Perfect Match – CH 076

Chapter 76

The room was brightly lit, almost illuminating the bloodshot veins in the man’s eyes.

The alcohol he had forcibly suppressed was now surging forth, like a raging torrent churning within him. He gritted his teeth, staring at her, almost as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Deng Ruyun looked at him, her heart trembling.

The man, looking into her eyes, suddenly seemed to realize something.

“Yunniang, tell me, did Mother tell you to do this?”

He asked abruptly, the bright light in the room flickering and swaying in unison in the draft coming in from the window.

Deng Ruyun immediately spoke.

“No.”

He looked directly at her, but she dared not let him guess or ask any further. She said no, none of it.

“The old lady has nothing to do with this, but General,” she paused, then continued, “to put it bluntly, General, you’re being far too presumptuous. I do have some feelings for you. After all, even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness; there must be some feelings…”

Deng Ruyun clenched her hand inside her sleeve, uttering her denial aloud. She heard the man chuckle.

His laughter was full of disbelief as he asked her.

“Some feelings? But none of them compare to the feelings you have for that so-called person, is that it?”

Teng Yue saw that she was still being stubborn at this point. He asked her, and she nodded.

She continued, “The General is the General, and he is him. How can the General mistake himself for him?”

“So, it really is just me being presumptuous?” he asked through gritted teeth.

She nodded again, daring to look at him.

“General, why force me to say hurtful things?”

“Fine, fine,” Teng Yue finally realized there was no one more troublesome than the Tartars as she. He said, “You don’t need to say anything, Yunniang; you don’t need to say anything.”

He picked her up again, took two steps to the bedside, threw her directly into the quilt, and pressed himself against her.

She opened her eyes wide in shock, but Teng Yue said.

“Even a day as husband and wife is a hundred days of kindness. What if we have a child? I don’t care if that person is me or not; I only care if we have a child. According to you, doesn’t that mean you have some deep feelings for me?!”

Before he finished speaking, he was already pressed close to her ear.

Deng Ruyun was terrified, but he used his teeth to nibble at her earlobe, then traced a path from her ear down to her neck.

The suppressed stench of alcohol he had been suppressing now surged forth, and Deng Ruyun felt as if he had easily grasped her in his palm, his helpless anger making him want to tear her apart and devour her.

Deng Ruyun’s heart was pounding in her chest. She desperately tried to push him away, slapping him.

“Don’t do this! Don’t be silly! Don’t be silly!”

But her strength was nothing against him. He only lightly bit the most sensitive spot on her neck, his teeth grinding against her skin until she trembled, before asking, “Then tell me the truth: all these years, has it really been me?!”

Deng Ruyun couldn’t answer truthfully.

Teng Yue, seeing that even at this point she still wouldn’t utter a word, was filled with a burning rage.

“You think I won’t send someone back to Jinzhou to retrieve the arrows?!”

She retorted firmly, “General, go get them. If it’s not true, it’s not true, and even if you bring them back, it’s still not true!”

Her sharp tongue and stubbornness almost intimidated Teng Yue for a moment.

But this liar’s words couldn’t be trusted, not a single word.

Teng Yue immediately called for someone outside and gave them his orders.

“Send someone back to Jinzhou, to the Madam’s family home, and bring me a basket full of arrows! Go as soon as the city gates open tomorrow morning, and return quickly!”

He wanted to send someone to Jinzhou to retrieve the arrows; he needed concrete evidence.

Deng Ruyun’s face turned cold upon hearing this.

Teng Yue saw this slight bewilderment on her face, like a crack in solid ice, and he knew he was right.

Her words were indeed untrustworthy—not a single word!

He was so angry with her that his heart pounded. Looking into her dazed eyes, seeing the helplessness and panic hidden within them, Teng Yue suddenly remembered the question that had been asked before she had interrupted him and provoked his anger.

The man paused slightly.

This time, he didn’t force her to bite him. In the dim light of the room, he slowly released her and picked her up again.

Her earlobes and neck were red from his touch, but her defiant lips and eyes revealed complex emotions that even he couldn’t decipher at a glance.

Teng Yue suppressed the anger she had stirred within him and gently rubbed her shoulders and back.

