Perfect Match – CH 054

Chapter 54

That evening, when Teng Yue returned, Deng Ruyun was almost asleep.

She had just finished washing up and was sitting on the edge of the bed, tidying her clothes in only her undergarments, with Dafu nestled obediently at her feet.

Before the man even entered the room, his strong smell of alcohol wafted in, causing Dafu to sit up and run to the door to see what was happening. Deng Ruyun also put down her things and went over.

“General, you’ve drunk so much?”

Teng Yue then realized he smelled strongly of alcohol and quickly stepped back out of the room, patting himself dry. Seeing Deng Ruyun and Dafu standing behind the curtain, looking at him, he bowed his head apologetically.

“I did drink a little too much. Do I still smell strongly of alcohol? Did I bother you?”

The early spring night wind was like well water, chilling him to the bone. Deng Ruyun shook her head, urging him to come into the room first.

“Be careful not to catch a cold. Come in and have some hot tea to calm your nerves.”

She turned to pour him tea. Dafu sniffed Teng Yue and barked softly at him twice.

Teng Yue saw this and could not help but bend down and pat Dafu’s fluffy yellow head, then sat obediently at the table, waiting for his wife’s tea.

Deng Ruyun brewed him a cup of hot tea, added a pill with hangover-relieving properties, and brought it to the table.

Teng Yue saw the medicine she had made herself in the teacup, and with a drunken smile, he picked it up.

“I will drink all the hangover tea that Yunniang made for me.”

He said this and drank it down in one gulp.

But the tea was scalding hot, and his sudden large gulp startled even Deng Ruyun.

“Ah, the water’s too hot! Spit it out!”

Teng Yue, who usually preferred cold tea, was suddenly scalded by the boiling water. He refused to spit it out but could not swallow it either, leaving the tea swirling on his tongue.

Seeing him unable to swallow and stubbornly refusing to spit it out, Deng Ruyun was at a loss and could not help but pat his chin in frustration.

“Just spit it out! Your mouth’s going to burn!”

But he just shook his head, ignoring Deng Ruyun’s patting. Instead, he tilted his head back and swallowed the hot tea.

After swallowing, he slightly opened his mouth, and the temperature inside was shockingly high.

Deng Ruyun was stunned.

The man chuckled softly, the smell of alcohol lingering on his lips.

“Yunniang made me this hangover tea; I am not going to throw it up. You do not know; those two are jealous of me. One of them is not liked by his wife, and the other is not even married yet. I am different; even when I go out on errands, Yunniang is with me. So I will not throw it up; I am going to drink it. This is a hangover tea that none of them have.”

This utterly illogical explanation even made Dafu bark at him in confusion.

“Woof woof?”

“Really drunk?”

Deng Ruyun had never seen this man so drunk before, blinking incredulously as she looked at him.

But when she stared at him like that, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his already flushed face.

However, the next moment, Deng Ruyun suddenly felt dizzy, and when she came to her senses, she found that her and Teng Yue’s positions had instantly reversed.

She was now trapped in the armchair.

His intoxicating aroma mingled with the scent of the scalding tea, filling the room with a quiet stillness, save for Dafu, who excitedly darted around their feet, its tail swishing wildly.

Deng Ruyun was no longer aware of Dafu; she only saw his intoxicated eyes now close to hers, the smile on his lips, and the scalding heat of the tea he had just swallowed pressing against hers.

He gently bit and pecked at her, his low, husky voice reaching her ear, “I am not drunk; I just feel luckier than them all…”

As he spoke, his tongue explored deeper, the last two sentences already melting into her lips and tongue.

“…Because I have you. Yunniang, we both need to be well.”

Dafu seemed to respond to his words, letting out a soft nibble.

In the warm room, Deng Ruyun, too, seemed enveloped by the intoxication of the wine, tasting a fleeting, intoxicating sweetness amidst the caresses of his lips and tongue.

*

Back in Xi’an, at the Teng Mansion.

Old Madam Lin had barely slept for three nights. Each time she closed her eyes, before she could drift into sleep, she was rudely jolted awake by a sharp, piercing stab.

This cycle repeated itself until she simply gave up on sleep altogether. Tonight was no different. She put on her robe, sat up in bed, and told the maid on night watch not to follow her. Alone, carrying a lamp, she walked towards the family’s small ancestral hall.

The small ancestral hall was not far behind Canglang Pavilion.

Her sprained ankle had not fully healed, and she had to rest every few steps. Reaching the entrance of the ancestral hall, she was chilled by the night.

With a creak, she opened the door of the small ancestral hall and went inside.

The spacious hall contained only a few memorial tablets, but Old Madam Lin immediately spotted the ones placed at the very front: those of her husband, Teng Wenli, and her eldest son, Teng Qi.

