Dear all,
From this April-(possibly) End of June, the updates for this story will be VERY SPORADIC. It is the time of the year where I have many assessments (and I should probably try to start writing my thesis
).
Cheers,
Nutty
***
Qiong Yue’s capital city was indeed busy. There were building with three levels on both sides of the street. Shops were abundant and human voices were everywhere. The quartzite-paved road was smooth and flat, faintly showing the country’s prosperity. It was probably because of the upcoming celebratory event, every place was covered in red silk and lanterns. Looking at this place from afar, it was somehow garish.
The autumn’s sun couldn’t be as warm as the summer’s, especially at noon when the sunlight was blinding people. Qiong Yue’s people were quite open-minded; there were many women walking alone in the streets. However, within the colorful scene, there was an obvious black colour.
This was the first time Gu Yun walked in the streets of the capital since she had arrived in this world 4-5 months ago. It was because if she wasn’t training the soldiers, she was competing. If she wasn’t investigating a case, she was fighting the rebels. Now that she was idle, she didn’t know what to do. In a few days, it would be Qing’s wedding day, she needed to find something for Qing. Unfortunately, after walking for more than 2 hours, she couldn’t find the right gift for Qing!
Not very far from there, there was a busy store. In front of its entrance, there were two jade pixiu (Chinese mythical animal that looks like a lion/tiger?). The entire store was decorated with unique and simple, but elegant ornaments. There were “Jin Yu Liang Yuan”, these four words written very large on a big black jade sign (金玉良缘 JinYuLiangYuan. JinYu means as valuable as gold and jade. Liang Yuan means happy match. It can be interpreted as a precious happy match?). Gu Yun’s lips raised slightly. Encountering such a good name store, she should go and take a look. Upon entering the store, a staff person wearing blue clothes immediately went to greet her. He secretly observed Gu Yun and smiled, “Miss, please come this way. This store sells many treasures, you could just select them.”
Gu Yun looked around the four corners. At each corner, there was a half-human-height jade statue looking very grand. In the middle, there was a ring-shaped showcase. There were a lot of jade ornaments on the display. Gu Yun didn’t really understand jade, so she just glanced through them. Nothing was fancy. When she prepared to go, the staff person stepped forward and smiled, “What kind of style do you like, Miss? This lowly one will recommend some good stuff for you to look at.” This Miss looked very simple, but her aura was not ordinary. She looked at the grandness of the shop which was full of good stuff, yet she only glanced through it quickly, like nothing was attracting her attention. In his opinion who had spent so many years attending to customers, this woman was not as scrubby as her look.
There was still an inner room? At this time, she couldn’t think of anywhere else to go, so she decided to take a look inside. Gu Yun casually said, “I want something jubilant or exquisite.”
The staff speculated, “Do you want to send it as a gift, Miss?”
“En.”
The inner room’s decoration was more comfortable than outside. Comfortable padded seats lined two sides of a square wooden table. There were about 4 sets of tables and seats. The distance between one set to another was quite far, making them look like independent rooms/spaces. Two forty-year-old women were selecting goods. Behind them, there was also a blue-uniformed staff person.
“Please wait, Miss.” The staff went to get the things. Gu Yun chose a seat closest to the door to sit.
Propping her cheeks with her palms, Gu Yun waited there. She secretly sighed. A leisurely day like this was really boring. Yesterday, she had slept in General Manor a whole day. Today after passing half a day, she already felt bored to death. Not very far away, two married women were gossiping. It looked like selecting goods was their secondary aim, while gossiping was their primary aim in coming here. The inner room was much quieter, so even though Gu Yun didn’t want to eavesdrop, she vaguely heard their gossip.
The woman in purple lowered her voice, pretending to be mysterious, “Have you heard? A daughter of the Fang family hanged herself last night.”
“What? No way!” The woman in yellow beside her anxiously said, “I’ve seen that girl. She was gentle and quiet. She was also sensible and well-behaved. How could she hang herself?!”
“You don’t know this? I will tell you but you can’t spread it.”
The woman in yellow beat her chest and said, “Calm down, calm down! I’m not that kind of person. Just say it.”
Gu Yun was dumbfounded. They were speaking in this place yet they wanted to keep it a secret? She was afraid that these two women were anxious to pass the gossip more extensively!
The woman in purple looked around, then with exaggerated expression and tone she said, “Some time ago, Mrs. Fang’s father died due to illness. Mrs. Fang brought Yi Jun to attend the funeral. They wanted to stay a night there and quickly come back on the next day. Who knew they would encounter accident at night!”
“What happened?”
Moving closer, the woman in purple replied, “She met a rapist.”
Moving closer to the other person, the woman in purple responded, “Met a flower thief (rapist)!”
“Ah!” The woman in yellow shouted, “How could this happen! Where did she meet him?”
The woman in purple made a silent motion and sighed, “Please lower your voice! 50 miles outside the capital. I’ve heard the man is a skillful martial artist. Seven or eight retainers were not his opponent. He quickly abducted that child. When the retainers found her again, that child…” The woman in purple sighed and didn’t continue.
Like the storyteller, everyone knew what happened next. Gu Yun, who had seen so many evil crimes, didn’t need to guess what had happened next. She knew the result.
Sure enough, the woman in yellow had also guessed it and whispered, “She got ruined?”
“It might be or it might not be! Who knows what happened, but her clothes were torn and she was naked in the wilderness, fainting! Fortunately, she didn’t die. However, being a woman (who is not married), how can she live well after encountering such a thing? Last night, she ended her life.”
Gu Yun frowned. She had survived, why would she commit suicide? Gu Yun was a little bit angry. Coincidently, the staff had brought a tray of jade ornaments and said, “Miss, these are good items from the store. They’re suitable for birthdays as well as gifts for weddings. Please take a look.”
Gently waving, Gu Yun was slightly impatient when she replied, “Okay. Put it there. When I see something I like, I will call you.”
“Yes.” Seeing Gu Yun’s not so good expression, the staff didn’t stay at her side but retreated to the door side. Gu Yun played with the things on the tray. She was somewhat absent-minded. However, her ears kept listening to the women’s dialogue.
“Truly evil! This Fang family is famous for their kindness. Every month, they would treat patients for free for five days. A number of poor people were saved because they donated medicine. How could they encounter such a problem? Is it real?”
“Who doesn’t want it to be untrue?! This is what Mrs. Wang personally said it to me. Her dimei (little brother’s wife) was Yi Jun’s saozi (big brother’s wife). This matter can’t be fake!”
“Well, the celebration is coming. How could the capital become so unstable!”
After listening to several sentences later, Gu Yun estimated they wouldn’t say anything good anymore. Gu Yun was ready to concentrate on selecting gifts. Suddenly, the woman in purple anxiously said, “I heard the murderer is a foreigner. His hair is white!”
“White hair? Just hearing that makes people scared!”
White hair? Gu Yun held a hairpin. She didn’t know why, but her mind suddenly thought of a silver strand in the eyes of a solitary figure. Then she thought again, thinking she was being ridiculous. People like Ao Tian, even if he killed people, he would not do such a thing. Those cold arrogant eyes didn’t look at any woman.
“Miss, which one do you actually want to pick?” Gu Yun was still thinking when a blunt clear female voice entered her ears.
Gu Yun recovered her thoughts and saw an elegant beauty standing in front of her. On the clear face, a pair of bright eyes were staring brilliantly. She emitted a gentle aura,
“Fu-er, don’t be rude.” A soft woman’s voice came from behind the young girl. The girl pouted. She didn’t dare to speak anymore.
Seeing a small conflict between the ladies, the staff quickly came forward and smiled, “Miss Yu. These items had been presented to this Miss first to choose. This lowly one will find other accessories for you. Our store has just received new products!”
Gu Yun saw the jade ornaments’ ‘rearrangement’ that she made on the tray… messy. She was slightly embarrassed and smiled, “Never mind, I really don’t know which one to choose. If there is anything that Miss likes, just take it.”
The woman didn’t take any and just lightly smiled, “Miss, you want to choose a gift for someone, don’t you?” If she was choosing it for herself, as long as she liked it, she would have just taken it. She didn’t need to be so careful. Seeing her clueless look, she must want to send it as a gift.
Gu Yun nodded, “En. A wedding gift.” This woman was surprisingly observant.
The woman took a look at the tray and said, “In a wedding reception, you could deliver your wishes to them by giving them things such as a colorful glass as a congratulatory gift. If it is for family or a close friend, you could send a jade comb or gold hairpin as the gift.”
Jade comb? Gu Yun felt it was quite good. She and Qing were the same in that they rarely wore jewelry. A jade comb would be both good-looking and practical. Gu Yun took a sparkling white jade comb and smiled, “Thank you, Miss, for your suggestion. I will take this jade comb.”
The girl behind the miss laughed and said, “Who would just give one comb? Only lovers would do so. A congratulatory gift should be a pair!” Although she deliberately lowered her voice, everyone could still hear it clearly.
“Fu-er!” The miss glared at her before facing Gu Yun and apologetically said, “Her household’s lessons were not strict. Please don’t put it in your heart, Miss.”
Gu Yun presumed a beauty should be like this, even while glaring, she was still beautiful. Carelessly, Gu Yun said, “Never mind.”
