Rebirth of the Treacherous Official’s Madam

Even many many years later, Xuan Emperor’s Tianxu era would still be frequently mentioned by the high ministers and court officials, even the scholars and commoners would often carry by the mouth, retelling the various either sorrowful or joyous events, drawing on as a classic lesson to educate their children. Whether it’s having dealings with friends and family, staying at home or going out, one all must not do or forget.

For instance, at a banquet with invited guests, one would rather let the soup be a bit cold than to use some open fire small stove.

Also, for instance, whether it’s the silk muslin, light silk, damask silk, or tassels, no matter how lustrous and pretty the material was, it all can’t compare with the practicality of not easily flammable clothing material.

Additionally, when it comes to raising cats, dogs, golden pheasants, etc., if the household is not strict, then don’t raise. At least, when there’s guests, it’s better to keep them tied up! Else, if the animals were to ignorantly cause trouble, then for the owner, even if crying to death, it’ll still be difficult to remedy the situation.

Of course, most importantly, even though when selecting a wife for one’s son, one needs to have a few candidates for consideration, but it was still better to not have too many!

In fact, the Zongjing Bureau that specialized in the affairs of Great Sheng’s imperial family, as well as the Shangwu Bureau, after discussing, jointly presented a memorial to the emperor, requesting that in the future, in the final round of the selection, when selecting candidates for the princes’ main consort and side consort positions, the ratio of the candidates to the princes cannot exceed four to one, else if by chance there’s some chaotic incident like this time, afraid the young princes won’t be able to bear it.

Of course, all of that was all later talk.

Returning to the difficult problem before Empress Wen, from the safety of the golden pheasants, to the fire caused by the white cat, then to the people that got injured or frightened during the banquet, every single investigation and consolation after the fact all made Empress Wen’s face look very unsightly.

However, the most troublesome matter was naturally still the selection problem for Wu Wang and Wei Wang.

When Xuan Emperor heard the news, he was also shocked for half a day, unable to return to his senses. But, as the father, and also as the emperor, what else can he do? Naturally it was just having all thirteen young ladies separately bestowed to Wu Wang and Wei Wang respectively as the main consort, side consorts, liangyuan, and liangshi^[1].

And at this time, there was just the problem of the regulations and rank. Wu Wang and Wei Wang, at present, were both still young. One was seventeen, while one was fifteen. Although both have already come-of-age, also having some cleverness and reputation in their studies, they still haven’t participated in too many governmental affairs, so there really weren’t any meritorious contributions to speak of. Even though they have Xuan Emperor’s love and favor, they were still merely of the junwang^[2] rank.

According to Great Sheng’s regulations, every junwang can only have one main consort, two side consorts, two liangyuan, and at most, four liangshi. Then, based on the sum of these thirteen young ladies, even if separately dividing between the to manors, that’s still, in total, two main consorts, four side consorts, four liangyuan, and the three inevitable liangshi in the end.

How could the families of these young ladies be willing? After all, to be able to go through the primary selection and secondary selection, these forty-eight young ladies were mainly candidates for the main consort and side consort positions. In terms of appearance and family background, if not marrying a prince, then after returning home, they can still marry into high official families, or even noble families, as the main wife to form marriage ties.

Right now, never mind becoming the side consort for a prince, to become a liangyuan that was even a rank lower than the side consort was already very unfair for them, which family’s young lady would be willing to be a liangshi? That, ordinarily, was just the position given to daughters of a fifth or sixth rank minor official entering to serve, or a servant girl in the manor that the prince wanted to promote, especially given that falling into the water this time wasn’t their own fault. As such, as soon as this news came out, some people immediately just put out some rumors of attempted suicide and such.

Of course, no one really dared to actually commit suicide. After all, as a subject, if because of disdaining the position being low, use death to defy, unwilling to serve the imperial family, then there was still the suspicions of looking down on the ruler. But, to use this attitude of seeking death to coerce, striving to not let their family’s young lady become the lowest ranked concubine, it was ultimately still worth a try.

