Chapter Thirty: A Sudden Turbulence
Looking at the two figures as they walked away, Manyun asked in bewilderment, "What's wrong with the master?"
Ruan Bi was also puzzled.
Master Ruan Hong was a proper and upright scholar-official, strictly adhering to Confucian doctrines. He was always impeccably dressed, considering even a grain of rice on his clothes an insult to his refinement. How much more so if his hat was crooked, something even more important than his clothes! It is worth noting that Confucius' disciple Zilu was once killed in battle while trying to retrieve his fallen hat, leaving behind a saying highly regarded by scholars: "A gentleman dies with his hat on."
Manyun withdrew her gaze, turned to look at Ruan Bi, and asked, "Aren't you going back, Miss?"
Ruan Bi shook her head and said with a smile, "Sister Manyun, I have something else to ask you."
Manyun smiled, her dimples appearing faintly. "I was wondering. Why has the young lady changed her temperament? Standing for so long over a prescription? What is it you want to ask? I'll tell you everything I know."
"Where did Granny Zheng go? I asked the maid just now, and she said she went out yesterday at noon and hasn't returned yet." Ruan Bi knew that Granny Zheng was worried about Dongxue, so she wanted to tell her quickly so that she wouldn't worry. She went to the shed where Dongxue lived in the backyard just now, but found the doors and windows locked. She asked all the maids, but none of them knew where she was.
Manyun said unhurriedly, "Granny Zheng and Granny Sun went to the Third Master's in-laws' house." Seeing a hint of surprise in Ruan Bi's eyes, she whispered, "Haven't you heard, Fifth Miss? The Third Master's mother arranged a marriage for him when she was alive."
Ruan Bi thought for a moment and said, "I think I've heard of it. It's said to be in Changying."
At first, she thought Ruan Chi had just made up something to annoy the old lady, but later she found out it was true.
When Ruan Chi's birth mother, Mu Xiang, worked in a brothel, she had a very close relationship with another courtesan named Wan Jiaojiao. They were so close that they shared clothes and jewelry, were always together, and would often spend the night in bed talking. They poured out their hearts to each other, and even then, they felt it wasn't enough, so like any other young lady, they arranged a marriage between their children. It seemed that only in this way could they truly demonstrate the depth of their affection.
Of course, to outsiders, this was utterly ridiculous. Two prostitutes, forced into prostitution by circumstances, had no idea what their future held, let alone talk about marriage. Unexpectedly, both were quite lucky; they were both redeemed by Yu Yanhua, a subordinate of the old master. Muxiang was then given to the old master, while Wan Jiaojiao became Yu Yanhua's concubine. Muxiang soon gave birth to Ruan Chi, and three years later, Wan Jiaojiao also gave birth to a daughter. At that time, the old master was still alive and favored Muxiang, allowing her to frequently visit the Yu family. He and Wan Jiaojiao repeatedly discussed their marriage.
After the old master died, Yu Yanhua lost his patron and was forced to take a post outside the capital. His official rank steadily declined, and now, in his sixties, he is a minor county magistrate under Changying. From the perspective of social standing, this marriage is extremely unsuitable. Moreover, it was a private agreement made by his aunt, so it is not legally binding.
Previously, the old lady, fearing accusations of mistreating her illegitimate son, refused to agree and didn't want Mu Xiang to succeed—even though Mu Xiang was dead, the feud between them wasn't over. However, after Ruan Chi's meritorious service in saving the emperor, his favor grew daily, and his fame spread far and wide. Several groups of official matchmakers and ladies seeking information came, all mentioning daughters of officials in the capital. The old lady grew frightened, fearing that delaying would bring disaster, and finally agreed. Publicly, she claimed it was Ruan Chi upholding filial piety and resolutely fulfilling his birth mother's dying wish.
"It's in a county called Linshui under Changying." Manyun said with emotion, "It's really fate. I heard that this girl is seventeen years old and still not engaged." Usually, girls are engaged at thirteen or fourteen, and it's very rare for a girl to be unengaged by the age of seventeen.
Ruan Bi asked curiously, "Then what was Granny Zheng doing at the Yu family's house?"
"Firstly, we need to see what the girl is like, and secondly, we need to discuss the dates for the engagement with her family." Manyun was eager to curry favor with her, and indeed, she was very open and honest.
"So, Uncle's wedding must be just around the corner?"
“That’s right.” Manyun nodded and said, “The old lady’s idea is that the Third Master’s leg will be healed this winter so that they can get married.”
Ruan Chi's leg injury has lasted almost a month, and the splint has been removed. Ruan Bi occasionally sees him walking slowly with crutches in the back garden; it seems he'll be able to walk again in another month or two. She wonders what his wife, the Yu family's daughter, is like. Caught between the domineering first wife and the cunning second wife, will she be able to carve out her own niche?
As Ruan Bi was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the First Madam's voice: "Where is Manyun? Where did Manyun go? Go and call her back quickly."
Looking up, I saw the First Madam standing at the door talking to a maid, her voice stern and harsh.
"Miss, the Madam is looking for me. I've gone over. Let's talk another day." After saying this, Manyun hurriedly walked back to the main room.
Ruan Biwei hesitated for a moment, then followed. As soon as she entered the room, she heard the First Madam say to Manyun, "Go and find the pills that Doctor Xu prescribed."
"What's wrong with Grandmother?" Ruan Bi asked anxiously. She was her only support in the Ruan family. If she fell, she would be at the mercy of the First Madam. Just now, she had refused to return to the east wing of Liaoyuan because she felt that the Master looked flustered, and something bad must have happened.
