Chapter 78 Not Recognizing Each Other Mu Han seemed to be talking to himself, "I don't..."
*
The house is decorated in an antique style, with all the furniture made of mahogany.
The classically elegant mahogany desk features a finely textured mortise and tenon joint structure. Snow-white Xuan paper is laid out on the tabletop, and writing implements are placed within easy reach.
A girl of about ten years old was sitting at the table, intently writing.
Before long, the character "慕" appeared on the paper, stroke by stroke. It looked neat and tidy, but lacked strength.
After finishing the last few strokes, the little girl placed the pen on the celadon jade pen holder, looked at her family members beside her with a slightly shy expression, and whispered, "I'm done writing."
"Didn't you say to write your brother's name? Why did you only write his surname?" the woman's gentle voice rang out.
Standing next to the woman was a refined-looking middle-aged man. He suddenly chuckled and said, "It is indeed written well; truly, why leave blank spaces..."
The four words "Why leave blank spaces?" each one was like a thunderclap that traveled through time, exploding in Shen Qinglu's ears one after another.
She seemed to hear the sound of blood flowing through her veins, like the surging sea, and the sound of her own heartbeat, like the mountains shouting.
Amidst the roaring waves, she vaguely saw her former family.
"Who is seeking a friend? Is there anyone who can answer their question?"
It was clearly her speaking, but it didn't sound like it was coming from her mouth; it was so distant, so calm, completely different from her current state of mind.
"This first line came from outside the capital, so it shouldn't be from someone in the capital. I heard a few days ago that someone matched it, but I don't know if it's true or not." Gu Ruxu, unaware of her emotional turmoil, smiled slightly. "Those literati and scholars are always good at using ingenious methods to gain fame."
She feigned surprise and confusion, "You can do that?"
Gu Ruxu thought she didn't understand, thinking to herself that even though this child was exceptionally intelligent, she still knew too little about the outside world. So, she took the opportunity to break it down and explain many things about the capital.
Donglin City has many literati and scholars, some of whom are successful and others are unsuccessful. They hold poetry gatherings from time to time, either under the guise of enjoying the spring flowers or for the purpose of poetry competitions and debates.
Sometimes in the suburbs of Beijing, sometimes in the city center, but the most renowned gathering place for literati in Beijing was undoubtedly Luming Villa. Luming Villa has a wall called the Wenchang Wall, which records the winning poem of the poetry competition, as well as some exquisite couplets.
The blank space in the first line of the couplet has been on the Wenchang Wall of Luming Villa for nearly ten years.
Ten years have passed; was it really just a search for friends?
Could it be a search for relatives?
The night was long, and no one knew the turmoil in her heart, nor did anyone see her tossing and turning in bed.
When the first rays of dawn shone on her face, she thought she had returned to her past life, as if someone would push open the door and softly call her "A-Zhu" the next moment.
Suppressing her excitement and anticipation, when she told Gu Ruxu that she wanted to visit Deer Cry Manor, all she showed was curiosity about new things.
Gu Ruxu naturally wouldn't object, and even told her that the scenery at Luming Manor was excellent, and that it would open its doors on the ninth day of every month for the public to enjoy the view, and today happened to be the ninth day.
The villa is located in the southwest corner of Donglin City, a very quiet place.
The entrance itself is not particularly eye-catching, except for the two characters "鹿鸣" (Lu Ming, meaning "Deer's Cry") written in a bold and elegant style, which sets it apart from other places.
Upon entering, the view suddenly opens up, and the scent of water rushes towards you, mixed with the fragrance of spring grass and early-blooming peach blossoms.
People were scattered in twos and threes, including scholars, young girls, and ordinary-looking commoners.
Xia Chan went to ask for directions and learned the location of the Wenchang Wall.
As Shen Qinglu walked along, she felt increasingly familiar with the place, not because of the scenery or the people admiring it, but because the scene resembled a park from later generations.
The Wenchang Wall is located in the center of the villa, and as Gu Ruxu said, it is indeed inscribed with many poems, each with a signature and origin.
She first glanced at it, then searched carefully, but couldn't find the four-character first line of the couplet that said "Why leave it blank".
A scholar who was also admiring the poetry under the wall was asked a question. When the scholar saw her dark, jade-like eyes through her veil, he blushed instantly and dared not meet her gaze.
“The first line of the couplet I came from last time is still here… I heard that someone has come up with a matching line, and the person who came up with the first line has had their wish fulfilled, so they are now asking to have the first line removed.”
"Does the young master know the name of the person who composed the couplet, and what the second line is?"
The scholar shook his head, saying he didn't know.
The sound of women laughing and talking came from not far away, gradually approaching, and then stopped abruptly.
Several pairs of eyes turned to Shen Qinglu under the Wenchang Wall, some with amazement, some with jealousy, and some with resentment.
