chapter 24

Yujing didn’t know that the matter was related to her, so she tried to sooth her mother by saying, “Mother, we will let Dad know. When Grandmother try to make things difficult for us, Dad will protect us. “

Concubine Rong smiled ruefully. If it had been in the past, she wouldn’t have to worry at all, but now, she couldn’t predict what would happen. Concubine Rong, unwilling to show her timidity in front of her daughter, said with a calm smile, “Let’s go!“

When Concubine Rong entered the main house with Yujing, she saw the angry Old Madam. With a thump in her heart, she quickly knelt down.

Old Madam Han pointed at Yujing and scolded her angrily, “Troublesome person, if you don’t kneel down, you’re going to make the Han House lost its face.” In order to achieve their goals, they were willing to resort to deceit. It was really hard for watery mud to be used to plaster the wall (Chinese idiom meant some people are hapless beyonce helping).

When Concubine Rong heard this, she knew that Yujing had been caught cheating. They were so careful that they didn’t expect it to be discovered.

Yujing surprisingly didn’t expect that she was the one who was being scolded, “Grandmother, what exactly did Granddaughter do to make you insult me like this?”

When Old Madam Han saw Yujing dared to talk back, she grab a green lotus cup and tried to smash it onto the floor, but somehow it hit Yujing’s forehead and gave her a big bump, “You have the nerve to ask me, don’t you know what you have did?” Fortunately, Teacher Song left the matter to her, otherwise she didn’t know how it would end.

Yujing touched the bump on her forehead and said while crying, “Grandmother, what did Granddaughter do wrong for you to do this to me?“

Old Madam Han sneered, “You really won’t shed tears till you see the coffin (Chinese idiom meant refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality). Are you right? Then tell me, who did your schoolwork?”

“Grandmother, did Han Yuxi run up to you and talk nonsense? Grandmother, she just couldn’t see me well. She was jealous of me, so she slandered me.“

Old Madam Han laughed angrily.

Mama Luo saw Yujing being disgraceful and said, “It was not Fourth Miss, but Teacher Song who told us that your schoolwork were done by someone else.“

Yujing was a little panicked, “Grandmother, I didn’t ask anyone else to do schoolworks. Grandmother, I didn’t do such a thing. Grandmother, could Teacher Song makes a mistake?” Even she, herself, couldn’t tell the difference so, how could Teacher Song notice?

Old Madam Han sneered, “Mistake? Do you mean that Teacher Song has mistaken you?”

Yujing hurriedly said, “Grandmother, it must be Teacher Song who has listened to Han Yuxi’s provocation. Grandmother, please let me confront Han Yuxi.”

Old Madam Han was extremely disgusted with Concubine Rong, and she also disliked Yujing. If it were not for the fear that it would hurt mother and son affection by getting rid of Concubine Rong, she would have settled this easily.

Even if she died, Yujing would not admit to do it, “Grandmother, Teacher Song has never like me. She took this opportunity to drive me out.”

Old Madam Han could not bear to hear any more. She had seen a fool, but she had never seen such a fool. She looked at Yujing, and then at Concubine Rong, who was kneeling beside her. She was too lazy to argue about this issue any more. She only asked Concubine Rong, “Tell me, who wrote Second Girl’s schoolwork?”

Where would Concubine Rong admitted it, “No one. The Second Girl’s schoolwork had always been done by herself.” If this matter could be hidden, let hid it for good.

Mama Luo stood up and said, “Concubine Rong, Second Miss, Teacher Song did not find Second Miss to settle it herself, but decided to tell the Old Madam with hope that this matter would be solved in private, so that the residence would not lose face.”

Yujing’s face went white.

Old Madam Han stared at Concubine Rong and said, “Still not telling the truth?” She looked it up last time, but somehow she didn’t find any problems.

Concubine Rong gritted her teeth and said, “It was written by my servant girl, Ah Juan.”

Old Madam Han snorted coldly. She already knew who was helping Yujing with her schoolwork, but she did not want to go to the bottom of it. If she did, it would bring a lot of noise which won’t bring any good to anyone. “Whose idea was it to have someone else did the homework for her?”

Concubine Rong answered, “It was this handmaiden who saw that Second Girl had been working too hard, so this handmaiden let Ah Juan helped with some of the schoolwork.”

Old Madam Han had not yet spoken when a maid announced from outside, “Old Madam, the Duke of the State has arrived.”

The Duke looked at his beloved concubine and daughter kneeling on the ground, crying out of form and turned to ask Old Madam Han, “Mother, what is going on?”

Old Madam Han replied, “Mama Luo, you tell him about it.”

After the Duke listened to Mama Luo’s words, his face turned stiff and he looked at Yujing, “Is this true?”

Yujing wanted to deny but Old Madam was there and it was no used for her to tell more lies.

Concubine Rong, pear blossom bathed in the rain (Chinese idiom meant a weeping beauty), with tears flowing said, “Old Madam, Lord, Second Girl had worked so hard. This handmaiden couldn’t bear seeing her like that, so handmaiden let the maid helped with the schoolwork. This is all handmaiden’s fault, if the Old Madam and the Lord want to punish, please punish this handmaiden!”

The Duke of the State, seeing his concubine’s sorrowful appearance, softened his heart and said to the Old Madam, “Mother, this is not a big deal, as long as Teacher Song does not pursue it.”

