The next day, Yi Ning received a letter from Cheng Lang. If it weren’t inconvenient at the Luo residence, Cheng Lang would have liked to come to see her in person. He felt she was in great danger in the capital and wished to send her away immediately if possible.
Yi Ning wrote back, saying she dared not make any rash moves now. She only hoped Cheng Lang could keep an eye on Lu Jiaxue’s actions if it wasn’t too much trouble.
After setting down her brush, Yi Ning fell silent. She wondered how Lian Fu’s child was doing. At the time, she had chosen to protect Cheng Lang without a second thought, as she still favored him. Previously, she could have asked about the child in her role as an elder, but now she didn’t dare. She had to be careful with her words, fearing that showing concern might lead to misunderstandings.
“My lady, the Third Young Master has returned from the Madam’s quarters. He asks that you prepare quickly,” a maid came in to relay the message.
Today, Luo Shen Yuan was to take her to visit Xu Wei. It had been arranged earlier, and since Grand Scholar Gu was also coming, the Xu family had prepared a banquet.
Yi Ning nodded and called for the maid to help her change clothes.
Outside, the rain continued intermittently, turning into a drizzle that persisted throughout the day.
Cheng Lang read Yi Ning’s second letter once more. He had thought she wouldn’t bother with him anymore, but now she was willing to ask for his help. As the prestigious Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, he felt a heavy responsibility not to let her down, especially since she had never truly valued his abilities before. Though he should burn this letter, he couldn’t bring himself to destroy her handwriting. He took out the box where he kept important correspondence and placed it inside. Sitting at his desk, Cheng Lang frowned slightly as he watched the light rain.
How could Lu Jiaxue have become suspicious…
For years, he had suspected Lu Jiaxue of killing Luo Yi Ning. There were too many suspicious points. If Lu Jiaxue wasn’t the killer, why had he never mentioned his former wife afterward? Why did he frame Xie Min?
Xie Min would never have killed Luo Yi Ning. Back then, when Luo Yi Ning went out with her, she was pushed off a cliff by Xie Min’s maid. Anyone investigating would immediately suspect Xie Min, and she wasn’t that foolish. Most crucially, after Luo Yi Ning’s death, Lu Jiaxue swiftly used it to attack Lu Jiaran and Xie Min, reasonably seizing power in one move.
She had already died once. He couldn’t let Lu Jiaxue harm her a second time.
A sharp, blade-like glint flashed in Cheng Lang’s eyes. He summoned his guard and gave some quiet instructions.
Just then, a servant came to announce: “Young Master, the Superintendent is here! He says he has some questions for you.”
Lu Jiaxue had come to see him…
Cheng Lang suddenly had a very bad feeling. He glanced at the letterbox and pushed it into a drawer before going to greet Lu Jiaxue.
Lu Jiaxue came through the light rain, accompanied by armed guards who stood silently waiting in the rain in the small courtyard. He entered and sat down in the host’s chair, casually removing his cloak. “It’s been a while since your uncle came to see you, so I thought I’d drop by today,” he said lightly.
Cheng Lang was a very intelligent man, and many thoughts raced through his mind. First, was Lu Jiaxue suspicious of him? He quickly reviewed his recent actions but found no obvious flaws. He had always been extremely cautious; Lu Jiaxue shouldn’t have discovered anything. Second, why did Lu Jiaxue come to see him? At this critical juncture, if he was here about Luo Yi Ning, why come to him? It was impossible that he would ask Cheng Lang to deal with Luo Yi Ning – Lu Jiaxue no longer trusted him that much.
Composing himself, Cheng Lang stepped forward and bowed. “Uncle, you’ve come through the rain. Let me have the servants prepare some hot tea to ward off the chill.”
“No need. I’m not here for tea,” Lu Jiaxue said, sitting imposingly. “I just have a few questions for my nephew.”
Cheng Lang’s heart sank.
Suddenly, he realized there was a flaw after all.
The letter! Both he and Yi Ning had overlooked this – Lu Jiaxue controlled the Divine Machine Battalion and half of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
With the Embroidered Uniform Guard at his disposal, he could quickly learn of anything happening in the capital. The Guard usually answered only to the Emperor, with its commanders being imperial confidants or even inheriting the position. However, after the incident with Zeng Yingkun, the Emperor became even more distrustful of officials and tightened surveillance to an extreme degree. He had even-handed control of half the Embroidered Uniform Guard to Lu Jiaxue, tasking him with monitoring unusual activity in the capital!
The Guard’s command had never been delegated before, so even Cheng Lang had forgotten about this!
Cheng Lang’s heart raced, but he maintained a polite smile. “What does Uncle wish to know? You could have simply summoned me rather than coming in person.”
“Others might not be able to handle you, my dear nephew,” Lu Jiaxue chuckled. Then he raised his hand, and one of his men immediately bowed and walked toward the desk. Cheng Lang’s expression changed – Lu Jiaxue did know! He rushed forward to intercept, but having never trained in martial arts, he was no match for Lu Jiaxue’s subordinate.
The man retrieved the letter box and handed it to Lu Jiaxue, who opened it and silently read the letter inside.
