Volume Two: Step by Step to Victory, Chapter Two: Chaos Abounds
In a side hall of the main courtyard, maids filed in carrying breakfast, filling the entire table, before leaving one after another. The old lady said to Manyun, "You don't need to serve me. Go and have your breakfast. Just leave a maid outside the door."
Manyun acknowledged and withdrew. The old lady asked Ruan Hong in a low voice, "Did he really come back last night?"
Ruan Hong took a sip of porridge and said, "I heard that, so I came back with the Prince of Jin."
The old lady was silent for a moment, then said, "She is quite capable, having even managed to establish a relationship with the Prince of Jin."
"It's not just a friendship; I heard he's now in the Xingping Army under the Prince of Jin."
The old lady asked in bewilderment, "Didn't I hear that it was under General Zhao's western army?"
Ruan Hong shook his head and said, "I don't know either."
“Hong’er, you should keep a close eye on him and find out what his relationship with Prince Jin really is. He hates me to the bone because of his mother’s matter. Now that he’s grown up and returned, I’m always on edge.”
"Mother, don't worry. With me here, I will definitely not let him do anything reckless."
Just then, a maidservant announced from outside the door: "Madam, the Third Master has arrived."
The old lady concealed her worry and put on a kind smile as she looked at Ruan Chi, who strode in.
Ruan Chi also suppressed his murderous aura and knelt down to pay his respects to the old lady. "Your son greets Mother."
"Good child, get up, get up, let your mother take a good look at you." The old lady rose from her seat and helped her up, looking at her lovingly. "You've grown taller, stronger, and darker; I almost didn't recognize you. You heartless child, gone for six years without a single visit. Do you know how worried I was day and night? You were the one my grandfather loved most. If anything had happened to you, how could I face him? Thank goodness you've finally returned safely. From now on, stay obediently in the capital. You should resign from your military post. We're a family of scholars; we don't do this fighting and killing." By the end, her eyes were wet with tears.
Ruan Chi's eyes also reddened, and he said, "Your son is unfilial and has caused your mother worry."
The old lady took out a handkerchief, wiped her eyes, and said, "Since you knew I was worried, you shouldn't have gone to the Northwest to join the army. Although our Ruan family isn't a noble or princely family, we are a family of scholars for centuries, with a large and prosperous family. We don't need to learn from the hopeless common people and live a life of bloodshed. Even if you weren't talented, you still have your own family business, and you'll never be poor. Besides, you are talented. When the old master was alive, he often said that you would be the flower-adorned prince at the Qionglin Banquet in the future, but now..." She covered her mouth and couldn't speak.
When his father was mentioned, Ruan Chi also shed tears, saying, "I have failed my father's expectations."
Ruan Hong held the old lady's shoulder and said, "Mother, don't be sad. Now that our third brother has returned safely and earned a military merit, he has brought honor to our Ruan family. Father would be pleased to know this in the afterlife. Besides, it would be unpleasant to turn such a joyous occasion into a day of tears."
Ruan Chi wiped away his tears and echoed, "Mother, what my elder brother said is true. The war is over, and I will not go to the frontier again. I will definitely stay by your side and fulfill my filial duties."
Upon hearing the news of filial piety, the old lady could no longer cry. Ruan Hong spoke kindly to her, and she took the opportunity to wipe away her tears. The three of them sat down and called in a maid to bring in a new set of bowls and chopsticks. The old lady placed some food in Ruan Chi's bowl and said, "Eat more. I heard that the soldiers eat coarse grains. It's amazing that you haven't lost weight; in fact, you've gained a little weight."
"Thank you, Mother." Ruan Chi picked up some food and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. Suddenly, he remembered the journey he took on his way to join the army in the Northwest. Because he had run out of money, he had eaten everything: pig feed from farms, rats from the fields, wild fruits from the mountains... Lost in thought, he heard Ruan Hong calling him: "Third brother, third brother..."
