“Peerless”. *snort* No picture today. I have a very limited supply of those.
I love reading all of your thoughts and speculations about what’s happening. We have almost finished one sixth of the book. Yay!
Chapter 20 Peerless
For the first time, Qu Qing Ju focused on this yahuan called Ban Xia. Other than her dishevelled state, her appearance was rather pretty. Large eyes, curved brow. When she spoke, there were hints of two dimples on her cheek. She looked innocent and adorable. If it wasn`t that she personally had heard the brutality she exhibited when she had just spoke, Qu Qing Ju wouldn`t have believed that she would say those things.
“This garden has other people, what sort of conduct is yelling and screaming?” Mu Jin look coldly over the kneeling servants and then looked at Ban Xia, “Ban Xia guniang is very brazen, when was it that you could discuss the actions of wang ye and wang fei?”
When Ban Xia saw Qu Qing Ju, she had felt slightly afraid. But seeing Mu Jin’s proud posture and remembering when they had both been yahuan, Mu Jin had been proud because she had been most favoured by wang fei, she couldn’t bear it any more. She was just one yahuan of wang fei’s entourage, how dare she lecture others?
“It’s not meimei who is brazen, but Mu Jin jiejie who has become more bold,” Ban Xia pushed aside the tangle of hair by her face, “No wonder these lowly servants are rushing to fawn over you, it is really ‘one person achieves immortality, dogs and chickens fly to Heaven.’”
Hearing this, Qu Qing Ju raised an eyebrow. She held Jin Zhan’s hand to sit down at a nearby stone table. She didn’t want to start arguing with a tong fang.
“Ban Xia guniang’s mouth has become sharper, but this conduct is even more shameful,” Mu Jin wasn’t angry and smiled thinly, “Tong fang Ban Xia disregarded the rules of the fu, disobeyed her superiors, thirty slaps.”
When Mu Jin finished, one of the mamas that had been kneeling on the ground hurriedly stood and gushed: “Mu Jin guniang, please move back a few steps. Don’t let something dirty spill onto you.” Finishing, she turned and gave Ban Xia a slap on the face.
“Wang fei, you are evil, I … …”
Another yahuan quickly climbed up from the ground and stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth. She grabbed the tangle of hair to reveal Ban Xia’s entire face to ease the way for the mama’s blows.
Qu Qing Ju started at the patterns of the stone table with half-lidded eyes. She listened to the sound of flesh being hit and used a handkerchief to wipe her hands. She drawled: “You are just a tong fang but you are so arrogant. Where did you get the courage?” She raised her head and pierced Ban Xia with her gaze, “Or is it that my past leniency made you forget your bounds, to dismiss protocol to the point of carelessly discussing your superiors? You might not have been born to a rich family, but you were born to a clean one. To be this disrespectful, you shame your parents!”
Ban Xia’s mouth was stuffed but hearing Qu Qing Ju mention her family, she gave a muffled protest before quieting down.
“That’s enough. We don’t want to ruin a pretty face,” Qu Qing Ju took away her gaze. The slaps stopped, “Tong fang Ban Xia disobeyed her superiors. Her punishment is to work in the laundry rooms.” Stopping there, she looked at Ban Xia, “You don’t have to try to find wang ye, I will personally tell him about this.”
Mu Jin glanced at wang fei before turning to speak to the yahuan and mamsa: “Go help Ban Xia guniang pack her luggage and deliver her to the laundry room worker residence. Make sure not to burden Ban Xia guniang.”
“Don’t worry, Mu Jin guniang, we will take good care of Ban Xia gunaign,” The mama who had delivered the slaps said. After bowing to Qu Qing Ju with the rest, she dragged the still silenced Ban Xia away.
After the surroundings were clear, Jin Zhan worried started: “Wang fei, Ban Xia is a despicable person, she should be thrown out of the fu, why leave her untouched?”
Qu Qing Ju used her as support to stand: “What kind of place is the laundry room? Beautiful women require delicate care. In that kind of place, any beauty will be worn into plainness. Will wang ye have any desire for her when he sees her again? A woman who attracts a man at first glance has to become more and more beautiful, not uglier with time.” That was why the world had so many men who disliked their wife and favoured their concubines. Women needed to raise children and manage the household. They had to support the elders above them, handle the concubines in the middle and below them, they had to raise their own or other people’s children. When they were old and haggard in the end, the men will scorn them for not being desirable.
She couldn’t become that type of virtuous wife. Rather than satisfy a man that way, it was much better to satisfy herself instead.
“That’s so true. In the future when wang ye sees that hussy, he will only shun her and won’t remember the past,” Yin Liu ranted in a low voice, “For a traitor, this is letting her off easy!”
