31. Usurping the Han (3)

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She had come from a thousand miles away, yet all she got was this brief meeting. They had barely exchanged a few words, but Yun Yao was already quite satisfied.

Such things were best kept to a proper limit; there was no need to take them any further.

Sometimes, subtlety and ambiguity were far more alluring.

After parting from Xun Yu, Yun Yao did not leave at once. Instead, she went to find someone else: Xun You.

He was Cao Cao's chief strategist, a man of countless brilliant schemes whose calculations never failed.

Yet he was reserved by nature and skilled at concealing his edge. He rarely spoke without reason, and so his clansmen all thought him dull and never recognized his worth.

A piece of uncut jade that no one had yet discovered was not something she could possibly let slip away.

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The rain gradually ceased. A thin veil of mist hung over the mountains as a young man slowly made his way down the slope, a book held in his arms.

His features were open and refined, like a delicate ink-wash painting, and he possessed an air of tranquil detachment.

At first glance, he did not seem particularly striking. Unlike Xun Yu, he was not the sort of person whose presence caught the eye immediately.

But the longer one looked at him, the more extraordinary his bearing seemed, until it became difficult to look away.

Suddenly, someone called his name.

Xun You turned and saw a beautiful young woman.

Her skin was whiter than snow, her face radiant as a spring flower. She seemed a spirit of the mountains, untouched by the mortal world.

The young woman asked, "Have you ever heard the story of the He Clan Jade?"

Xun You replied, "Bian He obtained a piece of uncut jade and presented it to two successive kings. Neither recognized its value; instead, both had his feet cut off. Bian He held the jade in his arms and wept day and night. When King Wen of Chu heard of this, he ordered the outer stone to be cut away and obtained a peerless gem, which he named the He Clan Jade."

The young woman sighed. "Once a jade has been cut open, everyone knows it is a priceless treasure. But before that, when it remains concealed beneath the stone, the world sees nothing but a rock."

Then she changed the subject. "I have heard that He Yong, the renowned scholar of Nanyang, once stayed with the Xun clan for some time and judged Xun Yu to possess the talents of a great minister."

"That is correct," Xun You said.

The young woman smiled. "He stayed with the Xun clan for so long. How could he have failed to discover your He Clan Jade?"

Such high praise startled Xun You.

Everyone in the world thought him dull, yet this woman had compared him to the He Clan Jade.

The young woman continued, "Since he failed to recognize this precious stone and never offered you a judgment, let me be the one to judge you."

She grew solemn.

"Gongda is foolish on the outside yet wise within, timid in appearance yet brave at heart, seemingly weak yet inwardly strong. He does not boast of his virtues or claim credit for his labors. His wisdom is within reach, but his foolishness is beyond reach. Even Yan Hui and Ning Wu could not surpass him."

Every word rang out with unmistakable force, echoing through the mountain forest. It was as though a blade had split open his shell of rough stone and revealed the treasure hidden within.

The young woman smiled. "When we meet again, I hope you will serve me."

With that, she turned and disappeared into the forest.

The mist blurred the mountains until her figure vanished completely, like an immortal returning to the heavens.

Xun You bowed deeply toward the forest.

A true man would die for the one who understood him.

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Yun Yao rode her red-maned horse home and went to pay her respects to her father.

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Tang Heng asked, "You saw him?"

Yun Yao nodded.

"And?" Tang Heng asked.

Yun Yao smiled faintly, her face filled with satisfaction. "He is even better than I imagined. I like him very much."

Tang Heng smiled.

"This time I also met another member of the Xun clan. He is quite outstanding as well."

"What is his name?" Tang Heng asked.

"Xun You."

"Then why not bring both of them here?" Tang Heng suggested.

Yun Yao was startled, but she immediately understood what he meant.

He intended for the uncle and nephew to serve her together, one as her principal consort and the other in a secondary position.

She considered it carefully, then shook her head. "Thank you for your kindness, Father, but there is no need."

"Very well. You may decide for yourself."

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Before long, the wedding day arrived, and Yun Yao finally saw Xun Yu again.

A year had passed, and he had grown considerably taller. The lines of his features had also become more defined.

He was gradually becoming a man, though he had not yet entirely shed the air of youth. He was like a mountain peak washed clean by rain: steady, yet still clear and pure.

When he smiled faintly, it was as though moonlight had fallen upon the world, leaving all who saw him helplessly entranced.

From that day onward, he was her husband.

Yun Yao clung to him, gently caressing the side of his face.

He slipped an arm around her waist and gazed at her with tender affection.

Candlelight illuminated his features. Like a beautiful woman seen beneath a lamp, he seemed lovelier the longer she looked at him.

Yun Yao lifted her head and kissed him. A clean, delicate fragrance lingered around them.

So fragrant. So beautiful. She adored him.

She wanted to devour him, one kiss at a time...

The gauze curtains drifted down, veiling a scene of intoxicating sweetness and disorder.

That night, the two of them became lost in one another, unable to stop.

The following morning, they rose early.

Xun Yu's hair hung loose around his shoulders. He no longer looked as dignified as usual, but he seemed far more approachable.

Yun Yao could not resist kissing his cheek once more.

Xun Yu looked at her and smiled faintly.

His smile was always gentle and restrained, imbued with the courtesy and refinement that had seeped into his very bones. Yet it was also tender and affectionate, making it impossible not to love him.

Having met such a gentleman, how could one not rejoice?

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Xun Yu took the clothes handed over by the maid and said, "Wife, please dress."

With his assistance, Yun Yao put on her clothes.

Xun Yu was about to dress as well when Yun Yao picked up the garments from the tray.

"Let me."

Xun Yu obediently opened his arms.

The couple were so deeply affectionate that the two maids standing nearby could not help exchanging a smile.

Once they were both fully dressed, they washed and groomed themselves, then went together to pay their respects to Tang Heng.

Afterward, they went together to the library to read. By evening, they were once again lost in tender intimacy.

At first, Yun Yao could restrain herself from doing anything too outrageous to him. Later, however, she became increasingly uninhibited.

The more dignified and proper he tried to remain, the more determined she was to make him abandon his restraint.

Little by little, she drove him to the point of collapse, until he could no longer suppress his breathless cries and became completely unrestrained.

Whenever he thought he had reached the limit, she would produce some even more daring method, forcing him again and again to shatter his old understanding of himself and discover a new one.

After one such encounter, she lay sprawled across him, her supple body curved like a snake.

Caressing his face, she asked, "You like it too, don't you?"

His only answer was the deep flush spreading across his face.

He was always rejecting her even as he surrendered to her.

A soft laugh sounded in the darkness.

She had him completely in her grasp.

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After some time had passed, Yun Yao finally remembered that she had a good friend and went to visit Cai Wenji.

Cai Wenji pretended to be astonished. "You spend every day lost in pleasure, and you can still remember me?"

Yun Yao laughed at her teasing.

After bantering for a while, the matter was put behind them.

Cai Wenji said, "The moment you walked through the door, I wanted to ask: why do you smell so wonderful? My entire room is filled with your fragrance!"

Yun Yao looked puzzled, then immediately realized what she meant.

She never burned incense. The reason she carried such a fragrance was naturally that she and Xun Yu had been spending every day in loving intimacy.

When she returned home, she told Xun Yu what had happened, then added, "I told her that my husband had scented me."

Xun Yu's face immediately flushed.

What an outrageous thing to say. How could she possibly have said it so shamelessly?

With a teasing smile, Yun Yao sat down upon him and whispered into his ear, "Then please scent me once more, my husband..."

Their clothes loosened, and another bout of tenderness and passion began.

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