Chapter 8, Looking Up at the Spring Terrace (2)

Upon hearing the words "Chǔ | Zǐ", Yang Lun immediately stiffened his neck, and Xiao Wen surprisingly found it difficult to speak up

Upon hearing this, Yang Lun felt a chill run down the walls of his throat, and he unconsciously swallowed, the icy sensation surprisingly flowing down into his abdomen

You have no way out, are you unwilling to let me finish speaking?

After he finished speaking, he turned to Yang Wan and said, "And you, just stay here and kneel properly, don't even think about going anywhere."

Although she is his own sister, he is after all a man, and it is not appropriate to speak too much on this topic

This ... ...

Yang Wan took the opportunity to sit down, and as her knees relaxed, the blood flowed smoothly, making her feel a refreshing ache that nearly brought her to tears. She lowered her head, disregarding Yang Lun's presence, and rolled up her pant legs. "This is merely tormenting one's own family to vent your own frustrations. I know my brother is angry because I am thoughtless. If my brother could truly calm down, it wouldn't matter much to me, but when he loses his temper in front of me, he still has to face difficulties outside. So what is the point of my situation?"

Xiao Wen will express Yang Lun's meaning

Yang Wan simply did not accept his "affection"

Xiao Wen discerned that his words were filled with protectiveness. She quickly interjected, "In the end, you are just fond of this girl. Why mention 'death' and 'life'? It sounds so frightening. In my opinion, we should carefully consider how to avoid this storm; that is the real matter at hand"

I said, since you do not know how to protect me, then just hand me over

Yang Wan pushed aside Xiao Wen, pressed her hand on her knee, propped up her upper body, and raised her head to look into Yang Lun's eyes. "Brother should understand that this matter was not instigated by the Yang and Zhang families, but rather brought to light by those outside who thrive on chaos. Both our families are the subject of ridicule; if we wish to maintain a semblance of dignity, we can only force the other side to concede. If we concede and call off the engagement, it would mean I admit to having lost my virtue before marriage. If the Zhang family concedes and accepts 'Marry me,' it would be a self-inflicted humiliation for them. Regardless, the outside world is abuzz with gossip, and there is no shortage of slander, so this uproar is not something we can simply hide from."

Yang Wan tilted her head and said, "Because of Deng Ying, Zhang Luo also does not dare to challenge me"

This statement should not be made lightly, for in what place can such a hopeless grievance be extended

He stared at Yang Wan's eyes in surprise, gradually developing an intention to scrutinize her

Then I have wasted my life at home

After she finished speaking, she proceeded to organize the subsequent path.

I went to see him

The ancestral hall thus became very quiet for a moment, the warmth and delicacy of the smoke from the fire made Yang Wan's face flush. It also caused Yang Lun's eyes to turn red.

Xiao Wen only felt a chill rising from her back

Yang Lun smiled and said, "Of course there is something, he did not come alone; there are also members of the Jinyiwei outside."

Xiao Wen saw the two of them in a stalemate and spoke to ease the situation: "If breaking off the engagement can resolve this matter, then so be it. But what about our Wan'er in the future? A good girl like her, wouldn't that be ruined?"

Yang Lun laughed upon hearing this, raising his arm to point at Yang Wan's forehead, "What are you being so reckless about? What options do you have left? If Zhang Luo withdraws from this marriage proposal, I will have to support you for the rest of your life, and you still think about saving yourself, I ... ... "

Xiao Wen looked at the dark bruise on her knee and felt a pang of sympathy. She quickly grabbed her hand and said, "Wan'er, don't rub it."

You just need to answer.

Yang Wan withdrew her hand, "Sister-in-law, please don't worry about me. I have to rely on self-harm to numb myself; otherwise, how will I be able to stand up later."

Previously, that was all just angry talk. Am I really going to let her go? As long as I am still alive, my family cannot suffer humiliation without reason. This person is responsible for handling secret matters for His Majesty; his hidden intentions are not easily revealed. However, since he has come this time, I will see what kind of knife he is hiding beneath his robe

After a moment of silence, he suddenly shook his head: "No, that's not right. Even if I occasionally say a few more words in front of you and your sister-in-law, I have never spoken to this extent."

