Chapter 39 (The Encroaching)

Yu Wanyin was at a loss for words, and looked up at him helplessly and pitifully, instantly igniting the evil thoughts in the man's heart.

Rong Si tugged at her, and Yu Wanyin lost her balance and fell towards him.

She crashed into that powerful chest, her hands gripping those broad shoulders and arms.

Only then did I realize that his body was warm and burning hot.

The man's burning breath was right on her forehead; he lowered his head to find her lips.

Yu Wanyin realized what he was about to do and instinctively turned her head away.

But he wasn't picky.

We'll see where we end up.

He held her earlobe in his mouth and rubbed it against her earlobe.

At first, he was afraid of scaring her, so he tried to move gently, but he soon revealed his true colors.

Although Yu Wanyin did not intend to compare, his kiss and Chu Yu's kiss were completely different in style.

The gap is enormous.

His kisses were wild, rough, and fierce, as if he could chew her up and devour her alive.

It is a demand driven by a strong desire to exploit.

It also best exposes the animalistic nature of men who love conquest and firepower.

Brutal and direct.

This is quite different from the subtle and dogmatic teachings that Yu Wanyin received from childhood.

Therefore, every time she came into contact with him, it was a lashing and trampling of her sense of shame.

How can just kissing someone's ear make you so aroused?

Yu Wanyin shrank back and began to hide.

Until her attempts to dodge became increasingly violent.

He then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace and letting him kiss her.

Yu Wanyin was unable to move, her body temperature was cold, and she felt as if she were melting into a scorching furnace.

It's like ice and snow being wrapped up and melted, then casually molded into the shape he wants.

While she tried to dodge, he found her lips behind her ear and easily pried her open.

Even her breath was taken away.

Yu Wanyin nestled into the crook of his neck, and he pulled her close to his neck and kissed her.

The sensation of being gnawed became increasingly pronounced.

Just like his eating style, he swallowed it whole in large, sweeping motions.

To be able to skin a person alive and cut their bones is hardly a gentle act.

Yu Wanyin's eyes suddenly reddened, and she looked teary-eyed, clearly unable to bear the demands.

He let out a soft groan, slightly impatient.

In this situation, this instinctive voice is simply and directly interpreted by men as a desire for more.

He followed her lips and teeth, kissing her chin.

When he bit open her collar, Yu Wanyin shuddered. "Wait, wait a minute."

Rong Si paused for a moment.

His breathing was heavy and his eyes were downcast.

What catches the eye is the rise and fall of her rapid breathing, and the fair and smooth skin that is faintly visible beneath her light-colored nightgown.

The collar and hem of his shirt were damp and see-through because of his biting.

The scent of lily of the valley lingers in the mouth, only fleetingly.

It was like a tiger chewing on a lily of the valley.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he chewed and crushed the flower petals in his mouth.

Seeing that he didn't move, Yu Wanyin tried to climb out of his arms with trepidation.

No, she still wasn't ready; he was too scary.

He's horrible when it comes to this kind of thing.

It's like it can eat people.

Yu Wanyin didn't want her body to be chewed up and her bones crushed by this beast.

She frantically tried to get down, but before her feet even touched the ground, she was suddenly swept up in a hug around the waist.

The feeling of being carried away before even touching the ground instantly spread throughout my body.

The inability to control oneself can easily cause anxiety.

He walked quickly, reaching the bedside in a few steps and setting her down.

Yu Wanyin tried to make a move, but her path and vision were blocked by the overwhelming figure.

She pressed down on his shoulder, "I...I want to wait..."

But it can't be held down.

He still approached her aggressively, simply replying with two words, "I know."

Know.

He knew something.

The red curtains fell, and he sounded as if he were coaxing her, "Don't go in."

But it had no effect on soothing her; instead, a mournful sob came from inside the tent: "You're bullying me."

"Is this considered bullying?"

A shout of "Calculate!" mixed with a slightly higher-pitched scream echoed in the stone chamber.

After screaming, she heard her own strange voice and refused to make a sound.

But she couldn't suppress her intermittent moans.

Rong Si realized that the person in his arms was being unusually delicate, and he corrected her with a heavy breath, "Yaoyao, I am your husband."

"This is not bullying."

He was unwilling to accept it, "Even in front of Chu Yu, you said he bullied you?"

Yu Wanyin felt a chill run down her spine.

