Chapter 39 The Night Before Zhu Xuanning, You Have Such a Cruel Heart

Song Zhaohan stared straight at Yu Xuan with a blank expression. He could feel the imposing aura that his friend had acquired when he first entered officialdom from Yu Xuan.

"Wei Ying, see the guest out." Song Zhaohan didn't answer anything, but suppressed her anger and raised her weak voice slightly to issue the order to leave.

Yu Xuan and Yan Hengdan were asked to leave by Wei Ying, who even apologized on behalf of her young master.

Yu Xuan, responding to Wei Ying's words, simply said, "Sincerity within manifests itself without. It seems I was right, Brother Wei Ying, you should still try to persuade him further."

After speaking, Yu Xuan straightened his sleeves, turned his gaze away from the direction of the palace gate, and then lowered his eyes to take his leave.

Yan Hengdan watched Yu Xuan come and go in a hurry, and nodded almost imperceptibly. After leaving the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, he smiled at Qiu Man and said, "It has to be Yu Er. I could never learn to speak like that."

Yan Hengdan thought Yu Xuan's warning was very good. He told Qiu Man to keep an eye on Zhu Xuanning, and then closed his eyes to rest.

Song Ming's love came too fiercely and too superficially; it wouldn't last long. This time, with obstacles at home, Zhu Wu's counterattack, and Wei Ying's advice, it should be enough to make him realize the truth.

Thinking about all this, Yan Hengdan drifted off to sleep.

Yu Xuan returned to the mansion bestowed upon him by the emperor, locked himself in his study, and did not come out for a whole day.

The next day, after clocking in, he went to the palace to lecture the emperor on history. Taking advantage of the emperor's good mood, he knelt down and presented the handwritten letter from the previous night, which was against the rules.

That night, Yu Xuan was once again honored and allowed to stay in the palace.

The warm, sunny weather made Yan Hengdan feel weak and listless. He lay lazily on the chaise longue, his fingers outstretched, his eyes lowered as if half asleep.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside, but Yan Hengdan didn't even lift her eyes.

As the footsteps drew closer and the servant knelt down beside him, whispering in his ear, Yan Hengdan's hand suddenly trembled.

His eyes widened in shock and disbelief: "Yu Er is just gone like that?"

The young servant nodded, then lowered his voice: "They left the capital quietly just as dawn was breaking this morning."

Yan Hengdan propped himself up and sat cross-legged. When he looked down, his cascading hair concealed the worry welling up in his eyes.

Zhu Wuyun was beautiful and resourceful, and Yu Er had long shown some compassion for her. How could he leave the capital after learning of Xiaoming's ordeal?

Moreover, the message from the palace stated that Yu Er had voluntarily requested to leave the capital.

Yan Hengdan was processing the news, feeling vaguely uneasy, as if something was beyond his control.

He investigated openly and secretly for several days, but no news came out. The top scholar's mansion claimed that the master was unwell and refused to see guests. On the contrary, the palace sent imperial physicians to the mansion several times as a cover.

Liu, the Grand Eunuch, also personally visited Yan Hengdan's door to report on Yan Hengdan's attempts to infiltrate the palace.

Yan Hengdan understood; this was something he couldn't investigate any further, so he had no choice but to suppress his emotions and behave himself.

Yan Hengdan had only been lying low for a few days when people from the Duke's mansion came knocking again.

Leading the procession was the eldest princess, her eyes red and her spirits broken. She was being supported by her wet nurse. When Zhao Minghua bent down to plead with Yan Hengdan, she almost collapsed to the ground, startling Yan Hengdan, who quickly stepped aside and bowed first.

"Aunt, what are you doing?" Yan Hengdan's birth mother was Zhao Minghua's distant cousin. He hated his other half of his bloodline, and even though Zhao Minghua was his aunt, Yan Hengdan never wanted to call her that.

The servants had already been dismissed from the hall, leaving only the confidants of both sides. As Yan Hengdan spoke in a low voice, two lines of tears streamed down the princess's face.

"Dan'er, please save Han'er! He has been on a hunger strike for four days, and the old lady is also going without a single grain of rice all day, but he won't budge an inch. Your uncle won't let that girl into the family. Now the family is no longer a family, the father is no longer a father, and the son is no longer a son. He can't be allowed to fall into such an unfilial state."

