Published at 29th of October 2020 05:52:21 AM
Chapter 123: Chapter 123 - Got a Godmother as Your Backer?
Chapter 123 Got a Godmother as Your Backer?
In the General’s Mansion, Qiu Yelan was asking Dr . Qi when Xue Fangmi planned to use Fang Nongyan on Qiu Yelan . “No more methods?” asked Qiu Yelan urgently .
“No, Your Grace . ” replied Dr . Qi . He even did not give a prescription this time . “He is in the late period . He is close to passing away last time… In honest, for him, it’s not easy . Plus, he must be miserable lying in bed now . It may be a relief for him to pass away now . ”
“Thank you, doctor . ” said Qiu Yelan, being severe and speaking it after a while .
“You are welcome . ” said Dr . Qi . He was close to the Jiang Family . He vaguely knew that Jiang Yashuang liked her . Hence, he did not dare to say something serious . So, he responded only figuratively . After keeping silent for a while and asked finally, “As you have been here . You must stay here for more days . ”
His words indeed claimed that General Ruan would pass away in several days .
Seeing Dr . Qi off, Qiu Yelan shuffled into the inner chamber .
Behind the curtain, Ruan Qingyan was wearing a black gown and sitting beside the bed silently . His hand, long and slim, was holding the thin hand hiding in the quilt . The summer sunshine permeated through the south window reflecting on the floor, grandly illuminating the room . The men behind the curtain were just like a weathered painting . This moment was so silent that Qiu Yelan didn’t dare come forward .
Hesitating for a second at the place she was standing, Qiu Yelan noticed that Ruan Qingyan did not intend to greet her . She backed herself off the room .
After walking out of the room, she saw Dongran and Qiuran waiting for her with red eyes . Qiu Yelan gestured for them to go farther away . But when she stopped, she even didn’t know what to say .
Seeing nobody was talking, Dongran broke the ice and said, “As Dr . Qi said so, no offense, Your Grace, I just want to ask what we will do after?”
“Go and get somebody purchasing everything we need . ” said Qiu Yelan . She knew little about the funeral, but she noticed that an elaborate funeral prevailed recently in the capital . The Ruan Family, although not wealthy, it was much better than ordinary families . In particular, Ruan Qingyan was an adopted child . He hadn’t even served General Ruan for a few days before he had to run his funeral .
As Dongran had talked the most important part, it was reasonable for them to discuss what’s next . “His clothes and coffin had been made many years ago . But the funeral feasts… There had been no feasts over the past decades and the Ming Hall was ramshackle . Now, we have no enough time to repair it now . How about guests and space… . ”
“Tear down some houses that are not used . ” said Qiu Yelan, musing for a while . “Build a shelter on the empty space . ”
A servant walked forward as they were talking . “Young Earl Ling is here, but young master is busy now… . ”
“Leave my cousin alone . ” said Qiu Yelan, shaking her head . “You send him to the hall and serve him a cup of tea . I will go there and talk with him . ”
Unusually, Ling Zui did not take some beautiful maids with him this time . Qiu Yelan saw he was holding a horsewhip when she entered the hall . Obviously, he hastened to come here when he got a message . Seeing Qiu Yelan, he asked in a hurry, “What happened to General Ruan?”
“Dr . Qi advised me not to go back to the Prince’s Mansion recently . ” said Qiu Yelan, nodding sadly . Ling Zui sighed as well . The news was not an unexpected one . After all, everybody knew that it was just a matter of time .
“How about Chunjun?” asked Ling Zui after calming himself down . Chunjun was a new name for Ruan Qingyan after he got Jinshi . According to the rules, a man could have a new name over 20 . As Ruan Qingyan got the Jinshi in advance, people thought that he should get one now for convenience .
Qiu Yelan smiled bitterly, “He is staying with my grandpa . We dare not to disturb him . ”
Walking back and forth in the hall, Ling Zui was anxious, “I understand what he’s feeling now . But the General’s Mansion is relying on him in the future . He must take care of himself . ”
“I can’t agree with you more . But as we always say, it’s easier to say than to do . You know, he is always a good boy . ” said Qiu Yelan sadly .
