Chapter 115: The Jade Pendant, the Jade Pendant

After traveling for a while by ox cart, Lu Ying suddenly said, “Pan! Let’s go to the Mirror Garden in the southern part of Gongcheng after all.”

The coachman called out from outside, “Little sister-in-law, we’ve already gone quite a distance, and you want to change direction again…”

Before he could finish, Lu Ying replied calmly, “Add three iron coins to your fare.”

At once, the coachman fell silent.

Not long after, the ox cart stopped outside the Mirror Garden. Compared to the vast residence the nobleman had once specially mentioned to her, this garden was much more elegant and natural.

Lu Ying handed the iron coins to the coachman and stepped toward the main gate.

As she approached, before she could speak, an elderly gatekeeper said, “You must be Lady Lu. Please come in.”

This was only her second visit here, but the gatekeeper’s respectful attitude was just like those in Hanyang, as if granting her free passage.

Lu Ying pursed her lips and nodded slightly before entering.

It was a fine spring day; the garden was in full bloom, butterflies fluttering among the flowers, accompanied by the gentle sound of strings and bamboo wind instruments, creating an indescribable atmosphere of tender tranquility and contentment.

After walking for a while, a man in blue approached her with a blank expression and said, “Lady Lu, this way please.”

“Yes.”

Lu Ying followed him toward a courtyard.

The courtyard was ablaze with colorful blossoms. Scholars and guards came and went; upon seeing Lu Ying, they glanced briefly but pretended not to notice her.

Soon, the guard led Lu Ying into a study and said, “Please wait here. The master will be here shortly.”

“Thank you.”

The guard left.

The study was exquisitely arranged. Aside from the dark purple carpet and low table, which reflected the owner’s nobility, rows of books and scrolls lined the shelves. Lu Ying casually glanced at a few and was surprised to see some rare volumes that were said to be the sole surviving copies from the time when the First Emperor burned books and buried scholars alive.

At that moment, footsteps approached.

A young man appeared at the door and bowed to Lu Ying. “Are you Lady Lu? The master requests your presence.”

“Yes.”

Lu Ying responded and followed the youth. As they walked, she heard the faint sound of stringed instruments and asked curiously, “Where is the master now?”

“He is in a meeting.”

Hearing this, Lu Ying was momentarily taken aback. She pressed her lips together and said, “If that is so, please allow me to wait a moment before disturbing the master.”

The youth glanced back at her and said, “The master called for you to come.”

“Y-yes.”

After a short walk, Lu Ying arrived outside a domed hall. Just then, she saw a line of scholars and four blue-clad guards kneeling neatly before the hall. Evidently, a fierce dispute had just taken place; many had bruised and swollen foreheads, some bleeding, others choking back tears.

The nobleman sat inside, eyes half-closed, a mocking smile playing at his lips.

Seeing Lu Ying arrive, a guard quickly stepped forward and bowed. “The master is inside. Please enter.”

He looked irritable, and it was clear the discussion was serious business. Lu Ying felt she had no right to enter at such a moment.

So, she took a step back and said calmly, “The master is busy. I shall wait.”

“Lady Lu, you may enter without worry.”

Seeing the guard urging her, Lu Ying cast him a glance and said coolly, “I am well aware of my place.”

When she insisted on not entering, the blue-clad man lowered his voice and pleaded, “Every time the master sees you, he is in good spirits. If you go in now, you might save a few lives. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Lu Ying gave him a sidelong look and said faintly, “I am but a woman, a mere trifle, unworthy of such expectations.”

With that, she turned and walked toward the distant garden.

Watching her retreating figure, the youth turned to the blue-clad man and asked, “Should we try persuading her again?”

“No need.” The man shook his head with a wry smile. “Lady Lu has always been exceptionally wise.” Then he sighed softly. “Indeed, this is not her affair. It is my fault.”

Lu Ying stood in the garden, idly strolling and admiring the scenery. After some time, suddenly, several agonized screams pierced the air. When she turned, the surroundings had once again returned to peaceful leisure.

As she turned back, she saw a line of blue-clad men approaching, each pair carrying a bloody corpse. Counting roughly, there were five bodies.

Her face paled.

Quickly, she lowered her head.

While she stood motionless, the sound of slow footsteps came from behind, followed by the nobleman’s indifferent voice: “Afraid?”

Lu Ying turned and offered a slight bow.

“Come here.”

Obediently, Lu Ying stepped forward to stand before him.

The nobleman reached out, lifted her chin, and scrutinized her face. He sneered, “Truly cold-hearted… and yet your complexion remains unchanged!”

In truth, she was feeling unwell, but she had mastered the art of a poker face.

Lu Ying ignored his mockery and smiled faintly at the nearby lake. “The spring breeze blows softly, the water is still. On such a fine day, would the master care to sail with Wen across the lake and hills?”

The nobleman glanced at her and smiled. “You are skilled at changing the subject.”

He did not release her chin but lowered his head to gaze intently at her.

