Chapter 434: Chapter 433: I’ve Decided to Accept the Cui Family’s Betrothal Gifts
Shen Hua felt drowsy, the medicine not yet having taken effect. She felt hot and pushed away the covers, but was seen and stopped by Xie Xun.
"Be good and lie down. Even if the weather is getting warmer, you mustn’t catch a draft after sweating so much."
The girl’s palm-sized face was void of life.
"I’m fifteen, I’ve come of age, I’m already a grown lady, why should I still obey?"
Xie Xun looked towards Cui Yun with an expression that was both smiling and not smiling.
"Fifteen, hear that? I’m afraid some beasts have forgotten."
He had not missed the scratch marks on Cui Yun’s neck, or the swollen corners of Shen Hua’s lips from being kissed.
Not having kicked out Cui Yun was already an extreme exhibit of his lifelong restraint.
Cui Yun lifted his eyelids slightly: "I’m nineteen."
"Always eager to get married soon."
Xie Xun: ...How capable!
Shen Hua, how could she not hear the implication in Xie Xun’s words. She couldn’t help thinking about the time when brother had wanted to marry Sister Xiao, who was only fourteen then.
There were many girls who got married at fifteen.
But in the end, Shen Hua did not help to argue back. After reuniting with Xie Xun, she even dared not mention the Xiao Family girls in front of him.
She knew better than anyone how much brother valued affection, and how deeply he had loved back then.
Probably, he still hasn’t forgotten.
Sister Xiao must have become the indelible mark on his heart.
Xie Xun wasn’t really going to drive Cui Yun away.
Cui Yun wasn’t fussy either, and went to the tea table to eat some noodles.
"How many people were saved from underneath the mine?"
Cui Yun’s expression became solemn.
"Half."
"Some people didn’t deserve to die."
Cui Yun lowered his head in self-mockery, inevitably feeling desolate.
"I also became an executioner for once."
"How can one blame you?"
"The official family has heard some rumors and secretly sent trusted people to Hengzhou. You were nearly exposed, fortunately, we had sent people to smooth things over before. Infiltrating the mine, they managed to escort quite a few people out. You and I both understand the official family’s intentions; if we hadn’t blown up the mine, they probably would have destroyed all the evidence in your hands, nullifying everything you’ve done."
Emperor He, such a hypocritical gentleman, would not be willing to punish Ji Ge unless things escalated, all in the name of maintaining balance.
Xie Xun: "You did your best."
Otherwise, had the mine fallen into Emperor He’s hands, it would have become solely his. The exploitation would continue unabated, the only change being the owner.
The two spoke without avoiding her. Shen Hua occasionally glanced over.
She felt so hot.
The girl kicked the covers off, her snow-white stocking feet wiggling out. Her head ached and nothing felt comfortable, so she sniffed.
Xie Xun promptly got up, intending to go to her.
"Cover up." Cui Yun spoke calmly, his tone brooking no refusal.
Shen Hua slowly clutched the blanket, her delicate body compliantly sliding back in.
"Oh."
Cui Yun ate his noodles quickly, clearly very hungry, yet he made not a sound. The elegance of a noble son was still there.
No matter how one looked, it was a pleasant sight.
She held on for a moment longer, then fell into a half-conscious sleep.
Xie Xun: ...
He said so much, and yet it wasn’t as effective as just two words from Cui Yun, was it?
Not wishing to disturb her rest, the two soon left the room.
"The case with Zhou Zhangping has been concluded in your hands, yet the situation has yet to settle. How come Heir Xie has arrived in Fengzhou?"
Xie Xun responded.
"Currently, the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince have lost favor, and the official family intends to promote Ji Ge."
It’s uncertain whether this was a spur of the moment decision or if they intended to use Ji Ge as bait all along.
"I might as well tactfully pass the rest of the matters into his hands, selling some goodwill in front of the official family."
The remaining issues were all a mess, but the credit would now belong to Ji Ge.
Ji Ge showed surprise but no joy.
"The Empress Dowager favors Su Embroidery the most, and the exhibition is tomorrow. I specially took leave from the court to come here to buy embroidery pieces, to please the old lady."
