Chapter 20: Frost in the Courtyard (I)
Cai Chunxu went to pay her respects to her parents-in-law early in the morning. When she came back, she heard a maid's words and immediately rushed to the living room on the west side. As soon as she entered the door, she saw the girl bending down to pack her books and clothes.
"Sister Xi," Cai Chunxu held her hands, "If there's anything wrong with our place, just tell me. Why are you leaving?"
As soon as Ni Su saw her, she smiled. She pulled Cai Chunxu to sit down at the table and poured her a cup of tea. "Sister Cai has always been very kind to me."
"Then why are you leaving if you are fine?"
Cai Chunxu took the teacup but didn't bother to drink it. "But do you still remember what happened at Yanhui Cottage?"
Ni Su shook her head, "It's not me who has kept it in mind, but what Madam Sun said yesterday, I'm afraid the other ladies in your poetry club have kept it in mind."
"What's the big deal? I started a poetry club with them to write poems and have an elegant atmosphere. If they mind, what's the big deal if I don't go?"
Cai Chunxu pulled her to sit in front of him, "Sister Axi, before my grandfather became the governor of Zezhou, he was a military supervisor in the north. I also spent two years with him when I was young. In the military camp, life-saving doctors were highly respected by the soldiers. But now in the inner house, it has become a crime just because of your identity as a woman."
"But it's not their fault. When we women get married, our husband's family is the sky above our heads. I married into the Taiwei Mansion, and fortunately my parents-in-law didn't have so many red tape and restrictions. But their husband's families are different. If you ask them, do you know the reason? Do you know what the six-mother-in-law is? They may not understand, but if their husband's family thinks it's inappropriate, they can only think it's inappropriate."
Ni Su smiled when she heard this, " Sister Cai is so thoughtful, no wonder the ladies in Ruqing Poetry Society like you so much."
"Don't you have a delicate heart?"
Cai Chunxu also laughed and said angrily, "How do you know that they all like me?"
"Yesterday at Yanhui Cottage, when I arrived at the porch, I saw that my sister was surrounded by ladies. Even the older ladies sitting there spoke to my sister in a friendly manner. Even if Madam Sun minded that you brought me to the poetry club, I think it would be difficult for her to get on bad terms with you."
"Sister is the one with a clear and delicate heart. You can understand them, and you are willing to understand me," Ni Su held her hand. "Compared to me, sister has a deeper affection for them. It's just that in this matter, you are different from them. You don't want to look down on me, and because of the old affection between our two families, you are biased towards me. But if you don't go to the poetry club, how many opportunities will you have to socialize with them in the future?"
Cai Chunxu was stunned after hearing these words.
Just as Ni Su said, she left her hometown and married to Yunjing, and she did not get along with her eldest sister-in-law in the mansion. The only people she could talk to were the sisters in Ruqing Poetry Society.
Only then did she realize that Ni Su wanted to leave the Taiwei Mansion not only because of her, but also because of those ladies who were on good terms with her in the poetry club.
If she still keeps Ni Su in the mansion, how will those ladies interact with her?
"Sister Axi..."
Cai Chunxu actually wanted to keep her, but she didn't know how to say it. "In fact, I like you very much. You are such a weak little girl, but you are willing to be tortured in Guangning Mansion for your brother, and you are not afraid even in a place like the Night Palace. I think you are good from the bottom of my heart."
"I think Sister Cai is very nice, too."
Ni Su said with a smile.
Yesterday, before Ni Su went to meet the scholar He Zhongping, he asked his agent to help him find a house. Ni Su did not have much luggage with him, and had planned to go and take a look after saying goodbye to Cai Chunxu today, but Cai Chunxu insisted that he had an empty house or shop on Nanhuai Street.
Ni Su originally wanted to decline, but when she heard Nanhuai Street, she was attracted to it again.
Almost all the drug stores and clinics in Yunjing are located on Nanhuai Street.
Cai Chunxu didn't want Ni Su's money at first, but couldn't resist Ni Su's insistence, so he had to accept it. He also asked Yu Wen to bring some servants from the Taiwei Mansion to help clean the house and buy utensils.
Ni Su was busy for most of the day and had the house in good shape. She even bought some fresh medicinal herbs and placed them in a bamboo sieve in the yard, exposing them to the still hot sun in early autumn.
The yard was filled with the aroma of medicine. Only when Ni Su smelled this scent did she feel a little at ease in a place like Yunjing.
