Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 39
by Little PandaVolume 2: Power Over Court and Country
The Deposed Empress 14
Covering The Heaven With One Hand
Xin Lan selectively controlled some people, turning them into her puppets.
One reason was that the soul-losing incense was difficult to make, so Xin Lan had to use it sparingly, not wasting it on unimportant small shrimp.
Another reason was that the soul-losing incense’s smell was too strong. If used in places of entertainment like Red Sleeve House, it wouldn’t stand out, but if this strong fragrance was suddenly smelled in other places, everyone would become suspicious.
Fortunately, among the people Xin Lan wanted to control, none of them avoided those places, so Xin Lan conquered them one by one.
Besides that commander of the imperial guards, she also controlled three people in important positions.
Thus, in total she redeemed four women of the wind and dust [courtesans]. Three went their separate ways, while one voluntarily stayed by Xin Lan’s side – the one who was redeemed first, named Qingqing.
Xin Lan had someone redeem her and let her leave. Qingqing did leave, happily going to find the doctor she had taken a liking to, lingering around him.
But not long after, Ah Rou discovered her sitting at the medical clinic’s entrance and reported to Xin Lan.
Xin Lan asked her why she came. She looked at Xin Lan, her eyes like dead water.
“You are a formidable person, I want to follow you.”
“What about that lover of yours?”
“He’s getting married.”
Qingqing’s expression was calm, as if she didn’t care, but if she truly didn’t care, her eyes wouldn’t be so dim and lusterless.
“He doesn’t find me dirty,”
Qingqing said thus.
“But he wants someone clean enough.”
“If you want to stay, then work properly. I don’t keep idle people here.”
“Yes.”
Facts proved that Qingqing might not have better business sense than Ah Rou, but she was definitely better at handling matters [more tactful/diplomatic].
Each time she would successfully negotiate with the medicine merchants, or obtain things Xin Lan wanted from other places.
Time passed day by day this way, and all matters proceeded in an orderly manner.
Without noticing, all the leaves in the courtyard had fallen.
When Xin Lan first arrived, it was still the hot summer season. Now the lotus flowers in the heat-relieving lake [a lake used for summer cooling] where she and Qu Zhi’an had once visited had all withered.
“Autumn shadows linger as frost flies late, leaving withered lotus to hear the rain.”
The drizzling rain beat against the eaves, then dripped down along them.
Xin Lan stood before the hall, watching the rain curtain outside.
The rain suddenly grew heavier, the wind blew up Xin Lan’s hair and clothes’ edges, and also blew in some cold rain threads [fine drops of rain].
Wind like mountain-pulling force, rain like breaking river flood – this was not an exaggeration.
“The weather is turning cool, master must not catch a cold.”
Chunyue stepped forward to put a sable fur coat on Xin Lan, then stood aside.
Xin Lan softly responded with a sound, only feeling that these days were truly lacking flavor [boring/tedious].
The game of politics was destined to be a process that couldn’t be rushed.
She had been here two or three months. Apart from the first month when there was more commotion – causing Consort Man’s downfall, controlling several puppets, communicating with the Left Minister, and connecting with Qu Zhi’an’s side – she hadn’t done much else.
The Emperor was very busy with both front court and back palace [government affairs and palace matters], so he had no energy to spare to harm her.
The court was slowly, gradually coming under her control. Qu Zhi’an knew this, the Left Minister knew this, but the Emperor was covered inside the drum [kept in the dark].
One and a half months ago, the grand selection of imperial concubines began. The final group was placed in the Shuxiu Palace, and after many days, the beauties were picked and chosen, finally confirming who would stay and what ranks they would be given. Noble Consort Xi and other consorts were busy looking after the new palace arrivals. The back palace became lively again, only Biyue Palace remained as quiet as ever.
Xin Lan didn’t mind whether it was quiet or not. She was now essentially a forgotten existence, which made it more convenient for her to enter and exit the palace.
