Chapter 165 "None of you leave, I'm leaving..."

Mrs. Ma could tell that Zhou Yanling wasn't joking.

Those cold, stern eyes stared intently at her. Not to mention that she and the maids and servants behind her combined wouldn't be a match for her punch, even if she called in three or five guards or servants, they probably wouldn't be a match for her.

This is a female assassin who has truly been on the battlefield, seen blood, and fought her way to the top with real swords and guns!

"How... how could this be..."

Madam Ma used all her strength to squeeze out just this one sentence before finally succumbing to the pressure and fainting.

The area in front of the Xie residence was instantly thrown into chaos, with people and horses falling over. Anyone who didn't know the situation would have thought that bandits had broken down the gate.

Amidst the screams, Zhou Yanling walked to the front door and, with some effort, pulled out the knife.

"What a hassle. I should have just followed the instructor and practiced archery properly."

She muttered something under her breath, then turned and left.

Xie Mingke immediately gave chase.

As they turned a corner, Zhou Yanling suddenly stopped and turned around, glaring at her unhappily: "Why are you following me? Don't think I'll let you off just because you act all weak and pitiful and cry a few times. Nobody can ruin my eldest sister's peaceful life."

Xie Mingke really wanted to cry this time, looking at her with pleading eyes: "Don't you remember me? That day in the alley..."

Only after she reminded him did Zhou Yanling realize, "Oh, it's you."

She was so focused on saving people that day that she didn't even get a good look at what the other person looked like.

Moreover, Xie Mingke was crying miserably at the time, covered in dust and dirt, like a long-tailed sparrow that had fallen into a coal pile.

It's hard to reconcile her with the elegantly dressed, fair-skinned, and ethereal noblewoman before me.

Zhou Yanling frowned even deeper and repeated, "Why is it you?"

What a clean and pretty young girl! She could find any kind of husband she wanted, why is she fixated on her brother-in-law?

Feeling stifled, she snorted coldly, "If only I had known..."

Well, you can't say that. In that situation, no matter who the other person was, she couldn't have just stood by and watched them die.

"No need for thanks, I don't want to see you, it annoys me."

Zhou Yanling bluntly uttered a sentence, then turned and quickened her pace.

Xie Mingke pouted, forcibly forcing back the tears that welled up, wiped them away fiercely with her hand, and staggered after him, lifting the hem of her skirt.

"Let me explain—"

Zhou Yanling: I won't listen.

Their pace quickened, and eventually they even started running.

She ran ahead, and Xie Mingke chased after her, but their stamina was completely different, and the distance between them widened.

Zhou Yanling ran a long way in one go, then slowed down, breathed a sigh of relief, and even secretly glanced back.

We probably won't be able to catch up now... huh?

A crowd had inexplicably gathered on the street behind them, but Xie Mingke was nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Yanling's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that I've been harassed by thugs again?

She frowned and strode back, cursing under her breath.

It's only been a few years since I last came back, and the security in the capital is terrible. Are the Five City Garrison Commanders just eating porridge?

"Excuse me, please let me pass..."

Zhou Yanling struggled to squeeze into the crowd, about to unleash her fists to intimidate, but was stunned by what she saw.

Xie Mingke knelt on the ground, holding a woman with her eyes closed, pale face, and weak breathing in his arms. He pressed his thumb firmly on her philtrum, and looked up to explain to the onlookers, "This lady has fainted. Please move to my right. Being here will obstruct her breathing..."

She continued her work until the woman in her arms trembled slightly, as if she was about to wake up. Xie Mingke then took her right hand and pressed back and forth on the Neiguan acupoint below her wrist to calm her mind and regulate her Qi. At the same time, she repeatedly patted the Zusanli acupoint three inches below her knee to stimulate the flow of Qi and blood.

Even with so many people watching, she remained calm and focused on the rescue, oblivious to the muddy footprint left on the hem of her skirt that had been stepped on.

Finally, the woman slowly woke up, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a face as beautiful as a celestial being. She was still a little dazed, "Am I... in the Heavenly Palace?"

A kind-hearted woman spoke up: "Qin, you and Brother Zhao were arguing when you suddenly collapsed. It scared us to death! Thank goodness this young lady woke you up!"

A man dressed as a food vendor, wearing an apron, rushed out from the crowd and knelt down with a thud. "My wife, I was wrong. I will never make you angry again."

He repeatedly bowed to Xie Mingke, expressing his deepest gratitude.

"It's alright, but this sister-in-law is a little weak in qi and blood. It would be best if she went home to rest for a few days before coming back to work. She should also pay more attention to controlling her emotions and avoid extreme sadness or joy."

