Chapter 83 Xie Qingyu panicked when she begged for peace.
Xie Yunying was a little confused: "Lord Yue, you've come to see me?"
Xie Yunying wanted nothing more than to grab the system and scream, "Holy crap, the pretty lady still remembers me! Waaaaah, I'm so happy!!"
System: "..." Never before have I been so grateful that I am just a system without a physical body.
Bitao then asked, "If the Second Miss agrees, this servant will go and bring that lady over. She should be arriving at the courtyard gate soon."
Xie Yunying quickly replied, "Okay, go ahead!"
Bitao accepted the order and left. Xie Yunying, who had calmed down a bit, was a little puzzled again: "But why did Yue Yining suddenly think of looking for me?"
System: "It's probably because the female lead came to pay her respects to Xie Zhi today on behalf of the Eldest Princess. She even went to see Xie Qingyu just now."
"Xie Qingyu?" Xie Yunying instantly became alert. "You mean she went to see Xie Qingyu before coming to see me? What did she want with him?"
System: "Uh...maybe they were discussing official business? I'm not sure, host. I just saw Yue Yining's location in the Prime Minister's residence this afternoon."
Xie Yunying wasn't as cunning as Xie Qingyu, but she wasn't stupid either. She had heard that the Xie family currently supported the seventh prince, Wei Xueyu, while the female lead, Yue Yining, supported the third prince, Wei Ye. Logically speaking, Yue Yining and Xie Qingyu should be enemies, and even if she had political duties to attend to, she wouldn't have time to talk to the other.
Moreover, these two clearly don't have any personal relationship. Yue Yining also told her that she and Xie Qingyu first met at the Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring Banquet.
No matter how Xie Yunying thought about it, she felt that it could only be Xie Qingyu who took the initiative to call Yue Yining over to find him.
This guy is full of bad intentions and has an almost obsessive fascination with Yue Yining. He might be after the female lead!
Xie Yunying became increasingly worried as she thought about it.
So when Xie Yunying received Yue Yining in the side hall, she asked her directly, "I heard that Lady Yue came from my eldest brother's courtyard. Why would Lady Yue suddenly go to see my eldest brother? Did something happen?"
Yue Yining paused for a moment, then her brows slowly relaxed. "Ah...it's nothing. Young Master Xie and I were investigating a case in Suyang some time ago. He returned to the capital early due to family matters. I've been organizing the evidence recently, preparing to submit it to the Dali Temple for further review. There are some parts in the case file that need Young Master Xie's help to annotate, so I took this opportunity to discuss it with him."
Xie Yunying believed it and breathed a sigh of relief: "So that's how it is."
Xie Yunying: "I knew it! The female lead wouldn't go to see Xie Qingyu for no reason; she must have business to attend to!"
System: "Uh." Nobody said Yue Yining went to see Xie Qingyu because of personal matters, right?
"But Yunying, how did you know I just went to see Young Master Xie?" Yue Yining said casually, making Xie Yunying's heart pound again. "Did you hear it from the servants?"
Xie Yunying could only laugh it off: "Ah, it was my personal maid who mentioned it casually when she came to ask me for permission! I didn't ask her, I don't care about my older brother's affairs!"
Yue Yining smiled and said, "I see."
“Speaking of Young Master Xie, I do have some questions for the Second Miss.”
Xie Yunying quickly focused her attention: "Go on."
Yue Yining: "I consider the Second Miss a friend, so I've been speaking frankly. Lately, due to political matters, I've had quite a bit of contact with Young Master Xie. Although we haven't known each other for very long, I think he's a friend worth having, so I want to get to know him better. You're his younger sister, so your relationship with him should be pretty good, right?"
"I'd like to know what kind of person Young Master Xie is in the Second Miss's impression?"
As she spoke, she lifted the lid of the teacup, and the clear blue tea reflected the white of the window paper, like a thin blade of spring water floating in the water.
Yue Yining gently stirred the green leaves floating on the tea soup while watching her leisurely, waiting for her answer.
However, Xie Yunying was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information contained in those words.
