Her resentment
It truly felt like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water. By the time Ye Youqing realized what had happened, Ci Ke was already far away, leaving only the lingering warmth on her cheek to show that it had just been kissed.
Suddenly, a rushing sound erupted in her mind, like a boiling kettle releasing steam, spreading from the point of contact to her entire body.
Ye Youqing chuckled dryly, a strange sensation bubbling in her heart, her hand involuntarily reaching up to touch her face.
Ci Ke’s face instantly flushed red, seeming a bit flustered, perhaps blaming herself for her lack of control.
“I’ll go check on my aunt,” Ci Ke suddenly said, then calmly got up and walked into the house. Once she couldn’t see Ye Youqing anymore, she placed her hand on her face and began to run instead.
Outside, only Ye Youqing remained, the wind blowing from the distant mountains, as the dawn approached, the weather still chilly, clearing her mind that had just been chaotic for a moment.
“Why are you sitting outside?” Shi Li’s voice came from above, and Ye Youqing looked up to see Shi Li’s figure.
She seemed a bit weary, her messy hair, chopped off, loosely tied behind her with a hair rope, eyes bloodshot, thin lips pale, only a proud nose indicating her composure.
“Your face is still red,” Shi Li observed, lowering her head.
“It’s nothing,” Ye Youqing hurriedly replied, reaching up to rub her face, trying to cool down the warmth on it.
Shi Li looked at her suspiciously, after a while, she sat by Ye Youqing’s side, leaning against the wall, holding a pot of wine from somewhere, pouring it into her mouth.
Ye Youqing grabbed it away.
“When the Noble Consort wakes up, if you get drunk again, will you make me and Ci Ke carry both of you?” Ye Youqing frowned, placing the wine heavily aside.
Shi Li touched her lips and gave a wry smile.
“Did she recognize you?” Ye Youqing asked.
“It must be,” Shi Li answered with her head bowed.
Ye Youqing turned to look at the still grass hut, wanting to say something but hesitating.
With the bond of master and disciple, she had already regarded Shi Li as family, leading to even more confusion about what had happened back then, yet she had always been reluctant to bring up her scars.
“Ask away. There’s nothing to hide,” Shi Li sensed her hesitation, chuckled softly, and before Ye Youqing could speak, continued, “I know what you’re wondering about, why I didn’t go see Zhou Ziqiu, it’s my own problem.”
Ye Youqing handed back the wine pot she had taken earlier into her hands.
“I was too cowardly,” Shi Li’s face, usually adorned with a smile, now carried a layer of sorrow.
“Back then, I was in love with Zhou Ziqiu. My parents thought I had gone mad and wanted to take me back to the old mansion in the northwest, but I refused and insisted on staying in the capital to be with her.”
“Who would have thought that later the Emperor saw her beauty and wanted to make her a concubine. At that time, General Zhou was still fighting against the Western Xia on the border, and moreover, the Emperor was immediately smitten with her and determined to marry her, and no one could say a word against it.”
“At that time, I was young, full of youthful vigor, feeling disdain for the imperial family. I believed that as long as the two of us escaped the capital, we would have boundless freedom outside, and no one could stop us. So, before the concubine’s sedan arrived, I rode with her swiftly out of the capital.”
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“I never imagined what consequences angering an Emperor would bring. Almost all the palace guards swarmed out of the city, blocking the highway in pursuit. I was outnumbered and had to take her into the mountains to hide. We ran out of provisions, and our supplies were exhausted.”
As Shi Li spoke, a noticeable crack appeared in the wine pot in her hand.
“The night passed, and Zhou Ziqiu suddenly disappeared. I thought she had been captured, nearly going insane. I rushed out of the woods to confront those soldiers, only to learn that Zhou Ziqiu had found them and voluntarily sought forgiveness from the Emperor to show goodwill,” Shi Li suddenly chuckled, “By the time I found out, she had already been carried back to the capital in a soft sedan.”
“I was despondent. The imperial guards continued their relentless pursuit, chasing me to a cliff. Knowing I couldn’t resist them, to avoid being captured alive, I simply leaped off the cliff to my death. Luckily, fate intervened, and I fell into a river, eventually washed up in a village where I was rescued by the locals.”
