When Sui Sui woke up the next morning, the person beside him was gone. Huan Xuan had to rush back to the barracks early in the morning, so he must have set off in the middle of the night.
Sui Sui vaguely remembered that someone muttered something in her ear while she was half asleep and half awake, but she didn't hear a word clearly. She just hummed twice as a reply.
It was half a month later and three days before the army set out that she saw Huan Xuan again. He specially rushed back to Shanchiyuan to say goodbye to her.
He rode his horse as fast as he could from the capital, and it was already dusk when he arrived at Shanchiyuan. Sui Sui cooked two dishes that he liked every day, and then scolded him again: "You knead dough with injuries on your body, do you have to rush to eat your Lu Gulou today?"
Sui Sui just smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear: "The wound doesn't hurt anymore, but I need to stretch my muscles."
Huan Xuan picked up a piece of Gulouzi and took a bite. It was still the same as before, fat but not greasy, fresh and crispy, but today he found it a little hard to swallow for no reason. However, he still ate both pieces she cut for him.
Sui Sui was recovering from his injury and couldn't eat anything too greasy, so he only accompanied him to eat some cakes and chicken porridge, and asked him, "Your Highness, would you like to drink some wine? The wine I brewed when I first arrived in Chang'an has been buried underground for more than a year. It's just right to drink it now."
Huan Xuan suddenly remembered that it was late autumn when he brought her back to Chang'an. They had been together for more than a year. Unconsciously, she had become very good at speaking classical Chinese, and only if one listened carefully could one detect a hint of Longyou accent.
His eyes moved: "You are injured and cannot drink. I will open your jar of wine to celebrate my victory when I return from pacifying Huaixi."
Sui Sui lowered his eyes slightly, scooped a bowl of seven-treasure soup for him and placed it in front of him, saying calmly: "The wine had already soured when Your Highness came back. There are so many fine wines in the cellar, and we should use good wine to celebrate the victory."
Huan Xuan said: "I just like sour wine. If it's sour, you and I can drink it together." Even if it's sour wine, it's interesting for two people to drink it together.
She pursed her lips and smiled, without saying anything else.
Huan Xuan added, "If you need anything, go and ask Madam Wang and Madam Wang. Don't settle for anything. There's no need to save money for me."
Hello everyone.
Huan Xuan said, "When I come back from Huaixi, we will go back to the palace. This is a guest house after all. You can stay here for a few days when you miss me."
Sui Sui uttered a vague "hmm" and lowered his eyes to look at the shadows cast by the nine bronze lamps on the ground.
"How many characters can you write now?" Huan Xuan suddenly asked.
Sui Sui thought for a moment and said, "About a hundred."
Huan Xuan frowned: "So that's it." There is no way to write a letter to him.
"Can't you learn more?" He said with some displeasure.
Sui Sui said: "I am stupid."
When Huan Xuan saw her playing chess, he knew that she was not stupid at all, she just didn't pay enough attention.
He glanced at her and said, "How can you write to me when you only know a few words?"
Sui Sui naturally had no intention of writing to him, and it was difficult to answer his question.
Huan Xuan said to himself, "Forget it. I won't make it difficult for you. My father writes to report the situation in the mansion every ten days. You can just attach something to his letter."
Sui Sui asked: "What is it?"
Huan Xuan's forehead jumped: "Think about it yourself." This country girl really doesn't understand. She needs to be taught.
After dinner, the two sat opposite each other and drank a bowl of tea to relieve their greasy feeling. She said casually, "Your Highness will leave before dawn. I will help you bathe and go to bed early."
Huan Xuan raised his eyebrows, feeling a little surprised. Lu Suisui had been with him for such a long time, but she had never had the consciousness of a concubine. Although he had never had other concubines, sometimes when he went to other people's homes for banquets, he saw how concubines would gently and attentively flatter their husbands. Although Lu Suisui was also humble, her humbleness did not make people feel that she was inferior to others. Instead, she looked nonchalant, as if she was condescending to others, just like a leopard would not be treated as a cat even if it was lying on the ground.
She never had any intention of flattering him, and she didn't have any intention of pleasing him when she cooked various foods for him. She often cooked when he was not around. Everyone in the Shanchi courtyard, from Uncle Fu, Nanny Xiao to the servants, had eaten the food she cooked.
She never took the initiative to serve on daily chores such as washing, bathing, and changing clothes, and she was not asked to be a servant, so she did everything herself.
