Fish Meat – Chapter 67

The Ninth Year of Shenchu

Needle Tip versus Wheat Awning (Part 4)

While thinking, Zhen Wenjun jumped off the car, stepping on the leaves underfoot, grinding them into mud. When the leaves were fully ground into mud, she had cleared her thoughts.

Handwriting, letter, conspiracy… conspiracy, rebellion, betrayal?

Betrayal, sowing discord?

That’s right, Yan Ye wants Wei Tingxu’s handwriting to forge a letter and sow discord, undermining the trust between Wei Tingxu and the eldest princess. The stratagem of sowing discord is a common tactic, and the methods are largely similar. Cooperation is most afraid of suspicion; once allies begin to suspect each other, the emperor can take advantage and defeat Li Yanyi and the Wei family one by one!

But can they succeed with just Wei Tingxu’s handwriting?

Observing Li Yanyi’s attitude towards Wei Tingxu, it is evident that she regards her as a trusted minister, with plans and discussions carried out without suspicion. No matter how effectively the clear current calculates, it may be in vain, as Li Yanyi may not believe it. Even if Li Yanyi does harbor doubts, Wei Tingxu’s abilities can make any disaster vanish unnoticed.

Zhen Wenjun is not well-acquainted with Xie Fuchen, aside from Wei Tingxu’s mentions and a brief, inconsequential exchange with Yan Ye. This leader of the clear current, trusted by the emperor and seen as a rival by Wei Tingxu, clearly possesses exceptional strategy and cunning. Zhen Wenjun wonders: if even I can see that this plan to sow discord might not succeed, why would Xie Fuchen bother with such effort?

Perhaps the forged letters are merely a distraction? The true aim lies elsewhere.

What could the real target be? Could it be other spies around Wei Tingxu?

Who are these other spies? After eliminating possibilities, only Xu Weng and his disciple, whom Wei Tingxu keeps at a distance, remain. Although Zhong Ji has been detoxifying Xiaohua for a long time, Wei Tingxu seems reluctant to grow close to the master and disciple duo. According to Lingbi, they are not part of the Wei family but were brought in by the lady when she suffered from old waist and leg injuries; Doctor Xu’s effective methods kept them around for emergencies, which explains the lack of complete trust. Zhen Wenjun has always suspected that Doctor Xu is the second pair of eyes Xie Fuchen has placed beside Wei Tingxu.

If Xie Fuchen had prepared in two ways, the information Zhen Wenjun obtained was only one-sided, preventing her from seeing the full picture and understanding Xie Fuchen’s plot, leaving her unable to act. Thus, Xu Weng and his disciple still need to be watched.

After piecing together these details, Zhen Wenjun decided to secretly seek out Wei Tingxu’s handwriting. Though Wei Tingxu and Li Yanyi are clever, mere handwriting cannot drive a wedge between them. However, it can increase Zhen Wenjun’s value to the clear current and help her secure her position.

As she walked back to Wei Tingxu’s carriage, she heard Ah Liao sobbing and singing “Ah Yi Lady,” lamenting that she should never be made to do something so unscrupulous again. Why is she always called upon to trouble beauties? Her heart aches with sorrow.

Wei Tingxu comforted her: “Who else but you, Ah Liao, can trouble the world’s beauties?”

Zhen Wenjun lifted the curtain just in time to hear this and couldn’t help but shiver—who knew Wei Tingxu could say something so cheesy and nauseating?

Ah Liao thought for a moment and then solemnly agreed: “That’s right, who else but me? Alas, in my life, besides furong power, I can’t give up the beauty of a face.”

Zhen Wenjun glanced around Wei Tingxu, pondering where her handwriting might be kept. It seemed she often had correspondence, and previously, Xiaohua helped organize it. Now that she had pushed Xiaohua away from Wei Tingxu, the responsibility of sorting and organizing personal items should be transferred to her. However, having just entered the city and not yet settled, with Wei Tingxu and the guards around, it was difficult to act. It might be better to wait until they settled in Quxian to take action.

