Chapter 32
Yuli’s face was flushed. She looked at him. “I want to open a shop and do business.”
Xie Yao took out his finger and also looked at her. In that instant, he occupied her.
“Alright,” he said.
Yuli’s breath grew heavy. She was stunned, unable to believe it. “I want to go out, and I want to do everything myself.”
“I will send you helpers,” Xie Yao said, pressing her leg.
“Alright, but they all have to listen to me. But not too many. I don’t want to be surrounded by a crowd when I go out, mm—”
Xie Yao glanced at her. “Do you have to talk to me about these things now?”
Yuli shut her mouth, turned her face away, and an irrepressible smile overflowed from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.
*
The autumn sun was high in the sky. Today, Yuli got up early after Xie Yao had left. She washed up quickly, and before she had breakfast, she called for Jingyu and had her prepare for the outing.
Jingyu had no excuse this time. She went out for a moment and came back, saying that everything was ready.
Yuli quickly had breakfast, put on a light, narrow-sleeved dress, and went out with Xiyun.
The carriage, which was originally heading straight for the West Market, suddenly turned and went east, stopping in front of Biyou Yuan.
It was a rare opportunity to go out. Yuli decided not to do business first, but to go to the open fields and have a good stroll!
At the same time, in the Imperial Palace.
When Xie Yao heard that Yuli had gone to Biyou Garden and was having a great time with her two maids, he curled his lips and smiled.
This morning, he had personally instructed Jingyu to follow her closely, to note down who she met, what she said, and report everything to him.
It seemed that Yuli was just bored from being cooped up in the residence for a long time and wanted to go out to relax. He was now confident that she could not leave him, so it was fine to give her a little more space.
Anyway, his thousand-plus elite shadow guards all remembered her appearance and figure. At this moment, there were thirty of them scattered around her. She would not get lost, nor would she be in danger.
As for the pastry shop she wanted, it was fine to let her open it to play and relieve her boredom.
Song He entered silently and walked straight to Xie Yao. “Those people are already in ambush, just waiting for Master to arrive.”
Xie Yao hummed faintly in agreement. Seeing that it was already noon, he changed into black casual clothes and prepared to leave the palace.
Since Yingniang had been in and out of the Xie Residence some time ago, he had deliberately not concealed his whereabouts. Everyone who was interested knew that he had been going to his private residence every day recently. Coupled with the songstress’s comings and goings and the decadent music that was heard, the court officials privately gossiped that he was having a wild time in his private residence every night. But of the three women sent by the old and new court officials, one had been placed in the Duke’s Residence and he had not gone back to see her once, and two had been killed and sent back. No one dared to discuss this matter anymore.
The imperial guards in the palace were all his trusted men from the Shenwu Army, and the Xie Residence was as impenetrable as an iron bucket. The only place where they could make a move was on the road from the Imperial Palace to the Xie Residence.
Xie Yao, wearing a brocade wide-sleeved robe, took a carriage straight from the Imperial Palace to the Xie Residence.
In the past, he would always arrive at dusk, but today he was much earlier.
It was the afternoon, a time for autumn drowsiness. The assassins lurking in the dark were all wide-eyed, some disguised as peddlers, others ambushing inside the courtyard walls, just waiting for his carriage to pass by, and then they would swarm up.
The carriage passed by, with only four guards. After confirming that it was indeed the regent in the carriage, the leader gave a hand signal, and a flurry of arrows flew towards the carriage window.
The guards were injured, and there was no movement in the carriage. The assassins swarmed up, rushing towards the carriage. Their master had said that whoever could get the regent’s head would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and be granted the status of a commoner.
After living a life of licking blood from the tip of a knife, not knowing what the next day would bring, for so long, no one did not long to be a wealthy and idle person.
The assassins rushed to the front of the carriage, only to hear the sound of clapping from inside. Countless shadow guards jumped out from inside the courtyard walls. From their attire, they were the servants and masters of the houses inside the courtyard walls. They had been tricked. It turned out that the people in the houses around the Xie Residence were all disguised as the regent’s shadow guards.
The shadow guards were silent, while the assassins screamed in terror. Soon, only a few were left alive.
Blood flowed all over the ground. Xie Yao walked out of the carriage and stood on it, looking at the few who had been subdued.
He said to Song He, “Choose one, cut out his tongue, and send him to their master. Keep the rest for now.”
Song He signaled to his men. They chose one person, beat him on the spot, and when he opened his mouth, they held his teeth, pulled out his tongue, and cut it out.
The hissing cry of pain turned into a whimper. The remaining assassins’ hair stood on end.
The shadow guards all had normal expressions. They methodically dragged away the corpses and brought out water from the houses to wash the bloodstains on the ground.
