My Love Rivals Have All Reborn - Chapter 74

Xie Yu’s arrogance stemmed from her careful strategies, while Wen Yuke was like a rigid, unyielding court official, striving for justice and the welfare of the people. Standing in opposition to the imperial clan, she faced not open weapons, but hidden arrows.

Xiao Wenxue was unaware of the things hidden from her, but she knew Wen Yuke’s situation would only grow more difficult. She cautiously probed Xiao Kunning’s intentions: “What has Mister Xie been busy with lately?”

“I don’t know either. Since I came back, the guards outside the wall have only increased. No news can get in,” Xiao Kunning avoided the subject. There were still many old scores between Xie Yu and the Emperor. Princess Leping’s madness seemed to be related to him as well. Given Xie Yu’s personality, things would definitely not end easily.

She looked up at the distracted Xiao Wenxue. “You don’t need to worry about Official Wen. She always acts with discretion. You also know that since the new Emperor ascended the throne, the court has been restless, and the ministers all harbor their own intentions. Even the one in this residence is plotting unspeakable things.”

Xiao Mingwang looked busy with their marriages recently, but his private associations were traceable.

Seeing her relaxed expression, Xiao Wenxue guessed that Xie Yu must have a plan. She felt relieved and said with a light laugh, “Then I will listen to you.”

Xiao Kunning smiled brilliantly. She walked to a cabinet, took out a box, and carefully handed it to Xiao Wenxue: “This is my dowry for you. We are sisters. After you leave the Xiao residence, she [Madam Luo] won’t bother you much. If you don’t like Wen Yuke, find a quiet time to divorce her. Take this silver and go wherever you want. Remember, don’t show your wealth, and you don’t need to let her [Wen Yuke] know.”

Madam Luo’s thoughts were becoming increasingly strange, likely ruined by those complicated rules. A few days ago, when the Old Prince visited to inquire about the wedding arrangements, Madam Luo insisted on prioritizing the Wen family’s matter, causing the Old Prince to leave in a huff.

Xiao Wenxue looked at the contents of the box and smiled wistfully. “Where did you get this from? Did Zhao Xiran give it to you?”

“Second Proprietress Zhao only has eyes for her lover. This came from the Moxiang Pavilion, so it is indirectly hers,” Xiao Kunning said sheepishly. Zhao Xiran’s mindset was unique. She provided Xiao Kunning with excellent care but sent her back to the Xiao family. In her eyes, nothing seemed important, except, of course, her skincare regimen.

Xiao Wenxue laughed: “As a merchant, she is top-notch; as a mother, she is very strange. But when it comes to love, everyone has their own perspective. What happens between her and Princess Gaoyang is a case of two willing parties, which is none of our business.”

She calmly accepted the substantial gift because she knew Xiao Kunning was not lacking in such things.

After the two sisters finished their roasted meat and talked for a while, they returned to their respective courtyards to rest.

The snow outside had unknowingly melted again. Clouds drifted above Chang’an City. People walked on the streets wrapped in clothing, and the number of street vendors had decreased significantly.

There were more patrols of infantry walking back and forth on the streets, holding their halberds. Shopkeepers peered out, then instinctively retreated.

By mid-November, cases at the Ministry of Justice had decreased significantly. Conversely, the Emperor’s desk was piled high with cases sent by the Ministry of Justice, all requiring his approval.

After a period of intense work, Wen Yuke was called home by her grandmother to discuss the wedding.

Her grandmother, advanced in age, could only walk around the room, instructing her on every minute detail. Her face was wreathed in smiles, clearly very happy.

Wen Yuke leaned back in her chair with a sigh of relief, not as cheerful as her grandmother had imagined. The beautiful eyes were tinged with an unusual bloodlust. She closed her eyes tiredly as her grandmother talked.

After the busy stretch in mid-month, the Zhao imperial clan was depleted by more than half. The Emperor had many sleepless nights. The key officials in the court were no longer monopolized by the Zhao family. On the contrary, with the imperial clan making mistakes, other powerful families were eager for them to step down and seize the lucrative positions for themselves.

Many vassal princes in various regions were implicated, and the Emperor ordered people to punish them, which only provoked their discontent. Following the unrest in the court, the vassal princes also grew more dissatisfied with the Emperor. Just before Xiao Wenxue’s wedding, Zhao Can personally visited the Xiao residence.

Madam Luo personally welcomed her, greeting her warmly. Zhao Can looked unwell. After drinking a cup of tea, she demanded to see Xiao Kunning. Xiao Kunning was not one for stability. The sisters hadn’t seen Zhao Can since their return, suggesting their closeness was not what it once was. Madam Luo, who had come up through social circles, was slightly surprised by Zhao Can’s visit. Unable to refuse in her presence, she instructed a maid to invite Xiao Kunning over.

