Chapter 27 (Waiting for her to finish writing the "Alchemy Classic")
Xizhou remains Xizhou, its rammed earth walls standing like a magnificent and sturdy fortress amidst the oasis rivers.
However, the identities of both Lu Hongbi and Wei Mingsu have undergone tremendous changes.
The world is vast and boundless. Ancient cities nestled among mountains and deserts can stand for millennia amidst the wind and sand, witnessing the rise and fall of dynasties. Humans, on the other hand, are as insignificant as mayflies.
Lu Hongbi's young face was etched with the vicissitudes of life: "Prefect Wei, do you think I looked down on you back then simply because you came from a humble background?"
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“We’ve seen plenty of people like you in the Lu family. Born into poverty, unwilling to settle for mediocrity, you’ll stop at nothing to climb the social ladder. You’re smarter, calmer, more hardworking, and have stronger willpower than most people. You’re also more ambitious and ruthless. You’re willing to sacrifice everything to achieve your goals, and there are countless examples of people who abandon their wives and children after they’ve achieved success.”
"If you really marry Feifei, will you treat her well for the rest of your life? You won't. You come from a poor family that has climbed up from the bottom. You are vengeful. You will remember every arrogance of the Lu family, every contemptuous look, and every mocking word. In the future, when you gain power and no longer have to care about the Lu family, you will take revenge on Feifei with all the hatred you have for the Lu family."
"Wei Mingsu, there's no need for you to hide it. Seeing Feifei reduced to this state, don't you feel a sense of satisfaction?"
Lu Hongbi looked at Wei Mingsu and smiled sadly. The once arrogant young master of the aristocratic family now only had resignation on his face. Like a fine orchid falling into the mud, he was still handsome, but he was full of a heavy death aura.
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Wei Mingsu did not answer Lu Hongbi's question, but said, "You are her brother. Four years ago, you thought of her and banished me from Chang'an. And now? What are you to her? Lu Hongbi, complaining and being depressed will not change your situation."
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Wei Mingsu gestured to the guards to keep an eye on Lu Hongbi, then turned and left.
He returned to the tent, paused, and lifted the curtain.
The night wind rushed into the tent. Lu Huaying lay on the carpet, not sweating or groaning in pain, sleeping soundly.
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After a long while, he lowered the curtain and turned back to the campfire.
A man quickly walked up to him and whispered, "My lord, someone has been caught in Xizhou."
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The next day, when Tong Jin woke Lu Huaying up to eat a pancake, he handed her a pen and paper: "Lu San Niang, I won't tie you up today. My husband wants you to write down the 'Dan Jing' from memory."
Lu Huaying was taken aback: Wei Mingsu also wanted her to write the "Dan Jing" (Classic of Alchemy)?
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Lu Huaying took the pen, thought for a moment, and asked, "After I finish writing the 'Dan Jing' (Classic of Alchemy), may I write a few letters to my family?"
She didn't know what the final verdict would be for her after she went to Xizhou, and she wanted to leave a few letters.
Tong Jin dared not agree to her request without her consent, so he went out to ask Wei Mingsu. He returned shortly afterward and said, "My lord says it's possible, but you must first write the 'Dan Jing' (Classic of Alchemy)."
The soldiers packed up the tents, and Lu Huaying was pushed onto the carriage by Afu. The young noblemen in the post station were still packing their luggage. She unfolded the yellow paper and lay on the blanket to write the "Dan Jing" (Classic of Alchemy).
After writing for a while, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a section of the hem of a green robe brushed against the yellow paper.
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Wei Mingsu kept his eyes straight ahead as he entered the carriage, sat down by the window, pulled out a few sheets of yellow hemp paper documents, and lowered his eyes.
Lu Huaying froze.
Wei Mingsu looked down at the yellow hemp paper, his expression calm, as if he hadn't seen Lu Huaying.
Lu Huaying's whole body stiffened. She lowered her head, and the pen in her hand gently fell onto the yellow paper. There was no time to pretend to be asleep.
Wei Mingsu remained silent.
Lu Huaying wrote another stroke, then secretly glanced at Wei Mingsu.
Wei Mingsu remained silent, as if she were invisible.
Lu Huaying composed herself and continued writing from memory. She wrote the first few characters very carefully, but after writing a few columns, she forgot that Wei Mingsu was sitting next to her, and her speed gradually increased, making a slight noise.
Wei Mingsu could see Lu Huaying beside him with just a glance.
He didn't look up, listening to the sound of her writing intently as he finished reading the document.
