Chapter 24: Parting from the green hills, the cranes depart, but the peach blossoms are nowhere to be seen.
The window shadows are deep, the lamplight is dim, the phosphorescent light is bluish, and the mountain spirits are silent.
Normally, the three of them would return to their respective rooms after nightfall, but Yue Yining unusually suggested having tea in the courtyard today.
Before it was completely dark, the table was set up, and Yue Yining called Fu Yao to go inside to fetch tea leaves, while A Yu brought out the tea set and arranged them one by one by the table.
The three-legged cauldron-shaped stove was filled with fresh stream water, and the steam from the boiling water was refreshingly fragrant. Yue Yining wanted to handle it, but Ayu gestured for her to sit down, saying, "The water is hot, don't burn your hands. I'll fill it for you, Miss."
Although Yue Yining withdrew her hand as instructed, she teased him, "Are you treating me like a child?"
"What, now you won't even let me touch hot water?"
A few drops of water splashed on the tea tray. Yue Yining watched him fill the teapot with water. Ayu smiled and said, "How could I dare? But I am sitting at the same table as Miss. How can I let Miss do the work while I sit idly?"
Yue Yining was just teasing him and didn't mean to punish him. She then changed the subject: "But it's always the same old tea brewing and drinking, nothing new. Even the most precious tea will get boring eventually. Maybe one day I'll get tired of it too."
Ayu seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly smiled: "I wonder if Miss has ever tried the method of making tea?"
Yue Yining raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What is tea-making?"
“Tea whisking is a rather novel way of tasting tea,” Ayu explained in detail. “First, water and tea powder are mixed into a thick paste. Then, a tool called a tea whisk is used to whisk the tea soup so that the tea paste rises to the surface like swirling clouds of foam. The tea soup made in this way is sweet, mellow, and refreshing.”
"The key to this art lies in a calm mind and steady hands; the process of making tea is also a pleasure."
This was the first time Yue Yining had heard of this method of drinking tea. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Now that you mention it, I do remember something. Once, I was sitting alone enjoying tea, and because I was feeling restless, I unconsciously stirred the tea for a long time. I noticed that foam had appeared in the cup, and I even tasted it. It was a bit thin and bitter. But I imagine that the tea foam produced by the method you described must be fine, white, and long-lasting."
"It's a pity we don't have this kind of utensil called a tea whisk at home..."
Beside the wall, a shadowy figure lurked behind the bushes, a flash of cold light appearing at the tip of his finger.
Ayu, who was facing Yue Yining, caught the silver light and her eyes widened suddenly.
"Miss, be careful!!"
Yue Yining felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and then she was tackled and rolled to the side by Ayu. The two of them together overturned the table, and teacups and plates clattered to the ground, spilling tea everywhere.
The shimmering water and moonlight illuminated the assassin, who was dressed in a short black and brown outfit and almost blended into the night.
He was masked, only revealing a pair of fierce eyes. Seeing that Yue Yining had dodged the hidden weapon, he raised the blade in his hand as if to give chase, but then a streak of blue light flashed towards his face.
Fu Yao's eyes were fierce. She held a wood-chopping knife in her slender hand and leaped down to strike. The assassin hurriedly raised his knife to defend, but was pushed back several meters by her immense strength. Fu Yao slashed several times in succession, her swirling blade leaving afterimages as she descended. Her opponent was forced back step by step and cornered against the wall.
Yue Yining hurriedly got up, but the hand that touched Ayu's shoulder was covered in blood.
She said in a trembling voice, "...Ayu?"
Ayu frowned, his tightly closed eyes opening a crack at the sound. His breathing was unsteady, as if even speaking was extremely difficult: "Miss, I'm fine."
"It's just that my shoulder feels like... I was hit by something."
Yue Yining helped him sit up. The lamplight was too far away, and she could only vaguely make out the size of his wound by the moonlight. Dazzling crimson blood seeped and spread on his back, and an arrowhead was deeply embedded in his flesh, the feathers at the end gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Not far away, Fu Yao's battle with the assassins had ended.
Yue Yining helped Ayu to sit down at the tea table, and the look in her eyes as she turned to look at the assassin was like frost and snow in the dead of winter.
