Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 30

Pang Di was somewhat surprised by his reaction, but also found it quite amusing. So, while pulling his blanket over her, she laughed and said, "Listen to me!"

Wang Pang insisted on covering his face with the blanket, saying from inside, "I won't listen. I'm so angry!"

"Hey, how can you be so petty!" Pang Di stopped pulling at him when he still wouldn't let go. Seeing his long, flowing hair, black and soft, like that of a beautiful woman, she couldn't help but stroke it and gently advised him, "Why do you care so much? Even if they are good, in my heart, can they be as good as you?"

Upon hearing this, he remained motionless for a moment, then pulled back the covers and smiled broadly, saying, "That's true. My beautiful hair alone would be enough for Su Shi to grow for several years."

Upon hearing this, Pang Di burst into laughter, leaning against his chest and laughing for a long time before finally managing to stop. She looked up and asked him, "Aren't you ashamed of admiring yourself like this?"

Wang Pang smiled without answering. He sat up slightly and leaned against the headboard, then reached out his hand to her and said softly, "Come, Di, let me kiss you." His tone was as natural as if he were asking her to have some tea.

Although she had been married to him for over a year, Pang Di still felt a flush of excitement, just like when they first married, when faced with his sudden, gentle teasing. Of course, she felt joy and warmth in her heart, clearly sensing the waves of tenderness washing over her.

She felt that she truly loved this man.

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Taking a concubine

After spending a short time with her husband, Pang Di went to the hall to pay her respects to her parents-in-law. However, Wang Anshi was still in the palace discussing state affairs with the emperor, and only Lady Wu was there. Wen'er was excitedly telling her mother about her experiences since they parted, while Qiu Niang stood to the side with her head down.

"Shortly after we set off from Hangzhou, we encountered a group of thieves on the mountain road..." she was recounting the robbery.

Pang Di immediately became worried: Wen'er also heard the Prince of Qi call out to the bandit leader Cao Ming that day. She's so clever; she probably couldn't possibly be unaware that he was from the Empress Dowager's family. Even if she didn't realize it, her parents and brothers would likely figure it out easily after she told them. Oh dear, I forgot to tell her we should keep it a secret.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang immediately pressed them for details, asking if they were alright, how they escaped, and whether they knew the identity of the thieves.

Wen'er waved her hand and said, "Of course we're alright, otherwise how could we have come back safely? Those thieves were probably bandits. I didn't realize Hangzhou was so unsafe. It seems Su Shi didn't do a good job as an official..." Then, her eyes shining, she shook her mother's hand and said, "Mother, do you know who saved us? It was Prince Qi! The Emperor's second brother, Prince Qi, Zhao Hao! He just swung his sword once, and all the thieves fell down..."

Pang Di breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease. Then he smiled as Wen'er continued her eloquent descriptions of the Prince of Qi's swordsmanship.

Madam Wang smiled and stroked her daughter's head, sighing softly, "It seems my youngest daughter has grown up..."

Turning her head, she saw Pang Di and called her over, asking her in detail about her father and maternal family. Pang Di chatted with her for a while. Afterwards, Madam Wang looked at Qiu Niang and asked, "I just heard Wen'er say that this girl was bought by you in Jiangning."

Pang Di nodded in agreement, thinking that since her father-in-law had not yet returned, there was no need to rush to tell him the details of Qiu Niang's case. She would ask him for help to rescue her husband later.

Madam Wang got up and walked to Qiu Niang's side, took her hand and looked her over from left to right, clearly liking her very much. Then, she asked her in a kind and gentle manner about her name, age, background, and so on, as if she were particularly interested.

Qiu Niang was a little shy and reserved, but she still answered each question calmly.

Madam Wang then said to Pang Di, "I like this girl very much. Let her keep me company for the next couple of days."

Pang Di naturally agreed.

After bidding farewell to her mother-in-law, Pang Di left the living room and returned to her room. Wen'er followed her out and stopped her at the corner of the corridor, saying, "Sister-in-law, if my brother and father ask about our robbery, please don't say that the thief's surname is Cao, okay?"

Pang Di was surprised: she had been worried that she would reveal this, but instead, she asked Pang Di to keep it a secret.

So he asked, "Did the Prince of Qi ask you not to tell anyone?"

