【Illustrated Record of Fragrance】【32】【Author: Qingzhu Qiu】

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter Thirty-Two: Locked in an Empty Room, the Cicada Sheds its Shell, Demonstrating Righteousness, and the Precious Mirror Reunites. It is said that Wang Lan left through the back door without even taking a carriage, and walked directly to the Jiang residence. Inside, she saw Bo Qing, Cong Long, Er Lang, Han Cha, and Liu Wuguan sitting in the study, discussing Wang Lan's affairs. Because Cong Long had returned from court, Cheng Wanrong mentioned that Hong Jingyi had personally come to inquire about Luo Zhu's whereabouts, and Xiao Dai had scolded her, accusing her of arguing with Luo Zhu. She told Cong Long to go find Wang Lan and explain how to handle the situation, so as to prepare in advance. Cong Long immediately went to Bo Qing to discuss the matter, saying, "If we go directly to inform Zhe Xiang, I'm afraid Jingyi will already be there. She's already suspecting that I and Chu Qing were behind it. If we meet and exchange a few words, we can't argue with her, and it will only make things difficult for her." Erlang said, "I've long known this matter would inevitably come to light, especially since it's within our own circle; it's hard to imagine no one spreading the word. How could we keep it a secret for long? But I never expected him to know so thoroughly, even knowing that we'd been staying at the Tian family's house for so long. This is no wonder." Conglong was about to send someone to invite Wang Lan when he suddenly saw Wang Lan storm in, and everyone rose to offer him a seat. Wang Lan then recounted in detail how Jingyi had caused trouble, "Who knew it was Sangui who told him? Can this servant be tolerated?" Conglong nodded and said, "Good! I was wondering how your wife could know, even though it started from my place, if no one inside had told her. However, I think Sangui has been with you for more than a year, and he's not usually a gossip. There must be more to this than meets the eye; we should investigate further." As everyone was talking, Lian'er brought Sangui in. Wang Lan immediately flew into a rage and began to berate him. Sangui knelt on the ground and recounted the whole story in detail. "So we two had no choice but to hide here. If I were to speak out of turn, I'd gladly be executed. Master will find out about it later." Conglong said, "Indeed, there's more to the story. It was your wife who forced them to say it." Wang Lan, upon hearing this, realized she couldn't entirely blame San Gui'er and ordered them to leave. Then the servant who had been inquiring arrived and said, "The First Madam has returned. Because she couldn't find the Master, San Gui'er went to war again, and the Second Madam turned against her, saying the First Madam had come to cause trouble for no reason. She gave the First Madam a hard time. The First Madam admitted her mistake and was then allowed to leave." Erlang clapped his hands and exclaimed with delight, "Rouyun is truly admirable! I fear your wife's power has been completely washed away today." Wang Lan was also pleased. Bo Qing said, "Don't be so smug. Although Miss Hong returned disappointed, she will surely discuss it with Old Master Hong and come back to cause trouble again. Rouyun can only be kept in the dark for a while; if questioned carefully, she will eventually be exposed. Ultimately, the truth is the truth, and the falsehood is the falsehood.
If she comes again, no matter how eloquent Rouyun is, she will not be able to cover it up. Miss Hong will definitely retaliate even more fiercely. Rouyun is a fiery person; she can make things difficult for others, but she cannot make things difficult for herself. I'm afraid it might provoke other troubles." Cong Long and the others also said, "Bo Qing's concerns are very valid. Zhe Xiang should make arrangements as soon as possible." Er Lang said, "That's fine too. It would be best to bring Rouyun over as soon as possible. If we leave an empty house, what's there to fear about her tearing it down? Zhe Xiang shouldn't even see her face. Even if Miss Hong has divine powers, she will have difficulty using them." Everyone agreed upon hearing this. They immediately urged Wang Lan to go quickly, "I'm afraid that once your wife gets the truth, she will come again."
