Wei Han galloped on his horse, leaving Luo Sheng and her party far behind in no time. The familiar green hills and trees stretched ahead as he gradually slowed down. The guard, catching up with him, couldn't help but voice his doubts, "Master, why do you need such a fancy dagger?"
With an expressionless face, Wei Han glanced at the guard, feeling the dagger pressed firmly against him. How could he possibly explain the real reason for wanting that dagger? It was all to confirm his suspicion that Miss Luo was the veiled woman he had encountered that night. Yet, unexpectedly, she had readily sold him the dagger – the memory of which made his face turn colder.
"I can't help but feel that you're the one at a loss, Master. Although you didn't spend any money, you still owe Miss Luo a favor. If it were anyone else, even if they spent 30,000 taels of silver to ask for a favor, they wouldn't get it from you," the guard remarked.
Frustrated, Wei Han retorted with a cold expression, "Nosy! I have my plans." Did this bastard repeatedly have to remind him that he had dug into a hole?
The guard, however, misunderstood Wei Han's response. Had his plans? Wait a minute, did he overlook something? The image of the girl's exquisite appearance flashed in his mind.
That's right! He had speculated before that Master might be interested in Miss Luo, but he couldn't believe that Master was such a shallow person. But now he had to believe that Master was genuinely attracted to Miss Luo. Why else would he insist on obtaining her dagger?
As he gazed at his Master's stern face, the guard couldn't help but feel admiration. The rumors about Master being destined to remain single were simply nonsense.
"Master, would you like a case to store the dagger Miss Luo gave you?" the guard suggested.
"Huh?" Wei Han turned his head to look at the guard, puzzled. He could tolerate not understanding that girl, but now why he couldn't even understand his guard? Why bother having a case for a dagger he reluctantly received?
Under Wei Han's watchful eyes, the guard smiled and explained, "It's just to ensure you don't lose this love token or any of the gemstones on it—" Before the guard could finish, Wei Han spurred his horse and swiftly left, leaving the guards behind in a cloud of dust.
Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. Luo Sheng and her party moved further away from Jinsha County and closer to the Capital. Only eight people remained in her party, as four guards had stayed back in the previous town to recuperate.
Sheng Sanlang touched his stomach discreetly and leaned towards the carriage window, whispering, "Biaomei, isn't it time for us to eat?" Boo hoo, he craved beggar pork knuckle; if not, a pot of bone soup would do.
Hongdou couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Gongzi, it's barely been two hours since we had breakfast."
"Really?" Sheng Sanlang looked puzzled. "Why does it feel like it's been so long?"
Luo Sheng held the green curtain with her hand and raised her chin slightly, saying, "Biaoge, look at the sky. We'd better hurry up and keep going."
Sheng Sanlang looked up and realized that the blue sky and white clouds had transformed into dark clouds, with the wind surging around them. They had already encountered rain once on their journey, and the prospect of continuing in the downpour was far from pleasant.
"Speed up!" Sheng Sanlang shouted.
The carriage and horses accelerated, but the sky changed even faster. The sea of white clouds turned into dark, rolling thunderclouds. Suddenly, a flash of lightning split through the thick clouds, followed by heavy rain pouring down like beans.
The rain fell fast and hard, creating an endless curtain that blurred their vision. The muddy road made moving in the storm challenging for the horses and carriages.
"Biaomei, I see a cabin ahead. Let's take shelter there," Sheng Sanlang called out through the rain curtain, trying to be heard over the torrential rain.
Luo Sheng readily agreed. Under these circumstances, there was no point in continuing their journey. It would only make their party suffer needlessly.
With a new goal in mind, everyone regained their spirits. Despite the heavy rain, they accelerated again, and as they neared the cabin, they realized it was a ruined temple. Although it was in ruins, it could still provide shelter from the rain, and they wouldn't need to worry about obtaining the owner's consent.
