Chapter 64: Trouble Erupts and a Fight Breaks Out!
"You sleep a little longer. I'm going to check on your grandfather. When the time comes, I'll come back for you, and we'll go to the banquet together."
After giving her the medicine, Yan Ning used her own handkerchief to wipe away the remaining medicine residue on her lips, and then explained to the person.
"good."
Li Yunru said, "You don't need to worry about me, go and do your thing. Shuyun is here, and so is your mother. You've spent so much time at your maternal grandparents' house, so everyone here is your family. You must have a lot to talk about."
"Um."
After wiping her down, he tossed the towel onto a low stool, helped her lie down, kissed her forehead, and said, "I'm going now, you get some rest."
Let's go.
Li Yunru laughed and shooed him away. He walked to the door, turning back every few steps, and instructed Shu Yun, "Take good care of the princess."
"Yes, I will."
After giving her instructions, Yan Ning went to the adjacent warm pavilion to change her clothes and then left Qingwu Courtyard.
The Cui residence was extremely large, centered around a mountain-viewing pavilion, with east and west sides having the same layout. There were five courtyards, each with three entrances and three exits, and ten rooms in each courtyard, all designed for perfection and harmony.
The Qingwu Courtyard where Yan Ning and the others stayed was in the same place as the Hejing Hall where Old Master Cui lived, in the east courtyard. However, since Old Master Cui needed a quiet place to recuperate, the place was arranged further inside.
This is why Cui Yuan was able to see the two of them together when she returned from serving medicine.
He bumped into Cui Wan as he was leaving, but they didn't meet. He first took his sister Yan Sheng to pay his respects to Old Master Cui, exchanged pleasantries, and then went to see Old Madam Cui. Finally, he went to see Master Cui and Madam Cui.
When Cui Wan arrived at Qingwu Courtyard, she did not see Yan Ning, only Shu Yun. Knowing that her princess was holding a grudge against the young lady in front of her, and also afraid that something might happen, she did not let her into the room, saying that her mistress was not feeling well and had rested. She said that if there was anything she wanted to say, she could tell her, and she would relay the message after she woke up.
"It's nothing," Cui Wan said with a smile. "I just heard that the county magistrate was feeling unwell after her long journey, so I came to visit. Since you've already rested, I won't disturb you any longer."
After saying this, she took light steps and left.
Shu Yun felt that something was not quite right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
It took Li Yunru more than an hour to drink the medicine and then sleep soundly for a long time, after which she recovered a lot of energy.
Thinking of the family dinner that evening, she got up and asked Shu Yun to call someone to help her wash and dress.
Shu Yun went out.
Before long, groups of two or three young women entered in single file, each carrying a bowl of water.
The Cui family has a special bathing pool, but since Li Yunru and her companions are guests, they can't use it and have to use the most traditional method.
But this is not the time to dwell on these things. After all, I won't be staying at the Cui family's house for long. It's best to just let things pass quietly.
She just wanted peace and quiet, but it seemed that others did not share that view.
Seeing that the water had been almost drained, she moved to the bathhouse and overheard several maids talking.
"Miss is truly blessed. I think that young master of the Yan family is handsome, like an immortal, and gentle and considerate. He is truly a rare find."
"That's true. But that Lady Liyang is hard to deal with. Look, she's only just arrived at the Cui family's place, and she's already putting on airs on someone else's turf. She's pretending to be sick and making her husband wait on her, and she won't even see her ancestors or mother-in-law. She's as if she wants everyone to know how much her husband dotes on her. With such a tactless girl, I'm afraid Miss will suffer a lot after marrying into the family."
"Hey, that county magistrate is beautiful, so it's understandable that the young master is infatuated with her. But men are all the same. When things are good, they can spoil you rotten, giving you whatever you want, afraid of neglecting you. But once the passion fades, she's nothing special. Even if that county magistrate, Liyang, is stunningly beautiful and can please men with her looks, how long can she last? Our young lady is no less beautiful than her, and she's also a noble lady from a noble clan. How can she be inferior to her? Besides, our young lady will be the mistress of the house after she marries in, so she won't have to worry about these things."
"That's true. What cat in this world doesn't steal fish? If it really didn't, it wouldn't be in such a hurry to consummate the marriage before even getting married..."
