Chapter 26 Chapter 26 He had already missed it once. [Two...
==Chapter 26==
"Why is he here?!"
Wen Motang was in chaos. Feng Wenyu was right. Feng Wenzhou had just returned home and blurted out the words when he saw Yan Yunhe for the first time.
Yan Yunhe leaned lazily on the stone pier. Hearing this, he looked at Feng Wenyu, as if to say - look, what did I say?
Feng Wenyu pretended not to see it.
Yan Yunhe cursed her in his heart for being biased, but he was unwilling to let Feng Wenzhou go. He raised his lips and said:
"What Azhou said is really hurtful. I heard you were going to take the provincial examination, so I came all the way to see you."
Feng Wenzhou held his breath the moment he saw him. His face, usually reserved, flushed crimson. He questioned without hesitation, "What can you do here?"
Yan Yunhe was also dissatisfied: "I have been studying abroad for many years, at least I am more knowledgeable than you!"
The Yan family has a title, and he will inherit it in the future. Now he has not officially entered the officialdom. Emperor Wenyuan has only this nephew, and he is quite spoiled to him. In other words, this little tyrant in the capital is the one who dares to claim to be second to none.
To this, Feng Wenzhou and Feng Wenyu's reactions the day before yesterday were both:
"Then I might as well ask Gu Yushi to teach me. At least he won three prizes in a row."
In order to confront Yan Yunhe, Feng Wenzhou even brought up Gu Yushi, whom he had always disliked, which shows that he and Yan Yunhe did not get along.
Yan Yunhe narrowed his eyes for a moment, but before anyone noticed, his expression returned to normal. He said sarcastically, "It's a pity that he is not your future brother-in-law now, so you can't benefit from the blessing of Wenquxing anymore."
Feng Wenzhou's cheeks turned red with anger.
Seeing this, Feng Wenyu warned, "Yan Yunhe!"
Yan Yunhe restrained himself instantly, and spread his hands shamelessly:
"You saw it, it's not my fault."
Feng Wenyu had an expected feeling of powerlessness. These two people would not stop fighting as soon as they met.
Feng Wenzhou cursed him in his heart for being pretentious. He hated Yan Yunhe because this guy had been hanging out with him and his sister since they were young, and tried to compete with him for his sister. When he was young and ignorant, he even wanted to persuade the Duke to bring his sister back to the Duke's Mansion to raise her. There was no way Feng Wenzhou would like him!
And the person Yan Yunhe hates the most is Gu Yushi.
It was his fault that he was not careful for a moment. When he returned to the capital, he found out that A Mei was engaged to Gu Yushi.
Perhaps in his eyes, he had already assumed that his sister would be with him in the future, so he had no scruples since childhood. Now that something he was always sure of had failed, wouldn't he hate the culprit?
At that time, Feng Wenzhou had only a vague understanding of the affairs of the court, and did not understand what his family was thinking, but in the final analysis, the Feng family had no plans to get engaged to the Duke's Mansion.
Yan Yunhe should have realized this when A-mei and Gu Yushi got engaged.
It was also after this incident that Yan Yunhe began to leave the capital to study. Although he said it was to study, the real reason was known to everyone except his sister.
Who would have thought that under such circumstances, he would come up again?
Feng Wenyu had a headache. In the end, she chose to point the finger at Yan Yunhe: "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"
Yan Yunhe looked dissatisfied:
"It's me every time."
Feng Wenzhou really wanted to chase the guy away. He was so annoying. He always assumed that A Mei was only targeting him, and he didn't know what he was trying to get excited about.
Yan Yunhe had almost never turned his face towards Feng Wenyuhong, so he quickly resumed his playful smile and said, "Let's not disturb him. I'll go out and play with you."
Feng Wenyu was conflicted for a moment. It wasn't that he wanted to go out and play, but he didn't want to leave these two together.
Seeing this, Feng Wenzhou became alert instantly. Yan Yunhe had been like this since he was a child. Under the pretext of not arguing with him, he had kidnapped his sister several times. He immediately interrupted their conversation:
"I have something to talk to him about. Sister, go find your aunt first."
