Chapter 64. If he takes a few more glances, he'll likely get caught up in it...
He Zheng soon found out that during his absence, Yu Mingshu had been spending his days on duty with Xie Huaijin and his days off in Yuan Yi's study.
At noon on the 20th, he arrived at the gate of the Yu family compound and happened to meet Yuan Yi, who was delivering books.
Yuan Yi looked at him with an unusual gaze.
He Zheng's gaze darkened, and he blocked the man's path. "Ming Shu is going out today. Does Mr. Yuan have something to attend to?"
Yuan Yi waved the scroll in his hand. "This is an ancient book she has been searching for for half a month. My people just found it at the Pengzhou Bookstore and sent it to her."
He Zheng's gaze was fixed on the scrolls. "Is the job at the academy so easy?"
Yuan Yi's curled fingers tightened, then he suddenly smiled, "General He is the commander of the Eastern Palace Guard, not the commander of the Yongning Ward Guard, is he?"
He Zheng choked, then turned his head and saw a bright figure walking from the courtyard. The figure was wearing a light pink robe underneath a sheepskin coat.
Why aren't you wearing that lotus crown?
Yu Mingshu subconsciously touched the only hairpin stick on his head and said helplessly, "It's too eye-catching. We're here to look at houses, not to attend a banquet."
He Zheng said, "That's true, but your plain silver hairpin is too plain."
Yu Mingshu hesitated and said, "Then should I go back and add some decorations?"
“You are as beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally blessed with a jade-like face and a flower-like countenance, why would you need to adorn yourself with hairpins and jewelry?” Yuan Yi suddenly spoke up, interrupting the two’s conversation as if no one else was around.
He Zheng glanced at him secretly, his mind already going over the popular hairpin styles in the market.
Yuan Yi handed the scroll to Yu Mingshu and said, "This is the first volume of the 'Pengzhou Gazetteer' you requested. The second volume is on its way and should arrive around the beginning of February."
Upon seeing the title of the book he handed over, Yu Mingshu was taken aback, and long-forgotten memories gradually resurfaced.
Actually, she had only casually mentioned the title of the book that day, but Yuan Yi took it to heart and went to great lengths to find it for her.
After realizing what had happened, she quickly thanked Yuan Yi and instructed Luo Yan to put the scroll away.
Once inside the carriage, He Zheng remained silent. Yu Mingshu glanced at him discreetly; the man was facing out the window, his neck refusing to turn.
She asked, "If I move out, will you still stay in Yongningfang?"
He Zheng stared at the flowing street scene outside the window. "How is that possible?"
Yu Mingshu asked, "Then... shall we return to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence?"
He Zheng remained silent for a moment, then said, "You'll find out soon enough."
They're keeping us in suspense.
There was silence for a moment, and Yu Mingshu lowered his head to fiddle with the ornament at his waist.
She twisted the slightly sparse, fine beaded tassels into a braid, then slowly unraveled them, repeating this process twice before finally looking up at the back of He Zheng's head.
Is there a monkey swallowing a sword or a lion jumping through a ring of fire outside the window?
He Zheng seemed to be stunned for a moment, then suppressed the urge to turn around and said, "No."
Yu Mingshu's tone was no longer calm, but rather tinged with annoyance, "Then why did you keep looking outside? My hairstyle today is so ugly, so ugly it's unbearable to look at?"
"What nonsense are you thinking!" The denial came out of his mouth, and He Zheng suddenly turned around, his gaze falling on her slightly furrowed brows, his heart pounding.
"You'd be beautiful even if you shaved your head," he muttered, realizing his outburst was unreasonable.
He Zheng pursed his lips shyly, and after a moment said in a deep voice, "I don't like the way Yuan Yi looks at you."
Yu Mingshu's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to be so blunt. "What's wrong with him?"
He Zheng hesitated for a moment before speaking truthfully: "He is too scheming, his eyes are gloomy and murky, and he is not honest. Such a person may seem quiet, but in reality, he is stubborn and obstinate. It's always better to stay away from him."
Yu Mingshu remained silent, some images of his time with Yuan Yi flashing through his mind, before he smiled and met He Zheng's gaze.
“I’m moving out, and I won’t have any contact with him anymore.”
For some reason, upon hearing her words, the pent-up frustration in He Zheng's heart suddenly dissipated.
"Don't you think I'm trying to sow discord?"
“I’m not some fool who’s easily swayed by one side,” Yu Mingshu laughed. “Even if you’re really trying to sow discord, I might not listen to you.”
He Zheng stared intently at the faint dimples at the corners of her lips.
The carriage came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the first alley in Chongrenfang, and Jinghong's voice came from outside.
"My lord, Miss Yu, we have arrived."
He Zheng got out of the carriage first, lifted the curtain, and helped Yu Mingshu down. Yu Mingshu hesitated for a moment before placing his right hand on He Zheng's sleeve.