He paused and said, "Brother, please speak."
Ruan Hong asked, "I heard you were in the Western Route Army, so why are you back with the Prince of Jin this time?"
Ruan Chi said, "Six months ago, the Western Route Army and the Xingping Army fought against the Northern Rong enemy in Zhenrong. I fought alongside the Prince of Jin, and then the Prince of Jin transferred me to his command."
"Was it the battle that annihilated 100,000 enemy troops?"
"Exactly."
"One hundred thousand troops?" the old lady said. "Amitabha, if I kill you today, you will kill me another day. When will this end?"
Ruan Hong knew that the old lady disliked bloodshed, so he said, "Mother, rest assured, after this battle, the enemy suffered heavy casualties and will not invade our Great Zhou in the short term."
"That's good, that's good. I get chills whenever I hear about fighting and killing. Hong'er, you should find Chi'er a job in the government office."
"Mother, there's no need to worry. My third brother has just returned. Let him rest well."
“That makes sense.” The old lady thought for a moment and then instructed the maid, “Go and call Manhua and Xiuping over.”
The young maid went out and soon brought in two more beautiful young maids, dressed more exquisitely than ordinary maids, who gracefully bowed to the three of them.
The old lady pulled up one of the maids with willow-leaf eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes and said, "Chi'er, I'm worried about you not having a caring person in your courtyard. I bought this girl from a slave trader a year ago. She knows a bit about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and she's a sensible and considerate girl. You can have her serve you from now on."
Ruan Chi glanced at Man Hua and saw that she was very beautiful, obviously the old lady had put a lot of effort into her. He sneered inwardly, but said cheerfully, "Thank you, Mother."
The old lady released Manhua's hand and said, "Girl, go and serve your third master his meal."
Manhua blushed and walked to stand behind Ruan Chi.
The old lady pushed another maid to Ruan Hong's side and said, "Hong'er, the maids around you have been there for quite some time. They are lazy and don't serve you as well as they have. I've prepared one for you too."
Ruan Hong was a little surprised, but seeing Xiuping's youthful beauty, he liked her and immediately thanked her.
After dinner, Ruan Hong led Xiuping, and Ruan Chi led Manhua, and they all returned to their respective courtyards.
When the First Madam saw Ruan Hong leading Xiuping into the side hall, she was taken aback and asked, "Xiuping, what brings you here? Is there something I need you for?"
Xiuping shook her head, her cheeks flushed as she glanced at Ruan Hong.
The First Madam immediately understood, feeling as if she had been stabbed in the heart. She glared fiercely at Ruan Hong. Ruan Hong pulled her into the inner room, saying as he removed his court robes, "I can't refuse Mother's wishes. You decide what to do." He then took off his court robes, changed into his official robes, and left.
The First Madam took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and walked back to the side hall, saying, "Someone, take Miss Xiuping to the side room to rest. Then go and invite Mother Wei here."
Madam Wei arrived quickly, having heard from the maid on the way, so she wasn't surprised to see the First Madam's angry face upon entering. The First Madam was someone she had raised since childhood, and they had a deep bond. Upon seeing her, her eyes reddened slightly as she said, "Life is getting worse and worse. Framing her, giving her away—she never stops."
Mother Wei pulled her to sit down, poured her another cup of tea, and said, "Young lady, don't be angry. The old lady is hoping you'll be angry."
The First Madam said, "How can I not be angry? This time, you actually let the Master bring the person back directly. Where is my face? Won't the servants all laugh at me behind my back? No, I have to go and find out the truth..." With that, she stood up to leave.
Mother Wei grabbed her and said, "Young lady, the old lady is just waiting for you to get angry and make a scene with her, so she can accuse you of disobeying your elders."
The First Madam said, "Mother, how can I swallow this insult?"
Mother Wei said, "Young lady, you've taken over the Lingtang Estate, so what if you have to put up with some of her mistreatment?"
