The Female Regent’s Daily Guide to Spoiling Her Wife - Chapter 21

General Song returned to the long-unseen Yin Capital with his army in a grand procession. Since Song Ziyan’s departure, the general’s hair had turned white overnight, and he had aged considerably.

This time, General Song brought back a masked youth. Yin Capital buzzed with excitement once again, with rumors swirling that this was the general’s illegitimate child, now returning to acknowledge his lineage.

The welcome banquet at the Song residence was extravagantly luxurious. The main streets of Yin Capital had long been cleared, with ornate carriages and fine horses lining the entrance. Bright red lanterns hung in clusters, creating a scene of bustling festivity.

Yunxia had dressed early and was waiting in the courtyard for Lady Yang and Xu Ruoxiang. Not daring to be too conspicuous, she wore only a simple, plain-colored dress. With her head lowered, Yunxia wondered if that person would attend today. Would she run into her? Her heart was a mix of fear and anticipation.

As soon as Xu Ruoxiang stepped out, she spotted Yunxia in the courtyard. Her hair was tied in a simple bun, and her slender neck was strikingly alluring, evoking wild imaginings and stirring the soul. Her delicate, willow-like figure, draped in a plain dress, carried an indescribable charm.

A flash of malice crossed Xu Ruoxiang’s eyes. Pressing her lips together, she walked up to Yunxia and deliberately bumped into her harshly. “A good dog doesn’t block the path!”

Yunxia lowered her brows and stepped aside, letting out a soft chuckle. “If I’m a dog, I wonder what that makes Father? And what does that make you?”

“You!” Xu Ruoxiang glared fiercely at Yunxia. “Don’t drag Father into everything!”

Lady Yang, standing behind them with a stern expression, snapped, “Enough! What kind of behavior is all this bickering? We’re heading to the general’s residence soon. Both of you, be sharp!”

“Yunxia, come here.” Lady Yang glanced at Yunxia’s captivating face, her heart seething with resentment. There was no way she could let Yunxia go like this her own Xiangxiang would surely be overshadowed.

Yunxia hesitated, frowning warily at Lady Yang.

Lady Yang roared, “Are you ignoring me? Someone, hold her down!”

Several stout matrons seized Yunxia, one on each side, pinning her forcefully. Yunxia winced in pain and glared angrily at Lady Yang. “What are you doing?”

Lady Yang pried open Yunxia’s mouth and forced a pill inside. Patting her cheek condescendingly, she sneered, “If it weren’t for your face still being useful, I’d have ruined it today. Why don’t you hide in the backyard like Yunqiu?”

Instantly, Yunxia felt a burning sensation on her face. With no mirror at hand, she could only cover her cheek and glare furiously at Lady Yang.

Xu Ruoxiang watched as a red blotch appeared on the left side of Yunxia’s face, stark and alarming against her fair skin. Overjoyed, she leaned toward Lady Yang and asked, “Mother, you have something like this?”

Lady Yang shot her a sidelong glance but said nothing more, leading the two into the carriage. The pill only caused a temporary redness on the face for twelve hours, after which it would fade naturally. If not for the master’s specific instruction that Yunxia still had her uses, Lady Yang would have gladly ruined her for good!

The general’s residence was bustling with guests. The banquet was set in the inner courtyard, where a winding “floating wine cup” stream had been arranged. Lush green pines towered overhead, while water lilies and swimming fish adorned the stream, creating an atmosphere of utmost elegance.

Seated at the head of the table were General Song Qin, Prince Rui Gao Wenyuan, Prince Qing Gao Wenting, Regent Lu Zhao, and the newly appointed top scholar, Pei Shu. The area was divided by screens, with the female guests seated in a row on the left side.

Yunxia was seated in the lowest corner among the women. As soon as she took her seat, she spotted that person through the crowd. Still possessing that handsome and refined appearance, with cool, elegant brows and eyes, she tilted her head slightly, quietly listening to the person beside her. Her slender fingers idly played with the wine cup on the table, exuding an air of grace and nobility, as if she had stepped out of a painting.

