After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 98

The curtain brushed against Qun Qing’s face. By the time she opened her eyes, the hall was already quiet and empty.

It seemed that Prince Yan was preparing to depart for Yunzhou, and there were affairs at the Prince’s mansion that required his attention.

The bedding here was exceptionally soft, the pillows and blankets made from the finest silk. She could tell just by straightening the bed. Qun Qing had been sleeping soundly these past few nights—though perhaps it was more accurate to say she was highly adaptable. She could fall asleep anywhere.

She got dressed and stepped outside, only to stop in her tracks.

The once-empty side hall now had a dressing table, its drawer tied with a strip of red silk.

Her hand rested instinctively on the smooth surface. Something told her it was meant for her. Then again, maybe it was just a gift from a guest that hadn’t found a better place to be set.

She withdrew her hand, then unfastened the fish-shaped badge of the Shangyi Bureau from her waist and replaced it with the badge of the Shangfu Bureau.

“Qun Qing?” Chief Attendant Zhu¹ glanced at the decree from Princess Yan, her gaze cool as water as it fell on Qun Qing’s face. 

“You haven’t even worked a single shift in the Shangfu Bureau, yet the Princess approved your transfer here.”²

Her full name was Zhu Fuzhen. Qun Qing remembered her well from her previous life—diligent and meticulous, she could name every type of fabric in the storeroom. Unfortunately, her refusal to flatter others had offended Chief Attendant Gu³. That offense left her sidelined and eventually expelled from the palace.

Qun Qing had a good impression of her, and thus saw no need to explain herself. She simply offered up the embroidery samples she had prepared and asked, 

“Chief Attendant Zhu, is something going on in the palace lately?”

She had noticed it upon arrival—the atmosphere in the Shangfu Bureau was tense. The female officials all looked as if some disaster were looming. Zhu Fuzhen, in particular, looked drawn and worn.

Chief Attendant Zhu frowned, clearly annoyed at being questioned when already so busy. She gave no reply and walked briskly through the rows of looms and embroidery frames, passing piles of ornate garments. Qun Qing hurried after her as they stepped out into the courtyard behind the hall.

Six palace maids were rolling up their sleeves, washing fabric in large vats.

Zhu Fuzhen grabbed a stack of purple colored yunjin brocade⁴ and threw it into Qun Qing’s arms, pointing to an empty vat. 

“Go help them dye.”

The maids looked up, their gazes pausing on Qun Qing for a moment before lowering their heads again.

It was obvious this kind of rough task wasn’t meant for female officials. Dyeing agents were harsh on the hands, and the Shangfu Bureau’s women were usually skilled embroiderers who never touched such work. As a sixth-rank Attendant, Qun Qing was technically Zhu Fuzhen’s deputy. Yet here she was, lumped in with palace maids.

Qun Qing didn’t protest—because the fabric in her hands really was in bad shape. The once-brilliant brocade was now marred with pale streaks, its color faded to a miserable shade. She checked the rest of the bolts taken from the storeroom; all were similarly disfigured, like a beautiful woman with her makeup ruined by tears.

“Are all the yunjin bolts like this?” Qun Qing asked, placing the fabric into the dye vat.

“Not just the yunjin—a few other types too,” one of the maids said, her fingers wincing at the sting of dye on tiny cuts. “They were soaked in floodwater. The few good ones were on top, but the rest below are all ruined.”

“The worst part is yunjin and huajin⁵ are listed as trade samples for the envoys from Gaochang. The whole burden’s on us now,” another maid grumbled. “Day and night we’re here dyeing non-stop. Haven’t slept in days.”

Qun Qing examined the dyed cloth, wrung it out, and walked up to Zhu Fuzhen. 

“If the quality of the tribute goods is substandard, why not report it?”

“You think I haven’t?” Zhu Fuzhen replied coldly. “Yunjin and huajin only come from Xuzhou and Yunzhou. Xuzhou is short of silk, and Yunzhou’s been hit by floods. The governor’s been sending petitions—just getting a supply is good enough. And now you want to complain about quality? Are you trying to make His Majesty seem cruel and uncaring to his people?”

Zhu Fuzhen was a good official—just a bit too upright. The Emperor had chosen not to press Yunzhou over its flood damage, and Zhu Fuzhen, unwilling to push the issue, had taken the burden on the Shangfu Bureau instead.

“So,” Qun Qing said quietly, “your solution is for the bureau to re-dye everything ourselves?”

