7 Being reprimanded
◎Tired. ◎
When Ci Ying returned from the academy, she had the hundred taels of silver Xie Ran had lent her wrapped in her handkerchief. When she got off the carriage and returned to the courtyard, she found everyone kneeling, but Ru Zhen was nowhere to be found among them.
Ci Ying's grip on the handkerchief loosened for a moment, and she ran up to the leading maid and asked, "What happened?"
The maid trembled with fear. "My lady, Sister Ru Zhen took...took your things, secretly sold them, and was reported to the authorities. The authorities arrested her and heard that Sister Ru Zhen was a servant of the Xie family, so they sent her back to the Xie family."
"Where?" Ci Ying asked hurriedly, already beginning to blame herself in her heart. She should have accompanied Ru Zhen so that Ru Zhen would not be misunderstood.
"In the torture hall." The maid's voice was still trembling.
Ciying, who was anxiously worried about Ruzhen's situation, ignored all the abnormalities and ran towards the execution hall with her clothes lifted up. The servants around her saluted when they saw her, but Ciying didn't pay any attention to them. She was so worried that she forgot why Ruzhen was arrested by the government if she just stole and sold her things.
When Ci Ying was stopped by the guards at the Punishment Hall, she felt like bullying them for the first time, even though she was made of paper. Her heart was pounding, worried that something might happen to Ru Zhen. She explained to the guards, "Is it one of the maids or the housekeeper in there who is handling Ru Zhen's affairs? Could you two brothers please go in and inform me that I asked Ru Zhen to sell the items in the dressing box; she didn't steal them."
The two guards remained unmoved, holding their swords horizontally to block Ci Ying outside.
Ci Ying hadn't slept well the previous night, and now, after a sudden burst of running, she suddenly stopped. As she spoke, she was about to faint, and Ru Zhen's cries could still be heard faintly in her ears. Ci Ying supported the guard's body, and just as she was about to fall, someone supported her from behind.
Mo Yu pinched Ci Ying's philtrum, then placed something to her lips and said coldly, "Swallow it." Ci Ying swallowed the bitter pill and slowly regained consciousness, though she still felt a little powerless. In a trance, Ci Ying heard a maid inside say, "The Master said to let the young lady in."
Young Master, which Young Master?
This thought flashed through Ci Ying's mind, but she was too worried about Ru Zhen. As she ran down the corridor to the lobby, she saw the suspended high seat. She glanced down and saw Ru Zhen, kneeling with tears in her eyes, and a slender, jade-like figure in her peripheral vision.
Ci Ying was stunned for a moment, then knelt down and bowed softly to the young master who was sipping tea on the high seat: "This servant greets the eldest young master." After a short pause, Ci Ying gently pinched her own hand and began to explain: "I asked Ru Zhen to sell those jewelry. I hope the eldest young master will not punish Ru Zhen."
The high seat was empty. Xie Huaijin sat in the lower seat. He glanced at Ci Ying indifferently as she spoke. After Ci Ying knelt down again, a voice as cold as jade echoed in the hall: "Did you ask her to sell all these?"
Not far away, Ru Zhen's body suddenly trembled. Ci Ying looked doubtfully at Mo Yu, who had knelt before her and opened the dressing box. Finally, her eyes fixed on the pearl hairpin. At that moment, she seemed to smell the scent of wet candles, but without a trace of hesitation, she said, "Yes."
Xie Huaijin changed the subject: "Ciying?"
Ci Ying was startled, but still answered, "Yes."
"If you need money, just ask the housekeeper. The Xie family is not so poor that they need a young lady to sell her jewelry." As he said that, Xie Huaijin slowly walked to Ci Ying, bent down and helped Ci Ying up.
Ci Ying didn't dare to look up, her fingers were trembling.
The effect of the pill just now seemed to be wearing off. When the faint scent of cedar reached Ciying's nose, she felt that she had lost consciousness all over her body.
She knew how miserable she looked without even looking up. Even though she had never thought of having any contact with Xie Huaijin, she didn't want to be in such a miserable state on the rare opportunity to see him.
As for Ru Zhen, Ci Ying no longer had the energy to think about Ru Zhen.
Mo Yu handed the dressing box to Xie Huaijin, who then handed it to Ci Ying. The dressing box was open and placed heavily in Ci Ying's hand. The snow-white sleeves with a fragrant breeze gently swept across Ci Ying's hand.
Ci Ying didn't dare to look up, her eyes drooped, and she and Xie Huaijin looked at the same place full of jewels and treasures.
After a while, Xie Huaijin's indifferent and distant voice sounded above Ci Ying: "Su Wei may not have told you when she gave you the hairpin, that the hairpin was a gift from the emperor and cannot be pawned. Please pay attention."
After saying that, Xie Huaijin took Mo Yu away.
Ci Ying closed the box, sighed, and went forward to help Ru Zhen up.
Ci Ying didn't say a word along the way. Ru Zhen's eyes trembled, and the word "I'm sorry" was stuck in her throat.
Back in the courtyard, Ci Ying closed the door and put the dressing box back to its original place. Ru Zhen stood at the door with her head down. Ci Ying looked at Ru Zhen, who was also in a state of disarray, sighed, stepped forward, pinched Ru Zhen's face, and rarely lost her temper: "Why don't you believe me?"