She limped forward, slowly took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the two tablets.

The deep, cold night made the secluded ancestral hall seem even more empty and desolate. As Old Madam Lin wiped the tablets, she suddenly clutched them to her arms, curled up, and knelt on the prayer mat.

A low sob echoed in the hall, fading into the darkness after what seemed like an eternity.

Old Madam Lin placed the two tablets back on the altar, then knelt on the prayer mat as if in a meditative state.

Back then, if she had not been so impulsive, her husband and son would not have lost their lives…

Initially, her husband, Teng Wenli, and Shi Zeyou were comrades-in-arms, fighting side-by-side. Later, they led troops separately, and both distinguished themselves. Shi Zeyou always fared better than Teng Wenli, consistently holding a higher rank. Teng Wenli, though envious, considered it a matter of individual merit and did not complain.

But that year, Shi Zeyou suffered a sudden defeat in battle, inexplicably committing a grave taboo in the military, losing half his men. The army was initially unaware, but the truth could not be hidden forever. Soon, Shi Zeyou would be punished, his years of accumulated military merits forgotten, and his rank likely to be completely stripped.

He was filled with extreme fear and anxiety and went to the Teng family’s door. Teng Wenli naturally felt sorry for Shi Zeyou’s impending predicament and tried to devise some solutions. However, these methods, given the severity of Shi Zeyou’s mistake, could only barely prevent him from falling too far. A serious error, the loss of his official position, meant there was no chance of him ever rising again.

However, coincidentally, just a few days earlier, Teng Wenli had performed a great service. He led his men to wipe out a group of bandits who had been hiding for a long time, discovering that they were actually Manchus from beyond the Great Wall in disguise. Teng Wenli nearly lost an arm and almost lost his life in the process.

But such a great achievement meant that a promotion was imminent, pending only a report.

At that time, Old Madam Lin feared her husband might lose his arm, so she asked her family to bring five renowned physicians to treat him. “For this merit, you are risking your arm! I’d like to see what kind of promotion the court will give you!” she exclaimed.

Teng Wenli repeatedly reassured his wife, saying with a smile, “My arm will heal, and we will both get promoted—a win-win situation.”

Unexpectedly, not long after he said this, someone from the army came to inform them that someone else had reported the merit.

The couple was shocked. Upon further inquiry, they learned that the person who reported the merit was none other than Shi Zeyou. Shi Zeyou had taken Teng Wenli’s place and claimed the great achievement for himself.

His own rudeness and mistake could not be hidden, but by making amends, the army neither promoted nor demoted him, and his position was preserved.

Shi Zeyou could not hide such an act from the Teng family. The next day, he brought a thousand taels of silver to their home.

He immediately explained that he had taken the credit for Teng Wenli’s work, saying, “Brother Teng, please do not blame me. I really had no other choice. Some people dislike me and want to use this to harm me. Only by stealing your credit can I settle this matter. I’ve given you everything I have; please let me have it.”

Teng Wenli’s face turned ashen. But things had come to this point. If he were to go back on his word and say that the credit was not earned by Shi Zeyou, would Shi Zeyou not be adding another crime to his list? At that point, not only would he lose his official position, but he might also face severe punishment.

Teng Wenli felt aggrieved but silently accepted it. However, Old Madam Lin, upon learning of this, was unwilling to accept it.

“You waited so many years and risked half your life to earn this credit, and now he’s taking it? Is our family lacking a thousand taels of silver? What we lack is this opportunity we’ve waited so many years for.”

She was unwilling to suffer this loss. Just then, Teng Wenli’s severely injured arm began to flare up again, showing signs of becoming useless.

If he were to lose his arm, he would have little chance of further promotion, his position likely confined to his last meritorious service.

However, this military merit was stolen by Shi Zeyou. Teng Wenli, having lost his arm and his honors, was left with only the thousand taels of silver Shi Zeyou had given him—what use was that?

At that time, Old Madam Lin was also young and could no longer bear this situation. Without waiting for Teng Wenli’s consent, she directly reported the matter to the army.

Upon investigation, the army discovered that Shi Zeyou had indeed committed a grave error: first, he had fraudulently claimed someone else’s military merits, both serious offenses deserving punishment. His wrongdoing could no longer be concealed; he was immediately stripped of his rank, his men were transferred to Teng Wenli’s command, and he was demoted to the more remote Ganzhou region as a junior officer.

Teng Wenli, having achieved great merit, naturally faced a promotion. Old Madam Lin spent considerable effort treating his arm and managed to save it.

As for Shi Zeyou, she never saw him again and at the time assumed she would never see him again.

