Zhu Jiayu scoffed coldly: "Maybe some people are just blind and heartless?" After saying that, she smiled contemptuously, "But it doesn't matter, if they don't want me, I won't want them either."
She adjusted the gold hairpin at her temple, and in an instant, her eyes sparkled like a lotus in full bloom, radiant with pearls and jade, her beauty captivating.
Just as Rong Heng was about to speak, he heard her say calmly, "I suddenly feel a little unwell, so I'll take my leave now. Please make yourself at home, Young Master Rong."
Beautiful women often have certain privileges, so even though Zhu Jiayu turned and left after speaking, Rong Heng was strangely unable to get angry. Instead, he only felt that she was frank and cute.
Not long after Zhu Jiayu left, the person who had stopped at the corner walked towards Rong Heng. When Rong Heng saw him, his face showed an even more genuine smile.
He greeted the visitor in a cheerful mood: "Lord Wei."
Wei Qinglou nodded indifferently. After a while, he stopped as he brushed past him and warned, "Young Master Rong, if you have nothing to do, it would be better to stay in your room. In July, the heat is at its worst. Young Master Rong has delicate skin, and it wouldn't be good if you accidentally fainted from the sun. Don't you think so, Young Master Rong?"
After speaking, he walked away without waiting for Rong Heng's reaction.
He looked so angry that he completely forgot his status and manners.
However, the more he acted this way, the more Rong Heng wanted to succeed.
This was exactly what Rong Heng wanted: he kept getting close to Zhu Jiayu in order to provoke Wei Qinglou and awaken his competitive spirit. Once Wei Qinglou started to care about his relationship with Zhu Jiayu, he would lose focus on other things.
He was confident that he had mastered this feint, and by the time Wei Qinglou realized what was happening, it would be too late for regrets and there would be no way to salvage the situation.
...
Wei Qinglou did not return to his study, but instead went around to find Zhu Jiayu.
"You are leaving tomorrow, and I have been thinking about it, but I still can't rest easy. How about I send some soldiers to escort you back to Suiping?"
Although the lives of the refugees in Songjiang City have improved significantly, it is inevitable that some refugees will flee south along the road from Songjiang to Suiping. Wei Qinglou had already worried about this when she heard Zhu Jiayu say that she was stopped by refugees on her way back to the city. Fortunately, the refugees she encountered were reasonable and not very strong.
Judging from previous case files, there are many cases of refugees who, when driven to desperation, develop malicious intentions and specifically target ladies and young women from aristocratic and wealthy families for robbery.
Thankfully, thankfully she was alright.
You got lucky last time, but what about this time? And next time?
Wei Qinglou was deeply worried about Zhu Jiayu returning with only a few guards and a maid. He planned to reason with her and persuade her to agree to his suggestion.
However, to his surprise, Zhu Jiayu did not intend to argue with him about this matter. She agreed and said, "Let's discuss this later. There is something I would like to ask Lord Wei: what are your plans for Rong Heng?"
Wei Qinglou hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhu Jiayu smiled and said, "What I mean is that Rong Heng and I are completely innocent. I asked Lord Wei this question not because I wanted to pry into anything. If Lord Wei is willing, you can take it as me being curious."
"Of course, I will not interfere with Lord Wei's official duties. If it is inconvenient for Lord Wei to disclose this information, I have no objection."
Her eyes held a faint smile, and she seemed very sincere.
Since Wei Qinglou had considered that the matter of Panzhou was something she had brought up, he naturally had no defenses against her. After listening to what she had just said, he nodded and said, "It's alright to tell you."
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the vast expanse of clouds, and said in a deep voice, "I have already had people keeping an eye on him and his men. If he makes any moves, Songjiang will be his burial ground."
Zhu Jiayu's heart suddenly began to pound. She said, "Perhaps I should leave later?"
"Why?" Wei Qinglou turned around and looked at her delicate and beautiful face, but he couldn't understand why she would stay a little longer.
Supplies were scarce in Songjiang, and she had no relatives or friends there. It seemed better for her to return to Suiping.
Zhu Jiayu glanced sideways, her expression innocent, and said, "Of course I want to see how Lord Wei will make Songjiang his burial place." She blinked, "Lord Wei, please don't disappoint me."
Wei Qinglou reached out and touched the intricate stitching on his robe, but did not speak immediately.
He was pondering why Zhu Jiayu had said that.
Does she have a grudge against Rong Heng?
It doesn't seem like it. Zhu Jiayu is the type to hold grudges; if she has a grudge against someone, she won't wait until the next day to take action. Could she be trying to lull him into a false sense of security, hoping to lower his suspicions and give her a chance to tip off Rong Heng?
It doesn't seem like it either.
Zhu Jiayu has always been upright and honest. If she were on Rong Heng's side, she wouldn't be showing him any kindness right now.
But in any case, Songjiang is not a place to stay for long.
Thinking of this, he slowly spoke, saying, "The situation in Songjiang is chaotic, and there is also the uncertain factor of Rong Heng. It will be dangerous for you to stay. It would be better to return to Suiping as soon as possible. As for Rong Heng, if he is guilty, I will naturally punish him according to the law and will not give him the slightest chance. However, if it is found that he has not done anything out of line, I will not take advantage of the situation to harm him in the slightest."
He looked at Zhu Jiayu and continued, "Whether you want him to live or die, it's not something I can control; it all depends on his actions. But if you want to know his situation, I can write to you after this is over, how about that?"
Zhu Jiayu frowned.
"How about a five-day period?"
Five days is enough time for a lot to happen. Moreover, if Rong Heng really wanted to do something, he would certainly understand the importance of "timeliness".
She really doesn't need to rush. From beginning to end, the person who should be most anxious is Rong Heng.
Five days was enough time for him to meticulously plan and lay out his scheme, and also enough time for Wei Qinglou to catch the culprit red-handed.
“…Okay.” After thinking for a long time, Wei Qinglou replied.
He thought the same as Zhu Jiayu: five days would be enough for Rong Heng to show his true colors.
Meanwhile, Rong Heng was writing furiously in his room. He wrote in running script, his strokes thin and vigorous, like scattered stones on a staircase, yet flowing smoothly with a rich and profound style. After finishing the last character, he put down his brush, placed it on the table, blew on the ink to dry the paper, folded the note in half, held it between his index and middle fingers, and handed it to the servant beside him, saying calmly:
"Keep this safe. After nightfall, spread it among the refugee population, making sure they are familiar with it."
The servant obeyed and left, but Rong Heng did not stop. Instead, he picked up his brush again and began to sketch and draw on the Xuan paper.
When he is restless, he often paints like this. At first, he doesn't think about what he wants to paint, but his mind moves as he goes. In the end, when he finishes the painting, his mind is at peace.
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