My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 41: Three Years Later. 

　　The capital city has been under lockdown for seven days, and they still haven't found the assassin from the East Palace.

　　The outside world is abuzz with rumors, saying he must be able to fly or something. (T/N: LoL 😂)

　　For the next month, every gate in the capital was heavily guarded, the entire city under ¹martial law. Anyone wanting to enter or leave had to go through multiple checkpoints.

　　But then, one day, as if suddenly realizing they were disrupting the lives of the city's people, they stopped pursuing the assassin. The heavy troops were withdrawn, and the city gates returned to their usual level of security.

　　Even the soldiers patrolling the streets were withdrawn.

　　In the teahouse, people were chatting and gossiping, with some saying, “The assassin has been found, so the guards have been withdrawn.”

　　Others said, “A mere assassin is nothing to fear. Perhaps the Imperial Palace is already on high alert, so there's no need for such strict searches anymore.”

　　And still others said, “They searched for so long without finding anyone. The assassin probably left the capital long ago, so those in charge just gave up.”

　　Everyone was buzzing with discussion, joyfully celebrating the return to their peaceful lives.

　　Sister Ming overheard the gossip while buying vegetables. She went to the city gate to check and saw that, indeed, most of the guards had been withdrawn. Turning around, she hurried back home.

　　Carefully closing the door behind her, she entered the room and happily told Yun Ling, “Lady Yun, the guards at the city gates and the soldiers on the streets have all been withdrawn! They say they're not investigating anymore. We'll probably be able to leave the city in a few days!”

　　Yun Ling felt happy too, but then a sense of unease settled over her.

　　The city had been under lockdown for a month, and she knew the Crown Prince wasn't the type to give up so easily.

　　How could they have stopped the search so quickly?

　　It was probably a trick to lull her into a false sense of security.

　　She shook her head. “Sister-in-law, I don't think it's that simple.”

　　Therefore, Yun Ling remained hidden at the Ming family home. To the outside world, they claimed a cousin was staying with them to recover from an illness. But Yun Ling avoided going out, to avoid attracting attention.

　　On the rare occasions she did go out, she wore a veil and coughed dramatically, feigning a serious illness. People avoided her, and the neighborhood simply knew the Ming family had two sickly daughters.

　　And so, a fortnight passed.

　　Sure enough, Sister Ming discovered upon going out that while the city gate guards seemed relaxed, several suspicious women trying to leave the city had been apprehended each day. It was a case of loose guard on the surface, but tight security underneath.

　　It seemed a hidden net awaited those trying to leave the city undetected. Fortunately, Yun Ling's sharp instincts had saved her from falling into the trap.

　　She remained discreetly at the Ming family home, and later, when Brother Ming returned from the countryside and learned about the situation, he didn't make a fuss.

　　He was an honest man; even without his sister's involvement, he wouldn't betray anyone.

　　Yun Ling gave Sister Ming some money for room and board. Sister Ming wanted to refuse, but Yun Ling said, “I know you're very kind, Sister Ming, and you don't mind having one more mouth to feed, but I feel bad about it. I don't know how much longer I'll be troubling you, and I can't keep staying here for free. I can afford it, so please accept this.”

　　The Ming family relied solely on Brother Ming's wages from his work outside the home. They weren't wealthy to begin with, and with another person to feed, things became even tighter.

　　Sister Ming hesitated for a moment, then accepted the money. She immediately went to buy some meat to improve their meals.

　　She was truly a kind-hearted person.

　　Although Yun Ling was a Shanggong, the gifts from the prince were mostly jewelry and palace-made items that couldn't easily be exchanged for cash. She'd also been docked three months' salary, meaning she didn't actually have much money.

　　Fortunately, when she was in Qingzhou, Zhang Huanglin had given her several valuable sets of jewelry to curry favor. Before leaving the palace, she discreetly found an inconspicuous eunuch and pawned those headpieces and hairpins through a private exchange within the palace, finally obtaining a sum of money for her own use.

