Chapter 5 – Devising Plans

In the Duke of Ying official residence.

The autumn breeze was cool, but the room’s interior remained warm and cozy. The long couch was set up right by the window, the ebony wood of the short table before it studded with various snacks and fresh fruits. A still immature youth stuck out his feet, putting on an act of lowering his head to read the scroll in his hand. Yet as the minutes ticked by, he did not turn a single page. The floor below the couch was crowded with standing servant maids, who periodically shot each other glances, or stuck out their lips, or secretly gestured to one another. Amidst their delighted activity, there was not a single moment of cordial behavior. Attracted by their bustling care, the youth was just about to ready himself to make trouble, when suddenly a young maid ran in from outside and crisply announced: “The Madame has arrived.”

The faces of all present immediately turned dignified and severe, and the crowd of servant girls settled down to stand in quiet submission. The young master stopped shaking his leg and straightened up his spine. With great rapidity, he propped the book up and arranged his body into a proper appearance. When the ornately dressed lady in question entered the door, what met her eyes was such a “scene of unceasingly dutiful and diligent learning”.

With the support of a servant girl’s hand, Lady Qin1?sat down on the couch. The youth rose and saluted, intimately calling out a “Mother” before sitting down again right next to her. Lady Qin pulled his hand and spoke with displeasure: “The sky outside is dark, why is the lamp unlit? Be careful not to ruin your eyes.”

Hearing her words, the servant girls immediately went to light the lamps, as well as bring out fresh tea. The youth carelessly gave a fabricated tale: “I was so absorbed in my reading, I did not even keep track of the time. Why did mother come over here?”

Lady Qin said: “I went to the front yard to see your third uncle and discuss some matters. On the way back, I passed through here so I took the opportunity to come in and take a look, saving me from running another trip tonight.”

The boy’s eyes flickered2: “Did those matters have to do with my elder brother?”

Lady Qin glared at him: “You know so much, don’t you. Instead of studying properly during the day, all you do is inquire around about these trivialities.”

“The news has gone around the entire capital by now, do I even need to deliberately inquire?” The teenager sneered, “Isn’t it just ‘legs broken, cannot stay on the frontier any longer, can only return to the capital in retirement’?”

Hearing this, Lady Qin pursed her lips. She pressed his hand heavily, but did not rebuke him, and only gave an order to the surrounding servants: “All of you withdraw. I shall speak to Ya-Er3?alone for a while.”

The crowd of servants retreated out of the room. Two of the older maids guarded the hallway outside, while the rest went to the courtyard to play. Serving the young masters are some pretty little gimmicks, some of them are quite innocent, and the two sorrowful sorrows are good together. Two girls who were particularly close friends huddled together, whispering on the topic of what they had just heard in the young master’s room. One angrily said: “No wonder Eldest noble son4?wants to live away from here. If he was home here, wouldn’t he be incessantly tormented by ‘that person’?”

Another servant smiled: “That may not be the case. What you don’t know is that during the period he was home, our madam and young master looked at him the way mice look at a cat. The appearance of a talented beauty5, but with the temperament and disposition of storm and thunder—that’s what’s called a true man of indomitable spirit6.”

“Eldest young master is a hero at such a young age, yet he has become an unmentionable in his own home. Unfortunately, our young master is heartless and ungrateful, far inferior to his own elder brother, and only listens to the prompting of insignificant rascals..”

Another girl came over and lightly patted the back of her hand: “Don’t you know? Since they were born from different mothers, how could the eldest noble son count as his “own big brother’? Only Second young lady, the current Prince of Qi’s Consort, can truly call him elder brother. As for our young master and that crown prince’s primary consort7, in the eldest noble son’s heart they are likely a thousand miles more distant than cousins.”

The Duke of Ying Fu Tingzhong’s original wife had died early, leaving behind one son Fu Shen and one daughter Fu Ling. When Fu Ling was seventeen years old, she married the third imperial prince, the Prince of Qi, as formal consort. Fu Tingzhong’s second wife Lady Qin gave birth to two daughters and a son. Her elder daughter Fu Ting had entered the palace and was chosen as a primary consort of the crown prince. The younger son Fu Ya and younger daughter Fu Xi were still young, and were therefore kept at home under their mother’s guidance.

