Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 68
by Little PandaVolume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place
The Ambitions of the Xiao Mother and Son
The Chancellor’s Residence.
Xiao Quan sat in her chair, holding several secret letters. As she read them, her brow furrowed deeply.1
One of her protégés2, equally restless, saw her expression and quickly stood up. “Esteemed Teacher3,” he asked, “has Her Majesty discovered something amiss? Does she intend to eliminate us?”
“Hmph. I’ve built my position over decades4; how could an emperor like her, lacking in virtue, possibly pull me down?” Xiao Quan contemptuously placed the secret letters inside the lampshade, watching them turn to ash in the candlelight.
Watching the ashes swirl and dance aggressively5 in the candlelight, Xiao Quan’s gaze was profound.
She came from poverty. In the dead of winter, her hands and feet would crack and bleed. Relying on the tiny flame of a sesame oil lamp, she studied hard until midnight. After passing the imperial examination6 in one go and becoming an official at court, only then did she truly understand worldly injustice.
While she was chopping wood and hauling charcoal to sell, the daughters of wealthy families in Jingdu chatted idly in restaurants. While she, wearing straw sandals that exposed her feet, dug for sweet potatoes in snow several chi7 deep, and risked her life smashing ice on a frozen river thick enough to walk on to find fish for her gravely ill mother, those young ladies from noble families were gathered around stoves, drinking wine and eating meat.
Encountering these things dealt a huge blow to her heart.
She couldn’t help but think, On what grounds? On what grounds could those useless freeloaders8 live so well, while someone like her, truly talented and already a jinshi9, had to start as a minor official of the lowest ninth rank? Why, when her mother fell ill at home, could she not even get money for treatment, forced to let her suffer in agony until death in a dilapidated hut?
She refused to accept it! So she desperately clawed her way up, resorting to any means necessary. First, she showed filial piety10 to win over her superiors. Once she finally relied on their recommendations and her own proud talent to get transferred to Jingdu, gradually rising to the position of Chancellor, she secretly used others to eliminate rivals11. She found pretexts to demote all the superiors she had once fawned over, sending them to remote posts, and then found further reasons to ensure they never had a chance to return to prominence.12
As for her first fulang, who had endured hardships alongside her, she found an excuse to divorce him and had him sent off to perform corvée labor13, where he died building a canal.
Her two daughters from that marriage were already adults. Since they came from her own womb, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything drastic to them. Using a mix of coercion and intimidation, she gave them money and sent them back to their rural hometown to live as landowners.
These people had seen her at her lowest, so she couldn’t tolerate their existence. Only by dying or leaving would her past remain unscrutinized.
After dealing with these individuals, she continued scheming for herself in Jingdu. She connected with the son of the former Minister of Rites, married him into her household, and gave birth to a son, Xiao Zhengyun.
But perhaps Heaven was blind; that fulang fell ill and died after she gave birth. She subsequently took several more male consorts, but failed to conceive again—not even a son, let alone a daughter. Now, approaching fifty and seeing no other heir, she considered arranging a matrilocal marriage14 for Xiao Zhengyun.
However, this son of hers had his heart set on an imperial princess, which put her in a difficult position.
Marrying into the imperial family meant any children born would be imperial descendants15, definitely not members of the Xiao family. To prevent her line from dying out, Xiao Quan thought long and hard, then secretly sent someone back to her hometown to steal her younger daughter’s newborn granddaughter. Publicly, she claimed the child was adopted from a relative.
Xiao Zhengyun often quarreled with her over this “adopted” child.
Although Xiao Zhengyun was her son, and a child she had doted on for so long, holding him dear to her heart16, his constant cold shoulder towards her made her feel quite upset.
She was already troubled by this matter when, recently, the mediocre Emperor made frequent moves, demoting many officials—most of whom were protégés she had promoted—clearly intending to reprimand her.
