Chapter 59 [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Repatriation.

Su Siyang had lost a lot of weight. Wearing a raincoat and a straw hat, he walked in the heavy rain as if he were about to fall down at any moment.

Han Qingzhou followed behind Su Siyang and saw that his people were with Xie Xuan, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Siyang walked ahead and saw the group of people standing under the eaves. He turned back and glanced at Han Qingzhou. Han Qingzhou nodded slightly to Su Siyang and said, "I sent them to scout ahead last night."

Su Siyang couldn't care less about anything else right now and hurried towards them. His only worry was Sheng Hua. As he passed through the small door, he tripped over a bamboo piece that had fallen down from it and stumbled.

"Lord Su!" The people following behind stepped forward one after another.

Su Siyang stopped, raised his hand to indicate that he was alright, and then walked towards Xie Xuan and the others.

"Greetings, Lord Su."

Perhaps because he had spent some time in Jinzhu Village, Xie Xuan hesitated, not bowing to Su Siyang. Of the group standing under the eaves, only Xie Xuan did not bow. Su Siyang stood in the rain, Xie Xuan stood under the eaves, and the two looked at each other. Han Qingzhou, standing to the side, could sense the tension between them.

Xie Xuan paused for a moment before bowing and greeting Su Siyang, saying, "Greetings, Lord Su."

Hearing the commotion, Li Yun, who was still in the kitchen, went to the door and peeked out. He saw a large group of people gathered in front of the side room, and it seemed that they were an even higher-ranking official.

"Where is the Empress Dowager?" Su Siyang asked directly.

Because of the distance and the heavy rain, Li Yun couldn't hear what they were saying. He only vaguely sensed that this matter was not simple and decided it was best not to get involved.

Xie Xuan turned slightly to glance at the door of the side room and replied, "The Empress Dowager is still inside."

Yu Jing naturally heard the commotion outside and knew that Su Siyang had arrived, so she couldn't stay any longer. She quickly stood up and opened the door. Steam rushed into the room, and Su Siyang stood opposite her. For a moment, Yu Jing almost didn't recognize him. He was wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, looked much thinner, and had a bruise on his forehead, apparently from a fall. Compared to his previous dignified and composed demeanor, "disheveled" was an understatement.

But when Yu Jing's eyes met his, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She could feel the joy, excitement, and fervor in his eyes. It wasn't hard to guess what made him happy. But sadly, she was Yu Jing, not Sheng Hua. If it were Sheng Hua, he would surely be very happy right now.

When Su Siyang met Sheng Hua's indifferent gaze, his expression darkened. The words he had thought of and wanted to say to her before, now stuck in his throat, he couldn't utter a single one.

"Let's go," Yu Jing said, only uttering those words, but her gaze was fixed on the direction of the kitchen.

As soon as Yu Jing finished speaking, someone immediately stepped forward with an oil-paper umbrella. Su Siyang noticed Yu Jing's gaze and also glanced in the direction of the kitchen.

"Your Majesty, this village is quite remote, and it's difficult to travel by carriage or sedan chair. We would be grateful if Your Majesty could walk with us for a while," Han Qingzhou said hurriedly as he approached Yu Jing.

"Mmm," Yu Jing replied lazily. Her shoes quickly got wet as she stepped into the muddy ground, clinging uncomfortably to her feet. But more distressing than that was the thought of returning to the palace.

Xie Xuan followed behind Yu Jing, holding an umbrella, gazing absently at Yu Jing's retreating figure. Su Siyang stood still, watching them leave. Seeing that Su Siyang hadn't moved, Qing Hong called out, "My lord."

"After you get back, find some more people to ask."

Qinghong was momentarily stunned. Following Su Siyang's gaze, she saw Xie Xuan, who was also dressed in coarse cloth. She immediately understood and replied, "Your subordinate understands."

The journey from Jinzhu Village to Guizhou City was far. With so many people and Yu Jing walking slowly, they ended up spending the night in a roadside farmhouse. The next day, when they reached a crossroads passable by carriages, Yu Jing saw several luxurious carriages parked along the roadside, and a large group of people waiting.

When Gao Yong saw people approaching, he quickly opened his umbrella and peeked out. The first person he saw was Yu Jing walking ahead. Even though she was wearing drab, coarse cloth clothes and her hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, Gao Yong recognized her at a glance. She was the person in Su Siyang's portrait.

"Gao Yong, Prefect of Guizhou, greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"

Yu Jing watched as a group of people, holding umbrellas, rushed over noisily. When they reached Yu Jing, the leader knelt down and addressed her. At this, Yu Jing understood Gao Yong's identity and said calmly, "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Gao Yong stood up and quickly replied, "This humble official has already arranged accommodations. Please, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, take your place."

Yu Jing was actually feeling quite unwell and hadn't slept well the night before. She wanted to get to her lodgings quickly, take a bath, and get a good night's sleep. Hearing Gao Yong's words, she walked towards the carriage without a second thought. The carriage swayed and rocked for quite a distance before stopping. Yu Jing sat inside, sighing wearily.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived at our residence," Gao Yong's voice rang out from outside the carriage.

