Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The flower appreciation banquet at the Princess’s mansion was approaching, and since Luo Qian had b Kueen notified earlier, she had been waiting at the Marquis’s mansion gate since early morning.

When Luo Yi’er led Linglong to the Marquis’s mansion gate, she saw Luo Qian standing there in a light green long gown, exuding a cold and elegant aura. The Marquis’s mansion had several daughters with good looks, with Luo Yi’er being the most beautiful. Now, Luo Qian’s temperament seemed to be naturally refined, which added to her charm.

Luo Yi’er wore a light blue long gown with a subtle misty hue today, reaching just above her ankles, and her embroidered shoes with beaded trim were visible as she walked. She had a gentle smile on her face, which added a touch of ethereal beauty.

“Eldest Sister, I’ve kept you waiting,” she said with a hint of apology as she approached. Luo Qian looked down coldly: “Third Sister, you’re being polite.”

The two barely exchanged greetings before getting into the carriage. Inside, they sat on opposite sides, Luo Yi’er sipping tea while Luo Qian looked down, lost in thought.

Luo Yi’er probably knew a thing or two. Her eyes flickered slightly as she recalled that the flower appreciation banquet at the Princess’s mansion was where Luo Qian first met Prince Wen.

Now that she had reborn, the first meeting with her past life’s “lover” would naturally stir up some emotions.

After a while, the carriage stopped. Linglong helped Luo Yi’er out of the carriage, and she paused, turning to Luo Qian with a smile: “I’ll be chatting with the Princess and others later, Eldest Sister, don’t worry about me. Just go find someone you know.”

Not everyone attending the banquet would receive a greeting from Princess Qingya, and only close acquaintances would be personally attended to by the Princess.
Luo Qian was naturally not among them.
Luo Qian lowered her head, her expression unreadable: “Third Sister can go ahead with her business. I’ll just wander around.”

Luo Yi’er glanced at the top of her head, subtly curving the corners of her mouth, and didn’t say anything more. She took Linglong’s hand and stepped out of the carriage.

The bright red gates of the Princess’s mansion were wide open, with guests arriving in a steady stream. There were many people familiar to Luo Yi’er among them, and they exchanged smiles as greetings. Naturally, maidservants came to lead them inside.

Princess Qingya was around the same age as Luo Yi’er and the others. Luo Yi’er had previously been a study companion to Princess Qingya, so they had a good relationship. Luo Yi’er knew that part of the reason Princess Qingya was so fond of her was because of her second brother, Luo Qiyan, the second son of the Marquis’s mansion.

Since Princess Qingya was favored by the Emperor Yuanfeng, her mansion was extremely luxurious. Some guests couldn’t help but glance around in admiration. Luo Yi’er, however, was used to visiting the mansion and didn’t feel particularly impressed. Following the maidservants, they walked past a rockery, crossed a small bridge, and circled around a lotus pond before seeing a pavilion where many people were gathered. There was even a stage set up on the side.

Luo Qian followed closely behind Luo Yi’er, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings. She felt her emotions surging as she recalled that it was here she first met the Prince Wen in her past life. She had learned he was a gentle and refined man, and she had quietly become more interested in him. It wasn’t until she fell into the water in the palace and he rescued her that she lost her heart to him, only to end up with the wrong person.

The maidservant announced loudly: “The Misses of the Marquis Qi’s mansion have arrived.”

There was a moment of silence in the pavilion, and then everyone turned to look over. Luo Yi’er walked over with perfect poise, standing out even among the crowd, her elegance and refinement unmatched. The current Emperor had once praised her, saying she was unparalleled in the world.

As soon as Princess Qingya saw her, her eyes lit up. She didn’t bother with formalities, stepping forward to grab Luo Yi’er’s hand, laughing brightly: “You’re finally here!”

As she spoke, her eyes involuntarily glanced behind Luo Yi’er, but she didn’t see the figure she was thinking of, and her eyes couldn’t hide her disappointment.

Luo Yi’er naturally knew who she was looking for. She smiled gently and lightly patted the princess’s hand, but said nothing. After all, if this got out, it wouldn’t be good for the princess’s reputation, so it was better to just understand without saying it out loud.

Her eyes sparkled, and she turned to reveal Luo Qian behind her, smiling and saying to Princess Qingya: “I’m late, Princess, don’t blame me. This is my elder sister. She was ill for a while, but she’s recovering now. I brought her out to relax.”

