Chapter 112.2: A Shocking Identity

Jing Wan returned to the Luo Manor. Afterwards, in the flower garden, she ran into Luo Jing Ying. Jing Wan wasn’t sure whether or not she was specifically waiting for her. However, this time, she was rather obedient, very much abiding by etiquette.

And naturally, not unexpected in the least, she saw the things in the servant girl’s hand. The Rouge Pavilion, that kind of place, and even the store with the best things, how could Luo Jing Ying not recognize. She’d gone once, and after that one time, she didn’t dare go again, not that the things weren’t good, if possible, she very much wished she could have the place emptied out, but even the cheapest little container of rouge inside all needed several hundred taels. And moreover, that little container, after sparingly using again and again, finally was able to last a month. Going there specifically to let others see a joke? “Third older sister seems to have bought quite a few things this time.”

“Fourth sister’s talking about these? They’re not bought, but rather given by the Rouge Pavilion owner.”

“Third sister sure is charming, attracting other people’s fondness. These things are at least worth a few thousand taels, right? To be given away just like that nonchalantly, really is generous.”

“Yes, Yun Niang is indeed very generous.”

“Yun Niang?” The Rouge Pavilion although was a place that sold things used by women, but a business that big, extending throughout the entire country, can’t possibly be that woman’s private property, right? Was Luo Jing Wan just ‘slapping her face to make it swell’, or not daring to admit to some under the table dealings?

“Fourth sister doesn’t know the Rouge Pavilion owner’s name is Yun Niang? I thought this was something everyone all knew.”

“This younger sister of course knows.” Could she admit to having lived in the capital for a few years already, yet still that ignorant?

Jing Wan nodded her head, “Have to say, the reason why Yun Niang is this generous is all thanks to fourth sister. Because of fourth sister, the secret skincare recipe in this third older sister’s hand got known by Jin Qinwang. He wants to give it to her Highness Noble Consort Su to show filial piety. However, Jin Qinwang doesn’t want the recipe, but rather the finished product. But the things in this third sister’s hands, everyone that has used it before all say it’s good, so most likely, when the time comes, it won’t just be Noble Consort Su alone that’ll use. No matter how capable this third sister is, one still can’t make that many. But opening a store myself is too troublesome, thus one might as well just seek out the Rouge Pavilion. Yet unexpectedly, just happened to run into Yun Niang. Yun Niang very much fancies this older sister’s things, not only giving a forty percent profit share, but when one was leaving, she even gave away this many things. Sigh, even now, this older sister is still troubling over how to deal with these. After all, fourth sister also knows, this older sister normally never use these things.”

———If you don’t want, just give them all to me! Luo Jing Ying nearly had these words screamed out. Fortunately, she was able to restrain herself. However, she pursed her lips, tightly clenching her teeth, not opening her mouth for a long while. She worried that once she opens her mouth, she’ll lose control again. But what really made her eyes red was still that forty percent profit share. Forty percent?! Specifically how much money, she didn’t know, but she was certain, even if Luo Jing Wan doesn’t do anything for the rest of her life, it would still be enough for her to wantonly squander money.

“Fourth sister thought of every possible way to try to have the secret recipe picked from my hands, and now, you’ve gotten what you wanted. I believe, not long from now, the Rouge Pavilion will push out its first batch. However, listening to Yun Niang’s intentions, it’ll probably be a bit expensive. Most likely, it’ll just be a a few times, or ten times, or even several hundred times the price of those in her shop. Is fourth sister’s money prepared?”

Luo Jing Ying’s fingernails deeply sunk into her palm, but she couldn’t feel any pain. All her schemes just amounted to this? Never mind being locked up for ten to twenty days, now, that thing she wanted, she completely couldn’t afford to use! She suddenly regretted very much, why did she have to be that impulsive, if she’d just endured, then waited a little longer, perhaps it would be a completely different outcome. She clearly wanted to get her hands on the secret recipe, and then, let Luo Jing Wan not be able to get any benefits. But, not a single one of her goals was reached!

