Love in Red Dust - Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Upon arriving at Langrun Garden, it was not as Chen Jing had suggested—that the Dowager Consort would be waiting for her to serve. The Dowager Consort had risen early and was sitting upright in the main hall, lowering her head to inspect her chased-flower finger guards. When she heard footsteps, she did not even lift an eyelid.
The atmosphere was different; Dingyi had sensed it the moment she entered the garden. She had thought there would be no more waves regarding the marriage, but reality always proved more volatile than expectations.
She stepped forward and crouched down. "I pay my respects to the Dowager Consort; may you enjoy ten thousand blessings and eternal peace."
The Dowager Consort gave her no response, leaving her in that crouching position. At first, it was manageable, but soon she could no longer sustain it, and the muscles in her calves began to cramp. This technique of "crouching in greeting" was only practiced by palace maids; outside, people were more polite, and greetings on the street were fleeting moments. This was entirely different. Dingyi groaned inwardly; it seemed the Noble Consort Dowager was giving her a show of power, and it wasn't as simple as teaching her manners. She feared there was great hardship ahead.
Indeed, only after the Dowager Consort had finished a cup of tea did she grant her permission to rise. Dingyi gritted her teeth and straightened up, her legs feeling as if they no longer belonged to her. She barely managed to stand steady and lowered her head to listen. The Dowager Consort spoke: "I have summoned you today because there are matters I need to verify. A Prince's wedding is not a casual affair; even common families inquire about a new bride's background! I ask you: do you recognize a man named Mu Liansheng?"
Dingyi’s heart skipped a beat. So, this was where the trouble lay. She had not been back in the capital long, and she truly had no intention of having any further dealings with him. It wasn't about forgetting the old days once she climbed to a higher position; she was afraid. Mu Liansheng was a bottomless pit that could never be filled, and no amount of silver was enough for him. If he found out, she would never escape his entanglement for the rest of her life. He would show up at her door daily demanding this and that, and if things didn't go his way, he would threaten to expose her. There would be no end to that life.
Now, things were even worse: he had taken the matter straight to the Dowager Consort. He probably realized there was no hope of getting anything from her anymore. She sighed, her mind in a struggle. With her personality, she preferred not to hide things—if she admitted it, she admitted it. She had acted with integrity and had nothing to hide. But the timing was wrong; this was the period when marriage arrangements were being finalized. If a woman had a blemish, a high-ranking family would almost certainly look down on her. Moreover, this was the foremost family in the world—could they be so easily fooled?
She had no choice but to harden her heart. Even if it meant lying through her teeth, nothing was as important as being with the Twelfth Prince.
She shook her head. "In reply to the Dowager Consort, this slave does not recognize that person."
"You don't recognize him? Wasn't your alias Mu Xiaoshu?" The Dowager Consort sat up straight, humming with a mocking laugh. "He is your foster father, who supposedly raised you for over ten years, working early and late to pay for your expenses in the capital. Now you say you don't know him? Truly, when faced with profit, one can become so ungrateful."
Dingyi felt nothing but disdain. The man surnamed Mu was distorting the truth. She had stayed with the Mu family for six years; after she came to the capital, he would come every few days to demand money. If one were to calculate it strictly, she had long since repaid him for those six years of food and clothing. Now that he was biting the hand that fed him, she could not easily argue her case and could only grit her teeth and deny it. "Dowager Consort, please do not listen to rumors. I have known the Twelfth Prince for a long time; even if you do not trust me, you should trust the Twelfth Prince."
"What is this, bringing the men into it? I am asking you—the Twelfth Prince is so bewitched by you that he has lost all sense of direction. If I ask him, how much truth would he even be able to discern?" The Noble Consort Dowager’s lips curled downward as she looked her up and down. "Are you not from a scholarly family? Do you not understand even these basic manners? You are still standing here so brazenly while answering me?"
Dingyi was jolted by the sharp rebuke and hurriedly knelt to kowtow. "This slave has lost her composure; please forgive me, Dowager Consort."
The Dowager Consort glanced at her with contempt. "You should be flustered. Denying it is useless. Bring Mu Liansheng in; with a face-to-face confrontation, everything will be clear."
Chen Jing took the order and went out to fetch the man. Mu Liansheng entered from outside, head lowered and back hunched, kowtowing as he knelt. "Small person Mu Liansheng pays respects to the Dowager Consort."
