Big thanks and a shout-out to biki for sending me a laptop so that I can translate LWSL more conveniently!
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Minor character suicide, threats of physical violence, casual homophobia
The young person hurriedly put down their jian and supported the old madam in: “Grandmother, what are you doing here?”
“My daughter-in-law died so pitifully. As her mother-in-law, how could I not come over and take a look?” the old madam wiped away the tears at her eyes with a handkerchief; her anger could not be restrained: “Who is it? Who was the one who sent people to kill my daughter-in-law? Xiang-er, you must investigate this matter thoroughly! Otherwise, after I die, how would I have the face to meet my two in-laws1She’s referring to the parents of the general’s wife.?”
Ren Xiang2To be clear, this is the ‘young person’ who had come along with General Ren, and is also General Ren’s son. raised his silver jian at Wu Qianqing: “Grandmother, it was he who ordered the assassins to assassinate my father. He was also the one who killed my mother.”
“This is the one? I’ll beat this wretched person to death!” Once the old madam heard this, she rushed over to Wu Qianqing in a fury, supporting herself with her cane. As she raised her cane, suddenly, her movements came to a halt, then she looked at Wu Qianqing closely: “No, it’s not him.”
Everyone was stunned.
General Ren asked: “Mum, what are you saying?”
“He wasn’t the one who killed Haiyun3海云 (hai yun): With the way Chinese names work, I’m not 100% sure if the general’s wife is called Hai Yun with the surname Hai and given name Yun, or if her given name is Haiyun. Because the 海 (Hai) character doesn’t seem to be a surname character, I’m assuming her given name is Haiyun. If this changes, I’ll be sure to come back and edit the formatting..” The old madam said with certainty: “At that time, I was also at the scene. I remember clearly that this man only appeared after the assassins had killed the soldiers in the residential quarters and Haiyun. After that, he killed the other assassins, saved me, and afterward, I don’t know why, but he suddenly fainted. I also fainted because of the shock from Haiyun’s death.”
Guan Tong cried: “I already said this couldn’t have been done by my husband, but all of you wouldn’t listen! Now that the old madam is testifying, all of you will finally believe me, won’t you?”
In that instance, Wu Ruo let out a sigh of relief.
It was such a relief. It was such a relief that the old madam had seen that the general’s wife hadn’t been killed by his dad.
Deputy General Zheng frowned: “Could it be that this subordinate was mistaken? At that time, when this subordinate rushed to the residential quarters, the jian in this man’s hands was stabbed inside the madam’s body and he had collapsed next to the madam. After that, when I interrogated these assassins, they all said that they had been instigated by this man.”
Wu Ruo took the opportunity to speak up: “Clearly someone saw that my dad had saved people, and ruined the actual culprit’s plans, so they wanted to shift the blame onto my dad and frame him for everything.”
Wu Chenzi also said: “I also think that’s what happened; that someone wanted everyone to mistake our Wu family as the ones trying to assassinate General Ren, so that General Ren and our Wu family would become enemies.”
General Ren endured the pain of his injuries and said angrily: “Deputy General Zheng, interrogate these assassins again properly!”
“This lowly general4末将 (mo jiang): the mo prefix makes it so that Deputy General Zheng is referring to himself in a humble manner. receives your order!”
Deputy General Zheng had just spoken, when spitting noises could be heard. One after the other, the assassins spat blackened blood from their mouths and collapsed to the ground.
The bodyguard by Ling Mohan’s side hurriedly went forth to check on the situation: “Crown Prince, these people have consumed poison and committed suicide.”
Wu Ruo asked coldly: “Then doesn’t it show that my dad is innocent? If he really wanted to kill someone, why would he save them?”
Ren Xiang said: “Your dad was clearly in the Wu estate, why would he come running over to Ren Manor?”
Wu Ruo cast a side-along glance at him: “At the time, my dad was in 3rd-great-grandfather’s courtyard, their courtyard and your residential quarters are separated by just one wall. Maybe my dad heard the sounds of fighting and killing, so, he wanted to come and provide assistance, yet he was taken as the assassin by all of you.”
Ren Xiang: “…”
The second imperial prince glanced at Ling Mohan and said sarcastically: “Crown Prince gege, do you still think that the Wu family sent assassins to try and assassinate General Ren?”
Ling Mohan snorted coldly, but internally, he heaved a sigh of relief for Wu Ruo.
If this matter really pointed toward Wu Ruo’s father, then Imperial Father would definitely declare an edict to behead their entire family.
Wu Ruo asked General Ren: “General Ren, can I bring my father home with me now?”
General Ren held a hand against his chest that was hurting and frowned: “Of course, but before this matter has concluded its investigations, I hope that your father can cooperate with us to find the real perpetrator behind this matter.”
