Chapter 277: Return to Capital

Author: White Pear Flower

Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/

Translated by Gumihou

Proofread by Pill Bug

Gumihou: Right, *cracks knuckles grimly* let’s move this train wreck back on track, eh?

Also, FYI

[3] Yellow sheep – Yellow sheep or yellow goats, as described by the term “黄羊,” are domesticated animals typically found on farms or in agricultural settings. These animals are raised for their meat, milk, and other products. More crucially, they are NOT native to FOREST or JUNGLES. You may find wild goats in the forest.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202303/01/WS63ff230da31057c47ebb18df.html

Just something to keep in mind as you read the story.

 

Just then, Mister Cat ran up to them, dragging a large pheasant over with his mouth, its beautiful tail feathers dragging against the ground. Fu Qiuning looked at the creature and said, “Too bad it died. It would have been nice to keep one alive to look at [a].”

Cui’shi smiled and said, “Madam must have stayed in this residence for too long to say this. Otherwise, what animal could not be found at the Duke of Jing’s estate? Forget small creatures like rabbits and pheasants; there are deer and even a few large cranes at Madam’s Night Breeze Pavilion and Elegant Mansion. What’s a few pheasants here?”

[1] Fu Qiuning rebutted, “What are you talking about? What pheasants and deer? What we have at Night Breeze Pavilion and Elegant Mansion are ducks and chickens. I have yet to see any of the animals you mentioned-”

[1] Her remark was followed by a trill of laughter from the ladies, who thought she was joking. Fu Qiuning privately sighed and said, “Speaking of which, I wonder what the situation is like at the estate. Concubine Huo’s illness should have improved by now. As for Concubine Xu…”

Yue Lan quickly smiled and said, “Madam is truly caring and benevolent, to spare a thought for them even now. If Xiangmian [b] were to know, she would certainly be grateful. However, the Master has only served as an official here for half a year. It is unlikely that we will return to the capital soon. More likely, we may have to spend the New Year here…”

Cui’shi hastily added, “Not that there is anything wrong in staying here. There are many speciality cuisines in the south that cannot be found in the north. Come this New Year, let us find some unique snacks to send back as New Year gifts. Only, I fear that Old Madam and Elder Madam would likely miss Lord Husband…”

She had wanted to say something comforting, but ended up reminding everyone how tragic the people back home were, deprived as they were by the wonderful Young Marquis’s presence. Better to say nothing for the time being.

The ladies spent the rest of the day trimming the mushrooms and making baskets with the girls. Mister Cat actually brought five or six more catches over to them, consisting of pheasants and hares. Fu Qiuning looked curiously at the cat as it lay on the ground and licked its fur. [2] She had to wonder just how it managed to catch so many things with over a thousand people hunting in the same forest. Were these creatures caught while running away from the horde of a thousand? Perhaps the creatures had run from them as though they were in a forest fire…

[2] As for the one thousand people left to ‘guard the ship’, she hoped they got to leave the ship and hang around the beach or something…

Not long after that, the [2] literal army of people came trooping out of the forest. They had only been in the forest for about an hour. Jin Fengju was in the lead, a small band of people trooping smugly beside him while carrying the largest haul of prey. [3] There was even a yellow sheep slung over someone’s shoulder…

[3] Wait.

[3] Weren’t yellow sheep domesticated animals? How did these hunters get their hands on a yellow sheep of all things?

[3] “Mister Guide, that yellow sheep…”

[3] “Well, I never,” said the old guide. “I thought those things could only be found on the mainland. How did…”

[3] “… …”

[3] “… …”

[3] Suddenly, images of ancient Western art depicting noblemen, with bows and arrows, seated comfortably on horses while their servants herded prey with clubs through the bushes, danced through her mind. Moreover, considering how a grassland creature that should not be local on the island was suddenly ‘captured’ in the forest… the only conclusion that came to Fu Qiuning’s mind was… that utterly despicable hunting method of ‘releasing animals’ and using people to force animals towards an area where noblemen could hunt at their leisure.