Yan Yunhe raised his eyes and glanced at Feng Wenzhou indifferently. He didn't fight for it anymore.
He knew very well that he could never compete with Feng Wenyu in a fight with Feng Wenzhou. He was skeptical when he was young, and only after falling a few times did he learn his lesson.
Sure enough, Feng Wenyu hesitated for a moment and asked suspiciously, "You guys won't quarrel again?"
Yan Yunhe fiddled with the pouch at her waist without saying anything. It was Feng Wenzhou who said:
"I won't argue with him."
Yan Yunhe's ambiguous chuckle was heard beside him.
Feng Wenyu suddenly felt a headache. She herself was full of things on her mind. She was more than happy to leave the two of them alone, so she turned around and left.
After she left Wen Motang, the yard suddenly became quiet. Yan Yunhe and Feng Wenzhou did not speak for a long time.
Feng Wenzhou no longer looked as red-faced as he did in front of Feng Wenyu. He sat down with a frown. Yan Yunhe was not surprised by his change at all.
In Feng Wenyu's eyes, Feng Wenzhou was born weak, so she always felt vaguely indebted to him and subconsciously felt that Feng Wenzhou was easy to be bullied.
But in Yan Yunhe's opinion, Feng Wenzhou was the best at pretending to be pitiful.
When he was young, whenever he fell ill, the entire Feng Mansion would revolve around him. Feng Wenxu, the eldest son, received less attention than him. He and Feng Wenyu were twins, a boy and a girl, which was once considered a good omen. But what if the twins died young? This auspicious sign would be greatly reduced.
Especially when the emperor had heard of them, the Feng family did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.
Later, when he grew up, he often remained quiet, which made people worry about him. Occasionally, when his face blushed, it would make people nervous.
As to whether he is really frail and sickly, that depends on one's own opinion.
The two were too familiar with each other, Feng Wenzhou was not polite to Yan Yunhe at all, he said directly:
"What are you doing here?"
Yan Yunhe chuckled lightly, too lazy to answer this question that he knew the answer to.
Feng Wenzhou really wanted to ask his sister to come and see Yan Yunhe's face. Who said Yan Yunhe didn't have airs? He was the emperor's only nephew, the only heir of the Duke's Mansion. There was almost no one in the world more arrogant than him.
Feng Wenzhou frowned, like a trapped animal, and was very defensive towards Yan Yunhe: "Don't delay my sister."
Yan Yunhe was still smiling, but his ruthlessness was almost visible in his sparkling eyes. He playfully rolled these two words between his lips and teeth:
"hold up?"
He jokingly said, "Azhou, this is really hurtful."
It seemed to be no different from what he said to Feng Wenyu that day, but it made Feng Wenzhou's breathing suddenly sink. As the only heir to the Duke's Mansion, whoever treated Yan Yunhe as a playboy would be a real fool.
Feng Wenzhou didn't have his same determination after all, especially when it came to Feng Wenyu, he blurted out:
"Amei doesn't like you, otherwise, Gu Yushi wouldn't have appeared."
The two were childhood sweethearts, and if A-mei had any feelings for Yan Yunhe, she wouldn't be overtaken by someone else.
There was a solemn silence in the air for a long time before Yan Yunhe raised his eyes and chuckled. He asked, "Is it important?"
Feng Wenzhou didn't understand.
Yan Yunhe seemed to be explaining to him, but also seemed to be talking to himself: "Ayu is the most generous, but also the most stingy."
She will not restrain herself, nor will she be stingy in liking others.
But she always loves herself the most.
Yan Yunhe had seen how Feng Wenyu looked when she liked Gu Yu. Her heart and eyes were full of him. Yan Yunhe could not find any opportunity to take advantage of such strong feelings.
So, he chose to leave temporarily.
But, Gu Yushi gave up on his own initiative, didn’t he?
Feng Wenyu has been loved since she was a child. She was raised to be too arrogant. It may not be seen in ordinary people, but she has her own thoughts in her heart. To some extent, asking her to bow her head is like asking for her life.
