Chapter 23
Chapter 23: The Marchioness Is Confined
The Old Madam had not lost her temper in many years.
Now she erupted in anger and scolded Madam Bai: “Busy with this, busy with that, yet when your own daughter comes home, you cannot even bother to have a single set of clothes made for the child. What are you so busy with? Will you only be satisfied if you change Marquis Manor’s surname to Bai?”
It was a very serious accusation.
The Marchioness dropped to her knees with a thud.
Bai Ci Rong also hurriedly knelt and said to the Old Madam: “Grandmother, please calm your anger!”
When the Old Madam saw her, she became even more furious: “She is just a cousin staying here as a guest, yet her clothes are better than my granddaughter’s! Where does that leave Marquis Manor?”
The Old Madam’s aged face flushed red with anger, and old tears fell, rolling into her deep wrinkles.
Luo Chong Ye, the Marquis of Zhen Nan, hurried to comfort his mother: “Mother, please do not be angry. At your age, if you make yourself ill with rage, your son will be guilty unto death!”
Then he turned and scolded Madam Bai: “You are unfilial above and unkind below. In front of both my mother and my daughter, you have failed to do even one thing properly. What use are you? If you do not want to be this titled lady, you can always ask for a divorce letter.”
These words were even harsher.
The eldest son, Luo Yin, also knelt down: “Father, please do not be angry…”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan kicked his son.
His foot landed at Luo Yin’s ribs, making the spaces between his bones throb with pain.
The Marquis of Zhen Nan had a violent temper. He could not beat his wife, but he had no such scruples with his son.
Seeing him kick their son like that, the Marchioness burst into tears and crawled forward: “Lord Marquis, it is all my fault. Beat me, scold me, I will not complain. Just do not make things hard for the child.”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan heard something wrong in her words.
“Your son is a child, your niece is a child, but A’Ning is not your child?” he shouted. “If you had even a bit of heart toward her, how could you have made Marquis Manor lose so much face at the New Year’s Day court audience?”
The Marchioness’s body trembled.
That fear almost drowned her.
But in the eyes of those who did not know the truth, it only looked like the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s authority was so heavy that a few words from him scared the Marchioness out of her wits.
“Inside the house and outside, we are a joke. The whole city of Shengjing will be watching our scandal.” The Old Madam’s voice choked. “Hurry and make a few sets of clothes for A’Ning. That is what matters right now!”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan agreed at once.
He ordered everyone in the sewing room to be used and even went to borrow two embroideresses. They were to work day and night and properly prepare Luo Ning’s clothes within three to five days.
“For this year’s Spring Banquet, Mother, you take the children with you,” the Marquis of Zhen Nan said again. “Tell Madam Bai to stay inside and reflect on her mistakes. If there is another slip, hand all the keys and account books over to the daughter-in-law.”
The daughter-in-law he meant was Luo Yin’s wife, Madam Wen.
Madam Wen had little of her own opinion. She had always admired Luo Yin, worshipped her mother-in-law, and was as close as a sister with her cousin Bai Ci Rong. She was someone who could almost be ignored.
Hearing the Lord Marquis speak of her, she panicked a little and blurted out: “This daughter-in-law is still young, I am afraid…”
“When your mother-in-law took charge of the household, she was not even as old as you are now,” the Marquis of Zhen Nan said coldly. “If you cannot do it, then hand it over to your aunt.”
The Second Madam paused in surprise.
“Lord Marquis, please calm down first,” the Second Madam said.
She did not panic like the Eldest Young Madam, nor did she feel happy, because she did not take it seriously.
The Marchioness had been in charge of the household for more than ten years, and most of the servants were her trusted aides. The power of running the house was in her hands, and unless she wanted to let go, most people could not really take it over.
For Madam Bai, who had been born a merchant, power was her lifeblood. How could she let go so easily?
The commotion finally calmed down after a long time.
Madam Bai, the Marchioness, was temporarily confined and forbidden to go out to banquets. Bai Ci Rong stayed with her, but she too was left feeling humiliated.
Madam Wen, the Eldest Young Madam, took over the Marchioness’s duties. She not only had to arrange Luo Ning’s new clothes but also had to manage household affairs.
Luckily, she was of one mind with her mother-in-law, and the Marchioness trusted her. The Marchioness sat in the East Main Courtyard directing the servants, helping the Eldest Young Madam manage the household.
Within three days, new clothes were delivered one after another to Wenqi Courtyard.
Luo Ning ran her fingers over the fabrics and looked at the embroidery, which had been rushed yet was not at all sloppy. Her eyes were calm.
