Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Such a fun Lianlian, how could this be...
A canopied carriage stopped steadily in front of Chunzhen Tower. Two women in splendid attire alighted one after the other. The woman behind had a bandage wrapped around her left palm. Her expression was indifferent, and a hint of disinterest lingered between her brows.
Cui Yuanying looked at Xie Tingyu's expression, then at the wound on her hand, and always felt that something was wrong with her recently.
First, he was inexplicably injured at a wedding banquet, and when questioned, he claimed to have been bitten by a fox. Cui Yuanying was speechless. The Yuan family's new garden was being cared for daily, so where did the wild fox come from?
Cui Yuanying asked again what the fox looked like.
Xie Tingyu held out his hand for the doctor to apply the medicine while drinking, saying, "She's quite pretty, but her teeth are a bit sharp, and she has a very fierce temper. It's quite a pleasure to tease her."
"What are you talking nonsense about?" Cui Yuanying held his forehead. "If you're injured, stop drinking. Look, you're already talking nonsense."
After the wedding banquet, Cui Yuanying repeatedly wondered why Xie Tingyu was acting so strangely. When he visited her the next day, he was told that she had gone to the military training grounds outside the city to train new soldiers. She had been gone for three consecutive days, leaving early and returning late.
Could it be that Xie Er is trying to avoid something by being busy?
After racking his brains, Cui Yuanying suddenly realized that Xie Tingyu might have been hurt in love.
Oh, that's easy to solve.
Although I don't know which young man it is, emotional wounds are the easiest to heal. Dealing with one man is called entanglement, dealing with multiple men is a happy life.
There's no complex in this world that new people can't solve. If there is, it's because there aren't enough men. A few more would be nice.
Cui Yuanying hooked her arm around Xie Tingyu's shoulder as they walked up the spiral staircase. "I brought you here today so you can meet a different kind of man," she said enthusiastically.
"What's the difference? Is it an extra pair of eyes, an extra mouth, or an extra nose?" Xie Tingyu replied lazily.
"Xie Tingyu, you must have been bitten silly by that little fox." Cui Yuanying pretended to push her, then pulled her back. "He's a new young man with a big butt and big breasts who has been in the building recently. Don't you want to come and see him?"
"I wanted to invite Yuan Wangshu and Wang Lanzhi to come and enjoy the scenery together, but unfortunately they are already married and their husbands are very strict at home. I'm afraid they can't come out."
Xie Tingyu glanced at the playful Cui Yuanying and said, "You really are Wangshu Niang's good sister. She just got married, and you invited her here. Do you think her backyard is too quiet?"
"How can a home-grown flower compare to a wild one? Seeing the same man from morning till night, day and night for decades, how could one not get tired of him?"
These words are like a seed buried in the soil. Suddenly, it gets nutrients to grow, and it breaks through the soil and sprouts tender green shoots.
Xie Tingyu couldn't help but ponder, "If I spend dozens of years with Ji Lian day and night, will I get bored? Will I get tired of her?"
Probably not. Ji Lian is so lovable and charming, even though he is arrogant and outspoken but honest, but she loves to see the blush on his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes. How can she get tired of such a playful Lian Lian?
Just as she was in a trance, Cui Yuanying had already led her around a few corners and opened the door to enter a room filled with the scent of incense and elegant furnishings.
Living together day and night like this for decades, how is it different from what Ji Lian calls marriage?
Xie Tingyu spread her silk skirt and sat down gracefully on the brocade cushion. As the clear wine entered her throat, a burning sensation shot up from her throat to her pubic region. Counting carefully, she had spent over twenty years in her previous life, and another ten in this life. The two lives combined totaled nearly forty years, yet she had never considered sharing a bed with anyone for the rest of her life.
Life is too long, decades of time. If you want to stay with someone until old age, it means sharing the joys and sorrows with that person.
Xie Tingyu stroked the smooth edge of the celadon wine cup and asked himself, "Why do we have to get married?"
"Of course it's to continue the incense."
Xie Tingyu looked up in confusion, "Just for this?"
"Tsk, you outsiders who've practiced seclusion away from home always have different ideas." Cui Yuanying leaned back lazily, supporting himself on his elbows. "Aren't men born to be our pleasure and to reproduce? What else can they be used for?"
Xie Tingyu shook her head and said nothing more. She had a vague feeling that her relationship with Ji Lian was more than just a brief romance. Inexplicably, a sense of pent-up frustration settled in her chest, like the time when Wang Zhuozhang forced her to study military manuals, only to find she couldn't grasp the essence.
There was a crisp tinkling sound as the door opened, revealing five men with long curly hair, slim waists, monkey backs, perky hips, and long legs. The silver bells on their ankles swayed with their steps, creating a melodious tinkling sound that was truly pleasant to the ears.
