Chapter 74

Su Ci held Yang Yanzong’s hand as they entered the main house, where the bathtub and steaming hot water had already been brought in.

He tossed his sword and helmet onto the table, rubbed his temples, and then spread his arms. His heavy armor weighed seventy to eighty pounds, making it impossible for him to remove it alone. Su Ci couldn’t do it alone either; it was too heavy. A Kang had to assist, and together, they managed to remove Yang Yanzong’s bright, heavy armor piece by piece.

The armor hit the ground with a loud clang. A Kang and Da Ming carefully picked up each piece and took them out for cleaning and maintenance. Underneath the armor, Yang Yanzong’s body was covered in layers of dried blood, dark red and black, making it hard to tell if it was his blood or someone else’s. He kicked off his boots and got into the bathtub, sitting down as the hot water soaked into his body. His tense muscles and nerves slowly relaxed, and he finally began to unwind from the intense and bloody battle.

Su Ci used a ladle to pour water over his shoulders and hair, which hadn’t been submerged. After thoroughly soaking him, she used a cotton cloth to scrub away the dried blood gently. He had some injuries, the longest being a two-hand-length cut on his chest, but fortunately, it wasn’t deep, only cutting the surface.

“I’ll apply some medicine later. It’s good that it’s not serious.” Su Ci lifted his hand, soaking the blood-crusted gauntlet for a while before peeling off the blackened bandages layer by layer. She threw away the bandages and examined his hand. Thankfully, it was fine.

She cleaned off the dried blood and massaged his shoulders before telling him to get up. She changed the water and had him get back in. This time, the water was clean and refreshing. He rested his head on the tub’s edge, cushioned with a cotton towel, while she scooped hot water and lathered soap to wash his hair. His wet black hair was repeatedly rinsed, and her soft fingertips massaged his scalp. Yang Yanzong couldn’t help but sigh in comfort. With the steam rising, he opened his eyes, reached out to touch her face, leaned back, and slightly tilted his head. His large hand cupped the back of her head, and in the steamy room, their lips met. His kiss was fierce and urgent, the ladle clattering to the floor. Su Ci didn’t resist, her fingers tightening on his scalp as she responded to his intense kiss. He pulled her into the water, pressing her against the side of the tub.

They hadn’t been together for a long time, since their disagreement in August. After Su Ci’s disappearance and injury, she has been recovering for a long time. The water splashed urgently as he stood up, not even bothering to remove her wet clothes. This first time after a long drought was fierce and urgent. With steam rising and water splashing, her pale hands gripped the edge of the tub tightly. Half the water spilled onto the floor, and when they were done, Yang Yanzong carried her back to the inner room by her waist. She lay limp on the bed, exhausted. After a while, she reached into the drawer, took out some medicine, and tossed it to him. She had planned to apply it for him, but now he could do it himself.

“Make sure to put some on your face, too, so you don’t get any scars.” She teased lazily.

Now that they had a moment, Su Ci asked, “What happened in the palace?”

“Empress Kun poisoned the emperor, and Imperial Uncle Kun killed Prince Zhao.” His response was brief and to the point, typical of Yang Yanzong.

Given the circumstances, the outcome was expected.

Su Ci couldn’t help but think of Prince Zhao, the only child in the palace who had thanked her. Remembering the polite, shy, and fair-skinned boy, she felt a pang of sadness. But with a sigh, she accepted it. Imperial Uncle Kun would never have spared Prince Zhao; everyone knew that. Such a position brought immense wealth and privilege but also great danger.

“So, the official announcement is that the emperor has passed away?” she asked.

“Yes, we’ll return to the manor in the afternoon.” Yang Yanzong applied some ointment to his face and other larger cuts, then tossed the bottle aside. He leaned down, pressing his warm body against her back, and kissed her.

They kissed for a while, and Su Ci mumbled, “Didn’t you say we’d return in the afternoon? There’s still some time. Want to rest a bit?”

They rolled from the bed to the pillows, but it seemed Yang Yanzong had no intention of sleeping. After a couple of pushes, Su Ci gave in. Just as things were heating up, they heard hurried footsteps approaching.

“Bang, bang, bang!” Someone knocked urgently on the door.

Yang Yanzong grabbed the incense burner from the bedside and threw it at the door, “Get out!!”

A Kang, looking distressed, glanced back at the anxious Nanny Zhang and said, “Master, Madam, it’s bad! The second young mistress from the west courtyard sent word that the old mistress is trying to hang herself!”

Both of them froze.

Su Ci: “…” Hang herself? Wow, she must have heard Yang Yanzong was back and wanted to make a scene.

