The Double-Chapter 697 - 214: Annihilation_3

"Bai Xue, grind some ink for me," Jiang Li said. "I’m writing a letter to my cousin."

Ye Shijie worked as a government official and might have heard some rumors; perhaps he even knew quite a bit of inside information. Even if he didn’t, it would be good for Ye Shijie to be cautious—better to be warned than to accidentally invite disaster upon himself.

...

Tonight, Yanjing City was unusually lively.

Perhaps it was the news that Prince Cheng had been defeated and died, and the rebels had surrendered that allowed the residents to finally feel at ease and settle down completely. Many people even knelt before the residence of the Prince of Xia County to express their gratitude to the general who protected the peace of Yanjing City.

The Prince of Xia County must have been a good person, even his household servants greeted people with smiles, not condescending or arrogant. If elderly citizens came to express their gratitude, he would not accept their gifts but instead, would give them some silver, saying it was by the general’s orders. These days, Yanjing City was in chaos, and the people suffered along with it—things did not have to be like this in the future.

So, everyone praised him even more, declaring the Zhaode General a good person.

The storyteller at the tavern turned the tales of Zhaode General’s battlefield heroics into scripts, and those who came to listen filled the second floor of the tavern, and it was like this every time. In tea houses, taverns, brothels, and gambling dens of Yanjing City, there was not a single person who had anything bad to say about Zhaode General. When talking of the Zhaode General, they all acknowledged him as a fundamentally kind-hearted hero, a truly good person.

Within the Yin Mansion, Yin Zhan took off his robe, washed up, and entered his study.

Someone knocked on the door outside, and Yin Zhan called for them to enter. It was a middle-aged woman of captivating beauty, with a certain resemblance in her eyes and eyebrows to Yin Zhiqing—it was indeed Yin Zhiqing’s mother, Madam Yin, whom Yin Zhan had taken as his wife after the first one.

Madam Yin gingerly set the stone-basket on the table, taking out small bowls of cold dishes one by one. With a slightly ingratiating smile she said, "I made these today, knowing the general has just returned from outside, you must have already eaten at the palace. These are light, sweet cold teas to refresh the palate and cut through the greasiness."

Yin Zhan did not even look at her, simply saying, "Just leave it on the table."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Madam Yin’s eyes, and as she was about to speak, Yin Zhan impatiently said, "You can leave now, Zhili is about to come in."

This was a clear dismissal. Madam Yin, with her brows and eyes softened, took the now-empty food basket and gently said, "Remember to have a bite, general. I made two bowls, so the Princely Heir can have one as well."

Yin Zhan had already picked up a letter from the table to read, no longer paying any attention to her, so Madam Yin turned around, tucked away her grievances, and stepped out. As she was leaving, she coincidentally encountered Yin Zhili about to enter, and he greeted her with a gentle smile, "Mother."

Madam Yin’s heart tightened, but she returned the smile and reminded Yin Zhili to remember to eat the cold dish she prepared before she exited and closed the door behind her.

Her coming and going was but a moment’s affair, and the maids at the door were surprised that she had left so quickly. Keeping her head down, Madam Yin walked past without looking at the expressions of the surrounding maids, but even without looking, she could feel the mocking gazes behind her, as if thorns were pricking her back.

And yet she had quietly borne such looks for so many years.

She came from an average family and was not the daughter of a high-ranking official or a wealthy household; by social standing, she was indeed marrying up by marrying Yin Zhan. However, everyone thought that Yin Zhan married her as a second wife because she was charming and beautiful; even her parents believed this and were very happy to marry her into his family.

At first, Madam Yin was also happy. The general was tall and handsome, and had won countless military honors. There was only a son left by the previous Madam Yin, and she was initially reluctant to be a stepmother, but Yin Zhili was obedient and kind, and he never made things difficult for her as his stepmother; instead, he was polite and respectful, which gradually put Madam Yin at ease. She thought that if it started well like that, she could devote herself heart and soul to them, and eventually, they would truly be a family.

But it turned out there were no issues with the Yin Household or Yin Zhili; the problem was with Yin Zhan. At first, Yin Zhan was also very considerate towards her, and she felt that Yin Zhan loved her. But after she got pregnant and gave birth to Yin Zhiqing, Yin Zhan’s attitude changed dramatically, becoming distant towards her.

At that time, they had already left Yanjing for Yunzhong, and Madam Yin could not complain to her parents, nor did she have the heart to speak of her sufferings. She thought Yin Zhan had grown tired of her, so she took the initiative to find him concubines, thinking this would keep his affection, but to her bewilderment, Yin Zhan did not care for those concubines either. This puzzled Madam Yin greatly.