Chapter 42
◎Transaction.
(The last chapter was rewritten so the content of this chapter has been postponed. You can go back to the previous chapter to see the new content. I’m sorry that I won’t revise the article like this in the future. I will add more chapters tomorrow. Please leave a red envelope in the comment section. I’m sorry again.) On the second day, Mo Yu asked someone to deliver Ru Zhen’s file.
When Ci Ying woke up, she only put on an outer coat and walked quietly to the outer room.
She sat down at the table and spread out the files that Mo Yu had sent her bit by bit. The desk was gradually filled up. After ordering someone to close the window, Ci Ying carefully read through them page by page under the candlelight in the daytime.
She was trying to find something.
For example, the doubt in her heart - why did Ru Zhen want to provoke Yuwen Fu.
She knew Ru Zhen too well. Even when Ru Zhen kissed Yu Wen Fu in front of her, she could not see any love for Yu Wen Fu in Ru Zhen's eyes, even though Ru Zhen was pretending to be so.
But why...
Ciying had already read the first half, but when she read it again, she still didn't understand what was said above.
A small section of the file recorded the six months when she and Ru Zhen had not seen each other.
Ru Zhen met Yuwen Fu by chance in an alley. Yuwen Fu fell in love with her beauty at first sight and became his concubine and was brought into his mansion. Ciying could understand this.
It was like Ru Zhen felt that she had caused a big disaster at the flower-viewing banquet and was afraid to return home. She had no money and no place to stay, so she gave herself to Yuwen Fu.
But afterwards... everything recorded in the file made Ci Ying clench her hands tightly.
The file states that Ru Zhen tested poisons and blocked swords for Yuwen Fu, and her life was in danger several times...
Ci Ying read on and on and almost didn't recognize these words anymore.
Ru Zhen was someone who valued her life, and she knew this better than anyone else. Even if Yu Wenfu was just a temporary refuge, Ru Zhen would never do such a thing.
Ci Ying read it over and over again, but still couldn't figure it out.
After pondering for a moment, she looked at the file at the back, which recorded what happened after she left Chang'an.
Although the window was closed, Ci Ying still felt the cold wind. She gently opened it with her hand, and the cold bamboo strips made her fingers tremble.
She suddenly realized that she had only been away from Chang'an for more than half a year.
The files record that after Yuwen Fu returned to Mobei, Ru Zhen was "taken" back to the Xie Mansion.
At first, Ru Zhen lived with her mother in the original house. Later, Ru Zhen's mother became seriously ill. The illness she had suffered for many years could not be cured and she died.
After this, Ru Zhen became ill. The palace doctors examined her several times, and the imperial physicians came several times, but they all said she had hysteria. Hysteria is a form of insanity, and even the experienced physicians didn't know how to treat it.
The files record that when Ru Zhen became ill, her memory became confused, she lost track of time, and would mutter either "Ci Ying" or "Yu Wen Fu," or both. An imperial physician pronounced, "If the patient sees or thinks of someone, there may be a chance of recovery."
"cough......"
Ci Ying's tears fell, and her fingers stroked Ru Zhen's name on the file.
......
Ciying also fell ill.
This disease came on suddenly and violently. I coughed all day long and the medicine didn't help.
None of the doctors could diagnose what was wrong with him. The female doctor only vaguely mentioned to Zhu Guang: "It's a heart disease."
Zhu Guang said nothing, but tightened his grip on the sword.
One day when Ci Ying was about to turn old, she vomited blood from her fingertips, which frightened Zhu Guang who was standing beside her.
"Ciying!" Zhu Guang hurriedly called the doctor again.
When the doctor came, Ciying was looking out the window quietly.
It is still snowing outside. This year the snow in Chang'an has been falling for an unusually long time and has been falling heavily.
After the doctor took Zhu Guang's pulse, he faced her anxious and worried gaze and said hesitantly, "Madam...it's all right."
Zhu Guang's eyes immediately turned fierce. The doctor hurriedly said, "I really can't tell from the pulse. Madam... Madam is just feeling depressed. Maybe... maybe spitting out the blood will make her feel better. Miss, don't hit her, don't hit her!"
"Zhu Guang." Ci Ying reached out and held the girl's hand, saying softly, "I'm fine."
She knew her body well and there was nothing serious wrong with her.
