Chapter 102
Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
After Yu Weiwu’s death, the Yu Mansion was shrouded in an inexplicably depressive atmosphere. General Yu lost his mother, wife, and eldest son in a short period of time. His temperament became uncertain. He was sometimes silent, sometimes irritable, and he was confrontational. He hit or scolded, and even the other children received a lot of inexplicable reprimands.
Yu Linglong watched all this with cold eyes, and gradually realized that the hearts of the Yu Mansion had begun to dissipate, and it was Yu Qianliu that had changed the most.
Without the control of Mu Shi, Yu Qianliu’s character had been fully brought into play. Now, without the supervision of her grandmother and mother, and the care of General Yu, she often found various reasons to go out. Sometimes it was said that she was going to a poetry meeting, sometimes it was said that she was going to a banquet. Later, she saw that General Yu had been ignoring her, and she simply didn’t even make up the reasons. She went out when she wanted to go out, and even stayed up all night a few times.
This was a big deal for the young lady who has not left the family, but the current Yu Mansion was in a mess, and Concubine Mei, who was the only one in charge, was not qualified to teach Yu Qianliu, so she had to let her go.
As for the remaining two young ladies, Yu Qianfang’s hair had grown a lot, and it is said to be able to hang over her shoulders, but she still refused to go out. The maid serving close to her said that Yu Qianfang only reads. For her pastime, the books she reads are all Buddhist scriptures. Recently, she has asked for a Guanyin statue from the Pudu Temple to burn incense and chant the scriptures daily, which had a clear meaning.
Yu Qianjiao had a hot temper and occasionally went out to walk around the Mu family house. In Ling’er’s words, she probably went to guard her dowry.
Nowadays in the Yu house, the most beautiful place is probably Concubine Mei’s. Seeing that the new year was approaching, the village taxes and land taxes are about to be paid everywhere. Concubine Mei took a group of stewardess wives all day long, huddling and walking around with everyone.
If someone is beautiful, they will be unlucky. Judging from the news received in recent days, Yu Linglong guessed that someone would be unable to sit still, but she didn’t expect that person would come directly to herself.
That night, when it was time to light the lamps, the little maid came to report that Concubine Dong arrived.
Yu Linglong thought for a moment and ordered someone to bring her in.
It was early winter, but Concubine Dong only wore a blue cloth and thin cotton cloak, and she had a silver mouse-skin m.u.f.f in her hand. She wore two old silver hairpins on her bun. She looked pale and very haggard.
Yu Linglong leisurely leaned against the couch, wearing a band of water-red double phoenixes with beads on her forehead. She wore a silver and red embroidered peony pattern brocade jade dress. His skin was as white as jade, and her eyebrows were charming with the expression of an effortless beauty.
She glanced at Concubine Dong faintly, and said, “Tell me, what’s the matter?”
Knowing that Yu Linglong did not like nonsense, Concubine Dong stopped avoiding the subject, and even ignoring that Xuan Cao and Ling’er were still in the room, she knelt in front of Yu Linglong with a plop.
“Fourth Lady, please save me!”
Xuan Cao on the side was taken aback, and hurriedly went out to close the door tightly, and lowered the curtain again, and then she and Ling’er exited the room.
Yu Linglong did not ask Concubine Dong to get up, but slowly said, “Save you? How should I save you?”
Concubine Dong’s body swayed slightly. Her eyes were full of tears, and she said in a sad voice: “Fourth Lady, I know about you and the old lady. She has always blamed me for being careless, and I hate myself. Why couldn’t I be more careful in the first place? That’s why the old lady was gone early, and I wished to follow her, but I couldn’t let go of Brother Yuan…”
Yu Linglong watched Concubine Dong’s tears coldly, but there was no sympathy in her heart. There are many reasons for Lady Yu’s death, including Concubine Dong’s negligence and Jiang Yuezhen’s concealment. But the real culprit was Mu Shi, so Yu Linglong only cleaned up Mu Shi, but she was merciful to Jiang Yuezhen and Concubine Dong. She didn’t want Concubine Dong’s life, but it didn’t mean she would help Concubine Dong.
