Zhenshu suddenly turned around: "What letter? What letter did you leave? I've never seen it before?"
Yu Yichen was also stunned: "The silver notes were on top of those in the box in the washroom of the small building in Chuanzi Lane. You never saw them?"
Zhen Shu silently recalled for a long time, then cursed angrily, "It must have been Du Yu who took it. He once led people to Chuanzi Alley."
Yu Yichen was also taken aback: "If he took it, he probably wouldn't give it to you."
Zhenshu remained silent for a long time before saying, "Originally, I felt a little guilty towards him for secretly taking Xiaoyu away. But since he is this kind of person, I have no regrets towards him."
She turned around and asked urgently, "What did you write for me? Hurry up and tell me now."
Yu Yichen shook his head: "Time has passed and I've forgotten. Since your heart is still with me now, why bring up those things again?"
Zhen Shu was still curious, but since he insisted on not saying, she had no choice but to put it aside for the time being. Just as dawn was breaking, she saw that the group had ridden their horses to a place where the grass was lush and the sky was wide open. Pointing ahead, she asked Yu Yichen, "Where are we going now?"
Yu Yichen didn't know how to explain, so he pointed to a place shrouded in mist under a gray-white dome in the distance and said, "Blackwater City is my hometown."
The horses, exhausted from a night's gallop, gradually slowed their pace, trotting leisurely across the grassland. Occasionally, early risers or herders would come by, and upon seeing Yu Yichen pass by, they would stop their work, place their hands on their chests, and bow respectfully to him. Zhenshu, unfamiliar with such etiquette, whispered to Yu Yichen, "Tell me honestly, are you here again tormenting these herders, making them tremble with fear whenever they see you?"
☆、131|Retribution
Yu Yichen knew that the terrible things he had done back then still haunted Zhenshu, and he couldn't explain it to her clearly for the time being, so he could only say vaguely: "These herdsmen are naturally warm-hearted, and they will greet everyone like this."
Zhenshu was about to believe it when she heard Xiaoyu shout from afar, "Mother, look! I've hunted a rabbit!"
He rode the same horse as Mei Xun, and sure enough, he was holding up a rabbit that had been shot with an arrow: "This is my rabbit."
Seeing that Mei Xun rarely smiled at her, Zhen Shu nodded and smiled back at him, then turned to ask Yu Yichen, "Is Sun Yuan here too?"
Yu Yichen smiled and said, "Yes, but I look very different. I'm afraid you wouldn't recognize me."
Needless to say, the name is still the same, but the person has changed many times.
Zhenshu had originally planned to run away from Liangzhou City to marry a monk, and then have him return to secular life so they could find a small place to settle down and live a simple life. However, she never expected that Yu Yichen would still be in such a state that she couldn't see him clearly.
She brought her most important possession, Little Fish, to him, but he continued to act the same way. How could she be happy?
Not to mention Zhen Shu's transformation from yesterday's frenzied joy to her current silent demeanor filled with lingering worry. In Liangzhou City, Du Yu, unusually in a good mood early in the morning, dressed in his military uniform to go to the Prince's residence for his duty. After searching for a while without finding his general's tally, he turned to Dou Mingluan, who was lying on the bed, and asked, "Mingluan, where is my tiger tally?"
Dou Mingluan, supporting her belly, turned over and lay on her side: "How would I know? Look for it yourself."
Du Yu searched everywhere for a long time but still couldn't find it. He went outside and called for Dou Mingluan's maids and old women to search everywhere. After searching for a long time, he still couldn't find it. Suddenly, he had an idea and ran out of the mansion. After walking a few steps, he went to another courtyard that looked exactly the same on the other side, knocked on the door and shouted, "Zhenshu! Song Zhenshu."
The old woman who opened the door saw Du Yu and hurriedly bowed, saying, "General Du, this old servant has not seen the lady and young master since I got up this morning. The bedding is all neat, and the clothes and jewelry are all there, but I don't know where they have gone."
Du Yu rushed in and rummaged around until he found Zhen Shu's dressing table. There, under her usual comb, was a piece of paper with several large characters written on it: "Du Yu, Xiao Yu and I are leaving. Don't hang up!"
