Chapter 146 Pride Abounds (Part 8) He skillfully wiped her clean. ...
Upon entering the city, Wei Yuanzhan took the shortcut directly to the Song residence.
As dusk approached, the officials' residences had already hung up lanterns, and the closer they got to Qufei Lane, the brighter the lights became.
Before long, a group of men dressed in blue emerged from the shadows and stood blocking their way.
Wei Yuanzhan abruptly reined in the horse, its hooves nearly trampling their chests, yet the men did not flinch.
Once he had reined in his horse, a respectful voice came from below: "Your Highness, the Madam requests your return to the manor."
It had just rained during the day, and the puddles on the ground were stirred up by the horses' hooves.
Wei Yuanzhan glared at the group of reckless servants and clenched his fist on the reins: "Get out of the way."
"Young Master, please don't make things difficult for me. My wife has ordered that you be brought back, even if it means being tied up..."
Since Wei Yuanzhan returned to camp, Xu Yueqing had not seen him even once. Although she knew he could not refuse his duty, she insisted on making him return to the manor for reprimand, as if wrestling with him.
Such narrow-minded methods only make people more rebellious.
Wei Yuanzhan laughed wildly on horseback: "Is that so? Come here."
A gentle breeze ruffled the hem of his clothes as he spoke these words, looking directly into the eyes of the person in the lead.
For some reason, the man suddenly felt a chill in his sides, and his earlier momentum in stopping the horse vanished instantly.
No one dared to make a move.
As I hesitated, a graceful figure suddenly passed by along the wall. She walked with her head bowed, her steps unhurried, and gradually disappeared around the corner.
Although she wore plain-colored clothes, the fabric was clearly different from that of commoners, and her posture was restrained and proper, making it immediately obvious that she was a member of the inner court.
Wei Yuanzhan often moved around the palace when he was young, so he was good at judging people.
Why are people from the inner court here?
He withdrew his gaze suspiciously, then looked at the stubborn servant who refused to back down, and his initial anger subsided somewhat.
He rode forward, feeling the tall shadow looming over him, and the leader couldn't help but take a few steps back.
Wei Yuanzhan said calmly, "Go back and tell my mother that I will be back soon, and she doesn't need to wait for me here. Move aside."
Upon hearing this, the man clenched and unclenched his fist, but ultimately could not resist. He raised his hand to make the others step back and clear the way.
The Song family is packed with guests today.
Before they even arrived, they could already see horses and sedan chairs passing by, and laughter filled the air. Wei Yuanzhan dismounted and walked a short distance, holding the reins.
As they approached the mansion gate, Song Qizhang saw him on the steps and raised his eyebrows to call out, "Cousin Wei."
She glanced at him briefly before slowly walking away. "You came alone?"
The sounds of birthday greetings all around made Wei Yuanzhan feel unusually uncomfortable. He smiled and said, "I didn't know it was your father's birthday today, so I didn't prepare any gifts. I apologize for my disrespect."
He loosened the reins and clasped his hands, saying, "Wishing your father a long and healthy life."
"Thank you for your kind words, Cousin Wei." Song Qizhang smiled, turned to the side and tucked his sleeve, "Go in, your second aunt will be happy to see you."
"No, thank you." Upon hearing Wei Yuanzhan's voice, Song Qizhang turned around and saw him standing in the waterfall of light, showing no intention of entering the mansion.
"Could you please tell Rou that I'm waiting for her here?"
Song Qizhang was surprised for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Okay."
The guests dispersed to the west courtyard. Zhi Rou returned from the front, and one could still faintly hear the soft murmur of their conversation.
As they walked into Longyue Pavilion, Xinghui's voice flowed through the leaves: "...If you're so attached to your former master, you might as well go back."
Zhi Rou frowned slightly as she entered the room. Xing Hui saw her and hurriedly came to greet her, asking softly, "Miss, shall we also go to the west courtyard?"
Her gaze swept across the corner, where Jing Yao stood quietly with her eyelashes lowered, offering no defense of herself against Xing Hui's judgment.
Even though she knew who she had seen and believed that she would not betray her, Zhi Rou still felt a slight wavering in her heart.
She attributed it to feeling unwell and being easily agitated, but quickly calmed herself down and went inside, saying, "I'm not going, I feel a little dizzy."
These past few days, she has been in her room pondering the Changyu case.
Perhaps because she was too engrossed in the task, she found it increasingly difficult to sleep at night. So she put on her clothes and sat under the lamp for a long time, sorting out all the clues one by one, and came to a conclusion: the northerners who were chasing her were not sent by Song Lang.
Zhou Ling once said that when they fought against the Wanyuan Merchant Group in Qinyang, they discovered that the group was secretly transporting salt and tea under the guise of military supplies, and heading straight to the north.