Finding another jade comb on the tray, Gu Yun handed it to the staff beside her and said, “Help me wrap this pair of combs.”
“Yes.” The staff took the combs and went out.
At this time, the woman just took a piece of carved jade from the tray. A half-open lotus was carved on it. This would be the piece that she was eyeing before.
What a gracious woman! Gu Yun gently smiled, “Pardon me, may I know your name, miss?” This woman was not only beautiful, but she also had a gentle aura that made others comfortable to be around her. Gu Yun couldn’t help but want to know her name.
The woman slowly looked up and said, “Yu Han Dan.” (Yu= Jade, HanDan= Lotus)
Yu Han Dan? Gu Yun gently raised her brow and smiled, “What an elegant name. I am called Qing Mo.”
The woman friendly nodded, “Miss Qing.”
At this time, the staff came back with a well-wrapped delicate case and said, “Miss, I have wrapped it for you. The total was 180 Liangs.”
“Oh.” When Gu Yun went out early this morning, Su Yu asked Uncle Ming to give her a bag of silver taels. Although she had been here for months, she could only recognise coins and banknotes. She didn’t know how to configure a silver tael to liangs. She gave the bag to the staff and asked, “Are these enough?”
The man nodded. He was a bit embarrassed when he replied, “You are still short 30 liangs.”
Gu Yun frowned. Her face didn’t look too embarrassed. She thought before replying, “I only brought this much today. How about… You keep it for me and tomorrow I will come back with the money?”
The staff was in a difficult position when he replied, “We have a rule to not hold the goods. These pair of jade combs are a couple. I’m afraid tomorrow when Miss comes again, we will have sold out.”
Gu Yun smiled and freely said, “Then, I cannot say anything. I don’t have enough money now. If tomorrow they are sold out, then they are sold out.”
After that, Gu Yun took back the purse and was ready to leave. The woman before suddenly said softly, “Truthfully, Miss, you could give them a deposit and let them send it to your house. At that time, you can pay the remaining bill.”
Gu Yun’s eyes shone and looked at the staff. She asked, “Could you do that?”
The staff nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Gu Yun was relieved. She smiled, “Well, you take these things to the General Manor.” When Gu Yun said ‘General Manor’, the staff was shocked and the woman was also slightly stunned for a moment.
“Is it General ZhenGuo Manor?” The staff carefully asked. (It is a title: Zhen=guard, Guo= nation)
Gu Yun thought again and replied, “It is, I think. It is Su Ling, that general’s manor.”
She could address the General Su’s name casually. She must be the general’s relative. When hearing Gu Yun asking how much to deposit, the staff quickly replied, “20 liangs will be enough.”
Gu Yun opened the purse and pulled a twenty liangs draft. The staff took the draft and quickly replied, “I will definitely send this to Miss this afternoon.”
Gu Yun nodded and replied, “Thank you.”
The man bowed again and replied, “Bu Gan.” (Bu= not, Gan= dare; it is another way to say you’re welcome, but also showed the one who said it humble his/herself.)
Looking at the quietly standing woman, Gu Yun smiled, “Also, thank you, Miss Yu.”
The woman nodded and smilingly replied, “You’re welcome (You’ve been courteous).”
Her tone was more distant than before. Although Gu Yun didn’t understand why, seeing that the other person didn’t want to speak with her again, she just said, “I will go first,” and went out.
Waiting for that black figure to exit the “Jin Yu Liang Yuan” store, the small girl servant quickly opened her mouth, “Miss, doesn’t General Zhen Guo Manor have no women? But then, looking at her dress, she isn’t really woman-like. No wonder she can stay in the Manor.”
The woman laughed and warned, “Your piece of mouth! Some day that mouth of yours will offend people.”
The little girl shrugged and didn’t look afraid.
Her black clothing, her high bun, her casual smile and her cool behaviour. This kind of woman, even she couldn’t help wanting to get closer a little, could she? Yu Han Dan looked at the street. Secretly guessing, what was her position in the General Manor?”
***
Outside of General Manor, with the young elites guarding its entrance, even if ordinary people walked passed the Manor, they didn’t dare to speak loudly. Everyone knew that there were no women inside the General Manor. The three generals were not very easy to deal with. Although Jin Yu Liang Yuan store’s staff had entered many noble houses, including that of royalty, but they had never entered this Manor.
The two staff members looked at each other. Taking a deep breath, they took the case and entered the prestigious manor. They had just walked into the gate when the guards immediately snapped, “What are you doing?”
The two quickly stopped. One of them raised the case and respectfully replied, “This lowly one is Jin Yu Liang Yuan’s staff. General Manor’s Miss asked us to send it here.”
“Miss?” The guard hesitated for a moment. He didn’t respond for a while.
A small soldier beside him whispered, “Is it Miss Qing? Do we need to ask Uncle Ming?” This morning, Miss Qing went out. It was probably the things she bought because there was no other woman in the Manor besides her!
“En.” The guard nodded. Facing the two staff members he said, “Wait outside first.”
“Yes.” They immediately retreated out. At this time, a big tall figure went through the gate. They almost crashed. Fortunately, the coming man quickly moved aside.
The small soldier looked at the coming man and quickly stood straight. He said, “General!” Seeing the general, the staff quickly looked down. They didn’t dare to even look at Su Ling’s face.
Su Ling frowned and asked, “Who are they?”
Seeing his unhappy face, the soldier quickly reported, “Reporting. They are Jin Yu Liang Yuan’s staff. They said, someone in this manor had ordered things from them. It is probably Miss Qing who ordered it.”
Things that Qing Mo bought? Su Ling, who wanted to go in, quickly turned around and asked the staff, “What is it?”
The cold voice was clear but not so scary. Yet, it made people couldn’t help but be frightened. The staff person swallowed his saliva and respectfully said, “A pair of white jade combs. Miss said it is for a wedding gift.”
Wedding? At this time, Su Ling remembered that her sister’s wedding was coming in few days. No wonder, she went out to buy stuff. He stretched his hand and said, “Give it to me.”
“Yes.” The staff carefully presented the box to Su Ling. Su Ling opened the box to see. Inside, there was a pair of white jade combs, about the size of a palm. They were placed against a red background, emphasizing their white color. Closing the box back, Su Ling didn’t ask for the price and just ordered the small soldier, “Take them to the accountant to get their money.”
“Yes.” The soldier led them to the side door. Su Ling suddenly said, “Wait. Was there anything she fancied?”
The staff thought for a moment and replied, “At that time, Miss was holding an emerald jade buyao for a long time.” (It is kind of like a hairpin. The ornament shakes as you walk. Bu= step, Yao=shake.)
“Send that buyao over later too.” After that, Su Ling took the case and stepped into the inner court.
“Yes.” The staff secretly relieved. Fortunately, they had good vision and didn’t offend that Miss.
After eating out, Gu Yun slowly came back in the afternoon. She propped her cheeks and leaned on the table. Gu Yun self-mockingly thought, being a noble miss was really not a suitable position for her. Before when she was investigating a case, a day felt like a flash. She really wondered if there were 48 hours in a day instead of 24. Now, a day felt like a year! Just as her mind was wandering around, Uncle Ming brought a case to her. He said, “Miss, the items that you’ve ordered have arrived.”
“Good,” Gu Yun lazily replied.
When Uncle Ming presented her the items, she realised besides the square red case, there was another green case. She opened the case and saw an emerald green buyao. It was elegant and beautiful. It made refined sounds when you gently shook it. The entire buyao was beautiful.
She put the buyao carefully into the case again and smiled, “I just ordered the combs. This buyao isn’t mine.” The hairpin was beautiful and somewhat familiar, but she didn’t buy it. At this time, Gu Yun had completely forgotten that she had been holding the buyao while listening to the gossip.
Uncle Ming replied, “These are what General commanded this elder servant to bring over here. Other than that, this elder servant doesn’t know.”
Gu Yun waved and didn’t insist, “Go and do your things. I will find him myself.” With Su Ling’s bad temperament, it was better for her to just directly speak to him. She shouldn’t make things difficult for an elderly person.
“Yes.” Uncle Ming was relieved and retreated.
Gu Yun looked at two boxes on her table and thought. A few months ago, she didn’t buy anything because she basically didn’t really like to spend money and she was busy with training soldiers and investigating cases. Therefore, she didn’t have time to think about money. She didn’t know when would she find the goldbagua, so she would be stay here for an indefinite time. She couldn’t use the Su family’s money like this. She should seriously think about ways to earn money.
***
Study room.
With the upcoming celebration, a large number of foreign envoys, nobles, and merchants were coming to the Capital to offer congratulations. To ensure the safety, many patrolling guards must be employed. However, to show peace and prosperity, soldiers couldn’t just walk in the street. This deployment made one’s headache. Su Ling looked at the imperial troops’ deployment map, silently analysing. At this time, a light footstep arrived inside the study room.
Su Ling looked up. A plain white paper appeared before his eyes. Taking the paper, Su Ling quickly read through the paper. He stared at Gu Yun’s ‘of course’ face and asked, “What is this?”
