Fragrant Soul
Xuanji didn't sleep a wink all night. The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a small, green-canopied carriage stopped at the side gate of the Wen residence. The curtain was lifted, and Xuanji quickly stepped out. She eagerly knocked on the door knocker.
The old servant who opened the door was slightly surprised to see her: "Lady Xuanji? So early..."
"Has the master gotten up yet?" Xuanji's voice was urgent, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.
"Master has just finished breakfast and should be in his study."
Xuanji nodded slightly and went straight to the study. Wen Tingyun was standing by the window, holding a book and browsing in the morning light. Hearing the voice, he turned his head and saw that it was Xuanji who had come, and that he looked so distraught. A look of surprise and worry immediately flashed across his eyes.
This was the first time Xuanji had seen Li Yi alone since she married him as his concubine, which made his heart tighten suddenly.
"Youwei?" He put down his book, his brow furrowing slightly. "What's the matter that you're so alarmed?"
"Sir..." Xuanji began, his voice hoarse with urgency, "Please, sir... save Sister Qianqian!"
Wen Tingyun's expression hardened: "Liu Qianqian? What happened to her? Tell me slowly, don't rush me." He led her to sit down to the side.
How could Xuanji remain calm? She recounted as clearly as possible how Liu Qianqian and her husband were framed by Minister Xu, how her husband was imprisoned, and how Liu Qianqian herself was now imprisoned for "assassination."
"Sir, Li Yi said he doesn't know where to start... I really don't know who else to turn to for help. Please think of a way! At least... at least have someone look after her in prison, so she won't suffer in secret torture?" She looked up at Wen Tingyun, her eyes full of pleading.
Upon hearing this, Wen Tingyun's expression became extremely solemn. He paced back and forth in the room, lost in thought and remaining silent.
“This matter… is extremely difficult.” He said slowly, “Xu Zixian is a man who holds grudges and is also involved in an assassination plot. Ordinary people would never dare to get involved, for fear of getting burned.”
Xuanji's heart sank little by little with his words.
But Wen Tingyun changed the subject: "But Liu Qianqian is an old friend of yours, and Vice Minister Xu forced her first... How can I sit idly by? You go back first, and I will immediately write several letters and find some old friends in the Ministry of Justice to do my best to mediate. Even if I cannot save her immediately, I will at least find a way to ensure her safety in prison before making any further plans."
Tears welled up in Xuanji's eyes instantly, and she abruptly stood up to kneel down: "Thank you, sir! Youwei thanks you on behalf of Sister Qianqian for your great kindness!"
"Get up quickly!" Wen Tingyun gently helped her up, his tone serious. "This matter is fraught with difficulties, and whether it succeeds or fails is truly unpredictable. You... must be mentally prepared."
Xuanji nodded repeatedly; she knew this was the best promise she could get at the moment.
She didn't linger any longer, bowed deeply, and took her leave.
Wen Tingyun escorted her to the door of his study, his brow furrowed with worry. He turned back to his desk, spread out a sheet of paper without hesitation, ground ink, moistened his brush, and began to write.
In the days that followed, Xuanji waited anxiously in Qiwu Pavilion.
Every footstep made her heart pound with fear; she both hoped that someone from the Wen family would come and feared hearing even worse news.
Wen Tingyun had indeed done his utmost. Several old friends responded, but the news was not optimistic: Vice Minister Xu's attitude was extremely firm, clearly indicating that he would "punish her severely without leniency." His old acquaintances said they could only do their best to look after her within their authority, ensuring that the prison guards would not make things difficult for Liu.
However, just as Wen Tingyun was still struggling to find a glimmer of hope—
In October of the ninth year of the Tianqi reign, Liu Qianqian died in prison.
She used a sharpened bamboo hairpin to pierce her own throat. Blood stained half of her prison clothes, but her face remained unusually calm. When the news arrived, Xuanji was completely frozen in place.
She hadn't had a chance to tell Sister Qianqian to wait a little longer, as her husband was already trying to find a solution.
But it was all too late.
She recalled how Liu Qianqian looked when she was chosen as "the lady-in-waiting," so radiant and beautiful.
I remember her once rolling up her sleeves to reveal a faint scar on her wrist, saying proudly, "When I was sixteen, I scratched myself with a piece of porcelain to keep customers away. You see, the most useless thing in this world is pride; but the most valuable thing is also pride."
He recalled the heavy stack of silver coins she had stuffed into his hand the night before he left, and her whispered words of advice in his ear: "Take this with you. This money is your last line of defense."
She sat quietly for a long time until the sun had fully risen, its golden rays filling the room, yet they could not warm her cold heart even slightly.
That evening, when Li Yi came over for dinner, he saw that she looked as usual, even more docile and quiet than usual, which put his mind at ease. After finishing his meal, he went to his study, saying that he still had official business to attend to.
Xuanji sat alone in front of the mirror, looking at her still young and beautiful face in the mirror. Suddenly, she raised her hand, took off the jade hairpin that Li Yi had given her from her hair, and held it in her hand for a long time.
Li Yi had originally planned to use Manager Zhou's letter of divorce to curry favor with Vice Minister Xu. However, Liu's fiery temper led her to stab Vice Minister Xu, a sudden turn of events that disrupted his entire scheme. Seeing that there was no longer any benefit to be gained, he had no choice but to abandon the plan, carefully putting away the letter of divorce and locking it deep within a hidden cabinet in his study.
The news of Liu Qianqian's suicide quickly faded into silence in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison, like a stone thrown into stagnant water. The death of a female prisoner with no relatives and who had offended a powerful minister was hardly a big deal in this prison where life and death were commonplace.
Manager Zhou, who was exonerated by a letter of divorce, was released from prison shortly after Liu Qianqian's death. On the day of his release, no one came to pick him up. The goods he had brought with him had long been confiscated, and he didn't have a single copper coin left. He was emaciated and looked completely different from the shrewd and respectable silk merchant he once was, though not extremely wealthy.
He stood on the bustling streets of Chang'an, watching the people come and go, feeling a chill to the bone. His wife's tragic death and his own betrayal gnawed at his heart like two venomous snakes. He wasn't entirely without conscience; when he wrote the letter of divorce in prison, it was partly out of fear of death and partly out of resentment towards Liu Qianqian for bringing disaster upon him. But when Liu Qianqian chose such a tragic way to end everything, that letter of divorce became a scar branded on his soul.
After that, someone saw him near the mule and horse market in the south of the city. He was dressed in rags, with a vacant look in his eyes, making a living by carrying goods for others, and often muttering "Qianqian, Qianqian" to himself. After that, he was completely lost to the public.
Xuanji followed Nuo to the Yuelai Inn in the west of the city. After asking around, he finally found Qingxing in the servants' room in the backyard of the inn.
The little girl was squatting by the well, painstakingly washing clothes. When she saw Xuanji, she was stunned at first, then burst into tears and rushed forward to hug Xuanji's leg tightly, like a lost young animal that had finally found its support.
Xuanji felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He helped her up, wiped away the tears and stains on her face, and said gently, "Sister Qianqian entrusted you to me. From now on, you will follow me."
Qingxing entered the Li family and was settled in Qiwu Pavilion. Although she was young, her personality had been tempered a lot after experiencing Liu Qianqian's incident. She was diligent in her work, but had lost the innocence and naivety of her childhood.
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