Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 221 Extra Chapter: Rong Junye (4)

Rong Junye suddenly realized, then looked at the five-year-old second daughter of the Yu family on the vice general's horse. So that's how it should be? Rong Junye pondered for a moment, then flicked his whip, wrapped it around Yu Nishang's waist, and lifted her onto the horse, letting her sit in front of him. The general held the reins with both hands, making it look as if he were holding Yu'er.

"Return to the manor!" General Rong commanded, and the soldiers moved in perfect order; despite the large number of men, only the sound of cavalry could be heard. General Rong had rendered great service, and the Emperor had bestowed upon him a residence, so he now lived in his own general's manor. Apart from him, the manor was filled with servants.

Yu Ni Chang sat on the horse, lost in thought. In the past few days, she had experienced the destruction of her family, the separation of life and death, and the ups and downs of life. Her mind was in turmoil, and she did not know what her fate would be. The saddle was also very uncomfortable, so she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and she had to adjust her posture from time to time.

She had barely rested these past few days, and even when she slept, she remained vigilant. Now, however, she had finally settled down and drifted off to sleep on horseback.

Suddenly, the noise stopped and the shaking subsided. Yu Nishang woke up with a start, her body trembling instinctively.

"If you don't want to fall, don't move." A man's voice rang coldly in her ear; it was Rong Junye's voice.

Yu Nishang slowly regained her memory, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh of relief, her forehead now covered in sweat.

Rong Junye saw everything. His hand was loosely wrapped around Yu Nishang, both to prevent her from falling and to avoid touching her. But there was only so much space, and the two of them were so close that Yu Nishang could smell Rong Junye's scent. It was a faint scent of ambergris, the scent her father used to use, mixed with a hint of the rust of weapons and armor, and a little bit of blood.

Yu Ni Chang didn't know what fate awaited her. She closed her eyes. She had once given up hope, only wishing to survive and protect her second sister. Now, however, a faint hope was stirring within her: would she still have a future? Would her life get better?

Yu Ni Chang didn't know how she dismounted, or how she stumbled and staggered behind Rong Junye into the Rong family's residence under everyone's gaze. Yu Ni Chang simply tried her best to maintain her composure and not appear too disheveled; this was her last bit of pride.

"Tell me, what are your plans for the future? What I dislike most about you scholars is your roundabout ways and scheming." Rong Junye recalled Yu Nishang's actions at Hongwu Pavilion, dismissed his attendants, and asked.

Yu Nishang saw a pen on the table, so she picked it up and wrote: "The madam poisoned him, and now his throat is damaged and he can't speak."

"Huh?" Rong Junye asked incredulously, "Weren't you able to speak just now?"

Yu Ni Chang nodded, her meaning clear: she had just been poisoned!

Yu Nishang smiled calmly, showing no fear. She wrote a few words: "Please, General, quickly fetch a doctor, otherwise, I'm afraid I'll be poisoned and rendered mute!"

"Quick! Go and summon the imperial physician!" Rong Junye glanced quickly at the words she had written, then hurriedly ordered two guards to find the imperial physician. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"..." Yu Nishang only smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes. "Forgot?"

forget?

No, it's because she doesn't think it's important!
Rong Junye understood, because Yu Nishang had no will to live! She was probably only alive to save her second sister! Whether she was mute or not seemed irrelevant; at that moment, she just wanted to get out of that awful place as quickly as possible. Rong Junye suddenly became furious, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, and began to lecture Yu Nishang: "You…you…what can I say to you! Even ants cling to life, and you, at such a young age…"

Yu Ni Chang just kept laughing, not writing anything, just watching Rong Jun Ye laugh like that, but her eyes were filled with tears.

Rong Junye turned his head and suddenly saw tears in Yu Nishang's eyes. He panicked instantly; he was most afraid of girls crying, and he didn't know how to comfort them. Rong Junye looked flustered and quickly waved his hands, saying, "I didn't mean to criticize you..."

Yu Nishang laughed more and more, revealing her pearly white teeth. She picked up a brush and wrote a few words: "In the past, when my brother and I made mistakes, Father would scold us like this..."

Before Yu Nishang could finish writing, several large drops of ink smudged on the Xuan paper—her tears.

Those days seem like they were just yesterday, but now the past can never be retrieved!
Rong Junye's heart softened. He had never seen a girl like this before. She could have cried, but instead she smiled, pretending nothing was wrong. Stubborn and proud, he was momentarily stunned.

A moment later, Rong Junye suddenly realized that it was impolite to stare at Yu Nishang's face like that, so he turned his gaze away.

Rong Junye's gaze fell on Yu Nishang's calligraphy. She practiced Yang's running script, which had a grand and unrestrained feel reminiscent of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

"Your handwriting is quite good," Rong Junye said casually, not knowing what else to say.

Yu Nishang had already wiped away her tears, maintaining a smile that was polite yet distant.

Rong Junye felt somewhat pathetic.

Fortunately, an old doctor with a white beard arrived soon, breaking the awkward silence.

After a careful examination, the old physician shook his head: "General, this young lady's throat is severely damaged, likely due to burns from the medication. It's quite serious."

"Are there any methods to treat this?" Rong Junye asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

The old doctor was somewhat worried: "I can only give it a try. I will prescribe a few doses of medicine for the young lady to take first. After the remaining toxins are cleared, she will receive more care and treatment in the future. In time, she should be able to speak again."

"Then I'll have to trouble the imperial physician." Rong Junye finally felt relieved. After thanking the imperial physician, he dismissed his attendants and gestured for Yu Nishang to sit down at the table.

"What do you plan to do in the future?" Although Rong Junye already had his own answer in mind, he still asked, suddenly wanting to see how she would react.

"Take things as they come." Yu Nishang wrote down the four words without hesitation.

Rong Junye saw no panic in her eyes; she was telling the truth, she was very frank.

“This whole affair of your Yu family started because of the Sixth Prince. He is a kind man. These past few days, he has been investigating the Second Prince’s treason case. Once he’s finished, he will definitely come to see you. He will find you a good home,” Rong Junye explained softly, though the girl in front of him might not necessarily need this explanation.

Rong Junye suddenly felt that he couldn't quite understand this girl. An ordinary girl might have cried uncontrollably. But he had never seen her break down. She was afraid, she was confused, but she tried her best to control herself, to the point that she seemed unusually calm for her age.