Chapter 43.43 "Shen's Tea House, waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump."...
Shen Mi walked around the corner of the wall and arrived at the front gate of the Yangzhou government office. Su Xingjian was already standing by the carriage with Yao Jie'er in his arms, waiting for her.
Although Su Xingjian appeared normal, Shen Mi still found it strange that he had suddenly asked her to come around through the back door, so she asked him, "Brother Ziyou, were you meeting someone up front just now?"
Su Xingjian's eyelids twitched. Could it be that she bumped into Gu Zhan on her way here? But given Gu Zhan's personality, if he recognized Shen Mi, he would never let her leave so easily.
He quickly realized what was going on and, without changing his expression, made up an excuse: "The family of a suspect in a previous case came to cause trouble, and I was afraid they might hurt you."
Shen Mi nodded slightly, not giving Su Xingjian's words much thought.
Su Xingjian had no motive to lie to her, and what he mentioned was indeed a very common occurrence for a prefect of a state; Shen Mi had seen it many times before.
After she boarded the carriage, holding onto the side of the carriage wall, she took Yao'er from Su Xingjian's arms and said, "Brother Ziyou, there's no need to see me off any further." With that, she lowered the carriage curtain.
Gu Zhan had already turned his back, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the woman's back as she brushed past him. A sense of familiarity welled up in his heart. Her figure was similar to, or rather, almost identical to, the woman he had seen next to Su Xingjian on the covered bridge.
Therefore, he turned back and quickly chased after the woman in the direction she had left.
The carriage carrying Shen Mi slowly moved forward. Yao Jie'er sat beside her and gently tugged at her sleeve. "Just now, when Uncle Su was holding me, a man came. I was very scared of him."
Shen Mi gently patted Yao Jie'er's back, "It's alright, he must have come to talk to your Uncle Su, he won't hurt us."
Yao Jie slowly shook her head, her eyes fixed firmly on Shen Mi. "No, I think Uncle Su is a little afraid of him."
Shen Mi was puzzled. Su Xingjian was, after all, the prefect of Yangzhou, the official in charge of Yangzhou. No matter what kind of suspect's family member it was, they should be afraid of Su Xingjian. Why did Yao Jie say something completely different?
"Then, Sister Yao, can you tell me what that man looks like?"
Yao thought about it carefully, "He was very tall, looked a bit fierce, and always stared at me. I didn't dare to look at him too much, so I didn't remember him clearly."
A thought flashed through Shen Mi's mind.
It can't be...
But she quickly banished the thought from her mind. How could it be him? In his mind, he probably perished in the fire four years ago. In recent years, she forced herself not to think about the past or ask about anything related to him. She had almost forgotten him, only occasionally dreaming about some things from the past in the middle of the night.
Besides, if he really came to Yangzhou, Su Xingjian would know, and Su Xingjian would not hide it from her.
I must be overthinking it.
Shen Mi composed herself and comforted Yao Jie'er: "It's alright, we just met by chance. Once we return to Runzhou, he won't chase after us anymore."
Yao nodded earnestly and snuggled into Chen Mi's arms again.
When Gu Zhan caught up, he saw Su Xingjian standing at the entrance of the government office, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance.
Su Xingjian noticed the carriage's shadow getting smaller and smaller, so he looked away, only to see Gu Zhan leading Yang Qing towards them.
He was quite surprised, but still bowed to Gu Zhan and asked, "Why has Your Highness returned?"
Gu Zhan didn't reply to him. Seeing that the girl in his arms was gone, he asked, "Where is the child of Ziyou's so-called friend?"
Su Xingjian nodded: "My friend has already picked me up."
Gu Zhan said "Oh," looked at Su Xingjian, and asked, "Is this the fourth year that Ziyou has come to Yangzhou?"
Su Xingjian didn't know why he suddenly asked about this, and only replied, "Your Highness has a good memory."
"You have achieved a lot in Yangzhou these past few years. I intend to transfer you back to Bianjing next year after the New Year and appoint you to a substantive position in one of the Six Ministries as the Crown Prince's tutor." He said this in a very flat tone, not as a suggestion, but as an announcement.
Su Xingjian smiled and politely declined, "Your Highness values me so highly, I am truly flattered, but I consider myself young and still need to hone my skills in the local area for a few more years."
