Chapter 7 The Slow-Returning Guest (Part Six) I'll spend ten taels to buy you. ...
The direct descendants of the Song family were renowned and enjoyed unparalleled prestige during the reign of the late emperor. However, they were later implicated in a royal secret and fell out of favor for more than a decade. It was only with Song Congzhao's generation that the family was reinstated and became one of the most prominent families in the capital.
Song Peiyu came from a collateral branch of the Changxi family. Her family was poor and her background was mediocre. Compared to the daughter of the main branch, she should be inferior to her.
But Song Peiyu was born at a good time.
Nine years ago, his father, Song Lang, made contributions to the "Chang Yu case" and was highly favored by His Highness the Crown Prince. He was promoted one after another and made many friends among the powerful and influential, which made him famous overnight.
As the youngest son in the family, Song Peiyu has always been willful and reckless. His elders have turned a blind eye to his behavior and have spoiled him for ten years, which has led to his current character.
Xinghui had previously served by the Third Young Lady's side and knew Song Peiyu somewhat. Although she was afraid, she instinctively protected her master and questioned, "Tenth Young Master, what are you doing?"
Song Peiyu glanced at her, then quickly turned his gaze back to Zhi Rou's face with a hint of mockery.
Xinghui stared wide-eyed in astonishment, then belatedly looked at Zhirou.
Children of this age are often impulsive, and Zhi Rou is no exception, slightly biting her cheek.
Seeing this, Song Peiyu's smile widened, and he asked in a provocative tone, "Ten taels isn't enough?"
He took a symbolic step forward, and several servants immediately surrounded the two of them.
Zhi Rou didn't move, but Xing Hui was terrified by his posture. She glanced around in a panic, then suddenly shouted, "Tenth Young Master, please look carefully! This is our Fourth Young Lady, not a page you can buy at will!"
A sharp shout drew the attention of many passersby who turned to look in this direction.
Song Peiyu ignored the pretentious maid and focused only on Zhirou. He clicked his tongue twice: "Are you mute?"
Dozens of steps away, the Wei family's carriage was weaving through the crowd, preparing to turn at the street corner.
Attracted by the commotion, Lan Ye, sitting on the throne, turned his head to glance at him. "Why does he look so familiar..." he murmured.
Before long, his alert eyes lit up, and he pointed at Zhi Rou with the whip sheath: "Master, isn't that the kid we failed to catch the other day?"
After saying that, he stopped the carriage, hesitated, and wanted to jump down to grab the person back.
Wei Yuanzhan was sitting in the carriage, playing with his newly acquired Han sword Bi①. Hearing the noise, he pushed open the door and looked ahead.
After examining her for a moment, he casually remarked, "She's not a boy."
Song Zhirou kicked Song Peiyu in the leg, grabbed the maid and ran away.
After being helped to his feet by several servants, Song Peiyu immediately pulled his arm away and shouted, "What are you helping me up for! Go and tie up that little bastard!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the servants responded in succession. After confirming that their young master was unharmed, they chased after Zhi Rou in the direction she had fled.
As the voices faded into the distance, Lan Ye finally snapped out of his daze and exclaimed almost in admiration, "Master, she runs so fast! No wonder we didn't..."
Turning her head to meet Wei Yuanzhan's coldly raised eyebrows, she quickly changed her mind: "Should we still arrest her?"
The car door clicked shut, and Wei Yuanzhan's voice came out calmly from inside: "No need, don't delay important matters."
"Who is she?" As soon as he sat down, the boy who had been leaning against the car wall pretending to doze off suddenly leaned over with a sly smile on his face.
You don't know him.
"Tell me, and I'll know." The boy persisted.
Wei Yuanzhan glanced at him for a moment, then suddenly crossed his arms, looking half-serious and half-joking: "Her surname seems to be Song."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Xingyun's face turned bright red. He quickly turned his eyes to the roof of the car and said in a flustered manner, "Where exactly does Mr. Xue Nan live? We haven't arrived yet..."
Shops lined both sides of the long street, and the sunlight shone on the smiling faces of pedestrians, creating a harmonious scene.
Suddenly, the sound of clothes fluttering passed by in a flurry. Passersby glanced over and saw two children disappear from sight in a flash, like dogs chasing rabbits.
Zhi Rou ran with Xing Hui for a while, but seeing the powerful servants chasing after them, she realized that this was not a solution.
After looking around, she hid Xinghui behind a wooden barrel and said, "Sister Xinghui, I'll go distract them. Don't come out."
Xing turned around, her legs were weak from running so fast, and she was surprised that her master had taken care of things for her. She exclaimed in astonishment, "Fourth Miss!"
The sound had barely begun when he lowered his voice, covered his lips tightly, and looked at Zhirou with fear and shame in his eyes.
Only the surrounding light responded to her. Zhi Rou didn't say much to her. Her slender figure disappeared into the street corner like the wind.
Back in Luozhou, Zhi Rou had escaped many times and was quite experienced. Now, without any more scruples, she moved even faster, weaving through the elegant figures of women, finally stopping by a stone bridge.
Seeing that the water was still light in color, she picked up a pebble and threw it in. In a moment, a murky ring appeared on the surface of the water.
She let out a sigh of relief, then suddenly plunged into the water, shivering as she clung to the underpass.
The footsteps chasing from the shore grew closer and closer, and in the blink of an eye, they seemed to be right next to each other.
Zhi Rou's heart pounded, and she dared not move an inch.
Where are they?
"I clearly saw him run this way just now, where did he go?"
"Damn it! We lost track of even a little brat. We don't even need to go back and explain ourselves!"
After a brief commotion, the powerful servants stormed across the bridge and split up to continue their search to the east and west.