The carriage stopped, and Hongdou was the first to jump off, holding an oil-paper umbrella. She then turned around to help Luo Sheng down. Xiuyue followed closely behind, holding a bamboo umbrella.
As Hongdou moved the umbrella towards Luo Sheng, she couldn't help but give Xiuyue a disdainful glance. Miss was clearly showing favoritism! There were only two umbrellas in the carriage, and she offered one to Ugly popo (Xiuyue) to use.
She was obviously Miss's most favored maid. Even when Commander Luo allowed Miss to bring only one maid when she left the Capital, Miss chose to bring her.
She had earned her position as Miss's favored maid by stepping on that little hoove's, Kouer[1], tears. What was Ugly popo? Bah, a douhua seller! The little maid's heart burned with jealousy, and only when they entered the ruined temple did she begin to calm down.
The ruined temple had been abandoned for a long time, and even the once-enshrined statues were gone. The altar was missing a leg and lay on the ground, while dry firewood was piled in a corner against the walls.
Sheng Sanlang and the guards were delighted to find the dry firewood and quickly cleared a spot to start a bonfire. Seeing the flames dance and grow, Sheng Sanlang smiled at Luo Sheng and said, "Biaomei, such a hot fire shouldn't go to waste. Why don't we put a pot on it and cook something to eat?"
Luo Sheng fell silent. She didn't expect "go to waste" could be used in that context. Looking around at everyone, all drenched from the rain except, for herself, Hongdou, and Xiuyue, who had gotten out of the carriage, Luo Sheng nodded and suggested, "Let's make a pot of ginger tea to warm ourselves up."
Sheng Sanlang initially felt slightly disappointed, but then he thought that sipping sweet ginger tea on a rainy day was not a bad idea. He quickly directed the two guards to fetch things from the carriage.
Before long, the strong aroma of ginger tea filled the ruined temple, and the heat from the bonfire began to dry out the clothes of Sheng Sanlang and the others, providing some relief from the dampness.
Hongdou first filled a bowl of ginger tea for Luo Sheng, then filled bowls for Sheng Sanlang and the guards one by one. Finally, she served herself a bowl of ginger tea and happily enjoyed her drink.
"Hongdou, you still missed a bowl." Luo Sheng reminded while holding the hot porcelain bowl.
Hongdou pretended to have just noticed Xiuyue and patted her forehead, exclaiming, "Oops, I forgot about Ugly popo. But you have hands and feet, Ugly popo. You don't mind serving it yourself, right?"
Sheng Sanlang, who was sipping the ginger tea, twitched the corners of his mouth. Hongdou, this little maid, is only suitable for cursing people with her hands on her hips rather than acting. It's too exaggerated!
Xiuyue was already in her thirties, so naturally, she didn't bother arguing with a little girl. She quietly poured herself a bowl of ginger tea and sat to the side, sipping it. As she tasted the ginger tea, sweetened with honey, the corners of Xiuyue's eyes became slightly moist.
In the past, Princess used to make ginger tea for Wangfei[2], and in addition to honey, Princess liked to add some white pepper powder, just like the bowl of ginger tea she had now.
Luo Sheng suddenly glanced at Xiuyue and asked, "Does Ugly popo have a name?"
Xiuyue's hand paused, and she smiled, saying, "This old lady has grown old, and with my looks, I'm used to hearing people call me Ugly popo."
Luo Sheng shook her head, "That won't do. Since you have followed me, it doesn't please me when you're called that."
Xiuyue lowered her eyes and replied, "Then please give me a name, Miss." Regardless of the name she receives, she will always be Xiuyue, Princess' maid.
Luo Sheng drank the last sip of her ginger tea and handed the bowl to Hongdou, saying, "Then I'll call you Xiugu[3]."
