Chapter 28: Dark Willow

After Ming Huashang had her midnight snack, she suddenly said to Zhaocai, "Zhaocai, give me all my purses."

Zhaocai was surprised. It was already this late and he didn't have to go out, so why did his wife look at the purse? But since Ming Huashang asked him to, Zhaocai didn't think much about it and quickly took out the purse from the box.

"My lady, it's all here."

Ming Huashang picked through the items and asked with a frown, "Are these all you have?"

Zhaocai asked cautiously, "What kind of thing do you want, madam? I will ask them to make it again."

Purses were not easy to buy, so the women in each room made them themselves. Ming Huashang could not sew, so her purses and sachets were embroidered by her maids.

Even the maids in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion were used to going in and out of banquets, so the purses were made very delicate and elegant, and they avoided using bright red and bright yellow. Ming Huashang looked around but couldn't find a red purse that met General Han's requirements.

General Han made it clear that the assessment was not his responsibility. Ming Huashang did not know the contact person, and the contact person might not have seen her. The two of them relied on the red purse to prove their identity. What if the red was not used enough or too elegantly, and the other party did not notice it?

This was related to her free meal ticket for the rest of her life, so Ming Huashang did not dare to be careless and said to Zhaocai: "Zhaocai, make me a big red purse. It doesn't need to be decorated, as long as it is big enough and red enough."

"Ah?" Zhaocai was stunned. What kind of request was this? The purse was the face of the wife. Making it bright red would be too vulgar, right?

Zhaocai noticed that their wives were becoming more and more explicit in their aesthetic taste, and asked tactfully, "Madam, is red too conspicuous?"

"It has to be conspicuous." Ming Huashang was very satisfied with her idea and said, "Go make the purse quickly. It must be made within four days!"

Zhaocai had no choice but to obey the order and leave. In just two days, the new purse was ready.

Just as Ming Huashang instructed, it was bright red without any cover, hanging around the waist, which was very eye-catching.

The maids took turns saying that the purse might be too bright, but Ming Huashang didn't care. She happily took it on herself and carried it with her wherever she went.

Although Ming Huashang was simple, she was not without aesthetic taste. She knew that this purse was festive but not very cultured. But if she suddenly went out with such a big red envelope in five days, it would be too unusual. She could only pretend to like it and carry it with her every day. People would get used to it and no one would pay attention to it.

Ming Huashang was criticized a few times, but she didn't care. In a blink of an eye, the appointed day arrived.

That day, after paying his respects, Ming Huashang returned to his room, yawned twice, and said, "I didn't sleep well last night, so I need to get some more sleep. You guys stay outside and don't come in to disturb me. If anyone comes, you can tell them that I'm resting and that we can talk after I wake up."

Sleeping in the daytime is bad for one's reputation. Who wants to be labeled as lazy? But Ming Huashang didn't care. The four maids also accepted it well. They even lowered the curtains for Ming Huashang, lit incense, and quietly closed the door and left.

Ming Huashang pretended to lie in the quilt. After the others left, she quietly got out of bed, changed into an inconspicuous Hu costume, and jumped out of the back window.

She had already planned the route, and Ming Huashang walked through the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion with ease and familiarity, without startling anyone, and soon reached the back door.

She had inquired yesterday that the kitchen shopping team would be back at this time. She waited in the corner for a while, and then the back door became busy. Ming Huashang poked her head out, and when the time was right, she scattered a handful of soybeans on the ground.

The boy carrying the chickens was walking towards the kitchen at a brisk pace when he suddenly slipped. He instinctively struggled and loosened his grip on the chickens' wings. The two chickens regained their freedom and flew up in the air, filling the sky with chicken feathers.

The chickens were clucking and running around the garden. Everyone was panicking. The servant guarding the back door no longer cared about staring at the door and hurried to help catch the chickens.

After working for a while, they finally caught both chickens. The gatekeeper wiped his sweat and returned to his post. He looked around and found no one hiding in the corner, so he drank some water and took a rest.

By this time, Ming Huashang had already run quite far. She looked back and saw that no one was chasing her, so she walked back to the street with peace of mind.

Oh, even if she swaggered past the main gate of the Duke of Zhen’s Mansion, who would be able to recognize her?

She took two steps with a pace that didn't recognize any relatives, and a familiar cold voice came from behind: "Second Mother?"

Ming Huashang's calves trembled, but she still held her head high and pretended not to hear anything, but in fact she secretly quickened her pace. However, the pleasant voice quickly changed from doubt to certainty, and said calmly: "Second Mother."

Ming Huachang was crying silently in her heart. It turned out that people hated to celebrate halfway through the game. Now she was suffering retribution in this life. If she had left the house quickly, how could she have encountered this?

Turning around, Ming Huashang put on an innocent expression. When he saw Ming Huazhang, he even widened his eyes in surprise: "Second brother, why are you here?"

