32 Miss
◎Thinking about my wife at home, I can’t wait to go home◎
After the heavy rain, the sky cleared up, and a beautiful rainbow hung in the sunset sky, shrouding the northern Xinjiang county town in a peaceful and tranquil golden light.
"Are you two going back to the capital now?"
"Indeed, I have troubled Lord Luo for many days. The Imperial Envoy and I have come to say goodbye."
Zhang Chao and the Liu family had checked everything they could, and the Fourth Prince's birthday gift had been delivered. Yu Sugong and Yan Qizhen had achieved the purpose of their trip, so they naturally wanted to return to Beijing as soon as possible.
"You two gentlemen have been busy with official duties and haven't yet experienced the beauty of Northern Frontier." Magistrate Luo smiled and earnestly pleaded, "Why don't you stay a few days longer, so I can show my hospitality."
"Lord Luo," Yu Sugong pointed at Yan Qizheng and joked, "this Imperial Envoy has just gotten married and is missing his young wife at home, so he's eager to return."
"Really?" Magistrate Luo looked surprised.
Yan Qizhen just smiled and did not deny it.
It has been a month since I left home. I can't even fool myself if I say I don't miss you.
We were still upset when we left, and now that we've been apart for so long, the longing for you is becoming more and more urgent, and I really can't wait.
But there is another reason besides this.
Thirty members of the Liu brothers were robbed and murdered on their way. Magistrate Luo, the man who led the investigation, claimed that the bandits had taken all the goods and property after the murders. Later, officials dispatched troops to suppress the bandits and seized a large amount of stolen property from their lair, confirming that the killings were simply carried out by bandits, not by some enemy who had become jealous of the Liu family's business and had hired someone to kill them.
He and Yu Shilang braved the rain to visit the Liu family cemetery. They found that the twenty-eight victims were indeed buried together in a single tomb. In front of the tomb stood a stone tablet engraved with the twenty-eight people's names, and Zhang Chao was among them.
To his surprise, next to the graves of the Liu brothers, there was also a tombstone for their sister Liu Huijue.
Zhang Chao is not dead, why did the Liu family hide it from the government?
Zhang Chao and Miss Liu were still alive at the time. Why did they bury themselves, and were they still in contact after this?
Zhang Chao had just escaped death, so why would he risk traveling to Liangjing to assassinate the Crown Prince? Liu Yu'er happened to be at the assassination scene, so could she have been informed of the news?
Judging from Magistrate Luo's reaction, he certainly had no impression of Zhang Chao, and it seems unlikely that Zhang Chao and the Prince of Liao would have had any connection. So, was the Prince of Liao actually connected to the assassination of the Crown Prince?
To solve the above doubts, it may be difficult to find a breakthrough here with County Magistrate Luo. The only way is to return to Beijing as soon as possible to find Liu Yuer, perhaps to solve all the mysteries.
That night, County Magistrate Luo held a banquet at the restaurant to see off the two adults.
During the banquet, a lot of compliments were said to flatter the two big Buddhas, such as handsome appearance, young and heroic, bright future, etc.
"It's a pity that I'm old and my daughters are already married. Otherwise, I would have the audacity to ask to marry you two gentlemen, even if it means being a concubine."
To make up for his regret, County Magistrate Luo invited the two adults to the Chunxiang Tower next door.
"The girls there are all as beautiful as fairies, and their singing and dancing are extraordinary. They will definitely make your two masters enjoy their last night."
Unable to bear to reject his kindness, Yu Su Gongke obeyed his master: "I will follow Lord Luo's arrangements."
"I don't need that," Yan Qizheng politely declined. "Go to bed early and get up early, so as not to delay our journey tomorrow."
He had the demeanor of a distinguished monk, and Yu Sugong couldn't help but seduce him with words.
"I heard that the beauties in Chunxianglou are good at singing and dancing, and have generous and outgoing personalities, unlike the women in the capital who are shy and contrived. Now that I'm here, it would be a shame not to go and see them for myself."
Of course, Yu Sugong had also heard about Tinglan's imitation of the storm, and fearing that he might be afraid, he said, "Don't worry, this place is a hundred thousand miles away from the capital, and I won't let your wife know and make a fuss with you."
