Chapter 2: Fun
Capital city, Dingyang Marquis Mansion.

Mother Wang walked through the corridor with a solemn look on her face.

Seeing the Marquis leading the servant towards Wenhui Hall from afar, Mother Wang slowed down her pace and waited for a few seconds. Only when the Marquis disappeared did Mother Wang quickly walk towards Songhua Courtyard.

"Auntie Wang." Yinling came out with a tea tray. Qiaoqiao saw Auntie Wang and made a half-bow.

Mother Wang peered at the door and asked in a low voice, "Is there anyone else here?"

Yinling shook her head knowingly.

Mother Wang nodded and walked up the stairs.

The golden bells hit the curtain and he nodded slightly.

Mother Wang entered the room and saw Madam looking at the account book. She walked over and whispered, "Madam."

Guan Yulan glanced at Mother Wang's expression, her eyebrows moved, and she anxiously told Jin Ling, "Jin Ling, you should go out too."

"Yes."

Jin Ling gently closed the door and left. Mother Wang then pulled out a piece of paper from her sleeve and said, "Madam, take a look."

Guan Yulan took the paper suspiciously, and saw that it said: "Excellent appearance, good at judging the situation." Only then did her brows relax and she sighed: "It seems that the one thousand taels of gold were not wasted, Chang Yue is capable."

When Wang heard Madam praising her son like this, she was extremely pleased, but she said modestly, "Madam, this girl is of great use after all. Do you want to ask Granny Sun from Jiyue Tower to come over and train her?"

Guan Yulan smiled and said, "I trust Chang Yue to do the job. Since he thinks it's okay, there's no need to train him anymore."

Mother Wang nodded.

"Judging from the time, we will be able to return home around tomorrow." Guan Yulan said softly.

"The timing is just right," said Mother Wang.

Guan Yulan put down the account book and gently lifted up the chair. Mother Wang, who had served her for many years, understood what she meant and quickly bent over and helped her up according to Guan Yulan's posture.

Guan Yulan couldn't help but sigh. If she wasn't forced by the situation, how could she be willing to do such a bad thing? "My son has been guarding the border for ten years, facing the sword and the wind and frost, and he has never been away from home. But the current emperor suspected that Cheng Yi's military deployment was unsuccessful because of an anonymous border report, and sent the uncle who is not good at military affairs to the border to investigate the matter the next day. How can I feel at ease? I can only give him a considerate person who can also keep an eye on us."

Speaking of the prince, Mother Wang felt very distressed. After all, he was the child she nursed and watched grow up. She knew the prince's temper best. Anyone could be cunning and neglect their duties, but the prince would never do that. If the prince had that kind of temper, he would not have insisted on going to the border back then...

"The Crown Prince is a stern and upright person, and he is unyielding. Those villains must have been trying to slander him. Madam, there is no need to worry. The Emperor has seen the Crown Prince's achievements and loyalty over the years. No matter who is sent to investigate, black is black and white is white, and the Crown Prince will be cleared of all charges." Mother Wang's words made Guan Yulan feel relieved.

"Don't tell Chengyi about this. He has the same character as the Marquis and cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes." Guan Yulan knew that the Marquis would not use these means, but, eager to protect her son, she always felt that adding an extra layer of protection would make her feel more at ease.

Mother Wang nodded and said, "When Chang Yue comes back tomorrow, send that woman away directly. The prince won't be able to see her."

Speaking of her son's whereabouts, Guan Yulan was even more worried. Ever since the report was submitted to the palace, her son was recalled to Beijing. Perhaps because he felt heartbroken, her son stayed in Jiyue Tower drinking almost every night and rarely came back. She hadn't seen her son for two or three days.

"This kid...if the Marquis saw him, he would scold him." Guan Yulan felt depressed.

Mother Wang said anxiously, "Madam, don't worry."

"What did the old lady say?" After relaxing her heart a few times, Guan Yulan felt a little better.

"Oh, Doctor Zhao checked it out and said it's nothing serious. It's probably caused by worry." Mother Wang had forgotten about this.

Guan Yulan held her forehead with her hand, "I guess the old lady is also worried about Chengyi."

"By the way, the Marquis will be out soon. He said he won't be back at night, so he asked Ma Saner to keep an eye on the goings-on in the mansion." Guan Yulan was also a little tired, so she gestured to go to the inner room.

"Yes." Mother Wang supported Guan Yulan and walked calmly towards the inner room.

After waiting for the lady to fall asleep, Mother Wang turned around and went to the west side room.

***
Vertical day, city gate.

"Sir, we're just ahead of the city gate," the servant reported.

Wang Changyue looked up at the word "Beijing" with a complicated expression and an indiscernible tone of voice, saying, "Go and tell the guards not to check anything randomly."

As the matter could not be publicized, Wang Changyue did not hang the flag of the residence on the carriage. It was always better to inform everyone to avoid trouble.

Meanwhile, Huo Aying, who was in the carriage behind, felt dizzy and slept so soundly that he could hardly tell the difference between day and night.

The carriage approached slowly.

The gatekeeper was already waiting with his head bowed and a smile on his face.

