It was the twenty-first Qisheng year. If possible, Chu Xinian would like to call it the first year of Xie Jingyuan’s life in a desperate situation.
During this year, with the help of the protagonist Chu Jiaoping, Prince Jin gradually began to show his prominence in the Court, and his birth mother, Concubine Mei, became the favorite.
In contrast, the Crown Prince’s party has been repeatedly demoted and reprimanded. And Xie Jingyuan, the only one with real power, became very ill, making it difficult for him to lead the troops.
If this plot had not been changed – within a few months – Prince Jin would have been praised for his success in fighting Shuofang’s rebels. His Majesty would have been so pleased that he would withdraw Xie Jingyuan’s military power alleging his illness, and transfer it to Prince Jin for the time being.
What was the difference between a general without military power and a poisonous snake with its fangs pulled out?
They can only be crushed by others.
Chu Xinian sat at the end of the table, raising his eyes to look at the sickly man in front of him, his gaze lingered on his purple lips for a moment, thoughtful and not paying attention to what Madam Mei was saying.
“It is improper to say that Xi’er is not guilty of anything. He has always been frivolous outside, unaware of who he offended. On the wedding night, he was kidnapped by bandits…”
“Unfortunately, our mansion guards searched everywhere, only being found last night and brought in then. Please don’t be offended by the wedding disturbance…”
Madam Mei was the eldest, sitting with her head held high. She had already made up a series of excuses, and anyone with eyes knew that these words were fake…
It’s not like bandits go down to the mountains to steal wives, so why would they take Chu Xinian, a wealthy young man? He didn't know how to work with his four limbs or distinguish the five grains. The captive only knew how to eat, drink, go to brothels, and gambling.
Xie Jingyuan did not say a word. The silver mask on his face had a cold color, and after coughing a couple of times, he said, “Of course not…”
His voice was hoarse and weak, making people think that he was someone sick and weak, easy to intimidate. But with a few words, he was able to gently reject the humiliation and let it go.
Chu Xinian noticed that when Xie Jingyuan said this, there was a strange arc on his lips that disappeared in an instant.
There was no stupid woman in a big family, and Madam Mei naturally would not underestimate Xie Jingyuan. A toothless tiger is still a tiger and cannot be easily provoked. Now she just wanted to go to the Palace to discuss a solution with Concubine Mei.
Her main goal was to find a way to get Chu Xinian out of this tiger den, either by withdrawing from the marriage or anything else.
Thinking about this, Madam Mei could not sit still any longer, she got up from her seat and exchanged some hurried greetings with Xie Jingyuan, then said goodbye and left. Before leaving, she glanced at Chu Xinian, telling him not to act rashly.
Son, Mother will find a way to save you but don’t make trouble.
Seeing the hidden message, Chu Xinian stopped the hand holding the teacup, not knowing what to say. He could only get up from his seat and watch Madam Mei leave.
Once Madam Mei had left, the room suddenly seemed empty. Apart from the servants, there were only Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan.
Chu Xinian lowered his eyes in silence, thoughtful. He knew that if he acted too cunningly, it would definitely cause Xie Jingyuan to be wary, so he simply put on a gentle and harmless appearance.
“General.”
Suddenly, everyone present heard Chu Xinian speak in a jade-soft tone, bowing to Xie Jingyuan.
“On the wedding day, I made the General wait all night in vain and get sick. It was not my intention to make the General wait. In the future, Xinian will treat the General sincerely and will not abandon him. I hope the General will not be offended.”
No one expected this to happen, and they could not help but be secretly surprised when they saw this.
Chu Xinian’s bad reputation is known to everyone in the Capital, and no one was surprised that he was bold and ran away from marriage with a courtesan.
Xie Jingyuan’s status was different now. The servants were worried that Chu Xinian was backed by Concubine Mei and had been sent to make trouble. They never imagined that he would apologize and try to make amends.
