Chapter 133.1: Granddaughter Most Important
The couple fell silent again. Luo Old Madam then opened her mouth, “Jin Qinwang’s meaning is to have Luo Jing Ying sent to Rui Qinwang Manor? What about Luo Rong Ping, how should he be taken care of?”
Hearing his old wife’s address for them, Luo Pei Shan just knew, this time, she was thoroughly disgusted with the third branch. Luo Pei Shan also didn’t have any desire to amend anything. That son of his was unwilling to listen to his urges, obstinately clinging to a lone path, and even felt he, this father, didn’t like him, wanting to sever his future prospects. “Rui Qinwang wants to detain the third branch as a chess piece to control our Luo family. He has already coaxed Luo Jing Ying to be hell-bent on him, and his threats and promises towards old three has made him thoroughly lean towards him. Since that’s the case, why not grant their wish, just don’t know, when time comes, what kind of expression they will have when using the wicker basket to draw water becomes a wasted effort.”
Luo Old Madam coldly snorted, “Nothing more than blaming the heavens and cursing others, having all the fault and wrong all pushed onto someone else. Could it be that you’re even hoping for them to reflect on themselves?” What these people were thinking, she was truly too clear.
Luo Pei Shan admit, his old wife was right.
“How is it at the Ministry of Appointments?”
“The key officials in the Ministry of Appointments, each and every one, all have blackmail material in Jin Qinwang’s hand. Today, they’ve all been given to me.”
Luo Old Madam understood. These blackmail material afraid weren’t anything trivial. Once exposed, nine times out of ten, they will be unable to keep their official hat, or even be unable to keep their heads. However, “The Ministry of Appointments should also have Jin Qinwang’s people, right? This is not intending on letting them know your position? Just freely allowing you to threaten and torment them? However, this way is also good. For you, this is the safest.”
“Jin Qinwang is meticulous in handling matters. From what I’ve seen, just those that work for him all don’t know each other’s inner standing, let alone the little officials below. They afraid don’t even know who they are actually working for.”
Luo Old Madam sighed, “The Jin Qinwang that is known to the world, aside from a good face, was one without any good points, and his reputation was further rotten to the point where no one could match. Who can imagine that he would actually hide himself this deeply, controlling this many things, and moreover, completely opposite from the rumors, clean like jade. And towards Wan Wan he was further…………This kind of man like him, even if he’s able to achieve his goals, after his feelings dilute, he will still treat Wan Wan well. Setting aside his status, and just looking at his other aspects, there isn’t anyone more suitable for Wan Wan than him.”
“Just Zheng Min and Sun Yi Lin………..”
Luo Old Madam immediately waved her hand to interrupt him, “Two grown men that just got their engagement withdrawn, that’s all. It’s not like they’ll lose a piece of flesh.”
Luo Pei Shan rather speechlessly looked to his old wife, “The important part is that they both have deeply rooted feelings towards third girl.”
“So what? Whoever has feelings for Wan Wan, Wan Wan will just have to marry them? If possible, I rather don’t mind Wan Wan having them all married back.” Luo Old Madam rather aggressively stated.
Luo Pei Shan looked to Luo Old Madam in extreme disbelief, “You, you………”
“What?”
Luo Pei Shan sensed her unyielding stance at this very moment, “Never mind, I’m not going to argue with you over this. I just feel Jin Qinwang scheming against them like this, and even have them be kept in the dark completely, is a bit pitiful, that’s all.”
“Pitiful? Just someone like Jin Qinwang, having other men peeping at the person at the tip of his heart, heh, for him to have not given Chen Zheng Min a princess to marry, severing his future prospects, is already very benevolent.”
(T/N: It’s funny how heartless Luo Old Madam is to anyone who’s not Jing Wan, and also how Luo Old Madam thinks just like LHY when it comes to JW.)
Luo Pei Shan’s gaze towards her was just like looking at a monster, but after careful contemplation, heavens, his old wife seemingly was right. Even for ordinary men, if there was someone peeping at their wife, they would probably all get really angry, wishing they could eliminate the other party to avoid future worries. And someone like Jin Qinwang, who further appear to be all kinds of outstanding, moreover having the ability to have these people thoroughly eradicated one by one, looking at it like this, he was indeed very benevolent.
With such a comparison, Luo Pei Shan didn’t feel they were pitiful anymore, just feeling they really were fortunate enough, never mind still being alive, their future prospects were also……..not damaged in the slightest? This bit seemingly can’t be certain. In the future, when Jin Qinwang seizes power, still don’t know whether or not he’ll still find them unpleasant to the eye and give them little shoes to wear.
Luo Pei Shan embarrassedly smile, “Madam, Zheng Min for better or worse is still your grandnephew.”
“And Wan Wan is my actual granddaughter who has meticulously taken care of me for many years.”
Luo Pei Shan chose to quietly shut his mouth. He already understood, as long as it involved third girl, in front of his old wife, even he needed to move aside, so what did others count as. Occasionally recalling this, it really made one sour inside.
