Chapter 53: The hard journey of the third scholar "You are in my...
"This is how you act in front of me." Yan Heng nodded affirmatively, took a step forward, and suddenly pulled the person into his arms.
Ji Yunchan couldn't believe it.
He was actually talking about her.
After being used to hearing people say that he is kind and virtuous, he is the only one who says that he has a temper.
She snorted softly and didn't struggle.
The maid put away the clothes and brought out the salt and pepper pastry.
The two of them sat at the table, and Yan Heng began to talk about business: "By the way, someone will be supervising the army in the capital. We don't know who it will be yet, but it's definitely someone from Prince Teng's faction. When the time comes, you can arrange for them to live in the front yard."
"I see." Ji Yunchan nodded and asked him worriedly, "Is another war about to start?"
"Yes," Yan Heng nodded. "Your Majesty's health is declining year by year. Prince Teng is indeed powerful, but the title of Crown Prince is still in the hands of others. I'm afraid some action will have to be taken."
Ji Yunchan was silent for a moment, feeling that a storm was about to come.
Seeing her like this, Yan Heng picked up a piece of salt and pepper pastry and placed it next to Ji Yunchan's mouth. "The salt and pepper pastry is not bad. Thank you Yuanyuan for your hard work."
Ji Yunchan came back to her senses, took it, smiled and shook her head.
......
In mid-February, the ice and snow in Shuozhou melted and the weather became warmer but still cold.
The military governor and his entourage arrived in Shuozhou on this day. Yan Heng sent people to pick them up and held a night banquet in his mansion, entertaining them personally.
The front hall was brightly lit, and maids serving dishes filed in and out one after another, with the sounds of clinking cups and lively conversations continuing incessantly.
Ji Yunchan was in the house in the backyard. She had finished her meal early and asked everyone to leave. She sat alone at the table, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
She stood up, walked to the rack beside her, put on her cloak, and walked slowly to the yard.
The plum blossoms had faded, but the tree remained. The night breeze blew against her face, and Ji Yunchan gently stroked the branches of the plum tree with her fingers, feeling the roughness of the texture, and the inexplicable uneasiness in her heart eased a little.
In the corridor at the other end of the courtyard, two maids were walking and chatting.
"You didn't go to the front hall to serve the dishes, but you didn't see it."
"What's wrong? Tell me."
"The governor from the capital is very handsome, like a god descended from heaven."
"real"
"Why would I lie to you? Of course it's true. What's the saying? ...Yes, he looks like Pan An."
These words were carried by the wind and reached Ji Yunchan's ears.
The uneasy feeling resurfaced, even more intensely, and this strong feeling made her have a bad guess in her mind.
She pinched the edge of her cloak and ordered, "Call the man over and ask him."
Yuye responded and went over, and soon called the two of them to Ji Yunchan.
The two bowed nervously, "Madam."
She pinched her palm hard with her nails, and the pain sobered her up for a moment. She forced herself to ask, "What's the name of the commander-in-chief you're talking about?"
The two maids exchanged a glance, and the one who had served dishes at the banquet spoke cautiously, "To answer Madam, it seems I heard the general address him as Lord Xu."
Ji Yunchan's face suddenly turned pale.
She just stood there, motionless, her voice hoarse: "I understand, please leave."
The two maids took their leave, and Ji Yunchan unconsciously grasped the plum branch and broke it off.
The plum tree shook violently, waking Ji Yunchan up.
"Is Madam okay? What happened to Lord Xu?" Yuye's worried voice came.
She didn't know that Yuye was a native of Shuozhou.
Ji Yunchan shook her head, "It's okay."
She turned to look at the plum branch she had broken. The broken end was rough and uneven, but it revealed fresh green.
......
In the front hall, Yan Heng raised his glass, feigning a friendly exchange with Xu Songjin. With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, he said, "Master Xu, you've had a long journey. Why don't we drink this together?"
"You're too polite, General." Xu Songjin also wore a well-placed smile on his face. He said, "General, you have conquered thirteen cities in a row. You are a pillar of the country with outstanding military achievements. I should pay you a tribute."
Everyone raised their glasses and drank all the wine in them.
Xu Songjin smiled brightly, "I've always admired the general's name, but I've never met him in person... The year I passed the imperial examination, the general was exiled to Shuozhou." He paused, "Now that I've met him, the general is truly awe-inspiring and a man of great talent."
Yan Heng didn't respond, but instead praised Xu Songjin: "I heard that the top scholar has great literary talent and looks like a beautiful woman. Now that I see her, it's true."
Xu Songjin smiled meaningfully and changed the subject: "General, you have achieved great success and fame. Have you ever married?"
Without waiting for Yan Heng to respond, his smile deepened, "Come to think of it, the general and I have a connection... After the general left, Minister Ji chose me as his son-in-law..."
Yan Heng said nothing, staring at him intently.
Xu Songjin spoke slowly, "It's just that Minister Ji was confused and meddled in the factional disputes... What a pity."
The officials present, many of them young men from the capital, looked at each other in bewilderment, but dared not speak. The two men were engaged in a fierce exchange of words, even bringing up such a matter.
