Chapter 41 The Wrath of the King of Jin
She thought that being drunk would allow her to sleep soundly until dawn. However, in the middle of the night, she dreamt that the Prince of Jin stared at her for a long time before suddenly drawing his sword and slashing at her... Ruan Bi woke up with a start, feeling frightened and lost. She tossed and turned in bed, listening to the water clock dripping away, and the night passed by.
After having breakfast, feeling extremely tired, I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes to rest.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, Xiuzhi came in and handed her a slip of paper that she had been holding in her palm, saying, "Sister Xiuping gave this to me just now, saying it's for you, Miss."
A thought struck her, and her sleepiness vanished. Ruan Bi sat up straight, instinctively reaching out to take it, then withdrew her hand, frowning as she said, "Give it back to her. Don't take her notes without a reason in the future; who knows what's written on them?"
Seeing the conflicted look on her face, as if she wanted to accept the note but didn't want to, Xiuzhi felt both amused and sighed. She said, "Alright, alright, if you don't want to read it, I'll read it to you." With that, she began to unfold the note.
Ruan Bi quickly reached out and snatched it, glaring at her, somewhat speechless.
Xiuzhi had been with her for a long time and knew her temperament, so she wasn't afraid. Instead, she stuck her tongue out at her. Afraid that her daughter would be embarrassed to read the note because of her presence, she quickly picked up the small watering can from the corner and said, "Please take your time reading, I'm going to water the flowers." With that, she walked to the table and pretended to water the flowers.
Ruan Bi unfolded the note, which contained only one sentence: "A maid is a maid, and you are you. How can you be compared?"
There were no superfluous words, no signature, only strong, upright handwriting, powerful and penetrating, just like the man himself. Ruan Bi stared at it for a long time, then sighed silently. Though not comparable, there wasn't much difference. If he hadn't fallen for her, upon hearing that the King of Han wanted to take her as a concubine, he would surely have said: "With your background, following my uncle is a blessing."
However, his feelings for her were genuine; his sweat-covered face last night and the note this morning were proof of it. Ruan Bi was moved, yet filled with melancholy. Given their vastly different social statuses, a good outcome was impossible. Continuing to entangle herself would be pointless. Hesitation would only lead to further trouble.
Ruan Bi tore the paper into pieces, threw it into the wastebasket, jumped off the bed, took a deep breath, and said, "Xiuzhi, come with me to the old lady's courtyard."
The old lady was talking to the steward's wife when she saw her come in. She beckoned and said, "Fifth girl, I noticed you didn't look well this morning. Are you sick?"
Ruan Bi shook her head, still shaken, and said, "I'm not sick, I just had a nightmare last night and was so scared that I couldn't sleep all night."
The old lady asked curiously, "What kind of nightmare was so frightening?"
Ruan Bi looked around, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.
The old lady paused for a moment, then waved her hand, and the servants tactfully withdrew.
Ruan Bi sat down beside her bed, leaned close and whispered, "Grandmother, I dreamt last night that my third uncle wanted to kill me."
The old lady was startled and asked, "Why would I have such a dream for no reason?"
“It wasn’t without reason.” Ruan Bi bit her lip for a moment, as if she had finally made up her mind, and then spoke, “Grandmother, there’s something you don’t know. My third uncle once sent someone to kill me…”
"What? When did this happen?" The old lady was extremely shocked.
"It was when my grandmother was sick and I was praying at Yuxu Temple that a carriage pretended to be sent by the manor to pick me up. After I saw through their ruse, the driver kidnapped me and put me in the carriage..." Ruan Bi recounted the events that happened at Yuxu Temple that day in detail. "Fortunately, I met Young Master Gu who saved me, otherwise I'm afraid I would have been dead long ago. Later, when I went to the palace, I was blocked outside the palace gate and saw my third uncle leading a group of imperial guards. The man next to him was the driver who kidnapped me."
"Why didn't you mention such an important matter?"
Ruan Bi lowered her head and said, "There are no witnesses or evidence in this matter. Even if I tell you, it won't do anything to my third uncle. It will only cause more trouble. Besides, I still can't understand why my third uncle wanted to kill me. I was afraid I would misunderstand him, but yesterday I ran into him in the garden and saw that he looked murderous." As she spoke, she shrank back in fear.
The old lady's heart skipped a beat, and the loose flesh on her cheeks trembled as well. Involuntarily, the purplish-blue face of Mu Xiang after his death floated into her mind. For so many years, that face had always haunted her dreams, preventing her from finding peace. After a while, she calmed down and said, "Fifth girl, perhaps you're overthinking it. Your third uncle killed people on the battlefield; naturally, he carries a murderous aura."
