Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 9 What’s the plot?

The man's body tensed up for a moment, but soon relaxed and allowed Tan Huaike to hold him hostage.

He leaned against the beam of the Qinglu behind him and asked with interest: "Oh, you are quite brave. How do you know I am not a ghost?" He no longer spoke in a hoarse voice. His voice became clear and bright.

"No matter if you're a human or a ghost, I'm going to give it a try." The tip of the candlestick pressed a dent into the man's neck. Tan Huaike pressed again, "Who are you? Why are you pretending to be a ghost and scaring me?"

"Don't be so serious," the man said jokingly, "Please show some mercy, sister-in-law."

Auntie...

Tan Huaike reacted: "You are the second son of the Shentu family, my uncle... Shentu Zhuo?"

Pushing the candlestick aside with his fingertips, Shen Tu Zhuo said lazily, "That's right."

He was indeed very hungry. He walked over to the altar and quickly ate the several plates of nut snacks, which was barely enough to fill his stomach. He couldn't help but complain, "There's only so much left! You're even eating my brother's offerings. You really don't consider yourself an outsider."

Tan Huaike put down the candlestick, replaced the white wax and lit it, saying angrily, "You, as a younger brother, can't compare to you. You wear your brother's wedding gown, lie in your brother's coffin, drink your brother and sister-in-law's wedding wine, and even scare a poor widow... I heard that the second son of the Shentu family is a willful and reckless playboy. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."

"I didn't expect you to be so honest. You said you'd keep vigil and you knelt there until midnight, forcing me to lie in the coffin for three full hours! I woke up from a nap, feeling dizzy and hungry, and you were still out drinking and eating fruit. So I put on my brother's wedding gown and took advantage of your drunken stupor to give you a scare."

"So why are you hiding in your brother's coffin?"

"I originally wanted to see my brother's belongings, but..." Shen Tu Zhuo said vaguely, "Anyway, you, the new bride, shamelessly entered my house. It seems like you have bad intentions, so I have to find out more about you."

Tan Huaike's attention was drawn to his previous words: "Your brother's relics?"

She went to the side of the coffin and looked inside. There was a green outer robe spread out in a mess inside, which was obviously Shentu Zhuo's own clothes, and a wedding dress that matched hers. The missing inner garment was worn by Shentu Zhuo. There were also some gold, silver and other burial objects, but nothing else.

She had originally heard that the battle report only brought the news that Shen Tuheng was killed in battle, and his body was not sent back, so she expected that her husband would not be in the coffin, and only clothes and important burial objects should be placed in it. Unexpectedly, an uncle-in-law also sneaked in.

Shentu Zhuo put the halberd back into the coffin, took off his wedding gown and changed into his outer garment.

He said, "They returned my brother's weapons, saying that he had been mixed with other soldiers, burned beyond recognition, and his body was eaten by vultures, so he could never be found again... Only this halberd can be identified as his relic."

Looking at this long spear, Tan Huaike inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch it. There were traces of blood and gravel on it. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, "Where did your brother die in battle?"

Shentu Zhuo shook his head: "The military report didn't mention it, so it must be outside the Great Wall."

"Is he going to pick up...is he going to patrol the border? What did he fight for? What did he die for?"

"No one told us. I also want to know why my brother died." Shentu Zhuo could not hide his grief and anger. "There was clearly no war. The four counties in Hexi were peaceful and tranquil. It couldn't have been done by the Sand Bandits, right? Do you know how brave my brother was? I have never won a fight with him. I don't believe that a mere Sand Bandit could kill my brother!"

is it him?
Tan Huaike pondered secretly, was that young general who had rescued them from the bandits in the river valley that night his own lover? If so, he must have been killed by those assassins.

However, this matter is full of tricks.

Not to mention who ordered the assassins, all the people who came to marry Princess Mohe were slaughtered, and the advance team of the Zhenxi Army that went out to welcome them also died. It has been nearly a month since the incident happened, and there has not been any news about it?
why?
Seeing her strange expression, Shen Tu Zhuo raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
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Tan Huaike concealed his chaotic emotions, knelt before the tablet, and lit three incense sticks for his late husband. "It's nothing, I just lament the cruel fate. Given your brother's character and ability, if he hadn't died young, it would never have been my turn to marry him."

Shen Tu Zhuo said sarcastically, "You also know that you are not worthy of my brother?"

