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Chapter Fifty-One:
Scandal Prematurely Exposed
On the return journey, there were no surprises or dangers, and the weather was smooth.
Previously, Father Cheng, who used to work for personal gain, led the army to lead the way. Later, Madam Xiao’s war-torn guard led the way. It was said that this guard only listened to her alone in the past, and even Cheng Shi had to take second place. It was claimed that under the same number of people, it had never been breached.
But, as they approached the capital, Shaoshang and Lou Yao became even more aggrieved.
In the outer counties, it was fine. As soon as they returned to the territory of Sili, Madam Xiao directly bound her daughter according to the specifications of a princess.
Don’t mention wandering mountains and rivers, she wasn’t even allowed to ride horses anymore. The brand new golden red little carriage was pitifully pulled behind her, and Shaoshang could hear its whimpering and crying sounds. Sitting in the delicate and stable carriage, observing the various etiquette of a lady, she was almost suffocated. The warm and comfortable light honey skin that had just been acquired in the past few months quickly returned to a famine-like pallor while being confined in the carriage all the way back.
Madam Xiao was actually not against her daughter riding a horse. She was both civilian and military, and she already strongly supported girls learning some archery skills. However, once she released her daughter to the horse, she would inevitably stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lou family’s boy and speak and laugh without hesitation. The capital city was approaching, and the people on the official roads were becoming increasingly dense. Although the atmosphere was more open, it was always right to be cautious.
Shaoshang originally wanted to plead with Father Cheng for mercy, but unexpectedly, she had angered her own father by overly protecting her fiancĂ©. Now, Cheng Shi agreed with both his hands and feet to let the young couple ‘behave’ better – he had not even touched Madam Xiao’s hand before they got married, what else did the upright son of the Lou family want?!
A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted and a delicate wooden box with a bundle of brocade ropes was pushed in. Shaoshang quickly untied the rope and opened the box, tearing open the oilcloth underneath. Inside, a golden and smooth piece of dried peach fruit was found, exuding a sweet fragrance.
Shaoshang inserted a bamboo skewer and tasted it. She smiled at the young man accompanying her outside the carriage. “A’Yao, you’re right,” she said. “It’s better than those two shops in the city!”
Lou Yao had just ridden a long distance for over an hour and at that moment, was sweating profusely. Seeing his fiancé’s smile, which was even sweeter than a dried peach, he was completely exhausted. He smiled widely. “This place is not far from the capital city. If you like it, I will often have someone buy it for you in the future.”
Shaoshang raised her beautiful and delicate eyebrows like a bird, but deliberately said with a thin expression of anger, “You too. Can’t you ask a servant to buy them? You’ve been exhausted from going there! Let me see, your temples are dripping wet! Come here, I’ll wipe them.”
Lou Yao obediently leaned his head over and asked his fiancĂ© to reach out from the carriage to wipe away the sweat. Looking at Shaoshang’s beautiful and clear smile, he happily almost hit the edge with his head.
“It’s no good. With so much sweat on your face, you’re still clearly sweating a lot! Hurry back to your own carriage and change your clothing!” Shaoshang looked worried.
Lou Yao didn’t say a word, and he stared at her big, beautiful eyes. She pursed her small mouth, and gently became angry, “You don’t listen to me anymore! I won’t talk to you again! If you get sick from the cold, I won’t eat dried peaches again in my life!” She pretended to throw the dried fruit box out of the carriage window.
Lou Yao dared not disobey, he immediately turned around to change clothes.
“Hey, wait a minute! You can try one, too
 come on, open your mouth
 isn’t it sweet?” The girl used a bamboo skewer to pick up the dried fruit and reached out of the window. Lou Yao took it in one bite and happily rode away, feeling dizzy and disoriented. He went past his own carriage and, after regaining his composure, kept his distance.
Madam Xiao, who was riding beside him on horseback, watched this scene and secretly shook her head while sighing.
In her eyes, her niece Cheng Yang had a gentle temperament, was focused on the overall situation, was not too sharp or sexual, and was kind and amiable. However, these valuable qualities were all overshadowed by the lively and charming personality in her daughter’s body.
Madam Xiao considered herself to have been around the block before, how could she not know that in the eyes of a young, hot-blooded teenage boy, Cheng Yang was just a secure and reliable desk, sturdy and durable, while Shaoshang was a bright moon, an intoxicating spring breeze, and a thrilling sea of clouds and mist.
Moreover, she now knew that her daughter was not only capable of being spoiled, but was also able to handle affairs.