Mu Jin looked at the surroundings to confirm no one else had heard Yin Liu’s words before suggesting: “Wang fei, sitting in the shade for too long isn’t healthy. Why don’t we walk somewhere else?”
Qu Qing Ju nodded, “Jin Zhan, go ask if wang ye is busy right now. If not, I will go visit wang ye.”
Jin Zhan nodded and raced forward.
In another part of the garden, Jiang Yong Yu looked on in distain at Ban Xia who was being forcefully dragged out of the garden by the others. After they were long gone, she quietly spat: “Fool.”
The yahuan beside her crowed: “Zhuzi was right, this Ban Xia didn’t have many days left to swagger.”
Jiang Yong Yu looked at her: “From the moment she betrayed her mistress, this day was going to come. It isn’t that there aren’t servants in other fu like her, but none as impatient. It hasn’t been a month since wang fei married but she was already rushing to climb onto the bed. Receiving this outcome, it is only due to wang fei’s kindness. Ai Lu, you have to remember. In the future if you meet this kind of person, you have to stay far away. Those that betray their masters, they almost never have good endings.”
Ai Lu lowered her face and respectfully confirmed: “Zhuzi, don’t worry. Nubi will remember.”
Jiang Yong Yu saw her state and nodded in satisfaction. She smiled as she watched wang fei walk in the direction of wang ye’s study.
Wang fei Qu shi Qing Ju was an intelligent and rational woman. In her life, she never wanted to be on the bad side of this kind of woman. Since ce fei was already the highest she could ever achieve in this lifetime, it was better to follow this kind of person. At least her future days wouldn’t be as miserable as the arrogant Feng shi.
“Jiang Nan’s salt governance is getting even more complicated,” He Heng closed the report in his hands and ordered his subordinate standing by the desk, “Get somebody to keep a watch first. Both laoda and laosan’s men are in there. Let the two of them brawl it out. Ben wang doesn’t want to be the villain to disturb their enthusiasm.”
The person standing was one of He Heng’s retainers. His name was Wang Chang Ming. His appearance was unremarkable but he was very good at gathering information, his brain very agile so he was a frequent visitor in front of He Heng.
“Wang ye, this subordinate has also heard from Jiang Nan that Rui Wang’s people are putting out loans,” Wang Chang Ming furrowed his eyebrows as he reported, “But it is all under other people’s names so there isn’t any evidence that has been found right now.”
“Laosan always uses and eats the best. It’s natural for him to spend silver,” He Heng’s forefinger taped the desktop and he stated, “This matter, we won’t get involved in. His daily spending, the Emperor sees as well. The Emperor hasn’t spoken, so as his elder brother, ben wang can’t lecture him. Sometime in the future, find an opportunity to pass this into the ears of Ning Wang. It is said that the eldest brother is another father. For laoda to pick up this matter, it is the most appropriate.”
“Yes, wang ye is wise,” Wang Chang Ming agreed, “His Highness Ning Wang is of high authority and will teach His Highness Rui Wang well.”
The corners of He Heng’s lips curled in response. He raised his head to see Ming He come in with a tray. The mirth on his face became hidden: “What is it?”
“Wang ye, wang fei is outside. She said if you are not busy, she has a matter to discuss with you,” Ming He looked at Wang Chang Me standing to the side and lifted the tray in his hands higher, “Wang fei also said, if you are busy, you should drink some pigeon soup before working.”
He Heng’s expression softened slightly and motioned for Ming He to put down the tray. He ordered to Wang Chang Ming: “Retire for now.”
Wang Chang Ming bowed and left. Coming out the door, he buried his head even deeper. A close distance from the door, he saw a dress embroidered with clouds and a hint of the pearl-embroidered Yun brocade shoes peeking out. He smelt the floral scent emanating from the other, pushed his head deeper and sketched a bow before racing away.
Not looking at the black-clad man leaving, Qu Qing Ju saw Ming He come out to greet her and held Mu Jin’s hands to enter the study. Seeing He Heng sitting at the desk partaking in the soup, she smiled and went forward: “It is said that this soup is good for the brain. Wang ye is so busy everyday with government affairs, it’s beneficial to have some.
A few large mouthfuls were enough to finish the soup. He Heng took the handkerchief that Ming He presented to wipe his mouth. He stood to walk over to Qu Qing Ju and raised a hand to caress the hairpin in her hair: “If I eat this and that daily, after a few years, ben wang will be fat.”
