Chapter 178: Farewell

Jiang Xuening went out early in the morning without greeting anyone. Only the gatekeeper saw her leave, but he wouldn’t know where she went. If her family found out she was missing, they would be worried.

However, the matter of going to Shu had already been discussed with Jiang Boyou.

If she returned home in her current distracted state, it would inevitably cause concern, and the plan to go to Shu might not proceed. So she found a quiet, secluded place halfway, sat for a long time, forced herself to calm down, washed her face with clear water from the stream, and then returned to the mansion as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Boyou heard early in the morning that she was missing and couldn’t find out where she had gone. He scolded a few servants in the mansion and frowned tightly when he saw her return as if nothing had happened. He sternly said, “Where did you go again? You didn’t even inform the family. How can we be at ease when you go to Shu like this?”

Jiang Xuening had no intention of dealing with this.

But in this life, besides Zhang Zhe, she had other things she had to complete and mistakes to make up for, so she didn’t show any flaws in front of Jiang Boyou. She only said, “I just thought of leaving the capital soon and felt a bit nostalgic for the scenery. Some friends are no longer in the capital, so I went out alone to take a walk and relax, and to see if I should prepare some gifts for old friends before leaving. It was a spur of the moment decision, and I was also feeling the sadness of parting. It was my fault for making you worry.”

She seemed no different from usual, but she was indeed not very spirited. Jiang Boyou had no idea what had happened between her and Zhang Zhe, so he naturally couldn’t guess where she had gone this morning and assumed she was telling the truth.

For other young ladies, this reason would be nonsense.

But for Jiang Xuening, it was reasonable.

However, this explanation made Jiang Boyou sigh, “Since you are somewhat nostalgic, have you considered giving up going to Shu? If you don’t like staying at home, finding a suitable person to marry wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Jiang Xuening looked up at Jiang Boyou.

Jiang Boyou had wanted to bring this up last night, but seeing her distracted, he only discussed the matters of going to Shu and didn’t have time to mention it before going home, so he brought it up today: “At the banquet yesterday, your father took a liking to someone with good character. After some thought, he seems suitable for you. If it works out, it could be a good match.”

Jiang Xuening had no interest in this and shook her head.

Jiang Boyou continued, “That official from the Ministry of Justice, Master Zhang, who took care of you during the Tongzhou campaign, seems reliable despite being quiet. Your father also talked to him yesterday, and he is a rare upright official in the court. Won’t you consider it?”

“…”

Jiang Xuening never expected that the person Jiang Boyou had in mind was Zhang Zhe. She felt a mix of emotions, both bitter and desolate, unable to cry or laugh.

She slowly lowered her eyes.

Then said, “Father, I appreciate your concern, but my decision to go to Shu is firm. Everything has been arranged. With my unruly nature, it’s better not to trouble others. Please give up this idea.”

Jiang Boyou was immediately helpless.

Although he appreciated Zhang Zhe, Ning’er had no interest, and it was really difficult to force her. He didn’t have high hopes when he made the suggestion, and Jiang Xuening’s indifference was within his expectations.

So he could only say, “There’s really no other way. But Shu is far away, and I’m really worried…”

“Father is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of one of the six ministries. The Governor of Sichuan, Lu Wen Ying, was your classmate, and the Prefect of Rongzhou was once indebted to you. Everything has been arranged.” Jiang Xuening had never been to Shu, but she wasn’t very afraid. “Moreover, my old friend You Fangyin, who married the current director of the Ziliujing Salt Field, Ren Weizhi, will take care of me. Also, I heard that Miss Fan Yilan, the daughter of Minister Fan from the Ministry of Rites, who was eliminated from the selection of study companions last year due to her poetry, has also gone to Shu and is living in Chengdu. I won’t be alone when I get there.”

Fan Yilan had traveled around after the selection of study companions, and she had no real friendship with Jiang Xuening.

But she was an extraordinary person who set a precedent.

