Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 457 Extra Story: Previous Life 9

It had been seven days since Xie Shi'an returned to the Xie residence.

He had been away from the capital these past few days handling affairs for the Emperor. Returning to the manor exhausted, he picked up a box of pastries in his hand - sweet, soft, and glutinous, exactly the kind Song Yin loved most.

He handed it to the servant beside him and said calmly, "Deliver this to the young mistress. Tell her it's a new recipe the kitchen maids have developed."

The servant stammered, "Y-Young Master, perhaps you should go to the madam's courtyard and ask first."

Xie Shi'an sensed something was wrong.

Instead of going to He Lingying's courtyard, he went directly to Song Yin's.

This had once been his residence too, but later Song Yin started making scenes, day after day, until he could bear it no longer and moved to live in his study courtyard.

Song Yin's father was merely a Cultivated Talent. It was only through his support that her elder brother had entered officialdom. The Song family was extremely poor - Song Yin had only two maids as dowry, and all the servants in the entire courtyard had been provided by him. Now, those servants were bustling about the courtyard like headless flies.

Seeing him enter, the servants hurriedly bowed: "Greetings, Young Master."

Xie Shi'an's expression darkened: "Where is the young mistress?"

"Th-The young mistress..." The head matron stepped forward fearfully, "The madam gave the young mistress a divorce letter. The young mistress left the Xie family seven days ago."

"What?" Xie Shi'an's eyes widened suddenly. "Why didn't anyone send me a message?"

After rising to the highest ministerial position, he had gradually learned to keep his emotions hidden, but at this moment, all his feelings were visible on his face, filled with great unease.

The matron bowed her head: "The madam forbade us slaves from sending messages to the Young Master, threatening to sell us off if we did..."

He spoke word by word: "What about the young masters and young misses?"

His eldest son was already over ten years old - such a major matter couldn't possibly have been kept from him.

The matron replied: "The madam arranged for the young master to travel for studies. The eldest and second young misses have entered the palace to stay with the Imperial Concubine for a while. The second young master is with his wet nurse..."

Xie Shi'an swept his sleeves and strode out, heading straight to He Lingying's courtyard.

Since becoming the mistress of the household, He Lingying's life had become increasingly leisurely. Her husband held a third-rank position in the Ministry of Revenue, her eldest son was the current Chief Grand Councilor, her second son was a general, her eldest daughter was now an Imperial Concubine... She knew that her time of good fortune had arrived.

She was drinking the finest tea, eating the best pastries, with two maids massaging her shoulders.

With a loud bang, the door to her reception hall was kicked open, leaving a large hole.

She looked up at the perpetrator: "An Ge'er, have you gone mad? Do you know how much silver this door cost me?"

Yun Chu used to live here. After she became the Xie family matriarch, she had replaced everything Yun Chu had used with more expensive, more exquisite items...

Xie Shi'an stepped forward and swept his hand across, sending all the tea and pastries on the table crashing to the floor.

Several maids trembled in fear.

He Lingying said with a stern face: "All of you, withdraw."

After the maids left, she said coldly, "For the sake of a woman, you would embarrass your own mother. Chief Councilor Xie certainly wields impressive official authority!"

Xie Shi'an placed both hands on the table and spoke word by word: "I had the capability to make you the Xie family matriarch, and I have the capability to make you nothing."

"Wh-What did you say?" He Lingying's face was full of disbelief. "I am your birth mother. How dare you speak to me like this?""Yun Chu was my own mother, who raised me, and didn't I force her to her death?" Xie Shi'an's voice carried a chilling coldness. "I'm going to fetch Song Yin now. Remember, once she returns to the estate, she is the mistress of the Xie household. You may retire."

"You—you—you!" He Lingying pointed at his retreating back, cursing loudly. "How could I have given birth to such an ungrateful wretch! What's so good about that Song Yin? With her lowly family background, what help can she be to you? I'll find you another wife, the daughter of a first-rank official..."

Before she could finish, Xie Shi'an turned back, his eyes filled with dark menace. "Say one more word, and I'll send you to a nunnery."

He Lingying choked on her breath and fainted.

Xie Shi'an hurried out, grabbed the reins, and mounted his horse.

A servant nearby advised, "Young master, you've just returned from out of town. Without rest, your health won't hold up..."

Xie Shi'an kicked the horse's flank, galloping swiftly toward Jizhou.

That very night, he arrived in the county town where the Song family resided—the same place where he had once studied at the private school run by Song Yin's father.

He reined in his horse at the entrance of the Song residence.

After marrying Song Yin, he had given his father-in-law a large sum of money to renovate the Song family home. Now, the Songs were considered prominent figures in the county.

Dismounting, he knocked on the door.

A servant opened it, peered by lantern light, and exclaimed, "It's the son-in-law! The son-in-law is here!"

Soon, Cultivated Talent Song and his wife came out to greet him.

