Perfect Match – CH 023

Chapter 23 [Three Chapters Combined]

In the small courtyard in the east of the city, a rare moment of leisurely reunion.

Although Teng Yue had not arrived yet, he had sent quite a few people, especially his personal guards. Deng Ruyun was not worried about Linglang running around and playing everywhere.

After dinner, Linglang was tired from running around and went to sleep with her great-grandmother.

The autumn wind was gradually becoming noticeably cool, but the daytime sun had made the stone slabs hot, so it did not feel too cold now that night had just fallen.

The wind dispersed the clouds, revealing distant, bright stars in the vast sky. The hustle and bustle of the streets drifted over; the noise, distant and faint, was like the wind rustling through grass, while the aroma of cooking clung to the treetops, sneaking into one’s nostrils when one was not looking.

Deng Ruyun took a deep breath, nestled in Aunt Juan’s arms, and closed her eyes peacefully.

Aunt Juan wrapped her in a blanket, holding her close while fanning away the last of the scurrying mosquitoes.

“…My leg is almost healed. I keep thinking about our old home in Jinzhou. Such a big house, empty and deserted. Even with a dog, it’s still something people think about, not to mention some people with ill intentions. I’m thinking of going back in a few days.”

She was referring to Deng Ruyun’s uncle and aunt.

Deng Ruyun’s father was originally an ordinary herb farmer, but through hard work and diligence, he had earned a modest living years ago. However, this money was only enough for him to be moderately wealthy in the village and support his younger siblings; that was all.

Unwilling to accept this, he decided to learn the craft of medicine making, and that was when he met Deng Ruyun’s mother.

Deng Ruyun’s maternal grandparents were also herb farmers who had become pharmacists. They were passionate about medicine making and had only one daughter, Deng Ruyun’s mother. Seeing that Deng Ruyun’s father genuinely wanted to learn medicine making and truly cared for her mother, they passed on their skills to him.

He was quite savvy in business, and together with Deng Ruyun’s uncle, they searched for opportunities throughout Jinzhou. Within a few years, their family’s medicines were sold all over Jinzhou, and they had opened their own pharmacy.

Deng Ruyun’s aunt also married into a merchant family. When she married, Deng Ruyun’s father and uncle prepared a dowry of sixty-four loads, making them the talk of the town in the county for several years.

However, while the family’s fortunes improved, their unity soured.

The uncle believed he had contributed at least half the effort to the family’s success, but Deng Ruyun’s father only cared about being filial to his in-laws, giving everything to them while treating his younger brother as a manager and helper.

Deng Ruyun’s father believed that without his in-laws generously sharing their pharmaceutical skills and providing him with the initial capital, how could the business have grown to its current state?

The two brothers had some disagreements at this time, but nothing serious.

When Deng Ruyun was little, she remembered her uncle often carrying her on his shoulders, letting her ride like a horse.

Aunt Juan chased after them, calling, “Slow down! Be careful!”

Uncle pretended not to hear and ran even faster, while Little Yunniang hugged his ear, giggling incessantly.

Life was relatively smooth back then, not only because the conflict between Uncle and Father had not escalated, but also because Uncle had taken a liking to Aunt Juan, and perhaps over time, he intended to marry her.

However, Aunt Juan had been married before and had children. Deng Ruyun later heard her mother mention that Uncle had always been bothered by this, so the marriage was repeatedly delayed. Father, however, felt that further delay was disrespectful to Aunt Juan.

Father urged him to set a date quickly, but he had not completely let go of Aunt Juan’s past. This pressure from his father led him to begin an affair with the daughter of a brewer in the next town.

They not only had an affair but also engaged in illicit relations, and the brewer’s daughter soon became pregnant.

The family came knocking on the door. Deng Ruyun remembered that Aunt Juan was sewing her remarriage veil that day when, in a daze, she pricked her finger with the needle.

Blood dripped out, but she was oblivious to the commotion outside.

Her uncle, in a panic, tried to explain to Aunt Juan, but her mother shut the door on him. He kept saying he did not know what was happening, then accused their father of neglecting his younger brother and forcing him into marriage.