The Emperor lacked talent to begin with, and now she was acting like a muddled old fool. Xiao Quan had worked diligently for decades, dedicating herself wholeheartedly17 to the kingdom, selecting capable people. Yet, not only had she not been ennobled like Marquis Ding’an, but she had recently received a reprimand from the Emperor. How could this not make one disheartened and resentful?
And the secret letters just now mentioned that the Emperor had dispatched several imperial princesses to search official residences. Those little brats18, ignorant of the world’s immensity19, were actually treating a trivial order as a matter of great importance20, searching the residences of many of her protégés.
Heh, did they think she would be afraid of this?
She had climbed up step by step, enduring every kind of hardship. While she was chopping wood and farming in the mountains, the Emperor and her little brats were enjoying luxurious food and clothing.21 On what grounds?
Since the Emperor disregarded the relationship between ruler and minister and wanted to bring her down, she couldn’t be blamed for resorting to any means necessary.
As a thousand thoughts turned in her mind22, she turned around and asked her protégé, “I heard that some time ago, the Fifth Princess sought to marry my son, but was rejected by the Emperor?”
“Yes,” the protégé nodded. “This disciple saw the memorial23 the Fifth Princess submitted. But later, I heard that when the Emperor saw it, she threw it directly into the fireplace. The Fifth Princess’s maternal family is powerful; Her Majesty probably doesn’t want her primary consort to also come from an influential residence.”
“Heh, Her Majesty has calculated things quite well.24” But she’s probably been in her high position too long; she doesn’t understand the minds of these young girls. The more you block her, the more you deny her something, the more she wants it.
Her son was exceptionally handsome and refined; all the women in Jingdu wanted to marry him. Just a mere imperial princess—was there any fear she couldn’t win him over?
This time, when Her Majesty sent people to search the residences, only the Fifth Princess didn’t participate. She must already harbor dissatisfaction. When the time comes, if she just has her son get close to the Fifth Princess and stirs things up a bit, mother and daughter are bound to become estranged.
Behind the Fifth Princess stand Marquis Zhenwei and Marquis Ding’an. She is the princess most likely to ascend the throne. When the time comes, send the Emperor to the underworld25, enthrone the Fifth Princess, and Xiao Quan will not only be the Emperor’s parent-in-law but also credited with supporting her ascension. Would she still fear an unstable position?
With this thought, she summoned a maidservant. “Go and ask the Young Master to come here.”
The maidservants acknowledged and left. They returned shortly after, reporting, “The Young Master says he is currently chatting with a friend and will come over in a little while.”
“A friend?” Xiao Quan assumed it was the son of the Minister of Revenue. She waved her hand dismissively. “In that case, wait for him a moment. Tell the Young Master to come to my study in one shichen.26“
“Yes.”
After the maidservant left, the protégé asked, “Esteemed Teacher, are you planning for the Young Master to marry the Fifth Princess?”
“Mm. Although the Fifth Princess’s petition was rejected, if the rice is already cooked27, I fear even the Emperor won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“But… this matter might damage the Young Master’s reputation. I wonder if he would be willing.”
“He is my son, a piece of flesh from my own body.28 Whatever I tell him to do, he must do. Besides, this is for his own good. Marrying the Fifth Princess means he can become the Emperor Consort. If they later have a daughter who inherits the Yanxue Kingdom, he’ll secure lifelong glory and wealth. Why wouldn’t he do it?” Xiao Quan said dismissively. Thinking of the earlier incident with Su Tianci, she added mockingly, “Just can’t be like that Su Marquis Residence family—her incredibly stupid great-grandson tried to be clever but ended up bungling things, causing such a huge scandal.”
The protégé chuckled. “Isn’t that the truth? Even now, Marquis Su doesn’t dare look anyone in the eye. After court disperses, she doesn’t dare linger in the inner hall. She must have completely lost face.29 And as for her great-granddaughter, nobody dares propose marriage for her anymore.”
“This matter requires careful long-term planning.” Xiao Quan mused. “Besides, marrying the princess now is like distant water unable to put out a nearby fire30. Her Majesty has clearly made up her mind to find fault with us. We must overcome this current hurdle first, otherwise, the Emperor will take us down before my son even marries the Fifth Princess.”