Who would have thought that Shi Zeyou would achieve a minor merit in his second year in Ganzhou and then curry favor with a powerful figure, who promoted him four ranks within two years?

When he reappeared before the Teng family, his eyes flashed with hatred, and a cold smile played on his lips; he was no longer the same person…

At first, she thought Shi Zeyou’s hatred was merely a petty squabble; at worst, she would suffer a loss at his hands and let him vent his anger.

But how could one judge the hatred of a petty person with ordinary reason?

He soon rose to a higher position, surpassing Teng Wenli, and the Teng family never had a moment of peace again. He was almost constantly looking for an opportunity to avenge the “grudge” of the past.

However, Shi Zeyou held a high position and had even higher-ranking officials supporting him, leaving the Teng family feeling oppressed and unable to breathe.

The Teng family had no choice but to try to bribe officials everywhere to deal with him, but their money was almost exhausted, and they could only watch as Shi Zeyou grew increasingly powerful and arrogant.

One year, Teng Wenli could not even afford to support his troops. His military farmland had been seized by Shi Zeyou’s men, and he could not receive the funds allocated by the court. That year, a plague broke out, and many of his soldiers contracted the disease. Teng Wenli, as a general, could not even get them medicine, while Shi Zeyou continued to send the Teng family’s troops into dangerous, deep-seated forests.

Old Madam Lin was filled with resentment but was helpless. She could only leave her eldest son, Teng Qi, and her second son, Teng Yue, at home, while she carried her young daughter, Teng Xiao, preparing to sell several of the family’s estates and fields to raise money.

That year, even in arid regions like Shaanxi, there was incessant rain, the relentless downpours causing widespread anxiety.

She first sold two estates, but the money was not enough, so she carried Teng Xiao southwards.

However, the weather turned cold amidst the continuous autumn rains, and the child, unable to withstand the arduous journey, fell ill. She and her child stopped at an inn in the middle of nowhere; the only local physician, a barefoot physician, was not there. She fed her daughter all the medicine she had on her, but by nightfall, the child still developed a fever.

Frantic with worry, she paced back and forth in the inn, carrying her child. The innkeeper rushed to see her and, seeing her helplessness, suddenly remembered a young woman staying on the first floor who had just bought some medicinal herbs and was passing by. He thought she might have some medical knowledge and could help with the child.

Old Madam Lin, disregarding any impropriety, took her daughter and went to the woman’s door.

Sure enough, a young woman was staying there. Her room was piled high with medicinal herbs she had just bought from out of town. Seeing Teng Xiao, who was nearly fainting from the fever, in her arms, the woman quickly told her to put the child on the bed.

The woman first took the child’s pulse, then carefully felt her body temperature, before taking out the medicine.

Old Madam Lin did not know what kind of medicine it was, but after using the various pills and ointments, her daughter’s high fever actually subsided.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was late at night, and only two candles flickered in the room, so she could not see the young woman’s face clearly. She wanted to thank her, but the woman waved her hand, saying the night was still long and the child might not develop a fever again.

“You should stay here with the child and me. I will keep an eye on her and be able to deal with any symptoms promptly.”

These words brought tears streaming down Old Madam Lin’s face.

This world was not just full of treacherous villains like Shi Zeyou; there were also kind people who, despite being strangers, were willing to do their best to help.

Her tears flowed uncontrollably, like the autumn rain, an endless stream of bitterness.

The young woman handed her a stack of clean handkerchiefs. “Go ahead and cry,” she said. “These are more than enough.”

Her voice was light and melodious in the night rain. These words made Old Madam Lin want to laugh, but instead, she cried even harder.

These years of torment from villains like Shi Zeyou had been unbearable. With no one to confide in, she poured out her heart to this stranger. She cried as she spoke, unable to resist cursing the villain and wishing him a terrible death.

The young woman, listening, grew angry and joined in the cursing.

The two women cursed more and more heatedly. Seeing that Teng Xiao’s night had passed relatively peacefully, Old Madam Lin simply asked the shopkeeper for some wine, taking advantage of the unsettling rainy night to vent her years of pent-up frustration.

The other woman also drank quite a bit with her, talking about her own troubles at home, but before she could even get started, she was already nearly drunk.

Old Madam Lin tried to pull her to drink more, but the woman pulled out two silver notes from her bosom.

“Your general is a commander who protects the country; we cannot let him and his soldiers suffer losses. I only have two hundred taels, which is not much, but it will be enough for you to buy medicine!”

She knew that although the epidemic seemed fierce, it was not without a cure. She told her several prescriptions and instructed her to buy the essential medicines.

“It will surely help you get through this difficult time.”

