Chapter 32 "Dirty" Mushroom: He wasn't a monster who couldn't distinguish right from wrong; the emperor treated him very well.
The sharp, buzzing pain, accompanied by the frantic roar of the valley in the dead of night, left Li Yunyun's mind in a state of confusion.
Slender, long fingers covered in blood were pulled shakily from under the body, the skin on them torn and mangled.
The dim light made it difficult to see clearly, and the smell of rust filled her nostrils. Li Yunyun struggled to sit up, panting heavily as she leaned against the stone wall behind her. After a long while, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she was able to see where she was.
"Cough cough—"
The rubble here was even more numerous and sharper than that on the cliff, and most of it must have fallen and broken off from the cliff. Li Yunyun could feel a dull and burning pain in her right arm, and if she guessed correctly, it was probably broken.
The woman's beautiful, youthful face showed no sign of panic. She bit down hard on a piece of fabric on her left sleeve and ripped it apart with a sharp "hiss—" The fabric tore open.
She struggled to wrap the excruciating pain in her right arm with strips of cloth, then let out a long sigh and collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
She cried out in a low voice, "Husband, elder brother..."
This is a cave halfway up the mountain. Li Yunyun vaguely remembers that they were stopped by a dense tree branch, which prevented them from falling directly to the bottom of the mountain.
In a moment of desperation, Liang He actually pushed her into the dense tree trunk!
The resentment in Li Yunyun's heart made her grit her teeth. Her waist still ached, with countless wounds of varying sizes. However, it was far less painful than the pain in her right arm.
The cave was carved out by hand and was as tall as three people. The huge open space was empty, but you could vaguely see several charred spots on the ground, which were clearly different from the blackness of the other places even in the middle of the night, indicating that someone had made a fire here.
Li Yunyun felt a little relieved, at least it meant that someone could find this place.
She continued walking forward, and in the distance, two dark figures loomed indistinctly. Her heart pounded. The two men lay motionless on the ground, and in the darkness, she felt that their chests did not rise or fall at all.
"Husband, my lord—"
The woman staggered toward that person, and as she got closer, she threw herself on him. Her delicate voice was enough to break one's heart.
Liang He was still alive, but his chest heaved very weakly, and blood was gushing from his head, which had hit a pebble. Li Yunyun was startled; her face was deathly pale, her already bloodless lips turning even more bluish, and her voice trembled, "Liang He?"
Only the desolate evening breeze responded to her.
Li Yunyun hurriedly checked on Liang Fu, but Liang Fu's complexion was normal, and he only had abrasions on his face. In her panic, the woman swallowed a mouthful of saliva mixed with the taste of blood, and then tore off a strip of cloth.
"hiss--"
With her fair skin exposed, Li Yunyun's face remained expressionless, but her tone was urgent, "Husband, please bear with it, I will bandage your wound."
As soon as she stepped forward, Li Yunyun's hand stopped.
A different thought popped into her mind.
These past two days, Liang He has been acting like a madwoman, trying to bring the late Crown Prince Gu Huai'an to the capital. She is delusional, hoping to incite dissidents among the people during this time of great turmoil in the court's grain crisis. In her opinion, this is simply a pipe dream.
When she met Liang He at the brothel, she failed to realize that he was a fool who only grew old but not smart.
The woman's beautiful, delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed.
The throbbing pain from her wound made her mind increasingly clear; Liang He, upon waking, would likely continue his plans. He was currently only a fourth-rank general, and promotion would be no easy feat, but mere promotion could not satisfy a man's ambition.
Li Yunyun has gotten to know Liang He very well during this time.
She only wanted to attach herself to a powerful and influential man and enjoy a lifetime of wealth, but she never thought of handing her head over to him.
If she succeeds in usurping the throne, she will be the empress; but if she fails, she will die a gruesome death and her entire family will be exterminated.
With Liang He's brain—Li Yunyun's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she looked at Liang He as if he were a piece of trash.
The numerous wounds on my body were also inflicted by him!
Li Yunyun recalled Liang He's words in the brothel: "Miss Li, rest assured, although I am over forty, I have no one in my heart. If I can be with Miss Li, I will never fail you. In the future, Yun'er and I will wait together for a life of wealth and honor."
And what was the result?
Insults, beatings—
Even the position of wife of the General Who Protects the Nation has been lost.
If he goes back to sleep, how long can she live?
Before closing her eyes, Li Yunyun's eyes revealed a resolute determination.
Because of the heavy load, the pain in her right arm went straight to her heart. Li Yunyun gritted her teeth. The heavy stone in her hand was as big as a human head, with countless sharp edges and corners. With a fierce look in her eyes, Li Yunyun looked up at the man lying on the ground.