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone’s gaze, whether overt or subtle, fell on Luo Qian. Everyone knew that Madam Chu of the Marquis’s mansion had only given birth to two sons and one daughter, while the rest were children of concubines. Thinking of this, the crowd’s attention wandered, and they no longer focused on her. After all, she was the daughter of a concubine, and to them, there was a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Whether this distinction was just a matter of words or not, it remained to be seen.

However, this group did not include Princess Qingya. After Luo Yi’er mentioned that Luo Qian was the eldest daughter of the mansion, Princess Qingya’s gaze instantly cooled down. She was familiar with Luo Yi’er and knew that the reason the second young master of the mansion was weak was because of a maid who had climbed into his father’s bed years ago. That maid had given birth to a daughter because of that night, and that daughter was the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s mansion.

She immediately said in a lukewarm tone: “So you’re the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s mansion. I’ve heard of you.”

Luo Qian’s eyes darkened slightly. In her past life, at this point, she didn’t understand why the princess treated her so poorly and secretly felt sad about it for a long time. It wasn’t until later that she learned the reason, a reason that couldn’t be resolved. Now, she had long anticipated this and showed no arrogance or servility. She bowed: “Greetings, Princess Qingya.”

Although Princess Qingya was dissatisfied with her, she couldn’t pretend not to see her bow. After all, she was brought by Luo Yi’er, and slighting her would also be a slight to Luo Yi’er. She said coldly: “Miss Luo, you don’t need to be formal.”

She didn’t pay attention to Luo Qian anymore and directly pulled Luo Yi’er’s arm, leading her towards the pavilion. She complained in a low voice: “Why did you bring her here?”

Luo Yi’er pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, which were filled with emotion. She seemed troubled, and Qingya immediately felt a pang of heartache. She thought Luo Yi’er was too soft-hearted, and these illegitimate daughters didn’t deserve such gentle treatment from her. However, she couldn’t bear to scold her anymore, not just because she was the sister of the man Qingya had feelings for, but also because she was her close friend.

Qingya put on a smile again and said with a grin: “Come, I want you to meet someone!”

Luo Yi’er followed her into the pavilion. When she looked up, she paused slightly. In the center of the pavilion sat a man wearing a moon-white brocade robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He exuded a gentle and refined aura. Just one glance was enough to recognize him as the current Fifth Prince, Prince Wen, Fang Jinyu, who was at the peak of his popularity in the court. He was smiling warmly in their direction.

Luo Yi’er heard Qingya’s excited tone: “I didn’t expect the Fifth Prince to come today. He rarely attends such banquets.”

Luo Yi’er sighed inwardly. Although she had never explicitly told Qingya, after discovering she had transmigrated into a book, she had consciously distanced herself from Prince Fang Jinyu. However, her face showed no signs of this, and she smiled gently, bowing slightly: “Yi’er pays her respects to the Prince.”

In the original text, the Prince was deeply devoted to Luo Yi’er in both lifetimes. In the first lifetime, he let Luo Qian occupy the position of the Princess Consort without taking any concubines until he had the ability to protect Luo Yi’er from gossip. Although this was extremely unfair to Luo Qian, no one could deny the Prince’s deep love for Luo Yi’er.

In the second lifetime, after Luo Qian’s rebirth, she had caused the Prince a lot of trouble, taking advantage of her prior knowledge. Even though the Prince’s ascension to the throne in the first lifetime was necessary for the plot, it also showed that he was not someone to be underestimated. In the end, the reason he missed the throne was because of Luo Yi’er.

Luo Qian had manipulated Prince Fang Jinyu through Luo Yi’er, forcing him to give up the struggle for the throne. However, even so, Prince Fang Jinyu still protected Luo Yi’er perfectly until his unexpected death. After that, Luo Qian ruined Luo Yi’er’s reputation and life.

Originally, given Luo Yi’er’s personality, she wouldn’t give up such a good helper as Prince Fang Jinyu. However, Luo Yi’er lowered her eyes, knowing that Prince Fang Jinyu wasn’t someone she could manipulate. She had always been aware of her limitations, and besides, Prince Fang Jinyu’s personality was too stubborn.

Fang Jinyu’s eyes deepened slightly as he saw her being so distant. He felt it was reasonable but couldn’t help having his smile fade a bit. However, his face didn’t show it, and he shook his head with a helpless smile: “Yi’er, you don’t need to be so polite.”

When Luo Yi’er was a study companion to Qingya, she had become familiar with Fang Jinyu. But after the imperial decree, Luo Yi’er gradually distanced herself from him.
Others might not have noticed, but how could Prince Fang Jinyu not know?

