Of the thirty some to near forty female entertainers in the manor, more than half were willing to be sent out. The five people, aside from Jing Wan, dividing equally, each person would get three with some left over. Of course, this was Jing Wan’s ideal scenario. Jing Wan knew if these words really were said out loud, she would definitely pull in hate. According to their personal thoughts, they probably don’t want a single one.
However, the amount of people that wanted to leave still exceeded Jing Wan’s expectations. Was it that majority of beauties all have the desire to conquer men and climb onto a high position? Or was it that her level of credibility was too low? Alright, should be that for ninety-nine percent of main wives, their trustworthiness, in the hearts of vixens, were all very low. They have never believed that any main wife would really be so magnanimous as to accept them. Their beauty was just the original sin, and as women, the main wife would only envy and detest them, and would never admire nor like.
This kind of situation, Jing Wan roughly can guess. Afterwards, it was also just that. What, even expect her to sit down, hold their hands, and have a heart-to-heart talk? Heheh, that would really be a laughing matter then.
Although today, that good fourth sister-in-law was the ‘leading pioneer’, she also won’t have too much of an advantage either.
Thinking of it like this, Jing Wan felt, these zhoulis, she more or less all offended thoroughly, having that bit of worry.
Nearly twenty some varying beauties lined up in a row. Jin Qinwang Manor had money, and they were specifically just for people to look at, so in terms of clothes and makeup, they naturally weren’t being treated harshly. This while, having specially dressed up, they were further like flowers blossoming in the wind, extremely beautiful.
Certain people’s eyes hated that they can’t glue onto them, and the other few, hated that they can’t have them skinned alive. On the surface, they were composed and virtuous, even ‘full of smiles’, yet the hands in their sleeves was long tightly clenched, and the depths of their eyes were further like it was dipped in poison. In their hearts, perhaps it was just vixens, lowly sluts, and such phrases flying in all directions.
“As the saying goes, there’s order in seniority. Fourth sister-in-law, why don’t you pick first.” Ninth wangfei said with a smile. Quickly, have the prettiest ones all picked, and also, the more the better, don’t mind at all if there’s just some ‘crooked gourds and split jujubes’ left in the end.
“When it comes to order in seniority, shouldn’t it be this prince picking first?” Kang Qinwang appeared aloof, but those eyes weren’t that restrained, his tone even carrying a bit of impatience.
“This prince’s wangfei giving people to the sister-in-laws, what does that have to do with you? Wait until you marry a second wangfei then talk.”
Kang Qinwang’s face darkened. He simply didn’t consider this bit. In his eyes, what giving to the wangfeis, wasn’t it just giving to them as brothers? Their women were merely just an excuse. Yet now, this was getting unhesitantly slapped in the face by Li Hong Yuan.
“Although it’s said as such, Kang Qinwang will be marrying the second wangfei very soon, so this while, just have the people taken back first, and once eldest sister-in-law marries in, just have the people given to eldest sister-in-law then.” Since you’re this eager, then just take them away, take them all away.
Jing Wan, as if inadvertently, lifted her head to glance at the sky, dark blue and clean. It was this bright and beautiful, yet Jing Wan’s mood was a bit melancholic. Sigh, still haven’t become zhoulis, yet she’s already offended the Head Minister of Works family’s daughter.
Her own husband was one that had all the grudges in the entire world all pulled over, and she was about to follow his footsteps.
Jing Wan casted a glance at Li Hong Yuan, very much suspecting whether or not he was deliberately doing this, having her separated from the people outside. In that instant, she just happened to meet with Li Hong Yuan’s eyes, giving her a kind of ‘attentively watching you at all times, and whenever you turn back, can always see his gentle and infatuated gaze’ feeling. Jing Wan felt her cheeks were a bit hot. She seamlessly averted her gaze, and afterwards, her suspicions also got thrown beyond the clouds.
Kang Qinwang, having gotten his face slapped by Li Hong Yuan, actually very much wanted to firmly express that he ‘didn’t want’, but to no avail, among this group of beauties, there was one that he’d been eyeing for a very long time. This was precisely the so called ‘the more one was unable to eat, the more one craved’; perhaps after passing this village, there won’t be this shop. Thus, he suppressed his anger, and actually didn’t explode.
The one seldom time where he didn’t act on impulse, and didn’t act arrogant, it was because of a woman. If the Empress were to know, don’t know what expression she would make.
Empress, for her entire life, was competitive and ambitious, her ambitions overflowing. This son perhaps was just her greatest faulty stroke[1], although easy to control, but sometimes, still too stupid, always causing trouble, making others be caught unprepared. Truthfully speaking, Empress Sun felt, if Li Hong Ming was her son, then regardless whether it was the imperial court or the inner palace, where would there be any of Noble Consort Su’s business. That’s why, Kang Qinwang often times all made others very much want to have him returned to the furnace to reconstruct.
Afterwards, Kang Qinwang unhesitantly picked the person he wanted, and immediately following wanted to pick the second one……….