Fu Yao, already understanding the unspoken message, removed the person's mask. Yue Yining gazed at the unfamiliar face from afar and slowly opened her lips:
"Born in the 29th year of Changtai, on the Gengyin day of the Jiayin month, at the Guiwei hour. The year was unfavorable, the luck was in its grave phase and the major luck phase was in its extinction phase. The Taiyin is short and small, the chin is uneven, and the area from the Tianzhong to the Yintang is dark. He has little fortune and is a wicked person. His life ends tonight."
Yue Yining uttered a long string of pronouncements as she approached the assassin being held down by Fu Yao with a knife. "Liu Qianlu, eighteen years old, ancestral home in Yinshui, his parents died early, and his uncle ran off with the family's valuables and occupied the ancestral home. He suffered hardship in his youth, often going hungry and lacking proper clothing. He is destined to have neither wealth nor fortune, yet he has been staying in Yanjing for a long time, solely because you are an assassin raised by the royal family in the capital, and the person who sent you to kill me is none other than the Fourth Prince of Dongxi."
The assassin, who attempted suicide after his attack failed, had his jaw dislocated by Fu Yao, so he didn't die, but he lay on the ground with his head drooping and no reaction. The more Yue Yining talked, the sharper the gaze became, until finally the other party showed an expression as if they had seen a ghost.
"I also know that you became Wei Jing's loyal bodyguard because you have a brilliant younger brother. The two of you depended on each other for survival. However, after arriving in the capital, your brother fell seriously ill and was bedridden. Medical expenses were high, and your travel money gradually ran out. With the imperial examination just around the corner, you had no choice but to find a way to make money quickly. The Fourth Prince offered a lot, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have sold your life to him like that."
"You're truly admirable. You're willing to do anything to support his education, even resorting to shady dealings like murder and robbery," Yue Yining said. "But do you even know that your brother is dead?"
"Your lord told you that he has recovered from his illness and is preparing for the imperial examination in the capital, but he never allows you to visit him, right?"
“Your brother sends you a letter every month, but it’s a forgery of his handwriting. The stories in the letter are all things your lord interrogated your brother before he died. If you don’t believe me, you can go back and have someone authenticate the ink on the letter, because the ink used by the royal family is not available to ordinary people. Your lord must have promised you that he would send a sum of money to your relatives regularly after your death, but I don’t think they would go out of their way to burn paper money for the dead.”
The assassin, his jaw dislocated, stared at her with bloodshot eyes, screaming incoherently as if trying to say something. Yue Yining looked down at him, unmoved, her gaze cold and distant.
"It's a pity you won't have the chance to prove what I said. If I let you return to the capital, you'll be silenced by the Fourth Prince's men. So I'll send you on your way."
Yue Yining stopped looking at him, her toes grinding against the grass roots on the ground. "Kill him."
Behind her, Fu Yao flashed her blade, and a round, black shadow rolled down the haystack, splattering blood everywhere.
As Ayu was about to stand up, she accidentally strained her shoulder bone, and a sharp, piercing pain shot through her injured area.
"Don't move!" Yue Yining hurriedly supported his arm. "He's still bleeding. We need to pull out the arrow before we can bandage him."
Yue Yining took out a small knife and carefully cut open the fabric around the arrowhead. The bright moonlight fell on his almost flawless skin, like snow shining on it, and the bloody gash looked like a cluster of red flowers breaking through the snow, making it all the more heartbreaking and shocking.
Her heart clenched, and she bit her lip. "You...you have to bear with it. The arrow is too deep. I have to pull it out. It might hurt a little."
Ayu's face was ashen, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She managed a weak smile: "The blade is sharp, Miss, please be careful and don't hurt yourself."
Yue Yining's eyes welled up with tears, and she lowered her head: "...Don't say anything for now."
After treating the wound, Fu Yao hurriedly went inside and retrieved some medicinal powder: valerian for anesthesia and sedation, corydalis for pain relief, and imperata root for stopping bleeding. Yue Yining applied the powder to the wound, then heated the blade in the fire until it turned red. With swift movements, she sliced open the necrotic flesh and pulled out the deeply buried iron arrowhead.
Ayu was slightly hunched over, his dark hair obscuring his face. He remained motionless until he let out a muffled groan when the blade spun inside his flesh.
The blood-stained black iron block rolled onto the muddy ground.
Yue Yining's heart, which had been pounding in her throat, finally eased. She loosened her grip on the knife, feeling a sticky sheen of sweat on her palm. She dropped the knife and murmured reassuringly, "It's alright, it's alright."
