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 92

Translated by: Oinkoink

Chapter 92 – Report

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A thousand miles away Shuzhong was even more stifling hot and humid than Wangdu on this same midsummer night. Such conditions were not suitable for recuperating, hence endless groaning and moaning could always be heard in the streets and alleys late at night.

The main cause of this plague was flooding.

Shuzhong is located in the river basin where the water flow is not smooth on majority of its bends, particularly the most liable to collapse embankment on this segment which had been the focus of reconstruction during the previous years. However, Chu Sanghuai did not bother about it ever since his ascension to the throne, hence the already shaky and on the verge of collapsing embankment was officially done for when it coincidentally chanced upon high tide this year. After the flooding, there were too many casualties and no clean water sources hence the outbreak of this epidemic.

But the situation is much better now than expected due to Chu Jinglan’s decisive move to lock the city down which stopped the spreading of the plague. The city has also been divided into two zones. The northern zone is in the process of restoring the embankment where it is also the operation hub for the soldiers and supplies which only healthy people can enter, while the southern zone houses the infected patients with the surrounding areas separated by barbs barriers and heavily guarded.

It was kind of torment entering the southern zone every time where houses had crumbled and corpses sprawled on the road. Ruined temples and ancestral halls were like hellholes on earth filling with people lying askew in ragged clothes, ashen faces and yellowish-green pus-covered bodies as well as constant mournful wailings that even the complexions of the adeptly experienced physicians changed when they saw such sights.

Anyone who had been to the southern zone must undergo the moxibustion treatment and not be allowed to enter the northern zone for a short period of time. Therefore, Lu Heng spent most of the time at the border to facilitate the treatment of patients and had apparently not seen Chu Jinglan for quite a few days already.

Chu Jinglan was not idle too as he slept less than a total of twenty hours these days.

Though he was weary, he could not sleep well and woke up after leaning against the back of the chair for a while. His mind not only kept thinking about the embankment restoration or the epidemic situation in the southern zone but also finding time to keep an eye on the newly dug canal which was just too much. Fortunately, he had some rather competent subordinates that allowed him time to rest when he felt exhausted yet something came to his mind as soon as he sat down.

It has already been five days since he last received a letter from Ye Huaiyang.

Due to the need for secrecy, the letters between them were brought together in the supplies transported by Ye family’s trade merchants who had always been on time and Tang Qingfeng would usually place the letter on his desk at this time.

The long finger that was lightly tapping the desk stopped abruptly. He then got up and flicked the front of his robe before going alone to the Ye family’s shop.

Nightfall had just arrived while traces of dark blue streaks that still remained in the sky gradually blended like wash painting until it was too dense to distinguish its boundary. The lighting in the city was still dim and the underfoot road was too dark to discern but once the destination got closer, lighting at the end could be seen and the lit lantern with the word ‘Ye’ caught his sight instantly in the moment of clarity.

At this moment, the shop assistants were still lugging some goods. Due to shortage of manpower, they were extra busy shuttling back and forth from the shop entrance to the warehouse without break and left profound dark traces of sweat sprinkled over the bluestone road.

The chief shopkeeper, Ye Rong, was instructing them and was too busy to look around. But a long black shadow blocked the residual light that he instinctively glanced over which made him hastily set aside what he was doing and came to greet him.

“Paying respect to Wangye.”

Vaguely nodding his head, Chu Jinglan’s gaze swept over those mountains of boxes at the threshold then seemingly asked unmindfully, “Are these supplies from Wangdu?”

Ye Rong immediately frowned upon hearing this question with visible anxiety, “Reporting to Wangye, these are from Guangzhou. Not knowing what had happened in Wangdu, the goods did not arrive and not even a word was sent. Laonu[1] felt strange too as they are usually not so behind schedule…”

Chu Jinglan’s heart skipped a beat and was about to ask in detail when a tall figure suddenly walked out from the shop. Cloaked in armor and sword, his steps were truly heavy and looked incompatibly out of place in this environment. He originally was heading west but seeing Chu Jinglan standing at the door, he could not help halting his steps and asked with raised eyebrows, “It’s already dusk, what are you doing here?”

Covered in cold sweat, Ye Rong was startled by those simple few words — the Eldest Young Master has truly disregarded the rules of etiquette and social ranking. How could he talk like this to Wangye? Fearing Chu Jinglan would lose his temper, he hastily mediated in a kindly manner, “Eldest Young Master, Wangye is here asking if the supplies from Wangdu have arrived.”

Ye Huaili wanted to say the supplies would naturally be delivered to him once it arrived but his mind suddenly understood what Chu Jinglan wanted was not the supplies that aid the flooding victims but the letter that came in the supplies which Ye Huaiyang personally wrote to him. His mood immediately turned complicated thinking about it yet he still spoke frankly, “We could not get in touch with the trade merchant from Wangdu for the time being. Most probably still have to wait two more days.”

“Have you asked the other shops?”

This question had stumped Ye Huaili. Leading the soldiers over to repair the embankment and aiding the defenses, he was only free today to come take a look at his own business and had not found out much yet. But Ye Rong is the veteran and experienced shopkeeper here whose eyes are sharp with keen ears, hence he naturally had found out clearly and responded immediately in a low voice, “Enquiries had been made but the few other shops here have not received any supplies from Wangdu too.”

