Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 133

Chapter 133: Clues, Encounter

The door creaked open, and Cui Zi Xuan stepped out.

In the night, he appeared noticeably thinner, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

He took the message delivered by carrier pigeon from the guard, read it by the lamplight for a moment, then slowly put the note away, saying in a hoarse voice, “Alright, you may leave.”

“Yes.”

Just as the guard left, several more guards approached. After bowing to Cui Zi Xuan, one guard reported, “Young Master, eleven people emerged from the side room in the past hour. Ten of them have been investigated, but this young man’s origins are unknown.” At this, the guard handed a portrait to Cui Zi Xuan.

Cui Zi Xuan took it.

After glancing down for a moment, Cui Zi Xuan said softly, “Yes, it’s him.”

Several guards looked up hastily. One was about to speak when Cui Zi Xuan raised his right hand and slowly said, “Pass down the word: keep watch on pawnshops and major gold and silver shops along the way. Everyone else can retreat.”

Then, he smiled and added, “Do not alert him!”

Although he was smiling, the guards felt a chill run down their spines and all lowered their heads.

At this moment, Cui Zi Xuan waved his hand and said, “Alright, all of you, withdraw.”

“Yes.”

As soon as the guards withdrew, Cui Zi Xuan turned and returned to his study.

The study was a mess, with tattered and broken items everywhere, yet Cui Zi Xuan seemed to be in a good mood. He was gazing intently at the portrait, even humming a tune.

After a moment, he murmured softly, almost gently, to himself, “The most urgent thing is to absolutely avoid alerting the enemy!”

After studying the portrait for a while longer, Cui Zi Xuan went to the table. He laid the portrait on it and, with swift, flowing strokes, sketched a simply dressed, slender young man.

However, the young man’s lower garment had fallen to the ground, and his jade belt was thrown far away…

After drawing for a while, Cui Zi Xuan’s breathing became rapid. He closed the study door again. Then, slowly and deliberately, he returned… He loosened his belt, his eyes fixed on the portrait, a cold laugh escaping his lips as he panted…

Cui Ziying had not had a good time these past two days. She habitually went to her brother’s courtyard. Facing the lamp burning in the study, Cui Ziying hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Silence fell in the study. After a moment, Cui Zi Xuan’s slightly unsteady voice came, “What’s it?”

“Brother, it’s me.”

A moment later, Cui Zi Xuan’s voice came, “Wait a moment.” Footsteps sounded, and the study door opened from the inside.

Cui Ziying looked up, meeting her brother’s expression, which was noticeably less grim. Cui Ziying’s eyes lit up, and she excitedly exclaimed, “Brother, you’re all better?” Then, she cheerfully called out, “Brother, are you hungry? The servants said you have not eaten for the past two days. You must be hungry now, right? I will go tell them to prepare some food…”

“No need,” Cui Zi Xuan said softly, “I just ate something.”

Hearing that her brother had eaten, Cui Ziying beamed with joy. She skipped and hopped into the study, tidying up the mess as she said in a light tone, “It’s so good that brother has come to his senses. I will go tell Grandmother later. Honestly, what kind of person is that Lady Jiang? Brother clearly married her as his legal wife, and she does not cherish him. She will regret it later…”

As she spoke, Cui Ziying sensed something was amiss.

She turned around, startled.

At this moment, Cui Zi Xuan had reached the screen window. With his back to Cui Ziying, he slowly and methodically arranged the files on the table, saying, “It’s getting late; you should go back.”

Hearing her brother’s tone suddenly turn so cold, Cui Ziying’s face paled. She immediately realized that her brother had not truly let go of Lady Jiang.

Cui Ziying stood there dejectedly. She did not leave, but after pursing her lips for a moment, she could not help but whisper, “Brother, they all say Lady Jiang will never come back to our Clan…”

Cui Zi Xuan, with his back to her, said indifferently, “Who said that?”

Having uttered those three words, he clearly did not want to say anything more to Cui Ziying, so he added, “Alright, you may leave.”

Cui Ziying wanted to say something; her lips moved several times, but she still did not dare to speak. After a long while, she silently bowed to Cui Zi Xuan and quietly left the study.

…

The Gao family caravan could not even wait until dawn; they set off as soon as they could see the road.

Jiang Mi and Shao Xiaozi both felt comfortable in the spacious carriage. Shao Xiaozi stuck his head out the window, looking around, and muttered, “Old Chang just said that in two more days we will meet up with some of the other teams, then we will not have to worry about the bandits anymore.”

He added, “Ugh, but I still have to be on edge for two more nights. Just thinking about it makes me uneasy.”

