Li Yunbi came with great joy, but upon their first meeting, before saying a few words, he heard that Lu Chengxiao had already proposed marriage to another woman. Without even giving her a second glance, he hastily left for another woman.
After settling Li Yunbi in the best inn in Anyi County, Li Zhongjue sent Lu Chengzong away. When he entered the room, hesaw Li Yunbi, she still looked lost and disheartened.
Li Zhongjue sighed inwardly, realizing that his sister’s thoughts were not very cleverly concealed. However, since she had never spoken about it, he couldn’t advise her on anything. He could only pretend not to know and hope that she would figure things out on her own.
Meanwhile, in Liujiacun, inside her own room, Wen Shi quietly instructed Liu Sanlang, “Go to the town quietly, find the Lu family, and privately talk to Mrs. Lu about what happened with Yuer last night. Don’t go into details, just say that the constables came looking for Yuer. If the Lu family wants to inquire about Yuer, tell them to check with the county yamen.”
Liu Sanlang was startled by her unexpected request. “Why? Dad said not to leak anything about last night’s incident.”
Wen Shi gave him a stern look. “I didn’t ask you to go into details. Just give them a direction. Besides, even if you wanted to explain in detail, what could you say?”
Liu Sanlang thought about it and realized it was true. They were still confused about last night’s events, and he hesitated, “Are you trying to help the Lu family?”
Wen Shi didn’t think so. She said, “If there were troubles, they already happened last night. Since we’ve covered it up, Dad only said to tell others that our elder sister was sold. In the future, if you see her, avoid her. You are helping the Lu family, not looking for our elder sister. What’s there to be afraid of?”
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“Jwv obyv’p vbl rskdv sq yzz vbkp?” Nkw Fydzydt oyp rwggzle.
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Eblvbla kv osajle swv sa dsv, plzzkdt vbkp rasprlnv oswzed’v nspv bla yduvbkdt.
Fsxl vbkdtp yal fwpv zkjl vbyv; eskdt vblx xktbv dsv dlnlppyakzu cakdt cldlqkvp, cwv kq usw esd’v es vblx, vblal’p nlavykdzu ds nbydnl sq ydu cldlqkvp qyzzkdt qasx vbl pju.
Rd vbl nbysp sq vbl Nkw qyxkzu, Nkw Fydzydt iwklvzu pzkrrle swv qasx vbl cynj essa yde, yqvla kdiwkakdt yzsdt vbl oyu, qswde vbl Nw qyxkzu. Tl alzyule Eld Fbk’p kdpvawnvksdp yqvla xllvkdt Yap. Nw.2Yap. Nw yde Ubld Fbk yal vbl pyxl rlsrzl. R twlpp vbl ywvbsa jlrv wpkdt ekqqlaldv yqqkzkyvksdp, dsv vs nsdqwpl wp, cwv vs alkvlayvl vbyv kv’p vbl Nw qyxkzu’p xyvakyanb
Yap. Nw lmralpple tayvkvwel alrlyvlezu, rlapsdyzzu lpnsavle bkx swv, yde vbld cwpkle blaplzq okvb vbl qycakn pvsal. Fbl ypjle vbl pbsrjllrla Hbsw vs bkal y blzrla, aldvle y xwzl nyav, yde bwaaklezu oldv vs alrsav vbl dlop vs Gduk Uswdvu.
When Lu Xun received the news, he was overjoyed. Immediately, he had the county’s carriage rental stable rent a fast horse to catch up with Lu Chengxiao. He, on the other hand, rushed to the county yamen to gather information. However, after spending some money to inquire, he found out that the county yamen had taken on a major case that morning. All the day and night shifts, the fast and strong teams, and all the yamen runners had been dispatched. Currently, the county yamen was left with only the county magistrate and the gatekeepers, overseeing the jail, with no one else around.