And at this time, the ones that cried out their eyes the most were actually still the Zhu family, Gu family, Liang family, and such families that were relatively close with Li Consort. They although had the intention of sending their daughters for the selection, it was still going for the main consort or side consort positions. Moreover, each family all sent two young ladies, just hoping that one of them can catch one of the prince’s eye when time comes.

However, after the water incident, this marriage arrangement was already set in stone. Never mind being close with Li Consort, afraid, between the sisters, it was also becoming family on top of family. Moreover, these families didn’t dare to cause too much of a ruckus like others. They could only plead Li Consort, and even Zhaoyang Hall, in every way, hoping to win a better position for their own family’s daughter.

TN: All translations outside of are stolen and reposted without permission!

Additionally, there was one more family that was like as if getting struck by lightning, and that was just the Chang’de Count Manor. Actually, as early as that time at the Duanyang palace banquet prior to Yu Lingxin’s wedding, Qi Pei already had the intention of meticulously dressing up for the empress or even for Qin Wang to see. Xun old madam at the time although still hadn’t given up on the thought of making one last move, but in reality, Chang’de Count and his wife already didn’t consider marriage between Xun Che and their own daughter anymore.

And at that time, Qi Pei had already started considering Qin Wang a little. It wasn’t really having thoughts of admiration or anything like that, but rather, ever since Xun Che became the Chief Secretary of the Central Secretariat, personally serving before the ruler, his relationship with Qin Wang seemingly had eased up a little. Chang’de Count had privately analyzed with his own children before. Regardless what kind of disagreements there were previously, the Xun family and the Zhu family ultimately had fought over a murder case in court before. Between Qin Wang and the other two princes, Wu Wang and Wei Wang, the one that Xun Che will support in the end will probably still be Qin Wang.

That’s why, what Qi Pei thought of was just, if she can become Qin Wangfei, then regardless of whether or not she can take the opportunity to ascend onto the empress position in the future, as long as she becomes Qin Wang’s main wife, then Xun Che and Yu Lingxin, as well as the entire Wen’an Marquis Manor, will all need to submit before her!

Especially, at that time, the Yiyang Marquis Manor Wen family had voluntarily came over to express goodwill towards the Qi family, so Qi Pei just further felt that this path was the path that she should take. Just thinking about how in the future, Xun Che and Yu Lingxin all need to lower their heads or even kneel before her, Qi Pei just felt that no matter how hard she works, it will all be worth it!

However, after that banquet, the Chang’de Count couple just started sighing towards one another, unable to even cry.

It’s not that they care about Qi Pei not having the opportunity to become Qin Wangfei, but rather, once Qi Pei goes to serve Wu Wang or Wei Wang, afraid their relationship with the Xun family as relatives will really need to be severed completely. At this time, recalling that time when Xun Che fought with the Zhu family in court, that astonishing composure, meticulousness, and decisiveness, the Chang’de Count practically shivered all over.

As for Chang’de Countess’s piteous weeping, it was just another style. That very night, all the young ladies that had fallen into the water all got kept in the palace to be examined and treated. When it was expressed that they didn’t need to leave the palace to return home, Chang’de Countess immediately just went to the Xun manor, crying out sister-in-law, and begging Ming Huayue to help.

Ming Huayue and Yu Lingxin, as two of the titled madams that had the fortune of witnessing this grand occasion, can’t really be considered taking joy at another’s misfortune, because the entire matter broke out truly too suddenly. Moreover, the speed in which the situation changed, in the spectating titled madams’ eyes, it was practically too much for the eyes to take.

Almost like a street performance, following the chaotic screams, they just saw the banquet starting to catch on fire amidst the fluttering pheasants and leaping cat. And as the cat leapt around, more and more people caught on fire. Afterwards, it was just Qin Wang, Wu Wang, and Wei Wang going over to help, and then, after that, there was just a series of ‘putong’, ‘putong’.

Under that kind of circumstance, Qi Pei can’t be considered to have done anything wrong, can only be said as unlucky.

But, this unlucky really was unlucky. Among the thirteen people that fell into the water, at most, only two to three had jumped down on their own to extinguish the fire, but because they’d jumped down on their own, they didn’t really come in contact with Wu Wang and Wei Wang in the water.

