Chapter 41: Fainting from Anger
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Amid a swirling storm of confusion and sharp accusations, the scene opens with a significant misunderstanding. “Is there a mistake here? The house where she lives is registered under my husband’s name,” Madam Qin asserts with rising indignation. Her statement begins to unravel a complicated social web.
She continues, her voice dripping with scorn and a sense of betrayal, “Her illegitimate child, Lu Jing Huai, only managed to enter the prestigious Tianhong Academy thanks to my husband’s recommendation.” Her words hint at a network of favors and connections that extend far beyond mere acquaintances.
Madam Qin’s revelations become even more severe as she recounts a recent malicious act, “Just a few days ago, his servant tried to set fire to the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion, intending to harm the Lu family’s eldest son. And it was my husband who saved him.” The gravity of her accusation looms over the gathering, exposing deep-seated animosity and dangerous plots within their circle.
With a sneer, Madam Qin mocks Lord Lu’s generosity, “Lord Lu is truly magnanimous, isn’t he? Allowing such treachery against his own blood while sheltering the culprit.” Her sarcasm cuts deep, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
“Do you actually believe there’s nothing unsavory between them? Can anyone here honestly say they believe that?” she challenges the crowd, questioning the innocence of the involved relationships.
Her next words are harsh and unyielding, aimed directly at the woman at the center of the scandal. “A woman of loose morals. Who knows how many favors she’s traded on her back for her son’s sake!” These accusations visibly enrage Lu Jing Huai. His frustration and anger make him resemble a young animal caught in a trap, ready to lash out.
Amidst the escalating tension, a voice breaks through the commotion, “Wife, wife, wife…” The urgent, almost panicked calls come from Minister Chen, who navigates through the crowd while trying to keep his official hat in place.
“Let’s disperse, please. This is all just a big misunderstanding,” pleads Minister Chen, his mostly white beard at forty-three betraying his advancing years, even as he finds himself caught in a youthful scandal.
He instructs the servants to disperse the gathering, but the onlookers remain at a distance, their eyes filled with scorn and amusement.
“Minister Chen still shows such vigor at his age,” someone calls out mockingly, adding fuel to the public spectacle.
Lu Yuan Ze, another key figure in this tangled narrative, struggles to contain his growing fury, his breath heavy with anger.
Facing his wife’s wrath, Minister Chen tries to defend himself, “Wife, you’ve got it all wrong. I have no involvement with Mrs. Pei.” His glance toward Lu Yuan Ze carries a mix of resentment and a plea for understanding, but the situation seems beyond simple explanations.
“Nothing to do with her? Yet the property is registered in your name, and you endorsed him, didn’t you? Chen You Liang, you’ve truly disappointed me!” Madam Qin’s anger is palpable, her accusations sharp as she confronts him about his alleged infidelity and the support of an illegitimate child.
“How could you betray me and father a bastard!” Her fury crescendos as she lashes out, marking his face with her nails.
Despite Minister Chen’s attempts to beg for mercy and protect himself, he’s clearly at a disadvantage, known for being under his wife’s strict control.
“It’s not what it seems, really, it isn’t! I…” His attempts at clarification seem futile, especially with Lu Yuan Ze’s judgmental presence looming.
From a corner, Madam Xu observes the dramatic confrontation with a serene demeanor, her calmness a stark contrast to the chaos.
“Wife, can we please discuss this matter at home? Whatever it is, let’s talk about it in private…” Minister Chen attempts to placate his wife, his voice cautious, hoping to quell the brewing storm in front of an audience.
With a piercing gaze, Madam Qin turns her attention to Pei Jiao Jiao, her expression unreadable yet commanding. “Return home and kneel, contemplate on your actions,” she orders. Her reputation for being strict is well known. When her husband was promoted, she found him in a brothel. Armed with only a rolling pin, she chased him out, beating him through the streets. The incident was so humiliating that Minister Chen was overlooked by the king for three years afterward. Since then, he’s been careful not to cross her again.
