The sun rose slowly, casting streaks of rosy light across the earth. The dew on the leaves of the scholar tree in the courtyard sparkled brightly. Outside, the cheerful chirping of birds could be heard.
Mama Qu came in and told Yuxi, who was washing herself up, "Madam, the magpies in the neighbouring courtyard have been chirping non-stop. There must be some good news today."
Yuxi put down her towel and smiled, "Is that so? I wonder what kind of good news it could be?" It had been a long time since she had heard any good news, and even a tiny piece of good news could make Yun Qing happy.
As evening approached, no good news had arrived. Yuxi smiled and said to Mama Qu, "I was happy for nothing." She had waited half a day for good news that never came.
Mama Qu tried to reason it out, "It's just an old saying, trust..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Gancao walked in from outside and reported, "Madam, someone has sent a request to see you. That person said she was an old friend of yours." Gancao then handed Yuxi the visitation notice with both hands.
Yuxi took it and opened it. When she saw the name on the signature, she thought she had made a mistake. She blinked and looked at it again. Convinced that she hadn't misread it, Yuxi muttered, "How could it be her?"
Mama Qu asked confusedly, "Madam, who is this person?"
Yuxi held on to the visitation notice and said, "She is a very good friend of mine." She never thought she would see Duan Xinrong again in this lifetime! Yuxi didn't even expect her to show up now.
Seeing Yuxi's expression, Mama Qu knew something was wrong with this person. Otherwise, Madam wouldn't look like that. "I wonder if I've heard of her?" Momo Quan would have undoubtedly known this person if she had been here.
Yuxi explained, "Her name is Duan Xinrong, the eldest granddaughter of the former Imperial Censor Duan. Several years ago, her family had an accident, and all the other members of the Duan family died, leaving only her alive. The Imperial Court later sent her to Liaodong as a military courtesan, but she went missing on the way, and there has been no news of her since."
Hearing this, Mama Qu's face turned grave: "A person who has been missing for years suddenly returns to find you, Madam. That doesn't bode well." It would have been fine if that person had come to seek refuge in a state of poverty and misery. It would only have been a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks, and the General's Mansion could still afford it. But if this person had bad intentions, they had to be on guard.
Yuxi knew that Duan Xinrong had been staying in the brothel all these years, but apart from this, she didn't know anything else. She asked Gancao, "Is she alone, or does she have companions?" Even though they were close when they were young, one must always be cautious. Not to mention that Duan Xinrong was also associated with Yan Wushuang, which required even more caution.
Gancao nodded as she replied, "There is another man. That man is strangely handsome." Such a handsome man had never been seen before, at least in the Northwest.
To describe a man as strangely handsome was not a compliment. But when Yuxi heard this, her heart skipped a beat. As far as she knew, Yan Wushuang was not only talented in both civil and martial arts, but he also did not lack in looks. If the man who came with Duan Xinrong were indeed Yan Wushuang, then the situation would be even more troublesome.
Thinking of this, Yuxi immediately told Zijin, "Let's go to the front yard." Instead of meeting Duan Xinrong and the man right away, Yuxi went to find Yun Qing first. Fortunately, Yun Qing was at home today; otherwise, they would have had to send someone to fetch him.
Duan Xinrong had directly handed the invitation to Yuxi, and since Yun Qing never interfered in internal affairs, he was unaware of the situation. After hearing what Yuxi had to say, Yun Qing's expression turned grim. "If it's really Yan Wushuang, what is he doing in the northwest?"
Yuxi shook her head. "I don't know, but it definitely won't be a good thing." Yuxi was very wary of Yan Wushuang. This man was not a good person. If it was true that Duan Yushi was executed along with his family for possessing evidence of the current Emperor's treason, then he died because of Yan Wushuang. However, not only did Yan Wushuang not treat Xinrong well, he even threw her into a brothel. It was obvious what kind of person he was.
Yun Qing said, "If that's the case, then don't meet them." Seeing Yuxi shake her head, Yun Qing continued, "Then I will go see them, and you stay away." Yuxi was pregnant, and if anything went wrong, she would regret it later.
