Chapter 58
This road leads west to Yunxi Prefecture and north to Cangxi County.
Given the methods of Lan Yue Lou, if they wanted to conceal their tracks, even Luo Xia Manor would have no way of knowing Zhu Yun's whereabouts. Therefore, she guessed that it was purely coincidental that she ran into the group in front of her.
Zhu Yun calmly withdrew his gaze, smoothed out the light veil that had been blown up by the wind, and explained in a low voice, "They went to Cangxi."
When asked about the reason, his attitude softened slightly, and he simply said, "To pay respects at the mountain."
Luo Yan immediately understood and asked in a low voice, "Going to sweep my grave? Isn't that too much of a favor?"
Uncle Shangguan saved her to repay the kindness of the late Crown Prince, and also for the greater good of protecting the Blood Edict. It had nothing to do with the Luo family itself, yet he still sent the young master of the manor to Cangxi to pay his respects.
She suddenly remembered that her husband's original surname was Shangguan, and softly said, "Ah," "He came here specifically to see you."
Upon hearing Jinzhan's words, Luo Yan laughed instead of getting angry. Excellent! That's exactly what she wanted—to annoy Zhu Yun.
"Your food, clothing, and daily necessities are even more luxurious than those of the Prince. You spend more money than I, a servant, drink water. The Prince has already treated you very well. I advise you, young lady, not to be ungrateful, to obediently listen to the Prince's arrangements, and not to take yourself too seriously."
Seeing that Luo Yan still refused to come out, Jinzhan became even angrier. If Luo Yan acted up, the prince would only blame her for not handling things well.
"Girl, good girl, my little darling, my little aunt, please come out, at least let me see him, otherwise the prince will deduct my monthly salary."
After a series of persuasive tactics, Luo Yan finally opened the door, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Jinzhan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you in a difficult position."
Actually... Luo Yan's lovable Yun Hou is quite cute too...
Seeing her pitiful appearance, Jinzhan softened her heart. She washed her face with warm water, repainted her eyebrows with Qingquetoudai (a type of pigment), and coaxed her gently.
"The girl bit her lip until it bled."
She applied a moisturizing beeswax-coated lip balm to her lips and continued to persuade her.
"You should at least go and meet him, to give the prince some face. If you are not satisfied, you can bring it up with the prince and find a more suitable husband."
"The girl is exceptionally beautiful. No matter which husband she marries, he will cherish her like a precious jewel."
Luo Yan sniffed softly, knowing that Jinzhan was just saying lies to amuse her.
How could a woman like her possibly find a satisfactory husband? They're all just enduring humiliation for the sake of her dowry.
But deep down, she still held a tiny, nascent hope: was there any possibility, however faint, that she might meet a truly loving and caring man?
"Okay, I agree to go see him."
If he really is the right person, she will do everything in her power to grasp at this only straw.
A beautiful woman adorned in fine silks and colorful jewels slowly entered the pavilion, giving only a slight bow to the prince in the main seat.
Zhu Yun didn't expect Luo Yan to be very polite; it was already good enough that she came at all.
Zhen Fei was blinded by her beauty and tried to open his eyes to look at her, but he couldn't. He gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
So what if she's beautiful? What does it have to do with him?
It's nothing more than the prince seeing that he has no background and is of humble origin, making him easy to manipulate. That's why he pretended to marry off the courtesan he had grown tired of to him. It's uncertain whether he will even have any physical intimacy with her after the marriage.
He still has to turn a blind eye to the outrageous affair between this young nymphomaniac and the prince...
Zhen Fei offered a few respectful compliments to the prince.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for not minding Zhen Fei's humble origins and for being willing to help her... Without Your Highness, Zhen Fei would not have been able to gain a foothold in the capital."
The prince always treated him with a lukewarm attitude.
To be fair, Zhu Yunyuan was not a difficult or demanding master. He was considerate of others and always gave them face. He was also quite polite to Zhen Fei.
Zhen Fei knew that it was not easy to get such a promotion; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, he was still unwilling to marry a rich man's shrew who had grown tired of him.
