Chapter 35 The Young Master Takes Charge
As evening falls, the sun sets in the west, and the sky gradually darkens.
Against the backdrop of dim light and shadow, the halo of the glass lamp was exceptionally dazzling. Bai Hua lowered her head and concealed the uncontrollable blush on her face in the dim lamplight.
She couldn't respond to the young master's words.
If she couldn't resist, she could stay by his side forever... If she was just an ordinary maidservant, and was fortunate enough to follow a good master, then serving him for life would be a blessing.
Unfortunately, she harbored disloyal intentions and ultimately did not deserve the young master's trust.
The two men didn't speak again and continued to wander inside with their lanterns. After walking a few steps, a man dressed as a Fujianese merchant suddenly came chasing after them.
It turned out to be the owner of the jade stall from earlier.
He wanted to do business with Ning Jue, and seeing that they had changed direction and gone shopping after paying for the glass cup, he hurriedly chased after them, trying to recruit them.
Seeing Ning Jue stop, he immediately took off his hat, bowed, and then handed over an exquisite box.
"Young master, you've been looking at my jade stall for quite a while now, and you seem very interested in this jade bone whistle. If you're truly interested, I'll offer you a fair price. To be honest, this item is quite rare in the Southern Region, otherwise you wouldn't have taken a liking to it at first glance. I get it from a craftsman for thirty-five taels, but this time I'll only make a pittance and offer it to you forty taels. How about that?"
Ning Jue held the jade bone whistle in his hand, noticing that the whistle seemed to be thicker and longer than ordinary jade bone whistles.
He asked, "What is the quality of the jade? What is the quality of the bone?"
The Fujianese merchant replied, “The outer layer is made of top-quality mutton-fat jade, with a warm and smooth texture and a soft luster; the inside is inlaid with helmeted hornbill bone, red on the outside and yellow on the inside, which is extremely precious. Both inside and out, it is a rare and precious item. You can rest assured, young master, that forty taels is definitely more than worth it.”
Ning Jue: "I'm not going to haggle with you. I just want to test the sound first. If the whistle meets my standards, then we'll settle on a fixed price."
Upon hearing this, the Fujianese merchant replied with a confident expression, "Young master, please feel free to try it. I'm sure you've noticed that this jade bone whistle is slightly thicker and longer, with a deeper diameter, which allows it to produce both mellow and clear sounds. Otherwise, it wouldn't be considered a rare item."
Ning Jue picked it up with one hand, blew it to try, and the two musical notes mingled and resounded in his ears, some light and some heavy. He raised his eyebrows in satisfaction.
It is certainly not an ordinary thing.
Ning Jue placed the jade bone whistle in his palm, handed it to Bai Hua, and asked with a smile, "It's an interesting gadget, can I buy it?"
Bai Hua was stunned for a moment. Although in her opinion, the jade whistle worth forty taels of silver was ridiculously expensive, the money belonged to the young master. If he really liked it, why would he ask her opinion before buying it?
Bai Hua replied, "Young Master, you may make your own decision."
Ning Jue's gaze shifted downwards to the money pouch clipped to her waist. His eyes were playful, and he teased, "How can you make decisions on your own? You're the one who keeps all the money. You're in charge of my money."
Bai Hua felt uncomfortable under Ning Jue's gaze, blushed, and silently paid for him.
When she bought the glass lamp, the young master casually handed her his money pouch and didn't take it back. He left it with her temporarily, and now that she needed the money, he teased her again. Bai Hua was really at a loss for words.
His tone made it sound as if the young man was voluntarily handing over his money to his wife for safekeeping, as if their relationship was something special.
Fortunately, she was dressed in men's clothing at the moment, so that others would not overthink or misunderstand.
The Fujianese merchant happily accepted the money and watched the two guests leave.
As he watched their figures recede into the distance, he sighed inwardly:
Who says the people of Great Yan are simple and honest, with many rules and regulations? Not only in broad daylight, but there are also two homosexuals strolling together, pulling and tugging at each other, behaving in an ambiguous manner. It's simply unbearable to watch.
...
On the day he went to see Duan Yi, Ning Jue was preoccupied with many things.
Before leaving, Bai Hua sensed his deep thoughts, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Young Master, is the person you met today truly your old friend?"
This was the explanation the young master had given her earlier.
But looking at his expression, there was no joy in his brows at the reunion with his old friend. Instead, he was very melancholy, as if he was about to touch upon an unpleasant memory. He instinctively rejected it, but had no choice but to face it.
Bai Hua was well aware that her inquiries would arouse suspicion, but her questioning at this moment was not out of curiosity, but out of genuine concern for him. The young master was usually very good at concealing his emotions, and it was rare to see him so openly displaying his feelings like this.
She didn't know what difficulties the young master was facing, or who he was dealing with, so she was unable to offer any help and felt uneasy and worried about him.
"We're friends for now," Ning Jue replied.
Bai Hua didn't understand, but she didn't want to ask too many questions.
The two set off for the agreed meeting place—the Fairy Maiden Restaurant.
Ye City has the most seafood restaurants, but for those who have lived by the sea since childhood, seafood is nothing special. So, being able to eat a bite of authentic inland cuisine is a wonderful thing for the coastal people, and for travelers who have been away from home for a long time, finding a familiar taste of home in a foreign land is also a rare comfort.
Therefore, Xiangu Restaurant, which does not serve seafood and specializes in inland cuisine, has also made a thriving business in Yecheng.
Duan Yiding's private room was on the second floor. His men were very vigilant. When they saw the two men arrive with invitations, they only let Ning Jue go upstairs.
Bai Hua was stopped in the lobby, her face filled with worry.