As they drew closer to Xizhou, camel caravans crowded the main road, slowing the pace of the journey.
A messenger sent by an official from Xizhou arrived with a message. The governor and chief clerk of Xizhou put aside their official duties and waited at the city gate to welcome the convoy. The monks of the temple fasted and bathed in advance, burned incense and lit lamps, waiting to perform a ritual for Wu Yanxing's soul.
Wei Mingsu put down the yellow paper.
Lu Huaying sensed that he suddenly exuded a more imposing aura.
He knocked on the car window.
Tong Jin lifted a corner of the curtain and handed in a rope, a headband worn by a soldier, and an old piece of clothing.
"Tie your hair up and tie it up."
Wei Mingsu said softly.
Lu Huaying paused for a moment before realizing he was talking to her. She put down her pen and paper, took the old clothes and headband, sat up, put on the old clothes, gathered her long hair, and tied the headband.
Wei Mingsu looked out the car window and said, "After we enter the city, follow me."
Lu Huaying hummed in agreement.
To welcome Wu Yanxing's coffin, prayer flags were erected outside the city gate, and hundreds of figures surrounded the Governor of Xizhou and his Chief Secretary, standing beneath the prayer flags.
The caravan stopped. Wei Mingsu did not dismount, but Zhou Qin, Chai Yong, and the others dismounted and exchanged pleasantries with the governor and chief secretary. The monks held a simple memorial service, and Wu Yanxing's coffin was carried into the city. The purpose of Chai Yong and the others' trip to Xizhou—the Great Cloud Sutra—was also carried in.
Wei Mingsu then lifted the carriage curtain and got out.
Lu Huaying followed him, and as soon as her boots touched the ground, she felt the crowd suddenly quiet down and the atmosphere become tense. Several figures quickly passed by, and she didn't know whether they were friend or foe. All eyes in the crowd fell on Wei Mingsu in front of her.
Those silent, watching gazes held no trace of goodwill.
Wei Mingsu remained calm and walked briskly, with Lu Huaying quickly following him.
Upon entering the city, the Governor of Xizhou and Zhou Qin were still exchanging pleasantries, while the others surrounded Chai Yong and his companions, greeting their relatives in the capital. Upon seeing Wei Mingsu, the Governor immediately abandoned Zhou Qin and walked towards him, but Wei Mingsu did not stop, striding towards the temple on the north side of the main road.
Chai Yong recognized Lu Huaying as the person behind Wei Mingsu with a headband and bowed head. He immediately walked over and tried to speak to her, but Wei Mingsu's gaze swept across his face.
The warning in his eyes made Chai Yong stop in his tracks.
A soldier caught up with Wei Mingsu and reminded him, "Prefect Wei, that's not the way to the Protectorate."
Wei Mingsu said calmly, "We will not go to the Protectorate for now. Please accompany me to the temple, Governor."
He led Lu Huaying and his entourage of more than a dozen people into the city and headed straight for the temple in the north of the city. Only after their figures disappeared at the north end of the main road did everyone realize what was happening and look at each other in bewilderment.
The Governor of Xizhou looked puzzled: "Is Wei Mingsu in such a hurry to burn incense?"
The chief clerk's face was gloomy, and he gave a few dry laughs.
Why did Wei Mingsu go directly to the temple? Did he see through the Protectorate's arrangements?
A chill crept up my spine.
The chief clerk looked up in the west, his expression gradually softening.
The young master and his companions have already escaped from Xizhou, so he has nothing to worry about.
Lu Huaying followed Wei Mingsu into the temple. Wu Yanxing's coffin was placed in the courtyard, prayer flags fluttered, and more than a dozen high monks chanted scriptures in unison in the hall.
Wei Mingsu stopped and said, "Tongjin, take her to the courtyard to wait."
Tong Jin nodded in response, signaling Lu Huaying to follow him, and led her into the courtyard on the right.
Several guards with headbands on their foreheads stood in front of the steps. As they entered, they drew their swords and stepped forward.
Tong Jin said to Lu Huaying, "Don't be afraid. They are the young master's men and came from inside the pass."
Lu Huaying nodded.
The guards, swords in hand, formed a simple formation around Lu Huaying.
A commotion arose outside.
Lu Huaying leaned against the wall and looked out. Officials escorted the Governor of Xizhou as he arrived. The crowd stood in front of the hall, discussing among themselves. Wei Mingsu stepped forward and whispered a few words to the Governor. The Governor frowned, turned to say a few words to the officials beside him, and then walked with Wei Mingsu to the courtyard on the left.