They were intimate . They just have been with each other for a few days but now they had to part each other forever . He couldn’t get out of the sadness now .
Ling Zui said with a frown, “Should I go and see him?” Seeing Qiu Yelan hesitating, he continued, “No need to worry . I just go there and see him at the door . If he didn’t want to talk with me, I would leave him alone . ”
“Okay, you come with me . ” said Qiu Yelan after thinking about it for a second . Although Ling Zui was a well-known playboy in the capital, he did not regard Ruan Qingyan as a fair-weather friend . He truly worried about him . Or he would not have been here as soon as he got a message about General Ruan .
Ushered into the room, Ling Zui saw Ruan Qingyan holding General Ruan’s hand and crying beside the bed . He sighed for him and decided to leave him alone . So, he stood in the corridor .
Looking at Ruan Qingyan, Qiu Yelan stood still for a moment . She always thought that her cousin was a canny boy with a hard-stone heart . What he did in the past demonstrated that he was sophisticated . He did not seem like a young man but a canny politician instead . But at this moment, looking at her brother who had always played as a protector and a teacher in front of her, she suddenly realized that her cousin, in fact, was only eighteen years old .
At the time, some eighteen-year-old boys were still under the wings of their parents or enjoying their reading only . However, Ruan Qingyan, at his eighteen, must assume responsibility to take care of his elders as well as his sister .
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Just thinking about it would make anyone feel sympathetic toward him due to heavy-duty and suffering .
“Your Grace, I’m leaving now . You can stay here if you want . ” whispered Ling Zui . Qiu Yelan was out of mind thinking of her cousin and while her sleeve was tugged . “I’ll go and see if there is something I can help with… To entertain guests is not a work which is suitable for a little girl . ”
Ling Zui, in effect, had no close relationship with General Ruan . He worried about his friend Ruan Qingyan . As the way Ruan Qingyan was now, he must be unable to deal with anything now . So, it was natural for Ling Zui to realize that Ruan Qingyan must be sad and unable to do anything if General Ruan passed away suddenly in the following two days .
And Qiu Yelan, though she could go out and entertain guests, was only thirteen years old . Ruan Qingyan held the funeral ceremony of Princess Ruan . So, at this critical time, Ling Zui realized that if he did not do her a favor, things would be messed up . Although knowing little about the rites, he, as the son of Princess and Earl, could deal with it in confidence .
Qiu Yelan did agree to him when he recommended himself . She sniffed and said in a low voice, “Thank you so much . ”
“Don’t say that . ” said Ling Zui . Looking at her red eyes and pitiful appearance, Ling Zui subconsciously wanted to make a joke, but the words came to his lips and he felt inappropriate, so he coughed and hurriedly adjusted his mood . “You stay here with Chunjun and leave all things to me . I will go back and send some smart servants to come, providing help . You guys just take care of your grandpa . ”
When he left, another guest came soon . It was Qiu Nie .
This was the second time Qiu Yelan met Qiu Nie . Qiu Nie was the boy who got the Jinshi with Ruan Qingyan after passing the same exam . He looked exhausted when he got out of the examination compound . But now, he was in a high spirit . He was surprised to see Qiu Yelan coming out to greet him . “How about Ruan Qingyan now?” asked he .
“He is staying with my grandpa now . Please forgive him that he can’t greet you here . Sorry . ” said Qiu Yelan haggardly . Suddenly, she thought of an important thing . “So, please help my cousin to tell his boss he can’t go to work recently . ”
The position Qiu Nie got in the exam was lower than Ruan Qingyan’s . As they were young, they were appointed to work in the Hanlin Academy . So, they were both classmates and colleagues .
Hearing Qiu Yelan’s words, Qiu Nie nodded slightly, demonstrating his agreement . “Your Grace, don’t worry . I think that everybody has known the news . Mr . Ding must have known too . ”
Qiu Nie and Ruan Qingyan were not close friends . Qiu Nie was not a boy like Ling Zui who always wanted to talk with girls, in particular, pretty girls . Qiu Nie had some empty talk with Qiu Yelan and then left .
Not long after he left, Ling Zui brought servants with him for help . Thanks for his help, the next visitor would not be Qiu Yelan’s business anymore .
