Chapter Eighteen: The Gift of the King of Jin
Ruan Bi ignored him and led Xiuzhi quickly into the backyard of the temple.
The monk guarding the gate was discerning. He noticed that although she was simply dressed, the fabric of her clothes was of fine quality, and she exuded an air of elegance. He knew she came from a prestigious family, so he didn't stop her, but he did block the two men who were chasing her from entering. The two men were shouting and yelling, but Ruan Bi and Xiu Zhi didn't turn around and kept walking inside.
Suddenly, a woman's low shout rang out from behind: "Where did this frivolous man come from? Can't you see where you're going? Why are you bumping into us? If you hurt our old lady and young lady, how many lives will you pay for it?"
Ruan Bi paused, turning around to see a dignified old woman standing at the door. She wore a brown floral dress, her silver hair styled into a high bun, adorned only with a single pearl hairpin. The pearl on the hairpin was the size of a thumb, perfectly round and lustrous, like a full moon. Although the old woman appeared pale, her expression was authoritative and dignified, clearly indicating her high status. Supporting her left arm was a slender, elegantly dressed young woman with two low buns adorned with kingfisher feather hairpins, possessing a graceful and charming appearance. This was Chen, whom Ruan Bi had met once before. Behind them followed a group of matrons and maids; one of the matrons was speaking.
I don't know what the two men said, but the old woman said, "It's alright to tell you. Our master's surname is Shen, and our house is the first one on Zhuque Street. You can come and find us."
Everyone in the capital knew that the first house on Zhuque Street was the residence of Prime Minister Shen. The two men there probably knew they couldn't afford to offend him, so they bowed and nodded.
The old woman said with disgust, "Get out of here."
The two men glanced helplessly into the doorway and slunk away.
Upon seeing Shen, Ruan Bi had already guessed the old lady's identity and knew it was best not to confront her. Just as she turned to leave, she heard the old nanny behind her speak again: "Miss, don't be afraid, we've already driven those two dissolute men away."
Ruan Bi had no choice but to stop and turn around to bow, saying, "Thank you."
Shen couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh."
Madam Shen looked at her in surprise and said, "What, do you know this young lady?"
Chen's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "I don't recognize her, but this lady is very beautiful, and my granddaughter was amazed."
It seems she already knows her identity, Ruan Bi thought to herself.
Madam Shen looked Ruan Bi up and down, nodded and said, "She is indeed beautiful, with a clear and bright appearance and a composed demeanor..." She paused, then frowned slightly and said, "Why does she look so familiar to me?"
The old nanny who had spoken earlier stepped forward and said, "This young lady looks somewhat like our Xiuda Miss."
"Yes, she does resemble Xiuer somewhat." Old Madam Shen looked at Ruan Bi with a hint of affection. "Young lady, which family are you from?"
Before Ruan Bi could answer, she heard the old lady's cold voice from behind: "Fifth girl, what are you doing here?"
Madam Shen looked up in surprise, glancing at the old lady who was walking gracefully over with a group of maids and servants, and then at the composed Ruan Bi. Her body swayed slightly, her face turned pale, and her blue veins stood out.
Ruan Bi turned around and bowed, saying, "Grandmother, I was harassed by two idle men outside, so I came in to hide."
The old lady looked at Madam Shen with icy eyes and said to Ruan Bi, "Be careful. There are many such idle and petty people in this world who make trouble, slander others, and call black white."
Madam Shen's expression remained unchanged, but the expressions of the people behind her all changed.
Ruan Bi responded softly, "Yes."
They were all respectable people, and it wouldn't look good to cause a scene. The old lady didn't want to lose face, so she stopped there and took her hand, saying, "Let's go. In the future, if we encounter these kinds of idle and petty people, we'll just stay far away from them."
"Yes." Ruan Bi responded again, supporting her as they passed by Madam Shen with eyes that did not wander.
After walking for about ten years towards the guest hall, Granny Zheng returned and asked in surprise, "Weren't you going to listen to the abbot's enthronement and sermon?"
The old lady said coldly, "What are you listening to? This time it's for that old man from the Shen family. Let's go back after we finish our vegetarian meal."
After the vegetarian meal, the group headed home.
The old lady had originally wanted to go out for a walk to clear her head, but instead, she had an even more upsetting matter to deal with, and she didn't say a word the whole way.
Upon returning to the mansion, everyone went to their respective courtyards.
Ruan Bi returned to the east wing of Liaoyuan Garden, yawning as she went straight inside. She was taken aback to see a brocade box on the desk and called Han Xing in, asking, "Where did this brocade box come from?"
"It was sent by Sister Xiuping."
Xiuping sent this; could it be gold bestowed by the Prince of Jin? "Did he say what it was?"
Hanxing shook her head and said, "No."
"Have you opened it and looked at it?"
Hanxing shook her head again and said, "Sister Xiuping said that only young ladies can see this."
Ruan Bi frowned. The maid in her room was too careless and negligent in guarding against danger. It seemed she needed to teach her a lesson.
Xiuzhi scolded in a low voice: "Foolish! How can you not check things when someone brings them over? What if they're unclean? Wouldn't that kill the girl? And what if the numbers don't match up? Who will you blame then?"
Hanxing was startled, blinked her big eyes, and couldn't say a word.
Seeing her like a frightened deer, Ruan Bi could only wave her hand and say, "Go down now, learn your lesson, and don't do it again."
Hanxing nodded and withdrew.
Ruan Bi opened the brocade box, and a burst of golden light immediately filled her eyes.
Xiuzhi's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Girl, we're rich!"
