Chapter 047
Chapter 47: Kind Words Can’t Stop Those Bent on Ruin
Yun Wan Chen had already witnessed his little sister’s wonders. No matter what, he would not let Yun Wan Ye step outside today.
Yun Wan Ning’s thoughts chimed, bright with resolve: [Yes, staying home to help Big Brother move is good. Yesterday, when I checked his pulse, I saw he can already stand. More movement will help him walk sooner. Do anything you like, Second Brother, as long as you do not set foot in the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion today.]
Her mind flashed to darker threads: [You would not want to see that Zhu family boy lose his head for killing the Senior Policy Minister’s son, would you? And Second Brother, today is the sharpest turning point of your life. You must listen.]
She laid out the path like a map: [If you go to the border in exile, you will suffer without end, lose your memories, and become the heroine’s loyal dog. You will help her kill Big Brother, Seventh Uncle, and me, and you will watch helplessly as the Princess is murdered. When your memories return, you will end your own life in despair.]
She did not stop until the whole ruin stood plain: [Being forced to marry the drowning girl and losing your first love was the first setback. But the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion is even more crucial. From today on, the Duke Ning Manor will seem cursed, sliding into a fate of loss. First, Father will be confined and Seventh Uncle suspended. Then you will be sent away. Madam Lin will stir up a scandal, spreading the rumor that I am not Father’s child at all. Mother will be hounded until she writes a blood-letter to prove her innocence and hangs herself to guard our last dignity. Father will collapse in grief and neglect Eldest Sister. Eldest Sister will fall farther down the path of spite until she is sold to a remote valley, tortured into madness, and beaten to death.]
Her sigh carried the weight of two lifetimes: [The earlier forced marriage was broken by a stranger, so you were spared that trap. You were happy for a while. But another disaster is here. If we dodge this one too, perhaps the butterfly’s wings will change the fate of our whole house.]
Yun Wan Ye stood there with a blank face and a mind in turmoil. So that was how he lost his memories and ended up serving the heroine. He had only wanted to attend a birthday banquet, yet it would drag them all into a pit. It was absurd. It was also enough. Today he must not set a foot outside.
His decision settled like a stone, yet he still kept up a front in the hall. He lifted his chin and spoke with a show of reluctance: “Big Brother, it is not that I do not wish to stay, but I already promised Wei Chao Hui and the others. If I do not show my face, would that not be breaking my word?”
“Then send Cang Xuan to inform them that urgent family matters keep you home,” Yun Wan Yao said with a sweet smile and eyes sharp as knives: “I believe Lord Wei will understand.”
Yun Wan Ye cast a meaningful glance at the baby on the bed and coughed to hide it, then raised his voice with false anger: “What is with all of you today? Why will none of you let me go out? I am not a prisoner. Can I not attend a birthday banquet?”
Yun Wan Ning sighed in her mind, amused and exasperated both: [Acting, keep on acting. You are quite convincing.]
Yun Wan Yao refused to lose. She rolled her eyes and pressed a hand to her brow as she said with sudden drama: “No. You cannot go. Last night I dreamed that if you left with those young masters today, you would meet disaster. Be obedient and stay home to avoid it.”
Yun Wan Ning blinked in honest surprise: [Elder Sister can see omens in dreams? Amazing.]
Then her tone turned rueful: [But foolish Second Brother will not believe it. In the story he still went, which means Elder Sister could not stop him. It seems this disaster is not easy to dodge. The plot has collapsed many times already. If only it would collapse again now.]
“It is only a dream. Why take it seriously?” Yun Wan Ye scoffed on cue, doing his best to match her narration, and he added with the air of an unbending youth: “It is getting late. I am going. I will only show my face at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and come back to keep Big Brother company.”
Yun Wan Ning’s thoughts fell like a gavel: [You cannot reason with a man bent on ruin. We have all tried, yet we still cannot keep him home. So this is fate. Even if Mother’s fate has changed, we still cannot change Second Brother’s end. I want to knock him out. Wait, I can. My tiny body cannot fight, but my spiritual power can.]
Joy sparked like a lantern as she praised herself: [Haha, I really am amazing. Sorry, foolish Second Brother. Sleep for a few days. It is the best way I can keep you from doom.]
She closed her eyes. A mysterious force surged from the space between her brows and shot toward Yun Wan Ye. An invisible power wrapped him tight. He had no time to react. Pain stabbed through his head like a needle of ice, darkness rushed in, and he dropped to the floor with a thud.
Yun Zheng and Yun Wan Chen stared, their minds ringing with shock. They had felt a ripple, strange and strong, like inner strength yet not the same, and then the boy was out cold.
What kind of strike was that? Who had their Little Fourth been in her past life? One thing was plain: she was not only a peerless healer; her martial cultivation was also astonishing. To have her as the Yun family’s lucky star was true fortune.
Yun Wan Ning’s last thought fluttered like a tired bird: [I used too much strength… so tired, I will sleep now.]
Her lashes trembled, and she went limp. Her small brows knitted. Her face turned pale, lips drained of color, as if all life had been poured out of her. Madam Yun’s heart twisted with pain. She kissed the child’s cheek and tucked the quilt up to her chin, then glanced without mercy at the boy sprawled on the floor and spoke with cool annoyance: “Husband, send him back to his room. Leaving him here is an eyesore.”
