Chapter 15015 Yun Sheng opened his eyes wide in fear
Qingtong Courtyard was quite far from the courtyard where the third wife lived. Yun Sheng estimated that she had walked for more than a quarter of an hour. The maid guarding the gate saw her and took her to the main hall first. Then she bowed and said, "The second lady has gone to the third wife's courtyard to pay her respects. I hope Madam Yun will wait for a moment."
Yun Sheng nodded: "It's okay, I'll just wait a while."
After a moment, Xie Tinglan, dressed in silk and satin, lifted the door curtain and walked in.
She looked behind Yun Sheng and saw that there was no one else there. The smile on Xie Tinglan's face faded a little.
Yun Sheng stood up and handed over the earrings wrapped in a handkerchief, saying softly, "Second Madam left in a hurry last night, so you must have left these behind. I was afraid you might have forgotten about them, so I thought of bringing them to you today."
Xie Tinglan forced a smile, but suddenly felt like a clown.
I don’t know what was wrong with her mind so impulsively, but she deliberately dropped an earring yesterday, and she didn’t expect that the person who came was Yun Sheng.
She looked at Yun Sheng's smiling eyes, her face flushed with shame and she felt guilty for what she had done.
The other party was still gently reminding her: "I think this earring of yours is very valuable. You must be careful with it in the future, so as not to lose it and feel sad."
Xie Tinglan's eyes were complicated. How could she be so stupid, dumb and naive? Sooner or later, she would be eaten up by Xie Qingyuan without leaving anything behind.
She pursed her lips and said, "Thank you, Madam Yun. It's a pity for you to come here in person. It would be the same if I could send you here."
Yun Sheng smiled and said, "I just have nothing to do."
After all, if she just sat in the house, her mind would be filled with random thoughts. It would be better for her to go out for a walk and relax.
Xie Tinglan's words were stuck in her throat, and she wanted to remind Yun Sheng that her fiancé was not an easy person to deal with.
She thought about it all night last night, and suddenly she figured it out. The more she thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. If Xie Qingyuan was really a good person, why didn't he avoid her before, but now he wants to cut off ties with her?
After sorting things out, Xie Tinglan felt that she had been under a spell some time ago, and it was also because Xie Qingyuan was too good at pretending, which blinded her.
She hesitated again and again, unable to jump to conclusions without any evidence, so she asked indirectly, "Yesterday, I saw Madam Yun and Mr. Yuan admiring the flowers together. Their affection was truly enviable. Mr. Yuan must be very good to Madam Yun, right?"
Yun Sheng had a thin complexion, and a light pink crept up her fair and slender neck. She lowered her eyes and said, "I'm sorry to have made fun of you, Second Lady. He's been very good to me."
Xie Tinglan's eyelids twitched, but she didn't say anything in the end. She didn't want to be disliked for no reason. After all, her relationship with Yun Sheng was not that good.
_
Once this matter was resolved, Yun Sheng's life seemed to return to normal. After those two kisses, Xie Zhanyin, disgusted by her vulgar words and actions, had not seen him for several days.
But compared to Xie Zhan, she was more worried about Xie Qingyuan.
He had been leaving early and returning late recently. Not only was he not seen during the day, but he also came back very late at night. He looked very tired when he came back. Yun Sheng wanted to ask several times, but he opened his mouth and swallowed the words.
After dinner, she looked at the darkening sky outside and went to Mrs. Qian's room to ask, "Mother, I wonder what my brother has been busy with lately. When he comes back later, would you like to ask him?"
Mrs. Qian glanced at her and said slowly, "What do you know? Yuanlang told me about this a long time ago. Now that we're in Chang'an, we have to find a way to make friends with the powerful and influential so that we can have a way to get things done in the future. Relying solely on the Marquis's Mansion is not a long-term solution. He's finally showing some signs of progress recently. Don't mess with him and ruin our plans."
