Chapter 142
Chang Ning turned around and excitedly pulled Fan Changyu's sleeve: "Sister, is brother-in-law looking at us?"
She tried her best to shout "brother-in-law" twice towards the people below, but the street was crowded with people shouting "Marquis Wu'an", which completely drowned out her childish voice.
But when the army was about to pass downstairs, Xie Zheng nodded slightly towards the top of the restaurant. It was unclear whether he heard Changning's shout or was greeting Fan Changyu.
There were short cries of surprise from the other private rooms next door, and a bunch of things fell out from the window with a crackling sound.
"Marquis Wu'an is looking at our young lady!"
"Nonsense! He clearly nodded to our girl!"
The maids who were accompanying them argued endlessly for their daughters and were so excited that they threw down the flower baskets they were holding.
The people of Dayin were open-minded. On such a festive day, it was common for unmarried girls to throw flowers and handkerchiefs at the triumphant army. On the day Fan Changyu followed Tang Peiyi into the city, many handkerchiefs were thrown at her.
Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao saw the young ladies upstairs and downstairs throwing handkerchiefs at Xie Zheng, and said unhappily, "Yan Zheng was looking at us just now, wasn't he?"
Aunt Zhao, who was quite old, also leaned out of the window and shouted twice: "Yan Zheng! Yan Zheng! Chang Yu is here!"
Fan Changyu was afraid of being embarrassed and just wanted to retreat, but Aunt Zhao grabbed her arm and urged her: "Hurry up, throw a handkerchief to Yan Zheng too!"
Fan Changyu said in embarrassment: "Auntie, I won't lose it, right?"
Aunt Zhao glared at her and said, "You kid, why are you so shy? The man below is your husband who has sworn to heaven and earth with you. Other girls can throw their handkerchiefs at him, so why don't you do the same?"
After saying that, he pushed Fan Changyu to the window.
Chang Ning clapped his hands in delight, "Sister, throw away the handkerchief! Throw away the handkerchief!"
Fan Changyu said helplessly: "I don't have a handkerchief. When I was in the army, I just used a large sweat towel."
Aunt Zhao was choked by Fan Changyu's words, but she continued, "Well... do you have a sachet or something? Just throw one down there."
Fan Changyu naturally wouldn't prepare a sachet.
She thought about it and untied the ochre headband that was tied around her hair.
Fan Changyu walked to the window with the headband in hand. Compared with the silk handkerchiefs of other girls that were scented with perfume and embroidered with delicate patterns, her headband was too plain and the material was not good either. It was estimated that no one would be willing to pick it up if she threw it on the street.
Fan Changyu was just thinking about just going along with the situation, but unexpectedly Xie Zheng suddenly raised his eyes and looked straight at her.
Their eyes met in mid-air, Fan Changyu's heart skipped a beat, and he even forgot to drop the hairband in his hand.
Aunt Zhao was so anxious for her that she urged her, "Hurry up and throw Changyu away. Yan is watching you!"
When Fan Changyu came to her senses, she felt her heart beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out of her throat. She clenched her palms and threw the hairband in her hand down with an attitude of ready to die.
She was very good at martial arts, but the headband was too light, and the wind started to blow. Just as the headband was about to fly over Xie Zheng's head, the stern-looking young man on horseback suddenly raised his hand and grabbed the ochre headband with his five fingers.
The onlookers burst into deafening cheers of surprise.
There were so many girls throwing silk handkerchiefs at him along the way, but he didn't even glance at one when it landed right in front of him. It was really strange that she suddenly took the initiative to grab a hairband.
Xie Zheng calmly put the headband that Fan Changyu had thrown down into his arms, glanced at Fan Changyu indifferently, then looked straight ahead and continued riding forward.
The screams of the onlookers and young girls became even louder, and some girls even cried out loud on the spot.
"Whose headband is that?"
"Could it be that Marquis Wu'an has a lover?"
The people on both sides of the long street looked up, trying to find out which private room of the restaurant facing the street had thrown the hairband, but they only saw three private rooms with closed windows. For a moment, they didn't know which room the distinguished guest had thrown it from.
Those three private rooms were all booked by Fan Changyu.
The hairband was caught by Xie Zheng. When he put it in his arms and looked at her, Fan Changyu felt as if her heart was struck by lightning. Her heartbeat was so fast that she felt panicky and her brain was somewhat paralyzed.
She closed the window almost reflexively, then turned around and sat back at the round table. Under Aunt Zhao's confused gaze, her whole body turned red from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears.
Aunt Zhao was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: "Girl, you have been married for so long, why are you still afraid of shame?"
Fan Changyu pinched his red earlobe and said nothing, only his long dark eyelashes fluttered continuously, as if he was in a state of palpitations.
Lian Changning couldn't help laughing: "Sister is shy."