“An IOU.” Gu Yun replied very seriously, “I heard you helped me to pay the remaining balance that I owed. This is the IOU for 160 liangs. Today, I also asked for 150 liangs from Su Yu. I will give him an IOU as well. When I have the money, I will return it back to you. However, it may not be very soon so just put an interest on it.”
“Who told you to make an IOU?” Su Ling, who had been in an irritable mood because of the deployment diagram, was struggling to pent down his emotions. His tone was a little bit angry.
Gu Yun felt strange and also impatiently replied, “I don’t have the money, so I could only make an IOU. If you don’t agree, I will go and borrow money from Su Yu to pay you first. Then, I will pay him later.” She turned around to find Su Yu.
“Stop.” Hearing that she would go borrow money from Su Yu and return his money, Su Ling became angrier. He pushed the IOU and coldly said, “Take it back.”
“Wait until I borrow money from Su Yu to pay you back, then I will take it back.” One hand gave the money, one hand took back the IOU. This was fair.
The fairness in Gu Yun’s eyes angered Su Ling, “ Qing Mo! You are now living in the General Manor, so you are a person of General Manor. You using the General Manor’s money is natural. You don’t need to make IOUs, understand?”
Under this abnormal situation, ‘Slow’ Gu Yun, of course, didn’t know the implication of Su Ling’s words and kept insisting, “I have lived and eaten here for free. This is already embarrassing enough. I absolutely cannot take your money too. You just take this IOU first, I will pay it later.”
Damn! This noble arrogant man roared because of Gu Yun’s stubbornness, “I said you don’t need to repay it!” What was actually in her mind? Why could she live like a normal woman for a day?! Was using his money that hard?
What was he roaring about? Gu Yun didn’t understand. Wasn’t repaying one’s debt a right and proper thing? Knowing that both of them were angry, Gu Yun was lazy to argue with him. She indifferently replied, “I’ll put the IOU here. It doesn’t matter if you tear it up. Regarding the money, whether you want it or don’t want it is your problem and whether I pay it or not pay it is my problem.”
Gu Yun didn’t have time to turn around, Su Ling already roared again, “Stop!”
Gu Yun cursed. Why was this man so sentimental! Coldly staring at Su Ling, she originally thought if he said one more thing about the IOU again, she would go crazy. Unexpectedly, Su Ling asked, “Did you buy those combs for Qing Ling and Luo Xi Yan’s wedding?”
Gu Yun was surprised. She nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Su Ling suddenly lowered his head and waved the diagram aside. He dismissively said, “Coincidently, I haven’t bought anything and also didn’t know what to give them. The celebration kept me busy. Just make the combs as our gifts and take this IOU back.”
“I…” Our gift? No matter how Gu Yun heard it, it still felt weird, but she didn’t know what felt weird.
Gu Yun wanted to open her mouth again, but Su Ling looked up and straightly looked at her while saying, “Don’t be so petty! I’m a big man. I don’t know how to choose a gift for them.”
Before, when a friend married, she had also bought a gift together with her colleagues. Sending it together shouldn’t be a problem, right? Gu Yun thought about it again. Finally, she nodded and said, “Okay, just think of it as you chipping in.”
Su Ling secretly sighed. This woman was really hard to deal with. If he went head to head with her, it certainly wouldn’t work. As long as he went soft/humble a bit and she didn’t keep on mentioning the IOU, it should be fine. After all, in war, everything was fair.
“Oh, yeah.” Gu Yun thought about her second aim in coming here. She pulled out a pale green box from her sleeve, gently placed it on Su Ling’s table and smiled, “This is not my order. I give it back to you.”
Su Ling coughed lightly. He was a little bit uncomfortable to say, “It was yours.”
Gu Yun puzzledly looked at Su Ling who now looked down at the diagram. He said, “I gave it to you.”
Gu Yun raised her brow and smiled, “Why are you giving me a gift for no apparent reason?”
Putting the box in front of Gu Yun, Su Ling pretended to be calm and said, “This expedition used many of your strategies. This buyao is my thank you gift to you. Now, can you accept it?”
Oh, it was like that. Gu Yun generously laughed, “Thanks, I will accept your intention but not the gift. Anyway, it isn’t suitable for me.” Such beautiful jewelry, sending it to her was wasteful. Gu Yun pushed back the case.
Heaven knew it was the first time he gave something to a woman and she actually didn’t want it?! He must be crazy when he thought to give such an ungrateful woman a gift! Su Ling stared at Gu Yun and coldly said, “I’ve given it to you, so it is yours! If you don’t want it, just throw it!”
His lips said so, but ‘just see if you dare throw it’ was written clearly on his face. Gu Yun laughed, was this man actually sending a gift? And not threatening someone? Grabbing the box, Gu Yun couldn’t help but tease as it was very rare he was this awkward, “Well, I will go and throw it out.”
Sure enough, eyes sharp as knives shot at her! Gu Yun happily went out.
Watching the slim figure go out to the courtyard and put back the box into her sleeve, Su Ling stiff lips suddenly formed a smile. Unfortunately, Gu Yun suddenly turned around and shouted, “Oh yeah, I will write another IOU for you for the remaining 90 liangs.”
Su Ling’s lips froze that instant! Damn, this woman was still talking about IOUs!
***
Hua Hall.
“Take it back, take it back. Why would you write an IOU for this little sum of money? I don’t want it.”
Su Yu threw her IOU far away like it was some disgusting thing. Gu Yun was dumbfounded and asked, “Have the both of you always been this generous? Until now, your family still hasn’t fallen destitute. It is probably because heaven still protects your family.”
Su Yu glared at her. She thought that General Manor’s money was really easy to spend! If the one who spent it wasn’t her, how could he be so generous? She really treated good intentions like trash!
Su Yu didn’t accept it (IOU). Gu Yun also didn’t pick it and just let the IOU fall near her feet. She smiled, “Whether you want to accept it or not is up to you. After all, as long as I remember it, it should be fine.” She wanted to go out. The best way to deal with the Su family’s men was not to reason with them and just do it!
Gu Yun’s face was firm. Su Yu couldn’t help but curse, “Could you not be so awkward? If you wanted the General Manor’s money, just go to the accountant and take it. Why are you making up problems when there are none?!”
Gu Yun ignored him and kept asking, “In your Qiong Yue, how could a woman earn money?” To be honest, she still wasn’t clear what women in this era could do.
“Why you are so stubborn? Did you not understand my words?!” Su Yu stood up and turned his back to her. He didn’t speak to her again.
Gently raising her lips, Gu Yun deliberately sighed and replied, “If you don’t want to say it, I will ask Luo Xi Yan later.”
“Why do you want to ask him?!” Su Yu was really angry. If she really went to ask Luo Xi Yan, people would think that their General Manor couldn’t even feed a woman. It would be really embarrassing! Knowing this woman would not give up until she got the answer, Su Yu could only reply, “A woman can earn money by becoming someone’s personal maid, servant or selling hand-embroidered work. All of these are really not suitable for you.”
Gu Yun frowned and shook her head, “It looks like I’m not really suitable to do things that women do.”
“Indeed!” Su Yu was finally relieved and drank a mouthful of tea.
At this time, his ears heard an excited voice, “I should just try to do men’s work.”
“Pffftt…” The tea was sprayed out. Su Yu almost choked to death, but Gu Yun ignored him.
She smiled beside him and continued, “Becoming a bounty hunter shouldn’t be too bad. It’s profitable and also suitable for me.” She remembered a girl called Ye Mei who was also a bounty hunter. Her reputation was also not bad. She could just try it. After all, investigating cases was her strong point. However, her skill in chasing after criminals was a little bit weaker (than her investigation skill). She should just try and see it.
Finally able to stop coughing, Su Yu lamented, “Suitable your ass! Great Aunt, please don’t torment people again!” (Great Aunt=姑奶奶. It is an exaggerated address to a woman to say she was mighty).
Seeing his sorry state, Gu Yun laughed out loud.
There were constant laughing sounds from Hua Hall inside. Outside Hua Hall, a man who just wanted to come in paused. His straight brows were wrinkled. His face was full of frustration. How could she not torment people?! Su Ling rubbed his head, which ached. Well, since she really wanted to earn money, he should find a thing for her to do.
At any rate, he absolutely couldn’t let her become a bounty hunter!
Yi Tian Court.
Perhaps because no one had lived here for a long time or that the courtyard was never designed to have chairs and tables, in this huge courtyard, there was not even a single place to sit at all. Under the moonlight, a woman sat on the floor. Her hands were holding a long white sword. Near her feet, there was a pile of…. ice?
“Bing Lian, please behave for me. Don’t release such a cold air anymore! This is the third towel that you have frosted. If you keep on doing this, I will not clean you again in the future!” Holding a wet towel, Gu Yun severely warned, even though her opponent was a sword.
Under the moonlight, the pale white sword flashed a bit. Feeling extremely wronged, it restrained its cold air. Gu Yun picked a damp towel and rubbed it attentively. The towel still formed a thin ice layer, but fortunately, it didn’t turn into an ice block. Gu Yun satisfyingly took the damp cloth and gently wiped the blade.
A man was standing outside, watching the scene. His face was decorated by an obvious smile. She actually scolded Bing Lian to not release its cold air. It was a thousands-year-old ancient sword that was forged from everlasting ice. How could it not release a chilled air? Furthermore, over the years, he had never heard of a person who bathed Bing Lian!