Ci Ying unfolded the handkerchief in her bosom, revealing a brand new silver note worth one hundred taels. Unwilling to say anything harsh to the frightened Ru Zhen, she explained, "I told you I'd think of a way. I borrowed it from Xie Ran, and she told us not to rush to pay it back. I now have ten taels a month, and with some extra money, we could have paid it off in half a year."
Ru Zhen was very surprised by having her face pinched, and said cautiously: "Aren't you... angry?"
Ci Ying said honestly, "I'm angry. I'm angry that you didn't believe me."
Ci Ying didn't mention the hairpin again. She didn't want to puncture Ru Zhen's pride. Under the candlelight, she touched Ru Zhen's head and said, "Ru Zhen, I promised you that I would protect you well."
Ru Zhen's eyes trembled slightly, and she hugged Ci Ying tightly.
In the autumn, a major event occurred in the imperial city. General Wei, who had guarded the northwest for twenty years, returned.
The people of Chang'an were talking about the fact that General Wei, now nearly forty, was still unmarried and didn't even have a concubine. Everyone speculated that General Wei must have had a beloved, but it was unknown whether she had died young or had married someone else.
In the second month of the academy, Ci Ying took the top spot, with a member of the Su family taking second place. Xie Wen, who had previously been at the top of the list, saw his grades plummet, and his name was no longer on the list.
Xie Ran told Ci Ying about this as gossip, saying that Xie Wen did it on purpose to piss off his father. Ci Ying didn't care about Xie Wen, she just lifted up Xie Ran's thin sleeve and asked if it hurt. Xie Ran smiled and said it hurt but he was used to it, and Ci Ying said nothing more.
In the third month at the academy, Ciying was still first. The teacher looked at Ciying with increasing admiration, but the sighs in his eyes grew deeper. Xie Wen had returned to his usual level, but this time he was fourth. Xie Ran laughed heartily at this result, praising Ciying for her outstanding performance.
For several months, Ciying topped the list, her fame spreading beyond the Lishan Academy and reaching the ears of the noble families outside. In December, an invitation from Princess Yunhua, the current emperor's sister, arrived at the Xie Mansion, inviting Ciying to a flower viewing banquet in March of the following year.
The invitation was delivered directly to Ciying by someone close to the old lady, which basically meant that she had to go.
Along with Chunhua, who delivered the message, came a serious nanny who said that in order to prevent Ciying from bringing shame to the Xie family, the nanny would be responsible for correcting Ciying's etiquette standards from today until before the banquet.
So, Ci Ying went to the academy during the day and came back at night to learn etiquette. The nanny always squinted her eyes and called out expressionlessly, "Miss."
Then a thick bamboo board hit Ciying, but Ciying knew she had done nothing wrong. Her movements were all taught by the young lady, so it was impossible for her to make any mistakes.
But the bamboo stick still fell again and again. The nanny hit the places that others could not see. It hurt but it did not leave any marks on the body except bruises.
The nanny's attitude was the same as the old lady's. Ciying didn't know what she had done wrong, but the lady's health had deteriorated recently, and she still treated her as a young lady.
Ciying didn't dare to explain why a nanny dared to beat the young lady. If the lady fell ill again, she might have to go see the young lady.
Until one day, Ci Ying couldn't bear the pain any longer and knelt down. The nanny said condescendingly, "As a servant, don't be too stubborn. Don't be too arrogant and overshadow your master. This is the last lesson I will teach you, young lady."
After saying that, the nanny left.
Ci Ying knelt on the ground, a rare feeling of panic welling up in her heart. She dipped her finger in tea and drew a small portrait of the young lady on the slate. If she felt something wasn't right, she'd lightly sketch it. If she felt something wasn't right, she'd lightly sketch it again. After several attempts, there was only a wet reflection on the table, and Ci Ying could only see her own face.
In the study, Ci Ying knelt on the ground, staring at the wet area.
Tears fell "tick-tick" and "tick-tick".
The young lady's previous poems and essays were framed on the wall, and later her own were also framed on the wall. The top shelf of the bookshelf was filled with some ancient books given by the teacher, and some calligraphy sent by Xie Ran.
There were many other rooms in the courtyard, but Mammy had chosen this study. She wanted to beat Ciying to her knees in front of the layers of poetry and prose, again and again, using the most brutal and direct methods.
Ci Ying couldn't be explained to others.
After the pawnshop incident, Ruzhen's father couldn't stop gambling and ended up having his leg broken. Ruzhen fainted from crying, and when Ciying asked her if she hadn't said the Xie family would intervene if they knew about it, Ruzhen ran away with red eyes and hasn't returned since.
Of course, she could go find Ru Zhen again, but Ci Ying was really tired. She wanted to take it easy and sent someone to deliver some silver, then put Ru Zhen's matter aside for the time being. Later, the academy and the wife's serious illness became entangled. Thanks to the system of Lishan Academy, Ci Ying had a goal every month, and for the time being, she could continue to work towards her goal.
She was too tired. After reviewing poetry and books and finishing her homework every day, she still had to visit her wife. She was worried about her wife's health and tried her best to fit herself into the mold of her young lady. Seeing that her wife's time was running out, she wanted her wife to leave this world peacefully.
Ci Ying wondered why Madam's health had begun to deteriorate again, even though it had clearly been improving. Perhaps it was the cold weather... Madam's illness was even worse than the spring day when the young lady died. Ci Ying wished for time to turn back. She made many wishes, but the gods never listened.
When Ciying was extremely exhausted, the winter passed by.
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