Yuzhu Garden
A servant came to report that Ning Huaizhi, Ning Huainan's younger brother, had come to see him. So Zhao Luoning ordered the servant to escort Ning Huainan out of the mansion.
No sooner had Ning Huainan left than Caixue came to report that Hua Ci had come to visit her.
Hua Ci used to be her personal maid. They had grown up together and were very close. Hua Ci was smart and well - behaved. Having been around Zhao Luoning, she had also learned some skills in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She was quite talented and had many suitors.
However, Zhao Luoning never expected that when she was arranged to marry on behalf of someone else, her elder brother Zhao Luochun would suddenly ask Hua Ci to be his concubine.
Zhao Luoning originally intended to let Hua Ci leave the mansion so that she could marry into an honest family as the main wife.
But since her elder brother had spoken and Hua Ci herself was willing, Zhao Luoning didn't try to persuade her further.
So on the day after Zhao Luoning got married, Hua Ci entered through the side door and married Zhao Luochun.
Since Hua Ci got married, Zhao Luoning hadn't seen her. The more than ten - year bond between the mistress and the maid seemed to have suddenly become estranged.
Zhao Luoning nodded, and Caixue led the visitor in.
"Miss, are you feeling better?"
Hua Ci sat opposite Zhao Luoning, with her head down, looking timid.
"I'm much better. Did you come to Yuzhu Garden this time for something?"
People don't go to the temple for no reason.
Hua Ci, of course, had something to ask for. But looking at Zhao Luoning like this, she couldn't bear to speak up. She could only lower her head even more. Zhao Luoning didn't say anything else and turned around to enter the room.
Only then did Hua Ci dare to raise her head and look at Zhao Luoning's back. She just felt that after not seeing her for a few months, Zhao Luoning had taken on a lot more helplessness.
That night, this desolate and thin figure became an impression that Hua Ci would never forget until she died.
Ji Mansion
Upon receiving the notice from Ji Shisu, the old matriarch and Lord Ji rushed back to the mansion in a hurry.
As soon as the old matriarch returned to the mansion, she asked about Zhao Luoning's situation. When she heard that Zhao Luoning had even tried to kill herself to prove her innocence, she gasped and fainted on the spot.
Cihua Courtyard
"Grandma, you're awake."
Ji Shisu had been taking care of her all night without sleep. Finally, the old matriarch regained consciousness.
"Shisu, how is Ning'er now?"
The old matriarch grabbed Ji Shisu's hand and asked anxiously. She was most concerned about Zhao Luoning now.
"I've sent someone to inquire. Luoning is out of danger. Grandma, don't worry."
Ji Shisu quickly asked someone to bring the decocted medicine. Zhinan, the old matriarch's personal maid, took the medicine bowl on one side. She gently touched the medicine bowl with the back of her hand. After making sure that the medicine wasn't too hot, she dared to hand the medicine bowl to Ji Shisu.
"My poor child. What kind of sin has she committed to suffer like this?"
The old matriarch was filled with grief. Everyone couldn't help but console her. It took her a long time to come to her senses.
When they walked out of Cihua Courtyard, Lord Ji looked very worried. Ji Shisu felt a bit sorry for him, so he suggested,
"Father, why don't you go and rest first? I'll handle this matter."
"This matter concerns your mother and step - mother. You'd better not interfere."
Then he said to the servant beside him,
"Call everyone to the main hall. Tell them I have something to order."
The servant took the order and withdrew. Lord Ji rubbed his temples and walked towards the ancestral hall.
Ji Shisu lowered his head and whispered a few words to Yuchi, then caught up with Lord Ji.
Yuzhu Garden of the Zhao Mansion
Zhao Luoning was dozing off on the imperial concubine chair. She didn't even notice that the book beside her hand had fallen to the ground.
Caixue tiptoed over with a cup of tea in her hand. First, she placed the tea on the stool within Zhao Luoning's reach, then picked up the book on the ground for her.
Only after picking up the book did Caixue find that what Zhao Luoning was reading wasn't the Book of Songs but an account book.
This was the account book of the Zhao Family's largest business - the Zhao Family Tea House.
Really, even when the miss was ill, she couldn't have any peace.
Hua Ci came to see Zhao Luoning that day just to ask her to help Zhao Luochun save the tea house.
Since the business of the tea house was handed over to Zhao Luochun, the business had been getting worse and worse. It seemed that it was about to close down.
Zhao Luochun was anxious, but he was simply not a business - minded person. He was like a headless fly looking for a way out and had lost a lot of weight these days.
Hua Ci was worried about Zhao Luochun's health and was afraid that the century - old foundation of the Zhao family would be destroyed like this. So she had no choice but to come to Zhao Luoning.
Zhao Luoning had no other way. As soon as her body recovered a bit, she started to look at the account books.
The miss had been looking at the account books all night. Even an iron - bodied person couldn't stand it.
The more Caixue thought about it, the more heart - broken she felt. She picked up a cattail fan and gently fanned Zhao Luoning. Before long, Zhao Luoning woke up by herself.
"Miss, are you awake?"
Caixue quickly put down the fan and helped Zhao Luoning sit up.
"Caixue, how long have I been sleeping?"
The light and shadows were flickering around. Just waking up from the dream, she was still groggy.
"It's not even half an hour yet, miss. Why don't you sleep a bit more? I'll go and bring your medicine."
Zhao Luoning waved her hand and asked,
"I still have to look at the accounts. I'll drink the medicine after I go back to my room."
Caixue looked at her with heartache.
"Miss, in my opinion, you should let the eldest young master suffer a bit. It's not a solution to throw all the problems to you every time there's an issue."
"The eldest brother can afford to suffer losses, but the Zhao family can't. The expenses of the whole family rely on the income from the tea house."
This was also the most headache - inducing problem for Zhao Luoning.
When she was in charge before, she would more or less control the family's spending. But within just a few months after she married into the Ji family, many new maids and servants had been recruited into the mansion, and they were spending money more and more lavishly.
If this continued, even a mountain of gold and silver would be emptied.
"Miss, you'll still have to go back to the Ji Mansion after all. Moreover... you can't be the third young master forever!"
Mentioning this topic, Zhao Luoning's eyes turned cold and she scolded, "Caixue!"
Caixue knew she had said something wrong and quickly shut up.
The fact that the eldest miss was pretending to be her deceased younger brother Zhao Luojing to manage the family business was a well - kept secret that even Lord Zhao was unaware of.
Actually, Zhao Luoning was very talented. Otherwise, the so - called Zhao Luojing, the third young master of the Zhao family she had pretended to be for all these years, wouldn't have become so famous and be regarded as a business genius that everyone wanted to make friends with.
Precisely because of this, Zhao Luoning, the eldest miss of the Zhao family, had to stay at home and avoid showing herself in public.
Gradually, everyone had forgotten that there was such an eldest miss in the Zhao family.
When people mentioned the miss of the Zhao family, they could only think of Zhao Luoyue, who caused troubles all day long outside and was well - known for her shrewishness in the neighborhood.
Caixue felt aggrieved for Zhao Luoning, but she also knew that if these words were heard by others, it would cause a lot of trouble. Knowing that she had caused a problem, she quickly changed the topic.
"Miss, there's news from the Ji family. They said that they've found out the truth."
Zhao Luoning's expression finally softened a bit. She picked up the teacup on the table and waited for the rest of the story.
"It was the gossiping of the maids below that spread the rumor to the lady's ears. That's why the lady came to look for you."