Wang Lan, reminded by the others, hurriedly summoned San Gui'er and told him to quickly go to the new residence to "bring the Second Madam to the Yun Mansion, and let her take all the belongings that couldn't be moved." He also instructed Wu Guan to collect the house. San Gui'er agreed and left in a hurry. Wu Guan immediately ordered someone to post the notices for the house to be collected, saying, "After Lord Wang and his new wife leave, lock the gate immediately. Instruct the patrolmen to guard it and not allow anyone to talk about my house; just say it belongs to the Prince in the East Mansion." Wang Lan then summoned his servants and inquired about the cause of the argument. Everyone praised Luo Zhu for her courage, wisdom, and resourcefulness. A short while later, Luo Zhu arrived at the Yun Mansion, where Wanrong and Xiao Dai welcomed her into the inner hall. The belongings she brought were temporarily placed in an empty room. Wang Lan stayed at the Jiang Mansion. Meanwhile,
the servants of the Hong Mansion went to inquire around the new residence and learned that it was indeed the house Wang Lan had found. After visiting several places, they all gave the same answer. They hurriedly returned to report to Hong Dingcai. Upon hearing this, Jingyi was so angry she was speechless, repeatedly saying, "Enough! I never expected that woman to be so bold. I've been fooled by her, I'm so ashamed!" Hong Dingcai also angrily said to Jingyi, "My son, you should have gone all the way this time. Don't believe her deception this time. Fortunately, we found out the truth, and we didn't give her a chance to argue. We caught her and brought her back, and we'll deal with her slowly." Jingyi immediately ordered a sedan chair to be prepared, and led the men and women straight to the new house.
The servants, who had been yelled at earlier, were now all eager to punch and kick the woman, wishing they could rush into the new house and beat her to a pulp to vent their anger. Anyway, if something happened, the master would handle it. Before long, they arrived at the gate and found it locked, with a notice from the owner recalling the house. The servants were surprised and said, "How could they have done this so quickly? Did they know we were coming and escape beforehand?" They had no choice but to go to Jingyi's sedan chair to explain. Jingyi was filled with anxiety, shame, and resentment the whole way. She felt ashamed that her attempt to cause trouble with the prostitute had backfired, resulting in her being treated badly; she resented how she would face others in the future. She couldn't even handle her husband's concubine, yet he had gained the upper hand. She resolved to return this time and exact tenfold revenge on that prostitute. Wang Lan would surely intervene; she would fight him to the death, but her father would handle the situation and reason with him.
Just as she was making her plans, she heard the servants say, "The new house gate is sealed off, and there are notices posting to reclaim the original house." Jingyi retorted, "Nonsense! Even a bird can't fly that fast. They have a back door to enter and exit, but they're afraid we'll come back, so they've sealed the main gate and are hiding inside. Go check at the back door." The servants hurriedly went around to the alley, but finding the back door closed, they had no choice but to turn back. Jingyi said, "Regardless of whether he's gone or not, you all break in for me and see what happens." Just as the servants were about to knock on the door, several patrolmen walked by and stopped them, saying, "Where are you from? It's an empty house, locked up, and no one's inside. What do you want to open it for?" The servants replied, "Why are you asking? There were people staying here this morning. How come they moved out in half a day? We're from Lord Hong's residence. Whether they moved out or not, we'll open it and see. If there's really no one inside, we'll find the owner to talk to." The patrolmen sneered, "Don't be foolish." "What 'Red Mansion' and 'Black Mansion'? Do you know whose house this is? It was bought by the Prince of the East Mansion for Liu Wuguan. You can open it if you want, but we'll go and explain. The Prince told you to open it, that's none of our business. If you want to find the owner, you have big heads, just go find the Prince. You can't open it privately now." An old patrolman said, "You don't need to argue with him, just let them open it, and then we'll go and report to the Prince, and see if they can afford to take the risk." Jingyi, inside the sedan chair, understood everything. She knew Wang Lan had made preparations beforehand, and if she were to be rebuffed, it would be even more embarrassing. She immediately stopped the servants from moving and ordered the sedan chair to be turned around. The patrolmen laughed loudly, "I told you, none of you would dare to confront the Prince like that! You're like chickens banging against rocks! Stop acting all high and mighty, just let it go, don't embarrass us." Jingyi's sedan chair hadn't gone far when she heard this, and she felt extremely ashamed, gritting her teeth in hatred towards Wang Lan and Luozhu.
