4 Chen Furen!

Although the Chen family was a 'General's Residence', in Dong Chen Kingdom their status didn't lose out to any high ranking official and their family owned estate was enormous with many halls, courtyards and pavilions that usually remained unused year round due to the lack of people and they were enough to keep the hundreds of servants constantly busy with the upkeep of the place.

Over at Hanging Flower Courtyard, Doctor Zhang was leaving after prescribing medicine to the madam who had worried herself into a faint earlier in the day and Chen Huang Yi was walking by his side.

"Thanking older brother Mo for taking care of the madam and Yun'er while I was away."

Doctor Zhang turned around and looked Chen Huang Yi over from head to toe. His eyes were insipid then he snorted and said, "Using such polite words and treating me like an outsider, you still know to call me older brother?"

Chen Huang Yi jolted and stared for a moment then he laughed loudly, causing the servants still in the yard to look over. Once they saw that it was just the General and Doctor Zhang they smiled before turning back and continuing about their work.

It had been so long since he last returned home; Chen Huang Yi had almost forgotten that this old fellow was exactly like this. Even back when he was a little overlord who ran around raising hell in the capital city, Zhang Mo had always been a frank character who wouldn't let him get away with his nonsense.

Chen Huang Yi used to have nothing but hatred and contempt for Zhang Mo, thinking that he was just an physician with a little talent his father had took in off the streets, so what authority did he have to discipline him? But as he got older, Chen Huang Yi understood that if it hadn't been for Zhang Mo's guidance, he, under his father's influence, would have been a very different kind of person from who he was today and perhaps the emperor's fear towards him wouldn't be mere paranoia or perhaps, he would already be the one sitting on the dragon throne.

"Huang Yi was wrong. As an apology, I'll gift older brother a bottle from my special wine reserves."

"Hmmph, as long as you know you're wrong, but I definitely won't be polite." Doctor Zhang nodded arrogantly, but his eyes had become bright with a look of anticipation at the mention of wine that made Chen Huang Yi laugh. This old drunk.

"Alright, alright." He patted Doctor Zhang's shoulder and turned to the man who had been following behind him all along. "Shou, escort Brother Mo back to his courtyard and have Steward Gao send over a jar of Jade Lotus wine as well."

The man had a height of about 160 cms with a slightly slender build and was dressed in a suit of black leather armor with the lower half of his face covered by a mask. The man's skin was dark in color with pale blonde hair, half of which was held up in a ponytail with the rest falling forward to cover half his face, exposing only one exquisite blue eye. Without a sound, he nodded.

"No need to trouble Little Shadow, I can get there myself." Doctor Zhang waved his hand as he walked away. "He followed you all the way back to the capital from the northern border on horseback, even if you're not human, he is. Let him rest ah." But despite Doctor Zhang's grumblings, Shou who had already been given an order still followed behind the elderly man as he made his way out.

Chen Huang Yi's lips were parted in a smile as he watched the retreating figures of the two, then he turned around toward the courtyard building behind him and a hint of distress flickered in his eyes. He sighed and moved his feet forward.

"General, you've returned?" At the front door, a maid on duty came forward to greet him. "Should I announce your arrival?"

"No need." Chen Huang Yi waved his hand and pushed open the door, he entered the building.

Even though it was already this late, lanterns were lit in every corner of the building's sitting room, making the room as bright as day and several maids and mama's were standing around a grand chaise lounge which was set in the middle of the room where a woman was sprawled languidly, accepting a spoon of dark colored liquid with a heavy medicinal scent from the hands of a maid servant.

The woman had a petite figure and small face with tender white skin that made her appear like the young miss of some estate. Her facial features weren't extravagant in any way and she could even be considered plain, but there was a kind of carefree, languid air about her that made one feel as though even if the whole world were to fade away, only she would forever remain carefree. It made others unable to look away after a single glance.