When Lady Qin married into the family, Fu Shen was already an adult who could think for his own, and was therefore not close to her at all. After Fu Ya was born, the two became even more alienated. Due to the limitations of their identities, conflict between the stepmother and the eldest son of the first wife was inevitable. After all, with Fu Shen as the eldest son leading the way, Fu Ya could never get anywhere near the future succession to a noble title.

But before Lady Qin could take any small actions, Fu Tingzhong was assassinated in northern Xinjiang. At that time, the Yuantai Emperor chose to try and win over those ministers who had given outstanding service, giving preferential treatment to military commanders. He avoided reducing anyone’s official rank, and even broke the rules to grant Fu Tingxin the title of Duke of Ying. Later when Fu Tingxin passed away and the war at the border grew urgent, Fu Shen rushed to the battlefield before the mourning period8?for Fu Tingxin’s death had passed. When the title of Duke had remained consistently vacant, the officials of the Board of Rites followed the secret suggestions of the Yuantai Emperor to grant the third brother Fu Tingyi succession to nobility. When Fu Shen distinguished himself with his great contributions and returned to the imperial court, he was sealed as the Marquis of Jing Ning instead.

Borrowing this excuse, Lady Qin used the reasoning of “one family, two noble titles” and “a tall tree attracts the wind9” to bring up her idea to have Fu Shen live elsewhere in a separate residence.

Fu Shen knew what calculations were going through her head—nothing more than eyeing the noble title and desiring to squeeze him out. But while Lady Qin’s vision lacked foresight, the new Duke of Ying Fu Tingyi thought further into the future. What the Fu family truly relied on was not the title of Duke, but the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry. But three generations of the Fu family had all held close relationships with the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry——if this continued, the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry would sooner or later change its name to the Fu family’s personal army. What would the world think of this, and what would ‘that one’ on the Dragon Throne think of this?

Therefore, the better option would be to retreat one step back today in order to advance two steps ?forward in the future. In the future, Fu Shen would undoubtedly grasp the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry firmly in his hands. And the behemoth that was the Duke of Ying official residence, also known as the Fu family, could no longer be so closely tied to the Northern Yan Army.

After balancing the trade-offs, the subsequent situation looked like this: the commander of the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry, the Marquis of Jing Ning Fu Shen opened another residence to live alone, almost never visiting the Duke official residence; The third lord of the Fu family, Fu Tingyi, inherited the Duke title to act as an idle noble10; Lady Qin took her children to live in the Duke official residence, waiting for Fu Ya to come of age so as to request he be sealed as Heir11.

Neither mother nor son held any good feelings towards Fu Shen. For Lady Qin, her guilty conscience pained her with every outstanding glory he earned, out of fear that he would bite her back in the future. As for Fu Ya, he probably felt that because Fu Shen had not knelt before him and offered him the Heir title with his own hands, Fu Shen must naturally owe him.

In the main room, Lady Qin put on a stern face and began to chide Fu Ya: “This mouth of yours.. At home you can talk like this, fine, but you must never carelessly gossip like this outside.”

“Motherrrrr——” Fu Ya chucked a fruit into his mouth and dragged his voice out, full of dissatisfaction: “He has long since already separated from the Fu family, why should I be afraid of him?”

“What do you know? Are those words you should be saying in public?” Madame Qin lightly slapped his leg, “The memorial tablets12?of his parents are here, he is only living in another residence——how is he not a member of the Fu family? He is your elder brother after all, who has achieved a high station at a young age. Although it is said that he has curbed his temper these past few years, he has always been a merciless devil. You should be more careful, and avoid committing any offenses that may fall into his hands.”

Fu Ya snorted carelessly.

Lady Qin: “After a few years, the family will request for you to be sealed as Duke of Ying. Your third uncle is biased towards Fu Shen, and is eagerly awaiting for you to make any mistake. This is a crucial time in which you absolutely must not make a single wrong move, do you understand?”

She lowered her voice: “My son, endure for a while longer. The time will come when the Duke of Ying title and family business shall all be yours. Even Fu Shen.. will only be able to stand on the side and watch.”

Lady Qin’s voice was so low as to be a mere whisper. Fu Ya’s heart trembled, and he looked up: “Mother..”

“Mother has a way,” Lady Qin held his hand tightly. “Rest assured.”