After a while, he turned to look at Jiang Mi, who was again reciting her Four Books and Five Classics with her eyes closed like a mantra. Shao Xiaozi pouted and muttered, “What kind of hobby’s that!”

A little while later, Shao Xiaozi still leaned close to Jiang Mi, interrupting her recitation, and asked with bright eyes, “Hey, two more nights of being on edge, are you not scared?”

Jiang Mi looked up at him.

She pursed her lips and shook her head, saying, “I’m not afraid.”

Shao Xiaozi’s eyes widened. He asked curiously, “They are all afraid; why are you not?”

Jiang Mi thought, “Because I know I would not get into trouble.”

Thinking this, she said softly again, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Tch!” Shao Xiaozi rolled his eyes at her dismissively, then stuck his head out of the carriage window to chat with the guards outside.

To Shao Xiaozi’s surprise, the next two nights were indeed as peaceful as Jiang Mi had said.

On the third day, the group successfully joined up with the other three groups.

In this era, traveling as a merchant was a matter of life and death. Over time, those who could travel the world as merchants were either large caravans with powerful military forces or smaller caravans like the Gao family’s, forming alliances to travel together. Once one caravan reached its destination, the others would then find companions to travel with.

With the addition of those three caravans, the journey became much smoother. One day, Shao Xiaozi excitedly pointed ahead to Jiang Mi and said, “Look, look! That’s Suzhou City!”

He leaned halfway out of his carriage, pointing to a canal in the distance, and added, “That’s the Grand Canal dug during the Sui Dynasty. Once we cross this canal, I will see my brother!”

Jiang Mi also craned her neck to look at the canal.

Looking at it, Jiang Mi asked curiously, “Is this canal always this bustling?”

Shao Xiaozi paused, then looked more closely.

After watching for a while, Shao Xiaozi called out to Steward Chang ahead, “Old Chang, Old Chang, why are there so many people up ahead?”

Steward Chang, frowning and craning his neck to look, replied without turning his head, “You will see when we get there.”

When the caravan arrived at the canal, Jiang Mi and the others received devastating news. The canal was closed. Furthermore, the East Gate of Hangzhou was closed, and no one was allowed to enter!

The Grand Canal handled countless passengers daily, and this sudden closure caused an immediate surge in traffic. The banks were instantly packed with boats and pedestrians. Because not only was the canal itself closed, but the Official Road was also blocked. Travelers from all over the country crowded onto this small stretch of water, turning the once desolate riverbank into a bustling marketplace.

Unable to move, the people on both sides of the canal grew increasingly restless. Steward Chang and the others went out to inquire, returning with even more gloomy faces.

At noon… Steward Chang approached Jiang Mi and Shao Xiaozi’s carriage and politely inquired, “Do you two young masters have any relatives in Suzhou?”

Jiang Mi shook her head, while Shao Xiaozi nodded repeatedly, exclaiming, “I’ve come to see my brother.”

Steward Chang was not really concerned with such matters. He sighed softly and said, “I’ve heard that the river will not be reopened anytime soon. We are thinking of selling our goods here cheaply. If you two have somewhere to go…”

He did not finish his sentence. But the meaning was clear: Steward Chang was essentially asking them to leave.

And indeed, the two of them had hitched a ride for so many days without paying a cent, and now that Hangzhou was almost within reach, it was time to part ways.

Immediately, Shao Xiaozi and Jiang Mi thanked him repeatedly, and after thanking the steward, they officially left the caravan.

After leaving the caravan, Shao Xiaozi was still full of energy, chattering away, “I wonder if my brother has arrived in Hangzhou yet? Oh, how happy he would be to see me suddenly appear before him!”

While he was still carefree, Jiang Mi was looking around. After a while, she pointed to a rock and said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s go over there.”

Shao Xiaozi glanced at it disdainfully and exclaimed, “Let’s look around a bit more!”

Jiang Mi shook her head. She said seriously, “Although the river’s blocked, boats are still coming from the other side. They cannot go any further after reaching this point, and the people on board will definitely disembark. This is the only clean place along the way. If we do not guard it soon, we will not even have a patch of grass to sleep on.”

Shao Xiaozi looked at Jiang Mi with surprise. He chuckled, “Did not expect you to be so capable.” The two boys then squatted down in front of the large rock.

Having found a place to stand, Jiang Mi kept her eyes fixed on the makeshift shops along the riverbank. After a while, Jiang Mi told Shao Xiaozi, “You stay here; I will go see if I can find some shelter from the wind and rain.” As she spoke, Jiang Mi touched the bracelet on her wrist.

