Volume Two, Step by Step to Victory, Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Bowl of Dumplings
As Ruan Bi entered the west wing, everyone felt a sudden darkness before their eyes, and the muffled sound of rain resounded in their ears.
Xu Maoyu coughed lightly and asked Prince Jin, "What does Fei Yang think of this Miss Ruan?"
The Prince of Jin's eyes flashed, and he asked, "What...how?"
“This Miss Ruan is riding in the private carriage of Master Ziying of Yuxu Temple.”
The Prince of Jin lowered his head to drink water, his eyebrows and eyes hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his expression. He said, "Yes, I saw it."
Youde asked curiously, "Is there something wrong with the carriage?"
"Who is Master Ziying? Why would he treat a young girl differently? There must be more to it than meets the eye..."
Footsteps came from outside the door. Xu Maoyu quickly shut his mouth and turned to look outside. It was Granny Liu and Xiuzhi carrying a lacquer tray.
Xiuzhi's face flushed red at the sight of so many shirtless men in the room. She lowered her head and stood frozen in place, too embarrassed to come closer. Granny Liu, also feeling awkward, stood outside the door and said with her head bowed, "Your Highness, gentlemen, the kitchen is short of ingredients and has only made one pot of noodles. I hope you won't find it offensive."
"Thank you for your hard work in the middle of the night. Please convey my gratitude to Miss Ruan." After saying this, Prince Jin winked at Yu Qing. He went out, took the lacquer trays from Xiuzhi and Granny Liu, and carried them into the room steadily, one in each hand, placing them on the table. Not a single drop of the six large bowls of noodle soup on the trays was spilled.
"Your Highness is too kind. Please enjoy your meal." After saying this, Granny Liu bowed again and led Xiuzhi back to the west wing.
As soon as they left, everyone picked up their bowls and started eating heartily.
Youde was the first to finish eating. He patted his empty stomach, smacked his lips, and said, "It's delicious, even better than my mother's cooking, but there's just too little."
Xu Maoyu asked thoughtfully, "Yuqing, were these dumplings really made by Miss Ruan?"
Yu Qing nodded and said, "When I went into the kitchen just now, I saw her busy at the stove."
Youde asked curiously, "Maogong, is there something wrong again?"
“Of course not. The Ruan family of Jingxi is a century-old family, owning tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and dozens of shops. Everything they eat, wear, live in, and travel is exquisite. Logically speaking, this Miss Ruan should have never even seen dumplings before, so how could she make them? Besides, what kind of family is the Ruan family? They have plenty of cooks and cooks. This Miss Ruan probably has never even stepped into the kitchen. How could she possibly make dumplings?” Xu Maoyu said, “In my opinion, this pot of dumplings must have been made by that old nanny. As for Miss Ruan, perhaps she heard that the prince is selecting concubines and deliberately pretended to cook herself to win the prince's favor…”
If Ruan Bi knew that her good intentions had led to so much speculation from Xu Maoyu, she would probably be filled with regret.
Youde nodded heavily and said, "Maogong is right. This little girl is quick-witted and cunning." As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Jin put down his bowl heavily, stood up and said, "I'm tired. I'm going to rest." Without looking at anyone, he strode into the inner room.
Youde glanced at the bowl and said in a low voice, "He ate even more cleanly than I did." Then, looking at the Prince of Jin's back, he said with a hint of puzzlement, "Why does the Prince seem a little unhappy?"
Xu Maoyu stroked his beard, smiled slightly, and said, "Perhaps he didn't like what we said."
Youde scratched the back of his head and said, "Why wouldn't I like it? We didn't say anything."
Xu Maoyu didn't say much, stood up, stretched, and said, "I'm going to sleep too."
The others also dispersed and rested.
The rain stopped the next morning.
When Prince Jin opened his eyes, he saw the window paper stained red by the sunlight. Overjoyed, he jumped out of bed and opened the window. The sky was azure, the air fresh, carrying the fragrance of earth. He took a deep breath. Xu Maoyu, who was outside, heard the noise, knocked on the door, and handed him a dark purple robe, saying, "Now, Fei Yang doesn't have to worry anymore."
"Hmm," said the Prince of Jin as he dressed, "Let's take a stroll along the middle and lower reaches of the Yichun River later and see if any of the fields on both banks have been flooded?"
“Feiyang, these matters will naturally be handled by the local officials. If you go, they will inevitably make a mountain out of a molehill and report it to higher authorities. If those with ulterior motives find out, they will surely accuse you of abusing your power and interfering in local affairs…” Seeing the Prince of Jin’s displeasure, Xu Maoyu continued, “Feiyang, you already have outstanding military achievements and are more popular with the people than the Emperor. It’s not advisable for you to stand out any longer. Although you and the Emperor are brothers and have a deep bond, you can’t withstand repeated provocations from treacherous people. Now that the country is peaceful and prosperous, you should put aside your worries about the world and be a wealthy and noble prince.”
The joy on Prince Jin's face vanished completely. He sighed and said, "What Maogong says is true. Then I won't go. I'll just take a break and stay at the Princess's estate for a few days until the bridge is repaired before returning to the city." After saying that, he lowered his head and straightened his sleeves. "Oh, by the way, go and inform everyone, and also tell Miss Ruan to make some preparations."
“Miss Ruan came to say goodbye early this morning. You were still asleep then, so I didn’t wake you.”
The Prince of Jin paused in adjusting his sleeves, and only resumed his actions after a long while.
Xu Maoyu continued, "Speaking of which, I really don't understand this Miss Ruan. I originally thought she cooked for you last night to win your favor, but she left early today, as if she didn't want to get involved with us."
The Prince of Jin straightened his sleeves, raised his head, his resolute brows and eyes devoid of any emotion, and said, "Let's go too."
