Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
Moreover, her medicine was previously obtained from the resident physician. She never went out to buy medicine herself.
This time, she had actually gone outside to buy medicine herself. She was really getting out of hand!
Ruoyin’s lips twitched at the corner. Lord Fourth was being too tyrannical. It was her mouth she was using to make the vow. Must she even ask for permission to say a vow?
But she also knew that this was indeed her fault even though she had her reasons for doing so. She knelt in front of Lord Fourth and said, “No matter whether my Lord believes me or not, I still have to say that I have drunk the contraceptive soup only in recent days, and never before.”
Lord Fourth glanced at Ruoyin who was kneeling in front of him and thought she was a hypocritical woman.
She said she wanted a child, but she was secretly drinking contraceptive soup.
He snorted and said sternly, “Look at you. Is this how a Fujin behaves? You don’t even understand the rules. Don’t think I won’t be able to do anything to you. From now on, you’re put under confinement. Shut yourself up and ponder over your mistakes. Copy the Lessons for Women ten times and learn some rules!”
“Yes,” Ruoyin answered, staring at Lord Fourth’s chin instead of looking him in the eyes.
After the lecture, Lord Fourth got up and left without sparing Rouyin a glance.
Perhaps it was because he was still bitter when he walked to the courtyard that he shouted, “Men, give each of the subordinates in the main courtyard ten beatings!”
With that said, Lord Fourth’s face was frosty as he brushed his sleeves and left.
After Lord Fourth left, the first thing on Ruoyin’s mind was that she still hadn’t drunk the medicine. Lord Fourth had slept with her yesterday. It was still a critical period for her.
But Lord Fourth had taken all the medicinal ingredients she had bought and had people throw them away!
Then, watching how Nanny Liu and the rest were being beaten, she was feeling guilty inside.
She rewarded them with a generous amount of money. She also ordered a lot of food from the kitchen and gave it to them as extra food.
During the evening, Ruoyin was daydreaming while she copied the Lessons for Women.
She thought to herself, did she and Lord Fourth go past a point of no return?
No, she must find a chance to be reconciled with Lord Fourth!
But this was not the time!
Seeing her like this, Nanny Liu couldn’t help feeling sorry for her and said, “Fujin, why do you have to put yourself through this? Aren’t you the one who most wanted to have a child? Why do you start bearing these ill thoughts after you have recovered?”
Ruoyin turned to look at Nanny Liu. “I have my own reason. As for what it is, it’s complicated. But I’m sorry you and the rest had to be implicated in it.”
“I can still take ten beatings,” Nanny Liu said indifferently. Though her waist was in great pain, she endured it. As subordinates, their lives belonged to their master. How could they speak of being implicated? “I’m just worried for you. Lord Fourth is very angry this time!”
“We’ll deal with the problems as they come.” Ruoyin sighed inwardly and continued to copy the Lessons for Women.
Half a month had passed since Ruoyin was punished. Lord Fourth had not stepped into the main courtyard even once during that period.
This was fortunate for Consort Song and Consort Li, especially Consort Li, whose daughter was the only child in the courtyard, so Lord Fourth definitely had to pay her a visit more often.
But he didn’t go there very often, not as often as when he had visited the main courtyard previously.
Consort Li had regained his favor. And hearing that Ruoyin had been confined, she couldn’t help rejoicing at her misfortune.
But like the rest of the people in the household, she didn’t know what had happened, only that the Fujin had made Lord Fourth angry again.
On the day after that incident, Lord Fourth reminded Chief Physician Feng and stopped people from spreading the news.
A Fujin who didn’t want to conceive a child was no glorious news. It was a skeleton in the closet.
Consort Li smiled. What refreshing news. The Fujin had never made Lord Fourth so angry before.
She thought the Fujin had really become more skillful and was able to make Lord Fourth visit her at the main courtyard all the time.
In the end, his visitation didn’t last more than a few days, so her haughtiness was now on the rise again.
As for Ruoyin, though Lord Fourth hadn’t been visiting her recently, she was able to learn of news from her servants.
With a daughter, Consort Li was attracting more favor than Consort Song.
On the first day of June, Consort Song and Consort Li went to the main courtyard to pay their respects to Ruoyin. Although she was confined, they still had to abide by the rules of the household.
This time, unlike in previous occasions, Consort Li had arrived early, dressed in a pearlescent, reddish-orange Manchurian gown themed with butterflies and daffodils.
Her hair was combed into two buns, and she wore a dazzling ornament on her hair decorated with gold lace and jewels.
She wore gold lantern-patterned earrings, a pearl pendant on her neck, and a pair of jadeite bracelets on her wrists.
As soon as she came in, she cast a mild side-glance to Consort Song and went up to greet Ruoyin with a brightly lit face. “Paying my respects to the Fujin.”
Ruoyin muttered a soft acknowledgment, sent the guests to their seats, and had tea served.
After Consort Li sat down, she sized up the house. Then, she was surprised and laughed. “I haven’t been here in a long time. I didn’t know Sister had changed the furnishings. If it wasn’t for you sitting here, I would have thought I was in the wrong place.”
Just before she entered the main courtyard, she’d noticed something different. There was a swing covered with flowers and green vines outside.
When she entered the house, things were very much different.
No longer was it filled with the old-fashioned veils and curtains, but they were replaced with pink, purple, and blue curtains.
There were also lots of beautiful flower arrangements displayed, full of fresh decorations.
Hearing that, Ruoyin glanced at Consort Li. Yes, when Lord Fourth didn’t come to disturb her, she found time for leisure.
Apart from eating, drinking, and copying the Lessons for Women, she told the servants to re-decorate the interior and exterior of the main courtyard according to her preferences.
These days, she had managed the subordinates in the main courtyard very well, and they waited on her as the rules demanded of them.
When subordinates from elsewhere saw her, they also greeted her respectfully.
But unlike Nanny Liu and Qiao Feng, those who usually tried to curry favor had distanced themselves from her.
Whenever there was something that they had to do, they would first attend to Consort Li’s side before attending to the main courtyard.
This made her understand something. When Lord Fourth favored her, she was a sparkling luminous cup. When Lord Fourth let go, she was just worthless and only garnered dislike.
This was the life of most women in this dynasty, especially those who lived in nobility.
Women depended on men, and their status at home also depended on men.
When a man favored a woman, the woman’s status rose like a boat at high tide. And when they were no longer favored, she became nothing.
But Ruoyin was a modern woman from the modern era. Being unwanted was her style.
Even without Lord Fourth’s favor, she would still be able to live a good life to the best of her ability.
She’d pamper herself like a princess!
Ruoyin really couldn’t bring herself to do things like taking her anger out on the women in the back courtyard, or to seek Lord Fourth eagerly to compete for his favor, or to beg him for forgiveness.
In response to what Consort Li said, she simply laughed it off and said, “It’s hot in the summer. Those decorations only make it even more sultry, so I had the servants change them to more refreshing colors.”
“The Fujin is lucky to be able to enjoy herself,” Consort Li said in an odd way as she extended her right hand, which was wearing a jadeite bracelet, and carelessly fiddled with the hairpin on her head. “I can’t do that. I have to take care of my daughter, and Lord Fourth always wants to pay me visits. How can I find the time for such things?”
Watching Consort Li, Ruoyin knew that she was showing off the bracelet on her wrist and the hairpin on her head.