Since Yang Ling had rushed over, Cheng Qiyun changed out of her supervisor's clothes. She did not know how to ride a horse, and with her figure and appearance, she did not look like a rough and brave guard. She could only change into a set of Gao Wenxin's clothes and pretend to be the servant girl that Yang Ling had hired to serve him when he was injured.
She wore a narrow sleeved green robe and a light pink bikini. Two bunches of black hair hung behind her shoulders and her forehead was lightly combed with bangs. Although she did not wear any makeup, she was still beautiful and delicate, like a heavenly beauty.
That slender figure, delicate appearance, and moving eyes like spring water, she was definitely an eighteen or nineteen year old girl. The age of a beautiful woman was originally very difficult to distinguish, not to mention that she was a naturally charming and enchanting beauty.
Yang Ling's entire body was wrapped in white cloth, and there were red marks everywhere. Gao Wenxin's tricks on him were too much. With one look, one could not tell how serious his injuries were.
Cheng Qiyun smiled and lifted the powder brush from Yang Ling's face. She tilted her head and looked left and right with satisfaction. En … his expression was haggard, his face was pale, and with the bandages and bloodstains all over his body, he was really 'pitiful'.
She smiled lightly and a small dimple appeared on her right cheek. She joked to Yang Ling: "If daren goes to the Golden Hall like this and is seen by the officials, there will be many who will vent their hatred. But if you return to the fu like this, I believe that Furen will be heartbroken."
When Ma Lian 'er smiled, there were shallow dimples on her cheeks, but Cheng Qiyun only had dimples on her right cheek. Both of their appearances were the best of the beauties that Yang Ling had seen. They were beautiful and their smiles were charming.
But Ma Lian 'er's seductive charm was beyond words. Moreover, her actions and figure were naturally charming. Even she could not hide it.
Even though she was full of sorrow and tears, her facial features were still that of a foxy woman. If one did not know her character well, it would be hard for others to believe her sincerity if she were to confess her sorrows to others. When Yang Ling first met her, his deep feelings for her were greatly discounted because of her appearance.
Cheng Qiyun, on the other hand, was very flirtatious. She was charming, elegant, pure, innocent, innocent, immature, coquettish. No matter what she disguised herself as, her expressions and mannerisms were not only similar in appearance, but also in spirit.
However, no matter how a woman pretended to be, if she was naked in front of a man, the deepest impression in a man's heart would still be that scene of ecstasy. Although other expressions were alluring, it would be difficult to confuse his heart. Therefore, Yang Ling was unmoved.
He raised his' soulless' eyes and said, "How is it? Does it look like that? Those people are all old foxes in officialdom. Can you hide it from them? "
Cheng Qiyun said sweetly, "This lowly official's makeup is enough to fool people's eyes and ears. The two scars that Miss Gao made were even more lifelike. However … I think that you are worrying too much. After you return to the capital, there will not be a single official who would dare have you take off your clothes and examine your wounds. Who would be so insensible?"
Yang Ling furrowed his brows slightly and said worriedly, "Right now, I am not worried that the Emperor will be able to withstand the pressure of the officials. Logically speaking, the Emperor has control of the Regimental Camp, the Capital Camp, and the internal court. He has also pushed that headless case to Dongchang. Their momentum has already waned, and there will be disloyalty among them. It will be difficult for them to unite.
What I am afraid of is that the external court will see the opportunity to retreat, cease all banners, and find another opportunity. Right now, the political power is on the Emperor's side, but the external court has the right to speak. If their strength is not damaged in the slightest, the internal and external courts will be equal in strength in the future. With endless disputes between them, it will not be beneficial to the country or the people. "
A sliver of mockery appeared at the corner of Cheng Qiyun's mouth. She said, "Don't worry, in their bones, those officials all consider themselves disciples of saints. Don't look at how they talk about the country and the country all day long. They cherish their personal feathers far more than that. Other officials still have a choice to advance or retreat. If the three scholars do not persist and remonstrate, their reputations will fall through the floor."
As she said this, she suddenly thought of something. She flirtatiously rolled her eyes at Yang Ling and quietly said, "Only you, Sir Yang, can change according to the situation, not be restricted by flexibility, and not care about one's reputation."