　　She'd spent half on redeeming Linlang, and the remaining half was enough to support her for several years.

　　After a period of peaceful residence at the Ming family home, using her sick cousin's identity to avoid a couple of searches, Yun Ling patiently stayed for three months. Then, taking advantage of a busy afternoon, she packed her bags and bid farewell to the Ming family.

　　The Ming family of three were reluctant to see her go. Yanlan's eyes were red, and Sister Ming made several pancakes for her to eat on the road, holding her hand and saying, “Ah Ling, when you're settled, come back and visit.”

　　Yun Ling nodded. “Okay.”

　　Picking up her bag, she left the Ming family's home. Fearing recognition, she darkened her face, neck, and hands, even adding several red dots to simulate boils. She darkened and thickened her eyebrows, completely transforming her appearance.

　　Three months had passed. Although the soldiers guarding the city were still conducting checks, they had privately relaxed their vigilance due to the lack of any leads in the case.

　　Yun Ling followed behind two people grumbling and hurrying to leave the city. During the inspection, the man and woman alternately cried, complained, and bored the guards with tedious stories about sick family members. The guards, exasperated, quickly waved them through.

　　Yun Ling stepped forward, forcefully lifting her veil for the guard to see. She pretended to cry and cough, saying, “I... I'm terribly ill. The doctor said there's no cure, and sent me home... cough cough…”

　　The sight of her face was so unpleasant that the guard quickly covered his mouth and nose, hastily letting her leave the city.

　　Yun Ling paused for a moment as she crossed the last patch of soil beyond the city gate, then lifted her head and walked on without hesitation.

　　Reaching a secluded spot, the weight on her heart finally lifted. Looking up at the vast, azure sky, she felt a sudden, inexplicable ache in her eyes.

　　Although she had carefully planned and plotted for so long, she had also considered that with the Crown Prince's immense power and cunning, she had no absolute guarantee of escape. A single misstep at any point could have condemned her to an irreversible hell.

　　Even now that she had actually escaped, she herself found it somewhat unbelievable.

　　She took several deep breaths.

　　From now on, she would live for herself, free and unrestrained, able to fly as high as the birds.

　　A faint sound of footsteps approached from behind.

　　Yun Ling turned her head and saw Linlang, her hair unbound and wearing simple blue peasant clothes. Linlang held a small bundle and looked at Yun Ling, saying, “Ah Ling, I've bought my freedom.”

　　“Dongdong is dead, and my parents are monsters who would only sell me again. I have nowhere else to go. The journey is long; may I come with you?”

　　——

　　The new policies were implemented smoothly and initial results were promising.

　　He vigorously promoted talented individuals, reduced taxes, strengthened the military, and purged corruption within its ranks.

　　The Crown Prince's prestige grew daily. His methods were ruthless and unfeeling; he held absolute power, and no one dared to oppose him.

　　For some reason, the Crown Prince's temper had become increasingly violent in recent days.

　　When asked about the reason, even the Chief Eunuch, An Zhong, remained tight-lipped.

　　Only a few people had gleaned a little information: it might be related to the former Shanggong of the East Palace.

　　She had been the most favored female official in the Crown Prince's service, and their relationship had been deep. Yet, she vanished without a trace overnight. For a lowly female official to dare escape right under the Crown Prince's nose was reckless, and his fury was naturally uncontrollable.

　　……

　　Xie Jue emerged from his study, radiating coldness. Grand Eunuch An quickly followed, holding his robe.

　　In the distance, Pei Yuan approached, dragging a shivering young eunuch. “Your Highness,” he said, “I inadvertently discovered this eunuch possessing a gold hairpin that is not of palace manufacture. It resembles the one Zhang Huanglin gave to Lady Yun in Qingzhou.”

