Одна улыбка может обрушить город

Глава 55

Emperor Renzong had been raised by Empress Dowager Liu since childhood. Although he later ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Liu was the true power behind the throne. Despite his filial piety, as he grew older, Empress Dowager Liu continued to try to hinder him, causing him increasing dissatisfaction. When the army was sent to attack Li Yuanhao, the Empress Dowager, along with some conservative officials, opposed it. Seeing his refusal to back down, and due to her advanced age and declining health, coupled with her anger, she feigned illness and went away to recuperate. However, still worried, she sent another letter ordering him to sue for peace and withdraw his troops. Emperor Renzong, however, was already convinced of his decision and unwilling to back down. He became enraged, crumpled the letter, and threw it on the ground. His mood improved, and seeing Yang Huan still lying on the ground, not daring to look at him, he suddenly felt a mischievous urge. He coughed and said, "Judging from your words, your loyalty is indeed commendable. Didn't you just say you wanted to volunteer to fight the enemy? I'll give you that opportunity now. I'll make you a commander and send you north to Yanzhou with Minister Fan in a few days. Are you willing?"

Yang Huan never expected that his hasty fabrication would provoke Emperor Renzong to say such a thing. Upon hearing that he was to go north to Yanzhou, his first thought was that he would never see his beloved again. He secretly groaned, but on the surface, he dared not refuse. He hurriedly kowtowed and replied, "Your subject would gladly die for it!"

Emperor Renzong tapped his hand on the table several times without saying a word, as if he were deep in thought.

Yang Huan held his breath and pricked up his ears.

Emperor Renzong pounded the stone again, then suddenly raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Let’s leave it for now. Since such an auspicious sign has appeared on the Qingmen seawall, it is now a major event. You should go back and repair the seawall first, and erect that stele for me. If I have the time, I might lead all the civil and military officials to pay homage to it in person someday.”

Yang Huan felt a surge of relief and hurriedly kowtowed again in agreement. But before he could even catch his breath, Emperor Renzong continued, "I am pleased to hear of your loyalty and patriotism. It's clear you are not the kind of person who relies on family background for pleasure. Your Consort sister would surely be pleased to know this. I will grant your request. Li Yuanhao is fierce, and I estimate this war will be difficult to quell anytime soon. It will take you a year or two to complete the seawall repairs. If needed then, I will send you again. What do you think?"

Hearing that he wasn't to go immediately, Yang Huan felt a little more at ease and hurriedly agreed.

Emperor Renzong was very pleased and laughed heartily, saying, "Yang Huan, last year when I heard your witty remark in the Jiying Hall, I knew you were a capable person. Now it seems you have indeed not disappointed me. Go back and do your job well; I will certainly not treat you unfairly!"

Yang Huan thanked him repeatedly, kowtowed, and was about to leave when he suddenly heard Emperor Renzong lower his voice and say, seemingly casually, "You just said in court that there were four ancient characters 'Tianyou Baomu' on that tortoise shell?"

Yang Huan was taken aback, but immediately understood. He said loudly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, it is indeed there!" He thought to himself, "Even if it weren't there, I would have already gotten it up there."

Emperor Renzong glanced at him, nodded, and remained silent. Yang Huan then retreated outside, and upon returning to the Mingtang Hall, he saw Grand Commandant Yang still anxiously waiting there. Upon seeing him, the emperor immediately inquired about the matter. Yang Huan naturally omitted the preceding details, only stating that the emperor intended to send him to the northern defenses later.

Upon hearing this, Grand Commandant Yang was greatly alarmed, but then he thought that since the Emperor had already spoken, it was difficult to take back his order. He, as a father, knew his son's capabilities perfectly well. Now he only hoped that the war would be won and that the army would return to the capital before the sea dike was completed. If things really came to a head, he would have no choice but to ask Fan Zhongyan to look after the situation. Thinking this way, he finally felt a little relieved.

After the father and son returned to the Grand Commandant's residence, fearing that telling the old lady and Madam Jiang would worry, they didn't mention the matter at all. Madam Jiang was quite surprised to see that Yang Huan hadn't listened to her and gone away. Only after hearing that the matter had been put aside did she feel relieved, but she was then severely reprimanded by Grand Commandant Yang for disregarding propriety and arguing with Madam Xu, saying that she had now embarrassed herself in front of the Imperial Palace.