The medicine powder was applied to the wound, the arrow had been removed, and Yue Yining removed the clothes from his upper body. She then took the strips of cloth handed to her by the maid and wrapped the wound tightly with bandages.
As if to lighten the somber atmosphere, Ayu, still pale-faced, smiled and said, "It's been so long, and I never knew that Miss Fu's martial arts were so superb."
“Miss, you’re decisive and efficient.” Ayu said, “Although we’ve known each other for several months, I still feel like I don’t really understand you all.”
Fu Yao carried a wood-chopping knife, her skirt still stained with hot blood, but a hint of helplessness appeared on her face: "I... I've been practicing martial arts all along. I thought Miss had told you, so it wasn't that I intentionally hid it from you..."
It's not that I'm deliberately hiding it; I just don't want to explain it.
Fu Yao, who appears to be just an ordinary maid, is actually a highly skilled martial artist and is Yue Yining's trump card. She rarely shows herself to others in order to gain an unexpected advantage at certain moments.
For example, if the Fourth Prince hadn't misjudged their strength, regarding them merely as two weak women and sending only one assassin, they wouldn't have been able to resolve this crisis so easily. If he had sent three or four more assassins like that, it wouldn't have been difficult for the Fourth Prince, but for the two women, it would have been a certain doom.
Yue Yining's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, gradually clenched into a fist.
"...blame me."
Yue Yining, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and said, "If I had told you about today's events beforehand, you might not have gotten hurt at all."
As early as the morning before, Yue Yining had foreseen today's crisis through her usual divination.
She performed the most basic divination daily to guard against unexpected disasters and dangers. The divination indicated that she would face certain death today. Although she was greatly surprised, she cautiously began to work backward to deduce the cause and effect. The divination, tracing back to the source, pointed to two people: Princess Wei Yihua and the Fourth Prince Wei Jing.
Although Yue Yining had only met the eldest princess three times, she already knew her well enough. This princess would not hire someone to kill her, and besides, she didn't think she had done anything that would make the princess so determined to eliminate her.
Therefore, the mastermind behind this could only be the Fourth Prince.
After determining her approach, Yue Yining further deduced the solution based on the divination. She already possessed Wei Jing's birth date and time, and not only calculated the quarrel between the two in the palace, but also the fate of the assassins Wei Jing had chosen.
Around autumn, the peculiar method she had researched that could indirectly calculate a person's birth date and time finally came in very handy.
Ayu noticed Yue Yining's self-blame.
Ignoring the risk of his newly bandaged wound reopening, he reached out and tugged at Yue Yining's sleeve. Ayu spoke up, trying to comfort her: "I'm fine, Miss, you don't need to blame yourself so much. Ayu is just a lowly person, and it is an honor to be able to share Miss's worries and protect her from disaster."
"I don't feel any better by saying that."
Yue Yining abruptly interrupted him. The woman in the blue and white robes had her head down, obscuring her face, but her shoulders were trembling slightly: "...So, could you please stop saying such awful things to yourself?"
“You always belittle yourself, calling me lowly and base. I’ve never thought of you that way!” Yue Yining looked at him, her eyes slightly red, her voice choked with emotion. “Whether it’s you or Yao Yao, I’ve never regarded you merely as servants…”
...but family.
This was the first time he had ever seen Yue Yining's tears.
Ayu felt a sharp pain in his wound, but his heart was pounding wildly and burning hot. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and a huge wave of dizziness and an indescribable sense of joy washed over him.
Yue Yining's vision blurred, and in a daze, she felt a hand stroke her cheek, gently wiping away the tears that were about to fall.
Tears still lingered on her cheeks, and Ayu felt a mixture of tenderness and joy, pity and love for her.
He said gently, "I didn't expect my words to upset you, Miss. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to belittle myself."
He truly felt no pain. Everything she gave him, including the wounds, was a reward he had once longed for, a medal he regarded as an honor.
People admire her compassionate face and bodhisattva-like appearance, her self-sacrifice for her country, but he found her decisive and ruthless demeanor captivating. Just moments ago, he had been so engrossed in gazing at Yue Yining that even breathing had caused him excruciating pain, and he had completely ignored his wounds the moment she gave the order.
The world hoped she would become a Buddha, but he only wished that she would wield the sword against all suffering, showing no patience or compromise. Compromise would only rot her heart. As long as she was whole and vibrant, what did it matter to him if others were riddled with wounds?
