Chapter 11 I'm afraid you'll end up in jail.
Inside Yong'anfang, in the courtyard of the Yu family.
Yu Mingshu, Luo Yan, Qing Que, and Xia Man laboriously moved a brownish-red solid wood desk from the west courtyard to the study, merging it with the same desk in the study.
The books that were aired out yesterday have been moved back to the study and placed back on the bookshelf. However, after Yu Mingshu rearranged them, most of the books have been repositioned.
In the center of the bookcase, textbooks commonly used in the imperial examinations were piled up.
Wu Qiuniang sat on the veranda, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan. She looked at the four people arranging the furnishings in the study with a pained expression. Taking advantage of a moment when they were catching their breath, she asked in confusion, "Mingshu, why did you move the table from the west courtyard to the study?"
“Mother, we’ve been living in Yong’anfang for ten years now. This room is more like a storehouse for Father’s belongings than a study.” Yu Mingshu wiped the sweat from her forehead and came to the door.
"That's true." Wu Qiuniang paused in her fanning.
“Sanlang usually studies in his bedroom, but he is easily distracted by external things and his mind is not focused, so he can’t concentrate on his studies. Therefore, I think we should have him move to the study to study from now on, and he can go back to the west courtyard to rest after completing his daily study plan.” Yu Mingshu said with a smile, turning around and pointing to the newly arranged table and chairs, “From now on, I will accompany Sanlang to study in the study. He will sit inside and I will guard outside.”
Wu Qiuniang stood up, looked in the direction she was pointing, and hesitated.
“These days, Wang Lanying has been coming to our house to arrange a marriage for you. You know about this, right?” She hesitated for a long time before asking.
Yu Mingshu's smile faded, and he turned his back, saying, "I've heard Qingque mention it."
Wu Qiuniang said, "Wang Lanying is here to act as a matchmaker for the Zhou family's young master."
"Which Zhou family?" Yu Mingshu asked.
"It is the Zhou family of doctors at Chunhuitang."
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingshu's breathing slowed down, and his mind went through all the scenes of his interactions with Zhou Changchun. He had previously admired Zhou's medical ethics, but now he had doubts about the man's intentions.
"No wonder the doctor was being extra attentive to you this week; it turns out he wanted to arrange a marriage between our two families!"
“Zhou Jiyi is of good character and has a good reputation in Xicheng.” Wu Qiuniang shook her head and said, “Zhou Qi has been studying medicine since he was a child. He is only eighteen years old this year and has already learned seventy percent of my father’s skills. Although he is still a commoner, Wang Lanying is convinced that he will be able to enter the Imperial Medical Bureau in the future. If he has an official position, he will be a good match for our family.”
Yu Mingshu turned around nervously, staring intently into her mother's eyes, and asked, "You agreed to her request?"
"No." Seeing that her daughter's expression had clearly softened and she seemed relieved, Wu Qiuniang said thoughtfully, "The matter of entering the palace as a physician has not been settled yet. How could I, your mother, arrange your marriage based on just a few words?"
"Compared to Zhou Jialang, I actually prefer Zhu Jialiulang."
Yu Mingshu's heart, which had just settled down, jumped again. "You mean the wealthy man Zhu who is on good terms with my father?"
“Yes, our two families know each other well and are of similar social standing. Most importantly, Master Zhu and his wife remember the kindness your father showed you, and they will certainly not make things difficult for you in the future,” Wu Qiuniang said solemnly.
Yu Mingshu remained silent for a long time.
In fact, she should have anticipated this situation from the day she transmigrated into this body. An arranged marriage, confined to the inner quarters—this was the inescapable fate of women in ancient times.
She had previously pinned her hopes on Chang'an Academy because a profound saying was deeply ingrained in her heart: "Reading changes destiny."
Yang Congen has already clearly rejected her, so what else can she do? Until she can come up with a foolproof plan, she can only stall for time.
"Do I really have to get married so early?"
“Even if you’re not in a rush to get married, you should still arrange the marriage beforehand,” Wu Qiuniang said with a frown. “Master Zhu’s eldest son just passed the imperial examination this year. There are countless people in Chang’an who are eyeing the remaining eligible young men in the Zhu family. It’s rare that we have some connections with the Zhu family. If you don’t arrange the marriage, this sixth son of Zhu might be snatched away by someone else.”
Yu Mingshu made an excuse for himself: "But Sanlang is still studying, and now is a crucial time."
Wu Qiuniang had also thought this through carefully before telling her about it. She then held her daughter's hand and said, "That Master Zhu has many children and runs his own private school. I think that one day Sanlang will be expelled from Chang'an Academy, and perhaps he can go to Zhu's private school to study."
So, when she was planning this marriage, was she thinking about her daughter's lifelong happiness or a way out for her son? Yu Mingshu felt a chill in his heart, and a bitter taste rose in his mouth.
Perhaps Wu Qiuniang herself did not realize that her final tone concealed a subtle sense of guilt.
Yu Mingshu lowered her eyes and glanced at the hand tightly clenched in her palm, sighing silently. She thought, Wu Qiuniang wasn't a very bad mother, but she was certainly not an ideal loving mother either.
She was still thinking about how to deflect the question when Zhao Niangzi's shouts came from outside the courtyard.
"Mother, please go back to the courtyard and rest. I'll go see what's going on." Yu Mingshu gently brushed her mother's hand away.
