Chapter 108 If the world is at peace - Chu Single Line: Attempt

The weather was fine and sunny, and the sky was clear and bright.

The maid sitting at the front of the carriage craned her neck to watch the grand procession of carriages and horses outside the city, entering the capital in order.

They don't know when it will be their turn.

The maid leaned into the carriage and saw a young girl sitting by the window, reading a book.

Her gentle and refined temperament, and dignified demeanor, combined with the book in her hands, made her appear exceptionally cultured.

The maid placed the fruit on the table. "If you're tired, Miss, please rest for a while."

"I reckon it'll be a while before we get into town."

Yu Wanyin looked up at the carriage window and asked the maid cautiously, "Won't this delay the time?"

"No, it won't happen." The maid reassured her, "As long as you enter the capital today, you will have fulfilled the imperial decree."

Yu Wanyin nodded and whispered, "That's good."

Looking at the girl's obedient appearance, the maid understood why Yingzhou had chosen her to accompany the Princess of Yingzhou to the capital to be her companion.

Now, the Great Li Heavenly Dynasty is divided among foreign states, and the princes' fiefdoms are increasingly alienated from the capital.

To prevent the various vassal states from harboring rebellious intentions, the princes' children would be summoned to the capital every so often.

He spent several years in Kyoto living with the imperial family and relatives, teaching them to read and write, and receiving Kyoto's discipline.

When the time is right, he will be sent back to his fiefdom to take over the marquisate.

As for the timing, that's up to the imperial court.

Princes' children usually have companions to study with.

The girl in front of me is one of them, sent to the capital on orders.

Yu Wanyin had been traveling for many days and got up early this morning to prepare for her journey to the capital, but she was unexpectedly delayed on the road.

At the gates of Kyoto, nobles from various fiefdoms were queuing up to enter the city. Seeing that she wasn't in a hurry, Yu Wanyin put her book aside and went to catch up on some sleep.

I'm probably really tired lately.

Yu Wanyin fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, unaware of when she entered the city.

When she woke up, the carriages and horses had been waiting in the imperial city for quite some time.

The Imperial Guards were busy settling the prince's children when Yu Wanyin was awakened by the noise outside. She sat up and lifted the curtain beside her.

At first glance, I saw a lot of people standing outside the carriage.

There were many carriages and horses that were also stationary nearby, just like hers.

Some young men and women were helped off the carriages and horses and taken to nearby accommodations.

Yu Wanyin silently looked around, and out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of a young man standing there.

The young man was also dressed in court attire, with a noble and elegant figure. He stood there talking to people, exuding a refined and otherworldly air.

He was too conspicuous.

Yu Wanyin couldn't help but gently pull the curtain beside her and look at it for a few more moments.

He seemed to notice the gaze fixed on him, paused for a moment while speaking, and turned to look at them.

Yu Wanyin was caught peeping out of the blue, and guiltily pulled down the curtain beside her to cover up what she was seeing.

Chu Yu stared in that direction for a moment, then turned back as if he hadn't seen it and continued talking to others about the arrangements for the day.

Yu Wanyin sat inside the carriage, her whole body slightly feverish.

Just then, the process of getting ready came to her, and a maid came in from outside the carriage. "Miss, it's time for us to get off."

"Okay," Yu Wanyin replied, getting up to go downstairs.

It was already late afternoon, the sun was setting in the west, and the sky was getting dark.

Yu Wanyin got out of the carriage and was about to take her things to her residence when a palace servant walked back with a troubled look on his face.

"Young lady, it's really unfortunate, the place you're staying at is full."

The maid spoke first, "What does 'full' mean?"

“That’s right, we can’t stay here for the time being, we have to find another place to stay.” The palace maid bent her back slightly, clearly not expecting this situation. “At first it was enough, but the Prince Jing’s son brought many more companions, and the rooms are all full.”

The maid frowned, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

However, they couldn't interfere with the arrangements made by the royal relatives. "Then where will our young lady stay?"

"There's not enough room in the palace, so we're looking for accommodation outside." The palace servant gestured, "Please don't worry, even if we find an inn for the young lady, there's always a place. After all, this is the capital."