Unexpectedly, before Zhen Wenjun could speak, Wei Tingxu was invited to the guest house by people sent by Li Yanyi, who had arrived in Quxian early. Zhen Wenjun sent Xiaohua to follow and take care of her, concerned about Wei Tingxu’s accommodations.

“Suichuan is too cold; I need to warm the blankets for my sister, so she can have a good sleep tonight,” Zhen Wenjun said. “There are some odds and ends that might inconvenience my sister, so I need to tidy them up properly.”

Wei Tingxu smiled: “Sister, you are thoughtful, go ahead.”

Zhen Wenjun rode on Yunzhong Feixue, bringing Lingbi and the convoy to the courtyard to settle down, unloading all the large and small boxes. Zhen Wenjun directed the attendants to place the items properly, shook off the dust from days of travel, and chatted with Lingbi. While chatting, her expression suddenly changed, and she sniffed hard a few times:

“Sister Lingbi, do you smell something strange?”

“A strange smell? Is there one?” Lingbi sniffed around.

“Yes, a sour and stinky smell.” Zhen Wenjun sniffed around and finally found the culprit, “Sister Lingbi, it’s coming from you.”

“Me? How can that be!” Lingbi raised her arm to smell and looked embarrassed.

“It’s nothing, sister. After a long journey without a comfortable place to rest, having a bit of a smell is quite normal,” Zhen Wenjun said, pointing to the backyard. “I’ve already prepared hot water in the pool for a good soak, but it seems you need it more now. Sister, you go first, and I’ll bring wine and food to you later. Once you’re comfortable, enjoy a drink in the hot water, and the fatigue of the journey will be swept away.”

Lingbi looked at Zhen Wenjun, who was sweet-talking and seemed unfamiliar: “Why are you being so nice? Do you need something from me?”

Zhen Wenjun didn’t expect her rare gentleness to arouse Lingbi’s suspicion, “Huh?” she exclaimed, then added mysteriously, “Sister Lingbi, you truly understand me, I do have a request.”

“I knew it. Go ahead, what is it?”

“I beg you to go bathe quickly; I’m being stunk to death.”

Lingbi’s fists hit Zhen Wenjun’s chest, but having practiced boxing with Xiaohua for many days, Zhen Wenjun recognized Lingbi’s moves immediately. She quickly retracted her arms to block the attack. As Lingbi shifted her moves downward, Zhen Wenjun steadily intercepted them.

When they first met, Lingbi could easily handle Zhen Wenjun, but times have changed. Zhen Wenjun’s martial arts skills have rapidly advanced, allowing her to effortlessly counter all of Lingbi’s moves and even steal her hairpin.

“Stupid monkey! Give it back to me!” Lingbi shouted angrily as Zhen Wenjun had already dashed far away with the hairpin.

“Quickly go bathe! Wash your clothes thoroughly too, so you don’t leave any smell to bother sister!” Zhen Wenjun taunted from twenty steps away in an instant.

Lingbi pointed at her: “If I catch you, you’re dead, so watch out.”

Lingbi was quite concerned, so she quickly went to bathe. While the other attendants and guards were still organizing, Zhen Wenjun personally tidied Wei Tingxu’s bedroom and took the opportunity to find Wei Tingxu’s handwriting.

“Zizhuo!” Upon seeing Wei Tingxu, Li Yanyi greeted her warmly, even personally pushing her four-wheeled cart. As they walked into the house, she said, “The victory in the battle of the three counties was truly remarkable. Come, I have a gift for you.”

Li Yanyi never used the word ‘reward’ with Wei Tingxu; she preferred to treat her with the respect of a friend. She knew that although Wei Tingxu appeared frail due to her illness, her pride was equal to her own. Although she had pledged allegiance to her, if she were regarded merely as an ordinary strategist, she might not be so devoted. Li Yanyi always considered her a close confidante.

