Transmigrating into the Female Supporting Character with a Good Life in a Laid-Back Novel

It had to be said that Earl Chengyi was quite pleased with the fact that Wen gongzi was placing his daughter in such high regard. And with the attitudes of the higher-ranking officials and his colleagues being more cordial than it was a few days prior, Earl Chengyi’s entire person was high-spirited and vigorous.

Perhaps not long after, he could get rid of the two-worded prefix “stand-in” from his government post of Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Public Works.

Earl Chengyi could not restrain himself from having beautiful dreams.

Among his four daughters who were akin to flowers and jade, his most beautiful fourth daughter had the best marriage, which meant that she proved to be the greatest assistance to Earl Chengyi. In the reign of Shengde, the inherited title of an Earl was merely a conferred title with a government pay, and there was no grant of territory by the Emperor.

When it was placed inside the expansive capital, it could not compare with an official with real power, and wanting to find a patron with a deeply-seated background was not easy.

Who told the Ruan Family to lack in outstanding juniors in the past few generations, such that they only managed to hold onto the family property of the Earl Residence.

Earl Chengyi was a man with ambitions and lofty ideals. He was avid in his engagements as he admitted concubines with flower-like beauty, had them give birth to daughters with equal charms, and then racked his brains on how he could utilise marriage alliances to his benefit which eventually led to him using his legitimate daughter to claim connections to the higher status Marquis Huaiyang Residence.

His luck was quite decent: he managed to climb to the government position of Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Public Works. However, because his official position was only a stand-in, his seat was not stable, and there were rumours that a certain prince wanted to assign his trusted subordinate to that position.

Earl Chengyi almost suffered from excessive internal heat caused by his anxiety when he heard that.

Hence, Early Chengyi was extremely satisfied with Zhang shi’s initiative this time around.

“Zhang shi did well!”

Although he did make any contact with a certain prince, he managed to align himself with the Wen Family’s direct line of descent.

His fourth daughter had good luck.

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As evening approached, Earl Chengyi went to Limpid Heart Garden immediately after he returned back to the residence from the government office.  

“Si niang, I heard from da lang that you conversed with Wen gongzi alone, does Wen gongzi treat you well?”

大郎 (pinyin: da lang) – what Ruan Yu Wen is commonly referred as by his family. It translates to ‘oldest son’ in this instance.

Ruan Xi glanced at her Earl Father’s happy countenance, inwardly speechless. The Earl was truly pragmatic.

She pretended to be bashful as she nodded her head. “Wen gongzi’s attitude was very gentle, and he even said that he was sending this daughter a training Mama.”

Ruan Xi had revealed this matter to the Earl on purpose to increase her own bargaining chips.

The greater her value was to Wen gongzi, the number of eyes placed on her person would also proportionally increase, and her legitimate mother would become less daring when it came to taking reckless actions.

There were times where feelings and affections were bound to deteriorate; only profits and connections were the most reliable.

Based on the original owner’s memories, Ruan Xi knew that her Earl Father was a person who placed profit above all else. Among the four Ruan sisters, the original owner had the best countenance and her appearance was the best. Therefore, even without a biological mother, she still had her Earl Father’s attention and the Lao Taitai watching. As long as she did not hinder her legitimate mother’s interests, the original owner’s days were not difficult to live.

Now that an unexpected incident had occurred, she was afraid that her legitimate mother could not tolerate her any longer, which was why Ruan Xi was planning to borrow Wen gongzi’s influence.

There were also concubines within the residence that were trying to draw her over with hints, and the most favoured Lin yiniang even used a precious hundred-year ginseng to be on friendly terms with her, thereby throwing out an olive branch.

Ruan Xi was not stupid; she was only as well-regarded as she was right now because she had climbed up to Wen gongzi. It was merely a fictitious grandeur, which was why she did not intend on forming an alliance with Lin yiniang to combat against her legitimate mother.

While Lin yiniang looked like she was evenly matched in strength against her legitimate mother with the favour she possessed and a son at her knees, her legitimate mother Zhang shi already had a grown-up and decent son who was in the midst of his studies, and a daughter who had Lao Taitai’s love, which meant that her position was stable.

Furthermore, from what Ruan Xi understood of her Earl Father from the original owner’s memories, her Earl Father was not muddled per se. Rather, he should be— a political climber.

As long as her legitimate mother steered clear of his bottom line and did not damage the Earl Residence’s interest, she would remain the official wife of Earl Chengyi.

Therefore, if she wanted to ameliorate her unfavourable situation, she could only work from the angle of Wen gongzi and her Earl Father.

As for the Lao Taitai…

After some careful consideration, Ruan Xi had decided to give up on that notion. Snatching the place that Ruan san niang had in the Lao Taitai’s heart and hugging the Lao Taitai’s thighs was not necessarily a good thing.

 

Earl Chengyi was very pleased and his emotions went on an upsurge, but he suppressed the excitement in his heart soon after. And as Ruan Xi had anticipated, he started attaching more importance to his daughter si niang.

