Chapter 20 Husband
Chu Yu has been away from the manor for three days and has not returned.
Yu Wanyin often stared blankly at a book.
It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the couple had a falling out.
Qing Song put down the tea and snacks in her hand. "Madam, are you alright?"
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath and put down her book. "What could possibly happen to me?"
She suddenly realized that she could understand what Chu Yu was saying.
In the current state of affairs, he has to do many wrong things before he can do the right things.
On this path, even the wrong is right.
My father once mentioned in a casual conversation at home that a new Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review had arrived in the imperial court.
Because he was too upright and unyielding, and lacked empathy, his father called him a "fool".
This honest and noble "fool" was impeached and exiled after serving in the court for no more than half a year.
The filthy pond cannot hold clean fish.
To enter the filthy pool and change everything, you have to get yourself dirty too.
Yu Wanyin wondered if this was a mistake.
Later, I realized that judging things solely by right and wrong was also a rather biased approach.
The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get.
Yu Wanyin put down her book. "Come with me for a walk."
"Okay." Qing Song was about to step forward to help Yu Wanyin when she heard Yu Wanyin say that.
"What I mean is, let's go out for a walk."
Qing Song stopped. This was the first time Yu Wanyin had asked to go out for a walk since she entered the manor. "Where would Madam like to go?"
“To Fengtian Temple.” Yu Wanyin considered for a moment. “Help me hitch a ride. Fengtian Temple is up a mountain, and I can’t handle the bumpy ride. Pick a reliable and strong horseman who is good at navigating mountain roads.”
Qing Song noted down Yu Wanyin's request and prepared a carriage for the journey.
Among the group of grooms in the Prime Minister's residence, if you pick a strong one, you can spot Rong Si at a glance.
Qingsong stepped forward. "Madam is going to Fengtian Temple, and she is not used to the bumpy ride. Are you skilled on mountain roads?"
Rong Si raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the request. "Fine."
Qingsong instructed, "Then it's you. Your wife has just recovered from her illness, so please be careful going up the mountain."
As expected, when Yu Wanyin went out, she saw Rong Si waiting by the carriage.
The man's gaze fell on her and never left her, and he made a move as Yu Wanyin approached and got into the car.
The feeling of being watched by a ferocious beast returned, but Yu Wanyin suppressed her unease and got into the car, pretending to be calm.
Suddenly an arm came out in front of me.
Yu Wanyin paused and turned to look.
Rong Si remained silent.
Yu Wanyin lowered her eyes slightly, reached out and took his arm for support, and got into the car.
His arms were as strong as iron rods.
Rong Si deliberately exerted some force, and Yu Wanyin was jolted a bit.
She was forcefully ushered into the car and was still in a daze even after she sat down.
Yu Wanyin unconsciously touched her palm, still feeling the lingering sensation of being lifted into the air by that force.
The car soon set off.
After seeing Yu Wanyin off, the gates of the Prime Minister's residence were closed.
Granny Lai peeked inside the courtyard twice, then hurried back inside and found Yu Heyue's room.
Yu Heyue is getting ready.
Granny Lai came in with a beaming face, "Congratulations, young lady!"
Yu Heyue didn't understand, "Congratulations to me for what?"
"Don't you know? The eldest daughter and the Prime Minister had a fight a couple of days ago. The Prime Minister left the mansion in a fit of anger. I guess the eldest daughter is also in a bad mood. She just went out for a walk to clear her head. It's certain that the couple will drift apart. This is a good opportunity for you."
Yu Heyue softly exclaimed, "Ah!" "Why are you arguing?"
"I don't know the specifics, and the young lady isn't as good at making people happy as you are, so any kind of argument is possible."
Granny Lai stepped forward and winked at her, "Girl, you must seize this opportunity."
Yu Heyue sighed, "I've tried my best these past few days, but the Prime Minister hasn't reacted much, and I'm not sure what his attitude is."