Seeing that he had to greet him, the servant lowered his voice and said, "Sir, the gatekeeper is coming."

Wang Changyue had just lifted the curtain a crack when he saw the gatekeeper's face, which was so smiling that his eyes could hardly be seen. He said politely, "Thank you for your concern, sir."

The gatekeeper didn't dare to put on airs in front of Wang Changyue, and quickly said, "Sir, you really embarrassed me. Who in the capital doesn't know about our Dingyang Marquis Mansion? The Marquis is a meritorious official who accompanied His Majesty to pacify the country, and the Crown Prince is the pillar of our Northern Jin army. You are also the descendant of a loyal hero. I am just a small gatekeeper. How can I be as hard-working as you?"

Wang Changyue listened patiently, nodded with a smile and said: "If you don't mind, I'll use this bag of silver to treat you brothers to tea!" As he said that, the servant handed over a bag of silver.

The gatekeeper was not a fool. He knew from a few words that the other party did not want to bother any more, so he quickly gave way and said, "Then I would like to thank Master Wang on behalf of my brothers!"

After he finished speaking, the two carriages drove away.

The guard saw the gatekeeper still looking sideways at the carriage, and asked in confusion, "Boss, isn't he just a posthumous child living under someone else's roof? Why do you take him so seriously?"

Hearing this, the gatekeeper couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, weighed his money bag, listened to the sound of silver colliding, and felt relieved. He smacked his lips and said, "You know shit! He is not important, but he has Xie Chengyi's backing! Even His Majesty respects him, and he is more prestigious than his father! Tell me, can we ignore him?"

The guard scratched his head in confusion and said, "But wasn't General Xie called back to the capital? I heard that His Majesty was planning to send someone to investigate him..."

The gatekeeper glared at the guard with a hopeless look, and said, "Did a donkey kick your brain? In the entire Northern Jin Dynasty, everyone knows that General Xie sacrificed his life for the country. If you can find out even a trivial problem, I'll let you kick my head like a ball!"

The guard shrank his head and said, "Boss is right."

As they were about to reach the Marquis' Mansion, Wang Changyue got off the car first and told the servant, "Go in through the back door and send her to Xingchun Courtyard first. Send more people to watch over her. I'll go to Songhua Courtyard to report first."

After saying that, he walked towards the main gate of the mansion.

On the way, the servants saw Wang Changyue and bowed to him, calling him "Master Wang."

Wang Changyue entered Songhua Courtyard, but did not go directly to the main hall. Instead, he walked through the corridor and went to an ear room in the west corridor.

Knocked lightly on the door.

"Who?"

Wang Changyue stood still, "Mother, it's me."

When Mrs. Wang in the room heard her son's voice, she quickly opened the door. Seeing her son who was exhausted, she said with concern, "Yu'er, come in quickly." Wang Changyue glanced outside before cautiously entering the room.

"Yue'er, what about this woman?" Mother Wang was still a little worried.

Wang Changyue nodded slowly, "Okay."

"Mother has always felt uneasy. Is it okay to send such a stranger to the king's uncle? Don't let anything go wrong, otherwise you will be scolded by the marquis." Mother Wang advised the lady from the beginning to find a woman who knew her well to do this. But the lady said that the concubine in the king's uncle's mansion replied that the king was a person who wanted novelty, and that being too gentle, too obedient, and too unreserved would not do. Besides, there were too many people in the capital, so it would be easier to find a stranger from outside the area. So she prayed that everything would go well for her son.

Wang Changyue took a deep breath, "Don't worry too much, mother. Changyue cannot refuse the tasks assigned by Madam, no matter if there are risks or not. Besides, this is for Chengyi, so we have to do it even if it is difficult."

Mother Wang was filled with sorrow and could only nod helplessly, "It has come to this point, there is no other way. I will go with you to see the Madam."

Wang Changyue stroked his mother's shoulder, relaxed a little and said, "I understand your worries, but you should also know your character. If you are not sure about something, you will not do it."

Mother Wang felt a little relieved when she heard her son say this.

The two of them walked one after the other, turned directly from the corridor to the main hall, and then went to the inner room.

Jin Ling saw Wang Changyue behind Wang Mama from a distance, and her eyes lit up with joy. She quickly reported to her wife, "Madam, Young Master Wang is back."

Then, he opened the curtain and welcomed Mother Wang and Wang Changyue in with a smile, "Mother Wang, Young Master Wang."

Wang Changyue entered the room and bowed to Guan Yulan, saying, "Changyue greets Madam."

Guan Yulan smiled with relief, "I'm glad you're back. Where's he?"

Wang Changyue stood up and replied, "I am in Xingchunyuan for the time being."

Guan Yulan nodded, "You are quite good at making arrangements. After He Jun gets married, Xingchunyuan will be empty. You can put him there first."

After thinking about it, Guan Yulan was still a little worried, so she said to Mother Wang: "Mother Wang, come with me to Xingchun Courtyard to take a look. I feel uneasy if I don't see anyone."

"Yes."

Just as Jin Ling was about to follow, Guan Yulan turned around and said, "Jin Ling, you don't have to follow."