Xie Yunying: "Who? Who did she say she wanted to get to know? Who did she say was a friend worth making?!"
System: "Dear, you heard me right, she's talking about Xie Qingyu."
Xie Yunying: "......."
Xie Yunying almost lost her composure. Yue Yining, seeing her rapidly changing expression, slowed her movements. "...Second Miss?"
"Second Miss, if you feel it's difficult, you can refuse me. This is just my personal request."
Yue Yining spoke with great understanding, but Xie Yunying was inwardly weeping: She didn't find this difficult at all! But she couldn't directly say what she was worried about! She felt so helpless!
System: "Host? Are you still online? The female lead is waiting for your reply."
Xie Yunying gasped for breath: "...No, I can't watch Yue Yining fall into Xie Qingyu's trap, I have to help her!"
System: "........How do you want to help?"
Xie Yunying: "You'll find out soon enough."
"Big brother? Let me think... Hmm, big brother is very good to his family, but he's just so-so to outsiders. He's only outwardly gentle and polite, but he's very distant to most people and rarely takes the initiative to care about others."
Xie Yunying racked her brains and pretended to be nonchalant as she casually spoke ill of Xie Qingyu: "Many people think my older brother has a great temper, but that's not true at all! It's just that those who offend him haven't infringed on his interests. Anyone who really angers him will not have a good ending. Even if it's just a little bit, he will severely punish and retaliate against them!"
After speaking, Xie Yunying secretly observed Yue Yining's reaction.
Yue Yining said thoughtfully, "I see. Everyone says that Young Master Xie is gentle and refined, humble and respectful. I never expected him to have this side to him."
Xie Yunying was secretly delighted, but unexpectedly Yue Yining changed the subject and said, "But isn't that normal?"
"How could those in high positions be truly kind-hearted? Wouldn't they be easy targets for everyone? Knowing some extraordinary skills can actually help them better protect themselves and navigate the situation."
Xie Yunying was completely taken aback by Yue Yining's response.
She was dumbfounded, but then Yue Yining asked, "More than that, I'm curious whether Young Master Xie goes out to drink and brothels in his spare time?"
"You know, in the capital, there are probably only two young masters from noble families who are twenty-five years old and still don't have a concubine," Yue Yining said leisurely. "This is very unusual. Could it be that young master Xie is actually a regular at brothels, or that he keeps a concubine outside, but no one knows about it?"
Xie Yunying: "???"
What? ? ?
Xie Yunying: "This, this..."
Yue Yining seemed completely oblivious to her predicament, and even looked at her with a smile: "Is it inconvenient to say?"
Xie Yunying gritted her teeth. Although she didn't want Yue Yining to continue developing feelings for Xie Qingyu...
But! She can't bring herself to lie!
Xie Yunying struggled with the decision for a long time, but ultimately succumbed to her own moral constraints.
She stammered, "My older brother is probably just not interested in that kind of thing. I've never heard of him drinking with women, and he almost never stays out overnight. As for keeping a mistress before marriage, I don't think he would do that; he's not that kind of person."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "That's really amazing."
"Such chastity is as if he is infatuated with someone unattainable, fearing that one day she might change her mind and see him, which is why he has always kept himself pure."
System: "The previous Xie Qingyu neither married nor took concubines, probably for the sake of the Princess, right? After all, there was an imperial edict, and also because he had little desire. But it's really hard to say what the current Xie Qingyu is doing."
Xie Yunying: "......." She had thought of the answer, but she was unwilling to think about it in detail or admit it.
Xie Yunying could only try her best to change the subject. She pretended to be angry: "Lord Yue came to see me, why do you keep talking about my older brother? Let's not talk about him anymore! I have so much to say to you!"
Yue Yining also knew her limits. The little information Xie Yunying had revealed today was enough for her.
She smiled gently: "Okay, then let's not talk about him anymore."
Later, Xie Yunying chatted with Yue Yining for a long time until Fu Yao couldn't stand it anymore and subtly "reminded" Yue Yining that she had other matters to attend to after returning to the princess's residence, thus ending the long conversation.