Zhu Guang finally put down her scabbard, but said nothing, only telling Ci Ying to go to sleep first. Her face was firm, as if she wouldn't tolerate any refusal from Ci Ying. Ci Ying looked at Zhu Guang, her eyes softened, and she nodded gently.
Zhu Guang did not leave immediately. He just sat there while Ci Ying passed on his skills and sang a lulling song softly.
Zhu Guang seemed to only know the first half, and could only hum softly every time after that.
Fortunately, this also coaxed Ciying to sleep. After Ciying's breathing stabilized, Zhu Guang took a breath, stood up, closed the door and went out.
No one dared to stop her along the way. The few who dared to stop her because of her expression were kicked away by her.
Finally, Zhu Guang kicked open the door of Xie Huaijin's study.
There was no charcoal burning in the study, but the temperature was almost the same as outside.
When the young man in the snow-white coat cast that indifferent glance at her, Zhu Guang even felt that it was colder than outside. However, her anger made her not care so much. She brushed aside the guards and maids who came to stop her and walked up to Xie Huaijin: "What do you want me to do to let Ci Ying go?"
Zhu Guang frowned, no longer smiling and respectful as before.
Xie Huaijin raised his eyes to look at Zhu Guang and said softly, "Zhu Guang, is this how Mo Yu teaches you the rules?"
Zhu Guang kicked the table beside him and said, "Don't mention him. Just tell me what you want. Whose head? The emperor's? Miss Su... or someone else? Which elder? Tell me and I'll make it for you."
The young man put down his pen and looked behind the girl.
Zhu Guang was startled, and turned around to see Mo Yu helping the guard she had tied up. She subconsciously wanted to call out "Master", but held back. She turned around and looked at Xie Huaijin, her voice lowered: "Don't threaten me with him. I have nothing to do with him now."
Xie Huaijin didn't comment, but said calmly: "I don't need you to do anything."
Zhu Guang's face grew angrier, and he raised his eyes as if to draw his sword at Xie Huaijin. He shouted, "Did you know that Ci Ying was so sick that she was vomiting blood?"
"It's a good thing to get it out if it's stuck in your heart." The young man said lightly, but his hand holding the pen tightened for a moment.
Zhu Guang kicked hard, and the table in front of Xie Huaijin cracked in an instant. A moment later, a gust of palm wind came from behind Zhu Guang.
After noticing it, Zhu Guang immediately turned around and started fighting with Mo Yu. The two fought from inside the house to outside, using thousands of moves that were similar yet different. They were like two ghostly shadows in the snow. At first, they were evenly matched, but then Mo Yu gradually became weak, and the fight ended with Zhu Guang piercing Mo Yu's arm with a sword.
When Zhu Guang found that the sword had really pierced into him, he suddenly panicked. The girl quickly let go of her hand and stepped forward to explain that she didn't mean it and was just too angry so she couldn't control herself.
But before he could open his mouth to explain, Mo Yu drew his sword expressionlessly.
Mo Yu, who was wearing a black brocade robe, had blood dripping from his arm, slowly dyeing the snow beneath him red. However, he seemed unaware of the pain. He returned the sword to Zhu Guang, his face as cold as ice, without a trace of extra emotion.
He did not respond to a single word Zhu Guang said.
Zhu Guang gritted his teeth, raised his sword with his foot, and suddenly put it across Mo Yu's neck as he turned around and tried to leave.
Mo Yu turned his head back calmly, the light from the sword splitting his face in two. Zhu Guang lowered his eyes in pain, tears welling up in them: "Master, please help me, save Ci Ying..."
As he spoke, Zhu Guang seemed to be unable to hold on any longer. In the snow, he knelt down, "Please...", just like he had done long ago.
Mo Yu said nothing, but just looked at Zhu Guang deeply for a long time before returning to the study.
Seeing Mo Yu's wound, Xie Huaijin raised his eyes and said something meaningful.
"Zhu San...well, her name is Zhu Guang now. Does Zhu Guang know that you can't avoid her sword?" The young man had a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes, so when he raised them, there was a natural smile in his eyes, but if you looked closely, you would find that it was cold.
Mo Yu said nothing, just knelt down.