Learning that even the personnel standing guard for the county magistrate had been dispatched, and considering the involvement of the strong team, Lu Xun understood that it was indeed a significant matter. With no way to obtain information, he could only wait anxiously. Every day, he had his eldest son Chengzong come to this side to investigate whether those constables had returned or not. This investigation lasted for three days, during which the county yamen occasionally sent one or two constables with hurried explanations. However, those constables left quickly after a few words, and the Lu family father and son never had the opportunity to inquire about Liu Yu’s situation.
Meanwhile, in Yangshan Village, due to Liu Yanqing’s duty in the county, the family usually resided there, only returning to Yangshan Village during holidays. Therefore, Liu Yanqing was completely unaware of the recent events in the county as he had been away on official business for several days.
Liu Yu thought that her eldest cousin had already passed on the message to the Lu family’s fabric store, completely unaware that Lu Chengxiao was currently searching for her all over.
Meanwhile, Wen Shi searched for Liu Yu. In addition to performing ancestral rites, she took Liu Yu to visit various families in the clan. As Liu Yu resembled the late Mrs. Liu in her youth, the elders in the family were nostalgic. Thinking about Liu Huaiyu3Liu Yu’s biological dad., not only did Wen Shi host a feast with relatives, but each family also took turns inviting Liu Yu to their homes to acknowledge her.
For three consecutive days, Wen Shi kept Liu Yu busy, and she didn’t even have time to buy fabric for her clothing.
This is all for later.
~
Now, as for Babao, who was chasing after Lu Chengxiao, fearing any delay, he traveled day and night, covering a journey that would take three full days even for a swift horse. Against all odds, he arrived at the city gates of Yuanzhou in the middle of the night on the second day, but even so, he couldn’t catch up with Lu Chengxiao.
It appears that Lu Chengxiao, like Babao, traveled tirelessly. Being half a day ahead, he probably reached Yuanzhou before the city gates closed.
Babao was anxious, but watching the tightly closed city gates, he could only wait outside.
At the hour of the tiger (around 3-5 am), as the morning bell rang, the city gates opened. Babao was the first to lead his horse into the city. Having spent several years accompanying Lu Chengxiao in Yuanzhou, he knew where to find people. With no time to explore other areas, he rushed straight to Yuanzhou Academy where Lu Chengxiao had spent several years.
As the son of a merchant, Lu Chengxiao had no intention of taking the imperial examination. He left the academy last winter. Despite leaving the academy, he had formed genuine friendships with some students over the years. Babao waited outside the city gate, pondered for the entire night. He was sure that, compared to searching the vast Yuanzhou city alone, his young master specifically wanted to find a reliable help.
Each cat has its own path, and each mouse has its own hole. Lu Chengxiao, having made friends at Yuanzhou Academy, had developed a bond with a group of classmates. Babao, who had accompanied him for a few years, also formed friendships with some of the servants. So, upon inquiring at the academy, he quickly learned about Lu Chengxiao’s whereabouts.
Lu Chengxiao had a close friend in the academy named Yang Cunxu. He was the son of an official, and his father was none other than the current magistrate of Yuanzhou.
When Lu Chengxiao rushed to the academy last night, he directly sought Yang Cunxu’s help. With Yang Cunxu’s assistance and the influence of his father, the current magistrate, they managed to gather information throughout the night and easily located the Ya Po who had just arrived in Yuanzhou two days ago, Mrs. Zhou.
If Liu Yu hadn’t been reborn, within four or five days, she would have fallen into the hands of Zhou Ya Po. The process was unknown to her, but in her previous life, the drug she took wasn’t soaked in a handkerchief to be sniffed; instead, it was directly mixed into a sweet soup and consumed. By the time she woke up, she was already outside the boundaries of Yuanzhou.
In this life, Mrs. Zhou didn’t really know who Liu Yu was. In the middle of the night, after being approached by a group of officials, she was taken aback. Selling people, as she did, couldn’t be considered clean and legitimate. Cold sweat soaked her back, and she stammered, “What’s going on? How did so many officials come? The old woman conducts her business legitimately, and the people in her hands all have proper contracts with the government.”
Yang Cunxu, a straightforward person, paid no attention to her empty and misleading words. He raised his chin, and the group of officials conducted a thorough search inside and outside the courtyard. Everyone in the courtyard, regardless of whether they were conscious or not, was brought out for Lu Chengxiao to identify.
