Chapter 27: Her spear is in the Ministry of Justice. Xue Yu has seen many murders. ...
In the Ministry of Justice, Xue Yu had seen many murders.
The scandals of murdering one's husband, sons killing their fathers, and brothers fighting each other all hide the truth of the world. He had roughly guessed what was going on with the Yun family on the first night he came here.
Rather than saying that the two elders of the Yun family suffered a natural disaster, it would be more frightening to say that it was a man-made disaster.
His father-in-law was found downstream with multiple wounds on his body. As he was soaked in water, it was difficult to tell whether the wounds were caused by scratches and tears from hard objects in the rapids or were man-made. However, it was not ruled out that he was pushed into the rapids after being stabbed.
His mother-in-law has not been found yet.
The cold wind blew the candlelight, his face half in light and half in darkness, his expression calm. He took her hand and said softly with a calmness that was so convincing that it made one believe her. "When things are settled here, come back to the capital with me."
She stared at him blankly, her eyes moist, without the usual cunning and innocent look, only a sense of helplessness and uncertainty. The ends of her long and narrow eyes were slightly red, as if smudged with a light touch of rouge.
She loosened her grip on his sleeve, raised her head, and asked softly, "Why?"
Xue Yu was silent for a moment, "I promised Yun Jia that I would take care of you."
Yun Yang's tears fell again.
"If Yun Jia were here, she certainly wouldn't want you to get married blindly. You don't want that either, do you?" Xue Yu said, his tone gentle, as if coaxing a child. "Besides, you just saw it. If Yun Jia were here, she wouldn't be willing to leave you here alone."
After Xue Yu finished speaking, he was surprised that he would bring up Yun Jia.
He and Yun Jia had only met briefly, and she did not ask him to take care of Yun Yang.
Xue Yu thought that Yun Yang and Yun Jia were sisters with a deep affection, and if Yun Jia were here, she would definitely do the same.
This simple-minded girl never had any evil thoughts in her heart, but after experiencing great changes, her pure and clear heart became panicked.
Yun Yang remained silent, and Xue Yu looked at her silently, waiting for her answer.
Yun Yang was not reluctant to give up the property, but she just felt that why should the place where she grew up be taken away by others? This was her home.
But she also knew that even if she never married and became a nun, she would not be able to keep the family property.
"I want to wait for my mother and sister to come back," Yun Yang said, stroking the remaining Buddhist scriptures with his fingers. "Then I'll get married."
"If mother doesn't come back...I will find a son-in-law."
Xue Yu felt an inexplicable pain in his chest.
Recruiting a son-in-law.
Yes, this is the only way.
A girl is expected to obey her father before she gets married, and her husband after she gets married. With Yunyang's father gone, an unmarried girl would be disliked by everyone. Unless...
But are there true gentlemen in this world?
Is there such a person who has a noble character, decent looks and talents, loves her, and is willing to marry into her family?
He knew a lot about the troubles that came with marrying a son-in-law.
A man is essentially just a man. He might be attracted by her youth and beauty at first, but as time goes by, she grows old and has no family to rely on...
The human heart is unpredictable, and there is no such thing as a perfect gentleman in this world.
Not even him.
"Brother-in-law, do you think this method is feasible?" Yun Yang said, frowning. His thin figure straightened up from the futon with uncompromising tenacity. "Will my relatives give me time to propose marriage? I want to choose someone myself."
He said awkwardly, "I'll help you."
"Really?!" Yun Yang raised his face, his big, dark eyes regaining their former brilliance. "That's good! Brother-in-law, I'm going to see if you can control them. But if I go back to Shangjing with you, will there be no one watching over me here? Will it work?"
Xue Yu said without hesitation: "I'll take care of it."
His figure was reflected in Yun Yang's clear eyes, and the stuffy feeling in his chest was relieved a lot.
After all these things, she no longer wanted to stay in the Yun Mansion. Even though it was a place she missed so much half a month ago, it was now as cold as an ice cellar and had lost all appeal.
This had been her home, but it was no longer.
It turns out that the saying "When parents are still alive, one should not travel far away" is true. She finally understood, but it was too late.
Yun Yang lowered his head and shed tears silently.
Xue Yu thought she didn't believe him, so he leaned over to her side and said, "It's not that difficult. I told you, I'll handle it."
Her hand that was burning the yellow paper slowly stopped.
"Yun Yang, I... your brother-in-law will be responsible for your future life." Xue Yu said, "Learn to trust me."
"Brother-in-law...you are so nice. Will you always be so nice to me?" Yun Yang said softly with tears in her eyes.
His heart suddenly trembled, and he promised seriously: "Yes."
