19 Thank you

◎Amazing, Xie Huaijin.◎

Anhuai is close to the water, and most of the local buildings are built by the water. Wooden or stone piles are driven into the riverbed and then covered with wide and evenly thick wooden boards. Richer families will build attics in the water. When night falls, the wind blows up the soft and bright lanterns high in the attics.

That evening, Ouyang Yan hosted a welcoming banquet for Xie Huaijin and his group in a magnificent and exquisite attic on the water. A graceful maid, dressed in neat attire, led Xie Huaijin, Ci Ying, and their group toward a wooden staircase around the corner.

The staircase was not square, but revolved around the attic. As Ci Ying walked on the stairs, she could see the scenery of the flower boats on the water in the distance. Lanterns were hung above the heads of several people at different heights, and the hot candlelight burned the silence of the night. The sound of stringed instruments could be heard from inside, and from afar, it seemed as if there was singing and dancing.

After all the guests were seated, Ouyang Yan winked at the butler beside her, and the butler instructed people to serve the dishes first. Ouyang Yan was the host, and although she wanted Xie Huaijin to sit in the high seat, she didn't want to force him after Xie Huaijin declined, so she sat in the high seat with her wife.

Ouyang Yan was not the only one at the banquet. Ci Ying looked back and saw that almost half of An Huai's officials were there, and they were all looking at Xie Huaijin with eager eyes.

Ouyang Yan kept speaking in a flattering and respectful manner, her words were full of compliments, and occasionally she talked about some official affairs. Her expression was fragmented, but her words were filled with inquiries and tests.

Xie Huaijin would occasionally reply with a remark or two, and when he saw Ciying looking at him, he would use his serving chopsticks to pick up a dish or two for her. The dishes on the table were a riot of gems and jade, delicacies from land and sea, all delicious without even having to taste them. However, when Ciying took a bite, she could taste nothing.

The music of stringed instruments drifted softly, and the graceful dancer, Eleventh Moon, still in her thin clothes, twirled barefoot in the center of the hall. Ciying took another bite, and Xiaowan squeezed her sleeve. Ciying raised her hand to cover Xiaowan's trembling hand and shook her head softly.

Xie Huaijin, who was standing by, no longer paid any attention to Ouyang Yan. His voice was soft and gentle, reaching Ci Ying's ears: "Is it okay? Do you need anything else?"

At this time, the banquet was already halfway through. Not far away, a drunk man hugged a dancer in an ugly manner. Ouyang Yan's face also showed fatigue. She glanced at Xie Huaijin's expression out of the corner of her eye. The wind from the river blew in through the window, and the warm candlelight became a little cold.

Ci Ying really couldn't stay any longer.

Outside, there were starving people everywhere, and the delicacies here were untouched. Ci Ying really couldn't stand it. After Xie Huaijin asked, she picked up her chopsticks and reluctantly took a few more bites.

After putting down his chopsticks, a drunk official came forward and looked at Ci Ying with narrowed eyes, as if he wanted to say something.

Before the official could say anything, Ouyang Yan had already walked up to him and had him taken away. She offered him a glass of wine and apologized, "Please forgive me, Madam. He was drunk and couldn't recognize people. He wouldn't dare to act so rashly on other days. I'll make sure he comes to apologize to you another day."

As he spoke, Ouyang Yan drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.

Ci Ying didn't say anything, but subconsciously held Xie Huaijin's hand.

Ouyang Yan had originally done this for Xie Huaijin to see. Seeing this, she smiled and nodded at Xie Huaijin's wine glass: "When I was in Chang'an, I met Lord Xie at a banquet. You are truly a student who surpasses your teacher. You are an amazing talent."

"Father?" Xie Huaijin said in a gentle voice.

Ouyang Yan smiled and nodded, then saw a young man in a snow-white robe raise his eyes calmly and speak in a voice as clear as pearls: "My father also told me about the Qionglin Banquet. He said that a scholar had offended the nobleman. He cherished his talent and could not bear to plead for him."

