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  • My Husband is a Flower

    Chapter 80

    Yu Qingniang didn’t want to stay a moment longer in the Southern Mansion.

    With Chunlan, she walked towards the door and onto the carriage. Su Mingde didn’t even have time to ask her where she was going.

    “Madam, should we go to the two misses?” Chunlan inquired.

    “It’s too late. Let’s find an inn in the city first,” Yu Qingniang said firmly. “Tomorrow morning, when the government office opens, we’ll go report to the officials.”

    “Yes, Madam.”

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    Finding an inn in the capital city of Yingtian Prefecture that doesn’t close at night was not difficult. After settling down a bit, Yu Qingniang wrote two letters and sent someone to deliver them to the Li Residence and the Chief’s Mansion. It was such a significant matter that she didn’t intend to keep it from her two daughters.

    Su Mi, worried about Mrs. Yu, had been waking up early for the past few days. As soon as the gatekeeper heard that Madam was awake, they immediately brought the letters received late at night to Chun Mei.

    Chun Mei handed the letters to Su Mi while she was still sipping the warm soup for breakfast. As she read halfway through the letter, her hand loosened, and the spoon in her hand fell into the bowl, making a crisp sound.

    The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

    “Ykpp, obyv’p oasdt?”

    Fw Yk oyp pbsnjle cu vbl nsdvldvp sq vbl zlvvla, wdyczl vs prlyj, yde vbld y pldpl sq pyedlpp tayewyzzu pllrle kd, xkmle okvb alpldvxldv.

    Ebld pbl qkapv blyae ycswv bla vokd casvbla, pbl oyp xsal pwarakple. Gqvla yzz, pbl bye dlhla kdvlaynvle okvb bkx pkdnl pbl oyp csad, ps vbl ekpnsxqsav oypd’v nzlya.

    Jwv kv vwadle swv vblu bye prldv y qlo calyvbp vstlvbla, yde kd vbkp osaze, vblal alyzzu oyp ydsvbla rlapsd obs oyp nzsplzu nsddlnvle vs bla qasx vbl cltkddkdt sq vblka zkhlp.

    Tso zsdlzu bl xwpv byhl clld obld vbl rlsrzl obs zshle bkx eked’v lhld jdso bl lmkpvle ps hkhkezu!

    Gde yzz sq vbkp oyp nywple cu Gwdvkl Hbys; bso nswze vblal cl pwnb y nawlz rlapsd kd vbkp osaze?

    Ubwd Ylk zssjle yv Fw Yk’p lhla-nbydtkdt lmralppksd, qllzkdt y rydt sq blyavynbl yv vkxlp yde y vbknj alpldvxldv kd bla lulp yv svbla vkxlp. Fbl vktbvzu takrrle vbl zlvvla yde alxykdle pkzldv.

    Ubwd Ylk oyp yv y zspp clpkel bla. “Ykpp, obyv byrrldle? Ebyv eke Yyeyx’p zlvvla pyu?”

    After the shock, a bitter taste spread in Su Mi’s throat, and her voice sounded low and hoarse: “Chun Mei, let’s go to the Yingtian Prefectural Office. Let’s go now.”

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    ***

    The Yingtian Prefectural Office only started accepting case files at the Mao hour (5 a.m.–7 a.m.) daily. It was late for the winter, and the sky was still dark, even though it was almost past the Yin hour.

    Yu Qingniang had been sitting on the stone steps in front of the office since the Zi hour (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). After sending out the two letters last night at the inn, she couldn’t stay still. She sent Chunlan to handle some tasks and brought some servants to wait here, including Liu Wenpo.

    She had slowed down these past ten years, and she wanted to give Auntie Zhao the retribution she deserved as soon as the door opened.

    “Madam, this is the petition written by the person we hired to find him just now.” Chunlan jumped off the carriage and ran out of breath to Yu Qingniang’s side. They had to pay triple the price to obtain this document, which took most of the night.

    Yu Qingniang took a glance at it and tucked it into her sleeve. “Chunlan, is the money ready?”

    “Madam, it’s ready.”

    “Mm.” Even with solid evidence, she still feared missing any details. She had taken care of everything she needed to, and as long as she could bring justice to her son, she didn’t care about anything else.

