Chapter 9 My brother-in-law is so lucky! The summer heat has subsided and the sky is clear...
The heat has subsided, the sky is clear, the air is fresh, and the breeze is gentle.
Yun Yang went to buy some special products from Shangjing early in the morning, packed them up nicely, and then stuffed the letter he wrote to his parents into the special products and sent them back to Youzhou.
As usual, he went to pay his respects to Old Madam Xue. Xue Jin happened to be there, and was telling the old lady that her seventeenth birthday would be in a few days, and that they would hold a birthday party in the mansion.
Yun Yang did not want to participate in Xue Jin's birthday party. She did not get along with Xue Jin, and her status was special. She was neither the host nor a guest. If someone at the banquet deliberately treated her as a maid, she would be embarrassed.
It was obvious that Xue Jin didn't want Yun Yang to participate. Yun Yang pretended not to understand her implication, and looked obedient and ignorant, letting the old lady make the decision.
After some back and forth, Old Lady Xue finally satisfied her granddaughter's wishes and could only compensate Yun Yang in other ways. She immediately asked Nanny Wang to take her to the storehouse in the mansion to pick out some items she liked.
Yun Yang happily selected a pair of Hetian jade with excellent water content, thinking that he would give one to each of his sisters when they returned.
After the girls left, Mrs. Xue felt tired and half-leaned on the couch.
Nanny Wang came back, walked forward quietly, pulled up the goose yellow silk quilt covering the old lady, and winked at the maidservant beside her, indicating her to close the door.
Although it is not autumn yet, if people fall asleep and catch a cold, they will still get sick.
The maid tiptoed to close the door, but Old Madam Xue opened her eyes and said slowly, "I haven't slept yet."
"Madam, you're snoring, why are you still saying you're not asleep?" Madam Liu said with a smile, then squatted down in front of the couch. "What's wrong? It's time for you to take a nap at this hour."
Old Madam Xue looked a little dazed, and was in no hurry to speak. She seemed to be trying to wake herself up. Looking at the vast expanse of green outside the door, she felt relieved.
After a while, Madam Xue said, "Lingjun was so absorbed in government affairs that he had no intention of marrying. Now that his bride has gone to Jiuyi to pray for blessings, he's acting as if he didn't marry her at all. This is exactly what he wanted."
Nanny Liu placed a soft pillow behind Old Madam Xue, vaguely guessing something, and whispered, "So that's why you kept Second Miss Yun?"
The room was silent, with only the occasional soft cooing of the bird in the cloisonné enamel birdcage.
Madam Xue said slowly, "We must let Yunyang show up in front of Lingjun and those who are interested. The Xue family is a first-class aristocratic family. We must not allow the wife to marry a concubine before the man is born, which would damage the family's reputation."
Nanny Liu brought the hot tea and frowned, "I don't think the eldest master is that kind of person. He seems to have no interest in matters between men and women..."
"Cough cough..." Old Madam Xue spat out a mouthful of tea and couldn't catch her breath for a long time.
*
A few mornings later, Yun Yang was awakened by the noise.
The maid outside heard the noise, pushed open the door and came in, saying softly, "Young lady, are you awake? Today is Miss Jin's birthday, and it's very lively outside. Do you want to go and take a look?"
Yun Yang shook her head and fell back into the soft quilt.
But after being woken up, how can I fall asleep again?
What's more, the sound of stringed instruments and bamboo pipes became louder and louder, disturbing people.
Yun Yang sat up and called the maid to come in and do her makeup.
"It's Miss Jin's birthday today, and many noble ladies are here, even Princess An Ning is here." The maid said as she put on mica flower ornaments for Yun Yang.
"I feel uncomfortable without this." Yun Yang looked in the bronze mirror and took off her flower ornaments. After saying that, she turned around and stood up. "You guys go out and have some fun, too."
The maids smiled happily, "Miss, aren't you going?"
Yun Yang waved his hand.
After the maid left, Yun Yang took out the Fire Spear that had been lying idle. After practicing, he had some tea and snacks, and then leisurely lay on the purple bamboo lounge chair in the yard, swinging his legs and looking at the clouds in the sky. He felt so comfortable.