Yu Wanyin listened to their back-and-forth conversation and roughly understood what was going on.

This is because the powerful and wealthy cannot be offended, so they can only offend people from insignificant families like themselves.

When arranging accommodations, priority was given to the relatives of the nobility.

However, this is understandable.

“Miss is here in the capital by imperial decree; she is a noble person. How can she stay in an inn?” The maid was quite dissatisfied. “Besides, no matter what kind of inn it is, it is quite troublesome to cross the official road and the imperial city to get to the academy.”

"Yes, yes, yes." The palace servant nodded repeatedly. "This inn is definitely a last resort, we must..."

Before the palace servant could finish speaking, he was suddenly interrupted by a gentle, deep voice, "Alright, what's all this noise about?"

Yu Wanyin looked in the direction of the sound and suddenly realized that the person who came was the young master she had secretly seen in the carriage earlier.

She watched him walk towards them and couldn't help but hold her breath slightly.

The palace servants immediately bowed upon seeing Chu Yu, saying, "Prime Minister."

Yu Wanyin was even more surprised when she heard this form of address.

She never expected that there would be such a young prime minister in the royal family.

The palace servants explained the situation to Chu Yu: "When we assigned this young lady, there was no place for her to stay. We are trying to find a place for her."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yu nodded knowingly, "Settling down a place to live is indeed an important matter and cannot be taken lightly."

"yes."

His tone was gentle and pleasant to listen to, unhurried and even very understanding. "However, I think it will be dark soon. By the time you find her, get her ready, and call her over, it will probably be until midnight."

"But going to the academy tomorrow morning is probably not a good idea."

"How about this," Chu Yu suggested to the palace servants, "I still have spare rooms in my residence, which can be used for temporary relief."

Yu Wanyin was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him.

The palace servants were also quite surprised, "This...this is troubling the Prime Minister."

"This was clearly a minor oversight..."

“No trouble at all.” Chu Yu met Yu Wanyin’s gaze. “You are a distinguished guest who has come from afar. To neglect you would be to be disrespectful to our relatives in a foreign land.”

He looked at her and asked, "Would you like to stay at my place, young lady?"

The arrangement was somewhat sudden, and Yu Wanyin didn't react for a moment.

It was only after being urged by the maid beside her that she spoke, "This humble woman thanks the Prime Minister."

Chu Yu turned to the person beside him and instructed, "Go and tidy up the side room, and bring the young lady into the mansion."

The maid helped Yu Wanyin back to the carriage, and Chu Yu ordered the driver to change course.

Seeing this, the young men and women who were also short of accommodation couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Does the Prime Minister have any place to stay?"

Chu Yu nodded, "Of course."

"However, the Prime Minister's residence is full, so I will send someone to take you to a nearby villa."

Yu Wanyin, who had just boarded the car, was momentarily surprised upon hearing this.

After all, she didn't hear that Chu Yu had brought other people back with him.

However, Yu Wanyin didn't think much of it.

After all, he was a high-ranking official, not some nobody.

Perhaps he had welcomed other guests to the capital before her.

Chu Yu quickly took care of all the matters.

It was orderly and well-organized.

The palace maids couldn't stop thanking them.

This young powerful minister easily gained both public favor and prestige.

He also earned a reputation for loyalty and dedication to the court.

Chu Yu followed him back to the mansion.

Inside the carriage, Chu Yu flipped through the letter in his hand.

The letter at the top was Prince Jing's reply: "Thank you for the reminder, Prime Minister. I will have my son take more men to the capital to ensure his safety."

Chu Yu slowly removed the letter and saw the next one, a reply from the Yingzhou court.

"The Princess of Yingzhou has set off, and in accordance with the Prime Minister's wishes, the eldest daughter of the Imperial Censor, Yu Wanyin, has been chosen to accompany her."

Unbeknownst to anyone, the fact that Prince Jing's son brought extra men to occupy Yu Wanyin's residence was secretly orchestrated by Chu Yu.

His decision to send Yu Wanyin to the capital was also something he had planned long ago.

Chu Yu's expression was relaxed, with a faint, obscure light in his eyes.