Granny Lai nudged her with exasperation, "If he doesn't react much, then make him react. You're smart, girl, but you're lacking in ruthlessness."
"The Prime Minister is in his prime, and having nowhere to vent his frustrations after his marriage, he even quarreled with his new wife. The fact that he keeps you in the mansion shows that he doesn't dislike or hate you."
Granny Lai whispered in his ear, "When the Prime Minister comes back, you can use that as an excuse to send him some soup. We won't be biased; we'll send some to both the eldest daughter and the son-in-law."
"I have a prescription for you. This prescription will replenish a woman's qi and blood, but it is also a good thing to arouse a man's desire."
Yu Heyue seemed surprised by this method and looked at Granny Lai in astonishment, "This... will it work?"
"We're not drugging the Prime Minister, so what's wrong with it?" Granny Lai urged her. "If the Prime Minister is thinking about it, and the eldest daughter can't serve him, does that mean someone else can't serve him?"
Yu Heyue's cheeks flushed red.
That makes sense; wasn't that why she entered the manor to care for the ailing patient?
*
The journey from Shang'an City to Fengtian Temple took more than an hour, and Qing Song leaned against the carriage for a short rest.
But Yu Wanyin was wide awake.
She leaned against the side, knowing that she had come out to clear her head for one reason, and for another.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Fengtian Temple.
Rong Si finally spoke, his tone somewhat leisurely, "We've arrived."
Yu Wanyin helped him out of the car, still feeling uneasy.
She turned to Qingsong and said, "I'm tired from walking. Could you go downstairs and buy me some incense? And while you're at it, could you ask if there are any masters at the temple today who can answer my questions?"
Qing Song knew that Yu Wanyin was frail, so she didn't suspect anything and went to inquire first.
Rong Si leaned against the wall and watched Qing Song walk away, then pondered, "Madam took a very roundabout route."
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath and pretended to be calm.
This was the first time they had been alone together since that night.
That's strange.
Even though Yu Wanyin felt she was completely open and honest.
But she did go through a lot of trouble to find him. "You'd better be more discreet, lest he find out."
Rong Si asked her, "What did you find?"
The gaze was scorching. Yu Wanyin looked away, trying to cover her tracks, and changed the subject, saying, "If you can leave, you should leave Shang'an as soon as possible."
"Since they couldn't catch you in Shang'an, they plan to go to Jiangling to suppress the bandits."
Rong Si knew about this from the beginning and also knew that the bandit suppression team had not been sent out.
Because of the argument she had with Chu Yu.
But Rong Si didn't tell her directly. Instead, he asked her, "You don't want me to get arrested?"
Yu Wanyin looked up strangely, meeting his gaze.
Rong Si asked again, "Why?"
This series of questions left her no room to breathe.
It was as if they wanted to dissect her body and find the answer deep within her heart.
Yu Wanyin couldn't answer, or perhaps she didn't want to. "I just knew and was just telling you casually. It's up to you whether you stay or leave."
Rong Si said slowly and deliberately, "Madam, have you forgotten that I am a bandit, a bad person?"
"Don't be so loud." Yu Wanyin wanted to cover his mouth, but she couldn't. "Do you really want to get arrested that badly?"
Rong Si straightened up, looked at her, and gave his answer, "I don't want to."
He walked towards her. "I'm just more curious about why you don't want to."
As Yu Wanyin saw him approaching, the oppressive feeling made her involuntarily take a step back. After two steps, she realized that this was really strange.
She simply stopped, saying, "I told you the reason that night, but you just didn't believe me."
Yu Wanyin avoided him and went straight into the temple.
As Rong Si watched her go inside, a different emotion flickered in his eyes.
When Qing Song saw Yu Wanyin following her, she gave a soft "Eh" and handed her the incense she had just bought, saying, "Madam has come."
"I know that sincerity is required to seek guidance from the master, so I came here first."
Qing Song remained noncommittal.
