Threaten, Uneasy
T/N: Patreon sponsored chapter! Thank you patrons for sponsoring!
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As a concubine, speaking without the main wife’s permission, not to mention interrupting the main wife, lacking in such manners, Liu-shi should’ve reprimanded her first thing, but not only did she not, she even let out an expression like she didn’t dare to.
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If these words were said by Zhang-shi, everyone would just feel she was beyond saving. But when it was Liu-shi, everyone’s gaze towards her became a bit strange. Was this because she felt threatened and changed personalities, or…….
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Jing Wan’s attention rather wasn’t on Liu-shi. In her eyes, regardless how Liu-shi responds, it was all very normal. Rather, this so called Huan Niang woman, just looking at her attitude, she definitely wasn’t some mannerless person who was ignorant of etiquette. Yet she did something so unbefitting to etiquette. It can only mean that the words Liu-shi were about to say, perhaps were even more unfavorable to her. This was precisely the so called ‘comparing two harm, and choosing the lighter one’. But, what Liu-shi was about to say was merely just her name. The only way for a name to cause harm was to ‘collide with someone’s name’ or ‘a taboo name’. Jing Wan’s first thought was that her name might have collided with grandmother’s. As for this name ‘Huan Niang’, more or less was changed because of certain reasons after Liu-shi met her last night.
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As for Liu-shi, whether she was able to say Huan Niang’s original name or not, it didn’t matter, her goal was accomplished all the same—-create trouble for Huan Niang.
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Since it had nothing to do with her, Jing Wan shifted her eyes, and shot a glance at the somewhat dispirited Luo Jing Ying, as well as Luo Jing Qiang, who was instead much more radiant than before. The former most likely was harshly berated, and the latter more or less was about to throw off her chains, not wanting to continue living under Luo Jing Ying’s shadow anymore, gradually blossoming her own charm.
Jing Wan didn’t know that in moment she shifted her line of sight, Huan Niang instead quietly measured her up. The person that old madam doted on the most among the younger generation. That level of bearing and upbringing, as well as the calmness coming from within that could only be brought about from living carefreely and without worries, really does make one jealous. However, to want to establish oneself in this rear court, it was true that she couldn’t offend her. But, occasionally borrowing her hand to restrain Liu-shi could also be considered a good plan. After all, anyone with a discerning eye could tell old madam didn’t like Liu-shi. Using her hand to scheme against Liu-shi, regardless of outcome, the one losing would always be Liu-shi. However, when taking action, she must be careful. If someone were to find out that she was the one messing around, then her end will probably be countless times worst than Liu-shi’s.
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Jing Wan further didn’t know that in just this short period of time, there was already someone who had laid their eyes on her. But even if she knew, she wouldn’t have cared. ‘To block soldiers with force, and to block water with earth’. Even those people with influence and power, give her some time to carefully plot, and even if she can’t stomp them into the mud, she could still let them fall on their heads. Hence, taking care of the evil monsters in this manor was even easier.
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“The people of your third branch, you as the main wife, naturally can just deal with yourself, why the need to ask for this old woman’s opinion.”
“Mother is right.” Liu-shi answered like she was wronged. That look she gave old madam was just like she’d been bullied by a concubine, and not only didn’t receive the mother-in-law’s help and support, even the mother-in-law bullied her.
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Even Jing Wan was also slightly shocked by her ‘punching-bag’ behavior. And as Liu-shi own daughter, Luo Jing Ying was further shocked speechless seeing her mother like this. Naturally, there was no need to mention the others.
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This style really changed a bit too fast and too strangely. If it weren’t that Liu-shi was under everyone’s eyes the whole time, might have even assumed she was switched with someone else.
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However seeing Luo Old Madam’s originally indifferent look instead gradually growing heavier, moreover even becoming increasingly cold, the others affected by this all became even more quieter. Only Liu-shi alone still put on that appearance.
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Just when Jing Wan suspected if Liu-shi was also a time-traveler[1], she noticed where the contradiction was. Liu-shi’s mood didn’t change following grandmother’s change in mood, this wasn’t how a ‘punching-bag’ should behave. Furthermore, even if grandmother didn’t like her, grandmother had never had such an heavy expression like this before. Then Liu-shi must have really angered grandmother this time.
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Jing Wan attentively observed and then carefully thought it over. Understood. Liu-shi wasn’t possessed, she was still her, with deep schemes and tall methods. This time she was really angered by Luo Rong Ping, planning to tear apart that hypocritical mask, and do something like burning the sinking ship.
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This appearance of Liu-shi was actually a threat. If Luo Old Madam doesn’t stand on her side, then very soon the people outside will all know about this ‘punching-bag’ look of hers. She has steeled her heart, wanting to drag the Luo family’s reputation to the grave with her.
Luo Old Madam coldly laughed, “Liu-shi, I really have misjudged you before.”
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Despite Luo Old Madam being amicable on normal days, she was still after all someone who has accumulated experience for decades. When her powers are on full blast, Liu-shi certainly wasn’t able to bear it. Her complexion instinctively went pale, “Mother, this daughter-in-law didn’t have a way either.”
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Actually, what Luo Old Madam really cared about wasn’t Liu-shi’s unscrupulous means, but her selfishness. For the sake of her own interest and her face, she can completely abandon her children that she normally always hung on her mouth. If she truly wished for her two children to be well, then why can’t she endure it. After all, she’s the main wife. To appropriately back down, even if she let Huan Niang occupy the higher ground, public opinion and proper etiquette[2] still stood on her side. As long as she endured till her daughter married, and her son becomes an adult and takes a wife. When that time comes, then she can put down everything and take her revenge. But she just couldn’t bear to suffer the tiny bit of grievance, not wanting to wait, not willing to endure.