This time, no broker was hired to view the house. He Zheng led Yu Mingshu into the courtyard with ease, and the process went so smoothly that it was unbelievable.
The house was small, but it had everything one needed.
The path leading in looked newly renovated, with large blue bricks laid neatly and densely. There was an old tree in the courtyard, but since it was not yet spring and the weather had warmed up, only bare branches remained on the tree. In two months, it would probably be a lush and verdant sight.
The main house is bright and airy, warm in winter and cool in summer. There is a side room on each side, which can be converted into a study if there are few people living there.
Choosing a house sometimes depends on first impressions. At this moment, Yu Mingshu felt that this house was extremely cozy, the size was just right, and the layout was pleasing to the eye, as if it had been prepared according to her preferences.
Without much hesitation, she asked the most crucial question: How much is the rent?
"This is an official residence, priced by the imperial court. The rental fee is one thousand cash per month, payable monthly."
It was much cheaper than I expected.
Yu Mingshu's current monthly salary is five thousand coins. In addition to her salary, she also has extra income. She can easily afford the rent of a mere one thousand coins.
"Isn't it too hasty to make a decision like this?"
"Let's not rush it. We can save time and take a stroll around the East Market," He Zheng said.
How could it be done hastily? Jinghong spent two days looking through Chongrenfang and Shengyefang, selecting this house from more than thirty rented residences.
With the house settled, the two turned and headed to the East Market.
The streets were bustling on the day off, and the teahouses and taverns along the street welcomed students who were going to the capital for the imperial examinations. Amid the clamor, He Zheng stopped several times in front of the jewelry stalls.
Yu Mingshu's attention was entirely focused on the shops on both sides of the street. She needed to find a reliable blacksmith to forge the meteorite iron that the Crown Prince had sent her.
She knew absolutely nothing about the blacksmithing trade, while He Zheng, who was beside her, might know a little about the trade, but this matter needed to be handled behind his back.
I wonder if Cui Hongli, having been in business for so many years, knows any excellent blacksmiths...
He Zheng had been lingering in front of the jewelry stall for a long time. Among the dazzling array of hairpins and ornaments, a long hairpin carved from a single piece of jade, shaped like a peach branch, was particularly eye-catching.
The hairpin is carved with extreme realism, even replicating the uneven nodes on the tree branch. In addition to its beauty, it also adds practicality to the hairpin, making it more secure when tying up hair.
A cluster of blooming flowers on the branch was small and exquisite, perfectly matching the embroidery on the collar of Yu Mingshu's clothes.
The two distracted people had forgotten that the street was teeming with people. Two children ran across the middle of the street, and the adults around them instinctively moved aside. Yu Mingshu was bumped by an elbow and stumbled a couple of steps.
Caught a movement out of the corner of his eye, He Zheng snapped back to reality and grabbed her waist. Yu Mingshu felt herself losing her balance and about to fall, so she instinctively grabbed whatever was at hand and ended up wrapping her arms around his.
He Zheng was startled, his body stiffening as if electrocuted. Once she regained her balance and stepped aside, she quickly withdrew her hand, her ears burning slightly.
Yu Mingshu realized what she was hugging, and her first reaction was to squeeze it a couple of times. She had been eyeing He Zheng's physique for a long time, and now that she finally had the chance to touch it, why not try out what muscles felt like?
All I can say is that the arms he trained with swords and spears every day were indeed firm, tough yet resilient.
"Cough cough."
Hearing him cough twice, his face unusually flushed, Yu Mingshu finally let go, saying with a normal expression, "I didn't step on you just now, did I?"
"No." He Zheng denied it with unusual decisiveness, his gaze turning away as if avoiding the jewelry stall.
Seeing this, the stall owner smiled and narrowed his eyes, picking out the hairpin he liked from the row of hairpins.
“Young master, buy a hairpin for your wife. Winter is almost over and spring is coming soon. The peach blossoms will be in full bloom. With this peach blossom jade hairpin, your wife will be even more beautiful than the spring scenery in the courtyard.”
Upon hearing the address from the stall owner, He Zheng couldn't help but glance at the woman beside him to gauge her reaction. Yu Mingshu remained expressionless, but her eyes lit up the moment she saw the peach blossom hairpin.
"I'll take this one."
Just as Yu Mingshu reached out to take the hairpin, she saw He Zheng hand over the money and take the goods. Without giving her a chance to refuse, he turned around, held her head, and clumsily threaded the jade peach branch into her hair bun.
His breathing was so close that she instinctively closed her eyes, and a strange feeling welled up inside her.
"hiss……"
The movement above his head suddenly stopped, and He Zheng asked cautiously, "Did I hurt you?"
"I pulled on the root of my hair, but it's fine now."
