Ink Burns

Chapter 299 The Passerby (Part 2)

Who would have thought that He Qingshu was actually Shan Yue's biological father?
He never connected the two people.

When He Qingshu's body was retrieved from the moat, he suddenly realized: even bad bamboo can produce good bamboo shoots.

He Qingshu, a nobody like a lowly official (in the Ming Dynasty, male prostitutes were called "lowly officials"), how could he be worthy of a girl like Shanyue?

He Qingshu truly deserves to die.

Therefore, Cui Yulang echoed, "It was He Qingshu who died at the worst possible time. How dare a mere wretch stir Your Highness's heartstrings? Once he is buried, I will send people to dig up his grave, scatter his bones, and crush his ashes."

How can a father like this be buried whole, waiting to be reborn as a human in the next life?

Ah.

Just dream.

Cui Yulang lowered his head and gently massaged Fu Mingjiang's taut skin.

Fu Mingjiang chuckled, "Why do you spoil me so much?"

She merely mentioned the annoying He Qingshu lightly, and her husband wanted to desecrate the tomb of the third-rank civil official.
Fu Mingjiang leaned towards her husband with her protruding belly and thick waist, resting the back of her head on Cui Yulang's shoulder. She raised her head slightly and said with a proud smile, "They say that you treat your wife well because she is carrying your child—Yulang, after I give birth, will you not treat me as well as you do now?"

Fu Mingjiang had gained a lot of weight. With her face tilted back, her face looked like a fermented and swollen steamed bun, and her delicate voice sounded like it had been pressed out of an over-oiled flatbread.

Cui Yulang felt a sour, nauseating sensation rise in his throat: Jing'an had only been dead for a few days, and the seven-day mourning period hadn't even passed yet, and this woman had completely forgotten her dead mother, tilting her round face up and flirting with men.
Even details like: Where is the mother's body laid to rest? What kind of funeral clothes is she wearing? Is the incense burning brightly in the mourning hall? Are there many officials and ministers coming to pay their respects and offer condolences?

She knew nothing, only how to play around with men.

After she dies, he will bury Fu Mingjiang and He Qingshu together, so that they can be a disgusting father and daughter in their next life.

Cui Yulang wore a gentle smile, his eyes sparkling like the softest mirror light: "How could that be? I was ignorant and willful for many years. Lin was dismissed long ago. Only when the backyard was quiet did I realize the beauty of knowing and cherishing each other."

Fu Mingjiang was so excited that her belly tightened. She reached out to hold Cui Yulang's hand, feeling a sense of relief and joy, as if she had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Mother left in a hurry, and the Emperor, under the pretext of liquidating the imperial family's assets, surrounded the Grand Princess's residence. We didn't have time to collect many items."

Cui Yulang's eyes were gentle, even the deepest shadows turned into pale golden water stains. He pulled Fu Mingjiang closer, placing his index finger on Fu Mingjiang's wrist: "When your mother was alive, did she ever give you any important items, letters, packages, or...booklets?"

Fu Mingjiang nestled affectionately in Cui Yulang's arms, blinked, and carefully examined the items before shaking her head: "My mother gave me many things—the land deeds to the villa, the servants' indentures, my uncle's poetry and painting collections—but most of them are not important."

Fu Mingjiang smiled and turned her head, touching Cui Yulang with the tip of her nose. She lowered her voice with a smile and said, "None of them are as important as the drawing paper you carelessly ruined."

Cui Yulang also curled his lips into a smile, indulging her closeness: "Is that so?"

is it?

really?
Where is the antidote for "Qianji Yin"?

Without this prescription, how could the remaining parts of "Qingfeng" be collected?

How should he bring officials of the second rank or above in the capital, including Yuan Wenying, the second-ranking official in the cabinet; Qiu Tingjian, the minister of rites; the vice minister of the Ministry of Works; the vice minister of the capital; and the officials outside the capital who are controlled by the "Qianji Yin" (a powerful force), under his control? —Jing'an is dead. As his son-in-law, isn't it reasonable for him to take over Jing'an's estate?

If it weren't for these inheritances, why would he still be so gentle and attentive to this damned greasy pancake?
Countless thoughts flashed through Cui Yulang's mind, but his expression remained unchanged. His head was bowed, and his expression was like a light ink painting spreading on rice paper. He deliberately showed his left cheek.