So he smiled and said, "For me, it would be a happy thing to die for Miss."
If he could die a glorious death in front of her, then even if he was humble and mediocre, he would surely be remembered by Yue Yining.
A death she would remember for the rest of her life. Just hearing about it made his blood boil and his heart tremble.
But he cannot die so easily before witnessing Yue Yining's fate change.
Ayu said, “Miss, you don’t need to feel burdened. Just remember that this is who Ayu is. There are always times in life when you feel isolated and helpless, and when you are caught in a dilemma. If you think that there is someone who will always be by your side, crying for you and laughing for you, many burdens will not be so heavy. Ayu does not expect to rely on this little sacrifice to win Miss’s heart, but if it can make Miss feel comforted when she needs it, I will be overjoyed.”
Yue Yining stared at him in astonishment, her eyes and lips wet with tears, looking rather pitiful.
She pursed her lips, tasting a slightly salty flavor on her tongue.
"I see, I understand."
He's lying. How could anyone be willing to die for another person and think it's the greatest happiness? She'd never met anyone like him, and no one had ever said such things to her. He must be deceiving her; he wants something from her, and he's using this to trick her...
Tears welled up in her eyes again.
Seeing that Ayu was about to approach, Fu Yao quickly reached out to stop him and explained, "Miss has always been like this. Once she starts crying, she can't stop. It's a bit like she has incontinence. So please don't comfort her anymore, or she will cry even harder. Just let her be by herself for a while."
Ayu withdrew her hand and nodded, saying, "Alright. The most important thing right now is to deal with the body and move us away from here as soon as possible."
"If the assassins don't report back in time, it means the mission has failed. Since the Fourth Prince has decided to kill, he probably won't let it go. They will definitely send more people next time. If they send a few more people next time, it won't be something that Miss Fu can handle alone."
Fu Yao: "But your injury will require at least a few days of rest..."
Ayu shook her head: "It's alright. Getting out of danger is the most important thing right now."
Yue Yining covered her eyes for a long time before finally calming down. "...You don't need to worry."
“I cast a divination yesterday. Tomorrow morning, someone who can resolve this crisis will arrive.”
Therefore, there is no need to worry; just wait quietly for the dawn of the next day.
........
White clouds drift back and merge, blue mists disappear upon closer inspection. A stream flows beneath the village bridge, and from the bridge comes the sound of galloping hooves.
Fu Yao was already waiting at the door early in the morning. She was worried and barely slept all night. She got up as soon as it was light.
Hearing the sounds of carriages being unloaded outside, Fu Yao hurriedly opened the gate, where she was greeted by Princess Wei Yihua, who had rushed out of the carriage and was about to knock on the door.
Wei Yihua was taken aback when the door opened without her knocking. "Miss Fu?"
Fu Yao seemed even more anxious than her, her face serious: "Miss Wei, my young lady has been waiting inside for quite some time. Please follow me."
Having waited for a long time, Wei Yihua's body trembled slightly. As intelligent as she was, she had already keenly sensed the unspoken meaning in Fu Yao's hesitant expression.
In an instant, the anxiety and unease that had filled her heart on the way here crumbled. Wei Yihua couldn't help but think of the worst possible outcome. She lost her composure and reached out to tightly grasp Fu Yao, who was leading the way. "Master Yue, how is Master Yue?! Is she alright? Is she injured—"
"Miss Wei."
The two people who had been closely connected at the porch separated. Yue Yining was still wearing a blue robe and stood by the screen wall, where sunlight dappled the vividly carved clusters of light bamboo.
Looking at Yue Yining, who was completely unharmed, neither unconscious nor missing any limbs, Wei Yihua's trembling and uneasy heart finally settled back into her stomach.
Yue Yining looked at her and smiled gently, "Please come inside. Since there are important matters to discuss, it may not be decided in a short time. It would be too tiring to talk while standing."
Above the tea table, the slowly rising steam is graceful and elegant. In the cold season, even a wisp of warmth falling into the icy snow will turn into a few clearly visible wisps of smoke.
Wei Yihua's visit this time was noticeably more rushed than her previous ones. She didn't even remove the conspicuous red gilded phoenix hairpin from her hair. Someone who used to go to great lengths to conceal her identity was now neglecting to do so. However, it's also possible that she knew that from this time onward, she wouldn't need to hide it anymore.
