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 98

Translated by: Oinkoink

Chapter 98 – Dream

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Jiangbei’s campsite.

The soughing night wind brought along the late autumn’s coldness across the tents. Instead of lifting the heavy curtain, the flame in the copper basin swayed incessantly with flickering shadows like the frenzied dancing black crows. The two people in the tent, whose ardent affection for each other, were not disturbed by it at all.

“Jinglan, when can we return to the King mansion?”

Chu Jinglan’s line of sight shifted from the troops placement map to Ye Huaiyang and saw her lying prone reading a book on the bed with her calves raised up, exactly similar to when she was initially in the attic of King Lan mansion. The corners of his eyes suddenly crinkled up with subtle delight.

“Why? Homesick?”

“Missing Lan-lan.” Her clear voice revealed a little melancholy that her mood changed dramatically too, “Not knowing how it is doing in other people’s home, whether it eats and sleeps well.”

“Didn’t you specifically brief Huaixin to settle it well? Are you still not confident with his work?”

Ye Huaiyang pursed her lips and said, “I’m confident but now that it’s the chaos of war, who knows if that family can take good care of it …”

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Chu Jinglan stared at her for a long time then stretched his hand out towards her all of a sudden, “Come here.”

“Why?” Ye Huaiyang asked but she still got up swiftly and was pulled into his arms as soon as she reached the table. A pair of strong arms were then placed horizontally on the table by her sides, forming a narrow circle which confined her within. Looking at his overbearing and deep charming eyes, she was instantly tickled.

Isn’t this the scene in the storybook?

Watching her unceasing mirth, Chu Jinglan raised his dashing eyebrows slightly and asked menacingly, “What are you laughing at?”

“Laughing at the fact that you look like the hero in the storybook.” Ye Huaiyang laughed merrily when the conversation turned jestful, “Just a little older.”

Once the words faltered, a finger unexpectedly poked her waist which tickled her that she shrieked and tried to dodge yet Chu Jinglan tightened his arms so that she could not move. She flailed around a few times but it was useless. She could only endure this annoying finger stiffly, crying and laughing until she was out of breath.

“You are the one who chased me unwaveringly in the first place and now the one who criticizes that I am old are you too.” Chu Jinglan leaned forward to press her down even more while his finger poked her even harder, “Why don’t I help you pick another then?”

With tears spilling out, Ye Huaiyang was too tired to struggle as she gaspingly said, “No, no, no … I was born to be yours and will die as your ghost. I don’t want anyone else!”

“Really?” Chu Jinglan asked with narrowed eyes.

“Really, really!” Ye Huaiyang nodded her head like pounding the garlic, lest his devil’s claws would reach over again, “I will follow you even if you ascend the arduous blue sky or plunge in the Yellow Springs while Heaven and earth will be my witness!”

[T/N:黄泉 (Huáng quán) – underworld]
 

Chu Jinglan curled his lips up pleasingly. He was just about to kiss those gaspingly breathing red lips when his heart suddenly felt a stab of pain that substantially spread out like millions of ants gnawing his heart. His body swayed and fell uncontrollably to the side yet he still thought about Ye Huaiyang who was sitting on his lap. He wanted to reach out and push her but who knew the spot his fingers aimed became an empty double vision, leaving only a human form that terrified him to the extreme that he called out unexpectedly.

“Yang’er!”

In the wake of this heart-wrenching call, Chu Jinglan finally woke up from his nightmare. His face was pale with cold sweat covering his forehead, seemingly losing his soul. He only propped his body up from the bed after a long time. Then an unexpected faint footsteps noise was heard. Recalling the circumstances just now, he immediately turned his head to look at the table when his expectant glance turned cold instantly once he saw clearly the person standing in the shadow.

Seemingly enduring something desperately, the person’s cheeks were tightly clenched and only walked over from the threshold after a long time then ignited the candlelight in the copper basin before turning around and called out nervously, “Cousin … “

Chu Jinglan responded indifferently, “What is it?”

Meng Chen put the medicine bowl that she brought over in front of him and whispered, “The hour is late. You should take the medicine and rest.”

“Ok, you can go.” Chu Jinglan picked up the porcelain bowl and tilted his head to finish it all before putting it to the side casually without even a frown as if he was unaware of its bitterness. Seeing his appearance, Meng Chen unconsciously tightened her clenched fists.

It’s been three months already. Ye Huaiyang has been dead for three months yet he still can’t let her go! His heart only thinks and misses her that he even cries out for her in his dreams! While she has put all her heart into taking care of him every day, she is still incomparable to a dead person. It’s really hard for her anger to quell and stop the resentment!

Seeing her standing still there, Chu Jinglan looked even more distantly cold and was about to open his mouth to drive her out when he heard Tang Qingfeng calling out softly outside the tent, “Wangye, the battlefield report is in the front.”

“Come in.”

Chu Jinglan raised his voice to allow him to enter the tent. Striding in with steady paces, Tang Qingfeng only realized there was someone else inside when he reached the front. Feeling rather awkward all of a sudden, he paused on the spot. Meng Chen knew as well that a man and a woman being together alone would be criticized, so she bit her lips and glanced at Chu Jinglan before turning around to go out with extreme demur.

Tang Qingfeng only brought up the urgent issues once the footsteps were far away, “Wangye, the vanguards of Guanzhong troops have already crossed the river while General Ye is riding ahead and will soon reach the campsite.”

“This King will go over there at once.”

