The earring slipped from her hand, and Chu Fengqing quickly reached out to catch it. He guessed what she was thinking and explained, “When I was a child, I saw others piercing their ears, and there was so much blood, so I was afraid and didn’t let my mother pierce my ears. Later, when I grew up, I saw that everyone had pierced ears, and I don’t have any pretty earrings that I can wear, and I’m starting to envy them again.”
The maid laughed, and she said, How could a young lady from a noble family not have her ears pierced? She said, “The Old Madam really loves you. When I was a child, I was also very scared, crying and making a fuss, but the adults didn’t care and just pierced my ears with a needle.”
As she spoke, she shuddered, as if she had thought of some horrifying scene.
The two chatted intermittently. Chu Fengqing’s face didn’t need any decoration, so he dressed up quickly. The maid looked up at him and couldn’t help but say, “Madam, you are so beautiful.”
“She” was wearing a moon-white dress, without any makeup, and only a simple pearl hairpin on her head. She stood there like a lotus emerging from the water, rising from the mud but not stained, washing in the clear water but not coquettish, standing tall and pure, someone who could be admired from afar but not played with.
So ethereal and out of this world.
Chu Fengqing smiled lightly, and when he was leaving, Steward Mo asked him if he should have a few maids follow him, but he refused on the grounds that he did not like outsiders following him. He was going to meet his eldest brother’s subordinates, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better, to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Steward Mo did not force him and only assigned him a driver. This time, Chu Fengqing agreed, and the place he wanted to go was a teahouse.
His eldest brother’s subordinates originally wanted to find a secluded place for safety, but Chu Fengqing felt that the more lively the place, the safer it was. Moreover, with his current status, it was not suitable to meet him alone, so the meeting place was set in the teahouse.
There was a storyteller in the teahouse. He was telling a story with saliva flying all over his body, and the people below were listening with great interest.
Chu Fengqing wore a veil when he went out to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. He walked quietly into the teahouse. There were not many women in the teahouse, so he attracted a lot of attention as soon as he entered.
Chu Fengqing frowned slightly. He was not used to the feeling of being noticed. Fortunately, the waiter was very considerate and came up to him immediately. After asking for directions, he led him to the compartment on the second floor.
There was already someone waiting in the compartment. As soon as the waiter left, the man in the bamboo hat immediately knelt down and said, “Greetings, Second Young Master.”
Chu Fengqing: “Uncle Zhang, you don’t have to be so polite. Get up quickly.”
Zhang Zhang took off his bamboo hat, revealing a bearded face. When he saw Chu Fengqing’s outfit, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes, and he said, “Second Young Master, you have suffered.”
He had already received the news that the second young master was getting married as a substitute for the young lady. Hearing it was one thing, and seeing it was another. He could not imagine how the handsome second young master could married out as a woman.
Chu Fengqing also took off his veil and said, “Sit down and tell me what you found.”
Zhang Zhang: “Yes.”
As he spoke, he sat down and poured a cup of tea for Chu Fengqing. When he handed the tea to him, he looked at Chu Fengqing, and when he saw the faint mark on his chin, which was obviously a fingerprint, his face grimified, and he clenched his hands tightly, and the teacup in his hand instantly broke into pieces.
Chu Fengqing was born with great dignity. He was raised in the palms of his uncles, aunts, parents, and elder brother. He watched him grow up, from a small child to this big one. Chu Fengqing was weak when he was young, and everyone thought he would not survive. However, no matter how difficult the difficulties he encountered, even when the divine physician said he would not survive, he managed to hold on. Now…
He has to be toyed with by a dead eunuch!
Zhang Zhang couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t say a word of what he had to say. He took a deep breath, threw away the fragments in his hand, and said, “Fengqing, if you still call me Uncle Zhang, then don’t get involved in this mess anymore. Go to Jiangnan right now to meet your mother, and then hide your identities and go to a place where no one knows you.”
Chu Fengqing: “……”
Zhang Zhang continued, “As for your father, your elder brother, and us, you don’t have to worry about this matter.”
Chu Fengqing didn’t understand what was going on at first, until he noticed that his eyes were fixed on his chin. Then he suddenly realized.
He gritted his teeth and cursed in his heart: “Dog Ji.”
Chu Fengqing opened his mouth to explain, but when he raised his eyes, he saw Zhang Zhang’s sad eyes, so he stopped talking because he felt that no matter what he said now, it would be useless. They had already determined that he was bullied by Ji Yujin. If he explained, Uncle Zhang might think he was comforting him.