Her eyelids were lowered and as she swallowed the dark liquid, her lashes trembled, brushing against her cheeks that became instantly pale and she raised her hand to quickly cover her mouth as she sat up.

"Furen, are you alright?"

The woman's delicate brows twisted. "It's still as disgusting as always."

The maid who was holding the bowl and spoon gave a wry smile. "Furen still needs to have at least three more spoonsful of the medicine."

"No." the woman shook her head. "I can't do it, I won't. It's too appalling."

"Furen..."

"No, no, no! I absolutely will not." She pressed her thin red lips together and showed a firm stance against taking any more of the distasteful medicine.

Chen Huang Yi smiled on seeing her childish behavior and steeped out from the shadows in the doorway.

"Let me do it."

"General!"

The servants all gave their greetings and Chen Huang Yi simply waved his hand. "You can all leave."

He accepted the bowl of medicine from the hands of the maid servant then went to sit next to the woman on the chaise.

"Now, my dear wife, do you still refuse to have any more of this medicine?"

Madam Chen, Cao Mei Ling, pouted her red lips and glared at Chen Huang Yi before primly turning her head away from him, really acting like a spoiled young miss and nothing like the dignified furen of a residence. Chen Huang Yi arched his brow at her display and didn't say anything further.

The maids and mama's who were leaving were puzzled and those at the back of the crowd turned back to look and saw the general turn the bowl of medicine to his head. They were shocked, but in the next minute they saw him grip the furen's arm and pull her into his lap.

"Wha—Chen Huang Yi, what are you—?!"

Cao Mei Ling was surprised. Instinctively, she pushed against the man's chest, but he firmly pinched her chin and when she looked up, she saw his black eyes glinting with mischief. Before she could react, Chen Huang Yi lowered his head, putting his mouth to hers and she felt a sharp pinch at the back of her thigh, causing her to part her lips in a small shout which allowed the terrible medicine to directly drain into her mouth.

Squeals and shocked gasps escaped the maids still present in the room as they shoved at each other to quickly exit the room. It was improper for them to look upon this kind of scene.

The sharp and bitter taste was terrible and Cao Mei Ling choked as the medicine made its way down her throat.

"Chen Huang Yi! *cough, cough* You bastard!"

Cao Mei Ling was furious and she coughed while trying to struggle out of his lap, but Chen Huang Yi held her firmly in place while patting her back to help ease the coughing.

"I only did it for your own benefit. How could you let yourself become ill when you have to take care of Yun'er?"

"Are you blaming me?" Cao Mei Ling glared at him and gritted her teeth. "Fine, then I am to blame. Now unhand me!"

"I didn't say it was your fault, I was only worried about you. Why is it that furen seems to be angry with me?" Chen Huang Yi ignored her request and kept Cao Mei Ling in his lap, his thumb beginning to rub circles on her thigh. Cao Mei Ling smacked his hand.

"I'm angry because you're shameless! Release me!"

Looking at her face full of anger, Chen Huang Yi knew that there was definitely something wrong. Even when he came in with Doctor Zhang earlier, after not seeing him, her husband for so long, beyond greeting him with an insipid call of 'General', she hadn't spared him a single glance. He became serious.

Cupping her small face in his hands, he turned her to face him. "Ah Mei, tell me what's wrong."

Cao Mei Ling was red with fury and when she looked at Chen Huang Yi, her eyes flashed with many complicated emotions and Chen Huang Yi was shocked by her grief and indignation and he wondered what on earth had happened to make her like this.

At that moment, Cao Mei Ling had so much she wanted to say but when she thought about Chen Ming Yun, the little girl she had raised with love and care for so long, she couldn't bring herself to complain. At the last minute she sighed and completely deflated as her anger dispersed like a cloud, leaning weakly against her husband's chest.

"It's nothing. Nothing is wrong; I was just a bit wound up and worried about Ming Ming. You annoyed me." She pounded his chest weakly with her fist.

