A Maiden's Strange Voyage

"Give me a moment." To comb her hair from the mess that it was, and get herself ready. Zhixun had instead taught her more about words since he was a former scholar. And he offered a different insight, which had been rather helpful, to say the least. And she had finished all that Feiyu asked her to do.

She threw on a dress and took a comb to straighten out her hair. Coming out and b.u.mping into Yuan Shao. "Well, I"m working with her as of now." He gave a wave, even as she did too. While blinking even as she remembered that she had just b.u.mped into him. Before he gave her a couple of biscuits and she was more than happy as much as she looked in incredulity.

"His mother often woke him up at dawn, and he was often rather listless in the morning." She came up, even as he seemed to have adjusted quite well. Today she was just unable to fathom why she was being called up so early. "And because some missions need to be done as soon as possible." Without a doubt, this had been one of them without a doubt. Without a doubt that something was wrong as much as it was correct.

And she wasn"t used to it. Zhixun had not found the need to do so at this point. This was something different as much as she knew it had to be the truth. It made sense given just what it meant to them at the end of the day. She mostly ate something as she walked. Not even knowing just what it was. But she knew that she will know more when she came to the place. Without a doubt, it will be fairly soon enough.

"This is something she gave high priority to, which means we have to get to it at once."

"That, or she will punish you." He looked at her, spooking her to think that it was something that she was better off not seeing in her life. But she doubted she had many replacements or even many who will have came to her.

"It was only a terror for you since you were taken off them."

"No, because I had to go through both Xianlie and Aunt Jin before I was allowed to do anything." He had shuddered. She gave a small smile in return.

"It"s called probation, and I watched you sometimes too." Even as he rolled his eyes, as though it was something more than that. Before they went right out of it, it seemed they were still going to be around in the city. At least somewhere. Feiyu"s steps were a lot faster than before, holding with them haste.

It was uncommon for Feiyu to be so, even as she remained in a joking conversation with Yuan Shao. Different than she was with her. "Also, how did you two meet?"

The question that will make Feiyu speechless and Dianyu will blink in surprise. Before looking at each other, remembering the first incident. It ended with spilled wine over her clothing. "I served her when she visited my town."

"So, can you cook?"

"I can, but I"m not the best." She was poorer than some, and her only formal instruction in it had been being her a.s.sistant for a year. She did learn to cook, and knew how to take care of herself. But she will never say that she was the best. Her mother had not taught her much, instead focusing on literacy. As much as all else laughed at how it was going to worthless.

"She served me, and there was an interesting result."

"I know what wine feels like." Before he gave a chuckle, having a good idea just what it meant. As she was not saying that it had been tasted, but rather touching. "I did it because I didn"t want to serve a spoiled brat, I just wasn"t in the mood for handling difficult customers who made it their life to make near-impossible demands of me."

"Well, she did learn that lesson when she was working under you."

"I did not bully her by any means."

"I could tell since you were about to marry her brother." Even as she looked unimpressed.

"You"re telling me the whole story once this is done." Even as Yuan Shao seized it like a dog finding its bone. She glanced at him before Feiyu took the chance to go further, as they had not left the house yet. She turned around to find the elder woman staring at them. Before she looked back, realizing just what kept Feiyu going.

Or even what had made Yuan Shao quiet. It was only upon reaching a full street away that they decided to do anything at this point. "So, you"re a runaway bride?"

"That or I"ll be jilted at the altar." That only seemed to have riled him up even further. "We had an agreement."

"Now I really want to know more about this." He said with much curiosity. Even as he seemed on the brink of cackling. "And here I thought Feiyu"s was fascinating, yours is more hilarious in a rather tragic way. But hers is just hilarious because they are rather eccentric."

Which for lack of better fit. As much as she was trying her best not to descend into laughter as well. This was certainly true because of the situation she was now in, there was a lot of understanding about this. She was tempted, but she doubted this was the time or even place. Or even the best option now more than ever.

He was about to speak up. "We can talk more of it later, we have something to get to."

Feiyu had told her of mostly everything to her leaving, eventually leading to her travel. Something that she was stopping for, although she had a certainty at this point that it was not going to be long. "I didn"t make the effort to wake up early and end up late either way."

"Fine." Knowing that whatever they had to do took precedence over this at this point. This was something which they had to get to, or possibly face a pretty unpleasant consequence. Which most definitely could tell was something that they did not want to do. Before finally not saying a word until they reached the place.