[1] Kouer: Miss Luo's another maid
[2] Zhennan Wangfei, Princess Qingyang's mother
[3] 秀姑 (xiù gū): used the same character as Xiuyue
Wei Han galloped on his horse, leaving Luo Sheng and her party far behind in no time. The familiar green hills and trees stretched ahead as he gradually slowed down. The guard, catching up with him, couldn't help but voice his doubts, "Master, why do you need such a fancy dagger?"
With an expressionless face, Wei Han glanced at the guard, feeling the dagger pressed firmly against him. How could he possibly explain the real reason for wanting that dagger? It was all to confirm his suspicion that Miss Luo was the veiled woman he had encountered that night. Yet, unexpectedly, she had readily sold him the dagger – the memory of which made his face turn colder.
"I can't help but feel that you're the one at a loss, Master. Although you didn't spend any money, you still owe Miss Luo a favor. If it were anyone else, even if they spent 30,000 taels of silver to ask for a favor, they wouldn't get it from you," the guard remarked.
Frustrated, Wei Han retorted with a cold expression, "Nosy! I have my plans." Did this bastard repeatedly have to remind him that he had dug into a hole?
The guard, however, misunderstood Wei Han's response. Had his plans? Wait a minute, did he overlook something? The image of the girl's exquisite appearance flashed in his mind.
That's right! He had speculated before that Master might be interested in Miss Luo, but he couldn't believe that Master was such a shallow person. But now he had to believe that Master was genuinely attracted to Miss Luo. Why else would he insist on obtaining her dagger?
As he gazed at his Master's stern face, the guard couldn't help but feel admiration. The rumors about Master being destined to remain single were simply nonsense.
"Master, would you like a case to store the dagger Miss Luo gave you?" the guard suggested.
"Huh?" Wei Han turned his head to look at the guard, puzzled. He could tolerate not understanding that girl, but now why he couldn't even understand his guard? Why bother having a case for a dagger he reluctantly received?
Under Wei Han's watchful eyes, the guard smiled and explained, "It's just to ensure you don't lose this love token or any of the gemstones on it—" Before the guard could finish, Wei Han spurred his horse and swiftly left, leaving the guards behind in a cloud of dust.
Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. Luo Sheng and her party moved further away from Jinsha County and closer to the Capital. Only eight people remained in her party, as four guards had stayed back in the previous town to recuperate.
Sheng Sanlang touched his stomach discreetly and leaned towards the carriage window, whispering, "Biaomei, isn't it time for us to eat?" Boo hoo, he craved beggar pork knuckle; if not, a pot of bone soup would do.
Hongdou couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Gongzi, it's barely been two hours since we had breakfast."
"Really?" Sheng Sanlang looked puzzled. "Why does it feel like it's been so long?"
Luo Sheng held the green curtain with her hand and raised her chin slightly, saying, "Biaoge, look at the sky. We'd better hurry up and keep going."
Sheng Sanlang looked up and realized that the blue sky and white clouds had transformed into dark clouds, with the wind surging around them. They had already encountered rain once on their journey, and the prospect of continuing in the downpour was far from pleasant.
"Speed up!" Sheng Sanlang shouted.
The carriage and horses accelerated, but the sky changed even faster. The sea of white clouds turned into dark, rolling thunderclouds. Suddenly, a flash of lightning split through the thick clouds, followed by heavy rain pouring down like beans.
The rain fell fast and hard, creating an endless curtain that blurred their vision. The muddy road made moving in the storm challenging for the horses and carriages.
"Biaomei, I see a cabin ahead. Let's take shelter there," Sheng Sanlang called out through the rain curtain, trying to be heard over the torrential rain.
Luo Sheng readily agreed. Under these circumstances, there was no point in continuing their journey. It would only make their party suffer needlessly.
With a new goal in mind, everyone regained their spirits. Despite the heavy rain, they accelerated again, and as they neared the cabin, they realized it was a ruined temple. Although it was in ruins, it could still provide shelter from the rain, and they wouldn't need to worry about obtaining the owner's consent.
