Chapter 88
As autumn winds blow across the Wei River and fallen leaves blanket Chang'an, Wei Mingsu and Fan Hui embark on a journey to Xizhou with the Xiao family.
As the soldiers were inspecting their quarters, a carriage suddenly came up from behind.
The person who came was Wang Yu's maid, who came on Wang Yu's behalf to see Wei Mingsu off.
Xiao Suniang was unwilling to give up and asked Wei Mingsu, "Brother Wei, this is the last chance... Is there anything you want to tell Third Sister?"
Looking at the distant mountains and forests shrouded in sunlight, Wei Mingsu said, "I wish Third Sister and Wang Qilang a long and happy marriage, and that they may be forever united in heart."
Xiao Suniang was very disappointed.
Wang Yu's maid breathed a sigh of relief, a smile flashing in her eyes, and said, "I will certainly pass on your words to Madam and Third Sister, wishing you a safe journey."
Xiao Jijiu planned to take the northern route, passing through Qinzhou, Liangzhou, and Ganzhou, along the Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang, then through Yumen Pass, and further north to Xizhou.
This time, Xiao Jijiu went to Xizhou on the orders of the Empress Dowager.
After the late emperor's death, the Empress Dowager ruled as regent, wielding absolute power. Several veteran officials, fearing a repeat of Empress Lü's fate, urged the Empress Dowager to relinquish power as soon as possible and allow the emperor to rule in his own right. Before the memorial was even submitted, the Empress Dowager had already heard the news and ordered a group of outstanding civil officials to assist the White Horse Temple in translating Buddhist scriptures. Xiao Jijiu was sent to Xizhou for this translation project.
The Empress Dowager was well-versed in literature and history, resolute and strong-willed, and well-versed in political maneuvering. Xiao Jijiu was worried that the Empress Dowager would suffer the same fate as Empress Lü of the Han Dynasty, so he instructed his steward to write to him frequently to keep him informed of the situation in the court.
Four days later, the first letter from the steward arrived at the post station. After Xiao Jijiu left, Chang'an was peaceful and nothing major happened.
Xiao Jijiu put aside his worries for now.
Wei Mingsu and Fan Hui took care of their teacher's daily life and helped him transcribe and organize manuscripts. Before they knew it, they had arrived in Qinzhou. The north wind was biting cold, and everyone changed into the winter clothes that Madam Xiao had prepared for them.
On this day, they entered a post station. Wei Mingsu escorted Xiao Jijiu to the main hall to rest. After coming out, he helped the servants move the luggage from the cart. They were going to wait here to change horses.
A sound of horses' hooves echoed on the road, and a richly dressed young gentleman entered the post station, followed by several attendants.
The people at the post station rushed to greet them, and the attendant took out a document saying that they were in a hurry to get to Liangzhou, their horses were worn out, and they needed to be replaced with the fastest horses immediately.
The servants should be.
"This is outrageous! We also have official documents. We arrived first, so it should be first-come, first-served. How can this be..."
Fan Hui stormed out, but when he saw the young man, he was stunned.
The young master walked in with a blank expression, but when his gaze swept over Wei Mingsu, his expression changed, and he let out a cold laugh.
Xiao E followed out to see what was going on, and was also taken aback: "This is...Young Master Pei?"
He couldn't help but open his mouth wide.
Not long ago, when they were in Chang'an, Pei Jingxi had publicly ridiculed and mocked Wei Mingsu. At that time, the eldest son of the family was splendid and very arrogant. However, just a few days later, Pei Jingxi looked haggard and his eyes were lifeless. Coupled with his travel-worn appearance, he looked even more dejected. If it weren't for his brocade robes and the entourage behind him, as well as his teeth-gritting, arrogant glare at Wei Mingsu, Xiao E would have thought he had mistaken him for someone else.
Fan Hui and Xiao E were worried that Pei Jingxi would make things difficult for Wei Mingsu, so they whispered to Wei Mingsu to go inside quickly.
Pei Jingxi walked up to Wei Mingsu, sized him up, and said coldly, "What did I think of you before? You actually treated you as a threat? Do you even deserve it?"
After saying that, he smiled.
"Third Sister married Wang Qilang. They are happily married and will be united forever. As for me, I went to the Lu family to beg the eldest son for a chance, but was flatly refused. I could only leave Chang'an quietly and end up here struggling with a penniless, lowly bastard..."