It was almost dusk when the official from the Night Watch Department who had been secretly guarding outside suddenly knocked on the door. Ni Su didn't care about anything else and hurried to the Diqian Gate.
Zhou Ting was originally the commander of the Jihuo Camp of the Yeye Division. Two days ago, he was promoted to the rank of deputy lieutenant of the seventh grade. Now he had changed into an official uniform. When he went out of the door, he looked up and saw the girl in the pearly white dress.
"Miss Ni, this morning a Fengmi official from the winter examination came to my night office and explained some things." Zhou Ting walked forward with one hand on the hilt of the knife.
He only said that he was Feng Mi Guan, but did not say his name.
"What's up?"
Ni Su asked knowingly.
"Your brother's test paper was replaced."
"Who did he change it to? Master Xiao Zhou, have you found out?"
Ni Su couldn't sleep last night and has been waiting for news from the Night Bureau all day today. Since Jin Xiangshi has already arrived at the Night Bureau to explain things, the Night Bureau only needs to ask Jin Xiangshi about the article. Even if it's just a few sentences, the answer can be found in the papers of the tribute students who passed the winter examination.
Zhou Ting shook his head. "With the Feng Mi official as a witness today, Han Shizun personally checked the examination papers of the Imperial Academy, but did not find that article."
No?
Ni Su found it difficult to accept this fact. "If stealing the test paper is not for fame, why bother..."
"Envoy Han thinks so too."
Zhou Ting continued, "This winter exam was originally specially set up by the government to select talents for the new policy. The government originally intended to directly select the top three candidates after the winter exam, without the need for the palace exam. But later, the Censorate and the Imperial Censorate thought that retaining the palace exam would also allow them to test the talents again, so that they could select truly useful people. After several rounds of admonitions, the government changed its mind just as the winter exam was about to end."
"The murderer knew that it would be very difficult for him to cheat in the imperial examination again. In order to prevent future troubles, he lost the examination papers of him, my brother, and others... He even wanted to kill my brother."
Ni Su lowered her eyes, "So, the murderer is not the student who passed the winter exam, but the one who failed."
Zhou Ting did not refute, but only reminded: "Miss Ni, Han Shizun allowed me to tell you this, firstly because he sympathizes with your love for your loved ones, and secondly, he asks you not to rashly go to Dengwenyuan to beat the Dengwen drum."
"Why?"
"Although the testimony of Feng Miguan seems to be useful, he seems a little strange. He was trembling with fear when he came. Han Shizun asked him why he spoke only now. He said that he saw a ghost couple last night and remembered those things." Zhou Ting didn't know how to describe it to her. Suddenly, she remembered the reason why she was sent to Guangning Mansion to be punished with a stick. It seemed... she was also strange.
"The emperor is very busy, and if the Night Office does not have any concrete clues, it would be inappropriate to report to the emperor at this time. Your injuries are not healed yet. If you go to Dengwenyuan to be tortured again, I am afraid your life will be in danger."
Zhou Ting looked at her pale face and said, "Don't worry, this matter can still be investigated."
"Thank you, Master Xiao Zhou."
Ni Su was a little dazed.
"I called you here today for another matter."
Zhou Ting added, "Several coroners in our department have examined your brother's body. I didn't tell you before because it's a rule in our department. Now that the suspicious points on the body have been checked, you can take your brother's body back and bury him in peace."
"So, what did the test reveal?"
Ni Su raised her eyes and stared at him.
"Although your brother had several new and old injuries, none of them were fatal. The only thing was that he had not eaten or drunk anything before his death." Zhou Ting couldn't help but lower his voice when she stared at him like that.
No water or rice was consumed.
Ni Su was almost stabbed by these words, and her head ached. After a long while, she trembled and said, "He... starved to death?"
Zhou Ting was silent.
The sun was blazing in the early autumn, but Ni Su felt chilled to the bone. She didn't care about the looks from people around her, and like a wandering soul, she waited for Zhou Ting and his men to help her carry out her brother's body, and then burned it in a fire on the quiet and deserted riverside outside the city.
The raging fire devoured her brother's body. She watched from the side and finally couldn't help crying.
"Master Xiao Zhou, go and comfort him quickly..."
Several close officials who followed Zhou Ting looked at the girl crying not far away and spoke to Zhou Ting in a low voice.
Zhou Ting looked at Ni Su, his resolute jaw tightened for a moment, "How can I comfort someone?"
