The Survival Rules of a Concubine's Daughter 140 The Old Mouse Across the Street Sent a Family Letter

  ……

  The doubts in her heart and the concern for Zhiyi made Ruxue unable to sit still, so after Rumei left, she hastily wrote a letter and asked Linglong to give it to the iron guard of the Wangfu, letting him personally send it to Shanxi Datong by fast horse.

  That night, Old Master Wang and the Empress Dowager and Princess Chunyang returned from Zaizhong Village. At the Weihua Gate, they met Ruoqing. Old Master Wang was taken aback, staring at Ruoqing's already swollen belly, and scolded: "You're so far along in your pregnancy, why aren't you staying inside to rest?"

  "Thank you for your concern, Father. My wife is very healthy and walking a few steps won't be a problem."

  Old Master Wang thought about his time in the northwest, where women would still work even when pregnant and carrying stones until giving birth. But after staying in the capital for a long time, he saw everywhere delicate and weak women who needed to be supported while walking, which made him shake his head. However, seeing Rong'er's lively appearance, he was delighted, clapped his hands, and smiled: "That's great! The mother is healthy, so the child will definitely be sturdy and lovely." Then he said to the Empress Dowager: "Our son's taste is indeed good, look, our daughter-in-law looks delicate but has a strong spirit."

  "Indeed, Xiao Er has always had a good eye for things."

  As if embarrassed, she stomped her foot and said, "Father King and Mother Queen really know how to coax me with words."

  Princess Li Ying, who had been stuck to Ruxin's side since entering the vertical flower gate, smiled and said: "Sister-in-law has been in the house for almost half a year, why are you still so shy?"

  As the atmosphere became increasingly awkward, she couldn't help but say in a low voice: "Sister is really not shy, after all, one's wife should be obedient and humble in front of her parents-in-law, that way they will like you."

  Everyone couldn't help but laugh, covering their mouths in amusement. Old Master Wang laughed out loud, stroking his beard as he chuckled: "You little scamp, you're not ashamed at all! But although you're a bit sly, I like it."

  As if following the smile, Da She Gun followed up and smiled: "Can Father Wang promise his daughter-in-law that in the future, if King Ye bullies his daughter-in-law, he will definitely stand on the side of his daughter-in-law?"

  Old Wang laughed even louder, "With a wife as lovely as you, Xi'er will be too busy doting on you to bully you. Don't worry, dear wife, Xi'er won't bully you."

  As Ru Qing personally escorted the Empress Dowager to the rear garden, the rear garden of the Wang Mansion was vast and expansive. Jiaxin Garden was located in the center of the rear garden, and from the Weihua Gate, it took about a cup of tea's time to walk there at a moderate pace. The Empress Dowager walked for a while and saw Ru Qing walking steadily without haste or urgency. Although there were maids holding parasols along the way where the sunlight was shining, she couldn't help but feel heartache seeing the thin layer of sweat on her forehead. She asked her from time to time: "Can your body still take it?" After walking a while, she stopped and said: "Now that you're pregnant, don't be careless. Let someone carry the sedan chair for you to sit in and return to the house. Don't get heatstroke."

  "Mother, I'm really fine, the imperial physician said that moderate exercise is good for a smooth delivery," Ru Qing shook her head. In ancient times, medical conditions were backward, and after becoming pregnant, they would eat and drink all day, lacking exercise, which would make the fetus too big to be born safely. Without a cesarean section, it would be hard to give birth safely. Moderate exercise is beneficial for a smooth delivery.

  The princess, however, insisted, "I know you're in good health, but after walking such a long way, you must be tired. Why don't we take the sedan chair back to the house? It's scorching hot today, and I wouldn't want you to get heatstroke."

  "Let's sit together with Mother Empress. Can't have the daughter-in-law sitting while Mother Empress walks?"

  The princess smiled and said: "Good, let's sit down together."

  Li Ying jumped out from beside him, "What about me?"

  She gently tapped her forehead, "You, if you want to carry me on a sedan chair, I won't object."

  Li Ying stamped her foot and shouted: "Empress Mother, sister-in-law is bullying me."