Back at the mansion, she told her father everything. According to Jingyi's suggestion, her father should seal off the house, and the owner would naturally come forward to reason with the two. Hong Dingcai knew that Liu Wuguan was the Prince's favorite, and even Lu Daotong couldn't do anything to him, let alone him. "If I go to seal off the house, the Prince will immediately claim it as his, wouldn't I offend the Prince?" So he gently persuaded Jingyi, telling her not to be impatient and to slowly find a way to deal with him. "I figured that since he'd escaped, opening the door wouldn't have made a difference. We'd have to meet eventually anyway, so is this how it's going to end?" Jingyi sighed helplessly. She was so angry that she didn't eat dinner and went to sleep fully clothed. The next day, she feigned illness and couldn't get up, only cursing incessantly. Soon, the maids received the news and informed Madam Hong. Upon hearing this, Madam Hong nodded and sighed, "I knew it would be difficult to please her, and it has indeed come true. Amitabha! This is her own doing, she can't blame anyone else. If she had listened to even half of my unlucky words, things wouldn't have turned out this way." Hearing that Jingyi had fallen ill from anger, Madam Hong, resentful of her daughter's foolishness, didn't go to see her. "If she really dies of anger, it would be a blessing for the Hong family. If word gets out, I wonder what people will say!" Leaving aside the Hong family, everyone had their own thoughts. Meanwhile, Wang Lan left Luozhu with Yun Conglong and stayed at the Jiang residence, spending his days chatting and laughing with Boqing and Hancha. Sometimes, when they encountered Hong Dingcai at his office, they would immediately try to avoid him, or if they couldn't hide in time, they would simply say that they were too busy with official business to return. Hong Dingcai, in front of everyone, had no choice but to gloss over it.
After a long period of awkwardness, they happened to meet in the market one day. Hong Dingcai insisted on dragging Wang Lan to the capital, and I said, "I won't say that again." Wang Lan laughed and said, "It was Chu Qing's fault, no wonder Wu Guan was angry. He must be feeling terrible right now, and you're still making fun of him. Tomorrow, when Wu Guan arrives at your post, you'll be punished by having to go forty li outside the city to greet him, and you'll have to provide him with double the daily provisions and pay your respects morning and evening. If you make even the slightest mistake, Wu Guan will give us all a message, and we won't stand for it." Erlang laughed and said, "It's only right, it's only right. Consider it redemption for my past mistakes. I didn't even have to provide for him or greet him. Even if I were punished by having to empty the chamber pot and carry the urinal for Wu Guan, I would be willing." This caused everyone to burst into laughter, and Wu Guan also chuckled.
Wu Guan rose again to toast with the others, exchanging words of advice before parting. Bo Qing then instructed Wu Guan, "If you truly wish to sell the houses you've acquired, you can do so as soon as you get the price. Even if you're short a little, you'll have to accept the loss. Fortunately, you've collected excessive rent these past few years. If you really can't sell them, you might as well ask the Prince to take care of them for you; I'm sure the Prince can't refuse. You can then bring your funds to Nanjing. My family has many houses; there's no shortage of places for you to stay. You don't need to go to their posts; after all, traveling around with wealth is inconvenient. Besides, the scenery of Nanjing is no less beautiful than that of the capital; there are plenty of scenic spots for you to visit." Wu Guan said, "I'm too lazy to travel around and suffer the hardships of life, but that's just what I say. I will naturally come to Nanjing to seek refuge with you, but you must prepare a quiet and elegant place for me to stay. Otherwise, I will..." "It would be fine if Jin Xiaoqu lived with you in your household; I've long heard he's quite an interesting fellow."