He became increasingly agitated, shouting in the courtyard, “You forced me to this! You, my own brother, forced me to marry a woman who had been married before! That’s why I’m like this!”

His shouts continued, and her father, his eyes bloodshot with rage, grabbed the door latch and struck him, breaking his leg in one blow.

This leg break severed the years of brotherly affection.

Deng Ruyun’s uncle, Deng Yaocheng, married a pregnant woman in the neighboring courtyard—the daughter of a winemaker, now Deng Ruyun’s aunt, Madam Zheng.

Aunt Juan never considered remarrying again, remaining only to work for the Deng family and dedicate herself to caring for the children.

The father had initially thought that blood ties remained and that things would improve in a few years. However, his uncle never treated him well again, only discussing money whenever they met.

He claimed that half the family business belonged to him and that what his father had given him when he married and divided the inheritance was far from enough. He even coveted the later portion as the Deng family business prospered.

He no longer cared about past affections; only the family fortune mattered.

After Deng Ruyun’s elder brother, sister-in-law, and parents passed away, he seemed to be in a daze for a while, but soon he intervened in the affairs of the eldest son’s family.

He said that the eldest son’s family had no male heir, only Deng Ruyun as a daughter, who could not support the household.

“Yunniang, come to rely on me, and your uncle will certainly not mistreat you.”

He might not harm her because she bore the surname Deng, but what about her maternal grandmother? What about Aunt Juan? Could he treat Linglang like his own granddaughter?

Not to mention her aunt, Madam Zheng, who was always eyeing the eldest son’s estate, meticulously calculating and tallying it up. Her eyes would light up whenever she saw something nice, and she felt a pang of pain seeing Deng Ruyun spend money on Linglang and her maternal grandmother, as if it were her own money. Once, she even pinched Linglang when she saw her wearing new clothes.

Deng Ruyun became increasingly determined not to let her uncle interfere in the affairs of the eldest son’s family. She wanted to ask the clan head and village chief to establish a female household, to establish her own family, and to support them herself.

But her actions made Deng Yaocheng feel as if she had slapped him in the face.

The uncle and niece eventually had a complete falling out. Deng Yaocheng blocked Deng Ruyun’s path to independence, and Madam Zheng, somehow, had become involved with the second-generation rich kid of the local gentry. That spoiled, dissolute young man took a liking to Deng Ruyun at first sight and wanted to take her as a concubine.

That spoiled, dissolute young man had countless concubines; every year he took in new women, and every year corpses were carried out of his house.

Deng Ruyun was horrified. Just then, Aunt Juan fell from the mountain while gathering herbs, breaking her leg. She wanted to use the best medicine to save her leg, but she could not afford it.

Just when things were beset by internal and external troubles, Old Madam Lin came knocking…

Although these events had only occurred a few months ago, Deng Ruyun looked at the high autumn stars in the sky, listened to the nonsensical chatter of the old woman and the child in the room, and felt the wind carrying the scent of cooking smoke. It felt as if those events were a long time ago.

The wind was getting chilly, and she pulled the blanket closer to Aunt Juan’s arms.

“There’s no gold in Jinzhou. Aunt Juan will not find any gold when she goes back, and she will just have to eat a mouthful of sand. Why bother?”

“You child…” Aunt Juan’s words were somewhere between laughter and tears.

Aunt Juan laughed. “Jinzhou may not have gold, but all our belongings are still in the courtyard. If no one goes there, will others not covet them?”

When they arrived, Old Madam Lin had Deng Ruyun’s family prepare in advance, then took them all away at once that night. The next morning, besides leaving a fierce dog to guard the courtyard, only a mute old soldier sent by Old Madam Lin remained; he could keep an eye on the dogs and the people outside.

Old Madam Lin later told Deng Ruyun that her uncle’s family had searched frantically for a long time, both anxious and angry, after the eldest son’s family had disappeared overnight, and they could not enter the house.

The uncle even tried to get permission from the village head to forcibly occupy the eldest son’s courtyard, but the village head had already been instructed by Old Madam Lin and ignored him. He was so angry that he did not eat for several days, and Deng Ruyun’s aunt, Madam Zheng, seeing that she had lost both her family and her possessions, simply fell ill from anger.