Du Yu grabbed the note and returned to his own courtyard. He went into his bedroom and threw the crumpled note at Dou Mingluan's face: "Last night you said you were going to send Xiaoyu a plate of fried silver fish, but you actually sent me my General's Talisman, didn't you?"
Dou Mingluan pulled the covers tighter around her and pretended to be confused: "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen your things. I need to sleep and rest now, so please don't bother me anymore."
Du Yu yanked the blanket off and threw it on the ground, pointing at Dou Mingluan and cursing, "In these past few years, have I ever spoken a single word to Zhenshu? Have I ever looked at her twice? You're still not satisfied? Do you have to kill her to be satisfied?"
Dou Mingluan suddenly sat up straight and pointed at Du Yu, shouting back, "Du Jinyu? I am your lawfully wedded wife, whom you have sworn allegiance to heaven and earth and your ancestors. What do you mean by humiliating me like this for a concubine with no status and her illegitimate child?"
Du Yu raised his hand to slap her, but stopped abruptly near Dou Mingluan's ear: "I told you before, Zhenshu is the wife in my heart. I can accept you if you can't marry, but you must not be so ignorant. But look at you all these years, you're always causing trouble for Zhenshu and embarrassing her, forcing her to live in a different residence from us, forcing her to cut off all contact with me. Now you actually sent her a general's token in the middle of the night, ordering her to leave the city. Do you know that if she encounters bandits or Tartars on the way, she and Xiaoyu will surely die?"
Dou Mingluan, after Zhenshu pleaded and cried for a long time, promising never to return, impulsively stole the general's talisman and told her to take it out of the city. Only then did she realize the seriousness of the situation, but she refused to admit defeat. She sneered and said, "Who am I unable to marry because of? What would it mean if I married you? Your heart is with the neighbor next door. You live here and treat me like an object to be used and then discarded. What am I to you? I advise you to give up and live a good life. She only has that eunuch in her heart, and she's probably going to see him now. Since she can have a good life, why do you keep pestering her?"
Du Yu suddenly realized that the fat monk had been deliberately delaying him yesterday. His mind cleared instantly; it seemed that yesterday was precisely the fat monk's opportunity to stall him. Yu Yichen and Zhenshu had met, which was why she had escaped the city in the middle of the night to meet him. Du Yu had been guarding against her like a thief for four years, only to find that Zhenshu had been seduced by Yu Yichen after just one trip outside the city.
He was originally a guerrilla general in the city, but now he couldn't mobilize troops without his general's seal. He hurriedly ordered a dozen or so personal guards to ride all the way to the White Pagoda Temple, dismounted, rushed into the temple, and shouted, "Find all the monks in this temple for me!"
Once all the monks had gathered in front of the main hall in the front courtyard, Du Yu raised both hands and shouted, "Search for them! Dig up every inch of this White Pagoda Temple and find a eunuch who is neither male nor female!"
The fat monk from yesterday had a cheerful appearance. Now, he stepped forward with his hands clasped together and said, "General Du, may I ask what brings you here today?"
Du Yu tilted his head, staring at the cunning smile on the monk's face, and asked, "Where is Yu Yichen?"
The fat monk still wore a smile that made one want to punch him: "This humble monk has heard of this name, but has never seen this person. I wonder if the general..."
Two rows of guards ran out from the rear yards on either side, clasped their hands in greeting, and replied, "General, we have not seen anyone else."
Du Yu personally searched each room, removing the doors of any cabinets he found and turning any boxes inside out. Apart from the incense table for Buddha and Bodhisattvas, he turned the temple upside down, searching until he reached the last courtyard, but he found nothing or any object related to Yu Yichen.
He walked to the release pond where Xiaoyu had caught fish the day before and sat down dejectedly on the edge of the pond, rubbing his head. In his heart were Xiaoyu, Zhenshu, and Dou Mingluan, who was heavily pregnant. He recalled his chaotic life, from the time he secretly pledged his life to his close maid ten years ago, to meeting Zhenshu in Wuling Mountain, to having Su Shi and Aunt Su manipulate him to force Zhenshu, step by step, until the night he married Dou Mingluan.
His life was filled with the absurdities of fate, but in the end, he could not escape divine retribution.