Qingya couldn’t stand the awkwardness between them and pouted: “Why are you being so polite with each other?” Compared to Prince Fang Jinling, whom she rarely met, Qingya was naturally more familiar with Prince Fang Jinyu.

Luo Yi’er looked at her helplessly, but the atmosphere in the pavilion didn’t remain awkward for long. Qingya had many ideas, and soon the Princess’s mansion became lively. Luo Yi’er was seated not far from Prince Fang Jinyu.
The Ming dynasty didn’t enforce the segregation of men and women as strictly as previous dynasties, so it wasn’t uncommon for women to appear in public.

Qingya went to attend to other guests, and Prince Fang Jinyu smiled warmly at Luo Yi’er: “Try this mist tea. Qingya specifically asked the Emperor for it. Since you like tea so much, you should like this too.”

Everyone had their preferences, and Luo Yi’er’s likes were well-known to many acquaintances. She loved drinking tea, and it was said that the Marquis often sent the best tea leaves he obtained from the Emperor to his legitimate daughter’s courtyard before they were even opened. Although others didn’t know if this was true, it was clear that Luo Yi’er was indeed a tea lover.

Luo Yi’er’s eyes lit up when she heard his words, and she thanked him softly. She picked up the teacup and took a sip, her eyes curving with satisfaction, making it clear she was pleased with the tea. Prince Fang Jinyu looked at her warmly, and his eyes deepened as he saw her reaction.

Luo Yi’er put down the teacup, and although her eyes showed appreciation, she said regretfully: “This is good tea.” The mist tea was a tribute, and Luo Yi’er naturally couldn’t drink it often. Her tone of regret was understandable to others.

Prince Fang Jinyu smiled: “My mansion still has a few packets of this tea. If you like it, I’ll have someone send it to the Marquis’s mansion.”

Luo Yi’er smiled slightly and shook her head: “Your Highness is too kind. I was just saying that.” If she hadn’t been engaged, accepting the tea would have been fine, but now, she had to decline. She was very particular about her reputation.

Prince Fang Jinyu’s smile didn’t change, but his voice took on a hint of disappointment: “Yi’er, why be so polite? We’ve known each other for years. It’s just a few packets of tea. Why decline?”

Luo Yi’er pursed her lips and remained silent, her face showing signs of difficulty. Seeing this, Fang Jinyu paused, understanding her situation, and didn’t press the matter. He quickly changed the subject. When he saw her relax, Fang Jinyu’s smile still lingered, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion was pleasant, with a few familiar and well-matched people gathering together, unlikely to cause any unpleasantness.
However, outside the pavilion, the atmosphere wasn’t as harmonious.

Wherever there are people, there will be struggles. This phrase applies everywhere. Luo Yi’er had a great reputation, but there were also people in the capital who didn’t like her. Although they didn’t dare to express their dissatisfaction directly to Luo Yi’er, it was easy to make things difficult for the illegitimate daughter she brought.

Naturally, no one dared to go too far, after all, this was the Princess’s mansion, and Princess Qingya was known for her favoritism. However, Princess Qingya’s initial coldness towards Luo Qian had caught some people’s attention. Many people tend to follow the crowd and curry favor, and Princess Qingya’s status meant that many people would try to gain her favor. Those who didn’t have her favor would naturally not mind making things difficult for them.

Luo Qian didn’t feel very comfortable in the garden. Few people paid attention to her, although there were some illegitimate children among the guests, including some acquaintances. However, due to years of estrangement, she felt a bit awkward interacting with her old friends.

Moreover, her emotions were indeed a bit off today. This was the place where she first met him, and when she glanced towards the pavilion, she was struck like thunder. She stared blankly at the figure, her hands clenched tightly, and her body slightly trembling. Her eyes revealed a hint of hatred and unbearable pain. She recognized the person immediately – Prince Fang Jinyu, the Prince of Wen, her husband in her past life, whom she had once been grateful for but now filled her with hatred.

She watched him smile warmly and talk to the woman beside him, feeling a sense of mockery in her heart. His obvious preference for that woman was so clear, yet she hadn’t noticed it in her past life. She gazed at them for a long time, as if torturing herself, until she couldn’t bear the atmosphere anymore and turned to leave abruptly. Luo Qian’s face was pale, and her emotions were hard to discern.

In fact, this was just Luo Qian’s psychological effect. The Prince Wen, regardless of his thoughts, would never make things difficult for Luo Yi’er on the surface. He wouldn’t show obvious favoritism towards Luo Yi’er.