At times like this, he didn't even dare to think of Chu Yu.

Chu Yu is a different kind of terrifying, possessive and obsessive.

Thinking of him while in another man's arms gives me a chilling feeling of being strangled.

So she was very tense.

It was as if invisible eyes were watching her every move as she betrayed him.

Then, taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he quietly dragged her away and locked her in a room where only he could see her.

Slowly torment them.

After things calmed down, Yu Wanyin looked as if she had been pulled out of the water.

She lay prone on the couch, barely able to move.

Her heart started racing, pounding violently against her chest.

It's like it's about to jump out, or it's too intense and about to break.

If her heart had beaten any faster, she would have fainted.

After all, I've been through it.

This time, Rong Si had some experience. He first wiped away the thin layer of sweat on her forehead with the handkerchief he had prepared, then from her cheeks to her neck.

Then, he hastily wrapped a garment around her and carried her into the bathroom.

The bathhouse is a hot spring pool that is open year-round.

The moment you step inside, you're hit by a wave of heat.

Rong Si tore off the clothes wrapped around her and put her in the hot spring pool to clean her.

Yu Wanyin shuddered when he pulled her away.

She stepped on his arm.

Rong Si let her step on him, since she couldn't step on him anyway.

He focused intently on continuing the work at hand.

Yu Wanyin's tone was also soft, "What are you doing?"

"It needs to be cleaned up."

Yu Wanyin stepped on him with some force and did not cooperate.

If we let him continue like this, it won't be as simple as just cleaning up.

Rong Si lowered his eyes, but his expression was serious. He scraped away the grime with his rough fingers, wiped it off with a handkerchief, and then had to get up.

"Okay, I'll go out."

Rong Si laid out the cloth and other items for wiping himself down beside him, saying, "You can do the rest yourself."

"I'll come pick you up in a bit."

He was mainly worried about people falling.

After he left.

Yu Wanyin's tense nerves finally relaxed.

The room was quiet, making the rapid pounding of his heart all the more clear.

Yu Wanyin leaned against the rock to calm herself.

Even with my eyes closed, the scene remains the same.

He knelt behind her and made her kneel on his body.

His strong legs clamped tightly around her legs, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, pressing her back against his chest.

She can't move or run away.

Even without trespassing into territory, they still extensively expanded beyond their own borders.

She was terrified that he might change his mind and barge in.

It's hard to say which kind of conquest is more nerve-wracking.

Whenever she relaxed because he crossed the city gate without entering, he would mercilessly chisel at the dogwood by the city gate.

It utterly defeated her.

In this matter, he was undeniably crude and blunt.

Yu Wanyin has a hard time adapting to this style.

It will make her very improper.

She didn't want to become indecent.

She was a well-behaved young lady from a young age.

Yu Wanyin felt that everything else about marrying him was fine, but she was afraid to face his predatory behavior that could tear people apart.

She was still scared every time she was about to faint.

She felt she would need a long time to adjust.

Or is there a way to avoid having to adapt?

Yu Wanyin nervously washed away the marks on her body.

He quickly remembered that he had said he would be going back to his room in two days.

During the room allocation process, he only came to deliver some things and that was it.

What if we lived together every day?

Yu Wanyin found the thought terrifying.

Unless she doesn't want this body anymore.

Yu Wanyin was somewhat at a loss, quickly looked around, and fixed her gaze on the hot spring source not far away.

The temperature of the hot spring source is much higher than that of the pool, so it flows through a layer of cool stones into the bath.

She stared at that spot for a moment, lost in thought.

Then he slowly got up.

I took a piece of cloth and soaked it in the hot spring.

Rong Si changed the bed to a dry one outside and picked up the messy clothes.

These are the clothes she changed into yesterday.

In just one day, he was already smelling her fragrance.

Like a person made of flower petals.

Everything she touches smells sweet.

Serving a delicate person in the mountains and fields always requires treating them with ordinary things, which is quite difficult.

This made Rong Si think for a while.

He put everything away and then took the piece of fabric she had chosen.

She probably made that choice in a moment of desperation.

The material isn't particularly good compared to others.

Rong Si thought about her skin, which turned red at the slightest touch, and knew that rough cloth wouldn't work, so she chose the smoothest brocade or silk.

There are no suitable tailor shops to be found in Jiangling City now.

Since the village was full of men, Rong Si couldn't possibly entrust the task of making the wife's clothes to other men in the village.

