Read Novel Full Chapter 90: Heavy Drop of Ink
After saying that line, there actually wasn’t a follow-up.
Yu Lingxin waited for a moment, and then asked, “So?”
Xun Che embraced her shoulder, softly speaking, “So, I naturally will properly win over father-in-law. This matter, you don’t need to worry about. As long as, cough, cough, as long as you yourself don’t get tempted by that ‘world renowned noble scholar’.”
Hearing the slight abnormality in his voice, Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but feel astonished, “You’re actually worried that———”
Xun Che embarrassingly averted his eyes, “Qi Ke, can’t be considered a bad match. Father-in-law can be considered to have very good eyesight. Realistically speaking, in the last lifetime, if you’d followed him, then you would’ve been much better off than with me. In terms of reputation, even official career, everything……….”
Yu Lingxin fell silent, not saying anything, just fixedly staring at Xun Che.
Xun Che turned back his gaze, seeing Yu Lingxin with a very serious expression, and just realized that he’d misspoke, deliberating for a moment before adding, “I don’t have any other meaning. As soon as I arrived in the capital this morning, I just heard of father-in-law’s arrangement and quickly rushed over. I—I know that you were merely just following along father-in-law’s wish. Even if I don’t come, you also won’t have any changes.”
“Shenzhi.” Yu Lingxin sighed, voluntarily reaching out to caress his face, “Do you remember what I’d said to Jinrou that time in Qinghong Pavilion?”
Xun Che’s expression slightly froze, “You’re talking about——-”
“In my eyes, there’s no one better than you in this world.” Yu Lingxin stared in his eyes, slowly and very clearly saying, “Regardless whether it’s the past life or this life, regardless of what others say about you, or what kind of good reputation others have, in my eyes…..” She slightly paused, the smile on her lips gradually blooming, repeating again, “There’s no one better than you, I just like you alone.”
“Huijun.” The intelligent and resourceful Xun-shizi surprisingly didn’t know what else to say in this moment. In the past, whether it was the mountains of daggers, sea of flames, thunder and rain, or even the disastrous turns in life and death, he’d all experienced through. However, the young girl’s smile and gaze before his eyes were both gentle and firm, making him momentarily speechless.
It was unnecessary to say more, and there was nothing else that can express his joy in this moment. In the end, Xun Che just lightly reached out and had Yu Lingxin taken into his arms again.
And when she reached out to hug him back, Xun Che increasingly felt that he didn’t need to say anything more. The one that trusted him the most and understood him the most in this world was just her.
Nearing noon, the youngsters that had strolled around outside for almost an hour all returned to the side hall one after another. Yu old madam and Ming Huayue had already chatted for a long time. The intimacy and relaxing atmosphere in between made even Yu Bocheng sense Ming Huayue’s clear and distinct expression of goodwill. Although still a bit puzzled, but hearing the sincere fondness towards Yu Lingxin revealed in Ming Huayue’s words, it still made Yu Bocheng feel somewhat complicated.
Once the children all returned one by one, seeing everyone’s order when entering, and the atmosphere between them, Yu Bocheng’s complexion was just even more peculiar.
Su-shi’s eyes, however, slightly lit up a little. From Ming Huayue’s attitude when talking with the old madam earlier, the Wen’an Marchioness clearly was very fond of the eldest miss. Then, seeing the pairings when the children returned, Yu Lingxin was clearly with Ming Jinrou, while Yu Yunxin and Yu Zhengshan went with Xun Ying, Xun Cong, and Qi Ke to view the plum blossoms.
If the eldest miss doesn’t have fate with this Gentleman Qi, then can the second miss be considered?
TN: All translations outside of are stolen and reposted without permission!
All in all, when this very unnatural encounter at Jingfu Temple ended, practically everyone all had different thoughts and calculations on the way back home. Either disappointed, or satisfied, or their thoughts spinning, they all varied. Some things seemingly appeared even more clear, while some things were even more uncertain.