The pomegranate-red skirt shimmered under the spring sun, like water piled with brocade, its flowing lines exuding richness and intricacy, perfectly complementing the hair ornament in her hair, creating an extremely magnificent effect.
When she turned around, her eyes and brows shone brightly beyond the veil, and the pear blossom ornament on her forehead was the icing on the cake, eliciting countless exclamations of amazement.
"Whose daughter is this? She's so beautiful. I've never seen her before," someone asked instinctively.
The person next to her coughed lightly and frantically gestured with their eyes. Only then did the other person realize what was happening and hurriedly tried to cover it up, "She's still wearing a veil. There must be something she's not happy about, and she doesn't want to show her true face. This red dress looks really awkward on her."
Then who isn't awkward?
Of course, she was the only splash of red among all the pink and green-clad women—Zhuang Lanyi.
Even more coincidentally, Zhuang Lanyi's hairstyle today is similar to Shen Qinglu's, and she is also wearing a hair ornament.
She recognized Shen Qinglu, and her eyes burned with jealousy.
"What a coincidence! I never expected to run into Miss Shen here."
The moment the words "Miss Shen" were uttered, everyone was astonished.
"This young lady is the real one..."
"It's her!"
The person who said this was Jiang Xinyue.
Jiang Xinyue had just suffered a setback yesterday, not only failing to gain the upper hand, but also being severely reprimanded by Jiang Yingshui afterward, who said she really shouldn't have tried to kill herself in the Marquis's mansion.
If word got out, it wouldn't just be her loss of face, but the entire Jiang family's reputation. What she found even more unacceptable was that she was originally supposed to stay at the Marquis's residence for a few days, but was instead sent back to the Jiang family.
"She is the real eldest daughter of the Yu family, and now her surname is Shen."
These words elicited subtle glances from many people.
Some people looked towards Zhuang Lanyi's other side, their gaze landing on the girl in the green dress, and whispered among themselves.
"What a coincidence, the real and the fake have bumped into each other."
"I was wondering why Miss Zhuang, who used to dislike jade and rouge, had invited me to enjoy the scenery today. Turns out she was waiting here."
Zhuang Lanyi was in the lead, with Jiang Xinyue on one side and Yu Liuzhu on the other.
Yu Liuzhu's features were more striking than Zhuang Lanyi's, but her complexion was inferior. Furthermore, without makeup, she appeared like a green leaf beneath a red flower.
"Ah Li, what are you doing here?" she asked Shen Qinglu.
Shen Qinglu said in a nonchalant tone, "Just taking a walk."
Jiang Xinyue curled her lip, saying with a hint of disdain, "Miss Chen was looking at the poem on the Wenchang Wall just now. I wonder if she could understand it?"
"No," Shen Qinglu replied decisively.
She was so casual and showed no shame that it left people unsure how to react.
Jiang Xinyue's expression changed several times. "If you don't understand, why are you looking? Miss Chen, you must have come to the wrong place?"
"The villa opens its doors on the ninth day of the month, and anyone can come in to enjoy the scenery. What wrong have I done?"
"You can't stay still. You went to the Marquis's residence yesterday and came to the villa today."
"Likewise."
Jiang Xinyue was speechless, her voice sharpening, "You've already been recognized and taken back, and even changed your surname to Chen, so why are you still fixated on Yu Liuzhu? And why did you follow me here? What are you trying to do?"
Some people, not understanding why, started discussing it.
In the past, Yu Liuzhu would have looked down on Jiang Xinyue, a brainless sycophant. But now, she was using Jiang Xinyue's words to gain sympathy from others.
“Sister Ali, I have moved out and returned everything I owed you. I have nothing to do with you anymore. Why won’t you let me go?”
On this beautiful spring day, many people are enjoying the scenery.
By now, a lot of people had gathered around to watch the spectacle, and amidst the various opinions, everyone was talking at once, each holding their own viewpoint.
For these people, the stirring and righteous poems of their predecessors on the Wenchang Wall are not as interesting as the quarrels and hair-tearing between the girls in front of them.
Shen Qinglu glanced at the sky, and the streaks of light on the horizon appeared and disappeared in her dark eyes, like the aurora borealis in the night, endlessly colorful and gorgeous, making it impossible to look away.
As she walked toward those people, everyone stared at her intently.
Her features, partially obscured by the veil, were mysterious and alluring. As she drew closer, the surrounding scenery, including the people around her, instantly became mere foils to her beauty.
Similar red dresses, identical hairstyles with dangling hair ornaments, and floral decorations on their foreheads, yet they present completely different appearances; one is like a flamboyant red apricot, while the other pales in comparison.
For no apparent reason, Zhuang Lanyi wanted to avoid her sharp edge, but she called out to her.
“Miss Zhuang, you be the judge. She says that since I was recognized and she moved out, she's given everything back to me. Is that right or wrong?”