When the maid came to report to Concubine Dong for seeing her, Yu Linglong guessed the reason for her trip, but she did not intend to help.
When Lady Yu was alive, she really wanted to help Concubine Dong, but she was helpless. Concubine Dong herself was not upbeat and compared with Concubine Mei, she had no ability to compete with her, so Yu Linglong decisively abandoned her, and chose to support Concubine Mei.
Her principle was that you can help yourself, but the premise is that you have the capital to be helped.
At this moment, Concubine Dong knelt in front of her, whining out her difficulties, but she was still unmoved.
In this world, there was no room for the weak to survive. If you want to completely depend on others, there is only a dead end.
Concubine Dong was still wiping her tears and crying: “…Since the death of the old lady and the lady, my life has become worse and worse. Now Concubine Mei is in charge of the affairs of the mansion, and she has become more and more demanding. Before she said that there was not enough manpower in the house, so all the servants and maids were removed, and only a small servant was left. In recent days, even the food and tea were gone. Only one leftover meal was delivered every day. Fourth Lady, the servants are extraordinary. It’s a little bit of a way to survive, so I’m begging you—”
After listening to her babbling about for a long time, Yu Linglong finally interrupted her impatiently: “What’s the use of you begging me? Since you know that this is all under Concubine Mei’s care, why don’t you just ask her?”
Concubine Dong was startled, and then whimpered: “What’s the use begging her? I’m just going to provoke her.”
Yu Linglong sneered: “Is it useful to look for me?”
Concubine Dong couldn’t help shrinking a little and said in a low voice: “Now there is only the Fourth Lady in the mansion who I can speak to. Please, Fourth Lady, please tell Concubine Mei to give me and Brother Yuan a way to survive!”
Yu Linglong pressed the corners of her mouth lightly and looked at Concubine Dong thoughtfully.
For a long time, Concubine Dong gave her the impression that she was taciturn and uncontested, but now it seemed that Concubine Dong was not entirely a fool.
Since Concubine Mei got the power of the mansion, she had made all sorts of criticisms and troubles against Concubine Dong, the docile concubine. Yu Linglong knew that it was all just a fight between a concubine and a concubine, and it is normal to think about it. To say nothing of the fact that Concubine Dong came in earlier than Concubine Mei, and her status was higher than Concubine Mei. Just looking at the situation in the Yu house today, Yu Weiwu was dead and Yu Weide was gone. Only Concubine Dong’s Yu Weiyuan and the one in Concubine Mei’s stomach were the only sons. Concubine Mei’s son was about to be born after the end of the spring of the year. They didn’t know whether it was a male or a female. If it was a daughter, it was better, if it was a son, it was bound to have a conflict of interest with Yu Weiyuan. Concubine Mei ran on Concubine Dong in every possible way, which was paving the way for her son!
Concubine Dong really had no choice but to be oppressed. She only thought of asking Yu Linglong. She couldn’t think of asking General Yu, but she was not completely stupid.
Not to mention that she was now an out-of-favor concubine, and couldn’t compete with the young and beautiful Concubine Mei. Even if she really asked, General Yu really went to tell Concubine Mei. In the end, was she not bullied even more ruthlessly by Concubine Mei?
As for the other people in the Yu house, she didn’t even think about it, and they couldn’t speak at all.
Concubine Dong probably also guessed that Yu Linglong was the master behind Concubine Mei, so she came to beg her in person.
Looking at the delicate Concubine Dong, Yu Linglong suddenly smiled faintly.
“Please, it’s no use.” Yu Linglong gently blew on her tea, “I won’t help you.”
As if pouring cold water on her head, Concubine Dong’s pale face quickly turned gray. She looked at Yu Linglong blankly, her lips trembled, and she couldn’t say a word.
Concubine Mei pressed her step by step and forced her into a small corner. She couldn’t find a way out at all. Yu Linglong was her last hope.
