TDLC Chapter 45

Terms used in TDLC Chapter 45

Hou’ye (侯爷) – Marquis.
benhou (本侯) – a self-address used by a Marquis.
min’nü (民女) – commoner girl.
guniang (姑娘) – young lady.
gonggong (公公) – an old and/or high-ranking eunuch.
laonu (老奴) – old slave.
Shizi (世子) – heir apparent of an aristrocratic family.
gongzi (公子) – a noble’s son.
Yifu (义父) – foster father.
Yimu (义母) – foster mother.
Furen (夫人) – the official/legitimate wife.
zaixia (在下) – myself (humble).

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Irrespective of how many storms and waves Huò Wēi Lóu had witnessed, there were still instances where he was rendered speechless, but he was quick to frown as he said: “She has been in Qingzhou for ten years, and she is returning to the Capital with her foster father now, why isn’t the Bó clan coming over to fetch her?”

Fu gonggong shook his head, “Laonu does not know either. Our people said that this account was taken from one of the neighbours, who said that roughly eight or nine years ago, someone from the Capital did look for them. Allegedly, they got into a terrible dispute, and one of the neighbours stepped forward to make inquiries. The visitor displayed their identity, rather self-importantly, in fact, which allowed the others to learn that Yōu Yōu’s family was related to an old and prominent family within the Capital.”

“For the years following that incident, no one from the Capital came again, and gradually, everyone forgot about this matter. Everyone thought that Yōu Yōu and her foster parents were going to stay in Qingshan County for the rest of their lives, but more than ten days ago, the Chéng compound that Yōu Yōu was staying in shut its doors and closed its household registration, and the few servants it had were dismissed. The others merely assumed that they had gone away for a trip, and weren’t informed that they were returning to the Capital.”

Huò Wēi Lóu merely asked: “Then how was it discovered that she had a past marriage engagement with Lín Zhāo?”

Fu gonggong promptly said, “The embroidered emissary found one of the servant girls that waited upon the Cheng Family. That servant girl took care of Chéng furen, and she said that Chéng Yùn Zhī and his wife doted on Yōu Yōu a fair bit, and yet they snorted disdainfully at the Bó clan, whom were mentioned very infrequently. Nevertheless, on one night three years ago, Chéng furen was on her deathbed, and she told Chéng Yùn Zhī to bring Yōu Yōu back to the Capital, saying that she should not be allowed to stay in Qingshan County for her entire life, and that at the very least, the marriage agreement with the Lín Family was excellent…”

Fu gonggong heaved a sigh, “From the looks of it, Yōu Yōu isn’t aware of the marriage engagement, or else she would have revealed some discomfort when she met Lín Family.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s brows scrunched together tightly, “The Bó clan has been declining for the past few years, do you know what the condition of their Residence is like?”

Even though Huò Wēi Lóu knew of the Bó clan, the current Bó clan had no high officials in court, and he only knew that such a prominent old family existed, that’s all.

Fu gonggong frowned, “The saying ‘One Door Three Ministers’ was a description from several decades back, a family that has never been conferred a title like theirs, can only rely on this bit of good reputation to mount their family status. If laonu’s memory has yet to fail him, the current Oldest Master of the Bó clan is on duty in the Ministry of Works, perhaps a Vice Director of some sorts…”

Suddenly, Fu gonggong seemed to think of something because his eyes brightened, “If Yōu Yōu truly is a daughter from the Bó clan, then there is only one possibility. She mentioned that both of her parents have passed away, and laonu remembers that on the Eighteenth Year of Jianhe, there was a funeral in the Bó clan which made people wring their wrists. The residence’s Third Master and his wife died in an accident simultaneously, and the Bó Family’s Third Master had just come out from the Hanlin Academy and was about to enter the Ministry of Rites.”

Since it was more than ten years ago, even Huò Wēi Lóu was just a child back then, so it was natural that he was unaware of those events. Fu gonggong heaved a sigh, saying: “The Bó Family has not produced any talented figures for two generations, and this Bó san’ye (third master) could be regarded as the hope of the younger generation; he passed brilliantly and became an advanced scholar at a young age, and entered the Hanlin Academy like the current Lín Family’s gongzi. His Majesty had high hopes for him, wanting him to practice in the Hanlin Academy for a few years before entering the Six Ministries, so he could forge a meteoric career on his own in the future. However, no one could have anticipated that an accident would happen, thus causing the husband and wife to perish.” 

