Union

Chapter 150 149 Talking about Collapse
Upon returning to the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, the first thing Chen Yanzhou did was naturally to pay his respects to his mother.

As luck would have it, the rest of the people in the mansion happened to walk out of Wenhua Garden at that moment.

This includes, but is not limited to, the eldest brother who was supposed to be stationed at a military camp in the outskirts of Beijing, the third brother who was busy going out to meet friends every day, and the fourth sister who was always sleepy.

Besides these three, the Crown Prince's wife and Lin Shuqing were also among them. Even the Crown Prince's wife's two children were included.

The group met at the door and quickly exchanged greetings.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Yanqing and the Crown Prince's wife took their two unruly children back home. Chen Yanhuai and Chen Yanxi also exchanged pleasantries with their second brother before returning to their respective courtyards.

Only Lin Shuqing and Chen Yanzhou remained at the scene.

Chen Yanzhou was about to step into the courtyard when Lin Shuqing suddenly spoke.

“I want to stay at Tingchan Temple for a few days, but my mother disagrees. Could you please put in a good word for me?”

These words came out of nowhere, and they didn't specifically name him. Chen Yanzhou pretended not to hear them and stepped into Wenhua Garden.

Lin Shuqing took two quick steps forward and hurried inside. "I'm talking to you, did you hear me? I'm telling you, I'm going to Tingchan Temple, please talk to my mother for me."

Chen Yanzhou continued walking forward with long strides. Lin Shuqing, not having received a satisfactory answer, was about to give chase when she suddenly saw Aunt Ding and several other maids and servants already waiting under the eaves.

She didn't want the servants to see the spectacle, and despite her displeasure, she ultimately didn't continue chasing after them.

As soon as Chen Yanzhou entered the house, he was greeted by a warm feeling.

After seeing her son, Madam Feng looked him over from head to toe. Only after confirming that he was perfectly healthy did she softly ask, "Have you had breakfast yet? If not, I'll have someone prepare some for you."

Chen Yanzhou sat down on the carved chair below Madam Feng, took the tea handed to him by the maid and said, "No need to trouble you, Mother. I had breakfast with His Majesty before leaving the palace."

"To dine with His Majesty?"

"Yes, Your Majesty is wise and compassionate towards your subjects. Considering that I have done a good job governing Yungui County, Your Majesty has specially granted me the privilege of attending the imperial banquet."

Lady Feng, understanding the implied meaning in the song, was immediately moved, and a hint of emotion appeared in her eyes. "Your Majesty's meaning..."

"It's hard to say. I'm just guessing. I think there will be an imperial decree after the New Year to make it clear."

The mother and son exchanged a few words about going to the palace, and then quickly dropped the subject.

Royal matters, matters within the palace, are always best left unsaid. It's better to remain silent than to speak out and risk making a mistake.

Without mentioning the reason for his visit to the palace, Chen Yanzhou finished his tea and asked his mother, "Is Lin here to bother you again?"

Madam Feng sighed softly, a hint of helplessness on her beautiful face. "It's not that I'm annoyed, it's just that the New Year is coming soon, and she wants to go to Tingchan Temple to stay for two days, which I vetoed."

Chen Yanzhou asked, "Does she go to Tingchan Temple every month?"

"It can't be said that she went every month. She didn't go last month and the month before last. The Empress Dowager went to Tingchan Temple to pray for His Majesty during those two months, and Tingchan Temple was under martial law, so Lin didn't go. Before that, she went there once a month."

At this point, Ms. Feng said, "I didn't realize she was a Buddhist."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanzhou did not respond. Instead, his gaze deepened as he stared absently at the cup in his hand.

After spending some more time with Madam Feng, Chen Yanzhou got up and went back.

He hadn't slept all night, and the earlier journey had taken a toll on his energy. So, Madam Feng instructed her son, "Get a good night's sleep when you get back, but don't sleep too long, or you might fall asleep. I notice you seem a little taller than you were two years ago. Are the clothes in the room no longer suitable? I'll have the embroiderer make you a few more outfits these next few days..."

The mother and son chattered on and on. Little Feng wanted to personally escort her son to the door, but Chen Yanzhou persuaded her to go back.

Madam Feng was reluctant to part with him. She watched her son turn the corner of the courtyard gate until he disappeared from sight, and then, with a heavy heart, she returned to her room accompanied by Aunt Ding.

After leaving the backyard, Chen Yanzhou originally intended to go through the moon gate and head directly to the front yard.

Unexpectedly, just as he turned the corner of the corridor in front of the moon gate, a person suddenly jumped out from behind the artificial hill next to him.

Chen Yanzhou noticed the intruder's disordered breathing beforehand. He calmly took two steps back, and the intruder missed his target, staggered, and only managed to steady himself by grabbing onto a nearby pillar.