This bracelet was one of the betrothal gifts Cui Zi Xuan had given her. Because of its jade-like white color with faint streaks of translucent blood, both elegant and beautiful, Jiang Mi liked it very much. Now, the coins stuck to her abdomen were naturally unusable; perhaps this bracelet could be exchanged for some food or tents.

Jiang Mi, her eyes fixed on the shops, became less focused as she walked. Suddenly, she tripped and fell heavily to the ground with a thud.

With a “plop,” a mouthful of blood spurted onto Jiang Mi’s face!

Jiang Mi quickly scrambled to her feet. She stared blankly at the young man she had bumped into. Seeing his pale face and blood still gushing from his mouth, Jiang Mi panicked.

She immediately knelt down, reaching out to pull open the young man’s clothes to take a look. Jiang Mi cried out urgently, “You, how did you get so badly injured?”

The young man was already half dead and unconscious on the ground, naturally unable to hear her scream.

Jiang Mi looked up at the tall, imposing young man, whose clothes appeared to be of fairly good quality. She thought to herself, “This man was already seriously injured, and my collision had only worsened his condition. If I do not do something soon, he will die.”

For Jiang Mi, taking the blame for a life was an absolute taboo. After a moment’s thought, she went to a makeshift pawnshop, took the bracelet off her wrist, and gritted her teeth, saying, “Pawn it!”

The middle-aged man behind the pawnshop raised his triangular eyes.

He glanced at the bracelet, and his eyes narrowed. Then, he lowered his head and said indifferently, “Ten catties of rice.”

“What?” Jiang Mi exclaimed urgently, “Look closely at this bracelet! It comes from the Han Dynasty palace, worn by Empress Zhao Feiyan. This bracelet’s worth at least two houses in Hangzhou!” In times of peace and prosperity, it would be priceless.

The middle-aged man raised his triangular eyes, sizing Jiang Mi up and down before sneering, “What you said is all correct, but the problem is, this thing’s only worth this much at this time!”

Seeing Jiang Mi reach for the bracelet and turn to leave, the man called after her, “Add another tent!”

Jiang Mi turned back and said earnestly, “Seven days’ worth of rice and rations, a place to shelter from the wind and rain, seven doses of medicine for treating injuries, as well as cooking pots, blankets, and a clay pot for boiling medicine.” As the man chuckled, Jiang Mi pointed outside and said, “You know the canal will not be closed for more than a few days, and someone who can produce a bracelet like this cannot be from an ordinary family. In other words, if you want to get the best deal without any future trouble, then trade according to my demands. After all, it’s just a matter of a few coins; there’s no need to go to extremes!”

At this moment, Jiang Mi was showing the results of two months of intensive training. When she calmly and deliberately pointed out the advantages, she already exuded the air of a scion of a wealthy family!

The middle-aged shopkeeper was startled.

He first squinted his triangular eyes, glancing reluctantly at the bracelet, then looked at the delicate-skinned Jiang Mi. After a while, the shopkeeper said, “Alright, we’ll do it your way!” Just as the young man said, even if everything went according to his demands, it would only cost a few hundred coins.

When Jiang Mi and the shopkeeper’s hired helper half carried, half dragged the injured young man onto an old sailboat and set up the cooking pots and stoves at the bow, Jiang Mi hurriedly ran towards where Shao Xiaozi was.

However, when Jiang Mi arrived, panting, several strangers had replaced him behind the rock.

Seeing Jiang Mi, who was sweating profusely, a middle-aged man said, “Young man, is your surname Xu? A young man surnamed Shao left a message earlier. He said he met a fellow villager and has already gone with him to find his brother. He told you to take good care of yourself.”

So Shao Xiaozi had already found his family?

Jiang Mi returned to the old boat listlessly and picked up an earthenware pot to brew medicine.

Half an hour later, the medicine was ready, and Jiang Mi carried it towards the cabin.

Just as she entered the cabin, Jiang Mi heard a cough. As she knelt before the young man, she met a pair of eyes that slowly opened.

The man’s gaze was sharp, with a hint of authority. Jiang Mi was taken aback at first, then said softly, “You’re awake? Drink your medicine; it will heal your injuries.”

Seeing the young man staring at her, Jiang Mi explained, “I did not know you were unconscious on the ground, and I accidentally bumped into you. Seeing you were vomiting blood, I helped you here.” As she spoke, Jiang Mi blew on the medicine to cool it down and casually asked, “What’s your surname, sir?”

It must be said that Jiang Mi exuded a gentleness from the inside out. The young man withdrew his wary gaze and said politely, “Thank you for your trouble, young brother. My surname is Zhao.”