Chapter 99.3: The Dust Has Settled

In the crowd’s eyes, this was clearly Sir Luo setting the starting price. However, it was Cabinet Minister Jiang that offered himself up to be slaughtered. If it was them, they similarly would ruthlessly chop him up.

“This old man hears Sir Luo loves flowers, don’t know if such a thing is true?”

“Cabinet Minister Jiang, Sir Luo has quite a lot of rare and famous breeds at home, if the flower you bring out is too common, it won’t do.” Head Magistrate Diwu stated. Have to say, he similarly had his own calculations inside. If the rare flowers go to the Luo Manor, he can rightfully ascend the gates for a visit. If it was some other family, then it won’t be that convenient.

Cabinet Minister Jiang thought for a moment, “In the Jiang family’s old manor, there’s a pot of white peony, although it is not one of the four famous breed……..”

(T/N: see footnotes on chapter 49 for pics of the four great name breeds.)

“Uncle, you absolutely mustn’t.” Jiang-fuma interrupted Cabinet Minister Jiang’s words. That’s right, this Cabinet Minister Jiang is Jiang-fuma’s actual tang-uncle[1]. That white peony was the treasure of his heart. But now, his tang-uncle actually wanted to take it out to exchange for a qin score!

Cabinet Minister Jiang ignored him, but Jiang-fuma didn’t yield in the slightest either. In the heart of a qin fanatic, the qin score was naturally the most important, while in the heart of a flower fanatic, flowers were naturally the most important. Aside from one’s favorite, everything else, even if priceless, would still need to move to the back.

Thus, this uncle and nephew pair became somewhat at odds with one another.

Nobody once thought that things would develop into this. Jiang-fuma’s servant boy quickly went to look for the Grand Elder Princess. If this matter really stirs up, then it’ll really be embarrassing.

The Grand Elder Princess left her seat momentarily, and after learning the whole story, laughed in spite of herself. It seems it had something to do with that girl again. However, they can be considered to have received a pot of eighteenth scholar from her for nothing, so having that pot of white peony given to her wasn’t necessarily undoable either. White peonies were commonly seen, and that one in the Jiang family home was only special given its several hundred years lifespan.

The Grand Elder Princess directly called over Yu Yao. She didn’t say anything else, just letting her tell her father that she’d obtained a pot of eighteenth scholar.

Yu Yao Wenzhu although already reached the age where she had to sit separately from males at a banquet, she was still a young child after all, so going to the male guest side wasn’t a problem. Having her go was much better than letting a servant girl deliver the message. After all, some words, if said by Yu Yao, would just be cute and innocent……….

Yu Yao went to the male guest side and pounced onto Jiang-fuma, hugging his waist, “Daddy…..”

Jiang-fuma’s vigor weakened. Towards Yu Yao, he was also very much doting. In private, not abiding by etiquette a little was fine, but right now, there were this many people. He somewhat sternly straightened up Yu Yao, however he still subconsciously lightened his strength. “Stand properly. This big of a girl already, how improper.”

Yu Yao unhappily pouted, “Originally was still thinking, once I receive the eighteenth scholar, to also let daddy see, but now not going to let you see anymore.”

Everyone didn’t hear anything else, only the two words——-eighteenth scholar.

Jiang-fuma hurriedly crouched down, “Yu Yao, tell daddy, what eighteenth scholar, is it the camellia? Where did it come from?”

Everyone else was also curious, and only Luo Pei Shan alone felt his heart jump inside, having a bad premonition. Head Magistrate Diwu also looked towards him with a similar expression, seemingly having arrived at the same conclusion.

Yu Yao Wenzhu expressed, she was unhappy and didn’t want to say.

Thus, Jiang-fuma began coaxing. Where was this anything like a stern father image anymore. Everyone all can’t help but cast side glances.

Alright, seeing that her own father was this earnest and sincere, Yu Yao Wenzhu graciously forgave him, and thus explained the process of how she got an eighteenth scholar to her father. “……..Daddy, big sister Luo is so nice, and her qin playing is also very good, right?”

Yes, yes, yes. Jiang-fuma hurriedly nodded, just he somewhat awkwardly looked towards Luo Pei Shan. And afterwards, everyone else also uniformly looked towards Head Minister Luo, Luo Pei Shan, along with him.

Luo Pei Shan was deathly pale, his heart unbearably aching.

Head Magistrate Diwu had gone to the Luo Manor to see that eighteenth scholar before. The grade of that flower made him nearly want to directly steal it, “Sir Luo, that granddaughter of yours sure is generous. Such a treasure, yet giving it away so easily. If this one had known earlier, this lower official would’ve just directly and shamelessly asked her for it.”

Luo Pei Shan stiffened his expression, “Damaging someone else’s property, one naturally ought to compensate. That granddaughter of mine didn’t do anything wrong. ———-Already at such an old age, yet you still want to demand something from a little girl, you really dare to open your mouth?” On the surface, his words were upright and proper, but inside, his heart was bleeding.

(T/N: I feel so bad for grandpa ahahahah everybody eyeing his precious flowers.)

Head Magistrate Diwu snorted.

“Uncle, this nephew will immediately send a letter back to let someone have that white peony brought to the capital.”