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She tiptoed to General Ruan’s room door, seeing what’s going on inside . Noticing she was coming, Ruan Qingyan asked her to get in . “Dr . Qi has told you everything about grandpa . Now, I need you to do something . ”
“What’s it?” said Qiu Yelan promptly .
“After my grandpa…” said Ruan Qingyan . He had adjusted his mood . It seemed as if he had never cried except his red eyes told it . He calmed down like nothing happened, saying, “I will mourn for my grandpa for a long time . ”
This was the responsibility that everyone must take at that time . Rare people could escape from it . You’d better do it even you had a chance to escape from it . Or after decades later, your foe might use it as a sword attacking you .
Qiu Yelan knew well about it . “I know . ” she said without surprise .
“But the ancestry of the Ruan Family was not the original people of the capital . Although Laizhou was not far from here but it took two or three days to go forth and back by horse . ” said Ruan Qingyan . He continued, “My grandpa has no sons or grandsons in the world . I am the adopted one, and at the same time, I am the only one left . I must mourn for him for three years . What concerns me the most is that I have to leave you alone in the capital . ”
“What’s your plan?” said Qiu Yelan, giving him an unnatural smile . She thought to herself: Do you want to take me with you to Laizhou?
“I surely want to take you with me to Laizhou . But I realized that you must be there for three years and your family name is not Ruan . It’s inappropriate . ” proceeded Ruan Qingyan . He seemed tired when he said this . “I should not marry a girl from an influential family . I should have married a girl from an ordinary family instead . So, I can find a reason and take you with me . ”
“In fact, I can take care of myself . ” said Qiu Yelan, biting her lips .
“I was thinking of it . ” continued Ruan Qingyan, ignoring her words . “I have a decision . That is, I will find a backer for you . ”
“What are you talking about?” said Qiu Yelan with a shock .
“This is my plan . I want Young Earl Ling’s mother, Princess Royal Maode, to be your godmother . ” said Ruan Qingyan, rubbing his temples . “Young Earl Ling had given me this suggestion before . But I thought that as we both are in the capital and we can take care of ourselves . So, I don’t want to bother his mother . But now… . ”
“I am still in my mourning period . Do you think I can have a godmother?” asked Qiu Yelan .
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“Princess Royal Maode is kind and loves her son Young Earl Ling very much . ” said Ruan Qingyan . “I will go and talk with Young Earl Ling . I don’t think it will be a problem . ”
“Princess Royal Maode and Earl of Jingchuan are taking Prime Minister Xue’s side . Prime Minister Xue felt guilty about me because of the trouble caused by Miss Xue . So, if Princess Royal Maode became your godmother, I think Prime Minister Xue would protect you in all respects . ”
“I don’t need their protection . ” said Qiu Yelan coldly . “Miss Xue… Ooh!”
“Don’t act on impulse . ” advised Ruan Qingyan . She burst into a rage when she heard about the Xue family, while Ruan Qingyan, who was humiliated on that day, was calm as if nothing had happened . “As you think that Miss Xue should feel sorry for me, I don’t think it’s inappropriate for us to accept the favors provided by Prime Minister Xue on behalf of his daughter . ”
Finally, Qiu Yelan agreed with his advice . But she was still angry, “Miss Xue is like a maniac . We all knew that you are innocent but she had been targeting you all the time! I was concerned that she would bully me in the future . ”
Her words worried Ruan Qingyan a lot . He mused for a second and said, “You go outside as rarely as you can . Prime Minister Xue won’t let her daughter go to the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe . If people in the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe made trouble for you, you could send someone to report it to Princess Royal Maode . I think she will help you out . ”
Worrying that Qiu Yelan might hesitate to ask for help, he told her frankly, “I will give her a big sum of money or gifts on festivals or big days and I also a good friend of Ling Zui’s . She must help you with everything . So, if you were in trouble, go and tell her . ”
“I should share the cost with you . I also have money now…” said Qiu Yelan .
“Your money is your dowry . Don’t expect that the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe will give you much when you get married . ” said Ruan Qingyan with a denial . “The rich in the South are richer than you think . The cost is not a big deal for me . I could be reassured if you were safe . Ok, that’s it!”
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