Now, facing another potential scandal, Minister Chen’s anger is evident, but he holds back, knowing better than to challenge Madam Qin openly.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“Dressing so dignified and graceful, parading your son as if he were of legitimate birth. Where do you get the audacity?” she scornfully questions Pei Jai Jiao’s morals and integrity. “Acting like a temptress, I’ll make sure to strip you of your pretense every chance I get!”
Madam Qin’s anger isn’t just directed at Pei Jiao Jiao; it’s a manifestation of her disillusionment with the deceit she perceives around her. Lu Yuan Ze’s visible anger, the old lady’s distress, and the lordship’s silent acceptance have led her to a bitter realization: her husband is likely covering for someone else, making him a fool in her eyes. Yet, she questions, what does it matter?
Despite her inner turmoil, Madam Qin’s actions reflect a mix of disdain and pity. Perhaps today’s confrontation was manipulated, but to her, the truth is irrelevant. Her primary concern is the shame brought upon her family, a stain she cannot tolerate.
With a gesture oscillating between contempt and mercy, she throws two taels of silver in front of Pei Jiao Jiao. “Consider this payment for your services. I won’t trouble you further; you’re nothing but a toy. If you wish, I could even bring you back to our mansion as a concubine. Isn’t that enough? Why the secrecy?” Her words drip with sarcasm, highlighting the absurdity and indignity of the situation.
Madam Qin’s final glance at Lu Yuan Ze encapsulates her frustration—not just with Pei Jiao Jiao but with the entire charade of maintaining appearances, of concubines pretending to be legitimate wives, of illegitimate children being paraded as heirs. It’s this facade of respectability, contrasted with their actions, that fuels her fury.
After some thought, she recalls that it wasn’t too long ago when a servant under Lu Jing Huai went as far as hiring someone to commit murder. The idea chills one when pondered deeply.
It seems as though this act was to usurp the role of the primary wife.
With a look of utter contempt, Madam Qin surveys the scene before leading her entourage away with a commanding air.
Minister Chen steals a glance at Lu Yuan Ze before quickly catching up with Madam Qin.
While Madam Qin is carried off in her sedan chair, he struggles to keep up on foot, his advanced age betraying him with each labored breath and sweat-drenched step.
As the crowd dissipates, Pei Jiao Jiao can’t hold back her tears, her sobs breaking the silence.
“Jing Huai… Jing Huai…” Her eyes, filled with concern, settle on Lu Jing Huai.
Lu Jing Huai, always dignified, has carefully concealed his true identity. Now, faced with open humiliation, he looks back at her and Lu Yuan Ze with a detached expression, the word “father” too heavy to utter in such a setting.
“My Jing Yao, my precious child…” Pei Jiao Jiao laments, her hair disheveled as she clutches her child, overwhelmed by the unfairness.
Yet, Lu Yuan Ze finds himself unable to approach, the weight of many eyes upon them deterring any comfort he might offer.
“Mrs. Pei might need medical attention,” he murmurs softly before signaling to Pei Jiao Jiao and hastening away with his elderly mother, who seems reluctant to leave.
“The cruelty of that vile woman, to inflict such pain on my grandchildren…” the elderly grandmother weeps quietly.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao cranes her neck, eager to witness more of the unfolding drama.
[Fight, fight, rip her to shreds, haha, wonderful…]
[Ha, that’s what you get for hurting my mother, you got what you deserved!]
[That Madam Qin, she really knows how to handle things…] Lu Chao Chao claps gleefully, her hands turning red with excitement.
Seeing her daughter’s delight, Madam Xu affectionately strokes her head and kisses her cheek.
The blame for the arson was pinned solely on that servant, sparking a fierce backlash that tempered Madam Xu’s fury.
Upon reflection, she realizes that Lu Yuan Ze might still be oblivious to the fact that Lu Jing Huai’s reputation as a prodigy was unearned.
With a slight frown, Madam Xu decides against dethroning Lu Jing Huai from his esteemed status for now.
This restraint stems from her strategy to one day take her children away from the marquis’s mansion, where they’re seen as a disgrace. Their eventual departure, marked by a divorce, would be their chance to shine.
Returning to the estate, Madam Xu finds that a doctor has already been summoned after the elderly lady collapsed from rage and worry.