Chapter 275.1: Going Together to Jiangnan
“Like, of course I like!” The delighted expression in Jing Wan’s eyes didn’t have the slightest insincerity mixed in.
Because bounded by the societal backdrop, prior to marrying, even if Jing Wan had her grandmother’s pampering, getting restricted far less than ordinary young ladies of the boudoir, there were still many restrictions, and the places she could go very few. If not for her past life, she probably wouldn’t have thought much of it, perhaps having regret inside, yet won’t have too much yearning.
But she just had to experience through that kind of civilization in her past life, having gone to many places, and experienced many cultures and sceneries before. Fortunately, in another completely different world, she’d already lived a lifetime. If she’s unable to go have a look, afraid even after death, she will all carry regret.
Just, in an instant, Jing Wan somewhat hesitated again, “Since you are setting out as an imperial envoy, is it okay for me to follow?”
“Since long planned, how can there be a problem.” Li Hong Yuan briefly explained to Jing Wan the current state of affairs in Jiangnan, “Whether I go or not is actually irrelevant, and the issues that need to be resolved also isn’t anything difficult. Accepting this ‘first in one’s lifetime’ a.s.signment is still mainly because I want to legitimately take you to Jiangnan to play. I’m a qinw.a.n.g, and further a special case. Leaving the capital is nothing more than just strolling around the surrounding. To want to go to a place too far away, without an imperial order, it’s absolutely impossible. In the past, I didn’t care, just, what you want, I’ll try to satisfy as much as possible.”
“Ah Yuan………….” This man, even if getting ‘bullied’ by him from time to time, wasn’t it still as sweet as syrup[1]?
The things his wife were fond of weren’t many, but to want to satisfy wasn’t easy. Every time seeing her two eyes glistening, he would always have a sense of accomplishment. Even having all the big and small matters controlled in hand all didn’t have this kind of feeling. However, at the same time satisfying her, he was also quite satisfied himself. Of course, towards his wife throwing herself into his arms, this kind of thing, he further unhesitantly accepted gladly.
“But, Ah Yuan, Jiangnan’s matter, could it be that you caused it?” Lighting the fire beacon to trick the feudal va.s.sals[2], this kind of thing, one absolutely mustn’t do. She perhaps was a little special, but she was mostly still ordinary, and can’t afford to shoulder this kind of sin. For a country ruining demoness, in essence, it was actually all the men’s fault, but the source was on them after all. Even if they didn’t do anything at all, the sins committed, they undoubtedly still need to shoulder a portion of.
“If I say yes, what will Wan Wan do?” Li Hong Yuan said in seriousness.
Jing Wan looked to him, unable to tell whether his words were true or false. Furrowing her brow, “If this really is the case, then even if going to h.e.l.l, naturally I’ll also go together with you, just don’t have a next time. Ah Yuan, you have done many things for me, yet I can’t do anything for you, so just wis.h.i.+ng for you to be well.” She was unable to harshly criticize him in the name of righteousness.
Li Hong Yuan softly smiled, “Naturally not real. This matter already existed to begin with, I just let someone aptly prod it out at an opportune time, getting rid of a batch of vermins ahead of time. I pray to have a next life with Wan Wan, just h.e.l.l, it’s enough for me to go, you just need to wait for me above.”
Jing Wan’s eyes slightly moistened, her lips moving, wanting to ask why, why be this good to her? She looked forward to the answer, yet was also scared of the answer. Because this man’s good towards her, seemingly just existed from the start, just this indescribable, so how can she not mind? She knew what state she was in right now. Because she cared, that’s why she minded. It has just been a month, yet this man has made her sink this much. One can well imagine, just how skilled his methods were, and just how scary.
——–Ah Yuan, don’t betray me, you absolutely mustn’t betray me, else I really might go crazy, and will kill. Everything else, I can all yield, can pardon, but only this bit, allow me to be selfish.
“While clearly knowing that you are suffering below, how can I nonchalantly wait aboveground like as if it’s nothing? That kind of worry, presumably one would further be willing to exchange with pain on the body. Perhaps, as long as one can see you, even if bearing the same pain as you, one can still smile.” Even if containing tears in her eyes, Jing Wan was still smiling.
This was probably Li Hong Yuan’s first time hearing Jing Wan expressing her true feelings this clearly. He was somewhat surprised, but further uncontrollably bubbling with joy. Hooking the back of Jing Wan’s head, he just unhesitantly kissed her. Jing Wan naturally didn’t reject, even having an even deeper pa.s.sion that didn’t exist in the past.
Not at all surprisingly, the heavenly thunder aroused the earthly fire, but the servant girls were all already used to it, so whenever these two were together, they would just voluntarily withdraw. If one doesn’t call on them, they for the most part won’t appear. And Gong mama, who knew even more things, was further stricter in restricting them. Some things, letting them hear, didn’t have the least bit of benefit at all.
After having a bout of extreme pleasure, the time and place all perfectly aligned, just unfortunately the human circ.u.mstances weren’t matching. Li Hong Yuan knew that today he probably won’t be able to settle down. He rather didn’t mind, and this Elegant Haitang Residence, outsiders aren’t able to intrude either, but this place, aside from him, it was just Jing Wan. If he doesn’t go out, there will always be people that will produce various imaginations. He was very clear, once it comes out that he will take Jing Wan together to Jiangnan, she will inevitably receive attention from all sides again. At this time now, it was still better to settle down a little. For him to call out stop, it was also considered a first.
