Chapter 18 The past was unbearable. Madam Xue's eyes were beautiful…
At the end of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), in Luo'an Lane.
As dawn broke, the morning breeze was chilly, and a few inconspicuous stars were still embedded in the pale blue sky. The rammed earth courtyard had lost most of its plaster due to the rain of the past few days, revealing gray and white bricks underneath.
Old Mrs. Zhao, her back hunched, shakily pushed open the door, carrying a chamber pot. Before she had taken two steps, a figure swept past her. She craned her neck and looked closely—
Isn't this the young lady from the Zhong family next door?
Zhong Yuan raised her sleeve to half-cover her face and ran back before the neighbors got up, as if worried about disturbing others. She didn't dare to stop along the way, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her temples. She didn't rush to open the door, but hid in the depths of the alley and observed for a long time with a heart full of fear before daring to go back.
Looking at the swing her brother had built for her in the courtyard, Zhong Yuan could not hide her grief. Her eyes filled with tears, but she dared not look at it any longer. She quickly wiped away her tears and ran back into the house to quickly gather up the gold and silver treasures that the family had accumulated over the years.
In a private room on the third floor of the Late Spring Teahouse, with the paper window half-closed, Xue Rongyue sat before the steaming tea, gazing at the small courtyard faintly visible outside the window.
After settling Zhong Yuan in, Luo Zhen went to the Guard Bureau for interrogation. He was interrogated for two days and five times before being released. Although Cao Mingyu suspected him, his testimony was consistent with Xue Rongyue's, and Zhong Yuan testified on his behalf. The Guard Bureau could not find a single suspicious clue and had no choice but to release him.
The delay of more than two days turned out to be a blessing in disguise. While Luo Zhen was imprisoned in the Guard Bureau, he actually remembered seeing the face in the portrait there before.
"That night in the tavern, a few drunkards were causing trouble. I noticed that two of them had a solid stance and strong breathing, so they looked like they were trained fighters. I was afraid that if they really caused trouble, they might hurt my wife, so I took a closer look. The person in the portrait was one of them."
"I only caught a few glimpses of it at the time. If Lord Cao hadn't asked me during his interrogation what else had happened in the tavern that night, I'm afraid I might not have been able to remember it so quickly."
Xue Rongyue peered into the small courtyard: "How could there be such a coincidence? Zhong Wei was driven by him to harm me, Zhong Wei died, and then he appeared in the tavern where Zhong Yuan was staying. He was clearly there to kill me."
Jingnu was taken aback: "Didn't you already guess that someone would come to silence Madam Zhong, which is why you took her to your private residence?"
Xue Rongyue chuckled and said, "Silly Jingnu, if I didn't say that, why would Zhong Yuan be willing to rely on me and obediently listen to me?"
Jingnu pouted: "So it was all a lie."
Luo Zhen speculated: "But perhaps by some twist of fate, I really did save Madam Zhong's life. They couldn't have really been there to drink. Maybe they were just pretending to cause trouble while drunk, trying to take Madam Zhong away in the chaos. But Wang Jinhu's rude remarks and the way he was taught a lesson by Prince Qin disrupted their plans. I took Madam Zhong away first, which prevented them from succeeding."
In the courtyard, Zhong Yuan had already packed up the gold and silver treasures, slung them over her shoulder, and gazed at the courtyard filled with memories. She wiped away her tears, put on her veil, and left without looking back.
Luo Zhen's eyes were like an eagle's, fixed on the pedestrians and people flowing outside the window, trying to see if anyone suspicious was following Zhong Yuan.
Xue Rongyue sighed, "Since they have murderous intent toward Zhong Yuan, they will not give up easily. They will seize the opportunity to strike again. Now we can only gamble that their desire to kill Zhong Yuan is stronger than anything else."
"Hopefully this tactic of luring the snake out of its hole will have a miraculous effect. Luo Zhen, you've worked hard these past few days keeping a close eye on the people lingering around Zhong Yuan. Make sure to capture them all in one fell swoop and protect her as well."
Luo Zhen cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate will certainly live up to your expectations, madam."
***
"How many days has she been staying at this inn?"
Today is the fifth day.
Have you come out yet?
The wind lifted Qi Hui's clothes, revealing the black mole on his neck. He replied, "I've been out twice. Once, I went to a pharmacy to buy ointment for a fall injury. I asked a beggar, and the doctor said her leg injury was serious, as if she had jumped from a height. The other time, I went to a pawnshop and sold a few silver bracelets, silver hairpins, and a few gilded hairpins."
The person he was speaking to was dressed in a black robe, his face covered and wearing a hat, revealing only his eyes. Upon hearing this, he said calmly, "Trying to run away?"
Bu Hui speculated, "Although her brother is dead, it is unlikely to quell Xue's anger. She must have been tortured a lot after being captured. Her leg is freshly injured, which means she may have escaped from the place where Xue imprisoned her. That's why she packed up her gold and silver and stayed at an inn temporarily, not daring to show her face. Now she probably wants to escape from Chang'an."
The man in black remained noncommittal.
Bu Hui hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but speak up: "This is the fifth day already, and I haven't found anything suspicious. Perhaps this is not Xue's scheme. It is truly a golden opportunity. Why don't I go and kill her to eliminate future troubles?"
That day, for some unknown reason, the plan was leaked, and he was trapped in the Begonia Garden and could not get out. For five days, the Taoist temple was full of suspicious people waiting for an opportunity to act. He dared not make any rash moves and hid for several days before he finally managed to escape. He was injured as a result and had to recuperate for several days, missing the best opportunity to make a move against Zhong Yuan.
