Return to Beijing
Although Shangjing was a long way from Chuzhou, it only took about two days of travel, traveling day and night, and finally arrived in the capital a few days before the general's meeting.
Two weathered carriages were parked outside a remote side door. The bluestone steps were covered with moss, and the ebony door panels were peeling, forming a sharp contrast with the vermilion lacquer and gold nails of the main door not far away.
Hua Rong carefully helped Ruan Yunsheng get out of the car, but Qi Mingxiu had already disappeared when they entered the city.
Nanny Wang stood by the door with her hands in her pockets, pouting with a forced smile: "The wooden plaque at the main gate was damaged by lightning yesterday, so we have to ask the second young lady to go through the side door." After saying this, she turned around and pushed open the creaking wooden door without waiting for anyone to respond.
Ruan Yunsheng lowered her eyes to hide the sarcasm in them. This reason could only fool a three-year-old child. She walked through the corridor and observed the Ruan Mansion calmly.
The huge house was solemn and heavy, retro and dignified, and was completely silent without a sound. Several maids were walking towards them, all with their heads bowed, bent over, and walked on tiptoe carefully, for fear of making any noise.
It seems to be a dangerous place.
Nanny Wang led Ruan Yunsheng to a more secluded courtyard. A maid dressed in green clothes and with a solemn expression was guarding the door, like an expressionless jade sculpture.
"Miss Rong, please tell the second young lady that she's back." Nanny Wang said in a respectful tone.
The maidservant known as "Miss Rong" didn't even raise her eyelids, and said in a calm voice, "Madam is taking a nap. I don't want to disturb her. Wait."
Nanny Wang fell silent immediately, stepped aside with her hands hanging down, as if even a breath of air would be a sin.
Ruan Yunsheng stood in the corridor with his head lowered, but his eyes swept around inconspicuously. There was a huge bronze Taiping jar in the courtyard, with water lilies lying quietly in the jar, and a few black carps like solidified black shadows. The air was filled with rich, almost suffocating sandalwood.
This lady is even worshipping Buddha? Don't you think it's ridiculous?
Time passed slowly, and the shadows in the corridor gradually lengthened. Ruan Yunsheng's lips curled up into a barely perceptible sneer. He had just walked in and acted intimidatingly. Did she think that watching "Empresses in the Palace" so many times was for nothing?
Her eyes moved slightly, and she gave a wink to An Yue and Song Tinghe who were hiding beside her.
The next moment——
Suddenly, there was a crisp "clang" sound in the courtyard, as if some jade artifact had broken to the ground. Immediately afterwards, a quick and strange gust of cold wind suddenly swept through the courtyard, causing the black carp in the vat to jump around in panic. The rich sandalwood fragrance was instantly dispersed by a gloomy chill.
“Ah! Someone come!”
A short scream from the eldest lady was heard from inside, followed by the sound of hurried movements and the crackling of Buddhist beads falling.
Miss Rong, the gatekeeper, suddenly changed her expression. She could no longer maintain her composure and suddenly pushed open the nanmu door and rushed in: "Madam!"
Nanny Wang was also panicked and hurried in.
The candlelight flickered in the room, illuminating the mess on the floor. Liu Yanran collapsed beside the futon, her hair in disarray, a golden hairpin stuck in her hair at an angle, and her usually meticulous crimson-purple skirt with a lotus pattern now wrinkled.
Her face was as pale as paper, her lips were trembling, and her fingers were tightly clutching the front of her clothes, as if she wanted to pull out her pounding heart.
"Yes, there is a ghost, a hanged ghost in red." She spoke incoherently, her pupils dilated as she stared at the empty beams. "Her blood dripped onto my scriptures..."
Miss Rong hurried forward to support her, but her touch only made her feel cold and trembling. "Madam, don't panic. How could there be ghosts in this world?" Her voice remained steady, but she quietly tightened her fingers and gestured to the maid behind her to call the guards.