Gu Zhan suddenly sneered, not even addressing him by his courtesy name, "Su Xingjian, why have you insisted on staying in Yangzhou for so long? Is it because you want to gain experience in the local area, or is it because there are people in Yangzhou that you can't bear to leave behind?"
"Both are true. The former is the reason, but I also cannot bear to leave the people of Yangzhou," Su Xingjian replied flawlessly.
Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of him, Gu Zhan didn't dwell on the topic and simply said ambiguously, "You certainly have a fair heart."
"Your Highness is too kind," Su Xingjian glanced at Gu Zhan, "I was unaware that Your Highness would be coming to Yangzhou. It is already a sin to fail to greet you properly. I wonder if Your Highness has the time to properly entertain you these next two days?"
He needed to test how long Gu Zhan intended to stay in Yangzhou. If he stayed for a long time, he would probably have to find an excuse to tell Shen Mi not to come to Yangzhou for the next few days, but to stay in Runzhou instead.
Gu Zhan put one hand behind his back and said, "There's no need for hospitality. I came to Yangzhou on the way to quell the peasant uprising in Huizhou and visit some old friends. The memorial has been sent back to Bianjing, and I will be setting off for Bianjing soon. You don't need to worry about it." After saying that, he left with Yang Qing.
Su Xingjian watched his retreating figure and breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he won't stay in Yangzhou for long.
Gu Zhan walked along the alley where the Yangzhou government office was located. When he looked up, he saw the moon hanging high in the sky.
In his memory, he rarely celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival.
When he was young, he lived in the Empress's palace. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor would come to Kunning Palace for a short visit, but most of the time, he would just sit quietly to the side and listen to the Emperor and the Empress talk. He never had the chance to say a word.
Later, when the Empress gave birth to Chiying, she would sit aside and watch the family of three. Chiying was the youngest and most favored daughter of the Emperor. She was always uninhibited in front of the Emperor and would laugh and call him "Father" and the Empress "Mother." He, on the other hand, had to strictly abide by the rules of etiquette and could not be impolite in the slightest.
Later, he was officially named Crown Prince and moved to the East Palace. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, he would only enter the palace to pay his respects and then return to the East Palace alone. Even though Su Xingjian was his study companion at that time and was always by his side, Su Xingjian would still go back to the Su residence to reunite with his parents and sister during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Over time, if Sun Cheng hadn't reminded him every year to go to the palace to pay his respects to the Empress, he would have almost forgotten about the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Until Shen Mi married into the Eastern Palace that year.
Shen Mi was quiet by nature. In the courtyard of Qingluan Palace where she lived, there was an osmanthus tree. That year, under that osmanthus tree in the courtyard, Shen Mi leaned on his shoulder and told him about the interesting things that happened when she was a child.
It was rare for Shen Mi to open up to her. He didn't have any memories of the Mid-Autumn Festival like Shen Mi did, so he always listened to what she said and occasionally responded.
He thought then that he and Shen Mi had a very long future ahead of them, that they could celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival every year like that day, and that in a few years, when Shen Mi came to her senses, they would have a son and a daughter, and that what he couldn't have in his childhood would eventually be given to him again in a different way.
But he never expected that by the Mid-Autumn Festival of the following year, he and Shen Mi would have fallen so far that their relationship had deteriorated to the point of breaking up. He hardened his heart and locked her in the Qingluan Palace. After returning from the palace, he forced himself not to go to the Qingluan Palace, but instead went back to the Qinzheng Palace to handle government affairs.
He thought it was just a minor incident, and that one day Shen Mi would really understand and be willing to be obedient and live a good life with him like before, then these things would be insignificant.
But when Shen Mi finally came to his senses, he found himself all alone again.
Looking back now, it seems that in the twenty-eight years of his life, he only celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival once, which was the first Mid-Autumn Festival he spent with Shen Mi after their marriage.
That was the first time, and it also seemed to be the last.
But originally, this shouldn't have been the last time.
The fragrance of osmanthus wafting around, the shouts of roadside vendors, the laughter of pedestrians, and the clinking of hairpins and ornaments as groups of women walked by all blended together at this moment.
Gu Zhan was lost in thought and paid no attention to these things, simply walking aimlessly along the street.
Yang Qing asked him from behind, "Your Highness, do you plan to rest at the Yangzhou official post station tonight, or find a restaurant in Yangzhou?"
