"Why aren't you leaving?" Nan asked.
Yinzhen shook his head, summoned a guard to inquire about the reason, and the guard told him about the matter between the master and servant. At the time, Yinzhen did not think much of it.
They arrived at the post station without incident. Yinzhen carried Nan off the carriage and, passing by the master and servant, saw Thirteen chatting happily with the injured man.
The two hit it off immediately. Thirteen was open-minded and righteous, and even summoned the imperial physician who accompanied him to treat the injured man.
Thirteen grinned, showing off his big white teeth, and introduced Xu Huaiyu to his fourth brother, "Fourth brother, this is Brother Xu Huaiyu. He was on his way to the capital to take the imperial examination, but he encountered thieves on the way. His belongings were robbed and he was injured. The thieves are really hateful."
He then turned to Xu Huaiyu and said, “Brother Xu, don’t worry, I will definitely report this to the local government, catch the thief, and convict him. He dared to lay a hand on a future pillar of the court; he deserves to die.”
His words were passionate and inspiring, and Xu Huaiyu, though grateful, remained neither humble nor arrogant.
Nan glanced at the master and servant, and coincidentally, the woman standing behind Xu Huaiyu also looked up.
Nan blinked, casually shifted her gaze, then looked at Xu Huaiyu before looking away again, nestling her face against Yinzhen's chest, and twitching her lips, "Interesting!"
Yinzhen lowered his head slightly. "What?"
Nan Yi tilted her head up and gave him a quick kiss on the chin, saying, "It's so cold, let's go back inside."
Her public display of affection caused Yinzhen to blush and then turn pale. Not only was the postmaster who came out to greet him stunned, but even the thirteen men behind him were dumbfounded.
Yinzhen was extremely embarrassed, but he forced a cold expression and stepped into the post station. No matter how you looked at his back, it seemed like he was fleeing in panic.
Thirteen had never seen his fourth brother so disheveled. He smiled broadly and invited Xu Huaiyu, who was standing next to him, into the post station. He said to the stunned Xu brother with a smile, "My fourth sister-in-law loves to play around with my fourth brother. The two of them, one is old-fashioned and serious, and the other is lively by nature. They often make a lot of jokes. Please forgive them, Xu brother."
Xu Huaiyu narrowed his eyes. "The thirteenth young master's elder brother and his wife are deeply in love, a rare sight that makes others envious. Why don't we go in and have a drink to toast all lovers in the world?"
"I wholeheartedly agree."
The two went out for drinks together. After Nan Yi went to his room to rest, he instructed Fourth Master, "Bring me a glass of water first. I'm very thirsty after eating those pastries."
"Yier..."
Before he could say anything, she interrupted him, "Tell Thirteen to keep an eye on Xu Huaiyu and his servants, lest they be sold out and still be helping the seller count the money." Nan Yi gave a leisurely reminder.
Yinzhen immediately forgot about reprimanding Nan Yi. Regarding the Shicheng incident, he was somewhat paranoid. "Is there something wrong with Xu Huaiyu?"
“It’s not just a problem, it’s a huge problem, especially with the maidservant around him. Go and tell Thirteen to investigate Xu Huaiyu’s affairs more thoroughly.”
"I'll go now." He turned around, paused, then turned back. "I'll talk to you about the rules later."
"..." Nan Yi pouted, looking completely innocent. "I couldn't help myself. How do you want to punish me, Master?"
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen felt a sudden warmth in his heart, and couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way he did towards her.
He wanted to confirm something, so he quickly went to the bedside, his gaze fixed on her, their eyes locked. "Yi'er, after we return to the manor, I will definitely treat you well."
"No, if you can trust a man's words, pigs can fly. You've slapped my left cheek, then my right. After you've slapped me all that, next time you'll behead me. If you really want to be good to me, you might as well let me go."
"impossible."
"If you don't agree, fine. I don't want to go to the manor. I'll go to the villa on the outskirts of the capital and send my maids there to serve me."
Nan Yi, as a second choice, was a seriously ill patient. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. Saving Yinzhen was a matter of morality, and she didn't believe that he would refuse if she were to take the knife for him.
Yinzhen frowned. He didn't want to agree to let Yi'er live in a separate courtyard. Once she was away from him, she would be like a bird released from its cage, and she would have to run wild.
But right now, if he didn't agree, she would make a scene, which wouldn't be good for her recovery. He thought it would be better to appease her first and then find a way to refuse her once she had recovered.
"I need to think about it. You should recover from your injuries first, and then we can discuss it." He helped her pull up the blanket and said softly, "Lie down properly. I'll go find my thirteenth brother to find out about Xu Huaiyu."
This was the first time he had softened his stance, and Nan Yi grabbed his arm, "You mean what you say?"
"Would I lie to a woman like you? Be a good girl and rest. We can talk about it later. Listen to me." After saying that, he lowered the bed curtains to keep the light from disturbing her sleep.
He said she was a woman.
Hmph, I wonder which woman saved his life.
After receiving a reminder from Nan Yi, Thirteen became even closer to Xu Huaiyu, chatting together during the day and drinking together until midnight at night.
The next day, Xu Huaiyu set off. His foot was set by the imperial physician. It was just a dislocated joint, not a serious injury.
It seems the thief who robbed him still had some conscience; he only took the silver and didn't take his life, which was truly fortunate.
Nan Yi leaned over the carriage and whispered to Thirteen, who was riding alongside, "Have you noticed anything unusual?"
Thirteen smiled and shook his head, "He's just an ordinary scholar going to the capital for the imperial examinations, nothing unusual. Fourth Sister-in-law is being paranoid."
Xu Huaiyu was a weak scholar from Jiangshi. His family was of decent means, and his ancestors had been small landlords in the countryside for generations.
He was an only child, exceptionally talented in literature, and spoke eloquently. The maid was sent by his parents to take care of his daily needs.
"Well done, but a fake is a fake." Nan Yi said with a sneer. He couldn't be wrong about the sharp glint in the eyes of the young maid from the gentry's house.
She beckoned to Thirteen, "Here's what we'll do. We're not far from the capital now. Before we enter the city, find a way to separate the master and servant. Then, have someone pretend to scare the maid and test her reaction. You'll know whether it's real or not by now."
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