Chapter 62.1 - Reopening a wound
The next morning, when Lou Qingwu had just gotten up, there was someone reporting to Leaning Wind Pavilion that the empress wanted to see her.
Lou Qingwu received the news and went to change into a palace outfit to prepare to enter the palace.
Just as she was about to leave her courtyard, the housekeeper Uncle Liu reported that Lou Qufeng wanted to see her.
Lou Qingwu first went to the garden pavilion and from far away, she saw him with his back facing her.
His back was bent as he walked back and forth nervously, he looked extremely anxious.
She lowered her eyes, hiding a flash of coldness.
She didn’t need to wait for Lou Qufeng to speak to guess at the reason why he asked her to come see him.
What happened last night was too sudden but even with the pressure from his colleagues who witnessed the event, it would be too easy for Ruan Zhen to persuade him through what happened in a single night.
“Father.”
She stood at the doorway of the garden pavilion as she lowered her eyes and called out.
Lou Qufeng immediately turned around and when he saw Lou Qingwu, his eyes flashed brightly.
He immediately welcomed her, “Qingwu, you’ve come! Come, sit down.”
It was hard for Lou Qufeng to be so friendly.
If it was her in her past lifetime, she definitely would’ve been overjoyed but now …
“What does father want to see your daughter about?”
“That …” Lou Qufeng rubbed his hands.
The events that were stirred up by last night’s events were spoken about by the hundred court officials to the emperor and to the point where his face already had no more skin left.
So, he followed his second madam’s advice to push all of the blame to Lou Qingwu.
Now that he’s seeing her face to face, his old face felt a bit embarrassed.
“Father?” Seeing him not speak, Lou Qingwu narrowed her eyes.
She raised her head and called out to him, her expression questioning.
Lou Qufeng coughed, “That, ah, Qingwu. When you enter the palace, if the empress or anyone else asks you … you, could you help your father out?”
“Help with what?”
“.... it’s about Lian’er.”
Thinking about Ruan Zhen’s crying and tantrums, and how he’d already spoken, he gritted his teeth and continued, “Qingwu, can you admit that you were the one who schemed against Lian’er last night?”
“En?” Lou Qingwu suddenly raised her head up.
Her pair of bright eyes first froze before slowly widening, revealing disbelief.
“Father, what are you saying? What do you mean, admit that I schemed against second sister?”
“......” Lou Qufeng’s old face reddened, but he didn’t have any other methods.
He could only let this eldest daughter suffer.
“After, after all, what happened that year, your reputation is already … you already can’t marry into a good family. But Lian’er’s different, she can still marry. Even though last night, it was assistant general Li, but, but the difference between committing adultery and being schemed is different.”
“ Just think of it as father begging you. Help your Lian’er little sister. Afterwards, she still has to be someone. After this, how will she see anyone after marrying into the Li family?”
Lou Qingwu’s throat tightened, her hands to her sides slowly gripped together.
Even though she’d already guessed that Lou Qufeng would stand on Ruan Zhen’s side.
But to guess was one thing, to actually hear it was another.
So angry that she began laughing, she calmed down.
But her whole body was starting to go cold.
She slowly looked at him, staring straight at him.
“Father, you know that Lian’er little sister won’t be able to be someone afterwards, but if I admit to this, how will I be someone after this?”
“This …” Lou Qufeng became nervous.
“If, if worse comes to worse, father will find you a distant relative to marry you off to! I definitely won’t let you unable to marry anyone!”
Lou Qingwu sucked in a deep breath to suppress the urge to turn around and walk off in anger.
Seeing her not speak, Lou Qufeng became even more anxious, “If that’s not good enough, when the time comes, ask Lian’er to ask Li Jingsheng if he’ll take you in as a concubine!”
As long as Lian’er could sit steadily as the legitimate wife, Qingwu marrying in wouldn’t be a problem.
*
TL note:
Who is thoroughly disappointed in Lou Qufeng right now?? He wiped out that last bit of hope that I didn’t even know I had for him.
Leave a comment and follow for more disappointment re: LQW's father xx
Is this really her father. Please refused and tell him in no uncertain terms that you will never changed you mind. Thanks for this update.
ReplyDeleteYup, it's her father. LLX's just more valuable right now to him 😣😭
DeleteThank you for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading 💞💞
DeleteWoaaah...