    Yu Qingniang sat on the steps, embracing her thoughts without speaking, repeatedly looking up at the sky.

    Su Mi got off the carriage, and the sight that met her was Yu Qingniang’s weathered appearance. She couldn’t tell if she felt more pity for her brother or her mother, and her tears immediately began to fall.

    “Mother.”

    When Yu Qingniang regained her senses and looked up, Su Mi had already run to her and embraced her, wiping away her tears as she said:

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    “Mother, why are you waiting here? Let me knock on the door for you.”

    Yu Qingniang stopped her and shook her head. “There’s only half an incense stick’s time left.”

    “But it’s urgent. Even in the middle of the night, we can file an official complaint. Besides, I am the wife of the chief,” Su Mi said, biting her lip. She had tried her best not to trouble Qin Yan in the past, but now she couldn’t help but be selfish. With testimonies and evidence, even if she considered the chief’s reputation, at the very least, it would ensure that the magistrate wouldn’t slack off.

    “Mi’er, we have testimonies and evidence. I can seek justice for your brother myself. It’s what I owe him,” Yu Qingniang said softly.

    She wasn’t a saint. If she lacked evidence to convict Auntie Zhao, she might really seek the chief’s help. But if there were things she could do on her own, she ultimately wanted to avenge her son herself.

    Su Mi had to retract her hand and sit with Yu Qingniang on the stone steps in front of the prefectural office. Chun Mei and Chunlan sighed at each other.

    When the first rays of dawn pierced through the thick, dark clouds, several bailiffs finally emerged from the prefectural office. They looked somewhat surprised at the two figures sitting in front, as if they had been waiting all night.

    Yu Qingniang paid her respects. “Officer, this is the complaint filed by a common woman.”

    When the bailiffs sent by the Yingtian Prefectural Office came to arrest someone at the Su Residence in the southern part of the city, Su Mingde had also spent the night sitting in the main hall.

    Weighing the pros and cons didn’t mean he wasn’t affected. It’s just that Yu Qingniang didn’t understand that these were matters of life, and he couldn’t afford to lose any more at this point.

    Seeing the bailiffs enter the residence, Su Mingde wasn’t overly surprised. He had already guessed it when Qingniang left the house without turning back last night. At least in this case, Su Qi’s grudges wouldn’t be directed at him.

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    The bailiffs took Auntie Zhao and Feng Mu Mama away before respectfully approaching Su Mingde.

    “Master Su, please come with us as well.”

    “Very well.”

    ***

    In the main hall of the prefectural office, on either side stood blue-clad bailiffs holding fire and water sticks. Seated at the head of the table was Chen Yingzhi, the magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture.

    He had handled a few matters for Qin Yan before, so he knew well that he doted on his wife, who came from a merchant background. Although he had never seen her, as soon as he looked at the case files, he knew it was the Su family.

    According to the legal system of the Mingyin dynasty, it was not allowed for relatives to accuse each other, but there were precedents for a lawful wife accusing a concubine. Since she was the mother-in-law of the chief, he naturally wouldn’t reject it.

    “Who is present in the hall?”

    Mrs. Liu hesitated and said, “I am Liu, a humble woman.”

    Liu Wenpo knelt on the ground, while Yu Qingniang and Su Mi stood beside her. Chen Yingzhi waived their formal greetings and instructed them to stand to the side.

    “Where do you live?”

    “I originally lived in Jiangling City, but later went to Qingzhou and stayed there for a year. Now I live in a village ten miles away from the capital.”

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    “Tell me again what you did back then.”

    “Yes, sir.” Mrs. Liu seemed hesitant for some reason, occasionally glancing backward as if waiting for someone.

    Su Mingde and Auntie Zhao arrived later and joined them in the hall, interrupting Mrs. Liu in the middle of her statement.

    Su Mi, standing next to Yu Qingniang, found it strange how visibly relaxed Mrs. Liu became. And there was Auntie Zhao’s expression as well. She was not someone who revealed her emotions easily, but at this moment, her demeanor seemed genuinely burdened and wronged, as if she had been falsely accused.

    Seeing Su Mi’s presence, Su Mingde’s face turned cold, and his dissatisfaction with Yu Qingniang increased. This was originally a family matter, yet Qingniang had sought the chief’s intervention.