“According to the old lady who saved me, I was like a living dead person, unconscious in bed for three months. When I woke up, the world had changed.”
“Zhou Ziqiu was named a concubine. My parents, who were already elderly and had longed for their daughter, received news of my death in the northwest. My father was consumed by anger, while my mother fell seriously ill. I hurried back, caring for her at her bedside for a year before she passed away, then I returned to the west.”
“I truly became a living dead person, wanting to join my parents, but I could never bring myself to do it. So, I closed the family escort agency, never returned, roamed the Jianghu, and eventually found myself back in the capital.”
As Shi Li finished speaking, she grew calmer, not drinking any more wine, but setting it aside.
The calmer she became, the more sorrowful Ye Youqing felt, struggling to catch her breath. By this time, the sky had brightened, the morning sun had risen, and the gentle summer breeze blew.
The roosters had crowed several times, and villagers were already diligently working in the cultivated fields below.
Ye Youqing couldn’t help but feel the urge to blame Zhou Ziqiu, but she quickly restrained herself with reason. This story is incomplete, she thought.
Zhou Ziqiu’s part of the story is missing.
“Perhaps…” Ye Youqing’s words were cut off halfway by the sound of the door opening behind her. Ci Ke walked in softly, saying, “Aunt has awakened.”
Inside the narrow and dilapidated grass hut, a woman lay with her eyes open, her face pale, a tear hanging at the corner of her eye. Her eyes seemed to be filled with various emotions, murky and indistinct.
Ye Youqing stood by her bedside, watching as Zhou Ziqiu lay on the bed, her hand fidgeting with the edge of the mattress, trying to conceal her trembling.
“Let her in,” Zhou Ziqiu suddenly spoke, tears uncontrollably sliding down her face, wetting the bedding.
Shi Li stood outside the door, motionless.
“Is it you?” Zhou Ziqiu said, using her hands to prop herself up on the bed, trembling as she slowly got up. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders, covering half of her body, her face moist, looking like a young girl.
“Look at me,” Zhou Ziqiu choked out.
Time passed slowly, and Ye Youqing found it unbearable yet didn’t know what to do. In the end, she had no choice but to turn her head away, staring at the small insect crawling on the ground, following the sound of weeping as it slowly crept into a crack in the wall.
The crying gradually stopped, and Ye Youqing heard Zhou Ziqiu’s voice, now nasal from holding back her emotions, sounding no different from her usual self.
“This time, I thank Miss Ye for saving my life. I owe you a debt I can never repay,” Zhou Ziqiu said.
“Ci Ke, return to the palace,” Zhou Ziqiu said.
When Ye Youqing turned back again, only her reddened eyes and nose were visible, showing traces of her recent tears.
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Ci Ke met her gaze, and Ye Youqing sighed inwardly, acknowledging that Ci Ke was right – Zhou Ziqiu could not let go of her hatred. As an outsider, Ye Youqing felt it best not to say anything more.
Shi Li’s whereabouts were unknown. In the end, Ye Youqing accompanied the two women towards the direction of the palace. As they entered the palace grounds, they were surrounded by the palace guards, who lifted Zhou Ziqiu onto a sedan chair.
At the entrance of the palace, the Emperor himself came forward to greet them, his beard shaking as he reached out to touch Zhou Ziqiu’s hand, only to be evaded with a smile.
“Your Majesty,” Zhou Ziqiu said, her eyes curved with a smile, but cold within.
“I thank Miss Ye from the Ye family this time. If it weren’t for her, I fear I would have already perished at the cliff,” Zhou Ziqiu pointed to her forehead, speaking softly.
“Miss Ye from the Ye family?” The Emperor’s eyes, partially obscured by thick eyebrows, looked towards Ye Youqing, unable to discern his expression. “The legitimate daughter of Duke Liang indeed displays exceptional conduct. You were the one who instructed the guards to search the cliff?”
Ye Youqing pondered for a moment and bowed her head, saying, “Indeed, it was this servant. However, this servant only acted based on what the guards had told me. The cliff had not yet been searched, hence the speculation. After rescuing the Noble Consort, this servant was concerned about possible other assassins and thus took her to a nearby village to hide, which is why we returned to the palace this morning.”