ReplyDeleteI held a great respect to a father figure..
But this kind of father really need to get beat up😈🙄
There are always some rotten apples 😔
DeleteHe'll get karma later on 😤
Not really sure what he's trying to do at this point.
ReplyDeleteAlmost guarnateed Lou Lianxin's only chance at getting married now that she lost her chastity is to Li Jingsheng, and he already saw the note and recognized Lou Lianxia's writing so the chances of this ploy working out is basically 0.
The whole saving face with the people he works with makes sense at least, although trying to craft an argument around that.... difficult to say the least.
Although honestly, I think he'd be better off just trying to get a good marriage for her now anyway, at least she's still chaste, and going by the novel's standards, she's a real beauty so there's a fair chance he can get a good marriage going for her still. ... or just wait for the Night Prince.
Either way, continuing to scheme against her when imo, Lianxia's prospects are more limited? Seems counterproductive.
He's hoping to scheme a good future for Lou Lianxin so she won't be treated badly by the Li family when she marries in. Ruan Zhen's implied to play a part in his sudden change in attitude - this is in the second part of the chapter so the whole story isn't told here yet.
DeleteRuan Zhen probably convinced him that Qingwu wouldn't be taken seriously by the Night Prince or by anyone. Or even if she did get taken in by him, she'd be a concubine at best but Lou Lianxin would be the legitimate wife to an assistant general that's held in high regard by his father - the other prime minister who has a really strong family to boot.
LQW's not completely "chaste" either because LLX schemed for LJS to walk into her room while she was changing - as if she was trying to seduce LJS which made him disgusted with LQW for being so shameless. That's the biggest part of her bad reputation I think.
TLDR: Lou Lianxin's definitely going to be LJS's wife so it's better for her to marry with a better reputation. Qingwu has a bad reputation, no marriage prospects and the Night Prince has only shown a vague interest in - nothing definite. It's far more safe to take a bet on Lou Lianxin right now 😔😔
Hmm.. I kind of forgot about LQW's scandal, primarily because I thought she mostly handled the rumours already when she first met LLX (to be fair, not everyone was there and her father probably hasn't heard about that debacle regardless)
DeleteAlso forgot that due to how social structure in Feudal China works, even if LQW becomes a concubine to the Night Prince, her "official" power is still pretty limited so yes, it's definately still more intelligent to focus on LLX.
I still think it's a bit silly to do so (at best LLX's time becomes easier, doubtful Li Jingsheng himself would care too much...) but that's through my viewpoint :/
Scumbag dad is still scumbag >_<;
Rumours aren't too easy to sweep under the rug, especially something that's spread hard by her step-mother and LLX 😔
DeleteNight Prince hasn't really done anything except agree that he knew about the no sons grass so beyond that, LQW has no real connection to him. LLX on the other hand, has slept with LJS and is engaged to him so they're definitely marrying.
All those years of doting and love as well as the Ruan family means that her father would definitely be slightly more biased towards her. And if it means sacrificing a daughter that has no worth to him? It's definitely worth it for him (total scum).
WTF is wrong with the father! ฅ(๑*д*๑)ฅ!!
ReplyDeleteHer father's just really biased and greedy 😡😡
DeleteIs he really her father? Like REAL father? He needs some parenting lessons right away. So sick of him really.
ReplyDeleteReal father with being a good parent really low on his list of priorities 😔😭
DeleteWtf???? Her father's one of the worst I've read about!!! I can't believe he still has the gall to ask her in that in her face after even forgetting her mother's death anniversary 😤😤😤
ReplyDeleteHopefully Qingwu doesn't agree!!!
Thanks for the chapter 💖💖💖
Her father's pretty awful but he hasn't schemed for her to die yet at least 😞
DeleteHe never cared for Qingwu's mother and Qingwu just gets heartbroken 😭💔
OMG WHAT A SHAMELESS ROTTEN FELLOW! IM BEYOND SPEECHLESS! AND HIS FATHER IS BEYOND SAVING.
ReplyDeleteall i can say is its her mother that unfortunately landed on his calculative hand, really really really am dissapointed with such father.
