Chapter 36 Baby
Yu Wanyin was a little excited.
She carefully placed the letter in the box and locked it.
The jade pendant should be kept close to the body.
When I calm down, I can hear my own heart pounding.
I wonder if her aunt and elder sister can still find her now that she's in the mountain village.
Yes, it's possible.
My elder sister wrote to say that the gyrfalcon she trained can spread its wings in the sky, see a thousand miles, and communicate with others.
The trained hunting dogs could help her find the person she was looking for, even if the target turned to ashes.
And she seems to have tamed a lot.
Yu Wanyin felt much more relaxed.
As soon as Aunt Duan came in, she could tell that Yu Wanyin seemed a little happy today.
She thought about how her lord had gone out these past two days and helped the Queen find many old things, which must have made her quite happy.
But in reality, Rong Si was looking for Chu Yu's corpse.
The body was not found, but the bodies of several people from the Yu family were found along the way, as well as the carriages and horses used by Chu Yu to escort Yu Wanyin.
Inside and outside the carriages were the corpses of Chu's imperial guards and Hu people.
However, Rong Si searched carefully but did not find any of Chu Yu's personal attendants inside.
Wuzhou and Chaoyue.
Since the body wasn't found, Rong Si took the opportunity to collect the remaining items from the carriage.
Rong Si did not want to admit that Chu Yu's arrangements for Yu Wanyin were thoughtful.
But we must also admit it.
That path looks like it was recently opened.
It's obvious who it was specifically for.
Judging from the tragic scene along the way, it must be that the other members of the Yu family had learned about the route Yu Wanyin had taken.
Outsiders are not as discreet as those around Chu Yu. If news were accidentally leaked to the Hu people, it would not be hard to explain why Chu Yu, who had originally crossed Qinggu Slope smoothly, turned back and put himself in danger.
At first, Rong Si thought it was for some kind of treasure.
So it was all for this precious treasure.
Rong Si felt that he should also thank Chu Yu to some extent for taking good care of his wife while he was away.
But that didn't stop him from wanting Chu Yu dead.
Life in the village quickly returned to normal.
Early autumn is mostly the busy farming season, and the villagers still set off at dawn and return at dusk.
They were carrying all sorts of freshly picked fruits and vegetables.
The boys who went hunting brought back even more game.
They said they were preparing for winter.
"Look, I can hunt geese now. Does that mean I'll be able to get married soon?"
His companion laughed and scolded, "Marry your grandpa? You're not just envious of our lord, are you?"
Su Fang urged, "There are plenty of girls in the village, so refrain from using vulgar language."
Upon hearing this, the others realized what was happening and fell silent.
One of them disagreed, saying, "Hey, Nalan Azheng speaks much more rudely than we do."
"What the hell are you saying?!" Ah Zheng heard this and came over to settle the score, chewing on a blade of grass. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll pull out your dog teeth."
In fact, only three girls came, which was a tiny fraction compared to the thousands of men in the village.
They were making a ruckus in the yard.
Yu Wanyin just happened to walk out of the house.
The crowd in the courtyard quieted down and sensibly greeted her first, "Your Majesty."
Su Fang stepped forward and asked, "Why has the Queen come out?"
Yu Wanyin just wanted some fresh air. "I felt stuffy inside, so I wanted to come out for a walk."
After all, he has been recuperating at home for the past few days.
Someone suggested, "I'll take the Queen for a walk."
Someone immediately stopped him, saying, "I can too."
“Stop arguing,” A-Zheng stepped forward. “Wherever Your Majesty wishes to go, I will go with you.”
This stumped Yu Wanyin. "I don't know."
She wasn't very familiar with this place either.
Su Fang spoke up, "I'll take you to see the back."
A-Zheng hesitated, then looked at Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin did not refuse, "Okay."
She's fine with going anywhere; she just wants to take a walk.
Yu Wanyin's physical condition prevented her from going far, so Su Fang led them around the hill and found a red maple tree to rest.
This area is located on a high elevation, with steep mountains behind it, making it unsuitable for habitation, so there are not many houses here.
Yu Wanyin sat on a blue stone under a maple tree. The maple leaves above her head were turning from dark green to yellow, and the leaves under the canopy were layered with orange-yellow, orange-red and bright red.
A variety of colors.
You can also see the cliff waterfall enclosed within the mountain village from here.
As the sun sets, the water vapor creates a rainbow.
Some people were still busy with farming and hadn't returned yet; scattered figures were dotted across the mountains and fields in the orange-yellow sunset.
Birds flew across the horizon.