In fact, he also wanted to ask, will you always need me to be nice to you?
But she only said: "Go home, the little things you bought in Jinxiang Pavilion are waiting for you, and grandma is also thinking of you."
*
The flooded houses and farmhouses have been rebuilt in an orderly manner, and Xue Yu took Yun Yang back to Shangjing.
The canal transportation was open, the wind on the river was cooler, and the number of ships coming and going gradually increased, but the waves were still turbulent, and occasionally pots and pans would float on the water.
Snowflakes mixed with the drizzle as Yun Yang hid in the cabin listlessly. This time he was not seasick as he was when he came, but his face was still pale.
Xue Yu inspected the river bank construction along the way and was worried that she would get seasick if she stayed on the boat for too long. He became more impatient than ever and within two days, his mouth was covered with blisters.
Si Qing couldn't help but click his tongue in his heart. In the past, the word "impatience" would have nothing to do with the young master.
When he returned in the evening, he would visit Yunyang's cabin. Sometimes she would fall asleep with a book in her arms, with tears still in the corners of her eyes.
Sometimes she would stare blankly at the night sky with a gloomy expression, not even noticing him walking behind her.
Sometimes she fell asleep while lying in front of the window, with her sleeves wet. He would then lean over and carry her to the bed, blow out the candle, and stay with her quietly in the darkness for a while. The sound of waves was in his ears, and Xue Yu's inner anxiety calmed down.
Yun Yang's changes were obvious. She was now completely different from the reckless and lively girl she used to be. During the entire journey, whether traveling by water or by land, she had only gotten off the carriage a few times.
It was not until she passed by the post station to change hay for the horse that she got off the car and saw a little yellow dog. She smiled, squatted down and gently stroked the puppy's head. The warm afternoon sun was cut into tiny rays of light by the leaves and sprinkled on her delicate and beautiful eyebrows.
Xue Yu stopped and asked in the dim light, "Do you want it? Would you like me to bring it back to the Xue Mansion to keep it company with you?"
The little boy next to him pouted and his eyes turned red. He wanted to come over and take his puppy away, but his father stopped him and held him tightly in his arms.
This high-ranking official who came to Beijing wanted a dog. How could ordinary people like us refuse to give it to him?
Yun Yang glanced at the little boy and quickly waved his hand.
I really can't believe that such a gentleman like my brother-in-law can be a person who robs and plunders.
This is someone else's child's favorite thing. What's the difference between this and those adults who give things away without considering whether their children allow it?
"You don't like it?" Xue Yu frowned, puzzled, "But you were smiling at it just now."
If it were the Yun Yang from the past, he would definitely ask in silence, "So what if I laugh? I laugh at many things, so do I have to have them all?"
Yun Yang now only lowered his eyes and said calmly: "If you like it, you have to take it away? There is no need."
She herself didn't know how long she could live in the Xue Mansion, nor did she know where she would go in the future. With so many uncertainties, why would she bother bringing a dog with her?
After arriving in Shangjing and returning to the Xue Mansion, Mrs. Xue couldn't help but sigh when she learned what happened in the Yun Mansion. She covered her face and wiped her tears, hugging Yun Yang and crying for a long time.
The confusion and helplessness that Yun Yang had been holding in her heart for the past few days came out, and she burst into tears again.
Yun Yang knew that he was in heavy mourning and it was inconvenient for him to serve the old lady. He also did not want to make the old lady sad, so he locked himself in the Jinxiang Pavilion on the pretext of feeling unwell and rarely came out unless necessary.
Old Madam Xue felt that the girl had really grown up, and she felt both relieved and sad. She had no choice but to send the young ladies in the mansion to take turns to go to Jinxiang Pavilion to talk to her and cheer her up.
But the pain of losing parents cannot be relieved by a few words. That kind of helplessness is like invisible moisture, which will come quietly when it rains suddenly or during a family dinner on a festive occasion.
She had to learn to get out of it on her own.
Xue Yu went to find her grandmother and asked the sisters in the mansion to stop disturbing Yun Yang. She wanted her to be alone and calm down. If she was given time, she would learn to hide the pain in her heart. This is growth.
Yunyang remained in this state until the Chinese New Year.
Xue Yu visited her several times. One time, she was standing by the window, watching the falling snow, tears wet her face. Another time, she wrapped herself in the quilt, curled up tightly, and slept for three days straight.
The East Factory is best at finding people. Xue Yu drew a small portrait of Yun Jia himself, but Yun Jia's identity was special, so the search could only be done in secret, and there would be no progress for the time being.
Xue Yu assumed Yun Jia couldn't be unaware of the Youzhou flood, and since there was no news yet, she must have been unable to leave. If she couldn't leave, she must have encountered some kind of predicament.