He's extremely rotten and gets a bad ending iirc 😤😤
DeleteHer mother 😶😶
Wow, I didn't think he can sink deeper but it turns out he can *facepalms* you never know with people huh
ReplyDeletethanks for the update <3
They can only get worse from here 😱😤
DeleteThank you for the chapter~
ReplyDeletenot surprised...
I was a little disappointed 😔😭
DeleteWhat kind of sick father is he?? I am lost for word here..
ReplyDeleteAn awful and selfish father 😷😫
DeleteArghhh
ReplyDeleteWhat a fuck*ng shitty father
That sl*t was his daughter, wasnt Qingwu also his daughter?!?! On what ground he would favor that scheming snake that much???
Arghhhh (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Im completely mad dammit
I did warn that there'd be disappointment 😘🤗
DeleteThere'll be a cute scene with the male lead soon to make up for it 🙌🙌
What a shitty father!!! He can't even think straight with his head, only with his balls! She need to get out of that retard family!
ReplyDeleteMy heart hurts for LQW 😭😭
Deletethis man is no father...what the hell is he asking...
ReplyDeletethank you
He's so bad that he might as well be her step father 😠😠
DeleteI...really wanted to commit grievous bodily injury towards a fictional character, after reading this chapter! 😠🗡😡💢💣🗡
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapter.
It's not the first time for me 😂😂
DeleteI just couldn't close my mouth while reading this 😲. What a father!☹️
ReplyDeleteYeah, like I already had low expectations and this just lowered them even more 😫😫
DeleteLOL I never respected him in the first place, but now...I have just no idea what I should think of him. Thanks for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteJust put him in the trash pile 😔😣
DeleteI thought I had seen the worst characters in C-novels such that no other one can possibly faze me, but I'm seriously speechless right now. This guy is the lowest of the low, not even human. I would have said it's an insult to animals to call him an animal, but that would be too mean right?...lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapters, and for translating such an interesting story.
He's one of the more infuriating characters and the fact that he's her father makes it even worse 😭
DeleteI'm glad you're enjoying the story 💗💗
I never think of birth fathers as this inhumane. But this person is just that. Qingwu should go pack her bags and never come back
ReplyDeleteOh sweet summer child. There are a lot of very awful people in the world and I know a lot of birth parents who don't love their children as much as they should 😔😔
DeleteIs it even considered adultery when it's with the person you're engaged/married to?
ReplyDeleteWho's she betraying him with? Himself? X'D
"Who is thoroughly disappointed in Lou Qufeng right now?? He wiped out that last bit of hope that I didn’t even know I had for him."
The only hope I had for him was to not be this lv of dumb.
He is.
To actually have this gall, to be this shameful.. really, how dumb must he be?
And one thing I don't ever understand is, how doesn't they gauge the status of the situation among his peers?
No, these characters (father, countess, etc) just swallow up everything the main wife, daugher, bff etc says. And he had all his peers judging faces pointed at him and leaving his party in disgust early just yesterday.
Considering this, step-mother's skills are really impressive.
She just needs one "night" to make his brain go mushymushy and take its leave,
I only chose 'adultery' because of the heavy negative tones it has, otherwise just saying that they get caught doing it out of wedlock doesn't sound as nasty 🤷🏻♀️
DeleteLou Qufeng is always on his own side which means that he always chooses what brings him the most profit/advantage. Choosing the side of your poor/powerless/useless daughter just because she's probably "right" is a poor decision if you're a man of important power and relied on your step-wife's family to get to that position.
Lou Qufeng is attracted to money and power more than anything. Once you start using that lens to view his actions, it really makes a lot more sense. He's also a lot closer to Ruan Zhen and LLX because Lou Qingwu's mother died and she also left for the country. Favouritism is definitely a huge thing here too 😫😫
Wow, I think she should put her plans forward or just give up playing with them and just outright start her massacre
ReplyDeleteBlood thirsty 💀💀
DeleteHe was a certified coward and a lecher from the start. The way he neglects his own di daughter is hohorrible, besides he is a greedy scumbag that will never take her side.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention how conceited and delusional he was when he saw the dancer girl at the banquet and immediately though Qingwu would give her to him so he could bang her.
Yeah, her dad was really riding off LQW's mother's family. But fair enough with the birthday girl. It was his birthday after all 😫😫
Delete