After finishing the evening meal and watching Yunchan Wei walk ahead with Jinshu Fu following leisurely behind them as they left together, Madam Wen tugged at Yizhi Wei’s sleeve, “Lord Husband, Xiqin’s health now looks much healthier. In a few more days, shall we consider having him look for a few young ladies to interact with?”
Yizhi Wei had gone to observe Yunchan Wei practicing martial arts today, and his endurance had indeed improved quite a bit, while his complexion also looked much better.
However, he held high expectations for Yunchan Wei and did not want him to be bogged down by romantic entanglements just yet. He hugged Madam Wen’s shoulder and vaguely said, “This matter is not urgent yet.” Then he asked Madam Wen, “How did Jinshu return? Have you asked about this matter?”
Madam Wen had already asked about this at noon, but Jinshu could not speak aloud, so he only shook his head and wrote on a paper: [I don’t remember, I woke up by a shallow stream].
Yet, the lake at the Wei residence was not connected to running water at all. After falling in, how could he inexplicably end up outside the estate?
However, no answer could clearly be obtained from Jinshu Fu, and Madam Wen was afraid of stirring up bad memories for him, so she did not ask any further.
Madam Wen’s side was easy to handle, and Yunchan Wei should not have been so easy to fool either. Yet, that night Yunchan Wei did not inquire about a single word, and Jinshu Fu did not know what he was up to. Since he did not ask, Jinshu Fu actually saved himself the trouble of brainstorming an excuse.
The birthday disturbance was thus muddled through and brushed aside.
Without the curse of deathly gloom, Yunchan Wei’s entire state was visibly improving by leaps and bounds. For Yunchan Wei himself and the Wei couple, they were thoroughly satisfied.
After all, going from being bedridden every day to now being able to practice martial arts and swordplay was something the former Yunchan Wei had never dared to wish for.
Yet, Jinshu Fu did not think so.
Now that Shuangniang no longer had the help of the White-Eyed Taoist Priest, she could not stir up any major waves within the mansion either. Jinshu Fu figured he would wait a few more days, find an excuse to leave the estate for a few days, take Tailor Gao to guide the way to the Ghost Realm, retrieve the Yellow Springs Water, and wash the marrow and cleanse the meridians for Yunchan Wei, thereby removing the injuries he was born with.
As for why Qiuli was also a ghost yet he had to go the long way around to find Tailor Gao instead, it was because Qiuli had died with a grievance within the Wei residence, making her similar to a earthbound spirit who had not yet been to a place like the Ghost Realm and simply could not find the way.
A few days later, using the excuse of wanting to visit his family, Jinshu Fu boarded the Wei family carriage and left the estate. Before leaving, Yunchan Wei repeatedly asked, “Why won’t you let me accompany you back?”
According to Yunliang customs, a newlywed bride should return to her maiden home with her husband during the first month of marriage. However, at that time, Yunchan Wei’s body was frail, and the freezing winter weather was unsuitable for going out. Coupled with their hasty marriage where the priority was blessing-in-disguise to save a life, this matter had never been brought up.
Now, Jinshu Fu had been married into the Wei family for a full five months, and wanting to home was quite normal. However, Yunchan Wei said he wanted to accompany him back, which Yunchan Wei viewed as a matter of etiquette, yet Jinshu Fu repeatedly refused.
[Inconvenient] wrote Jinshu Fu on his palm.
This excuse was far too perfunctory, and Yunchan Wei’s remaining bit of good temper was completely exhausted, so he simply flicked his sleeves and left, without even mentioning a goodbye.
An ungrateful little chubby lump.
After leaving the estate and traveling halfway, the coachman felt a strong urge to relieve himself, so he asked Jinshu Fu for permission, stopped the carriage, and went into the woods to take care of it. When he returned, however, he was immobilized by Jinshu Fu using a slumber talisman and hauled into the carriage. Placing an invisibility talisman inside the carriage as well, Jinshu Fu clapped his hands and turned back toward Yunliang City.
Tailor Gao brought him along to lie down inside the coffin in his room. The coffin was spacious, and lying down two people was more than enough.
“My Lord, hold your breath. I will force out the ghost qi, and only then can we enter the Ghost Realm.”
Ghost qi was extremely yin and extremely cold. Jinshu Fu followed his instructions, and just as his physical body was about to be unable to breathe and became entangled by ghost qi, a flash of green light appeared before his eyes, followed by a series of summoning bells ringing chimingly, and his nose seemed to smell the scent of burning incense and joss paper.
“My Lord, open your eyes. We have arrived in the Ghost Realm.”
Jinshu Fu had said he was going home to visit his family for three days. Now that the curse of deathly gloom had been removed, Yunchan Wei actually no longer felt the sensation of cold air entering his body when sleeping. But that night, lying on the bed and instinctively reaching out an arm to scoop, when he grasped only empty air, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it and tossed and turned for quite a while before finally managing to fall asleep.
Early the next morning, Yunchan Wei got up to review the statecraft theories taught by his tutor the day before. He had read halfway through the book when a page entered to report, “Young Master, Young Master Lin has come to find you.”
Wasn’t this fellow Jinzhou Lin supposed to be training at his father’s military camp? How long had it been, why was he back again? Yunchan Wei put down the book and went to the front hall.
