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As if No One Else Around
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“This can’t be considered nonsense.” Xun Che laughed, but didn’t continue saying anything even more overboard, just going over to look at the invitations Yu Lingxin wrote.
Her Zhao script sure enough was very decent now. If able to also practice Liu script a little more, then his previous promise of teaching her how to paint should also be fulfilled.
He randomly picked one up, nodding his head, “This one is really not bad.”
Yu Lingxin had the other invitations gathered up and stacked together, placing aside, while also having the name list handed to him, “There’s nothing to look at individually, have a look at the list, is there anything to add?”
At this time, Ming Jincheng also followed in behind Xun Che. Because of practicing martial arts, he wasn’t scared of the cold, just it seems this year’s late autumn was especially cold, thus he was also wrapped in a cloak.
However, when Ming Jincheng removed his cloak, wanting to hand it to Ming Jinrou, Ming Jinrou already went to call the servant girl to serve the tea, just casually raising her chin, pointing at the clothing rack on the other side, “You can put it over there.”
Ming Jincheng was just a bit irritated, sweeping a glance again at Xun Che and Yu Lingxin who were currently standing side by side in front of the table looking at the name list, finding them increasingly unpleasant to the eyes, “Cough, cough, Shenzhi, you can’t leave early again today. Xuan province’s matters, we still need to carefully discuss again.”
Xun Che didn’t even lift his head, randomly responding, “En, Xuan province’s matter, and also Ji province’s matter, need to come up with a plan today.” He paused for a moment, pointing at a name on the name list and saying to Yu Lingxin, “This family, add another invitation. Their family’s third branch and first branch’s relationship is somewhat sensitive. In the future, you all need to have the young ladies of these two branches treated as two separate families.”
“It’s already this serious?” Yu Lingxin actually did remember that Zhongyong General Manor seemingly wasn’t very peaceful later on, but the previous two times seeing the Yan family young ladies, they seemingly were still okay.
Xun Che hooked the corner of his mouth, “Even if there’s nothing, can also let them have something.”
Yu Lingxin nodded in response, “Fine, I’ll add right away. Is there anything else?”
“There’s one more thing.” Xun Che slightly muttered hesitantly, having his gaze shifted from the name list towards Yu Lingxin, “Ruiyang Junzhu[1] and Yongfu Junzhu, perhaps will come this time, or next time.”
Yu Lingxin also lifted her eyes and looked towards him, her expression also somewhat serious, but she didn’t ask anything, just falling silent for a moment before finally nodding her head, “I understand.”
“Shenzhi.” Ming Jincheng’s couldn’t help but groan, “The two of you…….”
Xun Che immediately looked towards Ming Jincheng, his gaze calm, but in that moment, an invisible glint flashed through his eyes. Ming Jincheng still promptly had the words ‘acting as if no one’s around’ swallowed back down, instead saying, “……….This poetry gathering, is there still anything else that needs help with?”
Ming Jinrou at this time personally received the tea and desserts from Feihua’s hands, turning around and laughing, “Brother, don’t get annoyed looking at them. If you can have Wen Ruoqiong thoroughly pushed aside and find a good older sister-in-law back, then naturally you will have someone to discuss things with you.”
Hearing these words, Ming Jincheng’s face grew even darker, “You little brat, this is extending your elbow outwards? Then Qin Wang’s matter, I won’t tell you anymore.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Even if you don’t say, second cousin will still say, and even if second cousin doesn’t say, second cousin-in-law will also say.” Ming Jinrou didn’t back down in the slightest, “Even if you don’t love me anymore, I still have second cousin and cousin-in-law.”
Ming Jincheng was increasingly stifled. Yu Lingxin hurriedly changed the topic, “Did something happen with his Highness again? If you still have important matters to discuss, after I finish adding the invitations, I will just go back first. In any case, there are still other account books to look over.”
Xun Che’s expression was actually very relaxed, “His Highness is fine. It’s the Lu family’s side, already somewhat revealing the intention of not wanting to form marriage ties. However, the situation still isn’t too stiff, still passable in terms of face.”
“How come there’s movements this soon? Really not considering Qin Wang’s face.” Ming Jinrou was just instinctively responding.
“Tsk.” Ming Jincheng angrily spoke, “Then how about we go back and mediate, having this marriage arrangement settled?”
“Alright, alright.” Seeing that Ming Jinrou was about to change face, Xun Che directly went forward, shooting a glare at Ming Jincheng, “Let’s go to your study first to discuss Xuan province’s matter.”
“Jinrou, hand me a new sheet of letter paper.” Yu Lingxin also went to pull Ming Jinrou, “Moreover, I still need to talk to you. If Ruiyang Junzhu and Yongfu Junzhu really were to come, we will need to be prepared.”
After pushing and pulling, Ming Jincheng shook his head and just directly left with Xun Che.
Ming Jinrou rolled her eyes at her own older brother, turning around and coiling around Yu Lingxin, “Cousin-in-law, it’s still you that’s better.”
Yu Lingxin smilingly tapped her forehead, “How much your older brother loves you, it’s not like you don’t know. Why retort him in front of us? He also needs face.”
“It’s not like you two are outsiders.” Ming Jinrou slanted her mouth, “Whenever I think about how my brother will marry the Wen family miss, I just feel angry inside.”
Yu Lingxin shook her head, gently speaking, “It’s not easy for your brother too. It’s not like this matter can be declined just because he wants to decline. He also has all kinds of misgivings.”
