Chapter 202: Public Announcement
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Until she boarded the carriage leaving the palace, He Yan still felt somewhat dazed.
Fei Nu was an honest man, silently driving the carriage, while the young man sat beside her. The jade pendant in her hand, once cool to the touch, now felt like it was being clutched so tightly it might burn.
Xiao Jue’s gaze landed on her hand, raising an eyebrow. “Are you planning to crush it?”
He Yan’s strength, honed by daily exercises in the martial arts field, was more than enough to crush a walnut with her bare hands, let alone this piece of jade. She hesitated for a moment, instinctively opening her hand, unsure of what to do.
This was a two-colored jade bestowed by the Empress Dowager, one piece given to Xiao Jing and the other to Xiao Jue. It was rumored to be an heirloom of the Xiao family. As Lin Shuanghe mentioned, Xiao Jue never parted with this jade pendant. She had once snatched it away while intoxicated in Liangzhou Garrison. Knowing it was a precious item, she returned it to Xiao Jue. Unexpectedly, it ended up in her hands again.
He Yan had never received such a valuable gift. After a brief pause, she said, “Commander… it’s not quite appropriate for me to have this, right?”
Xiao Jue took the snake-patterned black jade from her hand, lowered his head to remove the tassel from He Yan’s waist, and replaced it with the black jade. His movements were gentle, his expression meticulous, and his tone clear and light. “Big brother gave the other piece to my sister-in-law, and since we have an engagement, it should rightfully be yours.”
Engagement…
He Yan’s face turned red again.
The words Xiao Jue spoke to her in that abandoned palace just now were too overwhelming to comprehend. If she thought about it now, it felt like witnessing fireworks for the first time after the grand New Year’s Eve dinner—a resounding explosion that soared into the sky, transforming into numerous dazzling stars in the air. Even lying on the bed in the middle of the night, it was hard to fall asleep, always remembering the splendor of that moment.
Trying to stop her thoughts from going further, He Yan asked, “Are we heading back to the Xiao residence now?”
Upon hearing the word “back,” Xiao Jue subtly raised his lips and said, “To your home.”
“My home?”
“You are a woman,” Xiao Jue lowered his gaze. “Previously, when you lived in the Xiao residence, nobody knew. Now after today, someone will undoubtedly discover the He family when we pass by. If you stay in my residence, it will have unnecessary gossip.”
He didn’t care about what others thought, but He Yan couldn’t afford it, nor could He Sui and He Yunsheng. While the boundaries between men and women were not as distinct as in the past, staying in a man’s residence before getting married would still be unfavorable for He Yan.
“Oh, right,” He Yan nodded. Thinking about returning to the He family, she felt another headache coming on. He Yunsheng had repeatedly urged her to resign immediately, and now, not only had she not resigned, but she had also been ennobled. Fortunately, she didn’t need to worry about her female identity being exposed, but for He Sui and He Yunsheng, it would still be quite shocking.
“Don’t worry,” as if sensing her concerns, Xiao Jue reassured her. “When we were celebrating, someone had already gone ahead to congratulate the He family. Your father and younger brother should already know.”
He Yan felt relieved.
Indeed, He Sui and He Yunsheng had already learned about it.
Not long ago, He Yunsheng was still reading in the house, while He Sui returned from the employer’s house and fetched some water for a bath. Qingmei had just washed the clothes they had changed out of when she heard a knock on the door.
On this street, the residents were mostly small business owners, not particularly wealthy. At this late hour, most households had already closed their doors. Qingmei, being a girl, went to open the door with an oil lamp in hand, and He Yunsheng, worried that something might be wrong, closed his books and put on his outer garment, following his father to check.
To their surprise, when the door opened, there was a long line of people outside, all dressed as palace servants. He Yunsheng’s heart sank, thinking that something might have happened to He Yan. The official position of “Wuan Lang” came too easily to him, and it was not a long-term plan. Once the truth came to light, he might be in trouble.
