Xiang Wan was somewhat surprised. She had originally intended to use this opportunity to distance herself from Wu Ziyu, but she didn't expect to receive his verbal support, which was a bit puzzling.
"Besides, it's just a matter of loyalty, nothing difficult. Our Wu family isn't the kind of family that would resort to trickery and force. Wan'er, you can rest assured. However, a written agreement is definitely out of the question; none of us can afford to lose face like that. How about this: Wan'er can decide her own dowry, and she doesn't need to keep in touch all the time. We can just have a meal together every few days."
Wu Ziyu was the first to propose a solution, which greatly pleased Xiang Wan. No matter how unwilling the Wu family elders were, they had no choice but to go along with their son; neither of them wanted to lose face on the very first day.
Sleeping in the same bed, Xiang Wan wasn't worried about Wu Ziyu causing trouble in the middle of the night. Her medical skills from her previous life weren't for nothing. Even if Wu Ziyu wanted to, he couldn't do anything about it, could he?
In this era, some ancient wedding customs were still followed, requiring brides to return to their parents' home within three to seven days. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiang Wan prepared a considerable amount of medicine, carefully including it in the gifts for her return visit. Wu Ziyu acted with composure and propriety, greatly pleasing Jiang's parents. Before returning to the Wu family, Jiang's mother prepared some money and jewelry for Xiang Wan, fearing she might not have enough to eat. Xiang Wan accepted the gifts without hesitation, carefully instructing Jiang's parents on how to use the medicine. She also hired several strong and trustworthy servants and settled them in the front courtyard for the safety of the Jiang household.
“You’re really willing to do that,” Wu Ziyu said to Xiang Wan as he sat in the rickshaw. “If you’re so worried about your parents, why don’t you bring them to live with you and take care of them nearby?”
Xiang Wan didn't look at him, her gaze fixed straight ahead, and replied calmly, "We both know what's going on between us, so why let them get involved and worry about it too?"
Wu Ziyu was silent for a while, then said, "I'll be leaving in a few days."
Xiang Wan did not answer. When the original owner was around, he would leave whenever he wanted, but this time, Xiang Wan did not intend to let him go so easily.
"Take me with you."
Wu Ziyu was stunned. He turned to look at Xiang Wan, seemingly unable to believe his ears.
"Driver, could you please stop at the teahouse ahead?"
After getting off the bus in the evening, Xiang Wan gestured for Wu Ziyu to follow. The two found a seat in a teahouse and each ordered a cup of tea to sip slowly.
"What did you mean by what you just said?" Wu Ziyu asked.
“It means exactly what it says.” Xiang Wan put down her teacup and looked at him. “I won’t interfere with what you want to do if you want to go out, but I don’t want to waste my life staying in the Wu family. Life is long, and I have to do something to make it worthwhile.”
“Miss Jiang, you didn’t say that before you married into the family.”
"Oh? Didn't I say I wouldn't go out?"
Wu Ziyu frowned and shook his head.
"You wanted to go out only because you weren't married and were afraid your family would stop you. Now that you're married, there's no reason to let you go out alone. Don't worry, I have my own things to do and won't let you worry about me. I won't do anything that would cause controversy in your wife's name, and your Wu family won't have to take responsibility. With such a win-win situation, does Young Master Wu have any reason to refuse?"
Wu Ziyu chuckled and said, "What if I refuse?"
"Nangong Feng will stay by your side, right? If I weren't there to shield you, your confidante would probably be buried in the mundane routines of daily life. Have you thought it through?"
A blatant threat would be a trivial matter to others, but it struck a nerve with Wu Ziyu. He wanted to see how far Nangong Pei could go. He was curious about her and naturally wouldn't let Xiang Wan expose her identity. Besides, it was just going out; it wasn't like she was cultivating a relationship with him, Wu Ziyu, so what was there to worry about?
Despite having thought it through, Wu Ziyu harbored some lingering worries. However, Xiang Wan's words captivated his attention, and after weighing the options, he nodded in agreement.
One can imagine how unpleasant Wu's parents' expressions were when they learned that Wu Ziyu was taking Xiang Wan with him. Xiang Wan managed to slip away by saying that "only with someone by my side can we have children." Before leaving, she converted all the medicinal herbs that could be made into medicine into powder, keeping them as rare as possible, and carefully selected the essence of the rest to carry with her.
Dressed as a boy, Xiang Wan lost her feminine grace, her eyebrows deliberately drawn thicker, making her appear at first glance like a thin, small student. When she appeared before Huan'er in this attire, the little girl mocked her mercilessly. However, her laughter soon faded as Xiang Wan also dressed her in men's clothing, her face covered in pockmarks, causing the little girl to pout incessantly.
Wu Ziyu did not tell Xiang Wan where he was going. After parting ways with her, he met up with Nangong Feng, who was already waiting at the agreed location.
Besides Huan'er, Xiang Wan also hired a porter to carry her luggage to the station. The Jiang family would find out about this sooner or later, so Xiang Wan asked someone to deliver a letter to the old couple, only saying that she was going out with Wu Ziyu and that they shouldn't worry.
Upon arriving in Beiping, Xiang Wan used her medical skills to gain a reputation in the surrounding area, and in doing so, she also learned a great deal of information. The Black Marshal, whose full name was Hei Youde, was incredibly philandering, having married eighteen concubines, none of whom bore him any children, except for one son left by his deceased wife, named Hei Kang. It was said that this young Marshal was exceptionally intelligent, but unfortunately, he was physically weak and could die at any time. The Black Marshal had spent a great deal of money on this son, consulting numerous doctors, both traditional Chinese and Western medicine practitioners, but to no avail. In a fit of anger, he had one of the doctors who came to treat him shot dead.
Commander Hei commands a large army, but has no successor. He is also cruel and bloodthirsty. Since he killed the doctor who came to treat him, no one has been willing to go to Hei’s mansion, and there are even fewer matchmakers.
The original owner died without ever knowing how Wu Ziyu had become the commander of a warlord, or how he had become involved with Nangong Pei. None of that mattered anymore. Since Commander Hei's power was the greatest, given Wu Ziyu's personality, he would most likely come to join him. If they were to meet here, one wonders what Wu Ziyu would think.
Without further ado, Xiang Wan packed her things, took Huan'er, and prepared to go to the Black Mansion to recommend herself.
Soldiers stood guard in front of the Black Mansion, and ordinary people would detour around them from a distance. Xiang Wan and Huan'er walked straight towards the mansion gate, and the people around them couldn't help but stand not far away to watch out of curiosity.
"Halt!" The guard with his gun looked Xiang Wanlai up and down. "No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach the General's Mansion."
"I'm looking for your young commander, Black Marshal."
"Go away, stop making fun of the Black Mansion, or I'll shoot you dead."
"If you don't let me in, you'll be the one who gets shot."
"Hey kid, you've got some nerve. I'll teach you a lesson!"
The guard slung his rifle over his shoulder and was about to grab Xiang Wan. Xiang Wan quickly stepped back and shouted, "I'm a doctor, I can save your young commander. If you delay his treatment, the commander might kill you."
Upon hearing Xiang Wan's words, the guards hesitated and dared not approach further. A guard beside them said, "Wait here, I'll go report to the commander."
Huan'er clung tightly to Xiang Wan's arm, her face pale with fright. Just then, a clear, cold voice came from inside: "Let him in!"
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