Chapter 6 (What Kind of Repayment Does the Crown Prince Want?)
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As the afterglow shone, the shadows of the young men in brocade robes grew longer and longer, enveloping and completely blocking Lu Huaying's view.
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With a strange laugh, the two men charged at Lu Huaying from the left and right.
She dodged aside, but suddenly felt a chill down her spine. A pair of fists came from behind, whistling through the air, and grabbed at her shoulders with lightning speed. She sidestepped the fists, but her left hand was grabbed by someone else.
A sudden numbness shot through her left arm, and Lu Huaying felt weak and dizzy. The others rushed over, twisted her hands behind her back, and held her down tightly.
“When Pei Wu asked me the day before yesterday, I thought he was drunk. Lu San Niang, who was famous in Chang'an, was a voluptuous and beautiful woman. She was the young lady of the Duke’s mansion. She looked down on everyone and never looked at people properly. How could a lowly dancer from Liucheng County who could be summoned at will be Lu San Niang?”
"Only after seeing the household registration documents from the magistrate did I dare to believe it was real."
A fair-skinned, tall, and thin young man in brocade robes walked up to Lu Huaying, sneered twice, and raised his hand to pull off the veil from Lu Huaying's face.
Lu Huaying's hair came down, falling messily over her face.
The young man in brocade pinched her chin and examined her for a long time.
"It really is you! You've painted your face red like those barbaric Xiliang people, are you afraid of being recognized by your old friends?" He turned his head and raised his voice, "Bring me water, I want to see what Lu San Niang looks like now."
One of them untied a sheepskin water bag from his waist and tossed it over, replying, "Mingguang, there's no water, only wine!"
The young man in brocade robes caught the water pouch and said flippantly, "Then let's wash her face with wine. Didn't Third Sister used to be known as someone who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk? I remember that year at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet at the Duke of Qi's mansion, you made a bet with the Duke of Qi's heir. The heir lost, and you made things difficult for him, forcing him to bark like a dog in public and splashing yellow wine all over his face. How impressive!"
He untied the water bag and poured it over Lu Huaying's head.
The icy wine flowed down Lu Huaying's face through her disheveled hair. Her face, covered in some kind of powder, remained bright red even after the entire water sac of wine was emptied.
The young man in brocade robes frowned, then untied another water pouch and forcefully splashed it on Lu Huaying's face.
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It was already dark, and a cold wind was blowing. Lu Huaying was soaked from head to toe and was shivering from the cold.
Cold wine splashed into her eyes, wetting her long eyelashes, where it condensed into beads and dripped down.
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For her now, the harm caused by the boys' mocking and malicious laughter was far less than the biting cold wind, the hand holding her arm, and the cold wine splashed on her face.
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Lu Huaying glanced at the alley entrance under the cover of night to determine the direction.
She knew this narrow alley well; in a crisis, she could escape into it and find a safe place.
Fang hid, but after carrying stones all day, she was exhausted, and her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.
The wine flowed all over her body, and the wind grew colder.
Lu Huaying couldn't help but recall a phrase that the servants in the mansion used to say when disciplining the maids: "Cry to heaven and earth, but no one will answer."
In the past, she was of noble birth and naive, believing that ordinary people were like the servants and retainers of the Lu family, forever obedient and loyal. Later, she understood that they also had joys and sorrows, and many faces, but faced with the powerful and influential who held the power of life and death, they were helpless and had nowhere to turn.
She could still find ways to deal with and intimidate banquet guests and local bullies, but when faced with the powerful and numerous sons of the wealthy and powerful in the capital, her resistance would not only be futile but would also immediately be met with even more cruel abuse.
During her four years of exile, she learned a great deal.
According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, harming a noble person by someone of low status is the same as committing one of the Ten Abominations, adding sin upon sin, and will inevitably be severely punished, though pardons are usually not granted.
She had to be patient.
The boys poured out all the wine they had brought, threw away their emptied water bags, and surrounded Lu Huaying, laughing and jeering.
The fair-skinned young man in brocade robes looked at the disheveled Lu Huaying with satisfaction, his eyes full of mockery, his gaze following the rolling water droplets to her chest.
Didi da da.
The moonlight bathed the ground, bright and clear. Glistening drops of wine slowly slid down Lu Huaying's hair, cheeks, and chin. Her soaked clothes clung to her body, and the moonlight illuminated her figure clearly.
A strange light flashed in the eyes of the young man in brocade robes.
Amidst the laughter, Lu Huaying's hands, which were tied behind her back, quietly tightened, and with a slight flick of her wrists, a sharp stone shard slid from her sleeve into her palm.
The strange look in the eyes of the young man in brocade robes intensified.
Cheng Can's face darkened: "Young Master Chai, our two families have always had a good relationship. Why bother with a person who has been exiled? If our elders find out, they will laugh at us for being so improper."
Lu Huaying raised her eyelids.
Chai Yong quickened his pace, reached out and grabbed Lu Huaying, pulling her behind him to shield him. He pushed aside the brocade-clad youth who had caught up with him, and his usually gentle face, which even carried a hint of a smile when he was silent, was now filled with a cold and stern expression: "Cheng Can, that's enough!"
Chai Yong nodded, but before he could speak, Pei Jingyao stammered, "I...I promise, he...he won't...come!"
