Chapter 31 (Revised)

Chapter 31 (Revised)

Xiao Luolan abruptly closed the window, her body pressed tightly against it. The peony shook violently, its soft petals having been roughly brushed, with two or three falling to the ground. Overcome with a mix of shame and anger, she turned and reopened the window.

Zhou Xu, thinking Madame Xiao wouldn't open the window again, was surprised when she did, her face showing even deeper fury. As he stepped forward, "Xiao..." he began, but was cut off by a slap.

After her impulsive act, Xiao Luolan couldn't help but feel a surge of fear.

Zhou Xu touched his left cheek, observing Madame Xiao's fearful yet defiant expression, his narrow eyes deepening.

This man, when not smiling, had a terrifying intensity. Xiao Luolan's heart tightened with inevitable fear. Would he hit her?

Zhou Xu noticed Madame Xiao shiver slightly, her eyelashes trembling, the blush on her face fading, as if she were scared. She hadn't seemed this frightened when he was chewing the flower petals.

Zhou Xu took Madame Xiao's hand, noticing the coolness of her fingertips.

"What's wrong?" he asked, holding her hand, his voice gentle and concerned despite his confusion.

Xiao Luolan opened her eyes to find Zhou Zongzhu holding her hand again, her face flushing with anger. How could he be so shameless, like a hooligan?

"If you don't tell me, I won't let go," Zhou Xu said, holding her wrist loosely to prevent her from struggling too fiercely. He coaxed softly, "Tell me what you were afraid of just now, and I'll let go of your hand."

Frustrated and anxious, Xiao Luolan, unable to break free, pursed her lips and said, "I thought Zhou Zongzhu was about to hit me."

Zhou Xu paused, examining Madame Xiao carefully, realizing she truly believed that. A flash of anger crossed his eyes. "Has someone hit you before? Who?" His thoughts turned to Madame Xiao's struggles alone with her daughter, his tone growing chilling: "Did your husband hit you?"

Xiao Luolan, stunned by Zhou Zongzhu's persistent questioning, suddenly recalled her ex-husband. It was a long time ago; shortly after her daughter was born, her in-laws, disappointed with a granddaughter, were extremely harsh. During a trivial argument, her husband, in a fit of anger, pushed her to the ground... an incident that unexpectedly came to her mind.

"I hit him back later," Xiao Luolan spoke the truth. After her husband pushed her once, she hit him in response. Even now, she felt leaving him and taking her daughter with her was the right decision.

Zhou Xu scoffed, "With your strength, how could you hurt anyone?" In his eyes, a delicate lady of the inner chamber like Madame Xiao couldn't possibly have much strength, probably not even enough to draw a bow.

Zhou Xu looked at Madame Xiao's snow-white fingertips, her tender palms, so soft that pinching them would seem to squeeze out creamy flesh, like melting balm.

"I just wanted to see if your hand was hurting," Zhou Xu said.

Xiao Luolan withdrew her hand, finding Zhou Zongzhu odd. She had hit him, and yet he asked if her hand was hurting. Though she thought Zhou Zongzhu had asked for it, she replied after a moment, "No, it's not."

"That's good," Zhou Xu smiled. "I was worried my rough face might have hurt Madame Xiao's hand."

Xiao Luolan felt that Zhou Zongzhu was deliberately teasing her and couldn't help but glare at him.

Zhou Xu stepped closer: "I am speaking the truth."

Xiao Luolan, not wanting to entangle further with Zhou Zongzhu, half-closed the window. A section of the black whip blocked the closing window, and Zhou Xu slowly opened it, smiling and asking, "Madame Xiao, may I know the name of your husband?"

Xiao Luolan panicked instantly. She did have an ex-husband, but where could she find him here? Their identities were all fabricated. Feeling guilty about deceiving Zhou Zongzhu, she struggled to find another topic, eventually murmuring with her head down, "Why are you looking for him, Zhou Zongzhu?"

Zhou Xu gently lifted Madame Xiao's face with his whip. Her snow-white skin contrasted starkly against the black whip, her lips redder than peonies.

Zhou Xu chuckled softly, "Naturally, to flay and draw his tendons."

Xiao Luolan's eyes widened in terror.

Zhou Xu put down the whip, squinting with a smile, "Just kidding, you believed that?" With that, he strode away.

Xiao Luolan closed the window, her brows still slightly furrowed as she prepared for bed. Not being particularly clever, she couldn't discern whether Zhou Zongzhu's words were true or false. Filled with mixed feelings, she fell asleep.

