Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 176: Wake Up

176. Awakening

In the study, Han Mingyue was at a loss for words as he stared into Mo Xiuyao’s calm, unflappable eyes. He had long known that Mo Xiuyao had no intention of sparing Su Zuidie; he, too, might be tempted to rip her into shreds if he were in Mo Xiuyao’s shoes. Nevertheless... he wasn’t Mo Xiuyao; his beloved woman wasn’t Ye Li. Hence, it was impossible for him to watch Su Zuidie suffering without flinching. Moreover, he was now completely devoid of leverage to change Mo Xiuyao’s mind. He even suspected that there might be nothing capable of changing Mo Xiuyao’s mind, unless Ye Li were resurrected from death...

Meanwhile, Mo Xiuyao paid no heed to Han Mingyue, who was standing to one side, lost in his thoughts. The only reason he had allowed Han Mingyue to stay in Ruyang City, and even live in his residence for such a long time, was that Han Mingyue had once aided Ah-Li by the cliff. However, this didn’t mean he would make any concessions for him. Looking down at the various scrolls on the table, the exquisite handwriting on them softened his gaze. The content within was enough to astound the world. Even he himself had never known his wife possessed so many ingenious ideas and grand designs. Ever since Ah-Li learned of the secret agreement between Mo Jingqi, Nanzhao, and Xiling, she had clearly foreseen the day the Mo Family Army would inevitably break with the imperial court. Thus, she did everything in her power to completely secure the entire Northwest, all while painstakingly considering how the hundreds of thousands in the Mo Family Army could survive and develop in the relatively barren Northwest. If Ah-Li had not been a woman, Mo Xiuyao was certain she would have qualified to become a famous prime minister, even more renowned than her ancestors.

Now, gently caressing the scrolls before him, tenderness and affection welled in Mo Xiuyao’s eyes. Ah-Li... I will definitely not let your painstaking efforts go to waste. Even if you are not by my side, I will ensure our names are renowned for generations, admired by all. Of course... before that, just watch how I will tear this world asunder and make the mountains and rivers change their color.

「No matter how turbulent and bloody the world becomes, there are always a few places in this world, isolated from everything, that remain forever tranquil and peaceful.」

Ye Li struggled to open her eyes. Her gaze fell upon a light greenish-blue coarse cloth bed canopy overhead and parted bed curtains. Lowering her head, she saw she was covered with a coarse cloth quilt of the same color. A sense of numbness in her body meant her attempt to get up only resulted in a slight movement. One hand went to her abdomen; her already protruding belly, with its occasional flutters, instantly filled her heart with joy. No matter where I am now, at least... I thought I would surely die, but now, not only am I alive, but my baby is still here too. Just this fact alone was enough for Ye Li to cast aside all resentment and feel gratitude. As long as I’m alive, there’s no problem that can’t be solved. Gently biting her lip, suppressing her worries, Ye Li mustered her strength, trying to sit up.

"Oh my, you’re finally awake!" At the door, a middle-aged woman in a floral cotton dress entered, carrying something. Seeing Ye Li on the bed struggling to get up, she smiled with delight. She quickly placed the bowl of faintly fragrant porridge she was holding on the room’s table and came forward to help Ye Li sit up.

Ye Li thanked her softly, and with the woman’s help, sat up, leaning against the bedpost. "Thank you so much," she said. "Was it... you who saved me? May I ask how to address you?"

The middle-aged woman, her smile simple and kind, replied warmly, "My husband’s surname is Lin. Just call me Aunt Lin. You poor child... you’ve been unconscious for over four months. When you were brought back, you were already more than a month pregnant. Fortunately, this child seems blessed with great fortune and a strong life force, and has been doing well all along. I see you, young lady, are also a fortunate one. How does that saying go... great calamity, ah... if a great disaster doesn’t kill you, good fortune is sure to follow..."

Ye Li smiled faintly, gently caressing her protruding abdomen. "Thank you, Aunt Lin, for your auspicious words," she said. "My name is... my maiden name is Chu. Aunt Lin, you can just call me Junwei."

Aunt Lin looked at Ye Li, noting that she only mentioned her maiden name. A young girl of sixteen or seventeen, pregnant, found in a place like this... she must have some unspeakable hardship, she thought. Concern and sympathy showed on Aunt Lin’s simple, honest face. Patting Ye Li’s hand, she said, "Everything will get better. Don’t dwell on it too much. Focus on nourishing your body; the child is what’s most important."

