Chapter 1 001 Seems to be able to tear her apart and swallow her
Yesterday's heavy rain had eased the summer heat a bit, but the paulownia trees in the yard were still wilted from the sun. A few birds alighted from the treetops, chirping softly, each one becoming fainter and fainter, before disappearing completely with a few rustling sounds among the dense branches.
The birds were suffocated by the scorching heat, and Yun Sheng, watching the fire in the small kitchen, felt like she was trapped in a steamer. She squatted on the ground, adding some firewood to the stove door, and gently waved her palm-leaf fan a few times. The fire grew stronger, choking her and making her cough repeatedly.
The air was so sticky that it was almost stagnant, and even the wind from the fan was hot. Yun Sheng stood up and went to the stove. The moment he raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his face, his plain narrow sleeves slipped down, revealing a part of his wrist that was as white as lotus root.
Estimating that half a quarter of an hour had passed, she opened the lid of the steamer, and the freshly baked pastries were spread on the lotus leaves, bringing out the fragrant lotus aroma.
After taking it out of the cage, Yun Sheng covered the lotus cake with a layer of fresh flower petals. Country people don’t care about this, but the nobles in the mansion should like exquisite things.
She packed the plate and carried the food box to her mother-in-law's room, not daring to delay for a moment.
The door was wide open, and a draft carrying the fresh air of grass and trees blew into the inner room, adding a bit of coolness. However, Mrs. Qian was still sweating profusely from the heat, and she sat on a chair to fan herself.
Seeing Yun Sheng enter the room, she straightened her slightly hunched back and glanced into the food box. She was quite satisfied and finally looked a little better.
She looked at her sweaty face, her thin dress clinging to her body, making her chest look even more prominent. She frowned and said unhappily, "Alright, you've been busy all morning. Go back and wipe yourself off and tidy up. If someone in the Hou Mansion sees you in this frivolous state, it will be embarrassing for Yuanlang and me."
Mrs. Qian paused, her eyes sharper. "Yuan Lang is at a critical juncture in the imperial examination. You'd better put away your improper thoughts and stop distracting him so much that he's only thinking about that."
She knew her son best. Before Yun Sheng turned fifteen, he treated her like a little girl whose hair hadn't even grown out yet, and treated her like a younger sister. However, ever since Yun Sheng came of age, she hadn't given her any good food, and she had grown up like a branch, her face becoming increasingly fair and radiant.
Her son was at the age of full vigor and vitality, and the look in his eyes changed when he looked at her. Mrs. Qian was afraid that her son would be delayed in his studies by being in contact with a woman, so she had not allowed him to get close to Yun Sheng until now.
Yun Sheng trembled a few times but remained silent.
What are you talking about? Is she saying that she didn't try to seduce her husband?
Over the years, she has already figured out Mrs. Qian's temper. If she dares to talk back, this matter will definitely not end.
Yun Sheng lowered his eyes and whispered, "I understand, mother."
Mrs. Qian nodded coldly, ignored her, and walked out of the house with the food box.
Yun Sheng knew that her mother-in-law had gone to see Old Lady Xie.
She was originally a child bride in the family of Mrs. Qian. A month ago, her hometown Jiankang was hit by a flood and the harvest was lost. Her husband Xie Qingyuan would go to Chang'an to take part in the provincial examination in February of the following year, but the family was stretched to the limit.
Mrs. Qian was worried for several days, and gritted her teeth and took her and her husband to Chang'an to seek refuge with their distant relatives, the Xie family of Dingbei Marquis Mansion. Their ancestors were all from the Chenjun Xie family during the two dynasties.
They were received by the second wife of the household, who exchanged pleasantries for a while before sending them to a remote courtyard without them even getting to see Old Lady Xie.
Mrs. Qian was so anxious that her mouth was covered with blisters. She was not stupid. The Second Madam was nominally the head of the family, but if the three of them wanted to gain a foothold in the Hou Mansion, they still had to get the old lady's approval.
She didn't have anything good in her hands, but Yun Sheng was always skillful with her hands, so Mrs. Qian asked her to steam some snacks early in the morning so that she could take them to show her filial piety to Old Lady Xie. It would be great if she could meet her in person.
Yun Sheng had just returned to her room to wash and put on her clothes when her maid stood at the door with a haughty look on her face, saying that Mrs. Qian wanted her to come over and talk to her.
This was one of the two maids assigned by the second lady on the day she entered the mansion. The mother-in-law decided to keep one for herself and leave the other to serve her husband. The nostrils of the two girls were raised higher than the other.