Pushing himself out of the bed, Chu Jinglan choked all of a sudden that he couldn’t help but covered his mouth with the sleeve and coughed out. Tang Qingfeng stepped forward hurriedly to check on him but was blocked off by Chu Jinglan. After the coughing had stopped, his sleeve was seen covered in spots of blood stains under the gleaming light which frightened Tang Qingfeng.

“Wangye, you are coughing up blood again? This subordinate will go get Physician Lu to take a look at you.”

“No need, don’t alarm the others.” Changing his robe, he rinsed his mouth and was about to leave the commander’s tent when he suddenly remembered something. He turned around to take out the jade pendant from the previous robe and hung it back on his waist before caressing the familiar pattern while he scarcely suppressed the metallic sweetness that almost gushed up his throat again.

“What’s the progress of the matter this King asked you to investigate?”

Tang Qingfeng was stunned before he divulged in detail, “Reporting to Wangye, this subordinate has investigated thoroughly and what Miss Meng said was indeed true.”

Chu Jinglan did not react much but merely waved his hand and said, “Go check again.”

“Yes, this subordinate got it.” Tang Qingfeng bowed slightly and strode away from the commander’s tent.

Chu Jinglan was not anxious to see Ye Huaili at this moment. Picking up the porcelain bowl to look at it for a long while, his eyes darkened as if something was surging to come out.

Meng Chen had trudged alone to join him once the Shen-ce Army arrived in Jiangbei. She had burst into tears talking about that misfortune day while repeatedly blaming herself for being too slow to bring Ye Huaiyang fled through the hidden door before the imperial guards broke into King Lan mansion. Once she had escaped alone, she left the city immediately and only stopped once she reached outside the city limit. She then found an inn in a small town and stayed there for two months until she heard that Chu Jinglan had finally reached Jiangbei before coming over to join him here.

Chu Jinglan had let her go to rest after hearing her out. But once the person had gone, his expression gradually revealed some peculiarity.

Over these past few months, he has been pondering how Ye Huaiyang and the Xie family actually got detected. Needless to say, though Ye Huaiyang was bold, she was good at covering up. This could be seen from the non-disclosure of their intimacy for so long while Xie Miao had always been steadfast and on top of that, he had been imperceptibly influenced by what he saw or heard in the Xie family for so many years that his methods were incomparable to ordinary people too.

So where exactly is the problem?

Pondering over it, Chu Jinglan felt that the link was impenetrable and could only be breached from inside, hence a traitor seemed to be the only possibility. He could not deduce for the Xie family’s side as Xie Miao was probably careless in choosing his people. But once he saw Meng Chen, a terrifying thought that even he could not imagine sprouted out.

Could Meng Chen have betrayed them?

How many highly-skilled martial arts guards from Tianqi House in the entire King mansion had been captured alive yet a frail woman like her managed to escape. Even with the help of the stratagem to go outside, how did she escape and leave Wangdu successfully under the eyes of the patrolling imperial guards? One must know that the city gate at that time must have been cordoned off.

These suspicions can only be explained after finding Ye Huaixin and Ci Yuan. But he will not let go of any possible leads before that. He only wants to avenge Ye Huaiyang, no matter who the other party is.

Recalling the dream he had just now, he closed his eyes unbearably.

“What relentlessly not leaving even if ascending the arduous blue sky or plunging into the Yellow Springs, Yang’er, it was not easy for you to appear in my dream yet you are deceiving Husband like this.”

After wiping his face, his indifferent and aloof appearance resumed again once he opened his eyes. All his longings and love are held back deep in his heart without leaking out a fraction even if his pain is drenched with blood.

There were faint clamoring noises outside the tent at this moment. Knowing that it was the arrival of Ye Huaili, he immediately walked to the tent where deliberations were being held. Coincidentally, they ran into each other at the threshold. Looking up, they were both speechless at once seeing each other’s appearances.

Fighting all the way from Northern Land, Chu Jinglan had almost not rested as he set up military tactics round the clock and even personally went to the frontline too. Coupled with the inner torment, his whole person is now a shadow of his former self. Ye Huaili was not any better the whole time too as he was injured during the battle with King Tao before advancing rapidly from the south to join Chu Jinglan. Without saying, he is already a spent force yet with Ye Huaiyang’s revenge hanging in his heart all the time, it warranted him to hold on strenuously until now.

Seeing the subtlety on the side, Chu Zhenghe broke the silence with a smile, “It’s been a long time, General Ye.”

Regaining his senses, Ye Huaili responded quietly, “Junwang[1] Rong.”

Chu Zhenghe walked between them and stretched out his arms to push both of them towards the tent as he said, “After fighting bravely for so long, the Northern Land troop and the Guanzhong army have finally unified tonight. It’s worthy of a celebration! Come on, let’s talk about it inside!”

The guard in front of the tent immediately lifted the curtain where the three of them walked in side by side. The first thing that came into view was a huge sand table with various flags and pawns which were neatly laid out and had been rehearsed many times.

Ye Huaili came here precisely to discuss with them how to fight Lushan warfare tomorrow. Seeing this, he couldn’t wait for the deliberation. Who knew that before he could fully observe and study the troop formation on the sand table, an urgent report arrived all of sudden. The three of them looked up successively, only to see a shadow guard rushed in and knelt on the ground with his chest heaving heavily, seemingly having just raced back to the campsite from outside.

Staring steadily, Chu Jinglan asked, “What is it?”

The shadow guard laid prostrate on the ground and spat out in a deep voice, “Wangye, Lord Yue has been killed.”

[1] 郡王 (Jùn wáng) – Prefecture King / County King. Prince of 2nd rank.

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