The two of them sat bolt upright inside the modest, blue-cloth carriage.
The carriage was cramped, and sitting directly opposite one another meant their knees brushed constantly. As they bumped along over the uneven road, the unsteady wheels caused the carriage to rock back and forth, making their knees rub together repeatedly.
Luo Tang shifted sideways, but another jolt of the carriage shoved her right back into place. She opened her mouth to complain, what kind of wretched carriage is this? when another violent bump heaved her entire body backward.
By contrast, Zhe Qing remained remarkably composed, reaching out a steady hand to catch Luo Tang.
Luo Tang nearly tumbled straight into her arms. As Zhe Qing supported her, her hand brushed lightly across Luo Tang’s waistline. Catching the familiar fragrance lingering around the other woman once more, Luo Tang instinctively scrambled back to her original spot and sat upright with practiced speed.
The complaints she had been ready to hurl vanished instantly down her throat.
Zhe Qing withdrew her hand.
Neither of them spoke.
Flushed with embarrassment, Luo Tang could feel the heat burning all the way up to the tips of her ears protruding from her dark locks. Unaware of the internal turmoil churning within the younger girl, Zhe Qing raised her head to offer an explanation regarding the carriage, only to catch sight of those brightly flushed little ears, which struck her as inexplicably endearing.
Luo Tang was not someone of a reserved, reticent disposition; on the contrary, her personality was bold, expressive, and fiercely opposed to suffering any losses. Yet her current silence and shyness lent her the unexpected, budding cuteness of a young maiden.
After pondering for a moment, Zhe Qing decided to speak up anyway: “This carriage is rather dilapidated. When we head back, I’ll have the tavern arrange a proper ride to take you home.”
The mention of the tavern instantly rekindled Luo Tang’s business enthusiasm, prompting her to chime in, “I want to start a business, too.”
Noticing the clear, limpid brilliance in her eyes and the delicate pink of her skin, Zhe Qing was reminded of her youthful, blossoming age.
She was only fifteen or sixteen, right in the prime of her youth. Far too young.
That single thought gave Zhe Qing a fleeting sense of growing old by comparison. A wave of affectionate indulgence toward a junior welled up within her as she asked seriously, “What kind of business do you want to start?”
“I’m skilled at copying calligraphy and paintings. I can produce replicas so flawless they look indistinguishable from the real thing,” Luo Tang replied, her face flushed with excitement. Her forgery skills were top-notch.
Faking the brushwork of pre-dynastic literary masters was absolute child’s play for her.
“Are you truly a divine swindler in your past life?” Zhe Qing found it utterly baffling that her chosen career path involved making a living through deception.
Luo Tang swiftly corrected her: “It’s not deception, it’s artistic imitation. Buyers who can’t afford genuine masterpieces come to purchase high-quality replicas instead, you understand, right? Having them displayed at home gives people a sense of prestige. Can you really call that deception? True deception implies the buyer is kept in the dark, whereas here, the client is fully aware they are purchasing a replica.”
Nodding slowly as though registering a novel concept, Zhe Qing remarked, “If you truly intend to run such a business, you ought to hang a sign at your entrance declaring that all items are imitations.”
Luo Tang rolled her eyes. “You are far too rigid and pedantic. Have you never heard the saying ‘water that is too clear has no fish’?”
Zhe Qing countered, “Better to be a jade shattered than a tile intact.”
Luo Tang swallowed hard, the lingering romantic tension evaporating entirely. She couldn’t resist jabbing at Zhe Qing: “You refuse to marry, is it perhaps because you’re afraid of dragging someone down with you?”
Zhe Qing: “…”
Circling back around, the conversation had landed right back where it started.
The carriage ground to a halt right in front of a modest teahouse. Luo Tang stepped down first, casting an appraising glance at its location, situated dead in the middle of a bustling commercial street, guaranteeing a thriving customer flow.
As she stepped down, she instinctively extended a hand to assist Zhe Qing.
Staring at the offered hand, Zhe Qing acted on pure impulse and placed her own palm within it.
A peculiar déjà vu struck them both. Luo Tang wrapped her fingers around the back of Zhe Qing’s hand, her thumb brushing lightly across the knuckles, and once the other woman touched down safely, she let go with practiced naturalness.
The entire maneuver was executed with absolute familiarity.
The gesture instantly reminded Zhe Qing of Xiao Sese back at the Xiao estate. Does she routinely help Xiao Sese get in and out of carriages like this?
Luo Tang remained completely oblivious to the other woman’s train of thought. In her past life, she had spent countless hours assisting the Emperor in and out of carriages; given that Zhe Qing’s imposing presence and authoritative aura were easily a match for any sovereign, muscle memory had simply taken over when she spotted the teahouse and slipped into autopilot.
Only after pulling her hand back did it dawn on her what she had just done. Leaning in conspiratorially close to Zhe Qing, she whispered, “Tell me the truth—is this teahouse yours as well?”