Yan Heng tightened his grip on the wine cup, and with a crisp sound, the small white porcelain cup shattered in two. The atmosphere became tense, and the conversation gradually died down.
The wine spilled all over his hands. Yan Heng wiped it off casually, looking surprised: "Oops, my hand slipped."
Seeing everyone's anxious gazes, all looking at her, Yan Heng acted completely clueless: "Why are you all looking at me? You should all just eat and drink. Are you worried about my marriage?" He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "I've already married, so there's no need for you to worry."
Xu Songjin looked calm and asked with interest, "Oh? Why haven't I heard of her before? Whose girl is she?"
"Master Xu, haven't you heard about this? You really didn't pay any attention to what was happening outside before you passed the imperial examination." Yan Heng gave him a meaningful look and picked up a new wine cup. "After all, the whole capital knows about my childhood engagement with my wife."
Xu Songjin's pupils shrank slightly, and the smile on his face could hardly be maintained. There was surprise in his voice, and he asked in confirmation, "Miss Ji?" Yan Heng nodded, turning the game around.
"General, you are so lucky." The official next to him said to ease the atmosphere: "Miss Ji is a famous talented woman in the capital, and she is also kind and virtuous."
He also did not forget to flatter Yan Heng, "The Ji family fell into trouble, and the general still kept his promise. It is really admirable."
Yan Heng's expression was indifferent. He raised his glass and gestured to the man, "Please."
The man hurriedly raised his glass as well.
Yan Heng turned to Xu Songjin again, "Master Xu."
Xu Songjin smiled wryly and joined in the toast.
......
Ji Yunchan was completely unaware of the turmoil at the banquet.
The banquet lasted until very late. Ji Yunchan washed up and lay down, but did not sleep. She picked up a book and read it, waiting for Yan Heng to come back.
Yan Heng settled everyone down and walked to the door, but saw that the candle was still on.
He simply washed up and went to bed. With the cold air from outside still on his hands, he touched Ji Yunchan's face and said, "It's so late, why aren't you sleeping yet?"
Hearing his tone was no different from usual, Ji Yunchan felt relieved. She let him touch her, threw away the book and moved closer, "Wait, my husband, I have something to tell you."
Yan Heng lowered his eyes to look at her: "What's wrong?"
Ji Yunchan looked up, her dark eyes filled with concern as she asked in confirmation, "Is it Xu Songjin who came to command the army?"
Yan Heng didn't want to hear this person's name from her mouth, so he turned away and answered irrelevantly: "Sleep."
That person's name seemed like a thorn standing between the two of them. No one mentioned it tacitly, thinking it would fade away with time. However, they didn't expect that one day, that thorn would appear before their eyes.
Ji Yunchan thought Yan Heng was sad, so she went up to hug him.
"Husband." She held him tightly, her voice carrying the warmth of her body, "I will never betray you again."
Feeling the soft yet firm strength behind him, Yan Heng sighed, and his momentary desire to escape disappeared without a trace.
He turned around and put his hand close to Ji Yunchan's face, then pulled away a little and said seriously, "That's right, I also have something to ask my wife."
"Before you came to Shuozhou, I had completely forgotten you, so I deliberately avoided all news about your family and didn't even bother to check." Yan Heng said these words in a low voice, as if it were a lifetime ago.
The heartbreak of betrayal and the hatred of unrequited love all vanished with the wind.
Ji Yunchan came up gently and hugged him.
Yan Heng put his arm around her and continued, "So I have no idea what happened in the capital back then."
"What happened back then that caused your family to be exiled? What role did Xu Songjin play in it? And why didn't he save you?"
When Ji Yunchan mentioned this matter, she felt heavy-hearted.
Her grip on Yan Heng's hand tightened unconsciously. She lowered her eyes and said, "He has always been Prince Teng's man. My father doesn't know that he admires and values him very much and sees him as his successor."
"As a result, she often came in and out of my father's study to discuss various matters with him." Ji Yunchan's voice trembled slightly. "You know, my father is a strict adherent of etiquette, and he can't stand Prince Teng abusing his power and causing the legitimate Crown Prince to decline. Moreover, the Crown Prince is extremely talented. It's unreasonable for him to do this just because the Emperor favors him."
Yan Heng could guess most of what happened next.
His father-in-law was an outstanding civil servant. He had wanted to write a letter to propose the proposal, but Xu Song was assassinated. This person colluded with Prince Teng, and the Ji family was eventually exiled on the charge of forming a clique for personal gain.
Yan Heng shook her hand back and softly promised, "One day, my father-in-law will be vindicated."
Warm body temperature came from the palms of their clasped hands, and Ji Yunchan hummed in a muffled voice.
Thinking about it this way, the man surnamed Xu was just approaching Ji's father on purpose to make him trust him more.
Judging from his misbehavior at the table, he actually has feelings for Yuanyuan.
Yan Heng thought about it back and forth, but to no avail.
So he lowered his eyes and said casually, "Yuanyuan, you haven't answered my last question yet."
Ji Yunchan looked up and met Yan Heng's dark eyes.
She opened her red lips slightly and said word by word: "He wants me to be his concubine."
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