Qu Qing Ju moved her body back and looked up and down his body: “It would be very hard for wang ye to get fat, but it would be great if you did get fat,” Her glance was tantalizing, “When wang ye becomes fat, there would be less beautiful women wanting to throw themselves at you. Has wang ye never heard about this, that if you like a person, you should use delicious food to fatten him up so nobody else will come to take him away.”
“So my Qing Ju actually has such nefarious thoughts,” He Heng laughed quietly and buried his face in Qu Qing Ju’s neck to take a breath, “But I do like hearing this. At least Qing Ju is thinking of me in her heart.”
Qu Qing Ju pulled on the jade belt at He Heng’s waist with one hand and buried her head at his neck. She laughed quietly and taunted: “But does wang ye’s heart have qie?”
Gradually enveloping the person in his grasp, He Heng turned to sit at the nearby chair and eased Qu Qing Ju to sit on his leg. His palm glided across the back before resting at the waist. He smiled and kissed the smooth cheek: “My heart, Qing Ju still can’t see?”
Qu Qing Ju blinked her eyes and drew circles with a hand on He Heng’s chest: “Qie’s eyes aren’t that wondrous, to be able to see wang ye’s heart through flesh and blood. How about wang ye let qie hear it.” Her head started to make its way to He Heng’s chest. She laughed inside. He wanted to play the romance card, was she a naïve teenager?
Ming He and Mu Jin saw the intimacy between the master and mistress and quietly retreated with the others. After the door was such, it was still possible to hear words and laughter from behind.
The two exchanged a glance and mutually retreated further.
The pair of Qu and He in the room wasn’t doing what the servants were thinking in terms of harmonious acts. After playing for a while, they supressed the fire that had rose.
He Heng wrapped an arm around Qu Qing Ju’s waist to let her sit more comfortably on his leg: “You say that the gift to fuhuang should be increased by two-tenths this year. This is appropriate, especially since I married this year. It didn’t matter what I had given in the past but in the future, I’m afraid I will have to trouble you.”
“It’s just an idea. If wang ye has no objections, I’ll let them prepare. The end of the year is approaching, it’s best to prepare early,” Qu Qing Ju smiled and leaned into He Heng’s embrace, “Wang ye trusting qie like this, it is qie’s good fortune.”
“Husband and wife are one, why does Qing Ju say that,” He Heng gently gathered the person he held closer, “Letting you take care of hou yuan, I have full faith in you.”
Qu Qing Ju smiled, “That’s great. If qie punishes somebody, wang ye can’t get angry.”
“Those people are just qieshi, they can’t be seen in public. Punish away, there won’t be any pity,” He Heng didn’t care and turned to say, “Qing Ju’s name, did it come from “Luo Shen Fu”, where ‘she wore shoes embroidered with delicate designs, what trailed behind was a garment as light as the mist?’”
Qu Qjing Ju laughed: “Qie had thought that the fact the Duke of Chang De using “Luo Shen Fu” to name his children had already spread through the city.” This wasn’t something to be proud of. A man using the content of a love letter to a woman to name children, that was romantic in novels, but among the nobility, that was a joke.
He Heng understood the meaning in her words and warmly comforted: “Qing Ju shouldn’t think so much. In my eyes, your name is peerless, and naturally you are too.”
Upon hearing this Qu Qing Ju couldn’t resist raising her head to gaze at He Heng, a smile blooming on her face.
Of course it’s peerless. In the aristocracy of the entire Da Long Dynasty, who would choose such a crass name? That’s what she thought inside.
QQJ really knows how to handle HH. She probably have a lot of experiences in relationship with men from where she came from. I’m not talking about what you think it is. 😛
Thank you for your everyday updates. 🙂
I love daily updates as well. It forces myself to actually translate because I have to open the word docs every day. Otherwise, I would just keep my word doc closed and never do anything. I’m a really good procrastinator. And it’s always amazing to see all of you who come read and comment everyday!
Thanks for the chapter!
I think Qu Qing Ju controls the hou yuan so well because she is fair to those who deserve rewards and swift and decisive with her punishments to those who deserve punishing. However, she is able to do such things because He Heng enables her. If he were to choose to favor the concubines and side with them, then Qing Ju, as wang fei, still can’t do anything. I know it’s the natural order of things to never favor a concubine over a legitimate wife, but I am sure there are many nobility who do just that. I actually think He Heng is quite cold and unyielding toward his concubines and any other woman trying to get his attention. Once he has decided whom he wants and loves, he is very decisive and final. I really like that about him. I can’t stand a male lead who claims to love one woman, and yet, he keeps protecting or caring for another woman just so he “doesn’t hurt the second woman’s feelings” or because he “promised the other woman’s father to take care of her.” What kind of poop logic is that?! If you love someone, you should respect her feelings first. Is caring for another woman respecting the woman you claim to love? Nooo. And don’t make stupid promises to people that would hurt the woman you love! Ok, that was off topic, but I needed to vent because some male leads just tick me off.