Jiang was indignant at being scolded and retorted, "Didn't you know that too? Now you're blaming me!"

Grand Commandant Yang retorted angrily, "When did I ask you to cause trouble in Kaifeng Prefecture and retire?" He then turned and left.

Seeing that she was in the wrong, Jiang ignored him and kept asking Yang Huan a series of questions.

Although Yang Huan was relieved of one worry, the messy lawsuit between the Xu and Yang families remained on his mind. He asked Jiang to go to the government office to request a retrial, but Jiang glared at him and said, "I would never look favorably upon a daughter-in-law from such a family. Now that the matter has finally been resolved, why come back? I'll find you a better one right away."

Seeing that she wouldn't listen to reason, Yang Huan stamped his feet in anger and shouted, "If you don't get your beloved back, I won't marry her! I'll make sure you're childless and have no descendants!"

Jiang's eyes widened, she poked his forehead with her finger, and said in a trembling voice, "It was his family who wanted a divorce first! Now that the judgment needs to be changed, it's his family who has to go first! Besides, if his family doesn't go, what good will it do if my family goes alone?"

Yang Huan found her words reasonable, but he had already offended the Xu family badly, and even if he tried to win them over, it would be useless. He was at a loss for what to do, so he said fiercely, "I don't care about all that. I'll take my daughter with me!" With that, he turned and left, which made Jiang Shi so angry that she cursed herself for giving birth to such a rebellious son.

Yang Huan was preoccupied with their appointment tonight, and finally, when all was quiet, he quietly took Erbao over again. They climbed over the wall at the same spot as the night before, just like before. Erbao had learned his lesson; though he didn't dare go far, he picked out the small stool he had hidden during the day from a pile of junk at the end of the alley, sat down against a sheltered corner, and took out a packet of salted soybeans and candied fruit from his pocket, casually popping them into his mouth to while away the hours.

Following the same path as last night, Yang Huan quietly climbed over the wall into Xu Shirong's courtyard. He ran into the two old women who were already prepared, and as usual, he slipped them some money. The two old women, having become familiar with each other before, took turns guarding the courtyard gate.

Yang Huan knocked lightly on the door, and it opened a crack. Xu Shirong was already waiting. He slipped inside, closed the door, grabbed Xu Shirong, and threw her onto the bed. In the darkness, he quickly stripped them both naked and pressed himself against her, muttering, "I can't take it anymore. While I'm still here, hurry up and give me a few babies. If you keep dawdling, I'm afraid there won't be any left!"

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Hearing him mutter these words, Xu Shirong was puzzled. She was about to push him away to ask for clarification when she felt a warm breath on her face. She opened her mouth, but his lips were instantly captured in hers. She let out a soft gasp, only to have her mouth swallowed whole. His tongue invaded hers, conquering and swirling freely, his constant sucking making her tremble slightly. This familiar, indulgent taste made her initial thought of asking questions vanish. Her bare arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Yang Huan felt her reaction beneath him, lingered for a moment, took a deep breath, and then thrust in forcefully, like splitting ice and breaking jade.

Xu Shirong instinctively let out a sharp cry, then suddenly remembered the old woman guarding outside and quickly shut her mouth again. But to Yang Huan, that sound was nothing short of the most beautiful music, greatly boosting his morale. Accompanied by their suppressed breaths and moans, a romantic atmosphere gradually filled the room…

After the battle ended, Xu Shirong got off the bed, lit a lamp, and used a handkerchief to tidy herself and him up. She turned around to blow out the candle, but Yang Huan pulled her into his arms again. The outer garment she had put on slipped off, and her long black hair fell down her smooth shoulders, half covering her still trembling breasts and half covering her exquisite waist. In the candlelight, her alabaster skin shone with a pearly luster, making her look charming and alluring.

"It's been so long, I finally got to dominate you just now..."

Yang Huan put his hands under her armpits and wrapped them around her waist, then lowered his head to kiss the back of her earlobe, and whispered with a grin in her ear.

Although Xu Shirong had been intimate with him before, she was still not used to being naked in front of him. She reached out and pulled the quilt up to her shoulders before pinching his thigh hard. Yang Huan cried out in pain, but pulled the quilt down further, muttering, "Don't cover up, I haven't seen enough yet."