Xie Mingke slowly stood up, supporting himself with his hands on the ground. However, he had been sitting on the ground to save people for too long, and his legs went numb. He staggered uncontrollably and was about to fall backward.

Her expression changed, and she was about to grab something for support when she was gently pulled into a strong and firm embrace.

Xie Mingke looked back and his eyes suddenly lit up. "You didn't leave?"

Zhou Yanling didn't say anything. Once Xie Mingke had regained her balance, she immediately let go of her hand and looked at her with a complicated expression: "You also know medicine?"

"After my grandmother passed away, I stayed with my aunt in a hut in the mountains to observe mourning. She had entered the Taoist sect when she was young and was a Taoist doctor. I learned some basics from her."

Xie Mingke blushed as she explained, and seeing that Zhou Yanling was still willing to listen to her, she quickly added, "I chased after you to tell you that I absolutely had no intention of ruining your sister and brother-in-law's relationship. I was also tricked into coming to the capital by my aunt... If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning and never get married!"

Zhou Yanling stared at her: "Really?"

Xie Mingke nodded like a chick pecking at rice, then pitifully reached for the hem of her clothes.

"I thought I was unlucky enough, but after arriving in the capital, I'm being disliked by one person after another... I..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

"Hey, don't cry. If people see you, they'll think I'm bullying you."

Zhou Yanling couldn't do anything about her, but when she caught a glimpse of Xie Mingke's dirty clothes out of the corner of her eye, she found it a little funny.

How come she always manages to look like a little lump of coal covered in soot every time I see her?

Just as I was about to offer to take her home, I suddenly heard a loud gurgling sound.

Xie Mingke quickly clutched her stomach, her eyes red and her face even redder, and whispered, "I ran out without eating anything this morning..."

Zhou Yanling glanced around casually, and there was a noodle shop not far away. The rich and savory aroma of broth wafted out along with the signboard hanging in front of the shop.

"Let's go, I'll treat you to noodles."

"Why?" Xie Mingke asked, bewildered, but his body betrayed him as he followed.

"Why so many questions?" Zhou Yanling put on a stern face and pretended to be fierce. "Is it wrong to think you're a good person?"

"oh……"

Xie Mingke lowered his head and chuckled to himself. His eyes, washed clean by tears, became even clearer and brighter as he looked at the strong, powerful arms of the woman walking in front of him with admiration.

...

Zhou Yanling wandered around outside for most of the day, buying a lot of cotton fabric, wound medicine and bandages that were in short supply in the north, and even children's toys and silk flower hairpins for girls, which she would load into the car and take with her when she left the capital.

The toys were for Sister Saijin's unborn baby, the silk flowers were for the sisters in the camp, and she often helped them sew clothes and make shoes for the girls and sisters-in-law in the nearby villages.

Since it was all Lu Donglou's money, Zhou Yanling didn't feel the slightest bit of heartache when spending it.

When she returned home with a full load of purchases, she saw Lin Qiyu sitting in the main room with a sullen face as soon as she entered.

"Did Xiao-ge'er make you angry again?" Zhou Yanling tried to play dumb and get away with it. "I'll go and deal with him right now..."

"Stop!" Lin Qiyu slammed her hand on the table, pointing a finger at her, trembling with anger. "Did you cause trouble at the Xie family today? You made Madam Ma faint with anger, and you still have the nerve to blame it on your brother!"

"I went, so what?"

Zhou Yanling replied nonchalantly, "My older sister and brother-in-law are living a good life. What shameless family would come to steal a bride at this time?"

He then advised Lin Qiyu, "You have sons and daughters, and it's not like your family is starving. What's the use of getting involved in those trivial matters every day? If you really anger my brother-in-law, will our family still be able to live?"

"What do you know? I... I just can't swallow this."

Lin Qiyu glared at her: "I've raised you with such care for over ten years, how come you always side with outsiders? I'm your real mother!"

"Really? In the three years I've been away from home, have you ever seriously looked for me?"

Zhou Yanling put away her joking expression and asked her seriously, "If it weren't for my eldest sister and Uncle Bai taking care of me, even if I really ended up on the streets and died out there, you wouldn't know, would you?"

"...I knew that your running away from home back then was inextricably linked to Zhou Yanyi!"

Lin Qiyu trembled with anger. "So the Bai family was involved too! They conspired to steal my only daughter!"

"Why haven't I looked for you? If I hadn't been in such a hurry that you ran off without a word, would Xiao-ge'er have been born prematurely?"

