Chapter 56: Scheming for power is the best way to protect her...
Yan Ning frankly stated, "It has always been in my private coffers."
He loved playing the zither.
His private collection also contains a variety of famous guqin, some of which he found himself, and some of which were gifts from relatives and friends. This "Green Waist" is one of the guqin he found, and it just so happens to be in the capital.
"If I had known it would be like this, why would I have bothered with all this effort!"
Yan Ning laughed, "You didn't ask me before."
He handed her the key to the private vault, saying, "Here, this is the key to the vault. There are still quite a few things inside. If you want something in the future, just go and get it yourself. If you can't find it inside, just tell me and I'll help you find it."
"Young Master Yan truly lives up to his reputation as a model of a noble family's son, so generous!" Li Yunru teased, taking the bunch of keys, examining them for a while, and then returning them, saying, "Never mind, you should keep these yourself, lest I suddenly decide to take them all away one day, and the accounts don't match, and you'll have nowhere to cry."
"Take it if you want," Yan Ning said indifferently. "We are husband and wife, so these things are yours too. There's no distinction between 'yours' and 'mine'."
As he spoke, he seemed to think of something, and the relaxed expression on his face gradually faded, his eyes becoming deep and dark.
The man looked at her and asked with a serious expression, "Liyang, have you never thought about staying by my side for long?"
"This is not a question of whether I want to or not."
It's a question of whether or not it's possible.
If possible, she would be willing to live in harmony with him and grow old together. But if the final result is still not satisfactory, she will not wrong herself. If it really comes to that, she can also leave gracefully.
She does not depend on him or his love for survival.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."
Li Yunru, holding the zither, said, "You're busy, I'll take the zither to Songji first."
She still didn't trust him.
Seeing her hurried departure, Yan Ning knew perfectly well that she was only trying to avoid him.
However, she couldn't be blamed; he and the Yan family had broken her heart in the past.
...
Songji's birthday banquet was exceptionally lively, with the best chefs from the finest restaurants coming to prepare the feast, a grand opera performance by the Shuique Troupe, and all the servants and maids in the mansion also benefiting from the occasion and receiving many fine gifts.
Looking around the entire capital, no other gentleman or servant had received such treatment, and so the old rumors resurfaced once again.
Every time Yan Ning finished his shift, he would hear these sounds. Even his two older brothers couldn't help but tease him about it, saying, "Your third brother went to so much trouble to find this person, so naturally you wouldn't care about these sounds, right?"
“My third brother and the county magistrate are a perfect match, and they are also people who transcend worldly affairs, of course.”
The two of them sang in harmony.
He was well aware of the sarcasm in their words. The two men had not gotten along with him since childhood, but they had become much more restrained as they grew up. However, it was all just a facade; their brotherly affection was for their father's benefit.
As long as he is the next head of the Cui and Yan families as they tacitly agree, this discord will likely continue.
Especially now that he has entered officialdom and taken over the military power in Jiangzuo that they have always wanted, everyone is just waiting for him to stumble. They won't let go of any opportunity to watch the show.
People often say that women are narrow-minded and short-sighted, but men are no less so. They all have their own thoughts and schemes, but their worldly status helps them to cover them up.
People with different principles cannot work together.
He did not wish to argue further with the two men, saying, “I know that Lady Liyang is straightforward, kind, and honest in her dealings with others. I have already agreed to this matter, and there is nothing out of line. You two are pillars of the court and should be well-informed. How can you just follow the crowd and judge the case based on these opinions? I fear that such a judgment will not be convincing.”
After speaking, he got into his carriage and left.
"Pooh!"
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Yan Jun spat and muttered, "Pretentious, hypocritical, just like his mother!"
Yan An, on the other hand, appeared much calmer, nodding and smiling.
How can you still laugh?!
Yan Jun said, "In the past, he liked to pretend and didn't compete or fight, so you and I still had some chance. Now that he has entered the court, become the governor of Sizhou, and taken over the military power in Jiangzuo, Father has always valued him. If this continues, you and I will be completely out of the game!"
“Brother, you are overthinking it,” Yan An said. “With Li Yang around, he can’t do anything.”
