Chapter 17 The Meng family girl sprinkles mugwort water to cleanse the impurities...
Meng Yu squatted in the low-lying muddy ground, listening to the sound of horses' hooves disappear into the darkness until there was no more sound, before she dared to loosen her hand from her mouth.
Only then did she realize that she was mute, and whether she covered her mouth or not made no difference.
The rain was gradually subsiding, and the sky was beginning to lighten. Meng Yu dared not delay any longer and only wanted to get away from this dangerous person as quickly as possible. She calmed herself down a little, then clutched her bundle and tried to stand up. However, before she could even stand up, a sudden wave of weakness hit her calves. She quickly grabbed onto the protruding earthen wall next to her and managed to steady herself.
Before leaving, they discussed several routes, and the route to Yinjiang was now in the planning stages. Meng Yu didn't dare to stop for a moment. After changing back into her own shoes, she rushed from the dead of night to noon, wearing a hole in the sole of her shoe and letting rainwater seep in, soaking her toes until she finally met them again at a small teahouse by the roadside.
***
After Lu Xiuyi led his Black Iron Cavalry away from Fenning County, they chased after the capital all the way. However, after a day and a night of pursuit and questioning all the suspicious people along the way, they still couldn't find a single clue.
Only then did he belatedly realize that perhaps she was heading to Yinjiang, and that her previous actions were all meant to mislead him and confuse his judgment.
Thinking of this, Lu Xiuyi's face turned as black as ink, and his hands gripped the reins so tightly that they almost drew blood. He immediately turned his horse around and ordered in a deep voice, "Return to Fenning County."
The county magistrate of Fenning County was a man over thirty years old who was very good at reading people. When he saw the famous young Marquis Lu condescend to come to the government office in the middle of the night a few days ago, he was so surprised that he didn't even have time to put on his official hat properly before rushing over.
Seeing that Lu Xiuyi ordered him to open the city gate and leave without saying a word, he didn't dare to go back to his residence. He waited in the yamen for a day and a night, and unexpectedly saw Lu Xiuyi return again.
In addition to the hundreds of Black Iron Cavalry, Lu Xiuyi also recalled all seventy-odd people from the government office to conduct a thorough search outside the city.
After searching for four or five days, Lu Xiuyi still couldn't find a single clue. Their journey here felt like being trapped in a maze, constantly being manipulated.
Lu Xiuyi was used to having the power to command the wind and rain. He could get whatever he wanted or whoever he wanted. He had never suffered such humiliation before.
Just as we were fretting over this, news came again regarding the case of the official silver: "Following the clue of the broken porcelain shards, we discovered that this family in Longtang had deposited a large sum of money with a money exchange three months ago, claiming it was profit from their cloth shop. However, according to our investigation, their cloth shop had been losing money for six consecutive months since it was reported at the end of last year that they were using inferior cloth, and their cash flow was already insufficient. How could they possibly have earned so much money?"
Lu Xiuyi sat at the desk, propped up on his elbows, and rubbed his temples.
After listening to Chu Ze's words, he pondered for a moment and then simply asked, "Has the interrogation been completed?"
"The interrogation has been conducted. But the homeowner is very stubborn; despite several rounds of torture, he still refuses to talk."
His tense brows relaxed slightly, but Lu Xiuyi still kept his eyes closed: "Where is he now?"
"To prevent him from being silenced, I dared not move him easily. I ordered him to be secretly imprisoned in the dungeon of Longtang and guarded closely."
“Very good,” Lu Xiuyi said, then suddenly got up and walked out. “Back in Longtang, I want to interrogate him myself.”
Chu Ze was secretly pleased, but then, as if lost in thought, he paused and stammered, "Then about finding Miss Meng..."
After a long pause, a cold voice came from the front: "Put it aside for now, bring everyone back."
Chu Ze was overjoyed, let out a soft breath, and hurriedly followed Lu Xiuyi, replying with a smile, "Yes."
The black-maned horse was tied up outside the government office. Upon receiving Lu Xiuyi's instructions, Chu Ze immediately ordered all the Black Iron Cavalry to head towards Longtang. Lu Xiuyi rode ahead on his horse. The post-rain wind carried a slight chill, brushing against his face and chilling him to the bone.
***
"Girl, water."
Huaiyin took the water jug out of the carriage, gave it to Aunt Chen to drink, and then walked towards Meng Yu, who was leaning against the tree opposite.
After a day's journey by carriage, around noon, the driver helped buy lunch from a nearby village, and Meng Yu and his party got out of the carriage and sat down to rest in the shade of a tree.
