knew how Consort Yan came to be in the palace. She had distinguished herself during the talent selection [for new concubines].

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At first, Emperor Chong Ming did not take any notice of her. It was when the other candidates were fighting so much that they were about to close the curtains on the stage that she stepped out. Catching everyone off guard, she triumph over all her opponents, and ultimately became Consort Yan.

The timing of when Consort Yan entered the palace just so happened to coincide with when An Qiao E and her mother had left the An family.

An Zi Ran’s mind was so full of thoughts that Consort Yan and An Qiao E might be the same person that he carelessly forgot about the intense gaze that he had felt on his person.

Many attendees at the banquet were also eating absentmindedly, their thoughts otherwise occupied.

At some point in time, Consort Yan had left her seat.

Midway through the banquet, just when An Zi Ran wanted to leave the place with Fu Wu Tian, Consort Yan suddenly appeared in the middle of the banquet hall. She had changed into an almost transparent white gauzy outfit, and she looked like a fairy descended from the heavens to earth. Everyone else was stunned by the sight of her, except for Emperor Chong Ming.

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Accompanied by a group of female dancers, Consort Yan began to dance gracefully. Her body was very light. Her every move seemed to be boneless yet full of seduction. It was not suitable for someone of her station to be dancing in public, but there were still people with their eyes riveted on her, watching without blinking. It was impossible to deny that her dancing was very pleasing to the eye.

“As expected of Our* Consort Yan.”

[*T/N: The emperor is using the imperial “we” to refer to himself.]

Emperor Chong Ming’s lustful gaze was fixed on the dancing Consort Yan. Beneath the white gauzy fabric, her graceful figure was faintly discernable. Just watching her was making him hot and bothered.

Zhang Sun Tian Feng picked up her cup and took a sip of wine. She used her wide sleeves to hide the mocking sneer on her lips. This woman was really uncultured. As the emperor’s consort, not only was she dressed in such revealing clothing, but she was also degrading herself by dancing in front of everybody. This was something that only a prostitute in a brothel would do. Before, the empress thought that Consort Yan was a strong opponent, but now it seemed like she was nothing out of the ordinary.

People who had the same thoughts as the empress included the noble consort and the four consorts. Asides from Consort Shi, the other three came from noble backgrounds. But even for Consort Shi, it was impossible for her to do something like dancing in public before an audience. For people with their noble status, it was degrading to their status. And wearing revealing clothes was even more offensive to public morals!

“Let’s go.”

An Zi Ran couldn’t keep watching anymore. He was now fifty percent sure that she was An Qiao E.

If this Consort Yan really was a person who knew how to scheme, then she shouldn’t do such a self-deprecating thing. And he knew that in order to increase his daughter’s bargaining power in marriage, An Chang Fu had specifically made them learn lots of different talents. Dancing was one of them.

Fu Wu Tian was not interested in watching anymore, so the two of them vacated their seats in a grand manner. With the empress dowager’s permission, they could leave the banquet at will without waiting for the emperor’s approval.

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Although most people’s eyes were on Consort Yan, their actions still attracted the attention of some people. When the people saw the two of them preparing to leave the table, a strange emotion flickered through their eyes and then quickly calmed back down. To dare leave the table so blatantly, they must be going to see the empress dowager.

The empress dowager was also Fu Wu Tian’s paternal great-grandmother.

The late emperor and the laowangye were biological brothers. In terms of blood relation, the empress dowager actually preferred the people of the Fu wangfu. When the late emperor received the young Fu Wu Tian into the palace, the empress dowager was the one who wholeheartedly agreed.

After Consort Yan finished the dance, her white gauzy sleeves fluttered down gently, and out of the corner of her eyes she happened to see the backs of two people who were leaving the table without making a sound. Her delicate eyebrows suddenly gained a gloomy cast. But she did not get to see the two people’s faces. There were too many people at the banquet, so she did not take special notice of them before.

Very soon the banquet resumed its lively tableau.

Not long after, Consort Yan also left the banquet on the grounds that her alcohol tolerance was low. Emperor Chong Ming felt sorry for her and wanted to leave with her, but the empress refused to let him go with the reasoning that he was the emperor and couldn’t leave the banquet. In the end, he could only look on helplessly and count down the time.

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Chapter 138.2 – Consort Yan

“Does junwang and junwangfei know Consort Yan?”

Fu Yuan Cheng, who was sitting beside him, heard the conversation between An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian. A trace of astonishment flashed across his eyes. As soon as Consort Yan started making big waves in the harem, Fu Yuan Cheng and his people have already investigated her, but she was like a mirage that appeared out of thin air. They could not find even the tiniest clue about her person.

