The Qian hexagram (also known as the Zhongzhong hexagram)

Chapter 15 Earth Mountain Humility Hexagram - Initial Emergence

Rong Yan also lifted the curtain and looked outside. A spring breeze blew in, and the rain was flying in the air like a curtain of water. The damp air was sticky on his face, but it felt a little cool.

The rain was quite heavy, and a woman could be seen kneeling in front of the porcelain shop, her head bowed, her hands clasped to her chest, praying incessantly.

“Your husband is dead, but you still have to pay back the money he owes. The son pays for the father’s debts. You have no children, so the wife pays for the husband’s debts. It’s a matter of course. Begging me won’t help. You’d better get up now.”

Wang's mother didn't dare to look up, seemingly not wanting people to see her face clearly. However, if an acquaintance saw her, they would probably recognize her just from her back.

She clasped her hands together and rubbed them together in prayer, saying, "Please be lenient. I injured my foot this month and spent some money on herbal medicine. I really don't have any money left. I promise to give you more next month, okay?"

The two argued for a while, basically saying that if they hadn't taken shelter from the rain together in front of the shop, he wouldn't have been able to find Wang Mama, and threatened to cause trouble at the Marquis of Runan's mansion if she didn't return the money.

Mrs. Wang was terrified. She hunched over and trembled, unsure whether it was from the cold or fear.

Du Chunhong's voice rang in my ears, "I thought her gambling husband was dead and she could finally be free. She really didn't marry the right person and has been unlucky for half her life."

Rong Yan paused as he lifted the curtain, glancing at Wang Mama's evasive face, and then did not get off the carriage.

This caused a stir among the crowd. Their carriage had pulled over to the side of the road so as not to block pedestrians, and now another carriage had stopped in the middle of the road.

The carriage was lavishly decorated; even a discerning eye could tell that the wood used in the carriage was extremely expensive.

The coachman, wearing a cloak, got off the carriage, walked to the porcelain shop, and placed a bag of silver in the man's hand. "This is what our Mr. Qian paid on behalf of this woman. He said she has an air of nobility, so you should be polite to her."

Mr. Qian?

Rong Yan turned his gaze back to the carriage. The gauze window was very thin, and he could only vaguely see the figures.

Suddenly, the person inside the carriage rolled up the window, revealing a long, slender, and fair hand—clearly the wrist of a young man. With the window open, a slight breeze lifted the curtain, revealing his rather thin chin.

Rong Yan: !

She had always assumed that Mr. Qian, who had been able to navigate the world of the powerful for over a decade, must be a middle-aged man, but she never imagined he would be so young.

Could the blood-red layout in her bridal chamber be his doing?

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she wouldn't have come back to her senses if the rain hadn't gradually stopped and she hadn't heard the conversation between the other man and Wang's mother ahead of her.

“Madam Wang, your husband and I were old friends. He entrusted me with an old item. Would you like to come with me back to the Zhao family mansion in the south of the city, and I will return it to you?”

"I dare not say that I am your benefactor. Please rise quickly and come with me back to my residence."

Just as Wang Mama, who was kneeling on the ground, was about to get up and follow him, Rong Yan lifted the curtain and walked down to them, holding a bamboo umbrella.

"Wait a minute."

Mrs. Wang was startled, turned around and saw it was Rong Yan, "Young Master..."

Upon seeing Rong Yan shake his head, Wang's mother swallowed her words.

The man's gaze fell on Huali and Rongyan. Rongyan was wearing a veil, and after only a quick glance, he stared intently at Huali, who had followed them.

Hua Li's delicate face couldn't withstand the man's unrestrained gaze, and she was so embarrassed that she hid behind Rong Yan.

Yu Ling had naturally noticed this, and now she put on a stern face and reprimanded him, "I say, young master, your gaze is rather lewd. We cannot tolerate such recklessness!"

The man's eyes were practically gleaming, but before he could even make a move on Hua Li, Yu Ling slapped him to death on the shore with a single sentence.

His face was not very good. He thought that he could not afford to lose more than he gained by losing these people. If he got into a conflict with these people, the easy money he had in his hands tonight would be gone.

Let's go.

Wang's mother hesitated for a moment and looked at Rong Yan.

A gust of wind rose from beneath the man's feet, scattering some sand and gravel that landed scattered on the ground in a small circle.

Rong Yan's tone hardened. "I said, wait a minute."

The man seemed to be getting impatient. "I'm in a hurry to return the item entrusted to me by my old friend to this lady. Why are you stopping us? Do you think I'm going to sell her?"

Rong Yan smiled and looked at the man, saying, "I'm afraid that's really what you think."

The man's face instantly turned terrified, and he glanced at Wang Mama beside him. "Don't make false accusations! She's a servant of a marquis's mansion; I wouldn't dare to do that even if I had a hundred lives. How dare you spout such nonsense! Who are you?!"

"Who I am is not important, nor is it important whether I know you or not. What is important is that if you continue like this, even God will warn you."

Man: !!!

Hua Li and Yu Ling exchanged glances, knowing full well that their mistress had deliberately made it sound so mysterious in order to scare him away.

The man, of course, didn't believe it either. "Where did this charlatan come from, putting on airs here?"

Don't think you can fool me with a few words; she's just a woman.

Rong Yan looked at him with pity, which puzzled the man opposite him. Rong Yan said slowly, "I see that you have a face that suggests you are not blessed with good fortune, with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks. You must have lived a very hard life these past few years. You should find a decent job to do, so you can get by in this difficult situation. Now you're resorting to cheating and swindling. Even the most upright official would be furious."

