The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0587 The Concubine Arrives At The Door (2)

Mama Qu saw Yuxi looking very upset and offered, ”Madam, why donʼt I go and have a look?” Judging from Madamʼs demeanour, it was impossible for Madam to truly ignore this matter.

Yuxi shook her head. ”Donʼt go, you wonʼt be able to solve the problem.” She wasnʼt upset because of this woman named Xu Chunni, but because Han Jianye was incorrigible. Last time, he died because of Qiu Yanfu, and this time, would he make the same mistake? No, she would never allow Han Jianye to make the same mistake again.

Thinking about this, Yuxi told Mama Qu, ”You should go and see her anyway. See what kind of woman she is?” If this child really belonged to Er Ge, she couldnʼt just leave that woman alone. Ahem, what kind of thing was this? Since when did a married younger sister help her older brother manage his concubines?

Mama Qu knew Yuxi was kind-hearted: ”Okay, Iʼll go right away.” Letʼs see what kind of woman she was, bold enough to come to the Generalʼs residence demanding justice.

Yuxi was restless, couldnʼt concentrate on reading, and didnʼt feel like doing anything, so she went to the study to practise her calligraphy.

After a while, Mama Qu returned. When she entered the study, she told Yuxi, ”Madam, the physician has already diagnosed her, she is pregnant, and itʼs been almost two months.”

Yuxi continued writing without stopping.

Mama Qu continued, ”Madam, the woman is petite and has a delicate appearance. Other than that, thereʼs nothing particularly outstanding about her.” The third-class maids in the Dukeʼs residence were all more beautiful than that woman, but there were too few women in Yu City, and they were all tall and strong, so this woman could be considered a beauty here.

Yuxi lowered her head and asked, ”What is her personality like?”

Mama Qu replied, ”Madam, the woman kept her head down when she saw me and didnʼt dare to speak.”

Yuxi asked as she wrote, ”Is she pitiful?”

Mama Qu shook her head, ”Not really, sheʼs just a little timid. Judging by her appearance, she seems to come from a respectable family.” Probably a decent woman from a decent background who hadnʼt seen much of the world.

After completing a full page of calligraphy, Yuxi set down the brush and asked, ”She didnʼt plead with you or ask to see me?”

When Mama Qu shook her head, Yuxi found this woman somewhat interesting. Either she was extremely cunning, or she was simply naive and ignorant. However, since very few people could hide things from Mama Qu, Yuxi leaned towards the latter.

Before lunch, the person Xu Wu had sent to gather information returned. Xu Wu reported to Yuxi, ”Madam, that Xu Chunni is the daughter of a blacksmith in Yu City. The Xu family has lived in Yu City for generations, and the blacksmith currently has a son and a daughter. The son is from his first wife and now serves in the military, while the daughter, Xu Chunni, is from his second wife.”

Yuxi looked up and asked, ”Why did you stop?” Since their family had lived in Yu City for generations, it meant that this girlʼs background was clean.

Xu Wu hesitated for a moment before continuing, ”Xu Chunni is already engaged. Her fiancé is the son of Blacksmith Xuʼs friend, and the two families are currently discussing the wedding date.”

Yuxiʼs expression immediately darkened. ”Are you saying that Blacksmith Xu doesnʼt yet know his daughter is pregnant?” Her Er Ge must have lost his mind to get involved with an engaged woman. If word got out, people would think he had kidnapped an innocent woman!

Xu Wu nodded. ”Yes! But Xu Chunniʼs fiancé, Wang Dalang, has a violent temper and often gets into fights. Heʼs even been taken to the authorities for it. On one occasion, he beat Xu Chunni in a fit of rage. When Xu Chunniʼs mother found out, she wanted to call off the engagement. But because Wang Dalangʼs father had once saved Blacksmith Xuʼs life, they couldnʼt break it off.”

Stunned, Yuxi thought to herself that she had heard many stories of wives being mistreated after marriage, but this was the first time she had heard of a fiancée being beaten before she even entered the household. Today was a real eye-opener. If the fiancée was beaten before the wedding, what kind of life would she have afterwards? Any parent with a shred of conscience would want to call off such an engagement.

Yuxi asked, ”And how did this woman get involved with my Er Ge?”

Xu Wu explained, ”One night, Xu Chunni was being harassed by two drunken soldiers when Master Er Jiu happened to pass by. He beat them and saved her.”

Yuxi asked, ”What was that woman doing out alone so late at night?” Yu Cityʼs lawlessness in the past had made it rife with thugs and troublemakers. While things were much better now, it didnʼt mean there was no danger at all.

Xu Wu explained: ”That night, Xu Chunniʼs mother was ill, and her father wasnʼt home. Miss Xu went out to fetch a physician.”

Yuxi nodded. That was a valid reason, so she didnʼt hold it against her. ”What kind of person is Xu Chunni?” Since she was from a respectable family, she would have to be given a proper status. But before that, it was necessary to understand her character. Mama Quʼs initial observations werenʼt enough to go on—it was better to inquire from multiple sources.

Xu Wu replied, ”The people in the Xu familyʼs neighbourhood all say Miss Xu is hardworking, capable, and very filial. Her mother has been unwell for a long time, and Miss Xu has been taking care of her without a single complaint. However, they also say she has a timid personality.” The neighbours also mentioned that Xu Chunni was unlucky to have such a heartless father. How else could he marry her off when he knew it was a disaster waiting to happen?

If that woman had a strong personality, she would rather die than marry a man like Wang Dalang. Yuxi asked, ”Since sheʼs timid, how did she get involved with my Er Ge? And how could she hide her pregnancy from her family?” It seemed that that woman was also a scheming person.

