Chapter 54 Searching for her, sailing day and night, in hot pursuit of Wan'er.
The scratches on her neck still stung a little, and Shi Wan subconsciously rubbed them. Just as she was about to say something more, she saw that the person opposite her had already readily agreed, "My benefactor saved me and my daughter, so Caiyue is naturally willing to be the guarantor."
She paused, glancing at Shi Wanjuan's delicate features and outstanding face. After a moment, she smiled and said, "It is already difficult enough for a woman to live in this world. With such an outstanding appearance as my benefactor, I'm afraid she will attract even more wolves and tigers. Now that Caiyue can help and repay this kindness, that's wonderful."
She spoke with such sincerity that Shi Wan, who was usually reserved and only revealed half of what she meant, felt a little flustered. However, being out in public, she couldn't reveal everything, so she simply smiled gently in response. In her heart, she felt a little more at ease facing such a sincere person.
As night fell, Shi Wan slept in a low, simple bungalow. The room was filled with a simple bed and a few pieces of furniture.
She looked around intently, then settled into a comfortable bed to sleep. A cold wind occasionally blew in, and since she couldn't light a charcoal fire, Shi Wan simply slept fully clothed.
The bright moon shone high in the sky, and it wasn't until 9 PM that he recalled the pleasant conversation he had with Caiyue a moment earlier, and he drifted off to sleep with a smile.
The next morning, Caiyue went to find the village chief. As Shiwan had specifically instructed, she said that it was a descendant of her deceased husband who had come looking for relatives. In the face of years of war, it was not surprising that one or two related juniors would suddenly appear.
Caiyue was pretty, but when faced with a problem, she was decisive and heroic. In less than half a day, she successfully brought the travel permit back to Shiwan.
After lunch, Shi Wan looked at it carefully and saw that it clearly read, "Li Shi Wan, from Poyang Lane, Li Family Village, Luzhou, aged seventeen, six feet tall, with fair skin, a black mole on the left side of her nose, and a red birthmark on her shoulder."
She carefully examined the travel permit inside and out before putting it away. Having shared hardships together, and with Caiyue's suggestion, she made some minor improvements to details she hadn't noticed before. After disguising themselves, the three of them went to the dock together. The journey was smooth, and after the travel permits were checked, they chose a large passenger ship bound for Linzhou.
At night, the lake ripples gently, capturing half of the lake and mountains in a painting, with stars dotting the surface, creating a charming scene.
In the cramped cabin, Shi Wan and Cai Yue sat with Tang Yun sleeping peacefully beside them. As they prepared to travel to a foreign land, the two chatted idly.
"...You're just going to come with me like this, will you miss Lijia Village?" As the saying goes, fallen leaves return to their roots. Many people still miss their hometowns quite a bit, otherwise they wouldn't have struggled for so long before finally deciding to move away.
"No, my benefactor, don't worry. This is also what I wanted to do, which is why I came with you." Through the crack in the boat window, Caiyue gazed at the lake in the distance, where the water rippled and spread out in several layers.
She lowered her voice and gently patted her daughter beside her. "My original name was Li Caiyue, which was the same surname as my husband. After my husband passed away, I stopped mentioning this surname." She brushed a stray hair from her forehead and chuckled casually. "Anyway... in this village, even though everyone has the surname Li, there's really nothing special about it when something happens."
“From now on, I will only live with my daughter Tang Yun. Wherever my daughter and I are, that will be my hometown.”
As they chatted, Shi Wan's mood gradually brightened, and the gloom of the past few days vanished. She turned over, calmed her thoughts, and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, as dawn broke, the three of them slowly awoke. After sharing a simple pancake, Shi Wan decided to take a stroll on the deck. In her half-awake state, she had briefly dreamt of Jiang Xu.
He rode alone at breakneck speed, the scenery behind him changing several times, snowflakes falling on his long eyelashes, looking extremely sad from afar.
Sadness? Jiang Xu could have such an emotion?
He should just put on an act, chase after them for a few miles, or not chase at all, but just sit calmly in his little corner of the world, strategizing and composed.
Her life or death was not something he could control.
Shi Wan sat quietly for a moment before composing herself and getting up to go up to the deck. She wore a white high-necked robe, which served the same purpose as the fur scarf she had specially worn a few days ago. She hadn't worn earrings for a long time, and her ear piercings had gradually healed. If a stranger who didn't know her were to see her now, this outfit, along with the "wife and daughter" beside her, would make her seem much more believable.
Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. As soon as she stepped out of the cabin, Shi Wan instinctively felt that she was being watched by a gaze.
She pretended to be oblivious, and simply found a spot to stand and gaze into the distance, quietly appreciating the lake view after the snow had cleared. After a short while, she suddenly heard a man's voice behind her, getting closer and closer, seemingly walking straight in her direction.