When the rain lessened, Xin Lan went to Qu Zhi’an’s residence.
Qu Zhi’an no longer lived in that small courtyard. Her mansion had been renovated one and a half months ago, she had moved there, and the small courtyard she had bought was rented out to others.
“Why come in the rain?”
Seeing Xin Lan walking over without even carrying an umbrella, with water drops on her blue-black silk [black hair] and water marks all over her body and dress hem, Qu Zhi’an frowned.
“I’ll have someone make you a bowl of ginger soup.”
Qu Zhi’an used a handkerchief to wipe the water marks from Xin Lan’s face, watching those lightly trembling eyelashes, her heart suddenly softened.
“I only came when the rain started to ease. Otherwise, looking at this weather, this rain would last a long time.”
Not long after Xin Lan’s words fell, a rumbling sound came from outside. The thunder seemed about to shatter this heaven and earth, black clouds pressed heavily [dense, dark clouds] against the horizon, and the entire capital city was shrouded in rain.
Xin Lan looked at Qu Zhi’an with a “see, I told you so” expression.
“Is there some urgent matter that you must come for?”
“Yanyan, are you not welcoming me?”
“How could that be? Lan’er, you’ve misunderstood me. When you come, my humble home is brightened [peng bi sheng hui: idiom meaning a humble dwelling is made glorious by an honored guest], I can’t be happier, how could I mind you?”
Qu Zhi’an found a set of clean clothes and placed them in Xin Lan’s hands.
Xin Lan didn’t refuse, stood up, and went behind the screen to change clothes.
Qu Zhi’an didn’t leave either, watching that graceful silhouette behind the screen.
“Actually, there’s nothing else, I just wanted to ask how your talks with my father went?”
Xin Lan hung her wet clothes on top of the screen, changing into soft, clean ones.
She would come here from time to time, so Qu Zhi’an’s wardrobe also had two sets of women’s clothes as backup, though hidden at the very bottom.
“The plan is going smoothly. The Left Minister’s pawns are nominally dismissed, but they’re still useful.”
“Mm.”
“However, even though it’s just for show, the Xin family has been weakened considerably. When you truly accomplish what you want to do, do you want to slowly build them up again?”
Qu Zhi’an wasn’t surprised that Xin Lan had persuaded the Left Minister. She and the Left Minister appeared to be uncompromising rivals in court, but actually many things were planned in advance.
“We’ll see. I don’t have that intention in my heart. I certainly don’t want to become a second Wu Yanqing.”
Xin Lan recalled her conversation with the Left Minister two months ago. It was an afternoon when she sent someone to invite the Left Minister to meet at a teahouse. When the Left Minister arrived and saw his daughter who was in the Cold Palace, he was so shocked his eyeballs seemed about to fall out.
Xin Lan didn’t exchange pleasantries with him, nor pretend there was any father-daughter affection. She poured him a cup of tea and began discussing business.
The Left Minister’s initial excitement and surprise slowly cooled, and as he listened to Xin Lan’s words, his expression gradually froze as he fell into thought.
Xin Lan wasn’t trying to persuade him, but rather laying out the facts before the Left Minister.
The Xin family was inevitably declining. No matter how they tried to maintain their position, it would be useless. After all, even at his highest position, he was still just a minister. If the Emperor wanted to deal with them, what could they do?
She and Xin Long were in the back palace [harem], one deposed, one essentially existing in name only [powerless]. Moreover, the Emperor wasn’t even willing to pretend to be cordial. The original owner had accompanied him for five years and was still deposed, so the Xin family couldn’t possibly rely on the back palace to make the Emperor spare them.
Xin Lan told the Left Minister that if they wanted to preserve the Xin family’s lives, they must first give up something.
For example, the power they held tightly in their hands, which they were unwilling and unable to let go of.
Qu Zhi’an was currently the Emperor’s favorite, a capable right-hand person [deputy], an arm and thigh minister [trusted minister]. The Emperor treated her like a sharp sword.
