Chapter 99: Encounter ◇

◎ The noise was deafening, vaguely causing even the sparrows on the trees within and outside the courtyard to take flight. ◎

Several days had passed, and the lives of common folk had become chaotic. Realizing that no county officials were coming to arrest them for their misdeeds, the ruffians became even more daring. Before long, the streets grew deserted, with nobody daring to roam about randomly.

Despite their lack of acute perception, the people could sense that something significant must have occurred.

In Upper Village, however, everyone was oblivious to the situation. The villagers knew nothing of the happenings outside and, being in the midst of the autumn harvest, were preoccupied with reaping wheat. With children returning home, there seemed to be no major concerns. Who had the time to ponder over external affairs?

Hua Zhan returned home with his twin foolish sons. Though he appeared calm on the surface, his heart was burdened, his brows perpetually knitted together for several days.

Assuming that her father-in-law was worried about Zhu Ying's safety, Yu Lian reassured him, "Zhu Ying is a skilled warrior, strong and young. He can protect himself from harm. You need not worry."

Hua Zhan gazed at his daughter-in-law with a complicated expression, silent for a long moment before he sighed and nodded.

Yu Lian smiled slightly, her face revealing nothing. Yet, her curiosity only deepened.

Zhu Ying had been away for days, claiming to gather information but had yet to return. The whole family was worried. Yu Lian initially thought Hua Zhan's unusual behavior was due to his concern for Zhu Ying, but now it seemed otherwise.

That gaze... This sensation wasn't entirely unfamiliar. Ever since the beginning of the lunar new year three years ago, Father-in-law had often looked at her with that expression, a mix of guilt, affection, and a desire to speak but holding back. It was an intensely complicated look, so much so that she once suspected he had stolen her silver to gamble.

Otherwise, why would he seem so peculiar, as if he had wronged her or was hiding something? But she was merely his daughter-in-law, not his wife. Why would he look at her like that?

Yu Lian couldn't fathom the reason, nor could she directly ask her father-in-law why he was staring at her.

She shook her head, gave a helpless smile, and clapped her hands as she walked out.

The wheat harvest was almost complete. Thanks to the officials who had taken the land deeds for just one day, the two young rascals had managed to steal them back, allowing the wheat in the fields to be saved and harvested.

Lost in these pleasing thoughts, Yu Lian inadvertently forgot about her father-in-law's unusual behavior.

She looked on the bright side: as long as her life and death were not at stake, she could spend each day like a landlady, strolling through her fields, overseeing the crops, showing concern for her tenants, and occasionally flipping through account books. That would be the ideal life. What her father-in-law thought was none of her business. If there were truly important matters, he would eventually share them with her. When the time came, she would face any challenges head-on, and no flood could drown her.

In retrospect, Yu Lian would later regret her naive thoughts to the point of wishing she could slap herself. Who could have imagined it? Who dared to imagine it!

She wasn't drowned, but she was nearly frightened to death.

Two more days passed, and all the wheat had been harvested. Yu Lian orchestrated her subordinates as they transported load after load of grain to the granaries she had constructed three years prior. These vast repositories were situated in Upper Village, right beside her residence. Guarded by several fierce mastiffs and under constant surveillance by dedicated personnel day and night, theft was not a concern.

Her wheat might appear abundant, but stealing it wouldn't be worthwhile or profitable unless one could cart it all away. Only in times of famine, when people were desperately hungry, would they consider such a scheme.

After the harvest, Yu Lian reckoned that Zhu Ying should have returned home by now, even on foot. She discussed this with her father-in-law and urged him to go out and search for her, as they couldn't simply ignore the situation. In the beginning, they trusted Zhu Ying's capabilities, but after waiting so many days without any news, something must have genuinely gone wrong.

Just as Hua Zhan was leaving Shangyi Village in his carriage, Yu Lian stumbled upon an odd trio of refugees.

The woman had a delicate beauty, and after being cleaned up, her skin appeared smooth and tender, suggesting she had been nurtured in a wealthy family. Her eyes were bright, exuding a certain wit and liveliness.

The man, on the other hand, seldom smiled and was not articulate. He had an ordinary appearance, with well-proportioned features and a square face, characteristic of someone trained in martial arts. His demeanor radiated integrity, giving no indication of malevolence.

They had a plump and fair son, about one and a half years old, who had a fondness for pinching faces and tugging at hair with his tiny chubby hand. Apart from this playful quirk, he was an endearing child.

The family of three arrived in Shangyi Village and, guided by a tenant, found Yu Lian. They knelt before her, explaining that they had heard she was a renowned kind-hearted person in the surrounding areas. During these years of famine, she had established a village of kindness, providing shelter to many. They had traveled far in the hope that Yu Lian would take them in for a while.