"Where in the world is there a wall that is completely airtight?" The fake monk responded with pursed lips, a half-smile on his face.
Magistrate Luo seemed to have discovered something extraordinary: the imperial envoy was so henpecked.
He also smiled and said, "As the saying goes, 'The mountains are high and the emperor is far away.' Your Excellency, rest assured, my wife will definitely not know."
"Lord Luo," Yan Qizheng turned around and looked at him meaningfully, "As the saying goes, 'If you don't want others to know, don't do it yourself.'"
Magistrate Luo's face froze from choking. Yu Sugong laughed heartily: "Lord Luo, let's not worry about him, just have fun! Come on, come on, drink some wine..."
In a mountain villa outside the city, the open-air courtyard was filled with people. They had just changed into coarse clothes, knives in hand, and murderous intent was on their faces.
A man in a long robe stood in front with his hands behind his back. He was about thirty years old and had a two-inch long scar on the left side of his forehead, which ruined his originally gentle appearance.
"Military Advisor," a soldier-like figure ran into the courtyard and whispered in the scarred man's ear, "News from Lord Luo will be available tomorrow at noon."
"Okay!" The man smiled grimly, "Then I'll send them off tomorrow!"
Outside the window, a bright moon is in the sky.
Yan Qi was leaning against the window, his thoughts already flying thousands of miles away.
In half a month it would be the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the day when the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl met. If he had walked faster, perhaps he could have caught up with them.
"The lover complains about the long night, and yearns for his lover all night long."
Unexpectedly, he also experienced the same distress that Yu Sugong had experienced along the way. Fortunately, the return date has been set, and every day from now on will be reversed, full of anticipation and joy for the long-awaited reunion.
Yan Qi turned around, took a small brocade box from the pillow, and opened it. Inside were several beautiful and unique gold hairpins and hairpins. He had bought these two days ago and was going to take them back to make amends.
As someone who has been through it, Yu Sugong guarantees that all women will like it.
As he was slowly admiring each piece, there was a knock on the door, followed by the guard's voice: "Master Yu."
Yan Qi was just closing the box when Yu Sugong pushed the door open and walked in, his clothes neatly arranged. Yan Qizheng's lips curled up: "Master Yu, are you satisfied so soon?"
Yu Sugong glanced at him, picked up the teapot from the table, poured a cup of tea and drank it, then wiped his lips and said, "It's not me who's fast, it's the guy named Luo who's fast."
Then he took out a golden fish token from his pocket.
This is the token of the Northern Frontier County Magistrate, which Magistrate Luo always carries with him.
Yan Qizheng saw it clearly and gave him a thumbs up: "There is no time to lose, let's go now."
"Can you do it alone?" Yu Sugong put the fish card back into his chest, a trace of worry on his face. "How about I stay with you?"
"One more person will make it easier for us to be discovered." Yan Qizheng handed the brocade box to him, "Please keep it safe for me."
A moment later, Yu Sugong and a dozen or so guards who accompanied him mounted their horses, rushed out of the county government office, and headed straight out of the city.
In the county town shrouded in silvery moonlight, the sound of horse hooves broke the quiet streets.
When they arrived at the city gate, Yu Sugong took out the golden fish token again. When the officers and soldiers guarding the city saw that it was the token of the county magistrate, they immediately opened the city gate and let more than a dozen riders out in a line.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the people in the county government ran to "Chunxiang Tower" to inform the authorities.
Magistrate Na Luo was still snoring in his arms while holding his beautiful woman, when he was disturbed by the messenger. He felt inside his clothes and found the token missing, so he hurried back to the yamen.
All the rooms in the backyard were empty. Magistrate Luo's face changed drastically. "Quickly notify the military advisor and have him take his men out immediately!"
"All of you, follow me and chase after him!"
On the roof, Yan Qi, dressed in night clothes, was disappearing in the ink.
The movement below made him sneer quietly. County Magistrate Luo's flaws could not be hidden once he tried.
The case file on the Liu brothers' murder was poorly documented, and Magistrate Luo, while seemingly fully cooperating with the investigation, was actually clueless. When he heard that "Zhang Chao wasn't dead," he was visibly panicked for a moment.
Before leaving, the prince instructed them not to alert the enemy if they discovered anything, and to return to the capital for further discussion. Therefore, after discussing this with Yu Sugong, they decided to stage this drama to see how Magistrate Luo would react.