In the Dou family's study, originally used by Dou Haitao, it was naturally offered to the Jiedushi upon his arrival. Many servants were chosen to serve in the courtyard, but near the study, they dared not enter. The study's external door was guarded by riders, and except for Master Qingshan and Madame Xiao, no one else was allowed inside without permission.

Madame Xiao hadn't visited the study for some time now. Zhao Qingshan, in the study, brewed tea, holding the testimony of Governor Li's eldest son.

The eldest son of the Li family was stubborn. After a night of interrogation, he insisted that he spent the fourteenth of April drinking at Hongxiu Fang, completely unaware of the assassination attempt against the Jiedushi.

Zhou Xu entered, sat down in a chair, and after a while, began grinding ink and writing a letter.

Zhou Xu approached the window and, placing a hand to his lips, emitted a sharp whistle.

Zhao Qingshan, putting down the testimony, looked towards his lord.

In the pitch-black night, a hawk screeched, diving from the sky to perch on its master's arm. Its yellow eyes constantly moving, Zhou Xu slipped the letter into a copper tube tied to the hawk's leg and then stroked its sleek feathers.

"Good boy, take this letter home."

The hawk pecked at its master's hand, then spread its wings and flew into the night, quickly disappearing.

"My lord, what letter did you send with the black-clothed envoy?" Zhao Qingshan asked.

Zhou Xu picked up the testimony of Li's eldest son, glanced at it, and said, "Xie Deyong is from the Xie family of Chang'an and is currently a guest at our mansion. I've asked him to list all the Madame Xiaos from prominent families in Chang'an for me."

Zhao Qingshan looked his lord up and down: "Are you investigating Madame Xiao?"

Zhou Xu, stroking his stubble, said, "Not exactly. I mainly want to find out who her husband really is."

Zhao Qingshan felt uneasy: "And then what?"

Zhou Xu's eyelids lifted, his voice cool and indifferent: "Of course, to flay and draw his tendons."

Zhao Qingshan's scalp tightened, wondering why his lord's mood seemed to worsen after visiting Madame Xiao.

Zhou Xu flicked the testimony of Li's eldest son and chuckled coldly: "Quite a tough nut to crack."

"Tomorrow, you will invite Governor Li and his family to see their eldest son properly. Tell them if they don’t, Judge Xu will soon uncover the truth, and they'll lose their chance."

Zhao Qingshan acknowledged the order.

"Come here and then go take care of another matter."

After listening, Zhao Qingshan twitched his mouth, feeling underutilized by his lord.

The next day.

Dressed in a cross-collar robe, Xiao Luolan freshened up and went to see her daughter. After breakfast, recalling yesterday's events and wishing to avoid encountering Sect Leader Zhou, she sent Fangyun to check if he was in the mansion, not wanting to leave with him.

Fangyun curtsied and departed.

Seeing her mother seemingly avoiding Sect Leader Zhou, Xiao Qingxue, clutching her mother's arm, earnestly asked, "Mom, are we really not in conflict with Sect Leader Zhou? If there is, don't be afraid, you can tell me."

Looking at her considerate daughter, Xiao Luolan stroked her head and said, "No, I just feel we shouldn't bother him often. Sect Leader Zhou has already helped us a lot."

Xiao Qingxue looked at her mother skeptically.

"It's true," Xiao Luolan adjusted the longevity thread on her daughter's wrist and arranged the flowers in her hair, sharing her plans: "In a few days, once we have our household registration, we'll buy a house and move out, not staying here anymore. Then, we can bid farewell to Sect Leader Zhou and Mrs. Dou."

Xiao Qingxue, reassured by her mother's consistent demeanor, replied, "Moving out is good. Living in someone else's house always makes me uncomfortable, but we must choose a safe house."

"Now, Sect Leader Zhou and his men are investigating the assassination attempt. It's already traced back to Governor Li's son. I think it won't be long before Governor Li is expelled from Taiyang County. The new governor will surely be one of Sect Leader Zhou's people," analyzed Xiao Qingxue: "Considering our decent relationship with Sect Leader Zhou, the new governor should look after us a bit, out of respect for him."

Xiao Luolan felt increasingly guilty for having to rely on Sect Leader Zhou's favor at the last moment.

Fangyun returned shortly and reported, "The military governor is still in the mansion and hasn't left yet."

Xiao Luolan, along with her daughter and Fangyun, borrowed the Dou family's carriage to go to the household registration office.

Wearing a veiled hat, Xiao Luolan noticed posters everywhere in the city, depicting the portrait of the assassin, with many people gathered around discussing them, frequently mentioning a reward of one or two gold pieces.

