The Eighth Year of Shenchu
The Journey Home (Part 4)
Zhen Wenjun carefully placed Wei Tingxu on the soft couch. When she turned around, she saw Xiaohua had followed her in. Zhen Wenjun knew she would not leave her alone with Wei Tingxu, so she simply ignored her.
She drew all the curtains of the carriage and lowered the bamboo mat. The carriage, filled with the scent of burning wood, was somewhat dim.
Zhen Wenjun had Wei Tingxu lie face down on the soft couch. While massaging her waist, she said to Wei Tingxu, “Elder sister has been sitting in a four-wheeled cart for years, and her waist and legs are extremely fragile. She needs daily massage therapy. Xiaohua is now treating her illness and detoxifying her poison, and for one, her strength is hard to control, and her hands and feet are weak, which might hurt elder sister. Secondly, I heard from Zhong Ji that the initial detoxification requires incisions to steam out the poison. At that time, the toxins will spread throughout the body. If by any chance, the poison of the Ghost Dove accidentally touches elder sister during close contact, wouldn’t it be disastrous? To be safe, I will take care of elder sister from now on. Does elder sister agree?”
Before Wei Tingxu could respond, Xiaohua interjected from the side, “Lady, I just made a mistake. I will definitely be careful and never make such a mistake again! I am used to serving the lady, and random people might not suit the lady’s preferences.”
Zhen Wenjun knew that arguing too much with Xiaohua would only backfire, so she did not argue with her. Instead, she focused more on her hands. Her massage skills were experienced, and every pressure point on Wei Tingxu’s waist muscles was perfectly executed. In the past, when her mother had difficulty walking, she had specially learned these skills to relieve her mother. Wei Tingxu lay with her eyes closed, resting her head in her arms. She neither agreed nor disagreed, ignoring the contention between Zhen Wenjun and Xiaohua. It was not until Zhen Wenjun was exhausted, sweating, and her arms and neck were sore and aching that she suddenly woke up as if from a dream and said:
“Sister, you are too modest. This massage technique of yours is more skillful and superior than the doctors in the Wei household. It will be quite a labor for you during Xiaohua’s inconvenient days.”
Upon hearing Wei Tingxu say this, Xiaohua’s face turned pale. She understood that once the lady made a decision, it would never change. Calming herself, she looked at Zhen Wenjun and said, “You were originally the lady’s savior and had no need to do these things. But since you’ve taken over, you should do it well. If there is any misconduct or negligence that harms the lady, I will make you pay with your life.”
Zhen Wenjun knew that if she wanted to become Wei Tingxu’s trusted confidante, the first thing she had to do was shed the identity of being the savior. This identity was only a pretense to get close to Wei Tingxu. She wanted Wei Tingxu to trust her, use her, and rely on her, treating her as hands and feet rather than a “benefactor” placed on a pedestal.
Facing Xiaohua’s somewhat aggressive attitude, she did not show weakness and responded directly, “I am not someone who leverages favors for personal gain. There is no distinction between what should or should not be done for elder sister. My sincere devotion to elder sister is no less than yours. Even if I have to risk my life, I will not let any harm come to her. If you are so worried, you should focus on curing your illness and detoxifying yourself. Once the poison is removed, you can return to elder sister’s side. I just fear that by then, elder sister might feel that my service is better and more thoughtful, and she won’t be able to part with me.”
Within these grand words, there was still a bit of childish naivety. Wei Tingxu remained silent. Whether her waist was in severe pain or the massage earlier was too comfortable, causing her to fall asleep, Wei Tingxu quietly lay on the couch without giving any judgment on the dispute between the two.
Xiaohua was not someone who would engage in petty jealousy. After she finished speaking, she no longer paid attention and just knelt quietly in the corner, waiting for Wei Tingxu to speak again.
Zhen Wenjun continued to massage her. At this time, Wei Tingxu had already taken off her outer garment and was only wearing a white inner garment. Her back was covered with a mink shawl. The shawl draped from below her shoulder blades all the way to her knees. Each time Zhen Wenjun pressed on her waist, the shawl would rub against the collar of the inner garment and slide down. After this happened several times, Zhen Wenjun finally saw a few shallow scars extending from Wei Tingxu’s neck down her back.
These were not marks left by a blade but were burn and bite marks.
A surge of doubts arose in Zhen Wenjun’s mind. Why were they burn and bite marks instead of blade wounds or scrapes? blade wounds might have been sustained during an assassination attempt, and scrapes could have been related to a leg injury from a fall. But burn and bite marks were indeed peculiar.
Were Wei Tingxu’s legs truly injured in an accident in the Suidong Mountain Range? Or was there another hidden reason for her injuries?
Since she had come to Wei Tingxu’s side, she had to grasp all the information about her. Only by piecing together every little detail could she fully understand and see through this person. To capture someone’s heart, the most basic requirement is to understand her past.
