Chapter 68: The Fate of Yang, My Cousin's Wife...
"That's right, you remembered everything?" Qi Chengming paused for a moment. He hated conversations where both sides kept repeating the same things without getting to the important information.
"Now is not the time to go into details." Qi Chengming could only say this, quickly revealing the information: "Cousin, do you remember why you went to prison? We want to get you out, but it depends on what you want to do—hand over the formula and eliminate the people causing trouble in the shadows, or do we reveal our identities and use our power to intimidate you?"
Yang Shou was still breathing slightly, his sweat-dampened hair clinging to his cheeks, causing the scar to throb with pain.
Without hesitation, he said directly, "I choose the second one."
After saying that, he raised his eyelids, his calm and weathered young eyes looking at Qi Chengming with hesitation, unsure if this would cause him trouble.
Because it sounds... no matter how you look at it, the first option seems more convenient and a more permanent solution.
“Then choose the second one.” Qi Chengming reassured him gently, even though he didn’t know what Wen Zhongnan planned to do. His gaze swept over the second young master Wen, revealing a hint of barely perceptible doubt.
Young Master Wen nodded almost imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping sharply over the surrounding servants. The two servants understood and silently withdrew to negotiate.
It's time to change the plan.
Before long, the servant returned, secretly clutching a key in his hand. He walked over and handed it to Qi Chengming.
Yang Shou: "?"
Qi Chengming wasn't surprised. Without thinking, he deftly opened the cell door with the key. There were two smaller keys on the keychain, obviously for unlocking the chains on his wrists and ankles.
Qi Chengming fumbled around for a while, and finally opened everything. He then helped the weak young man to leave.
Yang Shou stammered. Even with his hazy memories of his teenage years, he had never been so arrogant: "...Cousin, is it appropriate for me to come out like this?"
Having spent many years traveling with his father and elder brother, he was unaware of his cousin's situation in the palace. Now, how had he silently appeared thousands of miles away from the capital? Yang Shouyi dared not inquire further. But… was the government's opinion no longer a concern?
Yang Shou was an honest man, and he was somewhat flustered.
"Come out," Qi Chengming said firmly, tightening his grip slightly on the hand supporting him. Even though he was also apprehensive, he trusted the Second Young Master Wen.
"Save us!" "Sir!" "Let me out too, sir!" Seeing that one prisoner had actually been released, the other prisoners, who had just been calmed down, started shouting excitedly. Some pounded on the bars, and some shook the chains.
"Hurry up and go!" Young Master Wen ignored them and pulled everyone towards the door.
Although Qi Chengming looked thin and weak, the infrastructure system was always performing well. Like a normal teenager, he was in the stage of brute strength. He didn't feel tired even when he was half dragging and half carrying his cousin, and he walked briskly.
Bai Xuan was so frightened by the size difference that he almost lost his soul and rushed over to help.
The group left the noise behind and fled.
"What are you doing!" the old constable shouted suddenly, his voice booming like thunder. Another constable yelled, "What do you think you're doing? The prisoner has escaped!"
Bai Xuan: "...?!"
"Run a few steps! We'll talk when we get back!" Young Master Wen urged, his breathing still steady. The group then started running as fast as they could, much like chickens and dogs. Compared to their steady pace on the way there, the return journey was extremely chaotic.
"This is the kind of excitement I want, but... this excitement isn't absolutely necessary!" Bai Xuan panicked, his face turning pale, and couldn't help but shout. He had to support the weak Yang Shou with his other hand, and his legs were getting weak from running.
This is even worse than just bribing the yamen runners!
"Huff... huff..." Qi Chengming's mind went blank as he ran. Despite the biting cold of the night, he was drenched in sweat, his body steaming with heat, which was incredibly exhilarating.
"Something's strange." Although Yang Shou was weak from the torture, he tried his best to run on his own, not putting too much weight on the two young men. Panting, he whispered a warning in his younger cousin's ear, "Those constables... are far behind us. Are they able to catch up because they're... trying to find out our location?"
Yang Shou's brows were furrowed, and he was extremely vigilant.
Qi Chengming had actually anticipated this. After his cousin pointed it out, he glanced at the Second Young Master Wen's expression as if possessed. The young master was being chased like a dog, panting heavily as he ran behind them, but his expression remained indifferent.
Qi Chengming immediately smiled and said, "Cousin, you don't need to worry."