Wei Tingxu smiled and said, “The gift from Your Highness is naturally extraordinary.”

Nearby, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Lin Quan, added, “Her Highness has had people searching since last year, and when the news came a few days ago, they rushed to bring it over thousands of miles. Zizhuo, Her Highness truly cares for you.”

During the conversation, a maid offered a purple sandalwood box to Li Yanyi, slightly curtsying as she presented it with both hands.

Li Yanyi took the box and, with some mystery, said to Wei Tingxu: “Open it and take a look.”

Wei Tingxu opened the box, inside were bundles of brown herbs shaped like snake bones, thin as snake skin, and quite peculiar. She raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise: “Snake bone herb?”

Li Yanyi proudly said: “Exactly, this snake bone herb hasn’t been seen for a hundred years. Last year, I heard there were people selling it in an ancient country, so I sent someone to verify its authenticity. Unexpectedly, I really found it. Initially, the person didn’t want to sell; later, I exchanged it with a county, and he reluctantly accepted. This medicine is just right for Zizhuo’s leg ailment, hoping it is as effective as rumored, allowing my Zizhuo to walk freely like a normal person. Zizhuo… I truly care for you; if you are healthy, you can achieve greater ambitions. You shouldn’t be confined by a four-wheeled cart but should follow me to conquer and fully display your talents.”

Wei Tingxu held the wooden box, showing little joy: “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Li Yanyi said: “I should be the one thanking you, Zizhuo. Retaking the three northern counties has greatly boosted our army’s morale! It also left Li Ju with nothing, making him fetch water with a bamboo basket. I haven’t felt this satisfied in years!”

Secretary of State Ling Zuoxu also praised Wei Tingxu, saying that retaking the three counties was a severe blow to Li Ju’s reputation. Now they have even composed a ballad for the children of the three counties to sing in the streets, suggesting in the song that the credit for retaking the counties belongs entirely to the Grand Princess, mocking Li Ju’s incompetence. It is said that this ballad has spread from the north to the capital, and even the children there can sing it. Li Ju, upon hearing it, would truly be infuriated. Yet, no matter how angry he is, he cannot send people to investigate, as not only are many people singing it, but taking action would prove the lyrics true. As such, Li Ju can only swallow this silent loss.

After speaking, everyone laughed heartily. Wei Tingxu still had an important matter on her mind: “Has there been any news on Xie Fuchen’s whereabouts, Your Highness?”

“According to reports from northern spies, Xie Fuchen has been hiding in Mengliang, but his movements are uncertain, and it’s not clear what he’s doing. The spies are still trying to follow him closely. If there is any new information, it will be relayed back in time, and I will inform Zizhuo as soon as possible.”

Lingbi hummed a song while bathing, repeatedly applying soap root, trying to scrub the accumulated dirt from her body.

Zhen Wenjun dismissed the others, intent on helping Wei Tingxu organize her personal belongings alone. She opened each box and noticed that although Wei Tingxu’s items were not many, and not as luxurious or extravagant as Ah Liao’s, there were still many small items belonging to a young lady. There were several boxes neatly arranged with various scented wooden rouge boxes, each with different scents and colors. Zhen Wenjun curiously took out a few long-shaped scented wooden boxes, opened them, and sniffed a few sticks closely. They had a pleasant woody fragrance, but what was the difference? Not to mention the rouge and kohl, all red, with little variation. Why have forty or fifty boxes? It truly puzzled Zhen Wenjun.

After setting aside these rouge and perfumes, she finally uncovered a stack of bamboo slips and silk letters. Just as she was about to open them, someone entered without knocking. Zhen Wenjun quickly put the letters back and closed the box, noticing that the guard who entered was the same one who had barged in when she and Yan Ye met secretly in the inn’s kitchen, his method of entry still so practiced.

“What are you doing here?” The person stared at her intently, with icy words.