“What misgivings? Worried that our family size at present is too sparse, unable to compare with the past?” Ming Jinrou coldly snorted, “Else it’s just not wanting to offend the empress, not wanting to offend the Yiyang Marquis Manor, still feeling that our family needs to be maintained by marriage ties. Actually, what use is there? Does the empress not know what Wen Ruoqiong is like? That kind of young lady, she still has the face to send to our manor to be the future head madam, then the empress simply doesn’t have any sincerity towards our family. In my opinion, it’s better to just tear face with her, giving the central palace a blow.”
These words were truly blunt to the extreme. Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but have a whole new level of respect towards the seemingly optimistic and broad-minded Ming Jinrou.
No wonder in the last lifetime, after the Jin Duke Manor and Wen’an Marquis Manor met with mishap one after another, Ming Jinrou was able to enter the palace alone and secretly join hands with Xun Che, counter-killing Wei Wang. She truly was an extremely intelligent young lady. Not liking to handle miscellaneous matters on normal days, it’s truly just because she was too lazy to deal with the details, but on big matters, she very much had insight.
On the contrary, Ming Jincheng instead needed to be more reserved in conduct. After all, as the eldest son and di grandson, with his father also not bothering with most things, the responsibilities and risks resting on his shoulders were just different, so his thoughts and actions naturally will also have differences.
“These things, just let them go discuss. Even if rejecting the marriage, still need to consider the specific timing and method.” Yu Lingxin patted Ming Jinrou’s hand, suddenly softly laughing, “Speaking of marriage, if it doesn’t work out with the Lu family…….”
Ming Jinrou lowered her head, “Older sister, it’s still better to not talk about this.”
Yu Lingxin was slightly surprised. Listening to Ming Jinrou’s tone, she unexpectedly became gloomy all of a sudden. As such she also lowered her voice, softly asking, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” As Ming Jinrou lowered her eyes, her voice carried a faint bitterness, “His Highness’s marriage actually doesn’t have anything to do with me. Although he also recognize me, but……but the one he likes is probably still the Lu family young lady…….”
“How do you know?” Yu Lingxin was increasingly confused. Although in the last lifetime, Qin Wang indeed deeply respected his original wife, having the reputation of deeply loving his first wife, but that was also merely just the rumors on the outside. Based on Xun Che’s close relationship with Qin Wang, if Qin Wang really did have deep feelings towards Lu-shi, then in this lifetime, Xun Che probably will help facilitate this marriage, and not like this now, supporting Ming Jinrou’s feelings.
Ming Jinrou softly spoke, “I heard that recently, Jingning Palace sent things to Zhenguo General Manor twice. There seemingly were also some letters. For someone like his Highness Qin Wang, who is that focused on governmental affairs, sending things to the Lu family, isn’t that just thinking of their family’s daughter?”
Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but slightly laugh, “This really is ‘the one involved having narrow sights’. The things were sent out from Jingning Palace to Zhenguo General Manor. Then, how do you know it was definitely sent by his Highness on his own accord, and not pushed by the empress in an attempt to preserve the original marriage arrangements? In my eyes, if his Highness really has the intention, then he would instead secretly send letters through your older brother and them to that Miss Lu. At present, being this open about it, it’s merely just Jingning Palace trying to curry favor with the Zhenguo General Manor.”
“Really?” Ming Jinrou lifted her eyes to look at Yu Lingxin. In her big eyes, there was finally a bit of hope, but in the next moment, she still lowered her eyes again, “But, even if his Highness doesn’t like the Lu family young lady, it still doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with me. In the past, whenever I see him, I always feel he just treats me like a little sister………..”
Actually, Ming Jinrou was an entire six years younger than Qin Wang, and it’s also due to the fact that Great Sheng’s princes all married relatively late, she was thus able to be somewhat considered a candidate now. If to go back a few more years, when Qin Wang was just fourteen fifteen, Ming Jinrou was also merely just eight nine years old. Then, naturally he would have her treated as a little sister.
“In the past, when you met his Highness, how old were you? If he doesn’t have you treated as a little sister, then what? A niece?” Yu Lingxin helplessly laughed, “Even for yourself, didn’t you also just started having feelings this year? Could it be that you just started liking him when you were seven eight years old?”
“That……that isn’t likely.” Thinking it over, Ming Jinrou seemingly felt that it made sense, so also just started smiling.
Seeing her mood finally improve a little, Yu Lingxin was also relieved. After discussing a bit more about the poetry gathering, she just returned home alone.
This was also considered a rare moment where after encountering Xun Che, she was still able to peacefully return home alone.
However, just as she sat down in Lianyi Residence, before even taking a sip of tea, she just saw Su-shi’s first rank servant girl Caidie come over to invite her. She immediately just inwardly sighed, looks like the so-called peace was merely just that moment in the carriage.
Sure enough, as soon as she entered Su-shi’s courtyard, before even entering the main building, she just heard Su aunt-in-law cheerfully talking inside, “……………This kind of honor isn’t available often, so you should carefully think it over.”
Caidie went forward to announce and then lifted the curtains. Yu Lingxin entered and greeted. Su-shi and Madam Su, sure enough, were intimately chatting again, and Yu Yunxin was also sitting together with her cousin, Su Hanwei, currently discussing something. Yu Yunxin’s little face was somewhat red from excitement.
[1] Junzhu – Address/title for a daughter of a Wang.
T/N: In chapter 22, Yu Lingxin mentioned in the past life Xun Che promised to teach her how to paint once she mastered Zhao style and Liu style script, but in the end, he passed away before this promise could be fulfilled.
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Huh, I guess Su shi wasn’t super trying to hide that Caixia was her person. Like she used the same naming convention for them both.
Iirc it was mentioned that Caixia was directly given to mc by Su-shi, so she wasnt trying to hide it at all.