Xie Shi'an stepped forward, cupping his hands respectfully. "I beg your forgiveness, Father and Mother-in-law. The divorce agreement was a misunderstanding. Yin Yin and I could never part in this lifetime. I've come specifically to take her home. Please ask Yin Yin to come out."

Cultivated Talent Song looked stunned. "So... the divorce is void?"

"There was never any talk of divorce," Xie Shi'an said urgently. "Please let Yin Yin come out quickly."

Madam Song stammered, "Yin Yin, she..."

"She's not at the Song residence," Cultivated Talent Song sighed heavily. "In our hearts, you are the finest son-in-law. The sudden divorce must have been Yin Yin's fault. Her mother and I couldn't help but scold her a little, urging her to return and beg your forgiveness... but she refused... This morning, she had a minor dispute with her elder sister-in-law and left the Song household..."

Rage surged through Xie Shi'an. "Where did she go?"

"She has an estate in Changhui County. She went there," Cultivated Talent Song said hastily. "Rest here tonight. We'll go tomorrow morning."

"We go now," Xie Shi'an said grimly.

His demeanor frightened Cultivated Talent Song somewhat, but it also comforted him—at least it showed the son-in-law cared for his daughter.

He quickly ordered a carriage prepared.

Xie Shi'an found it too slow and had his guard take Cultivated Talent Song on horseback, galloping toward Changhui County.

The distance was neither short nor long. After about four hours, they were nearing Changhui County when the road ahead was blocked. Under the night sky, a crowd had gathered, pointing and murmuring.

"How did the mountain rocks suddenly tumble down and block the road?"

"I need to get to Changhui County on business. This is just my luck."

"What bad luck? That carriage over there had it worse. I saw it with my own eyes—just as it reached that spot, the largest rock crashed down right on top of it."

"Heavens, wasn't the person inside crushed to death...""I don't know, and I don't dare go look. Who knows if more stones might come rolling down..."

Xie Shi'an knew it would take less than half an hour to walk to Changhui County from here. He decisively abandoned his horse, dismounted, and strode straight toward the road.

But he was stopped by concerned villagers: "There are falling rocks ahead, be careful not to get hit... See that carriage? The people inside are most likely dead..."

Only then did Xie Shi'an's gaze fall upon the carriage. At that sight, his entire body froze. It was the Xie family carriage, and all the warm blood in his body instantly turned cold.

He pushed aside the villagers blocking his way and rushed desperately toward the carriage. A large rock had smashed through the carriage roof, and the interior was filled with blood.

He tore open the carriage window and saw three people inside - two maidservants and their mistress. The mistress was none other than Song Yin.

"Yinyin..."

Xie Shi'an knelt on the carriage, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Slowly, he reached out and placed his hand before Song Yin's nose. He held it there for a long, long time, but couldn't detect the slightest breath.

"Yinyin... I'm here, I've come to take you home. Wake up..."

He wanted to lift his wife out.

But the large rock had crushed Song Yin's abdomen, pinning her entire body beneath it, leaving her unable to move.

He could feel that Song Yin's body had already lost its original warmth.

"No... don't leave me..." Xie Shi'an cradled her blood-streaked face. "Yinyin, I was wrong, I know I was wrong... I always asked what you were making a fuss about, but actually I knew what bothered you..."

She had loved the man of noble character he once was.

She had loved the radiant, principled man he used to be.

But Yun Chu's death and Xie Xian's marriage had allowed her to glimpse the darkness in his heart.

She couldn't accept that her husband was such a despicable, shameless person.

So she confined herself within the four walls of their courtyard, unwilling to see him anymore, unwilling to concern herself with any Xie family matters...

He thought that given time, she would surely come around.

But he never imagined he would lose her.

"Yinyin, in our next life, marry me again..." Xie Shi'an held her and wept bitterly. "In our next life, be a little foolish, okay? Don't see through my despicable and filth again. Don't worry, no matter how foolish you are, I'll protect you..."

Song Yin's body was buried in the Xie family ancestral grave, with Xie Shi'an personally conducting her burial.

Just two months after her death, Song Yin's elder sister-in-law died suddenly, and the Song family declined rapidly from then on.

The newly appointed Xie family matriarch, He Lingying, also fell ill and was sent by Xie Shi'an to a manor to recuperate...

Xie Shi'an, who had reached the highest official ranks, loved his eldest daughter most - the one who looked exactly like Song Yin, growing more similar with each passing year.

He married his eldest daughter to the Emperor's legitimate eldest son, the Crown Prince. From then on, the Xie family grew increasingly powerful, gradually becoming one of the most prominent families in the capital.

When the full moon hung in the starry sky, when laughter and joy filled the Xie residence, Xie Shi'an would sit alone in the courtyard drinking.

"Yinyin, this is the twentieth year since you left. The children have all grown up."

"In a few more years, I should retire to the countryside. I'll clear some wasteland before your grave to plant flowers, never to be separated from you again..."

"Life is too short, yet too long. I truly hope there's an afterlife..."

"In our next life, let's be husband and wife again, have four children, and stay together our whole lives..."

"..."