Xie Huaijin's face showed no trace of anger. He stood up, and the wood chips that fell from Zhu Guang's kick on the case fell off. He returned to his usual dignified demeanor: "Go and treat the wound."
Mo Yu hesitated to speak, but finally went down.
In the study, Xie Huaijin lowered his eyes and looked at the snow outside.
When the night was dark, the young man fell in front of Ciying's bed.
Looking at the girl who had lost a lot of weight, Xie Huaijin's eyes darkened for a moment. He sat down and gently brushed the hair off the girl's face with his hand.
Ci Ying seemed startled, but in the end she just turned over towards Xie Huaijin.
Xie Huaijin thought to himself that the person in his sleep was quite well-behaved.
He just frowned, not knowing what he dreamed about.
The young man couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the girl's eyebrows. Seeing that her frowned brows slightly relaxed, he gently stroked them with his hand.
......
The next day.
Ciying saw Ruzhen when she woke up.
Ru Zhen looked worried and blinked in front of her bed.
When Ci Ying woke up and saw Ru Zhen like this, she felt both amused and distressed. She didn't know how long Ru Zhen had blinked before she woke up.
Seeing Ciying wake up, Ruzhen stepped forward happily: "Ciying!"
Ci Ying couldn't help but be stunned, probably because Ru Zhen looked very happy now, which was something she hadn't seen for a long time.
Her voice softened. "Why are you here? Didn't we agree that I'd come to play with you every day? It's snowing heavily outside, so I hope you didn't fall? Let me see."
Ci Ying was about to stand up when Ru Zhen held her back, "But my sister is sick. Logically, I should be the one to visit her. It's not good for her to always come to me."
As she spoke, Ru Zhen lowered her voice: "I haven't seen you for two days. If someone hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you were sick. How could you be sick without telling me..."
Ci Ying explained, "I got sick suddenly. I was planning to find someone to tell you today. We used to live in the same courtyard, but I forgot."
Ru Zhen quickly accepted this explanation, but soon, Ru Zhen seemed to think of something, a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes, and then she seemed to start to forget what had just happened.
"Ci, Ci Ying..."
Ci Ying noticed, and felt heartbroken for a moment before she smiled weakly: "Well, what's wrong?"
Ru Zhen went forward and hugged Ci Ying, trying to find something from her sleeves, but nothing came out.
Ci Ying asked softly: "Are you looking for something, ahem..."
Ru Zhen nodded and said embarrassedly: "I bought you a small gift, but... I can't seem to find it."
Ci Ying wasn't sure when Ru Zhen's memory had returned to, and she didn't dare to provoke her. She just said, "Then let's look for it carefully. What is it?"
"A hairpin!" Ru Zhen answered quickly.
Ci Ying pretended to search with Ru Zhen. Zhu Guang, who was standing beside her, gave her a look. Zhu Guang immediately took a simple hairpin from the bronze mirror and secretly placed it aside. After a while, Ci Ying whispered, "Ru Zhen, there seems to be a hairpin over there. I'm afraid I'm seeing things. Can you go and take a look?"
Ru Zhen went up happily, but soon pouting and whispering, "Not this one."
Ci Ying searched her memory, not understanding why Ru Zhen was so obsessed with a hairpin, but now she was sure she couldn't find the hairpin in her memory, so she found another topic of conversation, and sure enough, Ru Zhen forgot about the hairpin.
After seeing Ru Zhen off, Ci Ying calmed down.
She returned to the files again. Zhu Guang had carefully sorted them out for her after she fell ill that day.
Ci Ying flipped through the pages from the back to the front, and finally stopped at the part about the flower-viewing banquet.
That day...
Ru Zhen read out the love poems she wrote when she was young in public at the flower-viewing banquet because of Xie Anyun's instigation. Xiaowan said that she saw someone around Xie Anyun give Ru Zhen a bag of silver. At that time, Ru Zhen was short of money because of her father's gambling.
Ci Ying considered all these things one by one and decided to meet Xie Anyun.
The hairpin matter that Ru Zhen talked about today, unless Ru Zhen remembered the whole story of the pearl hairpin incorrectly, was probably related to Xie Anyun and the flower viewing banquet.
......
Did Ru Zhen actually want to give her a hairpin at that time?
But why...why did I want to give her a hairpin but ended up doing what happened at the flower viewing banquet?
