Song Anrong thought it made sense, so he exchanged the silver notes in Huixian County. After resting for a while, the family headed to Hanjiahe.
Upon arriving at Hanjiahe, having previously troubled Liu Zhang to find Zhenshu, Song Anrong settled the women of the household in an inn and then took Zhao He to Liu's residence to bid farewell to Liu Zhang. After resting for the night, they would traverse the Wuling Mountains again the next day.
After settling into the inn, Zhenshu, seeing that it wasn't too late and that Hanjiahe was a bustling and prosperous place with a pharmacy open, decided to wrap her head in a headscarf and go find some abortion medicine to prepare. After all, it was still early in her pregnancy, and she wasn't sure if she was actually pregnant or not. She was worried that since her father and Zhao He had been traveling together, it wouldn't be good for her to separate from them again.
Without saying goodbye to Madam Su, she quietly left the inn. She was still wearing the blue jacket that ordinary women wore, and her head was wrapped in a square brown turban, making her indistinguishable from any other woman. Afraid of being recognized, she pulled the turban low to cover her face and followed the way she came to find the pharmacy to get the abortion pills.
As it was getting late, she arrived at the pharmacy just as the pharmacy clerk was taking down the door panel. Zhenshu was anxious and pulled an old woman next to her aside, asking, "Grandma, where else is there a pharmacy around here? I need to get my medicine urgently."
The old lady hurriedly said, "Getting the medicine is a very urgent matter. Although his house is closed, there is a back door if you go through the alley. The doctor should still be at home. Go there and call out to open the door, and you will be able to get the medicine. Go quickly."
Zhenshu agreed, walked to the back alley, knocked on the door, and said, "Is the doctor here? Someone needs to get medicine."
After a while, the door creaked open halfway, and a young apprentice of about twelve or thirteen glanced at Zhenshu and said, "The doctor just went to Master Liu's mansion for a drink and won't be back until late. Come back in an hour or two."
It seems that Liu Zhang summoned all the prominent figures in Hanjiahe Town to see Song Anrong off.
Zhenshu left the alley dejectedly. It was already late, and she wondered when the doctor would return from drinking. However, Song Anrong was a gentleman who did not drink at all, and the others could not persuade him. They had lost interest in the banquet and would probably leave early.
She strolled out onto the main street, wandering aimlessly. Before she knew it, she had walked quite a distance, and only when she looked up did she realize that she had arrived at the teahouse where she had rested earlier that day. The teahouse was now closed, and the large locust tree in the distance still stood quietly, its leaves rustling in the wind. She walked over, stroked the trunk a few times, and then turned back to continue walking towards the main street of Hanjiahe Town.
When they inquired at the pharmacy again, they were told that the doctor had not yet returned. Zhenshu knew that he was at the Liu residence, so she decided to go to the gate of the Liu residence to wait for him, and then quickly follow him when he came out, which would save her some trouble.
The Liu residence was brightly lit as it was hosting a banquet. She had just stopped under a large willow tree opposite the residence when a man approached her with a smile, saying, "This is the second young lady of the Song family. Are you here to see your father?"
Zhen Shu was surprised that someone recognized her. Upon closer inspection, she recognized him as the cart driver who had driven her cart that day. She bowed and said, "No, I'm going back to the inn now."
She had just turned around when she was greeted by a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old. The boy smiled and said, "Since you're here, come and wait in the mansion. Why stand outside all day?"
Zhenshu didn't know who he was. She looked back at the coachman, who bowed and said, "This is the eldest young master of our Liu family. If you go with him, you will surely find your father."
Zhenshu was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to retreat or stand still. To make matters worse, Young Master Liu reached out and blocked her way, insisting on inviting her into the mansion. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow Liu Wensi into the Liu mansion.
Liu Wensi led the way, and she walked slowly behind. Liu Wensi led her back to the small courtyard where she had rested that day, then turned around and asked, "Is your whole family moving away?"
Zhen Shu said, "Yes."
Liu Wensi nodded and said, "Public opinion is more ferocious than a tiger. Miss Song has been wronged."
Zhen Shu shook her head and said, "No."
Liu Wensi bit her lip and pondered for a long time before asking, "Is your eldest daughter leaving too?"
So that's what it was all about. Zhenyuan is renowned for her beauty throughout the three counties, and countless young men would covet her. Liu Wenxiang must also be longing for her.
Zhen Shu said, "Yes."
