Chapter 33
Afu stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching Tongjin and Lu Huaying walk away. He turned his head and ran towards a courtyard to the south.
"My lord, please give your cloak to Lu San Niang!"
Afu, being slow-witted and knowing he wasn't good at managing the household, meticulously recorded every valuable item in the house, fearing he might forget things. He recognized the cloak Lu Huaying wore back last night at a glance as Wei Mingsu's fox-fur cloak, bought three years ago in Datong City, Luoyang. Afu was with Wei Mingsu when he bought it and remembered it clearly.
Wei Mingsu wasn't wearing a turban; his hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, and he was only wearing a white shirt. He was applying medicine to himself and said calmly, "I had him take it."
Afu was taken aback, scratched his head, and asked, "Brother, can we ask Lu San Niang for money?"
Wei Mingsu shook his head.
Afu thought about it and felt somewhat unwilling. He was slow-witted and felt that the Lu family had looked down on Wei Mingsu in the past, and now Lu San Niang was not worthy of spending Wei Mingsu's money.
"Young Master, the shopkeeper said those medicines for healing were brought from Chang'an by merchants, and they're very expensive. Lu San Niang is almost fully recovered, can we stop taking those medicines now?"
Ah Fu said, his tone somewhat mournful.
The medicine Lu Huaying took was all bought by Wei Mingsu at the pharmacy. The price of medicine in Xizhou was even higher than in Luoyang.
Wei Mingsu tied the bandage around his neck: "Is my salary not enough?"
Afu shook his head: "That's enough!"
Wei Mingsu came from a poor family and had no ancestral property. His salary was not much, but he rarely socialized, lived a simple life, and was unmarried. He spent little money. Officials received a monthly stipend of rice, food, and miscellaneous expenses, plus several hundred bushels of grain from their official lands, as well as various silks, gold and silver artifacts as rewards from the palace. He saved all of his salary.
Wei Mingsu put on his blue robe and said, "Tell me if you need more. Don't stop her medication. Tell Tongjin what medicine she needs."
Afu's face was full of disappointment: "Yes."
"My lord!" A series of hurried footsteps sounded at the door, and a servant rushed in carrying a letter. "It's a letter from the capital, it just arrived."
Ah Fu exclaimed in surprise, "Besides the Empress, is there anyone else in the capital who knows that my lord has come to Xizhou?"
Wei Mingsu opened the letter and read it, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Fan Hui's letter: Su Niang has come to Xizhou."
Afu was stunned. After realizing what was happening, a smile spread across his face, and he secretly felt smug: Xiao Suniang has come to Xizhou!
Wei Mingsu closed the letter and instructed his attendant: "Go and find out if any young women have come from Shendu recently."
The attendant responded.
Afu lowered his head and left. He was going to clean the house in preparation for welcoming Xiao Suniang.
Wei Mingsu put on his turban and fastened his belt. Even though he was injured and the wound throbbed with pain when he raised his arm, he didn't need anyone to take care of him. He had always been alone since he was a child and was used to it.
"You're such a blockhead! Doesn't it hurt? Come here and let me see your wound."
A coquettish voice came from behind.
Wei Mingsu did not go over.
The smiling voice then turned slightly annoyed: "You blockhead!"
Suddenly, there was a snapping sound on the window, and a cold wind whipped up the curtains.
Wei Mingsu snapped out of his daze and turned his head.
Behind me was only an empty room, and outside the door was a blanket of white snow.
...
Today in Xizhou, despite the gloomy weather and the northwest wind, the streets were still packed with people.
Men, women, and children from the city, as well as people from nearby counties and townships, all rushed excitedly towards Dayun Temple. The north-south avenue was bustling with activity. Among the crowds were Han Chinese carrying incense burners with devout expressions, as well as foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes. Young ladies and gentlemen, accompanied by their servants, rode in elegant carriages or on magnificent dappled horses, making their way through the avenue in a grand procession. The snow was covered with hoofprints. Ordinary people walked along both sides of the avenue in an endless stream.
The closer we got to Dayun Temple, the more crowded the main road became.
The carriage was stuck halfway, and the old horse pulling the cart only managed to move forward a few steps after a long time. Then, he lifted the curtain and said to Lu Huaying, "The women of the Zhang and Ma families have come out of the neighborhood. We need to wait for their carriage to pass first."
Both the Ma and Zhang families were among the most powerful and influential families in Xizhou.
The clan is strong.
Lu Huaying sat cross-legged, writing alchemical texts on a small table. Upon hearing this, she hummed in response but did not look up. She wanted to finish writing the texts as soon as possible, so she took a pen and paper with her when she left.
Tong Jin glanced at the neat handwriting on the yellow paper, his gaze lingering for a moment on Lu Huaying's face before putting it down.
curtain.