"Her presence is the real problem; look at his recent behavior in court..."
Loves to show off.
Ironically, he actually solved the problem, and now there are even rumors that the two of them have been in Beijing for many years, but are not as good as his younger brother who has only been in Beijing for a few months.
Oh!
I've always lived in his shadow, the light of being the best in Jiangzuo, and now I have to continue...
How can anyone not be angry!
Yan An said, “So what? Brother, have you forgotten that the pleasure quarters are the graveyard of heroes? He won’t be the governor of Sizhou for long. Now that he has taken over the military power, he will have to return to Jiankang sooner or later… I heard that Sister Cui left the capital in tears. What do you think will happen when the family and relatives find out about Sister Cui’s affairs and know that it is related to him and Lady Liyang?”
"You mean..."
“Hmm.” Yan An nodded. “That’s why I said that having Li Yang around is actually a good thing. One can never have both a promising career and the favor of a beautiful woman. No matter how intelligent Yan Changjun is, I want to see how he manages to have both!”
Yan Jun finally smiled with relief upon hearing this. He said, "Second brother, I've discovered that you're even more cunning than I am. Sometimes I'm even afraid of you."
Yan An didn't look at him or respond to his words. He just stared at the carriage that had completely disappeared, and his smile deepened.
...
When Yan Ning returned to the villa, Li Yunru and Yan Sheng had also returned from watching the dragon boat race. They rushed over excitedly as soon as they saw him enter, showing off the things they were carrying.
There were pottery figurines, kites, cheerful bamboo dragonflies, beautiful flowers, and two large bags of pastries...
"Guess how it came about?" Li Yunru asked.
"Um?"
Yan Ning tilted her head and smiled at her, then asked with interest, following the person's words, "How did you get here?"
"I got it from a kid, pretty impressive, right?"
She set up a betting pool on the shore of Jinming Lake, betting on which side would win the dragon boat race.
However, they don't gamble with real money, but rather with small trinkets.
“My mother said that every child is born with good fortune, and the things they give you are also blessed…”
The man waved the pile of clay in his hand and stuffed a small clay figurine into his hand, saying, "We've accumulated a lot of good fortune today, so we'll share some with you."
"Me too, me too."
Yan Sheng also handed him her bamboo dragonfly, saying, "I'll share some of mine with you too."
This was the first time he had heard of such a saying, and it was quite novel and interesting. He held the small clay figure and bamboo dragonfly in his hands and rubbed them back and forth. His originally restless heart was gradually filled with peace and calmed down.
"I'm sorry, I should have gone with you two today."
In the past, when he was not serving in the capital, but was in Jiankang, he would also take his friends out for a stroll with flowers on this day to celebrate the grand occasion.
However, this year, he became an official in the capital, and a major event had just occurred. Emperor Wucheng needed an excuse to demonstrate his benevolence and good deeds and win back the hearts of the people. Therefore, he attached great importance to this Dragon Boat Festival, not only opening up Jinming Lake but also inviting all officials to visit together, so he could not leave.
"It's alright." Yan Sheng waved his hand generously. "I'm not familiar with this capital, but my sister-in-law is. We can manage on our own, and besides, Song Ji and the others are with us. It's no problem."
Yan Sheng was telling the truth. In the past, Li Yunru cared a lot about whether Yan Ning accompanied her. Firstly, because he broke his promise, and secondly, because she was unfamiliar with Jiankang and had no relatives or friends there, she needed someone to stand firmly by her side to make her feel safe. But once those restrictions were gone, she didn't really care that much about whether someone was with her.
Playing alone is also quite comfortable.
She was open-minded, but others didn't hear it that way.
Yan Ning glanced at Song Ji, who had been standing silently to his side. He looked up at him, and their eyes met for a moment, both secretly vying for attention. Neither of them looked away, and the atmosphere became a little strange. Finally, a servant came to ask if the meal was ready, which broke the deadlock.
However, this is only temporary.
After dinner, the weather was hot, so no one was in a hurry to go back inside. Instead, they sat in the courtyard to cool off. Taking advantage of this moment, Yan Ning called Song Ji into the study alone.
