The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

With a calm face, Ji Man coldly harrumphed. If she couldn’t understand what his earlier gaze had meant, then she would write her name backwards!

Wen Wan looked at Marquis Moyu’s somewhat aggravated expression with a small amount of surprise. She pursed her lips and didn’t say anything.

Ning Yuxuan was silent for a long time before he finally said, “It’s already late. I’ll investigate the matter tomorrow. For now, let’s all leave to rest.”

Everyone lowered their heads and acknowledged his order.

Ji Man picked up the sleeveless jacket that was lined with rabbit fur. It had been left in a corner of the room and was soaked to the point that it couldn’t be worn right now. But, it was one of the more expensive clothes in her wardrobe, so she still had to pick it up to bring back.

Mu Shuiqing’s complexion had slightly improved and she said to Nie Sangyu, “Thank you very much.”

Ji Man lightly smiled, “I was just doing what anyone should have done.”

At that time, Nie Sangyu was the only one that had given her a sleeveless jacket. Everyone else had just been standing far away. Although Mu Shuiqing could be petty and unreasonable, she remembered Nie Sangyu’s friendly treatment towards her during the past several days.

Qi Siling waited until everyone had left Feiyu Courtyard, then she had Banxia close the doors before she sat down on the bed and looked at Mu Shuiqing as she said, “You actually thanked Nie Sangyu?”

Mu Shuiqing looked at her for a moment before she said, “From the time that I became pregnant, she treated me pretty well. Today, she even lent me her sleeveless jacket and wasn’t coldly indifferent like everyone else. It’s only right that I should thank her.”

The space between Qi Siling’s eyebrows became slightly creased. “You’re being muddle-headed. Why do you believe that she’s a good person just because she’s acting like one? Have you forgotten how she used to treat us?”

Mu Shuiqing was silent.

After a pause, Qi Siling added, “Did you see who pushed you into the water?”

Mu Shuiqing shook her head. “I was lost in thought when someone suddenly pushed me from the side. I didn’t see who that person was.”

Although she had been walking on Nie Sangyu’s left side and it definitely felt like someone had pushed from the right side, it didn’t feel like Nie Sangyu had suddenly pushed her. It felt more like someone had rushed up from behind, went between the two of them, and knocked against her to make her fall into the clear stream.

Nie Sangyu definitely hadn’t pushed her, but someone was trying to make her look guilty. In the past, Mu Shuiqing might have falsely accused her anyways. But now, she believed that Nie Sangyu was innocent. Someone was trying to use her to harm Nie Sangyu.

Qi Siling clutched her handkerchief and thought for a long time before she finally said, “During the past two days, the marquis had been staying at Feiwan Courtyard. Although Madam hadn’t said anything, she’s upset over this. Plus, you’re also pregnant, so her mood has been very bad lately. And, you have to know that Madam is the only person that the marquis truly likes. If you set yourself against Madam, you won’t have a good ending.”

This was also the reason why Qi Siling had decided to rely on Wen Wan. She was a clever person and understood Marquis Moyu’s mind. She knew that once he met someone that he truly loved; the other concubines would only be decorations. And so, she absolutely couldn’t be Wen Wan’s enemy. On the contrary, the better her relationship with Wen Wan was, the better off she would be.

Mu Shuiqing raised her eyes to look at her and said, “Master Ling, you want me to push the crime onto Nie Sangyu in order to receive Madam’s forgiveness, so that my future days will be better?”

Qi Siling nodded. Then, she glanced at Mu Shuiqing’s belly in the passing and said, “I think there’s nothing more important than continuing to live. What do you think?”

If she willing abandoned Nie Sangyu and her own unborn baby, then she could peacefully live under Madam’s protection and help.

Mu Shuiqing was silent for a long time, before she smiled and said. “Master Ling, you can go back first. It’s not early anymore. Let me think about this matter more. After all, it’s related to a life, I can’t flippantly decide.”

Qi Siling intensely looked at her before nodding and saying, “Alright, think about this carefully. I’m going back first.”

Mu Shuiqing nodded.

The doors opened and closed, and silence was left behind.

—

Right after Ji Man returned to her room, she saw Ning Errong.

It was the middle of the night. Ji Man didn’t know how this little ancestor had come inside.

Ning Errong was sitting on the cushioned couch with one leg over another. She watched as Nie Sangyu came inside and said, “Yo, you came back?”

Ji Man didn’t know why, but she felt like laughing. With a relaxed posture, she walked over to the couch and asked, “How did you come inside? Did you come in here through the window?”

The window next to Ning Errong was still open and letting the cold wind inside.

Muxu hurriedly went over, closed the window, and poured two cups of tea.

“I heard about the suffering you went through here, at my cousin’s place. And, I couldn’t resist coming here to see you, just in case you suddenly took things too hard. What would I do if I didn’t have anyone to bicker with?” Ning Errong looked at Nie Sangyu from top to bottom. “But, you seem to be in much better spirits than I thought you would be.”

When Ning Errong found out that Nie Sangyu had lost her position as the main wife, she really wanted to come to the capital. Unfortunately, Marquis Jingwen wouldn’t allow her. Although she and Nie Sangyu would start quarreling as soon as they saw each other, the two of them were very good friends. She had been worried about her.

But, seeing the person in front of her, she let out a sigh in relief. At the same time, this person felt somewhat unfamiliar. The previous Nie Sangyu had to pretend to be gentle in front of other people because her cousin didn’t like women that acted shrewish. It was only in front of her, that Nie Sangyu would roll up her sleeves without hesitation and hurl insults and exchange curses without regard to propriety.

But, right now, Nie Sangyu was silently standing in front of her like a deep pool of stagnant water*. She was worried that Nie Sangyu had become so upset that she had mentally broken down.

Ji Man sat down and said, “People have to keep living and not obsess over something that can’t be changed, right? Your cousin doesn’t like me from the bottom of his heart. Fortunately, I don’t like him anymore, so I’m not suffering any losses. It’s just that this household is full of women fighting and scheming against each other. I’m feeling a bit tired from taking precautions and guarding against them.”

Ning Errong raised her eyebrows and said, “Speaking of this, did you push that pregnant concubine into the water because of a momentary impulse?”

Ji Man’s face blackened, “It wasn’t me!”

Translator Ramblings: What do you guys think of Qi Siling? Unlike old madame and Ji Man, she believes that Marquis Moyu will stay in love with Wen Wan. And so, for her, the only right choice to make is to stay on Wen Wan’s good side. I think she’s genuinely giving Mu Shuiqing the advice that she would follow herself if she were in the same situation.

And, I think it’s really nice that there were people that liked the original Nie Sangyu, just the way she was. I love the friendship between Nie Sangyu and Ning Errong, and the other friendly relationship and/or alliances between the women in this novel.

* The literal translation of si shui (stagnant water) is dead water. I just thought it was interesting that Errong uses these words to describe Sangyu.