He knew he was handsome from a young age.

How could he not be handsome?

He has such a beautiful mother—if his mother wasn't beautiful, how could she have caught the eye of Cui Bainian, who only valued people from aristocratic families in Jiangnan, and been abducted to his bed?
He was handsome. His eyes were slightly lowered, revealing his left cheek. His eyelashes were like the wings of a crow or sparrow. The outline of the distant mountains softened in the mist, and reflected in the dim light. Even the suspended clouds seemed to pause for him.

Cui Yulang pushed Fu Mingjiang away without making a sound, stood up, bent down, and kissed Fu Mingjiang's temple lightly: "Linniang, go to sleep early. The next two days are the seventh day after Mother's death. Even though you are pregnant, you should still kneel down to pay your respects."

Cui Yulang's gentle and considerate attitude pleased Fu Mingjiang greatly. She stretched her neck to return the kiss, but Cui Yulang had already stood up straight, leaving her with nothing.

Fu Mingjiang was not annoyed, thinking that Cui Yulang was joking with him. After giving him two perfunctory pats, he supported his waist and sat down in front of the mirror.

Jing'an sent Madam Fu to comb her hair. Madam Fu glanced at the bronze mirror out of the corner of her eye. The woman's figure was blurry, but she could not hide her pride.

"You said that since Mother is dead, Yulang won't treat me well. He's been constantly stirring up trouble and telling me to think for myself and be wary of him."

Fu Mingjiang said smugly, "Isn't this a slap in the face?"

“My mother died, and Yulang took pity on my grief and treated me more and more gently and tenderly every day.” Fu Mingjiang snorted softly: “In my opinion, it’s because you, Madam, have never been married and are getting old that you can’t stand seeing young couples being so affectionate.”

Madam Fu's eyes were bloodshot and her eyelids were swollen, clearly indicating that she had just been crying.

Fu Mingjiang was furious and threw the tasseled gold hairpin from the table at Madam Fu's face.

The sharp hairpin tip slipped from the corner of Madam Fu's eye, breaking the skin and causing blood to seep out. Before she could wipe it away, she immediately knelt down.

"Stop your hypocrisy! I'm not crying because I'm pregnant. If I couldn't control myself and became overwhelmed with grief, wouldn't that be bad for the baby?"

Fu Mingjiang was suddenly enraged: "That's my mother! How could I not be sad? Besides, we only had a few words of argument, and she slapped me so viciously. What kind of good mother is she? I'm pregnant!"

Fu Mingjiang then became aggrieved: "Even my father-in-law, seeing that I was about to give birth, kept sending things in from the Northeast like a never-ending stream—a plate of bird's nest one day, a tiger skin the next. And my mother? She always said she loved me the most, but did she send any gifts? Did she even think of me?"

Madam Fu had received many favors from Jing'an. Before Fu Mingjiang could finish speaking, she said with a sob in her voice, "Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. Has His Highness not left you any treasures?"

Madam Fu pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her bosom and cried, "When Your Highness was unwell, you gave this prescription to me, saying it was a way to save your life. The Cui family is treacherous and even dares to collude with foreign enemies. Once you lose your mother, no one can predict whether the Cui family will be gods, ghosts, Buddhas, or demons—"

Madam Fu, weeping, presented the prescription with both hands: "By holding this prescription, you hold the lives of hundreds of people in your hands. If the Cui family is a demon, these hundreds of people are the shield that protects you, the sword that slays the demon, and the secret to your regaining the 'Azure Phoenix'."

Before Madam Fu could finish speaking, Fu Mingjiang snatched the paper, quickly opened it, and immediately his face changed color.

It is the antidote for "pulling the mechanism"!

With a heavy heart, Madam Fu repeated Jing'an's dying words to her eldest daughter: "After you read this, burn this prescription. Make sure you remember the ingredients and dosages perfectly, and absolutely do not reveal a single word to the Cui family—"

Madam Fu's words were still floating in the air, not yet landing.

Fu Mingjiang, however, acted like a hunting dog that had found its prey and was eager to inform its master. Ignoring her protruding belly, she immediately stood up and called out loudly, "Yulang! Yulang! Look what Mother left for me!"