On the way back, Fu Yao muttered to herself, "This second young lady isn't as fierce as the rumors say. I wonder how those rumors got so out of hand."
Yue Yining: "Public opinion is a fearsome thing, especially for someone like the Second Miss. She is extremely kind to people when she is kind to them, and extremely mean to them when she is mean to them. Rather than saying she is difficult to get along with, it would be more accurate to say that she is very sincere and affectionate."
"Why didn't you chat with her a little longer, Miss?" Fu Yao said. "She was just winking at me, trying to get me to say goodbye. Miss is such a liar."
There were no affairs waiting for Yue Yining in the princess's residence; it was simply a matter of tacit cooperation between the two.
Yue Yining smiled and said, "I'm not lying. I really just suddenly remembered something I need to do."
Fu Yao asked curiously, "What? What is it? Is it business or personal?"
Going to see Xie Yunying was a spur-of-the-moment decision for Yue Yining. She wasn't one to passively accept fate's arrangements; on the contrary, she was used to fighting, controlling, and dominating, and to exploring and confirming variables.
Yue Yining smiled and said, "It's a private matter."
Back at the princess's residence, Yue Yining and Fu Yao had dinner inside. The steward of the residence came to report something to her: "Your Highness, the young man has been arranged as you said. He will be training in Her Highness the Princess's secret guard camp from now on."
Yue Yining: "Understood."
After the Green Ghost case was resolved, Yue Yining kept her promise and brought Yue Nu back to Yanjing, where she cleared him of his slave status. She originally intended to give Yue Nu some money before letting him leave, but Yue Nu refused, saying instead, "I want to stay and work for Lord Yue."
He no longer referred to himself as a slave, because Yue Yining found it grating—Fu Yao was also a child she had rescued, and had followed her for so long without ever asking her to use a derogatory term; no one would want to call themselves that.
Yue Yining said that she also asked Yue Nu to change this habit.
She wasn't kind-hearted, nor did she act out of pity. Pity carries a sense of condescension. She too had once been a starving street child, the only difference between her and him being that she hadn't been sold into slavery. She wouldn't pity him, just as she had never felt sorry for herself in that situation.
People who struggle to survive, even if they make a fool of themselves, are not pitiful.
She fought desperately to survive back then, eating scraps, gnawing on grass roots and tree bark, enduring beatings and freezing temperatures to live on, and that's how she got to where she is today.
She knew that only by living could she make a difference; once she died, everything was gone.
She valued her life more than anyone else.
Yue Yining thought for a while: "But I already have a guard, I don't need another one." She had seen Fu Yao's martial arts talent and love for martial arts, and her future strength was immeasurable. Another guard would only be a burden.
Yue Nu said, "Then let me be your bodyguard."
Upon hearing this, Yue Yining paused. She looked at him with a strange gaze: "Do you know what 'secret guards' means?"
"I see."
Yue Yining pretended not to hear and said, word by word, "The first step to becoming a secret guard is to have your household registration cancelled. After that, even if your parents, relatives, and old friends want to find you, they will be unable to do so. You will lose your name, identity, future, and past. You can no longer show your true face to others, nor will you have children or a family, nor will you have the life and happiness of an ordinary person."
"What awaits you is only rigorous training and days where your life hangs in the balance."
"If your master orders you to die, you have no choice but to obey without complaint. Would you be willing to do so?"
"I do."
Yue Yining was truly stunned this time. She stared intently at Yue Nu kneeling on the ground, her brows furrowed: "Why?"
"You asked me to take you away from the Jin residence, wasn't it for your freedom? Is living like this better than the life you had before?"
"I have kept in mind everything you promised me, my lord. The future you envisioned for me is wonderful, and I am very grateful. I am grateful that you have seen my wretched side and are still willing to help me. But I know that I am already a broken woman. If I were to marry, it would be a deception and a disservice to the innocent woman I once was. But if I were to tell the woman who is willing to spend the rest of her life with me about my past, I would feel like my heart is being torn apart."