Yu Mingshu pressed down his frightened hand, took a half step back, and felt the structure of his hair bun on his head, slightly adjusting the tightness. His scalp immediately felt much more relaxed.
Once she confirmed that the peach blossom hairpin supported the main body of her hair bun, she pulled out the original plain silver hairpin, letting a strand of hair that longed for freedom peek out from her temple.
He Zheng stared at that strand of hair and couldn't resist running his hand through it a couple of times. He was met with a fierce glare the moment he touched her forehead. He had no choice but to reluctantly withdraw his hand and watch her fiddle with it.
The person in front of her was staring at her with such intense gaze that Yu Mingshu turned to the stall owner and asked, "Shopkeeper, do you have a mirror?"
The stall owner was very enthusiastic. He took out a round mirror from under his cart and held it up so she could see clearly.
"My lady is truly a woman of natural beauty. Wearing this peach blossom hairpin, she looks as beautiful as a banished immortal!"
You can't completely trust what a salesperson says, even if the order has already been placed.
Yu Mingshu looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, then lowered her eyes slightly and pressed down the collar of her outer fur robe to reveal the peach blossom embroidery on the collar of her inner pink robe.
After thanking the stall owner for the bronze mirror, she patted He Zheng on the shoulder and told him to keep walking. Occasionally, as she walked, she would turn her head to look at him, always meeting his deep eyes, and a smile would involuntarily creep onto her lips.
Is it pretty?
He Zheng took a deep breath, turned his stiff neck, and looked straight ahead.
"nice."
If he looked at it a few more times, he would probably be completely captivated.
…
Just as Yu Mingshu was wondering when she would have time to move, news came from the Eastern Palace that the Crown Prince was unwell and that she was exempt from duty for the next two days.
Two days is enough to complete the rental procedures and then move the packed books and clothes over.
Since it was a rented house, she didn't plan to move all her belongings from the original courtyard there. Firstly, she couldn't fit them in and didn't need them, and secondly, she wanted her family to know that she wasn't trying to sever all ties with the Yu family.
Even if she moves out, the west courtyard will still be her courtyard.
On the day Yu Mingshu was to leave Yongningfang, Yu Dan finally brought his wife back after she had been at her parents' home for six days to "attend to her illness".
Jiang Ruan helped Yu Dan down from the carriage, and saw Luo Yan and Qing Que carrying Yu Mingshu's luggage onto the carriage.
Although she was unhappy that Yu Mingshu was staying at home and not getting married at her age, she couldn't help but feel scared when she saw that Yu Mingshu was going to move out.
If this gets out, outsiders will gossip about her behind her back, saying she disrespects her elder sister and is unruly in the inner quarters... Of course, what she fears most is that her husband will hold a grudge against her for this.
Jiang Ruan stepped forward and pressed down on Yu Mingshu's arm, stammering, "Elder sister, what are you doing? I blame myself for not speaking properly before, but we are family after all. How can we live apart?"
Yu Mingshu glanced at her and withdrew her hand without making a sound.
"Stop thinking about all that nonsense. I moved out for convenience, nothing more. I'll still come back to stay during holidays and vacations."
After Luo Yan and Qing Que finished packing, they said to Yu Ming Shu, "Miss, everything is packed. Shall we leave now?"
Yu Mingshu glanced back at Yu Dan, who was clearly reluctant to part, patted him on the shoulder, said nothing, and walked toward the carriage.
Let's go.
When she arrived at Chongrenfang and was unloading the goods, she glanced to the side and, unsurprisingly, saw Jinghong, who was instructing his servants to move boxes of belongings into the house next door.
Yu Mingshu knew perfectly well what He Zheng had done this time, and asked helplessly, "Jinghong, is your husband renting or buying this house?"
Upon hearing this, Jinghong ran over and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Miss Yu, my husband is always frugal, and this house is rented."
Yu Mingshu felt relieved and said, "I've hired two people to clean the yard. Keep an eye on things for me while I go out."
Jinghong readily agreed, patting his chest, "You can rest assured that this courtyard is in my hands, Miss."
…
Through Cui Hongli's connections, Yu Mingshu found Gongsun Hong, a renowned craftsman in Chang'an.
It is said that this person studied weapons for more than 30 years and forged more than a thousand divine weapons. The Broken Mountain Blade that Princess Huailing took to Northern Yan during the Jingcheng era was forged by this person.
To this day, the Broken Mountain Blade remains the national treasure of the Northern Yan state, holding a status within its territory no different from that of the Great Liang imperial seal.
Master Gongsun's house was located in the south of the city, so remote that it was almost outside Chang'an. Yu Mingshu was afraid that he would not be able to get home before the curfew, so he rode his horse at the limit of speed all the way.
Upon arriving at the location, they discovered that Gongsun Hong's family occupied half of the market town in order to avoid disturbing their neighbors when they were firing large iron furnaces.
