Yu Hexagram (Hexagram 10) - Zhongzhong Hexagram (Hexagram 10)
Chapter 16 Yu Hexagram - The Middle Hexagram - Awakening
The layout of the Runan Marquis's mansion is very elaborate, even the gravel path in the garden is made of neat, uniform brown pebbles.
The soil used for transplanting flowers and trees in the garden is top-quality black soil transported back from elsewhere, so the flowers and plants in the garden are always more robust than those in other places. Even their flowering season is earlier than that of other mansions.
Rong Yan was walking slowly on the cobblestones, unable to move quickly.
Qu Shen Courtyard was bustling with people. Several people hurried past in the corridor. When Rong Yan rushed back, Madam Hou and others were already waiting by the bedside.
Rong Yan hurried to the bedside. Before Madam Hou could speak, Madam Wang spoke first, "Madam, why are you running around outside the mansion every day? There's no one to take care of the eldest son when he wakes up. There are some things your mother-in-law can't say to you. We women should prioritize our husbands. Besides, you came into the family to better serve the eldest son."
Rong Yan ignored Xiao Wangshi's ridicule and calmly looked at the person on the bed. He had a heroic air about him, and his usually closed eyes were now open. His eyelashes were as straight and thick as a baby's, and his gaze towards her was clear and bright.
His hair was usually light-colored, but it still had some black strands.
But now, his hair has turned white overnight!
Rong Yan was somewhat shocked. He had clearly seen it before going to sleep last night, and it wasn't like this.
His face was somewhat pale, and his lips were a bit gray. Although he had woken up, there was no particular joy on his face. He was as calm as if waking up was just an ordinary thing.
Rong Yan greeted them politely, "Greetings, Mother, Second Aunt, and Aunt Wang."
After saying that, she turned to him and softly called, "Husband."
Lady Hou looked unwell, and Madam Wang's face turned red with anger.
Little Wang was certain that since she was a new bride, she wouldn't dare to argue. But instead of arguing, she completely disregarded her, acting as if she hadn't heard her at all, and even greeted her as usual.
Since Rong Yan solved the Fu Lou murder case for her, Lady Hou has been very tolerant of her. Not only did she agree to let her handle the matter of that dilapidated Taoist temple, but even though Xiao Wangshi was clearly dissatisfied with Rong Yan, she did not join in to ridicule her.
However, Second Aunt spoke up to defend Rong Yan, "Aunt Wang, Yan Yan has also worked very hard. Look, if she hadn't taken good care of the eldest young master, how could he have woken up so quickly?"
Du Chunhong also sneered, "Shouldn't we women prioritize our husbands? I've never seen you prioritize the Marquis either! Besides, you entered the household to better serve the Marquis and his wife, right? When have I ever seen you show any concern for the Marquis's wife?"
Xiao Wang's face stiffened. As a concubine, she had no right to retort, even if her third aunt, Du Chunhong, spoke.
She bullied Rong Yan only because she was an elder. Rong Yan ignored her, but that didn't mean her own mother would tolerate her.
Du Chunhong gave Xiao Wang a sarcastic remark, and seeing that she had shut up after being rebuffed, she let out a cold snort.
Lady Hou choked up a little, "Daoheng, you're finally awake! You've been asleep for almost half a month, and everyone's saying... they're saying..."
Lady Hou shed tears, wiped them away, and then said, "Thanks to Lord Zhao, we were able to arrange your marriage. It seems we made the right choice in choosing this path of 'marrying to ward off bad luck'! You won't blame your mother, will you? That day you were on the verge of death, and we had no other choice. She is the Rong family's youngest daughter I mentioned. When you woke up that day, I thought... I thought... Thank God, thank you, God! Rong Yan, come here."
Xie Chengzhi's eyes flickered slightly, and a hint of emotion appeared in his gaze as he slowly looked at her.
His slightly dry lips parted slightly, and his voice was a little hoarse, "You..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Xie Zhezhi, who strode in.
"Big brother!"
Xie Zhezhi had obviously just heard the news and rushed over, beads of sweat still on his forehead.
Even as he stood beside Rong Yan, she could faintly feel the heat emanating from him.