Having made her point, Ruan Bi didn't say anything more, nodding heavily and saying, "Grandmother is right." After a pause, she added, "By the way, Grandmother, I heard from the maids that Third Uncle's courtyard is often frequented by outsiders, all sorts of people. Although Xiangmu Xiaozhu is a separate courtyard, it is still within the inner quarters, and the mix of all sorts of people there is inconvenient and could easily lead to trouble. Besides, now that Third Uncle's leg is much better, if guests come to visit, they can meet in the front hall; there's no need to keep the side gate open anymore." Her earlier mention of nightmares and Ruan Chi sending people to kidnap her was a prelude to this.
Ruan Chi had repeatedly sabotaged her, so sealing off the side gate to prevent him from freely interacting with his friends was a small act of revenge. Besides, leaving the side gate open made it easy for Prince Jin to come and go, and sooner or later, word would spread. By sealing off the side gate, Prince Jin could only enter through the main gate and meet her in the front hall when he came to visit, making it impossible for him to enter the inner courtyard, and naturally, impossible for him to see her. From then on, any chance of them meeting was effectively cut off.
When it comes to matters of the heart, it's best to cut ties cleanly. Lingering attachments can easily lead to future problems. This has always been Ruan Bi's view.
Ruan Bi's words had successfully instilled fear in the old lady, who nodded and said, "Fifth Miss is right. That side door was originally for emergency use. Now that his leg has healed, there is no need to keep it."
He immediately summoned the steward and ordered him to take a locksmith to the Third Master's courtyard and weld the lock on the side gate shut.
According to the maids, Ruan Chi was furious.
When Ruan Bi heard this, she was happy for a short while, but then felt a mix of emotions.
The next few days passed peacefully.
Just as Ruan Bi had predicted, when the imperial envoy arrived in Yangzhou, he first arrested the leading scholar and revoked his degree. Then, he spoke kindly to the other scholars, saying that the emperor, with his clear vision and boundless compassion, cherished talent and would surely give all scholars a satisfactory explanation. This combination of firmness and gentleness startled the scholars who only knew how to talk the talk, and fearing they would be barred from the imperial examinations, they all became like birds and beasts.
Upon hearing the news, the old lady murmured "Amitabha" several times, and her gaze towards Ruan Bi softened with affection, igniting the jealousy in the hearts of the young ladies like insects gnawing at their hearts. Having gained her favor, the servants began to fawn over Ruan Bi, which she accepted with a clear conscience.
At noon that day, Ruan Bi and the Fourth Miss were talking in the embroidery room after dismissing the servants when Xiu Zhi suddenly came over and stood outside the window, saying, "Miss, someone from the First Madam's courtyard just came and said that Master Ziying sent someone to deliver a message saying that she is ill and asking you to come to Yuxu Temple."
Ruan Bi asked anxiously, "What illness do you have? Is it serious?"
"I don't know, but it's probably not a minor injury, otherwise they wouldn't have specifically called the girl over."
Ruan Biwei pondered for a moment. If Master Ziying had something to discuss, he could simply drive to the Ruan residence. Sending a messenger meant he was truly ill. However, she had originally planned with the Fourth Miss to visit Master Ziying together in a few days and also to visit the Red Leaf Nunnery. Now, due to the urgency of the matter, they couldn't go to the Red Leaf Nunnery.
Seeing her looking at her in a daze, the fourth sister was disappointed, but could only say, "I understand what you're thinking, sister. We'll find another opportunity next time. Your master is sick, you should go and see him quickly."
Ruan Bi nodded and led Xiuzhi and Granny Liu to the old lady's place. The old lady had already received the news and said, "Since your master is ill, go and see him quickly. But it's getting late, and the weather looks like it's going to change, so tell your mother to send a few more servants with you."
Then they went to the First Madam's place.
The First Madam was reluctant and delayed for quite a while before finally ordering someone to notify the stables to prepare the carriage. It was still a two-horse carriage with blue drapes, driven by an old coachman with a slightly gray beard, with two young and strong guards following on horseback. By the time they left the Ruan residence, it was nearly late afternoon.
It's a cloudy day with a slight breeze, and it's chilly.
Perhaps fearing a change in the weather, there weren't many pedestrians or carriages on the road. About ten miles outside the capital, the sky grew increasingly gloomy, and the wind raged across the plains, causing the willows along the way to sway precariously, their withered yellow leaves dancing in the wind. Ruan Bi glanced out the window, silently praying that they wouldn't encounter a torrential downpour like last time.