　　Those things, since the Lady Yun liked them, were left in her possession. Pei Yuan had seen Yun Ling wear it once and remembered it.

　　“Bring it here.”

　　Pei Yuan immediately presented the hairpin.

　　Xie Jue held the hairpin; the double-flowered, entwined-branch design was unique, and she had said she loved it.

　　He didn't know much about women's hair ornaments, so he simply gave them all to her. Later, remembering her fondness for jewelry, he had people select many valuable and beautiful pieces from his private treasury to give to her, and she happily accepted each one.

　　The young eunuch, terrified, urinated in fear, repeatedly kowtowing. “Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! This servant bought it from someone else; it wasn't stolen from Lady Yun!”

　　Pei Yuan said, “This subordinate has already sent someone to investigate. This hairpin, along with several other ornaments, was secretly sold by Lady Yun before she went to Guanyun Temple. She had a young eunuch take them to the market and exchange them for a large sum of silver.”

　　Exchanged for money…

　　So that's it.

　　Xie Jue let out a quiet, humorless chuckle. She had planned this all along; of course, she would have prepared travel money.

　　“Have you received any news from the city gate guards?”

　　Pei Yuan hesitated, then shook his head. “It's my incompetence, Your Highness. We've apprehended several women hurrying to leave the city, but none are Lady Yun.”

　　He was always straightforward. “Even after three months of searching, there's no trace. I'm afraid Lady Yun has already left the city.”

　　The night was silent.

　　“She left the city long ago…” Xie Jue's eyes darkened.

　　Suddenly, a wicked smile curled his lips. “Then issue wanted posters to every prefecture and county in the land!”

　　He took the hairpin, turned, and walked towards the courtyard where Yun Ling once lived.

　　Grand Eunuch An hurriedly followed.

　　The courtyard, unoccupied for half a year, was kept meticulously clean by palace servants and was unchanged from before. Pushing open the door, a faint dampness emanated from the long-empty rooms.

　　Xie Jue walked inside; the furnishings remained untouched. Coming to her dressing table, he opened the jewelry box. At a glance, he saw all the jewelry and ornaments he had given her. A perfectly round night pearl emitted a soft, luminous glow in the dim light, appearing lonely and dazzling in the empty room.

　　He had given her these things, and she hadn't taken a single one. Even the painting of the pine trees was left behind in her room at Guanyun Temple.

　　She didn't want any of the things he gave her, so she clearly didn't treasure them. Yet, she had pretended to be overjoyed and delighted with them in front of him.

　　To get his permission to go to Guanyun Temple, she painstakingly made him a sachet, showering him with sweet words—all to dazzle him, to make him believe her affection for him was overwhelming.

　　Even the meticulously hand-copied Buddhist scriptures she sent him from Guanyun Temple, a scroll every half-month, supposedly as prayers for his well-being, were all part of her scheme to distract his two Shadow Guards. There was never a hint of sincerity.

　　Remembering this, Xie Jue closed his eyes tightly.

　　His grip on the hairpin tightened, little by little, until he crushed it completely.

　　All the talk of ‘following my heart,’ of fearing he would bear the shame, of silencing the court officials... even the princess falling into the water—she deliberately didn't stop her, calculating that she would be punished, and then naturally propose all of this.

　　From beginning to end, every word and action, every painstaking effort, every show of deep affection—it was all a deception!

　　Such a perfect scheme.

　　To dare to deceive him to this extent!

　　Xie Jue violently swept the jewelry box to the floor.

　　Grand Eunuch An stepped forward, “Your Highness, please calm down! Lady Yun—”

　　“Silence!” Xie Jue sharply silenced him, his eyes filled with a terrifying ruthlessness. “From now on, anyone who dares to mention her name in the Palace, I will kill them!”

　　Grand Eunuch An's heart leaped; he trembled, “Yes.”

　　The dark night descended, enveloping everything. A deathly silence filled the quiet room.

