Chapter 45: Miscalculation
Cui and Wang from the third house exchanged glances secretly.
Jiang Rufei caused such a big trouble this time. If she could get the lotus, she could make amends. But if she fails, she will probably have a hard time getting past the old lady.
Cui secretly felt lucky that she didn't speak up for Jiang Rufei.
As he was speaking, the maid at the door announced that the second young lady had arrived.
Jiang Fei came in wearing a moon-white silk dress and bowed to the old lady.
"Grandma, please forgive me. I'm late."
The old lady looked unhappy.
When paying respects, the younger generation usually waits for the elders to stand up. How could so many people wait for a junior like her? It was indeed outrageous.
She was just a little gentler to this girl, and she began to take advantage of her favor and became more and more arrogant and out of control.
"Coming." The old lady replied lazily.
Jiang Fei greeted Yao and her two aunts, and even greeted the rest of her sisters, trying her best to leave no room for criticism. Then she walked over to the seat next to Jiang Rulin and sat down.
Yao held her breath and looked at the old lady, "Don't be angry, mother. I didn't discipline this child well. I will teach her carefully later."
"I heard that sister returned empty-handed from Jinglian Temple?" Jiang Rulin suddenly asked.
Jiang Fei turned her head and asked, "Where did Third Sister get the news?"
"Of course I heard it from the servants in the mansion." Jiang Rulin held her handkerchief to her lips and chuckled, "I heard that you brought a bundle with you when you came back yesterday. Don't be upset, sister. It's not a big deal if you can't get the lotus, it's just..."
"Just what?" Jiang Fei asked.
Jiang Rulin deliberately dragged out her tone, "It's just that Prince Zhaoning disappeared in Tingquan Mountain. Such a major event naturally alarmed the palace. I heard that Princess Anping also knew that you went to Jinglian Temple to pray for the lotus on her behalf. Fortunately, she was very touched. But now the lotus has not been returned. How should I explain this to Princess Anping?"
Jiang Fei looked at Jiang Rulin, "Strange, isn't this matter of begging for lotus known only to our family? How did it get to Princess Anping's ears?"
Jiang Rulin's expression froze for a moment, then quickly recovered. "Since the Emperor has been alarmed, I'm sure everyone who enters and leaves Jinglian Temple will be investigated. What's so strange about this?"
"Is that so?" Jiang Fei kept staring at her until the smile on Jiang Rulin's face almost disappeared.
"Why are you staring at me?" Jiang Rulin said unhappily, "I'm just reminding you kindly to think of a solution in advance, but don't let it get to your family."
Yao continued with a sullen face, "Rufei, since you agreed to this, if you return empty-handed, wouldn't that make our Jiang family lose its credibility?"
When everyone in the hall heard this, they all showed a look of reproach. Cui did not respond or take sides. She just sat there and watched the show. After all, it was their eldest wife's business and it had nothing to do with her.
The old lady frowned and spun the Buddhist beads in her hand rapidly.
Jiang Fei picked up the teacup and took a sip calmly. "Third sister is well-informed. Those who know clearly that you are kind-hearted, while those who don't know may think that you are waiting to see a good show, but..."
She raised her eyes with a hint of pride in them, "I'm afraid those who want to see a good show will be disappointed."
Jiang Rulin's face changed, and the old lady asked first: "What does this mean? Did you pray for the lotus?"
"That's right." Jiang Fei nodded.
Everyone in the hall suddenly had different expressions.
Cui opened her mouth blankly, "Did you really get it? I heard that the lotus flowers at Jinglian Temple are very hard to come by. That Jinglian lay Buddhist..."
"It's Mr. Qinglian." Jiang Fei corrected.
"Yes, yes, yes." Cui said, "I heard that the lay Buddhist rarely sees people. Many high-ranking officials went there but couldn't see him. Didn't the wife of the Marquis of Pingyang also go there last year? She ended up staying in the nunnery for half a month and didn't even see him. The eldest princess also went there, and so on..."
Cui was like a chatterbox that could not be stopped once it started.
The old lady was annoyed by what she heard. Her second son was quiet and silent, but his wife was like a duck shed, quacking non-stop as soon as she opened her mouth.
"alright."
Cui immediately fell silent, smiled at Yao, and said deliberately, "Sister-in-law, congratulations."
Yao's cheek twitched.
How could this be considered a happy occasion? Mother and daughter were not of one mind, and as one gained power, the other lost it. Jiang Rufei gained the upper hand, and outsiders thought it was a great honor for her, but only she knew how aggrieved she was.
Jiang Rulin couldn't help but sneered, "Second sister, are you crazy? You clearly came back empty-handed yesterday, so where did the lotus come from? Did you dig one from some wild pond to make up the number?"
Jiang Fei was not annoyed when she heard this, but chuckled, "You said that as if you wished I couldn't get what I wanted."
Jiang Rulin clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
She knew that it was impossible for Jiang Rufei to ask for the lotus flower because the driver had taken her money and had already found out everything that happened on the mountain.
"Even people like the Princess and the Marquis can't get it, so how can you get it?"
Jiang Fei smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves and said calmly, "Third sister, you are wrong. Buddhism emphasizes fate, not status. Master Qinglian said that I have a connection with her and gave me a pure lotus. Why not?"
Jiang Rulin was choked and speechless, her pretty face flushed red.
The old lady was skeptical, "Really?"
"Of course it's real." Jiang Fei said, "The lotus is now kept in a pottery jar in my courtyard. I will personally deliver it to the princess tomorrow morning."
The old lady breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair.
The princess is okay, she has a gentle personality, but the eldest princess is not easy to deal with, so it’s good to have Lotus.
Cui didn't know what she felt. She was happy to see Yao being humiliated, but she felt unhappy because their eldest wife had established a new relationship with her.
Seeing that the old lady had believed her, Jiang Rulin gritted her teeth and said, "Grandma! You have to think carefully. If my second sister finds a wild lotus and pretends it's from Jinglian Temple to give to Princess Anping, what will be the consequences if she is exposed?"
The old lady's expression froze when she heard this, and her heart, which had just been at ease, began to lift again.
She looked at Jiang Fei, "Rufei, what your third sister said makes sense. If this lotus is fake, the consequences will be disastrous. Tell me, how did you obtain this lotus?"
"To be honest, I don't know either." Jiang Fei said, "The reason I was late this morning was because the nun from Jinglian Temple said I left something behind and personally delivered it to me. I never thought it was a lotus gift from the nun Qinglian."
Since it was delivered personally by the nun from Jinglian Temple, it must be true.
Upon hearing this, the old lady's brows finally relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. "I see, that's how it is. Then there's no problem."
Jiang Rulin was so angry that her teeth were almost broken.
Why did Jiang Rufei do that? She was just a fake.
After leaving the old lady, Jiang Rulin followed Yao to Fusuiyuan.
Yao dismissed the maid, "Rulin, do you have anything to say?"
Jiang Rulin sat down and said, "Mother, I have been wondering whether what the old Taoist priest said was true. Could he be lying to you?"
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