For a moment, everyone waited for Zhuang Lanyi to speak.
Zhuang Lanyi disliked Yu Liuzhu to begin with, and now she disliked her even more, so she was naturally eager for them to clash. "This is your business, why don't you take this opportunity to talk things out today?"
Yu Liuzhu looked very sad and said, "Sister Ali, Miss Zhuang is right, this is our matter. I was innocent in what happened back then. I moved out with almost nothing. Isn't that enough?"
The Yu family's affairs have become the talk of the town in Beijing recently, and most people, whether they know them or not, have heard about them.
Some say that since they've been switched back, it's considered even. Others bring up the debt of gratitude for being born and raised, feeling that Shen Linlang went too far; even if she's reunited with her biological daughter, she shouldn't be so heartless as to kick out the child she's raised for over a decade.
Some even lamented, "Miss Shen doesn't even realize that she was a fool before. If she hadn't been switched, countless people would have laughed at the General's Mansion for having a foolish niece. Where would General Shen put his face then?"
The power of public opinion is evident in this example.
Shen Qinglu's goal in both her lives was to survive. Apart from her real family, she didn't care about anyone's thoughts or opinions. Even when she heard these words with her own ears, her emotions were not affected at all.
But she showed a heartbroken and distressed expression, saying, "Your own mother tried to kill me, drugged me, and made me mentally impaired for sixteen years. While I suffered during those sixteen years, you were enjoying a life of luxury and pampering because of my identity. How can you repay me?"
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
Yu Liuzhu's expression changed, and she said righteously, "Sister Ali, you can't just make things up without any evidence."
"What I heard with my own ears is also considered unsubstantiated?"
"You were clearly born lacking a soul and spirit..."
Is there any evidence to support this claim?
With both sides lacking evidence, who is telling the truth and who is lying?
Before Yu Liuzhu could argue, Shen Qinglu continued, "You keep saying that you've paid back everything you owed, so why are you with them?"
Her gaze swept over Zhuang Lanyi and the others. It was dark and seemingly empty, yet it had a suffocating sense of oppression that made people afraid to look directly at her.
Finally, he looked at Yu Liuzhu expressionlessly, "If you weren't using my identity, how could you know them? If you could really give up everything that doesn't belong to you, you wouldn't be here today. You even said that I wouldn't let you go, but it's clearly you who won't let go!"
A sudden silence fell, brief and eerie.
Suddenly someone loudly echoed, "Miss Chen is right. If this Miss Yu truly doesn't want to owe anyone anything, she should sever all ties with the past. How can she still be clinging to her advantage?"
This statement was immediately met with agreement: "That's right, doesn't she realize that as the daughter of a disgraced official, how could she possibly have gotten to know Miss Zhuang and the others if she hadn't taken over Miss Shen's identity? She even said she'd returned everything, but if she really wanted to return everything, she shouldn't have sought out Miss Zhuang and the others. Isn't that just contradicting herself?"
The crowd stirred, with many finding the statement quite reasonable and whispering among themselves.
Right and wrong, black and white, all depend on one's mouth. With a flick of the lips, it can be black, white, or gray.
Shen Qinglu glanced at Zhuang Lanyi, "Miss Zhuang, I wonder who invited whom today, you or Yutang?"
"Yu Tang?" Zhuang Lanyi quickly realized that Yu Tang was Yu Liuzhu. Her expression changed several times. "Of course... it was a coincidence. She came to talk to me, and I couldn't just ignore her."
In fact, it was she who found Yu Liuzhu and arranged to meet here.
Yu Liuzhu couldn't expose her, so she had no choice but to acquiesce.
Shen Qinglu said "Oh" and solemnly said, "Cousin Tang'er, I hope you will keep your word and return everything that originally belonged to me. Don't bother Miss Zhuang and the others again, so as not to make things difficult for them."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Even from a distance, her fiery red dress remained vibrant and eye-catching, drawing people's attention for a long time.
"How come I never knew you were so useless? You can't even argue with someone who's been stupid for sixteen years." Zhuang Lanyi said sternly, criticizing Yu Liuzhu.
Yu Liuzhu clenched her fists, enduring the humiliation surging within her, and said, "I told you, she's no ordinary person, and she's not easy to deal with. But don't worry, I'll help you."
Zhuang Lanyi snorted coldly and said nothing more.
*
Luming Villa was originally built in the previous dynasty and was once a royal garden.
At the beginning of the founding of the Great Ye Kingdom, the ancestors of the Feng clan lavishly rewarded those who followed the emperor. Among them was a merchant surnamed Guo who had provided him with financial assistance. When asked what kind of reward he wanted, the man said that he did not like being an official and had no intention of becoming a marquis or earl. He only wished to travel around, enjoy the scenery, and appreciate the moon.