“Most importantly, I want to repay your kindness. If I were to leave now, I would live in fear for the rest of my life, because I know I haven’t been of much help, and I have received far more than I have given,” Yue Nu said. “There are all kinds of people in this world. Some people are willing to endure anxiety in order to live, while others are willing to die with peace of mind.”
"I am clumsy with words and have said a lot, but this is not to argue. I just want to answer your questions and let you see my heart."
Yue Yining remained silent for a long time.
It wasn't because of Yue Nu's decision, but because of his words, "Please, my lord, see my heart clearly."
"There are still many days ahead, and I have plenty of time to let Miss see my heart clearly."
Seeing that Yue Yining kept her eyes down and remained silent, Fu Yao thought she was angry and felt that Yue Nu was ungrateful.
Unexpectedly, the next second, Yue Yining said, "I understand."
"I promise you."
The sun was setting outside the window, and the eighteen newly transplanted clumps of Yaohuang peonies stood quietly in the rosy light.
After dinner, Fu Yao asked, "Miss said she suddenly remembered something and rushed back to the manor, so what is it? Do you need my help?"
Yue Yining: "Hmm, I could ask you for help. Actually, I'd like to make two sachets..."
Before she could finish speaking, Fu Yao screamed, "What?! A sachet?! What kind is it? Who is it for?!"
Yue Yining was startled: "No, Yao Yao, don't get agitated, listen to me..."
Fu Yao covered her ears and shook her head vigorously: "I won't listen! Miss, you're definitely trying to fool me. I won't listen to a single word! Tell me first, who is it for!"
The maid was almost in tears: "Is it for some man! Who is it! Why would Miss suddenly care about a certain man and even want to embroider a sachet for him? What right does he have! Miss has never embroidered a sachet for me before!!"
"What are you talking about? How can you compare things like that?" Yue Yining said helplessly.
Fu Yao pouted: "Then tell me, and don't lie to me!"
Yue Yining was completely at a loss with her: "...Okay, okay, I'll tell you everything, alright?"
She laid out her plans in detail, and Fu Yao's eyes widened at first, then she raised her eyebrows and burst into laughter.
"My goodness, Miss, you're so clever!" Fu Yao exclaimed. "If it were me, I would have been stupid enough to run to him and ask him directly. I would never have come up with such a roundabout way!"
Yue Yining: "Why does it sound like you're insulting me?"
Fu Yao had already rolled up her sleeves and was waving her arms: "Miss, I understand! Let me help you! I'll definitely embroider two exquisite and beautiful sachets for you, Miss. You don't need to do it yourself!"
Yue Yining quickly said, "Never mind, I'll embroider the pattern myself."
The two, mistress and servant, asked the maid for needles, thread, and fabric. They were engrossed in studying how to embroider when someone came to the door. Fu Yao got up and opened the door to find that it was Su Yue, the princess's personal maid.
Su Yue bowed respectfully: "I'm sorry to bother you, Lord Yue. She sent me because Her Highness the Princess. She heard that you asked your maid for needles and thread and fabric, so she asked me to come and ask what you intend to do with them."
Yue Yining slapped her forehead: "Oh dear, another one!"
Su Yue: "......?"
Yue Yining managed to get rid of the person without telling the truth. It wasn't that she didn't trust Wei Yihua, but rather that it wasn't convenient for her to explain the matter to her.
I thought things would quiet down for a while, but someone came to visit again early the next morning.
The visitor was a young guard sent by the Xie family to deliver a gift. He said he wanted to personally hand it over to Lord Yue, and he came all the way to Yue Yining's door. He introduced himself and opened the box he was holding towards Yue Yining.
Inside the box was an exquisitely carved apricot tree ornament. It was made entirely of pink jade, with a touch of mutton fat white mixed in. The color varied in shades, creating a dazzling and ever-changing effect. The ice cracks on it were as round and full as flower petals, exuding vitality.
One glance is enough to confirm that it is an extremely rare and priceless collectible.
Fu Yao thought that her mistress would accept it.
After all, her young lady had happily accepted the pineapple cakes last time and the eighteen boxes of gifts the time before that.
To her surprise, Yue Yining didn't even lift her eyelids, showing no intention of looking at her at all.
