Union

Chapter 146 Separation
Besides, this is still in their Rongguo Duke's mansion!

If Second Sister-in-law hadn't lost her mind, she definitely wouldn't have done something so thoughtless. So, what Second Sister-in-law said just now wasn't directed at Second Brother, right?

Despite these random thoughts in his mind, Chen Yanhuai moved quickly and ran ahead to catch up with his second brother.

"Second brother, second brother, have you been away for too long and forgotten that you've already married? You should be living with your sister-in-law in Jiyue Pavilion, ptooey, ptooey, it should be called Wanxiang Hall now."

Before the marriage, the second brother's courtyard in the backyard was named Jiyuexuan. After the marriage, with the second brother moving south, only the second sister-in-law remained in the courtyard, so she changed the name of the courtyard to Wanxiangtang.

Chen Yanhuai wondered if his second brother wouldn't recognize his old courtyard because the name of the courtyard had changed.
That can't be!

Surely his second brother, who was a top scholar, wouldn't be so clueless as to not recognize the place he'd lived in since childhood just because the family name had changed?

Chen Yanhuai reached out and grabbed his second brother's arm. "Second brother, if you walk any further, you'll reach the front yard. Second brother, you're married now, and this is only your first day back. You're not going to sleep in a separate room from your sister-in-law, are you?"

Even the muddle-headed Chen Yanhuai realized something was wrong at this moment.

Thinking back, it seems that he hasn't spoken a word to his sister-in-law since his second brother came back.

The only reason Chen Yanhuai could think of was that his second brother knew about how Lin Shuqing had made their mother sick.

He naturally harbored a lot of anger towards Lin Shuqing, but as the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage. His parents hadn't punished Lin Shuqing or sent her back to the Chang'an Marquis's residence, which clearly showed that they still approved of the marriage.

It would be pointless for Second Brother to continue ignoring Lin Shuqing. What Second Brother should do now is to teach his wife in bed.

Chen Yanhuai, who considered himself very experienced, said, "Second brother, second sister-in-law did not do a good job in dealing with that maid Ruizhu. She made Mother sick, and I am also indignant. But she is still young, and you are a few years older than her, so you can teach her."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanzhou finally stopped and looked at his third brother, who was rambling on and on, trying to impart profound wisdom to him.

"You seem to know quite a lot."

Chen Yanhuai chuckled, "It's mainly because I've seen a lot."

"No wonder you've failed the imperial examinations time and time again. Your mind is completely occupied by these trivial matters. It's a pipe dream for you to win the top prize in the autumn examinations."

Chen Yanhuai's eyes widened. "No, Second Brother, weren't we just talking about you and Second Sister-in-law? Why are you bringing me up again? And don't make such personal attacks! I didn't pass the imperial examination because I caught a cold during the autumn examination. My mind was foggy the whole time, and I even forgot to write my name on the exam paper. I guarantee you, Second Brother, if I had written my name, I would definitely be on the list."

"You're definitely a top-notch braggart."

Two and a half years later, Chen Yanhuai once again experienced his second brother's sharp tongue.

It was truly because the brothers had been separated for so long, and the tone in the letters his second brother wrote to him was so tactful, that he had forgotten that his second brother was such a ruthless person.

He even wanted to plead for Lin Shuqing and save his second brother's precarious marriage. What a heartless idiot! He should have thought about how to avoid getting a thorough dressing-down in his second brother's one-sided outburst.

Finally, the brothers' conversation ended after half an hour.

Only after Chen Yanzhou's figure disappeared through the moon gate leading to the front yard did Chen Yanhua blink.

He was almost called an idiot by his second brother!

He was subjected to relentless abuse by his second brother, both physically and mentally!
At this moment, more clearly than ever before, Chen Yanhuai knew: Second Brother was back!

His nightmare has returned!

When Chen Yanhuai staggered back to the front yard, his servant Zhuting was anxiously scratching his head.

Seeing his master finally appear, Zhu Ting breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh my Third Master, why did it take you so long to come out? I think Second Master has been here for quite a while now."

"Has my second brother really moved back to the front yard?"

"Indeed, when I saw Second Master just now, I thought I'd seen a ghost. Oh, Third Master, what's wrong with you? Did you drink too much? Why are you so dizzy?"

“I’m not dizzy, I want to die. You know, I’ve only been enjoying a few days of carefree life, and my second brother is back again. Just thinking about my second brother’s cold face and his harsh scolding makes my heart tremble.”

Zhu Ting seemed to recall those past scenes as well, and couldn't help but show a lingering fear on her face.

Zhu Ting said, "Try to think positively. Second Master is only back for the New Year. He'll definitely be going back after the New Year. Just hang in there, get through these few days, and things will be fine."

