Chapter 35
"Protector Qin has already sent people to urge you three times. Are you really not going to come over for a drink?" The subordinate stood by the door, holding an invitation in his hand, and cautiously looked at the person on the couch.
"I'm not going." Wen Chaoyu lay back, resting her head on her arms, pretending to sleep.
The room was quiet and deserted, but outside it was bustling with activity. As the night snow fell, bright lanterns were hung everywhere in the main altar, and red silk ribbons fluttered in the wind. The atmosphere was festive, and the sounds of string and wind instruments could be heard from afar, melodious and ethereal.
"Today is Protector Qin's birthday," the subordinate said, looking at the falling snow outside. "She made another contribution a few days ago and received a reward from the sect leader. She is very pleased with herself and is holding a grand banquet to celebrate. I think the Protector should go and pay her a visit."
A cold wind carrying a few snowflakes swept across the door frame and touched her face. Wen Chaoyu didn't say anything, but her expression revealed impatience.
Not long ago, Qin Zheng led a group to Shangyuan City and seriously injured a disciple of Yunhua Palace. She used this as a feint to secretly order the killing of the subordinate who was lying in ambush in Yunhua Palace. This not only cut off Xie Yijun's clues to investigate the spy, but also helped Ziwei Sect get revenge for the Jincheng incident, catching Yunhua Palace off guard. Nangong Min praised her highly.
Upon hearing that it was Qin Zheng's birthday, Nangong Min specially arranged a birthday banquet for her. Although Wen Chaoyu did not attend due to illness, she heard from her subordinates that Nangong Min was extremely generous. The banquet had over a hundred tables, with fine wine, food, songs, and dances, and he also bestowed a lot of gold and silver jewelry, giving Qin Zheng a great deal of prestige.
Now that Wen Chaoyu is bedridden, although Nangong Min has not said it outright, everyone can see that Wen Chaoyu has fallen out of favor. Qin Zheng took the opportunity to rise to power and became the most popular person around. The subordinates who used to fawn over Wen Chaoyu and flatter her are now changing their tune and turning to curry favor with Qin Zheng.
Wen Chaoyu lay there silently for a while. When she opened her eyes, she saw that her subordinate was still leaning against the door, motionless. She then asked, "Do you want to go?"
Upon hearing this, the subordinate raised his head with a hint of surprise, but did not reply.
Qin Zheng was at the height of her fame and had a good relationship with the other two protectors. She had invited many people to her birthday banquet, and even the unknown underlings could get a glass of fine wine. However, Wen Chaoyu was the only one who remained silent. Although her subordinates did not say it outright, they all hoped that Wen Chaoyu would say something so that they could also share in the joy and have a good meal.
The subordinate laughed and said, "If the Protector really doesn't want to go, I'll decline it for you. What's so great about wine? You should take care of your health."
Wen Chaoyu scoffed, "Go if you want, no one's stopping you," she said calmly. "Tell all your subordinates in the courtyard to go over there, just to make a trip for me. When they see Qin Zheng, tell her I'm dying and can't get out of bed. Go on, don't disturb my rest."
Hearing her words, the subordinate was overjoyed. On the surface, he didn't forget to be coy and express his loyalty to Wen Chaoyu before taking his leave. However, he forgot to close the door for Wen Chaoyu.
Wen Chaoyu let out another mocking laugh. Too lazy to get out of bed and close the door, she pulled the blanket over her head and planned to take a nap.
A moment later, soft footsteps sounded again by the door.
"What time is it? How can you sleep?"
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Wen Chaoyu knew who had come. She hid under the covers with a long face, but when she lifted the covers, she was all smiles. As she got up, she said, "Oh, what brings you here?"
Nangong Min, dressed in a red dress, looked at Wen Chaoyu with a smile in her eyes. She stood there, looking as beautiful as a lifelike painting. She walked to the bedside and helped Wen Chaoyu up, saying, "Why are you getting up? Lie down properly."
Wen Chaoyu didn't want to move anyway, so she leaned against the headboard and readily agreed, "The arrival of the sect leader is an honor to my humble abode. How could I not get up to greet him?"
Nangong Min smiled but didn't respond. She glanced around the room and teased, "You're supposed to be a protector, and you're sick, yet there's not even a charcoal fire in this room?" Then she touched the teapot on the table. "The tea is cold too. It really breaks my heart."
“Things are different now,” Wen Chaoyu sighed. “The sect leader has neglected me for so many days. Who will serve me properly? I’d be grateful if they don’t bully me.”
Nangong Min covered her mouth and chuckled: "Bully you? Who could possibly bully you?"