She glanced at the notice, which offered one gold piece for providing accurate clues.

They reached the registration office soon after.

The queue today was surprisingly short. Xiao Luolan, wearing her veiled hat, got down from the carriage with her daughter, who was also veiled, accompanied by Fangyun and the four robust servants assigned by Mrs. Dou.

Xiao Luolan just wanted to know how the household registration process worked and if it was straightforward, she would pay to get it done. However, when they got to the front, the clerk who had been working heads down began packing up, and another clerk in charge of appearances said, "Madam, our office is compiling the records of vagrants from the past three years to submit to the higher authorities, so we can't continue our work for today. Please come back another time."

The clerks quickly packed up their things and left.

Xiao Luolan looked at the sky, noting it was around ten in the morning. Was the office closing this early?

Returning to the Dou residence, Xiao Luolan grew increasingly suspicious. There had been a long queue at the office the day before, and today there were only a few people. Also, shouldn't there be a notice if the office was not working? By the afternoon, worried and restless, she left her daughter with Fangyun, who were busy with the soap, and went to the study in the West Garden.

"Mr. Lei, may I ask if Sect Leader Zhou is in the study?" Xiao Luolan, still wearing her veiled hat, inquired of Lei Shan.

"Yes, Lady Xiao, please come in," Lei Shan stepped aside.

Xiao Luolan pushed open the door to the study.

Upon seeing Lady Xiao, Zhou Xu's face immediately lit up with a smile, "Lady Xiao."

Seeing Sect Leader Zhou, Xiao Luolan felt a mix of gratitude and resentment, sitting in the study and pondering how to ask for his help with the household registration.

"Lady Xiao, I have something delightful for you to try," Zhou Xu presented a white jade plate lined with crushed ice, emitting a cool mist in the heat, refreshing even from a distance, with five fruits resembling red silk atop the ice.

Xiao Luolan looked at them, "Lychees?"

To think there were lychees in this northern land.

Zhou Xu peeled a lychee and offered it to Lady Xiao.

Xiao Luolan shook her head.

"I know why you've come. Madame Xiao, please have a lychee, and then we can talk in detail," Zhou Xu coaxed, pushing the lychees closer. "Lychees are delicate; they taste best when fresh. Once the shell is exposed, they should be eaten quickly. It would be a waste not to eat them now."

Xiao Luolan, eyeing the lychee almost reaching her veil, confirmed, "If I eat this, my household registration will be processed?"

"I never deceive Madame Xiao. It's already been taken care of. You can check later if you don't believe me," Zhou Xu assured her.

Xiao Luolan pondered for a moment, then lifted a corner of her veil and picked up a lychee to eat.

Only her snow-white chin and luscious red lips were visible under the veil, the lychee's flesh being gently taken into her mouth by her teeth.

Xiao Luolan quickly finished the lychee and pushed the remaining four towards Zhou Zongzhu.

Zhou Xu took out the household registration booklet and placed it on the table.

Xiao Luolan's eyes immediately fixated on it.

"After Madame Xiao finishes, I will give you the household registration booklet."

Xiao Luolan, looking at the lychees, mused that in modern times they were not rare; she often bought them for her daughter in the summer. But now, in the ancient era, lychees were from the south. How did Zhou Zongzhu manage to get them?

Hesitant about accepting something so valuable, Xiao Luolan pondered.

"Madame Xiao, you can peel them for me to eat if you prefer," Zhou Xu suggested as an alternative.

Xiao Luolan then peeled a lychee, placing it on the edge of the plate, a pristine piece with tender white flesh, very eye-catching.

Xiao Luolan pushed the plate towards Zhou Zongzhu.

Zhou Xu pushed the household registration booklet towards Madame Xiao. While she was looking down at it, he suddenly grasped her hand and wiped off the sweet juice of the lychee from her fingertips.

Xiao Luolan browsed through the booklet, and upon seeing her and her daughter’s names, looked up sharply at Zhou Zongzhu. Her other hand clenched into a fist, her breathing uneven. The wind occasionally lifted her veil, revealing her tightly pressed red lips, exuding a cool aloofness.

Zhou Xu, observing Madame Xiao's reddened fingertips, lowered his head and said vaguely, "The registration in Taiyang Prefecture is nothing special. I've arranged for you to be registered in Langge, which is several times better."

Zhou Xu peered at Madame Xiao, her features obscured by the veil like misty clouds.

A line of poetry suddenly came to his mind.

"A beauty like a flower beyond the clouds."

What's wrong with planting a blooming flower in one's own soil?

He is her root, from which she can never escape.