Halfway there, they suddenly heard the thunderous sound of hooves behind them, a cacophony of at least ten riders. The hooves came quickly, reaching them in the blink of an eye, followed by loud shouts: "Make way! Make way! Don't block my way!"
The coachman cracked his whip, slowed down, and carefully led the carriage to the side.
The two guards also led their horses to walk slowly along the side of the road.
Before they knew it, a dozen or so riders came galloping over. The one in the lead, a man with a thick beard, lashed out with his whip at the driver without saying a word: "Fuck your mother! Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me telling you to get out of the way?"
The coachman turned his head to avoid him. Seeing that the man was tall and strong and not very reasonable, he was afraid. He gripped the reins and slowed down the carriage, saying, "Sir, I have already given way. Any further and it will be wheat fields."
"Damn it, you still dare to talk back!" The bearded man lashed out with his whip again, striking the coachman's hand. The coachman cried out in pain, and the horse, startled, neighed and kicked wildly. The coachman quickly gripped the reins, and the carriage came to a stop just outside the wheat field, startling Ruan Bi, Xiu Zhi, and Granny Liu inside.
The dozen or so riders also reined in their horses. They were all dressed in brocade robes and black boots, and the horses they rode were tall and magnificent. They were clearly not ordinary people.
One of the two guards from the Ruan family, named Zhuzi, was quite perceptive. Seeing that the other side had more people and that a direct confrontation would not end well, he stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Sir, my coachman is getting old and his strength is inevitably lacking. He couldn't move aside in time, which was his fault. I apologize to you. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against him."
The bearded man crossed his arms and said, "Fine, let him kowtow to me ten times, and I'll let him off the hook."
The Ruan family had a certain reputation in the capital. While their servants weren't exactly domineering, they had never been bullied. The bearded man's words were too arrogant, and Zhu Zi felt a little embarrassed. He smiled and said, "Sir, of the three of us, only he knows how to drive. He's so old; if he kowtows ten times, he probably won't be able to straighten his back and drive the carriage, which would delay my master's journey. How about we remember these ten kowtows, sir, and leave our name so we can come and apologize another day?"
The bearded man said, "Heh, kid, you're not qualified to ask about my name."
Zhu Zi patiently continued, "Then, sir, when you have time another day, come to the Ruan residence in Huai Shu Lane in western Beijing. I, Zhou Zhu Zi, will host the dinner to apologize to you all."
Ruan Bi found Zhou Zhuzi quite clever, using other people's names while also revealing his own. She couldn't help but take a liking to him. She lifted the curtain and peeked out. He was eighteen or nineteen years old, of medium build, with ordinary features, but his clean-cut appearance exuded a cleverness. She liked him and made up her mind to recruit him to her service in the future.
Looking at the group that had provoked the trouble, the leader was tall and strong, seemingly young, yet sporting a thick beard. His expression wasn't fierce; his eyes darted around, revealing a hint of mischief. The others were all robust and burly, sitting upright, spread out yet subtly forming a protective circle, looking like they came from a military camp.
The bearded man laughed loudly and said, "Kid, you think you can intimidate me with the name of the Ruan family of Jingxi? You've misjudged me."
Others chimed in, "That's right, what a load of rubbish, the Ruan family of Jingxi! If you gentlemen were to reveal their names, it would be enough to crush ten Ruan families of Jingxi."
"Trying to intimidate us with the Ruan family mansion in Jingxi? This old man won't fall for it. Brothers, beat him to death!"
As they spoke, they rushed forward in a swarm, whips flying.
The two guards and the coachman were hit several times, but seeing that there were many of them, they didn't dare to fight back.
Ruan Bi had already figured out that this group of people were doing it on purpose. Ignoring Xiuzhi and Granny Liu's attempts to stop her, she put on her veil, lifted the carriage curtain, jumped off the carriage, and shouted, "Stop!" Xiuzhi and Granny Liu also quickly got off the carriage and stood on her, clenching their fists nervously.
The bearded man whistled, and the group stopped fighting.
Ruan Bi walked over slowly and said, "The road is wide open, and everyone should go their own way. My carriage has been very orderly and hasn't even occupied a third of the road. How exactly have we blocked your way, gentlemen?"
The bearded man said, "If the old man says he'll block it, then he will. What does this little girl know?" He then added, "Brothers, smash that carriage too."
Several people rushed forward and smashed the carriage to pieces in a few moments.
