“What’s there to fear!” Bian Ruohan’s eyes flashed as she sneered: “She’s a coward—does that mean I am too? Right now she’s shrinking back and refusing to show her head, which is the perfect opportunity for me to get revenge. If I don’t take this chance to teach her a lesson, she might think I’ll let her off!”
“Madam, please think carefully about what the master and mistress said when we left, think about Her Majesty’s instructions. Moreover, you and the Earl have finally achieved marital harmony and should be in the honeymoon phase. Since you know the Earl has some feelings for that Qin woman, why must you touch on his sore spot again? If this servant may say, now would be the time to quit while ahead. Haven’t you already vented all the anger you needed to, right?”
Bian Ruohan looked coldly at the wet nurse for a long while before saying: “Considering you’re my milk nurse, that I grew up drinking your milk, and that you’re also loyal to me, I won’t pursue this matter this time.”
Turning to sit on the embroidered stool, Bian Ruohan slammed the table hard: “What, others can bully me, but I can’t make others suffer losses?”
Seeing that Bian Ruohan completely failed to understand her good intentions and was in such a rage, the wet nurse immediately gave up and didn’t dare persuade further, submissively curtsying and saying: “This servant spoke out of turn and won’t talk nonsense to anger Madam again.”
Only then did Bian Ruohan feel somewhat better. She coldly hummed and dismissed the wet nurse.
After the woman left, she still sulked for quite a while. Originally she had been very cheerful today after venting her anger, but who would have thought some tactless person would suddenly appear—truly spoiling the mood.
After washing, Bian Ruohan went to sleep.
Let’s not discuss how the wet nurse and maids talked about this matter behind her back.
Early the next morning, Bian Ruohan was awakened by the panicked shouting of servants.
“Madam, Madam, please get up quickly—something terrible has happened!”
“What’s with all the wailing and howling?” Having been awakened, Bian Ruohan was thoroughly annoyed. Clutching her blanket as she sat up, she glared displeasedly at the maid, giving the strong impression that if she couldn’t explain herself properly, she would face severe punishment.
The maid said anxiously: “Several dozen common people have gathered outside our residence gate, all blocking the door and cursing us!”
“Cursing us?” Bian Ruohan said coldly: “What do those paupers want to do—rebel? Didn’t you tell them this is the Lu residence, the future Huichuan County Magistrate’s mansion?”
“We did. But they still showed no intention of retreating. Upon hearing it was our house, they actually became even more boisterous.”
“What exactly are they shouting about?” Bian Ruohan threw off her blanket and got out of bed, spreading her arms to let the maids dress her.
Two maids nimbly helped her dress and arranged her hair, but didn’t dare repeat what those people outside were saying, only saying: “You’ll know when you go see for yourself in a moment.”
Bian Ruohan tidied her hair in the mirror and smiled mockingly: “Naturally I’m going to see. I want to see if the common people of Huichuan County are no longer afraid of officials!”
Bian Ruohan had no time for breakfast and brought maids with umbrellas along the covered walkway toward the outside.
Arriving at the outer courtyard, the closer they got to the residence gate, the more the people’s clamoring assaulted their eardrums. The gatekeepers and servants had barred the main gate with several people carefully stacked together peering out through the door cracks, as if afraid people might directly break in.
Bian Ruohan stood at the gate, hearing the people outside cursing:
“What county magistrate’s residence? Probably just corrupt officials! They haven’t even taken office yet and are already oppressing others, daring to attack and rob even a Prince’s residence. Could their eyes possibly tolerate us common people?”
“Exactly! Even a great hero like Prince Zhongshun is bullied by them—what good days could we have in the future?”
“Have you heard about Prince Zhongshun’s heroic deeds?”
“Yes, yes! Such a great hero suppressed like this, and even after coming here still has to be bullied by County Magistrate Lu?”
“You don’t know! County Magistrate Lu hasn’t even arrived yet. The one who brought people to cause trouble at the Prince’s residence this time was County Magistrate Lu’s wife. Since County Magistrate Lu has a title, that Madam Lu thinks she’s an Earl’s wife and went to abuse her power!”
“Ha! There’s actually such a shrew in this world!”
“Neither husband nor wife are any good! Prince Zhongshun hasn’t taken office yet, and they’re bullying the Princess!”
“Shrew! Even worse than my old woman!”
…
Bian Ruohan’s face turned purple with rage, her fists clenched tight: “This is infuriating! What kind of people are outside? Daring to block our gate and wag their tongues! Drive them away!”
Bian Tong’s clothes were half-soaked, having stood at the gate for a long time. Seeing Bian Ruohan so furious, he quickly tried to persuade her: “Madam, this really isn’t the right time to show ourselves. We’ll just keep the doors closed—it’s a heavy rain day, they’ll leave after making noise for a while.”
“No!” Bian Ruohan raged: “I’m a daughter of the Bian family, the legitimate wife of Loyalty Earl! My sister is His Majesty’s consort—I’m imperial family! Being blocked at my door and cursed by a bunch of paupers—if this spreads, where will my face be? You go out and drive them away!”