Meng Yu was wiping sweat with her head down when she heard this. She looked up, took the pot, gulped down two mouthfuls, put the lid back on, and handed it back.
They traveled anxiously for more than half a month. Apart from the first time they left the city, she did not see Lu Xiuyi chasing after them again, nor did she hear any rumors about them. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Perhaps she overestimated her importance in Lu Xiuyi's heart.
As the heir of the Marquis of Jiangyang, he must have seen all kinds of beauties, so why would he make such a fuss over a clueless country girl?
Thinking about it this way, Meng Yu felt more at ease.
The blazing sun hung in the sky, casting a scorching heat.
Meng Yu leaned against the shade of a tree, the water soothing her throat and relieving her thirst slightly. When they boarded the ship in Xuzhou, it was still early spring. They had traveled to many places on the ship, and now it was early summer. Apart from sending a letter earlier, Meng Yan had not heard from them again.
Fortunately, he was heartless and showed no concern for the mother and child, which allowed her to conceal her identity from Lu Xiuyi. If he had sent her letters from time to time, inquiring about her well-being, Lu Xiuyi would have been able to see through her lies by following these clues, and it would have been uncertain whether she could have escaped so easily then.
The driver brought back food, which consisted of two simple vegetarian dishes and twice-cooked pork.
Meng Yu didn't actually like fatty meat, but this twice-cooked pork was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and all the lard had been rendered out, so she ate two bites and gave the rest to Aunt Shen and Huaiyin.
The driver was a middle-aged man in his thirties, with a decent appearance and an honest and simple demeanor. He chattered on and on the way, talking about everything under the sun, including the story of his neighbor's chicken drowning three months ago.
Although Aunt Shen only replied occasionally, his enthusiasm remained undiminished.
After the three met in Yinjiang, Meng Yu chose to take a shortcut along the mountain road to avoid running into people. Although the road was remote and difficult to travel, fortunately, she did not encounter anyone.
After traveling for five days, they finally arrived in Congzhou. From there, they took a carriage and traveled a long way to Yichuan.
After arriving in Yichuan, Meng Yu did not dare to enter the city. He found a slightly safer place to rest and hired a new carriage the next day to go to the capital.
After the group had eaten and drunk their fill, the driver tightened the reins and set off again.
Just before setting off, the coachman suddenly remembered something and hurriedly and gently instructed them, "We'll be arriving in the capital in about two hours. Madam and the two young ladies should rest a bit beforehand and stretch their legs. The capital is different from other places; the gatekeepers are particularly strict, and the waiting time in line will be longer. If you're prepared now, your legs won't be so sore that you can't stand steadily. Don't you think so?"
The driver raised his lips and laughed loudly as he finished speaking.
Aunt Shen responded repeatedly.
The driver's smile was flamboyant and unrestrained, carrying an endless infectious power. Meng Yu rarely heard such unrestrained laughter in this era. She thought that his family atmosphere must be bright and cheerful, so even in such a muddy life, he could still maintain an optimistic and cheerful attitude.
Having lived here for nearly fifteen years, she had always been in a depressing and gloomy atmosphere. But now, hearing this hearty laugh, she felt as bright and cheerful as the sunshine today.
***
Although the journey was bumpy, Meng Yu was really sleepy and dozed off in the carriage. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The coachman didn't go into the city; he dropped them off at the city gate. Seeing the plaque above the gate bearing the two large characters "Going to the Capital," Aunt Shen, who had been anxious for months, finally felt relieved. She happily gave the coachman several dozen coins and thanked him profusely. Then, she led Meng Yu and Huai Yin to join the crowd and wait for inspection.
They waited for about half an hour before it was their turn.
Men Jun first checked their household registration and travel permits, then carefully inquired about the means by which they traveled to the capital, the places they passed through along the way, and how many days they stayed. He then recorded all their answers in a register.
Aunt Shen dared not tell the truth about the places she had passed through or the people she had met along the way. She only mentioned that she had come by passenger ship and then by carriage. Because her husband was serving in the capital, she had moved to the capital to live.
Because they were family members of officials, the gatekeeper asked them to wait aside. He sent someone to the Meng residence to inquire and confirm before letting them pass.
It took them almost an hour to get to the capital after all this back and forth.
Although the Meng family received the news, they did not send anyone to pick them up. The location of the mansion was only found out by Aunt Shen asking the gate guards.
The three walked through the bustling streets, turned the southeast corner, and traveled for about three miles before passing through the entrance of Tonghua Lane. There, they saw a rather simple mansion standing in front of them, its green bricks and tiles gleaming in the sunlight.
