36 Runaway
◎Yan Qizheng flipped over her, pressing her down so that she couldn't move◎
In the dim candlelight, a face with an evil smile was so close that Wei Ziyan had a bad premonition in her heart.
"What do you mean?"
"It means, if you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, you follow the dog. Since we're not meant to be together, don't even think about parting on good terms!"
"Then you promised me before—" Wei Ziyan suddenly stopped talking, suddenly realizing.
"I'll let her go when I feel better. That's just a lie! It's all fake!" Wei Ziyan was furious. She grabbed a pillow nearby and smashed it hard on his head.
"You lied to me!"
How skilled was Yan Qizheng? He blocked the attack with one hand and caught the pillow firmly.
Wei Ziyan picked up another pillow and threw it, but it still missed. Furious, she rushed forward, pounding him with both fists, cursing, "Liar! Liar! Yan Qizheng, you big liar!"
While he was fighting, his wrists suddenly felt tight, and he fell backwards onto the bed involuntarily.
Yan Qizheng grabbed her violent hand and with a slight effort, he flipped her onto the bed. With her hand still in his grasp, she raised her foot and kicked at him. Yan Qizheng then flipped over her, pinning her down so she couldn't move.
"Go ahead! See what you can do..."
He hadn't even finished his sentence when the woman beneath him suddenly raised her head and bit the side of his neck. Even though he had thick skin, he still hissed in pain, clearly wanting to bite him to death.
Yan Qizheng switched to grabbing both of her wrists with one hand, freeing his other to clamp her chin, forcing her to release her mouth. He was about to taunt her with a "You're really sharp-tongued," when he froze.
The woman who wanted to fight him to the death at that time now had red eyes and tears in her eyes, looking like she had suffered a lot of injustice.
"Don't..."
The word "cry" was still lingering in her throat, and two lines of tears quietly slid down the corners of her eyes...
Yan Qizhen's heart suddenly tightened, and he subconsciously loosened his hands and feet.
"Don't say I bullied you, you were the first..."
"Get out!" Wei Ziyan yelled.
.......
Fine, a good man shouldn't fight with a woman! Yan Qi turned around and got out of bed in frustration. He had just taken two steps when he remembered that the bed in the study had been removed. Where could he sleep?
Another thought occurred to him: this woman was always good at pretending to be pitiful. She even had the energy to yell at him, so it didn't seem like she was really that upset. Why should he just obey her and leave?
So he turned back and sat down on the bed without caring about anything.
"This is my bed. It's my right to sleep here."
Half an incense stick later, Wei Ziyan sat down on the chaise longue in the outer room with hatred.
She was so angry at that bastard Yan Qizhen that she lost her mind. Only after Leng Xiang reminded her did she remember that she couldn't sleep in the study.
Remaking the bed at this time would surely cause a noise, and she was afraid that word would get back to Madam Yan tomorrow morning. Plus, with the occasional thunder outside, she didn't dare sleep in the study.
But she had already run away, and even if she went back, she couldn't win the bed from a scoundrel, so she had to spend the night on the chaise longue.
Qiu Luo was worried about her being alone, so he slept on the floor and stayed here.
Seeing the red marks on her wrists from being strangled, he was furious: "He said the eldest master wouldn't use force or bully a young lady. If I had known this would happen, I should have rushed in!"
She and Yan Qi were arguing fiercely inside, while several maids stood guard outside, anxiously waiting. Qiu Luo was worried that the young lady was being bullied, and she couldn't help but want to rush in several times, but was persuaded by Leng Xiang and Ping'er.
One of them said, "Even if the eldest master is angry, he will never hit the young lady", and the other said, "The eldest master is so good to the young lady, how could he bear to bully her."
In the end, when they saw her running out with tears on her face, the girls were stunned.
After hearing Qiu Luo's words, Wei Ziyan shrugged slightly: "What can you do if you rush in? You don't dare to fight, and you can't win even if you fight."
These words made Qiu Luo suddenly dejected and look sad.
"Don't worry," Wei Ziyan comforted her, "Your young lady didn't suffer any loss, and she returned it to him."
"The young lady has also taken action?" Qiu Luo was shocked.
“…”
Wei Ziyan was embarrassed to say that it was her mouth that moved, so she said perfunctorily, "Okay, okay, let's go to sleep. I'm tired after arguing for so long."
