Chapter 94 Reunion (Thirteen) Let her die again.
The two argued about this issue for a long time early in the morning, and only got up lazily after the sunlight had passed through the window.
After washing up and getting ready, Yan Ning styled his hair in a fashionable way for young women. She then polished his inkstone and revised three letters. Two were for Lu Wu and Wang Wu, and the remaining one was to be sent to Jiangzuo Camp, where he needed someone to handle the various matters related to the takeover of the Anzhou bandits.
Li Yunru stared into deep thought as she looked at the letter bearing the name of Wang Wu.
She didn't like Wang Wu, but this time, he had truly saved Yan Ning. If it weren't for him, perhaps Yan Changjun would be...
The thought of sitting at the same table with him filled her with revulsion.
She had never forgotten the tragic fate of Liu's sister.
That person might have genuine feelings for those they respect, but they were just too ruthless...
She didn't even want Yan Ning to have anything to do with him, after all, one is influenced by one's company.
Yan Ning noticed her gaze, took her hand, and said, "I know what you're thinking, Liyang. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Hmm." Since the person had saved her life, she didn't say anything more.
After sending the letter, the two went out and, like any ordinary couple, went to the market.
Yan Ning was currently unemployed at home, but he had time to spend with her. The two played together for almost a day before returning home in the evening. After a short rest of fifteen minutes, he went into the kitchen to begin preparing for the thank-you banquet.
Seeing him busy around, Li Yunru, despite still harboring resentment towards Wang Wu, couldn't bear it and went over to help.
“Liyang, if you have any thoughts in your mind, you don’t have to hold back. This is my business, and I will handle it myself.”
“He saved you, so it’s only right and proper. I’m not that petty.”
"I know you're not stingy, I just don't want you to wrong yourself."
"When he comes later, you kick him out."
Yan Ning: "..."
"If you can't do it, then there's no point in complaining about being wronged."
She continued with her work, saying, "Let's hurry up, so we don't have to wait when they arrive."
Yan Ning knew she was still upset, but he couldn't bear to actually let her do these things, so he made an excuse to send her away and busied himself with the work.
Li Yunru wanted to help, but she really couldn't.
She loathed Wang Wu even more than Cui Wan, and couldn't even maintain a semblance of politeness. When given a way out, she would take it and simply take two little toys from his room to go play with the children.
As darkness fell, the child was called home, but she didn't go back immediately; instead, she squatted by the door next door.
The changes were dramatic in just a few days.
This place no longer belongs to her; she can't come and go as she pleases.
She had nowhere suitable to go.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. She clearly knew that Yan Ning had done the right thing by saving her life, but she still couldn't help but feel resentful and a pang of bitterness rose in her heart.
Will such incidents become more frequent in the future?
In officialdom, interpersonal relationships and social interactions often force her to associate with people she dislikes due to unavoidable reasons.
In fact, she had become much more restrained in the past three years. It wasn't that she couldn't be polite to people she didn't like, but since that person was Yan Ning, she always had relatively higher expectations.
How annoying!
Why are there so many people in this world, but not just the two of them?
She picked up a stone to vent her emotions and threw it away.
Yan Ning went out to look for her and saw her sitting on the steps. The cool evening breeze blew by, making her dress and hair fly wildly. In the twilight, she couldn't see her expression clearly, but she looked very sad.
He walked over, sat down next to her, and touched her face, feeling a dampness. He asked with concern, "Have you been crying?"
Li Yunru had almost convinced herself to accept it, but when she saw him coming over, she started throwing a tantrum again.
She didn't say anything, but simply removed his hand and sat a little further away from him. As husband and wife, how could Yan Ning not know her temperament?
The more she acts this way, the more it proves that she is sad and upset.
When something really happens, she never says anything; she always silently tries to calm herself down.
The person chased after him and sat down again.
Li Yunru hid.
He followed again.
"What are you doing here? Go keep your best friend company!"
"They're gone."
"So fast!"
She realized her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth, and quickly changed her tune, saying, "Oh, so you only remembered me after they left, huh!"
Yan Ning said, "I kept thinking about the princess, so I told them to leave early."
He pulled her close, patted her shoulder, sighed deeply, and said, "I know, the princess has been wronged today."
People can host banquets outside instead of bringing them home, which would be much more convenient, and Li Yunru wouldn't have to worry about it so much.
However, some things needed to be said in a more private setting, and he didn't want to discuss them with them in a bustling inn.
One’s own dwelling is the best place, the only person there, and one can absolutely trust him.
It just made her feel wronged.
Yan Ning apologized to the person and did not hide it from her, saying, "I know you don't like Wang Wu, but I must have him come here today, and there is a real reason for it."
He explained to her in detail what had happened over the past three years.
"Almost every time, he knows my whereabouts immediately. Can you guess why?"
"Are there any members of the Wang family with you?"
Li Yunru remembered that when Wang Wu came to see her, he said that he wanted to know what kind of life Yan Ning would lead after leaving the aristocratic family, so he arranged for people to gather information.
But... even a thorough investigation wouldn't be enough to know every detail so clearly, and so promptly, unless that person was right beside him, or everything was orchestrated by someone else...
You're right.
The cool moonlight slanted down on the two of them, their shadows stretched so close they were almost touching.
“Wang Wu and I were both considered outstanding members of prominent families in the past. He was talented, quick-witted, and charming without being vulgar. He always acted with a good sense of proportion, which was unmatched by many other scions of prominent families. However, he had one flaw: he was arrogant and complacent, and had an extremely strong competitive spirit.”