The Dowager Consort told him to identify her. "Look back. Is this your foster daughter? Look carefully. This is no game; in two days, she will be the Side Consort of the Prince of Chun’s residence. If you slander a royal relative, you will be skinned and gutted."
Mu Liansheng swallowed hard. "I would not dare, Dowager Consort. I am just a poor farmer; if I hadn't been wronged, I wouldn't have come to you. Even if I don't have great merit, I have put in the work over these years. Now, this girl won't even acknowledge our relationship. Thinking about it at night, my heart is filled with injustice. You are the Bodhisattva Guan Yin reborn; I beg you to act on my behalf."
The Dowager Consort was impatient with his words. She only cared about Wen Dingyi’s background, so she gestured for him to look, sitting firmly on her throne while waiting for his final verdict.
Mu Liansheng tilted his head to look. Without needing a second glance, he stated firmly, "It is her. Even if she were turned to ash, I would still recognize her."
Dingyi began to analyze the situation. Mu Liansheng was a man of courage but no strategy. No matter how much he hated her, at most he would go to the Shuntian Prefecture to complain or make a scene in the streets. He could never have conceived of, nor had the means to make, a connection with the Noble Consort Dowager. It seemed someone of high status had guided him. Since that was the case, she could turn the tables on him. She spoke coldly: "You were instigated by someone, weren't you? The Twelfth Prince is currently handling a case, and I won't mention the people involved, but you know who they are in your heart. You were sent by them to intentionally disrupt the Twelfth Prince’s arrangements, weren't you? Someone promised you silver, and you came here to slander me. How much did your master offer you? Name your price, and expose the person who bribed you; the Twelfth Prince will reward you double." Turning to kowtow to the Dowager Consort, she crawled on her knees to the side of the footstool, weeping mournfully. "Dowager Consort... Mother, the Twelfth Prince and I are truly in love. Today, never mind suffering such injustice; I would not frown even if I had to die for him. You are not in the inner city and do not know the government affairs the Twelfth Prince is handling—old cases are being overturned, and the bones are being picked; a massive tremor is inevitable. The Twelfth Prince is already overwhelmed by the case; I beg you, do not listen to slander and be manipulated by others."
Her words seemed to hold some reason. The Noble Consort Dowager glared at Mu Liansheng below and barked, "Is what she said the truth? If there is even half a lie, when I find out, I will have you killed without a complete corpse!"
Mu Liansheng was terrified. Offending that other side would truly mean death, so he could only bite the bullet. He lay on the ground and said, "Dowager Consort, you are wise. She is using the Twelfth Prince as a shield to excuse herself—don't you see that? Ask her if she is the daughter of Wen Lu, and if the Twelfth Prince is handling Wen Lu’s case. She approached the Twelfth Prince just to use him; she let it slip, and I caught her in the act."
Dingyi was trembling with rage. This wretch—back then, when he was beaten into a puddle in a ditch because of gambling debts, if she hadn't fished him out, he would have been in the underworld long ago. Now, she deeply regretted it; if she had let him die back then, none of this would be happening. He wouldn't relent even when she promised him money; it seemed the Little Prince Zhuang had not only promised him silver but also held his life in his hands!
The Dowager Consort, prompted by Mu Liansheng, was suddenly awakened. "Wen Dingyi, Wen Lu... there can be no mistake. You look like such a fine girl, I never expected you to be so devious. Earlier, when you said your parents were both dead, I truly felt pity for you, thinking how difficult it must be for a child like this. The Empress pleaded for you, and in a moment of softness, I agreed. And what is the result? This is how you calculate against us mother and son. I will tell you plainly: your lineage may not be low, but that was in the past. And later, dressing as a man and working as an executioner—what do you take our Twelfth Prince for, that you can be treated so cheaply?"
She was unable to defend herself. The case had not yet been fully judged; if she admitted it now, she would surely die. She could only weep and appeal, "There are countless people in the world with the surname Wen; how can you be sure I am Wen Lu’s daughter? I beg you, Mother, to investigate clearly; do not let those who care for us grieve while our enemies rejoice."
The Noble Consort Dowager spat. "Who is your mother? You have no shame! Even now you are still quibbling. Chen Jing, bring them in! Mu Liansheng’s testimony alone might be biased; bring in those who lived with you day and night to identify you. That way, there can be no mistake."
Dingyi turned around in a panic. Her master and Xia Zhi had entered, along with several neighbors from their courtyard. She vaguely felt that all was lost. Even if her master and senior brothers didn't expose her, what about the others? She slumped to the floor, defeated. So be it. It was fated that she would not have this fortune; she couldn't force it. Her only worry was that after this, the Twelfth Prince’s stance on the case would be questioned. This Mu Liansheng had appeared at a truly opportune moment.
