Chapter 1
Dayong Dynasty Kyoto
A homely ethical debate was taking place in the main hall of Yanshou Hall in the backyard of Luo's mansion.
Old Madam Luo had a headache watching her two sons arguing back and forth. There is also the second son who just sits there, indifferent and nonchalant.
"Brother, I know it's not easy for you to manage the family business over the years. You and sister-in-law are filial to mother. If there is anything else, I will definitely help if I can. But I will never agree to let Ayan marry into the Huo family and become that brat's stepmother!" said Luo Lao San.
Hearing this, Boss Luo frowned and said, "Third brother, let's not talk about the family first. Now Ah Yan was rescued from the lotus pond by Lord Huo in public. Everyone saw it. If she doesn't marry into the Huo family, who else can she marry?"
Zhao echoed her husband's words: "Yes, Third Brother! We are also Ah Yan's relatives. If we have a choice, why should we rush to be the bad guys?"
Seeing that the third brother didn't say anything, she gently comforted him, "Third brother, you just came back from Jeju, so you may not know much about the wealthy families in Kyoto. This Huo Jin is the next head of the Huo family and a close minister to the emperor. Although Ayan is marrying him as a successor, she is no worse than other wealthy ladies."
Luo Lao Er also nodded and said: "Lao San, there are countless people who want to marry into the Huo family. It is a blessing for Yan to marry into the Huo family. You..."
He wanted to ask the third son to be grateful, but his wife Cao pulled his sleeve, signaling him not to say anything more about the matter. Anyway, their second branch has no daughter, so the outcome won’t matter to them. What's more, Cao knew that in her mother-in-law's eyes and heart, the most important person was her third brother. It may not be easy for the first wife to marry into the Huo family.
"If other families want to marry someone of higher status, that's their choice. As a father, I, Luo Guanqing, will never sell my daughter for fame and fortune." Luo Laosan looked determined.
"At worst, I beg His Majesty to let me be sent out again. Then our family of three can leave Kyoto, this place of trouble. I don't believe that there are so many young talents in the Dayong Dynasty that we can't find a better match than Huo Jin."
“Pah!”
Old Madam Luo was so angry that she picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it at Old Third Luo's feet.
"You useless thing! Do you think you are a prince or a grandson of the emperor? The emperor will let you do whatever you want." As she said this, she glared at her third daughter-in-law Yin, who had been looking down.
She had originally disagreed when her youngest son wanted to marry the merchant's daughter. However, her youngest son was spoiled by her since he was young. He had a bad temper and refused to be disciplined. He became a playboy who was hated by everyone.
Who could have thought that a person with such a personality would give up all his bad qualities for the sake of Yin. For his future future, he promised to let her marry Yin as long as he could pass the imperial examination.
He lived up to her expectations, passed the imperial examination, and even got second place. The emperor even wanted to arrange a marriage for him. But this ungrateful bastard refused on the spot and said that he had already fallen in love with Yin and would not marry anyone else. Fortunately, the emperor was kind and did not blame him. Instead, he praised him for his kindness and righteousness.
She couldn't stand his stubborn temper and could only let him do what he wanted. Thinking about it now, she just felt that she shouldn't have been soft-hearted at that time.
Not long after Yin entered the family, she became pregnant and almost had a dystocia. After giving birth to her granddaughter Luo Chaoyan, she has not been pregnant since. She tried to arrange concubines in his room several times but he sent them away. And got mad at her. When his granddaughter was two years old, this bastard reported to the emperor and had him exiled to Jeju. It has been more than ten years since he left.
It was only a while ago that he returned home after his term of service abroad ended. Now the chair at home hasn't even become comfortable yet and he wants to leave. How can she not be annoyed and resentful? This is her most beloved youngest son.
Luo Laosan knew that his mother loved him the most since he was a child, even more than his two older brothers. He knelt down before her with tears in his eyes.
"mother!"
"You are my biological mother. It's not easy for you to raise three of us brothers. You have worked so hard. What's more, you want Yan to be someone else's stepmother? Mother, I only have this one daughter. Can you really bear it?"
Luo Laosan's call of "mother" moved old lady Luo a little. Among the three sons, the eldest is steady and the second is a fool. She doted on the third child not only because he was smart, but also because he liked to call her "mother" and act coquettishly towards her. In Mrs. Luo's view, calling her "mother" seemed closer than calling her mother.
"You know that being a mother is not easy, but you still make me angry."
"You bastard!"
Madam Luo couldn't help but hit him hard as she spoke. Venting out her dissatisfaction with him not returning home all these years. After a few hits, she breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little relieved. This brat knows after all that being a mother is not easy.
When Boss Luo saw that his mother's expression seemed to relax, he thought to himself that something was wrong. He almost forgot that his third brother has always been a scoundrel. As long as he can achieve his desired goal, he will use any tricks, no matter how thick-skinned he is. He raised his eyes and glanced at his wife.
As a couple who have been together for many years, they naturally have a tacit understanding of each other. Zhao took out a handkerchief from her arms and covered her cheeks. After a while, everyone could see that her eyes were filled with tears.
“Wuwu…”
"Third brother, you are flexible and can just walk away like nothing happened, but what about our eldest wife's children? Chao Ning and Chen Qing are not married yet. If their marriage becomes difficult because of A Yan's incident, as their third uncle, can you bear it? They are your nephews and nieces too... wuwu..."
Luo Laoda said, "Mother, Chen Qing is the eldest grandson of the Luo family. The future of the Luo family depends on him. If he can't find a good wife to help him get married, what will happen to our Luo family in the future? Will we still have a place to stand in this wealthy capital?"