Conglong shook his head and laughed, "Boqing is going too far. Wuguan is kind enough to remember old friends and stay in each place for a year, allowing everyone to linger. But Boqing insists on keeping him permanently in Nanjing and won't allow Wuguan to come to our post. Clearly, you're too jealous and want Qiongzhi to be all to yourself. Don't you know that Wuguan has to go to Shandong to leave the capital? I'll inform Zijian beforehand to keep Wuguan from going to Nanjing and test our methods. I'm afraid Boqing won't be able to do anything about it then!" Wuguan laughed, "I'm not a purse, what are you all fighting over? I'd rather not even leave the capital, and none of you can do anything about it!" This made everyone laugh, and their worries vanished. They passed around cups and drank until after midnight, then dispersed, completely drunk.
Meanwhile, Hong Dingcai and his wife had been preparing their daughter's luggage for days, so she could accompany her husband to his post. When Jingyi saw him, how impatient she was! She wanted nothing more than to fight him to the death to vent her anger. Today, he was finally brought back under my control. Even if you couldn't turn on him the moment you saw him, you should have interrogated him until he was speechless. Then I could have reasoned with him, and he would have surely submitted. But instead, you believed his sweet talk and let him escape. He even laughed at my Hong family for not daring to offend him, treating you like a child. I've only stirred up trouble for myself. You two will be husband and wife for a hundred years. Good or bad, why should I, as his father-in-law, create such a grudge? "Having said this, he stormed out of the room.
Jingyi, having been tricked by Wang Lan, was seething with anger and had nowhere to vent. Now, being blamed by her father only added to her rage, making her even more miserable. She burst into tears, and the maids tried to comfort her repeatedly. She refused to eat or drink for three days, and the maids hurriedly went to inform Madam Hong. Although Madam Hong hated her daughter, she was still her own flesh and blood, so she went to Jingyi's room and repeatedly comforted her before Jingyi finally ate a little.
That evening, Madam Hong discussed the matter with Hong Dingcai, saying, 'Son-in-law and daughter, don't be angry. It's not a long-term solution. Although you are young and arrogant, it's normal for a husband to take a concubine. It's Jingyi's fault for being so intolerant. It's not that I'm being presumptuous or saying you're bad. When our daughter heard the news and wanted to cause trouble, you, as her father, should have stopped her and mediated. Why did you encourage her to go? It shows that you, sir, have been lacking in self-control. Now, Jingyi has been calmed down by my words, and he is regretting his previous recklessness.'" It would be best to persuade the son-in-law to return home, and even bring the Nie family woman to live in the mansion, so that everyone can live in peace. Besides, you and I are both over fifty years old, and we only have this one daughter. Originally, the son-in-law was supposed to be there to support us in our old age. If the couple quarrels, how can we bear it? If you are worried that the Nie family woman will not stay at home, as long as Jingyi treats her with courtesy in all things, he cannot find fault or cause trouble. Hong Dingcai listened and was silent for a long time. He sighed and said, "How could I not know that if the son-in-law and daughter turn against each other, it will not end well. Since Jingyi can tolerate her husband taking a concubine, it is a good thing that she can bring her back to live with them. But I would rather die than lower myself to beg that little beast from the Wang family, unless I am not his father-in-law." Madam Hong laughed and said, "You are really foolish. Who told you to go and apologize to your son-in-law? There is no such thing as courtesy in the past. I have my own way of handling it. He should still come to my house to apologize, to give you face." Hong Dingcun nodded and said, "Do as you please. What daughter would want her husband to reconcile, and you've made it happen, so why would I be unwilling? That's ridiculous." The next day, Madam Hong went to Jingyi's room again and told her about the conversation she had with her father the night before, advising him to maintain harmony between husband and wife. "Even if it's a newcomer, if you treat him with courtesy, he won't dare to look down on you. Besides, you and your husband will have a long life together. If you fight now, who will you rely on in the future besides your parents? You must not persuade your son-in-law to come home, or you'll revert to your old ways, and then it will be difficult to mend the broken relationship. I'm not trying to be blunt, but even women need to be a little more virtuous. Don't you see how sometimes your father and I argue? If he gets really angry, I'll step aside and wait until he calms down before reasoning with him, and he might even admit his mistake himself. Wouldn't that save you trouble and benefit you?" Jingyi had already been persuaded by Madam Hong the day before and was halfway to reconsider. Today, Madam Hong spoke to her again, and she could only nod and agree.