Wu Ruo nodded in agreement: “This is no issue, but my father must first be able to wake up.”
“I will send a physician over to your residence to cure your father.”
“Lord General need not trouble yourself, we have a physician in our manor. If Lord General has nothing else to say, then we will take our leave first.” Wu Ruo bid farewell to Wu Chenzi and all the others.
Hei Xuanyi took the initiative to carry Wu Qianqing out of the general’s manor, boarding the carriage and leaving with Wu Ruo.
“Qianqing, Qianqing, wake up!” The moment Guan Tong boarded the carriage, she called out to Wu Qianqing anxiously.
Wu Ruo said: “Mum, it’s better if we wait till we’re back home to wake Dad.”
Guan Tong looked at him, then nodded in agreement.
Ling Mohan, the second imperial prince and Wu Chenzi naturally had to stay behind to settle the follow-up, so they were unable to leave.
“Grandfather, this matter…” Wu Yuxue glanced at the assassins who were collapsed on the ground: “What happened?”
Wu Chenzi narrowed his eyes and a coldness flashed in his gaze: “This old man is also perplexed, but we should go home before we discuss it.”
“Then I’ll go home first.” Wu Yuxue returned to the Wu estate and happened to bump into Wu Yanli, who was coming out of her own courtyard: “It’s so late already. Where are you going?”
Wu Yanli didn’t dare to look directly at Wu Yuxue; she turned slightly away and said: “I’m not going anywhere, I just wanted to take a walk around the main courtyard.”
Wu Yuxue snorted coldly: “I think you must want to see if you can still run into that man you saw today.”
Having had her intentions seen through, Wu Yanli lowered her head in embarrassment.
Wu Yuxue saw Wu Yanli’s shy behaviour and wanted to give her a slap. Especially when Hei Xuanyi had praised this wretched bitch in front of her, Wu Yuxue wanted all the more to destroy this face: ” Wu Yanli, I’ve set my eyes on this man, so don’t you think about trying anything with him. When you see him in the future, you might even have to call him gufu5姑父 (gu fu): the husband of your gugu, A.K.A your father’s sister..”
Wu Yanli’s little face turned white in the blink of an eye.
Wu Yuxue felt especially delighted in her heart. She snorted lightly, then turned around arrogantly and left.
“Li-er, what are you doing here?” Wu Yanlan, who had just returned from being outside, saw his little sister in a daze in the courtyard, and approached her to show his concern.
Wu Yanli was especially aggrieved. Seeing her sange6三哥 (san ge): as a refresher, Wu Yanlan is her older brother who is third in birth order. showing concern for her, she couldn’t hold back any further, tears fell down from her eyes.
Wu Yanlan embraced her, feeling distressed for her: “Why are you crying? Did something happen? Tell sange about it.”
Wu Yanli couldn’t stop crying, but she just wouldn’t say what was wrong.
Wu Yanlan’s handsome face darkened, and he asked the servant girl next to them: “You tell me. What exactly happened?”
Wu Yanli’s servant girl reported everything that had just happened, indignant about the injustice.
After Wu Yanlan heard everything, his expression changed slightly: “Li-er, listen to sange, that man already has a male wife. He’s the husband of the man from the side branch family who crashed into the Crown Prince at Great-grandfather’s birthday banquet. His name is Hei Xuanyi and he likes men. It’s better if you let this affection go, don’t cast your affections where they aren’t wanted. Also, don’t provoke xiaogugu, do you understand? She’s a crazy person, she can do all sorts of things to get what she wants.”
The servant girl was shocked but also felt that it was a pity, and said: “How could such a handsome and good-looking man actually like men?”
Wu Yanli was also very stunned. She was conflicted for a moment, but then she nodded obediently in agreement.
“Alright, let’s go back and rest.” Wu Yanlan tugged Wu Yanli back to their family’s courtyard.
The man that they were discussing was currently carrying Wu Qianqing down from the carriage, heading toward the courtyard where Wu Qianqing lived in, and putting the person down on the bed.
Hei Yin, who was in charge of ensuring Wu Qianqing and Guan Tong’s safety, immediately appeared7现身 (xian shen): literally ‘to show [one]’s body’. Normally, the gui are invisible to people whose spiritual level is beneath theirs. They can hide and appear at will. and said: “Qinjia Master has probably been enspelled.”
Wu Ruo immediately narrowed his eyes: “Been enspelled?”
Guan Tong was shocked: “How could he have been enspelled?”
Hei Xuanyi’s expression darkened: “What exactly happened?”