Yang Ling heard that her voice was a little soft and greasy and unconsciously raised his eyes to look. He saw Cheng Qiyun's faint smile enigmatically. The tips of her brows and the corners of her eyes exuded the charm of a mature woman. Her snow-like cheeks seemed to be smeared with a faint layer of rouge. Those flowing eyes watched him. Suddenly, he realized what she was pointing at and his face heated up.
Gao Wenxin was currently making realistic fake scars on Yang Ling's leg. She had been listening to the conversation between the two of them. Seeing the strange expressions on their faces, she felt that there seemed to be a secret between the two of them that outsiders should not know. Her bright and beautiful eyes couldn't help showing a strange expression.
But she obediently turned her head away and didn't say anything. Although she was not good at scheming, she knew that her master's safety this time was largely due to Cheng Qiyun's many suggestions.
And in the most crucial battle, it was Cheng Qiyun who used herself as bait to lure more than twenty thousand foreigners out of the capital. Only then was it guaranteed that Yang Ling could cleanly and efficiently take care of Dongchang and not cause chaos in the capital and give the outside court something to use against him.
Gao Wenxin had seen all the hardships she had suffered these past few days. As bait, they had almost fallen into the tight encirclement of the Dongchang foreigners several times. Each time, it was Cheng Qiyun who calmly commanded them, leading the thousands of soldiers and horses to run here and there on the plains. It was only when the people and horses were tired and no longer able to fight that she gave the order to retreat to the Garrison.
Right now, the situation in the capital was treacherous and the master's danger had not been resolved. Dai Lou 'er was good at dancing and would be of great help to him. How could she ignore the bigger picture and stick to her own prejudices?
It was difficult for a smart woman to put aside her own prejudices and accept another woman. But she could do her best to befriend her for the sake of the man she liked.
※ ※ ※
Liu Jin led the three thousand soldiers from the capital and received Yang Ling at Gu 'an. Although he knew that Yang Ling was safe and sound, he was still shocked when he saw Yang Ling's appearance after entering the carriage. Yang Ling was lying in a large carriage. Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin were in another carriage. As for the wounded soldiers, they had all dismounted and were all sleeping like dead pigs.
Yang Ling leaned against the thick cushions and saw Liu Jin wearing a brand-new azure eunuch robe. His face was beaming with happiness and he couldn't help smiling slightly. "How is everything in the capital?"
Liu Jin said, "Dongchang's soldiers are everywhere outside the capital. The Emperor was worried that you didn't bring enough people and something might go wrong. So when he received the news in the morning, he ordered me to lead the army out of the capital to pick you up. At that time, the officials had not yet come to court.
However, I told Qiu Ju and the others to report any news to me at any time. I just received the news that the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet Liu Jian and Xie Ting once again submitted a petition to the Emperor to behead Minister He Yong and the others. Otherwise, they would resign from their positions. Hehe … The Emperor didn't say anything and agreed! Hehehehe … "
Generally speaking, there was a reason for remonstrating and serving tea to send off a guest. Serving tea was not to serve tea, but to signal the guest to leave. Remonstrating was also not the original intention, but to express one's determination. Like a seesaw, between the Emperor's tactful refusal and the high-ranking officials' remonstrating, they tried their best to reach a consensus. Who would have thought that the young Emperor of Zhengde had too much of a personality? He didn't even try to persuade them to stay before he directly approved.
Liu Jin was beaming with joy; he appeared to be very proud of himself. After laughing, he straightened his face and gratefully said to Yang Ling, "Mr. Yang, me, Lao Zhang, Lao Ma, Da Yong and the others are very grateful to you. Mr. Yang not only saved our lives, but we are able to achieve meteoric success today. It is all thanks to Daren's strength that we can't thank you enough."
Yang Ling did not have any opinion on what position they were going to assume. He only nodded his head in agreement when Zhengde asked him about it. He remembered that in history, these dear friends did not seem to have died a good death. Although he could buy their friendship by recommending them today, who knew if they would be implicated in the future?
However, these eight political idiots clearly knew that the entire imperial court's civil and military officials were remonstrating them to be killed, but they were slow to think that it was just the civil officials' threats. As long as they had the Emperor's favor, they would be safe and sound. If it were not for Yang Ling's advice and strategy, the imperial court's remonstrations to kill Yang Ling would not have succeeded, and they would certainly have settled for the next best thing, to take the knife out on them. Right now their lives were not in danger, and because of this, they were able to hold high positions. It was indeed thanks to Yang Ling.