  The princess smiled and said: "Who dares to bully you? You're already lucky if you don't go bullying others."

  All the way back to Longxian Residence, Taifei asked Old Wangye to return to Jiaxin Garden first, and she accompanied Ruoqing to Longxian Residence. They chatted for a while, and Li Ying also wanted to join in but was persuaded by Ruoqing's gentle words to leave.

  The princess asked: "Why did you drive Ying'er away?"

  "As if bitter and smiling, 'This matter is not glorious from the start, besides, my younger sister is innocent and kind-hearted, if she gets involved in these worldly and gloomy things like me, it's not good after all.'"

  The empress seemed to be thinking of something, but she said: "Is there really anyone in this world who doesn't know the worldly affairs? Ying'er has also grown up and is about to get married soon. She should also learn some mundane things." Then she told Ruoxin to let Liying follow her side by side to learn how to manage the household, on the one hand, they can take care of each other, on the other hand, it's time for her to learn how to manage the household too.

  As if delighted, the imperial consort continued: "I've already heard about what happened at the Yang estate. You handled it well."

  Ru Qing said: "Doesn't the Empress blame me for causing Yang Tai's wife to become paralyzed with anger?"

  The princess fell silent for a moment: "Knowing that it's not right, but still insisting on doing so, is also self-inflicted." Earlier, when she had proposed to Mrs. Yang that Rong'er marry her daughter as a concubine, she had already irritated her. At first, she was too embarrassed to refuse, only politely declining, but this person had an air of "my daughter is willing to be your concubine, but it's a great humiliation", which really angered her.

  As if relieved, after understanding the empress through these days, this mother-in-law is open-minded and can tell right from wrong, but also dotes on her own, unable to tolerate any discord, likes and dislikes are always a thin line apart. If she starts disliking someone, she will dislike them forever, thinking that no matter what they do, it's all despicable. And once she likes someone, even if they fart, it smells fragrant.

  Fortunately, he has already won over his mother-in-law's favor.

  But just as the Phoenix Aunt's matter was mentioned, she was interrupted by the Imperial Consort, "You've done well. Regardless of whether or not she secretly harmed your child, Qing'an is clearly standing on the Yang family's side and intentionally making things difficult for you. This kind of aunt can't be treated leniently anymore."

  "However, Feng Niang is still Father's concubine after all." Yu Rou's face was filled with self-reproach and unease.

  The empress comforted her, "Don't take it to heart. Your father the king has long been tired of this person. It's said that the Empress Dowager dealt with Concubine Feng as well, and didn't ask about it at all."

  It's a relief now, as long as Old Master Wang doesn't pursue this matter further, it'll be easy to handle.

  The princess still looked anxious and uneasy, and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong again?"

  As if recalling a painful memory, she bit her lip and muttered: "Will Mother Empress think that I, the daughter-in-law, am heartless and cruel?"

  The queen fell silent for a moment, patted her hand and said: "As the ancients said, human nature is originally good. No one is born evil from birth. Evil also has its forced and voluntary divisions. As long as you don't take the initiative to harm people, you can still stand in the world without fear of ghostly invasion.

  Her complexion slightly improved, she exchanged a few words with the Empress Dowager, who also carefully instructed her on some matters related to pregnancy before leaving.

  After seeing off Tai Fei, as if finally relaxing completely, as long as her parents-in-law support her, what do those rumors outside matter?

  It's said that the Empress had long been furious with Concubine Feng, but for the sake of her reputation, she didn't take action. Firstly, Concubine Feng was already out of favor and couldn't be restored to power no matter how hard she tried. Secondly, the more one hates someone, the less willing they are to deal with them immediately, instead wanting to slowly gather evidence and savor the pleasure of revenge, like a dull knife cutting flesh.

  However, Princess Qing'an was so vicious and dared to secretly harm the king's son, which is an unforgivable crime. Although the queen mother hated her extremely, she had to consider the reputation of the royal family and her daughter's reputation. This matter could not be made public and could only be quietly settled.