The temple was bustling with worshippers, and people came in an endless stream to offer incense and pray for blessings.
Amidst the swirling incense smoke, Yu Wanyin found a secluded path leading to the backyard, where she encountered the abbot chanting sutras in a small bamboo hut.
Almost as soon as she entered, the abbot turned around to look at her.
After Yu Wanyin explained her purpose, the abbot quickly stood up and handed her the divination sticks.
The divination sticks were shaken only twice, and one of the bamboo sticks jumped out and landed on the ground.
Yu Wanyin bent down and picked it up.
The sign above clearly reads "The worst possible sign".
Yu Wanyin looked at the fortune slip in her hand and suddenly smiled.
She said that she has always had bad luck.
Qing Song was startled when she caught a glimpse of the worst possible fortune slip from afar.
This is extremely unlucky.
Qing Song looked at Yu Wanyin with concern, wondering what the lady was asking about.
The abbot accepted it, saying, "Madam, there's no need to worry. Although this is a very unlucky omen, it varies from person to person."
"The lady appears to be a person of merit. This divination slip means that good fortune is hidden within misfortune, and there is always a chance for a turnaround."
Yu Wanyin smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Abbot."
She put the divination sticks back.
People usually hold onto hope even when they're experiencing occasional bad luck.
But when things are really bad, you just don't care about anything anymore.
Whether the abbot's words were meant to comfort or were true is not important.
Qing Song followed behind Yu Wanyin and couldn't help but ask, "Madam, what does that fortune slip mean?"
Yu Wanyin simply said, "Families are destroyed, people are killed, and the country is shattered."
Qing Song was stunned, and it took her a long time to recover. "Ah? Madam..."
At this moment, the abbot was holding another divination slip in his hand.
His question was: when will someone appear to resolve the predicament of the Central Plains?
He got the best possible result.
At present.
The abbot looked up, puzzled, at the frail woman's back.
Yu Wanyin walked down the stone steps of Fengtian Temple and saw that the weather was excellent today.
The trees and foliage in the mountains exude a cool, refreshing green hue, making it much more comfortable than the city.
That's strange.
She felt relieved at that moment.
These wretched days, I can barely survive.
He doesn't have many days left to live.
Anyway, we'll all die together.
Yu Wanyin was not in a hurry to go back.
Instead, they found a small stall near Fengtian Temple to rest and ordered a few bowls of wontons.
Steaming hot wontons arrive, their aroma filling the air. The translucent, thin wrappers encase plump, firm fillings, floating on the surface of the soup.
Chopped mountain scallion sprouts are sprinkled on top, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Qing Song was initially worried about the fortune slip, but seeing Yu Wanyin so calm and composed, her panic inexplicably dissipated.
Quiet people always possess a magical power that can bring peace to one's mind.
According to custom, servants were not allowed to sit and dine with their masters.
Yu Wanyin was not following the rules when she was out, so they didn't insist.
As soon as Yu Wanyin picked up the spoon, she noticed Rong Si staring at a certain spot.
His expression was both nonchalant and alert.
Yu Wanyin followed his gaze and saw a young boy who looked quite young walking over from below the temple. He was carrying his bamboo basket and looking around.
Perhaps sensing Yu Wanyin's gaze, the boy quickly walked towards them.
He held up the bamboo basket in his hands and said, "Madam, would you like to see the ginseng that was just dug up?"
He pulled out a ginseng covered in mud and was about to shove it in front of Yu Wanyin when Qing Song hurriedly stopped him.
The boy probably knew his hands were dirty, and smiled sheepishly, saying, "Sorry."
He turned to Yu Wanyin with pleading eyes, "Madam, take a look. Five taels a piece. They're all freshly dug by me. They're different from the ones in your city, and they're cheaper."
Just as Rong Si was about to speak, he heard Yu Wanyin laugh and say, "Then I'll take them all."
The boy was taken aback. "Really?"
