in2ebook Chapter 137 Shocking
Chapter 137 Shocking
Chapter 137 Shocking
The carriage stopped at the Xu residence. Ye Yanxun helped Xu Pingyue out of the carriage, and the three of them walked into the house. The servants in the house bowed to them all the way, making Ye Yanxun feel as if he were in a marquis's mansion.
As they approached the main building, the aroma of food wafted from the dining hall, making Ye Yanxun, who had been eating only bland soup and dry rations in the cramped examination cells of the examination hall for more than ten days, unable to resist the temptation.
"I knew you must be hungry, so I prepared all of this for you. Go ahead and eat to your heart's content," Xu Pingyue said with a smile, patting the back of his hand.
Ye Yanxun nodded, strode into the dining room, sat down at the table laden with food, and began to eat heartily.
Stewed duck, abalone and seafood, braised lion's head meatballs... these are all dishes that Ye Yanxun likes. He devoured them in a flash, and when he put down his chopsticks, there was hardly anything left on the plate.
A maid from the Xu household came forward with a handkerchief and mouthwash for him, then cleared the table. Ye Yanxun rinsed his mouth, wiped it clean, and then let out a long breath before getting up to go to the main hall to find An Shihou and Xu Pingyue.
In the main hall, Marquis Anshi and Xu Pingyue were chatting over tea. When Ye Yanxun entered, they both put down their teacups and turned to look at him. Ye Yanxun walked up to Xu Pingyue, flicked his robe, knelt down before her, and kowtowed three times.
“Mother, I was unable to come back to visit you before I went to take the exam. I am an unfilial son.”
“You need to focus on your exams and won’t have time for anything else, so I won’t blame you,” Xu Pingyue helped him up and said gently. “Besides, aren’t you here with me now? I’m so happy to have you here today.”
Ye Yanxun also smiled: "I am very happy to see my mother."
Xu Pingyue pulled him to sit down beside her, poured him a cup of tea, and said, "Since you're happy, don't rush back. Stay here and chat with your mother for a while longer."
Ye Yanxun smiled and replied, "Yes." Xu Pingyue asked with concern, "You've been taking the exams in the examination hall for so long. Are you getting used to it? Although it's autumn now, the sun is still scorching. Are you alright?"
Ye Yanxun shook his head and said, "Mother, don't worry, my body isn't that weak. I can endure this hardship."
"That's good." Xu Pingyue said with a smile, "What about the food? Is it provided by the Examination Hall?"
Yeh Yen-hsun said, “Three meals a day are provided by the examination hall, but candidates can also bring their own dry food. However, before entering the examination hall, all the candidates’ belongings must be carefully checked by the invigilators, and they can only enter after confirming that there are no problems.”
“I see,” Xu Pingyue said. “That’s interesting.”
Seeing that Xu Pingyue was interested, Ye Yanxun picked out a few things that happened during the exam and told them to Xu Pingyue as jokes. Of course, he didn't dare to mention that he had discovered Ye Yingrou's presence in the examination hall.
Seeing this scene of maternal love and filial piety, Marquis Anshi was deeply moved, and a certain thought in his heart grew stronger.
One day, he would bring Wanfu back to the Marquis's mansion, so she could openly and honestly interact with Xun'er as she did today. He believed that day was not far off.
"Your ornament is quite exquisite, though a little too delicate." Xu Pingyue looked at the incense stick hanging at Ye Yanxun's waist and gave him a knowing smile. "Which woman gave it to you?"
Ye Yanxun, who had been smiling, was suddenly choked by these words and didn't know what to say for a moment.
He knew that although Xu Pingyue never mentioned it and always told him and Ye Yingrou that she didn't care, he knew that she still harbored a deep attachment to Gongsun Yuan and her daughter. She didn't want him to get too close to Gongsun Yuan, and if she found out that this gift was from Ye Pianran, she would probably be unhappy.
To change the subject, he asked, "Mother, where is Rou'er? Hasn't she returned yet?"
Xu Pingyue had her back to An Shihou, so Ye Yanxun could clearly see the hesitant look on Xu Pingyue's face.
"Rou'er took Seventeen out of the capital and we don't know where she went. She hasn't sent any news home these past few days," Xu Pingyue said.
She took Seventeen out of the capital? So this girl hadn't told her mother where she was going either! What exactly is Rou'er planning? Doesn't she know that sneaking into the provincial examination is tantamount to cheating? Ye Yanxun was extremely anxious, but afraid that Xu Pingyue would notice something was wrong, he could only try his best to maintain a smile on his face.
"Really? I suppose she went back to Fuzhou." No, I must tell Father this as soon as possible, otherwise Rou'er's chances of survival are slim!
Suddenly, a servant announced from outside: "My lord, madam, someone claiming to be from the Fourth Prince's residence has come to visit, saying he has something to give you."
The Fourth Prince's residence? How would the Fourth Prince's men know about this place? Could it be... that he knows about the relationship between Marquis Anshi and Xu Pingyue?
Marquis Anshi's expression changed drastically, and he said, "Let him in!"
A moment later, a man dressed in a blue cloth robe was led into the front hall. Without even glancing at Xu Pingyue and Ye Yanxun, he bowed respectfully to Marquis Anshi and said, "My lord, my master has entrusted me to deliver something to you." He then took out a piece of paper covered in writing from his robes and handed it to Marquis Anshi.
"Please take a look, Your Excellency."
Marquis Anshi took the paper with a look of surprise and doubt. After carefully reading its contents, he revealed an extremely shocked, even incredulous, expression.
"The message has been delivered; I shall take my leave now." The man bowed and turned to leave, but Marquis Anshi quickly called him back, saying:
"Wait a minute, when was this Prince Xin handed over to you? And when were you summoned here?"
The man turned around and said, "The letter was just written, and I was just called here."
Marquis Anshi remained stunned. Seeing that Marquis Anshi did not try to persuade him to stay, the man withdrew and left the mansion.
After the man left, Ye Yanxun, sensing something was wrong, stood up and asked, "Father, what happened? What did the Fourth Prince say in his letter?"
Marquis Anshi snapped out of his daze, his expression extremely complicated, and said, "The letter wasn't written by Your Highness, but by Rou'er. Rou'er, she..."
Xu Pingyue's pupils contracted, and she gripped the armrest of the chair tightly, asking, "What happened to Rou'er?"
Marquis Anshi took a deep breath and said, "Rou'er entered the Prince of Nanping's mansion and became a maidservant by the Prince of Nanping's side."
What? How could this be? Didn't she go out of town?
"Although we are not a prestigious family, we are still a respectable one. Why would she want to become a slave and serve others?" Xu Pingyue's fingers trembled with anger. "Rong Wu, get out here!"
As soon as Xu Pingyue finished speaking, a thin man dressed in dark brown suddenly entered the room: "Madam, what can I do for you?"
"Call Rong Shiqi back to me. I want to ask him what exactly happened!"
"Yes," Rong Wu replied, then leaped away silently.
Xu Pingyue was still angry, but she didn't notice that both An Shihou and Ye Yanxun had thoughtful expressions.
What is the Fourth Prince's intention in keeping Rou'er by his side to serve him? In any case, perhaps he really should make a trip to the Prince of Nanping's residence. Marquis Anshi thought with a sullen face.