This Rui Qinwang is his Majesty’s third son, Li Hong Ming. His birth mother is the head of the four consorts, Noble Consort Su. Noble Consort Su has endlessly been favored for many years. In addition, Li Hong Ming himself was also extremely outstanding and deeply favored by the Emperor. With these two factors added together, in the imperial harem, Noble Consort Su was even able to be on par with the Empress, who was born from the Ding Duke Manor’s Sun family. The other three consorts, majority of the time, also had to avoid her spearhead.

Noble Consort Su has one son and one daughter. That princess ranked fifth, 15-16 years old, and was bestowed the title, Min Xiang[1]. She’s precisely at the age where she’s selecting a husband and waiting to be married. In addition, there’s also a foster son, the sixth prince, Li Hong Yuan, bestowed the rank of qinwang. This Jin Qinwang’s reputation seemingly isn’t too good. And the cause apparently wasn’t because Noble Consort Su did something to smear his name, but because of he himself. Noble Consort Su, instead, didn’t suffer any less because of him. Also, in the imperial harem, Noble Consort Su just so happens to also have an advantage that all the imperial wives and concubines couldn’t surpass…..

“Is it Luo Old Madam in the carriage?” They originally thought that it’ll be fine just yielding the way, but looks like this won’t be the case.

In the next instant, Luo Old Madam glanced to Jing Wan with a solemn expression and patted her hand. Following which, she got off the carriage.

Jing Wan quietly sat there, vaguely hearing her grandmother and fourth uncle’s formal greeting voice, then followed by another warm, gentle, and well-mannered voice. Presumably, it should be that Rui Qinwang’s voice. Towards her grandmother, he gave his greetings. He also quite admired fourth uncle, lastly even faintly hinting, if fourth uncle needs anything he can go find him and so on.

Luo Old Madam returned to the horse carriage, and Jing Wan quickly went forward to help her.

And it was exactly this one action that allowed Li Hong Ming to faintly catch sight of her side profile. His eyes slightly flickered once, “Go investigate which miss of the Luo family is in the carriage.” Not necessarily wanting to do something, this was merely just out of habit for people like him, but perhaps it’ll be useful in the days after. After all, ‘preparedness averts peril’.

“Yes.”

After Rui Qinwang’s carriage left, Jing Wan saw that her grandmother’s expression still didn’t eased down. Somewhat worried, “Grandmother?”

Luo Old Madam softly sighed, “Don’t worry, grandmother is fine, just a bit regretful. This Rui Qinwang, really is just as he’s rumored to be. His nature’s not bad, his skills extremely refine, and with only a few words, your fourth uncle was nearly about to offer his life in sacrifice to express his loyalty.”

Jing Wan softly chuckled, “Fourth uncle is clear in his heart.” That one is also an extremely sly person, his acting skills belonging in the oscar’s class.

“Your fourth uncle really was somewhat moved, although not as exaggerated as it looked on the surface.”

Jing Wan’s smile weakened a bit, and said in an almost inaudible low voice, “En, after all, Rui Qinwang’s odds of winning is very high.”

“That fourth uncle of yours, grandmother knows best. With your grandfather at the top, he won’t involve himself in there. However, Wan Wan, did you know that your third uncle is very close with the people of the eldest prince, Kang Qinwang’s, faction, but still far from the core circle? But, for him to continuously bounce around like this, who knows when it’ll implicate the entire Luo family. One’s glory is the entire’s glory; one’s loss is the entire’s loss.”

“Third uncle wholeheartedly wants to climb up. Why don’t grandfather just satisfy him? Sometimes, the more fiercely a person is suppressed, the more stronger the backlash.”

“I’m afraid, the position your grandfather has high regards for, he’s completely unsatisfied with. And a position that’ll satisfy him, if your grandfather really supports him onto that seat, then it will show people that your grandfather’s connections and abilities aren’t as simple as they are on the surface. And he’ll no longer be able to not get himself involved.” Luo Old Madam softly sighed. “In our family right now, it’s actually your father that’s the most reassuring.”

Jing Wan thought to herself, as expected, grandfather occupying the Head Minister of Rites position was intentional. She couldn’t help laughing, “There’s certainly nothing bad about father being like this.”

“Just, it’ll affect your marriage. No matter how well your grandfather is, he and you are still separated by a generation, and his age is also high. In addition to the current state of affairs, towards a grandson-in-law, his support is also limited. And with your father’s nonchalant and idle nature, it will always make you a head lower than others.”

“Everyone has their own fate. A man that relies on the wife’s family for everything, this granddaughter wouldn’t fancy either. A real man of character should fight for what he wants himself. Other people’s power, at most, should just be a support, and shouldn’t be something that will lift him up to the clouds. That way, even if he does go up, he would, because of not knowing just how strong this force was, grow fear in his heart, even possibly collapsing at anytime. Only when it’s controlled in his own hands by the foundations laid by himself, will he know just how solid this foundation is. And only then, will he know just how far it can help him walk.”

Luo Old Madam was startled. This was Jing Wan’s first time saying something like this to her. It was impossible to not be surprised. This was completely different from the Wan Wan she knew. Her words can be said to go against the current conventions, yet she very much approved of it. It made her think of her husband, Luo Pei Shan. Luo Old Madam pulled her into her embrace, “No wonder your grandfather felt it was a pity that you weren’t born male.” As expected, third girl was like him the most, even her thoughts were identical. Just, Wan Wan’s words were refreshing to the ears. “But Wan Wan ah, the kind of man you speak of isn’t that easy to grasp.”

