"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 45

Many times, clever people always thought everything would be under their control. Wang Yun Feng’s grasp on Xia Ling Mei’s temperament if not completely, it was almost completely.

On his way home he fervently thought of many scenarios of when the two people met again.

Xia Ling Mei was a person of resolute, once she’s made a decision whatever the matter she would rush head first in it regardless of the consequences, not scared if she hits her head and blood gushes. Therefore, he only needed to swindle her into the Wang family, he simply didn’t have to worry about her leaving. Also, the matter with Zhuang Sheng had happened nearly three months ago, Wang Yun Feng was completely aware that at Xia Ling Mei’s most painful, most hesitant, most confused time, he decided not to persuade her to forget about Zhuang Sheng, rather allow the two people to be apart for some time, make her completely and without worry miss Zhuang Sheng, at the same time appreciate Wang Yun Feng’s consideration and indulgence.

Xia Ling Mei wasn’t a rag doll, whatever harm given from another person were not significant, she only needed Wang Yun Feng to unconditionally love her, believe her.

Wang Yun Feng’s clear love and indulgence avoided a quarrel between the two of them arising from Zhuang Sheng’s death. They separated, each calmed, afterwards again lifting their heads to look at the person beside them, then slowly clear their minds coming back to reciprocate everything the other person has given.

Wang Yun Feng thought, Xia Ling Mei must also be looking forward to the two of them meeting again.

There was something, a little bit needing to taste to know, can’t help but say, even if on the surface Wang Yun Feng was a man of honour, in fact beneath the surface he was still a little chick who has found his first wife. He wished to return to his nest immediately, tightly embrace that wife who belonged to him, exchange every kind of longing during their time of separation, then an endless spring night.

Wang Yun Feng was yet thirty years old, every aspect of his vitality was fairly exuberant, this made him somewhat even more restless. On the way home, he was practically impatient, in the end he couldn’t bear it abandoning numerous official duties, taking great pains to ask constantly where are we? And how long until we reach Beiding City? Has any news of the mistress arrived?

Bai Yan was very suspicious: “What’s wrong with the master lately? He seems very irritated”

Juan Shu biting on a rice straw, half dead on the horseback: “How can he not be irritated. The prime age of his life with a strong body and mind, supressing his desires for several months, any man would not be able to stand it.”

Bai Yan kicked him with his feet: “Can you not be a bit more civilised?”

“Fine, the master is yearning for love.” With a bang, Juan Shu had already been kicked off the horse.

When they were soon arriving at Beiding City, there was only five days until August fifteen. It was very busy outside the city, everywhere were people living far from home and travelling merchants full of joy hurrying to return home for a reunion.

Wang Yun Feng had only told Xia Ling Mei he would arrive home around August twelve, he practically hastened on his journey unrelentingly night and day, in the end he was two days earlier than predicted, and without additional notice, he wanted to give Xia Ling Mei a surprise. When a pedestrian with grandiose ran to the main entrance of the Wang residence, the old housekeeper smiled widely, while shouting for someone to open the main doors, he incessantly said: “Finally he’s returned home.”

Wang Yun Feng was barely calm as he swept his eyes over all the several hundred servants once, simply not catching sight of a certain person, he couldn’t help be nervous, quietly asking the old housekeeper: “Where’s the mistress?”

The old housekeeper beamed: “The mistress has entered the palace, the first wife of third rank and above officials from the empress’s uncle’s residence also entered the palace at the same time, supposedly to celebrate the festival in advance.”

August fifteen the whole family reunited, the empress is the imperial daughter-in-law, naturally she could only celebrate it in the palace, therefore her own family could only celebrate in advance. Not just the empress, from the beginning of August, the wife and children of the imperial concubines’ family had already in succession passed their names to the empress, asking for an audience with the Emperor. The emperor hadn’t been well these past years, there weren’t many concubines, the imperial concubines with sons because of the empress’ sole pampering, they were fairly content these past years. Looking from the outside, the previous dynasty and the imperial concubines chamber were all at peace, a tranquil environment. But Wang Yun Feng knew, with his return, when he hand over the accounts book in his hand, that peaceful appearance will be broken.