That night at the tavern, he almost succeeded in drugging Zhong Yuan again, but Luo Zhen beat him to it, missing the opportunity. Now that Zhong Yuan has reappeared, he must quickly eliminate this weakness in order to be able to rest easy.
Though his face was veiled, the man in black raised his eyebrows, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "You really want to kill her?"
Knowing that attacking Zhong Yuan now would be dangerous, Bu Hui had no other choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Yes, I can't rest easy if I don't kill her."
He expected to be reprimanded, but before he could finish speaking, the black-clad man's indifferent voice rang out: "Then let's make our move."
Bu Hui was taken aback.
A dim, unreadable light flashed in his eyes, and the man in black spoke casually: "Kill him, and eliminate future troubles."
Bu Hui was overjoyed and was about to step back when the man he had sent to monitor Zhong Yuan strode in and whispered, "Zhong Yuan has left the inn."
Bu Hui walked quickly to the window to look out and saw Zhong Yuan wearing a veiled hat, blending into the flowing crowd and heading towards the tavern.
A few wisps of smoke from the incense burner twisted into flying shapes in the bright firelight, echoing the lively atmosphere of the tavern. Golden bells on her ankles jingled as she danced, and the dancers twirled barefoot to the beat of the drums, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The clear, sweet wine poured down into the golden goblet, its aroma instantly filling the air. Xue Rongyue glanced at Liu Ruyu, who was pouring the wine, but remained silent.
To prevent anyone with ulterior motives from following her tonight, she disguised herself, not only changing into a Hu-style dress but also putting on a fake beard and wearing high boots. Even Jingnu said he couldn't recognize her. Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped into the tavern and sat down, Liu Ruyu followed her like a wild dog smelling a meat bun.
She finally couldn't help but tap the table and ask him, "How did you recognize me?"
Liu Ruyu scratched her head, glanced at Xue Rongyue shyly, and replied, "Your eyes are the most beautiful and unique I have ever seen. No amount of covering up can hide their brilliance."
After saying that, he looked up at Xue Rongyue again, and their eyes met. He blushed and lowered his head shyly.
"..."
Xue Rongyue said with a troubled expression, "So you recognized me just by your eyes?"
Liu Ruyu nodded firmly: "I will never forget those eyes."
For some reason, when she met Liu Ruyu's affectionate eyes, Xue Rongyue felt a sudden shiver run down her spine.
Liu Ruyu asked cautiously, "Am I disturbing Madam Xue's drinking by sitting here?"
Xue Rongyue thought to herself, isn't this obvious?
Tonight, I had arranged with Zhong Yuan to take the final step of luring the snake out of its hole, but Liu Ruyu sat down with me, which naturally caused a misunderstanding.
She made no attempt to be tactful: "Your uninvited visit has indeed bothered me."
Liu Ruyu's face darkened, and she lowered her head, saying, "I was being presumptuous."
After saying that, he didn't leave.
Xue Rongyue was getting impatient and was about to urge him to leave when Jingnu came running in from outside the tavern, excitedly saying, "Madam, look what this is!"
She was also dressed in Hu clothing, disguised as a man, and carrying a thick stack of medicine in her arms. As she approached, the bitter fragrance of the medicine filled her nostrils.
She said happily, "Just now, I passed by the pharmacy you usually go to and found that Doctor Liu has returned! Since Doctor Liu went home to visit his family the year before last, the doctors next to that pharmacy are not even half as good as Doctor Liu. You haven't taken this medicine for two years. When I saw it, I quickly lined up and grabbed a lot."
Xue Rongyue was also delighted: "I've taken medicines prescribed by other doctors in the past two years, but none of them are as effective as Dr. Liu's medicine."
She praised, "Well done. I'll reward you with that gold hairpin with flowers and butterflies that you've been eyeing for so long when we get back."
Jingnu was so happy she almost jumped for joy. Before she could express her gratitude, Liu Ruyu stood up nervously and asked, "Does Madam Xue have some hidden ailment?"
Jingnu then noticed that there was another person sitting opposite Xue Rongyue. She stared blankly at him and subconsciously replied, "These medicines are what Madam has been taking since childhood, it is..."
Liu Ruyu said anxiously, "I've had this since I was a child; it seems to be a hidden ailment. Why didn't Madam Xue tell me this? We are about to be engaged and spend the rest of our lives together—"
Jingnu's expression changed drastically: "Young Master Liu, please be careful with your words. The marriage is not yet settled, so it is too early to talk about these things now."
Liu Ruyu's lips moved, and after a long pause, she continued, "I didn't mean anything by it, but if there really is a hidden illness, why would Madam Xue hide it from me? I could have found medicine for Madam Xue..."
Xue Rongyue's expression was not good, and she interrupted, "I have no hidden illness."
“That is…” Liu Ruyu recalled Xue Rongyue’s parents’ divorce when she was young and her brother’s early death, and her face immediately showed heartache. “Is it because of the trauma in your childhood that you have been unable to get rid of the depression in your heart? Madam Xue, I know that you had a difficult childhood. Can you tell me about it?”
"I'd rather know about your past and your hardships than about your bright and strong personality."
"?"
Xue Rongyue, unable to contain herself any longer, banged on the table: "How is it that I'm unbearable to eat some beauty and skincare secrets?"
Jingnu added expressionlessly what she hadn't finished saying: "These medicines are what my lady has been taking since she was a child. They are a popular beauty secret in Chang'an."
Liu Ruyu: "......"
Despite being separated by a screen, Qin Jin couldn't help but burst out laughing.
A note from the author:
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Next chapter preview:
Qin Jin: Shock! How could you do that in front of your fiancé?! [Pity]
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