The four swordsmen said, "Don't move." His well-defined knuckles gripped...
Xiaohe applied medicine to Qin Weixi's shoulder blade, and Queshe brought dry clothes for her to change into, her eyes darting around as she looked at Qin Weixi's face.
"Miss, does it still hurt? I've never worn this dress before, please make do with it for now."
"That's good." Qin Weixi was a little absent-minded, thinking about the wooden boy she had just passed by. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and her throat was dry.
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Yening strode in.
Sparrow Tongue turned to look at him.
He picked up the porcelain pot on the table, poured a cup of water, and said to Sparrow Tongue, "Go and get a spoon."
Sparrow Tongue agreed and quickly fetched it. She looked at the girl on the bed, thought for a moment, and said, "My lord, let me feed the girl."
Chu Yening's hand, which was offering water, froze in mid-air as he glanced at her coldly. Then, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and without the slightest hesitation, he moved a little closer and said to Queshe, "When Jiuqu returns, have him come to my study to see me."
Qin Weixi looked at the water being offered to her lips, her expression slightly uneasy. She brushed aside the spoon, reaching out to take the cup, but then noticed that both her hands were wrapped in bandages, and the pain was still intense, causing her to hiss involuntarily.
She doesn't necessarily have to drink this water.
Sparrow Tongue glanced at the two of them, then suddenly remembered the foolish words spoken at the foot of the winding mountain at the summit of Xiaguang Peak that day. She quickly agreed, grabbed Xiaohe, and slipped away.
"Don't move." He gripped the cup with his well-defined knuckles. "When did you become so reserved? When I was a child..." He suddenly changed the subject: "Why are you holding a knife barehanded? Have you gone mad?"
"Is it Pei Qing? Or Jiang Yuanfu?"
"Don't get it wet for the next few days!"
He spoke three sentences in a row, and unlike his unruly youth, his words now carried a greater sense of composure.
“I’m not that stupid. At that critical moment, it would have been either you or me who got hurt. How could you have spared a hand to fight him? I think that villain is vicious and seems to really want your life. It’s better than having a dagger in your back and being in a life-or-death situation.” She looked at him coldly, then suddenly smiled: “Fourth Brother, have you made any enemies? You’ve suffered such a disaster on your first trip back to the capital.”
He raised an eyebrow slightly; those words sounded vaguely familiar. He suddenly recalled their "chance encounter" in the Imperial Garden after the Star Gazing Tower that day, and their conversation.
Sure enough, she holds a grudge and seeks revenge. She's not one to suffer a loss.
Chu Yening said, "With you behind me, what am I afraid of?" He raised an eyebrow slightly and moved his gaze to her shoulder: "Then what's going on here?" Then he looked at her temple and the missing hairpin.
Qin Weixi followed his gaze and understood his meaning, so she didn't hide it: "That's my weapon. I always have to learn to protect myself." But she didn't answer his question.
"Fourth Brother, is the opera performed at Woxue Pavilion pleasant to listen to?"
He chuckled, the gloom in his eyes gradually dissipating, replaced by a gentler glow. Like a thirsty wild beast in the mountains, rushing through the forest in search of water, he found a waterfall cascading down, the water falling into a pool—a feeling of joy akin to rain after a long drought. Yet, like her, he answered irrelevantly, "Would you like some more water?"
Qin Weixi met a pair of burning eyes, then glanced at the bloodstain on his neck and asked, "Are you injured?"
At this moment, the cook of the manor stood outside the door waiting, holding a bowl of hot soup noodles and freshly prepared medicinal soup. Seeing the gaze that Chu Yening cast, she respectfully said, "My lord, Doctor Dong said to make some nourishing medicinal soup for the young lady. I made a bowl of hot soup noodles, and I also put the nourishing medicinal herbs that Doctor Dong sent into the soup noodles."
Qin Weixi heard a familiar voice and peeked out the door. She had seen this cook in the Chu family mansion when she was young, and now, after ten years, she had returned to her hometown. She felt a sense of warmth upon seeing this old friend again.
