To Be A Virtuous Wife

Slow and steady is this story. Character development before romance. ;P Qu Qing Ju “reacquaints” herself with the women in her new home. updated with definitions from chapters one to four.

Thanks to everybody who commented, and referred and to those who have visited so I know I’m not sending things away into empty space. Also, for those who haven’t encountered it yet, there’s a website called which is amazing as collating all the updates each day for the various translations. They have pages for the translation groups, each book/series and filters. Very similar to baka-updates if you’ve ever gone there before.

Does anyone know why wordpress keeps changing the scheduled post time whenever I try to edit my draft?

Chapter Four Embarrassment

A new day had arrived. the ce fei and shiqie of the wangfu obediently came to the zhengyuan to pay their respects. The result was that they had waited for almost an hour but didn't manage to see wang fei's face.

The other three were still alright, only sitting there woodenly. But Feng Zi Jin's face showed a hint of impatience. Even so, even she didn't dare turn and leave.

Taking a drink of tea to suppress the impatience inside, Feng Zi Jin asked in a quiet voice to her yahuan behind her: "Chun Yu, what time is it now?"

Chun Yu looked outside. The sun had already risen. She could only say: "Mistress, it's already past nine."

Jiang Yong Yu coldly observed the motions of Feng Zi Jin and her servant. She lowered her gaze to her lotus-colored dress as though she was an unfeeling piece of wood, waiting for wang fei to arrive.

After another fifteen minutes, they finally saw wang fei's first-ranked yahuan Mu Jin slowly walk out, a face full of remorse. She bowed deeply to the four: "Ce fei and yiniang,

Seeing Huang Yang retreat, Qu Qing Ju sighed and leaned in boredom on a post on the bridge. She suddenly heard a serene stream of flute music from far away. The sound was both full of worry and like the cries of a woman. She looked in the direction of the flute and asked suspiciously: "Why is there flute music at this time?"

The faces of Mu Jin and the others changed slightly but nobody spoke.

Seeing the situation, Qu Qing Ju smiled and said: "Or is it that I am forbidden from knowing this?"

"Wang fei, over there is Cui You Yuan.[5] Supposedly, a huakui[6] that one of the officials gave to wang ye is living there." Mu Jin, seeing wang fei didn't seem affected, continued onwards, "Nubi heard this huakui called Yun Qing is famous in the capital. She's skilled in the zither, go, calligraphy and painting. Wang ye frequently visits her but Yun Qing guniang's personality is very virtuous, so she is still a guniang."

The meaning was that wang ye hadn't managed to get a taste of this huakui yet? Qu Qing Ju laughed and her interest in the flute halved. If she was really noble and virtuous, who would let another gift her into this wang fu and then put out this attitude? Seeing but not touching was an eternally-successful skill of all beautiful women.

She clapped her hands and then Qu Qing Ju held Yin Liu's hand: "Let's go elsewhere."

They hadn't walked a few steps before seeing an unfamiliar little taijian run over. Upon seeing Qu Qing Ju, he made a full bow: "Nucai Xiao Gan Zi greets wang fei. Wang ye has commanded nucai to tell wang fei he is coming over to zhengyuan for the noon meal."

"Ben wang fei knows," It took a few seconds for Qu Qing Ju's brains to remember that this Xiao Gan Zi was one of the frequently used taijian of Duan Wang. She nodded to confirm her understanding, "Wang ye has returned already?"

Xiao Gan Zi answered: "Back already, but hasn't entered the fu yet when he met the Royal Highness Cheng Wang[7] so he let nucai send a message. It will probably be a while before his return."

It was like that then. The sounds of the flute Cui You Yuan, did they appeared due to Duan Wang's presence? That time would have been the time that Duan Wang was returning, the flute sounds were too much of a coincidence.

It was so sad that nobody was there to admire such beautiful sounds, why didn't she go take some pleasure from it?

"Since wang ye wouldn't be returning very quickly, then let the kitchen prepare the noon meal. Somebody go to Cui You Yuan and inform them that ben wang fei likes Yun Qing guniang's flute and will visit shortly." Qu Qing Ju touched the butterflies in flight of the buyao in her hair and smile happily.

Xiao Gan Ji stood in shock for a beat before bowing and leaving, turning towards Cui You Yuan. Even though wang ye had some minor interest in that women living in Cui You Yuan, but as somebody who had served at wang ye's for many years, he understood that a small insignificant huakui wasn't as important as wang fei.

Entering Cui You Yuan, he saw Yun Qing guniang who was playing the flute under the grape trellis. He didn't pay attention to the other's music. Walking forward, Xiao Gan Zi stated: "Yun Qing guniang, wang fei enjoyed your flute. In a short while, she will be deign to arrive, so please prepare."

The sounds of the flute instantly stopped. Yu Qing looked coldly at Xiao Gan Zi and faintly said: "My place here is much too small, it isn't worthy for wang fei to lower herself to come."

Hearing this, Xiao Gan Zi laughed strangely: "Whether your place is good or not, I do not know, but it is an honor that wang fei wants to come. You only have to prepare. Or does wang fei have to report to you?" Just a plaything, did she really think she was of importance? This entire wang fu, unless it was the few used by wang ye, who dared to talk back to him this way? She was just too shameless and ignorant.

Yun Qin saw Xiao Gan Zi sweep away, her youthful face turning colors, unspeakably grotesque.

[1] 姨娘: title used to refer to normal concubines/qieshi

[2] 玉如意: ruyi(如意) is a carved talisman, usually in an S-shape.

[3] 继: means to continue. It also refers to the new wife after the old, original, one died.

[4] 娘娘: suffix which should only be applied to the empress or imperial concubines.

[5] 翠幽苑: cui(翠) green jade, you(幽) is serene, secluded or hidden away, yuan(苑) is park or yard.

[6] 花魁: the word oiran, courtesans in Japan, comes from the word 花魁. It refers to the top or best entertainer of a pleasure house.

[7] 诚王: the Prince of Cheng (诚). Cheng means honest, sincere, true.