Chapter 220 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

 FlamingoBees 

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 Favoring Concubines and Destroying Wives? I Refuse to be the Mistress of this Marquis' Mansion

 Chapter 220: 

 The Princess' Merit

"Someone is spreading rumors about you!" Xiruo said angrily.

Lin Yunwan had already anticipated this. She remained calm and asked Xiruo, "What exactly are they saying?"

Xiruo summarized, saying that the rumors claimed that everything that had happened in the past few days was the idea of Princess Huan, not the prince's own decision!

Cuiqin frowned in response.

Xiruo continued in frustration, "Women are not supposed to interfere in politics, but look at the situation now! If it weren't for you taking charge, would things have calmed down outside?!"

She was so angry that if her husband hadn't persuaded her to come back and report the news, she would have wanted to grab a few people and beat them up.

Lin Yunwan smiled and said, "Don't be angry. While the idea was mine, the actions were carried out by those below me. The credit cannot be attributed to me alone."

"Guards, aristocrats, wealthy merchants, and even those scholars out in the rain have done more than I have."

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"Women shouldn't meddle in government affairs, and indeed I have. What they're saying is true."

She stood up and placed her hand on Xiruo's shoulder, saying, "Now is not the time to be angry. Let's wait until all the disaster victims outside are safe and fed... Justice will prevail in the end."

Cuiqin also chimed in, "Xiruo, the prince is still out there somewhere."

Xiruo nodded, feeling much of her anger dissipate.

Lin Yunwan gently touched her cheek and said, "Look at how much weight you've lost from enduring all this. The pregnant women outside will need your help. Go back and get some rest."

Xiruo went to a simple room and fell asleep immediately.

The next day at noon, there was still no news of Qi Lingheng.

"Not a single person sent to fetch the prince has returned?" Lin Yunwan started to worry.

Several counties were in remote locations, and if Qi Lingheng had ventured into danger himself and there was no news at all, she feared for his safety.

Cuiqin shook her head, sharing Lin Yunwan's concern.

Having endured for several days, Lin Yunwan was starting to feel the strain. Her lips, which had looked fine yesterday, were now a bit pale.

Cuiqin, worried, said, "Your complexion doesn't look good, Your Highness. Please let a doctor come and check on you."

Lin Yunwan shook her head. "The doctors have all gone outside the city. Calling them back just for my complexion, what kind of message does that send?"

She knew Cuiqin was concerned, so she glanced at the sky outside and smiled. "We agreed that I would leave when the sun sets. Let's wait a little longer."

Cuiqin could only wait until the sun went down.

The prefect had stopped sending messages to this side; it wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he didn't dare.

Colleagues had started to make trouble.

"The prefect is confused. How can he... how can he rely on a mere woman like the princess?"

The prefect wouldn't admit to being foolish. He produced papers bearing Prince Huan's seal and said, "These are all orders from the prince, written in black and white with his seal."

But those people weren't convinced. Some of them with strong opinions snorted, "Where is the prince? He's been guarding the disaster victims outside for days, but we haven't seen a trace of him!"

The prefect was in a difficult position. He instructed the people around him, "Go and deliver a message to the prince's men, asking him to come and take charge."

"Let's see if you can really get the prince here today!"

The prefect coughed a couple of times, his face red with embarrassment, urging his attendants, "Why haven't you gone yet?"

"Yes..."

They went to the courtyard where Lin Yunwan was staying.

Of course, they couldn't get Qi Lingheng to come.

Lin Yunwan had instructed Qi Lingheng's aides to deal with the situation first, but those officials weren't very cooperative.

Not only that, but there seemed to be some agitation among the disaster victims—not because they were dissatisfied, but because of the students from the Qingou Academy and other scholars.

The disaster victims were only concerned with filling their stomachs, so they didn't care much about who was in charge of distributing the porridge for the time being.

Once the scholars had eaten their fill and gathered together, they heard that Princess Huan was overseeing the disaster relief efforts and dared to give orders to civil and military officials. Some of them were displeased.

"How can a mere woman like the princess show her face?"

"Exactly! What are those officials in the Jiangqian Prefecture doing? We have to listen to a woman for disaster relief efforts. Alas!"

After expressing their grievances, the scholars picked up their bowls of porridge and prepared to eat.

These past few days of helping with disaster relief have exhausted Xia Jin as well.