[3] How wretched. Hunting was supposed to be a way to display courage, skill and strength, as well as a means of providing food and resources for the ruling elite. At best, restrictions would be placed on hunting areas to prevent the overexploitation of wildlife and ensure the preservation of natural resources.

[3] But here… not only did Jin Fengju waste manpower by dragging 1000 people into the forest, he had even engaged in ‘animal release’ type of hunting. How pathetic…

Jin Fengju looked very happy as he stepped forward. He turned to Fu Qiuning and said, “I must say, this Zhenyi fellow sure has some skill. Look, he was the one who caught these rabbits. En, I observed his archery skills and found that he is quite good at it. If he decides not to study in the future, he can join the military and make something of himself later.”
As he spoke, he suddenly noticed the wild rabbits and pheasants piled next to Fu Qiuning and couldn’t help but ask, “Yi? Where did these come from? Could it be that the guards left behind to guard the ladies went hunting, too? I left them here to protect you all…”

Fu Qiuning kindly interrupted him, “No, the dozen guards you left us have been here all the time. These were brought back by Mister Cat.”

“Hahah! But we brought back bigger game! Mother, look at this roe deer and this sheep! A big herd of [3] yellow sheep suddenly appeared and I shot this one with my arrows!” he crowed.

[3] Fu Qiuning noticed that the guide had looked away, not daring to look in the direction of the yellow sheep in question.

[3] Feeling a little mischievous, Fu Qiuning said, “Goodness, how clever of you. You say that a big herd of yellow sheep crossed your path?”

[3] “Yeah! They were really stupid! One of them even tripped while running. How silly of them. It’s like they were not used to the terrain. Who knows how they managed to evade all the lions and tigers in the forest?” He snorted.

[3] “Ah, yes, the, ah, lions and tigers of the jungle,” Fu Qiuning murmured. “What about smaller games like rabbits and pheasants?”

[3] Jin Zhenyi continued to gush, “There were loads and loads of them! So many that I got bored hunting them. Father and I released a lot of them since we can’t eat all of them anyway, so it’s better to give them a chance to live.”

[3] The old guide was shaking on the side. Fu Qiuning had no idea how he managed to maintain his composure. In fact, everyone looked distinctly uncomfortable except for a happy Jin Zhenyi and a brazenly smiling Jin Fengju.

[3] These two really were father and son.

 

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Regardless of the true origin of the hunted game, pots were suddenly produced, and a camp was set up. With 1000 staff at hand, it was easy to get everything done quickly. Pots of fragrant Mushroom Pheasant Soup were set up, and Fu Qiuning sent Yu Jie to look after them.

The party of over 1000 (Fu Qiuning now had some idea how the other thousand on the ship spent their time. Those animals couldn’t have appeared on their own) spent two days and one night at the foot of the mountain before making the four-hour trek to the ship.

Before departing, the island master came over to bid farewell to his distinguished guests and presented many local speciality gifts. Jin Fengju also revealed the news that the court might incorporate Dongfan Island under Great Ning’s jurisdiction and send officials over in the future. This news excited the island owner, who expressed heartfelt gratitude.

It turned out that Dongfan Island produced very little grain, and the people had limited education. Some of its residents had travelled out and were greatly impressed by Great Ning’s prosperity. Upon returning and spreading the word, everyone grew envious and had been looking forward to welcoming Great Ning’s delegation. [4] Come to think of it, maybe that’s why Jin Fengju brought so many people here.

[4] Aside from animal release activities, some of the 1000 left behind were probably there to check out the environment and convince the locals not to support pirates. After all, it would not take much for starving or dissatisfied citizens to take up a career in piracy, especially if it proved to be more lucrative than fishing or farming.

[4] Was this how Jin Fengju solved the pirate situation? By promising islanders food, private schools and trade? Not to mention, the overwhelming number of people standing around looking fierce… Speaking of which, the animals that were released into the jungle… were they possibly bribes for the people, too?