“Jiang-fuma, why the need for all this trouble, just directly use the eighteenth scholar in place of the white peony. This way, the two flowers will both stay in their original place, look how much trouble it’ll save.” Head Magistrate Diwu ‘sincerely’ suggested.

“No, no, no, these are two separate matters. How can one, because of some troubles, mix up the two matters.” The white peony was indeed old, but in his eyes, it still wasn’t as rare as an eighteenth scholar. That was an eighteenth scholar, alright! He’d been drooling for one for a very long time. “Sir Luo, rest assured, that white peony……..” Jiang-fuma had that white peony of his praised into the high heavens, praising it as peerless in the world.

“If it’s really that good, leave it for yourself then, don’t touch my precious granddaughter’s eighteenth scholar.” Head Minister Luo was furious.

Jiang-fuma immediately shut up.

Normally, even when disputing major matters in court, they were still cultured and polite, but now, they didn’t even want their faces anymore, making the corners of everyone watching’s mouth directly twitch. If you dare ask, these guys will tell you, for the sake of the most precious treasure in their heart, rules, etiquette, face, what all are those? They have long thrown all those out, alright. Once the matter is over, they can just pick them back up again.

“Daddy, I heard big sister Luo say, she still has lots of rare and famous breeds at home.” Yu Yao Wenzhu added, not caring about the aftermath that will follow.

“Really?” Jiang-fuma’s eyes lit up, “Then does Yu Yao know which ones?”

Yu Yao’s memory was pretty good. Hearing Jing Wan say them once was enough for her to memorize it all. Thus, she began counting on her fingers.

Luo Pei Shan just felt like being stared down by a pack of wolves, and wished he could cover up Yu Yao Wenzhu’s mouth. Unfortunately, he could only listen to her count. Inside, he directly sighed. Why was that granddaughter of his this straightforward, one mustn’t reveal one’s wealth, alright!

Sure enough, when she finished counting, Luo Pei Shan just felt himself becoming a large savory piece of fatty meat.

Head Cabinet Minister Ruan shifted his body and stroked his beard, “Sir Luo, how ungenerous, hiding these treasures, and not bringing them out for everyone to see.” Speaking of which, he loved chrysanthemums the most, and that was a yaotai jade phoenix! The others, he naturally also liked, and if he can get his hands on that eighteenth scholar, he would also be very happy, but this matter was between the Luo family and the Grand Elder Princess Manor after all. No matter how shameless he may be, he can’t just forcibly snatch it over. And even if he wanted to forcibly snatch over, he still wouldn’t be able to either. Of this crowd, not one was a ‘vegetarian’[2].

Naturally it wasn’t just Ruan Rui Zhong alone that was getting restless. There was also the youngest among the first ranked high officials, the Head Minister of the Ministry of Works[3]. His home was filled with plum blossoms, but in reality, his love towards orchids wasn’t any less than plum blossoms. “Sir Luo, I’ll use a pot of green plum flower in exchange for that mutated scarlet bush lily of yours, how about it?” He had a magnanimous look on his face.

(T/N: Scarlet bush lily is the only flower so far that has a proper english name, but it’s considered a breed of orchid in chinese. Green plum flowers are more white, but in certain lighting they can look pale green. Anyways added pics for both.)

Green Plum Flowers

Scarlet Bush Lily (the one in the novel is a mutated breed tho)

Luo Pei Shan’s face darkened.

“Isn’t Sir Zhong being too insincere? Since it’s a mutated scarlet bush lily, then perhaps, in the entire world, there’s only just this one unique strain, so one can well imagine just how valuable it is, yet Sir Zhong wants to exchange it for a mere green plum flower?” Even those that weren’t particularly fond of flowers were unable to sit still. This face was too thick, and that heart too dark.

“Those are all my granddaughter’s, my granddaughter’s, you all are a bunch of shameless old fools, old enough to be her father, her grandfather.”

Since Sir Luo even threw these words out, each and every one could only shut their mouths in embarrassment.

Once they all settled down, or at least appear so on the surface, a certain wangye began stirring.

“Speaking of which, this prince is still most interested in that three color peony. A few days ago, wasn’t it rumored that third imperial brother also had one? These good things, if they don’t appear, that was the end of it, but once they appear, they all gather together.” Li Hong Yuan nonchalantly opened his mouth.

(T/N: I always love his subtle jabs in politics, even though it comes off as a simple nonchalant remark, there’s so much political weight behind his words.)

Oh, so this one has already ‘awoken’.

Luo Pei Shan however tensed up inside. His Majesty ‘stealing’ things, he could still reason with him, but this living Enma was completely unable to be reasoned with.

[1] Tang uncle – uncle of the same surname that’s not the actual brother of one’s father, so most likely a younger tang brother(cousin) to his father, I’ll add a family chart to the historical notes page in the meantime to better illustrate the relationship.

[2] Basically meaning this bunch is tough to deal with.

[3] See my historical notes page for extra details

T/N: Every time rare flowers are brought up grandpa Luo always sound like he about to fight someone. Also I can see why Head Magistrate Diwu is such a clever old fox ahahah teaming up with grandpa Luo because it’ll also benefit him in the long run.