Rui Fu felt a burst of unease in his heart, unconsciously heopened his eyes, tossing and turning on his bed he couldn’t sleep, he just gotup and put on his clothes, the young eunuch guarding outside Tong Hai was justdozing off, seeing Rui Fu up and about he jumped in fright, he busily stoodstraight saying, “Why are you up?”
“Xiao Hai ah, how can you sneakily sleep like this,certainly like raising a pig.” Rui Fu hmphed, reaching out to pinch Xiao Hai’schubby cheeks, “Your adoptive father me body has been weak recently, should Istew you to supplement myself?”
Tong Hai laughed hehe, puffing out his cheeks he said,“Adoptive father, do you want to eat now? So long as you say it I will go tothe meal room right away, quickly take off my clothes and allow the chef tostew me.”
“Little brat, getting more and more brazen!” Rui Fu lookedat Tong Hai’s shameless manner, he couldn’t help laugh.
Tong Hai laughed hehe helping Rui Fu make himselfpresentable, and covered him in a thick grey fox skin overcoat, then did hefollow behind to leave.
Just as they left they felt a peal of cold air a.s.sail theirnoses, Rui Fu covered his face as he walked, his mind still thinking about theemperor’s situation, recently His Majesty really wasn’t easy to get along with.First disregarding him indescribably making the left and right commander of theEmbroidered Uniform Guards to go arrest women called Zhang Hong…, moreover lastnight he didn’t want them guarding him as he slept, sending out the hiddenguards who were always in the shadows, every night the hidden guards securedthe bedroom, no one was allowed in, even if he wasn’t allowed.
What confused him even more was, a person inevitably had toanswer the call of nature, even if the emperor previously did not frequentlyget up in the night, but nevertheless he went once, but ever since he had sentthe hidden guards outside, the bathroom has been clean, not used at all, it waslike as if he already no longer needed to eat or drink, these things were likea riddle Rui Fu could not see clearly.
Rui Fu believed he was loyal and devoted to the emperor, buthe also knew the emperor was distrustful, opening his heart to very few, butrecently moving him outside of him it still made him have feel a bit ofindescribable defeat.
“Who is it?” Rui Fu had just reached the doorway when he sawa person dressed in black dragon robes, a hidden guard wearing a gold longsword walked out with two palace Imperial bodyguards, he asked with a dignifiedgaze.
“Lord An, an eminent person has short memory, how can younot even recognise me.” Rui Fu asked in good humour.
“Oh, so it’s head manager Li.” An Wen Yao relaxed a lotseeing that it was Li Rui Fu, lacking a bit of precaution from just now,saying, “it’s so late why aren’t you asleep?”
At that moment, a sudden roar could be heard from thedirection of the emperor’s sleeping quarters, shocking those present to pale incomplexion, An Wen Yao reaction seemed to be immediate, Rui Fu only blinked andAn Wen Yao had disappeared, like a shadow of a ghost, speeding towards thebedroom, his heart had still not settled down, when another bitter yell couldbe heard!
Rui Fu heart thudded, deathly pale, this voice was theemperor’s! He was absolutely certain!
***
The moon hung in the sky, emitting a round l.u.s.tre, settingoff in contrast the white snow making it feel as if it was daytime, a mule cartstopped at outside an abandoned temple on the outskirt of the capital city.
“Lady Zhao, I’ll go in with you.” Chen Rong helped Zhao JinYu down from the mule cart.
Zhao Jin Yu also knew this was not the time for her to bereckless, at first she had thought because it was night they couldn’t hurry onwith their journey…, maybe Chen Rong saw her anxiousness, and had taken theinitiative to rea.s.sure her, it was no more than a two hour journey, moreoverthis was near to the capital city, very few problematic bandits roamed about,as for the common thugs she was not concerned with them, that’s why there wasnothing to fear, going as they pleased, Zhao Jin Yu seeing Chen Rong’s fair andreasonable mind was naturally happy, ten thousands thanks, hurrying all the waythey returned to the small temple.