The water was icy cold in winter, and when Zhi Rou climbed ashore, her fair face had lost much of its vitality.
Worried that they might turn back, she took a step forward with her frozen legs, then suddenly stopped and looked around.
She didn't know how to get back.
A profound sense of bewilderment washed over me, and coupled with the chill in my body, my nose involuntarily stung with tears.
Just then, a tall figure walked towards her.
Suddenly, a weight pressed down on her shoulder as the man draped his cloak over her shoulders. He then knelt down, looking at her with pity, and asked in a gentle yet careful tone, "Whose child are you?"
The man was in his thirties, with gentle features and handsome eyes. At first glance, he looked somewhat fierce, but for some reason, Zhi Rou found his voice to be rather warm and friendly.
She opened her mouth, her body shivering.
The man frowned, hesitated for a moment, then put down his sword and helped her pull her cloak tighter: "Where do you live? I'll take you there."
Sunlight slanted across the man's shoulder, and behind him was a throng of people. Zhi Rou glanced over and saw Song Peiyu.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly buried her head in her cloak. Seeing this, the man stood up and slowly turned his head.
On the street, a richly dressed young man was grabbing someone and questioning them. A moment later, he angrily flung his sleeves and strode over.
As noon approached, the clouds on the horizon gradually dispersed, and the clear sunshine felt much warmer than in the morning.
The imperial court has always valued those who are proficient in both literature and martial arts. After the late emperor reopened the military examinations, many famous generals emerged, and the stories of golden armor and yellow sand held a unique place in the hearts of these young men.
Sheng Xingyun pulled Wei Yuanzhan to the front, and said while looking back, "With so many people, your mother shouldn't notice."
Wei Yuanzhan forced a smile: "What are you afraid of? I came here with you."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Xingyun's eyes widened: "So you called me here to take the blame for you!"
He paused for a moment, then frowned strangely and asked uncertainly, "If Madam Hou knows you're still practicing martial arts, she'll at most scold you, she can't possibly hit you, can she?"
"I'm not afraid of being hit."
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding crowd suddenly became restless, and a small path was cleared through the crowd, through which an exceptionally dashing man walked.
He was dressed in thin clothes, one hand hanging at his side, the other hand habitually resting on his sword. A boy followed behind him, stepping on his shadow and leaving two wet footprints.
Sheng Xingyun nudged Wei Yuanzhan's shoulder: "I've never heard that Mr. Xue Nan has a daughter. She doesn't look like him at all, and she's sickly and... looks like a water ghost."
Wei Yuanzhan turned around and saw Song Zhirou following behind Xue Nan, wrapped in an overly long cloak. Her figure seemed to be shrunk down, making her appear small.
Wei Yuanzhan raised an eyebrow and quietly observed her. After a moment, he asked Sheng Xingyun, "How did you know she was a girl?"
Sheng Xingyun hadn't seen her in the carriage. Dressed in men's clothing and with her figure concealed by heavy garments, she looked exactly like a young boy.
Sheng Xingyun gave a soft "hmm," then turned her face away after a long while: "Ah, isn't that right?"
Before the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.
The man shielded Zhi Rou from Song Peiyu. She stared at the jade sword in the man's hand and recognized him. She tried to speak, but her teeth chattered uncontrollably, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She was young and had fallen into the water; with no one to look after her, she was in grave danger. In a moment of panic, the man suggested taking her to his residence to find a doctor, and then sending her home.
The sounds of playful shouting and laughter brushed past their ears as the two turned into the alleyway, where they were immediately dazzled by the young man in his cloud-patterned brocade robe.
Zhi Rou didn't want to come along, but the intense drowsiness kept breaking down her body. When he said the house was just around the corner, not far away, she nodded.
Who knew it would turn out like this?
Zhi Rou was so down on her luck and in such a sorry state that she deliberately avoided those probing gazes and lowered her eyes.
Her limbs grew heavier and heavier. After walking for a long time, as she approached the gate of the house, she clearly heard a voice: "Fourth... Fourth Miss?"
Zhi Rou's mind went blank.
Suddenly, he stumbled and fell to the side.
Just like the day she first arrived in the capital, she didn't fall into the mud, nor did she experience the expected burning pain...
Zhi Rou knew something was wrong. She lifted her eyelids, barely managing to see half a face, before she abruptly closed them again, completely "fainting".
At this moment, a cold wind swirled and rushed into the study window. Song Congzhao stood by the window, recalling the old lady's words just now, which clearly showed that she did not want him to name Zhirou.
The so-called "waiting until she comes of age" is just a delaying tactic because there's still a long way to go.
Song Congzhao felt guilty towards Lin He and her daughter. He stood there for a while with a worried expression, then walked out of the room and looked at the mostly withered plants in the courtyard. Only then did he realize that it was already the beginning of winter.
If you do the math, it's been over a month since Zhi Rou entered the manor, but he hasn't been to Longyue Pavilion yet.
Having made up his mind, Song Congzhao straightened his robes and went to the backyard.
When the news reached Longyue Pavilion, the maid who had been dozing under the eaves was suddenly awakened. She rubbed her numb hands and immediately searched the entire courtyard for the Fourth Miss.
When Song Congzhao arrived, the courtyard was silent. He was puzzled and strode across the courtyard to Zhirou's room. He saw a group of maids kneeling on the ground, and a bad feeling suddenly rose in his heart.
He pushed the door open and entered quickly. Facing the empty room, he paused for a moment, his gaze darkening slightly: "Where is your girl?"
The maids trembled with fear, their hands pressed against the floor tiles, too afraid to answer.
Song Congzhao was furious, but he suppressed his anger and clenched his fist.
"Go find it."
A note from the author:
① Sword sheath: A jade ornament placed at the end of a sword sheath.
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