Chapter 422: Chapter 150: Luo Mingzhu (Part 1)
Zhuang Ruolan received Madam Ping of the Marquis Jingning’s invitation and smiled, as it was the first ti Madam Ping had visited since she had married. Zhuang Ruolan had two close friends in the boudoir, but now the only one left to associate with was Madam Ping.
When Zhuang Ruolan saw Madam Ping, she was sowhat surprised; she hadn’t expected Madam Ping to bring along her young sister-in-law as well.
Madam Ping was helpless; she happened to run into her little sister-in-law as she was leaving the house. For so reason, the girl insisted on going out with her to “clear her mind.” Since her husband doted on his sister more than on his wife and daughter, Madam Ping found it difficult to refuse.
Cai Yi arrived at the Begonia Garden and said to the obsessively painting Yueyao, “Cousin Miss, guests have arrived at the mansion, and the young lady asks for your presence.”
There was no need for Yueyao to attend to the guests, but Zhuang Ruolan felt Yueyao needed more interaction with girls her age, so she had invited Yueyao over. In that regard, Zhuang Ruolan truly had Yueyao’s best interests at heart.
Yueyao was taken aback but didn’t think too much of it, “Wait for to change my clothes.” She wore casual ho attire in the courtyard, and while it was fine to wear such clothes among relatives inside the mansion, she needed to dress properly when eting guests.
On the way, Yueyao curiously asked, “Sister Cai Yi, who are the guests? Are they relatives from our family?” Yueyao couldn’t recall the Ma’s Mansion having many relatives. Those from their main family branch had moved back to their hotown, leaving no close kin in the Capital City.
Although Cai Yi couldn’t understand Yueyao’s obsession with painting, she was very pleased with Yueyao’s attitude. Without dwelling on the details, the workshop had already started up, and it wouldn’t be long before they could produce goods, which would earn a considerable amount. The money made would be the private asset of their young lady.
Cai Yi said with a smile, “It’s the Wife of the Heir of Marquis Jingning and the Third Miss of the Luo Family. The young lady said you and the Third Miss of the Luo Family are close in age and suggested you get to know each other.”
Yueyao, utterly astonished, asked, “Is it Luo Mingzhu, the Legitimate Eldest Daughter of the Luo Family?”
Cai Yi smiled, noting that even Miss Lian was not entirely ignorant of outside affairs; at least she knew that the Legitimate Eldest Daughter of the Luo Family was Luo Mingzhu.
Of course, Yueyao knew about Luo Mingzhu; she was the only Legitimate Daughter of the Marquis Jingning, one of the Four Great Marquis Houses, and her mother, Lady Bai of Marquis Jingning, was sisters with the present Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was a legend in her own right. The Bai Family was an ordinary official’s family, and the Empress Dowager entered the palace with a low rank. However, she eventually beca the Empress in the absence of issue and was honored as the Empress Dowager upon the current Emperor’s ascension. Although the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not biologically related, they shared a harmonious relationship. The Empress Dowager, having no children of her own, was very fond of her sister’s two children, naly the Princely Heir of Marquis Jingning and Luo Mingzhu, the Legitimate Daughter of the Luo Family.
In her previous life, Yueyao was quite familiar with Luo Mingzhu, not only because of her prestigious status but also because Luo Mingzhu was infatuated with Ning Lixuan, the Princely Heir from the Duke Ning’s Mansion. Unfortunately, Ning Lixuan favored Mu Qinglian, who, along with Luo Mingzhu, was known as one of the Beauties of the Capital.
Yueyao did not interact much with Luo Mingzhu, but when with Mu Qinglian, she often heard from the maids about Luo Mingzhu setting traps three or four tis to secretly harm Mu Qinglian. Because of this, Yueyao loathed the power-abusing Luo Mingzhu.
Luo Mingzhu’s reputation among the maidens was also poor; she was known to be overbearing, willful, and petulant. Despite her noble status, people kept their distance. Later, her infatuation with Ning Lixuan made her the object of widespread contempt, but Luo Mingzhu’s influential background made her untouchable. Ultimately, the Empress Dowager arranged her marriage, and Luo Mingzhu married into the Duke Mansion as Ning Lixuan’s wife, to the resentnt of many maidens in the Capital City. Mu Qinglian was among them, though she later married Tanhua, Mao Jianbai.
Seeing Yueyao deep in thought, Cai Yi smiled and reminded her, “Miss, be careful with the Third Miss of the Luo Family; she can be quite difficult.”
Yueyao smiled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll be careful.” She pondered deeply; with little support, she needed soone reliable to assist her. Luo Mingzhu could be an excellent candidate. Mu Qinglian’s words were not to be taken entirely at face value, and Luo Mingzhu might not be as she described.
Yueyao considered that even if Luo Mingzhu were still willful, she was just a twelve-year-old child; she couldn’t be too unreasonable, and as long as her behavior was within Yueyao’s tolerance, she wanted to make this friend.
Upon entering the room, Yueyao saw two strangers. In her previous life, she had never t the Wife of the Heir of Marquis Jingning, and she was sowhat surprised to see her now.
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