Chapter 95 He Suddenly Appeared

Chapter 95: He Suddenly Appeared

When the Son of Heaven received twin dragon and phoenix children, and granted amnesty to the realm, they were still abroad but received the news that the Emperor of Great Hui had added to his family, and the joy was shared overseas.

Upon hearing this, they merely acknowledged it, as it seemed so distant from their lives. They never imagined that the one who gave birth would be their own sister?

Ye Han: "Yes."

Ning Erlang then asked: "What about the Crown Prince, what about him—"

To this, Ye Han could not say much: "A Wu has no lingering feelings. The matter with the Crown Prince is old news now."

The Crown Prince even helped the old emperor capture him; father and son were indeed united in purpose.

But A Wu and the Crown Prince had long severed ties, it seemed all was over.

The faces of the Ning family's few young masters turned somewhat pale, for this sounded too chaotic.

Ning Dalang asked again: "So, the most hateful person must be the Marquis of Zhenan!"

Ning Erlang: "Right, that Lu Yunjian, to treat A Wu like this!"

Ning Yinhuai, his face dark, stared out the window at the sky: "There is nothing most hateful, none of them are good people."

Ning Sanlang thought it over and agreed; in just three short years, his sister had experienced so much!

Most importantly, serving the son first, then the father, what kind of situation was this?

For a moment, the room fell silent. Ning Dalang's eyes reddened, and Ning Erlang lowered his head, frowning.

Ning Sanlang clenched his fists: "My sister has suffered such humiliation. If we do not avenge her, how can we call ourselves men? I will fight them to the death!"

With that, he rushed toward the door, but Ning Dalang quickly grabbed him: "Who are you going to find?"

Ning Sanlang: "The Emperor and the Crown Prince are far away, and we cannot reach them. But isn't Lu Yunjian of the Zhen'an Marquisate in the East Sea? I've heard he has joined the pirates. We'll kill him first to avenge my sister!"

Ning Yinhuai said coldly, "What are you making a fuss about? That man was once the Zhen'an Marquis, commanding the Eastern Sea fleet. Even if he has joined the pirates, he is surrounded by guards. What makes you think you can kill him? Didn't you always hide from pirates before? How did you suddenly get the courage to kill one today?"

Ning Sanlang was speechless; he indeed dared not provoke the pirates.

Beside him, Ye Han listened and began recounting the various incidents involving Emperor Jingxi and the Zhen'an Marquisate, as well as their past grievances.

What he didn't say was that, given Emperor Jingxi's affection for A Wu, he would never tolerate Lu Yunjian and would surely tear him limb from limb.

But this involved too many complicated past events, so it was best not to delve into them further.

At this moment, Ning Sanlang looked at his father: "Father, what should we do about this? Can we just swallow this bitter pill and endure it?"

As soon as Ning Sanlang spoke, the room fell silent.

Ning Yinhuai narrowed his eyes and looked out the window at the sunlight.

Of course, he understood that his beloved daughter had suffered greatly, but his reaction was unusually calm.

In Great Hui, anyone would find it inconceivable and shameful for a woman to serve her son before her father.

However, Ning Yinhuai, having read countless books and traveled to many foreign lands, did not see it that way.

Compared to being sold into a brothel or falling into the hands of bandits, his daughter's current situation was somewhat more acceptable. After all, it was only three men, right?

So, Ning Yinhuai accepted everything calmly and with restraint.

Being influenced by the prevailing social customs is natural for anyone living in this world. Ning Yinhuai's thoughts were shaped by the local culture.

In the region of Wan Niu Mountain, the old custom was that women stayed at home to sew and care for the elderly and young, while men went out to fish, hunt, or trade. Upon returning home, men would hand over their earnings to their wives, who managed the household finances. This practice had been passed down through generations, gradually imbuing the area with a somewhat matriarchal atmosphere.