Because of this disarray, one of the hairpins on the woman's head fell off. This caused a strand of her hair to fall from her temple, adding a touch of languor to her beautiful face.

But it was only for a moment. When the woman raised her head, her eyes were filled with resentment and hostility. Her beautiful face suddenly became repulsive because of this overly venomous expression.

"Chen Yanzhou, you deliberately avoided me, causing me to fall. Are you even a man?"

Chen Yanzhou stood still, but his sword-like eyebrows were furrowed.

Upon recognizing Lin Shuqing, Chen Yanzhou's expression turned somewhat annoyed. He turned a corner, bypassed Lin Shuqing, and prepared to pass through the moon gate.

His movements were quick, but Lin Shuqing's were just as fast.

Just as Chen Yanzhou was about to reach the Moon Cave Gate, Lin Shuqing pounced on him from behind. If Chen Yanzhou hadn't dodged in time, she would have grabbed his belt, ruining his face.

Even though their clothes are still intact, the commotion they made has already attracted a lot of attention.

There were already two old women guarding the moon gate. At this moment, while pretending to be focused on watching the gate, they were also winking and glancing at the two men.

Looking further afield, not far from the artificial hill, several maids were sweeping. They noticed the commotion and slowly began to sweep, cleverly finding a blind spot to hide in so they could overhear a few words.

None of this escaped Chen Yanzhou's notice, which made his annoyance even more pronounced.

Chen Yanzhou didn't want to become a laughingstock, and he certainly didn't want to become the subject of gossip among the residents after only two days back at the manor. Besides, he could tell that Lin Shuqing was determined to get what she wanted, so Chen Yanzhou took a deep breath and said to Lin Shuqing, "Let's find a place to talk."

"Where to? Wanxiang Hall?"

"No, let's go to the pavilion over there."

The couple entered the pavilion one after the other.

The pavilion in winter is chilly, with a cold wind blowing and a biting chill that makes your bones feel cold.

Chen Yanzhou didn't sit down, but stood at the pillar furthest from Lin Shuqing, arms crossed, looking at her and saying, "Just say what you have to say."

"Didn't I tell you I wanted to go to the Zen temple to worship Buddha? Mother disagreed, and I asked you to plead for me. Have you forgotten about that?"

If her mother and sister hadn't repeatedly warned her yesterday to behave herself and not cause any more trouble, they would have told her father about everything she had done, and she would have suffered greatly. She was afraid and dared not cause any more trouble. Otherwise, given her usual temperament, she would never have allowed an old woman to control her; she would have already taken a carriage and left the city on her own.

But now that she was under someone else's roof, she had no choice but to bow her head, so she went to ask the old woman for her opinion, but to her surprise, she was refused.

Thinking back to when her mother-in-law refused, the members of the eldest branch of the family were all there, and Chen Yanhuai and Chen Yanxi were also watching the commotion.

But everyone just watched her in such a sorry state, and no one came out to help her. Lin Shuqing was filled with resentment.

Chen Yanzhou said, "I haven't forgotten. It's just that it's almost the end of the year, and there are many things to do in the household. You can stay here and help your sister-in-law. As for the matter of worshipping Buddha, we can talk about it next year."

"Next year, next year, does that mean this matter can be postponed again?"

Chen Yanzhou said coldly, "Why can't we postpone it? It's not a matter of life and death. What's wrong with postponing it? Besides, the Empress Dowager has been praying at Tingchan Temple for two months. Didn't you not go to worship Buddha during those two months? You've already missed two months. How will postponing it for a few more days kill you?"

"You, you don't understand, you did it on purpose, your whole family is targeting me." Lin Shuqing's face turned ferocious again, and she was about to fight Chen Yanzhou again.

Chen Yanzhou stepped back two paces, looked at Lin Shuqing's frantic appearance, and suddenly said, "It's not impossible to get Mother to agree to this."

Perhaps because she had been rejected so clearly, Lin Shuqing's mind suddenly couldn't process the sudden turn of events.

She stood there stunned for a long while before frowning and looking at Chen Yanzhou, saying, "Do you have any conditions?"

Chen Yanzhou nodded, "Yes!"

"what do you want to do?"

"Bring me the indentures of Yunying and Qiuning."

Yunying and Qiuning were complete strangers to Lin Shuqing. Yet, there was a certain familiarity amidst the unfamiliarity, and it was this familiarity that suddenly made Lin Shuqing remember who these two people were.

Cloud Nightingale?

Qiu Ning?

Aren't these the two maids she sent to serve him?
She had her family send three girls over, and then added Ruizhu, who was by her side, making a total of four people. She then handed these people over to Xiao Fengshi and asked Xiao Fengshi to send them to Lingnan.

Ruizhu accepted gifts from others, which almost led to Chen Yanzhou being poisoned. She was taken back to the capital by Aunt Ding, and later her mother sent her to the authorities, where she was sentenced to exile.