She spoke smoothly, and the Emperor, without any suspicions, simply nodded.
“Reward,” the Emperor said.
“In truth, this servant didn’t do much, it was all thanks to the Sixth Prince rushing over that we were able to rescue the Empress from the assassins,” Ye Youqing feigned a clueless expression.
“The Sixth Prince?” The Emperor seemed surprised, then turned back to listen to the chief eunuch whisper a few words, suddenly realizing the situation. He nodded, “Impressive display of filial piety from him.”
“Bring the imperial physician to attend to the Noble Consort, take the captured assassin back to Bianjing, bring him to the Ministry of Punishments for severe interrogation and find out who orchestrated this. Daring to lay hands on the Noble Consort in the palace, I will have him quartered!”
The Emperor’s words were harsh, and Ye Youqing keenly observed a corner of the crowd where a woman in extravagant attire collapsed.
She understood in her heart.
It seemed that the original Zhou Ziqiu was a mastermind, but met her demise due to the struggles among the concubines. Looking back now, it was truly lamentable.
Ci Ke followed the palace attendants surrounding Zhou Ziqiu as they departed. Soon, the entrance to the palace was deserted, and Ye Youqing stood with hands behind her back, gazing at the towering palace walls and the shadowy pathways, her expression becoming increasingly calm.
The visit to the palace ended so absurdly. The day after the Noble Consort was found, the Emperor left the palace and returned to the capital city in his carriage.
Ye Youqing also returned to the Duke’s Residence with them. The Emperor rewarded her with some gold and silver, all of which she sent over to Pei Ning’s side.
Pei Ning did not disappoint her either. During Ye Youqing’s days at the palace, the shops on that side had flourished, as per Ye Youqing’s instructions, changing the name from Jinlingzhai and now claimed to be owned by Pei Ning.
Additionally, Ye Youqing covertly converted inconvenient-to-carry gold, silver, and jewels into silver notes swiftly, benefiting from the widespread branches of the Qi dynasty’s banks, making access extremely convenient.
The biggest issue now was the lack of trustworthy manpower. Currently, most of the actions were carried out by household servants and laborers, who could handle a secret message delivery, but would fall short for larger operations ahead.
Ye Youqing could sense that the Emperor’s movements were speeding up, likely to entrap her. Fortunately, being the Emperor, there were lines he couldn’t cross due to imperial reputation concerns. Consequently, some actions had to remain covert, which worked in Ye Youqing’s favor.
At least, she still had some room for strategic maneuvers.
As it turned out, her intuition was right on point. Just three days after returning to the capital city, the Chief Eunuch knocked on the Duke’s Residence gate, carrying a red silk cloth of imperial bestowal, joyfully proclaiming the imperial edict.
“…The legitimate daughter of the Ye family, both beautiful and intelligent, virtuous and cultured, is granted in marriage to the eldest son of the Wei family…”
Ye Youqing furrowed her brows as she listened, clasping her hands tightly, and finally, with a slight smile, accepted the edict with gratitude.
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The news of the betrothal quickly spread throughout the entire city. Barely a day after the decree, Wei Yanei came to visit, beaming with a radiant smile, inviting Ye Youqing to the top floor of the Star-picking Tower to admire the flower lanterns at night.
Ye Youqing did not refuse but accepted the invitation. That night, she entered the Star-picking Tower, the highest building in the capital city, with six floors resembling a tall tower, bustling with people and warm air.
Wei Yanei reserved the top floor, leaving it empty except for a group of maids, servants, and hired singers and dancers, making it quite extravagant.
The windows were intricately carved with floral patterns, and outside, the colorful lanterns were lit, shining brightly.
Ye Youqing arrived alone, and before the dishes were served, Wei Yanei, wearing a jade crown, gestured for her to sit.
As she sat down, Wei Yanei stealthily reached out his hand, seemingly about to cover the back of her hand. Feeling uneasy, Ye Youqing intended to move away, but suddenly heard a loud cry by her ear.
It turned out that the maid pouring tea nearby inexplicably trembled, accidentally spilling scalding tea all over Wei Yanei’s hand.
Ye Youqing looked up and met a pair of fox-like eyes filled with resentment.
LP: It’s quite ridiculous that the stinky emperor can just order people to marry!
