Visitor
Even though Lin Xu harbored resentment towards Zhou Weikan, she was starving after a whole day of commotion. So, disregarding everything else, she simply lowered her eyes and remained silent, quickly finishing all the food the maids had brought her. Surprisingly, the food was quite to her liking; although the ingredients weren't expensive, each dish was delicate, light, and undeniably delicious.
Seeing that she had eaten and drunk her fill, Zhou Weikan's smile relaxed a bit. It was already late at night, and it would be inappropriate to linger in her room any longer, so he ordered two clever-looking maids to keep watch. Worried that Lin Xu might be scared at night, he also ordered Fang Xing to wait in the side hall.
He gave all the instructions carefully before leaving.
Lin Xu could only smile bitterly to herself. She had always heard that the servants of the Zhou family were all highly skilled. There were so many maids that she could see them, not to mention the guards who were nowhere to be seen. Now that she had come to Zhou Weikan's place, she was trapped and had nowhere to escape.
But there was no point in thinking about it now. She stroked her belly and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Xu slept very soundly, far away from the turmoil of the Dou family. He felt unusually relaxed. When he opened his eyes, he saw Fang Xing, who had changed her clothes, waiting in the room.
When Fangxing saw that she had woken up, she bowed respectfully and said, "I was very rude yesterday, please forgive me, Madam."
Lin Xu curled his lips mockingly, "You say offensive things, but when it comes to doing things, you obey his every command and have been loyal to him for many years. It is clear that the Zhou family has indeed taken excellent care of its servants."
Fangxing was not annoyed by what she heard. She simply raised her head and looked at her with deep eyes: "The master is far-sighted and gentle, never harsh. That is why we servants are determined to follow her to the death." As she spoke, she deftly lowered the bed curtains and stepped aside: "It's time to check the madam's pulse."
Before he finished speaking, a man walked in from outside. He looked very weathered and his attire was quite peculiar. Even though Lin Xu was looking at him through the curtain, he couldn't help but feel surprised.
"Renquan Mountain Man's medical skills are superb. The head of the family specially instructed him to take your pulse. You don't need to worry, just relax."
Lin Xu stretched out her wrist through the curtain, and Fang Xing draped a neatly folded brocade handkerchief over it. Ren Quanshan, who had his hair half-tied in a high bun and wore a dark blue long robe, stroked his beard and squinted to take her pulse.
She was astonished. Renquan Shanren...? Could this man before her be the world-renowned physician, known for his terrible temper, who had wandered the world for decades and was called the "Living Dead"? She didn't know how old this physician was, but according to rumors, he had already passed away.
Although she already knew that Zhou Weikan was extremely wealthy and powerful, it was still quite surprising that he could hire the people of Renquan Mountain to work for him.
Renquan Shanren's fame reached its peak when he examined Princess Zhaocheng's pulse while she was still alive, extending her life by half a month despite her already near-death state. However, at that time, Princess Zhaocheng was grieving for the Marquis Zhongwu who had died on the battlefield, and even with Renquan Shanren's superb medical skills, he could only shake his head and sigh, "This is a heart ailment, incurable and without medicine."
Legend has it that Emperor Taizu even offered a large sum of money to retain Renquan Shanren, but he resolutely refused. For many years, the story of this man wandering the mountains and seas has circulated, and people assumed he was old and had long since passed away. It turns out he had been quietly working for the Zhou family all along!
Lin Xuqiang suppressed his surprise and saw through the curtain that Renquan Shanren had withdrawn his hand. After a long while, his expression turned solemn, and he slowly stood up and said:
"The lady's pulse is weak and floating, which is obviously due to internal emotional distress and the pregnancy has already started. Fortunately, her meridians are not reversed, and she can still be treated and her condition can be reversed. However, she needs to calm her mind and avoid worrying and disturbing her peace of mind in the future."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xu felt a weight lift from her heart. Since the hermit of Renquan Mountain had said so, it seemed that her pregnancy was temporarily safe. As long as she could safely deliver the baby, she would be at ease.
"Thank you, Hermit." Verbal thanks weren't enough; Lin Xu was about to offer him a bag of gold coins when she suddenly remembered she was penniless, and Zhu Ling and Rong Wei weren't around. She couldn't even afford a single coin. It was laughable that she had fallen so low.
Fangxing seemed to see through her thoughts and said softly, "The hermit is of noble character and dislikes money and worldly possessions. There's no need for you to trouble yourself, Madam." After saying this, she bowed to the hermit and kindly saw him off.
The curtains fluttered and fell again, but Lin Xu remained silent as he looked at the now peaceful room.
...She had underestimated Zhou Weikan and the Zhou family's strength far too much.
The legendary physician, whom even the founding emperor couldn't retain, is now willing to work for a mere merchant. Moreover, this merchant wields immense power, managing to place spies within the household of a fourth-rank official, the Vice Minister of Personnel, without being detected for years. Who exactly is Zhou Weikan? And what is his true intention?
She had tried her best to avoid him and sever all ties with him her whole life, so why did he save her and leave her here...?
She didn't even know where she was. Thinking of this, Lin Xu propped herself up and slowly got out of bed, walking towards the window.
Looking out the window, one could vaguely glimpse the entire courtyard. It was remarkably orderly, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and bamboo groves surrounding the walls. Two old plum trees stood in front of the porch, and small pebbles paved the path, creating a simple and understated atmosphere. Although she had never formally visited the Zhou family in her previous life, she knew that the Zhou residence was the epitome of extravagance and luxury; this place was quite different.