Zhu Fuzhen’s face darkened. 

“What else? That’s always been the procedure with water-damaged fabric.”

“But this isn’t ordinary water. This is floodwater—filthy, contaminated.” Qun Qing shook out a wet bolt of yunjin before her. 

“Look, even if you re-dye it to cover the discoloration, it’s still blotchy under the light. Once it’s dry, it becomes stiff and brittle. Wearing it could even pose a health risk. You know this batch is meant to be trade samples—aren’t you worried it could damage national interests? If the envoys take offense, are you prepared to have every female official in the bureau punished for it?”

Her calm tone only heightened the pressure in Zhu Fuzhen’s already frayed nerves. 

“Then what do you propose we do?”

“Replace it. This entire batch is unfit for use.”

Replace it? But the quantity of yunjin required was fixed in the trade records. Where would the Shangfu Bureau magically find replacements?

Zhu Fuzhen slammed the memorial in her hand on the table. 

“The whole bureau has worked day and night without rest. If you’re just here to cause trouble, leave now. This is not some idle post the Princess arranged for her favorites!”

A rebuke like that—delivered in public—was tantamount to a public humiliation

The female officials working on embroidery outside fell silent, murmuring among themselves:

“Bao Shu was indeed capable during her time as an attendant in the Shangfu Bureau. But this Madam Qing—she arrived here through personal connections. Considering Zhu Fuzhen used to be Bao Shu’s mentor—how could she possibly treat her kindly?”

“That’s right,” one of the women replied softly.

“I heard from Bao Shu that Madam Qing is very capable. She travels between the Eastern Palace and Prince Yan’s Mansion. With such beauty and skill in discerning people’s intentions, it’s no surprise she was given a deputy post right away.”

Before she finished speaking, a clear and commanding voice rang out:

“All ranks, fall in and follow me.”

The embroiderers froze in place. Regardless of how favored Qun Qing might be, she was still only a sixth-rank official. Even so, they had no choice but to gather together reluctantly.

Zhu Fuzhen flushed with embarrassment when she saw that Qun Qing remained unfazed and even had the audacity to call everyone over.

“I told you to leave—go back to your residence, win favor, and be the most beautiful wife you can be! Don’t come here and mess up everyone’s work!”

“Zhu Fuzhen, Chief Attendant Zhu.” Qun Qing’s voice was calm but firm. Her words pricked at Zhu Fuzhen’s heart. She turned around, light hitting the side of her face, her dark eyes fixed intently on Zhu Fuzhen.

“Chief Attendant, do you still remember—when Chief Attendant Gu was in office, what was your rank?”

Zhu Fuzhen’s fingers curled slightly, as if unable to face the memory.

Qun Qing continued, “When Chief Attendant Gu was still in office, you were only a deputy attendant. Yet because of her favoritism, you were punished and sent to manage the Northern Warehouse. Once Chief Attendant Gu was removed, you immediately took her place as Chief Attendant. Isn’t that so?”

Qun Qing said coolly, “After Chief Attendant Gu was removed from office, as a palace overseer I recommended you to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

She pointed to herself. “So, you owe your position as Chief Attendant today entirely to me.”

At that moment, countless eyes turned toward Zhu Fuzhen, holding their breath.

Zhu Fuzhen’s face flushed even deeper. Already worn down, the sudden burst of anger sent a ringing through her ears. As she swayed on her feet, a nearby maid rushed forward to steady her.

Qun Qing’s voice still lingered, crisp and cutting: “It’s fine if you don’t thank me, but at least don’t imitate Chief Attendant Gu—favoring only those you like and sidelining your deputy.”

Zhu Fuzhen opened her eyes and pushed away the maid helping her. She stormed off toward the rear hall.

Qun Qing had already spread a backing cloth on the floor. With a flick of her arms, the piece of yunjin brocade unfurled like a splash of ink. Palace women gathered around.

Zhu Fuzhen saw her crouched there, holding a soft wool brush. She was gently dabbing a mixture of saltwater and dye onto the faded areas, carefully working along the pattern. The plum-colored yunjin brocade absorbed the pigment, blooming into a delicate effect—like ink-washed peach blossoms. Surprisingly elegant.

“You think the foreign envoys can be fooled?” Qun Qing said. “Since the start of the Shenglin era, private trade has flourished between silk merchants and the Western Regions. Their royalty has long been wearing the trendiest fabrics from Xuzhou and Yunzhou Governorures. If the ones provided by the Dachen court turn out to be water-damaged and re-dyed waste, what do you think they’ll make of us?”