Wen'er shook her head and said, "No." Then, after thinking for a moment, she explained, "It's obvious that these thieves are from Empress Dowager Cao's maternal family, and my sister-in-law should be able to tell too. They're probably using our kidnapping to retaliate against Father for the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, which harmed their family's interests. But we've already been rescued by Prince Qi, though it was a close call. If Father and Brother find out, they'll definitely hold the Cao family accountable. Prince Qi is extremely filial to the Empress Dowager and certainly doesn't want her to be troubled by this. And if we ask him to testify again, he'll be caught in the middle and in a very difficult position. He saved our lives, so even if we don't repay him, we should at least not cause him any trouble, right?"

Pang Di laughed in surprise, "When did you learn to think about others?"

Wen'er blinked and said, "I've always been so sensible and understanding, didn't you know that, sister-in-law?" She continued to pull Pang Di, wanting her to agree. Pang Di nodded, and she smiled and ran away.

In the evening, Wang Pang's illness suddenly worsened. He experienced alternating chills and fever, fainted several times, and was not fully conscious. Pang Di was worried and anxious, staying by his bedside without leaving him for a moment, feeding him medicine and wiping his sweat, and even skipping dinner.

As night deepened, Wang Pang quieted down, and no more groans could be heard. Pang Di noticed that the maids who had been serving him all day looked exhausted, so she ordered them to return to their rooms to rest. A short while later, however, she saw Wang Pang shivering, seemingly very cold. Pang Di reached out and touched his hands and feet, finding them icy cold. She quickly fetched hot water to wipe him, but it didn't warm him up.

In my anxiety, tears started to fall.

Tears fell on his face, startling him awake. He opened his eyes, saw her, and smiled: "Why are you crying?"

As she wiped away her tears, she asked, "Are you very cold?"

He said, "Yes." He looked at her tear-streaked face with a gentle smile and said softly, "Don't cry, don't cry. Come lie down with me for a while and I won't be cold anymore."

She stopped thinking about whether there was any mockery in his words, and only felt that he was so sickly and weak like a pitiful child, and that any request he made should be granted. So she took off her clothes and lay down beside him, nestled obediently in his arms, and used her warm body heat to soothe his cold hands and feet.

His arms held her weakly. She felt his cool lips slowly slide from her forehead across her cheek and lips, and as they brushed past her ear, she clearly heard a deep sigh, as if from the depths of his heart. She looked up at him and saw a faint smile on his face, yet his eyes were filled with tears, a mixture of happiness and sorrow.

The next day, his condition seemed to improve, but Pang Di still dared not relax and stayed in the room to take good care of him.

After lunch, Madam Wang sent someone to invite her over, saying that she had something to discuss.

After she entered her mother-in-law's room, Madam Wang immediately dismissed all the maids, leaving only the two of them inside. Pang Di was slightly surprised by her seriousness and quickly asked her mother-in-law what they wanted to discuss.

Madam Wang asked her, "What do you think of Qiu Niang?"

Pang Di said, "That's good. You don't like her?"

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Not at all. I like her, I really like her. It's a pity that someone as talented as her is just an ordinary maid."

Pang Di asked, puzzled, "Then how does the old woman intend to treat her?"

Madam Wang said in a low voice, "I want you to take her in, sir. Since you bought her, I need to discuss it with you first."

"Ah!" Pang Di exclaimed in surprise, objecting, "No! She has a husband!" He then recounted Qiu Niang's ordeal.

Lady Wang pondered for a moment, then said, “Although her plight is pitiful, since she herself decided to sell herself into slavery, we can’t say anything about it. Which slave doesn’t have a bitter past? Besides, we’re not asking her to be a slave, but to be the concubine of the Prime Minister. How many maids in the world have such a blessing?” Saying this, she sighed sadly, “I’m old and my health isn’t good. I can’t take care of Master as well as I used to when I was young. Although Master doesn’t mind me, a wife should put her husband first and always think of him. I’ve always wanted to find him a concubine to take care of him, but I haven’t found a suitable person. Now that I see that Qiu Niang is good-looking and has a good temperament, Master should like her too. Why not make this a happy occasion and fulfill my long-cherished wish?”

Pang Di shook his head and said, "If you want to take a concubine, you can choose someone else. Since Qiu Niang was willing to sell herself to redeem her husband, it is clear that they are deeply in love. We must not do such a thing as breaking up a loving couple!"

Madam Wang said displeasedly, "How can you make it sound so serious! I just told Qiu Niang what I meant, and she nodded in agreement." Then she called out, "Qiu Niang, come in for a moment."

Qiu Niang entered with her head bowed and greeted Pang Di respectfully.

Madam Wang said to her, "Tell the young mistress that I forced you to become the master's concubine."