The First Madam shook her head and said, "That's hard to say. Now that Xu Baoshu's family has suffered this time, I'm afraid the managers of the estate will all become disloyal."
"So, the poisoning of the Fifth Sister was really a setup by her?"
The First Madam said, "If it wasn't her, then it must have been that fat woman. If it was that fat woman who did it, then she was just going along with it. I've served her sincerely for so many years, and this is the result. It's truly disheartening."
“Young lady, what are you going to do? Xu Baoshu’s family has just returned from the suburbs and is kneeling outside the second gate.”
"Have someone kick them out."
“Young lady,” Mother Wei said anxiously, “if you drive Xu Baoshu’s family away, wouldn’t that be doing them what they want? That would really make the other managers have second thoughts.”
The First Madam said irritably, "Then what do you expect me to do? The officials have already acknowledged Huaihua's actions. Even though I know it's to their advantage, I have to do it. It's already good enough that they haven't been sold into slavery."
Mother Wei said, "Why don't you send them back to your uncle's house, young lady, and let him take care of them?"
The First Madam thought for a moment and said, "That's not appropriate. Huaihua is also dead. She will definitely bear the blame for poisoning and plotting against her master. If we let my elder brother take in Xu Baoshu's family, it will be detrimental to our reputations. Not to mention the Old Madam, even the Master will not be able to get past this."
"Sigh," sighed Madam Wei, "The young lady shouldn't have let them send the locust flowers to the officials in the first place; now there's no way to prove it."
The First Madam said bitterly, "Do you think I wanted this? The situation forced them to act against their will. They didn't even wait for the Master to return before rushing to the authorities. That very night, Huaihua signed her confession and hanged herself. I don't even know how much silver they bribed. It's all my fault for wanting to take care of Xu Baoshu's family and putting Huaihua in Fifth Miss's room. Who knew she was so foolish? Not only did she lose her own life, but she also implicated me. One wrong step leads to another. Mother, I had no choice."
"I know, I know, it's just that they are too cruel, they actually thought of poisoning Fifth Sister."
The First Madam said, "If it were just an ordinary mistake, how could it possibly affect Xu Baoshu's entire family?"
What if Fifth Sister dies?
The First Madam waved her hand and said, "So what if that scoundrel is dead? He's insignificant. He'd only make things easier for me to pin the blame on. Mother, you always said I was soft-hearted, and I never believed it. But now it seems you really are right."
"It's not too late to realize this now, young lady. You should start planning soon, lest you get tricked again."
The First Madam said decisively, "Don't worry, Mother. I, Wang Juan, am not someone to be trifled with." At this moment, hurried footsteps came from outside. The First Madam frowned and said, "It must be Second Sister. Mother, you should step back first. Go to the second gate and tell Xu Baoshu's family to leave quickly. It would be too ugly if the servants in the mansion chased them out with sticks."
"Yes, young lady."
Just as Wei's mother left, the second daughter rushed in, shouting, "Mother, I heard that Grandmother sent a maid to Father."
The First Madam glared at her reproachfully and said, "Shout even louder, so the whole mansion can hear you."
The second daughter said sullenly, "Grandmother, don't you think we have enough trouble here already?"
"This is not your business. Just focus on your studies and embroidery, and marry a good husband to support me."
The second daughter sat down angrily and threw the letter she was holding at the first wife: "The gatekeeper brought it in; it's a letter from my eldest uncle."
The First Madam tore it open and looked at it for a while, then seemed to be deep in thought.
The second daughter asked, "Mother, what did Uncle say?"
"He said he wanted to find a wife with a respectable background for your older cousin, and told me to keep an eye out?"
"Big cousin, didn't you break your leg in a horse-riding accident last year and have been paralyzed ever since?"
The First Madam said, "Yes, judging from what your uncle said, it's probably incurable. So we don't need a noble family background, as long as the family is respectable. But with your eldest cousin paralyzed, where can we find a daughter from a good family?"
