Chapter 49 Exhausted, Both Physically and Mentally
Later that evening, Granny He, who was in charge of the servants, came over and summoned all the maids in Liaoyuan Garden, saying she wanted to give them a lecture.
Ruan Bi guessed that a gag order was about to be issued. The Fourth Miss had embroidered the auspicious cloud pattern of the Queen Mother of the West, but it had not been publicized. Only the maids in Liaoyuan and the maids and wives around the Old Madam knew about it. Now that it was said that the Second Miss had embroidered it, they would have to be silenced.
The maids didn't return until after 9 PM, and they all looked pale.
Xiuzhi told Ruanbi with lingering fear, "As soon as we went in, they made us kneel down and, without asking any questions, whipped us ten times with a thorn stick. Then the doctor came out, didn't say anything, and just sat there. It was the same thing that Granny He said, over and over again, with only one meaning: keep your mouth shut, and anyone who talks nonsense or spreads rumors will have their tongue cut out."
"Where should I take the shot? Does it hurt?"
Xiuzhi shook her head and said, "It didn't hurt when it was whipped on the back. It was probably just to scare us; it wasn't very hard. However, Qiurong, who was next to Fourth Miss, was so frightened that she cried. But the two little maids in our room were quite brave; they didn't utter a sound and weren't frightened at all." She became quite smug as she spoke.
Ruan Bi couldn't help but smile.
"The girl finally smiled," Xiuzhi said with relief. "After returning from the old lady's courtyard, the girl had been wearing a stern face, which looked quite frightening."
Ruan Bi felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that at least Xiu Zhi treated her sincerely.
“Miss, there was something else just now. After Qiu Rong cried, Granny He took her next door and questioned her alone.”
Ruan Bi was slightly taken aback; it didn't sound like good news. She considered telling the Fourth Miss, but then thought that Qiu Lan and Qiu Yan had both been there and must have already told her. In terms of intelligence, Qiu Lan was no less than her, only her experience was less.
The next morning, just after finishing her meal, Ruan Bi suddenly heard a flurry of footsteps outside. Opening the window and peeking out, she saw the First Madam, accompanied by a group of maids and servants, storming into the main room. A moment later, the sounds of rummaging through chests and drawers filled the room, interspersed with faint cries and shouts.
Ruan Bi closed the window and said to Xiuzhi, "Go and listen carefully, so that the First Madam doesn't find out."
Xiuzhi nodded and left the east wing. A quarter of an hour later, she returned, her face pale, and said, "The First Madam is really frightening. Without saying a word, she slapped Fourth Miss, saying she's shameless like Aunt Lin, knowing how to flaunt her charms at such a young age. But Fourth Miss is really stubborn; she knelt on the ground without uttering a sound or shedding a single tear." She paused, then said with disgust, "It must be Qiu Rong gossiping in front of the First Madam last night. She's truly shameless, even betraying her own mistress."
Fifteen minutes later, the commotion in the main house finally subsided, and the First Madam left with a group of nannies, looking arrogant and haughty.
Ruan Bi hesitated, wondering whether she should go and see the Fourth Sister.
Before she could make up her mind, there was a light knock on the window. She opened the window and saw Qiulan, her eyes red-rimmed, saying, "Fifth Miss, please persuade our young lady. That lowly maid Qiurong is spreading rumors, saying that Fourth Miss and Young Master Xu... This is a huge injustice! Our young lady is the most proper person."
"Okay." Without saying a word, Ruan Bi followed her to the embroidery room.
The room was in complete disarray; many embroidered pieces displayed on the walls had fallen down, and the embroidery frames were overturned. The Fourth Sister sat slumped on the floor, a clear handprint on her left cheek, her expression blank, her eyes staring blankly at the wall. Beside her crouched Qiu Yan, covering her mouth and sobbing softly.
Seeing the fourth young lady's despairing expression, Ruan Bi asked in bewilderment, "What did the first madam just say?"
Qiulan hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "The First Madam said... the Lu family from Zhejiang will send someone to arrange the marriage in a few days, and told Fourth Miss... to stay in the house and prepare her dowry." She paused, then said in a low voice, "Miss, please persuade my daughter. Actually, the Lu family from Zhejiang is not bad either."
Ruan Bi suddenly realized that the credit for the painting of the Queen Mother of the West's auspicious clouds had been stolen by the second young lady. Although the fourth young lady was disappointed, she still had a glimmer of hope—to marry Xu Chuanyang, whom she loved. But this time, the First Madam had completely shattered her hopes. The Lu family in Zhejiang was far away, and once the fourth young lady married, she might not be able to return to the capital for three to five years, let alone take care of Aunt Lin and the third young master. No wonder she was so desperate.
Ruan Bi knelt down beside her and whispered, "Fourth Sister, I know you're having a hard time right now. But is your situation any worse than when I was imprisoned in the east wing? Is it worse than when I almost married a paralyzed man?"
The fourth sister shuddered and slowly turned her eyes to look at Ruan Bi.
Ruan Bi patted her shoulder, said nothing more, and left.
She wasn't good at comforting others, and she didn't think the Fourth Miss needed comforting either. Her situation was much better than her own a few months ago. Think about herself; back then, she was infamous and had no support, yet she still made it through. If she couldn't even make it through that, how could she possibly succeed? She might as well give up and obediently submit to the First Madam's tyranny.
