Chapter 156: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 156: 

 

Cui Xingzhou reflected that in all his years of fighting against bandits, he had never encountered someone so openly provocative as the one in front of him.

If he didn't teach this daring female thief a lesson today, wouldn't he just be looked down upon?

For a moment, a delicate voice floated from behind the gauze curtain: “I missed you so much these past few days, yet you come back and scold me right away… Oh no, why are you biting again?”

Laughter and playful sounds followed, filling the air.

Meanwhile, Cui Fu, seeing her brother storm in and drag Liu Miantang away, was filled with worry. She wanted to intervene, but Cui Xingzhou had instructed others to guard the door, leaving her unable to step forward.

As night fell, there was still no sign of Cui Xingzhou and Liu Miantang coming out for dinner. At that moment, Li Guangcai returned from the military camp, so he decided to set up a table in their courtyard for a family meal.

While Cui Fu served dishes for Li Guangcai, she asked, “Why is Xingzhou so angry? He… wouldn’t hit Mian Tang, would he?”

When Li Guangcai returned, he noticed the kicked-open door, with several servants busy nailing it back together. He had some idea of the situation; although he didn’t know the details of Mian Tang’s schemes, it was clear that Xingzhou was furious, likely because she had done something inappropriate for a princess while rescuing Marquis Zhao.

However, when he heard Cui Fu worry that Mian Tang might be getting hit, Li Guangcai thought his wife was overreacting. He gently reassured her, saying, “Xingzhou isn’t that kind of person. And your sister-in-law… she’s not someone who would just take a beating. Didn’t you hear the sounds of plates and bowls crashing from the courtyard? It’s probably nothing serious. The evening breeze is nice tonight; you should eat more. You’ve lost weight since coming to Beihai…”

At this point, he turned to Jin'er and said, “Jin'er, you should eat less for now and save some room. I caught a basket of sea crabs during my trip out to sea, and they’re steaming on the stove right now. Your mother can’t eat them these days because of her cold constitution, so they’ll all be yours later!”

Jin'er loved crabs, and her eyes sparkled at the mention. She immediately stopped eating and stretched her neck, eagerly waiting for the crabs.

Cui Fu felt her face flush at his words. These past few days coincided with her own special time, so she really couldn’t eat too many cold foods. It was touching that a big man like him remembered such things.

Sometimes marriage is like water; only those involved know its warmth or chill. It was only after her second marriage that she realized this. When a man has you in his heart and mind, he notices even the slightest changes about you.

When she first arrived in Beihai, she felt a hint of regret from not adapting well to her surroundings. But now that she was living with Li Guangcai, who treated her with such thoughtfulness, even the hardships of the house and food turned into a sweetness she could savor.

Now, Cui Fu began to understand why Liu Mian Tang could face the crumbling ruins of her new home so calmly when she first came to Beihai.

Living with someone you truly love, who supports you, generally means life won’t turn too bad.

Thinking of this, she felt somewhat reassured, believing that her brother's courtyard shouldn’t be in too much trouble.

As for Mian Tang, she wondered if the waters of Beihai nourished men, because her husband seemed to be growing more vigorous by the day.

That night, it was ultimately she who became physically exhausted first, crying out that she was a little puppy and begging the prince to spare her.

Cui Xingzhou, drenched in sweat, pinched her cheeks and said, “If I let you off lightly this time, who knows what you’ll do next time! Maybe you’ll wear thin clothing and dance provocatively to lure the enemy! Tomorrow, write me a thousand-character letter of repentance, and think carefully about how to be a virtuous and elegant princess!”

Exhausted, Mian Tang felt like her soul had fled through her seven orifices and couldn’t finish listening to his words before she tilted her neck and fell asleep.

The next day, as Cui Xingzhou was getting ready to leave, Mian Tang still hadn’t woken up. He nudged her, saying, “Didn’t you promise to fix my hair every day? Why aren’t you up?”

Mian Tang peeked out from under the covers, revealing a resentful eye. “I need to write a big article today and can’t be bothered with the comb. Just go ahead and leave; you’re disturbing my sleep…”

Cui Xingzhou raised an eyebrow at the sulky figure in the blankets, genuinely feeling that leaving her with a thousand-character assignment might have been too lenient.

Meanwhile, Cui Fu had been worried about Mian Tang and didn’t see her until nearly noon when she appeared, supporting her waist and playing with little Yi'er in the courtyard, picking flowers.

Cui Fu hurried over to help her, asking, “What’s wrong? Why can’t you stand straight?”

Miantang quickly smiled and replied, “The bed was a bit hard, so my back hurts from sleeping… By the way, I need to go see Marquis Zhao to get some pain-relief ointment later.”

Cui Fu felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this. “Mother’s letter has arrived; she asked how old little Yi'er is now. You shouldn’t go out; stay home and help me write a reply. Let’s invite Zhao Quan over for dinner tonight; he can help with the prescriptions.”

Upon hearing that she had to write again, Mian Tang felt as if her hand muscles were being twisted again, leaving her with no strength at all.

Thinking about the ungrateful and faithless Marquis, the corners of her mouth subtly curled up.

As Cui Fu said this, she noticed that her sister-in-law seemed to be smiling without real amusement, which sent a shiver down her spine.

