Free Web NovelChapter 1072: Chapter 1062: Four Steps (2)
Biwu came over, and Xiqiu looked at her and asked, "Are you getting used to living over there?"
Biwu blushed and nodded. She knew all the old women and maids in Tong Mansion. Back when she followed her young lady out, she had never imagined there would be a day she’d go back, and actually in this kind of status. Everyone, seeing her, fawned over her with "young mistress" this and "young mistress" that. Every time she felt unspeakably awkward, not even knowing where to put her hands, wishing Tong Quanzi would hurry and finish his report and leave the Capital so she could feel a little more at ease away from here.
"I’m used to everything." Biwu nodded and said, "It’s just that having nothing to do and being idle makes me uncomfortable." She glanced again at the busy Chunliu and Bihuai. "Madam, please assign this servant some tasks. Anything is fine, this servant is about to mold from idleness."
Xiqiu chuckled lightly. Over there Bihuai paused at the doorway with a rag in hand and said with a smile, "Right now, other than Third Young Master, who else can order you around? You’d better honestly rest and play your role as a mistress."
"Sister Bihuai." Biwu said discontentedly, "You’re still making fun of me." She let out a heavy sigh.
Xiqiu watched her and understood that if this were Liaodong, where people around them didn’t know her, Biwu might actually be more at ease. Now, in the Capital, everyone inside and outside the household knew her, so instead she felt unable to move freely and became constrained. After thinking a moment, she said, "If you truly can’t stand being idle, why not go to Baoding and stay with Second Lady for a while?" Since she was feeling so constrained, she might as well go to Baoding.
Biwu’s face showed a troubled look. She thought a bit, looking as though she wanted to speak but held back. "Second Lady, she..." Second Lady was the person she feared the most.
Xiqiu looked at her and also sighed. The matter between her and Tong Quanzi was indeed thorny.
"Madam." Nanny Cen came in. "Madam Ruan is here."
Xiqiu nodded when she heard this and had someone carry the two children out. Biwu also stood up. "Then I’ll go wait in my old room for a while." She really didn’t want to go back.
Xiqiu nodded, and after thinking again still said, "Bihuai is doing needlework. If you’re idle, go help her."
"Mm." Biwu let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Then I’ll go." She stepped out with light, quick steps.
Madam Ruan entered the room, and as soon as she came in she looked Xiqiu over from head to toe, then smiled and nodded. "Amitabha Buddha, your complexion looks better than a few days ago." Saying so, she sat down by Xiqiu’s bed.
"Please sit." Xiqiu said, smiling. "Last time there were too many people and I didn’t get a chance to ask you. I haven’t seen Pingrong for some time. How is she?"
"There’s nothing particularly good or bad." Madam Ruan replied blandly. "She’s taken over the household keys and has to look after the children as well, so she’s kept spinning around in circles all day. I haven’t seen her for some time either."
So First Madam Tang had actually handed over the household management to Ruan Pingrong? Leaving aside that Ruan Pingrong still had an elder sister-in-law above her, this just didn’t sound like First Madam Tang’s style. Xiqiu showed a hint of surprise, and Madam Ruan smiled and said, "You find it surprising, don’t you? I’m surprised too. Later I had someone ask Pingrong and only then found out that she simply had no face-saving way out left, so she handed the keys to Pingrong."
Ever since the Tang Family split the household, the First Branch’s days had been neither good nor bad, while the Second Branch gradually established their own standing. Both of their sons had entered the government office as clerks. Second Master Tang had previously helped manage the household affairs and had quite a head for business. These past two years the Second Branch had been flourishing both in officialdom and in trade, even more glorious than the First Branch.
First Madam Tang felt stifled whenever she saw it, yet she couldn’t throw away her face and cozy up to the Second Branch. After all, it was she who had insisted on splitting the family back then. But when she saw the formerly idle-eating Second Branch now living in wealth and honor, she felt unwilling, and so she came up with the idea of handing the keys to Ruan Pingrong, letting this new daughter-in-law go and build connections with the Second Branch.