  Of course, the princess can't call Qing'an back and beat her up to vent her anger, which would be too eye-catching, and it would also spread the reputation of being a cruel and heartless concubine. In the end, she could only vent her anger on Feng Niang instead.

  As for the matter of believing in Feng Niang, the imperial consort was delighted to see it happen. As for Yang Qining's affair, previously when Yang Tai Fu Ren acted like that in front of the imperial consort, she had already been displeased with her. Now she added fuel to the fire, and it was easy for her good friend and confidante to be disliked by the imperial consort and unconditionally take her side.

  These two things, like emotions, were carefully designed and proceeded according to their own development. However, the final outcome of the matter ended with Feng Niang being punished and Yang Tai Fu's downfall, leaving a lingering sense of guilt in her heart.

  However, the identity of the small concubine in the Fang Mansion has changed overnight, becoming a queen who can control the fate of half of the people in the Wang Mansion and even decide the life and death of others. Her gaze and mindset seem to have also undergone a change.

  As for her change, it is unclear whether she has kept pace with the times and adapted to local customs, or if she has become arrogant after gaining power and forgotten her roots.

  ……

  Perhaps, it is indeed the case that as the mistress of the house, she has the power to decide life and death, or perhaps after becoming a princess, her way of thinking and ideas have undergone a complete change, but only for a short while, and then she regained her spirits and continued to eat and sleep well.

  But this comfortable life didn't last long.

  Recently, when paying respects to the elderly or dining together, I found that Old Master Wang's complexion was not very good-looking, but considering his temperament, he didn't erupt. The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, had a face full of worry and disappointment, with a hint of anger at being let down by someone who failed to live up to expectations.

  It's strange that they asked her out of concern, but when she did, they didn't want to say anything, only telling her to take good care of herself and not worry about other things.

  This made him even more curious, unfortunately he couldn't ask any further and had to secretly ask Song Jiang's family.

  Song Jiang's family sighed and lamented for a while, but then said: "Princess, it's better if you don't know about this matter, so as to avoid adding unnecessary trouble." Seeing that the situation was becoming increasingly pressing, he slipped away quietly.

  As soon as he heard this, Li Xiong's heart sank. Hadn't he indeed done something that would anger both heaven and men in Jiangxi?

  ……

  Although I had mentally prepared myself, my husband's trip to Jiangxi was just an act of pretending not to care about production, but he only knew how to bully men and women, and do whatever he wanted as a spoiled son of the royal family. When necessary, he would even go so far as to forcibly take over people's land, extort their wealth, and commit other atrocities, all in order to provoke public outrage and thereby allow the sacred teachings in the hearts of the common people to rescue them from their suffering.

  However, Li Xiao was so deliberate that outsiders didn't know about it. Now, the bad things he did have spread to Beijing, and who knows what kind of storm will be stirred up again.

  Two days later, I finally felt how strong this storm was.

  First came the consorts of Cheng and Yu, who paid a visit under the guise of offering condolences but actually to tell Ruqing some shocking news.

  The King of Yu's consort was deeply grieved and detailed to Ruqin the evil deeds that Li Xiu had recently done, with a look of shock and incredulity.

  "...these kids were all fine before, how come once they got to Jiangxi, they became so... unruly?"

  The queen also sighed, "Yes, what a good girl she was. Look at her now, and not only did they take her away after she got married, but they even abducted her in the middle of the street, ruining her reputation... And to think that they beat up all the relatives who went to report this to the county government office and threw them into prison... What's wrong with Xiao'er? She used to be fine..."

  For fear of arousing suspicion, they put on an unbelievable and heartbreaking look, adding a few tears for good measure. When necessary, these people were too loud, spoke too much in detail, and their tone was too heavy, even to the point of fainting. After repeated attempts, Linglong burst out and scolded them, "Knowing that my wife, the princess, is pregnant and can't take stimulation, you still dare to provoke her at this time, what kind of heart do you have?"

  These people, considering Linglong as the top servant by Qing's side, would more or less hold back a couple of sentences. However, some people, relying on their noble status, would instead coldly scold her, "You really have no rules, Master is speaking, and you, a lowly servant, dare to interrupt? Where did you learn your manners?"