And precisely at this time, third of the twelfth month, on the third day after the Wen’an Marquis returned to the capital, a news coming from the Cheng’en Duke Manor Zhu family directly attracted everyone’s gaze and attention in the capital, from the imperial family above, the nobles and officials in the middle, and down to the commoners below, adding another heavy drop of ink for this storm during the Tianxu period.
The Zhu family second young master, Zhu Yifeng, claimed that he’d saved a beautiful young girl by the Yun river. That young girl had heavy injuries on her head, so during her recovery, she was unable to remember past matters, also not knowing her own identity.
But, the Zhu family made out that this young girl had an accent from the capital, thereupon treating with due respect. After treating her injuries, they brought her back to the capital, and now, someone has recognized from her appearance that she might be the Xun family second branch’s eldest daughter, Xun Yan, thus inviting the Xun family to come identify.
Once this matter came out, the matter in regards to ‘the Wen’an Marquis heir plotting against his younger tang sister’ that had fervently spread throughout the capital previously naturally just got brought out immediately to compare, and roughly calculating the time, it really was able to completely match up.
For a time, Xun Che’s name can also be considered ‘renowned throughout the capital’ in another way. Everyone were all discussing exactly what was the truth of this matter.
Originally, Xun Yan saying that her head had gotten injured, unable to remember anything, not even knowing her own identity, was already extremely bizarre, but there were also similar cases recorded in the medical books and ancient texts, so it was hard to determine whether it was real or not.
That’s why, in the rumors and gossips, the main focus of everyone’s discussion wasn’t whether Xun Yan was still pure or what her reputation was like now, since it’d already been more than a month since the Zhu second young master had saved her, but instead further paying attention to exactly how Xun Yan fell into the river and got injured, and whether or not she was harmed by Xun Che and so on.
As for the Zhu family’s attitude in this matter, it was also very peculiar.
Because the way the news came out was through the Cheng’en Duchess inviting several noble madams of the capital over for tea, inviting them to identify Xun Yan who’d fully recovered from her injuries, yet still ‘unable to remember anything’.
During the talk, she naturally brought out how her son had saved a young girl from the river out of kindness, how they treated her respectfully, and even voluntarily mentioning that if truly unable to find this young girl’s family, or if her family doubts her purity, then the Zhu second young master is willing to be a good person to the end, officially taking her as his wife.
To be of such noble character and have such unquestionable integrity, it was practically a peerless nobleman only seen in the storybooks and legends. Although the second young master was a shu-born young master, but he was still a proper young master of the Cheng’en Duke Manor, even having a scholarly title[1] on him. He would just marry a young girl he’d saved from the river like this?
The extraordinary level can already be comparable with the plays on the stage, or tossing an embroidered ball to recruit a son-in-law[2], or capturing an enemy general on the battlefield in order to marry a princess.
Of course, by the time someone made out that so called ‘unknown’ young girl as the Wen’an Marquis Manor’s second branch’s eldest di daughter, this matter just became even more complicated.
The Zhu family really didn’t recognize Xun Yan?
Even if Xun Yan had indeed spent most of her childhood in the Liu province Jiang residence, also not that frequently going around in the capital like the first branch’s second miss, Xun Ying, but the Xun family young ladies’ beauty was still a bit similar.
Never mind if the Zhu family really didn’t know, but if they knew……….
All in all, in the three days from the third of the twelfth month to the fifth of the twelfth month, the entire capital from top to bottom, aside from the endlessly enthusiastic gossips and discussions, everyone was also waiting for the Xun family’s formal response.
In fact, some that were impatient, while also having a bit of relationship with the Xun family, even wanted to visit on the fourth of the twelfth month to ask. However, the response they received was that the manor temporarily won’t be seeing any outside guests.
