Chapter 762 - 764: The Meng Family’s Screen is Broken!
Upon hearing that the eunuch reported that the gift was sent by Meng Liangshen, the city owner of Beiyu City, Bai Ruozhu quickly looked over. Naturally, she knew what the screen looked like, but she was very curious about what material the Meng Family had used to make the frame. Would it be exceptionally grand?
Consequently, before she had a chance to pay attention to the frame, she was startled by a hole in the screen.
The screen was originally crafted with a pattern of thin silk and hook needle that depicted the character ’Shòu’ (longevity), and the hole was right at the place of a large ’Shòu’. The ’Shòu’ was gone. Was this a curse for the empress dowager to die an early death? Even if it was not done deliberately, it was still very inauspicious, wasn’t it?
The color immediately drained from Leng Wanhua’s face as she started mumbling, "Certainly, definitely, someone is up to mischief...."
This definitely provided a chance for mischief; the items were sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for inspection, and then carried over. There was sufficient time for someone to damage the screen during this period. Seeing her own work being maliciously destroyed, Bai Ruozhu’s face turned cold, and she clenched the plate in her hand, her knuckles protruding.
Noticing the unusual atmosphere, Jiang Yichun quickly greeted the people around him and rushed to Bai Ruozhu’s side.
"Don’t worry, I’m here," Jiang Yichun whispered. He recalled her once expressing her reluctance to prepare a birthday gift for the empress dowager on behalf of the Meng Family, afraid that any mishap would lead to trouble. Back then, he had reassured her just like Elder Lady Meng had, stating that the court was not as harsh as she supposed it to be and that it was not a matter of being decapitated. He even teased her about her timidity in this regard.
However, here they were, in the reality of the bad situation she had feared. The very first thing he did was rush to her, worried that she might be frightened.
Bai Ruozhu looked up, smiled at him, and said, "It’s fine. It is clearly deliberate. If I can mend a broken mirror, should I step forward?"
Leng Wanhua was certainly excited. This incident could invariably affect the reputation of the Meng Family. But if it could be resolved smoothly, she would naturally be pleased.
But then, looking back at Bai Ruozhu, Bai Ruozhu was now standing right at the heart of the storm. Wouldn’t the person who wanted to harm the Meng Family also hate Bai Ruozhu? If they could not get at the Meng Family, would they divert all their efforts into harming Bai Ruozhu?
Hence, Leng Wanhua opened her mouth, but ultimately, she could not utter a word. She felt that she had no right to ask Bai Ruozhu to step forward, as it would be too selfish of her.
At this moment, the emperor, seated on the high platform, joked, "Master Meng’s gift has journeyed a thousand miles from Beiyu City, no doubt requiring a great deal of effort." It is a pity, however, that it has been damaged."
The empress dowager and the emperor, both insightful individuals, naturally knew that Meng Liangshen wouldn’t be foolish enough to offend the empress dowager by giving her a damaged item. Someone else, undoubtedly, had tampered with it.
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs should also examine this matter, and see where the fault resides. It’s a pity that the Meng Family’s sincere intentions have been wasted." The empress dowager said with a smile.
The members of the Leng family breathed easier when they heard the emperor and empress dowager speak in this manner. However, even though the emperor and empress dowager did not blame anyone, the Meng Family had suffered considerable humiliation.
Jiang Yichun, smiling, looked at Bai Ruozhu, who was slightly raising her eyes to meet his, and said, "If you wish to do it, go ahead. Your husband will be there to protect you."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, and in an instant, her radiant smile was like a blossoming summer flower. Even Leng Wanhua, who was standing next to her, was stunned.
After regaining her senses, Leng Wanhua felt extremely awkward. In front of the couple’s intimate interaction, her very presence felt like an intrusion. Yet, abruptly departing seemed inappropriate. She was utterly flustered.
However, she was deeply envious of Bai Ruozhu, especially after hearing Jiang Yichun say, "If you wish to do it, go ahead. Your husband will protect you." His remark, although domineering and slightly arrogant, was, nonetheless, a declaration of unconditional support for his wife. Was he not therefore, the perfect husband for Bai Ruozhu?
At this moment, an official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, said, "It seems like the screen was damaged by insects or rats, not by a sharp object."
"Oh? Did Master Meng not know to use insect and rat repellent during transportation?" The empress dowager asked skeptically.
The official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had a difficult expression and replied, "This humble servant did, in fact, notice a scent typically used for driving away insects and rodents. I do not understand why the incident occurred despite this."
Bai Ruozhu made a face in secret. If someone was malicious, they could have intentionally used a rat to chew a hole in the screen.
With this thought, she nodded at Jiang Yichun and walked directly into the middle of the scene. She bowed to the emperor and the empress dowager and said, "Your Highness, the longevity screen was made by Ruozhu on behalf of the Meng Family. With it damaged like this, Ruozhu feels very distressed and would thus like to seek your permission to repair it."
"Having been so damaged, can it be restored to its former state?" inquired the empress.
Bai Ruozhu bowed to the empress and replied, "In response to Your Highness, I cannot ensure it will be flawlessly repaired, but I would like to be given a chance to try so that neither I nor the Meng Family will have any regrets."
The empress dowager smiled and nodded, "I have gratefully accepted your sincere intentions. It would indeed be wonderful if you could restore the screen. Go ahead and try it. Whatever you need, feel free to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs for it."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness." Bai Ruozhu offered her thanks and headed directly towards the screen.
She requested silk threads of the same color from the people of the Ministry of Communication, initially intending to have the screen taken off for repairs. However, the interest of the masters on the platform was piqued, and they asked her to repair it from below. Instead of performances of song and dance around the table, they would be watching her hook needle demonstration...
This made Bai Ruozhu feel very uncomfortable. She was not accustomed to performing, and being watched by so many people made her feel quite nervous. Fortunately, the empress dowager noticed her awkwardness and laughingly suggested, "The crowd may affect Madam Jiang’s concentration. The people of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, please set up a partition, leave one side open for me to enjoy the show."
That was essentially a polite way of saying that no one else was allowed to watch. Who would dare object to that?
Although still somewhat ill at ease being watched by the emperor, empress dowager, empress, and others, it was certainly better than being surrounded by a huge crowd.
Bai Ruozhu took a hairpin from her head with a hook needle at one end. This was something she had whimsically made when she was crafting, and it would now come in handy. The silk thread was loosened by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She instructed those who were skilled to twist four strands of silk together for her and then began her repairs.
Fortunately, only a small hole had been torn in the middle of the silk. But what surprised everyone was that the hook needlework had come apart, making it seem like a large hole.
Bai Ruozhu first carefully repaired the hole in the silk using a super fine thread. She then changed to a thicker thread and gently reattached all the broken threads, meticulously recreating the original hook pattern. Her jade-like fingers swiftly moved, and before long, a ’Shòu’ character reappeared, perfectly covering the hole in the silk, as if it had never been damaged.
The empress, having seen Bai Ruozhu able to crochet the thread with the working silk without breaking it, couldn’t help but exclaim, "Madam Jiang is truly skilled! It is rare to see such thin silk not be damaged. It is indeed extraordinary."
The empress dowager laughed beside her and filled with sentiment, said, "It is a rare occasion to see such a broken mirror mended. I am truly delighted."