The heavy rain had just stopped, but the roads were still muddy.
However, the horses ridden by Prince Jin and his entourage were all from Xiwan, strong and capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, so this muddy terrain was no problem for them. In the blink of an eye, the eight riders swept out of the small village like a whirlwind, turned west at the City God Temple, and after another three miles, they reached the post road. To the south was the direction to the capital, and to the north was the direction to Yuxu Temple—Princess Huiwen's estate was located at the foot of the mountain where Yuxu Temple was situated.
The Prince of Jin took the lead, but when he reached the crossroads, he suddenly reined in his horse.
The others also reined in their horses, looking at him with puzzlement.
Xu Maoyu, who was following closely behind, pulled on the reins and asked, "Feiyang, what's wrong?"
The Prince of Jin remained silent, simply staring at the ground.
Xu Maoyu also looked at the ground and saw two deep ruts that turned from the side road onto the post road, heading south. There was only one rut on the entire side road, so it must have been the carriage that Fifth Miss was riding in. Xu Maoyu remembered that Ruan Bi had asked him yesterday how to get back to the capital, and said, "It seems that Miss Ruan is in a hurry to get back to the capital, and is willing to take a long detour. However, that road is very difficult to travel, and it will probably take them a whole day to get there."
Prince Jin gazed in the direction of the capital, hesitating, when suddenly he saw a two-horse carriage approaching in the distance. It was the carriage from Yuxu Temple that Ruan Bi had been riding in. However, the carriage seemed to be empty, moving very swiftly, and arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye. The coachman squinted, swayed his head, and hummed a little tune.
Yu Qing of the Jin Dynasty gave him a wink, and he rode forward to block the middle of the road.
The coachman's eyes widened, and he hurriedly reined in his horse, got off the carriage, and came over to pay his respects.
The Prince of Jin asked in a deep voice, "Where is Miss Ruan?"
The coachman lowered his head and said, "When we arrived at the Yichun River, there was a small boat that a family nearby had set up to ferry people and horses across, but the carriage couldn't pass. Miss Ruan sent me back, saying that it was only about ten miles to the capital after crossing the river, and she could walk back."
The Prince of Jin frowned slightly, signaling Yu Qing to reward him, then flicked his whip and headed south.
Just a few miles away, we reached the Yichun River. The river, which had been turbulent yesterday, was now as calm as a mirror, though the water level was extremely high, almost level with the banks. Most of the damaged stone bridge was submerged. The ferry boat was small, able to carry only one horse and one person at a time.
There were still many commoners and merchants waiting for the ferry, but when they saw the Prince of Jin, with his imposing presence, wearing a magnificent black-purple robe, and accompanied by guards all carrying swords, they hurriedly stepped aside to let him cross first. The Prince of Jin was the first to cross the river, and without waiting for the others, he mounted his horse and galloped off towards the capital.
It was nearing noon, and there were many pedestrians coming and going. Most were on foot, while a few rode horses, donkeys, oxen, and so on. The muddy road, trampled repeatedly by pedestrians and livestock and exposed to the blazing sun, was already half-dry. After running for about two miles, they saw Ruan Bi and her two servants walking slowly among the pedestrians. She wore a veiled hat, her embroidered shoes were slightly dirty, and there were a few specks of black mud on the hem of her skirt, but her steps were very light.
Hearing the rapid sound of hooves, Ruan Bi turned her head to look. She saw a figure flash by, a rider galloping past as fast as a shooting star. Upon closer inspection, she could only see a dark purple figure on the horse's back, disappearing into the distance in an instant, becoming a small black dot.
Xiuzhi exclaimed, "Isn't this the Prince of Jin?"
Granny Liu craned her neck for a glance and said, "It looks like him."
Ruan Bi's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly realized what she should say when she returned to the manor. Should she say that she was stranded on the road by a rainstorm and spent the night in a nearby farmhouse with Prince Jin and his guards? Although she was being honest, would the First Madam and the Old Madam think that way? If she didn't tell the truth, would Granny Liu cooperate? After thinking for a moment, she said, "Mama, I am young and ignorant, and there is something I don't know how to handle. I would like to ask you for advice."
No sooner had she finished speaking than she heard a rider galloping up behind her, slowing down slightly as he approached. Ruan Bi turned her head and saw You De running past with a look of surprise on his face, heading towards the capital. As the Prince of Jin's personal bodyguard, he was naturally chasing after the Prince.
Granny Liu said, "You're too kind, young lady. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."
"Mom, about what happened last night... how should we talk about it when we get home?"
Granny Liu hesitated for a moment, then said, "What does the young lady want to say? I'll listen to what you say."
Ruan Bi pushed it back to her. "I'm ignorant, I only listen to my mother."
Granny Liu thought to herself that if she hadn't disobeyed her and insisted on heading to the city, they wouldn't have been caught in a downpour and unable to turn back. She understood Ruan Bi's meaning; she didn't want to mention that she had encountered Prince Jin and his entourage, and that they had stayed in the same house... Actually, she didn't want to say it either, fearing that the Madam would blame her for not taking good care of them. So she said, "Miss, this matter shouldn't be my decision. Since you asked, I'll just say something random—we hadn't been out of the Jade Void Temple for long yesterday when we encountered a downpour, so we had to turn back and stay overnight. What do you think, Miss?"
“Let’s do as Mother says,” Ruan Bi said with a smile. “Later, we’ll hire a carriage at the city gate…”
Before he could finish speaking, a two-horse carriage suddenly stopped in front of him, and the driver said, "Please get in, young lady."
(Feiyang was the courtesy name of the King of Jin. Fei is interchangeable with Fei, meaning five colors intertwined.)
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