Hearing the word "military advisor," Yan Qizheng's eyebrows rose slightly. He immediately leaped from the rooftop, made his way to the back of the stables, knocked out a soldier, removed his soft armor and helmet, mounted his horse, and followed the others out of the county government office...
Wei Ziyan had been having restless sleep lately, suffering from palpitations and night sweats. Leng Xiang called a doctor, who diagnosed her with heatstroke and prescribed some Rehmannia pills.
Although she was recuperating at home, she was still anxious and felt that something was going to happen.
On this day, Master Yan returned home with news: the marriage between the Wu and Qi families was finalized, and the wedding date was set for the seventh day of July.
At the time, the family was enjoying tea and admiring the lotus flowers under the pavilion in the garden. Wei Ziyan lost her focus and knocked over the teacup in her hand. The next day, after waking up from her nap, she received another invitation from "Miss Wu Er," again inviting her to a teahouse.
Liu Yu'er had spoken so decisively that day, and since the Wu and Qi families had already set a wedding date, Wei Ziyan didn't understand why Wu Guanyi had asked her out again. Was he trying to imitate her and run away from the marriage?
This matter was of great importance and could not be made known to others. This time, Wei Ziyan did not even bring Qiu Luo with her, and went to the teahouse alone according to the time. However, when she arrived at the private room, she saw that the person waiting for her was actually the second daughter of the Wu family - Wu Guanshu!
"Yuzhen, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I hope the young lady won't blame me."
Wu Guanshu bowed upon seeing her, her face etched with anxiety. This was baffling, and Wei Ziyan hurriedly supported her: "Miss Wu, do you have something to tell you?"
Wu Guanshu stopped, her eyes red.
"Ever since meeting the young lady, my brother has been in a bad mood. Recently, he's had a high fever, and even after taking medicine for a few days, there's been no improvement. He's been in a daze all day, not wanting to eat or drink..."
She sounded like she was lovesick, but she was looking for the wrong person.
"Miss Wu Er has misunderstood," Wei Ziyan hastened to clarify, "Your brother actually wanted to see someone else that day. I was just helping him."
"I know." Wu Guanshu also hurriedly explained, "The woman my brother loves is called Liu Yu'er. She refused to meet my brother, so my brother used my name to make an appointment with the young lady."
After a brief pause, she continued to explain her purpose: "It was my own idea to invite Young Madam again this time. I can't bear to see my brother depressed day by day, so I beg Young Madam to help me and ask Miss Liu to persuade my brother."
So that's what happened...
Wei Ziyan's eyebrows furrowed. Could he be persuaded to give up the infatuation of the Second Young Master Wu? Furthermore, Sister Liu had been so determined that day; how could she possibly persuade her to see the Second Young Master Wu?
Furthermore, how could Liu Yu'er, a young woman from another family, enter the Shangshu Mansion to visit? Even if she, a young lady, came along without her husband, she might be criticized.
Wei Ziyan told Wu Guanshu the truth about her difficulties. Wu Guanshu cried anxiously after hearing this: "What should we do?"
She was crying so hard, and Wei Ziyan had no way to comfort her. She was scratching her head in worry when suddenly someone broke in, storming in angrily.
Second brother?
Wei Ziyan looked at the uninvited guest in surprise, and Yan Qikuan, who broke in by force, was also stunned.
There was no man in the box, only a tearful woman hiding behind the eldest sister-in-law. The one who secretly met with the eldest sister-in-law in the teahouse...was actually Miss Wu Er?
wrong!
Yan Qikuan thought about it for a moment and decided that Miss Wu Er must have just been acting as a go-between. After all, the person he happened to run into last time was undoubtedly Young Master Wu Er!
"I was secretly meeting with the Second Young Master Wu?" Being slandered out of thin air, Wei Ziyan was at a loss for words, and she felt it was unbelievable. "Which eye did you see me meeting with the Second Young Master Wu?"
Yan Qikuan stared at her coldly and said with certainty, "Seven days ago, it happened here too. I saw it clearly."
“…”
It turned out that when she met Yan Qikuan at the door on her way home that day, he was indifferent because he had already accused her of a false crime in his heart.
