Su Yunzhi felt a pain in his chest again, and he didn't know when he had developed this heartache.
"So what if we rebel? The Great Yan Kingdom still has a court!" Su Yunyan said nonchalantly.
His words silenced everyone.
After a moment, Su Yunzhi looked at Su Kunliang and asked, "Father, has Grandfather said when the academy will be built?"
Su Kunliang shook his head and sighed, "It's hard to say. The major families are passing the buck and don't value Central Plains culture at all."
"Should I go back and talk to my husband and ask him to find clerical jobs for my elder brother and younger brothers in the army?" Su Yunru knew the Deng family's capabilities, and if they could get a proper job, it would be good for the Su family.
“No, it’s not appropriate for you to make such a request so soon after you’ve just entered. Wait a little longer,” Su Kunliang said.
Su Yunzhi said, "Don't worry about things at home, just take care of yourself."
Seeing that her father and brother had said so, Su Yunru did not bring it up again. After having lunch at the Su family's house with Deng Shifa, she returned to the Deng family's house.
After bidding farewell to her family, Su Yunzhi, carrying only simple luggage, boarded a carriage with Wu Xingwang and his son, bound for Longtan.
Throughout the journey, Wu Yuan kept telling him about Longtan.
That day, when the caravan reached the outskirts of Nanzhou Prefecture, it collided head-on with a wedding procession. Wu Xingwang quickly ordered his men to move the carriages to the side of the road to avoid them.
"Whose wedding is this, with such a grand display?"
Wu Yuan opened the window and peered into the wedding procession's flags. When he saw the large character "余" (Yu) on the flag, he gasped.
"Father, it's the Yu family who are arranging the marriage."
"Looks like it's a daughter's wedding," Wu Xingwang murmured.
"Uncle Wu, shall we stay in Nanzhou Prefecture?" Su Yunzhi asked.
Wu Xingwang shook his head, "No need, we'll hurry back."
After closing the window again, Wu Yuan, eager to return home, exclaimed, "The New Year is almost here, our city should be bustling with activity now, right?"
"The pig for the New Year is almost ready to be slaughtered."
Wu Xingwang rubbed his chin. When they came out, the city lord had said that they would slaughter the New Year's pig when they returned.
Seeing the father and son's appearance, Su Yunzhi felt a little melancholy. When would his restless soul find a place to rest?
Su Yunzhi had a vague feeling that he would find the answer he was looking for on this trip to Longtan.
Nanzhou Prefecture
Yu Family
Yu Xunmei was discussing matters with the steward who had come to report in the front yard.
"Since the Ye and Zhong families are so uncooperative, from now on, we will stop supplying salt to the Southern Barbarian Prefecture. Aren't they very powerful? If they're so capable, they shouldn't be begging the Yu family."
The steward bowed, his face beaming with a fawning smile, "Young Miss is truly wise!"
"If there's nothing else, you can go down now."
Yu Xunmei stood up to leave when a maid came to report, "Miss, the young master has vomited blood and fainted!"
"Let's go take a look." Yu Xunmei led the way out of the council hall, with her maid following behind.
The bridal sedan chair that was supposed to welcome the concubine's daughter of the Yu family had just left when Yu Shicheng fainted from vomiting blood in the backyard, causing a chaotic scene.
Seeing the bloodstains splattered all over the floor, Madam Yu shouted at the top of her lungs, "Quickly, fetch a doctor!"
When Yu Xunmei entered, she saw her elder brother lying on the low couch, his face as pale as paper, his clothes and chest covered in bloodstains.
"Go and fetch my father quickly." Yu Xunmei's face was full of worry. She turned her head and instructed the maid behind her. Such an important matter could not be kept from the old man.
Madam Yu was directing the servants to carry him to the bed and had a maid bring him clean clothes to change into.
Looking at Yu Shicheng, who had taken off his clothes and was now skin and bones, Madam Yu held a handkerchief and kept wiping away tears.