On a sunny day, the clouds slowly pass through the blue sky, like a painting.
Which line of poetry is the same as the one the teacher recited in the school?
"Have you figured out the terrain of this mansion? When Brother Lingjun comes over from the stone bridge, you'll be violent towards me here. Remember that?"
The woman's urgent voice pulled Yun Yang back from his trance. She continued, "I'll run, but don't catch up with me, or else how can Brother Lingjun save the beauty?"
"Yes, yes, I understand. Don't worry, miss." The man chuckled.
Yun Yang hesitated for a moment, then tiptoed up the peach tree in the yard. He lowered his eyes and saw a young woman in gorgeous clothes and a man secretly plotting something.
I couldn't help but click my tongue. He was supposed to be a hero saving the damsel in distress, but was he planning to plot against her brother-in-law?!
The man nodded and said yes repeatedly. But just as the woman was about to leave, the man hesitated and said, "Will this work? Lord Xue is not as easy to fool as the Fourth Master Xue."
The woman lowered her voice and said, "How can Xue Si compare to Brother Lingjun? They are naturally different."
Although they both have the surname Xue, any discerning person can see what kind of playboy Xue Si is and what kind of person Xue Yu is.
"Aren't they all men? Men will always be gentle and considerate to women. Don't worry, I will pin down Brother Lingjun and will never let him cause you any trouble." The woman said impatiently.
"But Princess An Ning is here today..." the man hesitated, "What if the princess sees us?"
"So what? Brother Lingjun doesn't like her. So, why doesn't she let others get involved with the person she likes?" the woman said coldly.
Hidden in the green, Yun Yang looked closely at the woman. She had black hair, fair skin, white teeth and red lips. She had a graceful figure and a waist that could be held in one hand. What a delicate beauty.
My brother-in-law is so lucky...
*
Xue Yu hurried back from outside the mansion, feeling extremely angry. He was mad that the prince did not know how to judge people and mistakenly trusted the bad guy. The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel pretended to obey but actually disobeyed, played both sides, and bet on both sides. He accidentally tripped up the prince and made him violate the laws of the court.
The day before yesterday, he and the prince went to the Qinglong Temple outside Shangjing to donate a golden statue of Buddha. There was nothing wrong with donating a golden statue, but the golden statue was actually a statue from the previous dynasty that the current emperor had already banned!
The previous dynasty fell because the royal family was obsessed with cultivating immortals and built many temples and Taoist temples. The emperor of the previous dynasty even ordered craftsmen to carve the faces of Guanyin and Buddha statues into his own appearance.
The craftsman who cast the golden statue had poor eyesight and carved the lotus under the Buddha's seat into a blooming state with petals spread out. This can be remedied here to make it different from the Buddha statues of previous dynasties.
The booklet containing the lotus and the Buddha and Guanyin statues was in the Xue Mansion's library. Thinking of this, Xue Yu quickened his pace. Just as he was about to turn around in the corridor, he suddenly stopped and called out, "Xiqing."
"Young master, the Vimalakirti Sutra is in the library. Come this way." Si Qing said.
Xue Yu stopped, staring at the stone bridge not far away. "Come over and see if there's anyone arguing over there?"
Si Qing followed Xue Yu's gaze and said, "There really is one. Are they going to fight? Hey, there are women and men. Is that woman being bullied?"
Xue Yu affirmed: "He was bullied. Go and take a look."
As soon as I reached the stone bridge, I saw a woman running and crying, "Brother Lingjun, Brother Lingjun, save me..."
As he got closer, he could see that the woman had tears in her eyes and was terrified. The wind filled her light pink dress, making her slender waist look even more slender. The hem of her skirt fluttered, and she flew towards Xue Yu like a broken and fluttering butterfly.
When the woman was about to throw herself into his arms, Xue Yu just took a step back and saw a slender figure quickly blocking in front of him, and the woman crashed heavily into the man's arms.
Although the man in front of him was thin, he stood firmly in his horse stance. His small figure separated the woman from him like a solid wall.
The woman who had been tearful just now lowered her voice and said angrily, "Who are you and why are you stopping me?!"