A woman leaving the capital to travel and write poetry, with some of her works circulating in recent months, had gained some fame. Her father’s official position was higher than Jiang Boyou’s, and he was in Shu, which naturally made Jiang Boyou more convinced.

Jiang Boyou thought for a moment and finally had nothing more to say. He only said, “In that case, take the next two days to see if there are any old friends in the capital you need to say goodbye to. Have a good talk, as it is uncertain when you will return.”

Jiang Xuening replied, “Yes.”

After Jiang Boyou left, she sat under the flower trellis outside her room, looking at the tall hibiscus trees by the courtyard wall. Spring was coming, summer was near, green leaves were growing, but there were no flowers. She remembered Yan Lin, dressed in brocade, climbing the wall to pick a hibiscus flower and throwing it into her arms with a smile.

At that time, the young man was full of spirit, the pampered princess was carefree, You Fangyin was a pitiful concubine’s daughter struggling to find a way out, and she had just been reborn, filled with hope for everything and for Zhang Zhe.

But now, things had changed.

The Marquis of Yongyi’s mansion had fallen, the Yan family had been exiled to Huangzhou; the Tatar marriage alliance was a wolf’s ambition, Princess Leyang had gone to a foreign land; You Fangyin had transformed, marrying Weizhi and going to Shu; and all her hopes and dreams had been shattered in her tumultuous relationship with Zhang Zhe, realizing that the past was not as fleeting as smoke.

What was there to miss about this capital?

Jiang Xuening couldn’t think of anything.

If there was any lingering melancholy, it was because Zhang Zhe was still in the capital. Now, whether she could let go or not, the heavy entanglement of love and hate could only end today.

The last bit of reluctance vanished.

She thought she had never been so eager to leave this bustling cage and go to the free mountains and rivers she had longed for.

The family had already started packing.

Fearing trouble along the way, they hadn’t announced it publicly.

Jiang Xuening carefully organized her thoughts, considering that this trip was to fulfill her past life’s wishes and to rescue Princess Leyang in the future. The connections in the capital couldn’t be neglected. People like Fang Miao and Xiao Dingfei might not be useful, but it was better to maintain the relationships. So in the last two days, she had some gifts prepared and sent to various households.

Xiao Dingfei, who had been causing trouble with Jiang Xuening recently, fully experienced the joy of doing whatever he wanted, taking advantage of the Xiao family’s troubles to add insult to injury, embodying the terms “playboy” and “wasted talent” to the fullest. When he suddenly received Jiang Xuening’s farewell gift, he was so shocked that he jumped three feet high.

He rushed to Jiang’s mansion that afternoon, grabbing her sleeve and crying loudly.

It was hard to tell how much was real and how much was an act, saying things like “Who will I rely on after you leave?” “How can you leave me alone to enjoy yourself?” “You promised to take care of me.” But he couldn’t pester her for long before Jiang Boyou arrived and had him driven out with sticks.

Jiang Xuening didn’t feel much about it, thinking that with Xiao Dingfei’s adaptable nature, he wouldn’t suffer much anywhere, so she didn’t take his words seriously.

After Xiao Dingfei left, she felt a bit hesitant.

Everyone was taken care of, except for one person who made her feel troubled.

That person was Xie Wei.

In her previous life, this person rebelled, killed all the royals, exterminated the Xiao family, and stained the rivers and mountains with blood. Although she brought it upon herself, she ended up committing suicide, ultimately fearing Xie Wei.

When Wanniang had just passed away, she was brought back to the capital and traveled with this person. All her embarrassing moments were known to him, so she felt a sense of avoidance and disgust.

In this life, she changed her stubborn and unruly ways, going along when she could and coaxing when necessary, and ended up becoming his student. She had helped him and received his help in return, adding a bit of gratitude to her fear and disgust.

These mixed emotions were truly complicated.

But no matter how complicated, in this life, Xie Wei was her teacher and had many interactions with her. Moreover, he was in the court, and in the future, Yan Lin would need him to support him in the court, and to coordinate the attack on the Tatars to rescue Princess Leyang. He couldn’t be ignored.

