Chapter 58: The Woman Is Pretty Reserved
Du Yu left the Xu Family and, in less than an hour, sent someone with a reply adoption letter.
Xu He was also soon summoned to the Du Family on the pretext of preparing for the recognition ceremony.
It was now the hour of Xu, and they had only just returned.
Wei Zhang greeted her and then entered: “Princess!”
Yue Tang set down her brush and looked at him: “How did it go?”
He stood with his head lowered: “Du Minghuan summoned Xu He over, and there were no tricks; he just said some polite words to reassure him, then mentioned the progress on the Fu Family father and son’s case.
“He also said that tomorrow is a rest day, so Xu He should prepare, and in a few days on the fifteenth of the ninth month, he should come to the mansion for the ceremony.
“But after coming out, this subordinate routinely sneaked back in for another look.
“I saw Du Yu instructing someone to keep a tight watch on Empress Dowager Shen’s nephew Shen Li first thing tomorrow morning, saying that Shen Li would definitely take advantage of the rest day to go to Guang’an Temple to offer incense and pray for peace for the entire family.
“He also said that during this time Shen Li would surely meet with officials, so they must watch him closely, and then when the time comes—”
“Stop!” Yue Tang raised her hand. “Shen Family? Shen Li?”
Wei Zhang nodded emphatically.
Yue Tang looked at him: “I remember Shen Li is the legitimate eldest grandson of the Shen Family. He’s only in his early twenties, yet he’s already serving as a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue under the Imperial Secretariat. With the autumn harvest underway everywhere and taxes and grain due in the capital, he should have a heavy workload. Why does he have time to go to the temple to offer incense?
“Won’t other Shen Family members go?”
Wei Zhang bowed: “This subordinate hasn’t had a chance to inquire yet. However, I did hear earlier that every year around September and October, the Shen Family always has some accident.
“Either this one gets injured, or that one falls ill, or perhaps there’s some scandal at the Imperial Court.
“The Shen Family feels it clashes with this month, so every year they send family members to the temple in advance to pray for blessings.
“It’s been about four or five years now.
“From Empress Dowager Shen’s grandfather down, there are three houses in total, and this year it should be the main house’s turn again.”
Yue Tang frowned even more tightly: “Why is Du Yu so certain that Shen Li will meet with officials in the temple?”
“This is indeed strange. Without a definite source for the information, he shouldn’t be so certain.”
Yue Tang thought for a moment, then puzzled: “The Du Family actually dares to take such a risk. Are they really targeting the Shen Family?
“And why must it be tomorrow?”
Wei Zhang was also puzzled: “Du Yu is convinced it will be tomorrow, and they’ll go early in the morning. This subordinate also feels he must have solid information.”
Yue Tang looked outside the window at the sky and began pacing with her hands clasped.
Although based on the evidence collected by the Du Family, the Chu Family and Mu Family seemed more suspicious at first glance, the Shen Family having accidents every year at this time was clearly suspicious, and she had no reason to ignore it.
She turned: “Tomorrow you still follow Xu He. Qin Niang and I will go to Guang’an Temple early in the morning to scout the situation.”
Lan Qin said: “What about Prince Jingyang’s Mansion…”
“We’ll make it,” Yue Tang nodded. “We’re just going to look around. I said we’d arrive in the morning, and we’ll definitely get there before noon.”
……
The next day at dawn, Yue Tang and Lan Qin went out.
Xu He had the day off and stayed in the mansion sorting items needed for the recognition ceremony. From the window, he saw them leave and couldn’t help lingering his gaze for a moment.
Wei Zhang glanced at him sideways: “Lord Xu is already a married man. Staring at my master like this is highly improper.”
Xu He was provoked by his words, stirring up his inner frustration.
He felt he truly had the worst luck of eight lifetimes!
At first, he thought he’d gotten a bargain, acquiring a clever advisor, and since she had jumped in to impersonate He Shi, it would be easy to cast her off.
Now it was great—not only had he not gained any advantage, he couldn’t even shake her off!
With this “wife of humble origins,” he couldn’t even discuss marriage with daughters from high families in the future!
This deal had lost him everything down to the bottom!
If he had known he’d end up tied to the Du Family anyway, why had he gone and broken off the engagement with the Duan Family?
In the end, he’d offended people, and now he was constantly oppressed by this demoness.
The wrist injured yesterday still hadn’t swollen down.
The more Xu He thought, the angrier he got, nearly grinding his teeth to pieces.
Yan Bei got up early, first took A Li to eat breakfast, then brought him to the garden, where he practiced swordplay himself while letting A Li play in the sand nearby with the little duck.
When Yue Tang arrived, she would surely come looking for A Li first thing.
Once she found A Li, she would naturally find him.
Then he could just give a casual greeting.
He was the one deceived into being a son-in-law and then divorced; it couldn’t be that he still had to welcome his heartless ex-wife with a smile, right?