Wen Chaoyu grinned and said, "Master, you've always been trying to find ways to bully me. Over time, everyone below has learned from you. I'm suffering inside, and I have no one to confide in. It's so frustrating."
The candlelight flickered in the room, illuminating Nangong Min's pair of affectionate eyes, which were both deep and serene. She teased, "That's perfect, now that I'm here, you can tell me what grievances you have."
“I wouldn’t dare,” Wen Chaoyu said. “I’m willing to work for the leader, so it’s only right that I’m neglected by him if I don’t do things well.”
"It's quite lively over there with Protector Qin," Nangong Min said, looking at her. "Why don't you go and take a look?"
"I'm willing but unable, aren't I?" Wen Chaoyu laughed it off. "It hurts so much, I can't even walk."
Nangong Min simply smiled and said, "Then, Sect Leader, shall I give you a massage?"
"No, that would be too much for me," Wen Chaoyu quickly said.
“I’ve come to tell you something,” Nangong Minxing said, pouring himself a cup of cold tea and taking a sip. “These past few days, Xiao Qi has found out that Shen Mandong and the Holy Sword are fake; it’s all Xie Yijun’s scheme.”
Wen Chaoyu observed Nangong Min's expression discreetly and said, "Is that so?"
In fact, she had guessed it to some extent. There had been many rumors about this matter circulating in the martial arts world recently, but Yunhua Palace had remained silent. Shen Mandong made a brief appearance and then disappeared without a trace, which seemed illogical.
“So I can’t understand it,” Nangong Min put down his teacup and looked at Wen Chaoyu, “You were there in person that day, and when you came back you told me that Shen Mandong was the real deal, not a fake. But now it seems, with your abilities, how could you be so easily deceived?”
Knowing that she had come to question him tonight, Wen Chaoyu stopped his joking and said seriously, "This matter is indeed my fault. I failed to investigate in time and gave incorrect feedback. Please punish me as you see fit, I, Wen Chaoyu, will have no complaints."
Nangong Min sighed and said, "What punishment? You've been in the sect for so many years and made countless contributions. How could I punish you for this one mistake?"
Wen Chaoyu scrutinized her: "Then the sect leader came to find me..."
Nangong Min smiled and said gently, "I don't want to blame you, but I can't stop others from having a lot of complaints about you. If this continues, Protector Qin will eventually push you out. It's not easy for you to get to where you are today. Can you accept being overshadowed by others overnight?"
Wen Chaoyu didn't take it to heart and laughed, "We're all doing things for the sect leader, there's no such thing as being in the limelight or not. The sect leader might as well speak frankly."
“Alright,” Nangong Min said, “I’ll give you a chance. If you do well, I won’t hold the Jincheng matter against you. Whatever your position was in the sect before, it should remain the same thereafter. What do you say?”
Wen Chaoyu said, "Isn't that a good relationship? If the leader can forgive and forget, I will do my best. I just don't know what the leader wants me to do?"
Nangong Min's eyes flickered, and he stared intently at her, saying, "I want you to bring that child back. Can you do that?"
Wen Chaoyu paused, then asked in surprise, "You want me to go to Yunhua Palace to kidnap someone?"
Nangong Min nodded: "Xie Yijun made me suffer a loss in silence, how can I tolerate it? Since she deliberately created Shen Mandong, I am convinced that the Holy Sword is in her hands. You bring that child over, and I'll see what Xie Yijun has to offer in exchange for him."
If Yin Qiu were in their hands, the Ziwei Sect could use her to coerce Yunhua Palace into handing over the Holy Sword. Xie Yijun thought she had suppressed the Ziwei Sect to some extent, but in reality, she had only herself to blame. Now everyone in the martial arts world knows that the Holy Sword is in her hands. If she cannot produce the Holy Sword to exchange for the hostages, it will surely lead to a lot of rumors. Nangong Min wants to turn the tables on her and regain some of his chances of winning.
Wen Chaoyu understood perfectly, but said with a wry smile, "The sect leader has really stumped me this time. Breaking into Yunhua Palace to rescue people is as difficult as climbing to heaven. With my injuries, I can't beat anyone. I'm afraid I can't do it."
"That's your problem," Nangong Min said with a light smile. "Do you expect me to come up with a solution for you?"
Wen Chaoyu hesitated: "This..."
Nangong Min withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at her: "Of course, I am not an unreasonable person. This matter is tricky and difficult to handle, so I have already made arrangements for you. You should set off for Shangyuan City in the next two days to meet up with Xiao Qi. With his help, we will definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Having said that, Wen Chaoyu had no choice but to accept her fate, even if she wanted to refuse. She frowned slightly and asked, "Then how do I find him?"