“Exactly.” The protégé nodded gravely. “May I ask, Esteemed Teacher, do you have a countermeasure? My fellow disciples31 are burning with anxiety, but it’s inconvenient for them to come, so they asked me to seek you out secretly.”
“What’s there to fear? There are dozens of you disciples altogether. The court is currently short-staffed; the most the Emperor can do is demote you. She can’t touch you for now,” Xiao Quan said. “However, we must strike first… The Emperor has planted spies in the residences of all the powerful nobles, so I doubt they’ll dare make any rash moves. Internal threats are contained. As for external threats—I hear the Huachen Kingdom32 hasn’t been behaving lately?”
“More than that, even the Dongli Kingdom has been restless recently, increasing troops along the border.”
Xiao Quan pondered for a moment, then said, “This is a perfect opportunity. I recall two or three of your senior female disciples are serving as Army Supervisors33 at the border. Go contact them. Tell them to secretly get in touch with people from those two kingdoms, find or create an opportunity—ideally, get them to invade. Then, amidst the chaos, we’ll seize the Emperor, kill those other princesses, and enthrone the Fifth Princess.”
Yanxue Kingdom’s soldiers are experienced. Attacked jointly by those two kingdoms, at worst, some people will die, some money will be paid, maybe a city ceded. Anyway, Yanxue Kingdom is vast and abundant; there won’t be any truly major losses. She has truly become a thorn in the Emperor’s side34. Compared to her own glory and wealth, losing a tiny bit of land is nothing.
Her protégé thought the same way. Hearing her teacher lay it out, she didn’t even register it as treason, merely worrying about Ji Qingchi. “But military authority rests with the Ninth Princess. Her martial arts are formidable, I fear…”
“Fear what? Aren’t there assassins? I hear the Xuanji Tower has numerous assassins, including the Ten Great Assassins, who kill without a trace. She’s just an imperial princess with no backing; can she really cause a major upheaval?” Xiao Quan gave a cold smile. “Last time, I did the Xuanji Tower a favor by letting their Young Mistress go. Won’t they be shedding tears of gratitude35 and work for me? If worst comes to worst, we can always hire killers with silver.”
The protégé understood, filled with admiration36. “Esteemed Teacher has profound insight! This student will go make arrangements immediately!”
In the rear garden of the Chancellor’s Residence.
Xiao Zhengyun sat opposite a man dressed in purple, playing Go.37
The purple-clad man smiled. “Xiao-xiong38, truly impressive methods. With one move of using others to do your dirty work, you turned all that little sl%t’s business from the Su Residence into nothing.”[ efn_note]化为泡影 | huà wéi pàoyǐng | Lit. “turn into foam and shadow,” meaning to come to nothing, to vanish like a phantom.[/efn_note]
“Hua-xiong39, you praise me too much.” Xiao Zhengyun picked up a game piece and smiled. “If Hua-xiong hadn’t sent people to act secretly, I couldn’t possibly have escaped unscathed. However, Hua-xiong is such a busy man, usually nowhere to be seen. Why have you specially come looking for your foolish younger brother today? Is there some important matter?”
Hua Wushang40 smiled. “I’m not one to beat around the bush, so I’ll speak frankly with Xiao-xiong—do you want to be Chancellor?”
Xiao Zhengyun’s heart leaped. At most, he had only ever considered becoming the Emperor Consort. Chancellor… that was something he had never thought of.
Seeing the flicker in his eyes, Hua Wushang smiled faintly. Indeed, power is something even these effeminate41 men of the Yanxue Kingdom desire.
Xiao Zhengyun hesitated. “But… in the Yanxue Kingdom, only women can become officials.”
“What does that matter? Wasn’t the Fourth Princess of Dongli Kingdom, the one about to have a political marriage, formerly a general? Xiao-xiong, you are a man! In Huachen Kingdom and Dongli Kingdom, men are the sky42, the most revered! You need to have some masculine spirit!”