　　“She deserves to die,” Xie Jue muttered, his head bowed, veins bulging on the back of his hand, slowly spitting out the words.

　　“She dared to deceive me,”

　　His profile, hidden in the darkness, was obscure and indistinct. Xie Jue's eyes were filled with a sinister emotion, his tone icy cold, each word deliberate:

　　“No matter where she escapes to, across mountains and rivers, to the ends of the earth. Once she falls into my hands again, I will have her cut into a thousand pieces, making her life worse than death.” (T/N: Yes, Your Highness, we believed you. 😂)

　　——

　　Three years later.

　　Zezhou.

　　In the bustling morning market, a familiar woman lifted the lid of a steamer basket filled with warm, freshly-steamed buns and mantou, calling out to Yun Ling, “Lady Mu, you made it just in time! These just-steamed mantou are the softest and sweetest. Would you like two?”

　　Yun Ling walked over, smiled, and said, “Thank you, Wang Mama. Wrap me two mantou, and two buns as well.”

　　For convenience while traveling and to avoid unwanted attention, Yun Ling used the alias Mu Zhao. She posed as a maidservant released from a prince's household, adding five years to her age, claiming to be twenty-five. She presented herself as a widow, whose husband had died, and lived with her sister.

　　Zezhou was thousands of miles from the capital. The shadowy years in the East Palace were long behind Yun Ling. She was no longer Yun Shanggong, nor the prince's consort. She was simply Mu Zhao, a widow who ran the Yunyi Workshop.

　　Her current life was peaceful and content.

　　A freedom she had never known before.

　　“There,” Wang Mama efficiently selected plump, white buns and mantou, wrapping them for her. Beaming, she added, “My daughter-in-law gave birth yesterday. Consider this an extra one from me, to share in the good fortune.”

　　“Really?”

　　Yun Ling's face lit up with joy. She placed the copper coins in Wang Mama's hand, saying, “Congratulations, Wang Mama!”

　　Wang Mama, beaming, accepted the money and warmly invited, “Come to our house for the full-month celebration next month! My old man's planning on buying two whole pounds of pork. All the neighbours will be there.”

　　This Lady Mu had fair skin and eyes that seemed to hold water, gentle and soft. She was truly beautiful; even Wang Mama found herself admiring her. She had arrived in Zezhou two years prior and opened the Yunyi Workshop in the east of the city, specializing in rouge and jewelry. Originally an outsider, Wang Mama had worried about her ability to succeed, but unexpectedly, Lady Mu proved to be shrewd and resourceful. In less than two years, she had made Yunyi a thriving business.

　　And because she was from a prince's household, she had extensive knowledge and the jewelry designs she offered were all the latest styles from the capital—novel and beautiful—causing the young ladies of Zezhou to compete for them.

　　Before her daughter-in-law's pregnancy, Lady Mu had even gifted her a hairpin.

　　Zezhou is two thousand miles from the capital—a long and arduous journey. It's quite rare to have someone from a prince's household come here.

　　Everyone on these two streets knows that Lady Mu, though a widow, possesses exceptional beauty and a gentle, quiet, refined demeanor. She is courteous to everyone, and her prices are fair, so people gladly shop at her store.

　　Furthermore, Lady Mu not only can read and write but also possesses elegant calligraphy. She is well-versed in various rules and etiquette, clearly not an ordinary servant girl; she must have held a significant position in the Prince's household. Even the wife of Magistrate Liu has consulted her on matters of princely customs and procedures.

　　However, don't let Lady Mu's gentle beauty and widowed status fool you into thinking she's easy to push around. Her Yunyi Workshop employs several strong and capable bodyguards, hired at considerable expense; no one dares cause trouble in front of her shop.

　　Because Yunyi's business has flourished these past two years, several envious shop owners and lecherous hoodlums have occasionally tried to cause trouble. That's why Lady Mu hired these strong bodyguards at great expense; no one dares to cause trouble anymore.