After learning the details from Luo Pei Shan’s mouth, Luo Old Madam’s heart, for some strange reason, completely settled down. Carefully thinking about it, from the start, she has been uneasy about Jing Wan’s marriage arrangements, always feeling that it won’t be that smooth. Turns out, there really was a reason. Now, she didn’t need to think about anything anymore, and just let nature take its course.
The old couple also talked about some other things, appearing rather warm and tranquil.
However, on the third branch’s side, it wasn’t that peaceful. Without a second word, Liu-shi directly used the chicken feather duster to ruthlessly whip Luo Jing Ying. At first, Luo Jing Ying wanted to run, “Kneel properly, if you dare to dodge, or dare try running, I will immediately go look for the old madam and have you expelled from the clan.” This threat was very effective. Despite screaming in pain from the beating, Luo Jing Ying still didn’t dare get up.
At first, she begged for forgiveness with her all might, but unfortunately, it didn’t have any affect. Afterwards, she didn’t beg for forgiveness anymore, curling up her body, and endured with her teeth clenched.
Luo Rong Ping coldly watched from the side just like that, not saying a single word.
All the way until Liu-shi got tired from beating, having the feather duster randomly tossed aside, “Now, have everything explained clearly.”
At the moment, how could Luo Jing Ying still dare to keep quiet.
Luo Rong Ping originally thought that she was fooling around with someone else, but unexpectedly it was Rui Qinwang. His originally heavy expression instantly livened up again, “Since father only let her be confined, then presumably, Rui Qinwang’s side must have delivered him word. And now, since matters have already become a fixed conclusion, properly teaching her how to serve Rui Qinwang in the future is the most important thing right now. Also, the injuries on her body, quickly treat them. If by chance Rui Qinwang were to come pick her up one day, a body full of injuries, how can that be appropriate. For better or worse, she’s still a girl, just now you really were a little too ruthless.” Afterwards, he just bushed his sleeves and left.
Liu-shi didn’t have any expression, probably having long gone numb, “Did you see, this is precisely your father, selfish, pretentious, heartless and immoral. In his eyes, you’re just a pawn for achieving glory, wealth, and status. When you are useful, you probably can somewhat be considered a treasure, and when useless, you are even less than a blade of grass.”
Enduring the pain, Luo Jing Ying silently hung her head.
“You fancying Rui Qinwang, mother doesn’t oppose, and even if you are a little close with him, that’s also fine, but to think that you were actually this stupid. If you give yourself to him at this time, what you originally had that was still valuable, but now, heh………..” Liu-shi coldly laughed, “Don’t you know, with your grandfather’s promotion to the position of Head Minister of Appointments, how many people want to climb onto our family, including those wangyes? The marriage arrangements for you all, as young ladies of suitable age, are precisely the best bargaining chip. If you keep him suspended, perhaps in the future, he will have you grandly welcomed through the gates as a side consort, but now, just wait to be lifted in by a shabby little sedan. Moreover, once Rui Wangfei clings onto the matter of you losing your purity before marriage, then in this lifetime, don’t even think about turning the tables.”
“Mother, it won’t happen, Rui Qinwang, he has feelings for me, so how could he let his wangfei do anything to me.” Luo Jing Ying said as she shook her head. That appearance really was extremely pitiful.
“Has feelings for you? Even if he has feelings for you, that is still because of your grandfather. Even if he really has feelings for you, if this man can have feelings for one, then he can have feelings for two, three, four, countless people. Liking the new and disdaining the old, that is further common beyond comparison. Who do you think you are, based on what can you become that one and only? And for what reason, for your sake, would he let himself be at odds with his wangfei? If he were to know that you, in your grandfather’s heart, don’t have any weight at all, then this body of yours, afraid, was given to him in vain.”
“He won’t, he won’t, he won’t treat me like this………..”
Luo Jing Ying cried miserably, yet Liu-shi just felt she was looking at a clown, “Do you know what a man will do if he truly likes a girl? There’s one thing that one can be certain, and that is, he at least won’t let that girl’s reputation be harmed. Unless a girl from the brothels, he definitely won’t impatiently break the other party’s purity. You are a girl from a respectable family, and even an official family’s young miss. For him to do this, it’s nothing more than just wanting to have you completely tied to death, and aside from him, not have any other choice, preventing your grandfather from opposing having you married to him. So long as your grandfather is a little callous, then in this lifetime, if not a life of ‘a young lantern lighting the ancient buddha’[1], then it’s to marry into those impoverish families, and painstakingly work for the rest of your life.”
“It won’t be like that, it won’t……….” Luo Jing Ying just continuously repeated these words over and over again, yet her expression had already crumbled. It was very clear, she actually believed Liu-shi’s words. No matter how stubborn her mouth was, she still couldn’t resist the terror in her heart.
“Whether he will or not, you just wait and see for yourself.” To suffer a loss again and again, yet always unable to learn to be better, already stupid to begin with, yet always believing herself to be clever, never knowing to say things out loud, and discuss with her, this mother. And now, even Liu-shi’s heart grew cold, too tired to continue bothering with her. Towards her, she has thoroughly lost all hope.
[1] This idiom basically means a life of solitude, aka never marrying.
T/N: In a way, Liu-shi has always been right about a lot of things, but Luo Jing Ying has never once listened to her.