Chapter 56: "I've lost my chance, haven't I?"
Yun Sheng should have fallen asleep quickly after Xiao Xu left, but his return and kiss dispelled her drowsiness.
After Xiao Xu actually set off and left, Yun Sheng lay alone in the quiet room with her eyes open, unable to calm down for a long time.
My whole body felt warm, my lips were still slightly numb, and even the tip of my tongue seemed to still have some delicate sensations.
After calming down for a moment, Yun Sheng pulled the blanket over her head again and felt embarrassed for a long time.
Once her breathing and heartbeat had finally calmed down, she closed her eyes, her mind filled with a multitude of thoughts.
One moment she was worried about how late Xiao Xu would be working outside at night, and the next she was wondering what had suddenly happened to Xiao Ling tonight.
Lost in her thoughts, she drifted off to sleep after what seemed like an eternity.
In her half-dreaming, half-awake state, she seemed to sense that Xiao Xu had returned.
She tried to open her eyes to see, but her eyelids were too heavy.
She seemed to mutter, "You're back."
But she didn't hear Xiao Xu answer her.
She was pulled into a familiar, warm embrace, turned her head to snuggle, found a comfortable position, and fell asleep again.
I slept soundly until dawn.
When she woke up again, Yun Sheng was still lying alone on the bed.
She was startled and couldn't help but wonder if the hazy feeling she had yesterday was just a dream.
Could it be that Xiao Xu was busy all night and didn't come home?
She quickly got up, and just as she put her legs down on the bed and was about to call for someone to come in, she heard the sound of the door opening from the direction of the room.
Yun Sheng paused slightly, and subconsciously tilted her body and craned her neck to look in that direction.
Xiao Xu walked around the screen and saw her looking so expectant.
Looking for me?
Yun Sheng's cheeks flushed, and after regaining her breath, she asked, "What time did you get back last night?"
"It's not yet the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."
That's very late.
Yun Sheng asked, "Has the matter been resolved? What happened last night?"
Xiao Xu poured himself a cup of hot tea at the table.
Even though he was busy until late last night before returning home to rest, he still got up before dawn this morning to practice swordsmanship for an hour. He had just finished and returned to his room after washing up in the side room.
As Yun Sheng watched his Adam's apple bob and his chest rise and fall, she suddenly felt that the morning light was a little too bright.
She snapped out of her reverie and walked towards him in her embroidered shoes: "Tell me."
Xiao Xu put down his teacup: "It's a complicated story, and I can't explain it in a short time."
Yun Sheng frowned immediately: "You said yesterday that you would tell me when you got back!"
Seeing that she seemed about to get angry, Xiao Xu chuckled calmly.
Yun Sheng could clearly see that Xiao Xu had no intention of hiding this from her. He was probably just teasing her to keep her in suspense, which made her so anxious that she wanted to bite him.
Xiao Xu spoke up before she could truly get angry: "It's hard to explain, so I'll let you see it directly later."
Yun Sheng was bewildered: "What are you looking at?"
Xiao Xu reached out and grasped her shoulders, guiding her towards the bed: "Should I help you get dressed, or do you want a maid to do it?"
"Call Cuizhu in, I don't want you," Yun Sheng muttered softly.
Xiao Xu looked up at her from in front of her, seemingly dissatisfied with the words "I don't want you".
Yun Sheng ignored him, eager to know what Xiao Xu was up to, and called Cui Zhu into the room.
While she was getting ready, Xiao Xu left the room again, and it was unclear what he was doing.
Yun Sheng couldn't help but ask Cui Zhu, "What happened at the manor today?"
Cui Zhu was stunned. It was only a little past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the beginning of a new day. How could something have already happened?
She replied, "Your Highness, nothing has happened at the residence today."
After listening, Yun Sheng was completely unaware that she had asked something strange; instead, she frowned and pondered.
After a moment, he asked again, "Where is Changyu?"
"His Highness just left the East Courtyard, only instructing the servants to take good care of the Crown Princess, and did not give any other instructions."
"I see."
Yun Sheng couldn't think of anything, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
After finishing her hair and makeup, she went out of the room, intending to call someone else to inquire about Xiao Xu's whereabouts.
