Chapter 279.2: Calculating Altogether
Returning to the villa, this herd of young masters all got mercilessly locked into a small dark room. In any case, there were plenty of rooms, so one room per person, and each room’s doorway all had two guards keeping watch. And this while, it was the true and honest blade carrying imperial guards. If one behaves, then it was just ‘you’re good, I’m good, everyone’s good’. But if one wants to make noise and throw a tantrum, then it was just another ruthless beating, then tied up, and the mouth stuffed.
Li Hong Yuan seemingly wanted to show that he would do as he said he would, immediately summoning the other main personnels accompanying along this trip as soon as he returned to the villa, telling them clearly, this prince will watch Kaiming Fu, so you all just swiftly go handle the rest for this prince. If handled well, then that’s just what you ought to do, if not…….Li Hong Yuan coldly chuckled, the meaning within couldn’t be more obvious.
The people that were originally loyal to Li Hong Yuan to begin with couldn’t help but tremble, repeatedly promising that they absolutely won’t let down his hopes.
Li Hong Yuan didn’t allocate specific tasks for them, so whether it was working together, or working separately, he just let them consult amongst themselves.
Don’t know how many people were elated inside. Turns out, things simply weren’t as serious as one had thought. So what if Jin Qinw.a.n.g made one fearful, in the end, he was still one that didn’t understand anything at all. To want to deceive him wasn’t anything difficult either. Thus, one after another expressed that they will take care of everything, and that w.a.n.gye just needs to peacefully accompany w.a.n.gfei in sightseeing Kaiming Fu. As for the people of Kaiming Fu, they can only express their condolences. Although Kaiming Fu was also one of their master’s source of profit, but right now, still need to consider the degree of severity and urgency, appropriately making the decision to abandon or save.
A certain few just want to say, hope you all can be naive to the end, don’t have it where when time comes, not only were you unable to help, but instead even having yourself thrown in. Ruthless and black-bellied was the living Enma’s true face.
Jiangnan, this place, for the people eyeing the throne, they all won’t easily let off. The same fu, the same prefecture, it was impossible to be completely controlled in one person’s hand. Right now, the people of each faction want to go to their respective home field to ‘inspect’, wanting to help hide some important things, but that still need to depend on whether or not the hidden people of the other faction will allow it. Even if not this kind of situation, Li Hong Yuan will still let it become this kind of situation. On the surface, living together in harmony, but in the dark, getting dragged down in all kinds of ways. And by the time Li Hong Yuan pulls back the net, the things that they all believed to have been concealed well will all get exposed by others. And Li Hong Yuan won’t need to do anything extra, just needing to sit alone on the fis.h.i.+ng dock.
In reality, right now at this time, it was definitely the more one did, the more mistakes will be made. If they were to just obediently write a memorandum, acknowledging their mistakes, then perhaps Le Cheng Emperor would even be lenient towards them.
Everything in everything, from the moment he arranged the chessboard, Li Hong Yuan already calculated.
And when Li Hong Yuan was meeting with these people, Jing Wan also received the visiting madams. Originally, they were already prepared to be rejected at the door, possibly needing to act out a play of ‘step one cry, step two throw a tantrum, step three hang oneself’. Yet in the end, all their preparation was all for naught. Never mind making things difficult for them, Jing Wan not only let them enter first thing, but even treated them politely and courteously, letting people serve with good tea and good dessert. And before this cup of tea was finished, she just appeared in person, once again letting their plans fall through, thinking that they would be ignored, drinking stomach full of tea.
Jing Wan’s clothes weren’t particularly formal and grand, and the accessories on her were also very simple. In fact, on one of her wrists, she was just wearing a string of buddhist beads. But under careful examination, one would discover, although simple, each and every one was exquisite and precious, both in good taste, but not lacking in solemness, even for them, perhaps many all won’t be able to possess a single one of in their lifetime.
No wonder their husbands all said to take some novel and exquisite little playthings to visit, and if it’s some rare flower or plant, even better. The rest, in their eyes, no matter how precious, it still won’t be fancied.
However, they were all amazed at how youthful Jing Wan was, or perhaps should say young. Of course, only those that were completely unaware of Li Hong Yuan’s ‘love history’ would have such thoughts. After all, the matter this time in Jiangnan had nothing to do with this side of his. The official matters were more important, so who would mention these unrelated things.