When Yang Ling heard that Liu Jian and Xie Qian were removed from their positions because of their remonstrations, he immediately asked, "What about Li Dongyang?"
Liu Jin proudly said, "As soon as Li Dongyang heard that we have become the Minister of Internal Affairs, that we are in charge of a military camp, he did not even dare to let out a fart. Such a coward, what is there to be afraid of?"
Li Dongyang was a coward? If he was a coward, he would not dare to stop the sedan chair and whip him when the Empress' eldest brother, Marquis Of Shouning, was in the prime of Zhang Heling's imperial favor. Yang Ling gently shook his head and thought for a moment before asking, "What reaction did the officials in the imperial court have?"
Liu Jin glared and said, "What reaction? I have never heard of this. Presumably … they will go and see them off. "
Hearing this, Yang Ling did not know whether to laugh or cry. He knew that although Liu Jin was a scheming person, he was a newbie in the officialdom. His political knowledge was not even as good as Gu Daeyong, who had stayed in Dongchang for a period of time. Without some tempering, his experience in the officialdom was still very naive. Yang Ling could not discuss anything with him.
He pulled the cushion up a little and raised his head in contemplation. He said, "The two Grand Scholars of the Cabinet have resigned. Who will fill this vacancy?"
Liu Jin said hesitantly, "There are so many officials in the world. Are you afraid that there will not be someone to fill this position? Why does Your Excellency need to worry about this?"
Yang Ling sighed and said, "The internal court is currently in the hands of the eunuch, but what about the external court? If there is no one in the Cabinet who is willing to speak up for us, and the newly promoted Grand Scholar is still our enemy, can we still ask the Emperor to remove people in batches? "
Liu Jin immediately understood and understood the pros and cons of this matter. He could not help but say fiercely, "Yes, this is a good opportunity. We can drive away all these old fellows who are displeased with us. There is also Li Dongyang. We can ask him to give up his position and replace all of them with our people."
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "Li Dongyang must stay. How can the central government not have an experienced old official? As long as we arrange for two more suitable people who will not make things difficult for us, Grand Secretary Li will not be able to do anything alone. "
In reality, Yang Ling still had some selfish motives. Now that Liu Jian and Xie Qian had resigned, although Li Dongyang's reputation had been damaged, he had no other choice. The civil and military officials in the court still had him as their leader. The others were too inexperienced and no one could bear this responsibility.
With Li Dongyang in the external court, the internal court and the external court could be balanced and prevent one party from becoming too powerful. Only then could he show his value and walk in between to pull chestnuts out of the fire. Furthermore, it did not matter whether his policy was coercive or persuasive. Only by obtaining Li Dongyang's support could he ensure that the officials who carried it out would not pretend to agree but oppose him in secret and sing the wrong lines.
Liu Jin could not understand the cause and effect in this matter. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "Your Excellency is right. However … I'm afraid that once we return to the capital, the Emperor will ask who should take over the position of Grand Scholar and who should we use?"
The two of them looked at each other, their expressions a bit helpless.
The people Liu Jin knew were eunuchs and eunuchs. That's right, he had an older brother who knew how to farm in his hometown in Shaanxi. As for Yang Ling, Yang Ling knew quite a few people. There were not many who were close enough to him, and even fewer who were qualified to be Grand Scholar. It was only when people were needed that one regretted not having enough.
The other treacherous officials were all a group of ambitious people around them. They ostracized loyal officials in order to plot for power and position and install trusted aides. These two treacherous officials were worried about who to leave the empty position for.
The two of them were speechless for a moment. They could only hear the rumbling of the carriage wheels and the neighing of the horses. Yang Ling seemed to close his eyes to rest, filtering the candidates he could think of in his mind. Liu Jin firmly believed that one would not wake up early if there were no benefits. Soon, a group of people would gather around him.
Yang Ling was right. It had not been easy for him to climb to the position of Internal Minister. He could not let the people and machines push him down again. He had to promote his trusted aides as soon as possible and completely control the 24 internal court departments.
