Chapter 47 Tragedy
It's hot, so we have to stop playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football) after a while.
There are places to wash in Yunyuan Garden, but girls don't want to bathe outside. After sweating, they still need to wash their faces and change their clothes.
It was Qiu Heng's first time visiting, and Feng Caixing accompanied her throughout.
After changing her clothes, Feng Caixing pulled Qiu Heng along under the shade of a tree and asked, "Aheng, are you tired?"
"I'm not tired, I only played for a little while."
"Then let me show you around and let you get acquainted with Yun Garden."
"good."
The two walked slowly, the sun was blocked by the canopy of trees, and a gentle breeze blew, making them feel quite comfortable.
"That is, Yunyuan. If we were at home, we would have to stay indoors on such a hot day." Feng Caixing tilted her head slightly to feel the breeze. "Aheng, you are good at making incense and you are good at playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football). How are you so amazing!"
The fourteen-year-old girl became more talkative: "Weren't you afraid when you were kidnapped by spies that day? Did your cousin thank you properly...?"
Qiu Heng frowned slightly as she looked at the person blocking her way.
Feng Caixing followed her gaze and her expression changed drastically: "It's you! What do you want?"
That纨绔 (playboy) deliberately threw a ball at Aheng on the Dragon Boat Festival, but luckily the imperial envoy was there.
Cui Er approached and raised an eyebrow at the girl who looked like she was facing a formidable enemy: "I don't eat people. I want to have a word with Miss Qiu Liu."
Feng Caixing stood in front of Qiu Heng: "That day you stood up for Han Ziheng and deliberately bullied Aheng. Now that Han Ziheng is finished, you're not going to cause trouble for Aheng for him, are you?"
Cui Er was just wondering what excuse to come up with when he was suddenly reminded: "That's right, I just wanted to ask Miss Qiu a few questions for Han Ziheng. Han Ziheng and I have been friends since we were kids, what's wrong with asking a few questions for a friend?"
He couldn't let anyone know that he had been rejected when he proposed to Qiu Liu; that would be too embarrassing.
Qiu Heng tugged at Feng Caixing: "Then I'll say a few words to him."
“Aheng, this kind of person acts without any rules or methods—” Feng Caixing warned in a low voice.
"It's alright, there are people everywhere. It's not good for him to keep shouting like this."
Feng Caixing thought it made sense, so she stood to the side.
"What did Young Master Cui want to talk to me about?" Qiu Heng asked after stopping under the tree.
Seeing the composed young woman, Cui Er's anger flared: "Qiu Liu, why did you refuse my family's marriage proposal?"
Qiu Heng was stunned.
She genuinely thought this playboy had come for Han Ziheng, thinking he was quite loyal and affectionate, but she never expected it was for this reason.
Why aren't you saying anything?
The girl, who was being stared at intently by Cui Er, wore an expression that was hard to describe: "Marriage is a major event that is decided by the elders. Doesn't Young Master Cui Er know that?"
Cui Er scoffed, "Your grandfather would look down on my family? It's definitely because you're unwilling!"
Seeing his directness, Qiu Heng didn't mince words either: "Yes, I don't want to."
"Why? Are you in love with that Prince Ling?"
Qiu Heng clenched her fist, smiled, and asked in return, "Why has the Cui family come to my house to propose marriage? Could it be that the Second Young Master Cui is fond of me?"
Cui Er jumped up as if bitten by a snake: "You, you, you mustn't be talking nonsense!"
His heart was pounding, a mixture of embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed and anger at Qiu Heng.
Qiu Heng knew that Cui Er wouldn't admit it, so she had more to say: "I'm not willing, and neither is Young Master Cui Er. Isn't it good that the marriage didn't happen?"
Cui Er was speechless.
"If Young Master Cui has finished speaking, then I'll be leaving now. I don't want to keep my friend waiting too long."
With a cold face, Cui Er watched Qiu Heng walk towards Feng Caixing and kicked a tree trunk.
The branches swayed, and several birds flew away in fright, leaving bird droppings in front of Cui Er.
Cui Er: "..."