“If Chief Attendant Zhu insists on using this batch of yunjin brocade, then this method—pretending it’s hand-painted—is the only way to barely pass.”

The other women had been listening intently, but now burst into protest:

“But there are over a hundred bolts! If we do that, how long will it take to repair them?”

“Plus we still have silk gauze and embroidery to prepare—we don’t have the time!”

“If they’d placed the order last year, the storage still had leftover yunjin brocade. But this year? Not a single bolt left. And why are the envoys from Gaochang suddenly demanding so much yunjin brocade and patterned silk?”

Zhu Fuzhen said nothing. She silently watched Qun Qing brush color onto the fabric. Her fingers were long and steady, every movement precise. She clearly had training in painting—this wasn’t new to her.

Zhu Fuzhen had only heard about her through Bao Shu before. Could she have misunderstood this woman?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Qun Qing stood and spoke directly:

“Chief Attendant, I’d like to request half a month’s leave.”

“You… what did you say?” Zhu Fuzhen stared at her.

This was the busiest time for the Shangfu Bureau—how could someone just ask for two weeks off after barely arriving?

“I said, I’m requesting half a month’s leave,” Qun Qing repeated, then turned to the others. “The envoys aren’t leaving immediately. There’s still time before they take the samples and go. You can prepare a few bolts like this for now, log them on a temporary sheet, and I’ll finalize when I return.”

“If you’re short on yunjin brocade and patterned silk, write it all down. If I can bring new ones back, we won’t have to risk presenting these damaged ones.”

“Yunjin brocade only comes from Yunzhou Governor. We’re not talking about a few bolts—we need eighty. Where exactly are you going to get them?” Zhu Fuzhen looked at her intently. The others were stunned. It sounded absurd. And yet, Qun Qing’s calm expression didn’t feel like a joke, and that steadiness sparked a hint of awe.

“In front of everyone, I’m going to make a bet with you, Chief Attendant Zhu.” Qun Qing said, meeting her gaze. “If I can solve this problem, you’ll have to come to me for every small matter in the Shangfu Bureau from now on.”

With that, she turned and walked out. Her deep green official robe fluttered behind her.

At Prince Yan’s residence, luggage had already been packed. Jian Su and Kuang Su were lifting trunks onto the carriage.

“Advisor, should we leave a message for Madam?” Jian Su asked.

Lu Huating sat inside the carriage, fastening a hidden dagger to his wrist. At the word “Madam,” he paused. 

“What message? Didn’t I leave her the dressing table?”

She moved like a spy, silent in every step, a coiled serpent in the boudoir. Leaving her in his chambers felt no different from caging a snake inside.

He’d never once seen her let her hair down. That curious thought had led him to buy her a dressing table.

Too bad he wouldn’t get to see her use it.

His hands stilled mid-motion—just then, the curtain lifted, revealing a fair and sharp-featured face.

The murderous glint in Lu Huating’s eyes vanished. Looking down at her, he smiled slightly.

“What is it, Wife? Have you come to see me off?”

Qun Qing was always unpredictable—there was no way she’d come just for that.

Then the carriage rocked slightly.

Qun Qing climbed straight in and sat beside him, making him freeze.

“I want to go with you.”

T/L Notes:
Hello dear readers! Just a quick update — this will be the last free chapter for this week. From now on, I’ll be posting advance chapters and it will be unlocked according to the schedule. Since I have time off next week, I plan to re-edit some chapters to ensure consistency throughout the story.

This novel has been a bit more challenging to translate compared to my other works. It takes a lot of time just to search and confirm all the historical terms and titles. I’m not yet fully familiar with all the terms, and I’m doing my best to find the most fitting translations. Sometimes, I get a bit lost with the names as well, so I apologize in advance if some chapters feel confusing. 🙏

I really appreciate any constructive comments and advice, as they help me improve my translations. I also ask for your understanding, as this novel may take a little longer to update compared to my other translated novels. But rest assured, I’m giving it my best effort and will continue to improve!

If you enjoy the story and would like to support me, you can do so by purchasing the advance chapters or even send me a little coffee! ☕! Your support means a lot and helps me keep translating and improving the quality of the chapters. 

Thank you all for your support and patience!

Yunjin Brocade:

Huajin Brocade: