Chapter 80: I provoked her by killing her. What, you're going to kill her for her sake...?
Before leaving Sifang City with the caravan, Li Yunru went to the army to see Huo Ying.
Her father, Huo Qitong, supported his father, the emperor, in building the empire.
They were practically best friends, often getting into trouble together and sharing hardships. However, after only a few years, she came to Sifang City with her father to guard the border, and the two never saw each other again.
On her wedding day, she sent back a new wedding gift: an exquisite weapon bracelet in the shape of a soaring eagle. Inside was a mechanism that, when activated, could transform the bracelet into a delicate claw nearly tens of meters long. On the day she was cornered by assassins, it was this bracelet that allowed her to finally deceive them and escape.
However, he was severely weakened and almost died, lying in bed for nearly two months before he could finally get up.
It was Du Sanniang who saved her.
She was a pitiful person, but also a formidable woman.
When she was fifteen, her family arranged for her to marry a man from a neighboring village. Her husband was honest and hardworking, and he knew a little carpentry. The two of them lived a good life.
But in this rural household, it wasn't just the two of them living together. The husband's family had many children and a large population, but food was scarce, so every bit of food was precious. Four or five brothers and sisters squeezed into a few mud-brick houses, and they often argued and quarreled over trivial matters. She was a married-in, an outsider, so she naturally became a punching bag. Everyone treated her like a piece of dough, and whenever they were unhappy, they would torment her.
The husband is honest and blindly filial, and at times like this he would only say, "They are my parents after all, and they are my brothers and sisters after all. Please be more tolerant and bear with them."
She endured it all, until her honest husband went out to work for someone else, but he was unlucky and fell to his death.
Her in-laws' ugly faces were exposed. They pocketed all the compensation money, not giving her a single penny. They even called her a barren hen and used her childlessness as an excuse to kick her out.
Unable to return to her parents' home, and unable to live with her husband's family, as a widow whose husband had died, she was often coveted by those wicked people. She even went to the government office for this and suffered dozens of lashes for the injustice.
She hated it so much!
From that moment on, she vowed to establish her own business and not let anyone bully her!
But without land or a place to live, she couldn't go back to the village, nor could she expect to support herself on that land.
After much thought, he realized that his greatest skill was weaving and tailoring. So he started by working in an embroidery shop, and gradually built his own business. Today, he has a very successful caravan, not large in scale, with only a dozen or so people, but with business all over the north and south. Even during times of turmoil and regime change, he managed to preserve it without much impact.
However, this came at a price for her. To make things easier, she tied up her black hair and often walked as a man, never reverting to her female identity. Now, it seems no one knows that Du San, the leader of the Du family caravan, is actually a woman.
"Are you really leaving?" Huo Ying held her hand, very reluctant to part with her. "Rui Lin'er, the Rongdi are barbarian lands. The two sides are often at war and have no trade relations. It's very dangerous. If you stay in Sifang City, you can still be your princess. Your father and I will protect you. After this busy spring season is over, I will take you out to play. What's wrong with that? Why put yourself in danger?"
What you said actually makes sense.
Li Yunru sat down on a nearby rock, gazing at the vast field that had just been plowed and was ready for planting. She sighed and said, "I used to think the same way. I thought about all the hardships I suffered as a child, how I almost lost my life several times. Being alive is a gift from heaven. So I thought I should live as long as possible, to live happily and freely. Whether in the capital or in Jiankang, I had this thought. Therefore, I wouldn't concern myself with too many things or worry about them. My world only holds my parents and sisters, you, or my..." "My husband is not meant for me. All I worry about all day is what to eat and drink, and I'm preoccupied with petty romantic entanglements. I ignore court affairs and the suffering of the people. Yes, this does allow me to live a very carefree and unrestrained life, but... this is all given to me by others. They, like you, have created a beautiful protective circle for me, like a paradise beyond the world. But this circle will always break. I can't stay in it forever. And you see, once it breaks, I won't be able to protect my parents and relatives, or even myself."
Huo Ying's eyes welled up with tears, and she hugged her tightly, her heart aching. "Rui Lin'er."
Li Yunru patted her hand and said in a lighthearted tone, "Why are you crying? As my friend, you should be happy for me. I've made it out of that confined space within those high walls."
"I'd rather you stayed there forever."
At least that proves that nothing has changed, she hasn't suffered at all, and she's still that carefree and unrestrained little princess.
Li Yunru laughed, "Nothing stays the same forever. Look at you, you were just like me when you were little, always crying, making a fuss, and getting into trouble. Now you're a capable vanguard general, defeating the enemy and even sowing the seeds for the autumn harvest. How amazing is that?"
"When I traveled with the caravan, I saw many people and witnessed many things. These were things I had seen when I was young, but I had lived in the palace as a princess for too long and had forgotten them. So I want to travel some more and see more of the world outside of the Great Jin Dynasty. Perhaps if I see more, I can understand what my father, mother, and your father have always been committed to?"
"Um."
Having said all that, Huo Ying didn't try to stop him any further. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Wait here for me."
"What's wrong?"
She didn't say anything, only that she would wait a little longer, and then hurriedly ran off. A quarter of an hour later, she returned, covered in sweat, and handed her a long sword.
"This is a soft sword made of Wushi stone. It is not only extremely sharp, but also impervious to water and fire. You can take it with you for self-defense." After saying that, he gave her a jade pendant. "This is my personal token. You should also take it with you. If you encounter anything that you cannot handle, come back. With this, you can come and go freely in Sifang City and I will keep you safe."
"Alright." Li Yunru stroked the two items. "Then I'll gladly accept them."