Xie Chengzhi then shifted his gaze from Rong Yan, "Second brother."
Rong Shu, who was lagging behind Xie Zhezhi, arrived now adorned with jewels. Her gaze fell on Rong Yan, who was dressed in ordinary clothes, and she was instantly outshone by her. Rong Shu felt a little smug.
"Mother is well." Rong Shu bowed to the Lady of the Marquis first.
Lady Hou glanced at it casually, and then showed some displeasure.
"You've arrived late, apparently dressed up for the occasion. While it's true that women dress up for those they love, one must also be mindful of the time and place."
As Lady Hou spoke, her face darkened. Seeing this, Rong Shu secretly glanced at Xie Zhezhi. Seeing that his expression was still good, she then flattered him, saying, "Mother, I know I was wrong. Hello, elder brother."
Clearly, Lady Hou had already told Xie Chengzhi about their marriage, so Xie Chengzhi did not show any surprise on his face.
Everyone was clearly excited when Xie Chengzhi woke up, especially Madam Hou.
However, the eldest son only opened his eyes for a short while before closing them again and falling into a deep sleep. If everyone hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, they would have thought it was a hallucination.
Rong Shu gasped softly, "This... this can't be a final burst of energy before death, can it?" After saying that, she seemed greatly alarmed, immediately knelt down, and sobbed softly.
Upon hearing her words, Lady Hou was overjoyed but also greatly shocked, almost unable to catch her breath. "Why are you crying? This is outrageous! How dare you speak such nonsense in front of the eldest son's bedside!"
Xie Zhezhi was also a little annoyed by Rong Shu's words, and gently tugged at her arm.
Lady Hou didn't dare to speak loudly, for fear of disturbing Xie Chengzhi.
"Mother, it was Shuer who was rude and said the wrong thing..."
Rong Shu's coquettishness had no effect on her. The Lady of the Marquis was now quite blunt in dismissing them, saying, "Everyone, go back to your quarters. Don't disturb the young master's rest. Mama Fang, these next few days, go and wait at the Imperial Medical Bureau. Ask Physician Zhang to come a few times when he has time; the cost is negotiable. Also, ask Physician Li to come and take a look, and say that the young master has woken up. And you know which physicians to invite and which not to. Tell the cook to prepare some clear soup, nothing too nourishing; he's just woken up and can't handle strong tonics. Yan Yan, come here; everyone else, go back."
Rong Shu was pulled up by Xie Zhezhi. She glanced at Xie Chengzhi on the bed and was surprised to find that he was actually awake.
Seeing that Lady Hou's beauty was improving day by day, she felt both jealous and resentful.
As she stood up, she caught a glimpse of two unassuming jade walnuts on the chaise lounge in the room.
At first glance, she felt that the pair looked somewhat familiar, as if there was a similar pair in her father's study.
She took a closer look and noticed that even the patterns on the jade walnuts were the same.
She sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. When did this slut become so vain?
She must have found this pair of fakes because she saw her father playing with them all day long.
Who doesn't know that there's only one pair of these white jade walnuts in the entire capital?
Did she think that by doing this, others would think it was a gift from her father, and that she would become his beloved wife?
We must find an opportunity to expose this matter, and then Lady Hou will surely change her opinion of her.
Now that the eldest son has awakened, Rong Yan is also a lowly concubine's daughter who can't even read accounts, let alone manage household affairs.
It seems she needs to work harder to help Madam Wang manage the household well and strive to gain control of the family affairs as soon as possible.
After everyone left, Madam Hou glanced at the sleeping Xie Chengzhi and said without turning her head, "The eldest young master has now woken up. You deserve credit for this, but you must also take good care of him closely, understand?"
"Yes, Mother."
Madam Fang went out and brewed a pot of white tea, the kind that Wang Shi liked. She picked up a cup and drank it, looking very calm and composed.
"Does this tea suit your taste?"
"What a mother likes is good."
Wang was all smiles as she was coaxed, but suddenly her smile froze. "If you like it, drink more, but it's best to drink less in the future."
Rong Yan thought for a moment and realized that she was worried that if she became pregnant in the future, she would not be able to drink tea.
