Union

Chapter 200, 199: The Last Meeting

When prominent families arrange marriages, the process is both complicated and solemn.

Because both families attached great importance to the marriage of the two young people, they were extremely busy.

Yunying was the most leisurely among them.

But I was also dragged to try on a lot of clothes, and tried on many different makeup looks and hairstyles.

Fortunately, she was beautiful, and looked good no matter how she dressed up. So, after carefully dressing up, she made a stunning appearance at the engagement, receiving unanimous praise from everyone.

Yunying and Chen Yanzhou's engagement ceremony went very smoothly, and the Rongguo Duke's Mansion valued this daughter-in-law highly.

When the engagement was made, in addition to bringing traditional sacrificial animals, cakes, tea, wine, and silk, a box of precious jewelry was also specially sent.

When Xiao Feng married into the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, she gave one of the bracelets her mother-in-law had specially given her to Yunying—the other bracelet was given to Zhang Luxi when Zhang Luxi and Chen Yanqing got married.

Furthermore, Chen Yanzhou gave Yunying the jade pendant he had worn since birth as a token, and the marriage was successfully arranged.

After becoming engaged, Chen Yanzhou stopped holding back and came to Yunying's door early the next morning, intending to take her on a spring outing in the countryside.

The people from the Duke of Xuan's mansion were somewhat displeased upon seeing this, feeling that Chen Yanzhou was being too eager.

But if Chen Yanzhou doesn't show this eagerness, they will inevitably nag again: "You don't cherish what you have. It's better to cancel the marriage since we're not even married yet."

All of these statements came from Gu Yuanxi.

Former friends are now brothers-in-law, and their relationship has not improved; instead, they have grown increasingly disgusted with each other.

Gu Yuanxi resented his friend for taking advantage of his misfortune, while Chen Yanzhou resented his friend for not only not helping but also hindering him.

So the two walked up to face each other and gave each other a light hum, their disdain evident in their expressions.

When Yunying saw this scene, she couldn't help but laugh, and she actually laughed out loud, which undoubtedly drew disapproving looks from the two men.

"Alright, Second Brother, you should go to the yamen now. I'll take Yanzhou to pay our respects to Grandmother first, and then we'll go for a spring outing."

"Does it have to be today to go on a spring outing? Can't we wait a few days, until my next day off, and then your second brother will go with you?"

Chen Yanzhou said with disdain, "What are you doing coming along? We're going out together, and you're following behind. Don't you think you're in the way? Let's hurry to the yamen. It'll be closed soon."

Gu Yuanxi cursed and swore, and even raised his fist to scare Chen Yanzhou.

But what's the use?

Would he really lay a hand on his new son-in-law?

He still had to go to the yamen, and he had to go quickly, lest he be late and his petty colleagues report him to their superiors, and he would receive a few more words of reprimand.

Gu Yuanxi reluctantly went out, while Yunying took Chen Yanzhou to pay their respects to the old lady before the two of them went out together.

Inside the city, Chen Yanzhou still had reservations, but once outside the city gates, he immediately abandoned his horse, boarded the carriage, and crowded close to Yun Ying.

Yunying laughed as she dodged, "What are you doing? Stop pushing me, I'm already pressed against the carriage wall."

"Then why are you dodging me? I came closer to hug you, and you kept dodging me. Don't you think about how long it's been since we last saw each other? Don't you miss me?"

Yunying almost doubled over with laughter. "What do you mean, 'how long has it been since we last met'? Didn't we just see each other yesterday?"

"What about before yesterday? Think about it carefully, how long has it been since we last saw each other?"

"It wasn't that long ago, around the spring banquet... um..."

Yunying wanted to say, "Suiyu and Qingchou are both outside," but she didn't say it before someone cut her off.

Chen Yanzhou conquered cities and territories with overwhelming force, as greedy as a wolf that hadn't eaten for days.

Yun Ying was somewhat overwhelmed, trying to dodge left and right... but she couldn't escape at all. Chen Yanzhou held her waist, pinning the back of her head, and she was completely in his embrace.

It was only early spring, and the temperature had only risen slightly, but whether it was because Chen Yanzhou was too hot or because such intimacy was really exhausting, Yunying actually broke out in a thin layer of sweat.

When Chen Yanzhou finally let go of her, Yun Ying's hair was stuck to her cheeks, and there were tiny beads of sweat on the tip of her nose. Her back was steaming hot, and her clothes were about to become damp.

Yunying was so hot that she turned her head away from Chen Yanzhou's kiss.

The man, who was usually aloof and restrained, suddenly became shameless.

