Chapter 130: Nan Gui I Want You to Stay with Me
After the hour of You, light snow began to fall in the palace. Lu Tingwan stood under the eaves of the palace with an umbrella, but the snow still came in.
Cheng Xianzhi trudged through the snow from Hanzhang Palace to pick her up. His dark hair caught many snowflakes, and his smile was enough to dispel the bitter chill of the snowy day. Lu Tingwan's smile was always faint, the curve of her lips concealing a deep thought.
"Let's go home!" Cheng Xianzhi extended his hand to her. Lu Tingwan was two steps lower than her and looked down at him from her position. Her face was particularly cold, but her eyes were tender when she looked at her.
"It's time to go back!" Lu Tingwan did not hold hands, but just looked at the sky outside the palace wall. The white snow obscured the distant view and nothing could be seen.
Cheng Xianzhi stepped onto the first step, and his outstretched hand naturally fell on her waist. Lu Tingwan moved aside silently. Cheng Xianzhi was stunned for a moment, then turned back and walked side by side with her. Lu Tingwan held the umbrella for both of them, and Cheng Xianzhi took it.
"Awan, what's wrong?" He seemed to be aware of Lu Tingwan's mood, and those worries surfaced again.
Lu Tingwan stopped and asked bluntly, "Did you arrange for the rumors about the Jiang family after the Lu family was raided, specifically letting me know?"
Cheng Xianzhi's fingertips turned red as he gripped the umbrella handle. In the moment of hesitation, Lu Tingwan already knew his answer.
He tried to change the subject, forcing a smile: "Ah Wan, I said I'd take you somewhere that day, so let's go now."
"You deliberately led me into the palace to look for evidence of the Jiang and Lu families' collusion," Lu Tingwan questioned, looking him straight in the face. "And then you didn't ask me to gather any information for you from Jinhua Palace. Why?"
"Haven't you always wanted to do business? I asked Han Zhou to buy the shop that was originally owned by Xianchunli in Fenglin Lane. From now on, you can do business if you want. You can do whatever you want, as long as you can see me, okay?" He spoke to himself, but he felt so powerless.
"What are you planning?"
"Awan."
"Answer me!"
His fingertips dug into his palm. She finally knew what he had been hiding for so long. Cheng Xianzhi forced a wry smile, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you!"
That smile was a little helpless. Even though she once knew how despicable his methods were, Cheng Xianzhi didn't want to let her know at this moment. The questioning look in her eyes was like a burning fire, making it difficult for him to avoid it.
"yes!"
"Why?"
"After the Lu family was executed, there's nothing left for you to stay in Kyoto. What will you do?"
"Of course I left Kyoto!" Lu Tingwan did not hide it.
Cheng Xianzhi lowered his head, the bright hem of her skirt catching his eye. He took a step forward and tilted the oil-paper umbrella towards her. "Yes, but I don't want you to leave."
Lu Tingwan's face was full of doubt. "So, you took advantage of my resentment towards the Lu family case and deliberately made me stay in Kyoto voluntarily so that you could watch me enter the palace?"
"As long as I can keep you, that's enough."
Lu Tingwan felt a layer of fog in his heart, and he didn't know how to respond for a long time.
"Cheng Xianzhi, I left Kyoto three years ago. It was you who negotiated with me at Qingyao Mountain, asking me to return to Kyoto to help you. And then you repeatedly refused to give me the divorce papers. Even if you used all your tricks, whether it was out of true love or calculation, I will never change my mind. Where I go and where I stay is not because of anyone else, but because of myself!"
How could he not know? He set up this trap because he knew the Lu family was dead and there was no reason to keep anyone behind.
"Are you leaving?" Cheng Xianzhi's voice was hoarse. He was afraid to hear her answer, but also expected a different answer.
Lu Tingwan rode the snow and wind, "If it were you, and I asked you to leave Kyoto with me, would you be willing?"
"But I won't force you to answer like that. You have your own path to follow, and I have my own choices. You and I are the same people, and neither of us will stay for the other." Lu Tingwan felt that Cheng Xianzhi loved her, but this love might not be enough to match the powerful official position he had been planning for many years. She would not let herself be trapped in this dilemma where he had to choose between a powerful official career and herself.
"How do you know I can't do it!" The umbrella handle was about to break, and blood seeped from the palm of his hand and flowed into his wide sleeves.
