Volume 1: Gathering Winds of Splendor Chapter 41: Life is Like a Play

  "Sister, the general has ordered me to hand over all the authority of the household manager, so I came to ask when you plan to take over?" Yun Mingyue's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment before she forced out a smile and spoke.

  "Never mind, I don't want to be in charge anyway. If you want to control it, then keep it." Ling SuSu said indifferently, not ignoring the unwillingness on Yun MingYue's face.

  "Sister, it's not what you think. Sister has been serving the general for several years before I entered the mansion. By rights, she should be in charge of the inner courtyard. It's just that nine years ago, sister fell ill and left the capital, and with no one to take care of the inner courtyard, the general had no choice but to temporarily appoint me as her substitute." Yun Mingyue lowered her eyelashes, biting her lip with a hint of grievance.

  "Who says it's all the same? Since General has given you the power, you've managed well over the years, so there's no need to return it to me." Ling Susu didn't even bother to look at her, and instead took out a wooden comb from her sleeve, dispersing An Xin's hair and helping her to tidy it up.

  "Sister, don't be angry, the general's heart has always been most fond of you, sister. You mustn't take offense at me, or else I'll feel uneasy." Yun Mingyue bit her lip even harder, leaving a shallow mark on her plump red lips, and a layer of misty tears had already appeared in her beautiful eyes.

  "Halt!" An Xin couldn't bear to watch this woman's self-directed play anymore, raised both hands and made a stopping gesture, pouting her mouth as she said, "If Princess Ming Yue wants to perform opera, please change the venue. There shouldn't be a lack of theaters in the capital city. With your excellent acting skills, you should be able to win thunderous applause."

  "I know that Miss Xin has some misunderstandings about me, I believe that as long as we understand and contact each other more, our relationship will definitely improve." Yun Ming's eyes shone with sincere light, looking at An Xin sincerely.

  "Goodbye, just seeing you gives me a headache and stomachache, even my appetite which is usually very good decreases when I see you. If I really have to be in contact with you often, who knows, maybe I'll die a few years earlier." An Xin said lazily, half-closing her eyes as she enjoyed her mother's gentle hair combing.

  "Sister, Heart Miss, I just want to get along with you harmoniously, hoping you can understand my sincerity, don't misunderstand." Yun Ming's eyes gleamed in the dark, gnashing her teeth at An Xin's insipid and unresponsive attitude, but on the surface, she still maintained a gentle smile, speaking softly.

  "You just need to show up less often in front of me and my mother, and we'll be satisfied." An Xin thought that since this woman had come to their doorstep, it was better to have a straightforward conversation. She didn't want to resort to violence if she could resolve the issue with just her words. After all, if things escalated and someone ended up getting hurt, it wouldn't be good for anyone.

  "Besides my sister and me, the only woman by the general's side is that lowly concubine. I rarely go out of the main gate or step into the second gate, so I'm inevitably bored, which is why I wanted to have a heart-to-heart with my sister." Yun Ming Yue said in a low voice, her beautiful eyes sparkling with subtle implication.

  Upon hearing this, Ling Su's hand paused for a moment as she was combing An Xin's hair into a bun, then continued as if nothing had happened.

  "If you're bored, you can give your father a few more concubines. After all, he's still young and vigorous, full of energy, and it's too early to talk about excessive indulgence." An Xin's sensitive awareness detected her mother's slightly trembling hand, and the small hand hanging from her water sleeve involuntarily clenched into a fist as she sneered.

  "Miss An, you're an unmarried lady, how can you say such things..." Yun Mingyue's eyes widened in disbelief, staring at An unblinkingly, as if she didn't dare to believe that the previous words were spoken by her.

  "What does it matter? Is it any of your business?" He raised an eyebrow with a carefree expression, letting out a cold snort from his nose, "If you don't come, the weather will be fine. If you insist on coming to annoy us, what I said still stands."

  Her heart ached slightly, a feeling that hadn't surfaced in a long time. All along, her mother had almost always worn her thoughts on her face; when had she ever been so repressed and tolerant?

  Yun Mingyue thought of the table that An Xin had smashed, her heart skipped a beat in fright, and she blinked several times. A few crystal tears rolled down her cheeks as she said pitifully, "Miss An Xin, why must you target me again? I didn't mean to monopolize the general's attention. I wanted to get along with my sister peacefully, not cause the general trouble with domestic issues."

  An Xin had long heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside the courtyard, and now seeing Yun Mingyue change her expression, she suddenly understood that this was what was going on. An Xin suddenly remembered a book she had read in her previous life, which had a passage that was exactly like Yun Mingyue's current behavior. A concubine, in order to gain the position of the first wife and the favor of her husband, designed a good play. She first used malicious words to provoke her opponent, and when her husband came in, she cried and complained about being bullied by the first wife, so that her husband would be cold towards the first wife and favor the concubine even more.

  Is Yun Mingyue going to follow this method? If so, then she might as well go all the way with it. However, when it comes to opera performances, how they should proceed and be performed is not up to her to decide.

  An Xin swiftly pulled out an object from her bosom and handed it to Ling Su Su for a sniff, then suddenly flashed beside Yun Ming Yue with lightning speed, shoving a small dagger into her hand. Seeing Yun Ming Yue trying to dodge, An Xin chuckled lightly, having already discovered her martial arts skills. Her fingers pressed onto Yun Ming Yue's vital points, rendering her body immobile and unable to move, allowing An Xin to place the dagger in her hand with a sly smile.

  Set her mind at ease and retreated back to the bed, estimating that An Liancheng was about to enter the inner chamber. With a flick of his finger, Yun Mingyue's body suddenly regained its freedom. Her face was pale, and she subconsciously loosened her grip on the dagger, which fell to the ground with a "clatter".

  At the same time, Anlian City rushed in with a beaded curtain and saw this scene. Her face changed slightly, and her anxious eyes looked at Ling Susu, only to see that Ling Susu's eyes were red, and tears were rolling in her eye sockets.

  "Susu, what's wrong?" An Liancheng walked up to the bed in big strides and looked at Ling Susu's swollen eyes, which were like peaches, and asked repeatedly.

  Si Jin's small mouth was agape, already stunned. Everything that had just happened occurred in the blink of an eye, and she hadn't even had time to react. By the time she came back to her senses and understood the situation, she looked at Ling SuSu who was speechless and tearful for a moment, then at Yun MingYue whose face was deathly pale and panicked. Si Jin couldn't help but purse her lips, silently vowing that no matter what, she would never offend Miss again, or else she wouldn't even know when she'd be done in.

  "Alas, my poor mother, on the first day back at the manor, she's already been bullied to tears. If this continues for a while longer, it'll be unbearable!" An Xin let out a long sigh, her tone filled with sorrow.

  Yun Mingyue cleared her throat and explained, "General, I didn't... it's just...", seeing the dangerous glint in An Xin's eyes, she quickly shut her mouth and dared not speak again.

  Digression

  Why don't you believe Dodo? Dodo has never cheated on you. Anliancheng is really a good man, and Dodo never lies.