Chapter 5: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 5: Seriously Ill
The carriage appeared ordinary on the outside but concealed something special within. On the tea table, a set of finely crafted jade tea cups gleamed with a mirror-like smoothness, clearly not ordinary items.
However, this alone was not enough to capture her attention.
The girl gently picked up one of the tea cups and noticed a familiar pale blue seal at the bottom.
This tea set was part of a wedding gift she had prepared for a friend years ago.
Her friend had married into the Wei family at the Marquis of Zheng’s residence in the capital at the age of fifteen, and the gifts had been sent to the Marquis’s residence at that time.
So… could it be that someone from the Wei family had come to Hezhou?
Who could it be?
While the identity wasn't initially important, knowing which member of the Wei family was here might help her deduce their purpose.
The girl carefully examined the furnishings inside the carriage, finding no signs of a woman’s belongings.
Someone who could casually use items she had once gifted would have to be a direct descendant of the Wei family.
There were only two main branches in the Wei family. The former Marquis of Zheng had long passed away, and the eldest son, Wei Qin, had inherited the title of Marquis. Her friend was the current Marquisate of Zheng.
The second son, Wei Yu, a legitimate younger brother of Wei Qin, served as a Deputy Minister of Justice.
Since the Marquis of Zheng, Wei Qin, favored luxurious splendor, and the carriage was decorated in a minimalist style, it was unlikely to belong to him.
The carriage lacked the Wei family crest, clearly intended to avoid revealing its owner’s identity. So, could it be that the second son, Wei Yu, had come in disguise?
If that were the case, then his visit here must be for something unusual.
The girl thought for a moment and quickly made a decision.
She retrieved several neatly folded sheets of coarse paper from her robe, placing them under the silver coin she had left earlier, then jumped out of the carriage with the boy.
Upstairs by the window, a servant frowned. "My lord, they’ve left."
Earlier, the servant had noticed the two youths sneaking into the carriage and was about to catch them when his lord had said, "No need," and continued watching indifferently from the window, as though it had nothing to do with him.
The items in the carriage were not only valuable but also included confidential government documents. If anything were to go missing, what would they do?
But, as his mistress often remarked—his lord’s behavior had always been eccentric.
The "eccentric" young lord casually replied, "Let’s go," and slowly turned away, heading downstairs with his servant.
It was early spring, and the young lord wore his hair tied back with a jade crown. He was dressed in a robe of plum-colored brocade, tall and elegant, his skin pale and his features intense.
He moved with an air of aloof grace, like a lone pine standing on a distant mountain, distinct from the noisy marketplace around him, attracting the attention of passersby.
The girl, hiding in the shadows, noted his handsome face and watched as he indeed boarded the carriage. She couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.
Though she had never met the second son, Wei Yu, she had heard of his striking appearance, said to rival that of Pan An, and that he was in his early twenties.
But somehow, there was something faintly familiar about him.
Perhaps it was because she had met the Marquis of Zheng, and there were always some similarities between close brothers.
With this, she could be certain—this man was indeed the second son of the Wei family.
Feeling relieved, the girl led the boy away.
"Lord, did we lose anything?" the servant asked quietly from outside the carriage—though he suspected that if they had, it would be his lord’s own fault. At least if they chased after them now, they might still catch up.
Over the years, he had cleaned up countless messes left by his lord’s strange behavior.
A voice from within the carriage replied with a hint of amusement, "Not only did we not lose anything, but we gained something."
The young lord, with his long, slender fingers, picked up the silver coin.
Then, slowly unfolding the paper beneath it, he looked down at it in silence for a moment before murmuring, "Such a generous gift, and for merely staying a moment longer—how overly polite."
A moment later, his large hand lifted the carriage curtain, and he gazed in the direction where the two "youths" had disappeared.
…
By noon, the two "youths" had found an inn in the city and rented two upper rooms.
After a servant delivered hot water, the girl bathed behind a painted screen. Stepping out of the tub, she stood barefoot, drying her body with a clean cotton towel, and glanced over at her reflection.
She appeared to be barely past fifteen, tall but frail, her limbs weak, and her delicate hands soft. Clearly, this was the body of a pampered young lady.
In summary—pleasant to look at, but useless.
Still, since she had inherited this body, it wasn’t up to her to complain.
Strength could be gained through hard work.
She grabbed a fresh robe she had bought from a nearby tailor and started to dress. As she slid her arm through the sleeve, she suddenly paused.
Her pale skin was smooth, and a striking red birthmark stood out on her chest.
