HLnovel Chapter 77 077 A Visit to Express Gratitude
Chapter 77 077 A Visit to Express Gratitude
Chapter 77 077 A Visit to Express Gratitude
Li Daniu was quickly taken away by the servants of the mansion, and Ye Yanxun followed him under the pretext of surveillance. Everyone was very concerned about the culprit who had instigated Li Daniu, and no one left; they all waited in the main hall for the outcome.
"Ran'er, I've never heard you say how you escaped danger on Xiaohuang Mountain and how you got to the banquet at Qionglin Garden?" Old Madam Song suddenly asked.
"I heard from Lingyi that Ran'er was rescued by a kind person when she fell off the cliff, and that kind person took her to Qionglin Garden," said Anshihou.
Ye Bijun was stunned, then immediately realized who had saved Ye Pianran. Her gaze towards Ye Pianran was instantly filled with intense jealousy. Why was Ye Pianran so lucky? She actually ran into the Northern Martial King in her time of crisis! And even rode the same horse as him! And received such high praise and rewards from the Emperor at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet! Why did she get all the good things in the world?!
"Oh, I wonder if that kind person was male or female, and what kind of person they were?" asked Madam Song.
Aunt Song covered the corners of her upturned mouth with her handkerchief and said, "Miss, you wouldn't have offered to break off the engagement with the Ouyang family in front of the Emperor because you wanted to repay that man with your body, would you?" If that man was a poor and destitute farmer, she would really laugh her head off!
The two of them, speaking in unison, made Gongsun Yuan so angry that she laughed instead. She said, "Do you really want to know who saved Ran'er? I'm afraid that even if our Anshi Marquis's mansion gave everything we had, we still wouldn't be able to repay such a great favor."
"Look at what you're saying, sister. What favor could our Marquis's mansion not be able to repay?" Aunt Song said disdainfully.
"It was His Highness the Prince of Beiwu who saved Ran'er," Gongsun Yuan said calmly.
Aside from Ye Bijun and Ye Shanzhu, who witnessed it firsthand, everyone was shocked by the news. After her initial surprise, Aunt Song felt a burning pain in her face. What kind of status did the Northern Martial Prince have? He was the emperor's third son, a legendary figure in the Great Xia Kingdom, renowned for his bravery and military prowess! Such a noble status, such an illustrious family background—even emptying the Anshi Marquis's coffers might not be enough to catch his eye!
The debt of being saved must be repaid, but how should it be repaid in the most appropriate way? It can't really be that Ye Pianran offers herself to him, can it? Ye Pianran has now broken off her engagement with Ouyang Shaoyu, and the position of Princess Consort of Beiwu has been vacant. If Ye Pianran can really marry into the family, she will naturally become the Princess Consort of Beiwu as the legitimate daughter.
But that outcome was definitely not what she wanted!
"It's actually the Third Prince..." Marquis Anshi frowned slightly, as if he had thought of something. Finally, he said, "How about this, after this matter is settled, Lanzhi, Ran'er, and I will go to the Northern Prince's residence with gifts to express our gratitude."
"That's only right." Old Madam Song nodded in agreement.
An hour later, Ye Yanxun returned to the main hall with several sheets of drawing paper.
Unfolding the drawings and placing them in front of Marquis Anshi, Ye Yanxun said with a serious expression, "Father, it was these three who instructed the coachman to take Ran'er out of the city!"
Upon seeing the faces of the three men, Lingyi burst into tears. "My lord, these three are the lecherous men who tried to take liberties with the young lady on Little Wilderness Mountain!"
"Outrageous! Who are these three people that they dare to plot against my Marquis Anshi's mansion!" Marquis Anshi roared in fury. "Guards, immediately take these three men's portraits to the government office and request the Prefect of the Capital to send men to arrest them throughout the city!"
"No need." Ye Pianran looked at Ye Yanxun's face, which bore a resemblance to Ye Yingrou's, and felt a sharp, ironic pain in her heart. "These three people have already been executed on the spot by the Third Prince."
What a clever move to ensure there's no way to prove anything! She and Ye Yanxun had grown up together since they were three years old, acting like siblings for over a decade. She never imagined he would never consider her feelings at all. Is this what he meant by not wanting her to suffer?
