Chapter 64
Chapter 64: The Marchioness’s Retribution
On the first day after Bai Ci Rong left, the Marquis Manor was in an uproar for half the day.
The people sent by the Bai Family from Yuhang were settled in the Servants’ Quarters, and the gifts they brought were piled up in the storeroom. The Marchioness did not want to talk about any of it again.
Luo Yin’s “theft” had become a huge topic. The servants could not stop gossiping.
The Marchioness was very angry.
The Third Madam ran over to the second branch’s courtyard to dig for gossip.
“I heard the servants say that Madam Wen wanted to make things clear about A’Yin’s theft. She is timid and did not want to take the blame herself, so her maidservant and old maidservant begged her with all their strength.
They had almost talked her into it, but then Sister-in-law lost her temper and told her that if she had something to say, she should say it to her face. And now, everything has been spilled out in public.” Third Madam spoke gleefully, happy at another’s trouble.
The Marchioness had tried to get a cheap advantage and ended up suffering a loss instead.
If she had respected the Eldest Young Madam, Madam Wen, just a little, this matter would not have exploded in front of everyone.
The people around the Eldest Young Madam all knew how to “hide the family’s shame.”
Second Madam said: “I actually think Madam Wen has gotten smarter. If she kept hiding things like that, even if Lord Marquis had found the golden qilin on A’Yin, he might still have made Madam Wen take the blame.”
Third Madam thought over these words, then nodded: “Lord Marquis and Sister-in-law could really do such a thing. For their son’s reputation, they might claim it was Madam Wen’s maidservant or old maidservant who stole it. Stealing something so valuable, they would be beaten to death.”
“See? We were laughing at Madam Wen for being useless, but she ended up saving her trusted aide’s life.” Second Madam laughed. “How is that useless? Using softness to overcome hardness. There is no fool in our manor.”
Third Madam froze for a moment.
Then she said: “Second Sister-in-law, you think too highly of Madam Wen. She just happened to get it right by accident.”
Second Madam did not say anything more.
Third Madam still had not gotten to the real point. She lowered her voice: “I heard this matter is also tied to A’Qin. A monk even came.
There was wind and thunder, but no rain. No one knows which master used some kind of spell. It must have been to scheme against A’Qin, using the monk’s mouth as an excuse to keep Cousin here.”
Second Madam’s heart gave a jolt, but on her face she only showed surprise: “Cousin has already left. By now she has probably reached the docks at Jizhou.”
“I don’t believe it.” Third Madam curled her lip. “She would really leave? If she were willing to go, she would not have made such a scene yesterday.”
She leaned closer. “There will be more trouble to come. Second Sister-in-law, do you believe it?”
Second Madam said: “I do not really believe it. Just for one Cousin, why would Sister-in-law bother so much? Her maiden home is not some ruined household. They are so rich. If Cousin goes back, she is ‘going home.’ In the Marquis Manor she is ‘living under another’s roof.’ Why would she insist on clinging to the Marquis Manor?”
They had finally gotten to the main point.
Third Madam sneered: “Living under another’s roof? She lives better than any Miss in our Marquis Manor. People say she spends her own money and does not rely on the Marquis Manor for food and clothing.
But seeing how she refuses to leave no matter what, she is clearly relying on the Marquis Manor. She does not want the Marquis Manor’s silver. She wants the Marquis Manor’s reputation.”
She went on: “We should have seen this clearly when she first came. How did we all get blinded? We even acted like it was the Marquis Manor getting a bargain from her.”
Third Madam talked for a long time.
After she left, Second Madam gave a bitter smile.
This Cousin had lived in the Marquis Manor for almost three years. Only now had the Grand Master woken up as if from a dream and seen her true face.
On the third day after Bai Ci Rong left, the Marchioness broke out in red rashes all over her body.
They called physicians and used medicine to treat her, but nothing worked. She was in great pain.
She endured for one day. On the fourth day, she went to Old Madam’s Buddha hall and knelt at the door: “A’Rong has an ointment on her that can stop this pain and itching.
When I was a child, I often had this illness. The physician said it came from bottled-up feelings. After I married into the Luo Family, I lived a few good years, and it never came back.
Now whenever I think of A’Rong going back, where her stepmother will torment her, I completely cannot calm my heart, and the illness has returned.
Mother, please pity me and let A’Rong stay. She has not done anything wrong. If we insist on sending her away, are we saying the Princess Consort cannot tolerate a servant?
Mother, this is taking my life, and it will also ruin the Princess Consort’s name. Leave her here. Your daughter-in-law and the Bai Family will both be grateful to you.”
Old Madam came out only after a long while.
She silently looked at Madam Bai, then said after a moment: “I am afraid it is too late. Your nephew has been gone four or five days. I fear he cannot be caught.”