Jing Wan lightly smiled as she walked closer to Luo Jing Ying, “Since this is my recipe after all, people from our family going to buy will only need to pay a tenth of the price. Of course, every person has a set limit each month.”

Luo Jing Ying’s face let out a cheerful expression.

“However, not including you. If you go buy, it’ll be ten times the original price.”

“Luo Jing Wan———”

“Fourth sister, quiet down a little, you just got out from the little buddha hall, don’t tell me you want to be locked up again?”

Luo Jing Ying unbearably hated, but she had absolutely no way of dealing with Jing Wan. “Heard third sister’s engagement got annulled.”

Jing Wan’s smile became provoking, her lips slightly parting, “Childish.” Afterwards, she just brushed past Luo Jing Ying.

Luo Jing Ying trembled in anger. She didn’t expect that it actually wasn’t able to impact Luo Jing Wan, this little slut, in the slightest.

“Oh, that’s right, there’s one more thing that one can actually let fourth sister know in advance.” Jing Wan had just walked two steps before stopping again, “Yesterday, Li Ru Yu’s junzhu status was revoked by his Majesty. This matter, in another two days, will probably have an official imperial decree passed down.”

Luo Jing Ying’s body uncontrollably shook. The servant girl at her side hurriedly reached out to support her, but was slapped away by her.

Luo Jing Ying didn’t know the reason within, but Luo Jing Wan just had to tell her at this time, making her mind uncontrollably run wild. The more she thought, she more she felt something was wrong, and the more it felt wrong, the more her imagination ran. Because she was locked up for a long time, her body was weak to begin with, so this while, she was actually somewhat tottering on the brink of collapsing.

Jing Wan, who’d walked far, turned her head and glanced back, yet on her face there wasn’t the slightest ripple. This was precisely the so called, ‘if the heavens sin, it can be forgiven, but if one sins, one cannot escape[1]‘. To have ended up like this, that was all Luo Jing Ying bringing it upon herself.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the flower bush stood Luo Jing Qiang. Luo Jing Qiang originally just wanted to avoid Luo Jing Ying, but unexpectedly, third younger sister just happened to return. Thus, she had their conversation heard word for word. Her right hand stroked the back of her left hand, endlessly sneering in her heart. It was just her(LJY) that keeps insisting on going against third sister. Look at the other sisters, which one didn’t receive third sister’s good things. Right now, this was just ‘trying to steal the chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it’.

Those things, she probably also has a share in purchasing it at a low price, just that price, even if it’s just a tenth of the original price, afraid she still wouldn’t be able to buy it every month. However, it didn’t matter. In less than half a month, she’ll be married off. That share she can yield to someone else. Never mind being able to win the favor of her in-laws, perhaps she might even be able to get benefits in exchange. In any case, it was just not giving any to Luo Jing Ying. Giving to others, no matter what, one would still get a smile in return, but giving to Luo Jing Ying, even if you have your own flesh carved out for her, she probably would still disdain the fishy smell. Then, regardless of what, since they’d already tore down the faces, why bother continuing to lower herself beneath Luo Jing Ying.

That’s right, in less than half a month, Luo Jing Qiang will be married off, ten days after Luo Jing Bo marries in Sun Yi Jia. However, the Luo family up and down were all busy arranging Luo Jing Bo’s matter, seemingly having her thoroughly forgotten. She rather didn’t really mind all that much either. After all, she was just a shu-born’s shu-born. Among the numerous young misses of the Luo family, she belonged to those few with the lowest status, and as for the other few, they were still very young. If she had the same mentality as Luo Jing Ying, afraid she would’ve long lost her life.

Luo Jing Qiang openly walked out from behind the flower bush, precisely telling Luo Jing Ying clearly, she had heard it all.

