Chapter 9 Chapter 9 is naturally for your future lady-in-waiting to clean up...
In Jiahui Hall, the Marquis's wife tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The candles in the outer room were mostly burnt out. In the dim light, she reached out and shook the Marquis of Yong'an, who was about to fall asleep beside her, awakening him. She repeated what Zhao Yuqin had said during the day and what happened to Wei Yangbo yesterday.
"Such a big thing, it's said that it has alarmed the Five Cities Military Commissioner and the Jingzhao Yin. I don't believe you didn't hear anything at all. Why didn't you tell me when you came back?"
The Marquis's wife turned sideways and stared at the back of Marquis Yong'an with burning eyes.
Yong'an Hou took a long breath and said nothing. After a long while, he mumbled incoherently, "Woman, why am I telling you all this? Go to sleep quickly. You have to go to court tomorrow."
Mrs. Hou was no stranger to this perfunctory attitude, but it involved Nan Xu's marriage, and this time she would not let her husband, who had been with her for decades, get away with it.
She put on her clothes, got out of bed, and lit the lamp. When the inner room was bright, she kicked the man under the quilt a few times and said, "Nan Qiren, get up. If you don't make things clear tonight, don't even think about sleeping in my yard tomorrow night!"
Marquis Yong'an's breathing stagnated, and the hazy sleepiness that he felt between sleep and wakefulness disappeared without a trace in an instant.
For the Marquis of Yong'an, who had several concubines in the backyard, this was not really a threat, but after some experiences in his early years, he was particularly susceptible to this kind of trick.
He got up, hugged the quilt, and sat cross-legged on the bed. He squinted his eyes to avoid the glare of the candlelight, and said in a slightly nasal voice, "Ask, ask. You are so old, I don't know where you get so much energy."
The Marquis's wife didn't hesitate to speak politely with him. She brought a round stool and sat opposite him. "Just tell me about the assassination of Wei Yangbo and what happened to the second son's wife? She had no reason and no permission from the second son. How could she have the guts to cause trouble in front of me?"
The moonlight outside the window was bright, the night dark. Facing his wife's questioning, Yong'an Hou avoided her gaze and was silent for a moment before slowly telling her the truth. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, but what's the point of telling you about this kind of thing? Do you think I don't know that you agreed to let Ah Xu meet Duan Wenpei? I just want Ah Xu to see with her own eyes what the husband the emperor has arranged for her looks like. If someone like him really wants to refuse the marriage, there are thousands of ways to do it. It's not her turn to tell others."
The Marquis's wife was confused. "You mean, Wei Yangbo likes our Ah Xu?"
After saying that, he felt it was impossible. They probably met for the first time yesterday, otherwise he wouldn't have mistaken Nan Xu for a female assassin.
As expected, the Marquis of Yong'an shook his head and lowered his voice. "If a man like Duan Wenpei liked someone, why would he wait until now to marry her? What I mean is, this marriage is something that even Duan Wenpei can't refuse. He can't refuse, dare not refuse, and cannot refuse."
The more the Marquis' wife listened, the more confused she became. Given Emperor Xuanwu's current attitude towards the Marquis's residence, why would he grant Nan Xu a husband who was a powerful official? Wasn't this just to give the Marquis's residence hope? He wasn't afraid that with this marriage, the Marquis's residence would actually align with Prince Yi and incite his right-hand man to revolt.
Yong'an Hou knew what she wanted to say, waved his hand and explained, "He's just afraid that King Yi won't rebel!"
"By then, we will have wiped out the imperial concubines in the palace, Shu, the King of Yi, the Weiyang Marquis's Mansion, and our Yong'an Marquis' Mansion all at once. Only then will we be able to truly put his mind at ease."
The Marquis's eyes widened in amazement.
"Duan Wenpei is a great hero who has served the emperor. Isn't it too early to get rid of him?"
Is it early?
Marquis Yong'an frowned. Emperor Xuanwu had lived under someone else's roof for too long. Now that he had finally ascended to the throne, how could he allow a capable minister like Duan Wenpei, who had watched him rise from obscurity to the throne, to enjoy his heyday?
Duan Wenpei knew his most humble and unbearable appearance; he also knew his darkest and most despicable methods.
Such a young and promising minister can be tamed and used, or he can be killed!
He didn't understand at first, but now he understands everything.
The Hou Furen's shoulders slumped, and she murmured to herself, "If Ah Xu marries there, how can life be easy..."
The Marquis of Yong'an got out of bed and sat on the edge, patting his wife's shoulder to comfort her. "Even if life is not easy, you have to marry her. This is the emperor's strategy, and also the emperor's test. If the Prince of Yi lives a stable life, then everything will be fine. If the Prince of Yi really rebels, Duan Wenpei can monitor the Marquis' Mansion and use it to gather information about Shu. Worst case scenario, if Duan Wenpei really gets on the pirate ship, then the emperor will kill three birds with one stone. No egg is left unbroken when the nest is overturned. Even if Ah Xu doesn't marry him, her fate will fluctuate with the future of the Marquis' Mansion. At least, Duan Wenpei is capable and good-looking."