"What sins have I committed to give birth to such a good-for-nothing as you?"
Fan Yuejia rushed over, supported by her maid, and saw Yu Shicheng's appearance. She was so frightened that she took two steps back.
Madam Yu took a step forward and raised her hand, slapping Fan Yuejia across the face instantly.
"You little whore, your husband is so sick and you don't even care about him!"
Fan Yuejia covered her face, and tears of grievance uncontrollably streamed down her face.
"mother!"
"Don't call me that, I don't have a daughter-in-law like you."
Madam Yu's eyes held an undeniable air of authority, fierce and sharp, as she glared at her menacingly. "You are unworthy of being a wife! You hide in your own courtyard all day, disregarding your husband's life and death, and you are unfilial to your mother-in-law!"
"You're a jinx, a jinx to your father and husband, a jinx who can't even lay an egg!"
Upon hearing Madam Yu's tirade, Fan Yuejia, who had never been insulted like this before, staggered a few steps. If it weren't for Yu Xunmei supporting her from behind, she would have fallen to the ground long ago.
She clutched her aching chest and defended herself in a trembling voice, "My husband hasn't stepped into my courtyard for over three months, so it's not my fault."
“It’s no wonder. He’s your husband, he’s your everything. If he doesn’t come, you won’t take the initiative to show him any concern.” Madam Yu continued to stare intently at her.
"I looked..." Fan Yuejia opened her mouth, but some things she just couldn't say.
Yu Shicheng's insults were still vivid in her mind. He said she was even lower than the women in brothels, that she pretended to be virtuous and gentle on the surface but was actually wanton and dissolute on the inside. On several occasions, he even asked her to serve him along with several other concubines, saying that he wanted to enjoy the bliss of having multiple wives at once.
She had already humbled herself to the dust for this man, yet he still wouldn't let her go.
If her father hadn't died, she would never have married into this messy Yu family.
How could Madam Yu keep what happened in her courtyard a secret? Madam Yu would never miss an opportunity to suppress a woman who had been married for only a short time and was already being rejected by her husband.
"In the end, it's all because you're incompetent. You can't even hold onto your husband's heart. What good are you!"
"Shut up! What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket?" Master Yu's stern voice came from outside the door.
Everyone in the room turned around and saw Master Yu being helped in by servants while leaning on a cane, with a doctor following behind him.
Fan Yuejia tactfully stepped aside, and Madam Yu hurriedly went to greet her, "Doctor, please come and see how my son is?"
The doctor carried his medicine box to the bedside, glanced at Yu Shicheng's complexion, took his hand, closed his eyes, and focused on taking his pulse.
He had seen plenty of the dirty dealings in the inner quarters of powerful families, so he just needed to focus on his own business.
After a short while, the doctor opened his eyes, reached out and pried open Yu Shicheng's eyes to take a look. Seemingly puzzled, he then grabbed Yu Shicheng's other hand to take his pulse.
Upon closer inspection, he shook his head, stood up, and bowed to Master Yu and Madam Yu, saying, "I am incompetent; I cannot treat Young Master Yu's illness."
"How could you not be able to see him? You are one of the top doctors in Nanzhou Prefecture. If you can't see him, who can?"
Mrs. Yu was worried about her son, and her tone became somewhat anxious.
The doctor looked at Master Yu, who seemed to be in a dilemma.
Seeing his concerns, Master Yu said in a deep voice, "Doctor, what's wrong? Just tell me the truth."
The doctor gritted his teeth and said, "The young master has been inhaling excessive amounts of Cold Food Powder for a long time. Its toxicity has seeped into his bone marrow, and there is no cure."
"Bang!" Everyone in the room was startled.
But then, Master Yu slammed his cane down hard on the table, so hard that it broke in two. His chest heaved violently as he tried to suppress the metallic taste rising in his throat.
After regaining her senses, Madam Yu looked helpless. "Doctor, please save my son!"
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