With her thoughts occupied by all these random schemes, it did not take long for them to reach Quanzhou Port.

 

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At the yamen, before Jin Fengju even had time to escort Fu Qiuning back to the inner court, an official came rushing out. When he saw Jin Fengju, he patted his thigh and said, “My lord, you have finally returned. Hurry, Madam and the others must bathe and change clothes. An imperial edict arrived this morning!”

The official was clearly excited by the prospect that the master he served would be receiving an imperial edict.

“Yi? An imperial edict? Do you know what it’s about?” Jin Fengju was also quite surprised as he hurried past the official.

The official was also very anxious, as this was his first time encountering a proper imperial edict. He trotted after Jin Fengju into the inner courtyard through a side gate. “I do not know what the matter is, but the eunuch who brought the imperial edict is someone by the Emperor’s side. I dare not inquire rashly. Early this morning, the eunuch arrived, causing a commotion in the yamen. I wanted to send someone to find you, but the eunuch said it wasn’t necessary. He said that since you have merits in fighting against the Japanese pirates, you should relax and enjoy yourself. It does not appear to be anything urgent or bad.”

Jin Fengju nodded slightly as he fell into deep thought. Suddenly, the official slapped a hand to his forehead and hissed, “I am truly muddled! This is the inner court where the young marquis’ family resides. How could I just barge in so carelessly? Please stay your anger…”

Jin Fengju laughed and said, “No trouble. Am I not the one who invited you in? Now, go and let the eunuch know that I have returned and am now preparing myself to receive the edict. Do beg him to wait for me on my behalf.”

After the official hurried away, Jin Fengju rushed towards the curtained sedan chair behind him and helped Fu Qiuning out. “Hurry and get ready. I wonder why the emperor issued an edict at such a time.”

Fu Qiuning made a humming noise.

“After all, as the saying goes, heavenly intentions are hard to fathom. Fortunately, according to Lord Han’s account, it doesn’t seem like bad news,” Jin Fengju continued.

Behind them, servants poured out to help the children and concubines out of sedan chairs and everyone was rushed away to be freshened up and changed into appropriate clothing. Finally, the household came to kneel before the prepared incense table in the courtyard. Several eunuchs and imperial guards were already waiting.

The contents of the edict were beyond Jin Fengju’s expectations. It turned out to be an order for him to return to the capital for a job report, not to resume his previous position, but to command the Capital Garrison, the military office of Nine Cities, as well as serve as the commander of the Nine Gates.

After the eunuch read the edict, he spoke warmly to Jin Fengju, “Young Lord, it’s time to prepare for your departure. The Emperor values you highly, and no one at court could match the favour you received. Your prospects are both bright and promising.

Jin Fenju was quick with a humble response and a smile even as he pondered the Emperor’s intention. He thought: The Capital Garrison is under the influence of the crown, so why would the Emperor send him there? Did he have doubts about the Crown Prince? But, surely that doesn’t make sense. Although the Crown Prince has been eliminating dissidents and suppressing those who oppose him during this period, he hasn’t gone too far or shown any rebellious tendencies. Why would the Emperor be suspicious to this extent? And… Isn’t this giving me a hot potato to handle? Can I intervene in the Capital Garrison?

These were all the doubts he raised before his lovely and wise Qiuning. Perhaps they could both figure out the reason for the Emperor’s decision together.

[5] Unfortunately, after hearing his theories, Fu Qiuning merely gave him an even stare before declaring that she was tired and wished to sleep. Naturally, Jin Fengju was all too happy to comply. Sadly, Fu Qiuning had once again brought the wretched cat with her to bed.

[5] Unable to stomach the idea of being so close to the beast, Jin Fengju sulked in the next room, his mind busy pouring over various plans. In the end, he came to one single conclusion. He had to return to the Capital as soon as possible.

Since he was called back to the Capital so suddenly, he could not wait for the next official who would replace him to come. Now that he thought about it, considering what his presence meant to the Crown Prince, it was more than likely that the Crown Prince’s side would delay the arrival of the new official to hinder him. Hence, he should make use of the imperial edict and select someone to act as the temporary official in his place.

