Union

Chapter 202 Old friends meet
The next day, Chen Yanzhou invited Yunying out as usual, but Yunying unsurprisingly refused.

He didn't even get to see Yunying before he was respectfully escorted out of the Xuanguo Duke's mansion.

The old lady and Yang Lingjia watched the young couple bickering with indifference.

Although she didn't know why the two had fallen out, she knew that her daughter He'er wasn't the kind of person to make a fuss without reason, and the fault must lie with Chen Yanzhou.

Moreover, after they returned yesterday, they noticed that He'er was unhappy, and privately asked Qingchou why.

Qingchou couldn't explain it either, only saying that the young lady was fine when they went to the restaurant for a meal, but when she went there to give some instructions, her young lady was already angry when she came back.

Despite the second master of the Rongguo Mansion's best efforts to coax and plead with his young lady, even huffing and puffing, she remained angry and refused to eat.

From Qingchou's words, it was confirmed once again that Chen Yanzhou had angered He'er. The old lady and Yang Lingjia had nothing to worry about; they could simply watch the show quietly.

However, the couple's quarrel is unlikely to last long, since Yanzhou is heading south to Jinzhou tomorrow.

As expected, Yan Zhou came to say goodbye that evening. Although He'er was still angry, she still went out to see him.

On the day Chen Yanzhou set off, she got up early, had her maid take a box she had prepared, and went out herself to see Chen Yanzhou off.

After Yunying left, the old lady said to the Duke of Xuan, who was about to go to the yamen, "It's true that daughters grow up and can't stay at home."

“He’er is not young anymore, she’ll be nineteen soon. There’s no reason for a noble lady in the capital to remain unmarried until she’s twenty. She’s found herself a good son-in-law, she’s happy, and we’re satisfied too, so let’s leave it at that.”

The two then started talking about Yunying's wedding date.

As early as when the wedding was arranged, the Rongguo Duke's Mansion had tentatively inquired whether they could agree on a wedding date for the two young people. If so, they would have a few auspicious dates calculated later and finalize the matter.

Gu Wangchen changed the subject, and the matter was dropped.

Even if we postpone it further, it won't be for very long. We must marry her off before He'er turns twenty.

The remaining rituals will take about a year and a half. So setting a wedding date is something that needs to be done soon.

The Duke of Xuan and his wife sighed in the house: "We finally found our child, but he won't be able to stay with us for long. It's heartbreaking to think about."

Yunying waited for Chen Yanzhou outside the city gate.

Chen Yanzhou rode on his beloved horse named Chasing Wind, his expression somewhat forlorn.

Then he saw the carriage of the Duke of Xuanguo waiting at the city gate, and the blue silk robe sitting side by side with the coachman on the carriage shaft. He immediately understood what was going on.

His gaze immediately fell upon the carriage, his deep eyes brightened, and a deep smile spread across them.

Chen Yanzhou dismounted, tossed the reins to Suiyu, and walked straight toward the carriage of the Duke of Xuanguo's residence.

The coachman and Qingchou were very perceptive and quickly made way for him, allowing Chen Yanzhou to enter the carriage smoothly.

Yunying noticed a dark shadow falling in front of her and immediately turned her face away.

Seeing this, Chen Yanzhou couldn't help but laugh. He sat down beside Yun Ying, pulled her into his arms, and pressed his forehead against hers. "Good Ying Ying, don't be angry with me anymore. I know I was wrong."

Yunying snorted, "What wrong could you possibly have done? You are the second master of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. You are cunning and scheming, and you have manipulated countless people."

Chen Yanzhou felt a chill run down his spine and wished he could just surrender.

He truly knows he was wrong.

If he had known things would turn out this way, he would have kept his mouth shut and buried the matter in his heart. He would never have let the moment of pleasure cause him to blurt everything out to Yunying.

My brother is right. While honesty is essential between spouses, there are some things that, even if you know they will upset your partner, should still be kept secret to a certain extent.

Of course, this secret is limited to those made in good faith and that will not cause harm to the other party. Otherwise, what was originally a principle of self-preservation would become malicious in nature.

Chen Yanzhou then humbled himself and begged for forgiveness, which finally softened Yun Ying's heart, and she reluctantly forgave him, thus letting the matter drop.

Seeing this, Chen Yanzhou breathed a deep sigh of relief. He made up his mind once again that in the future, if he were to do anything, especially anything related to Yun Ying, he should inform her in advance. Otherwise, if he angered her next time, things wouldn't be so easy.