Yue Yining was unwilling to beat around the bush any longer. Leaning against the armrest, she got straight to the point: "I wonder how I should address Miss Wei now?"
Wei Yihua took a deep breath, sat up straight, and said with a firm gaze: "Yes. Master Yue, please allow me to formally introduce myself."
“My surname is Wei, and my given name is Yihua. Yi means suitable and Hua means beautiful. I am the eldest princess of Dongxi.”
After saying this, Wei Yihua smiled wryly and said, "But I think Master Yue must have already guessed my identity."
“I had suspected it before, and now it’s just that my thoughts have been confirmed,” Yue Yining said. “I never imagined that your argument with your brother would involve me and bring me to my death.”
Wei Yihua exclaimed in shock, "Kill...kill you?! He actually sent someone to kill you?"
Yue Yining: "Yes, thanks to my servant who blocked the hidden weapon for me, otherwise I would probably be the one lying in bed now."
"I wonder if the Princess can understand my feelings? I was dragged into this dispute for no reason and almost lost my life. I am also very upset."
"Yes, this whole thing started because of me," Wei Yihua said with deep shame. "It was because I argued with my brother that I brought up his visit to the Celestial Master, and things got too awkward, which caused him to take his anger out on Celestial Master Yue. I beg Celestial Master Yue to allow me to make amends, otherwise I will not be at peace."
Yue Yining shook her head: "Compensation? I don't want to care about that now. I just hope that if the princess is willing to do this, could you perhaps mediate and persuade your brother to give up the assassination attempt on me?"
“I haven’t been able to exchange a single word with my fourth brother, so I’m afraid I can’t stop his heinous acts.” Wei Yihua’s voice was earnest. “If the Celestial Master doesn’t mind, I would like to invite Celestial Master Yue to stay at the Princess’s residence for a while, until the crisis is over. This is the only way I can think of to ensure the Celestial Master’s safety. If the Celestial Master stays at the Princess’s residence, I, Wei Yihua, swear to heaven that I will never let you or your servants be harmed in the slightest.”
Wei Yihua stared intently at Yue Yining, seemingly noticing the hesitation on her face, and her tone became even more sincere and moving: "I know my fourth brother. He is capable of anything when he is angry and will not listen to any advice. If we stay here any longer, we may suffer further misfortune. I hope the Celestial Master will consider this carefully."
Is this the solution the divination indicated? Yue Yining smiled bitterly.
Although she didn't particularly like Yanjing and was reluctant to give up her carefree life in this dilapidated house in Jiulian Town, it seemed that she really had no other choice at the moment.
........
A small bridge spans a thousand peaks, and a gentle blue stream meanders through flowers and grasses.
Yue Yining escorted Wei Yihua all the way to the gate, watching her carriage disappear into the distance until she could no longer hear the sound of hooves and wheels. Only then did she return to the courtyard, where she saw a person standing under the eaves by the courtyard.
With dark hair and blue clothes, her lips were bloodless, making her look paler and more translucent than usual; it was Ayu.
Yue Yining quickened her pace and came to his side, supporting his arm: "Why did you get up? How are you? Does the wound still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore," Ayu said softly. "I'm a light sleeper, so I woke up very early."
"I heard everything just now. So, Miss, did you agree to her request?"
It seemed like a question, but his tone was so light and indifferent that Yue Yining felt it was more like a sigh.
Yue Yining: "Yes. For now, staying at the Princess's residence is the best option. Otherwise, we can only flee to the southern barbarian lands far from Yanjing. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to escape the royal family's pursuit."
Ayu didn't say anything more, but simply nodded: "I understand."
Yue Yining was taken aback. For some reason, she saw a gloomy look on Ayu's face. She blinked hard, thinking she was seeing things.
Yue Yining spoke up: "Ayu, you... are you unhappy?"
Because she promised Wei Yihua that she would go to Yanjing and move into the princess's residence temporarily.
Ayu turned her head, her arched eyebrows as gentle as ever: "Hmm?"
"Miss, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."
Yue Yining swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She looked at Ayu, shook her head, and her doubts disappeared: "It's nothing."
......