But today, contrary to her usual practice, she wanted to help me take a bath, which was really strange.
Maybe he was reluctant to leave as he was about to leave.
Although he felt happy, he still said, "The steam in the bathhouse is not good for your injury."
Sui Sui no longer insisted and went to the closet to get pajamas and towels and brought them to the bathroom.
Huan Xuan followed her into the bathhouse and deliberately asked, "Why are you treating me so well today?"
Sui Sui half-lifted her eyelids, looked at him with the corner of her eyes, and asked, "Isn't it good for your Highness to treat me well on weekdays?"
Huan Xuan had never seen her look like this before. He felt it was indescribably alluring and his breath caught in his throat. "Not bad, though."
Sui Sui raised the corner of his mouth silently, turned and walked out of the bathhouse.
Huan Xuan was still a little dazed until her back melted in the water vapor. He felt that Lu Suisui was a little different today. She seemed to be more flying and dazzling than usual, which reminded him of her appearance when she tamed the wild horse on the training ground that day.
He rubbed his forehead, undressed, went into the bathtub to soak for a while, then poured a bucket of cold water over his body, then changed into pajamas and returned to the bedroom.
Huan Xuan lay in bed at night, listening to the even and gentle breathing of the person next to him, but he couldn't fall asleep.
He turned around, propped his head on his arms, and looked at her in the moonlight. Her eyelashes were curled up near the corners of her eyes, but slightly drooped near the end of her eyes. She only needed to lower her eyes slightly to hide her eyes. At this moment, he felt that these eyelashes were like a row of small hooks, making him itchy.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes suddenly opened. There was no trace of sleepiness in her eyes, but they were filled with moonlight.
Huan Xuan's gaze seemed to be attracted by her eyes and he couldn't move away.
She suddenly turned around, grabbed his collar, and pulled him towards herself without warning.
The tips of their noses were almost touching, their breaths entangled together, and she lowered her eyes slightly, unable to see their expressions clearly.
Huan Xuan's breath was choked, his heart beat up into his throat, his Adam's apple moved, and he squeezed out two words from his dry throat: "Stop making trouble."
Sui Sui raised his eyes and looked at him: "Don't want to?"
Huan Xuan gently pressed her shoulders and said, "You are injured. Wait for me to come back."
Sui Sui ignored him, tilted his head, looked into his eyes, and said calmly, "I think so."
After that, she kissed him without any warning.
Huan Xuan had to return to the barracks and could not stay long. They hugged each other and closed their eyes for a while. The window paper was already dimming and it was time to leave.
Huan Xuan looked down at the person in his arms. She had been in poor health due to her injuries. Although she was restrained this time, she was still exhausted. Her eyes were tightly closed and her breathing was heavy.
Without waking her up, he gently took the arms that were around his waist and put them aside, sat up, then lay down again, and kissed her eyelids and lips gently a few times.
He lifted up a lock of her hair and suddenly wanted to cut off a small piece to put in the brocade bag containing the amulet. But when he got to the end he felt embarrassed. When did her hair become so sticky
She let go of the hair in her hands, got up and went to the bathroom to wash up, then returned to the bed to change clothes.
Little did he know that the person behind him had already woken up and opened his eyes to look at his back.
In order not to wake her up, he didn't turn on the lights, and the room was dim. Only the outline of his back could be made out. His shoulders were straight, and he stood there casually like a green pine or cypress.
Sui Sui just watched quietly as she put on her coat and tied a jade belt—on it hung the treasure bag she had asked for from Qinglong Temple last time.
The moment he turned around, he immediately closed his eyes.
Huan Xuan leaned over and gently touched her lips, then raised his hand to stroke her cheek: "Wait for me to come back."
Sui Sui was still sleeping soundly, not moving at all.
"I'll be back soon," Huan Xuan said again, "Don't bother with Huan Minggui. He's a sycophantic and perverted person who only knows how to deceive honest women like you."
Sui Sui's mouth corners curled up slightly.
Fortunately, the room was dim, and Huan Xuan did not notice her change in expression. He turned and walked out, into the faint morning light.
…
Ten days after the Shenyi Army set out, Sui Sui went to a cosmetics shop.
As soon as they left Chang'anfang, another man and horse quietly fell behind them.
When they arrived at the city square, she and Chun Tiao got off the car and strolled around. A woman wearing blue cloth clothes and carrying a bamboo basket followed them from a distance.
Sui Sui pretended not to know and went around several shops before saying to Chun Tiao, "The lip balm is almost used up. Let's go to Chang's cosmetics shop."
