Union

Chapter 168 The imperial edict arrives

Sui Yu even considered stealing the indenture, but she truly felt that this was a dead end with no solution.

What is a dead end for Sui Yu may not be so for Chen Yanzhou.

Chen Yanzhou remained silent for a moment, then said, "Don't worry about this. Go and bring over a few people when it's light to guard this courtyard. Also, find a few maids to serve you."

After explaining these things, Chen Yanzhou ignored Sui Yu and Mo Xue and went to take care of Yun Ying.

As expected, Yunying developed a fever, which was quite high, and her whole body turned bright red.

The high fever triggered her anxiety, causing her to twitch occasionally and tears to well up in her eyes, making her look even more pitiful.

Chen Yanzhou stayed by Yunying's side, feeding her medicine and water, and holding her in his arms, comforting her.

As dawn broke, Yunying's fever subsided. But she remained asleep.

Seeing that Mo Xue had brought a maid over, Chen Yanzhou reluctantly arranged for someone to come and serve him, and then got up and left the room.

Chen Yanzhou walked out, and Sui Yu and Mo Xue followed.

"You two stay here. There can't be any more mistakes in this courtyard. I have to go to the palace for something, I'll be back shortly."

It should naturally be so, following the rain and the ink-like snow.

However, after agreeing, the thought that Lin Shuqing might come and take them away made them feel uneasy.

Sui Yu asked Chen Yanzhou tactfully, "Will we be able to make a move then? I'm afraid that if we do, a memorial will be submitted to the emperor impeaching the Second Master."

Chen Yanzhou sneered. Did he think he was afraid of the people from the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion impeaching him?

Ah.

"If anyone comes, just drive them away, dead or alive. Make up your own excuses, but make sure they are safe and that not a single hair on their head is lost."

"Alright, I'll remember that. I absolutely won't let Miss Yunying be frightened again. Second Master, you should leave now."

Chen Yanzhou did indeed leave the "Yun Mansion" and head to the palace.

As expected, when he entered the palace, someone again shouted that Yunying was a runaway slave and came to cause trouble.

The visitor kept calling them "escaped slaves" and "reporting to the authorities," acting unreasonably and appearing quite vicious.

But even the fiercest person has people they fear.

The burly men immediately took two steps back, their faces filled with shock, after seeing Mo Xue easily break the sword and knife with just two fingers.

"We...we were just doing our job for money, we had no intention of harming anyone. Sir, we'll take our leave now. We were blind to your greatness, we'll get out of here."

People come quickly and leave quickly.

But the commotion last night, combined with the current disturbance, has attracted people from an entire alley to come and see what's going on.

Although the people living in this alley were all respectable, and no one would say anything openly, behind their doors everyone had gossiped a bit, wondering who the mistress of the "Yun Mansion" really was, and how she had caused so much trouble so soon after moving in.

Sui Yu and Mo Xue naturally heard the discussions behind their backs. They exchanged a glance and realized that they could no longer live in the new house.

Living in the same alley means we'll inevitably have to greet other people when we come and go. If there are always people gossiping behind our backs, no one can live in peace.

And then there's Lin Shuqing; she's definitely a potential problem...

Just as Sui Yu and Mo Xue were thinking of a solution, Chen Yanzhou entered the palace.

Today is the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and also the day the imperial seals are reopened. There will be a grand court assembly in the palace today, which all officials of the sixth rank and above are required to attend.

Chen Yanzhou was not a sixth-rank official and was not a government official in the capital, so today's court assembly had nothing to do with him. However, he had urgent business to attend to and had already submitted a memorial, which the emperor had approved, so he was led in by the eunuch.

On the first court assembly of the new year, naturally no one would say anything unpleasant to offend His Majesty. Therefore, the assembly proceeded quite smoothly and adjourned quickly.

His Majesty was in a good mood, and the court officials were also in a relatively good mood. When they walked out of the palace gates to the government offices, everyone had smiles on their faces, and their good mood was clearly visible.

Duke Rong and Gu Wangchen walked together.

After the New Year, Gu Wangchen was also preparing to return to the Northwest. He was talking to the Duke of Rong about setting off in a couple of days.

On one hand, the Duke of Rong felt it was a great pity that his good friend had traveled for so many days but could not stay in the capital for even ten days. On the other hand, he also thought that the capital was, after all, the place where his good brother had suffered a painful loss, and he did not want to stay any longer; he would simply return to the Northwest.

The Duke of Rongguo said, "Let's get together again in a few days to see you off."

Gu Wangchen said, "I'm not drinking anymore. I'm getting old. Last time I drank quite a bit, and I had a headache all day the next day."