Some men, upon returning home, would find their wives pregnant or already having given birth, and most would accept it, as the children would bear their names—what was there to object to?

As long as their wives stayed at home to raise the children and take care of the elders, there was no need for excessive demands.

The saying goes, "poor men uphold righteousness, rich men value chastity." It is only in wealthy and powerful families that one has the luxury to concern themselves with chastity and elaborate moral principles. When people are on the brink of starvation, who cares about such things?

Thus, local customs and traditions are closely tied to the economic conditions and livelihoods of the people. This way of life had continued for centuries, and everyone had grown accustomed to it.

In Ning Yinhuai's view, the prefectures near the imperial capital placed the greatest emphasis on Confucian teachings, valuing chastity and virtuous women. The further one moved away from the capital, the looser these constraints became, each region developing its own unique customs and folkways.

Now, hearing his daughter's story, he focused more on her state of mind.

For instance, whether she had suffered any great wrongs during her time with those three men, if she had been forced into anything, and what her plans were for the future?

As for revenge, he naturally wanted it, but he also understood that these three men were formidable: one was the legitimate son of the Lu family from the Eastern Sea, commanding the Eastern Sea Navy and becoming a dominant force after allying with pirates; another was the current crown prince, and the third was the emperor himself.

Any one of them could crush his entire family with a mere finger.

How could they talk about revenge against such powerful adversaries?

Even if the four of them charged forward, it would only result in a futile sacrifice of their lives, leaving his daughter even more destitute and without support.

After much deliberation, he maintained a stern expression, glanced calmly at his sons, and said, "A gentleman avenges a wrong after ten years. We will remember this, but for now, the most important thing is to take good care of Afu, comfort her heart, help her heal from her past pain, and ensure she lives a life of luxury and comfort."

He pondered for a moment: "As for whether she will marry in the future, it depends on her heart."

Ning Dalang naturally agreed upon hearing this. Ning Erlang frowned but said nothing. Ning Sanlang, feeling aggrieved, clenched his fists and barely managed to hold back.

Beside them, Ye Han said, "Uncle Ning, Ah Wu and I grew up together and once had a betrothal. Over these three years apart, I have never stopped thinking about her. Now that we are reunited, if Ah Wu is willing, I will marry her and take care of her for the rest of my life."

Hearing this, Ning Dalang hesitated.

Ning Erlang said, "Brother, I trust you, but—"

He thought for a moment: "The men Ah Wu has attracted are not easy to deal with. I fear they might involve you."

Ning Yinhuai added, "Erlang is right. There's no need to rush this matter; we can deliberate further."

Ye Han, upon hearing this, knelt down on one knee and declared firmly, "Ah Wu and I have gone through life and death together. If there is now an opportunity, we would be willing to be husband and wife even for just one day. How could it be considered a burden? Besides, since the emperor is willing to let us leave, he must have tacitly approved. If he goes back on his word, Ah Wu and I being married might deter him somewhat."

Despite this, Ning Yinhuai remained firm: "Ah Han, I know your feelings for Ah Wu, but she has just returned. We don't need to rush into marriage. Let's take things slowly."

Ye Han lowered his head and gritted his teeth: "Uncle, alright, I understand."

After Ye Han went to rest, the four father and sons deliberated further.

All four agreed that it didn't matter much whether Ah Wu married or not. The family could support her well by doing business, as long as they were careful not to hurt her feelings.

Indeed, Ye Han was excellent, and all four trusted him and knew he treated Ah Wu well. However, they needed to see if Ah Wu had any lingering attachments before making a decision.

With this in mind, Ning Sanlang said, "If that's the case, there's nothing more to say. Anyway, I have no plans to marry. In the future, I'll take good care of my sister. Even if she never marries, she will never suffer any injustice."

Ning Yinhuai glanced at Ning Sanlang: "Stop talking nonsense. Go out and buy some fresh fish and shrimp. Choose those that have just been caught from the sea. We'll grill them for Ah Wu in the evening."

