Revenge of the Concubine’s Daughter - Chapter 126
Chapter 126 Searching the mansion
“Riding and archery? We can’t choose that!” Madam Luo was vexed, “Music? Yi can play the instrument, but she needs to read books when having music class, right? In fact, Yi was busy learning instrument, go, dance and music in childhood, so she had no time to learn how to read. I plan to let her learn needlework, virtue and etiquette in the academy first, then she can learn some words. Anyway, the classes in women’s academy are relaxing, whatever the educational background of a girl is, she will not lag behind. By the way, Qiong will have music classes and she can play the instrument very well.” She pointed at Luo Baiqiong who was sitting in front of the instrument at the center of the hall and smiled, “Shizi, please listen.”
He Danggui carefully looked at Duan Xiaolou’s profile, full of confusion. He didn’t know Meng Xuan, the one he had chased before, and even her. Hadn’t he lost his memory? Or he just pretended not to know her? But why? It wasn’t a secret that they had met in Shui Shang Temple. He could speak it out.
Duan Xiaolou was also looking at her when she was staring at him, and he smiled kindly, “It’s okay. According to President of the academy, lots of Misses in women’s academy aren’t good at writing, so Miss Yi can learn it from the beginning in academy.” His expression was unfamiliar and his long eyelashes didn’t quiver at all under the stare of her. If he was pretending, then he was indeed a good actor.
At the moment, Luo Baishao started playing. He Danggui listened for a while and talked to herself secretly, “What a waste for a good instrument.” Guan Bai who was next to her seized the chance to apologize to her; He Danggui did the same and apologized to his red mane horse in response. Their conversation was noticed by Duan Xiaolou who was talking to Madam Luo about Miss Qiong’s great playing, so Duan Xiaolou turned to Guan Bai and asked what had happened last time. Guan Bai explained to him briefly.
Since He Danggui had already saluted the guests, she intended to leave. Since Luo Baiqiong was playing in the main way, she changed to the narrow way behind their seats and moved toward the gate. Peng Jian blocked her way, “The third sister, where are you going? Do you want to leave?”
He Danggui smiled, “How dare I leave without Grandma’s permission? I just come back to my seat.” After saying this, she bypassed him and sat down on the last seat near the gate. And she had to drink tea and listen to the music obediently. It was the sweet Hawthorn tea and still had lingering temperature, which could warm her stomach and heart at least.
At this time, Luo Baiqiong suddenly started playing Lanqian Butterfly and her eyes exuded tenderness and love to Peng Shi. But Peng Shi was a little angry, because his father played this song for chasing his mother. How did the woman know this and play in public? Moreover, her playing was unpleasant to ears.
Then he found his brother was staring at He Danggui who was at the last seat. So, he also looked at He Danggui. After thought for a while, he shouted to her, for she sat some way off him, “Third sister! Since that kind of Hawthorn tea was made by yourself, how about making some for us? The tea made just now is so bad and has made my chest still uncomfortable!”
The playing stopped as he shouted, and Luo Baiqiong shed some incredible tears immediately. She first looked at Peng Shi who was cold and got no response. Then she turned to stare at He Danggui who immersed herself in drinking tea, so she could only stare at He Danggui’s forehead but failed to vent her anger. Finally, she turned to Madam Luo to seek help.
Since the playing stopped, the hall was so quiet. Earl Baoding was eating, and Meng Xuan was taking a nap. Madam Luo, Duan Xiaolou, Guan Bai and Guan Yun were talking. But now, they all turned to look at He Danggui. Madam Luo thought the thing was over, but now it was mentioned again. Getting the signal of Luo Baiqiong, she also turned to He Danggui and wanted her to say something like “the tea was made by my second sister and me” to smooth the thing over. Unfortunately, He Danggui was at the distant seat. And Madam Luo only saw a blur of her granddaughter’s lowering head for she drank a little too much just now, so she cast several gazes at He Danggui’s forehead and failed to warn her about this.
Madam Luo couldn’t express her signals, so she had to say something to save her granddaughter from embarrassment in person, “I remember that Qiong sent fruit tea made by herself before. Maybe the maids took the wrong tea. He-he…” She dared not excessively praise the tea that didn’t exist. If some guests were interested in tasting it… Suddenly, a bright idea occurred, and she shouted to He Danggui whose seat was far away from hers, “Yi, why don’t you make some Hawthorn tea for the guests in your own way?”
Hearing this, He Danggui slowly raised her head and suggested, “Grandma, the guests are dining. How about making tea after dinner?” She needed some time to improve that tea. Even the Immortal couldn’t make good tea out of the present tea.
“The Hawthorn tea?” Third Miss of Guan’s Family, Guan Yun, smiled and showed interest, “I’ve never drunk that before. It has a novel name. Please make it for us, Miss He!”
Meng Xuan suddenly echoed, “I also want to taste the tea which is made in a ‘correct way’.”
Madam Luo let the servants remove the instrument table and place a tea table at once. Also, she instructed Gan Cao to bring the white china tea set and the can of tea that Third Miss made instantly. Their expectations made He Danggui have to stand up and approach that tea table slowly.
Seeing Meng Xuan’s mocking, He Danggui gritted her teeth secretly. Go to hell with that “correct way”. In this case, she should have showed that she was tired and left before. She would have gone if she had not wanted to stay and watched Duan Xiaolou’s amnesia a little longer. Disgusting Peng Shi. He used her to make Luo Baiqiong stop playing.
What should she do? Should she show her tea art that could “amaze the world” or just let it go and explain to all that she was joking and that tea was made wrong!