Every time she hugged him, it made her want to vomit!
"clang--"
The heavy stone fell rapidly and struck Liang He on the head, causing his forehead to cave in violently. The broken stones rolled away not far away with a muffled thud.
Startled, Li Yunyun staggered backward until she felt safe against the stone wall. The sound of her swallowing in the darkness made her ears ache. Gradually, her watery eyes regained their senses, and she composed herself before stepping forward again.
We could no longer detect any breathing through Liang He's nose.
She killed Liang He, "No, he'll die sooner or later if no one comes to save him."
Li Yunyun strode forward and kicked the heavy rock hard. She was relieved when she saw the rock fall into the valley.
However, the woman froze after turning around, and Liang He's hand—
When she woke up, Liang He's palms were facing upwards, but now they were turned over. His heart was pounding harder and harder; if it weren't for her sudden movement, Liang He would have woken up much sooner.
Li Yunyun didn't move. She turned to look at Liang Fu, whose eyelids seemed to twitch slightly. She leaned against the stone wall, letting the cold rock pierce her skin. She had to go…
If she were to return to the capital under the name Li Yunyun, her life would be ruined.
Who would marry her?
With that thought in mind, Li Yunyun groped her way around the cave. She finally found a path of loose stones deep inside and began to feel her way down it step by step.
The sky grew increasingly hazy, with a faint blue appearing on the horizon, only to be replaced by orange-yellow, and even the sound of the wind softened.
Liang Fu slowly opened his eyes. He heard someone calling from the mountains, "My lord! General!"
He hurriedly responded, "I am here—" but before he could finish the sentence, he felt blood welling up in his throat and "plop—" it mixed with the blood on the ground.
"Liang He?" He pushed him again, wincing in pain. "Liang He?"
But the person beside him was already cold, their body stiffening. Liang Fu's heart skipped a beat, "Liang He—"
-
Beijing.
After Gu Huizhou went to court, Yao Ruyi got up and recited poems with Wang Qianshan. His hand wounds hadn't healed in the past few days, so Shisan didn't teach him swordsmanship.
So the courses were all handed over to Wang Qianshan.
Yao Ruyi had told him countless times that he was alright, but Wang Qianshan wouldn't believe her. He made him walk around several times until he saw with his own eyes that he was fine before he was relieved. The old gentleman didn't ask why he had left with the quilt yesterday, or why he was still sleeping in the emperor's bedchamber today.
Seeing that he was alright, Wang Qianshan was relieved and devoted himself to teaching him poetry and literature.
After lunch, Wang Qianshan left the palace under the arrangement of the eunuchs, while Yao Ruyi dozed off on her golden nanmu bed. Gu Huizhou was still in his study handling government affairs; he had just seen Cui Xiangzhu.
He heard Cui Xiangzhu say, "General Liang has skipped court again today, and I don't know why."
Yao Ruyi clicked her tongue in amazement; how could His Majesty have tolerated such a person until now? While pondering this, she admired her large bed. After thinking it over, Yao Ruyi sat up straight and reached into the soft jade flowerpot on the shelf next to her, rummaging around until she found the gold-threaded bag inside.
It still had bits of dirt clinging to it, which he picked off with his hands and ate.
Having gotten used to eating proper meals lately, I'm still not used to eating dirt all of a sudden, but the plum blossoms have a rich and sweet fragrance, and Yao Ruyi isn't picky about them.
He murmured softly, "This doesn't feel like the original soil. The soil under the plum tree doesn't scratch the throat."
He rummaged through the loose silver inside, but still worried it wouldn't be enough, so he also brought the gold-threaded pouch.
Following the same path that Thirteen had taken him on last time, Yao Ruyi easily left the palace.
He wasn't a cunning impotent fellow; the emperor treated him very well. A soft couch and a bed probably weren't cheap, so Yao Ruyi was willing to use his monthly allowance to buy him some things.
Not much different from the young masters of noble families on the street, Yao Ruyi felt that the only difference was that she was missing a fan, and even though they all had such bulging money bags hanging from their waists.
The mushroom was relieved.
The market was as bustling as ever. Yao Ruyi didn't know what he wanted to buy. In his opinion, Gu Huizhou had everything he needed, and the emperor of Yun Kingdom should be able to have whatever he wanted.
There seemed to be more people on the street than usual today. As Yao Ruyi was walking, she was suddenly stopped by a servant. The servant was wearing a gray-white robe and holding a white cloth strip in his hand. Yao Ruyi glanced at the street and saw that there were several servants dressed like that.