You're closest to Han'er, and you're also familiar with that girl. Consider it a favor your aunt owes you; please ask her to let him go.

Zhao Minghua was unwilling to make a big deal out of this disgraceful matter, so he had no choice but to ask Yan Hengdan for help.

Yan Hengdan lowered her eyelashes slightly, fiddled with her fingers, and remained silent for a long time.

Zhao Minghua was also aware of the absurd things his son had done before. Knowing that his cousin was in love with the girl from the Wei family, he still flew into a rage for her sake and, relying on the emperor's favor, asked for an imperial decree to marry the girl to a scholar from a merchant family.

The child harbored resentment and was even beaten by Xiaoming. Even though she and her husband forced him to kneel in the ancestral hall and personally went to Xiaoming's house to clean up his mess and apologize to the child, the child still disliked Xiaoming.

Finally, it was only after the emperor spoke that he was willing to speak to Xiaoming, even if it was just to see him make a fool of himself.

Zhao Minghua knew she was using her status as an elder to blackmail the child, but she really had no other choice.

"I understand, Aunt. I will do my best to handle this matter well." Yan Hengdan smiled slightly, her gloomy eyebrows softening suddenly, and she became incredibly obedient.

This gesture moved Zhao Minghua to tears of gratitude, and she also took off a piece of imperial jade pendant from her waist, feeling even more guilty.

She visited Yan Hengdan under the guise of checking on her health, leaving behind a string of expensive gifts before departing.

After the princess left the mansion, Yan Hengdan, who had been pretending to be well-behaved, suddenly turned grim and smashed the jade pendant she had been playing with in her hand.

"Birds of a feather flock together. What are you, putting on this act of begging again?" Yan Hengdan sneered, then her expression remained blank.

When his mother begged and pleaded, did this man respond? Now, this is the fate that Song Zhaohan deserves! If it weren't for the fact that Song Zhaohan was also innocent, and because of the bond they had formed since childhood, even if he initially approached Song Zhaohan with an ulterior motive, he would have developed feelings for her over time and thus refrained from using more ruthless methods. Otherwise, would they really think their household could have remained peaceful until now?

"Qiu Man, I am not feeling well and will be staying home to receive guests for the time being." Yan Hengdan did not intend to rush to Zhu Xuanning as soon as Zhao Minghua finished speaking. She would let the Duke's mansion make a fuss for a few more days to dissipate his resentment.

After the request was fulfilled, the news was leaked.

This, naturally, reached the emperor's ears through Liu Dajian's mouth.

Yan Hengdan just wanted to stall for time, calm herself down, and then ask Zhu Xuanning to handle the matter.

He had planned everything, but he hadn't anticipated that Song Zhaohan, who hadn't eaten a single grain of rice in the past few days, would be so determined to fight to the end that she even disregarded her own grandmother and dared to climb over the wall and run away!

When Yan Hengdan was woken up by Qiu Man, he was still a bit grumpy. But when he heard Qiu Man hurriedly say that Song Zhaohan had coerced Zhu Xuanning into eloping, his anger vanished instantly, and his mind went blank for a moment.

When Yan Hengdan regained consciousness, he had already gotten off the bed, disheveled and barefoot, and ran out.

Qiu Man, carrying a load of clothes, desperately tried to catch up with Yan Hengdan and finally managed to pull him back.

"Master! Please take care of yourself! It's cold and the dew is heavy, you shouldn't go out like this!" Qiu Man had already ordered the horse to be harnessed, and after pulling Yan Hengdan back, he hurriedly put a cloak on him.

Yan Hengdan was pulled tightly, and the first thing she heard was the buzzing of insects, before she slowly began to hear Qiu Man's words.

His pale fingers gripped the cloak so tightly that even his fingernails turned bluish-white. After a moment of stunned silence, he shook off Qiu Man's hand and strode out.

"Go and beg the Emperor, while simultaneously blocking the news, and head straight down to Jiangnan." Yan Hengdan stepped into the stirrups, forcefully mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and a thick blackness surged in his gloomy eyes.