  As if she had been pinched on the acupuncture point, she slowly came to and heard this sentence. She cried again: "Linglong, let everyone's aunt say whatever they want. If this child is really gone, it's just that he didn't have good fortune."

  At this time, Mrs. Zhou would kneel down in front of the princesses and cry out: "Your Highnesses, please be kind and don't say anything more, I beg of you." As she spoke, she knocked her head against the ground, making a loud cracking sound, until blood flowed like a column. Although Princess Yu and the others were not good-hearted, they still had some regard for Rong'er's body and did not dare to be too presumptuous, so they just said some sarcastic words with a smile of schadenfreude and left.

  Two days later, the imperial court was also in an uproar because of Li Xiong's strong seizure of civilians' daughters, occupation of civilians' fields, and brutal beating of local officials on the street. The civil servants collectively condemned Li Xiong, saying that they would punish him according to the law, and that the prince who broke the law should be punished equally with ordinary people, stripped of his title, and demoted to a commoner. This was still considered lenient, as the more severe punishment would be confiscation of property and execution. The imperial court was in an uproar, with the civil servants, especially the officials in charge of remonstrance, arguing fiercely until their faces turned red and their necks became thick. Some officials even collectively petitioned to death. The emperor was also at a loss, but after careful consideration, he finally ordered someone to go to Jiangxi to reprimand Li Xiong and tell him to restrain himself. However, who would have thought that Li Xiong really had no regard for anyone? He brutally beat the informant and even didn't spare his wife and children, causing public outrage.

  It is said that the Emperor was also furious, although it did not affect the Jing Wang Fu, but as the emotions felt, recently the Jing Wang Fu's former guests have decreased a lot. However, there were many people who rarely came to visit in the past, usually talking about how evil Li Xiong was outside, and asking Ru Qing or the Empress Dowager to think of ways to deal with it. The more the Empress Dowager's face turned iron-green, the more afraid and painful Ru Qing became, but the more she spoke, the more energetic she became.

  Of course, there are also some people who anxiously persuade and guide the Empress Dowager and Ruqin, perhaps it's just a rumor.

  Every time she saw these people, her expression was heavy and self-reproachful. Usually when others said Li Xiu was this and that, she would wipe away tears and say: "The husband does not teach, the wife's fault. The king went to Jiangxi for only two months and did such a heaven-harming thing, it is also my fault."

  When others said that Li Xiu was reprimanded by the emperor and would likely be stripped of his title and destroyed, he looked extremely shocked and lost color in his face, with a look of being on the verge of fainting from fright.

  When someone says that there have been collective deaths of officials, the situation is even more devastating, with a wooden puppet-like appearance, as if they had been struck numb.

  When someone comforted her and said that the rumors outside were mostly inconsistent, telling her not to worry. Maybe Li Xiang was just temporarily possessed by a ghost.

  She nodded sadly and then said, "Thank you xx for comforting me. Things have come to this, I don't have any other extravagant hopes. I just hope that this child can be born safely and that I can teach him well, absolutely not learning from his father's example, being possessed by evil spirits and doing things that make people and gods angry."

  The imperial concubine, after venting her anger in the house for a while, somehow came to her senses and scolded all the people who had come to make fun of her out of the house. She then personally went into the palace and, it is not known what she said to the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother. When she returned, although the imperial concubine's face was very frightening, everyone was saying that the Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother were extremely angry and scolded the Pure King's Consort for not teaching her son well, saying "A son is unfilial, it is his father's fault."

  Old Wang and the imperial concubine were also anxious, even hearing that Li Xiu had taken a fancy to a sixth-rank official's daughter, they let someone give their beloved daughter to him as a concubine. After being refused, he was furious and humiliated, and actually sent people to brutally beat the official, taking the girl back by force. After a round of abuse, on the second day, the girl hanged herself. The official later died in protest with a blood letter to Jiangxi Governor Fang Zhi-li. The newly appointed Jiangxi Governor was furious, immediately sending people to arrest Li Xiu. However, Li Xiu resisted stubbornly, eventually angering Fang Zhi-li, who ordered his men to capture him and throw him into prison.