Gu Zhan said, "There's no need to go to the official post station. It's too extravagant and will only cause unrest. Let's find a restaurant to rest for the night and temporarily address me as 'Lord'."
Yang Qing agreed.
He grew up in Yangzhou and was only taken to Bianjing by Gu Zhan and his father Yang Ping when he was fifteen. He was very familiar with Yangzhou and quickly led Gu Zhan to the most famous restaurant in Yangzhou.
The restaurant was almost full of people. The waiter came up to them and asked if they wanted a meal or to stay overnight.
Yang Qing said, "Bring up two superior guest rooms, as well as your signature dishes and wines."
Although the waiter didn't recognize Gu Zhan, he could tell from his demeanor and clothes that the two people in front of him were either rich or noble. Therefore, he didn't dare to be negligent and bowed and smiled obsequiously as he led the two people upstairs.
Gu Zhan remained silent throughout, but upon suddenly hearing laughter and chatter from the passing crowd, he stopped in his tracks and did not move forward.
"What? You're planning to send women to Prefect Su? You'd better save your breath. Prefect Su is a good official who is dedicated to serving the people and has never been interested in women."
"Aren't you talking nonsense? What do you mean by not being close to women? In the whole city of Yangzhou, if there's a scholar in every family, who doesn't know that he has a close relationship with that Madam Shen who teaches at the Yangzhou Prefectural School?"
"I don't believe it. Maybe she really is just a close female friend, a gentleman's friendship. If there really is something between them, why hasn't Prefect Su married her yet?"
"Tsk, if you don't believe me, wait until Madam Shen comes to Yangzhou Prefectural School to teach, then you'll see for yourself and know that what I said is true."
Gu Zhan's brows furrowed more and more as he listened.
Calligraphy, Lady Shen, Su Xingjian...
Yang Qing was unaware of these stories. Seeing Gu Zhan standing still, he prompted, "My lord?"
Gu Zhan's doubts grew stronger. Although he withdrew his gaze, he turned to the waiter who had led the way and instructed him, "Bring that man to me in a moment. I have something to ask him."
The waiter was in a bit of a predicament.
Yang Qing understood, took out a silver note from his sleeve, and stuffed it into the waiter's pocket.
When the waiter saw the number on the banknote, his eyes widened, but he dared not laugh. He had seen so many people come and go, and he knew that the person in front of him was someone his ancestors could not afford to offend for eight generations. He could only nod.
Gu Zhan entered the prepared room, and Yang Qing poured him a cup of tea. Not long after, the waiter brought up the man who had been talking downstairs about Su Xingjian and Shen Mi's private relationship.
The man was startled by Gu Zhan's stern face as soon as he entered. The waiter had warned him earlier that he couldn't afford to offend this man, but he hadn't believed it then. Now, seeing Gu Zhan, his legs went weak.
Gu Zhan asked coldly, "You just said that your Prefect Su has a confidante surnamed Shen?"
The man nodded.
"What's sinking?"
The man stammered, "Well, I don't really know either. The students at the academy call her Teacher Shen, and others call her Madam Shen. Nobody knows her real name."
Gu Zhan was getting impatient, but still asked, "Is she from Yangzhou?"
The man shook his head. "It shouldn't be. She came to Yangzhou four years ago, the year that Prefect Su came to Yangzhou to serve as the local official. She was introduced to the Yangzhou Prefectural School by Prefect Su."
Four years ago, how could it be four years ago? And it was Su Xingjian who introduced them, could there really be such a coincidence?
Where does she live?
The man pondered for a moment, “It seems that Madam Shen does not live in Yangzhou. She is from Runzhou. She comes to the Yangzhou Prefectural School every five days to teach the students. If you want to see her, you can go to the Yangzhou Prefectural School in five days and find out.”
He believed he had given this important person a useful clue, and after speaking, he cautiously looked up at Gu Zhan, hoping that Gu Zhan would let him off the hook.
Gu Zhan closed his eyes, waved his hand, and asked Yang Qing to give him some money to get rid of him.
A moment later, Yang Qing returned and asked him, "My lord, your memorial has been sent to Bianjing. Are you really going to stay in Yangzhou for five days?"
Gu Zhan opened his eyes. "Stay in Yangzhou for two days and keep a close eye on Su Xingjian."
Yang Qing accepted the order and withdrew.