Jin Fengju understood the temperament of the officials he had worked with for nearly six months [6] under him quite well. He selected one person, an Official Bai, the husband of Madam Bai. To this ordinary official, this was like a pie falling out of the sky.

Although he was acting as the ‘Temporary Prefectorial Official’, so long as he did his job well with no major mistakes, he might even be able to remove the word ‘temporary’ from his title. This would be like a two-rank promotion, jumping up from a Seventh Rank official to a Fifth Rank prefect.

It wasn’t just the Bai family who felt grateful to Jin Fengju and wished they could offer a memorial tablet for him every day. Fu Qiuning and Jiang Wanying took a full three days to finally pack up properly [7].

When the carriage arrived at the Port of Quanzhou, Fu Qiuning felt that the surroundings were oddly noisy. Was there a port festival or something? Were the people celebrating the eradication of the Japanese pirates?

[8] Were the people being paid to celebrate the eradication of Japanese pirates?

[8] Hey, although she was a proud Chinese person from China, everyone was aware of the propaganda actions and the role they played in shaping his image and influence. Moreover, considering how Jin Fengju had faked that ‘hunting trip’ in the forest, it did not take much imagination to consider that he may have also faked a ‘cheering crowd’ to make it look like he had really eradicated the Japanese pirates.

 

[Gumihou: …instead of giving face to Jin Fengju, Gumi chose to explain the logistical issues of the 1000+1000 staff and just how the heck they get their hands on a domesticated animal in a forest.

Why, you ask? Well, from the way they received the imperial edict AR Qiuning and Jin Fengju obviously suffered from a serious IQ discount. It’s all 0_o gee, I duN knO wHaT gOiN oN~

The latter super extra information about Official Bai was some fast talking on Author White Pear Flower’s side to explain that, really, ML is actually super smart, like wow for real, man.]

 

[1] Kicking the plot back in line since 2015

[2] Bringing up logistics issues since 2015

[3] Yellow sheep – Yellow sheep or yellow goats, as described by the term “黄羊,” are domesticated animals typically found on farms or in agricultural settings rather than in the wild forest. These animals are raised for their meat, milk, and other products, and they are not native to forest environments. In natural forest habitats, wild species of sheep or goats, such as wild mountain goats or wild sheep, may be found instead of domesticated yellow sheep or goats.

If you’re not careful about fact-checking, don’t blame me for coming up with likely scenarios to explain these weird occurrences.

[4] Patching Plot Holes

[4a] Japanese Pirate Patch – By the way, did you know that the Waegu/Wako aka ‘Japanese pirates’ aren’t all Japanese? Around the 16th Century Ming dynasty (where this world is meant to represent, like, duh? Great Ning? Great Ming?) most of these ‘Japanese Pirates’ were Chinese citizens, with a smattering of Dutch and other people from the nearby islands.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/wako-pirates-0017520

Remember Tortuga? Piracy is a great equaliser.

[5] Let JFJ be an idiot all by his lonesome without FQN’s participation.

[6] Add the ‘six months’ because the Author made it sound like they had worked together for years.

[7] Jiang Wanying helping was canon, though, of course, it was tacked on with ‘Perhaps because they were going back to the capital, Madam Wan Er thought of her former power and authority in running the household, so she changed her attitude from coldly observing to actively helping Fu Qiuning pack up.’ to remind everyone that Jiang Wanying is EBIL!!

[8] Reasonable reactions of an actual modern China person who knew about Chairman Mao’s propaganda actions

 

Comments from Pill Bug:

[a] Can’t they just stuff it if all they want is a beautiful ornament?

Gumi: Dunno, maybe it’s too ‘ebil’

[b] Wow, haven’t seen this name since chapter 204

Gumi: Author probably had her notes out around chapter 275 and realised at the same time that she had forgotten to name Jin Xiuwho

 

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