Zhe Qing: “…”
“Little divine diviner, how on earth did you manage to figure that out?”
Luo Tang grinned. “Just a guess, with zero concrete evidence. It was purely a gut feeling.”
Zhe Qing warned, “Being overly clever without possessing political backing makes one an easy target for elimination.”
Startled, Luo Tang instinctively clutched her neck, though she was far too resilient to stay frightened for long. Recovering her composure instantly, she flashed a triumphant, smug grin. “Aren’t you eager to possess a clever person like me?”
Zhe Qing certainly kept an extensive retinue of political strategists and assistants, yet she had to admit that Luo Tang’s sharpness far surpassed them all.
Moreover, Luo Tang possessed acute sensitivity and formidable observational skills, qualities that set her far apart from ordinary peers.
As Zhe Qing glanced sideways at her, a sudden dark shadow plunged from the sky directly above them, causing her to instinctively grab the maiden and yank her out of the path of danger.
There was no time to step aside; tumbling to the ground was their only option.
Zhe Qing hit the pavement with a sharp wince, her face draining of color, while Luo Tang landed safely on top of her, completely unscathed. Feeling as though she had crashed against a soft cushion, she heard a muffled groan escape the other woman’s lips.
“Someone fell from above…”
“Someone’s dead…”
“How could someone just fall down like that…”
Scrambling hurriedly to her feet, Luo Tang pushed aside all other thoughts and reached down to haul Zhe Qing up. Supporting her weight, Zhe Qing used the momentum to stand, only for a wave of dull agony to shoot straight through her ankle.
She had sprained her ankle.
Remaining tight-lipped through the pain, her hair disheveled, Zhe Qing found herself drawing a wave of sudden, unbidden heartache from Luo Tang—though this certainly wasn’t the time for emotional sentiment.
Sprawled right before them lay a human body, its skull crushed open in a gruesome pool of fresh blood.
Luo Tang was hardly squeamish; having spent a lifetime navigating high-stakes politics, she had witnessed far worse sights, including ghosts at midnight, let alone a fresh corpse.
Nevertheless, keeping her arm firmly locked around Zhe Qing’s waist to support her, she muttered apologetically, “Pardon the intrusion, I’m going to support you.”
Though uttering words of courtesy, her palm pressed firmly against Zhe Qing’s waistline while her eyes flicked toward the gruesome scene on the ground.
Pale-faced and enduring the throbbing pain in her ankle, Zhe Qing gripped Luo Tang’s arm for balance, squinting down at the body. “Do you recognize her?”
Luo Tang shook her head. “Never seen her before.”
It was a young woman, her long hair streaming loose. In this era, married women pinned their hair up into complex coiffeurs, whereas unmarried maidens wore their hair unbound.
Clearly, she was an unmarried young woman.
Unable to support her own weight, Zhe Qing gripped Luo Tang’s arm tightly, beads of cold sweat breaking out across her forehead under the glaring sunlight.
Her gaze shifted upward toward the teahouse. The building stood three stories tall; falling from the second floor wouldn’t have resulted in such catastrophic trauma, meaning the victim had most likely been hurled from the third floor.
Yet every single window on the third floor remained tightly shut.
Zhe Qing instructed, “Let’s wait a moment.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than someone pushed through the surrounding crowd, stepping forward to flip the victim’s body over.
The facial features were entirely crushed beyond recognition.
A single glance at the corpse caused Zhe Qing’s expression to darken further. Catching the subtle shift in her demeanor, Luo Tang asked, “Who is she?”
“Let’s get out of here first,” Zhe Qing replied.
Luo Tang looked toward the carriage, but the street in front of the tavern was completely blocked off by throngs of curious onlookers, making it impossible for a vehicle to squeeze through.
She offered, “I’ll carry you on my back.”
Zhe Qing instinctively wanted to refuse, but the young maiden had already crouched down directly in front of her. Though slender, she possessed broad, sturdy shoulders.
“Why aren’t you climbing on? I can easily carry you,” Luo Tang urged. “Stop being so formal and reserved. We’ve already been through fire together once.”
The closing remark brought a blush rushing straight to Zhe Qing’s cheeks, leaving her with no choice but to reach out and drape herself across Luo Tang’s back.
Luo Tang hoisted her up effortlessly. The sheer mass of onlookers blocked every viable exit route.
“Do you know of any nearby apothecary?” Luo Tang asked, completely unfamiliar with the neighborhood and entirely reliant on Zhe Qing for directions.
The curious spectators had packed the teahouse into a dense, suffocating perimeter. Those on the outside desperately craned their necks to see what was happening, while those on the inside caught sight of the corpse and panicked, shoving frantically to escape.
Jostled repeatedly by the chaotic crowd, Luo Tang came to a sudden halt. Reaching down to unlatch the money pouch hanging from Zhe Qing’s belt, she grabbed a handful of copper coins and hurled them forcefully in the exact opposite direction.
