Chapter 188: After Severing only the Surface Remains
Ruan Old Madam couldn’t help frowning. She knew, her daughter’s current state was very abnormal.
As her daughter, she was just destined to be different from ordinary young ladies of the boudoir. Compared to her, if she can be ‘the student that surpa.s.ses the teacher’, then it was something further worth being happy over. But, this was her one and only bloodline. In the end, she still couldn’t bear letting her daughter become like her, so what she taught her were mostly just the skills needed to survive in the inner manor. She once thought that the upbringing she gave her didn’t have problems, but the series of incidences that caught them off guard shattered this perception of hers.
She was glad her daughter didn’t, because of the heavy blow, just crumble into insanity, yet she still heartached over the trauma her daughter has repeatedly suffered. The torment in front still haven’t pa.s.sed, yet the next one closely followed behind. Her ability to withstand clearly belonged in the intermediate levels. And only when it was neither high nor low was it the most painful. If she directly went insane, then she won’t know anything at all, or perhaps completely not take it seriously, and naturally won’t experience the torment either. The her now, it was either regress in torment, or advance. As her mother, she naturally hoped it would be the latter, and in reality, she didn’t disappoint her. But now, the question came, because this process was too short, it was practically just ‘forcibly pulling the shoot to grow the bamboo’.
———-Insane, apathetic, not recognizing one’s own family, those who obey her flourish, and those who oppose her peris.h.!.+ She will be a demon through and through!
Previously, there was already this kind of sign, just at this very moment, it took shape. Ruan Old Madam retract her gaze. Could it be that earlier, something unknown to her happened again?
Ruan Fang Fei carried a smile, having the six heads all turned over one by one, looking at them carefully, even rather interestedly asking her mother, how those cuts were formed. If this was cut after killing, then slas.h.i.+ng when still alive, wouldn’t it be even more interesting?
Her hands were full of stains, yet she completely didn’t mind. Where was she still that once pampered and delicate young miss that after getting stained with the slightest filth will just retreat three miles. After she finished looking, she just lost interest, using a handkerchief to wipe her hand, little by little, wiping very conscientiously and very focused. Clearly some filth already couldn’t be wipe away, yet she still wiped again and again. “Mother, these people, are they the ones you left behind to ma.s.sacre the village? This is failing to kill, instead getting killed themselves? Really quite useless. However, this way is also good too. That village, leave it to slowly play with in the future. ————–Mother, if you have anything that’s inconvenient for you to handle, you actually can tell me, I can help you.”
Ruan Old Madam quietly looked to her own daughter. In her heart, she actually faintly regretted. If she’d long know there would be today, then she should’ve just raised her in the ‘best’ direction from the beginning. This current state of hers was already too late to turn around. The rest were all still good, but this degree of loyalty was very problematic, because she will only put herself first. Everything else all needed to move to the back. However, the wrong methods have its benefits too, if used appropriately, not letting her know the most crucial areas, then she will become a sharp weapon.
Ruan Old Madam reached out and rubbed her face, “What are you wearing a veil for at home, and even this thick of a cloth, don’t you feel stuffy?”
Ruan Fang Fei’s eyes brimmed with smile, “Then why don’t mother help me take it down.”
Ruan Old Madam nodded her head, casually removing it. Afterwards, she just froze, “This, this………….” The originally almost healed face, the scar also gradually fading away, at this very moment, instead turned into black streak, just like a malevolent and ugly centipede, the edges even leading along thin vein lines like spider webs. This was the last push? “Fang Fei, what exactly happened here?”
“You’re asking me? How would I know, my food and clothing expenses, including the medicine used on my face all aren’t managed by me.” In her no longer bright eyes penetrated a trace of innocence.
Ruan Old Madam’s face was very unsightly. This was having gotten exploited by someone at a time completely unbeknownst to her? If not for it appearing this obviously, afraid she would still be kept in the dark. But the problem was, when exactly did this happen? Could it be that the Ruan family rear court she controlled also had leaks she didn’t know about? Perhaps her secret has already become known to others, then having leaks appear, seemingly was also within reason. But, this made her difficult to bear. Deeply inhaling a breath, “Fang Fei, it was mother’s negligence, don’t worry, mother will think of a way for you………….”