The sun was growing hotter day by day, and Jinzhou Lin was obviously a few shades darker, looking somewhat like a lump of coal. If he weren’t blessed with the handsome features of sharp eyebrows and bright starry eyes, Yunchan Wei would have found him an eyesore.
“Why are you back? It hasn’t even been half a month since you left.”
Jinzhou Lin flashed a toothy grin, “I accidentally fell off a horse the day before yesterday, and my dad showed mercy, letting me come back to recuperate for a few days.”
Seeing him move freely without the slightest appearance of injury, Yunchan Wei unenthusiastically exposed him, “You’re acting unconvincingly.”
Looking across the six cities, Jinzhou Lin’s father, Lin Xiang, was a renowned and formidable fierce general who had followed Yizhi Wei in conquering all directions, with every single soldier under his command being exceptionally fierce. They all said a fierce tiger father has no dog sons. Jinzhou Lin had been a martial arts prodigy since childhood and was specifically handpicked by Yizhi Wei to be cultivated as a trusted aide and bodyguard by Yunchan Wei’s side.
The two were of a similar age, and Yunchan Wei used to envy Jinzhou Lin very much. Although Jinzhou Lin was simple-minded, he possessed a solid and robust physique.
That was something he could only hope for and never attain since childhood.
Jinzhou Lin walked over cheerfully to Yunchan Wei’s side and leaned in to whisper to him, “Mainly because I’m longing for a certain young lady. I heard today is the day those new debutantes light the grand candles, and I really don’t want the young lady I adore to be defiled by others. I specifically prepared to go redeem her today.”
Yunchan Wei looked at him, “Lighting grand candles and redeeming someone? Which family’s young lady have your eyes set on?”
Jinzhou Lin sheepishly rubbed his nose, “The Rouge Tower.”
The Rouge Tower did not sell cosmetics for women to apply, but rather the largest brothel house in Yunliang.
Lighting the grand candles meant that those unplucked prostitutes would have their first night bought, with the highest bidder winning. Yet Jinzhou Lin said he was going to redeem her, which meant he intended to bring her back to the Lin family.
“As a concubine?” Yunchan Wei asked.
” No,” Jinzhou Lin hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, “I want to marry her as my legal wife.”
Yunchan Wei felt he might have truly suffered a fall, a fall to his brain.
As the legitimate son of a dignified general, wanting to marry a courtesan as his legal wife was something Yunchan Wei had nothing much to say about, but the Lin family would absolutely never agree to it.
After all, letting a prostitute become a concubine was already a supreme blessing, and ordinary families would only take her into the mansion as a bedchamber maidservant.
Yunchan Wei reminded him, “There is a distinction between the noble and the humble.”
Jinzhou Lin said with dissatisfaction, “But didn’t the Young Madam, a rural country boy, also become the Young Master’s legal wife? Besides, Yunxiang has a body of purity. If I redeem her body today, she will no longer be of humble status. What is wrong with that?”
Just as his voice fell, meeting Yunchan Wei’s cold gaze, Jinzhou Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly knelt down, “May the Young Master calm your anger! This subordinate is clumsy with words and did not intentionally offend the Young Master!”
Yunchan Wei stood up from his chair, his voice carrying natural authority, “You did not offend me, but my wife. When the Young Madam returns, you will go and kowtow in apology to him yourself.”
How would Jinzhou Lin dare to disobey? “Yes!”
“Get up,” Yunchan Wei strode outward, “Take me to see what kind of beauty has infatuated you into such a foolish state.”
Today’s Rouge Tower was indeed exceptionally lively.
This was only the second time Yunchan Wei had come to such a place of pleasure, and the first time was also with Jinzhou Lin. At that time, they were fourteen or fifteen years old, right at the age of enlightenment and curiosity regarding matters of romantic love.
Only, Yunchan Wei was plagued by illness back then and had no interest in these matters whatsoever; the only curious one was Jinzhou Lin. He had been dragged along to serve as a “get-out-of-jail-free card,” as General Lin Xiang disciplined Jinzhou Lin very strictly and did not allow him to touch female company prematurely. If caught, Jinzhou Lin could easily brush it off by claiming he was accompanying Yunchan Wei.
Yunchan Wei had thoroughly disliked the Rouge Tower upon his very first visit, vulgar cosmetic powders with a scent so thick it tasted bitter.
Now visiting for the second time, his impression remained unchanged.
The madam naturally recognized Yunchan Wei and knew that the women of her establishment could not catch his eye, so she tactfully found him the best seat, only letting a maid serve him tea without disturbing his peace.
Soon, the entire Rouge Tower was packed to capacity. A bronze gong sounded, and a male servant shouted loudly, “Light the candles and meet the patrons!”
Jinzhou Lin gazed longingly at the stage. As the servant finished shouting, the pink gauze curtains on the stage slowly rose, and the people below whispered and pointed, with the clamorous noise unending.
Yunchan Wei sat upright, looking the most composed. He blew on the hot tea in his hand, his gaze sweeping lazily across the few people who had already revealed their full appearances on the stage.
The first few women were barely passable enough to catch Yunchan Wei’s eye, but he lacked interest and did not intend to keep looking. Yet the next moment, his tea-drinking motion paused.
The very last one turned out not to be a woman, but a young man around seventeen or eighteen years of age.
Between his eyebrows was also a red mole similar to Jinshu Fu’s.