Chapter 37 Centrifugal Forces "Getting hungry?"
It was three days later when Ruan Yang and his group arrived at the small town on the northern border of Xinjiang. It was already late, and the group decided to stay at a nearby inn for the night and visit the local magistrate early the next morning.
The wind and snow were raging. After the innkeeper closed the doors and windows tightly, he had his servant serve the delicacies. The room quickly became warm. The beef sizzled and dripped oil under the grill, and the wine was poured into bowls with a splash of aroma.
It took Ruan Yang quite a bit of effort to sit down. The road was wet and the rain was heavy, and she accidentally twisted her ankle.
"Madam, shall I go and find a doctor to take a look at you?"
The accompanying maid glanced at the ankle that Ning Xian was holding in her palm, which was swollen like a steamed bun.
"It's getting late today, so I won't trouble those doctors to come over. You can take me to a nearby clinic first thing tomorrow morning."
Ning Xian covered the girl's ankles with cold snowballs to reduce the swelling. He said, "I have important business to attend to with the prefect tomorrow. Stay in the house by yourself and don't wander around. It's dangerous outside."
Ruan Yang nodded obediently: "Don't worry, my foot is twisted so badly that I'm too weak to go out for a walk even if I wanted to."
While drinking, the prefect said with a smile, "Your Highness and your wife are as harmonious as a zither and a lute; it is truly enviable."
Ning Xian listened and helped Ruan Yang put her shoes and socks back on. He smiled from the bottom of his heart, which was rare for him. "I have to thank my wife for staying by my side. If she hadn't been taking care of me all this time, I'm afraid I would have died on the road long ago."
Ruan Yangyi laughed and said, "It's just about looking out for each other. Now that I've married you, I'm yours in life and in death, right?"
Ning Xian chuckled upon hearing this, then stood up and picked Ruan Yang up in his arms. In front of everyone, he generously kissed Ruan Yang's forehead: "Your wife's little mouth is as sweet as ever. But you must be careful with your feet in the future, and don't fall like this again."
Ruan Yang hooked her arms around his neck, her back teeth clenching. She had fallen like this for no reason, and it was all because someone had deliberately injured her leg to restrict her movement.
Ruan Yang nodded, rubbing her eyes, and said, "I understand, thank you for your concern, husband. I'm sleepy, would you please take me back to my room?"
"I will take you back to rest now."
One by one, the accompanying maids followed, and Ning Xian casually carried the person back to the bed.
These people were all from the prefecture, or you could say they were spies sent by the emperor to monitor them. Although there were no major restrictions on her and Ning Xian's travels, with these people following them every day, their every word and action would be reported to the court.
The candlelight flickered as Ruan Yang sat on the edge of the bed, leisurely watching Ning Xian, with his back to her, unfasten his waist belt and take off his robe.
Until he saw the palm-sized bruise and the various teeth marks and scars on the body beneath that thick back, Ruan Yang couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction after getting revenge, as if he were admiring his own masterpiece.
The maids stood openly on either side of the bed, and upon seeing this, they all lowered their heads without saying a word.
Ning Xian said, "The Crown Princess and I are going to rest. Are you still standing here because you want to come up and rest with us?"
The girl in the lead, named Juzhi, said, "We wouldn't dare. We'll just wait outside. Your Highness can give us any instructions."
After speaking, he left with a group of maids.
Seeing that Ruan Yang was still staring at him, Ning Xian joked, "Still staring? Getting hungry?"
Ruan Yang snapped out of her daze. The discomfort she felt from those words made her frown. She shook her head and shrank back into the covers, her voice tinged with weariness: "I have important business to attend to tomorrow. I'm going to bed now. Do as you please."
Ning Xian scoffed upon hearing this, then knelt on the bed and embraced her from behind. After a long while, the lights were finally turned off, and the man gradually fell asleep, inhaling the magnolia scent emanating from Ruan Yang's hair.
In the darkness, Ruan Yang clutched her aching abdomen, trying her best not to let out a single sob. Being toyed with time and time again made her feel extremely humiliated, and she really didn't know when this kind of life would end.
The next day, when Ruan Yang woke up, she found her pillow empty. She felt inexplicably relieved. She closed her eyes again and stretched comfortably, but unexpectedly, her swollen ankle was pulled and a sharp pain shot through her.
Hearing the noise, Juzhi abruptly lifted the bed curtain and asked, "Madam, you're awake?"
Ruan Yang lifted her right foot and saw that her ankle was even more swollen than last night. She sighed, "Sister Juzhi, my leg hurts a lot. Could you come with me to see a doctor?"
"There's no need for you to travel far. I've already had someone invite the best doctor in the area. He's waiting outside, just waiting for your word."
Ruan Yang asked curiously, "Where's that older sister who's always by your side? You two are always inseparable, why can't I see her today?"
Ju Zhi said calmly, "She has other things to do, you don't need to worry about it."
"Is it something important? Are you going to accompany His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The orange branches remain silent.
Ruan Yang said, "Then Sister Juzhi must know His Highness's whereabouts, right? Can you tell me? I can tell you things you don't know."
Ju Zhi frowned: "I don't need to know any secrets."
Ruan Yang continued, "You sent people to follow Ning Xian because you suspect he might take the opportunity to collude with others from the inside."
"Then what do you want to do? Are you going to betray your husband? Aren't you two in the same boat, sharing both glory and ruin?"
Ruan Yang said, "That's true, but do you recognize this?"
After speaking, she took out a jade pendant from beside her pillow.
Ju Zhi was taken aback. This jade pendant was a royal item, something His Majesty had possessed back then. How could something so precious have ended up in the hands of the Crown Princess?