In the East Palace.

The crown princess consort13?Lady Cen faced a bronze mirror to take off her loop hairpin. The maid combing her hair leaned down and whispered in her ear: “Imperial Concubine14, today Lady Qin from the Duke of Ying residence sent a family member to pay respects to Primary Consort Fu. The two talked for a long while in the palace hall.”

The hands of the crown princess consort paused. After a moment of contemplation, she reached an understanding and smiled: “She may do as she wishes. I heard that the Marquis of Jing Ning has returned to the capital——Lady Qin’s heart must be rather uncomfortable, hence why she rushed over here to flatter our Highness.”

This maid was her treasured confidant, originally sent as part of her dowry. Hearing these words, she still did not understand: “But isn’t the Marquis of Jing Ning....”

“He is crippled, but not yet dead,” Lady Cen said, “The Marquis of Jing Ning retains an extremely excellent reputation among the commonfolk and the officials of the imperial court, and he still holds the military might of Northern Xinjiang. Even if he later returns this power to His Majesty, the Northern Yan Army is filled with those who had been under his personal close command, and who will still answer en masse to his call15.?To put it somewhat disrespectfully, not just Lady Qin, but even our own Highness must make way for him.

The crown princess consort Lady Cen’s father was Cen Hongfang, the provincial governor of Jingchu16, who had historically maintained a sense of friendship with the Duke of Ying official residence. In her childhood, Lady Cen had been influenced by what she heard and saw under his knees, and her insight for hidden connections was not inferior to any man’s. If Fu Shen had not left for Northern Xinjiang back then, Cen Hongfang might even have regarded him as a possible option for son-in-law. Disregarding temperament, the Marquis of Jing Ning was an upright man with military glory under his belt, both young and valiant, the heartthrob of countless young unmarried ladies in their boudoirs.

Lady Cen asked: “I remember Primary Consort Fu has a younger brother by blood, who will request to be sealed as the Heir to the Duke of Ying after two years?”

“Yes.”

“Back in the day, our Highness was originally supposed to be matched with the Marquis of Jing Ning’s younger sister by blood, that is, the current consort of the Prince of Qi. At that time the Duke of Ying’s official residence still had the second Fu lord as its master. Since that was his eldest niece, it was not suitable for him to arbitrate this matter on his own initiative, so he instead inquired from the Marquis of Jing Ning.” Stroking the hair on her temples, she slowly recalled the rumors circulating in the capital back then. A wave of shallow sorrow without discernible cause suddenly swept over her heart.

“At the time, the Marquis of Jing Ning was around the same age as the Primary Consort’s younger brother. Upon hearing his sister was unhappy with the marriage, he refused without saying anything further. Their Fu family have always been are tough bones to chew, and the Marquis of Jing Ning went even further, risking the ire of His Highness all to give his younger sister her choice of marriage.”

The Prince of Qi’s Consort Fu Ling had such a wonderful elder brother, truly attracting others’ admiration and envy.

“Back in the day, for the sake of the position of Heir, Lady Qin abandoned all semblance of shame, from sending women into the palace to dividing the Fu family, making such an unsightly fuss. And what was the result? The Marquis of Jing Ning’s younger sister was still magnificently married to the Prince of Qi. If Lady Qin runs into any trouble, she can only count on Primary Consort Fu. Even then, she has to find ways to avoid this princess17, like a lowly thief.” Lady Cen sneered, “If her son had even half of the Marquis of Jing Ning’s independence and capability, Primary Consort Fu would never need to swallow my insults and stoop so low.”

The maid did not know the name “Marquis of Jing Ning” had touched a distant misty regret in her heart. She only thought the crown princess consort was extraordinarily sharp-tongued tonight, and expressed agreement: “Then.. Imperial Consort, should we have her stay away from His Highness for the next few days?”

Lady Cen looked into the bronze mirror and murmured under her breath for a moment. After a long while, she waved her hand: “No need. For such worthless18?people, no matter how high His Highness lifts them up, they will always be of no use.”

Night, within the Spring Fragrance Pavilion of the East Palace.

The crown prince Sun Yunliang had taken the rare occasion to stay the night19, so Primary Consort Fu came forward to serve him, removing his outer robe and attending upon him to finish washing. Although she was as diligent as usual, a tinge of unhappy depression remained within her brows throughout.