He Sui was also puzzled. He Yunsheng hadn’t told his father about He Yan’s promotion due to concern, and He Sui was unaware of the recent developments. He Sui only thought it might be the Fan family causing trouble again and immediately asked, “What are these officials here for…”
“Congratulations, Lord He! Congratulations, Lord He!” The lead servant, with a joyful expression, ordered someone to bring in the boxes behind him. “Lord He has raised an outstanding daughter. Miss He, with remarkable achievements in the battles at Jiyang and Rundu, has been conferred the title of Wuan Marquis by His Majesty. Additionally, a marriage has been bestowed upon her. It won’t be long before General Fengyun arrives to pay his respects. We came early to extend our congratulations!”
He Yunsheng took a sharp breath.
This street was not particularly wide, and in the late night, you could hear every detail of a child being beaten or a couple quarreling. The servants were making quite a spectacle, and the neighbors had already heard the commotion. Some were hiding behind their doors, peering out through the cracks, while others simply opened their doors wide, enjoying the show. At this moment, the servants were talking in a rapid and unclear manner, but everyone understood one thing: the eldest daughter of the He family not only survived but also received a title and a marriage proposal?!
He Sui only knew that He Yan had returned to the capital, temporarily staying at a friend’s house due to inconvenient identity. He thought He Yan had become a deserter and didn’t dare to make it public. Now, these events left people puzzled, not knowing where to start asking.
He Yunsheng, on the other hand, was quick-witted. When he heard the eunuch mention “daughter,” he knew that He Yan’s female identity could no longer be hidden. However, these people also spoke of the emperor’s commendation. Was this an indication that they didn’t intend to investigate He Yan’s crime of deceiving the emperor? This was surprising, but He Yunsheng couldn’t afford to be happy about it at the moment; he only asked, “Official? You say my sister has been granted marriage? May I ask, who is she married to?”
He Sui also came back to his senses at this moment. Those titles like Wuan Lang and Wuan Marquis were not the most important; how could his daughter be promised to someone without his consent? He, as the father, hadn’t even said a word. How could they casually marry her off to someone with unknown background? He had heard of windfalls from the sky, but he had never heard of sons-in-law falling from the sky!
“Don’t worry, Lord He, as I said, General Fengyun will be here immediately,” the eunuch said with a smile, rubbing his hands.
“…Are you saying,” He Yunsheng opened his mouth in disbelief, “General Fengyun?”
“That’s correct!”
Just then, the sound of a carriage approaching could be heard from a distance. Everyone looked towards the end of the street, and they saw a magnificent carriage coming through the night. The driver was a tall guard, visibly different from ordinary guards, even more handsome in appearance.
The eunuch, with a smiling face, said, “Here he comes.”
The carriage stopped in front of the He family’s house. By now, the neighbors had received the news, and in the middle of the night, they put on their clothes and got out of bed to see the distinguished guests. A couple descended from the carriage, and the woman was none other than He Yan. Having grown up on this street, everyone had watched He Yan grow up. Today, she was dressed in men’s clothing, but her hair was casually loose. Her face was free from disguise, appearing clean and beautiful, with a touch of the former elegance. Some young men were even a bit stunned, thinking that the He family’s young lady was indeed beautiful before, but now she seemed to have gained some dazzling charm.
Supporting her as she got off the carriage, the young man standing beside her made the young women and wives on this street blush. This young man was also dressed in official attire, with a handsome and noble appearance. Clearly, he was a nobleman from the palace. In this rundown corner of the city, he seemed like a shining gem.
Seeing Xiao Jue, the eunuch quickly stepped forward to greet, “Commander Xiao, Marquis Wuan.”
It was unclear which nosy neighbor shouted, “Commander Xiao, this is Old He’s son-in-law, Commander Xiao!”
“Commander Xiao, is he really General Fengyun?”
“Where, where? I want to see too!”
He Yan: “…”
Xiao Jue became a rare spectacle here, attracting everyone’s attention. The eunuch also smiled, “Commander, I’ve delivered the message; we’ll return to the palace now.” He then looked at He Sui, who was still in a state of huge shock, feeling a bit disdainful. How could they have chosen such a family? Look at the father-in-law; he seemed like a rude warrior who didn’t even know to invite people in for tea when an official came. Truly a country bumpkin.