Despite Yu Yichen's constant explanations, Zhen Shu remained skeptical. Blackwater City was indeed a beautiful place with lush vegetation and pleasant scenery. Although the city was not as large as Liangzhou, its exotic architecture was exquisite, compact, and quite interesting.
When they dismounted and arrived at a palace with a pointed roof and round arch, a servant came forward to lead the horse and greet them. Zhenshu couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. Seeing that Yu Yichen also had a blush on his face, she teased, "Do you, as the crown prince, also have eunuchs under your command?"
Seeing Mei Xun approach with a stern face and Xiao Yu holding the rabbit's leg upside down in Xiao Yu's hand, Yu Yichen knelt down to meet the child's gaze and asked seriously, "Do you like rabbits?"
Along the way, Xiao Yu saw that everyone had to listen to Yu Yichen. Even his mother was now being restrained by this man and couldn't resist. Although he dared to grab his grandfather Du Wu's beard, he felt a little afraid of this man for some reason and replied in a low voice, "I like it."
Yu Yichen stood up, beckoned a boy over, pointed at him and said to Xiaoyu, "This man is called Sun Yuan. He's the best at catching live rabbits. From now on, you should acknowledge him as your elder brother, and I guarantee he can catch a live rabbit for you every day."
Xiao Yu had once raised a few rabbits in Liangzhou City, but since most houses there were made of adobe, the rabbits would usually escape overnight by digging through the walls. The holes they dug, in turn, attracted countless mice into the house. Therefore, Zhen Shu forbade him from raising rabbits anymore. Now, upon hearing that Sun Yuan could catch a rabbit for him every day, Xiao Yu's admiration was palpable. He went over and respectfully bowed, calling him "Big Brother."
Sun Yuan, who had changed his appearance again, was also a boy of fifteen or sixteen. He fully understood Yu Yichen's intention through his eyes, reached out and grabbed Xiaoyu, and said with a smile, "There's more than one. Big brother will catch a female rabbit for you. It will give birth to a litter in a couple of days!"
Little Fish gasped in astonishment, his mouth agape, and then, feigning gratitude, clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "In that case, I must thank you very much, Brother!"
Zhen Shu didn't expect Yu Yichen to have such methods. She laughed for a long time before hearing Yu Yichen instruct Sun Yuan: "Take good care of his food and drink first, then take him out to play. It doesn't matter if he gets dirty or tired, just make sure he doesn't get into any danger."
Sun Yuan took Xiaoyu's hand and left. Zhenshu and Yu Yichen entered the hall, and Zhenshu dragged him all the way to the inner room. She shook off his hand and laughed, "I didn't expect you to have such a way of coaxing children."
Yu Yichen took off his monk's robe, revealing a white undershirt, and began to strip Zhenshu of her clothes: "Actually, I don't know how either. But now he is so much more important to you than I am. If I don't learn how to coax him, how can I face your heart that ran away like Han Xin in the night?"
This place didn't have the bathing jars of the Central Plains, but rather a wooden tub with wire railings. Zhen Shupai closed her eyes and tilted her head back in the water, waiting for Yu Yichen to rinse her hair, still with her eyes closed. After waiting for a long time without him making a move, she opened her eyes and saw Yu Yichen carrying the original bowl out of nowhere, walking towards them at that moment.
She took the bowl, took out the black jade ring from inside, slipped it onto her hand, and wiped the water from her fingertips. Her tone was full of jealousy and resentment as she said, "You said you almost died when you left the capital, and it wasn't until you got here that someone saved you. But even on your deathbed, you didn't forget to bring this thing with you. It's clear that your philandering nature hasn't changed. I wonder if there's a saint sitting on a phoenix throne here waiting for you to flirt with him?"
Dou Mingluan was always jealous because she loved Du Yu. Zhen Shu was originally easygoing, but since meeting Yu Yichen again, she had been jealous countless times in just a few hours. She stared at the maids bowing and scurrying back and forth outside and whispered in his ear, "Tell me the truth, how many have you hooked up with now?"
Yu Yichen knelt outside the bathtub and massaged her shoulders. He scooped up a ladle of water and commanded, "Close your eyes."
Zhenshu closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting. After he poured a ladle of water over her head, she opened her eyes again and asked, "Just tell me, is it true or not?"