Xie Jingyuan did not reply, he looked at the man in white in front of him blankly.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Since he was young he fought alongside the army, he was different from the sons of those rich families in the Capital, so naturally he would not have entanglements with those people. This was the first time Xie Jingyuan had met Chu Xinian officially. Before that, he had only known some news about him through his spies.
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Xie Jingyuan glared at him, “Why didn’t you come on the wedding day?”
He only blurted out this sentence.
It was as if Madam Mei’s excuses had never been heard by him, and certainly, Xie Jingyuan did not listen very carefully at that time.
Chu Xinian was a bit surprised at his words, thinking that Xie Jingyuan was indeed not an easy person to deal with. But if he answered truthfully and said that he had eloped with someone, his words would not only slap Xie Jingyuan’s face but Madam Mei’s as well.
Chu Xinian, “I used to be a frivolous person who made enemies and was kidnapped by bandits.”
Xie Jingyuan said expressionlessly, “Did you catch those bandits?”
Chu Xinian smiled, “Well, the guards are not skillful and let those bandits escape, but I was lucky enough to return safely. I dare not ask for anything more.”
Xie Jingyuan slowly got up from his chair, this action provoked another low cough. He approached Chu Xinian with a bitter medicinal smell on his body, smiling in a way that sent shivers down people’s spines, and when he narrowed his eyes, he looked like some kind of cold-blooded animal.
“I see…” His gaze was cold as he said, “Those bandits are so audacious that they not only rob the person of my manor but also ruin my wedding. I will send troops out of the city to look for them, and I will cut all their limbs into a thousand pieces.”
He said the last words in a calm and monotonous manner, but it made people feel chilled. In other people’s mouths, the phrase “cut all the limbs into a thousand pieces” was just a bluff, but in Xie Jinyuan’s mouth, it was a statement.
When he said that he will cut all the limbs into ten thousand pieces, he will cut a person into ten thousand pieces, not one more, not one less. As to whether it will be made into meat paste in the end, it was hard to say.
Chu Xinian smelled the aroma of traditional Chinese medicine, thoughtful for a moment, but did not panic at his words, and bowed again, “Then, I thank the General.”
He already had a good resemblance, and with a gentle and beautiful smile, and his sincere tone, it seemed as if he was thanking Xie Jingyuan for helping him to take revenge.
This made Xie Jingyuan – who thought that Chu Xinian would be scared shitless – become somewhat disappointed. He stared at Chu Xinian’s smiling eyes for a while, but a strange feeling inexplicably arose in his heart, and he turned his head.
This is the famous good-for-nothing of the Quyang Mansion?
He looks like a fool.
The thing is, Madam Mei is also a noble lady with means, how could she raise such a simple and ignorant son?
But it was a good thing… If an unscrupulous person comes along, only Xie Jingyuan himself will be tormented.
The two have their thoughts, but overall, the first meeting after the wedding was quite pleasant, without the imagined bloody storm.
When Chu Xinian arrived, Madam Mei brought dozens of servants, plus a personal maid, Yun Que, for his daily routine.
Why bring only one personal maid? Of course, it was because the two men might fight, and in case the stupid Chu Xinian accidentally offended Xie Jingyuan, the personal maid can at least stand in the way.
Not only that, but Yun Que, too, knew some martial arts. And when they were getting acquainted with the General’s Mansion, Yun Que directly said to Chu Xinian, “Second Young Master, the people in this mansion are all experts.”
Chu Xinian was not surprised, but he had some doubts about the word “all”. He looked at the old steward who was sending the servants to order a room for them, “Him too?”
The old steward walked hunched and shaky and did not look like an expert at all.
Yun Que’s face was slightly tense as she whispered, “My lord, this servant girl can’t see through him, but I feel that he is quite dangerous, you should be careful.
It was the intuition of a martial artist. Yun Que did not know whether the old steward’s skills were profound or superficial, but the other party had marked temples and bright but not cloudy eyes, so it was clear that he was an expert in Internal Martial Arts.