“Yunniang…”

She didn’t respond, ignored him, and simply turned her head away, pursing her lips.

Teng Yue remembered telling her time and again that if she had any difficulties or anything, she should tell him first.

He said it, and she agreed, but it went in one ear and out the other, not a single word lingering in her mind.

Why was that?

Was it he who made her unable to believe him, or was there some other reason?

Teng Yue stopped trying to scare her. His hand landed on her waist, gently squeezing it, and he softly pulled her into his arms.

The curtains, having been moved so much, had fallen halfway down, casting a shadow over the overly bright light in the room, bringing a moment of peace to the bedside.

The man didn’t speak again for a moment, and Deng Ruyun remained silent, only feeling him encircle her and grasp her hand, holding it in his palm.

The breeze by the window caused the bright candlelight to flicker slightly and the light curtains by the bed to sway.

He lowered his head and, as he always did, gently brushed his nose against her cheek.

“Yunniang…”

He called her again.

Deng Ruyun didn’t know how long she could resist his alternating rapid and slow attacks.

Then he suddenly asked,

“Tell me, from the very beginning of our marriage, did Mother agree to something with you? Like…”

He paused, his arms tightening around her.

“Like, she didn’t actually want you to marry me?”

As soon as the words left her lips, Deng Ruyun was stunned, her heart skipping a beat.

*

In Henan.

Shen Xiu, disguised as a passing merchant from Shaanxi, with a face covered in a beard, was not recognized by Nanny Wei, who assumed he was a fellow villager. Shen Xiu spent some money to help Nanny Wei.

Nanny Wei had no relatives or friends here, and seeing this fellow villager, she naturally became friendly.

Shen Xiu noticed that Nanny Wei had been taking Sister Xia to see a physician for six months, but Sister Xia’s illness had not only failed to improve but seemed to have worsened. Nanny Wei had spent almost all her money, and he had even lent her some; Nanny Wei was almost in tears.

At this moment, Shen Xiu treated Nanny Wei to a meal at a restaurant, saying that he was about to return to his hometown, and this farewell meal naturally included some wine.

After half a pot of wine, Nanny Wei was quite tipsy. Shen Xiu asked her a couple of roundabout questions before she finally spoke.

“…We servants, if we want to live a good and respectable life, still need the help of noble people. Otherwise, how could I have found a place like this to treat my daughter? It was all thanks to the guidance of the noble lady from the Marquis’s Mansion. But the noble lady is still a noble lady who hasn’t entered the family yet; she’s not my own mistress. Otherwise, perhaps she could have pointed me to the capital, and Xia’er wouldn’t have been delayed. She’s not getting better; in fact, she’s gotten even sicker…”

Shen Xiu blinked. “A noble lady who hasn’t entered the family yet?”

He asked, “I did business in Xi’an Prefecture for a few months last year. How come I heard that your General Teng is already married? If so, are there any noble ladies who haven’t yet entered the family?”

The Teng family only had one man: Teng Yue; he was the only one who needed to marry. Shen Xiu feigned suspicion and asked Nanny Wei, who only responded with a drunken chuckle.

“How do you know the intricate details of this household?”

Shen Xiu poured her another half-cup of wine. “Then tell me, Auntie. I’m young and in business, and no one has guided me. Dealing with high-ranking families is always a bit unpredictable. Why would anyone tell us these inside stories? Auntie, please tell me a bit more so I can understand the ins and outs.”

He held the cup of wine to Nanny Wei’s face with both hands.

Nanny Wei already liked this fellow villager and thought that, since he didn’t look down on Sister Xia, perhaps her daughter might have a connection with him. Seeing his words and how much he valued her, she couldn’t help but speak up.

Even though she was drunk, she didn’t forget to give Shen Xiu this advice.

“This is a family secret. Once I say it, you hear it, but don’t mention it to anyone else, especially not to the Teng family.”

Shen Xiu nodded repeatedly. “Please tell me; I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

After he made his promise, Nanny Wei took another sip of wine, lowered her voice, and spoke.

“Our general hasn’t married any wife. It’s just that the old lady paid to find a country girl to shield him from trouble.”

