Chapter 84 Random Thoughts: "Merit is easy to gain, but walking alongside Lady Xue is difficult..."
The scorching sun hangs high, relentlessly baking the earth. The world is like a furnace that has been lit, with rolling heat waves carrying a suffocating heat. The rugged mountain road stretches forward along the winding terrain.
A few sudden cicada chirps came from deep within the bamboo forest. It was midday, and the area was deserted. Apart from Xue Rongyue and her group, there were only a few figures resting and cooling off under a few old, leafy trees.
The weather was hot, and the journey was slow. The carriage swayed and bumped along the mountain road. Xue Rongyue wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, somewhat absent-minded.
"The bandits have been entrenched in the neighboring county for many years, and they have implicated quite a few wealthy and powerful families. Today, when I left the city, I saw that Prince Qin was leading his officials and yamen runners to arrest people again."
After a moment's pause, Jingnu swallowed hard, lowered her voice, and continued, "I heard the people talking that the government office posted a notice early this morning, announcing that at noon they would publicly behead a group of bandits and the officials who colluded with them."
After a long pause, Xue Rongyue replied, "They prey on the people and commit numerous evils. I imagine there will be many people watching when they are beheaded and their heads displayed to the public."
“Indeed, I saw an old woman gathering a whole basket of rotten vegetable leaves, just waiting for noon.” Sensing Xue Rongyue’s unease, Jingnu asked, “Ever since Luo Zhen left, Madam has been preoccupied. What is she worried about? Is Luo Zhen in danger on this trip?”
Xue Rongyue sighed, her fingertips gently rubbing her brow: "...It's not that it's dangerous, it's just that I'm a little nervous about getting closer to home. I don't know if Luo Zhen can bring the news I'm hoping for."
Jingnu, driving the carriage, seemed to understand but not quite. Seeing Xue Rongyue's worried expression, she deliberately changed the subject, saying, "My lady, should we send someone to investigate the Master Gao that Lin Lao Er mentioned? According to Lin Lao Er, he is the culprit who killed my husband."
Gao Hongxi, a judicial officer in Liangzhou.
According to Lin Lao Er's confession, he found the bandit leader Song Chengtian and lured him with two boxes of silver, ordering him to ambush and kill his brother on his way home.
After the deed was done, he went up the mountain at night and killed Song Chengtian to silence him before the government troops could suppress the bandits.
If we want to find out the truth of what happened back then, Gao Hongxi is undoubtedly a breakthrough point.
The fingertips that had been pressing on her brow slowly stopped, and Xue Rongyue pursed her lips. After a long while, she finally shook her head: "We cannot act rashly."
Liangzhou and Cenzhou are not far apart, so the news of the bandit suppression must have already reached Gao Hongxi's ears. The Gao family has been entrenched in Liangzhou for many years, and Gao Hongxi has served as a judicial officer for many years. He is undoubtedly a local tyrant. If she were to act rashly, it might cause unforeseen complications. Moreover, she has no one in Liangzhou who can challenge Gao Hongxi.
After the interrogation that night, she specifically gave Qin Jin the confessions of Lin Lao Er and the others to review. Given his relationship with his brother, he wouldn't ignore the matter. Reporting it to the Emperor or investigating it secretly would be better than her taking action rashly. Moreover, if the Emperor already knew about this, her actions would surely backfire—the Emperor already harbored considerable dissatisfaction with the Xue family.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Xue Rongyue could only suppress her resentment for the time being and wait for another day.
Jingnu hadn't expected that this question would only cause Xue Rongyue's brows to furrow even deeper. Regretting her words, she quickly changed the subject again: "I heard from Ji Langjun that not only officials in neighboring counties, but all households that have colluded with bandits will be thoroughly investigated. I imagine that the governor of Shangzhou won't escape either..."
Jingnu almost bit her tongue when she thought of how Zheng Niangzi's maternal family was also involved. She changed the subject and said, "I'm sure His Majesty will reward those who have made contributions after we return to Chang'an. With such great merit, Prince Qin will surely be appointed to an official position by His Majesty, and his future is limitless."