Huo Ying nudged her shoulder. "Why are you being so polite with me?"
After receiving the token, Li Yunru left Sifang City with Du Sanniang's caravan.
Jiankang, Yunsheng Inn.
Cui fainted from the shock at the wedding and only woke up two days later. Chen Jingsheng rushed out of the Yan family and went to the inn to explain things to Yan Ning.
"call!"
Yan Ning breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He had been forced by circumstances at the time and had never intended to harm the mother who gave him birth and raised him.
He hasn't been fully conscious for the past two days. Even here, his heart is in his throat, unable to settle down.
“My lord, the lady has been talking about you ever since she woke up. The master also said that if you go back and apologize to them and soften your stance, they can forgive and forget about it.”
Yan Ning's attitude was firm and unwavering.
“Go back and tell them that I am grateful for their kindness in raising me, but what I said was not a joke. From now on, I am no longer a member of the Yan family, and I will never set foot in the Yan family again.”
My father often said that everything he had was given to him by the family, and that without the family, he was nothing!
In the present-day Great Jin Dynasty, it is indeed dominated by powerful families. The sons of high-ranking families can sit in the court and rise to high positions without being tested for talent, virtue, and character. This position is passed down from generation to generation. Lower-ranking families and commoners have to rely on higher-ranking families to survive for a short time. Not to mention the common people, who have almost no way to access power. His actions are tantamount to ruining his future. He is not sure what the future holds, but he still wants to try. Even if he fails in the end, he will have no regrets even if he dies.
Chen Jingsheng bent down and stood there with his eyes lowered, unsure of what to say.
Yan Ning glanced at him and said, "Go back now. Be careful when you work for the Yan family from now on. Your godmother is someone close to your mother. As long as you don't make any major mistakes, you should have a peaceful life."
The man gave Chen Jingsheng the only piece of purple jade he had, saying, "This is my reward for taking care of me and helping me regain my senses these past few days."
"My lord."
Sigh, he never expected things to turn out this way once he regained consciousness. If he had known earlier, then... perhaps he would still have done the same thing.
Yan Ning instructed, "While I'm gone, if anything happens to the Yan family in the future, please take good care of Asheng for me."
"Um."
Chen Jingsheng accepted the gift and agreed to his request. After some thought, the later generation sent him another message.
"The Cui family's daughter has been found and is currently staying at the Cui family's residence. She came to the Yan family to find me and said she wants to see you. What do you think...?"
Yan Ning waved his hand and said, "I know what I'm doing. You may leave."
"yes."
To be honest, Yan Ning didn't really want to see Cui Wan right now, but he knew that she was someone he had to deal with before leaving the Yan family.
After pondering for half a day, he sent a young boy to the Cui family to deliver a message and invite them to meet.
The two, who had just met again after what happened at the wedding, felt as if they had been separated by time. They were speechless for a while, and after a long time, Yan Ning finally spoke first.
"Awan, the wedding was my fault; I'm sorry. But you're not entirely innocent either. As for what happened in the capital, the county magistrate is no longer here, so I can't speak for her about whether she forgives me or not. I can only speak for myself. I forgive you for deceiving and taking advantage of me this time. Your affair with that guard will end here. After the wedding, we'll be even. I hope you can move on soon and find a good partner. As for..."
He abruptly changed the subject, a sinister glint in his eyes, "I don't want to believe that you're involved in the Fragrant Hills incident, but if I find out that the Lady of Liyang's downfall was indeed your doing, don't blame me for disregarding our brotherly and sisterly bond!"
Cui Wan's heart turned completely cold. The two hadn't seen each other for so long, and he hadn't cared about her at all when she ran away. He had humiliated her so badly at the wedding, making her lose all face and reputation, but he just brushed it off with a casual "It was my fault." He didn't even care about her deliberate scheming, manipulation, and deception. The only person who felt emotional when the topic was brought up was Li Yang.
This is more hurtful than him saying he hates being deceived and exploited.
She could no longer maintain her composure and roared hoarsely, "So what if I did it? You have no regard for our sibling relationship! What, are you going to kill me?!"
She stared at the person with a sorrowful expression, her eyes filled with tears. "Even if I did it, she died because of you. If you hadn't been so persistent, making her an obstacle between us, no one would have wanted to dirty their hands to touch her. You killed her!"
Cui Wan laughed loudly, almost maniacally, "She deserves to die, she deserves to die! If it weren't for her, you would have been mine!"
Yan Ning sat there quietly drinking tea, waiting for the person to vent their emotions and calm down before handing them a cup of tea, saying, "Have a sip, it will cool you down."
Cui Wan's gaze fell on the cup of tea, and her anger intensified. She pushed it away, and the cup fell to the ground with a shattering sound.
"Didn't you say you were going to kill me? Why aren't you doing it now that I've admitted it!"
Yan Ning said leisurely, "What you said in the heat of the moment shouldn't be taken seriously, so without evidence, I won't take action."
"snort!"
Once again, she maintained that calm and serene demeanor, like a gentle breeze and a bright moon.
Cui Wan scoffed and said sarcastically, "So it seems your feelings for that Lady Liyang are nothing more than that. Let me tell you, I was the one who did it. Didn't you find out about the guard by my side? It was him. I had him do it. She was in terrible shape, covered in wounds, running up the mountain, constantly shouting, 'Yan Changjun, save me!' Too bad, you didn't hear it with your own ears, and you couldn't get there in time. She's dead. She was kicked off a cliff. I bet by now, her body has been eaten clean by those poisonous snakes and insects. Hahahaha!"
"Bang!"
Yan Ning smashed the cup, stood up angrily, and grabbed her by the neck!
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