"You make it sound so easy, but that's not your second brother..."

Zhu Ting choked, thinking: "If that were my second brother, wouldn't I be the master of this Duke's mansion? I'd love to, but that dream is too beautiful; I wouldn't dare to dream it!"

While Chen Yanhuai looked distressed, Xiao Fengshi and Chen Yanqing in their respective courtyards also learned that Chen Yanzhou had gone to the front courtyard to settle down.

Madam Feng frowned, her delicate brows furrowed, and a hint of melancholy appeared on her pretty face.

When the Duke of Rongguo finished washing up and came out, this was the scene he saw.

The Duke of Rongguo said, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, so don't worry about the second son too much."

“I can’t not worry about him. The second son is stubborn and can’t tolerate any nonsense. He also has a bad temper. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have told him about Lin’s actions in the first place.”

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Rong didn't even blink. What he was thinking was, "So what if you don't tell me? As his father, he'll definitely bring it up. Even if he doesn't, do you think that brat won't know? There are still that kid's men in this manor; his information network is incredibly efficient. Don't think you can hide anything from him."

Thinking these things to himself, the Duke of Rongguo showed no sign of it on his face. He only said coldly, "Yanzhou is stubborn. If that Lin family member could humble herself and coax him, there might be room for maneuver. But look at what that Lin family member did. Ha, if you ask me, the second son and his wife should stay together if they can, and if they can't, it would be better if they separated. My son is so good, if he leaves this one, I'll find him someone better."

Muttering to himself, the Duke of Rongguo didn't stop what he was doing. He leaned down slightly and scooped up the young Lady Feng, who was sitting in front of the dressing table, and carried her into the canopy bed. "Let's go, go to sleep."

Little Feng patted him on the shoulder, "You startled me. Quickly put me down, my hair isn't fully combed yet."

"No need to comb it, I'll do your hair tomorrow..."

The lights in Wenhua Garden flickered, but the lights in Linfeng Residence were already off.

Although the lamps were extinguished, the lanterns in the courtyard were still lit. Through the gaps in the bed curtains, the faint red light from the lanterns shone in, adding a touch of brightness to the curtains and making them less dark and suffocating.

The wife of the heir of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion was surnamed Zhang, and her given name was Zhang Luxi. Just by looking at her name, one could tell that the wife of the heir was definitely from a prestigious family.

The Crown Prince's wife's family was also a wealthy and powerful household. Although not as illustrious as the Rongguo Duke's mansion, they still held some prestige in the court. The Crown Prince's wife's father was none other than the Earl of Zhongqin.

The Earl of Zhongqin's family is a long-established noble family, and the current Earl of Zhongqin is serving as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. Although he is somewhat pedantic and frequently disagrees with the Duke of Rongguo's political views, the two families generally get along well.

The Crown Prince's wife was a remarkable woman. Although she was not talkative and appeared somewhat taciturn, she was gentle and quick-witted by nature, possessed an outstanding temperament, and was quite adept at judging people and handling affairs, which made her very popular with Madam Feng. Even the Duke of Rongguo, when Madam Feng frequently spoke highly of his daughter-in-law, began to think highly of her.

The Crown Prince's wife, Zhang Luxi, was indeed a very perceptive person.

She overheard the maids gossiping outside the corridor and couldn't help but turn to Chen Yanqing and say, "What a pity about my second brother."

"What's there to regret? If it's not a good match, you can get a divorce and remarry."

The Crown Prince's wife seemed speechless, or perhaps she sensed the coldness in Chen Yanqing's heart from his words, so she turned away and stopped talking to him.

On the contrary, Chen Yanqing knew upon seeing this that he had offended the lady with his loose tongue.

He was also innocent, so he quickly pulled Zhang Luxi back over and hurriedly humbled himself and apologized.

“I’m talking about Yanzhou, not you. I’m targeting that Lin Shi. Ha, she’s been married into the family for less than three years, and she’s been causing trouble all the time, even making Mother sick. It’s only because the Lady of Chang’an Marquis personally came to visit that she’s doing this. Otherwise, according to Father’s wishes, she should just stay at her parents’ home and not come back. For the past year, your parents haven’t interfered with the second branch of the family, but that Lin Shi still doesn’t have any sense of caution and dares to cause trouble. Just you wait and see, this marriage won’t last long.”

Zhang Luxi wanted to say something more, but Chen Yanqing said everything.

His words were unpleasant to hear, but that was indeed the gist of it.

Lin was perhaps spoiled terribly at home, and after getting married, she became somewhat out of control.