His gentle demeanor was subtly imbued with an elusive darkness.

Inside the carriage next door, a maid couldn't help but praise, "This prime minister is truly a good man."

As Yu Wanyin sat in the carriage, the thought of going to the residence of a strange man made her instinctively uneasy.

But soon, Yu Wanyin wondered if she was being too sensitive.

People are trying to help her out of kindness, but she keeps overthinking things; that's really not good.

Moreover, people usually don't have many doubts about someone who has an extraordinary appearance, superior demeanor, and outstanding speech and behavior.

The carriage arrived at the Prime Minister's residence quickly.

When Yu Wanyin got out of the carriage, Chu Yu had already arrived.

Chu Yu led the way, saying slowly, "I heard that you came from Yingzhou, young lady?"

"right."

Chu Yu mentioned, "I also come from Yingzhou."

Yu Wanyin looked at him, "What a coincidence?"

Chu Yu smiled and said, "But that was many years ago."

Chu Yu didn't say much, and Yu Wanyin didn't ask any more questions.

However, she secretly observed along the way and found that his courtyard was empty and quiet.

It didn't seem like there were other guests present.

Yu Wanyin hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked in a low voice, "Does the Prime Minister have any other guests here? Should I go and greet them as well?"

Chu Yu's eyebrows twitched slightly. "There are a few."

"However, they have business to attend to these two days, and besides, you are only here to accompany them in their studies, so there is no need for you to go and meet them."

Hearing that other people also lived here, Yu Wanyin relaxed a lot. "I see."

"Miss, please don't be shy. Just tell me what you need."

Chu Yu stopped in front of a side room and gestured, "This is your residence. I've already had it prepared."

Yu Wanyin looked at the house, which had been tidied up very neatly, and said, "I'll trouble you today, Prime Minister."

She turned to look at Chu Yu, and whether it was her imagination or not, in the dimly lit courtyard, the refined young man of the day seemed to have an inexplicable sinister and eerie air about him for a moment.

Her jade-like face was hidden in the darkness.

Only the corners of her eyes held a glimmer of light, carrying an unspeakable yearning, which sent a chill down one's spine at first glance.

It must be an illusion.

Chu Yuqing's aloof and indifferent voice broke Yu Wanyin's subtle unease. "It's only right."

"After the lectures at the Imperial Academy in a couple of days, I will send someone to take you to the Royal Academy. Get some rest."

Chu Yu didn't linger and left directly.

After they all left, Yu Wanyin went inside, closed the door, and began packing her luggage.

As the maid tidied up, she mentioned, "What a coincidence that the Prime Minister is also from Yingzhou, the same hometown as you, young lady."

"I suppose I can take better care of the girl."

Yu Wanyin pondered for a moment, then softly said, "It is quite a coincidence."

She looked out the window and could always see a brightly lit house not far away across the street.

Yu Wanyin had some impression of her.

That seems to be the Left Prime Minister's study, located to the south of the side room.

Through the shady trees, one could faintly see the light from the other side.

Logically speaking, such a bright light in an unfamiliar place should be a reassuring presence.

But she always had a vague feeling that something was quietly watching from somewhere.

As if possessed, Yu Wanyin got up and went forward to close the window.

"Isn't this courtyard too quiet?"

She even started to become suspicious in the quiet.

The maid didn't notice anything amiss. "Fortunately, the Left Prime Minister is a scholar; he probably prefers quiet places."

After the maid finished tidying up the room for Yu Wanyin, she withdrew and left.

Yu Wanyin sat alone at the table for a while before the strange feeling dissipated considerably.

She attributed all of this to her being new to the place and unfamiliar with it.

Yu Wanyin took out the books, tidied them up, then turned off the lamp and went to rest.

The study window is separated from the courtyard by grass and trees.

Chu Yu watched silently as that beautiful figure was reflected on the thin window paper.

I watched as she got up, extinguished the lamp, and went to bed.

His eyes captured her every inch.

For two consecutive days, Yu Wanyin stayed at the Prime Minister's residence in a relatively peaceful manner, without any unusual occurrences.

I haven't seen that prime minister since.

