Chapter 43 Acting Willfully
Before Yu'an could fully regain her senses, she heard jubilant comments coming from the courtyard.
"Got it! Got it!" Baozhu ran up and down. "Girl, we've got it! It's a tabby cat."
Yu An slowly sat up from the bedside. "A raccoon dog?"
Baozhu nodded: "Yes, the master just caught it. He said it was a stray cat from who-knows-where. It built a nest outside our mansion and even had a litter of kittens. He just had the servants clean it up."
Yu An was taken aback: "Where did that dark figure come from?"
"Oh, right."
Baozhu was taken aback. "Miss, you and I both saw a dark figure. Where did that dark figure come from?"
No one in the household mentioned it, and Baozhu completely forgot about it.
After visiting the three elders in his family one by one, Ji Jinghe finally returned to Banmu Courtyard.
At the dinner table, Yu An was uneasy about the scene that Ji Jinghe had caused this morning. She absentmindedly ate the sugar cake in her hand, and the syrup even dripped onto her dress.
What are you thinking about?
Yu An didn't hide anything, "I'm just curious. If all the noise at night was made by wild cats, then what were the dark shadows that Ji Shu and I both saw?"
Ji Jinghe calmly ate the porridge in his bowl and said casually, "Perhaps you saw it wrong. I just went to Rongshou Hall, and Shu'er was there too. She said that she and her maid must have seen it wrong that night."
Did I see it wrong?
Yu An didn't believe it.
Ji Jinghe watched her furrow her brows, put down his chopsticks, and scrutinized her intently. "Perhaps you've just recovered from your illness but have been busy with household matters, so you might be seeing things."
Yu An looked directly into his eyes, but couldn't discern any other information.
"My reason for refusing your trip to Xishan last time was purely out of concern for your health. If you really want to go, we can arrange it right now, but..."
Ji Jinghe said indirectly, "Half a month is too long for me. It would be best to shorten the time to a few days."
Yu An picked up the spoon again without saying a word.
Ji Jinghe saw through her thoughts and asked in a steady tone, "Do you want to go out to pray for blessings, or do you just want to go out and not stay here?"
I don't want to see him.
"Of course, it's to pray for blessings," she answered decisively.
Ji Jinghe: "Then tell Shu'er to go with us. I'll feel at ease with her by my side."
“Shu’er isn’t used to living in other places, and the conditions at the temple are harsh.” Ji Shu would only be a burden if she went.
Yu An answered seriously, as if he was very certain, but he had just asked Ji Shu, who said she was willing.
Ji Jinghe nodded repeatedly and agreed.
They immediately summoned Qingque and Baozhu and began preparing things for their trip.
Yu'an was puzzled by his actions and felt something was amiss. "Sir, what exactly are you trying to do..."
Ji Jinghe got up and changed into his official robes.
"I'm just worried about you, and I hope you'll listen to me."
Those eyes held a hidden meaning, and Yu An looked away after only a moment.
Baozhu came in to tidy up and saw Yu'an looking distraught. She asked softly, "Miss, are we really going to West Mountain?"
Yu An looked at the clean bowl across from her and said, "Go."
She and Ji Jinghe seemed to be secretly competing. He instructed everyone that she should go to Xishan to pray for blessings, so that he would have the final say in everything.
Ji Jinghe chose three days later for her to set off for Xishan.
Although Tantuo Temple was a royal temple, it was still a place of ascetic practice. The food, clothing and daily necessities were far inferior to those in the capital. Yu'an was not used to sleeping on a hard kang, so she relied on the bedding she brought before leaving to make her a little more comfortable.
Praying for blessings involves eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers all day, and then copying some Buddhist scriptures. Hearing that there was a lantern festival near the temple, Yu'an went out after dinner.
Yu'an watched for a while and then got bored, but Baozhu liked to wander around, so she sat down under a big tree stump to wait.
"Come find me here after you're done looking around. I'll be waiting for you here."
Baozhu happily agreed and took some money to play.
A moment later, another figure appeared beside Yu An.
"When I saw Madam arrive, I followed her."
Yunxiu, dressed in the simple homespun clothes of an ordinary person, chose a place not far from Yu'an and hidden in the shadows.
Yu An looked up and asked, "How did you get out?"
The voice behind him was very low, "I'm using Miss's name to ask her to come out and buy things for her."
“Young Madam, I’m afraid I was discovered the night the master caught the raccoon dog.”
He had wanted to tell Yu'an for a long time, but even within the mansion, he couldn't find a single opportunity to report to her.
Yu An was not surprised. She had roughly guessed Ji Jinghe's unusual behavior that day, but she still had doubts. Now she was certain.
"It's alright, so what if he found out? He saw you in Changping that day. He let me out just to test what I was up to."
