Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 617: Chapter Six Hundred and Twenty-Three
 

Han Yu was inherently a calm and composed man, but Su Wenyue’s situation was the only thing that had disturbed his peace of mind. Realizing his current state of mind was inappropriate, he adjusted himself. Worrying needlessly was of no use, it was better to finish the tasks at hand quickly and return home as soon as possible. At least Zhai Li had been sent back, ensuring that his daughter-in-law would not encounter any trouble. He decided it was best to focus on the current matters, for a single misstep could lead to total defeat. Matters of success or failure were at stake, relating to the life and death of his entire family; there could be no room for oversight.

The situation had reached this point because Liu Xiu was dreaded by Liu Xuan. Liu Xiu was not only close friends with Liu Wenyong’s eldest son, Liu Qian, but also was constantly on guard, even opposing Liu Xuan. Moreover, the abilities of Liu Xiu and Han Yu were not to be underestimated, which was an absolute threat to Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan was ruthless and narrow-minded, bearing grudges against people like Liu Xiu. He didn’t merely wish to drive Liu Xiu and his affiliates out of Peicheng; he intended to eradicate them completely. Otherwise, Liu Xiu and Han Yu would not have been forced to take such drastic measures today. After all, they were in Peicheng, where due respect was owed to Liu Wenyong even if not to the monks. They still had to consider him to a great extent.

Fortunately, Liu Wenyong himself had started paving the way for the successor he favored, showing tacit approval of their actions, which made things slightly easier. His health was declining, and he feared he might not last much longer.

Once the signal was given, Liu Qian took action together with them. However, things didn’t go as smoothly as anticipated. Though they ultimately succeeded in eliminating the two most significant forces supporting Liu Xuan, ensuring that no one could rival Liu Qian’s strength from then on, Liu Xiu and Liu Qian’s side also suffered some losses. It took until the third day for matters to be mostly settled, and it was only then that Han Yu managed to find time to rush home.

He hadn’t expected to encounter such thorny issues along the way, resulting in a delay until the third day. He was unaware of how his daughter-in-law had fared these past two days. Upon arriving home, he immediately headed for the inner courtyard, wishing he could see his daughter-in-law at once.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief upon Han Yu’s return, especially Zhai Li, who had been finding it hard to cope over the two days.

Although Brother Xing had managed to dissuade Su Wenyue that day, stopping her from continuing to lock herself in the room and maintaining her normal daily routine, anyone could see the profound impact the incident had on Madam.

“How is Madam?” Han Yu hurried home and, upon reaching the doorway, suddenly stopped to ask Aunt Li and Shu Xiang, who had been attending to Su Wenyue all this time.

Before returning, he was worried, but now that he was back, he felt a bit of timidness as he approached his own home. Even though Han Yu felt he had not wronged his daughter-in-law in this matter, recalling her jealous nature and the fact that Chen Li, with her abnormal thinking, might have instigated further, added tension and uncertainty to his thoughts.

For a man like Han Yu, who never flinched in the face of armies or the most challenging adversities, it was his own little daughter-in-law he actually feared.

“These past days have not been good for Madam. Whatever Miss Chen said to her the other day, Madam’s expression became very wrong after Miss Chen left, driving everyone out of the room and sitting in brooding silence for hours. It was only the Eldest Young Master who finally persuaded her. Nevertheless, Madam’s mood has still been down. She seems better in the presence of the Young Master and Miss, but when alone, she is greatly troubled and hardly eats anything, only managing a few bites when accompanied by the children. Madam’s constitution is already frail, and I truly worry she cannot withstand this much longer. It’s fortunate that you, Master, have returned.”

While Aunt Li spoke, she didn’t fail to observe Han Yu’s expressions, noticing his consistent concern for Su Wenyue, which alleviated some of her worries. Regardless of what might have happened outside, the Master still cared for Madam, and with this care, plus the support of the young masters and misses, no other woman could challenge Madam’s position.

Hearing Aunt Li’s words, Han Yu’s eyebrows furrowed even tighter, and although he wanted to reprimand, he knew his daughter-in-law’s stubborn nature could not be swayed by servants. Fortunately, the children were sensible; otherwise, he couldn’t imagine what state she would have been in upon his return.

Han Yu was most concerned about his daughter-in-law’s health, for which he spared no effort. Even during these busy days, he never forgot to instruct the servants on this matter.

He marched quickly into the room and upon seeing the small figure curled up on the bed, he could tell she was unhappy even in her sleep. Her already delicate face had grown thinner in just a few days, the sharpness of her chin evoking an irresistible pity.

Without hesitation, he embraced her, dirty and disheveled as he was, not caring to clean himself first. Only then did he feel stable and reassured, his heart aching for her. He couldn’t comprehend how she had tormented herself so much, noticeably thinner in just two or three days. Even wrapped in her blanket, she felt feather-light in his arms.

Su Wenyue had been sleeping poorly these days. Despite trying to convince herself to trust Han Yu, at least to wait for him to provide a definitive answer upon his return, love could hardly be rationalized. Plus, Han Yu’s extended absence and unsettling rumors from outside brought her both internal and external distress, making the torment in her heart understandable. So, when Han Yu held her, she quickly awoke.

Su Wenyue’s eyes snapped open at the sight of the man before her, still handsome but now somewhat disheveled. Her first thought was not to question the matter about Zhou Yao; instead, she was concerned about what Han Yu had been doing these days. Especially with the strong scent of blood on him and the abnormal stirrings outside in recent days, it made Su Wenyue increasingly anxious.

“Did something happen at the City Lord Mansion? Why are you in such a state?” Su Wenyue hadn’t heard of any unrest from the Imperial Court today, and she knew that only issues related to the City Lord Mansion could cause such a stir in Peicheng.

Seeing that his daughter-in-law’s first concern was for his safety, Han Yu felt warmth in his heart. She was undoubtedly his good daughter-in-law, always prioritizing his well-being.

“Daughter-in-law, you guessed right. Some troubles occurred at the City Lord Mansion. Liu Xuan must have sensed our clandestine actions, fearing the threat posed by our alliance with Liu Qian against him, so he sought to strike at us first.”

Hearing it was Liu Xuan aiming at them, the worry deepened on Su Wenyue’s face.@@novelbin@@