CH 30

Chapter 30 The Source

“Grandmother, grandmother, you have to decide for your grandson!” Before the person entered the courtyard, Zhao Wangshu’s voice penetrated through the window, frightening the parrot hanging from the beam into flapping its wings.

“What’s the matter? Who bullies my good grandson, let grandmother know, and I will definitely beat them on the board!” The old madam hurriedly welcomed him with a cane, although her face was still a little ugly, her eyes were full of smiles. When her son was so disappointing, she put the hope of revitalizing the family on her grandson, and it was inevitable that she favored him a little more on ordinary days, and couldn’t see him being wronged at all.

Zhao Wangshu threw himself into his grandmother’s arms, pouted and shouted, “It’s Guan shi.” When the words fell he entered the inner hall, rolled up his sleeves, and complained, “Look at this grandmother, she beat me! She even made me tie sandbags on my wrist, causing me wear out several layers of skin, the pain was so painful that I couldn’t sleep at night. My sister lied to me, Guan shi is not good at all, I don’t want her to be my mother, I want my third aunt to be my mother.”

As the old madam checked the wounds on her grandson’s wrist and palm, she raised her chin at the steward mama to let her inquire about the situation. Another maid brought golden sore medicine, cotton gauze and other items to bandage the wounds of the eldest young master.

In order to win the love and affection of his grandmother, Zhao Wangshu, although was not in great pain, his mouth screaming very loudly, even frowned with tears in his eyes, showing an unbearable appearance.

The old madam looked extremely distressed, but did not do what he wished which was to call Guan shi to complain or scold her. Guan shi’s character was still very trustworthy, not to mention her family’s education alone was one of the best in the whole Wei. The Guan family was a family of Confucianism and a noble family. Everyone has selfishness, and everyone may be unfavorable to their stepchildren and stepdaughters, but Guan shi would not. She would never let the Guan family’s century-old reputation fall in her hands.

The steward mama who inquired about the news quickly entered and whispered in her ear. Zhao Wangshu kept peeking from the corner of his eyes, and found that his grandmother’s brows were getting tighter and tighter, and he thought that grandmother would definitely make decisions for him, so he continued to cry, “Guan shi‘s heart is so cruel, I don’t want to go to her courtyard to study, in the future when my aunt come over, I will move to the courtyard next to my aunt, and my aunt will take care of me. She love my sister and me the most since we were young, and she is very sincere to us, not comparable to Guan shi at all.”

“Shut up!” The old madam who had been silent all this time suddenly became angry, slapped the table hard and scolded, “What aunt and aunt, when she passes the door, you can only call her yiniang (father’s concubine). I have never heard di sons or daughters who are not raised by the mistress’s side, but go to a concubine’s room instead. You are already eleven years old, don’t you even understand this? Don’t call her Guan shi, she is your mother, you must respect her, even if she beat and scold you, and let you to tie a sandbag to practice calligraphy, that is also for your own good, and you need to be obedient. Come, take the eldest young master to the main house to apologize to madam, if he is unwilling, let him kneel outside the door and send him back to the Jingzhe Tower when the madam calms down.”

Several strong old women entered in response, with the intention to escort the eldest young master back.

Zhao Wangshu was stunned, and didn’t wake up until he was supported out, he then struggled violently and wailing. The old women didn’t dare to hurt him, so they quickly let go. But he had nowhere to run, he just lay on the ground and rolled around, beating the ground, complaining endlessly: grandmother doesn’t care about me anymore; I don’t have a mother, and now I don’t even have a father. I’m done; my elder sister lied, Guan shi is vicious, and deliberately tortured me; my aunt, hurry up, you’re the only one who treats me with sincerity, and scolded everyone in the house.

The old madam was really surprised to see him look like a scoundrel, as if she really knew this grandson only today.

“Pull him up quickly. If he doesn’t like it, let him rolls on the ground, wailing and scolding like a dog, who taught him? huh? Who taught him?” The old madam was so angry that she almost fell down.

At this moment, Zhao Luli and Zhao Chunxi who chased after him finally came over, and their faces became even more ugly when they saw the main courtyard were in chaos and boiling.

Wasn’t Zhao Wangshu’s appearance of rolling and making a scene the same as Liu shi? A few hours ago, she was still making a fuss in his study, forcing him to agree to take a concubine. Except for Zhen’er, none of the Ye family knew how to write the word “etiquette”, that was fine, but they also taught his good son to be like this. Zhao Luli felt miserable in his heart, but he had no place to complain, so he had to step forward and drag his son up.

Zhao Wangshu was most afraid of his father, seeing him was like a mouse seeing a cat. He quickly stood up, wiped away his tears, and then showed a timid smile.

“Go to the ancestral hall and kneel. When you know what is wrong, that’s when you come out.” Zhao Luli flicked his sleeves slightly, and two guards escorted the dirty eldest young master down.

This time, he no longer dared to struggle, roll, beat the ground, or wail, only glances at his sister over and over again, hoping that she could say a few words of pleading. Zhao Chunxi lowered her eyes and pretended not to see anything. The group gradually walked away, and the main courtyard was finally quiet.

“Let mother be worried, this son is not filial.” Zhao Luli apologized towards the old madam who was a few steps above.

“You have done a lot of unfilial things, this is not the worse.” The old madam turned around and went back to the house, and said coldly, “After one Ye Zhen leave, one Ye Fan come in, the Ye family is not going to let go my Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, ah! In the early years, you lived as a widow, but  never saw the Ye family worry how your two children would be brought up. Now that you are married, and you married the famous Guan shi, they suddenly forced a shu daughter to come in, what do you mean by this? You can’t even marry a wife and take concubines by your own will, but always at the mercy of the Ye family. If you ask me, you can simply join the Ye family, and treat me as if I have never given birth to an unfilial son like you!”

