Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 10

Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 10

With a loud bang, the swallows under the eaves were startled and flew high, chirping and chattering loudly and swearing.

The scene inside the room was appalling. Xue Ning, half-naked, was holding a naked woman in his arms, and the two were snuggling on the bed, talking and laughing.

The moment the door was kicked open, Xue Ning sat up abruptly, while the woman screamed in fright and scrambled back into bed.

"Chongyang... Brother Chongyue... what brings you here?"

Xue Ning looked at the brother and sister who walked in, wanted to get out of bed but then pulled the blanket back up, her face was ugly and embarrassed, and she hurriedly put on a pair of pants.

The woman huddled in the bed, too afraid to show her head, and poked his lower back, hoping he would find a solution.

Huang Chongyang slowly walked into the room, each step feeling like he was stepping on a knife's edge, the pain making him dizzy and disoriented.

Her gaze swept over the clothes scattered on the ground... That long robe was sewn by her own hands for Xue Ning, with auspicious cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs.

Now, however, the clothes are entangled with the rouge-colored bodice of a stranger.

"Xue Ning, is this what you mean by 'busy with military affairs'?" Huang Chongyue laughed angrily. "Is military affairs in the northern frontier handled in women's beds?"

"Brother Chongyue, let me explain..."

Xue Ning hurriedly got out of bed, hastily put on his outer robe, his hairy legs resembling those of an animal.

"Explain what?" Huang Chongyang's voice was surprisingly calm. "Explain how you lied to me and then slept with other women?"

"Chongyang, things aren't what you think!"

Huang...she's just my distant cousin. Her family suffered a misfortune, and she's temporarily staying here..."

Xue Ning broke out in a cold sweat. He turned to Huang Chongyang and tried to take her hand.

"Cousin?" Huang Chongyang shook off his hand. "Xue Ning, how can cousins ​​sleep naked in the same bed?"

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard. The noise from kicking the door earlier had been too loud, and Huang Chongyue had been seen climbing over the wall by nearby residents.

At this moment, a large number of onlookers gathered outside the courtyard gate, their whispers drifting in through the courtyard wall, revealing their identities in just a few words.

Xue Ning's expression turned even uglier, but the woman on the bed calmed down, turned her back to them, dressed, and got out of bed.

Huang took Xue Ning's arm, hiding most of her body behind the man, her voice soft and weak.

"Brother Xue, now that we've been discovered, let's talk things out."

Although my background is not as good as Miss Huang's, my love for Xue Lang is sincere, and besides... I am already carrying Xue Lang's child.

She touched her lower abdomen, lowered her head shyly, and tightened her grip on the man's arm.

These words struck like a bolt from the blue. Not only were Huang Chongyang and his sister stunned, but Xue Ning's eyes also widened in disbelief.

"What...what did you say?"

Xue Ning pulled her out, his gaze falling on her flat stomach, wishing he could stare through her flesh to see if there really was a child inside.

He just wanted to have some fun; he had no plans to have children!

Before his legal wife even entered the family, he brought back his illegitimate son and daughter... Which decent family's daughter could marry him?

"I originally intended to wait until you had settled your marriage with Lady Huang before telling you... but now I'm afraid it's impossible to keep it a secret any longer."

Huang lowered her eyes, looking pitiful as she leaned into Xue Ning's arms. How could she easily let go of the man she had finally managed to get close to?

"Great! Excellent!"

Huang Chongyue gritted his teeth and grabbed Xue Ning by the collar.

"Xue Ning, you've gone too far! If you don't give us an explanation today, the Huang family will never let this go!"

"Brother Chongyue, please calm down! I will handle this matter!"

"I will take care of the child... and it will absolutely not affect my marriage with Chongyang..."

Xue Ning pried Huang Chongyang's hands off, rubbed her neck which was choked painfully, and flashed anger in her eyes.

It's in a man's nature to frequent brothels; the Huang siblings are being far too calculating!

"You still want to marry my sister?"

