Jun Anche wouldn't send Lu Yu to Nanchuan to investigate this old case after five years. Qian Xingzhi's instinct told her this move was not out of goodwill. The Emperor had been fond of knocking people down lately—was he warning Lu Yu about something?
"My lord, you know I lost my parents too. Since childhood, I've struggled just to survive each day. How could I have had the energy to pay attention to anything else?"
Qian Xingzhi didn't know how to comfort him. Life and death weren't wounds that a simple apology could heal. So she continued, "Were the culprits executed?"
Lu Yu shook his head. Back then, he was the same age as Qian Xingzhi now, but not as adept at navigating officialdom as she was. Just taking over the Lu Family Textiles had exhausted him, and his investigations hit dead ends at every turn. The only thing he was certain of was that this was a premeditated massacre. But after lying low all these years, he had long figured out who to settle accounts with. He had been planning for a long time, just waiting for the right moment.
"And you, Lord Qian? Why have you been wandering since childhood?"
Both were orphans; Lu Yu didn't think the question was offensive.
Qian Xingzhi hadn't dreamed about that part yet. But since Lu Yu had been frank first, it would seem suspicious if she hid it. "My parents died early. I lived with my grandmother since I was little. To avoid starving, I set up a fortune-telling stall."
"Suffering makes for strange bedfellows."
The carriage fell silent again. This journey would be exhausting—even a five- or six-hour high-speed train ride was tough for her, let alone a month in a carriage bumpier than a bus.
Of course, Qian Xingzhi had prepared a foolproof plan—novels.
The only pity was that when she had the carriage to herself, she could read freely. Sharing one with Lu Yu made it awkward. She rummaged through her luggage, took out some rough-edged paper to wrap a book cover haphazardly, and pretended to be perusing some rare classic masterpiece with great seriousness.
As it turned out, Nansheng Kingdom was quite open-minded, and its literary works were no exception. After reading less than a third of the book, Qian Xingzhi realized something was amiss and quickly buried those romance novels at the bottom of her trunk.
The worst part was that she now had to spend dozens of days and nights with the prototype of the male lead. Words had a strange magic—now whenever she looked at Lu Yu's face, her mind couldn't help but conjure up the original text.
Form is emptiness. Qian Xingzhi closed her eyes. In her drowsiness, she slipped into another nightmare.
*
Yan Zhaoshuang buried her grandmother. She had met Granny when she was ten, and every day Granny dressed her as a little boy and took her along. Granny sold vegetables, while Yan Zhaoshuang stood by and spoke sweetly to passersby.
Over time, Yan Zhaoshuang could always tell at a glance what kind of person liked to hear what kind of words. She fancied herself a little fortune-teller, and most customers were happy to play along with the child's act.
They'd ask, "Little one, what's your name?"
"I'm Qian Xingzhi!" Yan Zhaoshuang would say without hesitation. "Heading toward money!"
Everyone laughed, and as long as they laughed, they'd be willing to buy more vegetables from Granny. She had been good at lying since she was little. She wasn't a boy, her name wasn't Qian Xingzhi, and the meaning wasn't really "heading toward money."
Later, Granny fell ill. Yan Zhaoshuang began setting up her stall alone. Familiar passersby who knew her situation were willing to help out a bit—after all, they liked what she said, so they considered it money spent on a bit of happiness.
Granny was intermittently ill for five or six years. At first, she recovered quite well and could even go out on her own. In the forty-second year of Yong'an, they managed to survive the floods together, but unfortunately, the epidemic came. Granny fell ill again and passed away within a month.
Yan Zhaoshuang trudged on alone, eating and drinking mechanically, tidying herself mechanically. One day, she wandered to the Lilu River. The murky, dangerous water kept tempting her: Leave from here—you'll suffer for decades. Go there—you'll only suffer for a few minutes...
Yan Zhaoshuang had already taken a step. Dying here would be fine—dying in the river of dreams where nobles sought wealth, the same way as in Nanchuan.
But unfortunately, she heard a familiar voice nearby—a voice she would never forget in her lifetime.
"What a crappy place... Seeking wealth? More like seeking death."
She knew it was the Third Prince's voice. He would surely see her. Anywhere he went, his guards would drive away the so-called commoners.
She had to get close to him, leave this place, drag him into hell. In that brief moment, she had already figured out how to bait him.
*
Qian Xingzhi finally understood what emotion made Yan Zhaoshuang tremble with excitement—the purest hatred.
After sleeping, her whole body ached. When Qian Xingzhi stepped out of the carriage, she realized it was already night. The group had stopped to rest temporarily and was distributing dry rations.
Wei Yang calmed everyone down: "This mission is arduous; we must ride hard. Thank you all for your hard work."
Qian Xingzhi wolfed down a few mouthfuls of dry rations. To her surprise, the General Who Pacifies the South came over to chat. "Lord Qian, have you tried any divination or spirit communication along the way?"
Qian Xingzhi was already choked by the biscuit. Seeing the general's serious expression, she quickly grabbed her water bottle to wash it down, buying herself a few seconds to think.
"General, we're still too far from Nanchuan. Wait until we find the right opportunity later, and I'll make an attempt."
She had to find an excuse to get out of this divination task before reaching Nanchuan. At the very least, she needed to locate the Third Prince's position before reporting; otherwise, her reputation as a fortune-telling expert would be ruined, and she wouldn't be able to fool anyone anymore.
The general chuckled lightly. "I hope you truly have the skills, Lord Qian."
Qian Xingzhi pretended not to hear her and turned to look for Lu Yu. She saw him chatting cheerfully with a few young officers not far away.
She vaguely heard her own name. Perking up, Qian Xingzhi nonchalantly took a detour to the riverbank to wash her hands and eavesdrop.
"Lord Lu, you're so kind-hearted to remember to bring these things for us brothers."
"It's nothing, not worth mentioning."
Qian Xingzhi could easily imagine the expression Lu Yu had when saying that.
Another officer lowered his voice. "Lord Lu, that Lord Qian..."
The voice faded, so Qian Xingzhi moved closer and pricked up her ears.
Another officer, with a louder voice, chirped, "In this world, people like Lord Qian get ahead. You don't know—the last few times I was on duty, I heard Lord Qian chatting with other lords. The flattery he laid on..."
Do you think I want to flatter them?! Qian Xingzhi sneered internally. As a mere low-ranking official, what else could she do but compliment those lords? Go pick a fight with them?
Lu Yu's voice revealed neither like nor dislike. "I am not very familiar with Lord Qian. Gentlemen, it's best to avoid gossip."
Yes, yes, you're a gentleman of integrity, naturally not mingling with lowlifes like us. I wonder who it was that asked me for a thousand taels of silver as soon as we met.
"Lord Lu, you're different. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here alive."
Judging by deeds, not intentions, Lu Yu had indeed helped many people to earn this reputation. But don't compare! Don't praise one by putting down another!