Yu Lian observed two details. When the young woman was about to kneel, the man gently held her arm, furrowing his brow in disapproval, as if he did not condone her begging on her knees. This indicated that, in the man's eyes, the woman held a high status and should not be kneeling.

Secondly, although the woman claimed to have come from afar, Yu Lian sensed a local accent in her speech. Moreover, there was a subtle familiarity in the woman's round and delicate face, but Yu Lian could not immediately place where she had seen her before.

Due to these uncertainties, Yu Lian took the family in. The village of kindness had no spare houses for them, so until they found a new place, the trio would have to temporarily reside in Yu Lian's spacious courtyard.

The woman seemed genuinely delighted, her face radiating trust.

Yu Lian felt even more perplexed. She had never met this woman before, so where did this unwarranted trust stem from? Could it be simply because of her village's reputation for sheltering refugees?

After staying in Yu Lian's home for four or five days, neither Zhu Ying nor Mrs. Chen's husband had returned. Lying in the courtyard sunbathing and flipping through accounts, Yu Lian found herself unable to concentrate on the book. Instead, she was preoccupied with the thought that something might have happened to Zhu Ying and her father-in-law.

How big could the county town be? At their travel speed, they should have been back by now. Had they gone to the provincial capital instead?

Aunt Mei brought a plate of fruit to her side, suggesting she eat some to quench her thirst with the sweet treats.

Mrs. Chen and the newly arrived girl, Chen Suya, got along well. Sharing the same surname, they called Chen Suya Little Mrs. Chen.

In the cool autumn, the two women took advantage of the warm afternoon sunshine to work on their embroidery. Mrs. Chen often furrowed her brow, clearly worried about her husband's safety amidst the chaos outside.

These were troubled times.

To lighten the somewhat oppressive atmosphere, Yu Lian struck up a casual conversation with Mrs. Chen, pleading, "This winter, Mother, please make me a thicker cotton padded jacket. Last year was incredibly cold, and I almost didn't make it."

Mrs. Chen paused and chuckled. "That's because you prioritize beauty. I always make them thick for you, but you complain they're too bulky. Last year, Zhu Ying hunted a tiger, and its pelt was given to you. You insisted it was ugly and refused to let me sew it into your cotton jacket or use it as padding under your bed. What a waste of a good thing, don't you think, Mother?"

Yu Lian hid behind the ledger, pretending ignorance. "Oh, really? Who would be so vain as to disdain even a tiger skin?"

"Isn't it you?"

"Who is it? I don't see anyone!"

The group of women burst into laughter.

With the conversation flowing, Mrs. Chen relaxed and momentarily set aside her worries about her husband's prolonged absence. She exchanged a few more lighthearted words with her daughter-in-law. At that moment, the matriarch called for her from inside the room, likely having just awoken from her afternoon rest and in need of assistance. Mrs. Chen thus entered the inner chamber.

No sooner had I stepped into the room than, in the very next moment, the main courtyard gate suddenly creaked open.

A row of soldiers, clad in resplendent golden armor, marched in, dividing into two neat columns. The elongated spears they held shimmered with blazing radiance, their imposing presence akin to divine warriors descending from the heavens.

Yu Lian turned her head and was startled; Mrs. Chen was even more frightened, clueless about how to react, so absorbed was she in the situation that she pricked her finger with the needle without realizing it.

A serene stillness enveloped the scene.

Yu Lian stared back and forth at the seemingly heaven-sent soldiers, her heart sinking deeper with each passing moment. Having lived through so much time in this era, she had never before dealt with genuine military personnel nor found herself in conflict with officials. Why then, would they suddenly send such a large number of troops to her modest estate, belonging to a minor landowner?

Uncontrollably, her mind drifted towards the most plausible yet ominous scenario: could it be that the Emperor, in a sudden fit of reminiscence, has decided to shamelessly dispatch troops to send her entire family to their graves?

In that moment, the stern-faced golden-armored soldiers uniformly knelt down and chorused loudly, "Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress!"

"We, your subjects, humbly request Her Majesty the Empress to return to the capital and enter the palace!"

Their voices echoed, unsettlingly loud, causing even the sparrows perched on trees within and beyond the courtyard to take flight.

Through the wide-open gate, a man entered.

Dressed in a green robe, he was slender and tall, his figure backlit by the sun, giving off a faint glow around his head.

Yu Lian blinked, and the ledger slipped from her hands.

The man walked at a leisurely pace but, with long strides, reached Yu Lian in just a few steps. He bent down, his jade-like fingers extending to pick up the ledger, dusting off the mud before handing it back to her. Yu Lian lowered her gaze to inspect his hand...

As the ledger was returned, their eyes met.

Not intentionally stalling, but this was the first formal encounter between the main characters, and I needed to carefully consider my words... (In reality, I'm just procrastinating)