Chapter 55

Ah, but that’s really your style.” Ning Errong narrowed her eyes and said, “Didn’t you use to say that you would torment to death people that you dislike? You seem to have never gotten along with that Mu Shuiqing.”

“Even if I dislike her, I wasn’t the one the pushed her. I wouldn’t choose a method that’s so foolishly seeking death.” Ji Man harrumphed and said, “Tonight’s event only happened because your cousin stayed at my courtyard for two nights in a row, which made someone unable to hold herself back and directed this trouble towards me.”

Ning Errong was slightly surprised. “My cousin actually favored you that much? It couldn’t be that being a concubine is better than being a wife?”

Ji Man thought, no wonder Nie Sangyu could roll up her sleeves and exchange insults with this cousin-in-law. Her words were truly the type where you wanted to curse her back.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Your cousin loves his wife the most right now. The concubines are only used as a way to provoke her.” Ji Man quietly said, “I don’t have any other thoughts. I just want to live my life peacefully.”

“You really don’t love my cousin anymore?” Ning Errong asked, “Who was the one that once said, “When the mountains have flattened and the heavens and earth have joined, then I’ll be willing to separate from you, my lord and husband”?”

(T/N: These are lines from a famous love poem (Shangxie) from the Han Dynasty. The poet lists out bizarre and impossible natural phenomena to express that her love is absolute and will never change. The full poem is translated at the end of the chapter)

Ji Man lightly smiled and said, “Right now, it’s the mountains haven’t flattened. The heavens and earth haven’t joined. I’m willing to separate from you, my lord and husband.”

I’m willing to separate from you, my lord and husband.

Ning Errong froze. Her joking expression from before was totally put away. She had never thought there would be a day when Sangyu would no longer love Yuxuan. She had thought that her earlier words were just a joke. But now, she had actually said such heartless words.

The room was quiet for a long time before Ning Errong sighed and said, “I’m going back to my room. Come to the southern courtyard tomorrow and I’ll treat you to snacks.”

“Sure.” Ji Man agreed.

Ning Errong left the same way she came. She jumped out through the window and disappeared into the night.

Ji Man actually wanted to remind her that she could leave thought the front doors, but Errong had moved too quickly and she didn’t have time to say anything.

—

Ning Mingjie hadn’t gone to bed yet. Other people might not have clearly seen through the show on the bridge tonight, but he had. A servant girl had rushed up from behind and pushed that pregnant concubine into the water. It had been the perfect position to give people the false impression that Nie Sangyu had been the culprit.

But, he wouldn’t tell anyone this. This had nothing to do with him. Even if Errong was friends with that Nie Sangyu, there was no need for him to meddle with the affairs of someone’s inner court.

“Older brother.” Ning Errong came back from outside and directly barged into his room.

Ning Mingjie turned his head and helplessly looked at her, “I told you so many times already. Don’t directly enter someone’s room. You have to remember to knock on the door first.”

Ning Errong’s entire face looked depressed. After sitting down, she said gloomily, “We’re siblings, there’s no need to keep a distinct separation. I feel upset after speaking with Sangyu, so I came here to have a heart-to-heart talk with you.”

“What did she say?” Ning Mingjie curiously looked at her. “What words could make a little devil like you feel sad?”

Ning Errong rested part of her body on the table, sighed, and said, “Sangyu used to really love our cousin and was willing to do anything for him. When we used to be as incompatible as fire and water, she softened her attitude and humbly pleaded with me for advice, just because I casually said I knew something that our cousin liked. She was such an idiot. Even if I wanted to be angry with her, I couldn’t.”

Women had been emotional since ancient times. Nie Sangyu’s behavior wasn’t anything strange. Ning Mingjie didn’t agree with her words.

“But, when I went to Feiwan Courtyard tonight, she actually said that she no longer liked our cousin. She even said, “The mountains haven’t flattened. The heavens and earth haven’t joined. I’m willing to separate from you, my lord and husband.”

Ning Errong sighed again. “She’s probably given up on our cousin. I don’t know why, but I felt kind of sad seeing her like this. As it turns out, no matter how intense a love is, it can still be grinded down to nothing, ah.”

Ning Mingjie slightly froze from surprise. He thought of that woman, who had quietly added food to Wen Wan’s bowl during dinner. He silently sighed. So what if she wasn’t in love anymore? Once a woman married, she could only spend the rest of her life in that one courtyard.

After Ning Errong garrulously talked about Nie Sangyu, she felt better and went back to her room to sleep.

Ning Mingjie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had simply left after her words had taken away his sleepiness.

Nie Sangyu. He had listened to Errorng talk about her so many times, but tonight was the first time where he felt that this woman was somewhat interesting.

—

Very early next morning, Ji Man woke up. Last night, she had Muxu decoct medicinal herbs to make pills. She had used a prescription for alleviating the symptoms of the common cold, but all of the herbs that would be harmful towards the fetus were taken out. Doctor Li had given them the modified prescription. He said that Mu Shuiqing couldn’t use more concentrated medicine, but it would still be good to eat a less concentrated version of the medicine to help with her cold.

Before the sun had come up, Ji Man went to Feiyu Courtyard and gave Mu Shuiqing the pills and prescription.

“Your health is important, but keeping your baby is also important.” Ji Man looked at Mu Shuiqing’s complicated expression and seriously tried to persuade her, “It’s still a life. If there’s a possibility in keeping it, you shouldn’t give up on it.”

Mu Shuiqing was currently wavering because of Qi Siling’s words. Looking at the pills on the table and listening to Nie Sangyu’s words, the scale in her heart tilted towards the other side again. Without saying a word, she ate the medicine.

If anything went wrong and she lost her baby, this would make it easier for her to push the crime onto Nie Sangyu and surrender and pay allegiance to madam. If nothing went wrong, it would also be good if she could keep her baby. This was the most optimal path that she could take. She hadn’t expected that Nie Sangyu would come here and personally pave this path for her.

(T/N: Below is a translation of the poem mentioned above.

Oh heavens!

I want to be your love,

A long life without illness and death,

When the mountains have flattened,

When the rivers have dried up,

When it thunders in winter,

When it snows in summer,

When the heavens and earth have joined,*

Then, I’ll be willing to separate from you, my lord and husband.

* In Chinese mythology, the world was creating by the creator god separating the heavens and earth.)

Translator Ramblings: Such a gloomy chapter. Tiny spoiler. One more chapter until one of my favorite chapters (ch 57) and one of the main reasons why I like this story so much.

What do you guys think of Ning Mingjie? He seems sort of misogynistic in this chapter, in the sense that he’s views all women as very emotional creatures, but he doesn’t hate them. He’s equally uncaring towards men and women. In his defense, I think that his current view is mostly based on the woman that he spends the most time with, his younger sister, who he always has to keep out of trouble. Maybe, I’m giving him too much credit for being Errong’s long-suffering older brother. Tiny spoiler. His perspective on women will change after he spends time with Ji Man.

For those of you who are disappointed that Ji Man didn’t say the words in the title to Ning Yuxuan, I included a tiny spoiler in the comment below.