Ci Ying looked at Ouyang Yan, and the smile on her lips became stiff.

"What a pity." Xie Huaijin shook his head and looked indifferently at the flower boat on the water not far away. The lights were bright, and the singing girls' voices were carried by the wind and along the waves. "Lord Ouyang, who once shocked Chang'an with his writing, has now become..."

Xie Huaijin glanced at Ouyang Yan with contempt and endless coldness in his eyes amidst her stiff smile.

Ouyang Yan couldn't help but notice, and just as she was about to threaten him, a cold blade was placed against her neck. Mo Yu appeared behind Ouyang Yan like a shadow, and before Ouyang Yan could say anything, he used the cold blade to make her stop.

"Corrupt official, running dog." Xie Huaijin said this in a very calm tone.

The flower boat drew closer, and before the officials in the hall could react, a barrage of arrows pierced their hearts. Blood flowed into the water, and the dancers and servants screamed. Ci Ying, startled by the sudden change, loosened her grip on Xie Huaijin's hand.

Ouyang Yan looked at the people falling one by one and said excitedly: "How dare you, how dare you..."

Xie Huaijin looked at Ci Ying, who was obviously stunned. Her body was trembling, and her eyes were fixed on the distant river of blood. Out of fear of death and blood, she instinctively let go of his hand.

The young man rubbed the white jade ring on his thumb, turned to look at Ouyang Yan, a smile on his lips: "It's just An Huai, why should I be afraid?"

Ouyang Yan said loudly, "You should know who I belong to. Your Xie family is indeed powerful, but after all, the world is not ruled by your family alone. Why do you think the young emperor sent you this time? Master Xie, I don't believe you are so foolish as to not understand that in these chaotic times, it is wise to protect yourself."

This voice brought Ci Ying back to her senses from the blood-red sky. She looked at the person beside her with complicated eyes. A smile stained the young man's lips. His voice was light and calm: "Do you think that person will..." As he spoke, Xie Huaijin glanced at Ouyang Yan and said lightly: "Because you are against me?"

There was a dead silence in the air, and Ouyang Yan's eyes widened.

Ouyang Yan wanted to say something, but before she could, Xie Huaijin was already a little impatient and raised his finger slightly. In an instant, Mo Yu's eyes drooped slightly, and Ouyang Yan fell down softly. The words she wanted to say were sealed in the night by a sharp blade.

The blood flowed to Ci Ying's feet. Xie Huaijin took the handkerchief and gently wiped his hands, then turned to look at Ci Ying.

The girl's lips were pale, and the skin on her neck was covered with tiny bumps. Her body was shaking like a willow branch in the wind, as if she was about to fall down at any moment.

Xie Huaijin was not surprised at all.

It seems like I’m about to cry again.

He thought.

But the next moment, Ci Ying didn't cry. She just threw herself into his arms, hugged him tighter than last time, and put her arms around his waist, tightening them continuously, burying her whole body in his arms.

If Ci Ying knew what Xie Huaijin was thinking at this moment, she would probably be surprised.

Xie Huaijin actually thought that she was afraid of him because she was afraid of blood and death, just because he killed those corrupt officials, killed those bugs that rotted An Huai and sucked blood from the corpses of countless people. If Ci Ying knew, she would probably hold Xie Huaijin's hand tightly and say seriously.

——is a hero.

Xie Huaijin.

Ci Ying looked at Xie Huaijin with burning eyes. The smell of blood made her breathless, but she could still hear her own heartbeat, which was beating very hard, harder than any time before.

She heard herself asking Xie Huaijin, "Wouldn't it be troublesome to deal with them if they were all killed?"

There was a hint of surprise in the young man's eyes, but he quickly hid it in the darkness. He looked at the girl's tightly clenched hand and said softly, "Yes, but if it's for me, it's okay."

Ci Ying's eyes were actually already misty, but when she heard this, she still narrowed her eyes and praised, "That's amazing."