“Eldest brother, for all things, stop before going too far.” The brother next to him coldly reminded him.
Kang Qinwang finally, unwillingly and reluctantly, put away the thought of continuing to pick.
The person Kang Qinwang picked wasn’t necessarily the others’ type either. These beauties, each had their own merits, very hard to evaluate who’s number one or number two. That’s why, there won’t necessarily be situations where the brothers fight over one person appearing.
The few wangfeis shouldered the enormous pressure from their own husbands. Originally, they wanted to pick the least outstanding one, but having these vixens compared with the ones back home, seemingly even the least outstanding one was still slightly superior to them. As such, one might as well just pick in the ‘good’ direction, being virtuous and magnanimous for once, perhaps can even win some favor.
Jing Wan had their struggle all taken in. Truthfully speaking, towards this matter, it was probably just fifth wangfei that didn’t have any pressure. These entertainers, giving to her, probably really will just be purely given to her. And when there’s nothing to do, just use them to relieved the boredom. That’s why, the husband’s body not being well, in a certain sense, really wasn’t some bad thing.
Picking beauties for one’s own husband(夫君), in Jing Wan’s eyes, was actually like a bit like the wife(老婆) picking a mistress for one’s husband(老公). This kind of thing, no matter how one thought of it, it was all that unsettling. For the sake of winning one’s husband’s favor, even need to be magnanimous, picking the beautiful ones, picking the ones that will have the greatest threat towards oneself in the future. If they didn’t love their husband, it was still okay, but if they love, and moreover, loved deeply, it was practically just a kind of torture.
(T/N: The terms for husband and wife are different in ancient times and modern times. 夫君 is the archaic term for husband, while 老公 and 老婆 are the modern terms for husband and wife.)
As the mediator of this matter, Jing Wan felt she was very unkind.
Jing Wan glanced at Li Hong Yuan again, his expression indifferent, completely not having any feelings towards this matter.
Jing Wan sighed. Forget it, even she herself right now still resided in the gray area between light and dark. Where did she have the energy to sympathize others.
Pressing to pick one by one, in the end, they really were evenly divided. What happened to just wanting one?
Gong Wangfei was going to be hated to death, and Jing Wan also won’t be too far off.
“The last one, this prince will just take on the difficult task of………..”
“How about giving me the last one? On normal days, I seldomly go out, so really quite bored in the manor.” Fifth wangfei said with a smile.
“Naturally won’t fight with fifth sister-in-law, however…….” Kang Qinwang’s gaze turned towards Jing Wan, “Sixth sister-in-law is too stingy, having the best ones hidden away.” There was a saying called ‘when the heart is never content, it’s like a snake trying to swallow an elephant’. Kang Qinwang was precisely this kind of person. If possible, he even wanted to take the whole bundle, obtaining three, yet still thinking of those that didn’t come out.
“The best ones naturally need to leave for oneself. Getting surrounded by beauties, admiring the dance, listening to the songs, isn’t that a great pleasure?” Jing Wan said with a smile.
——–That’s why, even if she had people given away, she still didn’t dare to go to the extreme. The most alluring ones were still in her hands. Thinking of it like this, their hearts balanced out again, and when looking towards Jing Wan, their animosity also lessened a little.
Jing Wan didn’t know their thoughts, else she would’ve been between laughter and tears. This logic was also a bit outlandish.
What she said was the truth, yet how come they were able to twist it?
However, someone believed it, but also twisted it. Li Hong Yuan felt, as expected, should have taken care of all of them. Who cares whether they were willing to leave or not. Circling around his wife all day long, what was the meaning of this? Raising them for Wan Wan to relieve her boredom, as expected, was a wrong decision. With him here, how could Wan Wan possibly be bored?
Coming empty-handed, but returning with a ‘big present’, should one be happy or unhappy?
After seeing off these people, whose status was in to the upper levels of the pyramid, Jing Wan’s expression dulled a little.
“What’s wrong?” Li Hong Yuan reached out to embrace Jing Wan, “Tired? In the future, won’t let them visit anymore.”
Often times, towards this man, Jing Wan was truly helpless and speechless, “It’s not like I did anything, so how could I be tired.”
Jing Wan fixedly stared at him. As expected of a male superior feudalistic society, able to this unscrupulously squander women’s feelings, crushing their hearts. Are they really not scared of meeting with retribution one day? However, retribution and whatnot, it’s also quite laughable. Never mind them never feeling that they’re wrong, even if wrong, they still won’t care about some retribution.
“We’re husband and wife, what’s there that you can’t tell me?” Li Hong Yuan gently brushed against her cheek.
Jing Wan paused, “For better or worse, it’s still one’s legal wife, how could they not give any face like this? Never once even pretending, so hateful!” Hugging Li Hong Yuan’s neck, her fingers rubbed against the back of his neck. Opening her palm, she clutched the back of his neck, strangely producing a dark current, wanting to break this man’s neck.
[1] Referring to a faulty stroke of the brush in calligraphy or painting
T/N: Ahh Jing Wan’s yandere side is showing again lol