He leaned close to Yunying's ear, calling her name again and again. His husky voice was sexy and alluring, like a fine cello playing the most moving song.

Yunying's will was not strong, and she was quickly seduced again. In a daze, she ended up entangled with Chen Yanzhou again.

The journey seemed both incredibly long and incredibly short. Even after the carriage finally came to a slow stop, Chen Yanzhou was still reluctant to leave.

He seemed quite annoyed that Sui Yu and Mo Xue were so oblivious—how could they stop? The master didn't give a word, continuing to drive the carriage in circles.

A plaintive voice came from outside the carriage, "Master, we've already gone around twice, and we can't go any further. The prisoners exiled to Lingnan are leaving the capital today, and they've blocked the road."

The words "exile" and "Lingnan" instantly caught Yunying's attention, leaving her no time to regret not clenching her teeth and keeping quiet.

She probably didn't make a fool of herself, right?
She had been holding back from making any noise, and almost suffocated herself in the process.

These two sentences flashed through Yunying's mind only briefly before her attention quickly returned to the exiled criminals.

She and Chen Yanzhou exchanged a glance, and then Chen Yanzhou lifted the curtain, and the two of them got off the carriage.

Sui Yu wanted to curry favor with Yun Ying, so he even prepared a small stool for her to get out of the car.

As a result, Yunying was seen being carried off the carriage by her second master.

Sui Yu: "..." The flattery backfired.

Mo Xue chuckled to herself, while Sui Yu pretended not to hear and continued to talk to Yun Ying with a smile.

Yunying was still a little embarrassed, so she just smiled and nodded at him.

Just then, Chen Yanzhou pulled her aside. "The scenery here is nice, let's find a sunny spot to stroll around."

"Hey, wait a minute, look over there..."

Chen Yanzhou looked in the direction she was pointing.

In fact, he saw the whole scene over there when he got out of the car.

The exiled prisoners are leaving the capital today.

Among them were not only the people from the Chang'an Marquis's residence, but also other convicted officials and their families.

All of these people were dressed in white prison uniforms and walked with their hands bound by hemp ropes. Some of the able-bodied men, whether because of the severity of their crimes or to prevent them from escaping, had their hands and feet shackled.

The shackles were very heavy, making them stumble and stagger. With each step they took forward, the shackles jingled and clanged.

Whether men or women, all looked miserable, their faces numb, their bodies emaciated, like marionettes. From time to time, the sounds of children crying, adults carefully comforting them, the shouts of the bailiffs driving them away, and the sound of whips tearing flesh could be heard from the procession.

The sound sent chills down Yunying's spine and made her body tremble.

Seeing how frightened she was, Chen Yanzhou put his arm around her shoulder and led her to a more distant place.

Just then, a sharp female voice rang out.

"Yanzhou, Yanzhou, look at me! It's me, Shuqing! Yanzhou, please save me! I don't want to go to Lingnan! I'll die! I'll really die!"

Yunying was startled by the shrill voice and instinctively looked in the direction from which it came. She saw a woman wearing a white prison uniform, with disheveled hair and emaciated, rushing towards them, overcoming the guards' tight security.

The constables seemed surprised that someone dared to cause trouble right under their noses. They were both shocked and angry, and even more afraid of offending Yun Ying and Chen Yanzhou. In their panic, they swung their whips to pull Lin Shuqing back.

However, Lin Shuqing suddenly unleashed a powerful aura, which propelled her forward a great distance.

If she hadn't tripped over a dry branch and fallen to the ground, only to be caught red-handed by the officers who arrived behind her, she might have been able to run up to Yunying and Chen Yanzhou.

Lin Shuqing was eventually arrested and taken back by the constables.

To make an example of her, the two constables brandished their whips and lashed out at Lin Shuqing.

Lin Shuqing wailed and begged for mercy, saying "Yanzhou, please save me" one moment and "I'm pregnant with the Emperor's grandson, if you dare hit me, the Second Prince will not let you off the hook!" "Ah, help me, I will never dare to do it again!"

The pitiful cries reached Yunying's ears one after another.

Only then did Yunying dare to confirm that the woman in front of her, who looked like a madwoman and was emaciated, was actually Lin Shuqing, who had a good reputation in the capital.

She had met Lin Shuqing once a long time ago.

At that time, Lin Shuqing was the third daughter of the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion, and the high-ranking daughter-in-law of the Duke of Rongguo's mansion.

Both her maternal and paternal families were wealthy and powerful, and she had long been pampered, which made her arrogant and disdainful of others.

When she looked at these women, her eyes were filled with disgust, disdain, and contempt.

