Fifth Master Ren's words caused Old Master Ren to frown, his gaze sharpening as he looked at him.
In the Ren Family, Old Master Ren had always been the ultimate authority, and the younger generations unconditionally obeyed him as the head of the household. Fifth Master Ren usually dared not contradict his father, but today, Old Master Ren had been contradicted by his sons several times, and over such trivial matters between two women. This displeased Old Master Ren greatly.
Under Old Master Ren’s gaze, Fifth Master Ren instinctively lowered his head but immediately raised it again, barely managing to meet his father’s eyes.
Old Madam Ren had always favored her youngest son. Seeing the situation turning sour and fearing a confrontation between father and son, she immediately took the lead, her face darkening as she scolded Fifth Master Ren: "Shut your mouth! You’ve grown increasingly unruly! If Madam Fang is a vicious woman, isn’t Madam Lin one too? Who goes around slashing people’s faces with a knife? If we indulge her temper, who’s to say she won’t one day turn the knife on her elders when they don’t comply with her wishes? Shame on you for siding with her—it seems your heart has been clouded by foolishness!"
Madam Lin’s actions today were indeed excessive, so Fifth Master Ren opened his mouth but found no words to defend her. He simply stood there stiffly, unmoving.
Old Madam Ren was furious. Glancing at Old Master Ren’s expression, she coldly dismissed him: "What are you standing there for? You’re an eyesore! Get out!" She made no mention of sending Madam Lin back to her family.
Old Master Ren snorted coldly and was about to speak when the head maid, Jinlian, lifted the curtain and entered.
Old Madam Ren quickly asked, "How is Fangzhi Courtyard? Is her injury serious?"
"Replying to Old Madam, the physician has already examined Concubine Fang. There are five knife wounds on her face, but no other vital areas were harmed." Jinlian paled slightly as she recalled the gruesome sight of Concubine Fang’s face she had just witnessed in Fangzhi Courtyard. Steadying herself, she continued, "However, the cuts are deep, and the dagger was unclean. With it being summer now... the physician said it will take a considerable time for the wounds to heal, and even after they do, the scars will likely remain. Concubine Fang’s face is... is ruined..."
Old Madam Ren gasped upon hearing this. "It’s that serious?" She glared at Fifth Master Ren, who was also stunned. "Look! Just look at how vicious this was!"
Fifth Master Ren paused, then gritted his teeth and said, "Mother, this matter must not spread. Even if you don’t consider Huijun, think of Jian'er and Yu'er. If others find out, their future marriages could be affected."
Old Madam Ren fumed, "And you still bring it up! If they didn’t have such a reckless mother, would this have happened? I regret ever letting you marry such an irresponsible woman!"
Fifth Master Ren wanted to retort, but Jinlian interjected, "Third Master has already instructed Third Madam to spread the story that Concubine Fang accidentally fell on broken porcelain and cut her face. He also said that once Concubine Fang recovers, she should remain in her courtyard to recuperate quietly and not go out."Fifth Master Ren was pleased to hear this and said to Old Madam Ren, "Third Brother is right, Mother. You must also have Sister-in-law properly discipline the servants below. I will carefully reprimand the maids and old women in my courtyard." Fifth Master Ren felt that his third brother was truly a brother after his own heart.
Fortunately, those in the garden at the time were all maids and old women from Madam Lin and Ren Yaoyu's side. Even if others saw Madam Lin running out in a panic with blood on her hands, they did not witness her wielding the knife.
Old Madam Ren simply ignored him and waved her hand to dismiss him.
However, before Fifth Master Ren left, Old Master Ren said calmly, "Since you are protecting Madam Lin and unwilling to let her return to her maiden home, you shall share her punishment. Do not go to the capital for now. Confine yourselves to your courtyard for three months of reflection, and the monthly allowances for everyone in the Glazed Courtyard will be suspended for a year!"
Fifth Master Ren frowned. Both he and Madam Lin had always been extravagant spenders, relying on the annual stipends from the Ren Family. Now, with his monthly allowance suspended for a year, it meant he would be unable to withdraw any money from the accounts for that period.
Although Fifth Master Ren felt this might cause some inconvenience in the future, having never lacked money before, he considered it merely an inconvenience. He did not realize that Old Master Ren intended this as a lesson, so he said nothing more. As long as Madam Lin would not be sent back to her maiden home, he was relieved.
Old Madam Ren, however, understood Old Master Ren's intentions and knew that without money, the couple of the fifth branch might face difficulties. They might even resort to using Madam Lin's dowry. At her age, she was well aware of how many marriages had turned sour over disputes involving dowry money.
Still, Old Madam Ren said nothing. Old Master Ren's decisions were not something she could change.
After Fifth Master Ren left, Old Master Ren sneered, "His wings aren't even fully grown, yet he dares to defy his elders. Let him reflect carefully on who gave him everything he has today!"
