Chapter Ninety-One: Shen Ruan's Negotiations
Half an hour later, Yunying came over, took her hand and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Miss is finally back. The Prince was so worried. He sent me a message yesterday, telling you to go to the Tiangong Embroidery Workshop to see him as soon as you return from the Princess's residence."
Ruan Bi said with difficulty, "I just got back, it's not appropriate for me to go out and meet people again, and it's easy to arouse suspicion."
Yunying frowned and said anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
They stared at each other, at a loss, when they heard Manyun's voice from outside: "Hanxing, is Fifth Miss inside?"
She spoke quickly, her voice tinged with anxiety. Ruan Bi hurriedly lifted the curtain and said, "I'm here. Is there something you need, Sister Manyun?"
"The old lady tells you to quickly change into your guest clothes and put on your headdress. She is going to take you to Tianqing Temple."
"Hmm?" Ruan Bi blinked in confusion. When going to a temple, one always dresses simply and elegantly. Why would one need to change into formal attire and wear jewelry? Besides, the first day of the tenth month had just passed, and the old lady had just gone to Tianqing Temple to make offerings. Why would one need to go to Tianqing Temple again?
Seeing that she was standing there in a daze, Manyun hurriedly pushed her into the inner room. When she saw Yunying standing to the side, she was slightly taken aback, but then pushed Ruanbi to sit down in front of the dressing table. She then said loudly, "Xiuzhi, quickly take out the new winter clothes that the young lady has made and pick out a nice one." As she spoke, she loosened Ruanbi's hair and quickly tied it up for her again.
Seeing her so serious about it, Ruan Bi became even more surprised and asked, "Sister Manyun, what are you doing?"
“Miss, I don’t know either. It was the old lady who instructed that you must be dressed up to look radiant.” Manyun said, opening her dressing case and taking out a set of kingfisher feather headdress that the old lady had given her. Then, together with Xiuzhi, she helped her change into a newly made Shu brocade winter dress with a stone-paved floor and floral patterns. This dress was slightly darker in color and, although not as luxurious as the red brocade pomegranate skirt with scattered flowers she wore last time, it looked very dignified and elegant.
After she finished dressing up, Manyun took a few steps back and carefully examined her. She said with satisfaction, "Tsk tsk tsk, as expected, clothes make the man. With this outfit, you'll be top-notch anywhere."
Ruan Bi looked at herself in the mirror. Dressed in brocade and adorned with jewels, she was perfectly at ease when meeting guests. However, dressed like this for a temple felt somewhat out of place. She whispered, "Shouldn't I wear at least one less headdress?"
Manyun shook her head and said, "That's perfect. Let's go, the old lady must have been waiting for a long time." With that, she pulled her and walked out. Yunying thought for a moment and followed them. They followed them all the way to the fork in the road leading to Xiangmu Xiaozhu before she said, "Fifth Miss, I'll go back first. I'll go and do what you asked me to do for you." As she spoke, she winked meaningfully.
Ruan Bi nodded knowingly.
Manyun turned around and asked curiously, "What did Fifth Sister ask Sister Yunying for?"
Ruan Bixing blurted out: "My third uncle has a few rare books in his study, but he wouldn't lend them to me, so I asked him to copy them for me."
Although Manyun was literate, she had no interest in the classics. Upon hearing that it was a rare copy, she immediately lost interest. Then she thought about how Ruan Bi and Ruan Chi had a bad relationship, yet she was so close to his concubine, which was truly unbelievable. She then suspected that she hadn't said a word.
They rushed straight to the hanging flower gate, where a group of people surrounded the old lady. She was dressed specially today, wearing a blue brocade robe with plum blossoms and bamboo patterns, and a jade headdress. The large piece of jade was a deep, green, like a pool of clear water, which made her old face look green.
She looked Ruan Bi up and down, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Let's go."
Upon arriving at the main gate, Ruan Bi noticed that although the carriages were large this time, none bore the Ruan family's markings. Moreover, the eldest master was among those traveling with them. Calculating the time, it wasn't a day off for officials; it seemed the trip to Tianqing Temple was no ordinary affair. The eldest master and the old lady boarded the same carriage, while Ruan Bi rode in another with Zheng Mama and Xiuzhi. The other maids and servants squeezed into the last carriage. The second steward escorted them with a dozen or so servants.
Once the carriage started moving, Ruan Bi couldn't contain herself any longer and asked Zheng Mama, "Mama, what's going on this time?"
"Young lady, Master Baiyun just sent someone over, saying he's willing to mediate between the Shen and Ruan families."
Ruan Bi was startled. In just one day of her absence, the situation had changed again. The old lady had spread the word so publicly and set out three outrageous conditions, clearly intending to severely damage the Shen family's reputation and kill any hope of them taking her back. Why was she suddenly seeking mediation?
Granny Zheng guessed what she was thinking and whispered, "Miss, you don't know, this matter has blown up a lot. The master just came back and said that at the morning court session this day, several censors impeached him, saying that he was involved in some kind of corpse-eating..."
"Holding a position without doing any work."
“Yes, yes, that’s the word. They also said that the master colluded with the Prince of Han, forming cliques and suppressing dissent; his intentions are despicable,” said Granny Zheng. “The old lady said it must have been Prime Minister Shen who instigated it… Sigh, I used to think Prime Minister Shen was so refined and reasonable, how come he’s now so unscrupulous?”
Ruan Biwei chuckled. Can one become a prime minister, second only to the emperor, by being reasonable and understanding?
"However, the Master said that Prime Minister Shen did not benefit either. The Prince of Han instructed several censors to impeach him, saying that he could not even handle his own family affairs, so how could he handle state affairs? How could he set an example for the world? The Master also said that the Emperor was very angry today and scolded both him and Prime Minister Shen, saying that they were both pillars of the country and important officials of the court, but they did not know the importance of propriety and harmony, and made a scene over trivial matters, which was a disgrace to the people."
