Chapter 49 - The Official Mother and the Official Brother Came
Chapter 49 The Official Mother and the Official Brother Came
The day when Ruan Qingyan took the exam came quickly. These days, nothing happened. So, the way he went to the examination place was thought to be dangerous, where he had to kill ten people when he took one pace.
… But after Ruan Qingyan went in, everything around was as usual.
“Do they want to strike in the examination hall?” Qiu Yelan guessed in her heart while leaning on the window of the carriage and looked at the crowd that had scattered.
Dongran shook her head and said, “This is impossible. Xue Xiang won’t let this thing happen.” Then her voice lowered, “Even the Empress Dowager cannot offend scholars.”
Qiu Yelan also agreed since the imperial examination was the foundation of the country. Even if the Empress Dowager’s Party did not care about one or two talented scholars, they had to prevent the Empress from deceiving.
“It turns out that our nervousness these days is in vain!” Qiu Yelan wiped her cold sweat and said resentfully.
Dongran smiled and said, “Probably not. What if there were some evildoers hiding by the road before the young master entered the examination hall? Fortunately, the young master entered safely.”
“Let’s go back.” Qiu Yelan pulled down the curtain.
The carriage had already turned and drove to General’s Mansion as the carter ordered.
As they approached the General’s Mansion, someone shouted, “Is Ningyi in the carriage?”
She realized who he was as soon as she heard this title. Qiu Yelan rubbed her eyebrows and pulled the curtain to look outside. Sure enough, Ling Zui, wearing a red robe and a coat made of feathers, rode on a green horse and smiled beside the carriage. He saluted with fist and palm when he saw her face. He said, “Did you come back after sending your cousin?”
“Yes. Where are you going?” Qiu Yelan thought in her heart, “Please don’t say you are going to Ruan Family again!”
Fortunately, although Ling Zui stared at her face swiftly, he was not shameless enough to come to her house. He said, “I intend to hunt some game in the jungle to show filial respect for my parents since the snow has melted in the spring.” He asked her with a smile, “Do you like it? I can share some with you when I pass by.”
“Thank for your kindness. But I’m in mourning….” Qiu Yelan said in disobedience. She hadn’t eaten meat since she passed through because of Mrs. Zhou and Su He who were loyal to Princess Ruan! Even the chicken soup was haven only during the injury… God knew how she wanted to grab his robe and shouted, “Give me all!!!”
Certainly, Ling Zui didn’t know her thoughts and laughed, “Sorry, I forget… You are really a filial daughter.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t you repay your parents’ kindness of rearing you?” Qiu Yelan reluctantly said.
They talked for a while, and then Ling Zui returned to his own team and went away.
“Are those a few hunting dogs? They are very big!” Su He pulled the curtain and looked out occasionally. She exclaimed, “They are as tall as people!”
“Is that true?” Qiu Yelan pulled the curtain that she lowered right away. And her pupils constricted slightly when she looked out, “Are these mastiffs?”
“Fortunately, they are tied up by someone holding an iron chain and they don’t approach us. Otherwise, our horse would be frightened.” Dongran said thankfully as she looked.
Qiu Yelan watched the tall mastiffs disappear at the corner of the street with Ling Zui. And she thought, “No wonder he said that he had helped that day.”
“Ah?” Dongran and Su He were puzzled.
“On the day when Aunt Qiu and Cousin Kang came, the mastiffs that scared them into the house turned out to be Young Earl Ling’s. He deliberately released them.” Qiu Yelan laughed, “He really has conscience since cousin has spent so much money for him!”
Thinking of Qiu Yuqing and Kang Lizhang, she asked, “What happened to Kang Lizhang over the past two days? I am worried about my cousin and I didn’t go to hit her.”
“She’s still the same as before, keeping silent in the room,” Dongran said, “She occasionally chatted for a while with maids who delivered the meal, and she asked when you would go there.”
“Does she like being hit by me?” Qiu Yelan was surprised. Was Cousin Kang masochism?!
Dongran smiled awkwardly, “It seems that she wants to beg you for Yulu Ointment. The injury on her face….”
“Do I look so kind?” Qiu Yelan narrowed her eyes, “If she asks again next time, let the maid elicit what she prepares to exchange for Yulu Ointment!”
The box of Yulu Ointment sent by Jiang Yashuang gave her the inspiration to temporarily escape from Prince’s Mansion. At that time, she sealed the box and threw it into the well in the empty courtyard near the outer wall, so as not to be found by people of Prince’s Mansion. She planned to take it secretly after she got well in Ruan Family. As a result, there was also Yulu Ointment among the gifts awarded by Empress Jiang when she went to the palace on Lunar New Year’s Eve. She left it alone since she had some.
Now that she heard that Kang Lizhang was eager to see her. She began to calculate how much benefit she could get from Cousin Kang?
It was not that she loved money, but at least she should get what they took from old Princess and Princess Ruan back with interest?
Unexpectedly, Qiu Yelan received a piece of bad news when she entered General’s Mansion, “A note was posted on the door which was written by the servant of Censor Qiu Dian. He was posting for the past official mother and official brother of young master.”
Ruan An frowned, “I’m afraid… the visitor has bad will!”