※ ※ ※
At the sending off pavilion outside the north gate of the capital, Ma Wensheng, Hangul, Wang Hua, and nearly a hundred officials sent off Liu Jian and Xie Qian, the two Grand Scholars, with wine. According to the system of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how high the officials were, once they were dismissed, they could no longer live in the capital.
However, the court also gave preferential treatment to the officials who returned home. Imperial edicts were granted, their families were allowed to use the public post stations to return home, and the local officials provided silver rice and servants every month. Emperor Zhengde was not stingy with these preferential treatment and gave it to the two returning officials.
The autumn wind rustled, and the wilderness withered. Liu Jian looked at the desolation in the wilderness. He twirled his beard and smiled bleakly at his friends and colleagues who had come to see him off. "Three months ago, my family and I came here for a walk. Now, it's all withered and yellow."
The ministers looked at the Cabinet First Minister, who was dressed in plain clothes, and were silent. Xie Qian let out a long sigh and said, "The land is desolate, but there will be a day when spring returns. I don't know who has defeated the country. Treacherous officials are in power, and the court is in chaos. I have failed the trust of the Former Emperor and am extremely ashamed."
Everyone couldn't help but sigh secretly. Lu Chong clapped his hands and said, "What's the use of sighing? Why don't we contact the officials and remonstrate again? At worst, we can all return home together. What do you think?"
Lu Chong's gaze swept around. Some officials rubbed their fists in response, but others pretended to look elsewhere or avoided his gaze by raising their cups and drinking. Lu Chong was furious.
He was about to speak again when Liu Jian said with a smile, "Forget it. It's time and fate. I, Ming Destiny, should face this tribulation. Good and evil will be repaid, heaven and earth will know. The four seasons are in order. Even if the snow covers the sky, spring will return. How long can those treacherous officials run wild?"
A spirited official with a dark face stepped forward and said, "Prime Minister, Lord Lu is right. If we and the other officials remonstrate again, we may have the power to fight back. Why did the two of you submit a memorial alone and allow the treacherous officials to take advantage of it?"
Liu Jian took a look and saw that it was Yang Yiqing, who had been supervising the horse administration in Shaanxi and had been transferred back to the capital to be promoted to the Right Imperial Commander only a month and a half ago. He couldn't help but smile and say, "I am greatly relieved that Ying Ning has this ambition. Now that the Eight Tigers are strong, I and Elder Xie are in their positions. Even though we know we can't do it, we still have to do it. You should hide your strength, bide your time, and accumulate your strength. When His Majesty is enlightened, he has a very good impression of the people."
Yang Yiqing had just returned from Shaanxi and had no impression of Yang Ling. Most of the deeds of the court officials that the common people talked about were anecdotes. Yang Ling had been in the capital for less than a year, but the amazing things he had done were too numerous to mention. Although he was notorious among the scholars, he had a very good impression among the common people. Yang Yiqing usually did not have the air of an official, he often mingled with the common people, so his impression of him was also not bad.
Listening to Liu Jian, he could not help but wring his wrist and sighing. He thought, "The Eight Tigers are causing trouble in the capital, Yang Ling is far away in Jiangnan. To say that he is the instigator is a bit far-fetched. Now looking at the Eight Tigers' step-by-step strategy, as well as the confession of the Director of Rites Dai Yi, and the letters found in Dongchang Fan Ting's room, it is clear that this Yang Ling is also being used by others. If the hundred officials in the imperial court attacked the Eight Tigers with all their strength, they could use Yang Ling, who is in charge of the internal affairs, to help them, how could they suffer a crushing defeat? "
It was not convenient for him to voice these complaints. Right at this moment, three fast horses galloped out from inside the city gate. As the horses approached, the civil official on the horse in front was none other than Li Dongyang's Grand Secretary Li. The two people behind him were his bodyguards.
Today his two good friends were retiring from old age and returning to their hometown. He also wanted to rush over early to see them off, but right now all the affairs of the cabinet were pressing down on him. He had just finished handling some important documents, so he immediately asked for leave from the Palace and galloped over.