He considered himself to be on par with him, but because of this, he always wanted to compete with him in every aspect.
After Yan Ning left the aristocratic family, Ben Shao stopped associating with them. However, he disregarded societal norms and became close to him, which was touching. Yet, the repeated assassination attempts and the problems caused by the Jiangzuo Camp from time to time led him to have other speculations.
"My sudden departure this time, without a chance to say goodbye, was due to a letter I received from the Jiangzuo Camp. It said that trouble had broken out in the army. The military power in Jiangzuo is a piece of meat, and the powerful families all want a bite. It has only been somewhat stable in the last two years, but it is not safe. The 30,000 troops and the vast amount of military supplies have been in the hands of others, and we have lost the initiative. That is why we cooperated with the Xie family of Chenjun, which gave us a chance to breathe."
But this was not a solution. In the past two years, he had taken many measures to make Jiangzuo the third largest ferry crossing in the Great Jin Dynasty after the capital Jiankang, thanks to its waterway advantage. This allowed the people to recuperate and have a chance to survive, cultivate the land and reap the harvest. Everything was going smoothly until recently when a new mine was discovered in Jiangzuo, which caused new troubles.
Emperor Wu Cheng still wants to keep the mine under his control and won't give it to him. He wants it, and so do others... things keep getting complicated.
Because the matter remained unresolved, he was impeached countless times. Whether the Yang family's private possession of weapons and armor was important or not depended mainly on the thoughts of the person sitting on the dragon throne. He had his own ideas, which is why he entrusted the task to him.
"Alas, in short, there are many intricacies involved, and it is not as simple as it appears on the surface."
"This is so troublesome."
Li Yunru listened, still confused, and asked uncertainly, "Then can I understand it as... His Majesty wants to reclaim military power in Jiangzuo, wants that mine, and has schemed against you?"
Yan Ning agreed.
Li Yunru frowned. That was her dowry from her father, the emperor!
He didn't do anything when things were in such chaos before, but now that Yan Ning has gone there and the stubborn problems have been cleared up, making him usable for him, he's already starting to have designs on her!
"But what does this have to do with Wang Wu?"
She was furious, but she didn't quite understand it.
Yan Ning turned to look at her, a hint of helplessness in her dark eyes. "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits."
That mess must have been a conspiracy.
Only Wang Wu could manage to muddy the waters without implicating himself.
"What a bastard!"
Li Yunru stood up angrily and hurried towards her home. "Where has he gone? How long has he been gone? I'm going to make him know that what belongs to me, no one can have a second thought!"
"I thought he'd changed for the better this time, but..."
That's outrageous!
She was fooled by him again!
Yan Ning pulled her aside, gesturing for her to lower her voice, and said, "I have already made it clear to him that kindness is kindness and resentment is resentment, and we will not interfere with each other. There will be no next time."
"Who knows? He's so wicked!"
"Wang Wu was also fighting for his family." He still said something that was appropriate for a person.
However, Li Yunru wouldn't listen to any of that. "That's the most disgusting thing. Under the guise of 'for the family, for the beauty,' and so on, they do all sorts of shameful things, and they still think they're right!"
...
She was furious about this, and Wang Wu wasn't much better off. He never expected that despite his elaborate schemes and the genuine effort he put into saving people, he was still seen through.
A treacherous banquet left him utterly humiliated.
The man returned to Langya in a disheveled state overnight.
Seeing his dejected state, Cui Wan knew the outcome.
She handed him his favorite tea and said, "Here, my lord, have some tea to cool down."
After rejecting the marriage proposal, the two, one seeking a virtuous woman and the other looking for someone to rely on, naturally came together.
In recent years, Wang Wu's scheming has been aided by Cui Wan; the two have worked together seamlessly and are a match made in heaven.
Even the most perfect match can have its disagreements. For example, seeing Cui Wan so calm right now, Wang Wu suddenly felt a surge of anger. He threw away the cup of tea, grabbed Cui Wan's chin, and questioned her sharply, "Could it be that you still have feelings for your ex and have done something to him?"
Cui Wan's eyes reddened with grievance. "What are you saying, my lord? I married you, and you are my lifelong support. How could I possibly think of anyone else, let alone scheme against you because of someone else?"
Her eyes, like pools of autumn water, were brimming with tears, a sight that evoked pity in anyone who saw her. But Wang Wu remained unmoved. He still pressed against her chin, his gaze icy, and gritted his teeth as he said, "It had better be that way!"
He reminded Cui Wan: "Don't forget, who pulled you out of that mire of rumors? Who helped you deal with that Zou guy and clean up your youthful, ignorant mess? Your cousin today doesn't even know what happened to Liyang back then. I saved you!"
"I know."
Cui Wan said sadly, "I have no way to repay your kindness, my lord."
Wang Wu was finally satisfied with her reply and released Cui Wan. Relieved, Cui Wan covered her neck, which had been choked, and breathed softly.
She was in great pain, a feeling of suffocation was washing over her, her face was flushed, and the color hadn't faded. But Wang Wu didn't look at her, he just said, "The Wang family is determined to get that mine. Do you have any other ideas?"
Cui Wan sat down, slightly raised her eyes, looked at Wang Wu, and said in a soft voice, "Didn't Liyang come back alive by luck? Why not let her go again?"
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Author's Note: Ugh! I was knocked out by a cup of milk tea. I feel so weak today, I almost thought I wouldn't be able to finish writing, but thankfully I managed to finish it. [Milk Tea emoji]
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