Chapter Sixty-Four: Eliminating the Source of Disaster
After tossing and turning all night, Ruan Bi still decided to give the embroidered lampshade to Gu Xiaobai.
When Xiuzhi was asked to open the box, she hesitated and said, "Miss, didn't Young Master Gu say he wanted to ride a horse or be a hero of the Sui and Tang Dynasties?"
"Do I have to give him whatever he wants?"
“But,” Xiuzhi turned to look at Ruan Bi, and said hesitantly, “Young Master Gu will be very disappointed.”
Upon hearing this, Ruan Bi immediately pictured Gu Xiaobai's bright, autumn-sun-like eyes. She truly didn't want those eyes to dim, whether it was riding a horse or depicting a hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties—it would only take a few days to finish the embroidery anyway. But precisely because of those bright, autumn-sun-like eyes, she felt she had to disappoint him.
Seeing that she remained silent, Xiuzhi added, "Miss, last time at Princess Huiwen's residence, after you were injured while riding a horse, Young Master Gu even went to the north window and secretly asked me what was wrong. I was angry with him at the time, so I ignored him and closed the window directly."
“You told me about this last time.”
“Girl, I’m thinking that maybe he was just a little clumsy before, and didn’t mean to do anything bad.”
Ruan Bi paused for a moment and then said, "I know."
Seeing that she looked indifferent and didn't want to talk much, Xiuzhi knew that she had made up her mind. She sighed sadly, said no more, and handed her two lampshades.
Ruan Bi refused to take it, saying, "Wrap it carefully in cloth, then take out five hundred coins and call Liu Mama in."
"Mother Liu just had the maid from the First Madam's courtyard call her away."
"Oh? How long have you been gone?"
Xiuzhi glanced at the water clock and said, "It's been a quarter of an hour."
"Let's wait until she gets back before we talk about it."
After waiting for more than half an hour, Granny Liu returned, looking somewhat strange.
Ruan Bi's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "What's wrong, Mom? Did Mother make things difficult for you?"
Granny Liu shook her head and said, "I'm just a servant, why would the Madam make things difficult for me? She asked me about my young lady, and she asked me a lot of questions. She asked about my young lady's daily life, her personality and hobbies, who she associates with, what she talks about with the maids, and whether she talks about the elders behind their backs. She also asked several times who gave me the 'Spring Water Green Waves' decoration on my young lady's desk?"
Ruan Bi turned her gaze to the green waves of the spring water; another flower had bloomed today. At first glance, the three tiny green clouds added vibrant life to the dimly lit room. "Oh, so what did you say?"
"Don't worry, young lady. I'm not old enough to be a dog. I know what to say and what not to say. Today, the Madam summoned me and asked me a lot of questions for an hour and a half. But I could tell that what she really suspected was the origin of the Spring Water Green Waves. It's no wonder she's suspicious. After all, this flower is a rare variety, difficult to cultivate. Many high-ranking officials and nobles have tried to buy it at high prices, but they have never been able to. If they do get one, they cherish it very much. If they were to give it away, it must be to a close friend, elder, or relative. I thought to myself, if I said I didn't know who gave it to you, she might even suspect me. So I said it was given to you by Miss Xiuping, but I don't know who gave it to Xiuping."
Ruan Bi nodded slightly.
Granny Liu said worriedly, "However, when I came out just now, I heard the First Madam ask Baoli to invite Xiuping... It's probably for a confrontation, Miss, you should be careful."
Ruan Bi said dismissively, "Mother, don't worry. These flowers were sent by Xiuping and Third Uncle, so they can't escape responsibility either. Besides, what if word gets out? Prince Jin asked me for calligraphy, and I reciprocated with these beautiful flowers; there's nothing wrong with that. At most, it's just that I was disrespectful to my elders and accepted them without informing them." As for meeting Prince Jin at Xiangmu Xiaozhu, even if Xiuping had twelve times the courage, she wouldn't dare say anything. After all, both meetings were arranged by her and Ruan Chi. If she were to tell anyone, not to mention how Ruan Chi and Prince Jin would deal with her, the old lady alone would beat her to death.