Seeing the slight knotting of her willowy brows, Sun Yunliang only felt her beauty was accentuated by her melancholy, creating a different kind of romantic atmosphere. He could not help but go up to hug her tenderly. Only when the clouds had parted and the rain had stopped20?did he lazily ask: “What is it? What troublesome matter has actually caused you to worry yourself into this state?”

Fu Ting quickly rose, and then knelt down at the foot of the bed in apology: “Today, Mother sent a messenger to inform me of a matter, and this lowly servant21?was frightened into agitation and panic. May His Highness please show mercy and forgiveness for me thus being in somewhat of a trance.”

The Crown Prince raised his hand to hug her back: “This prince22?forgives your offenses. What is on your mind? Speak and I will listen.”

Fu Ting’s frown immediately disappeared, as if she had seen her savior. Her eyes brimmed with reverence and trust, boosting the Crown Prince’s self-satisfaction even further. She moved closer to the crown prince’s ear, her breath as fragrant as orchids: “I do not wish to hide this from Your Highness, but this matter concerns this servant’s elder brother, the Marquis of Jing Ning, Fu Shen..”

Footnotes (wow I think this is a new record?):

1.?This woman is referred to as 秦氏. 氏 indicates that her maiden name was 秦 before she married into the Fu household. Either Madame or Lady Qin would probably work fine as translations, so I just closed my eyes and picked one.

2.?The phrase used here is “眼珠一转” which literally means something like “rotated his eyeballs”. It actually means that this person is thinking of a clever idea or something similar.

3.?Lady Qin adds 儿 (ér) to Fu Ya’s first name. This is an affectionate nickname for a beloved child.

4.?Of note, the servants call Fu Shen?大公子 where 大 = eldest and 公子 = noble son (previously translated as “young nobleman” in chapter 2). They call Fu Ya 少爷, which is basically “young master.”

5.?芝兰玉树 lit. “orchids and jade trees”

6.?顶天立地 lit. “able to support both heaven and earth”

7.?The crown prince can marry a single wife and also still have many consorts. Here Fu Ting is referred to as?良娣, which is one rank below “wife”, so I’ve termed it as “primary consort”. There are traditionally two 良娣 primary consorts.

8.?孝期 lit. “duration of filial duty” refers to how after a dead parent is buried, their children are supposed to spend a period of time mourning. This period of time can range from 36 days to 3 years, and throughout its duration the child is not supposed to participate in any happy affairs like marriage.

9.?树大招风 is equivalent to the English phrase “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down”

10.?勋贵 I believe is specifically referring to “noble title earned through merit”

11.?世子 is a mini-title that basically means “heir to a noble house”

12.?灵位 = Spirit Tablet or Memorial Tablet = placards erected in a household to venerate deceased family members and ancestors

13.?太子妃 refers to the single wife of the crown prince, which I randomly translated as “crown princess consort”. This means Lady Cen ranks higher than Fu Ting (who is one of the two primary consorts)

14.?娘娘 is how servants are supposed to address women of the palace (empress, imperial consorts, etc.)

15.?一呼百应 lit. “a hundred answers to a single call”

16.?荆楚 = Jingchu = the territory of the former State of Chu, generally located in Middle-Southern China along the middle of the Yangtze River. 节度使 = “provincial governor”, an official title from the Song Dynasty

17.?Lady Cen calls herself?本宫, which is how palace women of high title refer to themselves (think empresses and high consorts)

18.?烂泥扶不上墙 literally translates to something like “One cannot keep soft mud on a wall”–basically “this worthless person will eternally be worthless”

19.?留宿 usually means to “stay overnight” like in a hotel/lodge. But of course, an imperial prince or emperor “staying the night” at a consort’s place is referring to an entirely different thing.

20.?云消雨散 is a euphemism. That’s all I probably need to say lol.

21.?臣妾 is how the wives and concubines of princes address themselves in their husband’s presence. 臣 = “servant, minister” , 妾 = “concubine”

22.?The crown prince refers to himself as?孤, which is a manner of self-address for princes and kings. I just translated it as “this prince”.

Side note: I found a beautiful piece of fanart depicting the assassination attempt on Fu Shen in?chapter 1, so please check out that chapter again if you want to see the artwork!