Ming Huazhang looked at her silently. He should be the one to ask this question. Ming Huazhang glanced behind him and asked quietly, "What are you doing outside?"

Even if Ming Huashang had ten guts, she wouldn't dare to say she was going to meet the Queen's lackeys. She smiled shyly and said, "Go to the South Market to buy rouge."

"Why are you alone? Where is the maid?"

Ming Huashang kept smiling and said innocently, "I accidentally left something behind, so I asked her to go back and get it. I'll wait for her here."

Ming Huazhang's eyes were clear and calm, reflecting Ming Huachang's shadow clearly: "Oh, what's missing?"

"Snacks."

"Then how do you get out?"

"I'm going to go over there and look for food."

Ming Huashang answered without hesitation and fluently. After she finished speaking, she silently gave herself a thumbs up. Her mind had never been so clever!

Ming Huashang thought that she must have caught a cold on this trip. How could Ming Huazhang believe such a clumsy lie? The second brother would definitely send her back home. I hope he would not alarm Madam Ming, otherwise she would not be able to keep the appointment today.

Unexpectedly, Ming Huazhang glanced at her body indifferently and did not pursue the matter. Instead, he said, "It's too dangerous for you to be alone outside. Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you."

Ming Huachang was surprised. She hesitated and tried to think of a solution quickly: "No need. Second brother, you must be busy. Go and do it. These maids haven't come out for so long. I'll go in and find them."

Ming Huazhang knew all about Ming Huachang's tricks. She had finally managed to escape, so she would definitely be unhappy if she went back like this. However, it was too dangerous to leave her outside, so Ming Huazhang simply said, "It's okay. It's on the way. I'll go with you."

At this point, Ming Huachang would be exposed if she refused. She thought that it was still early for the agreed time, and she could just figure it out when she got to Nanshi. She smiled, happily took Ming Huazhang's arm, and said, "Okay, thank you, second brother."

Ming Huazhang was not used to being so close to people, but when he saw Ming Huachang's smiling face, as if she was completely immersed in the joy of going out for shopping, he couldn't bear to push her away. He sighed slightly and said, "If you want to go out in the future, come find me, don't run around by yourself."

Ming Huashang blinked her big eyes at him, hummed softly, and smiled coquettishly and flatteringly: "Second brother is the best, thank you second brother."

Nanshi is the most prosperous market in Luoyang. It was built in the style of the East and West Market in Chang'an. It sells seasonal vegetables, rouge and powder, gold, silver, jade, rare treasures from the Western Regions, etc. Ming Huashang has been to Nanshi more than once, but she was always surrounded by maids and sisters. This is the first time she walks among the crowd with a man.

Nanshi was bustling with people, and people kept bumping into Ming Huashang. Ming Huashang was bumped twice, and her shoulders were a little sore. Ming Huazhang saw this and calmly took her in his arms and protected her in front of him.

The people in the Duke's Mansion knew that they were brother and sister, so they didn't think much of their behavior, but the vendors on the street didn't know. They just thought they were a young couple and enthusiastically solicited business.

Ming Huashang was squeezed in the crowd, with Ming Huazhang's solid chest behind her, and a crisp pine scent lingering at the tip of her nose. Ming Huashang blushed slightly, and finally felt a little embarrassed.

Ming Huazhang treated her as his own sister and took care of her wholeheartedly, without any other intentions, but Ming Huachang knew very well that they were not. She was a little embarrassed, but the crowd around her was too crowded, so she couldn't distance herself from Ming Huazhang even if she wanted to.

Fortunately, they soon reached the rouge and powder area. Ming Huashang heaved a sigh of relief, not even taking the time to look at the names of the shops, she just randomly picked a rouge shop and walked in.

The female shopkeeper came out to greet them attentively. She glanced at the overly pretty young couple in front of her and asked knowingly, "Are you two here to see Rouge?"

Ming Huashang didn't want to buy any rouge. She racked her brains to think of how to get Ming Huazhang to leave, but she heard Ming Huazhang say seriously: "I don't know much about this. Take out all the rouge in your store that is suitable for a young lady like her."

When the female shopkeeper heard that it was a big customer, she smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, I'll be right there. Madam, you are so lucky. There are not many husbands willing to accompany you to buy rouge nowadays."

Ming Huashang and Ming Huazhang were both stunned for a moment. Ming Huashang blushed with embarrassment and waved her hands quickly: "No, no, shopkeeper, you have misunderstood, this is my brother."

"Ah?" The female shopkeeper was also stunned. She scanned the two people, one was cold and the other was sweet. They had no similarities in appearance or temperament. They were actually brother and sister?

The female shopkeeper subconsciously asked, "Is he a biological child?"

Ming Huashang and Ming Huazhang did not answer immediately. The female shopkeeper realized that she had said something wrong, slapped her face and said, "Look at my mouth, it's all nonsense, don't take it to heart. Please wait a moment, I'll get the rouge."