The second daughter rolled her eyes and said, "Mother, there's one right here."
"Who?" the First Madam asked in confusion, then, seeing the Second Miss blinking, she suddenly realized, "You mean the Fifth Miss?"
The second daughter nodded.
The First Madam said happily, "That's right, Fifth Sister is just right. I was so stupid."
"Mother, you should go and discuss it with Grandmother and make a decision quickly."
The First Madam shook her head and said, "If I bring this up with the Old Madam now, it will definitely not work. Let's wait and see."
"The night is long and things can go wrong, Mother. We can't wait. We need to make a decision first." The second young lady shook the first lady's arm anxiously.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" the First Madam said. "Besides, you're older than her, so you should be betrothed first. Second daughter, you're already fourteen in the blink of an eye, and you'll be of marriageable age next year. How about the Second Young Master Xie from the Marquis of Yanping's mansion?"
The second daughter's cheeks flushed red as she said, "Oh dear, Mother, I forgot to feed the thrush." With that, she hurried out of the First Madam's room, her heart pounding like a deer's, her mind racing, and her steps wandering aimlessly. When she finally came to her senses, she realized she was already in the northwest corner of the Ruan residence. She looked at Chunyun reproachfully and said, "How did I get here? Without a word."
Chunyun said with a grin, "Miss has been secretly laughing since coming from the Madam's room. How could Chunyun dare to disturb you?"
"Did I secretly laugh?" the second young lady asked, touching her face. Seeing Chunyun's mischievous expression, she knew she had been tricked. She immediately waved her hand as if to hit her, and Chunyun hurriedly dodged. Just then, they saw someone approaching from not far away, looking around furtively. The second young lady looked closely and realized it was none other than the hot water bottle.
Chao Chunyun gave her a wink, and Chunyun stepped forward and grabbed the hot water bottle.
When the old woman saw that it was the second young lady, she quickly bowed and greeted her.
The second young lady asked coldly, "I'm asking you, what are you doing here instead of working in the inner courtyard?"
"Old servant, old servant..." Granny Tang stammered for a long time, "Old servant just came to take a stroll."
"You audacious lackey, you think you can fool me?"
The old woman was so frightened that she shook her head repeatedly and said, "How could this old servant dare to deceive the second young lady?"
The second sister slapped her and said, "Still trying to fool me? You and the fifth sister teamed up to deceive me. Do you really think I don't understand?"
The old woman covered her face and said, "It's a miscarriage of justice, truly a miscarriage of justice, Second Miss. Even if this old woman is blind, she can still distinguish between the noble and the lowly. How could I possibly deceive Second Miss for Fifth Miss's sake?"
"So you're saying you knew nothing about it, and that Xiao Wu lied to me?"
"My lady is wise."
The second young lady thought for a moment and said, "How could that be? With her muddle-headed brain." Although Ruan Bi was very different from the past in these two encounters, the impression she had formed over more than ten years was hard to change in a short time.
“Second Miss, you’re mistaken. Let me tell you, Fifth Miss’s mind is quite sharp these days.” Granny Tang’s eyes darted around. “Second Miss, there’s something you don’t know, is there?” She then recounted how Ruan Bi had subdued Huaihua and then feigned illness. The Second Miss’s face paled upon hearing this. “You’re saying she knew all along that Huaihua was going to harm her? And she wasn’t poisoned?”
The hot water bottle nodded.
The second daughter said bitterly, "That little fifth one, she's really vicious."
Tang Pozi nodded vigorously and said, "Second Miss, you must be careful. Fifth Miss is cunning and ruthless."
The second young lady thought for a moment and said to Chunyun, "Give her a reward." She then said to Granny Tang, "Keep an eye on her. If anything happens to her, report it to me immediately."
Tang Pozi nodded vigorously, took the five hundred coins handed to her by Chunyun, and felt a burning joy even as she received the slap on her face.
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