"Madam, instead of trying to figure out a marriage, why not teach Ah Xu how to capture this guy's heart? They say even the toughest man can't escape the softness of a woman. If you teach Ah Xu to use the same affection you have for Li Zhan on Duan Wenpei, then there's no need to worry about the fading love between husband and wife."
Seeing how serious he was, the Marquis's wife almost rolled her eyes. Men always think simply.
Women value relationships above all else. Oh, they're already deeply in love with a good man? Then what about the years of childhood sweetheart love she shared with Li Zhan? It's also unfair that men are used to having three wives and four concubines, so how could they understand the difficulties and pain of women?
The Marquis's wife would not say these words. She was a sensible person. Although the Marquis of Yong'an's words were unpleasant to hear, they did make some sense.
Since the marriage was set to continue, she could only let her daughter down. She had to find time to talk to Ah Xu before the wedding. She remembered that Ah Xu had a few treasured notebooks on how to control a husband, as well as two or three books on sex techniques...
Ahem, I’ve gone off topic.
Marquis Yong'an covered his lips with his hand and didn't see the slightly red face of his wife. "I've made myself clear. Let's go to sleep." After saying that, he yawned and went into bed, but his wife pulled the hem of his pajamas from behind.
"What happened again?"
"You haven't told me what's going on with the second one!"
"Second brother, you have to take out the money from your mother-in-law to deal with his wife a few times, isn't it?"
The Marquis's wife snorted coldly. She couldn't even speak clearly, so there must be something fishy going on. She wouldn't let go of the thing, as if to say, "You can't sleep unless I explain it to you clearly."
Yong'an Hou struggled twice but couldn't break free. He whimpered twice, pounding the bed uncomfortably, saying, "Nothing much... It's just that after that night, Yi Ling went to the palace to talk to the Concubine Dowager about marrying off his sisters. Within two days, the decree... the decree came down..."
“Bang!”
Yong'an Hou's face was filled with disbelief. "Your son did such a good thing, why are you hitting me?"
The slap was not heavy, just like a tickle, but it concerned a man's self-esteem, and Marquis Yong'an cared a lot about it.
The Marquis's wife sneered and said calmly, "That's your son too. If a son isn't well-educated, it's the father's fault. Weren't you also so deluded that you went to Tianxiang Tower to talk to Wei Yangbo about marrying off his daughter? Naturally, there's a father and there's a son!"
After saying this, without even glancing at the Marquis of Yong'an, he put on his cloak, asked the night watch maid in the outer room to light the lamp, and went straight to the west wing next door to sleep.
Before leaving, he instructed the servant outside to move Yong'an Marquis's things to the outer study the next day.
Only when the Marquis' wife was no longer in sight did he fall back on the bed, stroking half of his face, exhausted.
She talks big but her heart is as deep as the sea...
I was secretly wondering how the Madam knew what happened at Tianxiang Tower that night...
*
The news that Duan Wenpei was assassinated and shot in the shoulder by Nan Xu soon spread to the palace. Emperor Xuanwu happened to be having dinner with the concubine in the palace. Upon hearing this, he picked up some food with chopsticks and put it into the concubine's bowl, and laughed and joked that Nan Xu was too impatient.
"It seems that I was right to grant you this marriage, otherwise Ah Xu wouldn't have gone out to meet Duan Qing so early."
When the emperor was young, he lived in the palace of the imperial concubine and had sex with several young men and women in the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion.
The emperor's mind was unpredictable, and the Concubine Dowager could not understand what her adopted son was thinking. She only thought that Nan Xu was young and reckless, and even if he wanted to fight back against the assassin, he could not act rashly and accidentally hurt Wei Yangbo.
The emperor smiled and waved his hand, saying it was nothing to worry about. "I know Ah Xu's archery skills. It's understandable. I can't blame her. It's just that she was wronged to marry Duan Qing. The court hasn't been cleansed yet, so it's inevitable that we'll encounter such a situation again in the future."
The concubine was silent. Wasn’t this the marriage you agreed to?
Nan Yiling did go to the palace and talk about the idea of marrying the Marquis's Mansion into a powerful official. While she was still considering it, Emperor Xuanwu came to her and said that he wanted to grant Ah Xu a marriage.
He said that he owed Nan Xu because of the matter between Jingyi and Li Zhan, and now giving her a good son who is no less than Li Zhan can be considered as compensation.
Give someone a slap and then give them a sweet date, bully someone and then say sorry lightly.
Anyone would be happy to do so.
But no matter how unhappy she was, she could only endure it.
The concubine stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist and was about to say something, but was distracted by the emperor's next words.
