Chapter Ten: Visiting a High-Ranking Family
I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of rain pattering outside my window. Suddenly, I remembered the torrential rain of that day, and couldn't help but think of Prince Jin and my own marriage. My thoughts raced, and it took me a long time to fall back asleep. At dawn, the rain had intensified, and the sky was dark. Just as Ruan Bi finished washing up, a maidservant came to inform her: "The rain is too heavy; today's greetings are cancelled."
At noon, Granny Tang came and said that the First Madam and the First Master had argued again last night, but she didn't know what they had argued about. Early this morning, the First Master went out in the rain with Steward Luo and several guards, and his face was very unpleasant.
Ruan Bi rewarded her with three hundred coins. After she left, Ruan Bi counted the money box and couldn't help but worry again. Most of the silver she had won last time had been used up, and her savings were now just over ten taels. She racked her brains all afternoon but couldn't come up with a good way to accumulate wealth, so she had to give up. Actually, her food and clothing all came from the mansion, and she usually just gave the servants some tips, so she didn't have any particularly big financial pressure.
It's just old habits at play; people feel secure only when they have money.
The rain lasted all day, only clearing up the next morning. Sunlight pierced through the morning mist, scattering countless golden rays. With the arrival of autumn, each rain brought a reduction in the summer heat. Therefore, although the sun was strong, it lacked the scorching heat of the previous days; the sky was a clear, deep blue, with wispy clouds.
After paying their respects, the four young ladies dressed neatly and went out with their respective maids and nannies.
Since the journey was to the Princess's residence, the carriage sent was naturally made of pine wood and bore the Ruan family's seal.
The third young lady resolutely refused to ride in the same carriage as the second young lady, and pulled the fourth young lady onto the second carriage early on, leaving Ruan Bi to ride in the first carriage. Ever since the second young lady made her move in the doctor's courtyard, the two had not spoken a word to each other, and had only met a few times. When Ruan Bi bowed to her, she ignored her.
Today, the second young lady wore a pink embroidered blouse and a light green and pine green six-panel skirt. She wore bright moon earrings and pearl hair ornaments. When she sat silently, she was as beautiful as a flower. Seeing Ruan Bi get into the carriage, she disdainfully turned her head to look out the window.
Ruan Bi sat down next to her and also looked out the window.
After a moment, the second girl twitched her nose, turned to look at Ruan Bi, her brows furrowed, and asked, "Did you scent the osmanthus?"
"No, it's a jasmine flower bracelet," Ruan Bi said, holding up her wrist to show her. The jasmine flower bracelet was made by Han Xing and Xiao Ju; ever since she said she liked it, they've been making it for her every day.
The second girl had bright features, but her complexion was slightly yellow. Seeing that her wrist was the same color as jasmine flowers, she felt jealous and said, "I don't like the scent of jasmine flowers, throw it away quickly."
Ruan Bi glanced at her speechlessly and said, "Even if you throw it away, the fragrance is already there, so why bother?"
"I told you to throw it away, but you're trembling like this instead of throwing it away."
"I'm sorry, Second Sister, these flower garlands were a gift from the maids, I can't throw them away."
The second daughter said domineeringly, "There is an order of seniority and a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. This is the rule. I am your legitimate elder sister. If I tell you to throw it away, you have to throw it away."
Ruan Bi, unable to bear it any longer, said, "What a fine way to talk about seniority and the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children! You, the second legitimate daughter of the Ruan family, are always picking on your half-sister. Is this the demeanor of a legitimate elder sister?"
"When have I ever had a problem with you? Don't flatter yourself."
Ruan Bi closed her eyes, too lazy to pay attention to this little brat.
The second young lady was furious and embarrassed. She winked at Chunyun, signaling her to tear off the jasmine flower bunch.
Chunyun hesitated. The Fifth Miss had recently won the favor of the Old Madam. If this matter were to escalate, she would be the one to suffer.
Seeing her dawdling, the second daughter was annoyed and kicked her, saying, "Why don't you listen to me anymore?"
She didn't kick hard, but Chunyun, sitting on the small stool, lost her balance and her head fell back, hitting the carriage wall with a thud. She felt both pain and grievance, and her eyes quickly reddened. The second young lady became even angrier and said, "If you dare to shed tears, I'll send you to the kitchen to wash the dishes when we get back."
Ruan Bi couldn't stand it and clapped her hands, saying, "Second sister is so impressive, it's just a pity that she only shows off her impressiveness in front of the maids and her half-sister."
The second young lady turned to look at her and said sarcastically, "You're really meddling in other people's business. You even interfere when I'm disciplining my maid? Don't think you're so great just because you have Master Ziying backing you up. She's just an old Taoist nun."
"How dare I discipline my sister? Sister, please reprimand the maid. The louder the better, so that everyone on the street can witness your power."
The second young lady paused, turning to look out the window. The carriage had already left Locust Tree Lane and was now on a bustling main street. The shouts and noises outside were constantly reaching her ears, and similarly, the sounds from inside the carriage could be heard outside. Still concerned about her reputation and regretting kicking the loyal Chunyun, she suppressed her anger and remained silent.
After traveling for half an hour, the carriage turned onto a wide street, but there were few people on the street. On both sides of the street were rows of houses, one after another. Ruan Bi guessed that they were about to reach the princess's residence, and sure enough, after a while, through the sand-screened window, she could see three vermilion gates, one of which read "Princess Huiwen's Residence".
After alighting from the carriage and boarding a sedan chair, they arrived at the hanging flower gate. A fair-skinned eunuch, accompanied by several maids, greeted them. He led them eastward through a small gate, along a bluestone path, to a three-room open pavilion, without entering the main hall or side hall. The wooden doors on the east, west, south, and north sides of the pavilion were lowered, with only a white curtain hanging on the north side, making it bright, airy, and offering an unobstructed view.
