The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband

The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband – Chapter 91

Translated by: Oinkoink

Chapter 91 – Pleasant Surprise

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The formerly well-guarded Tianqi House is now completely deserted as all the guards have been dispatched to different places probing for information, leaving only one man and one woman keeping watch in the dimly lit and alarmingly quiet attic.

“Eighth Brother, do you think something could have happened at home?”

This question was asked by Ye Huailing, who was forcefully taken away in the afternoon by the unexpected appearance of guards while she was attending classes in the women’s school. She only knew something big had happened when she arrived at Tianqi House and cried on the spot due to anxiety yet she could not render any help but waited around until now, feeling tired and hungry with an indescribable tormented heart still hanging in her throat.

Ye Huaixin was also anxious but still comforted her spiritedly, “Don’t worry. In any case, the Ye family is still a century old clan whom they dare not touch rashly before locating the real evidence.”

“The evidence …”

“The evidence has been given to Yuanshu to take along to Shuzhong.” Ye Huaixin paused with slight penitence as he gripped both her shoulders, “Ling’er, Yuanshu wanted to stay behind with you but I forcibly let someone take him away. Do you blame me?”

“How could I blame you?” Raising her voice slightly, Ye Huailing was full of determination, “If this situation is known earlier, you should have left with him too.”

Stroking her hair, Ye Huaixin was deeply relieved yet unable to hide a sigh, “Now that we are embroiled in crises, how can I abandon the whole family and flee alone? Not to mention Uncle and Aunt do not know we are doing these things, how unsuspecting can they be? I will protect them even if I risk my own life!”

Ye Huailing said softly, “Eighth Brother, we are family so why are you still saying this sort of thing? I believe my parents will not blame us. Even a young woman like me can grasp the principle of righteousness, they will unlikely not understand it too.”

“That said …” Ye Huaixin sighed deeply again without saying anything more.

Not knowing how long later when small movements were finally detected from downstairs. Looking down through the window gap and seeing that it was Ci Yuan, Ye Huaixin finally dropped his guard and spontaneously opened the door to meet him.

“How’s the situation?”

Ci Yuan was still breathing heavily, evidently rushing all the way here but he still reported the matters coherently.

“Taking the people along, this subordinate secretly circled around the clan home a few times and found that there were people guarding the residence overtly and secretly, so we could not get close. Luckily we chanced upon the guard-changed, hence this subordinate took the opportunity to sneak into the residence.”

“Is the family safe and sound?” Ye Huaixin asked anxiously.

“Reporting to Young Master, everything is fine.” Ci Yuan paused then raised his head suddenly to look at him, “Old Master and Madam said that while those people have yet to find you and Ninth Young Miss, they asked you to leave the city as soon as possible and do not need to worry about them.”

Ye Huaixin was slightly startled then spat out two words decisively, “No way!”

“I won’t leave either!” Ye Huailing refused in wake. Her pair of eyes resembled the accumulative rain-over small puddles on the wet ground.

Remaining silent for a moment, Ci Yuan repeated Ye Xun’s words once again. It was nothing more than an argument of reducing casualties that one should flee if able to do so, which neither of them could accept when another group of people returned during this stalemate.

As one of the four prominent families, the Ye family has many informers hidden either inside or outside the Imperial City too. Hence, Ye Huaixin asked the guards who are usually in-charge of contacting them for a run when he arrived at Tianqi House in order to find out Ye Huaiyang’s situation in the palace but the news obtained were not optimistic.

“Young Master, Wutong Court where Young Miss is residing now is heavily guarded by the imperial guards that not even a pigeon can fly in. The palace maids responsible for delivering the meals are also extremely tight-lipped that almost nothing can be probed out, hence they can only keep watch and secretly observe in the vicinity. They finally caught sight of the Empress going to Wutong Court followed by a group of palace maids carrying lots of torture instruments …”

A ‘pah’ sounded before he could finish the sentence, Ye Huaixin had violently broken off a corner of the table all of a sudden.

“How dare she mete out illegal punishments on my elder sister?”