In her previous life, she had spent the whole First Lunar Month recovering from an illness. She had only heard how her cousin had stolen the show and how the Marchioness had been full of pride.
Now, the Marchioness was confined.
The Marchioness sat in the East Main Courtyard, checking the accounts.
Bai Ci Rong sat beside her, not daring to make a sound. She had prepared more than twenty sets of clothes and put together twelve sets of precious headdresses, all of which were now gathering dust in the room.
The Marchioness was dejected, and so was Bai Ci Rong.
Bai Ci Rong still had to comfort the Marchioness: “Aunt, there is no need to fight over this one moment. You are a First-Rank Titled Madam now. When Brother inherits the title, your days of enjoyment are still ahead.”
Then she added: “I can wait. Aunt, with my character and looks, even if I wait until I am twenty-five, I will still have a good future.”
The Marchioness held her hand: “Silly child!”
But what Bai Ci Rong said was very true.
[That old thing, the Marquis of Zhen Nan – if he dies and Luo Yin inherits the title, will I still have to be controlled like this?]
She had bent low and humbled herself for more than ten years and had even given the Marquis of Zhen Nan Luo Ning. She had done enough for the Luo family.
Everything in the Luo family, including this noble rank, should belong to her. The noble rank had been won by Luo Ning, and Luo Ning had been born from her.
At that moment, the Marchioness felt she could no longer endure it.
However, not a trace of it showed on her face.
[Did A’Ning not drink that bird’s nest soup?] she could not help thinking.
Luo Ning had not broken out in a rash.
Not only that, she had entered the palace ahead of the Marchioness.
When the Marchioness was waiting at the palace gate, she had thought Luo Ning was feeling unwell and had gone back early.
When she saw Luo Ning safe and sound in Shoucheng Palace, the Marchioness’s mind went blank for a moment.
“Aunt, I have a small idea. Please do not laugh when I say it,” Bai Ci Rong said, holding the Marchioness’s hand.
The Marchioness said: “What idea?”
“My hope of marrying into a merit-based prestigious clan is very slim. Those people are all very powerful. But if I had the chance to enter the imperial house…” Bai Ci Rong said.
The Marchioness was stunned.
The consorts in the imperial harem these days were mostly girls recommended by prestigious clans to the Ministry of Rites, then selected and sent in to the Emperor by the Ministry of Rites.
Just being recommended to the Ministry of Rites was already a very hard path.
The ones who controlled the Ministry of Rites were also great prestigious clans. They were all tightly connected and tangled together and would never give such chances to outsiders.
When prestigious clans wanted young and beautiful ladies, besides their own daughters, they could also use “side branches” by changing the name and background of a beautiful young lady and forcing her to become one of their people.
So the imperial palace was never short of consorts.
These consorts either came from such backgrounds or were palace maids who had been favored and granted titles.
The Marchioness had never considered this path, because it seemed impossible.
“…Aunt, you are a titled lady. There will always be chances. I can keep the surname Bai, or be called Cui or Zheng. As long as I enter the palace gate, with my talent and beauty, I am sure to win His Majesty’s favor,” Bai Ci Rong said.
If her luck was even better, she would give birth to an imperial prince…
That would be a true rebirth for a merchant’s daughter.
“Aunt, if we cannot stand out at the First Lunar Month Spring Banquet, we do not need to be upset,” Bai Ci Rong continued. “Elder Sister A’Ning saved the Empress Dowager’s life. She is also your daughter. How could we be afraid of having no chances?”
The Marchioness’s eyes grew a little brighter.
“You are right,” the Marchioness said.
Then she added: “A’Ning has won the Empress Dowager’s favor, and I am a titled lady, so I have hope of taking you into the palace. In that case, I should be a bit more tolerant toward A’Ning.”
She calmed down.
She needed to be patient and support Bai Ci Rong to a high position.
She could not let a little Luo Ning drive her into a mess and make her lose heart.
Thinking this way, the Marchioness suddenly became steady, and all her anger faded away.
Luo Ning was indeed unfilial and needed to be taught a lesson, but the benefits could not be withheld from her. The Marchioness would just prepare some jewelry for her.
Madam Bai had more than enough silver.
“How can she cause me so much trouble and bring me so many problems?” the Marchioness sighed.
Bai Ci Rong said: “Because she has had too good a life. As the Luo family’s Eldest Miss, she has always shone. She has never suffered.”
The Marchioness immediately thought of the hardships Bai Ci Rong had suffered and gently wrapped an arm around her.