Sure enough, they didn't even have to go around in circles; they safely passed through the curfew line they had come from and returned to the small courtyard where they were temporarily staying. The yamen runners who were shouting for them didn't react and didn't chase after them anymore.
"This... huff, what exactly... huff... what's going on?" Bai Xuan asked, somewhat annoyed and panting intermittently.
"This is all an act, just to help the constables get away with it." Wen Zhongnan's breathing gradually calmed down. He poured himself a cup of cold tea and drank it all in one gulp. Seeing the dry lips of the others, he quickly passed the teapot over to them.
“My original plan… was to go to the prison to find out what to do, then have the constables pretend to chase after him for a while, and that would be the end of tonight’s business,” Wen Zhongnan explained. As the youngest son of the Wen family, coupled with Bai Xuan’s status as the head of the Bai family, even in Hezhou, his influence was enough for them to handle some dangerous matters.
But Yang Shou suddenly regained his memory and was unwilling to hand over the formula to lure the mastermind behind the scenes, so let's just overturn the table.
The yamen runners assumed they couldn't stop it and tried to minimize their role in the matter. During the day, they just waited for the county officials and Hong Shengsu's men to react... and receive the token left by the Second Young Master Wen for the yamen runners—a folding fan bearing the Wen family seal. The rest was up to Wen Zhongnan to carefully consider and maneuver.
“Before I stay and do these things, there is one more thing—” Wen Zhongnan’s voice was steady, and his eyes fell on Qi Chengming.
If he wants to act decisively and deal with the Eshan County government, he cannot be afraid to act rashly.
"We'll set off tonight and head back to Liuzhou." Qi Chengming understood immediately. He was a prince who had left his fiefdom without permission, and it was best to return without giving the Second Young Master Wen any weakness to worry about.
"Our whole family...we have to go too, right?" Yang Shou asked intently. He sat on the soft cushion that Uncle Huang had brought him. Uncle Huang, an old man, stood beside him with tears streaming down his face, looking like he was about to burst into tears.
"It would be best if you came back with me," Qi Chengming said, patting his cousin's shoulder reassuringly.
He knew why Yang Shou had chosen not to hand over the formula—even if it was just a sting operation, it would have been better to catch everyone involved in the red millet trap in one fell swoop. But Yang Shou was only thinking of his worried mother and sick wife. They couldn't withstand any more trouble.
The same applies to Yang Shou's family. Before Young Master Wen finishes dealing with matters in Eshan County, it would be risky for them to stay. Not only would they need to be protected, but they would also need to be given medicine and treated for their injuries. It would be better to let them return to Liuzhou with Qi Chengming.
Putting aside the fact that Liuzhou City is Qi Chengming's stronghold, let's talk about Doctor Bian—this miracle doctor hasn't left yet. Yang Shou and his wife can ask him to take a look, and they can get good care of themselves afterwards.
"..." Qi Chengming saw that after he said what Doctor Bian said, Yang Shou's expression had wavered and he had tacitly agreed.
"Let's not delay, let's pack up and leave tonight." Qi Chengming looked at Uncle Huang. Although Uncle Huang looked old, he was in extremely high spirits at the moment. He said firmly, "I'll make sure to have a suitable carriage ready for the young mistress in no time. It definitely won't delay her treatment!"
Uncle Huang recognized the familiar young man, and tears welled up in his eyes.
While the second young master of the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion was away, his fate unknown, he married a woman, who was now the rightful second young mistress!
Whether the surname is Yang or Wang, it's none of his business as an old soldier. The only thing he can do is protect the second young master's family for the old man and the deceased master!
That evening, several carriages set off.
The carriage carrying Yang's mother, Yang Shi, and Yang Shou was covered with several thick quilts, making it very stable with little jolting. The family of three embraced each other, weeping. Yang Shou hugged his wife, whose face looked sick, and his son, who had only just begun to sob softly, hurriedly comforting him, "It's alright, look at me... I'm alright now."
“This is my cousin; he saved me,” Yang Shou said awkwardly.
The old woman watched with satisfaction from the carriage beside her, and thanked Qi Chengming on the carriage shaft: "...I really didn't expect that we would have such a fate, thank you very much."
Even though Yang Shou said that this was his cousin from before he regained his memories, the old woman still looked somewhat fearful and reserved.
Nothing more.
Even dressed in simple clothes, Bai Xuan and Qi Chengming couldn't hide their air of superiority. Their identities were undoubtedly wealthy and noble; Yang Shou's original identity was probably...
