Chapter 178: Methods

As Pingyi spoke, the women of the Ping clan all felt her words deeply, their hearts heavy. The sixth aunt of the Ping family ground her teeth and declared, “Such a shameless woman—I wish I could simply beat her to death!”

The second sister of the Ping clan sobbed, “She’s driving me mad. I truly don’t know what to do anymore. If anyone can help me find a way out, I’d be willing to kowtow to her!” The women sighed together. One of them lamented, “Just thinking about encountering such troubles after marriage makes me never want to marry.” “Yes, exactly.” “Even Grandmother has no solution this time.” “If only we could meet someone clever enough to come up with a plan at a moment’s notice.”

Amid the chattering voices, Lu Ying lowered her gaze, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. She remained silent, and the others paid her no mind. Pingyi, too, only spoke to her on a whim, never expecting she could truly devise a solution.

In the midst of their sighs and gloomy mood, Lu Ying thought: Very well, I’ll give the Ping clan one more chance.

She mused, in the past the Ping clan had bullied her and her brother because they believed children were easy to control. If she revealed her intelligence before them, showed them she was not so easily manipulated, perhaps they would hesitate. Truthfully, for Pingyi’s sake, she did not wish to destroy the entire Ping clan so lightly.

With this resolve, Lu Ying turned to her sobbing cousin, and gently asked, “You say the concubine is from a respectable family? Are her parents or kin still present?” As soon as Lu Ying spoke, her voice carried a cool composure, a confidence that often surfaced in her tone. Unconsciously, her cousin raised her head, and the other girls ceased their conversation, turning their attention to the pair.

Her cousin nodded, “Her father is somewhat educated, he writes letters for people in the village, owns a small rice shop in Hanyang, and their family is fairly well-off.”

Lu Ying nodded, then asked, “How old is your illegitimate son now?”

“Just over two years.”

“Does the concubine like to go out?” Her cousin replied, “She goes out when there’s business. Lately, now that she’s favored, she’s been leaving more often than before.” “Does she have any regular places she visits?” “Yes, she has a married friend she often visits, and she frequents the temple.”

Lu Ying nodded, looking intently at her cousin. She said quietly, “Why must matters of the inner courtyard be solved within the inner courtyard? Since she often goes out, you could ask your uncles to help—have someone catch her with a man, their clothes in disarray. Or, you could spend some money to invite a Taoist priest to divine her and her child’s fortunes, and have him casually reveal that your illegitimate son is not your husband’s child. When doing this, simply remember to spread some rumors now and then about the concubine being intimate with some man she grew up with. The more, the better—no harm in it.”

Silence fell, absolute and utter.

Under the stunned and bewildered gazes of the women, Lu Ying spoke calmly, her voice clear and cold, “There are many ways to ruin a person. All she relies on is your husband’s favor; you, however, can mobilize the entire Ping clan. With such a large family, dealing with the daughter of a mere rice shop owner is hardly difficult.”

Her icy clarity echoed in the quiet room.

One by one, the aunts stared, their eyes wide with shock as they looked at her.

In this era, books were precious beyond measure; families like the Ping clan, those who truly read were only the sons. Most of the women knew only a few characters at best. With little education and never having left Hanyang, their horizons were narrow. Thus, Lu Ying’s simple truth—that inner chamber matters need not be solved there—was something these women, accustomed to living sheltered lives, could never have conceived.

For the first time, they realized that what seemed impossibly complex, utterly intractable, could actually be resolved with such ease!

The second sister of the Ping clan stared at Lu Ying for a long while, and gradually, a fierce blush appeared on her cheeks. She nodded vigorously, “Thank you, cousin. Now I know what to do.” She turned and glanced at her sisters, tears in her eyes, and earnestly said, “Sisters, what Lu Ying said concerns my very life. Please, do not breathe a word of this.” “Don’t worry, second sister.” “Sister, we’re family.” “Sister, I’ve never liked that wretched woman, it’s best to destroy her.” “Second sister, what are you afraid of? Our family wouldn’t have such a person.”

Watching the Ping clan women swear their loyalty, Lu Ying lowered her eyes and thought: To be honest, for all their arrogance and ruthlessness, the Ping clan has one merit—they fiercely protect their own. Whenever facing outsiders, the family always stands united.

The second aunt was evidently impatient; once the women promised, she hurried away.

Just then, music resumed—the birthday guest had arrived.

Today was only the informal birthday of the third aunt of the Ping clan; if not for the desire to draw closer to Lu Ying, the celebration would not have been so grand. Amid laughter and bustle, Lu Ying was pulled close by her third aunt, who spoke affectionately with her.

After presenting her handwritten copy of the “Tao Te Ching” as a gift, Lu Ying joined the merriment for a while, and after the meal, took her leave.