However, the search turned up empty.
The last glimmer of hope shattered, and Lu Chengxiao’s last bit of faith wavered.
Seeing his distressed expression, Yang Cunxu also furrowed his brows. “Didn’t find the person you were looking for?”
Lu Chengxiao shook his head, his eyes clearly reflecting despair.
Yang Cunxu had never seen him like this and quickly said, “Don’t worry. If she’s not here, let’s search elsewhere. Tomorrow, we’ll go through all the Ya Po in the city, and we’ll surely find her.”
Hearing that all the Ya Po in the city would be searched, Mrs. Zhou felt a chill in her heart. She hoped these troublemakers would quickly move on to other places.
Unexpectedly, Lu Chengxiao, who wanted to find someone, didn’t succeed, but Yang Tongzhi, a leader in Yang Cunxu’s group of official, found a person. He approached an unconscious child of seven or eight among the crowd, carefully examined him, and even brushed aside the child’s messy hair. After a while, he whispered something in Yang Cunxu’s ear.
Mrs. Zhou’s knees went weak, and her face turned pale.
Having heard the official’s words, Yang Cunxu raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is it true?”
Yang Tongzhi nodded, “There are seven or eight resemblances to the portrait, and several features match.”
With Yang Cunxu acknowledging, the official understood. He signaled to have all the people in the courtyard, including the matchmaker, taken away.
Mrs. Zhou was terrified, crying for justice, but no one paid any attention. One of the constables directly covered her mouth.
On the other side, Yang Cunxu left half of the personnel here, and with Yang Tongzhi and continued assisting Lu Chengxiao in the search. As the day dawned and only the last two households remained, Lu Chengxiao’s despair grew. Just when hope seemed lost, Yang Cunxu’s servant hastily approached, leading Babao in a hurry.
~
“Did you say that Liu Yu visited Liujiacun the night before?”
This was an unexpected turn of events, a breakthrough in a desperate situation.
Babao vigorously nodded, “Exactly, it was Miss Liu’s third brother who secretly came to find his wife. He doesn’t know the details, and they didn’t dare to publicize it. All I know is that on that night, the entire family was expelled from their home, and the people who took Miss Liu were working with constables from three different county offices.”
“Miss Liu’s third brother said if the Young Master wanted to find out where Miss Liu was, he should inquire at the county office.”
“Ah!” Lu Chengxiao suddenly came alive, and his face no longer bore the expression of impending doom. He turned to Yang Cunxu and gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder, “Cunxu, thanks a lot this time. I need to rush to the county office immediately. After finding her, I’ll come to invite you to Drunken Immortal Tower for a good drink.”
Yang Cunxu also smiled, patting Lu Chengxiao’s shoulder, “Sure, find the person first, and if there’s anything else I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
After a moment of thought, he added, “When you go to the county office, take this letter from my father. It might be useful.”
This document happened to be in the hands of Yang Cunxu’s trusted aide, Yang Tongzhi, who accompanied him on this task. As Yang Cunxu finished speaking, he handed the letter to Lu Chengxiao.
“I won’t stand on ceremony then.” Lu Chengxiao took it and clasped his hands in gratitude. Immediately, he led Babao back.
On April 16th, around the hour of the snake (9am – 10am), Lu Chengxiao dismounted at the entrance of the county office in Anyi County. Babao waited outside, and Lu Chengxiao handed over Yang Cunxu’s official letter to request an audience with the county magistrate.
The news he received was no different from what his brother, Chengzong, had been told days ago. All constables from the county office were dispatched to various locations to assist in tracking down a criminal. Until now, there was no sign of their return. Not knowing which constables had gone to the Liu family that day, Chengxiao couldn’t assist in this matter. He could only wait for a constable to bring news, asking on his behalf. Once he received any information, he would inform Lu Chengxiao.
The official personally escorted Lu Chengxiao a few steps, saying, “Young friend, rest assured. If she went with the county constables, she must not be involved in any criminal activity. I believe the person you’re looking for is safe and sound.”