Ruan Bi suddenly realized why the Shen and Ruan families were so anxious to mediate. If the matter dragged on any longer, it could be exploited by political enemies, potentially resulting in a lose-lose situation. However, what if the Shen and Ruan families really reached an agreement and she wanted to be recognized as a member of their clan? Should she really return to the Shen family mansion? To be honest, she really didn't want to. The Shen family mansion was just another Ruan family mansion, and she had no roots in the Shen family mansion. Starting everything from scratch would be too exhausting.
Perhaps at the old lady's behest, the carriage drove exceptionally fast today, veering wildly and nearly overturning a porter's load at the crossroads. As a result, the journey that usually takes half an hour was completed in just over three-quarters of an hour.
As soon as the carriage stopped at the temple gate, the receptionist, accompanied by a young novice monk, came forward. After a few pleasantries, he led the group inside. The master walked in front, followed closely by Ruan Bixu supporting the old lady, with seven or eight maids and servants, along with the master's attendants, bringing up the rear. Whether from nervousness or excitement, the old lady's arm muscles were taut, and her face was tense. Her usually loose, flabby skin seemed to have vanished all at once, making her appear five years younger at first glance.
In short, the group walked into the main hall with their heads held high and chests puffed out. They didn't seem to be there to mediate; they looked more like they were there to argue and fight.
From afar, a group of people could be seen standing outside the guest hall, including maids, nannies, and servants, all dressed in uniform, presumably servants of the Shen family. They had been standing relaxed, whispering among themselves, but upon seeing the group from the Ruan family approaching, they immediately straightened their backs, tensed their faces, and stared straight ahead, each one looking like a rooster ready to fight.
Ruan Bi wanted to laugh, but she tried her best to hold it in, and her hand trembled slightly.
The old lady misunderstood and quickly turned to look at her, her gaze sharp and piercing, hinting at reproach.
Ruan Bi quickly winked at her to show that she wasn't scared. Only then did she turn her gaze away and walk straight past the servants of the Shen family. She paused slightly and gave a low, authoritative order: "You all wait outside."
The servants answered in unison, "Yes." Their voices were clear and their manner was imposing, completely unlike their usual laziness, which immediately suppressed the arrogance of the Shen family's group of scoundrels.
The old lady was very satisfied and stepped forward.
The receptionist pushed open the door to the reception hall and bowed, gesturing for the guest to enter.
The master first lifted a corner of his robe and stepped across the threshold. The old lady took a deep breath and, supported by Ruan Bi, followed him in. Suddenly, the light in front of her dimmed.
The layout of this reception hall was exactly the same as the usual reception hall where people offered incense and rested, only it was larger. It was furnished with dark red tables and chairs, the material of which Ruan Bi couldn't identify, but judging from their warm color, they were probably made of high-quality wood. In the center of the reception hall, in the main seat, sat an old monk with slightly white eyebrows, a gentle expression, and compassionate eyes; he must be the famous Master Baiyun.
To his left sat three people on a row of guest benches. Ruan Bi recognized Madam Shen and Prime Minister Shen. The other man, an elderly man with thinning hair and beard and a face full of age spots, must be the former Right Prime Minister, Shen Mi. He was staring intently at Ruan Bi, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
When the old lady saw them sitting on the left, she immediately regretted arriving too late and letting them take the best seats. Suppressing her displeasure, she put her palms together in a respectful bow to Master Baiyun.
Master Baiyun stood up and returned the greeting, then pointed to a row of chairs on his right and said, "Minister Ruan, Madam Ruan, please sit down."
The master and madam walked over and sat down. Since Ruan Bi had no seat in front of the elders, she had to stand behind the madam.
Master Baiyun carefully examined Ruan Bi for a moment, nodded slightly, and said, "This is Miss Ruan Wu? She is indeed a woman of outstanding talent and natural beauty. No wonder Master Ziying, who never takes on disciples, made an exception."
The two groups of people inside the room, who had initially maintained a composed and unwavering demeanor, suddenly changed their expressions upon hearing Master Baiyun's words, like ripples spreading across water after a pebble has been thrown in. The Shen family felt embarrassed and uncomfortable, their eyes lowered as if slapped in the face by an invisible hand. Meanwhile, the two men from the Ruan family wore smug expressions, their gazes sweeping over the faces of the Shen family.
Ruan Bi was neither surprised nor pleased, and put her palms together to express her gratitude: "Amitabha, Master, you flatter me."
Master Baiyun's previous praise of her was three parts genuine and seven parts feigned—his aim was to elevate her so that the Shen family would willingly acknowledge her. However, seeing that she was young and unperturbed by praise or criticism, he secretly admired her and nodded slightly, saying, "You deserve it, young lady. There's no need to be modest."
Ruan Bi nodded slightly in acknowledgment and said no more.
At this moment, the young novice monk served tea.
Master Baiyun said, "This is a ginkgo tea that I personally prepared this autumn. It has a good effect on calming the mind and spirit. Please have a taste."
No one had the leisure to drink tea, but they still gave the high monk face and obediently raised their cups, took a small sip, and then put them down.
Seeing their tense faces, neither willing to back down, Master Baiyun sighed inwardly and said, "Amitabha. Speaking of which, I have known Madam Shen and Madam Ruan for a long time, and I have also drunk tea and discussed philosophy with Prime Minister Shen and Duke Wenxiao. The Shen and Ruan families are both prominent families in the capital, pillars of the righteous stream. It is heartbreaking and regrettable to think of the situation that has come to this. Today, I am willing to swallow my pride and act as a peacemaker for both of you."
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