Yan Yunhe had long seen through Feng Wenyu's character, so he was always unrestrained in front of Feng Wenyu, and he did not hesitate to bow his head in front of her.
But success and failure lie here.
She was indeed very familiar with him, but too familiar with him to have any improper thoughts about him.
When he heard the news that the two had broken off their engagement, he immediately rushed back from the border.
Feng Wenyu will eventually get married. Since she is not the person she loves the most, then it doesn't matter who she marries, right?
At least he and she know each other well.
He had already missed it once and didn't want to miss it a second time.
Feng Wenzhou looked at Yan Yunhe with complicated eyes. After a long moment, he stood up and asked, "Do you know why my sister doesn't like you?"
Yan Yunhe raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting him to bring up this topic.
However, Feng Wenzhou's next words directly broke the smile on his face:
"You're so full of yourself."
"It's not A-mei who's arrogant, it's you."
Yan Yunhe suppressed the smile on his face and finally looked at Feng Wenzhou without any emotion.
Feng Wenzhou looked him in the eye without hesitation: "Do you know why A Mei likes Gu Yushi?"
Feeling Yan Yunhe's seriousness, Feng Wenzhou suddenly smiled. The face that looked similar to Feng Wenyu was slightly touched by a smile, which made the whole garden stunned:
"You've seen it, haven't you?"
Otherwise, Yan Yunhe would not let go willingly.
Yan Yunhe's face turned pale, his eyes tinged with coldness. He warned Feng Wenzhou, "Shut your mouth."
Feng Wenzhou no longer looked at him.
Feng Wenzhou has seen many people who like A-mei, but these people always have things more important than A-mei, so they will be cautious, weigh the pros and cons, and retreat.
Only when it comes to Gu Yushi, he will not choose any other option when it comes to A-mei.
He and Yan Yunhe knew this very well.
Yan Yunhe seemed to know what Feng Wenzhou was thinking. He smiled faintly, "But they broke off the engagement."
Feng Wenzhou did not deny this.
Even if this is unbelievable.
He hit the nail on the head: "Otherwise you won't have a chance."
Yan Yunhe did not argue about this matter. He just looked at Feng Wenzhou:
"The Feng family already has a senior minister, so they don't need too many smart people."
Feng Wenzhou returned the words to him: "The Yan family is no different."
Feng Wenzhou did not say one thing explicitly. The current emperor is already old, and sooner or later a new person will take that position. The status of Yan Yunhe, the emperor's nephew, will also be devalued. The Duke's Mansion holds military power, and with a clever ruler, the new emperor may be unable to sleep or eat.
The two of them were disgusted with each other and had nothing to say to each other.
Yan Yunhe muttered "boring". He stood up and put his hand on Feng Wenzhou's shoulder as he passed by him. When Feng Wenzhou frowned, he heard him whisper:
"The Second Prince of the capital wants to marry A-Yu. Who else do you think would dare to risk offending the Second Prince at this time, except me?"
This was the main reason why he didn't dare to waste any time rushing back.
Feng Wenyu could choose not to marry him, but she could not become a victim of the battle for the crown prince.
Feng Wenzhou's eyes narrowed, and his heart sank to the bottom. At this moment, he finally understood why the capital frequently sent messages asking his sister to return to the capital.
He fell silent and did not refute Yan Yunhe anymore.
Feng Wenzhou knew that Yan Yunhe must have selfish motives, but in comparison, that selfish motive was insignificant.
******
On the day when the results were announced, Feng Wenyu and the other three sat on the second floor of Yingwen Building, not far from the examination room. Feng Wenzhou and Yan Yunhe refused to give way to each other and sat next to her.
Zhou Chibai glanced at Yan Yunhe, who nodded at him nonchalantly, his eyes filled with a faint smile, but without any sense of kindness.
Zhou Chibai finally sat quietly opposite Feng Wenyu.
A cry of surprise came from downstairs: "The list is out! The list is out!"
Yan Yunhe leaned sideways on the window sill, looked down, and passed a message to the anxious Feng Wenyu: "There are too many people downstairs. I'm afraid we won't be able to squeeze in for a while."
