The change in the head of this household’s attitude naturally couldn’t be hidden from servants. Before Ji Man had returned to Feiwan Courtyard to carry out Marquis Moyu’s order, Steward Qian had already hand over the account book to Qian Siling. 

  In a harem, managing the account book was the equivalent to having an empress’s authority and power. If she didn’t manage the account book, she wouldn’t have much to do as the matriarch. 

  Feeling indignant on her master’s behalf, Dengxin said, “Why didn’t the marquis tell you why he’s giving you the cold shoulder? At the very least, he should let you know what you did wrong, ah.” 

  Ji Man shook her head. No matter how much women competed for power and status, in the end, it was men that would decide their fate. This was the root of evil that existed in ancient times. 

  She had to think of a way to return to modern-day! 

  A servant girl that worked in outer part of Feiwan Courtyard came inside to report, “Master, there’s a person from Nie Residence that requesting to see you.” 

  Ji Man froze in surprise for a moment. She hadn’t been back for long. Was there was already activity on that side? 

  As she hurriedly rushed over there and listened to that dependable servant girl’s accounting of what was going on, Ji Man’s heart felt waves of coldness. 

  Chen-shi wanted Qingyun to take one of Yanyun Clan’s concubine-born daughters as his concubine, but Nie Qingyun had refused. Instead, he went to a brothel and stayed there for three days. At the end of day three, he brought back a courtesan with him. Chen-shi was furious. And yet, Nie Qingyun said that this courtesan was his true love. 

  True love, my ass! Ji Man didn’t even have to guess to know that Errong must be wretchedly crying right now. At the beginning, everyone had known that this was an alliance marriage, but Errong had whole-heartedly devoted herself to Nie Qingyun. And yet, the end result was that he brought back a woman and said that this woman was his true love. Ji Man hated that high heels didn’t exist in this world. Otherwise, even if Nie Qingyun was Nie Sangyu’s older brother, she would still stomp down hard on his feet. 

  This dynasty clearly didn’t have brain-dead romance novels or TV shows that promoted true love. Why did one fool after another use the excuse of true love to throw away the wife he had at home? Why couldn’t you just keep the identity of your true love hidden in your heart? Saying it aloud was so hurtful. 

  When she arrived at Nie Residence in a mad rush, to her surprise, Nie Xiangyuan was also there. The entire family was in the great hall. Nie Qingyun and a woman that was wearing a dancer’s outfit was kneeling on the ground. Ji Man raised her head and looked at Errong first. 

  To her surprise, Errong wasn’t crying. She was just quietly standing and looking at those two kneeling people. Her expression was very calm as if she was only watching a servant saluting her. 

  Seeing his daughter standing in the doorway, Nie Xiangyuan gestured at her and asked, “Sangyu, why did you come back?” 

  Although she hadn’t met Nie Sangyu’s father many times, Ji Man had already formed a good impression of him. It was because his eyes were filled with affection when he looked at his children. 

  Ji Man politely saluted Nie Xiangyuan and Chen-shi, then she sat down on the side and said, “Sangyu heard that older brother is taking a concubine. At the very least, Sangyu had facilitated the marriage between him and Errong, so Sangyu wanted to come and see what was happening.” 

  The kneeling woman quietly raised her head to look at the new arrival, and their gazes met. 

  This woman had a beautiful appearance and an alluring style. There was a light birthmark between her eyebrows, and her lips were a soft pink. When she saw Nie Sangyu, there was an astonished look in her eyes that was quickly replaced with understanding. She lowered her head and wryly laughed. 

  Ji Man was struck dumb. She incredulously looked at Nie Qingyun. 

  Although this woman’s facial features weren’t similar to Nie Sangyu’s, her overall figure and bearing, as well as her shallow birthmark placement were exactly the same as Nie Sangyu’s. Why? 

  She wasn’t the only one with eyes in the hall. Nie Xiangyuan and Chen-shi had already seen the similarity. Ning Errong wasn’t stupid either. 

  Ji Man’s heart suddenly felt chilled. She turned her head and looked at Errong. 

  No wonder Errong couldn’t even bear to cry. If it was another women, she could at least ask why. But, out of all the possible choices, why had Nie Qingyun brought back a woman that looked so similar to Nie Sangyu? 

  The great hall was silent. It was Nie Qingyun that broke the silence by calmly saying, “Mother wanted me to take a concubine, so I brought Geshan home. She’s already pregnant with my child.” 

  Ning Errong let out a brief, quiet laugh. 

  Chen-shi‘s expression was extremely ugly. In a low voice, she reprimanded, “I wanted you to take a concubine, not bring home a dirty creature. I selected Miss Meng for you. Why did you refuse my choice?” 

  Nie Xiangyuan pressed lips together. “Mind your manners when you speak.” 

  Feeling resentful, Chen-shi turned her head and hatefully glared at Nie Sangyu. 

  Ji Man thought that it would have been better if she hadn’t come here. It was such an awkward situation. She didn’t know how to defuse it. 

  Did Nie Qingyun have a sister complex? Although she had seen that these two had a very good sibling relationship from Nie Sangyu’s memories, there were no romantic feelings between them. Nie Qingyun had just been protecting Nie Sangyu. 

  “Mother, father, if the two of you won’t agree, then Qingyun can have Geshan stay outside in a separate household.” Nie Qingyun slightly turned his head to glance at Ning Errong, then he pursed his lips and said, “But didn’t you all insist on wanting a grandchild? My child can’t be left outside to wander about in destitute state, right?” 

  Nie Xiangyuan’s expression sunk. “It’s okay that you’re considering the need for the family line to continue so that there will be descendants to burn incense for our ancestors. But, Qingyun, why haven’t you considered Errong’s feelings?” 

  Ning Errong was still smiling. She shook her head and said, “It’s alright. I did this to myself. I was the one that said he could take a concubine. He’ll have a descendant now. I should be feeling happy for him.” 

  Although she said that she should be feeling happy, she couldn’t stop her eyes from reddening. 

  Ji Man opened and closed her mouth. But, under the circumstances, she really didn’t have the right to speak. She could only bitterly smile at Nie Qingyun. 

