Chapter 120.2: Luo Family First or Jing Wan First?
In reality, if it was any other family, this simply wasn’t a problem. In fact, it all didn’t even need to be pondered over. Just a daughter, could she be more important than the entire clan? But, for them, Jing Wan was different, she was truly loved like the treasure of their heart. Moreover, on normal days, Jing Wan was someone who was rational to the point that it made them heartache. While clearly knowing that she won’t be happy marrying that person, would you still be able to indifferently have her pushed into the fire pit?
The furious Luo Pei Shan made Luo Rong Yan fearful. He has never seen his father like this before. His own daughter, in his father’s heart, was important to the point that she was capable of balancing the weight of the entire Luo family? Luo Rong Yan had always thought that his father was actually a qualifying scholar official[1]. But in this moment, he finally realized, this wasn’t the case at all. A qualifying scholar official, in his heart, the family clan was forever number one. Everything else, no matter what, can all be abandoned. Even if it’s something he treasures and cares about the most, he is all willing to part with without the slightest hesitation.
Originally when it was just placed in the bottom of his heart, he could still treat it as if nothing had happened, but once it was unfolded, Luo Pei Shan just felt powerless and beaten. “Why don’t you just go back, your father, I, need to contemplate.”
“This son will take one’s leave.” Luo Rong Yan stepped outside the door, turning back to see his father seemingly sinking into the shadows. Turns out, he not only wasn’t a good father, but at the same time, he also wasn’t a good son. His daughter stood at the edge of a fire pit, as his father fretfully paced back and forth, and he(LRY) could only watch from the sides with folded hands, unable to help out in the slightest. In fact, prior to this, he was even immensely idle, without the least bit of awareness.
(T/N: Looking back, I guess this can be considered the start of Luo Rong Yan’s character development. I can’t recall any parent characters in other novels that get developed, most just stay consistent throughout the whole novel.)
While Jing Wan was trimming the flower spray to put into flower arrangements, she accidentally pricked her hand with the thorn. A dark red blood droplet rapidly pooled. Jing Wan paused for a moment. She clearly was being very careful, so how come she pricked her hand?
“Ah, there’s blood. Mama, Wan Wan pricked her hand, quickly bring the medicine.” Yuan Qiao Qiao hurriedly shouted.
“It’s fine, don’t make a fuss over nothing.” Jing Wan’s thumb pressed onto it, having the blood droplet smeared out, but another droplet formed again.
The already alerted Gong mama naturally won’t brush this aside.
This day was also just like usual, passing by peacefully without any troubles. The Luo family’s guests have also left in succession, except for Yuan Qiao Qiao, who ‘shamelessly’ wanted to stay behind. Her mother didn’t know what to do with her, and Luo Old Madam happily agreed to her staying. Thus, Yuan Qiao Qiao brazenly stayed behind in Elegant Haitang Residence. Gong mama let someone directly prepare a room for her, and this certain someone who originally was thinking of continuing to squeeze into Jing Wan’s bed felt embarrassed to mention it again.
The morning of the next day, after Jing Wan got up, she originally was preparing to do her morning exercises, when her grandmother sent someone to invite her to the main courtyard.
What’s the matter for her to be called over this early? This while, her grandfather probably hasn’t even left for morning court yet. Jing Wan paused, this was her grandfather looking for her?
As expected, when Jing Wan arrived at the main courtyard, her grandfather and grandmother were sitting there together waiting for her, and not a single servant was present. However, the area below her grandfather’s eyes were a little blue, and her grandmother’s spirit was also somewhat lacking. This was not having rested well?
Jing Wan gave her morning greetings, “Grandfather, this is having some urgent matter to discuss?” She skeptically asked.
“Wan Wan, how do you feel about Sun Yi Lin?”
Jing Wan slightly lowered her head and fell silent.
“Wan Wan, you understand your grandfather’s intentions, right?” Luo Old Madam asked.
Of course she understood. Even Jing Wan, who rarely ever cried during her infancy, couldn’t control her tears from falling, hurriedly using her brocade handkerchief to wipe. Seeing her tears fall, Luo Old Madam instinctively wanted to go over to console her. However, Luo Pei Shan reached out to stop her, faintly shaking his head.
(T/N: Tbh if I had a baby that never cried, I’d be a little freaked out and probably call an exorcist.)
Jing Wan slowly calmed down, then opened her mouth, “Grandfather, you don’t need to go this far for me, this granddaughter will be fine.”
“Presumably, you already understand everything, then in that case, how can you really be fine? Even if you really feel it’s fine, your grandmother and I will still heartache for you.”
“But, throwing in the Luo family, messing up grandfather’s plans, just for the sake of obtaining in exchange for this granddaughter a possibly somewhat better outcome, it isn’t worth it. Moreover, if my uncles were to know, they will hate me to death.”
Luo Pei Shan helplessly smiled, “And what plans do you think grandfather has?”
“In the struggle for the throne, as a subject, to want to stand free from the chaos is extremely difficult, one always needs to make the sufficient preparations.”
“And how does Wan Wan know, in grandfather’s plans, the one picked isn’t Kang Qinwang.”
“Looking at it from Qi Yuan’s perspective, Rui Qinwang is more suited for that position. And from the current state of affairs, Rui Qinwang has a further chance of winning.” Before the two of them, Jing Wan didn’t hide anything either.
