Chapter Ninety-Five: Wanting to See

  Zhen Shi Niang nodded in gratitude, thinking that Yu Bo's house had just been vacated and not yet cleaned up. She discussed with Li Qi's wife, "My house is not yet tidy, they shouldn't take me there yet. Tomorrow I'll come over myself to choose, once it's settled, I'll stay here for two days first, and also learn from the medicine shop assistants how to identify medicinal herbs..." She added, "Don't worry, I won't shortchange you on food expenses."

  Li Qizhen's wife didn't disagree, "Whatever boarding fees they want, let them just stay here, you go back and collect slowly."

  Zhen Shining didn't stand on ceremony with her either, and after chatting for a while longer, she finally stood up to take her leave.

  Thinking of Zhao's mother, there were three more guards and Dongjue at home, so Zhen Shiniang let Li Changhe bring people to pull the medicine sent by Xiao Lao Furen to the newly bought house.

  All kinds of precious medicinal materials, unloaded half a house.

  The magpie saw it and sighed, "The things brought by Autumn Chrysanthemum are too shabby!"

  Zhen Shining gazed out the window with a somewhat chilly expression, "First time traveling far away, don't know how she's doing, almost arrived at Xiao Fu?" Suddenly her body shook, "Oh no, I forgot to tell Qiuju to ask Ji Huifeng to find an inn in Zhongtang Fu for us to stay!"

  The road from Wutong Town to Shangjing City is almost a day's journey, and the horse-drawn carriage is a bit slower. By the time they arrive, it will be dark, and Autumn Chrysanthemum and others will definitely stay at the Zhongtang Mansion overnight. Li Changhai is still okay, but Ji Huai Feng's master-disciple relationship with Shen Zhong Shuo has some connection. If he stays at the Zhongtang Mansion, he will surely find out that she is the same Jian Dafu who treated Old Lady Xiao's illness. Her secret of practicing medicine in private will probably be exposed to Shen Zhong Shuo!

  "What can be done about it?" This reminder also occurred to the magpie, who grabbed Zhen Shiniang and said, "Unless I have Long River rush over tonight?"

  "......It's too late." Zhen Shining's voice was tinged with a hint of despair, "Qiu Ju is just prone to acting impulsively and getting flustered when things happen, but she's not stupid. Hopefully she'll think of this in time."

  Her tone carried a hint of wishful thinking that even she didn't believe in.

  "With her level of intelligence, it would take eight lifetimes for her to figure it out!" Ji Ku's eyes were filled with worry as she gazed at Zhen Shiniang, her gaze following hers to the dark window outside. In her heart, she silently prayed, "I hope she'll be smart this time, just like Miss said."

  ……

  With the experienced eunuch Ji Huai Feng accompanying her, Qiu Ju arrived at the capital city without any trouble. When she asked him to find out how to get to the Xiao Zhong Tang Fu, Ji Huai Feng was surprised, "How does the madam know Xiao Zhong Tang?"

  "Of course..."

  Of course, it's because he had his mother examined by a doctor.

  As soon as she opened her mouth, she remembered Zhen Shining's words and immediately changed her tone, "...the late wife of Xiao Gongzi was my family's young lady's best friend."

  BFF (Best Friends Forever)

  Ji Huai Feng was taken aback, he had indeed never heard of this before.

  My heart was shocked, and I immediately thought that Zhen Shining's downfall had once been the daughter of a powerful official, her mother was also the first beauty in the capital city, often walking among high-society connections. And Xiao Ye's father-in-law was appointed as the Minister of War, they were both from official families, it wasn't impossible for them to become close friends. I wanted to ask more questions, but thinking about my identity as a guard, I shut my mouth again.

  He pretended to go to the side of the road and asked pedestrians a few questions, then turned around and brought Ji Yue and others to the Zhongtang government office very smoothly. Zhang Hai got off the carriage and went to knock on the door.