The rain pattered softly outside as he slowly clenched his fist, crumpling the paper.
His knuckles whitened, yet he smiled, devoid of emotion.
“So it is her.”
After lying dormant for so long, he now had complete confirmation. The rush of emotions – wild joy mixed with anger and jealousy – was too complex. Each feeling clashed violently, leaving him numb.
He stood and walked over to Cheng Lang, saying flatly, “Kneel.”
“Uncle…” Cheng Lang knew the situation was hopeless. He murmured, “Please let her go. She’s not the same person she was before.”
“Kneel!” Lu Jiaxue’s voice suddenly turned harsh.
Cheng Lang could only obey, his refined features turning deathly pale. But his jaw was set firmly, and he said nothing more.
“You knew who she was all along, yet you still wanted to marry her…”
Lu Jiaxue stepped forward and slapped Cheng Lang hard across the face – the second time he had struck him. This blow was especially vicious; an angry red welt immediately swelled on Cheng Lang’s cheek. But Lu Jiaxue quickly grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up, saying coldly, “How long have you been planning this? I thought you were just playing around with women all these years, but you rebellious wretch, you coveted her! She raised you, for heaven’s sake.”
Cheng Lang caught his breath and smiled bitterly. “Uncle, if I hadn’t saved her then, no one would have married her.”
At that time, Luo Yi Ning had been in a difficult situation with no way out except marriage, and no one dared to marry her.
And he had left the capital to investigate Zeng Yingkun. Even if he had been there, he likely would have remained indifferent to the situation because he didn’t know – he knew nothing at all.
Lu Jiaxue threw Cheng Lang to the ground.
After a long while, he laughed. “Very well.”
He too had reached his limit of endurance.
With a wave of his hand, he left the hall with his men.
Outside, there was only the soft patter of rain. Cheng Lang stood up, disregarding his injuries.
Lu Jiaxue finally knew!
But to his surprise, Lu Jiaxue didn’t seem to want to kill Luo Yi Ning. He appeared to still have possessive intentions toward her. If he wasn’t going to kill her, he must want her for himself. At least… Luo Yi Ning’s life wasn’t in immediate danger.
Who was he helping? If Lu Jiaxue discovered he was aiding Luo Shen Yuan, he might very well beat him to death. Moreover, if not for Luo Shen Yuan’s interference, Luo Yi Ning might be his wife by now.
If Luo Yi Ning had married him, he would have protected her carefully, leaving no gaps for Lu Jiaxue to discover her. How could things have turned out like this?
Now that Lu Jiaxue was involved, the situation had become much more complicated.
Cheng Lang took a deep breath and called for someone to come in. “…Go to the Luo residence and deliver a message to Luo Shen Yuan!”
Luo Yi Ning couldn’t face Lu Jiaxue alone. Only Luo Shen Yuan could barely protect her.
The Xu residence wasn’t far from the Imperial College neighborhood. A short carriage ride of about 15 minutes brought them there. Since Gu Jingming’s grandfather, Grand Scholar Gu had returned to the capital, Xu Wei was hosting a banquet for him today. The mansion was bustling with people coming and going.
Luo Shen Yuan was stopped by his teacher in the front courtyard and asked to pay respects to Grand Scholar Gu. Technically, Grand Scholar Gu was also Yi Ning’s maternal great-grandfather, though they had never interacted.
Luo Shen Yuan said to Yi Ning, “Wait for me under the corridor for a moment.” He then went to speak with his teacher.
This was Yi Ning’s first time seeing Xu Wei. He was shorter than she had imagined, about half a head shorter than her third brother. He was very polite, with a perpetual smile. Yi Ning couldn’t help but think of his eventual fate years later; she hadn’t expected him to be so amiable. Her third brother listened to Xu Wei with his head lowered, occasionally smiling as they conversed. After a while, Luo Shen Yuan turned and beckoned to her.
Yi Ning walked over, and Luo Shen Yuan introduced her: “This is my wife.”
The sunlight outside was pleasant, with high clouds and a mild temperature. Tree shadows danced on the ground. He stood beside her, his voice calm and unhurried.
Yi Ning smiled and curtsied to Xu Wei. “Greetings, Lord Xu. We’re troubling you today.”
“No need for formalities,” Xu Wei said with a smile, glancing at Yi Ning. “She is indeed quite young. Shen Yuan, you mustn’t bully her.”
Luo Shen Yuan laughed. “She is still young.” Which meant he had to take extra care of her, like a child.
Xu Wei went ahead, telling Luo Shen Yuan to follow shortly.
Luo Shen Yuan turned back to Yi Ning and said quietly, “A maid will take you to Madam Xu soon. Play with her and the other ladies. If anything happens, send Zhenzhu to find me, alright?”
Yi Ning thought to herself, “Play? He does think I’m a child!” But she nodded in agreement, and only then did Luo Shen Yuan leave for the front hall.
A maid standing nearby curtsied and said, “Third Lady Luo, please follow me this way.”