Zhao Luli had nothing to say, only silence. Zhao Chunxi secretly grabbed his sleeve as a sign of comfort.

The old madam sighed and said again, “Suyi is good. If she is my daughter, I would rather marry her to a peddler than marry her to you. It was our Zhao family who harmed the Guan family. If you still have a conscience, treat her well, she may be able to wait and see now, but no matter how warm the heart and the feelings are, sooner or later, there will be a day when it will cool down. Even if you want to save it, you will not be able to save it. I’ve said it all, whether you like to listen or not.”

She had no expectations for this son, and after a few words, she ordered someone to prepare a generous gift, and went to apologize to her daughter-in-law in person. If her daughter-in-law really leaves Wangshu alone, there was no future for him to speak of.

Zhao Lu was in a panic for a moment, and when he was about to think about it, the panic disappeared without a trace, but he was full of helplessness and remorse.

—-

Guan Suyi and the old madam talked for a long time until the middle of the night. Due to filial piety, she had to take Zhao Wangshu, this hot potato, back. Fortunately, the old madam didn’t mention Zhao Chunxi at all, there was even the intention of throwing away her hands and letting her and Ye Fan gather together in a pile. After a night without dreams, the next day, she greeted her and went back to Guan’s house to inform her grandfather and parents about the matter of taking concubines.

“Sure enough, they are descendants of runaway slave, so shameless! How can anyone take a concubine before they get married for half a month, this is clearly to demean our Yiyi! If I had married Yiyi earlier, she would not have to suffer such humiliation like now. Zhao’s mansion and Ye family are really deceiving people!” Zhong shi was so angry that if Zhao Luli and Liu shi stood in front of them, they would definitely be torn to shreds by her.

Old Master Guan stroked his beard and shook his head, saying that the Zhao family did not understand propriety and so on. He was an upright person and had a dull temperament. For a while, he didn’t know how to help his granddaughter, and his heart was burning like fire.

Guan Suyi did not expect to count on her mother and grandfather, she came back specially to communicate with her father. Don’t look at her father’s superficial gentleness and open-mindedness, inside he possessed his own tricks. He was knowledgeable but not pedantic, loyal but not old-fashioned, could serve the ruler and be sympathetic to the people, and had a harmonious relationship with his colleagues, had mutual exchange of assistance, and not lack scheming skills. In the last life, he missed the opportunity and wasted his whole life. In this life, he was like a dragon entering the sea, and he was bound to make a great picture.

With her father here, Guan Suyi was not afraid of anything. She comforted her mother and grandfather in a kind voice, and finally said, “Fortunately, Zhao Luli and I have no friendship at all. It’s not a big deal for him to take a concubine. I will give him Mingfang as well, so that he can taste the happy fate of the man from Qi. As long as the Guan family does not fall, as long as grandfather and father can still speak in front of His Majesty, who can take me? I am still the mistress of the marquis mansion, no matter how many concubines Zhao Luli takes, it will not shake my status. It’s just that Ye Fan’s identity is somewhat special, and the Ye family will probably ask Ye Jieyu to support her.”

Guan Father understood, and waved his hand indifferently, “The previous dynasty’s harem, His Majesty is very clear. No matter how favored Ye Jieyu is, she can’t say anything about the court.”

He slowly blew the hot tea, and Guan Father’s voice became colder, “If she blatantly supports Ye Fan, father will make the Ye family have no face, and let’s see who has thicker wrists.” He touched the top of his daughter’s head affectionately and softened his tone, “You go back with peace of mind, everything is fine, there is father. Marrying into such a family, it is right not to open up your heart, if you don’t open up you heart, you won’t be sad, if you don’t open up your heart, only then you can be heartless. Of course, don’t be heartless unless you have to, but if it’s really hopeless, our Guan family is not afraid of anyone.”

“Your father is right. Repaying grievance with virtue, why repay virtue? The Zhao family is not kind to you, and we don’t need to be righteous to him, just keep a good face.” Usually Old master Guan would not blame others, even defend them, but if it was involved his granddaughter, he could completely deny his six relatives.

After all, Zhong shi was a woman, so she understood the horror of loneliness in the back house. She pulled her daughter aside and told her to try to hold her husband as close as possible, and not to reach to the point of no return. Guan Suyi promised on the surface, but inside she couldn’t agree. She stayed at her maiden house comfortably all day, and only took the carriage back to the Marquis mansion in the evening.

Meanwhile, the debate in Wencui Building was still going on. This was the third round. Because the fame of the first two rounds, there were many people coming back this time, so it was also very lively. Qin Lingyun was sitting in the old place with his sister-in-law, Li shi, and Emperor Sheng Yuan stood by the railing. He seemed to be calm, but in fact his eyes were firmly fixed on the carriages passing by outside the door.

Seeing that Xu Guangzhi and his opponent stepped onto the high platform and began to write the topic of this debate, he finally couldn’t hold back, “Why Marquis Zhenbei madam didn’t come?”

Before the waiting guard answer, Li shi sneered, “How can she be in the mood to come? Something big happened in marquis mansion. If it’s replace it with me, I will cut down Zhao Luli first, then kill the Ye family, and let that nasty people eat the evil consequences!”

Knowing that Guan Suyi was in trouble, Emperor Sheng Yuan frowned. “Why is the Ye family involved? What happened?”