She sneered, “That Deng girl entered the family under a contract with the old lady; she’s a contract wife, the cheapest kind. Give her a few coins, and she’s in. Once our general is settled, has achieved merit, and has been promoted, he’ll properly marry a noble lady as his wife. That country girl? Give her a few more coins, and we’ll drive her far away! Does she really think she’s the General’s wife?”

Nanny Wei, drunk, blurted out everything.

Shen Xiu, upon hearing this, froze in shock.

The Madam had indeed agreed to the terms with the Old Madam before entering the household.

She wasn’t truly married to the General; she was merely a contract wife arranged by the Old Madam for him!

Shen Xiu was stunned, only managing to recover after a few moments.

Meanwhile, Nanny Wei was even more drunk, her mind preoccupied only with her daughter.

“…She’s been seeing physicians for half a year; why isn’t she getting better? Logically, this physician was recommended by the Fourth Young Lady, said to be a junior apprentice of the Imperial Physician, with the same medical skills, using the most precious elixir; she should be improving. Why, after spending so much money, is she getting worse? Could it be that I really delayed the child’s treatment?”

Her distressed and melancholic ramble brought Shen Xiu back to his senses; he glanced at her.

He was already preparing to return to Ningxia, but upon hearing this, he spoke a few more words with Nanny Wei.

“Auntie, we’re not from around here. We’ve come all this way to seek medical treatment, so it’s best to be careful. In this world, anything can happen. Even a benefactor’s guidance doesn’t guarantee everything. This clinic, this physician, this elixir—are they the same as those in the capital? You should verify this carefully. Even a trip to the capital to verify might not be unworthy of it…”

These words were like a gentle breeze blowing through the fog. Though they didn’t immediately dispel the fog, they felt cool and refreshing on Nanny Wei’s face, making her feel slightly dazed.

However, the effects of the alcohol still lingered in her head. After a while, as she sobered up a bit, she suddenly realized that her “fellow villager’s” words made a lot of sense.

Go to the capital to verify?

But when she looked back at the people at the table, they had long since disappeared.

*

In Ningxia Town, at the Teng Mansion.

Teng Yue asked Deng Ruyun. “Yunniang, tell me, from the very beginning of our marriage, did Mother agree to something with you? For example, did she not actually want you to marry me?”

He suddenly asked this question, and Deng Ruyun tensed up completely.

The old lady wanted her to be an insignificant “wife” in his eyes so that when the time came, they could smoothly divorce and sever all ties. She never expected that he would take a liking to her, someone he shouldn’t have noticed.

The old lady could only try to salvage the situation, offering to pay her all the money, just so she could leave the Teng family and him as soon as possible. But even though he clearly agreed to leave, he suddenly turned back and brought her to Ningxia.

The old lady’s final intention was that he must not know about the contract; otherwise, he might refuse to agree to marry a noble young lady later. But now, with only a few clues, he had already guessed the whole story!

Deng Ruyun didn’t know what to do.

She could only shake her head. “No, that’s not true. The general is going too far…”

She denied it, repeatedly.

But the more she denied it, the more Teng Yue felt he had probably guessed the key.

After all, he dared not believe a single word she said.

Looking into her eyes as she shook her head in denial, seeing the cracks in them widening, Teng Yue already had a pretty clear understanding.

He didn’t intend to press her further. If it really was his own mother, why would he be asking Yunniang?

Teng Yue simply held her tightly in his arms, looking at her tightly furrowed brows, noticing the barely concealed panic in her eyes, and felt his heart tighten.

He softened his tone. “Alright, alright, if you say it’s not true, then it’s not true.”

Anyway, he had sent Shen Xiu to find Nanny Wei; judging by the time, Shen Xiu should be on his way back.

Once Shen Xiu returned, everything would become clear.

The man said nothing more, but Deng Ruyun, hearing his sudden change of heart, looked up at him and was suddenly reminded of Shen Xiu, who had left halfway.

She looked into Teng Yue’s slightly darkened eyes.

Could Shen Xiu have left to investigate this matter for him?

A new wave of suspicion arose in Deng Ruyun’s heart.

She looked at him, and he looked at her, too. Their eyes met, and they both fell silent for a few moments.

The room was brightly lit, and silence filled the tent.

