Chapter 913 - 386: Haikou Shaken (Part 3)
Bai Yi laughed and said, "I was just curious, if you don’t want to tell me, I won’t ask in the future. By the way, the imperial envoy’s trip to Haikou means Miss Yueyao likely won’t return to the Capital City until March. When do you think it would be appropriate to show her the letter about your critical illness?" Bai Yi was a bit startled to realize how many connections Yueyao had accumulated without him even noticing. Of course, Bai Yi was just a bit startled without any further thoughts. Yueyao was not one to wield power recklessly; her wide social network was no big deal.
Xiang Wei thought for a moment, "Then let’s inform the young lady at the end of February." If the young lady knew of the illness now, she would likely want to return to the Capital City regardless of anything else. Traveling far in such cold weather would not be easy. And An Zhichen can’t return at this moment; she doesn’t want to create more trouble.
Bai Yi nodded and then asked Xiang Wei, "Xiang Wei, you’ve triggered an old injury this time, you need to be careful and recuperate. Xiang Wei, do you regret coming to serve Miss Yueyao?" Xiang Wei’s recent injury had triggered an old one, and she needed to properly recuperate, which, even then, would reduce her lifespan.
Xiang Wei smiled and said, "Initially, I just intended to stay by her side for five or six years, planning to leave after she married, but I didn’t expect to stay for seven years; it passed in the blink of an eye."
Bai Yi chuckled softly.
Xiang Wei’s face also broke into a smile, "You don’t know, when I first arrived at Lian Mansion, I did nothing and often bossed around the maids and old nannies from her courtyard, even her personal maid, but she never objected. At that time, I looked down on her, thinking she was all heart, soft-handed, weak and incompetent. I thought she ought to have ’Come bully me’ written on her forehead. But later, I gradually realized I was wrong. The young lady is indeed kind-hearted and soft-handed, but she is definitely not weak and incompetent. Over time, I began to admire her. Without being forced or for survival, simply from pure interest, she could work from morning till midnight every day. Such perseverance and determination, I truly admire her."
Bai Yi listened quietly from the side.
Xiang Wei continued smiling, "What really convinced me was her heart for Mingzhu. As you know, I did not like Mingzhu. But she could explain to me that Mingzhu had a good heart but was misled, and that with proper guidance, Mingzhu could be a very likable girl. I scoffed at the time, but she proved to me through her actions that she was right. Bai Yi, the young lady is not weak or incompetent; she is genuinely kind, truly kind-hearted. She is also strategic, striving to befriend the Li Mansion for Tingzheng’s sake; strengthening ties with Mingzhu for backup support to protect herself; cooperating was also about securing support to safeguard herself; she placated Zhuang Ruolan for a peaceful life at Ma’s Mansion. But I know, all these were forced by circumstances; even so, she never intended to harm anyone."
Bai Yi intentionally teased, "Once you’ve recognized Miss Yueyao, everything about her must be perfect in your eyes." Bai Yi did not think Yueyao was opportunistic. If she truly were, with her intelligence, she would have easily been in close ties with the wealthy and noble women by now.
Xiang Wei said with a smile, "Not really, her kind-hearted and soft-handed nature still persists! But in her company, I feel very comfortable." Xiang Wei knew her own temperament, inclined to feel restless when not meddling in things. But beside Yueyao, she felt at peace, a rare serenity, as if all restlessness could dissolve away. However, these thoughts she wouldn’t share with Bai Yi.
Bai Yi nodded with a smile
From the Capital City to Haikou, a normal speed journey takes a month, but the imperial envoy reached Haikou in just over twenty days. Everyone knew of the imperial envoy’s arrival at Haikou, yet no one saw him in person.
On this day, a crowd gathered in front of the General’s Mansion in Haikou. At the head was a man in his forties, who shouted towards the mansion’s entrance, "Return my daughter to me."
The guards at the gate were baffled, "Who are you? Why would your daughter be in our General’s Mansion?" It sounded as if their General’s Mansion were abducting young women. The General’s Mansion had three masters, excluding the Old Grand Master, and the Eldest Young Master was usually over a hundred miles away, seldom returning to the General’s Mansion, leaving only Young Master Chen. Recently, Young Master Chen had indeed brought back a woman, but she was from a brothel, not a woman from a respectable household.
The man at the head shouted loudly, "My surname is Yang, my daughter is named Yang Man’er. Now my daughter has been snatched to General’s Mansion by the grandnephew of your General Lord. If you don’t release my daughter, I will fight you all." The man even posed with a do-or-die stance.
The two guards exchanged glances; it was clearly a disturbance. Never mind the woman was from a brothel, with Young Master Chen’s status, he didn’t need to resort to abduction; many women would be willing to become his concubine: "If you don’t leave, and dare to speak nonsense at General’s Mansion, don’t blame us for being rude."
The man was unwilling, shouting persistently at the gate, "Even if it’s the General’s Mansion, they cannot abduct young women, is there no justice?"
The people at the General’s Mansion were no pushovers, the gate guard passed the message inside, soon, a squad of soldiers armed came out. These soldiers, fierce as wolves, glared at the twenty or more troublemakers with eyes as big as bronze bells.
This was also as the Second Old Grand Master had instructed the Chief Steward when he went to the military camp, that Haikou was unsettled recently, actions should be measured. Otherwise, these people would have already been beaten beyond recognition by these soldiers in normal times. Daring to cause trouble at the General’s Mansion, tired of living they must be.
Haikou’s folk were indeed fierce, yet these people weren’t fools. They knew whom they could provoke and whom they could not. Attacking the General’s Mansion meant they had reason on their side; to save face, the General’s Mansion wouldn’t dare trouble them. However, if they dared rush inside, they would surely be executed without mercy. Thus, Big Head Yang only dared to shout outside accusing An Zhichen of abducting a woman, merely to tarnish An Zhichen’s reputation.