"So what if she's not worthy?" As wisps of green smoke rose, Tan Huaike said with a relaxed expression, "It's already a done deal." "From what you said, you think you want to stay in my house forever?" Shen Tu Zhuo folded his arms and looked at her. "I advise you to ask for a divorce as soon as possible and stop pestering my brother. What's the point of being a widow at such a young age? I also advise you not to take advantage of your status as my brother's widow to do anything shady with the Shentu family's property. Otherwise, given my mother's temper, she will definitely not treat you, a merchant bride with evil intentions, well."

"I'm pestering your brother?" Tan Huaike found it funny, and his tone was inevitably a little aggressive. "Do you think that I, the bride, had any choice in the arrangement of this marriage from beginning to end? Even if I wanted to divorce, would Jungu agree?"

"I can persuade my mother for you. I've always thought this was a very inappropriate move. Isn't it making fun of our Shentu family? My mother is probably just being stubborn for a moment. Once she comes to her senses, if you act like you're being obedient and ask for help, she won't make things difficult for you anymore."

"My uncle is making it easy. Okay, even if Aunt Jun lets me divorce, what happens after that? Will the Tan family let me go? They won't take me in. They'll just think of selling me off again to get more wealth. This time, at least I'm with a good family like yours, but I don't know where I'll be next time!"

"Hmph, that's why I say you merchants are the most heartless and disloyal. I really don't know how my mother and brother came up with this plan. How could they choose your Tan family after all these years? The fact that you refused to cancel the engagement is clear. Everyone in your family is vain and greedy, and no one has good intentions. You're definitely not a good person either!"

"Since you've already determined that I have ill intentions, I have no reason to refute it." Tan Huaike was too lazy to argue with him and said bluntly, "It's the dead of night, uncle, you'd better leave as soon as possible. What's the point of staying in the chapel where my husband and I live?"

"You, a Hu girl... you're truly unyielding!" Shen Tu Zhuo gritted his teeth. "What on earth are you planning?"

"What do I want?" Tan Huaike snorted and laughed. "I want the Shentu family to be rich. If your brother dies on the battlefield, as a widow, I can get the military pension, and I will have money for myself."

"How dare you say such a thing just to take advantage of my brother's compensation?" Shen Tu Zhuo felt dizzy with anger, his stomach empty.

"I want your brother to be young, promising, and well-known. He has never taken any other wives or concubines, so I can be a widow without any worries. If the Shentu family splits up one day, I can still set up my own family and become the mistress."

"You..." Shen Tu Zhuo pointed at her and cursed, "You have no sense of shame. Even Andu can hear what you're thinking! Sooner or later, I will expose your evil tricks and will never let you take advantage of our Shen Tu family!"

"I want you to respectfully call me sister-in-law from now on. No matter how much you dislike it, you have to endure it."

"Tan Huaike!"

"Call me sister-in-law."

"Okay, okay, just wait, I'm going to smash this Qinglu..."

"Go ahead and smash it. It would be best if you smash your brother's coffin and tablet together." Tan Huaike was fearless. "You're not leaving yet, are you? Pei'er, Pei'er, I'm thirsty. Bring me some water..."

Pei'er's dazed voice came from the servants' room next door: "Young lady, are you calling me?"

It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, and Shen Tu Zhuo woke up in fright.

It was really absurd for him to be in the brothel like this. If he was discovered by others, no matter how he defended himself, he would be accused of being disrespectful and bullying his widowed sister-in-law.

Just based on this one thing, Tan Huaike was able to control him.

Seeing Pei'er about to come out of the servants' room to check, Shen Tuzhuo hurriedly jumped out of the back window and ran away stealthily. Before leaving, he did not forget to swear: "Tan Huaike, we have a long way to go."

Tan Huaike closed the window calmly and said, "Remember to call me sister-in-law in the future."

She carefully arranged Shentu Heng's wedding clothes, put back the bloodstained halberd, closed the half-open coffin lid, and then put away the two empty cups of wedding wine, and knelt quietly in front of the table.

By the time Pei'er brought the water, the Qinglu had returned to its original state.

The air was filled with lingering smoke, and the pale candlelight could not illuminate the road ahead. This was her first night after marrying into the Shentu Mansion.
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　Next chapter: It was premeditated.

　　Thanks to Jiang Jiang Jiang Jiang Han, Jin Tian Yi Wang, Shu You 20230701134233295, and Xia Xi Chan Ming for their recommendations~
　　Thank you for the tip from Please Let Me Be Palu~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)