Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Final Verdict
The First Madam pressed her advantage, saying, "Besides, our Fifth Miss is about to get engaged, and it wouldn't be good to create any more complications. In my opinion, we should write a letter to refuse her."
The old lady pondered for a moment and said, "Don't be in such a hurry. This is no small matter. Let's wait for Hong'er to come back and discuss it further." She paused, looked at the First Madam, and asked with a burning gaze, "What's wrong with you today? You seem a little restless."
The First Madam's eyes flickered. She pulled out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe the sweat from her forehead, saying, "It's nothing serious. Perhaps it's just because of the hot weather that I feel a little upset."
"I just heard from the maid that there was a commotion in your courtyard at noon. Is that true?"
The First Madam was startled; as expected, nothing could be hidden from her. "It was just a shameless old hag trying to claim kinship; I had the servants throw her out."
"How could you let someone like that into the courtyard?" the old lady asked, frowning.
The First Madam dared not admit that she had come to the door with Ruan Jiaxuan's personal jade pendant, so she made up a story: "She said she was from a branch of our Wang family in Baoshun, and she told it in such a convincing way that the gatekeeper believed her and reported it to me. Mother, you know that our Wang family does have a branch in Baoshun, and she is my father's half-brother. Although we separated our households and haven't been in contact for a while, we are still proper relatives. I thought I couldn't let her think that our family was powerful and look down on her, so I invited her to sit in the main hall. Who knew that after asking her three questions, she would give herself away. I politely asked her to leave, but she went crazy instead, so I had to order the servants to drive her out through the side door."
The old lady nodded and said, "These kinds of people who try to claim kinship should be kicked out. From now on, tell the gatekeeper to be more discerning and not to bring just anyone into the mansion."
"Yes, Mother." The First Madam secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was noon, and there were few people around the gatehouse, and they were all her trusted confidantes. That old hag had also chosen her time to come, so few people knew about this.
The old lady thought for a moment and asked, "What's the date today?"
It's the seventh day of the lunar new year.
"It's been five or six days already, why hasn't the Lady of Dongping replied yet?"
The First Madam said, "I was wondering the same thing. I heard that she went to the Marquis of Yanping's residence a couple of days ago."
The old lady said with a worried look, "I think this matter may not be able to be accomplished."
"How could that be?" The First Madam shook her head in disbelief. "Two years ago, when Marquis Yanping celebrated his fiftieth birthday, the Marquis's wife praised our Second Sister in front of everyone, saying that she was generous, virtuous, and gentle. She even joked with us that she would like to be her daughter-in-law in the future. If she hadn't tacitly approved, Mingzhu wouldn't have become so close to our Second Sister and become best friends with her. Mingzhu told our Second Sister in private that no one else could be a match for her second brother except her."
The old lady sighed and said, "That was then. Now everyone else is thriving, while our family is stagnating. Hong'er was promoted to Vice Minister of Rites when the Emperor ascended the throne, and it's been six years, with neither reward nor reprimand. And look at that bastard Shen Yun. He was just a Vice Minister of Revenue back then, and now he's the Left Prime Minister, and his whole family is incredibly powerful. When Old Madam Shen caught a cold, the Emperor sent the imperial physicians to treat her, and she leads the book distribution at the Tianqing Temple's ten-day Dharma assembly. And Shen Yun's daughter from his second marriage has become some kind of 'Pearl of the Capital,' truly hateful and infuriating." As she finished speaking, her gaze gradually turned fierce, her hands clenched into fists, and the veins bulged.
Fearing that she might overreact and fall ill again, the First Madam quickly and gently advised, "Mother, fortunes change, and who knows what the future holds? Let's just watch and see."
The old lady was still furious. "How can you expect me to stand by and watch? I've been watching for over ten years, and I just can't take it anymore. Does Heaven even have eyes? Our Lan'er is the most gentle and obedient person. She's been married to them for three years, serving her parents-in-law and being kind to her uncles and aunts. She's done everything she could. What has she done to wrong them? Just because she hasn't given birth in three years, they want a divorce. Later, Lan'er got pregnant, and they falsely accused her of having an affair and having a child with an illegitimate child. They turned black into white, spouted lies, ruined Lan'er's life, and even took the old master's life... If the old master were still alive, our family wouldn't be in this state today. For over ten years, I've never been able to swallow this insult..."
