Quick Transmigration: Leisure

Chapter 384 The Runaway Princess is Forcibly Taken Away (33)

The Luo residence, flower hall.

It wasn't until Luo Jingshan and the old butler stopped wiping away their tears that Xia Youmi realized why the two were so emotional.

The moment they saw Xia Youmi, they exclaimed in amazement, "So alike, so incredibly alike!"

This astonishment contained a deep sense of regret, along with nostalgia and disbelief. Simply referring to Xia Youmi's resemblance to Luo Ling wouldn't have had such an effect.

Her other half is not like Xia Ji.

Then,

There are only a few people my maternal grandfather feels guilty towards, and perhaps more than one. My cousin and my maternal grandmother are among them.

Besides their blood ties, they also possessed undeniable talents, and both died young, thus creating a granddaughter.

This caused Luo Jingshan great sorrow.

He was ruthless his whole life, willing to give up anything for his family business, but in the end, he couldn't help but miss the little bits of warmth he had received. Sadly, by the time he realized this, none of them were still alive.

He can go crazy over his son, but afterwards he still has to back down in a sorry state.

Luo Jingshan couldn't take it anymore.

With the slightest hope, he wrote to the only surviving female relative among his blood relatives.

What if? It's been proven before: the successful people around me are all women.

What if my granddaughter can carve out light?

Thus, trepidation and hesitation. Only upon seeing a person did their emotions transform into a lament born of a glimmer of hope.

She looks so much like him, not only his mother Luo Ling, but also his wife Bing Jun, and even more so, she bears a resemblance to his granddaughter Luo Jing.

In addition, what delighted him most was his granddaughter's temperament.

Calm, bright, proud, and straightforward.

It was a paradoxical yet harmonious scene, punctuated by a rare display of respect and humility towards elders. Even as they wept and lamented, their breathing remained perfectly steady.

The butler first informed him that it seemed there was someone accompanying Miss Biao waiting to be summoned.

However, ignoring Luo Jingshan, she pulled Xia Youmi aside and cried bitterly, disregarding the others.

This young granddaughter showed not a trace of anxiety. Such character is truly that of someone destined for greatness.

He understood the other party's situation. Being allowed to travel to Jiangnan during the mourning period meant that, besides the higher-ups coveting the family property and attempting to control the Luo family through kinship, it also clearly demonstrated his granddaughter's abilities.

If it were an ordinary young lady from a wealthy family, she would definitely send someone to persuade her.

How could I possibly have the chance to come in person?

He made no attempt to conceal his imposing manner, appearing as confident of victory as his granddaughter, Luo Jing.

but,

Luo Jingshan didn't blindly believe it; he needed time to verify it.

Therefore, after things calmed down, the conversation among the group didn't get to the point at all.

......

"Master, Miss Cousin!"

"Ten people have entered the manor, and four of them have passed the test. They are awaiting the master's evaluation." The steward ran to the front yard to report the progress to Luo Jingshan.

If you are of the right age, have no family, and get your birth date and time in line, that's the first step.

The second step is for a fortune teller to calculate the birth charts at the door. Here, the charts must be screened by two different fortune tellers.

Once inside, the time for solving the problems began. The problems were set by Luo Jingshan, mainly arithmetic problems, with only one correct answer, and were submitted to the accountant for review.

Only the four who successfully completed the challenge were allowed to enter the inner circle.

"Is it settled in?"

"After dinner, they all said they were ready to be summoned at any time."

"Sigh." Luo Jingshan sighed, looking at Xia Youmi with expectant eyes.

“Grandfather, you can still meet him. Even if it's not about explaining to the people who came, it's a win-win situation to communicate with a promising young man,” Xia Youmi said gently.

She knew that Luo Jingshan had changed his mind because of her appearance, regretted it, and didn't want to continue the farce of the ghost marriage.

He wasn't without a proper solution; he simply wanted to take this opportunity to test Xia Youmi's handling of affairs.

We can't just chase them away; they've come all this way. If the news spreads so widely, wouldn't it make the Luo family's reputation a laughing stock?

It's perfectly fine to make an initial meeting; there's no need to decide on a son-in-law.

"Then, would you like to go with your grandfather to see those people?" Luo Jingshan asked with a smile.

"Me?" Xia Youmi smiled lightly. "Grandfather, just tell me! What other ideas do you have waiting for me?"

"Haha!" Luo Jingshan stroked his beard. "The family has a worthy successor! To have such a perceptive granddaughter is truly a source of great pride for this grandfather!"

Luo Jingshan asked the butler to sit down as well, as if he was about to launch into a long speech.

Xia Youmi saw through his ulterior motives and didn't have time to play games. She had already seen Chunyu Xi become a candidate through Nian Nian's observations, so going to see him was no problem.

However, this was not in her best interest. Luo Jingshan clearly had plans for her, so she had to seize the initiative.

"You flatter me."

"Leaving aside all that, does Youmi understand your grandfather's situation?"

"Know a thing or two."

After a brief exchange of more precise information and understanding of each other's thoughts, the grandfather and grandson got down to business.

"If you have rice, would you be willing to stay and help the old man?" Luo Jingshan choked up.

“Grandfather, I’ve read the notes my mother left behind. After a year of testing, I’ve decided on my future path. If you’re willing to help your granddaughter, let alone Zhongjiang City, we can conquer half of the Xi Dynasty in no time.” Xia Youmi earnestly painted a picture for the old man.

The other party also had a dream of leaving Jiangnan.

But just as things were starting to look up, they were seized. The businesses they had painstakingly developed were taken over by people arranged by the old emperor. Gradually, their ambition to expand outwards was extinguished. Now, a familiar ambition is rekindling in their granddaughter's eyes.

There's no reason for him not to agree!

"But, have you discussed this with your superiors?" Luo Jingshan only had doubts about Chunyu Huai's attitude. Which prince would allow the women in his harem to do business outside all year round?

They can't save face or save dignity.

"Don't worry about that. He needs help with the spot he's aiming for," Xia Youmi said in a low voice. "Isn't that more important than a princess? A simple cover-up will suffice."

Xia Youmi spoke lightly, even with a hint of self-deprecation. But if it were interpreted as exploiting their arrogance to achieve her goals, she wouldn't take the verbal insults to heart at all.

They don't even need to explain; their inherent logic leads them to think this way naturally.

By placing people on a moral high ground, they become blind to the undercurrents.

That's how she can take advantage of the imbalance in this world.

戌时 (7-9 PM)

A complete plan has been developed.

Taking advantage of the moonlight, Luo Jingshan still arranged for the butler to gather the four of them in the reception room for a chat, while Xia Youmi observed them from behind a screen.

The four were Chunyu Xi, Xie Huiye, the young man who set up a stall to write documents, and a noble young master.

They sat side by side at the lower end, waiting obediently for the test.

Chunyu Xi was a little depressed. He couldn't get any news about Xia Youmi, yet he had somehow gotten this far.

It would be terrible if I were selected.

Of the four, he was the most handsome, but he seemed restless and not very proactive.

Luo Jingshan frowned as he watched, but then he thought about his plans with his granddaughter.

And I feel,

Such people are easier to control.

He patiently inquired about the background, and Chunyu Xi could not refuse to answer, so he could only deal with it according to Xiao Qi's situation.

Mother passed away; father unknown.

He was adopted and raised as a servant, growing up alongside the young master.

He is highly trusted and has taken over part of the business, but has not yet achieved any results.

Despite his pitiful background, Luo Jingshan became more and more satisfied as he listened, and he couldn't help but nod and scrutinize him.

Chunyu Xi looked at him with trepidation, like a fish on a chopping board.