Chapter 78 My Heart is in Turmoil
Rong Linyan made a name for himself on the arena and received praise from General Wang, making him the most popular figure in Jiling City for a time.
Everyone was optimistic about his future, believing that he would achieve great things by following General Wang to the capital. As a result, many wealthy merchants and officials from Jiling sent people to express their desire to arrange a marriage alliance, but the Rong family politely declined, seemingly unwilling to add to the joy.
Rong Linyan was of marriageable age, and his tight-lipped stance on marriage quickly aroused speculation. People thought he either already had a sweetheart in mind, or he planned to marry a noblewoman from a prominent family in the capital to boost his career.
When the young women gathered together, they loved to gossip about other people's family affairs. During this time, someone mentioned that the Rong family also had a cousin from the capital. She was beautiful and had a voluptuous figure. She didn't go out often, but some people had happened to see her and called her a rare beauty.
These two cousins, being of similar age and living under the same roof day and night, may have already secretly become husband and wife.
The involvement of romantic affairs undoubtedly fueled the spread of rumors. These gossipy women spread their words far and wide, and soon the streets and alleys were buzzing with discussion.
In front of the tea stall, several swordsmen sat together, taking a break to drink tea and talk about the matter.
"Now Guihong Sword Hall has truly risen to prominence. One man's success brings benefits to his entire family. Rong Linyan's victory in the arena has made him famous, and even his disciples are all arrogant and haughty. Right now, the Grand General King hasn't officially granted Rong Linyan an official position yet; he's just keeping him around as a henchman for the time being. What's so amazing about that? Why are they so arrogant and acting like officials so early?"
"Exactly, exactly. What's so amazing? Have you heard? Rong Linyan handed over the position of sect leader to Fu Wei long before the competition. He's currently free of any responsibilities. Whether he'll still be in charge of the Sword Hall after he gets the official position and takes office is another matter."
"Alright, drink this bowl of hot tea, and then we'll all go back to where we came from. There's no gold or silver to pay you, and no beautiful women to warm your bed. What's the point of staying here?"
When the topic of beautiful women came up, the three people sitting around smiled knowingly, probably thinking of the same thing.
Someone clicked their tongue, their tone tinged with envy: "What a beauty... sigh, who has Rong Linyan's good fortune? I hear that many daughters of officials are interested in him. But that's not all; what's most enviable is his cousin. She's stunningly beautiful, with captivating charm, and she's from the capital. She's so close to him that he's already slept with her..."
Upon hearing this, the group threw their heads back and burst into laughter, their faces trembling with smirk.
Another person winked and chimed in, "If you ask me, Madam Rong is really good at scheming. When a relative's daughter comes to live with her family, she directly raises her son first, and then things will fall into place naturally. It's a perfect example of keeping the wealth within the family."
"Yes, yes, yes, it won't go to outsiders, it will all go to Rong Linyan, so he can enjoy it to his heart's content."
"This isn't over yet. Let's wait until another young lady from an official family comes to pester him, and see if Rong Linyan still has the strength to lift the Xiaoyun Sword that the Great General King bestowed upon him."
"Hahaha, I don't think so, your body is probably empty by now."
Their words grew increasingly vulgar, and when their teacups clinked, another burst of laughter erupted.
At this moment, a swordsman in white walked by with light and agile steps. He was handsome and had an extraordinary bearing. He was not a familiar face, but the bronze sword at his waist was obviously no ordinary weapon. The eyes of the group followed him unconsciously.
Judging from the direction he went, it seemed to be the residence where the Great General Wang was temporarily staying in Jiling.
The group then guessed that this person might have come to fight in the arena.
The arena had long been dismantled; coming here now would be a wasted trip, one of them kindly reminded.
"Hey, wait a minute. You're a swordsman too, from out of town? If you came here to fight in the arena, you're too late. The arena was dismantled three days ago. The winner was named Rong Linyan, a local swordsman from Jiling, and his strength was considerable. Now he has been favored by the Great General Wang and has eaten meat from the pot, while we haven't even had a sip of soup."
Ning Jue stopped, turned around, and walked straight towards them without saying a word.
Upon seeing the man's appearance, the three people sitting behind him simultaneously thought that this man was even more of a pretty boy than Rong Linyan, so handsome... If he had arrived a few days earlier and stepped onto the stage, he might have stolen much of Rong Linyan's thunder, provided, of course, that his swordsmanship was truly exceptional.