With every dead end that their investigate ran into, their curiosity rose more and more. So when Fu Yuang Cheng suddenly heard from An Zi Ran and Fu Wu Tian’s conversation that she might be related to them in some way, he could not help but look sideways at them.

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An Zi Ran withdrew his gaze from Consort Yan and looked at Fu Yuan Cheng. He also wanted to know if Consort Yan was the person that he knew. He considered it for a bit and then said, “I’m not certain if she is the person that I know or not. In other words, I just recognize her face.”

Fu Yuan Cheng’s mind turned. He immediately read between the lines and understood the subtext, “What the junwangfei means is that this person is not the same as the one that you know?”

An Zi Ran nodded and said, “Except for the fact that their faces look alike, everything else is different, as if they are two different people, so I also want to know if she is the one that I know. Does Prince Cheng know the name of this Consort Yan?”

Fu Yuan Cheng nodded and said, “This prince heard that Consort Yan’s maiden name is Wu Qi Si. I wonder if that is the person that junwangfei knows?”

Wu Qi Si?

He has never heard of that name before.

The surname Wu was not a common one, but that didn’t rule out the possibility that she might be afraid of being found out by other people, and thus purposely changed her name.

An Zi Ran did not tell Fu Yuan Cheng what he was thinking. He only shook his head, “The person that I know is not called Wu Qi Si. In truth, she is born from my father’s second concubine. Her name is An Qiao E. She is the eldest young miss of the An family. Her personality is very different from Consort Yan.”

Hearing this, Fu Yuan Cheng frowned with surprise.

He had thought that An Zi Ran might have just recognized her from another aristocratic family, but he never imagined that it would be the eldest young miss of the An family. It did not seem like An Zi Ran was lying about it. This wasn’t something that people joked about.

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Fu Yuan Cheng wanted to ask where the eldest young miss of the An family was at the moment, but he saw that An Zi Ran had already turned his head to whisper to Fu Wu Tian. It was apparent that he did not have the intention to continue this conversation with him. He thought about it for a bit but decided to give up. The days were long. There would be plenty of time in the future. At least now he knew that there was a great probability of Consort Yan being the eldest young miss of the An family.

“How likely do you think she is An Qiao E?”

An Zi Ran lowered his voice and asked for Fu Wu Tian’s opinion in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

Fu Wu Tian raised his eyes and looked at Consort Yan who was being pulled into the seat of honor by Emperor Chong Ming. Consort Yan was smiling wickedly. Her appearance could not be compared to that of the empress, but her every frown and every smile had an enticing charm that all the concubines did not. Her red phoenix eyes* were especially alluring, they were even more slender than the empress’s. If a man’s concentration wavered even a little bit, she could easily hook him and use him until his bones were grinded into dust.

[*T/N: red phoenix eyes – eyes whose outer corners incline upwards]

“The contrast is too great, but…”

“But what?” An Zi Ran asked.

“In this world, the chances of finding two people who look exactly the same are very low. Although the difference in their personality is incredible, it is not impossible. If she came across a fortuitous meeting, it is also possible.”

“Why not find an opportunity to test her?” An Zi Ran was a little concerned, whether this was a coincidence or some other reasons, he really wanted to know.

Fu Wu Tian said: “How is wangfei planning to test her?”

An Zi Ran narrowed his eyes, “As long as I have a chance to get close to her, I can find out who she is.”

He knew that since An Qiao E changed her name, she would definitely not want to let people know that she was the eldest young miss of the An family. If people knew that her mother was only a concubine, everything she has now would be lost, and she would become nothing again.

If Consort Yan was An Qiao E, then regardless of whether An Qiao E knew of his and Fu Wu Tian’s statuses, one thing was for certain, and that was she would never admit to knowing them.

“Opportunities are created by people.”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Consort Yan’s arrival caused the atmosphere of the banquet to cool by several degrees. Instead of the turbulent atmosphere at the beginning, with people concealing needles in their silk*, now some people were even sizing up Consort Yan from time to time. As for Consort Yan, she was lying in a boneless heap in the emperor’s arms.

[*T/N: “concealing needles in their silk” – not literal, it means to hide a ruthless character behind a gentle appearance]

During such a grand and symbolic banquet, Consort Yan’s actions seemed frivolous, as if she were not treating the state banquet seriously at all. She did not have the noble temperament of being one of the four consorts, which inevitably made some people look down on her a bit and take her lightly.

A woman who used to be small-minded and without any personality traits could not completely change into another person no matter how much she changes, so there would be times where her act could been seen through in small habits.

An Zi Ran thought that she would at least reveal some flaws, but after observing her for two or three quarters of an hour, she was actually doing it perfectly.