As he stared, he noticed her expressionless face, but the tips of her ears were suspiciously flushed. He quietly chuckled in a deep voice, “So you are still capable of embarrassment?”

Lu Ying, expressionless, replied calmly, “It is you who stands too close, master.”

With a face like his, how could she remain completely unaffected?

The nobleman laughed once more softly.

After a moment, he leaned closer, his breath warm against her cheek, voice gentle as water, “Does the scent of blood smell sweet to you?”

At this, the servants nearby, who had kept their heads lowered as if invisible, all knelt at once.

The sound of their knees hitting the ground startled Lu Ying.

She glanced at them briefly before withdrawing her gaze and looking up at the nobleman. Awkwardly, she replied, “Blood is blood—neither fragrant nor foul.”

Hearing this, the nobleman slowly ceased smiling and said calmly, “Indeed, the smell of blood is just the smell of blood, nothing more.”

He released her and said, “Have me changed.”

“Yes.”

Two maids stepped forward and soon dressed the nobleman in a moon-white robe. They loosened his hair and tied it again with an ordinary jade pin.

In a blink, the man transformed from a powerful noble commanding great authority into a handsome scholar.

This new appearance lacked the domineering aura and overwhelming presence he usually exuded, replaced instead by refined elegance and gentility.

Lu Ying studied him in surprise. The nobleman took her hand, a smile playing on his lips, his deep voice tinged with amusement, “I didn’t expect you, Ying, to come willingly today.”

With his hand holding hers, Lu Ying could not bow. She followed him forward and said clearly, “Yesterday, Lady Lu borrowed your jade pendant, sir, and thus escaped a great peril. Today I come to express my thanks.”

“Thanks, huh?” He smiled lazily. Looking at her, he continued slowly, “You should know, not everything in this world can be easily grasped… That pendant—I thought you would never use it.”

At this, Lu Ying’s expression finally changed.

From the moment she received the pendant, she had felt unease.

Now, hearing his words, she understood.

Indeed, not everything in this world can be taken simply by reaching out. Some things, once accepted, demand a price.

That pendant, engraved with a dragon pattern and the character “Jiang,” was clearly his token.

To accept such a token and then try to sever ties was absurd and violated the unspoken rules of their world.

Her expression flickered in thought. The nobleman studied her quietly for a moment before suddenly saying, “You wanted to sail on the lake, didn’t you? Let’s go.”

With that, he took her hand and leapt into a small boat. “Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

A blue-clad guard jumped aboard. With a long oar, he propelled the boat swiftly toward the center of the lake.

The small lake within the Mirror Garden was not large. As the boat rounded a small hill, Lu Ying thought they had reached the end, only to discover that beyond the hill stretched a long river channel.

Pointing to the river, the nobleman smiled, “From here, one can enter the Yangtze River.”

He had connected the Yangtze River to the small lake within his own estate.

As Lu Ying pondered this, the nobleman took her hand again. His voice, gentle and low, came softly, “Ying, hold my hand tightly… I was once drowned as a child; I fear the water.”

His palm was indeed cold.

Lu Ying quickly looked up.

Beneath the brilliant sunlight, his handsome face held a serene smile, exuding dignity, with no hint of fear.

Yet his hand was truly cold.

More than that, she could sense he was sincere.

She tightened her grip on his hand and said, “If the master dislikes it, we can return.”

“Dislike and want to turn back?” The nobleman chuckled sharply and replied slowly, “There are few pleasures in this world; enjoying fear is one of them. You will soon understand this, Ying.”

Soon, Lu Ying comprehended his meaning.

Once the boat entered the Yangtze, the current grew rapid and no longer gentle. Every whirlpool was a potential trap; though the boat seemed steady, it could suddenly tilt sharply or slam heavily against a cliffside.

It was broad daylight, and a large ship was swiftly approaching from a few hundred steps away. The vessel bobbed violently in the rushing waters, drawing screams from those on the lake.

Someone noticed the three people in the small boat, and a wave of shocked, sympathetic gazes swept toward them.

Amid the roar of wind and waves, Lu Ying faintly heard, “Such handsome people!” “Are they courting death?” “Quick, get over there and pull them up…”

She glanced back, and just then, a huge wave rolled in from several dozen steps away—wave upon wave, growing taller and taller. What began as twice her height quickly rose to three, then four times her height, surging like a mountain crashing down, threatening to overturn the boat and throw all three into the raging river.

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This chapter supplements yesterday’s missed update. The sudden power outage caught me off guard.

I noticed some readers commenting on Guo Shengtong and the early Eastern Han history. Haha, I’ll say it again here: this story is entirely fictional. After writing realistic history in “Spring Scenery of the Southern Dynasties,” I found it quite limiting. Almost every handsome man I liked was already betrothed or had an official match, so I prefer the freedom of a fictional setting, where I can pair the heroine with whoever I choose and portray the hero as handsome as I wish.

In short, except for a few names, this story isn’t based on real history. I haven’t researched or detailed the early Eastern Han period.

Real history often carries cruelty and dullness; it’s far more enjoyable to write as I please. Haha. (To be continued.)