Perfect Match – CH 072

Chapter 72

In Ningxia Town, a tense atmosphere prevailed, and the people were filled with fear.

The entire border town had doubled its troop strength, its defenses as solid as an iron barrel. Every day, Prince Enhua’s troops patrolled the streets, and anyone found traveling without permission, regardless of the reason, was killed without exception.

Prince Enhua had previously slaughtered all the high-ranking officials and generals in Ningxia Town. Now, no one in town dared disobey him, though some were truly loyal, while others had been forced to surrender. Some even attempted to gather reinforcements for a counterattack, but Prince Enhua’s men held them firmly in check. Anyone caught up in the chaos was executed, their entire household wiped out.

The rain stopped in Ningxia Town. The scorching sun reached its zenith, instantly drying the blood on the ground, leaving only dark red clots branded onto the streets, alleys, and ruins.

The Teng Mansion remained closed to visitors.

After surrendering, Teng Yue claimed illness and stayed home, refusing to leave. Apart from a few visits from Prince Enhua’s men, no one else came.

Deng Ruyun pressed her ear to the door, holding her breath as she listened intently. She heard the sound of iron hooves thundering through the nearby streets, followed by a short, sharp scream.

The scream was shrill and terrified, yet it abruptly stopped halfway through, as if someone had slit its owner’s throat.

Then, the sound of iron hooves, as if dragging something behind them, galloped away.

Deng Ruyun stood frozen by the window, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Teng Yue stepped forward and slammed the window, which she had poked open a crack, shut.

He looked at her pale face and frowned helplessly.

“I told you not to listen. They kill dozens of people in the streets every day. If you hear it all, how will you sleep at night?”

Deng Ruyun slid from the window into a round-backed chair, still sitting there, somewhat shaken.

If the mutiny she witnessed a few days ago was merely a covert power struggle between Teng Yue and Prince Enhua, then these past few days, trapped in Ningxia Town, listening to the daily wails of agony around the walls of the Teng Mansion, rising and abruptly cut off, felt as if she had witnessed it firsthand. She could already imagine stepping outside the mansion to find the ground covered in blood, the sticky substance crawling and slithering across the ground.

Teng Yue said something to her, and she snapped out of her daze. She looked up at Teng Yue and whispered,

“I was thinking, with them arresting and killing so many people every day, could it be that the people you arranged…”

Several days had passed, and Wang Fuxiang remained outside the town, with no news of him reaching them.

Teng Yue frowned but said, “It should not be. Besides, Wang Fuxiang would not be that quick. There are scattered soldiers and strong men outside the town; whether he’s gathering reinforcements or contacting his uncle in Hedong, it will take him some time.”

These things were not the problem; the only thing she feared was that something had happened to Wang Fuxiang himself.

However, his only worry was Meng Zhao in the town. Fortunately, Teng Yue and his men sent someone to look for Meng Zhao on their first day in town.

Meng Zhao was fine but unwell and resting at home.

Deng Ruyun wanted to visit her, but in this situation, she dared not and could only ask Teng Yue to send someone to check on her daily.

Although Prince Enhua’s men were monitoring the Teng family, they were still allowed to visit friends, so she was relatively at ease.

At this moment, Teng Yue closed the doors and windows, forbidding Deng Ruyun from listening. He told her not to worry and pulled out a dusty box from the room.

“I found someone sent me a box of backgammon. Want to play?”

He remembered that she seemed to play backgammon with Xiuniang when she had free time.

But Deng Ruyun had no interest in playing right now. She said no, but he insisted.

“If we do not play, and it’s just the two of us in this room, what does Yunniang want to do?”

He stared intently at her.

Deng Ruyun: “…”

Let’s play then.

But after two days of playing backgammon, the situation outside worsened.

The town, which had been eerily quiet for the past two days, began to stir. This time, even without Deng Ruyun opening the window, she could hear shouts outside calling for the suppression of the treacherous eunuch and the purging of the Emperor’s inner circle.

