Chapter 15

Fu Tingjun's courage surged.

She ran along the row of armchairs on the west side toward the study.

If she remembered correctly, the window of the west study was open.

Nanny Fan and Nanny Sun were separated on the other side by the chairs, and by the time they went around, Fu Tingjun was only two steps away from the lattice door of the west study.

But she had forgotten that Nanny Chen was standing right at the entrance to the east inner chamber. Seeing her heading for the west study, Nanny Chen ran straight over and blocked her at the doorway.

In front of her was Nanny Chen, behind her were Nanny Fan and Nanny Sun, to her right was a whitewashed wall, and to her left was a row of armchairs.

Without a second thought, Fu Tingjun climbed onto the tea table between the armchairs, trying to leap over, but Nanny Chen grabbed her around the waist: "Come help!"

She was terrified. Struggling wildly, she screamed "Help!" at the top of her lungs.

Nanny Fan and Nanny Sun were both stout and broad-shouldered, not only strong but long-legged. Seeing Fu Tingjun stopped by Nanny Chen, they rushed over without waiting for orders, reaching her in the blink of an eye. Nanny Chen's words had barely faded when the two had already seized Fu Tingjun's arms from left and right. But Fu Tingjun's voice was so shrill that it sounded even more piercing in the silent, empty courtyard. Nanny Sun, afraid the noise would draw people, wanted to cover her mouth, but her peripheral vision caught Nanny Chen's tiger-mouth grip, and she hesitated. Then came Nanny Chen's low, stern voice: "Quick, take Ninth Miss back to her room."

Nanny Sun hesitated no longer. Looking at Nanny Chen, who was half a head shorter than herself, she scooped Fu Tingjun up around the waist.

He was coming soon!

He would be back any moment!

She couldn't let them succeed.

No matter what, she had to hold out until he returned... then she would be saved.

Fu Tingjun screamed with all her might, kicking, clawing, stamping, and flailing recklessly, but she was no match for their superior strength and was half-carried, half-dragged back into the inner chamber.

Nanny Chen personally brought the bowl of medicine over: "Hold Ninth Miss down!" Her expression was grim.

Nanny Fan said nothing, but came over and seized Fu Tingjun's arms.

"Ninth Miss!" Nanny Chen murmured, whether speaking to Fu Tingjun or comforting herself, "Don't blame me. If you must blame someone, blame your ill fortune for catching Zuo Junjie's eye. Go in peace—as for Zuo Junjie, the Elder Master will see justice done for you." With that, she pinched Fu Tingjun's jaw and tried to pour the medicine down her throat.

Fu Tingjun clamped her mouth shut tightly, using every ounce of strength she had to shake off Nanny Chen's hand, her heart crying out desperately: Why aren't you here yet? Why aren't you here yet? If you don't come soon, you'll only find my corpse... Tears fell uncontrollably.

Caught off guard, Nanny Chen spilled the medicine, splashing it across Fu Tingjun's moon-white Hangzhou silk gown, leaving a large stain.

She pinched Fu Tingjun's jaw again, and again Fu Tingjun broke free.

Nanny Chen signaled to Nanny Fan with her eyes.

Nanny Fan and Nanny Chen were no strangers to this kind of work and naturally understood what she meant. She glanced at Nanny Sun, and the two of them together pressed Fu Tingjun down onto the bed. Nanny Fan freed a hand to pinch Fu Tingjun's jaw while Nanny Chen poured the medicine into her mouth.

Hold on!

You must hold on!

Maybe he was just halfway here and his straw sandal came loose, so he stopped to tie it and got delayed... the very next moment, he might appear.

Don't give up now!

Hold on, and you'll live!

Nanny Fan's slightly hesitant voice reached her ears: "This won't work like this! Nanny Chen, I think we should find a pair of chopsticks!"

They wanted to pry her teeth apart.

Fu Tingjun clenched her teeth even tighter.

Nanny Chen could see that this standoff was getting them nowhere, but there were no chopsticks in this room. If they had to find a pair, they'd have to go to the kitchen... They had only just managed to find an excuse to send all the nuns in the nunnery to the west sutra hall to chant and pray. If a pair of chopsticks alerted others, that would be trouble. Besides, they had already spent too much time here—if they didn't finish quickly, complications might arise.

She thought for a moment, then said, "If it comes to that, find a jade hairpin from Ninth Miss's dressing case."

Nanny Fan went off at once and indeed found a jade hairpin. Amid Fu Tingjun's muffled sobs, she pried open a gap between her teeth.

Nanny Chen eagerly poured the medicine in.

A sweet liquid flowed in... Fu Tingjun's heart turned to ice.

Was she going to die like this!

Who had stolen her undergarments? Why was Zuo Junjie framing her? Where was her mother? Did she know her daughter was about to die? And him—why hadn't he come? Hadn't they agreed to meet at noon?

The liquid choked into Fu Tingjun's lungs.

She wanted to cough, but more liquid poured in.

The suffocation was unbearable. Nanny Chen's face flickered before her like a candle flame in the wind, swaying and wavering... She grabbed wildly at anything she could reach... Then she heard a woman's scream—brief and terrified—and the weight restraining her suddenly vanished... Someone called her name.

It was a man's voice.

Somewhat panicked, and unfamiliar to her ears.

Who was it?

Her mind was in a daze. She tried to lift her head to see who it was, but everything before her eyes was a blur... Her chest felt tight, as if she couldn't breathe. She coughed violently, and the pain in her chest grew worse... Unable to bear it any longer, she curled up and collapsed onto the bed.

