Rain stopped
The carriage bumped along as it traveled northwest of Mujing towards Laishan Mountain, where the mountain road gradually became more rugged.
They prepared a total of six carriages for this trip. Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun rode in one carriage, while the maids, nannies, and the former cook from the Dou family occupied two carriages. Dou Yanxun also brought two newly hired secretaries. They also brought a lot of items, including money, food, and ceremonial items, so the carriages were naturally full.
Lin Xu was accompanied by bodyguards and escorts, but even so, he still felt a little uncomfortable without Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan by his side.
At that time, she was watching the servants pack up in the villa. The warm tea had just been brought to her lips when Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan came forward, bowed their heads and clasped their hands in a gesture of apology.
She had already guessed some of it. Liang Zhengyuan had long been determined to rejoin the army and quell the rebellion of the Yunji Nine Tribes. Now that the commander-in-chief had been chosen, it was none other than Zhao Qiang, the deputy commander who had gone south to Yazhou last time. This man was quite fond of talent, and it was precisely because he upheld justice and personally went to court to speak for Liang Si that the case was overturned. Naturally, the two were now even closer.
The army is fully prepared and is expected to depart from Mujing next month. Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan were formerly Liang Zhengyuan's most skilled bodyguards. As tough men, they naturally yearn to make a name for themselves. It would be unfair to keep them confined to the inner quarters under the guise of protecting her for so long.
Moreover, after Liang Zhengyuan's previous imprisonment, his maternal grandfather in Hecheng was somewhat worried about his safety. Although this grandson had been a bit mischievous since childhood, he had been pampered and raised by the Liang family. It's said that even a great family can produce a worthless son, and his maternal grandfather's initial decision to send Liang Si to Mujing likely stemmed from a hope that he would one day achieve great things.
Lin Xu then smiled and said:
"It's alright. I'm already deeply grateful for your protection in the past. Now that you're going to join the army, I hope you two will take good care of yourselves and also protect my cousin." After saying this, he had Zhu Ling give each of them a heavy purse.
Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan were always loyal to their master and possessed superb martial arts skills. With them by Liang Si's side, she could feel more at ease. However, the two were very reluctant to accept money, refusing to take it no matter what she said, so Zhu Ling had no choice but to give up.
Aside from Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan, who volunteered to leave, Lin Xu decided to bring only Qin Mama, Zhu Ling, Rong Wei, and Nong Yu with him this time.
Qingmo was sensible and clever. She was worried about Gao Youyi's pregnancy. In addition, she had been a servant in the Lin family since she was a child. So Lin Xu decided to send Qingmo back so that she could be closer to her mother and sister.
As for Fangxing... no matter what, she had saved his life.
If Fangxing hadn't reminded him that day, he would probably already be infected by the poison and terminally ill. Regarding whether to stay or leave, Lin Xu asked Fangxing for her opinion.
Fangxing shook her head.
"The master said that my duty is to protect you, and I will not leave your side."
Lin Xu smiled helplessly.
"Laining is remote, just a small county town. How could there be any great danger? Besides, wasn't your mission to lie low in the Dou family before? Now you're so focused on protecting me, what about your mission with the Dou family? What are you going to do about it?"
A rare hint of hesitation appeared on Fangxing's face. She hesitated for a moment, but still shook her head:
"The head of the family once instructed that no matter what, nothing is more important than your safety."
Although Lin Xu still doesn't know why Zhou Weikan's people are lurking in the Dou family, she doesn't want to have Zhou Weikan's spies around her.
Every time she saw Fangxing, she would recall that rainy day and Zhou Weikan's hesitant expression. Now that she had decided to let go, she could only try her best to stay as far away from him as possible in this life.
After several refusals, Fangxing finally decided to stay in the Dou family. Now that the villa is vacant, she might be reassigned to live with her two concubines.
Lin Xu was thinking quietly when suddenly the carriage jolted violently. She lost her balance and almost fell onto Dou Yanxun, who was resting with his eyes closed beside her.
After the two of them got into the carriage, he sat there with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.
Despite the sudden commotion, Dou Yanxun remained remarkably calm. He slowly opened his eyes, glanced sideways at Lin Xu, who was now nestled in his arms, and said calmly:
"What, Madam, you can't hold back anymore?"
Lin Xu's already flustered face instantly turned crimson.
"Can't help what? He's the one who can't help himself..."
She braced herself with her hands, trying to sit up again, but as soon as she left his chest, a warm hand pulled her back onto her shoulders.
Her cheek returned to his chest.
“Since you’re here, then so be it,” he tightened his grip on her shoulders, “Anyway, I’ve always been very generous to you.”
Lin Xu's forehead twitched; she didn't want to say anything more. Dou Yanxun was becoming increasingly unrestrained, often joking with her in a serious tone. He would never have spoken like this before, but lately he seemed to be in a particularly cheerful mood…
Indeed, she was about to be promoted to county magistrate, how could she not feel relaxed? Leaving the Dou family meant finally escaping Bai Shi's almost pathological control, and even she herself couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease.
At least during their time in Laining, it was just her and Dou Yanxun. Let him joke around; she could handle his words with ease. Except…
Besides, he seems to be enjoying physical intimacy with her more and more lately, and he's becoming less and less reserved about it.