It took quite a long while for them to finally reach the location. She could have made the guess that it had been a long ride all this while. Even as she realized that they were looking at a court. It was clear given just how different it was. Chang"an was not a capital, but it was an important city. The beginning of the silk road.

This was where disputes between families were settled, at the same time it was to decide how a criminal will be condemned. It was a place where few willingly stepped into, these matters often took time and the outcomes not nearly what they wanted to do so at the end of the day. She knew as her mother had been the wariest about something like this. Nothing worried her more than this at any point.

And the ha.s.sle that she went to writing down a will, about the matters of the restaurant should she pa.s.s. At her age, it was expected that she think about it. To have things settled before her impending death. Which could have come anytime. She knew that it was the same for all, something that became a necessity. And who should take over?

Her mother had not specified that it had to be her. And after this, she was unlikely to ever inherit. But such places she knew were for things like this. "This is something rather tricky, so two of us are a.s.signed."

"That and because it is better to have a man, and Xianlie simply refused to do this. I"m the better option for something that requires a bit of patience." Feiyu gave a moment to blink, knowing just it seemed different.

They weren"t entering because they didn"t need to deal with a dispute. They weren"t here for any real reason unless someone counted waiting for someone. But letters were the best way to communicate. Although there should have been some person here. To at least make sure that they weren"t waiting for anything.

Before it had been a young man carrying scrolls of paper. And looking at him. "I asked for someone and they send a woman, a girl, and a boy."

"If you doubt us, let me read it." He was hesitant, but if he had simply turned them away he will experience a delay. He handed it over with reluctance. Feiyu had read the doc.u.ment in perfect words. Even as she knew that this was much more up Zhixun"s ally than anyone else. He was the most notably suitable for something like this. And remember that many scholars often worked in such officers, keeping records of the town, resolving any disputes. It was their duty as they were literate.

She watched as his face grew in surprise. "Believe me now?" There was nothing which suggested doubt.

He did believe them, to a certain extent given how he had just remained quiet. "Follow me."Perhaps standing right out in the courtyard had been far from a great idea. No, it will have been a pretty terrible idea by all means. This place was open to being overheard. Even as it was clear that all remained curious. Clear that they were strange, with the possibility of being entertainers of some sort. That much was true with Feiyu carrying a fine wood case. Which was only brought by traveling musicians. And the dizi which hung on Yuan Shao"s belt.

Inside, they entered a room where the amount of work simply piled up. Before he sat down, asking for some tea. Once it came, he began. He took out a will first and foremost, something that she knew had been of importance. "This was by a man who wanted everything to not go to his children"s hands. Citing personal choice, and influence."

"By whom?"

"Look at this, it was all to temples and orders which worship fate. And the family wishes to overturn such a decision and pushed it to us." Since this was a matter which should have been brought up to them. A way to prevent any form of fraud. And the amount of money here had indeed been large, given them cause to investigate. "They believe that he had been persuaded to do this. But the man is dead, so you need to start from the beneficiaries."

The most prominent had been the top two. And he had included records of the man to go with it. "Why are you seeking us?"

"It was a recommendation from my superior who mentioned that such a case, it was best to leave it to you." Feiyu simply put it down, for a moment. As did Yuan Shao. She wondered whether they had been trying to recall its existence. Or whether they had done this before as it seemed to have been important. Before they focused back.

"Alright, we"ll do it. But it will require some time, how long do we have."

"Ten days." It had been a reasonable amount to them.

"That"s fine with us."

This was something new to her. But she supposed that they helped anyone who needed them regardless of their situation. Whether they worked or not. Whether they were rich or in poverty. Before he left, perhaps having other matters to attend to.

Once they were out of the bureau was the time where Yuan Shao began to spoke up. "I clearly didn"t think we will be doing that again."

"Well, considering that his superior was more open-minded and needed us to do this I"m not surprised."

"The last time he had came to her house and begged her to help him, spending nearly three days simply wailing and begging for her kindness." Which was strange, Magistrates rarely did something like this on their own. Or even try to think that it was a good option at all.

"But it makes sense why we were a.s.signed as a pair." Before she left.

"So, you have done this before?"

"Not exactly, that case was entirely different. But we worked with each other before."

Before she left, following Feiyu to her next destination.