After this incident, the shopkeeper was embarrassed and quickly took out a row of rouge. Ming Huashang was so embarrassed that she wanted to die, but she still had to hold on to the table and said lightly and cheerfully: "Second brother, which of these two colors do you think looks better?"

Ming Huazhang was extremely embarrassed, but Ming Huachang had no grudges and trusted her brother wholeheartedly. He suppressed his emotions and stood beside her with a calm and cool demeanor. In order to avoid suspicion, he even had to stand very close to her: "You will look good no matter what you do."

Ming Huazhang's attitude was too gentlemanly. Ming Huachang's back felt like it was burned. She tensed up tightly and tried her best to ignore the clear fragrance behind her: "Okay, then I'll buy them all."

Ming Huazhang paid in silence, and the female storekeeper took the food away to pack it. When she came back, she saw the two siblings standing side by side in a neat and tidy manner, and could not help but say, "You two siblings have such a good relationship."

Ming Huashang smiled awkwardly at the female shopkeeper and was about to reach out to take the package, but was snatched away by a slender hand.

Ming Huachang turned around and saw Ming Huazhang's eyes, clear and bright, like the lake light and the moonlight after the rain. He said, "Let's go."

Ming Huashang nodded, and the two of them walked out of the rouge shop with an overly strong fragrance, and breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

Ming Huazhang asked: "Where else do you want to go?"

Ming Huashang saw that the appointed time was approaching, and was extremely anxious. He said, "No more. Second brother, I am really sorry to have kept you for so long. Go and do your work. I will go back first."

Ming Huazhang said: "I'll take you back."

"No need." Ming Huashang didn't dare to ask him to take her back. She forced a smile and said, "The Duke's Mansion is not far from South City. I can walk back by myself. I don't dare to trouble you, brother."

Ming Huazhang frowned slightly: "How can this be called a trouble?"

Seeing that time was running out, Ming Huashang could not care less and snatched the paper bag from Ming Huazhang's hand and ran away: "It's okay, I can do it myself. I'm leaving first, goodbye, second brother."

Ming Huashang didn't even look back, and ran a long way before she dared to stop. She panted and looked around, and only felt relieved when she was sure that Ming Huazhang hadn't caught up with her.

She didn't dare to rest and quickly went to find the contact person according to the strange address.

Enshunfang is right next to Nanshi. She counted along the way and indeed found a steamed bun shop with a blue flag in the alley.

Finally found, Ming Huashang felt quite disgusted, why couldn't General Han just tell the name of the store, why did he have to make so much trouble. Then Ming Huashang was stunned, and realized that it was not General Han who was stupid, but this line of work was dangerous, and he had to use such a tortuous and complicated way to protect the people inside.

It was at this time that Ming Huashang realized that once she stepped into this store and said the secret code, some things would never go back.

Now she still doesn't know what changes this action will bring to her destiny. She only knows that there is a pair of invisible eyes staring at her from behind and she cannot retreat.

No matter what lies ahead.

Ming Huashang finally stood up and stopped in front of the counter. She asked with a smile in her girlish soft voice, "Boss, how many lamb liver dumplings are left?"

A fat, plain-looking middle-aged man looked up at Ming Huashang and said indifferently, "We make it now and sell it as many as you want. How many do you want?"

Ming Huashang didn't care about the shopkeeper's indifference and said with a smile, "One copy."

The shopkeeper threw a wooden sign at her and said without even looking up, "Find a place to wait. I'll bring it to you when it's done."

Ming Huashang thanked him. She noticed that the words "Room No. 5, Tian Zi Wu" were engraved on the back of the sign. She put away the sign silently and walked into the store.

This steamed dumpling shop looks small, but I didn’t expect that there is a hidden secret behind it. Ming Huashang looked for the number plate and quickly found No. 50.

The door of the room was half-closed. Ming Huashang took a breath and encouraged herself secretly.

She had dealt with old foxes like General Han before, so there was nothing to be afraid of. She calmed down and gently opened the door.

The door opened in the northwest corner, next to a landscape painting screen, behind which a figure could be vaguely seen pouring tea. He was tall and straight, with an elegant posture, and his features could not be seen through the screen, except that his face seemed extremely white, like jade.

Ming Huashang was very surprised. It was actually a young man? She thought that the Xuanxiao Guards were all middle-aged people like General Han. She walked forward a few steps and suddenly found that the clothes of the person behind the screen looked familiar.

Isn’t this a Minghua chapter?

Ming Huashang quickly squatted down, extremely thankful that she made no sound when she opened the door. She lay on the ground and quietly moved out like a crab.

As a result, just as she moved to the door, it was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Ming Huashang raised her head and was caught off guard by the other person's sight, suffocating.

The person outside the door was also stunned for a moment, then smiled softly: "Second sister, why are you here?"