Сокровищница Цзянху

Глава 9

She couldn't help but worry again. She couldn't hear a word of the lively discussion around her until Wen Yan tugged at her sleeve and said in surprise, "What are you thinking about, Ninth Sister? You're so focused. Fifth Brother called you several times but didn't respond."

You Tong suddenly woke up, smiled sheepishly, and said perfunctorily, "What else could I be thinking? I've never been out before, so I'm a little nervous."

Wen Yan laughed and said, "Don't worry, I went to the capital once two years ago. Although the road was difficult, it was really fun in the capital. The liveliness there is far beyond what we in Longxi can compare to. When I first arrived, I was laughed at for not having seen the world. But don't worry, Ninth Sister, I'll take you this time, so no one will gossip anymore."

You Tong forced a smile and said to her, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Tenth Sister."

The night before their departure, the Xu brothers arrived at the Cui family's residence, travel-worn and weary. As usual, Cui Weiyuan greeted them. Since they were leaving the next day, they only exchanged a few words before discussing matters concerning their journey to the capital. Although the Xu brothers had traveled all day, they were still in good spirits. After exchanging pleasantries with Cui Weiyuan for a while, Xu Cong casually inquired about the Ninth Miss's well-being, adding that it was quite impolite of him not to have prepared a gift for their first meeting.

Cui Weiyuan was slightly surprised and couldn't help but glance at the two brothers. He saw Xu Cong looking concerned, while Xu Wei's face remained calm, but his hand holding the teacup was frozen in mid-air, his gaze wandering between the cups, seemingly unsure of where it was looking. For some reason, Cui Weiyuan suddenly recalled You Tong's furrowed brows that day, and a sense of unease crept into his heart.

Early the next morning, the entire Cui family set off for the capital in a grand procession.

The Xu brothers and Cui Weiyuan naturally rode horses, while the second madam, Wenyan, and several maids rode in a large carriage. Youtong, Huiying, and Huiqiao each had a small carriage. Because there were servants following them all around, Youtong couldn't look around too much. She only glanced back as she got into the carriage, and her eyes met the deep gaze of the man on horseback not far away.

After waiting all morning, Xu Wei finally saw her face. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and his expression softened. You Tong blushed, quickly lowered her head, and bent down to enter the carriage.

Wen Yan was lively and couldn't sit still in the carriage. She kept lifting the curtain to call for Cui Weiyuan, and then calling for Xu Wei a couple of times. Seeing that she was going too far, the Second Madam finally couldn't help but scold her in a low voice. Wen Yan was reprimanded, but she still wouldn't listen and insisted on sitting in You Tong's carriage.

The second wife couldn't refuse her, so she had to agree. Wenyan immediately grabbed the hand warmer and happily came to Youtong's carriage.

The place immediately became lively. Although Wenyan hadn't brought any maids because Youtong's carriage was small, she alone was enough to make a ruckus. She kept telling jokes along the way, making her two maids, Huiying and Huiqiao, giggle. Xu Wei, who was following outside, couldn't help but urge his horse closer. He could vaguely hear Youtong's low voice from inside the carriage, but unfortunately, he couldn't see the person inside at all through the thick curtains.

Just as she was lamenting, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, revealing Wen Yan's pretty face. When she saw Xu Wei, she seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then immediately smiled and asked, "Brother Xu, where are we now? When do we stop for a meal?"

Xu Wei was worried about not having a chance to get close to You Tong. When he saw Wen Yan open the carriage curtain, he was immediately happy. His face involuntarily softened and he said in a low voice, "We've only traveled about fifty li. The nearest town is still more than twenty li away. But I remember there's a teahouse ahead. If Miss Ten is tired, you can rest there for a while."

When Wen Yan heard that they could stop and rest, her eyes immediately crinkled into crescent moons with joy. She turned to You Tong and said with a smile, "Ninth Sister, you must be tired too. We can rest up ahead. We can have some snacks and tea for a while. This journey has been quite bumpy."

You Tong responded, her gaze unconsciously drifting outside. Because the window was small, she could only see a section of a horse's body and long legs straddling its waist, wearing a pair of plain black boots with thin soles, moving back and forth with the horse's rhythm, but she couldn't see any people. She felt a little annoyed, but couldn't put her finger on it; she just felt completely confused.

Sometimes people act impulsively. Even You Tong felt that she was a little obsessed. She reached out and lifted the carriage curtain past Wen Yan, and her pretty face appeared in front of Xu Wei unexpectedly.

