Chapter 20: The Dead General Returns 2
Not long after the zither music began, Yuan Jingchen arrived at the pavilion with his attendants.
When the piece concluded, Yuan Jingchen softly exclaimed, “Excellent!”
“Madam, this piece is truly exquisite. May I ask which master composed it? I would truly like to meet them!”
“Is it only the music that is good? Is my playing not good?”
Qian Fu: …This statement has a very flirtatious undertone.
Of course, with this Madam's beauty, if she wanted to flirt with someone, she would surely succeed every time.
He looked up and, as expected, his master was staring intently, his eyes fixed.
“Madam’s playing is also good.”
Ning Yan was amused by his dazed expression and let out a light chuckle, “Why is Young Master still not resting so late? Are you also suffering from insomnia, like me?”
Could Yuan Jingchen say that ever since he saw Ning Yan yesterday, he had been so captivated that his soul felt detached, and he had then sent people to constantly monitor their small courtyard, only to immediately follow when he saw her emerge with her zither?
“Oh, I understand. Young Master has taken a liking to me.”
Goodness, that single sentence made everyone present, both visible and hidden, blush crimson.
Ning Yan rose, her skirt swaying lightly, and walked over to Yuan Jingchen. She raised a hand and pinched his chin, “What a coincidence, I’ve also taken a liking to Young Master!”
After speaking, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Qian Fu was so startled that he quickly turned his back. Not only that, he also gestured for them to retreat. The hidden guards hastily moved further away and also turned their backs.
Yuan Jingchen was at the peak of his youthful vigor, and the woman before him was the one he had instantly fallen for. How could he restrain himself? He reached out and pulled her into his embrace, lowering his head to kiss those alluring red lips.
Their lips only parted after a long kiss. By then, Ning Yan was already sitting on the stone table, her clothes a little disheveled.
They were both experienced, and with the atmosphere like this, some things happened naturally.
Both of their breaths were suppressed, fearing that too much noise would attract others.
A quarter of an hour later…
Yuan Jing gritted his teeth. Her body was different from others, which led him to… prematurely…
He tidied his clothes, and then straightened Ning Yan’s clothes. He scooped Ning Yan into his arms and carried her back to his wing room.
It wasn’t until they had gone through four rounds that they finally settled down.
Ning Yan felt that four times should be enough. If she still didn’t get pregnant, she wouldn’t mind using a fertility pill and sleeping with him again next time.
So, after she washed up, she put on her own clothes. Yuan Jingchen hurriedly asked, “Are you leaving?”
“Otherwise? I am a married woman. Today, I was seduced by your beauty and, for a moment, couldn't control my emotions, leading to such an outrageous act. If I don't go back and am seen by others, would I still have my life?”
Yuan Jingchen: Although he was a little happy that she praised his good looks, why did he feel like he was being used and then discarded?
“Whose wife are you? Can we meet again in the future?”
Ning Yan chuckled lightly, “I am the wife of a second-rank official. You’d best forget what happened today, or else you’ll be the one in trouble.”
She walked away after speaking, completely disregarding Yuan Jingchen’s fate.
He was so angry he gritted his teeth.
But he wasn’t truly angry; after all, the taste of that night was truly too wonderful, something he had never experienced in his life. How could he bear to be angry with her?
The next day, after Xiangluan finished her breakfast, she whispered in Ning Yan’s ear, “Master, the one from Kūzhú Courtyard left this morning.”
Ning Yan merely listened and moved on. However, that evening, the man appeared in her room again.
“Why are you here again? Where are my maids?”
“Don’t worry, they are all fine.”
Especially the head maid who followed her, she actually made way for him when she saw him! He had never seen such a sharp and accommodating servant before.
(Qian Fu: …)
“Didn’t Madam say she was captivated by my beauty? I also can’t bear to part with Madam. Madam won’t refuse me tonight, will she?”
Ning Yan: …Even several times in one night doesn't guarantee pregnancy. Since someone is offering themselves, well, let him come.
Thus, the two quickly tumbled onto the bed.
It was another night of entanglement.
For the next few days, Yuan Jingchen would leave before dawn and reappear in the evening, until the evening of Ning Yan’s seventh day at the temple.
“You’ll be returning to the Duke’s Residence tomorrow. If you need anything, take this jade pendant to the Sifang Bookstore on Xuanwu Street and give it to the shopkeeper. I will come to see you.”
Ning Yan looked at the dragon-patterned jade pendant in her hand and, without a moment’s hesitation, ordered, “You can help with anything, right?”
If he dared to say he couldn’t help, she would immediately deal with him.
Yuan Jingchen thought to himself that if there was truly something in this world he couldn’t do, then no one else could either.
“Mm.”
“Then let’s not wait for later. There’s something I just happen to need help with.”
The next morning, Ning Yan returned to the Duke’s Residence with her maids and guards.
Upon entering the Duke’s Residence, she immediately went to pay her respects to Old Madam, then presented the “peace charm” she had “obtained,” and with a few words, pleased Old Madam before returning to her own courtyard.
“Qiuying, I remember there’s a set of jeweled gold hair ornaments in my dowry. Please get it for me; I want to wear it.”
Qiuying took the key and went to the small storeroom. However, in just a short while, the maid came back, scrambling and stumbling, “Master, the small storeroom has been robbed! All of your dowry is gone, completely emptied!”
The Zhen Guo Duke's Mansion was a large and prosperous family, and with the Original Host as the only master, she had brought all the valuable items from the Duke’s Residence when she married. Just pearls, agates, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings alone filled seventy-two chests.
The visible pin money amounted to another one hundred thousand taels. The imperial family also added twenty chests of dowry, plus shops, estates, wedding beds, and furniture, totaling 108 items. It could be said that even the unfavored princesses of the imperial family did not have such a rich dowry as hers.
But now, all of this dowry had vanished!
Ning Yan fainted directly upon hearing this. Xiangluan, who had always been serving by her side, immediately caught her, “Quickly, go and get a doctor! Master has fainted!”
The General of the Flying Cavalry's Residence was now bustling.
Old Madam almost fainted from anxiety when she heard the servants' report.
One must know that a large part of the reason her family married Ning Yan, an orphaned girl, was because they coveted her dowry.
The General of the Flying Cavalry's Residence appeared glorious, but internally, it was barely holding on.
Cheng Shaowu, this second-rank general, gained his position through both ability and luck.
Three years ago, after the Zhennan General and his wife died in battle, the deputy general was shot by an arrow while facing the enemy and could no longer fight on the battlefield. The subsequent battles were all major defeats, and even the imperial court had prepared for defeat. However, Cheng Shaowu led his troops in a successful surprise attack on the enemy camp, burning the enemy’s provisions and forcing the enemy to retreat a hundred li.
Upon receiving the news of the great victory from the front, the Emperor was overjoyed and directly promoted Cheng Shaowu to a third-rank general to boost morale.
Afterward, Cheng Shaowu led a thousand-man cavalry unit, circled behind the enemy, and by a stroke of luck, killed the enemy commander. The Jin army then launched an offensive, killing nearly thirty thousand enemy soldiers. The Northern Desert was defeated and fled deep into the grasslands. They were then ambushed by an ambush force sent by Cheng Shaowu, resulting in the deaths of over ten thousand more Northern Desert soldiers. The Northern Desert royal court directly sent envoys to sue for peace.