Su Ci quickly explained, “Um, earlier, Mother wanted to fetch Aunt Yan, but I didn’t let her.” She hurriedly recounted the previous events, emphasizing Mrs. Yan’s unreasonable behavior and Yang Chongying’s anger, mentioning that she had to be a bit firm in her response.

The commotion in the east courtyard grew louder. Yang Yanzong, with his keen senses, could already hear it faintly. He wiped his face and sat up, rubbing his temples.

Outside, Nanny Zhang, seeing that A Kang’s knocking had no effect, began shouting, her voice strained. Yang Yanzong’s expression darkened.

Su Ci quickly jumped out of bed to fetch their clothes. Yang Yanzong frowned and told her, “Wrap yourself in the cloak.”

Su Ci donned the black fox fur cloak, opened the wardrobe, and grabbed two sets of clothes without much thought. Yang Yanzong stood up, dried their hair, and dressed before heading to the east courtyard.

The east courtyard was in chaos.

Yang Chongying was already there, his hands shaking with anger. He sat in a chair, pointing at the inner room and cursing, “Let her die! Let her hang herself! All of you, let go! I want to see if she dies or not!”

Of course, the people inside wouldn’t follow such an order. Yang Yanzhen hadn’t returned, but Yang Yanxin had, rushing over after checking on his newly pregnant wife, still in his armor. Hearing his father’s roar and Mrs. Yan’s heart-wrenching screams as she tried to throw herself into the noose, he quickly steadied the wobbly stool and held his mother, “Mother!”

“Yang Yanxin, get out here! Did you hear me?!”

Yang Yanxin was torn, “Mother, please come down first!”

The drama reached its peak as Yang Yanzong and Su Ci arrived.

Nanny Zhang, who had been watching outside, immediately announced, “The eldest son is here!”

Mrs. Yan was not pleased. Yang Yanzong had taken too long to arrive. She stared at the door, and when she saw her eldest son, her cries grew louder, “Let me die! What’s the point of living? Your father doesn’t like me, and my daughter-in-law defies me. I don’t want to live anymore!”

The last sentence, filled with anger and resentment, sounded genuinely tragic. She had shouted this many times. Yang Yanxin couldn’t help but glance at Su Ci. In his opinion, his sister-in-law could have been gentler with his mother. Seeing his elderly mother crying and threatening to die was heartbreaking for him as a son.

Yang Yanzong stood at the entrance to the inner room, which was in disarray. He frowned and shouted, “What are you all doing? Get the old mistress down!”

“No, no, don’t pull me! I don’t want to live!!!” Mrs. Yan cried hysterically.

Yang Yanzong stepped forward, grabbed her legs, and lifted her down, placing her in a chair.

Mrs. Yan struggled and kicked, nearly hitting Su Rong, who hurriedly covered her belly and dodged. Yang Yanzong glanced at Yang Yanxin, “Take your wife back to rest.”

He knelt by Mrs. Yan’s legs, wiping her tears and speaking softly, “Mother, what’s wrong this time?”

This time? Hmm, what’s going on between this mother and son?

Su Ci couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Had something happened between them that she didn’t know about?

From that single word, Su Ci sensed something. She couldn’t help but think that Yang Yanzong was indeed a rare and good son. No matter the storms outside, he always protected his family and never showed any negative emotions at home. He was incredibly gentle and persuasive with Mrs. Yan, always trying to please her and showing great filial piety. Who knew what Mrs. Yan had done this time? She certainly had a knack for causing trouble!

Even so, Yang Yanzong tried to suppress his emotions and spoke gently to his mother.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Yan didn’t appreciate her son’s filial piety. Unlike Su Ci, she couldn’t sense the subtle changes in Yang Yanzong’s emotions. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her head was dizzy, but she immediately noticed Su Ci standing by the door.

She stood by the door with her hands behind her back, showing no sign of tension. Her eyes were clear and bright, large and beautiful, her lips slightly swollen. Upon closer inspection, her brows showed a hint of fatigue, but her cheeks were flushed, delicate, and radiant, like a spring flower freshly nourished by rain.

Being a woman herself—an experienced one at that—Mrs. Yan immediately understood what had just happened before she arrived.

Yang Yanzong’s hair was also slightly damp.

Mrs. Yan was instantly triggered! She felt provoked, believing her son had been trapped by this seductive woman from the Su family. Pointing at Su Ci, she shouted angrily, “Su girl defied me, had me beaten, and wouldn’t let anyone fetch your Aunt Yan. I demand you divorce her now! Will you comply or not?!”

Yang Yanzong frowned, “She hit you?”

Mrs. Yan stiffened her neck, “That’s right.”

Yang Yanzong stood up and glanced at A Kang, who quickly stepped forward and clearly described the events in detail. Afterward, he stepped back, and two other young men took turns adding their perspectives.

