Ren Yaoqi knew this was only the beginning.
First, Old Madam Fang, seeking revenge for her son, would not let Fang Yacun off easily and would keep a constant watch on him. Most of those who had gathered around Fang Yacun were bound by interests. Now that Fang Yacun had lost his authority in the Fang family and could no longer offer benefits to his followers, Old Madam Fang’s faction would seize this opportunity to win people over. As time went on, how many would remain by Fang Yacun’s side?
After losing power in the Fang family, Fang Yacun’s path in the officialdom would no longer be as smooth as before.
With Fang Yacun overwhelmed by his own troubles and Concubine Fang “fleeing from justice,” only Ren Yaoying remained. If she behaved herself from now on as the Ren Family’s Ninth Miss and avoided self-destruction, Madam Li and Third Master Ren, given their temperaments, would naturally provide her with a dowry she deserved and marry her off.
Ren Yihong was a man who had never involved himself in the inner courtyard affairs and had no conflicts with them, so everyone could coexist peacefully.
In this way, the destabilizing factors within the Third Branch of the Ren Family were largely eliminated.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but admire how efficiently Ninth Master Chu handled matters. Although every detail of dealing with Fang Yacun had been planned in advance by Ren Yaoqi and entrusted to Ninth Master Chu for execution, without Ninth Master Chu’s local influence, Ren Yaoqi believed that toppling Fang Yacun would not have been so effortless.
At this time, in the Chu family of Jiangnan, Ninth Master Chu and his wife were also discussing Ren Yaoqi.
Madam Qin, holding several letters, studied them for a long time before shaking her head and sighing, “The handwriting in these letters is neat and upright, clearly the work of someone with great skill. Yet, I can’t tell whether such excellent calligraphy belongs to a man or a woman.”
Ninth Master Chu, who was reading a book nearby, glanced at the letters in his wife’s hands. “The handwriting is excellent but lacks distinctiveness. You should stop overthinking this. Whether it’s a man or a woman has nothing to do with us. We just need to focus on carrying out the tasks assigned by this person.”
Madam Qin laughed at his words. “I’m just curious! Husband, what do you think is the relationship between this person and that young master? And who exactly is this person?”
Ninth Master Chu frowned. “Curiosity killed the cat!”
Madam Qin, in her twenties and still somewhat lively in temperament, pouted. “It’s just the two of us here. What’s the harm in discussing it? I think the person who wrote these letters must be a man, and a brilliant young master with unparalleled strategies at that. Otherwise, how could they be so formidable? Not only do they plan three steps ahead, but they also managed to dig up so much evidence from events over a decade ago!”
Ninth Master Chu disagreed and scoffed. “A woman’s perspective! The person is already dead. What’s so difficult about fabricating evidence?”
Madam Qin widened her eyes. “Husband, are you saying the evidence previously given to Old Madam Fang was fabricated?”
Ninth Master Chu focused intently on his book and ignored her.
Madam Qin leaned over, snatched the book from Ninth Master Chu’s hands, and hid it behind her back.
Ninth Master Chu had no choice but to reply perfunctorily, “Half and half.”
Madam Qin frowned. “So, that concubine might have been wrongfully accused? Perhaps she never poisoned anyone at all?”Ninth Master Chu got up, walked around behind Qin Shi to snatch his book back, then lay back down on the soft couch, sneering coldly: "A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do. Since she didn't do it, how could I help someone frame a woman who's already dead? However, since she did do it, she shouldn't be afraid of others digging up old accounts!"
Qin Shi was also a clever and perceptive person. Hearing this, she understood.
The matter of the Fang family concubine harming Fang Yaxun was likely true, but the evidence the letter-writer had asked them to prepare was probably not so genuine.
It was just that Fang Yacun knew his concubine mother and sister had once committed this deed, and when suddenly exposed, he felt guilty, so he didn't think to question the authenticity of the evidence, allowing them to take advantage of the loophole.
Qin Shi sighed: "This truly is 'the devil is one foot tall, but the righteous path is ten feet high'! So I say, people should never do things that weigh on their conscience; whatever they do, they must be able to face their own conscience."
At this point, Qin Shi lowered her voice and said to Ninth Master Chu: "By the way, speaking of that Fang Yaru, I saw her several times when I was still a maiden. Back then, she was always delicate and frail, trailing behind my sister-in-law, speaking softly and gently. But my mother seemed to dislike her very much. Later, I accidentally overheard the senior maids in my brother's room talking and found out that she had secretly sent my brother a sachet, which was later discovered by my brother's maid and handed over to my mother. After that, my mother forbade them from mentioning this matter to my brother. Every time Fang Yaru came to our house with my sister-in-law, my mother deliberately kept her under her own watchful eye, making sure she was closely monitored. At the time, I thought my mother looked down on her because she was born of a concubine. But now, thinking back, my mother truly had sharp eyes. A woman with such malicious intentions—if married into the family, wouldn't she bring nothing but turmoil?"
