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Going into Labor
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Seeing this essay, Yu Lingxin’s feelings were extremely complicated, truly not knowing what this pure and noble scholar was planning.
Looking at it from the surface, Qi Ke, who currently for the most part can already be said to have very clearly become Wu Wang’s trusted aide, can be considered very qualifying. Not just being even more diligent than in the past life on the various essays attacking Xun Che, in fact, when listening to Bai Guo report the news outside everyday, she would also frequently hear various news about Qi Ke.
For instance, Qi Ke really became the club supervisor for the poetry club in Wei Wang Manor. Just, that poetry club wasn’t the initially rumored ‘Linglang Literature Club’, and further not comprised of those liangyuans and concubines in Wei Wang Manor, but rather, openly inviting the students from the various academies, going to Cangcui Mountain, Jingfu Temple, Wangchuan Pavilion, or the villas north of the capital and such every three to five days to recite poetry and compose essays.
Although the subject of the poems and essays all mainly focused on the natural scenery, and won’t discuss about officialdom or the economy, but everyone knew about Qi Ke’s current relationship with Wu Wang and Wei Wang. With the two princes supporting, every poetry club gathering was all refined to the extreme, from the four treasures of the study, to the musical instruments, then to the tea, dessert, and servants, every single item all sophisticated and fancy. And aside from the amiable Wu Wang and Wei Wang being present, the extremely beautiful Ruiyang Junzhu and the elegantly graceful Yongfu Junzhu would also arrive practically every time, greatly increasing the attractiveness of the poetry club towards the young scholars.
And the person that arranged these poetry gatherings was actually Qi Ke. In fact, he wasn’t just a scholar that put up his name, going over to give guidance on verses and discuss literary works. He would even voluntarily go between each academy, inviting students, widely spreading invitations, to the point where even Yu Zhengshan, and the children of the Nie and Lou family, these people that were either related to or friends with the Xun family, also got dragged in.
This already wasn’t simply creating a reputation of respecting the wise for Wu Wang. In fact, this was directly pulling people from the scholars and sons of officials that supported the Xun family and Qin Wang.
At this time, if to still say that Qi Ke was just pretending to cast himself under Wu Wang, seemingly this act was a bit overboard?
Those pure and noble moral integrity of his originally, the upright character of a scholar, and whatnot, he really all didn’t want anymore?
In addition to those rumors about Yongfu Junzhu and Qi Ke becoming closer and closer, Yu Lingxin practically felt that the current Qi Ke and the Qi Ke of the past life were about to become two completely different people.
When mentioning these matters, Xun Che’s complexion was also dark. Just, looking at Yu Lingxin’s increasingly swollen stomach, he still forcibly adjusted his emotions, softly consoling, “These things, at present, are still hard to say. However, Huijun, you don’t need to worry too much. According to the date calculated by Little Chi, our little guy is about to come out. The matters outside, I naturally will take care of. You just need to peacefully rest and wait for him.”
Yu Lingxin lightly stroked her own stomach, also adjusting her posture in Xun Che’s arms, having her increasingly sore waist firmly supported against him before finally sighing, “Ever since Duanyang to now, pretending to be ill and not going out, I’ve rested to the point where I’m about to become stiff all over. If not for Bai Guo telling me about the matters outside everyday, it almost feels like sitting in prison. Right now, I’m just hoping for this little guy to quickly come out, so that I can also have an easier time.”
Xun Che reached out to massage Yu Lingxin’s lower waist, his movements extremely practiced, at the same time, also going to kiss the corner of her forehead, “We are also being extra careful this way. Although Cide Hall’s means are limited, but just like Xun Tan had said, if Li mama really were to use the methods from the palace, we ultimately can’t do much about it. If by chance Cide Hall’s chair were to secretly have a needle, or adding some strong drug into the incense, even if when time comes, I turn around and crucify Zhaoyang Hall and Changchun Palace, letting our child get harmed ultimately isn’t worth it. You must have been stuffy these days. When the little guy comes out, I will take you out everyday, alright?”
“The empty words and promises said rather nicely, yet where do you have the time to accompany me out everyday?” Yu Lingxin snuggled against his arms again. At the same time, she also turned around to caress Xun Che’s cheek, somewhat heartaching upon touching, “You’ve lost weight again recently. Have you been secretly sneaking to the study at night after I go to sleep everyday?”