Sure enough, the woman in green also followed slowly.
When they arrived at the cosmetics shop, Sui Sui asked Chun Tiao to wait downstairs while she went upstairs with the shop assistant. Since she had an imperial decree, was well off and frequented the shop, it made sense for the owner to personally receive her upstairs. Chun Tiao did not suspect anything and as soon as she entered the shop, she was attracted by the dazzling array of rouge, powder and perfume.
He went upstairs and entered the inner room. The innkeeper was already waiting inside. After paying his respects, he said, "General, I have already found out the details of the man who followed your army to Linghua Temple last time. He is from the Wu'an Mansion."
"Mr. Wu'an's Mansion?" Sui Sui frowned. She didn't remember any grudges between Huan Xuan and Mr. Wu'an's Mansion. Besides, even if there was a grudge, he would just make trouble in the court. Why would he stare at a woman from another house
Could it be that he had a grudge against her? This was even more absurd. She had never even met anyone from the Wu'an Mansion, so how could she have offended someone from his family
Sui Sui was puzzled: "Have you found out which house or which master in the Wu'an Mansion ordered this?"
The shop owner said, "Reporting to the general, if I'm not mistaken, it should be Zhao Qinghui, the son of the Duke of Wu'an."
Sui Sui became more and more confused. She had nothing to do with that sickly boy, not to mention any old grudges. When she came to Chang'an as a child, Prince Zhao was probably still in his infancy.
Could it be a new grudge? She remembered that one day in the market, the carriage of the Prince of Wu'an Palace almost hit her and Chun Tiao, causing them to spill wine all over themselves. But they were the ones who should bear the grudge, and who would bother to follow them for such a small matter
"Do you know why I have someone keeping an eye on me?" Sui Sui asked.
The shop owner hesitated to speak: "Prince Zhao and the Crown Princess are cousins. I guess this may be the reason..."
Sui Sui then remembered the existence of this relationship - the relationships between the noble families in the capital were complicated and everyone was related to everyone else. Sui Sui did not grow up in the capital, so he could not even count how many relatives he had, let alone the relationship between Ruan Yuewei and Zhao Qinghui.
The shop owner added: "I have also found out that Prince Zhao has had some feelings for the Crown Princess since he was a child..."
He frowned and thought for a long time before finding a more appropriate word: "Some obsession."
"Oh." Sui Sui suddenly realized that it was because of her face again.
But she still didn't understand Master Zhao's intention. She and Ruan Yuewei did look somewhat similar, but that was limited to their looks. Their backgrounds, factions, and personalities were all very different. Huan Xuan used her as a substitute only because he happened to have saved her in the mountains. In order to deceive himself, he had to let Nanny Gao dress her up and teach her this and that.
With the wealth and power of the Wu'an Mansion, it should not be difficult to find a woman who looks somewhat similar to Ruan Yuewei. Why would they risk offending the King of Qi to provoke her
Sui Sui found it increasingly difficult to understand: "Do you know what they are going to do?"
The shop owner said, "I found out that Zhao Qinghui's followers had dealings with a group of idlers in the market."
He paused and said, "The leader of this group is Zhu Hongjin, the second son in the family, also known as Zhu Erlang. This group of people gamble during the day, and do all kinds of evil at night, robbing houses, bullying men and women, and trafficking women and children... Half of the cases in Chang'an City are caused by them. It is said that Zhu Erlang has someone behind him, and even the Jingzhao and Jinwu Guards can't do anything about them."
Sui Sui nodded. There are many dirty things in the big families. If it is not convenient for their own people to deal with it, they will be done by these thugs. Therefore, such people usually have backers. As long as they don't make big trouble and know how to take things in moderation, they will not be uprooted.
Such people often collude with bandits outside the city to facilitate the transfer of abducted women and children and stolen goods.
Zhao Qinghui's connection with these people might have more sinister intentions than she expected.
"General, should we strike first?" asked the shop owner.
Sui Sui pondered for a moment and said, "No need, let's first find out what Zhao Qinghui wants to do."
After a pause, he said, "I was about to leave Chang'an anyway, so it would be great if I could borrow your help."
She had originally planned to find an opportunity to leave quietly without saying goodbye, but if she did that, the guards of Prince Qi's mansion would definitely look for her everywhere, and it would be difficult to escape. If she could take this opportunity to leave the capital, it would save them a lot of trouble.
"Send someone to keep an eye on them and don't alert the enemy." Sui Sui said.