In the next moment, Fei Nu stepped forward, thinking how hard he had worked today, and gave a silver coin to each eunuch present. The leading eunuch, holding a particularly heavy bag, felt satisfied. Well, even though the country bumpkin didn’t understand etiquette, the son-in-law was generous and very considerate. After returning to the palace, he would say a few good words about him in front of the emperor!
On the other hand, He Sui finally came to his senses and welcomed Xiao Jue and his entourage into the house. He Yunsheng pushed the neighbors who were trying to continue observing Xiao Jue out of the door, “It’s too late today. Another day, another day, aunts and uncles can come another day. Go back and rest.” With that, he forcefully closed the door, sighed with relief, and then hurried into the hall.
All the lights in the room were turned on, but except for the lamp He Yunsheng used to read at night, which had sufficient oil, there were only three oil lamps in total. One of them had run out of oil. After rummaging through the boxes for a while, He Yunsheng found some bits of tea leaves, quickly brewed a cup, and handed it to Xiao Jue.
He Sui still felt like he was dreaming.
He looked at He Yan, “Yan Yan… ” but couldn’t find words.
“Yunsheng, you didn’t tell Dad?” He Yan wondered.
He Yunsheng impatiently said, “If I had told Dad, how could he have stayed at home for so many days? He would have come to find you himself.”
Tsk, he didn’t say anything. He Yan was a bit embarrassed. How should she say this? She knew that if He Sui knew about what she had done in Jiyang Rundu, he might not accept it. That’s why she threw this hot potato to He Yunsheng. Now that He Yunsheng hadn’t paved the way in front, she hesitated to say more.
Xiao Jue glanced at him, “Let me say it.”
Both men in the He family were shocked at the same time.
Now, thanks to the money He Yan had given them earlier, the He family’s house no longer leaked and appeared to have a decent look. However, it couldn’t escape the label of being simple and crude. He Yan was accustomed to it since she had grown up in this house, but Xiao Jue sitting here seemed completely out of place. He Sui even felt that their rough rattan chair, which hadn’t been polished properly, was tarnishing the delicate robes of this young master.
Fortunately, the young master didn’t seem to have any opinions about their humble abode. He didn’t show any disdain for their weak tea brewed from tea leaves either. He calmly recounted He Yan’s journey to Liangzhou, how she became Marquis Wuan and Wuan Lang.
He Sui listened with a pounding heart, and several times, he lifted the tea pot to take big sips to calm himself. He Yan thought that there was no need to go into such detail.
After Xiao Jue finished explaining, He Yunsheng and He Sui finally understood. So, the stroke of luck He Yan had stumbled upon had turned her into the first female marquis since the founding of Great Wei?
“But…” He Sui always felt that something was off. With the series of shocking revelations today, he couldn’t wrap his head around it all at once. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He could only look at He Yan and then at Xiao Jue.
Which family’s daughter was like theirs? She went out, killed someone, achieved military merits, became an official, and brought back a man. When He Yan was infatuated with Fan Cheng, He Sui already looked down on Fan Cheng. He was a playboy who squandered his family’s wealth, obviously not someone who could live a stable life. He Sui had pampered his daughter since childhood, and he was afraid she would suffer a lot if she married into the Fan family. Although Fan Cheng didn’t marry He Yan as his proper wife. Later, He Yan almost lost her life for Fan Cheng, and after waking up, she gradually forgot about Fan Cheng. He Sui was overjoyed, thinking about waiting for some more time and then asking a matchmaker to find a suitable young man for her in Yanjing City. Later, when He Yan left Shuojing and joined the military, He Sui had already prepared himself for the possibility that He Yan might not marry. Or, like himself, she might marry a son-in-law who came knocking on the door unexpectedly. But now, unexpectedly, she didn’t give him, as the father, any room to maneuver. She directly let the current emperor arrange her marriage.
