28 Seduction
◎Dressed like this on purpose to provoke me◎
The next morning, Yan Qizheng greeted his mother and informed her that his day off was over and he would be on duty at the Crown Prince's residence. Madam Yan didn't ask why, but she noticed her son's face was grim, as if he was angry with someone.
Think about who else he can be angry with? Madam Yan went to the eldest son's Fuxi Hall.
Wei Ziyan had just woken up and was still in a daze.
Before she woke up, she had a nightmare. Yan Qizheng pinched her face angrily and said to her fiercely, "Don't even think about getting a divorce in this life!"
Wei Ziyan woke up in shock and found herself back in the strange big bed.
Leng Xiang told her that the eldest master sent her back last night and she has been sleeping ever since.
Leng Xiang also said that the eldest son ended his honeymoon leave early and has now gone to the Prince's Mansion.
Wei Ziyan thought nothing of this and sat listlessly at her dressing table. Dujuan was combing her hair when Ping'er suddenly led Madam Yan into the inner room. Unconcerned with her appearance, Wei Ziyan quickly stood up and saluted.
"No thanks." Madam Yan had always been friendly with her, so she skipped the formalities and asked directly.
"Did you have an argument with Qi Zheng?"
Wei Ziyan shook her head blankly.
"Then who is he angry with for going on duty now?"
Wei Ziyan opened her eyes slightly wider, and finally she understood something - it turned out that Yan Qi went to the Prince's Mansion early because he was angry.
As for who to follow...
You can't follow her, right?
She remembered that Yan Qizheng was not unhappy yesterday! It was definitely not her fault, and had nothing to do with her.
Since her daughter-in-law was unaware of the situation, Mrs. Yan had no choice but to ask the maid in the house.
"Madam, Leng Xiang is also unclear and dares not speculate."
"I didn't ask you to guess. The eldest master's happiness is written all over his face. Didn't you see it?"
Ping'er stepped forward and whispered, "When we brought the young mistress back yesterday, the eldest master looked unhappy... He seemed genuinely angry."
Madam Yan's gaze fell back on Wei Ziyan. She looked confused and had no impression at all.
"The young lady got drunk, and Ping'er asked the eldest master if he wanted some sobering soup. The eldest master said no, and that he didn't need to bother with her. Then the eldest master threw... no, he put the young lady on the bed and left. The eldest master's face didn't look good at that time, and he didn't come into the house until this morning..."
"He didn't come into the house?" Madam Yan's brows furrowed. "Then where did he sleep?"
"study."
Madam Yan was silent for a moment, then gave Wei Ziyan a look that said, "I'll tell you what I mean." "If he's not angry with you, who else could he be angry with?"
But......
Wei Ziyan twisted her fingers: "I really don't know how I offended him?"
"Perhaps..." Ping'er guessed, "The eldest master feels neglected by the young lady?"
Wei Ziyan looked at Ping'er in surprise, only to hear her continue cautiously: "Young Madam has been away for several days since she returned home. She finally came back yesterday, but she was drunk and unconscious..."
She was drunk...
Ping'er stopped talking here, Wei Ziyan frowned, still couldn't connect the two things of herself being drunk and the eldest master being ignored.
Madam Yan, on the other hand, smiled softly. She felt that what Ping'er said made some sense, and there was no other more reasonable explanation.
Her son used to be stubborn and would never pay attention to anyone no matter what. After getting married and tasting the sweetness of having a daughter-in-law, it's not impossible that he complained about being ignored.
Madam Yan looked at her daughter-in-law again. Although she was married, she was still ignorant and probably had no idea about a man's mind.
Sighing silently, Madam Yan immediately dismissed the maidservant and sat down holding Wei Ziyan's hand.
"You too, you used to want to cling to Brother Yan every day, but now that you're married, why are you distancing yourself from him? Are you willing to let him stay alone for ten days or half a month right after getting married?"
"He said so himself. I can stay at home as long as I want." Wei Ziyan didn't understand why Yan Qizheng was angry about this?
"Men, for the sake of face and self-esteem, say one thing and mean another."
Would Yan Qizhen say one thing and mean another?
Her mother-in-law's words made Wei Ziyan suspicious, and her eyebrows furrowed even tighter.
Madam Yan saw this and smiled slightly, saying, "Don't worry, Qi Zheng's temper is fine, just coax him."
Coax? Want her to coax Yan Qizheng?