Liu Wensi nodded and said, "She must find a prince or nobleman in the capital before she'll be willing to marry, right?"
Zhenshu said, "No, marriage is simply a matter of mutual affection. It's just that the matchmaker is chosen by the parents, so how can she choose her own husband?"
The key issue is that Zhenyuan is too weak-willed and unable to be assertive. With Zhenshu's resigned attitude, Su Shi can't really do anything about her.
Liu Wensi frowned and rubbed his forehead, saying, "The way people are is really strange. If I ask any more questions, I'm afraid it will affect her reputation. But when you return to the inn, you must tell her that I asked her. That way, my life won't have been in vain."
Chapter 35 The Tartars
This is all a young man's longing can be like.
Zhen Shu said, "I will."
Liu Wensi bowed and said, "In that case, I won't keep you any longer. You can rest in this room. I will notify someone to come and pick you up after the banquet."
Earlier today, at Liu Zhang's residence in Hanjiahe. Liu Zhang received a letter from Song Anrong, delivered by a messenger, saying that he had abandoned his family and business to avoid rumors. Holding the letter, he said to his son Liu Wensi, "To be honest, we are the ones who harmed them."
Liu Wensi said, "Most of these disputes cannot escape the gossip of the people in our household."
Father and son naturally had no idea that Song Anrong's household had a woman named Zhenxiu who could talk a mile a minute. At this time, the story of the second daughter of the Song family having an affair with a bandit was known throughout the two counties, and they naturally assumed that these rumors originated from the Liu family of Hanjiahe. This was because Madam Liu, Han, was also a shrew, and a shrew with an open mouth at that.
Liu Zhang put away the letter and said, "Master Song has been here for seventeen years, which is slightly later than me. I married into his family, while he was sent away by his mother, so we are in the same boat. Now that he has been forced to leave by rumors, I would be really uneasy if he were to leave in such a hurry. You should go and inform the important people in the market as soon as possible, and ask them to gather at our house tonight. I will prepare a table of food and wine to give Master Song a proper farewell."
Liu Wensi responded, stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and left.
Liu Zhang was sitting in the hall with a frown when suddenly a servant rushed in, shouting as he ran, "Master, there's a man with a hoarse voice outside the door. He says your godfather has arrived and wants you to go and greet him immediately. I dare not bump into him because his carriage is so luxurious!"
Liu Zhang suddenly stood up and asked, "A hoarse voice? That must be Eunuch Mei. Quickly take me to greet him."
The two men hurried out of the courtyard and, sure enough, saw a spacious, luxurious, and brightly painted carriage parked in front of the gate. Liu Zhang stepped forward, knelt down, and said, "Your son, Liu Zhang, respectfully welcomes your father's arrival!"
Mei Xun lifted the curtain, and the coachman brought over the footstool. Despite the sweltering heat, Yu Yichen was still dressed in a beige round-necked robe, with a neatly buttoned white inner lining. The collar was embroidered with clusters of daisies of varying sizes, and a sapphire-buckled belt cinched his waist. This man, already androgynous, was dressed so splendidly; it was a pity that such a talented and handsome man was a eunuch. Even Liu Zhang himself sighed inwardly. He lifted his robe and stepped out of the carriage, his lips tightly pressed together, his face gloomy.
Since he didn't speak, Liu Zhang didn't dare to get up either. He waited until he entered the courtyard before getting up and asking Mei Xun, "Why didn't Eunuch Mei give me a heads-up so that I could receive my father?"
Mei Xun had already followed them inside. Seeing Yu Yichen standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, he stepped forward and whispered, "If you don't like it here, I will immediately clear the people from the inn out."
Yu Yichen waved his hand and said in a low voice, "No need. Go inside and take a look around. Find a clean and bright courtyard, and we'll rest for the night before leaving."
Yu Yichen's guards had all entered the courtyard, and the Liu residence was now under tight security, both inside and out. As the true master of the Liu residence, Liu Zhang, seeing his godfather's extremely angry expression, dared not approach him rashly and could only stand behind him, bowing and waiting patiently.
On the contrary, the eunuchs accompanying Yu Yichen were already in his own home, cleaning and tidying up the main room.
Shortly after, Mei Xun came out and pointed at Liu Zhang, saying, "Go and prepare that big courtyard to the north of your house. We'll stay here for the night and leave tomorrow morning."