As such, if these people wanted to free themselves from this matter, perhaps there was still leeway to turn things around. But, Qi Pei, at the time, after tripping, directly fell onto the Zhu family young lady, and in turn, shoved Wei Wang. And when that palace eunuch slipped, he’d also pushed Wu Wang. So, in this chain of events, this talented and beautiful, aloof and prideful Qi family eldest miss can be considered to have fallen into the water sandwiched between Wu Wang and Wei Wang, and also can be considered holding left and right.

Chang’de Countess cried again and again, but after hearing Ming Huayue and Yu Lingxin have the details of what they saw recounted to her, her tears, even if unable to restrain, still need to be restrained.

This kind of situation, never mind Ming Huayue, this sister-in-law, not being able to do anything, afraid, even the central palace empress in Zhaoyang Hall was also headaching very much.

Thus, not at all surprisingly, this imperial selection for the princes got stuck in a deadlock for another few days. There weren’t any need to continue selecting or looking over. Mainly, it was just carrying out an intense discussion over the regulations as well as the arrangements for Wu Wang’s and Wei Wang’s consort and concubines, from the imperial court, to the inner palace, and even between the titled madams of the high ranking official families and noble families. Aside from sighing at how this chaotic banquet really reached a new height in absurdity, additionally, it was just wondering what the fate of these young ladies will be like. There were all kinds of sayings and guesses, making all the families involved feel endlessly stifled, also making all the family clans that weren’t able to participate in the final selection radiate with delight. It was practically just short of opening a betting ring, betting on how Wu Wang and Wei Wang will arrange these young ladies.

Under this kind of contrast, regarding the confirmation of the candidate for Qin Wangfei, it was practically normal to the point where it wasn’t worth anyone paying attention to in the slightest. In fact, at the end of the seventh month, finally, after a great deal of conflict, when the decree regarding the outcome of the imperial selection was issued, everyone finally noticed. Oh right! His Highness Qin Wang also needed to select a consort!

Of course, the one that the people of the Xun family cared about the most was actually still Qin Wang. And that outcome indeed didn’t have any surprises.

As Jin Duke heir’s di daughter, Ming Jinrou got conferred as Qin Wangfei.

At the same time, the two candidates for the side consort position were also confirmed simultaneously. One was the same as the past life, Wen Ruoyao, while the other was Deng Zizhi who came from a military family, also Yu Lingxin’s second maternal aunt’s daughter. Wen-shi and Deng-shi both got conferred as side consorts, their wedding date on the same day as Ming Jinrou’s. In other words, Qin Wang needed to receive three new brides at the same time on the day of his wedding.

This bit still made Ming Yunji very unhappy, and after smashing five to six vases in a row in his study, it still wasn’t considered over, having Ming Jincheng, whose injuries had just recovered a little, and Xun Che, who was on break for once, both called before him. After going to the water pavilion to talk, also carefully asking the arrangements and plans, he just let the two little bastards kneel on the ground and scold for more than an hour for it to be considered over with.

During this process, Yu Lingxin was still quite worried for Xun Che, but standing together with Cheng Yanling, and watching Ming Jincheng and Xun Che from afar kneeling before Ming Yunji and getting scolded for a while, the girls’ conversation very quickly just turned onto the final consort and concubine candidates and arrangements for Wu Wang and Wei Wang.

After all, that was the most interesting gossip, especially since this outcome was quite unexpected.

Wu Wangfei, unexpectedly, wasn’t the Zhu family third miss that everyone had assumed, but instead Qi Pei.

And for Wei Wang, it was just even more jaw-dropping, settling on Wen Ruoqiong, who didn’t fall into the water, yet was weak and frail like as if having once fallen into the waters a hundred times.

[1] Liangyuan literally means ‘respectable beauty’ and liangshi means ‘respectable concubine’. The ranks would be wangfei (main consort) > side consort > liangyuan > liangshi.

[2] If I don’t leave footnotes for certain terms, then usually it will be listed in the historical notes page already. A lot of commonly used terms in historical novels I might forget to make footnotes for.