He didn't even know what was causing his anger; he only knew that he had to act on his impulses and resolve the matter before the news got out.

He considered himself no good person. Although he used Zhu Xuanning, he also felt some pity for her and didn't really ruin her life!

The situation in Beijing is currently unclear, and the struggle for succession is gradually emerging.

Zhu Xuanning knew she should stay in the mansion to avoid trouble these days, so she just wandered around her own courtyard.

The precious flowers that had been acquired were growing well, and since they were gifts from Yu Xuan, Zhu Xuanning went to see them every day. She even personally watered them and wrote down her observations, which she then sent to Yu Xuan through her ink-splashing tool.

This sending continued for several days in a row.

Since leaving the Yu family, Yu Xuan has clearly felt that things are not going smoothly. The links that he used to rely on the Yu family for support are now blocked at every turn. Although he has a position, his superiors make things difficult for him and make him sit on the sidelines. They give him tedious and energy-consuming tasks and keep him from showing his face in front of the emperor.

Today, after court, Yu Xuan took some books back to proofread the text.

After leaving the Duke's mansion, he didn't even eat before dealing with official business.

Not long after, Yu Xuan received another letter from Zhu Xuanning.

He carefully unfolded the letter, pressed down the corner with a paperweight, and read it word by word. He could almost see the vivid expression of the girl admiring the flowers.

Yu Xuan couldn't help but smile.

After he wrote back, Shuqing added that the Yu family head had secretly sent someone to deliver his favorite dishes.

Yu Xuan's smile faded as he listened to these words, his thoughts inevitably drifting back to what had just happened.

After he became the top scholar in the imperial examination, his mistress went even crazier and began to plot against him.

At that time, Shuqing handed him the clue, and he just smiled, put it aside, and said softly, "In that case, let's go along with her wishes. It's time to leave this quagmire."

He watched coldly as the madwoman's plan was exposed and she was locked in the backyard by her grandfather. He then took the opportunity to suggest that she set up her own household.

The slight guilt that had initially gripped the Yu family head vanished like a receding tide, replaced by a sharp scrutiny.

The head of the Yu family tapped lightly on the table, his tone turning serious: "Set up your own household?"

The old man slowly repeated those four words, raised his hand to the teacup, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Xuan'er, do you know that the winds of the capital are never something one person can withstand?"

"Why do you think you stand before me now, on this path, the only one to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations today? What is the reason?"

Yu Xuan remained bowed and said slowly, "Grandfather is overthinking it. I just feel that the Yu family, this great tree, shouldn't attract unnecessary attention because of me."

"Unnecessary attention?" The head of the Yu family took a sip of tea, and upon hearing Yu Xuan's words, his attitude softened somewhat: "Tell me, what are you referring to?"

"In recent years, His Majesty has implemented new policies, reducing the hereditary titles granted to aristocratic families, making important appointments to scholars, and promoting many scholars from humble backgrounds. Can't Grandfather see the deeper meaning behind this?"

Yu Xuan raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the person below the head of the Yu family. His tone was gentle and respectful: "The country is now settled. Imperial power and aristocratic families are no longer mutually beneficial. What His Majesty wants is a sharp blade that he can use to sever the ties between aristocratic families."

The head of the Yu family suddenly turned cold and slammed the teacup he had raised down: "Are you going to betray the family and become the emperor's lackey?"

The old man spoke arrogantly, using such a contemptuous term, as if he hardly respected the emperor.

“No.” Yu Xuan shook his head slightly, his voice lowered: “Grandson will be the Yu family’s talisman. On the surface, I will be His Majesty’s sharpest blade, making everyone think that the Yu family has a traitor, pointing the blade at the aristocratic families, and then losing three hundred of my own to injure a thousand of theirs. In this way, the Yu family can be protected.”

He paused, leaned forward, and bowed again, saying, "Your grandson has an excellent relationship with Song Ming, but he does not side with the Crown Prince's faction. He is currently in contact with that person, whose maternal clan is weak, making them the best investment target. After His Majesty eliminates the wings of other aristocratic families, and our Yu clan is spared because of a 'traitor,' your grandson will secretly support that person and gain merit for supporting the emperor, allowing the Yu clan to prosper for another hundred years."