After a while, she half-closed her phoenix-like eyes and leaned back lazily. Yunxia couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but she felt as if that person’s gaze was faintly drifting in her direction.

Suppressing the urge to steal another glance, Yunxia withdrew and hid herself behind the others. Her heart fluttered with anxiety, and she silently scolded herself for being so useless!

Xu Yunxia! What are you thinking about? How could she possibly be looking at you?

Yunxia kept her head lowered, constantly observing the situation at the head of the room. She needed to find an opportunity to meet Pei Shu.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and lively chatter, Yunxia noticed Pei Shu leaving his seat and heading toward the back. Immediately, she hunched over and cautiously followed him.

Lu Zhao turned around and noticed that Yunxia, who had been seated in the lower section, was gone. Casually tossing his cup onto the table, he stood up gracefully and made his way to the back.

“Cousin,” Yunxia called out to Pei Shu at the edge of a secluded grove in the backyard.

Startled, Pei Shu turned around to find Yunxia standing behind him. He hadn’t expected her to be at the General’s Manor and quickly walked over, grabbing her arm. “Xiaxia, what are you doing here? Where’s Qiuqiu?”

As Pei Shu drew closer, he noticed a startling red patch on Yunxia’s fair face. Shocked, he exclaimed, “What happened to your face?”

Yunxia brushed it off indifferently, saying, “Cousin, don’t worry about my face. Older Sister asked me to give you this letter. She said… the marriage is off.”

She took Pei Shu’s hand and firmly pressed the letter into it, keeping her head down, unable to meet his eyes.

Pei Shu stared at the letter in disbelief, unwilling to open it for a long time. Pain was etched across his features, and his throat tightened as he spoke bitterly, “We’ve endured such hardship together. How can she call it off now?”

Yunxia avoided his gaze, unable to bear the sight of Pei Shu’s gentle, pained eyes. He and her older sister had been in love since childhood, their bond beyond compare. Telling him now that the marriage was off was like tearing his heart out.

After hesitating for a moment, Yunxia steeled herself and tugged at his arm. “Cousin, I can’t say too much. Older Sister she has her reasons. If you truly care for her, help her resolve whatever is troubling her.”

Pei Shu closed his eyes in anguish, his voice hoarse as he replied, “All those days I went to see her, she refused to meet me. I knew something must be wrong.”

Seeing how distraught he was, Yunxia grew anxious and gripped his arm tightly. “Cousin, Older Sister was ill during that time, and then after your imperial exams, I fell sick too. Please don’t give up on her, okay? You’re her only hope now!” By the end, Yunxia’s eyes were red-rimmed.

Pei Shu patted her head gently and said, “Whatever the issue is, I’ll help her resolve it. Don’t worry. When you return, as usual, you can open the door for me. I’ll go in and talk to her face-to-face to clear things up.”

As Yunxia and Pei Shu spoke in the grove, they failed to notice a tall, slender figure hidden in the shadows of a distant corner. From behind, Pei Shu’s tall frame appeared intimately close to the woman in front of him.

Lu Zhao’s face was as dark as stormy waters. The moment she saw Yunxia’s eyes reddening for Pei Shu, her heart was sharply pierced so she could look at someone else like that too. Lu Zhao’s gaze deepened into an abyss, swirling with undercurrents, her beautiful lips pressed into a tight line as she fought the urge to rush out and drag Yunxia away.

After Pei Shu left, Yunxia followed behind, heading back. As she turned the corner, an unusually strong force suddenly yanked her into the recesses of the wall. Just as she was about to cry out in alarm, Lu Zhao’s hand covered her lips, and a low voice murmured, “Xiaxia, it’s me!”

Yunxia’s damp, fox-like eyes stared directly into Lu Zhao’s shadowed, unreadable gaze. Lu Zhao’s eyes were tinged with red at the corners, her body pressed tightly against Yunxia’s, her thigh wedged between Yunxia’s legs, rendering her immobile.

Recognizing her, Yunxia felt as if her blood had frozen in an instant, her heart racing so fiercely it seemed about to leap from her throat.