Su Ling walked into the courtyard. The moonlight made his tall shadow longer. Gu Yun looked up at him. She obviously could see a smile in his eyes, but she didn’t complain. She naturally smiled back, “Please have a seat.”
Su Ling quickly assessed the place. Besides on the ground, there was nothing that he could sit on. Not saying anything, Su Ling also sat on the grass like Gu Yun.
After Gu Yun wiped Bing Lian and put it back into its scabbard, she said to Su Ling, “Please wait.” After that, she stood up and went to the inner chamber. Soon, with her hand holding a piece of paper, she walked to Su Ling’s front, “This.”
Sweeping through the contents of the paper, he wasn’t surprised. It was an IOU again. This time, Su Ling didn’t reject it. He took the paper and put it in his sleeves. He seriously said, “I came here to discuss with you about business.”
Su Ling was so readily taking the IOU, Gu Yun was somehow unaccustomed to it. Hearing his serious tone, Gu Yun curiously asked, “What business?”
“Su Army has always been brave in the battlefield. However, this time’s expedition made me think that the Su Army’s training is monotone, so the form of fighting was also limited. I hope to increase their training programs so that they will be able to win despite encountering different enemies or different environments.” Su Ling had thought for a long time. If he randomly gave her a trivial job, she would ignore it. During the battle with the rebels, he had seen Qing Mo’s interest in military things. In addition, she also had the capability, so he would let her design the training course. She would most likely agree to this.
Gu Yun naturally didn’t know that he had her discuss military matters because Su Ling only wanted to find some work for her, so she seriously gave him a suggestion, “Actually you have been leading the Su Army for quite a long time and have been fighting in many wars. Your main mode of fighting is to put two troops in the frontline. There are tens of thousands soldiers in the Su army. If you want to give each of them special training, you will need to spend a hell of a lot of money. You could choose 30,000 elites and specially train them so that they can fight calmly and deal with the enemy in any sort of circumstances. They can fight together with the army and also perform independent raids like sieging.”
Gu Yun finished speaking and paused for a second. She looked hesitant. Su Ling saw her hesitation, so he took the initiative to say, “Please continue.”
After a while, Gu Yun said, “In an army like the Su army, there is a need to form a special force to do special tasks. Everyone in this special force should be the best of the best and can independently make huge destructive impacts, spy behind enemy lines, steal information and assassinate enemies. They must be equipped with the best materials and their abilities should be prominent. The most important thing is they do not belong to any troop in the Su army. There should be only one person who could command them. That person is you.”
Su Ling was surprised! His black eyes narrowed and stared at the Gu Yun’s calm face. Seeing the complicated look in Su Ling’s eyes, Gu Yun suddenly understood the cause of alertness in his eyes. She shook her head and laughed, “You don’t need to be that nervous. I didn’t teach you to rebel. To be more elaborate, if you really wanted to rebel, a group of special forces wouldn’t be enough. In some sense, soldiers and swords are similar, both of them are weapons. A weapon doesn’t judge right from wrong. The most important thing is the person who can recognize their use. Making this kind of special force is my idea. Whether you think it is feasible or not, you should slowly consider it.”
Gu Yun indifferently shrugged. She only gave him a suggestion. Whether he wanted to listen to it or not was entirely his choice.
Standing up, Gu Yun picked up the towels that had become ice blocks and put them next to a barrel. Gu Yun lamented, she had always cherished her weapon. Before, she used to take care of her gun. Now, it looked like this method couldn’t be used on Bing Lian.
Gu Yun was busy with the things in her hands that she didn’t notice the pair of eagle eyes had not moved away from her.
“I think what you said is good. This was also the thing that I wanted to discuss with you.” Maybe, at the start, he was only looking for something that could be given to Gu Yun, now it looked like he changed his mind.
After cleaning up, Gu Yun heard Su Ling’s deep voice behind her. She turned around and with a slightly disbelieving voice, she asked, “You want me to help you train the soldiers?” It was not like she didn’t believe in her ability, but she didn’t believe that Su Ling would ask her to train a special force.
Su Ling nodded and replied, “When encountering the most dangerous situation, there is a need to use this force. I want a capable and trustworthy person to train them.”
A capable and trustworthy person? Was he talking about her? The more Gu Yun listened to him, the straighter she felt her hair stand up. Gu Yun didn’t speak a word. Su Ling continued, “I will give you 300liangs monthly. Are you satisfied?”
Although Gu Yun wasn’t really clear on the value of 300 liangs, she knew it was definitely not a small amount of money. She had guessed the purpose of Su Ling’s trip tonight so she snorted and said, “What are Han Shu’s wages?”
Why did she ask this question? Su Ling hesitated for a moment. Under Gu Yun’s straight eyes, he finally replied, “200 liangs.” Did she actually see through his disguise?
Just as Su Ling worried about her stubbornness, Gu Yun readily replied, “At the beginning of training, let me have the same wages as Han Shu. When we do achieve something, I will ask for a raise.”
It was not like she didn’t need money. In addition, what she would take was the benefit… Su Ling’s intention did not matter to her. As long as she took his money, she would give him a service equivalent to the sum of the money. Moreover, she also missed those days when she trained Leng Xiao etc. Perhaps with their company, the days here would be slightly better!
She agreed! Su Ling’s hanging heart could be put down now. He replied, “Within three days, Su Ren will come back to the Capital. After that, you can select any soldier in Su army that you need.” Now, he had a bit of an expectation for the special force that Gu Yun said. He recalled a fine man called Leng Xiao. Leng Xiao would rather give up an opportunity to enter tiger troop to be on her side. Maybe, she was really worth it.
“This special force doesn’t need to have too many people. I only need a hundred of your most refined soldiers.” One soldier that could beat thousands. She had spoken to Han Shu about this before, and now it was about to be realised.
“Okay.” Because he had given the responsibility to her, Su Ling didn’t intend to interfere. Under the moonlight, two shadows, one tall and one short, were standing side by side. Her originally beautiful face looked more charming. Her eyelashes were like crescent moons, decorating a pair of bright and clear eyes. Unexpectedly, a woman’s eyes could be so beautiful.
Su Ling’s profound eyes kept on staring at her. Gu Yun suddenly felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. She asked, “Anything else?”
“Nothing.” Coldly leaving the sentence, Su Ling turned around and exited Yi Tian Court. Seeing the tall figure hurriedly leave, Gu Yun felt strange. Why was he staring at her?
***Warning do not read this part if you don’t want an overhang, this story will continue for another 5-8 chapters as far as I new, so read it at your own risk!***
P.S.: sorry for the previous messed up orders, wordpress is playing on me. Any suggestion how to fix it?:)
Under the hazy moonlight, in a charming little room lit only by a soft lamplight, a beautiful and dignified woman was standing before a baby cradle. Her face filled with tenderness and love. Gently rubbing the baby’s pink cheek, the woman gently coaxed her baby to sleep. A maidservant who was standing behind the woman advised her, “Madam, it has passed the Zi hour. The young master has fallen asleep. You should also go to sleep. This servant will be here and take care of the young master.”
The woman slightly frowned, her eyes didn’t move from the little life inside the cradle. After a while, she reluctantly said, “En, you must be careful when you are taking care of the little master. If there is a problem, call me immediately.” This child was the old master and her long awaited baby. He was their lives.
“Yes.” The maidservants nodded.
Gently pulling the blanket up, the woman unwillingly stood up. She had just gone to the window to close it, when she heard the window smash against the wall because of the wind, and a dark shadow suddenly appeared in the room. Under the moonlight, the big figure stood in front of the crib silently. He wore black clothes and his hair was silver. His presence made the entire room deathly cold. His back was facing the moon so others couldn’t see his face but they could still feel his cold aura. The woman panicly asked, “You… who are you?”
The man didn’t reply and just took the baby. Because of the noise, the baby started to move anxiously. Seeing that, the woman became more panicked. She rushed forward while hysterically shouting, “What are you doing, put my son back!”
The man indifferently turned back. The silver strand on his eyes sparked under the moonlight. The dark figure went out through the window.
“Stop! Give my son back!” It had always been a mother’s nature to protect her children. The delicate and weak woman quickly rushed to the window grabbing the man’s clothes. The man’s eyes flashed, merciless swayed her hand off. Like a broken-line kite, the woman fell and hit the nearby screen.
“Ah!” Her forehead hit the screen edges, bubbling with flowing blood.
The blood awakened the stunned maidservant. She quickly stepped forward and helped the woman. She anxiously asked, “Madam! Are you alright?”
The two sat on the ground, hugging each other while the dark figure disappeared into the night sky. The child cried because of the noise. His crying sound become more and more distant, piercing his mother’s heart. The madam didn’t feel her forehead bleeding. At that moment, her heart had been mercilessly torn to pieces. She cried continuously, “My son! My son!”
The maidservant was grabbing onto the fallen woman while screaming with panic, “Someone come here! Quick, someone come here! The young master had an incident!”
The shout quickly attracted the house retainers. Soon, a fifty-year-old middle-aged man rushed in. Just when he arrived, he was shocked by the mess and blood in the room. He anxiously asked, “What had happened?”