Mrs. Yan shouted, “They’re all in cahoots! They did hit me, pulling and dragging, only following Su’s orders. Do they even see me as their mother?!”

A Kang and the two young men were anxious, especially those who had physically restrained Mrs. Yan. They hurriedly stepped forward, “Master, we didn’t, we…”

Yang Yanzong nodded, “I understand. You’ve been wronged. Go and receive your reward.”

The three of them sighed in relief, quickly responding and respectfully retreating.

Mrs. Yan looked as if she had been struck by lightning, her hand still on her tear-streaked face. She looked up at Yang Yanzong, her usually gentle and filial son, who now seemed like a stranger with an unfamiliar expression.

Yang Yanzong wanted to reason with his mother, but she either couldn’t understand or pretended not to. This left him feeling exhausted and powerless.

In the end, Yang Yanzong stood up, moved to a chair on his left, and turned the jade ring on his right finger for a moment. He said, “Su girl took the family to the villa on my orders; the guards followed her commands on my instructions.”

“Mother, have you checked on Father, who is unwell?” His last sentence still had a hint of gentle persuasion, but Su Ci thought it might be in vain.

Mrs. Yan was stunned, staring at her now unfamiliar son in disbelief. “But I asked to fetch your Aunt Yan, and Su girl refused, not only ordering people to stop me,” she covered her still bruised cheek, “your father even hit me!”

Mrs. Yan glared at Su Ci with hatred, “This wicked woman, with a heart of stone, watched your aunt fend for herself!…”

“Mother!” Yang Yanzong stood up abruptly, interrupting her. He said calmly, “The villa is a contingency plan and must not be known to outsiders.”

Mrs. Yan stared at her son, each word and expression unfamiliar and cold. He continued, “Aunt has deep misunderstandings about our family. To prevent any mishaps, she should stay in Shengping.”

Mrs. Yan slowly stood up, shocked to hear such unfamiliar words from her eldest son. Yang Yanzong’s expression was completely foreign to her. She looked around at Yang Chongying, who wore a mocking expression, Su Ci, who stood silently with her hands behind her back, and the maids and servants, who seemed to have lost their tongues. The guards Yang Yanzong brought stood expressionless at the door, all stern and indifferent.

She muttered, “My good son, this is the son I carried for ten months and gave birth to with great difficulty!”

She felt this seductive woman from the Su family had bewitched her son. His heart now only belonged to his wife!

Mrs. Yan was filled with anger and hatred, her eyes nearly bursting. She felt hatred towards everyone in the room. A family, what a family. Now, only Yang Yanzong and his father were a family; she was no longer part of it!

Overwhelmed by anger and stimulation, Mrs. Yan fainted.

This time, Mrs. Yan was genuinely ill, and it was pretty serious. However, this brought a sigh of relief to most people.

Of course, that’s looking ahead. Mrs. Yan’s fainting caused another round of chaos, and by the time everything settled, it was already past noon.

Yang Yanzong rubbed his temples, “Prepare the carriage. We’re returning to Yangdu.”

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Next came a series of national mourning activities. There’s no need to elaborate, as few were genuinely saddened by the events. Most felt excitement, relief, and ambition. Despite the troubles at home, Yang Yanzong’s career was flourishing. Risking his life to force the emperor’s hand had paid off, and it was time to reap the rewards!

Somehow, Empress Kun managed to make the old emperor’s remains look peaceful, with no signs of poisoning. After her tearful mourning, the nation couldn’t be without a ruler for a day. Soon, she adopted Prince Qian’s young son as her own, and he ascended the throne.

Empress Kun became Empress Dowager Kun, and since the new emperor was only nine years old, she ruled from behind the curtain.

Imperial Uncle Kun remained in his position, but his influence was now incomparable to before. Next came the grand rewards for the meritorious officials.

Yang Yanzong was granted the title of Marquis of Changyi, making Su Ci the Marchioness. Additionally, Yang Yanzong solidified his control over the Left Guard, moved into the capital’s military camp, and, with Ji Yuanhao, took over the entire Suiping camp.

With promotions and increased power, everyone felt elated. The 27-day mourning period passed without any sadness.

After the mourning period, the new emperor’s formal enthronement ceremony took place. Overnight, the blue cloth covering the coffin was replaced with gold and red, and the entire imperial city was adorned with festive colors. Such were the dramatic customs of the royal family.

After the solemn and grand enthronement ceremony, the old emperor’s funeral and burial in the underground palace took nearly three months. However, the strictest three months of national mourning had passed. For the Kun family, who had seized power through a coup, these formalities were merely for appearances and were quickly put behind them.

As soon as the hundred-day ban on festivities and banquets ended, the palace immediately decreed a grand banquet for all ministers, especially those who had contributed to their victory.