"Young master, are you also coming to visit our chamber of commerce?"
"Chamber of Commerce?"
Seeing that Yao Ruyi was puzzled, the servant was also taken aback. "Could it be that young master does not know?"
"Our Wanyou Chamber of Commerce has just opened recently, and our master wanted to show everyone some good stuff. Look at all the young masters and ladies on the street today; they're all here for our Wanyou Chamber of Commerce."
"Good stuff?" Yao Ruyi immediately became interested. "What good stuff is there?"
"Young master, you've come to the right person. Our merchant guild's finest goods come from all corners of the world. The young ladies are all here for the beauty cream imported from Jiangnan, and some gentlemen prefer calligraphy folding fans."
Many of the rare items belong to the previous dynasty.
He thought for a moment, "We also have calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. Our Wanyou Chamber of Commerce has everything we need."
As the servant spoke, he led Yao Ruyi in that direction. When Yao Ruyi looked up, she saw that a pavilion had appeared next to the brothel, with a plaque that read "Wanyou Chamber of Commerce".
When the servant saw that he had brought the person over, he said with a smile, "Then young master, please go in and take your time. I'll have to excuse myself now."
Yao Ruyi nodded; he felt more at ease looking at himself.
Even before entering, you could sense the large number of people. Most of them were wealthy young men and women, but there were far fewer women than men. They preferred to huddle together in groups of two or three, and would avoid any area with too many men.
Yao Ruyi looked around carefully. The group of men were laughing and joking, and some of their words were even vulgar. He didn't want to go over there. But if he disturbed the peace of the young ladies in other places, it would also be his fault.
He waited a moment, then started looking at some small trinkets by the door.
The fluffy hydrangeas didn't look like they were meant for people to play with; they seemed to be sold to people who kept pet cats. Yao Ruyi didn't like them at all.
When he first saw the cat, he was looking forward to it coming to play with him, but he didn't expect that the sharp teeth would sweep across the cap of the mushroom and break it open.
He disliked the cat for his suffering, and he didn't want to see the cat again.
Yao Ruyi didn't like this side, so he continued looking ahead.
Today he was wearing the robe that Thirteen had taken him to buy. Now that he had his monthly allowance, he should buy Thirteen a gift in return, just as his teacher had taught him: "Courtesy demands reciprocity. It is impolite to give without receiving. It is also impolite to receive without giving in return."
"What would you like to see, young master?"
The shopkeeper thought no one was coming this way, but when he saw Yao Ruyi leisurely looking at him, he quickly came over and asked, "Young master, is there anything you like? Let me introduce you to some."
Yao Ruyi smiled at him; he was just glancing around casually.
To everyone's surprise, the shop owner didn't care at all. He introduced whichever item Yao Ruyi's gaze fell on, saying, "These bells are exquisite jade bracelets carved by the craftsmen of our chamber of commerce. They ring out a beautiful tinkling sound when they move."
"And this is also a good thing. This oil has some good stuff in it. Just a quick wipe and your sword will be shiny and sharp." He went on and on. "We have things that most shops don't have. Please feel free to look around, young master."
"What's this?"
Usually, you can tell what other things are at a glance. Even if you can't tell what a moisturizer or shoulder cream is for, you can still guess its purpose. But Yao Ruyi had never seen this thing before.
Like his soft jade flowerpot, the stick was made of jade, crystal clear and easy to hold in one hand. Yao Ruyi held it in her hand and felt that it was quite heavy.
It was placed next to the oil cream, so it must have been used for sharpening swords.
You can also buy this item along with the cream and give it to Thirteen.
"Young master...Young master, you don't know?"
The servant hesitated, unsure of where to begin. He looked around, but almost no one approached him. He sighed helplessly, probably because he had displayed the jade dildo so openly; which young lady would dare to approach it after seeing it?
He beckoned to Yao Ruyi, signaling the young master to come closer, "That's right, that's what men use. Usually, the lady sends her maid to buy it, to be used in the bedroom at night." He paused, "Of course, quite a few men also like to use it."
He pointed with his finger, "We have all kinds, big and small. If you like, young master, you can take a closer look. They are all made of jade. We also give you a soft oil with every purchase. It will definitely not hurt your skin."
Once Yao Ruyi understood, he immediately put his mind at ease. He patted his heart with lingering fear, thankful that he had asked. If he had really bought it and given it to Thirteen, how would the two of them ever see each other again?
"No...no need!"
Mushroom waved his hand hastily. Seeing that several young ladies from other households had left another stall, he hurriedly ran over there to check, his steps quickening as if afraid someone would see what he had just been holding.