The First Madam gave her a disapproving look and said, "Stop making such a fuss, it's just a flare-up of your heart palpitations..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ruan Bi, displaying the panic expected of a dutiful granddaughter, rushed into the side hall. "Grandmother, Grandmother, what's wrong?"
The old lady sat on the couch, her body limp against the eldest master, her face pale, her collar slightly open, one hand pressed against her chest, trembling gently. Ruan Bi quickly knelt before her again, grasping her other hand, and said anxiously, "Grandmother, Grandmother, what's wrong? Don't scare... me." She originally wanted to say "Don't scare Bi'er," but ultimately felt it was too disgusting and vulgar, and couldn't bring herself to say it.
Seeing her flustered expression, the old lady was touched and shook her head.
The old man patted her back and said anxiously, "Mother, do we really not need to call Doctor Xu over?"
The old lady shook her head slightly, patted her chest, and said weakly, "I'm really fine. I know my own body. I just had a sudden choking and was in pain for a moment."
The First Madam had already taken the medicine and followed them back to the side hall, saying, "Fifth Girl, go and pour some warm water."
Ruan Bi stood up, poured a glass of warm water, and brought it over.
The First Madam took the medicine and carefully fed it to the Old Madam.
Perhaps she had truly caught her breath, for the old lady's face was no longer as deathly pale as before, and her hands and feet had stopped trembling. Looking at the master, she said, "You'd better explain yourself clearly. What exactly happened to Tao'er? Don't just ramble on and on, making me extremely anxious."
The old man quickly admitted his mistake, saying respectfully, "Yes, Mother, I was wrong. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it if you heard it all at once..."
The old lady waved her hand impatiently and said, "Stop talking nonsense and tell me quickly, what exactly did Tao'er do wrong?"
The magistrate said, "I haven't inquired about the specifics yet. It was Lord Xu from the Ministry of Personnel who secretly told me that the imperial edict was sent out two days ago and is expected to arrive in Yangzhou tomorrow. My second brother will then be suspended from his post and investigated..."
Ruan Bi was secretly startled. Second Master Ruan Tao was to be suspended from his post and investigated? What was going on? She carefully recalled Second Master's official position. He was a fifth-rank official in Yangzhou, in charge of schools and educational administration in Yangzhou. He had the power to appoint and review teachers, as well as the responsibility to supervise students.
The magistrate continued, "This matter begins with the student riot in Yangzhou at the beginning of the year. Starting in February, Yangzhou students went on strike continuously, with hundreds of people sitting in front of the Ministry of Education, submitting a joint petition demanding a reduction in the number of candidates selected through hereditary privilege and an increase in the number selected through other examinations. In May, the Emperor issued an edict promising to decide on the matter at his discretion, and the strike finally subsided. At that time, my second brother was impeached by the Censor Wei Xinyi for neglecting his duties, failing to take effective measures, and indulging only in sightseeing, which ultimately led to the student riot..."
The old lady knew her son's character all too well. Hearing this, she finally couldn't help but sigh deeply and said, "That Tao'er, no matter what I tell him, he just won't listen." She paused, then frowned and asked, "Why didn't he tell me about Tao'er being impeached? Did you keep it from me too?"
The magistrate thought to himself, "If I tell you, won't you be living in fear for a while?" He couldn't say this aloud, so he vaguely replied, "It wasn't a big deal. The Emperor only reprimanded me a few times, and that was the end of it. My second brother and I thought it was all over, so we didn't plan to tell you. But this time, Third Sister's fiancé, Guo Ming, got into a fight with a group of students while drinking. He used Second Brother's name to intimidate them and even beat one of them to death. This caused a huge uproar. The students went to the Guo family and then to the Ministry of Education. The Censor Wei Xinyi impeached Second Brother again. In addition to the previous charges of neglecting his duties and failing to take effective measures, this time he was also charged with misconduct, allowing his son-in-law to commit violence, and embezzling school funds… He was imprisoned on the spot and will be escorted back to the capital at a later date."
The old lady stamped her foot and said, "That Wei Xinyi is really hateful. Why is he always staring at Tao'er?"
The old man hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "He was originally an advisor to the former Right Chancellor..."
Isn't the former Right Chancellor Shen Mi? The old lady slammed her hand on the edge of the bed and said, "Very well, very well, our Ruan family didn't cause him any trouble, but he still won't let us off the hook."
Fearing she might upset herself, the master quickly patted her back to help her catch her breath, saying, "Mother, don't be angry. I don't think it's necessarily Prime Minister Shen's intention... Wei Xinyi is a notorious scoundrel, accustomed to flattery and sycophancy. It's probably his own idea to win Prime Minister Shen's favor..."
"Nonsense about Prime Minister Shen!" The old lady interrupted him, poking the master's head repeatedly with her hand, and said angrily, "You muddle-headed fool, how dare you speak well of him? Have you forgotten how your father died, and that your sister's life has been ruined by their family? Instead of thinking about avenging them, you're speaking up for the Shen family? I'll be driven to my death by you, if not by them..."
With his wife and daughters present, the old man was very embarrassed, his cheeks flushed red.
The First Madam coughed lightly, winked at Ruan Bi, and said, "This is none of your business. Go back to your own courtyard. Don't gossip about what you just heard."
Ruan Bi nodded, placed the teacup on the small table next to her, and respectfully withdrew.
Outside, a wind had picked up sometime earlier, and the sun was hidden behind the clouds, appearing hazy and indistinct. Gradually, the clouds thickened, and by late at night, a heavy rain began to fall, pattering like firecrackers.
The first rain after the start of autumn came with great force.
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