Then, as if afraid that Yu Wanyin would change her mind, she pushed the basket over and held out her hand, "Thirty taels in total."
Yu Wanyin handed over her purse.
The boy thanked him, took a few steps back, and then ran away!
This reaction puzzled Qing Song greatly. "Why are you running away...?"
She bent down and picked up the bamboo basket from the ground.
When you lift up the two ginseng roots on top, you find that underneath they are all weeds.
Even the two roots on top weren't ginseng at all; they were just tree roots used to make up the numbers, and mud was used to cover the parts that didn't look right.
Qing Song's eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly. "Stop! You..."
Qing Song wanted to give chase, but there was no one left on the rugged mountain road.
Qing Song stomped her foot in anger and turned to look at Yu Wanyin, "Madam."
Yu Wanyin comforted her, "It's alright."
Rong Si seemed to be watching a show, "Did Madam know all along that he was a fraud?"
Yu Wanyin scooped up some wonton soup and said, "That child smelled of medicine, but he's selling fake ginseng. Someone in his family must be sick."
"What a big liar he is, to have burned his own hands so badly. Let him have it."
Rong Si glanced at her a couple more times.
Although Qing Song was unwilling to be deceived, she calmed down after hearing what Yu Wanyin said.
Indeed, we've all drawn the worst possible fortune; we might as well consider it a loss to avert disaster.
Yu Wanyin had just taken two bites of wonton.
Rong Si stood up and said he had finished eating, then got up to feed the horses.
A mountain breeze rustled through the air, carrying with it the scent of fresh mountain grass.
Yu Wanyin sat in the woods for a while before getting into the car and returning to the city.
Qing Song thought the day would end there, but unexpectedly, a strong wind picked up on the way out of the car, and dark clouds loomed over the city.
The branches and leaves on the mountain were blown all over the ground, and some small trees were even broken by the wind.
The mountain road became increasingly bumpy.
Somewhere, several dry branches got caught in the wheel, and with a "crack," the axle snapped.
The carriage shook violently.
Yu Wanyin was startled awake from her sleep.
As she sat up, Qing Song leaned out to ask, "Going up the mountain is quite easy, but coming down is so troublesome."
Qing Song suddenly remembered that terrible fortune slip, and she couldn't help but get out of the car to check the situation.
Yu Wanyin overheard the gist of the conversation and realized that there was a problem with the car, so she had no choice but to get out.
Rong Si first tied the two horses to the side, checked the condition of the axle, and then rolled up his sleeves to take out a few tools from the back box.
Seeing his posture, Yu Wanyin asked, "You know how to fix it?"
Rong Si glanced at her. "Madam, I am a groom."
Yu Wanyin fell silent.
He forgot that he's now a stable boy.
Qing Song looked at the sky and said, "How long will it take to repair? It's getting dark."
"Not necessarily, a broken axle might not be repairable."
"This won't do," Qing Song thought. "If it's not fixed before dark, we won't be able to get down the mountain, and now it's raining..."
Qing Song had a sudden inspiration, "Lend me a horse, and I'll go to the temple to borrow another carriage. Even if it can't be repaired, it'll be in time."
This is the safest approach.
Yu Wanyin allowed her to go.
Qingsong rode away on one horse, leaving one horse behind.
After Qing Song left, Yu Wanyin sat alone beside him and realized something was amiss.
Rong Si did not repair the car.
Yu Wanyin unconsciously pulled her cloak tighter, and after considering her question carefully, asked him, "Aren't you going to fix it?"
Rong Si casually said, "I've looked at it, but it can't be fixed."
Yu Wanyin was very skeptical of the truthfulness of his words, "Aren't you a coachman who can fix cars now?"
Rong Si's gaze swept over them, "Now he can also be a bandit."
These words stripped him of his honest groom persona and added a layer of aggression to his entire being.
Yu Wanyin's lips were taut; the wind was a bit chilly at the moment.