Xu Wei was stunned for a moment, unsure of where to put his hand holding the reins. In a daze, he tugged at the reins, and the horse, in pain, suddenly broke free and charged forward, unexpectedly throwing the wooden-like General Xu off the horse.

With a muffled thud, everyone turned to look and saw Xu Wei's horse charging forward, while the renowned General Xu, who was said to have "once defeated a million soldiers with a single sword," had fallen to the ground in a sorry state...

An unspeakable silence fell over the crowd. The Cui family members were one thing, but the hundred or so guards surrounding Xu Wei were utterly dumbfounded, unable to recover for a long time. This was… their most admired general…

Xu Cong, however, reacted quickly. As soon as he saw something was wrong, he rushed over, saying, "That damned beast, did he take the wrong medicine today?" He quickly helped him up, and while speaking, he couldn't help but sneak a glance into the carriage, and unsurprisingly saw You Tong's amused expression.

"Brother, this is so embarrassing!" Xu Cong whispered in Xu Wei's ear.

Xu Wei remained silent, his face flushed red, and he dared not look into the car again.

Wen Yan belatedly realized what was happening and called out with concern, "Brother Xu, are you alright? Did you fall?"

"It's alright, it's alright!" Xu Cong quickly replied for him.

Just then, Cui Weiyuan heard the commotion and turned his horse around. He was slightly surprised to see Xu Wei in such a disheveled state. Then, looking at You Tong in the carriage beside him, he frowned, a vague idea forming in his mind. For some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy.

Author's Note: Old Xu really embarrassed himself today.

Let me tell you a joke too. A few days ago, my colleagues dragged me to play mahjong. It was only the first round, and I was the dealer. I threw out a nine of bamboo and shouted, "Ten of bamboo..."

Then, everyone burst out laughing.

I'm so frustrated... This has become one of the classic jokes of the year. I can already foresee that for the next six months to a year, my nickname will be "Ten Lines."

Ninth son-in-law?

nineteen

Although he had lost face in front of his many guards, Xu Wei quickly regained his usual calm and composure, his face expressionless, as if the previous accident was just everyone's illusion. The guards didn't mention it, the servants of the Cui household didn't mention it, and even Cui Weiyuan tactfully kept quiet about it, but every time he passed You Tong's carriage, Xu Wei couldn't help but feel his face burning.

Wen Yan joked without any restraint, Xu Wei remained composed, and You Tong, who had been silent before, occasionally exchanged a few words with Xu Wei and Cui Weiyuan. Having anticipated this, Xu Wei resumed the elegant demeanor befitting a scion of a noble family, exchanging pleasantries with everyone appropriately, polite yet distant, only occasionally letting a flash of tenderness appear in his eyes when his gaze met You Tong's.

The journey was relatively peaceful. Although there were always a few petty thieves who tried to rob them, the镖师 (bodyguards) of Yongxing镖局 (escort agency) could easily defeat them without Xu Wei's personal guards having to lift a finger. They arrived safely at Zhenyuan County in Longdong, a major town west of the capital, with garrison troops protecting the city, making it much safer than other places. The Cui family members were all relieved.

The group stayed temporarily at a post station in the city. However, due to the large number of people, the post station could not accommodate them all, so Cui Weiyuan had to arrange for some of his servants to stay at a nearby inn.

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) of Yongxing镖局 (Yongxing Escort Agency) could not leave, so they set up tents in the courtyard of the post station for the night. As for Xu Wei's personal guards, most of them were sent to stay at nearby inns, with only a few capable subordinates staying next to Cui Weiyuan.

After several days of travel, although this wasn't her first time in the capital, Wen Yan was still exhausted. Being a pampered young lady who hadn't experienced much hardship, she lacked the resilience of You Tong, who had practiced martial arts. Upon entering the room, You Tong collapsed onto the bed, refusing to get up. Finally, with a pained expression, she asked, "Ninth Sister, how come you're still so energetic? I'm so tired I don't want to move at all."

You Tong took the hot towel that Hui Ying handed her, wiped her face clean, and washed her hands before turning around and smiling, "When I was at Nanshan Temple, I learned some breathing techniques from my master, so I didn't find it too hard. But you, no matter how tired you are, you can't just lie there like that. Get up quickly, wash your face, eat something, and then walk around the yard with me for a while. That way you'll feel better tomorrow."