Huang Chongyue punched Xue Ning in the face, causing the latter to stagger backward, knocking over the screen and pinning Huang down in the process... The two men wrestled together, and Huang, taking sides, ended up lying on the ground unable to get up... The room was in complete chaos.

The commotion outside grew louder, and some people climbed over the wall to peer inside and relay what was happening to those nearby.

Huang Chongyang watched this farce and suddenly felt it was utterly absurd.

"Stop hitting!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it made all three people in the room stop.

Huang Chongyang walked up to Xue Ning. His left cheek was swollen and red, blood was seeping from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were darting around, unable to meet her gaze.

She glanced at her brother's face, where the injuries were even more severe, indicating that Xue Ning had not held back during the fight.

"Our engagement is null and void, and we shall have no further connection from now on."

Huang Chongyang took out his engagement token, a fine Hetian jade pendant carved with a twin lotus pattern, from his bosom and casually placed it on the side table.

"Chongyang, no! Our marriage has already been announced to our relatives and friends..."

It's not your place to say 'no'!

Huang Chongyue pulled his sister and turned to leave. Xue Ning chased after him for a few steps. When she reached the door, she saw the crowd of onlookers outside, and everything went black.

"Bang!"

Xue Ning closed the door, panting heavily, completely ignoring Huang Shi on the ground groaning, "My stomach hurts!"

The onlookers made way for the Huang siblings, and after waiting for a long time without seeing Xue Ning emerge, they realized there wouldn't be much excitement, and dispersed in twos and threes, still enthusiastically discussing the "past and present lives" of the Huang and Xue families.

"This is the show you put on for me?"

Martial arts practitioners are sharp-eyed and perceptive; they can glean information about what happened in the courtyard simply from the conversations of the people.

Zhao Yunkang knew that Xue Ning was fond of women and thought that things would be better after they got married. However, when he returned to Xijing City, instead of discussing and pushing forward the marriage, he found a mistress with the same surname "Huang".

Who wouldn't feel disgusted in this situation?

"Yesterday, the Emperor instructed me in the Imperial Study to donate 80% of all the profits from the Zhao family's shops to the royal treasury."

Yun Yixia curled her lips coldly, her sharpness unleashed and unstoppable.

"Before I married the prince, no one knew my second identity; after I married you, it was only revealed once..."

"After checking everyone present, only Xue Ning was found to be greedy and lustful, with the most weaknesses."

Yun Yixia tapped the carriage wall with her fingers, and the carriage swayed out of the alley and headed towards the palace.

"We can't let his greed and lust..."

“The third house in Wutong Lane, West Street, has no owner and is registered under the name of the Imperial Household Department.”

After Yun Yixia finished speaking, she closed her eyes to rest. Zhao Yunkang clenched his fists, unable to refute her.

The royal private treasury was also managed by the Imperial Household Department.

When did Xue Ning become the Emperor's spy?

They arrived at the palace in silence. Zheng An had already prepared ten boxes of banquet program booklets and records.

"All of these?"

Zhao Yunkang stared at the large box that almost reached his waist, his gaze shooting like arrows towards Zheng An and Zhang Qing.

"Reporting to Prince Kang, five of the boxes were prepared by the Empress Dowager for the Princess Consort, and the rest were added by the Emperor in case there were any omissions."

Zheng An bowed as he explained, and Zhang Qing greeted them with a smile.

"Thank you, Empress Dowager and Emperor, for your consideration in giving me so many documents and books as this is my first time hosting a palace banquet."

Yun Yixia waved, and Bai Wei came over, arranging for the guards to lift the boxes onto three carts, which then headed towards the Prince's Mansion in a grand procession.

"I'm in a hurry to get back and study my books, so I won't go in to express my gratitude." She smiled meaningfully, "Please ask the two stewards to convey my 'sincere thanks'!"

Zhao Yunkang lifted his foot to walk into the palace, but Yun Yixia grabbed him.

"Your Highness, let's go home!"

"Oh...oh...let's go home!"