Seeing that he was willing but unable to express it, Madam Hong rose and ordered a sedan chair to be prepared outside to take her to Lord Yun's residence. She then returned home, changed her clothes, and boarded the sedan chair. A short while later, they arrived at the Yun residence, and a servant came forward to announce their arrival. Upon hearing this, Cheng Wanrong said to Xiao Dai, "I came here the other day, and you've come again today. I wonder what news you have?" Xiao Dai replied, "It's still about Rouyun. I've long heard that Madam Hong is a virtuous and capable woman, unlike her daughter who is unreasonable and speaks hurtfully. We should naturally deal with her, otherwise we'd be afraid of her. We should politely decline and send her away." Wanrong nodded in agreement and, together with Xiao Dai, went out to greet Madam Hong and invited her inside.
Madam Cheng and Madam Lin treated her with the respect due to an elder, and Madam Hong repeatedly declined, returning the courtesy with bows. After they were seated, Madam Hong apologized for her daughter's impetuousness the other day. "My visit to your residence is not for any other reason than to make things more embarrassing." Then she explained how she had scolded her daughter for changing her mind, saying, "Now, we only hope that Lord Qiyun will invite my son-in-law's friends to persuade him to return home. It is not right for that Nie woman to stay outside for so long; she can come and live with us. My daughter will have no objections. This matter is entirely due to the great help of you two ladies, for which my husband and I are deeply grateful. We also heard that Nie woman is currently staying at your residence; could you please invite her over so I can comfort her in person? Even if my daughter is not right, now that I have intervened, this matter will not cause her any distress, and it will put your mind at ease." Wanrong and Xiaodai bowed and repeatedly said that she was too kind, "Since you ladies have mediated, Nie woman will not be left without a place to live, and we can live in peace from now on. This is a very good thing. Your son-in-law should also have no objections, so please rest assured, we will do our best." She then turned around and instructed a maid to go to the back hall, "Please invite Lord Wang's new concubine to come out and pay her respects to Old Madam Hong." The maid agreed and went for a while, then led Luozhu out. Another maid rushed forward to lay out a red carpet. Luo Zhu calmly walked to the hall, performed four deep bows, and then stood respectfully to the side with her head bowed. Stealing glances at Madam Hong, she was far more refined than Jing Yi; her face was kind and gentle, yet she possessed the air of a matriarch.
Seeing Luo Zhu bow, Madam Hong also stood up and returned a half-bow. Looking closely at Luo Zhu, she saw her as a lotus emerging from the water, a willow swaying gently in the breeze, with full breasts and supple bones, her demeanor serene. Madam Hong secretly admired her, thinking, "Truly a fine child. No wonder my son-in-law is so fond of her; she is truly pitiful. With such a serene appearance, she must not be a woman of unreasonable character." She then ordered a maid to bring a small stool and invited Luo Zhu to sit down. Luo Zhu thanked her and sat down.
Madam Hong said, "I already know everything that happened the other day, so there's no need to go into details. I won't ask about the past now. That's why I came here specifically to discuss this with you two ladies. My intention is to choose a day to bring you back so you can live with my daughter. If you're worried that my daughter might mistreat you, I'll take full responsibility. However, I see you're a smart person, and I imagine you're quite respectful. If we both maintain proper etiquette, what else is there to say? Think about it carefully and see if what I'm saying is true or not. Even my son-in-law—I've already asked Lord Yun and other officials to persuade him to go back. How can you live alone outside?"
Xiao Dai interjected, "Since Old Madam Hong has given such instructions, Sister Rouyun..." "It would be best if you went back to live with us. Old Madam Hong is a very kind person." Luo Zhu stood up and replied, "It is already an extraordinary favor that Old Madam does not forgive my past transgressions. That day when Madam came to my place, I did not dare to be disrespectful, because Madam's scolding was truly unbearable, she kept calling me a thousand prostitutes and ten thousand prostitutes. Old Madam is wise enough to know that this is the most hurtful thing. That's why I dared to say a few words in my defense, and it is true. Since Old Madam has earnestly asked me to go back, how could I be stubborn? When will Master go back? I will come with you to pay my respects and apologize to Old Madam and Madam."