  He had already been protecting Nie Sangyu for so long. Why would he do something like this now? 

  “Have this girl stay in the other estate for now.” Nie Xiangyuan glanced at his son, then he stood up and said, “Sangyu, Qingyun, come to the study with me. I have questions for the both of you.” 

  Nie Qingyun slightly paused before getting up and replying, “Understood.”


  Chapter 288 – In the blink of an eye, all the riches and honor had vanished like smoke (1) 

  In Nie Sangyu’s memories, her older brother and father were the two people that treated her the best in Nie Residence. Although there were occasional times when her father didn’t have time for her, her older brother was always there to side with her. He even helped her when she had confrontations with Chen-shi. And so, whenever a problem came up in the marquis’s estate before, Nie Qingyun would be the first person that Nie Sangyu would ask for help. 

  But, right now, as they were standing in front of Nie Xiangyuan, Nie Qingyun had his eyes lowered as he said, “Qingyun doesn’t think that I did anything wrong. Geshan and Sangyu aren’t the same person.” 

  Nie Xiangyuan had a headache. “What do you want Errong to think? She’s a grand titled lady that’s only been married to you for a year, and you brought home a courtesan that looks like your younger sister to be your concubine.” 

  Standing nearby, Ji Man stayed silent. 

  Nie Qingyun slightly pursed his lips and said, “Errong is the one that said I could take a concubine. In mother’s eyes, she committed a sin by not becoming pregnant within a year.” 

  “You’ve always ignored your mother’s words before. And yet, you seem to have your heart set on this matter,” Nie Xiangyuan said with an unsmiling face, “There’s already a lot of matters to deal with in the imperial court right now. Why are you doing this now and throwing this household into disorder? Qingyun, you’ve always been a sensible child.” 

  Original translation is from fuyuneko dot org. If you’re reading this elsewhere, this chapter has been stolen. Please stop supporting theft. 

  The men under Nie Xiangyuan’s command had been making a lot of mistakes recently. In addition, the emperor had told Xiangyuan to handle the logistics of supplying the soldiers that would be going into battle soon. If any trouble came up, the emperor would inevitably blamed him. Originally, Nie Xiangyuan had been planning on asking help from Jing Province. First, it was because Jing Province was rich in black iron ore. Second, they were related to Marquis Jingwen’s family by marriage, and he would feel more at ease with trusting him to handle the matter. 

  (T/N: Just in case it was too long ago. Marquis Jingwen is Errong’s father.) 

  But, when he had come back home, Nie Qingyun said he wanted to take a concubine, and Chen-shi was the one that thought of this lousy idea. 

  The loathing that Nie Xiangyuan felt for Chen-shi had reached its peak. Because she was Suxin’s sister, he had tolerated her all these years. But, she wasn’t satisfied with small gains. He could accept that she didn’t know how to manage a household, but she was narrow-minded and repeatedly make Sangyu’s life difficult. And now, by wanting Qingyun to take a concubine solely for the sake of benefiting herself, she had ruined a crucial part of his plan. 

  Nie Qingyun said in a low voice, “Father, if you won’t agree to Qingyun taking a concubine, then just let Geshan stay in the other estate until she gives birth to a child.” 

  Ji Man turned her head to the side to look at him. “Older brother, how will you explain this to Errong?” 

  “What’s there to explain?” Nie Qingyun chuckled. “She doesn’t care about this.” 

  Doesn’t care? Ji Man was stunned. 

  Although Errong’s earlier expression had been calm, how could he view it as her not caring? What exactly had been happening between the two of them during the past period? Why did she feel that Nie Qingyun did care about Errong? 

  Nie Xiangyuan sighed. “Sangyu.” 

  Ji Man turned her head back to look at him. 

  Nie Xiangyuan stroked her hair and said in a low voice, “It’ll be better if you don’t come back to Nie Residence for a while. “Your older brother isn’t being clear-headed. He can’t distinguish the difference between guilt and romantic love. Give him space to calm down.” 

  Guilt? Ji Man looked at Nie Xiangyuan in confusion. Why did he say guilt? 

  Frowning, Nie Qingyun looked at her and said, “Sangyu, you don’t need to worry about this.” 

  Ji Man blankly nodded. It felt as if there was a gap in her mind. To summarize Nie Xiangyuan’s words, she didn’t need to return to Nie Residence. As for how long Nie Residence would remain a place where she couldn’t seek shelter, this depended on the situation. 

  Ji Man asked, “Before I leave, can I go see Errong for a bit?” 

  Nie Qingyun lowered his eyes. Nie Xiangyuan sighed and said, “You can go see if she’s willing to see you.” 

  How could Errong not want to see her? Her relationship with Errong had always been good. They could tell each other anything. 

  — 

  But, when Baizhi stopped her at the doorway, Ji Man patted her own head and finally understood. 

  Errong was probably mad at her. After all, no one would be happy to have her husband snatched by her sister-in-law. Although she wasn’t the one that had actually snatched Nie Qingyun away, the end result was more or less the same. 

  After standing in the doorway for a while, Ji Man returned to the marquis’s estate. As she was getting out of the carriage, she happened to see Nie Chenyu at the entrance. She was gesticulating as she ordered the servants to pack. 

  Seeing her, Nie Chenyu smiled and said, “Aiya, isn’t this my older sister? This winter is getting colder and colder. I heard from the marquis that there’s hot springs in Foshan. The marquis is going out of his way to take me there. Older sister, thank you for remaining here and working hard to manage the estate while we’re gone.” 

  Liu Hanyun, Wen Wan, Xia-shi were all going to Foshan in order to pray for blessing for their children. As for why Nie Chenyu was going with them, Ji Man didn’t want to know the reason. 

  This winter was truly getting colder and colder. 

  — 

  Qi Siling and Mu Shuiqing would be remaining at the estate with her. As for the other women, they would be leaving in two days. Sitting underneath the eaves and looking at the empty courtyard, Ji Man was somewhat lost in her thoughts. 

  — 

  The second prince’s marriage was held as schedule. She had heard it had been a lively wedding. But afterwards, there wasn’t much news of Princess Pengyue and the second prince. The entire capital had become extremely quiet. 

