Chapter 7: Trade I want to use this to exchange for my father's peace of mind in the afterlife. ...
Zhu Hao felt as if she was immersed in clouds and mist, and her surroundings suddenly turned white and black. She tried to hold on to something in the strong wind, but in the end, only wisps of breeze passed through her fingertips.
She fell from the top of the cloud alone, her body shattered into pieces, and she suddenly woke up from her nightmare.
Zhu Hao lay on a low couch, her eyes hidden by a pale blue gauze curtain. Her mind was groggy, and she propped herself up on the pillow. Zhu Hao drew aside the curtain and saw a colorful white porcelain cup on a wooden stool in front of the couch, the remnants of medicinal soup lingering in her nose.
Zhu Hao leaned in closer to smell it carefully, frowning slightly.
She saw that there were only a low couch and a wooden table in the room. Zhu Hao only remembered that she and Fang Xuyin fell off a steep cliff together. Judging from the current situation, could it be that they were rescued by someone?
Zhu Hao rubbed her forehead. The wounds that Zhe Ezhai had bruised had already formed scabs. She had also changed into ordinary plain clothes. It seemed that several days had passed since she fell off the cliff.
She reached down to her chest and felt relieved only when she found with her fingertips the marriage contract written on golden paper with a phoenix pattern and the personal contract with the You family seal. However, the key to the house that Song Xieqing had given her was missing. She must have lost it when she fell off the cliff.
Zhu Hao didn't feel any pain in her body, but her limbs felt weak and floating. She put all her strength into getting down from the bed, and a feeling of dizziness came over her. Zhu Hao stood there for a while before she felt better.
She was about to push the door open and go out when the noise outside came straight into her ears.
"Sir, I hope you will sleep for more than ten days without waking up. I am enough to handle the case at the government office tomorrow."
She was familiar with this voice, it was from Fang Xuyin who fell off the cliff with her and was buried there. Zhu Hao continued to stick to the door to listen, only to hear a male voice that was as frightening as an ice ridge that chilled her bones.
"Sanniang, you secretly forged a coffin-opening dagger, did you really think I didn't know? I was just turning a blind eye for your sake. Now I just want her to come to the court and identify You Yan, but you want to stop me?"
"Sir! That's not my intention at all. It's just...you set up this trap to imprison You Yan, wasn't it to rid Huaicheng of bullies like him? If I hadn't forged this dagger, and if I had ended Zhu Hao's life for nothing because of your plot, what difference would we make between us and You Yan?"
"...Sanniang, don't be so soft-hearted. Besides, isn't it okay if Zhu Hao is fine? Although the Dacheng Kingdom has a clear law prohibiting the use of living people as burial sacrifices, You Yan will definitely bribe government officials with money."
At this, the man sneered, "My father ordered him to bring a hundred taels of silver to Qizhou to discuss business half a month ago. Instead, he gambled it all away at Qianjinlou, leaving him penniless. He also happened to owe a thousand taels to the young master of the Qizhou prefect's family. Such a heartless wretch, he actually resorted to such a despicable act as to murder his father and steal the silver. Unfortunately, the poison used in the medicine of the ling is difficult to verify, so I had no choice but to resort to this desperate tactic to outwit him."
Fang Xuyin frowned, a sad look on his face. "It was Wang Mang who caused Zhu Hao and I to fall off the cliff. Do you know that, young master?"
She and You Heng had known each other since childhood. When they first met, You Heng fell into a dry well due to bullying by You Yan. She was ten years old that year. In her efforts to rescue him, her delicate palms were covered with blood marks from the vines.
Fang Xu, whose family was poor, had been blessed with years of support from You Heng, but she wasn't one to simply enjoy his kindness without repaying it. For example, this time, her mother was suffering from a chronic illness. Although she had an older brother, he was a useless gambler. Fang Xu couldn't afford to pay for her mother's medical treatment, so You Heng happened to find her and even made a deal with her for money.
And You Heng's plan was to send You Yan to prison. This was not surprising, as You Lang and his eldest son You Yan were both well-known "local emperors" in Huaicheng. However, You Lang's youngest son was different. You Heng was a gentleman on the beam, holding jade in his arms, and he was also very handsome, making all the girls of marriageable age in the city obsessed with him.
You Yan poisoned his father, but his father was already in his eighties and only a small amount of wormwood was needed to kill him. Even a coroner could not uncover the secret. You Yan was a believer in ghosts and gods, so You Heng took advantage of this opportunity to pretend to be a ghost and disturb him. You Yan was worried about the ghost in his heart, so he invited a Taoist priest to perform a ritual at his residence.