“He is an eyesore to me as well,” Yun Zheng said dryly, then lifted his voice toward the outer hall: “Cang Xuan, carry Second Young Master home.”
The black-clad youth entered at once and took Yun Wan Ye away on his back.
“How is Little Fourth?” Yun Zheng asked hurriedly when the hall quieted. “Is she well?”
At once, Yun Wan Chen and Yun Wan Yao turned anxious eyes to Madam Yun. She sighed, smoothing the blanket: “She has fallen asleep. I do not know the exact condition.”
Worry tightened three throats at once.
Madam Yun hesitated, then spoke her thought: “Should we send word to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion? Our family does not break its word. Even if your father is angry with Ye’er, he should not be marked as unreliable.”
“Good,” Yun Zheng agreed at once. “I will have Lu Wu go in person and keep watch in secret. Even without Ye’er, who knows what those boys will stir up.”
Those youths treated Yun Wan Ye well enough, and more important, Lord Wei, Wei Chao Hui’s grandfather, had once done Yun Zheng a great kindness. Since the matter had crossed his path today, he would see to it that the boys did not tumble into the ruin Little Fourth described.
He did not finish his meal. He summoned Lu Wu and sent him off at once. Lu Wu rode quickly to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and found the young lords on the second floor. All of them were present except Yun Wan Ye, and they were already murmuring over his absence.
“Strange,” someone said with a frown: “Second Young Master Yun is usually the most eager for our gatherings. What stopped him today?”
“Should we send a man to Duke Ning’s manor to ask?” another complained: “It is dull to sit here without him.”
“Wei-brother,” a friend asked, turning to their host: “Do you know why he is late?”
Wei Chao Hui shut his fan and shook his head: “No.”
“Then must we wait long?” someone grumbled: “The wine is fine, and I am dying to drink.”
Lu Wu’s voice cut in like a knife through silk: “No need to call him. Second Young Master Yun cannot come today.”
They turned to see a handsome man with a casual air. One of the youths pointed and said with a smile that was almost a bow: “Deputy General Lu Wu of Duke Ning’s household.”
Lu Wu inclined his head: “It is I.”
Wei Chao Hui rose at once and asked with courtesy: “Deputy General Lu, why can Second Young Master not attend?”
Lu Wu stroked his chin and made his tone light: “Our Second Young Master caught a chill. He was about to leave when he fainted. His Grace feared you would worry, so he sent me to pass on the news.”
Silence spread around the table. For men who knew Yun Wan Ye’s iron health, such words were a thin veil. They understood at once. Either something grave had happened, or the Duke had barred his son from coming. The latter was most likely. The Duke did not wish to see his son learn idleness from their company.
Wei Chao Hui sighed with honest disappointment: “We understand. Thank you for bringing the message. Is Ah Ye truly all right?”
“He is fine,” Lu Wu answered. “I will not disturb your celebration. Please also carry back Duke Ning’s birthday wishes to Lord Wei. May he know long peace and broad fortune.”
“Thank you, Deputy General Lu,” they replied together.
Lu Wu did not leave. He found a shadowed corner and stood watch in secret.
An hour later, a new party climbed to the second floor. Someone hissed and pointed: “Look, it is Lu Huai Jin.”
“Lower your voice,” a friend warned: “He may be illegitimate, but he is the Young Marquis of Marquis Chang Le’s house now, and he is engaged to Princess Hua Yang. Do not provoke him.”
Zhu Yong Cheng lifted his chin and scoffed: “Who is afraid? He is only a pretty face leaning on the Princess. Without her, he is nothing.”
Shen Yi Bai covered the man’s mouth in a panic and turned back to toast Wei Chao Hui, refusing to join in. Zhu Yong Cheng tore his hand away, drank a full cup in anger, and strode toward Lu Huai Jin’s table.
From the shadows, Lu Wu remembered Yun Zheng’s order. His eyes flashed. He flicked a peanut with inner force. It struck Zhu Yong Cheng’s foot.
Crash, bang, clatter—chairs toppled and the youth sprawled on the floor, groaning.
“Brother Yong Cheng!” Wei Chao Hui rushed to help, and the others scrambled after him. The noise drew eyes from the next table.
Deng Rong, the Senior Policy Minister’s illegitimate son, sneered to his companion: “Young Marquis, it is Wei Chao Hui and his crew of wastrels.”
Lu Huai Jin glanced over and frowned: “Odd. Yun Wan Ye is not there. Does he not cling to them every day?”
“Who knows,” Deng Rong snorted: “Look at that Zhu Yong Cheng—ridiculous as a dog. Hahaha.”
His laugh did not carry far enough to be heard by the other group, and Zhu Yong Cheng was too dazed to notice.
A cold prickle crawled up Wei Chao Hui’s spine. He tightened his hold on his friend and spoke to the others: “I feel uneasy. Ever since Lu Huai Jin came in, my heart has not settled. Yong Cheng is like this, too. We should leave now.”
“I agree,” Shen Yi Bai said at once: “My head aches. Let us gather another day.”
“Very well,” Wei Chao Hui decided: “I will send Yong Cheng home. Brothers, take care on the road.”
They filed out one by one, servants following close. Lu Wu watched from the dark until their backs vanished down the stairs. He did not move. He stood guard in silence until deep night, until the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion closed its doors. Only then did he return to Duke Ning’s manor to report back to Yun Zheng.