Chapter 005: How Can You Still Stay?

Chapter 005: How Can You Still Stay?

With all the commotion, the expressions of the guests at the banquet varied. Father’s main concern was to keep the situation from getting out of hand. "Qinghuan, since this is a family matter, let’s resolve it at home. If this gets out, it won’t look good for He An either."

The old lady hadn’t expected Jiang Qiaohui to be so bold and no longer felt like protecting her. However, since Qinghuan had just married into the Prime Minister’s residence, it would be a significant loss if her reputation were affected.

The matter couldn’t be left unresolved, so Zhou Yunzhi stepped in to smooth things over. "Let’s eat first. We can discuss this later."

"Yes, yes, let’s eat first," Ruan Chengfu chimed in, abandoning the issue of the second branch for the moment and urging everyone to sit down.

He An pulled Qinghuan back, and only then did she sit back down reluctantly.

In the original story, after being formally divorced by He An, the Ruan family’s downfall was closely related to the second aunt, Jiang Qiaohui. By then, Ruan Xiaoyue had married Pei Chong, a commander of the guard, who served the second prince. To curry favor with the second prince, Ruan Xiaoyue was often pressured to extract money from her natal family.

Even so, Ruan Xiaoyue didn’t fare well. With a harem of wives and concubines in the Pei family, she, who had only borne two daughters, was looked down upon by Pei Chong. Despite holding the title of matriarch, she lived a life inferior to that of a concubine.

Since He An had already seen her domineering side, Ruan Qinghuan found it oddly satisfying. At least she wouldn’t have to pretend to be demure and well-mannered anymore, saving herself a lot of trouble.

Just at that moment, the person Qinghuan disliked the most appeared—Ye Fang, her father’s concubine—a secondary wife without the full rights of a primary wife.

In this era, it was normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines. Those who remained faithful and took only one wife were rare.

However, her father was an exception. Initially, the Ruan family was just a small household. Her mother, though, came from a prominent clan in Jiangnan. When her father went to Jiangnan for business, he met her mother.

When he proposed, he made solemn vows, promising to marry only her mother in this lifetime and never take a concubine. This promise persuaded her grandfather to agree to the marriage.

With her grandfather’s support, the Ruan family’s business gradually grew, becoming the leading family in the capital. Yet, her father forgot his promises and brought Ye Fang, a widow, into the household without proper status. Though she was a concubine in name, she wasn’t even granted the proper title of one.

Ye Fang respectfully greeted the old lady, who coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard that Qinghuan and Prime Minister He are returning home for the first time after marriage, so I came to see them."

As a concubine, Ye Fang shouldn’t have been present at such a family banquet. It was clearly against the rules.

The old lady, who had always felt sympathetic towards her daughter-in-law, was icy towards Ye Fang. But her son was determined and refused to let her go.

Zhou Yunzhi’s face turned cold immediately. Today was her daughter’s return, yet a concubine had the audacity to enter the hall. It was as if she, the matriarch, wasn’t even there.

To save face for her daughter, Zhou Yunzhi gritted her teeth and endured the insult.

Unexpectedly, Qinghuan suddenly turned cold. Zhou Yunzhi, knowing her daughter’s temperament, held Qinghuan’s hand and shook her head seriously.

Qinghuan understood. Her mother was worried that causing a scene would make He An look down on them.

But she didn’t care. In the original story, when the original Qinghuan returned alone, she caused chaos in the Ruan family. She couldn’t just stand by and watch her mother be bullied.

Moreover, she didn’t care about He An’s opinion at all.

"What did you just call me?" Qinghuan demanded, her voice sharp.

Relying on Ruan Chengfu’s protection, Ye Fang initially didn’t pay attention to Qinghuan’s tone. "Qinghuan, technically, I’m your aunt. We’re family. Why are you being so harsh?"

Ruan Chengfu tried to mediate. "Ye Fang, don’t make a scene. Go back."

"Sir, I genuinely came to see Qinghuan. When did I cause trouble?"

