Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 222 Extra Chapter: Rong Junye (5)

"General Rong, do you really think so? A good home? What do you mean by a good home? You can't even control your own destiny, yet you expect someone else to give you a good home. Isn't that ridiculous?" Although Yu Nishang appeared calm, for some reason, a slight anger arose in her heart towards this savior.

Yu Nishang smiled faintly. Yes, what was she expecting?

Yu Nishang knew she should hate the Second Prince, hate the madam, hate the injustice of the world, but she also felt a certain hatred for Rong Junye!
Yu Nishang herself didn't know what was wrong with her. Perhaps it was because she had no expectations of those people; she could predict what they might do to hurt her. But the person in front of her, the one who brought her hope and led her out of suffering, didn't understand her. For a moment, Yu Nishang felt a pang of grievance. Who in this world could understand her?

"I'm...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that." Rong Junye saw Yu Nishang's expression change slightly and immediately realized that his words were inappropriate, so he quickly apologized.

Yu Ni Chang was stunned. She hadn't expected Rong Junye to apologize to her for her unreasonable and irrational emotions.

Yu Nishang shook her head, lowered her head, and stopped talking. Her emotions were unreadable. She retreated into that invisible shell, that smiling disguise!
"Do you only know who the Yu family offended?" Rong Junye asked.

"They're nothing but political pawns in their struggle for the throne!" Yu Nishang's eyes remained calm and composed. Rong Junye was somewhat surprised; she actually knew. Of course, someone as insightful as her—what could possibly deceive her? What nonsense about the Sixth Prince being kind? She didn't believe it at all! A prince of the Sixth Prince's background, if truly kind, would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even bones behind!
“Sigh…” Rong Junye sighed, feeling utterly powerless. He knew his words were unconvincing and merely self-deception.

"Holding great power and having achievements that overshadow the emperor is a major taboo. The fact that the Sixth Prince sent Lan Muhe to monitor you shows that he wants you two to check and balance each other. Now that you have captured Lan Muhe, aren't you afraid that the Sixth Prince will become suspicious of you?" Yu Nishang slowly wrote a few lines, showing some concern for Rong Junye.

“Suspicion is inevitable. Even if I didn’t do this, he would still suspect me. Like the saying goes, ‘When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.’ He’s not touching me now simply because he still needs me to seize that position. As long as I’m useful, he won’t touch me.” Rong Junye frowned slightly. Although he said this, these matters had been troubling him for days. “As for the future, let’s discuss it later!”

"Why doesn't the general tarnish his reputation to protect himself?" Yu Ni Chang asked.

"I have considered it. During the siege, some suggested massacring the city and letting the soldiers plunder for three days as a reward. This would have tarnished my reputation and made the Sixth Prince lower his guard. What those in the highest positions fear most is not my defeat, but the loss of popular support! But when I think of the people living in misery, of people exchanging children to eat and cooking corpses for food, how can I do such a thing for my own safety?" Rong Junye rubbed his temples, his expression heavy. These thoughts troubled him greatly.

Upon hearing this, Yu Nishang was immediately filled with reverence. She stood up respectfully, placed her hands on her forehead, and performed a deep kneeling bow to Rong Junye, solemnly writing: "On behalf of the people of Great Zhou, Nishang thanks the General. The General is benevolent and righteous, and Nishang admires him!" When she herself was in danger, she did not beg for mercy; when she was rescued, she never thanked him. However, when she learned that the entire city's people could rely on him for safety, she did not hesitate to sacrifice her remaining dignity and perform this deep kneeling bow to him.

"Miss Yu, please rise quickly." Rong Junye felt a mixture of admiration and pity in his heart.

Rong Junye tossed the paper covered in writing into the stove, watching it burn to ashes, and slowly said, “Miss Yu, the future is long. You must think about how to live, how to live for yourself! Who knows how long these peaceful days will last? Right now, your first priority is to protect yourself. When the Second Prince was captured, your father deliberately humiliated him, promising to spare your entire family if he agreed to acknowledge the Second Prince as his master. But your father was also a man of strong character. By the time I learned of this, he had already died by striking his head against a pillar. I respected his unyielding spirit and could only give him a proper burial. That’s all I can do. Since I made a promise, I will definitely keep it and ensure your safety.”

Yu Nishang finally let down her guard, her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to sob, which slowly turned into a wail.

Rong Junye simply watched her silently, staying by her side. He knew that after she finished crying, she would be better, like a phoenix rising from the ashes; she would recover.
-
Yu Nishang stayed at the Rong residence for several days. Rong Junye did not say how he would take care of her, nor did she ask. No, she was not qualified to ask. What right did she have to ask her savior how he would deal with her?
Rong Junye was even more at a loss as to what to do with the girl. Bringing her back to the Rong residence was a poor decision, a temporary measure at the time. Now, he had written several letters to the Sixth Prince and met with him a few times, but whenever the topic of the two Yu family girls came up, the Sixth Prince either avoided the subject or evaded the question. In the Sixth Prince's eyes, they were just two worthless hot potatoes.
-
That day, Yu Nishang was brewing tea for Rong Junye. Rong Junye didn't know when it started, but every day after finishing his official duties, he would come to Yu Nishang's side courtyard to sit for a while, listen to her play a piece of music, drink a pot of fragrant tea she brewed, and chat with her about the troubles of the day.

At first, Xiaoyu rarely offered any opinions, simply listening. Later, on a whim, Rong Junye asked her for her views on several current events. To his surprise, she not only provided insightful and eloquent evaluations but also modified the most reasonable solutions, offering brilliant insights. From then on, Rong Junye would occasionally discuss military and political affairs with Xiaoyu. However, Xiaoyu would only answer after Rong Junye had taken the initiative to ask.

"If General doesn't want to take sides here and only wants to escape from the Sixth Prince, why not use a honey trap... Although it can't solve General's problems, it can at least buy time. If it can help General this time, it can be considered Ni Chang repaying a debt of gratitude." Xiao Yu slowly wrote a few lines and handed it over.

Upon reading it, Rong Junye turned pale with anger: "What nonsense are you spouting? I have my own plan this time. What does it have to do with you? How can I let you risk your life with me?"

For the next seven days, Rong Junye did not visit Yu Nishang's side courtyard, and Yu Nishang's repeated requests to see him were refused.

On the evening of the eighth day, Rong Junye went to the palace to take his duty, but an uninvited guest arrived—the Sixth Prince!