This fight really drained her energy.
He was indeed a martial artist. Her fists hurt him, but he didn't react at all. Fortunately, it hurt his neck in the end, otherwise she might have suffocated to death tonight!
Wei Ziyan lay flat on the couch, stroking her cheek with her hand. She had bitten too hard just now, and it was still a little sore.
She was also very angry.
Forget about Sister Liu’s matter. After all, they are not a real couple, so there is no reason to force him to help.
But that big liar actually lied to her from the very beginning, gave her full of expectations and joy, and then made all her hopes come to nothing. He was so, so, so bad!
She would never, ever forgive him for lying to her like this!
From tomorrow on, she will no longer listen to him and will go against him!
I'm no longer afraid of him getting angry! It would be best if he gets pissed off to death!
…
Wei Ziyan quickly fell asleep amidst a wave of resentment. Perhaps because she was truly exhausted, she slept surprisingly well. When she opened her eyes, it was already dawn.
Qiu Luo's mat had been cleared away, and she sat on the couch, staring at the smooth floor, lost in thought. When Qiu Luo came in with some water, she saw the young lady in a daze.
"What are you thinking about, young lady?"
"Qiuluo..." Wei Ziyan raised her eyes, "I want to go home."
"Isn't this the young lady's home?"
Wei Ziyan curled her lips and smiled bitterly: "There's not even a bed for me here, how can it be called a home?"
Yan Qizhen was right, “his” bed was as it should be.
"Miss, do you want to go back to your parents' home because you are having a fight with your son-in-law?" Qiu Luo was really shocked.
It's common for couples to argue and say a few words in anger. But if the quarrel really reaches the point where the couple returns to the wife's home, the situation becomes serious.
Seeing that the young lady got up early in the morning and ordered Qiu Luo to pack her luggage, the three maids in Yan Qi's room exchanged glances with each other, hesitating whether to secretly ask the lady to come over.
"Miss, are you really not planning to come back?" Qiu Luo was still trembling with fear.
The family already had clothes and supplies, but the young lady asked her to pack enough luggage for ten days or half a month. Could it be that she really intended to leave without returning?
Wei Ziyan glared at her expressionlessly: "Just take it if I tell you to. Don't say anything more."
"oh......"
Qiu Luo responded, and when he lowered his head to clean up, his eyes met Ping'er's quietly, and was caught by Wei Ziyan.
"And you three, don't go out and tip off the enemy!"
"...Yes, Young Madam."
Later, Leng Xiang led Ping'er out. Ping'er couldn't hold it in any longer, and she started to worry as soon as she got to the yard: "Aunt, what should we do? Are we really going to watch the young lady go back to her parents' home? If the eldest lady finds out later, I'm afraid she will blame us for not doing our job well and not reporting it..."
Leng Xiang was much calmer in comparison. She already had an idea in mind: "Go find Xu Ji."
Xu Ji had been with the eldest son the longest and knew best where to find him.
When the two found Xu Ji, Leng Xiang didn't elaborate, only asking him to report to the eldest lady first, and then leave the house to find the eldest son. Xu Ji was confused: "Why didn't my aunt go and tell the eldest lady herself?"
Ping'er responded unhappily: "If we could go, would we need to look for you?"
"Young Madam forbids us from informing the First Madam," Leng Xiang explained. "Young Madam is determined to return to her parents' home. Only the First Madam can persuade her. You must convey this message and quickly find the Eldest Young Master."
Xu Ji finally understood and said yes.
Normally, he would ask a few questions when the eldest son went out in the morning. But today, the eldest son was in a bad mood and ignored him. He didn't know where he went today.
Xu Ji hurried out of Fuxi Hall and ran straight to Jingsi Courtyard where the eldest lady was.
Just as he turned into the corridor, a Cuju rolled over and he couldn't stop his foot and stepped on it, crushing a corner of the Cuju. Xu Ji hurriedly picked it up.
"You stepped on my Cuju and broke it!" The third young master ran over, followed by the eldest young lady.
Xu Ji quickly apologized, saying he hadn't meant to do it, and that he had been so anxious to find his wife that he hadn't noticed the Third Young Master's Cuju. Yan Qifeng was about to continue to sulk, but was persuaded by his sister behind him.
"Why are you running here to see your mother in such a panic?" Yan Qizhu stared at Xu Ji.
"I'm here to deliver a message to the Madam."