The cry of a lone bird echoed through the sky.
Yu Wanyin looked up.
I wonder if my sister's gyrfalcon would fly over here, and she might end up like them.
Find this place, find her.
That should take some more time.
Yu Wanyin withdrew her gaze and sat quietly for a while.
I happened to see a troop of soldiers passing through the path at the foot of the mountain.
Their clothing was different from most of the villagers'.
Yu Wanyin took a closer look and discovered that they didn't follow the usual route; instead, they disappeared into a grove of trees.
For a moment, Yu Wanyin thought she was seeing things because she was sick.
About fifteen minutes later, another small troop of soldiers appeared.
This time, A-Zheng also saw them. "Are those people also from the village?"
“Yes.” Su Fang brought it up, “They are the military equipment of the village.”
A-Zheng didn't understand, "What is military equipment?"
Su Fang explained it to A Zheng.
Yu Wanyin knew that the military equipment in the village was, in other words, a private army.
They were soldiers privately raised by the mountain stronghold, just like the weapons they secretly hid.
“They don’t live with us,” Su Fang pointed in a direction. “They usually live on the mountain over there, where they train every day under strict rules.”
Looking in the direction he indicated, Yu Wanyin realized that the mountain stronghold was larger than she had imagined.
Calling it a knock-off wouldn't be quite right.
It's more like a mountain town.
The city had everything she needed, as evidenced by the city walls she saw when she entered the village.
This also includes the military.
Even the distant, rolling mountains conceal troops and countless weapons.
Yes, no wonder she started to recognize many of the people who frequently came and went in this courtyard.
I just didn't realize there were thousands of people.
But when Rong Si led his men to intercept the Hu people that day, they were indeed a large group of bandits from several hilltops.
It stretches as far as the eye can see.
These people, who are often seen in the courtyard, are mostly busy with the daily life of the mountain stronghold. Soldiers, armor, and even weapons are rarely seen here.
Most likely, it was because the military hadn't properly separated the military and civilian areas.
Difficult to manage.
Thinking about it this way, Rong Si seems to know something about raising soldiers.
Yu Wanyin hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help asking, "How did you manage to develop such a large army?"
"Our lord has arranged this little by little over the years." Su Fang sat down beside him, looking at the distant mountains. "Most of the people in this village are people who fell into misfortune during the Yuanchuan Rebellion more than ten years ago."
When Yu Wanyin heard about this again, her expression became much more serious. "The Yuanchuan Rebellion?"
“Hmm.” Su Fang’s voice was low. The once lively and bright boy dimmed after mentioning this matter. “Back then, Bei Chi and Youzhou were fighting. Youzhou wanted Yingzhou to help, but the Teng clan took the lead and betrayed the country, colluding with Bei Chi to attack Youzhou’s border.”
"A large number of generals and commanders in the army opposed it, but to no avail."
"After taking advantage of the situation to crush Youzhou, the Northern Chi turned on you and invaded Yuanchuan, looting it completely."
"The city's commander was beheaded, and none of the 100,000 soldiers and 20,000 civilians escaped."
Yu Wanyin's breathing became labored.
This was the first time she had heard a complete explanation of the Kakinawa Rebellion.
Su Fang has mentioned this matter countless times over the past ten years, so much so that his tone is now calm but not without gloom: "The commander of the city's defense is the lord's father."
"And the Teng family is the maternal family of the current Left Prime Minister. It is their family that has caused so many people to be displaced."
A-Zheng asked, "But I heard that the Teng family was also wiped out."
“They deserved it.” Su Fang curled his lips slightly, suppressing his emotions. “They colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. They were executed by the imperial court. They deserved to die.”
“But the people and soldiers of Yuanchuan should not become the victims of those in power’s pursuit of profit.”
"Our lord brought many people out with him and started a new life in this village."
“There weren’t so many people originally, but those who escaped from Yuanchuan all came to find the lord. Or, the orphans of those who died in that chaotic battle were brought up. As long as they said that their husbands had been soldiers under the lord’s father, the lord would take them all in on behalf of his father and raise them in the village.”
"Later on, people who couldn't make a living would also come up the mountain to seek help, and over time the number of people came increased."
Yu Wanyin took a deep breath.
She remembered what Aunt Duan had told her before.
Aunt Duan's husband died in battle and was treated as a traitor and deserter. The government investigated and traced the matter back to her, confiscating her family's property.
Aunt Duan said her husband couldn't possibly have defected, but no one believed her, and her house was sealed off.
She went up the mountain later.