Regarding her past, aside from openly explaining the incident in the Suidong Mountain Range and the matter of her savior, she mentioned nothing else and was as guarded as a fortress.
She wanted to see more of the scars on Wei Tingxu’s back, but the collar of the inner garment was not low, and she could only see a small section at most. She couldn’t possibly strip Wei Tingxu’s clothes directly… Zhen Wenjun continued to massage, and a terrifying thought suddenly struck her.
Were Wei Tingxu’s legs really injured by a fall in the Suidong Mountain Range?
Or were the leg injuries and the scars on her back from some other accident?
Could it be that her legs were not even injured?
If this assumption is true, it would lead to an even more terrifying conclusion—Wei Tingxu’s leg injury could very well be a pretense. Just like the identity of “Wei Zizhuo,” those who wanted to eliminate her always believed Wei Zizhuo was a man, so they could never find her. The identity of a disabled person sitting in a four-wheeled cart was similarly a smokescreen, making people think she couldn’t stand and thus lowering their guard, making them believe she was easy to assassinate, only to end up losing their lives due to negligence.
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Her legs were fine, so she never went to the Suidong Mountain Range. If she never went to the Suidong Mountain Range, there was no savior. Without a savior, there was no Zhen Wenjun. Everything was just a trap.
Think about it, why would the daughter of a peasant family have a notable name?
Following this line of deduction, Zhen Wenjun’s palms turned cold.
Could it be that all her joy and pride about getting close to Wei Tingxu were just illusions like flowers in the water or the moon in the mirror? Is everything now a vast maze of deceit that Wei Tingxu has been leading her into step by step?
Xiaohua still knelt in the corner, silent and speechless. Wei Tingxu lay under her hands in silence as well, and it was unclear what she was thinking at that moment.
The air inside the carriage suddenly became dry, and with each breath, Zhen Wenjun felt as if sparks were drilling into her nose.
Was she overthinking, attributing too much to Wei Tingxu, or was she underestimating her, not even worthy of being compared to Wei Tingxu’s scheming?
In fact, the method of verification was very simple.
All questions and doubts can be answered by addressing the root issue.
Whether Wei Tingxu’s legs are truly disabled can be tested and known.
Zhen Wenjun’s hands, which were pushing and pressing, slowly moved down from the waist. Summoning her resolve, she used almost ninety percent of her strength to pinch hard at the root of Wei Tingxu’s leg.
She had practiced martial arts since she was young and had considerable strength in her hands. The injury on her palm from some time ago had mostly healed with proper medication. This pinch landed precisely on a tender and fragile spot, and even through the fur, it would certainly cause an ordinary person to cry out in pain.
As long as Wei Tingxu’s legs had any sensation, she would not be able to ignore this iron grip. If the leg injury was fake, Wei Tingxu would immediately turn over and scold her. Zhen Wenjun would then immediately kneel and beg for forgiveness, claiming that she had too much strength from working since childhood, and that in recent years, she had secretly practiced martial arts to become a reliable person who could protect her elder sister. She would explain that her elder sister’s legs had not moved for years and needed strong pressure to promote blood circulation, and she hadn’t expected to press too hard and frighten her elder sister.
The explanations and excuses had already circled in her mind, and in her heart, the little person had already knelt down next to Xiaohua, just waiting for Wei Tingxu to jump up and question her.
But nothing happened.
Nothing at all.
Her pinch felt as if she had grabbed a lifeless object; not only did Wei Tingxu not jump up, but she also lay there without moving a muscle, without even lifting her head, as if she didn’t know what Zhen Wenjun had done.
Only Xiaohua’s fiery gaze, like a sharp sword, slashed fiercely at her.
“What are you doing?” Xiaohua, a master of external martial arts, could easily detect Zhen Wenjun’s hidden exertion of force.
Xiaohua stood up and quickly approached, and only then did Wei Tingxu, hearing the commotion, look up in confusion.
The moment Xiaohua stood up, Zhen Wenjun had already guessed from the flames in her eyes what would happen next.
Perfect.
She didn’t need to do anything; she just waited for Xiaohua to completely bring her to Wei Tingxu’s side.
Xiaohua stepped forward and punched her in the face, then grabbed her by the collar and threw her out of the carriage.
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As Lingbi was putting the last piece of dried meat into the food box, something flew out of the carriage, startling the horses into a long neigh and causing them to raise their hooves and run off with the carriage.
Lingbi immediately jumped onto a horse and, after much effort, managed to calm it down and prevent a bigger commotion. Looking back, she saw that what had flown out of the carriage was actually Zhen Wenjun.
Zhen Wenjun was surrounded by guards, spitting blood from her mouth.
Lingbi dismounted and pushed the guards aside, pulling her up: “What happened! What’s going on!”