Before she could utter a sound, the servant at the door rushed over to report: "Princess Consort, the Third Young Master is here to see you."
Yun Sheng paused for a moment, then looked up and saw Xiao Ling's figure appear in front of the courtyard gate.
Their eyes met, and Xiao Ling's gaze flickered slightly, his expression somewhat complicated.
Yun Sheng didn't try to decipher the expression in his eyes. Since he had already arrived at the door, there was no reason for her to avoid seeing him.
"Quickly, invite him in."
Yun Sheng's voice reached Xiao Ling's ears from a distance.
He stepped into the courtyard and watched Yun Sheng walk towards him.
"Are you looking for Changyu? He's not here right now..."
"I'm here to see you," Xiao Ling interrupted Yun Sheng's polite words in a deep voice.
Yun Sheng choked, thinking to himself that he didn't need to be so direct.
But she didn't say much. She instructed the servants to prepare tea and invited Xiao Ling into the side hall.
At this moment, Yun Sheng couldn't help but think that Xiao Ling had left the manor at night for some unknown reason, which was why Xiao Xu had gone looking for him. Could it be that when Xiao Xu said he would see Xiao Ling later, he meant seeing Xiao Ling?
Yun Sheng was somewhat surprised that Xiao Xu would take the initiative to have Xiao Ling come to the East Courtyard to find her.
However, Yun Sheng's guess was quickly shattered by Xiao Ling's direct statement.
"I have something to return to you."
Yun Sheng looked up and asked, "What is this?"
Xiao Ling slowly took out a neatly folded white handkerchief from his bosom.
Yun Sheng didn't see it clearly at first glance, but then she noticed some familiar embroidery patterns. It wasn't until Xiao Ling took out the handkerchief and handed it to her that she recognized it as her handkerchief.
"How did this handkerchief end up with you..." Yun Sheng murmured in surprise.
Looking at her bewildered expression, as if she had completely forgotten that brief memory, Xiao Ling felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
He said, "You were stuck in the cave then."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng gradually remembered that she had used the handkerchief she carried with her to wipe the dusty stones in the cave.
But it wasn't that she left it behind; her intention was simply to get rid of the dusty handkerchief.
The handkerchief in front of me had been washed clean, and there was not a trace of dirt on it; it was still as white and new as ever.
Yun Sheng didn't know what to say for a moment, so she reached out and took the handkerchief, finally only saying thank you.
Xiao Ling waited quietly for a moment, but when Yun Sheng didn't say anything else, he lowered his eyes with a sense of dejection.
She probably never expected that he would carefully collect a handkerchief she had casually discarded, and she probably didn't even remember that he had suddenly turned back in front of the cave entrance.
His actions now seem ridiculous.
But at that time, he picked up the dirty handkerchief with many beautiful thoughts in mind.
He thought it would be a wonderful encounter, that he would escape and save a girl from falling into the hands of thieves.
Unexpectedly, this became his most ridiculous and regrettable void.
If she were merely the woman his elder brother admired, and he too were in love with her, then he would never fear the towering mountain blocking his path; he would do everything in his power to contend with, defeat, and overcome it.
But they were already married, and she told him herself.
She likes Xiao Xu.
That past is like a storyteller beginning to recount a tale, but there's no more to it, and no ending to fill in the gaps.
He had visited the East Courtyard many times in his youth, but this was the first time he had come here. He entered this familiar place, yet it felt strangely unfamiliar.
Just now, in front of the courtyard gate, his gaze inevitably swept towards the main house door directly opposite, and he glimpsed a corner of the house, a light-colored tablecloth that was different from before, a beaded curtain that swayed gently in the wind, and the most conspicuous antique shelf in front of the door, which was no longer just a neat and boring pile of books.
He didn't see much clearly, but his eyes had already caught a glimpse of the vibrant colors Yun Sheng had brought to his elder brother's residence.
He was filled with envy and was driven mad with jealousy.
They even lowered their eyes, unwilling to take another glance at any of the beautiful changes in the East Courtyard.
“Yun Sheng.” Xiao Ling looked up.
"I've already lost my chance, haven't I?"
Yun Sheng frowned slightly upon hearing his words.
His tone didn't sound like a question, but rather like he was seeking an answer that would make him realize something.
Before she could speak, Xiao Ling suddenly spoke again.
