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One Word Worth a Thousand Gold
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Probably due to the habit left behind from the past life, when participating in this kind of gathering where there were many people, Yu Lingxin would always pay attention to the entrances where people came and go. As such, any changes on Ming Jinrou’s side, she would immediately see.
Ming Jinrou also just happened to gaze towards Yu Lingxin, her big eyes blinking, actually giving her a meaningful look with a somewhat vague smile.
Yu Lingxin suddenly regretted meeting her eyes——–This was most likely Xun Che being up to some mischief again!
“Eldest sister, let’s quickly go home.” By her side, Yu Yunxin was increasingly anxious.
However, how was Ming Jinrou the type that one can pretend to not see. In the next moment, she just directly headed towards Yu Lingxin, reaching out and coiling around her arm, “Sister Huijun, I have something I want to tell you, can you come to my courtyard for a moment? Yu second miss, please sit for a little bit longer.” She then waved her hand at Xun Ying, “Ying’er, look after Yu second miss a little.” After saying this, she directly just started dragging Yu Lingxin away.
Yu Lingxin hurriedly stopped Ming Jinrou, first instructing Ganlu to also stay behind and take care of Yu Yunxin, before helplessly leaving.
Seeing as they were some distance away from the lake pavilion, Ming Jinrou softly whispered, “Second cousin says he wants to see you, so it’s meeting at Qinghong Pavilion again.”
Yu Lingxin was practically between laughter and tears. Didn’t they just meet earlier? It has been less than an hour, yet he wants to meet again?
Since she has already gotten dragged away like this, to continue questioning or perhaps not go at this time, it would be too finicky. As such, she could only follow Ming Jinrou and enter Qinghong Pavilion’s east warm room for a third time today. Xun Che was already sitting there, with his eyes lowered not saying a word, his expression a bit cold.
“Here, second cousin.” Ming Jinrou directly had Yu Lingxin pulled over, not even entering the door herself, “You owe me another favor today.”
Xun Che slightly lifted his eyes, his expression easing a little, saying with a smile, “You just need to record them. Later, your cousin-in-law will return you the favor one by one.”
Ming Jinrou’s personality was although straightforward, not liking those twists and turns, but as a daughter of Jin Duke Manor, it’s not like she really didn’t know how to read the atmosphere. Moreover, she’d grown up with Xun Che since childhood, just like real siblings. She also very much understood Xun Che, already sensing something wrong from his expression, immediately responding and directly leaving.
Yu Lingxin helplessly entered. Bai Guo immediately just closed the door from the outside, also retreating far away to the corridor, waiting on standby.
“What’s the matter this time?” Even Ming Jinrou could tell that Xun Che was unhappy, Yu Lingxin’s senses naturally were even more distinct, “Did something happen again just now?”
Xun Che had the tea in hand placed down, “Were you angered?”
Yu Lingxin blanked, finally realizing that he was asking about her argument with the Wen family sisters, “You mean the two Wen family young ladies? Merely just children, why would I be angered by them?”
Although at present, this body of hers was still just a fourteen year old young girl, but in the last lifetime, prior to passing away, Yu Lingxin had already lived as Xun Che’s widow for an entire twelve years, finally dying of illness at thirty-four. Now, when facing these young ladies of the boudoir that were close to her body’s age again, she naturally would just treat them as children.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“However,” Yu Lingxin thought for a moment, still asking, “presumably, you’d also heard what happened earlier. Retorting the Wen family young miss like that, was I too firm? Will it get in the way of your matters?”
Xun Che carefully studied Yu Lingxin. On her bright and beautiful face, there was indeed just an inquiring look, not forcibly enduring any anger or feeling wronged. He finally slightly relaxed a breath, “It won’t get in the way of anything. You retorted very well. Jinrou also did a very good job. The Wen family should be warned. What I want is precisely this outcome.”
Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but slightly frown. Xun Che’s meaning, she roughly understood half. Noble Consort Zhu and the Cheng’en Duke Manor although appear to be the greatest opponent at present, but comparatively speaking, Wen Empress as someone who wants to benefit from the others’ fighting, she was instead the one that Xun Che guarded against the most. This bit, she’d already known previously. That’s why, when facing the Wen family sisters, she didn’t plan on being the least bit courteous.
But, in his words, he seemingly had a bit of another meaning. She repeated that line in confusion, “The outcome you want?”
Xun Che slightly hooked the corner of his mouth, “Right, starting from the second day of my rebirth, I’ve already started arranging people in the Ming family, poking out certain words in front of the Wen family young ladies every day, the rough meaning just, ‘The empress’s position is honorable and unshakeable. As their first time in the capital, they need to establish their might. Also, Jinrou’s temperament is too willful and arrogant, best suppress in advance’, and such unreliable words.”
This was just completely outside of Yu Lingxin’s expectations. Seeing how she was practically somewhat frozen in shock, Xun Che laughed again, “This matter, Jincheng also knows. I precisely want to let him see, if the Wen family daughter has a brain, then after hearing these words, should know to analyze and mull over, carefully treading forward steadily. If they were to really just follow along these nonsense and be muddled, then in the future, when really encountering someone with the intention to scheme against them, getting screwed over to the point of dragging down the entire family and entire clan, they themselves won’t even be aware.”
Hearing to the end, Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s really my first time seeing, how instigating and inciting disharmony among the young ladies can even be said this boldly and confidently.”