“I’m naturally helping my sister tidy up things.” Zhen Wenjun hadn’t expected that after so long, even Lingbi considered her one of their own, yet this person still guarded against her.

“Tidying things? Why close the door?”

The accusation hit Zhen Wenjun hard, rendering her momentarily speechless. The door wasn’t closed by her; it was blown shut by a gust of north wind. She understood well that trying to cover it up would only appear more suspicious.

“The door was blown shut by the wind,” Zhen Wenjun stated frankly.

“Blown shut by the wind? Hmph.” The guard sneered, not believing her at all.

Zhen Wenjun responded seriously: “If I had intentionally closed it, I would have bolted the door. Could you have pushed it open so easily?”

Her argument was reasonable, and the guard ceased to argue further, stepping aside to clear the doorway: “The lady’s personal items involve many secrets; you should not be here alone. Please wait for the lady to return and follow her arrangements. Please.”

Zhen Wenjun found this person extremely rude: “I am only helping to tidy up. Do you really think I would spy on secrets?”

The guard did not respond to her question, simply repeating: “Please!”

This person was very stubborn, and continuing to argue with him might cause unnecessary conflict and arouse Wei Tingxu’s suspicion. Wei Tingxu had finally come to trust her, so it was best not to complicate matters.

Zhen Wenjun had no choice but to leave for now.

As she walked out of the courtyard, she discreetly looked back and saw the guard standing vigilantly at the entrance, not leaving.

Hmph.

Zhen Wenjun smirked internally, thinking, “Do you think you can stop me like this?”

Her wounds had healed significantly during the bumpy journey. As wounds heal, they tend to itch. Having learned martial arts from long hours of riding, Zhen Wenjun had not yet had the opportunity to showcase her skills, so this was a perfect chance to practice.

She leaped into the air like a nimble cat and landed on the courtyard roof, making only a slight “crack” sound, which was almost inaudible under the cover of the howling evening wind of Suichuan, and the guard did not hear it. She crouched and ran along the corridor roof to the back of the house, where there was a narrow courtyard designed for planting flowers and greenery between the house and the wall. Many courtyards in Suichuan were designed this way. When she was with the Xie family, she used to dislike these courtyards because they were too narrow and difficult to clean. But no matter how narrow, they could still accommodate her. After jumping into the courtyard, she could easily slip into the house through the window lattice.

The guard was still outside, but she was already back inside.

On tiptoe, she quietly reopened the box, flipping through its contents. Everything appeared to be very ordinary family letters. It seemed that Wei Tingxu was very cautious in her correspondence, concealing the truth within plain words that outsiders could not discern.

Wei Tingxu was incredibly meticulous; she couldn’t remove anything, as even one missing item would be noticed. She also couldn’t casually forge her handwriting, as being discovered would ruin the trust she had built with the Xie family. Holding these letters, Zhen Wenjun felt a bit bewildered, having been careless with such details. What should she do?

Suddenly, a slight sound of pressure came, startling Zhen Wenjun. She immediately rolled under the bed, assuming the guard had noticed something and come in to check. From under the bed, she could see that the door hadn’t opened and no one had entered, yet there was the sound of deliberately concealed footsteps within the room.

Who was it? From where did they come? Did they also sneak in through the window?

Zhen Wenjun was deeply puzzled, listening intently to the footsteps. The frequency of the steps suggested someone with excellent Qinggong, but if it was a master of Qinggong, the footsteps were too heavy. Could it be a burly man skilled in Qinggong?

The person walked to the bedside, and Zhen Wenjun saw a pair of black boots very close to her. Something was placed on the bed. After placing it down, the intruder quickly left, their footsteps much lighter, almost like a ghost. As they left, the window lattice made a very subtle “crack” sound, barely noticeable unless one was listening intently. For someone to come and go so freely, Zhen Wenjun was truly impressed.

What did this person leave on the bed? Judging by the weight of the pressure, it seemed to be a person. When very close, Zhen Wenjun heard strange breathing sounds.