Kreeju never even reached her place of exile; she died en route.

Even without Ruizhu, Chen Yanzhou still had Yunying and Qiuning by his side, and another one named Mujin or something like that, she couldn't remember.

Lin Shuqing didn't care about Mu Jin; all she cared about were Yun Ying and Qiu Ning.

Ruizhu had told her before that as soon as the four of them arrived in Yungui County, Chen Yanzhou took Yunying into his room and doted on her terribly. There was also Qiu Ning, who was quite capable and kept Mu Jin firmly under her thumb, but Qiu Ning's skills were far inferior to Yunying's.

Ruizhu also specifically reminded her to pay special attention to Yunying. She said that the woman was probably a vixen in disguise, who had the Second Master completely bewitched. The Second Master not only promised Yunying that he would make her a concubine after she gave birth to a son, but also said that he wanted Yunying to have three or five children. When he was transferred back to the capital, he would then use the excuse that his first wife had no children to divorce her.

All of these statements came from Ruizhu, and while Lin Shuqing didn't believe them entirely, she believed most of them.

She was particularly convinced that Chen Yanzhou would divorce her, whether it was to make Yunying his wife or simply because he didn't like her. It seemed that Chen Yanzhou had no intention of being with her in the end.

She didn't care whether Chen Yanzhou was good or bad, nor did she care whether he lived or died, but she cared about her own dignity and honor. Anyone who dared to challenge her dignity would be eliminated by her without hesitation.

She then made a decision to have Ruizhu send her brother to Lingnan to sell Yunying to a filthy place while she was off guard.

Unfortunately, before the plan could be implemented, Ruizhu was taken back to the Marquis of Chang'an's residence by Liu Mama.

Later, Ruizhu was sent to the authorities, and she was powerless to save her. She could only let Ruizhu be exiled, and her plot to murder Yunying was thwarted.

Afterwards, perhaps because she was too busy, she completely forgot about the matter. Now that Chen Yanzhou brought it up, Lin Shuqing immediately remembered this woman who wanted to challenge her position.

She's just a maid, yet she dares to dream of rising to a higher position. Doesn't she want to ascend to heaven?

Lin Shuqing seemed to have been touched on a sore spot, her face instantly turning frosty. "You still want to free that girl from her status? Chen Yanzhou, you're delusional. Heh, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have really forgotten about that girl. You wait and see, I'll have someone go to Lingnan Prefecture and sell her off by the foot."

Chen Yanzhou looked at the woman in front of him, who resembled a madwoman, and said, "You're going to sell Yunying? Didn't you specifically pick her out and give her to me?"

"I sent her to serve you, not to betray me." Anyone who dares to embarrass her will suffer a terrible fate.

Chen Yanzhou looked at her coldly, and Shu'er turned and left.

Lin Shuqing was stunned. "What are you doing? Weren't you going to persuade your mother for me?"

Chen Yanzhou stopped and said, "I also proposed to trade Yunying and Qiuning's indentures. Since you won't give them to me, there's no need to continue this discussion."

"You, you, Chen Yanzhou, you are a lecherous womanizer with ulterior motives. What do you intend to do with those two maids' indentures? Do you want to free them and make them your legal representatives? Chen Yanzhou, you are a disgrace to the title of a virtuous gentleman. The officials in the court should see what you have said and done."

Chen Yanzhou looked at her and asked, "Just one question: are you going to give me the indenture or not?"

Lin Shuqing gritted her teeth, her face filled with ruthlessness. "I'd rather die than give you those two girls' indentures. You can only get them released from their status if I die."

The negotiations had completely fallen apart, and there was no need for him to stay any longer. Chen Yanzhou didn't linger any longer; he took a few steps down the steps, passed through the moon gate, and headed towards the front courtyard.

Lin Shuqing was left alone, standing in the pavilion. The temperature inside the pavilion was a bit lower than outside, but she didn't feel cold at all. Her heart was burning with heat, making her whole body feel hot.

She even had a light sweat on her forehead, and her body felt sticky and uncomfortable.

But Lin Shuqing didn't care about any of that.

She only felt uncomfortable, a kind of discomfort that felt like her dignity was being trampled on.

She frantically thrashed at them.

But apart from a stone table and benches, there was nothing else in the pavilion. She pounded on the pillars and railings, only to hurt her hands and flesh.

Lin Shuqing was in excruciating pain, tears streaming down her face. But this only fueled her resentment.

This time, she was truly determined to send someone to Lingnan Prefecture to bring back those two little vixens. She planned to give them to the two old eunuchs serving the Second Prince as his concubines.

The people in the palace are incredibly corrupt, and they have a real knack for torturing people. When that happens, those two girls will truly be left with no one to turn to for help.

If she's not happy, then Chen Yanzhou won't be happy either!