This was also very reasonable. Regardless of what the specific process was like, just from what the people outside can see, it was just the Xun family’s eldest miss having been left at someone else’s manor for an entire month, and in this matter, perhaps there was even the first branch heir’s fault. Then, exactly how intense the disputes and conflicts in the Xun family interior were, no matter who, all were able to imagine.
Towards this matter, the Yu family naturally also paid very close attention. However, thanks to the fact that Yu Bocheng had already returned to the imperial tombs to continue supervising the project, even if he’d produced new barriers towards the Xun family as well as Xun Che because of this, he didn’t have the opportunity to grumble in front of the old madam and Yu Lingxin.
Yu old madam meanwhile asked Yu Lingxin a few words, asking whether or not she’d heard anything from the inside. Even if setting aside the fact that the Xun family and the Yu family might very likely form marriage ties, just based on the twists and turns in this matter, it was already more than enough to make one very curious.
Yu Lingxin could only vaguely brush off, just having what she’d seen that day at the plum blossom banquet mentioned again. However, strictly speaking, she can also be considered ‘unaware’, because what Xun Che mentioned to her at Jingfu Temple, in front of every explanation, there was always the word ‘if’.
If Xun Yan were to from hereon thoroughly disappear, regardless whether it’s changing her name, or escaping to a faraway place, he can all toss aside the past matters, no longer pursuing her whereabouts and life. It can be considered his last bit of mercy as similarly being from the Xun family.
But if Xun Yan wants to use some means to return to the Wen’an Marquis Manor, then have her self-proclaimed cleverness tied together with the Xun family’s reputation and safety, or even Xun Ying’s reputation and future prospects, then all of Xun Che’s investigations and arrangements in the past month in the Liu province, Ji province, and around the capital will very quickly get flipped onto the surface.
When time comes, afraid it won’t just be Xun Yan alone that will regret it.
Sixth of the twelfth month, clear skies.
The wind and frost in the capital this winter seemingly were particularly heavy. As such, this day, when the weather cleared up, everyone seemingly were all somewhat not used to it.
And amidst the clamorous confusion, the Wen’an Marquis Manor that had shut its doors for an entire three days finally opened its gates. A carriage carrying the Wen’an Marquis’s personal character, as well as carriages carrying the Xun manor’s character, a total of four, came out in a row, slowly heading towards the Cheng’en Duke Manor.
The clear sounds of the horse carriages seemingly were a bit more heavy than usual. Presumably, on this matter that no matter how one looked at it, all wasn’t considered that splendid, the Xun family finally made a decision.
Actually, thinking it over, everyone can all comprehend. No matter what the truth of the matter was like, whether the responsibility was on Xun Yan or Xun Che, one brush was unable to write out two ‘Xun’. For this family clan, it was all an ugly scandal.
Regardless of how the interior quarrel and fight, for outsiders, the only thing that the Xun family can do was probably just have the eldest miss Xun Yan taken back. And no matter whether or not they will really form marriage ties with the Zhu family to cover up this scandal, they all owe the Zhu family a very big favor.
However, what made everyone somewhat surprised was that after the Xun family’s carriages arrived at the Cheng’en Duke Manor, within a very short amount of time, a carriage respectively came from the Ying Duke Manor, Zhongyong General Manor, Head Minister Nie Manor, as well as from the Imperial Physicians Court.
The Wen’an Marquis Manor’s steward, when facing the stunned look of the person that came out to welcome the guest from the Zhu family, directly expressed, “These are the people our marquis invited over to be a witness to today’s matter, asking to go report.”
[1] Scholarly title refers to the titles scholars receive after passing the different levels of the imperial exam. There’s a title for each level of the exam (tongsheng -> xiucai -> juren), only by passing the exam in the previous level can they go on to the next level. In a way, it is sort of like receiving a degree in modern times, ie. bachelors, masters, phd and so on.
[2] This is one of those old customs where a girl, usually from a very wealthy family, will toss an embroidered silk ball from a tall building to the participating unmarried men below and whoever catches it will become her husband.