Lu Huaying was writing intently when the carriage suddenly shook violently. She quickly lifted her pen, swayed to the left, and fell, hitting her head on the carriage window. She was immediately dizzy and sat for a while, her face burning with pain.
Tong Jin also fell off the carriage shaft. After standing up, he first pulled back the curtain to check on Lu Huaying: "Are you alright?"
Lu Huaying raised her face.
When Tong Jin saw the wound on her forehead, his face darkened.
Lu Huaying rubbed her head, picked up the pen that had fallen, and said, "I'm fine."
A steward in a sheepskin coat strode over. When he saw Tong Jin's face, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He quickened his pace and his smile became more sincere.
They went to greet them together.
The steward clasped his hands in apology, inquired about the injuries, and asked, "Is the person in the carriage a member of Governor Wei's family? My husband's surname is Zhang. Today is the Wuzhe Festival at Dayun Temple. Madam and young lady were going to burn incense. There were too many people on the road. In order to avoid a few pedestrians, we accidentally bumped into Madam's carriage. Please forgive us, Madam."
Tong Jin was taken aback and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Hearing the word "family members" from behind the curtain, and judging from the steward's tone, Lu Huaying guessed Zhang's wife's scheme. She said in her Heluo accent, "Madam Zhang, you misunderstand. I am not a relative of Governor Wei. There are too many carriages and horses today, and collisions are inevitable. I am not in a hurry to burn incense. Please, Madam Zhang and the young ladies, go first."
The steward's smile grew even more genuine: "Thank you for your understanding, Madam."
Tong Jin led the old horse to the side of the road, letting the Zhang family members go first. The Zhang family steward thanked him profusely.
As the Zhang family's carriages squeezed into the traffic one after another, Tong Jin pulled back the curtain and asked, "Are you really alright?"
Lu Huaying shook her head: "It was just a fall, nothing serious."
The Zhang family knew that Wei Mingsu's men had brought her to Dayun Temple, and she didn't want to cause trouble.
She paused.
"If anyone asks me again whether I am related to Governor Wei, just say so. Madam Zhang has been waiting for this opportunity for who knows how long."
Tong Jin asked in surprise, "Did Madam Zhang do this on purpose? How did you figure it out?"
Lu Huaying smiled and said, “The real power in Xizhou and the people most concerned about the situation there are the local aristocratic families. They must be very frightened by the sudden arrest of the Chief Secretary. They want to know who will succeed him and are trying to find out information. But Governor Wei is from the capital, and they don’t know him, so they sent their families to test the waters. By the time we return, the Zhang family steward will have already delivered the gifts to the quarters. Even if Governor Wei doesn’t accept them, the Zhang family will have a reason to come again. Through these back and forth, even if they can’t establish a relationship, they can still find out the information they want to know.”
Tong Jin suddenly realized, and after a moment's thought, he couldn't help but stare at Lu Huaying for a while longer.
As expected of a young lady from a prestigious family, she saw through the Zhang family's methods at a glance.
Lu Huaying's face was still burning. Fearing that Wang Yu and Lu Hongbi would worry if they saw it when they arrived at Dayun Temple, he asked his companion to grab a handful of snow from the snow, wrap it in a handkerchief, and stick it on his face to reduce the swelling.
When she arrived at Dayun Temple, her face was frozen stiff.
Before dawn this morning, Chai Yong, Wang Yu, Lu Hongbi, Pei Jingyao and a few others came to Dayun Temple to wait.
The temple was bustling with people. Chai Yong stood guard at the entrance on horseback, watching the passing carriages. As soon as Tong Jin appeared, he immediately spurred his horse forward to greet him.
Tong Jin glanced warily at the surrounding crowd and said, "Young Master Chai, there are too many people from the Wuzhe Society. Let's go to the [unclear] first."
Chai Yong nodded in agreement.
Almost all the monks in the temple had gone to the Wuzhe Assembly, so the temple was very quiet. The guest monk found them an empty room.
Lu Huaying asked the monk for a bowl of water and looked at her face in it.
"Feifei!"
Wang Yu's voice came from outside the door.
Lu Huaying stood up and had only taken two steps when the door was pushed open, and Wang Yu rushed in, looking anxious.
Upon seeing Lu Huaying, he embraced her tightly, tears welling in his eyes.
"Sister-in-law, I'm alright now."
Lu Huaying helped Wang Yu sit down.
Lu Hongbi then entered the room, dressed in a white robe, his face gloomy and pale. He silently looked at the two women, his eyes red.
Lu Huaying comforted Wang Yu for a few words, then looked up at him and asked, "Brother, is your head injury healed?"
Lu Hongbi nodded silently.
Wang Yu wiped away her tears, looked at Lu Huaying, and asked softly, "Feifei, Governor Wei didn't do anything to you, did he?"