Although the plaque bore the words "Meng Residence" and included the exact address provided by the gatekeeper, the presence of two or three unfamiliar gatekeepers made Aunt Shen uncertain. She stepped forward and asked gently, "Excuse me, is this the residence of Lord Meng Yanqing?"
The servant looked them up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain: "So what if you are? This isn't a place for you to try and claim kinship."
Aunt Shen wrung her hands, looking slightly uncomfortable. "We're not trying to claim kinship. We're from our hometown of Xuzhou. We are indeed relatives of Lord Meng. This is his daughter. Please inform the gentlemen of her."
As they were talking, Aunt Shen hurriedly pulled Meng Yu over, lifted her veil, and revealed her pretty yet beautiful face.
The servant glanced at Meng Yu. Although she was quite pretty, who knew if this woman was someone who bought women for personal gain? Besides, his mistress and young ladies were all dressed smartly and sitting in the inner quarters, unlike them who looked so poor and destitute. Even if they were the master's concubines or illegitimate daughters, wouldn't the master have brought them with him when he took office? It was clear they were lying.
Thinking of this, the servant smiled contemptuously and said, "You still say you're not trying to claim kinship? We've seen plenty of people like you. You find out where some official from the imperial court has moved here, and you rush over to claim kinship and pay homage to your ancestors. Come on, come on, don't stand here, or we won't be polite."
As the servant spoke, he stepped forward and shoved them down the stone steps.
Huaiyin panicked and was about to shout when a familiar, stern voice suddenly rang out from ahead: "Stop!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
The newcomer had a fierce look on her face, with thin cheeks and skin wrinkled like dried orange peel. As soon as she appeared, she glared at the servants, who immediately retreated to the side in fear and fell silent.
This person was none other than Deng Mama, the dowry maid of Meng Yanqing's first wife, Madam Yuan, whom he married through proper channels.
Seeing this, Meng Yu calmly lowered her veil to conceal her expression.
Upon seeing Consort Shen, Madam Deng immediately put on a smile: "Madam heard that Consort Shen had come to the capital and specially instructed me to come out and greet her."
Aunt Shen lowered her eyes and said gently, "I have been in Xuzhou for a long time and have not been able to pay my respects to the Old Madam and Madam. I wonder how they are doing?"
Madam Deng chuckled and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. Madam is doing well, but the old lady hasn't been sleeping well these past few days. She's been having aches and pains here and there."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Shen looked anxious and stepped forward to go inside, saying, "Then I'll go see the old lady first."
With a faint, forced smile, Deng's mother stopped her, saying, "Auntie, have you forgotten the rules? You are a concubine; how can you enter through the main gate?"
Aunt Shen quickly took two steps back, her face full of apology: "Yes, yes, when I heard that the old lady was unwell, I was so anxious that I forgot the rules. Please forgive me, Madam Deng."
Madam Deng suppressed her smile, placed her hands in front of her, and raised her face high: "Although our Meng family is not a high-ranking family, we still value etiquette and discipline very much. Please don't let this happen again, Auntie. Otherwise, if I report this to Madam, I'm afraid it will affect the Third Miss."
This was a tactic that Madam Deng often used. Aunt Shen's heart skipped a beat, and she could only lower her head and reply repeatedly, "Yes, I will certainly remember Madam Deng's teachings."
This was a subtle way of intimidating Meng Yu and her group. Deng's mother, with her head held high, led them to the back door.
Meng Yu naturally didn't think things would end so simply. Sure enough, when she turned to the alley entrance, she saw through her veil that three maids were waiting solemnly at the door, two of them carrying trays with something on them.
Upon closer inspection, one could see a long willow branch and a basin of water, seemingly brewed from some unknown substance and shimmering with a greenish hue, on the tray.
Meng Yu was puzzled when Madam Deng said seriously, "Madam instructed that since Aunt and Third Miss have traveled all the way from Xuzhou, crossing mountains and rivers, they may have picked up some unclean things on them. Moreover, since the Old Madam is not feeling well, we must be extra careful. This is water made from mugwort, calamus, and peach branches. It must be dipped in willow branches and sprinkled around Aunt and Third Miss to ward off evil spirits and bad luck before they can enter the house."
Deng's mother spoke arrogantly, making them sound like monsters. Huaiyin was furious when she heard this and stepped forward to argue with her.
Meng Yu quickly grabbed her and shook her head.
“Since it is Madam’s order, I will obey,” Aunt Shen said with a faint smile, showing no anger on her face. “Besides, Madam’s actions are also for the sake of the household.”
