HUS Chapter 15: Rare Confusion
HUS Chapter 15: Rare Confusion
Dec 5, 2025
Qingmei pressed her lips together and silently stepped forward to untie the ropes for Yang Can.
Since the young lady gave this order, she clearly believed Yang Can's words and Qingmei now understood too. She also believed it.
She was a maid who had grown up in a great mansion. She knew more clearly than Suo Zhanzhi, this noble daughter, just how much filth and darkness was hidden inside.
When in the Suo family, she had personally witnessed Nanny Tu summoning servants from all branches and publicly beating guilty household slaves to death. That fierce and vicious appearance, she still remembered vividly to this day.
It was just that she had never imagined that in her confusion, she herself had become Nanny Tu's target.
"Qingmei, you go out first."
Yang Can's ropes were untied. He was moving his wrists when Suo Zhanzhi gave another order.
"Oh!"
Xiao Qingmei was somewhat unhappy in her heart. She now had a particular psychological shadow about standing guard because every time she stood guard, it was very... taxing.
After the tent became quiet, Suo Zhanzhi sat down wearily on the brocade stool and let out a long sigh.
"Nanny Tu is already dead. I... originally didn't want to use this secret to bind you, much less thought about killing you. What you do next, you decide for yourself."
Yang Can smiled bitterly, "Decide for myself? I've already boarded a pirate ship. Can I still get off?"
Suo Zhanzhi glared at Yang Can sensitively.
What pirate ship? This young lady, such a delicate and beautiful woman, how did I become a pirate ship?
Did you ask me when you boarded? Without even asking, you took up the oars and rowed. Taking advantage yet acting virtuous!
Yang Can said, "Now I can only wait. At least I have to wait for a definite answer, to confirm whether you're with child."
Yu Chengye had died not long ago. Now only three people knew that he and Suo Zhanzhi hadn't consummated the marriage.
If Suo Zhanzhi became pregnant at this time, they could say it was Yu Chengye's child.
With this era's medical level, there was no way to deny it.
With Suo Zhanzhi's family background, without conclusive medical evidence, the Yu family absolutely couldn't deny it either.
If that were the case, whether out of consideration for their own safety or responsibility for their biological child, they would have to follow the path Nanny Tu had planned.
During this period, if Suo Zhanzhi failed to become pregnant, then she would never have another chance because counting from Yu Chengye's death date, she only had this one opportunity to deceive everyone. Later... the timing wouldn't match up.
If that were the case, then everything would be over.
Everything that had happened between the two of them would become an eternal secret.
Suo Zhanzhi would be kept in idle support by the Yu family. Yang Can could only seek his own way out. There would be no more opportunity for any intersection between them.
Suo Zhanzhi subconsciously stroked her lower abdomen and said quietly, "I understand..."
This hadn't been her idea originally. Before, everything was manipulated by Nanny Tu. Now that Nanny Tu was dead, she had gained freedom but also felt somewhat lost and at a loss.
Now that Yang Can was willing to stay by her side and wait for a result together, it was as if she had found her backbone. Her heart suddenly settled down.
Yang Can instructed, "From now on, in front of others, you and I must still pretend to be at odds..."
Tch! Why pretend? Are we getting along well?
Suo Zhanzhi rolled her eyes at Yang Can, "I know. So then... we'll wait for a result and then..., what are you doing?"
Watching Yang Can approach her, Suo Zhanzhi's pupils instantly dilated as she asked in surprise.
Yang Can said, "Of course, seizing every opportunity to strive for a good 'result.'"
Suo Zhanzhi's pretty face immediately flushed red, "Get lost! This young lady isn't in the mood..."
Her kicked-out ankle was cooperatively caught by a large hand. Then she was once again flying through clouds and mist.
...
"Pop!" The candle sputtered, awakening Steward Yi from his contemplation.
He let out a long breath, finally making up his mind.
Once that bandit was brought before the clan head, the conflict between the eldest branch's main line and eldest branch's second line could only be put on the table.
If one were to discuss strength among the Yu family's various branches, naturally Yu Huanhu of the eldest branch's second line was currently the strongest but now the eldest branch's main line had married with the Suo family. This being the case, which was stronger and which weaker became unclear again.
Therefore, as a Yu clan retainer with great power in hand, he absolutely couldn't get involved in the power struggle within the main family right now.
As for who the murderer was who killed Nanny Tu tonight, he didn't want to investigate deeply either. He was afraid of digging up some unfathomable news again.
He now only wanted to bring these people safely back to Tianshui without any more complications along the way. That would be heaven's blessing.
Thinking of this, Steward Yi's mood finally calmed down. He picked up his tea and leisurely took a sip.
In another large tent, Suo Zhanzhi crawled to the edge of the bed with her hair disheveled.
She grabbed a cup of warm tea and had just moistened her throat when her delicate, crystalline ankle was caught by a large hand and dragged back to the battlefield.
Suo Zhanzhi still wanted to struggle. With a crisp "smack" sound, a slap landed on her plump area. She immediately became obedient.
Outside the tent, Xiao Qingmei stood leaning on her sword. Her appearance was exactly like a desperate Japanese officer at the end of his rope.
...
Tianshui, Phoenix Mountain Manor, Yu Xinglong's study.
Called a study, this was actually a relatively independent courtyard.
The various businesses of the Yu clan, such as estates, ranches, and the five trades and eight professions, would send their income and expenditure reports here for the clan head to review. However, at this moment Yu Xinglong wasn't reviewing account books but sitting upright in his chair.
A guard stood ramrod straight in front of the desk. This was a messenger that Steward Yi had sent back overnight.