The male voice finally made the woman jolt into consciousness. She tightly grabbed his hand and hysterically cried, “Sir… Sir, please save our son. The silver-haired man abducted him! Save him! Save him!”
When he heard ‘silver hair’, the man’s hand which was holding the woman shook uncontrollably. A silver-haired man! Why was it a silver-haired man? Thinking of what happened these days, the middle-age man’s face ashen.
Dear all,
From this April-(possibly) End of June, the updates for this story will be VERY SPORADIC. It is the time of the year where I have many assessments (and I should probably try to start writing my thesis ).
Cheers,
Nutty
***
Qiong Yue’s capital city was indeed busy. There were building with three levels on both sides of the street. Shops were abundant and human voices were everywhere. The quartzite-paved road was smooth and flat, faintly showing the country’s prosperity. It was probably because of the upcoming celebratory event, every place was covered in red silk and lanterns. Looking at this place from afar, it was somehow garish.
The autumn’s sun couldn’t be as warm as the summer’s, especially at noon when the sunlight was blinding people. Qiong Yue’s people were quite open-minded; there were many women walking alone in the streets. However, within the colorful scene, there was an obvious black colour.
This was the first time Gu Yun walked in the streets of the capital since she had arrived in this world 4-5 months ago. It was because if she wasn’t training the soldiers, she was competing. If she wasn’t investigating a case, she was fighting the rebels. Now that she was idle, she didn’t know what to do. In a few days, it would be Qing’s wedding day, she needed to find something for Qing. Unfortunately, after walking for more than 2 hours, she couldn’t find the right gift for Qing!
Not very far from there, there was a busy store. In front of its entrance, there were two jade pixiu (Chinese mythical animal that looks like a lion/tiger?). The entire store was decorated with unique and simple, but elegant ornaments. There were “Jin Yu Liang Yuan”, these four words written very large on a big black jade sign (金玉良缘 JinYuLiangYuan. JinYu means as valuable as gold and jade. Liang Yuan means happy match. It can be interpreted as a precious happy match?). Gu Yun’s lips raised slightly. Encountering such a good name store, she should go and take a look. Upon entering the store, a staff person wearing blue clothes immediately went to greet her. He secretly observed Gu Yun and smiled, “Miss, please come this way. This store sells many treasures, you could just select them.”
Gu Yun looked around the four corners. At each corner, there was a half-human-height jade statue looking very grand. In the middle, there was a ring-shaped showcase. There were a lot of jade ornaments on the display. Gu Yun didn’t really understand jade, so she just glanced through them. Nothing was fancy. When she prepared to go, the staff person stepped forward and smiled, “What kind of style do you like, Miss? This lowly one will recommend some good stuff for you to look at.” This Miss looked very simple, but her aura was not ordinary. She looked at the grandness of the shop which was full of good stuff, yet she only glanced through it quickly, like nothing was attracting her attention. In his opinion who had spent so many years attending to customers, this woman was not as scrubby as her look.
There was still an inner room? At this time, she couldn’t think of anywhere else to go, so she decided to take a look inside. Gu Yun casually said, “I want something jubilant or exquisite.”
The staff speculated, “Do you want to send it as a gift, Miss?”
“En.”
The inner room’s decoration was more comfortable than outside. Comfortable padded seats lined two sides of a square wooden table. There were about 4 sets of tables and seats. The distance between one set to another was quite far, making them look like independent rooms/spaces. Two forty-year-old women were selecting goods. Behind them, there was also a blue-uniformed staff person.
“Please wait, Miss.” The staff went to get the things. Gu Yun chose a seat closest to the door to sit.
Propping her cheeks with her palms, Gu Yun waited there. She secretly sighed. A leisurely day like this was really boring. Yesterday, she had slept in General Manor a whole day. Today after passing half a day, she already felt bored to death. Not very far away, two married women were gossiping. It looked like selecting goods was their secondary aim, while gossiping was their primary aim in coming here. The inner room was much quieter, so even though Gu Yun didn’t want to eavesdrop, she vaguely heard their gossip.
The woman in purple lowered her voice, pretending to be mysterious, “Have you heard? A daughter of the Fang family hanged herself last night.”
“What? No way!” The woman in yellow beside her anxiously said, “I’ve seen that girl. She was gentle and quiet. She was also sensible and well-behaved. How could she hang herself?!”
“You don’t know this? I will tell you but you can’t spread it.”
The woman in yellow beat her chest and said, “Calm down, calm down! I’m not that kind of person. Just say it.”
Gu Yun was dumbfounded. They were speaking in this place yet they wanted to keep it a secret? She was afraid that these two women were anxious to pass the gossip more extensively!
The woman in purple looked around, then with exaggerated expression and tone she said, “Some time ago, Mrs. Fang’s father died due to illness. Mrs. Fang brought Yi Jun to attend the funeral. They wanted to stay a night there and quickly come back on the next day. Who knew they would encounter accident at night!”
“What happened?”
Moving closer, the woman in purple replied, “She met a rapist.”
Moving closer to the other person, the woman in purple responded, “Met a flower thief (rapist)!”
“Ah!” The woman in yellow shouted, “How could this happen! Where did she meet him?”
The woman in purple made a silent motion and sighed, “Please lower your voice! 50 miles outside the capital. I’ve heard the man is a skillful martial artist. Seven or eight retainers were not his opponent. He quickly abducted that child. When the retainers found her again, that child…” The woman in purple sighed and didn’t continue.
Like the storyteller, everyone knew what happened next. Gu Yun, who had seen so many evil crimes, didn’t need to guess what had happened next. She knew the result.
Sure enough, the woman in yellow had also guessed it and whispered, “She got ruined?”
“It might be or it might not be! Who knows what happened, but her clothes were torn and she was naked in the wilderness, fainting! Fortunately, she didn’t die. However, being a woman (who is not married), how can she live well after encountering such a thing? Last night, she ended her life.”
Gu Yun frowned. She had survived, why would she commit suicide? Gu Yun was a little bit angry. Coincidently, the staff had brought a tray of jade ornaments and said, “Miss, these are good items from the store. They’re suitable for birthdays as well as gifts for weddings. Please take a look.”
Gently waving, Gu Yun was slightly impatient when she replied, “Okay. Put it there. When I see something I like, I will call you.”
“Yes.” Seeing Gu Yun’s not so good expression, the staff didn’t stay at her side but retreated to the door side. Gu Yun played with the things on the tray. She was somewhat absent-minded. However, her ears kept listening to the women’s dialogue.
“Truly evil! This Fang family is famous for their kindness. Every month, they would treat patients for free for five days. A number of poor people were saved because they donated medicine. How could they encounter such a problem? Is it real?”
“Who doesn’t want it to be untrue?! This is what Mrs. Wang personally said it to me. Her dimei (little brother’s wife) was Yi Jun’s saozi (big brother’s wife). This matter can’t be fake!”
“Well, the celebration is coming. How could the capital become so unstable!”
After listening to several sentences later, Gu Yun estimated they wouldn’t say anything good anymore. Gu Yun was ready to concentrate on selecting gifts. Suddenly, the woman in purple anxiously said, “I heard the murderer is a foreigner. His hair is white!”
“White hair? Just hearing that makes people scared!”
White hair? Gu Yun held a hairpin. She didn’t know why, but her mind suddenly thought of a silver strand in the eyes of a solitary figure. Then she thought again, thinking she was being ridiculous. People like Ao Tian, even if he killed people, he would not do such a thing. Those cold arrogant eyes didn’t look at any woman.
“Miss, which one do you actually want to pick?” Gu Yun was still thinking when a blunt clear female voice entered her ears.
Gu Yun recovered her thoughts and saw an elegant beauty standing in front of her. On the clear face, a pair of bright eyes were staring brilliantly. She emitted a gentle aura,
“Fu-er, don’t be rude.” A soft woman’s voice came from behind the young girl. The girl pouted. She didn’t dare to speak anymore.
Seeing a small conflict between the ladies, the staff quickly came forward and smiled, “Miss Yu. These items had been presented to this Miss first to choose. This lowly one will find other accessories for you. Our store has just received new products!”
Gu Yun saw the jade ornaments’ ‘rearrangement’ that she made on the tray… messy. She was slightly embarrassed and smiled, “Never mind, I really don’t know which one to choose. If there is anything that Miss likes, just take it.”
The woman didn’t take any and just lightly smiled, “Miss, you want to choose a gift for someone, don’t you?” If she was choosing it for herself, as long as she liked it, she would have just taken it. She didn’t need to be so careful. Seeing her clueless look, she must want to send it as a gift.
Gu Yun nodded, “En. A wedding gift.” This woman was surprisingly observant.
The woman took a look at the tray and said, “In a wedding reception, you could deliver your wishes to them by giving them things such as a colorful glass as a congratulatory gift. If it is for family or a close friend, you could send a jade comb or gold hairpin as the gift.”
Jade comb? Gu Yun felt it was quite good. She and Qing were the same in that they rarely wore jewelry. A jade comb would be both good-looking and practical. Gu Yun took a sparkling white jade comb and smiled, “Thank you, Miss, for your suggestion. I will take this jade comb.”