  In the end, Nie Qingyun didn’t take a concubine, but Ji Man received the news that the two of them no longer slept in the same bed. 

  No matter how she struggled, was it inevitable that the rope of fate would strangle her? Ji Man pressed her lips together as she walked around the courtyard and quietly waited. 

  — 

  Originally, the victory over the battle of Jiangdong should have been already been within the army’s grasp. However, according to the rumors, there was an issue with the armory. The shields hadn’t been able to block the enemy’s arrows, and the bows had broken as soon as they were put into use. Not only had the army suffered a crushing defeat, Commander Han De had been shot to death with ten arrows while he was on his horse. Ning Mingjie was temporarily entrusted with management of the army, and the army was forced to retreat for hundreds of kilometers. 

  Furious, the emperor directly ordered that the high official that was responsible for overseeing the weapons and armor to be put to death. Even Nie Xiangyuan was thrown into the imperial dungeon. 

  Translator Ramblings: I originally thought Nie Xiangyuan was a kindly father-in-law that just wasn’t aware of his wife’s abusive behavior. But, if Errong’s father wasn’t Marquis Jingwen, and Nie Xiangyuan doesn’t needs help from her father, would he care that his wife is bullying Errong as long as its not too obvious? Would he have just kept turning a blind eye to the whole thing? The gap between what he says and what he thinks seem so two-faced. 

  He sees himself as a magnanimous person because he’s tolerating Chen-shi bad behavior, but he’s not the one that continues to suffer from her abuse. By doing nothing, it’s the same as condoning her tyrannical behavior. Imagine how hellish Sangyu’s childhood would have been if Nie Qingyun hadn’t been protecting her from Chen-shi when they were children. 

  What do you guys think?

  Chapter 289 – In the blink of an eye, all the riches and honor had vanished like smoke (2) 

  The imperial noble consort suffered a great shock. One after another, the third prince’s faction petitioned the emperor to plead for leniency. Ji Man didn’t know the details about this course of events. When the news reached her, it was just this: 

  “Old Master has been removed from his official position and has to return to his hometown. Ning Errong and Young Master are divorced.” After the servant from Nie Clan knelt down in front of her and reported this news, he took her money and returned to Nie Residence to pack up. 

  Ji Man blankly stretched her hand out, and a few snowflakes felt onto her palm. They slowly melted. 

  Nie Clan once had soaring influence and power. It had the imperial noble consort and the third prince supporting them. There was Nie Xiangyuan as well as all of the other members of Nie Clan stretching out in all directions. It had been like a great, towering tree. They had just been waiting for the army to triumphantly return. After that, the third prince would have been able to smoothly rise up into the crown prince position. 

  But, the end result was that the army had lost the battle, and it had been their clan’s fault. Nie Xiangyuan had always been responsible for the armory and weapons. After Nie Xiangyuan had made such a big blunder, the only reason that the emperor hadn’t ordered his execution was because of the imperial noble consort. 

  This great, towering tree had been cut down to its roots and was finally slowly withering away. 

  After Ji Man packed up a few things, she went to send her father off on his way out of the capital. 

  The loss of his job had forcefully aged Nie Xiangyuan. By his side, Chen-shi wouldn’t stop crying. With a couple servants holding her boxes of stuff, she said she wanted Nie Qingyun to support her. She didn’t want to leave the capital with her husband. 

  Although Nie Qingyun still had his position as an official, he decided to go with his father to his hometown, buy an estate, and help him settled down. Hearing Chen-shi‘s words, he only lightly smiled and said, “We can’t go against the emperor’s order.” 

  Chen-shi hatefully glared at a distant carriage. Baizhi was standing by the side of the carriage. 

  “No wonder she wanted to get a divorce. She truly has foresight. Rats always leave a sinking ship. Why put on this pretense and come here to send us off?” 

  Ji Man followed her gaze over. She was looking at Errong’s carriage. 

  In the end, she and Nie Qingyun had still divorced. Her actions had only delayed it by less than a year. 

  Then, could it be that Nie Sangyu’s death was also only delayed? Ji Man quietly laughed. 

  “This daughter is lacking the power to do her filial duty. Once father has settled down, this daughter will come to pay respects,” Ji Man said, “Although this daughter knows that father isn’t lacking in material items, this represents this daughter’s heartfelt intentions.” She placed a bundle into Nie Xiangyuan’s hand. 

  Nie Xiangyuan looked at her with a complicated expression. In the end, he sighed and said, “Take good care of yourself too.” 

  An entire estate of concubines and their daughters were all following Nie Xiangyuan out of the capital. Right now, Chen-shi‘s biggest regret was that she hadn’t married off the rest of the daughters when Nie Clan was in its heyday. 

  Who could have guessed that in an instant the unstable situation would have changed? In the blink of an eye, all the riches and honor had vanished like smoke. 

  Of course, a part of the imperial court changed. Originally, the imperial noble consort had already thought of how she would request the position of the crown prince from the emperor, but she quietly put that idea to rest after the results of the battle. 

  — 

  Ning Yuxuan had chosen a good time to leave the capital to go pray for blessings. He had completely avoided this stormy period. By the time he returned, the situation had calmed down. 

  “Why do you look so unwell?” Standing in the entrance, he looked at Nie Sangyu. He stretched his hand out and gently tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. 

  Ji Man raised her head and looked at him. She gave a weak smile. “As I pondering about my lord and husband, I’ve become old. The slow carriage arrives late.” 

  (T/N: These are lines are from the poem, the lonely bamboo slowly withers away. The poem is about a newly wedded wife missing her husband. At the end of the poem, she self-comforts herself by saying that she believes her husband will return.) 

  The hand that lingered by her face paused. There was a hint of mocking in Ning Yuxuan’s smile, but it quickly disappeared. 

  “Haohao is almost one year old. Since you don’t have any children of your own, I’m thinking about officially making him my heir.” 

  Ji Man paused. She glanced at Liu Hanyun and Wen Wan, who were behind Ning Yuxuan, then she smiled and said, “My lord, if that’s what you want, this servant doesn’t have any objections either.” 