After she finished speaking, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed hard on her own knee. Indeed, the blood circulation was relieved, and she felt "refreshed and invigorated," yet it made Xiao Wen clench her teeth in response.

Yang Wan opened her mouth in silence, feeling somewhat regretful

She crossed her arms; although she was discussing her body, her voice was cold and harsh

"Even if I kneel, I still disturb my ancestors; the noise from outside will not cease."

Yang Lun vaguely sensed that there was a layer of barrier between him and the younger sister sitting before him, a barrier that he increasingly found difficult to see through. Although she was right in front of him, she no longer behaved as she used to, gently tugging at his sleeve when faced with a problem, asking him how to handle this matter and what to do about that one.

You are capable of ... ...

You need not show yourself; what pleasant words could be exchanged upon seeing you over there? Take good care of your mother

This sentence was uttered casually, in a low voice, and Yang Wan did not hear it; she also helped him to grasp the attitude of being an official and establishing a family.

What outsiders think is all superficial; rumors are merely rumors because, no matter how true they may sound, they lack solid evidence. Before undergoing punishment, Deng Ying was indeed a person convicted of treason by the Three Departments. However, after his punishment, the situation changed. He is now a member of the Imperial Sacrificial Office, and this idea was proposed to the Three Departments by He Yixian, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Sacrificial Office. His Majesty has also given his approval. Therefore, regardless of the motives, He Yixian is unwilling to allow the dirty water from outside the palace to splash into the inner court. Moreover, the reconstruction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is currently under tight deadlines, and the officials from the Ministry of Works do not wish for such matters to distract Deng Ying.

Her voice softened as she spoke, and her eyes became slightly red. "To expose a young lady's honor so blatantly for the sake of a gamble is... it is truly too much of an injustice."

Brother, please let me go. It makes no sense for me to hide at home after making a serious mistake while you bear the burden. You are an official in the department, and what I have here are merely trivial family matters. Over the past few days, you have been treating them as significant issues, pondering over them repeatedly, which is entirely unnecessary

Xiao Wen's voice trembled slightly, "Are you still going?"

Xiao Wen listened in a daze to Yang Wan's words, momentarily speechless, murmuring: "What you say makes it seem as if I am riding on someone else's coattails, but..."

No, do not even think about it

Yang Wan turned her gaze away from Yang Lun and gently held Xiao Wen's hand, saying, "Sister-in-law, do not worry. Although I cannot defend myself against a hundred accusations, chastity is something that either exists or does not exist. Even if I cannot prove it myself, there are still places in this world where I can seek justice."

If it were not for his own wife protecting him in front, Yang Lun would truly be afraid that he could not hold back and would slap her on the spot

He brought the members of the Jinyiwei... What does he intend to do

Yang Lun was taken aback by the calmness and courage in her voice, which he had never encountered before, and could not help but ask, "When did you come up with these thoughts"

... ...

Xiao Wen was afraid that Yang Lun's anger would be provoked by Yang Wan, so she hurriedly said to Yang Wan: "Wan'er, just rest assured and listen to your brother; he will take good care of you"

She speaks of gains and losses in every sentence, calculating cause and effect in every matter. From Deng Ying to Zhang Luo, and ultimately even to herself, a completely dead game of chess has been transformed into a lively one. This is something that the former Yang Wan could never have imagined

Yang Wan responded: "Am I just a lifeless object in the family? I can hear some of what you usually say."

Yin Er instinctively glanced at Yang Lun

The Bureau of Rites

Yang Wan noticed Yin Er's timidity and did not expect much from her. She struggled to stand up, brushed the dust off her knees, straightened her posture, and walked up to Yang Lun. Although she was much shorter than Yang Lun, she insisted on locking her gaze onto his eyes before she was willing to speak.

Have you not been thinking about being locked up here these past few days? I have also considered ways to extricate myself and have devised my own escape route. In order to save myself, I must also ensure that Zhang Luo has no face to confront our Yang family.

What exactly happened to you in the sea?

It would be better for you to avoid this time, and I will go to the Zhang family to discuss it with the Jiang family...

Yang Lun thought he had misheard and asked in astonishment, "What did you say?"