How, how to coax her?
Wei Ziyan looked bewildered, and Mrs. Yan couldn't help but sigh slightly when she saw this.
"As between husband and wife, they quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed..." Madam Yan advised, "You should take the initiative tonight and don't let him sleep in the study again."
.......
After Madam Yan left, Dujuan came in and continued to comb the young lady's hair. She saw a plain face that was so red that it was almost dripping with blood reflected in the bronze mirror.
Wei Ziyan couldn't believe it. Yan Qi was angry because she ignored him and didn't tell him...
He had clearly said that he would not touch her, and it was also clear that he wanted to sleep in the study, so how come it became her one-sided problem now?
Is Ping'er just daydreaming?
The more Wei Ziyan thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.
"When do you plan to be back?"
"White Ear barks in the house every day, and he won't be happy even if I chase him away..."
Suddenly, Wei Ziyan recalled what Yan Qizhen said yesterday. Could it be that... that was a fabricated statement made up to get her to come back earlier?
"Where is Bai'er?" Wei Ziyan asked Dujuan hurriedly.
"The eldest master thought it was noisy in the house and rushed back to the study."
Wei Ziyan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
She said it, Yan Qizhen doesn't seem like the kind of person who would lie to her, Ping'er must be overthinking it!
Only halfway through his wedding leave, Yan Qizheng showed up at the Crown Prince's residence. The guards were both surprised and delighted, and they surrounded him with a flurry of chatter. Some wished him a happy wedding, some were curious about his sudden return to duty, and some even clamored for drinks...
Yan Qizhen didn't respond at all, just said he wanted to drink, and would not return to Qingfeng Pavilion until he was drunk that night.
As everyone cheered happily, the Crown Prince emerged from the inner courtyard. Seeing Yan Qi wearing the same silver soft armor as the other guards, he couldn't help but smile.
"Since you are here, come with me to the Ministry of Justice."
In the main hall of the Ministry of Justice within the palace, Crown Prince Li Chengtai sat at the head of the table, Yan Qizheng stood beside him, and at the lower table stood only Minister Wu Minglu. On the way here with the emperor, Yan Qizheng had learned that Minister Wu had made a new discovery regarding the assassin.
"Yesterday, a waiter from a steamed bun shop came to report that he had seen the person in the portrait. He recalled that when he was collecting the money, he heard the customer's accent and asked where he was from. He was surprised to hear that he was from the remote northern border, and asked if he had come all the way to the capital to look for relatives. The customer smiled softly, nodded, and left."
At this point, Wu Minglu explained further.
"This waiter went back to his hometown a while ago and only learned about the reward after he came back, so he came to report it yesterday."
This clue might seem unremarkable, but with the Liao King in charge, the word "Northern Frontier" was particularly sensitive. Wu Minglu weighed the pros and cons and dared not speak out, so he invited the Crown Prince over.
Li Chengtai pondered for a moment, then turned to Yan Qizheng and asked, "If it were you, would you travel thousands of miles to bring your people to the capital to assassinate me?"
Yan Qizheng shook his head.
Hiss—that makes sense! Wu Minglu suddenly understood.
Such a stupid idea that would expose the enemy once they were caught, how could the resourceful King of Liao not consider it carefully?
However, Yan Qizheng still had a trace of doubt: "A Northern Border assassin has infiltrated the Shen Clan's Jianghu people. If this isn't a coincidence, then there's something fishy going on. It's best to find out his true identity."
"That's right." Li Chengtai nodded in agreement. "The Northern Frontier is remote, and the imperial court is actually out of reach. Fourth brother has just been granted the title of 'Marquis of Guangping' by our father, and his position is even more important. We must investigate thoroughly."
The Fourth Prince won a victory, and Emperor Jingren was delighted. He wanted to reward his son handsomely, but the messenger who announced the victory in front of the palace relayed the message from the King of Liao, saying, "Your Majesty, there is no need to reward me. Instead, I will give you food and military pay to strengthen our Hu Zhou army."
Emperor Jingren was overjoyed after hearing this. He not only rewarded the army, but also conferred the title of "Marquis of Guangping" on the King of Liao.
There is no precedent in this dynasty for both the title of king and marquis. Even if we trace back to the previous dynasty, it was a long time ago. This shows how satisfied Emperor Jingren was with the performance of the Fourth Prince this time!