Ye Li nodded, took the bowl of porridge Aunt Lin handed her, and slowly began to eat. Although months of unconsciousness had left her weak, her hand trembling slightly as she held the spoon, her remarkable endurance prevented her from appearing too discomposed. As Ye Li ate, Aunt Lin sat beside her, making small talk. It turned out that Aunt Lin was not the one who had saved her. She had been rescued by the only old doctor in the village. However, since the old doctor had no other family members at home and it was inconvenient for him to care for a woman, he had asked Aunt Lin to help look after her.

Hearing this, Ye Li was eager to go and pay her respects to the old doctor who had saved her, but Aunt Lin quickly stopped her. "Doctor Lin has gone up the mountain to gather herbs; he won’t be back for a while. I know you’re a well-read and sensible young lady, but we don’t have so many formalities here. Just focus on your recovery and don’t let Doctor Lin’s kind efforts go to waste; that will be enough."

Ye Li nodded and thanked Aunt Lin, then changed the subject. By the time Aunt Lin had gathered her things and left, Ye Li had gained a general understanding of this place.

Although I don’t know the exact location, this should be a secluded village not far from where I fell off the cliff. I was found by Doctor Lin by a small river when he went into the mountains to gather herbs. What’s rather strange is that so much time has passed; how come the Mo Family Army and the hidden guards haven’t found me yet?

「In the evening」

Ye Li sat by the outdoor herb garden, gazing pensively at the sunset. The village wasn’t large, with just over a dozen households in total. The small settlement was built against the mountain, its houses scattered sparsely and without any particular order at the mountain’s foot. Each dwelling appeared quite old and modest, clearly indicating that the people here did not pursue luxury or indulgence. Occasionally, young men, girls, and women who passed by the front of the house would offer her a friendly smile as she sat by the herb garden. This is a tranquil and simple little village, Ye Li thought to herself, watching the fading light.

As the sun set, an elderly man with grizzled hair, carrying a medicine basket on his back, strolled over. Seeing Ye Li by the herb garden, he raised his white eyebrows. "Awake, are you? You girl, it seems you truly have a tenacious hold on life. I thought you’d be unconscious for at least another month."

Ye Li stood up and respectfully curtsied to the old man. "Junwei thanks Doctor Lin for saving my life."

The old man observed her with an interested gaze. "A young lady from a prominent family? It’s rare to see one with such incredible luck. Girl, what’s your surname?"

Although deceiving her life-savior seemed improper, Ye Li was unwilling to take risks. She said in a low voice, "Chu. Chu Junwei."

The old man gave her a sidelong glance, then, after a long moment, stroked his beard and nodded. "Chu... Junwei... a good name, suits you well, girl. However, as I recall, Great Chu has no renowned aristocratic families with the surname Chu. And judging by your speech and deportment, you don’t seem like someone an ordinary family could raise."

Ye Li smiled apologetically. "Doctor Lin, you flatter me. Junwei... my mother’s family is from Yunzhou. Speaking of which, there is a slight connection with the Xu Family of Yunzhou." While speaking, she discreetly observed the old man’s expression.

He frowned slightly, then nodded. "The Xu Family of Yunzhou, you say? That... could make sense. Well, never mind. I don’t care which family you’re from. Since I saved you, let’s consider it our fate to have met. Just focus on resting and recovering."

Ye Li lowered her gaze. "Thank you, Doctor Lin," she said softly.

Judging by the old man’s expression, he doesn’t seem to be feigning ignorance, Ye Li thought. The news of my fall from the cliff definitely couldn’t be suppressed; it must have spread throughout Great Chu by now. I deliberately mentioned the Xu Family of Yunzhou just now; anyone with even a slight familiarity with the matter would at least make some connection. Yet, there’s no change in the old man’s expression. Either his acting skills are so perfected as to be flawless, or he simply doesn’t know about Princess Consort Ding’s fall. Ye Li was convinced it was the latter. When I fell, I threw my last dagger at the Southern Garrison Prince. Even my clothes were of the most common, inconspicuous kind, and I had nothing on me that could prove my identity. Unless someone recognized me personally, it’s unlikely they would guess my identity at first glance. Although she felt a little apologetic for deceiving the old man, Ye Li knew she had to be extremely cautious. She absolutely could not let herself fall into enemy hands and become a bargaining chip to threaten Mo Xiuyao. Thinking of Mo Xiuyao... a slight pang of pain tugged at Ye Li’s heart. It seems... we spent almost the entire last year in constant separation. Knowing he would hear of my death... and thinking of Mo Xiuyao’s health... Ye Li’s brow furrowed even more tightly.

"Are you still not coming in? Planning to stay out there and get soaked? Can’t you see it’s about to rain?" The old man’s blunt voice came from inside the house.

