Chapter 14
I’m not going to say that this is what Jing
guifei
really looks like but the presence it gives is something like what I imagined. Maybe Jing
guifei
when she was younger?
Chapter Fourteen A Pig For An Opponent?
The Imperial Palace of the Da Long Dynasty had been rebuilt on the foundations of the previous dynasty’s palace. At the beginning when the members of the He family had overturned the despot of the previous dynasty, they had taken care of many of the licentious yet famous and powerful families. So when they furnished their imperial palace, they tried to go the route of simple yet grand.
Qu Qing Ju followed the guidance of the palace girl as she walked forward. She passed by one grand building after another. No matter how frugal the founding emperor had been, while the present Da Long dynasty’s excess were not equal to the lavishness of the previous dynasty, but it was still beautiful clothing, delicious food, and amusement abound.
“Duan Wang Fei, please walk this way,” The person leading the way was a palace maid that had a rank and was of some use to Jing fei. This palace maid’s attitude, from the calm one when they came, had instantly changed around and put herself in a low position. From a little palace maid to her present position, her most important asset had been a pair of perceptive eyes. From her first look of Duan Wang Fei today, she had understood. Duan Wang Fei was different than before.
Regardless of whether
niangniang
did or didn’t like Duan Wang Fei, she was only a palace maid and didn’t have the courage to offend this kind of a Duan Wang Fei. She respectfully guided them into the entrance of Zhong Jing Palace and retreated to one side to allow Ding
mama
, who served by
niangniang
’s side to take them inside.
The high-quality
Yun
brocade slid soundlessly across the smooth ground. She looked at the red of the dress and dazedly raised her head. She could only see, against the light, that red shadow walked each step steadily and calmly.
”
Wang fei
and the two
ce fei
, please sit,
niangniang
would come out soon,” Ding
mama
directed the little palace maid to serve tea and personally placed a cup of tea in front of Qu Qing Ju. She smiled and said: “This old servant congratulates
wang fei
for a successful recovery.”
“Ding
mama
is too courteous,” Qu Qing Ju sat on the chair and held out her hand to falsely help her up, “It was due to the good fortune of
mufei
and
wang ye
. These days, I haven’t been able to come to
mufei
’s side and serve, it was unfilial of me as an
erxifu
.
Niangniang
wasn’t angry but concerned, it was all my fault.”
Ding
mama
’s gaze fell onto the blood red bangle resting on that porcelain wrist. She smiled, bowed and said: ”
Niangniagn
knew it was because
wang fei
’s body wasn’t well. She wouldn’t be angry over such a small matter. For
wang fei
’s body to get better, that was what
niangniang
really wishes for.”
Qu Qing Ju smiled and lowered her head slightly. This Ding
mama
was a trusted confidant of Jing
fei
. She always had a smile on her face and the feeling people had upon seeing her was friendly. Even the original Qu Qing Ju had like her very much. But when she had met her today, she felt that this Ding
mama
wasn’t a simple character.
There were no simple women in this imperial palace. Ding
mama
had been by Jing
fei
’s side for many years and was the most trusted and relied upon. Her attribute couldn’t be this friendliness. Beside the venerable Jing
fei
, there couldn’t be simple people.
“I caused
mufei
to worry,” Qu Qing Ju sighed, her expression slightly pained as she said, “I was heavily ill these past days, I had thought … … thankfully I recovered.”
Ding
mama
had heard the news that Duan Wang Fei almost didn’t make it. At the time, she had, on behalf of
niangniang
, left the palace to bestow many gifts. No wonder Duan Wang Fei was drastically different than in the past. She probably had been frightened by that illness.
People, when they walked past death’s threshold, they would understand many things. Seeing
wang fei
right now, she probably understood a lot.
Wang ye
had favoured her recently. There had been news from others that said
wang ye
had been residing day after day in
zhengyuan
. Looking at her appearance, she did have the capital to attract men.
”
Wang fei
has plenty of good fortune and naturally could overcome the misfortunes,” Ding
mama
smiled as she received the words. Hearing noise from outside the door, she closed her mouth and moved over.
