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Sacrificing Oneself to Feed the Goose
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!
Yu Lingxin’s heart couldn’t help but slightly tighten. She naturally knew exactly what Xun Che was preparing for in this half year. Just, before, she’d always thought that the past life’s raging storms of the court, where even the blades were crossed, can still wait until a little later.
“You mean—-” She thought for a moment, still deciding to confirm again.
Xun Che’s voice was pressed extremely low. However, when he poured out those few words, landing in Yu Lingxin’s ear, it was still like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, the earth quaking, the mountains shaking.
Even if knowing many things that had once occurred in the past life, and it was essentially unavoidable, also knowing that based on Xun Che’s means and intelligence, in addition to the complete turnaround of the state of affairs in this life, these plans probably can all succeed, but this kind of major matter still made her a bit scared.
She really didn’t want to see the people she loved get hurt again, “Shenzhi, is this really a hundred percent safe?”
Xun Che lightly caressed her back, “In the past, I also once felt that intelligence surpassed others, my calculations perfect, able to ensure absolute certainty. However, given the various tragedies in the past life, even Ying’er and Qi Ke sinking into such a deadlock in this life, I already no longer dare to rashly say anything for sure. Just, this kind of plan is already the best of what I can think of now. Moreover, the longer we wait, the greater the variables.”
Pausing for a moment, he once again lowered his voice, “In the past life, Li Consort’s imperial favor never once faltered. His Majesty also indeed doted on the second prince the most. That’s why, the Zhu family’s various assassinations, poisonings, and such schemes were all directed at his Highness Qin Wang, and I, as well as the Jin Duke Manor. But, now, as things change with the passing of time, Li Consort’s advantage is increasingly small, so is it possible that this method might be used on others, for instance, on his Majesty?”
Yu Lingxin followed along his words and carefully pondered, increasingly sensing the subtle balance in between, also further understanding why Xun Che would think of striking first.
Practically out of instinct, she turned and had Xun Che held even tighter, but didn’t say anything.
Yu Lingxin knew, she didn’t need to say. Xun Che understood. The path in the past life and this life all weren’t easy. At present, although it was much better, the threats and hidden dangers were still ahead.
But, no matter what, she will always be together with him.
Xun Che lowered his head to kiss her. Her feelings, he indeed understood, also sensing. The warmth and tenderness in his arms was both the light amidst the depths of despair in his past life, and also the power to go forward in this life.
Sometimes, he even felt that as long as he kiss his Huijun a few more times, and then return to the court, vigorously battling a few hundred rounds with the court officials that had varying thoughts and complex stances, it was also nothing.
And in reality, both didn’t disappoint him.
Yu Lingxin, who has meticulously nursed her health for more than half a year, the mother and child both healthy, after finishing her one-month post-childbirth confinement period, her graceful bearing further surpassed the past. And this experience of becoming a mother also gave her a bit more of a different kind of charm. That’s why, after several days of anxiety and stress, Yu Lingxin very generously let Xun Che enjoy himself a few times, the strong feelings and sweetness between them even surpassed their newlywed days.
And on the other side, the rejuvenated Xun Che also indeed began encountering even greater attacks in court. On one hand, the questions regarding his moral character previously never once ceased, and as Xun old madam once again became bedridden after Yu Lingxin gave birth, some doubts increasingly got deliberately dug out by others to endlessly nag about.
Of course, what was more important was naturally the matter of establishing the heir apparent. The political state of affairs so far, regardless whether it was through marriage ties, or political views, every aspect have already had the imperial court from top to bottom clearly divided up by factions. Xun Che, as well as the entire Wen’an Marquis Manor, naturally, without a doubt, can be considered part of the faction that supported Qin Wang.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
And when the discussions regarding the heir apparent reached the end of the seventh month, as Empress Wen’s condition didn’t seem to improve, as the fourth prince Zhao Wang’s health wavered, the proposition of establishing the di increasingly didn’t get supported already. In fact, about twenty percent of the officials that originally supported establishing the di already have signs of changing sides. Additionally, there was also a portion of people that suggested Xuan Emperor to have the matter of establishing the heir apparent pushed back for another period of time. To put it bluntly, it was just letting Zhao Wang recuperate some more.
Although the officials that supported establishing the virtuous greatly surpassed those that supported the di, exactly whether it was Qin Wang that was virtuous or Wu Wang, the disputes naturally were even more intense, especially given that the debates previously still revolved around the old examples, as well as how to praise the respective princes they supported. By the end of the seventh month, the old examples from the current dynasty and previous dynasty that can be boasted, can be praised, and can even be dug out as reference have already more or less all been argued over. Next, it was just mutually attacking one another.
Just, the court officials practically all didn’t expect that in this round of debate, the first to jump out and indicate that Qin Wang’s personal character had problems was actually Side Consort Deng’s father, Fuyuan General, Deng Hong.
It also just so happened to be at this time when Ming Jinrou was nearing childbirth. General Deng reported upon the court, indicating that Qin Wang’s treatment of his wife and concubines had inappropriate areas. His own daughter, who has married into Qin Wang Manor for almost a year, even under the circumstance where the main consort is pregnant, was still a virgin. It can be seen that Qin Wang’s nature was partial and unjust, not lenient in treating those below him. And Qin Wangfei, Ming Jinrou, evidently doesn’t have the dignified and magnanimous stance of a main wife. This kind of narrow-minded jealous wife truly wasn’t suited to be the mother of the country. That’s why, if really establishing the virtuous, then it was still Wu Wang that was more suitable. By treating the side consorts and concubines equally and fairly, in the future, he can also equally grant favor to the imperial harem, greatly spreading the leaves and branches for the imperial family.