Yun Sheng felt a pang of sadness. It turned out that her mother-in-law knew everything. Of course, otherwise, why would she agree to something that would affect her studies?
But she keeps saying "we, we", isn't she a member of this family? And why doesn't her husband want to tell her this?
Yun Sheng covered his chest with his hands, and it was undeniable that he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
The sun was setting, and Xie Qingyuan, drunkenly reeking of alcohol, knocked on the door of Qingtong Courtyard.
Yun Sheng asked the maid to help and supported him into the house.
She looked at Xie Qingyuan's red face and neck from drinking, and couldn't help but worry. She asked softly, "Husband, what have you been busy with recently? Why do you drink so much every day? Alcohol is very harmful to your health."
How could Xie Qingyuan not know these principles? The friendship between men was built over cups of wine. Moreover, the people who served him the wine were all powerful officials in the court. They valued him, so how could he dare not drink and embarrass them?
Xie Qingyuan was always aloof and proud of his talent. However, it was only after coming to Chang'an that he realized that the talent he was proud of was worthless in the eyes of those children from aristocratic families and would only make others laugh at him.
He was drunk and stumbled as he stretched out a finger. He smiled foolishly at Yun Sheng and said, "Sheng Niang, you don't understand. Minister Lu values me, so he often brings me around. Minister Lu... Minister Lu is a favorite of the Crown Prince."
After saying this, he chuckled again, and his tone became incoherent.
Yun Sheng moved closer and heard Xie Qingyuan mumbling something about the gambling house. When she wanted to listen more clearly, he tilted his head and fell asleep.
After pondering this all night, Yun Sheng felt uneasy. What good could come of being associated with a gambling house? So the next day, she went out to inquire. Everyone knew that Minister Lu was just a man who loved to eat, drink and have fun. He was kept by the prince because of his flattery skills and he often frequented gambling houses.
Yun Sheng was worried the whole day and pricked her fingertips twice while doing needlework.
When Xie Qingyuan returned home at dusk, she went up to him and said, "My dear, I asked someone to find out. Minister Lu is a gambler..."
Before she could finish her words, Xie Qingyuan interrupted her impatiently: "I know what Sheng Niang wants to say. You can rest assured. Minister Lu only asked me to accompany him. I had nothing to do with the gambling. I know my limits."
He then said smugly, "Minister Lu also promised me that he would recommend me to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in a while. I will definitely be able to secure a good outcome next year. Once I have established myself in Chang'an, I will bring you home with great fanfare."
Yun Sheng still felt that it was inappropriate. How could taking such a shortcut be as stable as making steady progress on his own?
She wanted to persuade him a little more, but Xie Qingyuan's face turned cold for the first time: "Shengniang, you are a woman, just follow me and learn more about the affairs of the inner house. You don't need to worry about the affairs outside."
Finally, he strode out of the courtyard and hurriedly said, "Alright. Shengniang, you go to sleep first. I'm going outside to get rid of the alcohol."
Yun Sheng looked at his back and pursed her lips.
After Xie Qingyuan walked for a quarter of an hour, most of his anger subsided.
He shook his head and began to regret his harsh words to Yun Sheng. She was so timid, he wondered if he had frightened her to tears.
Never mind, I'll just go back and coax her later. She's a girl from a virgin family, she's not very knowledgeable anyway, why should he bother with her?
"Yuan Langjun, would you like to come over and sit down with me when you have time?"
A familiar female voice called him from behind. Xie Qingyuan turned around and saw that it was Mrs. Xie Yulan.
He was stunned for a moment, then saw the other person's interested eyes and calmed down. It turned out that it was not his illusion that day.
Xie Qingyuan smiled, as if basking in the spring breeze: "It would be disrespectful for me to refuse your invitation, Madam. I will certainly be free."
Yun Sheng was completely unaware of all this. He only knew that Xie Qingyuan was in a much happier mood after his return, with joy evident in his eyes and eyebrows.