"You still have to walk?" Wen Yan pouted unhappily. "I can't even move a finger."

You Tong got up and walked over to her, pulling her out of bed without saying a word.

Wen Yan couldn't refuse, so she pouted and complained helplessly as the maid washed her hands and face, drank a couple of sips of hot tea, and ate some snacks. After a while, the Second Madam had servants bring over hot food. Since they weren't in the mansion, although there was chicken, duck, fish, and meat, it was prepared rather roughly. The two of them ate some hastily before letting the servants leave.

Because the bodyguards lived in the outer courtyard, the two young women couldn't move around freely, so they could only stretch their arms and legs in the corridor. They had only exchanged a few words when Cui Weiyuan's door opened, and Xu Wei and he walked out together, their faces grim and serious. They were startled to see Youtong and Wenyan in the corridor, but quickly put on smiling faces.

When Wen Yan saw them, she was still complaining about her aches and pains, but now she was jumping around and quickly stepped forward to greet them warmly, saying, "Fifth Brother, Brother Xu." She added, "Fifth Brother, why don't we stay in Zhenyuan for a few more days? We're exhausted. We need to rest and catch our breath."

Cui Weiyuan refused, saying with difficulty, "We'll be in the capital in four or five days. Why waste time on the road? Father is waiting for us in the capital, worried that something might happen to us on the way. This stop-and-go journey will only cause Father more worry."

Wen Yan was not an arrogant or unreasonable person. Seeing that Cui Weiyuan's words made sense, she stopped insisting, but she still couldn't help but whine and plead a little more. Xu Wei watched the two siblings talking while secretly observing You Tong's expression. Seeing her calm face, he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart. He was somewhat disappointed and saddened.

"Miss You must be tired from your journey." After thinking for a moment, Xu Wei took the initiative to speak to You Tong.

“It should be Young Master Xu who has worked hard,” You Tong said politely. “If it weren’t for Young Master Xu’s escort, the journey would not have been so peaceful.” She lowered her head slightly as she spoke. From Xu Wei’s perspective, he could only see her small head and soft chin. Her bright eyes were hidden under her thick, feather-like eyelashes, which trembled slightly as she spoke, like a feather brushing against his heart.

But she refused to look up at Xu Wei, quiet and shy like a timid rabbit, which was unlike You Tong.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Wei and Cui Weiyuan took their leave. Once they were out of sight, Wen Yan asked You Tong with a suspicious look, "Ninth Sister is usually very generous, so why was she so cautious in front of Brother Xu today? Is she afraid of him? Although Brother Xu isn't as gentle and warm as my Fifth Brother, he's a very honest person with a very good temperament. When he was at the manor, he ignored Wen Qing, but he was very kind to us sisters."

Upon hearing this, You Tong slowly raised her head, her eyes full of laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand and burst into laughter, gasping for breath. "But... I... whenever I see him... I think of... that day he fell off his horse..." Before she could finish, she was already clutching her stomach and bending over. "...How can I possibly hold back..."

Wen Yan had almost forgotten about it, but when You Tong brought it up, she laughed along. The two were laughing heartily when they suddenly heard steady footsteps coming from the end of the corridor. Looking in the direction of the sound, the laughter stopped abruptly, and Xu Wei was standing there, his face serious and his eyes complicated.

“Brother Xu…” Wen Yan glanced at You Tong with concern, forcing a stiff smile. “Why are you back again?”

Xu Wei looked embarrassed, but his gaze remained fixed on You Tong. He said, "I forgot something, I came back to get it." With that, he turned and went into the room, quickly returning with a small oil paper package. He smiled at the two of them and headed towards the end of the corridor. Just before turning the corner, he couldn't help but turn back for one last look at You Tong. She stood quietly at the other end of the corridor, the sunset's glow streaming in through the window, a ray falling on her shoulder and illuminating half of her profile. In the interplay of light and shadow, her eyes shone brightly, dark and clear, like stars in the night…

Once she was sure Xu Wei had finally gone far away, Wen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and said, "When did Brother Xu become so elusive?"

That night, Wenyan insisted on sleeping with Youtong. Youtong had no choice but to have Huiying make up an extra bed. Only Huiying and Youtong's personal maid, Lanxin, remained in the room to serve them. Because she thought that Xu Wei and Cui Weiyuan looked unwell in the evening, Youtong guessed that things were not very peaceful in Zhenyuan City. So she was extra careful that night and slept very soundly.