Fearing she might not understand, Wang repeated herself in a different way, "It's best to drink less of this tea in the future. I was negligent, so please remember that."
Rong Yan chuckled dryly, "Okay."
Madam Wang stroked the rim of the cup with her index finger, her smile somewhat forced. "Yanyan, it's like this. You're new to the household, and given our power and prestige in Bianjing, it's truly fitting that we host a banquet for the young ladies of the capital. My close friend gave me some pointers today, and I think I, as your mother-in-law, have been in the wrong. It's time to give you a chance to shine. Prepare this banquet carefully. I'll have Granny Li and Granny Wang assist you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Princess Yongqing's invitation will eventually be exposed, so it's better to let her make more preparations.
Rong Yan wasn't angry, but a look of fear suddenly appeared on her face. "Mother, I am just a concubine's daughter and have never hosted such a high-class banquet before. I'm afraid I am not up to the task."
"Nonsense! Don't keep talking about being a concubine's daughter. Once you enter my Marquis's mansion, you'll naturally have a lot of experience. There will only be more of these kinds of situations in the future. If you don't understand anything, just send someone to ask."
Rong Yan fell silent for a moment. She really just wanted to be a carefree, lazy person, but her master wouldn't let her be. He forced a Taoist temple on her instead.
Nowadays, she has to be present for every banquet held at the Marquis's residence.
Rong Yan: ...
Rong Yan: "Then, if my daughter-in-law does anything that is not to my liking, I hope Mother will not take offense."
Lady Hou didn't have high expectations for her. She intended to cultivate her, fearing that she would be unpresentable and embarrass her son in the future.
"Just go ahead and do it. I and many mothers and nannies will support you."
"I wonder how much your mother's budget is?"
"Is one hundred taels enough?"
Rong Yan: ...
When the Wang family is in charge, they really spend very generously; a small banquet costs a whopping 30,000.
Rong Yan pondered for a moment before replying, "It's certainly enough."
Wang clearly had more to say. She got up to go back to her room, hesitated for a moment, and then stammered, "Oh, right."
Rong Yan was about to get up to see her off, but stopped when he saw Wang Shi.
She said somewhat ambiguously, "Since you've invited the imperial physician, people in the palace will probably know about it. You should make some preparations as soon as possible."
Rong Yan lowered his eyes and smiled slightly, "Daughter-in-law understands."
Lady Hou turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "You really understand?"
"I will put extra effort into this banquet to entertain our distinguished guests."
Upon hearing this, Madam Hou was somewhat surprised, then nodded. "Lately, you seem to be getting quite close to your third aunt and uncle?"
Rong Yan smiled and said, "They said I get along well with them because they think I look like their family."
The couple had no children, and upon hearing this, Lady Hou also felt that there was a certain resemblance.
As for the noble ladies in the palace, they were nothing more than Xie Chengzhi's former lovers.
Before she married into the family, she had heard that the eldest son and Princess Yongqing were childhood sweethearts and deeply in love. However, he was physically weak and the emperor did not approve, which forced them apart. In addition, Lord Zhao calculated her birth chart, and Lady Hou grasped at what she thought was a glimmer of hope as if she had found a straw.
Lady Hou was naturally surprised that Rong Yan understood everything after hearing just one sentence from her, and she was very satisfied.
That would be excellent. The bride is of lowly status. If Princess Yongqing could humble herself and marry Daoheng, she would be a secondary wife, and everything would be fine.
Nothing can buy her willingness.
After Lady Hou left, the number of maids in the courtyard doubled, with Aunt Qiushi personally leading a group to guard the kitchen. The maids outside the courtyard worked as hard as if it were New Year's Day, and their faces showed a hint of joy.
Rong Yan pushed open the heavy, carved door, then walked back to the bed and gently sat down against the bed curtains.
Xie Chengzhi remained asleep with his eyes gently closed. Although his complexion was not good, his breathing was steady. Rong Yan sat for a while, but Xie Chengzhi showed no signs of waking up.
She looked straight ahead without looking at him, picked up a small tuft of his silver hair and rubbed it; it was real.
Then he explained in detail, "Since the eldest son is not sick, why hide it from the whole family, and why should I come to bring him good luck?"
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