"You might as well not worry about it." Xiqiu said with a smile. "Pingrong won’t be head of the family in the future anyway. If she can take advantage of these couple of years to practice managing the household and also build good relations inside and outside the family, it’s not a bad thing." Since the Second Branch was doing so well, there was no harm in Ruan Pingrong getting closer to them.
"That’s exactly what I was thinking." Madam Ruan said with a smile. "A daughter married off is like water splashed out; even if I wanted to meddle, I couldn’t."
Xiqiu nodded with a smile. Madam Ruan was a shrewd one; if there were no benefits, she would have long since gone to speak up to First Madam Tang. How could she simply leave it alone?
"Oh dear, I nearly forgot the main business." Madam Ruan clapped her hands with a laugh, then leaned in toward Xiqiu, speaking with great excitement. "Early this morning, Count Dingyuan impeached Marquis Taiping."
Xiqiu was taken aback and asked, "What did he say?" Madam Ruan then told her the whole story from start to finish. It turned out that last night, after several cabinet ministers had left one after another, Count Dingyuan seized the opportunity to send Miss Chen in. He had originally wanted to orchestrate a romantic encounter, but while an encounter did happen, there was nothing romantic about it. Marquis Taiping—whether because he truly didn’t know Miss Chen’s identity or did it on purpose—directly treated her as a courtesan from the pleasure quarters and drove her out on the spot. He even stood at the door and, in front of many people, scolded, "Though a girl may be of lowly birth, she should still respect herself. Since ancient times, there have been chaste and virtuous women even in the pleasure quarters. Even if you cannot emulate them, you shouldn’t willingly sink into degradation."
Miss Chen turned red and pale in turn under his words and nearly fainted. She snapped, "Who is a courtesan? I am Count Dingyuan’s own younger sister, the legitimate younger sister of Her Highness Princess Consort Ying." With that, she forcibly maintained her composure and swept out with her attendants.
Fourth Master Xiao’s confidence truly hadn’t come out of nowhere. Xiqiu even wanted to applaud Marquis Taiping. Given last night’s circumstances, if he hadn’t handled it this way, there really was no better solution. If he and Miss Chen had genuinely developed mutual feelings, there would be nothing more to say. But if he hadn’t been moved, then when Count Dingyuan later brought up the matter of an unmarried man and woman alone together in a room, Miss Chen’s reputation, and so on, and asked the Emperor to rule on it, Marquis Taiping would have had no way to defend himself.
Doing it this way, though a bit ruthless, effectively cut off Count Dingyuan’s way out.
"What did Marquis Taiping say?" Xiqiu asked, curiosity showing on her face. Madam Ruan smiled and said, "What else could he say? He firmly insisted that he had no idea Miss Chen was Miss Chen!" In fact, Marquis Taiping’s statement was even sharper than that. He directly requested to confront Count Dingyuan and Miss Chen face to face, and even wanted to invite the staff of Hongyan Building to testify.
Miss Chen was an unmarried young lady. Count Dingyuan had already lost face; how could he possibly agree?
Madam Ruan paused there and then continued, "He went on to counter-impeach Count Dingyuan for slandering a meritorious noble." Hearing this, Xiqiu’s eyes lit up. This was an excellent opportunity. She looked toward Madam Ruan and asked, "What plans does the Marquis have?"
Fourth Master Xiao had handed everything over to Marquis Jinxiang. For now, they were just observers.
"Naturally, he won’t let this chance slip by." Madam Ruan covered her mouth and laughed. "The memorial has already been submitted. Just wait and enjoy the show."
Xiqiu, however, did not laugh. It was actually easy enough to impeach Count Dingyuan; the problem was that things on Princess Consort Ying’s side might not be as simple as they imagined. She had been at the Emperor’s side for so many years and had borne him a Princess. One could say that, even if she had no great merits, she had endured great hardships...
Fortunately, there was still Le Xiu in the palace, and another Consort Wen who was tied to them.
After seeing Madam Ruan off, Fourth Master Xiao came in. He had just bathed and looked refreshed. Xiqiu repeated to him what Madam Ruan had said. Fourth Master Xiao clearly already knew; he showed no surprise and only said, "Send someone to inform Second Madam Qin."