Chu Yening went out and took the food plate, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Aunt."
Aunt Ruan was taken aback, but still asked, "Miss's hand is injured, does she need me to feed her something?"
Chu Yening said, "Auntie, go ahead and get busy."
The cook withdrew as instructed.
He looked at the bowl of noodles and the bowl of medicine on the table and asked the person on the bed, "Should we drink the water first? Or should we take the medicine first and then eat the noodles?"
Qin Weixi looked at him. She was indeed thirsty. She had eaten some pickled vegetables that Pu Niang had specially prepared for her at the mansion that morning. Thinking about it, so much time had passed, and she had only drunk some hot soup at the dinner table. She was indeed a little hungry during this time.
She looked outside but couldn't see Sparrow Tongue. Thinking of the slurping sound of eating noodles, she still refused.
She looked at the bowl of dark, medicinal soup on the table and said, "I'll do it myself."
A faint smile played on his lips: "Are you sure?"
She glanced at the spoon in his hand, imagining him feeding it water and medicine spoonful by spoonful: "No, don't take that. Take your medicine first!"
He smiled, put down his water glass, went to the table to get the herbal medicine, and brought it to her lips. She quickly gulped it down.
Chu Yening asked, "Would you like a candied fruit? Isn't it bitter?"
Qin Weixi shook her head. Compared to everything she had experienced in the past ten years, even this bitter medicine tasted sweet to her now. She said, "Go and apply the medicine."
Seeing this, he turned around to get some soup noodles, but Qin Weixi quickly said, "I don't eat noodles!"
Footsteps sounded outside, followed by a soft cough from Que She. Qin Weixi thought of Mu Tong. Chu Yening suddenly turned to look at her, then bent down and gazed at her intently. Suddenly close, inches apart, he asked, "Didn't you think that person just now looked familiar?"
She stepped back, her bright eyes wide, and asked, feigning ignorance, "Who?"
Chu Yening raised an eyebrow, smiling without saying a word, but his eyes and brows were full of joy. He asked, "Does it still hurt? Is it any better?" As he spoke, he reached out and used the pad of his thumb to wipe away the medicine left on the corner of her mouth.
Qin Weixi lowered her eyes; she had drunk a little too quickly. She said, "I'm tired, I need to rest for a while. Fourth Brother, go and get back to your work."
However, the person in front of the bed remained motionless. Their peach blossom eyes, which had been there for some time, seemed to have been suddenly drenched by a spring rain in a peach blossom forest, leaving behind a misty atmosphere.
He hesitated for a moment before turning to leave, instructing Sparrow Tongue outside as he went: "There's a bowl of noodle soup on that table, feed her some."
Jiuqu was already waiting in the study. When she saw Chu Yening, she bowed and said with her head down, "My lord, we couldn't catch up... He disappeared in the blink of an eye, just like a monkey."
Chu Yening: "I didn't expect you to catch up anyway."
Jiuqu: "..."
Chu Yening slightly raised her eyelids to look at him.
Jiuqu shuddered and forced a smile, saying, "My lord... I never expected, I never expected Miss Luo and Her Highness the princess to appear there."
"I had hoped that you, Lord Marquis, would be seriously injured. This self-inflicted injury plot failed."
Chu Yening asked, "How did it go?"
Jiuqu quickly composed himself and replied respectfully, "Nothing unusual. I sent two groups of men to keep watch. But, my lord, we were attacked by a group of people as soon as we left Woxue Pavilion. Is this guy out of his mind? Good heavens, an assassination attempt!"
"Everyone's dead?" Chu Yening asked again.
Jiuqu nodded: "When the patrolling soldiers arrived, not a single one was alive. However, for you, Marquis, to be assassinated so soon after returning to the capital is ultimately due to their lax supervision. Some people are going to have a sleepless night tonight."
Chu Yening pointed to the tea on the desk: "Have a sip of tea to soothe your throat first."