His eyes were bloodshot and the blue veins on the back of his hands were bulging while the deep anger that confined within him almost broke through his skin. Seeing that he was unrestrained from charging out, Ci Yuan strode over hurriedly to stop him with several guards following in wake to cluster around him distantly and unwaveringly blocking his way out.

“Young Master, there are spies everywhere outside, you will be arrested as soon as you show your face!”

Breathing heavily, Ye Huaixin punched the door frame as if venting out his anger or utterly detesting his own powerlessness. Ye Huailing rushed over immediately to bandage his hand seeing the oozing blood and to stop him from flailing about. Pulling out a handkerchief, her tears trickled out again while she was binding his wound.

“Elder Sister is still unwell, how could she withstand such torture…”

Ci Yuan felt profoundly suffocated as if crushed by a heavy object hearing these words and found it hard to utter words of comfort to Ye Huaixin. The atmosphere fell into momentary silence when Ye Huaixin suddenly uttered something alarming.

“I want to enter the palace.” His hawk-like gaze shuttled over everyone before darting and lingering low into the deep night outside the room, “Go inform the people in the palace and prepare a set of the imperial guard’s clothes for me. I will find a way to sneak into Wutong Court.”

He felt bursts of tightness in his heart and could not wait even a moment longer thinking that Ye Huaiyang might have already been subjected to excruciating torture.

Ci Yuan, however, was in a plight “Young Master, this is too dangerous. We need time to arrange even if we can get in …”

“Then go arrange it!”

Ye Huaixin shouted coldly all of a sudden and the hostility aura was rising so high that he was no longer the usual wilful and unrestrained gentleman. As Ci Yuan and the others were already eager to save their master, he dared not persuade him anymore. Bowing to pay his courtesy, he went out to get ready.

Nighttime.

The evening breeze brought coolness while the moon lit the windows. Such a refreshing and pleasant summer night was most suitable to sit in the rocking chairs and chat with the family by the waterside pavilion where one could just fall asleep if one felt tired and only lazily open the eyes when awoken by the servants. Just as the moon reached the middle of the water and within proximity, the fishes swam quietly into the bottom of the water without a trace of ripples.

This kind of scenery was common at home yet Ye Huaiyang rarely saw it. Every time when she lay down and fell asleep, Chu Jinglan would not allow Yue’ya to wake her up but carried her all the way back to Fuyu Xuan. She was also to be blamed for not knowing how deeply she slept without getting shaken awake.

It was the same today as no one came to trouble her while she took an afternoon nap. Who knew it was already dark when she opened her eyes and felt rather unwell due to hunger. So, she propped her body up to look at the hour and only to find that the meal delivery seemed to be late.

The Empress really took great pains in guarding her that the one delivering the food was a different person each time, lest she secretly bribed the person and plot some schemes. She merely laughed away at this and remained collectively calm to regain her stamina awaiting for the opportunity to come.

Just as she was rubbing her belly and wanting to get out of bed, voices were unexpectedly heard outside the door. It was most likely the arrival of the person delivering the food. Soon after, the door was pushed open and a person carrying the food container squeezed in before quickly shutting the door firmly, as if fearing that she would escape. She was about to laugh out loud when the person raised her head suddenly and the familiar face made her heart skip a few beats.

“Gugu[1]! How could it be you?”

Qu Fang could hear the debility concealed in her voice then immediately put the food container down and arrived by the bedside. Gripping her hand, she sized Ye Huaiyang up carefully for a while when her eyes reddened at once.

“Wangfei, you have suffered … “

Shaking her head lightly, Ye Huaiyang still hooked up a thin smile as if to comfort her which made Qu Fang feel all the more uneasy and couldn’t help blaming herself, “It’s all my fault. That day she was obviously seen going to East Phoenix Palace yet I was unable to inform you on time …”

“Gugu, it had nothing to do with you. It was my negligence.” Ye Huaiyang lowered her eyes, feeling a little remorseful and bitterly resentful, “I didn’t expect she would go out of her way to ruin Wangye’s great cause in order to get rid of me.”