But this only hope, with the opening of Yu Linglong’s lips, burst like a bubble.
Yu Linglong slowly sat up, her moist eyes fixedly looking at Concubine Dong. Her eyes were ruthlessly cold.
“Your destiny is in your own hands.”
No one in this world will help you for no reason. If you can’t stand up on your own, you will have to be stepped on by others.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]
Concubine Dong slumped to the ground, her eyes slowly falling from Yu Linglong. Only despair remained.
Yu Linglong didn’t look at her again. She got up, lifted the bead curtain, and walked into the interior room as if Concubine Dong was just some humble dust that couldn’t attract her at all.
After the bead curtain opened, the curtain fell quietly, covering the slender figure in the inner room.
…
Perhaps it was to dissipate the dull atmosphere in the Yu Mansion, or perhaps it was because of the long nights and dreams, but General Yu visited Gan Mansion many times. He wanted to set the date for Gan Lin and Yu Qianjiao to marry as soon as possible. After several setbacks, the marriage was finally settled. The date of the wedding was set to the autumn of the following year, and Yu Qianjiao would be married after the anniversary of Mu Shi’s death.
General Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the marriage of Gan Mansion has been decided, he even regarded himself as Gan Mansion’s quasi-in-law and used this to fix his name, doing everything possible to find a way for his recovery.
With the vigorous propaganda of General Yu, coupled with the imposing Gan Mansion involved, soon, the news that the only son of Gan’s family was about to marry the Yu family’s daughter spread throughout the capital.
Even though Yu Linglong found Yu Qianjiao as a scapegoat for this matter, Yu Linglong still felt a sense of faint uneasiness in her heart now that the noise was so loud.
After all, this happened because of her. The Gan family wanted to marry Yu Qianjiao, but it was because she regarded her as the woman who rescued Gan Lin.
She didn’t care about the fact that the Gan family found out that Yu Qianjiao was not her, but if she was involved in this matter, it would be very hard to get out of trouble, which she was worried would happen very soon.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long before her anxiety was confirmed.
That day was the first snow since the beginning of winter.
The courtyards in the Yu house closed their doors and locked windows one after another. The deserted Yu house seemed even more depressed in the heavy snow, and even a single figure could not be seen.
Naturally, Shi Huiru would not miss such a good snow scene. She sent someone to invite Yu Linglong and asked her to enjoy the snow in the teahouse by the Yunzhao Lake.
Yu Linglong didn’t take Ling’er back to the Yu Mansion until after the lamps were being lit. The snow was still thriving on the ground, larger than the sky, and it fell on the ground in a thick layer, reflecting the bright back garden at night, lighting it up like it was daytime.
She stepped on the snow, creaking in the silent night. Yu Linglong wore a crane cloak with white fox fur with a red feather veil over her face, and a pair of warm deerskin boots under her feet, walking slowly along the path.
Ling’er had half a gla.s.s of wine for dinner. Her face was flushed, and she kept saying this and that, looking very excited.
Yu Linglong walked in front, listening to Ling’er behind her babbling non-stop, occasionally showing a faint smile, which was regarded as a response.
It seemed that only for a moment, even though there was no sound, Yu Linglong suddenly became vigilant.
This is a kind of intuition, and even more a kind of instinct, was a keen sense of smell that she had exercised when she experienced many dangers in her previous life.
In this quiet snowy night, there was a mysterious oppressive atmosphere that was surging heavily in the dark.
In the corner of her eyes, a black shadow seemed to appear suddenly. In the next moment, Ling’er, who was still chattering ceaselessly, suddenly fell silent, and the world instantly fell into a dead silence.
Yu Linglong subconsciously leaned toward the dagger at her calf. She moved extremely fast, but unfortunately it was not as fast as the speed of the dark attacker. Before she could touch the handle of the dagger, her slender arm was jerked by a huge force.
Yu Linglong pressed her pink lips tightly and pressed the unexpected low exhale into her throat, restraining herself from being surprised.