Outside the door, Zhao Niangzi looked anxious. Seeing Yu Mingshu rushing out, she didn't wait for him to ask any questions before saying to herself, "Miss Yu, you should go to the yamen quickly! I just saw your brother go into the yamen with several officials, and it seems like they carried in a corpse after them! Something terrible must have happened!"
"How could that be? Sanlang went hunting outside the city with his classmates today..." Yu Mingshu was suddenly shocked halfway through his sentence. Could this brat have shot someone to death while hunting?
"They came back from the direction of the city gate!"
Seeing that she was uneasy, Zhao Niangzi softened her tone and comforted her, "But you don't need to worry too much. I heard from them that the body was washed down from the river. Your brother and the others just happened to be there and were taken away by the authorities for questioning. They should be back soon."
Yu Mingshu composed himself and said to Luo Yan, who had caught up with him, "Come with me to the government office."
…
When Yu Mingshu arrived at the yamen, the gate was wide open. The body that Zhao Niangzi had mentioned was lying on a stretcher in the courtyard. The yamen runners stood in two rows, preventing onlookers from getting close. A coroner with gray hair and his students squatted on the ground, staring at the bloated corpse.
What a creepy scene.
It smells pungent.
Yu Mingshu covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve and searched the yamen with his eyes.
She saw a row of young men and women sitting outside the hall. A man dressed in a low-ranking official's robe walked slowly past them with his subordinates, seemingly questioning them about something.
After careful inspection, Yu Dan was indeed among them, with He Zheng beside him. With that, Yu Mingshu could finally relax.
With a member of the imperial family like He Zheng in charge, Yu Dan wouldn't be sent to jail.
But the deceased...
Yu Mingshu suddenly remembered Zhou Changchun's wife. Zhou's wife went to Cheng'an Temple on Lishan Mountain to offer incense. Logically, she should have been able to return to the city on the same day. If there hadn't been an accident, why would she have been delayed and not heard from at all?
She looked around, picked out a kind-hearted-looking auntie, and asked in a low voice, "How old was the deceased?"
The man looked at Yu Mingshu carefully and, seeing that she was a simple and beautiful young girl, answered honestly, "The coroner said she was a woman around forty years old."
The gender and age match up, it can't be such a coincidence, right?
Yu Mingshu's mood gradually became heavy, and he dared not look at the ground anymore.
After waiting outside the yamen for about half an hour, as dusk approached, the onlookers gradually lost interest and dispersed. Yu Mingshu lingered, attracting the attention of the yamen runners, until He Zheng and Yu Dan were escorted outside by the officials.
There were hardly any people left on the street. Yu Mingshu's petite figure and beautiful face stood out among the remaining people, and the two of them naturally spotted her at a glance.
Yu Dan ran forward in surprise: "Sister, what brings you here?"
“Zhao Niangzi said you were arrested by the officials, and I’m afraid you’ll end up in jail.” Yu Mingshu deliberately exaggerated before nodding to He Zheng in greeting: “Second Master He.”
He Zheng returned her bow: "Yu Erlang".
Yu Mingshu was speechless and looked down at the women's dress she was wearing.
He Zheng quickly changed his address, saying, "Miss Yu."
Yu Mingshu put his arm around his younger brother's shoulder and said to He Zheng, "If Second Brother He has nothing else to say, I'll take Third Brother back with me."
"Something came up." Only after he said it did He Zheng realize that it wasn't anything serious. After a moment's hesitation, he came up with a brilliant excuse.
"I borrowed his book, and I heard that it eventually ended up in the hands of a young woman."
Yu Mingshu was taken aback, then scratched his brow in annoyance. "I forgot because I was in such a hurry to leave. I'll take it to the academy tomorrow morning."
After a long silence, He Zheng reluctantly agreed: "Okay."
On the way home, Yu Mingshu asked her younger brother about the deceased.
Yu Dan recounted the discovery of the deceased, frowning as he said, "They guessed that the woman accidentally fell into the river when she came out of the temple, drowned because she was not a good swimmer, and was then swept down the mountain, but I don't think that's right."
"Something's not right."
"Why would someone fall into the river when they came out of the temple's main gate perfectly fine? The weather has been sunny lately, and it hasn't rained at all in the capital. The mountain path isn't slippery either, so how could she have fallen?"
Yu Mingshu glanced at the sky and said, "Perhaps it's because it's dusk and the sky is dark, so I couldn't see the road clearly."
Yu Dan disagreed, saying, "That road is so wide. Even if you fall, you can't possibly fall into the river."
If it wasn't an accident, who would murder an ordinary woman?
"Has the identity of the deceased been confirmed?" Yu Mingshu asked.
Yu Dan shook his head and said, "No, the government will post missing person notices tonight and will accept relatives to identify the body tomorrow."
Under the setting sun, the bluestone pavement took on a warmer hue.
The siblings walked back while talking, and happened to pass by Chun Hui Tang. Perhaps because Zhou Changchun had finally returned after being absent for two days, there were especially many patients queuing up today.
Looking through the door, Yu Mingshu saw Zhou Changchun writing a prescription for a patient. She paused, turned back to look in the direction of the government office, and suddenly hesitated, wondering whether she should go in and inform Zhou Changchun.
On the bright side, perhaps Madam Zhou has already returned today.
Yu Dan tugged at her sleeve with some confusion, "Sister, why aren't we leaving?"
Yu Mingshu suppressed his emotions, looked ahead, and said, "It's alright, let's go home."
A note from the author:
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