Yu An said without changing her expression, "You should go back tomorrow. There's no need for you to stay here."
Yunxiu said with a troubled expression, "Young Madam, I'm sorry, you asked me to do two things, but I haven't done either of them well."
Yu An chuckled, "How could it not be done well?"
"You've turned the entire Ji family mansion upside down. I bet there are still people in the mansion who are afraid of you. But you, how did you manage to scare yourself so badly at Jianjia Pavilion?"
Thank goodness we didn't go to Rongshoutang, otherwise the old lady would have been so frightened that she would have fallen ill, and she would have felt guilty for the rest of her life.
Yunxiu said awkwardly, "Perhaps it wasn't small, but I can't really say for sure..."
Yu An didn't take it seriously. "Oh well, it was just that one time anyway. If you don't do it again, it will naturally be fine."
Chu Xingjian had brought a servant with her as part of her dowry. One day, he saw the servant sweeping in the courtyard and they chatted for a bit. Chu Xingjian then learned that the servant was not only skilled in ventriloquism but had also practiced martial arts for a few years when he was young. This sparked Chu Xingjian's interest in him.
Looking at the bustling scene around her, Yu An sighed and said, "You should go back. There might still be some people watching us. If we need you again later, I'll send you a message."
"He won't cause you trouble easily."
Yunxiu cleared her throat and leaned a little closer. "Be careful of that tree in the southwest direction."
Before Yu An could finish speaking, the people behind him left.
Yu'an touched the paper tucked behind her waist and was just realizing what those words meant when Baozhu returned with half a bag of pastries.
"Miss, I saw some jujube blossom pastries for sale just now, and I was craving them, so I bought half a pound."
Yu An propped herself up and silently tucked her hands into her sleeves. "Then let's go back."
When there is good food, Baozhu does not feel that life is hard, even if she has to get up early every day to cultivate herself.
Yu'an asked the abbot of the temple and asked for a seven-day retreat for quiet meditation. During this period, he stayed at home and did not see any outsiders.
Baozhu was puzzled. This kind of life was too hard. Why would Yu'an voluntarily choose to suffer for herself?
Yu An laughed at her for being silly, "What's so hard about this life? You don't even have to go out and meet people, isn't that great?"
Baozhu said with a pained expression, "But I won't be able to see you for several days..."
Yu'an softened and patted her head, "Anyway, the money is with you, so go out and have fun when you're alone."
With a master like her who never leaves the house, even the time spent going out is limited.
Baozhu nodded firmly, "Don't worry, girl. If you need anything, just knock on the wall next door and I'll come to your door."
Yu An feigned a sneer: "You little ingrate."
Having gotten used to copying Buddhist scriptures at the Ji residence, he found it easy to go into seclusion now. The only downside was that he was a little bored without Baozhu around to talk to him.
The weather in early spring is unpredictable, and a sudden chill set in. Yu'an caught a cold after a cold night, and her illness, which had just been cured, relapsed.
The abbot, mindful of Yu'an's noble status, wanted to suspend the retreat, but Yu'an refused, only requesting that Baozhu stay with her.
After enduring the entire night, her illness still persisted. With no other options, Baozhu had no choice but to drive her carriage to town that very night to find a doctor.
The monks at the temple treated their guests as honored guests, and seeing this, they obediently opened the door.
This was her first time riding a horse, and she was clearly unfamiliar with everything. However, she couldn't slow down, so she had to keep her hands on the reins tightly. When she heard the incessant clattering of hooves not far behind her, she had no choice but to increase her speed.
Once they reached the town, and traveled deep into the streets, they seized the opportunity, turned their horses around, and hid in a small alley, thus escaping the two fast horses following behind them.
Following the route that Yunxiu had scouted out for her in advance, she drove around in circles and asked several passersby before finally finding it.
She knocked on the door for a long time before someone opened it. The door was a small, secluded courtyard with its gate hidden in a deep alley.
Upon seeing that the woman was a little older than her, Yu'an didn't say a word, but instead pushed her aside with all her might and forced her way in.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? You... what are you doing..."
Before the other person could finish speaking, Yu An covered his mouth, and the door was tightly closed.
Just as Liu was about to struggle, she saw the gleaming dagger at her waist and abdomen, and the hairs on her back immediately stood on end, and she became completely alert.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm only here to ask you some questions, and then I'll leave."
Yu An sheathed the dagger. "This isn't the place to talk. I need to go inside."
Liu looked her up and down. Just as Yu'an let go of her hand, she saw her shout again.
“I am Chu Xingjian’s daughter. I have come here today to find out what happened a year ago. Your husband, Li Yan, hanged himself, your house was confiscated, and you and your whole family are now wandering here, struggling to survive.”