"I just happened to run into this young man." His tone was calm, and upon closer listening, the voice sounded familiar. "I wonder if you, too, are up early to enjoy the scenery?"
Shi Wan subconsciously turned her head to look and saw that it was Zhang Yiwen. Her heart immediately went on alert, and her breathing became slightly disordered for a moment.
He was dressed in a colorful robe with a white fine cloth round collar and wide sleeves, beneath which were a silver belt, jade pendant, and sachet. Seeing that Zhang Yiwen was still as wealthy as ever, Shi Wan subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief for some reason.
The best outcome is that her entanglement with Jiang Xu did not involve any innocent people.
Her surprise turned to laughter, and she said, "Indeed, with the New Year approaching, the lake scenery will be especially elegant after the sky clears." She wondered when Zhang Yiwen had arrived. Could it be that he had known her whereabouts for a long time, given how coincidental and quick he was to find her?
There's no such thing as a coincidence in the world.
Then... what if he had discovered it much earlier, what about Jiang Xu?
After speaking, she only gave a bitter smile. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi asked as expected, "I feel like we've known each other for a long time, so please call me Brother Zhang. Why do you look so worried?"
Shi Wan noticed the other party's hesitant gaze, and her acting skills became even more superb. "Brother Zhang, you are too kind. I see that you are two years older than me. In that case, you can just call me Brother Li." Seeing Zhang Yiwen's expression falter, she continued, "I intend to take my wife and daughter south. The autumn examinations are approaching in August. I might as well find a place to stay after the New Year so that I can concentrate on studying for the exams. If I pass the exams and achieve official rank, I will not have let my wife and daughter down."
The words were a mix of truth and falsehood. For a moment, Zhang Yiwen's joy at finding an old friend dissipated somewhat, and he even began to doubt whether the news from the Zhang family's informants was true.
Didn't Zhang Xun secretly send him a message saying that Wan'er had escaped from Chenling by boat? He waited anxiously for several days, mobilizing almost all his servants to keep an eye on her for days before finally locking onto her and boarding the passenger ship that very night.
Could it be... that those people have misunderstood?
He lowered his eyelashes, gazing intently at the person before him. The person's fair skin, bathed in the rare warmth of the winter sun, revealed a hint of frailty. A mole adorned his eye, and the loose-fitting robe accentuated his slender, almost skeletal figure, blurring his physical outline. Although this person differed from the Wan'er he remembered, his intuition told him…
He felt in his heart that this person was her.
Returning to his senses, Zhang Yi tentatively asked, "Brother Zhang, are you also planning to take the imperial examination?"
Shi Wan was taken aback, and only then did she realize that the other person was dressed in bright colors. She almost lost the smile she was maintaining.
She rarely came into contact with such scholars, and in her escape, she completely forgot about it!
Lanshan was mostly worn by scholars who had not passed the imperial examinations. However, in recent years, with the court in disarray and beset by internal and external troubles, few people wear it anymore.
She suspected that Zhang Yiwen had been watching her for a long time. After a brief standoff, she glanced at the worried Caiyue and her daughter not far away and said in a low voice, "Since you have connections and have already recognized me, why bother putting on airs here?"
It's common for aristocratic sons to want to take the imperial examinations to prove themselves, but if it's Zhang Yiwen, with several coincidences combined, even if Shi Wan wants to pretend to be stupid, this person will definitely find a way to pester her and make her admit it as soon as possible.
Since that's the case, why not turn the tables and extricate Caiyue and the other person from this matter?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and then his face gradually flushed red. "No, no, you misunderstood. I didn't mean to harm you."
"Seven days ago, the Prince of Jingbei made a big fuss about wanting to find his beloved concubine. I was traveling in Luzhou at the time, and when I suddenly heard about this, I was worried, which is why..."
"Don't worry, I did this all by myself, and the Prince of Jingbei has no idea about it."
Shi Wan's memory of that argument with Zhang Yiwen was somewhat hazy. Aside from the hysteria, when she tried to recall it now, the first thing that came to mind was Jiang Xu's ambiguous smile and his eyes filled with a hint of jealousy.
Tracing back to the source, the memories that arrived and were awakened before those painful ones were actually his jealousy, and... the few strands of kindness that occasionally flowed from his fingertips.
A few strands... an extremely faint trace of kindness shown to her.
Shi Wan was startled by this thought and broke out in a cold sweat. Her face turned even paler in the winter air.
Zhang Yiwen was intently studying her application when he saw this and immediately said, "This... could it be that he treated you badly or humiliated you?" Otherwise, why would she have this expression when the existence of the Prince of Jingbei was mentioned?
Shi Wan was feeling strange, and upon hearing this, she subconsciously replied, "No, not at all." Although this person had helped her before, this act of stalking had completely negated any goodwill she had previously felt towards him.