Nanny Wang was also panicking at this moment, screaming, "Search quickly! It must be some blind and despicable person playing tricks!"
Guards rushed in holding lanterns, the sound of scabbards clashing continued, candlesticks were lit one by one, prayer flags were roughly torn off, and even the gilded Buddha statues were moved away for inspection.
However, there was no dust on the beams, the floor tiles were tightly fitted, the moonlight outside the window was bright, and apart from the tea-stained Diamond Sutra on the lady's altar, there was nothing unusual.
"Madam, we have checked everywhere and found nothing unusual." The leader of the guards reported with gritted teeth.
With the help of Miss Rong, Liu Yanran slowly sat up straight, took a few deep sips of warm ginseng tea, and calmed down a little. The candlelight was bright, the sky was clean, and the terrifying red-clothed ghost just now seemed to be an illusion caused by her momentary dizziness.
Just when she felt a little relieved, a burst of hurried footsteps came from afar. Ruan Linxi was wearing a dark riding and shooting uniform, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. It was obvious that he had just returned home and rushed over after hearing the news.
He broke into the Buddhist hall and saw his mother's pale face and disheveled clothes at a glance. Then he glanced at Ruan Yunsheng standing quietly in the corridor outside the door, and a surge of anger rushed to his head.
He strode out of the door with great speed and rushed straight to Ruan Yunsheng, his eyes icy with coldness: "Did you do this?"
His voice was filled with an undeniable sense of oppression. "A country girl's return has already caused unrest in our home! It's really unlucky! If Mother gets frightened and falls ill, can you bear the consequences?"
Ruan Yunsheng raised his eyes, his gaze calm and composed, even carrying a hint of just the right amount of bewilderment and grievance: "Brother, what are you talking about? I just arrived here and haven't even seen Mother yet."
She turned slightly to reveal the dark, deserted corridor behind her. "Just now, I heard some movement in the house, so I waited here to be summoned. How can there be any mischief?"
Ruan Linxi was left speechless by Ruan Yunsheng's watertight defense, his face turning pale and blue. He really had no evidence, so he could only glare at her, his fists clenched at his sides.
At this time, Liu Ruyan had tidied her appearance and walked out slowly with the support of Miss Rong. Although her face was still a little pale, she had regained the dignity of a mistress.
She glanced at the brother and sister who were confronting each other, frowning slightly. Her voice was gentle but with unquestionable force: "Xi'er, don't be rude."
She turned to look at Ruan Yunsheng, her eyes so kind that they seemed to drip with water: "Sheng'er just got home and has been exhausted from the journey. Is there anything you can't talk about nicely?"
She gently took Ruan Yunsheng's hand, her palm warm and soft, but her tone was sharp. "Your brother is also worried because of his concern. You have been away from home for many years, so it is normal for you to be unfamiliar with the rules. But it is wrong to contradict your brother. Come, apologize to your brother, and this matter will be over."
Ruan Yunsheng lowered her eyelashes to hide the cold light in her eyes. She bowed politely and said in a soft and gentle voice, "Brother, please forgive me. I spoke out of turn."
She raised her head, her lips curled up innocently, "It's just that I've lived in the countryside for a long time, and my experience is shallow, not as broad as yours. Next time if you encounter something strange, I hope you will be more careful and not... be impatient and make mistakes."
Every word sounded respectful, yet it stung like a needle. A sharp look flashed across Liu Ruyan's eyes, but her smile grew even more benevolent. She raised her hand to smooth Ruan Yunsheng's temples, "Good boy, it's good to be back. Let bygones be bygones. Mother will certainly make it up to you in the future."
Then she took Ruan Yunsheng's hand, led her through several layers of hanging flower gates, and stopped in front of a remote courtyard.
The yard was overgrown with weeds, the eaves were covered with cobwebs, the window paper of the main room was torn and rustled in the wind. Inside, there was only a wooden couch covered with thick dust and a coffee table with missing legs. A cold and damp air hit my face.