The First Madam thought to herself, "So what if we can't swallow it? Right now, they're enjoying the Emperor's favor, living a life of luxury and prosperity. Meanwhile, the Ruan family is left with nothing but the name of a century-old family of scholars." Seeing the old lady's cheeks flush an unnatural red, and her fingers trembling, she quickly went to pour her a cup of tea and handed it to her, saying, "Mother, calm down. Don't let these irrelevant people upset you."
The old lady took the teacup with trembling hands and drank it, while the first lady sat on the edge of the couch and gently stroked her back.
After a while, the old lady's anger subsided, and she said, "Eldest daughter-in-law, I just thought about it and I think that it would be a good thing for our Ruan family if Master Ziying accepted Fifth Sister as a lay disciple. We can't refuse."
The First Madam's heart tightened, and she paused, her hand stroking the woman's back. She asked, "Mother, what do you mean?"
"Write a letter back to Master Ziying, saying that we agree, and that our Ruan family is willing to fund the disciple-acceptance ceremony." The old lady paused and said, "At that time, we will send invitations to all the prestigious families, including the Shen family. Let that bastard Shen Yun and his old man see what kind of bastard they call their son has become."
"What about Fifth Sister's marriage?" the First Madam asked again, unwilling to give up.
The old lady gave her a disapproving look, thinking, "Even now, you're still only thinking about your own petty schemes." "Eldest daughter-in-law," she said, "I know what you're thinking. That marriage was originally a last resort. If Fifth Sister has a better future, we, as elders, should naturally plan for her. The Master taking her as his disciple not only cleanses her previously tarnished reputation but also restores the reputation of our Ruan family, and it will also benefit the marriages of other girls. Of course, this is a bit unfair to our in-laws, but I think Uncle will understand. Go back now and write him a letter, explain things properly, and find a reliable servant to deliver it tonight. Get to Zhuozhou before the tenth of the month. The betrothal gifts shouldn't have been sent out yet, and the marriage shouldn't be publicized, so it won't damage the Wang family's reputation."
Knowing that there was no way to reverse the situation, the First Madam could only agree: "Yes, Mother, I will take care of it right away."
"Also, another day you should go to Yuxu Temple in person and discuss the disciple-acceptance ceremony with Master Ziying. Just make it grand and don't worry about money or materials. Our Ruan family hasn't had any happy events in recent years, so we should show off properly to avoid being looked down upon by them."
"Yes, Mother," the First Madam replied, leaving the side hall with great reluctance.
The old lady sat alone on the couch, her mind smug and pleased with herself. She was determined to restore the reputation of the Ruan family and give the Shen family another slap in the face. In her delight, she called Manyun in and asked her to send a maid to find Granny Zheng to talk to.
Granny Zheng lived in the backyard, only about twenty steps away, so she arrived quickly. Entering the side hall, she saw the old lady beaming with joy and full of energy. She asked, "Old Madam, what good news has come?"
The old lady pointed to the small round stool by the bed and said, "Ayao, come and sit down. There's some good news I want to tell you..."
Man Yun knew that once they started gossiping, it would never end, so she tactfully took her embroidery frame and left the side hall. She didn't go far, but sat on the covered walkway in front of the main room. By this time, the sun was already setting in the west, and the walkway was in the shadow cast by the roof. A breeze blew through the passageway, relieving some of the heat.
After sitting for a short while, Xiushui's soft voice rang out: "Cousin, cousin."
Manyun turned her head and saw her standing at the corner, waving at her with a mysterious look on her face. She put away her embroidery frame and walked over, asking in a low voice, "Why did you come over again?"
Xiushui looked around and said happily, "Granny He agreed and said she would transfer me to Seventh Miss's courtyard."
Man Yun's expression changed slightly. She glared at her and said, "Didn't I tell you not to act recklessly? Shouldn't we wait until things are settled before talking about it?"
