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

31-35

Chapter 31 – Argument

The imminent marriage of King Lan and the matriarch of the Ye clan had caused a sensation in the entire Wangdu and there wasn't anyone who was not talking about it.

It was said King Lan tore the imperial marriage edict when he returned from the Imperial Palace and didn't even prepare the betrothal gifts, while others said the one King Lan truly loved was Noble Lady Bai who had already been imprisoned in the cold palace by the Emperor. In order to save her, King Lan had no choice but agreed to marry Ye Huaiyang. It was also said upon hearing this, Ye Huaili was so enraged that he traveled the whole night from Guanzhong to rush into the Imperial Palace for a petition but was stopped halfway.

There were several newly recruited lively and cheerful young female officials in Zhongshu Province who upon hearing these rumors, pestered Ye Huaixin with questions that made him feel as though his head would explode soon. The first two rumors might be false but the latter was certainly true as it was precisely him who led people to stop Ye Huaili.

[T/N: Zhōng Shū Shěng (中书省) – Zhongshu Province is one of the three provinces in the central government system. It is mainly responsible for discussing the drafting of bills with the emperor]

Ye family clan home.

Sitting on the main seat, Ye Huaili stared at the two persons in front of him motionlessly. His expression was livid and boiling in rage. Under the hot weather, such a depressive atmosphere caused people to sweat more profusely. With her phoenix eyes looking down, Ye Huaiyang just stood there with an indifferent look like cool spring water on the rock.

Finding ways out of this stalemate, Ye Huaixin cautiously said, "Elder Brother, you can't blame this on Elder Sister. After all, this was a decreed marriage from the Queen Mother which can't be refused...."

Ignoring him, Ye Huaili merely looked at Ye Huaiyang, "Yang'er, I want your explanation."

"Elder Brother, I have nothing to say." Ye Huaiyang replied softly.

Ye Huaixin became anxious when he heard that and hurriedly explained on behalf of her, "Actually this was all Bai Zhixuan's fault. It was obviously her own evil deeds but still framed Elder Sister over and over again. Elder Sister also...."

"You shut up!" Ye Huaili suddenly slammed the table and stood up in anger as he shouted sternly, "She isn't even willing to tell these bad lies, why are you zealously covering up for her? Do you really think I am that easily fooled!"

Ye Huaixin lowered his head in embarrassment without uttering a word again.

"Others might not know, do you think I am unclear? Though Bai Zhixuan's mind might be subtle, she is still lacking to plot against you. If it wasn't for you to deliberately fall into her traps, how would the latter happen? Yang'er, tell me what actually you want to do!"

"I want to marry King Lan."

Such a light breezy sentence however instantly caused the thundering storm of indignation from Ye Huaili.

No wonder she moved to reside alone in Ye manor and was partial to Chu Jinglan when they talked in Tianque House. As it turned out, there were already inklings that he was never aware of....

Reluctantly restraining his anger, Ye Huaili asked, "Since when?"

Seemingly smiling, Ye Huaiyang raised her face towards him and said, "Early, ten years ago."

Indeed. Hearing that, Ye Huaili immediately frowned and rebutted, "He did save you ten years ago, but he had saved many other children too. You are still young and unable to discern the difference between worship and love...."

Ye Huaiyang nonchalantly cut off his words, "Originally, I have also thought he is just a hero in the naive mind of a youth until after jiji[1] when mother and aunts confided in my marriage with portraits of many talented and handsome youths which unexpectedly all turned into one face in my eyes. When that person was just crowned with the name of treacherous as well as infilial not long after and disappeared without a trace in the northern land but the one I yearn is still him even after his image was distorted to that point by others. Elder Brother, can this merely be worship?"

Ye Huaili's complexion became more ghastly and asked a question in reply, "That's the reason you want to be the head of the family?"

"Yes. I need the authority to mobilize all the resources of the Ye family and thanks to this, I also know what the truth is."

"The truth is he was unwilling to lose the throne then and secretly planning to make a comeback by fanning the flames of disorder six years later!"

"Elder Brother, I am the one who fan the flames of disorder." Ye Huaiyang looked at him with eyes as clear and calm as if cleansed by the stream water. "It was me who exposed Bai Xingzhi and also I who framed Bai Zhixuan. The person was killed by me and the marriage was also agreed upon of my own accord. It has nothing to do with him from beginning to end."

"You!" Angered by her, Ye Huaili imparted sternness in both his voice and countenance, "Do you actually know what you are doing!"

Ye Huaiyang bluntly stated, "Elder Brother, are you asking your younger sister or the head of Ye family? As the younger sister, he is my chosen husband and as the head of the family, he is the master whom I choose, pledging my loyalty to. What I have done is based on these two points."

Ye Huaili angrily roared out, "You are rebelling!"

"The one who rebelled was Chu Sanghuai!"

As soon as the voice fell, there was a "pa" sound reverberated that the entire room quietened down.

Ye Huaixin strode over to support Ye Huaiyang. Looking at the gradually half reddened face, he retorted in disbelief, "Elder Brother, how could you slap Elder Sister?"

Staring at the palm print, Ye Huaili was stunned too and his hand froze in midair for a long time, unmoving just like a statue.

"Elder Sister must have her reasons for doing this. Why don't you listen to her explanation before making a judgment? After all, you were enlisted to Guanzhong six years ago and father didn't actually tell you what had happened in Wangdu? It's no doubt that as a subject, one must be faithful unto death but if the throne was not his, upholding orthodox is the right path. How are you different from those who devoted their loyalty blindly?"