The two left together, and the two chief eunuchs looked at each other with mutual dislike, each flicking their sleeves and leaving to report to their masters.

Zhao Yunkang thought Yun Yixia wanted to settle things peacefully, but to his surprise, her three maids unfurled a banner on the cart carrying the trunks on their way back, thanking the Empress Dowager and the Emperor for bestowing the book.

Now the people knew that the palace banquet to entertain the Khitans was organized by the new bride of the Kang King.

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor have bestowed so many books, but the banquet is to be held on the fifth day of the eleventh month. How can we possibly have enough time in just over half a month?

These three trucks and ten boxes of books would take more than half a month to read!

As the gossip spread, it became, "The royal family is dissatisfied with Yun San Niang and wants to use this opportunity to torment their new bride."

When the news reached the palace, the mother and son simultaneously smashed their teacups, furious.

The study in the front courtyard of the Prince Kang's residence.

"Brilliant!"

Ma De kept clapping his palms with his feather fan, admiring the view in the direction of Qinfangyuan.

"This plan forces the palace to send people and resources to help make this palace banquet a success!"

If she succeeds, the people will praise the princess; if she fails, the people will say that being a royal daughter-in-law is difficult.

Regardless, the people will stand by the princess.

There's no way to counter this open scheme!

He glanced at the general's worried face and, unkindly, hid his face with his feather fan while chuckling.

"Uncle Ma, stop laughing!"

Zhao Yunkang smiled wryly and told him that Xue Ning was the emperor's spy.

Ma De's smile immediately vanished, and he was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"No matter what, he can't stay in the Northern Frontier Army."

"Uncle Ma, can you help me think of a safe place to go?"

Zhao Yunkang was deeply saddened to hear of Xue Ning's betrayal, having shared life and death with his brothers on the battlefield.

"General, the southern border of Daqing is always short of generals. Why don't we ask the Emperor to transfer Xue Ning there?"

Ma De understood what the general was worried about.

A person who can betray his brothers for material possessions, today Xue Ning can be the emperor's spy, tomorrow he may be an inside agent for the Khitan enemy.

This kind of person cannot be allowed to live!

"good!"

Suppressing his emotions, Zhao Yunkang picked up his pen and wrote a memorial requesting the transfer of Xue Ning.

When Zhao Yunxian received the memorial, he raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting Yun Yixia to tell the whole story to Prince Kang.

Knowing that Xue Ning would be of little use even if he stayed in the northern border, it would be better to follow the wishes of the Prince of Kang and send him to guard the city in the southern border.

"General, the Emperor wants to transfer me to the southern border, are you aware of this?"

Because of the Huang family's annulment of the engagement, Xue Ning's reputation plummeted, and no family of equal social standing was willing to marry her.

He's 26 this year, and if he doesn't get married soon, it will be even harder for him to find a wife.

At least in the northern frontier, one is by the general's side, with the opportunity to rise to a higher position in the future; going to the southern frontier may seem like a promotion, but in reality, the environment is worse than in the north, and it is even more difficult to get promoted.

“I know!” Zhao Yunkang gazed at Xue Ning with a deep look. “I’ll write a transfer order for you to be a general in the southern frontier!”

"Why?"

Xue Ning braced himself on the desk, staring at the general with disbelief on his face.

“Yes!” Zhao Yunkang sighed, “I also want to ask why?”

Xue Ning looked around blankly. His strategist and two brothers weren't looking at him. Suddenly he understood. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then slowly closed it again.

"Thank you... General!"

He thanked them in a low voice, clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to leave the Prince Kang's residence.

"That bastard!" Xu Zhihao slapped his thigh hard. "Even Liang Qiu didn't make me this angry."

"Hey! Don't drag me into this!" Liang Qiu punched him. "I'm single, I'm a womanizer... but I haven't hurt anyone!"

Zhao Yunkang chuckled, and Ma De immediately understood, handing over Xue Ning's military affairs to them.

"Damn it! That's all this bastard did?"

"Let's go beat him up!"

...