Did you read some problematic novels lately? I felt terrible two days ago when two of the novels I followed hit me at the same time with new plot developments.
The attitude Qu Qing Ju and He Heng have about the concubines is like a master to their pets. Especially since He Heng doesn’t really care. Otherwise this story wouldn’t be translated right now :D.
I really hate the “promised xxx to take care of her” stuff.
While I like He Heng’s decisiveness in love, I have to admit that the plight of concubines, at least in this novel, is bad. They can’t leave the household. They can’t see their families freely. They have to address themselves as “slaves” when speaking to wang ye and wang fei. It’s just so sad. I can understand a servant girl wanting to try to curry favor with wang ye and become a tong fang, but why would another court official’s family give their daughter away to become someone else’s slave, to never be able to hold her head up high?
I also think I understand Qing Ju’s derisive thoughts to herself whenever He Heng says anything sweet and romantic to her. Why should she believe him when he can be so cold to women whom he has bedded? What will stop him from treating her the same way one year from now once he’s “done” amusing himself with her?
I am also following the translation for Chaos of Beauty, and the male lead ticks me off. 😛 He claims to love his wife, but is never there for her when she needs him because he has better things to do, like taking care of the woman he once loved but claims to no longer love. I just want to bash his head against a very sturdy stone. And I want his wife to run off with another man. 😛
Could you send me a link for Chaos of Beauty? You have stirred interest in me to look at it. 😉
They are in a sad situation. Overall, I pity them as well. However, the reason that they are concubines is because it will benefit their entire families. Because He Heng is an imperial son, it is also a form of betting, especially for the next generation.
Oh by the way, was Han qieshi a virgin when she starting serving wang ye? Wasn’t she the one sent by the Department of Household Affairs to guide He Heng into manhood? 😛 In order to guide, she must be more experienced than He Heng, right? And is she older than he is?
She’s in her twenties. She was a virgin, don’t worry. “Guiding” is more like “get to know what you are doing”. She might have learned some extra knowledge but there’s really nothing special about her otherwise.
Here is the translation link for Chaos of Beauty:
https://d3wynightunr0lls.wordpress.com/
The translator, xiaoxiaomei, has done a phenomenal job, just like you. I really like her translation of Mulberry Song, which has moved me so deeply that I cried. The emperor in Mulberry Song was also the first emperor character I liked in a novel. He Heng is now another imperial/nobility character I like.
Okay, the summary for Chaos of Beauty turns me off. Is the person still deep in his delusions? I always find cursing the character as I keep reading the only way to keep going sometimes. 😀
Regarding Chaos of Beauty, despite the awesome translation work done by xiaoxiaomei, I can’t seem to really sink my heart into this novel, because I don’t really like the male lead. I find him annoying and wish-washy in love. In the more recent chapter updates, he is starting to realize his love for the female lead (his wife) but he still seems to always be caught with the other woman, running to her while his wife is in danger. I just don’t like him.
I’ve continued to listen ahead for To Be a Virtuous Wife, and I love it! I really want to discuss it, but I don’t want to reveal spoilers. I love He Heng, but there is something about He Yuan (Rui Wang) that seems so mysterious. Plus, I have a hunch about him… But I won’t discuss anything until you get deeper into your translation.
I’m so sorry for jumping in on your convo 1 month too late, but I have to agree with you, I love XXM and her translation work of Demoness is not evil, but I hate hate hate CoB. Hate the two timing prime minister, hate how weak Gui wen is, and super super hate the lecherous emperor. I have never hate a fictional character so much and I really hate him. It’s too bad really, since I adore the novel at first. The only one I like is general Lin *sigh*
@wyhcwe thank you for your hardwork, everyday im re-reading your translation until the next update xD
@melanie hi mel! Where’s my SCN and Yan? lol I miss your wicked story 😀
Oh, hi, Lola! I am so sorry, but I didn’t realize you had left me a message here ages ago! I never did finish the entire translation of Chaos of Beauty but I read all the General Lin parts. I like to think Gui Wan and the general are together somewhere…and that horrible Lou Che is shoveling manure while he wonders what went wrong with his love life. Yes, I am a very evil person! Haha!
I have written a few more chapters of my “wicked story” since your comment here. Please go read if you have time! I very much appreciate your support. Thanks!