Emperor He agreed delightedly.
As long as Xie Xun doesn’t meddle in court affairs, holding an idle official position doesn’t matter.
Aside from Imperial Censor Shu pointing at his nose and cursing him a storm.
—Scoundrel! I thought you had some achievements to your name, that you would be decent, how could you grovel so servilely for favor?.
Cui Yun listened to Xie Xun’s watertight response, and simply smiled.
"Heir Xie, you sure know how to handle people."
"Hasn’t Marquis Cui also learned the art of flattery?"
He skipped his evening meal, simply instructing Ying Yicui.
"Cook another bowl of noodles for me."
"Yes."
Yicui was about to head to the kitchen, but then she seemed to remember something.
"After the lady returned to the manor, she locked herself in her room, and in the evening, she wrote a letter to the young master, which she didn’t have the chance to send out in a hurry."
She took it out from the sleeve of her garment.
"It’s fortunate that the young master has arrived."
Xie Xun took it over. He looked at the person by his side.
"I hear from the Third Prince that you’ve been injured."
"He is quite amusing. Knowing that I’ve taken a few days off, he didn’t forget to have me visit Hengzhou to check on your injury."
"He is indeed overly concerned about you."
Cui Yun, however, remained calm and composed, without the slightest ripple: "The Third Prince is very thoughtful."
Seeing that he could not detect any hint, Xie Xun did not inquire further, instead he simply opened the letter, expecting an ordinary family letter, yet his expression darkened abruptly after he made out the content in the light of the room.
The letter had not a single superfluous word.
It revealed everything.
—Shen Wei isn’t dead.
—Shen Qu reborn.
A simple set of eight characters.
Xie Xun gripped the letter tightly, his gentleness gone.
Suddenly, he looked towards the interior of the room. The girl was sleeping peacefully. Seeing that Cui Yun sensed something amiss and glanced over intentionally.
"Yangyang’s handwriting is improving."
"I remember that even when copying from a model book, her characters were all crooked and skewed."
He thought it was Cui Yun’s supervision that had led to her beautiful handwriting.
But Cui Yun knew it was not so.
Xie Xun’s voice was dry: "You know my affairs well; they’re strange but not worth concealing. I figure they won’t be worse than these two issues."
"I think you should also be aware."
Cui Yun took over the letter, noticing that Xie Xun’s hands were trembling slightly.
He looked intently at those eight characters.
The handwriting was no longer as elegant as before, it was hasty but still beautiful.
One could tell the girl was in no state of calm when she wrote the letter, like a thousand waves crashing violently.
She must have been extremely frightened.
His lips tightly pressed together, his facial features cold and rigid to the utmost.
"Cui Yun."
The night was exceptionally thick, black like deep, dense ink.
Xie Xun called out to him.
Reluctant as he was, he did it for Yangyang’s happiness.
"The betrothal gifts from your Cui family, I had taken the liberty to accept them before I left."
Cui Yun silently looked at him.
"What, do you really take me for a villain?"
Cui Yun impassively: "Regardless of other matters, Heir Xie is a good brother."
In the future, whoever takes a fancy to Rong will also have to face a tough stance from him; it is the same principle.
On the way to Fengzhou, when Shen Hua joined him in the journey, those Shadow Guards that Xie Xun had specially assigned to protect Shen Hua offered no obstruction whatsoever.
He then realized that Xie Xun had actually acquiesced long ago.
Xie Xun was heavy-hearted, but still he logically spoke word by word.
"Little General Jin may have brute strength, but when it comes to intelligence, he falls far short of you. You left Hengzhou’s affairs entirely in his hands; he might cope for a short while, but over time, I’m afraid he’ll leave gaps for others to exploit."
"At tomorrow’s exhibition, if she still has a fever, Aunt Sun will take her place. Don’t worry about it."
"Yangyang can’t be left unattended here, but with me present, things surely won’t go awry. Yet, the well-being of countless people in Hengzhou must be the priority. Therefore, I won’t see you out."