Qu Fang spoke angrily too, “The Meng family has always been loyal and righteous but who would have expected to produce such a social scum!”

She had been serving Imperial Consort Chen since she was twelve and had been staying in the Meng Manor for exactly ten years, hence she knew very well the Meng clan’s character. How could she not be furious now that something like this had happened? Her Wangfei is really pitiful, suffering all kinds of torment which that woman had caused and not knowing if she can even see Wangye once again. Imperial Consort Chen who is in Heaven will likely grief too seeing this ….

Thinking of this, Qu Fang felt all the more distressed. Though her expression could not be seen as she was wearing a mask, her eyes were brimming with tears. Seeing this, Ye Huaiyang smiled instead and comforted her, “Gugu, I can now somewhat understand what Consort Mother meant by making one’s choices, but you do not have to worry as I have not enjoyed enough of the happy life with Wangye yet, so I won’t give up easily.”

“That’s good, that’s good …” Qu Fang patted her hand shakingly and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes before saying, “Come, let’s eat. Gugu made your favorite dishes. Try and see if it’s that taste.”

As Ye Huaiyang was really hungry, she immediately opened the lid of the food container after hearing her say that. There were four tiers in total which contained dried scallop balls, spicy beef tenderloins, stir-fried spinach and pearl mushroom soup which smelled, looked and tasted delicious. Ye Huaiyang picked up a chopstick of beef tenderloins into her mouth and chewed it slowly. She smiled genially and said after swallowing it, “Gugu’s cooking is still so delicious.”

Both of them had known each other since four years ago and became very close due to Chu Jinglan. Qu Fang has already thought of Ye Huaiyang as her own child and loves her wholeheartedly. Seeing her eating so happily now, Qu Fang thought it was worthwhile for her to brave the danger to make this trip.

Probably having a tacit understanding, Ye Huaiyang stopped eating halfway and turned to ask, “Gugu, how did you come in?”

Qu Fang replied in a soft voice while making her bed, “The Empress specifically sent someone to the cold palace and the laundry bureau to pick some new faces to deliver your food. By chance, a little girl from my room was chosen today. As she is very timid, I seized the opportunity to come here in her place.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Nodding her head, Ye Huaiayang realized that this was the only opportunity. So, she hurriedly asked her about the situation outside which Qu Fang answered in detail. Just like that, she talked while Ye Huaiyang listened and unconsciously she actually finished all the dishes.

Qu Fang felt quite distressed knowing that she did not eat or sleep well these past few days. After waiting for her to rest for a while, Qu Fang then supported her to lean against the bed which was covered with a blanket she just found in the cupboard. Though it was a little frayed, it was still usable after laying a layer of cotton cloth on top of it. Having a clean and soft base was more comfortable than sleeping on a hard plank bed.

Even though Ye Huaiyang can endure it, she after all has never suffered any hardship having been raised delicately and pampered. After being taken care of as such, she felt much more comfortable once she lay down then couldn’t help laughing lightly and said, “Fortunately Gugu is here and I finally don’t have to sleep till my back aches tonight.”

Her words called the attention of Qu Fang.

“As Gugu has some superficial medical skill, let me take a look at you?

Seeing her face full of worries, Ye Huaiyang could not refuse her and extended her wrist yet she still explained a few words, “I am just overly tired recently which triggered my chronic illness. Gugu does not need to worry about it.”

“Back ache is back ache but what’s with this deficiency and fatigueness?”

Ye Huaiyang was just about to answer that she was merely tired when she saw the astonishment on Qu Fang’s face. Qu Fang then hurriedly grasped her other hand to check her pulse. A moment later, her lips began to tremble. Feeling uneasy by her look, Ye Huaiyang called out softly, “Gugu?”

Qu Fang snapped out of her reverie all of a sudden and the expression in her eyes looked different, seemingly happy yet filled with concern.

“Wangfei, do you know … that you are pregnant?”

[1] 姑姑 (Gūgū) – the elderly unmarried maid in the palace / paternal aunt

 

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