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As selected by VIP Choice, today’s bonus update goes to TBL. This one is for you Satirivi! ^-^

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Chapter 138.1 – Consort Yan

Consort Yan, as a figure in the harem, has attracted much attention for her appearance.

She arrived at the banquet later than the emperor and empress, which showed how self-important she was. Some people expected Emperor Chong Ming to be angry, but they were evidently going to be disappointed.

Not only was Emperor Chong Ming not angry, but also he had an excited expression on his face. It was as if Consort Yan coming to the banquet was giving him face. Seeing this scene, the empress, who was sitting beside Emperor Chong Ming, wrinkled her shapely eyebrows imperceptibly. Although she did not have any feelings for the emperor, it did not mean that he could figuratively slap her face in public like this.

If it weren’t for the empress dowager’s intervention, then the person accompanying Emperor Chong Ming to the state banquet would not be her – the empress.

Zhang Sun Tian Feng thought that she understood Emperor Chong Ming very well, but ever since the appearance of Consort Yan, the emperor’s thoughts has become more and more opaque to her. Because every time anything related to Consort Yan happened, Emperor Chong Ming would act out of character and make many decisions that she couldn’t understand, just like this state banquet.

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The emperor and the empress were the two most honorable people in all of Da Ya. Whether it was a state banquet or a family banquet, both of them must arrive at the same time to highlight their status.

In the past, no matter how much Emperor Chong Ming favored this concubine or that consort, he would not violate the ancestral precepts. But this time, Zhang Sun Tian Feng miscalculated. The appearance of Consort Yan completely changed Emperor Chong Ming, turning him into another person. He was not acting like an emperor at all.

Emperor Chong Ming actually wanted Consort Yan to accompany him to the state banquet.

When Zhang Sun Tian Feng heard this, Da Ya’s most honorable woman was so stunned that she did not know how to react for a long moment. Even the expensive longan fruit that she held in her hand fell onto the floor without her realizing it.

How could a mere consort be compared with her, the empress? What was Emperor Chong Ming thinking by doing something like this? If she really allowed him to do this, then she would lose all her face as the empress, and the whole harem would laugh at her for not being able to protect her dignity and honorable status.

Zhang Sun Tian Feng knew that she could not be able to persuade Emperor Chong Ming on this matter, so she went directly to the empress dowager.

At first, Emperor Chong Ming did not listen to the empress dowager at all, and his attitude on the matter was even very firm. That was until the empress dowager depleted her vital energies over this whole debacle and fell ill. Only then did the emperor finally give in. As for the empress dowager, she had intended to attend the state banquet, but she ended up not attending due to her poor health.

To be able to anger the empress dowager to the point of illness, this Consort Yan was indeed very capable.

Coming back out from her thoughts, Zhang Sun Tian Feng’s eyes immediately zeroed in on Consort Yan as she walked in. Consort Yan was dressed in a bright yellow gauze dress and was even more attractive than usual. Zhang Sun Tian Feng really could not allow this Consort Yan to continue staying in the harem!

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Just as Zhang Sun Tian Feng’s desire to commit murder was brewing, An Zi Ran finally glimpsed Consort Yan’s face and he was completely stunned.

He did not expect that this Consort Yan would be someone that he knew.

An Zi Ran always thought that this person would be in dire straits by now, but in actuality she had became Emperor Chong Ming’s consort. Moreover, she had even climbed to the position of the fourth consort.

“A twin?”

Fu Wu Tian’s voice sounded in his ear.

An Zi Ran shook his head in disbelief, “Impossible. If it’s not just a simple resemblance, then it is most likely her. But how could she have the means to do this?”

Although An Zi Ran has not lived with her for long, but just a few days time was enough for him to thoroughly understand her personality. Like her mother, she always had a wooden face. When she spoke, her words were biting and cold, as if everyone in the world owed her money or something.

How could such a person know any seduction tactics, and even be conferred the title of Consort Yan? If she knew such methods from the beginning, then An Chang Fu would have been completely beguiled by the mother and daughter pair, and handed over the family property to them with both hands.

Regardless of whether this Consort Yan was the person that he knew, there must be some hidden secret behind her, and it was most definitely an unusual secret.

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Chapter 137.3 – I Have, You Don’t Have?

Fu Yuan Wu’s expression twisted. He lowered his voice and said in a volume that only the two of them could hear: “Fu Wu Tian, don’t be too complacent. When this prince ascends to the throne, sooner or later, the whole Fu wangfu is going to get it.”

“You are not suitable.”

A third person suddenly joined in the conversation, and from his words it was evident that he heard what Fu Yuan Wu had said.

