Rebirth of the Treacherous Official’s Madam

According to Great Sheng’s customs, daughters of the imperial clan that have been bestowed a marriage, as well as noble daughters that have been either bestowed a marriage to an imperial prince or a member of the imperial clan, all need to request a decree to enter the palace several days before the wedding ceremony to thank for the honor of this marriage. The imperial consorts, and even the emperor, will also take this time to bestow things to add to the dowry. Mainly, it was for adding more glory and honor to this bestowed marriage once more.

That’s why, on the fifth of the ninth month, when there was still ten days before Qin Wang and Ming Jinrou’s wedding, Ming Jinrou just requested a decree to enter the palace according to this old custom. Because her mother had already passed away, and her grandmother was both elderly and bedridden, she invited her paternal aunt Ming Huayue and cousin-in-law Yu Lingxin to accompany her into the palace this time.

These things, they naturally needed to request a decree for too, but it was also nothing more than just going through the procedures. The central palace’s official reply was rather swift, expressing that in the future, they will all be relatives, so naturally can invite the Wen’an Marchioness and her daughter-in-law into the palace together. Just, since everyone all need to bond more, and moreover, the future Qin Wangfei and side consort Deng-shi also had indirect relations, why don’t everyone just enter the palace altogether.

Once this news came out, the focus of everyone’s discussion in the capital just immediately went from ‘betting on exactly how many liangyuan Wu Wang and Wei Wang can respectively retain in the end’ to ‘who will be in control of Qin Wang Manor’s back manor in the future’.

Because throughout history, when it comes to entering the palace to thank for the honor, it has always just been the imperial prince’s main consort, or the main wife that was bestowed to a noble or official. The so called ‘one husband one wife’ was the unchanging principle throughout time. Side consort, liangyuan, fengyi, liangdi, regardless of how honorable and pleasant sounding of an address, regardless of the level and rank of the granted titled, when it comes to marriage, they were ultimately still just a concubine.

Since the empress has ordered Ming Jinrou to bring along the side consort Deng-shi when entering the palace, then without needing to guess, one would just know that the other side consort prepared for Qin Wang, Wen Ruoyao, certainly will also ‘just happened’ to enter the palace to pay respect to her own paternal aunt, Empress Wen, that day as well.

As such, entering the palace this time, even if there will be a difference in the bestowments, Wen-shi and Deng-shi will still both be side consorts that have formally entered the palace and received the empress’s bestowments prior to the wedding. This kind of honor, among the rear courts of the various junwang and qinwang, was probably also a first.

Yet, this kind of matter, the Ming family both couldn’t oppose, nor harbor a complaint, because the empress’s decree already pointed out that this was for the sake of displaying the future Qin Wangfei’s virtuousness and magnanimity, thus bringing along Deng-shi. As for the Wen family young lady, as the empress’s niece, regardless of which day she enters the palace, it’s all their own business, and her dowry certainly will also have the empress’s added share. No one can say anything.

In fact, there were even those that wanted to curry favor with the central palace commenting, ‘Wen Ruoyao, as the empress’s di-related niece, willing to lower herself under Ming Jinrou, becoming a side consort for Qin Wang, it’s already out of the empress’s magnanimity and compassion. If at this Ming Jinrou were to still bicker over the status when adding to the dowry, then it would just be a bit too petty.’

This kind of gossip naturally will pass on to the ears of the Xun family and Ming family. Ming Huayue and Ming Yunji both were furious. Fortunately, Ming Jincheng at this time had already recovered and buried himself in the Yulin Camp, vigorously training his own martial arts and waist, so didn’t have the opportunity to move about under his father’s eyes, thus getting spared from another beating.

Ming Jinrou however was very indifferent. When getting ready in Qinghong Pavilion, seeing Yu Lingxin with a grave expression, she just smiled, “These tricks of the empress’s, didn’t second cousin long predict? Cousin-in-law, you don’t need to worry like this, it’s nothing.”