Several of the imperial guards hurriedly searched in their arms and sleeves. A young imperial guard scratched his head and said, "We are not women, and we don't have handkerchiefs. We can't use the handkerchiefs on our bodies to wipe her tears, can we?"
What hand towel? Zhou Ting glanced at them, not wanting to listen to what they had to say . He just looked at the woman, his calm expression slightly disturbed by her grief. He walked to her side, his tall figure blocking the glaring sun. "Miss Ni, I, the Night Division, will not let this matter go, and we will continue to send people to protect you."
Ni Su covered her face with her hands, tears falling from between her fingers.
The mountain breeze blew through the long forest, and the branches and leaves rustled.
In the dense shade dotted with tiny spots of light, Xu Hexue quietly watched the deputy lieutenant of the Night Watch Division clumsily comforting the girl kneeling on the ground.
From dusk to night, Xu Hexue lit a lantern with her own hands despite her grief. She held an urn in her arms and moved forward with her legs like a puppet.
That ball of white, furry light was always following her, but Zhou Ting and others, who were following her a few steps away and keeping a distance from Ni Su, could not see that there was a lonely soul standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
"You guys stay on duty tonight, and someone else will take over at dawn."
When they arrived at the shop on Nanhuai Street, Zhou Ting watched Ni Su walk in, then turned around and spoke to several of his close officials.
"yes."
Several people nodded and went to find a hidden place.
The house, which had just been cleaned today, was brightly lit by Ni Su. She placed the urn on an incense table with two black lacquered tablets on it.
She carved her name on them and painted them with gold with her own hands while sitting under the eaves today.
After lighting incense and candles, Ni Su knelt in front of the table.
Suddenly someone walked up to her side, his footsteps were very light. Ni Su lowered her eyes and saw his shadow like a pale moon and his sleeves.
Ni Su raised her head and moved her gaze upwards, looking up at his face.
Xu Hexue squatted down, put the lantern in her hand aside, unfolded the oil paper bag, took out a piece of hot sugar cake from it, and handed it to her.
Whatever he does is good looking.
Even when lighting a lamp or opening an oil-paper bag, his posture was so good.
"Won't you feel any pain if you buy this?"
Ni Su finally spoke, her voice was very hoarse after crying so hard.
She knew that he must have bought it from the night market a few blocks away. He must have used some magic, otherwise the cake would not be so hot.
Xu Hexue didn't answer whether it hurt or not, she just said, "You only had one meal today."
In the long and lonely night, candle flames flicker.
Ni Su had no appetite, but she still took the cake and took a bite.
Seeing Xu Hexue's eyes fall on the book on the table, she said, "Although my brother only treated one woman from beginning to end, he consulted many nuns, consulted many medicine nuns, and studied many medical books. On the day when he was forced by my father to give up practicing medicine, he told me that he would write down all the women's illnesses he knew and teach me medical skills. When I grow up, I will use my experience to teach him after I have seen those women's illnesses."
That was originally the medical book for women that Ni Su wanted to complete with her brother.
"If he could practice medicine, he wouldn't have gone to Yunjing to take the imperial examination."
Ni Su held half a piece of cake, her eyes moist again, "This was not his ambition, but he died because of it."
Under the candlelight, Xu Hexue saw tears falling from her eyes one by one.
"Ni Su, although the Night Bureau cannot take any further steps in your brother's case, there is one person who will definitely find another way. Even if you don't file a complaint with the Emperor at the Dengwen Court, you can still file a complaint in the court."
He said.
"who?"
"The prime minister of the dynasty, Meng Yunxian."
Xu Hexue held the oil-paper bag and said to her, "The Night Office does not have the authority to directly arrest and torture people, but Jiang Xianming, the Chief Censor of the Censorate, can report things based on hearsay. Mr. Meng may start with this person."
It was a clear night with bright moonlight. The cake in Ni Su's hand was still warm. She looked at the young man squatting in front of her through tearful eyes.
He was also an official during his lifetime.
Ni Su could almost imagine him wearing an official uniform and a long-winged hat, young and elegant, perhaps full of vigor and vitality, and on the rise. But all that came to an abrupt end when he was nineteen years old.
Just like her brother's life, it ended without warning in this year.
"Xu Ziling."
Ni Su's eyelids moved slightly, and she suddenly said:
"If you were still alive, you would definitely be a good official."
