0128 The Golden-Clad Swordsman (Part 1)
Liang Zhiyan has had a string of bad luck these past few days. First, in Fanchuan, Li Miao stripped him naked and threw him out of his villa, humiliating him severely. Then, at the Lantern Festival of Zhao Caishen, two unknown men and women stole his crown, disgracing him as a Hanlin official in front of the entire city.
He was filled with shame and indignation. He still went to his regular duties at the Hanlin Academy as usual, but when he faced his smiling colleagues, he always suspected that they were laughing at him behind his back.
He became increasingly suspicious and paranoid, and soon became emaciated and like a walking corpse.
His mother, Liu, was deeply worried and asked him several times with tears in her eyes, "My son, what do you want? Why are you so dejected? It's making my heart burn with anxiety."
Liang Zhiyan's face was ashen, and his eyes were dark. He summoned Fu'er to feed him water. After gulping down more than half a cup, he said bitterly, "That Princess Huayang! She has ruined me like this. If I ever rise to the highest position in the world, how can I allow her to be so arrogant again!"
Liu was startled and slapped him across the cheek.
"You insolent fool, what are you saying? That's a princess of the imperial family, how dare you gossip about her behind her back?"
Liang Zhiyan gave a heavy "humph": "Fine, I won't mention her then, but if Mother really wants me to be happy, there's one thing I need your help with."
"What is it?" Liu frowned.
"I want Shu Fu!" Liang Zhiyan gritted his teeth. "Mother, go to the Shu family and propose marriage for me. This time, we must settle things as soon as possible!"
Fu'er, who was standing to the side with her head down and holding a cup, flicked her wrist, glanced at Liang Zhiyan, and then quickly lowered her eyes again.
"Miss Shu, she hasn't even shown you her face these past few days. What a shrewish and unreasonable woman... Do you really insist on having her?"
Liu hesitated because she didn't really like her future daughter-in-law's behavior. What kind of good wife would ignore household affairs and only know how to ride horses and read books?
However, Liang Zhiyan was utterly enamored with her and resolutely said, "I want her, I only want her. Otherwise, in the entire Chang'an, could you find a woman more beautiful than her to be my wife?"
Liu gave him a deep look and let out a long sigh: "Fine, I'll try to sound out Madam Luo's opinion when I have time... In a couple of days, I'll go to Xiangji Temple again and ask the master to calculate the marriage."
...
Shu Fu was confined to her home by the Luo family, but Chunwanlou still allowed her to come and go as she pleased. However, the servants at the front, side and back gatehouses would silently block her way whenever she tried to leave, acting as if they were gatekeepers, and would not budge no matter how much she pleaded.
Even the coachman, Uncle Liu, who used to be so eager to get his horse and carriage ready whenever Shu Wei gave him a slight hint using Shu Fu's name, now had a worried old face and pleaded with Shu Fu, "Please, Second Miss, don't make things difficult for me."
These people were only following Luo's orders, and Shu Fu couldn't vent her anger on them, so she had no choice but to give up.
Unable to leave the house, Shu Fu simply locked herself in her large study and read all day long, never returning home until the lamp was lit.
As dusk fell, Shu Fu put down her book and headed back. As she stepped onto the stairs, she saw a figure lying in front of her door in the distance.
She was startled for a moment, then quickly gathered her skirt and ran towards that direction.
The world was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint lights in the distant courtyard shimmering like tiny stars.
Shu Fu approached the figure, squatted down to take a closer look, and only with this dim light could she barely make out the person's face.
It was Ah Jian!
Shu Fu carefully examined her face and was relieved to see that her complexion was rosy and her breathing was even.
She reached out and nudged the other person: "A-Jian, why are you sleeping here?"
A-Jian was gently shaken, and the dream instantly dissipated. She opened her eyes, took a closer look, and quickly stood up.
"Miss is back," she curtsied hastily, intending to bow deeply to apologize, but then suddenly remembered Shu Fu's temperament and did not kneel down. She simply lowered her head and said, "Miss, please forgive me. I don't know why, but I feel unusually tired today. I heard from the gatekeeper that someone had sent something to you and asked me to go and get it back. But as soon as I got the things back, I fell asleep without realizing it."
Shu Fu didn't mind and pushed open the door to go in: "Perhaps you've really been tired these past two days. I won't keep you for too long tonight. Go home and rest early."
A-Jian responded, thought for a moment, and followed Shu-Fu inside to help light the lamps.
"By the way, the thing that was delivered was in a sandalwood box. I put it on the table for you, Miss. If you have time, please take a look. I wonder who delivered it."
Shu Fu was in the west room at that moment. Hearing this, she turned around and saw the sandalwood box lying on the table.
She held the candlestick close to examine it closely and saw that the character "梁" (Liang) was engraved in seal script on the box.
Her expression immediately turned cold and she couldn't help but let out a "humph".
A-Jian looked back at the sound and asked, "What is that? Why does the girl look unhappy?"
"That's something Liang Zhiyan sent. Take it away quickly. I don't want it. Leaving it here is just making my table dirty!"
Upon hearing this, A-Jian quickly blew out the candlestick and set it aside. She then took a few steps to the table and said, "This servant is not very knowledgeable and did not realize that something dirty had sneaked in! Please don't worry, Miss, I will take it out and throw it away right away."
Shu Fu nodded, and A Jian picked up the sandalwood box and walked out. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped in front of the door and turned around hesitantly.
“Miss, I’m quite resourceful; I managed to find a note hidden in the crevice on the side of this box. There’s something written on it. Would you like to take a look?”
Shu Fu frowned and followed, taking the two-finger-wide strip of yellow hemp paper from A Jian's hand. Unfolding it, she saw that the handwriting was messy, but a line of words could be vaguely discerned:
The Liang family wanted to arrange a marriage, so Liang's mother went to Xiangji Temple to divine an auspicious time, hoping that the second daughter would take good care of herself.
Shu Fu was taken aback. Suddenly, a crimson figure riding a horse flashed into her mind, and she roughly guessed who had written this to her.
She felt a strange numbness in her chest, which also made her wrists feel sore.
Seeing her dazed expression and her eyes brimming with tears, A-Jian immediately exclaimed:
"Is the young lady about to cry? Let me see what's written here! Is it that Mr. Liang who's causing you trouble again?"
“No,” she folded it up and put it in her sleeve, “my crying has nothing to do with Liang Zhiyan.”
She grieved for a kind and unfortunate woman, not for someone like Liang Zhiyan.
"However, Liang Zhiyan is indeed here to cause me trouble..."
"Hmph, I have no time for him, yet he bothers me! No way, I have to find him something to do!"
"...Ah Jian, come closer to my ear, I have something to tell you."
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