Perfect Match – CH 060

Chapter 60

At the Great Ci’en Temple.

A servant came to report that General Teng and Old Madam Lin had finished lighting the eternal lamps and emerged from the main hall.

Upon hearing this news, Nanny Dong immediately looked at Zhang Zhenhui.

“Miss, are you planning to wait in the courtyard for the meal, or would you like to go for a walk outside first?”

Zhang Zhenhui smiled slightly. “Just one meal like this is rather uninteresting.”

Upon hearing this, Nanny Dong immediately agreed, “This old servant thinks so too. Since ancient times, when talented men and beautiful women meet, even if not on a wall or horse, it should not be at the dinner table. Bamboo groves, pavilions, the foot of gods and Buddhas, in front of ancient pagodas… are all these places not suitable?”

Zhang Zhenhui chuckled at this. “Nanny, you speak as if from a storybook. Those storybooks are all made up by pedantic scholars to deceive people, but people still love to believe in that kind of thing.”

At this point, Nanny Dong continued, “Exactly, people love romance; even generals who lead troops into battle are not immune to it.”

Nanny Dong chuckled as she spoke, her implication clearly referring to Teng Yue.

Zhang Zhenhui did not respond to this but simply smiled again.

The wet nurse looked her up and down and then told a maid to bring a pair of pearl earrings.

“The young lady is in mourning, so she cannot wear luxurious clothes. But wearing mourning clothes has its own charm. Just a touch of pearls will suffice; with your beauty, no one could resist your charm.”

She changed Zhang Zhenhui’s earrings, and the latter, with her chin slightly tilted back, allowed her to change them. She then slowly walked into the slanting sunlight, not yet blocked by the ancient pagoda. The pearls, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, shone with a soft, captivating light.

The mistress and servant walked slowly towards where Old Madam Lin and Teng Yue were.

Not long after, they heard the voices of the mother and son.

The wet nurse immediately looked towards Zhang Zhenhui, asking for her opinion. Zhang Zhenhui slowed her pace and walked slowly along the side corridor of the hall towards the mother and son.

Just as she approached, she heard Teng Yue’s voice.

“Mother, please stay and pray. I must return to Xi’an first.”

Upon hearing this, Nanny Dong raised an eyebrow. Zhang Zhenhui’s brow remained unchanged, only her lips slightly pursed. Hearing this, Old Madam Lin quickly asked, “What are you going back to the city for? What happened?”

Nothing happened.

However, Teng Yue felt that he might be seeing things, or perhaps he was imagining things, but he actually saw Yunniang beside Madam Yang.

He could not understand why Yunniang was with that aunt, but he still sent someone back to look for her.

Unexpectedly, a soldier just reported that Madam was not at home, nor in the small courtyard in the east of the city, and there was no one even in Yuyun Hall. However, Shopkeeper Qin said that someone had come this morning to invite a female physician to come to the house for a consultation, but the physician could not be found, so Madam had to temporarily take on the physician’s duties and went with them, but she had not returned since.

Hearing this, Teng Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

She was a bold and reckless woman, daring to venture into any dangerous place. It was not entirely impossible that she was involved with Madam Yang and the secrets of the inner chambers.

When her mother asked, Teng Yue simply said, “Mother and I are not home. Only Yunniang and Ah Xiao are here. I am going back to check on them.”

Having said this, before Old Madam Lin could say anything more, he had already turned and left with his entourage.

Old Madam Lin had waited for him all day. When she saw Deng Ruyun appear earlier, she felt things were probably not good, but the child left without a word, so she was slightly relieved. She had not expected Teng Yue to come, and it seemed he was truly leaving his grandmother behind.

What could have happened at home, unless something had happened to Yunniang…?

Old Madam Lin watched her son’s retreating figure, her brows furrowing with worry.

Was he being too attentive to Yunniang?

But she could not let the Zhang family girl see this.