With the imperial decree of marriage already issued, the news of the marriage between the Xue and Qin families must have spread throughout Chang'an. Seeing that the lady of the house is not so resistant to this marriage, their marriage is a foregone conclusion. The better the future of the Prince of Qin, the more comfortable the lady of the house will be after marrying into the family.
“Yes, from then on, he was no longer the infamous playboy.” Xue Rongyue lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the open book of the original text. Under her fingertips, the ink characters were written with a firm and powerful stroke.
"Having attacked Fudong on the left and fought Lannu on the right, and now achieved a great victory over Qiang and Wu, in just five years, the illustrious name of the General Who Guards the West is known to all. This time, upon returning to the capital in triumph, he will surely be ennobled and appointed as a prime minister!"
"General Qin is back—"
The deafening sound of iron hooves drew nearer, and the cold armor, reflecting the shimmering sunlight, advanced solemnly like dark clouds pressing down on a city. The leader, seated high on his horse, stood tall and imposing, as majestic as a pine tree.
Qin Jin, clad in black armor, had his former high spirits tempered into a restrained composure by the battlefields of war, but the youthful exuberance could not be buried by the yellow sands of the frontier.
The long sword at his waist gleamed coldly, and his eyes shone brightly. The lazy and dissolute young master of yesteryear had long since transformed; he had achieved fame at a young age, and his name as the General Who Guards the West resounded throughout the land.
In the original novel, two years later, Qin Jin's fame spread far and wide. When he returned in triumph, the people lined the streets and cheered, showing his glory. Unfortunately, she was imprisoned at that time. Although she saw him, she had no time to appreciate his triumphant spirit. The myriad feelings in her heart could probably only be truly understood by her at that time.
Thinking of this, Xue Rongyue's heart grew even heavier. But before she could even utter a sigh, she suddenly heard a sound behind her, the sound of galloping horses approaching from afar.
Immediately following, amidst Jingnu's exclamation, the sound of horses' hooves grew closer, making the mountain road tremble, until just as they approached the carriage curtains, a sudden sound of reins being pulled back rang out—
Xue Rongyue sensed something and lifted a corner of the curtain, and sure enough, she saw Qin Jin's handsome face.
Xue Rongyue wasn't very surprised.
Since their drunken night of agreeing to three rules the previous night, the two have maintained a tacit understanding.
Xue Rongyue asked, "Did the young master come to see me off?"
When he left Lin County, Qin Jin was busy with official business and had no time to see him off. Unexpectedly, Qin Jin shook his head and said, "I'm here to escort you back to Chang'an."
Xue Rongyue was slightly taken aback: "The errand is already finished?"
Qin Jin rode his steed alongside the carriage and replied, "Only some trivial matters remain. These can be handled by the new governor of Cenzhou appointed by His Majesty. Ji Dian will also leave Linxian tonight to escort the governor of Shangzhou, who has already been imprisoned, to Chang'an."
Two days before the bandit suppression, Qin Jin had already led the borrowed soldiers to imprison the governor of Shangzhou, with a portion of the troops guarding him. Once Ji Dian arrived in Shangzhou, he could take the governor away without any effort.
Xue Rongyue sat up straight, looked at Qin Jin, and frowned: "Then why doesn't the young master go along?"
If suppressing the bandits is considered a merit, investigating the officials who colluded with them is a second merit, and successfully escorting the governor of Shangzhou to Chang'an is undoubtedly a third merit. Since Qin Jin personally went to arrest the governor of Shangzhou, he should go with Ji Dian to escort him. Otherwise, wouldn't he be handing over this merit to someone else for nothing?
Qin Jin understood the unspoken meaning behind Xue Rongyue's words.
Ji Dian had infiltrated the bandits for several months and gained Luo Hongfang's deep trust, which enabled him to successfully plant his men and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop. He deserved the greatest credit. Although he was sent by His Majesty to take charge because of the wide-ranging involvement, he undoubtedly shared some of Ji Dian's credit. In this way, it can be considered as repaying him.
not to mention......