Just past the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), Youtong suddenly woke up with a start. She pricked up her ears and, sure enough, heard faint voices outside—shouts, shouts, and curses, all in a chaotic mess. She got up and lit a lamp. Huiying, who was serving her in the room, immediately woke up, put on her clothes, and climbed out of bed from her makeshift bed on the floor. She asked, "Miss, what's wrong?" As she spoke, she frowned, clearly having also heard the commotion outside.

"What's going on?" Huiying asked in alarm, her voice trembling slightly.

You Tong waved to her, signaling not to wake Wen Yan, then put on her clothes and prepared to open the door to see what was going on. Just as she opened the door, someone outside whispered, "Ninth Miss?"

You Tong was taken aback; the voice sounded familiar, like Xu Wei's personal guard. After a moment's thought, she replied softly, "Yes, what happened outside?"

The man replied, "The kitchen is on fire, and Young Master Cui has already sent men to put it out. The general was worried about something going wrong here, so he ordered his men to guard this place."

Hearing this, You Tong felt slightly relieved, and a touch of gratitude welled up in her heart. She thanked the person and went back to bed. While they were talking, the noise outside grew even louder, and soon, the sounds of fighting could be heard. Even Wen Yan was awakened by the noise. She groggily sat up in bed, still clutching her blanket. Seeing the light on in the room, You Tong leaned against the edge of the bed and asked in surprise, "What's going on?"

"The fire has started," You Tong replied in a low voice, her brows furrowed.

"No way!" Wen Yan jumped out of bed, threw on a coat, and ran to the window. She listened intently for a while, then cautiously opened the window and looked outside. "Ah—" Her legs went weak, and she exclaimed in terror, "It sounds like a thief has come!"

You Tong quickly pulled her back, closing the window as she said, "It's alright, General Xu and Fifth Brother are outside, nothing will happen. If anything does happen, they will send someone over."

Seeing her so calm, Wen Yan seemed to have gained some strength. She helped You Tong sit back down on the bed, but then remembered something. She looked around and saw that Lan Xin was still fast asleep on the floor. She got annoyed and kicked the floor, saying angrily, "You lazy brat, you're lazier than a pig! Get up now!"

Lanxin was groggily awakened by the kick. Opening her eyes, she saw Wenyan's angry face and was so frightened that she jumped up and knelt on the ground, only knowing how to kowtow and beg for forgiveness. Seeing this, Huiying quickly stepped forward to comfort her, saying, "Miss Ten, don't be angry. It's not worth ruining your health over this girl." At the same time, she kept winking at Lanxin.

You Tong also whispered, "It's still chaotic outside, why are you getting angry with a girl?"

Wen Yan knew this wasn't the time to lose her temper, so she barely managed to hold back. She glared at Lan Xin and snapped, "Hurry up and get dressed and go outside to check what's going on!"

Lanxin was still dazed and didn't know what was going on outside. When Wenyan gave the order, she didn't refuse and immediately put on a coat and went out. Youtong was both amused and annoyed. She said to her, "She's just a little girl. She's not as brave as us. If she goes out now, I wonder how scared she'll be."

Wen Yan was not a unreasonable person. She had only forced Lan Xin to go out because she was angry. After hearing what You Tong said, she realized that she had gone too far. Her face was full of embarrassment, and she said with shame, "I...I...just now..." She began to worry about Lan Xin's safety again.

The three of them sat in the room for a while, and then they heard the sounds of fighting and killing coming from outside. Although they were far away, the sounds still terrified the young ladies who had always been raised in seclusion.

About half an hour later, there was a faint knock at the door. Wen Yan was so startled she almost jumped out of bed, and Hui Ying was deathly pale, unable to walk. You Tong had no choice but to open the door herself, asking in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Lanxin's excited voice came from outside, "Ninth Miss, it's me."

You Tong opened the door with a puzzled look, and Lan Xin crouched down and slipped in, her voice tinged with excitement, "The thief... has arrived... reinforcements... are... Ninth Son-in-law..."

Wen Yan was completely bewildered, while You Tong was shocked. Ninth...son-in-law...could it be Shen San who has arrived?

The author has something to say: I just got the internet connected, but it might disconnect again at any time. So frustrating...