The next day he went out early again, but Yun Sheng didn't bother to take care of him anymore because Mrs. Qian was too hot-tempered in the summer and blisters appeared on the corners of her mouth and lips.
She couldn't eat anything and just wanted to drink a bowl of cold lotus porridge. She called Yun Sheng over early in the morning and scolded her to vent her anger, then asked her to make porridge.
Yun Sheng was filial and nodded in agreement before going to work in the small kitchen.
She first lit a fire to boil water, then took a basket to the pond to pick some fresh lotus seeds.
As I approached the waterside pavilion, I heard the little boy's clear laughter.
The only young man in the mansion who was seven or eight years old was Xie Mingting, the illegitimate son of the second master's concubine Wen.
Yun Sheng could vaguely hear Aunt Wen gently coaxing her son: "Mingting, run slower, be careful not to fall."
Recalling her hurriedly leaving figure among the flowers that day, Yun Sheng felt a little embarrassed and inexplicably repulsed. For a moment, the embroidered shoes stretched in the air stopped, and he didn't know whether to wait for her to walk away before going over.
She was still hesitating when Aunt Wen caught sight of the hem of her skirt and stepped forward, smiling, saying, "It's Madam Yun, right?"
Yun Sheng smiled uncomfortably, not daring to meet her eyes. He tilted his head and explained, "I came here to pick lotus seeds, but I was afraid to disturb Aunt Wen and her son, so I didn't come forward for a while."
Aunt Wen curled her lips and said, "Madam Yun, you're too polite. It's just a child playing around. What's the big deal?"
After she finished speaking, the atmosphere between the two of them suddenly became tense.
Aunt Wen glanced at Yun Sheng's expression, sighed softly, and said, "I see that Madam Yun is still busy. If you are free this afternoon, would you like to come to my room and sit for a while?"
Yun Sheng was frightened and responded perfunctorily.
She wasn't familiar with Aunt Wen, so what was her intention in inviting her over to talk? What did she see that day?
Because of her words, Yun Sheng was absent-minded when making the porridge. She brought it to Mrs. Qian who was lying on the bed and served her. Then she took a bath, changed her clothes and went to find Aunt Wen.
Just as Aunt Wen coaxed her son to take a break, the maid came to report that Yun Sheng had arrived and was waiting in the main hall.
She shook her head and thought that Madam Yun was really anxious.
As soon as the two met, Yun Sheng stood up and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for disturbing Aunt Wen's rest. I just don't know what the intention was in what she said this morning."
Aunt Wen looked at Yun Sheng's somewhat uneasy expression, patted her hands and said, "Madam Yun, I saw that I was uncomfortable, so I knew you must have seen me that day. I am also a cheerful person, and I didn't want you to worry all day, so I asked you to come here and talk. Madam Yun, just put your worries in your stomach, I will just pretend that I didn't see anything that day."
Yun Sheng's ears were buzzing, and he subconsciously pulled out his hand, which was ice-cold.
She murmured, "Auntie, you... you saw everything?"
Madam Wen sighed, "I originally thought it was a maid from the mansion, having an affair with the master, or one of the servants, but... I didn't expect the person who came out was actually the Marquis. I was afraid of running into the Marquis, so I hid in the bushes for a while. You'll know what happened next."
Her expression was complicated as she continued, "It's just that I really didn't expect, I didn't expect... that the other person would be you."
Yun Sheng laughed at himself, "Yeah. Who would have thought of that, as someone with a fiancé? Aunt Wen... probably thinks I'm not decent."
She was extremely calm when she said this.
Aunt Wen whispered, "Did the Marquis force Madam Yun?"
Yun Sheng was stunned for a moment, then heard her say, "If you are willing, why are you afraid of me knowing?"
"Auntie is really smart and perceptive. I really don't want to... I don't want to serve Marquis Xie." Yun Sheng smiled bitterly.
"I know that Madam Yun and her fiancé are in love, but Madam Yun knows that the Marquis is extremely powerful. If he really likes you and wants to force you into his backyard, you will have a hard time escaping."