The girl behind the miss laughed and said, “Who would just give one comb? Only lovers would do so. A congratulatory gift should be a pair!” Although she deliberately lowered her voice, everyone could still hear it clearly.
“Fu-er!” The miss glared at her before facing Gu Yun and apologetically said, “Her household’s lessons were not strict. Please don’t put it in your heart, Miss.”
Gu Yun presumed a beauty should be like this, even while glaring, she was still beautiful. Carelessly, Gu Yun said, “Never mind.”
Finding another jade comb on the tray, Gu Yun handed it to the staff beside her and said, “Help me wrap this pair of combs.”
“Yes.” The staff took the combs and went out.
At this time, the woman just took a piece of carved jade from the tray. A half-open lotus was carved on it. This would be the piece that she was eyeing before.
What a gracious woman! Gu Yun gently smiled, “Pardon me, may I know your name, miss?” This woman was not only beautiful, but she also had a gentle aura that made others comfortable to be around her. Gu Yun couldn’t help but want to know her name.
The woman slowly looked up and said, “Yu Han Dan.” (Yu= Jade, HanDan= Lotus)
Yu Han Dan? Gu Yun gently raised her brow and smiled, “What an elegant name. I am called Qing Mo.”
The woman friendly nodded, “Miss Qing.”
At this time, the staff came back with a well-wrapped delicate case and said, “Miss, I have wrapped it for you. The total was 180 Liangs.”
“Oh.” When Gu Yun went out early this morning, Su Yu asked Uncle Ming to give her a bag of silver taels. Although she had been here for months, she could only recognise coins and banknotes. She didn’t know how to configure a silver tael to liangs. She gave the bag to the staff and asked, “Are these enough?”
The man nodded. He was a bit embarrassed when he replied, “You are still short 30 liangs.”
Gu Yun frowned. Her face didn’t look too embarrassed. She thought before replying, “I only brought this much today. How about… You keep it for me and tomorrow I will come back with the money?”
The staff was in a difficult position when he replied, “We have a rule to not hold the goods. These pair of jade combs are a couple. I’m afraid tomorrow when Miss comes again, we will have sold out.”
Gu Yun smiled and freely said, “Then, I cannot say anything. I don’t have enough money now. If tomorrow they are sold out, then they are sold out.”
After that, Gu Yun took back the purse and was ready to leave. The woman before suddenly said softly, “Truthfully, Miss, you could give them a deposit and let them send it to your house. At that time, you can pay the remaining bill.”
Gu Yun’s eyes shone and looked at the staff. She asked, “Could you do that?”
The staff nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Gu Yun was relieved. She smiled, “Well, you take these things to the General Manor.” When Gu Yun said ‘General Manor’, the staff was shocked and the woman was also slightly stunned for a moment.
“Is it General ZhenGuo Manor?” The staff carefully asked. (It is a title: Zhen=guard, Guo= nation)
Gu Yun thought again and replied, “It is, I think. It is Su Ling, that general’s manor.”
She could address the General Su’s name casually. She must be the general’s relative. When hearing Gu Yun asking how much to deposit, the staff quickly replied, “20 liangs will be enough.”
Gu Yun opened the purse and pulled a twenty liangs draft. The staff took the draft and quickly replied, “I will definitely send this to Miss this afternoon.”
Gu Yun nodded and replied, “Thank you.”
The man bowed again and replied, “Bu Gan.” (Bu= not, Gan= dare; it is another way to say you’re welcome, but also showed the one who said it humble his/herself.)
Looking at the quietly standing woman, Gu Yun smiled, “Also, thank you, Miss Yu.”
The woman nodded and smilingly replied, “You’re welcome (You’ve been courteous).”
Her tone was more distant than before. Although Gu Yun didn’t understand why, seeing that the other person didn’t want to speak with her again, she just said, “I will go first,” and went out.
Waiting for that black figure to exit the “Jin Yu Liang Yuan” store, the small girl servant quickly opened her mouth, “Miss, doesn’t General Zhen Guo Manor have no women? But then, looking at her dress, she isn’t really woman-like. No wonder she can stay in the Manor.”
The woman laughed and warned, “Your piece of mouth! Some day that mouth of yours will offend people.”
The little girl shrugged and didn’t look afraid.
Her black clothing, her high bun, her casual smile and her cool behaviour. This kind of woman, even she couldn’t help wanting to get closer a little, could she? Yu Han Dan looked at the street. Secretly guessing, what was her position in the General Manor?”
***
Outside of General Manor, with the young elites guarding its entrance, even if ordinary people walked passed the Manor, they didn’t dare to speak loudly. Everyone knew that there were no women inside the General Manor. The three generals were not very easy to deal with. Although Jin Yu Liang Yuan store’s staff had entered many noble houses, including that of royalty, but they had never entered this Manor.
The two staff members looked at each other. Taking a deep breath, they took the case and entered the prestigious manor. They had just walked into the gate when the guards immediately snapped, “What are you doing?”
The two quickly stopped. One of them raised the case and respectfully replied, “This lowly one is Jin Yu Liang Yuan’s staff. General Manor’s Miss asked us to send it here.”
“Miss?” The guard hesitated for a moment. He didn’t respond for a while.
A small soldier beside him whispered, “Is it Miss Qing? Do we need to ask Uncle Ming?” This morning, Miss Qing went out. It was probably the things she bought because there was no other woman in the Manor besides her!
“En.” The guard nodded. Facing the two staff members he said, “Wait outside first.”
“Yes.” They immediately retreated out. At this time, a big tall figure went through the gate. They almost crashed. Fortunately, the coming man quickly moved aside.
The small soldier looked at the coming man and quickly stood straight. He said, “General!” Seeing the general, the staff quickly looked down. They didn’t dare to even look at Su Ling’s face.
Su Ling frowned and asked, “Who are they?”
Seeing his unhappy face, the soldier quickly reported, “Reporting. They are Jin Yu Liang Yuan’s staff. They said, someone in this manor had ordered things from them. It is probably Miss Qing who ordered it.”
Things that Qing Mo bought? Su Ling, who wanted to go in, quickly turned around and asked the staff, “What is it?”
The cold voice was clear but not so scary. Yet, it made people couldn’t help but be frightened. The staff person swallowed his saliva and respectfully said, “A pair of white jade combs. Miss said it is for a wedding gift.”
Wedding? At this time, Su Ling remembered that her sister’s wedding was coming in few days. No wonder, she went out to buy stuff. He stretched his hand and said, “Give it to me.”
“Yes.” The staff carefully presented the box to Su Ling. Su Ling opened the box to see. Inside, there was a pair of white jade combs, about the size of a palm. They were placed against a red background, emphasizing their white color. Closing the box back, Su Ling didn’t ask for the price and just ordered the small soldier, “Take them to the accountant to get their money.”
“Yes.” The soldier led them to the side door. Su Ling suddenly said, “Wait. Was there anything she fancied?”
The staff thought for a moment and replied, “At that time, Miss was holding an emerald jade buyao for a long time.” (It is kind of like a hairpin. The ornament shakes as you walk. Bu= step, Yao=shake.)
“Send that buyao over later too.” After that, Su Ling took the case and stepped into the inner court.
“Yes.” The staff secretly relieved. Fortunately, they had good vision and didn’t offend that Miss.
After eating out, Gu Yun slowly came back in the afternoon. She propped her cheeks and leaned on the table. Gu Yun self-mockingly thought, being a noble miss was really not a suitable position for her. Before when she was investigating a case, a day felt like a flash. She really wondered if there were 48 hours in a day instead of 24. Now, a day felt like a year! Just as her mind was wandering around, Uncle Ming brought a case to her. He said, “Miss, the items that you’ve ordered have arrived.”
“Good,” Gu Yun lazily replied.
When Uncle Ming presented her the items, she realised besides the square red case, there was another green case. She opened the case and saw an emerald green buyao. It was elegant and beautiful. It made refined sounds when you gently shook it. The entire buyao was beautiful.
She put the buyao carefully into the case again and smiled, “I just ordered the combs. This buyao isn’t mine.” The hairpin was beautiful and somewhat familiar, but she didn’t buy it. At this time, Gu Yun had completely forgotten that she had been holding the buyao while listening to the gossip.
Uncle Ming replied, “These are what General commanded this elder servant to bring over here. Other than that, this elder servant doesn’t know.”
Gu Yun waved and didn’t insist, “Go and do your things. I will find him myself.” With Su Ling’s bad temperament, it was better for her to just directly speak to him. She shouldn’t make things difficult for an elderly person.
“Yes.” Uncle Ming was relieved and retreated.
Gu Yun looked at two boxes on her table and thought. A few months ago, she didn’t buy anything because she basically didn’t really like to spend money and she was busy with training soldiers and investigating cases. Therefore, she didn’t have time to think about money. She didn’t know when would she find the goldbagua, so she would be stay here for an indefinite time. She couldn’t use the Su family’s money like this. She should seriously think about ways to earn money.
***
Study room.
With the upcoming celebration, a large number of foreign envoys, nobles, and merchants were coming to the Capital to offer congratulations. To ensure the safety, many patrolling guards must be employed. However, to show peace and prosperity, soldiers couldn’t just walk in the street. This deployment made one’s headache. Su Ling looked at the imperial troops’ deployment map, silently analysing. At this time, a light footstep arrived inside the study room.
