Chapter 75 "I will come back for her."...
Recently, Aori and Yoriichi's lives have undergone incredible changes.
Early in the morning, Azhi rubbed her eyes, preparing to take her small bucket and Yoriichi to fetch water. However, after pushing open the door, she found several buckets filled with water neatly arranged under the eaves.
She initially thought it was because they had started early that they had collected so much water, but when the same scene occurred for several days in a row, she realized something was wrong.
As far as she knew, they only had two buckets here, so... these must have been brought by other servants.
A question mark slowly appeared in Azhi's mind.
During the long time they had been there, the servants always avoided her and Yoriichi whenever they saw them. They never spoke to them and even pretended not to hear when Aori asked them questions.
At first, Azhi didn't feel like she was being targeted. But after hitting a wall a few times, she angrily decided to never talk to them again.
This was just the beginning; what followed was equally strange.
The meals that have been delivered recently have been more plentiful and varied than before, and for the first time, the servant who used to suppress his impatience while delivering the food has shown them a bright smile.
She was truly radiant, with a noticeable upward curve to her lips, and she even offered to help deliver the items to Yoriichi's residence from now on, so they wouldn't need to pick them up anymore.
To be honest, Azhi was startled.
She immediately grabbed Yoriichi's hand, secretly observing this person who seemed to her very good at changing his expression out of the corner of her eye.
After the man had walked away, she shook the boy's hand, still puzzled, and asked, "Is he sick today?"
Azhi couldn't think of any other reason besides this.
Yoriichi, however, stared blankly at the ground.
If these things only raised her doubts, then what followed had already reached the point of causing her distress.
Aori wasn't with Yoriichi Tsugikuni every moment. During her limited time alone, the probability of her encountering strangers increased dramatically.
Not far from Yoriichi's residence, on the road leading to Akeno's residence, Aori accidentally discovered a cluster of wildflowers blooming beautifully beside the gravel.
The wildflowers had bright red petals, which Azhi thought were very beautiful. She observed them for several days before finally deciding to take her tools and prepare to transplant some.
Yoriichi's place is no longer as desolate as it was at the beginning. At first, Aori buried the fruit she found in the soil just to try it out, but she didn't expect it to actually sprout and eventually flower and bear fruit.
This first success gave her great confidence, and she became even more willing to plant different plants to decorate her residence. In the end, Yoriichi Tsugikuni set aside a separate plot of land next to his residence for her to grow flowers.
When the boy went out, he would occasionally bring back new seeds. As the variety of seeds increased, Aori and Yoriichi's little garden became so large that it attracted bees and butterflies.
Azhi held her breath and concentrated. Although she was already very skilled at it, she was still afraid of breaking the fragile roots and making it difficult for the plant to survive.
She was so focused that she didn't notice the two unfamiliar faces that walked up to her until one of them asked Aori a question: "Are you the maid who serves Young Master Yoriichi?"
The same unfamiliar voice suddenly came from above, and Azhi almost fell on her backside. She slowly looked over and nodded when the person asked her again.
They exchanged a glance, their expressions subtly excited, as if they wanted to get closer, and then they knelt down in front of her.
They asked Aori about information related to Yoriichi, including but not limited to what foods the boy liked to eat or what he liked to do in his spare time...
Azhi didn't really want to answer, but they blocked her from both sides, determined to get an answer, so she could only think about the questions they were asking.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni has never been a picky eater; he eats whatever is available. In any case, Ori has never noticed any particular preferences in him. As for things he likes to do, it's hard to say exactly what they are. Playing with Iwakatsu is probably the most obvious example.
When Azhi told the truth, she was scolded.
"Are you an idiot?" Pingjiang said through gritted teeth.
He didn't get a single useful piece of information from the girl, and at this critical juncture, she even dared to mention Ji Guoyansheng's name without any attempt at concealment...
Yoriichi Tsugikuni is about to replace Iwakatsu Tsugikuni as the new heir, and this young master, who was previously looked down upon by many servants, has suddenly become the object of their flattery.
The young master has an eccentric personality. If you want to gain the upper hand and learn about his preferences in advance so as to win the favor of the new heir, the maidservant by his side is the best way to break through.
So Pingjiang and his companions decided to try their luck, but they didn't expect that this pretty little girl was a complete idiot; she didn't even understand what was going on.
They frowned, revealing expressions that A-Zhi found extremely fierce and terrifying. This terrified her, and she ran away as fast as she could, not even bothering to grab her digging tools.
The frantic footsteps sounded extremely jarring to Jiguo Yuanyi, especially since the girl tripped as she stepped over the threshold, and he immediately went to meet her.