Liu Zhang hurriedly called several servants to go to the backyard. Yu Yichen said after Liu Zhang left, "I like to look at the main rooms in the courtyards of these wealthy families the most. Although they are all the same, they are all so grand and bright."
Yu Yichen entered the main room of Liu Zhang's house and saw several eunuchs standing respectfully to the side. He lifted his robe and sat down next to the eight-immortal chair. Only after Liu Zhang personally served him tea did he realize that he should have had a proper chat with this adopted son since he had come so abruptly. After all, Liu Zhang had given him plenty of money and never asked him to speak first. In return, Liu Zhang had only given him a small lion dog.
Thinking of the poodle, Yu Yichen deliberately softened his voice and asked, "Are you still keeping the dog that I sent over?"
Liu Zhang was now most afraid of the sound of dogs. His mind was buzzing, and he involuntarily muttered, "Keep them, keep them."
In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out, "Should we bring it out so Father can see it?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Liu Zhang wished he could slap himself a few times.
Yu Yichen smiled and said, "No need, it's fine as long as it's kept healthy."
He couldn't sit any longer, so he got up and asked Liu Zhang, "Has the back courtyard been tidied up yet?"
Liu Zhang said, "Of course it's all packed, Father, please!"
The servant outside the door had indeed met a godfather this time. Just then, another person came in and hurriedly reported, "Master, a man claiming to be the second master of the Song family has come to pay a visit."
Seeing that Yu Yichen had also stopped and turned to look, Liu Zhang waved to the servant and said, "Go and tell him that I don't have time to see him."
Yu Yichen beckoned Mei Xun to his side and whispered a few words in her ear before following the eunuchs to the back. Mei Xun stepped forward and asked Liu Zhang, "Who has come to visit?"
Liu Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "He is a fellow villager from here. He is leaving tomorrow, and I wanted to see him off, but I didn't mean to disturb you, Father."
Mei Xun said, "We will still invite the guests and see them off, but we must not tell anyone that we have arrived here."
Liu Zhang dared not disobey, and waved the servant, saying, "Please invite Master Song in."
The servant boy ran out the gate. Mei Xun arrived at the back courtyard and saw Yu Yichen already sitting behind his desk, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "Should I summon the envoy of Khan Sun Yuqi?"
Yu Yichen nodded slightly, stroking the lid of the teacup with his finger, and said, "Write a letter to the magistrate of Wen County and to all the prefectures along this route, instructing them to strictly investigate the matter and absolutely not allow Du Yu to enter the pass."
He was still pondering for a long time before saying, "Make a book of his appearance and send it to all the prefectures. Within three to five years, he will definitely not be allowed to enter the capital."
Mei Xun bowed his head and said, "Yes."
Yu Yichen suddenly sneered and pushed his teacup away, saying, "Du Wu has indeed raised a fine son!"
A young eunuch hurriedly brought over a teacup, poured out the lukewarm water that was gradually cooling, poured in boiling water, and then presented it to Yu Yichen.
Even in the sweltering heat of summer, Yu Yichen still craved that wisp of warmth, hoping it would gradually warm his icy body.
On a hot summer night, Zhenshu's courtyard was deserted. She sat in the house for a long while, then came out to look at the flowers and plants in the yard, getting bitten a few times by mosquitoes. She went back inside, stayed there for a while longer, then came out again. The moon was high in the sky. She suspected that Liu Wensi hadn't actually sent anyone to deliver her message. Besides, she was looking for a doctor, not Song Anrong. If they left after their banquet, it wouldn't be appropriate to ask for medicine in front of Song Anrong. Therefore, she gave up on finding an abortion pill there and decided to say goodbye to Liu Wensi and return to the inn.
However, the Liu residence was vast, and with no one to guide her, she lost her way after only a few steps outside the courtyard. She searched everywhere but couldn't find her way back, growing more and more anxious, yet still unable to find it.
Later, she gradually became anxious. She saw a large courtyard with lights on, which must be where the owner stayed. She stepped inside, hoping to find someone, Liu Wensi.
But the courtyard was completely empty.
She called out loudly, "Is anyone there?"
Seeing no one answer, she first went up the steps to look at the front, which was dark, and then looked at the sides, which were also dark. She then went to the side gate and searched the back courtyard. The main house in the back courtyard was lit, but there was no one in front of it. Zhenshu reached the door and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a very stiff, foreign voice from inside say, "Khan Sun Yuqi has already arrived in Huixian County. We'll probably hear from him later tonight. This place is so close to the capital; if they can't escape after they've finished and are caught by the authorities, it will be a huge hassle for you."