Yu Lingxin lightly exhaled a breath, taking the pearl hairpin from Feihua’s hand, personally inserting it for Ming Jinrou, also tidying the hair by her temples, “Although knowing, still angry when it happens. Back then, clearly it was the empress that pushed for his Highness to form marriage ties with your family, Now that the marriage decree has come down, she wants to mess around again. Even if wanting to control his Highness Qin Wang, this method is still too………..”

Ming Jinrou casually picked up a pair of tourmaline earrings to put on herself, her tone still not the least bit concerned, “If the central palace was a bit more capable, then how could she have let Changchun Palace be arrogant for that many years. The Wen family from top to bottom are all very short-sighted and shallow, I’ve long seen through them. But, at the end of it all, there’s nothing really to care about. Qin Wang and I are merely just working together. This bit of so called face as the main wife, who cares, at least, I don’t. Currently, the empress feels that by adding to those two side consorts’ dowry, it’ll just help them gain more face? Hmph!”

She paused for a moment, also waving her hand to let the servant girls all withdraw out, and then turned towards Yu Lingxin, “In any case, it’s not like I’m going to become real husband and wife with Qin Wang. Older sister Cheng has already picked for female soldiers for me. And I also told Qin Wang, in the future, he can pamper whoever he wants, just stay far away from me. Regardless of whether it’s relying on favor, or relying on children or even face, whoever dares to provoke me, I will just hit towards the face. As long as they don’t provoke, they can be in conjugal bliss with a hall full of descendants however they want, I won’t care.”

“What all are you talking about?!” Seeing Ming Jinrou with a calm yet bright expression, Yu Lingxin was practically between tears and laughter, hating the iron for not becoming steel^[1] as she poked her forehead, “What pampering, what children, you still haven’t even married, yet not having the slightest bit of filter. Exactly what did you talk about with his Highness, how come even words like these came out?”

“Isn’t it just this bit of affairs in the back manor?” Ming Jinrou let out an ‘ouch’ but still slanted her mouth, “What’s there to have misgivings about? I don’t want to be husband and wife with him, but could it be that I also need to block him from being husband and wife with someone else? These days, he did come over a few times, but back and forth, it’s nothing more than just telling my father and my brother that he will treat me well and whatnot, who cares. He himself said that he doesn’t have any thoughts towards me. Since there’s none, then just the respect on the surface is enough. In private, he can sleep with whoever he wants……ouch!”

As she spoke, she got pinched again. Yu Lingxin was also angered to the point of not knowing what to say, “Really increasingly without a filter, able to say anything. Actually, the marriage decree has already come down, and his Highness has also come over to express his sincerity, are you really not going to consider giving him another opportunity?”

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

“What other opportunities does he still need? The opportunity to work together, the opportunity to accomplish his great undertaking, I’ve already given him.” Ming Jinrou turned her head, not wanting to let Yu Lingxin see that bit of dimness in her own eyes, “He told me, the harsh words that day, he wasn’t deliberately trying to hurt me. Just, seeing how my father was truly unwilling, he was afraid of damaging the relationship between us as father and daughter, so that’s why, he wanted to be the evil one. But, so what? He didn’t say that he liked me either. That day, back and forth, it was merely just telling me to not be angry anymore, and in the future, he will properly respect my position as the main wife.”

Speaking to here, Ming Jinrou once again fell silent, her young voice increasingly mocking, and also increasingly desolate, “The main wife’s position, heh. The son of the imperial family, the daughter of a noble house, this bit of political marriage is all just fate. He said to let me be at ease, on the night of the wedding, he won’t go to someone else’s place. He will have my dignity and honor kept in mind at all times.”

“Jinrou……..” Yu Lingxin felt very complicated inside, both having a bit of sourness, while also feeling a bit puzzled.

Regarding the few times Qin Wang and Ming Jinrou met these days, she naturally also heard Xun Che mention before, but how come what Xun Che told her, and what Ming Jinrou was saying in this moment, more or less sounded the same, but still didn’t seem to be the same?

