Zhu Yu
As Xie Yuan was thinking, he caught a glimpse of a person cutting flowers in the courtyard. The person was quite slender, and although a veil covered their face, the only thing visible was their gentle phoenix eyes, which were unforgettable.
He said, "Even the servants who water the flowers in your garden have grown so handsome these days?"
Cui Wenying glanced at him as well, ignoring the sarcasm in his words, she stopped, her face turning cold, and called over the steward, "Who is that? Who sent him to the main house?"
Uncle Fu stared intently. For a moment, he hesitated, his words tumbling out in a hazy, ambiguous tone: "Heaven have mercy! That was the most beloved courtesan of Third Master in his lifetime! Since Third Master's death, she only wished to stay in the Cui family, tending to the flowers and plants, waiting foolishly for someone's soul to return."
But there's no such thing as a soul... Sanlangjun is dead and will never come back.
Originally, Cui Jue was the youngest son whom Prime Minister Cui loved the most, but now that he is dead and his family has been extinguished, and He Shi has made such a scene at home, Prime Minister Cui's attitude towards the two of them is quite intriguing.
At this point, Uncle Fu dared not say more, nor did he dare to lie. He only said, "He was the former servant of the Third Master. He refused to leave the mansion and refused to serve two masters."
Upon hearing this, Cui Wenying's expression became complicated.
Uncle Fu assumed the patriarch was reminiscing about his past with Cui Jue and Madam He, truly showing deep affection and loyalty. Just as he was feeling sentimental, he saw Cui Wenying frown and point to the veil, "What happened to his face?"
"Perhaps it was stung by a bee."
Xie Yuan remarked coolly from the side, "He really has a string of romantic entanglements everywhere."
Deep affection and loyalty, unwilling to leave the mansion, tender memories? Does this refer to Cui Jue and this servant, or Cui Wenying and Madam He?
He laughed loudly, then turned and left.
Behind them, Cui Wenying's face was as black as if it were covered in coal dust. Seeing the white-clad servant still idly trimming the flowers, he was furious and gestured to Uncle Fu—
"They're all gone, what's the point of keeping them here! If they don't want to do anything else, then get them out of the mansion!"
...
Xie Lingxi asked in surprise, "Did Uncle Cui really say that?"
"Um."
Xie Yuan leisurely returned home and found Xie Lingxi and Liu Xu also at home, chatting idly with everyone. He immediately sat down and began to tell this amusing story in a lively and unrestrained manner.
“That old bastard was already preoccupied with Wan Jun’s matter, and today, after I provoked him, he’s ready to turn against me at any moment.”
Isn't this untranslated?
Xie Lingxi thought to herself, "It's just a pity for that servant. He was waiting so patiently, but now that he's been expelled from the manor, he has no hope left."
She said, "Father knows that everything I said that night was made up. But does that mean Uncle Cui really had feelings for my aunt?"
He even risked being scorned by marrying a merchant's daughter just to take her child home and care for him, all because he loved her.
Xie Yuan rolled his eyes. "How is that possible?"
He looked at Liu Xu and threw the question at him, "I know men's nature very well, son-in-law. If I said that to you, would you believe it?"
This is practically deliberately setting fire to Liu Xu's body!
Liu Xu never expected that he would become the target of everyone's criticism. When he looked up, all the members of the Xie family were staring at him intently, their faces full of thoughtful consideration. He was very anxious and accidentally knocked over a white glazed teacup, water flowing down his robe.
While they were frantically wiping, Xie Lingxi handed them a plain handkerchief and came to their rescue, saying, "Why are you teasing my husband?"
Xie Yuan chuckled, “How can you call it playing around? This is a classic case, and I really want to hear what Chengzhi thinks.”
After some back and forth, Liu Xu finally calmed down and answered properly: "Prime Minister Cui's romantic affairs, even his unconventional behavior, have nothing to do with my aunt, much less with me. Father's words seem to carry a hint of schadenfreude."