When she finally stood before Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Aori took a few breaths and, her voice trembling, recounted to the boy how she had been surrounded and "interrogated."
Finally, she pouted, looking very aggrieved, and said, "They also said I'm an idiot!"
"I'm not!"
The girl didn't understand the intricacies of the situation. Her hands, which were gesturing in the air, were still covered in mud that hadn't been cleaned off. Yoriichi Tsugikuni listened attentively while wiping her hands.
He is slow to understand things, but by piecing together all those recent illogical events, he can arrive at the answer.
In an instant, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's body trembled slightly. He pursed his lips, and his lowered eyes were filled with indifference.
Aori didn't catch his fleeting change. When she realized that the boy wasn't responding to her as usual, she tried to stare at him, but before she could, Yoriichi Tsugikuni ruffled her hair.
He said slowly, "No more."
This will not happen again.
********
As the turmoil escalated, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, without being discovered, quietly went to his mother's residence as night fell.
As the instigator of this turmoil, Yoriichi Tsugikuni remained more composed than anyone else.
As if she knew someone was coming, Zhu Nai did not sleep. She knelt on the prayer mat, clasped her hands together and prayed to heaven. Her usually approachable face was filled with sorrow.
The footsteps stopped very close.
Zhu Nai tilted her head, looking at the child she felt she had always owed, her eyes filled with melancholy, her face more haggard than before, her lips trembling slightly: "Have you made a decision?"
By the time Zhu Nai learned that the head of the family intended to change the heir, there was almost no room for maneuver, and the thing she least wanted to see had happened.
She once again stormed up to her husband in a very unladylike manner, and had a frantic argument with him, trying to stop this terrible thing from happening.
The husband, however, did not understand Akeno's behavior at all. He did not understand why his wife, who had always taken care of Yoriichi, would oppose him so much when good things were about to happen, which naturally led to them sometimes parting on bad terms.
Zhu Nai felt very sad.
If both children are treated equally from the beginning and given the same conditions, then when it comes time to choose an heir, the decision can be made openly and honestly.
By doing so, she wouldn't offer any opinions regardless of who the heir would be.
Zhu Nai was confident that Yan Sheng and Yoriichi wouldn't go astray, because both of them were inherently kind and good, and of course, the scenario of brothers fighting each other, as they had described, would never occur.
However, all of this was just a fantasy. She couldn't stop her husband at first and was forced to become an accomplice.
Yoriichi is the least suitable twin to be the head of the family. He has a gentle personality and, like her, dislikes conflict. If you choose him because of his amazing talent in swordsmanship, you will definitely be disappointed in the future.
Moreover, he had never been systematically taught as an heir before, and he had no idea how to handle family affairs.
On the contrary, Yan Sheng is meticulous and responsible, as can be seen from the previous banquet. For him, being suddenly stripped of his identity is undoubtedly the difference between heaven and hell.
Such a blow is not something everyone can withstand.
Zhu Nai rarely analyzed so many pros and cons for her husband, but he wouldn't listen at all. He thought that Yoriichi's personality problem was just a trivial matter, and that his retainers would arrange everything for him.
She was furious, but powerless to change the gradually shifting situation.
…………
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, in his usual seat, slowly leaned down and rested his forehead on Akeno's knee, looking very dependent, and softly hummed in agreement.
This can be considered an answer to her question.
In order to resolve the disaster he caused, he decided to leave the Jiguo Palace ahead of schedule.
Zhu Nai knew why Yoriichi would do such a thing. She lowered her eyes and, despite feeling a lot of reluctance in her heart, did not say anything to stop him.
Of course she was worried about Yoriichi. At his age, he should have been receiving the best care in the manor and living a carefree life, but now he had to leave his home.
But Akeno felt that Yoriichi shouldn't be confined to the Tsugikuni Palace; he should belong to the outside world, to the wilderness, to freedom... Her only concern was his safety.
She exhaled, as if she had unloaded a burden from her heart, and then smiled gently: "Write back more often."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni bowed and said, "I will come back to see you."
He didn't plan to go too far, nor did he plan to take Azhi with him.
After leaving the Tsugikuni residence, Yoriichi Tsugikuni could not guarantee Ori's safety and livelihood, even though his mother and brother were there to take care of him.
If he can truly find a place to settle down, he will come back and leave with the girl; he thinks Azhi will agree.
As if trying to escape, Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't allow himself to think about Ori's reaction. Instead, he made a decision on his own and added without changing his expression, "Please ask Mother to temporarily transfer Ori to your side!"
"I will come back for her."
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