  Before long, a young servant ran out and said that Jian Niang from Wutong Town had arrived. His attitude immediately became respectful, "...Madam specifically instructed that when Jian Niang arrives, no need to report, just let her in directly."

  Ji Huai Feng looked at Qiu Ju with a puzzled expression, "......Why is the lady still using the surname Jian?" Even if they were close friends, she should have used the surname Zhen when visiting.

  Qiu Ju's heart skipped a beat, she had just fooled Ji Huifeng earlier and was secretly praising herself for being quick-witted for once, but unexpectedly dug such a big hole for herself. At this moment, she was so angry that she couldn't help but want to bang her head against the wall and knock herself out.

  "If only Miss were here." She thought helplessly, and a thin layer of sweat suddenly appeared on her forehead.

  "Isn't Miss's surname Jian?" Li Changhai asked in confusion during the interval.

  Zhen Shining's background includes that she is Jian Dafu's secret wife, only Xi Que and Qiu Ju know about it, others are not clear, even if they knew he was Shen Zhongshuo's first wife, Li Changhai always thought she was surnamed Jian.

  Ji Huai Feng was also startled.

  Zhen Shining is the daughter of a guilty minister, she secretly changed her name and lived in Wutong Town, as an inner friend of the boudoir, Mrs. Xiao hid her true name before her death, it was also normal for him to investigate Zhen Shining's identity before going to Wutong Town, only Jikui was her maid who followed her from her hometown, the rest including Qiujie were taken in after arriving at Wutong Town, she really might not know her young lady's true name, but now this newly arrived guard knew... Thinking of this, a layer of fine sweat suddenly appeared on his back.

  Looking at Qiu Ju again, she was staring blankly with her big eyes, a confused expression on her face. The sweat on his back grew thicker, "I...". He stuttered, "Why didn't you call Shen...?"

  A woman marries and follows her husband, becoming a member of his family and taking his surname. He can ask such questions, but if Zhen Shining were here, she would definitely notice something unusual about him. But Qiujie's tense heart is almost jumping out, how could she pay attention to these things?

  Ji Huai Feng just didn't bother asking why Miss Zhēn didn't use her maiden name when visiting the Zhong Tang Fu.

  She let out a sigh of relief, but Qiu Ju didn't know how to respond to Ji Huai Feng, so she simply closed her mouth and followed the servant inside. As she stepped across the threshold, one foot in and one foot out, she suddenly stopped and thought to herself, "I may have fooled them for now, but once we enter the Zhong Tang Fu, he'll still find out that Miss is actually Jian Dafu!" She turned around abruptly, staring blankly at Ji Huai Feng and Li Chang Hai.

  "What's wrong with Chrysanthemum?" Li Changhai subconsciously touched his own face.

  She stood there stupidly for a while, then suddenly lowered her head and started searching in her bosom. After a long time, she pulled out a small pouch containing eleven taels of silver that Mistress Zhen had given her before she left. She held it tightly for a long time, then resolutely handed it to Li Changhai, saying: "Before I came, Miss said that our humble household is not convenient for so many people to visit, so Second Uncle and Brother Ji can go find a nearby cheap inn to rest, and come back early tomorrow morning to pick me up."

  Watching Li Changhai take over the silver, Qiuju's heart ached and she jumped straight up.

  But Magpie Auntie had said that if people found out that their young mistress was actually the infamous Jiang Dafu, they would all be killed!

  Thinking of this, Qiu Ju ruthlessly turned her head away and stopped looking at the small hot purse hidden in her bosom.

  Jian Dafu had saved the life of the old lady in his household, and there were plenty of guest rooms available. What was lacking were two more people? Upon hearing this, the little gatekeeper at Zhong Tang Fu winked his eye.

  But he was just a gatekeeper, without the authority to report back or take matters into his own hands. He could only watch as Li Changhe and Ji Huaifeng left, then turned around to instruct someone to bring Qiuju to meet the old lady.