...

She didn't know how much time had passed before Fu Tingjun regained some faint awareness in her haze. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, impossible to lift.

Someone pulled her up and held her in their arms, coaxing her in a gentle voice: "Come, let's drink the medicine! Once you drink it, you'll get better soon." The clean, pleasant scent of soap pods lingered at the tip of her nose.

Who was he?

Why was he holding her?

Men and women should not touch each other.

She was already betrothed.

Was it him?

But how could he speak to her in such a gentle voice?

Where had he gone?

Did he know she had been forced to drink that drug?

Her thoughts were in a jumble, and the liquid flowing into her mouth was bitter and astringent.

She tried hard to open her eyes, but her eyelids grew even heavier.

The person set her down.

The pillow was cool and comfortable.

She sank back into a deep sleep.

Then she was startled awake by a booming voice: "...Ninth Master, this won't do! This woman has fair, delicate skin—she's clearly from a good family. She's beautiful too, and even in coarse cloth, she can't hide it. If people misunderstand and think she's someone we've abducted, we'll be in trouble!"

"Ninth Master, please listen to our advice!" Another person chimed in. "If you're longing for a woman, once we reach Xi'an Prefecture, courtesans from the pleasure quarters, famed actresses from the opera troupes, modest maidens, or noble ladies—it'll be as easy as a word from you. I guarantee every single one will be prettier than this woman. There's no need to risk yourself for her sake!"

"Yes! Ninth Master." Another voice agreed. "Right now, masses of refugees are flooding into Huayin and Pucheng. Even the Huazhou prefect can't sit still. Not only have the constables and clerks of Huayin and Pucheng been dispatched to drive back the refugees, even the constables and clerks of Huazhou have been sent by the prefect to assist in both counties. Who has time to pay attention to us now? This is the perfect chance for us to head to Xi'an Prefecture. Once we're there, it'll be like a dragon returning to the sea—how will they ever find us..."

"Say no more. My mind is made up." This voice was flat and unvarying, even somewhat dull and cold, yet for some reason it carried a resolute finality that could not be ignored. "Yuanbao, you take Fugui and the others and blend in with the refugees from Qingyang. Yucheng, you take Sanfu and the others and mix with the refugees from Gongchang. Travel with them toward Xi'an Prefecture. A Sen, you stay behind. Today is the twelfth of the seventh month. On the fifteenth of the eighth month, we'll meet at the Yongfu Inn in Ping'an Lane in Xi'an Prefecture."

The twelfth of the seventh month? Was it already the twelfth of the seventh month? Had she been unconscious for seven or eight days?

Fu Tingjun was shocked and forced her eyes open.

Bright light suddenly streamed in, stinging her eyes.

She quickly closed them again.

Several voices called out "Ninth Master," speaking all at once—some saying "I'll stay with you," others "If we go, we go together," others "How can this be?" and still others "At worst, we'll just bring this woman along"...

"Enough!" That flat voice sounded again, and the clamor receded like the tide, leaving only one person's voice: "If you still recognize me as your Ninth Master, then just do as I say." He added, "Since we're posing as refugees, don't act rashly when trouble arises. The most important thing is to reach Xi'an Prefecture safely. If you happen to run into Feng Laosi's men, just pretend you don't know them."

After a moment of silence, scattered sounds of assent followed.

"Go prepare now! Set out after the midday meal." As he spoke, footsteps grew closer.

Fu Tingjun forced her eyes open.

A thin, gaunt figure came into view.

The sunlight shining from behind him gilded his silhouette with a golden edge. She couldn't make out his face, but the moment she heard that dull, calm voice, she knew—it was him. It was him.

How had he saved her? Had he seen her mother? Where was she now? Who were those people speaking? Why did they need to blend in with the refugees to go to Xi'an Prefecture? And who was he? Why did he say that once in Xi'an Prefecture, courtesans, opera actresses, modest maidens, and noble ladies would all be his for the choosing? He and his companions had argued—was the woman they spoke of her? And that person who had held her and fed her the medicine—was it him?

At this thought, her face burned hot. She didn't know which question to ask first, so she could only watch as he walked step by step toward her, stopping two or three paces away and looking down at her.

The two of them gazed at each other, neither speaking.

Suddenly, he crouched down to meet her eyes: "Do you still recognize me?" As he spoke, he furrowed his brow slightly, looking somewhat displeased.

Was it because she had become a burden to him? Or was he annoyed that she had caused discord between him and his companions?

Yet it seemed that although he had a heart of stone, he still held onto some measure of goodness.

At this moment, Fu Tingjun was immensely grateful for his persistence.

"I recognize you!" She nodded, trying to give him a friendly smile, but as the corners of her mouth turned up, a sharp pain stabbed at her chest, so she could only manage a faint curve of her lips, offering a slight smile. "Thank you for saving my life!"

He nodded in return. Though his expression remained impassive, she could sense that his demeanor had relaxed considerably compared to just moments before.

"Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?" he asked. "By the time I rushed over, they had already forced nearly half the medicinal concoction down your throat. Since I didn't know what kind of medicine they had given you, I had to tell the physician that you had accidentally ingested arsenic." He explained, "Either way, it's all meant to counteract poison—the principles of the medicine are the same, so it shouldn't cause any major problems." He wore an expression that seemed to say, "I guessed correctly, and sure enough, you've woken up."