Yang Wan nodded, habitually taking out the phrasing used when writing papers, directly addressing the temporal nodes and the historical facts corresponding to those nodes

In the tenth year of Zhenning, the Court of Ceremonial began selecting female attendants, all of whom were required to be of intact virtue. Participation in the selection served as a means to prove one's innocence

Yang Lun could no longer tolerate it and could only reprimand her: "Who allowed you to speak such nonsense? Is this something you should say? Even if your sister-in-law and I believe you, what will others think? You claim to have figured things out, but I see you don't even realize the trouble you're in this time!"

There is the Inner Court Ceremonial Bureau

As she spoke, she reached out to rub

Yang Lun was half-dragged and half-pleaded by her to take a step back. He walked into the shadow of the door with his hands behind his back, fell silent for a moment, forced himself to calm down, and then waved his hand, saying, "I am going to see Zhang Luo"

Yang Lun was taken aback

The difference in body awareness among such women spans across eras, which Yang Lun and Xiao Wen could never comprehend.

Yang Lun, feeling frustrated and stifled, casually dragged over a cushion, forcefully shoved it to his feet, sat cross-legged, and said, "I will just listen to you finish."

Yang Lun glanced at Xiao Wen

Does my brother still not understand?

I went to meet Zhang Luo, and this matter does not involve my brother's character. Therefore, Zhang Luo cannot use the tactics of questioning the officials in the capital to trouble my brother. Moreover, I want Zhang Luo's attitude; the more he humiliates me, the better. I am not afraid of the unpleasant words from outside. After I enter the Shangyi Bureau, the Zhang family's act of breaking off the engagement will naturally become their malicious act of forcibly tarnishing my reputation. At that time, my brother can sell a favor to the Zhang family. As for my mother and sister-in-law, they need not listen to those filthy words on my account.

Yang Lun retorted, "What of it?"

Suddenly, the voice became heavy, "Forcing me to admit my loss of chastity would mean putting Deng Ying in a perilous position. Zhang Luo is a member of the Jinyiwei, and if the Taihe Hall cannot be completed, it would not benefit the emperor to be uncomfortable with him. I dare to meet him; I bet he will not do anything to me, regardless of how stable he appears now or how he treats his elder brother. Deep down, he merely hopes that we will take the initiative to cancel the engagement, to avoid involving our family’s princess in the palace, thus putting his master in a difficult position."

Do not speak such heartless and ungrateful words again

What is most chilling is that she spoke these words without any self-pity that a woman would typically feel for her own plight. She was even willing to sacrifice her own dignity to be discussed by millions. Moreover, she seemed completely untroubled by it all

Also, it seems that what I just said has already been mentioned by Yang Lun

He paced back and forth in the ancestral hall, fidgeting with his hands, before finally stopping in front of Yang Wan, and scolded, "I have protected you for eighteen years, and now you want me to hand you over. Do you think of yourself as a person of importance in this capital, capable of independently taking charge of the Yang family? Or do you think I am dead? Do you want to personally take on the responsibility?"

Yang Wan gazed at Yang Lun and said, "I do not want you to intervene; this matter originally has nothing to do with you"

Xiao Wen asked: "Last time you saw him, he was unwilling to meet; this time he has come in person. Could there be something going on?"

Yang Lun looked at her, not responding immediately

Xiao Wen said with concern: "Yes, don't go there, that is the realm of the King of Hell, you cannot bear to see it"

Yang Wan looked at him as he settled down, softened her tone, "Alright, since brother is willing to listen to me, I will first ask about brother and sister-in-law. Do you believe that I am still a virgin?"

Why do you know about the Grand Council and the court affairs

Yang Wan does not find this to be anything significant

She appears to be speaking about her own matters, yet her perspective is not derived from her own experience, nor is it confined solely to the Yang family.

Hiss... Oh my heavens, that Silver, give me a hand.

Although Yang Wan's voice was not loud, her words were sharp in meaning

Yang Wan took over his words, "I have not finished speaking. Brother, let me meet Zhang Luo; I will withdraw from this marriage myself."

This is not surprising; inquiring officials is indeed the responsibility of the Northern Town Pacification Office

Xiao Wen found it even more unbelievable