Among the hundred officials, some civil and military officials who did not dare to risk being removed from office to remonstrate showed disdain on their faces when they saw Grand Secretary Li. Li Dongyang saw this and did not mind at all. He walked straight through the crowd and entered the small pavilion. Slightly panting, he said, "Official Liu, Official Xie, I am a step late."
Liu Jian poured three cups of wine and said with a smile, "Guests, you have come at the right time. Now that the heavy burden is pressing down on you, I thought you would be very busy. Come, come, come, let the three of us drink this cup together. In the future, if you want to drink at the same table, I am afraid there will not be many opportunities."
Li Dongyang raised his cup and said sadly, "The two Daren are the pillars of the country. Dongyang originally hoped that the two Daren would work together to protect the young Master, to repay the Former Emperor's kindness of entrusting him to me. I did not expect that in just half a year, the two Daren would leave the capital, leaving Dongyang alone, feeling sorry for himself. It is so sad."
Xie Qian raised his cup but spilled the wine on the ground with a swish. He said with a cold smile, "What is there to be sad about? If you are not greedy for power, why don't you submit the petition together with the two of us and we can leave together? "Having said that, he turned around and looked at the wilderness outside the pavilion with his hands clasped behind his back, not even bothering to look back.
Li Dongyang's face turned pale. He did not expect that his painstaking efforts would not be understood by so many officials. Even an old friend like Xie Qian would misunderstand that he was greedy for power. How could he defend himself?
The wind blew through the pavilion, making his heart bleak. With a wry smile, Li Dongyang raised his cup and drained it in one gulp. The surrounding officials observed the three Grand Scholars who had always advanced and retreated together with each other with complicated expressions, each having a different taste.
Putting down his cup, Li Dongyang wiped the wine stains at the edge of his beard and smiled sadly. Just as he was about to say a few more heartfelt words to Xie Qian, the sound of galloping hooves was heard. More than thirty fast horses galloped over from the capital. Judging from the attire of the riders, they were the Imperial Guards.
Lu Chong couldn't help but excitedly say, "Could it be that His Majesty is regretting and wants to chase back the two Grand Scholars?"
The officials were in an uproar. Even people as steady as Liu Jian and Xie Qian were breathing rapidly. The Imperial Guards arrived in front of them but did not stop, charging straight past them. The officials couldn't help but feel disheartened.
…
The two Grand Scholars were finally about to depart. The post-horse carriage was pulled in front of them and their families had already boarded the carriage. Liu Jian and Xie Qian raised their hands to bid farewell to their colleagues. Just as they were reluctant to part with each other, the more than thirty Imperial Guards slowly came back, the banners fluttering behind them.
Other than the military banners of the capital, although most of the banners were hastily made, the Black Yellow Heavenly Dragon Banner and the Yang Banner in the hands of the bannermen clearly indicated that Imperial Envoy Yang Ling had returned to the capital.
The officials watched this procession with complicated expressions. The one at the very front was Liu Jin's carriage. He lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and sat boldly in the sedan chair. His eyes did not look sideways and the corners of his mouth held a disdainful sneer.
The second carriage was Yang Ling's sedan chair. Yang Ling had already heard the report from the Imperial Guards who came to greet him. In front of him was the farewell banquet for Liu and Xie daren. He hesitated again and again. He really did not have the right to get off the sedan chair and meet them. He raised his hand to the curtain and put it down again. His mouth opened and closed again. While he was hesitating, the carriage had already slowly passed by in front of the crowd. Yang Ling sighed dejectedly and slowly closed his eyes.
The scholar of the Hanlin Academy, Lu Shichen, stared at Liu Jin's departing sedan chair. Suddenly, he stepped out of the crowd and swept his gaze over the sedan chair Yang Ling had just passed. In a clear voice, he said, "Treacherous people disgrace their ancestors and disgrace themselves. Although they have been involved for a hundred generations, their condemnation is too great. The sun and moon are bright, and the hearts of the people are like a mirror. One should be careful in self-reflection!"
Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of Yang Ling's lips. "Using the name of justice, you can casually speculate on other people's crimes and easily use groundless accusations to kill people? For the sake of 'morality' and 'righteousness', you can argue among the outer court and between the outer court and the inner court. I will stay out of this. I only need to do my job well and be worthy of history and conscience. "
Xie Qian looked at the endless procession of carriages and let out a long sigh toward the sky. "A new ruler brings his own courtiers. Never mind, let's go!"