The others followed one after another inside, and two groups of soldiers carrying swords appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the courtyard.
The monks continued chanting sutras for Wu Yanxing.
Lu Huaying saw two soldiers carrying a pile of yellow hemp paper inside, and her palms began to sweat.
Wei Mingsu was looking at those official documents in the carriage just now.
He was about to close the case as soon as he entered Xizhou.
She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, Tong Jin said, "Lu San Niang, come inside with me."
Lu Huaying opened her eyes and followed her companion through the main hall into the courtyard.
All eyes in the courtyard turned to them.
Lu Huaying walked down to the hall.
Inside the courtyard, a table was set up in front of the steps. The Governor of Xizhou sat behind the table, with the Prefect of Xizhou and Wei Mingsu on either side. Xizhou soldiers stood below the steps. In the corridors on both sides, on the left sat noble young men from Luoyang, including Chai Yong, Pei Jingyao, and Cheng Can, along with several eminent monks. On the right sat officials from Xizhou and Liucheng, as well as some members of prominent families from Xizhou.
Lu Huaying knelt down.
An official walked up to the steps, looked at her, confirmed her identity, and was about to ask her a stern question.
"Wait a minute."
A voice came from behind the desk, drawing everyone's attention.
The Prefect of Xizhou looked at Wei Mingsu, who had interrupted the officials, and asked, "Does Prefect Wei intend to interrogate the prisoner personally?"
Wei Mingsu said calmly, "Before interrogating Lu Sanniang, please have the Commander look at a few signed and sealed confessions."
He handed his confession to the governor of Xizhou.
After reading the confession, the governor of Xizhou frowned even more deeply.
Wei Mingsu said to the guards at the gate, "Bring them in."
The guards led several men into the courtyard.
Chai Yong and Pei Jingyao in the left corridor and the magistrate of Liucheng County in the right corridor were all stunned. They exchanged glances with the people next to them, and their expressions became serious.
Wei Mingsu looked at Chai Yong: "Young Master Chai."
&
Chai Yong stood up.
"Young Master Chai, before you arrived in Liucheng, you stayed overnight in Tucheng. Did the Prince drown that day?"
In just over an hour, I went in and out, and felt as if I had been transported to another world.
The Governor of Xizhou waved his hand and asked Wei Mingsu, "Was the Prince's poisoning related to his murder in Liucheng?"
Four years have passed, and the one who has changed is her, not Wei Mingsu.
The Governor of Xizhou let out a cold laugh through his teeth: "Prefect Wei came to Xizhou just to investigate the Xu family, didn't he?"
When the governor of Xizhou reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned his head sharply, his eyes wide with anger, and drew the long sword from his belt.
Wei Mingsu glanced at his companion.
The crowd whispered among themselves, and the three doctors withdrew.
Pei Jingyao suddenly realized.
"Ah Lang was investigating a case on the side, but he never expected the real culprit to be a member of the Xu family!"
Wei Mingsu is helping her.
Xu Jingye was the grandson of Li Ji, the Duke of Ying. A few years ago, he occupied Yangzhou and raised an army to fight against the Empress. After his defeat, some members of the Xu family were executed, and others were exiled.
He couldn't help but turn his gaze to Wei Mingsu.
Wei Mingsu gestured for the people who had entered the courtyard to speak.
In the courtyard, the people under the corridors on both sides were asked to leave.
Tong Jin poured him a cup of tea and asked, "Master, are you arranging for someone to send Lu San Niang and her family back to Liucheng tomorrow?"
During the journey, Young Master Xu harbored murderous intent towards Wu Yanxing. He first instigated Wu Yanxing to oppose Chai Yong, and then, taking advantage of Wu Yanxing's unpreparedness, he poisoned his water bag. Unexpectedly, Wu Yanxing survived.
Cheng Can watched their retreating figures, then gave a cold laugh with a grim face.
Tong Jin sighed.
Soon, Tong Jin walked over to her and said, "Lu San Niang, the governor just said that the people who killed the prince were those soldiers, not you."
The man, his face covered in blood, stopped cursing and glared venomously at Wei Mingsu.
A few days ago, when Wei Mingsu interrogated these young noblemen, he spent a long time asking them many trivial questions that they hadn't paid attention to. Everyone left feeling dizzy and disoriented, suspecting that Wei Mingsu was deliberately making things difficult for them.
