Chapter 449: AA: Ruyi

Duan Rong sat before the desk, merely flipping through the stack of documents Zhu Cheng had organized.

He had crawled out of bed before dawn today, spent the entire day at the teahouse, and then busied himself until now; Duan Rong estimated that it was well past midnight.

Even though he had practiced hard for years, he felt quite sleepy at this moment, and reading under the Candle Lamp was inherently soporific, so Duan Rong began to yawn repeatedly not long after he started reading.

He had no choice but to close the documents, intending to get some sleep first and read them tomorrow.

Duan Rong extinguished the lamp and turned toward the back of the screen.

Behind the screen was a rather large bed draped with gauze curtains; on a pillar not far from the bed, a candle was inserted into a standing copper lamp.

The candlelight from that candle shone onto the gauze curtains, casting a rather ambiguous dimness.

Duan Rong shook his head slightly, gave a speechless laugh, and muttered to himself, "Why is this set up like a brothel?"

He did not know that this was precisely the atmosphere Zhu Zhengfu had gone to great lengths to create for him.

Duan Rong then took off his outer robe, shoes, and socks, placed them beside the bed, lifted the gauze curtains, and entered the bed.

On the bed lay a bright red quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water; the embroidery on the satin surface was clearly of top quality at a glance.

Duan Rong lifted a corner of the quilt and slipped inside.

As soon as he slipped into the quilt, his expression immediately froze, and his breathing hitched slightly; his arm had clearly touched something smooth, soft, and fragrant.

Duan Rong sat up immediately and threw off the quilt.

"Ah!"

Following a delicate, high-pitched shriek, a fair and tender young woman wearing only a bodice and underpants was seen cowering there, her pitiful, moving eyes staring at Duan Rong as if to hook his soul.

A wave of heat surged into Duan Rong's lower abdomen.

This woman was indeed seductive; just the sight of the fair and tender skin peeking out from her raised bodice was enough to make Duan Rong feel somewhat unable to restrain himself.

But thinking of Xiao Yu, who was still keeping a bitter watch in the Tower Forest, Duan Rong circulated the Qi in his dantian, forcibly suppressing the agitation in his heart.

Duan Rong's expression was as gloomy as water, and he said coldly, "Did Zhu Zhengfu send you?"

The woman seemed to sense Duan Rong's anger; she shuddered like a small beast and let out a soft "Mn," her voice as thin as a mosquito's.

Duan Rong sighed slightly and said, "You may leave. Tonight, I shall sleep alone."

Upon hearing this, the woman was immediately filled with panic, a look of deep fear flashing in her eyes; she kowtowed on the bed like a pestle pounding garlic and said, "My lord, I beg you! Do not drive me away. If you refuse to take me, the Madam will beat me to death when I return."

"Enough!" Duan Rong barked, clearly already somewhat impatient.

Hearing this, the woman raised her head; her fair, tender face was already covered in tear tracks, and she said sorrowfully, "My lord, I am clean. I was raised by the Madam and no one has ever touched me; it was Master Zhu who bought me to serve you."

Duan Rong's gaze flickered, and he immediately understood what the woman was talking about.

So, she was a "thin horse."

In this Shenyun Prefecture, the business of "thin horses" had a history of over a hundred years.

Those slave traders and procuresses would buy young women with decent looks from poor families, train and raise them, and then sell them at high prices to wealthy officials and merchants once they were "fattened up," making a large sum of money in a single transaction.

Generally, it was only during years of disaster that families who could no longer survive would sell their sons and daughters.

When the slave traders and procuresses bought them, these women were as thin as sticks, so over time, they came to be called "thin horses."

This business was indeed profitable, and gradually it became a trade.

Looking at the woman's sorrowful appearance, with tears streaming down her face like rain, a touch of pity flashed through Duan Rong's heart, and he said, "I'm not in the mood today. You go take a quilt and sleep over by the pillar."

Seeing Duan Rong say this, the woman seemed to calm down a little; she kowtowed once more on the bed before obediently replying, "Yes, my lord!"

She slid off the bed barefoot, fetched another quilt from a nearby cabinet, and spread it directly on the floor beside the pillar.

The floor was very clean, having long been wiped by the servants until it shone like a mirror, and the quilt was also very large; half of it was spread out and half was used as a cover, which was perfectly sufficient for her.

After she had set up the quilt, she moved a round stool over and placed it by the pillar, preparing to step on it to blow out the red candle on the copper lamp stand on the pillar.

Duan Rong sat on the bed, glanced at her, and said, "Lie down! I will extinguish the candle!"

The woman clearly hesitated upon hearing this; she felt that this was a servant's job and it was clearly inappropriate to let the lord do it, but there was a certain tone in Duan Rong's voice that brooked no refusal.

"Yes!"

After only a slight hesitation, the woman chose to obey Duan Rong's command; since the lord had told her to lie down, she could not disobey—this was what the Madam had taught her back at the establishment.

Seeing that she had lain down, Duan Rong sat there, lifted a corner of the gauze curtain, and reached out his hand; with his palm surging with Qi, he gave a light flick, and a gust of wind arose, blowing the gauze curtains and extinguishing the candlelight along with it.