At this point, the group exchanged glances and chuckled, as if they had told a funny joke.
"That's incredibly audacious!"
Li Yunru was so angry that she gritted her teeth and made a move to go up and teach them manners, but Shu Yun stopped her, pretended not to know anything, went in as if nothing had happened, and told them to leave.
"What nonsense are these people spouting! And you, why are you stopping me!"
Li Yunru felt a surge of anger when she thought of their words. These aristocratic families always said that she was unruly. Ha, but what about the servants she trained? How well-behaved were they?
Talkative and gossipy!
Shu Yun said, "Princess, please forgive me!"
She explained her reasons for doing so, "We're currently in the Cui family's territory. If a fight breaks out, the princess will inevitably suffer losses, and besides..."
She paused, then continued, "The Cui family has always been known for its strict household management. Why would their servants be so unruly, treating guests with such disrespect upon their arrival? Could someone be causing trouble..."
Anyone who has ever worked as a maid knows that unless authorized by the master, one dares not say much in the mansion. Even if one wants to complain or vent one's emotions, one must go back to one's own room and speak behind closed doors. For them to speak so loudly in a guest's room, as if afraid that others will not hear them... is somewhat suspicious.
"You mean someone wants me to know, someone wants me to cause trouble?"
That's true.
This would provide an opportunity to confirm that she was vulgar and rude, and unfit to be a proper wife.
What a wicked scheme!
She almost fell for their trap.
"The princess should know in her heart how her husband treats her. She shouldn't let other people's opinions cloud her judgment," Shu Yun said.
"Okay, I understand."
She wasn't sure if they were telling the truth or lying, but she was certain that everything Yan Ning did for her was genuine.
Love is something that, even if unspoken, can be felt by those involved.
But she doesn't deny that there's still a knot in her heart.
Yan Ning really is with Cui Wan...
She then recalled what the new maid had said when she first returned...
However, this is just speculation. She will ask Yan Ning when he returns.
There shouldn't be any secrets between them.
She could tell whether he was telling the truth or lying.
However, before Yan Ning could return, Li Yunru encountered an uninvited guest at the Cui family's residence.
She was the person who was invited by the Cui family to the Yan family in the capital that day, and who then barged into Jing Shui Xuan to humiliate her.
"We meet again, Princess. No, I should address you as County Lady now."
“It’s you.”
Upon seeing him, Li Yunru felt a surge of disgust and spoke to him rudely.
The man corrected, "Your Excellency should perhaps call me Second Uncle. After all, A-Wan will soon marry into the Yan family. Since Your Excellency is San-Lang's person, you should call me the same way A-Wan and San-Lang do."
"Pah!"
"Keep dreaming!"
Li Yunru spat at him and said viciously, "You want to marry him but don't even consider whether your husband will agree. He doesn't want you, yet you're still so eager. What, has the Cui family fallen so low that you need to use your daughter to make money?"
Uncle Cui was scolded until his face turned red and his neck thickened. He said angrily, "What a shrewish young lady! She is indeed quite attractive. No wonder that boy Changjun likes her. But so what if he likes her? Marriage is a major event, and it has always been decided by parents and matchmakers. Lord Yan and his wife have agreed. Can you object?"
He said, "Does Your Excellency not know that the Yan family came to Qinghe this time to discuss the betrothal? The gifts have already been presented, and the master of the house has arrived. How can we let you act recklessly?"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Li Yunru still harbored resentment about what had just happened, and hearing this remark only intensified her anger, causing her to lose her temper. She felt something churning in her mind, and finally, disregarding reason, she raised her hand and slapped the person across the face.
For a junior to provoke an elder is a grave offense. Uncle Cui was furious after being beaten like this and shouted. Before long, the corridor outside Qingwu Courtyard was filled with people.
--
In the front hall, after exchanging pleasantries, Yan Ning was about to tell Master Cui that the marriage between him and Cui Wan, which had been tacitly agreed upon by their elders, should be canceled and that Cui Wan should find another suitable husband. Just as she opened her mouth, a servant rushed in from outside, breathless, and reported, "Lady Liyang, Lady Liyang and the Second Master are having a fight!"
