Chapter 331 Omen

Chapter 331: Premonitions

Tang Jinshuang and the others settled in at the Song estate, sharing what they'd seen since Song Tingzhou left.

It had been less than a year since they'd left Lingnan—seemed like just yesterday they were cutting sugarcane, and now they were in the grand estates of the capital.

The snow wolf caught the scent of many familiar presences and came tearing out of the eastern courtyard, all worked up. Bie Zhi chased after him, yelling, "Snow Wolf, good boy, stop running!"

The snow wolf had gotten huge—now about the size of a full-grown ox. Being penned up in the yard all day had driven him stir-crazy, and now that he'd escaped the eastern courtyard, he was tearing around like a maniac.

Yu Geer was in Meng Wan's courtyard admiring the newly planted flowers when this big snow-white beast suddenly scared the hell out of him, and he shrieked in terror.

Chu Ci heard the noise and rushed over, whistling through his fingers to stop the snow wolf from lunging at people. He signed, "You okay? He won't bite."

Yu Geer's heart was still racing. He looked up at Chu Ci and realized just how handsome he was, and his chest started heaving even harder. "I'm... I'm okay."

Even though he couldn't talk, he was seriously good-looking, and so gentle and patient.

Of all the guys Yu Geer had met, hardly any had Chu Ci's warm, careful nature. At his age, it was only natural his heart would flutter.

A Xun heard the wolf howl too and came out just in time to see Yu Geer all shy and blushing in front of Chu Ci. Chu Ci was nineteen, Yu Geer sixteen—one tall, one short—and they somehow looked right together.

He didn't say anything, just watched for a bit, then left.

Chu Ci quickly grabbed the troublemaker of a snow wolf and headed to the front courtyard, using it as an excuse to let the beast stretch its legs.

Tang Jinshuang and the others had rushed to the capital—the court was in turmoil, and Meng Wan didn't want them sticking around. After two days of rest, they headed back out.

The moment they left, several factions from the capital came after them, but once they were outside the city, Na Tuo and his men handled it. Sixty had gone in, but dozens more were waiting outside.

If nothing else, the Shijian Relay Station always had plenty of people.

Lately, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou's study had also picked up a few eavesdroppers on the roof beams, though they always got caught. But even when taken alive, these trained assassins found ways to keep their mouths shut.

As word spread that the Crown Prince was about to arrive in the capital, the mood at court got tenser by the day.

Wu Zhaoyuan had been right—the Emperor's decree to appoint a National Preceptor came down fast, and the Ministry of Rites had already been told to pick a date for the ceremony. The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau was also burning the midnight oil to make the National Preceptor's ceremonial crown.

Since the Yu Kingdom was founded, only the founding Emperor had ever named a National Preceptor—a wise man who'd helped him take the realm. Now, suddenly naming some no-name Daoist as National Preceptor had the court officials buzzing.

Song Tingzhou was the first to push back at the morning court session, and sure enough, the Emperor tore into him. Unlike last time, when the scolding had been mild and kind of partial, this time Song Tingzhou was sent home and stripped of his duties.

Several officials close to Song Tingzhou, like Kou Wen, couldn't help feeling sorry for him, thinking he'd been too impulsive. Some even tried to use the chance to pull him over to their side.

Wu Zhaoyuan and Zhu Zening, being Song Tingzhou's good friends, took turns trying to knock some sense into him.

Wu Zhaoyuan paced back and forth before Song Tingzhou, his tone full of that "I expected better from you" frustration. "How could you be so impulsive! Even Ma Luoshan hasn't made a move yet—why'd you have to go and stick your neck out!"

Ma Luoshan was the Minister of Personnel—someone the Emperor really trusted. He seemed low-key, but underneath, he was scheming.

Zhu Zening chimed in, "Exactly, you were too impulsive. I heard His Majesty was furious."

Song Tingzhou had been pouring tea. At their words, he paused, and a few drops spilled onto the table.