With the matter resolved, the two were finally able to talk things out properly.

With the warm and soft beauty in his arms, Chen Yanzhou felt increasingly reluctant to leave the capital.

He held Yunying and rocked her back and forth, wishing he could turn her into a thumb doll and carry her with him in his sleeve.

However, there was no such magic method in the world, and he could not actually bring Yunying, who was still his fiancée, to Jinzhou.

Chen Yanzhou sighed again with regret, "When will we be able to get married?"

Yunying's heart melted.

Chen Yanzhou nestled against her neck, his warm breath brushing against her long, fair neck as he panted. She felt ticklish and wanted to pull away, yet she also craved this intimacy, even wishing they could be closer.

She reached out and gently stroked Chen Yanzhou's cheek. Her intention was to comfort him, but as she stroked, her hand slowly moved to Chen Yanzhou's Adam's apple.

The touch was both smooth and hard, and the bone even rolled up and down. The strange sensation made Yunying touch it a couple more times.

Chen Yanzhou's breathing gradually became heavy, and Yun Ying's caresses seemed to have changed in flavor. Before they knew it, the two were getting closer and closer until their breaths mingled and they kissed deeply.

They didn't know when the carriage started moving, nor how long it stopped at Shiliting on the outskirts of Beijing.

In the midst of my confused thoughts, I could only hear the sobbing of the women as they parted.

The sobbing startled Yun Ying and Chen Yanzhou, and their hazy eyes gradually cleared.

Chen Yanzhou slightly pulled away from Yun Ying's rosy lips and coaxed her once more, "Really not coming south with me?"

Yunying had to exert herself very, very hard to resist nodding.

She said, "At least not now. My father can stay in Beijing for a little over a month, after which he will return to the Northwest. I want to spend as much time as possible with him while he stays in Beijing."

"Then once Uncle returns to the Northwest, you'll go to Jinzhou?"

Yunying hesitated, but Chen Yanzhou pressed closer to kiss her, saying, "Just think of it as going to see where your mother grew up. Yingying, go to Jinzhou."

Yun Ying finally agreed, and Chen Yanzhou was satisfied. He then passionately kissed her lips again.

As the sun gradually moved due south, if Chen Yanzhou lingered any longer, the passenger ship would soon depart.

Left with no other choice, he could only reluctantly leave, flatter the emperor, and take Suiyu and Moxue out of the capital, heading towards the nearest dock.

Yunying watched as the figures ahead turned into tiny black dots until they disappeared from sight.

She stood there for a long, long time, until she felt a chill, before saying to Qingchou, "Let's go back too."

Before Qingchou could even utter a "good," a tentative female voice suddenly came from beside her, "Yunying?"

Yunying paused and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

"Golden Sunflower?"

The woman standing before Yunying wore a bright pink jacket and a dark green satin skirt. The combination of red and green was extremely tacky, but when paired with her strikingly beautiful face and imposing presence, as well as her lavish attire adorned with gold and jade, it created a harmonious effect, making her appear radiant and dazzling.

This person is none other than Jin Kui.

Jin Kui smiled at Yun Ying, "It really is you. I thought I had mistaken you for someone else."

Yunying glared at her. "Have I changed that much? How could you mistake me? You used to live in the same courtyard as me, seeing each other every day. Did you see people with your eyes closed every day?"

Jin Kui laughed heartily, "Alright, I'm sure you're Yun Ying, this is the right one."

"Why are you here?"

"Why are you here?"

The two asked the question in unison, and then replied in unison, "It's a long story."

"It's a long story."

As soon as the words were spoken, both of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Jin Kui said, "Things are a bit complicated. Shall we find a place to sit down and discuss it in detail?"

"Sure, I don't have anything planned for today anyway."

As soon as Yunying said this, she saw Jin Kui looking at her with a strange expression.

Yunying asked in surprise, "Is there anything wrong with what I said?" Jin Kui touched her nose, "Nothing is wrong. It's just that you now have a noble status, while I am merely a concubine in the Zhaoyang Prince's mansion. If someone with ulterior motives sees you with me..."

Jin Kui hesitated, but Yun Ying was unreserved. "It's as if I don't tell anyone, so they won't know my background. Go look around the city, how many people in the capital don't know my origins? Everyone's gossiping about it behind my back, they just haven't said it to my face yet. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go back to the capital and find a teahouse, we can talk over tea."

"Okay. As long as you don't mind, we'll do it your way."