She was pondering how to explain to the young lady that Teng Yue could not keep their appointment that evening when, turning around, she unexpectedly saw Zhang Zhenhui standing in the corridor in front of the palace.

Old Madam Lin was taken aback.

Before she could speak, Zhang Zhenhui’s wet nurse, Nanny Dong, spoke first, but what she said made Old Madam Lin’s ears ring.

“The General is truly a family-oriented man. Even the Old Madam is not worried about the family, yet the General is eager to go back and check on them.”

If Old Madam Lin had harbored any hope that she and her servant had not heard anything, now that Nanny Dong’s words were spoken so directly to her face, her embarrassment intensified.

“This… he’s always fighting on the front lines, rarely able to return home, so naturally he’s more concerned about the family.”

But upon hearing this, Nanny Dong gave a faint smile.

“It’s a good thing the General cares about his family, but I wonder if he’s worried about his younger sister or if he cannot let go of that other person?”

Who was that other person? Naturally, it was the contract wife the Teng family had previously used as a shield.

The wet nurse did not say it explicitly, but the meaning was quite clear.

Not to mention, this contract wife had recently appeared inexplicably at the Great Ci’en Temple, “bumped into” the young lady, and then General Teng, without lingering, rushed back to find her.

Even Old Madam Lin felt awkward at the wet nurse’s words, unsure how to explain herself.

At this moment, Zhang Zhenhui, who had been silent all along, spoke up.

“Nanny Dong, please do not say such things and put the old lady in a difficult position. The general has his reasons. We should only be here to quietly pray to Buddha.”

As she spoke, she smiled politely at Old Madam Lin but added, “I’ve had a long day’s journey and am quite tired. I will go back to the guest quarters to rest.”

She gave Old Madam Lin a proper bow and turned to leave.

Nanny Dong wanted to say something, but was called away by her.

She had helped Old Madam Lin out of a difficult situation, but the woman was gone.

Old Madam Lin did not chase after her. She stood beneath the main hall, watching the sun linger on the edge of the western mountains, its remaining light insufficient to illuminate the entire temple, creating an inexplicable sense of dizziness in the dim light.

How did things turn out this way after all this?

This was bad enough, but the unease in her heart continued to spread.

The sky quickly darkened.

After returning to the guest courtyard, she sent a maid to deliver some flower tea to Young Lady Zhang’s courtyard.

The maid returned, saying the tea had been delivered, but Young Lady Zhang was nowhere to be seen. She said the young lady was feeling unwell and had already retired for the night.

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Lin sighed and frowned even more.

Actually, she had already noticed that her son’s affection for Yunniang was somewhat excessive, but she had thought there was no rush, waiting for a better opportunity to let Yunniang leave.

But now it seemed that hesitation would only lead to more trouble, and this opportunity was no longer something she could choose slowly…

*

In Xi’an City.

The evening drum sounded from the Bell and Drum Towers, its sound echoing through the city’s streets and alleys, also seeping in through the closed windows, striking the person beside the bed, whose breath was too weak to speak.

Second Madam Yang saw her daughter finish those two sentences and then slump down like a withered leaf soaked in water. Her heart trembled. “Yun’er, Yun’er, how are you? Do not scare your mother!”

But Yang Youyun opened her mouth, only able to utter a weak sound.

Seeing this, Deng Ruyun quickly found a bottle of medicine, poured it out, mixed it with water, and fed it to her. After a few breaths, she finally calmed down and looked at Deng Ruyun.

“Sister-in-law, thank you so much… but I am afraid I will not live past tomorrow. Please do not worry about me anymore.”

These words stung Deng Ruyun’s heart. It truly reflected Yang Youyun’s own feelings. She could not go out for medical treatment; the medicine she had could only prolong her life for another day and night at most.

But upon hearing this, Second Madam Yang gripped her daughter tightly.

“No, no, my child, she cannot just die like this… Mother will take you out! Mother will fight them to the death to get you out!”

