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Chapter 139: The Master Of The Zhuoqin Hall

Jiang Xuening returned to her room, washed up, and went to bed.

She thought she would have trouble sleeping after such a big event, but she had drunk quite a bit of wine at the banquet. Although the wine wasn’t very strong, it had a delayed effect. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she thought about Zhang Zhe for a while and then fell into a deep sleep.

However, she didn’t sleep well.

She had strange dreams all night.

But when she woke up in the morning, she had forgotten most of them.

On the table was the small green jade seal she had placed there yesterday.

The seal was bought blank, and she had to carve the characters herself.

Carving such a small surface didn’t take much time, but figuring out how to carve it took some thought.

Jiang Xuening glanced at it but didn’t touch it. She just opened the window and looked outside: “The snow has stopped.”

No wonder it felt a bit cold in the morning.

She stretched, yawned a few times, and soon saw Xiao Bao walking down the path outside, dressed in thick clothes. He said to her, “Second Miss, news just came that after the snow stopped late last night, the collapsed mountain road was cleared for most of the night, and the road is now open. It looks like the sun might come out at noon, so the Duke and the teacher decided to leave while the weather is good. They were worried that if they waited a few more days, the melting snow might cause more problems. So they wanted to inform you to pack up your things and leave at noon.”

The journey from Tongzhou to the capital wasn’t far. If they left early and traveled by horse or carriage, they could arrive by evening.

Jiang Xuening nodded in agreement.

Just as Xiao Bao was about to leave, she called out, “Hey, where is Lord Zhang?”

Xiao Bao thought she was asking if Zhang Zhe was leaving too, and said, “Lord Zhang already knows the news and will leave with everyone. The soldiers who came with us might wait until the snow melts to leave, as there aren’t enough horses.”

Jiang Xuening was speechless: “I meant where is he now.”

Xiao Bao then realized and thought for a moment, not very sure, and hesitated, “I saw him earlier. Since some people are staying in Tongzhou, it seems the Duke took the teacher and Lord Zhang to discuss some matters. They might be at the government office.”

“Oh…”

So he wasn’t here.

She wondered if he had seen what she left for him last night.

Zhang Zhe was probably busy, and Jiang Xuening didn’t want to disturb him. She decided to wait for a better time to talk.

She started packing her things.

Everyone else at Shangqing Temple was also busy, preparing carriages and packing luggage.

By noon, after a quick meal, they were ready to depart.

All the officials in Tongzhou came to see them off, some congratulating Xie Wei, others congratulating Duke Xiao Yuan for finding his long-lost legitimate son.

Xiao Yuan stood in front of the crowd, his smile looking somewhat forced.

Xie Wei silently observed his expression, noting the underlying gloom. As everyone was about to board the carriages, he suddenly said, “Duke, it’s better for the carriage of the Duke’s son to go in front of mine. Although his identity is yet to be confirmed, he is also a key figure to be interrogated in the capital. With such a big commotion in Tongzhou, the cult might try to silence him. My bodyguard, Jian Shu, knows some martial arts and can handle any unexpected situations.”

The carriages were divided into several groups.

Duke Xiao Yuan’s carriage was at the front.

Jiang Xuening was unexpectedly involved in the suppression of the Tianjiao cult. As a respectable young lady, being associated with such an event could ruin her reputation. Therefore, it was publicly announced that she was ill and staying at home to recover. Now that she was leaving Tongzhou, she had to do so quietly.

Her carriage was at the end of the convoy.

Similarly, Xiao Dingfei, who had a special status and was treated almost like a prisoner, was also at the back.

Duke Xiao Yuan was surprised by Xie Wei’s suggestion and hesitated, “Is that necessary? The Tianjiao cult members were all killed in the raid. Even if news spreads, it won’t be that fast, and the journey isn’t long. There shouldn’t be any incidents.”

“Why not?” Xie Wei reminded him with a smile, “Duke, we checked the list of prisoners who escaped from the dungeon. Most were indeed killed along with the cult members, but some escaped earlier. Among them was the notorious Meng Yang. He was present during the raid but disappeared when we counted the bodies afterward. He might have faked his death and escaped. If he leaks the news, it might not be safe.”

Meng Yang escaped?

Jiang Xuening was shocked.