A deathly silence fell over the study. The head of the Yu family remained silent for a long time, staring into his lowered eyes as if he were seeing his grandson for the first time.

Even as he spoke of such a daring and reckless scheme, those young eyes remained as gentle as ever.

“You hate us, don’t you?” Yu Shouzhuo suddenly asked. “You hate me for indulging your mistress in harming you, for your father for neglecting you, for being so cold-hearted, only teaching you knowledge and scheming.”

Yu Xuan laughed, but said only, "Grandfather is joking. If it weren't for the mistress's coercion, how could I have studied so hard? If it weren't for my father's cold eyes, how could I have seen the coldness of the world? These are all experiences that I need to undergo to become the head of the family."

He bowed again, giving an impeccable salute: "Grandson takes his leave. He will be moving out of the mansion in three days. At that time, I ask that grandfather cooperate in putting on this self-inflicted injury ruse."

He asked such a stupid question when he already knew the answer.

How could someone so precocious and calculating not harbor resentment towards the Yu family?

Even though Yu Shouzhu knew that his grandson had other plans, he still had no choice but to compromise.

Does he really intend to abandon his own grandson and pass the position of family head to someone else?

If that's the case, why would he bother bringing the person back and raising them personally?

Fortunately, the child still remembers some of his kindness. Hopefully, he will be more considerate of his family in the future because of this kindness.

After leaving the study, Yu Xuan stopped at the corner and glanced back at the closed door. The smile on his lips gradually faded, and a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes.

His grandfather had grown old and his heart had softened; he had even come to believe that he could rely on others.

Of course, he wouldn't tell his grandfather that long before he even put the flower in his hair, he had already sworn an oath to the emperor in the imperial study to be the sharpest blade in the emperor's hand, only asking the emperor to grant him justice.

He would not support the crown prince to ascend the throne, but those so-called plans to support the prince and gain merit from the emperor's ascension were nothing more than poisoned wine for Lord Yu and his ilk to use on their way to the throne.

"Master, do you need it?" Shuqing asked softly, his words bringing Yu Xuan's thoughts back to reality.

Yu Xuan shook his head and refused: "No need, please accept it and don't bring it up."

Shuqing said yes, and then Yu Xuan handed the letter to Shuqing, repeatedly instructing her: "Make sure that Miss Zhu remembers this well. She must not leave the manor for the next few days. No matter who calls her or what she wants to do, she must not go out. Wait for me for a month, no, wait for me for half a month, and whatever she asks for will be granted."

Shuqing solemnly wrote it down and immediately sent the letter out. She also relayed the words to Pomo, instructing Pomo to tell Miss Zhu every single one of them.

As Zhu Xuanning listened to Po Mo's retelling, she first frowned solemnly, then slowly relaxed, covering her rapidly beating heart with her other hand and her burning cheeks with a somewhat helpless gesture.

Did she gain Yu Xuan's attention so easily?

Zhu Xuanning couldn't quite describe her feelings. She felt flustered yet also somewhat happy, but when she realized this secret sense of satisfaction, she suppressed those emotions.

She cannot let her guard down and get caught up in these emotions, as that would make her lose her composure and impair her judgment.

After suppressing her emotions, Zhu Xuanning obeyed Yu Xuan's words and stayed indoors even more.

But who would have thought that even if she didn't go out, someone would come looking for her.

As night fell, a ghostly shadow loomed heavily over her bed.

Half-asleep, Zhu Xuanning felt a sense of unease and unconsciously opened her eyes. Before she could even see what was happening in front of her in the dim moonlight, someone bound her eyes with a silk cloth, grabbed her chin, and kissed her forcefully.

The panicked cries were swallowed up by the boy in front of her.

"Zhu Xuanning, how cruel you are! My father beat me half to death, and I think about you every day. I'm going crazy with longing, but you won't even send me a single word!"

He was clearly weak, yet he bit down so hard that the girl's lips were broken and bled pitifully.

Oh, it turns out it's an acquaintance.

Zhu Xuanning's initial fear gradually subsided because of this voice, and she began to quickly think of a solution.