It looked more like Zhou Weikan's private residence.
She stared at the few white plum blossoms swaying in the wind outside the window for a while, then heard footsteps coming from outside the corridor. They paused at the door, and then a soft knock sounded.
Lin Xu did not answer. The person in front of the door seemed to wait patiently for a while before speaking, "Are you up? I ordered someone to brew medicine for you according to the hermit's prescription. You should take it as soon as possible."
After yesterday's events, Lin Xu still didn't know how to face Zhou Weikan. Now, hearing his voice again, even though it was once incredibly familiar, it felt completely foreign. She no longer recognized him.
"Thank you, please leave it at the door."
Zhou Weikan did not answer. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, which slowly seeped in through the crack in the door.
"Lin Xu, I know you don't like me. But isn't this wariness a bit unnecessary? If I wanted to harm you, why would I go to such lengths to protect you? If I really wanted to do something, I could have simply stood by and watched you tread carefully in the Dou family back then..."
His voice was full of helplessness, and perhaps because the medicine was wafting through the air, the room was filled with a faint bitterness.
Before he could finish speaking, a creak was heard. The door slowly opened, and Lin Xu stood in front of it, facing the blinding light.
Her skin was already snow-white, but now, backlit by the light, she seemed even more as if she were about to disappear. Coupled with her frail health, her features appeared even more serene, like a cold, moonlit night.
But how can the moon's shadow and sunlight appear at the same time?
For some reason, just seeing her standing there, in front of him, made his breath quicken. The joy he felt at seeing her finally open the door was quickly dispelled by the sorrow between her brows; he was terrified.
He was terrified that she would be unhappy, that she would grow tired of this place, and even more afraid that once he saw her, his body and emotions would no longer belong to him. Zhou Weikan asked himself, in his entire life, he had never truly feared anything, yet now, for some reason, he had become timid and even somewhat cowardly around her.
"It's a bit stuffy inside, may I come out for a walk?"
She obediently took the bowl of medicine from his hand. Even though the rim of the bowl was a little hot, she didn't even frown. She quickly drank the bitter-smelling medicine down her throat, bit by bit. It seemed that she would do anything as long as it was good for the baby in her womb.
She looked up at him with her deep eyes, and how could he refuse?
Zhou Weikan took the empty bowl and handed her a plain handkerchief. "Of course. If you feel tired, I can find more people to chat with you."
Lin Xu wiped her mouth clean and simply smiled.
"Then no need. I just want to be alone for a while. It's no fun with lots of people around."
Zhou Weikan nodded and saw her walking slowly along the corridor alone. Her belly was already quite large, and she had to support her lower back with both hands to relieve the soreness. The morning light was intense, lingering among the roof tiles, pillars, flowers, and leaves. She walked so slowly through the courtyard, even the sunlight quietly following behind, as if afraid to disturb her tranquility.
Zhou Weikan watched her walk further and further away until she reached the corridor. There, before the clouds could reach her, the warm sunlight softly shone on her cheeks. Like clouds and mist, like a wind that could not be grasped or held.
He seemed captivated by the scene, and the light in his eyes deepened.
The silence lasted only a moment before a servant boy strode in from outside the corridor. He was the closest servant boy who always followed him. The boy bowed and greeted him, then whispered in his ear, "Third Master, a distinguished guest has arrived."
Zhou Weikan's brow twitched. It was almost noon. Why had he suddenly come here? "Lead him to the front yard." After saying that, he turned back to look at Lin Xu one last time, then turned and left.
.
In the dark room in the front yard, the windows were tightly closed, and only a tea stove was quietly burning, with wisps of white steam rising and spreading in all directions.
The man, dressed in a black cloak and wearing a hat, looked displeased and simply stood with his arms crossed in front of the table.
Zhou Weikan pushed open the door and entered, where he saw a man wearing a hat and robe. He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and greeted him, "Your Highness, may you be well."
The Crown Prince had been waiting for quite some time. He slowly removed his clothes and hat, giving him a cold glance. "Why does Young Master Zhou seem to be in such a good mood today? Is there some joyous occasion?"
The two had been secretly seeing each other for a long time and were quite familiar with each other. Zhou Weikan smiled but said nothing, made a gesture of invitation and sat down at the table, raising his hand to pour tea for the Crown Prince. The Longquan porcelain cup gleamed with a lustrous yet cool light, the water droplets as fine as silk threads, falling into the cup silently, with wisps of steam rising effortlessly. It was undoubtedly a top-quality Zisun tea that was hard to find in the world.
"Your Highness rarely visits during the day; perhaps you're craving a cup of purple bamboo shoot tea?"
The Crown Prince's expression turned cold. He glanced at the potted asparagus fern on the table through the misty water and said in a low voice, "Yao Qijiang has been making trouble lately. Although Cizhou is far away, it is adjacent to three prefectures. If he becomes too bold, I'm afraid there will be turmoil again."
"I need to take precautions."
Zhou Weikan nodded and said gently, "With the Yao family in decline, his position as general is now merely nominal. Why should the Crown Prince be alarmed?"
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, his fingers slowly tracing the rim of his cup. After a long while, he said, "Yao Su'an will be marrying my fifth brother in a few days. I'm afraid that Yao Qijiang is foolish and doesn't know how to be respectful. If he really dares to make a rash move, then we will have to make preparations in advance."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