Seeing her dazed expression, Zhang Yi knew it was because these words had brought back her previous memories. He cursed himself inwardly, but said gently, "Are you going to Linzhou?"
"Everyone who boards this passenger ship is going here." Shi Wan looked at him quietly. "Since Young Master Zhang says it was a coincidence, why ask me?"
Linzhou, as a key transit point for those heading south, is a melting pot of diverse cultures. Its people, cuisine, unique attractions, and landscapes combine elements of both the north and south. With populations constantly moving in and out of the city, the cost of buying property is now prohibitively high, especially for rental properties.
Shi Wan didn't know the exact price, but the money she had was certainly not enough to last long, and she might even encounter oppression and extortion from local powerful figures.
In a split second, she changed her mind. Seeing that Zhang Yiwen's expression was not good after being stung by her words, but he didn't say anything more, she said softly, "I haven't had a chance to ask how you are since we parted last time... Are you alright? Has anyone made things difficult for you?"
Zhang Yiwen, who was not yet twenty, was asked such a gentle question by his beloved, and all his unhappiness vanished instantly. He quickly shook his head and said, "No, my family saw that I had come to the north alone and had matured a lot. This time they are even more willing to let me travel around Luzhou."
Shi Wan glanced around at him discreetly. "You didn't bring your page?"
Zhang Yiwen would never admit that he had been waiting for her, and thus had been guarding her alone in a sorry state. He had only managed to find a way to board the passenger ship in the middle of the night yesterday. Coming to his senses, he once again adopted a calm and composed demeanor, and said quite seriously, "He should be in Linzhou now. Speaking of this matter... I wonder who those two people over there are to you?"
Shi Wan followed his gaze and saw Cai Yue glancing over from time to time, looking worried. She then pulled the two of them over. Although she was unwilling to use others, she wouldn't refuse someone who had come so eagerly.
Linzhou was completely unfamiliar to her, as was Caiyue, and Tangyun was with her. Since the other party was willing to come with her, she naturally had to consider the mother and daughter.
The boy's affection was too obvious. Shi Wan wasn't a block of wood, so naturally she couldn't be completely oblivious. Since this person just happened to come to her, she couldn't be blamed.
"These are the wife and daughters I just told you about." Shi Wan omitted some information and only gave a simple introduction. Zhang Yi knew that she had her reasons, but since his beloved was willing to allow him to travel with her, he was not in a hurry and just smiled and responded to each of them.
The reeds rustle in the breeze, the water flows gently, and occasionally seagulls fly by, flying away in pairs with the wind.
In Luzhou, the heavy snow that had been falling for days gradually stopped, the sun was shining brightly, and the cold wind was howling more and more annoyingly.
As the north wind blows and snow falls at the beginning of the fourth watch, the New Year is approaching, and the whole of Luzhou is filled with joy. Yunhu Lake spans many places, and the canal transport never stops. Boats of all sizes come and go in an endless stream, floating on the lake.
It was now the first month of the year, Ren Chen. Jiang Xu sailed day and night, flipping through the military reports secretly sent by the Jurchen tribe. The Turks and Tatars were locked in a life-or-death struggle, and with the Jurchens involved, he knew that his confidant had said he would be able to have a rather comfortable New Year.
The court was incompetent, and the foreign tribes were too busy to care for themselves to invade at this time. However, he did not enjoy any leisure time in the courtyard. Instead, he traveled to many places day and night without rest.
Thinking of this, Jiang Xu's expression gradually turned cold. He simply gazed quietly into the distance, where the moon was bright and the stars were few, a time for family reunion during the New Year.
After disembarking, they headed towards the inn. As soon as they entered, a guard came to report, "Your Majesty, during our search, we discovered two strange villages in a secluded area."
The investigation continued all the way to Luzhou. The unusual circumstances of the recent days naturally attracted the attention of the Jingbei Army. They sent their own brothers to search and inquire from house to house, distributing some money and having one person keep an eye on one household. Finally, they locked onto four remote villages.
Today, Lijia Village and Hujia Village, these two adjacent villages, are the two most suspected entities.
"Inside Lijia Village, when our people went to search the houses, an old man living at the village entrance was extremely nervous. At first, we thought that the widow next door had reported him to the authorities, but he gave himself away after a few questions. After some coercion and questioning, he said that he had become greedy because he saw that the things were valuable."
After speaking, he presented an object. Jiang Xu looked closely and saw a white jade hairpin with a lotus flower design, broken into pieces, with only the lotus petals on it still faintly discernible.
It was the last hairpin he gave to Wan'er.
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Author's Note: The male and female leads are about to meet! [Let me see!]
There might be another update tonight, but if not, just ignore it... So, it should be a long chapter tomorrow. I've overestimated my energy after work these past few days [crying emoji]. I'll try my best to catch up on updates!! I'll try to update more!! (clenching fist emoji)
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