In the cold winter of Jinling City, the central, nine-rowed, vermilion gate was rarely open, and carriages and horses were not allowed to enter. Rows of soldiers guarded both sides, while long queues formed at the side gates, which were usually open for passage. Whether entering, exiting, or transferring, the checks were more thorough and rigorous than usual, with guards frequently brandishing their spears and shouting at the disorganized queues.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed in the distance. People on both sides of the road, still shuffling along with the procession, looked towards the sound and saw a rosewood carriage approaching from afar, leisurely entering the main city gate.
The carriage was covered with Shu brocade, and its roof was arched with four rows of cloud carvings. Pearl curtains hung on both sides, and the sandalwood grain shimmered like gilded gold in the sunlight. A jade lock hung at the door; the finest mutton-fat jade was translucent and milky white, lustrous and lovely.
The carriage went straight into the city, drove along the main avenue, and came to a bustling market town, where it stopped by the roadside.
The maidservant respectfully extended her fair wrist and swept aside the beaded curtain and silk canopy in front of her. A man dressed in a scarlet official robe peeked out, with thick eyebrows and full lips, and bowed as he stepped down from the carriage first; behind him followed a shifty-eyed minor official, whose green official robe covered his thin, paper-thin frame, making him look like a street performer.
The subordinate said in a solicitous tone, "Your Excellency, you have traveled a long way and must be tired. Why don't we rest at the city lord's mansion for a while..."
“No need.” The man in the crimson official robes spoke in a deep, resonant voice, his tone stern. “Take me to see the construction work you did last month.”
"Yes, yes, sir, this way please!"
I followed him eagerly, a broad smile on my face, but my mind was already racing with calculations.
The Nine Gates Admiral from Yanjing was on a routine inspection tour.
Jinling has a special geographical location, and every year high-ranking officials from the capital come to visit. If one can seize the opportunity to perform well and get the official to give him a promotion, his official hat can be promoted to another rank.
At that moment, an ordinary cypress carriage passed by the two of them, drove into the depths of the market, and finally stopped at the other end of the clinic.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a woman in a green dress and a young man in white jumped off the carriage, holding each other's hands.
It was Yue Yining and Ayu.
Tomorrow, the Princess will send a carriage to Jiulian Town to take Yue Yining and the other two to Yanjing. After seeing Wei Yihua off in the morning, Yue Yining changed Ayu's dressing, only to find that the herbs stored at home had been used up, and the wound under the bandage was still gruesome and necrotic, with a tendency to worsen.
She had examined the wound that day. The assassin's knife and arrowheads were not coated with poison, but now it seemed that some kind of medicine had been applied that caused the wound to fester. She had to apply a wound ointment specifically formulated for the medicine, otherwise it would be extremely difficult to heal, and the wound would become inflamed and swollen again and again during the healing process, causing the injured person great pain and suffering.
Feeling guilty, Yue Yining coaxed and persuaded Ayu to come to Jinling to buy medicine and see a doctor. For this, she even rented a carriage to enter the city for the first time.
Ayu repeatedly refused, and even when they reached the entrance of the clinic, she was still trying to dissuade her: "Miss, you really don't need to spend this money on me. The wound will heal eventually."
Yue Yining, however, ignored him: "Just come with me. We're already here, it would be pointless to refuse now."
Ayu had no choice but to be practically dragged to the doctor.
After carefully examining the injuries, the doctor stroked his beard and pondered, "It seems you've been poisoned by the Five Ulcer Powder. Please be patient, I'll write a prescription and get some herbs. Just apply the ointment regularly, and you'll be fully recovered in less than a month."
Just as she had expected, Yue Yining hurriedly said, "Thank you for your help, doctor."
"Young lady, please come with me to get the medicine. The patient can wait in the outer room."
Before leaving with the doctor, Yue Yining mouthed to him, "Wait for me at the door."
Ayu looked at her with tender eyes, smiled and nodded.
The clinic was frequented by ordinary people. The wealthy and powerful would not come here; they would invite the doctor to their own residences for consultation.
The scene was chaotic and noisy. Ayu, already in a bad mood, became even more irritable.
The sun was setting. Ayu leaned against the door of the clinic, trying to avoid the sun shining directly on her eyelids.
"Lord Sun, look over here. This whole area is part of the school expansion project. I ordered the construction of three more private schools on the existing site, and they've enrolled many more students this year! And look ahead, that's the newly designated area of the market town. The main road has been widened, a plank bridge and sidewalks have been added, and several charitable halls have been built to benefit the people. I led and supervised all of this..." The official had been bowing and scraping all the way, constantly trying to find something to say, but unexpectedly, the governor suddenly stopped here. He was puzzled, "...Lord Sun?"