Prince Wen, Fang Jinyu, felt a strong gaze on his back. He subtly furrowed his brows and turned to look towards the outside of the pavilion. However, he only managed to catch a glimpse of a green-clothed woman turning to leave. The piercing gaze disappeared at the same time. He narrowed his eyes and took another look at the woman’s back, but then he heard Luo Yi’er’s hesitant voice: “Why is Your Highness looking at my sister like that?”

Prince Fang Jinyu immediately snapped back to attention, smiling as usual, but with a hint of puzzlement: “Who was that woman just now? Was she the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s mansion?”

Luo Yi’er didn’t understand why he was suddenly interested in her sister, but she nodded truthfully: “Yes, that’s my sister.”

Fang Jinyu nodded to show he understood, but didn’t continue the topic. Although he was curious about why the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s mansion had looked at him like that, he would have his subordinates investigate later. He had taken the time to attend this flower appreciation banquet, not to discuss other women with the person beside him.

No one noticed that after Luo Yi’er glanced in the direction Luo Qian had left, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Since the Princess’s mansion was hosting a banquet, aside from some important areas, guests could go wherever they pleased. Luo Qian wandered around with Biyu, seemingly aimless, but unknowingly walked to the place where she had fallen into the water in her past life.

Biyu followed closely behind Luo Qian, noticing that she seemed familiar with the Princess’s mansion, which raised some doubts in her mind. If Biyu wasn’t mistaken, this should be the young lady’s first time visiting the Princess’s mansion.

Luo Qian stood on the curved bridge, looking down at the water, her emotions unreadable. In her past life, if she hadn’t fallen into the water that time, she definitely wouldn’t have married into the King of Wen’s mansion. After all, her status was too low. Everyone thought she was incredibly lucky to have married into the mansion.

As an illegitimate daughter, her reputation was tarnished after falling into the water and being held in a man’s arms. Even being given a concubine’s position would have been possible, let alone being a side concubine. Otherwise, she would have been destined for a lowly marriage or being sent to the family temple.Even she herself felt that she was favored by heaven, but in the end, her dream shattered, and she fell from the heights.
Why was it him?
Why did he give her hope and then cruelly take it away?

Luo Qian’s pale hand rested on the white jade column of the curved bridge, and due to the force, the blue veins on the back of her hand were faintly visible, and her fingertips were pale. Her eyes revealed a trace of hatred. Prince Fang Jinyu and Luo Yi’er, not everyone was a pawn to be manipulated by you. One day, you will pay the price for what you have done.

The Princess’s mansion wasn’t only Luo Qian who had left her seat. A group of people walked over from the bamboo forest not far away. The two people in front were dressed in elaborate attire, arm in arm, laughing and chatting as they walked over, followed by several maids. The two women were laughing and talking, and soon they would walk past the curved bridge.

One of them, a woman in red, raised her head slightly, and although she was chatting with the woman beside her, her eyes showed a hint of arrogance, and she exuded an aura of nobility.

Luo Qian and her maid hadn’t noticed the newcomers yet. Biyu looked at Luo Qian’s silent figure with concern: “Miss, what’s wrong with you?” She had been acting strange since they left the Marquis’s mansion.

Luo Qian’s eyelashes fluttered, and she finally came back to her senses. She waved her hand: “I’m fine.”

At this moment, she finally heard the sound and looked up towards the bamboo forest. When she saw the woman in red, she was stunned for a moment, and then her brows furrowed. She recognized the woman and was very familiar with her.

When the current emperor ascended the throne, there were only three princes left in the court, and they were all granted the title of prince later. This woman in red was the legitimate daughter of Prince De, County Lord Anru.

Luo Qian’s eyes flashed, and she knew Anru well, not because of her status. When the news of her becoming the Princess Consort of Prince Wen spread, many noble daughters didn’t like her. However, many of them held themselves back due to their status and didn’t do anything to her. Even Luo Yi’er didn’t show any difference. But Anru was different.

It was well-known throughout the city that County Lord Anru, admired Prince Fang Jinyu, Prince of Wen. In her past life, Luo Qian had been embarrassed several times due to Anru’s difficulties, and Luo Yi’er had always stood up for her. Because of this, Luo Qian had been grateful to Luo Yi’er. However, in this life, she knew that Luo Yi’er had only helped her because of her identity as a member of the Luo family.

While Luo Qian was lost in thought, Anru and her group had already walked over. From a distance, Anru saw someone standing on the curved bridge and assumed she was a noble daughter from a certain family due to her outstanding aura. She wanted to go over and greet her.