The post horse carriages and the Jing army crossed paths and gradually disappeared into the distance. The hundreds of officials stood outside the pavilion and stood silently, watching the direction the carriages went until they disappeared into the horizon.
The two influential figures of the Hongzhi court had stepped off the political stage. The power that the Hongzhi Emperor had left for Zhengde began to crumble.
※ ※ ※
The common people excitedly talked about the spectacular battle between Dongchang and the Inner Faction. Only the scholars paid more attention to the departure of the two scholars and the hidden movements in the court. Thus, they paid more attention to Yang Ling's return.
Yang Ling was carried into Baohe Palace. His wretched appearance of a narrow escape from death successfully dispelled many of the officials' suspicions about him. Emperor Zhengde usually liked to watch performers act. Now, it was as if he himself had entered the stage. His childish nature came out and he acted with great enthusiasm.
He angrily said to the nine ministers of the six ministries who had just sent off Liu Jian and Xie Qian and rushed back, "Look, I sent Official Yang to inspect the tax collection in Jiangnan. Official Yang has been loyal to his duty. Not only have the taxes turned in on time, they have also increased by 10 percent compared to this time last year. A few tax inspectors who have violated the law have also been punished. Is such a loyal official a traitor?"
As Zhengde spoke, he walked around the dragon writing desk to Yang Ling's side and said, "Official Yang, go back to your manor and rest well. After you recover, do your best to work for me!"
As he spoke, he bent down as if to examine his injury. He secretly squeezed Yang Ling's hand and quietly said, "It's not convenient for you to go to court these days. I'll come see you later. Tell me about fighting the pirates."
Yang Ling raised his head and saw Zhengde blinking mischievously at him. He hurriedly coughed a few times to hide his smile. He was afraid that if he stayed too long, someone would see through him. He quickly pretended to be weak and said, "Yes, I will follow your orders. I will leave first."
Yang Ling was stopped outside the city. Naturally, what happened in the capital had nothing to do with him. Since he had returned home to rest, looking at his feeble appearance, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed for a month or two. It would be difficult for him to play a role in the change of personnel in court and the struggle for power.
There were no gratuitous attacks in politics. Watching the two Han generals carry Yang Ling out of the hall, the attention of the officials was completely focused on the new internal court, who had the power to approve, and the power gap left by the departure of the two scholars. Yang Ling, the instigator of all this, successfully withdrew from the center of the storm and hid behind the scenes.
When the carriage arrived in front of the Weiwu Manor, Yang Ling couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart. There were several times he wanted to jump up and rush into the room. That was his home, where the woman he loved the most was. Especially Young-niang. When he opened his eyes, the first person he saw was her. She was a little girl who was willing to stay with him no matter if he was rich or poor, old or sick or dead.
Perhaps it was because of the homesickness, Yang Ling's heart pounded and his chest felt hot. He just wanted to immediately see the beautiful girl who was stronger than him but thought of him as her sky.
It wasn't until Cheng Qiyun and Gao Wenxin both got off the carriage and stood gracefully at the bottom of the stone steps looking back at him that Yang Ling woke up from his infatuation. He hurriedly said, "Quick, quickly carry me off the carriage!"
Although he was surrounded by his own people, there were too many eyes. If someone saw him getting off the carriage and it got out, it would be troublesome. He had to put on a show at home.
Cheng Qiyun came to the capital alone. Her two personal maids, who were like sisters, also didn't know how to ride a horse and didn't know martial arts, so they stayed in Jinling.
Although she was the second-in-charge of the inner factory, it was inconvenient for a woman to live alone in a military camp. Furthermore, since he had safely returned to the capital, he still had to plan something important with her. So, Yang Ling settled her at home and prepared to send someone to escort her back to Jinling in three days to persuade the officials to agree to the lifting of the sea ban.
The lock on the door opened. The old housekeeper first saw his old master, Miss Gao, and couldn't help but have a happy expression. He then saw Yang Ling lying on the wooden couch and couldn't help but rush over in shock. He said, "Master, what happened to you?"
Yang Ling saw some villagers and children standing curiously in the distance and waved his hand. He said, "Let's go, let's go in and talk."