When Yin heard this, her heart skipped a beat. To kill a snake, you have to hit it at its most vulnerable part. Her uncle has been in officialdom for many years, so he knows how to handle things just right. Although the old lady loves her husband, no matter how much she loves him, it cannot outweigh the family's reputation and interests.
Sure enough, not only did Old Lady Luo's expression change, even the second wife and her husband, who had nothing to do with the matter, could no longer sit still and began to look worried.
Luo Lao San naturally thought of this as well. He laughed angrily and said, "Chen Qing is a man. If he wants to protect his family and build a career, he should fight for it with his own ability. Wealth and glory gained through marriage will only make people laugh at him."
"Brother and sister-in-law, if you want to marry into the Huo family, you should let Chao Ning marry into the family. Anyway, my A-Yan will never be anyone's mistress."
Boss Luo pointed at him with trembling hands.
"you……"
If Chao Ning from his family could marry him, would he still have to stay on the cold bench of this stubborn donkey?
"Mother, father passed away early. As the eldest son, I worked hard to run the Luo family over the years, and finally made the Luo family gain a foothold in Kyoto. However, in the eyes of my third brother, all my efforts were just the behavior of a despicable person trying to curry favor with the powerful..." Boss Luo's face was filled with grief and indignation.
Old Madam Luo glared at her youngest son fiercely, "What nonsense are you talking about! An eldest brother is like a father, do you still have respect for elders? During all those years when you were a bastard, have you ever done anything for this family?" As she spoke, she glanced at the second son indifferently.
Luo Laoer shrank his neck, trying to reduce his presence as much as possible. There is no way, in the Luo family, he is the most useless. The elder brother Luo Guanmian is now a fifth-rank Zhongshu Sheren, and the third brother Luo Guanqing is a fifth-rank Yuanwailang, but he has no official title so far. If he hadn't married the concubine of Duke Cao, who knows how much he would have been despised by his mother.
When Cao saw Zhao's indifferent look, she knew that their second branch could not stay out of today's matter. Otherwise, given the eldest sister-in-law's temper, the second branch might not have a good life in the future.
She thought carefully and said to Yin: "Sister-in-law, my third brother is stubborn. Please try to persuade him! Look, he has made our old lady angry."
Yin was a little panicked when her name was suddenly called. She said timidly, "Second sister-in-law, you are embarrassing me. My husband is well-informed and naturally knows what choice is good for Yan. My mother has also been through a lot, so of course she knows what is good. I will just listen to my husband and mother."
Zhao and Cao looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the same time. After being sisters-in-law for so many years, how could they not know each other's personalities? Although the Yin family is a merchant family, they are people who stick to their word. Who is she pretending to be weak for now? She is as slippery and ruthless as the third brother, making it difficult for people to point out her mistakes.
Boss Luo ignored the taunts between the sisters-in-law and said sincerely, "Third brother, third sister-in-law, this is really a good match. Huo Jin is a man of high ambition and both literary and martial talents. The emperor thinks highly of him. Moreover, he is calm and self-sustaining. He will not flirt with other women and make Ah Yan sad."
"Brother, I have met Huo Jin. He is indeed a handsome man."
Luo Lao San said, "But I can't praise this man's personality. He looks cold and icy. He is more majestic than an elder like me. How can he be a considerate husband?"
Old Madam Luo looked at her youngest son coldly.
"According to you, what kind of son-in-law should Yan find?"
Luo Laosan stood up, straightened his back, and said proudly: "My Ah Yan said that she doesn't ask for wealth and status, but a warm man is enough."
Warm man? Everyone was puzzled.
Luo Laosan cleared his throat and said, "He is just someone who knows how to be cold and hot."
"That's right!" He paused and said, "You can't be a mama's boy... that is, you can't be the kind of scum who is foolishly filial and turns a blind eye to the torture of his mother-in-law."
After hearing what he said, Zhao and Cao looked at the old lady. They saw that her face was dark and she must be very angry.
Yin felt a little embarrassed, haha... The old lady never liked her and would ask her to take care of her from time to time, but she would not go too far for the sake of her husband. He seemed very angry and probably thought it was her who instigated it. She is really more wronged than Dou E!
But she agreed with her daughter's opinion. Although I don't know where that girl got these nonsense words from.
"In my opinion, I should find a live-in son-in-law for my daughter Ayan under my nose. If he treats my daughter Ayan badly, I should divorce him." Luo Lao San said.
"Third brother!"
The eldest and second sons stared at the shameless third son in astonishment, thinking that the third son was completely insane.
“Pah!”
Old Mrs. Luo was so angry that she gasped and slammed the table heavily.
"You are either crazy or you are deliberately trying to piss me off. Why don't you let her marry the Jade Emperor?"
She raised her hand and pointed outside the door: "Go, you two should kneel in the ancestral hall now. Don't even think about getting up until you've knelt for two full hours!"
"mother!"
"Why, do you want me, an old woman, to take you there?"
After hearing this, Luo Laosan and his wife said nothing more. The two walked out hand in hand.
"Mother, please don't get yourself sick from being angry. My third brother is just in a bad mood at the moment." Zhao stepped forward and patted her back.
Cao also said, "Third brother only has one daughter, Ayan, so he is indeed more cautious."
Boss Luo hesitated and asked, "Mother, what about this marriage?"
"You know the stubborn temper of the third brother. If he disagrees, who can suppress him?"
"But... Mother!"
Madam Luo waved her hand and raised her hand to pinch her eyebrows.
"Let me think about this for a while. I'm tired, you all go down."
The two couples looked at each other, then walked away helplessly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
