After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General

When he was young, there were several girls of the same age nearby, and they loved to come and play with Zhao Yelan. He wanted nothing to do with them, and when he saw them chattering, he would return to the house with a straight face, pick up a book, and pretend to have business to attend to.

His mother would laugh, and she said to his father one night: “Our Mengting is really clueless, there’s no telling which girl he’ll like in the future.”

“How old is he, how can he understand these things? Right, Mengting?” His father glanced at him.

“En.” Zhao Yelan buried his head in the writing. “They’re too noisy.”

“So you like someone quiet?” His mother asked.

“En.” Zhao Yelan said without raising his head, “I like someone who is quiet, gentle, considerate, and cooks delicious food like you, Mother.”

“See, ba, and you said he doesn’t understand. He has a lot of thoughts on his mind,” his mother said with a smile.

His father also laughed and nodded his head: “Your mother is already mine, and you probably won’t find a wife as good as this one.”

“Nonsense, I will definitely find someone more gentle and virtuous!”

After dreaming of this for some reason, Zhao Yelan slowly opened his eyes and inwardly rejoiced that it wasn’t a nightmare this time. Then he looked over at the man beside him.

He was not gentle and virtuous at all, his cooking was unpalatable, and he was far from his ideal wife.

“What is it?” Yan Mingting noticed that he was not asleep, and before he opened his eyes, he reflexively pressed the other’s head into his arms, rubbing his back as he said semi-consciously, “Another nightmare?”

Zhao Yelan looked up at him acting like this and wanted to smile, saying: “Yan Mingting, when we return to the capital, come and meet my parents.”

“Okay, ah……what?!” Yan Mingting suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him in surprise, with a bit of bewilderment and uncertainty in his eyes. “Are you serious?”

Zhao Yelan simply said: “I lied.”

“Take it back,” Yan Mingting said stubbornly. “I’m going, you aren’t allowed to go back on your word.”

“Who is going back on their word?” Zhao Yelan said with a smile.

Yan Mingting chuckled: “Why did you suddenly ask me to see your parents?”

“People cannot conceal their defects forever.”

“…..You’re saying I have defects?”

Zhao Yelan remained silent.

Yan Mingting was also silent.

After a while, Zhao Yelan couldn’t help but ask, “Are you angry?”

Yan Mingting continued to remain silent.

“Petty.” 

Zhao Yelan pinched his waist and Yan Mingting burst out laughing. “Ticklish. I was just thinking about what to bring as a meeting gift, paper money is definitely not enough.”

“……Think some more. Where is your hand touching?” Zhao Yelan asked in a heavy voice.

“Wasn’t the right side of your chest injured? I’m seeing if there are any scars left,” Yan Mingting said shamelessly.

Zhao Yelan rolled over and sat on him, but the other took advantage of the opportunity to pull down his clothes. Yan Mingting sat up, kissing his lips and neck.

In the darkness, only a small bit of moonlight fell dimly through the window. Zhao Yelan’s breathing became heavier, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

If he brought a grown man to meet his parents, would they be happy?

“Mengting.”

“En?”

“I miss you so much.”

“Am I not here?”

“I don’t know, I just miss you and want to see you.”

Yan Mingting raised his head and touched his cheek, rubbing their ears and temples together. “Can I?”

A moment later, a candle lit the room again. Yan Mingting could finally see his uncontrollably blushing face and his shortness of breath, and wanted to leave traces of himself all over his body.

Looking at the two shadows cast near the window, Zhao Yelan smiled contentedly.

His parents should not be angry.

Because he was very happy. This was the first time in more than ten years that he no longer needed such a grave reason to live. He just wanted to relax and be happy. As long as he thought about spending time with this person in the future, he would have hope in his life.

The next morning, as a group of people had breakfast downstairs, Li Yucheng stared at Zhao Yelan non-stop with a strange look on his face, as if wondering why he was fine, and then gave Yan Mingting a contemptuous look.

“If you don’t want your eyes, can I dig them out for you?” Zhao Yelan said indifferently.

It just so happened that Fu Qian was leaving the lobby at this time. Hearing him say this, he seemed to recall some terrible scene and backed away in fright, knocked his head on the door, and then slipped out in a hurry.

“It’s early in the morning, don’t talk of such bloody things.” Li Yucheng looked at the back of Fu Qian’s embarrassed figure and laughed.

Zhao Yelan gave Xiao Gao a meaningful look, and Xiao Gao put Li Yucheng on the ground with one kick.

Li Yucheng fell flat on his face but didn’t dare to resist. He just patted his buttocks and stood up, looking around. The two girls were whispering, Yan Mingting was serving Zhao Yelan food, and no one cared about his life or death at all.