When he went outside the city to welcome the wedding procession, the first thing he saw with Yun Jia was that she lifted her veil by herself and insisted on leaving without even taking off her wedding dress. She asked him to "let her go" and help her cover up her departure, as if it was a way of repaying her father's kindness.
Three years later, whether she returns or not, he can find another wife.
Xue Yu has been a favored child since childhood and never likes to force anything. Since this is the case, why bother to argue? Just do as she says. What's more, he doesn't want to get married so early, or it doesn't matter whether he gets married or not.
It’s all about repaying a favor, and you have to repay it in a way that satisfies the other person.
At that time, he never thought that he would look for her again one day.
There was really no other way. Xue Yu pondered for a moment, then returned to his courtyard to find the letter left by Yun Jia, picked up his pen...
When he came of age, he was awarded the title of the best calligrapher in Beijing. The arrogant Xue Lingjun copied someone else's handwriting for the first time.
He handed the letter, which looked exactly like the one written by Yun Jia, to Yun Yang. Yun Yang took it and read it many times.
"Don't cry anymore," he said.
She hadn't left her room for days, wearing a snow-white nightgown. When she saw him, she simply put on a crimson robe. With black hair and fair skin, and wet eyes, she looked at him eagerly, "Can I write back to you? Can you write back to me again?"
He sighed imperceptibly, his eyes softening, "Okay."
She cheered with joy, almost crying tears of joy, and very naturally rushed over to hug his waist, squatting down and burying her head in his chest, "Brother-in-law is so good! Brother-in-law is so good!"
His heart trembled slightly in her embrace. He closed his eyes and sighed. She was still a child.
In Xue Yu's eyes, Yun Yang, who was still a child, would be sixteen years old after the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year happened to be Yun Yang's birthday, so Xue Yu gave him a big red envelope, which was quite generous.
After seeing the amount, Yun Yang was flattered and accepted it.
It snowed heavily during the Chinese New Year. The maids and servants in the mansion couldn't sweep the snow in time. The Qing Lake was frozen over, like a mirror.
The festive atmosphere of the New Year and the children's nature made everyone start a snowball fight.
Yun Yang was attracted by the laughter. He opened the window and saw a person standing under a snow-covered tree. A gust of wind blew, and the snow fell. The young man in brocade clothes and a jade crown was elegant and handsome. The warm sunlight fell on his body. The light and shadow and snowflakes intertwined, and he was graceful and elegant, like a fairy.
Xue Yu waved at her, and Si Qing beside him held a brand new red tassel spear in both hands.
Yun Yang was stunned and quickly ran down from upstairs.
Xue Yu looked up and saw Yun Yang dressed in her usual attire, with her long black hair loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and her snow-white fox fur making her little face look as white as fine porcelain. After this huge change, she had grown up overnight and had the gracefulness of a lady from a noble family.
Now the fatigue and dullness in her eyes have faded, and she has become lively again, but it seems that there is something more than that. There is a charm and shyness in her smile.
I don't know, do you still like to wield swords and sticks?
"It's a birthday gift for you." Xue Yu said with a smile, "It's been a while since you touched a gun, right?"
"Second Miss, this spear was made by the young master a few years ago by a special person sent to Lushan Mountain to find the Divine Weapon Family. He spent a lot of money to get it customized. Look, there is a auspicious cloud forged on it." Si Qing said.
Yun Yang didn't answer for a long time.
"Not to your liking?" Xue Yu asked hesitantly.
"No." Yun Yang shook his head, his eyes moist again, "Only my father gave me this..."
"It's my fault. I've made you sad again." Xue Yu said gently, "Just remember, I, like your father-in-law, hope you can protect yourself, and I'm willing to support you."
After saying this, his expression grew grim in the falling snow. "Come, let me see if your kung fu has gotten rusty."
Yun Yang reached out to take the brand new red tasseled spear, and the glimmer in his eyes gradually condensed into sharpness and tenacity.
She took off her robe and handed it to the maid, then took a horse stance and started to move. First, the yin and yang rotated, and the air currents gradually became sharper. The silver spear danced out afterimages, bringing up bursts of residual snow.
Amidst the dancing jade petals, the girl stretched out her body, leaned forward and lowered her head. The spear flashing with a cold light rolled across her shoulder like a dragon. She raised her arms and jumped up on her toes, smashing the spear heavily onto the snow-covered ground. Then she decisively and neatly retracted her momentum and put the spear behind her back, her graceful demeanor flowing in the wind and snow.
The maids standing by turned pale with shock, while the eyes of the noble young man in the shadow of the snowy trees were filled with indescribable emotion and amazement.
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