Chapter 108 Asking for Divination
Two days later, the boat arrived at the border of Yuzhou.
The capital of Yuzhou was in Liyang, and Sun Wei's ship also docked in Liyang County of Liyang Commandery.
Unlike last time, the places to stay along the way were all arranged in advance.
At night, Sun Wei and his group stayed in an inn in Yuzhou Prefecture.
The manager of the inn had already been waiting on the shore with servants. After docking, everyone came to pay their respects to Sun Wei, and then moved their belongings off the boat.
When Sun Wei walked out of the boat house, he saw Deng Lian talking to a man on the dock.
Suddenly, the man looked at Sun Wei from a distance and bowed to her properly.
"Who is that person?" Aju asked curiously.
Sun Wei didn't say anything, but just let Aju follow her off the boat and walk towards the man.
"This is Lü Qiuyan, the Chief Clerk of the Jingzhou Provincial Governor's Office," Deng Lian hurriedly introduced him to Sun Wei. "He happened to be passing through here, so I came to pay him a special visit."
Lu Qiuyan immediately bowed to Sun Wei again and said, "I am Lu Qiuyan, your humble servant, and I pay my respects to the princess."
Sun Wei smiled and said, "Master Luqiu is very polite."
She looked at this former life's nemesis and ultimate overlord.
Lu Qiuyan was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, a little older than Sima Jun, but he was also considered a young and promising talent.
His facial features are softer than Sima Jun's, and he has an elegant demeanor and is a handsome man.
Compared to the first time Sun Wei met him in his previous life, this time it was several years earlier. Lü Qiuyan hadn't yet revealed the sharpness of a local lord, but his presence was enough to make him unforgettable.
Sun Wei remembered that Luqiu Yan had been a military commander in Yizhou. During the Zhao Que Rebellion in Yizhou, he was noticed by Huan Yi and was summoned to the Jingzhou Governor's Office as Chief Clerk.
She looked at Lu Qiuyan and smiled too.
"It seems to me that Sima Deng and Lüqiu Changshi know each other. Could it be that they have worked together before?"
Lü Qiuyan's expression was humble and calm. "I met Sima Deng during the Battle of Kuaiji. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet him in the capital, and it was not convenient for me to rush to your house. I thought we would just pass by each other, but unexpectedly, we meet in Liyang today. What a coincidence."
Deng Lian also smiled and said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but Lüqiu Changshi is both brave and resourceful. Fighting alongside him is like adding wings to a tiger, giving us a lot of energy. Even in the capital, Lüqiu Changshi is a renowned figure, praised by everyone."
Sun Wei still smiled.
If Deng Lian knew that Lu Qiuyan would beat him to a pulp in the future, I wonder if he would still be able to brag about it.
The greater the power of the princes in the world, the greater their ambition. If they can't be detected, they are the most terrifying true heroes.
"Is Chief Clerk Luqiu alone?" Sun Wei asked.
"That's not the case. I'm escorting the women of the Duke of Nanjun's mansion back to Jingzhou under the orders of the Governor. I'm currently staying at the inn. Madam Yu heard that the princess would also be staying at the inn tonight, so she sent me out to greet her."
Sun nodded slightly.
Having lived two lifetimes, Sun Wei was already very familiar with the Huan family.
The Huan family inherited the title of Duke of Nanjun, with their fiefdom located in Nanjun, within the borders of Jingzhou. Huan Yi, while inheriting the title, also served as Governor of Jingzhou and Military Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of Jingzhou. Nanjun was then governed by Huan Yi's eldest son, Huan Ding. Lady Yu was Huan Ding's wife and the eldest daughter-in-law of Huan Yi, Duke of Nanjun.
Huan Yi's wife passed away early, and now the Nanjun Mansion is managed by Madam Yu.
Huan Ding and his wife had one son and three daughters. The former Crown Princess Huan Ling'e was Huan Ding's eldest daughter, and Huan Lingxian, who was now favored by the Crown Prince, was the second daughter.