The day after Shen Mi returned to Runzhou, Madam Xu returned from Hangzhou, looking much more haggard, with a white flower pinned in her hair.
She guessed that something must have happened to Madam Xu's family, and when she sent Yao'er back, she also advised her to take care of herself.
Madam Xu wiped away her tears and said, "Actually, it was expected. When I married Yao'er's father, my mother's health was already failing. She relied on medicine for several years, but her life was coming to an end."
Seeing her like this, Shen Mi thought of her own mother. "I can understand you. I left my father and brother when I was fifteen, and my mother when I was eighteen. I know the bitterness in your heart, Sister Xu."
This was the first time Madam Xu had heard Shen Mi mention her past. After a moment, she asked a few more questions, "When you came to Runzhou four years ago, I could tell from your accent that you were from Bianjing. Why did you come to Runzhou? Did things not go well for you in Bianjing after your husband left?"
It wasn't just bad luck; she almost died in Bianjing.
However, after arriving in Runzhou, she only told people that she was now a widow.
But Shen Mi couldn't say this to Madam Xu, so she vaguely replied, "Bianjing is a beautiful place, but it's hard for women to make a living there, so I came to my mother's hometown. This house was left to me by my mother."
Madam Xu sighed softly, "You're right. It's really too difficult for us women to establish ourselves in this world. In the past few years, many matchmakers have tried to arrange marriages for you, but I don't think you're interested in any of them. One can't be trapped in the past forever. I think that Mr. Su treats you very well. Actually, he's a good match for you. The road ahead is long, and you need someone to rely on."
Shen Mi simply said, "Sister Xu is kind, but if I were willing to remarry, I wouldn't have waited for four years."
"Looking at it this way, your deceased husband was truly blessed. It's remarkable that you, in the prime of your life, remained so devoted to him and waited for him for so long," Madam Xu said softly, glancing at Shen Mi.
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi's back stiffened.
Did she have deep feelings for Gu Zhan? It seems she did in the past, but now, it doesn't matter anymore.
"Sister Xu is joking. It's not because of deep feelings. In fact, the past is too painful to recall, so I don't want to repeat the same mistakes." She lowered her eyes gently.
Madam Xu realized she had touched a sore spot and apologized to her.
Shen Mi quickly recovered from the past, "It's alright, I've never mentioned this to Sister Xu before."
Madam Xu beckoned Yao'er over, "I understand that you have no intention of remarrying, but there are still many things to do. How about this, I'll have Yao'er recognize you as her godmother, so that after she gets married, there will be someone by your side to take care of you."
Shen Mi looked into Yao Jie'er's eyes, those eyes that were somewhat similar to her own, and for a moment she wavered.
Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was a coincidence, but whenever she saw Yao Jie'er, she would always think of her own child. If she could fulfill Madam Xu's wish, at least her feelings would have something to hold onto.
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Mi said, "If Yao-jie is willing, that would be wonderful."
Yao-jie had been well taken care of by Shen Mi during this time and liked her very much, so she nodded gently and said to Madam Xu, "Mother, I'm willing."
Madam Xu then placed Yao'er's hand in Chen Mi's palm and coaxed Yao'er, "Then call her 'godmother'?"
Yao'er hadn't officially celebrated her third birthday yet, and her speech was still a little unclear. She opened her mouth wide before finally managing to utter, "God... Godmother."
Shen Mi was amused by Yao Jie'er's reaction and patted her head, "Yao Jie'er is so good."
Madam Xu's husband had not yet returned. Worried that Madam Xu would be too heartbroken, Shen Mi stayed with her for quite some time before finally leaving her house.
Unexpectedly, it started raining outside.
Madam Xu chased after her to offer her an umbrella, but she didn't take it. "It's alright, our two courtyards are next to each other, it's just a few steps away, no need to go to such trouble." With that, she raised her sleeve to shield her head and went home.
Seeing that she was soaked to the bone, Cuiwei quickly handed her a clean towel. "Madam, please be careful. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, each autumn rain brings a chill. Dry yourself off quickly, or you'll catch a cold."
Shen Mi took the towel, wiped the water droplets from her hair, and said, "My health has improved a lot in the past few years, I'm not that delicate."
But what she feared most came true; she woke up with a fever the next day.