“The Bó clan is considered a prominent old family when all is said and done, and Bó san’ye could be regarded as the Son of Heaven’s courtier.  For the same reasons, there was a period of discussion within the Capital. Laonu vaguely remembers that the married couple had a young daughter, but after the funeral passed, everyone slowly forgot about her, and that Young Lady of the Bó Family was never heard of again.”  

Fu gonggong frowned, “If it’s Yōu Yōu, why did she follow her Yifu and Yimu to Qingzhou?”

Huò Wēi Lóu posed another question: “How many daughters does the Bó clan have?”

Fu gonggong pondered briefly, but he was at a slight loss, “Laonu is ignorant about this, however, Bó san’ye had two older brothers above him, and Yōu Yōu shouldn’t be the only Young Lady.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s phoenix eyes lowered by half, “When Lín Huái mentioned the engagement, his expression was normal, and Lín Zhāo’s marriage has been fixed for the next year. If the lady that Lín Zhāo is supposed to be engaged to hasn’t been in the Capital for many years, going as far as being in the remote Qingshan County, how was the marriage date decided? Furthermore, the father-son pair didn’t recognise her after seeing her, and Lín Zhāo couldn’t possibly be ignorant of his future wife’s name.”

Fu gonggong’s brows jumped, “Is Hou’ye implying that the servant girl heard wrongly? The person who was betrothed wasn’t Yōu Yōu, but another Young Lady in the Bó Family?”

Huò Wēi Lóu shook his head, “It’s more likely that a variable appeared within the Bó clan. A proper Bó Family Young Lady, and yet she hasn’t returned to the Capital for so many years, like she has broken off all relations with the Bó clan, one fears that a disturbance cropped up that year.”

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Pausing, Huò Wēi Lóu tossed out another question: “What are the identities of her foster parents?”

Fu gonggong shook his head, “That is unknown, only the pair’s name and clan were extracted, plus the fact that they are knowledgeable in medicine; the rest are still undisclosed. Although Chéng furen opened a clinic, her medical skills could not be considered as brilliant, and she only knew how to treat simple illnesses.”

Fu gonggong muttered irresolutely to himself for a moment, “If Hou’ye wishes to know, perhaps Yōu Yōu should be called upon, and then Assistant Minister Lín should be questioned as well?”

There were quite a few points of doubt right now. The simplest method would be to ask the people involved, and if Bó Ruò Yōu was a daughter of the Bó clan, then from Lín Huái’s perspective, it could be regarded as meeting the daughter of an old friend, which was a joyous thing. However, Huò Wēi Lóu spoke without any fluctuations in his tone: “No rush.”

Fu gonggong was somewhat puzzled, and Huò Wēi Lóu continued to state: “If there are changes in this matter, Lín Huái is unlikely to reveal the full details. Let the people in the Capital investigate, gather all the information as soon as possible.”

It was apparent that Huò Wēi Lóu was exercising some prudence in this matter, and Fu gonggong thought that it was a good plan too, “Then… Are [you] going to ask Yōu Yōu?”

Fu gonggong treated Yōu Yōu as part of their group, and given the anxiety in his heart, he was more inclined to asking her personally, but who could have expected that Huò Wēi Lóu would still disagree, “There’s no need to ask her. Her foster parents didn’t even tell her about the betrothal, how much would she know?”

Fu gonggong felt that it was reasonable after mulling over it, then he thought about how she was actually a daughter of the Bó clan, and yet her life experiences had been so bumpy. He could barely suppress his sigh, “Laonu would frequently accompany Her Highness the Elder Princess into the palace that year, and would catch a glimpse of the Bó Family’s Third Master beside His Majesty. After the Bó Family’s Third Master met his demise, His Majesty even bestowed a posthumous title and funeral ceremony upon him, but one never expected that he would encounter Bó san’ye’s daughter now.”

Fu gonggong was fond of Bó Ruò Yōu from the very beginning, and the recent revelations only served to invoke his compassion, “If the Lin Family gongzi’s betrothed was Yōu Yōu, but the marriage partner was changed later, then the Bó Family has genuinely wronged Yōu Yōu. Hou’ye, ȳou have to help Yōu Yōu.”