The surrounding area was desolate and deserted. It would take Qing Song an hour or two to get there, making it the perfect opportunity if he really wanted to do something to her.
Yu Wanyin feigned composure and continued talking about the car repair, "What do you plan to do if it can't be fixed?"
Rong Si could see the unease in Yu Wanyin.
He joked, "Why don't you spend the night here?"
"How can we spend the night here?"
He drawled, "However my wife lives, that's how I live."
Yu Wanyin's eyelashes trembled. If she still couldn't understand something, she would be a fool.
"Qing, Qingsong should be back soon."
Rong Si found her reaction amusing. "What difference does it make if she comes back? We don't have to be here."
Yu Wanyin stood up, "You..."
“Aren’t you afraid of me, this bandit? You know I’m the kind of person who doesn’t follow the rules and isn’t afraid of retribution,” Rong Si said, still sitting to the side watching her. “If you don’t kill the bandit, you won’t be afraid that I’ll bully you sooner or later.”
Yu Wanyin understood the hidden meaning in his words, but instead sat down again, saying, "You don't need to try to get information out of me like this."
“I don’t want you to be wiped out, because you really don’t deserve to die.”
Rong Si looked away and remained silent for a long time.
Yu Wanyin, fearing he might overthink things, added, "Besides, since the Prime Minister is handling this matter, I don't want him to bear too much public resentment."
Little did Rong Si know, these words caused Rong Si's eyes to darken.
And he's the prime minister again.
She always brought up Chu Yu whenever his feelings towards her softened slightly.
Rong Si gave a silent, cold laugh.
This made him even more determined to kill Chu Yu, and then kidnap his enemy's young wife, so that she could taste the grievances she wanted to quell.
Dark clouds rolled overhead.
A beam of white light pierced through the clouds and fog, winding its way down through the thick black clouds.
A sudden clap of thunder resounded through the sky.
Yu Wanyin stood up. "It's going to rain."
She didn't say what came next, so Rong Si pretended not to understand.
Large raindrops fell in a soft patter.
The raindrops quickly soaked her thin clothes, so Yu Wanyin had no choice but to ask, "Want to take shelter from the rain?"
She got into the car before Rong Si could reply.
The words themselves carried a hint of invitation.
Soon, Yu Wanyin also heard the footsteps following behind her.
Rong Si did not enter the carriage, but sat under the awning outside the carriage.
Suddenly glancing into the car, I saw Yu Wanyin wiping the water droplets off her body with a handkerchief.
Clear, moist water droplets trickled down her neck, leaving trails on her fair skin before disappearing deep into her neckline.
Summer clothes are thin and cool, and excess rainwater soaks them, clinging to her body in a way that's neither too wet nor too dry.
Rong Si pondered for a moment, "Madam said that the reason you mentioned to me that night was something I didn't believe."
"So you were serious about what happened that night."
It can't be said that he was serious.
Yu Wanyin twisted the meaning, saying, "I told you I wasn't lying to you."
"Oh." Rong Si looked at her openly, no longer trying to hide anything. "So, you're willing to continue with me after Chu Yu dies."
A thunderous boom!
Yu Wanyin froze abruptly as she wiped the water droplets, her heart trembling with the sound of thunder.
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether the impact of the words "waiting for Chu Yu to die" was greater, or the impact of his desire for her was greater.
Yu Wanyin even felt that her previous agreement to marry him was just a pretense, and that he was half-hearted and half-doubting, and could easily back out at any time.
Now, Rong Si's words have taken on an aggressive tone, as if they represent what he wants.
If he's decided to stop, then it's hard to say no.
Outside the carriage, the rain was pouring down, and the trees on the mountain were being tossed about, almost uprooted and tumbling down the mountainside!
Inside the rain-soaked car curtains.
Yu Wanyin hurriedly refused, "Don't do anything rash. Chu Yu is my husband, he's dead..."
The bandit's voice was chillingly leisurely in the downpour: "You'll have a new husband after he dies."
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