Not only Chu Jinglan sensed something was amiss, even Ye Huaili began to feel unsettled. They both looked at each other with unspoken worries.

The routes of these trade merchants are not quite the same so it is impossible to be delayed en route at the same time. The only possibility is that some problems have arisen at the starting point, Wangdu, which was extremely surprising too as they had not received any news.

With this in mind, a soldier in charge of the city defense ran over from afar and reported gaspingly, “Wangye, General, there is a scholar surnamed Pei outside the city asking for your audience. Saying that he came from Wangdu …”

Before he could finish the sentence, both men’s expressions changed slightly when they both blurted out simultaneously, “Bring him over quickly!”

Following the order, the soldier immediately ran back the same way and soon brought the person whose face could not be discerned clearly under the dark sky but merely seen dressed untidily and travel-worn who evidently had an arduous journey. When Chu Jinglan took two steps forward, the person rushed forward and knelt down abruptly by his feet before bobbing his Adam’s apple and hoarsely spat out two syllables.

“Wangye!”

Chu Jinglan no longer cared how dusty he was or how weary he looked when he pulled him up and asked, “What had happened?”

With trembling lips and all the energy he had, Pei Yuanshu squeezed the words out, “The entire direct descendant of the Xie family has been exterminated and the imperial guards… had arrested Wangfei…”

As if struck by thunder, the two people were motionless for a long time upon hearing this.

Pei Yuanshu slid to the ground when Chu Jinglan unconsciously loosened his grip and was poked by the thing in his bosom. Awakened like a dream, he then shookly fished out the scroll which he had guarded tightly all the way and raised it above his head with both hands before presenting it to Chu Jinglan.

“Wangye, the late Emperor’s testamentary edict has been found. Teacher asked me to hand it over to you …”

The yellow light shone directly on the scroll in his hand was so glaring and thoroughly stung Chu Jinglang’s eyes. The appearance of the five-claw golden dragon with vermillion ribbon in his memory has never been so distinct in front of his eyes. Thinking that he ought to be ecstatic or treated it as a treasure but the fact was, he short of roughly snatched it over before turning around and walked towards the city gate.

“Wangye!”

Pei Yuanshu got up hurriedly to chase but he could not catch up with Chu Jinglan after two steps. His legs were totally strength-less after travelling hastily for several days. Just at this moment, Lu Heng and Tang Qingfeng arrived and stopped in front of Chu Jinglan with seriously puzzling looks upon seeing this scene.

“What’s the matter?”

No one responded to Lu Heng’s question. Chu Jinglan then instructed Tang Qingfeng, “Mobilize all the shadow guards and return to Wangdu.”

Finally realizing that something was not right, Lu Heng held Tang Qingfeng back and carefully scanned the expressions of all the people present when he concluded — something had happened in Wangdu.

That’s all the more reason that Chu Jinglan should not be allowed to go back and walk right into the trap.

He persuaded with extreme calmness, “Since the matter has been exposed, we can’t follow the original plan. We should return to Northern Land to deploy the troops as soon as possible.”

“Yang’er is in their hands. I must go back.” Chu Jinglan swatted him away coldly but Lu Heng grabbed him back instead.

“Are you insane! It’s doom to go back!” Lu Heng did not expect him to be so irrational and persuaded him patiently, “Do you think she would want you to risk such great danger to save her?”

“That’s not important.”

“Then what’s important!” Lu Heng was so angry that his forehead twitched.

“It’s important that she’s alive.” Chu Jinglan unemotionally shook his hand off and strode forward without looking back with a determination like the unsheath sword that pointed straight at Wangdu. Lu Heng was stunned for a moment before his line of sight swept past the bright yellow scroll in his hand and understood everything all of a sudden.

He has come up with two contingency plans. If he can’t save Ye Huaiyang, he will use his life and the testamentary edict as a barter.

Regardless of whether he used the troops to fight or schemed to seize the throne in these past years, he had always followed his mind and was as steady as the boulder. When has he ever been so perturbed like today? Ye Huaiyang has really made him lose his mind and go crazy …

Thinking of this, Lu Heng could not help but shout out, “I really don’t know if she is here to help you or to ruin you now!”

Chu Jinglan halted his steps. Without turning around, his indifferent voice was like a thunderclap in Lu Heng’s ears.

“Ah Heng, Xie family has been exterminated.”

Stiffened unexpectedly, it took a long time for Lu Heng to react. Violent contractions and unknowing endless panicking, his heart plummeted uncontrollably into a bottomless abyss followed closely by a seemingly constricted chest that he could not breathe as the pain gradually spread out.

Xie Yun … is dead?

Lu Heng did not seem to feel the impact this matter had on him yet but Chu Jinglan had stopped talking. He knew very well that he should not linger as Ye Huaiyang would suffer more should he stay a second longer. Hence, he used agility skill to rush swiftly towards the city gate where horses were readily available, which enabled him to sprint immediately to Wangdu. All of these life and death in Shuzhong are no longer significant to him.

The country and the common people cannot make up the importance of her alone.

With the wind whizzing in his ears and a shuttling shadow, another leopard-like vigorously strong figure unknowingly mingled in and advanced by his side. He did not turn his head to look but heard the person’s extremely oppressive voice.

“If something happens to Yang’er, I will never let you go.”

[1] 老奴 (Lǎo nú) – addressing oneself as Old Slave.

 

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