Cheng Lang arrived at the shadow wall just after Yining’s carriage had departed. He exited the main gate with a cold expression, his carriage still waiting outside.
The servant at the door bowed to him. The early summer air in Yujing Hutong was filled with tender green buds fallen from the banyan trees, landing on his shoulders. Cheng Lang paid no attention, boarding his carriage and ordering the driver to set off as quickly as possible. The driver immediately whipped the horses into action, and the carriage sped out of Yujing Hutong.
Perhaps his obsession ran too deep, causing him to worry excessively.
Leaning against the carriage wall, Cheng Lang recalled her fingers scented with winter plum blossoms. He remembered her embracing him as she taught him to read, her voice drifting down from above. He thought of the moment he learned of her death, how he had fallen to his knees before her spirit tablet, weeping uncontrollably. From that day on, he was no longer the child hiding behind her – he had become a different Cheng Lang.
Cheng Lang closed his eyes, his fingernails turning white from gripping too tightly.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a creaking halt. The guard lifted the curtain and said, “My lord, someone is here to see you.”
Cheng Lang looked up coldly and said, “I’m busy. Send them away!”
The guard hesitated, “My lord… it’s the Governor’s men. I’m afraid you can’t refuse.”
Cheng Lang knew he had already offended Lu Jiaxue once before. If he slighted him again, there would surely be consequences. Of course, Cheng Lang was well aware of this, as he had been waiting for just such an opportunity.
He asked the driver, “How long will it take to reach Xinqiao Hutong from here?”
The driver respectfully replied, “My lord, it will take at least two to three hours. We likely won’t arrive until nightfall.”
Cheng Lang took a slow, deep breath before saying, “…Let’s go to the Ningyuan Marquis Manor instead.” What good would it do to chase after her now? No one would believe this story anyway – he was simply too obsessed. Besides, if it was her, why hadn’t she said anything during their time together? Could it be that she truly didn’t want to see him? If that were the case, confronting her would yield no results. Moreover, considering the incident with Shen Yu… if Yining was her, she might even want to kill him!
Furthermore, there was still Luo Shenyuan to contend with, and he was no pushover.
There would be other opportunities to test her. He needed to carefully consider how to go about it.
The carriage finally turned around and headed for the Ningyuan Marquis Manor.
Lu Jiaxue had just met with the Chief Grand Secretary Wang Yuan, and his subordinates were escorting Wang Yuan out of the manor. He returned to his study to drink tea. Just as he lifted the lid of his teacup, Cheng Lang entered.
“Uncle,” Cheng Lang greeted him with a slight bow.
Lu Jiaxue looked up at him. He had always admired his nephew, especially as he was his sister’s only son. Cheng Lang was cautious in his actions and intelligent. Lu Jiaxue was willing to entrust important matters to him. Regarding the previous incident, he considered it as a young wolf testing its newly grown claws, eager to prove their sharpness. After all, Cheng Lang was still his nephew, and Lu Jiaxue had no intention of holding it against him.
“I hear you’ve been getting close to the newly appointed Junior Minister of Justice, Luo Shenyuan?” Lu Jiaxue inquired.
Cheng Lang replied, “I wouldn’t say close. The man is too cunning; I’m merely navigating around him.”
Lu Jiaxue smiled, “Good. I have a delicate matter at hand. Are you familiar with Liu Pu, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang who was recently arrested for embezzlement?”
Of course, Cheng Lang knew of him. During his tenure, Liu Pu had been a corrupt official who neglected his duties. He and his subordinates were involved in extensive bribery and cover-ups, resulting in numerous wrongful convictions. He had been exposed only recently and was personally escorted to the capital by the Imperial Guard. However, for some unknown reason, he had managed to escape en route and his whereabouts were now unknown.
Without waiting for a response, Lu Jiaxue continued, “The Imperial Guard’s involvement in his arrest was at Xu Wei’s behest.”
Cheng Lang looked up, puzzled. “Why would Lord Xu concern himself with embezzlement cases?” He pondered briefly, “For Liu Pu to escape from the Imperial Guard, he must have had help… Could it be…”
Lu Jiaxue nodded, smiling, “Indeed, someone did help him – I did. I sent Song Cheng with 300 elite soldiers to rescue him, and two of our men were killed by the Imperial Guard. However, his confidant was taken hostage midway, and we’re currently searching for this person.” Lu Jiaxue stood and approached Cheng Lang. “I’ve received information that this person is now in the hands of Junior Minister Luo Shenyuan. We’ve already checked – he’s neither in the Ministry of Justice prison nor in the Court of Judicial Review’s cells. He must be hidden somewhere. I need you to find this person. We can’t let him remain in Luo Shenyuan’s possession.”
Cheng Lang now understood the situation.
No wonder… He had been wondering who could have rescued Liu Pu from the Imperial Guard. It was Lu Jiaxue all along!
It seemed that this Liu Pu might be Lu Jiaxue’s man, or more likely, Wang Yuan’s. Wang Yuan and Lu Jiaxue had always worked together, their interests deeply intertwined. Lu Jiaxue rarely dealt with local officials, while Wang Yuan maintained close relationships with them. Liu Pu must possess some crucial secret, important enough for Xu Wei to personally involve himself.
But Lu Jiaxue, or perhaps Wang Yuan, didn’t want Xu Wei to know about it.