Feng Wenyu could only control his temper.
Seeing this, Yan Yunhe glanced at Feng Wenzhou and smiled meaningfully: "Of course, if our Ah Zhou takes the top spot, someone will come to congratulate us."
Feng Wenzhou's face darkened a little.
Feng Wenyu kicked him inconspicuously under the table. Yan Yunhe shrugged innocently. He shut up and signaled that he would not speak anymore.
Feng Wenyu then said to Feng Wenzhou, "Don't listen to his nonsense. You will definitely make the list."
As for whether he was the top of the list, Feng Wenyu didn't care that much. There was no first in literature and no second in martial arts. To be the top of the list, one had to not only be knowledgeable, but also conform to the political ideas of the examiner. There were too many conditions, and sometimes not being the top was indeed a matter of luck.
For a family like theirs, the provincial examination is important, but also not that important.
The most important thing is to face the emperor's palace examination.
Feng Wenzhou nodded silently.
The four of them were all distracted. Fortunately, a quarter of an hour later, someone with good news was brought in: "Good news, your master has been awarded the title of Wen Zhou, the first place in the provincial examination!"
Feng Wenyu stood up instantly in surprise:
"First place?"
The person announcing the good news was actually asking for a reward. Feng Wenyu was not stingy at all and directly let Jinshu stuff the money into her purse. She smiled and said, "My brother has passed the imperial examination. This little money will treat you to a drink."
Yan Yunhe glanced at the official who announced the good news, and narrowed his narrow eyes. He had never heard her call him "Young Master".
After the person who brought the good news left, Feng Wenyu still couldn't hide the smile on his face. Yan Yunhe thought about it and raised his eyebrows:
"The chief examiner this time is Fang Zhiming?"
Feng Wenyu raised his chin and did not deny it.
Yan Yunhe curled his lips. Feng Wenyu didn't seem like someone who would actively pay attention to these things. He asked casually, "You knew this a long time ago?"
Feng Wenyu was very honest about this matter:
"Gu Yushi told me."
Yan Yunhe's eyebrows jumped violently. He felt that Gu Yushi had bad intentions. Hadn't he already called off the engagement?
He glanced at Feng Wenzhou with obvious questioning intent, but Feng Wenzhou ignored him.
Yan Yunhe was so angry that he almost laughed. He thought that after the conversation that day, the two of them would at least be a united front, but Feng Wenzhou didn't reveal any information to him?
Feng Wenzhou thought he was wishful thinking.
He wanted to use Yan Yunhe to get rid of the Second Prince, but he didn't really want his sister to marry him. He hated Yan Yunhe so much, how could he really stand on his side?
As for throwing it away after use?
He is just such a villain, so what?
After the provincial examination, Feng Wenyu and his party were about to return to the capital.
When they came, there were only two people, but when they left, there were more people. There was no need to explain Yan Yunhe, he came to find Feng Wenyu, and he would definitely return to the capital with Feng Wenyu.
Zhou Chibai will be taking the imperial examination next year, and he will also rush to the capital, this time setting off with Feng Wenyu.
At the end of June, the group officially set off, still not taking the water route.
Because Yan Yunhe is seasick.
Feng Wenyu was tired of riding in a carriage when he came here. When he thought about having to ride in a carriage for more than a month on the way back, he couldn't help but frown: "You are such a trouble."
Yan Yunhe took over the complaint and comforted her with a smile:
"Ayu, just treat it as a trip. If you don't rush, everything will become enjoyable."
Yan Yunhe set the tone for the trip, so the entire team slowed down and was not in a hurry to travel. The team went into the city to rest every day. From the experience alone, it was indeed much better.
Feng Wenyu finally gave him a good look, and Yan Yunhe sighed:
"Second Miss Feng has such a bad temper."
Zhou Chibai looked at him strangely and complained, but no matter how he looked at him, he seemed to be enjoying it.
Feng Wenzhou noticed his cousin's gaze and couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. It was Yan Yunhe who was eating and drinking for free at Zhou's house under the pretext of being his good friend.