Regardless of whether the King of Liao participated in the assassination attempt, with his current honor as a "king", he will be the biggest threat to the prince's smooth succession to the throne in the future.
Therefore, the deeper meaning behind the prince's words was that he wanted to dig something out from the King of Liao's territory in case of emergency.
Understanding the Crown Prince's intentions, Wu Minglu recommended his confidant: "I will immediately send Minister Yu Sugong to the northern border to investigate and make sure to find out the identity of the assassin."
Yu Sugong is capable and reliable, making him a good candidate. However, Wu Minglu noticed the prince's hesitation.
"Your Highness, are you worried?"
"No," Li Chengtai thought, frowning. "My fourth brother's birthday is just around the corner. It doesn't seem right to ask Minister Yu Shun to present a gift on my behalf."
Yes, the King of Liao was very cautious and kept guarding the northern border. He was most afraid of getting involved with officials from various departments and attracting criticism.
"Your Highness, I am willing to go to the northern border to present a gift on your behalf." When Wu Minglu was in trouble, Yan Qizhen took the initiative to volunteer.
"You?" The prince smiled, "How much do you dislike the women of the Wei family? You rushed back to serve, and now you can't wait to get as far away as possible."
Thinking of last night, Yan Qizheng smiled bitterly in his heart: "I never disliked it...just had some quarrels."
Upon hearing this, Wu Minglu smiled slightly and joked, "From chasing her husband to controlling him, she forced Captain Yan to give in at every step. This daughter of Wei Taizhong is truly a formidable character."
Why chase the husband?
Yan Qizheng continued to smile bitterly: "It's just a rumor. Please forgive me, Minister Wu."
Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince also agreed with Wu Shangshu's words and suggested a solution to his captain: "Find a time to bring your wife to the Crown Prince's Mansion and let the Crown Princess teach you how to be a wife."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness," Yan Qizheng felt really embarrassed, "My wife is actually... very good."
"You did protect him." Li Chengtai smiled and let it go, then changed the subject. "It's all right for you to go. I appoint you as the imperial envoy, and go with Minister Yu to investigate the assassin. By the way..."
The prince's words were profound.
"Celebrate Fourth Brother's birthday properly for me."
The Wei residence received a message from the son-in-law last night, stating that the young lady had been taken back to the Yan residence by the son-in-law. Therefore, this afternoon, Madam Wei arranged for Qiu Luo to be sent to the Yan residence along with a return gift.
Wei Ziyan felt relieved to finally see her own people. Although Yan Qizheng's maid was not bad, there was no guarantee that she would be as blindly imaginative as Ping'er, causing trouble. It was safer for her to have Qiu Luo by her side.
Leng Xiang made a bed in her side room, and Qiu Luo lived with her.
Wei Ziyan asked Qiu Luo to call Leng Xiang "Auntie" like other maids, and also asked Leng Xiang to take her to recognize all the old women and servants in the courtyard.
Qiu Luo came back from a long walk around Fuxi Hall and excitedly told her how easy it was to get along with Aunt Lengxiang, and how there were too many people in the courtyard and she couldn't recognize them all at once, blah blah blah...
Finally, he looked around the room again and asked curiously, "Why don't I see Master Yan?"
"I'm on duty at the Prince's Mansion."
"Ah?" Qiu Luo exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Yan's vacation is over so soon! We've just gotten married, why doesn't Young Master Yan spend more time with Miss?"
Wei Ziyan stopped fiddling with the flower pots and thought, what is he doing at home instead of on duty? He can't just be fiddling with the flowers and playing with the cat with her, right?
They are not really husband and wife.
What's more, Yan Qizhen was "suspected" to be angry with her.
"You're yelling at me, Young Master Yan, Young Master Yan," Wei Ziyan stuffed the flowerpot into Qiu Luo's hand, "Remember to call me uncle."
"Oh." Qiu Luo puffed out his cheeks.
Qiu Luo spent the entire afternoon waiting for her son-in-law to come back and keep her company. But when it was already dark, he still hadn't shown up, and the young lady was getting hungry from waiting.
Because before Madam Yan left that morning, she had specifically asked Leng Xiang to watch over the small kitchen and prepare some soup that the eldest son would like so that the young lady could coax him, Wei Ziyan had been waiting from the morning till the morning. Unable to wait any longer, Wei Ziyan ate a quick dinner alone and had someone leave the soup in the kitchen.