    After questioning Mrs. Liu and reviewing the case files, which were clear and conclusive, Magistrate Chen decided that there was no need for further examination. He decided to ingratiate himself and asked the chief’s wife to speak a few good words for him later.

    He lightly tapped the wooden table and cleared his throat. “There are no doubts in this case, and the suspect has already confessed. As the presiding officer—”

    “Sir,” Auntie Zhao, who had remained silent, said in a pitiful tone. Finally, she raised her head while kneeling. “I am wrongly accused. I have never seen that so-called agreement.”

    Chen Yingzhi frowned. “But your signature is on it, and Mrs. Liu is a witness.”

    “I have never had any connection with Mrs. Liu. If it was truly my doing, why would I keep this piece of evidence?” Auntie Zhao looked at Mrs. Liu. “Liu Wenpo, I have no grievances with you. You’re the mastermind this time, and you won’t escape death!”

    Mrs. Liu seemed flustered upon hearing this and turned to Yu Qingniang. “Madam, this—”

    Yu Qingniang thought Mrs. Liu was begging for mercy, and even if Mrs. Liu had now revealed the truth, she couldn’t forgive her. “If you want to atone, then follow the Ming Yin laws for atonement.”

    Mrs. Liu may be illiterate, but she had heard of the phrase “a life for a life.” Her body went weak, and she almost prostrated herself on the ground.

    Seeing her confess on the ground, Chen Yingzhi continued with his interrupted statement, preparing to deliver his judgment. But unexpectedly, Mrs. Liu suddenly turned her head and spoke to Yu Qingniang, saying, “Madam, this is not what we agreed upon. I only wanted money. Why do you want me dead?”

    Silence fell upon the hall, and the atmosphere became eerie. It wasn’t just Magistrate Chen who found it strange; even Su Mi felt that something was off.

    Looking back now, everything seemed too smooth, and Yu Qingniang was more deeply involved than Su Mi, who hadn’t even considered the possibility of a coincidence. Naturally, she believed her own mother, which meant that Auntie Zhao was up to something! As for her younger brother, what exactly happened to him?

    Su Mi had just come up with this idea when Mrs. Liu’s voice grew louder.

    “Sir, it’s Madam. Madam forced me to make these false accusations against Auntie Zhao. I haven’t harmed anyone. I’m innocent!”

    Trembling and looking at Yu Qingniang, who had a bewildered expression, Mrs. Liu’s words stunned not only Mrs. Yu but also Su Mingde, Su Mi, and everyone present.

    But Mrs. Liu didn’t stop there; she continued to plead, “This yellow paper and cinnabar were bought by me a few days ago at Jiangling City North’s Jiangshui Pawnshop as instructed by Madam. Sir, you can check. The signature was traced by Madam, who said she would give me fifty taels of silver to carry out this matter. I wouldn’t have faced imprisonment if not for this ruse.”

    As Mrs. Liu spoke, Yu Qingniang understood everything. She had fallen into Auntie Zhao’s trap and participated in this whole farce, but she couldn’t think about that now. Her mind was in chaos, and she only wanted to know one thing.

    “When my son was born, did he…?” Yu Qingniang felt unstable and would have fallen if Su Mi hadn’t supported her.

    Mrs. Liu gritted her teeth. “Madam, there’s no need for you to continue acting. You knew very well that our young master didn’t survive!”

    Yu Qingniang couldn’t hear anything else; she didn’t know which statements were true and which were false. She had a severe headache. Was Auntie Zhao deliberately scheming against her, or had she actually done it and used this incident as a cover?

    Su Mingde’s face turned dark, his fists clenched by his sides. When he looked at Yu Qingniang, his stern expression made him look ten years older. “Qingniang, did you really do such a thing?”

    Auntie Zhao, at this moment, seemed like she had finally found a lifeline to clear her name. She kneeled on the ground, tears streaming down her face, and said, “Madam, I had my own selfish motives to remove a rival wife, but you didn’t need to be so ruthless to me.”

    Yu Qingniang, who had been thinking only about her son, was awakened by Su Mingde’s stern questioning. She met Su Mingde’s gaze and said each word clearly: “As the legitimate wife of the Su family, why would I need to resort to such tricks against a mere concubine? The only thing I care about is how my son died.”