When she caught sight of Luo Qian, she didn’t recognize her and asked with some surprise: “Which family’s daughter is this? This County Lord has never seen you before.”

Luo Qian came back to her senses, looked up at Anru, and saw that she was still as arrogant and self-assured as in her past life. Luo Qian quickly composed herself and bowed her head: “Greetings County Lord. My father is the Marquis of Qi.”

There was a moment of silence on the curved bridge. A woman in pink, who was supporting Anru, looked her up and down after hearing her answer. Anru seemed surprised and asked: “You’re the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Qi’s mansion?”

Luo Qian’s eyes darkened slightly. She knew that these noble daughters looked down on illegitimate children. She still kept her head bowed: “Your servant is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Qi’s mansion.”

The woman in pink immediately lost interest and muttered under her breath: “What’s going on? Why did Luo Yi’er bring her here today?”
She was close to Anru and had a high status herself, being the legitimate daughter of Anru’s mother’s brother, making her Anru’s cousin. She knew Luo Yi’er casually and had never seen this illegitimate eldest daughter before.

After all, the scandals of the Marquis’s mansion weren’t secrets. County Lord Anru’s attitude also turned cold. She had been raised to be noble since childhood, and among the entire court, only Princess Qingya and the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Qi’s mansion could compare to her. Therefore, she had developed an extremely arrogant personality.
She casually glanced at Luo Qian: “You’re quite clever, knowing this County Lord’s identity.”

Luo Qian lowered her head, and her bangs fell, covering her eyes. She replied calmly: “The woman who can call herself County Lord and has such beauty, apart from Anru, there is no one else.”

Anru slightly furrowed her brows. Although Luo Qian praised her beauty, she didn’t feel happy about it. She didn’t know why she disliked a woman she had never met before and could only attribute it to the fact that Luo Qian was Luo Yi’er’s sister – they were equally annoying.

Thinking of Luo Yi’er, she didn’t want to look at Luo Qian anymore. She placed one hand on the railing of the curved bridge and ignored Luo Qian and the woman in pink, who were chatting idly. A servant carefully held a blue silk umbrella above Anru’s head.
Suddenly, the two women started talking about Luo Yi’er. The woman in pink smiled and glanced at Luo Qian, implying: “Even if they come from the same mansion, the gap is huge.”

Anru turned her head to look at Luo Qian and commented with some pride: “Indeed, she can’t compare.”

Although she didn’t like Luo Yi’er, she looked down on people outside her circle even more. Moreover, Luo Yi’er was on the same level as her. If an illegitimate daughter could compare to Luo Yi’er, wouldn’t that mean she, Anru, was inferior to an illegitimate daughter?

The two women chatted carelessly, and Luo Qian stood aside, her head bowed, so others couldn’t see her expression. Even if they could see it, they wouldn’t care.

Biyu supported Luo Qian, feeling angry and indignant. She thought to herself: If the third young lady were standing here today, probably no one would dare to mock her like this. It wasn’t noticeable in the mansion, but today, she realized the huge gap between legitimate and illegitimate children.

Luo Qian caught a glimpse of Biyu’s dissatisfaction in her eyes, and her heart warmed up. Although she thought these words were insignificant, she was still annoyed after hearing them for a long time. She gently patted Biyu’s hand, and Biyu instantly felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. Then, she saw her miss suddenly raise her head and look at County Lord Anru.

Anru and her companions stopped talking and looked at Luo Qian with interest. Luo Qian asked with a puzzled expression: “Why is County Lord Anru still here?”

Anru was taken aback and furrowed her brows: “Impudent! When did it become your business to ask about my whereabouts?”

Luo Qian smiled humbly and looked timid: “I didn’t mean it like that, I just…”

The woman in pink raised her eyebrows: “Just what?”

Luo Qian glanced at AnRlru and then lowered her head, speaking softly: “I just saw the Prince of Wen.”

As soon as she said that, the woman in pink was stunned. She looked at Luo Qian meaningfully and then turned to County Lord Anru. Sure enough, Anru’s eyes lit up, and she quickly asked Luo Qian: “Where is Prince Wen?”

“In the pavilion in the back garden.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Anru turned around and left. The woman in pink hurriedly followed her, but glanced back at Luo Qian with interest. Luo Qian lowered her eyes, seemingly unaware of anything.

After a while, the curved bridge returned to silence. Luo Qian glanced at Biyu calmly and said: “Alright, let’s go back.”

There were many nobles in the Princess’s mansion, and if they met someone with a bad temper, it wouldn’t be as easy to deal with as County Lord Anru.