In the past hundred years, he was the only one in the village to pass the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official. He had buried himself in his studies for so many years, thinking that once he entered the capital and became a high-ranking official, he could choose any of the daughters of officials. He never expected to end up picking up a withered woman as his wife.
His mother is old and has a hard life. Luo Yan is so delicate and frail, she definitely can't take care of his mother.
Zhen Fei tried to hide the disgust in her eyes and gave Luo Yan a friendly smile.
"Miss Luo Yan, would you like to come with me to watch a play with the opera troupe?"
Unbeknownst to Zhen Fei, Luo Yan was naturally sensitive and had long since noticed his fawning over the powerful and his disgust towards her.
She merely curled the corner of her mouth slightly.
"Unwilling."
Zhen Fei's expression changed instantly. This overused fangirl was already lucky that someone was willing to marry her as their legal wife, yet she dared to complain about him.
"Does the young lady look down on me because of my humble origins and poverty?"
He thought to himself that the most important thing was to get her dowry first, and then get rid of her without anyone knowing once he had established a firm foothold in the court.
Luo Yan nodded and smiled.
“Indeed, I am vain by nature and spoiled, spending money like water. If I am to marry, I must marry the best man in the world. You come from a poor family and probably do not know that in spring we should drink the finest pre-Qingming Longjing tea and in summer we should eat lychees delivered by express 800 li. If I were to marry into your family, I am afraid that I would lose my beauty and fragrance in less than half a year.”
Luo Yan left Zhen Fei speechless; his face flushed and paled in turns, and he began to speak recklessly, focusing on her age.
"Miss Luo Yan is almost twenty and still unmarried. She is in the prime of her life now, but I'm afraid she will fade away in a few years."
The prince's face darkened.
"Luo Yan, stop making a fuss. After you get married, you need to control your temper. You can't be as spoiled as an unmarried girl."
Luo Yan was too lazy to listen to Zhu Yun's pretentious lecture, so she got up and left.
She got up to leave, and Jinzhan didn't dare to stop her, so she could only serve her carefully.
"Miss, have you not taken a fancy to that young master Zhen Fei?"
"What do you mean by 'looking at' or 'not looking at'? I've already given the prince face, so don't ask about anything else."
Luo Yan walked straight into the prince's room, sent Jinzhan back, took off her clothes, and lay down on the prince's bed.
He was about to lie down fully clothed when he reached out onto the bed and felt only a soft, slender waist.
Luo Yan grabbed his arm and lay on his lap, like a delicate and elegant long-haired cat.
"Zhu Yun, do I really have to marry him?"
Her tone was coquettish.
He touched her hair.
“I’m also reluctant to part with you, but there’s probably nothing I can do. You’ll get married sooner or later.”
Luo Yan suddenly sat up and started to act sullen.
“He doesn’t even like me, why should I marry him? I can tell at a glance that he’s only after your money.”
He pulled her into his arms, one hand expertly slipping inside her collar.
"If it weren't for the money involved, what respectable young master would be willing to marry you as his principal wife?"
He gently pressed her down onto the soft bed and kissed her lips tenderly.
There weren't many times when Luo Yan took the initiative to climb into his bed. He guessed that she was anxious about the marriage and that's why she took the initiative to please him.
Tonight, Zhu Yun was more considerate of her feelings than usual, and Luo Yan obediently followed him. He thought Luo Yan was quite cute when she wasn't throwing a tantrum, and kissed her forehead.
After finishing, Luo Yan would put on her clothes and go home, never staying overnight.
He watched her retreating figure, wondering what it would be like to wake up with her.
But he didn't need to know.
Luo Yan returned to her room alone, knowing full well that her future was hopeless and that Zhu Yun was even more cold-blooded towards her, showing no affection whatsoever.
Even though she went around telling everyone about her absurd affair with Zhu Yun, it did not damage his reputation at all.
She herself has always been the one to bear the brunt of rumors and accusations of being a scourge.
She sneered, thinking that at worst she would hang herself in his room wearing her red wedding dress, and even in death she would become a vengeful ghost to haunt Zhu Yun, making him never have a day of peace.
Luo Yan lit a candle and looked in the mirror in the middle of the night. Her face was blurry in the bronze mirror, and she really did look a bit like a ghost.