However, Mian Tang softly said, “I’m just worried that the Marquis might be too polite with us; it’s better if I personally go and invite him…”

Meanwhile, Zhao Quan, overwhelmed by homesickness, couldn’t help but reminisce while instructing the maids and newly hired servants to prepare his belongings. Just then, he saw Liu Mian Tang enter, dressed in hunting attire and holding a whip.

Upon seeing Liu Mian Tang, Zhao Quan instinctively froze and quietly asked the princess if she had eaten.

Mian Tang glanced at the pile of boxes around her and inquired, “Why is Marquis Zhao leaving as soon as he arrives? Have all the patients in the medical tent been treated?”

Zhao Quan, huddled in the doorframe, replied, “My elderly mother isn’t well, and I’ve recently been engaged, so I need to return home early to get married and bring her some good fortune.”

Mian Tang nodded and took the teacup from the maid. “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. If Marquis Zhao truly wishes to accumulate merit for the old marchioness, then simply bringing her good fortune may not suffice. It would be more meaningful to treat the people of Beihai; that would truly be a blessing for her!”

Zhao Quan had been at the medical tent every day, hardly stopping until sunset; he was already quite overwhelmed! Hearing Mian Tang say this, he quickly waved his hand and said, “There are several capable doctors in the prince’s camp; I doubt my absence would be missed…”

Mian Tang deliberately leaned forward and said, “I’ve been studying divination lately and have picked up a bit. From what I see, Marquis, you should stay. Otherwise, on your way back, there’s no telling if someone harboring resentment against you might be lying in wait. If you get kidnapped again with no one to rescue you, wouldn’t that lead to your head being hung on a mountaintop?”

Zhao Quan replied awkwardly, “I plan to take the main road back this time. Besides... I’m just an idle person; who could possibly have a grudge against me?”

Beside him, Bicao chimed in, “Marquis, you talk so much every day. With a few cups of wine, you spill out everything you should or shouldn’t say, and you might offend people without even realizing it. Isn’t that the case?”

Zhao Quan realized he was being coerced by the remnants of Yangshan. Unfortunately, the Prince Huaiyang, who had once fought against bandits, now seemed completely subdued by this female bandit, making him feel quite helpless.

With tears in his eyes, he said, “Then... how long should I stay to treat patients?”

Mian Tang, seeing that he was coming around, slowly got up with a hand on her waist and replied, “You should stay until the people you’ve offended have calmed down!”

Meanwhile, let’s not mention Zhao Quan suffering through staying behind to volunteer.

A few days later, however, a huge uproar erupted on Kou Island in the East China Sea.

Previously, the Japanese pirates who ventured out to the mainland would return within three days at most. After all, they were conducting raids and couldn’t afford to linger for too long.

But this time, the small leader Hayabusa, who had led a group out to sea, had not returned for many days, and there was no word from him at all.

When the people reported this to Eikushi-ji, he frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

Even if Hayabusa hadn't looted any valuables, he should have at least sent someone back with news to avoid any unforeseen circumstances without support. Therefore, he dispatched a few capable Japanese men across the sea to look for Hayabusa.

The group landed and made their way over mountains to the peak where Hayabusa had set up camp. However, when they climbed up, what they saw was horrifying: the mountain was filled with the heads of Japanese men, all hanging high on long poles. Due to the hot weather, the heads had begun to rot and were infested with maggots, creating a truly terrifying sight.

The Japanese men quickly glanced around and spotted the severed heads of Hayabusa and a few important subordinates. They didn't dare to look closely, but the countless poles that filled the mountain confirmed their fears: Hayabusa's forces had likely been completely wiped out.

Fearing that the Northern Sea might still have troops nearby, they hurriedly turned back.

As they walked, they suddenly heard someone calling out, "Sir, sir! Thank heaven, are you here to rescue me?" They paused and turned toward the sound, seeing a Japanese man emerging from a dense patch of grass, running toward them.

When the man reached them, they immediately asked what had happened and how many had attacked them, causing Hayabusa and the others to fail in their escape.

The man, still trembling with fear, said, "Sir, at first, everything went smoothly. Hayabusa led us to raid several villages, capturing many beautiful women and even a fat sheep. That night, Hayabusa was in high spirits, hosting a banquet and having those women pour drinks to entertain us. During the banquet, we unexpectedly noticed one woman who was exceptionally beautiful..."

He paused, as if lost in the memory of her face. What had once been a lovely image now felt more like recalling a fearsome demon.

"We brought that woman to Hayabusa's tent. After that, I got a bit drunk, and while relieving myself in the woods, I dozed off. Later, I was awakened by Hayabusa's screams. When I came out, I saw that the beautiful woman had decapitated Hayabusa. Most of our men were still in a drunken stupor when more than ten people rushed in. Just like that, they cut off everyone's heads, hung them on poles, and took the women and the valuables away. For the past few days, there have been people patrolling the mountains below, but it only became less frequent recently. I didn't dare to stray too far, surviving on wild vegetables each day while waiting for you brothers."

The other Japanese men exchanged glances. They had initially thought that a large force from the Northern Sea had come to wipe out Hayabusa's entire group after a fierce battle. They were shocked to learn that their enemy consisted of just one beautiful woman and a handful of others, while most of their men had lost their heads in a drunken haze.

Thus, they quickly took the surviving Japanese man with them as they hurried back to the coast, boarding a small boat to return to the island and report to Eikushi-ji.

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