“I just thought that Hua Shenshen was talking nonsense. It turned out that she was wronged. Not because they didn’t come, but they are waiting for my cousin to come out, and want to fight with me alone?” Qiu Yelan opened the post and looked at the signature, Mrs. Pang and Pang Biao. She was quite interested, “Cousin’s last name used to be Pang? What was his first name? Hu? Bao?”
Ruan An coughed and said, “Your Grace, they will come tomorrow.”
“Deal with them?” Qiu Yelan sneered, “Who stipulates that you must receive? They are on behalf of Censor, so what? How can I entertain others since I have to take care of my grandfather because he is in bad health? Especially my cousin is in the examination hall now, how do I know that the person is someone he knew before? What if he is a fraud—eh?”
She blinked and asked Ruan An, “Catch two frauds at General’s Mansion. What do you think, Mr. Ruan?”
“Young master said before that these two men could not be his former mother and brother.” Ruan An groaned, “But since they dare to openly post and visit, they obviously depend on others. Moreover….” He looked up at Qiu Yelan, “Many people have been reminded of the position of Governor Feng Rugui from the thing that happened in Renqing Pharmacy. Qiu Dian takes control of Censorate and he knew the law of Darui well. Even if he does not accompany the mother and son, I am afraid he will send someone to help them.”
The implication was that it was impossible for Qiu Yelan to bully the public by officials as she did last time.
Qiu Yelan thought for a moment and said, “If this is the case, then I’d like to see them. After all, it has nothing to do with me even if they are true. If I don’t meet them, it will be more troublesome to wait until my cousin finishes the exam….”
“It is apparent that they deliberately avoid cousin because they chose to inform today and come to visit tomorrow.” Ruan An frowned. “From my perspective, they are coming for you, Your Grace!”
Qiu Yelan said indifferently, “Let’s see what deadliest weapon they have prepared these days! Qiu Dian… I don’t know if he is the official who wore a purple robe on the imperial court that day?”
The next day the mother and son of the Pang Family came, and they were accompanied by Qiu Dian’s follower.
Taking them to the hall and had a look: Mrs. Pang was portly as a wife of a merchant. But she had slightly darker skin, otherwise she could be a beauty; Pang Biao was tall and strong, just like his name. He looked like a standard businessman, Oh, the kind of businessman who specialized in business without capital.
The person who accompanied them was a 30-year-old skinny man, wearing scholar clothes and a soft headscarf. Although he didn’t look very well, he was very calm. He claimed his name was Li Gui, and he was a Juren. But he didn’t take the test of this year. Perhaps he couldn’t keep taking the imperial examination?
Li Gui said that he was a distant relative of Mrs. Pang, and he accompanied them to come. Then he said nothing.
The mother and son were a little nervous at first. It seemed that they entered the General’s Mansion for the first time.
But the mother looked up and saw that there was only a twelve or three-year-old girl in plain clothes. And there were not many people around. She suddenly had confidence, “Your Grace, I come here with my son to beg you for one thing.”
Qiu Yelan said casually, “Since you come with Censor Qiu’s post… Please say something.”
“It’s said that my younger son, Pang Lu, came here last year. Now something happened at home, and I want to invite him back together.” Mrs. Pang said sternly.
“Who is Pang Lu?” Qiu Yelan continued saying carelessly. She was admiring the pattern of the red and blue sea animal pattern bowl in her hand, “There is nobody this name— Additionally, although you are relative of Juren Li and you come with the post of Censor Qiu, I also have to say: There is an elderly who is in bad health. Now he is waiting for his grandson’s good news. The imperial doctor has told us not to disturb him… This is not a secret in capital city. Can you figure it out before you find someone?”
Her face sank. And she slammed the tea bowl, “I’m the only one who take care of my grandfather. Is Censor Qiu so dull that he takes Ruan Family as a pastime because nothing happened in his home?!”
Hearing the menace in her words, Li Gui said, “It’s not like this.” And then he looked at Mrs. Pang and her son.
The mother and son’s faces were dignified, “Rest assured, Your Grace. Although I’m not good at literacy, I also know a little law of Darui. How dare I come unless I confirm that the child is here?”
Qiu Yelan sneered, “Oh, I haven’t fully identified the people here. But you have confirmed it? How can you confirm it?”
“Please see the letter, Your Grace.” Mrs. Pang took out an unsealed letter from her sleeve and lifted it with her hands.
Qiu Yelan glanced at Dongran. Dongran went down and took the letter from Mrs. Pang’s hand. She looked at it with the help of the light for a while, and then brushed it. Then she put it on the table beside Qiu Yelan.
“… All the people go out. I’m going to talk to Mrs. Pang alone.” Qiu Yelan ordered after opening the letter and glanced at it. Her face changed immediately.
Dongran and others were surprised, “Your Grace?”
“Get out!” Qiu Yelan rubbed her eyebrows and ordered again.
After Li Gui saluted with his fist and palm and headed toward outside, Dongran and others looked at each other and went out step by step and turned around. They were afraid of making Qiu Yelan lose her face in front of the outsiders. And they thought Mrs. Pang didn’t dare to hurt Qiu Yelan.
When the door closed, Qiu Yelan asked Mrs. Pang with a somber face, “Who are you?!”