Xie Wu and Xie Qi stood silently in the corner with their heads down, trying hard to pretend they were air.
After a while, Fan Changyu finally came back to her senses. The redness on her face faded a little. She pinched Changning's chubby face and said, "Ning Niang has become so capable that she can even make fun of my sister?"
Chang Ning was pinched on one side of her cheek by Fan Changyu, but the smile on the other side of her face was almost split to her ears: "When my brother-in-law saw my sister, she was so scared that she closed all the windows."
The blush on Fan Changyu's face, which had finally faded, almost rose again because of Changning's childish words. She said with a straight face, "You are such a frivolous girl. I am afraid that there will be too many people watching and something will happen."
Changning stuck out his tongue and didn't dare to do it again.
Carpenter Zhao was still shocked by the grand scene he had just witnessed. He took a sip of tea and said, "I heard many people shouting 'Marquis Wu'an', but how come I didn't see anyone? Could it be that the Marquis Wu'an's procession is behind the army?"
The cries of the young girls were drowned out by the louder shouts. People in the capital speak with a Beijing accent, so even though Carpenter Zhao heard a few notes, he couldn't make out what they meant.
He did not understand the order of seniority for the army entering the city, but when Fan Changyu and the others entered Beijing, Tang Peiyi was the one walking in front. Logically, Wu'an Hou had the highest official position, so he should have been walking in the front. How come Yan Zheng was the first in line?
The reputation of Marquis Wu'an spread throughout Dayin like thunder when he recaptured Jinzhou and recovered the twelve counties of Liaodong.
Carpenter Zhao really wanted to catch a glimpse of this extraordinary general.
Fan Changyu wiped his face silently.
Finally, we come to this question...
She scratched her hair and said, "Um... Uncle, Auntie, there is something I have never told you."
Seeing her embarrassment, Aunt Zhao immediately said, "Child, do you still treat me and your uncle as outsiders? If you have anything to say, just tell me."
Fan Changyu looked at the two elders and said, "In fact, Yanzheng is the Marquis of Wu'an."
Carpenter Zhao's hand trembled, and half of the tea spilled on him. He didn't care about the heat, so he stood up and shook his clothes twice. His old but round eyes looked straight at Fan Changyu: "What?"
Aunt Zhao also opened her mouth wide, looked at Fan Changyu, then at Carpenter Zhao, and was so shocked that she couldn't ask a single question.
Fan Changyu expected that the two elders would be surprised when they learned of Xie Zheng's true identity, but he didn't expect them to be so surprised.
Seeing that the two elders both looked as if they suspected something was wrong with their ears, she repeated, "Yan Zheng is the Marquis of Wu'an."
"Oh my god..."
Carpenter Zhao's feet went limp, and he sat back on the armchair. He swallowed and said, "Is he the Marquis of Wu'an who took over the twelve counties of Liaodong and massacred the barbarians in Jinzhou?"
Fan Changyu nodded.
Aunt Zhao also stuttered as she spoke: "I heard...I heard that Marquis Wu'an has three heads and six arms, eats raw meat and drinks blood, and Yan...Yan Zheng looks like the leading actor in the opera troupe, how could he be Marquis Wu'an?"
When Fan Changyu heard Aunt Zhao describe who she thought Xie Zheng was, he was a little amused and helpless for a moment.
She said, "That's all just rumors. A general on the battlefield needs to have a reputation for being fierce in order to frighten the enemy. Am I not also known as 'Yaksha' in the army?"
Even after listening to Fan Changyu's explanation, the old couple sat in their chairs for a long time before they came to their senses.
Aunt Zhao looked at Fan Changyu and said, "This... Yan Zheng has become a marquis. Do we have to kowtow to him when we see him in the future?"
This question made Fan Changyu stunned. In the past, when she was still in Lin'an Town, when she talked about meeting a high-ranking official, the first thing she thought of was probably to kowtow a few times.
Now, the only person in the court who can make her kowtow and kneel is the one on the dragon throne.
It turned out that she had come so far without realizing it, and for a moment she felt quite emotional.
She said, "Both uncle and aunt were his benefactors, so he will not accept your gift."
When Xie Zheng was injured, no doctor in the town's clinic dared to treat him. If it weren't for Carpenter Zhao, who relied on his decades of experience as a veterinarian and prescribed some medicine as a last resort, Xie Zheng might not have survived.
After hearing what Fan Changyu said, the old couple of the Zhao family probably recalled the days when they were in Lin'an Town, and the sense of distance they felt towards Xie Zheng suddenly eased.
Aunt Zhao looked at Fan Changyu hesitantly, and couldn't help but worry about her life event: "Then... your wedding ceremony doesn't count?"
What she wanted to ask was what the two of them planned to do in the future.
When Fan Changyu became successful, she knew the child she had watched grow up very well, so she was not afraid that she would abandon Yan Zhengshi.