　　With the shop secure and thriving, Lady Mu rarely appears at Yunyi these days; her sister manages it most of the time.

　　Her sister is also a skilled and charming woman. If anyone has a complaint at Yunyi, she's able to smooth things over beautifully, presenting each disgruntled customer with one of her handmade silk flowers. The unhappy ladies usually leave in good spirits.

　　It's said that she was heartbroken by a lover in her youth and never married.

　　In short, both sisters were orphaned and have had difficult lives. Their journey from their hometown to Zezhou was no easy feat.

　　……

　　Yun Ling returned home with breakfast, finding Linlang already awake and washing up.

　　She now goes by the name Mu Dong, wanting to carry her sister's name with her as she goes on living.

　　Seeing Yun Ling return, she smiled and said, “The scholar from the next alley came by again just now, bringing two packages of sweets. He said he bought them early this morning.”

　　Yun Ling placed the breakfast on the table and began to unpack it, without looking up, she asked, “You didn't accept them, did you?”

　　Mu Dong shook her head. “Of course not.”

　　“But he said, he's a respectable scholar, a future Xiucai, a Juren; passing the imperial examinations is only a matter of a few years. He doesn't mind that you're a widow, nor that you're always out and about, dealing with money. He said a scholar with his broad-mindedness is willing to accept you, so you should think about it carefully. Opportunities like this don't come around often.”

　　Mu Dong was angered by these words.

　　But under the prevailing social norms, she had to admit that the pedantic scholar, Yang Bugong, had a point.

　　A female merchant, and a widow at that—how many men would be willing to marry her? And this Yang Bugong, he's only making repeated advances because of their family's wealth and Yun Ling's beauty.

　　Besides this unscrupulous scholar, there's also the good-for-nothing magistrate's son who frequently bothers them. Yun Ling is really unlucky.

　　Yun Ling didn't seem to mind. She called Mu Dong over to eat breakfast, and gave her a bun. “Big sister, don't think too much, and don't listen to him.”

　　“Widows are not inferior. Not only widows, but anyone who stands tall and relies on themselves is not inferior.”

　　Sometimes Mu Dong felt that Yun Ling's way of thinking was different from everyone else's, but she also felt there was nothing wrong with it.

　　She never intended to remarry; otherwise, she wouldn't have presented herself as a widow.

　　Taking a bite of the bun, she remembered something else. “Right, I've been helping you look around these days, but still no news. I've even asked the old beggars in the city, and no one has seen your amulet, and no missing girl from over a decade ago matches your description.”

　　They've been in Zezhou for two years, and they've asked everyone they could and investigated every lead, but they still haven't uncovered Yun Ling's past.

　　Over the years, Yun Ling would ask people everywhere she went if they'd ever seen that amulet, but to no avail. Until she met a very old and knowledgeable wandering monk who, after seeing her amulet, said it likely originated from the Zezhou area.

　　But after arriving in Zezhou, they asked around everywhere, still finding nothing. That's why they finally decided to settle in Meiyang County.

　　“Forget it, there's no point in forcing it,” Yun Ling said, shaking her head.

　　Even if she can't find it, she's done her best, and there's nothing to regret.

　　After breakfast, Mu Dong took out several packets of rock sugar from the house. “A regular customer sent these, take them to those children—”

　　Before she could finish, someone knocked loudly on the door.

　　“Is Madam Mu there? The magistrate's wife requests your presence.”

________________

Glossary:

¹In ancient China, martial law, known as ‘戒严’ (jiè yán), was a temporary measure imposed by emperors during times of war, natural disasters, or rebellions. It involved the suspension of normal legal proceedings and the imposition of military rule, often with strict curfews, restrictions on movement, and heightened security measures. This allowed the military to maintain order and control over the population while addressing the crisis at hand.

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T/N: My dear readers, starting today, I will post one chapter per day. I will update daily until this novel is finished.

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