☆、132|Madam (Final Chapter)
Yu Yichen's shoulders and back were much broader now. Zhen Shu stood up from the bathtub and simply hooked her legs around his waist, one hand around his neck, still pointing her finger at his nose and asking, "Tell me quickly, are there any? How many?"
She soaked his clothes, and covered in water droplets, she pressed him down on the bed, still asking repeatedly, "Is there or isn't?"
Yu Yichen took the black jade ring off Zhen Shu's hand, put it on his own finger, and rubbed it, shaking his head and saying, "No."
Zhenshu rolled her eyes and snorted coldly: "I don't believe it. If you didn't have them, why would you prepare these things?"
Yu Yichen reached out and, using the light to examine the smooth ring on it, asked, "Do you see any difference between this and the original?"
Zhenshu stared at it for a long time before saying, "So that was pure black, this is dark blue. And now that your fingers are thicker, the ring on this thing has also become larger."
Yu Yichen reached down and stroked it again: "That's right. Although it still looks like the original object, it's not the original thing after all. Try it in a bit, it will taste even better."
He kissed her lips and then rubbed his hand down there for a long time. Seeing Zhenshu stretching her neck and moaning, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "No, there has been no one else since you."
Zhenshu didn't hear those words. She was gradually finding that perverse pleasure, and she bent over and hummed softly like a cat: "Quick, quick, help me!"
Yu Yichen stepped back and leaned between her legs, fiddling with her for a long time. Then Zhen Shu let out a long sigh, and her whole body began to tremble. He hadn't done this kind of thing for four years, but he was still familiar with her body and knew her preferences. He pressed his lips to hers and reached out to stir up waves of pleasure all over her body for a long time.
After finishing, Zhen Shu lay on her back on the large bed. Her lustful thoughts had just subsided when she suddenly remembered Xiao Yu, whom she had been told to ignore all day. Feeling guilty, she abruptly sat up, jumped off the bed, and frantically searched for her shoes on the floor. Yu Yichen also sat up cross-legged. Seeing her hurried appearance, he recalled how she had always acted the same way after finishing her business in the capital five years ago—a genuine and straightforward manner. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you still worried about getting home late and not being able to explain yourself?"
Zhenshu finally found her shoes to step on, then hopped around looking for her clothes: "I have to go find my little fish, I don't know where Sun Yuan took it."
Yu Yichen reached out and called out, "Come here."
Zhenshu, who was busy tying her sash, leaned closer and asked, "What is it?"
Yu Yichen suddenly pushed Zhenshu down onto the bed, rubbing against her and saying, "They will definitely be able to coax your son to eat and sleep well. You've been with him for four whole years, so from now on you have to sleep with me every night."
Zhen Shu told him to hold her hands and take off her clothes again. She vaguely felt that Yu Yichen was different from back then, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. He no longer had the chill that used to permeate his body; instead, he was filled with a restless heat. Although he still had the same personality and appearance, he was still somewhat different from before.
He rubbed against her for a long time before rolling over and lying on his back. After lying there for a while, he turned around and hugged Zhenshu. Seeing her bright eyes staring at him, he held her close to his chest and said, "Sleep!"
Zhen Shu sighed deeply, and after a long while said, "I'm sorry, Yu Yichen, I'm sorry. I know this isn't just a matter for one person; both people need to find some pleasure in it. If I can help you..."
"Go to sleep." Yu Yichen held her close to his chest and rubbed her for a long time before saying, "It's good that you're still willing to come to me and follow me. It couldn't be better."
The next morning, Zhenshu woke up with Xiaoyu's help, rubbing her eyes as she pulled him onto her stomach and asked, "Where did you sleep last night? Did you eat breakfast this morning? Did anyone bully you?"
Yesterday, Xiaoyu had Sun Yuan and the palace maids use all their skills to tease him all day long. They caught not only rabbits, but also pheasants, wild boars, hedgehogs, and sparrows—the only thing missing was a live tiger. After being tormented by these things all day, Xiaoyu lay in bed with a hedgehog in his arms. He forgot not only his mother, but even his own surname. Before going to sleep, he didn't forget to clasp his hands in thanks to Brother Sun Yuan.