"Xin'er, shut up." Ye Huaiyang spoke to stop him from continuing. She then took out a seal from her sleeve and placed it on the table, "Elder Brother, I know that it is very selfish of me to involve the entire Ye family. From today onward, I am returning the position as head of the family to you. I only want Tianqi House. There is still half a month before the wedding and enough time for you to remove me from the genealogy record as well as informing the world."

After that, she knelt and kowtowed to Ye Huaili.

"Yang'er has failed to live up to Elder Brother's expectations. Please forgive me and farewell henceforth."

Before Ye Huaili could react, she turned and walked out of the room. It was too late for Ye Huaixin to stop thus he anxiously charged out to chase after her. Looking at the younger brother and younger sister disappearing one after another, the flaming anger in Ye Huaili's heart gradually extinguished and he felt his heart had been hollowed out as it leaked chilled wind.

The Yang'er that he carried and brought up in the palms of his hands who had always been docile and agreeable actually wanted to sever their relationship for that man!

In that instant, Ye Huaili had a killing intent upon Chu Jinglan.

On the other end, Ye Huaiyang directly got into the carriage without uttering a word all the way. Once she returned to Ye manor, she climbed up to Lingyun Pavilion while Ye Huaixin was blocked outside the door. Arbitrarily, he dared not disturbed her and just exhorted softly for Yue'ya to get some ointment for reducing swellings.

Ye Huaiyang then fell asleep inside.

When Chu Jinglan came over from Zhongxiao Pavilion, he saw her lying on the treasured-moon bed in her proper clothes. The long rattan pillow was knocked on the ground while the moon-white silk quilt was neatly folded on her feet. She was clutching the copper bells that were hanging at the edge of the bed and sleeping soundly. Half of her face was lying on the bed with faint traces of visible sweat.

She woke up as soon as he approached.

Her vision blurred for a moment before the figure in front of her gradually became clear. She didn't move but merely asked, "Does Wangye need anything from me?"

This was the first time Chu Jinglan came over to Lingyun Pavilion. According to her usual temperament, she would have long leapt over and perhaps even teased him, but currently, she was unusually submissive which was rather strange. He stared at her and threw the bright yellow scroll he was holding onto the table and coldly said, "After running around with sinister errands for so long, are you finally pleased with this result?"

Glancing at the imperial edict before moving her sight back to Chu Jinglan, she replied, "Whether I am pleased or not, it seems Wangye is just barely satisfied."

"Since you know it will be this way, you shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Once the arrow leaves the bowstring, there is no reason to turn back. I have already done it and can only ask Wangye to be more magnanimous in the future."

She buried her head, her expression was somewhat cold while the usual stubborn spirit seemed to have completely varnished as if she had changed into another person.

Inadvertently, Chu Jinglan frowned and said, "You will only have another new status. There is no difference, you can still reside in Ye manor and we will mind our own business."

Ye Huaiyang was taken aback. Lifting her eyes, she looked at him profoundly before immediately perking her lips and answered, "I will comply with everything Wangye said."

Saying that, she turned her back and ignored Chu Jinglan with her eyes closed seemingly about to sink into dreamland again. A large palm abruptly covered her arm and forcibly pulled her body back. When she opened her eyes, a kind of low pressure hurricane seemed to greet her face.

"What's going on?"

Staring at her slightly reddened and swollen left side of the face, his eyes were suffused with dark thick fog yet there was an undiscerned emotion. Ye Huaiyang just casually replied a phrase 'nothing' before she turned her body away again but was pressed down on the bed by him. As she couldn't move, she was forced to utter again, "Wangye, I am tired. Please leave."

"Ye Huaiyang."

Narrowing his dark eyes, Chu Jinglan's tone was filled with a sense of dense danger. Ye Huaiyang stretched her hand to push him away yet he turned his hand over and pushed her down. With her unexpected struggles, his upper arm directly pressed onto her cheek. She recoiled in pain and her arch brows knitted tightly yet she didn't make a sound. Sparks scurried in his eyes that without demur, he clamped both of her hands down and kept her from flailing around again.

"This King is asking you what's going on or you don't understand human speech?"

Turning her head away, tears gradually filled her eyes yet she remained silent.

"You have been unruly in front of this King repeatedly and had never appeared good all this while yet you care about looking decent now?"

Chu Jinglan felt vexed when he thought of her pressing half of her face on the bed in order to conceal the injury. He couldn't help hurling her up yet who would have thought that she would feebly fall directly into his bosom and incidentally spilled out two streaks of ice-beads.

This was the first time he caught sight of her crying.

Chu Jinglan was dumbfounded. He lowered his eyes to look at her. Her shoulders shook faintly while countless drops of water were on her jawlines just like heavy downpour but there was none the whimpering and was frighteningly quiet. Her tears however came and left as swiftly. A moment later, there were only two wet streaks which she slowly wiped with the back of her hands.

Raising her head, she looked at the handsome face in front of her and suddenly mocked at herself. In exchange for this slap was his verse of 'mind our own business'. She didn't know the two most important men in her life had such a tacit understanding and would simultaneously stabbed a knife into her heart.

Very good.

She moved the iron-like arms around her waist and walked ahead to open the door on the side of the terrace before she hoarsely said, "Wangye, this subject is not feeling well and would like to rest."

Chu Jinglan gradually stood up straight with a blackened face and gazed fixedly at her for a long while before stepping out of Lingyun Pavillion and flew through the air. Once his feet touched the ground, he instantly heard the shutting of the door sound. Looking back, there wasn't a trace of fragmentary shadow remaining on the gauze screen window.

[1] Jíjī (及笄) – when a girl come out of age at 15 (in ancient times, girls at 15 began to bound their hair and held in place by a pin) / marriageable age.