Zhen Shu, because Du Yu had fled, hated him but was also afraid that he would be caught by the authorities. She feared that the people in the mansion were still talking about capturing Du Yu, so she stood still and listened carefully.
After a long silence, the same person spoke again: "Can this really be used as a token?"
Zhenshu quietly walked to the window. The houses in the Liu residence were all northern-style buildings, and the windows only had sashes without frame. At this moment, the window sash was half open, and she saw two people standing inside. One was a thin, short man standing with his back to the window, and the other was facing away from the window. He was wearing a dark gray fine cotton brocade cloak embroidered with silver thread flowers. Perhaps he was too thin, because the cloak looked empty, and the intricate embroidery on the collar was also extremely exquisite.
The man's clothes were too striking, and even though he was just standing with his back to him and his hands behind his back, he had a natural air of elegance and charm. Zhenshu was quite curious about what he looked like.
Suddenly she saw the man nod slightly and say in a shrill voice, "This is something I often admire. The garrison commanders of Ganzhou and Liangzhou both have mud stamps on it. They will know it comes from the imperial palace as soon as they see it and will let it pass. But you must bring it back to me."
The skinny dwarf was holding something in his hand, its nature unknown, and he was clenching it between his five fingers.
Zhenshu suddenly realized that this person must be coming out, and in a panic, she quickly ran down the steps and ran towards the front yard.
Hearing that someone was chasing after her, the skinny man behind her, along with many others, rushed out to pursue her. They were deliberately chasing her towards the main gate. Zhen Shu, however, was wandering around aimlessly and managed to slip away, preventing him from catching up.
She had only taken a few steps, clutching her chest, when Liu Wensi ran up to her and said, "The banquet has ended. Your father had some wine, and I sent someone to take him home. I wanted to inform you, but I couldn't find him anywhere."
Zhenshu dared not say anything more, and hurriedly tucked her clothes in and left, returning to the inn.
In that courtyard just now, Yu Yichen sat behind his desk, frowning. After a long while, he said, "So, you were on guard against Sun Yuqi's men in the backyard, but you didn't expect someone to swagger in to the front yard, and it was a woman, no less?"
Mei Xun lowered his head and said, "Yes."
Yu Yichen raised his eyebrows, which were perfectly proportioned. Although his face was stunningly beautiful, he possessed a sharp and unapproachable aura. He picked up Du Yu's portraits on the table with two fingers and looked at them one by one. After finishing, he closed the file and said, "We'll get up immediately. As for you, stay here and kill her!"
For Liu Zhang, his godfather's visit, though a great joy, was also accompanied by great sorrow. This godfather, who came in a hurry, left in a hurry, and he didn't even have time to see him off.
The day after his godfather left, at the fourth watch of the night, he discovered that his poor daughter, Liu Wenxiang, who had recently lost her lover, was dead in her bed. Naturally, the entire household was soon plunged into even greater panic and devastating news.
Huixian County, which had been free from banditry for twenty years, was robbed by bandits overnight, and the entire county was almost reduced to ashes.
The poor Wenxiang girl lay dead on the bed, remaining in that position for several days until her parents, who had returned home, held her funeral. The reason for this was simply that she had learned from her elder brother that Song Zhenshu, the second daughter of the Song family who had been having an affair with Lin Dayu in the Wuling Mountains, had come to her house, and she wanted to find her to compare their beauty and see who was superior.
Because he couldn't find Zhenshu anywhere, he walked a few steps further into his own home, only to run into Mei Xun and the Tartar who had chased after him. They mistook her for the person who had been eavesdropping through the window and thus became Zhenshu's victim.
The next day, before dawn, Zhenshu and Zhenyi were sleeping soundly together when suddenly there was a rapid knocking on the door. Zhao He shouted from the outside room, "Hurry up and get dressed! The bandits are here!"
Zhenshu sat up abruptly, hearing a loud commotion outside. She didn't know what had happened, but felt uneasy and shook Zhenyuan, saying, "Quick, get up."
The two hastily put on their clothes, and as soon as Zhenshu opened the door, she saw that the corridor outside was full of people, jostling and shouting, some on top and some on the bottom. Zhenyuan called out from behind, "Quickly close the door, I'm not dressed yet."
☆, Chapter 36 Harmony