As she spoke, her expression was one of being almost ready to fight the Zhu family of the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion, but Yang Youyun grabbed her sleeve.

“Mother, this is the Prince’s Mansion. We cannot beat them. We might end up harming you and Sister-in-law… That Zhu Tingguang is no good person!”

If Zhu Tingguang discovered that Second Madam Yang and Deng Ruyun were both there, not only would they be unable to take Yang Youyun out, but they might also be captured by Zhu Tingguang, falsely accused, or even murdered to silence them.

Madam Yang, who had previously been basking in the glory of finding such a son-in-law for her daughter, now realized that this glory had been destroyed by her own actions.

“What can I do? My child, what will become of you?” Madam Yang’s heart was breaking.

It was already dark. She could not very well let the Yang family bring their troops to seize her. This was the mansion of a prince of the imperial family! What difference was there between storming the Prince’s Mansion and treason? The entire Yang family would be wiped out.

Madam Yang swayed unsteadily. Deng Ruyun saw her as a withered leaf falling from an autumn branch, about to collapse.

But Yang Youyun did not seem to be in as much pain as her mother. Instead, she felt a lightness, a sense of relief, as if her pain was about to dissipate. A clear understanding of everything shone through in her pale face and gentle eyes.

Deng Ruyun looked at her, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

But then, as if remembering something, her weak eyelids trembled slightly, and a hint of sorrowful anxiety appeared on her already broken expression.

She called to Hongye in a hoarse voice, “Bring…bring my box.”

Neither Deng Ruyun nor Madam Yang knew what box she was referring to, but Hongye immediately understood. From among the layers of cabinets, she retrieved a carved box.

The box was exquisite, seemingly filled with bottles and jars, jingling as Hongye moved.

Deng Ruyun felt a strange sense of familiarity with this scene.

Hongye had already presented the box to Yang Youyun, who barely managed to open it.

As soon as the box was opened, Deng Ruyun saw that it was filled to the brim with medicine bottles, all exquisitely crafted, many bearing the name of Yanchun Hall.

She paused, hearing Yang Youyun speak, and looked pleadingly at Madam Yang.

“Mother, I cannot take it anymore. Could you please take these medicines out and give them to him… He’s badly injured. If he does not get proper treatment, he will have lasting health problems…”

As soon as she said this, Madam Yang’s tears streamed down her face.

“My child, how can you still think of him at a time like this?! Shen Yanxing is fine even though he’s injured. You are the one who got hurt; my child, it’s you!”

Her tears flowed uncontrollably, falling in a steady stream onto the overflowing medicine box.

Deng Ruyun was stunned, completely speechless.

So, the high-quality medicine she had seen anonymously delivered to Shen Yanxing’s Mansion was actually sent by Yang Youyun, the eldest daughter of the Yang family…

She stared blankly at Yang Youyun, seeing the initial relief on her face replaced by layers of sorrow, her face filled with unspeakable pain and guilt.

“…I am so sorry to him. When the Shen family was in trouble, I was not by his side for a single day. He was so badly injured then, and I could not even visit him once. I even cruelly broke off our engagement and went on to marry into a wealthy family…”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, her voice hoarse with pain and guilt.

But then Deng Ruyun saw Madam Yang suddenly throw herself into her daughter’s arms.

“How is this your fault? How is this your fault? It’s all my fault, your mother, that forced you to!”

She explained that the Shen family had offended the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ningxia, and she felt the Shen family was hopeless. Even though Teng Yue had saved Shen Yanxing, she feared continuing the engagement with his family would mean her eldest daughter would marry a useless man with no future and would also drag the Yang family down with her.

But she was also after the power of the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion, single-mindedly wanting to get rid of the Shen family and marry into the powerful Prince’s family. She forbade her daughter from seeing her fiancé, forcing her to break off the engagement with Shen Yanxing. She threatened that if her daughter refused, she would not allow the Yang family and their relatives in the army to speak on behalf of the Shen family in court.