Wei Ziyan came back to her senses and couldn't help but sigh at the brothers and sisters of the Yan family!
Who would recognize her as a sister-in-law? If Yan Qikuan is not taught a lesson this time, there will be another annoying person in the future.
"Why didn't you come in and catch the culprit when you first saw it?" Wei Ziyan thought, deliberately mocking him. "Now that you have no evidence, what proof do you have that I was having an affair?"
She deliberately spoke vaguely and ambiguously, making Yan Qikuan mistakenly believe it. He pointed at the witness behind her and said angrily, "If you don't want others to know, then you better not do it yourself!"
Wei Ziyan sneered: "Ms. Wu will of course help her relatives and not you."
"You——" Yan Qikuan was really angry.
"Are you worthy of my eldest brother? Young Master Wu is my eldest brother's good friend, yet you took advantage of my eldest brother's absence to meet him secretly. You are shameless and unfaithful to your husband. I will report the truth to my parents!"
After saying that, Yan Qikuan really turned around and left. Wu Guanshu, who had been hiding, didn't care about etiquette and hurriedly jumped out to call him.
"Second Master Yan has misunderstood. The relationship between the Young Madam and my brother is not what you think. The reason why my brother went to see the Young Madam was to ask her to help him ask Miss Liu out..."
Wu Guanshu was busy explaining on the other end, while Wei Ziyan sat down calmly at the table, her chin resting on her hand, leisurely watching the ever-changing expressions on Yan Qikuan's face.
"...If Second Master Yan doesn't believe it, he can come and verify it himself. My brother is still bedridden, and all he thinks about every day is the girl from the Liu family."
Wu Guanshu's eyes and nose were still red, and there were traces of tears on her face. Even with this pitiful look on her face, and still anxiously explaining to him, Yan Qikuan couldn't help but believe it a little.
After reviewing what she said, I couldn't find any flaws. It seemed that he had indeed... misunderstood his sister-in-law...
From anger to calm, and then to embarrassment, Yan Qikuan rubbed his hands awkwardly for a long time before deciding to admit his mistake to his sister-in-law. However, as soon as he opened his mouth to apologize, he was blocked by his sister-in-law's words.
"I don't want to hear your apology!" Wei Ziyan's face was three parts angry and seven parts sad, with one hand covering her chest exaggeratedly.
"Before, my third sister called me a deserted woman, and now my second brother is speaking hurtfully again. You all think I'm unfit to be the young mistress and are eager to kick me out as soon as possible. I... I'll just oblige you today. I'll go back and tell Mother and ask her to allow me to divorce the eldest young master!"
When Yan Qikuan heard the word "divorce", he was stunned.
Everyone in the mansion knew that Qizhu had been punished for cursing. The eldest lady had taken a liking to her daughter-in-law and would never agree to a divorce. She would only punish him severely.
What Yan Qikuan feared more than being punished was being laughed at for being brainless! Therefore, this matter could not be brought to Madam Yan's attention no matter what.
"My foolish brother misjudged and spoke without thinking. It is my fault that I hurt my sister-in-law."
Yan Qikuan had little interaction with his sister-in-law and had limited understanding of her. He didn't know how to make her let it go and stop pursuing the matter, so he could only persuade her with kind words.
"I hope Sister-in-law will give me a chance to make amends. I will do my best to make her calm down."
"That sounds nice, but are you going to do whatever I say?"
"I'll follow your orders, sister-in-law." Yan Qikuan bowed sincerely to her. Wei Ziyan suppressed her laughter and said, "Second brother, are you really willing to do anything?"
this......
Yan Qikuan looked embarrassed, but his sister-in-law finally gave in, so he could only bite the bullet and agree: "As long as I can."
"Then please, my second brother, accompany my eldest sister-in-law to the Shangshu Mansion."
"this……"
Wei Ziyan's expression had turned from annoyance to joy. She looked at him with a smile and said, "Your eldest brother is not at home, and his good friend is sick. Shouldn't you go visit him on his behalf?"
…
After finishing her business at the teahouse, Wei Ziyan rushed to the Liu residence without stopping. Firstly, she wanted to see if she could persuade Liu Yu'er, and secondly, she wanted to see if she was doing well.