It seemed that this campaign against the powerful eunuch in the capital was attracting more and more soldiers and civilians to join Prince Enhua’s forces, thus expanding Prince Enhua’s rebellious power.

Tang Zuo had the entire proclamation of the Prince of Enhua denouncing the Emperor copied down and handed it to Teng Yue.

This proclamation, a lengthy and detailed account, enumerated the crimes of the powerful eunuch Hong Jin.

Since the death of the previous Emperor and the ascension of the new Emperor, this man had used various means to gain favor, offering daily gifts of falcons, hunting dogs, and beautiful women. He even established the Leopard Chamber to distract the young Emperor from state affairs while he himself monopolized power, persecuting loyal ministers and generals, eliminating dissidents, and killing anyone who refused to submit to him. He also extended his reach into the military, using the pretext of clearing land for personal gain, draining the people’s wealth, forcing soldiers to risk their lives without food, and subjecting them to the oppression of his subordinates!

Such a treacherous official, yet the Emperor, seated on his throne, turned a deaf ear, blindly trusting him. But there were always those in the world who would use swift and decisive action to eliminate treacherous officials and restore order to the world.

The proclamation issued by Prince Enhua contained about 80% of the truth regarding Hong Jin’s actions. The soldiers and civilians of Ningxia Town had already had enough of the oppression, and hearing that Prince Enhua’s cause was so justified, they flocked to join his ranks.

Deng Ruyun read the entire proclamation and found herself breaking out in a sweat.

Holding the paper, she said to Teng Yue, “This proclamation is truly excellent. Even I, after reading it, want to follow Prince Enhua to punish the traitors.”

Her words made Teng Yue chuckle, and he could not help but glance at her.

“Have you forgotten how Zhu Yijiao, the most beloved daughter of Prince Enhua, bullied you?”

He said Zhu Yijiao’s arrogance and domineering nature had not been a recent development. “Prince Enhua has allowed his daughter to commit violence, and his subordinates have been abusing their power in the army for years. He truly denounces the eunuch Hong Jin’s wrongdoings, but he does not mention a word about his own actions. If he were Emperor, the world might not be any better than it is now.”

Teng Yue said that if the one rebelling this time was not Prince Enhua, Zhu Zhenfan, but someone with the courage and power of Emperor Chengzu, the Prince of Yan, he would willingly follow.

“But look at Prince Enhua. He’s so hasty and impatient in staging this coup. Having the intention to rebel, he did not even seize the river crossing first, allowing Uncle Wang Fuxiang to cross smoothly. His so-called army to quell the rebellion is trapped in Ningxia and cannot cross the river. How can he possibly punish the traitors then?”

Deng Ruyun saw him gently shake his head.

“Chief Eunuch Hong Jin certainly deserves to die, but with Prince Enhua’s abilities, he’s utterly incapable of accomplishing this. His proclamation is a fine piece of writing and should be presented to the Emperor for his careful review. As for Zhu Zhenfan himself, he was merely instigated by others and blinded by power, using the lives of millions of border soldiers in Ningxia to satisfy his own selfish desires.”

In the dimly lit room, as Teng Yue spoke, shouts echoed from the streets outside.

Under the “blood-pumping” proclamation, border soldiers continuously joined Prince Enhua’s banner.

Teng Yue looked out the window, gazing towards the source of the shouts.

“As long as the situation can be controlled within Ningxia Town, they will not follow Prince Enhua down a deadly path. Otherwise…”

Deng Ruyun saw the man lower his eyes and sighed softly.

Outside, shouts continued, the cries denouncing the treacherous eunuch deafening, but inside the room, Teng Yue’s sighs rose and fell.

He fell silent, standing quietly by the window.

Deng Ruyun looked at his back; he stood with his hands behind his back, the dimness of the room staining his dark blue robe a deep inky black.

He stood by the dimly lit window, the daylight blurring his figure.

He no longer spoke nor sighed, simply standing there silently.

Deng Ruyun rose from beside the gameboard, quietly walking behind him, the daylight casting his shadow upon her.

