Chapter 88: Nightfall

Dusk had fallen.

It was time once again to set up camp and rest. Gazing at the rows of tents rising up one after another, Wenqing called for several servants and instructed them to pitch a tent for Lu Ying as well. Then, he retreated into his own tent and sat down, brooding as he took a few sips of wine. Setting his cup aside, he turned his head and silently gazed in the direction where Lu Ying was.

A young woman came up behind him. After a respectful greeting, she spoke in a low voice, “Second Master, I have learned something from the servants of the Chen family. They say that Chen Yan is skilled at pretending, but in truth, she is cruel-hearted.”

“I see.”

“Though your uncle is family, what Chen Yan has done should still be reported to your mother. There are too many in this world who seek fleeting satisfaction, delighting in harming others even when it brings no benefit to themselves. If Chen Yan is truly so vicious, the family must know, lest they help her only to be bitten in return.”

Chen Yan was too beautiful; with such looks, it would be easy for her to rise in status, and that was precisely what must be guarded against.

Wenqing nodded, still staring at Lu Ying’s indistinct silhouette. The words he spoke were absent-minded: “I know this well enough.”

The young woman followed his gaze and glanced toward Lu Ying, and suddenly said, “Second Master, you are fond of this Lady Lu, aren’t you?”

She had been sent by Wenqing’s mother to look after him—a sensible, seasoned woman whom he had always respected.

Now, caught off guard by her insight, the young man’s face flushed red. He turned, his dignified features hesitating for some time before he managed to say, “I…”

She regarded him gently. Seeing his reluctance, she lowered her voice and said, “Second Master, you must know that your mother and father would never agree to her entering our household.”

Those words struck home. Wenqing’s expression changed dramatically.

Unmoved by his distress, the woman continued, “You know it too, don’t you? Not to mention questions of family background and status—even Lady Lu’s way of handling matters and her temperament make her unsuited to be the wife of the Wen family’s legitimate heir. Look how she dealt with things today—she could have been gentler, more tactful, couldn’t she? Another girl in her place would never have confronted Chen Yan at all. You hold her in such regard, so surely you’d handle everything for her; would you ever let her suffer any grievance? But this Lady Lu chose none of that—she met force with force.”

She paused, then went on: “The Wen clan is vast and powerful, with many brothers. The women in charge of the household have never dared overstep their bounds; indeed, every word they speak must be weighed and considered. I fear Lady Lu is not capable of such restraint.”

In truth, even Chen Yan—who had just suffered a resounding defeat at Lady Lu’s hands—was far better suited to life behind the high gates of a great clan. In such households, one could be ruthless, cunning, sly, or feign foolishness, but there was no room for a woman so bold and self-assertive.

Seeing Wenqing slowly lower his head, covering his face with his hands in silence, the woman thought: Since Second Master’s feelings have only just begun to stir, it’s best to cut them off early.

So, after a moment’s thought, she added, “In my opinion, Lady Lu is far too strong-willed; she would never consent to be a concubine, would she? Second Master, she cannot be your wife, and she is not the sort to accept the life of a concubine. Besides, she already has ties with that nobleman, and with the gentleman of the Yin family as well. You… you’d best forget her.”

Forget her! Forget her!

Suddenly, Wenqing, still covering his face and bowing his head, raised his voice hoarsely, “Out! All of you, leave me!”

With a wave of her hand, the woman led the servants and maids out, heads bowed.

Outside the tent, she glanced back at Lu Ying—who stood in a youth’s robe, truly a figure of striking grace and beauty, a “handsome young man” in appearance. Shaking her head, she muttered scornfully, “She’s not even a princess or a noble lady, yet she dares to live so boldly and freely—she really doesn’t know her place. I’d like to see how long her arrogance will last.”

From what she had observed, aside from a handful of women of the very highest rank, ordinary women in this world survived by swallowing grievances and enduring humiliation, their lives as hard as any beast of burden. She was genuinely curious to see how long someone like Lady Lu could keep up such a way of living.

Her mindset was much like that of those Han people in later ages, forced by the conquering court to grovel and call themselves slaves. After a century of such self-abasement, should one suddenly see a compatriot, like those of the Tang or Song, sit upright and proud, the first reaction would not be pleasure or admiration—but rejection and mockery…

From a distance, Ati called out, “Aying! Aying!”

Standing outside, watching the Wen servants pitch her tent, Lu Ying turned at the sound and, seeing Ati, smiled warmly.

There was something especially comforting in Lu Ying’s smile, and Ati couldn’t help but smile back. She ran up, her cheeks rosy, and said, “Aying, what are you doing out here? Come over and chat with me.”

Lu Ying agreed and followed Ati as she walked away.

As they strolled, Ati glanced about, then gave a small huff of annoyance. “If I’d known the Chen family was like this, I wouldn’t have waited for them at all.” On this journey, those from the Chen household, when they saw Lu Ying, didn’t exactly show open hostility, but they certainly ignored her altogether.

But that was only to be expected—with Chen Yan’s beauty, even in Chengdu she would be considered a rare flower. The whole Chen family, including the servants, seemed to think that her beauty might bring them all prosperity. But who would have thought that their great hope, Chen Yan, would make a scene and disgrace herself before these wealthy young men in her very first encounter with Lu Ying? Naturally, they couldn’t help but hold it against Lu Ying.