Nangong Min glanced at the door, then leaned down and whispered a name into Wen Chaoyu's ear.
Upon hearing the name, Wen Chaoyu looked surprised and asked, "It's him?"
“Right now, only you and I know Xiao Qi’s identity,” Nangong Minfu straightened up again. “If the news were to leak out, you would know without me saying it.”
Wen Chaoyu was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."
“Then I will wait for good news,” Nangong Min smiled gently. “You don’t need to rush, there’s plenty of time. Just don’t disappoint me this time.”
Originally, she thought she could finally enjoy some peace and quiet, but unexpectedly, she was given another heavy task and found out who the mole was. Wen Chaoyu had mixed feelings, but she could only reply, "Don't worry, Master, I will do my best."
·
In the blink of an eye, it was already past the middle of the twelfth lunar month, and in about ten days the end of the year would arrive. Many disciples who had stayed in various prefectures and cities returned to Yunhua Palace one after another. The disciples in the palace were busy going down the mountain to buy New Year's goods. The colorful lanterns in Shangyuan City had already been hung up, and everywhere was filled with a festive atmosphere.
That morning, Yin Qiu was awakened from her sleep by a noise. She put on her clothes and opened the window. She saw that many disciples were busy in the courtyard, each carrying a lantern and paper cuttings. They were probably decorating the courtyard early in the morning.
It was still dark, and no one had rung the bell. It was still early before class started. Yin Qiu was wondering whether to go back to sleep or go out to help when she suddenly heard the door open behind her. She turned around and saw that it was Man Jiangxue.
"Uncle-Master?" Yin Qiu hurriedly went to greet him. "Why are you here at this time?"
Man Jiangxue patted the snowflakes off her shoulder, straightened Yin Qiu's coat, and said, "I haven't had a chance to come see you these past few days because I've been busy. I'm finally free today."
Hearing that a spy from the Ziwei Sect had died in the palace, and that Lu Huaiwei had not yet woken up, Yin Qiu knew that Man Jiangxue must have been extremely busy these days, so she said, "Take some rest when you have time. There's no need for you to come and see me, Uncle."
Man Jiangxue looked tired and weary. She rubbed her temples and nudged Yin Qiu, saying, "You did well in the monthly exam this time. I should have come to see you sooner. I just asked your teacher for leave. Pack your things and I'll take you down the mountain."
Yin Qiu asked in surprise, "Going down the mountain?"
Man Jiangxue said, "I'll take you somewhere."
Yin Qiu cheered and quickly ran to the bedside to get dressed, asking as she did so, "Where is this place?"
Man Jiangxue said, "You'll know when you get there."
Since arriving at Yunhua Palace, Yin Qiu hadn't been down the mountain for a long time. Upon hearing the news, she was overjoyed. She quickly dressed herself, combed her hair, and the two of them, without even having breakfast, took their horses and headed down the mountain.
Shangyuan City was even more bustling than the palace, with vendors and pedestrians everywhere. Even the heavy snow couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm, and the market was incredibly crowded. Yin Qiu sat upright on horseback, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
The two rode through a market, surrounded by many street performers. Yin Qiu exclaimed in amazement as she watched, leaning against Man Jiangxue and clapping her hands in approval. Man Jiangxue then distributed money along the street, generously rewarding the street performers.
In an instant, the streets became even more noisy, with many people scrambling for the silver, and a bunch of children chasing after the horses, shouting, "Gentlemen, give us some more!"
Realizing that Man Jiangxue was giving money to whoever she was cheering for, Yin Qiu felt a pang of heartache. She quickly looked away from the novelty and turned to say, "If Uncle gives them money for nothing, what will we have left?"
Man Jiangxue, holding the reins, smiled upon hearing this: "You don't need to worry about that, your martial uncle has plenty of money."
Yin Qiu had never experienced spending money like this before, nor could she utter such extravagant words. Seeing that Man Jiangxue's purse was almost empty, she said with a wry smile, "Even if you have money, you can't spend it like this. So much silver is enough to buy so many things. Why doesn't your martial aunt know how to save?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Why should we save money? We don't need that much."
Yin Qiu had been poor since childhood and had never experienced a wealthy life. Hearing this, she replied, "Of course we have to be frugal. When we were in the Su family, the head housekeeper often taught us that if you don't know how to save money when you're young, you won't have anything to spend when you're old."
Man Jiangxue smiled but said nothing, pulled on the reins and left the place. She then led Yin Qiu into a restaurant. It was noon, and the hall was full of customers drinking and playing drinking games. It was noisy and crowded. The waiter led the two to a private room on the third floor. Soon, a table full of delicious food was brought to them. The table was completely full.