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To say that she was making compromises in the Luo family the whole time was pure nonsense. Her being tyrannical in the third branch, Luo Old Madam never once suppressed her, and further never once deliberately tormented her. And her few sister-in-laws also have never once tripped her up or made things difficult for her. It’s she herself that wants to assume a virtuous and magnanimous look, who can be blamed? Just based on that temperament of Luo Old Madam’s, even if her daughter-in-laws didn’t have any children, she still wouldn’t shove women to her sons side. And if you really were heavy on vinegar and throw a huge tantrum, she might even help back you and block those concubines, not letting them enter. It’s you yourself that wants to act, who would still open their mouths first? It’s not like she was a busybody.
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Speaking of which, for her to have been able to keep pretending for this long was merely because her bottom line had never been stepped on. See, once her bottom line was stepped on, she was just a like cat that got its tail stepped on, with her fur completely standing on its end, jumping really high all of sudden.
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Liu-shi can not care about her children, but Luo Old Madam can’t not care about the Luo family’s reputation. If it really got out that she was harsh to the shu son’s wife, being gossiped by others was small. But if it gets taken by someone as pretext to accuse Head Minister Luo of the crime of unable to manage one’s household, and then have Head Minister Luo’s political opponents pin him with the label of ‘can’t clean one’s own room, how can one govern the world’, then it might even be possible for him to lose his official position.
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Luo Old Madam landed her gaze onto Huan Niang. “Go back and copy the ‘Female Commandments’ and ‘Female Principles’ each three hundred times. Then, properly learn one’s duty as a concubine. My body is not well, in the future, you don’t need to come pay your respects again. The quarreling gives me headaches.”
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Huan Niang replied, neither angrily nor resentfully, with her brows and eyes lowered.
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Quite a few people sighed in their hearts. As expected, this one wasn’t an oil saving lamp[3] either. To be able to force Liu-shi to use extreme means to get the old madam to back her, was this something an ordinary person could achieve?
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Once Liu-shi was satisfied, that ‘punching-bag’ look, specifically used to disgust others, was restrained. “This daughter-in-law will definitely properly lecture her when we get back. In the future, definitely won’t let the disturbance get to you.” Letting Luo Old Madam be the villain, even if Luo Rong Ping found out, at most he would just curse Liu-shi a few times. His darling’s punishment still needed to be carried out, unless he dared to disobey Luo Old Madam.
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Luo Old Madam wasn’t happy, so naturally Jing Wan wasn’t happy either. Originally she was just thinking of watching the third branch’s entertainment, and when needed, also add some firewood. But now, she changed her mind. Luo Jing Ying’s constant targeting of her, she can all not care about, but for them to extend their claws towards the people she cared about, then don’t blame her for waving her knife and chopping off their claws.
“Just scatter. And those that didn’t come don’t need to come anymore.” After Luo Old Madam finished saying this, she directly got up and went to the back room.
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Jing Wan let her two younger sisters go back by themselves and she herself went to go see Luo Old Madam. Jing Wan worried that she might get angered sick.
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Fortunately, Luo Old Madam was only angered for just that bit, and began talking to Jing Wan about her marriage, “Some time later I will let someone send a verbal message to your eldest maternal great-aunt[4], letting her write a letter to your third maternal great-uncle’s (Luo Old Madam’s third brother) side. I believe, at most in two months, we’ll be able to settle your marriage. At that time, the metropolitan civil service examination[5] will have ended too. It’ll be perfect for Min boy to have a double happy occasion.”
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“This is grandmother letting me give more surprises to older cousin Min?” Jing Wan said with a laugh.
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“Of course, married daughters are like spilled water.” Luo Old Madam feigned a serious tone.
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“Grandmother, this granddaughter is heartbroken.” Jing Wan played along and let out a pitiful look.
The grandmother and granddaughter pair laughed into an uproar.
The people serving by Luo Old Madam’s side all let out a breath.
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Unexpectedly, before Luo Old Madam’s message was even sent to the Chen Manor, that side instead sent news first, saying that third younger brother of theirs, Chen Zheng Min’s grandfather, was dragging the entire family back to the capital again. The same time the letter was sent from their side, the people also departed. Counting the days, at most another ten days to half a month before they’ll be able to reach the capital city.
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Luo Old Madam was very happy. Never mind being able to meet her younger brother that she hasn’t seen in many years, she was even able to have Wan Wan’s engagement settled very soon too. Can’t blame Luo Old Madam for being this anxious, because on Jing Wan’s marriage, she always felt it wasn’t going very steady. If not settled, she would always feel suspended inside. Although this feeling was strange, Luo Old Madam couldn’t help but treat it seriously.
[2] Specifically Confucian code of Ethics; aka the standards of being a virtuous woman in ancient times
[3] Oil Saving Lamp – means easy to deal with, but the term is always used with a negative before it, so someone who isn’t an oil saving lamp is someone who’s troublesome. It’s a rather straightforward metaphor.
[4] I’m pretty sure this is referring to Chen Old Madam….every time I encounter these complicated uncommon family terms I just *insert calculating meme
[5] Examination established during the Tang dynasty, actually most government systems in Cnovels are based off the political systems of the Tang dynasty. This exam is held every three years in the spring, the original term literally translates to ‘Spring Gate’, specifically ‘gate to the palace’.
T/N: Ignore this if you don’t want to be minorly spoiled; I just wanted to clarify some things—Huan Niang isn’t someone sent by LHY or arranged by him, she actually is just a mistress raised on the outside by Luo Rong Ping, but her coming back to the manor on that specific day was plotted by LHY. A lot of LHY schemes he doesn’t really plot directly but more so fan the flames from behind and watch everything burn. In a sense, he basically takes everyone else’s schemes and turns it against them or use to his benefit.