Cuiwei had a doctor come to see her. The doctor wrote a prescription for her and instructed her to take the medicine on time, rest more in the next two days, and avoid overexertion.
Shen Mi wrote them down one by one.
Two days later, she was still not fully recovered, but the next day was the day she was to go to Yangzhou to teach her students. Fearing that she was not in good condition, she wrote a letter and specially asked someone from Runzhou to deliver it to Su Xingjian that day to explain the situation.
That evening, someone knocked on the door. Shen Mi initially thought it was Madam Xu bringing Yao Jie to visit her, but Cui Wei was not there, so she had to put on her clothes and go to open the door.
She opened the courtyard gate from the inside, only to find Su Xingjian standing outside.
She was quite surprised: "Brother Ziyou, what brings you here?"
Su Xingjian's face was full of worry. Seeing that she was dressed so thinly, he asked, "Are you feeling any better? Why didn't you tell me sooner? And why are you dressed so lightly?" He took off his own clothes and put them on Shen Mi, and they walked inside together.
Shen Mi straightened her clothes. "With Cuiwei gone, I'm much better now. I stopped having a fever yesterday, but my throat is still a little sore. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to attend class properly, so I asked someone to send a message to Brother Ziyou."
"You should rest for a few more days. You don't look as energetic as before." Su Xingjian frowned slightly.
Gu Zhan, standing at the entrance of Huaxi Lane, saw everything clearly.
He ordered Yang Qing to keep an eye on Su Xingjian, which was instinctive, but he really didn't expect that he would discover that Su Xingjian went to Runzhou.
Su Xingjian's confidante, surnamed Shen, lived in Runzhou.
Without any hesitation, Gu Zhan followed Su Xingjian to Runzhou and Huaxi Lane.
Unfortunately, Gu Zhan could only see that a woman opened the door for Su Xingjian. Half of her body was hidden in the door frame, and he still couldn't see what she looked like.
He never did anything without being sure of success. If that woman was indeed Shen Mi, the Shen Mi who had escaped death, he would never let her go, no matter what.
Yang Qing held an umbrella for Gu Zhan from behind, and seeing Gu Zhan's face gradually turn cold, he didn't dare to say another word.
Just then, a middle-aged man carrying a cart on his back tried to walk into Huaxi Lane, but was blocked by Gu Zhan and Yang Qing. He had no choice but to say, "Excuse me, excuse me."
Gu Zhan stepped aside to make way, and the middle-aged man glanced at him unintentionally and stopped. "You look unfamiliar, young master. You don't live around here, do you?"
Gu Zhan initially didn't want to pay attention, but then he suddenly thought that he could try to find out some information about Su Xingjian's "confidante" from the man in front of him.
His expression softened, and he said, "I'll reward you handsomely if I can find out about someone for you."
The man straightened up and laughed, "Just ask me. I've lived in Huaxi Lane for many years. I know exactly what everyone's cats and dogs are called."
Gu Zhan pointed to the courtyard Su Xingjian had just entered, "The fifth courtyard from the front, what's the story with the woman living there?"
The man, unaware of Gu Zhan's identity, assumed Yang Qing was simply looking for someone and assumed he was just doing it casually. He immediately said, "You mean Madam Shen? She came to Runzhou about four years ago with a woman by her side. She opened a teahouse called Shen's Teahouse in the suburbs to make a living."
Seeing his suspicions gradually confirmed, Gu Zhan felt a little nervous. "Has she ever been married?"
The man scratched his head. "If you have such thoughts, sir, you should give them up as soon as possible."
"Why? Did she remarry?"
The man waved his hands repeatedly, "No, that's not it. It's common knowledge that Madam Shen is now a widow. I heard that her husband died four years ago. She couldn't make a living in Bianjing, so she came to Runzhou. It seems that she hasn't remarried, but she has always had a young man by her side. He comes over every now and then and is very attentive to her."
Gu Zhan clenched his fists little by little, but showed no sign of it on his face. He told Yang Qing to give the man the loose silver, and said, "I understand."
The man took the money, happily pulled his cart, humming a tune, and headed into Huaxi Lane.
Gu Zhan stared at the door, her anger turning into a cruel laugh. "Deceased husband? Widow? What a load of lies."
Yang Qing took a deep breath and asked, "Then, my lord, what are our plans for the future?"
Gu Zhan said calmly, "Shen's teahouse is just waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump."
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