Fu Yuan Wu was stunned for a moment. Then he turned and saw the speaker to be An Zi Ran. The youth had an indifferent expression on his face as if he was standing on a high place and looking down on Fu Yuan Wu. His expression was confident and certain as if he were predicting the future. Fu Yuan Wu’s face sank in an instant. Just as he was about to refute, the youth looked away.

These two – Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran – were indeed a married couple. Even their actions were the same.

“An Zi Ran, this prince will remember you!”

A wave of humiliation washed over Fu Yuan Wu, and the hands hanging by his side slowly tightened into fists. The gaze that he pierced An Zi Ran with was like a sharp knife.

It was not that An Zi Ran did not perceive the other person’s glare, but he simply did not care.

Fu Yuan Wu was indeed talented, but his temperament was lacking. He had the support of the Zhang Sun family, but if he were to ascend the throne in the future, he would become an emperor that was naturally predisposed to suspicions, and the slightest provocation would lead to him digging his own grave.

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In contrast, Fu Yuang Cheng had a better chance of winning the fight for the throne. People were more inclined to like him for his gentle and elegant appearance. He was a person with a strategic mind, he knew forbearance, and he was good at winning people’s hearts. Such a person was the most suitable person to become an emperor.

The only disadvantage to him was that he didn’t have a strong and powerful family as a backer. Although the Zhao family was currently on his side, he has not completely subdued the Zhao family. Moreover, the Zhao family also has a prince, so he could not completely trust the Zhao family no matter what. And flawed trust was a great hidden danger. No one knew when things would break down.

This was Fu Yuan Cheng’s greatest weakness. If his enemies could make good use of this point, it would be a huge blow to Fu Yuan Cheng, and it might even nullify his ability to complete for the throne.

Finally, there was the third prince, Fu Yuan Yang.

An Zi Ran glanced at Fu Yuan Yang lightly.

From the very beginning, he felt that Fu Yuan Yang possessed a turbulent aura about him, and his family’s power was also very strong. But if he were allowed to ascend the throne, then he might become the first tyrant of Da Ya.

Seemingly aware of his gaze, Fu Yuan Yang suddenly looked over. His eyes were full of cruelty and cold-bloodedness.

An Zi Ran frowned. Even though there was another person between him and Fu Yuan Yang, he could still feel the suffocating aura emanating from the other person’s body. This person’s hands must be drenched in the blood of countless people. His intuition could not be wrong about this.

“What is it?”

Fu Wu Tian’s low-pitched voice sounded in his ears. When he traced An Zi Ran’s line of sight, he could only see Fu Yuan Yang’s profile. His facial features were the most prominent among the five brothers. He had a broad forehead, a narrow nose, and hard facial features. He bore a great resemblance to his uncle Yu Bo Fei.

An Zi Ran shook his head. “Didn’t grandfather say he would come? Why don’t we see him yet? And the empress dowager, does she not plan to attend this banquet?”

“The empress dowager is old and likes peace and quiet. She also did not attend the state banquets in previous years. She’d only occasionally attend a family banquet. Grandfather must have gone to Ci Ming Palace by now. When the state banquet is over, we will go see the empress dowager.”

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If possible, An Zi Ran didn’t want to attend the state banquet either.

When Fu Wu Tian was forced to surrender his military power, he had taken it as an opportunity to withdraw from the battle for the throne. Thanks to this, the Fu wangfu could expect to be peaceful for this year. If he got into trouble because of this, he would also have a headache.

“Can we leave early?”

Fu Wu Tian caressed the fold between his brows affectionately, “Don’t worry, there is an oral order from the empress dowager, so we can go anytime.”

“Then is right now possible?” An Zi Ran quipped.

“Of course.”

Hearing what Fu Wu Tian said with such an affirmative tone, An Zi Ran shrugged, “Forget it, let’s wait a little longer, it’s too conspicuous to leave now.”

“We’ll do as you say.”

The people who were paying attention took note of the intimacy between the two men. Some people’s eyes flashed with surprise, as if they didn’t expect their relationship to be so good. Among them, one pair of eyes was gazing particularly intently. But it was coming from the opposite side. Just when An Zi Ran was about to look over to see who it was, the eunuch at the door shouted loudly.

“Consort Yan has arrived!”

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Chapter 137.2 – I Have, You Don’t Have?

The people from the First Prince’s faction also subtly laughed at An Zi Ran’s expense.

Indeed, An Zi Ran had married into the Fu wangfu, and most people who get married into another family were women. So what Zhang Sun Shao Qi said was not wide of the mark, but his behavior could also be considered trying to pick a fight. After all, An Zi Ran was still a man, so how could he sit with a group of women? What kind of image would that make?