But then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

The rapid, hurried footsteps reached the Teng Mansion almost instantly.

Deng Ruyun instinctively tensed.

Prince Enhua’s coup had only occurred a few days ago, and the sudden, urgent footsteps made her freeze.

Teng Yue, noticing her fear, quickly put his arm around her and patted her shoulder.

Within moments, the footsteps outside grew more numerous and chaotic, and the light from torches seemed to be gathering in the courtyard.

Teng Yue raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t worry about his mother any longer and immediately stood up.

He told Deng Ruyun not to be afraid. “If anything happens, hide in the dark corner. I’ll go check it out.”

Having said that, he took a long sword hanging on the wall, gripped it tightly, glanced back at Deng Ruyun, and strode towards the door.

Teng Yue reached the door, pushed it open, and looked out. His gaze swept across his own courtyard, seeing that his personal guards were completely still, while the outer courtyard was ablaze with torchlight.

Teng Yue took a deep breath, strode out, stood on the stone steps of the porch, and called out.

“Who goes there? Who dares trespass on my Teng Mansion?!”

His question caused the night wind to tremble slightly in the courtyard. The torchlight illuminated half the mansion, then the main gate was pushed open, and a group of soldiers, torches and weapons in hand, surged into the courtyard.

The torchlight illuminated the weapons, making their cold, sharp edges gleam as if forged in fire, all pointing directly at him.

Teng Yue gripped his longsword tightly. Behind the soldiers, someone walked in step by step from outside.

The newcomer was thin, as if still recovering from injuries, making it difficult for him to fully straighten his back.

Teng Yue squinted.

He saw Shi Zeyou’s sinister and cold face.

Teng Yue frowned slightly, looking at him coldly. Shi Zeyou also stared back at him intently.

Shi Zeyou hadn’t seen the other man’s face during their fight in Huayin, but he remembered his figure clearly.

Now, seeing this son of his “old friend” again, he saw that he was no longer the young boy he had met years ago but had grown tall and straight like a pine tree, as strong and vigorous as a leopard.

He stood in the courtyard, sword in hand, under the cold moonlight, his figure completely overlapping with that of the man who had nearly killed him in Huayin County months ago.

Shi Zeyou let out a hateful, cold laugh.

Inside the room, Deng Ruyun didn’t immediately hide behind the hidden partition; she couldn’t help but peek out through the crack in the window to see who was there. Seeing Shi Zeyou appear with his men, she couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

At this moment, Wang Fuxiang and his men seemed to have heard the commotion and rushed over with their followers.

Teng Yue hadn’t expected Shi Zeyou’s sudden appearance, so he didn’t immediately ask. Seeing Wang Fuxiang and Kong Hui arrive, he became even more composed.

He only asked…

“What brings you to break into the mansion of a border general at night?”

He didn’t mention the past to Shi Zeyou, only asking this one question in a stern voice.

As he asked, Kong Hui also stepped forward, asking Shi Zeyou the same question.

“General Teng is the Ningxia Guerrilla General, and he has rendered great service in suppressing the rebellion this time. Who are you, and why have you broken into his mansion? Do you know this is a serious crime?!”

Their men outnumbered Shi Zeyou’s many times over, and they weren’t afraid of him at all.

But then Shi Zeyou let out another cold laugh.

“A meritorious general?”

He suddenly looked at Teng Yue.

“I haven’t seen you perform any meritorious service, but my men have captured someone spreading a so-called ‘proclamation of war against the traitor,’ slandering the Ninth Prince’s soldiers in the capital. Unfortunately for him, this man is none other than General Teng’s personal guard.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his men pushed forward a personal guard who had been beaten, bloodied, and mangled. Deng Ruyun recognized the guard; he was indeed one of Teng Yue’s men.

Shi Zeyou’s men pushed him straight into the courtyard and threw a token beside him.

“General Teng, don’t say this man isn’t your soldier. We found your Teng family’s token at his lodging!”

Teng Yue and Kong Hui had recently been secretly spreading Prince Enhua’s proclamation of war against the traitor out of Ningxia and Shaanxi so that the court and the public would know the reason for Prince Enhua’s rebellion.

