Volume Two, Step by Step to Victory, Chapter Thirty-Five: Three Men Make a Tiger

The scholar looked at Ruan Bi carefully and said, "It is said that the daughters of the Ruan family are worth a fortune, and it is indeed true. This girl is so young, yet she is calm and composed, with a profound and dignified demeanor. Her cultivation alone is beyond the reach of ordinary people."

The Prince of Jin glanced at Ruan Bi thoughtfully.

"What mountain temple, what Yuanting? I bet she's too scared to move." Youde glanced at Ruan Bi with disdain. "What nonsense about the daughter of the Ruan family being worth ten thousand gold pieces. Isn't that the fifth young lady in the capital who openly pursues men without any sense of propriety or shame, one of their Ruan family members?"

From the moment she entered, Ruan Bi set three rules for herself: don't speak, don't cause trouble, and don't attract attention. She planned to leave as soon as the storm passed. But the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease; You De pressed on relentlessly. Although Granny Liu was mature and composed, neither servile nor arrogant, she was still a servant and feared saying too much and making a mistake. Xiu Zhi, on the other hand, was a naive young girl. Faced with this situation, she was at a loss, her face flushed, her hands and feet trembling, and she couldn't utter a single word.

After much deliberation, she decided she couldn't just let the mudslinging continue. Ruan Bi chuckled lightly and said, "Sir, are you certain you saw it with your own eyes or heard it with your own ears?" Her voice was like jade clashing, crisp and clear, without a trace of impurity. Everyone felt as if their eardrums had been cleansed by a cold spring, and they involuntarily looked at Ruan Bi.

Youde looked at Ruan Bi several times with surprise and said, "Hey, that's a nice voice. Little girl, that's what everyone in the capital is saying. Are you still going to deny it? Is Fifth Miss your older sister or your younger sister?"

Ruan Bi answered irrelevantly: "What is your honorable name?"

"No need for formalities, my surname is Luo, and my given name is Youde."

“Master Luo, tomorrow I will send fifty boys, give each of them fifty coins, and have them go to teahouses and taverns in the capital and tell everyone they meet that Master Luo Youde is a homosexual. I think it won’t be more than two days before the whole city knows about Master Luo’s homosexuality.”

Luo Youde was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I, Luo Youde, am always a seven-foot-tall man, how could I be a homosexual? You little girl, don't make false accusations..."

The scholar laughed and interrupted him, saying, "Alright, Youde, quickly apologize to this young lady." He then said to Ruan Bi, "Please don't be offended, young lady. Youde is a rough man who only knows how to wield weapons and sticks all day long. He doesn't understand the power of rumors and the power of public opinion. He is just outspoken and did not mean to offend your family."

Youde said indignantly, "Maogong, why should I apologize to her?"

The Prince of Jin glared at him sternly and said, "You're so virtuous, you don't even listen to Mao Gong anymore?"

Youde reluctantly stepped forward, bowed to Ruan Bi, and said, "Miss, I was rude just now, please don't take offense."

Ruan Bi stood up, returned the greeting, and then gracefully sat down again. Her movements were elegant and graceful, flowing like clouds and water, captivating the eyes of the two guards beside her.

The scholar threw the few white chess pieces he was holding into the chess jar and said, "Feiyang, you are not focused today and have made many bad moves. It is not interesting for me to play against you. Let's decide the winner another day."

"As Maogong says." Prince Jin nodded, not even glancing at the pieces, and casually tossed one into the chess jar with a clink. Then, he stood up, walked slowly to the eaves outside the door, and looked towards the capital, saying, "It's only a few miles from here to the Yichun River, why hasn't Yuqing returned yet?"

The scholar looked at the sky and said, "With such heavy rain and muddy roads, even the finest horses from the West Garden can't run. Fei Yang, don't rush, let's wait a little longer."

The Prince of Jin grunted in acknowledgment and looked up at the distant sky. The candlelight in the hall cast a long shadow on the ground, even the shadow itself seemed to convey a sense of worry.

The sky grew increasingly dark. When they entered the main hall, there was still four or five parts of daylight, but now only two parts remained, a dim, twilight-like scene. The rain intensified, pounding on the muddy ground of the courtyard, each drop leaving a puddle. Ruan Bi couldn't help but feel anxious. What would they do if the downpour didn't stop?

Suddenly, the scholar said, "My name is Xu Maoyu from Linjiang. May I ask how to address you, young lady?"

A woman's given name is not something to be easily revealed, so Ruan Bi vaguely said, "I am the fifth among my peers."

The shadow of the Prince of Jin on the ground moved slightly.

Youde, who was leaning against the wall, let out an exaggerated "Ha!"

Ruan Bi pretended not to hear him and didn't even glance at him.

Xu Maoyu stroked his beard and said with a smile, "I guessed you were the Fifth Sister just now, and I was right."

Ruan Bi said sarcastically, "Now that I am famous throughout the world, I no longer need to worry about no one recognizing me on the road ahead."

Xu Maoyu laughed heartily and said, "Fifth Miss is quite witty." He paused, then asked curiously, "I see you as a woman of clear mind and spirit, dignified and composed, with a natural sense of propriety. Why then are the rumors about you so unpleasant?"

Without hesitation, Ruan Bi said, "Don't even mention the gentleman, I myself am puzzled. At the beginning of the year, I was invited by the second young lady of the Xie family to admire the plum blossoms at the Marquis of Yanping's residence. The plum grove is very large, and it was my first time there. I was so engrossed in the scenery that I lost my way and only escaped when I met the second young master of the Xie family... I never thought that it would become like this when it got out." A lie repeated a thousand times can become the truth. She made up her mind that from now on, no matter who asked about this matter, she would say the same thing, and she didn't believe that it couldn't be cleared up.