Fu Wu Tian glared at Zhang Sun Shao Qi, but to everyone’s surprise he did not speak up for his wangfei. However, his gaze was deep and immeasurable, and there seemed to be something strange mixed in with the emotion in his eyes. Those who were secretly observing him could not help having some misgivings.

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“Whether or not I am a man, my wangye can testify for me. But rather, Zhang Sun-gongzi, I’m really curious, how is Zhang Sun-gongzi different from me? Could it be that something I have, you… don’t have?” When An Zi Ran said the last two words, he looked down vaguely at Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s lower body, but the underlying thing that he was hinting at was obvious to everyone present.

“Phfft!”

Fu Yuan Fan was the first to cooperate with a laugh, and his line of sight was much more direct than An Zi Ran’s. His gaze directly fell on Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s crotch. His eyes were full of mirth, as if asking ‘you really don’t have [it]? Oh my, I’m really curious!’

The atmosphere suddenly took a turn for the ambiguous, and due to Fu Yuan Fan’s cooperation, many people’s eyes also fell onto Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s crotch.

Zhang Sun Shao Qi flushed beet red and resisted the impulse for violence.

He had only wanted to embarrass An Zi Ran, because if An Zi Ran were to be embarrassed, then Fu Wu Tian also wouldn’t look good. But he never imagined that this An Zi Ran was no ordinary person. When it came to glib talk, he was not inferior to him at all.

Some people were now starting to understand why Fu Wu Tian didn’t stand up and speak for his wangfei. It turned out that he knew that his wangfei was capable of dealing with it. Moreover, his wangfei was not an ordinary character. With just a few words, he embarrassed the only seedling of the Zhang Sun family in public.

“You… you’re just a…”

“Shao Qi!”

Before Zhang Sun Shao Qi could finish speaking his words, Zhang Sun Cheng De’s majestic voice suddenly boomed. His voice held no hints of anger, instead, it was very calm, but to Zhang Sun Shao Qi it was like being struck by lightning at midnight. He was so frightened that he broke out into cold sweat.

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If he said something terrible to An Zi Ran on such an important occasion, it would be like slapping Fu Wu Tian on the face. Fu Wu Tian was a member of the imperial family. You could imagine what would be the consequences of offending royalty. Offending Fu Wu Tian for a trivial matter would not be worth it.

No matter how much the emperor disliked Fu Wu Tian, he still would never allow an outsider to slap the face of the imperial family. Beside, the emperor had personally approved of their marriage. Most importantly, the competition among the three factions in the imperial court has become more and more fierce lately, and the emperor was just hounding for an opportunity to weaken the factions’ power.

However, Zhang Sun Cheng De stepped in a bit late.

Anyone with brains could already guess what Zhang Sun Shao Qi wanted to say.

Whether it was An Zi Ran or Fu Wu Tian, the look in their eyes have gained a dangerous light, and the atmosphere abruptly turned cold.

The strange atmosphere quickly attracted other people’s attention, including the emperor and the empress, who also looked over to their area.

Emperor Chong Ming’s eyes were such thin slits that it was hard to discern his expression. When the empress saw that members from her family were involved, her phoenix eyes instantly sharpened.

Everyone dispersed in tacit understanding, and no one mentioned the matter that occurred just then.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

As soon as An Zi Ran took his seat, he was acutely aware of someone’s gaze on him. When he turned his head he saw that it was Fu Yuan Cheng looking over at him. When Fu Yuan Cheng saw An Zi Ran looking at him, he gave An Zi Ran a friendly smile, but An Zi Ran did not reciprocate.

“Cousin Wu Tian, your wangfei is really impressive.” Fu Yuan Wu said.

Fu Yuan Wu, who was sitting half a table away on Fu Wu Tian’s right hand side, suddenly looked over at them with an expression that was like a smile yet not a smile. Anyone with ears could hear the ill intentions in those words. But who could blame him? Zhang Sun Shao Qi was his younger male cousin via the matriarchal line. After being embarrassed in public, it would be weird for him to be happy.

Fu Wu Tian’s indifference gaze glanced over the other man’s face carelessly. Just when Fu Yuan Wu thought that Fu Wu Tian was going to retort, Fu Wu Tian only hummed lightly in response and then looked away.

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Chapter 137.1 – I Have, You Don’t Have?

This was the first time that An Zi Ran was seeing Emperor Chong Ming and the empress, Zhang Sun Tian Feng.

The two were dressed in bright yellow clothes and they walked in slowly from the gates of the Tai Qing Palace while surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs. Due to often hearing things about the emperor, An Zi Ran subconsciously looked over at the emperor when he arrived.