Ye Li looked up; indeed, the sunset at the horizon was now obscured by dark clouds, and rain seemed imminent. With a faint smile, Ye Li turned and went inside.

When it was time for the evening meal, Ye Li volunteered and prepared a couple of simple side dishes. Doctor Lin seemed quite pleased. Looking at Ye Li, he said, "At least I didn’t bring back a useless good-for-nothing."

Ye Li couldn’t help but feel a sense of exasperation, but Doctor Lin had already seated himself at the simple table and begun to eat. While eating, Doctor Lin seemed to finally remember to ask about Ye Li. "Where are you from?"

After a moment’s thought, Ye Li replied honestly, "Hongzhou."

Doctor Lin’s sharp eyebrows knitted together. "Hongzhou? What place is that?"

Ye Li was taken aback; she hadn’t expected him to ask such a question. Hongzhou is the primary gateway to the Northwest. For someone living near the Northwest region, even if they hadn’t heard of the Xu Family, they should know where Hongzhou is.

Doctor Lin frowned and said, "I haven’t been outside for a very long time. Many place names have probably changed."

A thought struck Ye Li. Hongzhou’s original name indeed wasn’t Hongzhou. At least fifty years ago, Hongzhou was still subordinate to Ruyang and was called Miyang. It was over fifty years ago that Hongzhou was formally incorporated into the Northwest and became its own prefecture, only then was its name changed to Hongzhou. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li said, "It also had another name, I believe it was called... Miyang."

"Miyang?" Doctor Lin’s chopsticks paused for a moment. He asked in confusion, "How did a young girl like you manage to get all the way here from Miyang?"

Ye Li looked at him, perplexed.

Doctor Lin continued, "Although I haven’t left this place for a very long time, I still know this much: for someone like you, traveling from Miyang to here would take at least two months, even at the fastest pace."

"Two months? Where on earth are we then?" Ye Li exclaimed in disbelief. According to Aunt Lin, they found me on the morning of the third day after my fall at the latest. How could I have traveled so far? Even if I had been swept along by the current, it wouldn’t have been that fast. Thinking of this, Ye Li paused. I wasn’t very familiar with the large river I fell into, but I wasn’t entirely ignorant of it either. Logically speaking, if I fell into the water and was carried directly downstream, at most I would have been washed to the shore of a lake just over a hundred *li* from Hongzhou, not inexplicably appear by a small river in the mountains. Lowering her head, recalling the geography of the area around Hongzhou from her memory, Ye Li asked uncertainly, "Are we... in the mountains north of Hongzhou?"

Doctor Lin gave her an approving look. "This place is at least seven or eight hundred *li* from Hongzhou. More importantly, the entire way consists of rugged mountain paths, to say nothing of the wild beasts, poisonous snakes, and venomous insects. Forget about you; even ordinary, able-bodied young men wouldn’t dare to venture out casually."

Hearing this, Ye Li felt utterly helpless. Frowning, she asked, "Then how am I supposed to get back?"

Doctor Lin rolled his eyes. "How should I know? I’m an old man who saved you; am I also supposed to be responsible for sending you home? First option: after you give birth and recover your strength, see if anyone is willing to escort you back. Though, in my opinion, that’s highly unlikely! Second option: settle down peacefully in the village, remarry later, and live a good life. Forget about your past. Don’t worry, the young lads in this village are all decent; they won’t mind that you’ve been married before. How about this old man acts as your matchmaker?"

Ye Li directly rolled her eyes at him. Although they had interacted for less than a day, she could already tell that this old man was an eccentric, irreverent fellow. She quickly calculated in her mind: It’s at least four more months until the baby is born. After that, I’ll need some time to recuperate before I can travel. That means... it will be at least six months before I can start my journey back. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but frown, yet her current situation left her with no alternative. I can only hope that Hongzhou and Mo Xiuyao are both safe and sound. At least... my baby and I are still alive, aren’t we? Lowering her head to gently caress her belly, where she could occasionally feel her baby move, Ye Li smiled faintly.

"Hmph! Thinking about that heartless lover of yours?" Seeing her gentle, smiling expression, Doctor Lin snorted and gave her a sidelong glance.

Ye Li smiled resignedly. "He is the father of my child, my husband. And he treats me very well."

"Treats you very well? If he did, would you have ended up here?" Doctor Lin scoffed at this. This girl is clearly from a scholarly and wealthy family. If she were truly treated well, she’d be sheltered in the inner chambers, living a life of luxury. What young lady from a prestigious family would end up stranded in a place like this? In my sixty years, this is the first one I’ve ever seen.

Ye Li smiled faintly, offering no rebuttal to his words.

Xiuyao... I will be back soon with our baby...