Hua Wushang spoke to him imposingly; the confident aura he exuded was precisely what Xiao Zhengyun lacked.
Chancellor… His mother would rather adopt some little bastard43 from who knows where than leave the family fortune to him. On what grounds! He was the Chancellor’s legitimate son!
As these thoughts arose in Xiao Zhengyun’s mind, a silent resentment enveloped his heart. He gripped the game piece without speaking. Although he tried to conceal the hatred in his eyes, to a veteran assassin, it was completely transparent.
Hua Wushang slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
This Chancellor’s son has some petty cleverness, but ultimately, confined to the inner quarters44, his schemes are just minor squabbles. He [Hua Wushang] has lived on the edge45 for so many years; could he not handle a young master soaked in luxury since childhood?
Suppressing the hatred in his heart, Xiao Zhengyun slowly came to his senses. Offering attentiveness for no reason means one is either a villain or a thief46. Why would this man surnamed Hua suddenly talk about being Chancellor out of the blue? He must have ulterior motives.
He asked warily, “If, in the future, I become Chancellor—what does Hua-xiong want?”
“Nothing much. Just want to continue doing business in the Yanxue Kingdom.”
Xiao Zhengyun asked doubtfully, “Is it that simple?”
“Of course,” Hua Wushang smiled. “Take the Yiyun Tower, you know it. Officials come snooping around every other day.47 The customers are terrified; who dares come in to eat anymore? Business gets worse day by day. So I thought, if Xiao-xiong becomes Chancellor and orders those officials not to come anymore, wouldn’t our business be much easier? Then we can open a couple more shops, make a fortune48, marry wives, have children—wouldn’t that be delightful?”
Hua Wushang’s words moved Xiao Zhengyun’s heart. “Then may I ask Hua-xiong, how can I become Chancellor?”
“First, you need to make your mother obey you.”
Hua Wushang smiled faintly and took out a white bottle. “Feed the contents of this to your mother.” He then took out a black bottle. “Swallow what’s inside this one yourself, and your mother will obey you.”
“This is…”
“It’s called a Child-Mother Gu49. The white one is the Child Gu, the black one is the Mother Gu.” Hua Wushang said with a smile, but as Xiao Zhengyun lowered his head to take the items, his eyes were filled with coldness.
In reality, both bottles contained Child Gu.
Xiao Zhengyun took the items and secured them. A maidservant came over to call him, “Young Master, the Master says she has important matters to discuss with you and is waiting for you in the study.”
Hua Wushang took his leave. “Xiao-xiong should think it over carefully. Once you’ve decided, take action.”
Xiao Zhengyun clenched his sleeves, nodded, and after the two bid farewell, he followed the maidservant to his mother’s study.
It was decided that the Fifth Princess should discover Xiao Zhengyun’s true face herself, but Ji Qingchi hadn’t yet figured out the specifics—how exactly to arrange for her to find out, what to do if Xiao Zhengyun turned out to be wrongly accused, and a whole series of similar problems.
She wanted to ask for outside help, but the moment Feng Ruoqing heard, she fled to grind medicine. Su Yi slipped away even faster, immediately returning to her own courtyard after listening.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea50, she left the guest room door and went to Su Yi’s courtyard to find her. There, she saw Su Yi, seated in her wheelchair for the first time in a long while, being pushed by a maidservant to go shopping.
Su Yi wore a little rabbit hat, specially embroidered for her by the seamstresses in her shop. Two long ears drooped on either side of her head. Combined with her constantly moving little head, she truly looked like a little rabbit pulling up radishes in the snow.
She kept urging, “Quickly, quickly! If we’re late, I’ll be dragged into work!”
Finding the maidservants too slow, she hurriedly pushed the wheels of her wheelchair herself, about to leave the residence. However, after two pushes, the wheels stopped moving; a strong pulling force came from behind.