Ten gold bars were neatly arranged in the brocade box, each engraved with a different pattern: blooming flowers symbolizing wealth, galloping horses, and abundance year after year… Ruan Bi had never really liked gold before, finding it vulgar and preferring the understated elegance of platinum. But this golden expanse before her, like an autumn wheat field, filled her with joy from the bottom of her heart.
"Girl, how many are there exactly here?"
"Probably a hundred taels," Ruan Bi said absentmindedly. The Prince of Jin was really generous. A hundred taels of gold was equivalent to a thousand taels of silver, roughly 600,000 RMB in later years. The privileged class was truly wealthy.
"My God, I've never seen so much gold in my life! Where should we put it? Won't it attract thieves? No, we have to find a place to hide it..." Xiuzhi was so excited that she couldn't speak coherently.
Ruan Bi chuckled and picked up a gold bar to look at it. But as she read the rest, her face darkened. She put the gold bar into the brocade box and said, "Take this gold back to the Third Master."
Xiuzhi's excitement froze on her face. "Why?"
"Just send it back, that's what I told you to do."
Xiuzhi's face fell, and she said reluctantly, "Girl, you're so poor, it's rare for you to make such a fortune, why should you return it? Besides, you didn't steal or rob, this is a reward from Prince Jin for your calligraphy, it's because you write well, you deserve it, I won't return it."
She was usually obedient, so it was rare for her to be so stubborn. Ruan Bi had no choice but to say in a gentle tone, "The gold nugget has the mark of the Prince of Jin's mansion engraved on the back. If it stays in my hands, it will be a disaster."
"How did it cause such a disaster?" Xiuzhi asked, puzzled.
Ruan Bi was too lazy to explain anymore. "Just send it back. We can't accept this gold." If they accepted the gold, and something went wrong in the future, they could be accused of something suspicious and sent to the Prince of Jin's mansion. She wondered if this was intentional on the Prince of Jin's part or an oversight. He was a seasoned military commander, and his cunning and strategy were likely far superior to hers. It was better to be cautious.
Xiuzhi reluctantly took the brocade box and left.
Ruan Bi was also heartbroken; a hundred taels of gold had just vanished. Lying reclining on the couch, the image of glittering gold flashed through her mind the moment she closed her eyes. However, the thought that this gold might be the Prince of Jin's "funds for buying a concubine" instantly transformed the image of Concubine Lin kneeling humbly before the First Madam…
Lost in thought, she heard the curtain rustle. Opening her eyes, she saw Xiuzhi return, still holding the brocade box. She said, "Miss, the Third Master said this was a gift from the Prince of Jin. How dare he take it back on his own? If you don't want it, go talk to the Prince of Jin yourself. And what's this about a gift from an elder, how could you refuse it?"
"If an elder bestows a gift, the young and the lowly shall not refuse."
"Yes, yes, that's the one."
Ruan Bi hesitated for a moment, then asked stammeringly, "Is the Prince of Jin... not in the Third Master's courtyard?"
Xiuzhi shook her head and said, "No, I heard from Sister Xiuping that the reward was sent by his servants."
"good."
Ruan Bi looked at the brocade box, hesitant. Accepting it—a reward for asking for calligraphy—wasn't a big deal. But what if someone with ulterior motives used it as an opportunity to exploit, putting her in a passive position? Ultimately, she felt it was too dangerous, so she got off the bed and said, "Xiuzhi, you hold the gold, let's go see the Third Master."
It was noon, and the maids and servants had probably all gone to rest. The Fragrant Wood Pavilion was quiet. A young maid sat on the stone steps of the east wing, her chin resting on her hand, her eyes closed, nodding her head repeatedly. Hearing footsteps, she opened her eyes, saw Ruan Bi and Xiu Zhi, and quickly stood up, whispering, "Fifth Miss, what brings you here at this hour? Sister Xiu Ping is asleep."
"I'm here to see my third uncle. Is he asleep too?"
"The Third Master is in his study. He just asked for tea. I wonder if he's asleep yet? Let me go check on him." The maid quietly walked to the study door, lifted the curtain and went in. After a while, she came out and said, "The Third Master is still awake. Please come in, Miss. I'll go prepare some tea for you."
"No need, I'll only stay for a short while." Ruan Bi led Xiuzhi into the study.
Ruan Chi sat on the couch reading a book, glancing at the brocade box in Xiuzhi's hands, and said disdainfully, "What? You have the guts to ask for it but don't dare to accept it?"
"If I accept it, won't you be living in constant fear, Uncle?"
"What do I have to worry about?" Ruan Chi said nonchalantly, though he was genuinely uneasy. It was undeniable that Prince Jin had feelings for Fifth Sister. Fifth Sister was now favored by the Old Madam, who even took her with her to the Tianqing Temple for vegetarian offerings. If she became Prince Jin's woman, it would be entirely detrimental to him. He had to completely destroy her. Thinking this, he suddenly realized he was being foolish. Wasn't Fifth Sister's refusal to accept the reward a perfect opportunity? He could return the gold to Prince Jin, embellish the story, say she absolutely refused to accept it, say she liked Xie Mingyue… disappointing Prince Jin and completely extinguishing his hopes, thus freeing himself from any constraints.
"Alright, since you are so adamant about not accepting it, I have no choice but to return it to Prince Jin."
Ruan Bi had expected to have to say more, but he suddenly changed his tune, which surprised her. However, regardless, she had achieved her goal. She gestured for Xiuzhi to put down the brocade box, bowed, and withdrew.
Ruan Chi closed the book, gazing thoughtfully at Ruan Bi's retreating figure. The Prince of Jin held a high position and was young and handsome; countless women would be captivated by him, yet she repeatedly turned him down—she was even willing to refuse a hundred taels of gold. What kind of person was his niece?
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