The shop owner said, "I understand."
Sui Sui originally planned to leave the capital after Huan Xuan went to war, but since she planned to leave with the help of Prince Zhao, she was no longer in a hurry. There would be no results in Heshuo for a while, and even if she left the capital, she would first find a place to recuperate and practice martial arts, which she could also do in Shanchiyuan.
Zhao Qinghui was waiting for an opportunity to attack her, so she secretly helped him.
However, Prince Zhao was a very patient person. He just asked people to keep a close eye on her. Every time Sui Sui went out, she felt someone following her, but she never made any move.
After following for three or four months, the lotus in the mountain pond courtyard blossomed and withered, and when the new lotus roots were ready to be put into the plates, news finally came from the cosmetics shop that Zhao Qinghui's close follower had met with Zhu Er's gang again, and would probably take action during this period.
…
In the Wu'an Mansion, Zhao Qinghui sat alone in his study with a drawing table in front of him and snow-white silk spread out in front of him. He picked up the brush and carefully sketched on the white silk. The outline of a woman slowly appeared at the tip of the brush. As if he had endless patience, he carefully depicted every strand of the woman's hair and every fold of her clothes, leaving only a pair of eyes. His wrist began to tremble, and he grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, concentrated and held his breath, and carefully touched the tip of the brush.
A graceful and gentle woman appeared on the paper, and she looked like the Crown Princess.
Zhao Qinghui put down his pen and glanced at the servant, who picked up the scroll tremblingly.
Zhao Qinghui stood up, took a few steps back, and carefully examined the painting he had just completed. A fascinated smile slowly emerged in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
The servant stole a glance at his master's face and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw his face suddenly darken. The smile on his face disappeared and he became sinister and cruel. He suddenly picked up the cane with iron spikes on the table and hit the scroll hard: "It doesn't look like it, not at all!"
The servant boy was so frightened that he was trembling with fear and his face lost all color, but he did not dare to hide and just stood there with his head huddled.
The scroll of silk was quickly torn by the barbs on the stick, and the servant boy also took several hits on his hands, his sleeves soaked with blood, but he did not dare to dodge, because that would only bring more terrible consequences.
Zhao Qinghui still seemed unsatisfied, and he whipped the servant boy all over the body. The servant boy fell to the ground, and he began to whip his back. The blood soon dyed the back of the boy in blue brown.
Prince Zhao whipped him a few more times until he was a little angry and his arms were weak. He threw the cane away and said, "Get out."
The boy seemed to be pardoned. He crawled out of the study on his hands and feet, kneeling down.
Zhao Qinghui's personal attendant was waiting outside the door to report the incident. When he saw the blood-soaked boy crawling by, he kicked him and said, "Don't dirty the prince's yard."
The attendant waited outside the door for a long time - when Prince Zhao was angry, sticking to him was just seeking bad luck.
The prince had been particularly irritable recently, and he would often take his anger out by arresting people. Three or four people were carried out through the back door on straw mats in the middle of the night, and even more were sent to the farm with injuries and disabilities. Even his wife could not help but come to comfort her son twice and asked the servants to boil a medicinal soup for him to drink to soothe the liver qi, but it still had little effect.
But the attendant knew the whole story. The Crown Prince had been planning to attack the King of Qi's outer residence for more than half a year, and the closer he got to the implementation, the more impatient he became.
Zhao Qinghui sat at the desk and relaxed for a while, his eyes wandering around the room. The walls and screens around him were covered with portraits of the same woman, some walking, some sitting, some lying, some standing, some frowning, some smiling, all of them lifelike. These were his most proud works that he had chosen from hundreds.
The restlessness in his heart eased a little, and he said to the outside of the curtain: "Come in."
The attendant walked into the study with his head lowered - the study was filled with portraits of Ruan Sanniang, and servants who entered were not allowed to look around. If Prince Zhao found out, he would gouge out his eyes.
"How is it?" Zhao Qinghui asked, "When are we going to deal with that bitch?"
The attendant said cautiously, "My Lord, I have already reached an agreement with Zhu Er. On the fifteenth day of every month, the bitch will go to the Qinglong Temple outside the city to worship Buddha, then go to the Linghua Temple to eat vegetarian food, and then return to the city by the same route. It is most convenient to strike outside the city."
Zhao Qinghui asked: "Then what are we waiting for?"
The attendant said, "But she always brings three or five guards with her when she leaves the city, and the guards in Prince Qi's mansion are not easy to deal with."