I still have to do it myself.

He knew the dimensions.

He tidied everything up outside, about 15 minutes later.

Rong Si checked the time and prepared to go in to pick up the person.

Just as I entered the bathhouse, Yu Wanyin came out.

Rong Si frowned when he saw her.

An unnatural blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

His eyes were red at the corners, and he was weak.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Yu Wanyin didn't speak, but took two steps outside. Suddenly, her legs went weak and she fell down.

Rong Si caught her with lightning speed and placed his hand on her forehead.

The scalding heat came from my palm.

Rong Si's face was solemn. Without saying a word, he picked up the person and put him back on the bed.

He turned and called Aunt Duan.

Aunt Duan came in from outside, looking on in surprise as she walked. "What's wrong? She's been in pretty good spirits these past two days."

"She hasn't had a fever for a day or two, she's almost recovered."

"Have you done something outrageous again?"

Aunt Duan went into the inner room, lifted the gauze curtain, and first touched Yu Wanyin's forehead.

Yu Wanyin thought to herself that it was good that she came quickly enough; if it had been any later, it wouldn't have been so hot.

Actually, it's not that hot anymore.

But it's still a bit warmer than usual.

Aunt Duan took her wrist again to check her pulse, and the more she checked, the more puzzled she became.

Aunt Duan checked Yu Wanyin's pulse and hesitated, "It seems..." She's alright.

She was about to say the second half of her sentence when she saw Yu Wanyin staring at her expectantly.

They looked pitiful and sorrowful.

Aunt Duan fell silent for a moment, then changed her words when she spoke again, "It seems she still needs to rest."

"The recovery process is slow and gradual. During this period, your body is weak and you need to take good care of yourself. If you have to have repeated fevers, you are more likely to develop a serious illness."

Seeing that someone was speaking up for her, Yu Wanyin took the opportunity to mutter under her breath, "He wants to move back in two days."

Aunt Duan turned to look at Rong Si, "Let's wait a little longer."

Rong Si laughed upon hearing this.

This little fox is practically trying to smash the abacus beads in his face.

Yu Wanyin glanced at him secretly, but looked away nonchalantly when her eyes met his.

He kept grabbing Aunt Duan's arm and hiding behind her.

It was as if they knew that Aunt Duan's words carried weight.

She seemed to know that Aunt Duan would speak up for her.

Aunt Duan then gave some more instructions.

Rong Si did not refute, and agreed to everything.

Since you say you're sick.

To make the performance convincing, Aunt Duan also went to prepare the medicine, repeatedly telling him before leaving, "With your quick temper, what's wrong with giving in to her a little?"

"Life is a long journey, why rush it?"

After Aunt Duan left, only the two of them remained in the house.

Rong Si walked towards her.

Yu Wanyin immediately hid to the inside.

If he were to touch her forehead now, he would find that it was no longer hot.

She had actually created the illusion of high fever by soaking a handkerchief in hot water and applying it to her forehead for a while.

Actually, she was perfectly fine.

This kind of trick can only fool people for a short time.

Rong Si stopped beside the bed. "What, is it that my moving back is affecting your recovery?"

Yu Wanyin retorted guiltily, "Whether it has an impact or not, don't you know in your heart? I was almost cured."

Rong Si stared at her for a while.

He smiled seriously and said, "Okay."

"Then I won't come back and bother you." He didn't leave; instead, he leaned over and propped himself up on the edge of the bed.

Yu Wanyin pulled her brocade quilt to cover herself, revealing only her pair of bright, watery eyes.

"But Yu Wanyin, I will be able to take good care of you one day. I will definitely move back."

His figure was backlit, his gaze sharp and piercing hidden in the shadows, "Sooner or later."

Yu Wanyin held her breath slightly, accepting the aggression in his eyes.

The room was silent for a moment, then the sound of someone entering the door broke the silence.

Aunt Duan came in and saw this scene from afar. She urged, "You go back first. I'll stay with her."

Rong Si then made a move.

He stood up straight by the bed, the shadow cast by the candlelight inevitably creating a sense of obscurity.

Yu Wanyin's heart beat even faster.

She watched him leave in silence before secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

Aunt Duan stayed in the house with her, smiling without saying a word.

At some point, Aunt Duan asked curiously, "Were you and your husband always this afraid?"

Yu Wanyin never expected that someone would mention Chu Yu in front of her.