“We can still catch her. She is still at the inn at the Thirty-li Post Station outside the city. She cannot bear to leave. That foolish child has been crying all this time.” The Marchioness knocked her head on the ground.
Old Madam quietly watched her.
She remembered Luo Ning’s words about “catching a turtle in a jar.” Old Madam took a deep breath.
“In that case, you arrange it yourself,” Old Madam said.
The Marchioness was overjoyed.
That afternoon, Cousin returned to the Marquis of Zhen Nan estate.
She no longer lived in Hui Fu Court. Instead, she stayed in the side wing at the Marchioness’s East Main Courtyard, with only two young maidservants to serve her.
The days of having an entire courtyard to herself, living more grandly than any other Miss in the Marquis Manor, and having more maidservants and old maidservants than anyone else, were gone for good.
The Luo Family finally woke up.
Bai Ci Rong had always said she never spent the Luo Family’s money. She paid the monthly stipends for her maidservants and old maidservants herself, and she paid for her own food and clothing, so she “deserved” to live the way she did.
But why?
She was not part of the Luo Family. Why should she live such a life here in this courtyard?
Could a noble rank be bought with money?
For the past three years, Bai Ci Rong had been taking advantage of the Luo Family, using the Marquis Manor’s reputation to raise herself up. That was something money could not buy.
She was the daughter of a merchant, trying to use the Marquis Manor to soar higher.
Her small acts of kindness, plus the Marchioness’s favor, had almost covered up all these plans.
In Wenqi Courtyard, Luo Ning was eating dinner.
Maidservant Qiu Lan set out the dishes while telling Luo Ning the news she had gathered.
“The servants are all laughing at her. She refused to leave and forced herself to wait four whole days. She came back with dust all over her face.”
“Madam told her to live in the side wing and sent away her maidservants and old maidservants. They are treating her as a guest Miss now.”
“Madam used the ointment, and the red rashes on her body have faded a lot. Lord Marquis said he will not interfere in this matter and told Madam to handle it herself.”
Qiu Hua felt very satisfied: “When Eldest Miss went back home, Bai Ci Rong was still living in our Wenqi Courtyard. Now she got what she deserves.”
She added: “In the end, what did she rely on?”
Luo Ning slowly took a sip of soup and smiled: “Yes, what did she rely on?”
She smiled again: “It is good that she has come back. Things will be livelier. Oh, and our eldest branch has gained two new concubines.”
Qiu Hua and Qiu Lan both froze. Nanny Kong was also surprised: “I have not heard about that.”
“If not for the two new concubines, would Lord Marquis have turned a blind eye to everything?” Luo Ning laughed. “Just wait and see.”
This pair of twin concubines was always going to enter the estate sooner or later.
Their family name was Mei. One was called Mei Zhu, the other Mei Li. They were like two wild dogs. For a bit of bone, they would bite. They were cruel and vicious.
They had been sold to a brothel at the age of seven or eight. At thirteen, they were bought out by the Bai Family, then raised and trained for two years, learning some reading and a bit of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
In a brothel like that, everyone had to kill and stain their hands with blood to carve out a path to live. Otherwise, they would be tortured to death within half a year.
These two concubines were extremely ruthless. They had no sense of shame, and their methods were low. They could do any dirty job.
That fierce will to survive was something the women of the inner residence could not stand against.
The Bai Family had sent Bai Ci Rong and the Marchioness two very capable helpers.
Sure enough, the next day they heard that Lord Marquis had taken in two new concubines.
When Luo Ning rose early to pay her respects to her mother, she saw the two women, and she also saw Bai Ci Rong.
Bai Ci Rong had changed from her usual rich and splendid style. She wore a plain pale pink long dress, an apricot-white jacket, and a matching over-robe. There was no ornament in her hair. Only her ears held tiny rice-grain pearl studs.
She looked pure and gentle, pitiful and fragile.
“A’Ning, elder sister, if I have offended you in the past, please do not hold it against me. I only want to stay by Aunt’s side and keep her company for a few years. I have no other thoughts,” Bai Ci Rong said.
“Cousin, you are mistaken. I am not the one who drove you away.” Luo Ning smiled. “Are you too afraid to resent the people who really wanted you gone, so you turn to bully me instead?”
Bai Ci Rong: “…”
The two new concubines looked Luo Ning over with great curiosity.
Luo Ning looked back at them.
Immediately, they both showed sweet, shy smiles: “Greetings, Princess Consort.”
Compared to the others in the family, they could lower themselves easily, and their eyes were sharp and poisonous.
Luo Ning smiled faintly.
Most of the red rashes on the Marchioness’s body had faded, but they left many marks where she had scratched herself.
She had finally tasted this bitter fruit, and she had brought it on herself.
Luo Ning lowered her lashes. Her mood became even calmer.