"They've already been executed by the Prince?" Ye Yanxun was slightly surprised, then reassured Ye Pianran, "That's good, so that Ran'er and Mother won't feel disgusted when they see them."
"Since the man is already dead, there's no need to pursue the matter further. However, Li Daniu's death sentence cannot be waived," Marquis Anshi said coldly. "Guards, drag Li Daniu away and give him one hundred lashes. If he's still alive after those one hundred lashes, throw him into the Straw Man Alley and let him fend for himself. If he's dead, give his family ten taels of silver so they can collect his body!"
"Yes!"
Li Daniu's babbling voices gradually faded into the distance. This familiar scene reminded Ye Pianran of her experience before her death in her previous life. She trembled and closed her eyes tightly.
She suddenly fell into a soft and warm embrace, a pair of hands gently patting her back and the top of her head, and soft words whispered in her ear: "Ran'er, don't be afraid, Mother will never let you be bullied again."
Ye Pianran hugged Gongsun Yuan tightly, and the tears in her eyes silently seeped into Gongsun Yuan's clothes.
Mother, Ran'er will never let you and Kang'er suffer any more harm in the future.
Later that day, Marquis Anshi sent the results of his investigation to the Prime Minister's residence. Prime Minister Gongsun frowned deeply as he looked at the three repulsive portraits in the candlelight and asked the person beside him, "Do these three people in the portraits match the ones you found?"
The man was Bian Hai, Prime Minister Gongsun's most favored student and also the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He said respectfully, "These three men did indeed appear at the foot of Xiaohuang Mountain, intending to do something improper. If it is truly as the coachman pointed out, perhaps these three men heard some rumors circulating in the city and deliberately approached the coachman, giving him a large sum of money to take Miss Sun out of the city?"
Bian Hai's analysis was very logical, and Prime Minister Gongsun thought for a long time but could not find any problems with it. He could only say, "Well, I'm afraid it is really true. Alas, Ran'er is really wronged."
"Teacher, please don't sigh. It's the best outcome that Miss Sun is alright." Bian Hai poured a cup of tea for Prime Minister Gongsun. "As long as she's still alive, there's still time to save her."
"You're right." Prime Minister Gongsun smiled, finding Bian Hai increasingly pleasing to the eye. Alas, if only Yuan'er had married Bian Hai back then, she wouldn't have to suffer so much mistreatment from the Marquis's household. What a pity, what a pity…
After that day, Marquis Anshi began preparing a thank-you gift to send to the Northern Martial Prince's residence. However, after searching high and low in the storeroom, he couldn't find a single presentable gift. Jewelry, jade, silks—the Northern Martial Prince's residence would have these, perhaps even more abundantly and valuablely. A fine sword would be far more pleasing to the Northern Martial Prince. But fine swords are as rare as elixirs, and they couldn't afford the time commitment. After much deliberation, Marquis Anshi finally sent someone to find a top-quality piece of Dushan jade, and commissioned a craftsman to spend several days and nights carving it into a majestic warhorse, to be presented as a thank-you gift for Ye Pianran's life-saving grace.
After preparing the congratulatory gifts, Marquis Anshi chose an auspicious day, took his visiting cards, and rode in a carriage with Gongsun Yuan and Ye Pianran to the Northern Martial King's residence.
The Northern Martial Prince's Mansion was imposing, with armored soldiers guarding both sides of the gate, giving it an inexplicably cold and murderous feel. After alighting from the carriage, Steward Ye stepped forward with the visiting card and respectfully addressed the soldiers outside:
"Lord Anshi, accompanied by his wife and children, has come to pay a visit to Prince Beiwu. We would be grateful if this elder brother could come in and announce their arrival."
The soldier glanced at An Shihou, Ye Pianran, and the others, accepted the visiting card, and turned to enter the Prince's residence. A quarter of an hour later, Zhong Ping, the steward of the Northern Martial Prince's residence, emerged from the residence with two servants, smiling broadly. He bowed to An Shihou and said:
"I was unaware of your arrival, Lord Marquis. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly. I hope you and your wife will forgive me."
“Steward Zhong, there’s no need for such formalities. May I ask if His Highness is in the manor?” Marquis Anshi asked.