The admiral surnamed Sun in front of me was staring motionlessly at the entrance of the clinic not far away. I followed his gaze and unexpectedly found my target.
How delightful! What a handsome young man in white, leaning against the door, basking in the sunlight, a jade tree standing tall in the wind.
At this moment, a dark cloud gathered in Ayu's eyes.
He was to enter the capital tomorrow. Although he was only staying at the princess's residence temporarily, judging from the princess's various actions, he suspected that she had planned this all along. He simply did not believe that he was merely staying at the princess's residence temporarily.
Therefore, the only option is to prevent Yue Yining from getting involved with the affairs of the advisors within the palace. He doesn't care who becomes emperor in the end. As long as Yue Yining doesn't stand out, doesn't attract attention, and doesn't become the Grand Tutor, who is second only to the emperor, she won't be imprisoned as the ringleader if something happens. In this way, her fate can be changed.
He was deep in thought. He had his eyes downcast to avoid the light, but suddenly a thick shadow loomed over him.
"Xie Qingyu?! Are you Xie Qingyu?"
The man blocked his way, his tone urgent and forceful, his gruff voice carrying a somewhat aggressive edge, "How could you have been missing for so long? Have you been in Jinling the whole time?"
Ayu was startled by the shout. He suppressed the urge to frown and looked at the man in front of him, whose face was full of surprise.
In a flash of thought, Ayu remembered when he first came into this world. When he opened his eyes, he was already in a slave shed, with a lustrous jade bead pressed under his tongue.
Xie Qingyu. That is indeed her name.
The eldest son of the Xie family in the original book was supposed to die in the summer of the sixteenth year of the Jiahe era.
Ayu had already grasped the power of fate. Even though he already knew how the story was going and tried his best to protect her, he couldn't help but be pushed along by it, watching helplessly as Yue Yining got closer and closer to her predetermined destiny.
We could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it.
This is not what he wanted.
Ayu suddenly smiled. The memories of this body's past, those memories he had abandoned and never looked at since arriving here, were picked up again and examined one by one. Finally, he found the name of the man before him in those memories.
He said, "Lord Sun, it's been a long time."
When Admiral Sun saw his attire clearly, he was also surprised: "What are you wearing? Coarse linen? How could you wear clothes made of this material?!"
"What...what happened? How could you have been missing for so long and ended up like this!" Admiral Sun said with heartache. "Heavens, if Xie Cheng knew that you had suffered such torment and hardship, I don't know how heartbroken he would be!"
Ayu returned the greeting gently: "Qingyu thanks Lord Sun for his concern. However, the matter is complicated and difficult to explain in a short time."
Admiral Sun frowned and said irritably, "Why are you calling me Lord Sun? Just call me Uncle Sun, as before."
Ayu replied, "Yes. It has been a long time since I saw my uncle, and I can't contain my emotions."
"Alright, alright. Come back to the city lord's mansion with me first. I'll have someone change your clothes and then send someone to escort you back to the capital." Lord Sun lowered his voice. "You can rest assured that Magistrate Xie has covered up your disappearance. He's told everyone that you've been bedridden for a long time."
As Ayu looked at the person before him, more and more memories flooded his mind. This feeling was strange; he was browsing through memories that didn't belong to him, yet he could sense the emotional fluctuations attached to the original owner's memories.
This Admiral Sun was no ordinary official; he was Xie Zhi's classmate and close friend, with whom he shared a deep bond. He was likely one of the few people, besides the Xie family, who knew that Xie Qingyu was not bedridden but had been missing for several days.
What a coincidence, he actually ran into him right here.
Admiral Sun: "By the way, I heard from Xie Cheng that you wore a jade bead on your wrist with a red string, and that bead was engraved with your place of origin and surname. If the government were to see it, it would definitely be reported to me. Did you accidentally lose that bead?"
Ayu lied without batting an eye: "When we were in danger, the villain cut it off and stole it. He probably thought the jade was priceless, so he probably sold it for money."
Admiral Sun sighed repeatedly, "Ah, ah! Let's not talk about that now. The most urgent thing is to get you back to your residence."
Ayu bowed respectfully, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Sun."
The midday sun shone like water, and vendors and pedestrians came and went on the street in an endless stream; the warmth of the sun was unlike the harsh winter.