"Cheng Guang has come to the palace to report that this wave of assassins originated from Shu and is linked to the Zhao family. The Concubine Dowager is also aware of the Zhao family's influence in Shu. I'm afraid my brother might have made a mistake there, so I've sent Right Censor Li Junji to investigate." Emperor Xuanwu fanned his noodle soup, took a sip, and stretched comfortably. "I understand what the Concubine Dowager is worried about. Don't worry. In a few days, Li Junji will become Jingyi's father-in-law. He'll be considered one of our own, and he'll act impartially and protect my brother."
Concubine Yu'an didn't hear a word of what was said afterwards. Only when the curtains were drawn and the food had cooled did she struggle to get up and ask someone to spread out paper and grind ink. Halfway through writing the letter, she looked at the quiet and cold palace and let the ink drip onto the paper.
She gave a bitter laugh, truly confused.
In this palace, she couldn't send her letters anymore!
*
After leaving the Dowager's Palace and returning to Chongzheng Hall, Emperor Xuanwu ordered the eunuchs to select some of the best medicines to be sent to Wei Yangbo's Mansion.
It was getting late, so the eunuch did not dare to delay and hurried off to do his work.
When the medicine was delivered to Bo's house, Duan Wenpei had just come out of the secret prison in the house.
The emperor's gift of medicine was a great favor, so he naturally expressed his gratitude and worship. After the eunuch left, he threw two bottles of medicine on the table to Yu Rong, "Give it to the man in prison, don't let him die."
Yu Rong didn't think about it and turned away. However, Liu Hui collected the remaining medicine bottles like treasures and blamed Duan Wen for wasting such a great gift.
Duan Wenpei flipped through the book in his hand without even raising his eyelids. "It's just medicine. It can't be considered a waste if it's used to treat someone who can use it."
Liu Hui rolled up his sleeves to wipe the bottle, curling his lips in disapproval. "No matter how useful an assassin is, he can't compare to Master Bo, let alone the medicine bestowed by the palace."
Arrow wounds are not easy to recover from, and the wound is on the shoulder blade. In order not to delay his wedding half a month later, Emperor Xuanwu allowed him to rest for a few days. He gladly accepted it and spent his free time reading books.
There was really no point in answering Liu Hui's words. He crossed his long legs with his feet resting on them, half leaning back with his upper body, and turning the pages of a book with his uninjured hand, looking free and easy and comfortable.
The warm sunlight shone on his body, casting the swaying shadows of bamboo outside the half-open window into the room and reflected on his profile, making it seem like a dream in the light and shadow.
He felt a slight tingling sensation at the base of his thumb, and subconsciously touched it, revealing a row of neatly scabbed teeth marks.
Duan Wenpei's eyelashes trembled slightly, and bright light and shadow fell on the book. The words were arranged in a combination that looked like a woman with bright eyes and white teeth.
"When you delivered the medicine that day, did the Marquis' Mansion say anything?"
Liu Hui had one foot about to step out of the door, but he had to pull it back after hearing this. "I didn't say anything. I didn't even enter the mansion. I just asked the doorman to give the medicine to Miss Nan."
He stared at his uncle intently, and Xie Jin's words from that day kept turning over and over in his mind.
Could it be that the iron tree really has blossomed?
Duan Wenpei nodded lightly, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.
It was Liu Hui's turn to be anxious. What does "hmm" mean?
"Or, I can personally bring some people to deliver some things to Miss Nan." After all, she is the future mistress, so it is necessary to establish a good relationship with her at this time.
Duan Wenpei turned the page again and dismissed it calmly, "No need."
Asking for medicine from her was just to see if she had some courage.
He admires people like this, that's all.
Liu Hui raised his eyebrows. It seemed that he had thought too much. This person was smart. He, Liu Hui, could swallow snake gall, wash his hair upside down, and catch fish by climbing trees!
Just as he was lost in thought, Yu Rong walked in. He was a dull person, but had a good eye. After reporting on the past few days' events, he added, "It seems Miss Nan has specially placed a straw target in the garden with my name on it for archery practice."
Liu Hui took a breath of cold air. How hateful must this be!
Looking at his master again, he showed no emotion at all. He drank his tea gracefully and asked indifferently, "Did you hit the target?"
Yu Rong scratched the back of his head, "No, I didn't hit any arrows."
The corners of his mouth trembled unconsciously, and Duan Wenpei raised the open book a little higher.
"Liu Hui, give orders to clean up the large courtyard on the far west side and put some of the women's favorite collectibles and calligraphy works in it."
This time it was Liu Hui's turn to scratch his head. "Master, that yard is quite far from the main courtyard. Why should we clean it up?"
Duan Wenpei rubbed his knuckles and closed his eyes to rest.
"Of course, it's for your future lady-in-waiting."
Liu Hui: ...
Yu Rong:!
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