Chapter 267.1: Endless Good Plays

Just, Li Hong Ming, when facing Luo Pei Shan, kept feeling the other party’s gaze was very cold.

After once, twice, and three times, Li Hong Ming was certain, his feeling really wasn’t a misconception. On Luo Jing Ying’s matter, it was the Luo family that was sorry to him, and during this period of time he was enough lenient, not looking for the Luo family to cause trouble and not giving Luo Pei Shan cold glares either. As such, to be able to make Luo Pei Shan have this kind of expression, it made him have no choice but to suspect whether or not, on Luo Jing Bo’s matter, the Luo family already knew it was his handiwork?

Speaking of this matter, it was completely a coincidence. The poor scholar that had just entered the capital for the very first time, when first seeing Luo Jing Bo’s instructional art booklets, had a look of ‘falling apart in disbelief’, which just happened to be seen by his person. And feeling that perhaps there’s something they can take advantage of here, they just had the person brought before him. In reality, on this matter, he simply just didn’t believe, directly utilizing private torture. Just a poor scholar, so how was he able to endure this, easily confessing everything.

Even so, this matter still had suspicious areas. Thus, he unhesitantly made use of it.

At first, he still controlled it at a limit. After all, his goal wasn’t to actually destroy Luo Jing Bo. It was nothing more than either blackmailing Luo Pei Shan, or appear as a benefactor, easily helping Luo Jing Bo get rid of this matter. However, he ended up getting hindered by other things, and by the time he turned back, this matter was already over with. Moreover, he had no idea who did it.

This kind of completely uncontrollable matter appearing repeatedly again and again, exactly who was going against him?

Rui Qinwang, when facing Luo Pei Shan, was rather the same as usual, seemingly like he was completely unaware of this matter. Regardless of whether or not the Luo family was determined that it was related to him, he absolutely won’t admit it. In short, it was just pretending to be innocent to the end.

Rui Qinwang was very clear. With Luo Jing Bo’s current fame, he will certainly be the target of Luo Pei Shan’s focus in cultivating, and in the future, a cornerstone of the Luo family. Now that someone is attempting to destroy him, in a certain sense, it was undoubtedly just like destroying the Luo family’s feet. As such, that was just equivalent to the grudge of exterminating one’s family. Towards the originator of evil[1], how could the Luo family not resent?

Without having obtained actual evidence, Luo Pei Shan didn’t dispute with him either. In reality, Li Hong Ming’s attitude was completely within his expectations. As a person of high position, how could one not even have this bit of face? Similarly as an old fox of officialdom, Luo Pei Shan expressed his understanding and even approval, but since it happened to his family, then it was just absolutely unforgivable.

That’s why, towards his third grandson-in-law’s plan, he expressed, he will be even more ruthless.

Although for many things, Li Hong Yuan never let him participate, just letting him take care of his own duties, remaining impartial and unbiased, but because Jing Wan was deeply trusted by Li Hong Yuan, the things he told him were much more than what he told the others. As such, sitting in this position as Head Minister of Appointments that occupied all the favorable conditions, to completely not do anything, even he felt sorry towards himself. He was using his own strength to seamlessly clear away the others’ power and influence. For every portion he cleared away, his grandson-in-law will be able to relax a little.

Third grandson-in-law wanted to attack a certain someone, no, wrong, should be a certain few’s wallet. He has already picked out the replacements. Don’t worry, certainly will let everyone be satisfied.

In these last few days, the Luo family was currently busy with Luo Jing Ming’s marriage. However, this matter had changes, and in the Luo family, aside from the eldest three brothers of the grandchildren’s generation, only the two heads of the family knew. They didn’t do anything, just quietly waiting for the matter to develop.

And the outcome was just, exactly as Li Hong Yuan said, the Head of the Hong Lu Office voluntarily proposing to switch the person, even recounting through snot and tears that he was sorry to Sir Luo, even asking Sir Luo to be magnanimous and not bicker with him, and so on.

Although he long knew of this outcome, Luo Pei Shan’s acting was still adequate, and very much on point, first aptly expressing his discontent, then seeing that the other party was sincerely apologizing, magnanimously express his forgiveness. After all, the two families were still just discussing marriage, and outsiders for the most part don’t know, so it won’t have any overly big influences. Moreover, that di daughter of his was just a month younger than the shu daughter, and has already passed her coming-of-age ceremony. After her shu older sister’s marriage, it should also be her turn. This was just slightly shifting in advance a little, that’s all.

“Just, don’t know what exactly happened? Of course, this old one really isn’t deliberately making things difficult. If Sir Zhao feels it’s inconvenient to say, it’s also okay. As the saying goes, ‘every family has their own difficult problems’. This switching the person in the last moments, certainly must have its reasons. The family scandals must not be spread out, everyone all understands.” Luo Pei Shan smiled very elegantly, a look of ‘all the same, we understand, we understand’.