With a stroke of his pen, the Feng family ancestor bestowed this land upon him.
His descendants, like him, had no ambition for officialdom. Some went into business, while others simply enjoyed the fruits of their labor and maintained the family business. Most of them did not achieve anything remarkable.
Shen Qinglu had heard Gu Ruxu mention that this manor was now under the name of the seventh generation of the Guo family, and that the manor lord Guo lived in the southern part of the manor, where no one was allowed to set foot.
She took Xia Chan with her and headed south.
She had no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery along the way.
At the corner, an old man and a young boy were talking.
The older man, dressed in a white robe and turban, looked like a learned scholar, while the younger man, in fine clothes, appeared somewhat casual.
"Master Guo, I just want to know why my second line didn't work? Who is the one who has won over Young Master Liu's heart?"
"You..." the younger man said impatiently, "You've studied all these years and haven't even passed the county-level exam. How could the kindred spirit that Young Master Liu is looking for be you?"
Shen Qinglu's heart stirred slightly, and she stopped with Xia Chan.
The old man, his weakness exposed, was naturally agitated. "Master Guo, you...you can't speak so harshly! My ambitions are not for fame or fortune, I only wish to find a true friend in this life. Young Master Liu Bai's first line of the couplet has been out for nearly ten years, and I have a new couplet every year, so why have I never succeeded? I just want to know, who exactly has caught Young Master Liu Bai's eye!"
"Alright, I'll tell you!" Master Guo shook his head, looking like he had been pestered to no end. "The Liu family is the richest family in Licheng, and Young Master Liu Bai is their only son. Like you, he doesn't study for fame and fortune, but only for a close friend."
After searching for so many years, I've finally found it. Listen carefully, the man's name is Song Mo, and the second line is "Only I send ink," which is a perfect match, with "white" matching "ink," and "Liu Bai" matching "Song Mo." It's a flawless, perfect match, don't you agree?
"I...I refuse to accept this!" The old man grabbed Master Guo's clothes. "Master Guo, please ask Young Master Liu Bai for me if it's possible to have one more confidant in life?"
"Stop your nonsense!" Master Guo said irritably, shaking off the old man. "You just want to latch onto Young Master Liu so you'll never have to worry about food and drink again. Let me tell you, give up on that idea!"
One of them clung to them, while the other struggled to break free, seemingly unaware that Shen Qinglu and her servant had come over, nor that they had seen them leave.
Shen Qinglu didn't see that after she walked away, they exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with veiled suspicion.
The old man released his grip first, straightened his clothes, and said, "This is an insult to civility."
Master Guo rolled his eyes at him with disdain, "Your shabby air is almost suffocating me, what kind of refined nonsense is this!"
"I think you need to be taught a lesson!" The old man picked up a wooden stick from the roadside, as if to hit someone.
The two ran and chased, and after an unknown amount of time, they were blocked by a bamboo forest.
Deep within the bamboo forest, upturned eaves and corners peek out.
The old man threw down his stick, said "I'll deal with you later," and walked towards the bamboo grove, entering the palace-like house with its double eaves and bracket sets.
The fragrance of green bamboo permeates everything, from the outside in.
He bowed respectfully to the person dressed in snow inside the room and said, "My lord, everything has been done as you instructed."
After speaking, he bowed again and withdrew.
The snow-white figure slowly turned around, as if a sudden blizzard had struck.
With a cool and aloof expression, and eyes lowered as if a god had closed his eyes, it was none other than Mu Hanshi.
“Miss Ali must have come to see the Lord. Why doesn’t the Lord acknowledge her?” Yang Zhen asked from beside him.
If the so-called dream person is only one person's dream, that makes sense. But if the dream person comes looking for you, is it still a dream?
The world is vast and full of wonders, some absurd and bizarre, others horrifying. Whether one believes it or not is merely a matter of a single thought. For Yang Zhen, however, this thought is one of conviction.
He believed in his master and was loyal to him, no matter how absurd or horrifying the story was.
Mu Hanshi glanced at him, his calm gaze seemingly passing right through him before looking out the window.
"The person she's looking for is the me in her dreams, not the me now."
"The Lord's own dream, and the person in the dream is none other than the Lord himself?"
"It is me, yet it is not me."
He seemed to understand, yet he also seemed not to.
The bamboo groves are secluded and seem similar at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they are different from the bamboo groves of Da Xuan Kong Temple and Hou Mansion. New bamboo shoots, eager to vie for spring, are already waving their new green leaves and growing greedily and unrestrainedly.
The old green and the new green coexist once again, clearly showing that the old does not go and the new comes. It is like the attachment between life and death; death is not death, and life is not life, yet life and death are interdependent and inseparable.
After an unknown amount of time, Mu Hanshi seemed to be talking to himself, "I don't want to be her brother anymore."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
