Chapter 624: Reforged! [Many Thanks! Bowing Again! 39k Chapters in Debt]

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's words, Xu Xu Pingmei standing nearby smiled and nodded.

Xu Xu Zaijing said, "Sister, why did Miss Yu's personal maid act like a ghost and scare people for no reason?"

Xu Xu Pingmei frowned and said, "According to that maid's confession, she claimed she was coerced! As for the specifics, Gu Gu Tingyi did not inquire in detail."

Xu Xu Zaijing thought for a moment and guessed, "Presumably, some closest relative of hers is being held hostage."

Everyone in the hall nodded one after another.

Xu Xu Zaijing continued asking with some curiosity, "Sister, do you think it was done by Miss Yu Yanran's stepmother?"

Xu Xu Pingmei looked at Xu Xu Zaijing, let out a cold laugh, and said, "Hmph! Little Five, Yu Yanran is a young lady awaiting marriage; most of her time is spent within the deep courtyards of a large residence. The background of a personal maid by her side is not so easily investigated!"

Xu Xu Zaijing understood and said, "Sister, did you come home just to say these things?"

Xu Xu Pingmei nodded: "Yes! To prevent our family from being unaware of this matter! Also, your nephew was clamoring to see his foal, and I simply could not refuse him."

The offspring of the dragon horse was born just over four months ago and has not yet reached the time to leave its mother, so it is still being raised at the Xu family estate.

"Then after lunch, I will take Brother Xing to see the horse and let them bond," Xu Xu Zaijing said with a smile.

With the children present, the afternoon's liveliness need not be described in detail.

The next day,

Xu Xu Zaijing finished his exercises and breakfast.

Just as he stepped out of the Xu family gate,

he saw a young man dressed in the uniform of the Imperial City Bureau standing there.

Recognizing him as Captain Li, formerly of the Kaifeng Prefecture, whom he had met a few times and considered an acquaintance, Xu Xu Zaijing smiled, clasped his hands, and said, "I never expected that the person Brother Gao mentioned would actually be you."

"Greetings, Fifth Young Master."

Captain Li bowed and clasped his hands.

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and clasped his hands: "Coming here so early in the morning must have been hard work."

Captain Li hurriedly bowed again: "Fifth Young Master speaks too solemnly."

"Hmm, let us talk while we walk. Have the investigations been clarified?"

Captain Li quickened his pace to catch up with Xu Xu Zaijing, who had slowed down, and said, "They have been clarified."

Listening to Captain Li's words, Xu Xu Zaijing then learned that the maid serving Miss Yu Yu Yanran was a native of Kaifeng Prefecture, two years older than Yu Yanran, with her family residing just outside the city.

This maid also had a childhood sweetheart, a lover she grew up with, who was also working within the city.

Although the two had not privately pledged their lives to each other, the elders of both families were aware of the matter.

After Yu Yanran's marriage, this maid would be released to start her own family, and most likely would later return to serve beside Yu Yu Yanran as a housekeeper matron.

But for some reason, the maid's lover was targeted by hooligans and ruffians in the city; he was framed into owing a hundred strings of cash, and if he did not repay, they threatened to chop off his hands and feet.

"Later, the leader of those hooligans and ruffians said that behind them stood a powerful official's son who held a grudge against the Gu family's Second Young Master; if they helped scare Miss Yu into falling ill, the debt would be wiped clean."

Xu Xu Zaijing, sitting atop his horse, nodded gently: "Since the maid and her lover shared such deep affection, how could she confess everything just because Miss Yu frightened her?"

Captain Li glanced at Xu Xu Zaijing and replied, "Replying to Fifth Young Master, the maid said she knew you are a friend of the Gu family's Second Young Master and were inquiring into this matter."

"She also knows that your actions in the capital have always been without scruples! She feared that if this continued and a great disaster ensued, you would deal severely with her family."

Xu Xu Zaijing reined in his horse, puzzled, and asked, "How could I possibly deal severely with them?"

With an expression of admiration and flattery on his face, Captain Li said, "Fifth Young Master, you are busy with your studies, so naturally you do not know how much deterrent power your reputation now holds over petty criminals in the city."

In recent years, Xu Xu Zaijing had either beaten envoys from Bai Gao or fought with the sons of princes, kings, and marquises, winning every single time.