Feng Caixing pulled Qiu Heng back, not forgetting to quickly glance back at Cui Er and mutter, "What a jerk. Heng, it suddenly dawned on me, what does Han Ziheng's misfortune have to do with you? How dare you come here to cause trouble for you!"
"Take your anger out on them."
“That’s true, that’s just how that group of people are.” Feng Caixing immediately accepted this reason.
After Cui Er's outburst, they lost interest in continuing their stroll. After bidding farewell to Princess Rongning, the two boarded the carriage of the Marquis of Changchun's residence.
"There are many competitions when the weather cools down, Ah Heng, you must participate!"
"good."
The carriage headed towards the Yongqing Earl's residence. Feng Caixing, being a lively person, kept talking all the way until a series of urgent gong sounds rang out outside.
"Why is it so noisy?" Feng Caixing lifted the car window curtain and peeked out, then hurriedly tugged at Qiu Heng's sleeve, "Aheng, look quickly, someone is throwing burning paper money everywhere!"
Just then, a gust of wind blew, and a piece of paper fluttered down and landed near the carriage.
"Hmm, it doesn't seem to be burning paper money." Feng Caixing's curiosity was piqued, and she instructed her maid to pick up the paper that had fallen on the ground to examine it.
It was an ordinary piece of hemp paper, on which many words were written in a messy manner.
"I am Wang Ping from Fengzhou. The scoundrel Yuan Chenghai stole my wife and seized my ancestral graves... I had nowhere to turn for help, so I went to the capital to file a complaint, but unexpectedly, the officials protected each other, forcing me to this point..."
As Feng Caixing read, her expression changed, and she looked at Qiu Heng.
Qiu Heng's expression was also not good, and she peeked out the window.
Is this Wang Ping with Tao Da and the others?
"Ah Heng, is the person riding the chestnut horse Yuan, Yuan Chenghai?" Feng Caixing, who was squeezed by the car window with Qiu Heng, asked in a low voice.
“It was him. He was attacked on the street that day, causing a traffic jam. I was riding in the car with my grandmother.” Qiu Heng said, trying to look ahead.
There were many people in front, some watching the excitement, and many guards protecting Yuan Chenghai from all sides.
After scattering the hemp paper covered with accusations, the man banged on the gong to block Yuan Chenghai's path. Seeing a group of guards approaching menacingly, he tossed the gong aside.
Qiu Heng's heart sank, a sense of foreboding rising within her.
"Who are you to dare slander me—" Before the leading guard could finish speaking, the man pulled out a dagger and immediately reached for the sword at his waist. "Protect the lord!"
The man plunged the dagger into his abdomen, and amidst screams, stared intently at Yuan Chenghai, who was sitting on horseback.
"You traitor Yuan, I'll haunt you even in death!"
He slowly fell to the ground, staring wide-eyed at the clear sky.
The ground in the capital was flat, hot and hard, but he only felt cold. His body was cold, and his heart was even colder. The high and bright sky appeared gray in his eyes.
No, my hometown is the best. It's a place where flowers bloom, willows sway, grass grows, and birds sing.
It's springtime...
The person gradually stopped breathing.
Amid the commotion, Yuan Chenghai's face was extremely grim: "Go and collect all the hemp paper he scattered!"
One by one, the guards approached the onlookers, shouting at them to hand over the hemp paper they had found. Those who were afraid of causing trouble hurriedly handed over the paper, while the bolder ones hid it carefully and quietly left in the chaos.
Feng Caixing witnessed the man's gruesome death; he remained motionless, like a clay sculpture.
"Caixing, are you alright?" Qiuheng asked softly.
"No, it's nothing." Feng Caixing came back to her senses, subconsciously wiping the corner of her eye and touching her hand, which was wet.
Her gaze fell on the hemp paper she had casually tossed aside, and she suddenly picked it up and stuffed it into her sleeve.
The young girl, who had never seen such a horrific scene, was pounding with anxiety as she looked at Qiu Heng: "Aheng, we can't hand it over to them, right?"
A few drops of moisture appeared in Qiu Heng's eyes.
"right."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