Yun Sheng sensed a hint of gloating in the voice, and when she calculated the time it took for Mrs. Qian to go there and back, her heart suddenly sank. She was being scolded before she even entered the house.
"Look at you, you're so clumsy and slow. I went to visit the old lady in her Wenzhai Hall, and the maids guarding the door said she had taken some medicine before going to bed. If you hadn't been so slow, would your mother have been turned away?"
Yun Sheng lowered his head even lower and said nothing.
"I'm asking you a question, but you don't have a mouth, do you?" Mrs. Qian immediately beat her chest and stamped her feet. "Oh my god, what a sin! How could I have bought such a money-losing thing like you? You only eat for free every day!"
Yun Sheng's face turned pale, but no matter how harshly Mrs. Qian scolded her, she was still grateful to her.
If she didn't buy her, her fate would be nothing more than a bed-warming toy for the rich or end up in a brothel.
Seeing Yun Sheng's humble, submissive demeanor, Mrs. Qian couldn't help but feel furious. She'd made such a wasted trip in the middle of the day, and she was panting in the heat, taking out all her anger on Yun Sheng.
She was spitting all over the place when Xie Qingyuan walked in. He took two steps forward and protected Yun Sheng behind him.
"Mother, please drink some water and rest. This is none of Sheng Niang's business. I've inquired about it. Marquis Xie will be returning to the city to report soon. The old lady must be worried about her grandson, so she has no mood to see guests. Haven't you seen how busy the maids and servants in the mansion have been these days, cleaning the yard for Marquis Xie? When Marquis Xie returns home, the old lady will definitely see you."
Mrs. Qian's eyes lit up, and she was overjoyed: "Okay, okay, according to seniority, you have to call Marquis Xie your uncle. My son, you have to be smart. Why worry that your uncle won't promote you?"
The mother and son had a long conversation, and Yun Sheng stood aside and listened quietly.
My cousin, Marquis Xie, was a well-known general among the people. Five years ago, the old marquis died in a battle with the Western Turks. He inherited his father's title and led the Dingbei Army to defeat the Turks repeatedly. It was said that the Turkic children stopped crying immediately when they saw him, and he has lived in Beiting since then.
After coming out of Mrs. Qian's place, Yun Sheng was pulled into Xie Qingyuan's house.
He had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, and when he looked at her tenderly, her cheeks had already turned red.
Xie Qingyuan was immediately moved and took Yun Sheng's hand to comfort her: "Our mother has a sharp tongue but a kind heart. She has no bad intentions. Mother Sheng, please don't take her words to heart."
Yun Sheng curled his lips and said, "I know my mother's temper, don't worry, brother."
"Didn't I say you call me husband in private? Why would you still call me brother?"
Yun Sheng was already sixteen, and Xie Qingyuan was also over twenty. If it weren't for Mrs. Qian's disapproval, they would have been married in the countryside long ago.
He moved his handsome face closer and stared at Yun Sheng's rosy cherry lips. Yun Sheng noticed his intention, shyly turned her face away, and hurriedly pushed him away.
"Husband...husband, it's not possible. We haven't officially married yet, and mother..."
Xie Qingyuan sighed with regret, and then promised: "Don't worry, Shengniang, I will definitely pass the imperial examination next year, and I will welcome you home with great fanfare, and you will also become the wife of an official."
After only a few days in Chang'an, he was amazed again and again. It turned out that even the maids in the Marquis's Mansion were dressed in silk and satin. Poor Sheng Niang, who was born with a beautiful face but had her beauty wasted in vain.
When he graduates from high school, he will definitely let her live a good life. She is a pearl, she should not be tarnished like this.
Yun Sheng blushed and nodded: "I believe in my husband."
_
Midsummer days are hot and muggy, and nights are muggy and sweltering.
Unable to sleep, Yun Sheng went to the small pond in the Hou Mansion under the moonlight to cool off. She had made lotus cakes early that morning and, after asking the maid, she learned that they were made with fresh lotus seeds picked here.
The vibrant flowers of Chang'an and the strict rules of the wealthy families all made her feel vaguely uneasy. But when she thought of what Xie Qingyuan had said to her that day, Yun Sheng felt more at ease. As long as they could wait until next spring, the three of them would be able to move out and no longer have to live under someone else's roof. Now, she had to focus on her husband's imperial examinations.
Her mother-in-law had never given her any money, but things were expensive in Chang'an and everything required money. If she wanted to have some extra money, she had to find a way.