Jiuqu thanked him, picked up his teacup and gulped it down in one go, then said, "Indeed, as Songyang said, this Woxue Pavilion was established thirteen years ago. The predecessor of this theater was an inconspicuous restaurant, and business was not very good on weekdays. Whenever it rained or snowed, water would start dripping from the eaves, and over time the house would be filled with mold."
"The restaurant owner was in a hurry to take his wife and daughter back to his hometown, so he sold it to a broker for a low price of five hundred taels. You have to understand that back then, an ordinary house in a decent location in the city would cost several hundred taels, let alone in this bustling area. The broker then spent money to renovate the exterior and interior of the house, and then asked for an exorbitant price of four thousand taels. Many wealthy merchants hesitated when they heard the price, and this dragged on for two years."
"The broker regretted his earlier decision and lowered the price of the house to one thousand taels. Unexpectedly, an old tea merchant who traveled all over the country took a fancy to the place and wanted to settle down there in his old age, opening a teahouse. So he decisively bought it. The broker, still harboring wicked intentions, immediately raised the price to one thousand two hundred taels and invited the tea merchant to drink. When the tea merchant got drunk, the broker took the opportunity to steal all three thousand taels of silver notes that the tea merchant was carrying. So the house was still under the broker's name at that time, until later the tea merchant appealed to the yamen and befriended the local gentry. The gentry used their power to make many concessions and finally the house was legitimately transferred to the tea merchant's name."
"But that tea merchant, perhaps because of this matter, had been hanging on by a thread. Once the matter was over, he lost his fighting spirit and died of an illness overnight. The tea merchant had no wife or children and did not know where his hometown was. When he was at his wit's end, a man who claimed to be his adopted son brought 1,200 taels of silver and bought the house again to open a theater. The government wanted to resolve this troublesome matter quickly, so it immediately agreed."
"It is said that the tea merchant doted on his adopted son back then, pampering him and treating him like a precious treasure. However, the neighbors at the time heard that the adopted son rarely went out. Now he is over fifty years old, and the theatergoers and neighbors all call him Master Fang. I heard the neighbors speak of Master Fang with great respect, saying that he is a kind person and often helps the poor people like him."
"This Third Master Fang usually stays in his outer residence fishing, drinking, and boating on the lake, and never leaves the house."
"And there were several pitiful people who died in the fire at this theater. I heard that there was a guy named Bai Sheng who was highly regarded by the owner. He was always the first to perform, and after his song, he would obediently go back to his lodgings to rest and never come out again. All I know is that he was a little beggar back then, and I have no idea about his household registration. Later, he was taken in by that Master Fang. And then he also died in that fire."
"As for..." he said, shaking his head.
"The first to appear?" Chu Yening's lips curled up when he heard this.
Jiuqu pondered for a while, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "What do you think of this Third Master Fang? He seems to have some problems with his brain."
Songyang then entered the study, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "My Lord."
"explain."
"That day, at Liang Shuwen's youngest son's coming-of-age ceremony, it was indeed..."
"Quickly! Go and fetch the female doctor. My height is similar to Xiaoxing's. Also, fetch another set of clothes that the weaving and dyeing bureau sent over the other day for Xiaoxing to change into."
Zi Shu hurriedly agreed.
She looked at Qin Weixi: "Would you like to come to my palace? I'll go with you."
Qin Weixi smiled and politely declined, saying, "There are still many women in the pavilion attending the banquet. Sixth Sister, you must make sure the banquet is well-organized. I can go by myself."
Jiang Yuanfu took her arm, about to say something more, when she heard Qin Weixi say again, "Keep warm in spring and cool in autumn. Although lychees are warm, don't eat too many."
Jiang Yuanfu looked up at her.
Qin Weixi and Liang Xi brushed past each other. In the early years of the Kang Le reign, after the new emperor ascended the throne and Jiang Yuanjun entered the Eastern Palace, the group gathered in Penglai one day. Liang Xi also came with A Fu. She was flying kites in the peach garden with Xiao Xing, and the place was filled with laughter. Her elder brother, Luo Ling, stood quietly to the side, watching with a smile.