Luo Jing Ying rather wanted to have her anger vented out on this shu older sister, but unfortunately, she had the intention but not the power. She shouted a few times, but Luo Jing Qiang simply didn’t pay her any attention.

Luo Jing Ying nearly had a stroke. Right now, even this lowly slut, who in the past had always followed behind her, wagging her tail begging for pity, dares to throw her face too. As expected, she was too benevolent towards her in the past.

When Jing Wan returned to the Elegant Haitang Residence, she had the rouge and powder she brought back divided up, her mother’s, her elder aunt’s (wife of father’s older brother), her younger aunts’ (wife of father’s younger brothers), including Liu-shi. Everyone all had a share. Just, there was the difference between good bad and how much. Afterwards, she also prepared a share for Luo Jing Qiang. As for the other sisters, Luo Jing You was already thirteen. In this place, she has already stepped into the ranks of young women. Thus Jing Wan also set aside a share for her. Even so, there was still quite a bit remaining. She rather wanted to give to her own servant girls, but Gong mama didn’t allow it. Servant girls using the same things as the masters, where was the decorum, if the other servants in the manor were to find out, it’ll further cause a disturbance. The servant girls themselves also refused.

(T/N: Excuse me while I curse at the english language again for not having enough family terms.)

Thus, Jing Wan might as well give her married off eldest tang sister, as well as her paternal aunts (father’s sisters), each a share. Her eldest tang sister’s will be given to her eldest aunt, letting her dispatch someone to send over, and as for her paternal aunts’ share, just let her grandmother send people to deliver it. As for the remainder, she’ll give half to her mother, letting her give away to her close friends, and the rest all to her grandmother, letting her give away as she sees fit.

As a result, the servant girls of the Elegant Haitang Residence uniformly set to their tasks, delivering the things to the various branches. The servants in the manor all took in the sight, not one didn’t sigh at their third miss’s great wealth.

During this time, Jing Wan asked Gong mama about Yun Niang’s identity.

“Miss, if this servant’s guess is correct, that Yun Niang should be his Majesty’s little (paternal) aunt, Princess Heyang, who was once married off to Northern Xiongnu[2] in a political marriage…………….”

Although Jing Wan already overestimated Yun Niang’s identity as much as possible, she was still shocked by Gong mama’s words.

This princess, in the Qi Yuan dynasty, was brilliantly renowned. Already a figure from more than thirty years ago, but even they, these young ladies, have all heard of her ‘glorious military achievements’ before.

Princess Heyang wasn’t much older than Le Cheng Emperor. She was Le Cheng Emperor’s grandfather’s young daughter that came in his elderly years, and can be said to have been raised by Le Cheng Emperor’s imperial father. This princess had the body of a woman, but the heart of a man. Of course, this wasn’t saying she had the ambition for the throne, but rather her personality. The things that a young lady should know how to do, she all knew, and the things that a young lady shouldn’t know, she also knew. She had a mastery of words and literature, mastery of swords and spears, and most importantly, her natural born disposition was wanton and unrestrained. What did Li Ru Yu count as, compared to this one, she was practically pathetically weak.

For her, these were actually all not worth mentioning……..

[1] This idiom has been used before, but I couldn’t find which chapter I put the footnotes in so gonna just explain again. It roughly means if the heavens cause disaster, like natural disasters, at least that can still be avoided, but trouble or disaster brought as the result of one’s fault, one can’t escape from the consequences.

[2] Xiongnu – Historically, it has usually been used to refer to the Huns, but the term itself is just a generic term for nomadic people.

T/N: I wonder how close people’s guesses were of Yun Niang’s identity. It’s actually quite rare for women her age to be written this way in cnovels, she’s practically a grandmother in a sense. Also Yun Niang, or Princess Heyang, has one of the most badass backstories ever in this novel.

Also, the chapter ends just like this, it’s not me purposefully leaving cliffhanger. Since I also got confused about the relationship I ended up drawing another relationship chart.