This memorandum, for Xun Che, as well as the important ministers of the Inner Cabinet, was practically laughable to the point of outrageousness. For successive dynasties and generations, when has there ever been a prince or imperial clansman whose future prospects were hindered because of not copulating with a side consort?
Just, although this can’t become an ‘argument’, it wasn’t completely unsupported. To put it bluntly, everyone all had personal motives. The book of the sage naturally teach that the land under the heavens belong to the people, everyone strive to be good, elect the virtuous for the country, and such big principles, but when it comes to picking sides in the battle for the throne, what was usually valued more was still the benefits and interests.
If looking at it from this perspective, General Deng’s memorandum was actually still very powerful. For the most part, it was indirectly warning his colleagues, supporting Qin Wang may not necessarily earn you any additional benefits.
That’s why, the outcome of this memorandum was just, the Imperial Censorate that posed as neutral and the scholars of the Hanlin Academy successively start to come out and criticize the logic and arguments in General Deng’s memorandum, while the noble families and imperial clansmen had quite a few that expressed their agreement and support.
And at the same time while the imperial court was endlessly arguing, the womenfolk of the capital naturally also obtained this gossip———His Highness Qin Wang has married and taken in concubines for almost a year now, yet never mind only favoring Qin Wangfei, Ming Jinrou, how come the other two side consorts were both still virgins?
His Highness Qin Wang sure enough was a stubborn one!
Of course, there were also quite a few that talked about Ming Jinrou being easily jealous. Regardless of whether the people that said this were merely dumb from having studied too much ‘Feminine Teachings’ and ‘Feminine Virtues’, or purely jealous that Ming Jinrou has this kind of good fortune, able to ‘easily jealous and solely pampered’, all in all, the gossips aimed at Ming Jinrou for not being virtuous still rapidly spread, further accompanied by the pleasure towards her misfortune, believing that Ming Jinrou being easily jealous and not virtuous perhaps will affect Qin Wang’s originally promising potential of becoming the heir apparent and so on.
When these words passed on to the Xun family, Ming Huayue just coldly sneered, expressing that there was no need to pay attention to those gossipers. But, when it passed on to the Jin Duke Manor, the pot instead exploded. Ming Yunji who loved his daughter dearly practically slammed the table in fury, immediately just having his son, Ming Jincheng, who just happened to be nearby scolded again, once again regretting having his daughter married into the imperial family.
Ming Jincheng was also very helpless and can only ask Xun Che and Yu Lingxin for help. In addition to Yu Lingxin herself also indeed worried about Ming Jinrou, after receiving the news, she immediately went to visit.
Ming Jinrou’s stomach at this time was even bigger than Yu Lingxin’s when nearing labor, but because she practiced martial arts and had a good foundation, her spirit was still very good. When taking a walk everyday in the gardens, she simply didn’t need the servant girls to support her, or perhaps, should say, if not getting blocked by the servant girls with all their might, Ming Jinrou actually even wanted to try waving the sword with a big stomach, practicing some moves, and whatnot.
After all, the previous dynasty’s Xiangmin Empress, that is Ming Jinrou’s great aunt of six to seven generations ago, Ming-shi, had left behind a legendary reputation of going onto the battlefield and killing the enemy while pregnant.
Of course, Yu Lingxin only heard this from the servant girls’ complaints after arriving at Qin Wang Manor. When she heard, she was also dumbstruck, “Jinrou, you really are too daring. What kind of time is it now, in a few more days, the little highness will come out. You still dare to think about these?”
Ming Jinrou just laughed, “Cousin-in-law, don’t listen to them talk nonsense, that was during the fifth month. Besides, in the end, I didn’t get to practice the sword. Actually, Little Imperial Physician Chi said it was fine. Just, the dumb goose didn’t agree, so I gave up.”
Yu Lingxin practically wanted to facepalm and sigh. Compared to Xun Che’s gloominess lately, Ming Jinrou was completely just the other extreme. Nothing was more optimistic than her, as if everything all wasn’t a problem. Yu Lingxin thought for a moment, but still reached out to poke Ming Jinrou’s forehead, “I can’t believe you, during Duanyang (fifth of fifth month), you were also around seven to eight months into your pregnancy. When others are pregnant with a child, they don’t even dare to hold scissors, yet you hate that you can’t go through all the swords and spears. Thank goodness your wangye can still keep you under control a little.”
Ming Jinrou slanted her mouth, “How is our dumb goose just keeping me under control a little. Never mind him staring at me everyday when he’s in the capital, even when he’d gone to the northwest, that was also sending long-winded letters every two to three days, letting me not eat this, not do that. I sometimes feel those guards in the manor are all his eyes and ears, precisely left behind by the dumb goose to watch me, so annoying!”
Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but laugh, “Aiyooyoo, this really is a new way of being loving. You’re not even embarrassed to tell me something like this. ‘So annoying’, really that annoying? Then, how come still tightly holding and not letting go?”
“Even if annoying, still mine.” Ming Jinrou also laughed, her brows and eyes curving, full of sweetness, “Such a dim-witted and annoying dumb goose, bothering me alone is enough, can’t let him go bother others. Even if others say I’m easily jealous and petty, that also can’t be helped. I’m precisely this kind-hearted by nature, can also be considered sacrificing myself to feed the big goose.”
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“sacrificing myself to feed the dumb goose”!!!!! lmaooooo