The kite fell and landed on a peach branch. Her brother climbed the tree to retrieve it, and she inadvertently saw where he had been standing. Behind a large rock, Liang Xi stood there, stunned, for an unknown amount of time. Liang Xi's gaze was unfocused, fixed on the peach tree where the kite had fallen, as if she had lost her soul.
Luo Ling? She couldn't help but ponder.
That was the only time she witnessed Liang Xi lose his composure.
Zi Shu took her to the palace where the princess lived to find a female physician, and also found clean clothes for her to change into.
Over the years, no noble family in the capital, or even a court official, has been able to marry the princess. Having lived in Jiangnan for so many years, she once asked her brother, who told her that, in A-Fu's opinion, she did not want to marry.
She had no intention of finding a suitable husband yet, implying that it wasn't the right time yet. However, the Emperor and Empress doted on this straightforward eldest daughter, and before she even came of age, they allowed her to reside in a palace and become its mistress.
The female doctor carefully removed Qin Weixi's inner garment, revealing a warm blush on her snow-white skin, extending from her right arm all the way down her back.
Zi Shu exclaimed "Ah!"
The female doctor remained calm and composed, though a fleeting look of surprise crossed her face. She then quickly applied the medicine to her.
Zi Shu asked cautiously, "Should we invite the princess to come down?"
Qin Weixi said calmly, "If we were to find the princess now, everyone at the waterside pavilion would know. It would probably alarm the Empress and even the small garden."
The small garden was filled with princes and nobles today, adhering to the principle of "better to avoid trouble than cause it." Zi Shu listened, thought it made sense, and nodded.
"Then shall I go and fetch some ice?"
Qin Weixi nodded.
After the female physician left, Zi Shu asked her, "Miss, should this soaked dress be washed in the palace and sent to your residence another day?"
Qin Weixi thought for a moment and said, "I'll trouble Miss Zishu to put it in the box and I'll take it back and wash it myself."
Zi Shu hesitated for a moment, but having learned of her decisiveness over the past few days, she agreed.
So Qin Weixi left, carrying the box in one hand. At this point, she could no longer return to the waterside pavilion, nor could she go to the small garden to find her brother Tao Qingyun and the others. As for the ladies-in-waiting, it would be inappropriate for her to go there at this time, and she had no desire to linger there. So she thought it best to go around to the Jinshui River, watch the fish swimming in the pond, and gaze at the birds soaring in the sky to pass the time before leaving the palace.
On the narrow path, someone came towards us, dressed in a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), followed by a young man in brocade robes.
It was Zhao Shuhan. And the young man, if she remembered correctly, should be her younger brother from the same mother—Zhao Ziqi.
His childhood name was Ping An.
He was born weak, just like Xiao Xing when he was young. When Ping An was six years old, he started to be a little slow to speak, often unable to speak, and disliked strangers, gradually becoming somewhat withdrawn. His grandmother sent imperial physicians to his mother's home many times to treat him, but the results were not very good.
In her youth, Zhao Shuhan had met these girls several times between Kunning Palace and Cining Palace. Her father would address her grandmother as "Aunt." Among the fragmented memories from her childhood, she remembered that her grandmother seemed to be murmuring to herself as she watched Zhao Shuhan walk away, holding her father's large hand.
"This poor child has been dragged down by my Zhao family."
At that time, she was still young and confused, unaware of the implications. It wasn't until she returned to the capital, trying to connect everyone in the city and the myriad gates, piece by piece, to find even the slightest clue, that she learned that this young lady was still unmarried, raising her younger brother alone.
Zhao Shuhan's father, Muna, was nearly swindled out of the entire family fortune left by their ancestors. Zhao Shuhan's mother spent her days arguing with him in tears, eventually withdrawing from the world and confining herself to the courtyard, devoting herself to Buddhist practice. From then on, Zhao Shuhan shouldered the heavy burden of the Zhao family alone.