After Xia Ling Mei returned to the Wang residence she had made people spread the news that Madam Wang’s health had completely recovered, she also gradually appeared in the rear courts of the influential families, officials and chancellors, slowly rebuilding relations with numerous ladies and young ladies. Wang Yun Feng was no longer the clan leader, Xia Ling Mei not appearing in the rear courts of the influential families for the past seven years amongst the powerful, right at the beginning it aroused a lot of guessing and probing, even more teasing and slandering.

In total there were twelve branches of the Wang family, there were six in Beding City, because of all sorts of reasons they more or less have a misunderstanding with the main branch. Wang Yun Feng hadn’t returned, the majority of the issues with the main branch fell on Xia Ling Mei. Before, Xia Ling Mei’s temper was shrewish and irritable, not giving much respect to people. Vanishing without a trace for the past seven years, there were plenty of people from the other branches of the Wang family pushing Wang Yun Feng to take up a concubine, there were even people who guessed Xia Ling Mei was jealous, the few somewhat good-looking beauties were destroyed by her temperamental hands. There were also married women who crawl high, step low without vision rejoicing in other people’s misfortune to say Xia Ling Mei was unable to give an heir for Lord Wang, why she wasn’t completely divorced was because the Wang family feared the Xia family’s power.

Her reappearance, although she was arrogant and shrewish as before, but after all Wang Yun Feng was no longer the Wang clan leader, and her temper after so many years have settled, unlikely to lightly offend someone, wane and wax, the Lady Wang after seven years was instead more easily denounced and made fun of by people, what more there were people who picked up the Lady of the Wang clan leader had littered Wang Yun Feng with beauties.

Xia Ling Mei did not take these words and schemes to heart.

Although she’s a woman, in the end she had experienced the bloodbath of battlefields, now she was in the unstable circle of Beiding City, to matter she still retained the manner of a soldier not bothered about trifle matters. To speak frankly, tolerating it little by little letting it go, honestly she couldn’t bear it, a knife hit to the other person, blunt and agile. Women, spouting off was common, as long as it doesn’t spoil Wang Yun Feng’s major plans, Xia Ling Mei also did not care. However, she also secretly observed which influential families had persevered to maintain good relations with the Wang family. Some married women were other people’s firing target, some genuinely had vision, had insight. Less than half a month, she had quarrelled a little with people, yet had become extremely close with the wives of generals, nothing to it, only because they were similar in character, not liking to pointlessly blather. The rest, were women of influential families with literary reputation who were talented, these people were virtuous and arrogant, not good at fawning, and did not like to stir up trouble, usually they met up, drank some tea, played a song, read a book, leisurely and at ease, not concerned and maintaining a neutral favourable impression.

The matters between married women, Wang Yun Feng would not go ask about and would not intervene.

He returned home, seeing the silent and gloomy official residence for the past many years once again full of vitality, he couldn’t help be happy.

It was right in autumn, the maple trees from the pavilions and kiosks flowingly flew out like a splash of ink, red leaves, green roof tiles, white walls, the diverse forms and colours added an elegant charm. Bumper harvest season, the orchard in the backyard was also heavily laden with fruit, golden-bright and dazzling tangerine hung packed on the branches, convenient for picking.

Wang Yun Feng in passing ate one, his teeth almost falling off from sweetness, for a long time he couldn’t open his eyes.

In fact, while he was wondering around the residence to pass the time, he discovered a lot of novel things, the most important thing was: Xia Fen did not come to the Wang residence.

Here, there wasn’t a single trace of Xia Fen’s existence, even his footprints from his occasional visit home did not exist.

Wang Yun Feng calmed and collectively inquired about every movement Xia Ling Mei had made since returning home, and vaguely asked whether an almost seven years old boy had taken a stroll in the residence. The answer he received was definitely not.

That wasn’t the most depressing thing.

The first day Wang Yun Feng returned to the residence, he washed off the windblown dust from his entire body, spending two hours to dress with meticulous care, after he told the kitchen to prepare an abundant dinner, he himself carried the most tender and deep smile from the beginning of the morning sishi[1] waiting for his beloved wife, until the first quarter of haishi[2], he still couldn’t see Xia Ling Mei.