  "Miss is too careful..." Turning around the alley, Li Changhai muttered in a low voice, "My brother said that the bigger the household, the more they care about their reputation. With so many rooms in the house, they wouldn't mind accommodating two more people or an extra bowl of rice."

  It's the first time I've come to Beijing, and I've long heard that this mansion is full of gold halls and jade horses, with maidservants in groups, even low-ranking little maids are dressed in brocade and jade food, dressed like a fairy on a painting. It's rare to have the opportunity to see it, he was thinking about how to show off to his friends when he got back, but unexpectedly, the young lady of the house had already set the rules.

  Ji Huai Feng looked at him with a smile, without saying a word.

  Just then Autumn Chrysanthemum didn't stop him, he was also thinking about how to avoid the Zhong Tang Fu.

  As the fifth-ranking imperial guards with swords, these people often followed the Emperor's side. Shen Zhongjie, who had been on expeditions for many years, did not know him, but Xiao Ye, a high-ranking official of the Imperial Secretariat with red and purple attire, knew him.

  It's just right now, no need to stay overnight in the heavily guarded Zhongtang Mansion, he can take the opportunity to go and pay his respects to the old master Wan Sui Ye, and listen to his instructions.

  ……

  "...and actually stuck the 'Fu' character upside down?" Upon hearing Ji Huaifeng's description, Wansui widened his eyes in incredulity.

  "It's not possible." Ji Huai Feng nodded, "The people of Wutong Town are all imitating each other, if you don't believe me, you can send someone to take a look. Almost every household in Wutong Town has a reversed fu character on their door." His face twitched, "General Shen was initially unaware of the situation and thought that his subordinates were unwilling to help Mrs. Shen, so he scolded them severely." He took the opportunity to mention how Shen Zhong Shuai had discovered their identities, complaining, "It's all because of the two young masters' good deeds, but I'm the one who got blamed."

  "...This Zhen family daughter is quite clever! The Emperor laughed loudly upon hearing this, "I really do want to meet her now!"

  Jian Wansui didn't blame him for revealing his identity, so Ji Huaifeng breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to say, "General Shen has already asked the etiquette lady to teach him manners, and plans to bring him to the palace on Yuanxiao Festival to meet Princess Shen. If you want to see her, just declare your presence at that time."

  At first, the absurd decree was issued with a hint of warning, but it was mostly to tease Shen Zhongge. The Emperor had not really thought about meeting Zhen Shiniang and only planned to let her enter the palace to symbolically kowtow to Empress Shen. After listening to Ji Huaifeng's suggestion, the Emperor nodded in agreement.

  ……

  Qiu Ju had instructed him to deliver the items to Zhong Tang Fu, ask after their well-being and then return, but by the seventh night, Zhen Shi Niang waited until the watchman's drumbeat without seeing anyone.

  "Could something have happened?" This was the first time Qiuju had gone out, and Ji Xixi, who had been waiting in Zhen Shiniang's room, couldn't calm down to do her work. She pushed away the needle and thread in her hand, "I'll let Zhang He take Guo Xiu to go and meet them."

  "With Ji Huai Feng and Zhang Hai around, nothing will happen." Zhen Shi Niang shook her head to stop him, "Perhaps Xiao Daren thought I could follow Gu Mai Ban today, so he temporarily left her at the Zhong Tang Fu to wait for me." She raised her head to glance at the water clock, "Don't wait any longer, go to sleep now."

  It's also understandable, although I still have some worries. Thinking of Zhen Shining's poor health and inability to stay up late, let alone bear such anxiety, Jixiao put away the needle and thread. "Miss said so, it must be that Xiao Gongzi kept her behind." She got up after supporting her knees. "I'll get Donghui to attend to you."

  Zhen Shi Niang nodded, "...... Let Dong Ju take you back first, be careful the road outside is slippery."

  The magpie responded with a sound, and then went out to instruct Sun Qingliang, Guo Xiu and others to be more vigilant at night. After that, he helped Dong Zhui enter the house and rest.