Master Cui's face immediately darkened, and the expressions of the others in the room were also not good. Only Cui Wan, who came to the door, unconsciously showed a faint smile. However, everyone's attention was taken away by the accident caused by Li Yunru, and no one noticed.
When Yan Ning followed the group over, she saw Li Yunru standing under the corridor. Because she was still in mourning, she was dressed in a simple, light blue, wide-sleeved embroidered cloud-patterned robe with peony designs. She was already slender, but after being sick for most of the journey, the weight she had managed to regain had slipped away again, and she was incredibly thin. The robe she wore looked like it was hanging on her body, and it was disheveled in the wind, as if it would fall over at the slightest breeze.
Because her back was turned to him, he couldn't see her expression, but he could see that her shoulders were trembling uncontrollably, her body was shaking, and her hands were tightly gripping the hem of her clothes. She must have been crying, but she was trying hard to suppress her temper and didn't do anything excessive.
However... Uncle Cui was also in a sorry state, covered in mud and sand from head to toe, unable to maintain even basic dignity.
He pointed at Li Yunru and cursed, "Shrew, wicked woman, poisonous woman! I'll make Sanlang divorce you!"
"There's no need for Second Uncle to worry about this."
Yan Ning stepped forward first, took off his outer robe and draped it over Li Yunru, pulled her into his arms, secretly held her hand, and whispered comforting words in her ear: "Don't be afraid."
Li Yunru looked up at the person in front of her, unable to describe her feelings. She felt a tightness in her chest, her nose tingled, her eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks silently.
Yan Ning was heartbroken to see this, but in front of so many people, and surrounded by his elders, one of the parties involved was also an elder. Before understanding the cause and effect of the matter, he couldn't show too much favoritism, lest he be criticized and make things even more difficult to handle.
The man glanced at Shu Yun, then, citing Li Yunru's illness and poor health, ordered her to be taken away so he could handle the situation himself.
After Li Yunru left, he bowed to Uncle Cui, apologizing on Li Yunru's behalf, and then asked directly, "I didn't know that you came all the way to Qingwu Courtyard to see Changjun. Is there something important?"
This was a clever question, which both deflected Li Yunru's attention and directly pointed out the core of the problem.
The east and west sides are quite far apart. Uncle Cui's second house is in the west courtyard, at the very end. It takes a lot of effort to get from the end of the west courtyard to the east courtyard. Not to mention that they came today, even normally, they don't go between the two sides much. Apart from paying their respects to the old man, they rarely set foot in this area.
If he comes looking for him, then he must have something to say. According to custom, he can simply send a servant to inform him first. As a junior, he would never refuse to let his elders come looking for him.
If it weren't for him, then the nature of this matter would be questionable. An elder, having nothing to do, bumps into his nephew's wife and makes such a scene... It's certainly not in accordance with etiquette and manners.
Speechless at the question, Cui Er became enraged and angrily accused, "Changjun, what do you mean by this? Are you saying that with the arrival of you all, I can't even move around if I have nothing to do?!"
“Of course not.” Yan Ning maintained a gentle and calm demeanor, neither humble nor arrogant, saying, “This is my uncle’s house, so you can go anywhere. However, Li Shi is my nephew’s daughter-in-law. My nephew isn’t in the courtyard, yet you’ve come here. It’s improper for men and women to be so close. If word gets out, it might cause gossip. My grandfather has always been very particular about rules and etiquette. If he finds out…”
"Shut up, Lord Changjun!"
Madam Cui interrupted him, "How dare you speak to your uncle like that!"
She apologized to Cui Er for Yan Ning's overstepping of bounds, and said, "I think today's matter was just a misunderstanding. Let's give each side a fair share of the blame and let this matter pass."
Yan Ning was dissatisfied and wanted to hold someone accountable, but Cui said coldly, "Your maternal grandfather is not in good health. Do you really want to disturb his peace and quiet?"
Lord Cui also stood up to speak for his younger brother: "Changjun, your second uncle has always been like this, don't take it to heart."
Both of them clearly wanted to settle things peacefully. He wanted to make a clean break, but the time was not right. After hesitating for a long time, he had no choice but to accept it.
"That's right."
