Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 12
The night wind carried a chill, but Meng Suxi’s heart was even colder than this.
Fuxue Pavilion.
Meng Suxi came to stay temporarily at the Zhenguo Duke’s mansion, and she only brought one female maid with her. The third Madam was afraid that she would not have enough manpower, so she specially sent two more maids to Fuxue Pavilion to serve her.
When she returned to her courtyard, these two little girls were standing beside the golden teak Arhat bed. One was there to take care of her washing and the other one was there to take care of her makeup.
All the servants of Duke Zhenguo mansion are all good people. In the past few days, they have been spreading rumors that the cousin girl brought back by the third Madam may be the future eldest madam in the future, Therefore, they were particularly attentive in serving her and dare not be careless or negligent at all.
Meng Suxi wanted to say something to her maids, so she said to them: “It’s getting late. I don’t need so many people to serve me. You should rest early. Xining can just wait here for me to wash.”
The two girls looked at each other, wanting to stay but not daring to say anything. After thinking for a moment, they had no choice but to bow and retreat.
After they left, Xining walked around behind her, took off the pair of white jade hairpins and gold thread hair pins hanging from her bun and squeezed her shoulders, “Master, is there something on your mind?”
Meng Suxi raised her hand to close the window, her face changed slightly, “Have you spoken with the maid working in the Heir Apprent’s room?”
Xining nodded. “The maids in the main room were particularly polite to the others. They told the slaves some things before the slaves even asked.”
“Has the Heir Apparent ever had tongfang1(a maid who serves in bed) or a concubine?” Meng Suxi raised her eyes and asked.
Xining shook her head, “No.” Then she whispered: “I think the young lady does not need to worry about this. You have also seen the temper of Princess Jing’an. How can she tolerate that? And I have specially seen the maids who serve in the study, they are very well-behaved, and they are definitely not girls who want to seduce their master.”
Meng Suxi said: “Do they… use incense?”
Xi Ning smiled, “What are you thinking, young lady? The servants are all forbidden to use incense, who dares to use it?”
Hearing this, Meng Suxi clenched her fists. She has been particularly sensitive to things like fragrance powder since she was a child, and there is no way she can make a mistake.
She put her index finger on her forehead, rubbed it, and said hoarsely: “If it’s not inside the house, what about outside?”
As soon as the words fell, Xining reached out and covered Meng Suxi’s mouth, “My little ancestor, what are you saying? Can you say such words indiscriminately?”
Meng Suxi grabbed her wrist, pulled Xining closer and whispered.
Xining’s expression changed slightly, “Young Lady, I can see that the Heir Apparent’s temper is not very good. If you find someone to follow the Heir Apparent, but get caught, wouldn’t it be worth the loss? Besides, it’s normal for the officials in Chang’an to want to go to the red light district to eat wine and get intoxicated.”
Meng Suxi said: “How could I not know what you said? If I really misunderstood it, it would be a good thing. I’m just afraid that he would be like my father, who had two outside mistresses and hid it from my mother for five years. You find two. If you find two clever ones, he may not know it’s me.”
***
After resting, Lu Yan went to Jingzhao Perfacture for duty as usual.
The sound of drums outside was loud, and several couples were crying and howling outside. There was also a middle-aged man who couldn’t kneel down and kept shouting, “Give me back my sister, give back my sister.”
Lu Yan held up the wolf hair brush to write the report and junior magistrate Sun walked around the room, walking from right to left, back and forth several times, and finally couldn’t help but say: “Lord Lu, Lord Lu, why are you not in a hurry? Chang’an City has been in a hurry recently. Young Ladies from six families have gone missing. Except for the two female corpses found in Wang Zhao’s mansion that no one reported, nothing else was found! If this continues, sooner or later it will reach the ears of the Emperor”
“Lord Sun, even if you walks around a hundred times, this case will still not be solved.” Lu Yan said calmly.
Sun Xu choked and couldn’t help but murmur in his heart: Yes, you call the Emperor, Uncle. No matter what happens, you are not the one who will lose your black gauze hat2(official position).
Sun Xu was shaking his head when an official ran back in a flustered, “My Lord, there is good news!”
“Speak quickly,” Magistrate Sun said.
“Someone found the Song family’s lost daughter in Xingping County. She was saved by a doctor and survived.”
Lu Yan and Sun Xu looked at each other and stood up immediately.
They thought they would be able to interrogate the lady today, but when they arrived at the hospital, they discovered that the daughter of the Song family was covered in injuries and unconscious. The two elders of the Song family were holding their daughter with tears streaming down their faces.