Ci Ying was thinking while listening to Zhu Guang talking about Xie Anyun.
Zhu Guang spoke of what he remembered: "A year ago, Xie Anyun quietly married someone... let me think, the second son of a fifth-rank official. Well, if I remember correctly, she should still be in Chang'an, but she will follow her husband in two years. When she returns in the future may depend on the next generation."
Zhu Guang knew some of the disputes between Ci Ying and Xie Anyun. She was a person who protected her own shortcomings, so naturally she had nothing good to say about Xie Anyun.
Ci Ying listened. According to his social status, even if Xie Anyun had committed a crime, the scandal had not spread outside the Xie Mansion, and he was taken back by the old lady after falling into poverty. Logically, if the other party was just the second son of a fifth-rank official, this marriage would definitely not be a match.
But Ci Ying had not been involved in the whole thing, and she even heard the news from Zhu Guang. Except for a few times when they were young, Xie Anyun never used a belt for her again, and never even appeared in front of her.
Now, even though Ci Ying knew that there were contradictions, she couldn't explore further. Compared to Xie Anyun, she wanted to know more about Ru Zhen.
After recovering from her illness, Ci Ying left the house to meet Xie Anyun.
Xie Anyun was very surprised by her arrival, and there was joy in her eyes.
Ci Ying still had no intention of probing, so she went straight to the point: "What did you and Ru Zhen talk about back then?"
Xie Ranyun subconsciously touched her belly, and Ci Ying discovered that Xie Anyun was actually pregnant. After all, she was the young lady of the Xie family, and she was pregnant again. There was a faint blush on her face, and it was obvious that she was living a comfortable life in her husband's family. She looked fatter than before.
Seeing Ci Ying, Xie Anyun was no longer as sharp as before. Instead, there was a gentleness between her eyebrows that was not there before. She even called out, "Sister-in-law."
Ci Ying was surprised at Xie Anyun's transformation and remained silent for a long time.
Xie Anyun recounted the story: "At that time, I... I found the maid and told her that if she could embarrass you at the flower viewing banquet, I would give her some silver. She seemed to be very short of money. I don't quite remember why, but I remember that the maid quickly agreed."
At this point, Xie Anyun smiled apologetically: "I... at that time, I never thought that she would do such an outrageous thing, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My sister-in-law became the mistress of the Xie family."
"I was wrong about what happened back then, sister-in-law. I hope you won't hold it against me in the future." Xie Anyun lowered her head and slowly concealed the look in her eyes.
Ci Ying said nothing, but only asked: "Did you only give her some silver?"
Xie Anyun: "What else?"
Ci Ying: "...like a hairpin."
Xie Anyun shook her head and called out "sister-in-law": "No, I only gave her some silver. If you don't believe me, you can ask my former maid. She was there at the time."
......
When Zhu Guang accompanied Ciying out of the mansion, he saw Ciying glance at the plaque in the mansion.
Zhu Guang said casually: "She married the second son of a fifth-rank official. I've heard of him. He has some prospects, but not much. Today, his attitude is good. He has lost his previous arrogance."
Words are full but not spoken.
After a long while, someone in the carriage whispered, "Because I am Madam Xie."
Zhu Guang slowly understood what was meant and looked up at Ciying, who was staring out the window for a long time without blinking. Unable to bear it, she stepped forward and hugged Ciying, shouting, "It's obviously my Ciying, Ciying, Ciying, bah, bah, bah, Madam Xie, so unlucky, so unlucky... Ciying, you are Ciying."
Ci Ying also hugged Zhu Guang, but didn't say anything else.
Xie Anyun said that she had only given Ru Zhen a sum of money at the beginning, which allowed Ru Zhen to make trouble and embarrass herself at the flower viewing banquet.
......
What was Ru Zhen thinking at that time? Even if Ru Zhen wanted to embarrass her, she would not do such a thing. But Ru Zhen must have done it on purpose. The handwriting on it was traced by Ru Zhen, and the poem was recited by Ru Zhen in public. Ru Zhen did run away afterwards.
Then why is that?
Ci Ying couldn't figure it out.
Just like the hairpin that Ruzhen had been looking for for a long time.
Ci Ying covered her head with her hands. The wind made her feel a little dizzy. It was the first time she got out of bed after being sick for many days. She felt a bit miserable after all. When she returned, Ci Ying found that red lanterns were being hung and window decorations were being pasted in the mansion.