How miserable.

He sat back down again, finally willing to behave himself and eat.

After staying in Wancheng for three days, they went shopping and bought all the necessities they needed. The soldiers were also rested, so they set off again. There was no delay for the rest of the journey. They essentially continued to travel after having a meal and a night of sleep, hurrying on their way, and finally arrived in Beijing half a month later.

The mighty troop passed through the city gate, causing many people to stop and watch. When they saw that the leader was Yan Mingting, everyone knew that it was Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan who had returned.

Although the capital was far from Jiangnan, the distance did not hinder the spread of news. The two had first worked together to uncover a group of corrupt officials in Jiangnan, and then discovered a disastrous situation early and took timely measures to evacuate the refugees, reducing the losses to a large extent. Now the people in Jiangnan were singing the praises of these two people.

After the news reached the capital, everyone was talking about it, and their attitudes toward Zhao Yelan had undergone a qualitative change. In addition, some people had relatives in Zhizhou and Huaizhou, and felt even more fear regarding this matter. Without these two people and this group of soldiers, there would likely have been many more tragedies.

Human memory and emotions always changed over time. Zhao Yelan was not in the capital during this period, and everyone gradually forgot about this person. But when the news reached them, he had become a reborn parent in the mouths of the Jiangnan people, so this new image covered the original impression of treachery.

While some were skeptical, most looked at them with more friendliness and respect.

Housekeeper Qin heard the commotion outside and went to the door to take a look. Seeing that the two masters had returned, he excitedly ordered someone to clean up their room, and tasked the kitchen staff with quickly cooking a delicious meal.

“General, you’re back.” Housekeeper Qin looked into the carriage. “Where is our lord?”

Yan Mingting dismounted his horse and opened the curtain of the carriage.

Housekeeper Qin was a little surprised when he saw Zhao Yelan sitting inside with a girl, but saw that after General Yan helped Zhao Yelan out of the carriage, he left the girl alone. He was inwardly relieved, and it was Miss Zuo who went to lead that girl down.

“Are you in good health, ah?” Housekeeper Qin stepped forward and said with concern. He had heard that the drought was severe, and was very glad to see them return safely. “Come on in, ba, are you hungry? How about I go to the street now and buy something to cushion your stomachs?”

“No need, we just finished eating snacks,” Zhao Yelan said.

After Yan Mingting sent his subordinates back to their respective homes, he was the last one to enter through the gate. As soon as he stepped past the threshold, he heard Zhao Yelan order: “Go get some tea.”

“Yes.” Housekeeper Qin was about to go to the back room when he was stopped.

“Wait, I want that…..tea for guests.”

“All right.”

Yan Mingting didn’t sit down, but found a few people to move the things from the carriage, and stood at the hall’s front door, watching them being carried back and forth.

Presently, Housekeeper Qin came out with the tea and served Zhao Yelan and the two girls each a cup. Even Xiao Gao received one.

Xiao Gao looked at him with trepidation, picked up the tea, and drank it in one gulp. Then he found a corner and silently spit out the dregs.

Zhao Yelan picked up his cup and frowned slightly: “What kind of tea is this?”

“This is your favorite Mingquian tea, ah,” Housekeeper Qin said.

“What about theirs?”

“Theirs is the tea from our General’s Mansion.”

Zhao Yelan set the cup on the table, his eyes darkening: “Why is mine different from theirs?”

Both Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu paused, and silently put their cups back on the table.

“My Lord, is it not because you do not drink the tea from the General’s Mansion?” Housekeeper Qin asked bemusedly. “I remember that you only love this Mingqian Longjing, and you asked me to put away the other tea leaves. Right, Xiao Gao? You are the one who speaks for your lord.”

Xiao Gao shook his head: “I don’t remember.”

Housekeeper Qin: “…….” You wrong me, kid!

“Go exchange it,” Zhao Yelan said.

“Exchange it for which kind?” Housekeeper Qin carefully confirmed.

“Go and exchange it for my mother’s tea.” Yan Mingting smiled, then stretched out a hand toward Zhao Yelan and said, “Come on, I’ll take you someplace.”

“Where?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

When Zhao Yelan glanced around, Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu tacitly lowered their heads. He looked at Yan Mingting again, held his hand curiously, and followed him to the back courtyard.

Xiao Gao followed as well, and when he had taken two steps, Zuo Ran pulled him back.

“Are we going to……see your chicken pen and the fish pond?” Zhao Yelan followed him as he walked farther and farther toward the back courtyard. When they passed the fish pond, the other party did not stop, but continued to move forward.

Zhao Yelan caught a glimpse of a white dumpling in the bushes and stepped forward, picking it up. He weighed it and said: “Hongshao is heavier.”