Lu Tingwan looked down at the entire palace and said, "When the snow melts in spring, the wild geese will head north, and it will be time for me to head south."
"Awan!" Cheng Xianzhi suddenly hugged her and held her tightly in his arms. A gust of wind stirred up the snow. Cheng Xianzhi didn't know how to keep her.
She begged, "Can you stay for me? Just this once, just this time."
"Awan, I love you, I love you so much!"
"I don't know what's wrong with me..."
"I want you to stay with me."
"Awan, please, stay, okay?"
“…”
The humble plea was silent.
Lu Tingwan did not push him away. At this moment, she liked Cheng Xianzhi, but she loved the freedom without any constraints even more.
Some people are not afraid of separation, while others, in order to prevent separation, make a lock, hoping to trap the person who wants to leave. That night, he set a trap, a trap that even he himself could not bring himself to talk about, just to keep her.
"Cheng Xianzhi, mountain birds and fish have different paths. You can roam freely in the vastness, but I will fly to my mountain. From now on, our meeting is fate. Even if we don't meet, it is also intention." She felt the warmth in his arms and left decisively. The snow wrapped around her petite body, and the snow curtain submerged her receding figure.
Cheng Xianzhi couldn't see clearly, his eyes were filled with moisture, and his heart was bleeding with tears that he couldn't express. He only knew that all the hatred and resentment could only be attributed to himself.
He stood in the snow for a long time, and the snow was covered with white. The oil-paper umbrella fell on the snow, covering it with a layer of snow.
Han Zhou approached him, picked up his umbrella and shook off the snowflakes. "Master, why didn't you tell the lady the truth? In order to save her life, you were willing to be imprisoned in the lock made by the late emperor..."
"I've already used despicable means to keep her for a few years. This is time I gave to myself and to her. It's clear that I was wrong from the beginning. This time, I should let her make her own choice."
Han Zhou said with regret, "Madam wants freedom, but her life was bought by you at the cost of your own freedom."
***
The day Lu Tingwan left Kyoto with Fengxin, it was like a spring breeze turning into rain. Cheng Xianzhi chased her out of the Ten-Li Pavilion, his eyes red. "Ah Wan, you can go back to Jiangling. I'll wait for you at the Ten-Li Pavilion at this time next spring."
"I have already signed the divorce agreement and placed it in the chess box on the couch in Yansheng Hall. You can sign it when you have time." Lu Tingwan pulled off the jade pendant around her neck, held his wrist, and placed the jade pendant with her own warmth in his palm.
"I'll give it back to you!"
He tried to stay again and again, but this was the first time he saw her leave. The axle kicked up dust, as if taking away the three years of wind and snow in Kyoto, along with his heart.
The wild geese are flying south, that’s their return.
***
During the three years of wind and snow in Kyoto, Cheng Xianzhi was busy with government affairs. The memorials from the court meetings in Hanzhang Hall piled up like a mountain. The military reports sent back from Shanhaiguan and the northwest, and the little emperor's homework, all passed through his hands.
He went to Shili Pavilion and waited for three years, but never saw Lu Tingwan return to the capital.
The geese returning north flew over the mountains, forests and wilderness, but they never saw Jiang Yanli again after he returned south.
Cheng Xianzhi looked up at the sky and saw the geese flying north, then he understood.
The geese return and leave.
His A Wan left three years ago. There is no Lu Tingwan in the world anymore, only Jiang Yanli.
Thousands of miles away in Jiangling, Lu Tingwan traveled back and forth between Jiangling and overseas for business for three years.
She shipped the flowers that were produced in Jiangling overseas for sale, and used the money from the sales to buy spices from overseas and sell them back in Jiangling, thus accumulating a considerable fortune.
Then he bought land in Jiangling and planted flowers to supply various dealers. The trade route for overseas spices was continuous. Behind the owners of major shops in Jiangling, there was a mysterious manager named Jiang, and few people had seen his true face.
Lu Tingwan seldom shows up, and Feng Xin is the one who handles everything. She doesn't live in the city, but in the village where she used to live with her mother. She has renovated her old house and built a new grape trellis in the front yard.
There is a large flower field in front of the wooden house. She rented the fields from the villagers to grow flowers. She was often seen lying in the flower fields and falling asleep. Whenever Feng Xin couldn't find her in the wooden house, he would run into the flower fields and shout, but the flower fields in the village were too vast to be easily found.
