RATMOFANF: Chapter 42

 Character Glossary

· Shen Jingxiu (沈静姝): The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife. The new matriarch of the Zhenguo Duke Manor.

· Li Ling (李陵): The Heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor. Shen Jingxiu's husband, a cold and stern general.

· Li Xian (李显): Li Ling's cousin, the eldest grandson. A high-ranking official.

· Xu Wanning (徐婉宁): Li Xian's wife.

· Ziyun (紫云): Shen Jingxiu's chief personal maid.

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Chapter 42: Taking a Concubine

The Grand Princess kept the three of them for the evening meal at the Princess's residence. By the time they left, the sky had dimmed slightly.

Jingxiu and San Guniang again took the carriage, while Li Ling rode his horse.

Halfway there, they happened to meet Li Xian returning on horseback from his government office. After the brothers exchanged greetings, they rode side by side, talking.

Sitting in the carriage, Jingxiu faintly heard Li Ling asking his elder brother about entering the Grand Secretariat. As it involved government affairs, the brothers spoke in very low voices, and Jingxiu couldn't hear them clearly.

She lifted the carriage curtain slightly and saw Li Xian dressed in his dark blue second-rank official robes, riding his horse and talking to Li Ling with great relish, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

Seeing his triumphant appearance, Jingxiu could guess that his entry into the Grand Secretariat was almost certain.

Entering the Grand Secretariat was the lifelong goal of civil officials. If Li Xian could achieve this, it would naturally bring glory to the family and reflect well on the entire Zhenguo Duke Manor.

But remembering his behavior of favoring the concubine over the wife, Jingxiu's heart felt heavy. The more she looked at him, the more displeased she felt.

She looked at Li Ling. He and Li Xian rode ahead, so she could only see his back.

In her previous life, she had lived with him for five years. Although their feelings had always been lukewarm, it was true that he had Qingluan in his heart, but he had never touched another woman.

She had never been troubled by sharing a husband with another woman.

In this life, he treated her better than in her previous life, but she didn't know if he would eventually take concubines. After all, given his power and status, many people wanted to curry favor with him, and the means to do so naturally included wealth and beautiful women.

She remembered that in her previous life, many powerful and noble families had sent beauties to the manor. Fortunately, Li Ling hadn't touched them either, casually sending them away.

Even so, she couldn't be sure he was truly a gentleman who maintained his integrity.

What man doesn't love beautiful women?

In her previous life, they had only been together for five years, and she was still young. It was normal for him to be infatuated with her body and not fancy other women. Wasn't it the same with Li Xian and Xu Wanning? If Li Xian hadn't liked Xu Wanning at all, how could she have borne him both a son and a daughter within four or five years of entering the household? But now, with time, hadn't Li Xian grown tired of the old and fond of the new?

She quietly watched Li Ling riding ahead. He was tall and slender, sitting straight as a pine on his horse.

In terms of looks, he was truly top-notch.

She didn't want to share this man with other women, nor could she bear the thought of other women's children dividing the paternal love that belonged to her future children. Even if, in this life, he still couldn't let go of Qingluan in his heart, at the very least, his body must belong to her completely.

She couldn't let other women touch him.

She had to find a way to keep him close.

By the time they returned to Zhenguo Duke Manor, the sky was growing dark. Li Xian dismounted first. He threw the reins to the stable boy, said to Li Ling, "I'm heading back first," and strode towards the West Courtyard.

His light, hurried steps didn't seem like he was going to Bì Táng Jū to coax Xu Wanning.

Sure enough, as Jingxiu, Li Ling, and Ziyun, the three of them, had just entered the inner courtyard, they saw from a distance a woman in pink standing in the covered corridor. When she saw Li Xian, she walked gracefully towards him. Li Xian took her hand, leaned down, and whispered something to her. The woman covered her face and lightly beat his shoulder with her delicate fist. Then, embracing, the two weetly and affectionately headed towards the West Courtyard together.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Watching their retreating figures, Jingxiu's heart sank.

Li Ling had naturally seen it too. He turned and asked Jingxiu, "Who is that woman?"

Jingxiu replied with a cold face, "The new concubine Elder Brother has taken."

Li Ling made an "Oh" sound and said no more, continuing to walk side by side with Jingxiu.

Jingxiu turned her head to look at Li Ling and said, "She was bestowed by the palace."

Li Ling glanced at Jingxiu but still remained silent.

Jingxiu looked at him and asked again, "What does the Heir think of that woman from the palace?"