Before leaving, Ayu turned back and glanced at the entrance of the clinic, pausing for a moment.
Admiral Sun noticed his absent-mindedness: "What's wrong?"
Ayu stared intently at the doorway, but after a long time, the person he was hoping for did not come out.
He lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and then shook his head slightly: "It's nothing."
Just as he turned to walk towards the governor's mansion's carriages outside the door, a figure in light green happened to lift the curtain and enter the clinic's main hall.
Yue Yining first looked towards the main entrance, but did not see Ayu. She looked around and saw no one, a puzzled expression on her face.
She murmured, "Where did Ayu go?"
......
At dusk, the last crows cry blood.
Inside the dilapidated courtyard, smoke curled from the stove, casting a white, misty glow over the backyard. Fu Yao, who was watching the fire, heard a knock at the door and quickly washed her hands before heading to the front gate.
"You're back!"
Fu Yao opened the door, but the happy smile on her face froze.
"Miss, why are you all alone?" Fu Yao looked around, her face full of doubt. "Where's A-Yu? Did he go to town to buy something?"
Yue Yining opened her mouth, and her voice escaped: "...Ayu is gone."
The evening glow of the setting sun swept before Yue Yining's eyes, and the cold wind made the hem of her light green dress flutter.
She recalled that scene again. She saw Ayu's departing figure in the distance, and just as she rushed over, she was stopped by the guards standing a long distance away on both sides of the carriage. She didn't even have time to explain, and just watched helplessly as Ayu walked further and further away with a man in brocade official robes. He didn't turn around, and went straight into the embroidered and beaded carriage.
The last wisp of snow-white fabric disappeared into the densely packed, swaying beaded tassels.
She could have shouted, and perhaps Ayu would have heard her. But as she looked at the departing carriage, at the intricate carvings on its sides and the glittering jade and jewels inlaid on its roof, she was involuntarily stunned.
All of this reminded her of the day she met Ayu. She was queuing in the sweltering heat outside Jinling City, feeling dizzy from the heat, when she suddenly saw a magnificent carriage that could buy half of her house.
She suddenly felt unable to open her mouth.
This perhaps proves that she was right from the start, that her guesses and calculations were correct. She truly was a peerless and highly skilled celestial master.
Yue Yining hadn't expected the day of parting to come so soon. At first, she hoped to find a reason to send him away, always wishing someone would come looking for him and take him home. But later, she began to pray that time would pass more slowly, that these days would last longer.
Fu Yao looked at her with concern: "Miss..."
Yue Yining chuckled and said, "I'm fine. All good things must come to an end, I know that better than anyone. I was just a little worried about his injury, and I didn't expect that we wouldn't even be able to say a word to each other before he left because of a group of people."
After saying these words, Yue Yining was unable to fall asleep for a long time that night, until dawn broke the next morning.
The light and shadow illuminated the courtyard, which was shrouded in the cold winter, making it appear like a paper cutout. Fu Yao finished packing her luggage, and as she took the last suitcase out the door, she happened to see Yue Yining sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought.
She walked over and called out "Miss," but Yue Yining seemed not to hear her. Her gaze remained fixed on the courtyard, her back seemingly transforming into a lonely pine tree.
Fu Yao knew perfectly well what was going on. She pursed her lips, just about to say a few words of comfort to Yue Yining, when she heard the gradually clearing sounds of horses' hooves and wheels outside the gate.
She quickly replied, "Miss, it must be Her Highness the Princess's carriage."
Yue Yining snapped out of her daze, dusted off her skirt, and stood up.
"In that case, let's go."
As she left, Yue Yining took one last look at the dilapidated house. For days, the withered leaves in the courtyard had piled up thickly, gradually rotting into mud. In the center of the courtyard stood a bare tree; if Yue Yining looked at it for too long, she would recall the image of that person standing beneath it, stroking the withered branches, smiling at her.
Ayu said, "Miss, this seems to be a peach tree. It will be very beautiful when the peach blossoms bloom next spring."
The old dreams are gone, the carriage has been erected. Sitting inside the carriage, Yue Yining lowered her eyes, and the curtain, which had fallen back to its original position, concealed the desolate winter scenery outside the window.
The crane departs from the green hills, and the peach blossoms are nowhere to be seen.
[Volume One: The Three Visits to the Throne for Strategic Planning - End]
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