    “Or do you think that for the past ten years, I have only thought of using my poor son’s name to obstruct the position of a lowly concubine’s wife?”

    Magistrate Chen Yingzhi dared not speak. This was ultimately a family matter, and he had hoped to make a good impression in front of the chief by handling it. Now, it seemed best to avoid trouble altogether, as both sides seemed equally justified, and he couldn’t tell which was true and which was false.

    The situation in the hall reached a stalemate. Mrs. Liu had said everything she could, and even with Feng Mama’s subtle signals, she couldn’t do anything more. She just kept raising her head, hoping to be spared. When she agreed to play this role for Feng Mama, she didn’t expect it to come to a public trial. She thought it would remain a hidden, dirty secret of the household that could be used for further conflict.

    Su Mingde looked at Yu Qingniang, and in a way, this was the best outcome he had hoped for. Yu Qingniang was entangled with Su Mi, and Auntie Zhao was Qi’er’s birth mother. He would rather believe this was a jealousy-driven act.

    “Qingniang, I don’t doubt you.”

    Upon hearing this, Auntie Zhao’s heart sank. She had done so much and couldn’t afford to fail now. She gritted her teeth, turned to Su Mingde, and put on a pitiful expression.

    “My lord, up until now, I have endured everything Madam has said without refuting her. I am also Qi’er’s mother. Would I ever do such things? If you don’t believe me, I would rather die by hitting the red-lacquered wooden pillar here and now.”

    After saying this, her eyes darkened, and she rushed towards the red-lacquered wooden pillar in the hall, as if she were truly risking her life.

    “Wan’niang!” Su Mingde exclaimed in shock.

    Feng Mama flew in front of the pillar, and Auntie Zhao crashed into her abdomen. Feng Mama’s face twisted in a terrifying expression; even though she had prepared layers of cotton cloth, the pain still pierced her.

    Auntie Zhao wasn’t seriously injured and fell to the ground. The hall was filled with chaos, and Su Mingde rushed over and helped her up.

    “Master, I truly haven’t done anything to betray you.”

    “I understand. Why do you need to…” Su Mingde knew what kind of person Qingniang was, but Wanniang was willing to give up her life. Perhaps people really do change.

    At this point, Su Mi was the only one in the hall who still believed in Yu Qingniang. After all, how could someone be willing to risk their own life to lie in front of others?

    Yu Qingniang looked at Su Mingde. “Mingde, do you still believe me now?”

    Su Mingde looked up. “Qingniang, that’s enough. Let’s go back to the Su Residence. Aren’t you embarrassed enough?”

    As he spoke, the last trace of light in Yu Qingniang’s eyes gradually dimmed. After a long time, she spoke softly,

    “I won’t go back.”

    When she looked at Su Mingde again, there was no emotion in Yu Qingniang’s eyes. “We’ve been married for twenty years. I, Yu, am prone to jealousy and have caused trouble in the inner courtyard. Since our hearts are no longer aligned, it’s difficult to reconcile. Now, I only seek separation, each going our own way.”

    Su Mingde couldn’t believe his ears. “Qingniang, what are you saying?!”

    In the Mingyin Dynasty, men were allowed to divorce their wives, and women could also seek separation. However, it was considered unconventional for a woman to do so unless she had sufficient reasons. Even then, she might have to spend several days in prison before obtaining the divorce decree. Therefore, very few women took such actions.

    Moreover, even though the customs had become more lenient now, allowing remarriage, it wasn’t easy for someone like Yu Qingniang, considering her age.

    Su Mi had been silent all this time. Normally, she was eloquent, but facing Mrs. Yu, she didn’t know how to persuade or console them. She turned her head and saw that the seat at the head of the hall was empty. She understood that if it weren’t for Qin Yan’s status, causing such a disturbance in the government office would have landed her in prison.

    Su Mi went forward and supported Mrs. Yu. “Mother…”

    “Mm, Mi’er, let’s go.”

    Yu Qingniang walked out of the hall with Su Mi, completely ignoring Su Mingde and not even sparing him a glance.

    T/N: urggghhh this is way i hate b**ch and male scumbag so much… both mother and daughter are green tea b**ch to the max…


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    hana [Translator]

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    2 Comments

    1. ceres
      ceres

      I knew right away, what a train wreck. Qin Yan will surely find them justice.