But Yan Zheng has become a marquis. Aunt Zhao thought that those high-ranking officials all have three wives and four concubines. Just now, when the army passed by downstairs, Yan Zheng accepted the hairband given by Fan Changyu. It seems that he has feelings for Fan Changyu, but she doesn't know to what extent this affection goes.
After listening to what Aunt Zhao said, Fan Changyu thought that the bribe was a fake one agreed upon by the two of them, so he nodded.
When Aunt Zhao heard this, she became anxious. She said, "Even if the marriage proposal was fake, you and him were married in times of hardship. Now that you are rich, can you still break up?"
Fan Changyu finally understood what Aunt Zhao wanted to ask. Thinking of Xie Zheng's words that night about wanting to marry her, her face became a little hot again. She said, "What are you thinking about?"
As long as the truth behind Jinzhou is not revealed, her grandfather will never be able to clear his name.
Only by clearing the Meng family's name can she be proudly together with Xie Zheng as a descendant of the Meng family, and only then can she comfort the spirits of her grandfather and parents in heaven.
But the situation in the court was complicated and the old couple of the Zhao family were both simple-minded. Fan Changyu said too much to them, but they didn't understand and it only made them worry.
She said, "Don't worry, he is not that kind of person."
After hearing what Fan Changyu said, Aunt Zhao felt relieved again.
The triumphant army had already gone to the Meridian Gate to await the audience, and the noisy crowds on the streets gradually dispersed.
Fan Changyu, his two elders, two children, as well as Xie Qi and about five others returned to the Jinzouyuan.
On the way, Changning saw the candy figurines being made and wanted to buy some, so Fan Changyu took her and Baoer to buy some, and Xie Wu went with them so that they could help as soon as possible in case of any accidents.
Xie Qi was in charge of driving, while he stayed in the car with the two elders of the Zhao family.
Even after visiting the city many times, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but pull up the curtains to look around and marvel at the prosperity of the capital city.
Seeing that it would take some time for Fan Changyu and the others to buy the candy figures, she thought that the New Year was approaching and she had to go and buy some red cloth to sew a big red purse for each of the children to put in their New Year's money. So she said hello to Xie Qi and went to a cloth stall not far away.
Mrs. Zhao was choosing fabrics and was dazzled by them when she heard a few women nearby talking about Xie Zheng while choosing fabrics: "Did you hear that when Marquis Wu'an entered the city, he accepted a handkerchief thrown to him by a girl? I wonder which girl in the capital can be so lucky!"
Another woman continued, "The whole street was packed with people for the first half of the minute. Who knows which girl threw the handkerchief? Besides, it was just a handkerchief. Marquis Wu'an was a man of high status. He probably just picked it up casually. But he was afraid that if he threw it in the street, the girl would lose face, so he kept it."
"Eh? Was it a handkerchief that was lost? Why did I hear it was a hairband?" Another woman said, "A handkerchief can be accepted in that situation, but a hairband is different. If you ask me, the Marquis of Wu'an must have really taken a liking to a certain girl."
The woman who spoke first said, "The only one in the whole capital who can be said to be both talented and beautiful is the youngest daughter of Li Taifu. I heard that Miss Guan is already 28 years old and has not yet been engaged. She might be waiting for Marquis Wu'an!"
Mrs. Zhao was reluctant to join in the conversation, but after hearing the last sentence, she could no longer choose the material in her hand and said to the women, "That headband belongs to my daughter."
Upon hearing this, several women glanced at Aunt Zhao, and suddenly they all laughed out loud, covering their mouths with silk handkerchiefs.
Although the material of Aunt Zhao's clothes was not bad, it was not like that of an old lady from a wealthy family. In addition, she worked hard in Changning, her hands were very rough, and she spoke with a foreign accent, so none of the women took her seriously.
One of them asked jokingly, "Auntie, how old is your daughter?"
Aunt Zhao calculated Fan Changyu's birthday and answered, "Almost seventeen."
As soon as these words were spoken, several women covered their lips and laughed again, and their eyes shifted to each other, all of which showed that they were joking.
The woman said, "A seventeen-year-old girl threw a hairband, and the Marquis of Wu'an picked it up and put it in his arms? Madam, is your girl born a fairy?"
Although these people never uttered a single curse word, it would be strange if Aunt Zhao didn't notice the contempt and mockery in their words and actions.
She felt so upset when she heard Fan Changyu being mocked by this group of people that she pulled the cloth with more force. She glared at the women and said, "My daughter is not a fairy, but she is a female general who protects her country!"
The more she talked, the more outrageous it became. The women felt like they were dealing with a crazy woman who was talking nonsense. One of them dropped the material in her hand and said, "Is she crazy? Don't get too close to her."
Yan Qi stepped back a little, as if afraid that Aunt Zhao might hurt them.
