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Old Madam Ren was so angry she felt dizzy: "What do you mean the Ren Family has been ruined by us?"
When it came to raising her voice, Madam Liao believed she wouldn’t lose to Old Madam Ren. She immediately sneered and retorted, "Wasn’t it your own Western Manor’s affairs that brought about this imprisonment disaster, even dragging the entire Ren Family into the mud? Before, out of consideration that the Eastern and Western Manors are both part of the Ren Family, I didn’t complain when our Eastern Manor contributed manpower and resources. But you’ve gone too far! The Ren Family’s wealth isn’t solely yours in the Western Manor. How dare you decide to use half of it to save someone without even asking for our opinion? Did you consult us?"
Master Ren the Elder, seeing she was an elder, could only speak calmly: "Second Aunt, we’ve always invited Second Brother over to discuss matters."
Madam Liao pointed at him angrily: "That’s because you know my son is soft-hearted, straightforward, and easy to bully, so you take advantage of us! I’m telling you, as long as I’m here, no one can take advantage of our Eastern Manor! This time, we’re definitely splitting the family!"
Madam Liao had been thinking about dividing the family for decades, and this was undoubtedly a perfect opportunity. This crisis was caused by the Western Manor’s own poor decisions, so she naturally wanted to seize this chance to break away. Why should her Eastern Manor suffer alongside the Western Manor?
Old Madam Ren also recalled the letter written by Second Old Master Ren and retorted angrily: "What do you mean this is our Western Manor’s fault? If Second Uncle hadn’t written back telling us to agree to the Zeng Family’s marriage proposal, would there have been so much trouble? How dare you come here now and blame us for our own mistakes?"
Madam Liao refused to back down: "Hasn’t our Second Old Master always followed Eldest Brother’s lead all these years? He’s always gone east when Eldest Brother said east, and west when Eldest Brother said west. When has Eldest Brother ever listened to him? Isn’t the reason he’s stayed in the capital all these years and never returned also because of a single word from Eldest Brother back then? This time, he merely mentioned the marriage proposal for his grandniece out of concern. I don’t believe you agreed to the Zeng Family’s proposal just because of his letter! Now you’re trying to pin the blame on him?"
Old Madam Ren couldn’t easily refute this.
In fact, Madam Liao wasn’t wrong. Old Master Ren truly wasn’t the type to marry off his granddaughter just because his younger brother said so. What actually prompted the marriage between the Ren and Zeng Families was Fang Yacun’s letter. Moreover, it was indeed Old Master Ren who had sent Ren Yongxiang to the capital back then.
Madam Liao and Old Madam Ren had never gotten along since their youth, and neither had ever thought highly of the other. Now, the tension between them was palpable.
Fifth Master Ren felt it was necessary to calm Madam Liao first, so he spoke gently to persuade her: "Second Aunt, even if we’re to split the family, shouldn’t we wait for my father to return first? You know that major family decisions are always made by my father. Even if we younger generation agree, if my father refuses when he returns, you won’t be able to split the family. So, there’s no point in making a scene here today."
The Ren Family’s wealth was indeed controlled by Old Master Ren. Even now, to rescue him, the family had to seek his opinion and let him make the arrangements.Master Ren the Second also stepped forward at this moment to persuade his mother, "Mother, Fifth Brother is right. The urgent matter now is how to rescue Uncle. Whether to divide the family or not should be discussed after Uncle is released. Moreover, Father and Fourth Brother are still in the capital. The matter of dividing the family is of great importance and requires their agreement as well."
Madam Liao then softened her stance somewhat, "I'm not saying we must divide the family immediately, but at the very least, we need to clarify things now. I still stand by my words: even among brothers, accounts should be settled clearly. You must pay for Uncle's rescue yourselves, and you cannot touch the share that rightfully belongs to us!"
Old Madam Ren also knew that now was not the time to break with Madam Liao, as it would only delay the rescue of Old Master Ren.
So she did not continue arguing with Madam Liao, merely saying, "Alright, let's discuss this matter after our Old Master returns. I can't make the decision anyway, and I won't interfere anymore. It's getting late today. All of you should go back and rest. There will be plenty to do tomorrow."
Madam Liao thought for a moment. The situation had escalated enough for today, and she did not want Old Master Ren to remain imprisoned.
As long as their money was not used to ransom him, that was enough.
Afterward, everyone withdrew from Old Madam Ren's Glory and Splendor Courtyard.
From that day onward, Master Ren the Elder immediately began working on rescuing Old Master Ren.
It was not easy for the Ren Family to come up with one and a half million taels all at once. Even if they could, it would affect the cash flow of the coal depots. However, raising five hundred thousand taels first was still manageable.
As for the coal mines and coal depots, the authorities had already sent people to audit the accounts early on, which now made things much more convenient.
Thus, in just three short days, everything was arranged. Five hundred thousand taels of silver were sent out, and the accounts of the coal mines and coal depots within Yanbei were handed over to the officials sent by the authorities.