It was as if, many years ago, she had secretly followed him again as the sun was setting, watching him return from his martial arts practice on the mountain, his back laden with a basket of arrows engraved with the character “Yue,” his clothes soaked with sweat.

Hidden in the crowd, the setting sun stretched his long shadow to her feet. She gently stepped on his shadow, as if touching him, following him to the end of the road.

Now, Deng Ruyun stood behind him, watching his back. For some reason, he suddenly remembered what he had said that day.

He had said to her, “You seem to have never hugged me…”

For a fleeting moment, a dazed thought crossed her mind. Looking at his slender waist against his back, her hand rose and fell repeatedly.

She stood there motionless, only chuckling softly.

“General, you truly are a good general who loves your soldiers like his own children.”

He cherished their lives, unwilling to engage in hand-to-hand combat easily, preferring to surrender himself and risk everything to wait for the right opportunity. He also felt sorry for his soldiers going hungry, willing to offend powerful families and nobles to secure the military farms for them as much as possible.

And now, watching them being misled by Prince Enhua’s proclamation against the traitors, yet powerless to do anything, he stood silently by the window, heartbroken…

She saw it all; she knew everything.

As she spoke, the man by the window slowly turned around. The sunlight outside cast a soft arc on his profile. He looked down at her.

She stood behind him, head tilted, hands behind her back. She wore a lilac dress, one she only dared to secretly wear indoors. She smiled as she looked him over.

Even the fierce wind and torrential rain outside had now melted into gentle, tranquil waters.

She asked him again, her voice turning to him.

“You love your soldiers like your own children. Was my praise accurate?”

A heavy cloud seemed to drift away from the room, brightening it considerably.

Teng Yue nodded, saying he did indeed love his soldiers, “But whether I love them like my own children is another matter.”

As he spoke, his gaze fixed on her eyes.

“After all, although I have a wife and keep her by my side every day, I am still childless.”

He looked only at her. “Whether I love them like my own children, how would I know?”

The man’s gaze was fixed on her face, as bright as the daylight.

Deng Ruyun’s heart pounded under his gaze.

She had kindly wanted to cheer him up from his sorrow, but instead, he was looking at her like that?

Deng Ruyun quickly turned and headed towards the door, saying, “I will go get some tea.”

With that, she hurriedly disappeared from his sight.

… …

Two more days passed, and there was still no news from Wang Fuxiang.

Teng Yue continued to claim illness and recuperate at home. Prince Enhua did not immediately assign him any tasks, clearly still wary of him. He only sent people to invite him to his tent twice for advice, but Teng Yue politely declined, saying he was ill and unable to go.

However, someone outside wanted to infiltrate the mansion to spy on him. But Teng Yue had lived in Ningxia for many years; it was utterly impossible for someone to infiltrate the inner courtyard of his mansion.

However, on this day, Prince Enhua sent someone again to invite Teng Yue to his mansion for advice.

This was the third time. Teng Yue thought for a moment and agreed.

But before he left, he kept something in mind.

“Once I leave, the situation in this mansion will be unpredictable.” He led Deng Ruyun to a wall, pulled back a bookshelf, probed the wall slightly, and then pushed open a door. “Behind it is a hidden compartment connecting to the mansion’s underground passage. If anyone dares to break in, hide inside.”

Deng Ruyun’s eyes widened. “There’s an underground passage in the mansion?”

Teng Yue said it was only natural. “Ningxia Town is a crucial border town. Which household does not have an underground passage? Because of this, if something happens, you must hide carefully to avoid being discovered.”

These past few days had been relatively peaceful, and Deng Ruyun felt that nothing serious should happen. But thinking of Zhu Yijiao’s sly smile, she felt uneasy. Zhu Yijiao had previously made things difficult for Teng Yue, and although he had turned her away, she would not let it go so easily.

Deng Ruyun said, “I will hide in the tunnel as soon as you leave.”

Teng Yue nodded, then explained the various doors to the tunnels in the mansion to her, settled her in, and left.

No more than a quarter of an hour after he left, news arrived that thieves were running towards the area, demanding that every household open its doors for a search, including the Teng Mansion.