He was spoiled by Du Wu since childhood, which made him fearless and, like Du Yu, naturally ambitious and untamed. He made a ruckus in Zhen Shu's arms for a while, and when he heard Sun Yuan's calls outside, he jumped off the bed and rushed out.
Back in the capital, the servants in the Yu residence were all young eunuchs, but now there were maids here, moving in and out of the palace silently. Zhenshu got up and saw a set of neatly folded Han-style cross-over robes on a table to the side. She knew that this must have been prepared for her. She picked it up and put it on from the inside out. When she went outside, she saw a maid setting out mutton, milk tea, fried rice, and other things on the table.
She ate a few bites casually and walked outside the palace, looking around. The walls of the palace were covered with intricately woven wool tapestries, the pillars and walls were brightly colored in bright red, yellow and blue, and the tables and chairs were all painted brightly. The bull heads and deer antlers hanging on the walls were decorated with red silk.
Last night, the bedding on that bed was so brightly colored that she could hardly sleep a wink. But when she looked closely at the furnishings in the palace this morning, she realized that the bed was actually quite plain.
Zhen Shu stepped into the courtyard and looked up at the palace's pure white exterior walls and pointed, towering roof. She shook her head and sighed softly, "This is not Yu Yichen's style."
Not only has his entire personality changed, but even his hobbies and tastes have changed. The once refined and elegant person can now live comfortably in such a glamorous and extravagant palace.
"What do you think is my style?" Zhen Shu turned around and saw Yu Yichen standing beside her. She looked him up and down and couldn't help but laugh, "This outfit is really dazzling."
He wore a long, narrow-sleeved, black robe embroidered with ferocious, coiled golden dragons, a leather belt around his waist with a jade pendant hanging from it, white felt boots, and a rather comical peach-shaped cloud-patterned crown. Zhenshu laughed so hard she bent down to ask him to help her up, but after one glance, she couldn't help but bend down again, laughing uncontrollably. After laughing for a while, she finally said, "Could you change your hat? This one is way too tall."
Yu Yichen just smiled at Zhenshu, and after he finished smiling, he took Hao's hand and said, "If you don't think it looks good, I'll tell them to make a shorter one and send it in tomorrow."
He led her by the hand to the door, where a servant dressed in blue robes and a felt hat brought a palanquin. Yu Yichen pulled Zhenshu up to sit with him, and after they were seated, the servants lifted the palanquin. Only then did Yu Yichen whisper in Zhenshu's ear, "My uncle has been building Blackwater City for over thirty years, having single-handedly gathered the remnants of his army amidst fierce enemies. Now that he is old and nearing his end, if I don't show that I am truly sincere in continuing the dynasty for him, I fear he will not be able to die in peace."
Zhen Shu also whispered, "Although I don't know you very well, I do know that you are not a considerate person."
His fair complexion and red lips complemented his black clothes perfectly, and the ferocious dragon design suited his temperament just as well. Even that ridiculous hat looked incredibly dignified on him. He possessed a natural aristocratic air, but unfortunately, half of his life was filled with misfortune.
Yu Yichen took out the wooden hairpin from his pocket, held it in his palm, and said, "Good and evil are only a thought away. I have walked through the boundless hell and was able to meet you again. This shows the magnanimity of Heaven."
Zhenshu sighed, "I finally know what has changed about you. You used to be full of hostility, but now you are full of kindness."
The palanquin stopped at the gate of a palace. Yu Yichen helped Zhenshu down from the palanquin. The male and female servants outside the palace bowed in greeting, but Yu Yichen only nodded slightly. He led Zhenshu by the hand into the inner chamber of the palace. On a high chair lacquered in bright gold and inlaid with gemstones sat a plump, round woman. On her head was a pure gold openwork peach-shaped crown, surrounded by gold leaves and complemented by white jade.
Yu Yichen stepped forward and said, "Aunt!"
The city lord's wife, her face full of sorrow, rose and had her maid help her inside to take Yu Yichen and Zhenshu to see the dying Blackwater City Lord, Shang Qiang. She seemed not to understand Mandarin, and spoke incoherently as they went, which her maid translated into Mandarin and relayed to Yu Yichen. Yu Yichen listened with a frown, nodding as he listened.