Union

Chapter 30 Dream
Yunying stammered, "Of course this servant wouldn't dare to lie to Second Master. I certainly made those clothes."

"really?"

“It’s true.” Yunying said righteously, “But as you know, I’m really not good at needlework. I’ve been sewing and taking apart the clothes, and I still haven’t finished them…”

"Did they not even make a semblance of it, or did they not make it at all?"

“I really did make it. I just need a few more days, then I’ll send you the finished clothes.”

Chen Yanzhou: "Then I'll send it tomorrow."

Yunying: "..."

Yunying initially wanted to ask for another month's grace, but fearing she might anger the Second Master, she ultimately asked for half a month. Sure enough, this provoked another sarcastic remark from the Second Master. After some haggling, the Second Master, too lazy to argue, simply set the date for three days later. If he didn't receive the clothes by then, Yunying should abandon any hopes of what she had previously made.

After seeing the Second Master off, Yunying was completely exhausted.

She took a deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from her forehead in a disheveled manner, and had He Sui help her. The two of them, mistress and servant, returned to their room with lingering fear.

That night, Yunying did needlework until the early hours of the morning. When she could no longer resist the drowsiness, she washed up and went to bed.

But perhaps because she had been frightened by the Second Master earlier that day, she dreamed of him that night.

The second master was instructing Suiyun on matters. He stood with his back to Yunying and spoke softly, so Yunying naturally didn't hear what they were saying. But she strained her ears and vaguely seemed to catch the words "County Magistrate Fan".

After giving instructions to Suiyun, the second master turned around and looked intently at Yunying, who was hiding behind the screen.

He seemed to be warning her not to eavesdrop, and also implying to her: if you dare to disobey, you will be the next Magistrate Fan!

His deep, dark eyes terrified Yunying, jolting her awake from her sleep and causing her to sit up abruptly.

The only sound in the quiet room was Yunying's heavy breathing.

She was alone in the room, surrounded by complete darkness. The quiet night seemed to harbor demons and monsters from all directions, making her too scared to even breathe loudly.

Yunying was filled with regret for not having Hesui come to keep watch at night. But it was clearly too late to call someone now.

She lay back down on the bed quietly, her eyes open, too afraid to move. Her mind was a complete blank; she didn't even know what she was thinking.

Suddenly, the sound of a clapper rang out again outside; it was the fourth watch of the night.

Yunying, who was about to drift off to sleep, was startled by the sound. A flash of inspiration struck her, and she suddenly remembered where she had heard the words "County Magistrate Fan" before.

It happened the day she went to deliver soup to the Second Master.

At that time, she was stopped by Sui Yu and waited in the courtyard. She vaguely heard the Second Master's voice coming from the study. She couldn't hear what he said, but her ears keenly caught the three words "County Magistrate Fan".

County Magistrate Fan...

Magistrate Fan used to wield great power in Yungui County, but he fell into trouble before he could even speak properly.

Yunying would never believe that his current predicament was not due to someone else's scheme.

From the gossip she overheard from the maid, Yunying also learned that the reason Qian Cheng was able to return so promptly and subdue the adulterous couple at the crucial moment, leaving Magistrate Fan with no room to struggle or resist, was all because of a note with an address and time written on it delivered by an unknown mysterious person.

Who delivered that note?
Who could have seen through Magistrate Fan's meticulous and rigorous arrangements and discovered his long-term affair with a married man?
That person must not be an ordinary person, at least not someone from Yungui County.

Otherwise, Magistrate Fan's privacy wouldn't have only been exposed now. Yunying is more inclined to believe that the Second Master was behind it.

There are three reasons:

Firstly, that "stupid as a donkey" performance ultimately damaged the Second Master's prestige and reputation. And the Second Master didn't seem like the kind of person who would be so magnanimous as to tolerate ridicule and mockery without retaliating.

Secondly, Magistrate Fan wielded too much power in Yun Gui County. Relying on his years of accumulated influence, he opposed the Second Master, hindering the smooth implementation of the Second Master's decrees… In other words, Magistrate Fan was a stumbling block on the Second Master's path to power. Removing Magistrate Fan from office was entirely in the Second Master's interest.

Finally, there was the dream she had tonight. Whether it was the overly nonchalant tone in which the Second Master mentioned "County Magistrate Fan," or the overly somber atmosphere of the dream, it all confirmed to Yun Ying that the Second Master harbored murderous intentions towards County Magistrate Fan and would not let the matter rest.

Second Master not only has manpower and ability, but also shrewdness. Dealing with Magistrate Fan will be a piece of cake for him.

After thinking about all this, and considering that Second Master had been in Yungui County for more than two months, enough time for him to see through the situation in the county government and understand that Magistrate Fan had to be eliminated.

This amount of time was also enough for Second Master to find something to do with Magistrate Fan and seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

……

The sound of a rooster crowing seemed to come from outside the window, and after a while, the sky gradually brightened.

Yunying's heart was very calm. Her eyelids could no longer resist the drowsiness, and she finally drifted off to sleep.

Her last thought before going to sleep was to make the clothes for the Second Master as soon as possible and send them over.

Otherwise, given Second Master's unapproachable nature, if she dared to grumble again, there would be no turning back on her decision to leave the manor.

……

She said she would get up early, but because she didn't fall asleep until dawn, Yunying had a very difficult time getting up that day.

Sui'er had no idea that she hadn't slept all night. She was getting a little anxious when she saw that she couldn't wake the girl up.

The idea of ​​making a set of clothes for the Second Master includes a lot: undergarments, inner garments, an outer long gown, socks, and even shoes. Logically, all of these should be made. If one were to be more particular, even accessories such as sachets and tassels should be included.

But there's clearly not enough time. Last night, the girl made the difficult decision to forgo the sachet, the brocade net, the shoes and socks, and even the undergarments and inner garments would be made later when she had more time. For now, the only option is to take a shortcut and only make one outer garment…

Even making this outer garment would be incredibly difficult for the girl.

After all, the girl's needlework was really terrible.

They spent two hours last night working, but all they managed to do was sketch a rough outline on the fabric.

The original plan was to cut the fabric today, and hopefully start sewing it tomorrow...

Sui'er said in despair, "Miss, if you don't get up soon, these clothes will never be finished. Then the Second Master will be furious..."

The word "Second Master" immediately scared away Yunying's drowsiness.

Although she was still very sleepy, the thought of how the Second Master dealt with people made Yunying rub her face and immediately wake up.

She quickly got ready, made do with a bowl of white fungus and pear soup for breakfast, and then hurriedly threw herself into the great undertaking of making clothes.

(End of this chapter)