Deng Ruyun suggested that she should not go, as any problems would be known to Old Madam Lin. However, Aunt Juan was clearly still concerned.

But then she brought up something else: “I heard General Teng has been back for quite some time now. How is he treating you…?”

She had wanted to ask this for the past few days, but she was not sure whether to.

Yunniang had once been wholeheartedly in love with the young general, a fact known to the whole family. But times had changed; her young general had become a third-rank border general, making a relationship with him impossible.

Yet, a contract brought them together again, and not just any ordinary connection…

Aunt Juan had always held a grudge about this. Yunniang had indeed been pressured by the local gentry and Deng Yaocheng’s family, but it was also because she had broken her leg that Yunniang had no other choice but to agree to this self-destructive “marriage.”

Aunt Juan’s nose tingled with a touch of sadness as she gently combed Deng Ruyun’s long, black hair with a comb dipped in osmanthus oil.

The bright moon hung in the sky, its crescent shape a perfect crescent. Even the rabbit in the moon palace seemed to have rested, no longer shining brightly all night.

The starlight was dim. Deng Ruyun said it was fine, “General Teng is a man of propriety.”

Except he had been acting a little strange lately. He might need a few doses of Nine-Flavor Heart-Soothing Powder to recover.

But what happened between her and him was destined to remain unrequited, so it was not important, and she did not want to say more.

Aunt Juan understood her meaning, tucked her in, and stroked her hair, smoothing it again, saying nothing more.

But her eyes, like the dim starlight, held a different kind of sadness.

Deng Ruyun changed the subject. “I heard from Madam Zhou that land prices in prefectures and counties a little distance from Xi’an are not too high. In some more remote areas, it might even be cheaper than Jinzhou. Let’s save up and buy a house in one of the prefectures or counties under Xi’an’s jurisdiction.”

Buying their own house meant that after leaving the Teng family in two years, they would not have to live in the Teng family’s courtyard anymore.

Even if the Teng family were willing, Teng Yue would eventually marry a woman from a high-ranking family. How could his new wife possibly agree?

Not to mention others, Deng Ruyun would be the first to object. Once she left, she would leave and never want to be involved again…

As for the old house in Jinzhou, with her uncle’s family nearby, she could not go back and live there peacefully.

As they calculated their expenses, Aunt Juan felt increasingly short of money. She said, “Although Inspector Sun gave us a place to sell medicine, I inquired, and his shop is not very big; it probably will not sell for much. But if we could take over such a small shop and manage it carefully, that would be great.”

The Deng family owned a pharmacy, so they naturally knew more about the business than Inspector Sun and his family.

However, such a small shop would cost a lot of money in Xi’an Prefecture. If Deng Ruyun had an extra four or five hundred taels, she might be able to manage it; otherwise, it was simply impossible.

She said, “If a good opportunity arises, I’d sell the medicinal herb fields back home and clear out any unused belongings. Leaving only an empty house would prevent it from being coveted.”

“That’s true, so it’s best to go back. Otherwise, we should find someone to keep an eye on things…”

The two chatted idly amidst the fading autumn night cicada chirps.

Aunt Juan looked down and realized the child had fallen asleep sometime earlier. Her injured body was thin and bony, and she shooed away the mosquitoes that stealthily approached.

If, as she said, Teng Yue treated her with courtesy, that was not bad, but…

Aunt Juan lowered her eyes and hugged Yunniang even tighter.

*

At the Teng Mansion, in the Liumingxuan courtyard.

Liumingxuan suddenly felt empty. Teng Yue had woken up that morning, and even the birds had stopped chirping.

But today was the day he had promised her—his return visit to her parents’ home.

Teng Yue asked his servant Congying to bring him a suitable brocade robe, but after Congying brought several, he shook his head. “Is there not a more festive color?”

Congying was surprised.

Second Master never liked wearing dark or heavy colors. He searched for a long time before finally finding a brocade robe that Second Master had never worn.

He hesitated, then took it. “Second Master, what do you think of this bright red brocade robe embroidered with an endless manji pattern?”

Congying hesitated, but the man’s eyes lit up with pleasure.

“This one will do.”

