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 thods?” asked Qiu Yelan urgently.
“No, Your Grace.” replied Dr. Qi. He even did not give a prescription this ti. “He is in the late period. He is close to passing away last ti... 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 welco.” 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 sothing 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 claid 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 sumr sunshine perated through the south window reflecting on the floor, grandly illuminating the room. The n behind the curtain were just like a weathered painting. This mont was so silent that Qiu Yelan didn’t dare co 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 sobody 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 ti to repair it now. How about guests and space....”
“Tear down so 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 so beautiful maids with him this ti. Qiu Yelan saw he was holding a horsewhip when she entered the hall. Obviously, he hastened to co here when he got a ssage. Seeing Qiu Yelan, he asked in a hurry, “What happened to General Ruan?”
“Dr. Qi advised 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 ti.
“How about Chunjun?” asked Ling Zui after calming himself down. Chunjun was a new na for Ruan Qingyan after he got Jinshi. According to the rules, a man could have a new na 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 , I would leave him alone.”
“Okay, you co with .” 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 ssage 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 mont. 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 mont, 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 ti, so eighteen-year-old boys were still under the wings of their parents or enjoying their reading only. However, Ruan Qingyan, at his eighteen, must assu responsibility to take care of his elders as well as his sister.
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 sothing 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 ti, Ling Zui realized that if he did not do her a favor, things would be ssed 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 recomnded 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 ca 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 . I will go back and send so smart servants to co, providing help. You guys just take care of your grandpa.”
When he left, another guest ca soon. It was Qiu Nie.
This was the second ti Qiu Yelan t Qiu Nie. Qiu Nie was the boy who got the Jinshi with Ruan Qingyan after passing the sa 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 agreent. “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 so 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.
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 sothing.”
“What’s it?” said Qiu Yelan promptly.
“After my grandpa...” said Ruan Qingyan. He had adjusted his mood. It seed as if he had never cried except his red eyes told it. He cald down like nothing happened, saying, “I will mourn for my grandpa for a long ti.”
This was the responsibility that everyone must take at that ti. 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 sa ti, I am the only one left. I must mourn for him for three years. What concerns 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 with you to Laizhou?
“I surely want to take you with to Laizhou. But I realized that you must be there for three years and your family na is not Ruan. It’s inappropriate.” proceeded Ruan Qingyan. He seed 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 .”
“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 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.
“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 Pri Minister Xue’s side. Pri Minister Xue felt guilty about because of the trouble caused by Miss Xue. So, if Princess Royal Maode beca your godmother, I think Pri 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 , I don’t think it’s inappropriate for us to accept the favors provided by Pri 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 ti! I was concerned that she would bully 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. Pri 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 soone 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 . I could be reassured if you were safe. Ok, that’s it!”
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