Stepping into Gongsun Hong's house, a wave of heat hits you, turning the early spring courtyard into the sweltering heat of midsummer.
There was an ingenious mechanism in the courtyard. Yu Mingshu didn't know which brick he stepped on, but a loud bell rang out from the inner courtyard, followed by a man's rough voice.
"Wait outside!"
Yu Mingshu was taken aback, looked around, and walked toward the stone table and benches.
The clanging and hammering continued for a while until the work at hand was completed, and only then did Gongsun Hong come out to greet the guests.
The man, in his fifties, still looked strong and powerful, with a physique comparable to some fitness bloggers on certain modern platforms. However, his posture wasn't great; his shoulders and neck were slightly forward, likely an occupational hazard.
Gongsun Hong wiped his sweat, casually draped the black robe draped over his arm, and looked the young girl in the courtyard up and down. He said in a nonchalant tone, "You're the money tree that Cui Hongli was talking about?"
Upon hearing this title, Yu Mingshu chuckled, "That's too much of an exaggeration. Manager Cui's business is already booming; I'm just adding icing on the cake."
After saying that, he placed the meteorite on the table and removed the coarse linen cloth that had been wrapped around it.
Upon seeing this document, Gongsun Hong's eyes widened, and he no longer spared a single glance for Yu Mingshu.
Seeing that the person in front of him had suddenly become engrossed, Yu Mingshu consciously gave up his seat and watched as Gongsun Hong carefully picked up the meteorite and examined it closely.
It was easy to tell from his gleaming eyes that this meteorite iron was definitely a rare and excellent material. Although the price at the Fuhualou auction house was high, it was not a rip-off.
After Gongsun Hong put down the meteorite, Yu Mingshu asked, "How is it?"
Gongsun Hong sat down and took a big gulp of cold tea. "It's a fine piece of material. I heard from Cui Hongli that you're going to make this into a horizontal sword?"
Yu Mingshu said, "That's right, can you take this order?"
Gongsun Hong laughed, a hint of arrogance in his eyes, "If even I don't accept it, I doubt anyone in Chang'an will dare to take on this tough nut to crack."
He put down his teacup, tapped his knuckles on the stone table, and looked up, saying, "People have character and integrity, and so do knives. Tell me, what kind of person is the one who wields this knife?"
After a moment's thought, Yu Mingshu said calmly, "He is... deeply affectionate, pure, and genuine."
Gongsun Hong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Could you be more specific? Have you ever seen him use his troops or make any moves?"
Yu Mingshu said, "It has speed and power. Its moves are decisive and its momentum is overwhelming."
Gongsun Hong pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand."
After paying the deposit, Yu Mingshu hurried back to Chongrenfang.
In early February, an invitation arrived. The Chen family was overjoyed at the birth of their son and would hold a full-month celebration in two days, inviting relatives, friends, teachers, colleagues, and officials to the banquet.
Yu Mingshu didn't have a deep impression of the Chen family, only recognizing one Chen Qingyue. After thinking for a moment, he went out through the side door to visit He Zheng and ask whether he should go to the Chen family's full moon celebration.
"Chen Qu, the head of the Chen family, was one of the chief examiners for last year's imperial examination. The Chen scribe you mentioned in the Bureau of Classics is Chen Qu's own sister."
"Who is this baby who is celebrating his full moon? Is it his son or grandson?"
He Zheng chuckled, “Of course it’s his son. Chen Qu is only forty years old, where would he get a grandson?”
Seeing Yu Mingshu hesitate, he added, "In recent years, the Chen family has gained the Emperor's favor and is showing signs of becoming a powerful and influential family. Fortunately, the head of the family, Chen Qu, is of upright character and strictly disciplines the family members, and has never caused any scandals."
"The Chen family sent you an invitation to their full-moon celebration, most likely because they admire your new set of imperial examination rules. You can go if you want, or it doesn't matter if you don't."
Yu Mingshu looked into his eyes. "You received the invitation too, right? Are you going?"
He Zheng raised an eyebrow. "It's up to you. If you go, I'll go."
Yu Mingshu was helpless. She had only sought his help because she was having trouble making a choice, but he just pushed the problem back to her without any explanation.
Recalling the days he spent at the Bureau of Justice, during which Chen Qingyue took great care of him, Yu Mingshu sighed softly and finally made his decision to put the invitation away.
Are there any customs or traditions regarding gift-giving?
He Zheng frowned and said, "You absolutely must not send gold, silver, pearls, or jade, nor any other valuable items."
"What else is left to give away?" Yu Mingshu had a headache.
He Zheng said, "The best items are rare treasures whose price cannot be estimated."
Yu Mingshu's brow twitched slightly as he turned to look in the direction of his study.
She seems to know what to give.
My father's collection of books is truly inexhaustible.
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