Chapter 266 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

 FlamingoBees 

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Home    :    Novels

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

 Chapter 266: 

The Finale Prt. One

"Crown Princess, ever since you left the capital many years ago, Lady Guo has been living in seclusion. She only resurfaced recently."

The mountain road was rugged. 

A'Fu walked alongside the carriage, helping Lin Yunwan down from it.

"Lady Guo has been living right here?" Lin Yunwan asked, surprised as she looked at the simple thatched hut before her.

Although modest, Lady Guo's dwelling was known for its elegance, reflecting her refined taste.

"No," A'Fu explained, "I heard Lady Guo has moved several times over the past few years."

Lin Yunwan stood in front of the thatched hut for a moment before knocking on the door.

© 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.

A young maid came to open it, a stranger to Lin Yunwan.

"I'm here to see Lady Guo," Lin Yunwan stated.

The maid was a mute and couldn't speak. She gestured for Lin Yunwan to wait a moment. Lin Yunwan nodded, and even before entering, she caught a whiff of fragrance.

"Teacher still likes using scents," Lin Yunwan remarked.

The mute maid emerged from inside, accompanied by Lady Guo.

Her hair had turned completely white!

But her eyes were bright, and she stepped out eagerly, exclaiming, "Yunwan?! How come it's you!"

Lin Yunwan bowed respectfully, "Teacher, I'm sorry to arrive late."

Lady Guo glanced at the person behind her, recognizing A'Fu dressed as a eunuch, and understood.

"Yunwan, come in and let's talk," Lady Guo said.

After Lin Yunwan entered, Lady Guo instructed the maid, "Yama, go fetch a cup of water."

The mute maid nodded in acknowledgment.

Lin Yunwan couldn't help but ask about Lady Guo's life over the years: "What about the maidservants who used to serve by your side?"

Lady Guo smiled and said, "As I grew older, they all got married and left. Women always have to get married." At least that's how the law dictates. Female servants, when they reach a certain age, also have to leave. 

© 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.

It's not something she could buy with money, to have them serve her for a lifetime. 

She continued, "As for those with families to support, I didn't like that. So I just let them go. Later on, one after another, the people around me left, and I wanted to travel around. After resigning from the Empress' service, I sold off my belongings and went to see the world."

Lin Yunwan glanced at Lady Guo's clothes and felt they were too simple. 

Lady Guo didn't mind; she said calmly, "When one grows old, one cares less about material comforts."

The mute servant brought tea, and Lin Yunwan took a sip. 

Seeing that Lin Yunwan didn't mind, Lady Guo smiled and said, "Whether it's coarse tea or aged tea, Your Highness shouldn't force yourself."

Lin Yunwan wasn't concerned and asked, "Teacher, you already know about it?"

Lady Guo smiled, "The rumors outside are all about the affairs of the Marquis of Wu Ding's Mansion, saying there's a princess who looks very much like you. I've heard some gossip even in the countryside."

She didn't want to ask about the details in between, nor did she want to say more about it.

Lin Yunwan sniffed around and smiled, "Your house has so many kinds of fragrance. Are you still making incense?"

Lady Guo brought out some newly developed incense for Lin Yunwan to smell. She fanned the scent with her hand, waiting for it to diffuse, and said, "One has to make a living."

After smelling a few varieties, Lin Yunwan remarked, "…Why are they all ordinary spices? Not even any camphor."

Lady Guo replied, "Indeed, they're all things that can be easily found in the forests and mountains. They're easy to find and sell well."

Lin Yunwan couldn't understand what Lady Guo was doing now.

© 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.

Lady Guo smiled and said, "I'll take you to see where I gather the ingredients for making incense."

Wearing a veil, Lin Yunwan followed her.

"A Taoist temple? Teacher, you never believed in these things!"

What exactly caused Lady Guo's drastic change?

Lady Guo explained, "It's the women from the Taoist temple who go up the mountain to collect the materials and sell them to me. They saw this as a way to make a living and asked me how to make incense. I taught a few of them, and later all the women from this Taoist temple started selling incense powder."

Lin Yunwan listened silently.

Lady Guo asked, "Did the Princess Consort know what these women in the Taoist temple used to do?"

Lin Yunwan didn't immediately shake her head. She said, "Could it be..."

In fact, Lin Yunwan didn't know, but Lady Guo asked deliberately, indicating it was something out of the ordinary.

"Those who engage in the flesh trade, the youngest ones, started at the age of nine," Lady Guo said with a calm expression, while Lin Yunwan's nails dug into her palms.

"Let's go back," Lady Guo said.

"Okay."

Lady Guo led Lin Yunwan back to her thatched hut.

"Teacher, did you find your faith, so you abandoned worldly life?" Lin Yunwan asked.

Lady Guo smiled at herself. "It's not that noble. It's just that as you grow older, your heart becomes softer."

She paused and said, "As one grows older, one becomes more insightful. I've been making incense powder all my life, and while it can perfume a room, it can't perfume bones."

Lin Yunwan fell silent for a moment before saying, "Your student has learned a lot."

Lady Guo smiled kindly, "Now that you are the Crown Princess, with the opportunity to become the mother of the nation in the future, I've heard that the Crown Prince respects you the most. Allow me to speak freely."

© 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.

"In high positions, one must show compassion to the humble," Lin Yunwan nodded, "That's only natural."

The teacher and student chatted and laughed for a good two hours, enjoying simple tea and food as the sun set.

Afu came to remind them, "Crown Princess, it's time to return."

Lin Yunwan felt reluctant to leave.

Lady Guo said, "Go ahead, Crown Princess."

Before leaving, Lin Yunwan instructed, "Teacher, you have too few people attending to you. I'd like to leave someone with you."

Lady Guo declined, "Having Yama is enough."

Lin Yunwan didn't want to insist, so she said, "If you don't mind, I'll often send someone quietly to check on you."

"Alright."

I apologize for the oversight. Let me correct that:

After returning, Lin Yunwan pondered for several days.

Seeing her preoccupied, Qi Lingheng asked, "What's on your mind?"

Lin Yunwan shared with him her admiration for Lady Guo.

Her husband smiled and said, "Lady Guo's words are not without merit."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Lin Yunwan asked.

Sitting down, Qi Lingheng said, "Lady Guo's compassion makes sense. In case we have another princess in the future, if she were to face... hardships like you did as a woman, I, as her father, would be heartbroken."

But for now, he was only acting as the Crown Prince, and his actions were limited.

© 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.

•••

https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations

Prev  :  TOC :  Next