Madam Hong, upon hearing this, knew that Luo Zhu was sharp-tongued, and her words were both soft and firm. She insisted that she would only come with Wang Lan if she was willing to go back. Clearly, she was clever, avoiding both praise and criticism, and her reasoning was sound. "How could my clumsy and willful darling be a match for her?" Then she said, “Very well, then you shall come back with the master. You must also persuade the master not to be so stubborn. If you persuade the master to go back, not only will I like you, but my daughter and son-in-law will also be grateful to you in the future, and naturally they will be of one mind. It is my daughter’s fault, but you know that we are family after all. Can you not be angry to the end? You will only make outsiders laugh at you. Good child, you are beautiful, and your heart is certainly not foolish. Do you listen to what I am saying?” Luo Zhu answered repeatedly.
Madam Hong chatted with Wanrong and Xiaodai for a while, then rose to take her leave. She then took Luozhu's hand and said, "Tomorrow I will ask someone to persuade your husband to return home. You mustn't refuse; you must come with me." Wanrong said, "Madam, please rest assured. If your son-in-law, Lord Wang, is indeed willing to return, we will entrust the new concubine to your esteemed residence." Madam Hong thanked her profusely. Luozhu, along with Madams Cheng and Lin, escorted Madam Hong to the front hall and into her sedan chair before turning back.
Xiaodai laughed, "They know they can't win this argument, so the elders are stepping in to play the good guy. I think Sister Rouyun will have to go to their house." Luozhu said, "I was just about to go to their house. Does the Hong family have a tiger that eats people? Fortunately, their daughter has already experienced my life. If I make even the slightest mistake, I'll still cause trouble. Even if a god were to come down and tell me, I wouldn't listen."
A short while later, Conglong and Erlang returned, and Wanrong and Xiaodai explained Madam Hong's purpose. "We've already agreed to persuade your son-in-law to go back," said Conglong. "Hong Dingcai's wife has some insight. She persuaded Zhexiang to go home, and she insisted that he take Rouyun with him. This is the best way to handle things. Otherwise, Zhexiang will definitely not go back. Tomorrow, I'll go and invite Zhu, Jiang, and others to persuade him together. I'm not afraid that Zhexiang won't do it. Everything should be done according to reason and emotion. Going back is the right thing to do. After all, he can't live in two different places for the rest of his life, can he? It's rare for the Hong family to invite us, so we should take this opportunity to settle down."
The next morning, Conglong and Erlang hitched up their carriages and went to the Jiang residence. They first explained Hong's wife's intentions to Boqing and asked us to mediate. Bo Qing also highly praised this move and immediately invited Wang Lan over to persuade him to return to the Hong residence. He said, "Madam Hong personally went to Zaitian yesterday and spoke ill of your wife. She has already met with Rouyun and will allow her to return without any objection. If there is any discrepancy, you and Rouyun can still come out. At that time, we will have no face to punish you."
Wang Lan was initially reluctant, but after being repeatedly persuaded by Conglong and others, he finally agreed. He then returned to the residence with Conglong and asked if Luozhu was willing to return. Luozhu smiled and said, "Why wouldn't I want to go back? They would laugh at us for being cowardly! Let's see how they handle it before making a decision." Wang Lan had nothing to say when he heard that Luozhu was willing to return. They chose the day after tomorrow to go to the Hong residence together. Conglong
immediately sent someone to deliver a message to the Hong residence. Madam Hong was overjoyed to hear that her son-in-law was willing to return with Luozhu. She then went to Jingyi's room and instructed her, "When you see your husband, you must not be temperamental again. Even though the Nie family's daughter treats you well, you must not cause trouble. If she gets the upper hand again, it will be difficult to deal with." She also ordered three or four rooms to be prepared in the back courtyard, so that Luozhu's living quarters and all her belongings would be the same as Jingyi's.
