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“After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage” Chapter 11

"Being infuriated and unable to fight back is really a disadvantage."

“Mu Heng has guarded the northwest for over ten years. If his daughter almost loses her life in the capital and we don’t give an explanation, it will dishearten the soldiers in the northwest.”

In the warm chamber, the emperor, who was afraid of the cold, held a hand warmer. On the table in front of him, besides a cup of hot tea, there was also the memorial that Gu Fu had sent through the Secret Cabinet.

He had read the memorial, and the decision he just made was his final one — the families of the soldiers must not suffer grievances in the capital.

The emperor’s eyebrows and eyes bore a three-part resemblance to the Imperial Preceptor. The difference was that the Imperial Preceptor was stern and aloof, with a holy and cold demeanor. Even the most mischievous individuals would be intimidated and wouldn’t dare to speak loudly in his presence.

The emperor, on the other hand, loved to laugh, and he didn’t appear as stern and solemn as described in the storybooks. If he took off his dragon robe, it would be believable if someone said he was a straightforward and unpretentious scholar.

However, even so, wearing the dragon robe didn’t make him seem out of place, nor would anyone mistakenly think he was an easily deceived fool.

To combine approachability with untouchable authority so seamlessly is truly a talent.

The Imperial Preceptor sat beside him, gazing at the plum blossom bonsai used as decoration in the warm chamber, and said indifferently, “As long as the matter within the inner residence is handled properly, it won’t spread out.”

The emperor smiled helplessly, “But A’ Fu would be angry.”

On one side was his biological brother, and on the other was the little girl who had risked her life for him at the border for the past five years. Wasn’t this putting him in a difficult position?

But the Imperial Preceptor knew him too well and pierced through his lie with a single sentence: “Your Majesty, this move is likely not for the sake of Marquis Zhongshun, but for Prince Ying.”

The emperor’s smile remained, but his expression turned more intriguing as he lowered his gaze and said softly, “Three benefits in one move, why not?”

Punishing the Earl of Lin’an’s family would give face to Mu Heng, satisfy Gu Fu, and also warn Prince Ying, who secretly met with the Earl of Lin’an under the guise of the poetry gathering. It sounded like a profitable deal.

However, the Imperial Preceptor felt that the emperor was alerting the enemy by doing so.

If Prince Ying indeed had treacherous intentions, this matter should be handled more secretly so as not to raise Prince Ying’s suspicions and make him realize that all his actions were under the emperor’s watchful eye. In the end, let Prince Ying bring about his own demise and then deal with the aftermath.

The emperor, however, was different. He still had hope for his brother, Prince Ying. Rather than completely eliminating Prince Ying, he hoped his warnings would make Prince Ying cease his actions soon.

So, in response to the Imperial Preceptor’s thoughts, the emperor merely sighed, “After all, he is my brother…”

The emperor was no saint. He could do what the Imperial Preceptor did and even more ruthlessly. But at the same time, he was more human than the Imperial Preceptor and couldn’t easily discard his familial bonds.

The Imperial Preceptor understood this too. If the emperor were truly a heartless person, the first to die would not be Prince Ying, who had been making trouble for years without achieving anything, but the Imperial Preceptor himself, who bore a different surname yet had royal blood and controlled the Secret Cabinet.

So, he didn’t press the emperor further. “As long as Your Majesty has no regrets, I have nothing more to say.”

Seeing the Imperial Preceptor concede, the emperor began to push his luck again. He once more, like a concerned father, pretended to casually bring up next year’s talent selection, heavily hinting that he wanted to find a considerate wife for the Imperial Preceptor. This was to prevent the Imperial Preceptor from staying up late into the night, playing with the Thousand Mile Eye (telescope) from a high vantage point to catch assassins.

The Imperial Preceptor had informed him earlier that the person standing on the roof of Prince Ying’s residence that day was Gu Fu. Fortunately, Gu Fu wasn’t harmed; otherwise, it would have been a tragic case of uncle and nephew harming each other.

Unfortunately, the Imperial Preceptor didn’t appreciate his concern. “If Your Majesty wishes, you can discuss with the Empress to move next year’s harem selection from the end of summer to early spring. The Empress has always been magnanimous and should not mind.”

The emperor’s eyelids twitched sharply. “I didn’t— I’m not— Don’t talk nonsense!”

Mingzhu once made a hand warmer for Gu Fu. The outside was woven with a pattern of clouds and flying cranes, and the inside was lined with a layer of snow-white fur, making it very warm to put one’s hands inside.

Gu Fu stayed in Mu Qingyao’s room at night, and Mingzhu, fearing she might get cold, specially brought the hand warmer over.

Gu Fu didn’t like using it, but she enjoyed squeezing the furry lining inside.

As she was playing with it, a maid from Mu Qingyao’s courtyard came in, holding a pigeon that had been wilted by the cold wind. “Second Miss, this is the pigeon that the young lady raised earlier. It ran away some time ago, and now it’s returned like this. What should we do?”