At noon, the palace sent a carriage to bring the second young lady back.
I heard that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had bestowed upon her lavish gifts—silk and satin, gold and silver jewels, palace powder and perfumes, and countless others. Upon her return, she went straight to the Old Madam's room, dismissing all the servants, and the two of them ate lunch together, whispering amongst themselves. No one knew what they were saying, but the maids standing outside could hear the Old Madam's cheerful laughter. She hadn't laughed like that since the Second Master's accident.
The news spread throughout the Ruan family mansion in an instant, and everyone was saying that the second young lady was about to marry into a wealthy family.
Ruan Bi thought it would be a few days before she would see the second daughter, who was said to be "a magpie on a branch," but unexpectedly, she arrived with Chunliu at noon.
Surprisingly, this time she didn't get carried away. Instead, she put on a dignified and reserved demeanor and said, "Last time, my fifth sister received a gift from the Princess, who gave me a bolt of cloth and palace flowers. In return, this time I received a gift from the Empress Dowager, who specially selected a box of fine rouge, a box of palace powder, and two pearl hairpins for you. You usually don't wear any makeup, so you should dress up nicely from now on and not let my kindness go to waste." As she spoke, she gave a wink, and Chunliu quickly handed over the makeup box she was holding.
Rouge and face powder were both tribute items, not available to outsiders. The pearls inlaid in the hairpin were about the size of a little finger, round and lustrous. This gift was quite precious. Ruan Bi glanced at it casually and said, "The face powder and rouge are very beautiful, and the hairpin is also nice. Second sister is indeed a thoughtful person, showing such care for her younger sister."
The words sounded awkward no matter how you looked at them. The second young lady frowned, but remembering the first lady's instructions, she suppressed her temper and said, "I'm glad you like it, little sister."
"Like?" Ruan Bi smiled. "When did I say I liked it? Second sister, don't misunderstand."
"What does 'sister' mean?"
Ruan Bi stared into her eyes and said, "What I mean is, do you really not know, sister? Do you really want me to tell you the truth? If I tell you the truth, I'm afraid even if you put on ten boxes of face powder, you still won't be able to hide your blush."
The second girl's face flushed red, and a hint of shame flashed in her eyes. She said, "Why be so sarcastic? Do you think I wanted this?"
"Could it be that your mother and grandmother forced you to acknowledge them?"
The second daughter forced herself to say, "That's really true."
"I used to think that my sister was a little arrogant, but now I realize that she is also quite shameless. It is said that a tree without bark will surely die, and a person without skin is invincible. Congratulations on mastering your divine skill. From now on, you will be extremely strong and invincible, impervious to swords and water."
"You..." The second young lady's eyes reddened with anger, completely forgetting the First Madam's instructions. She said, "I know you're good with words, I know I can't win an argument with you. But that's how things are. If you're not satisfied, go tell Mother and Grandmother." With that, she got up and stormed off.
Xiuzhi watched her angry departure and said anxiously, "Oh dear, my good girl, things have already come to this, why did you have to upset her? If she really told the old lady, you'll get a scolding too."
"Don't worry, they won't scold me," Ruan Bi said confidently.
She was different from the Fourth Miss. Since Aunt Lin left, the Fourth Miss had no backing whatsoever; she was completely at the mercy of the First Madam. She, however, had Master Ziying as her master. A simple statement like "The Second Miss's face is unfavorable" could potentially ruin a marriage. Therefore, they needed to be on her good side now; otherwise, why would the Second Miss have sent her a gift?
Would they be dumbfounded if they found out that their relationship with Master Ziying was one of mutual exploitation?
Thinking of this, Ruan Bi couldn't help but smile.
Seeing that she had been frowning, Xiuzhi suddenly smiled and said, "Miss, you're acting strangely today, changing your expression from joy to sorrow."
"Xiuzhi, help me pack my things. Master Ziying will be coming to pick me up in a little while."
Xiuzhi asked in astonishment, "How did you know, young lady?"
Ruan Bi curled her lips, thinking to herself, if things go wrong, she'll come and demand an explanation.
Sure enough, half an hour later, Master Ziying came to pick up Ruan Bi in person.
This time, the First Madam warmly welcomed her to sit in the main hall, said a lot of polite words, and then personally escorted her to the hanging flower gate, and earnestly instructed Ruan Bi to take good care of her master.
Master Ziying was also amiable, with a smile in her eyes. However, once she got into the carriage, her face immediately fell. Because Xiuzhi was present, she couldn't speak, so she remained silent the whole way. Upon arriving at Yuxu Temple, Ruan Bi followed her into Fushu Abode. She sat down on the prayer mat and said sternly, "Fifth Miss, what about what you promised me?"
"You must have been at the palace during yesterday's birthday banquet, didn't you see?"
"Didn't you say it was the Fourth Sister?"
"I've been set up."
"You've been schemed against before, too?"
"You overestimate me. I'm constantly being schemed against. Even among us, haven't you been the one who schemed against me first?"
Master Ziying smiled slightly and said, "Let's not talk about that for now. Since you have failed, it is up to me to deal with you."
"Then what will the real person do with me?"
Master Ziying looked at her, truly perplexed. He knew she was unwilling to enter the palace, and besides, Princess Huiwen wanted to marry her off to Gu Xiaobai, which was a good match, more advantageous than sending her to the palace. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this, send your fourth daughter to the Empress's side."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