Ninth Master Chu glanced at Qin Shi somewhat helplessly. Qin Shi was kind-hearted, clever, and cheerful, but she could be a bit chatty. Whenever the couple was alone together, she liked to chatter on and on, sharing women's gossip with him, regardless of whether he wanted to listen or not.
Fortunately, Qin Shi also knew her limits. It was because she felt that husband and wife were one, and there was nothing they couldn't discuss, that she spoke so openly with Ninth Master Chu. With others, she kept her mouth tightly shut, which was why Ninth Master Chu felt comfortable telling her certain things and entrusting her with tasks.
Wanting to read his book quietly for a while, Ninth Master Chu could only think of a way to send his wife away: "If you have time, go back to your maiden home and visit your sister-in-law. She is kind-hearted. Although she broke with Fang Yacun out of anger over their poisoning of her brother, she surely doesn't feel good about it."
Qin Shi shot Ninth Master Chu a look: "You don't have to tell me that! I've already been to console my sister-in-law."
Qin Shi had been extremely close to Fang Yahui since her maiden days, and Fang Yahui had taken good care of her younger sister-in-law. So, after hearing about what Fang Yacun and the others had done to Fang Yahui's own brother, Qin Shi was filled with righteous indignation and volunteered to help her sister-in-law's family clean house.
Qin Shi remembered something else and added: "By the way, husband, my sister-in-law said that Old Madam Ren of the Fang family intends to entrust the Fang family's businesses to her and my brother to manage on her behalf. But my sister-in-law said she is already a married woman; her maiden family gave her a considerable dowry when she married, so it wouldn't be appropriate for her to interfere in her maiden family's business and cause gossip for her husband's family."Ninth Master Chu looked up. "What did your mother and brothers say?"
Qin Shi said smugly, "What else could they say? My mother and brothers are all upright people. How could they possibly covet the Fang family's property? My mother asked my brothers to help Old Madam Fang find several capable and reputable shopkeepers. My eldest sister-in-law said she would return to her maiden home to persuade Old Madam Fang to call back a few honest and reliable half-brothers and entrust the Fang family's businesses to them. That way, the Fang clan members won't have any grounds for complaint."
Ninth Master Chu nodded. "That is the proper way."
As for Concubine Fang, naturally someone informed her of what was happening outside.
When Concubine Fang learned that the Fang family had already convicted her and her birth mother and expelled her from the family, her expression turned quite dramatic.
"This can't be! How could there be evidence? It was clearly already..." Concubine Fang muttered in disbelief.
Concubine Fang had rapidly lost weight recently. Her once carefully maintained, smooth black hair had become dry, dull, and even showed many white strands. Combined with the scars on her face and two missing front teeth, she looked like an ugly, haggard old woman.
She suddenly looked up at the speaker, her eyes somewhat frenzied and stubborn. "What about my brother? My brother will come to find me and save me, won't he?"
Tong He replied truthfully in an unchanged tone, "Fang Yacun has been expelled from the Fang ancestral residence. The Fang clan head will select someone else. Old Madam Fang has taken back all the family businesses from him and distributed them among several other half-brothers to manage. Because of his involvement with you, Fang Yacun has been demoted to a seventh-rank assistant prefectural judge."
Tong He paused before adding, "You have become a discarded pawn."
"A discarded pawn? A discarded pawn?..." Concubine Fang slumped onto the bed in a daze, muttering the words repeatedly.
Tong He glanced at her, turned, and left. As he closed the door behind him, Concubine Fang's laughter suddenly erupted from the room. After a long while, the laughter turned into muffled sobs.
Without looking back, Tong He instructed the people outside to keep a close watch on her, then left the villa.
After the successive misfortunes of Concubine Fang and Fang Yacun, Ren Yaoying indeed became more subdued. Although she still shed tears occasionally, she no longer dared to provoke Madam Li and Ren Yaohua at will.
In early June, the flower-viewing party that Madam Li had been preparing for so long finally commenced.
This was Madam Li's first time hosting such a gathering, so she took it very seriously. From the design of the invitations to the preparation of refreshments and fruits for the banquet, she discussed and planned everything together with Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi. Although they had been quite busy lately preparing for this flower-viewing party, they had all enjoyed the process.
Third Master Ren was also pleased with this elegant gathering. He generously brought out over twenty pots of his treasured orchids and peonies to add to his wife and daughters' prestige and to join in the fun.
The ladies who received Madam Li's invitations were also very gracious, all sending word that they would attend.
Early that morning, Ren Yaoqi got up and began dressing up. To suit the day's flower-viewing party, Madam Li had prepared new outfits for her and Ren Yaohua. Ren Yaoqi wore a goose-yellow jacket and skirt embroidered with cymbidium orchid borders. When Third Master Ren saw it earlier, he said she looked beautiful in it and even bestowed a special name upon the outfit: "Hui Lan."Ren Yaohua wore a silver-red jacket embroidered with large peonies, making her appearance even more dazzlingly radiant. Third Master Ren bestowed a name upon this outfit, calling it "Hu Hong."
Madam Li wore a lotus-colored jacket embroidered with lotuses, appearing simple and dignified. Third Master called it "Qing Lian."
Seeking votes, seeking votes^^~.
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