“No.” Lu Huaying shook her head. “Sister-in-law, Governor Wei is a virtuous man.”
Wang Yu had been restless these past few days, unable to believe that Wei Mingsu would let Lu Huaying off so easily. Hearing her say this, she couldn't help but feel emotional, but she was also afraid that bringing up the past would hurt her. So she took her hand and said, "That's good, that's good."
Lu Huaying smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. Governor Wei asked me to write the alchemical text. After I finish writing it in a few days, he will send someone to take us back to Liucheng."
When Liucheng was mentioned again, all three of them felt as if they were from another era.
Looking at Lu Huaying's smiling face, Wang Yu felt a pang of sadness. She sighed inwardly and said, "Alright, I'm not worried. You don't need to worry about us either. Prince Chai and Wu Lang have been very good to us. You should focus on recovering."
The two women, the aunt and the sister-in-law, were talking, while Lu Hongbi stood to the side, saying nothing.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded at the door, and Tong Jin hurried in, looking at Lu Huaying and saying, "You're right, Madam Zhang really did it on purpose. Just now, their steward came over and said that Madam heard you were in the dormitory and wanted to come over in person to apologize."
Lu Huaying frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled at Wang Yu and Lu Hongbi, who looked puzzled: "Sister-in-law, brother, I'll go back first. I'm relieved to see that you are both safe and sound."
She was about to leave after only a few words, which surprised Wang Yu. She wanted to stop her, but considering their current status, she was afraid of saying the wrong thing and making things difficult for her, so she forced a smile and said, "Okay, go ahead."
As Lu Huaying stood up and passed by Lu Hongbi, Lu Hongbi suddenly grabbed her arm.
He looked at his sister and whispered, "Feifei, don't wrong yourself for our sake."
Lu Huaying looked at him and said, "Brother, don't worry, Wei Mingsu didn't threaten me."
Lu Hongbi remained silent.
“Brother,” Lu Huaying sighed, and said slowly, “Life is unpredictable. In recent years, how many wealthy and powerful families in Chang’an and Luoyang have been scattered and scattered because they were involved in court intrigues? We have been living in luxury since childhood. Since we have enjoyed the wealth and honor of being above others, we naturally cannot avoid the storms that come with wealth. As the old saying goes, ‘One choking will stop you from eating, and one stumble will prevent you from walking.’ You used to laugh and say you were confused when you read this saying before. What about now?”
Lu Hongbi lowered his eyes and released his grip.
Lu Huaying patted his shoulder and smiled, "Brother, I'm really fine."
She went out with Tongjin.
Chai Yong and the others were waiting outside the courtyard. They were somewhat surprised to see them come out so quickly. Lu Huaying didn't have time to explain to him, so she smiled at him and got into the carriage.
Their carriage had just left the quarters when Madam Zhang, surrounded by her maids, came looking for them.
Tong Jin glanced back at the elegant and dignified Madam Zhang in the crowd in the distance, then turned and smiled, "It's good that you left decisively!"
Lu Huaying lowered the curtain and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know Wei Mingsu's purpose in coming to Xizhou. If she got entangled with Madam Zhang and accidentally let something slip, it might cause trouble for Wei Mingsu.
I can only find another opportunity to meet with my brother and sister-in-law.
The carriage left Dayun Temple and instead of taking the main north-south road, it entered an alley.
Tong Jin said from outside, "There are also members of the Zhang family outside Dayun Temple. Let's not take the main road. Let's take this road back. I need to go to the residence to get some things."
The road was very bumpy, and the carriage shook violently. Lu Huaying was unable to write, so she lifted the curtain and looked out.
The narrow path in front of me looked somewhat familiar.
Lu Huaying was stunned.
The carriage continued onward, the road narrowing as its wheels left tracks on the earthen walls on either side.
"We've arrived!" Tong Jin stopped in front of a courtyard. "Wait a moment."
"I'll be right out."
He jumped off the cart, took out a key, unlocked the large lock on the courtyard door, and pushed it open to go inside.
Lu Huaying stared blankly at the courtyard in front of her.
Tong Jin came out quickly, locked the door, and jumped into the car.
The carriage started shaking again.
Lu Huaying unconsciously clenched her hands, sat there lost in thought for a while, then parted the curtain and asked softly, "What is that courtyard?"
"It was the mansion that my husband bought. As soon as he arrived in Xizhou, he asked me to find a broker to buy that courtyard," Tong Jin said. "I've been busy these past few days and haven't had time to tidy it up yet, so I've left it empty."
Lu Huaying lowered her head.
The carriage passed through the alley and returned to the flat main road.
Lu Huaying neither picked up a pen to write nor lifted the carriage curtain; she simply sat there in a daze.
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