At the end of May, the weather had already warmed up, and mosquitoes began to appear. Wei Ziyan wanted to sit in the courtyard to enjoy the fresh air and continue waiting for Yan Qizheng, but those silent mosquitoes were hard to guard against.
Seeing that it was almost noon, Wei Ziyan was also tired, so she went back to the room to take a bath, changed into light pajamas, and lay down on the bed.
"Why is there one pillow missing?" Qiu Luo discovered this when he was making her bed.
Wei Ziyan chuckled: "Do I need to use two pillows?"
"Then my son-in-law..."
"He sleeps in the study."
Qiu Luo's eyes widened, and after a moment, she felt sorry for her: "When the young lady returned home, she said that the young master treated you very well. The young lady said it on purpose for the master and the mistress to hear."
No, Yan Qizheng is indeed good to her! Not only did he save her life yesterday, he also gave her a beautiful BMW! Does he have to share a bed with her to be good to her?
Wei Ziyan ignored Qiu Luo and lay down on the bed. Unexpectedly, Ping'er ran in with small steps, looking excited.
"Young Madam, the eldest master is back and coming to the inner room!"
Today's task of "coaxing people" was not yet completed, so Wei Ziyan had to climb out of bed again, hurriedly put on a gauze at hand and went out to greet them.
Yan Qizhen was dressed in brocade clothes and soft armor, his face was flushed, and he seemed to have drunk a lot of wine. The strong smell of alcohol penetrated his nose.
Before the wedding, Wei Ziyan called him Yuwen, or Brother Yan, and occasionally called him by his full name when in a hurry. After the wedding, he didn't know how to address him without feeling awkward.
Normally, I should call him husband, but...
She couldn't scream.
Wei Ziyan hesitated for a moment, the words "You're back" still stuck in her throat. Yan Qizheng's eyes fell on her and he said coldly, "I just came here to take a shower and change clothes. There's no need to greet me in person."
After saying that, he walked around her and strode into the bathroom. His demeanor was visibly cold, a completely different person from yesterday.
Wei Ziyan frowned, trying to recall any clues that might have angered him...
After a while, Leng Xiang came out of the bathroom. On one hand, she asked Du Juan to go to the small kitchen to bring soup, and on the other hand, she asked Ping'er to bring clean clothes for the eldest master.
Forget it, Leng Xiang turned around and said to her, "Young Madam, why don't you sit here for a while and wait for the eldest master to come out?"
Knowing her good intentions, Wei Ziyan sat down as she said.
Then, Qiu Luo poured her a cup of cold tea. Soon, Du Juan brought her some soup and placed it before her. Ping'er, holding a piece of clothing, also hesitantly offered it to her.
They all seemed to want to be peacemakers, and they all hoped that she would take the initiative to show goodwill and help her to please the eldest master.
but--
Wei Ziyan stared at the clothes in front of her in confusion. This attentive...
She really can't offer it!
Seeing her so timid, Qiu Luo couldn't help but feel confused: "Young lady was so bold when she was pestering me before, why is she so hesitant now when she gives me the clothes?"
“…”
Wei Ziyan tilted her head and thought about it, it seemed to be true.
It's just giving away clothes, what's there to be afraid of?
So, Wei Ziyan picked up her clothes and walked into the bathroom. She saw a vast expanse of white mist in the room, and behind the screen it was so quiet that not even the sound of running water could be heard.
Yan Qizhen is probably resting with his eyes closed?
For fear of disturbing him, Wei Ziyan carefully slowed down her movements, tiptoed to the clothes rack.
Hanging on it were the dirty clothes he had just taken off. Wei Ziyan brushed them aside and hung up the clean clothes in her arms. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she remembered that Leng Xiang always took away the dirty clothes, so she raised her hand and pulled off the pile of clothes and hugged them together.
She was inexperienced and didn't know that she had to sort things out one by one before she could move forward. Not only did she find it difficult to carry such a large pile of messy things, but she also tripped over her trouser legs that were dragging on the ground.
Wei Ziyan unconsciously let out an "ah" and immediately held her breath and concentrated.
Seeing no movement behind the screen, he breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to continue walking out, a deep, hoarse voice suddenly emerged from behind him.
"The water is too hot, add some cold water."
Wei Ziyan paused and stood there, feeling torn: should she go out and ask Leng Xiang to come in and serve him, or should she go and get him some water herself?