Her master entered but did not look at her. He brushed his sleeves and performed a bow, paying his respects upward: "Wu Changgeng, Prison Warden of the Shuntian Prefecture, pays respects to the Imperial Noble Consort Dowager."
The Noble Consort Dowager did not beat around the bush, asking directly, "Wu the Blade, how many disciples have you taken in?"
Wu Changgeng rolled his sleeves and answered, "In reply to the Dowager Consort, in my life, I have only taken two disciples: one named Xia Zhi and one named Mu Xiaoshu."
The Noble Consort Dowager nodded. "Where is Mu Xiaoshu now? Take a look at the person in front of you—is this your young disciple?"
Dingyi looked at her master with a pouting expression. Wu Changgeng’s gaze barely swept over her as he bowed and said, "In reply to the Dowager Consort, my unfilial disciple was a man, not a young woman. He stayed by my side for five or six years; we were closer than family. I could not bear for him to be an executioner his whole life, and he wanted to leave the register to work at the Prince of Xian’s residence, so I did not keep him. Later, he followed the Seventh Prince to Ningguta. I don't know what happened, but... he never returned."
His face was full of sorrow; the Dowager Consort observed this and said nothing. Chen Jing stood forward at the right moment and addressed the neighbors from the alleyway: "And you? You lived in the same courtyard as Mu Xiaoshu; I don't believe you can't recognize her." He turned and ordered a large tray to be brought in. When the cover was lifted, beneath it were ingots of silver, each weighing twenty-five taels—at least a dozen ingots. He laughed slyly. "There is no mouth in this world that silver cannot pry open. Look at this. You only need to speak up and say whether Mu Xiaoshu is the person here before you. If it is the truth, this silver belongs to you. You can buy houses or land—whatever pleases you."
In the city outside, a sheng of rice cost no more than fourteen or fifteen wen; for these commoners, two hundred and fifty taels of silver was an astronomical sum—an amount they might never earn in a lifetime. They looked at each other, mouths dry. To nod would be to wrong Wu Changgeng; to shake their heads would be to wrong themselves and their families. Just as they were hesitating, the wife of San Qingzi spoke up: "We cannot take this unscrupulous money. Although getting this cash would allow us to live comfortably for a couple of years, we cannot frame an innocent person for it, can we?" She glanced at Dingyi and pointed a finger. "How can this be Xiaoshu? Xiaoshu’s nose was flatter than hers, and his eyes were not as big. Our Tree-boy had a square face, while this is an egg-shaped one. They are worlds apart; they are absolutely not the same person."
"Hey!" Mu Liansheng was anxious. "Wife of San Qingzi, you cannot deceive the Dowager Consort just because your family's Shunzi took someone as a godmother. Before the Dowager Consort, perjury is punishable by death!"
The wife of San Qingzi spat. "You shameless old man, back then you were blocking people in the alleyway all day, forcing Xiaoshu to earn money to support you. He was just a child, starting his apprenticeship; he had no money to support you, yet you hit and scolded him. Later, when the child had no choice and started pushing a wheelbarrow to transport grain after work—others could carry three bags, but she would stumble with one—how pitiful the child was! And yet you, you could actually raise your hand against him! Now that Xiaoshu is gone, you’ve set your sights on someone unrelated to extort money. The gods are watching you from above; watch out for a lightning strike that will keep you from ever being reincarnated!"
It was meant to be a confrontation, but once commoners were involved, it descended into chaos, with everyone gritting their teeth and cursing, from their ancestors down to their descendants. The Dowager Consort’s head ached from the noise, and she summoned a group of eunuchs with clubs to beat anyone who dared to shout again. It was finally quieted, and she patted the armrest of her chair, scolding, "Neighborhood loyalty is strong, very well. Drag them out and beat them until they tell the truth!"
The eunuchs responded and were about to act when someone walked in from outside. It was winter, but he was twirling a fan, his eyes dancing and his face filled with a wicked smile. He bowed deeply. "Hong Tao pays respects to the Noble Consort Dowager."
The Dowager Consort was somewhat surprised. "Why has the Seventh Prince come?"
The Seventh Prince grinned. "It’s near the end of the year, and I obtained several bolts of fine cloud brocade, so I came to present them to the three Dowager Consorts. Upon entering the garden, I heard that a trial was being held here, so I had to come and join the fun." He looked around. "Master Wu is here too? What is this for? Oh, my Twelfth sister-in-law is here as well?"