It's as if they're just a bunch of rotten flowers. Since they're already bad and rotten, they should just find a secluded place to stink and die. Instead, they insist on going out in front of people to attract attention and become a laughingstock.

She both despised and guarded against them, and when she sensed danger, she wanted to end it all by destroying them.

Back then, for Lin Shuqing, crushing her was as easy as crushing an ant.

In contrast, she has risen to the top and become a person of high status, while Lin Shuqing has fallen to the bottom and is trampled on by everyone.

Yunying sighed inwardly, but her expression remained extremely calm.

Chen Yanzhou was worried that she would be reminded of the past, and even more worried that she would be soft-hearted and beg him to save Lin Shuqing's life, so he pulled Yunying away into the distance.

What he didn't tell Yunying was that after the verdict was handed down, Lin Shuqing coerced and bribed the prison guards to pass on messages to him and the Second Prince.

He didn't know what message he had sent to the Second Prince.

The message she conveyed to him was that if he didn't come to her rescue, she would spread rumors about his impotence and other secrets of the Rongguo Mansion to destroy its century-old foundation.

The claim of impotence is obviously nonsense. As for secrets, the Rongguo Duke's mansion certainly has secrets. But if even he couldn't find out, what secrets could a woman who has been married into the mansion for only two or three years possibly discover?
Her words were nothing but a threat.

Chen Yanzhou didn't take it to heart and let her go.

But the father did not want a woman to speak nonsense and ruin the reputation of the mansion, or make the Rongguo Duke's Mansion the talk of the town.

Moreover, it's said that it takes only a mouth to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of legwork to refute them.

With a little manipulation by her father, Lin Shuqing was so hungry that she only had a bowl of water each day.

She finally learned her lesson and realized the importance of keeping her mouth shut. From then on, she never dared to contact him again.

Now, perhaps she was truly desperate, or perhaps she felt that seeing each other again would ease their feelings, and after all, they had been married for two years, so he wouldn't be so heartless as to watch her die. Thus, she became bold again.

Lin Shuqing curled up into a ball, rolling around incessantly, trying to escape the jailers' whips.

But the prison guards were used to escorting prisoners, and their methods of beating people were extremely cunning.

It was better for Lin Shuqing to lie still; her rolling around only made it easier for them to whip her.

In the end, Lin Shuqing received a thorough beating, and she became completely obedient.

She was dragged into the line like a dead dog. When Yunying looked back, she saw her breaking down and crying.

Yunying also saw Lady Chang'an.

The dignified and elegant lady stared blankly at her daughter. She didn't utter a word, nor could she make a single expression, like a clay bodhisattva in a Buddhist shrine, devoid of emotion or desire.

This group, destined for exile in Lingnan, set off once again.

Chen Yanzhou held Yun Ying's hand tightly, "Don't look at it, it'll ruin your mood."

Yunying said, "She's started talking nonsense, and she's not far from going crazy. Now, I feel sorry for her."

Chen Yanzhou frowned. "Why do you pity her? She even tried to kill you back then." As for talking nonsense, when has Lin Shuqing ever stopped spouting nonsense?
Chen Yanzhou frowned deeply, as if advising Yunying not to be so sentimental.

Yun Ying looked at Chen Yanzhou and said what she had kept in her heart for a long time.

“Lin Shuqing tried to murder me. She was sentenced, even if it was death, she deserved to die.”

But she escaped death.

Because she was lucky enough to survive, even if Lin Shuqing were to be severely punished, she would only face a prison sentence of one or two decades at most.

The reality was that she was exiled to Lingnan, and even if she were granted amnesty, she could not return to her hometown.

Lin Shuqing's current predicament is entirely due to the involvement of her grandfather and father, and even more so, the "collective punishment" system.

Under the mighty monarchy, no one or any force is allowed to challenge the authority of the emperor.

Therefore, as a victim of the "collective punishment" system, she felt sorry for Lin Shuqing.

At first, Chen Yanzhou didn't understand what Yun Ying meant. But after all, he was someone who could pass the imperial examination with top honors, and his temperament and comprehension were far beyond those of ordinary people.

After only a moment of confusion, Chen Yanzhou understood what Yun Ying meant.

She was actually making irresponsible remarks about the current legal system.

The law is a tool in the hands of the ruling class. To speak recklessly about the law is, in another sense, a sign of dissatisfaction with the existing class system, or even more so, with the rule under imperial power.

Chen Yanzhou held Yunying in his arms and gently stroked her back, saying, "These words are only meant to be said in front of me. Don't say them in front of outsiders. If someone with ulterior motives hears them and makes a big deal out of them, the manor will never have a peaceful day again."

(End of this chapter)