When the vendor saw that he had no business, and also heard what Aunt Zhao said, he snatched the cloth from Aunt Zhao's hand and cursed, "You crazy woman, don't ruin my business."
Although Aunt Zhao was kind, she was not a soft-hearted person who would allow others to bully her. She immediately yelled at the vendor, "You are so unreasonable, boy. I bought your stuff, and you scolded me? Everyone, please judge for yourself. This man bullied an old woman like me in the street. Is there any law?"
The peddler had not expected that this seemingly easy-to-bully old woman was actually a tough nut to crack. Seeing that many people had gathered to watch, he hurriedly explained, "This old woman is acting crazy. One moment she said that the Marquis of Wu'an had taken her daughter's hairband, the next moment she said that her daughter was a female general, and now she's making trouble in front of my shop again!"
Aunt Zhao put her hands on her hips and angrily said, "Why can't my daughter be a female general?"
When the peddler heard that Madam Zhao had answered, he was extremely excited and rushed to the crowd of onlookers, "Everyone has heard it. Is it this crazy woman who is going crazy? The only female general in Dayin who can be called a general is General Yunhui. Could it be that your daughter is General Yunhui?"
As soon as he finished speaking, people started pointing and making jokes.
"She is really a crazy woman, isn't she? How could a heroine like General Yunhui have such a shabby mother?"
Aunt Zhao started quarreling with the peddler because she was so angry that she was driven away by the peddler and was pointed at and scolded.
As soon as she heard this, she regretted arguing with these people. After all, Fan Changyu was an official in the court. Her action did not bring any trouble to Fan Changyu, but made Fan Changyu lose face, and she felt guilty in her heart.
Aunt Zhao said, "I am her neighbor's aunt, and I watched her grow up!"
She wanted to leave after she finished talking, but the crowd was so crowded that she couldn't get out. The onlookers saw that she wanted to leave because she was embarrassed, so they refused to let her go.
One of the men with a mustache and a rat-like face even shouted in mockery: "Yo, you are just the neighbor's aunt of General Yunhui, and I said I was her uncle!"
Everyone laughed.
Suddenly, a capable and sassy female voice came from outside the crowd: "Auntie, you haven't chosen the material yet?"
The noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, and everyone automatically made way for them and looked behind them.
I saw a tall woman standing behind me. In her left hand, she was holding a little girl holding a candy figurine, and in her right hand, she was holding a little boy holding a candied haws. Both dolls had painted masks sold on the street on their faces. At first glance, I thought they were twins.
Fan Changyu was suddenly stared at by so many people and felt a little strange.
After she bought sugar figurines for Changning and Baoer, she went back to the carriage and heard that Aunt Zhao had gone out to buy cloth but had not returned for a long time. She also saw a lot of people gathered there, so she came over to see what was going on.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she spoke, everyone looked at her with different expressions. Aunt Zhao's face instantly turned ugly. She was old and her legs were not very good. But now she almost rushed over, picked up Yu Baoer and said to Fan Changyu: "Hurry up! Hurry up!"
Fan Changyu looked puzzled, but he still carried Changning and followed Aunt Zhao to the carriage.
Someone in the crowd whispered, "It seems... that he is really General Yunhui?"
Someone echoed: "Yes, it's General Yunhui. When the generals from Yangzhou entered Beijing a few days ago, I saw her at the city gate. She was riding a tall horse and following behind General Tang. She looked so majestic!"
After these words were spoken, the crowd gathered in a strange silence.
After a while, someone asked cautiously, "So... the hairband in Marquis Wu'an's arms really belongs to General Yunhui?"
The vendor in front of the shop and the women who had bought cloth earlier all looked as if they had seen a ghost.
Who would have known that these bizarre words uttered by an old woman from another country speaking not very fluent Mandarin could actually be true!
Someone else spoke up soon after, "The dragon and phoenix twins that General Yunhui brought with him, could they be...hers and Marquis Wu'an's?"
Everyone swallowed their saliva. Did they accidentally uncover a huge secret today?
After the peddler came to his senses from his bewilderment, he picked up a few pieces of cloth and ran after Fan Changyu and Aunt Zhao, shouting, "General Yunhui, Aunt Zhao! These pieces of cloth are for you! Please forgive me for not recognizing the great man!"
Aunt Zhao was afraid of bringing trouble to Fan Changyu, so she turned around and yelled at the vendor fiercely, "She's not that! You got the wrong person!"
But it seems like there's something fishy going on here.
Probably the only one who looked confused throughout the whole process was Fan Changyu himself.
The author has something to say:
Ear-reporting God: Lord Hou! Rumor has it that you and General Yun Hui gave birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins?
Xie Zheng: Who said that? There will be huge rewards!
Chang Ning & Bao Er: ...? ? ?
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