If it were merely a matter of being brave and fond of fighting, that would be one thing, but Xu Xu Zaijing also managed to achieve remarkable feats repeatedly on the battlefield!

Most recently, he alone rode a horse dragging a wounded, long-time vicious thief through the streets for public display, and casually turned the Northern Liao embassy upside down.

Despite such 'reckless misconduct,' Xu Xu Zaijing remained safe and sound, continuing his schooling as usual.

Any commoner in Bianjing knows that Xu Xu Zaijing is a demon star and a fiend who must not be trifled with lightly.

Not to mention the maids and young servants of various households who have access to timely information.

"Have those groups of hooligans and ruffians been located?" Xu Xu Zaijing asked.

"Replying to Fifth Young Master, on the night you and the Gu family's Second Young Master went to the Yu residence, that group vanished without a trace," Captain Li replied.

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded and reached out his hand toward Brother Qingyun standing nearby.

Brother Qingyun understood the gesture and handed a pouch to Xu Xu Zaijing.

Xu Xu Zaijing extended the pouch toward Captain Li and said, "Thank you, Captain Li, for investigating so thoroughly; keep this for wine."

"Uh..."

"If you do not take it, I will get angry," Xu Xu Zaijing said with a smile.

Captain Li bowed with clasped hands, accepted the pouch, and said, "Fifth Young Master speaks too solemnly; thank you for Fifth Young Master's generous kindness."

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled: "I am off."

"Fifth Young Master, take care on your journey."

The reason Captain Li could clarify the information so quickly was,

first, because Li Li Mubai had previously been a captain of the Kaifeng Prefecture and had connections through his own master;

second, because he is now a clerk-soldier of the Imperial City Bureau.

Third, he also spent some of his own silver and called in favors to investigate in detail.

Watching the retreating figure of Xu Xu Zaijing's procession of carriages and horses, Captain Li felt the weight of the pouch in his hand and thought to himself, "The Xu family's Fifth Young Master is still this straightforward!"

On the way to the Sheng family residence,

Brother Qingyun, seeing Xu Xu Zaijing shaking his head with a somewhat self-mocking expression, asked, "Young Master, what is wrong with you?"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "I originally thought Miss Yu would need help from me and Yuan Erlang to escape this troublesome affair, but unexpectedly..."

Brother Qingyun nodded repeatedly: "What Young Master says is true! Even I could not tell that Miss Yu, appearing so delicate and weak, would actually possess such courage."

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled.

The sun rose and the moon set,

Another three or four days passed,

and it was now late in the fourth month.

The variety of fruits appearing on the streets had increased considerably.

Furthermore, since the Dragon Boat Festival would arrive at the beginning of next month,

the peddlers' shoulder poles and shelves now held colorful silk threads used for weaving Hundred-Thread ropes.

On this day,

at exactly the Wei hour (two in the afternoon), the sunlight was fierce.

Walking straight east along the great street before the Donghua Gate of the Imperial City, one could reach the old Cao Men Street near Huihe Ward without exiting the inner city gates.

Because noble ladies and officials' families from the capital often came here to stroll and wander, both sides of old Cao Men Street were mostly filled with elegantly decorated tea houses, flower shops, and brocade stores.

Last autumn, a pastry shop specializing in Honey Crisp Pear Blossoms opened on old Cao Men Street; its business was extremely booming, almost earning a bushel of gold daily, making it the envy of many.

However, the powerful forces behind the shop were astonishing, and no one dared to provoke them.

Consequently, others nearby followed suit, opening several shops selling pastries and drinks.

Although the shop selling Honey Crisp Pear Blossoms did booming business,

as long as they did not obstruct the store's trade,

the shop's stewards mostly turned a blind eye to the vendors selling other goods in the vicinity.

At this moment,

"Finest calamus strips! Ginger strips! Apricot and Li Zi strips! Come and take a look if you want them!"

Under a bamboo umbrella with a cyan canopy, a woman carrying a large bamboo basket called out her wares.

Four Misses, dressed respectably and carrying food boxes, gathered around upon hearing the hawking.

Seeing the four women's attire, the woman's smile became even more brilliant; she lifted the thin cloth covering the basket and said, "Four Little Ladies, please take a look!"

The four leaned forward to inspect; one of them picked up a small strip of candied fruit to taste, then nodded with a smile: "Sweet! Da Niangzi, did you soak these fruit strips in sugar honey?"