Clearly, Ati had no fondness for Chen Yan. Pursing her lips, she sneered, “And they call you a country girl—aren’t they just country bumpkins themselves? Aying, listen—if any of them tries to harm you, you tell me right away. We’ll all stand up for you.”

Lu Ying smiled, her voice low and grateful. “Thank you, Ati.”

Ati lifted her chin in satisfaction, but after a quick sideways glance, her expression fell and she sighed, “Aying, why do you think Wang Lang doesn’t like me? Every time he sees me, he turns away as if he doesn’t see me.”

Lu Ying followed her gaze toward Wang Shang and thought: Perhaps he simply has no interest in young ladies. But such things, touching on a person’s lifelong reputation, were not to be spoken aloud.

So, Lu Ying could only sigh along with her.

Not far off, Xiao Yan and the others had gathered in a group, chatting and laughing. As Ati approached, several girls ran over, surrounding the two as they walked toward the fire.

After a while, a gentle, courteous male voice called out, “Lady Lu, my sister was rude just now—please accept my apologies.”

Lu Ying turned and met the refined, gracious smile of Chen Shu. He was a gentle-looking youth, his face always bearing a soft smile and his gaze intensely focused when conversing, making people feel as though he held them in special regard.

So it was now—Chen Shu watched her intently and tenderly. Had Lu Ying not known she had just gravely offended his sister, she might have thought this young man had feelings for her.

Looking up into the youth’s dark eyes, Lu Ying shivered involuntarily, then raised her cup and replied, “You flatter me, Chen Lang. I wouldn’t dare.”

Before Chen Shu could answer, Ati interjected shrilly, “Young Master Chen, Aying is my dear friend, you know! I warn you—don’t you dare take your foolish sister’s side.”

Chen Shu hurried to reassure her with a gentle smile, “No, no, she brought it on herself.”

Ati gave a little snort, scolded him again, and soon another young man from the Chen family joined them.

That evening, the Chen family’s young gentlemen came and went, offering toasts and apologies to everyone, repeatedly explaining that their sister was simply too blunt and thoughtless, and begging everyone not to let the day’s events become fodder for gossip that might ruin her future.

After so much talk, the young men and women began to believe that Chen Yan’s harsh words weren’t malice, but merely foolishness.

Once they had secured everyone’s promise not to spread rumors, the Chen brothers breathed a sigh of relief. Still, everyone understood that even if the young men vowed to keep quiet, word of today’s events would soon reach their families. As a result, Chen Yan would not only lose her chance of marrying that nobleman—even among the legitimate heirs of Chengdu’s great families, none would choose her now.

It was another night of bright moonlight.

A slender crescent hung in the sapphire sky, a few wisps of cloud trailing beside it. Amidst quiet whispers, an occasional breeze would stir, brushing warmly, softly against their skin—cool yet somehow warm, just like the restless heart of spring.

Wenqing kept his head down, drinking in silence. Beside him, Wang Shang lay with his hands behind his head, gazing up at the moon.

On the women’s side, Lu Ying had grown quiet as well. Tilting her head, she watched the distant, shadowy mountains, listened to the laughter of the girls around her, and thought: Once Ayun becomes acquainted here, he’ll be able to shine; he’s so much more tactful and likable than I am. When he comes to Chengdu, I’ll take him to a gathering or two, and after that, he can go on his own.

Lu Ying had always known that socializing was her greatest weakness. In truth, she had never planned to climb the social ladder through her own networking skills.

Lost in her thoughts, she was suddenly roused by the thunder of hoofbeats coming from the official road behind them!

The heavy, resonant sound meant there were many horses. In these times, when horses were precious, only the retinues of princes or military units would appear in such numbers.

Instantly, everyone turned to look.

At the far end of the shadowed road, dozens of torchlights glimmered into view.

Staring at the torches, Lord Chen exclaimed in surprise, “How strange.”

Everyone looked at him.

He rose and scanned the distance, then said, “There are only about thirty riders—why is the sound of their hooves so heavy, as if there were a hundred of them? Ah, it must be a unit of heavily trained, elite cavalry bearing loads.”

His conclusion piqued everyone’s curiosity. Yet, with a retinue of three or four hundred guards around them, there was little cause for fear.

Suddenly, Ati asked brightly, “Aying, can you guess who they might be?”

Lu Ying looked up, gazing at the distant torches growing closer and brighter, and shook her head. “I have no idea.”

In the stillness of the night, the ground trembled ever more with the approach of the thirty horsemen. As the riders drew near, Wang Shang—who had been brooding all evening—spoke up, “I know who they are.”

All heads turned toward him.

He frowned, eyes fixed ahead, and said in a low voice, “When we asked for directions today, I caught wind of something. This must be the group they mentioned—a party of important figures from Luoyang, here on official business.”

He paused, then added in surprise, “They’re slowing down—could it be they intend to camp here as well, just as we have?”

[Author’s note: One chapter owed. Stayed up late last night and had no time for a nap today, so I’m too tired to write well—just one chapter for now. Three owed in total.

Recommending a new book by Diaolan Yuqi: The Road of the Interstellar Queen.

Summary: What will the world be like thousands of years from now? When Ye Min opens her eyes, she finds a beautiful starry sky outside her window. Humanity, after millennia of evolution, is stronger, smarter, and technologically advanced beyond recognition. Yet she is a prisoner in a laboratory, uncertain of her fate. Escape becomes her only choice.]