  The heir was always the oldest son of the main wife, but since Marquis Moyu had said she didn’t have any children, then she didn’t have any other choices. It meant that she definitely wouldn’t have any children in the future. After all, she couldn’t reproduce by herself. 

  Liu Hanyun was just quietly holding Xi-er. Wen Wan was looking at her with a gaze that showed she was gloating over her misfortunate. 

  The purpose of the trip had been for praying for blessings for the children, but it had been a failure for Yun-er. After the long journey back to the estate, this pitiful baby seemed to be close to her last breath. From Yun-er‘s current appearance, Ji Man could see that this baby wouldn’t have much longer to live. She just didn’t know who would be blamed for Yun-er‘s inevitable death. 

  — 

  The next day, because Ji Man was on her guard over this issue, when she heard that Wen Wan was bringing over Yun-er to Feiwan Courtyard to pay respects to her, Ji Man decisively choose to flee and hide. She brought Dengxin along with her to Liu Hanyun’s courtyard. 

  When they arrived, Liu Hanyun was playing with Xi-er. Seeing that Nie Sangyu had come, there was an estranged look in her eyes that hadn’t been seen in a long time. Still, remembering Nie Sangyu’s kindness and favor from long ago, she still brought over Xi-er. 

  Looking at her, Liu Hanyun lightly smiled and said, “Madam, although the marquis didn’t bring you on this trip, he was still thinking about you. We only ended up staying there for a few more extra days because Xia-shi wasn’t being sensible. She liked the hot springs there and refused to leave.” 

  Not caring about this, Ji Man smiled and said, “That’s okay. The estate was quite peaceful when there were fewer people around.” 

  Liu Hanyun paused. She hesitantly looked at her for a while, then she said, “Madam, do you really not mind that Haohao is going to be the heir? If that happens, then if you have children in the future……” 

  “It’s the marquis’s decision, and he has the highest authority in this household. There’s nothing I can do about it.” Ji Man lightly smiled and stroked Xi-er‘s face. “Besides, it’s not unreasonable to name the oldest son as the heir either, and Haohao is a well-behaved child.” 

  Liu Hanyun pursed her lips and said, “Madam, you’re very magnanimous. But, you shouldn’t let yourself suffer too much. After all, men aren’t dependable. It’s your own child that will be the most reliable and trustworthy.” 

  Translator Ramblings: Ji Man sees Nie Clan as a towering tree, but I think we get a hint that it’s a tree that’s rotting from the inside out. Early on in the novel, the author tells us that there’s been a history of corrupt family members taking for granted that the emperor favors Noble Consort Nie’s and acted badly thinking they wouldn’t be punished. Even thought the emperor had pruned some of these members away, once the Noble Consort Nie regained the emperor’s favor, other family members probably started acting badly again (i.e. maybe taking bribes and accepting shoddy armor and weaponry). I think it’s very suspicious that Nie Xiangyuan would rather trust Errong’s father for help in procuring supplies than members of his own clan. Anyways, this is just my speculation. What do you guys think?

  Chapter 290 – Other than possessing his heart, have you thought about your future? (1) 

  Ji Man felt a bit shocked to hear Liu Hanyun saying these words. Liu Hanyun had always been blessed with Marquis Moyu’s protection. How could she also feel that men weren’t reliable? 

  Liu Hanyun didn’t notice that Nie Sangyu had been struck dumb by her words and continued to say, “Besides, Xia-shi isn’t a person that’s suitable to appear in public. If her child becomes the heir, she might become too heady from success.” 

  Ji Man lowered her head and played with Xi-er for a few moments before handing him back to Liu Hanyun. “The marquis has always liked Haohao, so there’s really nothing I can do to change his mind about this matter. If Xia-shi acts poorly, I’ll spend more time teaching her etiquette.” 

  Liu Hanyun didn’t say anymore about this matter. She sighed and changed the topic. “This servant heard that Madam’s family had encountered a calamity.” 

  “En,” Ji Man said, “It’s not a big deal. It’s just that my father is getting old, so he’s going back his hometown to live his golden years in comfort.” 

  Liu Hanyun nodded and said a few more reassuring words. 

  Ji Man didn’t linger here. After only chatting for a short while, she left Linghan Courtyard. 

  Walking by her side, Dengxin quietly said, “Master, a servant from Feiwan Courtyard reported that Miss Wan-er went to the study with Young Miss Yun-er.” 

  “En.” Ji Man nodded. Wen Wan was basically holding a ticking time bomb. She didn’t care where this bomb would explode as long as it wasn’t directed at herself. Right now, she was more concerned about Nie Qingyun and Errong. Their divorce was already a forgone conclusion, and Errong would be leaving the capital to return to Jing Province soon. 

  Right now, Nie Clan was undergoing a calamity, but Errong wasn’t a person that longed for riches and honor. She had probably just reached a deadlock with Nie Qingyun. Neither of them was willing to clear the air, so the situation had deteriorated to the point of divorce. While it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to step forward to say something, there was one person that would be very suitable. 

  Marquis Moyu. 

  During the recent past period, Ning Yuxuan hadn’t been home, so she couldn’t ask him then. But, Errong was his younger cousin, and Nie Qingyun was his brother-in-law. It would be completely justified for him to act as a mediator between these two. 

  After thinking it over, Ji Man went to a room near the study to wait and ordered Dengxin to tell her as soon as Wen Wan left the study. 

  Standing by the doorway of the room, Dengxin suddenly said, “Master, something seems to be wrong, ah.” 

  Ji Man went to the doorway to look. 

  Guibai came out of the study in a rarely seen flustered state and returned with a doctor. The study and this room was only separated by several steps, but Ji Man couldn’t hear the sound of a baby crying. 

  It seemed that something had happened to Yun-er again. During the past period, Wen Wan had used Yun-er’s poor health to capture Ning Yuxuan’s sympathy, and Ning Yuxuan had seemed very weak against this tactic. Out of the three children, Yun-er received the lion’s share of Ning Yuxuan’s concern and attention. 

  Ji Man thought for a moment before wrapping her cloak closer and walking over to see what was going on. 

  Not caring that the floor was cold, Wen Wan had collapsed onto the ground. Ning Yuxuan was standing by the side with an extremely pained expression. His right hand was slightly trembling. 