As he spoke, Master Cui put his arm around Yan Ning's shoulder and said, "Never mind that. We uncle and nephew haven't finished chatting yet. Come on, let's go have another drink and continue our conversation."
Yan Ning refused.
"Let's do it another time. The county magistrate was already ill and just suffered a fright. I'm afraid she won't be feeling well. I'll go back and check on her so as not to miss the family dinner tonight. What do you say?"
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Author's Note: Tomorrow I'll be going to pay for this novel. As my first novel to go to pay for it, I have so much to say, but I don't know where to begin.
Regarding the beginning of the book, it didn't have a smooth journey. Initially, there was only one idea: a princess from a fallen kingdom who had lost her political support would marry into a powerful family and actively try to survive within that family. The female lead's character was the established tone, and the couple was the commoner princess and the nobleman's son. It was a story of two people with different personalities and backgrounds, who overcame obstacles such as prejudice and interests within the noble families, and fell in love after marriage.
But with such a background, how to fill it with substance is a problem.
Because under this setup, it seems the female lead is always the one who suffers, has to bow her head and submit, and has to compromise and survive in the wealthy family. In the early stages, the two are still adjusting to each other and there's no real affection between them. The male lead isn't particularly steadfast in his support of her either. She's completely isolated and helpless, and has to prioritize self-preservation. Even her normal human emotions of rebellion are likely to be suppressed by the environment, unable to be too obvious. Perhaps if written well, it could be very delicate and moving, with plenty of conflict and highlights. But alas, the author is a terrible author, haha. The skill level is simply insufficient; there's no writing style, a limited vocabulary, and no control over the plot. The author can't properly portray these conflicts or details about the female lead's life in the wealthy family. It even gave me the feeling of admiring a woman's suffering rather than creating a story. So, is the male lead a reward for her suffering? Or does the male lead also appreciate this suffering, which is why he falls in love with her while she's constantly enduring hardship? I feel like I'm sacrificing the female lead, giving her a noble status, stunning looks, and the best family, only to have her lose everything, all so that the male lead can become her salvation. This loss doesn't feel like an unavoidable consequence of social circumstances, but rather like it was caused by the male lead having the best woman he can only rely on for survival. I've been thinking, repeatedly asking myself, is all the suffering my female lead endured just to make the male lead successful? The answer is no, which contradicts my original intention in writing this story. But if it isn't, I can't properly balance the points mentioned above: what was the purpose of writing about the female lead losing so much, suffering and tormenting in a noble family? What was the meaning? Thinking about the suffering the female lead endured, I couldn't continue writing. So even though I had already written tens of thousands of words, I had to stop. Later, I tried to revise the version, keeping the original setting and rewriting it. The character settings were not much different, but the male lead only had pure love for the female lead from the beginning and would protect her, which reduced some of the suffering. However, there were misunderstandings between the two, and the male lead would use methods to force himself on the female lead. But even if it was pure love, the female lead was still helpless under the original setting and lost her freedom. She had no right to resist the methods used by the male lead and could not even choose her own death. In my personal understanding, this was also very painful. I didn't want the female lead to lose all her choices, so I shelved it a second time.
How to preserve the female protagonist's maximum autonomy within the macro-level setting, minimizing her suffering, became a major challenge in creating this story, one I hadn't quite resolved. So, I put it aside for about two or three months, until I went home for the Qingming Festival holiday to pay respects at the graves. That night, before going to sleep, a sentence suddenly flashed through my mind—the very first sentence of the story: where does the female protagonist bring the male protagonist back? After that, I inexplicably felt motivated and immediately started writing. This time, the writing went very smoothly. As an author with an extremely slow writing speed, I actually finished two chapters that night—unbelievable! Looking back, I retained the original setting but rearranged the timeline, bringing the female protagonist's supposedly deceased family members back to life. Despite the political turmoil, she still had support and hope. The protagonist maintained her pride and had the right to choose freely. The male protagonist's pure love for the female protagonist was also preserved. Even when the male protagonist did not like the female protagonist in the early stages, he was still responsible, respectful, and protective of her. The main conflict between the two was the misunderstanding and entanglement caused by the unequal information gap. However, the female protagonist was not alone and helpless. She always had someone firmly on her side. Of course, all of this could not initially transcend the male protagonist's own class and the discipline he had been raised in. Although there were still conflicts and misunderstandings, love existed. The female protagonist did not need to depend on him or his love to survive. She was free and proud. Even if she was in the mud, she would bloom on her own. Just as the theme said, even in adversity, she would not change her nature.