Since the war with Beili a few years ago, the imperial court has strictly prohibited the transport of salt and tea to the north. Violators will not only have their goods confiscated, but will also be severely punished.
The Wanyuan merchant group acts arrogantly, yet their trade proceeds unimpeded; they must have someone in the court protecting them. Song Lang, serving as the Director of the Military Selection Department, likely doesn't wield power in this regard.
Zhi Rou gazed at the few words connected on the paper and finally placed her pen on "Ministry of Revenue".
She didn't know where to begin her investigation, and as for Song Lang, she still had doubts. This process of thinking, along with arranging for Zhou Ling to meet with her mother, caused her to become slightly distracted and feel a little weak.
As the sun set, the last rays of its setting sun cast a blush on the tent curtains. She plunged into the tent, her body swaying, her shoes barely touching the ground.
Seeing her like this, Xinghui squatted down to take off her shoes: "Miss, did you not sleep well again last night? Did you catch a cold at night... I will go and inform Madam to ask Physician Wang to come and take a look at you."
As he spoke, he stood up and pushed aside Jing Yao, who was leaning against him.
When Zhi Rou noticed Xing Hui helping her take off her boots, she struggled slightly and told her not to bother, but her voice was too soft and Xing Hui didn't hear her.
At this moment, she wanted to go to Danyu Garden, but Zhi Rou hurriedly propped herself up from the bed, her voice slightly raised in her haste: "Don't trouble Mother."
Xinghui stopped, Zhirou's face was nestled in the bed curtains, like a child just waking up, her cheeks seemed to be burning, but she said with a smile: "I am strong and healthy, I am fine, just a little tired. My two elder sisters, you should go and rest, I don't need anyone here."
Having seen her like this before, Jing Yao moved her hand in her sleeve, intending to touch her forehead, before finally deciding to take a step forward, when suddenly she heard someone outside the room report.
"Fourth Miss, the Second Young Master requests your presence in the front courtyard."
Zhi Rou paused for a moment, straightened her clothes and put on her boots, then opened the door: "Second Brother... do you want me to go to the front yard? Did you tell me why?"
"This servant does not know."
Xinghui muttered from the side, "Fourth Miss is still calm..."
Although Song Qizhang's actions were strange, Zhi Rou was worried that he had encountered a difficult situation and asked her for help, so she couldn't bear to refuse.
She turned her face to the side, revealing a reassuring smile, and said to Xinghui, "It's alright, I'll go over there."
The sunset had faded, and the moon was just beginning to appear. When they reached the front yard, where bright lights shone all around, Song Qizhang's men called out to Zhi Rou.
"Fourth Miss, over here." Someone called out, and she immediately turned her head and walked to the gate of the mansion with some confusion.
The guests had all arrived for the banquet. Song Qizhang composed himself, his smile faltering, and turned to see Zhi Rou approaching. He couldn't help but smile and say, "Fourth Sister is here."
"What does Second Brother want with me?" She stopped and raised an eyebrow, trying to figure it out. "It's Uncle's birthday today, I can't punish you, can I?"
"What my fourth sister said, I'm afraid of being punished."
Song Qizhang's arm ached from returning so many greetings. He lowered his chin slightly to the west and whispered, "Cousin Wei wants to see you."
The wind brushed against Zhi Rou's face, brushing her hair behind her ears. She gazed outside, but there was no sign of Wei Yuanzhan.
Song Qizhang waved his hand over his shoulder: "Go and take a look over there."
Zhi Rou began to suspect that he was teasing her. She raised her delicate eyebrows and remained standing still.
Upon further reflection, I realized that my second brother was not that kind of person.
She stepped down the steps of the mansion and walked a short distance in the direction Song Qizhang had indicated.
The dim firelight illuminated the alleyway entrance, and the light, scattered sound of horses' hooves gradually rose. Wei Yuanzhan waited patiently, holding the reins. When he saw her, a smile played on his lips, and he took two steps forward.
Looking at his face, Zhi Rou teased, "Are you imitating me, waiting outside the mansion? I thought it was Second Brother bluffing me."
Wei Yuanzhan said, "I promised my uncle that I would not enter his house unless he asked me to marry him."
Never having imagined such a reason, she paused for a moment, then let out a soft laugh: "Weirdo."
Without asking him why he made such a promise to his father, seeing that he was dressed in a traditional robe and had a sword at his waist, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you come from the outskirts of the capital?"
"Um."
Wei Yuanzhan lifted his boots and took a few steps closer. The smell of gunpowder and ink on his body blended together, like Zhi Rou who had not seen him for a long time, crowding around and drilling into the tip of his nose.
Before she could say anything, he reached out and touched her flushed cheek, his expression changing slightly: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
His fingers were warm, and Zhi Rou smiled and said, "You didn't rest well, it's alright."
Wei Yuanzhan was not entirely convinced, so he placed the back of his hand on her forehead, feeling her burning body temperature.