At this time, Ming Jinrou slowly recovered, smiling on her face once again as she gazed towards Yu Lingxin, “That’s why, since my future husband is this ‘sensible’, then I should also be a bit more magnanimous. It’s merely just the two side consorts entering the palace together to thank for the honor and add to the dowry, what does this count as? If they want, the empress’s bestowments, I can also evenly divide. Even Qin Wang, I can evenly divide out, let alone materialistic things!”

At this point, Yu Lingxin increasingly didn’t know what else to say, so could only shake her head and sigh, examining Ming Jinrou’s attire from head to toe again, tidying her palace gown and accessories for her before heading out the door with Ming Jinrou.

In the outer room, Ming Huayue and her older brother, Ming Yunji, had talked for half a day, their complexion also not too good, but seeing Ming Jinrou herself with a bright and cheerful look, not having any worries, they also didn’t know whether this was a good thing or not. Ming Huayue could only pat Yu Lingxin’s hand, asking her to accompany Ming Jinrou more. Afterwards, they headed out for the palace.

When the horse carriage reached the palace gates to exchange the token, the Deng family and Wen family’s horse carriages also just happened to arrive. All the womenfolk have to descend the carriage to be inspected. Thus, the Deng family mother and daughter, Yiyang Marchioness and Wen Ruoyao, as well as Ming Jinrou, Ming Huayue, and Yu Lingxin all had a brief meeting for the first time after the imperial selection banquet, and prior to entering Zhaoyang Hall to meet the empress.

When greeting, there was actually a bit of slight awkwardness on the etiquette. If this was after the wedding, then among everyone present, it was naturally Ming Jinrou, this Qin Wangfei, that had the highest status. But, at this time, the wedding still hasn’t been held. The soon-to-be Qin Wangfei just had a marriage decree, still having yet to be formally registered into the imperial clan records in the Zongjing Bureau. That’s why, reasonably speaking, it was more common for everyone to greet according to the seniority in the family as family friends.

Probably, both Madam Deng and the Yiyang Marchioness were all thinking this, so the two of them quickly shared a glance, both not speaking first.

However, Ming Jinrou completely didn’t plan on following the so called ‘common conventions’. When the scene went silent for a moment, she directly laughed, “The two side consorts both brought along one’s own mother. Sure enough filial, very good.”

The palace servants that were exchanging the token and documents appeared to not have that high of a status, but in the palace, as long as one had a bit of rank or post, who wasn’t seasoned with experience. Upon hearing, they immediately all lowered their heads. At the same time agilely working with their hands, they also all erected their ears, their thoughts further spinning rapidly like wheels on fire. Although his Highness Qin Wang has fewer people in the manor, the liveliness in the future afraid won’t lose to Wu Wang and Wei Wang!

The faces of the Wen family mother and daughter pair, as well as the Deng family mother and daughter pair, immediately just stiffened. Ming Jinrou’s tone clearly was already using the stance of a main consort to speak with the side consorts and their family, not having the slightest modesty or respect towards Madam Deng, this so called indirect elder relative, or Yiyang Marchioness, this older sister-in-law of the empress. In her few short words, it appeared as if complimenting Wen-shi and Deng-shi, but that foot was already stepping on their faces.

But, whether it’s the Deng family or the Wen family, no one can deny that in ten days, their daughter will become Qin Wang’s side consort, this fate. At this time, if they were to directly offend Ming Jinrou, who knows how this Jin Duke Manor fourth miss who was known to be domineering will retaliate in the future?

As such, this loss in front, they had no choice but to accept. Yiyang Marchioness was actually a bit more flexible than Madam Deng, smiling in response before going to talk to Ming Huayue, brushing over this scene.

Deng Zizhi, in terms of personality, was relatively similar to Qi Pei, especially given that her father was a military general, so her haughtiness and unyielding nature even succeeded that of Qi Pei’s. At this time, seeing the Wen family mother and daughter pair change the subject, she forcibly endured, but seeing her own mother Madam Deng also enduring, when gazing towards Ming Jinrou again, her eyes were already like little daggers.

[1] An expression meaning to be disappointed or helpless towards someone for not being better, or failing to meet expectations.