Evening came.

Lu Yun had returned from school; as soon as he entered, he said, “Sister, something odd happened today—a man named Wang Shang sent me a book, but when he saw me, he stared for a long time and kept asking my name over and over. Oh, and he asked about our family, too.”

Wang Shang?

Lu Ying turned, “What book did he send?”

“It’s Sima Qian’s ‘Records of the Grand Historian.’ We didn’t have it.”

Sima Qian’s ‘Records of the Grand Historian’? That tome was famed for its length—over five hundred thousand characters, one of the greatest works in history.

In this era, when paper was precious, such a gift was invaluable.

It was said that aspiring to be a ruler or minister required a study of history; within these records lay the wisdom of countless generations, making one insightful, shrewd, and able to grasp the present through the past. Lu Ying had always dreamed of reading this book, never expecting to receive it so soon.

“This gift is too valuable. On your next rest day, we’ll pay him a visit—and return the book.” Lu Ying thought for a moment, then explained to the puzzled Lu Yun, “A few times, I went out dressed as a man, and used your name.”

Lu Yun understood. He looked up at his sister, then suddenly grinned, “Sister, does he like you?”

Lu Ying shook her head; every meeting with that Wang, she’d been dressed as a man—if he liked her, it was her male persona he liked.

Thinking of this, Lu Ying herself was taken aback.

But before returning the book, she had to copy it.

With her mind made up, and recalling the four hundred taels of gold her family had recently acquired, they were now quite well-off. Lu Ying set to work immediately—she went out to buy candles, and told Lu Yun, “Let’s stay up late and copy this book together.” Lu Yun readily agreed.

They copied until midnight, so Lu Ying woke late the next morning. When she opened her eyes, her brother had already left for school.

After washing and breakfast, Lu Ying resumed copying. By the afternoon, her arm ached from exhaustion.

She gazed at the bright sunlight flooding the earth, then turned to look at the wall.

Slowly, she walked to the wall, running her hand over its rough, cold surface, thinking: He must still be on the road… Is he headed back to Luoyang, or somewhere else?

There is a kind of longing, lingering like the gentle spring breeze, always present in the heart. Sometimes, Lu Ying felt that when Yin Che was around, she never cared for him so deeply. She even thought her yearning for him was nothing more than the beauty of spring, the brilliance of sunlight, the vivid blooms of peach blossoms.

As Lu Ying slowly leaned her back against the wall, head bowed, letting the spring breeze caress her, a knock sounded at the door.

With a creak, Lu Ying opened the courtyard gate.

Outside stood Madam Huang, but beside her were Ah Qing and another woman whom Lu Ying did not recognize.

At their feet sat a large chest. Seeing Lu Ying look at them, Madam Huang and the unfamiliar woman lifted the chest, smiling brightly, “Lu Ying, this is Madam Qi from the main house.

This morning, Madam Qi insisted she wanted to send you something, but didn’t know what would be best. I said, Lu Ying and Lu Yun’s clothes are either very fine or very plain. If you want to send something, why not send a bolt of good fabric?”

It seemed the chest was filled with fabric.

Madam Huang was a sociable soul; as she spoke and laughed, the courtyard was soon lively.

After carrying the chest inside, Madam Qi opened the lid, revealing rolls of silk and brocade. Though some had faded colors, clearly kept a long time, the quality was rare even in Hanyang—far superior to what Lu Ying and Lu Yun usually wore.

Seeing Lu Ying’s satisfaction, Madam Qi gave a shy smile, stepped forward and bowed respectfully, “Cousin, this gift is from my second aunt, sent through me.”

Second cousin?

So this chest of fabric was her second cousin’s thank-you gift.

Madam Qi grinned, showing two protruding teeth, and added, “These fabrics were part of my aunt’s dowry. If the main house hadn’t fallen on hard times lately, we’d have been able to give much more.” Her sincerity was unmistakable.

Lu Ying smiled, “This is plenty.” She turned, “I’ll fetch some water.”

“No, no, cousin, let me do it.” Madam Qi quickly took the fire tongs from Lu Ying and busied herself at the stove. As she worked, she said, “To be honest, cousin, I watched my aunt grow up—she’s like family to me. This time, she even contemplated death. But with your good advice, she can truly live well now.”

Efficiently she lit the fire, ladled water onto it, and continued, “Just at noon, a Taoist priest came to my aunt’s door, and after matching the birth charts of several young men, he said that San Lang’s real father killed a merchant by accident in his youth, and the merchant’s spirit attached itself to San Lang, causing his soul unrest and frequent illness. When I left, the house was in chaos—the shameless woman and her son had already been expelled by the master.”

Turning, Madam Qi looked at Lu Ying with gratitude and awe, “Cousin, you’ve given us the gift of life.” (To be continued)