One day, she was enjoying the cool air in the wooden house. Several children in the yard often came to play with her, calling her Sister Yanli.
The teacher of the private school brought his students to collect folk songs and asked to lend her the flower field, to which Lu Tingwan agreed.
The students would stay for half a month during the field trip, so she asked someone to prepare accommodation for them. The teacher was twenty-seven years old, handsome, outgoing, and talkative. He was very interested in her hundred-acre flower field. Lu Tingwan patiently answered his questions one by one.
The two of them often went in and out of the flower fields, and the uncle and aunt who lived next door who had watched Lu Tingwan grow up wanted to bring them together.
Lu Tingwan dismissed him with a few words each time. At night, she lay in the rocking chair in front of the courtyard to enjoy the cool air, while Feng Xin fanned her with a palm-leaf fan. "Miss, I think Mr. Liu is quite good."
"Feng Xin, if we get married, I'll have to live with one man for the rest of my life. If I have an in-law family, everything will be restricted. Whatever I want to do in the future, I'll have to consider my husband's family. Now I'm alone, and I can do whatever I want. Besides, I'm living a leisurely life right now, so why would I want to suffer? Are the young men at the Jiyue Pavilion not handsome enough, or do I, your daughter, need to rely on men to survive?"
"The owner of the Jiyue Pavilion said that a few young men have come here in the past few days. They are good-looking and have excellent zither skills. Miss, would you like to go and take a look?"
Lu Tingwan narrowed his eyes and tapped her head twice, "You want to see it, right?"
"Miss!" Feng Xin complained.
Lu Tingwan raised his eyebrows and smirked, "Let's go tomorrow!"
"Then Feng Xin will make the young lady's bed. You can go to bed early."
The next day the sky was clear, and Lu Tingwan went to the Jiyue Pavilion in the city. The zither player in the Jiyue Pavilion was gentle and kind, and the shop assistants who knew her called her Manager Jiang. The manager led her to the elegant seat in the attic, and she was a well-known regular at the Jiyue Pavilion.
Through the window screen, the sound of the pianist plucking the strings slowly reached the attic. Lu Tingwan leaned against the window and listened quietly. The spring light poured in from outside, and there was a bustling crowd downstairs in the attic. She listened to the music, her eyes filled with the fireworks of life on the street.
The voice sounded quite familiar. Lu Tingwan half-raised herself and waited for a moment. When the man turned sideways, she saw his face clearly and called out his name: "Jiang Yanli?"
After the Kyoto treason case, all members of the Jiang family were beheaded, except for the insane Jiang Yanli, who was banished from Kyoto and became a commoner, and was not allowed to enter the capital without being summoned.
Lu Tingwan had never expected to see him here, but after observing him this time, there was no trace of his madness.
She stared at the man and said, "Feng Xin, go downstairs and invite that person up."
Feng Xin got the order. She had always done things that pleased Lu Tingwan. When Jiang Yanli heard that she was an old friend, he became a little suspicious. He looked at the attic window sill but found no one there.
Lu Tingwan rewarded the musician with a hundred taels of silver and led him into the pavilion to play music. Jiang Yanli was led into the house. His shadow behind the screen was reflected in the teacup, and his thick eyelashes moved slightly.
"I wonder if I have any old friends in Jiangling. Does Manager Jiang recognize me?"
Jiang Yanli slowly turned around, twirling the teacup between his fingers. "I wouldn't call him an old friend, but I just happened to see him when I was bored, and I was curious. Why did Second Young Master Jiang come to Jiangling?"
She looked at Jiang Yanli; there was nothing mad about him. The melody of the zither drifted into her ears. Jiang Yanli glanced at him and said with a smile, "Minister Cheng is at the peak of his career. Why did Madam leave the capital?"
"My home is here. Jiangling has its own advantages."
"Yes, Jiangling has its own advantages. Ah Wu once told me that you grew up in Jiangling and often told her about the good things here. After all, there is no place for me to stay in Kyoto, so why not come here and take a look."
"Did my sister tell you this?"
"She often thinks of your kindness and remembers that you helped her marry into the Cheng family. But later I realized that if she could marry into the Cheng family, she would not end up with two lives and bodies separated." Jiang Yanli's tone was full of self-blame.