The Zhao family's glory began when Grandmother Zhao ascended to the summit of Xiaguang Peak. However, with the passing of her brother, the once-glorious imperial uncle, the entire family began to decline.
She and Zhao Shuhan nodded to each other in greeting, while Ping An tilted his head and stared intently at her.
She asked with a smile, "You remember me?"
She remembered that he was two years younger than her, and was only sixteen years old this year.
"Sister?" Ping An murmured to herself.
Qin Weixi nodded.
With a helpless smile, Zhao Shuhan gently reminded, "It's Xiaoxing, sister."
A pang of sadness welled up in Qin Weixi's heart. After thinking for a moment, she took off the purse from her waist, then opened her palm and poured all the Tongling crisp candy inside into her hand.
She said, "Little brother Ping An, have some candy..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ping An suddenly interrupted her, mumbling indistinctly, "No, it's not."
Zhao Shuhan asked, "What?"
However, Qin Weixi could still hear it clearly even though they were only inches apart. Her hand, which was suspended in mid-air, almost dropped a few of the candies.
She bent down to pick it up.
Ping An gently pushed her away with one hand and said urgently, "No, you can't eat it, it's dirty."
She met a pair of innocent and bewildered eyes, suppressed her doubts, and smiled, "I know, I threw it into the river to feed the fish?"
"Mm." Ping An pursed her lips and nodded.
Zhao Shuhan smiled and approached her, saying, "Thank you for earlier. I think you were burned. Is it serious?" She paused, then asked with a slightly hesitant expression, "It's been many years since we last met. Xiaoxing, have you been happy in Jiangnan all these years?"
Qin Weixi was taken aback.
Are you happy? Instead of politely saying "It's been a long time" or asking her, "What's in Jiangnan? Is it a land of blooming flowers, or is it truly known as a land of fish and rice?"
How many people know that this is the tenth year of her inner turmoil?
Qin Weixi looked at Zhao Ziqi, who was throwing small stones into the Jinshui River, and smiled slightly: "Everything is fine."
"Sometimes, if you don't want to attend these banquets, you might as well find another way. Enjoying flowers at home and basking in the sun under the eaves is much more fun than this."
Zhao Shuhan seemed to sense something and said gently, "Over the years, Ajun often invited me and Ping'an to the palace. Ajun would often talk to him for a whole morning. Gradually, in the last two years, Ping'an has started to get better and has become more talkative. He has also started to be willing to go out with me for a walk."
Qin Weixi turned his gaze to her, somewhat surprised.
Sometimes, when I look at A-Jun, I suddenly feel a daze, as if I'm seeing my grandfather. When my grandfather was about to leave, Ping'an and I sat by the small window in his study. My grandfather's eyes reddened, and he said to me, "Little Shu, you must eat well, grow up well, and live to be a hundred years old with Ping'an. If one day you really can't stay in the Zhao family anymore, then leave the capital and settle down somewhere else. If all else fails... if there's really no other way, then you can take Ping'an and go find your great-aunt."
"If you don't want to get married, then don't get married. It's not easy being a woman in this world, but our little Shu will definitely grow strong."
Qin Weixi lowered her eyelids. Her mother, who had once braided her hair when she was young, had said to her, "Xiaoxi, you must eat well, sleep well, and grow up well."
Even the most ordinary words contain the most heartfelt expectations.
Zhao Shuhan told her without reservation, "You could say that my grandfather raised us. I was young at the time and didn't know that his words were somewhat like entrusting his children to someone."
Suddenly, her cheeks flushed red, as if she realized she had talked too much that day.
Qin Weixi smiled at her: "Xiao Shu, I've been away from the capital for ten years, and I've gradually forgotten many things. I'm very willing for you to tell me these things."
Zhao Shuhan was taken aback, then smiled back at her. The handkerchief in her hand twirled between her fingers, her eyes reddening. But Qin Weixi's heart was already churning with turbulent emotions because of her words.