"I like you."
Yun Sheng looked slightly taken aback, but quickly said, "I already told you that yesterday."
“I know,” Xiao Ling said, “but I still want to express what’s on my mind.”
"I like you, regardless of our original identities. I fell for you when we first met in Wangzhou."
At this point, Yun Sheng was completely certain that Xiao Ling was not someone Xiao Xu had sent to find; how could Xiao Xu possibly summon someone to say these things to her?
She hesitated slightly, "But I'm already married to Changyu, and the person I love is..."
Xiao Ling interrupted her, seemingly unwilling to hear her repeat those words again.
"If we hadn't had that previous marriage, and we had met outside, would you have been likely to like me?"
Yun Sheng was somewhat surprised. She thought that Xiao Ling's "what if" would be if he hadn't run away from the wedding.
But whatever it may be, Yun Sheng shook her head: "There are no ifs. If we talk about ifs, there will only be more variables that do not match our imagination. Everything now is what it is."
Xiao Ling remained silent for a long time.
Yun Sheng sat opposite him, remaining silent and neither speaking nor urging him on.
After a long while, Xiao Ling let out a long breath and stood up: "I've said what I wanted to say, and I've returned the handkerchief to you. I'll be leaving now."
Xiao Ling had just taken two steps when Yun Sheng suddenly remembered something, and got up to call out to him urgently, "Third Brother."
The address made Xiao Ling's lips stiffen, his eyes, which were about to light up, instantly dimmed, and his brow twitched twice before he turned around.
Yun Sheng asked, "I heard you left the manor last night. Did something happen?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling became somewhat annoyed: "Didn't he tell you?"
"What?"
Yun Sheng was startled for a moment by his suddenly raised voice, then realized what he meant: "No, it was me..."
Yun Sheng was about to say that it was she herself who couldn't wait to know as soon as possible.
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Xu walked into the east courtyard through the gate, where he came face to face with the two people standing in front of the side hall.
Xiao Xu's face immediately darkened, and he strode towards the two of them.
"What are you doing here?" This question was directed at Xiao Ling.
Still annoyed and dissatisfied from earlier, Xiao Ling frowned and asked in a somewhat sharp tone, "Can't I come to my elder brother's courtyard?"
Xiao Xu scoffed coldly: "It's impolite to come uninvited, and it's even more rude of your elder sister-in-law to have to deal with your disturbance so early in the morning. Did you forget to pick up your rules after leaving them in the countryside?"
Xiao Ling gritted his teeth, seething with anger, and after a while said, "I have something important to tell you."
"But elder brother, are you planning to keep such an important matter from us again?"
Xiao Xu glanced at him indifferently: "Again?"
"Mind your own business. You're injured and still causing trouble. You've already caused me enough trouble."
"How could it be troublesome? I just resolved a major issue yesterday."
"Then I'll consider it a favor that you've gone to so much trouble for your sister-in-law. You can go back now."
Yun Sheng stood to the side with her head slightly lowered, her soft lips pursing and relaxing several times before she finally couldn't help but look up and ask during their conversation, "So, what is it?"
Xiao Xu's gaze had long since shifted away from Xiao Ling's face.
He said in a deep voice, "Sheng Sheng, come here."
Yun Sheng obediently said "oh" and walked past Xiao Ling toward Xiao Xu.
She had barely gotten close when Xiao Xu grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him.
Xiao Xu then turned around, intending to lead her away from the side hall.
Before leaving, he said casually, "If you want to see what happened yesterday, you can go to Qiushui Hall now. They should be arriving soon."
Xiao Ling was taken aback: "Them?"
Xiao Xu ignored him and strode towards the main house with Yun Sheng.
Xiao Ling watched their retreating figures, his eyes darkening. In the end, he tightened his jaw, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction, leaving the East Courtyard.
Before Yun Sheng even entered the main house, she anxiously asked, "What exactly happened? What's the follow-up? Which 'them'?"
"Have you had breakfast?" Xiao Xu asked.
"No." Yun Sheng answered, then quickly steered the conversation back on track with a straight face, "Xiao Changyu, tell me right now."
"Let's have breakfast first, and then we'll go to Qiushui Hall."
"I can't eat right now, let's go now."