Ning Jue asked, "Where are you all from?"
"We came from the north, a long and arduous journey, and all we got was injuries and nothing. We should have known better than to come. Brother, your lateness isn't necessarily a bad thing. Although you're out of luck in your career and wealth, at least you avoided getting beaten up."
"Why did you, who all sought wealth and status, initially choose to become swordsmen wandering the martial world?"
This question left them speechless, unable to answer for a long time, and they looked embarrassed.
With a calm expression, Ning Jue took another step forward. The others, bewildered by his intentions, hadn't even reacted when he swiftly drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at them. He didn't harm them, but merely severed their swords in two. The blades were sharp and menacing, sparks flying as they were struck, drawing the attention of passersby, who dared not stop in their tracks.
"I'll grant your wish. Go back and change your professions. Also, if you continue to gossip about Rong Linyan's romantic affairs, it won't be as simple as breaking your swords."
After Ning Jue had walked away, the group finally came to their senses, their backs and foreheads covered in sweat.
"Who was that person just now...? Their swordsmanship was so fierce, they must be a master..."
"I've never seen him before. He overheard us talking about Rong Linyan and even warned us. Could he be a close friend of his, or perhaps someone from the Guihong Sword Hall?"
"Stop thinking about it, let's get out of here quickly. If that person changes his mind and comes looking for us again, we're probably not going to survive."
"Let's go, let's go!"
...
Rong Mansion, Lanxiang Residence, after lunch.
Xiao You sat at the table, elbows resting on it, hands supporting her chin, her face downcast, sighing repeatedly.
Bai Hua was leaning against the couch, fiddling with her embroidery needle, intently working on the plain silk. Hearing the sound, she looked up, lowered her hand holding the embroidery cloth, and asked Xiao You, "What's wrong? Who upset you again?"
Xiao You pouted and glanced at the hand embroidery basket. The embroidery pattern on the plain silk was almost half finished, with neat and even stitches, clearly showing that the girl had put her heart into it. The more Xiao You looked at it, the more she felt sorry for the girl.
She said indignantly, "Miss, aren't you sad? Young Master Rong has already won the championship, but Madam Rong shows no intention of preparing for the wedding. What's going on? Does she expect you, a young lady, to personally urge her to get married? It's one thing for Madam Rong to delay for a while, but Young Master Rong acted so sincerely in front of you before. Why isn't he in a hurry now? He's heartless. You're still here carefully embroidering a purse for him, and you've pricked your fingers several times. Xiao You feels really aggrieved watching this."
Upon hearing this, Bai Hua glanced at the embroidered basket, then looked at Xiao You and asked with a smile, "Are you sighing over this?"
Hearing Bai Hua's relaxed tone, Xiao You was even more confused, and at this moment she felt a bit disappointed in her.
"How can you still be smiling, young lady? It's all the talk outside that the young master has gained face in front of the Great General, and now many daughters of officials in Jiling are asking matchmakers to arrange their marriages. Aren't you in a hurry, young lady?"
Bai Hua replied calmly, "Right now, nothing is more important than getting my brother out of trouble. That's the most urgent thing. My cousin has personally promised that once he gets his official appointment and returns to the capital with the Grand General, he will help me with this matter first. Once my brother is released, I don't want to stay in the Rong Mansion anymore. Xiao You, we should try to move forward."
Xiao You was stunned, her eyes filled with confusion: "But if you can really let go of Young Master Biao, why do you still need to embroider these mandarin duck patterns and twin flowers?"
Who said it had to be made for my cousin?
Unable to explain, Bai Hua could only reply, "I kept it for myself."
Xiao You didn't believe it. How could it possibly be reserved for herself?
A woman embroiders a purse by hand and gives it to her lover; it contains her deepest affection.
The more Bai Hua tried to cover it up, the more Xiao You felt that things weren't quite right.
He thought to himself, "The girl is just being stubborn. She must care a lot about the rumors going around her, but she doesn't want me to worry, so she keeps her thoughts to herself."
Moreover, the young lady had long intended to marry the young master, and now that the young master had secured a better future for her, why would she change her mind at this moment?
Thinking it over, Xiao You silently made up her mind, always wanting to help make the marriage between the young lady and the young master a success.
...
Bai Hua remained largely unconcerned about the false rumors circulating outside, but Xiao You paid close attention and wouldn't let any gossip slip by.