Upon hearing the news, Tang You immediately ran to the door. “It’s Wu Liang searching for people, and he’s brought Princess Rongle with him! Madam, hide quickly!”

One of the reasons Wu Liang had long been secretly allied with Prince Enhua was that he had taken a liking to Zhu Yijiao. However, due to his low rank, Zhu Yijiao had not yet shown him any interest. But his recent great contribution to Prince Enhua’s control of Ningxia Town had earned him some of Zhu Yijiao’s attention.

Now, Wu Liang had arrived with his men under the pretext of a search, and Zhu Yijiao was among them; his purpose could not be clearer.

Deng Ruyun immediately responded, and with Tang You’s help, she quickly hid in the secret passageway within the room.

Just as she hid, the search party entered the outer courtyard of the Teng Mansion, while Zhu Yijiao strode into the main courtyard.

Deng Ruyun’s heart pounded wildly behind the partition wall.

Zhu Yijiao, however, seemed certain that Deng Ruyun was in the main courtyard. While ordering a search of the east and west wing rooms, she herself went straight into the main room.

Her steps were much heavier and faster than those of an ordinary woman, taking three steps in two, the sound of her footsteps making Deng Ruyun’s ears ring in the partition.

The room was empty; Zhu Yijiao glanced around and found nothing.

But she did not leave immediately. Instead, she paced around the room.

After Teng Yue left, Deng Ruyun packed all her belongings into a chest and placed it in the secret passageway.

She heard Zhu Yijiao rummaging through the chests and boxes in the room. Seemingly finding nothing, her movements became increasingly impatient and rough, and the room filled with loud thumping noises.

Tang You, unable to bear it any longer, could not help but speak up.

“These small chests and boxes cannot hide a thief, can they?”

But before he could finish his sentence, Zhu Yijiao’s gloomy voice rang out, “Are you teaching me how to do things?”

Tang You immediately shut his mouth and was pulled out of the room by Teng Yue’s other personal guards.

Deng Ruyun hid in the narrow cubicle, not daring to move an inch.

But Zhu Yijiao had found something.

“Backgammon? This game looks like it was just played on; there’s not a speck of dust. What? Does General Teng enjoy playing backgammon alone? Or is there someone else in this room, hiding in a secret room?!”

As soon as the words left her lips, Deng Ruyun’s heart leaped into her throat.

Zhu Yijiao bluntly stated that there might be a hidden room in the room. “Knock on all the walls in this room and see if a thief is hiding there!”

After she finished speaking, several guards rushed into the room and began probing the walls and floor.

Every house in Ningxia Town had underground passages and secret doors, which was why simply knocking a few times was unlikely to reveal anything.

Seeing that their probing was fruitless, Zhu Yijiao coldly snorted, “Then bring sticks. Knock on them a few times; the sound of a hidden compartment will be obvious.”

As she spoke, she ordered someone to bring sticks into the room.

The sound of sticks striking the walls of the room immediately felt like it was striking Deng Ruyun herself.

Someone carrying a stick walked to the wall where she had come from.

For a moment, Deng Ruyun almost forgot to breathe.

But just then, a man’s extremely cold and stern voice suddenly rang out in the courtyard.

“May I ask, Your Highness, why did the Prince summon me to his mansion for advice, yet also send men to search my home? What is the meaning of this?!”

Teng Yue’s question caused a sudden silence inside and outside the room.

Deng Ruyun heard the guards approaching her wall stop.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, the Crown Prince of Enhua saw his younger sister and Wu Liang leading men filling the inner courtyard of Teng Yue’s Mansion, and his sister Zhu Yijiao even had her men carrying sticks and banging on the walls of the main house.

His face was utterly embarrassed.

Today, Teng Yue had meticulously analyzed the coup’s current situation before his father, Prince Enhua, and his words were far more insightful than those of his father’s advisors and generals.

Although his father still harbored doubts and had not expressed his opinion, his expression revealed a considerable degree of trust in Teng Yue.