"Little Da Niangzi, you are sharp! You can actually taste that."

"Pack some up for our Miss to taste."

"Right away!"

After paying with copper coins and buying a few other items, the four headed toward a tea house.

Since so many noble ladies and officials' families frequented this old Cao Men Street, only those vendors who had been screened multiple times for cleanliness and hygiene were allowed to sell food here.

Carrying food boxes in one hand and lifting their skirt hems with the other, the four maids ascended the stairs to the second floor of the tea house.

In their field of vision,

thin gauze curtains hung along the street-facing side to block the view; stirred by the draft blowing through the hall, the gauze fluttered occasionally.

Inside the building,

on a glossy, meticulously crafted table, sat freshly made Honey Crisp Pear Blossoms emitting a fragrant aroma.

Seated on a chair nearby, her complexion ruddy and clearly recovered, Miss Yu Da, Yu Yanran, sat holding a round fan.

At this moment, she was surrounded in the center by Gu Gu Tingyi, Chai Chai Zhengzheng, and other noble ladies of the capital.

Seeing this scene, the four maids who had just come upstairs did not disturb them but quietly moved to the side.

Among the noble ladies upstairs, others might be fine, but Chai Chai Zhengzheng had genuinely experienced being frightened.

Imagining the somewhat terrifying atmosphere of midnight in her mind, Chai Chai Zhengzheng asked with sincere tone: "Yu Yanran, you were so frightened those few days! How do you still have the courage to leave your room at midnight?"

Beside her, Rong Rong Feiyan looked at Yu Yu Yanran with eyes full of admiration: If it were her, after experiencing unexplained frightening noises and black shadows, she would not have the courage to leave the room alone in the pitch-black midnight.

"Yu Yanran, you are so bold! Seeing that black shadow, instead of fleeing, you actually ran toward it!" Rong Rong Feiyan shook her head and sighed.

Several other noble ladies and officials' families on the second floor were also looking at Yu Yu Yanran, echoing: "Yes! Yu Yanran, you are so amazing! If it were me, nine times out of ten my legs would have gone soft from fear!"

Among those speaking, some had not only admiration in their eyes but also curiosity and a desire to learn.

Overcoming the fear of the dark night! They wanted to learn that too!

Watched by so many people, Yu Yu Yanran felt somewhat embarrassed and awkward; she waved her hands repeatedly, saying:

"Actually, actually, I am not as amazing as you say!"

"I just felt that if I didn't figure out what it really was, and only I remained suspicious and imaginative, I would likely be frightened into illness by my own wild thoughts! Even frightened to death!"

Yu Yu Yanran pressed her lips together, frowned, and said: "Rather than that, I might as well see clearly what it really is; even if I died, I could die understanding!"

"Actually... at first, when I saw the human figure, I was terrified! My hands were trembling, my legs were soft, and I felt my heart was about to jump out of my stomach!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Hearing this, everyone around nodded one after another, watching Yu Yu Yanran with full attention.

"Yu Yanran, what happened next? How did you become so brave?" Fifth Da Niangzi of the Zhang family hurriedly asked.

Yu Yu Yanran looked at everyone, pressed her lips together, and said: "I, I just, trembling, drew this golden hairpin out from my sleeve."

"Golden hairpin?" Rong Rong Feiyan asked in confusion.

Yu Yu Yanran nodded repeatedly.

Hearing this, Gu Gu Tingyi, who was standing beside the daughter of the Huang family, Earl of Shoushan, shifted her eyes, and an unclear expression flashed across her face.

If she, Gu Gu Tingyi, guessed correctly, that golden hairpin was the Nine-Turn Filigree Golden Hairpin she had learned about from Da Niangzi Xu Hou!

"It is this one."

Saying this, Yu Yu Yanran pulled a hairpin from her bun.

To Chai Chai Zhengzheng, Gu Gu Tingyi, and the others, this golden hairpin was very well-crafted, especially generous in its use of materials.

"At that time, I was originally panicking terribly, but upon seeing this hairpin, my heart immediately calmed down," Yu Yu Yanran said.

"Sister Yu Yanran, what is this?" someone beside her asked in confusion.

"This is a keepsake my mother left me! It was made using—" Before she could finish, Yu Yu Yanran, struck by some sudden thought, felt her nose grow sore.