Even Xue Yu, whose usually calm face showed surprise, trembled slightly, as if he couldn't hold back his laughter. After a pause, he said, "Who am I? I'm the heroine who came to save you!"
"Lingjun, Brother Lingjun, save me..." The woman tilted her head and looked at Xue Yu through Yun Yang's shoulder. She raised her tear-stained face and said in fear, "I was just molested by someone, and that person wouldn't let me go..."
As she spoke, she tried to break free from Yun Yang's shackles, but Yun Yang held her wrists tightly with both hands.
The woman's face flushed with anger, and even her red lips trembled slightly. "Brother Lingjun, save me! I don't know this person. Why is he so rude? She might be in cahoots with that guy and wants to take me back!"
After that, her thin and soft voice pleaded earnestly, "Brother Lingjun..."
"Come, come, do you dare to take your brother Lingjun to the corner pavilion by the Qing Lake? The man who flirted with you is hiding there, waiting for Xue Jin's birthday party to be over so that he can take advantage of the situation and leave the house with everyone else." Yun Yang said in a flat tone, holding her hand tightly. "Yes or no?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" The woman was still crying, but her face turned gloomy. "Who are you? I'm good friends with Xue Jin, but I've never seen you in the Xue Mansion... Don't meddle in other people's business!"
Anger flashed across Yun Yang's face. He snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "That man is right here at the Qinghu Corner Pavilion. He's still holding the silver you just gave him. It's in a brocade bag embroidered with the word 'Wen'! Do you dare to confront him?!"
When Wen was mentioned, Si Qing sighed and walked over to examine the woman's face, a little surprised, "...Isn't this Miss Wen?"
"You rascal, how dare you look me in the face!" The woman panicked and continued to struggle, angrily saying to Yun Yang, "Where did you come from? Let go of your claws!"
The person behind Si Qing spoke, his voice low and cold: "Be careful with your words."
The elegant figure stepped forward and said to the girl with raised eyebrows, "Yun Yang, let go."
The lake was rippling with water, and the afternoon sunlight was a bit scorching, but the girl's eyes were brighter than the sunlight. She stared at him with a bit of chivalry, a bit of scrutiny, and an aggressive look, as if he had really done something shameful.
She only said with a half-smile: "Brother Lingjun, please say something. Who am I to you?"
It's not that he can't hear the sarcasm in Yun Yang's tone; those four words were clearly full of sarcasm.
His tone was calm, hinting at helplessness. These few simple words were enough to make Miss Wen smack her tongue: "...She is my wife's sister."
"Wife's sister?" Miss Wen murmured.
"Yes, she came from Youzhou and is a guest at your house." Xue Yu said, "Miss Wen, I wonder if what my wife's sister said is true or not?"
Miss Wen bit her lip, her eyes reddened, shame and grievance surged in her heart, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.
Xue Yu's face was cold as he continued to ask, "If it's yes, then answer yes. If it's no, then say no."
"No!" Miss Wen denied hastily, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xue Yu and wept, "Brother Lingjun, Mei Niang has known Xue Jinniang since she was a child. Brother Lingjun has watched her grow up. Don't you know what kind of person Mei Niang is? Why would Mei Niang do this? How dare she talk to another man..."
After saying that, she lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes, wet by her tears, looked like fine little fans, casting a faint shadow, making her look pitiful.
"Since this young lady insists that there is something going on between me and that man, then I will go with you. Even if there really is a man waiting in the corner pavilion, he might have stolen the money from my Wen Mansion and deliberately framed me!" Miss Wen choked up, crying so hard that the tip of her nose turned red, and she looked pitiful as if she was about to be wrongly accused to death.
Yun Yang laughed out loud, "You, you really can act."
"Brother Lingjun is busy with government affairs, and it's Mei Niang who's disturbing him..." Miss Wen whispered, rubbing the corner of her clothes with her slender white fingers, her expression stubborn. "Since this girl insists on accusing me, let her go with me to the corner pavilion to sort things out."
Si Qing reminded him, "Sir, the carriage is still waiting outside. It's getting late, and the road up the mountain is not easy to walk on."
Xue Yu nodded, flicked his sleeves and turned around, "Forget it."
"What's the point!" Yun Yang shouted angrily, "Xue Yu!"
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