Xiao You has a private relationship with Xiao Zhao, the maidservant of the prefect's daughter. Through Xiao Zhao, she learns that there is a highly valued General Yang among General Wang's subordinates. He has no sons but three daughters. The eldest and second daughters have already been betrothed, but the youngest daughter remains by General Yang's side and is greatly pampered.
Having witnessed Rong Linyan's triumphant victory over several swordsmen, General Yang's youngest daughter developed feelings for him and boldly confessed her love to her father. However, since Miss Yang already had an arranged marriage in the capital, her developing feelings for Rong Linyan would undoubtedly be a slap in the face to that family. Therefore, this matter has recently become a hot topic.
General Yang loved his daughter dearly, but he also had to be very thoughtful, which put him in a difficult position. General Wang was caught in the middle and was equally troubled.
Having roughly grasped the situation outside, Xiao You was anxious and immediately told Bai Hua everything that had happened recently upon returning home.
After saying that, she stamped her foot and added angrily, "It's so lively outside, but our Lanxiang Residence hasn't heard a word about it. Young Master has really gone to great lengths to keep it from the young lady."
Knowing that Xiao You was worried about her, Bai Hua pulled her aside and asked her to sit down and rest for a while.
"Xiao You, we don't need to put too much effort into this. Just let things take their course. After all, we've been staying with the Rong family for two years, and they've been kind to us. How can we repay kindness with ingratitude and resort to sarcasm at the slightest inconvenience?"
Xiao You lowered her head and said in a low, aggrieved voice, "I understand the reasoning, but there are already rumors outside that you and your cousin are having an affair. If your marriage with your cousin doesn't go through, I'm worried that because of these rumors, you'll have a hard time finding a suitable husband in the future..."
Was there an affair?
Xiao You has definitely relayed the information subtly; the rumors circulating outside must be even worse than what's being said here.
Bai Hua felt a slight headache. She had thought that if her marriage with her cousin didn't go through, she would at most be ridiculed for being abandoned. But she never expected that under the weight of public opinion, she would become the object of a marriage between a man and a woman without a matchmaker.
Will this rumor reach Ning Jue's ears?
Will he believe it?
Bai Hua was conflicted and distressed. She didn't know where Ning Jue was at this moment, or how many miles away he was. She was worried and concerned about him.
No one knows where they are. The rumors may have been rampant in Jiling City for a while, but they are unlikely to spread further.
Besides, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't easily believe that they had shared a sexual relationship and that she had given him her virginity.
Before going up Xianyang Mountain, she had been trained by Madam Fu Wei in Shiyi Township. Madam Fu had imparted a lot of experience to her, including matters concerning a man and woman's first sexual experience. Madam Fu said that if it was a girl's first time, the man would clearly feel an unusual tightness and contraction. If he went deeper and broke through a barrier, and blood was drawn, it would prove that the girl was pure and innocent and a virgin.
She and Ning Jue had experienced a passionate encounter, and she had completely given herself to him. But afterwards, she couldn't bring herself to ask him anything, so of course she didn't know how Ning Jue felt, or whether he felt any tightness or barrier after penetration.
In addition, the bed was covered with red satin brocade that day, so even if it was stained with blood, it wouldn't be clearly visible.
Bai Hua became increasingly uneasy. She had initially been certain that the young master would not misunderstand, but now she was no longer so sure.
Xiao You noticed that her complexion was off and asked with concern, "Miss, why is your face suddenly hot? Are you feeling unwell?"
Bai Hua looked away, dispelling the random thoughts in her mind, and shook her head, instructing, "Xiao You, bring me a glass of water."
Xiao You did as she was told, getting up to pour water and handing it to Bai Hua.
Bai Hua drank the water, which moistened her throat, and the dryness that had just risen from her heart gradually subsided.
Xiao You hesitated, wanting to continue persuading him.
Bai Hua waved her hand to stop her from speaking, saying, "Rumors stop with the wise. We can't control what others say. Let's just live our own lives and stop worrying about it. Didn't you say you learned a lot of new nail polish styles? Why don't you come over today and let me try them on while the weather is nice?"
Dyeing flowers was something she did to pass the time when she had nothing to do, but right now... everything was in complete chaos, yet the girl still had this interest.
Seeing Bai Hua's strong desire, Xiao You couldn't say "no." She sighed softly and nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'll go prepare right away."
As soon as the person left, Bai Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
Her mind was in turmoil, but she couldn't tell outsiders.
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