"You have a fever." He frowned, gripped her shoulder with his palm, and applied a little pressure. "Go back. I'll go and fetch Physician Liu."
Zhi Rou's shoulders were pushed by him, but her legs remained in place, and she tilted her head slightly to look at him.
Wei Yuanzhan looked back at her helplessly for a while. Her bright eyes seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly.
He couldn't help but laugh, and after a moment asked her, "Out of energy? Wait a minute, I'll go call Song..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhi Rou grabbed his wrist, her palm much hotter than usual.
The next instant, a soft, warm body leaned against him, as if he were a wall she could lean on. Zhi Rou's forehead lightly touched his clothes, and she didn't speak.
She gets clingy when she's sick.
Wei Yuanzhan waited quietly for a while, her breath caught in her chest like a furnace. He slightly pulled his wrist away, then gently grasped her hand, coaxing, "Listen to me, go back and rest first, okay?"
She shook her head, and after what seemed like an eternity, she stepped back slightly and raised her eyelashes again: "Why did you come here?"
Coming here from the military camp at this hour, is there something important to discuss?
"It doesn't matter anymore." He looked at her intently, and her features appeared even softer under the lamplight.
Zhi Rou's eyes flashed: "Are you going to get something? You haven't eaten, have you?"
She was about to pull him back when, remembering his promise, she stopped and glanced at him curiously.
"When did you say those things to your father?"
Wei Yuanzhan confessed: "Before the Shangsi Festival, I actually climbed over the wall into the Song residence once, but I regretted it before I even reached Longyue Pavilion."
Zhi Rou met his gaze but did not press the matter further.
She moved closer to Yueying, stroked its mane, and turned to say, "It's a pity I didn't bring the horse out. Let's find a place to eat nearby."
Wei Yuanzhan remained silent.
She was unwell, and out of personal consideration, he truly couldn't bear to cause her any more trouble.
However, even Wei Yuanzhan, an arrogant and domineering man, has his limitations when dealing with Shang Zhirou.
"Let's go." The figure beside her moved slowly forward, the movements so brisk that no illness was visible, muttering, "I want to eat lean meat soup, what about you..."
In the end, Zhi Rou couldn't suppress her exhaustion.
After finishing only half a bowl of porridge, she pressed her fist against her forehead, her vibrant energy slowly fading, becoming as quiet as a flower branch enveloped in twilight.
Her body was still steady, and her forehead was slowly sliding down. Just as her elbow was about to slip, Wei Yuanzhan caught her face, then picked her up horizontally and placed her on the couch in the side room.
The sky was completely dark, and the lights in the room resembled floating waves.
Wei Yuanzhan sat down by the couch, reached out and brushed aside a strand of hair from her forehead, and carefully wiped her neck with a handkerchief soaked in warm water.
The comfortable temperature made the person on the bed stir slightly, but their mind was still hazy and they had not yet woken up.
Upon entering the building, the first thing Wei Yuanzhan did was to ask someone to find Physician Liu.
Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon.
He stood up with some worry, and a moment later, a voice came from outside the door: "Young master, the imperial physician has arrived."
Wei Yuanzhan immediately led the person in, and while he examined Zhi Rou, his eyes never left her.
After a long while, Liu Yin slowly got up and said to Wei Yuanzhan, "Her fever is not severe. After taking medicine and resting for three to five days, the fever will subside on its own."
Wei Yuanzhan cupped his hands in thanks to him, saying, "You came here at this late hour; I am grateful for your trouble and care."
Liu Yin patted his arm and said, "Your Highness is too polite."
After speaking, he stepped out from behind the screen and sat down at his desk in the outer room to write a prescription.
Wei Yuanzhan stood for a moment, then withdrew his gaze from Zhi Rou and followed her outside.
He left the camp today intending to recount Lan Ye's findings to her. However, seeing that she was ill, he couldn't bring himself to speak. Yet, the appearance of palace officials in Qufei Lane stirred something strange within him.
Looking at Liu Yin, Wei Yuanzhan couldn't help but ask, "Physician Liu, may I borrow your pen and ink in a moment?"
He had just finished writing the last character when he handed over the paper, asking curiously, "What does the young master want to write?"
Wei Yuanzhan pursed his lips and shook his head.
Seeing this, Liu Yin said no more and went to wait to the side.
When Zhi Rou woke up, the scene before her eyes felt unfamiliar.
The surrounding light and shadows were hazy, and something soft covered my chin, feeling both warm and stuffy.
She propped herself up on her elbows, her fox fur cloak slipping off her body. Turning her head, she saw Wei Yuanzhan emerge from behind the screen, his sleeves rolled up, holding a damp handkerchief in his hand.
Seeing that she was awake, he naturally approached her, as if he had done it many times before, and skillfully wiped her hands and neck.