Wu Zhaoyuan asked, offhand, "How do you know what went down at court?"

Zhu Zening had a minor post at the yamen—not a big shot like Song Tingzhou, and he didn't have Wu Zhaoyuan's access to the Emperor through the Hanlin Academy either.

"Oh, my brother-in-law told me. He knows we're tight, so he asked around for me." Zhu Zening finished speaking and drank half a cup of tea.

Wu Zhaoyuan still felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong with what Zhu Zening said. More importantly, the main thing was to get Song Tingzhou to stop going against the Emperor.

Even if he wanted to push back, he couldn't be too hardheaded. Really ticking off the Emperor would make losing his job the least of his worries—losing his head would be the real problem!

"Maybe... maybe I should go find Wu Wei and put in a good word. If he finds out I'm a Wu by blood, he'd definitely be willing to back you too." Wu Zhaoyuan's words stunned everyone in the room.

Zhu Zening stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Are you crazy? Forget that Wu Wei's already out of favor with His Majesty and about to retire up north—he's been grinding Jingxing down the whole time. Jingxing doesn't even bother getting back at him, so why would he care about Wu Wei's backing or not?"

Song Tingzhou indeed frowned and said, "Zhaoyuan!"

Wu Zhaoyuan sighed. "Fine, fine." But Zhu Zening could tell from his tone that he wasn't really letting it go.

Wu Zhaoyuan and Zhu Zening talked until their mouths were dry, and pot after pot of tea was brought to the study.

Every time they visited, they stayed until after dinner. There was no rule about men and women eating separately—everyone gathered at Chang Jinhua's place. However, since Yu Geer and A Xun were unmarried, they had a separate small table set up in A Xun's courtyard.

Yu Geer looked left and right. This physician's courtyard was the same size as his own, with a similar layout.

"Are you related to my cousin and his wife?" Yu Geer asked curiously.

"No." A Xun kept his head down, eating his rice, not particularly warm toward him.

"So you're just a physician they keep on retainer? That makes sense—my cousin's wife is loaded. I've heard that some wealthy households don't just keep cooks and physicians, but even embroiderers!" Yu Geer's voice carried a note of longing.

"That's true." A Xun had visited several wealthy households for consultations, and they all had strict rules, even being secretive about medical matters.

A Xun thought to himself that if he didn't have the Song family behind him and was just a rogue physician, he might well have been dragged into some incident like his sister had been.

Every time, Chu Ci accompanied him. While A Xun went in to take pulses, Chu Ci would wait outside for him.

A Xun's gaze gradually drifted into the distance until he was suddenly jolted awake by Yu Geer's startled exclamation.

"How did you lose a finger? Huh? You're missing one on that hand too!" Yu Geer meant no harm—he was just curious.

A Xun set down his chopsticks and tucked his hands into his sleeves. He had long stopped caring about this. Aside from being teased by other children when he was young, it had been a long time since he'd felt embarrassed by his imperfect hands.

A soft knock came at the door. The door wasn't closed, and both A Xun and Yu Geer could see Chu Ci's somewhat cold expression. It was unclear how long he had been standing there, but he had clearly overheard Yu Geer's loud exclamations.

Yu Geer watched in a daze as Chu Ci walked past him, took A Xun by the sleeve, and led him out. His usually gentle, handsome face now showed no expression at all—as if he were angry.

Was it because he had mentioned the physician's missing fingers?

Left alone in the courtyard, Yu Geer set his bowl down heavily on the table. Realization dawned on him belatedly, and his eyes suddenly reddened.

"What's the big deal? I didn't say anything that bad!"

Chu Ci pulled A Xun all the way to the main courtyard. Everyone was eating at Chang Jinhua's place, so the main courtyard was empty.

A Xun stared blankly at his shoes, and just above his gaze was Chu Ci's lean, powerful legs. Since joining the Song household, he had been training in martial arts with Xue Sheng. Though he wasn't as skilled as those who had trained since childhood, he had developed some fighting ability.