The maid didn’t know the pigeon’s origins, thinking it was something Mu Qingyao had whimsically decided to raise. Seeing the pigeon in such a state, she panicked and came to Gu Fu for a decision.

Gu Fu: “…”

Why has it come back again???

Maid: “Second Miss?”

Gu Fu met the beady eyes of the fat pigeon and, after a moment of silence, said, “Leave it here. Maybe warming it up will help.”

The maid complied and went to get a small basket usually used for holding needles and threads. She took out the sewing materials, lined the basket with some scrap cloth, and cut a large piece of fabric from an old, unwearable garment to create a makeshift pigeon nest.

Gu Fu noticed that the maid had taken a piece of dark green fabric from the basket. Thinking it didn’t seem like something used to make women’s clothing or sachets, she asked about it.

The maid explained, “This is leftover fabric from a piece our young lady was making for you.”

Gu Fu was surprised. “For me?”

The maid giggled. “Yes, it’s men’s clothing. She probably wanted to practice making men’s clothes. But to avoid any misunderstandings, she made it in your size. That way, even if someone saw it, it would be easier to explain.”

The maid had conveniently provided a reasonable explanation for Mu Qingyao’s actions, saving Gu Fu a lot of trouble.

As for the real reason, it must be because last time, when she went to borrow clothes from her third brother for a night mission, Mu Qingyao remembered and decided to make her a new piece. Speaking of which, the last time she borrowed clothes from her third brother, she tore his clothes while trying to cover her face. As an apology, she gave him an arrow she had picked up from a tree. Her third brother recognized it as an arrow from the Sunset Bow and was so excited that he didn’t sleep for several days and nights. He even fainted at the academy a few days ago…

Gu Fu’s thoughts wandered as she absentmindedly rubbed the fluffy fur peeking out from the hand warmer. Suddenly, she felt something tugging at her hand warmer. Looking down, she saw the little fat pigeon struggling to push the hand warmer away from her hand. It used its head and its tiny claws and even bit it in frustration.

Gu Fu relaxed her grip slightly, allowing the fat pigeon to push the thick and heavy hand warmer aside.

The pigeon then nestled into Gu Fu’s hand, its little claws gripping her thumb and its head continuously burrowing into her palm. However, the pigeon was too large to hold her thumb and nuzzle her palm simultaneously, so it settled for nuzzling her other fingers instead.

Gu Fu laughed out loud, obliging the pigeon by not touching the hand warmer and instead stroking it.

Late at night, Mu Qingyao began to develop a fever and talk nonsense. Gu Fu noticed in time and called for a doctor. After administering several bowls of medicinal soup, they finally managed to bring Mu Qingyao’s temperature back to normal before dawn.

Just as Gu Fu was preparing to go to the side room for some sleep after dawn, Nanny Wei suddenly came running, saying that the palace had sent an imperial physician specifically to treat Mu Qingyao.

Gu Fu remained calm and instructed Nanny Wei to bring the physician in.

At the same time, Gu Fu asked Nanny Lin to go out and gather information. When Nanny Lin returned, she told Gu Fu that early this morning, Earl Lin’an’s household had received an imperial decree. The decree reprimanded Earl Lin’an for poor management and specifically mentioned the seventh girl of the household. It stated that Mu Qingyao, being the daughter of a general in the northwest, could not be neglected by the court, which must ensure that the families of the soldiers fighting hard on the frontier were well taken care of. Consequently, the Earl of Lin’an was severely punished.

As for Tang Mumu, the imperial decree mentioned her by name. In the future, she would not be able to marry well, and she might not even be able to stay in the capital. When Nanny Lin was gathering information, Earl Lin’an’s residence was already in an uproar. Within no more than three days, Tang Mumu would certainly be sent out of the capital by Earl Lin’an.

After Mu Qingyao recovered from her severe illness and heard about this matter, she didn’t feel any joy over the retribution that had befallen someone she disliked. Instead, she remarked, “I never even told you what really happened, yet you stood up for me. Aren’t you afraid that I might deceive you and use you to deal with people I dislike?”

Without thinking, Gu Fu responded, “You’re not that kind of person.”

Mu Qingyao was slightly stunned and remained silent for a while before saying, “If only you were a man, I would definitely marry you.”

Gu Fu looked troubled. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t dare to marry you.”

Mu Qingyao was taken aback. Although she had only made the comment in passing, she didn’t expect Gu Fu to respond like this. She immediately asked, “Why? What’s wrong with me?”

Gu Fu petted the chubby pigeon on her shoulder, and in a straightforward manner reminiscent of a tactless man, she replied, “I’m afraid that if I touched you, I would have to wash my hands, and that would be too exhausting.”

Qingyao: “…”

Maybe she should learn some martial arts; being infuriated and unable to fight back is really a disadvantage.

Hearing that Mu Qingyao was gradually recovering, Tang Wu from Earl Lin’an’s residence came for a visit. Although the issue with Mu Qingyao had resulted in punishment for Earl Lin’an and damaged the reputations of several ladies in the Earl’s residence, Tang Wu felt that if anyone was to be blamed, it should be Tang Mumu, not Mu Qingyao. Moreover, as long as Tang Mumu left the capital and faded from public view, the impact would eventually dissipate. After all, no one was blind to the virtues of the other Tang family ladies.