Upon hearing this, the man grinned and said, "Ha, I don't know what you're talking about. Don't pry into my affairs, and don't try to scare me. You think the righteous emperor can be enraged?! Did you see that? The rain just stopped, and even the sky is against you! If you want to have some fun too, then come with me."

The onlookers started whispering, "This guy doesn't look like a good person at all, but this woman has to find the right way to coax him away. What's with this talk of divine wrath?"

"That's right, the rain just stopped at dawn, and you can see the clouds are starting to turn white, so it definitely won't rain again."

Only then did Wang's mother realize that this person's wild words were exactly like those of her deceased husband, and he was probably a gambler as well!

"How dare you! My lady will not tolerate such frivolity from you!" Wang's mother immediately rebuked him sternly.

Now that the duck that was about to be eaten has flown away, and with all pretense of civility gone, the man was somewhat annoyed. He turned around and wanted to tear off Rong Yan's veil. Whether he was a man or a ghost, he would know at a glance!

He moved with lightning speed, and before the others could react, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, the sky darkened instantly, and a strong wind arose.

The man was startled, his face filled with shock!

How is that possible?!

Didn't the rain just stop and the sky open up?

Not only the man, but everyone watching the commotion was shocked.

This is really bad news!

Not only that, but just as everyone was in shock, the strong wind made them squint. Just as darkness was about to engulf the city, they heard a deep rumble, and then a flash of lightning streaked across the sky.

Everyone: !!!

It's thundering!!!

How could thunderclouds appear again when the sky is just about to clear up?

This woman must have cast a spell!

The man suddenly let out a wail, tears streaming down his face. He quickly clasped his hands together and knelt before Rong Yan, pleading, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong, please spare my life!"

The people around immediately exclaimed in surprise, "My God, this woman's prophecy came true!"

Everyone looked at Rong Yan with disbelief and admiration, even Hua Li and Yu Ling looked at her with incredulous eyes.

"That's amazing!"

"Could she be a disciple of some female Taoist priest?"

Rong Yan listened to the constant whispers in his ear, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the person kneeling on the ground.

“Since you say that an old friend has something to entrust to you, then give all the money you have to this lady. Doing good deeds will bring blessings. Although it cannot repay the debts of this life, it will make things easier for your relatives in the future.”

Madam Wang was astonished to see the five silver ingots that were hurriedly stuffed into her hand!

If the young mistress hadn't seen through the thief's scheme, she would have surely met a terrible end!

Belatedly realizing what was happening, Wang's mother broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly knelt down.

"Thank you so much, young mistress, for saving my life!"

Rong Yan stepped forward and reached out to support her shoulder. Her slender fingers were spotted by the sharp-eyed crowd around them; they were tender and white, like a piece of white lotus root, making people's hearts itch.

The onlookers were even more astonished upon hearing this.

She's the eldest daughter-in-law?!

The swindler tried to escape in the chaos, but was tied up by the enthusiastic Asahi citizens who were watching.

The story of the young mistress of the Marquis of Runan's mansion using divination to resolve the Fu Lou murder case had already spread throughout the streets and alleys through the mouths of the constables. Now that they knew that the person in question was standing right next to them, everyone wanted to come and see.

Rong Yan was completely unaware of all this; he only noticed that there were more and more people.

In the distance, a magnificent carriage was parked in front of the restaurant. The windows on the second floor of the restaurant were open, and dark eyes silently watched everything happening in the crowd below.

Madam Wang noticed the growing crowd and whispered to Rong Yan from behind, "Young Madam, we need to leave as soon as possible."

The crowd grew larger and larger, with everyone eager to catch a glimpse of Rong Yan's beauty, making it difficult for them to escape.

Some even tried to lift Rong Yan's veil in the chaos, but fortunately, several people protected her.

"Madam, Madam, please don't go. We just need to take a look."

"Yes, madam, please don't go! Let's talk!"

Just as hands reached out towards Rong Yan, amidst a shoving motion, Rong Yan suddenly felt a path opened beside her, and a pair of hands grabbed her elbows. She turned her head and saw a man also wearing a veil, except that the man's veil was black.

The man pulled her along as easily as if she were a chick, leading them out of the crowd.

"How dare you! Let go of our young mistress!!"

He moved quickly, and by the time the maid behind him realized he had come to rescue someone, he had already turned and run away.

The incident happened suddenly. Rong Yan was led to the carriage, and seeing that the crowd was about to catch up, the driver immediately whipped the carriage and sped away after he got in. Separated by a curtain, she didn't have time to thank him, but she saw his hair flutter as it was lifted, and a faint smell of ink wafted in.

Since agreeing to this marriage, everything and everyone around her seemed to have become more complicated. She watched the street recede into the distance, her mind in turmoil.

Who is this person?

And why did you save her from danger?

Something's not right, that's her gut feeling, but she can't find any clues.

After thinking it over, he took out a tortoise shell from his pocket, shook it a few times, and cast a divination.

The result was the Fellowship of Men hexagram.

Friends who share the same ideals and beliefs?

Unexpectedly, just as the group returned to the mansion, several maids were waiting at the gate. Upon seeing her return, they hurriedly said, "Young Madam, please hurry back to Qu Shen Courtyard! The Eldest Young Master, the Eldest Young Master has woken up!!"