Yi Ning was led by the maid, passing through a side gate and a moon gate. As they walked, she thought about Xu Wei’s situation. His death would be a major event, even causing riots among the common people in the capital. She remembered clearly it happened in the third year of Zhide, as people tried to protect the unjustly imprisoned Lord Xu. Folk tales said he was harmed by Wang Yuan, though the reliability of such claims was uncertain. In the eyes of the common people, anything bad was either done by Wang Yuan or his faction. The masses saw good and evil as simply as black and white faces.
Her knowledge of events was quite limited. However, after meeting Xu Wei in person, her feelings were different.
Among the Six Ministries, the vice ministers of Personnel, Justice, and Rites were mostly promoted by Wang Yuan. The Emperor valued him highly, and his faction was spread throughout the court. Xu Wei was merely surviving under Wang Yuan’s pressure, which was no easy feat for an ordinary person. No matter how amiable he appeared, he must also be decisive and efficient in his actions. She now felt that Xu Wei’s death might not be as simple as it seemed.
The maid led her through a passageway, and Luo Yi Ning saw several osmanthus trees ahead. Beyond the trees was a flower hall where several ladies were watching maids pick osmanthus blossoms. The osmanthus in Lord Xu’s mansion was the “zhuangyuan hong” variety of cinnamon osmanthus, with orange-red flowers and a rich fragrance. Every year at this time, Madam Xu would invite everyone to come and gather some of the fragrant blossoms.
Madam Xu was Xu Wei’s second wife, over forty years old but very well-maintained.
She had Yi Ning sit on an embroidered stool beside her and held her hand, looking her over. She smiled and praised, “Shen Yuan is handsome, and this wife of his is quite lovely too.”
The ladies present were all very curious about Luo Shen Yuan. Seeing that Yi Ning was still young, they were especially gentle with her, asking many questions.
Yi Ning learned that the lady next to her, wearing a purple jacket with auspicious patterns, was Yang Ling’s wife. She had fair skin and spoke cheerfully. Madam Xu was closer to Madam Yang and said to her, “Third Lady Luo hasn’t been to our mansion before. Please chat with her more.”
Madam Yang smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Don’t worry, Teacher’s Wife. Yi Ning, you can call me Sister Xuan Rong. Your husband and mine passed the imperial exams in the same year, so we should address each other as sisters.”
Yi Ning didn’t shy away and smiled, calling her “Sister Xuan Rong” as suggested.
Madam Yang was the daughter of a tribal chieftain from Shu. She lacked the rigid etiquette of capital ladies. As they talked, Madam Yang found this Third Lady Luo to be quite sociable and straightforward. The two women got along well, and Madam Yang held Yi Ning’s hand, saying animatedly, “Yi Ning, you must come to my place sometime. I’m the best cook, and you won’t find flavors like mine anywhere else.”
Madam Yang loved food, and the kitchen was her household’s biggest expense. She had developed many new recipes herself. Although Yi Ning also enjoyed good food, she was lazy and ate whatever was served. Meeting someone like Madam Yang was perfect, and listening to her describe the dishes made Yi Ning eager to try them. They agreed to visit each other when they had the chance.
The gathered osmanthus flowers were made into cakes and served. The freshly picked blossoms were sweet and fragrant, with an excellent texture. However, the osmanthus honey was still astringent and needed a few days before it could be eaten. Madam Xu had maids divide it into small ceramic jars, preparing one for each of the ladies to take home.
As noon approached, Madam Xu led everyone to the front courtyard’s banquet area. The area was divided into inner and outer sections, separated by a large marble screen. From the inner section, one could see the outer area through gaps in the screen.
Luo Yi Ning was discussing with Madam Yang how to remove the astringency from osmanthus: “Blanching works, but it reduces the fragrance.”
She had learned a bit of everything, from needlework to cooking. The lives of women in the inner quarters were often boring and limited; apart from playing mahjong, watching operas, and such, they delved into these refined skills.
Madam Yang shook her head. “Losing the fragrance won’t do. It’s best to use a little salt to pickle them.”
Yi Ning laughed. “I’ve never heard of using salt to pickle them. Wouldn’t that make the osmanthus honey taste salty?”
Just then, they heard a commotion outside. Someone had arrived. Yi Ning peered through the screen and her smile froze – it was Xie Yun…
What rotten luck, running into Xie Yun wherever she went.
And every encounter with her brought trouble.
Yi Ning felt she should start consulting an almanac before going out in the future.
Xie Yun entered with an elderly man whose beard was completely white. The man wore a high-ranking official’s robe of the second grade and exuded an air of authority. He must be Elder Xie. In the resting area of the front banquet hall, Xu Wei and Grand Academician Gu were also present. The men, long-time friends, engaged in polite conversation.
Elder Xie introduced Xie Yun to the group, “This is my granddaughter, Yun’er. I brought her out to broaden her horizons.”
Xie Yun smiled obediently and greeted them as Grandpa Xu and Grandpa Gu. Her hair was styled in a married woman’s bun, and her neck was long and elegant. Elder Xie had always raised Xie Yun like a boy, often bringing her to meet distinguished individuals. Although she was married now, Cheng Lang paid her little attention, allowing her to accompany Elder Xie freely.
Today, she was here with her grandfather to meet the renowned Grand Academician Gu.