Lin Qiyu felt incredibly wronged. "You're my only daughter. From childhood to adulthood, how have I ever mistreated you? Wen Mo is your younger brother, and his courtyard isn't even half the size of yours. I agreed to let you follow your father and learn martial arts. All I wanted was for you to marry into a good family and live a peaceful life. What did I do wrong?"

"Does getting married guarantee a good life?" Zhou Yanling retorted. "You disregarded your maternal grandfather and uncle's objections and still wanted to marry my father, a divorced widower. Is this the happiness and stability you chose?"

Lin Qiyu was speechless for a long time before she finally managed to squeeze out, "Your father and I are doing quite well. He hasn't done anything to betray me... Anyway, I'm doing better than you are now, right?"

The look in her eyes when she looked at Zhou Yanling was one of heartache and despair. How could such a beautiful young woman have turned herself into such a rough and unrefined state?

"There's nothing I can do if that's how you think," Zhou Yanling said calmly. "Anyway, I think I'm doing pretty well right now."

Lin Qiyu was about to scold her again when Zhou Yanling suddenly ripped open her collar, turned her head, and clearly revealed the scar on the side of her neck.

"Since I came home, apart from complaining that my skin is darker and rougher, have you ever cared about how many injuries I've suffered in these three years, or how many times I've escaped death?"

Lin Qiyu was taken aback, then stubbornly turned her head away, "Isn't that all your own fault! Besides, which soldier hasn't been injured? Your father, your grandfather, your uncle, they all went through the same thing, so why should I feel sorry for them?"

"That's right, it's all my own fault. I'm happy with it. A general's scars are his merits and glory."

Zhou Yanling straightened her collar, walked past Lin Qiyu to the back, and casually tossed out a sentence:

"So you still remember that you are the daughter of a military general? But why do you only care about this small world of the inner quarters now?"

By the time Lin Qiyu came to her senses, Zhou Yanling's figure had already disappeared, leaving only the clattering sound of the beaded curtain she had flung aside, which lingered for a long time.

...

Xie Mingke tiptoed back to the Xie residence and, upon learning that Madam Ma was still unconscious, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Back in her room, the maidservant serving her exclaimed in surprise, "Ninth Miss, where have you been again? Why is your dress so dirty?"

He then ordered someone to open the trunk and bring out new clothes to change into, and also told someone to quickly boil hot water so he could bathe and change.

Xie Mingke looked down and saw that the delicate silver embroidery pattern on the hem of her skirt was covered in mud and grass clippings, and it was all snagged and crumpled up in a ball.

She thought of something, quickly went to the dressing table, and raised the small bronze mirror to look at herself from left to right.

So... she sat down with Zhou Yanling to eat noodles, wearing this miserable dress, with her hair in a crooked bun, and her eyes swollen, and they chatted happily for a long time.

Xie Mingke covered her face in despair. When the maid came to say that the bathwater was ready, she just wanted to bury herself in the tub and drown.

How embarrassing...

The bathroom was filled with steam, making her cheeks flushed. Xie Mingke crossed her arms and recalled Zhou Yanling's words and the details of her life in the Northern Border. A deep sense of envy and longing rose in her eyes.

It turns out she ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage.

But she was far more capable than me; she actually made it all the way to the border, joined the army, and fought alongside that Lady Liang...

Xie Mingke looked at his reflection on the water with a sense of loss and sighed.

She desperately wanted to run away, but if she left the Xie family, she knew nothing and how would she survive on her own?

But if she were to let her elders and third aunt control her life and force her to destroy other couples' love, she'd rather be dead...

"Stop talking about death all the time."

Zhou Yanling's slightly serious voice suddenly rang in my ears.

In that noodle shop, she complained to Zhou Yanling about it, but the other party suddenly put on a stern face and seriously rejected her idea.

"If you've ever been to the North, you'll know how desperately people there fight to survive. Every one of us who went to the battlefield did so so that more people could survive and live better lives."

Zhou Yanling disliked her melancholic and self-pitying attitude. "Life is hard-won. Even if your loved ones who truly care about you are no longer alive, would they want to see you like this? If you don't want to accept your fate, then don't. You have to fight for your own destiny."

"That's right, I'm going to fight for it myself."

Xie Mingke made up her mind, stood up from the water with a splash, refused the maid's service, changed her clothes herself, and hurried to the front yard to find Madam Ma.

She wanted to have a serious talk with her third aunt. No matter what the Xie family wanted to achieve by using this absurd arranged marriage, she was not a pawn to be manipulated and used by them.

"Xiao Jiu is back? Please have a seat."