He wasn't direct, but he wasn't one to beat around the bush either; once the conversation turned to tea, he got to the point.
"I would like to ask you, sir, to make a trip to Jiangzuo on my behalf. What do you think?"
"My lord is concerned about the recent rumors and wants me to leave the manor."
Yan Ning did not deny this point. He frankly said, "There is a reason for this, but the most important reason is that I need your help, sir."
He briefly recounted what he had learned about the Jiangzuo Army over the past few days, and also spoke of the current situation of the Yan family, his predicament with Liyang, and finally said: "The situation of the Jiangzuo Army is complicated now. If it is not handled properly, it may lead to a second conflict among the aristocratic families. I should have gone there myself, but I am currently busy with affairs in the capital, and the Yan family is also putting me in a difficult position. I really cannot leave, so I can only trouble you, sir."
"I know that you said you would only be loyal to Liyang and work for her. But have you ever thought that power is the best way to protect her? If you continue like this, it may be fine for now, but what will happen when there are troubles in the future?"
"I can promise you, sir, that once you return from supervising the army, I will arrange a position for you in the court and will not treat you unfairly."
Song Ji lowered his eyelids and did not answer him for a long time before asking, "Why me among so many people around you, my lord?"
Yan Ning said, "Because I can only trust you, sir."
Song Ji laughed, "Young master is too naive. Aren't you afraid that I will use your orders to intimidate you in the Jiangzuo army, turn the tables on you, and end up causing you no end to your troubles?"
"Sir, you won't."
"Who knows?"
Yan Ning calmly replied, "Sir, you won't."
He believed in his feelings for Liyang, but people who wanted to protect Liyang wouldn't do that.
Song Ji stared into his eyes for a long time. Yan Ning didn't shy away from it, and the two exchanged glances for a while before finally one of them spoke: "Okay."
He agreed.
He quickly left the capital with the two guards given to him by Yan Ning.
By the time Li Yunru realized what was happening, the person was already dozens of miles away, and there was no way to catch up. She could only go to Yan Ning, who had recently been in contact with Song Ji.
Today is the last day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Yan Ning was preparing to go out for a walk with someone and was packing her things when the door was kicked open and Li Yunru barged in with red eyes.
Without a word, the man threw his luggage on the ground and asked in a tearful voice, "Songji, you're the one who let him go!"
"yes."
Upon hearing his admission, Li Yunru's previously suppressed emotions erupted.
"Why? You can't stand him at all? Didn't you say you didn't care? What, you were just lying to me!"
She was emotionally agitated, and her frail body trembled as she spoke, as if she were about to faint at any moment.
Yan Ning didn't want to upset her at this moment, so she tried her best not to care about how she was blaming her. Her emotions were out of control. She put down what hadn't been knocked away and reached out to grab her hand.
"Listen to me, Liyang..."
Li Yunru was so caught up in her emotions that she couldn't hear anything. The hand that was touched reacted as if it had been touched, and she instinctively shook it off.
This action chilled Yan Ning to the bone. He barely managed to control his emotions, suppressing his anger as he asked in a cold voice, "Is that person so important to you? So important that you would lose your composure like this and question your husband so disregarding your dignity for his sake!"
"yes!"
Li Yunru blurted out, "Very important, more important than you! A thousand times, ten thousand times more important than you!"
"Then why didn't you choose him? Why did you agree to come back with me?"
"I chose him, so what if I chose him? You forced me to do it. If it weren't for you..."
The moment the words left their mouths, both of them froze.
The wind was howling outside, making a rustling sound, while inside, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
It took Yan Ning an unknown amount of time to finally regain his senses. His throat was dry and uncomfortable, his breathing was rapid, and he managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"I just remembered I still have some things to take care of at the government office, so I won't be going out today. You can stay home by yourself for a while."
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Author's Note: This chapter might be a little controversial. If you think the female lead's behavior is problematic, please don't criticize her. The author felt this part of the debate was necessary and insisted on including it. If you want to criticize, criticize the author! [Please!] The next chapter will be released Thursday night at 11 PM.
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