Li Ling stopped and said mildly to Ziyun, who was following behind, "You may return first."

Ziyun understood, glanced at the two of them, and hurried away.

The moon hung over the willow tops, and the sky had darkened. Li Ling bent down, specifically to look at his young wife's expression. Jingxiu turned her head away, her face still cold. "Why are you looking at me like that, Heir?"

Li Ling turned her body to face him and said with a half-smile, "I wanted to ask you, why have you been pressing me about that palace courtesan?"

Struck by his question, Jingxiu momentarily didn't know how to respond. For some reason, she was suddenly afraid that Li Ling would detect that what she actually minded was Qingluan, and even more afraid that he would see her worry about him taking concubines.

She half-lowered her head, rubbing the fine gravel on the ground back and forth with her embroidered shoe, and mumbled in a voice as faint as a mosquito's, "It's nothing. I was just asking casually."

Li Ling looked down at his shy young wife, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. "Since it's nothing, then let's go. I still have matters to attend to when we get back." With that, he strode forward.

Jingxiu rolled her eyes at his retreating back and followed him with quick steps, but her heart remained depressed.

After walking a stretch, Li Ling turned his head again and saw his young wife following not far behind, her eyes downcast, even her palm-sized little face seemed to droop.

Languid and dispirited, like a little rabbit whose food had been snatched away.

Li Ling stopped, waiting for her to catch up. Then, walked side by side with her, without looking at her, he gazed ahead and asked in a somewhat teasing tone, "It seems to me, Wife, that you have something on your mind?"

Jingxiu suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She didn't want him to see through her thoughts.

She didn't want to share him with other women, not because she loved him so much she couldn't bear to be without him, but because she didn't want her position threatened or her future children to suffer. She was thinking entirely for herself.

Hmph! Don't think she cared about him that much!

Jingxiu raised her head, smiled at Li Ling, and said as if nothing were wrong, "What could possibly be on my mind? I was just thinking that I was too busy during the day and didn't get around to looking at the account books."

As if afraid Li Ling wouldn't believe her, she added, "To manage the household, I need to get a clear understanding of the accounts first, right? That's the most urgent matter at hand. I need to hurry and sort out these accounts."

Li Ling looked at her steadily for a moment but said nothing.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

When they reached Qingfeng Yuan, Li Ling finally spoke. "You go back first. I need to go to the study to work for a while longer."

Jingxiu smiled and replied, "Then you should go quickly. Finish early and rest early."

With that, she turned to leave, but Li Ling caught her wrist. Jingxiu looked up and asked, "Is there something else, Heir?"

Li Ling looked into his young wife's eyes, clear as water and the moon.

They held only him.

Holding her hand, he looked at her and said, "If you treat me well, I will never take a concubine."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

For a moment, Jingxiu felt like crying, but she quickly collected herself. She looked up at Li Ling and asked, "And if I cannot treat you with true sincerity?"

Li Ling paused, reached out to smooth the stray hairs on Jingxiu's forehead, put on a look of nonchalance, and replied leisurely, "Then... that would be hard to say."

Jingxiu's almond-shaped eyes widened. Glaring at him fiercely, she said, "You wouldn't dare!"

Li Ling replied with a hint of a smile, "If you don't treat me well, if you always disobey me, if one day you truly anger me, I might just marry seven or eight more. Don't come crying and begging me then."

Jingxiu lifted her leg and gave him a hard kick. Indignantly, she said, "Forget seven or eight! If you dare bring even one into the household, I'll stab twelve bloody holes in you, turn you into a sieve!"

Li Ling, having received Jingxiu's kick, wasn't angry. As he brushed the footprint Jingxiu had left on his robe, he teased with a laugh, "You'd dare get tough with me? Do you think I'd be afraid?" As he spoke, he curled his finger and gently tapped his young wife's nose. "Could you beat me in a fight?"

Infuriated, Jingxiu raised her foot to kick him again, but Li Ling deftly caught her ankle.

With one foot caught by him, Jingxiu stood on one foot, wobbling unsteadily, and had to grab hold of Li Ling's clothes to keep her balance.

Li Ling held her ankle with one hand and firmly clasped her waist with the other. Leaning close to her ear, he pretended to be annoyed and said, "Still daring to be rough with your husband? Wait until we're back tonight and see how I deal with you."

(End of Chapter)

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Jingxiu @Li Ling: I may not love you, but I won't allow you to take concubines.

Li Ling (scratching his head): I don't get the feeling that you don't love me?

Jingxiu (exasperated): How can someone be so obtuse!

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