The maid went to invite the guest, while the two young women talked and drank tea in the warm pavilion.

Hearing Zhao Can’s name, the tea in Xiao Kunning’s hand trembled. Xiao Wenxue was the first to ask, “Why did she condescend to come to the Xiao residence?”

“She wouldn’t come for nothing. If she comes, there must be a reason,” Xiao Kunning calmed herself. She found Zhao Can’s arrival interesting. She looked up and asked the maid, “Did she come empty-handed?”

The maid thought for a moment: “Yes.”

Xiao Wenxue showed a trace of sarcasm. “That’s interesting. You had better not leave the residence with her.” Given what happened before, Zhao Can was no longer trustworthy.

“I won’t see her. Tell her I went to the Xie residence to see Mister Xie,” Xiao Kunning became even more vigilant.

The maid bowed and withdrew. Xiao Kunning watched her retreating figure, resting her chin on her hand, and murmured, “I heard there are no words between Shen Rui and her. Shen Rui is busy with frontier affairs these days and is said to be leaving after the New Year.”

“Can she leave?” Xiao Wenxue picked up a needle and gently made a stitch. Looking at the budding plum blossom, she remembered something. “Shen Rui is getting married. When is the date set?”

“The date hasn’t been set. The frontier is unstable, and Shen Rui doesn’t want to get married,” Xiao Kunning replied. The figure at the courtyard gate had disappeared, and her expression held a hint of scrutiny.

Shen Rui’s personality had become hard to fathom, a mixture of composure and obsession. She was like a walking time bomb, and Xie Yu still poked at her from time to time, as if deliberately trying to provoke her.

What had Shen Rui been busy with recently? It seemed she hadn’t heard any news of her for days.

The winter wind lashed the face like a knife. The soldiers of the Patrol Camp returned to their respective barracks after collecting their cotton-padded clothes. Shen Nan rested in his quarters after the distribution was complete.

Pushing the door open, he saw Shen Rui lying flat on his bed, staring intently at the roof beam. “Big Brother, when will the Shen family’s struggle end?”

It was bad enough that Zhao Mian was wary, but Zhao Chulin also looked anxious day and night, as if the Shen family would usurp his throne at any moment.

“I also feel uneasy these days. Someone is always following me,” Shen Nan patted her shoulder. Compared to her, he was more optimistic. “Military power is a knife. Externally, it kills the enemy; internally, it kills oneself. If you throw the knife away, you die. If you hold the knife, you walk on thin ice. What will you do? Father is powerless. He has been walking birds and playing chess recently, hoping to reassure the Emperor.”

“Do you think he is reassured?” Shen Rui said sarcastically. Far from being reassured, the Emperor watched them more closely. Even when she went out to buy things, she was followed.

Shen Nan also found it strange: “Logically, he should be reassured, but he has been reprimanding me frequently lately.”

Shen Rui jumped up, grabbed her sword, and walked out. “He will never be reassured.”

As long as the Shen family held military power, he would never be reassured. Since he would be uneasy either way, she might as well act according to his suspicions.

“Go back to the residence soon,” Shen Nan called out anxiously from behind.

Shen Rui left the camp, turned left, and exited the city. Nongqin did not follow her again, returning to the residence to report to Xie Yu.

Xie Yu was playing the qin in the room. The intermittent music flowed out. Nongqin entered to report: “Sir, the Commandery Princess has left the city. We don’t know where she went.”

“Hmm, go and invite General Shen here.”

The qin music in the room stopped. Nongqin acknowledged the order and left.

Half an hour later, Shen Nan’s horse stopped in front of the Xie residence. The young man dismounted swiftly, his figure agile, and quickly disappeared through the gate.

Meanwhile, the Emperor in the palace slammed a memorial and cursed furiously. The inner attendant dared not reply. Zhao Can remained in the hall. She dismissed the inner attendant and said, “I don’t understand why you allow the Shen family and Xie Yu to interact. Xie Yu is a woman. If you lock her up, who dares object? If you can’t touch the Shen family, are you still afraid of Xie Yu, who is alone?”

The Emperor’s expression was grim, his chest heaving with anger. “Do you think it’s that simple? Xie Yu is so close to Shen Siyuan. Will the Shen family do nothing?”

Zhao Can raised her eyes, a sharp light emerging. “The Shen family’s discontent is the perfect opportunity to uproot them together. Are you waiting until the Shen family pushes Xie Yu onto the throne before you realize how to write the word ‘regret’?”

The Emperor fell silent. The pile of cases on his desk remained untouched. He slowly calmed down. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, We will arrest Xie Yu.”

Hearing this, Zhao Can showed no joy. Instead, she suppressed her emotions, stood up, saluted, and left.

On the twenty-eighth of the eleventh lunar month, the Xiao and Wen families celebrated their joyous occasion.