Wei Mingsu watched him leave.
The crowd was incredulous and began to discuss the matter.
"The prince's ten attendants suddenly disappeared. They were the most likely people to poison the prince. The prince was also poisoned on the day he was murdered. The wounds on his body were caused by being beaten after his death."
“Your Honor, I am Ren Tai, a native of Tugou Township, Liucheng County.”
The guards outside acknowledged and dragged a curly-haired barbarian with his hands tied behind his back into the house.
The chief clerk's heart skipped a beat, but he calmed down and said, "Governor Wei has captured those soldiers so quickly?"
At this moment, having confirmed the answer, she looked at the silver strands at his temples and held back her tears.
Chai Yong looked at the doctors and nodded.
There were many suspicious points in this case, but the officials in the western state did not want to investigate and only wanted to close the case as soon as possible. Therefore, without a rigorous interrogation, she was sentenced to death.
Chai Yong said, "It's water."
Two hours later, the confessions of the chief secretary, the curly-haired Hu man, and the young man were delivered to the governor.
He took charge.
Tong Jin came up with several women.
Half an hour later, the governor of Xizhou finally turned his gaze to Lu Huaying.
The next day, Wu Yanxing and Chai Yong did not fight. Xu Gongzi and his men had to improvise, stealing Lu Sanniang's pestle and calling her over to write the "Dan Jing" (Classic of Alchemy) in the room. At that time, Wu Yanxing was already dead. The wounds on his body and the woman's scratches were left by Xu Gongzi's attendants. The sound of Wu Yanxing cursing was also imitated by his attendants hiding behind the curtain.
Lu Huaying's throat tightened, and she couldn't speak.
“Your Honor, I am Sun Gai, from Tugou Township, Liucheng County.”
The governor of Xizhou turned ashen-faced after reading the confession.
The Xu in Xu Jingye.
It turns out he was eliminating doubts.
The governor said, "Issue the order to all prefectures, counties and townships to conduct a thorough investigation and capture those ten escaped soldiers."
The governor of Xizhou's face darkened.
The governor of Xizhou asked, "Who are they, and what is their connection to this case?"
His personal guards drew their swords.
The governor of Xizhou asked them about their identities.
The governor of Xizhou held the yellow hemp paper, his eyelids twitching.
After everyone entered the house and confirmed that Wu Yanxing was dead, the officers immediately began punching and kicking Lu Sanniang, trying to kill her in the chaos. Later, they discovered that Lu Sanniang was still alive. Young Master Xu did not panic; he figured he could find the Chief Secretary in Xizhou, and the Chief Secretary would help him escape.
The three physicians stepped forward one by one to be questioned by the governor of Xizhou. The governor asked, "Didn't the prince drown that day?"
She recounted what had happened that day when she was taken to Wu Yanxing's room by the guards.
Wei Mingsu raised his eyes, looked at the chief clerk, and said, "I have already arrested those ten soldiers. Once they confess, the case can be closed."
He and the chief secretary actually thought that Wei Mingsu had really been demoted.
The chief clerk frowned and said, "Governor, we haven't caught those ten soldiers. Everything is just Governor Wei's speculation. Isn't it too hasty to close the case so hastily?"
On the night before leaving Liucheng, Young Master Xu and the escorting officer decided to kill Wu Yanxing and frame Chai Yong.
.
The thought crossed her mind the night he stormed off, but she wasn't sure.
Before reaching the oasis, they were almost out of water. Wu Yanxing demanded that his men hand over all their water bags, as he had drunk all the water himself. The poison might have been in the water bags.
Wei Mingsu closed his eyes wearily.
As one witness after another entered the courtyard, everyone's attention shifted away from Lu Huaying.
Young Master Xu never expected that while Wei Mingsu was investigating the case in Liucheng, seemingly intending to hastily close it, he secretly sent people to track down their whereabouts, waiting for them to come to him, and capturing them all alive.
The governor of Xizhou asked with a serious expression: "Is the Prince's drowning related to this case?"
With Wu Yanxing dead, all that's needed is to kill Lu Sanniang to cover up the crime.
The small house was filled with murderous intent.
In the early hours of the morning, Wei Mingsu stuffed the case file signed by the governor of Xizhou into a bundle and sent it out of Xizhou.
...
The officials of Liucheng all rose and went down to the hall, kneeling to apologize. They were to blame for not discovering Wu Yanxing's poisoning in time.
When Chai Yong saw the doctors, he immediately thought of Wu Yanxing's drowning. Recalling the events of the past few days, he came up with some suspicious points.