  The doctor was currently kneeling by the cushioned couch. The swaddled bundle that had been placed on the cushioned couch was totally silent and unmoving. 

  Ji Man’s heart jumped, then she heard the doctor say, “Her pulse has already stopped. Marquis, you should restrain your grief and accept fate……” 

  Struck with the pain over the loss of Yun-er, Ning Yuxuan closed his eyes. 

  Wen Wan seemed to have gone a bit mad. She went forward and pulled at Ning Yuxuan. “She’s your daughter. How could you be so heartless? I just wanted you to hold her for a bit. Why did you push me?!” 

  In a hoarse voice, Marquis Moyu said, “I didn’t do it deliberately. It was an accident. I wasn’t paying attention.” 

  “Wan-er has just started recovering from my serious illness. You knew that I wouldn’t be able to securely hold onto Yun-er. I just wanted you to hold her, but what was the result?” Wen Wan shouted herself hoarse, “Give me back my child!” 

  This show wasn’t being performed realistically enough. From these words, Ji Man only understood the general gist of what had happened. Wen Wan wanted Marquis Moyu to hold the child, but for an unknown reason, Marquis Moyu had pushed her. Then, Wen Wan’s grip slipped and the baby fell onto the ground. 

  Inside the tiny bundle, Yun-er‘s little face had already gradually changed colors. Ji Man pressed her lips together and suddenly thought of the legendary Empress Wu Zetian. 

  How daring and ruthless did a woman have to be in order to strangle her own daughter? 

  (T/N: Wu Zetian was a Tang Dynasty empress. Traditional historians believed that she killed her own daughter in order to frame Empress Wang during a power struggle.) 

  No matter what, Ning Yuxuan was a person that knew martial arts. It was impossible that he wouldn’t know how to control his strength. As for what recently happened between Ning Yuxuan and Wen Wan, only the two of them knew the real truth. 

  After the wet nurse took the baby away, Wen Wan followed after her in tears and shouted for her to hand over her baby. 

  Even though she had predicted that Yun-er wouldn’t be able to live for long, looking at the dead baby, who was so small, Ji Man still felt very bad. Ning Yuxuan’s gaze had already swept over to look at her. She didn’t hide her troubled feelings and lightly repeated the traditional words of comfort that the doctor had said earlier. 

  Looking at her eyes, Ning Yuxuan asked her an inexplicable question, “Can you help bring Yun-er back?” 

  Ji Man was baffled. How could she bring Yun-er back? Where would she suppose to look? The underworld? 

  “Never mind.” Ning Yuxuan lowered his eyes and said, “I’m being muddle-headed.” 

  “My lord, don’t feel too bad,” Ji Man said, “Yun-er is gone, but maybe next time, she’ll return to Miss Wan-er’s belly again and have a second chance at being your child.” 

  Derisively shaking his head, Ning Yuxuan quietly said, “That won’t happen.” 

  How could he know that it won’t happen? Based on how frequently he was sowing his seeds, it shouldn’t be difficult for Wen Wan to get pregnant again, right?

  Chapter 291 – Other than possessing his heart, have you thought about your future? (2) 

  After silently cursing him for a bit, she suddenly heard him say, “Go make the arrangements to bury Yun-er. I”ll have a Buddhist monk come over and perform a ceremony to help Yun-er‘s soul find peace. In the passing, let’s settle Wan-er status too. She can go back to being the secondary wife. I was the one that wronged her, so don’t treat her unfairly when it comes to food, clothing, and other material goods.” 

  Ji Man was somewhat stunned. The result of Wen Wan dropping her child was that the problem of her status, which hadn’t been resolved even with the birth of this baby, was now resolved. Was Wen Wan on the same setting as an unkillable cockroach, ah? No matter how many times she beat her down, Wen Wan seemed to have a pre-installed system that would keep bring her back. She was like a tempo that would keep bouncing back up. 

  Feeling uncomfortable in her heart, Ji Man lowered her eyes and said, “Miss Wan-er’s status has already gone up and down several times. If someone’s status is changed too frequently, then outsiders won’t value the seniority and ranking system in the marquis’s household. This servant thinks that it wouldn’t be considered treating Miss Wan-er unfairly if she becomes an honored concubine. After all, as an honored concubine, her daily lifestyle wouldn’t be that much different from a secondary wife’s. Siling will also naturally do a thorough job of arranging this.” 

  Ning Yuxuan raised his eyebrows. He looked at her before saying, “Do you think Wan-er shouldn’t be a secondary wife?” 

  “Of course,” Ji Man seriously said, “Xia-shi and Hanyun both had children before her, and they were both sons too. My lord, if you want to raise Wan-er‘s rank, then how do you plan on raising their ranks? It’s already pushing it to promote Wan-er from a servant girl all the way up an honored concubine. If she becomes a secondary wife, then what will Xia-shi and Hanyun think?” 

  Marquis Moyu considered her words and thought her logic was sound. 

  “This servant thinks, if you want to raise Wan-er up, you should also let Hanyun become a secondary wife.” 

  “En?” Ning Yuxuan slowly sat down. “Why is Hanyun and not Xia-shi? Haohao is the one that will be my heir.” 

  Ji Man nodded. “It’s fine that Haohao will be your heir, but Hanyun has also given birth to a son. In addition, she’s served my lord for several years without ever competing for favor. My lord, could it be that you don’t think she deserves to bestow with any favor? Since you’re going to raise Wen Wan’s status, then you should raise everyone else’s too. This will avoid making the other mothers feeling unhappy. My lord, what do you think?” 

  After rubbing his temples, Ning Yuxuan said, “Let’s do what you suggested. I need time alone to calm down about Yun-er‘s matter. You can leave first.” 

  “Alright.” Ji Man nodded. 

  The female lead wanted to turn around her fortunes and had certainly paid a heavy cost to accomplish her goal. She had sacrificed her daughter in exchange for improving her status. This wasn’t something that Ji Man was capable of. She could only make a sound of admiration. 