************

In the days that followed, Afu enjoyed the affection of her father and brothers with peace of mind. She indulged in her coquettishness, asking for this and that, demanding all sorts of things, and her father and brothers would buy everything for her, no matter what she wanted.

Even a slight frown from her would prompt her brothers to ask what was wrong. If anyone made her unhappy, the other brothers would give them a good beating. Such days brought Afu comfort and joy, as if she had returned to the past.

The only regret was that her mother was no longer there, which caused her heartache whenever she thought about it.

Now, her father and brothers had rebuilt a cenotaph for her mother and invited Taoist priests to recite scriptures and perform rituals for her. Recalling the past, Afu cried once again at her mother's grave, and her brothers comforted her extensively.

Ning Yinhuai, looking at the cenotaph, also had red-rimmed eyes. He said that after his death, he must be buried alongside his wife, and he instructed his children: "Even if I die far away, you must bring my ashes back to see your mother."

These words inevitably carried a tinge of sadness. Seeing this, Afu couldn't help but act coquettishly, snuggling into her father's arms and saying she wanted this and that. Everyone then busied themselves buying things for her, thus diverting the topic and avoiding further melancholy.

Occasionally, during conversations, her brothers would privately probe Afu about the men involved. By now, Afu had let go of much of her resentment and spoke to her brothers about some of it.

Through several such probes, they gradually pieced together the truth: the Crown Prince, though immoral, still cared for Afu; the Emperor, though despicable, also doted on her. Only Lu Yunjian was truly hateful, and they wished to tear him limb from limb.

Just then, her brothers received news that the Zhen'an Marquisate had colluded with bandits and was dominating the East Sea. The Emperor had dispatched the Eastern Sea Fleet to suppress the pirates, and a battle seemed imminent.

This was big news, and the Ning family, hearing it, felt a surge of righteous indignation, wishing to join in and wipe out the Zhen'an Marquisate completely.

Ning Yinhuai directly ordered his sons not to cause trouble, saying that when dragons fight, the shrimp get hurt. The Emperor's conflict with Lu Yunjian was none of their business; they should just watch and stay out of it.

The Ning brothers reluctantly calmed down, realizing their father was right. Only the third son, Ning Sanlang, still harbored deep resentment, wishing he could rush out and kill Lu Yunjian.

Their beloved sister had been bullied like this; how could they not hate? They wanted to flay the man alive and feed his skin to the fish!

*************

Afu's days passed peacefully, but outside in the town and market, the news of the East Sea pirate suppression was spreading like wildfire. People were talking about it, but most of the information was second-hand and unreliable.

Afu understood that Emperor Jingxi would never let Lu Yunjian off the hook. She also vaguely guessed at Lu Yunjian's identity, but that was their business, not hers.

To this day, her hatred for Lu Yunjian has diminished significantly. Since Lu Yunjian is destined for misfortune, why should she stoop to his level?

On this day, she was tending to the sweet potato seedlings in the courtyard.

The sweet potato seedlings were thriving, already beginning to vine, when Ning Erlang arrived with a good friend.

Recently, Ning Erlang had been focused on acquiring ships from the shipyard. He found a way and met a friend who was generous and well-traveled, appearing to be quite distinguished. The two considered each other kindred spirits.

Knowing that the friend would be visiting, Ning Erlang wanted to treat him well.

Aware of this, Afu retreated into the house to avoid them. However, as Ning Erlang accompanied his guest through the courtyard, Afu heard a voice.

She froze, almost unable to believe it.

How could she forget that voice, warm and hoarse, so familiar it seemed etched into her very soul?

Terrified, she quickly peered out through the window lattice.

Sure enough, it was him.

He had no attendants with him, dressed in the simplest blue robe, his hair tied in a square knot, looking carefree and refined, like a wandering scholar.

She had never seen Emperor Jingxi like this before, and she could hardly imagine him appearing in such attire at her home!