The imperial court was investigating the rebels. Because some officials could not distinguish between the rebels and the non-rebels, they labeled many soldiers who died fighting for Yingzhou as rebels.
The martyrs deserve comfort.
But instead of labeling them as traitors, they can profit from the people.
Yu Wanyin could understand why they hated officials so much.
I fought to the death for my family and my country, but officials, protected by me, oppressed me, turning right and wrong upside down, and even forced me to work as a bandit.
Who could not hate it?
Yu Wanyin suddenly wondered if moving the capital would actually be of any use.
This dynasty had been rotten for at least ten years.
Su Fang looked at the surrounding mountains. Almost everything in sight belonged to the village. "Most of the people here are 'deserters' who are being pursued by the government. They won't let us live among the common people, so we can only go up the mountain and become bandits that the government won't tolerate."
"When we first arrived, we were short-handed, and it was the lord who led everyone to build the two hilltops."
"Later, more and more people came, and the place grew bigger and bigger."
"The arms trade was originally just something the lord used to defend against the government's frequent attacks. But as the business grew, it became much bigger."
Su Fang spoke softly and slowly to them about how the village started.
With so few people, building two hilltops is quite an impressive feat.
This is especially true for someone like Yu Wanyin, who can't lift heavy objects with her hands but can carry them on her shoulders.
The sun sank into the rolling mountains, pulling out the last rays of its rays.
Su Fang stood up. "Your Majesty, we should go back."
Yu Wanyin got up as well.
It was much darker around us compared to before.
Su Fang brought up the rear, saying, "There are many rocks on the mountain, Your Majesty, please watch your step."
Yu Wanyin absentmindedly agreed, "Okay."
Unexpectedly, he lost focus and stepped on a small pebble, about the size of his palm, and slipped and fell!
This caused A-Zheng and Su-Fang to exclaim in surprise.
As night fell, Yu Wanyin was helped back to her house.
Heavy, hurried footsteps came from the doorway.
Rong Si strode in with a stern face, glancing at Su Fang.
Su Fang stepped aside, not daring to utter a sound. Heaven and earth could bear witness that the place he had taken the Queen to was already quite safe.
When Aunt Duan brought the medicine box, she glanced at Rong Si's expression a couple more times.
Then, knowing better, he put it down and turned to call Su Fang and A Zheng, who were standing to the side as if being punished, to leave.
The three of them left quietly, but their presence was very noticeable to Yu Wanyin.
She was stunned, wondering why they had all left.
no.
They're all gone, so what about her...?
Yu Wanyin looked slightly uneasy and wanted to get up to call Aunt Duan.
Before she could even stand up, the man's shadow loomed over her.
Rong Si slammed the medicine box down beside him, saying, "It's easy to get sick and easy to get injured."
Yu Wanyin was startled.
Rong Si saw her tremble.
They can also easily scare you.
Rong Si had to soften his movements a bit.
This was just Rong Si's normal tone and the force of his movements.
Yu Wanyin didn't know what he was being fierce about, her expression turned resentful, and she muttered under her breath, "Then you might as well send me away."
Rong Si stopped talking at this moment.
He opened the medicine box, took out the wound medicine, and then went to fetch some clean water.
After all that fuss, he sat down in front of Yu Wanyin and grabbed her knee.
Yu Wanyin was caught off guard when he grabbed her, and her heart jumped into her throat.
The man's large, warm hands felt even hotter when they touched her cool, smooth skin.
Rong Si dragged the person in front of him.
Yu Wanyin felt herself being forcibly pulled over, her body unsteady, her hands braced on the bed as she watched him drape her legs over his thighs.
Then Rong Si casually lifted her skirt.
Yu Wanyin suddenly pressed down on her skirt. "What are you doing?"
Rong Si succinctly replied, "Administer the medicine."
I won't mess with you.
Those vulgar and direct words made Yu Wanyin's cheeks flush red instantly, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. "Don't talk like that."
He piled her skirt up to her knees, pressed down on her knees, and held her firmly in place.
"How so?" Rong Si looked at the bloody abrasions on her knee. "I'm a rough man, why don't you teach me how a scholar like Chu Yu would put it?"
It's strange to talk about this kind of topic at this time.
Yu Wanyin was shy and embarrassed, so she simply refused to answer his question. Fortunately, Rong Si didn't really want to know what she and Chu Yu talked about in bed.
Her skirt bunched up on her thighs, revealing her slender and shapely legs.
There was a very noticeable abrasion on her fair and clear skin.
A layer of blood appeared through the skirt.
Rong Si cleaned the wound first, before the handkerchief even touched her.