Qiu Niang remained expressionless and said in a low voice, "Young Madam is overthinking it. It is truly my blessing that Madam has taken a liking to me and made me a concubine for the Prime Minister. Of course, I will obey and I am extremely grateful."

Although she said this, Pang Di naturally saw that she was acting out of necessity and truly considered herself a slave to be slaughtered, so he did not object. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that her family had been ruined by the Grand Canal Transport Office, and she would probably, like those ignorant passersby, blame Wang Anshi, who implemented the Equalization of Transport Law. He hadn't explained his identity to her along the way, and she only learned that she had been bought by Wang Anshi's daughter-in-law when she arrived at the Prime Minister's residence. Now the Prime Minister's wife wanted her to be the concubine of her "enemy," Wang Anshi, and she probably thought he was deliberately deceiving her and leading her into the lion's den. He never imagined that his good intentions would now seem like he had done something wrong.

She had a thousand words she wanted to explain to her, but she didn't know how to begin. Just then, a maid ran in and said to her, "The young master is calling for the young mistress again."

So she had no choice but to get up and leave. Before leaving, she glanced at Qiu Niang apologetically, thinking that perhaps she would find an opportunity later to persuade her father-in-law not to take her as a concubine, as she was truly powerless in the current situation.

That night, Qiu Niang entered Wang Anshi's bedroom.

Wang Anshi was still reading by the lamp when he looked up at her and found her unfamiliar, so he asked her if she was a new maid.

Qiu Niang replied, "I was bought by the young mistress in Jiangning. The mistress asked me to serve the master."

Wang Anshi nodded, completely unaware that her "serving" referred to being a concubine, and ignored her, continuing to read. Qiu Niang, unsure what to do, stood blankly to the side. Later, as Wang Anshi grew weary, he stretched and got up, and Qiu Niang hurried over to help him wash up.

After washing up, Wang Anshi was about to undress and go to bed when he saw her still standing beside him. He told her to get out of the way. She was taken aback and didn't know where to go, so she stood there hesitantly.

Now Wang Anshi finally found it strange and asked her, "Where is your wife?"

Qiu Niang lowered her head and said, "Madam said she will sleep in the guest room tonight."

Wang Anshi asked in surprise, "Why?"

Qiu Niang said timidly, "Madam asked me to serve Master... to bed..."

"Nonsense!" Wang Anshi angrily asked, "Did Adi buy you from Jiangning just to make you my concubine?"

Startled, Qiu Niang knelt down and said, "It is my honor to serve you, my lord, Madam... Have I offended you by not pleasing you?"

Wang Anshi sighed, looked at her carefully, and asked, "What is your name? Why do you want to sell yourself into slavery?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Niang was overcome with grief, tears streaming down her face, but she was unsure whether she should speak. Seeing this, Wang Anshi kindly persuaded her, and she hesitantly explained the reason again.

"How dare the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner abuse his power so arbitrarily, imposing heavy fines and harming innocent people?!" Wang Anshi was furious and slammed his hand on the table with a loud "bang."

Qiu Niang was both frightened and somewhat confused: "They said this was being handled impartially in accordance with the Equal Transportation Law..."

Wang Anshi said, “How could a boatload of rice be worth eight thousand strings of cash? Besides, the main cause of the sinking was the weather. Although your husband was responsible for escorting the goods, he should be held accountable, but he absolutely should not be punished so severely. Tomorrow I will ask the Transport Commissioner which law stipulates such a handling of shipwreck incidents.” Then he helped her up with both hands and apologized, saying, “It was my failure to investigate the corrupt practices of these departments that allowed them to act so recklessly, causing your family to be ruined. I am truly ashamed, please forgive me, young lady. Tomorrow I will personally look into this matter and make sure they handle it according to the law again, refund the excessive fines you paid, and severely punish those who are corrupt and lawless. You should go to the guest room to rest first, and return to Jiangning with your husband after he is released from prison.”

Qiu Niang suspected she was dreaming and repeatedly asked, "Master, is what you're saying true?"

Wang Anshi smiled and nodded, saying, "Go and rest first. You can reunite with your husband tomorrow. Go ahead and invite your wife over."

With tears welling up in her eyes, Qiu Niang knelt down again and solemnly kowtowed to Wang Anshi to express her gratitude: "I will repay the kindness you have shown to my husband and me in my next life."

