Chapter 8: Old Grievances of the Clan

Hua Zhuo's two aunts, the elder aunt named Hua Yao, is the daughter of the concubine Wei, while the younger aunt named Hua Jue is born of the matriarch Liu. Although one is a legitimate child and the other a concubine's child, both were raised in the presence of the matriarch Liu, and in terms of daily necessities, there was no distinction. However, the personalities of Hua Yao and Hua Jue are entirely different

Liu Momo grew increasingly furious. Compared to the strong-willed eldest young lady, the second young lady's innocence was far more endearing. A flower-like person, gone without a trace, not even a bone could be found; how could this not provoke anger? If it were not for this reason, the old master would not have spat blood in rage and collapsed, never to rise again. The matriarch, Madam Fang, would not have followed the old master due to excessive grief.

Thus, the two precious gems of Rong'an Hall entered the capital. They set off bearing heavy responsibilities, yet no one could have anticipated that these two vibrant and lovely daughters, full of life when they departed, would return with only a lifeless body. Even more tragically, Hua Jue was executed for violating palace regulations, and her body was never returned, leaving no knowledge of which unmarked grave she was discarded in.

Hua Yao is strong-willed, always striving to be the first in everything, with a somewhat masculine temperament, unwilling to yield an inch to anyone, yet she is particularly obedient to her elder brother, Hua Xu; Hua Jue is gentle and delicate, but exceptionally beautiful. Before she entered the inner chambers, Lady Liu was already renowned for her beauty, and Hua Jue has inherited her mother's looks, excelling in needlework as well. From any perspective, whether in terms of appearance or talent, these two girls are outstanding. Despite their contrasting personalities, they are both cherished by their parents and brothers, having always been pampered in the inner chambers, never willing to suffer any grievances.

What else could it be for? One can only blame the second young lady for being too beautiful, attracting the attention of the noblewomen in the palace. However, the family members are truly ignorant and fail to consider the nature of that place. The second young lady has been pampered since childhood, developing an innocent and naive character; how could she possibly understand the intrigues and deceptions that abound? Sending her into the palace is akin to sending a sheep into a tiger's den. It is said that the family also has a legitimate young lady who is even more beautiful than the second young lady. Why was the second young lady sent into the palace instead? Is it not a way of taking advantage of our Rong'an Hall, assuming that no one is watching over such distant matters?

The master is more angry with himself... Liu Momo sighed again, "When the news of the two young ladies' incident came back, the master often regretted that it was not him who went at that time. He is a male heir and the only successor of Rong'an Hall. When the old master is not around, he can represent the entire Rong'an Hall. If he had been there at that time, Lady Wei would not have dared to entertain any improper thoughts. If he had not given his consent, the second young lady could not have been sent to the palace. However, at that time, the old madam was in poor health, and the two young ladies had to go to the capital, so the master had no choice but to stay behind to fulfill his filial duty."

This point is very important, so she must clarify it

The death of my second aunt, Hua Jue, contains some suspicious elements. Firstly, although Liu Mama claimed that Hua Jue was naive and innocent, her gentle nature suggests that she was not someone who would easily make mistakes. How could she have violated palace rules just a few days after entering the palace? Secondly, even if Hua Jue was indeed ignorant and did violate palace rules, she was after all the legitimate daughter of Rong'an Hall and was sent to the palace by Rongchang Hall. With her noble status and strong background, the dignitaries in the palace would not treat her lightly; whether punished, confined, or expelled from the palace, how could she have been executed on the spot? Thirdly, even if Hua Jue committed an unforgivable mistake and was executed immediately, why was her body not sent back to Rongchang Hall? Instead, it was disposed of privately, and afterwards, it was impossible to even find out where her remains were discarded.

Although it is detestable, after all, we are connected by the same roots, what can we do? Liu Momo sighed deeply, her gaze falling on the small face of Hua Zhuo, which was unconsciously wrinkled in thought. Unable to help herself, she embraced her and said: "Miss, do not hold a grudge against Rongchang Hall. Ultimately, the Hua family is a powerful clan; when one flourishes, all flourish, and when one suffers, all suffer. When Rongchang Hall took your two aunts away, they did not harbor any ill intentions. The matter concerning the eldest young lady was indeed an accident. As for the second young lady entering the palace, had it not been for an error, with her temperament and appearance, who could dare say she could not rise to prominence and soar to great heights? At that time, our Rong'an Hall would have had another opportunity to rise again. The arrangements made by Rongchang Hall were not without merit; it was merely fate playing tricks and the whims of fortune..."