The Taoist priest said that You Lang needed to find two young virgins to be buried with him before he could rest in peace. You Yan pretended to be looking for a new concubine for You Lang, but in fact he was looking for candidates for burial. Fang Xu was from a very poor family, and Zhu Hao had a bad reputation. If the two of them died for no reason, it would not cause much trouble, so they were the most suitable.
The Taoist priest and Fang Xuyin are both trusted aides of You Heng. Hoping for a guaranteed victory, and preferably one that results in someone's death, he refuses to see Fang Xuyin die. Therefore, he sets a dead end for Zhu Hao. He only needs to rescue Fang Xuyin and have her testify in court to accuse You Yan. Furthermore, You Yan still owes the young master of the prefect's family a thousand taels of silver. All You Heng needs to do is whisper in his ear and sacrifice his kin for the sake of justice.
Unexpectedly, on the night of the wedding, a young man surnamed Song arrived at the You Mansion with a hundred gold coins to redeem Zhu Hao. You Yan hadn't inherited the family fortune in time, so he was short of money. Furthermore, the young master of the prefectural family was pressing for a debt. You Yan had only bought Zhu Hao for twenty taels, and now he could sell her for a hundred gold coins. How could he not be tempted? It was just a small funeral girl, so it shouldn't be a big deal. If anything went wrong, he could find another young woman to replace her.
You Heng hesitated slightly. He raised his sleeve and tucked Fang Xuyin's hair behind her ear. He smiled and said, "Although Wang Mang is my confidant, I knew nothing about this matter. If I say this, will you believe me, Sanniang? I truly hope Zhu Hao dies, and I know you want to save her secretly. You didn't hesitate to use yourself as bait, and even gave the dagger to Zhu Hao. Sanniang... are you afraid that I'll abandon you for this? You believe Zhu Hao would risk his life to save you, but you won't believe me."
"Just because you saw Zhu Hao escape from a deadly situation, you're convinced I'll sacrifice your life?" You Heng sighed, "Sanniang, please don't doubt me. It makes me feel cold."
The man in front of her was dressed in brocade, handsome and elegant, with pity for all living beings between his brows. He had the demeanor of a gentleman. She... must be too tired. You Heng was so good to her, how could he hurt her? He was right. Zhu Hao was still alive and well. She shouldn't have doubted him.
Fang Xu felt a dull pain in her heart because of this persuasion.
She stepped back, her head lowered, her long eyelashes veiled in thought. "Sir, I haven't been home to visit Mother for several days. Although my eldest brother is still in charge of the household, I have entrusted the money I have earned to him to ask him to find a doctor for Mother. However, I have to go to court tomorrow to seek work for you, and I don't know when I will be free. Today I want to go home first to take care of Mother. Xu Yin will definitely come to the government office at 9:00 PM tomorrow."
Fang Xuyin went to the side room and looked around. "Please send someone to take good care of her and wish her well. If she doesn't wake up tomorrow, I can help you alone."
You Heng naturally didn't stop him. After Fang Xuyin walked away, he cast his gaze towards the side room, a cold look flashing in his eyes, "Miss Zhu, how long are you going to eavesdrop?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Hao pushed open the door and saw the sun. She felt so exhausted that she was already panting when she reached You Heng. "How about I do a deal with the Second Young Master You?"
"Tell me about it."
Based on the information he had just eavesdropped on, Zhu Hao had a rough idea of You Heng's plan: it was nothing more than a hypocrite trying to trick his brother with a human sacrifice. He was clearly manipulating the entire situation, yet he managed to clear himself of the charges.
However, You Yan has committed many evil things, and it would be a blessing for the citizens if he could be imprisoned.
Zhu Hao cleared his mind and said with a smile, "Tomorrow I will go to the government office and testify against You Yan together with Miss Fang."
You Heng glanced at her, his expression calm and unperturbed. "Isn't this as it should be? The place you're in is my villa. It's not that you're using it to threaten me, but... Miss Zhu's current situation means she's only fit for my use."
Zhu Hao clapped his hands for him, but said something else: "Huh? Didn't Sister Xu Yin tell you? I'm a stubborn person. I can obey your orders now, but who knows what I'll say in court tomorrow? Unlike Sister Xu Yin, I don't consider the Second Young Master my dearest child. Why should I hang myself on you? Of course, if you think that Sister Xu Yin is the only one who accused you of this, that's a big mistake. How about..."
