Chapter 34 Breaking Through His Defenses: He wanted to stab the person who wanted to usurp his place...
The rumors alarmed not only the Yan family, but also the Princess's residence.
Song Ji secretly investigated and found out that it was the old woman in charge of purchasing in the mansion and a servant who spread the word first.
They didn't serve him personally, nor did they understand the situation. They merely interpreted things from the pictures. Hearing that a young master had come to the mansion and what he was paying attention to in terms of diet, they conjured up a drama in their minds and began to sing it aloud.
I don't care about myself, but this concerns Li Yunru's reputation.
After he understood, he gathered the dozens of servants together and publicly punished the old woman and the servant boy with dozens of lashes, their screams echoing throughout the princess's residence.
The horrific scene was indescribable, chilling to the bone, and too gruesome for onlookers to bear.
Li Yunru knew about his punishment of people, but she didn't care much. Those who lacked sense of propriety deserved to be taught a lesson, but she felt that it was unnecessary for Song Ji to take action himself.
"You just made such a big fuss when you came to the mansion. I'm afraid you'll be resented. But why bother? Let people say what they want. The innocent will clear themselves. As long as you and I know what happened, that's enough."
Song Ji said, "I am not concerned about the princess's reputation."
Before Yunying got married, similar rumors circulated in the capital. At that time, he believed that the innocent would be proven innocent, and besides, he did have some fantasies. Hearing these rumors, he was secretly pleased, as if this could really narrow the gap between him and her, as if he could really covet that position that did not belong to him.
Reality taught him a painful lesson.
The truth has never been so. The chasm between him and her was insurmountable, and the imagination of the world runs deep. Looking at a pair of delicate arms, they can imagine her naked. Seeing a man beside a woman, they can imagine their intimate moments. This rumor spreads like wildfire, becoming more and more outrageous. You know it's not true, but in the eyes of the world, it has already become a fact. At that point, even with a million mouths, it will be impossible to explain.
He has always been surrounded by filth, so it doesn't matter what he does, but she is like the bright moon, with a pure and innocent heart, and can be seen through at a glance. She should not be tainted by worldly affairs.
In the past, he was out of his mind and obsessed, but now, if he is to be blamed for ruining her reputation, then it would be better to take his life.
He would not allow himself to be the one to tarnish the princess's reputation, nor would he allow anyone else to do so!
...
Yan Ning hurriedly arrived at the princess's residence, but did not go in for a long time. Instead, she sat in the carriage and watched people coming and going in the residence, as well as two wounded people being thrown out.
Chen Jingsheng went to investigate and reported back: "The purchasing staff of this mansion took advantage of the time when they went out to make wild accusations and spread rumors. The new teacher is resourceful and has found out the truth and punished them."
Yan Ning wasn't interested in any of this. His face was indifferent and expressionless. These people below were ignorant and couldn't be kept around. If it were him, he would have done the same, or even worse.
Those who love to gossip, perhaps their tongues will be twisted.
What bothered him more was that man.
The princess granted him the authority to discipline the man shortly after he entered the household...
Oh!
The reason for making such a grand display is probably because they're worried people won't know that the princess's residence has gained a powerful and influential young man.
That person's wicked intentions are crystal clear!
Seeing his master's expression shift between indifference and gloom, Chen Jingsheng was unsure what to do. He cautiously asked, "Should I go and inform the princess?"
Staying outside like this isn't a good idea. It's too cold outside. If he stays here any longer, he'll freeze into a snowman.
Yan Ning gripped the hot water bottle in her hand, remained silent for a long while, and then said, "Let's go back to the manor."
Chen Jingsheng: "..."
He asked tentatively, "Now that we're all here, sir, are you really not going to meet the princess?"
Chen Jingsheng said in a low voice, "If there's anything to say, you can say it face to face. These two are avoiding each other and not saying anything. When will this ever end?"
The sound was barely audible, but those who were focused still heard it.
He glanced at Chen Jingsheng and warned, "There won't be a next time."
Chen Jingsheng's face turned ashen, and he answered in a trembling voice, "Yes."
Let's go.
Yan Ning didn't not want to go in; he was just afraid that if he went in, he would lose control and stab that rude person who dared to try and take over his place!
...
Li Yunru was unaware that anyone had come. She was in the outer quarters when she heard Song Ji say this, and her eyes darkened slightly. She asked, "When you asked to leave the mansion that day, was it because of the rumors in the capital?"
It was the same when she went to the capital. Rumors circulated that she was improper, keeping a male concubine before marriage and getting entangled with him. To put it more bluntly, it was said that the two had been having an affair for a long time.
She has never cared about reputation and has never done anything about it. People can say whatever they want, and no matter how much she says, it won't change what they believe in their hearts. It's just that they think she's guilty and trying to cover it up.
Song Ji lowered his eyes and remained silent.
So, what else could Li Yunru not understand? But what's done is done, and there's no point in dwelling on it. She simply said, "There's no need to do that in the future. Let others say what they want. People don't live by other people's mouths. If we take it so seriously, it'll only lead to bloodshed, and we still won't be able to kill all those voices."
Songji crouched down at her feet but did not respond. He said, "The princess may not care, but I cannot."
“I am no longer a princess,” Li Yunru said.
Song Ji said, "In Song Ji's heart, the princess will always be the princess."
Li Yunru was startled by his words and looked up at him. His brown eyes were shining, and his expression was serious, not like he was lying.
he……
"Fine, whatever."
Li Yunru withdrew her gaze, pulled the white fox fur coat up over herself, closed her eyes, and said weakly, "Songji, play me a tune. It's been so long since I've heard your music."