"Oh," Yan Qizhu smiled gently, "Then you'll have to wait for a while. Mother is meeting an important guest, so even my sister and I can only wait outside."
After hearing her words, Xu Ji rubbed his hands anxiously.
"You look like you have something urgent to do. Can't you wait?"
"Yes," Xu Ji answered honestly, "I am still anxious to find the eldest master."
Yan Qizhu smiled kindly again: "Then go find your eldest brother quickly. I'll tell Mother what she wants to say for you."
Xu Ji's eyes lit up immediately. This saved him the time of running to two more places to find the eldest son.
He quickly thanked the eldest lady and explained the reason: "The young lady is packing her things to return to her parents' home. I came here to report this and ask the eldest lady to go over and persuade her."
"Okay, I understand."
"Miss, please inform the Madam as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, I'll go find my mother in a moment."
Xu Ji did not suspect anything, bowed, turned around, and trotted out of the Waterside Hall.
As soon as he left, Yan Qizhu was delighted: "I told you, Big Brother clearly doesn't like that woman, how could he really treat her well?"
The depression of the past few days disappeared in an instant, and Yan Qizhu took his brother's hand and walked out.
"Sister, aren't you going to look for mother?" Yan Qifeng hadn't reacted yet.
"What's the rush?" Yan Qizhu's lips curled up slowly, "Let's go and see what's going on first."
Lengxiang and Ping'er stretched their necks and stood in the yard, looking left and right, but they didn't see the eldest lady coming.
According to the eldest lady's personality, she should have rushed over to dissuade them as soon as she heard the news. Why hasn't she come after more than half an hour?
But what was supposed to come didn’t come, and what wasn’t supposed to come finally came.
After Wei Ziyan finished packing her luggage, she called two servants and used a cart to pull two large boxes and two small boxes to the back door. The carriage that Dujuan had called outside was waiting there quietly.
After all, they had been together for a while. When she came out of the house with Qiu Luo and saw Leng Xiang and Ping'er's expressions that seemed reluctant for her to leave, Wei Ziyan felt a little uncomfortable.
He wanted to say goodbye to them, but couldn't find the right words, so he left with Qiu Luo without saying anything.
The two of them got on the carriage smoothly by walking through the back door without being noticed, but they didn't notice that there were two pairs of eyes hiding in the dark.
It wasn't until the carriage drove away that the brother and sister, who had been hiding for a long time, finally showed up. Yan Qizhu raised her eyebrows happily: "Now they're really gone!"
"Do I need to tell my mother?" Yan Qifeng scratched his head.
"Of course!" Yan Qizhu put on a sly smile. "Before, I didn't know whether what the servant said was true or not. Now that it's confirmed, of course I have to inform mother."
After saying that, Yan Qizhu took his brother back to Shuixie Hall.
Mrs. Yan was indeed meeting with a lady, but they were just chatting about family matters, not so important that they could not be disturbed.
Yan Qizhu brought his younger brother to pay his respects, but didn't want to be questioned by unfamiliar people, so he left early and played Cuju with his younger brother in the shade of the corridor. He happened to meet Xu Ji who came to report the news.
Seeing his panicked expression, Yan Qizhu guessed that something must have happened to his elder brother, so he lied to Xu Ji.
She had been hoping her eldest brother would chase the woman away, and of course she wouldn't let her mother go over and persuade her to stay. Now that she was gone, and since she couldn't hide it for much longer, she went to fulfill her "promise" to Xu Ji.
When Madam Yan heard that her daughter-in-law was going to her parents' home, she immediately rushed to Fuxitang. Unfortunately, she was a step too late, and the maid reported that the daughter-in-law had already left.
Madam Yan felt that she was having trouble breathing, and after taking a few breaths, she anxiously asked Leng Xiang, "What's going on between them?"
"Last night, the young lady and the eldest master had an argument, and as the conversation got closer..."
"What's the quarrel about?"
"......" Leng Xiang replied awkwardly, "We didn't listen carefully..."
Madam Yan was furious: "Why didn't you report what happened last night in time?"
Leng Xiang lowered her head and said nothing. Madam Yan walked into the room. When she saw the bedding, pillows and other delicate items on the chaise longue, she became even more furious.
"None of you take me, your wife, seriously, do you?" She pointed at the chaise longue, her hands shaking with anger.