As he stood up to leave, he added coldly, "Do not let me catch you secretly giving him money, or you shall share their punishment."
Old Madam Ren sighed and bowed her head in acknowledgment.
With Concubine Fang recuperating quietly and Madam Lin confined to her quarters, the matter between them appeared to have reached a temporary conclusion. Although rumors occasionally circulated within the mansion afterward, the masters of the Ren Family maintained a unified stance and severely punished one or two servants who gossiped recklessly. After that, no one dared to mention it again, especially since the parties involved remained out of sight.
As for the rumors about Ren Yaohua outside, they ceased to spread further because those spreading them had temporarily quieted down. After all, without solid evidence, rumors eventually lose momentum. The masters of the Ren Family kept a low profile, rarely even stepping outside their doors.
However, when Old Madam Ren attempted to arrange a marriage for Ren Yaohua, families of equal status hesitated upon hearing it was the Ren Family's Third Miss. This infuriated Old Madam Ren, who summoned Ren Yaohua several times to reprimand her, forbidding her from leaving the house until the rumors outside subsided.
A month later, an incident caused the rumors that had been spreading like wildfire in White Crane Town to collapse on their own.The former courtesan, who was said to have been a maid of the Ren Family and later silenced by Third Miss Ren, returned completely unharmed. Not only did she return, but she did so in a grand and glorious manner.
It was said that this was yet another earth-shattering and tear-jerking story.
It turned out that this courtesan had sold herself into the brothel to support her betrothed, whom she had been engaged to since childhood, in his studies, hoping that one day he would achieve success in the imperial examinations. Unfortunately, her betrothed not only failed to pass the provincial examination but also disappeared without a trace. Later, the courtesan, disheartened, was sold and eventually ended up in Yanbei. There, she suddenly learned from a patron that her betrothed was in Shunzhou and had already married a beautiful wife.
The courtesan was a woman of strong character. She immediately used the money she had earned from selling herself to hire someone to redeem her freedom, then hurried to Shunzhou to find her betrothed.
Her betrothed was indeed in Shunzhou and had indeed married. Moreover, he had built his fortune with the funds she had provided in the past. The courtesan wanted to sever ties with her betrothed, but he tearfully explained his hardships. It turned out that after failing the examination, he had attempted to drown himself in a river but was saved by a merchant and his daughter. He fell ill with a severe cold from the water and was bedridden for half a year. By the time he recovered and went to look for his betrothed, there was no news of her, and some even said she had died. A year later, he married the woman who had saved him.
After clearing the air, the two wept in each other's arms. The man's wife, being reasonable and understanding, happily allowed him to take the courtesan as his concubine, resulting in a happy reunion.
The courtesan returned this time to retrieve her luggage, which she had left at an inn in White Crane Town. In a few days, she would return to her hometown in Jiangnan with her former betrothed.
This story, with its twists and turns and an ending that appealed to the aesthetics of the time, was clearly far more popular than Ren Yaohua's tale. As a result, it spread like wildfire, and the earlier rumor that Ren Yaohua had bought a maid and sent her to a brothel naturally collapsed on its own.
Some observant individuals began to slowly realize the inconsistencies in the recent rumors about Third Miss Ren. When Third Miss Ren and Fifth Miss Ren appeared before others again, there was no sign of discord between the sisters. When someone discreetly asked Fifth Miss Ren about the relationship between the sisters, she would complain that her sister was too strict, but outsiders interpreted this as Third Miss Ren having the demeanor of an elder sister—stern and strict, yet reasonable and fair-minded.
Others began to spread rumors that the honored concubine of the Third Branch of the Ren Family had fallen ill and was placed under house arrest by Third Master Ren. Those who knew the true identity of this honored concubine and her influential position in the Ren Family began to form their own theories. Coupled with the earlier incident where the Li Family had caused a scene at the Ren Family's gate, publicly accusing Third Miss Ren of mistreating Ninth Miss's maid, which was later resolved by the honored concubine, some conspiracy theorists felt they had finally understood the situation.
Especially the wives of households with formidable concubines sympathized the most with Third Miss Ren.
However, outsiders did not know that when Ren Yaoqi heard the story of the devoted courtesan searching for her betrothed, the corner of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.She had asked Zhu Ruomei to arrange a reasonable new identity for Mei Hong, but she never expected he would come up with such a dramatic story.
Ren Yaoqi didn’t know that although Zhu Ruomei was a burly, rough-and-tumble man, he had one great passion: listening to opera. Strangely enough, he didn’t care for the action-packed martial plays—his favorites were always the clichéd tales of talented scholars and beautiful ladies who, after many trials, finally unite in marriage. This story had cost him quite a few brain cells to concoct, and it was the result of thorough discussions with his mother and younger sister. Even Zhu Ruomei himself was moved by the tale.
Extra update tomorrow, plus a big surprise～ Stay tuned～o(∩_∩)o.
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