Pei Jingxi suddenly fell silent, a look of loneliness and self-mockery on his face. He turned and walked into the main hall, sat down, ordered a pot of wine, and drank it down in one gulp. In the blink of an eye, he was completely drunk.
His attendants had prepared the horses and asked him for permission, but he was already drunk. They could only help him upstairs to a guest room to rest.
Fan Hui secretly gloated and muttered, "Serves him right."
Xiao Suniang hid inside the door and peeked at the drunk Pei Jingxi.
"Third Sister got married, and Young Master Pei seems very heartbroken... He really loves Third Sister." Xiao Suniang turned around and glanced at Xiao...
Wei Mingsu, the chief libationer, was organizing the books when his voice rose...
He was a step above, saying, "Young Master Pei is deeply infatuated with Third Sister, unlike someone who isn't sad at all, as if nothing happened, and is indifferent to Third Sister, not even asking how she is doing."
Wei Mingsu's reaction these days has been too calm. He arranges the itinerary, takes care of Xiao Jijiu, reads books, and writes calligraphy, just like when he was in Chang'an.
He didn't care at all about how Lu Huaying was doing after she got married. Xiao Suniang couldn't help but get angry, and she got even angrier when she saw Pei Jingxi looking lost and dejected.
Wei Mingsu raised his head, looked at Xiao Suniang, and frowned.
Xiao Suniang's imposing manner immediately weakened. Wei Mingsu had taught her calligraphy at Madam Xiao's request, and when he was instructing her on how to write, he looked at her with this cold and stern gaze. It wasn't fierce, but it made her feel intimidated.
Wei Mingsu said sternly, "Fourth Sister, she is already married. You can't mention her and me anymore. If outsiders hear about it... it will damage her reputation."
Xiao Suniang was a girl, so she naturally understood the importance of reputation to a woman. She didn't dare to argue and nodded, saying, "I only said these things to you, Brother Wei. I won't say them again."
The next day, when they set off, Pei Jingxi had already left the post station.
They changed horses and carriages and continued their journey.
The sky gradually darkened, and the driver said it looked like it was going to snow.
It did indeed snow on the day they left Qin Prefecture.
In the snowstorm, it was easy to lose one's way even if one followed the official road. The driver was experienced and suggested that Xiao Jijiu find an inn to stay at and wait for the weather to clear before continuing. Xiao Jijiu agreed.
The heavy snow lasted for two days before stopping, and the weather finally cleared up on the third day. They continued westward, and as they passed through a grove of trees, a joyful shout suddenly came from the snow.
Several figures ran out of the woods and blocked the group. The servants spoke with them briefly and then returned to tell Chief Minister Xiao that two days ago, a merchant caravan had been traveling through the snow when several horses were injured. The merchants, driven by profit, were reluctant to part with their goods, which delayed their journey. Unexpectedly, the snow fell heavier and heavier, and they lost their bearings, becoming stranded in the snow for two days. They wanted to buy some food.
Xiao Jijiu instructed his servants to give some dry rations to the merchants.
The merchant was very grateful and said that some people in the group were injured and others were sick. He begged Xiao Jijiu to take the injured and sick to a populated place for medical treatment and recuperation.
Xiao Jijiu agreed and instructed Wei Mingsu to arrange these trivial matters.
Wei Mingsu asked the merchants how many wounded and sick people they had, and instructed everyone in the group to squeeze together to make room for two vehicles, and together with his servants, help the merchants carry the wounded people onto the vehicles.
After he finished his work, as he walked through the snow, a figure suddenly stood up among the shivering patients.
Wei Mingsu turned around.
In front of the snow cave that the caravan had dug out for warmth, a tall figure with a veil covering her face staggered toward him, shivering.
A cold wind blew by, and the figure swayed a few times before slipping and falling on the snow.
Wei Mingsu stepped forward, bent down, and helped the person on the ground up.
The face towel slipped off, revealing a face that was blue from the cold.
He was stunned.
The young woman, shivering from the cold, tugged at his sleeve, and a faint smile slowly appeared on her pale face.
"wood!"
In that instant, the cold wind seemed to transform into an ice sword, piercing Wei Mingsu's heart.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the young woman in his arms.
Lu Huaying was not warm at all.
“Wood…” her voice trembled.
Wei Mingsu suddenly came to his senses, tore off his belt, took off his outer robe and wrapped it around Lu Huaying's body, picked her up and quickly returned to the caravan, walking directly to Xiao Suniang's carriage.
"Fourth Sister, do me a favor."