Because Jing Wan’s att.i.tude was easy-going, yet also not lacking in manners, not talking about anything else either, just chatting with them about ordinary daily life, in a sense, it also didn’t feel like she was deliberately avoiding the main matter that happened today.
Actually, Jing Wan already sensed first thing that these people’s mood weren’t all the same. Some people were anxious, yet some were indifferent. The reason within, Jing Wan could also guess. It was nothing more than just the difference between biological and nonbiological. If it was grandparent and grandchild, it was still okay, but rus.h.i.+ng about for one’s own son, and rus.h.i.+ng about for a shu son, can it be the same?
Although there was one among them that appeared especially intimate, just having Jing Wan praised into the heavens, that mouth sweet like as if smeared with honey. However, this bewitching soup didn’t have the slightest effect on Jing Wan. Moreover, she discovered that the others all didn’t really pay attention to her. If it’s not her character having problems, then it was just………..”This madam, which family are you from?”
“Replying to w.a.n.gfei, this one is……….”
“w.a.n.gfei, she is the General Commissioner’s Ru Madam (concubine).” Another madam to the side spoke out first.
(T/N: Ru Madam ‘如夫人’ is a ‘polite’ way of addressing someone else’s concubine, not really a t.i.tle but just another word for concubine, mostly used to address a concubine of someone else’s family.)
Just as expected. Among a group of main wives, mingling in such an individual, unless their family wanted to curry favor with the General Commissioner, otherwise no one as a main wife would a.s.sociate with another family’s concubine. Unfortunately, among these madams today, seemingly not a single one needed to curry favor with the other party.
The person that was originally still smiling like a flower, having a glib tongue, instantly just changed in complexion, but in an instant, picked up a smile again, “w.a.n.gfei, this concubine……..”
“I rather didn’t know that a concubine can actually come out for social niceties, above all, even squeezing before this w.a.n.gfei.” This address was Jing Wan’s first time using ever since marrying. Her att.i.tude couldn’t be more obvious. “Someone come, see the guest out, and pa.s.s on the order, forbidding anyone from the General Commissioner’s family from visiting.”
The General Commissioner’s Ru Madam probably never thought that the person that was still amiable looking just now would just change face in a heartbeat. “No, w.a.n.gfei, it’s because my family’s madam is suffering from a serious illness, unable to get up from the bed, thus master let this concubine take her place……….”
Jing Wan’s gaze sharpened, directly sweeping over. The person that was originally still explaining, like as if getting choked, no longer was able to blurt out a single word.
“This………….Ru Madam, it’s best if you come along, if letting someone have you thrown out, afraid it would be even more unsightly.” Jing Wan’s wet nurse has now also been promoted to a chief mama.
Speaking of which, in a qinw.a.n.g manor, prior to the w.a.n.gfei marrying in, all would have at least two chief mamas serving the master. However, Jin Qinw.a.n.g Manor was an exception. Even Li Hong Yuan’s wet nurse had already pa.s.sed away when he was eleven from an illness. And after he opened his own manor, ‘what use is there for old women’. At that time, women over twenty all were unable to enter Jin Qinw.a.n.g Manor. That’s why, in Jin Qinw.a.n.g Manor, there was no one capable of impeding Jing Wan. In other manors, because of claiming credit for having breastfed a w.a.n.gye, relying on old age to act as an elder, situations where they would order around the w.a.n.gfei, Li Hong Yuan long strangled to death any possibilities of. To point fingers and order around his darling, he will just let you not have arms and legs.
Although unwilling inside, she still could only leave. Moreover, one can’t even show any resentment. However, for concubines like her that were capable of going out in the place of the main wife, she naturally was very capable in many aspects, and won’t let someone catch her mistake in such an obvious place, her etiquette not a single bit improper.
Now that the eyesore was gone, Jing Wan’s complexion also returned to normal, like as if nothing happened at all. Just, the atmosphere, compare to previously, was a bit colder. They probably never thought that Jing Wan would be this resolute, kicking the person out just like that. For them, even if it’s the Governor-General’s Madam, or the Inspector-General’s Madam, even if they don’t like, at most it was just giving the cold-shoulder.
However, this while, it wasn’t the time to be discussing this. Their family’s child was the most important, but that huge sum of money………….”w.a.n.gfei, although very rude………”