Jing Wan’s complexion was flushed red, feeling somewhat unsatisfied. She also knew without thinking that the timing wasn’t good right now. As expected, after hanging around a certain someone for long, she herself was also becoming increasingly wanton and outrageous.
Li Hong Yuan rather didn’t tease her, mentioning some other things, letting the body’s pa.s.sionate tides gradually withdraw.
Jing Wan mentioned s.h.i.+, Ci, Ge, Fu, the four of them, “………….Qing s.h.i.+ isn’t suited to set out with us, so just let her stay behind. As for the marriage arrangements for the other three, just leave it until we come back.”
“No need, just the day after tomorrow, have all four of them married off.”
Jing Wan was speechless, “This way will be a bit too pressing. Two days’ time, how is that enough time to properly prepare a wedding?”
“Their marriage arrangements, most likely have long been prepared, and the so-called guests are nothing more than just the people in the manor. Never mind two days, even if it’s tonight, still will be able to let them have their bridal night.”
Jing Wan couldn’t help but want to facepalm. Having this kind of master, it’s also their own bad luck. “This isn’t the problem of the guests, alright?! Although they already have a partner to get married to, the three doc.u.ments and six rites, the entire process, is that something that can be finished in two days? Don’t tell me, the procedures in front have actually all been taken care of already and just missing the last step?”
“Not reporting to their master and just discussing marriage on their own, do they have the guts? Since it’s appointed by the master, then all the convoluted formalities naturally can be omitted, and there won’t be anyone not acknowledging the marriage between them either. Everything the master gives, that is just favor.” Li Hong Yuan boldly stated.
“Fine, fine, fine, whatever you say it is. Just, in this one month since I’ve entered, I just have the servant girls personally serving by the husband’s side married off…………..” This jealous wife reputation of hers most likely will really solidify. Although she knew that the four servant girls really weren’t tongfangs, outsiders didn’t know. “Can’t we do it one by one? Take it slowly?”
“All need to be handled anyways, so why not take care of it all at once? Doing it one by one, troublesome.” Since he drank vinegar all day, entirely a jealous husband, as his wife, she naturally also need to have the flowers by his side all cleanly taken care of.
“I can’t win with you.” She best prepare some more dowry for the four of them, wronging on the wedding, can only compensate in other areas.
Moreover, a jealous wife and whatnot, as long as she wants to monopolize this man, this t.i.tle was something that’ll happen sooner or later. Since she’ll have to face eventually, a bit sooner or later, what did it matter?
“This time going to Jiangnan, I will arrange for water channels as much as possible, but the horse carriage certainly won’t be missing. When sitting in a horse carriage for a slightly longer period of time, you will just feel unwell. This ultimately is a problem. That bunch at the Ministry of Works are truly useless. Letting them remodel the horse carriage, yet even now, there still weren’t any improvements.”
(T/N: LHY has been complaining about the Ministry of Works since chapter 2 lmaooo)
“This is my own problem. Besides, the shaking from riding a horse carriage isn’t just the carriage’s problem.” Unfortunately, she didn’t know the formula for cement. Even if it’s just having a rough idea, by handing it over to someone to research, nine times out of ten, it’ll succeed in the end. For shock absorption on the carriage itself, just need to have the wheels replaced with gum, and it can greatly improve, unfortunately………………….”
Jing Wan in this moment, suddenly felt, even if she once lived in an electronic machinery civilization, she was actually just a useless person.
For the first time in more than ten years of her life, she began to deny herself. Thinking about it was also really depressing…………
All say people who have carsickness need to ride the car more, and after suffering a few more times, it’ll also just get better. Jing Wan was thinking, why don’t she also try this.
“Will n.o.ble Consort Su let you enter the palace?”
[1] 甘之如饴 – ‘As sweet as syrup’, this idiom comes from the Book of Songs, meaning ‘willingly enduring hards.h.i.+p’, or ‘a glutton for punishment’. Sounds like a very m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic thing to say.
[2] 烽火戏诸侯 – ‘Lighting the fire beacon to trick the feudal va.s.sals’, this is an idiom that comes from a historical anecdote. This is sort of a ‘boy who cried wolf’ kind of story. It’s referring to Western Zhou’s King You of Zhou (795-771 BC), the last king of Western Zhou, for the sake of his concubine Bao Si (one of the renowned beauties of ancient china, like top four famous in all of history beauty), lit the fire beacon used as an emergency alarm to mess with the feudal va.s.sals just to see her smile. When Bao Si saw the people rus.h.i.+ng over in disarray and in a complete mess, she indeed started laughing. King You of Zhou was very happy, and because of this, just started lighting the fire beacon for fun multiple times to amuse her. Eventually the feudal va.s.sals stopped believing it, and gradually just stopped coming. Afterwards, Quanrong (one of the ethnic groups present at the time) invaded Haojing (capital of Western Zhou) and killed King You of Zhou, and subsequently Western Zhou fell.
Bao Si’s story is one of the more well known ‘country ruining beauty’ stories. Although the story itself is a popular spin on why the country fell, from a historical standpoint, by that point in time, Western Zhou was already very unstable, so this was just adding fuel to the fire and became the last straw. Of course, when it comes to popular history, folks care about the drama more than the objective facts.
T/N: Because of this chapter, I went and googled how cement is made, apparently you can diy cement at home. Now I have a rough idea in case I ever need this knowledge one day.