Xiao Suniang lifted the carriage curtain and almost screamed when she saw Lu Huaying in Wei Mingsu's arms.
Wei Mingsu carried Lu Huaying onto the carriage, pulled up all the felt blankets in the carriage and covered her with them, whispering, "Fourth Sister, help her change her clothes. Change all the clothes under her clothes, she's all cold."
Xiao Suniang was stunned for a long time.
"Why is Third Sister here? Didn't she get married?" She couldn't believe her eyes and hurriedly helped, "Brother Wei, is Third Sister here to see you?"
Wei Mingsu didn't answer her, turning his head away and saying, "Fourth Sister, please take care of her for me."
He pushed the heater into the felt, got off the carriage, and taught Xiao Suniang through the curtain how to help Lu Huaying regain her body temperature.
After Xiao Suniang said that Lu Huaying was warm, Wei Mingsu stood in the snow and closed his eyes.
He found the merchant and asked him why Lu Huaying was in the caravan.
The businesswoman initially refused to speak, but Wei Mingsu said he was her friend and knew her family, which finally made her hesitantly reveal the truth.
A month ago, a merchant set off from Chang'an to do business in Xizhou. After leaving the city, Lu Huaying found him and gave him a few gold ingots. The merchant agreed to take her with him to Xizhou.
Wei Mingsu remained silent.
She left Chang'an a month ago.
She did not get married.
A pampered fifteen-year-old girl, carrying a pile of gold ingots, left home alone and traveled with an unfamiliar caravan, enduring wind and rain, trekking through mountains and rivers, and was caught in a heavy snowfall, freezing for two days and two nights.
That evening, the group arrived in Shanzhou and stayed at the post station. The merchant expressed his gratitude to Xiao Jijiu and took the wounded and the sick to seek medical treatment.
Lu Huaying had a fever and was sleeping soundly. Wei Mingsu carried her into Xiao Suniang's room, asked a doctor to take her pulse, and prepared the medicine. She was still drowsy, so he had Xiao Suniang hold her and feed her the medicine.
Seeing him taking care of Lu Huaying, Xiao Suniang's anger subsided, and she asked, "Brother Wei, what should we do?"
Wei Mingsu said, "Go to sleep, I'll watch over her."
Lu Huaying slept soundly and woke up in the middle of the night.
All was quiet, and snow was falling heavily outside the window.
Wei Mingsu leaned against the bedside, sleeping with his arm as a pillow.
The oil lamp on the table was still lit, and the wick was set aside.
Lu Huaying thought to herself, "He's so frugal, he actually forgot to blow out the lamp."
Worried that he would catch a cold, she reached out to pull the blanket up for him.
Wei Mingsu woke up immediately.
He looked at Lu Huaying, his eyes suddenly becoming clear, then slowly becoming deep.
Lu Huaying stared at him for a moment, then said, "I'm so hungry."
Her stomach gurgled appropriately.
Wei Mingsu got up, picked up the teapot from the stove, poured her a bowl of hot water, and said in a low voice, "Drink some water first."
He heated up a bowl of meat soup.
Lu Huaying had been eating dry rations every day and hadn't had hot food for several days. She took the bowl from his hand and started eating by herself. She wolfed down her food and then looked up at Wei Mingsu with the empty bowl in her hand. She wanted to eat another bowl.
Wei Mingsu only served her half a bowl this time, saying, "Eat slowly, don't eat too much at once."
Lu Huaying finished half a bowl, her speed only increasing.
Wei Mingsu watched her quietly until she finished eating, then took away the bowl, poured her a bowl of hot water to rinse her mouth, picked up a skewer, and adjusted the wick of the lamp.
The lights became a little brighter.
Wei Mingsu put down the divination stick and asked, "You're not married?"
Lu Huaying thought she could get away with it, but she didn't expect him to question her in such a calm tone. She shook her head and said, "No."
Wei Mingsu nodded, his back to her.
Lu Huaying thought he was going to ask her why she wasn't married and why she was with the caravan, so she racked her brains trying to figure out how to answer.
Wei Mingsu didn't ask.
"Go to sleep."
He whispered, took the bowl, and walked to the stove.
The sound of water reached my ears.
Wei Mingsu was washing the bowls she had just used.
Lu Huaying had not fully recovered, so she lay down and quickly fell asleep again.
Wei Mingsu washed the dishes, didn't go out, but returned to the bedside and sat down, just leaning against it.
She never got married.
He muttered to himself.
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