"My lord, your timing is unfortunate. The prince went to the training ground early this morning. However, the prince had instructed that if anyone from the lord's residence came, Zhongping should entertain them. Zhongping has already prepared tea in the hall. Please come in."
Since the passing of the Princess Consort of Beiwu four years ago, the Beiwu King has not remarried. With no mistress in the mansion, all reception duties are handled by Steward Zhong. It can be said that when the Beiwu King is not in the mansion, Steward Zhong is the most influential person there.
"Thank you for your trouble, Steward Zhong," Marquis Anshi said with a smile, then turned his back and strode into the palace with Steward Zhong.
Unlike the Nanping Prince's Mansion where Ye Pianran had lived in her previous life, the Beiwu Prince's Mansion was quiet. It was rare to see servants walking around on the road. When they were seen, they all walked in an orderly manner with cold expressions and did not talk to each other. It looked as disciplined as a military camp.
As expected of the Third Prince's residence, it was as solemn and austere as he was. Ye Pianran smiled slightly and couldn't help but think this.
Upon entering the main hall, everyone took their seats in turn. Maids brought tea and candied fruit to replenish their supplies. Steward Zhong, standing to the side, said with a friendly smile, "May I ask what brings the Marquis here with his wife, young master, and young lady?"
Marquis Anshi had the jade carving covered with velvet brought forward and said to Steward Zhong, “A few days ago, my daughter unfortunately encountered villains outside the city and almost lost her life in Xiaohuangshan. Fortunately, Your Highness happened to pass by and rescued her, thus saving her life. Therefore, I have specially prepared some small gifts and brought my wife and children to personally visit Your Highness to thank you for saving my life. I hope Steward Zhong will accept these gifts and convey our sincere gratitude to Your Highness.”
A servant lifted the velvet cloth covering the jade carving, revealing a translucent jade horse. The jade horse was modeled after the Northern Martial King's mount, "Crimson Flame." The craftsman's skill was exquisite; even the flowing mane on the horse's neck was carved with a majestic air, as if it were riding the wind with its head held high.
Steward Zhong looked up and smiled at Marquis Anshi, "Your Excellency is very thoughtful. This jade horse is truly lifelike and vivid. I'm sure Your Highness will like it."
"If we can please His Highness, then our trip will have been worthwhile. I also have a message for His Highness that I would like to ask Steward Zhong to deliver."
Steward Zhong smiled and said, "My lord, please speak freely."
"Your Highness's kindness to my daughter is immeasurable. If the Marquis's manor ever needs our help, we will do everything in our power without hesitation!" Marquis Anshi said sincerely. Back then, the Ye family's ancestor was bestowed the title of "Marquis Anshi" by the late emperor for his outstanding military achievements. However, this title, passed down to his generation, had lost its former power and status. If Ye Yanxun could follow the Northern Martial Prince to the army for training, the title of "Marquis Anshi" might regain its former glory.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Steward Zhong's smile deepened: "Zhong Ping will definitely convey the Marquis's words to the Prince without missing a single word, so please put your mind at ease, Marquis."
The words had already been spoken, but whether Steward Zhong would relay them was beyond the control of Marquis Anshi. Marquis Anshi chatted with Steward Zhong for a few more minutes, and seeing that he could no longer wait for Chunyu Yang, he could only get up and take his leave.
"Since Your Highness is so busy, my wife and children will not stay here to bother you any longer. We will visit you another day when Your Highness has more free time."
Steward Zhong gave a few polite replies, then smiled and saw them out. Standing outside the door, watching the carriage of the Marquis of Anshi's residence gradually disappear into the distance, Steward Zhong finally wiped the smile off his face and turned back to the Prince's residence.
Back in the main hall, Steward Zhong was about to have the jade horse sent to the storeroom when suddenly a woman dressed in a plain green shirt and long skirt rushed in with a look of anxiety on her face.
Butler Zhong frowned slightly and asked, "Madam Mu, why are you in such a panic?"
"Steward Zhong, have you seen the young master?" the woman asked urgently, grabbing Steward Zhong.
Butler Zhong suddenly felt uneasy: "I've never seen him before, what's wrong?"
"The young master has disappeared!"