  Right now, Nie Clan wasn’t in a good situation, and her position in the marquis’s household was in a delicate, tricky state. She had no other choice. She could only pull Xia-shi and Hanyun to the frontline of the battlefield with her. Otherwise, if she allowed Wen Wan to bounce back up again, it would be very troublesome for her. 

  — 

  Ji Man saw Monk Xuwu again when he came over to perform a ceremony to help Yun-er’s departed soul find peace. 

  She had heard that this monk had high-level skills through religious cultivation, but he was a bit wild and deranged. 

  When he saw her from a distance, he came over and said, “You’re going to encounter something troublesome soon.” 

  Ning Yuxuan was standing by Xuwu’s side. Hearing these words, he frowned and glanced at her. Then, he asked Xuwu, “What kind of trouble?” 

  “Trouble comes from involving yourself with people that have sinister intentions.” Deliberately being mysterious to keep his audience guessing, Xuwu took one step closer to her and said, “This old one keeps having this feeling that there’s something strange about your wife……” 

  Marquis Moyu froze in shock for a moment, but in the next moment, he instinctively blocked Xuwu from getting closer to Nie Sangyu. “Great Master, you should go perform the ceremony first. Yuxuan was the one that made a mistake and committed a sin. Great Master, based on our past friendship, please send Yun-er off and help her reincarnate into a good life.” 

  Xuwu clicked his tongue in disapproval. When he took a step to the left, Ning Yuxuan also took a step to the left to tenaciously block him. 

  With an unhappy expression, Xuwu tore at Ning Yuxuan’s position by saying, “I say, what’s wrong with you? You were the one that wanted me to look at her, and now, you’re the one that’s protecting her. Are you really that scared I’m going to take her away?” 

  “I just wanted you to look…… as for what’s strange or not, I don’t need you to concern yourself with it.” After saying this, Ning Yuxuan turned around and expressionlessly looked at Nie Sangyu. “Go and see how Wan-er is doing.” 

  Ji Man felt puzzled by their mysterious conversation. She nodded and went inside Qiangwei Courtyard. 

  Wen Wan was wearing simple, white silk clothing. It looked extremely similar to the clothing that Nie Sangyu had been wearing when Ji Man had first come here. 

  Looking at the mirror, Wen Wan saw that Nie Sangyu had come into the room. She giggled and said, “You must be feeling very pleased with yourself and thinking that there’s one less thing separating you from Yuxuan, right? You must be secretly bursting with joy.” 

  Ji Man pursed her lips. “Did the circuits in your brain become too convoluted?” 

  After a pause, Wen Wan turned around to directly look at her “.…… Stop saying words that I don’t understand. I know what you’re secretly thinking. But, Yuxuan is mine. No matter what, he’ll only love me. Do you think that time he released those sky lanterns was because he likes you?” 

  Ji Man cleaned her ears. 

  “He already told me the truth when we were at Foshan. He said he was using you to make me feel jealous because he was feeling upset with me for a bit.” Wen Wan’s little face looked somewhat twisted. “No matter what, he won’t fall in love with you. You should give up.” 

  “Oh, alright.” Ji Man nodded. 

  Wen Wan choked and angrily said, “Why don’t you believe me?!” 

  “Why wouldn’t I believe you?” Looking at her, Ji Man said, “The marquis loves you. He loves you so much that he’s willing to suffer horribly for you and turn everything on its head. His love for you will last until the end of time. Even in death, he won’t be willing to part from you.” 

  Wen Wan blankly looked at her. 

  “And yet, he still had children with other women, and he’s going to pass on his marquis title to another woman’s son in the future.” Ji Man shrugged. “At the very least, I’m still the main wife. I won’t have to worry about my future when I’ve reached old age. Miss Wen Wan, in the midst of your elated joy over possessing a man’s heart, have you thought about your future?” 

  Wen Wan pursed her lips and said, “Say what you want. I won’t feel bad from hearing these words. All of it will become mine in the future.” 

  Translator Ramblings: I feel that Ji Man is being unreasonably selfish here. She knows that Liu Hanyun isn’t capable of protecting herself and that she just wants a peaceful life, but she’s still dragging Liu Hanyun further into her mess just to keep Wen Wan down. If she doesn’t want Wen Wan to become the secondary wife, she should at least suggest Xia-shi, who will fight back if someone is bullying her. If one day Liu Hanyun becomes tired of being “promoted” into positions that she doesn’t want and becomes power hungry, Ji Man can only blame herself for unilaterally pushing Hanyun down that path. 

  Also, the first time I was reading this novel, I wondered if Ji Man would ever realize that the only way she won’t lose this game is by choosing to not play anymore. If she’s scared that Nie Sangyu is destined to die because of Wen Wan, she should leave the estate and give up on fulfilling Nie Sangyu’s unknown wish. From her perspective, no matter how hard she struggles to defeat Wen Wan, Ning Yuxuan easily wipes all of her efforts away with just a few words. At the same time, it’s understandable that it’s hard for her let go of her chance of returning to the modern-day. 

  What do you guys think?

  Chapter 292 – What? Did you think this was going to be a reenactment of the Legend of the White Snake? (1) 

  For a moment, Ji Man thought that if a woman like Wen Wan was placed into modern-day, it would be quite interesting. Wen Wan was an ambitious woman, but she only knew how to use foolish and lowly tactics. In the end, she might even blame her boss and say, “Why won’t you promote me?” 

  She mistakenly thought that her work quality was very good, but the value of medicine was based on its healing efficiency, not on empty boasts. If you want other people recognize your abilities, then you had to actually be capable of executing what you said you would do. There had to be an exchange of equivalent value. If you only looked at the world from your own perspective, then it would always be biased. 

  Ji Man didn’t bother with arguing with Wen Wan. She left after telling Wen Wan that she should be going to the mourning hall soon. 

  — 

  The mourning hall was small, and the coffin at the center wasn’t big either. When all was said and done, Ning Yuxuan did care about this child. He had personally come to the mourning hall to burn incense and remained crouched down to burn paper offerings. 

  When Wen Wan arrived, her eyes were like water pipes that had exploded. Her falling tears were like a torrential storm. As she cried, she shouted, “My child……” 

  The guilt in Marquis Moyu’s heart increased. 

