Chapter Twenty-Eight: Rare Goods Can Be Held High
"Girl, tell me exactly what you did wrong?"
Ruan Bi thought to herself, "Your mistake was always trying to send me to the palace."
With a slight shift in thought, she crafted an explanation: "My lord, the Empress was originally a high-ranking official, holding an incomparably noble position. Our dynasty has always had a rule: an Empress cannot be deposed without fault. Therefore, as long as the Empress remains in her palace, and with the Zhao family as her backing, no one can shake her position. The Consort, on the other hand, is only a first-rank official. Although she has given birth to the eldest prince, the Empress is still young. Who can guarantee she won't give birth to another prince in the future? The longer this drags on, the more advantageous it is for the Empress, and the more disadvantageous it is for the Consort. That's why the Consort is pressing forward step by step." She paused, then continued, "I believe the Empress should use delaying tactics rather than actively confront the Empress."
Hearing this, Master Ziying shook his head and said, "Although the young lady is exceptionally intelligent, she is still young and doesn't understand love. Who can bear their husband's affection for another woman?" She sighed deeply as she said this. Little did she know, it wasn't that Ruan Bi was ignorant, but rather that she deliberately avoided the topic. If a thirteen-year-old girl had insights into love beyond her years, Master Ziying wouldn't be surprised.
Ruan Bi blinked and said indignantly, "Master, how could I not understand? My father had a concubine who was very much loved by her, but so what? Wasn't she sent away from the house a few days ago? I read in books that beauty fades and love wanes, and when love wanes, favor ends. My father has had several concubines, but he has only ever had one wife."
Master Ziying shook his head again.
Ruan Bi added, "Even if there is to be a fight, it should never be the Empress herself or her people who are fighting, because if something goes wrong, she will be implicated and unable to escape the consequences. It would be best to let other concubines fight with the Noble Consort, so that the Empress can reap the benefits."
Master Ziying paused, looking at her thoughtfully.
Ruan Bi added meaningfully, "I think that's exactly what my mother does."
Master Ziying suddenly realized and said with emotion, "Noble families are indeed different from ordinary families. I was just wondering how a young girl could know this, but it turns out she has been exposed to it from a young age."
She proactively found a reasonable explanation for her intelligence, and Ruan Bi was satisfied, smiling brightly. "Therefore, sending me to the palace is a terrible idea. Everyone knows I'm Empress Zhao's person, so whatever I do, everyone will blame her, which will only make things worse. Don't you think so, Master?"
Master Ziying inwardly agreed with her words, but he was also afraid that he might unknowingly fall into her trap—every time he had dealt with this Fifth Miss, she had led him astray in her roundabout way. He reconsidered her words and looked at Ruan Bi warily, saying, "You're trying to fool me again. If I send you to the Empress Dowager's side, who will know about your relationship with Empress Zhao?"
Ruan Bi laughed and said, "Master, if you send me to the Empress Dowager's side, that would be another big mistake."
Master Ziying asked, "Where did I go wrong this time?"
"The Master sent me to the Empress Dowager's side simply so that I would fight with Consort Xie, allowing Empress Zhao to reap the benefits. Leaving aside whether I have the ability, Master, do you think I'd be foolish enough to fight with Consort Xie?" She paused, then said, enunciating each word clearly, "At any time, I will strive to be the one to reap the benefits." She had kept these words hidden in her heart for a long time, fearing that Master Ziying would displease her. Today, she spoke them aloud to completely dispel the Master's idea of sending her to the palace.
Master Ziying stared at her for a long time, then said sarcastically, "Only today do I realize what kind of person my disciple is."
Ruan Bi smiled and said, "Master, wouldn't it be better if such a person were your disciple? Back then, when Zichu, the son of the King of Qin, was a hostage in Zhao, he was looked down upon by the people of Zhao. Only the merchant Lü Buwei saw him as a rare commodity. Later, when Zichu gained control of the Qin state, Lü Buwei became his uncle, which became a well-known story."
Master Ziying was slightly shaken. He had long known that this disciple was extraordinary—otherwise, he wouldn't have taken her as a disciple—but he truly didn't expect her heart to be so unrestrained. "Very well, I'll wait and see if she really is a rare find?"
Ruan Bi said confidently, "Don't worry, you'll meet the real person soon."
Master Ziying turned to look at the hourglass and said, "It's getting late. I'm going to the palace. You can hire a carriage to go back yourself." After saying that, he went outside, boarded the carriage, and looked at Ruan Bi, who was waving goodbye with a radiant smile. He sighed deeply, knowing that he would probably never be able to defeat this disciple in his entire life.
After the master left, Ruan Bi and Dong Xue talked for a while, then Ruan Bi asked a servant to hire a sedan chair from the street. On the way back to the Ruan residence, she felt very happy, because she knew that from now on, Master Ziying would no longer have the idea of sending her to the palace.
This time, she was indeed using a delaying tactic, but she also made a backup plan—if all else failed, to send the Fourth Miss into the palace. However, this backup plan was rather underhanded, and she didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary.
Upon returning to the mansion, they went directly to the old lady's courtyard, only to find Manyun and a group of maids standing or sitting outside the gate.
Upon seeing her, Manyun greeted her with a smile, pulled her aside, and said, "The Old Madam and the First Madam are meeting with the Lady of Dongping Marquis. I just heard that you went to the palace with Master Ziying. Why are you back so soon?"
"I felt a little unwell halfway there, so I turned back."
Manyun asked with concern, "Where do you feel unwell?"
Ruan Bi coughed twice and said, "My throat is itchy, and I feel like coughing every now and then."
"It's just autumn dryness, nothing serious. A few days ago, Dr. Xu prescribed a formula to nourish the lungs and generate fluids for the old lady. I'll get it for you later."
"Thank you, Sister Manyun."
"What are you thanking me for? I feel bad about what happened in Xiushui, but I haven't had a chance to tell you."
“Xiushui is Xiushui, and my sister is my sister. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Ruan Bi patted her hand and said, “I’ll go back now and come back later.”
Just as he was about to turn and leave, the curtain of the main room moved, and the First Madam came out, supported by the hand of the Lady of Yanping Marquis.
Upon seeing Ruan Bi standing there, Lady Yanping's eyes lit up, and she said, "Fifth Miss is here too?"
Ruan Bi had no choice but to step forward and greet her.
Lady Yanping pulled her up and said with a smile, "Just a couple of days ago, I met Princess Huiwen, and she mentioned you to me."
Ruan Bi was surprised but didn't know what to say, so she just smiled.
Lady Yanping stared intently at Ruan Bi for a while, then said, "Come visit my residence another day when you have time."
What's going on? Ruan Bi was even more surprised, but obediently replied, "Yes."
But then he saw the First Madam glare at him, her eyes filled with hatred.
Lady Yanping patted Ruan Bi's hand affectionately before leaving.
As soon as she left, the old lady said from inside the room, "Fifth girl is back? Come in."
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