At that time, the Shen family was burdened with a crime by the deputy general, and no one spoke on their behalf. Even though Shen Yanxing was rescued by Teng Yue, he was still to be punished and beheaded.

“…You agreed to my request and broke off the engagement with him to marry into the Prince’s Mansion so that the Shen family could have someone to speak on their behalf and avoid being punished by the court.” Second Madam Yang gripped her clothes tightly, tears streaming down her face.

“You did not wrong him. It was my greed as your mother that ruined you, ruined you all!”

Second Madam Yang wept until she could hardly breathe.

If she had not been so focused on pushing her daughter to marry into a wealthy family and had instead allowed her to marry Shen Yanxing according to the marriage agreement, even if life was more difficult, how could it have come to this tragic end?!

Only two years, only two years since she married into the family, and her daughter could not survive.

From the moment she married in, the Prince’s Mansion tortured her daily with drugs to force her to conceive. Even she, her mother, scolded and pressured her, calling her dull and useless, saying she did not know how to win over her husband, that she could not control the concubines in the mansion, and that she could not conceive. In these two years, she had almost never seen her daughter genuinely smile…

And in the end, she did become pregnant, but was forcibly aborted, and her life was in danger.

She was only twenty years old!

Madam Yang raised her hand and slapped herself across the face, each slap loud and piercing.

“It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault! I am the one who ruined you!”

However, it was too late now; tracing back to who was right and who was wrong was pointless.

Yang Youyun lay on the bed, her strength almost completely exhausted, even to shed a tear.

Deng Ruyun stared blankly, unable to utter a single word.

Hongye suddenly pulled a knife from under the bed.

“Rather than die here, this servant will protect you and fight our way out; perhaps that’s our chance!”

She had said that she had a birthmark on her face, and no one wanted her except Yang Youyun, who had taken her in and protected her.

“Now it’s my turn to repay you, Miss. This servant is not afraid; let’s fight our way out!”

However, of the four women, only Hongye was capable of wielding a knife. How could they possibly fight their way out of the deep confines of the Prince’s Mansion?

But Deng Ruyun regained her senses.

“Why do we not go out first and then have someone sneak into the courtyard? We will try to avoid a direct confrontation with the Prince’s guards; that will buy us more time!”

As long as they could get her out, that was all that mattered. Saving Yang Youyun’s life was the priority; alerting the Prince’s Mansion was a matter for later.

Deng Ruyun’s words brought everyone back to their senses. Hongye stayed behind to provide support from the inside, but she also helped the two sneak out of the mansion. On the way, they inevitably knocked out another person. They had to get her out of there as quickly as possible; otherwise, the Prince’s Mansion would definitely discover something was amiss.

Deng Ruyun and Madam Yang left the Prince’s Mansion and discussed going back to the Yang family to get reinforcements. This would inevitably alert the Prince’s guards stationed at the Yang family’s gate, so they could only try to get the men Teng Yue had left behind.

However, if she sent someone from the Teng family to break into the Prince’s Mansion at night, and even if one person was caught, Teng Yue would be in trouble.

Deng Ruyun knew Teng Yue was not afraid of this, but Old Madam Lin was most afraid of making enemies with these high-ranking families. How could she, a mere betrothed, explain such a mess to Old Madam Lin?

However, today’s events were already chaotic enough. Even without calling upon the Teng family to rescue her, her trip to the Great Ci’en Temple and her encounter with the people involved were already enough to embarrass Old Madam Lin.

Desperate, Deng Ruyun had no choice but to go all in.

“I will go back to the Teng family to find someone!”

Madam Yang, of course, understood the predicament of her awkward position, but seeing her running around for her daughter’s life, she could not help but cry and grab her hand.

“My little darling, you are my darling!”