"This was a gift from His Majesty to General Lu, but now the zither is on my body. Do you know what it means?"
Ju Zhi frowned and asked, "Are you a spy?"
This jade pendant was given to her by Lu Wenjin when he kidnapped her in the woods. He told her not to trust anyone around her, and also told her that everyone except those related to Ning Xian was one of his own.
"To be honest, my leg was also injured by Ning Xian, which restricts my movement. So, please tell me where he is. Although he doesn't completely trust me, compared to you, I've been with him day and night, and we've been husband and wife for four whole years."
After hearing this, Ju Zhi said, "Lu Nong just sent me a message by carrier pigeon that after visiting the county magistrate, they went to Zui Chun Lou together."
"He went to a brothel?" Ruan Yang raised an eyebrow. "So, he can use the excuse of favoring courtesans to avoid you?"
"Yes, Lu Nong and the others can only stay outside now."
After hearing this, Ruan Yang looked outside and said, "I understand. Time is of the essence. Quickly call the doctor in."
After a short while, the doctor examined Ruan Yang's injuries and said, "The young lady's injuries are not too serious. She only needs to apply medicine and rest for a few days before she can get out of bed and walk."
Ruan Yang said, "I know a way that will allow me to get out of bed and walk right now. Would you be willing to help me, sir?"
The doctor hesitated for a moment and said, "What the young lady said is true. I only need to use acupuncture on the wound. However, once the effect wears off, the injury will become more and more serious, and the pain will be even worse at night. Therefore, we doctors generally do not use this treatment on patients."
"It's alright, I have important business to attend to. If anything happens to me, it won't be your responsibility. We can discuss the amount of money." Ruan Yang gestured for Ju Zhi to bring over the money pouch.
Seeing her insistence, the doctor nodded and took out silver needles from his medicine box.
The acupuncture and anesthetic temporarily relieved the pain in her ankle. Ruan Yang tried walking a few steps by the bedside and found that the pain had subsided considerably, and even the swelling had reduced a lot.
Ruan Yang tied her hair up and changed into men's clothing. Seeing that Ju Zhi was still wary, she said, "If you're worried, you can come with me."
After hearing this, Juzhi gave a wink to the people around her, signaling them to keep an eye on the place.
She glanced at Ruan Yang's flawless skin and delicate, adorable features, not at all like a man. She took out a human skin mask and said, "Wear this. If you go to a brothel looking like this, it'll be hard for the madam not to think you're looking to catch someone cheating."
Ruan Yang turned around and saw that Ju Zhi had dark skin, unibrows, and beady eyes, and had nothing to do with her appearance just now.
She took it and smiled, "You know the art of disguise?"
Ju Zhi said, "I know a little bit about it. This fictitious face is easy to sculpt, but if I wanted to sculpt someone else's face, I could only manage to make it about 70% similar."
...
Zuichunlou.
Even during the day, there are many lewd customers coming and going in front of this brothel. The madam, dressed in flamboyant clothes, leads two young and beautiful girls to solicit customers on the steps. Once inside the building, the fragrance of various cosmetics fills the air.
Ruan Yang and Ju Zhi ordered some drinks and delicacies, and chose an inconspicuous spot to watch the dancers perform on stage. After the song ended, many men threw flowers at the stage.
Seeing that the man at the next table was watching with great interest, Ruan Yang deliberately tried to get closer to him, bringing over his fruit wine and saying, "Brother, I'm new here and would like to ask who this stunningly beautiful woman is?"
The man came to his senses and said, "This girl's name is Ying'er. She's the new most beautiful courtesan here. She's a woman from the Central Plains. No amount of money could buy her. I heard she only entertains distinguished guests and only sells her art, not her body."
"So, does that mean the top courtesan at Zuichun Pavilion receives special treatment?"
"nature."
Ruan Yang said, "I just saw her finish dancing but didn't pick up the flowers from the guests. What does that mean at Zuichunlou?"
The man nudged her shoulder and said, "It means she's been chosen by a distinguished guest. She's going down to serve him now, so you little lackey can forget about it."
Distinguished guest...
Ruan Yang nodded and said, "No, no, thank you for informing me, brother."
When Ju Zhi saw Ruan Yang return, she asked, "How did it go? What did you find out?"
Ruan Yang shook his head and sighed, "I only know that the woman's name was Ying'er. By the way, do you remember what the woman you just saw looked like?"
"Yes, I remember."
After pondering for a moment, Juzhi suddenly realized and said, "You suspect that the distinguished guest that Ying'er is receiving is His Highness?"
“It’s not certain yet. I think we should go to a different place and investigate first.” After saying this, Ruan Yang whispered to Ju Zhi, “Do as I say later, but remember to be very careful and don’t alert them.”
Juzhi nodded: "Yes."
......
Zheng Ying'er knelt in front of the dressing mirror, applying makeup. The madam beside her tied her hair up, saying, "These are officials, so you'll have to lower your guard later."
The woman in the mirror, with her cold and beautiful face, replied, "Understood."
After speaking, Zheng Ying'er got up, took off her dancing skirt, changed into a lotus-colored blouse for everyday wear, and then went out with the prepared wine.
Juzhi had been waiting outside the door for a long time. When she saw that the person had walked to the corridor, she chased after her and immediately covered the person's lips. After Zheng Ying'er fainted, she dragged the person to the private room.
Ruan Yang had already put on a human skin mask similar to Zheng Ying'er's, and then quickly changed into her clothes. After all the details were roughly imitated, she calmly carried the wine to that place...
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