Lin Xu felt the warmth of his chest, her cheek pressed against his clothes, and she could feel his heartbeat. Unconsciously, she had been leaning against him for quite a while, but he showed no sign of letting go.
"...Husband."
She called his name softly, but Dou Yanxun raised one eyebrow and gently stroked her soft hair with one hand.
"What?" Warmth came from his palm. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
He had already changed into his official robes, a dark blue round-necked, narrow-sleeved silk robe, his black hair tied up high, making him look exceptionally spirited. With power in his hands, even his voice carried more confidence, his words filled with an undeniable firmness.
Lin Xu couldn't help but think that she was used to Dou Yanxun's carefree and lazy demeanor, and she really couldn't imagine Dou Yanxun wearing an official hat and taking office as the local official.
Perhaps due to the bumpy journey, their carriages came to a stop. A moment later, a very respectful male voice sounded from outside the curtain:
"Reporting to Lord Dou, there seems to be a landslide ahead, and the rain hasn't stopped... Should we take a break for a while?"
He was a newly arrived advisor to him.
Dou Yanxun put one arm around Lin Xu's shoulder and used his fingertips to lift the curtain of the carriage to look outside.
Sure enough, the mountain road ahead had been washed away by the torrential rain, and many rocks had rolled down and piled up in the middle of the road. In the wind and rain, a few more rocks fell to the ground, making muffled sounds.
Even if the roads are to be cleaned, it will probably have to wait until the rain stops. And looking at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon, it seems like this rain won't stop anytime soon.
Lin Xu looked up at him with concern.
Dou Yanxun remained silent, his expression indifferent. The advisor outside the curtain, naturally adept at reading people's hearts, cautiously said:
"I see a teahouse not far ahead. Would you, sir and madam, be so kind as to deign to go and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourselves up?"
The two advisors were an old man and a young man. The younger one, surnamed Ma, was said to have passed the imperial examination last year. He came from a poor family, but he was very decisive in his dealings with people.
Teahouses in the mountains are often coarse and unrefined, and many officials and their wives usually do not want to go there. But Lin Xu did not think so. On the contrary, she felt that simple food had a certain charm. The teahouse that Dou Yanxun took her to when she took shelter from the rain by the Weilong River was very pleasant.
Dou Yanxun glanced at her before saying, "Okay."
Upon receiving the order, the clerk immediately arranged for servants to welcome Dou Yanxun and Lin Xu as they dismounted. Zhu Ling held an umbrella, and a minor official was already respectfully holding an umbrella, waiting for Dou Yanxun to get out of the carriage.
Lin Xu glanced at Dou Yanxun, who was surrounded by people in the downpour, with two umbrellas protecting him completely from the rain. Dou Yanxun, however, remained completely calm, as if he had always been able to command the wind and rain.
His nonchalant attitude towards everything around him makes it difficult for others to guess his preferences, which makes him even more dedicated to his work.
The wind whistled past his ears, carrying a chill, and Lin Xu watched him walk ahead, only then realizing—
It seems that he has always been so adept at the ways of officialdom, without needing any experience.
In this respect, neither his elder brother Dou Yanzhou nor his father Dou Huaisheng could compare.
A minor official was about to rush forward to greet the shopkeeper, but Dou Yanxun's cold voice came from under the umbrella: "No need to trouble the shopkeeper."
This place is remote, located in the official territory, and is a small village under the jurisdiction of the large county of Laining. Not far ahead is Donglai Town. Normally, when the newly appointed county magistrate visits, the shopkeepers would be exceptionally hospitable, but Dou Yanxun did not allow the clerk to say so.
"No need to clear the area, we can just have a bowl of tea in the corner."
Even though the shopkeeper was completely bewildered, seeing the impressive entourage and Dou Yanxun's tall and imposing figure, he naturally wouldn't dare to offend them. Leading the group towards the private room, Dou Yanxun gave a signal, and the clerk quickly said, "The main hall will suffice."
The shopkeeper dared not neglect them and set up two large tables for them: one for the clerk and officials, and another for Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun. They also served each of them a pot of steaming ginger soup, several large bowls of tea, and a variety of tea snacks.
The farmhouse snacks weren't fancy; there were steaming hot, coarse flour flatbreads sprinkled with sesame seeds, which smelled exceptionally fragrant. There was also a plate of steamed cornbread, golden in color. Lin Xu had never eaten cornbread before, but it tasted incredibly soft and delicious, leaving a lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth.
The shop owner was an old man with high cheekbones and several missing teeth, but he looked very honest and kept carefully observing their reactions.
For some reason, Lin Xu felt that ever since they came in, the shopkeeper and the waiter seemed to be behaving in a strange way.
Is she overthinking it?
She glanced around again. She saw only a few people sitting in the hall, dressed in coarse cloth, drinking tea with their heads down, occasionally glancing at the rain outside the window.
But in an instant, she became suspicious—
No, there's something wrong with this store and these people!
She turned to look at Dou Yanxun, only to see him sitting calmly to the side, holding a teacup in one hand, his eyes lowered, slowly blowing the steam from the hot tea.
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