Chapter 458: Impressive

Sun Yi Bin’s complexion was extraordinarily unsightly. If his grandmother’s words were to spread out, it can make him, in an extremely short period of time, be stained with a smelly reputation, unable to be washed clean no matter what. More importantly, the position of the Ding Duke Manor heir, he won’t even need to think about anymore. Never mind that his father right now was also greatly displeased with him, even if his father was still like in the past, supporting him, with his grandmother pressuring, it was still very difficult for him to fulfill his desire. Furthermore, his Majesty and his grandmother’s relationship seemingly wasn’t ordinary. He believed that one line from his grandmother in front of his Majesty can just make him lose everything.

Sun Yi Bin awfully hated inside, disregarding the rest, wholeheartedly just thinking about how to change the current situation.

Sun Old Madam has become keen from experience, having his expression taken in, her heart further like a mirror, coldly sneering, inwardly cursing, sure enough, ‘a dog can’t change from eating shit[1]‘, never knowing to properly reflect on himself.

Sun Old Madam didn’t want to look at them anymore, directly turning around and returning to her own courtyard. Once the courtyard gates were shut, the inside and outside of the walls just formed into two completely different worlds. And that not so tall wall was just like a difficult to cross natural barrier.

The people outside, without Sun Old Madam’s order, just knelt there, not daring to get up, and the ones standing, because the head of the family all couldn’t leave, how could they dare to just leave like this. The Ding Duke’s brothers that already got kicked out were the best example. They didn’t want to break away from the Ding Duke Manor’s protection. That’s why, the people that a few days ago were still scheming and fighting in all kinds of ways, this while, were more obedient than the other.

However, having Sun Yi Lin and Sun Yi Jia, these two siblings, give out for adoption, such a big matter, in the entire Ding Duke Manor, only the Ding Duchess wasn’t informed, don’t know whether it was purely having her forgotten, or some other reason.

In reality, reaching this step, it’s not that no one thought of going to have the Ding Duchess ‘invited out’, and nicely give Sun Old Madam trouble. The Ding Duchess’s care towards Sun Yi Lin, that was something known by all. If she were to learn that this son was ‘gone’, she really can cause a huge disturbance. However, no matter how the Ding Duchess wrecked havoc, she can still be suppressed by Sun Old Madam standing at the highest point with a turn of her hand. When time comes, whoever had the Ding Duchess invited out undoubtedly will get sorted out by Sun Old Madam. Having witnessed her thundering move, these people naturally didn’t dare to go stroke the tiger’s whiskers.

Receiving the follow-up news, Jing Wan couldn’t help but sigh, “Ah Yuan, say, if Sun Old Madam just controlled the direction of the Ding Duke Manor’s general affairs from the start, would the Ding Duke Manor’s present situation be completely different?”

“It would indeed be different, just it’d be more worse than now. Sun Old Madam is elderly in years after all, and in her younger days, strained her body and mind, so her body, it goes without saying, won’t be that good. In this kind of situation, to still labor away for the Ding Duke Manor, the Sun clan, as well as the Empress and Li Hong Yi, don’t know how thick the grass on her grave would already be. With her present, she can still occasionally suppress the Ding Duke. If she’s gone, the Ding Duke will be completely without shackles. Additionally, the Ding Duke was someone that was already a grandfather, to still be suppressed by his own mother, how can he be happy inside. It goes without saying, the things left behind by Sun Old Madam, and the people she cultivated, will all get abolished by him with all kinds of excuses. The Ding Duke Manor in his hands, can it be better?”

Alright, her husband made a lot of sense.

In other words, Sun Old Madam ultimately saw through these things, thus left the Ding Duke Manor to perish on its own? Or was it that she truly didn’t have any good feelings towards the Ding Duke Manor, not caring at all, completely not wanting to get involved?

This question, probably only Sun Old Madam herself can answer.

And Sun Yi Jia who received the news, violently cried, endlessly calling out ‘grandmother’.

She didn’t get expelled from the Ding Duke Manor, but with the Ding Duke Manor, she for the most part didn’t have any relations anymore. Something that she once felt was absolutely impossible was just accomplished this ‘easily’. Sun Yi Jia felt this was just like a dream, but she also clearly recognized that this definitely wasn’t a dream.

Luo Jing Bo sat by her side holding Xuan’er, not saying anything, yet used this kind of method to tell her that they will always be by her side and will always support her, their whole family happy and harmonious, continuing to be well.

Seeing Xuan’er clumsily wanting to wipe her tears for her, Sun Yi Jia’s heart metled into a puddle, hurriedly wiping away her tears, having Xuan’er taking into her arms and kissing. Her heart relaxed, yet also had a trace of pain hidden very very deeply.

As for Sun Yi Lin who was still thousands of miles away, how he will reacting after learning this matter, there was no way of finding out.