Just, this Head of the Hong Lu Office, Sir Zhao, instead broke out in cold sweat. Isn’t this clearly telling you, he already knows your family came out with a scandal? And if explained clearly, perhaps there won’t be any problems, if not, perhaps will just ‘indulge in wild fantasies’. When time comes, implicating your family’s di daughter that will marry over, always carrying a peculiar gaze when looking at her, it won’t be good, right?

Speaking of which, this Sir Zhao was also just forty some years old, a high third rank official. Compared with the high first rank Luo Pei Shan, the disparity wasn’t just a little either. Not only was he a lower ranking official, he was even of the younger generation, and this time, it was more so him that was in the wrong.

He and Head Magistrate Diwu were of equal rank, but his relationship with Luo Pei Shan previously didn’t have the least bit of foundation.

(T/N: It’s been a while since Head Magistrate Diwu has been mentioned, I miss Luo Pei Shan’s old flower friends lol.)

Originally, to be able to make connections with the Luo family using just a shu daughter, this transaction couldn’t be more profitable. Even if at the start, using a di daughter to make marriage connections, he all won’t feel it was a loss, just in the end, he still needed to consider the problem of face. Yet, in the end, it was his family that came out with problems. If he’d long known, it would’ve been better to just use his di daughter from the start. Precisely the so called, taking the initiative and being forced were two completely different matters.

After pondering, he still decided to tell the truth as is. If by chance the Luo family were to suddenly be interested, deciding to investigate to the end, when the lies get unmasked, it will be even more unsightly. After all, this matter, their family raised a pretty big ruckus. He can’t guarantee that it absolutely won’t leak out. “Sir Luo, speaking of this matter, it was this lower official’s failure in educating one’s daughter. That unfilial daughter, since childhood, has liked the maternal uncle’s family’s older cousin, and didn’t agree to this marriage. A few days ago, she unexpectedly committed an illicit act. Just, this lower official didn’t know of this matter, and when it happened, truly hated that one can’t directly beat her to death. This lower official truly is ashamed to the point of being unable to show one’s face, having no face to face you.”

(T/N: Clarification that for the shu children their maternal family is also referring to the di mother’s maiden family, since a concubine’s family aren’t considered relatives.)

Luo Pei Shan facepalmed, thinking to himself, really is a certain someone’s usual style, not leaving any way out.

A young lady that has already lost her virginity, the Head of the Hong Lu Office also didn’t have the guts to have the person married over. After all, if during the bridal night, they were to get discovered, then that was just the two families becoming enemies. Others were still a little bit better, but offending the Head Minister of Appointments, your family’s younger generation, relatives’ and friends’ family’s children, how are they going to continue mingling?

As long as he, Luo Pei Shan, was present, your family’s people will forever be stuck. Based on Luo Pei Shan’s current vitality, if no mishaps occur, then no matter what, there would still be several years. Promotion in officialdom also paid close attention to the right place, the right time, and the right conditions. Once one misses the opportunity, perhaps will no longer be able to rise again. No family was able to withstand wasting away for several years.

As such, it was better to have the matter explained clearly, then find an excuse of ‘having caught a disease’ for his shu daughter, and towards the outside, this matter will have also come full circle. Moreover, it can even give him a ‘conducting himself with benevolence and righteousness’ good reputation to outsiders. This way, naturally everyone will all be good. Just………..

“Sir Luo, please rest assured, this lower official’s di daughter is educated and proper, her character excellent, and absolutely doesn’t have a person she admires already, this kind of thing. After marrying, she will surely be able to be in perfect harmony with her husband, and be a happily married couple.”

If his di daughter were to suffer because of that shu daughter, when he goes back, he will certainly beat that unfilial daughter to death.

“Sir Zhao thought too much. Since this old man has already agreed to the marriage, then naturally won’t let the future granddaughter-in-law be put in a difficult position. That grandson of mine, his moral character, you can also greatly rest assured. He definitely won’t make malicious guesses, and further won’t randomly take his anger out on the innocent.”

“The Luo family has a way of educating, the men of the Luo family, each and every one all good, this is something that’s known to all. To be able to marry into the Luo family, that is also my daughter’s good fortune.” The Head of the Hong Lu Office praised.

[1] 始作俑者 – It means ‘originator of an evil practice’, but the literal translation is the first person to bury funerary dolls. This line is said to be said by Confucius, but it comes from a recorded discussion between Mencius and Liang Hui King during the Warring States Period. And to understand this line, you need to understand a few things. A long time ago in ancient times living people were used to be buried along with the dead. Afterwards, this was changed to straw people, but later on, someone started using pottery figurines, which because the figures resembled people a lot, it was considered a kind of regression, sorta like what if we go back to using living people again. Thus, this line was said by Confucius as a curse. The full line is ‘始作俑者，其无后乎’, basically cursing the person that started this evil practice to never have descendants. Bonus fact, after this was said, the person actually found out and sent assassins after Confucius and his disciples. Kinda funny how it’s being used towards Rui Qinwang here.