That was the emperor!
Fortunately, it wasn’t some unsuitable match. He Sui surreptitiously looked at Xiao Jue. Hmm… He had only seen him from a distance before, and it was the first time he observed him up close like this. Leaving aside other matters, how could this child’s parents give birth to such an impeccable person? He Sui thought about it and glanced at He Yunsheng. Suddenly, he was disappointed and looked away. Ah, it was truly exasperating to compare oneself to others.
He Yunsheng was bewildered.
He Yan saw He Sui staring fixedly at Xiao Jue, fearing that her father might ask some difficult questions, and quickly said, “It’s too late today; we’ll talk about it another day.” She turned to Xiao Jue and said, “Eldest Master Xiao and Madam Xiao should have returned home by now. There are many questions they want to ask you. You should go back and explain. It’s almost dawn.” She signaled to Xiao Jue with her eyes, “Go.”
He Sui still wanted to ask, “Yan Yan, your father still has questions…”
“If there are questions, I’ll answer them.” He Yan became anxious and pulled Xiao Jue up from the chair, dragging him outside. Xiao Jue didn’t resist and even turned to He Sui, saying, “Uncle, I’ll visit another day.”
The word “uncle” shocked He Sui. Before he could react, Xiao Jue had been dragged away by He Yan.
“What did he just call me?” the old father asked his “inferior” son standing in the room.
He Yunsheng sneered, “Certainly not Dad.” Earlier, when Xiao Jue sent him a horse at the racetrack, He Sui scolded him for being useless. Now, looking at his current appearance, just one “uncle” made him dizzy.
He was indeed his biological son.
Xiao Jue, being dragged away by He Yan, had now reached the door. The onlookers who had watched the excitement were already gone. After all, it was late autumn night, and even if they were curious to witness the rumored “General Fengyun,” they couldn’t squat in the cold wind in the middle of the night.
There was no one on the street, and Xiao Jue let her drag him without struggling. Once outside, He Yan cautiously peeked around, making sure it was safe before letting go.
Xiao Jue looked at her calmly and reminded, “Your actions make it seem like I’m someone to be ashamed of.”
He Yan came to her senses and smiled awkwardly. “People in our neighborhood love to watch the excitement. Commander, you surely don’t like being stared at.”
Xiao Jue: “I don’t mind.”
He Yan thought, who would believe that? This person usually keeps to himself, and now he says he doesn’t mind? Men’s mouths are deceptive.
She looked back at the gate; He Yunsheng and He Sui hadn’t followed them. Qingmei was obedient, and there was no movement at the moment. He Yan sighed in relief.
Bringing Xiao Jue back felt strange. The sudden imperial edict from Emperor Wenxuan caught He Yan off guard. She hadn’t prepared herself. Now, pushing Xiao Jue out, she knew she had to bid farewell, but she didn’t know what to say.
Clearly, they had spent relaxed time together in Liangzhou Garrison and Jiyang, but why, in Shuojing and now, couldn’t she find a single word to say? After all these years in the military, she had a silver tongue, but now, all she could manage were two words: “Take care.”
Xiao Jue chuckled.
He Yan asked, “What’s so funny?”
He slightly bent down, his eyes level with He Yan’s, curved his lips, and with a hint of playful seriousness, said, “Miss He’s lying skills have regressed.”
How annoying.
He Yan mumbled, “I haven’t lied to you.”
Xiao Jue straightened up, ruffled her hair, and said, “It’s windy here. You should go back.”
He Yan nodded, looked up at him again, feeling a bit reluctant for some reason. Since she joined the military, she had spent many days with Xiao Jue. Now that she was back in Shuojing and had resumed her female identity, she couldn’t stay with Xiao Jue as carefreely as before, let alone spend the night.
As if knowing what she was thinking, Xiao Jue said, “Don’t worry; I’ll come to see you.”