“If he’s not suitable, then just let him be a puppet, and if the odds of success are low, just work hard to increase his odds for him. In this world, even if it’s something that already has an outcome, there is still the possibility of flipping the odds at all times. The so called plans are never something that remains unchanged. Rui Qinwang merely just has a higher chance at winning, but it’s still far from settling the match. Otherwise, there wouldn’t still be that many people standing on Kang Qinwang’s side. That’s why, having one’s bets placed on Kang Qinwang, it’s just temporary that the odds are a little low, that’s all. One may not necessarily lose. That’s why, you don’t need to blame yourself either. This outcome is something grandfather pondered over and over again before deciding. If Kang Qinwang really didn’t have the slightest chance of winning, then grandfather, afraid, would have no choice but to give you up.”
Although it was said like that, towards Luo Pei Shan, Jing Wan was still very grateful. If it was anyone else, they would definitely chose the most favorable path.
“Just, according to your meaning, you’re also further optimistic of Rui Qinwang?” After entering the capital, the amount of imperial bulletins that third girl read over weren’t few, but she has never expressed any opinion before. However, even so, she should still be well aware of the situation.
“Logically speaking, yes, but……….”
“But what?” Luo Pei Shan rather curiously asked.
“My gut feeling tells me Rui Qinwang won’t be able to become the final winner.”
Luo Pei Shan became interested, “Then, Wan Wan feels Kang Qinwang will laugh to the end?”
Jing Wan shook her head, “Don’t know.” Such a thing like one’s ‘gut feeling’ was a mystery within a mystery. Moreover, Jing Wan has never relied on her gut feeling to accurately predict something before. Who knew that the feeling this time would come this strangely.
“Since that’s the case, why don’t Wan Wan evaluate Sun Yi Lin. Right now, there’s still leeway for us to choose.”
Jing Wan furrowed her brows, “Grandfather, isn’t it a little too early to decide right now?”
“You have to know, this matter, the earlier it’s decided, the better it is for you.” Jing Wan was a young lady after all. To constantly be criticized here and there by people ultimately wasn’t good for one’s reputation. Moreover, once she gets engaged, as her future husband, he would at least need to protect his own fiancee. Only this way can they have the hidden threats reduced to the lowest as much as possible.
“But, us voluntarily choosing, and us being forced to accept, that is two different matters. The former would make Rui Qinwang target our Luo family, but for the latter, he would only target Kang Qinwang.” Being targeted by a prince with great power in hand definitely wasn’t a good thing. Jing Wan didn’t want the Luo family to sink into the heart of the storm.
“This matter isn’t something that can be accomplished in one or two days. The purpose is just to speed up this process. Don’t worry, grandfather naturally will think of a way, and have ourselves removed from this problem as much as possible.”
Jing Wan momentarily fell silent, “Today, third sister-in-law is returning to her parental home, just let her tell Gentleman Sun.”
“En?” Luo Pei Shan didn’t understand. What did this mean?
“Gentleman Sun has feelings for me.” Jing Wan calmly said.
Never mind Luo Pei Shan, even Luo Old Madam was quite shocked. “What do you mean by this?”
“He personally told me. Although letting him shoulder this matter at this time isn’t fair, at present, having him bear all the risk is better than letting grandfather do it. After all, he’s someone from Kang Qinwang’s faction to begin with. Behind him, he has the Ding Duke Manor and her Highness, the Empress, and perhaps even all the people from Kang Qinwang’s faction. Rui Qinwang won’t be able to do anything to him.” What she owed him now, she will just pay back in the future.
“That damn brat, to actually run before you and say those kinds of things, where is his etiquette of a gentleman? Since that’s the case, this matter, one should let him shoulder.” Luo Pei Shan was very unhappy. Before, he thought that his precious granddaughter got taken away by Chen Zheng Min that brat, but in actuality, there was still another wolf cub eyeing covetously from the side. And now, he even had to send his precious granddaughter into that wolf cub’s mouth. To want to eat for free without working? Keep dreaming! This time, if he(SYL) doesn’t have this matter taken care of beautifully, he(LPS) will peel him alive!
For Li Ru Yu to do something foolish, in a certain sense, really didn’t wrong third girl.
However, between Sun Yi Lin, the one that will possibly become her future husband, and him, this grandfather of hers, for his precious granddaughter to have chosen him, towards this bit, Luo Pei Shan expressed he very much enjoyed.
Originally, towards ‘exploiting’ Sun Yi Lin, Jing Wan felt very guilty, but seeing her grandfather’s ‘only rightfully so’ attitude, she was rather speechless. However, what did she say to Sun Yi Jia in the beginning that she didn’t want to be drawn into that muddy whirlpool that is the Ding Duke Manor. Yet now, she was jumping in herself, how ironic.
[1] Scholar Official – Literally means what it says, a court official who’s a scholar, particularly a scholar in Confucian teachings.
T/N: As your translator, Jen really doesn’t want to comment on the plot progression and the leads relationship, one, because I personally find the pacing to be perfect, but I also don’t like getting multiples of similar questions, so I’ll say this, when you pave a path, you have to laid the foundation nicely or it won’t be stable later on. World building, plot setup and build up aren’t often appreciated enough until in hindsight. Things will naturally and logically all fall in place once the time matures. And remember, rushed plots will always ruin a story. It always makes me sad when well built stories end up rushing things to please readers and ruin the story structure. And this novel was never a romance to begin with, so the romance is never really the focus anyways.
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