"Are you cold?" he asked, looking down.
"……fine."
Zhi Rou's voice was slightly tired, with a hint of hoarseness from just getting up.
Before she could speak again, he seemed to know what she was going to ask and answered her first.
"You didn't sleep long, don't worry. Your people are downstairs, I'll go get them to come up."
After saying this, Wei Yuanzhan did not move, his eyes fixed on her face.
Before long, he put the handkerchief down, grabbed something from the low table, then took her hand and reached into her wide sleeve.
Zhi Rou quickly sat up straight and pressed him down, asking, "What did you put there?"
"Let's take a nap and then see." He spoke gently, letting her hold his hand.
Only after she let go did he stand up and say, "I'll go call them."
...
After several heavy rains, summer is slowly arriving in Yuanzhou.
More than ten riders galloped out of the gate, their hooves kicking up the wet mud, and disappeared at the end of the long road in the blink of an eye.
Last night at 9 PM, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived at the Yuanzhou military camp. The man carried Sun Siren's seal and claimed to have been ordered to come here, instructing Zhang Fenglin to quickly send men to the neighboring city to retrieve the spies.
He immediately dispatched his men after the urgent order was given, but upon reflection this morning, a slight doubt arose in his mind.
Where is the messenger who came last night?
"After meeting with the general, I left last night."
In the army, urgent orders are always delivered and the messenger departs immediately, without lingering.
Zhang Fenglin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his handsome brows furrowing slightly.
He usually communicated with Sun Siren through secret letters, but only when there was something important would he send someone to meet him in person to give instructions.
Last time, the man that Miss Song brought was also sent by Sun Siren and died in his dungeon. Now he's ordering him to "hunt down the spies," probably because they were overlooked and he wants to silence them.
By this logic, Sun Siren's order makes sense. But what caused the month-long delay?
Zhang Fenglin waved the man away, picked up his pen, and held it up with his wrist.
After finishing the letter, he walked to the pigeon coop at the corner of the tent, picked one, tied the letter to its leg, and held it for a moment. When he reached outside the tent, he heard a few fluttering sounds, and a white figure flew over the camp and headed south.
A long wind lingers, and the leaves rustle in the forest.
Suddenly, a cry was heard, as if a ball of white snow had fallen from the sky, and the hoofbeats drew near. Changhuai dismounted, untied the letter tube from the bird's foot, and put it in his palm.
Another sleepless night.
Whether it was the sweltering summer night or his fear, Zhang Fenglin felt as if his chest was bound by a rope. He simply got out of bed, put on his boots, passed over the barracks, and firmly grasped his sword in his hand.
The hilt of his sword lifted the tent flap, and the soldier on duty saw him and was about to salute when he beckoned him and said, "Come here."
The man stepped forward and heard him ask, "Has Huang Qian and his party returned to camp?"
Huang Qian was Zhang Fenglin's most capable subordinate. It was said that the two had been classmates in the capital and had a close friendship, and now Huang was even more trusted by Zhang. Although Huang was morally corrupt, Zhang turned a blind eye to it. Because Huang had repeatedly performed meritorious deeds, even though the soldiers in the camp despised him, few dared to say anything.
Upon hearing this, the soldier replied, "Reporting to the general, they arrived at the camp two quarters of an hour ago... and it seems they were intoxicated."
Zhang Fenglin frowned deeply, said nothing, and dismissed the servants.
The full moon, like a jade plate, hung atop the camp, and torches flickered the shadows of the tents. Zhang Fenglin walked alone into Huang Qian's tent, and upon entering, he was met with the pungent smell of alcohol.
"Zishu!" Seeing a familiar figure enter, Huang Qian stood up energetically and strode over to him. "Is this a reward for me and the brothers? And he even personally inspected it..."
"Don't be so presumptuous." Zhang Fenglin glared at him, stepped over the felt rug, and sat cross-legged in front of the table.
Huang Qian walked to the opposite side of him, reached out to take a cup of tea, glanced at him for a moment, then reluctantly handed the tea back, touching the bridge of his nose.
"General, you've come here...with a new mission for me?"
The strong smell of alcohol wafted closer as he approached, and Zhang Fenglin's eyes showed a moment of resistance: "Alcohol is forbidden in the army. Do you want to be flogged again?"
Huang Qian coughed twice: "Isn't this a triumphant return? This should be considered a 'wine of gratitude,' a reward from the general, isn't it?"
Seeing his shameless demeanor, Zhang Fenglin took a sip of tea, seemingly used to tolerating him. After a while, he resumed the conversation: "You can still find Minister Sun's connections, can't you?"
Upon hearing him mention Sun Siren, Huang Qian's eyes regained their clarity, revealing a touch of the composure expected of an assistant: "What is it?"
“A strange thing happened yesterday that I can’t figure out. I need you to go to the capital in person.”
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