“Many thanks auntie Chen.” Zhao Jin Yu gratefully said.
Chen Rong vigilantly looked all around, hearing Zhao JinYu’s words, with no expression on her face, she said, “Lady Zhao don’t becourteous.” Then she even took the lead walking in front, ceasing with any moresuperfluous words.
Zhao Jin Yu smartly followed behind Chen Rong, however shediscovered…, surprisingly before shecould give her directions Chen Rong had lead her directly to the dried up well,she was shocked, unable to not think, how does Chen Rong know about this place?Could it be she actually followed her that afternoon? She suddenly feltembarra.s.sed having been exposed.
Chen Rong however magnanimously said, “Since I accepted thisescort journey I have to ensure Lady Zhao’s safety, this place is desolate,better to be safe than sorry, that’s why when Lady Zhao came here during theday I took the liberty to follow here, however Lady Zhao please be at ease, Iwas only aware of Lady Zhao’s safety, I don’t know anything else.”
Zhao Jin Yu facing this magnanimous and righteous Chen Ronghonestly did not know what to say…, her reasons were simply very adequate,going into this long abandoned broken temple by herself was indeed somewhatunsecure.
Now it was already very late at night, the caw of an unknownbird could be heard from not too far away, it was even more strange in thispeaceful cold night, Zhao Jin Yu took a deep breath and used the moonlight tolook into the depth of the dried up well.
Through the entire journey Zhao Jin Yu went through trainsof thoughts, thinking of many scenarios when they reunite, the stone wouldimmediately curse her in a loud voice, or cry from fear, or maybe a sorryappearance from restlessly move about in the jewellery box trying to escape butunable to succeed, only she never thought she would see a box, gnawed andbitten by rats, leaving behind only a frame, and there was no trace of thestone, her complexion immediately paled, somewhat unbelievingly she rubbed hereyes.
“It’s gone!”
Chen Rong’s face darkened, walking over to pat Zhao Jin Yu’sslightly shivering body, saying,
“Someone has been here before.”
“Who? Why would someone come to such a desolate place?” ZhaoJin Yu was very frantic, thinking whether the stone had been sealed away by aTaoist priest? Such a feeble stone spirit…, a person could just move a fingerand squeeze it to death, however seeing Chen Rong’s calm expression, a kind ofcalm that would not change even if Mount Taicollapses before her eyes, unconsciously her mind also calmed down, saying,“Auntie Chen, can you find it? It is really important to me, really important!”
Chen Rong said, “Don’t worry.” Having spoken she began tolook all around, she appeared to know qinggong,thick layers of snow, she stepped on it but only left faint footprints, in amoment she looked at a large stone for quite a while, she immediately beckonedat Zhao Jin Yu, saying, “Lady Zhao, come over here and take a look.”
Zhao Jin Yu walked over to take a look, her face paled evenmore, there were many fragments beside the stone, even though they were verysmall, she however picked it up carefully sizing it then was certain this wasthe stone!
Could it be smashed to pieces by someone? It’s dead?
Chen Rong saw Zhao Jin Yu was about to cry, she faintlysighed in her mind, supporting her shoulder she said, “Lady Zhao, let uscarefully look around, maybe something else can be found.”
Zhao Jin Yu held back the tears in her eyes with difficulty,crouching on the ground looking for the stone fragments, but searching for awhile she only found bits and pieces, and no big pieces, a bit of hope againrose in her heart, with a somewhat hopeful gaze she looked at Chen Rong,saying,
“Auntie Chen, can you find out where the people who pa.s.sed by went?”
Chen Rong was only in charge of Zhao Jin Yu’s safety goingdown south, rushing back through the night to take back the thing wasconsidered to be very hard, if they carried on it would be anything matter, shecould actually directly refuse, only the moon was full, Zhao Jin Yu misty eyeswere clear and bright, like it could penetrate your heart, she instinctivelythought of the child she had lost many years ago, thinking if she was stillalive, she would be Zhao Jin Yu’s age, whether she would have experienced sucha helpless situation…, Chen Rong’s heart burst with sadness, the deep-rootedpain of being helplessly separated from her own flesh and blood rushed to herheart, unexpectedly she unconsciously nodded her head saying, “I can try.”