Emperor Chong Ming looked no different from an ordinary middle-aged man. He was arrogant and extravagant all year round, and had developed a plump figure. Under the noble bright yellow fabric, he could not hide his protruding belly at all. His wide figure was almost twice that of the empress, perhaps even bigger.

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The emperor was not ugly in his youth. Although he was not handsome, compared to most ordinary men he was considered average, and due to his high position in life, he had an imperial aura, so it was easy for people to overlook his appearance.

But—

Since Emperor Chong Ming became the emperor, he no longer controlled his desires, and he became fatter and fatter. By now, his entire dace was full of fat. He had three or four layers of fat dangling from his chin, and his eyes – which could be considered big before – were squeezed into a thin line by the surrounding fat.

His sallow complexion, dark under eye circles, and muddy gaze indicated that the emperor has ruined his health. So much so that his days might even be limited.

Recently, the battle for the throne within the imperial court has intensified; so all the princes and court officials must also be anticipating the inevitable end of the emperor’s days.

The struggle between the three major factions has gradually moved into the spotlight. Corrupt officials were constantly being exposed, and officials were constantly being dismissed.

An Zi Ran threw the stray thought out of his mind and turned his gaze to the empress, Zhang Sun Tian Feng.

Zhang Sun Tian Feng was undoubtedly a great beauty. She had an awl face, long shapely eyebrows, and small lips. Although she was already in her forties, her appearance was very well maintained, so she did not look a day over thirty.

By logic, the lustful Emperor Chong Ming should be interested in such woman. But perhaps it was because she has been sitting in the empress’s position for too long, so she always carried a strong and inviolable majesty. Her gaze was also sharp; making the people she looked at feel as if she was scrutinizing every single inch of their person.

The crown prince has such a strong mother empress to back him, so his road to the throne must be somewhat smoother than the others.

Now that the host of the banquet has arrived, the guest all began to take their seats.

A state banquet was not like a family banquet. There was no need for men and women to sit separately for family banquets. Mothers, brothers, and sisters could all sit together. But for a state banquet they must be separated.

The concubines of the harem sat together with the female relatives of the court officials. Except for the empress, the others were arranged according to their status. They sat on the lower right of the emperor. On the left were the princes, grandsons, and civil and military officials.

Just as everyone started to find their seats according to their positions, a somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded in An Zi Ran’s ear.

“Eh, did the junwangfei go to the wrong place?”

Fu Wu Tian was Emperor Chong Ming’s biological nephew, and he was also conferred the title of junwang, so his status was the same as that of the eldest prince. Therefore, he was ranked in front of Fu Yuan Cheng, the second prince, who was about the same age. An Zi Ran was his wangfei, so he would naturally sit next to him.

The other person deliberately did not lower their voice, so everyone around them heard him.

However, no one stood out to say anything, and some even looked between them with the mentality of watching something interesting.

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Since the other party had specifically called out his title, it would not be good for An Zi Ran to pretend as if he did not hear him, so he looked over at the other person. As expected, it was the man who was previously charging around violently on the streets, and then ended up wrecking his own horse carriage – that Zhang Sun Shao Qi. At present, he was looking at An Zi Ran with a face of Schadenfreude.

There was no need to ask for clarification to know what Zhang Sun Shao Qi was trying to say.

An Zi Ran’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he spoke calmly, “If I’m in the wrong place, then did Zhang Sun-gongzi also go to the wrong place?”

“What a joke, this gongzi is a legitimate man, unlike Fu-wangfei. Of course it is natural and proper for me to sit here, but Fu-wangfei, since you married junwang, then shouldn’t you sit with the womenfolk?”

When he said the last sentence, Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s face was full of malice.

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Chapter 136.2 – To Surge Like a Gathering Storm

Standing at the entrance were two figures: one in black and one in white. Everyone’s gazes followed these two as they walked in. First, they looked at Fu Wu Tian, and then at the young man beside him. Just like the maids at the Fu wangfu, everyone was stunned by An Zi Ran.

Didn’t the rumors say that the Fu wangfei was not good looking?

If the young man before them was not good looking, then there were no good-looking people in the whole of Da Ya. No one was stupid enough to think that this young man was not the junwangfei. This kind of occasion cannot be attended by anyone casually; otherwise, it will be disrespectful to the imperial family.

“He seems to look better than when I last saw him.”

Fu Yuan Cheng’s eyes followed An Zi Ran and a faint smiling aura seemed to flow from him, as if he had different feelings towards An Zi Ran each time he saw him.

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Zhao Yi seemed to understand what he was thinking, and said suddenly, “He is the junwang’s wangfei.”

Hearing this, Fu Yuan Cheng gave him a funny look, “Of course I know that he is a Wu Tian’s wangfei. No one knows this better than me.”