However, wearing this robe, he forgot his renowned reputation in Xi’an Prefecture and nearly got stuck on the road.

*

A small house in the east of the city.

Deng Ruyun figured he would not arrive until at least noon, so she only had Xiuniang prepare a room. Nothing else was done; the family ate breakfast in the courtyard.

But before they could put down their chopsticks, they heard a commotion in the streets outside.

Aunt Juan asked curiously, “I have not heard of anyone getting married or having a daughter married nearby.”

She wanted to call Deng’s servant, Changxing, to go and take a look, but before Changxing could leave, Deng Ruyun sensed something was amiss.

She got up and went to the door with Changxing. However, just as the two arrived, someone knocked on the door. Changxing went to open it, and the moment the doorway swung open, the crowd nearly pushed their way in.

If it were not for the man’s tall figure standing in the doorway, blocking the throng behind him, she feared the doorway would have been flooded.

Deng Ruyun was stunned. The man had not expected to attract so many people.

But for some reason, many people from Xi’an Prefecture did not know he was married. So he simply said he was going to his wife’s home for a homecoming visit, and those people followed.

Now, those at the front of the crowd saw Deng Ruyun and could not help but gasp.

They did not dare say anything openly, but they whispered, “So General Teng’s wife is this beautiful. Dressed simply and with light makeup, she’s like a goddess from a painting…”

Deng Ruyun did not know if these people were genuinely praising her or just giving Teng Yue face.

Fortunately, Deputy General Tong arrived quickly and dispersed the crowd.

Teng Yue entered the house, feeling somewhat awkward. Looking at his wife’s strange expression, he vaguely regretted dressing so flamboyantly.

He had indeed wanted to wear a festive color for his wife’s homecoming, but seeing her in only a plain ivory jacket, the contrast was stark.

The man lowered his eyes slightly. He could not say anything to her but asked softly, “Was Yunniang frightened just now?”

Deng Ruyun was indeed frightened, but his bright red attire had startled her even more.

But she politely shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

Her politeness made Teng Yue’s brows droop even more, his expression slightly somber.

He first went into the courtyard to greet his maternal grandmother and Aunt Juan.

The latter, as usual, avoided him, but his maternal grandmother tilted her head and carefully examined him again.

Suddenly, the old woman spoke, “Little General.”

Upon hearing these two words, Aunt Juan was startled, and Deng Ruyun froze.

Teng Yue, slightly surprised, asked, “Has Grandmother seen me before?”

He knew the Deng family was also from Jinzhou, but they used to live in the countryside.

However, his question caused the atmosphere in the courtyard to tense up for some reason.

Aunt Juan was somewhat at a loss, noticing Yunniang’s flustered look. She was about to say something to interrupt, but the old woman spoke again.

“Little General…”

She did not answer, only looking at Teng Yue and calling “Little General” twice more.

Aunt Juan breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Yunniang had also come to her senses. “Grandmother, you must have seen the General before; after all, we know of the General’s reputation in Jinzhou.”

Teng Yue repeatedly said he did not deserve such praise, seeing that Aunt Juan had already helped the grandmother to a side room.

Even seated in the side room, the grandmother, peering through the window, still gazed at the couple on the veranda. She saw her bright and beautiful granddaughter and the imposing man beside her. A loving smile graced her face beneath her white hair.

In the empty room, she smiled and spoke again.

“It’s Little Yunniang and her Little General.”

… …

The grandmother’s sudden movement had startled Deng Ruyun so much that she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Fortunately, the grandmother had not said anything, but she had heard Teng Yue ask a question.

“Did Yunniang often come to Jinzhou City when she was there?”

He wanted to know if she had seen him before.

But she only shook her head.

“Not often,” she said, her eyes half-closed, “only occasionally.”

“I see.”

Teng Yue was curious about her life in Jinzhou, but she clearly did not want to talk about it.

Perhaps for her, those painful memories were wounds she did not want others to see.

Teng Yue did not ask further, only silently noting them down.

He stayed there, and Deng Ruyun felt that if it were not against custom, he probably would have wanted to share a room with her.