Compared to her niece, what her daughter lacked was only common sense and regulations, and she was even more capable and adaptable. She had to put in a lot of effort to make Cheng Yang know how to combine kindness and power, but in the end, Shaoshang was self-taught and managed the entire medical house in an orderly manner, driving many medical apprentices and servants to work hard.
Post-disaster reconstruction required money everywhere, and with little business, it could not be suspended for profit but could be lured to fame. Every doctor who worked from beginning to end had received a white silk document written by Cheng Zhi himself before leaving, which described how kind-hearted and diligent they were in their duties without shirking their other duties. Finally, they were stamped with the county magistrate’s official seal to show their commendation.
Even the daughter used the money left in her money box to buy a shaman off, and occasionally came to the medical room to set up a divination altar. Today, counting the brother’s tireless efforts to save lives and heal the injured day and night, she would surely receive blessings in the afterlife, and the family blessed and prosperous in the next life. In the future, if the injured person was killed innocently, God would not be angry about it, and the blessings that had not been enjoyed in this life would be doubled in the next
 it not only boosted everyone’s fighting spirit, but also appeased those mourning, killing two birds with one stone.
Madam Xiao sighed again.
Besides, Lou Yao was not the eldest son. The eldest son’s wife needed to be prudent and decent, and the youngest’s bride was lively and quarrelsome, what’s more, she came to settle accounts and managed everything, and had a good relationship with her son. She imagined that if Cheng Zhu wanted to marry such a bride, she would probably agree.
In fact, this marriage was basically earned by her daughter herself, and she and her husband effortlessly climbed to up to an aristocratic family. According to the shaman, such a daughter was simply reincarnated to repay her debts. Her parents hadn’t raised her, but later resolved the marriage matters on their own, without any worries.
Madam Xiao smiled wryly and shook her head. She was not fond of seeking out divination since childhood, but now she was starting to believe in it.
The young Shaoshang in the carriage was proudly eating snacks. In fact, she had already faintly felt that she had a talent for acting.
In her hometown, she had no choice but to be stubborn. After entering university, she knew there would inevitably be hidden dragons and tigers in first-class universities, with various academic elites and Generation X gatherings, and the water depth was unpredictable. Therefore, she quickly cultivated her character and pretended to be a beautiful little girl from the Jiangnan water town with low eyebrows and pleasant eyes. She always pretended to be quiet, lovely, and progressive. Was it worth fishing for a salted fish president with excellent moral character and family background, as well as a few miscellaneous fish in the department?
Thinking of this, Shaoshang felt a pang of pain again. She died without even taking a bite of such high-quality fish. What kind of bad luck was that? Even with a nod, she could peel off the fish head, scrape the fish meat, and drink the fish soup. It was so delicious that she had been pinching it for two or three years! Now, she couldn’t help but want to give herself a beating, what a first love and white moonlight that kills people!
For example, her SMS roommate, before graduating, had six orchard owners, seven fish pond owners, and eight demolition households to come propose marriage to her family! Her parents worried every day if polyandry was illegal in China!
Shaoshang thought to herself that it shouldn’t be a problem to hold onto Lou Yao. Next, if she could handle her future mother-in-law Second Madam Lou, everything would be stable.
At this time, the sky was getting dark, and half a day earlier, the army had been sent to the Panqing camp on the outskirts of the capital, and then he brought his family and guards to join his wife and daughter, planning to go back to the city together. When he was less than ten miles away from the capital, Cheng Shi had to say goodbye to his future son-in-law.
The Cheng family’s mansion was closer to the south gate of the capital, while the Lou family’s mansion was easier to walk through the north gate. If Lou Yao insisted on accompanying the Cheng family to enter through the south gate, he would have to go through most of the capital to return home. It was almost curfew. The straight official road ran from west to the city wall on the west side of the capital, where the two families parted ways, just enough to pass through the north and south gates.
Lou Yao knew that he couldn’t evade this time, so he could only follow the horse behind his own convoy a few steps away.
Cheng Shi looked at Lou Yao’s reluctance and felt unhappy all over. Looking back, he saw his daughter holding the carriage window curtain and waving her handkerchief with tears in her eyes, and he felt like he stopped breathing. He couldn’t help but say sourly, “Niao Niao, put your head back! You’ve only known each other for a few days now, and it’s like parting in life or death. Why didn’t I see you this reluctant to go to Qingzhou?”
Shaoshang pressed her handkerchief around the corner of her eyes and muttered, “What did he say? When I went to Qingzhou, I was almost out of the official position. Didn’t you and Mother have a hard time separating before you got married? Didn’t grandfather ever feel sorry for you? Can’t we compare ourselves?”
Cheng Shi coughed a few times and said to himself, “I really didn’t.”
He was promoted directly from an unfamiliar admirer or the Xiao family’s young mistress to husband, which took less than five days in total. Among them, three days were spent helping to bury his future father-in-law, Old Master Xiao, and the relationship between husband and wife had developed after marriage.
Cheng Shi glanced at his wife, who was far in front of the convoy, and said with a stern face, “Go back in and stay calm inside!” What kind of heart was his? The little couple who hated premarital romance the most! He was trembling in front of Madam Xiao at that time, afraid that she would understand and repent of marriage.
After driving for nearly an hour, the Kaiyang Gate to the south of the capital was right in front of them. Four imposing and big towers towered above the city tower, and under the dark sky, clusters of black beasts looked down on the city like four wild beasts with their teeth and claws outstretched.
Cheng Shi and Madam Xiao were about to go forward and deliver the city command to the young general guarding the city, but they saw the tall vermilion copper nail gate tightly closed, the sharp arrows faintly visible behind the city head, and huge braziers burning at every obstacle on the wall.
Madam Xiao thought something wasn’t right.
Cheng Shi asked his servants to come forward and call for the gate, but it still wouldn’t open. A light and scattered voice came from behind and said, “Oh, General Cheng, right now the gate is strictly guarded and no entry or exit is allowed. This villain dares to ask General Cheng to take a break in another village in the suburbs. Tomorrow, everything will be fine.”
Cheng Shi was angry in his heart. “What’s the matter?” he exclaimed. “I have been ordered to return to the capital, why can’t I enter?”
“General,” the voice behind the city gate continued, “don’t embarrass this villain. This was directly ordered by my superiors!”
Cheng Shi clenched his fists and angrily slammed them on the saddle on his horse. He turned to whisper to his wife, “The martial law at the gate of the city is mostly for arresting people, so people should be allowed in and not out. What’s more, there are only a few of us, and we have entered the city. Could it be that when we sneaked in, it’s not a war between two armies?! Hmph, it’s just because I come from a poor family, and my official position is not high, so it’s okay to be contemptuous. If the elder brother of the Wan family was here, let’s see if they would open the city gate!”
Madam Xiao rode her horse over and gently stroked her husband’s generous back. “There’s no need to be angry,” she said flatly. “Let’s go back to the villa to rest.” Cheng Shi nodded. He could be as angry as he wanted, he would never do such a thing like forcibly breaking into the city gate.
The husband and wife then ordered the convoy to turn around and head towards the other villages in the suburbs. After Shaoshang found out, she was also depressed and wondered whether all the city gates were under martial law and whether Lou Yao had entered the city. Unexpectedly, the convoy hadn’t walked a few steps, only to hear a soft sizzling sound behind the huge city gate, and then the gate opened.
A group of light armored cavalry galloped out from the dark door opening like a den of beasts, each with tall horses and shiny armor, and the sound of galloping horses came like the roaring of tigers and wolves.
This light cavalry of hundreds of people, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, suddenly pierced through the quiet city gate and quickly wiped away the entire convoy.
At this moment, it seemed that someone in the cavalry shouted, “It’s the convoy of the Cheng family!” A general who was surrounded by front and rear cavalry guards at the forefront, led a horse and turned back to ride towards the Cheng convoy. Hundreds of light cavalry behind him also rode back with the commander like flowing water.
The Cheng Shi couple, still feeling depressed, were immediately startled by this situation. The couple looked at each other, unsure of what was happening.
In an instant, the young general wearing a silver-gray feather cloak rode up to them. Cheng Shi saw the person’s face clearly and arched his hand in a daze. “Ling
 Young Master
” Although he was young, he had many positions, and Cheng Shi didn’t know which official position to call him.
“Captain Cheng,” Ling Buyi arched his hand.
That ended Cheng Shi’s thoughts.
He and Ling Buyi had met before, but they had never spoken and had no friendship. Just as he was planning to start with a few pleasantries, he passed by and saw Ling Buyi riding straight towards the cart behind him. He and Madam Xiao were stunned for a moment and quickly followed.
Ling Buyi saw the eye-catching golden red carriage at a glance, rode to the side and softly called out, “Shaoshang, Shaoshang, are you inside?”
Shaoshang was suffocating in the carriage when she heard a familiar voice. She quickly moved the carriage window curtain and looked out. A young and handsome general riding on a tall horse was before her, with a face as fair as jade and eyes as clear as amber.
“Master Ling, why are you here, too?!” she exclaimed in surprise as she saw the hundreds of light riders surrounding the Cheng family’s convoy. She furrowed her slender brows. “Are you off to catch the culprit again? Is the wound on your shoulder okay?”
Ling Buyi looked down at the girl with a soft smile. “Everything is fine,” he said. “Thank you for removing the arrow.”
At this moment, the Cheng Shi couple had arrived on horseback.
“Niao
 Shaoshang, do you know Master Ling?” Comrade Cheng himself didn’t know why his laughter was so stiff. Looking at his wife’s face, he felt that it wasn’t as good as his dry smile.
His foolish daughter smiled naively and innocently. “Father,” she said, “you don’t know, but Master Ling saved my aunt and me! Also, Master Ling and the Lou family have a strong friendship, A’Yao is just like his brother!”
Ling Buyi’s smile faded a bit. “You don’t look good, are you sick again?”
Cheng Shi wanted to say that in fact, his daughter was born with that appearance. As long as she didn’t deliberately show her teeth and claws, she would always appear very weak and pitiful if she stayed quiet.
Shaoshang knew that Ling Buyi held a high position of power, but she didn’t want to trouble others. After all, the other party helped and saved them several times, so how many thank-you gifts would need to be prepared in the future. She smiled. “It’s fine, it’s fine! I just don’t seem to have much strength, but it’s actually okay.”
Ling Buyi looked at the girl hesitating for a moment, then pretended to be excited and smiled exceptionally gently. He said, “You still have the strength to worry about me, it seems everything is fine.” He whispered to the guard next to him.
‘Who said I’m worried about him?’ Shaoshang thought.
Without careful consideration, she looked closely and recognized the guard. She chuckled, wasn’t that General Zhang?
General Zhang silently clenched his fists and quickly rode towards the city gate.
Ling Buyi then turned to the Cheng Shi couple. “After you enter the city, don’t take Zhongzhi Road. Just take the deviation road from Yuyang to return to your mansion. As for what happened, military officials will inquire with General Wan tomorrow, so know that he won’t come out tonight.”
Cheng Shi opened his mouth in a daze, and hurriedly clasped his fists to thank him upon hearing those words.
Ling Buyi bowed back politely, his gaze warm and harmonious like the rising sun.
For some reason, Comrade Cheng, who was looking at him, felt both guilty and panicked. He wanted to shout out, ‘You do know my silly daughter and Lou Yao’er are engaged!’ He just didn’t have the courage.
Ling Buyi placed a slender and powerful hand on the frame of the carriage. He bent his fair and graceful neck down and whispered to the inside of the carriage, “Take it easy, I will see you in the future.”
“How can that be?” Shaoshang quickly asked. “It should be A’Yao and me visiting you when you have time, Brother.”
Ling Buyi lowered his gaze and stopped speaking. After a brief goodbye to Cheng Shi and his wife, he immediately raced forward again. The light cavalry gathered around the convoy immediately followed, and in an instant, like a whirlwind, with hundreds of riders passing by.
At this moment, out of the open city gate ran a guard who was full of words, listening to the voice of the person who had just spoken lightly. At this moment, he smiled all over and repeatedly apologized, bowing deeply to welcome the Cheng family convoy into the city.
Seeing that they could finally go home, Shaoshang was overjoyed. However, when she saw Father Cheng’s mouth opening and closing next to the carriage, she exclaimed, “Father, what’s wrong with you?”
“It’s nothing,” Cheng Shi sighed. “Let’s go home first.”
After returning home, he had three things he needed to do.
First, he has to ask his daughter in detail who she had seen and what she had done in the past few months, and she could not let anything go.
Secondly, he would write a letter to scold his younger brother Cheng Zhi – what did he think of his niece?! What was even more hateful was that this couple didn’t say anything to him or Yuan Yi!
Finally, his sister-in-law Madam Sang was right. His foolish daughter was arrogant, intelligent, capable, and powerful, but she was slow and ignorant about the most vulgar reality in this world.
Shaoshang noticed Father Cheng’s desire to speak and stopped. “What exactly are you going to say?”
Cheng Shi helplessly waved his hand. “Niao Niao, look back,” Madam Xiao suddenly said.
Although confused, Shaoshang felt strange, she still followed her mother’s instruction and saw the two vermilion city gates slowly closing again behind them.
“What do you see?” Madam Xiao asked.
“The city gate has been closed again?” Shaoshang felt confused.
Madam Xiao forced a smile and didn’t say anything. She rode alone to the front of the convoy.
No, what she should have seen was power. The omnipresent power. And today, she had only glimpsed a tiny corner of this boundless power network.