"If you are wise, you should listen to me obediently so that I can show you the right path."
Liu's legs went weak, and in the dim light, her eyes gradually filled with tears. She patted the hand covering her mouth and then led Yu'an into the house.
"How can I believe you? You are Chu Xingjian's daughter."
Yu An looked at the young child lying on the bed inside the room, and her heart clenched slightly.
She gripped the dagger tightly in her hand and retorted, "Who else in this world, besides the Chu family, do you think would come looking for you?"
Liu hurriedly lowered the bed curtains and said coldly, "Don't even think that I can testify for you. Li Yan is dead. Our family will no longer get involved in any court affairs. If you want me to be a witness, you can leave now."
Yu An: "I came here just to ask if Li Yan left any secret letters behind, such as those pointing directly to the Xia family or others. I heard that the court only confiscated some money from your house."
Liu sat down calmly. "You're overthinking it. Li Yan didn't leave me anything. Back then, everything in the manor that should and shouldn't have been investigated was taken away by the imperial court."
Anticipating that she wouldn't reveal it easily, Yu'an simply took out the secret letter from her bosom. "Look carefully, this is the seal of the Xia family. I don't need to explain to you what kind of relationship Li Yan has with the Xia family in private, do I?"
"If Li Yan hadn't embezzled the money meant for the annual maintenance of the imperial mausoleum, would he have been able to curry favor with the Xia family, rise to prominence, be transferred to the capital, and become the Vice Minister of War? Given Li Yan's relationship with the Xia family, he wouldn't have ended up with nothing."
"Even if it were taken by the imperial court, it wouldn't have been done so quietly."
Yu An stepped forward, and in the blink of an eye, the dagger was once again pressed against Liu Shi's body. "If you take it out today, you can take this bag of money on the table and run away to a place far away from this trouble. If you are stubborn and refuse, you and your son will surely die by my blade today."
"You're just a weak, sheltered woman, how could you possibly kill me?"
Yu An moved the blade a fraction closer. "Who do you think I have backing? Am I the only one who came today?"
"Robbers! You think you're any different from them..."
Liu stood up excitedly, but was forced back down by Yu An's knife.
"To be honest, even if you keep it a secret until your death, as long as you still have this thing in your hands, you will never be at peace. It's only a matter of time."
Seeing that Liu's eyes had relaxed slightly, she continued, "You can live if you have money, or die if you don't. It's your choice."
Liu stared intently at her, and before long, tears welled up in her eyes. The bitterness and sorrow she felt were something only God could know.
Yu An did not mean it this way, but she was forced into it.
When Yu'an saw Liu take a package of letters out from under the bed, he knew that his trip had been worthwhile.
"This was secretly hidden by Li Yan in a hidden compartment in the bedroom wall. There are some parts I can't understand, and I don't know who passed it on to whom. But the only thing I heard him say was that framing Grand Secretary Chu was not his intention. He was instructed by the Xia family and became a scapegoat."
Liu immediately begged for mercy: "Miss Chu, Li Yan is dead, and we have paid the price we had to pay. I'm giving you these things. The child is still young, and our family can't afford any more trouble."
Just to be on the safe side, Yu-an asked a few more questions to make sure that this was all the information before she could finally relax.
"Don't worry, I won't involve you."
Yu An tucked the things into her bosom. "Take this money and go as far away as possible. Never come back."
After saying that, Yu An left immediately.
When she returned the way she came, she could sense that someone was following her, so she was even less in a hurry.
If it can't be hidden, then it shouldn't be hidden.
There's always a way out. The clerk of Wanping County was a former student of Chu Xingjian. He spent his days handling cases and coordinating patrols of the city. Although he seemed to be of low rank, he actually possessed a wealth of timely information.
Yu'an had secretly sent someone to contact him, and the letter that day was from him, telling her the whereabouts of Li Yan's family.
That's why I managed to get here; at least I didn't leave empty-handed, so all the trouble I went through wasn't a complete waste.
When they returned, Baozhu was sitting upright at the table, sleeping with one hand supporting her face.
Jing Yu'an gently patted her awake, and seeing the things in her hands, a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. "Miss, is it done?"
Yu An nodded. "I took some things, but I don't know if they will be useful. Tomorrow morning, send word that I have a persistent high fever and have a servant go back to the mansion to tell me that I have to postpone my return for a few days."
Baozhu quickly looked her up and down a few times, wondering why she had lied about being seriously ill. After all, she had already achieved her purpose for coming here, and there was no need for her to suffer here.
Yu An patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, it's nothing. I just don't want to go back."
Baozhu was skeptical. "You're not really afraid of ghosts, are you, Miss?"
She curled her lips slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
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