He Yan’s face blushed again, subconsciously responding, “Um, I’ll come to see you too.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said and wished to knock herself out, just to get past this awkward conversation. Realizing that if she stayed any longer, she might create some embarrassing situation, He Yan turned away. “I’m leaving, Commander. See you another day!”
She entered the house and closed the door.
Xiao Jue stood at the door, watching the closed door. After a while, he walked toward the carriage parked at the corner. Fei Nu skillfully pulled the reins, and the carriage left the alley.
…
The interrogation in the house was not over yet.
With outsiders present earlier, Qingmei dared not speak. Now, with no one else in the room, Qingmei hugged He Yan, crying, “Miss, it’s so good you’re alive. This servant thought they would never see Miss again! Why did you lose so much weight? Did you suffer outside? It must be!”
This maid had also grown a lot, standing tall and graceful like a blooming flower. However, her crying demeanor remained the same. He Yan could only console her after some effort. Without waiting for He Sui to speak, He Yan said, “Dad! I’m tired today and very sleepy. Can I wash up and sleep? I’ll explain everything to you tomorrow.”
He Sui, who cherished his daughter the most, would give He Yan the stars from the sky if she asked. Hearing He Yan say she was tired, he felt sorry for her. He had long forgotten his doubts and said, “Sure, sure, He Yan, you go to sleep. If there’s anything, we can talk about it tomorrow.”
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Answering these questions one by one, she feared she might not get any sleep tonight. Besides, she hadn’t figured out how to answer them yet, and she needed the night to ponder.
After finally comforting Qingmei, He Yan dismissed her, and after a brief wash in the yard, as soon as she returned to her room, she saw the young master of the He family sitting on a chair, looking as if he were ready to demand answers.
He Yan closed the door behind her. “Yunsheng, are you here to catch mice in my room?”
He Yunsheng, with a stern face, said, “I’m not as easily fooled as Dad. He Yan, explain to me clearly. Out of the blue, how did you end up marrying yourself off?”
The tone of his words made him sound more like an older brother than a younger one.
“Don’t talk nonsense; it was the emperor who wanted me to marry.” He Yan walked to a stool and sat down, although the He family’s bed was hard, her mattress, arranged by Qingmei, was soft.
He Yunsheng sneered, “Did you mean when you said you were staying at a friend’s house, it was General Fengyun’s residence?”
He Yan: “…” The child had grown up, and it was hard to deceive him.
He Yunsheng was furious. “He Yan!”
“When I stayed at his residence, I didn’t know I would be given in marriage.” He Yan tried to appease this anxious young master. “And we didn’t share a room, so what does it matter?”
“You are a woman!”
“Yunsheng, I enlisted in the military before. Did you know? In Liangzhou Garrison, I slept in a barracks with my brothers, over ten people on one bed. The distinction between men and women is too prudish for me, and it’s not possible.”
He Yunsheng was so angry he felt like spitting blood.
For other sisters, they would adhere strictly to etiquette. Not that He Yunsheng was old-fashioned, but this was about He Yan, and it happened to be with Xiao Jue. Those from other families, especially one as outstanding as the Xiao family, might see it as He Yan’s family climbing up the social ladder. He Yan thought it was simple, but if Xiao Jue or his family looked down on her because of this, what would she do?
In this world, it was difficult for women. Words could be fearsome!
However, watching He Yan yawning in front of him, He Yunsheng’s heart softened again.
…Well, it’s good enough that she came back alive. According to what Xiao Jue said, each battle He Yan participated in was so perilous. She had suffered so much, why bother about other things?
However, the young man was still concerned about another matter.
He asked, “Since it’s a bestowed marriage, does General Fengyun actually like you?”
He Yan paused.
In her mind, she recalled the words Xiao Jue had said in the palace.
It wasn’t fake. The words he said in the court were not fake. That “person he liked” was real. She looked down at the jade pendant around her waist, where a dangerous yet gentle giant python coiled in the mist, like a beautiful dream.
“The moon is yours now.”
After such a long time, this sentence still sounded so enchanting. But…
He Yan widened her eyes suddenly.
How did Xiao Jue know that he himself was the “moon”?
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