Two days later, at Tongzhou dock.
Zhao Jin Yu wore a white rabbit fur overcoat, Chen Rongfollowing beside her, the two people each carrying something in their handsweaved through the crowd towards the tavern, they had arrived here yesterday, andagreed to go down south in a turreted junk ship tomorrow, she had come out tobuy some essentials, after all later it would not be convenient to buy thingson the ship.
“Selling sugar-coated Chinese hawthorns,lady buy one.” A young man came over carrying sugar-coated Chinese hawthorns onhis back, seeing Zhao Jin Yu was extremely young he thought the young ladywould like these, voluntarily stepping forward to peddle.
Zhao Jin Yu looked at the brilliant red sugar-coated Chinesehawthorns, she couldn’t help swallow down her saliva, but in a blink shegloomily shook her head saying, “I don’t want it.” Immediately she dejectedlywalked away.
Chen Rong followed behind, her heart was like a mirror, twonights before the two of them had followed footsteps until they reached a smallvillage outside of the depths of a mountain, sadly even though that villagewasn’t very big, several tens of families lived there however, there was alsothe small road leading to Liaodong, that’s why even though the population waslow, it was simply impossible to figure out who went to that rundown temple…,in the end they had to return without any achievements, after that Zhao Jin Yuseemed to feel very sad and blamed herself, not feeling like eating, andwithout a smile on her face.
The two people did not say anything all the way, but havingset out a quarter of an hour later they saw a tavern, just as they were aboutto go in they saw a person suddenly flash past, almost b.u.mping into Zhao JinYu, before you knew it, Chen Rong who followed beside reached out pulling herto her side, instinctively putting her in front, shouting, “Who are you?”
That person wasn’t tall, and of medium stature, wearing agrey semi-old cotton-padded clothes, looking thirty-five or six years old, atthis moment he stood facing Chen Rong and Zhao Jin Yu smiling very politely.
“I mean no harm.” That man spoke up to here, rolling hiseyes, showing bright and shiny, “I just wanted to ask the lady, whether or notyou want to buy a talking stone as a pet?”
Zhao Jin Yu right away felt a ringing in her head, only awhile later did it settle down, very quickly she felt happiness rush into herheart, thinking to herself, truly its looking for something sparing no effort, afeeling of getting something without trying, somewhat impatiently she asked,“What type of stone is it?”
Chen Rong at first glance thought he was a good for nothingscoundrel, and saying there was a talking stone…, clearly he had seen Zhao JinYu was young and innocent, wanting to swindle her, but once she saw Zhao JinYu’s face light up, all of a sudden she was not so sure, having known eachother over the past few days, she noticed that although Zhao Jin Yu was anofficial’s daughter raised to stay at home, she was also gentle andgood-natured, but she nevertheless acted properly, having her views, notseeming like a person easily deceived like this, could it be…there was somethinggoing on here?
That person had thought he would have to waste more words,in the end at Zhao Jin Yu’s interested appearance, his heart exulted,unconsciously he looked at Chen Rong, seeing that although her face was coldand stiff, but made no other movements, agreeing tacitly, he hurriedly said, “Younglady please follow me.”
Inside a guest room, that middle aged man took out a boxfrom inside cabinet, smiling he said, “Young lady, you can take a good look, itreally is a rare treasure”
Zhao Jin Yu was impatient, saying, “Quickly open it.”
That middle aged man seeing Zhao Jin Yu’s anxiety, felt moreand more proud of himself, this time he must demand an exorbitant price,putting the box on the table he opened it up.
Inside was filled with black mud, a spotless white stonequietly inlayed in the mud, like an unique beauty, growing out of the mudunsullied, Zhao Jin Yu looked at it as a mist rose in her eyes.