But he still dutifully stayed in the outer courtyard, only sharing meals with her three times a day. He wove a large grass rabbit for Linglang out of cattails, helped Aunt Juan tend to the herbs in the courtyard, and when Changxing told him that her grandmother’s roof had been damaged by tree branches and might leak, he climbed onto the roof before the rain and repaired it for her grandmother…

Deng Ruyun felt that this was not a homecoming visit, but rather him coming to do manual labor.

But the man seemed quite happy to do it. If Deng Ruyun politely advised him to stop, he would purse his lips and ask her.

“Does Yunniang think I did not do a good job?”

Alright, Deng Ruyun shut her mouth.

Anyway, this house belonged to Old Madam Lin, so, as her son, he could take his time repairing it.

*

Teng Yue went back to her parents’ home. Old Madam Lin did not take it seriously, but memorials impeaching the Prince Enhua’s Mansion were being submitted to the court one after another. Teng Yue remained calm, but she only wanted to know how the Prince Enhua’s Mansion would respond.

If the Prince Enhua’s Mansion was afraid of escalating the matter and wanted to settle things privately, she would actually be willing; it was better to make a friend than an enemy.

But Teng Yue was probably unwilling.

Old Madam Lin pondered this matter repeatedly, and it went without saying that she had not been able to sleep well for several days.

Some advisors from the Prince Enhua’s Mansion also suggested settling things privately.

However, some said, “The Teng family sent their memorial to the capital so quickly; how could they be trying to settle this privately? They are clearly dissatisfied with the Prince’s alliances with generals at the border and are using this opportunity to file a complaint against us.”

“If only we had not tried to win him over, we should have suppressed him. Instead, he’s found leverage against us…”

The Prince’s advisors discussed the matter, saying that Teng Yue was a tough guy. But Prince Enhua, sitting in the middle, not only remained calm but also nodded approvingly.

Prince Enhua, Zhu Zhenfan, said, “At first, I also thought he was nothing special, not good enough for my Rongle. But Rongle took a liking to him. I did not expect this kid to have such courage, daring to go against me. He’s got guts.”

He smiled instead of getting angry. “This makes me think highly of him!”

Prince Enhua’s attitude left the advisors speechless.

Some people joined in his words, but many more said, “His impeachment of the Prince’s Mansion is ultimately detrimental to us. It will inevitably draw the court’s attention, making us feel constrained and uncomfortable.”

“And that Grand Eunuch Hong Jin, he’s trying to interfere at the border. This might be his chance…”

These matters were indeed troublesome, but could Zhu Zhenfan really use his daughter as a shield?

He could not bear to, but someone still insisted.

“Speaking of which, it’s actually the County Princess who was too impatient, and it’s all fallen on the Prince.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhenfan stopped the person.

“Do not mention Rongle anymore. Jiao’er just felt that the boy humiliated me; she’s just a young girl who cannot stand it.”

He added meaningfully.

“Anyway, nothing serious happened; it’s just a matter of being held back for a while…”

However, before he could finish speaking, someone came to report.

“Your Highness, the County Princess has left the Prince’s mansion for Xi’an Prefecture!”

“To Xi’an Prefecture? What is she doing in Xi’an Prefecture?” Zhu Zhenfan’s eyes widened.

The messenger said directly, “The County Princess said that she would take responsibility for her own actions and could not let Your Highness bear the blame for her. She went to the Provincial Surveillance Office in Xi’an Prefecture to turn herself in!”

Zhu Zhenfan caught his breath, and after a long while, he exhaled, his eyes reddening.

The staff below all had different expressions.

But he had no time to care; he only looked in the direction of Xi’an and sighed deeply.

“My daughter, if you were a man, who could you have lost to…”

*

In less than a day, the news of the surrender of County Princess Rongle, Zhu Yijiao, spread throughout the streets and alleys of Xi’an Prefecture.

Xiuniang, with Deng Ruyun in tow, prepared the medicine and headed to Inspector Sun’s small pharmacy, Cixin Hall, to sell it.

Previously, she had searched all over Xi’an for a shop to sell her medicine, but being a stranger and a woman, the shopkeepers would not even glance at her and would dismiss her.

This time, though going to Inspector Sun’s shop, Xiuniang deliberately changed into men’s clothing to avoid being looked down upon.