Her mother didn't like to manage the younger generation or impose too many restrictions on them. She originally wanted her to give more guidance to her younger siblings, but she was worried that Lin would overthink things and cause conflicts between the sisters-in-law.

Therefore, whenever Lin's behavior was found to be inappropriate, her mother would have Aunt Ding cooperate, and the two of them would try to correct Lin's behavior. However, it was to no avail.

As for that sister-in-law, only her appearance and words are somewhat acceptable; the rest are best left unmentioned.

The Crown Prince's wife said, "If only I had known this would happen..."

If I had known this day would come, I really shouldn't have gone to the Marquis of Chang'an's residence to propose marriage in the first place.

It was clearly the second brother's good intention to save someone, but in the end, because he ruined Lin Shuqing's reputation, they had no choice but to go to her door to ask for her hand in marriage.

As it turns out, they married this girl, what a waste of my second brother's talent.

She also regretted being a step too late.

Long before the Lantern Festival that year, she had planned to marry her cousin to her second brother.

At the time, she was pregnant, and her pregnancy wasn't going well; she couldn't even get out of bed all day. She was only two months late, and as a result, her younger brother's marriage was decided just like that.

Zhang Luxi sighed softly, "Things have come to this, let's see what my second brother thinks. Lin Shuqing is not a good person to settle down with, and in the past two years, her heart has not been with my second brother... Let's just leave it at that. Our parents are still watching. Whether my second brother and Lin will divorce or continue to live together, let's wait and see."

"Just watch and see, don't interfere. You're the sister-in-law, you shouldn't interfere in your brother's room, outsiders will gossip."

The couple chatted idly, their voices gradually growing softer until they fell asleep.

The entire Rongguo Duke's mansion was quiet, but Chen Yanzhou's room was still lit.

As early as when he was three years old and began his formal education, Chen Yanzhou started living in the front yard.

Even after they got married, he and Lin Shuqing disliked each other so much that he spent most of his time in the front yard.

Today, he is still in his study in the front yard.

The room was lit, and Chen Yanzhou held a wolf-hair brush in his hand, writing furiously under the bright candlelight.

The courtyard was extremely quiet; all the noise of the world was drowned out by the swirling snowflakes.

The snowy night was excessively quiet, almost desolate. Only the occasional flickering of candlelight and the turning of pages of a book added a touch of liveliness to the darkness.

"Second Master, it's late. You should go and get some rest. You might have to meet the Emperor tomorrow."

The memorial requesting an audience was submitted to the palace as soon as the Second Master entered the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

Although the Second Prince was demoted and banished from the capital, and His Majesty was quite annoyed by his lack of understanding of the times, His Majesty also had a great fondness for him.

This joy is not only reflected in the fact that the Second Prince was almost chosen as the imperial son-in-law back then, but even now, perhaps having passed the initial annoyance of being disobeyed and contradicted, His Majesty now frequently praises the Second Prince as "loyal, upright, benevolent, and filial."

Furthermore, the Second Prince was the second son of the Duke of Rongguo, who was also favored by the Emperor. The Second Prince's governance of Yungui County had been quite effective. Therefore, both logically and emotionally, the palace would summon the Second Prince immediately upon receiving his request for an audience.

Sui Yu continued, "Second Master, you should rest now. You haven't had a good rest on the way back to the capital. If you don't rest now, I'm afraid you'll fall asleep in front of His Majesty when he summons you tomorrow."

Second Master tidied up the papers in his hand. "Don't rush me, I'm going to sleep now."

"You've said that three times already."

Upon hearing this, the second master paused for a moment, his hand still in mid-air.

Sui Yu said, "You should go to sleep. You have dark circles under your eyes. It's not a good look for you to face the emperor like this."

"it is good."

After agreeing to this, the Second Master slowly tidied up the things on his desk, extinguished the candle, and left the study with Sui Yu.

This courtyard is even more desolate than the others.

Firstly, the Second Master disliked servants walking around in his courtyard, so the servants would never appear in front of him unless absolutely necessary. Secondly, since he had been gone for two or three years, most of the servants who had served here before had been transferred to other places, making the courtyard seem even quieter due to the lack of human presence.

The Second Master, however, felt no loneliness at all. Following the memory ingrained in his bones, he quickly arrived at his bedroom.

However, just as they were about to rest, the Second Master asked Sui Yu, "Let's go and find out where Yun Ying and the others are tomorrow."

Sui Yu gave a speechless look. "Mo Xue is protecting Yun Ying. Doesn't he send you messages every day? You know their whereabouts perfectly well. Do I need to investigate further?" Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

"Hmm?" Second Master frowned and looked over. "What did you say?"

“I said there’s no need to wait until tomorrow, I’ll go ask now and I’ll let you know by tomorrow morning at the latest.”