Granny Liu paused for a moment, then thought about it and realized it was true. So what if it was a gift from Prince Jin? It wasn't a private exchange; it had been approved by the Third Master and Xiuping. Besides, if a young lady were to be taken advantage of by local ruffians, her reputation would be tarnished; but if a member of royalty presented her with such a beautiful flower, people would look at her differently. She immediately smiled and said, "What you say is true, Miss. I was confused. It's not even a matter of disrespecting elders; the Third Master is your elder."
Ruan Bi smiled slightly and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore, Mother. I need you to run an errand for me." Pointing to the lampshade and five hundred coins on the table, she said, "Go to the front yard and find that Zhou Zhuzi. Ask him to go to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and give the lampshade to Princess Jingyi. The five hundred coins are a reward for him."
Granny Liu was slightly taken aback and asked, "Miss, do you really have to find him? There are many errand boys at the gatehouse, all of them clever and quick-witted."
Ruan Bi nodded and said, "Yes, we must find him. Mother, I think he's not only smart but also quite courageous. We should ask him for any errands we need." Last time on the way to Yuxu Temple, Zhou Zhuzi remained calm and resourceful in the face of the unreasonable demands of the Prince of Jin's guards, which sparked her desire to recruit him. However, being confined to the inner courtyard, she hadn't had a chance to make contact. This time, however, was a good opportunity.
She spoke vaguely, but Granny Liu was very shrewd. After pondering her words for a moment, she understood what Ruan Bi meant. She nodded and said, "Please rest assured, young lady, this old woman will handle it perfectly." Immediately, she took the lampshade and the reward money and left in a hurry.
No sooner had she left than Xiuzhi came in and asked, "Aren't you going to see Fourth Miss? She just sent Qiuyan over again, saying that if you have time, you should come to her embroidery room for a chat." Fourth Miss had sent Qiuyan over to invite her last night, but Ruan Bi was preoccupied and didn't want to talk, so she politely declined.
"I'll go right away." Ruan Bi stood up, as she also had something to discuss with the Fourth Miss.
The fourth young lady was embroidering alone in her embroidery room. When she saw her coming, she quickly stood up, took her hand, and asked with a smile, "Good sister, you've finally come. Tell me quickly, at the chrysanthemum gathering at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion yesterday, did you steal the show?"
Ruan Bi said jokingly, "It really is a monopoly."
"Good sister, tell me quickly!" the fourth girl said expectantly, her tone cheerful, a far cry from her usual dignified and serious demeanor, revealing a rare liveliness and charm. After all, she was only fourteen years old and still loved excitement.
Ruan Bi then recounted how she retaliated against Han Lu and Xie Mingyue's provocation of the Second Miss. Her words were simple, but the Fourth Miss listened with rapt attention, remarking, "Sister, you truly are captivating! It's a pity I wasn't there to witness your charm." Though she said this, she felt a pang of jealousy, a mixture of regret and annoyance. She regretted not being there; if she had, she might have been the one stealing the spotlight. She was annoyed that Ruan Bi had helped the Second Miss thwart Han Lu and Xie Mingzhu's interrogation.
Ruan Bi noticed the subtle changes in her expression. After thinking for a moment, she said, "What elegance or not elegance, it's just a helpless act. Xie Mingzhu has never seen the painting of the Queen Mother of the West's auspicious clouds, yet she asked about the construction period and colors. It must have been said by Consort Xie or Lady Yanping. If Second Sister exposes the truth, our entire Ruan family will be guilty of deceiving the emperor. So I have no choice but to speak up."
The fourth young lady was startled, realizing that she wasn't exaggerating, and that if the Ruan family's facade disappeared, she would have nowhere to attach herself. Her displeasure gradually subsided, but regret remained.
Ruan Bi suppressed her smile and said seriously, "Fourth sister, I need you to promise me one thing."