Ruan Bi was furious, glaring at him and demanding, "Tell me, who sent you?"
The bearded man thought to himself that this girl was really smart. He ignored her, whistled, and said, "That was great! I've vented my anger enough. Brothers, let's go."
He and a group of people mounted their horses and sped away like the wind.
Ruan Bi looked at the wrecked carriage, the three seriously injured servants, and this desolate place with no village or shop in sight. She felt an indescribable sense of frustration and anger.
Xiuzhi was so anxious she was almost in tears. She said, "Girl, what should we do?"
"Wait a minute." Ruan Bi tried her best to calm herself down. Since the other party had done it intentionally, they would definitely have other tricks up their sleeve.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the sound of horses' hooves grew louder, followed by a procession appearing in their field of vision. Seven men on horseback escorted two carriages. The first carriage was made of pine wood and, though unmarked, looked quite ornate. As they drew closer, Ruan Bi nearly coughed up blood. She recognized everyone in the group: Xu Maoyu, Yu Qing, You De… all of them were Prince Jin's personal guards, but Prince Jin was nowhere to be seen.
As he approached, Xu Maoyu raised his hand, and the procession stopped. He spurred his horse forward, looked at the wrecked carriage and the injured, bleeding servants, stroked his short beard, and asked, "Oh dear, what happened?"
Granny Liu recognized him and said, "Mr. Xu, we just encountered a group of thugs who smashed our carriage and beat our servants."
Xu Maoyu looked at her for a moment, then feigned sudden realization and said, "Isn't this the maidservant beside Miss Ruan Wu?" He then looked at Ruan Bi, who was wearing a veiled hat, and said, "So it's Miss Ruan Wu? I am Xu Maoyu from Linjiang. I met you once before. Do you remember me?"
"Go ahead and act, go ahead and act." Everyone was acting so enthusiastically that Ruan Bi had no choice but to follow suit, saying, "So it's Mr. Xu. No wonder he looks familiar."
De Le's mouth was crooked.
Xu Maoyu asked again, "Where is Fifth Miss going?"
"Yuxu Temple".
"What a coincidence! Choujing has been praying at Yuxu Temple for three days, and I am here today to pick her up. Since your carriage has been damaged, why don't you ride in my carriage?"
Ruan Bi cursed inwardly, "What a load of crap!" Looking at the sky, the wrecked carriage, and the injured servants, she knew it was a trap, but she had no choice but to jump in. "Thank you, Mr. Xu." She walked towards the first carriage, with Xiuzhi and Granny Liu following. Before they reached the carriage, Youde stretched out his arm to block them, saying, "You two, sit in the back one."
Xiuzhi and Granny Liu stopped in surprise and looked at Ruan Bi.
Ruan Bi was startled and was about to step back.
Youde acted quickly, blocking her path and whispering, "Fifth Miss, if you don't want to attract attention, you'd better go in now, otherwise I'll have to throw you in." After saying that, he glared at Xiuzhi and Granny Liu, "Hurry up and go to the back."
Xiuzhi and Granny Liu turned pale with fright and dared not move, staring at Ruan Bi.
Ruan Bi knew that the two women were tight-lipped and wouldn't say anything, but the two guards and the coachman were the First Madam's people, and if things got out of hand, it would definitely be bad for her. She could only give them a wink, and Xiuzhi and Granny Liu understood and walked towards the back carriage.
Ruan Bi hesitated.
Youde said impatiently, "Hurry up, or I'll throw you."
Ruan Bi glared at him, then steeled herself, lifted the curtain, and bent down to go inside.
The Prince of Jin sat leaning against the soft couch, looking at her with a somewhat cold gaze.
Ruan Bi removed her veil, forced a smile, and said, "Your Highness, what a coincidence..."
The Prince of Jin coldly interrupted her: "The letter was forged by Mao Gong, and I sent someone to deliver it to your door. My men also smashed the carriage. What a coincidence!"
Why did Your Highness do this?
"Why?" Prince Jin raised an eyebrow, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "You've forgotten one thing. Who am I? Do you think you can summon me at will, dismiss me at will, see me whenever you want, and avoid me whenever you want?"
Ruan Bi quickly knelt down and said, "I had no such intention."
The Prince of Jin snorted coldly and said, "It's best if you don't mean it that way. You should remember one thing: even if I take you directly back to the Prince of Jin's residence, no one in the world will dare to say no. I'm giving you face, so don't forget who you are and do whatever you want."
Ruan Bi said, "How could I have such a thought? I have always known that the prince and I are worlds apart."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