Youde, standing to the side, muttered under his breath, "Sharp-tongued, he's definitely not a good guy."

Xu Maoyu was a cunning old fox, and he only half-believed Ruan Bi's words. However, he was good at reading people, and seeing that Ruan Bi had a dignified demeanor, quite different from the average young lady from a wealthy family, and even more so from the shameless and foolish girl in the legends, he thought that perhaps the young girl was hated by someone, which was why she was being portrayed so badly. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her and said, "What a pity, what a pity."

Ruan Bi was surprised and was about to ask what was a pity?

Suddenly, amidst the pouring rain, the faint sound of horses' hooves could be heard, growing louder and louder. Everyone craned their necks to look at the gate. After a while, the gate was pushed open, and Yu Qing led his horse in, soaking wet. He rushed to Prince Jin, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Yichun River has risen sharply, and the stone bridge leading back to the capital has been washed away."

Ruan Bi was shocked. The stone bridge had been washed away. Wouldn't that mean she wouldn't be able to return to the capital?

The Prince of Jin and the others also changed their expressions drastically. Youde exclaimed, "What are we going to do? We can't go back to the capital!"

Xiuzhi tugged at Ruanbi's sleeve, saying in a panic, "Miss, what should we do?"

Granny Liu was also flustered and turned pale. She whispered to Ruan Bi, "Miss, it's all my fault. I should have listened to you and turned back to Yuxu Temple."

Ruan Bi said softly, "It's no use thinking about it now that things have come to this. Mom, don't blame yourself anymore. There's always a way out. Let me think about it."

Granny Liu was slightly taken aback. She had been afraid of being scolded and had apologized first, but she hadn't expected the mistress to not utter a single harsh word and instead comfort her so kindly. Having served as a servant for over ten years and attended to several masters, she knew that when things went wrong, she either took her anger out on the servants or complained about everything. She had never seen such a responsible mistress. Feeling a warmth in her heart, she found Ruan Bi much more agreeable.

Xu Maoyu stood up and said, "Feiyang, why don't we go back to Princess Huiwen's estate first?"

The Prince of Jin shook his head, looking solemnly into the distance, and asked, "Mao Gong, how many households are there in the middle and lower reaches of the Yichun River?"

Xu Maoyu thought for a moment and said, "If I remember correctly, there should be seven counties, sixteen townships, thirteen towns, and forty-eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-two households."

"Mao Gong, if the torrential rain continues all night, the banks of the Yichun River will surely become a waterlogged land."

Xu Maoyu sighed and said, "Feiyang, I know you are sincere, but this rainstorm is a once-in-a-century event and cannot be resisted by human power. Let's go back to the Princess's estate first."

After a moment's thought, the Prince of Jin said, "Mao Gong, you and Yu Qing should take Miss Ruan back to the Princess's estate first."

Xu Maoyu paused, and before he could speak, Youde frowned and said, "With the rain so heavy, how long will it take for their carriage to arrive?"

Ruan Bi stood up and bowed to Prince Jin, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The road is too muddy, and the carriage is not suitable for long journeys, so I will not trouble you any further."

The Prince of Jin asked, puzzled, "Do you mean you want to stay here?"

Ruan Bi shook her head and said, "I think this temple is very clean, with pastries on the altar. There are no monks or nuns in the temple, so it must be a place that people from the neighborhood often come to clean. I'm thinking of finding a place nearby to rest for the night."

The Prince of Jin nodded approvingly and said, "That's right, I overlooked that." He paused and then said, "However, Miss Ruan, although we live in a peaceful and prosperous era with few villains and bandits, you are alone with two weak servants in a remote and desolate place, which could easily lead to unforeseen dangers. Let Mao Gong and Yu Qing accompany you, so that you can look after each other. What do you think?"

This was greatly beneficial to her, and Ruan Bi wasn't stupid, so she naturally agreed: "That's wonderful, thank you, Your Highness." She turned to Liu Mama and said, "Go and call the coachman outside in."

Granny Liu responded and called in the coachman who was squatting under the eaves watching the rain.

Ruan Bi asked softly, "Master, do you know if there are any houses nearby when you travel this road?"

The driver said, "Yes, about five miles north of the temple, there is a small village with about ten households."

Are there any houses in the village where I can stay overnight?

The driver thought for a moment and said, "There's a wealthy family in the village who moved to the county town. They have an empty courtyard with only an old servant looking after it. You can ask them for lodging."

"Alright, then go and hitch up the carriage." After saying that, Ruan Bi bowed to Prince Jin again, "Your Highness, I will take my leave now."

Prince Jin nodded and said to Yu Qing, "Take good care of Miss Ruan and Master Mao, and make sure nothing happens to them."

"Yes, Your Highness," Yu Qing replied loudly.

The Prince of Jin straightened his clothes and said in a low but very authoritative voice, "The rest of you, follow me."

Xu Maoyu frowned and said, "Your Highness, with such a torrential downpour, do you really have to go?"

The Prince of Jin said, "It is precisely because of the heavy rain that I must go and inspect. If the dikes in the middle and lower reaches burst, all seven counties will become flooded... I will not feel at ease if I do not go and take a look." As he spoke, he walked towards the stable, with five guards following closely behind.

Xu Maoyu knew he couldn't stop him, so he could only say, "Your Highness, go and come back soon."

Prince Jin stopped and turned around. His gaze swept across Ruan Bi's face, and he said, "No need to wait for me. I may not be back. If the rain stops tomorrow, you should go back to the Princess's estate first." After saying that, he led his horse out of the gate and strode out, followed by five guards.

Soon, the neighing of horses and the sound of hooves filled the air, and the six riders disappeared into the vast rain and mist in an instant.

As Ruan Bi watched the direction in which the Prince of Jin had gone, she couldn't help but feel admiration.