novelraw Chapter 827 - 785: Would You Be Willing? (First Update)
Chapter 827 - 785: Would You Be Willing? (First Update)
Actually, Song Wei doesn’t know much about this matter either. "Last time, when Master Yun led his disciples to deliver medicine to the Northern Border, they were obstructed by the Chi Long Guards of Bei Yan in Liangzhou City. Master Yun counter-killed two of their Grandmasters. Bei Yan bore a grudge but was helpless against Master Yun, so they ended up launching a surprise attack on the Beijiang Camp. At that time, the peace request document from Bei Yan had already reached the Imperial Family of Chu Country. The Crown Prince believed Bei Yan was going back on its word and that there was no need for negotiation, which was why reinforcements were summoned to head north."
Wen Wan frowned as she listened, "A surprise attack on the Beijiang Camp? Was anyone injured?"
"Don’t know for now." Song Wei shook his head.
Zhao Xi hid this matter very deeply, with almost no news leaking out. However, he always felt that the person attacked was very likely his father-in-law.
After all, during his youth, his father-in-law was the War God of Chu Country. Even now, his father-in-law’s prestige in the military is not to be underestimated. If he were to fall, it would certainly demoralize the troops substantially.
The reason why Song Wei speculated that the person attacked was Lu Xingzhou actually stems from another observation. He noticed that this time Yun Huai entered the capital city, he only brought Yun Shisan, who is skilled in poison, while Yun Shiliu, who is skilled in medicine, did not accompany him.
These two are Yun Huai’s direct disciples, and generally speaking, they wouldn’t leave Yun Huai’s side unless there was something of utmost importance. However, when they attended Yuanbao’s wedding banquet, indeed Yun Huai only brought Shisan. This made Song Wei suspect that Yun Shiliu might have been secretly dispatched to the Northern Border by Zhao Xi to treat someone.
Still, Song Wei didn’t voice any of these suspicions. He didn’t want Wanwan to worry.
"I hope it’s not Father," Wen Wan said worriedly, and then asked Song Wei, "Husband, is the matter of sending Amuer to the Western Border to be king confirmed?"
Song Wei hesitated for a moment before saying, "Previously, outside the memorial hall, Your Majesty and almost all the officials have basically agreed. He will definitely be sent, it’s just that..."
The Beiyang Imperial Concubine is determined to obtain Amuer. If she learns the news that Amuer is returning to the Western Border, she will certainly not let it go easily. Therefore, escorting Amuer on this journey is destined to be fraught with danger.
Currently, all of Bei Yan’s movements are under the surveillance of the Sky Eagle Guards. If the Imperial Concubine wants to abduct Amuer midway, she cannot blatantly dispatch people, but can only mobilize spies previously hidden in Chu Country.
It is evident that Zhao Xi’s lack of objection to Amuer’s return to the Western Border is more about using the child as bait to lure out the forces of Bei Yan and capture them in one fell swoop.
"It’s just that what?" Wen Wan’s heart was in her throat. She didn’t want to hear any more bad news.
Seeing her tense expression, Song Wei suddenly stopped speaking and reached out to gently stroke her hair top in comfort, "That child is blessed and will safely reach the Western Border."
"When Husband says so, it means the journey to the Western Border won’t be peaceful." Wen Wan sighed, "In any case, I should go see Lin Xiaoyue."
The court’s decree must have already reached the Su Mansion, and Lin Xiaoyue’s reaction to it is unknown.
Song Wei reminded her, "Madam Su just received the decree today, and her mood is probably quite volatile. If you visit her now, given that you previously kept things from her, you’ll likely run into trouble."
Wen Wan had considered this, "She already suspects that I’ve been hiding things from her. If I don’t show up, she’ll only resent me more. This matter, we have to face eventually, so you don’t need to worry about it. You didn’t sleep at all last night, so catch up on some rest when we return, and you’ll still need to enter the palace later!"
...
Having decided to visit Lin Xiaoyue, Wen Wan didn’t take the same carriage with Granny Song and the others. Instead, she asked the eunuch from the palace to arrange another carriage for her and headed directly to the Su Mansion.
The Su Family had been ravaged by outside rumors recently, leaving everyone in the mansion on edge. Now that they finally had the chance to move around a bit, everyone appeared bleak and lifeless.
When Wen Wan arrived, the young servant at the West Corner Gate finally showed some vitality in his eyes, smiled to greet her, and bent over to adjust the movable threshold.
Wen Wan lowered the curtain without saying anything. When the carriage arrived outside the Hanging Flower Gate, she lifted her skirt and stepped out to walk inside.
Yu Xiu Courtyard.
Ah Nuan and Amuer were crouching on the ground playing with stones, while Jin Huan watched them from the side.
Wen Wan asked Jin Huan, "Is your Madam in?"
She hadn’t dared to have anyone announce her presence earlier, fearing that Lin Xiaoyue, in a fit of anger, would refuse to see her.