Besides Huan Ding, Huan Yi had four other sons, all born from concubines. All were now married and serving as officials in Jingzhou. Presumably, the wives and daughters of several other sons of the Huan family were also traveling with him, a full family.
This is always the case when the Huan family enters the capital.
In his previous life, Sun Wei once heard the eldest princess say that Huan Yi was very concerned about his reputation and made the party so lively and exciting in order to let the nobles far away in Jiankang remember that although the Huan family was far away, they had a large population and dominated the area.
The princess was quite contemptuous of this and said that Huan Yi was a childish person.
Sun Wei deeply agreed.
Even though the Huan family lived far away in Jingzhou, no one dared to look down on them. Even though Huan Yi only appeared once a year, his name would be mentioned every day in the court and the country.
As for the women of the Huan family, no one dared to disrespect them. On the Queen Mother's birthday, the first people she received were the women of the Huan family.
Now, since the Yu family has sent their chief secretary to welcome Sun Wei, it is clear that they are interested in having a deal with him.
"Madam Yu is very thoughtful," Sun Wei said. "Please ask the Chief Secretary to lead the way. Don't keep Madam waiting for too long."
In the inn, Yu had already led a group of female relatives and was waiting in the courtyard.
Sun Wei was the princess, and when everyone saw her coming, they all bowed to her.
"No need to be so polite, everyone." Sun Wei stepped forward and gently helped Yu to her feet. "I am a filial concubine. Although I have long admired your virtuous name, I have never had the opportunity to meet you in the capital. I am overjoyed to meet you today."
Yu looked at her and smiled, "Your Highness, what are you saying? Your Highness is a daughter of gold, and it is an honor for us to see you. I hope Your Highness will forgive us for not coming to greet you."
After everyone exchanged greetings, Yu personally led Sun Wei inside.
The ladies gathered around, making for quite a lively atmosphere. When everyone was seated in the hall, Yu and her attendants laughed and said, "I've heard the princess is incredibly beautiful. Seeing is truly believing."
The women echoed.
This was the first time Sun Wei had seen such a lively scene of noble families gathering together to pay their respects to each other. However, in her previous life, she was accustomed to it.
Sun Wei thought that the nobles of the Huan family treated her so warmly, perhaps there was something else besides the fact that she was the Princess of Yuzhang.
Behind Yu stood two women.
One of them was petite and delicate, with a fair oval face and cherry-red lips, looking quite charming.
This is Huan Lingxian.
The other one is Yuan, the wife of the fifth son of the Huan family. She got married just two years ago and is in her early twenties.
Sun Wei's eyes only briefly passed by, and Yuan suddenly said, "I heard that the princess is from the Nanling Lu family, and is a master of yin and yang?"
The voices nearby became quieter.
Sun Wei smiled and said, "Although it is a family tradition, I dare not claim the title of a master..."
Yuan chuckled and said to Yu, "Last month, my little boy turned one, and the Duke said he wanted to invite a fortune teller to come and read his physiognomy. It's a perfect opportunity to meet someone as experienced as the princess. Why don't we ask the princess to do a fortune telling?"
So that's how it is, Sun Wei thought.
Huan Zi, the son born to Yuan, was loved by Huan Yi since his birth and was the most favored grandchild in the Nanjun Mansion.
Huan Yi believed in physiognomy. She thought that Yu must have heard a lot of rumors about Sun Wei in the capital, so she came to her today to have her fortune told.
Yu looked at Sun Wei with a smile: "I don't know what the princess means?"
This posture was obviously waiting for Sun Wei to agree respectfully.
Sun Wei took a sip of tea slowly and said, "Although I was taught by my family, I am not good at face reading."
When these words came out, the women were all stunned.
Yuan obviously didn't expect Sun Wei to refuse, and the smile on her face froze.
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