Deng Ruyun was almost amused by her. “You remember now? What were you doing before?!”

She was too lazy to argue with Madam Yang anymore.

Unexpectedly, as the two turned into the alley, before even leaving the main street of the Prince’s Mansion, they encountered someone at a street corner. The man stood in the shade of a jujube tree, seemingly invisible; unless one approached closely, his presence would be completely unnoticed.

Behind him, separated by a garden and within the courtyard wall, lay the secluded courtyard of Yang Youyun, the eldest young lady of the Yang family.

As they approached, he initially intended to retreat behind the tree, but upon seeing Madam Yang, he paused, startled.

“Auntie…”

Deng Ruyun and Madam Yang also saw him.

It was Shen Yanxing.

The man wore a dark brocade robe, his features obscured by the tree, but he was clearly still recovering from his injuries, his physique frail. He had been standing there in the shadows at the street corner for an unknown amount of time, even though it was already dark.

Before they could speak, Shen Yanxing’s expression turned grim.

“I am sorry, Auntie; I should not have come. I should have left Xi’an. It’s just that Ah Yun brought me medicine several times a few days ago, but suddenly stopped. I…”

His face showed conflict and guilt. “I know I should not have coveted her, and I should not have disturbed her life. I will leave tomorrow, but I am just afraid something might have happened to her…”

Before he could finish speaking, Madam Yang tightly covered her mouth to stop herself from crying.

This mother, who claimed to be doing it for her daughter’s good, had not noticed anything amiss. It was Shen Yanxing, whom she had kept banished from Xi’an, who, based on just a few clues, guessed that something might have happened to her daughter.

She could not bring herself to say, “I am sorry.”

Deng Ruyun also could not hold back her tears.

Looking at their attire and expressions, Shen Yanxing suddenly stepped forward, his tension now completely exposed.

“Has something happened to Ah Yun?”

He asked Madam Yang and also Deng Ruyun.

“Madam is here too? So Ah Yun is seriously ill?!”

He had guessed it all.

But in that split second, Deng Ruyun suddenly thought of something.

“General Shen, could you lend me some men to rescue the eldest young lady tonight?!”

… …

Shen Xiu personally brought the Shen family’s guards.

The Shen family did not have many people in Xi’an, but they were not prepared to confront the Prince’s Mansion head-on. They just wanted to sneak in and get Yang Youyun out first.

Deng Ruyun had been in and out of the Prince’s Mansion several times today, and she knew the routes pretty well.

She found a piece of paper, drew the route for Shen Yanxing and Shen Xiu, and said, “Hongye is inside to provide backup. You can contact her first; it will make things much easier.”

As Teng Yue’s bodyguard, Shen Xiu was far more capable than the others in this kind of situation. He nodded repeatedly, “Madam, do not worry, leave it to me,” and then said to Shen Yanxing, “Brother, your injuries have not healed yet. You wait outside; I will go rescue Sister Yun right away.”

But how could Shen Yanxing wait?

“I am not a cripple; I can still break into this Prince’s Mansion.”

Deng Ruyun could not help but say that Shen Yanxing wanted to personally rescue Yang Youyun.

“I know the route best; I will go too.”

The Shen brothers naturally waved her off, but Deng Ruyun said, “You need to bring a lot of people; it would be troublesome if you got lost. I will not cause you any trouble; I will be faster than you if anything happens.”

The Shen brothers were speechless for a moment, and Madam Yang was also a little nervous, pulling Deng Ruyun’s hand.

“Are you really sure you will go?”

Deng Ruyun said, “No problem. Anyway, once I’ve rescued the young lady, you can just wait to give me the money.”

Even at this critical moment, she still had the mind to joke, while Madam Yang was so anxious she did not know what to say. She could only say, “I will give you everything I have; you can have as much as you want.”

Just then, the man Shen Xiu had sent to scout the situation returned, saying that now was the perfect time to enter.

The group immediately sprang into action.