I can understand that scheming may be their only survival ways but it’s evil to betray or harm others. Karma bites back hard.
Luckily QQJ is fairness and reasonable, she is definitely working hard managing the houyuen to prep for her peaceful live
QQJ must have been a good manager in the past to be able to manage the fu and HH well. I guess she will be a good partner if HH becomes serious in vying for the throne….thanks for giving us updates daily….you have also become part of my daily habit…..
Appreciate the daily updates. Love the way QJJ handles HH. He is such a sweet talker. I agree that QJJ being a good manager in the past will do well to assist HH if he vies for the throne. Loves the way she handles Banxia. Serves Banxia right for her boldness in talking back to QJJ.
I can’t help but feel that in most other Chinese novels, QQJ’s character wouldn’t be the protagonist but the villain instead. Although QQJ isn’t your typical nice female lead, I like her attitude towards life. Some writers make their female characters too spirited to the point of arrogance, too nice to the point of martyrdom, too passive to the point of stupidity, too perfect to the point that you think you’re reading fanfic by a pre-adolescent. Thankfully, QQJ doesn’t have those annoying traits.
Ooh, but she doesn’t do anything “bad”.
There is an abundance of Mary Sues in Chinese web novels and some of them may have been written by teenagers. However, I always think that this is the foundation for them becoming better authors in the future and if they do become better authors, I will once again stumble upon them in the future and read their other books. If I don’t see them ever again, well, their writing probably didn’t improve.
thanks for translating
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the new chapter. The leads for this story never disappoint. HH’s responses are pretty much what QQJ expected in that as long as it doesn’t affect his dignity, anything that she does in regards to the fu he doesn’t care. The author does a great of of pretty much describing the prevailing thoughts of the time that servants are just expected to be there, not seen and not heard until the master/mistress needs something. As to the concubines, they’re pretty much disposable to the nobles. This is reflected in how HH backs QQJ since she is the wife and it’s not like he has any special liking/love for his concubines.
Jiang Yong Yu is one interesting character…. I wonder if she will end up being Wang fei’s left hand woman (since the position of right-hand woman is now occupied by Mu Jin… Hahahaha). That would be fun to watch. Or if Jiang Yongyu turns against Wangfei, that would be interesting too because she doesn’t seem like a reckless one and might just be able to add some troubles and cause real chaos after she had plotted everything out!
Thanks for the quick updates – they make my day! I am also reading the translation of Chaos of Beauty and find these two a good contrast. In COB, the heroine is playing strictly by the morals of the time while QQJ is a much more modern woman in her thinking (because, inside, she is, right?) – so they definitely have different paths to take.
Thank you…running a household with many females trying to catch the eyes of the ‘husband’ certainly requires talents…..
Thank you for translating this~ =D I keep reading the chapters over and over
oh wow, now the matters between QQY and BX explained.
Thank you for translating this novel, this is even better than xianxia i usually read.
Btw, my fav chars are ming he and mu jin, they are so loyal .
“Zhuzi was right, this Ban Xia didn’t have many days left to swagger.”
swagger XDD
Ban Xia issue SOLVED. LOL.
I’m impressed on how Qu Qing Ju can immediately resolve impending issues.
Thankies for the chapter!
And BTW I also read Chaos of Evil and even though the translation is already completed, I still haven’t finished it. I concur with Melanie in the many points she made; I really am not too hooked with the flow of the story. Maybe I’ll resume reading it or just dropped it entirely.
Revision suggestions:
After the door was such, it was still possible to hear words and laughter from behind
was such = was shut / closed
Sometimes when i read he heng and qing ju flirting, i feel like a third wheeler and should leave the scene asap…
I guess naming your child from a poem is similar to how some people name their kids “Romeo, Hamlet, Juliet, Ophelia…etc.” It’s romantic in a way to name your kid after a Shakespearean character, but in the end she jumped in a pond and killed herself (Ophelia from Hamlet btw.) I’m not naming any kids I have Ophelia.
Thanks for the chapter!
well that went well, she is the first and say FIRST AS FIRST female MC I had read to not fall for this sweet flicks and flirtations. and ONLY when she found that she was truly love did she let her heart be given to that person (I know this is a spoiler but what the hell..) in all the books, novel and short story I read both Asian, American or English, this is one of the character traits I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!! GO QQJ!!!
First she doesn’t go madly in love, and first analyze her situation, then work from there and try to make her life more easier before settling on finding love (which in this case did take that long), and fore most she deserved that respect that she had gained
Where can I find the glossary? I forgot what fuhuang means.
Check the menu at the top, hover over TBAVW.
Everytime he reach for her hair, I remember his fetish.