On this day, when everyone was about to leave the Jiangnan area and had not yet entered the city, Yan Yunhe took a look around:
"I remember there's a temple not far away that should be able to shelter us for a day."
Feng Wenyu was very curious: "Have you really been traveling around to study in the past two years?"
Yan Yunhe paused. He wanted to laugh, but couldn't.
"What do you think?"
How naughty was he in her eyes? Was it really that unbelievable that the word "study abroad" appeared in his name?
Feng Wenyu curled her lips lightly: "I think I can trust you more if you go out for fun."
Yan Yunhe admitted it blindly, his eyes slightly shifted, landing on her neither lightly nor heavily:
"What Ah Yu said is not wrong."
Feng Wenyu was speechless. He was always like this, responding to her unconditionally, making her feel like a child who was extremely easy to be fooled in his eyes.
She doesn't like this.
Rather than unconditional agreement, she prefers someone to listen to her requests seriously.
The carriage stopped at the temple gate. Feng Wenyu looked at the temple gate carefully and was a little puzzled: "Why is it so deserted?"
Temples are usually built in remote locations, but the emperor believes in Buddhism and the people follow his example. Therefore, Buddhism is flourishing now, and this place should not be so deserted.
Yan Yunhe stood side by side with her. He also looked up and said thoughtfully:
"When I passed by here two years ago, there were one or two monks. Perhaps they have fallen on hard times?"
Feng Wenyu stopped thinking about it:
"Never mind. Even if it's deserted, it's still better than being in the wilderness."
A group of people stepped into the temple, and as expected, there was no one inside. Without the owner, everyone could only do as they pleased and went directly to the back room. Yan Yunhe lagged behind by a step. He turned his head to look at the incense table, and saw the remaining incense ash on the table, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
It was getting late, and everyone had their rooms divided. After the servants had cleaned up, Feng Wenyu prepared to rest.
Yan Yunhe called her:
"I see there are few people here. There might be wild animals in the mountains behind. Ah Yu, don't sleep too deeply when you rest."
Feng Wenyu's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but frown: "Is it really possible?"
Seeing that people were frightened, Yan Yunhe changed the topic:
"I was just teasing you, why are you so easily frightened?"
Feng Wenyu rolled his eyes at him unhappily: "You are so boring!"
She entered the room angrily, but Feng Wenzhou didn't think Yan Yunhe was joking. He frowned:
"What did you find?"
Yan Yunhe raised his hand and tapped him on the shoulder, his voice teasing, but his tone was slightly grave: "Be alert."
It was late at night, the moon was dim and the stars were sparse. A faint sound was heard in the secluded temple. Amidst the thick smoke, figures emerged one after another. The leader whispered:
"These people are fat sheep, so they should be quick and nimble."
As they were getting closer to the wing room, before the group could take any action, the surrounding lights suddenly became bright. The leader was startled to find that they had been surrounded without knowing when.
Qiao Tanming looked at the group of people dressed as bandits and shouted directly, "Capture them all!"
Compared with the well-trained guards, this group of bandits were simply vulnerable and were all captured without much effort. At this time, there was movement in the room.
Feng Wenyu came out of the room neatly dressed. Yan Yunhe raised an eyebrow and looked at her:
"I thought you didn't hear it."
Feng Wenyu was puzzled: "You almost told me clearly."
Yan Yunhe couldn't help but let out a low laugh. Feng Wenyu didn't understand what he was laughing at, so he just silently took a step away from him.
Feng Wenyu looked at Qiao Tanming and narrowed his eyes slightly: "When did Guard Qiao arrive?"
Qiao Tanming nodded respectfully at her, then looked down at his nose and didn't dare to respond.
Feng Wenyu could only glare at Yan Yunhe fiercely. Yan Yunhe looked innocent and said, "I really didn't lie to you. I really came here alone."
The next moment, he raised his lips and smiled, as if he was being clever, but also as if he was being eccentric:
"But I'm worried."
He seemed to be very aware of his noble status. He raised his chin slightly, showing a nonchalant demeanor.