Until his face was stiff from smiling, his sleek hair from neat to messy, bright, neat and beautiful nobleman clothes from being spotless to being covered in dust, waiting  wholeheartedly to being impatient, when anxiety and jitters seized him, the old housekeeper swayed as he withdrew to the courtyard filled with fragrance, keeping a good distance he said to Wang Yun Feng: “The empress and the mistress have been talking with extreme joy, tonight she said she still wants to continue talking to the mistress for a close long talk, increase their sisterly friendship.”

A blue vein suddenly jumped on Wang Yun Feng’s bright and clean forehead, gnashing his teeth he asked: “Does the mistress know I’ve returned to the residence?”

The old housekeeper cleverly took a step back: “The news has already been delivered, but it was blocked by the empress’s personal head palace maid.”

Wang Yun Feng eyes were like a knife: “The emperor? He’s willing for the empress to not return the entire night, leaving him to guard the bedroom alone.”

The old housekeeper again took a step back: “From what’s been heard, last night the emperor lectured the crown prince to not lose yourself in the female charms, so he’s allowing the empress to do as she wishes tonight, the emperor’s debility, he must pay more attention to maintain a good health, so, he’s been shooed out of the imperial concubines chambers.”

Wang Yun Feng was itching to smash the wine cup: “Incompetent emperor, indulging the empress in this way, sooner or later something big will happen.”

The old housekeeper coughed, thinking the most important issue to the master nowadays was his inability to act like newlyweds with the mistress. Ze, when will there be a young master in the residence? Reported that young master Xia Fen of the Xia family is the mistress’s adopted son, was he actually the master’s son?

That night Wang Yun Feng looked in the distance at the almost full moon, deeply regretting why he didn’t tell Xia Ling Mei in advance the actual day of his return, what surprise, didn’t this destroy his own happiness?

The second day, Wang Yun Feng decided to take action, he carried a pile of books and memorials to the emperor, heading to the curtains which had not been pulled back yet he entered the palace, attending the imperial court.

With a pair of eyes filled with red veins he finished court, afterwards he was called in by the incompetent emperor to the side chamber. The best way to retaliate against the empress was to torment the emperor, thus, so the leisurely emperor who had not had his nose pointed at and scolded for over half a year again thanked Wang Yun Feng’s harsh tongue. The royal prerogative[3] was picked at from the hairs on his head to the sole of his feet, from criticising his eyes not being sharp enough to him not sitting straight enough, to the emperor’s personal head eunuch delivering tea, trying in vain to interrupt to allow the emperor to escape from suffering, again scolding the serving maid dispirited and downcast stooping over. Finished with scolding the people in front of him, again he widened the range to the small number of imperial concubines’ children, regardless if it’s trifling matters of the Empress Dowager being a vegetarian and praying to Buddha, the crown prince creating his own gang, bad at literature and martial arts, all the princes don’t have a sense of responsibility and lack dedication, the princesses only know how to spend and not conserve…and so on, finally he presented the memorials.

The emperor opened it with a glance, my god, the officials who have wronged the court ranged from seventh ranked small officials to the high first ranked, digging out white radish yet still covered in mud. To truly restore to good condition, Dayan will once again be shaken up.

The emperor wiped the sweat from his forehead, saying to the head eunuch by his side: “Go, see if Lady Wang is still at the empress’s palace, request her to come at once to take her King of Hell back home. Our roof is going to be turned over by Lord Wang.” On the way bestowing her with a large pile of gold and silver jewellery, only beseeching Lady Wang to hurry home.

Now whoever said again Lady Wang was jealous, the emperor would hurriedly say to that person, how can Xia Ling Mei be jealous, it’s Wang Yun Feng, that person of jealous nature has struck, even the imperial concubines are grieving turning over the heavens.

Therefore, after Wang Yun Feng exhaled clean a chest full of rage, when he left the palace and climbed into the carriage, Xia Ling Mei already sat inside filled with a smile looking at him.

Wang Yun Feng at once blinked twice, pulling easily, he trapped her in his arms, putting their heads together he kissed her.

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[1] 9-11am.

[2] 9-11pm.

[3] 九五至尊 in English means "9 and 5 reign supreme". According to ancient Chinese beliefs, the number 9 ranks as the highest number, and the number 5 is a "middle" , or "central" number. Thus 9 and 5 together came to be regarded as a supreme combination which symbolised the emperor.

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T/N: Poor man coming home to an empty bed and home hehehe