0074 Paper Kites (Part Two)
Three days later, the escort agency did indeed make a move.
Upon receiving the news, Xu'er stood hesitantly under the eaves.
Shu Wei sat on a bench. Outside the covered bridge was a lush vine-covered tree, under which sat a white-glazed Xing kiln fish tank with black carvings. It originally contained some raw water, which had been heated by the scorching sun and turned into boiled water. After cooling, it was perfect for nourishing new fish.
There was still some alkaline scum on the surface, so she was carefully skimming it off bit by bit with a spatula.
—A few days ago, Li Qiao casually mentioned that he wanted to give her a few beautiful koi fish to keep as pets, and she had been preparing for it ever since.
Shu Wei wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and saw Xu'er standing under the corridor, hesitant to go in. Her heart skipped a beat.
She turned her head and whispered a few words to another maidservant beside her. The maidservant nodded in agreement and went out to call Xu'er in.
After bowing, Xu'er carefully said, "Miss, the escort agency... has sent us a message."
Shu Wei paused, then gave a soft "hmm".
"They sent someone to follow the Prince for a few days. They said that during the day the Prince would go to the government office to check in. If there was nothing else to do, he would find a few Prince An's sons and others to drink with. Sometimes when he got drunk, he would rest on the spot. His favorite places to go were Kuai Zai Pavilion, Qing Ying Tower, and a few others, all of which were places in Pingkang Ward."
Shu Wei flicked her wrist, and the gilded swirl slammed to the ground with a "thud," splashing up a fine arc of white water droplets.
Xu'er's heart skipped a beat, and she almost knelt down before Shu Wei. Unexpectedly, Shu Wei took a deep breath and slowly revealed a forced smile: "What's the big deal? It's just a friendly exchange between gentlemen, a charade, don't take it seriously."
Xu'er glanced at her, her legs finally went weak, and her knees hit the ground heavily: "Besides that, the Prince seems to have also set up a small house in Xuanyang Ward, and he goes there every three to five days."
Shu Wei's face turned pale instantly. Having been through this before, she was no longer an ignorant girl who knew nothing. Almost instantly, she guessed what the small house was used for.
But how could that be!
This is Li Qiao at twenty years old, not the husband she was with in her previous life. Now they are in love, and he is devoted to her. How could this happen? How could this happen?
"Miss, Miss..." Seeing that her expression was not right, Xu'er immediately crawled forward and took her hand, trying to comfort her. "Perhaps the Prince really just wants to buy another residence and doesn't intend to use it for anything else!"
She herself didn't believe that.
He was such an upright young man, and she could see all his sincerity towards the girl, so why couldn't he keep this secret?
Xu'er looked at the pale-faced woman in front of her, and tears were about to fall.
"Leave the mansion! I want to see for myself what treasure the Prince has hidden in this residence."
Shu Wei suddenly withdrew her grip, causing Xu'er's lips to turn white with pain, but she dared not say anything and only nodded repeatedly.
To avoid suspicion, Xu'er found Shu Wei a veiled hat and rented an oxcart, pretending to be an orphan girl going to the capital to find her relatives, planning to stage a scene of asking for water and directions.
The group of people left the Shu residence and headed straight for Xuanyang Ward.
The attendant driving the oxcart was a strong young man hired from the market. He claimed to have been learning to drive from an experienced driver for many years, but as soon as he sat on the cart shaft, his boast was exposed. He drove the stable oxcart around and around, making Shu Wei feel nauseous.
After finally getting off the car, Shu Wei took a few deep breaths and instructed Xu'er to quickly send the person away and find someone else on the way back.
Xu'er paid the money as instructed and sent the person away. Only then did she stand in front of the door of the small house and begin to knock on the door with her knuckles bent.
While Xu'er was knocking on the door, Shu Wei leaned against the wall and quietly began to survey the mansion.
The exterior walls were coated with a layer of white putty, and a few lush green vines peeked out from inside, setting it apart from other simple and monotonous houses and giving it a unique touch of wild charm.
Her gaze then flew upwards, where she saw a pear tree extending over the wall, swaying and twisting in the gentle breeze, with a clear blue sky behind it, and a string of pure white flowers hanging in the sky.
Shu Wei couldn't help but drift off, already roughly guessing what a beautiful and intelligent woman lived there.
A clear female voice came from inside the courtyard at just the right moment: "Coming, coming, please wait a moment, guest."
As the door opened, a soft light slowly spilled in. Shu Wei didn't see her face immediately, but she first smelled a sweet and refreshing fragrance that penetrated her very soul.
It smells of osmanthus.
...
Shu Wei felt an uncontrollable lump in her throat, and almost instantly thought of the day Li Qiao came to the Shu residence to host a banquet on behalf of the emperor, and the sweet scent of osmanthus she smelled on his lapel when they strolled in the garden together.
He said at the time that the Prince of Tong'an had accidentally gotten the stain while drinking, but now that I think about it, it was probably left behind shortly before he came here, after he had been intimate with the girl in front of him in this courtyard.