The assassins were all pale. They had planned for three whole months, spending countless manpower and financial resources. They had not expected the regent to have everything under control. Not to mention them, even if he wanted to get rid of their master, it would probably be effortless.
The regent stood on the carriage, looking at the person who was spitting blood. “Find a way to tell your master that if he is obedient in the future, he will be safe. If he has any crooked ideas about this place again, his nine clans will not be spared.”
In the past, assassins had been bloodily purged. This time, he was already showing extraordinary mercy.
The assassin could not make a sound. Xie Yao did not care. In a moment, the bloodstains on the ground and the carriage had been cleaned up. Xie Yao looked at himself. There was not a single drop of blood on him. He returned to the carriage and ordered to go to the Xie Residence.
After returning to the Xie Residence, Xie Yao still went back to Wangyun Courtyard, changed his clothes, and made sure there was no strange smell on him before going to Mingyue Residence. Just as he entered the hanging flower gate, he met Xuemi’s eyes on the rockery.
In the blink of an eye, Xuemi darted down the rockery, climbed up the courtyard wall, and disappeared.
Xie Yao’s lips curled into a cold smile. He walked into the room, went around the screen, and into the bedchamber. He sat down by the bed, and after a while, he lay down.
He closed his eyes, and after a while, he moved to the inner side where Yuli slept, took a few deep breaths, and smiled.
*
When Yuli returned, the sun had completely set. She was carrying large and small bags, talking and laughing with Xiyun as she entered Mingyue Residence, and saw Xie Yao sitting in the small pavilion, with Uncle Hu standing opposite him.
It was the first time that Xie Yao was waiting for her when she returned from outside.
Yuli quickly put down her things and ran over. A round table was set up in the pavilion, with all kinds of pastries on it, and a cup of clear tea.
Just as Yuli came over, Xie Yao turned his head and signaled for Uncle Hu to withdraw.
Uncle Hu bowed to Yuli and left with a smile.
“Old Hu said these pastries will sell well. Did you find a suitable shop today?” Xie Yao asked.
Yuli had been playing in Biyou Garden all day and had not yet started on the pastry business. She didn’t feel embarrassed. Anyway, this matter was not urgent, and she planned to take her time.
“No, I went to play today,” Yuli said, picking up a pastry to eat while talking about what she had seen today. “That Biyou Garden is so big. I walked for more than half a day and didn’t finish. The trees inside are so lush. The flower trees in Mingyue Residence are newly planted and very sparse. Outside, it’s all autumn scenery. The forest is full of yellow and red, very beautiful.”
Xie Yao listened, smiling without a word.
At the end, Yuli said, “In two or three years, my courtyard will be that beautiful.”
Xie Yao looked at her, took her hand, and pulled her onto his lap.
Being so intimate in broad daylight, Yuli was a little uncomfortable and wanted to push him but didn’t dare.
Xie Yao then did something even more excessive. He held the back of her head and kissed her heavily.
Yuli’s face turned red, and her eyes darted around, afraid of being seen by Xiyun and Jingyu.
Fortunately, they had withdrawn outside when they saw Xie Yao at the door.
Xie Yao kissed her until she was panting heavily and her lips were crimson before stopping.
Yuli didn’t know what was wrong with him. Afraid of triggering some bad plot, she could only go along with him.
However, the more she went along with him, the more he pushed his luck. Not only did he hold her and kiss her during the day, but after the meal, he also pulled her to take a bath together early.
He was restless while bathing, his hands all over her, until she was as soft as water.
In bed, he didn’t give her a chance to breathe, sucking on her lips until her whole body went numb and she couldn’t even cry out.
Tonight, he did it three times in a row. After a short rest, just as Yuli was about to fall into a drowsy sleep, he pressed against her again.
He had always been careful not to let her feel pain, and she didn’t need to move. But it was too long, and just maintaining the position was exhausting.
However, Yuli still noticed that when he held her and released himself at the end, he still did not stay inside.
Yuli found him a bit strange, but she was more grateful in her heart.
In the end, Xie Yao lay on her collarbone, their sweat mixed together. He called her softly, “Yuli.”
Yuli had no strength to respond and couldn’t move. Not long after, she fell asleep.
The next day, Yuli naturally woke up late.
Yesterday, she had had her fill of fun. Today, she planned to do some proper business. After going out, she went to a high-end teahouse on Zhuque Street to do some research.
She passed by three quiet, high-end teahouses and entered a lively, common teahouse.
Just as she walked in, she heard the sound of a gavel.
“Today, what I’m going to tell you all is the story of the fourth young master of the Xie family.”
The audience burst into enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Jingyu’s brow twitched. Yuli heard “the fourth young master of the Xie family” but hadn’t had time to think about it.