Xie Yu arrived quite early with the Old Prince. The two sat in the pavilion playing chess. Xiao Mingwang settled them in, then went to entertain other guests.

Shen Siyuan had suffered many losses at Xie Yu’s hands and was doubly careful during this game. Xie Yu, however, was distracted, occasionally looking into the distance.

“Old Official Qi will also be coming today. The two of you can play a few rounds.”

“You must lose a game to me before you go,” Shen Siyuan was not polite, trying to delay her even though he knew she was eager to see her beloved.

Xie Yu slowly moved the pieces without a sound, deliberately making a few mistakes and walking into his trap. She lost shortly after.

Old Official Qi Shanbai approached the pavilion, led by a servant. Xie Yu saw him, threw down the chess pieces, saluted him from afar, and swiftly left the garden.

The afternoon light was pleasant, and she didn’t feel cold walking in the garden. Xiao Wenxue’s courtyard was particularly lively. Xie Yu casually glanced around but didn’t see the little liar.

Leaving the courtyard, she saw Helan hurrying over, holding a jewelry box.

But there was no sign of Xiao Kunning.

The wedding ceremony was set for dusk. There weren’t many people in the Xiao residence. Xie Yu walked around casually and found the person counting the dowry in the courtyard filled with wedding gifts.

Xiao Kunning was particularly simply dressed today. A primrose-yellow jacket wrapped around her, revealing her pink face. She looked like she was very afraid of the cold.

Xie Yu placed a hand warmer into her hands. “Why did you run off here?”

“Mother asked me to keep an eye on things, so I looked for a few moments. Why didn’t you go to the Wen residence?” Xiao Kunning handed the gift list to the corresponding steward and pulled Xie Yu toward her own courtyard.

They encountered many well-wishers on the road. Many people from the Luo family had also come. The two took a side path to avoid them.

Unexpectedly, before they could return to the courtyard, a servant rushed over to find someone. Xie Yu didn’t recognize the person and remained unmoved.

The quiet side path was rarely used, even by Xiao Kunning. Seeing a stranger, she almost instinctively shielded Xie Yu behind her. “Which residence are you from?”

The servant, dressed in rough gray hemp, did not dare to look up. Hearing Xiao Kunning’s question, he answered with a smile: “This little one is from the Wen residence. Official Wen wishes you to come to the residence for a trip. He said it is urgent.”

Xiao Kunning looked down at him. “Then report back to Official Wen that we will go shortly.”

“The situation is tense. Why don’t the two of you follow this little one now?”

The winter sun was warm. Xiao Kunning stood in front of the plum blossoms, her pretty eyebrows curving slightly. The hand hidden in her sleeve touched Xie Yu’s wrist. She smiled. “Alright, lead the way.”

The servant was delighted. “This little one will lead the way now.”

Xie Yu quietly followed Xiao Kunning, walking past the gardens and into the quieter North Garden, occasionally seeing one or two maids hurrying by.

The barren ground was covered with many fallen leaves. Stepping on them produced a crunching sound. Xiao Kunning’s gaze fell on a dead branch, which she casually picked up.

Xie Yu’s lips curved. She pretended not to see, instead walking beside the servant and starting a conversation: “How is your Official Wen doing recently?”

“Good, very good. Today is a great day, so naturally he is well.”

Xie Yu’s peripheral vision caught Xiao Kunning raising the stick. She gently patted the servant and pointed into the distance: “Your Official Wen is coming.”

“Official Wen…” The servant had just looked up when the back of his neck instantly felt a sharp pain. Before he could turn around, he fainted on the spot.

Xiao Kunning tossed the stick away and gave the person a slightly fierce kick. She said, “I knew he was suspicious. He was so flustered when he heard someone was coming. Whose man is he?”

Xie Yu shook her head, holding her reddened hands and gently rubbing them. “This isn’t the first time you’ve done this, is it?”

“Following Zhao Xiran, you have to learn something. Back then, when she took me out to play and we encountered street ruffians, she took on three by herself,” Xiao Kunning smiled faintly, placing Xie Yu’s cold hands on the hand warmer. Meeting Xie Yu’s surprised gaze, she felt a little embarrassed.

Xie Yu’s gaze fell on her shy face, her mind repeatedly analyzing where this person came from and why he was trying to trick her out of the Xiao residence.

Xiao Kunning didn’t think about such deep matters. She pulled Xie Yu back to her courtyard and ordered Helan to prepare hot water and charcoal. The front yard was lively, filled with the sounds of people. The faint noises drifted over.

Xie Yu leaned against the couch. Xiao Kunning busied herself with boiling tea, never tiring of it. Maids occasionally came in to ask questions. The quiet was intermittently broken by noise.

After the tea was brewed, Helan brought pastries over. She glanced at Xie Yu and carefully set the pastries down.