After saying this, her head hit her arm, and she drifted off to sleep. Seeing her snoring loudly, Old Madam Lin felt a pang of sadness mixed with amusement.

“My sister does not think I am a liar, and she even gave me money. Once I recover, I will repay you tenfold.”

Old Madam Lin’s heart warmed. She patted her shoulder. “Sister, do not sleep. How about we become sworn sisters?”

The sleeping woman mumbled, “Alright,” but then started snoring again.

Dawn was approaching. The night was almost over, and Teng Xiao remained perfectly healthy.

Old Madam Lin, too, grew drowsy from the wine.

Unexpectedly, that very day, a messenger arrived from home, saying that something had happened: her eldest son, Teng Qi, had been chased and fallen from his horse on a rocky hillside.

Upon hearing the news, she nearly fainted. Without a second thought, she grabbed Teng Xiao and rushed home before dawn, without even having time to greet the sleeping woman.

She rushed home through the rain, only to find Teng Yue alone, standing dejectedly in the courtyard, staring at his elder brother’s cold body in the coffin. He turned and saw her, then knelt down with a thud.

This sudden act nearly shattered her heart.

She heard him hiss hoarsely.

“Mother, I…I’ve lost my elder brother…”

*

The darkness of the night was almost extinguished, leaving only a few eerie remnants of pitch black on the horizon.

Too painful to recall, Old Madam Lin could only find a moment of peace by kneeling on the prayer mat.

Qingxuan came looking for her and called out from outside the ancestral hall, “Madam, a message has come from Second Master.”

She immediately called Qingxuan in. “How is Yu Chuan doing?”

Qingxuan quickly replied, “Second Master said everything is fine. The Wu family has all been rescued, and Shi Zeyou, who was chasing the Wu family, was shot through the arm by Second Master’s arrow and escaped.”

The first part reassured her slightly, but the last sentence startled Old Madam Lin.

“Yu Chuan shot that Shi fellow, seriously wounding him, yet he escaped?!”

Qingxuan nodded, but Old Madam Lin froze.

“This…”

How could the hatred of a petty person be judged by ordinary standards?

If Shi Zeyou discovered that Teng Yue was behind it, even if he only guessed, he would probably not let it go. Who knew what he might do in secret!

Old Madam Lin suddenly felt breathless, her body swaying uncontrollably.

Qingxuan was alarmed and immediately called for help, ordering water and medicine, which the old lady drank. She barely recovered.

Canglang Pavilion.

Old Madam Lin lay on the couch, her body icy cold. Even the maid’s attempt to light a brazier was futile, the light stinging her eyes.

Shi Zeyou had now ingratiated himself with Hong Gui, the nephew of the Chief Eunuch, becoming his lackey.

He was already ruthless, and now the Chief Eunuch was his backer. The Chief Eunuch, known as the Ninth Prince, held power over half the court and was the young Emperor’s confidant; for decades to come, the empire would be in his hands.

If Shi Zeyou were to complain, offending the Chief Eunuch, how could the Teng family possibly recover? She knew Yu Chuan harbored resentment over the deaths of his father and brother and would never align himself with such a powerful force. But in this world, the wicked prevailed; this was the way of the world.

If she had not stubbornly offended Shi Zeyou back then, the Teng family would not have nearly been destroyed.

Now, if the Teng family still wanted to contend with Shi Zeyou, there was only one way.

That was to join the Chief Eunuch, just like Shi Zeyou. As long as the Teng family remained useful, the Chief Eunuch would not dare to kill them.

Yu Chuan would not do anything to curry favor, so the only solution now was to arrange for him to marry the young lady of the Zhang family from the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion.

The Yongchang Marquis had once shown the Chief Eunuch kindness, which the Chief Eunuch remembered. Now that he held power, he was showering his former benefactor with promotions.

Although Zhang Zhenhui was only the niece of the Marquis of Yongchang, she was also the only child of the Marquis’s deceased younger brother, so there was always a lot of consideration for her. Zhang Zhenhui had lost her parents and was all alone; her uncle was like a father to her.

If the Teng family could form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Yongchang’s household, they would have quietly boarded the Chief Eunuch’s ship.

With this connection, what could Shi Zeyou possibly do to the Teng family?

As dawn broke, the sounds of people moving about filled the mansion.

Old Madam Lin had also recovered from the fear of the night.

She slowly drank a cup of tea and called Qingxuan over.

“Did I not ask you to inquire at the Yang family how long until Fourth Young Lady Zhang arrives in Xi’an Prefecture? Did you get any information?”

Qingxuan replied. “The Yang family sent a message saying Fourth Young Lady Zhang will arrive in three days.”

Upon hearing this, Qingxuan saw the old lady’s expression harden, and she took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.