“Quick, quick, there’s a seat here. Mistress, come and sit,” Xiyun said excitedly, pulling Yuli to a seat.
Jingyu secretly glared at Xiyun. Xiyun was oblivious, took the tea and melon seeds that the waiter handed her, and placed them in front of Yuli.
“Everyone knows his current identity. Today, we’re not talking about his present, but his past…”
Jingyu’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. If the Mistress heard this and guessed something, and had a conflict with the master, she was afraid she would die without a burial place.
“…Let’s start from five years ago when he appeared in the capital. It is said that in the harsh winter of that year, the Rouran were pressing on the border. An unknown young general led several hundred cavalry and broke through like a bamboo, directly attacking the Rouran’s rear guard, broke into the royal court, and brought back the peace treaty signed by the Rouran Khan. His achievements were comparable to sealing the wolf and residing in Xu!
“However, when he returned to the capital, the young general only received the title of a fourth-rank loyal and martial general. His peers from aristocratic families, with meager contributions, were even ranked above him. The aristocratic nobles looked down on him. However, no one expected that this young general was actually the legitimate grandson of the Duke of Qing’s Residence!
“The young general was recognized by his ancestors and was personally cultivated by the Duke of Qing. He went in and out of the Eastern Palace with him. Those who had looked down on him before now bowed and scraped to him. In just half a year, he had gained the favor of the Eastern Palace. His achievements were re-evaluated, and he was enfeoffed as a second-rank grand general who assisted the state. At this time, the fourth Xie was not yet nineteen!”
At this point, the storyteller slammed the gavel, and the audience cheered.
In just a few sentences, he had narrated a story of a humble person’s counterattack, which was actually a story of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Yuli was engrossed and eagerly awaited the rest of the story.
“In addition, the fourth Xie had heroic eyebrows and sword-like eyes, and was handsome beyond compare. The unmarried ladies in the capital, from princesses to divorced women, were all infatuated with him…”
Yuli heard the story turn into a male-oriented power fantasy and smiled knowingly. But she heard the storyteller’s tone change. “However, heaven is jealous of talents. One day, the Duke of Qing suddenly passed away. The fourth Xie fell out of favor with the Eastern Palace and was sent to the northern border to guard the frontier, and was not heard of in the imperial city for two years.”
Some people in the teahouse were already whispering. Yuli overheard, “So it’s about that person.”
Which person? Yuli was curious.
The storyteller slammed the gavel and said, “Until last year, when Prince Xin plotted to seize the position of the Eastern Palace, opened the Zhuque Gate, and led a large army into the city. The one at the head, in armor and with a red tassel, was the fourth Xie who had disappeared for two years!”
“This story, other teahouses have all told it. There’s nothing new.”
“Don’t interrupt. We’re from out of town and haven’t heard it.”
Two groups of people started arguing, and it became noisy. Someone stood up to leave. Yuli and Xiyun also looked around.
“Everyone!” the storyteller slammed the gavel. “I have a secret that I guarantee you have never heard!”
There was a moment of silence. The storyteller said quickly, “Does everyone know why that person killed almost all the male members of the Xie family? It was the family that gave him a position, and the Duke that gave him a future. Although he was ruthless and cruel, was his cruelty to the Xie family just a political struggle? As far as I know, it was clearly revenge!”
Hearing this, Yuli finally came to her senses. The person he was talking about was none other than the current regent, her husband, Xie Yao.
It was as if she were going behind the flat character created by the words. Just by listening to this story, she could know the soul under Xie Yao’s psycho facade. But did she really want to pry?
Yuli’s heart pounded, and her blood flowed faster. She was almost excited.
The storyteller smiled. “Everyone, please be patient. After I finish the story of the fourth Xie, I will reveal this secret.”
Yuli was stiff and did not move.
“This fourth Xie joined Prince Xin, and they worked together from the inside and outside. He led his trusted followers, accumulated over many years, crushed the aristocratic clans, and executed all his political enemies. Blood flowed for three days and three nights…”
“Jingyu, Jingyu, what’s wrong with you?” Xiyun suddenly exclaimed in a low voice.
Yuli came back to her senses and saw Jingyu swaying, leaning on Xiyun’s shoulder, her face pale and colorless, with cold sweat on her forehead and the side of her face. “My stomach hurts.”
Xiyun stood up. “Quick, I’ll take you to the clinic.”
Yuli also stood up. “Let’s go, right now.”
Xiyun supported Jingyu and walked out.
Yuli fell behind and quickly followed.
Before she walked out the door, she heard a sentence from the storyteller.
“…It turns out that the fourth Xie is the reincarnation of the Martial Star. In his previous life, he had offended the ninth son of the Jade Emperor in the heavenly court…”
Jingyu: …
Yuli: …