The woman, tucked inside the quilt, let out a soft exclamation of surprise.

When Duan Rong lifted the corner of the gauze curtain and only extended a hand, she had noticed it; Duan Rong had formed a claw with one hand and made a gesture, and she had wondered what he was doing.

When the wind suddenly arose, she felt as if it were a magic trick, and the next moment the candlelight was extinguished.

Although the woman was astonished and very curious, she did not dare to ask or strike up a conversation with Duan Rong.

After the candlelight was extinguished, the room was pitch black.

From the direction of the bed, Duan Rong's faint voice suddenly sounded. "What is your name?"

"Replying to my lord, this servant is called Ruyi." The woman's voice was timid.

"Ruyi?" Duan Rong asked, "Did that Madam you mentioned give it to you?"

"Mn."

"Then what was your original real name?"

The woman said, "I have already forgotten my original name."

In the darkness, there was a long silence.

After a while, Duan Rong sighed and went to sleep wrapped in his quilt.

In the darkness, the woman waited for a long time, and seeing that Duan Rong seemed to have fallen asleep, she finally dared to wrap herself in the quilt and fell into a deep sleep as well.

Early the next morning, amidst the chirping of birds, Duan Rong slowly woke up.

He turned his head on the pillow and peered through the gauze curtains toward the floor by the pillar, only to see that it was empty and the quilt had already been put away.

Duan Rong lifted the gauze curtains and reached out to get off the bed.

He was slightly stunned; his outer robe, shoes, and socks, which he had placed by the bed last night, were nowhere to be found.

Duan Rong was feeling puzzled when he saw a figure walk in; it was Ruyi, already dressed neatly. She wore a scalloped-green skirt with a moon-white lining, which only served to highlight her bright eyes, white teeth, and skin fairer than snow.

Ruyi entered, holding Duan Rong's clothes, shoes, and socks in her hands. She approached with lowered brows, set down the shoes and socks, and without a word, began to help Duan Rong change his clothes and put on his shoes. She had been trained in the courtyard, so her movements were skillful and not a single bit messy.

Only after Ruyi had smoothed out Duan Rong's clothes until they were perfectly straight did she stand up and say with a faint smile, "My Lord, I have already drawn hot water; please wash up first."

"Mm, good." Duan Rong then walked out.

He walked over to the washbasin stand and saw that the copper basin was already half-filled with clear water. Just as Duan Rong was about to wash his face, Ruyi called out to stop him. "My Lord, wait a moment."

Ruyi came over holding a thermos, poured some hot water emitting white steam into the basin, tested the water temperature with her fair, tender hands, and then folded a white cotton towel and soaked it in the hot water before saying respectfully, "My Lord, please proceed!"

Duan Rong tested the water; it was lukewarm and slightly hot, just right, so he began to wash slowly. Because the water temperature was comfortable, he washed for a while longer.

After he finished washing his face, he discovered a cup of clear tea placed on the side table and took a few sips.

Just as Duan Rong set down the teacup, Ruyi walked in carrying a food box and smiled, "This is breakfast I just brought from the kitchen. My Lord, please have a taste and see if it suits your palate."

As she spoke, Ruyi placed two steamed buns, a pancake, a few side dishes, and a bowl of salted meat porridge on the side table.

Duan Rong glanced at it and said, "Why is there only one bowl of porridge? Where is yours?"

Ruyi said, "My Lord, please eat first. I will go to the kitchen to eat in a little while."

Duan Rong sat down at the side table and said in a deep voice, "Next time, bring two portions; you will eat with me."

"Yes." Ruyi crouched in a bow and replied in a voice as thin as a mosquito's.

After Duan Rong finished his breakfast, he began to look through the stack of documents and materials from last night. As Duan Rong read, Ruyi quietly placed a cup of fresh tea not far from him, at a distance that neither disturbed his reading nor made it difficult for him to reach.

Once Duan Rong began reading, he entered a state of stillness like water, sitting there without moving, his eyes fixed on the materials in his hands with a sharp, focused gaze.

Duan Rong never touched the tea Ruyi had placed there, but every half hour, Ruyi would replace it with a fresh cup.

Thus, several hours passed like flowing water.

Suddenly, Ruyi came over again carrying a food box and whispered from nearby, "My Lord, it is time for lunch!"

Hearing this, Duan Rong raised his head in a daze, and it was only after a moment that he gradually withdrew his thoughts from the flow of information in the documents.

He glanced at the sky outside and asked, "Is it already noon?"

Ruyi said, "Yes, My Lord, you have been reading without moving for several hours."

Only then did Duan Rong feel his legs go stiff. He stretched his legs, picked up the teacup nearby, took a sip, looked at Ruyi, and asked, "Did anyone come looking for me this morning?"

Ruyi said, "Lord Zhu came once, but seeing that you were focused on the documents, he did not disturb you and left on his own."

Duan Rong asked, "Which Lord Zhu?"

Ruyi replied, "It was Lord Zhu Zhengfu."

"Was he the only one who came?"

"Yes."

Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly. Last night, Zhu Cheng had said that he would be able to present the itinerary of Li Shensi for the recent days by this morning. Since he hadn't come yet, it seemed something must have delayed him.