After hearing who she was, she said calmly, "Didn't I tell your parents not to send me any more gifts?"
The young guard who was delivering the gift froze with a smile.
"This...this...I haven't heard the young master mention this before? I wasn't the one who delivered the gift last time, so I'm not entirely clear on this matter..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yue Yining interrupted him: "I know, I didn't say I was blaming you."
"Go, take the gift with you. I told you I wouldn't accept it anymore, why do you always ignore me?"
The young guard put away the gift and walked away timidly with his back hunched.
Not long after he left, a loud roar flipped the roof of Yue Yining's bedchamber over: "Ah! Why is it so difficult to do this!"
Inside the hall, a woman in a blue robe lay slumped over a table, nearly breathless: "I really don't know how to embroider this..."
Fu Yao also looked dejected: "Me too..."
The master and servant worked for a long time, only to find that they were equally bad at it, both pricking their own fingers several times, yet they managed to embroider a strange-looking thing.
Come to think of it, Fu Yao came from a poor family and only knew how to mend clothes; she had no way of learning embroidery.
Before Yue Yining went up the mountain to become an apprentice, she was in a situation where she only needed clothes to wear. Needles and thread were generally hard to find in piles of rubbish, and even if she did find them, no one would teach her how to use them.
After going up the mountain, as a disciple of the Venerable One, he had no worries about food and clothing. He didn't need to mend his clothes at all. He would just throw them away when they were torn or old. He would also get several new sets of clothes every year, so he never had to do needlework.
After much deliberation, Yue Yining decided to seek outside help.
Fearing that it would arouse Wei Yihua's questioning and suspicion, she did not dare to ask for help from the people in the princess's mansion. Instead, she disguised herself and went out with Fu Yao to buy two ready-made embroidery patterns from an embroidery shop.
The girl minding the shop noticed that Yue Yining was young, beautiful, and had an extraordinary demeanor, and became curious about her.
When she inquired further and learned that it was meant for a man, her expression immediately changed. She chuckled and said, "That's easy! We have plenty of suitable ones in our shop! What pattern do you like, young lady?"
Yue Yining thought for a moment. It couldn't be too complicated, otherwise she would feel like it was bought. It had to be simple to make it look like she made it herself.
So she said, "Keep it simple, don't make it too complicated."
"Easy!" The girl immediately picked out two identical patterns for her and handed them to her from a pile of goods. "This bamboo-shaped gold inlay pattern is the most popular pattern in the capital right now. Look at it! Isn't it elegant, simple, and understated? This pattern is perfect for men!"
Yue Yining glanced at it but couldn't see anything wrong.
Surely there can't be anything wrong with a bamboo pattern, right? If there's anything wrong with it, it's the cinnabar at the tips of the bamboo leaves; it just looks a little strange to her.
But Yue Yining couldn't find one that suited her better, so she decided to stick with this one.
While Yue Yining happily boarded the carriage and returned to the princess's residence, the young guard Huang Qiu returned to the Xie residence with a long face.
The guards at the gate looked at him strangely when they saw him return with the gifts intact: "What's going on, Huang Qiu? Why did you bring back the young master's gifts again?"
"Look at that wrinkled little face, it looks like a little yellow dog that's been kicked on the street!"
"You didn't cause any trouble, did you? Did you break something on the way? You clumsy little brat!"
Huang Qiu was furious, like a pufferfish: "I didn't!"
He had no interest in dealing with these people and stormed back to the Frost Sprayer Courtyard after refuting them.
The first thing Yin Yi did when he saw him was to look at the box: "What's going on?"
"No, no, it was confiscated..." Huang Qiu was extremely aggrieved. "That official refused to accept it, and seemed particularly unhappy..."
Huang Qiu was a secret guard transferred from a collateral branch of the Xie family. He had only been working at the Xie residence for a short time and was young and naive, so he had never seen the turmoil in the capital.
He felt as if he had somehow offended Yue Daren. But he wasn't sure if it was because of him that Yue Daren had confiscated the gifts from the eldest son.
After hearing the whole story, Yin Yi fell silent.