A distant but familiar smell came from the tip of the nose, mixed in the cool breath of snowflakes, so cold, with a blizzard-like fury.
“What on earth do you want to do!?”
Yu Linglong could only see Ling’er’s tiny figure lying motionless in the snowdrift, and raised her eyes to look at the person close at hand, and an expected face fell in her eyes.
He really came.
In the heavy snow, the silver mask was glowing with cruel sharp brilliance, and a pair of cold ink eyes were particularly dazzling, with overwhelming anger, staring at her pretty face.
Pieces of snow fell on the cold mask. They never melted, making his cold lips as thin as a sharp blade and his face as cold as an iceberg.
“Didn’t you promise me to never partic.i.p.ate in this matter!? Say, why do you want to break your promise!” These domineering words, with irrepressible irritation, slammed out of his lips.
Yu Linglong’s pretty face sank. She stretched out her hand and pushed away his cold embrace, leaning over to check Ling’er’s injury.
The man in black snorted coldly and said: “She was just knocked unconscious by me. She will wake up in an hour. You should answer my question first!”
Confirming that Ling’er was okay, Yu Linglong stood up. Her watery pupils coldly met his aggressive gaze, and she said in a low voice, “Who said I broke my promise?”
The black man’s eyes flashed a complex emotion, and he said: “I have received news that Gan Lin is about to marry a lady from the Yu mansion, and this young lady once saved Gan Lin’s life—”
The tall figure gradually approached her, with the power to shock everything. It seemed that she could be buried in an instant.
“Tell me that person is not you!?”
Yu Linglong was about to tell the truth, but she suddenly smelled the cold scent of the man in black, and suddenly there was a flash of light in her mind, and the fragments of the memory gradually joined together.
Could it be…
The words were on her lips when suddenly, she retracted them.
Her pink lips raised a sneer, and Yu Linglong said faintly: “Why does it matter if I marry him or not?”
The unexpected anger came in an instant, and the man in black clenched her shoulders and shouted coldly: “Didn’t you promise me? Why are you marrying Gan Lin!?”
As if she didn’t feel the pain from her shoulders at all, Yu Linglong smiled brilliantly. Her smile was boundless, and the snow all over the sky instantly lost its light.
“I like him, so naturally I will marry him.”
The big hand squeezing on her shoulder creaked, indicating the anger of the man in black, but his strength gradually loosened, as if he was afraid that any more force would hurt her.
“You’re lying!”
He spits out these two words one by one, and the strength on Yu Linglong’s shoulders suddenly disappeared.
Yu Linglong’s heart sank slightly. This guy was really cunning enough, he didn’t take the bait!
In for a penny, in for a pound. Yu Linglong simply tentatively tried to the end. She turned her head slightly. Her pretty face was beautiful with a smile and hopefulness, and her eyes were shining brightly, and she looked at him without blinking.
“Why can’t I marry him? The Gan family is so powerful, it is my great blessing that he came and begged me to be his first wife!”
She kept touching his bottom line, trying to confirm the faint guess in her heart. She was betting, betting that he would not let her marry Gan Lin. If she lost, it would not hurt her; if she won, she could know his true ident.i.ty.
Hearing her proud words, the man in black’s face suddenly sank.
Knowing that she was mad at him, he still couldn’t help the violent anger after all. He stretched out his big hands and took her into his arms. His voice was cold with declarative dominance, splitting the snow all over the sky—
“You are not allowed to marry!”
Even though she was mentally prepared, Yu Linglong still felt choked in her chest and was almost strangled with his violent force.
The strong aura around him was so huge that even the fluttering snowflakes couldn’t help being hit and scattered, unable to touch the two figures standing in the snow.
Being held in his arms, she tried to raise her small face and looked at his cold face. The silver mask fit perfectly on his face. Even looking at him so closely, she can only vaguely see a thin gap.
On the tip of her nose was a familiar refreshing breath. Yu Linglong ground her teeth in secret, and she lifted her hand unexpectedly, directly lifting off his cold mask—