Huò Wēi Lóu glanced at Fu gonggong, “Help with what?”

For some inexplicable reason, Fu gonggong felt that Huò Wēi Lóu’s current expression was rather frightening, but he replied in a matter-of-factly tone: “Of course it is to help Yōu Yōu take back her marriage matter.”

Huò Wēi Lóu lightly sneered instead. Soon after, his phoenix eyes congealed slightly as he said: “For the trip back to the Capital, Hóng’er and Guī Lán are probably intending to take the water route. Guī Lán’s legs are impaired, it’s more convenient for him to take the water route.”  

Fu gonggong’s eyes lit up, “Hou’ye has made a decision?”

Huò Wēi Lóu said in a deep voice: “Call over Lín Huái and Wú Yú.”

Happiness spread across Fu gonggong’s face as he turned around and departed to invite the two. Very quickly, Lín Huái and Wú Yú came together. Then, Huò Wēi Lóu said: “Benhou will be taking the water route back to the Capital this time around, Assistant Minister Lín will have to take the trouble of bringing the corpses of Féng and Wáng to return to the Capital one step ahead, Yuè Míng Quán will also be escorted back by you. Benhou will deploy a portion of the embroidered emissaries to travel with you.”

It goes without saying that Lín Huái accepted it respectfully. Huò Wēi Lóu continued, “After returning to the Capital, start searching Wáng Qīng Fǔ’s property immediately, his wife and concubines need to be strictly interrogated as well, but it can be assumed that you don’t need benhou’s instructions for these.”

Lín Huái had been the Ministry of Justice’s Assistant Minister for many years, so he was cognizant of how he should go about handling the aftermath of this case, and immediately responded in the affirmative.

After a moment of hesitation, Lín Huái said: “Since Hou’ye is taking the water route, perhaps Zhāo’er and Hou’ye can travel together. He has to move a huge quantity of ancient books and records for this errand, if Hou’ye is preparing an official boat, it will incur less damages on the road.”

Without any change in his expression, Huò Wēi Lóu said: “Benhou has no desire to embark on an official boat for this journey, nor did [I] ever have the intention of disturbing the government office of Luozhou for this trip. Preparing an official boat honestly gets too many people involved, and borrowing this chance, benhou can also inspect how the common people are doing whilst on the road.”

When Lín Huái heard those words, he only felt that Huò Wēi Lóu truly had his head devoted to the country and its people. He hurriedly said: “Since that’s the case, Zhāo’er will travel with xiaguan.” 

Huò Wēi Lóu nodded before looking towards Wú Yú, “Assistant Minister Wú will be travelling together with benhou.”

Wú Yú was slightly overwhelmed by the unexpected favour from his superior, but then Huò Wēi Lóu said: “That year, Wáng Qīng Fǔ travelled by the water route with you to return to the Capital, you’ll be travelling the same way again this time around. If you can remember any abnormalities, it will prove to be of some help to track down the Śarīra.”

Just as Wú Yú relaxed his heart a little, it tightened again. Not a second later, he agreed to it respectfully.

After he was done instructing the pair, Huò Wēi Lóu headed to the monastic room again. Fu gonggong stayed in meditation hall, and he was unable to stop himself from going to look for Bó Ruò Yōu. Bó Ruò Yōu was busy packing her cloth bundle, and when she heard Fu gonggong say that Huò Wēi Lóu was taking the water route back to the Capital incognito, she was surprised as well.

Fu gonggong said with a crinkle-eyed smile: “Yōu Yōu, we can travel together again this time around. Hou’ye is not in a rush to return to the Capital, these bones of zajia can finally rest.”

Bó Ruò Yōu was astonished; she never thought that Huò Wēi Lóu would travel by the water route. Even if the water route was smooth, it took almost ten additional days when compared to the land route. Ten days was not short for Huò Wēi Lóu; based on Huò Wēi Lóu’s swift and decisive personality, this decision was really surprising.

Beyond her surprise, however, Bó Ruò Yōu was rather happy as well, “That’s great, there is gonggong for company again for the journey back.”

Fu gonggong’s face was wreathed with smiles. Now that he was informed of Bó Ruò Yōu’s life experience, the tender affection that he felt for her had increased. Bó Ruò Yōu merely felt that Fu gonggong was regarding her with a more intimate and kinder gaze because they could travel together again.