Thinking of this, Yan Bei felt invigorated.
He unleashed all his vigor. But after completing his full set of one hundred and eight forms, Yue Tang still hadn’t appeared.
That was normal.
Women, after all.
They had to dress up before going out, right?
With such an alluring face, she naturally had to groom herself carefully.
Back when she was pregnant with a big belly, she stewed red dates and white fungus every day.
So vain!
So he collected his thoughts and did another set of punches.
But after sixty-four forms, still no sign of her.
Could it be that the Imperial Guard Department subordinates at the door didn’t know better and hadn’t let her in?
So he sent the little eunuch guarding next door to wait personally at the door.
But the little eunuch went for a while and still didn’t return.
A Li, who was playing in the sand, stood up with his little shovel.
His little mouth chattered nonstop, urging the duck: “Little Hee-hee, little Ha-ha, we’re going now. Grandpa Hua is waiting for A Li’s acupuncture…”
Yan Bei looked up at the sun climbing halfway into the sky and couldn’t stay put any longer.
The little eunuch hadn’t returned, which meant the door guards hadn’t stopped her.
Besides, even if they stopped her, she had a token.
With her fiery temper, could she really not get in?
Forget it.
She was a woman, and a real noble lady at that, so of course she had some pride; she probably felt too embarrassed to actually come seeking him.
Right, she must be holding back! Too shy to directly ask him to come pick her up!
Fine, who let him happen to be free?
He completely forgot how ferociously Yue Tang had tied him up and brought him into the bridal chamber back then.
He went back to his room, bathed, changed into an indigo brocade robe with fine patterns, bound his hair with a sheep fat jade crown, and rode out in a horse carriage.
Gao An asked: “Should we bring A Li?”
The mother would surely want to see the child first thing.
Yan Bei said: “No need.”
If he brought the child, she wouldn’t come!
At the Top Scholar’s Mansion, he had the carriage stop and pointed at Gao An with his folded fan: “Go knock on the door and bring her out.”
Gao An got out of the carriage.
Yan Bei lifted the carriage curtain with his fan and sized up the family status of the Top Scholar’s Mansion.
The residence had a modest facade, bordered by a few small yamens, with no riffraff passing by, so it was quite quiet.
Xu He had finished tidying up and read half a scroll when he noticed Wei Zhang was no longer around. Just as he planned to go out for some air, the gatekeeper hurried in: “Master, there’s a man outside the door, dressed finely, with a very fair face. He says he wants to see our lady.”
“See her?” Xu He perked up and quickly stood to go outside: “Where is he? Has he been invited in?”
“This one didn’t dare let him in casually…”
“Foolish!”
Xu He walked while scolding: “Offend a nobleman, and you’ll regret it!”
At the door, he pushed it open with both hands and saw, three steps beyond the threshold, a middle-aged man around forty, dressed in a sky-blue casual robe, cloud shoes on his feet, a silver fish pouch at his waist. His face seemed kindly at first glance, but his eyes were sharp and piercing.
Wasn’t this the head eunuch Gao An from Prince Jingyang’s side?
Xu He hurriedly bowed: “This official welcomes you late, please forgive me!”
Gao An hadn’t expected him to come out personally, with Xu Family subordinates nearby; asking about his “madam” face-to-face wouldn’t do.
He hesitated, then looked toward the carriage behind.
Xu He followed his gaze and was startled again. Though the carriage was just larger and unremarkable outside, for Gao An to be so hesitant, who else could be inside?
He hastily lifted his robe and stepped forward: “This official didn’t know the prince had arrived; welcoming you late deserves ten thousand deaths!”
Yan Bei had only come to pick up the child’s mother and hadn’t expected this “childhood sweetheart” to come out.
He felt impatient but, since he was already here, standing on the street was an eyesore.
He said: “This prince was just strolling by and thought the Top Scholar lived nearby, so I came to visit. Not disturbing, I hope?”
“The prince overstates! This is this official’s honor!”
“Then lead the way.”
Yan Bei clapped his folded fan against his palm, got out of the carriage, and walked ahead first.
Crossing the threshold, entering the main hall, Yan Bei glanced at Xu He standing bent and hands-down to the side: “Sit and talk.”
Xu He sat down. He then diligently presented the served tea to him personally.
Though Yan Bei knew this childhood sweetheart was fake, he still lived under the same roof as her.
He, the real child’s father, had to guard an empty room with the child. Where was the justice?
He wasn’t pleased: “Where is your honorable wife?”
Xu He’s face twitched as he said: “The madam has gone out.”
He should have asked when he saw them leave earlier.
Yan Bei frowned: “When did she go out?”
“She’s been gone over an hour.”
It had been so long; Yan Bei felt something was off.
If she was going to the mansion, she could have crawled there by now.