Ning Jue reassured her, "If you're hungry, just order in the lobby. Wait patiently for me to come downstairs. Don't leave no matter who calls you."
Bai Hua nodded and then cautioned, "Young Master, you must be careful when you go alone."
Ning Jue responded and turned to follow the person leading the way up to the second floor.
...
It had been two years since I last saw Duan Yi.
Duan Yi, the once-glorious head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Palace in Zhili, now dresses as an ordinary merchant, showing no trace of his former noble status.
Ning Jue didn't stand on ceremony with him; he entered without greeting him and sat down directly.
Duan Yi was used to it and smiled, saying, "You haven't changed at all over the years. You're still as unruly and unrestrained as ever. I used to dislike you, but now that things have changed, I only feel envious."
Ning Jue sat in the main seat, drank a cup of wine from Duan Yi's wine pot, and sneered: "The change of imperial power is a time of great turmoil. So many people have been killed overnight without anyone noticing. Manager Duan is in the vortex of the court, yet he can still stand in front of me today unscathed and say 'things have changed.' I wonder if he really has the ability to stay out of it, or if he has made a living by stepping on the corpses of others."
Upon hearing this, Duan Yi's expression changed, his former melancholy vanished, replaced by a solemn look in his eyes.
He sat directly opposite Ning Jue and replied, "You still suspect that your master's death is related to me."
"Yes." Ning Jue's gaze was fixed on him, sharp as a hawk's and as if trying to see through him. "My master trusts you, considers you a close friend, and follows you. You are on the same side. Now that the Crown Prince has fallen, why does he die while you live?"
Duan Yi closed his eyes tightly, and after a long while, he sighed deeply: "Back then, at a banquet hosted by the Great General, when the wine was flowing freely, your master and Xie Tan, the Whip Demon, got up to spar. Both of them were among the four greatest masters in the martial world, and this match was the focus of everyone's attention. I was also drunk at the time, and I only saw that the two of them were fighting smoothly, their figures changing endlessly. When the last move was used, your master did not move, while Xie Tan retreated dozens of steps. We got up and cheered, thinking that the Sword Saint had defeated the Whip Demon. But before the cheers stopped, your master fell straight backward and died on the spot... I was as anxious as a headless fly at the time, and I just wanted to ask the heavens and the earth! Why is the heaven jealous of such a talent!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke. He tried his best to remain calm, but halfway through his speech, he couldn't help but get teary-eyed and his shoulders trembled slightly.
"That was the Sword Saint Situ Kong... His death caused a huge uproar in the capital. Everyone was saying that the Sword Saint was killed by the deadly poison on the Whip Demon's Whip, but when masters compete, they must sign a death contract beforehand, and no matter who wins or loses, or lives or dies, their families and disciples cannot pursue the matter. But I find it hard to accept. Ordinary people are afraid of that whip poison, so why would the Sword Saint be afraid of it? I originally wanted to investigate this matter thoroughly, but a few days later, the Crown Prince was deposed due to interference from the maternal relatives in the court. Soon after, the Emperor died, and Prince Ying was welcomed into the capital by the Left Prime Minister and supported as the new emperor. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard was disbanded... I couldn't continue the investigation and was stripped of my authority by the higher-ups."
Duan Yi glanced at Ning Jue, his hands clenched tightly: "You suspect that Situ Kong's death is related to me, but little do you know that my desire to get to the truth is no less than yours."
Ning Jue said bluntly, "As soon as the new emperor ascended the throne, Steward Duan resigned in a high-profile manner. After returning to his hometown, he quickly disappeared with his family. Now he has changed his name and identity and has become a tea merchant in Ye City. What are you afraid of? What are you hiding from?"
Duan Yi frankly admitted, "I admit I have selfish motives, but these motives are only to protect the safety of my family. As for Situ Kong's death, I haven't stopped thinking about it for a single day, otherwise I wouldn't have taken the initiative to contact you through the Zang Family Escort Agency. If I wanted to hide, I could have continued to hide, as you should know."
Ning Jue slammed his wine glass down and said in an unfriendly tone, "I'm only being polite to you because you took the initiative to come to me. If it were the other way around, do you think we could still talk so calmly like this?"
Polite? Calm and composed?
Duan Yi didn't think so.
Ning Jue lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with sorrow, and continued heavily, "At that time, I was far away in Shu. I rushed thousands of miles after receiving the news, but when I arrived in Jingqi, I heard that my master's wife had committed suicide by throwing herself into a coffin. Who could I ask for an explanation?!"
Duan Yi lowered his head, his eyes filled with regret: "I initially suspected that your master's poisoning was suspicious. Considering that your master's wife was a master of poisons, I wanted to ask her to endure the pain and perform an autopsy. Your master's wife was calm at first, and her eyes were determined to find out the truth. I took her into the ice chamber where the body was placed, leaving her alone with your master. But after a while, I heard strange noises coming from inside. I sensed something was wrong and immediately pushed open the door to check. I saw your master's wife had died by hitting her head against the coffin, already lifeless... This could have been avoided. This is my fault."
Of all the accounts, Duan Yi only acknowledged this one.
If he hadn't been so careless and had been more vigilant, if he hadn't taken it upon himself to rashly bring Ning Liu into the ice room...
It's highly unlikely that an accident will happen, and the tragedy will not be repeated.
After hearing this, Ning Jue remained silent for a long time.
He silently drank glass after glass of wine, his face ashen.
Two years have passed since this incident, and he should be able to accept it well by now. However, listening to Duan Yi's description and hearing the sorrowful words about his master being poisoned and his master's wife hitting her coffin, his heart still aches uncontrollably, and he grits his teeth in unbearable pain.
even.
Even breathing feels blocked and difficult...
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