  Fang Zhi knew that this move would anger the people around Li Xiu, and they would pressure him to release Li Xiu. Fang Zhi refused to release him and scolded those people severely. He also declared that he would capture Li Xiu and bring him back to the capital for the Emperor to personally judge.

  Because of his bravery in arresting the evil Prince, the people cheered and his reputation among the common folk soared.

  Li Xiu was thrown into prison by Zhi Li, but it was heard that Li Xiu was still shouting inside, with a very bad attitude. The voices of killing on the imperial court became more and more intense, even the emperor began to waver, and the empress finally came out with an urgent illness.

  When Ruqing learned that the Empress Dowager was ill, she didn't care about her huge belly anymore. She hastily invited the imperial physician to examine and prescribe medicine for the Empress Dowager. Seeing the Empress Dowager's pale yellow complexion, weak eyes, and sorrowful expression, Ruqing felt a pang of guilt in her heart. Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore and told the truth about what had happened to the Empress Dowager in person.

  ……

  In late August, the ladies of various prominent families, including the princesses and wives of dukes and marquises from different countries, all came to the Jing Wang Fu to express their concern. Yang Da Fu Ren and Ru Mei also visited several times. Ru Mei was worried but also comforting, while Yang Da Fu Ren remained calm and composed, offering words of comfort that were quite profound: "Your Highness need not worry, perhaps the king simply had too much to drink and lost his senses. If he truly did something so heinous, my husband would have certainly mentioned it in his letter."

  Madam Yang gazed at the tender and well-maintained face, a hint of speculation flashing across her own face, with a subtle depth of meaning hovering on her lips. "The princess has always been discerning and just, surely she wouldn't truly seek discomfort for herself."

  Ru Mei hastily said: "Right, right, right, elder sister also wrote a letter and didn't mention fourth brother-in-law much either. I suppose it's the intention of the drunkard not being in the wine. Little sister doesn't need to worry."

  As if suddenly enlightened, she hadn't expected Mrs. Yang to be so formidable, seeing through the situation at a glance. However, since she had already pretended for over a month, she continued to pretend and sighed: "Thank you, elder sister, for your comfort. I truly hope that as you said, the prince's intention is not in the wine."

  Mrs. Yang, like beauty, like truth, and also the wives of Ningguo Gong, Lingguo Gong, Ze Yun Hou, and the Fang family all came to express their concern and comfort. Afraid of revealing her true feelings, she showed only sorrow and fear, and when guests arrived, she didn't get up, but instead leaned on the couch, her eyes red and swollen, her expression listless.

  Everyone seeing her like this felt sympathy and pity in their hearts, they comforted her with all their might, left some nourishing food behind and then departed.

  For these people, although they are grateful in their hearts, they also secretly feel ashamed. Others had good intentions, but she made a big show of it.

  Two days later, Li Xiu wrote a letter back, and as soon as he opened it and read the contents, he was delighted. "...The princess is safe and sound, from the end of March when we set out, I have received four letters from home. At the end of May, my father sent a letter from the capital, which included letters from my older brother and third younger brother, as well as two articles and one poem from my father-in-law and third uncle. I am glad to hear that our grandparents are in good health, and all the old and young people at home are safe and sound. Our youngest son is clever and sensible, and the concubines are obedient, all thanks to your efforts, my wife. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for this. And I am also delighted that you scolded Yang's daughter with your sharp tongue, it was extremely satisfying. Having a fierce wife at home is like having a thousand iron guards. However, afterwards, I let out a deep sigh, and my heart felt heavy and worried. With a wife like yours, where is the need for a husband?"

  As soon as I saw this last sentence, especially the phrase "Family has a cow wife, for husband husband what's in?", I immediately laughed out loud. This guy really knows how to find adjectives, actually using the word "cow" to describe her. And even brought up the two words "husband" and "wife".

  Zhou Mama and the others looked at Ruo Xian, who was smiling with curved eyebrows and a radiant face. Thinking of how Wang Fei had been frowning and hiding her true feelings in front of people recently, they couldn't help but smile too.

  After laughing and enjoying the romance, continue reading on...