Madam Ma was already awake and seemed to be in a good mood. She smiled and pulled Xie Mingke to sit down next to her, affectionately scolding him, "The capital is not like Chenliu. You always go out and run around alone like this. What if you encounter danger again?"

"Aunt, I..."

"Alright, I know you're not happy here. Just bear with it for a few more days. Once your aunt has settled your marriage with Prince Pei, you can go about your business as you please."

Xie Mingke couldn't take it anymore. "Aunt, how many times do I have to tell you before you understand? I don't want to marry Prince Pei. He has a wife and children, and he's so much older than me. I don't like him!"

Madam Ma hardened her face. "Fine, I'll say it again. As long as you bear the surname Xie and are a daughter of the Xie family, your marriage is not up to you. Your parents are gone, and your third uncle and I are your closest elders. Would we harm you?"

She counted Pei Jingyi's merits on her fingers: "He has half Xiao family blood and is the future Marquis of Changning. You've met him yourself. He's handsome, elegant, and loves his wife. He's a rare find. So what if he's a few years older than you? He's even more caring."

Xie Mingke: ...

Is the key question that he's a few years older than her?

She was almost laughing in anger at Madam Ma. "Third Aunt, he has his own wife! He only cares about Miss Zhou. What am I to him?"

“Auntie has been through this, so take my advice: a man’s love is the most unreliable thing,” Madam Ma said earnestly. “As long as you can bring more and greater benefits than Miss Zhou, he will naturally respect and cherish you just the same.”

Xie Mingke felt nauseous and clutched his stomach, feeling faintly gag.

Madam Ma, completely oblivious, still wore a smug expression: "So what if the Zhou family isn't cooperating? Don't worry, I've already found someone even more capable of persuading the Pei family to agree—a truly important figure..."

Xie Mingke was startled and subtly asked, "Who is it?"

...

"Madam Ma actually sought out Prince Gong as an intermediary?"

Inside the swaying carriage, Shen Lingyue counted on her fingers to determine the generations, "The old Prince Gong is Princess Qinghe's father, and the current Prince Gong is the princess's older brother, which means he is her maternal uncle?"

"Yes, that's what Miss Xie told me."

Zhou Yanling nodded, and then comforted Yan Yi sitting opposite her, "Big sister, don't worry, she's on our side. She never intended to ruin your marriage with your brother-in-law."

Yesterday, Xie Mingke managed to get information out of Madam Ma. This morning, he arrived near the Zhou residence early and waited for a long time before Zhou Yanling finally came out to continue shopping.

After discussing it, the two decided that Zhou Yanling would go to the Marquis's residence to bring Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue out, and arrange to meet at the Bai family's business to discuss countermeasures.

By speaking frankly and directly to each other, we can avoid them misunderstanding us again.

"Miss Xie is actually a very kind person; she even saved someone on the street."

Zhou Yanling subconsciously said a few nice things for her, then quickly added, "What I mean is, because she's a good person, her words should be somewhat credible; she wasn't deliberately lying to us."

She looked at Yan Yi with pleading eyes: "Big sister, you will always be number one in my heart."

"I know, I didn't think much of it." Yan Yi smiled and patted the back of her hand. "She doesn't seem like a bad person to me."

Although she and Xie Mingke had only met once, she believed that there was a connection between people.

“Actually… I’ve seen her before.” Shen Lingyue raised her hand timidly, “It was that time I went to Madam Chen’s peony garden…”

She recalled their brief conversation and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew it. She didn't look like the kind of bad woman who would break up other people's families."

Yan Yi's smile deepened. "Since you all say so, I'm even more relieved."

The carriage stopped directly in the courtyard behind the Bai family's trading company.

Xie Mingke was almost overwhelmed by Su Huize's "enthusiastic" greetings, and was practically reciting his family tree for eighteen generations. Hearing the car stop outside, he quickly put down his teacup and hurriedly left the house.

Just then, Shen Lingyue and Zhou Yanling carefully helped Yan Yi out of the car, one on each side.

Xie Mingke's gaze fell on Yan Yi's slightly protruding belly, and his nose suddenly stung with tears. He quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness's wife, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have troubled you at this time..."

Her mother received news of her father's accident while pregnant with her younger sister, and both she and her daughter died in fear.

After that, Xie Mingke lost her parents. As a child, she both respected and feared pregnant women, and only hoped that all mothers in the world could be safe and sound.

Now she's the one who ruined someone else's family and interfered with a pregnant woman's pregnancy, which Xie Mingke can't forgive herself for, and she cries even harder.