If I call Leng Xiang in now and let him know, will he be annoyed again that she is putting on a show?
Never mind...just adding some water.
Wei Ziyan struggled internally for a moment, but finally steeled herself. She turned around, huffing and puffing as she carried a bucket of cold water to the screen. She silently chanted "Don't look at anything inappropriate," and her half-open eyes barely caught a glimpse of Yan Qizheng's profile.
He leaned his head against the bucket, and indeed he was resting with his eyes closed.
Wei Ziyan breathed a sigh of relief, bent down, and carefully used a wooden ladle to scoop water into the bathtub.
Her movements were gentle and slow, fearing to disturb the person in front of her. However, she had never done this kind of work before, and she was nervous, so she somehow managed to shake a spoonful of water onto half of Yan Qizheng's shoulder.
"Why are you here?" Yan Qizhen suddenly opened his eyes and turned his head to look over.
On his handsome face, which was wet, were a pair of amber eyes that seemed to have no bottom. When Wei Ziyan suddenly looked into his eyes, her heart suddenly panicked.
"I, I'm here to deliver...deliver clothes..."
The man so close to her was still naked in the water. Not only did Wei Ziyan's face burn, but even her words seemed to burn her mouth: "I, I'm going out now..."
Just as she dropped the ladle and tried to run, Yan Qizheng's long arm shot out from the water, grabbed her wrist and yanked her hard. Wei Ziyan lost her balance and fell forward, landing on a wall of wet flesh.
The body that had just been soaking in the water emerged from the water. The man's broad and strong chest was covered with water vapor and water droplets, and was pressed against her body.
Wei Ziyan's other hand was resting on his chest, and a bulge appeared where her fingers touched...
"Ah——" Shocked, Wei Ziyan screamed, retracted her hand and covered her eyes.
Oh no, will she get sty?
"Let go, Yan Qizhen!" Wei Ziyan was in tears.
"You want to leave before you finish refilling the water?"
"I, I'll go get someone..."
"Call someone?" Yan Qizheng sneered, "Aren't you the one who came in to serve?"
"I......"
The word "serve" in his mouth was full of ambiguity. Wei Ziyan felt embarrassed and annoyed, her face flushed red: "Let me go quickly! Ah——"
Instead of letting go, Yan Qizhen increased the strength of his hand that was restraining her, causing her to gasp in pain.
"you--"
Wei Ziyan opened her eyes wide, but when she met Yan Qizhen's gloomy gaze, she was so scared that she swallowed back the rest of her words.
It's not that she had never seen him angry before, but that anger was clear, like naked under the sun, and she could see through it. Even when he found out he had been cheated in the teahouse, his anger still made her fear clear.
Unlike now, he was not furious or hysterical, but his eyes were bloodshot, and the hidden anger in his eyes was gloomy and terrifying.
"You dressed like this on purpose, deliberately provoking me, and then pretending to be nice!" Yan Qizhen gritted his teeth, squeezing out every word from between his teeth.
"Wei Ziyan, what are your intentions?"
“…”
These words shocked Wei Ziyan like a bolt of thunder!
"You think I..."
Yan Qizheng actually thought she seduced him!
She was even more wronged than Dou E! !
Wei Ziyan was both embarrassed and angry. She was so angry that she couldn't break free and opened her mouth to bite his hand.
The man flinched, and Wei Ziyan bit down on his shoulder. She bit down with all her might, desperate to tear a piece of flesh off him. With a muffled groan, the claws tightening around her wrist loosened, allowing Wei Ziyan to break free and flee in panic.
He stumbled out of the bathroom, ignoring the strange expressions on the four girls' faces outside, and rushed back to the bed, grabbing the thin blanket and covering himself tightly...
"Miss," Qiu Luo chased to the bedside, "You're all wet, don't you want to change into pajamas?"
Wei Ziyan lifted the quilt. It would have been fine if she hadn’t looked, but when she did, she was shocked again.
The thin long gauze and nightgown were already soaked with water stains, sticking to her chest, outlining the woman's distinct curves. No wonder he said...
Wei Ziyan was so ashamed and angry that she quickly changed her clothes and covered herself with her head.
"Miss, my uncle seems..."
She popped her head out and yelled angrily, "Don't mention him! And don't ask me to coax him again!"
【Author’s words】
I'm so angry! I'm not here to seduce him!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