Seeing Aunt Shen's submissive and humble demeanor, Madam Deng curled her lips in disdain: "Since Aunt Shen is so enlightened, I won't have to waste my breath. Someone, sprinkle mugwort water to cleanse the filth..."
"Oh! Third Sister has come to the capital too?" Just as the servants were about to make their move, a soft, bell-like laugh suddenly came from behind them.
Meng Yu looked up and saw that both of the people who had arrived were wearing veils.
The woman walking ahead wore a light blue embroidered butterfly-collar ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her hair styled in a moon-shaped bun. A pair of blue butterfly hairpins adorned the sides of her bun, and blue butterfly earrings hung from her rounded earlobes. She exuded a playful and lively charm.
This person is Meng Yin, the fourth daughter of the Meng family.
The woman two steps behind her had a beautiful face and delicate features. She wore a light pink dress with white floral embroidery, which made her skin look as white as snow. Every move she made exuded elegance and grace. A red mole at the corner of her right eye added a touch of alluring charm to her gentle demeanor.
This person was none other than Meng Shuang, the second daughter of the Meng family, who was the center of everyone's attention.
The servants curtsied to the two men and stepped aside.
Meng Yin stepped forward, sized up Meng Yu a few times, and chuckled, "It's been a few months since I last saw you. Why are you dressed so poorly, Third Sister? Did Father not leave you any money when he left?"
"Yin'er, what nonsense are you talking about? Father loves us sisters the most, how could he not leave money for Aunt and Third Sister?" Meng Shuang said sternly, scolding Meng Yin in a low voice.
As she was speaking, she turned and took Meng Yu's hand, smiling gently, "By the way, why didn't you write to inform me before you came to the capital, Third Sister? If you had told me in advance, I would have definitely sent a carriage to pick you up. After all, Father is a new official and can't afford to lose face."
Speaking of the last sentence, Meng Shuang glanced at Meng Yu with a somewhat unpleasant expression. Before Meng Yu could raise her hand to express her meaning, she smiled brightly and said, "But it doesn't matter, we are sisters after all. It just so happens that I made two new outfits the other day, and since our sizes are similar, I will have Yu Yan deliver them to your room later."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yin's eyes widened in surprise. She exclaimed, "Second Sister, those two new outfits you wore were specially made by Father to celebrate your birthday next month. The satin is smooth and delicate, and when you wear them, they shimmer like water lilies. How can Third Sister, with your status, wear them in accordance with the rules?"
Madam Deng chimed in with a fawning smile, "Fourth Miss is right. Although you treat your sisters well, Third Miss is still a concubine's daughter, and the rules of the manor cannot be broken."
Meng Yu couldn't bear to watch them shoving each other anymore, so she nudged Huai Yin and then made a hand gesture.
Huaiyin immediately understood and relayed, "Our young lady said that she appreciates Second Miss's kindness, but Fourth Miss and Granny Deng are right, and the rules of the manor cannot be broken. Besides, the young lady has many fine clothes, but because of the long journey, she was afraid that these fine clothes would be damaged. If that were the case, it would be a loss, so she bought a coarse cloth garment to wear. Master has just taken office, and we certainly cannot embarrass him. Our young lady will be more careful in the future, so please don't worry, Second Miss."
Aunt Shen also smiled and said, "We appreciate the Second Miss's kindness. However, the rules of the manor must not be broken."
Meng Shuang smiled and said, "Even so, the capital is different from Xuzhou. Aunt and Third Sister's clothes must be old. I'll mention it to Mother later and have someone come to the mansion to make some new clothes for Aunt and Third Sister, so that they won't lose face when guests come in the future."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu reached out, beckoned downwards with her finger, and then curtsied.
Meng Shuang understood the sign language used to express her gratitude and said, "We are sisters, there's no need to be so polite."
Meng Yin was getting impatient. She took Meng Shuang's arm, shook her, and pouted, saying, "Second sister, if we don't leave soon, Yao Yao will send someone to urge us to leave."
"You little rascal, wait a little longer," Meng Shuang tilted her head and affectionately poked Meng Yin's forehead. Then, she smiled and said to Meng Yu, "Third sister, my fourth sister and I have arranged to meet someone at Xunmanlou. Xunmanlou's pastries are the best in the world. What would you like to eat? I'll have someone buy it for you."
Meng Yu made a gesture.
Huaiyin relayed: "Thank you for your kindness, Second Miss. Our young lady has been traveling a long way and is quite tired, so she doesn't have much of an appetite."
Meng Shuang lowered her eyes and said gently, "Since that's the case, we won't force you. Third sister, please rest well at home. We sisters can chat together again another day."
Meng Yu nodded and watched them get into the carriage and leave.
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