Xu Shirong turned around and saw him resting his chin on her shoulder, his hand supporting her chest, his gaze fixed on her from behind. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she pulled the covers up again, but Yang Huan wouldn't let her, pulling them down again. After a while of this back and forth, they were both lying on the pillow. Seeing his eyes shining as if he was about to press down on her again, she quickly stopped him with her hand and said, "What did you mean by what you said when you got up and came in?"

Yang Huan thought for a moment before letting go of the hand and pressing it behind his head. He lay back on the pillow and said, "Jiaoniang, your husband has caught the Emperor's eye. He might be going to fight in the Northwest soon."

Xu Shirong was somewhat surprised. Yang Huan then recounted what had happened in the palace and the imperial study that day. After he finished speaking, he turned to her, reached out and stroked her face, and said with a worried expression, "If I am really sent there in the future, it would be best to finish the battle quickly. I'm just afraid that it might drag on for three or five years and I won't be able to come back. Everything else is fine, but what will I do if I can't see you for such a long time? Although I boasted to the Emperor today, I really have no idea how the battle will actually go."

Xu Shirong thought carefully, but couldn't recall how long it would take to finish the war and negotiate peace. Seeing his distress, she gently comforted him, saying, "Although Western Xia is fierce, its national resources are far inferior to those of Song, and it cannot withstand the prolonged war. Even if it gains something from its plundering now, compared to the goods and wealth it obtained according to the peace treaty and the border trade, it is truly a loss. Li Yuanhao is also ambitious and has been waging war everywhere, so the national treasury must be empty. Now that it is at war with Song again, the border trade will be interrupted, and the people will definitely complain. Besides, think about it, how could Liao sit idly by and watch Western Xia rise up and become a thorn in its side? It will definitely intervene."

Hearing her words, Yang Huan's brows gradually relaxed. He leaned in, hugged her tightly, and kissed her, laughing, "My wife is truly insightful. She makes perfect sense. If I am ever sent there, I will certainly fight with all my might. Haven't you heard that heroes have always emerged from the battlefield?"

Xu Shirong spat at him and laughed, "What a shameless fellow, daring to call yourself a hero. Do you think it's so easy to be a hero? Can any Tom, Dick, or Harry be a hero just by being dragged to the battlefield?"

Yang Huan patted his chest and raised his eyebrows, saying, "I either don't do it at all, or I do it to be the best! Back in the day, who in the capital's red-light district had a bigger name than me? Now that I've washed my hands of that and become a county magistrate, which county magistrate in the whole country has such a high profile as me? If we go to fight the Western Xia in the future, I will definitely be the number one!"

Xu Shirong laughed and kicked him, but he grabbed her foot and kept stroking it, making her laugh from the ticklishness. She kicked a few times before finally managing to pull her foot back. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked curiously, "The tortoise stone you mentioned in front of the emperor, was it really dug out from under the sea dike?"

Yang Huan remained silent, but pulled the quilt over his head. Xu Shirong yanked it off, revealing him laughing incessantly underneath, his mouth tightly shut. Xu Shirong, even more curious, asked him several times, but he wouldn't answer. Annoyed, she flipped him over, straddled him, and wrestled him, giving him a few hard punches. Only then did Yang Huan cover his head and beg for mercy, saying, "My wife, please forgive me. I'll tell you the truth now." As he spoke, he pulled her close, whispering a few words in her ear.

Although Xu Shirong had some suspicions at first, she was still quite surprised to hear him say it aloud. After a long while, she said, "You're too bold. You even dare to do this..."

Yang Huan chuckled and said nonchalantly, "What's so special about this? If I hadn't come up with a foolproof plan beforehand, would I have gotten away with this rash trip to the capital? As long as I can bring you back, there's really nothing I wouldn't dare to do."

It turned out that the auspicious stone that had brought good fortune that day was actually something he had secretly ordered Magistrate Mu to bury there before his departure, and that the next day he deliberately instructed the laborers to dig it up. As for the tortoise-shaped stone, it was taken from a flat, oval-shaped pebble with weathered surfaces, which had been chipped away layer by layer during the construction of the seawall. Magistrate Mu was initially somewhat apprehensive upon hearing this, but then he thought to himself that he had worked hard until his hair turned white, and he was only a ninth-rank magistrate. During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian of the previous dynasty, several people had been promoted and gained power by presenting auspicious omens, which showed that there had never been an emperor who was immune to auspicious omens. He might as well take this opportunity to curry favor with the magistrate, and perhaps even gain some fame and fortune by relying on the auspicious omens. So he gritted his teeth and secretly did it.