She had been smiling the whole time, but suddenly her expression turned serious, startling the Fourth Sister. Thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning, and she vaguely guessed what she was talking about. Reluctantly, she lowered her eyes, looking at the peony she had just finished embroidering on the frame. After a long pause, she nodded heavily and said, "Sister, I promise you." She paused, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips. "Logically speaking, it's not my place to promise. This was originally your idea. Without you, there wouldn't be this 'Queen Mother of the West and Auspicious Clouds' embroidery. Even without me, this embroidery would still exist. You don't mind, so why should I? Don't worry, sister, I, Ruan Jiang, have never embroidered a 'Queen Mother of the West and Auspicious Clouds' embroidery in my entire life." Her tone was somewhat forced at the beginning, but by the end, it had become quite impassioned.
Ruan Bi clapped her hands and said, "I knew my sister was the most sensible."
If anyone else had said this, the Fourth Sister would probably have accepted it without question, but coming from Ruan Bi, she only felt ashamed. She nudged her and said reproachfully, "Sister, please don't tease me."
"I never made fun of my sister!"
The fourth girl rolled her eyes at her, turned around and sat back down in front of the embroidery frame. "I'm not talking to you anymore."
Ruan Bi leaned closer for a look and saw a peony already formed on the embroidery frame, stitched using only the Huangmei needlework technique. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Eh?" "What is Sister going to embroider for?"
"My dear sister, you may not know this, but whatever the harem favors, the common people will follow suit. So I'm thinking of quickly embroidering a few pieces; perhaps I can sell them for a good price." After a pause, the fourth sister said with a bitter smile, "My aunt lives in a nunnery. Although Father instructed that she should still receive three taels of silver a month as usual, whether she will receive it and when is a problem. Her health is poor, and she needs to be carefully cared for for at least three more months. The cost of medicine alone is a large sum. Other expenses such as food, clothing, lodging, tips, errands, and social obligations all cost money. I need some silver to keep on my hands. I'm currently penniless and can only earn a little money through needlework."
"Why didn't you tell me you were short of money, sister? Although I'm not rich either, I can still come up with ten or twenty taels."
"Your aunt is going to stay in the nunnery for who knows how long, and ten or twenty taels won't be enough. Besides, you only have three or twenty taels of silver a month. This is your savings of several years. You should keep it for a rainy day."
Ruan Bi has always admired independent and self-reliant women. She nodded and said, "Alright, if you need anything in the future, just let me know."
The fourth sister smiled and nodded, picked up the needle, and nimbly began to thread.
"Sister, there is something else I want to discuss with you."
The fourth sister glanced at her sideways and said, "Sister, you're being too polite today? Just say what you need to say."
"Sister, could you please give the original drafts of the 'Queen Mother of the West and Auspicious Clouds' painting to Second Sister?"
The fourth sister paused in her needlework, turned back to look at her in shock, lowered her eyes after a moment, remained silent for a long time, took a deep breath, and said, "Alright, whatever you say, sister. But I don't want to see the second sister, so you should give it to her instead."
"Alright."
"Please sit for a moment, little sister." The fourth young lady stood up and walked out of the embroidery room.
Judging from the direction of her footsteps, she was probably heading to the bedroom. Ruan Bi looked up at the tightly stitched embroidery hanging on the wall and thought, "She really did hide the draft of the Queen Mother of the West's Auspicious Clouds design." A quarter of an hour later, the Fourth Sister returned, carrying a bundle. She placed it on the table, untied it, and said, "Sister, count them. There are sixteen drafts in total." From the moment she left until she came back, and even as she spoke, her eyes never once met Ruan Bi's, yet her expression showed not a trace of reluctance. It was clear that once she made up her mind, she could act decisively.
Ruan Bi was secretly impressed and asked, "Sister, are you angry with me?"
The fourth sister finally raised her eyelids to look at her. After a long while, she forced a helpless smile, shook her head and said, "If I were the younger sister, I would have done the same." She paused and then added, "My sister often praises me for being meticulous, but to be honest, it is my sister who is more thoughtful."
"I'm glad you don't blame me. As for the rest..." Ruan Bi paused, she didn't like making empty promises, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "We should take a long-term view. I'll just watch what happens."
The fourth sister looked at her for a while, her eyes filled with a hint of contemplation and inquiry. She neither nodded nor spoke until the girl left.
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