He only recently learned about that matter; the Thirteenth Chamber actually had quite a few books depicting that incident. He read a few but stopped.
The shopkeeper just said that a man even bought it to use.
"Young master, you are so handsome. Are you here to buy some Jade Cream for your wife? Come, young master, take a look. Our Jade Cream has a wonderful fragrance and is very effective. Even Miss Chen just bought a lot of it, saying she wanted to share it with her concubines and sisters."
"The effect will definitely be amazing."
"Master 19?"
Yao Ruyi was looking at the Yu Rong ointment when she heard the sound and turned her head. It was Han Siwen and the man in the wheelchair she had seen at Han Jiqing's banquet that day.
"My name is Baili Qingxiao."
He was pushed by a servant to Han Siwen's side. When Yao Ruyi turned around, the two nodded slightly in acknowledgment, "What good thing has Lord Nineteen seen? Let me take a look for you?"
Han Siwen, dressed in a simple blue robe, looked much more capable than in the elaborate robe she wore the other day. Even her hair was only half tied up with a hairpin. She smiled at Yao Ruyi, her expression friendly and warm.
"Just browsing."
Han Siwen nodded, "If you want to choose something for your daughter, I can help you. There are many things to consider when choosing something for a young lady."
Yao Ruyi shook her head, "I won't see you off, Miss. I'll see Your Majesty off... I'll see you off, Master."
Both of them knew perfectly well who their master was.
Baili Qingxiao looked Yao Ruyi up and down, a half-smile on his face. “Then why don’t you go and take a look at Mo Bao’s place? I can’t help with these cosmetics, but Mo Bao knows a bit about them.”
"Wouldn't that delay your plans?"
Baili Qingxiao said, "What are you saying? Wanyou is a merchant that I started with the help of Miss Han. I am practically the owner, so it is only right and proper for me to give you advice."
Yao Ruyi finally agreed.
He knew nothing about calligraphy and painting, and relied entirely on Baili Qingxiao to help him choose. Han Siwen could say a few words about it, but he couldn't understand it at all.
Finally, on their recommendation, Yao Ruyi bought the whole set. Although she didn't understand it, it looked exquisite and composed, just like Gu Huizhou's personality.
Yao Ruyi readily gave him the money.
"Since this is your first visit, sir, I, as your host, should at least show my appreciation. Please take half of the silver back. That will be my token of gratitude."
Baili Qingxiao returned half of the silver, smiling as he waited for Yao Ruyi to accept it, but Yao Ruyi shook his head, saying, "No need, this is a gift from me to him, you don't need to give it to me."
"this--"
Baili Qingxiao was taken aback. Why hadn't people treated money like money anymore after he hadn't been out working for so long?
Or is it that the monthly salary of the emperor's bodyguards is so generous?
Even the money pouch is made of gold thread, no—
The embroidery on the gold-threaded bag resembled dragon patterns.
"That was presumptuous of me, but I truly wish to do you the honor of inviting you to the upper room for tea. Would you do me the honor?"
Yao Ruyi nodded, "Okay."
After having some tea and snacks at the restaurant across the street, Yao Ruyi bid farewell to the two. The tea and snacks were quite good, but since he had already eaten lunch, he didn't eat much.
The food outside the palace was quite different from what the chefs in the palace cooked, but each had its own merits, and he liked them both.
Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to return to the palace. Just after coming out of the ninth floor, he went back to the Wanyou Merchant Guild again, quickly bought the oil cream, and didn't even glance at the other items.
Yao Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. On his way back to the palace, he would run into the aunt who had given him the steamed buns last time. This time, he planned to buy more, as he thought they tasted excellent last time and wanted to bring them back for His Majesty to try.
"Auntie, I'd like a basket of meat buns."
"It's the young master!" The old woman was overjoyed. Only Yao Ruyi called her aunt, and he happened to be wearing that robe recently. Seeing such a handsome and sweet-talking young master, it was hard for the old woman not to remember him.
"Alright! Young master, wait a moment, your aunt will pack it for you right away!"
The old woman worked quickly and efficiently, and a whole basket of steaming buns was filled with them. She didn't mind the heat, and just reached in with tongs, picking out the entire basket of buns in no time and filling a paper bag.
"Why didn't I see the servant boy come out with the young master today?" she asked, frowning. "Could the young master carry all this stuff?"
Servant? Are you referring to Thirteen?
Yao Ruyi chuckled, "Auntie, that's my friend, not a servant."
"Huh? Ah—"
"I apologize for my inconvenience. Please handle this carefully, young master; it's hot."
"Auntie, did we take too much?"