But it’s also true, Ji Yujin has a very bad reputation in the outside world, and no one believes that he will let him go. He has been in the Ji Mansion for so many days, and the people outside are probably waiting to see his body being carried out.
Anyway, the Emperor, Steward Mo, and even the Princes think so, so it doesn’t matter with Uncle Zhang one more.
Chu Fengqing stroked his forehead and said, “Uncle Zhang, don’t worry about it for now. I wasn’t bullied. Tell me what happened to my brother first. Why did he disappear?”
Zhang Zhang pursed his lips tightly, and after a while, he sighed again, “Ai.”
He did find out something, but he didn’t know whether he should tell Chu Fengqing or not.
Chu Fengqing stared at him and frowned when he saw that he hadn’t spoken for a long time. “What’s wrong?”
He looked at Uncle Zhang’s embarrassed expression, and suddenly a guess came to his mind: “Is this matter related to Ji Yujin?”
Uncle Zhang’s body stiffened. Chu Fengqing had always been smart, he could guess it in such a short moment. However… now that the second young master has given himself to Ji Yujin, and then he suddenly hears that Ji Yujin is the culprit of all this, how could he bear it? Isn’t this like a sheep walking into a tiger’s mouth? Isn’t he sending himself into the hands of the enemy?
A hint of emotion appeared in Chu Fengqing’s clear eyes, and Uncle Zhang’s silence confirmed his guess.
He pursed his lips and said calmly, “Uncle Zhang, please tell me in detail.”
Zhang Zhang gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, and then met Chu Fengqing’s calm eyes. He was slightly stunned. He had lived for so many years but was still not as calm as an 18-year-old. Finally, he spoke, “General Chu was stationed in Liangchen. Liangchen is the border between the Tatar1Foreign ethnic groups in northern China. and our Ming Dynasty. As long as Liangchen is lost, the Tartars can attack the Central Plains in an instant.”
“Therefore, this place has always been a border fortress, and small conflicts would break out from time to time. But just last month, the Tartars suddenly gathered their troops and launched a massive attack on Liangchen. The war came suddenly, but we still reported the matter to the court on the same day. Liangchen has limited troops and food. We held on for half a month but received no reinforcements or food. The people and soldiers in the city were suffering so much that they almost had to eat their own children.”
“Later, the General couldn’t wait any longer, so he asked the surrounding cities for soldiers and food, but somehow our news couldn’t get out. Later, the General couldn’t stand it any longer, so he attacked the Tartars at night and tried to steal their food.”
“It seems that the Tartars had anticipated this and had set a trap long before. The General fell into the trap and was almost caught. After escaping with difficulty, he was chased into the desert. It was the season of sandstorms in the desert, and it was pitch dark. The General just disappeared like that.”
Both of them were silent. There was no water or food in the desert, and he was injured. This was a dead end. No matter if there were pursuers behind him or not, there was a high probability that he would not be able to get out.
Zhang Zhang’s eyes were bloodshot, and he continued after a pause: “Reinforcements finally arrived after the General disappeared. The Tartar army had been outlasted by us for half a month and was no longer as strong as before. As soon as the reinforcements arrived, they were defeated. But I was unwilling to accept this. Just because of the delay in time, the General… I was looking for the General while investigating the matter. After the investigation, I found that the soldiers we sent out to borrow troops died on the road, and they were all killed by arrows. There was a Xichang logo on each arrow. This was simply done by someone with ulterior motives who just wanted to force all the people in Liangchen to death!”
Chu Fengqing was silent for a moment, and Zhang Zhang continued, “I know you might suspect that this is a frame-up. I thought so at first, too, but do you know? As early as the Tartars attacked, the military report we submitted to the court requesting reinforcements was sent to Ji Yujin. The reinforcements arrived as soon as the General disappeared. This is too much of a coincidence.”
“Also, with Ji Yujin’s personality, who has he ever been afraid of? Who has he ever hidden from? Didn’t he always kill them openly? So the Xichang logo was just something Ji Yujin didn’t bother to clean up.”
As Zhang Zhang spoke, he took out the broken arrow. Chu Fengqing rubbed the tail of the arrow and found that there was indeed a mark engraved on the tail of the arrow. The mark was undoubtedly from the Xichang.
“So…” Zhang Zhang pursed his lips and said with some difficulty, “Fengqing, you don’t need to worry about this matter. Go to Jiangnan now.”