Jin Ling stopped in dissatisfaction and looked at Wang Changyue who didn't even look at her, feeling dissatisfied.

"Sister, where is the Madam going?" Yinling, who had just entered the yard, saw her sister frowning and muttering, so she asked.

Jin Ling said angrily, "They said they picked up a distant niece from the Madam's mother's family and went to take a look at her."

"Why didn't you ask us to clean up the yard?" According to the lady's temperament, when someone from her mother's family came, she had to make a big fuss.

Jin Ling made a "tsk" sound and said nonchalantly, "He is just an unimportant person anyway."

***
Awakening Spring Courtyard.

Huo Aying looked at the closed door, thinking about what the servant had just said, "Miss Huo, if you listen carefully, you will not be wronged. There are more than 20 people guarding this courtyard, so you don't have to think of ways to escape."

My heart is still pounding and I feel extremely uneasy.

If I run, there are people walking back and forth outside, and I might get hurt by mistake; if I don’t run, I don’t even know what to do, and it’s easier for me to have wild thoughts.

suddenly.

"Madam." A voice came from outside the door.

Huo Aying's hair stood on end and his eyes were fixed on the door.

The figure at the door was getting closer.

Wang Changyue signaled with his eyes, and the servant immediately stepped forward to unlock the door.

There was a crisp sound and the door lock fell to the ground.

The moment Guan Yulan stepped in, her eyes met Huo Aying's. The woman had flying black hair, willow-shaped eyebrows, powdered black, charming almond eyes, slightly rosy cheeks, delicate lips, snow-white skin, and a graceful and slender figure. She was so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off her...

It was also the first time that Mother Wang saw such a beautiful woman. She couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. No wonder her son was so satisfied.

"What's your name?" Guan Yulan became more and more satisfied the more she looked at him. Her appearance and features showed that she was a top-notch beauty.

Huo Aying thought for a moment, but she didn't think these people were mean. Now was not the time for her to make a choice, so she replied generously: "Huo Aying."

The voice was melodious and pleasant, neither humble nor arrogant, and it really didn't seem like the kind of voice that would come from a dirty family.

Guan Yulan felt relieved, and then she slowly walked to the chair, sat down steadily, and then looked at Huo Aying who had taken a step back, and said with great style: "I won't hide it from you, your father took one thousand taels of gold from me and sold you, saying that he has no regrets whether he lives or dies. However, I won't make it too difficult for you. I asked you to come here because I want you to serve someone, and you will be rich and glorious, and you will not be short of it."

Perhaps because she was afraid that Ah Ying would not believe it, Mother Wang specially showed the indenture contract to Huo Ah Ying.

The bright red handprint was clearly on Huo Zhongqiao's name. Huo Aying couldn't help but sneer. It turned out that he wanted to please the powerful.

"What if I don't obey?" Huo Aying met Guan Yulan's gaze, but she didn't confront her. After all, Huo Aying still wanted to test this lady's bottom line.

Guan Yulan smiled as usual, but her words struck Ah Ying's heart, "One thousand taels of gold, I will regard it as buying a set of precious jewelry. If it is damaged, don't worry, just buy another one."

Huo Aying's eyes darkened. Yes, in other people's eyes, his life was just worth a set of jewelry. He had really hit his head against a wall, and other people could only use a few buckets of water to wipe the blood.

Guan Yulan knew from the woman's expression and tone that since she didn't scream hysterically, she was a smart person who knew what to do and what not to do. She said quietly, "Think about your situation. Even if I don't buy you, your father will most likely sell you to a brothel or to some greedy man. You won't be able to enjoy the good life, let alone the happiness. I promised you wealth and honor, and I won't break my promise as long as you abide by the rules. If you need anything, just go to Chang Yue directly."

Having said this, Guan Yulan said no more, stood up, gave Chang Yue a look, and helped Mother Wang away.

Huo Aying looked at Chang Yue with a broken heart, tears falling down. People who saw this could not help but feel distressed. "Can you, can you, let me live?"

Wang Changyue's eyes moved slightly, and he frowned slightly, "You also heard what Madam said just now. As long as you are obedient, I will not embarrass you."

Huo Aying held back her tears and said in a trembling voice, "Brother Changyue..."

Wang Changyue paused, his heart beating so wildly that he had to take several deep breaths to calm it down.

"My father abandoned me since I was little. He never cared about where I went. My mother committed suicide and my only brother was sold. I thought that as long as I tried hard to survive, I would see hope and escape this fate. Why can't I live a good life for once?" Huo Aying cried and complained.

After a long while, Huo Aying pleaded weakly, as if he had lost all his soul: "Can you help me just this once?"

How could Wang Changyue not know the misery of this kind of life? He had been living under someone else's roof since he was a child and had been wandering for years. His biggest wish was to have a home, but what could he do...

"I will send you to the prince's mansion in the evening. Please be patient for a few days." Wang Changyue turned his back to Huo Aying, and his voice floated into Aying's ears, lighter than willow catkins.

Just as Wang Changyue walked out the door, Huo Aying shed a tear from her eyes. Her road was finally blocked...

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