Finally, they could openly celebrate their triumph!

Su Ci did not attend the enthronement ceremony but did attend this grand banquet.

In short, it was very lively!

Many officials had already adapted to the fact that there was a new emperor. After all, it didn’t affect them much. Instead, the court was no longer filled with fear and anxiety, allowing them to relax and show genuine happiness.

Today’s banquet was divided into male and female sections. Su Ci and Mrs. Ren exchanged smiles and, as the newly minted Marchionesses, walked together to the women’s section.

The current Empress Kun, or rather, Empress Dowager Kun, looked more mature and imposing. She glanced at Ren and Su Ci, who had come to pay their respects. Recognizing them as the families of today’s honored ministers, she gave them a rare faint smile and nodded.

After paying their respects, Su Ci and Mrs. Ren quickly moved on, not lingering. The two women sat down, relaxed, and enjoyed the food and drink while chatting and observing their surroundings.

For the first time, Su Ci could participate in a royal banquet without pressure. She relaxed and admired the various scenes. The Yongle Hall was still as grand and magnificent as ever; even with a few restricted colors missing, it didn’t diminish its splendor and luxury.

Most of the attendees smiled, pretended to wipe away tears, and then chatted happily with those around them. Their expressions were much more relaxed than before. A lighter living environment was crucial; three months was enough for them to forget the previous emperor and adapt well to the new regime.

However, the young emperor seemed to be struggling to adapt. Even with yellow cushions on three sides, the large gilded Nine-Dragon Throne was still too uncomfortable for a child. His feet couldn’t touch the ground, his body couldn’t reach the edges, and the layers of the crown and dragon robe were heavy. The young emperor had to make a great effort to sit up straight.

But today, the young emperor was clearly very happy. He frequently looked down at Prince Qian, and father and son exchanged glances from a distance. He also exchanged looks with his brother, the heir of Prince Qian, and smiled, showing his two small tiger teeth.

Prince Qian smiled and nodded at the young emperor, his gaze gentle. However, whenever the young emperor turned to listen to Empress Dowager Kun, Prince Qian’s smile subtly faded, and his eyes showed a hint of melancholy.

Most people wouldn’t notice, but Su Ci, having observed for a while, did. Hmm, it seemed Prince Qian was forcing a smile. Could it be that he wasn’t entirely happy about his son becoming emperor? In contrast, the consort beside him, Lady Kun, looked pleased, watching her son on the throne with loving and excited eyes.

Su Ci didn’t keep staring, as gossiping for too long wasn’t appropriate. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the stage.

The stage lacked the bright red colors, with most of the dancers dressed in fresh greens and pinks, yet they were still beautiful and eye-catching. The dances were more elaborate, and the dancers were exceptionally graceful. The Kun family liked it this way. The palace had changed hands, and while the old emperor preferred elegant dances, the Kun family favored lavish displays. Naturally, the style had changed.

After the final dance, the lead dancer, her face flushed, bowed and presented her tribute. Imperial Uncle Kun clapped and praised, “Good, good, well done! Reward her!!”

Empress Dowager Kun reclined on her phoenix throne, smiling faintly, looking content.

Soon, the dancer left the stage and appeared beside Imperial Uncle Kun, kneeling and offering wine.

Imperial Uncle Kun didn’t keep the glory to himself. He made sure all the meritorious officials were rewarded, as today’s theme was celebration!

Various rewards had already been distributed, and Imperial Uncle Kun clapped his hands as the banquet reached its peak. The golden curtains moved, and dozens of beautiful and charming dancers entered in a line. Among them were sixteen beauties with long eyebrows and slender eyes, exuding an exotic charm. They were new tribute girls from Wusun.

Imperial Uncle Kun laughed heartily and waved his hand, ensuring everyone with merit received their share!

As for the final sixteen tribute beauties, they were, of course, reserved for the eight most distinguished officials!

Imperial Uncle Kun waved his hand, assigning two to each, including Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao. Since they were tribute girls, they were bestowed in the name of the young emperor. The atmosphere reached its highest point, with laughter and cheers nearly lifting the roof. However, on the women’s side, the smiles faded.

Mrs. Ren sighed softly, holding Su Ci’s hand and gently comforting her, “They’re just playthings. Don’t let it bother you, sister.”

Su Ci turned and smiled at her. But her mood plummeted. So boring!

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Yang Yanzong was alive, and life continued. The fleeting moments of life-and-death decisions couldn’t erase the ongoing conflicts of daily life. Like many couples who could sacrifice their lives for each other before marriage, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t end up in constant quarrels afterward. This tribute girl incident suddenly brought their conflicts to the surface, pushing them to the highest peak!