Hei Yin said: “I don’t know how he was enspelled either. In any case, after he came out from the bathroom, he became very strange. He flipped straight over the wall and into the general’s manor. If it wasn’t because we discreetly prevented him from causing trouble, and used gui energy to knock him out as a last resort, otherwise, he really would have already taken a dao8The author is using 剑 jian and 刀 dao interchangeably here, since there’s no longer a clear distinction in the modern perception of these two weapons in the context of guzhuang or xuanhuan. However, historically, these are two different kinds of weapons. and assassinated the general’s wife and the old madam. Later on, one of the assassins used the jian in qinjia Master’s hand to stab into the general’s wife’s body. When we wanted to stop them, Deputy General Zheng barged in. After that, he assumed that it was qinjia Master who killed the general’s wife.”
Wu Ruo looked at Hei Yin gratefully. If it wasn’t for him, he was afraid that his dad would really [have been framed by others]9The text in parenthesis doesn’t actually exist in the novel. The writer cut off the sentence midway and just didn’t continue, so I filled it in with what I think makes the most sense. If anyone has access to a copy of the novel with a completed sentence, please send it my way! I am referencing the novel as it has been posted on the original website, LC Read..
Guan Tong gasped in fright: “Then can the spell be broken?”
“Let me try.” Wu Ruo first took Wu Qianqing’s pulse: “He hasn’t been enspelled, but rather, it’s gu sorcery. There are gu parasites in his body.”
Guan Tong anxiously said: “Who would put a gu parasite in Qianqing?”
Wu Ruo quickly retrieved a set of silver needles from his void space. At several meridian points on his dad’s body, he administered several needles, one after another, using spiritual energy. His technique was extremely well-practiced.
Guan Tong looked at Wu Ruo, shocked. When did her son learn acupuncture and the art of undoing gu sorcery? Seeing that Wu Ruo seemed like he was driving a light carriage on a familiar road10驾轻就熟 (jia qing jiu shu): this idiom means to be so familiar with something, you can do it with your hands tied behind your back., he probably had had several years of experience to be able to be so steady and certain11稳扎稳打 (wen zha wen da): an idiom meaning ‘to move steadily and strike with certainty’ in the context of war, it means to do something with the guarantee that it will turn out well. The author actually wrote 稳扎稳实 (wen zha wen shi) which I think might have been 稳扎实打 (wen zha shi da), which in itself is a common misspelling of the original idiom..
When Wu Ruo administered the final needle, suddenly, Wu Qianqing gagged, and spat a pile of gu parasites out from his mouth. Wu Ruo quickly took out a paper talisman, aimed it on top of the parasites, and with a bang, the gu parasites were burnt into ash.
Wu Qianqing lifted up his head weakly, his eyes turning clearer, he looked at Guan Tong and the others in confusion: “What happened to me?”
Guan Tong immediately asked, concerned: “Qianqing, are you feeling better?”
Wu Qianqing had an expression of confusion: “I clearly remembered going to the bathroom. How come I’m back in my own house?”
Guan Tong asked: “Qianqing, you don’t remember what happened?”
Wu Qianqing tried very hard to recall, but shook his head no: “I don’t remember.”
Guan Tong hurriedly explained what had happened to him.
Wu Qianqing’s expression darkened: “Thankfully Xuanyi’s people were following us, otherwise we would be in trouble. Every time we go to the Wu estate, nothing good ever happens. In the future, it would be best if we go to the Wu estate less often.”
Wu Ruo asked: “Dad, do you think this matter has something to do with the Wu family?”
“I do think that way, but I can’t think of why they would do that. If they wanted to frame me, why would they want me to flip over from the Wu estate? Wouldn’t that implicate the Wu family?”
“Who knows, maybe this way, the Wu family will be able to extricate themselves from the matter.”
“That might also be possible. However, we’ve just arrived in Huangdu City. Why would the Wu family members repeatedly try to frame us?”
Wu Ruo wordlessly took a look at Hei Xuanyi.
Hei Xuanyi: “…”
When Guan Tong heard what they said, her gaze burned with fury. She tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand and said: “If, if I still had my spiritual energy, would they still be able to harm you even in the slightest?”
Wu Ruo: “…”
Hearing this, why did it give him a feeling that his mum used to be extremely powerful?
Wu Qianqing held onto her hand tightly: “Don’t say foolish things.”
Wu Ruo said: “Dad, regarding the matter of General Ren’s attempted assassination, it still requires your cooperation for the investigation. When the time comes, you should just say that you heard the sounds of fighting and murder, that’s why you took the risk and went over to help them.”
Wu Qianqing nodded his head in agreement: “Alright, it’s already dark out, you should go back and rest first. If there’s anything else, we can discuss it again tomorrow.”
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