On this day, Madam Hong got up early in the morning and finished washing and dressing. A maid came up and reported, "Master Hong and the new concubine have returned." Madam Hong went out of her room and saw Wang Lan in front, followed by Luozhu. Wang Lan rushed to greet Madam Hong, and Luozhu bowed again. Madam Hong then ordered Hong Dingcai to be invited inside, where he received four bows from Luozhu. Wang Lan confessed her sins, and Madam Hong smiled and said, "Let bygones be bygones. I only hope that the three of you will be of one heart and mind from now on." She then ordered a maid to invite the young lady out to receive the greetings. A moment later, the maid returned and said, "Miss said she's not feeling well and shouldn't come out. Fortunately, we're family; it doesn't matter whether you see me or not." Luozhu stood up and said, "Since Madam is unwell, I should go and see her."
Madam Hong said, "Very well, you go in and talk to her, so she won't have to; besides, she caught a chill and isn't feeling well." She then ordered the maid to lead the way, and together with Luozhu, they went to Jingyi's room. The maid went in first to report, and Jingyi felt ashamed to see Luozhu and still wanted to decline. Luozhu had already lifted the curtain and entered, seeing that Jingyi hadn't yet dressed and was sitting leaning against a small table. Luozhu stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "I offended Madam the other day and deserve to die—I was fortunate that the old lady was so kind as to forgive me and not pursue the matter, so I was specially sent to see Madam to apologize." As she spoke, she bowed again. Jingyi saw that Luozhu's face was flushed, and could only put on a stern face, helping her up with her hand, saying, "You were wrong the other day, but now that we've talked it out, what is there to hold a grudge about among family?" She then pulled Luozhu to sit down at the head of the table, and they talked for a while. Jingyi got up to wash and dress, and Luozhu personally helped her tidy her clothes and comb her hair, serving her with utmost care and attentiveness. Jingyi felt uneasy, secretly thinking that Luozhu was actually a very good person, and regretting her own impetuousness the day before.
After a while, Wang Lan also entered the room, bowed deeply to Jingyi, and admitted her mistake. She then asked how she had been feeling lately. Jingyi was usually a person who liked to flatter, but seeing the two of them being so respectful, she had already forgotten about the previous incident. She smiled and said, "I'm fine, it's just that you two manipulated me too much the other day. From now on, I understand the power of Master and Concubine, and I will never dare to provoke them again. You mustn't scheme against me either, I really can't stand being angry, so please spare my life." After she finished speaking, everyone in the room laughed. Then, Madam Hong came to invite them to dinner, a lavish feast, because it was Luozhu's first time back. Jingyi also went out to eat with them.
Since Luozhu was staying at the Hong residence, Madam Hong immediately ordered everyone to address her as "Auntie" and forbade any disrespect. Within a few days, everyone, from servants to commoners, praised her highly. He also served Jingyi with utmost care and devotion. Jingyi, in turn, treated Luozhu like a sister. Seeing that his wives and concubines were on good terms, Wang Lan felt relieved. He frequently sent people to fetch Luozhu to play, and when Wanrong and Xiaodai came to the Hong residence, they seemed even closer than before.
One day, Wang Lan returned from court and was chatting with his wife and concubine when San Gui'er came up and said, "Lord Jiang has sent someone to summon you, Master, saying he has important matters to discuss in person. Please do not delay, Master." Upon hearing this, Wang Lan quickly changed his clothes, prepared his carriage, and headed straight for the Jiang residence. What important matters did Bingqian have to discuss with Wang Lan? Let's find out in the next chapter.

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/216107.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=216107&aspx=1

Last access time:

Previous Page : The Prodigal Boy's Guide to Romance - Chapter 220: Unending Passion

Next Page : Countryside Romance Amidst Fragrant Flowers - Chapter 122 Role Playing

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

【Illustrated Record of Fragrance】【32】【Author: Qingzhu Qiu】

comment Open a new window to view comments