Even the shadow guards who had been staying in the trees and forest rushed out. The guards charged into the carriage, while the shadow guards kept watch outside. But upon rushing in, they found no one inside except Wei Tingxu and Xiaohua.
The punch from Xiaohua was filled with so much anger that Zhen Wenjun dared not think more about it. She pushed her own dislocated jaw back into place, the pain making tears well up in her eyes.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing… just a misunderstanding with Sister Xiaohua.” After pushing her jaw back, she could barely speak. She touched her swollen mouth corner and saw Wei Tingxu looking at her through the broken window.
Was there reluctance in her eyes?
Zhen Wenjun strained to observe her.
When she clearly recognized the reluctance and pity in Wei Tingxu’s eyes, her anxious heart slowly settled. The punch had not been in vain.
Lingbi took Zhen Wenjun back to the tent to rest and gave her some medicine to apply herself.
Inside the tent, a steaming pot was set up, cooking wild chicken, sun-dried vegetables they had brought along, and half a corn cob. As the water boiled, the aroma of the meat and the sweetness of the vegetables blended together, filling the entire tent.
As Zhen Wenjun applied the medicine, her mind was still occupied with thoughts of Wei Tingxu.
It seemed that Wei Tingxu’s legs were truly without sensation. She also recalled something: Zhen Wenjun’s father was once a member of the Pingcang nobility, but due to a family misfortune, they had escaped to live in the wilderness. Surely, her father must have read many books, so it wasn’t surprising that he had given his daughter such a name.
However, she still felt a bit uneasy. If given the chance, she must personally go up the mountain to investigate.
By the time the chicken soup was ready, Wei Tingxu and Xiaohua were nowhere to be seen.
“Where are Xiaohua and Sister?” Zhen Wenjun asked.
Lingbi shook her head: “The lady instructed that she and Xiaohua went to the north slope, taking only two guards with them. Even the shadow guards were not allowed to follow.”
“What? Not even the shadow guards? What if they encounter danger? No, I must go and check.”
“Don’t go, if the lady finds out, how many skins do you have to peel off?”
Zhen Wenjun hesitated and said, “Sister Lingbi is right.”
Lingbi was about to lecture her further when Zhen Wenjun directly pulled her toward the outside of the tent: “But if Sister Lingbi comes with me, I won’t be afraid of being scolded. Good sister, come with me!”
Lingbi retorted, “You’re looking for a scolding and dragging me along too?!”
In the cold wind, under the clear moon, and among the withered branches, Zhen Wenjun forcefully dragged Lingbi to the north slope. Silently, they climbed up the treetops. Fortunately, the bright moonlight tonight provided some illumination, and with one glance, she saw Wei Tingxu, Xiaohua, and the two guards within a hundred steps.
Wei Tingxu sat on the four-wheeled cart, while Xiaohua knelt before her. Wei Tingxu said, “Sister Wenjun is my lifesaver. Although I previously suspected her and tested her many times, she ultimately did not betray my trust. She even risked her life to save me. How can you, such a person of deep feelings and loyalty, harm her out of a moment of impulsiveness?”
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Zhen Wenjun thought Xiaohua would argue and reveal that she had deliberately tested her strength, but to her surprise, Xiaohua was so obedient to Wei Tingxu that she did not refute a single word.
Wei Tingxu continued, “Lingbi manages internal matters while you handle external ones. Sister Wenjun will be my capable assistant in the future, responsible for military supplies and recruiting soldiers. You are all my trusted confidants, my wings. You must not harbor any resentment. I know you are stubborn and may not be willing to accept this without rebuttal. Stay here and think it over carefully. Only come to me after you can truly accept Sister Wenjun.”
After speaking, the guards pushed the four-wheeled cart away, leaving Xiaohua kneeling alone in the cold night.
As Zhen Wenjun had thought, Wei Tingxu really began to trust her. By sending most people away, she intended to reprimand Xiaohua but also save her some face. The reason Zhen Wenjun brought Lingbi along was so that Lingbi could hear these words with her own ears, ensuring that she would no longer be suspicious or track her, greatly facilitating Zhen Wenjun’s actions in the future.
However, Xiaohua had just begun treating her poison and was covered in wounds. Kneeling here all night was truly pitiful. Speaking of which, Xiaohua was indeed a loyal and righteous person with a heart of pure devotion. She acted because she discovered someone intending to harm her lady. If not for being on opposite sides, Zhen Wenjun wouldn’t have made things difficult for her.
Xiaohua had been kneeling for half an hour when she suddenly smelled the aroma of meat. She looked up and saw a steaming pot hanging from a branch above her.
Xiaohua: “…”
Meanwhile, back at the tent, Lingbi, who had searched three times but couldn’t find any trace of dinner, was utterly puzzled:
“Where’s my chicken?! The chicken I chased across three mountain peaks to catch?!”