Chu Fengqing took out a handkerchief and paused. There was a small “Ji” embroidered under the handkerchief. It was the handkerchief he picked up from the ground yesterday.
He was in a hurry to go out today and even brought his handkerchief with him.
Chu Fengqing put away the handkerchief and put the broken arrow in his arm. “Uncle Zhang, I will investigate this matter. If Ji Yujin is really the person behind this…”
He paused as he spoke, his eyes drooping and his long eyelashes completely obscuring the expression in his eyes. After a while, he said calmly, “I will definitely get this debt back.”
His voice was very soft when he said this, but it frightened people to the depths of their hearts.
Zhang Zhang: “As for the Master… the newly appointed Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is Li Lu—Li Yu’s father, the head of the Jinyiwei, who is on good terms with the Xichang. Li Yu is also Ji Yujin’s childhood playmate.”
Zhang Zhang didn’t say it explicitly, but he had already told him that Ji Yujin might be behind his father’s case.
Chu Fengqing closed his eyes and said, “The most urgent thing is to rescue my father first. I have been to the prison once and drew a map of the prison’s topography.”
He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, “But I could only reach these places that day, so the map is not complete. I wanted to wait a little longer, but now it seems that the Chu family’s lives are wanted behind this. So, Uncle Zhang, I will give you the map. After you memorize it, burn it. If it is really impossible to overturn the case, I will have to trouble you and your brothers.”
Chu Fengqing has had a photographic memory since he was young. As long as he has seen something once, he can copy it exactly. His mother often said that his excessive wisdom would lead to harm, which is why he is so weak.
Zhang Zhang glanced at the topographic map and asked worriedly, “What about you?”
Chu Fengqing: “Don’t worry about me, I have my own way of escaping.”
Zhang Zhang put the map away carefully and said, “Okay, my brothers and I will be in the capital for the time being, as long as you give the order.”
Chu Fengqing: “En.”
Although Zhang Zhang was so sure that it was Ji Yujin, but Chu Fengqing still had doubts. If Ji Yujin just wanted the position of Minister of Revenue, there was no need to do this.
Now that the emperor is old, it is inevitable that the princes will seize power. It is not surprising that his father is targeted because he is only loyal to the emperor. But according to his understanding, Ji Yujin is not dependent on any prince, and he does not need the position of Minister of Revenue.
Unless he has someone secretly attached to him but he doesn’t know about it, or… he himself wants that position.
Chu Fengqing had a headache. The capital city was like the roots of a century-old tree, winding and intertwined. It was difficult to sort out these relationships in a short period of time.
His thoughts were complicated. He tapped some tea with his fingers and drew a relationship diagram on the table. Zhang Zhang didn’t say anything, and the room became quiet.
As the room became quieter, the storyteller’s voice began to become clearer.
Chu Fengqing didn’t take it seriously at first, but suddenly the table was covered with tea. He looked up and saw Zhang Zhang had crushed another cup. He looked at him in confusion, Zhang Zhang’s eyes were very strange.
But the next moment, he understood the reason for all this.
Storyteller: “Let’s talk about the absurd wedding night when the Third Young Lady of the Chu family married into the Ji Mansion. All we could hear was the sound of clothes tearing in the room, and the Third Young Lady of the Chu family screamed ‘presumptuous’ at the top of her lungs…”
Chu Fengqing: “……”
In the teahouse, someone was actually talking about his wedding night with Ji Yujin!!
He actually listened to his own spring2It refers to lust. palace in the teahouse with his uncle, who had watched him grow up!
“Bang” the third cup, was crushed by Zhang Zhang, and glass fragments flew everywhere.
Just like Chu Fengqing, he’s about to explode!
Chu Fengqing closed his eyes and calmed himself down. He tried his best to make his voice sound calm: “Uncle Zhang, I need you to help me check something.”
Zhang Zhang’s eyes flashed after hearing this. “Alright, I will find out as soon as possible.”
“En.” Chu Fengqing said, putting on his veil, “Uncle Zhang, I’m leaving first.”
He didn’t want to stay here for a moment.
Zhang Zhang sent him away with a look of grief on his face, and Chu Fengqing suddenly understood that he and Ji Yujin would never be able to clear their ties in this lifetime.
On the other side, Ji Yujin was riding his horse and galloping towards the south.
During the break, he had a gloomy face. Seeing this, everyone stayed away from him for fear of bringing bad luck upon themselves. However, there were also people who did not understand his look, such as Li Yu.