His tall and upright figure exuded youthful vigor. Qin Jin's thin lips curled into a bright arc, and his voice trailed off slightly, adding a touch of languor.
"Merit is easy to obtain, but it is hard to find someone to accompany Lady Xue."
A breeze swept through the bamboo forest, lifting the stray hairs by Xue Rongyue's ears. The heat of the summer seemed to seep into her very being, causing her heart to beat a little faster.
A heat gradually rose to the tips of her ears. Xue Rongyue turned her face away, her lips moving slightly. Before she could deliberately raise her voice to speak, Zheng Shuman, who was sleeping beside her, suddenly sat up slowly.
"Um, excuse me..." Zheng Shuman revealed a pair of furtive eyes, "Your Highness, I'm here too."
Qin Jin: "......"
Qin Jin looked ahead and said, "The grass is too tall ahead. I'll go scout ahead."
Having said that, he cracked his whip and fled as if his life depended on it.
***
Three days later, in Chang'an City, a carriage slowly stopped at the side gate of the Princess's residence.
"Your Highness, Lady Xue is back!"
The maidservant hurried into the room to announce the news.
A servant dressed in bright clothes held a palm-leaf fan and fanned Princess Yu'an, who was lying on the bed with her head propped up by one hand and pretending to be asleep.
Princess Yu'an had dark circles under her eyes and her brows were slightly furrowed. Even though there were several vats of ice in the hall, her nose was still covered in sweat, and she looked somewhat uneasy.
Upon hearing this, she was initially delighted and quickly sat up. However, she then remembered something and became furious, slamming her hand on the table and exclaiming, "She dares to come back! She's been away for days, and we don't know where she is. She hasn't even sent a single letter back. It's utterly hateful!"
Before the maid could offer any words of comfort, Princess Yu'an sighed softly again, stood up, and muttered to herself, "Why... why did you suddenly come back at this crucial moment..."
The maidservant stepped forward to support Princess Yu'an. Upon hearing this, she hesitated and lowered her voice, saying, "Could it be that Madam Xue rushed back because she heard those rumors?"
Princess Yu'an quickened her pace slightly: "She's impulsive by nature. If she knew about these rumors, she probably wouldn't be able to sit still."
The servants were carrying the specialties of Cenzhou that Xue Rongyue had brought back from her trip, including some valuable utensils. Jingnu watched as they handled them carefully and carried them into the mansion one by one.
Xue Rongyue got off the carriage and walked in through the side door. She was about to go and pay her respects to Princess Yu'an when she bumped into her as she stepped onto the corridor.
Princess Yu'an stopped in her tracks, her expression deliberately turning cold as she stared directly at Xue Rongyue without saying a word.
Xue Rongyue knew that she must have angered Princess Yu'an by leaving Chang'an without a word. While stealing glances at Princess Yu'an's expression, she stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness?"
Princess Yu'an gave a light snort, did not answer, and continued to look at her with a detached and indifferent gaze.
Xue Rongyue sidled up to Princess Yu'an, grasped her sleeve, and gently shook it: "Your Highness..."
Seeing that Princess Yu'an remained silent, Xue Rongyue lowered her head, her eyes darting around, and immediately decided to play the victim, lowering her voice to a whisper: "Your Highness, you have no idea what I heard on my trip back to Chang'an..."
Xue Rongyue originally intended to bring up the topic of being suddenly betrothed, but before she could finish speaking, Princess Yu'an suddenly sighed: "Those rumors still managed to reach your ears."
Sensing a subtle shift in Princess Yu'an's tone, Xue Rongyue was taken aback. Princess Yu'an then said, "I don't know who threw mud at us, deliberately causing trouble. If you're really angry, you'll just be giving them what they want. Why bother?"
"I have already sent people to investigate. If the culprit is found, you can deal with him as you see fit."
-----------------------
Author's Note: I think you guys misunderstood. It's not that it will end immediately in October; it might be in the middle or late October. [Sprinkling flowers]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
