Chapter Four: Deep Affection
The story of Master Ye and Madam Ye is a celebrated tale in the capital. It's not a tale of a rich young lady falling for a poor scholar, but rather a perfect match, a union of equals, a match made in heaven. The Ye family has been a line of upright officials for generations; Master Ye once held the high-ranking position of Grand Secretary, and Master Ye is currently a third-rank Imperial Censor, both having passed the imperial examinations—a family steeped in scholarship. Madam Ye, on the other hand, comes from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion; her mother is the Grand Princess of Danyang, and she was pampered and spoiled from a young age.
That year, during the Lantern Festival, the young Madam Ye, at the tender age of sixteen, was enjoying the lanterns with her servants when she met the newly-married Master Ye and fell in love at first sight. Afterwards, the two went on outings together, admiring flowers and the moon, their affection deepening day by day. They soon married and had children. Now, more than twenty years have passed, and the couple remains as loving as ever, with no concubines or mistresses in their household. Whenever Master Ye is mentioned in the capital, people sigh, "What a romantic!"
Besides the beautiful story of Master Ye and Madam Ye, another thing that people talk about in the Ye family is that none of the three daughters married out of the family; instead, they all married into the family. The eldest son-in-law studied hard for many years and passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and is now a member of the Hanlin Academy. The second son-in-law is good at managing household affairs, and now he is in charge of all the affairs of the Ye family. The third son-in-law is good at business. He started from a small cosmetics shop and now his business is thriving, with four branches in the four cardinal directions of the capital city alone.
With the strong support of their three sons-in-law, the three sisters of the Ye family were overjoyed and could relax. Ye Yuqing, aside from attending court, enjoyed an incredibly comfortable life on his days off. He spent his time appreciating flowers and composing poems, or practicing calligraphy and painting. He also frequently gathered a group of scholars to form a poetry society called the "Qingyun Poetry Society," meaning "rising to prominence quickly." One day they would float wine cups on a winding stream, the next they would adorn themselves with flowers and compose poems, their literary talent and elegant poetry flowing freely. For a time, he earned the nickname "the romantic and talented scholar" in the capital.
On that day, Ye Yiqing bid farewell to the three Ye sisters and their three brothers-in-law early in the morning and rode off towards the city.
The estate where Imperial Censor Ye and his wife were temporarily staying was in the suburbs of the capital, about fifty li from the city. It would take about half an hour to get there by fast horse. Today was the day he was to be sent as an envoy to Henan Province. Ye Yuqing instructed his attendants to give a brief greeting and then set off alone.
At the manor, Madam Ye's eyes and brows lit up with a smile when she saw her son arrive: "Yu'er, you've come..."
Madam Ye is just over forty this year, but she is well-maintained and looks only a little older than the three Ye sisters. Standing next to Ye Yiqing, they look more like siblings than mother and son.
"Greetings, Father and Mother..." Ye Yiqing hurriedly bowed.
The journey to Henan is long and arduous. If all goes well, he can return in two months, but if things don't go smoothly, it may take half a year. Therefore, Ye Yiqing arrived at the estate early in the morning, hoping to see his parents one last time before leaving the capital.
After speaking with Madam Ye for a few moments, Master Ye pushed open the door and entered. Although Imperial Censor Ye was a civil official, he occasionally enjoyed practicing martial arts. Today the weather was fine, and Master Ye had just returned from practicing martial arts in the courtyard, his forehead still glistening with sweat.
"Hurry up and go wash up..." Madam Ye scolded.
"What's there to be afraid of? He's my own son," said Imperial Censor Ye as he walked toward the side room.
"But we can't disregard the image of your Ye family..." After personally preparing a change of clothes, Madam Ye instructed someone to take them in.
Ye Yiqing was used to all of this. As the legitimate daughter and only daughter of the Grand Princess of Danyang, Madam Ye had been pampered since childhood, but she was never domineering or arrogant. Apart from being a little fastidious and fond of beauty, she only considered it as a hobby.
After Imperial Censor Ye finished washing up, Madam Ye busied herself having someone make some pastries: "Yu'er loves my flower cakes the most, I need to prepare more for him..."
Watching his wife's busy figure, Imperial Censor Ye's eyes unconsciously softened. Even after all these years, he still felt a deep affection for the woman before him.
"That's enough, Father." Seeing that her father's gaze lingered on her, Ye Yiqing couldn't help but stroke the rim of her teacup again. Sigh, Father and Mother are good in every way, except they're a bit too clingy. They don't even know how to restrain themselves in front of the younger generation; it's really a pain in the neck.
After checking the water clock and calculating the time, Ye Yuqing bid farewell to Imperial Censor Ye. Imperial Censor Ye then snapped out of his reverie and hurriedly pulled his son aside to give him a few words of advice.
"You must be careful on this trip to Henan. I fear the Emperor's true purpose in doing so is to investigate the officialdom, and there could be a bloodbath..." When Imperial Censor Ye wasn't blinded by Madam Ye, his mind was still quite clear: "Therefore, you must assess the situation carefully. If you find yourself in danger, you can seek help from Chief Justice Mu of the Judicial Office..."
Head of the Academy? Is that the legendary ruthless and cold-blooded woman? Ye Yiqing was somewhat surprised: "When did Father have any connection with Head of the Academy?"
"It was just a brief encounter..." Imperial Censor Ye paused, then said, "Academician Mu rarely appears in court, so no one has ever seen her true face. However, I once helped her rescue an orphan girl. Out of respect for me, she will help you..."
After speaking, Imperial Censor Ye took out a round object from his sleeve. Upon closer inspection, Ye Yuqing saw that it was a round sleeve dart with a floral pattern. Although not valuable, it was exquisitely crafted and not something that could be found everywhere on the market.
"This is a token; please accept it..."
"Okay, thank you, Father."
Afterwards, Imperial Censor Ye talked a lot about the actions of Liu Zhang, the military governor of Henan Province, and the current state of officialdom in Henan Province, which helped Ye Yuqing with a lot of homework.
"Yo'er, you must be careful..." Leaning against Imperial Censor Ye's chest, Madam Ye wept bitterly, "Even if you don't do your job well, you must be safe, understand?"
"What are you saying, Madam..." Imperial Censor Ye was both angry and amused, and hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe away Madam Ye's tears: "How could the men of my Ye family be so useless? Don't worry, Madam, Yu'er will definitely return victorious..."
"Yes, Father and Mother, please rest assured..." After receiving the still-warm flower cakes made by Madam Ye herself, Ye Yiqing bid farewell to her parents and rode away quickly.
When they were still about a mile from the farewell pavilion, Ye Yiqing suddenly reined in his horse. It was nearly 1:45 AM, and the main road should have been bustling with people, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Moreover, in the bright sunlight, the tripwires on the road ahead were clearly visible.
An ambush? Ye Yuqing reacted immediately.
Ever since Imperial Censor Ye told Ye Yiqing about the actions of Liu Zhang, the military governor of Henan, Ye Yiqing had been thinking that, given Liu Zhang's cunning, he must have been able to figure out the Emperor's intentions in sending an envoy, and therefore couldn't have been unprepared. However, what puzzled Ye Yiqing was whether they dared to kill an envoy in broad daylight? Did they have absolutely no sense of propriety?
As a frail scholar, Ye Yiqing knew absolutely no martial arts, not even as good as Imperial Censor Ye. Now, seeing the men in black gradually closing in from not far away, he sensed that something terrible was about to happen.
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