And so, at noon on this day, the members of the Ren Family finally welcomed back Old Master Ren.
When Master Ren the Elder had returned last time, he was supported by others. This time, Old Master Ren was practically carried back.
Ren Yaoqi had also been waiting in Glory and Splendor Courtyard early on with Madam Li, Ren Yaohua, and others. However, when she first saw Old Master Ren, she almost didn't recognize him.
In just over ten days, Old Master Ren's once jet-black hair had become streaked with gray, his temples now covered with silver strands. His cheeks had sunken in, as if he had suffered a serious illness, and the lines on his forehead had deepened considerably. There was not a trace of his usual vigorous and sharp-eyed authoritative demeanor left. One might even mistake him for an old beggar living on the streets.
When Old Madam Ren saw him, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and weep. The other women in the family also wiped away tears, filling the room with a somber and sorrowful atmosphere.
Master Ren the Elder knelt before Old Master Ren, his voice choked with emotion, "Father, have you fallen ill again? It's only been a few days since I last saw you. How could you..."Master Ren the Elder also felt that Old Master Ren had grown even more frail and weak compared to the last time he had seen him. When he last saw Old Master Ren, he had already thought the old man looked more aged than when he had first left, attributing it to days without proper grooming and a recent illness. Yet seeing him again today in such a state, Master Ren the Elder couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow, wondering if it was because Old Master Ren had fallen ill again with no one to care for him.
But he had clearly arranged with Master Yang earlier to have a physician called for Old Master Ren.
Old Master Ren weakly waved his hand, about to say something, when he suddenly bent over and vomited a mouthful of blood—"Wah—"
Old Master Ren choked on the blood that had suddenly surged from his nose and throat, covering his mouth as he coughed violently.
Everyone was startled by the sight. Ren Yaoyu, standing at the front, had the blood Old Master Ren coughed up splatter onto the tip of her shoe. She screamed in fright, retreating several steps and nearly falling to the ground.
Ren Yaoyu’s scream instantly filled the room with an atmosphere of panic.
Old Madam Ren rushed over, her hands trembling as she wiped the blood from Old Master Ren’s mouth, crying, "Old Master, what’s wrong with you? Eldest Master said you had recovered from your illness. How could you be coughing up blood?"
Old Master Ren opened his mouth to speak but tilted his head to the side and fainted. Old Madam Ren nearly cried herself into a faint as well.
First Madam immediately ran out to order someone to summon a physician to the mansion.
Ren Yaoqi, watching Old Master Ren’s symptoms from the side, found it somewhat strange. Old Master Ren had always been quite robust—how could he have fallen so gravely ill all of a sudden?
Old Master Ren’s collapse cast a shadow over the hearts of the Ren Family members. Worry etched itself onto everyone’s faces, and the joy that had accompanied Old Master Ren’s return was now diluted.
During this period, physicians had been visiting the Ren Family almost daily, so the physician arrived quickly this time as well.
The physician soon finished taking Old Master Ren’s pulse and concluded that Old Master Ren had caught a chill some time ago, with the cold invading his heart and lungs. The illness had been left untreated for several days, and although medicine had been administered later, it was only mild, restorative medicine that wasn’t quite suitable and hadn’t cured the root cause. In recent days, Old Master Ren’s emotions had fluctuated greatly, triggering the illness and causing him to cough up blood.
Old Master Ren had previously been imprisoned as an important suspect implicated in the Ningxia massacre case. Later, the Ren Family had agreed to pay a large sum of money to ransom him. It was understandable that the physicians called in to treat Old Master Ren had been cautious with their prescriptions, fearing they might be implicated.
However, the physician’s lengthy explanation, filled with talk of yin and yang and meridians, was incomprehensible to Old Madam Ren. Anxious, she asked directly, "Physician, just tell me—is he in danger or not, and how can he be cured?"
The physician said, "It could be said he is in danger, yet it could also be said he is not. In short, he needs to rest well, avoid exertion and worry, take medicine for recuperation, and maintain tranquility. This old man will go write a prescription now."
These words sounded as though there was nothing seriously wrong, and Old Madam Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, seeing the blood Old Master Ren had coughed up on the ground, she still felt uneasy. A sense of foreboding and unease crept into her heart.
Ren Yaoqi also gazed thoughtfully at the bloodstains on the floor.She felt something was off, but after all, she wasn't a physician. What she had learned from medical books was merely superficial knowledge, not even enough to qualify her to treat patients. The doctor spoke with such authority, and after listening carefully, she couldn't find anything wrong with his diagnosis. In the end, she could only attribute it to her own excessive worry.
The rest of the Ren Family didn't overthink it. Since the doctor said Old Master Ren would recover after some rest, they all felt reassured.
For the Ren Family, this was already a turbulent time. If Old Master Ren were to fall ill at such a critical juncture, the Ren Family would likely descend into even greater chaos.
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