Although Huang Qiu was simple-minded, he also possessed the intuition of a small animal. He looked at the senior who had been training him and, seeing that he hadn't reacted for a while, urged him by calling out, "Brother Yin?"
Yin Yi patted him on the shoulder, his gaze unusually sympathetic: "Good luck to you."
Because of Yin Yi's words, Huang Qiu's already ominous premonition became even stronger.
"Come in."
Upon being granted permission to enter, Huang Qiu immediately knelt on the ground, trembling.
The man in black robes sitting behind the desk in front of him had a face as white as jade and hair as black as a waterfall. He had been looking down at the dossier before the report, but after hearing what he said, he raised his long eyelashes and never looked at the dossier again.
Xie Qingyu replied, "You didn't receive it?"
"What did that sir say?"
For some reason, even though the sky outside the window was clear and the breeze was gentle, Huang Qiu always felt that a storm was brewing.
Huang Qiu swallowed hard. "That...that lady said she told you before not to send her any more gifts, and that if you send them again, you're ignoring her words..."
The air was deathly still, as if it had been frozen in time.
Huang Qiu saw out of the corner of his eye that Xie Qingyu put down the dossier in her hand.
Xie Qingyu pursed her lips and said in a deep voice, "Did she really say that?"
Huang Qiu: "Yes, yes."
Xie Qingyu said nothing, his eyes lowered so his expression was unreadable. Huang Qiu was also unsure of his meaning, and remained kneeling in place, his mind preoccupied with which burial plot would be most worthwhile after he died.
To his surprise, Huang Qiu was startled by the crisp sound of shattering porcelain. He looked up and saw that Xie Qingyu had accidentally knocked over the teacup while trying to pour tea, spilling the bright yellow tea and soaking the files on the table.
Huang Qiu was stunned. He quickly stood up and tried to rush over to help, saying, "This humble servant will help the young master clean himself up right away..."
Xie Qingyu said, "That's enough. Get out of here."
Huang Qiu stumbled out of the house in a daze, and the first thing he saw was Yin Yi guarding outside. He immediately felt like crying: "Brother Yin..."
Yin Yi patted his shoulder again, his calm and reassuring tone reassuring: "Go and keep watch, leave this to me."
Huang Qiu left, and Yin Yi opened the door to enter the inner room, finding Xie Qingyu still in the same position, motionless. The tea on the table had almost soaked the dossier paper, and the ink writing had long since become a smudged mess.
Yin Yi sighed inwardly and, without saying a word, began to tidy up for Xie Qingyu: "Young Master, this humble servant will first wipe the water stains clean."
Xie Qingyu wasn't listening to him at all. Yin Yi diligently wiped the table, moved closer to him, and then heard him say something in a low voice.
"...She's angry."
It was as if he were talking to himself, muttering, "Why am I angry?"
Yin Yi thought Xie Qingyu would fly into a rage and berate Yue Yining as a shameless scoundrel—after all, that was the reaction of all the noble young men he had encountered before who had tried to curry favor but were rejected.
But to his surprise, Xie Qingyu said, "If I apologize, I don't know if she will forgive me."
Yin Yi was stunned.
What if they stop talking to me after that?
After saying these words, Xie Qingyu fell silent again. She seemed to have truly become a jade statue, so fragile that it would shatter at the slightest touch.
His eyes were closed, his brows were furrowed, and his breathing was barely audible.
Yin Yi was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
He swallowed hard. The cloth he was holding to wipe the table suddenly felt like a hedgehog, pricking him uncomfortably. He didn't know whether to pick it up or put it down.
His voice became dry: "No, young master."
"People from Yueyang are kind-hearted and gentle, and even if they get angry, they won't stay angry for long."
"...Don't talk like you know her so well." Xie Qingyu's voice was low and hoarse, and the temperature in her tone suddenly dropped, as if frost had fallen in January. "Who do you think you are? I am the person who understands her best in this world."
Yin Yi: "......."
Yin Yi: "Yes, young master."
If he wastes any more of his sympathy on this guy, he'll make sure he never earns enough to buy a house in his entire life!
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