Xun Che smiled, “Not everyday, just occasionally. His Highness is about to return to the capital. The state of affairs in the northwest is very complicated. Because of acting too early, some things are different from the past life. I’m just planning some, just to be safe.”
“Don’t be too anxious.” Although his tone was very relaxed, Yu Lingxin nevertheless made out the worry that he deliberately suppressed. After all, the northwest’s military affairs and border defense can be considered the major matter that Xun Che was never able to put down all the way until he passed away in the past life. In the past life, aside from avenging his family, the two things that he was the most concerned about in terms of governmental affairs, one was the northwest’s military affairs and border defense, and the other was the reformation of the tax law.
The latter was later completed ten years after Xun Che passed away by Qi Ke who had rose up step by step. As for the thorough investigation of the northwest’s military affairs and the reorganization of the border defense, it was instead personally supervised and tightly pursued by Qin Wang after he ascended the throne. For the most part, it was also mobilizing several dozen officials, as well as over ten thousand troops, using four years to thoroughly clean up.
But, before that, because of the bad practices related to the military affairs, in addition to the negligence over the border defense and collusion with the enemy, Great Sheng already lost quite a bit of soldiers and army provisions. The damage and harm the commoners at the border town suffered was further unable to be assessed. As such, after Xun Che’s rebirth, although he temporarily attached the most importance to the princes’ battle for the throne in the capital, but the northwest’s matters have always been on his mind.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
This time, pushing Qin Wang to go investigate the northwest, it is both for the sake of adding bargaining chips for Qin Wang in the battle for the throne, and at the same time, also hoping to be able to purge the northwest even earlier.
Just, the garrison troops and generals in the northwest, as well as the local officials, have been stationed in the northwest for many years or even many generations, passing down from generation to generation, their influence and connections deeply-rooted and tangled. Their relationship with the capital, the surrounding provinces, and even with North Rong and West Di, were all complicated. During the previous emperor’s time, he also once wanted to thoroughly investigate and reorganize the northwest, yet in the end, after two rounds of inspection with the imperial envoy, pressured by the war with North Rong and West Di, for the sake of stability, he temporarily ignored the northwest’s condition.
It can be said that what Xun Che wanted to do now, although was beneficial for the country and the people, it was nevertheless extremely difficult.
“I know.” Xun Che had Yu Lingxin held a bit tighter, “I have an understanding inside, don’t worry.”
Yu Lingxin also knew that there was nothing more to say. At this time, letting him worry less was probably the most important. The couple then started talking about the arrangements after the child is born, as well as some casual matters, before going to bed together.
And in the following few days, clamor outside from all levels of society increasingly boiled. The discussions regarding the northwest increased more and more. In fact, there were even rumors that had passed on to the capital. Some say that Qin Wang, relying on his position as an imperial prince, reigned tyranny in the northwest, disregarding the old local officials’ loyalty. Some also say that Qin Wang was reckless and arrogant in conduct, ignorantly interfering in the bandit purging operations in the northwest, to the extent that the accompanying guards suffered losses. Some even say that Qin Wang boosted having strong martial arts, recklessly risking danger or endangering his life.
However, when these various negative rumors spread to the capital, reaching Xuan Emperor’s ears, what it all got in exchange was just Xuan Emperor’s thundering fury as well as the continued investigation into the northwest. An urgent decree, as well as six hundred soldiers from the Yulin army, quickly headed for the northwest overnight, taking along Xuan Emperor’s bestowed sword, ordering Qin Wang that he can act first and report later during the investigation process, absolutely not letting him be restricted or obstructed in any way.
Meanwhile, the accusations of misconduct directed at Xun Che by the scholars also rapidly increased. For the most part, right when the formal decree regarding his promotion to a low third rank Councilor of the Central Secretariat officially passed through the Central Secretariat, the criticisms towards Xun Che outside also suddenly increased by several-folds.
This kind of clamor even continued to rise, all the way until the seventeenth of the sixth month, when Qin Wang finally returned to the capital to meet the emperor. Xun Che also entered the palace together. And precisely at this time, inside the Wen’an Marquis Manor, Yu Lingxin suddenly collapsed from the pain coming from her abdomen, actually about to give birth!
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