Yu Wanyin nervously pulled her legs back first, "Be gentle."
Rong Si paused for a moment, then pressed her leg and moved it closer to his hand.
Yu Wanyin held her breath and focused, only letting out a slight sigh of relief when he touched the wound.
Rong Si gently wiped the dust off the wound.
But the way he pinched her leg was very forceful.
It was as if he was holding her firmly in place so that he could do whatever he wanted with her.
The stark contrast between light and heavy creates a strange sense of being controlled.
After cleaning off the dust, Rong Si applied the wound ointment to the area.
Weighing the soft flesh in his hand, he thought, "How could I trip and fall while walking?"
Yu Wanyin's heart skipped a beat when he pinched her. "The road to your house is difficult to walk on."
Rong Si applied ointment all over the wound, saying, "It's not that you're too delicate."
He lowered his eyes, and only after the medicine was applied did his legs come into view. He was a little reluctant to let go.
Yu Wanyin seemed to sense something was wrong and urged repeatedly, "Is it ready?"
Rong Si finally came to his senses, gave a rough "hmm," and let go of her hand.
Yu Wanyin immediately pulled down her skirt when she had a chance.
Rong Si pressed down on her wrist as she was tidying her clothes. "I just applied the medicine. If I put it down, it'll be a waste of time."
As he spoke, he casually loosened the sash of her skirt, saying, "Take off your skirt too."
Yu Wanyin was forced backward by his weight and quickly stopped him, "No..."
But it didn't work.
Rong Si easily untied her skirt, revealing the side of her arm that had been injured in the fall.
Despite Yu Wanyin's attempts to stop her, she remained curled up on the edge of the bed, her clothes half-undone.
The skirt, unbound by any ribbons, was half-undone, leaving her barely covered and revealing her shapely legs, which had just been treated with medicine.
Her dress was also piled up at her waist, revealing her arms.
She wore only a thin undergarment, which hung loosely on her snow-white neck with a drawstring.
Yu Wanyin had half of her clothes undone, clutching her collar.
The man sat behind her, wrapped his arms around half of her body, pried open her hands that were clutching her collar, let go of her sleeves, and continued to clean the bruises on her arm.
"With that little strength, who can you stop?"
The damp handkerchief clung to her arm, and Yu Wanyin leaned her back against his chest, turning her head slightly away uncomfortably.
Rong Si applied the medicine to her diligently, his movements swift and efficient, without any ulterior motive.
He looked at the blood streaks on the lotus-root-like arm.
He just pinched it, applied the medicine for a while, and then left his fingerprints when he released it.
She's someone you'd treat like a precious gem, someone you'd cherish and protect at all costs.
How can her body be so tender?
Rong Si didn't think it was a good thing that she didn't even have the strength to push him away. "Wherever you want to go in the future, I'll take you."
Yu Wanyin said sullenly, "I don't want to go anywhere."
Rong Si glanced at her twice, "Then I'll take you there, you come with me."
"I'm not going."
Upon seeing the medicine, Yu Wanyin wanted to move out of his arms.
She had just stood up when that hand pressed lightly on her lower abdomen before pushing her back down.
Rong Si found her to be quite energetic.
Yu Wanyin also discovered that he was quite domineering.
It felt really strange to be pulled into this position by him and lean against his chest.
She tried to pull up her coat.
He pulled it off again, saying, "It's just been applied; pulling it back up will rub it off."
The clothes were piled up on her body, neither worn nor taken off.
Yu Wanyin felt uncomfortable. "I can't just stay in the room like this."
Even when sleeping in a grand mansion, one is always properly dressed. To think that one would consider it improper to be like this in a room would be quite indecent.
Rong Si didn't think anything of it. "What's wrong with that?"
If they get injured while traveling, they don't care about propriety in order to make things easier and heal faster.
Besides, we're indoors, so what's wrong with being a little more casual?
Your health is the most important thing.
Yu Wanyin muttered hesitantly, "What do you mean, what's wrong?"
Rong Si saw her forced to lean against him.
Her eyes and brows, though moist, were tinged with displeasure.
Below that were her bare, rounded, snow-white shoulders, her shapely and slender figure, with her clothes bunched up around her waist and thighs.
She looked like a fresh, tender lychee with its shell half-peeled.
It makes you want to quickly peel off the other half of the shell and bite into the juice.
He swallowed her whole.
He seemed to know what was going on.
Yu Wanyin was now exposed to his gaze, which made her very uneasy. She pushed him away and said, "I want to put it on."
Rong Si didn't know what she was talking about, but his Adam's apple bobbed.
I want to kiss you.
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