Lady Wang never expected her husband to refuse the concubine she had chosen for him. Most men, upon achieving success, would eagerly take multiple wives and concubines, but Wang Anshi was different. He didn't take a concubine after passing the imperial examination, nor after being promoted, and now, as the Chancellor, second only to the emperor, he still only kept his aging wife. Lady Wang, on the other hand, felt ashamed, realizing she was old and frail, unable to properly care for him and often causing him worry. She felt guilty and wanted to find him a personal caregiver to take care of him. She assumed he wouldn't object. What man would refuse such a stroke of good fortune, especially one his wife had kindly chosen for him? She even thought he might share this desire, but was simply reluctant to bring it up out of consideration for their years of marriage and to avoid upsetting her.

However, Wang Anshi's handling of the matter tonight took her completely by surprise.

Entering his bedroom, she sighed softly, "Why did you refuse, sir? Is she not to your liking?"

Wang Anshi smiled and said, "She is very good; she has a good appearance and a good temperament."

"Then why doesn't the master take her as a concubine?"

"Is my wife finally tired of me?" Wang Anshi walked over and pulled her to sit down, saying self-deprecatingly, "I know I'm busy with state affairs all day long, my face is dirty and my clothes are dirty, which makes my wife worry about me all the time. Now that I'm old, I can no longer enjoy reciting poems with my wife as often as I did when I was young. I've become a vulgar old man burdened by fame and fortune."

“Not at all,” Madam Wang said with a smile, “A true man should be like you, concerned about the country and its people, and taking it upon himself to revitalize the world. This is also one of the main reasons why I admire you, my husband.”

Wang Anshi laughed and said, "Whether you dislike me or admire me, I will not take a concubine. Do you remember how I went through so much trouble to marry you? It was so hard to get you, so I'm sticking with you for life. Don't even think about giving me away to someone else."

Lady Wang came from a wealthy and influential family in Linchuan. When she was seeking a husband, talented men from all around flocked to her seeking his hand in marriage. Lady Wang was determined to find a man of exceptional talent to spend her life with, so she set questions for the suitors to answer. Wang Anshi had no intention of seeking marriage, but when he passed by, he found the questions interesting and answered them offhand. His quick wit and cleverness in reciting poems and couplets helped him pass each test, and he was thus chosen as her son-in-law. At that time, he had not yet passed the imperial examination, and his family was not particularly well-off. This shows that Lady Wang did not judge people by their appearance and had great foresight.

When Madam Wang heard her husband mention the past and say these words, she was very moved and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. Actually, I didn't mean to push you away to someone else. I just wanted to find a new person so that you could relive the joy of having a beautiful woman by your side."

Wang Anshi smiled and said, "The image of a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's sleeves is something I enjoyed when I was young, but after decades, I feel that what is most precious is the years we spent supporting each other through thick and thin. Let Pang'er and A'di savor the beauty of a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's sleeves."

Thinking of her son and daughter-in-law, Madam Wang smiled and said, "They are so loving. Just like we were more than twenty years ago."

Wang Anshi put his arm around her and deliberately asked, "Could it be that my wife and I are no longer in love?"

Madam Wang smiled but said nothing, feeling that marrying this man was the most correct thing she had ever done in her life.

Hidden Story

Wang Pang slept peacefully. The shadows cast by the candlelight accentuated the contours of his features, making him appear like a meticulously sculpted sculpture. Apart from being slightly thinner, he looked just as he had on their wedding night, allowing Pang Di to happily rediscover his pleasing appearance. Perhaps his illness had lessened considerably; he seemed to be in less pain, lying comfortably, even in his sleep, his face still bearing a relaxed expression.

Pang Di couldn't help but smile. Seeing that it was late, she took off her clothes and went to bed. She naturally lay down beside him, snuggling against him just like the night before. Touching his hands and feet, she felt that they were no longer as cold as before, but at a normal temperature, so she closed her eyes and fell asleep reassured, not forgetting to hold one of his arms around her; she liked this intimate feeling.

In the middle of the night, Wang Pang woke up alone and was surprised to find her snuggling up to him. She had always been very shy, so much so that he always felt like he was taking advantage of her whenever he made any intimate move towards her. And now she was actually taking the initiative to share a bed with him. But when he saw that she was holding his arm tightly and there was still a faint smile on her lips, he felt a warmth in his heart.

He sat up slightly and looked at her with a smile. She was fast asleep and completely unaware of his presence. Her face was flushed as if she were drunk, and her clean, soft lips were free of any trace of lipstick, yet they were delicate and lovely. Her sweet breaths were pure and alluring to him.

His gaze gradually ignited.