The earlier sense of unease quickly vanished with this relaxed atmosphere.

However, Yu Wanyin would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night and see the faint light coming from the study not far away through the window.

It was reflected in her window and appeared silently beside her.

But she didn't pay much attention to it. When she went shopping, she thought that since she had troubled him so much, she should prepare some gifts for him.

However, as a newly rich man, Chu Yu probably has everything he wants.

Therefore, Yu Wanyin put some thought into preparing some small trinkets.

The next day was the day for lectures at the Imperial Academy. After Yu Wanyin got up in the morning, the carriage that was supposed to take her to the Academy stopped at the gate of the mansion to pick her up and take her to the Imperial Academy.

The Imperial Academy begins its lectures today, and the entrance to the academy is filled with foreign dignitaries who were recently summoned to the capital by imperial decree.

The welcoming and sending-off festivities created a lively atmosphere.

Yu Wanyin found Princess Yingzhou, took out the mosquito-repelling sachet she had prepared, and together with the princess, greeted the surrounding foreign dignitaries and exchanged gifts.

These children of relatives and friends are all around teens, not very old.

It's easy to have a lively conversation when you're together.

It wasn't until the bell rang at the academy that everyone took their seats in the classroom as previously arranged.

Yu Wanyin sat properly at the desk next to the princess, taking out her paper, ink, brush, and inkstone.

The garden was quiet for a moment, except for the slightly noisy chirping of insects rising and falling among the plants outside.

Someone said, "The master has arrived."

Everyone took their seats.

Yu Wanyin placed the half-ground ink block next to the inkstone, sat up straight, and looked up to see Chu Yu walking in from outside.

Chu Yu held a book in his hand, and his clothes were made of light gray ink-wash gauze.

A slightly cool breeze swept by as he moved, causing the school's curtains to flutter.

As he approached, the scroll in his hand was turned away.

His face was revealed to be exquisite, and his appearance was otherworldly.

Yu Wanyin could hear a faint commotion coming from below the school.

It was probably an accident.

She was also surprised.

I never expected that he would be the teacher on the first day.

Chu Yu stepped forward, put down the book in his hand, and introduced himself to them, "I, Chu, am taking the liberty of speaking today as your teacher, to explain the laws and regulations of my Dali region."

His voice was like jade.

Everyone in the classroom was watching.

Chu Yu was originally a gentleman, a figure who was always surrounded by admirers.

It's hard not to attract attention.

He spoke about government affairs in a clear, organized, and logical manner.

It sounds calm and reassuring.

The only drawback is—

He assigned too much homework.

The princess sitting next to Yu Wanyin flipped through the book in her hands. "I was so busy looking at the teacher that no one told me I had homework."

The princess frowned deeply. "There's so much, how am I supposed to write it all?"

She muttered to herself, involuntarily glancing at Yu Wanyin beside her.

At this moment, Yu Wanyin lowered her eyes and organized the books and homework in her hands, labeling them into categories.

The princess sat up straight and leaned closer to Yu Wanyin, "Yaoyao, can you do the homework that Mr. Chu assigned today?"

Yu Wanyin paused for a moment, then said, "I know a little."

"That's great." The princess pushed all her homework in front of Yu Wanyin. "Please help me, I really don't know anything about it."

Yu Wanyin was startled by the pile of books that were brought to her, "But I also..."

“I knew bringing you here was the right thing to do. It doesn’t matter how you write it, just make sure you hand it in in three days and don’t let Mr. Chu scold me,” the princess said, ignoring what she was saying and getting up straight after finishing her task. “I’m leaving now.”

“Princess…” Yu Wanyin opened her mouth, wanting to call out to someone, but she still couldn’t get the person to stop.

She sighed helplessly.

This is normal, though; the companions brought by the prince were all there to do these kinds of tasks.

She had already thought of this before she came.

Yu Wanyin packed the princess's homework into her small cloth bag and got up to go back.

As she reached the door, a carriage suddenly stopped in front of her.

Wu Zhou got out of the car and lifted the curtain to indicate, "Please, young lady."

Yu Wanyin followed the lifted carriage curtain and saw the refined and elegant gentleman sitting inside.