Chu Xinian nodded and asked another question, “How many can you beat?”
Yun Que, “…”
This question was a bit embarrassing, and the air was subtly silent for a moment. But Yun Que did not dare to be arrogant, so she could only bite the bullet and speak the truth, “I can’t beat any of them…”
Chu Xinian did not expect such a disparity in strength, “What about Xie Jingyuan?”
Xie Jingyuan, that sick guy, can be beaten, can’t he?
Yun Que continued to deny, “My lord, this servant girl is practicing the art of protection, while Xie Jingyuan is practicing the art of killing on the battlefield.”
Xie Jingyuan’s skills may no longer be as good as before, but when Yun Que saw herself being watched by his dark eyes, shivers ran all over her body, already being in a disadvantageous position even before making a move, so how could she win or lose?
“…”
For the first time, Chu Xinian realized that the difficulty of his task might be a bit high.
Yun Que concluded, “My lord, we must be careful, when we were coming, Madam gave the instructions not to follow the same example as in the past.”
The implication was that we can’t beat any of the people here, let’s be human with our tails between our legs.
Chu Xinian closed his eyes, “I have my limits.”
The mood of the master and servant inexplicably fell into depression.
After the steward had the room tidied up, he saw them to the side whispering something and smilingly approached, “Master, the room is already prepared, this is the brightest room in the East Courtyard. Do you need to add anything else?”
Chu Xinian was thinking about things at the moment and did not pay attention to the room. When he heard the words, he unconsciously noticed something was wrong, “Does the General live here?”
He didn’t think anything of it, but if he was sharing a room with Xie Jingyuan, it would be much more convenient to ask about things. Besides, there was something strange about his illness.
The steward paused for a moment at these words. The General’s face had been disfigured to such an extent that even a normal person would flee at the sight of it, but there was Chu Xinian, who not only did not flee but even rushed over.
“Um… as per the rules, the two of you should share a room, but due to the General’s illness and his weakened state, I’m afraid that his illness might affect you…”
Chu Xinian smiled and reassured, “I have been in good health since my youth, without illness or misfortune.”
The steward thought that Chu Xinian might be healthy now, but after spending time with his General, that might not be the case. He tactfully advised, “The General knows that his appearance is frightening. If it scared him, Young Master, it would be a sin…”
Chu Xinian’s actions complicated it further. He had even dissected a corpse before; what were a few scars on General Xie’s face, “Just skin, everything is temporary.”
The steward continued, “The General… caught a cold in the morning, and his old ailment has reappeared. He is currently receiving acupuncture treatment inside, so it might not be convenient…”
Chu Xinian looked worried, “In that case, I should be at his side to take care of him. Where is the General, could you show me the way, steward?”
The steward hesitated.
He could find no reason to refuse. Although he secretly hoped that the person who came would not be a reckless and arrogant individual, he was not sure what to think of Chu Xinian being so approachable.
Even Yun Que, who was nearby, looked dumbfounded. Was he her naive Young Master?
The steward, with no other choice, agreed and led Chu Xinian to a nearby courtyard.
The steward had not lied; General Xie was indeed receiving acupuncture treatment. He was dressed in white underwear, lying on a bed covered by layers of curtains. From inside, the muffled sound of a suppressed cough could be faintly heard.
An elderly man dressed in coarse clothes was administering acupuncture. He inserted the sharp needle into his fingertips and, with a firm push, oozed dark blood. The room was filled with a strong medicinal odor that made breathing difficult.
Ignoring the smell, Chu Xinian observed General Xie’s condition without showing any signs. He realized that General Xie did not look sick; rather, he appeared to be poisoned.
The old steward discreetly approached, whispered something in General Xie’s ear, glanced at Chu Xinian, and then withdrew to the side.
General Xie’s condition was not as serious as it seemed. The day Chu Xinian fled from the wedding, the severe cold aggravated his old ailment after he had spent the night without sleep.