If I don't go to the gym tonight, I'll write another chapter. ^_^

I'll reply to everyone's comments tonight, thank you.

very close

twenty

"What ninth son-in-law?" Perhaps she was stunned, Wen Yan didn't react for a moment, staring blankly at Lan Xin, looking completely bewildered.

Lan Xin glanced at You Tong, a worldly and ingratiating smile appearing on her face, "So he's Miss Jiu's son-in-law, the third young master of the Shen family!"

You Tong remained silent with a cold face. Wen Yan finally realized what was going on and immediately became happy. She immediately forgot her previous fear and excitedly stepped forward to grab You Tong's hand, saying excitedly, "Ninth Sister, let's sneak over and take a look, let's see what our Ninth Son-in-Law looks like."

You Tong smiled faintly, gently pushed away Wen Yan's hand, and said in a low voice, "Tenth Sister, don't talk nonsense. It's chaotic outside and late at night. How can we young ladies go out so casually? If someone with ulterior motives spreads this, they might say that the Cui family is not strict with its discipline."

"Who dares?" Wen Yan glared, her eyes blazing with anger. "Whoever is so reckless as to gossip like that, I'll tear their tongue out."

Lanxin took two steps back guiltily upon hearing this, her eyes darting around, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone. Youtong glanced at her indifferently, then turned to Wenyan and said, "Our servants in the manor naturally have rules, but there are outsiders in the courtyard. Besides, I am engaged to him. If I go out to see him so openly, who knows what others will say about me."

When Wen Yan heard what she said, she felt that it made some sense, but she was still unwilling. She jumped around anxiously in the room for a long time, and finally couldn't help but grab You Tong's sleeve and plead, "Ninth Sister, please let me take a look. I'll just take a peek, secretly, and I promise no one will find out."

You Tong knew her temperament all too well. If she didn't let her see Shen San tonight, she probably wouldn't have any peace for the next few days. With a sigh, she instructed Hui Ying, "You also go with Miss Shi and don't let her run around. Come back as soon as you're done, and don't let her cause any trouble."

Huiying obediently agreed, and Wenyan also cheered, squeezing Youtong's hand tightly. She quickly changed her clothes and, led by Lanxin, went out. The room soon quieted down, and loud voices could be faintly heard coming from the courtyard outside, interspersed with bursts of laughter. Because of the distance, it was impossible to discern whose voices they were, but it was likely Xu Wei's, or perhaps… Shen San…

The thought of Shen San inexplicably irritated You Tong. That man had easily deceived her, burned down her estate, taken away her maid, and nearly caused her death. She was filled with a burning hatred. How could she truly avenge herself against someone like Shen San? What was it that he loved, hated, and cared about? You Tong had been pondering this question for a long time.

There were soft breathing sounds outside the door, a stark contrast to the noise in the distance. You Tong walked slowly to the door and gently knocked. Immediately, someone answered, "Ninth Miss?" It was the same person as before.

You Tong asked, "Why are you still here?"

The man replied, "The general ordered his subordinates to protect Miss Jiu."

You Tong said "Oh," turned around, and slowly sat back down on the bed. Xu Wei, there was another Xu Wei. For the first time in her life, she felt her brain wasn't quite up to the task.

I don't know how long I was lost in thought. When Wenyan excitedly entered the house, I realized that the sky outside was already turning white. It was dawn.

"What a pity," Wen Yan said with a regretful expression, "Ninth Sister, you didn't see him yourself. That Third Young Master Shen is extremely handsome, even more so than my Fifth Brother." She took off her long cloak, rubbed off her boots, and tucked herself under the covers, her eyes shining. "He's so tall, with fair skin, and looks like a scholar, but he's quite capable. I heard he even fought off bandits. But—"

She paused, deliberately drawing out the last syllable, her eyes full of anticipation as she waited for Youtong to ask a question. But Youtong simply sat quietly on the bed, not even lifting her eyes, seemingly uninterested in anything. Wenyan was somewhat disappointed and said awkwardly, "Aren't you really not curious at all? That's your future husband."

“Oh,” You Tong looked up at her and asked cooperatively, “But what?”

Wen Yan immediately laughed, her eyebrows curving into crescents. "But that Young Master Shen is a bit too aloof. He speaks to Fifth Brother so politely, even though they're future in-laws. On the other hand, he seems to have a lot to say to Brother Xu, but Brother Xu doesn't seem to like him much. He keeps staring at him with a fierce look. I wonder what Young Master Shen did to offend him."