Knowing he had slipped, Chen Sanlang immediately put on a harmless smile. He went to Chen Rong, sighed and said, “Ah Rong, I know asking you to do this is disadvantageous to your reputation. But this is an exceptional time, the Hu will attack Nan’yang before we know it. If we were to have a food shortage, the first to starve would be you girls.”
He paused, and then seemingly said in passing: “I heard there had been cities where even women and children were killed for food due to famine…”
His voice was low and unintentional, but it was just enough for Chen Rong to hear.
At this time, Chen Yuan impatiently said to Chen Sanlang, “Enough already.” He then turned to Chen Rong and cut to the chase: “Ah Rong, go and make preparations. It’s best to leave this evening.”
He was so resolute that he gave her almost no room to refuse.
Based on the fury he had directed at Lady Li and Lady Ruan, she could see how important this matter was to him.
She had known they wouldn’t let her refuse.
For that reason, she said nothing more and just stood up to give them a curtsy and head out.
“Where are you staring off to? Go and make arrangements for Ah Rong’s escorts!” Chen Yuan snapped at Chen Sanlang who was still staring after Chen Rong’s departing figure.
“Aye, father.”
Chen Rong returned home. After telling her servants what had happened, she turned and went into her room.
Behind her, Nurse Ping was struggling to contain herself. “That means the clan has relented! They must have decided to give you to General Ran. Isn’t this wonderful? This is so wonderful!”
She wasn’t alone in her celebration. Even Old Shang and the other servants lit up at their young mistress.
It was only a few days ago that Chen Rong had spent a night outside the city and come back at dawn with the escort of the Wang House of Lang’ya. They didn’t say how they had met her or did they offer to explain that Ah Rong of the Chen House was still chaste.
Because they had said nothing, people had had to guess. Talks shuttled across the estate. Some said Ah Rong had encountered the refugees and gotten raped, meeting the Wang House and receiving their help by chance. Others said she was meeting her lover and was already carrying his child.
The stories were endless.
Listening to such stories, her servants had felt that their mistress had better to ask Wang Qilang to accept her as a concubine. Never in their wildest dreams did they think that the clan would relent and that General Ran might ask to marry her. They only hoped that before these rumors could reach Ran Min’s ears, Chen Rong’s fate would be sealed with marriage.
As she packed, Chen Rong looked at Nurse Ping bursting with joy beside her. She dropped her gaze with a pensive expression.
She had barely finished packing by the time Chen Sanlang came to find her.
He brought her to the square where fifty to sixty guards stood waiting alongside several carriages. Chen Sanlang waved the tallest guard over, pointed at Chen Rong and ordered: “Li Cheng, remember well. No matter what happens, you must protect your mistress. Come back if she is safe, but there’s no need to return to Nan’yang should anything happen to her.”
“Aye,” the man named Li Cheng solemnly replied.
He turned his head toward the troop and shouted: “Brothers, do you hear what the master said?”
“Aye!”
Chen Sanlang nodded.
He turned around to look at Chen Rong.
“Ah Rong, these people will be at your beck and call. They are all extraordinarily skilled. Rest assured, they will bring you safely to General Ran.”
Chen Rong dutifully curtsied to him. “Aye, third brother.”
Chen Sanlang sighed and added, “I had wanted to send you off, but I’m swamped with work and cannot extract myself.”
You mean you know the journey isn’t safe and you’re afraid of misadventure? Chen Rong smirked but kept saying: “Don’t worry about it, third brother.”
After Chen Sanlang said a few more words, he looked at Chen Rong, gave some thought, leaned in and said, “Ah Rong, if General Ran still wants you, you ought to accept. I’ll explain to the clan.”
Chen Rong looked up at him in surprise. “What about Ah Wei?”
Chen Sanlang furrowed his brow, waved dismissively and said, “Ah Wei is a lady, but so are you. You don’t have to yield to her when it comes to marriage.” Despite saying this, his eyes could not hide contempt when he looked at her. Does she really think General Ran would want to marry her? He’ll take her as a bed maid at most. (1)