  All of the other women in the harem had also come, but Xia-shi and Liu Hanyun had avoided bringing their children. 

  After Xia-shi had taken her turn in kneeling and burning incense for Yun-er, she went over to Nie Sangyu’s side and whispered, “She had been a perfectly good baby, but she died just like that. How could a mother be that careless?” 

  Wen Wan seemed to have heard Xia-shi‘s words. She turned her head and hatefully glared at her. 

  Xia-shi shrunk back so that she was standing behind Nie Sangyu. Then, stretching her head out partially, she said, “So scary.” 

  In a low voice, Liu Hanyun said, “There’s no need for you to say so much. Right now, the marquis is feeling unhappy, Wan-er is also feeling upset over losing her baby. Stop saying stuff that will make the situation worse.” 

  Xia-shi twitched her lips. Not convinced by these words, she said, “I just feel that if I was the one holding the child, even if a someone was riding a donkey and bumped into me, I still wouldn’t have let go and let the child drop onto the ground.” 

  With his eyes still closed, Ning Yuxuan quietly reprimanded, “Cailian.” 

  (T/N: Cailian means gathering lotus flowers. Back in chapter 241, Xia-shi said her first name was Lianxin. I think the author might have forgotten? Xia-shi’s first name is never mentioned again for the rest of the novel.) 

  Xia-shi finally stopped talking. 

  With redden eyes, Wen Wan said, “The Heavens sees all. If I had been holding Yun-er securely, how could I have possible let her fall down?!” 

  On the side, Mu Shuiqing, who had been silent until now, quietly said, “Yeah, the grievances that a child feels is the strongest after all. Miss Wan-er wouldn’t want to be haunted by Yun-er’s resentful spirit, so how could she possibly want to harm Yun-er.” 

  After these words were said, the nearby Monk Xuwu uttered a Buddhist prayer. 

  Wen Wan lowered her eyes. 

  After saluting, Ji Man followed Ning Yuxuan out of the mourning hall. Wen Wan would have to stay here for a while to keep watch over Yun-er. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ji Man told Ning Yuxuan about Errong and Nie Qingyun’s matter. 

  “Isn’t this something that you should handle?” Ning Yuxuan curved his lips. “Why do you want me to help?” 

  Ji Man dryly coughed. Seeing that the people behind them weren’t far from them, she lowered her voiced and said, “It’s a bit inconvenient for this servant to do something. Errong isn’t willing to see this servant, so this servant can only ask my lord for help.” 

  Ning Yuxuan swept his gaze across her and lightly said, “It’s not a bad thing for them to divorce. Why are you anxious about it?” 

  They’ve already divorced, and he doesn’t think it’s bad thing? Did they have to never come into contact with each other again before he would call it a bad thing? Ji Man gritted her teeth and said, “My lord, aren’t you taking this matter too lightly?” 

  “Why don’t you wait until Ning Mingjie has come back from the battlefield triumphantly, then think about the problem between your older brother and Errong?” Marquis Moyu chuckled, “Aren’t you very clever? Aren’t you supposed to know everything?” 

  Ji Man paused. 

  Ning Mingjie would return triumphantly? Alright, let’s ignore the fact that Ning Mingjie wasn’t even the commander of the troops that left the capital. Why was Ning Yuxuan bringing up the topic of Ning Mingjie returning triumphantly? How could Ning Yuxuan know that Ning Mingjie would definitely win? Hadn’t they said that because of the problem with the supplies, the troops had been forced to gradually retreat in defeat? 

  Moreover, even if Ning Mingjie will return victoriously, what did this have to do with Errong and Nie Qingyun’s marriage? 

  — 

  Nie Clan had collapsed, and the emperor wasn’t favoring the imperial noble consort. The recent additions to the imperial harem were more favored than the older women. Very quickly, there was that new favored consort, and that new favored court lady, and so on, until the emperor’s favor was gradually divided among them. The situation in the imperial harem was starting to become murky. There was also a vacancy for the position of Zhenyuan General, but the emperor didn’t have the intention of hurriedly filling that position. Instead, he allowed for someone to temporarily function in an acting capacity for that position. 

  Based on these facts, Ji Man thought that Ning Yuxuan would definitely give her the cold shoulder for a while. 

  However, to her surprise, he didn’t. 

  Right after dinner, Ning Yuxuan came to Feiwan Courtyard. After she had helped him washed up and changed his clothes, they lied down on the bed and quietly looked at the top of bed canopy. 

  Ji Man asked, “My lord, is there something that you want to say?” 

  Ning Yuxuan turned his head over to look at her and asked, “What about you? We haven’t seen each other for so long. Is there something that you want to say to me?” 

  Ji Man thought; based on Marquis Moyu’s smoldering temperament, she could only say sweet things. 

  Ji Man looked at him with a gaze full of love and said, 

  “Since we parted, I’ve thought of seeing you again,

  Oh, how I have dreamed of being reunited with you.” 

  (T/N: These are lines from a poem called, Melody of a Partridge-filled Sky.) 

  Ning Yuxuan froze in surprise for a moment. He chuckled and lightly slid his slender fingers across her lips as he said, “It’ll be good when you can finally say the truth.” 

  The truth? Ji Man silently laughed. Could she really say the truth? Everyone thought they liked to hear the truth, but no one could bear knowing the truth. For example, if she were to straightforwardly tell Ning Yuxuan, “You dumb f*ck of a stallion. You went on a mountain vacation with women and children and didn’t return for such a long time. You left me here alone while I had to deal with my family undergoing a drastic upheaval. What kind of damn man are you?!” What would he do to her? 

  The truth? It was so easy and simple for him to say those two words.

  Chapter 293 – What? Did you think this was going to be a reenactment of the Legend of the White Snake? (2) 

  A moment later, Ning Yuxuan asked, “Can you visit a temple?” 

  Why wouldn’t she be able to? With a questioning expression, Ji Man said, “Although temples are bleak and not very interesting, they’re good places for setting one’s heart and spirit at ease. Of course this servant can visit a temple. My lord, do you want this servant to go to one? ” 

  “No.” Ning Yuxuan looked away and let out a long sigh. 