They had been operating covertly, spreading the message anonymously, precisely to avoid direct conflict with the Chief Eunuch.

Unexpectedly, Shi Zeyou appeared here and even captured one of Teng Yue’s men.

Teng Yue didn’t deny that this man was one of his soldiers; he only asked, “What do you want to do?”

Shi Zeyou, seeing this, laughed again.

The laughter aggravated the still-healing arrow wound in his chest, causing him constant pain, a stark reminder that months ago, he had almost, almost, died at the hands of this very man.

But he hadn’t died; Shi Zeyou had survived. He had narrowly escaped death and even gained Hong Gui’s favor!

He stepped forward and spoke loudly.

“Teng Yue, the garrison commander of Ningxia, has spread rumors to sow discord among the troops and disrupt the court. His so-called merit in suppressing the rebellion is nothing more than a self-preservation tactic after he defected to the Rebel Prince and saw the situation turning against him. This man is not a loyal minister or general of the court but a remnant of the rebellious Prince Enhua!”

“The Rebel Prince must be escorted back to the capital, and his remaining lackeys must not be spared!”

He immediately summoned his men: “Arrest this man and take him to prison!”

As soon as he finished speaking, his men rushed forward.

But before they could even reach Teng Yue, Wang Fuxiang led his men straight at them. “Stop!”

He roared, “Turning right and wrong upside down, calling a deer a horse, persecuting loyal ministers and generals! Whose orders are you taking? What right do you have to arrest people?”

He questioned Shi Zeyou angrily, only to see him chuckle and pull a token from his waist, clearly bearing the insignia of the Imperial Guards.

He said, “His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest people. Let’s see who dares to stop me!!”

The Imperial Guards.

Now, everyone in the court was in danger under the control of the Chief Eunuch Hong Jin, not only because the Chief Eunuch controlled the Eastern and Western Depots and monitored the officials in the capital, but also because even the commander of the Imperial Guards, who was in charge of investigating officials, had knelt at the Chief Eunuch’s feet.

Shi Zeyou had actually joined the Imperial Guards.

And he even pulled an arrest warrant from his sleeve, smiling as he looked at the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on Teng Yue.

“Master Gui personally signed the arrest warrant for the Imperial Guards. Are you all going to oppose him?”

Master Gui, as he called him, was none other than Hong Gui, the nephew of the Chief Eunuch.

Below the Chief Eunuch Hong Jin, his nephew Hong Gui was currently more powerful than even the most influential figures in the capital.

He said, “Master Gui is right here at your Shaanxi General’s banquet table. Anyone who dares to cause trouble won’t leave this room tonight.”

Having said this, he said no more and directly ordered his men.

“Arrest the traitor Teng Yue!”

At the edge of the window, Deng Ruyun gasped.

Wang Fuxiang, however, ignored everything and drew his sword.

But Shi Zeyou turned directly to him and asked, “I’ve heard that General Wang and the Teng family are very close. What, are you perhaps a traitor too?!”

Wang Fuxiang’s eyes widened in anger, but Teng Yue spoke first, stopping him.

“Put the blade away.”

He snorted coldly.

“True gold fears no fire; let them arrest me.”

As he spoke, the Imperial Guards rushed forward and surrounded him.

Seeing him surrounded like this, Deng Ruyun rushed out the door. The man turned around at the sound.

He saw the night wind sweeping across the torches, carrying smoke that ruffled her disheveled hair, and he quickly comforted her.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, don’t be afraid, wait for me at home.”

Deng Ruyun looked at him and saw that after he finished speaking, he was pushed and taken away amidst the weapons and torches.

The night wind chilled her to the bone, and cold air seeped from the cracks in the ground, spreading to her feet.

*

In Xi’an Prefecture.

At the Teng Mansion, in Canglang Pavilion.

Old Madam Lin suddenly woke up from her sleep.

“…Yu Chuan!”

Qingxuan, who was on night watch, was startled and quickly lit a lamp to check. “Why is the old lady sitting up? Did you have a nightmare?”

Old Madam Lin didn’t answer her, but her back was drenched in cold sweat, her clothes soaked through.

Just now, she had dreamt of Shi Zeyou again.

This time, she dreamt that the villain suddenly pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into Teng Yue’s back…