Chapter 62
Chapter 62: Reap What You Sow
Old Madam led a group of people over.
They came in a grand, imposing line.
Luo Ning walked by her side, wearing a plain lotus-pink jacket. Her steps were calm and graceful. As the sun moved west, golden light fell across her cheek. Her loose, ink-black hair, soft as a cloud, took on a faint shine and made her dark eyes look even clearer.
They were like a deep pool, quiet and bottomless.
She quietly looked at the Marchioness, her face completely blank.
Old Madam asked in a low voice: “What is going on?”
She had not managed the household for many years, so when she gave orders now, her voice lacked its old strength.
Madam Wen said: “Grandmother, it was Father-in-law’s order. He said no one is allowed to leave this courtyard. Otherwise, everyone will be punished, especially Daughter-in-law. Mother insisted on going out, so I tried to stop her.”
She was always soft and weak, speaking as if she were about to cry, like mud that could never be propped up.
Yet it was exactly this useless kind of person that struck a nerve in the Marchioness.
The Marchioness could not help looking Madam Wen over again, wanting to know how exactly she was pretending.
But no matter how she looked, Madam Wen was still that soft, pliable type others could knead as they pleased, useless for anything important.
The Marchioness was so angry she almost spat blood.
Just then, a young maidservant from the second gate ran over and said: “Old Madam, Madam, Miss, an Eminent Monk has arrived outside and wishes to see the Lord Marquis.”
Old Madam asked: “What Eminent Monk?”
The Marchioness grew even more anxious inside and said: “Tell him to go back first.”
Luo Ning finally spoke: “Since he has come, how can we just send him away? Offending an Eminent Monk will bring bad luck to the family.”
Old Madam was very devoted to Buddha.
She immediately asked: “Could it be Dharma Master Hui Neng? I must see him.”
She looked at Madam Wen and said: “Since a Dharma Master has come, someone has to receive him. Ask your Mother-in-law to go. No one else here is allowed to leave the courtyard. If anything happens, I will bear it for you.”
Madam Wen agreed at once.
Timid and weak as she was, once someone took over the burden, she let it go right away.
The Marchioness gave her a look.
She really wanted to tell herself she had to take this daughter-in-law seriously, that maybe she was only pretending, yet in her heart she truly could not think highly of her.
The Marchioness had to meet Dharma Master Hui Neng. She could not let him talk nonsense in front of Old Madam and Luo Ning.
The plan had been set long ago. Three days earlier, she had arranged to give Luo Li Qin medicine. After taking it, he would surely become restless and unable to sleep, then fall into a coma-like sleep.
After he slept for a full day and night, he would naturally wake up.
It would harm his body a little, but not his life. For such a small child, it would matter even less. After resting a few days, he would still be lively and healthy.
Luo Li Qin was her grandson. How could she really harm her own blood?
Everything should have gone according to her plan.
When the child fell into a coma and could not be woken no matter what, Dharma Master Hui Neng would visit and say: “The child has been possessed by evil spirits and needs the Noble Lady fated in his life to press it down.”
As long as Great Master Hui Neng said that line, the Marchioness would bring up Bai Ci Rong.
Back when Luo Li Qin was born, Bai Ci Rong had sent someone to invite a renowned physician, saving both Madam Wen and her son. Right after Bai Ci Rong left, something happened to Luo Li Qin. If anyone said “Bai Ci Rong is the Noble Lady,” no one in Marquis Manor would dare doubt it.
This way, they could bring Bai Ci Rong back.
Not only that, but for the safety of Marquis Manor’s eldest grandson in the future, the Luo family would never dare lightly suggest driving Bai Ci Rong away.
With this small trick, the Marchioness hoped to solve everything once and for all.
But where had it gone wrong?
Was the dose of the medicine too small, or had the child simply not taken it?
Impossible. The maidservant had watched the child finish it each time before going back to report. Besides, both the maidservant and Luo Yin had said that the child had been fussy and unable to sleep these past few days.
That matched!
So why had Luo Li Qin not fallen into a coma?
He did not look sick at all.
The little play the Marchioness had arranged had completely failed at this point. If Dharma Master Hui Neng did not know the inside story and still talked about some Noble Lady, would that not expose everything?
And over on Luo Yin’s side, there was also that golden qilin…
The Marchioness’s situation was leaking on all sides. She could only take care of this side first.
An Eminent Monk was a man outside the secular world and could enter the inner residence of Marquis Manor. The maidservant had already invited Dharma Master Hui Neng to sit in the Marchioness’s East Main Courtyard.
Seeing several people come in, he stood up, put his palms together, and chanted: “Amitabha Buddha.”
Old Madam asked: “Dharma Master, what brings you here?”
The Marchioness hurried to speak first: “I was the one who sent someone to invite you. Just now, a maidservant from Madam Wen’s side said A Qin had been possessed by some spirit and was in a coma, so I sent for the Dharma Master.”