As they spoke, Xiao Xu led her across the threshold.
He said, "There's no need to delay your meal for those people."
Not only those people, but also Xiao Ling, who came looking for him early in the morning while he was away from the courtyard for a short while.
He really knows how to pick his time.
As expected, after yesterday's incident, all the suppressed frustration and resentment in Xiao Ling's heart surged up at once.
What did he say to Yun Sheng when he came to see her?
Xiao Xu wanted to ask, but Yun Sheng's mind was clearly not on that at the moment.
Upon entering the room, Yun Sheng saw that breakfast had already been prepared on the table. Just now, she had noticed that Xiao Xu was not there and did not know when he would return, and she was wondering whether she should eat alone first.
But now she has no patience for a meal.
"How long are you going to keep this a secret from me? Why have you been keeping it from me all this time?"
Xiao Xu chuckled: "Sheng Sheng, it's only been half an hour since morning, but you make it sound like I've been hiding it for a long time."
Yun Sheng was momentarily embarrassed, realizing that Xiao Xu had indeed not had a chance to explain things to her in detail.
She was too eager to know.
Xiao Xu pulled her to sit down beside him, handed her chopsticks, and started serving her food while saying, "Last night, Song Lan went out of the mansion to find those cronies who had spread false rumors about him before."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng stopped her movement and sat down next to Xiao Xu to listen to him continue.
Xiao Xu gestured with his chin toward her bowl, indicating that she should start eating.
Yun Sheng ate the food Xiao Xu had picked for her in small bites before he continued, "Song Lan caught them and beat them up one by one. Those people were no match for Song Lan's fists and feet, and they admitted that someone had asked them to deliberately spread false information about the Yun family and you in front of Song Lan and to encourage him to run away from the marriage."
Yun Sheng's heart pounded as she listened.
On one hand, she was surprised that Xiao Ling had gone out to beat people in the middle of the night. If she remembered correctly, although those young men's families were not as powerful as the Zhao Prince's Mansion, they were still mostly prominent figures.
On the other hand, it turns out that someone was indeed manipulating this matter behind the scenes.
Yun Sheng asked, "Who instructed them? Could it be that they have a past feud with my family?"
However, the Yun family has always been known for its upright and honest officials, and the father adhered to the doctrine of the mean, rarely making enemies with anyone. How could he have attracted someone to plot against someone's marriage?
Xiao Xu said, "It's not the Yun family, it's the Zhao Prince's residence."
"Prince Zhao's residence?"
The Prince Zhao's mansion holds a prestigious position. Even if there are people in the court who disagree with him, it is mostly a matter of political struggle. Why would he resort to such underhanded means to jeopardize the marriage of his descendants? This is far too sordid and roundabout.
"Yesterday I said that things were starting to look promising, which meant that I had found some clues. But Song Lan's move disrupted my plans. Fortunately, from the confessions of those people, we have been able to determine who was behind it."
"...Who is it?"
Xiao Xu glanced down at Yun Sheng's empty bowl, which she had already finished eating, before putting down his chopsticks and taking her hand.
"Yang Qinhuai".
"What?!"
Yun Sheng was led to Qiu Shui Hall by Xiao Xu amidst her confusion and shock.
Xiao Ling had been waiting here for a long time. Not long after he arrived at Qiushui Hall, the person who was coming today also respectfully entered the Zhaowang Mansion.
The people who arrived were the same ones he had beaten up last night.
One was Liu Xian, the third son of Liu Langzhong; another was Zhou Wenbin, the nephew of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; and the third was Lin Yun, the grandson of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.
The three were all around the same age as Xiao Ling, and they usually got along well in the circle of young men in the capital.
Although the three men were all bruised and battered, looking disheveled, they still maintained the decorum of scions of noble families, even displaying an excessive restraint and nervousness.
They were followed by their respective attendants, carrying gift boxes of various sizes, clearly there to apologize.
When Xiao Xu and Yun Sheng arrived outside the hall, Mu Shan stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, the three young masters arrived a quarter of an hour ago. While the guards were distracted arranging the gifts, the third young master went up and punched each of them twice. We pulled them apart in time."
"..."
Hearing this, Yun Sheng felt a little embarrassed.