Once night arrived, Huò Wēi Lóu returned from outside. After hearing that Fu gonggong had informed Bó Ruò Yōu, he did not call her over for instruction. On the morning of the second day, the group woke up early, and they were already gathered outside the mountain gates just as the skies brightened.

Jìng Míng was still the Temple Head on the surface, but once the Capital made the final decision, his position as the Temple Head would surely be lost. Since Huò Wēi Lóu and his delegation were going to leave, he brought along Liǎo Fán and the rest to send them off. After bidding farewells outside the mountain gates, Huò Wēi Lóu was the first to urge his horse down the mountain.

It was currently near the end of the month and winter season; the cold winds of the early morning were still bone-piercing, especially when they were amidst the mountain range. Bó Ruò Yōu’s body was draped with a cloak, driving her horse behind Fu gonggong. Behind her was a horse carriage, which had been specifically prepared for Míng Guī Lán.

Huò Qīng Hóng’s horsemanship was extremely good, and he rarely saw the scenery of the mountain range, so his horse was also at the front. Once he was made aware that Bó Ruò Yōu was entering the Capital as well, he asked with some curiosity: “Yōu Yōu, you’re going to enter the Capital as well? What are you entering the Capital for? Heard that you also have a foster father?”

With the ease in which Huò Qīng Hóng called her ‘Yōu Yōu’, the address could no longer be changed, and his barrage of questions left Bó Ruò Yōu slightly helpless. At the side, Lín Zhāo also urged his horse forward, “Bó guniang is entering the Capital as well?”

Bó Ruò Yōu nodded her head, “Yes, because [my] clan grounds are in the Capital.”

She offered a simple answer, which technically answered Huò Qīng Hóng’s questions. When Fu gonggong saw Bó Ruò Yōu and Lín Zhāo conversing, his expression was slightly deep with meaning. Huò Wēi Lóu had been at the front from the very beginning, and he slowed down the galloping speed after he heard the noise.

Lín Huái’s horse was following behind Huò Wēi Lóu. Huò Wēi Lóu muttered to himself for a moment before he asked imperceptibly, “Which family’s guniang is Lín Zhāo engaged to?”

Lín Huái said smilingly: “It’s the Bó Clan’s Oldest Young Lady, Hou’ye should know of their Residence.”

“One Door Three Ministers.” Huò Wēi Lóu nodded, “How did Lín Zhāo become engaged with that family’s guniang? Their Residence hasn’t been very conspicuous these past few years.”

Lín Huái smiled heedlessly, “It was decided when Patriarch-Father was still around. Patriarch-Father and the Bó Family’s Lao Tai’ye were schoolmates and close friends, and later two Masters of the Bó Family became Patriarch-Father’s student. Over the course of time, the two families became extremely close to each other, hence why the marriage was verbally decided upon when Zhāo’er was just a child. Although their Residence hasn’t been conspicuous all these years, they still are a prominent old family with an upright and just family traditions, so it doesn’t count for much.”

• 老太爷 (lao tai ye) – grandfather, implies he was the old patriarch of this family.

Huò Wēi Lóu nodded faintly, no longer pursing the topic.

The sound of Huò Qīng Hóng clicking his tongue travelled over from the back, his brows creased as if he wanted to say something, but upon noticing that they were not far from the entrance of the byway, he chose not to speak more. Very quickly, the group stopped at the byway.

The people that Lín Huái was leading were using the official road to travel up north, whereas Huò Wēi Lóu was heading east to go the Xiling ferry crossing. The group exchanged a few sentences in farewell, before they went their separate ways. After Lín Zhāo and his father journeyed further away, Huò Wēi Lóu felt his heart loosen inexplicably, as if he was guarding against something just now.

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Huò Qīng Hóng frisked around for a while before galloping up to Huò Wēi Lóu’s side, “Older Brother! I’ve never travelled by the water route! How about we book a huge boat this time? It will be more carefree and leisurely on the road!”

Huò Wēi Lóu did not even spare him a glance, “How about no. Whichever way is the fastest is the way [we] will go.”

Huò Qīng Hóng immediately put on a vigilant expression when he heard that. Fu gonggong came forward and said smilingly, “Shizi dianxia, Hou’ye isn’t actually going on a scenic tour. Furthermore, there aren’t a lot of people in our group, booking a huge boat would be a bit too extravagant.”