Seeing Chu Xinian’s arrival, General Xie’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. With the steward’s help, he sat up, only to fall prey to another bout of suppressed coughing that made him feel as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest.
Before he could speak, Chu Xinian had already sat up beside the bed, clutching General Xie’s cold hand. In a worried tone, he asked, “How is the General?”
His fingertips lightly rested on General Xie’s wrist, discreetly feeling his pulse and simultaneously scanning the situation. He noticed an abnormal bluish hue at the base of the fingernails.
This sudden action caused General Xie to pause for an unusual moment. He felt a slight tingling in his fingertips, a brief moment of dizziness. He suddenly realized that his body temperature had not been normal for a long time.
“…”
Xie Jingyuan frowned, wanting to pull his hand away, but Chu Xinian’s grip was firm.
Chu Xinian was a rich and pampered young master, his hands had never developed calluses. The contrast between his soft palms and the rough palms accustomed to wielding a long sword was conspicuous.
Inadvertently, Xie Jingyuan was reminded of a delicate, slender white porcelain vase with a long neck that his mother used to adore. It was transparent and crystal clear, a stunning piece. When he was young, he had found it beautiful and had secretly played with it, not knowing that such treasures needed careful handling, only to accidentally break it.
Seeing that Xie Jingyuan did not respond, Chu Xinian asked again, “How is the General?”
With his proximity, Chu Xinian’s eyes and eyebrows became even more captivating, black and white as pure as ink painting. He had an aura of elegance that surpassed most women, while his appearance was less rough than that of a typical rough man, everything about him was perfectly balanced.
Xie Jingyuan snapped out of his thoughts and forcefully pulled his hand away. His voice was raspy and broken due to intense coughing, his long, dark eyes fixed on Chu Xinian, “You will settle in the neighboring courtyard.”
Just one sentence, concise and clear.
Chu Xinian took his left hand again as if he did not understand, “General, are you worried that your illness might affect me? It’s okay, I can sleep on the sofa outside.”
The left hand corresponds to the heart, liver, and kidneys; the right hand corresponds to the lungs, spleen, and mingmen. Chu Xinian gripped Xie Jingyuan’s hand tightly, discreetly feeling his pulse, and realized that the internal organs were all weak.
Chu Xinian was the most difficult type of person to deal with.
If he was arrogant and insolent, Xie Jingyuan could simply ignore him. If he spoke with concern, he would only complicate things further.
He could neither hit him nor scold him.
Any minor action or word could easily reach the Emperor’s ears, and Concubine Mei would surely twist it to say that he was dissatisfied with the arranged marriage and harbored resentment toward the Emperor.
As for Chu Xinian running away from the wedding… he was a reckless scoundrel by nature, so whatever he did was hardly surprising. The Emperor couldn’t be bothered to deal with him.
Xie Jingyuan felt a bit worried when dealing with this situation. Confronting this person before him, he said, “It is not necessary.”
Intentionally, when Chu Xinian arrived, Xie Jingyuan had his men carry a corpse outside. He thought that Chu Xinian would be frightened and flee back to the Quyang Marquis Mansion and would not come out again. However, he did not expect that Chu Xinian would not only not avoid it, but even justify it.
Was he naive or was he pretending to be naive?
Without realizing it, Xie Jingyuan touched the silver mask on the right side of his face. It was cold and icy and concealed the most hideous scars in the world. He grimaced slightly, his smile took on an eerie quality, and suddenly changed his tone, “But if you want us to live together, then feel free to settle in.”
The author has something to say:
Yun Que: QAQ We can’t defeat even one. It’s so heartbreaking.
As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, be their husband- slaps
As the saying goes, if you can fight ’em, f**k ’em
The comments above me 💀 (I agree wholeheartedly)
+1
getting intresting
his maid person is cute!
fr i already want to adopt her, she’s so precious ahahah