Qu Qing Ju turned her head to look. She saw a beautiful matron wearing an orange palace dress, supporting herself with one hand on a
taijian
’s hand, calmly walk in. The beautiful matron looked like she was just over thirty years old. Even if her face was rather mediocre, it couldn’t disguise the allure between her brows.
This was Jing
fei
. Qu Qing Ju stood and went forward: ”
Erxi
greets
mufei
.” The two
ce fei
stood behind her and followed with the greeting, but they referred to themselves as ”
nu
”
“No need for courtesy, sit down,” Jing
fei
’s steps slowed as she looked at Qu Qing Ju from top to bottom. She sat at the front and took a sip of the tea that Ding
mama
presents. Seeing the three sit down, she opened again: ”
Ben gong
heard that Qing Ju’s body has recovered and wanted to take a look. Seeing you now, I feel that your face looks much better than before. This bright-red cotton trailing
Yun
brocade dress is complicated and lavish, most people can’t wear it. You wear it well.”
”
Erxi
thanks
mufei
for the compliment,” Qu Qing Ju looked at Jing
fei
with eyes full of childish admiration, ”
Erxi
hadn’t dared to wear it originally, but thought that this color was celebratory and of good fortune.
Erxi
had just recovered from a big sickness and it is much better to be celebratory when coming to pay respects to
mufei
. Thankfully,
mufei
also likes what
erxi
is wearing, otherwise
erxi
wouldn’t know what to do.
Feng Zi Jin, sitting to one side, felt her mouth slightly quiver.
Niangniang
was implying that she dressed too lavishly. Was Qu Qing Ju really stupid or pretending to be stupid that she really believed that
niangniang
was complimenting her?
The hand that held the teacup slightly stopped, the motion Jing
fei
did to set down the teacup seemed to be heavier than normal. She looked with a normal expression at Qu Qing Ju. Seeing her smile happily, she asked: “Clothing isn’t important, what is important is the intention.
Ben gong
heard yesterday that you had been unhappy with your family, Chang De Gong Fu. This thing has spread all over Jing City, what really happened?”
“There’s this thing?” Qu Qing Ju’s eyes widened and she said in confusion: “What are they saying in Jing City?”
“Ding
mama
, you tell
wang fei
,” Jing
fei
took a sip of tea to suppress that bit of agitation inside, “As a
wang fei
, you have to know some things about Jing City. Otherwise, how could you be
wang ye
’s good wife”
Qu Qing Ju, upon hearing this, stood to beg for forgiveness: “It is
erxi
’s fault. These past days have been filled with managing the
houyuan
and neglected to pay attention to the happenings outside the
fu
.
Mufei
, please set a punishment.”
Jing
fei
felt the roots of her teeth seemed to ache. These words just didn’t seem right. In the Da Long Dynasty, it wasn’t as restricting towards women as it had been in the previous dynasty, but it was still men on the outside, women inside. What was forgetting to pay attention to happenings outside the
fu
? Did she, her
popo
, have to tell her
erxifu
to meddle with things outside the
fu
?
Facing the feeling of powerlessness in this chicken-talking-to-duck conversation, Jing
fei
, in the end, could only push the teacup further away. In her understanding of Qu Qing Ju of the past, this
erxi
didn’t dare disobey her. So what she had said before, she wasn’t suspicious, but when she heard the words, her heart felt like it was blocked up.
“Your body wasn’t well the past days, it was correct to manage the
houyuan
these two days,” Jing
fei
smiled and let Qu Qing Ju sit before dismissing Ding
mama
from reciting the story, “It isn’t a major thing,
mufei
wouldn’t punish you. Really, this incident doesn’t have too much connection to you. It was Chang De Gong Fu’s behavior that was lacking, it just spread to you, such a good good
erxifu
.”
To say bad things about the home of the married
erxi
, wasn’t this putting her
erxi
’s face to the floor and stomping on it? It was a pity that Qu Qing Ju didn’t think of Chang De Gong Fu as her home. She wasn’t pained or tickled by Jing
fei
’s words so just pretend that she didn’t really care.