Xie Tingyu looked up.
Compared with the men in Jiankang City, these Xianbei men have slightly darker skin and deep facial features. The most eye-catching thing is their eyes of different colors, either dark green or azure blue, which are full of exotic charm.
They are completely different from the gentle and beautiful men in the south of the Yangtze River, and show a unique wild charm, which may be what some women like.
"How are you, ladies?" the five men saluted in unison, their voices hoarse and interspersed with the unfamiliar Jiankang accent.
"Hmm..." Cui Yuanying leaned over and whispered, "Look at those chest muscles and those abdominal muscles. It would be a shame not to touch them a few times."
"Are you sure you only want to feel the abs?"
Cui Yuanying raised an eyebrow, "Huh? You figured that out already. These guys are so hot, shouldn't they spend the night with Sanlang and gallop on horseback?"
These Xianbei gentlemen only wore short pants that reached their hips, barely covering their vital parts. However, because the material was thin, the rise and fall of their legs could be vaguely seen when they walked.
Then two masked young men walked in slowly, one holding a guqin and the other holding a pipa.
The two young men bowed to Miss Xie and Miss Cui, then bowed their heads and plucked the strings. The sound of the strings flowed like a clear stream, instantly filling the room.
The Xianbei boys danced to the music and started the Huxuan dance. As they turned and leaped, the birds in their pants would occasionally spread their wings and fly high, causing Cui Yuanying to clap his hands and laugh, and he fell to the ground.
When the dance ended, two Xianbei male slaves slowly came forward and knelt obediently beside them to serve wine.
Xie Tingyu took a closer look at the male slave beside him, and saw that his wrists and ankles were covered with lead powder to cover bruises. There was panic in the depths of his green eyes. He did not look like a prostitute trained in a brothel, but more like a little rabbit that had strayed into this brothel.
"Madam, please have some tea." The green-eyed male slave saw that Xie Tingyu had a bandage on her palm, so he pushed a cup of tea to her.
People were still being polite and courteous over here, but from the table opposite came the sound of soft moans and panting.
Xie Tingyu and the Xianbei slave beside him looked in the direction of the sound at the same time.
Cui Yuanying had already rolled aside, hugging the Xianbei boy. Through the gap of the half-open table, she could vaguely see her restless hands reaching into the collar of his clothes, causing the man in her arms to breathe disorderly and beg for mercy in a low voice, "My lady, why don't you move to the inner room? There are other people here, and I am too shy."
Cui Yuanying laughed and patted the man's buttocks. Before leaving, he dragged away a dancing man and winked at Xie Tingyu, "I'm going to relieve my sexual desire first. The rest is yours. Please do as you please. Hahahaha!" After that, he left with a string of wild laughter.
Just as Xie Tingyu was about to raise her hand to take the teacup, the Xianbei slave beside her misunderstood her intention and suddenly grasped her wrist with both hands, saying in a trembling voice, "Madam, touch it."
She exerted force on her hand and pulled his wrist back, "What?"
"Touch... down there. Mine... is very big... my lady, you will be satisfied..." The male slave's ears turned red and his voice became lower and lower.
Although his face was tinged with shame, he stubbornly refused to let go, as if he was carrying out some mission that had to be completed.
Xie Tingyu pulled her hand back, but the Xianbei slave chased after her with a red face, grabbed her wrist, and gently pressed it against her heaving chest, whispering, "Madam, touch it."
"I don't have a penchant for doing this kind of thing in front of other people."
Xie Tingyu's fingertips moved upwards, suddenly clamped his jaw, squeezed it hard, and said coldly, "Open your mouth."
The Xianbei slave looked puzzled, and a trace of confusion flashed across his emerald green eyes.
So not everything can be understood?
Xie Tingyu then whispered the same order in Xianbei language.
She learned the Xianbei language during the Northern Expedition.
When the Xianbei slave heard the local accent, his eyes suddenly lit up and he immediately opened his mouth obediently, with a hint of joy in the corners of his eyes.
Xie Tingyu looked carefully at the teeth of the man in front of him.
As the saying goes, one can tell a man's age and background by looking at his teeth. If a man is pampered by a wealthy family, he will have eaten a diet of fine food since childhood, and his teeth will be as fine as woven shells. If he is from a poor family, he will have eaten a diet of coarse grains and hard bread, and his teeth will inevitably be worn.
She tapped her teeth lightly with her knuckles, then examined the shape of her canines, forming a conclusion. This young man was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, clearly a child from a poor Xianbei family. Even more bizarrely, his Chinese was awkward, with single words sputtering out. Even simple commands like "open your mouth" required repeated repetition in Xianbei dialect, yet he could still utter those seductive words of pleasure.