Yuxi smiled. "This is our Yun Residence; what can he do here? Would he dare to do anything?" If he dared to make a move, she would turn him into minced meat in a matter of minutes.
Seeing that Yun Qing still disagreed, Yuxi whispered, "Once I confirm that he is indeed Yan Wushuang, I will go back to the backyard." She was not at ease with Yun Qing facing Yan Wushuang.
Yun Qing looked at Yuxi and pointed out, "I have seen him before, I can recognise him in person." Although it had been over a decade, Yan Wushuang had left a deep impression on him, and he still remembered him vividly.
Yuxi chuckled. "People change. Even if his features haven't changed much, the feeling he gives will be different." Through the trials of life, even without significant physical changes, the feeling one gave could be completely different.
Yun Qing argued, "You have never even seen him. How can you be sure of his identity?" Since Yuxi hadn't even met Yan Wushuang, it was even more impossible to confirm his identity.
Yuxi didn't bother explaining to Yun Qing, simply saying, "I have my own way." Seeing someone in person could often be influenced by past memories, but she didn't have that concern.
Since Yun Qing couldn't argue with Yuxi, he had no choice but to compromise.
Not only did Yuxi call for Zijin, but she also brought Hongqi and Hongdou with her. This level of preparation left Yun Qing both amused and exasperated. Upon entering the guest hall, Yuxi's attention was immediately drawn to the man beside Duan Xinrong. The man was tall, only slightly shorter than Yun Qing. He was dressed in simple grey clothes, had fair skin, fine eyebrows, and narrow, slightly squinting phoenix-shaped eyes1. His appearance might have been average in the capital, but in the Northwest, where men rarely looked like this, it was striking. Similarly, in Liaodong, such an appearance would stand out. No wonder people said Yan Wushuang not only excelled in talent and martial skills but also in appearance.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
"Yuxi…" A flirtatious voice rang out, so seductive that it sent shivers down Yuxi's spine. She immediately turned to look at Duan Xinrong, who had just called her name.
Today, Duan Xinrong was dressed in a moon-white gown, styled like a married woman. Although many years had passed, her appearance hadn't changed much. However, she now exuded an indescribable allure. Coupled with her voice, it was clear that her years in the brothel—whether or not she had been a courtesan—had left their mark.
Yuxi sighed inwardly. Back then, she wanted to save Duan Xinrong but lacked the means. Now that Yuxi had the power, she dared not save her. Who knew what Duan Xinrong's intentions might be now that he was looking for her?
Suppressing the flood of emotions in her heart, Yuxi looked at Duan Xinrong and deliberately showed a hesitant expression as she asked, "Are you Xinrong Jiejie2?"
Duan Xinrong nodded, but tears streamed down her face before she could speak. Seeing Yuxi reminded her of the time when the Duan family was executed, and her world was turned upside down.
From the moment Duan Xinrong addressed Yuxi, Yun Qing's expression turned sour. A respectable woman would never speak in such a voice—it was clear that she wasn't a decent woman. With a darkened face, Yun Qing turned to the man and asked, "Who are you, and why have you brought her here?"
The man replied, "Yun Qing, I am Yan Wushuang. Don't you remember me? You used to call me Big Brother Yan!" With this statement, he immediately tried to close the gap between them.
Before coming to the Northwest, Yan Wushuang had told Meng Nian all about his past interactions with Yun Qing, as well as everything he knew about the Yun family.
When Yun Qing entered, he had already observed Meng Nian. The man bore a strong resemblance to the person in his memory, but as Yuxi had said, people's appearance changed with age. Yun Qing replied coldly, "You say you're Yan Wushuang. What proof do you have?"
Meng Nian pointed to his armpit and said to Yun Qing, "I remember you have a red birthmark here about the size of a fingernail." Then he added, "You also have a scar on your arm from falling out of a tree. And Yun Heng—he didn't know how ferocious Ah Hei was, so when he teased him, Ah Hei bit him on the butt, leaving teeth marks..." Yun Qing had three brothers; he was the eldest, the second was Yun Heng, and the third was called Yun Kui. The Ah Hei Meng Nian mentioned was a wolfdog🔗 raised by the Yan family, known for its ferocity.