The Seventh Prince was a master at disrupting plans. Once he arrived, the affair was essentially ruined. The Dowager Consort pulled a long face. "We are asking if Dingyi is Mu Xiaoshu. The Twelfth Prince cannot marry a woman of unknown origins as his side consort. If he has no shame, I still do!"
The Seventh Prince slapped his thigh and said, "Mu Xiaoshu? What a coincidence! You summoned her master, why not send someone to summon me? Mu Xiaoshu followed me to Ningguta and stayed by my side for over half a year. I am familiar with her. Look at you, using silver and clubs; those who don't know better would think you are trying to bribe someone or torture them into a confession!"
The Dowager Consort looked at him, feeling somewhat deflated. "Then Seventh Prince, please tell us: is she or is she not Mu Xiaoshu?"
The Seventh Prince turned to look at Dingyi. He had only learned her real name today. Thinking about it felt too heartbreaking—they had all hidden it from him, treating him like a fool, despite him having been so sincere with her all this time.
He raised his head, a faint sorrow on his face. "No. My Tree-boy... is lost. We arrived at the Suifen River and crossed paths with human traffickers; the situation was perilous, and she was lost—she is gone. As for this sister-in-law, look at her appearance—does she look like someone who has rolled through mud and water? Others may not know the Twelfth Prince, but you are his birth mother—how can you not know him! He looks decent enough, but he is craftier than a fox. Who could deceive him? Stop worrying about other things. Just know one thing: the Twelfth Prince’s opponent this time is formidable. If you force him to face enemies from both sides, he will surely hate you later. Since they love each other, let them be together; why play the villain for no reason? If the palace says nothing and Changchun Garden says nothing, you can enjoy your leisure. Acting as a villain only leads to being cursed—you end up despised by both sides. Look at me, I’ve learned my lesson; I’m fine, I’m known for promoting the good of others, and now everyone likes me."
The Dowager Consort blinked, not knowing what to say. Every time she saw the Seventh Prince, she felt a sense of powerlessness; the man had transcended common reality, and there was no point in being serious with him. She stood up and looked down at Dingyi. "Enough, I am exhausted. You had better take care of yourself. Go back and tell the Twelfth Prince: if he wants to hold a grand wedding, he may, but both sedan chairs must enter the gate together. I have already selected a candidate for his Primary Consort. Tomorrow, I will go to the palace, and then I will go to Changchun Garden. Your affairs are decided thus." She turned her face and pointed at Chen Jing. "Look at this—what kind of people have you brought in? Playing children’s games here. Enough, hurry and chase them all away; don't let me see them and get upset!"
Chen Jing tucked his tail between his legs and responded, chasing everyone out like a flock of ducks.
The Seventh Prince stepped up to support Dingyi. Seeing her legs shaking, he let a young maid help her as they walked out. She cried out to him with tearful eyes, "Seventh Prince, did you come to save me?"
He put his hands behind his back, his folding fan tapping against his spine. "Of course. I was accompanying my Mongolian wife to the palace to see the Empress, and I ran into Sha Tong at the Shunzhen Gate. The Twelfth Prince was in the Grand Council discussing matters and couldn't leave immediately. I was anxious, so I even abandoned my wife to come here and save the situation, lest you suffer."
She groaned. "I... I have had one disaster after another; I owe you my thanks."
Hearing this made the Seventh Prince even sadder. "You never really treated me as one of your own..." A bellyful of words wanted to spill out, but seeing there were unwanted ears nearby, he fanned them away and stepped up to let her lean on his arm. As they walked, he rambled: "So your name is... Dingyi, it sounds quite nice, though still not as nice as 'Xiaoshu.' From now on, I will still call you Tree-boy. My Mongolian Consort is named Man-something, I find it a mouthful, so I changed it to Xiaoman, adding the 'xiao' [little] prefix, which reminds me of you." He stopped in his tracks, looking at her with a mournful face. "Tree-boy, my consort is too ferocious; if three words aren't to her liking, she rolls up her sleeves and starts fighting. I’ve been reduced to a coward. You are better, but why choose Hongce? He’s only a little more capable than I am, and you chose him. Why suffer by finding such a vicious mother-in-law? Look, they want two sedan chairs to enter the gate together this time—what are you planning? Are you upset? My side is empty; borrow it to lean on!" Before Dingyi could react, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.