He had even personally escorted Teng Yue back to his mansion, only to unexpectedly encounter his sister and Wu Liang breaking into the Teng Mansion and conducting a chaotic search.

“Stop!” he shouted urgently, then called his guards, who immediately persuaded everyone in the room to leave and also asked Zhu Yijiao to leave the main room.

Zhu Yijiao was still unwilling to give up. She instinctively felt that Teng Yue’s country wife must be hiding in the room. Give her another fifteen minutes, and she would definitely find her, seize Teng Yue’s weakness, and make her wipe away the humiliation of the past year!

She could not help but look at the Crown Prince of Enhua. “Brother, why have you not investigated the thief in the Teng Mansion?!”

Upon hearing this, Teng Yue sneered.

“I, Teng Yue, have entrusted all my military power to His Highness, and today I have wholeheartedly offered advice to the Prince, yet I am met with such suspicion. Truly…”

Before he could finish speaking, the Crown Prince of Enhua had already stopped Zhu Yijiao.

“What thief? Do not be so arrogant and presumptuous here. Leave immediately!”

After saying this, he immediately ordered Zhu Yijiao to be taken away, then turned to look at Wu Liang.

“General Wu, please search the surrounding area as well! Do not come to the Teng Mansion again.”

Wu Liang pursed his lips, glanced at Teng Yue out of the corner of his eye, his face twitching slightly, and then left with Zhu Yijiao.

The Crown Prince of Enhua apologized repeatedly to Teng Yue, telling him not to take it to heart, and he could only leave awkwardly.

Once everyone had left the filthy courtyard, Teng Yue strode into the room.

He pushed open the hidden partition wall and saw Deng Ruyun, who also saw him.

The two locked eyes, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.

*

Wang Fuxiang had still not sent word, and even Teng Yue was beginning to feel uneasy.

It was not just that Prince Enhua’s men were conducting a thorough search within the town; a ferocious fever was also spreading among the soldiers and civilians. Many had contracted the disease before the mutiny, and with the mutiny underway, medicine and medical supplies were scarce, meaning those infected were doomed.

Teng Yue had secretly deployed a large number of men, ensuring their unwavering loyalty, but the epidemic had created unpredictable situations and added much uncertainty to the town.

At this crucial moment, Deng Ruyun had lost contact with Meng Zhao.

A few days ago, the Teng and Wang families could still maintain contact, but in the last two days, they had suddenly been barred from entering the Wang Mansion.

Deng Ruyun received no news of Meng Zhao but instead heard that the entire Wang family had fallen ill, with many seriously ill or even dead.

Meng Zhao was at the Mansion; if the entire family was infected, how could she possibly escape this fate?

But Prince Enhua’s men would not allow anyone to visit, and Deng Ruyun was understandably anxious.

She could not help but suspect that this was information leaked by Zhu Yijiao, deliberately trying to lure her into the open.

She dared not act rashly; Meng Zhao’s fate was unknown.

Even Teng Yue’s repeated attempts to send men were thwarted. He wanted to go in person, but the Prince of Enhua’s men said the Wang Mansion was full of sick people, the gates were sealed, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

Meng Zhao was completely out of contact, and Wang Fuxiang outside the town had not made a move either.

The increasingly scorching summer heat made people restless and uneasy.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the guards in the outer courtyard suddenly seized a little beggar who was trying to break into the Teng Mansion.

The little beggar was covered in black, his hair was disheveled, and he was skinny, crawling in through a dog hole.

He was almost thrown out by the Teng family guards, but he hurriedly introduced himself.

Tang Zuo immediately took him to the main courtyard, bringing him before Teng Yue and Deng Ruyun.

Deng Ruyun recognized him from his filthy appearance. “Zhu Huang?!”

Zhu Huang, Bai Chunfu’s apprentice.

Zhu Huang cried out, “Master, I’ve finally seen you! I… I ran away from Madam Wang’s Mansion!”

He had actually sneaked in from Meng Zhao’s place.

Teng Yue raised an eyebrow, while Deng Ruyun’s eyes lit up.