Not only was the journey from Xianbei to Jiankang City long, but this man also had marks of being whipped. Could it be that this was a human trafficker who had made his way to Xianbei? Or was there something else going on?
Xie Tingyu grabbed his wrist and went straight to a secluded room deep in the corridor.
"How long have you been in Jiankang? Who assigned you to come here tonight?" she asked coldly.
His blood seemed to freeze instantly, and he fell to his knees, pleading in a trembling Xianbei voice: "My lady, please understand, I know nothing. I only know that I have to serve you two ladies tonight."
Before Xie Tingyu could say anything, the man had already shakily taken off the only piece of clothing on his body, crawled towards Xie Tingyu, and tightly grasped the hem of her skirt with his fingers. He raised his head and said, "Please have mercy, my lady."
At the same time, there was a sudden commotion outside Chunzhen Tower, with screams everywhere.
Three teams of Tingwei officers filed in, all wearing dark brown hats and gleaming swords at their waists. The leading officer shouted, "Tingwei is investigating a case! All outsiders, retreat immediately! Swords have no mercy!"
With a loud bang, someone violently kicked the door open.
The leading officer walked around the screen and saw the situation in the side room. He was immediately tongue-tied: "Xie Sizhi, your subordinate...your subordinate...your subordinate..."
A naked Xianbei male slave was seen kneeling on the ground, his head level with Xie Tingyu's waist. At first glance, it looked as if the male slave was using his mouth to perform an unspeakable act on Xie Tingyu.
The leader wanted to poke her eyes out. She hurriedly lowered her head, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Who could have imagined running into Grand Tutor Xie's beloved daughter here? But she had to obey the strict orders from her superiors, so she had to bite the bullet and take a few more glances.
Oh, I saw it wrong. Xie Sizhi was dressed neatly and nothing had started yet.
It was a close call, my clothes didn’t come off!
Great, it's not in the mouth!
The leader breathed a sigh of relief.
The male slave was horrified and hurriedly covered his lower body with his hands, tears streaming down his face. Xie Tingyu frowned, took two steps forward, blocked the crowd behind her, and ordered in a deep voice, "You go out first, I'll be out in a moment." After everyone left, she turned back to the man and said, "Put on your clothes."
The door creaked open, and just as Xie Tingyu was about to leave, the man stumbled over and grabbed her legs. Tears and snot covered his face, and he cried out in a mournful voice, "Please, my lady, take me with you!"
The officers who had been waiting for a long time immediately drew their swords and pointed them at the male slaves with cold eyes. "Hey! How dare you, a lowly slave, touch Xie Sizhi?"
Xie Tingyu raised her hand to stop him, and the knife flashed away. She lowered her eyes and asked, "Why do you have to come with me?"
The male slave trembled all over, his forehead resting on the ground. "If I don't serve my mistress well tonight, I will be beaten to death when I get home. I can wash clothes, cook delicious meals, and clean the yard."
She raised her tear-stained face and hugged Xie Tingyu's legs tightly again, "My body is very good and I can give birth to many children. I can do whatever my lady wants."
His fingertips hidden in his sleeves rubbed his fingers a few times, and Xie Tingyu nodded. "In that case, then follow me."
The officers nearby were stunned. How could these two speak fluently in Xianbei?
No way? When did Xie Sizhi ever understand this?
The door at the end of the corridor was kicked open.
The officers staggered out, escorting the disheveled Cui Yuanying, followed by two Xianbei boys with their trousers in their hands and bite marks on their chests.
Cui Yuanying's apricot-colored bellyband was half-open, her silk skirt hung loosely around her waist, her hair disheveled, her eyes wide open, and her face full of disbelief. "You, the Supreme Court, control everything, and you even care about me sleeping with men? What business do you have with it?"
The leading officer bowed respectfully to Xie and Cui, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. "Tonight, I have received urgent orders from my superiors to conduct a thorough investigation of Chunzhen Tower. Anyone who has had contact with these Xianbei gentlemen must be brought to the Supreme Court for questioning. Xie Sizhi and Madam Cui, I apologize for the inconvenience. Please accompany me."
Cui Yuanyingyan's face immediately fell, and he wailed, "Xie Er, I'm done. If Aunt Huan knew about this, I would be beaten to pieces."
Xie Tingyu said to the leader, "First, redeem this male slave beside me. Have the manager of the building put the bill on the Xie family of Chenjun."
Cui Yuanying's eyes widened in shock. "You actually want to bring her home? How come you're so much wilder than me? Won't Grand Tutor Xie scold you for this?"
She turned to the chief officer and grumbled, "Is this reasonable? It's wrong for me to sleep with a man, but it's not wrong for her to buy a Xianbei slave? This isn't reasonable!"
