A Good Country Wife-Chapter 665 - 658_1

"Nurse Xu, why hasn’t the Empress Dowager returned? It’s been so many days, could something have happened?" Xixi knew it was wrong to ask such a question, but she couldn’t help the worry in her heart.

"Nonsense, you’re speaking without restraint again. Her Ladyship is kind and compassionate and is blessed by the gods. She is a person of great fortune, and nothing will happen to her. Perhaps she has been delayed by some matter, which is why she is late. Let’s wait patiently and keep the household in order for her." Nurse Xu, although worried herself, was calmer than Xixi. Being from an older generation, she least tolerated such taboo talk, so she scolded Xixi the moment she raised the concern.

"Nurse, I am just concerned about Her Ladyship. Do you think we should send someone to inquire about her news? If there really is some trouble, we could then go to the city and ask Manager Liu for help. Having received instructions from Doctor Jiang, Manager Liu wouldn’t neglect our Ladyship," Xixi proposed.

"Let’s wait a bit longer. It’s only been ten days. When Her Ladyship left, she said it might take a few days; it could be ten days, a fortnight, or even longer. It’s too early now; her absence is normal. We should continue to wait. I believe Her Ladyship doesn’t want Manager Liu to know about this. We should not act rashly and spoil Her Ladyship’s plans," replied Nurse Xu, contemplating Xixi’s suggestion. Only if Her Ladyship hadn’t returned after a fortnight without sending any message home would she consider acting against Her Ladyship’s wishes.

Xixi knew that Nurse Xu had considered more than she had and spoke sensibly. She could only nod reluctantly. "Alright, let’s do as you say, Nurse Xu. May the Bodhisattva ensure Her Ladyship’s safe and smooth journey."

These words struck a chord with Nurse Xu, who was of the same mind. Unbeknownst to the others, even Xixi, Nurse Xu was aware of Her Ladyship’s destination. Before leaving, Lin Yue had roughly explained her purpose to Nurse Xu. Considering the journey, even if one travelled by fast horse, it would take two or three days to reach that place. A round trip would take six or seven days, and now it was only the tenth day. The period was indeed not long, yet, because those people were bandits, Nurse Xu couldn’t help but feel extremely anxious.

Three days later, Lin Yue finally returned to the Zhao Family Village with Master Xue and others. Nurse Xu felt her heart finally settle, her face brimming with joy. "Her Ladyship has finally returned. I’ve been so worried since learning of the destination. Now that Her Ladyship has safely returned, you must have had a hard journey. You seem to have lost weight," she said.

"Nurse Xu, you’ve worked hard these days. Without you maintaining the household so well, I wouldn’t have been able to leave the village with peace of mind. Fortunately, we’ve successfully rescued Master Xue and the effort has not been in vain," Lin Yue replied, satisfied with the outcome of her mission.

Lin Yue was content with the result, despite the cost of 18,000 taels of silver. Not only was the person saved, but Huangfu Yi’s cleanup was swift and thorough, sparing her from any worries. Even if the Yin Family found out that Master Xue had returned, they would only know that she had paid a hefty ransom to redeem him from the bandits of Longhu Mountain. The incident occurred on Longhu Mountain; they couldn’t blame her. Even if they had designs on her household, they would have to be cautious about how far they pushed matters. Perhaps the Yin Family was unaware they were exposed, and still thought Lin Yue was oblivious to the identity of the men in black.

Who would have thought Huangfu Yi could have dispensed with the entire group of men in black so cleanly? Having taken heavy losses, the men in black, fearing the wrath of the Family Head for their failure, decided to return to the Capital City, bringing along Master Xue. By admitting their mistakes, they hoped the Family Head might be lenient, given the significant catch of Master Xue. Therefore, the reports they sent back mentioned nothing of the ambush in Xin’an City or the exposure of their identities.

Huangfu Yi took all the responsibilities upon himself, and although Lin Yue could see he was not at all afraid of the Yin Family causing trouble, although she was somewhat curious about what Huangfu Yi could rely on besides his excellent martial arts, she did not pry into his secrets. Instead, she felt that the eighteen thousand taels of silver were not only well-spent but actually a good value. If Master Xue had not been rescued and had been taken back to the Capital City by the men in black, who knows what the situation would have been.

Her resistance against the men in black this time was out of necessity, as she desperately wanted to rescue Master Xue. If it weren’t for the situation being unavoidable, she would not have wanted to confront the Yin Family at this time. After all, the Yin Family was still a colossal entity to her. Even though they were waning with internal corruption, they were not something she could tackle at the moment. For instance, these Hidden Guards in black, though not the best of the best, were still formidable opponents that she managed to deal with only by personally making a trip to Longhu Mountain and collaborating with bandits. And these guards were just a reflection of a part of the Yin Family’s strength; such was the gap that she inevitably had to admit.

However, Lin Yue was also aware that the Yin Family had already set their sights on her family, and it was only a matter of time before they would act. She just wanted to delay as long as possible. At the very least, she wanted to wait for Zhao Erhu to return. If Zhao Erhu came back from this sea venture, the situation might change drastically.

The profits from maritime trade were undeniably high, even more lucrative than imagined. Once the Emperor got a taste of the profits, he would rely more heavily on Zhao Erhu, and their family’s standing in the Emperor’s eyes would also become more significant. It might even cause the Yin Family to develop a sense of wariness towards them—best of all would be if the Emperor decided to remove the Yin Family without them lifting a finger, ridding themselves of a threat quite easily. Lin Yue was calculating, based on Jiang Ziqi’s analysis and her observations of the Capital’s situation, that the Emperor would take action against the Yin Family within a year or two.

"The madam is kind-hearted; it is a blessing for us servants."

"Right, Nurse Xu, have you managed to take care of that matter I entrusted to you before I left? Did you manage to bring the people over?" Lin Yue had not forgotten about this matter. Along the way, she had been observing Master Xue’s behavior and increasingly felt that he was a person worth relying on. Not only was he technically skilled, but his character was trustworthy as well. Such talent naturally deserved good treatment, so she became even more concerned about Master Xue’s affairs.

"Rest assured, madam, the people have been brought over. They arrived three days ago, and I have placed them in the courtyard where Master Xue resides. They have been well taken care of with food and drink, waiting for the madam to decide how to settle them. Now that Master Xue is back from his trials, he will be extremely happy to see his family. I have timed it, and they should be meeting right about now."

"Nurse Xu has always handled these matters very well; I trust you completely. It’s good that the people have been brought over." Lin Yue had been worried about the accomplices of the men in black causing trouble along the way, but now that the people had arrived, she was at ease.