As plate after plate of food was brought in, Yin Qiu couldn't help but feel surprised and asked Man Jiangxue, "Why did you order so much? There's not enough for the two of us."
Man Jiangxue served her a bowl of rice and some vegetables, saying, "You don't have to finish it. Eat whatever you like, and just have someone take away what you don't like."
Looking at the table in front of her, Yin Qiu said in astonishment, "This is far too extravagant and wasteful..."
“I didn’t ask you to pay,” Man Jiangxue tapped Yin Qiu on the head. “Eat it while it’s hot.”
Yin Qiu took the bowl and chopsticks and ate a few mouthfuls of rice. After thinking it over for a while, she felt that Man Jiangxue's behavior today seemed a bit abnormal. First, he brought her down the mountain for no reason, then he generously gave so many street performers tips, and now he ordered such a large table of good tea and dishes at the restaurant, as if he had so much money that he didn't know what to do with it. He was extremely generous.
Although Man Jiangxue has never been a stingy person, and Yin Qiu has never had to worry about food, drink, clothing, or shelter since they got along, she has never been so extravagant as she is today.
The window was half-closed, and fine snowflakes drifted over the eaves, gently landing on her hair, which was covered in snow. This made her face appear serene and her demeanor ethereal. Yin Qiu looked up at her for a moment and asked, "Is there some good news for you, Martial Aunt?"
Man Jiangxue took a sip of tea and said, "No."
"Nothing?" Yin Qiu picked up a glutinous rice ball, about to ask a few more questions, when Man Jiangxue asked her first, "Is there anything you like?"
Yin Qiu was taken aback by her question, and after thinking for a moment, asked, "Things you like...?"
“Pen and paper books, hairpins and jewelry,” Man Jiangxue said, “or some kind of food, do you have any?”
Yin Qiu pondered for a while, then shook his head and said, "There should be, but I can't think of anything right now... Why is Uncle asking this?"
Man Jiangxue looked at her but didn't answer. She simply said, "Let's eat first. After we've eaten, I'll take you for a walk."
After lunch, the two left the restaurant. Man Jiangxue then took Yin Qiu to a clothing store and bought her a lot of beautiful new clothes. In addition to the winter clothes needed for the time being, Man Jiangxue also considered the spring clothes and summer clothes for Yin Qiu after the spring. Afterwards, the two went to several more stores and visited almost the entire Shangyuan City. During this time, Man Jiangxue bought almost everything that Yin Qiu had paid attention to without saying a word. She spent a lot of money and silver notes without even frowning.
The purchased items filled several wooden crates, containing everything from clothes and jewelry to various trinkets—a truly comprehensive selection, even more so than what you'd find in a general store. Upon receiving Man Jiangxue's message, the post station disciples in the city quickly arrived in their carriages and immediately transported the heavy wooden crates to the palace.
Amidst the desolate snowstorm, Yin Qiu watched her disciples depart, feeling both joy and confusion. She couldn't help but ask Man Jiangxue, "Uncle-Master, why did you buy me so many things?"
Man Jiangxue said, "This is a reward for you."
Yin Qiu didn't understand: "What reward?"
Man Jiangxue added, "You ranked third in the civil service exam and fifth in the military exam. You've only been in the palace for a little over a month, so it's truly remarkable that you've achieved such results. Your uncle should reward you."
Yin Qiu suddenly realized, and while beaming with joy, she couldn't help but feel a little heartache: "But this is too much of a waste for Uncle-Master. Why did you have to spend so much money?"
“Since you can’t say exactly what you like, I can only buy a little of everything,” Man Jiangxue said softly, patting Yin Qiu’s head. “Money is meant to be spent, it doesn’t matter how you spend it, the important thing is whether you’re happy.”
Yin Qiuxin was overjoyed and hugged Man Jiangxue, saying, "I'm so happy!" Then she looked up at Man Jiangxue and said, "This is the happiest day I've ever had since I was a child."
As dusk settled, streetlights illuminated the streets. Man Jiangxue looked down at Yin Qiu's gentle face in the lamplight and smiled, saying, "Really?"
Yin Qiu nodded solemnly: "More real than real gold!"
"Do you remember what day it is today?" Man Jiangxue suddenly asked.
What day was it? Yin Qiu tilted her head and said, "I don't remember. What day was it?"
Man Jiangxue embraced her, leaned down slightly to look at Yin Qiu and said, "Today is your birthday." She gently cupped Yin Qiu's face, her eyes reflecting the falling snowflakes, and said, "You've grown another year older."
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