The old woman immediately put on a stern face, "Last time I said it was a gift from your aunt, but your friend still paid for it. Consider the extra few today a gift from your mother-in-law."
"Thank you, Grandma!"
The old woman was just laughing and joking with Yao Ruyi, but her expression changed in the blink of an eye. "Young master, hurry up! Those hungry ghosts are out again."
The old woman deftly disassembled the steamer basket and carried it on her back. She then quickly packed away her money bag, pushed the stall into a pile of weeds between two houses, and hid it there. Turning her head, she saw Yao Ruyi still standing there and said urgently, "Young master, hurry up! Be careful not to get robbed."
Yao Ru noticed that the food vendors around him all looked like old women. He straightened his expression and waved to an old woman before she would put him at ease.
"Food! Give me all the food!"
A group of dirty and disheveled people appeared out of nowhere, all of them men at first glance. They wore robes that looked like they hadn't been worn for a long time, their hair was a mess, and they were rummaging through many of the empty stalls.
"Empty! Still empty!"
"Boss, there aren't any here either."
"There's one here!"
The group of people quickly looked over and began to share the two broken pieces of ghee cake.
Yao Ruyi didn't intend to pay any attention to them. He had already concealed himself at the alley entrance; these people looked like refugees from the city. He didn't know if he was overthinking it or if this was how it was supposed to be.
During the reign of the late emperor, many people in the capital were unaware of what they were doing, yet they were able to eat their fill and stay warm.
They were all people supported by those corrupt eunuchs and officials.
Now that everything is back on track, these people don't know what to do. Especially now, with food shortages, nobody cares about these idle people who do nothing but wait to eat and drink for free.
"Boss, it smells like steamed buns!"
"steamed stuffed bun?!"
Yao Ruyi quickly stepped back, but immediately sensed someone behind her. A ragged, lean man with gleaming eyes stared at the steamed bun in Yao Ruyi's arms and shouted, "Here!"
When did this person appear behind him? He didn't even hear a sound!
Yao Ruyi quickly dodged the man's touch; when they were close, he could even smell the man's sour stench.
If these people touch the buns in his arms, how can he take them back to His Majesty to eat?
Mushroom frowned; he had no intention of hurting these people.
"He's a pretty boy! Quick!"
"It really is steamed buns! We get to eat steamed buns today!"
"He still has money! Boss still has money!"
...
The chatter was all pretty much the same, and a group of people quickly surrounded Yao Ruyi at the alley entrance, their eyes gleaming like a pack of wolves.
Those guys didn't say anything tough; they were all strong and lean, and they rushed over to grab it!
The gaunt man who was originally behind Yao Ruyi rushed to the front. He reached out to grab her arm, but Yao Ruyi retreated repeatedly, dodging him several times.
The men behind them also saw it. The man called the leader rushed forward. He was the strongest among them, tall and broad-shouldered, and could make a living even if he had to pull a cart.
He swung the weapon fiercely at Yao Ruyi, as if he wanted to pin her down.
"Bang!"
His heavy body crashed to the ground. Yao Ruyi dodged to the other side; if he kept wasting time with these people, the steamed buns would get cold.
Unexpectedly, the remaining dozens of people suddenly went berserk, ignoring the man lying on the ground, and rushed forward. Yao Ruyi looked up in horror; he could already smell the sour stench emanating from the shop.
He didn't care how cramped the spot was. He leaped onto the roof, his sleeve getting scratched by the corner tiles, leaving a red mark. Even his hair ornament was disheveled.
These people, like locusts, actually tried to climb over the wall!
Yao Ruyi ignored it and leaped again, running around several corners before finally slipping through a small door and disappearing into the high wall.
It was already getting dark. Yao Ruyi reached out and took the buns away, walked a while and then brought them back closer. She was only relieved when she could smell that there was no trace of that foul odor.
But Mushroom's mood was ultimately ruined; deep down, she felt that this steamed bun was no longer the piping hot meat bun it was when it first came out of the steamer.
Even now, it's still burning hot to the touch.
"Where did you go?"
Outside the Cloud Palace, Yao Ruyi bumped into the Emperor, who was returning from the Imperial Study. Yao Ruyi, dressed in a light blue brocade robe, carried a cloth bag in her hand and a large paper bag in her arms. Her sleeve was torn, and her face was smeared with something unknown.
The hair ornament hung loosely and crookedly on his head.
Upon seeing that it was Gu Huizhou, he immediately smiled, but then his smile faded as if he had thought of something.
Holding something in his arms, he hesitated and refused to speak.
————————
So soft-hearted [poor thing]
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