"You're a terrible liar." Chen Huang Yi mumbled against her hair as he hugged her, but he knew that if Cao Mei Ling didn't want to, not even ten oxen could pry her mouth open.

Cao Mei Ling chuckled and looked up, light dancing in her bright black eyes as she reach out to touch his face that had grown a full beard since she last saw him. "But you truly are annoying."

She and Chen Huang Yi had known each other since childhood, her father had been Old General Chen's lieutenant and growing up the two who had equally stubborn personalities bred a rivalry that was a constant source of chaos in the capital; she never thought the day when she would fall in love this deeply with this Army Brat would come.

"Welcome home, I missed you."

Chen Huang Yi smiled. Although he loved his wife's spitfire personality that hadn't changed since they were young, he also adored her rare gentle and quiet side. He bent his head and pecked her lips. "I missed you too."

"Mmm. I suppose that's why you haven't sent me a single letter in months then?"

Chen Huang Yi arched his brow and looked down at the lips that had turned into a slight pout and the brows that were pinched in slight irritation. "Is that why you were angry at me?"

Seeing her lower her head and not reply, he chuckled then picked her up in his arms and marched toward the bedroom where he threw her none too gently unto the big bed before climbing on top of her. His big hand slid up her thigh under her robe and he lowered his head, pulling her belt loose with his teeth.

"Then, xiăorén[1] will apologize sincerely for making furen worry."

It was only much, much later when the sounds of love making and playful banter stopped coming from inside that the servants were called back in to prepare the bath before having to retreat again.

Chen Huang Yi held Cao Mei Ling's hand and helped her into the bathtub before he got in alongside her. He sat down and stretched his legs out and she followed, settling on his waist as she sat facing him.

"How are things in the north?"

Cao Mei Ling cupped some water in her hands and brought it up to wash Chen Huang Yi's bronze chest, her finger's moving playfully of the broad, smooth expanse then she moved her hands back to wash his shoulders.

"The field has been quiet and our lookouts haven't been able to spot any signs of an attack. Right now, we're just waiting."

Cao Mei Ling rolled her eyes and smacked Chen Huang Yi behind the head. "I know that, what I'm talking about is that other thing." She stopped and glanced around the empty room before lowering her head and brining her face close to Chen Huang Yi's until their noses touched and she whispered."I know that you don't intend for our family to remain in the capital forever."

"Hmm." Chen Huang Yi smiled and gripped her waist. "If furen wants to go on a vacation, I'll ask the emperor for time off when I attend court in the morning."

Cao Mei Ling's pupils shrunk and her anger was quick to flare up as she slapped her husband's chest. "Chen Huang Yi you... take this seriously!" This was his life, ah; the life of their whole family!

"I am."

"Your mother's great aunt--!"

Not allowing her to say anymore, with a laugh, Chen Huang Yi flipped them over in the tub, his mouth coming down to seal hers as he moved his waist to reconnect their bodies and for the rest of the night, only incoherent moans and screams of pleasure were uttered from Cao Mei Ling's mouth until she fainted, no longer able to keep up with the vigor of a Great General.

Finished dressing, Chen Huang Yi looked at his wife who was fast asleep under the covers and leaned over to kiss her head.

"Ah Mei, why do you still love me so much even though I've wronged you so badly? I don't deserve it. I really wish you would worry about me less and start taking better care of yourself."

The hypocritical man who had just done his wife into a faint had a look full of grief present between his brows as he stroked Cao Mei Ling's pale cheek then he sighed before leaving the room, instructing the servants outside to pay close attention to the madam in the morning and not allow her to go running about too soon after waking up.

"Of course."

"Yes, General."

Leaving Hanging Flower courtyard, Chen Huang Yi walked leisurely under the moonlight, taking a shortcut through the garden to get to his study when the scent of wine came to him on the wind accompanied by songs of woe being sung to the moon.