Seeing Duan Rong looking thoughtful, Ruyi asked, "My Lord, is something the matter?"

Duan Rong said, "It is nothing, let's eat first."

Ruyi immediately placed the food from the box onto the side table; the dishes were quite sumptuous.

Ruyi herself, however, only had a porcelain bowl with the rice and dishes all mixed together. She carried that porcelain bowl and went to a corner to eat.

Duan Rong glanced at Ruyi, knowing that this was a rule carved into her bones, a sense of hierarchy cultivated from childhood that he could not overturn in an instant.

He sighed and began to eat on his own.

Duan Rong had only taken two bites when he suddenly saw, in the sunlight outside, that Chou Luan was still drinking on that large bluestone, and his posture was still half-reclining; it seemed as if he hadn't moved since last night.

Duan Rong suddenly called out, "Ruyi!"

Hearing this, Ruyi swallowed her food and walked over quickly. Duan Rong noticed a grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth, but he didn't mention it; he simply pointed to a dish in front of him and said, "I haven't touched this braised pork yet. Take it to Chou Luan. Let it be a side dish for his wine."

Hearing this, Ruyi glanced at Chou Luan in the courtyard, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "My Lord, he never eats! He only drinks wine."

Duan Rong frowned slightly. "Only drinks wine?"

"Yes!" Ruyi replied, "I heard from the servants that two years ago, he got drunk and accidentally killed his beloved wife. Ever since then, he has been like this. Neither human nor ghost."

Ruyi seemed somewhat puzzled, her brows furrowed, and she seemed to mutter to herself, "Since he killed his beloved wife because of drinking and cannot forgive himself, shouldn't he quit drinking? Why is he drinking even more heavily instead?"

Hearing this, Duan Rong smiled wryly and said, "He cannot forgive himself when he is sober. When he is drunk, he forgets!"

Ruyi looked at Duan Rong and said with a serious expression, "Isn't that just escaping?"

"It is escaping," Duan Rong said, "but one must keep on living."

Duan Rong's words startled Ruyi, and her eyes turned slightly red.

Because when she was in the courtyard suffering all kinds of humiliation, she often used this phrase to persuade herself.

Isn't that so? One must keep on living...

Just as Duan Rong and the others finished lunch, a figure hurried over. As soon as he entered the courtyard gate, Duan Rong had already fixed his eyes on him; it was Zhu Cheng.

As soon as Zhu Cheng stepped through the door, he saw Duan Rong sitting at the side table and immediately knelt down, calling out, "Your subordinate pays respects to my Lord!"

Duan Rong said, "Zhu Cheng, you and I are old acquaintances; there is no need for such formalities."

Zhu Cheng stood up respectfully and pulled a stack of documents from his chest; the thickness was only about one-third of the stack from last night.

Zhu Cheng placed the stack of documents on the side table, cupped his hands, and said respectfully, "There were a few places with significant changes, so I re-verified them. It delayed some time; please punish me, my Lord!"

Duan Rong said, "It is no matter. I happened to be reading materials this morning. You haven't delayed anything; you arrived just in time! Zhu Cheng, sit and talk."

Seeing Duan Rong tell him to sit, Zhu Cheng perched on the edge of a chair diagonally opposite Duan Rong.

Although they hadn't seen each other for over half a year, Duan Rong's status was no longer what it used to be. Although it was said that he was a descendant of Zhu He in the secular world, firstly, it had already been several generations, and secondly, Zhu He had so many descendants—how could they compare to Duan Rong, the red-hot personal disciple? Therefore, at this moment, the look in Zhu Cheng's eyes as he gazed at Duan Rong was full of awe.

As soon as Zhu Cheng sat down, Ruyi brought a cup of tea, placed it in front of him, and then silently retreated.

She knew that Duan Rong and Zhu Cheng had matters to discuss, so she closed the door as she walked out.

Duan Rong indeed had matters he wanted to discuss with Zhu Cheng. He questioned Zhu Cheng on several points of doubt from the materials he had read that morning. Zhu Cheng provided more detailed explanations for two of them, but the rest of the questions left him completely stumped.

Since five days ago, when Zhu Zhengfu received the secret letter from the Ancestor, he had handed the task to him. He had spent five full days organizing the stack of materials from last night, not even stopping to wash or comb his hair; he had originally been confident that he had organized it flawlessly. But after a few questions from Duan Rong, Zhu Cheng was already breaking out in a cold sweat. He hadn't expected Duan Rong to read so carefully, and the questions he asked were also very deep and tricky.

Zhu Cheng had no choice but to note down Duan Rong's questions, promising to return to the Dali Temple to look through the records, get to the bottom of these few issues, and then come back with an answer.

As Zhu Cheng walked out of the Separate Courtyard, he realized his back was already soaked through with sweat. Because the few questions Duan Rong had asked, though tricky, were all critical points when thought over carefully; yet, he had followed his usual way of thinking and, when organizing the information, had glossed over all of them with vague language. If one were to put it mildly, this was a failure to investigate, but if one were to put it severely, it was misleading.

(End of this chapter)