What Xin Lan wanted to do was make this sword appear even sharper, make the Emperor lower his guard, and finally have it pierce through himself.
The Left Minister was hesitant at first, and seeing this, Xin Lan took a firm stance.
She stated directly that Qu Zhi’an was her person, and if the Left Minister wouldn’t cooperate, she would have no choice but to disregard her family and do what she needed to do.
The Left Minister initially worried this was just a trap set by the Emperor to make the Xin family voluntarily give up their power.
But Xin Lan slowly spoke of the original owner’s sufferings, one by one, piece by piece. No one hated Wu Yanqing more than her, no one wanted Wu Yanqing to die more miserably than her.
After all, the Left Minister was the original owner’s father, who had watched his precious daughter grow up. After hearing so much from Xin Lan, he was already very shaken.
But he still didn’t agree immediately. Xin Lan didn’t force him, and that conversation ended there.
Later, Xin Lan ordered her puppets to act according to Qu Zhi’an’s wishes. Qu Zhi’an had already become the leader of a new faction in court, and removed a fat job [lucrative position] from the Xin family’s people, only then did the Left Minister relent.
During these two months, the Left Minister and Qu Zhi’an cooperated like heaven’s clothes without seams [seamlessly]. One pretended to have his power dismantled, the other pretended to be truly working hard, making Wu Yanqing extremely happy. Because of this, he saw Qu Zhi’an as a capable person and, mindful of her feelings, stopped taking liberties [inappropriate advances], which spared Qu Zhi’an from some harassment.
Xin Lan was pleased to see this. She was creating a beautiful dream for Wu Yanqing, wanting him to be happy, the more pleased the better, the more he smiled the better. When he wakes from the dream, he would know how painful the fall is.
Xin Lan never planned to continue supporting the Xin family from the start, because she wanted her own power, not forces trying to control her. Although the Xin family was nominally her maternal family, what use was that? She would rather let Qu Zhi’an climb to a position above ten thousand people than let the Xin family remain at a peak.
Xin Lan came out after changing clothes, her hair hanging loose on her shoulders. As she sat on the stool, Qu Zhi’an pushed a cup of hot tea in front of her.
“If not planning to let the Xin family come, then who do you plan to let come?”
Qu Zhi’an already knew the answer when asking this question, but still wanted Xin Lan to say it once, to hear it herself.
“Yanyan has learned to ask questions she already knows the answers to. In this court, besides you, who else could put my mind at ease?”
“For example, Minister Xiao, Minister Li?”
Qu Zhi’an smiled while listing several people, all of whom were puppets controlled by Xin Lan.
“But all of them combined can’t compare to you, Yanyan.”
Xin Lan propped up her chin and lifted her head to look at Qu Zhi’an, speaking very seriously.
Qu Zhi’an’s hand at her side couldn’t help but curl and uncurl, desperately trying to suppress the pounding sound in her chest.
Meeting those eyes, she unexpectedly felt some unconscious heart palpitations.
“Lan’er is overestimating me.”
Qu Zhi’an spoke with a peaceful and harmonious expression, not showing any loss of composure.
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Xin Lan’s face carried a slight smile as she stood up and pushed the window open a small crack, watching the torrential rain outside.
“Such heavy rain, who knows if it can stop tonight.”
“It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t stop. At worst, you can stay here for the night.”
Xin Lan nodded, continuing to watch the bean-sized raindrops. The rain water was like broken strings of pearls, falling from the sky, then scattering on the ground, merging with other water droplets into one.
Actually, Xin Lan didn’t really need to make this trip today, as there wasn’t any urgently important news that she had to know the progress of.
Just that when she saw the heavy rain, she suddenly thought of lotus flowers, and then thought of Qu Zhi’an.
Wanting to come, she came.
No reason why.
LP: Re-translated on December 29, 2024
I wish i can say that i’m waiting patiently for them become lovers
I wish i can say that i’m waiting patiently for them become lovers