"Hey, why are you crying again?" Zhou Yanling felt a chill run down her spine and looked at Yan Yi helplessly. "Big sister, what should we do?"

Yan Yi took two steps forward, gently embraced Xie Mingke, and tenderly stroked her back.

"I understand, it's not your fault, please don't cry."

The warm, soft embrace seemed to still carry the scent of my mother.

Xie Mingke nestled gently in Yan Yi's arms, sobbing softly, wishing she could stretch this moment out indefinitely and imprint it deeply in her memory.

Shen Lingyue and Zhou Yanling exchanged a glance and tacitly pulled the two apart, one in each hand.

"Well then, let's go inside and talk things out." Shen Lingyue took Yan Yi's arm and said seriously, "You've been cooped up in the car for so long, quickly sit down and have some tea."

Su Hui considerately made room for them, and before leaving, she affectionately pinched each of them.

"You're all good kids. Let's talk things out and not fight."

Shen Lingyue picked up her teacup, and before even taking a sip, she eagerly asked, "Miss Xie, what exactly is going on? Is there still contact between your Xie family and Prince Gong?"

This isn't right.

They had previously analyzed that the Xie family's desire for a marriage alliance was a pretense; their true intention was to leverage the Marquis's influence to return to the imperial court.

But when it comes to power and prestige, Prince Gong is far more powerful than Pei Xian, isn't he?

Why not use this relationship and instead try to steal someone else's husband through roundabout means? What kind of thought process is that?

Xie Mingke shook his head blankly: "I've never heard of my family having any dealings with Prince Gong before, and judging from my third aunt's demeanor, it seems that Prince Gong's mansion approached her on her own initiative. Her words and actions sounded like she was acknowledging the marriage on behalf of the late Princess Qinghe..."

As she spoke, her voice trailed off, and she glanced at Yan Yi with a lack of confidence.

Shen Lingyue hissed, "Why did Prince Gong get involved in this mess? I never heard that they were dissatisfied with Yan Yan, their nephew's wife."

Although Princess Qinghe had passed away many years ago, Pei Jingyi and Yan Yi would visit Prince Gong's Mansion every year after their marriage to see their uncle and several elders from the bride's family. Although they did not visit each other often, they always maintained proper etiquette and would never allow anyone to find fault with these minor details.

Yan Yi recalled the attitude of Prince Gong and his wife during their previous visits. They showed no dissatisfaction, but also a hint of doubt.

"Perhaps they weren't targeting me, but the Xie family is a better choice in comparison."

Yan Yi analyzed the situation calmly, detaching herself from the situation and thinking objectively from an outsider's perspective.

Shen Lingyue grumbled unhappily, "What's so good about it? The girls the Xie family sent to the palace were all out of favor. Do you think they can cause any upheaval if they're sent to our family?"

Strange, even the old emperor didn't like the Xie family, and Prince Gong was his cousin, so why was he going against them?

Zhou Yanling felt a headache coming on and tapped the table to remind him, "What do you think Prince Gong is thinking? The important thing now is how to stop them."

Shen Lingyue snorted, "Yan Yan and I were married by imperial decree to the Marquis's mansion. Even if Prince Gong came, he couldn't force Yan Yan to divorce her elder brother, could he?"

Yan Yi reminded him, "Don't forget that Prince Gong's surname is also Xiao, and there's a saying that 'the maternal uncle is the most important person in the family.' If he really wants to force Pei Jingyi to change his wife, I'm afraid..."

"No, no, Father and Mother promised us that no one would drive you away!"

Shen Lingyue grabbed Yan Yi's hand and said urgently, "We're together. If anyone tries to kick you out, I'll leave too!"

Yan Yi chuckled and shook her head: "What nonsense are you talking about? You and your second brother are doing just fine..."

"That won't do!" Shen Lingyue grew angrier the more she thought about it. "In any case, no one can separate us!"

"Stop arguing, all of you. Can you please listen to me first?"

Xie Mingke looked left and right, extremely anxious, and blurted out: "None of you leave, I'll leave, I'll leave, okay?"

Shen Lingyue and Yan Yan both looked at her and asked, "Where are you going?"

Xie Mingke bit his lip, grabbed Zhou Yanling's wrist, and looked pleading.

"I'll go with you, will you take me to the border?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: Today's thoughts: I really want to wear my aunt's clothes and pet each of my little sisters' cheeks! [shy][shy]

//I saw some comments in the previous chapters guessed this direction [doge emoji] Hehe, from now on it'll be Commander Zhou and Political Commissar Xie! Someone bring over the Italian cannon—