Xiao Xu's gaze swept across the hall, where he saw Xiao Ling sitting on a grand chair, his face gloomy, his lips tightly pursed, and his eyes glaring unkindly at the three people standing with their heads bowed in the hall.
It seems that what he was venting was not only the anger at being misled by their words, but also the frustration he had after going to the East Courtyard this morning and having nowhere to vent his anger.
"It's alright," Xiao Xu said calmly, taking Yun Sheng's hand and walking gracefully into the hall.
Upon seeing Xiao Xu and Yun Sheng enter, the three people in the hall reacted as if they had found a lifeline. They quickly composed themselves, straightened their clothes, and bowed in unison, their voices filled with fear and respect: "Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort."
Xiao Xu ignored them and walked past them and sat down with Yun Sheng.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.
Liu Xian hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and bowed deeply again: "Your Highness, Your Highness's Wife, and Third Young Master, we have come here today because we were foolish in the past and were deceived. We spoke recklessly in front of the Third Young Master and have come to apologize. Our gifts are but a small token of our respect. We hope Your Highness, Your Highness's Wife, and Third Young Master will forgive us."
He spoke eloquently, but cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Zhou Wenbin, who had never been very courageous, was already flustered and stammered, "It was a scholar named Yang Qinhuai. At first, we didn't know him, let alone know where this poor-looking scholar who was staying at a relative's house to prepare for the exam got the confidence to order us around and ask us to do something as immoral as slandering Miss Yun in front of the Third Young Master. We resolutely refused."
"But who knew that just a few days after the refusal, my father's work at the yamen was repeatedly botched, and his superiors found a pretext to reprimand him. Liu Xian's uncle's warehouse also happened to have a shortage of items due to oversight. Lin Yun's family's estate outside the city also inexplicably offended the local bully, causing chaos and unrest. Only then did we realize that Yang Qinhuai must have someone behind him, and a big shot that we could not afford to offend."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling sneered and clenched his fists even tighter.
Lin Yun hurriedly said, "We were forced into this situation. That man holds our family members' weaknesses and future prospects in his hands. If we don't listen to him, our family will suffer. We had no choice but to do as he instructed and say those outrageous things in front of the Third Young Master."
"At first, we just mentioned it casually, and the Third Young Master probably didn't believe it. When he got annoyed, he told us to shut up. We thought that would be enough, but Yang Qinhuai wouldn't let it go. He said that once or twice was useless, so he would do it ten or a hundred times. He even made up many more unsavory details and made us say them in different ways. Later, seeing that the Third Young Master's mind was disturbed and he had great resistance to the marriage, Yang Qinhuai and the people behind him began to provide convenience and finally helped the Third Young Master escape from the capital."
After these people finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Xiao Ling's face had changed from gloomy to an almost stormy, ashen color, with veins throbbing on his forehead.
Yun Sheng felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this.
Although Yang Qinhuai was not very familiar with her, they had known each other since childhood.
He associated with his elder brother and the Yun family; she never imagined he would do such a thing behind her back.
But upon closer reflection now, many details do indeed seem rather strange.
Before she married into the Zhao Prince's mansion, she had no idea about his relationship with the mansion. Moreover, he was just an ordinary scholar with little presence in the mansion. How could he have climbed up to such a powerful force that could threaten these people?
Yun Sheng asked in a tense voice, "Who exactly is behind Yang Qinhuai?"
The three looked at each other, and finally Liu Xian replied tremblingly, "Your Highness, we do not know his exact name, but we know that he must be a very powerful figure in the court. It seems that Yang Qinhuai is just a pawn in the open."
Lin Yun wanted to say something more.
Xiao Ling slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "Enough! You lot, get out of here right now. I hate seeing you."
These people dared not linger for even a moment, and in fact, they hadn't really dared to come today.
They took their leave repeatedly, bowing and quickly leaving the hall, leaving only the gift boxes they brought in a corner, piling up into a small hill.
Xiao Ling said angrily, "If you want to find out who's behind Yang Qinhuai, then you should catch Yang Qinhuai first."
"They've been caught."
Xiao Xu said, "Following the clues, we found that the assassin we caught was Yang Qinhuai."
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Let's settle this matter tomorrow, and then have a sweet and happy ending. [shrug]
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