The governor didn't move for a while, then staggered to the side. His personal guards supported him, took the long sword from his hand, and helped him turn and walk out.
...
Wei Mingsu's entourage widened their eyes, wanting to rush forward, but he waved them to stay where they were.
The governor of Xizhou frowned and glanced at him.
Even the remote Xizhou region can be drawn into the intrigues of the imperial court.
Wei Mingsu opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, and shook his head: "Wait until she finishes writing the 'Dan Jing' (Classic of Alchemy)."
If Wei Mingsu hadn't wanted to meddle, she would already be dead in her cell.
Lu Huaying was taken out of the courtyard.
"Governor!" The chief secretary slumped to the ground, bowing to the governor of Xizhou. "Xizhou depends on the governor."
“The Prince did not drown,” Wei Mingsu said calmly, taking out several sheets of yellow paper. “He was poisoned.”
Chai Yong nodded, and Pei Jingyao and the others followed suit.
The chief clerk was shocked and blurted out, "Impossible!"
Young Master Xu, though young, was unwilling to die in exile. He secretly fled to Luoyang and, with the help of some relatives and friends there, infiltrated Chai Yong's group to seek refuge with the Chief Secretary in Xizhou.
“Your Honor, I am Zhang Dalei, a native of Liucheng County.”
When the three doctors examined Wu Yanxing's pulse that day, they all felt that it was not a simple case of drowning. However, none of them dared to voice their suspicions at the time. A few days later, Wu Yanxing died a violent death, which deepened their doubts. Just as they were hesitating whether to report the matter to the magistrate of Liucheng County, Wei Mingsu sent someone to find them and asked if there were any abnormalities after Wu Yanxing drowned. The three dared not hide anything and expressed their suspicions.
Pei Jingyao's mouth hung open in astonishment: "Before we even arrived in Liucheng, someone was already trying to kill Wu Yanxing?"
Wei Mingsu said, "They are all physicians. After the Prince drowned, they were the ones who treated him."
The Governor of Xizhou and his Chief Secretary stood up and went into the house with Wei Mingsu.
The governor of Xizhou looked at the chief secretary, his fists clenched, his whole body trembling, but in the end he said nothing, turned around, and walked away with heavy steps.
The governor of Xizhou looked down at the yellow paper that Wei Mingsu handed him and waved his hand.
Lu Huaying, who was kneeling in the courtyard, also realized something and raised her head.
The chief clerk knelt down, tears streaming down his face: "Prefect Wei, the former Duke of Yingguo saved my life. Young Master Xu is a descendant of the Xu family. He fled to Xizhou. I couldn't bear to hand him over to the authorities, so I helped him escape. Only my confidants and I were involved in this matter; no one else knew about it!"
"Reporting to the Governor, the Prince was first poisoned and lost consciousness, and then he drowned."
The governor of Xizhou's expression changed.
Several people said that they were dancers who performed at a banquet hosted by the magistrate of Liucheng County.
Pei Jingyao shuddered: "We ate the same food as Wu Yanxing, so how come only Wu Yanxing got poisoned?"
Wei Mingsu handed over the records written by the coroner and his colleague after the three autopsies to the governor of Xizhou.
Wei Mingsu said, "I have met him. His surname is Xu."
The chief clerk initially suspected Wei Mingsu of treachery, but when he saw the face of the curly-haired barbarian, his face turned pale and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Everyone was stunned.
The attendant whispered, "Governor, I was present when Governor Wei interrogated them. Governor Wei did not force a confession. The Chief Clerk... the Chief Clerk confessed everything. Governor Wei said he would send them to the capital."
"Reporting to the Governor, on the day the Prince was murdered, Lu San Niang was going to perform a knife dance. After she changed her clothes, there was no way she could hide a mortar and pestle on her body. Her clothes and mortar and pestle were placed together with ours. That day, a few of us went back to the courtyard to change clothes first and saw an unfamiliar soldier come out. When we went in, Lu San Niang's mortar and pestle was gone."
Everyone wiped away a cold sweat.
Chai Yong and Pei Jingyao were overjoyed and ran off excitedly.
An angry shout came from outside the door. The guards dragged several young men, whose hands were tied behind their backs like those of the Hu people, into the courtyard and lifted the face of one of the men.
Wei Mingsu looked at him calmly: "Bring him up."
Upon hearing this, Chai Yong, who was standing in the left corridor, showed a look of joy on his face.
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