Zhao Qinghui's face turned cold: "You've been dragging it out for a few months, and now you're telling me you can't do it?"
The attendant's back was covered in cold sweat, and he hurriedly said with a smile: "I am not doing a good job, but I have discussed with Zhu Er. It may not be easy to take action on the road, but the master and servant of the bitch will have to rest in the Zen temple for more than an hour after eating vegetarian food. The guards are eating and resting in the Zen temple nearby, so we can take this opportunity to take action."
He paused and said, "This kind of thing must be done by someone who knows everything about it. I have been having trouble finding an opportunity to plant someone in that temple until a month ago, when the temple was looking for a cook, I arranged for someone to go in. At that time, I drugged the food of that bitch, her servants, and the guards. After they were knocked unconscious, they were tied up and put into sacks. Every few days, our temple ships out the vegetables produced in the temple fields. On the full moon day of this month, there happened to be a car going out of the temple. We mixed in with them and shipped them out. Zhu Er's people will take over halfway, so we don't have to worry."
Zhao Qinghui glared and said, "I asked you to find a good family for her. Have you found one?"
The attendant rolled his eyes and said, "I have already negotiated with Zhu Er. Our group has a hidden place in the mountains. We will take the whore there first. After we enjoy her for a few days, we will cut her tendons in her hands and feet, poison her to make her mute, and sell her to Lingnan. We will ask her to be a boat girl on the pleasure boats of Han River, and she will be ridden by thousands of people. The King of Qi would never have thought that his concubine would be sold to such a place."
Zhao Qinghui's expression eased after hearing this, and he curled his lips and said, "If anything goes wrong, I'll chop you into pieces and feed you to the dogs."
To others, this might just be a threat, but Prince Zhao could definitely do it.
The attendant shuddered and said hurriedly, "Don't worry, my lord. This plan will be foolproof. Once that bitch is on her way, I will burn down Zhu Er's den of thieves. Even if the King of Qi comes back and tracks down Zhu Er, he won't be able to trace us."
Zhao Qinghui sneered: "What if he finds out? My Wu'an Mansion is not something he can easily touch. Would he go against my father just for a toy to entertain himself?"
It is precisely because of this calculation that one can be fearless.
The attendant hurriedly flattered, "Your Highness is wise."
…
Prince Zhao had just formulated a strategy and got the detailed plan. Under her deliberate guidance, they really planned to attack her in Linghua Temple.
When she saw that Zhao Qinghui was planning to cut her tendons in her hands and feet and sell them to the flower boats in Lingnan, she couldn't help but raise the corner of her mouth coldly. If she was really the hunter Nv Lu Sui Sui, this would be her fate - a thief can never be on guard against thieves for a thousand days. Even if she didn't go to Linghua Temple, she could always find a chance to strike by just waiting for the right opportunity.
Huan Xuan was away on a military expedition, and when he came back, she had already reached Lingnan. No one could help her, and even if she could be found in the end, her life would be ruined.
She had known that people were evil, but she had never imagined that such a pampered young man could be so vicious.
If she had to leave Chang'an, she couldn't leave any traces or cause trouble, otherwise she would have to ask Zhao Qinghui to clean up. She didn't know how long it would take Huan Xuan to get the news after her "death". On the battlefield, they might suppress the news. When she returned from Huaixi, it would be at least a year or two later.
But if he wanted to investigate, it would not be difficult for him to find Zhao Qinghui with his ability. Would he disregard the face of the Wu'an Mansion for a concubine and embarrass Zhao Qinghui? Sui Sui didn't know that she could sense that Huan Xuan had some affection for her. Even if you raise a cat, dog or horse for a year, it is impossible for them to have no affection for each other, but offending the Wu'an Mansion is another matter.
While Sui Sui was thinking, he threw the secret letter into the furnace.
On Saturday, she got up early in the morning and practiced knife skills in the garden. Then she went to the stable to feed Little Blackface with hay, scrubbed him clean from head to toe, and touched his ears regretfully, whispering, "I'm leaving. It's a pity that I can't take you with me."
Of course, the little black-faced boy couldn't understand what people were saying, but he seemed to be infected by her melancholy. He neighed and dug the soil with his hooves. Even after Sui Sui walked a long way, he could still vaguely hear the neighing of the horse.
She could say goodbye to Ma, but could not reveal any clues in front of others. She just said goodbye to Nanny, Xiaotong and others as usual, and then left the house with Chun Tiao and the guards.