• 殿下 (pinyin: dian xia) – Your Highness.

Huò Qīng Hóng looked over his shoulder, their group had nearly twenty people. However, perceiving that there was no room for negotiation with Huò Wēi Lóu, his mouth corners deflated as he turned around to look for Míng Guī Lán.

Meanwhile, Bó Ruò Yōu overheard the conversation from the back. Although she did not dare to interrupt, she was thinking at the bottom of her heart: If he wanted to go back to the Capital quicker, he should be taking the land route ah.

The Xiling ferry crossing was to the east of Luozhou. After leaving the Xixia Mountain, they had to speed along the horses for a whole day before they could reach it. Huò Wēi Lóu was not looking at flowers while riding a horse when he was hastening on the journey; even if Huò Qīng Hóng was an expert in horsemanship, he found it slightly hard to endure by noon, so he abandoned his horse and slipped into Míng Guī Lán’s horse carriage.

Upon seeing that Bó Ruò Yōu was still riding a horse, Míng Guī Lán could not resist asking: “Bó guniang, can [you] still persist? If not, [you] can sit on the horse carriage as well.”

Naturally, Bó Ruò Yōu turned it down gracefully. Míng Guī Lán peered at Huò Wēi Lóu’s back figure and seeing that he did not have any intention to speak, he did not say more either. On the horseback, Bó Ruò Yōu wiped her sweat, though it was not as arduous as the first day.

Huò Wēi Lóu naturally heard the noise at the front, but when he saw that Bó Ruò Yōu knew how to advance and retreat, some satisfaction appeared between his brows and eyes, and the galloping speed became a pace slower.

Except with the slowing pace, it was already quite late when the group arrived at Xiling ferry crossing. The Xiling ferry crossing was at the side of the Lancang River; owing to the huge wharf, the passing commercial boats would moor at this place, which allowed the market town to flourish gradually. Wineshops and lodgings stood like a forest above the market town, its service provisions convenient for the people going north and south. When Huò Wēi Lóu’s entourage arrived, it was already hai shi (9PM-11PM), but the entire small town was still ablaze with lights, and the wharf was rather clamorous with the busy flow of people.

Huò Wēi Lóu slowed his horse to ask Bó Ruò Yōu: “Where is your foster father waiting for you at?”

Bó Ruò Yōu quickly replied: “Yifu said that he would be waiting at the biggest inn for min’nü.”

Huò Wēi Lóu proceeded to have his subordinates make inquiries. Their group needed to stay here for the night in any case, so it was just happenstance. Very quickly, they received the directions, and their group headed for the inn straight away.

The largest inn above the market town was called “Tongfu”, and when they finally arrived, it was a long-standing and exquisite storied building as one would expect. The group got off their horses and entered, and just as Bó Ruò Yōu stepped through the doors with Fu gonggong, she promptly saw Chéng Yùn Zhī near the second-floor railings.

By virtue of the numbers that Huò Wēi Lóu’s group encompassed, the noise that they made when entering was not small. Hence, it startled a large number of people into looking over. Chéng Yùn Zhī was one of them, but he did not expect that Bó Ruò Yōu would be in the midst of it. Once the father and daughter met, Bó Ruò Yōu’s visage was immediately coloured with happiness, and she called out to her foster father, which made everyone below look in Chéng Yùn Zhī’s direction.

Huò Wēi Lóu’s phoenix eyes shifted towards Chéng Yùn Zhī. He was not surprised to see a thin middle-aged man, but after observing Chéng Yùn Zhī for a moment longer, he discovered some peculiarities. Chéng Yùn Zhī’s dress and personal adornment was ordinary, he was undoubtedly past his middle ages, and his countenance gave the impression that he had been through the vicissitudes, but when he met Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze, it was neither servile nor overbearing, eyes similarly devoid of surprise and bewilderment, as if he had seen through his identity at a glance.

Upon seeing Chéng Yùn Zhī walking down whilst leaning on his walking stick, Bó Ruò Yōu quickly rushed forward to support Chéng Yùn Zhī by the arm on the steps. She called out softly, “Yifu.”

On the contrary, Chéng Yùn Zhī swept his eyes in the direction of Huò Wēi Lóu and the rest, “What’s going on?”