However, just as she passed the entrance to the Provincial Surveillance Office, she saw the street completely blocked. Listening closely, she learned that it was none other than Princess Rongle, Zhu Yijiao, who had come to the Provincial Surveillance Office to turn herself in!

Xiuniang was furious because this wicked woman, Zhu Yijiao, had bullied her young mistress but had not been punished. Hearing that Zhu Yijiao had surrendered, she was both surprised and delighted.

It seemed she had really gotten herself into trouble; even her princely father could not protect her anymore.

However, the people on the street said something else entirely. They all said that the county princess rode a tall black horse, dressed in riding attire, with a bright red cloak draped over her back, and galloped into the city without any accompaniment, heading straight for the gate of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner’s Office.

Even turning oneself in would not diminish the dignity of the royal family.

Xiuniang rolled her eyes, wanting to argue. A bad person was a bad person, no matter how glamorous they were, and a ruthless one at that!

But the streets were too crowded. Xiuniang was afraid of ruining the medicine Deng Ruyun had painstakingly prepared, so she had to put it aside and hurry towards Inspector Sun’s Cixin Hall.

Cixin Hall was indeed located in an inconspicuous alley; even the signboard was so unremarkable that Xiuniang almost could not find it.

Luckily, the shopkeeper was there. Xiuniang quickly went up to him, explained her purpose, and took out all her prepared medicines.

These medicines had been processed several times by Deng Ruyun and looked quite presentable. Xiuniang was also dressed in clean clothes, disguised as a man, but the shopkeeper could not help but ask a question upon hearing her speak.

“From the south?”

Xiuniang answered truthfully, “We are from Jinzhou, but we’ve been selling our medicine there for many years.”

Even so, the shopkeeper still looked somewhat embarrassed.

“Our boss, Inspector Sun, is a kind and generous man. He befriends everyone, regardless of who they are. Giving people medicinal herbs or helping them with their illnesses is fine, but this time he’s buying medicine to sell. These are things that heal and save lives, so I cannot be careless.”

He told Xiuniang frankly, “You see, I really want to accept your medicine as my boss wishes. But I still need to have it inspected. I cannot just put it on the shelf and sell it right away. Is that alright?”

Xiuniang was confident that the medicine her young lady made was excellent, but they were strangers from the countryside. Even with Inspector Sun’s “decree,” they would still need to be inspected.

She could only agree, “How would you like the examination?”

The shopkeeper said it was simple and took the medicine Xiuniang had brought, heading towards the door.

A young physician sat at the door, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. Apparently, something big had happened at the Provincial Surveillance Office; even the people in the alleys were talking about it, and he was listening intently.

The shopkeeper walked over, unaware of his presence. The shopkeeper wanted to call out to him, but suddenly could not remember his surname.

“Physician, is your surname Fu or Bai?”

The physician sitting by the door turned around at the sound of his voice.

Xiuniang saw that beneath the palm-leaf fan, the man had gentle features, and a beauty mark, like a fallen star, adorned the lower part of his left eyelid.

Xiuniang had never seen such a handsome man up close before and blinked, stunned.

The man smiled gently and spoke to the shopkeeper.

“My surname is Fu.”

He smiled good-naturedly and even helped the shopkeeper review his prescription.

“Fu Chunbai, shopkeeper, do not get it backwards.”

The shopkeeper, embarrassed, quickly said he remembered but handed him the medicine that Xiuniang had brought.

“Bai, oh no, Physician Fu, this is some newly acquired medicine from the owner. I see there are decoctions, sliced ​​herbs, powders, pills, and ointments. Could you please take a close look, Physician Fu, and tell me if we should accept this batch?”

Since he was there to practice medicine and earn money at the small pharmacy, he always complied with the shopkeeper’s orders.

The new physician smiled and nodded, “Do not worry, I will examine it carefully.”

The shopkeeper then made the arrangement with Xiuniang, but when Xiuniang left, she made a point of bowing to Physician Fu.

“Physician Fu, please rest assured, our medicines are absolutely good and can withstand testing. However, it’s still a lot of trouble for you.”