"Sheng'er,"
Liu Ruyan covered her nose with a handkerchief and spoke gently and innocently, "Although you've been in Chuzhou for many years, you're still the legitimate daughter of the Ruan family, so naturally you can't be careless about your living quarters. It's just that something happened in the mansion a while ago, and the west wing hasn't been cleaned up yet, so I have to ask you to make do here for now."
There was undisguised sarcasm in her eyes as she waited to see how this country girl would cry.
Ruan Yunsheng's eyes swept across the dilapidated courtyard, but a quiet smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "Thank you for your concern, mother."
She walked slowly into the house, her fingertips brushing across the tabletop, picking up a smear of dust. "But this house is very damp. Living here for a long time might harm your health. My daughter has been weak since she was young. If she falls ill, it would only cause trouble for her mother."
She turned and looked at Liu Ruyan with an earnest expression: "My daughter did bring some money when she came here. Why don't you stay in the inn for a few days first. Come back after the house is tidied up, so you can save your mother from worrying." After saying that, she actually made a gesture to call Hua Rong to get the luggage.
Liu Ruyan's face froze instantly. If Ruan Yunsheng was really allowed to live outside, everyone in the capital would know tomorrow that the Ruan family treated their eldest daughter harshly. Wouldn't the reputation she had painstakingly built up over the years be ruined?
She grabbed Ruan Yunsheng's wrist, her nails almost digging into her flesh, and forced a smile on her face: "Look at what you are saying, kid! Now that you are back home, why do you have to live outside?"
She gritted her teeth, pretending to have suddenly remembered something, and squeezed out a sound from between her teeth, "Mother suddenly remembered that there's a place called 'Qingyi Garden' to the east that has always been empty. Although it's not as good as the main courtyard, it's also very neat. I'll take you to see it now."
Ruan Yunsheng stepped into Qingyi Garden, his eyes sweeping over the neat courtyard, the lush banana trees, and the wind chimes hanging under the eaves. He nodded slightly, "Thank you, mother, for taking the trouble to arrange everything."
She turned to face Liu Ruyan, a hint of fatigue on her lips. "I've been so tired from the journey today that I'm too exhausted to talk any further. I won't leave you mother and brother."
After saying this, without waiting for a response, she gently closed the vermilion lacquered door. With a soft "bang", Liu Ruyan and her son were completely isolated outside.
Having been turned away, Liu Ruyan's face instantly turned pale, her well-maintained complexion twitching slightly. Ruan Linxi could no longer contain her anger and snarled in a low voice, "Mother! Why did you really want her to move in? I was just saying the other day that I wanted to turn this courtyard into a piano garden!"
Liu Ruyan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger rising in her throat. She glanced at the closed courtyard door, a cold glint in her eyes, and a cold smile curved her lips. "Why rush? Let her relax for a few days."
She lowered her voice to a very low level, like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, "Anyway, in a few days..."
Before she finished speaking, Ruan Linxi had already understood what she meant and had no choice but to swallow his dissatisfaction. He glared at the mansion with a sinister look, as if he wanted to burn through the door and pierce the people inside. "In that case, let her be proud for a few more days!"
Then he left.
At this time, Ruan Yunsheng gently moved his ear away from the cold door panel, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his lips.
"It seems they really have bad intentions," she whispered to Huarong beside her, "It's a pity that they only said half of the words and showed the end."
Huarong's face showed worry: "Miss, then we..."
"That's fine," Ruan Yunsheng said, turning around and looking at the house, which, though not luxurious, was neat and elegant. "We'll fight it out. Let's clean up first and settle down first."
The master and servant began to tidy up, and in just half an hour, the originally deserted house had a bit more of a lively atmosphere.
"Finally, I have a place to stay." Ruan Yunsheng looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction and nodded approvingly.
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