But she answered truthfully, "It's okay."

Chu Yu was also afraid, but she was afraid of something different.

"They are not quite the same."

Chu Yu was gentle, but not entirely gentle.

It's more like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

They lure people in before starting to cause trouble.

Rong Si launched an attack right from the start.

It will only get fiercer from beginning to end.

Since the topic had been brought up, Yu Wanyin couldn't help but ask, "Is he really dead?"

Aunt Duan didn't want to upset her, "I don't know, I've never seen it, I just heard them say that."

If it's just hearsay, then she won't believe it.

Now that things have come to this, the last thing Yu Wanyin believes in is hearsay.

She still wanted to.

As long as she didn't see the body, she would assume he was still alive.

Yu Wanyin sighed softly.

When she thinks about Chu Yu, she sometimes remembers that she was the one who first agreed to marry Rong Si, and then betrayed him.

However, when I'm with Rong Si, I always feel a strong sense of immorality.

She felt that Chu Yu had treated her very well, but now that his fate was unknown, how could she easily accept another person?

No matter what I do, it doesn't seem quite right.

At times like these, she doesn't want to make a choice.

I just want to leave.

She wanted her aunt and older sister to take her away.

Choosing one would offend the other, so it's fair not to choose either.

Yu Wanyin thought that if they just waited for them to find her, it would be a rather passive situation.

Can I send the letter out as usual to my elder sister and aunt?

Could they receive it too, and then find her more quickly?

Take her to Shanshan, away from this place of trouble forever.

The summer heat has subsided and the weather has turned cooler.

Large swaths of fallen leaves gradually piled up all over the mountains and fields.

Looking into the distance, the landscape is a vibrant mix of orange, yellow, and red.

Suddenly, specks of blood splattered out, leaving faint red shadows on the horizon, before crashing to the ground.

Rong Si put away his arrows, and Su Fang urged him to hurry forward and pick up the pigeon he had just hunted.

Su Fang put the pigeons away and went back to put them in the car.

Upon opening the curtain of the cargo wagon, they saw the young male deer that Rong Si had recently hunted.

The fawn was not hunted directly.

Rong Si used a newly forged, fine arrow, its tip coated with medicine, to pierce the hind leg of a stag with his bow.

It can temporarily disable its ability to move, but it will not kill it.

Rong Si tied up the male deer, intending to take it back to the village to raise.

This was the seventh buck he had hunted.

There seems to be another explanation.

For adult male deer, the antlers must be of the first year's age and their shape must be carefully selected.

Su Fang had no idea what his lord was planning; he just needed to pick up the spoils from behind.

He piled the pigeons in a corner of the carriage.

Rong Si pulled on the reins and said succinctly, "That's enough for today, let's go back."

"Alright." Su Fang led the carriages and horses back to the village with Rong Si.

Upon returning, their harvest that day drew another gasp of surprise.

"Our lord has brought back another deer."

They carried the live deer down to the backyard in groups of three or five.

When Su Fang followed, he found someone sharpening a knife on the side, polishing the blade until it gleamed, and then using the knife to pick up a deer.

Su Fang quickly reminded him, "Our lord said he wouldn't kill them."

“Who said I was going to kill a deer?” The man grabbed a deer antler. “Didn’t the lord tell you that he hunts deer to raise them for their antlers?”

As he spoke, he tied up the deer and held it down.

"Deer antlers?" Su Fang really didn't know. "What are we going to do with the deer antlers?"

“The Queen is weak, so she needs nourishment. You don’t know, the Queen has these things in her daily supplements now,” the man said, sharpening his blade on the deer antlers. “We have to harvest this season quickly, otherwise we’ll have to wait until next year.”

"Pigeons are also a top-quality tonic, what else did you think?"

Ordinary families raise pigeons to sell, while wealthy families buy them to send messages and rarely eat them.

A single pigeon egg can sell for several ounces.

This means it would appear at the dinner tables of royalty and nobility.

It is a very precious ingredient.

They also raise homing pigeons in their village, and Yu Wanyin had never heard of eating pigeons before she came.

Su Fangzhen didn't think it was this.

"I thought the pigeons were sent by our lord from the border guards."

"Hey, you know what, there has been some news from the border lately." The man lowered his voice. "Did you know that Daizhou and Yanzhou in the west have been fighting amongst themselves?"

"Everyone knows that."

