Chapter 358 - 357: A Way Out

Chapter 358: Chapter 357: A Way Out

Ye Yuzhi followed Ming Liu into the private room.

Mu Lianxiao and Du Yunluo stood up to welcome him and exchanged New Year greetings.

It had been quite a few days since Mu Lianxiao had last seen Ye Yuzhi.

Previously, Ye Yuzhi was on familiar terms with several of the Mu family brothers, but ever since the incident where An Ran blocked Mu Lianxiao, Ye Yuzhi distanced himself from the Mu family brothers to avoid suspicion.

After all, Mu Lianxiao was engaged, and if Ye Yuzhi continued to associate frequently with the Mu family brothers, it would give idle gossipmongers something to talk about, and who knows what they might say.

By the time the relationship between Du Yunluo and An Ran experienced a twist, the situation at Duke Jing Mansion had already reached that point.

Ye Yuzhi and An Ran fell from grace.

An Ran married Huo Ziming, and as her son, Ye Yuzhi’s position became increasingly awkward.

In the past, Aunt Liao had wanted to wait until Ye Yuzhi became the legitimate heir before arranging a suitable marriage for him, which had kept things on hold.

After that hope was dashed, arranging a marriage for Ye Yuzhi became even more difficult—who would want to marry their daughter into Duke Jing Mansion to get involved in such a mess?

Being from the Duke Mansion, Ye Yuzhi couldn’t participate in the imperial examinations, and neither Old Master nor the Young Master would seek a way out for him. He tried to find a path into the officialdom secretly, but no government office dared to offend Duke Jing Mansion.

Even seeking a position as a Judicial Officer at the Five Armies Commander’s Mansion was blocked.

It seemed that apart from muddling through his days, Ye Yuzhi had no other path.

But he was not resigned to this fate.

Regardless of what became of Duke Jing Mansion in the end, Ye Yuzhi didn’t want to waste his life; he wanted to support Aunt Liao and An Ran.

With a father who was indifferent, Aunt Liao’s future depended entirely on him.

Unfortunately, he had no avenues; the places he could think of were all blocked by Duke Jing Mansion.

On the first day of the New Year, the new wife gave birth to a son, promising more disputes within the mansion to come. Over the past half month, Ye Yuzhi had felt the pressure every day.

"Heir," Ye Yuzhi sat down, respectfully saying, "You may have heard about the situation at Duke Jing Mansion. I want to find a job in the capital, but... I wanted to ask you about the situation in the Northern Border."

Du Yunluo looked up, glancing at Ye Yuzhi with surprise.

Mu Lianxiao furrowed his brow, saying softly, "Do you want to enlist in the army?"

"Yes," Ye Yuzhi replied with a bitter smile, "After thinking it over, it seems this is the only path left for me. I heard that Old General Shao is straightforward and might not mind my background or heed my grandfather’s and father’s opinions. I don’t want to let Aunt Liao down."

Mu Lianxiao was somewhat moved.

Duke Jing Mansion was not a military family, and if he were not driven to desperation, how many young nobles would willingly head to the border?

He could see that Ye Yuzhi had made up his mind.

After some consideration, Mu Lianxiao said: "Yuzhi, pardon my straightforwardness, you have trained in martial arts, but it’s mostly for fitness, not for fighting on the battlefield.

With your current skills, going to the battlefield would be risking your life.

There are frequent battles in the Northern Border, and no chance for you to gradually grow through daily drills."

Disappointment flashed across Ye Yuzhi’s eyes; he sighed helplessly: "Thank you for your honesty."

Mu Lianxiao poured Ye Yuzhi some tea: "There is another place you can go."

Ye Yuzhi looked up.

Mu Lianxiao said in a deep voice, "Lindong, Shanyu Pass. Tomorrow, once court is in session, the Holy Emperor will issue a transfer order. General of Cavalry Lord Huang will command with me as Deputy General, and Huang Yun as the vanguard.

Lord Huang never concerns himself with someone’s origins and won’t bow to the nobles. Even if Duke Jing Mansion tries to block you, once you reach Lindong, Lord Huang won’t send you back.