Li Yu smiled and walked up to Ji Yujin. “Governor, what’s wrong with you? Are you unhappy with your married life?”
He was just joking as usual, but he didn’t expect Ji Yujin’s body to stiffen as soon as he said this.
Li Yu’s smile instantly faded, and she looked at him in horror, “You, you, you, don’t tell me that I guessed right?”
He doesn’t want to know this, because knowing this will lead to the extinction of his family line.
Ji Yujin lazily raised his eyelids and said, “Scram.”
“Alright!” Li Yu was eager to get out of here. He rolled and crawled to the other side, and then said to his men, “Don’t mess with that guy today! Otherwise, even I can’t protect you!”
What a terrible thing it is to be unsatisfied! Especially when that person is an eunuch, he can’t get hard, even if he wants to. Tsk, it’s pathetic to think about it. Fortunately, he doesn’t have a wife. Bah! He is not an eunuch. He can get hard whenever he wants. Why doesn’t he have a wife?
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
Ji Yujin seemed to be on a trip for business these days, and Chu Fengqing stayed in the Ji Mansion alone for a few days.
He originally wanted to go to Tianlao, but the prison was heavily guarded, and the guards only recognized tokens. Even with this identity, he could not get in.
Finally, one afternoon, Ji Yujin came back.
The red clothes turned into bloody clothes.
Li Yu, who was always smiling, turned cold this time and called the imperial physicians anxiously.
Ji Yujin was seriously injured this time. He was stabbed on the shoulder by the sword. If it was a little more to the side or with a little more force, half of his shoulder would have been cut off.
Everyone was looking at the wound with frowns, but Ji Yujin seemed relatively calm. There was not much pain on his face, but his bright red lips turned pale, and his eyebrows, which had been raised all the time, drooped down. He looked a little unhappy.
Chu Fengqing, out of his physician’s instinct, naturally went forward to check the wound. Before his hand touched the wound, it was grasped by a big hand. That person’s strength was not as strong as before. Ji Yujin glanced at him, pushed him away a little, and his voice was much weaker. “Why are you joining in the fun? Go to another room to rest. What’s so good about this blood-thorned Sriracha? Don’t get yourself scared.”
Chu Fengqing’s eyes flashed with surprise. Seeing him like this, Ji Yujin misunderstood. He smiled and said nonchalantly, “Don’t worry, it’s just a minor injury. I won’t die.”
The imperial physicians came very quickly and took off Ji Yujin’s clothes as soon as he arrived, but Ji Yujin waited until Chu Fengqing left before exposing his wound.
The sword wound was very severe, with flesh and blood oozing out from both sides. Blood was flowing all over half of the body. An ordinary person would not have been able to endure it. Even the head of Imperial Medical shook his head when he saw it.
Li Yu gritted his teeth and said, “Ji Yujin, your uncle. This is just a minor injury? You would rather suffer just to save face.”
Chu Fengqing stood outside the door, watching the maid bring out basin after basin of bloody water.
He closed his eyes. Was Ji Yujin afraid that he would be scared?
He wrapped the fox’s fur cloak around him tighter. Steward Mo told him that the fox fur cloak he was wearing was also hunted by Ji Yujin himself. It was a rare white fox, and it was like a cheap item. He just gave it to him.
Chu Fengqing pondered for a moment and found that he really couldn’t understand Ji Yujin. This person is weird.
After a while, he heard the two imperial physicians arguing in the room.
Ji Yujin’s wound was too big and deep enough to see the bone, so it would be difficult for it to heal on its own. However, the two had no idea what to do if it didn’t heal on its own.
The imperial physicians suggested suturing. However, everyone had only heard of this suturing technique but had never practiced it, so no one knew how to do it.
Chu Fengqing sighed. He knew the technique of suturing.
However, once he revealed his medical skills in front of everyone, even if he could explain it as learning it from others, it would still arouse some unnecessary suspicion, which was not a wise move.
But… he remembered what Ji Yujin had just said. Moreover, a physician should be compassionate…
After a long while, there was still no conclusion in the room. Ji Yujin was a little impatient. “It doesn’t matter. Just treat it as it should be. You don’t have to pay even if I die.”
Everyone: “……”
But it costs our lives ah!
Just when everyone was silent, a cold voice came out. Chu Fengqing looked at Ji Yujin with a calm gaze and said, “Let me do it.”