"Hey, you still say you can drink better than me?"

The two then started talking about Chen Yanzhou.

With General Pingxi gone, Chen Yanzhou will soon be returning to Lingnan.

The Duke of Rongguo was quite open-minded about this matter. "The lad is still young. It's good for him to be sent out for a few years to experience more things."

"Yan Zhou has divorced the young lady from the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion..."

"Stop talking, why are you gossiping too? If you're getting a divorce, then you're getting a divorce. If you two weren't compatible, then just go find someone who suits you."

The Duke of Rongguo didn't mention that his brat already had someone he liked and wanted to marry her, even though she was just a maid.

It's too embarrassing; he can't bring himself to say it.

Thinking about my own son, he's quite clever, but he's clueless when it comes to women. He's really wasted all those years.

Duke Rongguo looked disgusted, unwilling to mention his unfilial son again. That boy was becoming more and more disliked as he grew older. He hadn't been home for over two years, and when he did come back, he only caused his father distress. He deserved to be beaten, but as soon as his wounds healed a little, he went off to Linghui Temple to find that maid.

That's really... utterly pathetic.

He couldn't understand how someone as wise and capable as him could have such a love-struck son. If it weren't for the fact that the son's face bore some resemblance to his own, he would have seriously suspected that the child had been switched at birth.

The Duke of Rong's disdain was palpable. There were some things he couldn't say to Madam Feng, so he wanted to complain to his old friend. It was at this moment that the Duke of Rong caught sight of a servant who looked somewhat familiar.

Immediately, he frowned, no longer bothering to chat with Gu Wangchen, and bid him farewell. He then walked into the shadows and waved to those behind him.

Soon, two bodyguards appeared behind them.

Duke Rong turned to look at the two men. They were skilled in martial arts and were also steady and shrewd. He had specially arranged for them to protect Yan Zhou. Now that these two were here, Yan Zhou must be nearby as well.

Duke Rong glanced in the direction of the palace gate and asked the two in a low voice, "Has Yan Zhou entered the palace?"

The two nodded, and the Duke of Rong couldn't help but frown upon seeing this.

Today is a grand court assembly, and His Majesty may or may not conclude the assembly. Why is Yan Zhou entering the palace at this time? Could something have happened?
Since the Duke of Rongguo asked this question, the two guards naturally wouldn't hide anything, and so they said it in this and that way.

When the Duke of Rong learned of this, it was again because of that maid—although the fault did not lie with her, but with Lin Shuqing's excessive willfulness, ruthlessness, and viciousness. However, for Yan Zhou to enter the palace because of a maid was perhaps too much of a romantic gesture.

How can someone destined for great things achieve anything if they possess such womanly compassion?

The Duke of Rongguo's face turned cold, and he instructed the two men, "After Yanzhou leaves the palace, have him return to his residence to see me."

The two guards quickly agreed.

Enraged, the Duke of Rong flung his robes and left the yamen (government office) without even going back to his residence.

Not long after the Duke of Rong left, Chen Yanzhou walked out of the palace.

But he didn't come out alone; he was followed by two eunuchs who were delivering imperial decrees.

The eunuch walked beside Chen Yanzhou, and the three of them boarded a carriage one after another, then left under the watchful eyes of the crowd. The matter quickly spread, and many officials couldn't help but discuss it privately.

"Was that handsome young man just now the second young master of the Rongguo Duke's mansion?"

"Is it said that he just divorced the daughter of the Marquis of Chang'an?"

"Where is he going with the eunuch who delivers the imperial decree?"

"This second young master has been in Lingnan for three years, and his performance evaluations have always been top-notch. This time, he's definitely going to be promoted. Could it be that the imperial decree for his promotion has been issued?"

"If someone is to be promoted, the imperial decree must first go through the Grand Secretariat and then the Ministry of Personnel. Since neither the Grand Secretariat nor the Ministry of Personnel has received any news, it is unlikely that this will happen."

"Why could that be?"

While everyone was discussing it, some curious adults secretly sent their servants to follow them.

However, after following the path, they found that the road was getting more and more off-center, and they were about to walk into a small alley.

This is definitely not the back door or side door of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion!
The question is, where exactly is this?
The plaque above the gate reads "Yun Mansion" in large characters. Who is this Yun Mansion, this newly rich family? How come they've never heard of it?
While everyone was pondering their next move, Chen Yanzhou, accompanied by the imperial eunuch, disembarked from the carriage and entered the "Yun Mansion".

With the addition of a few maids and servants, everything in the mansion is now running as usual.