Bó Ruò Yōu replied in a low voice, “It’s Marquis Wuzhao, he is also taking the water route to enter the Capital.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī did not say anything, but his expression turned towards Huò Qīng Hóng and Míng Guī Lán. Both of them were dressed in luxurious clothes, which made it apparent that that they were wealthy and respectable people. Bó Ruò Yōu spoke in a low voice once more: “They are Míng gongzi and Duke Huò’s Shizi.”

“Míng? Which Ming?” Chéng Yùn Zhī retracted his line of sight as he asked in a lowered voice, as if the father and daughter were murmuring to each other after separating for a long time.

“I’m not well-acquainted with him either, and only heard that he is a divine young doctor, and that his father is the current Dean of the Imperial Hospital.”

Once that sentence was uttered, Bó Ruò Yōu keenly sensed Chéng Yùn Zhī’s body becoming rigid, though Chéng Yùn Zhī was very quick to reveal a respectful smiling expression when he looked behind her. Bó Ruò Yōu turned around, only to see Huò Wēi Lóu walking over with the group.

Chéng Yùn Zhī quickly clasped his hands together, “One pays his respect to Gongzi—”

Being fully aware of his identity and yet choosing not to expose it; Chéng Yùn Zhī was naturally a smart individual. Huò Wēi Lóu scrutinised him briefly before nodding and saying: “[We] will be boarding the same boat tomorrow, there’s no need for you two – father and daughter – to worry about anything.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī thanked him without hesitating in the slightest. Huò Wēi Lóu took two additional glances at him before he led Huò Qīng Hóng up the stairs. Fu gonggong stayed behind, and he was also scrutinising Chéng Yùn Zhī before he said smilingly, “Yōu Yōu frequently mentions her foster father, and [we] have finally met today. Since Yōu Yōu has provided great assistance in the official business for our Gongzi, we treat her as one of our own. Being able to travel together again is a type of affinity too; and one hopes that you will not disdain us for being numerous and noisy.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī was quite respectful: “Zaixia does not dare.”

Fu gonggong exchanged a few more lines of conventional greetings before telling Bó Ruò Yōu where her room was, then allowed the father and daughter to converse on their own. Bó Ruò Yōu followed Chéng Yùn Zhī to the guest room, and just as they stepped through the door, Chéng Yùn Zhī’s complexion became sank down.

Bó Ruò Yōu had long sensed that something was off, so she immediately asked: “Yifu, is there someone ȳou recognise?”

After sitting down at the table, Chéng Yùn Zhī did not answer the question immediately, taking a long moment before he released a long sigh, “Forget it, since [we] are returning to the Capital, this day was bound to arrive sooner or later. One only hopes that nothing will occur during this journey, and [we] can reach the Capital smoothly in advance.”

Having said that, he slanted his body to look towards Bó Ruò Yōu, “Yōu Yōu, what was the case this time around?”

The father and daughter had been separated for a long time, so it was natural that Chéng Yùn Zhī would want to ask more. Bó Ruò Yōu promptly summarised the Famen Temple case in a simplistic manner, and once he heard that Lín Huái was also present, Chéng Yùn Zhī’s expression distorted instantaneously, “The Ministry of Justice’s Assistant Minister Lín?”

Bó Ruò Yōu nodded, “Even his family’s gongzi followed along, it’s been said that he has already entered the Hanlin Academy, and he was making the trip because he was choosing the religious scriptures that are going to be sent to Xiangguo Temple for His Majesty.”

Upon hearing that, Chéng Yùn Zhī’s expression became more complicated, “Lin Family’s gongzi?”

The suspicions that Bó Ruò Yōu harboured in her heart heightened when she took in the shock that Chéng Yùn Zhī was revealing on his face, “Yes. Yifu, is the Lin Family an old friend?”

Chéng Yùn Zhī gazed at Bó Ruò Yōu with a difficult expression, as if he did not know how he should begin talking about it. After a short while, he said: “Yes… They are an old friend… Have they ever asked about you?”

Bó Ruò Yōu was somewhat puzzled, “Of course not. I’m only helping Hou’ye in the handling of his official business, though after that Lin Family gongzi learned that my surname was Bó, he did say that the surname Bó is seldomly seen, but he has some affinity with the surname Bó.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī hurriedly asked: “Then what is the Lin Family gongzi like?”