Chu Ci waited for him to look up, but the man before him remained silent with his head down. With no one else around, Chu Ci helplessly used his fingers to lift A Xun's chin.

He was met with a face full of tears. His heart immediately panicked, and his hands flew in rapid gestures, "What's wrong?"

A Xun hadn't even realized he was crying. Seeing Chu Ci's anxious expression, he reached up to touch his eyes and only then knew he was weeping.

At first he was confused, not understanding why he was crying. Then a wave of overwhelming sourness flooded his chest, filling his entire being. The closer Chu Ci got, the more unbearable the ache became.

"Don't come any closer." A Xun's muffled voice stopped Chu Ci, who had been trying to approach him.

Chu Ci stopped in his tracks, flustered and unsure what to do, and signed, "Don't be sad. I'll go talk to foster father and make sure no one else wanders into your courtyard."

"Don't go—I said don't!" A Xun called out to stop him.

So Chu Ci retreated back to his side, signing slowly, "If you don't like their company, how about I buy you a house?"

A Xun broke into a smile through his tears. "You've got way too much pocket money, buying a house in Shengjing."

Seeing him smile, Chu Ci's expression softened. He patted his money pouch, signaling that he had saved up plenty.

A Xun's tears still clung to his lower lashes. Chu Ci felt uneasy looking at that teardrop, so he raised his arm and gently brushed it away with his index finger.

The moment his finger touched the tear, a shiver ran through both of them.

A Xun turned his back to avoid his gaze, while Chu Ci stood behind him, lost in thought, staring at his damp finger.

---

"You want to go to Lingnan to propose to the Miao family?"

Meng Wan truly hadn't expected that the one who never seemed to catch on would suddenly come to him about marriage.

Chu Ci nodded firmly. He had originally planned to wait another two years, but after yesterday's incident, he suddenly didn't want to wait any longer. Not only did he not want to wait, he couldn't wait to marry A Xun and bring him home, to protect him by his side for a lifetime.

Meng Wan looked at A Xun, who stood beside him with his head lowered, silent. "Are you also willing to marry Chu Ci, without minding his shortcomings?"

A Xun had been quite nervous, but hearing Meng Wan's words put him at ease. "If anyone should be worried about being rejected, it's me. You know where I come from, Fulang..."

"I've watched you grow up; skip the empty talk." Meng Wan had never cared about social standing. When two people marry, what matters first is a meeting of minds.

The Miao people are people of deep loyalty and honor, and Chu Ci had endured hardship since childhood. He and A Xun had grown up together—how could they not be a match?

"As long as the two of you have made up your minds, that's what matters. Marriage isn't playing house. Two people must stay together for life and never abandon each other. No matter what hardships or obstacles come their way, they must look after one another." The more Meng Wan talked, the more he felt like a priest officiating a wedding.

A Xun glanced sideways and noticed Chu Ci staring at him with blazing eyes, his gaze scorching with passion.

"We will, Meng Fulang." A Xun said firmly as well.

Meng Wan immediately stood up. "Zhifan, Zhimao, quickly find paper and brush." He needed to write to Na Tuo and the others right away, telling them to find a place to rest along the way and wait before continuing.

The two of them had sprung this on him so suddenly that for once, Meng Wan's head was spinning. Was he about to become the father of the groom? Oh, Song Tingzhou is the father-in-law, so that makes him... the grandma?

Forget it, he'd rather be "Dad." "Dad" sounds better...

Wait, no! He had to get ready right away to go propose to the Miao family!!!

Chu Ci saw him staring off into space after sending the letter out by urgent delivery, so he stepped forward and waved his hand in front of Meng Wan's face. "Foster father? Don't be in such a hurry. A Xun and I can just go back ourselves. You don't need to come."

Meng Wan jumped to his feet. "How could I not go for something this important! Otherwise, the in-laws will think we don't care!"

A Xun looked confused. "Meng Fulang, what are you talking about? My grandfather and big sister would never be like that, right?"