Thinking back, although Meng Yang didn’t agree to her request that day, he did help Zhang Zhe when he turned against the cult members. So, while he escaped, she didn’t feel outraged by the escape of a dangerous criminal.

Xiao Yuan was taken aback by Xie Wei’s words and had no choice but to agree, “I almost forgot. I want this journey to be peaceful, so I thought of moving him to the front, but I was worried about gossip…”

This implied that he was being fair and not giving special treatment to his son.

Everyone understood.

Xiao Yuan bowed to Xie Wei, “Since Master Xie suggested it, I must have overlooked something. Let’s move his carriage to the front.”

This rearranged the convoy.

Having spent more time together than in her previous life, Jiang Xuening felt that Xie Wei’s seemingly perfect smile was fake, even mocking.

She was lost in thought for a moment.

Xie Wei noticed her gaze and looked back at her, his eyes cold and deep.

Jiang Xuening was startled and quickly smiled.

Xie Wei didn’t respond, looked at her for a moment, then turned and boarded his carriage.

The curtain fell, separating him from everyone.

Zhang Zhe was further back.

He seemed preoccupied and didn’t pay attention to the conversation. He just boarded his carriage without looking around.

Jiang Xuening saw him but couldn’t greet him in front of everyone.

Seeing his demeanor, she wondered if what she left for him last night had troubled or embarrassed him.

She felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Xiao Dingfei, holding his scented fan, looked at his carriage with a flash of light in his eyes and smiled flawlessly, “It’s not easy for me to survive. I won’t be killed so easily.”

He closed his fan and said to Jiang Xuening, “Remember what you promised when we reach the capital!”

Jiang Xuening looked at him.

He gracefully jumped into his carriage and said, “Let’s go!”

Jiang Xuening remembered she had promised to protect him in the capital and smiled. She didn’t look at anyone else and boarded her carriage with Xiao Bao’s help.

Her bundle was small.

It contained two sets of clothes, some silver notes, her seal, and a set of carving tools.

She planned to carve the seal during the journey.

This was a hobby she had learned from Shen Jie in her previous life. The ride was smooth in the city, but once they were on the official road, her carving knife started to shake.

What should have taken half an hour to carve ended up taking the entire journey.

Finally, she took out the seal ink, stamped it, and looked at the result. It wasn’t very good.

“This is really troublesome. If I were in the capital, I could just buy some rare treasures as New Year’s gifts. Why go through all this trouble?” Jiang Xuening muttered, looking at the stamp on the paper. She comforted herself, “It’s the thought that counts.”

At that moment, they had traveled halfway, and Duke Xiao Yuan suggested they stop for a rest.

A fast horse approached from the official road ahead.

Everyone was initially cautious, but then they heard the rider shouting, “A letter and the latest dispatch from the capital, to be delivered to Master Xie!”

It turned out to be a messenger.

Xie Wei didn’t come down himself; instead, Jian Shu received the letter and brought it back to the carriage.

After a while, Jian Shu came to Jiang Xuening’s carriage and bowed, “Second Miss, Master Xie received a letter from the capital and requests your presence.”

Jiang Xuening was surprised.

She had been wondering when to give Xie Wei the bookplate she had carved. She didn’t expect him to summon her first, so she said, “Just a moment.”

She quickly wiped the ink off the seal, put it in a small pouch, and tucked it into her sleeve before getting out of the carriage.

Jian Shu led her to Xie Wei’s carriage.

Jiang Xuening bowed to the curtain, “Student greets Master Xie. What are your instructions?”

Xie Wei’s calm voice came from inside, “Come in.”

Jiang Xuening hesitated but lifted her skirt and boarded the carriage.

Jian Shu didn’t dare to help her, only holding the curtain open.

Inside, she saw Xie Wei sitting with a small square table in front of him, covered with a thick stack of letters, some opened, some not.

The carriage was Xie Wei’s own, lined with soft carpets, and there was a hand warmer casually placed by the table. The curtains on both sides were tightly drawn, blocking the wind.

Only the window behind him, covered with paper, let in a square of light.

It illuminated him and the table in front of him.

Jiang Xuening hesitated.

Xie Wei, with his head lowered, reading a letter from the capital, pointed to the left, “Sit.”

Jiang Xuening thanked him and sat properly.

Xie Wei handed her a letter, “A letter from Master Jiang. Take a look.”

Jiang Boyou?