These days, Dongchang had closely monitored this area. The inner factory had sent a large number of people to protect it in secret. They had also instructed the people in the fu not to go out easily. They were afraid that the three furen would worry. They had also tightly sealed off news of Yang Ling. So, the people in the Weiwu Mansion only knew that the inner factory and Dongchang were at odds. Sir was still in Jiangnan, and they knew nothing about the chaos in the capital.
Yang Ling called two trusted guards to carry him through the central hall and into the Moon Gate where the women lived in the back courtyard. Only then did he roll down. As he untied the messy bandages on his body, he said with a smile, "Old housekeeper, don't worry. Tell the people in the fu to keep their mouths shut. If someone asks, just say that I was seriously injured. Don't talk about anything else."
The old housekeeper was old and shrewd. Although he didn't know what was going on, he knew that the master must have a reason for making such an arrangement. He was someone who had gone home once and became the housekeeper of the Weiwu Mansion. His power and status were very different from before, so he treasured his present life.
These days, he knew that someone was making things difficult for the Yang Family. He was also deeply worried. Now that he saw the master safely return home, he was only happy. He hurriedly agreed and quickly ran down to order the kitchen to prepare more sumptuous dishes today.
Yang Ling untied the white cloth wrapping his wound. Gao Wenxin had already untied the bundle she carried with her. She took out a green robe and stood in the Moon Gate to put it on. Then she led the two people into the inner courtyard.
As the corridor turned, a maid carrying a basin of water happened to walk over. Seeing Yang Ling walking towards her, she opened her mouth in surprise. Then with a clang, she threw away the copper basin and turned to run. A series of screams of "Master has returned home!" instantly spread throughout the back courtyard.
Yang Ling was startled. Looking at the maid's excited appearance, he couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. But it was a very warm feeling that the servants in his own fu could feel like family to him.
Cheng Qiyun followed behind and looked at this scene in surprise. Dai Mei 'er gently furrowed her brows. How could the servants of the Yang House be so unruly? The ordinary large families in Jiangnan also paid the most attention to etiquette. Which family's servants dared to be so presumptuous? They really needed to be punished.
Yang Ling rushed forward to pick up the copper basin. He had only taken a few steps when a beautiful figure in a green robe rushed over from the corridor covered in purple and red grapes. "Husband, husband …"
A wave of joy surged in Yang Ling's heart. Although he had been away from the capital for nearly two months, this voice was still so familiar. 'Husband' was the exclusive title that Young-niang used for him. Only she would call him that.
Yang Ling opened his arms. The copper basin once again fell to the ground with a clang and rolled to the side. A soft body with a faint fragrance threw itself into his arms.
Cheng Qiyun was startled again. She was a dignified third-ranked Lady of Nobility. Her actions, gait, words, and actions all followed etiquette. How could she be like this …? Really … really … really … so moving. She suddenly felt a bit of envy in her heart.
She had a face that was both happy and angry at the same time. She had a plump little mouth, a pair of black and moving eyebrows, and a pair of starry eyes that were filled with tears. That handsome face was filled with endless joy and satisfaction. Yang Ling greedily looked at her pretty face and gently caressed her smooth cheeks. "Young-niang … my wife …"
Another soft voice like a swallow's whisper could be heard. "Husband …" Before she could finish, Yang Ling had already hugged her slender waist tightly and deeply kissed her lips. "Squeak …" Her voice was so sweet and gentle that it wasn't artificial at all.
"Master!" Amidst the tender cries, two beauties who looked like fairies in the clouds lifted their pure white dresses and lightly ran over. When they saw the two people kissing, they immediately stopped running and gently walked over, gently wiping the tears of joy from their cheeks. Behind them was a group of jubilant maids …
"Heavens, he is a dignified Count and the prestigious Governor of the Inner Works. Even if he dotes on his wife, he shouldn't do it in public …" Cheng Qiyun looked at Gao Wenxin. Gao Wenxin was also smiling. She smiled lightly, and there was something bright in her eyes.
Cheng Qiyun bit her lip and gently bent down to pick up the copper basin and put it under the grape trellis. Suddenly, she felt like she had bitten through a sweet and sour grape. The juice flowed down her throat and into her heart. She couldn't tell what it tasted like.
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