She could offend anyone, but not him.

Jiang Xuening could adapt, and this life’s Xie Wei didn’t seem as terrifying. She decided to cater to his preferences and went to Youhuang Pavilion.

Recently, Lu Xian’s business had been average, and he hadn’t sold many qins, but there was good news from Shu. The Ren family’s salt field was doing well. Although he had lost money by selling and buying silver stocks earlier, he was now smiling as he watched the stock price slowly rise.

The young boy at Youhuang Pavilion could still hear him humming a tune while drinking tea.

His mood was exceptionally bright.

In the early summer afternoon, after a half-hour nap, he was holding a fine purple clay teapot, walking around his qin shop.

When he looked up and saw a guest, he was initially pleased.

But when he recognized who it was, his eyebrows raised.

Lu Xian smiled cunningly, “Oh, a rare guest indeed. Isn’t this Miss Jiang? Are you here to make a qin, buy a qin, or perhaps discuss silver stocks?”

Jiang Xuening knew from his words that Lu Xian still held a grudge over the old Ren family’s silver stock transaction. Seeing his expression, she knew he saw her as a fat sheep ready for slaughter.

A well-educated scholar, a Hanlin Academy candidate, how did he become such a shrewd businessman?

Jiang Xuening didn’t smile, “Buy a qin.”

Lu Xian was a bit disappointed but quickly became excited again, “That’s great. In the past few months, I’ve had some excellent qins made. I thought about it earlier, the qin you got last year, Jiao’an, has been played for half a year now, it’s time to change it. Come and see these, the lacquer is delicate, elegant and dignified, perfect for a lady of your stature…” Jiang Xuening’s mouth twitched slightly, “This qin is not for a lady.”

Lu Xian “oh”ed and quickly turned to the other wall where the qins for gentlemen were hung, eagerly recommending, “The qins for gentlemen are here. Look at this one made of beech wood, crafted by a one-armed qin maker from Heyang over two years. Although it’s slightly inferior to the Jiao’an you took earlier, it’s definitely presentable as a gift…”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

She looked at Lu Xian silently.

Lu Xian, with his keen ability to read people, quickly noticed her dissatisfaction and his eyes brightened, “None of these are satisfactory?”

Jiang Xuening glanced at him and said honestly, “It’s for Master Xie.”

Lu Xian: “…”

Lu Xian, who was about to use an ordinary qin to rip off a large sum from Jiang Xuening, had his eager smile freeze almost immediately. The hand pointing to the qin priced at five thousand taels but actually worth only one thousand three hundred taels also froze and slowly retracted.

He felt a surge of old blood in his throat.

Ripping off Jiang Xuening was easy since she couldn’t tell the quality; but if this qin was really sent to Xie Wei, regardless of whether he had been working like a horse for the Xie family all these years, if Xie Wei saw it was a poor qin, he would make him cry for his parents!

Lu Xian looked at Jiang Xuening with a different gaze, wondering if she did it on purpose.

But whether it was intentional or not, his original shrewd businessman thoughts vanished completely.

He lifted the curtain to the inner room, put on a kind and gentle smile, and said, “Please come inside, I’ll have the boy bring out those qins.”

Before long, Jiang Xuening spent four thousand taels to buy a qin and came out.

Lu Xian counted the silver notes in his hand, lamenting that he had earned half as much as he could have. As he was about to personally send Jiang Xuening out, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Master Xie, no, Xie Ju’an’s birthday isn’t around this time, why did you suddenly think of giving a qin?”

Jiang Xuening held the qin sideways and said lightly, “A token of gratitude for a teacher’s kindness, a farewell gift.”

Lu Xian’s heart skipped a beat, and he was stunned.

Jiang Xuening bowed slightly, turned around, went downstairs, got into the carriage waiting by the street, and went straight to Xie’s mansion.

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