She looked down at the mark, and a memory flashed before her eyes—a young girl, barely learning to walk, falling face-first into the mud, her dirty face covered in tears.
That girl, called Ah Li, also had a red birthmark on her chest.
But Ah Li was only four years old.
Brushing the thought aside, the girl continued dressing, tying her robe swiftly and expertly.
As she dried her hair, a knock sounded at the door. "Sir, the meal you ordered has arrived."
"Come in," the girl replied, disguising her voice.
The servant entered, only to see the "young man" standing with his back to him, drying his hair. The new robe and the youth's posture exuded an air of elegance.
Not lingering, the servant assumed this was some noble young man and quickly set the table before leaving.
As the girl laid down her towel and approached the table, she called out, "Come in."
The boy, who had been waiting outside, pushed the door open. He had washed his face and changed into clean clothes, though his hair was still messy from his haste.
"Why were you waiting outside?" she asked as she sat down.
"I was waiting for you, sir. I cannot let you wait for me," he replied, referring to her as "sir" as they had agreed upon on their way to the inn.
"Let’s eat," the girl said, picking up her chopsticks.
"Do I... do I eat this too?"
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to order you a separate meal?"
"No, no!" the boy quickly shook his head. "I’ve never shared a meal with anyone before."
"You saved me, brought me out of Zhoujia Village… gave me food, new clothes!" The boy pointed toward the next room, his gratitude palpable, but guilt began to surface. "You even let me sleep in such a soft bed... I... I should do something. Otherwise, otherwise…"
He struggled to think of what he could offer in return, unable to come up with anything "equivalent" to make him feel deserving of such kindness.
"Should I break one of your legs?" the girl asked expressionlessly. "Would that make you feel better?"
The boy’s eyes widened, his voice trembling. "If… if that’s what you really need…"
The girl stared at him, speechless.
In the end, the boy couldn’t bring himself to eat at the same table as her. He took a bowl, filled it with food, and ate in a corner, crouched on the floor.
After the meal, when the servant came to clear the dishes, the boy helped him clean up.
Once everything was tidy, he stood there, waiting, his eyes brimming with hope, as if expecting the girl to give him more tasks—preferably difficult ones.
The girl glanced away from his overly innocent eyes in silence.
Following her gaze, the boy noticed two clean radishes in a bamboo basket.
In the upper rooms, where everything was well-stocked, radishes were often eaten raw like fruit in winter and spring.
Next, the girl saw the boy pull out a cloth-wrapped bundle from his robe—a knife.
In an instant, the radish skins were flying.
Soon, a perfectly peeled radish was presented to her. "Here, sir!"
The girl looked at the knife in his hand, surprised.
Such skill with a knife—
What a waste that it hadn’t been used to cut people.
She studied the boy before her.
It seemed that, as a child, he had tried to fight back but failed, and after suffering the consequences, he didn’t dare resist anymore.
People refrained from fighting back mostly out of fear.
Once, in a similar situation, she had also refrained—
Not because of fear, but because of a debt owed.
The debt to her blood relatives had been repaid in full, with her own blood and life.
From now on, no one could threaten or manipulate her for any reason. She would do only what she wanted, walk only the path she chose.
For example—
She didn’t really feel like eating the radish.
"Too spicy, not to my liking."
"Oh…"
"You can eat it." The girl stood up, heading toward the bed. "I’m going to rest. If you’re not tired, keep an ear out for any
news in the city."
"Yes, sir!"
In the middle of the night, when everything was quiet, the young boy sleeping next door was suddenly awakened by a noise.
In a panic, he rushed to the other room.
"Sir!"
No response.
The boy clenched his teeth, kicked open the door, and saw the bed curtains falling, the figure inside tossing restlessly.
"Sir, what’s wrong?"
The girl’s cheeks were flushed red, her breathing quick and shallow. Hearing his voice, she murmured softly, "Water..."
The boy immediately brought a cup of water to her lips, but the girl didn’t seem to recognize him, unable to drink.
Desperate, he splashed cold water on her face, but it didn’t work. He hurriedly pressed his fingers to her forehead, only to be startled by the intense heat. She was burning up.
What should he do?
He had never experienced something like this before.
Should he call a physician? But what if the doctor asked too many questions...
While he hesitated, the girl suddenly collapsed unconscious.
The boy panicked.
In the end, he rushed out, bolted down the stairs, and yelled to the innkeeper in the dead of night, "Call a physician! Hurry!"
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