”
Mufei
has treated
erxi
so well,
erxi
doesn’t know what to do,” Qu Qing Ju, deeply moved, looked at Jing Fei, ”
Erxi
had obtained some little playthings these past days, and wanted to let
mufei
play with them too, hopefully
mufei
wouldn’t dislike them.”
What was this deeply moved and then giving gifts? Do you know that
ben gong
is criticizing you? Do you know
ben gong
looks down at you? Do you know that this is
ben gong
being unsatisfied with you?! What are you moved about?!
Jing
fei
inhaled, smiled and said: “Come, come, you don’t give stuff. As long as you are all fine,
mufei
is satisfied.” Have to be calm,
ben gong
is Jing
fei
,
ben gong
is the high and noble Jing
fei
.
Qu Qing Ju saw that the smile on Jing
fei
’s face become warmer and warmer, the childish admiration on her own face became even more visible: ”
Wang ye
and
erxi
live outside the place, and cannot expresse our filial love daily to
mufei
. But we thought that these little amusements could make
mufei
happier. If
mufei
is happy, it is the best thing for
wang ye
and
erxi
.”
Feng Zi Jin saw the harmonious situation in front of her and felt disappointed. Didn’t
niangniang
not like Qu Qing Ju as her
erxi
, why was she smiling brighter and brighter? And these gifts, did
niangniang
like them that much that
niangniang
was that happy? In the past, what Qu Qing Ju had presented wasn’t simple but
niangniang
hadn’t given a hint of a smile then.
The most painful thing in the world wasn’t being pointed at and scolded indirectly but you pointing at somebody and scolding indirectly but the person didn’t understand and assumed that you were complimenting her. Jing
fei
had lived in the imperial palace for many years and was used to words that took nine curves and eighteen turns. And her opponents were the most skilled. Suddenly meeting a pig of an opponent, she finally understood the pain of a punch landing in cotton.
Or was it that the dull personality of Qu Qing Ju had been a pretence and she was purposefully acting this way today to make her angry? Jing
fei
’s eyes narrowed and she couldn’t help but carefully examine Qu Qing Ju.
After the examination, she suddenly fell, this
erxifu
of her’s had a pretty good appearance and her smile was very inviting. Remembering when the Emperor had just decreed the marriage, the dull look when the Duchess of Chang De took her into the palace to give thanks, Jing
fei
couldn’t help but furrow her brows and look at Qu Qing Ju’s present appearance.
She didn’t know the Emperor had listened to the persuasions of which whore in this
hougong
to want to bestow Qu Qing Ju to her son. He kept on saying that this girl’s eight words carried good fortune. After loudly formalizing the arrangement, he had no shame and said to her, he had given Heng’er a good wife. She really didn’t know how bad his eyes were to see a dead fish’s eye as a pearl.
Automatically blaming this onto her rival Shu
fei
, Jing
fei
came back from her thoughts. She tilted her head as she gazed at Qu Qing Ju. Originally, she had wanted to keep dealing blows at the other but that desire had retreated. There was no taste to playing music at the cow.
Jiang Yong Yu had been keeping her head down and drinking tea. She raised her head to look at Jing Fei and then at
wang fei
with a smile on her face and then silently lowered her head.
Instantly, the room sank into a strange sort of silence. But this silence was only a quick instant because the
taijian
outside made an announcement that broke the silence.Th.ê most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m
“Duan Wang has arrived.”
The palace maids and
taijian
serving inside the room took a breath as though something terrifying just disappeared. They silently moved their heads lower towards the door.
Today … … the magic clouds on the soft palace boots that Duan Wang wore today were so good-looking.
云锦: brocade made in Jiangsu. In history, it was once exclusive to the Imperial Family and the common saying was one inch of gold, one inch of brocade (both brocade and gold have the same pronunciation in Chinese)
本宫: illeism for imperial consorts. “this palace”
贤内助: also means virtuous inner assistant.
Pigs are considered dumb.
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