Suddenly, two male voices came from behind the rockery. Yun Sheng's body stiffened and he held his breath.
"Don't worry, my Lord. Our people have received the message and will definitely not let that person get what he wants."
"Well, how are the 20,000 elite troops arranged?"
A deep voice was then heard. Even before the person appeared, one could already hear a sense of majesty and oppression.
Marquis? Besides Marquis Xie, who else could be the Marquis who showed up at the Dingbei Marquis's mansion so late at night?
But my husband said that it would take a few days for Marquis Xie to return to the court. If he really appeared here, could it be that Wu Zhao had returned to Chang'an in advance?
This is a capital crime of deceiving the emperor.
Yun Sheng covered his mouth tightly, and only the bushes rustled in the wind.
"who?"
Han Ting, the General of the Central Army, was used to being cautious in the army, and no movement escaped his ears.
The voices of the two people talking gradually faded away, but the sound of footsteps became clearer and clearer. Yun Sheng didn't dare to move and hid behind the bushes.
In an instant, the blade pierced through the grass, the unsheathed blade pointed directly at Yun Sheng's eyes. She trembled, her pupils constricted in fear. The moonlight illuminated her frightened face, like withered petals after rain, rustling and falling.
She supported her hands behind her back, her palms clenched tighter and tighter, the thin lotus-green silk shirt clung to her body, the slightly gathered collar concealing a bit of her spring beauty, the upright and blooming magnolia buds rose and fell with nervousness and fear.
Xie Zhan looked down at her and saw her slender neck, as white as mutton-fat jade, trembling under her collar. He also saw her swallowing saliva, but her mouth was tightly covered without making any sound.
Han Ting's face was ugly, and he frowned: "Which maidservant are you from? Why are you so unruly?"
"What did you hear?"
It was Lord Xie who was speaking. Yun Sheng looked up and met a pair of dark, narrow, sharp phoenix eyes, which were cold and intimidating.
There was no emotion in his eyes, yet she dared not look directly at them. She shuddered, quickly turned her head away, and spoke in a trembling voice.
"I...slave, I'm new here and don't know the rules. I just came here to enjoy the cool air and didn't hear anything. I accidentally bumped into the Marquis. I hope the Marquis will forgive me."
Yun Sheng's heart was in her throat. She was of low status and lived in the inner chambers, so she probably wouldn't have anything to do with someone like Marquis Xie in the future. A mere maid wasn't worth his trouble. It all depended on whether Marquis Xie believed her or not.
The other party remained silent for a long time, only his half-closed phoenix eyes were like a dormant beast. He looked over intently, and just one glance made Yun Sheng's back cold. Life and death were just a matter of his thought.
After a moment, he said, "Back off."
"Yes, thank you, sir."
Yun Sheng held her breath the entire time. After taking a few steps, she was already covered in sweat. The sharp gaze behind her seemed to penetrate her.
When she disappeared, Han Ting glanced at Xie Zhan and asked, "Did the Marquis really believe what she said?"
Then he joked, "When did the Marquis' Mansion have a maid of this beauty? If the Marquis is interested, why not go back and ask the old lady for her?"
He had been with Xie Zhan for quite some time. It was true that the Marquis was pure and unselfish. Over the years, he had never taken in anyone, whether they were military prostitutes in the tent or presented to him by his subordinates as a gift.
He had just seen clearly that they were all men, and the way the Marquis looked at the maid was not pure.
Xie Zhan's tone was cold and gloomy. "Silence! General, you have overstepped your bounds."
Yun Sheng returned to the room and lay down on the couch, turning into a ball of mud. She slept uneasily that night. She dreamed of a giant python spitting out its tongue and locking her tightly, leaving her with nowhere to escape.
Waking up in the middle of the night, Xie Hou's narrow and long phoenix eyes appeared before her eyes again, as if they could see her——
Open and swallow.
The author has something to say:
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Little angels, please collect this.
Push push completed ancient Chinese novel "Stepbrother Marrying", completed modern Chinese novel "Tonight Heats Up" [Dog Head Holding Rose]
The next book I will write is "Luan Ting Chun", "Suo Qiong Zhi" or "The Evil Widowed Sister-in-law of the Traitorous Official in the Imperial Examination Literature". I will open the one with the highest collection first. If you are interested, you can click below to read the copy [kiss]
If you don't have enough collection, I will update it in 8.1. I will save more and more. If you don't have enough collection by 8.1, I will definitely update it.
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