Liu Momo could not help but cry again. She was originally a maid accompanying the matriarch, Lady Liu. Although Shi Yi was bought later and was much younger than her, the two truly understood each other and had an excellent relationship in their daily interactions

However, Father still harbors resentment towards Rongchang Hall, doesn't he? Hua Zhuo said with concern

The Rongchang Hall is utterly detestable

Liu Momo fell silent for a moment before saying: "When the matriarch gave birth to the second young lady, she suffered a setback in her health, and since then, she has been frail and sickly, unable to travel far. Therefore, it was the Tai Niang of the Wei family who accompanied her at that time. However, this Tai Niang of the Wei family... usually always wanted to advocate more for the eldest young lady. In fact, the matriarch has always treated both young ladies equally, but the Tai Niang of the Wei family is somewhat petty, always feeling that the eldest young lady's birth is inferior to that of the second young lady. This could be overlooked in other matters, but when it comes to marriage, she must certainly advocate for the eldest young lady. At that time, there was also a maid named Shiyi who accompanied the matriarch. Later, I heard Shiyi say that the eldest young lady's death was somewhat related to the Tai Niang of the Wei family. It is said that there was a young master from a family in the capital, who was well-born, well-educated, and came from an outstanding family. Once, when he visited Rongchang Hall, he was inadvertently seen by the Tai Niang of the Wei family, which stirred her interest... Alas, later on, it was not much different. One time, that young master's mother sent out invitations to many noble young ladies to enjoy the flowers, and our eldest young lady was among those invited. However, just the day before the flower viewing, the daughter of the family coaxed her to go to the outskirts for a spring outing, and as a result, she fell from her horse... Alas, later on, it was not much different. One time, that young master's mother sent out invitations to many noble young ladies to enjoy the flowers, and our eldest young lady was among those invited. However, just the day before the flower viewing, the daughter of the family coaxed her to go to the outskirts for a spring outing, and as a result, she fell from her horse..."

Although she had known the outcome for a long time, hearing the details at this moment still stirred a surge of anger within Hua Zhuo, just as it had in her previous life. However, after the anger subsided, she fell into deep contemplation

Although Liu Momo did not elaborate due to taboos, Hua Zhuo understood that this young master was undoubtedly a significant catch that Rongchang Hall sought. Given his distinguished family background, he was likely reserved for the daughters of the family. However, the concubine Wei had inappropriate thoughts, which angered the family. Consequently, the family devised the outing plan, likely without the intention of harming Hua Yao's life. After all, they were blood relatives; who would harbor murderous intent over such a trivial matter? They merely intended to trip her up, preventing her from attending the flower-viewing event. Little did they expect that Hua Yao would fall so badly and lose her life in an instant.

"Liu Mama, who accompanied the aunts to the capital?" Hua Zhuo felt a pang of bitterness in his heart and asked in a low voice

The Rong'an Hall is indeed a prestigious family, and it is unlikely that their daughter, who has left home to go to the capital, would not have a reliable and experienced person accompanying her to provide guidance at all times. In such circumstances, if they still fell victim to someone's schemes, there are only two possibilities: either the person accompanying them was not very dependable, or the Rongchang Hall had already planned to scheme against them. Whether intentional or unintentional, even the most seasoned companion might find it difficult to guard against such plots.

Unfortunately, her doubts can no longer be addressed by anyone. The information that Liu Momo knows was heard from the website m.hetushu.com. Although it is relatively detailed, the specifics are unlikely to be very clear. The truth behind Hua Jue's death is probably only known to some people from Rongchang Hall. If she were to clarify these matters, a visit to Rongchang Hall would be inevitable. However, her father would definitely not agree to let her go. What should she do?

The pitiful Lady Wei, the concubine, plotted in various ways, yet she could never have anticipated that it would lead to the demise of the young lady. At that moment, she went mad. At the same time, Shiyi had to care for the second young lady and attend to Lady Wei, leaving her overwhelmed and exhausted. Within a few days, she fell ill. Later... Alas, upon returning to Rong'an Hall, the old master was filled with anger and resentment, blaming her for not taking proper care of the two young ladies. In his fury, he even drove her away. It was a pity that she was still ill at that time, had lost her family, and did not know where to go. From then on, there was no news of her.

"Then why was the second aunt sent to the palace?" Hua Zhuo took a handkerchief to wipe Liu Momo's tears, and seeing that she had calmed down a bit, he asked again.

At this point, Liu Mama could not help but lower her head and wipe away her tears

In that year, the family of Rongchang Hall sent someone to bring the two girls to the capital. Lady Liu, the matriarch, was initially unwilling, and the two girls were also reluctant to leave their home and travel far to the capital. It was the old master who cited the late old master’s instructions to persuade Lady Liu. He also reminded the two girls that for the great plan of the two halls, they must be diligent after arriving in the capital, showing respect and filial piety towards their great-uncle and great-aunt, and maintaining harmonious relations with the family and their legitimate sisters.