  “……I know you care about me, but you're too proud to speak up. In the letter I sent home, I didn't mention anything about us, although I was a bit disappointed, I completely understand your shy heart and won't hold it against you. My body is fine, I sleep early every night and wake up early too. The only thing I can't bear is thinking for too long, when I think too much, my whole body feels hot and dry, and I have trouble sleeping all night. However, although this place has many beautiful women, none of them catch my eye, whether they're from a humble background or a noble family, elegant and refined, intelligent and charming, none of them compare to your unique charm when you smile, laugh, get angry or scold. So I sigh to the moon, in the long and quiet night, feeling lonely and empty, beautiful women are uninteresting, fine wine is tasteless, how can I make it through this life?”

  For a moment, Linglong's mind wandered and she heard a faint laugh. She quickly snapped back to attention, looking at the gentle smile on his face. He was staring at something with an unknown expression, but one thing was certain - Wang Ye must have written some sweet words on it.

  "...Jiangxi is in a state of chaos, the cult's scale is beyond imagination. Ning Wang Shu seeks self-preservation and does not want to provoke trouble. Alas, as a husband, he has always been upright and unyielding, but now he has to play the role of a treacherous villain, suffering mental torture and injury. However, his elder brother-in-law is actually a shameless and despicable person who thinks that being a husband is not enough to arouse public outrage, and still forces him to play the black while he plays the white, what a hypocritical and deceitful person! As for me, I can only sigh in frustration. Although rumors are circulating outside, my wife is wise and just, with piercing eyes, and she understands my innocent heart. Grandfather and grandmother hope that you will comfort her."

  Although the husband is evil in many ways, he is clean and self-cultivating, carefully guarding his wife's teachings to protect herself. The wife personally made a soft armor that was very practical, and the husband appreciated her kindness and wore it every day, not daring to be lazy for a moment. However, the wife favored one over the other, knowing that a certain official was courteous, but he hid in the governor's mansion all day, never leaving the main gate or entering the second gate, with many skilled hands around him, making the soft armor useless. Based on the principle of using things to their fullest potential, the husband had already put away the soft armor, waiting for it to be used another day. But when his brother saw it, he was arrogant and self-satisfied, but in reality, he was cowardly and had a small heart, taking advantage of an opportunity to launch a sneak attack and steal it, which was extremely hateful.

  "There are few officials in the capital, but I have many acquaintances. The Vice Minister of Rites, Mr. Ji, came to Beijing and brought news that the Princess of Ning is seriously ill, which is a cause for concern. Brother Qi'an is as energetic as ever, while Brother Qitai remains the same as before. I visited the residence of the former Left Pillar of State and Grand Scholar, Old Master Zuo Ying, several times to pay my respects, but was recently rebuked by him due to some absurd things I did, which left me feeling humiliated. The matter of the heretic teachings has already been settled this month, and I will send you a copy of the report. However, this is a state secret, and it must not be leaked under any circumstances."

  "My daughter is in the capital, and I know she is being careful. There's no need to worry about her here. On the other hand, Little Li will be able to ask for the world in more than a month, but unfortunately, as her husband, I won't be able to see her, which fills me with deep regret."

  "In the long and lonely night, it's hard to pass the time. I've already finished reading 'Zi Zhi Tong Jian' (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government) up to the Three Kingdoms period, and made some progress in poetry, but not in prose. I don't seek quick results, but rather observe my understanding, and have gained some insights. Roughly, I can come up with three or five lines of poetry at will, such as: 'Tomorrow morning, the courier sets off, one night's snowflakes on my cloak.' Or: 'The green mountains are hidden, the water is distant, autumn has ended in Jiangnan, but the grass has not yet withered.' On a clear moonlit night by the 24 bridges, where can I find the jade-like person to teach me how to play the sheng (a Chinese free reed instrument)? My dear wife's talent and learning surpass others, she is intelligent and perceptive, surely she knows that this sheng is not just any ordinary sheng. But when will I be able to let my wife play a tune on the sheng?"

  Digression

  I'm really sorry, I've been too busy lately and couldn't find time to write back to you.