This matter didn’t just affect the people of the Ding Duke Manor. Should say, everyone that was connected to the Ding Duke Manor were all affected. In a certain sense, they perhaps felt it even more deeply than the people of the Ding Duke Manor. After all, in the Ding Duke Manor, there were quite a few that were just freeloaders. In essence, this actually represented Sun Old Madam’s attitude towards certain matters.

Painstakingly cultivating the younger generation, it was precisely for the sake of thriving. And now, having the most outstanding one sent out, what this meant, practically couldn’t be more obvious.

Just think, even the old dowager[2] in the Ding Duke Manor all had this attitude, what will the people adhering to the Ding Duke Manor think?

It’s not that no one went to the Ding Duke Manor to request a meeting with Sun Old Madam, hoping that she can take back her ‘decree’ before things become set in stone. Even certain elders in the Sun clan all came out, hoping to move her and reason with her.

The great majority, Sun Old Madam completely didn’t give face, not even meeting, and those one or two she met with, she also coldly faced, not saying much, probably just one meaning: ‘What, this old woman is old and useless now, each and every one all wanting to disobey her?’

It’s not that there weren’t anyone in the Sun clan that had a higher seniority in the family, but facing such a strong-willed Sun Old Madam, they also could only silently burn in anger. After all, Sun Old Madam was a high first rank titled madam. The clan leader of the Sun clan was even the Ding Duke. If they really were to dispute, they may not necessarily be able to pressure her with seniority. Furthermore, she was still the Empress’s mother, a position that was truly able to use ‘filial piety’ to suppress people. Even the Emperor, when facing his own mother, also need to somewhat ‘obey’, let alone the Empress. Weighing the pros and cons, that was human nature.

These people’s behavior instead hastened Sun Old Madam’s movement, not even picking an auspicious date, directly opening the ancestral hall, offering sacrifices to the ancestors, and directly changing the family records. As such, this matter just thoroughly settled.

And from beginning to end, the Empress never once sent people to come prevent this matter. On Kang Qinwang’s side, there also wasn’t any movement. It was obvious, this matter already had no way of reversing, thus the others also just settled down. Just, exactly how they felt inside, it was very difficult to say.

However, an extremely small amount of people were aware that the Empress’s condition seemingly worsened, and Kang Qinwang seemingly was irritable again.

However, it seems that Le Cheng Emperor was similarly aloof. Certain old ministers that were relatively familiar with his temperament even vaguely sensed that Le Cheng Emperor was actually happy to see this matter go through.

(T/N: Le Cheng Emperor has always wanted to weaken and reduce the Ding Duke Manor’s influence and power.)

Quite a few were affected, even more were taking pleasure at the misfortune, but there were also those that weren’t affect.

Li Hong Yuan gave an order, temporarily suspending the investigation on Sun Old Madam. Jing Wan was somewhat puzzled, yet seemingly also somewhat understanding.

Right now, what Li Hong Yuan cared about the most was Jing Wan’s birthday, the second of the second lunar month, her first birthday after becoming a qin-wangfei. No matter what, it can’t be brushed over. A celebration must be held and must be grandly arranged.

The grand celebration in Jin Qinwang’s mouth, can it be ordinarily grand? When Jing Wan heard, she just subconsciously wanted to refuse. If not for certain taboos, Jing Wan didn’t doubt in the slightest that he might make it even more grand than the Emperor’s birthday. However, right now, even if unable to reach that level, it definitely won’t be any inferior.

Holding it will be once again flaunting their wealth, once again pulling in hate.

Jing Wan was hesitant, but meeting with Li Hong Yuan’s gaze that seemingly saw through everything, it clearly was rejecting her idea. As such, the words by her mouth got swallowed back down again. This snake disease patient usually won’t argue with her, but when stubborn, it was practically fatal. That’s why, things that he has firmly set his mind on, it was best to not go against him.

“Fine, as long as you’re happy. By the way, Ah Yuan, can An Yi get married?”

“What, you want to have your servant girl married to him? Starting from three years ago, An Yi for the most part no longer took up missions, so now it’s just thoroughly switching to a public identity.”

[1] This idiom means bad habits are hard to change, but it’s usually said as an insult towards someone.

[2] 老封君 – Referring to Sun Old Madam, this is used to deferentially address the mother or grandmother of a noble or high official. Since she’s the mother of a duke, she can be addressed as such.

T/N: The shadow guards are special in that they don’t actually ‘exist’, meaning they are completely undocumented and have untraceable origins. This is because they are meant to be a hidden force that live completely in the shadows, different from the normal guards of Jin Qinwang Manor.

An Yi is special in that he has two sets of identity, one as the head of the shadow guards, and a second public identity as the head of Jin Qinwang’s guards. A public identity means that on paper, he is documented and counted for as a guard of Jin Qinwang Manor, which means that he has to have a household register and family history.