"How about I stand on Young Master You's side tomorrow to oppose Sister Xu Yin? Young Master You can also choose to kill her here to silence her, but Sister Xu Yin asked you to take good care of me before she left. Besides, I have nothing and no one who can hinder you."
You Heng interrupted, "Miss Zhu, what do you want to do with me?"
"For you, sir, this is a trivial matter," Zhu Hao said frankly, "I want my father to rest in peace in the afterlife."
…
It was a cool moonlit night, and the pedestrians on the long street gradually dispersed. Only a few small shops still had candles burning.
Zhu Hao returned to Ningtangfang after half a month, only to find the shop door closed and all the candles out.
"Mrs. Zhu?"
Zhu Hao looked back when he heard the sound. There was a bookstore across the street with candles burning. The flames illuminated the young man's eyebrows. He held a book in his hand, and the light and shadow fell on his eyes, making him look so elegant and refined.
The young man put the scroll by the window. He walked out of the bookshop and handed something to Zhu Hao. "Madam Zhu, you left in a hurry that day and didn't have time to take the sweets and fruits you bought. I happen to know you, Madam Zhu. Mr. Gu from Ningtangfang asked me to give this to you if I see you."
Zhu Hao looked down and saw that the candied fruits were wrapped in Xigao oil paper.
Seeing that Zhu Hao didn't take the call, the young man said, "Don't worry, Madam Zhu. Uncle Gu gives me freshly brewed sweets and fruits every three days. They are so fresh."
Zhu Hao didn't want him to misunderstand her, so she took the package and suddenly felt that the young man in front of her looked familiar. She thanked him and asked, "What's your name, sir?"
The young man lowered his eyelids, and after a long while he heard him say, "Shi Chunsheng."
The package in Zhu Hao's hand slipped from her palm, and Shi Chunsheng caught it and handed it to her again.
"Thank you." Zhu Hao took it and said no more. He walked towards Zhe'erzhai alone.
The night wind blew by, blowing up all the fallen leaves on the blue brick tiles. The dim lights on the long street also pulled her into the dark past of her childhood.
Zhu Hao's parents were old friends of the Shi family. When Zhu Lanxiang just came of age, the Shi family sent a matchmaker to propose marriage to her. They wanted to ask for Zhu Hao to marry Shi Dalang. Although the Shi family was not wealthy, her grandfather was a teacher in a private school in the city and was highly respected and famous.
As an orphan, the Shi family's marriage was considered a good one for her. However, on the day of the marriage, the eldest son of the Shi family died suddenly and inexplicably. His mother was so heartbroken that she died a few days later. This incident further confirmed that Zhu Hao was destined to be alone.
She has never done anything harmful to others, but people in the world find it hard to tolerate her just because of some suspicions.
Shi Chunsheng is the second son of the Shi family. When Zhu Hao meets him, the scar that was almost healed will inevitably be reopened.
Before he knew it, Zhu Hao had already crossed the threshold of Zhe'erzhai and entered.
The shadows of the bamboos on either side swayed against the wall. Zhu Hao climbed the railings and stairs, but after only ten or so flights she began to cough uncontrollably. She could clearly feel that her health had deteriorated significantly since her fall. As a child, she'd taken daily potions until she reached adulthood, when her health improved. The medicine jars that had taken Zhu Hao years to escape had revived the root of her illness after the recent fall. This time, she feared she would never fully recover.
I wish you good luck and take a rest. When we reached the top, it was almost two quarters of an hour.
Only a single candle remained in the main hall, where the statue of Song Xieqing was enshrined. Zhu Hao unwrapped the incense, candies, and fruits and placed them on the altar. She knelt and bowed, her palms clasped together. "Although I have fallen into a trap set by others, I have no regrets. Thank you, Immortal Lord, for your guidance. I will always be grateful."
By midnight, the Zhu residence had already been locked. If she went there rashly, she would surely incur Zhu Lanxiang's wrath. Furthermore, she had lost the key to the house Song Xieqing had gifted her, making it impossible to enter. Zhu Hao sighed, her eyes fixed on the soft cushion beneath her knees. Guilty, she bowed once or twice to the statue of Song Xieqing, then used the cushion as a pillow and rested in the hall.
Zhu Hao was overcome by fatigue, the tiny candle in her eyes was extinguished, and she fell into a deep sleep.
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