The Lord of Shanyu Pass is stationed there, with intensive training, giving you plenty of time to practice martial arts and get accustomed to military camp life.

Once you can fight on the battlefield, you’ll have many options in the future."

The hands Ye Yuzhi had placed on his knees unknowingly clenched into fists, and his eyes brightened little by little as Mu Lianxiao spoke.

Whether it’s the Northern Border or Lindong, as long as there is a place for him to strive, he is willing to try.

And the path presented by Mu Lianxiao suits him best.

The name General of Cavalry Lord Huang was one Ye Yuzhi had heard of.

General Huang started as an inconspicuous soldier and rose step by step to become General of Cavalry.

Noble families secretly scoff at how the Huang Family prospers because of a single person, looking down on General Huang’s humble beginnings, yet no one dares to mock General Huang openly, for his distinguished service is genuine.

If he could serve under General Huang, surely General Huang wouldn’t refuse him over the messy internal conflicts at Duke Jing Mansion.

Moreover, Mu Lianxiao was also at Shanyu Pass, where Ye Yuzhi could seek advice and learning from him.

Haste makes waste, and it’s not possible to shelter Aunt Liao and An Ran from the storm using his own strength in a single day.

Ye Yuzhi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then reopened them and smiled: "I’ll follow your advice and go to Lindong."

"Remember to keep it a secret from Lord," Mu Lianxiao advised with a smile.

Ye Yuzhi nodded, stood up, cupped his hands in salute, and left first.

Du Yunluo sat by the window, watching Ye Yuzhi leave the tea house, his steps noticeably lighter.

"Heir," Du Yunluo turned her head, blinking, "If the Old Master and the Young Master found out, tsk tsk..."

Mu Lianxiao chuckled, gently tapping Du Yunluo’s nose: "Aside from stomping their feet and cursing me out in the capital, what else can they do? Besides, even if I don’t help Yuzhi come up with ideas, they already see us as being in league with Yuzhi."

Du Yunluo thought carefully about his words and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

It seems that’s quite true.

Aunt Liao is the sister of the Liao Family, and Du Yunluo has let bygones be bygones with An Ran; naturally, as the honored son-in-law of the Du Family, Mu Lianxiao was in league with Aunt Liao and Ye Yuzhi.

Du Yunluo squinted her eyes with a smile and asked: "Heir, do you think Young Master Ye will succeed?"

Mu Lianxiao pursed his lips: "I only pointed him in a direction; how successful he becomes depends entirely on himself."

As the hour grew late, fewer people were on the streets watching lanterns than before.

Mu Lianxiao and Du Yunluo got up and returned home.

Amidst the fading lights, their laughter echoed softly.

Hand in hand, Du Yunluo tiptoed to whisper to Mu Lianxiao: "Heir, let’s come see the lanterns again next year."

Mu Lianxiao smiled and lightly touched his forehead to Du Yunluo’s: "Alright."

It was a night of peaceful sleep.

The following morning, Mu Liancheng set out for the border, Jiang Yunuan holding Sister Niang to see him off before returning to Shangxin Courtyard.

The Holy Emperor issued an order for Mu Lianxiao to set out in ten days, causing hectic activity in Shaohui Garden.

Du Yunluo took Jin Rui, Jin Lan, and Hong Jinbao’s family with her, leaving the affairs of Shaohui Garden to Lian Qiao and Yu Zhu, with Mrs. Gu Fula overseeing to ensure no mishaps occurred.

Even Du Yunluo’s preparations for the journey had reached Fengyu Courtyard.

Lian Family, upon hearing Nanny Zhu’s words, was astonished: "What? You’re saying Lian Xiao’s wife wants to go to Lindong with him?"

Nanny Zhu swallowed, nodding her head resolutely: "That’s what they’re saying in Shaohui Garden."

"And the Old Madam agreed?" Lian Family pressed further.

Nanny Zhu continued nodding; if not, how could the Heir’s Wife dare to act on her own accord?

Lian Family gasped, clutching her chest: "Go, quickly fetch the master."