After months of frequenting each other, this was her first visit to the Liu residence. The servant who answered the door, noting the elegance of her attire and carriage, kindly asked her to wait a moment and then went in to deliver the message.
After a while, the servant came back and respectfully welcomed her into the house.
Wei Ziyan hadn't called in advance, and now she was thankful she hadn't been disappointed. But the servant said to her, "Our cousin hasn't been feeling well lately. She's been staying in the attic recuperating. How could she possibly be out?"
So, Wei Ziyan went up to the attic with some worries. When she saw someone, she found that Liu Yuer was not bedridden. She said that she was just feeling a little uncomfortable due to menstrual blockage. Only then did she feel relieved.
"Sister, you should lie down. I'll sit and chat with you for a while."
Liu Yu'er, who had just stood up, lay back on the couch as she was told and asked the maid to bring a chair over.
Wei Ziyan returned to her boudoir for the first time and stood there looking around for a long time. The attic was a little small, but it was fully furnished, so it seemed a little cramped.
"Come and quench your thirst." After the maid brought tea and snacks, Liu Yu'er hurriedly invited her to sit down and drink tea. "It's so sunny outside. If you have anything to say, just send a letter over. Why bother running all the way here yourself?"
Wei Ziyan hurried over, and she was indeed thirsty at this time, so she gulped down a cup of tea. As she drank, she thought, I'm already feeling unwell, why bother bothering her with Wu Guanyi's matter?
"Nothing, I just happened to be passing by and came in to take a look." Wei Ziyan raised the corner of her mouth and changed the subject.
"There's a summer resort in the western suburbs. Once you've recovered, I'll take you there for a few days, okay?"
"Yuping Mountain? I heard the mountain is shaded by green trees and surrounded by clear springs. It's a great place to cool off in the summer heat."
"Exactly. It turns out that my sister has also heard of it..."
Wei Ziyan enthusiastically introduced the fun things to do in Yuping Mountain. Liu Yuer did not interrupt her, but leaned on the couch and looked at her with a slight smile.
When her mouth was dry and she poured more tea into it, Liu Yuer asked her, "You came all the way here just to tell me this, didn't you?"
Knowing that Sister Yiliu's intelligence could not be fooled, Wei Ziyan picked up the teapot and added water to the empty cup while considering how to speak without making others feel uncomfortable.
She usually speaks directly and doesn't like to beat around the bush, but this matter is really tricky and she is afraid of messing it up like last time.
"To be honest, sister, I just met Mr. Wu's sister in the teahouse..."
Wei Ziyan started the conversation, carefully observing Liu Yuer's reaction. Seeing that she looked relatively calm, she briefly mentioned Wu Guanyi's illness caused by longing for her.
"Mr. Wu is so stubborn that he won't listen no matter how much I try to persuade him. His sister is so desperate that she has come to me. The person who tied the bell must untie it. She wants to ask you to go see her brother. No matter what the result is, she will be grateful."
"Mr. Wu's younger sister is quite young and well-behaved. She looks even more pitiful when she cries. My heart softened when I saw her, so I came to find her sister with all my heart."
Liu Yu'er remained silent with a solemn expression. Wei Ziyan half-squeezed her hand and continued, "I also heard that the Second Young Master Wu's wedding is scheduled for the seventh day of next month, which is only ten days away. Sister, do you... have anything else to say to him?"
"I've already said what I needed to say." After a while, Liu Yu'er finally opened her mouth, her voice low and light.
"But he doesn't seem to have let it go yet."
"He'll let it go sooner or later..." Liu Yu'er smiled at her calmly, "He's getting married soon, so he'll forget about it soon. If I go to see him, I might cause some unexpected incident and end up making things worse."
"Sister..." Wei Ziyan stroked her hand, not knowing what to advise her.
Liu Yuer's concerns make some sense.
Wu Guanshu said that the betrothal gifts had been given long ago and her family was busy preparing for the wedding, so there was no possibility for her and Wu Guanyi.
If Wu Guanyi insists on being so stubborn, Sister Liu's visit will only make him feel even more uncomfortable. It would be better to be decisive and make him give up completely.
After figuring this out, Wei Ziyan stopped talking and chatted with Liu Yuer about some family matters before leaving. Before leaving, she urged her to get well soon so they could go to the mountains together to cool off and escape the summer heat.