On the opposite side, Zhang Sun Shao Qi also happened to arrive at the banquet just then. Because he came over on horseback, his traveling speed was a little faster than Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran. Almost as soon as they stepped into the venue, he came in from behind, but everyone’s attention was on Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran, so not many people noticed him.

“Grandpa.” With a frown, Zhang Sun Shao Qi came in front of Zhang Sun Cheng De.

“I heard that your carriage is broken. Did you come here on horseback?” Zhang Sun Cheng De glanced at him and surreptitiously shook his head.

For a moment, Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s seemed to spark. Then he said in an aggrieved voice: “Grandpa, my carriage was damaged by someone. Your grandson was almost injured. If it wasn’t for luck, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to see you right now.”

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

Zhang Sun Shao Qi deliberately did not tell the truth. He wanted to provoke his grandfather’s anger and have him target Fu Wu Tian, but he was too impatient but forgot, since Zhang Sun Cheng De knew that his carriage was broken, how could he not know the situation at that time?

Zhang Sun Cheng De glanced in the direction of Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran, and said calmly, “You crashed into the Fu wangfu’s carriage, didn’t you?”

Ice shot through Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s heart. His grandpa knew? In the next second, his face flushed red with embarrassment. In front of his grandpa, he was like an infant playing in the sandbox.

“It’s fine as long as you’re okay. But you have to remember not to rampage around on the streets next time. If you hurt someone, the Zhang Sun family will be there to support you, but if you hurt yourself, you will suffer.”

Hearing his grandpa’s calm words spoken in a dignified tone, Zhang Sun Shao Qi showed a happy expression. Grandpa did not blame him, but worried about his safety instead. Did that mean there was no need to be afraid of Fu wangfu?

“Grandpa, I’ll remember your words.”

Zhang Sun Cheng De nodded. At this moment, his attention was not on his grandson, and it was not good to be reprimanding him in such a public venue, so even the cunning and astute him did not notice his grandson’s thoughts. If he knew, he would definitely teach him a lesson before anything else.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Curious eyes followed Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran before looking away again. Everyone’s interest in them was just because the two of them rarely appeared in front of the public, so they were just curious for a while. As for trying to pull Fu Wu Tian into their camp, these people would not rashly extend an olive branch until the emperor’s hostility towards his nephew was eliminated.

For the moment, everyone came to the tacit mutual decision to not approach the two, thus forming an invisible forbidden zone around them.

That was until Fu Yuan Fan appeared. He didn’t want people to know that he had an inextricably linked ‘relationship’ with Fu wangfu, but this was a state banquet, so it was all right to exchange greetings.

“Tangge, Tangfu*.”

[*T/N: Fu Yuan Fan addresses Fu Wu Tian as 堂哥 Tangge, which means “older male patrilineal cousin.” 堂夫 Tangfu is a made up term, and translates to “husband of older male cousin via male line” based on the story’s context.]

Fu Yuan Fan joyfully walked up to them and greeted them very happily. Da Hei followed behind him step by step. He didn’t wear the same helpless expression as they saw before. Instead, he looked like a serious real bodyguard.

An Zi Ran looked him up and down once. Usually, when Fu Yuan Fan left the palace, his clothes would be more casual for the sake of convenience. The majority of his clothes were sunny and vibrant, for example, azure in color. Today was the same, but his clothes were clearly much finer than usual. It was just that the embroidered white peony on his clothes did not really match up with a masculine guy like him.

Fu Yuan Fan followed An Zi Ran’s line of sight and saw the embroidered peony on his clothes. His expression abruptly fell, “My mother chose these clothes for me. I told her I didn’t want this peony, but she said that peonies look nice. A woman’s taste in fashion is naturally good, but I’m clearly a man.”

Fu Wu Tian also looked him over, “Don’t you normally like to show off your literary skills? The peony is a good match for you.”

Fu Yuan Fan just knew that this cousin of his never had nice things to say, so he tactfully left after exchanging a few words.

He didn’t dare to stay with them for too long. His fifth brother kept staring at him. It would be troublesome if his fifth brother started to suspect his tangfu.

Not long after he left, the eunuch’s shrill voice suddenly sounded.

“The emperor and empress have arrived!”

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Reminder: I have complied a character list for this story. Please check the title page for it.

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Chapter 136.1 – To Surge Like a Gathering Storm*

[*T/N: “to surge like a gathering storm” – idiom for to grow by leaps and bounds]

When their carriage reached the main gate of the palace, the guards standing outside stopped them.

Today was the royal state banquet, and the attendees were not low ranking people, so the security was a little tighter than usual. There were also more guards patrolling the city than usual.