Su Ling looked up. A plain white paper appeared before his eyes. Taking the paper, Su Ling quickly read through the paper. He stared at Gu Yun’s ‘of course’ face and asked, “What is this?”
“An IOU.” Gu Yun replied very seriously, “I heard you helped me to pay the remaining balance that I owed. This is the IOU for 160 liangs. Today, I also asked for 150 liangs from Su Yu. I will give him an IOU as well. When I have the money, I will return it back to you. However, it may not be very soon so just put an interest on it.”
“Who told you to make an IOU?” Su Ling, who had been in an irritable mood because of the deployment diagram, was struggling to pent down his emotions. His tone was a little bit angry.
Gu Yun felt strange and also impatiently replied, “I don’t have the money, so I could only make an IOU. If you don’t agree, I will go and borrow money from Su Yu to pay you first. Then, I will pay him later.” She turned around to find Su Yu.
“Stop.” Hearing that she would go borrow money from Su Yu and return his money, Su Ling became angrier. He pushed the IOU and coldly said, “Take it back.”
“Wait until I borrow money from Su Yu to pay you back, then I will take it back.” One hand gave the money, one hand took back the IOU. This was fair.
The fairness in Gu Yun’s eyes angered Su Ling, “ Qing Mo! You are now living in the General Manor, so you are a person of General Manor. You using the General Manor’s money is natural. You don’t need to make IOUs, understand?”
Under this abnormal situation, ‘Slow’ Gu Yun, of course, didn’t know the implication of Su Ling’s words and kept insisting, “I have lived and eaten here for free. This is already embarrassing enough. I absolutely cannot take your money too. You just take this IOU first, I will pay it later.”
Damn! This noble arrogant man roared because of Gu Yun’s stubbornness, “I said you don’t need to repay it!” What was actually in her mind? Why could she live like a normal woman for a day?! Was using his money that hard?
What was he roaring about? Gu Yun didn’t understand. Wasn’t repaying one’s debt a right and proper thing? Knowing that both of them were angry, Gu Yun was lazy to argue with him. She indifferently replied, “I’ll put the IOU here. It doesn’t matter if you tear it up. Regarding the money, whether you want it or don’t want it is your problem and whether I pay it or not pay it is my problem.”
Gu Yun didn’t have time to turn around, Su Ling already roared again, “Stop!”
Gu Yun cursed. Why was this man so sentimental! Coldly staring at Su Ling, she originally thought if he said one more thing about the IOU again, she would go crazy. Unexpectedly, Su Ling asked, “Did you buy those combs for Qing Ling and Luo Xi Yan’s wedding?”
Gu Yun was surprised. She nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Su Ling suddenly lowered his head and waved the diagram aside. He dismissively said, “Coincidently, I haven’t bought anything and also didn’t know what to give them. The celebration kept me busy. Just make the combs as our gifts and take this IOU back.”
“I…” Our gift? No matter how Gu Yun heard it, it still felt weird, but she didn’t know what felt weird.
Gu Yun wanted to open her mouth again, but Su Ling looked up and straightly looked at her while saying, “Don’t be so petty! I’m a big man. I don’t know how to choose a gift for them.”
Before, when a friend married, she had also bought a gift together with her colleagues. Sending it together shouldn’t be a problem, right? Gu Yun thought about it again. Finally, she nodded and said, “Okay, just think of it as you chipping in.”
Su Ling secretly sighed. This woman was really hard to deal with. If he went head to head with her, it certainly wouldn’t work. As long as he went soft/humble a bit and she didn’t keep on mentioning the IOU, it should be fine. After all, in war, everything was fair.
“Oh, yeah.” Gu Yun thought about her second aim in coming here. She pulled out a pale green box from her sleeve, gently placed it on Su Ling’s table and smiled, “This is not my order. I give it back to you.”
Su Ling coughed lightly. He was a little bit uncomfortable to say, “It was yours.”
Gu Yun puzzledly looked at Su Ling who now looked down at the diagram. He said, “I gave it to you.”
Gu Yun raised her brow and smiled, “Why are you giving me a gift for no apparent reason?”
Putting the box in front of Gu Yun, Su Ling pretended to be calm and said, “This expedition used many of your strategies. This buyao is my thank you gift to you. Now, can you accept it?”
Oh, it was like that. Gu Yun generously laughed, “Thanks, I will accept your intention but not the gift. Anyway, it isn’t suitable for me.” Such beautiful jewelry, sending it to her was wasteful. Gu Yun pushed back the case.
Heaven knew it was the first time he gave something to a woman and she actually didn’t want it?! He must be crazy when he thought to give such an ungrateful woman a gift! Su Ling stared at Gu Yun and coldly said, “I’ve given it to you, so it is yours! If you don’t want it, just throw it!”
His lips said so, but ‘just see if you dare throw it’ was written clearly on his face. Gu Yun laughed, was this man actually sending a gift? And not threatening someone? Grabbing the box, Gu Yun couldn’t help but tease as it was very rare he was this awkward, “Well, I will go and throw it out.”
Sure enough, eyes sharp as knives shot at her! Gu Yun happily went out.
Watching the slim figure go out to the courtyard and put back the box into her sleeve, Su Ling stiff lips suddenly formed a smile. Unfortunately, Gu Yun suddenly turned around and shouted, “Oh yeah, I will write another IOU for you for the remaining 90 liangs.”
Su Ling’s lips froze that instant! Damn, this woman was still talking about IOUs!
***
Hua Hall.
“Take it back, take it back. Why would you write an IOU for this little sum of money? I don’t want it.”
Su Yu threw her IOU far away like it was some disgusting thing. Gu Yun was dumbfounded and asked, “Have the both of you always been this generous? Until now, your family still hasn’t fallen destitute. It is probably because heaven still protects your family.”
Su Yu glared at her. She thought that General Manor’s money was really easy to spend! If the one who spent it wasn’t her, how could he be so generous? She really treated good intentions like trash!
Su Yu didn’t accept it (IOU). Gu Yun also didn’t pick it and just let the IOU fall near her feet. She smiled, “Whether you want to accept it or not is up to you. After all, as long as I remember it, it should be fine.” She wanted to go out. The best way to deal with the Su family’s men was not to reason with them and just do it!
Gu Yun’s face was firm. Su Yu couldn’t help but curse, “Could you not be so awkward? If you wanted the General Manor’s money, just go to the accountant and take it. Why are you making up problems when there are none?!”
Gu Yun ignored him and kept asking, “In your Qiong Yue, how could a woman earn money?” To be honest, she still wasn’t clear what women in this era could do.
“Why you are so stubborn? Did you not understand my words?!” Su Yu stood up and turned his back to her. He didn’t speak to her again.
Gently raising her lips, Gu Yun deliberately sighed and replied, “If you don’t want to say it, I will ask Luo Xi Yan later.”
“Why do you want to ask him?!” Su Yu was really angry. If she really went to ask Luo Xi Yan, people would think that their General Manor couldn’t even feed a woman. It would be really embarrassing! Knowing this woman would not give up until she got the answer, Su Yu could only reply, “A woman can earn money by becoming someone’s personal maid, servant or selling hand-embroidered work. All of these are really not suitable for you.”
Gu Yun frowned and shook her head, “It looks like I’m not really suitable to do things that women do.”
“Indeed!” Su Yu was finally relieved and drank a mouthful of tea.
At this time, his ears heard an excited voice, “I should just try to do men’s work.”
“Pffftt…” The tea was sprayed out. Su Yu almost choked to death, but Gu Yun ignored him.
She smiled beside him and continued, “Becoming a bounty hunter shouldn’t be too bad. It’s profitable and also suitable for me.” She remembered a girl called Ye Mei who was also a bounty hunter. Her reputation was also not bad. She could just try it. After all, investigating cases was her strong point. However, her skill in chasing after criminals was a little bit weaker (than her investigation skill). She should just try and see it.
Finally able to stop coughing, Su Yu lamented, “Suitable your ass! Great Aunt, please don’t torment people again!” (Great Aunt=姑奶奶. It is an exaggerated address to a woman to say she was mighty).
Seeing his sorry state, Gu Yun laughed out loud.
There were constant laughing sounds from Hua Hall inside. Outside Hua Hall, a man who just wanted to come in paused. His straight brows were wrinkled. His face was full of frustration. How could she not torment people?! Su Ling rubbed his head, which ached. Well, since she really wanted to earn money, he should find a thing for her to do.
At any rate, he absolutely couldn’t let her become a bounty hunter!
Yi Tian Court.
Perhaps because no one had lived here for a long time or that the courtyard was never designed to have chairs and tables, in this huge courtyard, there was not even a single place to sit at all. Under the moonlight, a woman sat on the floor. Her hands were holding a long white sword. Near her feet, there was a pile of…. ice?
“Bing Lian, please behave for me. Don’t release such a cold air anymore! This is the third towel that you have frosted. If you keep on doing this, I will not clean you again in the future!” Holding a wet towel, Gu Yun severely warned, even though her opponent was a sword.