“Good, good, Wen gongzi’s considerations are attentive and thoughtful. The Wen Family is a wealthy and influential family with strict established standards, and with the guidance of a training Mama from the Wen Family, Father can also set his mind at ease.

“Si niang, you have to learn well, do not throw the Earl Residence’s name!”

Earl Chengyi stroked the wisp of his short beard happily as he carefully instructed her.

Ruan Xi nodded her head respectfully. “Yes, Father.”

As Earl Chengyi looked at his obedient fourth daughter, his brows smoothed out due to the absolute satisfaction he felt.

“You are already fourteen now, I ought to have a conversation with your Mother about allowing you to study the matters concerning household arrangements.

“Mn, I also have to find you a Mama from the palace as well… She can help you when you enter the Wen Family.”

Those were the words that Earl Chengyi uttered as he paced around. Apart from the beauty she possessed, his fourth daughter was mediocre in every other aspect. That would not do; he had to invite a female teacher to instruct her.

Ruan Xi’s lips curled. She was afraid that her legitimate mother would be throwing up her blood in anger once she heard of her Earl Father’s plans.

She did not detest her Earl Father’s arrangement at all. Only people of value would obtain the family’s careful fostering, she could seize this opportunity to learn more things.

Apart from her legitimate mother, she had a decent impression of the Earl Chengyi Residence.

“Also, you are the fiancé of Wen gongzi now. Interact with Wen gongzi more through letters or make arrangements to go out of the residence with him to sight-see. If you are lacking in money, draw it from the accountant directly.”

Earl Chengyi was especially willing to set down the capital when it came to this.

Ruan Xi pursed her lips in response. Her Earl Father was truly open-minded, he was preparing to let her attack and seize Wen gongzi.

He was thinking too highly of her.

She lowered her eyes: “Everything is up to Father’s arrangements.”

Wasn’t it just letter writing? She could do it. And if Wen gongzi invited her to go out, she would not reject it either, since chances to leave the residence were hard to come by, and she could go out and look around.

Earl Chengyi could not be more satisfied with Ruan Xi’s obedience. Then, he remembered how his legitimate daughter’s courtyard had numerous servants which made it extremely lively, whereas si niang’s courtyard was overly quiet. Hence, Earl Chengyi waved a big hand again.

“Si niang, I just noticed that your courtyard is a little quiet, Father will ask your legitimate mother to send some people over, en, a few more bodyguards need to be added as well.”

Ruan Xi: “……”

No, she did not find it quiet at all. Furthermore, with more people, there would be more eyes, which meant that it was more likely for her to meet with mishaps.

“Father, this does not conform to the customs.”

Earl Chengyi frowned. “The master of this Earl Residence is your Father, Father has the final say on what the customs are.”

Ruan Xi: “……” Yes, she wanted to gain her Earl Father’s partiality, but this partiality was clearly beyond her expectations.

When her legitimate mother eventually caught news of this, let alone throwing up her blood in anger, she would be fervently wishing that she could get rid of her as soon as possible.

Ruan san niang would probably start feeling revolted in her heart as well.

When Earl Chengyi saw his fourth daughter frowning as if she was worrying about something, his following expression conveyed that he wished that the iron could turn straight into steel. “Si niang, you are the future wife of Wen gongzi. If you peer ahead and look back like this, as timid as a mouse, how are you going to be the matriarch of the Wen Family in the future?”

恨铁不成钢 (pinyin: hen tie bu cheng gang) –to feel resentful towards somebody for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement.
瞻前顾后 (pinyin: zhan qian gu hou) –  it means ‘to think over carefully’ or ‘be overcautious and indecisive’.

Ruan Xi, who was being called as timid as a mouse: “……” Earl Father, you are thinking too far ahead.

“Father, please listen to yõur daughter explain, yõur daughter is an illegitimate one, if her treatment is better than san jie, a legitimate daughter, it is unknown how outsiders will perceive yõur daughter.

“Perhaps they will say that this daughter has become uncouth after gaining the upper hand for a day, and if the Wen Family hears about it, they might break off the engagement and this daughter will become a laughingstock by then.”

Ruan Xi tried her best to speak reason to Earl Chengyi, making sure to emphasise on the possibility of the Wen Family breaking off the marriage.

After Earl Chengyi heard his fourth daughter’s explanation, his heart chilled. There was a possibility of this situation occurring.

“You speak reasonably, but if someone knows your current situation, the outsiders will only say that the Earl Residence is treating you harshly.”

Upon seeing that her Earl Father had the intention to soften his stance, Ruan Xi quickly struck the iron while it was hot and worked to dispel the idea of sending more servants to her.

“Father, if yõu search for a Mama from the imperial palace for this daughter, and increase the bodyguards in her courtyard, the outsiders will not say that yõu are treating this daughter harshly.

“It is merely a few servants less. Having less servants is not necessarily insufficient.”

Having been persuaded by Ruan Xi, Earl Chengyi looked at his fourth daughter deeply. It seems like he did not understand his quiet and society-conforming fourth daughter enough.