Luo Ning smiled and added: “Then Dharma Master came quite fast.”
Dharma Master Hui Neng put his palms together and bowed to Luo Ning: “Princess Consort, this humble monk has not yet congratulated you.”
Luo Ning smiled and said: “Thank you, Dharma Master. You came so quickly. Is there some special reason?”
He said with a smile: “This humble monk was in the city today. At the city gate, I happened to meet the Luo family’s carriage, and I knew the coachman. When I asked what was happening, I learned there was some trouble in your honored manor. That is fate.”
Luo Ning said: “It is indeed fate. Dharma Master, you and our Marquis Manor have already been linked by fate several times.”
The Marchioness flew into a shameful rage: “A Ning, stop talking nonsense and offending the Dharma Master.”
This time, Luo Ning behaved.
She smiled and said: “My words were rude. Please do not blame me, Dharma Master.”
Dharma Master Hui Neng put his palms together again: “Princess Consort, you are too polite. I took no offense.”
He then looked at the Marchioness and said: “So it was a false alarm today?”
The Marchioness forced a smile and said: “Yes. The child is fine. We were just too worried.”
Dharma Master Hui Neng nodded: “Then the Buddha has blessed him. Since you care so much about the little young master, you should let a Noble Lady stay by his side.”
Joy rose in the Marchioness’s heart.
The Dharma Master really knew how to talk!
Luo Ning picked up the words with a smile: “My nephew has a Noble Lady too? Dharma Master, who is it?
If it just happens to be my cousin, I am afraid everyone in the manor will start wondering whether all the fuss today was done on purpose. Mother, don’t you think so?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Luo Ning laughed and said: “I am only worried about ruining the Dharma Master’s good name. The Empress Dowager gave me these Buddhist prayer beads. She is not very keen on worshiping Buddha anymore. If Dharma Master Hui Neng says the wrong thing and the Empress Dowager blames him, what will we do?”
As she spoke, she lifted her wrist a little.
Dharma Master Hui Neng’s eyes tightened slightly.
He said to Luo Ning with respect: “Princess Consort, you are the little young master’s Noble Lady. With you by his side, the little young master will be safe and sound.”
Luo Ning was both surprised and pleased: “So that is how it is.”
She looked at the Marchioness again and said: “Mother, today really was just a misunderstanding. How fortunate!”
Old Madam sat there, and the Marchioness still had to squeeze out a smile.
Dharma Master Hui Neng folded his hands again, gave them a bow, and then left.
Luo Ning helped Old Madam up and said: “Grandmother, it is dark outside and you must be tired. Let me take you back to rest first.”
The Marchioness looked at her.
Luo Ning turned her head.
Lamps had been lit in the hall. The lights were bright, and the firelight flickered in the eyes of mother and daughter.
Luo Ning gave a light laugh: “Mother, you should go check on A Qin again, and also on Brother.”
The Marchioness’s gaze grew darker as she looked at her with deep hatred.
Only then did she remember the golden qilin.
The Marchioness had no time to think about what to do with Bai Ci Rong and could only go to the Outer Study first.
When she rushed over, the Marquis of Zhen Nan was whipping his son with a horsewhip.
Luo Yin had indeed taken the golden qilin.
The child had been noisy, and he was afraid he would not sleep well, so he had spent the night in the Outer Study. When he went back at noon to fetch some clothes and books, he overheard Madam Wen talking with the wet nurse.
Madam Wen had said: “This pair of golden qilin has been blessed. It can protect children and pregnant women. If I had kept it by my pillow when I was pregnant back then, I probably would not have had a difficult labor.”
The wet nurse had replied: “When someone in our family is pregnant next time, we should ask Old Madam to take it out.”
Madam Wen had said: “It is not for just anyone. Apart from the eldest grandson, Old Madam cannot bear to give it to anyone else.”
Luo Yin had thought of Nan Xi, his concubine, who lived in Wanxia Ward.
Nan Xi was still carrying his child.
He went to see her almost every day and sometimes stayed the night. Hearing that the golden qilin was so effective, he had taken it at once, planning to give it to Nan Xi.
He was Marquis Manor’s eldest legitimate grandson. If Old Madam found out, he could act spoiled, shamelessly say some nice words, and since it was for his offspring, Old Madam would not refuse.
In short, all the good things in Marquis Manor belonged to him.
Who could have guessed it would blow up like this all of a sudden?
Madam Wen had made a huge scene crying, and the Marquis of Zhen Nan and Madam had gone to the courtyard again. They thought something had happened to the child, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
So when the golden qilin was brought up again, the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s anger was no longer just about the qilin but the pile of other things on his mind.
He whipped Luo Yin so hard with the horsewhip that he ran around the room in panic.