The carriage stopped, and Hongdou was the first to jump off, holding an oil-paper umbrella. She then turned around to help Luo Sheng down. Xiuyue followed closely behind, holding a bamboo umbrella.
As Hongdou moved the umbrella towards Luo Sheng, she couldn't help but give Xiuyue a disdainful glance. Miss was clearly showing favoritism! There were only two umbrellas in the carriage, and she offered one to Ugly popo (Xiuyue) to use.
She was obviously Miss's most favored maid. Even when Commander Luo allowed Miss to bring only one maid when she left the Capital, Miss chose to bring her.
She had earned her position as Miss's favored maid by stepping on that little hoove's, Kouer[1], tears. What was Ugly popo? Bah, a douhua seller! The little maid's heart burned with jealousy, and only when they entered the ruined temple did she begin to calm down.
The ruined temple had been abandoned for a long time, and even the once-enshrined statues were gone. The altar was missing a leg and lay on the ground, while dry firewood was piled in a corner against the walls.
Sheng Sanlang and the guards were delighted to find the dry firewood and quickly cleared a spot to start a bonfire. Seeing the flames dance and grow, Sheng Sanlang smiled at Luo Sheng and said, "Biaomei, such a hot fire shouldn't go to waste. Why don't we put a pot on it and cook something to eat?"
Luo Sheng fell silent. She didn't expect "go to waste" could be used in that context. Looking around at everyone, all drenched from the rain except, for herself, Hongdou, and Xiuyue, who had gotten out of the carriage, Luo Sheng nodded and suggested, "Let's make a pot of ginger tea to warm ourselves up."
Sheng Sanlang initially felt slightly disappointed, but then he thought that sipping sweet ginger tea on a rainy day was not a bad idea. He quickly directed the two guards to fetch things from the carriage.
Before long, the strong aroma of ginger tea filled the ruined temple, and the heat from the bonfire began to dry out the clothes of Sheng Sanlang and the others, providing some relief from the dampness.
Hongdou first filled a bowl of ginger tea for Luo Sheng, then filled bowls for Sheng Sanlang and the guards one by one. Finally, she served herself a bowl of ginger tea and happily enjoyed her drink.
"Hongdou, you still missed a bowl." Luo Sheng reminded while holding the hot porcelain bowl.
Hongdou pretended to have just noticed Xiuyue and patted her forehead, exclaiming, "Oops, I forgot about Ugly popo. But you have hands and feet, Ugly popo. You don't mind serving it yourself, right?"
Sheng Sanlang, who was sipping the ginger tea, twitched the corners of his mouth. Hongdou, this little maid, is only suitable for cursing people with her hands on her hips rather than acting. It's too exaggerated!
Xiuyue was already in her thirties, so naturally, she didn't bother arguing with a little girl. She quietly poured herself a bowl of ginger tea and sat to the side, sipping it. As she tasted the ginger tea, sweetened with honey, the corners of Xiuyue's eyes became slightly moist.
In the past, Princess used to make ginger tea for Wangfei[2], and in addition to honey, Princess liked to add some white pepper powder, just like the bowl of ginger tea she had now.
Luo Sheng suddenly glanced at Xiuyue and asked, "Does Ugly popo have a name?"
Xiuyue's hand paused, and she smiled, saying, "This old lady has grown old, and with my looks, I'm used to hearing people call me Ugly popo."
Luo Sheng shook her head, "That won't do. Since you have followed me, it doesn't please me when you're called that."
Xiuyue lowered her eyes and replied, "Then please give me a name, Miss." Regardless of the name she receives, she will always be Xiuyue, Princess' maid.
Luo Sheng drank the last sip of her ginger tea and handed the bowl to Hongdou, saying, "Then I'll call you Xiugu[3]."
[1] Kouer: Miss Luo's another maid
[2] Zhennan Wangfei, Princess Qingyang's mother
[3] 秀姑 (xiù gū): used the same character as Xiuyue