Xu Wu explained that there hadnʼt been enough time to investigate such details. However, he did share one key piece of information: ”Xu Chunniʼs mother used to be a maid for a government officialʼs family. After the family was convicted of a crime, she was exiled to Yu City along with them.”

Yuxi immediately understood. With such a background, it would be no shame for her daughter to become someoneʼs concubine. And her Er Ge wasnʼt just a gongzi from the Dukeʼs Residence, but also a third-rank officer. His status and prospects were impeccable. When Xu Chunniʼs mother heard that Han Jianye had saved her daughter, how could she let him go?

”The girl was beaten before she was even married. Why did Blacksmith Xu refuse to break off the engagement?” Yuxi asked.

Xu Wu replied, ”He felt that the favour of saving his life was greater than heaven, and Blacksmith Xu was determined to uphold the engagement. Even Xu Chunniʼs mother couldnʼt stop him. As for why they didnʼt break it off after the beating, I havenʼt found out yet. There must be a reason, but we havenʼt had enough time to discover it.”

Yuxi shook her head. ”What a mess.” To repay a so-called life-saving favour, Blacksmith Xu disregarded his daughterʼs life and well-being. He was truly a heartless man. It was often said that being born into a loving family was a matter of luck, and both Xu Chunni and herself had been unlucky in that regard. They both had cold-hearted fathers. However, Xu Chunni was luckier to have a mother who was at least trying to secure her future. While Yuxi didnʼt approve of her methods, it was clear that the motherʼs intentions stemmed from her love for her child.

After lunch, Han Jianye finally arrived at the Yun residence. As soon as he entered, Han Ji led him to the back courtyard to meet Yuxi.

Yuxi, calm and composed, asked Han Jianye, ”Er Ge, why donʼt you explain whatʼs going on with the woman who came to my residence?”

Han Jianye rubbed his forehead, clearly troubled, and explained, ”Once I went to a friendʼs house for a drink. On my way back, I saw two drunken soldiers harassing Chunni. I couldnʼt stand by and did something about it.” The Northwest Army was known for its strict discipline, so such incidents were rare. However, drunkenness wasnʼt covered by military rules.

This was consistent with the information Xu Wu had gathered. Yuxi continued asking, ”And then?” Helping someone in need was commendable, but this act of kindness had caused a lot of trouble.

Han Jianye replied, ”I decided to do the right thing and escorted Chunni home. Her mother then insisted on marrying her to me as a way to repay the favour. I told her very clearly at the time that I already had a wife and children and could not marry Chunni.” At that time, Han Jianye had indeed firmly refused her offer.

After hearing this, Yuxi looked at Han Jianye with disdain. ”If you knew you had a wife and children and couldnʼt marry her, why did you get involved with her in the first place?” Han Jianye was undeniably responsible for the situation. If he had kept his distance, no amount of scheming by Xu Chunniʼs mother would have succeeded.

Han Jianye remained silent. It was true that he had refused at first. However, with no wife or concubine by his side and being in the prime of life, when a young, beautiful girl approached him, he let his guard down and ended up having a physical relationship with her. But he dared not admit this to Yuxi. If he did, she would scold him mercilessly. All he could say was, ”I will take her as my concubine.”

Yuxi knew Han Jianye wasnʼt someone who shirked his responsibilities, but she was still furious. ”Since you were already intimate with her, why didnʼt you arrange things properly? Why did you let her make a scene at my residence?” If word of this got out, most people would assume it was Yun Qing who had taken an outside lover. Just thinking about it made her burn with anger.

Han Jianye explained, ”I have already written a letter to Mother and your Er Sao informing them that I intend to take her as my concubine. Itʼs just that Iʼve been extremely busy lately and havenʼt had time to leave the barracks, so things got delayed.”

Hearing that he had already informed the family, Yuxi felt a bit of relief. ”A physician has already seen her. That woman is more than two months pregnant. You can calculate for yourself if the child is yours!”

Han Jianyeʼs face flushed red with embarrassment, but he still admitted, ”Yuxi, Chunni is a good girl. The child is definitely mine.”

Yuxi sneered inwardly. A ʼgood girlʼ? If she were truly a good girl, would she have gotten involved without proper mediation? However, Han Jianye was her brother, and she couldnʼt speak too harshly. ”Sheʼs staying in the side courtyard for now. You should take her away.” Keeping Xu Chunni in the Generalʼs Mansion would not only make her feel disgusted, but it would also cause her a lot of trouble.

Han Jianye hesitated. He was already busy with the military and rarely had time to leave the camp. Xu Chunni was pregnant, and if she were settled elsewhere, there would be no one to look after her. However, he couldnʼt bring himself to ask Yuxi to look after her. Yuxi was already busy, and she was also pregnant—how could he have the nerve to make such a request? Fortunately, he didnʼt, because if he had, Yuxi would have been furious.

Not wanting to damage their sibling relationship over this woman, Yuxi said, ”Er Ge, Xu Chunni is already engaged. Now that sheʼs pregnant, you must handle her engagement properly. Donʼt let this become a scandal.” If it did, the Generalʼs Mansion would also lose face.

Han Jianye, who already knew about Xu Chunniʼs engagement, immediately nodded, ”Iʼll take care of it.” Now that Xu Chunni had become his woman, her engagement would have to be cancelled.

Yuxi nodded and said nothing more. Since Han Jianye had caused this mess, it was up to him to fix it. Although she doubted whether he could handle it well, she had no intention of interfering.