Zhu Guang whispered, "It seems like the New Year is coming soon."
Ciying looked at it.
Another year has passed.
......
On the third day after the New Year, Ci Ying met Xie Huaijin again.
The young man seemed no different from before. When he held her hand and went to the palace banquet, he carefully reminded her not to drink as she had just recovered from a serious illness.
Ci Ying's eyes were indifferent and she didn't say a word in response.
The young man didn't care, he just took her hand and walked into the crowd step by step.
More and more ministers, ladies, and daughters of officials came and looked at the mistress of the Xie family, who was famous but rarely seen.
Ci Ying looked at the faces and saw many faces like Xie Anyun.
Finally, she turned around and looked at the person next to her. The young man was looking at her with a faint smile.
She no longer asked Xie Huaijin what he wanted, she asked herself, Ciying, what do you really want.
Or, Ciying, what else can you... do?
She whispered, "Xie Huaijin, I want Ruzhen to go to Jiangnan."
After she finds out what happened between Ru Zhen and Yu Wenfu, she will send Ru Zhen away. Xie Huaijin promised her that she can go to Jiangnan once a year in the future, so Ru Zhen should go to Jiangnan. They were once trapped in a place that the post station could not reach, and Ru Zhen should have thought of it.
It’s not that she hadn’t thought about keeping Ru Zhen by her side, but she would be left in Chang’an by Xie Huaijin.
If Ru Zhen wants to stay, she also needs to stay in Xie Mansion.
But Ru Zhen went crazy in Xie's house, and she didn't want Ru Zhen to stay in a crazy place because of her.
So she said, "Xie Huaijin, I want Ruzhen to go to Jiangnan."
The young man responded, "Okay."
She continued, "I want you to swear that from now on, you will never attack Ru Zhen and anyone around me again."
The young man kept his eyes calm and said nothing.
The two of them sat down together at the banquet. The hall was full of people, and there were curious eyes, malicious eyes, and scrutinizing eyes everywhere, but Ci Ying could no longer see them.
She looked at Xie Huaijin.
The young man was not wearing official uniform. She even seemed to have never seen him wear one. Even for such a big event as the palace banquet today, he was just wearing a plain long robe. Although he was not decorated at all, he looked like a gentleman at first glance.
Ci Ying often wondered how such a contradictory thing could happen to one person.
She knew better than anyone what kind of monster the jade-like young man beside her was, but he looked like a piece of beautiful jade, bright and elegant, a gentleman, and even she would be dazed for a moment.
Ci Ying repeated again: "Xie Huaijin, swear to me, from now on, you will never attack Ru Zhen and anyone around me again."
She pondered, pondered even during her illness. She still didn't know what Xie Huaijin wanted, but she knew full well that Ru Zhen and the others were suffering because of her. So no matter how high-sounding Xie Huaijin's words were, talking about wanting it all, owing it or not, it seemed as if she was more at fault than him. When you peel back the surface, he was simply dissatisfied with her choice.
And she, time and again, looked hastily at the young man before her. That day, she felt more shattered than heartbroken. Ci Ying couldn't admit to anyone, not even herself, that because of love, he had the most expectations she had in this world.
Perhaps that mouthful of blood, just as Zhu Guang had said to her, would be healed if she spat it out completely. Illness was like this, love was like this, and hate was like this. She wanted to let herself go.
The young man seemed to be weighing the pros and cons, and after a moment he said softly, "Will you stay with me forever?"
Ci Ying's eyes trembled, and she whispered, "...I will stay by your side forever."
Xie Huaijin rubbed his fingertips, and after a while, he took Ci Ying's hand and said gently, "Okay."
As for the oath, both of them knew that it was the least important thing in the deal.
Everything was quiet around, and no one knew that in a corner of the palace banquet, two people were whispering "a lifetime promise". If these were love words, most people would laugh. Xie Huaijin was thinking casually that Ci Ying had finally come to her senses, while Ci Ying was wary and wondering in her heart if she had missed anything.
No one would think they were a couple.
【Author’s words】
I revised the previous chapter and this chapter. The revisions are quite large. You can read it again~
Drop a small red envelope~ I will try to avoid such changes in the future, sorry babies~
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