The carriage set off.

Chu Yu looked at Yu Wanyin, who was holding her small cloth bag tightly in both hands and sitting properly to the side, and spoke first, "I saw that you were still here, so I asked them to wait for a while. I hope I was not being presumptuous."

"How could that be?"

“I just didn’t expect that you, sir…” Yu Wanyin paused for a moment, still unsure how to address him, “would wait for me.”

Chu Yu lowered his eyes upon hearing her address.

For some reason, he thought of her looking at him with bright, loving eyes in the classroom during the day.

He is truly a studious child. "You are all alone out there, so you should take good care of him."

Yu Wanyin listened to his words, took out the purse she had prepared, and handed it over, saying, "These past two days, I've been thinking about how to express my gratitude."

"So I provided some mosquito-repellent sachets as a token of my gratitude."

“You’re so kind, young lady,” Chu Yu said, taking the gift and looking at her. “I really like it.”

Yu Wanyin curved her lips into a smile.

The two sat in the carriage, keeping to themselves.

In the shadows, Chu Yu slowly ground the embroidery on the sachet with his fingertips, crushing the sachet's contents little by little.

It looked like someone was being kneaded.

He kneaded her muscles and bones until they were completely dislodged, leaving her hands limp and weak.

As the day went by, Yu Wanyin felt more and more that Chu Yu was a very upright and honest person.

It's really inappropriate that she had some doubts about him when she first entered his residence a couple of days ago.

Perhaps I was being too defensive.

How could someone who is trying to help be a bad person?

With this in mind, Yu Wanyin felt increasingly comfortable and at ease living in the Prime Minister's residence.

The glimmer of light she could see through her window every night at midnight gradually brought her peace of mind.

As the summer heat arrived, she, who had previously kept the doors and windows tightly closed out of fear, had been trying to sleep with the windows open these past few days.

The following night, Chu Yu was sitting in his study reviewing documents when a few light knocks came from the door.

Chu Yu didn't look up. "Go in."

A little girl holding books peeked out from by the door.

Chu Yu paused for a moment, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the hem of her moon-white dress.

Yu Wanyin hesitated outside the door and asked him, "I don't quite understand some of my lessons. May I ask you, sir?"

Upon hearing her address, a shadow of gloom crossed Chu Yu's eyes. "Alright."

Yu Wanyin then stepped into the room.

She walked with light steps, her eyes and brows pure and gentle; she was a studious student who came to humbly seek guidance.

However, the teacher she spoke of, who was supposed to be upright and proper in his teachings, had a more complex mindset towards her, his student.

Therefore, to Chu Yu, this form of address was shrouded in taboo.

But shackles can never restrain a villain like him who will stop at nothing.

Yu Wanyin asked earnestly, and Chu Yu answered patiently.

She is very smart, quick-witted, and talented; she grasps things very easily.

Yu Wanyin sat at the small table next to his desk, and immediately wrote down the question after asking it.

Her small, delicate handwriting, with its smooth strokes, reveals an undeniable talent in a young girl.

Every part of her drove him to a frenzied desire to possess her.

Chu Yu's eyes turned bloodshot, forcing her to look away and deal with the documents at hand while she was busy taking notes.

After Yu Wanyin finished writing a part, she was about to ask another question when she looked up and saw Chu Yu concentrating on his official duties. So she obediently kept quiet, thinking that she would wait for him to finish before asking.

Perhaps it's because his place is so comfortable and peaceful.

The lamplight was dim and the room was completely silent. Yu Wanyin waited and waited until she fell asleep.

Chu Yu glanced up again by chance and saw the lamplight reflecting on her beautiful profile.

She slept peacefully, her thick, curled eyelashes casting delicate shadows under the lamplight, making one's heart flutter.

The darkness in Chu Yu's black eyes, upon realizing she was asleep, burst forth like a raging flood, sweeping down from the sky.

Chu Yu put down his pen and paper, stood up, and walked towards the unsuspecting person.

His eyes held a mixture of pity and a desire to devour her, until his figure silently enveloped her.

Yao Yao was really careless.

How dare you sleep here?