Jin Kui finally boarded Yun Ying's carriage and headed to the capital with her.

During the journey, Jin Kui said to Yun Ying, "When you encountered danger in the capital, I only found out you had arrived by listening to the gossip of the maids and servants. Honestly, you didn't even come to see me after you got to the capital. Were you afraid that I would lower your status?"

Jin Kui has always been a feisty person; she says what she thinks and never hides anything.

At that time, she knew that Yunying had returned to the capital and had suffered greatly at Lin Shuqing's hands. She was worried and anxious for her, and even considered saying some good words to the princess to get Yunying into the mansion to avoid trouble.

Although she had some influence with the princess, it wouldn't be easy for her to actually bring Yunying into the mansion.

Firstly, doing so might offend the Marquis of Chang'an's household.

Even if the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion is in dire straits, it has still sent many beauties to the Prince of Zhaoyang's mansion over the years, and the two sides have maintained a good relationship. It's not worth losing face for the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion because of Yunying.

Furthermore, Yunying possesses exceptional beauty, with a serene and aloof air, like a celestial being. Prince Zhaoyang, on the other hand, is known for his philandering and indiscriminate indulgence. Even if Yunying were Chen Yanzhou's legal wife, let alone his concubine, she wouldn't necessarily leave Prince Zhaoyang's residence unscathed.

Finally, she heard that Chen Yanzhou had protected Yun Ying and that Yun Ying was temporarily safe, so she did not act rashly.

She had planned to visit Yunying after she recovered from her illness; but then came the news that Yunying had been recognized by General Pingxi and taken home, instantly becoming the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Xuan's mansion.

At this point, it was even more inappropriate for her to show her face, otherwise she would be suspected of trying to curry favor with others.

At that time, it was inconvenient for her to appear in front of Yunying. Later, Yunying got engaged to Chen Yanzhou and became the future second wife of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, with an even higher status, so it was even more inconvenient for her to show her face.

They thought they would never have the chance to meet again, but unexpectedly, in this desolate wilderness, at this Shili Pavilion, they would meet again.

Jin Kui kept rambling on and on until they arrived at a teahouse in the capital, at which point she finally shut up.

The waiter brought the tea and went out again. Only then did Yunying say, "I was planning to contact you when I came to the capital, but I entered the city the day before, bought a house to settle down the next day, and encountered danger that very night..."

She spent those days lying in bed, unable to even get out of bed. Besides, her true identity hadn't been discovered yet; she was just one of Chen Yanzhou's concubines. Everyone was of lower status, so why would anyone be afraid of her lowering her status?
Yunying didn't elaborate on the matter further. Instead, she asked Jin Kui, "What were you doing at Shili Pavilion? Also, how have you been all these years? How are the others who went to Prince Zhaoyang's mansion with you doing now?"

Jin Kui sighed, "What can one do at Shili Pavilion? Naturally, it's to see people off from the capital. Oh dear, Yun Ying, you probably wouldn't believe it, but just two years ago, my father found me."

Jin Kui ended up in the hands of her uncle and aunt after her parents died. Her uncle and aunt were heartless; they took over her family's business but treated her like a slave.

As she grew older and her looks became more attractive, her uncle and aunt harbored even more wicked intentions and sold her to those dirty and smelly places to make a fortune.

The madam at the time had the idea of ​​raising her as a rare commodity to make a fortune. Unfortunately, just as she was becoming a top courtesan, she was bought by the steward of the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion.

After that, she entered the estate of the Marquis of Chang'an and then the residence of the Prince of Zhaoyang.

Yunying already knew all these things, so there was no need to say anything.

Let's go back to her parents.

Her father was a porter who carried heavy loads at the docks, and her mother set up a stall at the docks to sell wontons.

That year, a storm came unexpectedly. Her mother was unwell and fell headfirst into the river, where she was quickly swept away by the surging water.

Her father rushed to save her mother, but he was also swept away by the river and was never found.

Last year, when his father came looking for him, he said that his son had fallen into the water and was swept away by the current, hitting a rock. He had a blood clot in his brain, which caused him to lose his sight and memory, and he could never find his way home. For all these years, his father had survived by begging.

The same year, his father was begging on the street when he offended a powerful person and was beaten up.

To everyone's surprise, after that beating, not only did he regain his sight, but he also recovered his memory.

“My father searched all the way to the capital and found me.”

Jin Kui didn't talk about the hardships she endured during that time.

But she is now a slave, and in the Zhaoyang Prince's mansion, she is stuck in a quagmire and can't get out even if she wants to.