“Why would I grasp him? My heart has always yearned for wholehearted devotion, but I don’t expect it. As long as he gives me enough respect, I don’t mind being his virtuous inner support.”

“Wholehearted devotion?” Luo Old Madam muttered. “Such extravagant hopes this is. In the beginning, your grandmother, I, also had that bit of possibility at first, but grandmother didn’t dare to gamble. Because the human heart was quick to change, in a few decades, perhaps it will be another scenery. And once your grandfather promises the first time, I will be greedy for the second and third time. If something were to be slightly unsatisfactory, or if someone with ulterior motives were to incite disharmony, then I might feel that your grandfather had a change of heart. This way, misunderstandings will arise, and that mutual affection will also be gone. I’d rather have it like now. Your grandfather is old, and I have become the only woman standing by his side.”

Feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat depressing, Jing Wan gigglingly said, “Grandmother, tell me about you and grandfather then.”

Luo Old Madam came to her sense and patted Jing Wan, “You little brat, getting more and more daring. The matters between your grandfather and I, haven’t I already told you before.” The matters between the two of them, telling her granddaughter a few words or two were fine, but any more, then it was ‘getting older and forgetting self-respect’.

Just that straightforward and simple, not carrying any affections, very little words were it? What could somewhat be considered gossip worthy was just when grandfather was being ‘kidnapped into being the son-in-law’ in the beginning. However, Jing Wan didn’t really want to gossip either.

“You being able to tell grandmother your true feelings, grandmother is very happy. But these words, you can’t say to others, not even your mother.”

“I know, that temperament of my mother’s, if I really do tell her, most likely I’ll get yelled at, saying that I’m rebelling against convention. But she won’t say that I wasn’t taught right, because I was brought up by grandmother.”

“Thank goodness you were raised by me. If she were to raise you, who knows what she would’ve raised you into? Your mother, in this lifetime, is just that. Don’t count on her for anything. But she and your father, a turtle matched with a tortoise, a perfect fit.”

Jing Wan let out a ‘pfft’ sound. If her father were to hear these words, who knows what he’ll think.

Because the grandmother and granddaughter pair spoke all in soft whispers, and didn’t leave anyone in the carriage to serve them either, all their words naturally didn’t fall into a third person’s ears.

The party smoothly reached Chen Manor.

At the time, when Luo Old Madam married, her grandfather was a old cabinet minister, and her father was also an official of the second rank. And now, never mind that her grandfather was no longer here, even her parents had already passed away too. So naturally they weren’t as illustrious as that time, but they weren’t considered too lacking either.

When Luo Old Madam’s grandfather passed away, she’d even rushed back to see him for one last time. But when her parents passed away, she wasn’t able to return. Not only because Qi’an Fu was far away, but also because the Luo family was in the middle of mourning. She, herself, was also bedridden with illness, seemingly unable to get up. It can be said that this was her greatest regret in this life.

The current head of the family was Luo Old Madam’s full blooded di older brother. Counting the days, it was already ten plus years since they’ve last seen each other. Chen Chang Xu, because his younger sister was returning home, had even specially taken the day off. When the siblings met, both couldn’t help having their eyes redden.

Luo Old Madam was anxious. First she offered incense in front of her parents memorial tablets, then perhaps because she’d thought of something, her tears unconsciously fell. Slowly, her tears unexpectedly became somewhat uncontrollable. The others comforted her for quite a while. They all knew that her body wasn’t good previously, and only after taking care for many years, did it finally become like this currently. They were really afraid of her harming her body from crying. Only after everyone tried their best to persuade her in every possible way, did Luo Old Madam finally stop her tears.

After Luo Old Madam finished washing her face, the brother and sister pair had a private chat. Then afterwards, Chen Chang Xu hurriedly left. He was currently working in the Ministry of Revenue, and a few days ago, natural disasters had happened in a few places. Although it wasn’t especially severe, the Ministry of Revenue was still very busy.

Soon after, the younger generations of both sides, finally formally paid their respects to the older generation. The younger generation all received a greeting gift. The males of the family, aside from those children that were seven and younger, the rest all headed to the front courtyard to chat, mutually livening up the atmosphere. Jing Wan and a bunch of youngsters, including a little pudding that just started walking, were also all ‘kicked’ out.

Luo Old Madam had a total of three brothers. Second younger brother was a shu born and had moved out after the family split. Today, her second brother’s whole family naturally all came over. Chen second old madam was also born a daughter of a noble family. When she was young, her personality was relatively gentle. Now, she’s also a compassionate and benevolent old lady. Towards this kind of person, even if second brother was a shu born, Luo Old Madam wouldn’t have any ill feelings either. As for her eldest sister-in-law, she was actually considered her childhood close friend. Her personality was easy going, so naturally there wasn’t any estrangement. And Luo Old Madam’s full blooded third younger brother, because his body hasn’t been well in the past few years, had retired from his post. He only had one son, but he wasn’t fit for officialdom, thus for the sake of feeding his family, he returned to the ancestral home.

For now, we won’t mention her sisters, after all, not one was in the capital city right now.

[1] Min Xiang – Just like how princes will get conferred a wang title, princesses will sometimes be bestowed a courtesy title with auspicious meaning. ‘Min’ means clever, and ‘Xiang’ means to be held up high. Note this is different from actual birth name.