Bó Ruò Yōu thought about it, “Refined in manner, a young person of outstanding talent.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī nodded, though his expression was still complicated. Bó Ruò Yōu was internally aware that Chéng Yùn Zhī was ruminating about the past, and she didn’t know how to begin asking either, thus she said: “Yifu, Hou’ye has agreed to recommend min’nü to the Metropolitan Government Office as a coroner after returning to the Capital.”

It was only then that Chéng Yùn Zhī came back to his senses, with three parts of astringency seeping into his gaze, “Yōu Yōu, stop being a coroner after returning to the Capital, alright?”

Bó Ruò Yōu blinked her eyes, “What is Yifu worried about? Worried that the Bó Family won’t recognise me because I’m working as a coroner?”

Her manner of speaking was incredibly calm, but Chéng Yùn Zhī felt distressed when he heard it, “The young ladies of prominent old families don’t ever venture into this kind of profession, it’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have softened my heart back then, shouldn’t have taught you all these, the Bó Family flaunts itself as a high-born and wealthy family, they…”

Bó Ruò Yōu issued a composed chuckle, it was clearly a face that still had some immaturity to it, but her expression was steadfast and unmoveable, “Yifu can set his heart at ease, they can choose not recognise, this daughter does not mind.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī wanted to say something but stopped himself, and despite having a deep understanding of Bó Ruò Yōu’s temper, he still sighed wordlessly. However, he suddenly realised a problem and he asked her: “Does Marquis Wuzhao and the others know of your life experience?”

“No.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī shook his head in spite of that response, “It’s not possible that he doesn’t know, you were running errands under him. If the rumours are true, then based on his temperament and methods, it’s impossible for him to know nothing about you.”

Bó Ruò Yōu contemplated briefly, “Some of the rumours are true, some of them aren’t. Regardless of whether he knows or not, Yifu can be mostly assured. Owing to this daughter’s post-mortem examination skills, Hou’ye has a fair bit of appreciation for this daughter; at the very least, he will not make things difficult for this daughter.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī gazed into Bó Ruò Yōu’s cool eyes before sighing, “Well, you do have a great deal of faith in him. He is Marquis Wuzhao; what he lets you see, is only what he allows you to see, you shouldn’t think too well of him.”

Bó Ruò Yōu chuckled, “Yifu really has to relax his heart. This daughter is neither a court official nor a crafty and evil person. Moreover, Hou’ye treasures talents greatly, and it’s true that he treats this daughter fairly. Not just that, he even saved this daughter twice; this daughter nearly thought that the divination from that year was going to come true.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī’s demeanour changed instantaneously, “You got into an accident?”

Bó Ruò Yōu gave a rough explanation, which made Chéng Yùn Zhī’s complexion pale by two shades, “Yōu Yōu, it is better to believe that such an event happened rather than believe that it never existed; you should never be careless.”

Upon seeing Chéng Yùn Zhī’s nervous expression, Bó Ruò Yōu quickly comforted him by clarifying how the danger had turned into safety in those few instances. After she was done talking, Chéng Yùn Zhī said hesitantly, “From the present circumstances, it appears that Marquis Wuzhao is your person of eminence.”

Bó Ruò Yōu mulled over it, feeling that it made some sense, “Not only a person of eminence, but also a life-saving benefactor.”

Chéng Yùn Zhī originally possessed some defensiveness towards Huò Wēi Lóu, but after the whole conversation, some gratitude arose as well. Having noticed that Bó Ruò Yōu was extremely trusting towards Huò Wēi Lóu and the others, he did not say more in the end.

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Meanwhile, in another wing-room that was a short distance away, Fu gonggong was slightly preoccupied after meeting Chéng Yùn Zhī. Huò Wēi Lóu found his condition rather queer, “What’s the matter? Did her foster father say something?”

Shaking his head, Fu gonggong was rather perplexed as he said: “Hou’ye, for some unknown reason, laonu gets the sense that Yōu Yōu’s foster father looks slightly familiar…”

Huò Wēi Lóu furrowed his brows, “What kind of familiar-looking?”

Fu gonggong smiled bitterly, “Laonu has grown old, and his memory has worsened, but he gets the unshakeable feeling that he has seen him somewhere before. Furthermore, he isn’t some nameless or clan-less nobody.”

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