She didn’t wake up until Shen Shi3(the period of the day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m).
Magistrate Sun said helplessly to Lu Yan: “It seems we can only come again tomorrow.”
***
After dusk, the government offices dispersed.
Lu Yan put on his cloak and walked out of Jingzhao Perfacture.
He lowered his head and pinched his brows, ordered the carriage to be prepared, boarded it and drove towards the Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion.
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Just halfway through, Yang Zong lifted the curtain and said slowly: “Master, it’s been two days, and that person is still following us as usual.”
Lu Yan’s face darkened, and he couldn’t help feeling an additional wave of annoyance in his heart.
At first, he thought that this sneaky person was related to the case, but later he heard that the maid next to the Meng family often appeared in his yard and inquired whether he had an outside mistress, so he understood what was going on.
He hadn’t even nodded his head yet and people were already trying to control him.
But this hand is stretching a little too far.
He glanced outside and then said slowly: “I’m going to Chengyuan today. But I need to go around the red light district and change to a new carriage.”
Yang Zong nodded in agreement.
He couldn’t help but sigh in his heart: Why does this girl from the Meng family have to be too smart? The Heir Apparent had finally agreed to start a family, but after being disturbed by her like this, it was completely out of the question.
The sky gradually turned from dark blue to pitch black. When Lu Yan arrived at Chengyuan, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Today, the lights were lit everywhere in the yard, and the layers of snow on the walls and black tiles were gradually melting under the vermilion halo.
He stepped forward slowly and opened the door.
The girl who was supposed to be anxious in the room had suddenly put on new clothes, a peach-colored blouse and a plain white satin skirt. When the door creaked open, she was facing a bronze mirror and wearing earrings.
The candlelight reflected on her fair little face and the corners of her pink lips were slightly raised. The way she looked at him was like a beauty in a picture, surrounded by clouds, mountains and mist and she was also dignified … .and also charming.
Like her, but also not like her.
Who among the men in this world doesn’t know how women like to please their own appearance?
Lu Yan paused in his steps, leaning on the door and sizing her up. He was well-dressed and looked as usual, even with a hint of arrogance that he usually suppressed.
Their eyes met, Shen Zhen slowly stood up, walked to his side, and called out softly, “My Lord.” Shen Zhen’s voice was naturally delicate. In order to be virtuous and dignified, Shen Zhen always deliberately lowered her voice.
Even a mediocre adult’s bones will turn soft if they listen to her voice.
She had figured it out. If she wants something from him, she can’t keep hiding from him. Might as well obey him, Shen Zhen thought.
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Seeing that she didn’t come forward, Lu Yan ignored her, walked straight inside and sat directly on the bed.
Shen Zhen bit her lip slightly and sat next to him.
Lu Yan’s deep eyes looked at her wantonly, it was not about lust, but it was more of an inquiring gaze.
It is said that Shen Zhen grew up in the Marquis Mansion and saw countless nobles and dignitaries. She should never be intimidated by this aura.
But she couldn’t see through Lu Yan’s expression.
Unseen things are like a sudden rainstorm, like a deep, bottomless sea, just like her being caught off guard and becoming his outside mistress.
It was natural that there would be more than just a trace of fear.
As soon as Shen Zhen’s fingertips trembled, she held them tightly.
He stared at her for a long time and suddenly asked, “Why are there so many sachets on you?” One on her chest, one on her skirt and another on the bed.
He finally asked.
Shen Zhen took a deep breath and said in a very low voice: “I have had a light fragrance on my body since I was a child. My mother didn’t want others to know, so she taught me how to make incense. I wear a sachet to cover up the fragrance on my body.”
After hearing this, Lu Yan thought about it for a moment. When he saw her recently, it was true that she was always wearing a sachet.
But in the end it was not as much as today.
“Really?” he asked slowly.
Outside the window, the breeze blew and the curtains swayed lightly.
Shen Zhen took the initiative to get closer to him, inch by inch. Then she slowly raised her soft and delicate hand, bent her fingers and opened the collar.
The slender white neck is taunt and firm. Such a line is more beautiful than the towering green mountains.
Lu Yan remained motionless, just looking at her, like a wolf king who had never been hungry, waiting for his prey to surrender.
Looking at each other, it felt like a kind of stalemate.
Shen Zhen saw that Lu Yan had no intention of giving her any leeway. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and move forward.
Then she plastered her entire body to the top of that dark purple official uniform.
Lu Yan lowered his head and chuckled almost inaudibly.
Immediately, he embedded the straight bridge nose into her neck, sprinkling a thin layer of moisture.