Yeah, when I finished writing it, I felt that this was probably the feeling I wanted!
So he didn't make any more changes, and while he was still enthusiastic, he quickly wrote 20,000 to 30,000 words in just a few days.
Perhaps because I found the way I wanted to express the female lead's personality and the plot's direction, the writing went relatively smoothly afterward. Each chapter basically followed the original outline, and each turning point was within the expected range. Only around chapters thirty-seven and thirty-eight did I encounter a bottleneck. That was a crucial turning point in their relationship, the biggest problem and barrier between them. It wasn't because of a lack of love, deception, hurt, heartbreak, or disappointment, but because of love and choices. This part was revised at least five or six times, showing traces of struggle and even the shadow of a second version—a forceful takeover where the male lead tries to use methods to keep the female lead by his side. Based on the plot development, I personally feel it's feasible, but still... That line, the author himself couldn't accept the female lead suffering, especially the long-term kind [laughing and crying with face covered]. Perhaps he will try this kind of theme later, but he can't grasp or accept it at the moment, so he can only revise it repeatedly. But revising only within the chapters doesn't work, he gets stuck. He writes a few chapters and gets stuck again and again. He has no choice but to give up, which means he has to give up all the plot drafts he has already written. But because it doesn't feel right, it's not what he wants. Even if he has drafts for this part and an overall outline, the subsequent plot will still be very difficult. After much deliberation, he finally decided to give up, keep the setting, and rewrite the plot here. So there is the current version where the male lead compromises and lets go for love. After that, things went much smoother, and he has been writing it until now.
Why is the "death escape at the crematorium" story placed so late? In the author's setting, the reason for the death escape is primarily love and choice, love and understanding. It's not because the male protagonist physically and psychologically hurt the female protagonist because of various people and things around him, and the female protagonist was deeply hurt by the male protagonist, so she helplessly chose to punish him by leaving or dying, making him regret it. The author's personal understanding of the "chasing-back-the-wife-at-the-crematorium" scenario is based on love, not on being able to hurt her for anyone. It's about loving without realizing it, hurting someone deeply, and only belatedly realizing your feelings after they leave. You're an adult, yet you don't even have a basic understanding of your own feelings, so you might as well die! Just kidding. It's undeniable that people with emotional cognitive impairments may exist in real life, but this is fiction. In my story and worldview, it can't exist, so the death-faking cremation scene isn't the core of this story. (PS: I chose this as the title to appeal to a wider audience and attract more readers. I apologize to those who came in because of the title but didn't see what they expected. The overall framework is fixed and unlikely to change. If you can't accept this, you can leave after this chapter. The author is still grateful to those who have read this far.) Because they love each other and go through many things, they have to make some mutually unavoidable choices. Therefore, the previous... The author devoted a great deal of space and detail to developing the love between the two, as well as the entanglements of class prejudice and choices based on interests. Therefore, the death escape was placed much later. After this chapter, it will end in only two or three more chapters. In this part of the plot, the negative traits hidden in the male lead's genes, which he mentioned earlier, will fully erupt. He will also find a resolution to the family issues that have been troubling him. He will resolve all obstacles and troubles and reunite with the female lead, allowing her to return with peace of mind. The female lead will also experience more personal growth after leaving. In short, it might be considered a relatively adult romance. I think so. Is this considered a spoiler? Hahaha [laughing and crying with face covered] Anyway, that's it.
Regarding the data, it's quite dismal, with an endless period of inactivity. But thankfully, despite the poor data and the many shortcomings of the story, I've encountered some readers who resonate with the author. The number of favorites has been increasing at a snail's pace, but finally, today, I've reached the VIP level! I'm truly grateful to everyone who clicked in and favorited the story; it's thanks to your support that I'm here today! I've probably said a bit too much, I hope you don't find it annoying. Finally, there will be a thank-you giveaway event after the VIP membership launch, so please check it out! Love you all!
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