Chapter Twenty-Six: The Art of Advancing and Retreating
Ruan Bi shook her head and said, "Sister, you overestimate me. I am of the same status as you. How can I save Aunt Lin?"
The fourth sister, seeing how logically she had spoken, assumed she had a solution. She was taken aback by this remark, thinking the girl was unwilling. She took the girl's hand and said, "Good sister, your master is Master Ziying, and you have the favor of the Princess. If you say a few words to Grandmother, she might listen to you. Auntie isn't a ruthless person, and she certainly wouldn't do such a heinous thing. She must have been wronged."
Ruan Bi didn't know what kind of person Aunt Lin was, but she knew that she wouldn't be stupid enough to do something so foolish.
However, in this grand mansion, the truth sometimes didn't matter. The old lady wouldn't care about the innocence of the servants, much less uphold justice. To the outside world, she cared about the century-old reputation of the Ruan family in Jingxi; internally, she only wanted the various factions within the inner quarters to coexist peacefully—occasional squabbles were acceptable, but not to go too far. Therefore, in the several conflicts between the First Madam and the Second Madam, she would slap each of them to quiet them down and prevent them from causing trouble.
Although the old lady was advanced in years, she was still very clear-headed. She had a list in her mind of who was most important, who was secondary, and who could be sacrificed at any time… The First Madam was definitely among the top ranks, and Concubine Lin belonged to the group that could be sacrificed at any moment. Therefore, trying to convince the old lady that Concubine Lin was innocent was pointless and would only make things difficult for herself.
Ruan Bi thought for a moment and said with difficulty, "Fourth sister, Mother is the lady of the house and manages the servants and concubines. Even Grandmother can't interfere. If I go to Grandmother to say these things, she will only think that I am ignorant and don't know my place."
In fact, the fourth young lady understood these principles as well. After a moment of silence, she said, "Then Auntie cannot escape this calamity..."
Ruan Bi nodded and said, "Auntie can't escape this punishment..."
The fourth sister closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.
"However, Fourth Sister, don't worry. Although she can't escape this beating, Auntie's life is not in danger for the time being."
The fourth young lady opened her eyes. She wasn't stupid; she had simply lost her composure due to concern. After listening to Ruan Biyi's explanation and pondering carefully for a moment, she understood that although Concubine Lin was in danger, her life was not in peril. There were three reasons for this. First, the Ruan family in Jingxi was a prominent family in the capital. Concubines vying for favor and harming offspring were signs of a family's downfall. If such scandals were to spread, wouldn't the people of the capital laugh at them? Therefore, the First Madam wouldn't send Concubine Lin to the authorities. Second, the Ruan family was known for its refined manners, extending even to its servants. The First Madam would only severely punish the concubine, not beat her to death on the spot, for the sake of the Ruan family's reputation, and also for her own. Third, if Concubine Lin were beaten to death on the spot, the Master would harbor resentment, which would be a greater loss than gain. It was better to injure her, keep her in bed for three to five months, and make her look haggard, thus causing the Master to feel disgusted with her. Then find a disobedient maid to serve her, and let her die slowly in pain and despair... The First Madam was very familiar with this routine, otherwise, how could Aunt Lin's back have been so bad for several months?
Thinking of this, the fourth sister was startled, wiped away her tears and said, "My sister is right, I understand."
"Fourth Sister understands what to do?"
The fourth sister opened her mouth, then shook her head.
"Fourth sister, it's good to be brave and forge ahead, but it's wise to know when to retreat. When the situation is unfavorable, it's much better to retreat quickly to a safe place, gather strength, and then make a comeback when the situation changes."
The fourth sister, as if struck by a realization, said, "Retreat? Where should we retreat to?"
"For most women, their parents' home is often the safest escape route..."
The fourth sister was horrified and said, "How can this be? My aunt can't bear to lose face like this."
Being sent back to one's parents' home by one's husband's family is a lifelong disgrace; one will be drowned in the gossip of the neighbors.
“A bad reputation can be restored, but a lost life means the loss of everything.” After a pause, Ruan Bi said meaningfully, “As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. Fourth sister, don’t forget that your aunt still has you and third brother… I have said all I need to say. Fourth sister, you should decide for yourself.”
Having said that, he opened the door and went out, taking Xiuzhi back to the east wing of Liaoyuan Garden.
Half an hour later, Granny Tang came in excitedly, lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Oh dear, Fifth Miss, something big has happened in our mansion."
Ruan Bi asked with a smile, "What's the big deal?"
"That concubine Lin miscarried Liu Xu's child. The First Madam caught her just now and gave her fifty lashes. Tsk tsk tsk, I heard that when she was carried back to Xiaozhu Garden, her face was the same color as the bluestone slabs," Granny Tang sighed. "Such a delicate beauty, fifty lashes like that, her bones must have turned to dust, tsk tsk tsk..."
"Have you called a doctor?"
"They've hired the best doctors. They're worried the maids won't be able to take good care of Consort Lin, so they've even moved Baoli, one of their own maids, to look after her. I heard they've also opened the storeroom and brought out the best medicinal herbs for Liuxu and Consort Lin." Granny Tang's triangular eyes gleamed with a meaningful light as she said, "The First Madam is never ambiguous about these things."
Ruan Bi didn't ask any further questions and told Xiuzhi to reward her.
When I went to pay my respects to the Old Madam at dusk, the First Madam was also there. Although she tried her best to restrain herself, a hint of joy was still visible on her face. She had every right to be pleased; she had killed two birds with one stone, eliminating both sides. She had gotten rid of a long-standing worry and also gotten rid of Liu Xu's unborn child. The Old Madam hoped her son would have many children and many blessings. But she didn't think so. Another child would only add more trouble to Ruan Jiaxuan.
When the master returned from the yamen that evening and heard that Consort Lin had been punished, he wasn't as agitated as he had been the previous two times. He first went to see Liu Xu, sitting there for almost half an hour and offering many words of comfort. Then he went to see the unconscious Consort Lin, standing there for only a few minutes.
Two days later, Aunt Lin woke up, and the Fourth Miss spent the whole day attending to her at her bedside.
It is said that the next day, Aunt Lin took the initiative to confess to the master, saying that although Liu Xu's miscarriage was not intentional, it was still related to her. She felt guilty and could not sleep at night, and was willing to enter the Buddhist order to devote herself to Buddhism, pray for the unborn child, and accumulate good deeds for the Ruan family.
The First Madam immediately rejected the idea, saying that it was good to devote oneself to Buddhism and accumulate good deeds for blessings, but there was no need to go to a nunnery; the Ruan family mansion would suffice. However, the Master agreed and then went to persuade the Old Madam.
As dusk settled, a sedan chair carried Aunt Lin out of the Ruan residence through the back door and into the Red Leaf Nunnery on the outskirts of the capital.
The turmoil gradually subsided after Aunt Lin's departure.
The days are getting shorter, and with the Autumnal Equinox and Ghost Festival just past, the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner.
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