Xia Jin walked over angrily and snatched the bowl from the other person's hand, coldly stating, "You don't deserve to eat!"

The scholar stood up, glaring at Xia Jin. "Why did you take my porridge? Give it back to me!"

Although porridge wasn't scarce anymore, it still took half an hour to get a bowl. Porridge now was more precious than gold!

Xia Jin sneered, "Is it your porridge? Take a good look!"

At the bottom of the bowl was the character "桓"[1].

The scholar realized his mistake, and someone mocked him, "You dare to talk behind the back of Princess Huan. If you have guts, don't eat the porridge from the Prince Huan Mansion!"

"That's right. You take the food but insult the benefactor. Has your education gone to the dogs?"

The scholar stubbornly insisted, "I... I'm eating Prince Huan's porridge, not the Princess'!" Still, he didn't dare to take the porridge back from Xia Jin.

Xia Jin took the porridge and went to feed the thin and pale children. 

The scholar, feeling embarrassed, didn't go back to the Prince Huan Mansion's porridge stand but instead went to queue at the Lin Mansion's porridge stand.

Some people mocked him, saying, "That's from the Lin Mansion, the Wangfei's paternal family's porridge stand."

The scholar switched to the Su Mansion's porridge stand, and Xia Jin's classmates chuckled, "The Su family is the maternal clan of the Princess Consort."

"I... I'll go to the Lu Mansion's main branch!"

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

The scholar's face turned red with anger. When he finally queued at the Lu Mansion's porridge stand, a servant from the Lu Mansion said, "Sir, you're queuing at the wrong place. The Lu Mansion doesn't provide aid to those who slander the Wangfei."

"You... you... you're disgracing our culture! You're disgracing our culture!"

"Prince Huan — Prince Huan is on the city tower!"

There was a commotion at the bottom of the tower, and everyone ran to see. 

Qi Lingheng, dressed in black robes with a thin cloak on his shoulders, his black hair contrasting with his fair complexion, looked exceptionally noble and handsome.

As he glanced down from the tower, someone immediately knelt and bowed loudly.

During his absence, his Princess Consort had taken excellent care of Jiangqian inside and out.

"A'Fu, let's go down."

Qi Lingheng suppressed the turmoil in his heart and went to meet with the officials of Jiangqian, accompanied by A'Fu.

I apologize for that oversight. Here is the corrected version in English:

"Day and night he traveled tirelessly, his voice already hoarse.

Inside the main hall, there was still debate about women meddling in political affairs, and they had already started to blame Lin Yunwan.

"So this is women meddling in politics! I must intervene!" 

As Qi Lingheng entered, he heard this statement.

He gave a cold smile. "Who do you want to intervene against?"

The officials all turned to see the handsome yet stern face of the prince.

"I pay my respects to Prince Huan."

The main hall fell silent.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

The prefect gestured for Qi Lingheng to take a seat, and he walked over calmly. "My health is not well, so I've asked Princess Huan to send messages and seal them on my behalf. Is anyone dissatisfied?"

There was silence in the room.

Qi Lingheng defended Lin Yunwan's honor: "I am deeply concerned about the flood in Jiangqian, unable to sleep at night. Princess Huan, pregnant with my child, offered advice and suggestions for me and the people of Jiangqian. With my permission, she compiled these suggestions into documents to be disseminated."

"And as for all of you—"

"Not only do you lack concern for the people, but you also spread rumors and cause trouble here."

"Are you trying to slander the princess, or are you implying... something against me?" He deftly shifted the focus away from Lin Yunwan's responsibility while acknowledging her merits and intelligence. 

The officials remained silent, like cicadas in winter. 

Who dared to accuse Prince Huan! 

Once the crown prince died, Prince Huan would be the ruler of the world! 

"I dare not!" Several officials spoke in unison. 

Qi Lingheng glanced over them coldly, remained silent for a while, then stood up and left. 

The officials, led by the prefect, sat on the ground, feeling utterly drained and sweating profusely from the fright. 

"Where is the princess?" 

Qi Lingheng hurriedly asked as soon as he returned to Lin Yunwan's temporary residence.

She's pregnant, and she has to deal with these useless officials. How dare they speak ill of her!

Lu Mama couldn't keep up, so she had to shout from behind, "Your Highness, the princess is in the main courtyard. Just go through the long corridor..."

Qi Lingheng couldn't wait any longer.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

•••

1. 桓: Huan

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