The crowd dispersed.
Lu Huaying smiled nonchalantly, "Sister-in-law, I'm fine. Young Master Chai and the others arrived in time, so Cheng Can won't be coming."
Chai Yong cupped his hands in the direction of Luoyang and said, "Everyone in Luoyang knows that I, Chai, am a good-for-nothing playboy who does nothing productive. I am the most useless wastrel in Luoyang and will never amount to anything in my life. I apologize to Brother Mingguang for any offense I may have caused today. When I return to Luoyang, I will personally go to your residence to apologize and explain to my elders the truthfully why I offended you, Brother Mingguang."
After he finished speaking, he took off the half-length robe he was wearing and handed it to Lu Huaying behind him. When he had just grabbed her hand, he noticed that her body was ice-cold, soaked in sweat, and almost completely naked.
Chai Yong smiled and said, "Third Sister is my friend. Don't call me Prince anymore. Third Sister and I are destined to be together. It's alright. Third Sister, you can call me Third Brother from now on."
Chai Yong took the coat and smiled slightly: "It's alright, I'll go back and ask them for compensation."
Chai Yong said solemnly, “Brother Mingguang also said that I, Chai, am the most righteous. Lu Sanniang is my friend. If a friend is in trouble, I, Chai, will never stand idly by.”
Chai Yong, with a gentle expression, said, "If Third Sister truly wants to thank me, I have a request, and I beg you to grant it."
Lu Huaying knew he wasn't joking, and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your help tonight, Your Highness."
Lu Huaying was shivering from the cold.
&nbs
Cheng Can and Chai Yong exchanged glances, smiled, and Cheng Can said, “Young Master Chai, we have traveled from the capital to Xizhou, traveling together for five thousand miles. We have looked after each other and have had a peaceful journey. I know that you are a very righteous person, and you should also know my character. I have some personal grudges with this dancer. You don’t know her, so don’t be fooled by her appearance. She is just a lowly servant. Could you please hand her over to me for disposal?”
Lu Huaying stepped forward and said, "Thank you both. Don't tell my sister-in-law and brother about tonight's events."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Your Highness's brocade robe is stained with wine."
He thought that Cheng Can wouldn't take his casual question after the banquet to heart. This morning, when he heard that Cheng Can had gone to the estate to taste the locally brewed wine, accompanied by the magistrate of Liucheng County, he was completely relieved. He never expected that Cheng Can's wine-drinking was a pretense; his real purpose was to ask the magistrate of Liucheng County for Lu Huaying's identity and household registration, and then bring his men to humiliate Lu Huaying!
"Cheng Can! Don't do anything reckless..."
Chai Yong looked at the water droplets running down her hair and said, "Wu Lang and I came to visit your brother and sister-in-law today. After we took our leave, we heard from Guo Mingfu's attendant that Cheng Can was leading people south of the city. We were worried that something had happened, so we rushed over. We found that you hadn't come home yet and were just worrying when a little child ran in to report that you were surrounded by a group of villains we'd never seen before. Wu Lang and I rushed over immediately."
Chai Yong smiled with a hint of sarcasm.
Wang Yu bowed gratefully to the two gentlemen, saying, "I am deeply grateful for your righteous help."
Lu Huaying greeted the two of them, helped the weary-looking Wang Yu into the house, changed her clothes, and came out with Chai Yong's coat.
Lu Huaying was about to slip into the alley to hide while they were talking when she saw him hand her his coat without turning around. She paused for a moment, then took it and put it on.
Pei Jingyao felt utterly ashamed and pulled Chai Yong's arm, hiding behind him.
Lu Huaying gathered her soaking wet hair, put on a face towel, and quickened her pace.
The sister-in-law already knows.
Pei Jingyao looked guilty.
Lu Huaying gripped the stone slab tightly.
The others exchanged glances and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Young Master Chai, don't misunderstand. Mingguang just drank too much and happened to run into Lu Sanniang. It was just a chance encounter with an old friend in a foreign land, and he reminisced about the past with her."
Cheng Can remained silent for a moment, then chuckled coldly twice and turned to leave.
Her voice was calm, without any inflection, and her gaze was also calm and undisturbed.
Chai Yong said, "Let's go back first and talk about it later."
The group looked embarrassed and awkwardly backed away.
"Cheng Can!"
Wang Yu sat at home with tears in her eyes. Hearing footsteps, she immediately got up and looked around. Seeing Lu Huaying return safely, she burst into tears of joy.
"Third Sister, I'm so glad you're alright. I didn't mean it."
Suddenly, a roar came from under the moonlight, and a figure leaped over the low wall and rushed over. The moonlight illuminated his face, revealing his deep and handsome features.
"What reward does the young master desire?"
The boys scattered, and Lu Huaying took the opportunity to break free and run towards Chai Yong. The boy in brocade robes had a gloomy face and chased after her.
He forced Cheng Can back, glanced at the others, and said angrily, "You bunch of men bully the weak and oppress a woman in distress. You are all upright and honorable men, true heroes! I admire you!"
A panting shout and footsteps came from under the moonlight. Pei Jingyao ran out from the other side of the low wall, panting heavily. Seeing that everyone had dispersed, he let out a breath, panting like a bellows.
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