Mo Yu glanced up from behind the two men, and exchanged glances with Zhu Yi and Zhu Er, who were plundering the battlefield not far away. Xiao Wan had already fainted from fright, and was held in the arms of the maid accompanying them.

Ci Ying praised him sincerely again: "Amazing, Xie Huaijin."

Then came a very soft: "Thank you."

Ci Ying wasn't stupid. Killing a local official would have caused Xie Huaijin countless troubles. Even if only one ten-thousandth of this was due to the tears she shed along the way, because Anhuai was once her hometown, she was very grateful to Xie Huaijin.

Xie Huaijin became very busy for the next two weeks, so Ciying contacted Mo Yu and arranged errands for herself and Xiaowan. With the city gates open, refugees from the lower regions arrived daily, victims of the flood. Ciying had Mo Yu set up a porridge stall at the city gate.

In addition to the money for disaster relief, she added another 10,000 taels of silver to provide porridge to the victims, and added another 3,000 taels to buy a large amount of herbs for reducing fever and relieving cold, which she boiled into soup and distributed every day when making porridge.

Although Xiaowan also felt that Ciying was right, she felt that Ciying should still leave some money for herself.

Ci Ying thought about it and decided not to tell Xiao Wan about the money. The money wasn't hers, it was left to her by the Madam. She used it to do some charity work, and every penny was accumulating merit for the Madam and the Young Lady. If the Madam and the Young Lady knew about it, they would definitely think she was doing the right thing.

After the Anhuai officials had made rearrangements and basically resettled the victims, and although most of the reconstruction work was still in progress, there would no longer be the situation where people were trapped outside the city and starved to death, Ciying and the others were about to set off to return. It was then that Ciying remembered that she had not yet visited the embroiderer.

Ci Ying was about to speak when the emperor's edict arrived.

She couldn't help but frown. The imperial edict had been issued twice in these three days. The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict was very respectful. When he asked Xie Huaijin questions, Ci Ying still vaguely sensed something... The incident in the Water Pavilion that day was indeed too big, and even Xie Huaijin would have a lot of trouble.

But... Ci Ying thought of what Ouyang Yan said that day, and when she looked at Xie Huaijin, her eyes couldn't help but show more worry.

The departure date is set for tomorrow. Ci Ying swallowed her words about going to visit the embroiderer and was thinking about when she would come back again.

After dinner in the evening, Xie Huaijin and Ci Ying were walking on the street when someone they knew greeted them: "Sir, hello, Madam!"

Ci Ying recognized him as the person who stopped their carriage outside the city gate that day.

There was a hint of surprise in Ci Ying's eyes as she looked at Xie Huaijin. Xie Huaijin nodded to her, and Ci Ying immediately felt happier.

As they boarded the carriage back, Ci Ying fell asleep, feeling somewhat drowsy. She'd been very tired these past few days. She'd been able to hold on while tired before, but now, after a break, she couldn't help herself. She lay sprawled on the carriage, her body rising and falling with each breath, while Xie Huaijin watched him quietly.

It was already dark when the carriage stopped.

Ci Ying slowly woke up and lifted the curtain, only to find she wasn't in the mansion. Confused, she looked at Xie Huaijin. After getting off the carriage, she saw a dry well. Ci Ying was startled, her fingers curled up.

Xie Huaijin did not go forward, but waited beside the carriage from a distance.

He looked at Ci Ying's back. In the cold wind, the girl knelt down and kowtowed three times. She stroked the wall of the well with her hands and put her face on it, feeling the breath of her mother in the dry well bit by bit.

There was only a fishy and rotten smell, and Ci Ying's eyes were filled with tears. She sometimes thought that if the embroiderer had been her own child, she would have taken the embroiderer away from the fire and the flood.

Unfortunately, she was too young and her hands were so delicate that she could only try her best to change her own destiny.

In the confused world, she could no longer save a mother.