Her smile froze slightly. Turning her head, she saw Ji Qingchi’s particularly reproachful gaze. “Miss Su, we meet again so soon. Wherever are you off to?”
LP: These Xiao mother and son are disgusting!
This Xiao woman, what do you mean you drove your first fulang and daughters away cause they saw you at your lowest?! You’re worst than the privileged people you despise!!!
Footnotes
- 眉头皱成了川壑 | méitóu zhòu chéng le chuān hè | Lit. “eyebrows wrinkled into river gorges,” a vivid description of deep frowning.
- 门生 | ménshēng | Disciple, student, protégé; often implies a political follower or someone promoted by the mentor.
- 恩师 | ēnshī | A respectful term for one’s teacher or mentor, emphasizing gratitude.
- 数十载 | shù shí zǎi | Lit. “several tens of years,” meaning decades.
- 张牙舞爪 | zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo | Lit. “baring fangs and brandishing claws,” describing something fierce or menacing.
- 进士及第 | jìnshì jí dì | Successfully passing the highest level of the historical imperial examination system, qualifying one for high office.
- 尺 | chǐ | A traditional Chinese unit of length, roughly one foot or 1/3 meter.
- 酒囊饭袋 | jiǔ náng fàn dài | Lit. “wine sack and rice bag,” meaning a good-for-nothing person who only eats and drinks; a useless person.
- 进士 | jìnshì | A successful candidate in the highest imperial examikingdoms.
- 孝敬 | xiàojìng | To show filial piety; often involved gifts or deferential behavior towards seniors or superiors.
- 借刀杀人 | jiè dāo shā rén | Lit. “borrow a knife to kill someone,” meaning to get someone else to do one’s dirty work or take the blame.
- 重见天日 | chóng jiàn tiān rì | Lit. “see the light of day again,” meaning to be freed from oppression or obscurity; to return to public life or favor.
- 服徭役 | fú yáoyì | To perform mandatory, unpaid labor for the state, often harsh construction or transport work.
- 招赘 | zhāozhuì | A marriage where the groom moves into the bride’s household, often done when the bride’s family lacks male heirs or wants to retain control/lineage. The children typically take the wife’s surname.
- 凤子龙孙 | fèng zǐ lóng sūn | Lit. “phoenix children and dragon grandchildren,” referring to imperial offspring.
- 放在心尖上 | fàng zài xīnjiān shàng | Lit. “placed on the tip of the heart,” meaning to cherish someone dearly.
- 鞠躬尽瘁 | jū gōng jìn cuì | Lit. “bend the body and exhaust the strength,” meaning to spare no effort, to dedicate oneself completely.
- 小兔崽子 | xiǎo tùzǎizi | Lit. “little rabbit whelp/bastard.” A derogatory and insulting term, often used by elders towards juniors or contemptuously.
- 不知道天高地厚 | bù zhīdào tiān gāo dì hòu | Lit. “not know the height of the sky or the thickness of the earth,” meaning to be arrogant and overestimate oneself, unaware of limits or complexities.
- 鸡毛当成令箭 | jī máo dàng chéng lìngjiàn | Lit. “treat chicken feathers as an authoritative arrow token,” meaning to take minor matters or instructions overly seriously or abuse minor authority.
- 锦衣玉食 | jǐn yī yù shí | Lit. “brocade clothes, jade food,” meaning a life of luxury and extravagance.
- 思绪百转千回 | sīxù bǎi zhuǎn qiān huí | Lit. “thoughts turn a hundred times and return a thousand times,” meaning many thoughts revolving in one’s mind.
- 折子 | zhézi | A memorial submitted to the emperor, typically folded accordion-style.
- 打得真是好算盘 | dǎ de zhēn shi hǎo suànpán | Lit. “really hit a good abacus,” meaning to have planned or calculated things shrewdly, often with self-interest.
- 地府 | dìfǔ | The underworld; realm of the dead in Chinese mythology.
- 时辰 | shíchen | A traditional Chinese unit of time, equal to two hours. “One shichen later” means two hours later.