Meng Wan met his gaze and snapped back to reality himself. That's right—the Miao family wasn't like strangers.

"But there still has to be an elder there! Who ever heard of a groom going to propose by himself?" Meng Wan's fingers moved unconsciously as he was already starting to figure out how much bride price to bring for Chu Ci.

Xue Sheng had been eavesdropping from the doorway for a bit, then walked in and said, "I'll go with Chu Ci, Fulang. You definitely can't get away right now. Once I reach Xiwu Prefecture, I'll find a dependable matchmaker to go to their door. The Miao family won't give you a hard time."

Chu Ci nodded, signing, "Foster father, let Uncle Xue Sheng accompany me. It'll be fine."

No one knew what might happen in the capital, and Meng Wan was worried about leaving Song Tingzhou. Xue Sheng wasn't a servant of their household—A Yan and Chu Ci both addressed him as "Uncle," so by family rank, it worked out.

"That works as well. I'll also write a letter to Jinshuang, asking him and the Yu family to help out as well."

Chu Ci's marriage proposal was a great joy for the household, and no one was happier than Chang Jinhua. She was getting on in years and loved seeing the kids in the family all settled down. She couldn't help but rib Xue Sheng and Huang Ye about it, scaring the two of them so badly they didn't dare go near the back courtyard for days.

Besides Xue Sheng accompanying them, Meng Wan also dispatched Nanny Jin.

Nanny Jin hadn't brought up leaving after the New Year at the Song house and had stayed on in Meng Wan's courtyard. She was level-headed and steady, just right for helping Meng Wan look after the kids, and keeping A Xun company, since he was also a male consort.

The road was long, so the four of them caught up with Na Tuo's group and returned to Lingnan together for safety.

Meng Wan didn't mess around—he sent Chu Ci off with two chests of gold as the bride price. Since the four of them needed to catch up with Na Tuo's group, they kept their entourage small and traveled light. The headdresses, jewelry, and jade would be made up to A Xun later when the two of them returned to the capital, to avoid shipping them back and forth, which would attract thieves and be a hassle.

Chi Yu saw the four of them off all the way to the outskirts of the capital and didn't come back to report until the next day.

"My lord, Fulang, things are still calm outside the capital. Na Tuo and the others came back a ways to meet up with them. Xiao Ci and the others will be just fine."

A faint hint of worry creased Meng Wan's brow as he sighed softly. "It's just as well Xiao Ci is heading to Lingnan right now."

Song Tingzhou was confined to his home. The emperor said it was for him to reflect on his actions, but in truth, the Shuntian Prefecture couldn't function a single day without him. The six vice-prefects of the government office took turns coming to his door to ask for advice on official business.

Today it was Lü Su's turn to come. The two were in the study discussing official business when Meng Wan came in with a tray of pastries. "Lord Lü, you've been chatting for so long, you must be hungry. Want a couple of pastries to hold you over?"

Lü Su wasn't hungry to begin with, but seeing Meng Wan seem to secretly signal Song Tingzhou, he smiled and took one.

"Take a rest for a bit. I'll be back in a moment." Song Tingzhou said to Lü Su, then left the study with Meng Wan.

Maybe it was urgent, or maybe Song Tingzhou was worried about the unfinished paperwork in the study—they didn't go far, just into the room next door to talk in private.

Lü Su pinched the delicate pastry in his hand and crept lightly over to the window. Judging by his nimble footwork, he was clearly a master of qinggong with sharp senses, just like Xue Sheng.

Meng Wan lowered his voice to a whisper. "The Wu family side is all arranged. The person was handed over to his uncle via Zhao Yuan. Lord Wu is about to retire and head back to his hometown, so he can take him out of Shengjing with him."

Song Tingzhou's voice was shaky, as if he were barely holding back some emotion. "There won't be any mistakes?"

"No one would ever guess the connection between Zhao Yuan and Lord Wu. This plan is bound to work."