Seeing Yu Yu Yanran's expression, Chai Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Rong Feiyan, standing nearby, quickly reached out to gently pat Yu Yu Yanran's back.

Yu Yu Yanran took a deep breath, quickly composed herself, and gazing at the golden hairpin in her hand, said, "It was specifically instructed by my mother before she passed away; it was recast from the gold ornaments she had worn for many years."

"My name was even specially engraved upon it!"

"When I hold it, I tell myself that even if there were demons and monsters, Mother would protect me!" Yu Yu Yanran said with determined eyes.

"Suddenly, I felt strength surge within me, so I gripped this hairpin and ran out with all my might."

Another day passed,

At the exact hour of Si (10:00 AM),

Inside the Imperial Palace of Great Zhou,

Within the inner court palace,

From not far away, the joyful, crisp laughter of young girls drifted over from time to time.

The Empress sat on the central upper chair in the room, gazing out the window at the blue sky with drifting white clouds, and said with a sigh, "Earlier, hearing what the Wu family said, I thought it was merely that the eldest Miss Yu was bold yet meticulous and had seen through the conspiracy."

"I never expected there to be so many twists and turns within! Truly, the hearts of parents everywhere are pitiable! It must be that Da Niangzi Fan Da is protecting her from heaven!"

Princess Princess Pingning, seated below the Empress, held a round fan in one hand to cover her face, while using the sleeve of her other hand to gently wipe the corner of her eye.

Meeting the Empress's gaze, Princess Princess Pingning, her eyes slightly red, smiled and said, "Mother Empress, your daughter has lost her composure."

The Empress slowly shook her head and said, "It is nothing! Princess Pingning, were you thinking of the late Da Niangzi of the Marquis of Marquis Xiangyang?"

Princess Princess Pingning wiped her tears again, nodded, and said, "Yes, Mother Empress! Before my birth mother passed away, she also specifically instructed that a lotus jade crown she often wore be left to me."

Having said this, Princess Princess Pingning shook her head slightly, "But I can no longer recall what my birth mother looked like."

The Empress sighed, "You were so young then; how could you possibly remember?"

Looking at Da Niangzi Chai, the Empress continued, "By the way, there are some other twists regarding this hairpin that few know of! Only the women of the Liang, Xu, and Gu families are aware of some details."

The Empress softly recounted a few words about an old incident from many years ago, when Xu Xu Zaijing and Zhu Zhu Qinghu retrieved the golden hairpin in Xiangzhou.

Da Niangzi Chai blinked, full of emotion, and exclaimed with feeling, "Heavens above! Did brother Jing actually do such a good deed?"

Realization dawned in Princess Princess Pingning's eyes, and she said, "Years ago, when I heard that Lord Yu and his wife took the eldest Miss Yu to raise under their own care, I once wondered why she was not raised before her principal mother."

Looking at the Empress and Princess Princess Pingning, Da Niangzi Chai said, "If that hairpin of such profound significance had been lost back then, I dare not imagine how heartbroken the child of the Yu family would have been."

The Empress nodded, glancing at her youngest daughter, who was playing blindfolded with a female official not far away in the main hall.

Then, the Empress said softly, "Summon someone."

Before noon had arrived,

Within the Imperial Palace,

An imperial edict from the Empress praising the eldest legitimate daughter of the Yu family for fearing neither treachery nor evil was issued.

Accompanying it were rewards bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress.

In Jiying Lane,

At the Sheng residence,

Inside the Jin'an Studio,

Wei Wei Shuyi, who was busy weaving hundred-strand ropes before her embroidery frame, looked up.

"Wei Xiaoniang, that Sister Yu Yanran who received praise from Her Majesty the Empress shares a very close friendship with Sixth Sister!"

"I have also seen Sister Yu Yanran a few times at Grandmother's place!"

Looking at Sheng Changzhen, who was speaking with an excited face inside the room, Wei Wei Shuyi smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Good! I know now, Zhen'er, that you know Miss Yu Yu Yanran!"

She then turned her head and continued weaving the colored ropes.

Sheng Changzhen walked over to Wei Wei Shuyi's side, looked at the colored threads on the embroidery frame, and asked in confusion, "Wei Xiaoniang, why do you need to weave so many hundred-strand ropes?"

"Xu? Is this one woven for Grandmother?"

Wei Wei Shuyi smiled gently and said, "This one, yes."

(End of Chapter)