Jin Kui used her personal savings to rent a small courtyard for her father so that he could raise troops in the capital.

Before the Lunar New Year, her father's illness had healed and he wanted to return to his hometown, but she refused. She insisted that her father spend the New Year in Beijing until the weather warmed up completely before letting him go back.

As Jin Kui spoke of her father, tears welled up in her eyes. If her father had returned sooner, she would never have ended up in this predicament.

Jin Kui's life at the Prince Zhaoyang's residence over the years has been neither good nor bad.

She was initially quite ambitious, thinking that with her looks, she would surely gain favor. Once she gained favor and established herself, she would have another child of her own, and then she would have hope for the future.

Things went quite smoothly; she did indeed gain favor upon entering the manor and quickly became pregnant.

However, pregnancy does not guarantee that you will give birth. As everyone knows, the Zhaoyang Prince's mansion is teeming with beauties, and everyone is vying for his favor and resources, fighting tooth and nail, even to the point of death.

Jin Kui lost her first child inexplicably, and no matter how much she thought about it afterward, she couldn't figure out the reason.

But it's okay.

Having learned from this lesson, Jin Kui quickly found a way to break the deadlock.

She began to fawn over Princess Zhaoyang, actively seeking her favor. She did all sorts of dirty and smelly things for Princess Zhaoyang, naturally becoming her person and securing her pregnancy again, which resulted in her successfully giving birth to a daughter.

Now, Jin Kui's daughter has also been taken in and raised by Princess Zhaoyang.

Jin Kui was quite pleased with this.

This is what she said to Yunying: "I am just a concubine in the Prince's mansion. What future can my child have if he stays with me? On the contrary, if she is raised by the Princess's side, people will look at her more favorably when it comes to marriage."

"Besides, I now serve the Princess and spend all day in her courtyard. The child is raised by the Princess, and I can see him every day. The Princess doesn't restrict me from being close to the child, so what could I possibly be dissatisfied with?"

Jin Kui is quite satisfied with this situation.

She knew in her heart that the person she could truly rely on in the Prince's mansion was not the Prince, but the Princess.

Whether now or in the future, as long as the Crown Prince's position is secure, the Queen's position is secure, and her life will be peaceful.

After talking about herself, Jin Kui brought up Wan Bi and Xiang Ling again.

After Wanbi entered the mansion, the prince gave her to one of his advisors.

The advisor was old, and Wanbi accepted her fate and served him diligently. In addition, she gave birth to a son and a daughter, a pair of twins. Now, the advisor has made her his legal wife, and she is living a carefree life.

Xiangling has a pure and innocent face, and she looks harmless and naive when she looks at people, which makes people unconsciously lower their guard against her.

However, while her disguise was effective against ordinary people, it became less effective against the men and women in the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion, who were used to seeing demons and monsters disguised as humans.

Fortunately, Prince Zhaoyang still liked her, and Xiangling enjoyed some favor from him.

However, whether it was because she was physically weak or because she ate something she shouldn't have after entering the mansion, she never got pregnant.

Prince Zhaoyang specially invited the imperial physician to examine her pulse and diagnosed that she had taken sterilization drugs and would never be able to have children again.

This incident drastically changed Xiangling's personality; she no longer maintained a pure and innocent facade in front of others. She became sharp and shrewish, and her personality grew much more acrimonious.

Fortunately, she can't have children, so even if she acts like a god, what harm will it do to the women in the backyard?

With this subtle "advantage," Xiangling stayed by Prince Zhaoyang's side as a favored concubine.

Jin Kui said, "Our lives aren't great these days, but they're not terrible either. We can't compare to you, but compared to the masses, we're living a life they can only dream of."

How can I compare to Yunying?
They were worlds apart from Yunying.

Think about how the Prince Zhaoyang's mansion had previously sought a marriage proposal for Yunying for the young master. In contrast, they couldn't even get close to the young master.

Jin Kui had once envied Yun Ying, but when she thought of her father, all those feelings of envy and jealousy in her heart vanished like flowing water.

At least she had enjoyed her parents' love and knew who her biological parents were. In contrast, Yunying lived for eighteen years before returning to her family.

Compared to Yunying, she felt that her life was not bad either.

……

It's almost over, and I'm getting ready to start a new story. Does that sound sudden? Actually, I've been planning this for a long time, but I felt like I didn't have much to write about anymore, so I just had to let time fly by.

(End of this chapter)