Xiao Kunning ordered someone to dispose of the servant and send him to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation tomorrow. Wen Yuke had a few days off, and the Ministry of Justice was not under her complete control. She turned back to Xie Yu on the couch: “Should we send him to the Ministry of Justice?”

“Sending him is pointless. Keeping him is also troublesome. It is better to send him to the Ministry of Justice to suffer some hardships,” Xie Yu said calmly. Most of the worry on her face had dissipated. She picked up a pastry and put it into her mouth, saying slowly, “Don’t overthink it. It’s not a major issue.”

Xie Yu spoke lightly, but Xiao Kunning didn’t feel relieved at all. Instead, she asked, “What have you been busy with recently? I couldn’t leave, and you didn’t come over. Were you busy?”

“Many things. I had someone buy a house in Qingcheng, not far from the Zhao residence. What do you think?” Xie Yu smiled as she put down the pastry and pulled her hand closer.

The two cuddled together, and the atmosphere suddenly warmed up. Xie Yu leaned close to Xiao Kunning, rubbing her ear and whispering: “Why don’t we go into business too? We can overshadow Zhao Xiran’s prominence. It would be nice to see her stamping her feet and cursing every day.”

Xiao Kunning: “…” What kind of grand idea was that?

Xie Yu’s idea was surprisingly similar to Zhao Xiran’s. Xiao Kunning was too lazy to argue. She casually shoved a piece of pastry into Xie Yu’s mouth: “You’ll lose everything and go bankrupt, and you’ll be the one stamping your feet.”

The pastry was too sweet for Xie Yu’s liking, but she swallowed it down for Xiao Kunning’s sake, rubbing her cheek: “No, with you, it will definitely bring huge profits. Zhao Xiran’s business only gradually improved after she had you.”

“That sounds somewhat reasonable,” Xiao Kunning chuckled foolishly, lightly touching Xie Yu’s nose and eyes with her lips.

Xie Yu slowly closed her eyes during the innocent kisses. A sea of blood surged in the darkness. Her hands in her sleeves clenched suddenly. She opened her eyes and saw Xiao Kunning’s clear, transparent eyes.

After a surge of excitement, she had no desire to continue the intimacy with Xiao Kunning. Seeing that there was still plenty of daylight outside, she said, “I need to return to the residence for something. You stay at the Xiao residence. Don’t go to the Wen residence feast.”

“Why not?” Xiao Kunning asked, puzzled.

“The Wen residence will have many people tonight. It is better for you to stay here to prevent what happened today from happening again,” Xie Yu tidied her collar, staring intently at the suspicious little fool. She extended her slender index finger and poked her on the forehead. “Be obedient.”

Xiao Kunning did not know her plans, but staying out of trouble was fine. She readily agreed. “Okay. You be careful.”

Only then did Xie Yu leave with peace of mind. Her hurried figure left Xiao Kunning in confusion.

At dusk, Xiao Wenxue’s sedan chair left the residence gate. A basin of water was poured out in front of the Xiao residence. Madam Luo’s eyes were red.

Many people followed to the Wen residence for the banquet. Most of the civil and military officials attended. Shen Rui arrived at the Xiao residence at this time to congratulate Xiao Mingwang. As soon as she settled down, the Old Prince took her away, and the two went to the Wen residence.

After the ceremony, the guests were all enjoying themselves. The clear wine reflected the happy faces of the guests. Wen Yuke came out to host. The Old Prince came to toast her, his tone light. After they touched cups, the Old Prince lowered his sleeve and whispered, “Be cautious tonight.”

Wen Yuke had drunk a lot of wine, and her face was slightly flushed. The warning instantly sobered her, but she still raised her cup and drank the wine down. She stumbled two steps and was held up by the Old Prince. She smiled faintly: “Too much, too much. Please allow me to go sober up.”

“Good, go sober up and come back,” Shen Siyuan called a maid from the Wen residence to help her leave, then pulled Qi Shanbai to continue drinking. He glanced across the crowd, unable to spot Shen Rui.

After leaving the banquet, Wen Yuke swayed her way toward the back courtyard. Once she was away from the crowd, she straightened up and called for Nongqin, who was guarding the side. “Where is Xie Yu?”

“Sir has gone to the palace. Official Wen, please be at ease.”

Wen Yuke tidied her clothing and glanced at her: “If something happens at the Wen residence, I will not be done settling the score with your Sir.”

Nongqin lowered her head and dared not reply casually. Official Wen and her Sir were always at odds. The two were like needle points and wheat awns—equally matched in strength and similar in strategy, but unfortunately, they had the same goal. That made things very difficult.

Wen Yuke entered the bridal chamber and saw Xiao Wenxue after she had bathed. Her body was damp, and her long figure stood behind the bead curtain, faintly visible.