“The reason I said the young master came to see the miss last night was to win a few points of favor for him, so the miss’s heart would be moved.” As A’Jiao explained, she glanced at A’Yi several times. “Look at you—you can’t even understand such a simple principle. You kept pulling at me and didn’t side with the young master at all. I don’t even know which way your elbow is pointing!”
“How am I not siding with him?”
“If you were siding with him, you should have helped me speak up just now.”
A’Yi naturally sided with their young master. She pulled A’Jiao aside again and said, “We can be biased, but we can’t make it too obvious. Otherwise, what if we bungle things through excessive enthusiasm? Besides, matters between men and women aren’t for us to dictate.”
“You’re the one who’s so good at talking!” A’Jiao remained unconvinced.
She was single-mindedly focused on matchmaking Su Ziluo and Ji Yunshu.
The two went back and forth, pushing and shoving for quite a while.
…
When Su Ziluo returned from the palace again, dusk had already fallen.
Just as Qi’er wheeled him into the courtyard, he gave instructions: “You may go.”
Qi’er said, “The courtyard is cold. Let me wheel you inside first.”
“No need. I’ll sit here for a while.”
“Yes.” Qi’er asked no more questions and withdrew.
The sunset glow seemed to seep through from within ice, cold enough to make one’s entire body tremble.
From his very bones, Su Ziluo was wrapped in an icy chill!
His somber gaze looked toward the roof ridge as he said, “You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you?”
Hm?
As his words fell, light footsteps came from behind him.
Jingrong walked to his side, his face cold.
Su Ziluo raised his eyes to look at him. “These past few days when you disappeared, you were thinking about many things, weren’t you?”
After a brief silence, Jingrong gripped the long sword in his hand tightly. “I did think about many things. There’s a question that’s been in my heart all along—no matter how I think about it, I can’t figure it out.”
Su Ziluo clearly saw through him. “Still that same question?”
“Although you refuse to say anything or bring it up, I know there’s something hidden within.”
At this, Su Ziluo smiled slightly and turned his wheelchair around with his back to him. After a long while, he asked, “Is the truth… very important to you?”
“Whether it’s important or not doesn’t actually matter anymore. It’s just that if this knot isn’t untied, no one can continue forward.” Jingrong stared at his back, his tone icy. “You saved me back then but deliberately concealed it. For three years you haven’t mentioned it once. Even when I asked, you wouldn’t say. Ziluo, what exactly is the truth? What exactly are you hiding?”
Su Ziluo’s expression was calm, his eyes slightly lowered. “The events of that year… you truly can’t remember anything at all?”
“If I remembered, I wouldn’t ask you!”
After a pause, Su Ziluo turned his wheelchair to face him. “Since you don’t remember anything, why continue to pursue it? Now that you already know your identity, you should leave here with Miss Ji, act as if nothing happened, don’t ask, don’t speak, and don’t investigate. As long as you return to Great Lin, everything from the past will vanish like smoke. You’ll still be like before, living the life you want, doing what you want to do. These three years can be considered a trial for you both. Going through this experience isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Jingrong roughly understood the meaning in his words. “So the truth… is related to me?”
“…”
“Though I don’t remember what happened before, five years ago you went to Great Lin and dealt with the Great Lin royal family! I don’t know what happened in between, but I know you returned to Huyi injured in the end, and alone at that! Even Lie’er, who was always by your side, didn’t return with you at that time. No one knows where he went, and you never mentioned it! What exactly happened to you on the road back? Is what happened related to me?”
It had to be said, Jingrong had speculated everything carefully!
These words—Su Ziluo understood them clearly. “So you disappeared these past few days to investigate me?”
“Ziluo, for these three years I’ve worked for you, so you should know my character. If I don’t investigate thoroughly, I won’t let the matter rest, and I won’t leave Huyi.”
Su Ziluo smiled slightly, appearing completely calm and composed. “Since you’ve already deduced things to this point, fine. After this courtesan selection matter is concluded, I’ll tell you everything. And during this time, you can leave with Miss Ji at any time.”
Jingrong’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ll wait until the day you tell me the truth.”
Finishing his words, he turned and left.
Su Ziluo sat alone in the courtyard for a long time, the north wind blowing until his face felt bitterly cold…
…
Because he had to take up his position at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices tomorrow morning, Luo Yang didn’t sleep all night.
Was it excitement he felt?
Or apprehension?
He lay on his back on the bed staring at the gauze canopy swaying overhead, his jet-black eyes rolling for a long time…
Fantasizing about how imposing he would look tomorrow when wearing his official robes.
One word: handsome!
From time to time he’d chuckle, then furrow his brow.
His thoughts were hard to fathom.
Xiao Ba, meanwhile, remained sprawled in front of the neatly folded official robes, staring unblinkingly at the lifelike seahorse on the green robe, both envious and delighted.
“Brother, these official robes look so good.”
As he spoke, he even wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
It seemed he’d drooled!
Luo Yang turned his head to glance at him and said sternly, “Be careful—don’t get your drool on it.”
Xiao Ba smiled. “Brother, can I try it on? These clothes would definitely look good on me.”
“After I wear them for a few days, I’ll lend them to you.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Xiao Ba was extremely excited!
Luo Yang looked outside—the sky was about to brighten. He closed his eyes. “I should sleep for a while. Tomorrow morning when I go to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, I need to be in good spirits. Otherwise, I won’t have any official authority.”
Finishing his words, he turned over to sleep.
Xiao Ba continued staring intently at the official robes…
As soon as the sky had just brightened, Luo Yang got up and tidied himself thoroughly.
He changed into his official robes, head held high and chest out.
An imposing appearance on all sides.
Walking down the street like this, he’d definitely get beaten up!
Xiao Ba’s eyes gleamed as he stared at him. “Brother, you’re really handsome.”
Luo Yang raised his eyebrows cheerfully.
The person Wen Che sent to pick him up had already arrived and took him directly to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices offices.
Since it was someone arranged by Wen Che, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices historian Liang Ming personally led him inside.
They walked a circuit around the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
“The Court of Imperial Sacrifices manages ancestral temple rituals, so many details require attention. We absolutely cannot be careless—otherwise, it’s a matter of losing one’s head…” Liang Ming spoke as they walked.
But Luo Yang only half-listened.
He kept looking around the offices, seeing many people wearing official robes in the same style as his own.
“Lord Liang, what exactly will I be doing?”
Liang Ming stopped walking. “What, didn’t General Wen tell you what a pavilion chief should do?”
“Pavilion chief? What kind of official is that?” Luo Yang’s eyes went blank.
“When major ritual events are organized, you’re mainly responsible for patrol and security. Though this position is an unranked office, it’s very important!”
Luo Yang understood in an instant!
Put plainly, he was just a minor guard at the city gates?
Not even worthy of being called a ninth-rank sesame seed official!