Physician Fu seemed to be a good-natured person, smiling and saying, “It’s fine.”

His smile softened his features even more.

Xiuniang’s intuition was right; the medicine would definitely pass the testing.

*

Xiuniang returned to her small courtyard in the east of the city and told Deng Ruyun about it.

“They told us to go back in a few days to see if they can accept it.”

Deng Ruyun agreed. She was not worried about the medicine being problematic, but after discussing the potential sale of the pharmacy with Aunt Juan, she was quite interested and wanted to visit Cixin Hall to see how much money she would need to save to buy such a small shop.

She said, “I will go with you in a few days.”

Xiuniang nodded repeatedly, but then immediately brought up the matter of Princess Rongle, Zhu Yijiao, turning herself in at the gate of the Provincial Surveillance Office.

Deng Ruyun was greatly surprised. She turned to look at the front courtyard. Someone had been there all day, now drying herbs in the front courtyard. She wondered if he had heard about such a big matter.

This was no small matter, and she had also heard about his insistence on opposing the Prince Enhua’s Mansion. She did not know how much she was involved in his actions, but even if she was not, she planned to tell him.

She went to the front courtyard and saw him with Changxing, a servant from the Deng family, turning over the last batch of purslane from this autumn. Aunt Juan had harvested a lot of this batch of purslane, seeing it was of good quality, and even said she would use some to make steamed buns.

As soon as Deng Ruyun approached, he immediately looked up, beads of sweat still on his forehead.

Deng Ruyun immediately told him what Xiuniang had heard, but unexpectedly, he smiled.

“I already know.”

Know? And still drying herbs here?

Deng Ruyun suspected she had not explained things clearly, but seeing that he had at least put down his rake, he said something.

“She’s a woman of principle, except her methods are too ruthless.”

Deng Ruyun thought the same thing as him, especially remembering that day at Old Madam Huang’s birthday banquet, when the county princess gave that inexplicable smile, which still left her somewhat frightened.

She had not told anyone else about this, only hearing Teng Yue say it.

“I initially thought Prince Enhua would take the punishment for her, letting her off easy, but I did not expect her to step forward herself. Colluding with bandits is no small matter; she should at least lose her title of county princess. And since she is Prince Enhua’s daughter, even if Prince Enhua is not punished, our intentions have been achieved…”

He explained their dealings with Prince Enhua’s Mansion, and also told her about Baifeng Mountain and how he was actually looking for a batch of military supplies and armor that had been resold by bandits.

These were words Teng Yue had never spoken to her before. Perhaps he thought she was uneducated and would not understand these things, or perhaps he had not truly considered her his wife… But today, he took this opportunity to tell her everything. Seeing her slightly stunned expression, he said, “Since the stolen military supplies were not found, and no one can be convicted, this outcome is actually quite good.”

After he finished speaking, Teng Yue felt as if golden threads shimmered in her hair under the sunlight.

She understood everything.

For a moment, Teng Yue wanted to ask her if he should hire a tutor so his younger sister would not have to go to other people’s private schools every day. A tutor could teach her, his younger sister, Linglang, and even Xiuniang all at once.

She would probably want to learn to read and write, would she not?

But remembering her hidden temper and pride, Teng Yue did not say it directly. He secretly noted this down, but then heard her say softly, as if lost in thought.

“Is the General about to return to Ningxia?”

Teng Yue’s heart, which had just raced a beat, instantly slowed.

Her reaction was quick.

“Does Yunniang want me to leave?” he asked.

Upon hearing his question, he saw her blink rapidly.

“General, you’re overthinking it. I did not mean that.”

Really?

Teng Yue stared at her for a couple more moments.

Whether she was telling the truth or not, he might have to go back, or he might have to stay for quite some time.

*

Although Princess Rongle surrendered herself, the result wasn’t bad, but it seemed like she acted on her own initiative. The Prince Enhua’s Mansion must have other plans.

Teng Yue was busy for several days.

People from Ningxia also arrived. Teng Yue met with Kong Hui, Huang Xiqing’s nephew, who had been working in Xi’an, along with the generals Teng Yue had arranged to stay at the Xi’an garrison.