"If my elder sister had married into the Cheng family, she might not have been able to stay."
"Haha," Jiang Yanli scoffed at himself, "I only regret that I don't have the power and courage of Cheng Xianzhi. Furthermore, due to family restrictions, I can't even protect the person I love. How can I be worthy of being a husband and a father?"
"Once the imperial decree is issued, how can one reverse it, even with all-powerful power?"
"Yes," Jiang Yanli said, "Then why did Cheng Xianzhi protect you?"
Lu Tingwan understood the hidden meaning in his words.
Even if Cheng Xianzhi was still highly valued by the late emperor, he would not have risked the pressure from all officials to protect such an insignificant person as her.
If this was Cheng Xianzhi's request, then what unspoken conditions did he exchange with the late emperor to allow Cheng Xianzhi to fulfill his wish?
What could it be?
What would Cheng Xianzhi give in exchange?
The sound of the piano evoked distant thoughts, and she couldn't figure it out!
The memory of Cheng Xianzhi begging her with red eyes and hoarse voice outside the Ten-Li Pavilion in the suburbs of Beijing echoed in her ears. She would wait for good news outside the Ten-Li Pavilion in the early spring of next year.
There was no news for three years, and she never responded. She did what she wanted to do in Jiangling and became rich.
Lu Tingwan stood up and bowed to him. "What happened in Kyoto is a thing of the past. Since I've chosen to return to Jiangling, I won't dwell on the past anymore. I hope the same for you. Even in my grave, I don't want to see you living a mad life again."
Jiang Yanli must have figured it out, otherwise he wouldn't have come to Jiangling.
"Feng Xin, show him out!" Lu Tingwan saw Jiang Yanli off and stayed in the attic for a while. As he was leaving, the zither player blocked his way and asked, "Manager Jiang, will you come again tomorrow?"
Lu Tingwan raised an eyebrow and looked at the musician's features, feeling as if he had seen him before. He gave him some silver and left with a smile.
In the afternoon, she went to the dock and watched the merchant ships returning from the open sea. Most of the goods transported by the merchant ships were foreign spices and medicinal materials. Jiangling had an advantageous terrain, and although growing flowers was beneficial, the transportation losses were large. In recent years, profits had declined, and Lu Tingwan was worried about this.
There were many tea stalls at the docks, and Lu Tingwan found one to settle down. The aroma of tea filled the air, and the prices were reasonable. Merchant ships were constantly docking, and she suddenly had an idea: if she could ship the tea from this place overseas, the tea would be easy to transport, without having to worry about it spoiling along the way, and thus avoiding the problem of loss along the way.
She pretended to have some thoughts as she returned to Baihua Village. The peonies in the flower fields were in full bloom. Lu Tingwan found a shady place and thought about the specific details of selling tea. Should she purchase tea from outside for processing, or produce and sell it herself? She had thousands of acres of fertile land rented from farmers. If she wanted to keep it for a long time, contracting a tea plantation would be the best option.
The more she thought about it, the heavier her eyelids became. She fell down in the flower field behind her. The blooming flowers provided shade from the sun, and she fell into a deep sleep.
At sunset, Feng Xin couldn't find anyone, so he stood on the edge of the field and called out several times.
Lu Tingwan propped up his arms, half of his body pressed into the flower field, his voice still hoarse from waking up, "Here."
Feng Xin ran down the ridge like a gust of wind. She had been following Lu Tingwan through the mountains, forests and fields for many years, and was now able to run steadily on the ridge.
Seeing her panic, Lu Tingwan asked calmly, "What happened? Why are you so flustered?"
"At the entrance of the village," Feng Xin panted and spoke incoherently, "someone is looking for you."
"Just look for me, why are you in such a hurry?" Lu Tingwan stood up, brushed off the weeds stuck on her skirt, broke off a peony and put it on Feng Xin's ear, then pinched her cheek.
"I'll go take a look. Come back when you're better."
There were a few children gathered at the entrance of the village. They were quite curious about this man who was dressed differently from Jiang Ling. He had a sword tied at his waist. The children were eager to touch it. Han Zhou frowned and made a scary gesture, and the children ran away.