Most importantly, Tang Mumu was leaving! She was leaving! Was there any better news in the world? Absolutely not! So, instead of being sad about the matter, Tang Wu was overjoyed. The only downside was that she felt guilty towards Mu Qingyao, who had fallen into the water and was still bedridden.

Tang Wu’s reaction put Gu Fu at ease. The whole incident had started because she wanted to meet Xie Zichen. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been this poetry gathering. If it had harmed the other ladies of Earl Lin’an’s residence, she would have felt uneasy. However, according to Tang Wu, the ladies of her family believed that Tang Mumu leaving the capital was more important than the reputation that could be slowly restored.

Gu Fu couldn’t help but be curious about what exactly Tang Mumu had done to make her own sisters dislike her so much. However, Tang Mumu had already left, and whether or not they would ever meet again was uncertain. The answer to this mystery was something Gu Fu might never find out.

Gu Fu quickly put this matter behind her as someone from the Xie family finally arrived to express their unwillingness to establish a marriage connection with her.

Li Residence.

Li Yu was heading out for his duties when he ran into his cousin Li Jin, who was just returning from outside. Li Jin was notorious in the capital for his indulgent lifestyle, being well-versed in all forms of eating, drinking, and entertainment. This was still under the restraint of Old Master Lin; otherwise, his behavior could have been even more outrageous.

Seeing his cousin returning early in the morning, obviously after spending the night out, Li Yu was about to reprimand him when he was interrupted.

“Brother, guess what good thing I’ve got?” Li Jin said, shaking a scroll in his hand.

Li Yu frowned, “If it’s a fire prevention diagram, I don’t need to see it.”

“No way,” Li Jin waved his hand dismissively, “It’s not something as vulgar as a fire prevention diagram.”

Li Yu raised an eyebrow, “So what is it then?”

Li Jin leaned in and lowered his voice, “You know about the incident at the Earl of Lin’an’s residence, right?”

“I’ve heard about it,” Li Yu replied, frowning. He thought that if the painting depicted the girls after falling into the water, he would burn it and then report it to his uncle.

But Li Jin told him, “It’s said that both girls who fell into the water were saved by the second girl of the Gu family. Second Miss Gu is skilled in martial arts, and when she rescued them, she stepped lightly on the water, looking as if she was floating like a fairy. I spent a lot of money to have someone who was there at the time paint the scene of Second Miss Gu saving people. How about it? Would you like to enjoy this painting with me?”

Li Yu looked at Li Jin as if he were a fool who had been swindled, “…No, thank you. I’m in a hurry to go out.”

Li Jin lamented the missed opportunity, but Li Yu ignored him, muttering under his breath, “A girl practicing martial arts, how unseemly.”


Translator’s notes:

Mu Heng is Mu Qingyao’s father, who is stationed in the north. He was mentioned in an earlier chapter, explaining why Mu Qingyao lives with the Gu family.

In Chinese culture, adding “a” (阿) at the beginning of a name is a common way to show affection or familiarity. That’s why the emperor refers to Gu Fu as “A’Fu.”

“Face” represents a person’s social standing and reputation in the eyes of others.

Giving face (给面子) – showing respect to someone.

Saving face (留面子) – Helping someone “save face” would mean helping them maintain their dignity and reputation.


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After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage

After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage

卸甲后我待字闺中 Xiè Jiǎ Hòu Wǒ Dài Zì Guī Zhōng
Score 9.2
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2020 Native Language: Chinese

In the ninth year of Yongqing, General Gu Fu died in Qi Huai. The current emperor posthumously honored him as Marquis Zhongshun.

In the twelfth month of the same year, the second Miss Gu, who had accompanied her grandmother to the mountains to perform Buddhist rites for five years, returned home. The first thing she faced upon arrival was punishment—kneeling in the ancestral hall. In the ancestral hall, the elder of the Gu family scolded her, telling her not to act recklessly in the future and to obediently wait for the elders to arrange a marriage for her. However, she responded with a single sentence that made him storm off in anger. An unaware aunt and younger sister came to visit, seemingly out of concern, but they were actually mocking her. She calmly countered their remarks. Finally, her elder brother arrived. The scholarly eldest son of the Gu family paced back and forth in front of her, eventually blurting out, "The military camp is full of men! Do you know that if word of your disgraceful behavior spreads, it will bring shame to the family's daughters?" Gu Fu finally shed her carefree demeanor and replied seriously, "Defending the country is not a disgrace." Upon hearing that the Gu family wanted to marry off the second Miss Gu, the current emperor immediately sought out the empress, earnestly saying, "I regard the second Miss Gu as my own daughter. I can't let her marry just anyone. If empress has time, perhaps you could help me by looking for suitable candidates for her in the capital." The empress: "..." Understood, Matchmaking 101 it is.
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