“No need mother, I feel this way isn’t anything bad either.” Ruan Fang Fei said with a smile.
“Alright.” When one no longer cared, one can become invulnerable.
“By the way mother, prepare for me a man that is proficient in the bedroom matters.”
Ruan Old Madam slightly narrowed her eyes, she really transformed very thoroughly. “Even if you didn’t ask, I would’ve still prepared one for you. As such, this actually saves me from wasting time explaining. However, wait until your body recovers.” Her private area although wasn’t injured particularly seriously, in this short period of time, it wasn’t suitable for performing bedroom matters.
“Just send him over tonight, ultimately need to have a process to adapt.”
Ruan Old Madam momentarily fell silent, retracting all her emotions, “Alright.” Blunt and straightforward.
Ruan Fang Fei smiled. From hereon out, this woman before her will probably no longer view her as a daughter. Speaking of which, it was also quite laughable. She herself was just thoroughly dirty, yet wanted a clean daughter. This was wanting to retain that last bit of goodness, or just deceiving oneself? Regardless of which, it was all exceptionally stupid. “This daughter will just go back first then.”
Ruan Old Madam watched her step over the doorsteps, turning the corner and leaving. She then turned around and glanced at the wooden chest. People like them, as expected, shouldn’t have extravagant hopes. The result in the end was all the same. She expressionlessly had the wooden chest closed. What Ruan Fang Fei thought was correct, she won’t have her viewed as a daughter anymore. Materialistically, it will still be the same as before, but emotionally, she will no longer be moved by her in the slightest anymore, abandoning quite thoroughly.
That’s why, Ruan Old Madam’s so called feelings were also quite laughable. Feelings that can be easily abandoned, was that called feelings? Perhaps, she’s long considered for situations similar to today’s, and in her heart, she has actually always had reservations to some extent. Since, in the past, she was never wholehearted, then when abandoning, she naturally won’t be in unbearable pain.
Ruan Rui Zhong found Le Cheng Emperor. His original intention was wanting to ask for an imperial decree to search every place.
It was very obvious, this kind of request, Le Cheng Emperor won’t agree. One has to know, the accompanying people were all favored subjects, important ministers, and also the largest collection of imperial family members. Can these people’s courtyards be casually searched? Moreover, his sons, for the most part, were all within the imperial summer residence. Letting a subject, even if he was a backbone minister, touch upon his head, that was absolutely out of the question.
In Le Cheng Emperor’s eyes, the one getting targeted was just a subject, and not him. Moreover, the ones that died were also nothing more than insignificant servants. There was no reason to let him get a large number of people involved. Besides, everyone else was all fine, yet it’s just your family having troubles. Is this letting others suspect that there’s something fishy in your home? Seeing on behalf of your devotions as an official, not investigating you was already not bad.
Thus, Le Cheng Emperor called for Yu Zhong Qing to take some people to go help him search in other areas. This was actually equivalent to not helping at all. Fortunately, Le Cheng Emperor wasn’t completely ruthless, telling Ruan Rui Zhong, if he has evidence, and know who the culprit behind the scenes is, he can actually issue a decree to search.
After leaving Le Cheng Emperor’s line of sight, Ruan Rui Zhong’s complexion was even more cold. It’s not that he wasn’t able to sense Le Cheng Emperor’s gradual indifference towards him. The ruler was heartless; there were plenty of emperors that killed meritorious officials. He was merely a head cabinet minister, and in actuality, really didn’t count as anything. His Ruan family was currently in the most difficult period. Because of those rumors and slanders, he similarly was being accused of misconduct. Le Cheng Emperor although kept the memorandums and didn’t respond[1], it didn’t mean that Le Cheng Emperor didn’t have an opinion inside. After all, it even involved damaging Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s face[2]. And he himself, although wanted to continue on as before, he had no choice but admit, his body was ultimately not as good as before, appearing somewhat less capable than desirable. However, these all can’t be displayed on the surface, else the Ruan family will really be done for.