As coins rained down like hail, the crowd stampeded backward in a mad scramble to grab the money, creating a clear pathway for Luo Tang to break free. However, the carriage remained hopelessly trapped deep within the throng.
She announced, “Let’s find an apothecary first.”
“Head east; there is a private residential courtyard nearby where we can rest,” Zhe Qing directed.
Following Zhe Qing’s precise guidance, Luo Tang pressed forward. As she carried her burden, Zhe Qing became acutely aware of the fine, delicate fuzz brushing against the skin of her neck, accompanied by the warmth of the maiden’s steady breathing.
The young maiden was breathtakingly resilient, combining a sharp, cunning exterior with an irresistible gravity that quietly lured one deeper into her vortex.
With one final push, Luo Tang reached the secluded courtyard designated by Zhe Qing and battered heavily against the wooden gate until an elderly matron peeked outside.
Catching sight of Zhe Qing, the matron let out an exclamation of alarm and hurried forward to assist her.
Zhe Qing’s injured ankle could not bear an ounce of weight; the moment her foot touched the ground, a piercing bolt of agony shot through her leg. Frowning in distress, the matron scolded, “Young lady, hurry up and carry her inside!”
Luo Tang protested indignantly, “I’ve carried her all this way, my legs are about to give out!”
Having expended her reserves of physical stamina, she simply had no strength left to carry her further.
Glancing at her, the matron coaxed flatteringly, “If you carry her inside, I’ll cook some delicious meat dishes for you.”
Luo Tang shook her head firmly. “I don’t eat meat.”
Turning back to Zhe Qing, the matron complained, “I certainly can’t carry you myself.”
Zhe Qing offered a helpless, bitter smile, turning her gaze toward Luo Tang. Meeting that clear, tranquil, crystal-clean stare, Luo Tang sighed in resignation. “Fine, I’ll carry you.”
Beaming with satisfaction, the matron chimed in, “You’re such a kind-hearted young girl! Which household do you belong to?”
Luo Tang gritted her teeth, hoisted Zhe Qing back onto her back, and shuffled step by step across the threshold, her legs trembling from pure exhaustion. Zhe Qing murmured into her ear, “She is the maternal niece of the Grand Commandant.”
“What?” The matron’s welcoming smile vanished in an instant.
Carrying her inside, Luo Tang deposited Zhe Qing gently onto a chair. At that exact moment, a figure emerged from the inner rooms.
Clad in simple cyan robes with her long hair unbound, the woman appeared roughly the same age as Lin Huaijin.
Rising to her feet, Zhe Qing winced slightly from the pain in her ankle, yet still offered a respectful bow. “Teacher Gu.”
Bearing the surname Gu, she belonged to the exact same Gu clan as Luo Tang’s past-life lineage. Unable to resist stealing a curious glance, Luo Tang hastily mirrored Zhe Qing and offered a formal greeting: “Teacher Gu.”
“I have never laid eyes on you before. Which household do you hail from?” Gu Siwai asked with an amused smile.
The matron standing nearby piped up, “The Grand Commandant’s niece.”
Gu Siwai froze in place for a fraction of a second. Shifting her gaze to Zhe Qing, she remarked, “You never bring young girls around to visit. What’s the occasion today?”
A bitter, rueful smile touching her lips, Zhe Qing looked exceptionally pale, like a sheet of white paper. She explained, “This is merely a friend of mine. I happened to sprain my ankle nearby, and knowing your residence was close by, I came to impose upon you.”
“Very well. Miss Luo, step outside for a moment while I examine her injuries,” Gu Siwai said with a gentle smile toward the maiden. “You bear a striking resemblance to your mother.”
Puzzled, Luo Tang realized this woman was also unmarried. Yet unlike Lin Huaijin, whose oppressive presence felt like a constant threat, Gu Siwai’s smile carried a profound, world-weary air of universal compassion.
The women of this era were truly a baffling bunch.
Escorted outside by the matron, Luo Tang was seated upon a stool along the veranda, where the matron promptly produced a small box of pastries for her to nibble on.
“How on earth did you and Prime Minister Zhe cross paths?” The matron looked the maiden up and down, noting her simple yet luxurious attire and her exceptionally striking facial features.
Even so, since she had been brought back here, the matron felt it necessary to cross-examine her.
Exhausted to the point where she had zero appetite, Luo Tang bypassed the pastries and recounted the events of that fateful night in detail.
The matron stopped chewing mid-bite, staring at her in sheer disbelief. “You two spent the night like that?”
Luo Tang: “Just like that, wiping her down and looking after her.”
The matron pressed, “Nothing else happened?”
Luo Tang: “What else could possibly have happened?”
The matron insisted, “You’re definitely hiding something from me. Can you tell me the specific details of that night?”