One year on Tao Qingyun's birthday, Chu Yening brought out a jar of strong liquor to celebrate. Young people always want to surpass their elders, and the group secretly drank cup after cup. That was Jiang Yuanjun's first and last time drinking alcohol.
It was always fun for the boys to get together. They still stood head to head and shoulder to shoulder, climbing to the top of the Tao family's roof to look at the stars.
After getting drunk, Tao Qingyun talked nonsense, pointing at stars as the moon and trees as people. Chu Yening's eyes were bright and clear, as if he was not drunk, but Jiang Yuanjun seemed to have become a different person.
He laughed freely, revealing a row of white teeth under the moonlight. He said, "When I die, I will never enter the imperial family again, never be the crown prince again. I will shed these shackles and travel the world with you, Qingyun."
Tao Qingyun hiccuped several times, and upon suddenly hearing his words, she stared wide-eyed, feigning surprise: "Ah, who are you? Who possessed the body of my Great Xia Crown Prince?"
He pointed to his companions beside him, his tone solemn and commanding: "You capable men, why don't you quickly seize this wicked disciple and bring him before your master!" He laughed loudly: "If you're not the crown prince, who will? Your second brother, your third brother? Just look at them and see if they're even cut out for it!"
Jiang Yuanjun remained noncommittal.
Tao Qingyun continued, "From what he said, it sounded like an ordinary family whose child had passed away and they were worried about leaving the child behind, so they sought someone else to entrust the child to." He then pushed Jiang Yuanjun forcefully, "Old blockhead, wake up!"
The night is deep and the moon is bright.
Jiang Yuanjun suddenly said, "This land belongs to the Jiang family, but it can also belong to the Zhao family. And when I wish to return someday, the Zhao family will still be there..."
After a few drunken words, the group suddenly sobered up.
Tao Qingyun seemed about to jump up, and hurriedly said, "Old blockhead, what's wrong with you today? You can't say things like that." As he spoke, he kicked Chu Yening beside him and said, "Go, carry him down and give him some hangover soup. Otherwise, we'll all be dead before dawn!"
"Some minor issues arose." Songyang began to recount the events of that day in detail.
Chu Yening's eyes grew increasingly dark.
After a short while, he asked Jiuqu again, "Is Old Tao injured?"
Jiuqu blinked: "It's just a minor scratch."
Chu Yening nodded: "Go and deliver some of the medicine that Doctor Dong developed later."
Jiuqu asked, "What if he throws it out? He looks really angry."
"Then send another one!"
Chu Yening then asked Songyang, "Is there any news about Zhuang Shijun?"
Song Yang shook his head: "Not yet."
Just then, a servant came to report that Luo Ling had brought Luo Yuan into the Jingning Marquis's residence, and Third Aunt of the Chu family had also arrived upon hearing the news. Que She came one after the other and said, "My lord, the young lady has already left the residence. Third Aunt heard that the young lady was injured while protecting you, my lord, and personally gave her medicine. But the young lady insists on returning to the Luo residence."
Chu Yening hesitated for a moment, then smiled and instructed Jiuqu to hand over Dong Langzhong's apprentice to Luo Ling, indicating that he would return after the person recovered from his injuries.
Just as Songyang and Jiuqu were about to leave, Songyang suddenly remembered something and stepped forward to report, "My lord, there is something else. A few days ago, the invitation from Vice Minister Zhou's residence was sent. I prepared generous gifts as you instructed and sent them out this morning." He returned to the main topic, "Today is his wife's birthday. Minister Zhou took leave from the palace and held an art exhibition at his residence. A young man who claimed to be a chivalrous knight-errant wanted to exchange his paintings. Minister Zhou was not very sober and immediately had his servants exchange them for him."
"Later, when someone asked about the painting, the servants of the Zhou family presented it to them. It turned out to be a painting of the old Duke of Qin looking into the distance, which was said to depict the four great families riding horses and looking at the distant mountains together."
"Call them—the Four Musketeers!"
Chu Yening suddenly stood up.
Jiuqu asked in surprise, "Could it be that there are still people in the Qin family?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