After leaving Liu's house, Wei Ziyan hurried back home and went straight into the study to write a letter to Wu Guanshu.
Qiu Luo, who followed in to serve, ground the ground while nagging, "Young lady, please take me with you next time you go out. I've been so worried all day that I've been distracted. I even accidentally broke Ping'er's fan by sitting on it, and she cried for a long time."
"Then you compensate her."
"She didn't want it...she said her mother embroidered it herself."
Wei Ziyan then raised her head. Qiu Luo felt guilty when she saw him, so she lowered her head and muttered, "I didn't mean it..."
Qiu Luo has been with her for seven or eight years. He is smart and hardworking, respectful to his superiors and kind to his subordinates, and has never caused her any trouble.
Wei Ziyan had never dealt with disputes between maids, but she had observed Madam Yan doing housework before, so she might as well learn and put it into practice.
After writing the letter, he put it in an envelope and handed it to Qiu Luo: "Have someone deliver it to the Shangshu Mansion immediately. Don't delay."
"Don't worry, Miss. I'll do it now."
Qiu Luo seemed to have a chance to make amends and shake off his previous decline. He had just taken the letter and taken two steps when the young lady called him back.
Wei Ziyan suddenly glanced at the stack of papers on the table. They were the ones she had written to scold Yan Qizheng in a fit of anger. Her anger had long since subsided, but now that she thought about it, the contents seemed a bit excessive, and she didn't want him to see them when he came back.
"Take these out and throw them away."
Qiu Luo was surprised: "Isn't this a letter from the young lady to her son-in-law?"
She was illiterate and didn't know what the young lady had written, but she remembered that on the night her uncle left, the young lady had been writing for a long time. When she asked her what she was writing, she just said it was a letter to her uncle, and that it didn't need to be sent and that she would wait for him to come back to read it.
"Stop talking too much. Just throw it away when I tell you to." After saying that, Wei Ziyan went back to the house to take care of the fan.
Before finding the real culprit, he quietly pulled the experienced and steady Leng Xiang aside to find out what happened.
"Ping'er had left her fan on the stool. Qiuluo hadn't noticed it when she sat down, and only discovered it when she noticed something was wrong. Unfortunately, the embroidery on the fan had been deformed by the tassel, and the silk had been snagged."
Leng Xiang explained the key reason: "A fan is nothing, but it was a relic left by Ping'er's mother. Ping'er was upset for a while, so she had a quarrel with Qiu Luo."
Hearing that it was a relic, Wei Ziyan couldn't help but frown.
What should I do?
"Young Madam, Ping'er doesn't want compensation right now." Leng Xiang reminded her, "This fan is a thought for Ping'er. Perhaps finding a skilled hand to repair it will be the greatest comfort to Ping'er."
“Good idea!”
As expected, it’s Leng Xiang!
Wei Ziyan gave her a thumbs up and immediately turned around to discuss with Ping'er.
The girl's eyes were still swollen. When she heard that the fan might be repaired, tears of joy burst out of her eyes again. She knelt down and kowtowed to her.
Wei Ziyan quickly stopped her and said something bluntly, "But we can't guarantee it will be completely restored to its original state. We can only say we'll do our best. Don't get your hopes up yet."
When Ping'er heard this, the corners of her mouth drooped again.
"How about this, when there's news about the embroiderer, I'll take you there. You might feel more at ease watching over her on your own."
After hearing this, Ping'er's worry turned into joy and she nodded repeatedly.
After finishing these trivial matters and having a quick dinner, Wei Ziyan removed her makeup and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
My mind has been spinning like a wheel all day, and I finally manage to relax now.
Flower petals were sprinkled in the tub, and the water was filled with fragrant dew, creating a delightful aroma. Wei Ziyan leaned comfortably against the tub and closed her eyes. Somehow, a face inexplicably popped up in her mind again, and she couldn't get rid of it.
Wei Ziyan opened her eyes and looked at the empty bathtub beside her.
I was originally going to get a new one, but then I thought, wouldn't he need it again when he comes back? It would be better to get a new one so we can each use our own and avoid any future problems.
Now she could bathe peacefully, but every time she saw the empty old bucket beside her, she felt a little empty inside...
【Author’s words】
Couple Reunion Preview [Come On]
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