Besides, where had she gone?
Hadn’t she agreed to see the child early this morning?
This heartless one had tricked him again!
Yan Bei felt choked up, and seeing Xu He sneaking peeks at him made him even more annoyed.
“Where did she go?”
“The madam didn’t leave any word when she went.”
As soon as he spoke, he saw the man’s face darken unhappily, so he hurriedly added: “The madam left someone behind; perhaps he knows!”
“Who?”
“Zhang Wei!” With that, Xu He turned his head and called loudly: “Go call Zhang Wei over!”
Yan Bei heard the name and couldn’t help his hand twitching.
This Zhang Wei—no, this Wei Zhang—had he already become her go-to rearguard?
As he spoke, a shadow moved at the doorway, and a tall, agile man walked in—this wasn’t the distant cousin of that landowner’s daughter who had tricked him from the guild hall into being a son-in-law?
Yan Bei set down his cup: “Lord Xu, please step aside. I need to speak with Zhang Wei.”
Xu He let out a huge sigh of relief, his legs hurrying over the threshold.
Yan Bei tapped his palm repeatedly with his fan, grinding his molars as he looked at Wei Zhang: “Steward Zhang, long time no see.”
Wei Zhang smiled and cupped his hands: “Prince, that’s all in the past.”
Yan Bei was still angry: “Where is she?”
Wei Zhang said: “The master went out on some business and missed the time to go to the mansion to see the young heir apparent.”
Yan Bei frowned: “You let her go, and you stayed home?”
Wei Zhang paused, then smiled: “You know our master never goes back on her word; this subordinate can only follow orders.”
What kind of person trains that kind of subordinate. That stubbornness matched hers perfectly!
Yan Bei paced back and forth with hands behind his back, then stopped: “I’ll stay here and guard; Xu He won’t dare act rashly. I don’t care what urgent matters you have; go find her now, so she has someone watching her back.”
He said solemnly: “Don’t mess up; protecting her safety is more important than anything.”
Wei Zhang looked at him in slight surprise.
Yan Bei tsked: “I’m doing this for the child’s sake!”
Wei Zhang smiled.
If not for worrying about A Li, Yue Tang wouldn’t have sent Hua Lin to the mansion right away. With Hua Lin gone, watching Xu He fell to him.
Though Yue Tang’s trip inside the north city gate held no expected danger, Wei Zhang still felt uneasy.
Recalling she had said Yan Bei was mostly cleared of suspicion, he gave Yan Bei another look, nodded, cupped his fists, and went out.
Yan Bei withdrew his gaze: “Where is the Top Scholar?”
Xu He hurried in.
Yan Bei pointed at the table with his folded fan: “Bring the chessboard; let’s play a couple games.”
……
With Yan Bei watching Xu He, Wei Zhang arrived at Guang’an Temple with peace of mind. After asking at the door, he headed straight to the north side of the temple.
Yue Tang had already reached the pagoda in the north by then.
“The reason for choosing Guang’an Temple is that the memorial tablets of the Shen Family’s ancestors from several generations ago are placed here, and the Shen Family has donated countless incense funds to the temple.”
On the way, Lan Qin relayed some information Wei Zhang had hastily gathered last night, while keeping watch in all directions alongside Yue Tang, observing the surrounding pilgrims.
Trees were planted on all four sides of the pagoda. Only a hundred-step staircase led down to the main hall below.
The nearest Zen Courtyard to the pagoda was where Shen Li was copying scriptures today.
Yue Tang left Lan Qin to keep watch, took a dark robe from her bundle to wear over her clothes, covered her face with a cloth, leaped onto the treetops, then to the eaves.
She had just hidden when a rustle came from the treetops opposite; someone else also leaped onto the eaves.
Before she could look closely, a neat series of footsteps approached from below.
A line of knife-wielding guards quickly arrived under the eaves and methodically guarded all four sides of the Zen Courtyard.
These were clearly Shen Family people.
Then the one on the opposite eaves must be someone sent by Du Yu.
Yue Tang held her breath and focused.
Then four maids carrying food boxes, bamboo baskets, and such came; they pushed open the door, swiftly spread brocade cloth, set out the four treasures of the study, as well as fruits, tea and snacks, and finally placed the two embroidered cushions behind the desk.
Finally, three people arrived. The leader was in his early twenties, in casual brocade attire, with only a single jade hairpin in his hair. Yue Tang recognized him as Shen Li.
He was speaking to the two attendants behind him: “…No one from the Imperial Secretariat excepted; see no one else!”
Yue Tang frowned.
For someone from the Imperial Secretariat to come here to see the Shen Family, the Du Family’s guess was right: Shen Li was definitely here today to discuss important matters with someone.
But why was the Du Family’s prediction so accurate?
Did they have that capability?
Who exactly gave them this information?
After pondering for a moment, she moved forward along the rafter.