The old woman buried this worry deep in her heart. Looking at her daughter, who was crying tears of joy in her husband's arms, only having time to recover from the fear, the old woman dared not show anything or think anything.
just in case……
Looking at the old woman's expression, Qi Chengming, who had been accustomed to reading melodramatic novels before his transmigration, hadn't considered this possibility. At the same time, he secretly thought, 'What if…'
"Let me say it again." Qi Chengming disliked those kinds of TV dramas that rambled on and on without getting to the point, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. He took a deep breath and called out, "Cousin! I have something to tell you—"
Yang Shou, who was holding and comforting the sobbing little boy, turned around, put his son back in the carriage, patted him twice, and then got off the carriage.
The two cousins moved to Qi Chengming's empty carriage, and even Bai Xuan wisely avoided them.
Qi Chengming's gaze fell carefully on Yang Shou's face.
Even if my cousin were disfigured, you couldn't deny that he was a handsome man. This "beauty" wasn't about his appearance, but rather his temperament and other qualities.
My cousin has a bright and clear face, regular features, and a graceful and imposing limb. He doesn't seem to have neglected his martial arts skills over the years, so he has broad shoulders, long legs, and well-defined muscles. Even though he is young and frail, his posture is upright, and he has an excellent temperament, without any sense of timidity.
Such a person naturally stands out. Even if he's mixed in with ordinary people, you can pick him out at a glance. Qi Chengming wasn't sure if his cousin's "aesthetic sense" was something he regained after his memories were restored, or if he already possessed it before his memories were restored.
And what about his wife?
In that fleeting moment, Qi Chengming saw that she was an ordinary-looking woman with a haggard and sickly appearance. She was far from beautiful, with a clumsy figure and rough hands. She was just an ordinary working middle-aged woman.
The two of them are visibly mismatched.
...Perhaps before my cousin regained his memory, they were a good match. Their status and position made them a perfect match. But what about now?
This is what Qi Chengming is worried about.
In ancient times, a man's son was still his own, and he might even take him back to be recognized as his own. A woman, however, might not be willing to continue to acknowledge him as her wife; whether or not she became a concubine depended on the man's conscience.
Qi Chengming really didn't understand his cousin's character and couldn't tell whether his conscience was good or bad from that distorted, luxurious exterior.
He pressed on, solemnly and directly addressing the matter, calmly asking, "Cousin, now that you've regained your memories, you should know you're the second young master of the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion. You... don't blame me for being blunt, but what do you think of Sister-in-law Yang?"
Qi Chengming didn't know if his cousin had a family before he went to war... otherwise the situation would have been even more dire.
Fortunately, the education system in the Marquis of Weiyong's residence has always been stable. The rumors circulating in Eshan County were not exaggerated: Yang Shou was indeed kind and filial.
The young man paused, then realized the meaning behind the boy's words. He wasn't angry or anxious at being provoked or slandered; his speech remained calm, but every word was imbued with gentle respect—what he wanted his cousin to understand:
“Cousin, I have never forgotten the Wang family’s ancestral motto of ‘defending the home and protecting the country,’ and I would never do such a heinous thing as abandoning my wife and children. Since I have made a promise to the Yang family, I will not break it.”
At this point, a mischievous smile suddenly appeared on his lips, incongruous with his age, a smile that was both melancholic and amusing:
“My grandfather urged me to find a wife and get engaged back then, and forced me to have a child as soon as possible before going back to the battlefield. I refused, and my father spoiled me so much that he lost his mind… and that was the end of it. Now, if he knew that the grandson he longed for had already been born, I don’t know how shocked he would be.”
Seeing the young man's sad expression, as if he wanted to ask but dared not, Qi Chengming breathed a long sigh of relief and laughed heartily at him:
“Cousin, my maternal grandfather is in good health! Although he gets sick sometimes... he wrote in the last letter that he was still able to chase my cousin all over the yard and beat him up.”
Thank goodness...
It's so great that there are no two wives fighting, no kicking out the wife after regaining the identity and memory... all sorts of messy and melodramatic plots are gone!
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A note from the author: I'm feeling ashamed to admit that I'm sleeping for over ten hours a day; it might be due to potassium deficiency, as the doctor mentioned. Anyway, I'm still adjusting after being discharged from the hospital and trying my best to take my medication and write.
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