Feng Wenyu felt stupid for actually believing his lies about coming alone. With the high regard the Duke and the Princess held in him, how could they allow him to travel alone?
It has been like this since he was a child. Whenever Yan Yunhe travels, he is always accompanied by a guard team.
Feng Wenyu pursed her lips and had to focus on what was happening before her. She frowned and asked in confusion, "What's going on?"
Yan Yunhe didn't let her wait for long. He kicked the person who was kneeling in the front and asked him:
"Who ordered you?"
Yan Yunhe originally thought it was a coincidence, but after hearing the word "fat sheep", he immediately confirmed that this group of people were coming for them.
The bandit leader was still stubborn and refused to answer. Yan Yunhe smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't want to talk. After all, there are a lot of you here."
He raised his chin slightly towards Qiao Tanming:
"Drag them down and chop off a few. There's always someone who knows what's good for them."
The bandit leader was in disbelief. He had never thought Yan Yunhe was so lawless and wanted to kill people. His face turned pale instantly: "Shouldn't you take us to the government? How can you abuse lynching?"
The word "lynching" sounded strangely harsh when it came out of the bandits' mouths.
Yan Yunhe clicked his tongue lightly, his smile not reaching his eyes. He had no intention of wasting time talking to the bandits and glanced at Qiao Tanming.
The next moment, someone dragged the two bandits down. With a raised knife, they slashed with their heads. Screams resounded between heaven and earth. Their heads fell to the ground, and bright red blood splattered all over the ground.
Yan Yunhe stood in front of Feng Wenyu without leaving any trace. He lowered his head and looked at the bandit leader:
"You still have time to think about it before it's your turn."
His tone remained unchanged, but the more he spoke, the more frightened he became. The bandit leader looked at him in fear, his face pale. People like them actually valued their lives the most. When two more people were dragged away, he finally couldn't bear the pressure anymore and collapsed and shouted:
"It's Lord Lu from Quzhou City!"
Yan Yunhe narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening slightly: "Lu Minxing?"
Feng Wenyu was a little uncomfortable with Yan Yunhe's behavior, but he didn't say anything. Yan Yunhe's status was noble, and even if these bandits were sent to the government, they would not survive. Moreover, he could completely attribute these casualties to excessive self-defense.
Who would blame Yan Yunhe for a few bandits?
She frowned slightly, feeling unfamiliar with the name Lu Minxing: "Who is this person, and why did he send someone to stop and kill us?"
Yan Yunhe put it succinctly:
"It doesn't matter who Lu Minxing is. What matters is that he and Gao Qianming were classmates and friends, and he is now the chief commander of Quzhou City."
Gao Qianming.
When this name came out, Feng Wenyu fell silent for a moment. After a long while, she uttered with difficulty: "Why would he..."
Feng Wenyu couldn't continue speaking. When it came down to it, the reason was nothing more than a party dispute.
The officials and bandits were in collusion, but she had no way to deal with Lu Minxing, because even if the bandits personally pointed him out, he could just find a pretext to accuse him.
Feng Wenyu took a deep breath and asked calmly, "Will the rest of the journey be uneventful?"
Yan Yunhe denied this guess, and Feng Wenyu looked at him in confusion.
"Soon, we'll be out of Quzhou City. His reach won't be that far. I'll have these bandits sent to the government office in my name."
Yan Yunhe showed a mocking smile at the corner of his lips:
"If he dares to send anyone here again, he will fight to the death with our Duke's Mansion."
"He doesn't have the guts."
Yan Yunhe is fully qualified to say this. Even Gao Qianming has to respectfully call him "Young Master" when he sees him.
He is the son of the Duke in his old age, and the Duke is very protective of him. If anyone dares to touch him, the Duke will probably go crazy.
Feng Wenyu's expression gradually became a little strange. She said in an inexplicable tone, "So, by taking you along on this journey, am I taking advantage?"
Yan Yunhe blinked and said with a smile:
"Ayu and I grew up together, and I don't mind being taken advantage of by Ayu at all."
Feng Wenzhou rolled his eyes silently.
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