"yes."
The person left, and soon came back in with a zither. She sat down on a table not far from her chaise longue, laid out the zither, placed it on the table, and began to pluck the strings with her slender fingers, producing clear and melodious sounds.
He was playing an ancient tune called "The Changes of Life," which uses a clear and melodious tune to tell the story of the impermanence of life and how life is like a dream. It also fits the changes that Li Yunru is experiencing now.
Even if people don't understand it, they can still sense some of it.
But as she listened, for some reason, the image of Yan Ning flashed through her mind; that person also loved playing the zither.
He had a guqin called Jiusi, which was said to have been made by a craftsman from somewhere. It was priceless and unavailable for purchase. In the entire Jin Dynasty, only his guqin was available, making it exceptionally valuable.
The two married and lived here often, but he disliked her for being a vulgar person who did not understand elegance. The zither was placed in Qingfeng Garden, and he would go over to play it every few days. He could play such somber ancient tunes, but he preferred the tunes he played casually.
Li Yunru couldn't understand the music, but she found it quite pleasant to listen to. Besides its clear and elegant melody, it also had a lively and interesting quality. Occasionally, she would pester him to play a tune for her, but it was mostly just to tease him. When she saw him sitting there, playing the piano so seriously, she would unconsciously drift into deep thought and deliberately move closer to him...
Seeing him so dignified and elegant yet lost in his own thoughts and unable to control himself gives her a great sense of satisfaction.
At times like this, Yan Ning would feel very annoyed, but his temperament prevented him from saying anything harsh. He could only give a cold warning: "Playing the zither is an elegant affair. Princess, you must not act so recklessly in the future."
This lack of deterrent effect meant that Li Yunru would always retort, "My husband lacks self-control, yet he blames me for being unreasonable. That's utterly unreasonable."
He didn't indulge her and immediately retorted, saying that if he didn't respond when the beautiful woman was in his arms, it would hurt her self-esteem.
Forehead……
That person is a hypocrite!
Unfortunately, she was hopeless; she was always captivated by his good looks...
The somber, ancient melody drifted over the courtyard wall and reached the ears of those about to leave, causing Yan Ning's expression to darken even further.
...
As winter draws to a close in the twelfth lunar month, the New Year approaches.
The various families interacted and visited each other, maintaining good relations. The Yan family's residence was bustling with activity, and Yan Ning was too busy to attend to these matters. She only asked Chen Jingsheng to send some gifts over as a gesture of reconciliation.
Compared to the liveliness of the Yan family.
Having lost the protection of the royal family and fallen out with the Yan family, the Princess's residence was deserted. Only one or two minor noble families, who were not well-informed, came to visit, hoping that she could put in a good word for them on Yan Ning's behalf.
Li Yunru was too lazy to deal with it, so she handed everything over to Shu Yun and Song Ji to handle. Even the gifts that Yan Ning sent, she didn't accept when Shu Yun told her, saying, "Return them all, we don't need them."
If it were sent in the name of the Yan family, she would accept it. After all, the Yan family had wronged her, and she didn't need to be pretentious and refuse all these good things.
But she couldn't accept what Yan Ning sent.
If you're going to cut ties, then cut them off cleanly and decisively. There shouldn't be any lingering entanglements or dragging things out, giving people false hope.
After a day of socializing, Yan Ning returned to the courtyard and saw the room full of returned gifts, and her face immediately darkened.
When Cui learned of this, she thought Li Yunru was a woman of her word and true character, so she gave her face and sent her a lot of gold, silver and pearl ornaments the next day. They weren't as thoughtful as Yan Ning's, but they were all practical and good things.
She accepted it and returned a gift in return.
These are things left behind by Yan Ning when she lived in the princess's residence.
She had someone pack everything up and send it all back, leaving nothing behind.
This is her attitude towards this marriage!
Yan Ning was already annoyed by the returned gifts, and seeing her own things thrown back to the Yan family only fueled her resentment and anger.
He kicked over the boxes, saying viciously, "Ha, so what if we send them back? Do I care?"
He doesn't care!
Not rare!
These are all old things, and he doesn't want them anymore anyway!
On that day, as the year drew to a close, the servants and maids in Yan Sanlang's courtyard all received a generous New Year's gift, which was equivalent to their monthly wages for several years of hard work.
However... the atmosphere in the courtyard was terribly cold. When doing things, no one dared to make a sound, for fear that any noise might anger the master and bring them no good.
The Yan family had so many lively places, but one place was deserted on New Year's Eve.
After the reunion dinner and the Tusu wine, it is customary for everyone to gather together to stay up all night on New Year's Eve.
However, there have been many changes this year, and Yan Ning was not in high spirits. He simply drank two cups and then got up to leave. On such a festive day, Cui Shi hoped that he could be happier, so she did not insist. She only asked Cui Wan to keep an eye on him. Cui Wan took on the task and sent an invitation to Lu Wulang, inviting the Lu siblings to visit the Lantern Festival together.
The scions of noble families interacted frequently, but there were also differences in their closeness and distance. Yan Ning's relationship with Lu Wulang was much closer than that between the Wang and Huan families. Sure enough, when Yan Ning saw Lu Wulang, he was no longer so reluctant to go out.
The group left the mansion not long ago.
After having dinner at the princess's residence, Shu Yun and Song Ji also took Li Yunru out.
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Author's Note: The next chapter will be released around 11 PM Sunday. Another gap in the rankings! I've lost count of how many weeks I've been off the charts. This book will probably stay like this until the end. [Chin resting on hand]
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