  Ji Man twitched her lips. This person had been behaving very strange lately. She slipped under the quilt too. Leaning against him, she closed her eyes. 

  Just as she was about to fall asleep, Ning Yuxuan suddenly said, “I’ll bring you to Xiangguo Temple tomorrow. I heard …… Xuwu, that old monk, said there’s going to be a Buddhist gathering there tomorrow.” 

  “Oh.” Ji Man turned over and continued to keep her eyes closed to sleep. 

  Marquis Moyu looked at her back figure for a long time. He stretched his hand out and wanted to place his hand down on her shoulder, but after pausing for a moment, he took his hand back. 

  — 

  The vigil for Yun-er had to last for three days, and was accompanied by the sound of Wen Wan crying day and night. It was exactly like a mysterious scene from a TV show, so Ji Man was glad to get a break from this. She left the estate with Ning Yuxuan, and they headed to Xiangguo Temple. 

  During the entire way there, Ning Yuxuan’s expression didn’t look good. Ji Man glanced at his hands. They were tightly clenched together. 

  When they had reached halfway, Marquis Moyu shouted, “Guibai, drive the carriage slower.” 

  Ji Man had already been feeling that this ancient-period carriage was as unbearably slow as a tractor. Hearing him say those words, she wasn’t able to keep her calm. “My lord, if we can get there sooner, why wouldn’t you want the carriage to move faster?” 

  Ning Yuxuan glanced at her said, pursed his lips, and said, “I get motion sickness.” 

  Ji Man, “.……” 

  — 

  By the time they finally arrive at Xiangguo Temple, it looked like a very lively scene with people coming and going. There was a Buddhist gathering today, so there were Buddhist images hanging by the entrances. 

  Just as Ji Man was about to take a step inside, he grabbed her hand and stopped her. 

  “Sangyu.” His hand was slightly sweaty, and he looked at her with a deep gaze as he asked, “If I wanted to harm, what would you do?” 

  What? 

  Ji Man paused. Looking at his gaze, she could tell that he wasn’t joking. She suddenly wondered if this temple had some sort of booby trap mechanism. It couldn’t be that a thousand arrows would shoot through her heart as soon as she entered the temple, right? 

  No, that wasn’t possible. If Ning Yuxuan wanted to kill her, there were countless ways that he could do it without exerting any effort. Right now, her life wasn’t worth much. There was no reason why he would need to harm her in broad daylight. 

  “My lord, didn’t you want this servant to enter Xiangguo Temple?” Ji Man faintly smiled. “Then, this servant will go inside. If my lord wants to harm me, then this servant can only accept my fate.” 

  Ning Yuxuan trembled a bit in shock. He slightly tightened his grip on her hand. 

  He asked, “Have you ever thought about harming me?” 

  Ji Man tilted her head to look at him. Had this person bumped his head on the way out of the estate today? Even if she had that evil intention, she wouldn’t have the courage to carry it out, okay? 

  “My lord, if this servant wanted to harm you, then this servant would haven’t entrusted my body to you in marriage.” She smiled and said, “Harming you would be such a loss for me.” 

  The winter sun was just right today. Its warm rays illuminated Nie Sangyu’s face, and her face looked especially gentle. 

  For a while, Ning Yuxuan was stunned. He finally pursed his lips and said, “Then, let’s go back.” 

  It had taken such a bumpy ride to get here, and now he wanted to go back before they had even stepped through the entrance? Ji Man unhappily said, “Why aren’t we going inside? There are a lot of people inside. It looks so lively.” 

  “You want to go inside?” Marquis Moyu looked at the fluttering Buddhist scrolls that were everywhere. 

  “Is there an entry fee?” She forcefully tugged her hand out from his and ran to the entrance to look. There wasn’t an employee stationed here to check if they had tickets. After all, this temple was a public facility in ancient times, so it wasn’t a modern-day tourist attraction where you had to pay money. 

  “Sang……” Not knowing why, Ning Yuxuan felt somewhat panicked. He stretched his hand out to stop her, but she had already taken a step into Xiangguo Temple. 

  Xiangguo Temple’s bells started ringing. It was followed by the long recitation of one of the many names of Buddha. Although there were many people, there weren’t any clamoring noises. Instead, there was a very solemn and serene atmosphere. 

  Ji Man looked around, turned her head back, and gestured for Ning Yuxuan to come inside and stop talking. 

  Marquis Moyu’s body stiffened. For a moment, he forgot to breath. By the time he recovered his senses, the person in front of him was energetically skipping around and tugging him forward. 

  No? Was she not a demon? 

  It was as if a heavy stone fell down in his heart. Pressing his lips together, Ning Yuxuan followed her inside. Standing behind her, he saw her bowing to all the Buddha statues that could be seen. 

  — 

  Later, during the Buddhist gathering, Great Master Xuwu was sitting in the highest position, and a group of Buddhism practitioners were sitting below and listening to his meditations. 

  Sitting next to Ning Yuxuan, Ji Man noticed that he was sneaking glances at her from time to time from the corner of her eye. 

  Ji Man turned her head to look at him and said, “My lord, there’s a question that this servant has been wanting to ask you for a long time. A while ago, when you had this servant drink pear wine, what did you hear this servant say that night?” 

  Ning Yuxuan froze in shock for a moment, then he pursed his lips and said, “I didn’t hear anything.” 

  If he hadn’t heard anything, why would take her to a temple to act out a scene from the Legend of the White Snake, or ask her if she would ever harm him? Was there a problem with his brain? Ji Man resisted the urge to voice her ridicule and let out a long sigh instead. “This servant often mumbles nonsense during sleep. My lord, please don’t take those words seriously.” 

  (T/N: The Legend of the White Snake is one of the four Chinese great folktales.) 

  “En.” Xuwu had only told him that her original fate had changed, but he hadn’t been able to see any other abnormality in her. In addition, she was able to freely walk inside a temple, so he probably didn’t have to worry that she was a danger to his home and household. 

  Ji Man thought of an idea and kindly suggested, “My lord, since you suffer from motion sickness, why don’t we walk instead of taking the carriage? The streets here are bustling, so it shouldn’t be boring too walk back.”