"Hmm." Only after Yu Jing responded did someone lift the carriage curtain. Yu Jing got up and went out. As soon as she poked half her body out, she heard a very familiar voice.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"

Yu Jing suddenly looked up and saw A Yu standing in front of the carriage, holding an umbrella, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling to the ground along with the rainwater from the edge of the umbrella.

"Ayu," Yu Jing responded, her voice choked with emotion. As she answered, a wave of guilt washed over her. How helpless Ayu must have felt during the time she was gone. And she remembered that when the incident happened, she was the only one in Guizhou City.

Yu Jing alighted from the carriage and reached out to touch A Yu's head. A Yu's tears fell even more fiercely. She had thought that Yu Jing was already... When she heard the news that she was still alive, she was extremely excited, fearing that the news was false. Now that Yu Jing was truly standing before her, her heart finally settled down.

"Your Majesty, please go and change into clean clothes quickly," Ayu said hastily upon seeing Yu Jing's appearance. She felt very sorry for Yu Jing because of the clothes she was wearing; when had Yu Jing ever suffered like this?

"Okay." Yu Jing replied, turning her head to glance at the people following behind her.

Su Siyang and Xie Xuan were standing by the carriage. Yu Jing looked at them and suddenly felt a headache. She sighed and walked into the mansion.

Gao Yongxun must have put some thought into this residence. It is a large place with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, flowing water, birdsong, and fragrant flowers. In the rain, the scenery has a unique charm.

Upon reaching the bathhouse, Yu Jing removed her coarse cloth clothes, and A Yu helped her take off the magnolia hairpin from her hair. Looking at the hairpin, Yu Jing said, "Keep this hairpin safe, don't lose it."

"Yes," Ayu replied, glancing at the hairpin again. Being from Guizhou, she naturally recognized the magnolia flower. She was also somewhat curious as to why Yu Jing would keep such a rough wooden hairpin.

Just as Yu Jing was about to step into the bathtub, A Yu noticed the scar on Yu Jing's right chest and exclaimed, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"

Yu Jing was startled by A Yu. Seeing A Yu looking at her right chest, she smiled, stepped into the warm water, and said, "This was from an arrow shot by bandits when I fell off the cliff. It's healed now, so don't worry."

"Your Majesty, you have suffered. I should have discovered this sooner," Ayu said guiltily.

“Don’t blame yourself, it’s just that Xiaoting…” Yu Jing paused here and then fell silent.

For a moment, apart from the gentle sound of water, there was no other sound in the room.

After Yu Jing went to take a bath, Su Siyang turned around and looked at Xie Xuan. Although he was in a sorry state, his gaze was still sharp. He looked at Xie Xuan for a long time before he spoke and said, "Lord Xie, I will give you half an hour. Come to the study in half an hour. I want to hear your explanation for this matter."

"Yes." Xie Xuan responded without flinching, meeting Su Siyang's gaze, and then followed the servant to the bathhouse.

After Xie Xuan finished bathing, still thinking about Yu Jing, he asked the servant leading the way, "How is the Empress Dowager? Is she settled now?"

"Don't worry, sir. The Empress Dowager has no shortage of servants. Many people are eager to curry favor with her," the servant replied with a smile.

Xie Xuan was relieved and followed the servant to the study.

Xie Xuan pushed open the door and entered. The study was luxuriously furnished, with many valuable items displayed on the shelves. Incense was burning inside, carrying a faint scent of pear blossoms. The room was quiet, and he could not hear any other sounds. Xie Xuan walked in step by step, and when he reached the inner room, he saw Su Siyang standing in front of the desk waiting for him.

He also changed his clothes, wearing soft satin with silver thread and white crane pattern, and white jade tassels hanging from his waist, making him look noble and refined.

"This humble official greets Lord Su," Xie Xuan said, bowing respectfully to Su Siyang.

Su Siyang looked at Xie Xuan, who was dressed in a somber blue robe, which looked less flamboyant than the scarlet robe and gave him a more composed air.

"Lord Xie, what is your crime?" Su Siyang said, slowly sitting down on the back of the chair, his eyelids lowered, exuding an air of oppression.

"I was unaware, what crime have I committed?" Xie Xuan replied, meeting Su Siyang's eyes in a questioning tone.

Su Siyang scoffed at these words: "What do you think?"

"The Empress Dowager and I were forced to the edge of a cliff by bandits. The Empress Dowager was shot by an arrow and fell off the cliff. Fortunately, we were taken in by the villagers of Jinzhu Village..." Xie Xuan's words were interrupted by Su Siyang before he could finish.

"The Empress Dowager has been shot with an arrow!" Su Siyang asked in surprise.

"Yes, but it's much better now." Xie Xuan replied. "The reason we haven't left Jinzhu Village yet is because of the Empress Dowager's injuries. Lord Su has been to Jinzhu Village himself, so he should know that the mountain roads are rugged and difficult to travel."

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is accompanied only by me. I am willing to go to great lengths, but it would be inappropriate to bring Your Majesty along."

When Su Siyang heard Xie Xuan say that he was the only one by Sheng Hua's side, he tightened his grip on the jade pendant at his waist.