Kong Hui said directly, “This generation of Prince Qing cannot suppress the power of Prince Enhua’s Mansion. Aside from suffering a loss at the hands of that eunuch Hong Jin, Prince Enhua has probably only gotten away with this one blow from us. He’s heartbroken over the fate of his precious daughter.”

Prince Enhua’s Mansion was a branch of Prince Qing’s Mansion. Logically, Prince Qing’s Mansion should be a powerful vassal state guarding the border, but this generation of Prince Qing’s weakness had allowed Prince Enhua to gain the upper hand.

The Enhua Prince, doting on his daughter, couldn’t remain inactive.

At this moment, Wang Fuxiang, Teng Yue’s colleague and friend in Ningxia, sent word that Prince Enhua’s Mansion had obstructed Teng Yue’s plans to be promoted to Guerrilla General, given his accumulated military achievements.

Teng Yue was not surprised at all. Hearing their regret, he said… “If I cannot get promoted, so be it. Even if I get the title of Guerrilla General now, I will still be closely watched by Prince Enhua when I return to Ningxia.”

Upon hearing this, Kong Hui laughed, “Uncle actually wrote back mentioning this.”

His uncle was Huang Xiqing, who was in the capital.

“What did Minister Huang say?” Teng Yue asked.

Kong Hui said, “My uncle wants you temporarily transferred back to Xi’an Prefecture. As for our other generals, if they cannot stay in Ningxia, they should all be transferred back to Guanzhong.”

Teng Yue immediately understood.

Prince Enhua was trying to win over the generals. If all these men left, Prince Enhua would be happy. But with this incident, even if they left, the court would send others, not to mention that the Grand Eunuch Hong Jin was keeping an eye on the army and would inevitably send people to Ningxia.

In this way, once they withdrew, Prince Enhua’s Mansion would be directly confronting Hong Jin.

Teng Yue had already planned this out, and hearing that Minister Huang shared the same idea, he could not help but smile.

Kong Hui added, “I’ve already picked out a position for you; you will stay in the garrison in Xi’an. Aside from anything else, it will be more convenient to go home, right?”

He was absolutely right.

Teng Yue could not help but think of someone in his family who wanted him to leave.

Now that he was being transferred back to the garrison office in Xi’an, spending all his time at home, he wondered what her reaction would be.

Teng Yue, anticipating her reaction, chatted with the others for a while longer before returning to her small courtyard in the east of the city.

However, when he returned early, he heard that she had already left.

*

At Cixin Hall.

Deng Ruyun and Xiuniang arrived a few days later, wanting to see how the testing of her batch of medicine was going.

Both were dressed in men’s clothing. Before coming, Deng Ruyun had told her grandmother that she had borrowed her grandmother’s surname to adopt a new name for her future use in Xi’an Prefecture. Her new name was Liang Yun.

Just then, Deng Ruyun and Xiuniang arrived at Cixin Hall and inquired about the results of the medicine testing from the shopkeeper. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper frowned.

“Our physician thinks your medicine is unsuitable. There are at least four or five types that we really cannot accept.”

This caused Xiuniang to stare wide-eyed in disbelief. Deng Ruyun was also taken aback, but she showed no remorse and spoke directly.

“I made the medicine. I do not know which four or five types are problematic. Perhaps we can take the medicine and discuss it in detail?”

Just then, someone lifted the curtain and came out from behind.

Before the newcomer could understand what was going on, the shopkeeper invited them over.

“Physician Fu, the pharmacist is here. He wants to ask why the medicine failed the test. Could you tell him?”

It was just past noon, and the weather was sweltering. The man had just gone to the back to water his little donkey when he returned and heard the shopkeeper’s words. His expression remained amiable, but he said…

“Those medicines really did not work. The reason… Do you two really want me to explain in detail?”

Xiuniang had always thought that Physician Fu, with his gentle and refined demeanor, would surely pass their tests. She had not expected him to say such ambiguous things.

Xiuniang frowned, but before she could speak, Deng Ruyun spoke first.

“My methods for making medicine may not be the most refined, but there’s absolutely no shady stuff to hide. Physician, please speak frankly.”

Her unwavering stance finally made the man raise his eyes and look at her seriously.