Before Ye Fang could finish her sentence, Qinghuan moved swiftly, circling the stool like a predator. Just as Ye Fang was about to sit down with a smile, Qinghuan grabbed her arm, pulled her aside, and slapped her across the face.

Standing tall and imposing, Qinghuan forced Ye Fang to crane her neck slightly to meet her gaze.

A crisp sound, mixed with Ye Fang's scream, caused everyone in the hall to flinch.

Even Ruan Chengfu was momentarily stunned, forgetting to react.

"You... you... you! I'm your concubine, how dare you hit me?"

"In the Ruan residence, you're lower than a low-ranking maid. Without the matriarch's summons and without the mistress's orders, how dare you be so bold as to enter the hall? Who gave you the courage?"

Ye Fang didn’t expect Ruan Qinghuan to strike immediately. But the words she spoke couldn’t be refuted. She could only look at Ruan Chengfu with a pitiful expression.

Seeing this, Ruan Chengfu's anger flared. "Nonsense! Talk things out properly. How can you resort to violence?"

As Ruan Chengfu moved toward Ye Fang, his wife also stood up. But He An, who had been sitting in silence, finally spoke. "Qinghuan is just disciplining a servant. There's no need for my father-in-law to be angry. In the Prime Minister's residence, such unruly maids would simply be sold off."

Everyone fell silent.

Ruan Chengfu hesitated, his steps faltering.

As the Prime Minister, although He An was Ruan Chengfu's son-in-law, their statuses were worlds apart. If it weren't for his friendship with He An's father from years ago, securing the marriage alliance, he would never have been connected to such a prestigious family.

Seeing Ruan Chengfu's hesitation, Ye Fang burst into even more piteous sobs. "My lord, I..."

He An interjected coolly, "Father-in-law, according to the laws of our Dongzhao Kingdom, a maid who seduces her master and disrupts the household should be punished with thirty strikes of the rod and then sold off. This woman seems to be trying to put you in a bad light. She probably can't be kept."

Everyone fell silent again.

Ye Fang staggered back, trying to defend herself. "Prime Minister, I am the concubine of my lord, not just an ordinary maid."

He An's expression hardened. "Then you deserve even more punishment. Your actions just now were clearly provoking the mistress. If this were proven, my father-in-law would be guilty of favoring the concubine and neglecting the wife, making the matter even more serious."

The matriarch, hearing her son was implicated, grew anxious and angry. She gave a discreet nod to the old woman beside her. "Take Ye Fang down and give her twenty strikes of the rod, then make her kneel in penitence at the ancestral hall."

Ruan Qinghuan was taken aback. She hadn’t expected He An to involve himself in her family affairs.

After the incident, He An returned to his seat as if nothing had happened and poured Qinghuan a cup of wine. "My lady, don’t be angry. No matter what happens, I’m here for you."

Ruan Qinghuan remained silent for a moment. "Thank you."

Ruan Chengfu could only sit back down, feeling like he was on pins and needles as he listened to the faint cries from the back courtyard, too afraid to leave.

Only after the cries ended did the matriarch apologize. "This return visit has been quite a spectacle, my lord. It's my fault for failing to manage the household properly. It has nothing to do with Qinghuan."

"Grandmother, there's no need. In this house, just call me He An."

Seeing that He An treated Qinghuan well, the matriarch felt relieved. "Everyone didn’t eat well at lunch. Come to my courtyard tonight, and we’ll have a good chat."

Ruan Qinghuan was about to refuse. "Grandmother, my lord is busy, so we shouldn’t—"

"It’s alright. Since both my father and mother are not in the residence, you can stay here for a couple more days, if you don’t mind, grandmother."

Ruan Qinghuan was surprised. "My lord, there are still guests in the residence."

"It’s fine. The servants will take care of it."

Hearing that her daughter would stay for a few more days, Zhou Yunzhi was delighted. "Good, good, good. I’ll have someone clean Qinghuan’s bedchamber right away. You two will stay in Yingyue Pavilion tonight."

Ruan Qinghuan was left speechless. Had He An gone mad? After all the commotion she caused, how could he possibly stay?