- 生米煮成熟饭 | shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn | Lit. “raw rice cooked into cooked rice,” meaning what’s done is done; an irreversible situation, often referring to a premarital pregnancy forcing a marriage.
- 身上掉下来的一块肉 | shēnshang diào xiàlái de yī kuài ròu | Lit. “a piece of flesh fallen from one’s body,” emphasizing a close blood relationship, especially parent to child.
- 老脸都被丢尽了 | lǎo liǎn dōu bèi diū jìn le | Lit. “old face has been completely thrown away,” meaning to be utterly humiliated or lose all prestige/face.
- 远水救不了近火 | yuǎn shuǐ jiù bu liǎo jìn huǒ | Lit. “distant water cannot save a nearby fire,” meaning a slow remedy cannot meet an urgent need.
- 师姐妹 | shī jiěmèi | Lit. “master-older sisters and master-younger sisters,” referring to fellow female disciples under the same master.
- 花辰国 | Huā Chén Guó | Huachen Kingdom.
- 监军 | jiānjūn | Army Supervisor; an official, often civilian or eunuch, sent to oversee military commanders and operations.
- 眼中钉 | yǎnzhōngdīng | Lit. “a nail in the eye,” meaning a thorn in one’s side, someone deeply disliked or seen as an obstacle.
- 感激涕零 | gǎnjī tì líng | Lit. “grateful to the point of shedding tears and snot,” meaning extremely grateful.
- 佩服的五体投地 | pèifú de wǔ tǐ tóu dì | Lit. “admire to the point of throwing the five body parts (head, arms, knees) to the ground,” meaning to admire someone immensely, to prostrate oneself in admiration.
- 对弈 | duìyì | To play a board game, typically referring to Go (围棋 | wéiqí) or Chinese Chess (象棋 | xiàngqí). Context often implies Go.
- 肖兄 | Xiāo xiōng | Brother Xiao. A familiar way to address a male friend or acquaintance surnamed Xiao.
- 花兄 | Huā xiōng | Brother Hua.
- 花无伤 | Huā Wúshāng
- Original: 娘里娘气 | niáng li niáng qì | Effeminate, sissyish. Derogatory term for men perceived as overly feminine.
- 男人就是天 | nánrén jiù shì tiān | Lit. “men are heaven/sky,” a traditional patriarchal concept where men hold supreme authority.
- Original: 小杂种 | xiǎo zázhǒng | Lit. “little mixed breed/bastard.” A highly offensive insult.
- 内宅 | nèizhái | Inner residence/quarters, typically where women and family lived, often implying limited experience of the outside world or broader affairs.
- 刀尖舔血 | dāo jiān tiǎn xuè | Lit. “lick blood from the knife’s edge,” meaning to live a dangerous life, constantly facing death (like an assassin or soldier).
- 无事献殷勤，非奸即盜 | wú shì xiàn yīnqín, fēi jiān jí dào | Lit. “to show attentiveness when there’s no matter pending means one is either treacherous or a thief,” a proverb meaning unsolicited kindness often hides ulterior motives.
- 三天两头 | sān tiān liǎng tóu | Lit. “three days, two heads,” meaning very frequently, every other day.
- 赚它个盆满钵满 | zhuàn tā ge pén mǎn bō mǎn | Lit. “earn it until basins and bowls are full,” meaning to make a lot of money, make a fortune.
- 子母蛊 | zǐmǔ gǔ | Child-Mother Gu. Gu (蛊) refers to legendary venomous parasites or poisons used for black magic, control, or assassination in Chinese folklore and fiction. A Child-Mother Gu implies a linked pair where controlling one affects the other, often used for coercion.
- 一盏茶的功夫 | yī zhǎn chá de gōngfu | Lit. “the effort/time of one cup of tea,” a traditional way to indicate a short period, roughly 10-15 minutes.
She is indeed worst than them she probably sees herself as much more deserving on her privilege that she’s now taking advantage off together with her so called pride. 💀
Switching up on your day ones is crazy work