Shu Wei then saw her clearly. The girl was dressed in a blue silk robe, and her hair was tied into a braid shape with blue and white ropes, loosely draped over her shoulders. Her appearance was not particularly beautiful, but she was incredibly ethereal, almost blending into the colorful flowers that filled the courtyard.
The young woman looked at them for a moment, her crescent-shaped eyes crinkling, and asked softly, "Where do you honored guests come from? What brings you to my humble abode?"
Xu'er stepped forward and, following her pre-arranged instructions, replied in broken Mandarin with a heavy Jiannan accent: "Our lady is a Taoist from Jiannan. She came to the capital to visit relatives, but unfortunately, the two families have not been in contact for over ten years, and her whereabouts are unknown. So she would like to rest here for a while, have a drink of cool water, and ask for directions from you, young lady."
The girl said "Oh," and seeing that the people accompanying her were all women, she led them into the courtyard: "If you don't mind my humble appearance, please come in and sit down. My maiden name has the character 'Gui' in it, and the neighbors all call me Gui Niang. You can call me that too."
Gui Niang used a broom to gather all the scattered flower petals on the steps, then took out a glazed pottery teapot from the main room and said to everyone with a smile, "I don't like drinking tea, so I only keep some honey water at home. I hope you will forgive my poor taste."
She led the group to a stone table in the courtyard and personally poured some honey water into each person's cup.
Shu Wei lifted her veil slightly, took a small sip, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What fragrant water! It doesn't taste like it's made with maltose; it has an indescribable aroma."
"It's acacia honey!" Gui Niang's eyes lit up with joy. "It's from flowers I grew myself, which I picked and then simmered in honey... The flowers I grow are the best, and they're often sold to various places. The head of Pingkang Ward and the ladies in the wards all praise them."
Shu Wei and Xu'er exchanged a glance, and Xu'er followed up by asking, "Oh... no wonder Lady Gui planted so many flowers in the yard, she was in the business of selling flowers."
Gui Niang took a sip of honey water, nodded, and said, "Yes, my parents used to grow flowers and plants for officials. After they passed away, I took over and continued to tend to the flowers and plants. Unfortunately, the master of the house was later demoted and exiled to Lingnan. The lady was kind-hearted and gave all the servants contracts before she left. Fortunately, I still have this skill, so I can barely make a living."
Xu'er nodded, seemingly casually asking, "With a beauty and talent like Gui Niangzi, I'm afraid the doorstep must be worn down by the matchmakers, right?"
Gui Niang was taken aback, and a thin blush immediately rose to her cheeks: "No, I already have someone I like."
Shu Wei and Xu'er both felt a pang of anxiety and quickly looked at her. She continued, "He is a scholar who writes legends for others. He often lives in his study and doesn't come home. He only comes here in his spare time. He's not in the house right now... But he is quite capable. This little courtyard was set up by him."
At this point, Shu Wei had roughly determined that the person Gui Niang mentioned was most likely Li Qiao.
She never expected that Li Qiao had secretly taken her as his mistress without Gui Niang's knowledge.
Looking at the elegant young girl in front of her, Shu Wei was momentarily unable to discern her own feelings.
It's unclear whether she harbored more resentment towards Li Qiao for deceiving her for two lifetimes, or felt more pity for Gui Niang.
Yes, it is indeed the word "pity".
Before coming here, she almost hated this woman she had never met to the core, hating her for her seductive charm that had seduce the young man Li Qiao, who was devoted to her.
But when he actually met her, he found her to be so innocent and intelligent, and that she had also been deceived by Li Qiao. He couldn't help but feel sad.
Humans are truly complex and eccentric by nature.
In this second life, in order to salvage her relationship with Li Qiao, she even went so far as to scheme against her two younger sisters.
She had been ruthless back then, but now she felt endless regret.
She couldn't help but think:
Is Gui Niang truly at fault in this matter?
If Li Qiao hadn't deliberately provoked her, how could she have become a mistress in the shadows without even realizing it?
Upon realizing this, Shu Wei was startled and quickly stopped the absurd thought from her mind.
This is completely contrary to the teachings she has received in her two lifetimes!
She had been taught how to manage household affairs and control concubines since childhood, and she always believed that her husband's philandering was due to the concubines' deliberate seduction.
But what about Gui Niang?
She knew nothing at all; she had simply fallen in love with a man who had captured her heart.
How could she possibly blame Gui Niang for the mistake?
If it wasn't Gui Niang's fault, then it could only be...
A myriad of thoughts led to a single idea that left her speechless. Shu Wei's hands trembled uncontrollably as she forced down a sip of honey water to suppress the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.
By this time, they had almost figured out what they wanted to know, so Xu'er casually inquired about the streets and alleys of Chang'an to justify her visit.
After leaving Gui Niang's house, Shu Wei sat back in the oxcart, and Xu'er asked cautiously, "Miss, are we going home now?"
Shu Wei suddenly came to her senses and slowly shook her head: "Move the car back a bit, find a corner to hide in, and let me take another look."
She took a deep breath and thought to herself: Li Qiao, I would rather I had misjudged you. Please don't disappoint me like this.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