Xu Shirong snapped out of her daze and realized she was once again lying on top of him, being held in his arms. Feeling a bit awkward, she hurriedly tried to climb down, but Yang Huan wouldn't let her. He noticed her twisting and turning, and his lower abdomen began to throb with a strange sensation. Without a word, he sat up, grabbed her, and pulled her to the edge of the bed, lifting one leg so he could stand on the floor. Xu Shirong was startled but dared not cry out. She struggled to pull her leg back, but his large hand was too forceful, preventing her from retreating. Filled with shame, she raised her other, unrestrained leg and kicked at him, accidentally striking his face. Yang Huan grabbed it and bit her hard. Terrified, she frantically pounded on his shoulders and head, but to no avail. Finally, only low sobs escaped her lips. She felt dizzy and disoriented, not knowing how long she had been tormented before the storm finally subsided. But she was already sore and weak, so she lay down and let him gently wipe her clean. Then she felt him hug her waist and lie down next to her. Too lazy to move, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

It was already late at night when Yang Huan arrived. After several rounds of entanglement, another watch had passed. By the time the two of them lay down together, it was already past 4 a.m. They slept soundly and didn't even notice the dawn gradually creeping into the courtyard through the heavy curtains.

The two old women, overjoyed with the large sum of money they had made the previous two nights, had vaguely heard muffled thuds coming from the other room while on guard duty last night. Knowing full well what was going on, they exchanged glances and chuckled, then pretended not to hear. The long night dragged on unbearably. One of the women took out some wine she had secretly hidden in the room, and the two women drank together, one sip at a time. Eventually, bleary-eyed and slurring their words, they told the other woman to keep watch while they went to sleep and would relieve her later. The other woman, too, was exhausted after only a few moments, thinking she could just close her eyes against the door. But as soon as she closed her eyes, her head slumped to her shoulder, and she didn't even notice the drool dripping onto her clothes, soaking them.

It was only natural that things wouldn't settle down. That very morning, Zhenniang remembered that Xu Jinrong hadn't been heard from since their last meeting. Although she didn't know the details of their meeting, she suspected that Zhenniang must have said something to stop things from continuing. Seeing the warm spring day and the beautiful clear sky, she suddenly felt inspired and decided to invite Zhenniang to go with her to the breeding garden by the North Jinshui River outside the city to enjoy the spring scenery and relax. She also hoped to persuade Zhenniang a few more times, relying on her silver tongue to perhaps convince her. Having made up her mind, she excitedly headed towards Zhenniang's courtyard. But as she approached, she was puzzled. Although it was still early, and usually the gates of her courtyard would be open by now, both doors remained tightly shut. It was understandable that she got up late, but the fact that the old women sent by Madam Xu to serve and watch over her were so lazy was really outrageous. She was a little annoyed and started banging on the door.

After filming for half a day, the two old women whose houses were closer to the courtyard gate finally started to listen. They opened their eyes a crack and were shocked to see that it was already broad daylight outside. They jumped up, all sleepiness gone. They looked at each other and one asked, "Has Young Master Yang left yet?" The other replied, "How would I know? I suppose he has."

The two women stared at each other, at a loss for what to do. They heard the knocking grow louder, followed by the angry voice of the third young mistress of the manor. Knowing her usual fierceness, they exchanged a glance. One reluctantly went to open the door, while the other darted to Xu Shirong's room, knocked a few times, and said urgently in a low voice, "Is the young master awake? Your third sister-in-law is knocking on the door." She silently prayed, hoping that young Master Yang had left as early as the previous night.

The commotion outside had barely begun when Xu Shirong woke up. Hearing Zhenniang approaching, she turned to see Yang Huan still fast asleep, his arm still around her waist. After a slight hesitation, she gently nudged him a few times. He only made a couple of muffled noises, refusing to open his eyes, his arm tightening around her. Gritting her teeth, she couldn't help but reach out and pinch his face hard. Yang Huan finally opened his eyes, but quickly smiled, rolled over onto the pillow, and turned to look at her, whispering, "Wife, were you unhappy with my service last night? Why are you pinching me so hard this morning?"