Yun Qing's expression immediately softened as he remarked, "You really are Yan Wushuang." No one else could know such specific details.
Before Yan Wushuang could respond, Yuxi smiled and said, "This morning, the magpies wouldn't stop chirping. Mama Qu said there'd be good news today, and it seems she was right." What good news? It was clearly trouble knocking at their door.
After saying this, Yuxi smiled and turned to Yun Qing as she ushered, "Look at us, chatting away. Please have a seat, everyone."
Meng Nian's gaze naturally fell on Yuxi. Today, Yuxi wore a loose-fitting peach-red brocade Huangzhou silk 🔗 duijin3, paired with a light purple moonlight-coloured long skirt. Her hair was styled in a crescent moon bun, adorned with a pristine white mutton fat jade hairpin. Her round face bore a faint smile, and her warm gaze made her seem approachable and easy to like.
Meng Nian was somewhat surprised. Yuxi's appearance was nothing like he had imagined. In his mind, Yuxi should have been a woman with an imposing, hidden aura—not someone who appeared so gentle and harmless.
Yun Qing, however, was clearly unhappy with Meng Nian's scrutiny of Yuxi. With a cold expression, he asked Meng Nian, "Why have you come to the Northwest this time?" The Yan family had not been officially charged with treason, so Yan Wushuang was free to move about. However, since Yan Wushuang was a thorn in the side of both the Emperor and the Song family, his arrival was nothing but trouble for Yun Qing.
Meng Nian turned back to look at Duan Xinrong and said, "My wife mentioned that she missed Madam Yun. And with the current tense situation in Liaodong, we decided to take this opportunity to seek refuge in the Northwest." His words were spoken casually, with no intention of being entirely truthful; his only goal was to stir up chaos.
Yuxi looked at Duan Xinrong with a face full of joy and asked, "Xinrong Jiejie2, is that true?" Seeing Duan Xinrong nod slowly, Yuxi beamed so brightly that her face seemed to bloom like a chrysanthemum. "That's wonderful! Xinrong Jiejie2, I've been so worried about you since you left the capital. Later, when you disappeared on your way to Liaodong, I was beside myself with worry. I even begged my Dage4 to look for you. Unfortunately, despite searching for over two years, there was no news. Now that you've found happiness, I can finally relax."
Hearing that Yuxi had asked Duke Han to look for her for over two years, Duan Xinrong felt both moved and guilty. She was touched by Yuxi's sincerity and ashamed for deceiving her. With reddened eyes, she said, "Yuxi, I'm sorry…"
Meng Nian quickly interjected, "It is my wife's good fortune that Madam Yun has always cared for her." Turning to Duan Xinrong, he added, "Xinrong, I know you feel guilty because Madam Yun worried about you, but this wasn't your choice. If it weren't for that damned Emperor, the Yan and Duan families wouldn't have been destroyed, leaving only you and me to survive." Although his words sounded like he was grieving, they were actually a warning to Duan Xinrong.
Duan Xinrong, not wanting to deceive Yuxi, remained silent. However, with her nephew still in the hands of this demon, she had no choice but to compromise for the sake of the Duan family's last remaining bloodline. She said softly, "Yuxi, I'm sorry for worrying you."
Yuxi felt a pang of disappointment at Duan Xinrong's reaction. But she quickly adjusted her mindset. Even the closest of friends would inevitably change after so many years. She had prepared herself for this, so there was no need to dwell on her disappointment.
P.S. (Author): Happy Lantern Festival, everyone! I'm heading home to enjoy some tangyuan today. 🦊
Footnotes Full List
@candiselin86 Chinese have a variety eye shapes, so stop making that gesture #eyes #beauty #chinese #apifamily #asian ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show - Older sister
- 对襟, a kind of Chinese-style jacket with buttons down the front.
- eldest brother
- The author, Jane, made this wish on March 5th, 2015, which was 2 weeks after Chinese New Year.
きつね's Announcement
Sorry for the short break. Everything has been sorted out, so I can post new chapters as usual. Other new chapters will be posted on my Ko-fi page first and then on this site according to the schedule mentioned in the New Releases sections.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi