Chapter 132.2

Yu Pin Yan was atop his horse in front of the city gate. Behind him was a dense and endless mass of soldiers, each had a solemn expression. Their hands clutching a sword and halberd, glittering with coldness. That kind of killing atmosphere, created by the bloodstains from fighting for their lives on the battlefield, made the bailiff of Yamen guarding the city walls unable to breathe.

Their faces were white and would frequently tiptoed to look in the direction of imperial city, hoping that the eunuchs who had delivered the decree would hurry over. In particular, the officials standing under Yu Pin Yan’s horse felt like they had been poured with water on a cold day as cold sweat trickled down the tips of their hair.

After several battles, the murderous intent exuding from Commander Yu’s body intensified. His eyes were dark and devoid of any human emotion. Instead, he looked like a demon in Buddhism or a walking weapon. When he looked down, his gaze was indifferent and frosty as if he was looking at a dead object.

The official couldn’t take it anymore, so he grabbed a random person and shouted, “Why hasn’t the imperial decree arrived? Send someone to the palace to report the news!”

Yu Pin Yan was as still as a mountain. The horse he was riding emitted a breath of white air, as if he was a little impatient. At that moment, several figures suddenly emerged on the city wall, waving a handkerchief in their hands.

“Who is up there? Who gave them permission to go up? Quickly drive them away!” When the officials saw them, they wished they could drag them down. This was the return of an army not a monkey show to be spectated.

However, the expressionless Commander Yu suddenly spoke, “These are this Marquis’ family members, so this Marquis’ would like to ask your Lordships to be a little more accommodating.”

The bailiffs who were about to shoo them away became petrified and the official giving orders almost wet themselves from fear. He immediately knelt down and kowtow to apologise. Yu Pin Yan waved his hand offhandedly, his cold gaze softening as it met the Old Madam’s weathered face. Then, he looked at Yu Si Yu, Ma Momo and the others beside him. Finally, stopping at that lovable, charming and radiant face.

He could tell that she had purposely dressed up today. Her beautiful hair was tied in an elaborate cross-shaped bun.[1] The centre of her cross-shaped temples was adorned with a full-bloom tree peony. However, her face was more eye-catching than that peony. At this moment, she was leaning half of her body out as she energetically waved the small handkerchief she was holding in her hand. The smile on her lips was more brilliant and beautiful than the winter sun in the sky.

Yu Pin Yan furrowed his brows and waved his hand. She immediately retracted her body and leaned obediently on the stone railing. It was as if she felt that there was nowhere to express the joy in her heart. She suddenly kissed her palms and made a gesture of sending it out.

Yu Pin Yan’s eyesight was superb enough to catch the crimson lipstick on her palm. He suddenly felt that there was a faint heat on his lips. It felt as if she kissed him through the air, and at the same time it was filled with affection. The corners of Yu Pin Yan’s taut lips finally rose, revealing a smile that was sufficient to charm all the women in the world. His already handsome face glowed under the winter sun, which was also glistening and dazzling.

The officials watched as a fierce weapon was transformed into a flesh and blood human being. The pressure in their heart was abruptly reduced. At this moment, Yu Pin Yan dismounted to receive the decree and immediately led 5,000 soldiers into the capital, while the rest of the men remained stationed outside the city.

The Old Madam came down from the walls. Her back and legs were no longer aching and hurting. When she saw that her grandson was in perfect condition, all her illnesses instantly disappeared. Yu Xiang supported her and was about to return to Shen’s manor when she saw a unit of soldiers running over at a fast pace. The man at the front half-kneeled and said, “Reporting to Old Madam, Commander has ordered this humble subject to take you back to the Marquis Yongle manor.” He gestured for them to get into the carriage.

“Hasn’t the Marquis manor been sealed?” A glint of surprise shot through the Old Madam’s eyes.

“The Emperor has long since issued an imperial decree that the Marquis manor be unsealed only when the Commander returns to the capital.”

“Great, great, great. Let’s quickly go! We can finally return home!” The Old Madam cried with joy and exuberantly boarded the carriage. 　

As Emperor Cheng Kang had sealed off the news, no one in the capital knew that the army was about to return to the imperial court. At this moment, the third branch of the (Yu) family was welcoming guests with great festivities, and Zhuo Shi was sitting in the hall wearing a crimson brocade gown. She took Chang Ya Fu’s hand and kept looking at her up and down, “I haven’t seen you for a few years. Fu’er has really grown up like a hibiscus flower.”

Chang Ya Fu hung her head shyly, while Yu Pin Hong’s wife, Lu Shi, sneered, “You call this good looking? It can’t be that you are blind, right? Have you never seen Miss Shen? That’s what I call devastatingly beautiful. On that day, I happened to make eye contact with her in the street and I couldn’t even walk. But a girl like Miss Chang is not much more than that. Furthermore, she lost her virginity before marriage.”

Although Lu Shi’s father was merely a small governor, without his care, the physically weak third branch of the Yu family would have died of starvation in Shu. She had no idea that they were treating Lu Shi like a fool. In addition, once they gained power, they were going to marry another wife for Yu Pin Hong. If Lu Shi let Chang Ya Fu into the family, she felt that sooner or later she would be killed by the other person; therefore, she thought it would be better to strike first and gain the upper hand.

Only when the sound of Chang Ya Fu’s sobs could be heard did Duchess Jingguo get up and shouted, “Where did you hear that? This is utter nonsense!”

“Why is there a need to deliberately inquire? Who in the capital doesn’t know that Miss Chang has a vermilion mole on her chest? Didn’t she take off her clothes for men to see her back then? Miss Chang’s figure is so loose. It is unknown what kind of method she used to irrigate and moisten in the past. She said she had gone back to her hometown, but she was hiding in the house of some adulterous husband.” Lu Shi was a village woman and her words were as vulgar as they could be.

Duchess Jingguo was so furious that she was about to vomit blood and scolded in a stern voice, “You bitch, how dare you slander my child like that?! Let’s see how I will rip your mouth off…”

Lu Shi hurriedly hid behind Zhuo Shi, whose face had sunk. Zhuo Shi was contemplating on whether to call a Momo to examine Chang Ya Fu. However, she heard someone shouting, “Madam, the Marquis Yongle manor has been unsealed. The Old Madam has returned to the Marquis manor!”