Shen Xiu made a few small noises to distract the gatekeeper, and Shen Yanxing, accompanied by guards, quietly slipped into the Prince’s Mansion.

The Prince’s Mansion was more heavily guarded at night than during the day, but the group had planned ahead, and with Deng Ruyun leading the way, they easily bypassed the patrolling guards, contacted Hongye, and infiltrated Yang Youyun’s courtyard.

Shen Yanxing stiffened at the smell of blood in the courtyard. Upon entering the room and seeing the weak figure on the bed, he could not help but cry out in a trembling voice.

“Ah Yun!”

This call made Yang Youyun’s eyelids tremble slightly, but her consciousness was too weak; she could not even lift her eyelids to open them.

She was like someone trapped in deep water, only able to barely make out something from this call. Her chapped lips moved slightly in response to the faint sound.

“Xing…Brother Xing…”

Shen Yanxing rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She was in the city, and he was outside, separated only by a city wall, yet he had not seen her for far too long.

Seeing the person in his arms now, her once gentle and rosy face completely sunken, devoid of any color, he felt her thin body digging into his hands.

Shen Yanxing’s heart ached as he held her. Was this how the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion treated their noblewoman?!

“Ah Yun, it’s me! I’ve come to take you away!”

Hongye stepped forward with a cloak, which Shen Yanxing wrapped around her, holding her tightly in his arms, and was about to leave.

But Yang Youyun, only half-conscious, reached for the medicine box beside the bed.

Her mind was somewhat confused, and she only said,

“The medicine box, Mother, please give it to him… He’s injured…”

These words made Shen Yanxing’s eyes redden.

“Do not worry about him; do not worry about him anymore…”

He said repeatedly, seeing her still insisting on the medicine box, he could only let Hongye hold it for her.

He did not want to stay another moment longer; he only wanted to get her out of this cannibalistic royal palace.

Deng Ruyun and Shen Xiu were waiting in the courtyard. Seeing Shen Yanxing successfully carry her out, they quickly prepared to return the way they came.

Just then, the dogs in the Prince’s Mansion suddenly began barking, one dog leading another, and soon three or five dogs were barking wildly.

Shen Xiu immediately exclaimed, “Someone’s noticed! We have to hurry!”

Hearing this, everyone started running, and the sound of their footsteps immediately attracted the attention of the gatekeeper. Hongye stepped forward and, with a swift chop, instantly knocked the man to the ground.

Hongye knew the Prince’s Mansion’s layout better than Deng Ruyun. Hearing the guards patrolling because of the barking dogs, she immediately changed her route, leading everyone out through a detour.

Deng Ruyun was also close behind the crowd when, unexpectedly, a guard suddenly climbed over the other side of the courtyard wall, spotted them, and shouted.

“Thief!”

He shouted, and Shen Xiu immediately led his men forward, turning to call to Shen Yanxing, “Brother, quickly take Sister Yun out!”

“Be careful yourself!” Shen Yanxing told him, then picked up Yang Youyun and ran quickly outside, not forgetting to call to Deng Ruyun, “Madam, follow me!”

But by this time, the guards of the Prince’s Mansion had gathered in increasing numbers.

Although Shen Yanxing was injured, he was still a soldier by training, and he was incredibly fast. Deng Ruyun could only run to keep up, but arrows were suddenly shot towards them.

She lagged behind, feeling the arrow almost reach her back.

Deng Ruyun could not help but cry out in surprise.

But at that moment, a cold light flashed before her eyes, and someone drew their sword, deflecting the arrow from her back with a snap.

She was then violently pulled, the force almost tearing her arm off.

Deng Ruyun looked up in pain.

Under the dim moonlight, amidst the flashing blades, she saw the man’s anxious yet barely concealed anger.

Teng Yue frowned, staring down at her.

“You really are here…You dare to venture into any dragon’s den or tiger’s lair!”