Steward Yi's letter mentioned three and a half matters:
First, the Suo family young lady had already consummated the marriage with the young master, so she could only be treated with the courtesy due a young mistress.
Second, the Suo family's dowry head nanny, Tu, was mysteriously killed.
Third, the adviser Yang Can had accused the Suo family of being suspected in the young master's death.
This matter seemed most absurd to Steward Yi, yet he had solemnly written it into the secret letter but the matter of the captured bandit confessing that he was instructed by Yu Huanhu of the Yu family's second branch to murder the eldest heir, he hadn't mentioned a single word.
He only wrote one sentence after explaining these three matters: there was still one matter that, because the stakes were so great, he would wait until he returned to Tianshui City to report personally to the clan head.
Yu Xinglong, over fifty years old, slender and refined, like a scholar, slowly put down the letter.
He looked up at the messenger, "The adviser Yang Can publicly accused the Suo family of being suspected in my son's death?"
"Yes!"
The messenger guard steadied himself and said, "However, what Yang Can said was all one-sided speculation without any concrete evidence. Fearing the Suo family's displeasure, Steward Yi rebuked him and handed him over to the Suo... handed him over to the young mistress for custody."
"Mm..."
Yu Xinglong's eyes moved. After pondering for a moment, he said lightly, "I understand."
The messenger guard breathed a sigh of relief, bowed slightly to him, and quietly withdrew.
Yu Xinglong let out a light breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Dragon ambergris incense burned in the room. This incense originally had the effect of calming the mind and spirit, but his mood remained extremely troubled.
The marriage alliance with the Suo family, then having his son die in an ambush midway, all this was to have a suitable reason to bring the Suo family into play, but without letting the Suo family's reach extend too far.
This plan was proposed by his good eldest son. How could Chengye have consummated the marriage with the Suo family girl?
Yu Xinglong frowned, very puzzled in his heart.
To put it bluntly, that Suo family young lady was a sacrificial piece in the plan.
Chengye clearly knew that if the Suo family girl bore his child, it would make the entire plan uncontrollable. How could he consummate the marriage with her?
Unable to resist the temptation of beauty?
He had given up his life. Would he do something so foolish?
Although he had doubts in his heart, he had no way to verify this matter.
For a time, Yu Xinglong's mood became particularly conflicted.
If this daughter-in-law produced nothing, that would be fine. Whether his son consummated the marriage with her or not wouldn't affect the plan's advancement.
If she had a child, he only feared the Suo family would use their identities as the child's grandfather and uncles to legitimately intervene in our Yu family's affairs. However, while conflicted, he also had an inexplicable expectation in his heart:
If the Suo family girl truly was carrying Chengye's child, then wouldn't my son have a bloodline continuation...
After pondering for a long time, he put this conflict aside for the moment and focused his attention on Yang Can.
He knew something about this person Yang Can. After all, he was someone who had saved his son's life.
This person repeatedly insisted that the Suo family was related to his son's "death"...
This point seemed usable. Of course, it couldn't be used now.
If the Suo family woman truly bore his son's child, if the Suo family used this as an excuse to interfere too much in our Yu family's affairs, could he use this person to bring up old matters and make an issue of it?
Thinking of this, Yu Xinglong pulled a silk thread by the table. The sound of copper bells rang in the distance.
Moments later, a guard walked in and waited with lowered hands for instructions.
Yu Xinglong said, "Go get Yang Can's household register."
Great families like the Yu clan that already possessed the characteristics of local separatist forces couldn't possibly casually put an important person in a position of trust.
When the Yu family had promoted Yang Can to serve as a small herd chief, they had already conducted an investigation of Yang Can.
The Yu family had its own household register repository and population records archive. They had records of the common people under their rule. Officials of all sizes were of course no exception.
Yang Can's "household register" was quickly delivered.
The study's archive repository contained the important records of who knows how many people, but when the clan head merely wanted to review a minor figure's history, they could quickly find it.
Opening the "household register," Yu Xinglong carefully read through Yang Can's information once.
First, he could confirm that this Yang Can was not a spy sent by other clans because Yang Can becoming a "herder" was itself a very random event.
After Yu Chengye was hit by a poisoned arrow and fled in panic, encountering Yang Can while escaping on horseback was an even more unpredictable random event.
No clan would use such a method that relied entirely on fate to plant a spy.
From the existing records, this Yang Can was from the Central Plains.
He had offended some powerful person in the Central Plains and fled to Longshang to seek refuge.
In Longshang, there were many such fugitives.
The Central Plains had two great empires, both with complete imperial systems. Their laws and order were naturally much more rigorous than Longshang.
Therefore, those who had committed crimes or offended powerful people would be safe fleeing to Longshang.
So Longshang had long become a paradise for fugitives from the Central Plains.
Yu Xinglong looked through it carefully and didn't discover any doubts in Yang Can's history.
Of course, this was also because at that time, Yang Can only served as a herd chief.
A beast of burden who dealt with cattle and horses all day, did he need detailed investigation?
As for him later becoming an adviser, first, his son had directly brought him back, and the time was still short.
Second, Yu Chengye mainly wanted to repay a debt of gratitude and hadn't planned to put him in an important position anyway.
Plus at that time the entire Yu family was busy with his son's wedding, so they hadn't had time to conduct a more detailed investigation.
Now if Yu Xinglong wanted to put him in an important position, it would be necessary to conduct a new investigation of him. However, Yu Xinglong didn't do this.
Although Yang Can had entered his field of vision, he was merely a chess piece he planned to sacrifice.
Being that way, why waste manpower and resources?
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