The Central Plains are now divided into nine provinces.

It wasn't just Yingzhou that was in turmoil.

Daizhou and Yanzhou are adjacent to each other, located to the west of Yingzhou.

The two prefectures and counties had always been at odds, constantly encroaching on each other's territory and fighting each other. After the emperor's death, with no one in charge, the fighting intensified.

As the man peeled the deer antlers, he said, "Daizhou has annexed Yanzhou."

Su Fang was quite surprised, "When did this happen?"

"Something that happened not long ago must have happened in just three to five days."

However, these two states and counties had been fighting for three to five years and were sworn enemies.

Su Fang had a bad feeling. "Could it be that Daizhou is also eyeing us?"

The man laughed. "Very clever."

"The Northern Chi have also set their sights on us, so they'll have to fight the Northern Chi first."

He gave Su Fang a meaningful look a couple more times. "No, they know the Northern Chi are hard to beat, so they're conspiring with them to attack the Central Plains."

Su Fang felt a chill in his heart.

The man sighed slowly, "Bei Chi has just been injured and needs help."

After initially capturing two cities on the border, the attack on the capital relocation team did not gain any advantage but instead suffered heavy losses.

The Northern Chi people quieted down for a while and retreated temporarily.

However, they mostly kept some informants in Yingzhou.

I heard that the relocation team has already arrived in Yunjing.

When this news reached the border, the Northern Chi people couldn't sit still and saw the emerging power of Daizhou next door.

The Northern Chi tribes likely wanted to take advantage of the chaos in Yunjing, where they were preoccupied and unable to attend to their own needs, to launch a counterattack.

With no reinforcements at the border in the short term, taking down a few more cities shouldn't be a problem.

The more intense the offensive, the more advantageous the Northern Chi became.

They have spies in various places outside their village to gather information.

The news arrives faster than usual.

It was only delivered in the last two days.

It is said that the Northern Chi and Daizhou armies split into two routes: the Northern Chi marched south, while the Daizhou army advanced east.

The Northern Chi tribes pointed directly to Shang'an.

Daizhou refers to the area around Long'an and Jiangling.

Their plan was to achieve a swift victory in Yingzhou.

During dinner, everyone was discussing the matter animatedly.

Zong Cheng comforted everyone, "Even if they wanted to attack our village normally, they couldn't, let alone during times of war. They won't waste time with us."

"Brother Zong, are we really just going to abandon this?"

Someone interjected, "How are we supposed to manage this? Are you planning to deal with those people from Yunjing? What use are those rotten soldiers? You've faced them before."

"And aren't you afraid that after they've used up our firepower, they'll turn around and wipe us out? They've done too many of these despicable things."

"Yeah, if we fight it ourselves, we still can't win."

Although the village's firepower was not small, it was definitely not enough to defeat the Northern Chi and Daizhou.

Zong Cheng sighed, "Here's the thing, I know what you're worried about, but right now we're willing but unable to do anything about it."

“Even if we’re going to get involved, we need to find someone reliable. But where are the reliable officials these days? Who can you trust?”

Yu Wanyin sat quietly to the side, seemingly indifferent, but in reality, she wasn't eating seriously at all.

As she was eating, she suddenly chewed on a hard object that didn't taste very good and had a slightly bitter taste.

Yu Wanyin had no habit of spitting out food, so she swallowed it down.

But I drank less of the soup.

Rong Si watched, and then took a bite as well.

After a moment of silence, I realized that eating deer antler slices this way really didn't taste very good.

But how can you make deer antler slices taste good?

Rong Si sat there with a somber expression, lost in thought. Anyone who didn't know better would think someone had offended him.

Someone tried to strike up a conversation with Rong Si, but fell silent after glancing at his expression.

Therefore, it was very quiet for him and Yu Wanyin here.

As dusk fell, scouts ran up from the foot of the mountain.

He came specifically to find Rong Si, saying, "My lord, a message has arrived from outside."

Rong Si's thoughts drifted away. "What letter?"

The scout glanced at Yu Wanyin again, "My lord, please step forward to speak."

Rong Si got up and followed him out.

The spy handed him the envelope, saying, "I intercepted the letter you sent me to investigate."

He hesitated, unsure if he could speak, then looked back at Yu Wanyin before finally saying, "Besides the message sent out by the Lady, there was also a reply, from the Prefect of Long'an to the Lady."