"If it is true, as Father says, that all men in the world are like Prime Minister Cui, fickle and promiscuous, then Father's reputation for 'loving only one person in his life' might have a different meaning, right?"
Xie Yuan was shocked as soon as the words were spoken. He had just taken a sip of tea and was about to teach Liu Chengzhi a lesson on behalf of Lingxi when this kid suddenly slapped a huge accusation on him!
That's utter nonsense!
Amidst the blooming flowers, seeing that Madam Wang, who had just been all smiles, had now composed herself and was about to leave, he disregarded all decorum and followed after her, abandoning all elegance and composure, coaxing her all the way—
"Madam, that's not true... Madam...!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
As the sound faded into the distance, Xie Lingxi suddenly burst into laughter. Her laughter was as vivid as flowers blooming in the sunshine or snow melting. She leaned back and forth, clutching her stomach, until she had laughed enough. She said, word by word, "I never thought that Father would have such a day."
Usually, it's this "old rascal" who's the one playing tricks on them, but now they've finally met their match. It's true what they say, there's always someone better.
Although Xie Lingxi was sharp-tongued, she never spoke to her family like that. Now that Liu Xu had said it, she found it quite novel and teased, "Ah Xu, Ah Xu, when did you become so aggressive?"
He is clearly a refined and gentle young man.
Liu Xu looked at her anxiously, grabbed his wife's wrist, his eyes flashing, "Lingxi, I am truly devoted to you, heaven and earth can bear witness!"
—It's nothing like what my father said.
Xie Lingxi chuckled. Having weathered all the storms together, how could she possibly doubt this? Having been reborn, she was instead filled with suspicion, unable to see the love in the person before her. If that was the case, she truly hadn't made any progress.
"I see."
Liu Xu: "It's good that you understand, it's good that you understand."
Xie Lingxi added, “Whether it’s being affectionate or devoted, things in this world cannot be generalized. Although what Father said is biased, it is precisely because he has encountered such people in the past that he has to be wary of them. Ah Xu, don’t take it to heart.”
Such a passionate yet fickle man—didn't she also encounter one in her past life, fall into his trap, and end up dying a tragic death?
She sighed, "So, Cui Jue is really lucky to have met someone who truly treats him well... It's just a pity for that servant; how will he live after leaving the Cui residence?"
To be fair, the Cui family paid their servants a very generous monthly wage, in fact, it was quite substantial.
After discussing it for a while, the two of them suddenly felt sorry for themselves—
Liu Xu's meager salary, when calculated, is probably less than that of a senior manager in a wealthy and powerful family.
As spring deepened, ants, insects, bees, and butterflies fluttered and danced in the garden. Xie Yuan replaced the cabbages and radishes with weeping crabapple trees, which Xie Lingjun loved.
Thanks to my husband's tireless efforts day and night, this flowerbed is thriving, with pink and green flowers intertwined.
Strange, Xie Lingjun frequents the Cui residence every day, yet no bees come to sting him. Moreover, the Cui residence is so well-organized, where would a hornet's nest come from?
Pretty face in white...
Xie Lingxi sensed something was amiss, and in the next instant, she exclaimed, "Wait a minute, that person isn't a servant at all, he's clearly someone he brought back from the brothel..."
Nominally a servant, she was actually one of Cui Jue's many lovers.
The word "lover" is even superfluous; it was nothing more than fleeting affairs. In fact—Xie Lingxi finally connected the appearance and voice of the advisor in Cui Jue's room on the night of Cui Xiang's birthday with this person's figure and voice...
Her eyes gleamed, a fierce glint rising within them: "Zhu Yu!"
...
An hour ago, Zhu Yu, carrying a cloth bag, was driven out of the side gate of the Cui residence.
The ochre-red gate slammed shut with a bang, the bronze door knockers clanging together with a deep, ancient sound. A gust of wind blew, and two startled swallows suddenly flew across the eaves.