Old Madam Han had no expectations for her eldest son many years ago, but when she heard the Duke said it was not a big deal, she felt her heart was blocked by a stone, “Is it necessary for it to ruin the reputation of the Duke’s official residence before it becomes a big deal?”

The Duke looked at his mother and asked, “Then Mother, how do you want to punish them?”

Old Madam Han listened to this somewhat resentful words and said, “Yujing will copy a hundred times and no need to come out again.”

Concubine Rong was very worried and regardless of the fear in her heart, said, “Old Madam, Yujing still has to go to school. Can you let her copy it later?” Even if you wanted to punish, it shouldn’t be this way.

Old Madam Han used to think that Concubine Rong was very smart, but now she looked like a fool. When the mother did not set a good example, she even helped her child to cheat instead. After all, a concubine was still a concubine, the one who was better kept under the table (Chinese idiom meant too inferior to show in public). Old Madam Han had some regrets. In fact, what happened to Yujing in those days could be seen as saying that she was a fool, an expected result of being raised by a waste.

When Yujing was born, Concubine Rong wanted to give her a good family background, so she wanted to put her under Qiu Shi’s name. Qiu Shi also didn’t refuse at that time, but said that since the child was written under her name, she had to raise her. As a result, Concubine Rong was unwilling. She was afraid that Yujing would support Qiu Shi, and then she was instigated into hatred between mother and daughter.

Concubine Rong thought Qiu Shi would compromise under the pressure of the Duke of the State but Qiu Shi clenched her teeth and still did not allow it, even if it almost made the Duke turned against her. In the end, the matter ended up in a smoke.

Old Madam Han said, “Teacher Song didn’t kick her out of the school was already for the face of the residence. You are still fantasizing of letting Second Girl back to school?”

Concubine Rong hold on to the Duke’s thigh, crying and pleading, “Lord Duke, Yujing was only temporarily confused, so her future could not just being cut off this way.”

The Duke also didn’t have the heart to, so he said to Old Madam Han, “Mother, let’s talk with Teacher Song to give Yujing another chance.”

Old Madam Han didn’t bother to say anything anymore to his son. She could only proposed one way, “In order not to lose the face of the residence, I will tell the public that she is ill.”

Only then did Yujing realized the seriousness of the matter and cried, “Grandmother, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. Please give me another chance.” She thought it was done perfectly, but she didn’t expect it to be found out.

Old Madam Han shook her head and said, “You’ve wasted two chances yourself, and nobody’s to blame.”

The Duke was silent for a moment, then asked, “Mother, talk to Teacher Song again!” He still wanted to fight his daughter’s benefits. After all, she was his favourite daughter.

Old Madam Han was very sad to see him like this. If her eldest son had not been taken away by her mother-in-law and raised by herself, he would never have become what he was today. Even though Dowager Madam Han was dead, Old Madam Han still hated her deeply. “Teacher Song didn’t publicized the incident has already given the residence face, so don’t think about it any more.”

The Duke knew there was no more room for change.

Old Madam Han looked at the pale Concubine Rong who was kneeling on one side and said, “Tomorrow, Concubine Rong will be send to the temple.”

The Duke immediately said, “Mother, if she has done something wrong, she should be punished, but she doesn’t need to be sent to the family temple, so just let her stay in the Pleasant Courtyard!” It meant to be placed under house arrest in Pleasant Courtyard.

The Old Madam didn’t want to ruin the mother and son affection between them before and she had been very patient. She could tolerate his concubine violated her bottom line three or four times, but she was very angry now. “Someone come, drag Concubine Rong down for me. Take her to the temple now.” Looking at the Duke who still wanted to speak, she snorted coldly, “Do you still want to be disobedient and unfilial?” She had never did it before, but today was the first time she used filial pity to overwhelm the Duke.

The Duke’s heart quivered, so he didn’t dare to interfere anymore.

Concubine Rong passed out when she saw this situation.

Yujing was so frightened that she burst into tears and shook her mother’s arm, “Mother, mother, what’s wrong with you?”

Old Madam Han looked at Concubine Rong who was feeling dizzy on the ground in disgust. For more than ten years, she still did these two tricks and she still wasn’t bored to use them.

The Duke ordered, “Get a doctor.”

Old Madam Han didn’t wanted to see Concubine Rong again, nor hearing Yujing’s cry of death, so she ordered Concubine Rong to be taken back to Pleasant Courtyard.

An hour later, Mama Luo came over with a strange face and said, “Old Madam, Concubine Rong is pregnant and it has been for a month.” If she was to be sent to the temple, Concubine Rong would have no chance to turn over again. She had to say that Concubine Rong was lucky to get pregnant at this juncture. The main house now had only two heirs, and now Concubine Rong was found pregnant. The Old Madam would protect the child in any way she can.

Old Madam Han decided to no longer hated Concubine Rong and would not make fun of her offspring. “Let her stay in Pleasant Courtyard.” After a paused, she said, “Don’t spread out this matter for the time being. Let Second Girl serve in Pleasant Courtyard. For other matters, you should deal with it thoroughly.”

Mama Luo was the Old Madam’s confidant. She could guess more or less what the Old Madam was thinking , “What the Old Madam meant was to deal with the people around her?”

The Old Madam Han said, “Sell all the maids around her.” For the time being, she couldn’t handle Concubine Rong, but the maid and mama beside her could still be handled by her. Without these minions, Concubine Rong could not turn the waves.