Deputy Commander Gong Yun’s eyes flashed when he saw the carriage.

The carriage driver took out the identity card that he had prepared ahead of time and handed it to the guard.

Gong Yun took a look at it, determined that it belonged to the Fu wangfu, and then returned it to the carriage driver: “So it is the wangye. Can you let this commander take a look inside?”

In order to prevent people with malicious intentions from sneaking in, this was a procedure that everyone must go through, even the prime minister. He was responsible for guarding the imperial city. Gong Yun was upright and honest, and he would not make an exception because of the guest’s noble status. These were the reasons why Yu Bo Fei entrusted this important task to him.

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The people inside the carriage did not say anything, but they parted the curtain very cooperatively.

There were only Fu Wutian and An Ziran in the carriage. They didn’t bring anyone else to the state banquet this time. The number of occupants inside the carriage could be clearly determined with one look in.

This was the first time Gong Yun was seeing Fu Wu Tian’s wangfei. The young man sat quietly. The snow-white cloak he wore made him seem flawless and impeccable, just like a while jade sculpture.

Gong Yun nodded at them and had his subordinates step aside to let them through.

Not long after the Fu wangfu’s carriage had entered the palace; Zhang Sun Shao Qi finally arrived late. Due to his damaged carriage, he had no choice but to ride a horse over. Just as he was about to enter the palace with the horse, the guards stopped him.

“What are you doing? This gongzi is here to attend the state banquet.”

Zhang Sun Shao Qi immediately shouted loudly. Because he had just returned to Junzi City, he did not come with Zhang Sun Cheng De. In the past, it was always Zhang Sun Cheng De who attended these events, so Zhang Sun Shao Qi did not know the necessary procedures and rules.

Gong Yun said blankly, “Please show your identity card.”

Zhang Sun Shao Qi raised his chin arrogantly, “I am the prime minister’s grandson, Zhang Sun Shao Qi.”

“Please show your identity card.”

Gong Yun’s tone was cold and hard as he repeated himself again.

Zhang Sun Shao Qi expression sunk, “Didn’t you hear me when I said I was the prime minister’s grandson?”

Gong Yun raised his dark eyes, “Even the prime minister has to show his identity card here. There are no exceptions.”

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Zhang Sun Shao Qi saw that this guard did not know how to be flexible. He snorted coldly, however he still took out his identity card and threw it to the guard. He didn’t dare to make a big deal out of it. He could only secretly make a note of Gong Yun in his mind. He would definitely show this person what was what in the future, so he better pray that he didn’t end up in Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s hands.

After confirming his identity, Gong Yun let him go.

Zhang Sun Shao Qi gave him a cold look, and then arrogantly left.

“Deputy commander, this Zhang Sun Shao Qi seems to be a vengeful person. You have to be careful in the future. I heard that Zhang Sun Cheng De attached great importance to him.” His subordinate saw the look on Zhang Sun Shao Qi’s face when he left, and he felt a little worried for his deputy commander.

“He’s just a wanku*. He can’t make any big waves.” Gong Yun didn’t care. Even if it were Zhang Sun Cheng De, he would not let him do whatever he wanted. Right now, the eldest prince’s party was awfully busy fighting with the second and third prince. He certainly hoped that nothing troublesome would happen.

[*T/N: 纨绔 wanku refers to the children of wealthy families. It implies that they only depend on their family’s money and don’t really know how to do things for themselves.]

The subordinate wasn’t clear on the situation, and there was still a trace of worry on his face.

Gong Yun didn’t intend to explain too much to him.

Taiqing Palace was where the emperor handled his daily government affairs. Every year the state banquet was held there, and it has become habitual ever since the first emperor of the dynasty. Attendees could arrive early or late, but they could never be later than the emperor, so they usually chose to arrive early.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

At this time, the officials were talking in groups of twos and threes. The factions were clearly defined, and it was easy to see who was from which faction at a glance. There was only a quarter of an hour before youshi*, and most of them had already arrived, except for some of the more fussy ones, or those who deliberately waited until the last moment to arrive to elevate their sense of existence, or to prove that their identity was extraordinary before appearing on the stage.

[*T/N: 酉时 youshi – based on ancient time keeping system, it is the time between 5 and 7 pm]

But this did not include Fu Wu Tian and An Zi Ran.

The two have never attended a state banquet before. This included Fu Wu Tian, who was a member of the imperial family.

He stayed at the country’s borders all year round and didn’t come back very often, so he has never participated in one of these events even once. Even when he did come to the capital, he would leave and go back to the borders in a hurry. So when the eunuch announced, “junwang and junwangfei has arrive,” everyone present was silent for a split second.

As one everyone looked at the door in unison.

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