Yunying has also woken up.

She was listless and dizzy. Even the slightest movement made her feel like the world was turning upside down, and she couldn't help but vomit.

Just then, Yunying heard Suiyu outside say, "Second Master, you're back."

Is Second Master back?
Yunying opened her eyes, strained her arms, and tried to sit up.

Such a simple action was a very heavy burden for her at that moment.

She couldn't sit up; the slightest movement caused her to slump over the edge of the bed and gag.

It was at this moment that the Second Master walked into the room.

He patted her back and adjusted her to a more comfortable position before asking if she felt better.

Yunying wanted to shake her head, but it took a lot of effort and made her already dizzy head even more dizzy.

She then opened her lips and whispered, "Much better."

Chen Yanzhou took her hand and brought it to his lips, his voice somewhat hoarse and low. "Little liar, you're lying again. Don't you even look how pale you are? Well, you're actually in worse shape than yesterday."

Yunying exerted a little force and pulled her hand away.

The second master didn't loosen his grip, but tightened it even more. "I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but I still need you to get up and go outside to hear an imperial decree."

"What decree? What decree?" Yunying asked in a weak voice.

She, a mere maid, was required to obey imperial decrees.

Is the so-called "decree" the same as the "decree" in "imperial edict"?

How could something so sacred be associated with her?
Yunying was completely baffled.

Yunying was extremely curious.

While she was filled with curiosity, Chen Yanzhou laid her flat on the bed and slowly dressed her.

Yunying was only wearing a nightgown, which was in a mess from all the commotion, revealing her undergarments and snow-white skin.

She tried to block it with her hand, but Chen Yanzhou stared at her hand.

Yun Ying felt Chen Yanzhou's gaze burning intensely, so intense that she didn't know where to put her hands.

Chen Yanzhou's voice suddenly became hoarse.

"Yun Ying".

Yun Ying hummed in agreement. Chen Yanzhou looked at her for a while before slowly saying, "I changed your clothes when you were unconscious last night."

Seemingly unaware of Yunying's stiffness, Chen Yanzhou continued, "The medicine I applied to your injuries was also for you."

Two simple sentences, seemingly saying nothing, yet conveying everything.

This is the art of Chen Yanzhou's speech.

He spoke subtly, yet almost explicitly stated, "I've seen everything about you!"

In an instant, Yunying's pale face turned completely red, as if it were filled with the glow of sunset.

Chen Yanzhou gently helped her put on her outer garment, tied her belt, and put on her socks and shoes. Then he held her in his arms and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

After doing all this, Chen Yanzhou pressed acupoints on her body to stop her from feeling dizzy and nauseous.

Then he said slowly, "Yunying, I've seen you naked. You can only marry me in this lifetime."

Yunying: "..."

This person is so shameless!

Yunying was both ashamed and angry, and angrily slapped the Second Master.

But she remained rational; she still remembered how badly the Second Master's back was injured. Therefore, even though she was furious and blushed with shame, Yunying did not touch the Second Master's back.

She was just annoyed and patted him on the shoulder several times.

As I continued patting him, the urge to vomit returned.

"Alright, stop hitting me. It's not that I'm afraid of the pain, it's that I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself. You should focus on recovering. If you want to hit or punish me, I'll let you have your way, okay?"

While coaxing her, Chen Yanzhou clumsily combed Yun Ying's hair, tied it behind her head with a hairband, and carried her out of the room.

Outside the door, maids and servants knelt on the ground in the courtyard.

Right in front of these people was an offering table.

On the offering table were seasonal fruits and vegetables and an incense burner, from which wisps of smoke were rising.

Right in front of the offering table, two eunuchs stood there with smiles on their faces, their manners dignified and solemn.

The courtyard was quiet, and so was the area outside.

Even in the quiet, if you listen carefully, you can hear many breathing sounds outside the courtyard.

At this very moment, countless people are pressing their ears against the courtyard wall, hoping to find out as soon as possible who lives in this courtyard and who could attract the angels.

Curiosity fills everyone's heart.

Amidst this silent clamor, Second Master, carrying Yunying whose head was bandaged, walked to the front of the crowd and knelt down behind the offering table.

The two knelt side by side, but because Yunying had suffered a severe head injury, she was still in great discomfort, so Chen Yanzhou had to reach out a hand to support her.

The eunuch delivering the imperial decree saw this, which was naturally against the rules.

Beyond the rules, there are also personal connections and... generous red envelopes.

The two eunuchs touched the thick stack of paper in their sleeves, chuckled, nodded to the two men, and then unfolded the bright yellow imperial edict and began to proclaim it.