Leng Xiang and the others crawled and knelt in a row in the house.
"Madam, please calm down. I dare not..."
"Calm down?" Madam Yan said angrily. "You don't need to serve the master right now anyway. Drag all of you out and give each of you ten strokes of the cane!"
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was a vent of anger. Yan Qizhu, who had come with them, felt sorry for the three maids and tried to persuade them. But as soon as she opened her mouth, Madam Yan sternly shut her up: "The maids made a mistake, and as the eldest lady, can't I discipline them according to the family rules?"
How could Yan Qizhu dare to say anything more? He could only watch Leng Xiang and the other two being dragged out by the old woman.
Muffled groans came from the courtyard, making people feel painful. Yan Qizhu didn't expect that innocent people would be implicated and bit her lip nervously.
Ten strokes of the cane were quickly completed, and silence fell. A maidservant beside Madam Yan came in to ask for instructions, saying that the skin had been broken and bleeding, and whether she should see a doctor for medicine. Madam Yan waved her hand irritably, indicating that she would handle it.
Yan Qizhu seized the opportunity to speak: "There's no one serving in the house right now. Mother, why don't you go back to Jingsiyuan and wait for eldest brother to come back before discussing this?"
This sentence reminded Mrs. Yan.
"Quick!" She called the maid back in, "Send a few people to quickly find the eldest master!"
Today was the twice-monthly grand court meeting, and officials of the fifth rank and below were required to attend outside the palace. The emperor was still ill, and the crown prince was still sitting in the court to govern.
When the meeting was over and the court was dismissed, the prince selected several ministers of justice to stay, the youngest of whom was the personal guard captain Yan Qizheng.
The Minister of War Lu Qiyou, who was over 40 years old, walked out of the hall with the Minister of Personnel Fang Jikai, and passed by Yan Qizheng, who was walking quickly into the hall from the opposite direction, at a distance.
Lu Qi noticed the attention Fang Shangshu was giving him and sighed meaningfully, "Young people are truly formidable!"
Fang Jikai immediately withdrew his subconscious attention and replied with a faint smile, "Indeed."
The two chatted for a while before leaving the hall and exchanging farewells. Fang Jikai had just started down the stairs when another official came over and called out to him.
The visitor was none other than Qi Lique, the Imperial Censor, whom he had arranged for a marriage between him and the family of the Minister of Justice.
"Master Fang," Qi Lique said with a bitter face as he pulled him to a secluded place and complained to him. "This marriage has really wronged my daughter!"
"What's wrong?"
"That brat Wu Guanyi is really too much! Not only did he leave my daughter alone all night on the wedding night, but he also ignored all proper etiquette the next day and disappeared without a trace. Now my daughter is a laughing stock in the Wu Mansion!"
"Where are the others?"
“I don’t know!”
"You didn't send anyone to keep an eye on it?" Fang Jikai frowned.
"I haven't even had time to arrange this yet!" Qi Lique clapped his hands. "Who knew this guy would be so rude right after getting married? He doesn't even bother to do anything to save face!"
Fang Jikai snorted coldly: "Do you really want to treat him as a good son-in-law?"
Qi Lique stammered and didn't respond.
"Don't forget why your daughter married him." Fang Jikai's face was stern. "If you delay the prince's important event, even if your entire family is buried with him, it will be of no use."
"Yes, yes, yes," Qi Lique nodded hurriedly, "Don't worry, Lord Fang. I'll make arrangements right away, right away."
Fang Jikai flicked his sleeves, turned around with his hands behind his back, and left towards the west gate of the palace.
The Fang Mansion's carriage was already waiting outside the door. An attendant dressed as a guard respectfully greeted Fang Jikai and whispered, "Sir, a secret report from the Ministry of Justice."
Fang Jikai tilted his head slightly, and his follower whispered in his ear.
"Are you sure the woman's surname is Liu?" Fang Jikai asked in a low voice.
"Absolutely true."
As expected, the prince predicted it! Fang Jikai's eyes lit up with joy: "Are there any other movements over there?"
The follower whispered a few more words into his ear, and Fang Jikai's expression froze, and the joy in his eyes was immediately replaced by a layer of cold murderous intent.
"Send the message quickly. No one can stay on either side."
Xu Ji was squatting at the foot of the wall not far away.