Xiushui was startled and muttered, "That's just how Fifth Sister is. There's no future in following her."
Manyun poked her forehead hard with her index finger and said, "You've wasted your eyes. Let me tell you, that marriage is off, and Fifth Miss is going to become a lay disciple of Master Ziying."
"A lay disciple of a true master? What use could that be?"
Manyun said angrily, "Master Ziying is a fellow Daoist with the Empress Dowager and Princess Huiwen. One of her words is worth ten or even a hundred of others. If she just says one thing outside, like that the Fifth Miss has an exceptionally noble appearance, suitors will immediately be knocking down our door. Do you understand?"
"What should I do now?" Xiushui asked anxiously. "Granny He has already gone to Liaoyuan."
"Go back quickly and stop her. From now on, serve Fifth Miss well and stop thinking nonsense." Manyun pushed her again, "Go quickly, don't mess things up."
Xiushui nodded hesitantly and ran back to Liaoyuan Garden, but she didn't run into Granny He. She stood anxiously at the door.
Hanxing poked her head out of the house and said, "Sister Xiushui, Sister Xiuzhi wants you to come in."
Xiushui braced herself and went into the house. Xiuzhi was standing in the hall, her face cold, and said, "Xiushui, you're back just in time. Granny He came over just now and said she wanted to transfer you to help out in Seventh Miss's courtyard. You'd better pack your things quickly."
Xiushui was struck dumb, frozen in place, unable to utter a word.
Xiuzhi was too lazy to pay attention to her anymore. She lifted the curtain and went into the inner room, asking in a low voice, "Miss, are you really going to let Xiushui leave?"
Ruan Bi was practicing calligraphy and grunted "Mmm" without looking up.
"What if Sister Manyun is..."
Ruan Bi looked up and smiled, saying, "Xiuzhi, don't worry, the tide has turned now."
What do you mean by a shift in power?
Ruan Bi didn't explain, saying, "You'll understand when you learn these four characters."
Xiuzhi asked in a low voice, "Miss, will the old lady and the first lady agree to you becoming Master Ziying's disciple?"
"Of course," Ruan Bi said firmly. She had never doubted this. It was obvious to everyone which girl, whose reputation was tarnished and who was forced to marry a paralyzed man, or a girl who was a disciple of Master Ziying, would be more beneficial to the Ruan family. The old lady was not stupid, nor was Ruan Hong. As long as the two of them made up their minds, the eldest madam was nothing to fear.
Sure enough, when they paid their respects early the next morning, the old lady said in front of everyone, "Fifth girl, last night I discussed it with your father and we agreed that Master Ziying would accept you as a lay disciple. But you must remember that you are first and foremost Ruan's daughter, and only then her disciple. If you ever want to enter the Taoist sect in the future, you absolutely cannot."
Everyone in the room stared intently at Ruan Bi, especially the Sixth Sister, whose eyes seemed to be coated with kerosene, ready to ignite at any moment.
"Grandmother, please rest assured, I have never intended to join the Taoist sect."
"Good, good, good." The old lady nodded repeatedly with satisfaction, then held Ruan Bi's hand and said a lot of things. Afterwards, she asked Ruan Bi to stay for breakfast, and served her a lot of dishes. After breakfast, they talked for a while longer before she was allowed to leave.
Leaving the old lady's courtyard through the side gate and heading west through the alley, you'll see the second young lady sitting on the covered walkway that's the only way back to Liaoyuan Garden, leaning on the railing and looking down at the vast expanse of carnations. Chunyun stands beside her, fanning herself with a large round fan.
Ruan Bi walked by with a smile. "Second sister, you're here admiring flowers so early in the morning? You have such a leisurely and carefree time."
The second young lady turned around, raised an eyebrow at Ruan Bi for a long while, and then smiled coolly. "Fifth sister, you really surprise me."
"Don't even mention it, sister, I'm quite surprised too." Ruan Bi was too lazy to waste words with her, and looked at the sky, saying, "The sun will be out soon, second sister, I'm going back first." Without waiting for her reply, she walked straight ahead. Even after walking a long way, she could still feel the second young lady's gaze following her.
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