It was a woman’s breathing, rapid in frequency, seemingly in pain.

After confirming the intruder had left, Zhen Wenjun crawled out from under the bed, opened the curtains, and her eyes nearly popped out.

The person lying on the bed was actually Xie family’s Ah Xin!

Ah Xin’s hands and legs were tied, but not in an unbreakable knot; with her skills, freeing herself wouldn’t be difficult. However, at this moment, Ah Xin’s cheeks were unusually flushed, her skin covered in sweat, her eyes clouded with tears, and something seemed to be in her mouth, preventing her from speaking, leaving her to make only pained humming sounds. More alarmingly, her clothes were disheveled, her chest partly exposed, and she looked at Zhen Wenjun with eyes full of helplessness and allure.

What is this madness!

Zhen Wenjun was momentarily stunned, and after a brief pause, she immediately realized that this was the true scheme of provocation! The affair between Li Yanyi and Ah Xin had been turned into a play; everyone knew of their relationship. Now, seeing her in this state on Wei Tingxu’s bed, anyone would suspect an ambiguous affair between her and Wei Tingxu! Schemes are easy to detect, emotions hard to unravel, and thus Li Yanyi would surely become suspicious!

Even worse, at that very moment, the voices of Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu came from outside the room.

“…This small courtyard has its own charm, but it’s too small, really a bit of a grievance for Zizhuo.”

“No problem, as long as it can block the wind and rain.”

Zhen Wenjun was terrified, her face turning pale; they really returned at the worst possible moment! If Li Yanyi saw Ah Xin in this state, Wei Tingxu would truly be unable to defend herself!

Zhen Wenjun quickly jumped off the bed, frantically looking around the room like an ant on a hot pan. They had moved too hastily, and there wasn’t a single screen to hide someone! In her panic, Zhen Wenjun struck the moaning Ah Xin unconscious with a swift palm, pulled her down, and tried to stuff her under the bed. Just as she was about to squeeze in with her, she realized the person was too tall, and her rigid body got stuck at the bed’s foot. The beds in Da Yu were naturally low, leaving no space for another person!

The footsteps grew closer, and Zhen Wenjun was so anxious her face turned red.

Perhaps she should just sit by the desk, pretending to tidy up the room?

But the guard had clearly driven her out, so how could she explain her deliberate return?

The door was about to be opened, and Zhen Wenjun glared at the entrance, anger rising within her, boldness pushing her to the edge of recklessness, leaving her with no choice but to—

Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu pushed open the door to find several large boxes piled up in the quiet room, with thick curtains hanging down, tightly covering the bed, creating an eerie atmosphere.

The two had been talking, but upon seeing the unusual curtains, they exchanged a glance. The guard standing behind them also noticed and was about to speak when Li Yanyi motioned for him to remain silent.

Li Yanyi drew the guard’s sword and quietly approached the curtains.

As the curtain was suddenly lifted, and just as the sword in her hand was about to thrust in, the curtain gently fell, and she seemed to see something, causing her to stop instantly.

No one but Li Yanyi knew what was behind the curtain, only seeing her slightly stiffened back.

“Ahem.” Li Yanyi lowered the sword, adjusted the curtain, and walked back with a smile, patting Wei Tingxu on the shoulder, “Zizhuo, you should have mentioned it earlier.”

Wei Tingxu: “?”

“If you had mentioned it earlier, I wouldn’t have come in and spoiled your fun.”

Wei Tingxu: “??”

Li Yanyi glanced at the guard, displeased with his dullness, and loudly said, “Let’s go.”

The guard was also bewildered, with many words unsaid, but since the eldest princess had spoken, he didn’t dare disobey, and simply replied “Yes,” and followed her out. As Li Yanyi left, she kindly closed the door.

Wei Tingxu wheeled her four-wheeled cart to the bedside, lifted the curtain, and found Zhen Wenjun completely naked, nestled in her quilt, looking at her with the terror of a startled rabbit.