Lu Chengxiao couldn’t truly put his mind at ease, but he expressed his thanks for the comforting words from the local authorities.
Leaving the county office, he ran into his brother, Lu Chengzong, who came to gather information. Alongside Chengzong were the siblings, Lu Zhongjue and Lu Yunbi.
Seeing Lu Chengxiao, all three were overjoyed and hurriedly approached.
“Chengxiao.”
“Chengxiao.”
“Brother Lu.”
Lu Chengzong, concerned about the situation with Liu Yu, inquired first, “How is it? Have you found any information about Miss Liu? I’ve been waiting in the county office for several days. I don’t know what major case unfolded these past few days, but all three shifts of constables have been mobilized. It’s impossible to get information. Did you inquire inside the county office? “
Lu Chengxiao shook his head, “Waiting for news.”
He asked Chengzong, “Any news about Wu Jin?”
Chengzong, who had information, replied, “After you left, Dad has been making inquiries in the county. It’s said that four days ago in the afternoon, not far from our cloth shop, constables arrested someone. However, Wu Jin isn’t usually active in this area, so it’s unclear who was arrested. There are rumors that on that day, there seemed to be an extremely beautiful girl.”
Lu Chengxiao’s heart skipped a beat and he asked Chengzong, “Where did you hear about it?”
“At the tea house on our street, the waiter happened to glance at it unintentionally.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Chengxiao immediately set off.
Li Yunbi hadn’t taken her eyes off Lu Chengxiao since their first encounter. Now, seeing him heading towards the tea house again, she became anxious. She hurriedly chased after him, saying, “Brother Lu, you’ve been on the road for four days and three nights without a wink of sleep. The county office said to wait for news. Why not take a break at the cloth shop first before going to the tea house to inquire?”
Lu Chengzong, hearing that Lu Chengxiao hadn’t slept for four days and three nights, also advised, “Let’s take a break first. Even if it’s just half a day, it’s better than nothing.”
“I’m not tired.”
Lu Chengxiao, however, simply uttered these three words and didn’t even slow down his pace, walking briskly with the wind trailing his robe.
With his tall stature and long legs, Li Yunbi, a fifteen-year-old girl, couldn’t catch up. Despite her efforts to walk fast, she fell behind after just a dozen steps.
Helpless, Li Zhongjue wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start. He could only accompany Li Yunbi.
As they turned onto the street where the Lufeng Cloth Shop was located, Lu Chengxiao had already opened up a gap of three or four zhang (9.9 to 13.2 meters).
In a hurry to say something, Li Zhongjue noticed that Lu Chengxiao’s gaze was fixed on a figure by a small stall in front of the tea house. The tea house, the vendor, and all other people disappeared from his sight. The entire world vanished from his view, leaving only that one figure.
Still wearing the somewhat worn-out dress, she stood by the small stall, examining something. A side profile with gentle features caused Lu Chengxiao’s eyes to moisten in that fleeting moment, almost bringing tears to his eyes.
He paused for a moment before daring to approach her. His gaze didn’t dare to shift, and he walked cautiously. He was afraid that the figure was just an illusion, a product of three sleepless nights.
When Liu Yu sensed being observed, she turned her head to look, but before she could identify who was staring at her, she was already pulled into an embrace.
Startled, she was about to break free when she heard a voice above her head, slightly trembling.
“Liu Yu.”
It was Lu Chengxiao.
Sansukini: Author-nim decided not to prolong Lu Chengxiao’s misery. But hey, it’s the ancient time. Hugging in public is not allowed, Liu Yu has 3 big brothers now, y’know.
One of my fave characters here is Wen Shi. She’s clear-headed and clever. In this time where women are usually suppressed, she doesn’t allow herself to just bend her values and be under Liu Kangsheng’s thumb. More of this later. This is the second time she tried to save Liu Yu.
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Happy for Sanlang, but why does author feel the need to throw in annoying extras like Li Yunbi???
Thank you for this chapter!