Since the Crown Prince took over the government, the eldest son rarely visited the Crown Prince's residence. Xu Ji left Yan's residence, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the palace. He reached the west gate, passing several people before a eunuch finally entered to check on him. The reply he received was, "Captain Yan has been detained by the Crown Prince for questioning."
Xu Ji thanked his father-in-law and had to wait there.
After about half an hour of waiting, the people sent by Madam Yan also arrived at the palace. When Xu Ji heard that Madam Yan had been angry and punished Aunt Lengxiang and the others, he became even more anxious and quickly asked them to go back and report the news while he continued to wait here.
After waiting for so long, he finally saw his eldest son. Xu Ji ignored his numb legs and hurried over to greet him: "The eldest son is finally out! This is terrible!"
Yan Qizheng and Yu Sugong had just emerged. Although the Crown Prince hadn't lost his temper over what had happened yesterday, his face was clearly unhappy. Minister Wu, upon learning his son had taken Lady Liu away, was furious and assured the Crown Prince that he would bring a full force to search for her and bring her back as soon as possible, regardless of who dared to stop him.
The prince gave a two-day deadline. Yan Qi was worried about Wu Guanyi and was about to go look for him with Yu Sugong, but at the palace gate he met Xu Ji running towards him in a panic and shouting.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"The young lady packed her luggage and went back to her parents' home with Sister Qiuluo!"
“…”
Hearing this, Yan Qizheng froze, his mind going blank for a moment.
"The Madam thought that Aunt Lengxiang and the others were hiding the truth and got angry. She beat each of them with ten boards..." Xu Ji continued to talk about how the Madam took her anger out on them and beat them with boards.
"However, when the young lady was still packing her luggage this morning, my aunt and Ping'er asked me to go and tell the eldest lady the news, hoping that she would go and keep the young lady. They did not hide the news, but when the eldest lady rushed over, the young lady had already left..."
"The eldest lady is very anxious now, so she asked the eldest son to return home quickly."
Yu Sugong, who was standing nearby, heard Xu Ji's words clearly and immediately told Yan Qizhen to go home and appease the people. He said he would take care of Master Wu Er and would send someone to give him a message later.
Yan Qizheng thanked him and hurried home with Xu Ji. On the way, he recalled the quarrel last night, and many emotions unconsciously surged up.
Mrs. Yan was tired of waiting and dozed off in a chair, her hand resting on her forehead. Her maid, Xing'er, stood by, fanning her with a drowsy air, intermittently fanning her.
Suddenly someone walked in, startling Xing'er. She subconsciously straightened her posture and saluted. The word "Young Master" also made Madam Yan open her eyes.
The time when he was furious had passed, and now he was more puzzled when he saw his son.
"Zi Yan went back to her parents' home, did you know?"
"Yeah." Yan Qizhen responded softly.
"I saw she took a lot of clothes and belongings with her. She probably doesn't plan to come back for a while... I don't understand. She was fine the day before yesterday, how did it suddenly become like this?"
The day before yesterday......
Yan Qizhen felt a slight dryness in his throat.
The day before yesterday, he returned to Beijing to pick her up from Wu Mansion and took her home, thinking that they could live happily ever after...
"I'm sorry to have caused my mother so much worry."
After a long while of hearing him say this indifferently, Madam Yan was furious: "Don't you feel worried and distressed? After Zi Yan left, you don't plan to find a way to bring her back?"
Yan Qizheng replied calmly: "She just left, she must be angry, let's talk about it later..."
"What are you waiting for?" Seeing his lukewarm attitude, Madam Yan became anxious again. "When a couple quarrels, they should explain things clearly and clear up any misunderstandings and resentments. The longer they delay, the more their hearts will turn cold! What if Zi Yan doesn't want to come back with you?"
Yan Qi lowered his head and said nothing. Madam Yan suddenly had a guess.
"You..." She pointed at her son in disbelief, "You... don't care whether Ziyan comes back or not?"
Her response was still silence.
"Don't you want to continue living with her?" Mrs. Yan still didn't give up.
This time, Yan Qizhen spoke.
"If I can't make it..."
It's only half a sentence, but the meaning is self-evident.
"Qi Zheng..." Disappointment welled up on Madam Yan's face. "Tell me honestly, did you agree to marry Zi Yan just to repay a favor?"
"From the time we got married until now, you still don't like her?"
【Author’s words】
My wife ran away [burst into tears]
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