"How could I not know? These days I have been just muddling along, not afraid of Aunt Wen's ridicule. It's as if I am counting every day, just hoping that he will get tired of me."
Aunt Wen listened carefully. She paused and asked, "Madam Yun, have you ever thought of following the Marquis's wishes?"
Yun Sheng felt relieved after speaking out about something she had been holding back for so long. She smiled and said, "Don't worry about Aunt Wen making fun of me. I come from a humble family. I only hope to live a life of devotion with my husband, supporting him and raising our children. I've never considered marrying into a wealthy family and becoming his concubine."
After she finished speaking, she realized that something was wrong, and hurriedly said, "Don't misunderstand Aunt Wen, I didn't mean that."
Aunt Wen shook her head and comforted her: "Don't worry, Madam Yun, I know you don't mean that."
Then she looked dazed and started talking about her own story.
"I was originally going to be sold to a brothel by my parents, but God took pity on me and let me run into Second Master along the way. I was fortunate enough to be raised as his concubine. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the comfortable life I have now. For a woman like me with such a humble background, being able to be Second Master's concubine is already a great satisfaction."
Yun Sheng sighed, it turned out that Aunt Wen was also a pitiful woman.
But she still has a home and a fiancé, and Xie Zhan shamelessly took her away by force. Why should Yun Sheng obey him?
Aunt Wen glanced at Yun Sheng and smiled in her heart, thinking that she had not suffered much when she was young.
Did she think that by marrying her fiancé, they would be together for the rest of their lives?
Country men are like this because they are poor. If they have a few copper coins in their pockets, even if they cannot afford to visit brothels, they will probably spend them on widows in the same village.
She thought that Xie Qingyuan was a smart man, and he was going to be an official in the future. Could Yun Sheng guarantee that he would not have three wives and four concubines?
Since all men are the same, why bother yourself to suffer? Why not find a powerful one who can at least protect her and ensure she has food and clothing? Marquis Xie may not be inferior to Xie Qingyuan.
But Aunt Wen was not stupid, and she would not say such unpleasant words in front of Yun Sheng. She just said, "I am usually alone and bored. If you don't mind, Madam Yun, you can come and walk around more often to accompany me and relieve my boredom."
Yun Sheng smiled and said, "Okay, I'm just bored too."
Over the next few days, the two of them became quite familiar with each other, and Mrs. Qian turned a blind eye. However, she still reminded Yun Sheng, "You fool! Our entire family has to live under the Second Madam's care. Why are you so close to a concubine? No matter how favored she is, she can never surpass the Second Madam. I'm not saying you're too shortsighted. If you have that free time, you'd better take care of Yuanlang's food and sleep."
Yun Sheng didn't argue and let her talk. She wanted to take care of her husband, but he was out early and back late every day, what could she do?
That day she went to find Aunt Wen to work as a maid. Aunt Wen was kind enough to invite her to have a meal. Yun Sheng sent Ah Xi back to tell Mrs. Qian, and she agreed.
Ah Xi hesitated for a moment, thinking that the Marquis had been busy with court affairs recently, and that Chief Steward Bai had not asked her about Madam Yun's recent situation for a few days. But she nodded and returned to Qingtong Courtyard.
After Yun Sheng had lunch with Aunt Wen, she went to check on her son's room first, and then arranged for her to rest in the side room. They would talk later.
Yun Sheng felt tired after the meal, so he sat and waited for a while, then lay down on the couch for a nap.
Not long after she closed her eyes, she vaguely heard a creaking sound. Yun Sheng thought that Aunt Wen had returned. She was about to turn around and speak when a corner of the couch suddenly collapsed and her long black hair was pulled away fiercely.
"My dear aunt, why have you been hiding lately?"
Yun Sheng opened his eyes wide in horror, partly because his scalp was pulled and it hurt, and partly because he was scared.
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