“It can be braised.”

Hongshao seemed to understand their conversation, and flinched in Zhao Yelan’s arms.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Yelan stood before a forest of trees. He stroked the rabbit’s head and said in surprise: “In the General’s Mansion……there is even a forest?”

“Yes, ah, the original mansion was too big. My mother said that there were few people in the family, so she simply opened the land up. It is connected to the mountain forest behind, and many trees have been planted.” Yan Mingting took his other hand and guarded him as they walked into the forest. “Be careful.”

Zhao Yelan bent at the waist to walk across the piece of land, and his field of vision opened up as small tea trees appeared on both sides. He looked around, and his attention was drawn to the tree in front of him again. There were bright red fruits hanging on it. He approached curiously, only to find that they were persimmons.

It was still summer when they left the capital, but it was already autumn when they returned.

Yan Mingting reached out to pick two of them, wiping them with his sleeve: “Want to eat?”

Zhao Yelan took a few glances and said: “It hasn’t been washed.”

Yan Mingting laughed and directly bit into it: “This was also planted by my mother. When she and my younger brother were at home, they came here to plant some trees when they had nothing to do. There are tea leaves in spring, apricots in summer, persimmons in autumn, and oranges in winter, fruits all year round. She always felt that there should be these things in the house, and that we could be happier and think of her when we ate them.”

Zhao Yelan nodded. Looking around, he realized that this was a big project, and said: “Perhaps she wanted to find something for herself to restrain her feelings of nostalgia while you and your father were at the border.”

“Yes, ah.”

Zhao Yelan turned his head to find that the other party had already eaten two, and he picked a third one.

“Are they so delicious?”

“Want to try?”

Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and observed the persimmon for a long moment. Just as he opened his mouth, the other party suddenly came forward and stole a kiss before returning the persimmon to him.

After eating it, he felt it was a little tart and said: “My mouth is numb.”

“I’ll take a look.”

“……” Zhao Yelan said faintly, “Do you plan to look at it with your tongue?”

“Yes, ah, this trick is called knowing one’s self and knowing the enemy.”

“That is clearly a preposterous statement, mm……”

The rabbit escaped from Zhao Yelan’s arms.

When the two left, Yan Mingting said: “From now on, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, we can come here to pick fruit.”

“En.” Zhao Yelan was still holding a freshly-picked persimmon in his hand, already looking forward to the oranges in winter. When they returned to the hall, Xiao Gao noticed something unusual.

“My lord, why is your mouth swollen?” Xia Gao asked in surprise.

Yin Pinglu and Zuo Ran covered their faces and snickered. Zhao Yelan glanced at him and tossed him the persimmon, trying to hide it by saying: “The persimmons are a bit tart. Want to try it?”

Xiao Gao took a bite and looked at Housekeeper Qin who was passing by, about to cry: “What do I do, is my mouth also swollen?”

“Go ahead and dream,” Housekeeper Qin said ruthlessly.

“ ? ”

Zhao Yelan was finally able to drink the tea from the General’s Mansion. It tasted ordinary, but it was indeed as Yin Pinglu said – because it contained the old lady’s sentiments, it was precious. He drank it with care, for fear of spilling it.

“Has the room been tidied up?” Yan Mingting asked Housekeeper Qin.

“It’s ready, just the same as before. It hasn’t changed at all,” Housekeeper Qin said.

“I’ll go have a look.” Yan Mingting left in high spirits.

Zhao Yelan asked Xiao Gao to take Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu to the house in the north of the city, and then went to the bedroom. Just outside the door, he heard Yan Mingting asking from inside the room: “Uncle Qin, did you throw away the book I asked you to get rid of last time?”

“No, I kept it for you.”

“Great, bring it to me quickly.”

Zhao Yelan paused, then turned around and walked toward the study, wandering around restlessly for a long time.

The two of them had done a lot of intimate things secretly, but had not taken the final step. He also insisted on not taking off the last layer of clothes.

While traveling, he could use the excuse of making haste, but now that they had returned to the mansion, what excuse could he use?

Once or twice was fine, but after a long time, Yan Mingting may doubt his feelings or suspect that he wasn’t good enough for him. Then he was more likely to perceive and detect the real cause.

A person suddenly came to mind – Gu Niaoniao.

Yan Mingting remained in the bedroom for a while, but didn’t see Zhao Yelan when he came out. He searched around without catching sight of him, and only found Xiao Gao playing with the rabbit in the front courtyard. He asked: “Where is Zhao Yelan? Where did he run off to?”

“The brothel,” Xiao Gao said nonchalantly.

Yan Mingting turned pale with fright: “What? He went to the brothel right after returning to the capital?!”