A mat was laid on the floor, and five low black lacquered tables were placed there.
The old man said with a smile, "The princess said that the weather is fine today, perfect for sitting in the garden, chatting and enjoying the scenery. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Please sit here for a while, ladies. The princess just went to walk her horse and will be back in a little while."
As soon as she stepped outside, the second young lady's arrogance vanished without a trace, and she said with a smile, "I have long heard that the eldest princess has refined and elegant tastes, and indeed, her reputation is well-deserved."
Seeing her poise and elegance, her father-in-law glanced at her again and said with a smile, "Second Miss is right. No one is more elegant than our eldest princess."
The second daughter bowed to him and said, "I haven't yet asked your name, sir."
"I wouldn't dare. My family name is Cui, and I'm the ninth in my family, so I'm called Cui Jiu." Eunuch Cui returned the greeting politely. Among these girls, who knows which one might become his future mistress? He dared not be negligent. "Please sit down, ladies. If the Princess comes later and sees you all standing, then it would be a failure of our hospitality."
Upon hearing this, the four girls sat down according to their age.
Eunuch Cui clapped his hands, and the maids standing to the side brought out tea and various fruits and pastries, then quietly retreated to the side and stood respectfully with their hands clasped. "This is this year's newly tribute Dragon and Phoenix Essence, ladies, please have a taste."
The girls raised their teacups one after another, stirred the tea, smelled the aroma, and then took a small sip.
The second young lady exclaimed, "Its fragrance is delicate and elegant, and it makes one's mouth water. It truly is a dragon among teas, unparalleled in its brilliance."
Before he finished speaking, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard approaching from afar.
Eunuch Cui chuckled and said, "The Princess has arrived." He then walked to the open pavilion and stood there, the four young ladies following his gaze. A moment later, two riders emerged from behind the artificial hill and bamboo grove. The Princess sat on a tall, white horse, dressed in dark purple riding attire, exuding a heroic air. On a smaller, rouge-colored horse sat a young girl of about eleven or twelve, dressed in bright red riding attire, but with a rather delicate appearance.
The four girls quickly stood up.
Two horses pulled up in front of the open pavilion, and the maids stepped forward to stop them. The princess jumped down nimbly, offering her hand to the young girl, who, with her help, slowly dismounted, her movements clumsy and unsightly, a waste of her dashing attire. The princess led the young girl into the open pavilion, smiled slightly at the four young ladies of the Ruan family, and said, "It rained all day yesterday, so I didn't get to walk the horses. Today I've given them a few extra laps. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting."
The second young lady said, "I didn't have to wait long. Just now, my sisters and I were savoring the Dragon and Phoenix Essence Tea, and we hadn't finished the first cup yet."
The eldest princess smiled and said, "So it seems I arrived early and have disturbed the ladies' tea time?"
The second young lady carefully considered her tone, which was mostly teasing, and boldly said, "Indeed."
The princess glanced at her again and said, "Alright, then the girls can continue enjoying the food. I'm all sweaty from riding the horse, so I'll go change my clothes first." With that, she took the little girl's hand and left.
The four girls looked at each other for a while, then had no choice but to sit down again to "sip tea." They dared not actually drink it; what if they drank too much and had to go to the toilet frequently? Wouldn't that be unrefined? Half an hour passed, and Ruan Bi's knees ached. Finally, the princess arrived with the young girl.
She stood up to greet them again, but the Princess raised her hand and said, "No need for formalities." She pulled the young girl beside her and said, "Jingyi, come and greet all the elder sisters." Before coming, the First Madam had briefed them on the Princess's residence and the Duke of Dingguo's residence, and knew that among the younger generation, there was only one daughter born to Gu Xiaobai and a concubine, which must be this young girl named Jingyi. She was indeed pretty, but she looked very timid, completely different from the self-admiring Princess Huiwen, and also different from the arrogant Gu Xiaobai.
Gu Jingyi timidly bowed and said, "Greetings, sisters."
The four girls quickly returned the greeting.
The eldest princess led Gu Jingyi to a low table on the north side and gestured for everyone else to sit down as well. The four young ladies then sat down again. They hadn't exchanged more than a few words, hadn't even had a few sips of tea, and had already performed several rounds of curtsy, their knees aching from kneeling, and the sun was high in the sky. Ruan Bi thought to herself, "This isn't a visit to be a guest; it's clearly an ordeal."
The eldest princess gently stroked Gu Jingyi's head and said, "Didn't you always say that you didn't have any sisters to play with? Today I've invited four older sisters over. Do you like them?"
Jingyi smiled shyly and whispered, "I like it."
The eldest princess smiled gently at her, but when she looked up at the four young ladies of the Ruan family, a hint of arrogance resurfaced in her eyes. "Speaking of which, I have met Lady Wenxiao a few times, but we have never had the opportunity to get to know each other. A few days ago, I visited your residence because of Ziying, and I found all the young ladies to be beautiful and refined. When I told Jingyi about it, she complained that she was the only child in her family and that it was too lonely, so she invited you young ladies over to liven things up. Please make yourselves at home and don't be shy."
The four girls dared not be too casual about it, and simply gave a perfunctory reply.
The eldest princess then asked, "The Ruan family is a family of scholars and poets. I've heard that even the young ladies have been tutored by renowned scholars. Today is quite a sight to behold. Why don't you young ladies compose a poem?"
Ruan Bi suddenly felt her head was spinning.
I'll definitely post two updates today, the other one probably tonight. Let's go for the update votes!
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