There were two rows of willow trees standing on the path far away from the village entrance. Behind the drooping branches, a hint of goose yellow was faintly visible. Lu Tingwan raised his hand to push aside the willow branches, revealing the whole outline. The person in front of him was wearing a black robe, as noble as before, cold and untainted by dust. The dusk cast on his outline, making it softer.
The spring sunshine was only so dazzling. She paused for a moment, made sure she was not too sleepy, and then stepped out again.
Behind him, Han Zhou was leaning against a willow tree not far away, keeping a distance.
Cheng Xianzhi stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for her to approach step by step. The spring breeze swirled around him, blowing his black hair, and a smile appeared on his cold features.
"Long time no see, Ah Wan."
Lu Tingwan suppressed his emotions and bowed with a smile, "It's been a while since anyone has called you by this name. How are you, Minister Cheng?"
They were like old friends who had been separated for a long time, pretending to be indifferent to each other.
"Why did you come to Jiangling?" Lu Tingwan got back to the point, feeling a little restless in her heart, fearing that he had come to find her on purpose.
"I went south to inspect the salt and passed through Jiangling." Cheng Xianzhi said succinctly.
He couldn't find anyone waiting outside the Ten-Li Pavilion. He wanted to come to Jiangling, but he was afraid that she didn't want to see him, and even more afraid of disturbing her peace. So he could only turn his longing into busyness in political affairs, so that he could feel better.
If it was just a passing passage, how could he know where she lived? He might have already explored her residence over the years, and the fact that she was doing business here would probably not have escaped his attention. Lu Tingwan said calmly, "Going south to inspect the salt industry is official business. Won't it delay the trip?"
Cheng Xianzhi came from Binzhou at night and had to return after dark. He had to meet with local officials the next day, so he couldn't stay any longer.
"It won't take much time to meet you. I'll be leaving soon." His eyes were filled with reluctance, and he never took his eyes off her for a moment.
Lu Tingwan nodded vaguely, showing the strangeness between them after not seeing each other for many years.
He spoke so carefully, afraid of losing his composure, and pushed her away.
"Knowing that you are doing well here, I feel at ease."
Over the years, the court had reduced taxes and the people were living in peace. Lu Tingwan knew that he was living a good life, but also a bad one. The good thing was that his career was smooth and the court was thriving, but the bad thing was that he was definitely working hard and was extremely busy.
She wanted to ask the question that she couldn't figure out the day before in Jiyue Pavilion, but since the old matter was over, it didn't matter whether she asked or not.
"It's been hard on the salt inspection, take care, Lord Shangshu."
Just a glance, the two stood at the entrance of the village, the sun set, and Cheng Xianzhi left without asking about her well-being or pouring out his heart.
In the sixth year of Changhe, it was spring again. Mr. Liu took his students to Baihua Village to collect folk songs. Lu Tingwan's tea business was booming. She contracted a tea garden that was not doing well, and also contracted the mountains in the village to plant many tea seedlings.
Mr. Liu stayed in the wooden house for a few days. Lu Tingwan observed the growth of tea trees in the tea mountains with the planting master, while Feng Xin took notes. After Qingming Festival, the first batch of spring tea can be picked, but the output will be less in the first year.
The children in the village ran to the tea mountain to deliver a message to her, "Sister Yanli, someone is looking for you at the village entrance."
Lu Tingwan stood on the tea hill, wearing a gauze hat to block the sun. The gauze was lifted up by the wind. She took it off and handed it to Feng Xin, "It must be a customer who came to discuss tea business. Feng Xin, you go around with the master. I'll be back soon."
In March, Cheng Xianzhi stood beneath the weeping willow tree, just like last year. Lu Tingwan tucked her hair behind her ears and spoke in a tone more like welcoming a close friend. "I thought it was some shopkeeper who came to discuss business with me. I didn't realize it was Minister Cheng who came here. I'm sorry for not welcoming him."
Cheng Xianzhi smiled warmly, just as passionately, but his words were more relaxed. "You have the talent of a businessman. You are worthy of being Shopkeeper Jiang, who has been in the business world for many years."
The two smiled at each other.
"How is it? Are you passing through here on business again?"
Cheng Xianzhi remained silent, which meant he agreed.
"Would you like to come into my humble abode and have a seat?"
This time, he led the Ministry of Revenue and the inspectors south to inspect taxes. Although they were passing through, they took a detour and arrived at noon. They had to rush back at night. He reserved more time and was able to say a few more words to her.
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