Cheng Lang bowed, “I understand, uncle. I’ll go find this person immediately.”
This was the perfect opportunity to confront Luo Shenyuan.
Lu Jiaxue nodded and called for his subordinates, assigning several dozen personal guards to Cheng Lang. As Cheng Lang left the Ningyuan Marquis Manor with his men, he looked up to see a crescent moon hanging in the clear night sky.
His thoughts gradually calmed. He couldn’t let external factors disturb his composure.
Yining had just arrived at Luo Shenyuan’s courtyard in Xinqiao Hutong. As she was about to step out of the carriage, she saw a hand extended towards her.
Looking up, she realized it was her third brother and took his hand to descend from the carriage.
Many new nobility resided in Xinqiao Hutong, and this courtyard must have been recently purchased by her third brother, who was quite wealthy. The courtyard was spacious and impressive, with winding corridors and a rockery made of Taihu stones, giving it a touch of the gentle beauty of Jiangnan’s water towns. The manor was well-staffed with numerous serving women. He led her forward, explaining as they walked, “Your courtyard has just been cleaned out. You can stay here for now. Mother might arrive in a few days and will stay in the courtyard next to yours, so you two can talk easily.”
Yining’s assigned quarters consisted of a five-room, seven-beam courtyard. Through the latticed windows, she could see water lilies growing in the pond and drooping willows – it was quite beautiful, though the details were hard to make out in the fading light. The maids were already moving in and arranging things. Yining noticed that many of them had served her before, and they all seemed excited to see her.
Inside the room was an eight-immortals table. Yining sat on an embroidered stool and noticed the plush carpet beneath her feet – the room had been prepared with great care.
She invited Luo Shenyuan to sit and personally poured him some water. “Third Brother, do you live here alone? Don’t you have anyone to keep you company?”
Noticing her attentiveness in pouring water for him, Luo Shenyuan explained, “I don’t often stay here. It’s not convenient for getting to the Court of Judicial Review, so I usually stay at the office.”
It seemed he had prepared this place specifically for her… perhaps even for her to live here.
He wasn’t one for much conversation, and the maids were busy tidying up. As he took the water she offered, his hand briefly touched hers, but he quickly withdrew it.
Perhaps due to their long separation, there was a hint of awkwardness in their interaction.
Yining thought to herself as she continued speaking to Luo Shenyuan, “Mother wrote to me saying that Lord Luo the Second intends for you to marry the daughter of the Sun family. I haven’t met my future sister-in-law yet. What is Miss Sun like? Also, last time I saw Miss Xie the Second seemed interested in you… Why haven’t you arranged a marriage yet? I’ve noticed that your maids are all quite pretty. Don’t you… have any particular favorites among them?”
As the saying goes, one should establish a family and a career. At his age, others might already have children. He did have several personal maids, but if a maid was taken as a concubine, she would have styled her hair as a married woman. The maids she had seen earlier all still had their hair done in the style of unmarried girls.
Even Wei Ling had a few concubines. While men might not be enthusiastic about such matters, it was unlikely they would have no interest at all.
Hearing this, Luo Shenyuan looked at her and, unusually for him, reached out to ruffle her hair. “Why are you concerning yourself with such matters?”
She was just a young woman; how could she ask about whether he liked anyone?
Yining thought to herself that of course she should be concerned, but seeing how Lin Hairu had sent such beautiful maids to serve Luo Shenyuan, she knew how anxious Lin Hairu must be. Those maids all had their hearts set on him, which was common. For a maid, the best outcome was to become a concubine to their master, rather than being sent away or casually matched with a manservant. Moreover, they were serving Luo Shenyuan. Seeing him day and night, how could they not develop feelings for him?
“Rest well. I’ll show you around tomorrow,” Luo Shenyuan said as he stood up.
Yining looked up at him. “Won’t you stay a bit longer?”
It was already very late, and she was no longer the little girl she once was. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to stay longer. She treated him like a brother, completely unaware of the propriety between men and women.
The candlelight illuminated her profile, her face as if carved from white jade, her features even more alluring. Her eyes seemed to reflect the flickering candlelight, her lips delicate and soft. This kind of beauty was sensual, not merely pretty… Of course, it could also be due to his impure thoughts. Given how much she trusted him now, it was best not to linger.
Zhenzu, who had accompanied them, realized the situation and curtsied, saying, “Third Young Master should return to rest. You’ve traveled far to receive our young miss, and must be tired.”
Indeed, Luo Shenyuan had exerted himself in coming back and forth. With no one to help manage household affairs, he had personally overseen the manor’s arrangements, which must have been taxing. Moreover, having just been appointed as Junior Minister of Justice, he was undoubtedly busy, with important criminal cases from all over the country being sent to the Court of Judicial Review. He must have countless case files to review daily.
“Then we’ll talk more tomorrow. Shall I see you out?” Yining stood up.
Luo Shenyuan waved his hand, telling her not to bother. He smiled and said, “You should rest. You don’t know your way around the manor yet, so there’s no need to see me out.”
He straightened his official robes and then left. The servants and guards waiting outside the door followed him, with a few remaining outside Yining’s courtyard to keep watch.
Yining sat down on the large kang bed by the window, watching his tall figure disappear into the night. After a moment, she turned away as Qingqu brought in a basin of water for washing her feet.