Yu Zhong Qing stood behind him. He was very clear who the culprit behind this matter was, and also have long speculated that the Ruan family had problems. What he was relatively puzzled over was whether this problem was on this head cabinet minister, or on someone else from the Ruan family. However, these all didn’t need for him to come question. Since from the start, he has just pretended to not know, then he will just continue on like this.
Ruan Rui Zhong, in the end, didn’t let Yu Zhong Qing take people and search with great fanfare. This simply was just pointless, so why the need to make noise and let everyone all become aware, increasing one’s material for gossip. Thus, Yu Zhong Qing just led the people, and like patrolling, walked around within the courtyard area where the officials resided. Afterwards, he just returned to report to Le Cheng Emperor.
The Ruan family’s courtyard in the imperial summer residence, in the end, wasn’t as good as the Ruan family manor in the capital. Since Li Hong Yuan had the intention to sort out certain people, he naturally long made preparations. Moreover, Ruan Old Madam had lost that many people already. In addition, they’ve merely just arrived here for less than a day’s time. As for ‘investigating the leaks’, she wouldn’t go as far as to investigate the people that were already there. Even if she investigated, in this short period of time, she still wouldn’t be able to find a flaw. After all, these people’s roots all weren’t here. To want to follow the root to the end, it wasn’t something that can be accomplished overnight. And those people were also just rough laborers to begin with. If dismissed, one wasn’t able to find replacements in this place. The best way was just to reinforce the rules, letting them each take charge of their own duties, and must not overstep. By not letting them come in contact with things they shouldn’t come in contact with, then even if a spy, it didn’t matter either. That’s why, what Ruan Old Madam really investigated was still the accompanying personnels brought from the capital.
Ruan Old Madam has always been a clever person, and clever people naturally have the failings of a clever person.
Not coming in contact with things that one shouldn’t come in contact with didn’t necessarily mean that one won’t be able to obtain anything useful. And spies also didn’t necessarily need to be that astute, perhaps just need to have the things they saw remembered, that’s all.
When it comes to manpower, Ruan Old Madam compared to Li Hong Yuan was practically just sad, completely unable to compare. No matter how tight her defenses were, there were still loopholes to exploit.
When learning that she was carefully inspecting, Li Hong Yuan didn’t have any reaction at all, just letting someone make some specious things, surely able to let Ruan Old Madam have the ‘leaks’ thoroughly plugged, or at least, will let her believe this is the case.
At night, Li Hong Yuan learned that Ruan Old Madam added for her precious daughter a new servant girl. Reportedly, that servant girl was relatively tall, the legs long and the waist thin, with nice curves, and was a complete beauty. The beauty was in charge of holding the lamp at night, quietly advancing, with not that many people seeing.
Li Hong Yuan sneered. Playing this kind of scheme, it was just enough to deceive others. However, he seemingly still underestimated Ruan Fang Fei. This was after breaking down, might as well just rot to the end?
Even if knowing the temperament of someone like her was ‘firm and persistent’, not easily falling, but to repeatedly crawl up again and again, yet still get repeatedly stepped on, living sullenly in humiliation, forever unable to achieve one’s goal, what will that be like?
However, as the night sunk into silence, he started to miss Wan Wan.
[1] 留中不发 – This is a very specific phrase meaning the Emperor keeps the memorandums submitted by officials confined within court, neither handing over to others to comment on, nor replying to the memorandum. The literal translations is ‘keep within, not issuing’
[2] In case there’s confusion, I’ll add a comment here. Because the rumors and slanders were sorta started by LHY during Gong w.a.n.gfei’s birthday banquet, he will be affected by it if Le Cheng Emperor formally processes those memorandums accusing Ruan Rui Zhong of misconduct, which are pretty much impeachment proceedings.