Xie Tingyu glanced back at the leader, who was smiling awkwardly. "I just returned home not long ago. My mother loves me so much, how could she scold me? I'm just a Xianbei slave. I can't cause any big trouble in Xie Garden."
The leader bowed and smiled, "Yes, yes, thank you, Grand Minister, for your good management of the household. A mere Xianbei slave is nothing to be proud of."
In addition to Xie and Cui, other ladies were also arrested tonight. All of them came from aristocratic families, and some of them now hold important positions in the court.
Inside the prison, everyone's face was ashen, except for Xie Tingyu, who stood calmly before the bars. Her gaze pierced the darkness of the cell, fixed on something.
Cui Yuanying was lucky enough to be imprisoned with Xie Tingyu. She paced back and forth anxiously, like an ant on a hot pot. "Xie Er, why should I be arrested for hanging out with Xianbei men?" She sighed, "I should have known I wouldn't have come tonight. It's all this man's fault."
Xie Tingyu came back to her senses. "That makes sense." She nodded. "If the people from the Tingweitai ask you later, just say it has nothing to do with you. It was those men who seduced you."
Cui Yuanying's eyes lit up, "Your idea is feasible. It's not my fault when I hear it."
"Yes, after all, you are so impatient in front of me. If it wasn't that Xianbei slave who seduced you, how could you be like this?"
At this time, an officer walked to the prison door and saluted the two men respectfully, "Xie Sizhi, it's your turn to go to court."
The person who interrogated Xie Tingyu was the Chief Justice who had previously praised her highly in the court.
When the Chief Justice saw Xie Tingyu, he stood up and bowed deeply. After Xie Tingyu sat down, he sat down carefully and personally poured her a cup of tea, which stunned Cui Yuanying who was standing beside him.
Well, after all, the Supreme Court of Justice is under the jurisdiction of Grand Tutor Xie, so it is not surprising that the people under him do such things.
Xie Tingyu asked, "I wonder why the Chief Justice has mobilized his troops tonight?"
"Xie Sizhi just returned from a bandit-suppression expedition not long ago, so he's unaware of what's been going on at the Tingwei Prison these days."
The Imperial Court held out the file, "Since some time ago, several groups of Xianbei slaves have suddenly infiltrated the city. Some of these slaves are fluent in Chinese and are exceptionally beautiful, serving high-ranking officials and noble ladies. The Imperial Court suspects they may be spies sent by the Xianbei."
Xie Tingyu opened the scroll and examined it carefully, then suddenly launched into a barrage of questions. "What have you found? Did these Xianbei slaves sneak in from the northern border? How did they get past the numerous checkpoints? Did they enter Jiankang by land or by sea? Who handled the documents? How many Xianbei slaves have been bought into the various government offices? Which officials have they interacted with?"
This series of questions made the Chief Justice sweat on his forehead, and she couldn't help but wonder, who was interrogating whom tonight?
Xie Tingyu was a clerk in the Imperial Court, a position below the Imperial Court Supervisor. But now she was being so aggressive and questioning him repeatedly, it was like a superior questioning a subordinate.
Cui Yuanying was almost amused when he heard this. This was probably the benefit of having a mother holding several key positions in the court, right?
The Chief Justice wiped his sweat from his sleeve. "We just started a thorough investigation tonight, and haven't uncovered any crucial information. However, regarding how many Xianbei slaves were bought into the palace, I've learned that Xie Sizhi just bought one."
Cui Yuanying laughed heartily and waved his hand, "I can testify that Xie Er did indeed buy a beautiful green-eyed Xianbei slave with big breasts!"
Xie Tingyu set the file aside. "It's true. He's not very old, only fourteen or fifteen, and he can't even speak fluent Chinese. He might know something, but probably not much. I'll interrogate him thoroughly when I return to Xie Garden." He pointed at Cui Yuanying. "This is Cui Yuanying, the wife of the Qinghe Cui family. Her mother holds an important position in the court, and her aunt is General Huan Zhanyue. She just ordered two Xianbei slaves. Perhaps one of them, in his excitement, blurted out something he shouldn't. You might as well pull her out and question her."
"Xie Er, you!"
Cui Yuanying, who originally had a smile on his face, had no choice but to sit in front of the Chief Justice with a bitter face to be tried.
Just at this moment, a servant from the Xie family hurried over, holding Xie Qingyan's letter of guarantee.
Xie Tingyu stood up calmly, bowed to the court inspector, and turned away gracefully.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Let’s go through the plot for a while, Xiao Xie will have a mission soon.
My idea for Xie Tingyu at the time was to be uninhibited, free and easy, so I had to slowly change her mind about getting married.
It's probably the collision between the hedonism of not getting married (Xiao Xie) and the traditional way of staying at home to take care of the wife and raise the daughters (Lian Lian).
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com