Turning to angrily point at the group of martial arts experts hired for a hefty sum: “Why aren’t you moving quickly! Do you also want to defy my wishes?”
Those dozen or so men didn’t immediately follow Bian Ruohan’s orders, but instead looked questioningly at Bian Tong.
They had taken this job for money, true, but they weren’t brainless fools either. So many common people had gathered outside—forget about how many they could crush with a finger, if they really fought and killed someone, would this household push them martial artists out to take the blame?
When the time came, the Earl’s residence would wash their hands of it, and all the bad deeds would become the fault of these hired workers.
Naturally they couldn’t trust a bossy woman. Compared to Bian Ruohan, Bian Tong, who had always treated them courteously, was much more trustworthy.
Seeing everyone’s attitude, Bian Tong understood their meaning and smiled as he tried to persuade Bian Ruohan: “Madam, please calm down. Those outside are all country bumpkins who haven’t seen much of the world. If Madam gets angry with them, wouldn’t that lower your status? We’ll just keep the doors closed—they can’t break in anyway.”
“Fine! You’re so capable now that you won’t even listen to my orders! If that’s how it is, don’t follow me around anymore! There are naturally other places for you to display your talents—I’m afraid this place can’t accommodate such a great Buddha as you!”
Hearing that Bian Ruohan actually intended to drive him away, Bian Tong’s expression changed. Just as he was about to speak, Bian Ruohan had already stepped forward quickly, pushing aside the servants at the gate left and right, and forcefully pulled open the door bar.
“You’re looking for death! Blocking people’s doors early in the morning—what do you want to do! Watch out or I’ll find constables to arrest you all!”
In front of the residence gate, the people hadn’t expected the main door to open and reveal a young, beautiful woman who was so arrogant, threatening to arrest people with every word.
Someone in the crowd mocked: “Look how impressive you are! A woman who doesn’t even understand rules and propriety—even worse than my wife.”
“Exactly! You can tell at a glance this woman is sharp-tongued and mean!”
“I heard she’s the one who led people to attack and ransack Prince Zhongshun’s residence, stealing all their valuables!”
“Bah! Still calling herself a noble lady—she’s worse than bandits!”
…
The people had long been stirred up emotionally, full of righteous indignation about Prince Zhongshun being bullied. With Bian Ruohan appearing and vividly demonstrating what it meant to be sharp-tongued, such a mean woman actually standing with arms akimbo at the main gate arguing with so many people was simply unbearable to watch.
The original anger about the great hero Prince Zhongshun being bullied was now increased by considerable disdain for Bian Ruohan.
Tang Xiu and several others mixed in the crowd, leading the cursing of Bian Ruohan with the crudest language, finally venting their anger.
Having been pampered since childhood, Bian Ruohan had never lost a verbal argument and considered herself experienced in big scenes. But being pointed at and accused by so many strangers face-to-face, even having crude words cursed at her—such a scene was something she could never have imagined falling upon herself.
Bian Ruohan was already furious beyond measure, jumping with rage: “Someone come! Arrest all these paupers! Take them to the county office—I want their heads chopped off!”
Seeing Bian Ruohan had begun talking nonsense, Bian Tong hurried forward to persuade her.
But before he could speak, someone in the crowd of people at the gate shouted loudly: “This venomous shrew! Still saying she’s not abusing power? Your husband hasn’t even taken office and you dare have our heads chopped! What do you think you are!”
“Exactly! Shameless shrew! Robbed the Prince’s household wealth and now wants to commit murder!”
“Don’t know if they’re connected to Black Wind Stronghold—who knows how much wealth they’ve hidden at home!”
Someone in the crowd said this, and even more unknown people began pushing forward.
Others shouted loudly: “These kinds of heartless wealthy bullies—everything in their house was robbed from us and should be returned to us!”
“Right! Return it to us!”
All fifty or sixty common people at the gate began shouting. Such an arrogant shrew must be the wife of a bandit leader!
With someone taking the lead, others followed out of greed. Combined with Tang Xiu and others fanning the flames, these people who had been arguing with Bian Ruohan for half the day finally couldn’t endure it and surged forward like a tide, fighting to push through the gate.
When Bian Ruohan saw the first person charge through the gate, she cursed and reached out to stop them, but not only failed to stop anyone, she was knocked back several staggering steps. Fortunately the maids reacted quickly and supported her, or she might have been trampled into mud.
Even so, Bian Ruohan and several maids, along with Bian Tong and others, were all forced to retreat by the surging crowd. Otherwise, they would have been trampled underfoot.
“Fellow villagers, rob them! This heartless stinking woman’s house is full of things she robbed—we can’t let them benefit!”
Someone shouted loudly, and immediately many people responded.
The common people were all accustomed to poverty. Suddenly entering the residence that Bian Ruohan had carefully arranged to welcome Lu Heng, how could they not be envious?
Everything looked fresh to them, everything made them jealous—furnishings, antiques, paintings and calligraphy were all gleaming silver in their eyes.
Everyone surged forward, rushing into various rooms, grabbing what they could grab and smashing what they could smash, just like what Bian Tong had led people to do at the Prince’s residence.