Given that she had helped the Su Mansion quite a bit lately and sent them food daily, the servants outside didn’t put up much resistance before letting her in.
Jin Huan was somewhat surprised by Wen Wan’s sudden arrival and immediately went inside to report.
Ah Nuan stood up upon hearing Wen Wan’s voice and called out crisply, "Aunt Wan."
Amuer wiped his dirty little hands on his clothes and also called out, "Auntie."
Wen Wan laughed and pulled his small paw over, taking out her own handkerchief to wipe it while saying, "Your little paw is dirty. You should have the servants clean it. Rubbing it on your clothes doesn’t clean your hands, but gets your clothes dirty. Be careful, or your mother might spank you later."
The little guy seemed to understand. With his left hand held by Wen Wan, he suddenly used his right hand to cover his little bottom.
Wen Wan was even more amused by his actions.
At this moment, Jin Huan, who had gone inside to deliver a message, came out and said to Wen Wan with a troubled expression, "Mrs. Song, our lady is not feeling well and said she isn’t seeing anyone today."
This wasn’t likely about feeling unwell physically but being upset emotionally.
Wen Wan released Amuer’s little paw and said to Jin Huan, "Go tell her, she doesn’t want to see me, but I want to see her son, so I’ll take him to our home to play for a few days."
"This..." Jin Huan opened her mouth wide in surprise.
"Just tell her my exact words." Wen Wan said while gently rubbing the little tuft of hair on Amuer’s head.
Jin Huan had no choice but to go back inside, and after a moment, she came out and replied, "Mrs. Song, our lady invites you in."
Wen Wan withdrew her hand, instructing Ah Nuan to take Amuer to play in the garden, before stepping into Lin Xiaoyue’s room.
Lin Xiaoyue was lying on a bamboo couch by the window, with a cold towel on her forehead.
Seeing Wen Wan enter, she instinctively turned her face to the other side.
Wen Wan asked with a smile, "Is this from overheating?"
"Why have you come?" Lin Xiaoyue’s voice carried an unusual coldness.
Wen Wan sat down, removed the cold towel from her forehead, bent over to wet and wring it in a basin of ice water, and reapplied it, dropping her joking tone, "I know you’re not feeling well, so I came specially to keep you company."
Lin Xiaoyue slowly turned her head; it seemed she had cried earlier, as her eyes were still a bit red. "I just want to ask you one thing: When did you find out about Amuer’s true parentage?"
Wen Wan moved her lips.
Lin Xiaoyue suddenly gave a mock smile, "The Imperial Family has always known that Amuer is Jiuli’s Chosen One. The reason they kept it secret was probably for today, wasn’t it? And you, as the Emperor’s own niece, the new emperor’s cousin, and the wife of a powerful minister, could you really not have known?"
"I did know." Wen Wan’s expression turned gloomy, "On the day Amuer was rumored to be a ’demon’ among the people, I had Yuanbao enter the palace to ask the Crown Prince for help, and he came back and told me everything."
"So, it wasn’t that the Crown Prince was too busy with state affairs to handle Amuer’s situation but that he had guided the people to do so."
Wen Wan hurriedly explained, "The Crown Prince wouldn’t do that."
"He didn’t do it, but he acquiesced." As Lin Xiaoyue spoke, tears began to fall. "Amuer is just a child who doesn’t understand anything, why use him? Tell me, what is their real aim?"
"I don’t know." Wen Wan couldn’t reveal the matter of the Beiyang Imperial Concubine, as it would only bring more harm to Lin Xiaoyue.
Lin Xiaoyue abruptly pulled off the cold towel on her forehead, sat up with her hands, and wiped her tears haphazardly. "I’ll go into the palace to plead with His Majesty, there’s definitely a way to keep Amuer here. He’s my son, and I won’t allow anyone to take him away!"
"Lin Xiaoyue!" Wen Wan grabbed her arm, "Don’t act recklessly."
Lin Xiaoyue forcefully shrugged off Wen Wan’s grasp, "You aren’t me, you can’t feel what I feel. I don’t care about anything else right now, I just want to keep this child."
Turning to Wen Wan, she asked, "Can you help me?"
"I..."
"If you help me make sure Amuer stays, I won’t hold it against you for hiding the truth from me. From now on, we can still be friends. But if you refuse, don’t bother coming to the Su Mansion again. I don’t want to see you comforting me with your words while hiding things from me!"
Wen Wan gripped her handkerchief tightly, a flicker of struggle in her eyes, but in the end, she advised, "This is a decision made after discussions between the court officials and His Majesty, and no one can change it. Besides, Amuer is being sent to the Western Border to be made a king, the court would not harm him."
"Made a king?" Lin Xiaoyue suddenly laughed coldly, tears escaping as she did. "Wen Wan, if someone wanted your husband to send your son away, never to return, and your husband might marry and have other children there, forming a new family, while you stay in the capital waiting in vain for a lifetime, would you be willing to accept it?"