Her brain was on fire. She thought about how to respond and even wished some accident would happen. In that way, she could relieve herself out of this. But even a thunder couldn’t destroy the disgusting tea table through the roof. Her tea art could show in public, but that can of Hawthorn tea couldn’t. He Danggui thought, “Chan Yi, look the trouble you bring to me!”
“Madam Luo, trouble’s looming! God!” Someone was roaring outside Xin Rong Hall.
He Danggui turned her head in surprise. That was the so-called having wishes coming true. She saw the wife of Li Jiuguang running here from outside and shouted, “Madam Luo, big trouble.” The woman in forties spit at He Danggui’s head in the previous life and often went to West Lateral court to steal staffs. Today, the vicious woman became cute. He Danggui looked at her with expectation and thought, “Please say something bad. The worse, the better.”
Seeing the wife of Li Jiuguang ran into here out of breath, Mammy Tang wanted to slap her if the guests weren’t here. What did she mean that Madam Luo got into trouble? It not only was a curse on Madam Luo, but disturbed the distinguished guests! What kind of thing happened that needed to make a big fuss on the official occasion? It was impossible that the mansion had a big fire at midnight or officials came to search the mansion!
“Madam Luo, they…come here to search the mansion!” The wife of Li Jiuguang said out of breath, “Lots of officials…gathered at the gate of our mansion at first, then our mansion was surrounded by them… They all have swords, spears and shields. That scared me!”
Hearing this, He Danggui raised her eyebrow a little. Although she hoped that something bad happened, this was too exciting. How could the official come to Luo’s Mansion to search? For rebellion books? For killing the entire family? For confiscating the property and executing the whole family?
Mammy Tang cried in fear, “Nonsense! Do you know what you are talking about?”
Madam Luo walked down from the owner’s seat, and quivered her lips, “Did those officials say the reason? Luo’s Family has been blessed by the Emperor generation by generation and never breaks the laws!” She stamped with fury, for the equivocation of the wife of Li Jiuguang.
Meng Xuan and his father looked at each other without a word; Peng Jian wanted to say something but was stopped by Peng Shi; Guan Bai and Guan Yun were very tense, stood together and even moved to the side door, seeming like they wanted to leave the place with troubles; Luo Baiqiong never experienced this kind of thing, so she began to sob. Seeing no one coming to comfort her, she cried gradually. He Danggui stood at the tea table at the center of the hall, and now she knew she needn’t to make tea, so she directly sat at the closest seat. Seeing a plate of crunchy sugars with white sesames, she took one in her mouth on the sly.
Anyway, her attitude toward that officials came to search the mansion was suspicious. Luo’s Family had a powerful influence and was a distinguished family. The magistrates in Yangzhou City, even the magistrate of Yangzhou City dared not offend people of Luo’s Family, let alone searching the mansion. Madam Luo could think things through if she calmed down, for she was capable and experienced when she was young. Maybe she was afraid of getting into trouble when getting old. And the mansion’s little troubles never stopped recently, so she was being the state of nervousness. Luo’s Family had more than 20 branches—more than 300 people, and a slight trouble in one part might affect the whole family. So, as long as those powerful people like Luo Shuisheng didn’t die, no one could damage Luo’s Family, except the Emperor.
Although the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang liked killing people at old age, and the imperial guards and eunuchs in Dongchang Organization and Xichang Organization held power for executing people first and reporting afterwards, those people they killed were all corrupt officials, imperious officials and people who disobeyed the Emperor. The talents among Senior Lord’s offspring in East Yard, West Yard and Luo’s Family in the capital waned. The most outstanding people Luo Dusong was only an imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital. His 2 sons-in-law Peng Haoguang and Wu Lin both were civil officials without much power and weren’t eyesores to the Emperor. While men in East Yard were bullies at home but actually futile. They were people that the Emperor didn’t care at all, so the Emperor wouldn’t bother to kill them.
He Danggui analyzed in mind while she took a crunchy sugar in her mouth secretly at the same time.
All people at the hall were anxious, and no one had time to observe others. But Meng Xuan was secretly looking at He Danggui, so he noticed her behaviors. What an interesting girl. How could she be calm and even glad when her grandmother’s home got into trouble? Madam Luo’s granddaughters were sitting close. One was crying while the other was eating sugars on the sly. How great contrast between the two girls taught by Luo’s Family?
Seeing Madam Luo was worried and angry without any decisions, Duan Xiaolou suddenly stood up, “Madam Luo, don’t worry. The thing is odd, maybe it’s not true. Even if the officials come here to handle the case, why do they hold weapons and shields? It’s not a war in the battlefield. And the magistrate of Yangzhou City, Han Fei, is my acquaintance. It is impossible to search Luo’s Mansion without his permission. I will visit him to ask what the real situation is!”
Madam Luo gradually calmed down and nodded with gratitude, “I’ll have to bother you for this. Thank you!”
“Who is there?!” He Danggui suddenly shouted. Seeing everybody noticing her, she pointed at the transom in Xin Rong Hall, “Someone was lying prone there to eavesdrop!”
Everyone was frightened, and Duan Xiaolou jumped out of the transom as quickly as possible without saying anything. The rest of them were at a loss. After a while, Duan Xiaolou came back, “I checked. No one was on the roof, nor the surrounding areas of the hall.”
Luo Baiqiong chuckled and stared at He Danggui, “We were already anxious just now. But you still scare us with random saying. How could a person eavesdrop on the roof? If someone indeed wants to do so, he should be at that kind of window… Ah!” Luo Baiqiong suddenly let out a scream and pointed at a black wooden muntin with hollowed flower patterns, “Someone is there.” Everybody turned to look, but no one was there, so they turned back to Luo Baiqiong. Luo Baiqiong felt anxious, “Someone was there! You should step outside to check! Now!”