Xun Che was unconcerned, “Of course I’m bold and confident. The schemes in front, today’s reaction, whether it’s Jincheng, or the central palace, all should nicely have a good look. I precisely want to have this layer of skin of the Wen family’s peeled down, letting the empress know, her family clan, her abilities, exactly how much it’s worth. And taking a step back, if after suffering a blow, they know to restrain themselves, then that is also enough reason to preserve their Wen clan.” He paused for a moment, a cold glint flashing through his eyes, “Else, certain evil names, I’m not afraid of shouldering once more.”
Yu Lingxin slightly shivered, knowing what Xun Che was implying. It was the matter of having the entire Yiyang Marquis Manor’s Wen family ruthlessly exterminated in the past life. For a moment, her expression also became a bit solemn.
Xun Che shook his head again, “For the time being, it won’t reach that step. For now, just wait and see. At the earliest, tomorrow, and at the latest, the day after tomorrow, the central palace will have a response. However, I also can’t let this matter be brushed over like this. To actually dare bully onto my wife!”
His words in front were said that seriously, Yu Lingxin naturally also seriously recalled many past events, as well as the current state of the court, and so on, her thoughts conscientiously following along Xun Che’s words. Suddenly hearing this last line, just as she was about to nod her head, she finally reacted. He was being improper again!
“You’re……really……” Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but be angry, “Always saying this kind of thing. Speaking of which, I still haven’t asked you, exactly what did you say to Young Master Ming and Miss Ming? Earlier, just a few steps outside of the lake pavilion, she just called me……..that, I was nearly scared to death.”
“Called you what?” Xun Che hooked the corner of his mouth, “I don’t know.”
The word ‘cousin-in-law’ was at the tip of her tongue, but she was somewhat unable to say it. Yu Lingxin’s face slightly burned, also opening her mouth again, but still didn’t say it, “What you said earlier, you know, that. Right now, we don’t have any formal relationship, yet you keep casually addressing me like that. How will the Ming family view me? Exactly what did you say to them?”
Xun Che restrained his smile, seriously gazing towards her, “I told Jincheng to let them treat you as my wife, just this.”
Yu Lingxin’s heart suddenly suddenly went sour. She knew that Xun Che wasn’t joking this time.
She originally thought that Xun Che would say to the Ming family siblings that he liked her, or that the two of them already having feelings and so on. Based on the Ming family siblings’ friendship with Xun Che, they naturally will help them.
Just, whether it’s the person he liked or lovers, as long as they have yet to complete the rites, then there can still be unknown changes hiding within. This was precisely why Yu Lingxin was unwilling to let Ming Jinrou address her as such. Being embarrassed was just one aspect of it. In terms of status, Wen’an Marquis Manor and the Yu family still have a very large gap. Whether or not their matter can be smooth, she didn’t have any confident inside.
If some unexpected change really were to occur, or perhaps a political marriage where there is no other choice, then this address as cousin-in-law, she may not necessarily be able to shoulder.
But, Xun Che unexpectedly used this kind of simple yet solemn attitude to tell Ming Jincheng. This was just like in the autumn of Tianxu year 22 in the last lifetime, Xun Che who was already nearing the end of his life, that time he and Ming Jincheng talked alone, she once vaguely heard Xun Che’s weak voice say, “……….She is my wife, please, you must, must………” Afterwards, he just began violently coughing. These words, she didn’t hear fully, but from how the Jin Duke Manor and the Ming siblings took care of her afterwards, she roughly could guess what Xun Che said.
The circumstances at present naturally were different from that time, but Xun Che precisely wanted to formally tell the Ming family siblings, she wasn’t just the ‘person he liked’, she will definitely be his wife.
These words, if placed on others, perhaps it was just the sweet words in the heated moment of passion, but what kind of person was Xun Che, the Ming family siblings were very clear.
Since he was able to say it, then he will definitely accomplish it.
Yu Lingxin, for a moment, was actually somewhat unable to speak, her entire heart seemingly very sour, yet seemingly also very sweet, very full, letting her throat all feel somewhat blocked.
“Huijun.” Xun Che stood up, going forward to hold her hand, lightly sighing, “These days, although glad that I’m able to have the opportunity to start over again, but every day without you by my side, the days pass like years. In the first few days, I was especially restless and impatient, but lately, I instead keep thinking, in the past life, I left you behind first. Afterwards, did you also guard the empty room alone like this, thinking of me day and night?”
Yu Lingxin never thought that he would have this kind of thought. Those twelve years that she lived as a widow naturally also instantly bubbled up in her heart. She similarly stood up, carefully recalling for a moment, finally pressing down the complicated feelings in her heart, sincerely gazing back at Xun Che, “Not really.”
The time seemingly froze for a moment. The cunning and calculating Xun-shizi’s entire heart full of deep tender feelings just froze on his peerlessly handsome face like that.
Yu Lingxin immediately and swiftly pulled back her hands and retreated, reaching the door in two steps, before finally laughing out loud, “I’m lying, silly.”
After saying this, she quickly opened the door, quickly leaving like as if fleeing.
As for Xun Che, who was left behind in the warm room, his expression was still a bit peculiar. A moment later, he finally slowly narrowed his eyes, his lips also revealing a smile.
And this smile made Ming Jincheng, who’d just came over, shiver after seeing, “What kind of weird idea did you come up with this time?”
T/N: A bit of a recap on the current competition for the throne.
Empress Wen’s side – First Prince (foster son), Fourth Prince (actual son but sickly and also like 11yo)
Noble Consort Zhu’s side – Second Prince and Third Prince (both her actual sons)
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