Jiang Xuening took the letter and read it, realizing it was not addressed to her but to Xie Wei.

The letter thanked Xie Wei for his thorough planning and mentioned that everything at home was well arranged, with no leaks. He asked Xie Wei to take care of things on the journey.

It also mentioned that the matter had not been kept from Madam Meng.

Madam Meng, his wife and Jiang Xuening’s mother, had always had some resentment due to past events. She was furious when she learned about Jiang Xuening’s involvement and almost fell seriously ill. Recently, news had spread that Prince Linzi, Shen Jie, was selecting a consort, and the Ministry of Rites had included Jiang Xuening’s sister, Jiang Xuehui, on the list. If a scandal broke out now, it would ruin the family’s reputation and this good match. Madam Meng might take her anger out on Ning.

Therefore, he shamelessly asked Xie Wei to advise Jiang Xuening.

When she returned home, she should avoid arguing with her mother, be humble, and endure some grievances to keep the peace at home.

Family matters were always difficult to discuss with outsiders.

Jiang Boyou’s letter to Xie Wei showed his great trust in him, partly because Xie Wei was Jiang Xuening’s teacher and had greatly influenced her improvement since she became a companion reader in the palace.

The letter seemed to be considerate of Jiang Xuening.

However, after reading it slowly, she felt the warmth in her heart dissipate, like the cold, snowy wilderness outside.

Xie Wei observed her expression and asked, “Do you need some advice?”

Jiang Xuening smiled, “How would you advise me?”

Xie Wei thought for a moment and said, “Parental love is precious. If you don’t want to lose it, there’s no need to confront them head-on. Sometimes, taking a step back can open up a wider world and help you achieve what you want.”

Taking a step back can open up a wider world.

Jiang Xuening lowered her eyes and didn’t respond, just placing the letter down.

Xie Wei’s guqin case was leaning in the corner.

Seeing it reminded her of the past.

This scene was somewhat similar to when she first met Xie Wei.

Back then, there wasn’t such a large, comfortably furnished carriage, just a simple one with a few noisy servants following behind. Xie Wei wasn’t a grand tutor then, just a “distant relative” in plain clothes with a wooden hairpin, carrying a guqin. He had a handsome face but looked sickly and short-lived. At that time, she wasn’t the current Jiang Xuening, just a young girl who had recently witnessed her wet nurse’s death, filled with fear as she traveled to the capital to meet her biological parents. Born in the countryside, she had put up all her defenses to hide her embarrassing insecurities…

Now, she was sitting in a carriage with Xie Wei again.

Still on the road to the capital.

Sometimes, Jiang Xuening felt like her life was a joke.

She thought about it and laughed.

Looking up at Xie Wei, she saw him watching her and raised an eyebrow, “Are you done advising?”

Xie Wei noticed she didn’t seem to want to talk to anyone, so he looked away to avoid being intrusive. He picked up the letter, folded it along the original creases, and put it back in the envelope, saying lightly, “I’m done.”

Jiang Xuening said, “Then I’ll take my leave.”

Xie Wei didn’t stop her.

Jiang Xuening stood up, but as she was about to lift the curtain to leave, she remembered the item in her sleeve. She stopped, took out the pouch with the seal, and placed it on the table with both hands, saying, “I heard you were resting last night and didn’t dare to disturb you. I have nothing valuable, so I quickly carved a bookplate to express my gratitude for your teaching. It’s a bit crude, so please forgive me.”

Xie Wei was momentarily stunned.

Jiang Xuening, not in high spirits, bowed and left the carriage.

The pouch was left on top of the stack of letters.

It didn’t look particularly special from the outside.

Xie Wei picked it up and opened it, finding a small square seal about two and a half inches long and an inch wide. The bottom still had some red ink that hadn’t been completely wiped off, looking very new.

Suddenly, a sharp shout came from outside, “Be careful, there are people in the forest!”

It was Jian Shu’s voice.

Xie Wei glanced through the gap in the curtain and saw several figures in black rushing towards Xiao Dingfei. The sound of clashing swords filled the air.

He didn’t bother to look further.

He turned his attention back to the seal, pressing it into his left palm. The red ink left a shallow mark in his clean palm.

“Master of the Zhuoqin Hall.”

Xie Wei stared at the words for a moment, then smiled and murmured, “It is a bit ugly…”

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