The order to leave came so suddenly that Zhu Yu didn't even have time to pack his things, only managing to gather a few bottles and jars at random. The wind was blowing harder and harder, stinging his face. He opened the cloth bag, carefully stroked the jade bottle, unscrewed the cap, and wiped it with his little finger.
This jade-colored cream is of excellent quality and melts upon contact with the skin.
He rubbed his palms together quickly and repeatedly until they were hot and a pleasant fragrance filled his body.
He then looked up and stared at the plaque above the Cui residence for a long while, his expression cryptic, before leaving.
The Cui family had just experienced a major event, and it was inevitably in a state of desolation. In stark contrast, the residence of the noble princess was now filled with music, drums, and beautiful women.
A scene of prosperity and bustle, with people drunk and horses rearing up.
Today, Yan Ying wore a bright red pomegranate-colored dress, with necklaces and pearls tied around her waist and chest. She was reclining on a grand chair, with an inappropriate canary feather cloak beside her.
Upon seeing the visitor, he gave a lazy smile: "Oh, so you got kicked out?"
The person who arrived was none other than Zhu Yu.
His eyes were filled with resentment, and not a trace of affectation could be seen. His beauty was gone. "Everything was fine before, but today Xie Yuan suddenly came to the mansion and pointed at me at a glance, which made Cui Wenying suspicious and drove me out!"
"Ha ha!"
Yan Ying straightened up. "I've already said it, these old foxes who have been immersed in officialdom for years are no ordinary people."
"You did quite well that night."
On that terrifying rainy night, Prince Pingnan was able to sneak into the Cui residence without anyone noticing, and Zhu Yu deserves the greatest credit for this.
He was quite modest at this moment, waving his hand and saying, "It's just a small contribution, no need to mention it."
If he hadn't been kicked out today, he wouldn't have rushed to the princess's residence immediately. However, he was still cautious. After leaving the Cui residence, he first went to Qilou, hid in the backyard and pretended to burn paper for a while before taking a roundabout route to see the princess.
Yan Ying had no doubt about his abilities. She stepped out of the tent and carefully examined Zhu Yu's "miserable state." Using her folding fan, she lifted the veil from his cloth bag, her expression somber: "You did well, as is customary... However, there's one thing you overlooked: your attire..."
Do you think that by covering your face, others won't recognize you?
Zhu Yu quickly retorted, "No, no! Everyone in the Cui family recognizes my face and knows about the unusual relationship between me and Cui Jue. There's no need to hide it."
Yan Ying: "Then what about this?"
Her men returned to report that Mr. Zhu Yu had been stung by bees, which was why he was wearing a white veil.
Zhu Yu spat, "What bees? They don't understand at all. This was a carefully planned scheme. First, to express my longing and remembrance for Cui Jue, and second, to guard against those who have seen my identity as an advisor."
The longing and worship of ghosts.
Yan Ying sighed and said, "You've miscalculated. This isn't a perfect solution—the rouge shop you were promised before is probably gone now."
Shocking bad news!
Zhu Yu almost stood up but then suddenly knelt down, one hand loosely holding the princess's pomegranate skirt, tears streaming down her face. "Where did I go wrong?! Princess, one should not break one's word. I have helped you so much, what's wrong with asking for a rouge shop!"
He shuttled between Cui Jue and the Prince of Pingnan, and when necessary, he had to return to the Qilou to "perform." He was both a staff member and a male prostitute, a lover and a spy at the same time. He was so powerful that even a donkey wouldn't dare to treat him like that!
The death of the Prince of Pingnan is a great achievement. The Five-Stone Powder he had been administering for several days has finally taken effect. Combined with Xie Lingxi's sharp tongue and wit, it was like a potent poison, instantly killing the person.
Isn't this result perfect? Could there be someone who knows the secrets and intricacies involved?
The princess coldly pulled back her hem. "Xie Lingxi found out. You're so stupid! The person you should be most wary of in the whole world is her."
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