If she tries her best to seduce Zhu Yun, will he marry her?
Maybe it's possible, maybe it isn't, but Luo Yan doesn't want to continue humiliating herself.
That statement, "If I'm going to marry, I'll marry the best man in the world," wasn't a lie. If she couldn't find a good man, she might as well hang herself.
After daybreak, Luo Yan wanted to go out for a walk, but Jinzhan blocked her in the house.
"Sister Jinzhan, why did you drag me out of the house yesterday when I didn't want to, but today you won't let me go out for a walk?"
Luo Yan frowned.
"The sun is very strong today; I'm afraid it will damage the girl's skin."
Luo Yan tried to push Jinzhan away, but she was held down firmly.
Luo Yan sneered.
"Oh my, how many suns have come today? Are they so scorching? I can't stand it?"
Jinzhan sighed, knowing that she was increasingly unable to hide anything from Luo Yan's eyes.
Luo Yan has become increasingly perceptive and sharp in recent years, and she doesn't know how to hide her talents. No wonder the prince is becoming less and less tolerant of her.
"She is the noble lady of the general's family. Miss Yang Ruoyun is coming today. Please make way for her."
"Why should the prince go to see the young lady, since she's coming? What kind of behavior is it to make her make a wasted trip?"
Luo Yan rolled her eyes.
"Jinzhan, don't worry, I will never ruin Your Highness's plans. I will just poke a hole in the window to see what the girl looks like."
“Girl, don’t be naughty. That girl is actually not as pretty as you, but she is of noble status.”
Jinzhan offered a few words of advice, but her actions betrayed her. Knowing she couldn't dissuade Luo Yan, she found her a spot with the best view and told her to watch quietly without making a sound.
Luo Yan turned her head to the side and saw a young man in a round-necked robe—no, a girl dressed in men's clothing—riding a tall horse and swaggering in.
The girl was just a pretty face, with shoulders that were a size wider than other girls'.
"Where is the prince? I want to see him today."
The girl's voice was booming and full of confidence.
Luo Yan couldn't help but feel envious.
She is like a tree rooted in the earth, beautiful and unrestrained, able to withstand wind, frost, rain and dew.
She was raised to be a sickly, beautiful bonsai, bound in silk and satin, and confined in a golden cage, never seeing the sun again.
Zhu Yun walked over with a smile and politely helped her down from her horse.
Yang Ruoyun nimbly rolled over.
"I don't need your help, I can get down by myself."
A pear blossom drifted sideways into her temple, adding a touch of charming innocence to her appearance.
The prince smiled and reached out to brush the pear blossoms off her face, causing Miss Ruoyun to blush slightly.
This scene is truly beautiful.
She thought back to when she first entered the Prince's Mansion, the day she too had her head covered in white pear blossoms.
As Zhu Yun brushed the flower petals from her hair, he jokingly said that she was in a hurry to grow old with him.
Ke Luoyan suddenly felt nauseous and immediately leaned against the wall to dry heave.
Jinzhan's face paled, and she silently prayed that nothing bad would happen before rushing to help Luo Yan.
"What are the typical menstrual cycles for a young woman?"
"It doesn't matter, just leave me alone."
“Young lady, this is no small matter... You must tell me about it first.”
She straightened up and asked Jinzhan in return.
“Speak out loud, what happened to me? Let everyone hear it, and it would be best if my future husband heard it too.”
It was nothing more than the disappointment of many loves, which gave rise to much hatred, tormenting Luo Yan to the point of being neither human nor ghost.
How could she have believed a year ago that the prince could truly grow old with her? Luo Yan couldn't believe it.
Olaf chimed in, "Woof!"
As expected, it's a beast that can only understand human speech.
That's not all.
After briefly reviewing his memories, Zhu Yun was almost certain that it had silently delivered the letter to the room, then quietly taken Luo Yan to the capital, and finally transported away the body.
He has some supernatural abilities, but no brains.
He looked back at the girl beside him and thought with amusement: Luo Yan is not Luo Yan, so her relationship with Cui Wuyang has become a little less close, which is really comforting.
"What are you laughing at?" She touched the cold back of her neck.
Zhu Yun reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying in a casual tone, "It can't be said."
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