Under the moonlight, the pale white sword flashed a bit. Feeling extremely wronged, it restrained its cold air. Gu Yun picked a damp towel and rubbed it attentively. The towel still formed a thin ice layer, but fortunately, it didn’t turn into an ice block. Gu Yun satisfyingly took the damp cloth and gently wiped the blade.
A man was standing outside, watching the scene. His face was decorated by an obvious smile. She actually scolded Bing Lian to not release its cold air. It was a thousands-year-old ancient sword that was forged from everlasting ice. How could it not release a chilled air? Furthermore, over the years, he had never heard of a person who bathed Bing Lian!
Su Ling walked into the courtyard. The moonlight made his tall shadow longer. Gu Yun looked up at him. She obviously could see a smile in his eyes, but she didn’t complain. She naturally smiled back, “Please have a seat.”
Su Ling quickly assessed the place. Besides on the ground, there was nothing that he could sit on. Not saying anything, Su Ling also sat on the grass like Gu Yun.
After Gu Yun wiped Bing Lian and put it back into its scabbard, she said to Su Ling, “Please wait.” After that, she stood up and went to the inner chamber. Soon, with her hand holding a piece of paper, she walked to Su Ling’s front, “This.”
Sweeping through the contents of the paper, he wasn’t surprised. It was an IOU again. This time, Su Ling didn’t reject it. He took the paper and put it in his sleeves. He seriously said, “I came here to discuss with you about business.”
Su Ling was so readily taking the IOU, Gu Yun was somehow unaccustomed to it. Hearing his serious tone, Gu Yun curiously asked, “What business?”
“Su Army has always been brave in the battlefield. However, this time’s expedition made me think that the Su Army’s training is monotone, so the form of fighting was also limited. I hope to increase their training programs so that they will be able to win despite encountering different enemies or different environments.” Su Ling had thought for a long time. If he randomly gave her a trivial job, she would ignore it. During the battle with the rebels, he had seen Qing Mo’s interest in military things. In addition, she also had the capability, so he would let her design the training course. She would most likely agree to this.
Gu Yun naturally didn’t know that he had her discuss military matters because Su Ling only wanted to find some work for her, so she seriously gave him a suggestion, “Actually you have been leading the Su Army for quite a long time and have been fighting in many wars. Your main mode of fighting is to put two troops in the frontline. There are tens of thousands soldiers in the Su army. If you want to give each of them special training, you will need to spend a hell of a lot of money. You could choose 30,000 elites and specially train them so that they can fight calmly and deal with the enemy in any sort of circumstances. They can fight together with the army and also perform independent raids like sieging.”
Gu Yun finished speaking and paused for a second. She looked hesitant. Su Ling saw her hesitation, so he took the initiative to say, “Please continue.”
After a while, Gu Yun said, “In an army like the Su army, there is a need to form a special force to do special tasks. Everyone in this special force should be the best of the best and can independently make huge destructive impacts, spy behind enemy lines, steal information and assassinate enemies. They must be equipped with the best materials and their abilities should be prominent. The most important thing is they do not belong to any troop in the Su army. There should be only one person who could command them. That person is you.”
Su Ling was surprised! His black eyes narrowed and stared at the Gu Yun’s calm face. Seeing the complicated look in Su Ling’s eyes, Gu Yun suddenly understood the cause of alertness in his eyes. She shook her head and laughed, “You don’t need to be that nervous. I didn’t teach you to rebel. To be more elaborate, if you really wanted to rebel, a group of special forces wouldn’t be enough. In some sense, soldiers and swords are similar, both of them are weapons. A weapon doesn’t judge right from wrong. The most important thing is the person who can recognize their use. Making this kind of special force is my idea. Whether you think it is feasible or not, you should slowly consider it.”
Gu Yun indifferently shrugged. She only gave him a suggestion. Whether he wanted to listen to it or not was entirely his choice.
Standing up, Gu Yun picked up the towels that had become ice blocks and put them next to a barrel. Gu Yun lamented, she had always cherished her weapon. Before, she used to take care of her gun. Now, it looked like this method couldn’t be used on Bing Lian.
Gu Yun was busy with the things in her hands that she didn’t notice the pair of eagle eyes had not moved away from her.
“I think what you said is good. This was also the thing that I wanted to discuss with you.” Maybe, at the start, he was only looking for something that could be given to Gu Yun, now it looked like he changed his mind.
After cleaning up, Gu Yun heard Su Ling’s deep voice behind her. She turned around and with a slightly disbelieving voice, she asked, “You want me to help you train the soldiers?” It was not like she didn’t believe in her ability, but she didn’t believe that Su Ling would ask her to train a special force.
Su Ling nodded and replied, “When encountering the most dangerous situation, there is a need to use this force. I want a capable and trustworthy person to train them.”
A capable and trustworthy person? Was he talking about her? The more Gu Yun listened to him, the straighter she felt her hair stand up. Gu Yun didn’t speak a word. Su Ling continued, “I will give you 300liangs monthly. Are you satisfied?”
Although Gu Yun wasn’t really clear on the value of 300 liangs, she knew it was definitely not a small amount of money. She had guessed the purpose of Su Ling’s trip tonight so she snorted and said, “What are Han Shu’s wages?”
Why did she ask this question? Su Ling hesitated for a moment. Under Gu Yun’s straight eyes, he finally replied, “200 liangs.” Did she actually see through his disguise?
Just as Su Ling worried about her stubbornness, Gu Yun readily replied, “At the beginning of training, let me have the same wages as Han Shu. When we do achieve something, I will ask for a raise.”
It was not like she didn’t need money. In addition, what she would take was the benefit… Su Ling’s intention did not matter to her. As long as she took his money, she would give him a service equivalent to the sum of the money. Moreover, she also missed those days when she trained Leng Xiao etc. Perhaps with their company, the days here would be slightly better!
She agreed! Su Ling’s hanging heart could be put down now. He replied, “Within three days, Su Ren will come back to the Capital. After that, you can select any soldier in Su army that you need.” Now, he had a bit of an expectation for the special force that Gu Yun said. He recalled a fine man called Leng Xiao. Leng Xiao would rather give up an opportunity to enter tiger troop to be on her side. Maybe, she was really worth it.
“This special force doesn’t need to have too many people. I only need a hundred of your most refined soldiers.” One soldier that could beat thousands. She had spoken to Han Shu about this before, and now it was about to be realised.
“Okay.” Because he had given the responsibility to her, Su Ling didn’t intend to interfere. Under the moonlight, two shadows, one tall and one short, were standing side by side. Her originally beautiful face looked more charming. Her eyelashes were like crescent moons, decorating a pair of bright and clear eyes. Unexpectedly, a woman’s eyes could be so beautiful.
Su Ling’s profound eyes kept on staring at her. Gu Yun suddenly felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. She asked, “Anything else?”
“Nothing.” Coldly leaving the sentence, Su Ling turned around and exited Yi Tian Court. Seeing the tall figure hurriedly leave, Gu Yun felt strange. Why was he staring at her?
***Warning do not read this part if you don’t want an overhang, this story will continue for another 5-8 chapters as far as I new, so read it at your own risk!***
P.S.: sorry for the previous messed up orders, wordpress is playing on me. Any suggestion how to fix it?:)
Under the hazy moonlight, in a charming little room lit only by a soft lamplight, a beautiful and dignified woman was standing before a baby cradle. Her face filled with tenderness and love. Gently rubbing the baby’s pink cheek, the woman gently coaxed her baby to sleep. A maidservant who was standing behind the woman advised her, “Madam, it has passed the Zi hour. The young master has fallen asleep. You should also go to sleep. This servant will be here and take care of the young master.”
The woman slightly frowned, her eyes didn’t move from the little life inside the cradle. After a while, she reluctantly said, “En, you must be careful when you are taking care of the little master. If there is a problem, call me immediately.” This child was the old master and her long awaited baby. He was their lives.
“Yes.” The maidservants nodded.
Gently pulling the blanket up, the woman unwillingly stood up. She had just gone to the window to close it, when she heard the window smash against the wall because of the wind, and a dark shadow suddenly appeared in the room. Under the moonlight, the big figure stood in front of the crib silently. He wore black clothes and his hair was silver. His presence made the entire room deathly cold. His back was facing the moon so others couldn’t see his face but they could still feel his cold aura. The woman panicly asked, “You… who are you?”
The man didn’t reply and just took the baby. Because of the noise, the baby started to move anxiously. Seeing that, the woman became more panicked. She rushed forward while hysterically shouting, “What are you doing, put my son back!”
The man indifferently turned back. The silver strand on his eyes sparked under the moonlight. The dark figure went out through the window.
“Stop! Give my son back!” It had always been a mother’s nature to protect her children. The delicate and weak woman quickly rushed to the window grabbing the man’s clothes. The man’s eyes flashed, merciless swayed her hand off. Like a broken-line kite, the woman fell and hit the nearby screen.
“Ah!” Her forehead hit the screen edges, bubbling with flowing blood.
The blood awakened the stunned maidservant. She quickly stepped forward and helped the woman. She anxiously asked, “Madam! Are you alright?”
The two sat on the ground, hugging each other while the dark figure disappeared into the night sky. The child cried because of the noise. His crying sound become more and more distant, piercing his mother’s heart. The madam didn’t feel her forehead bleeding. At that moment, her heart had been mercilessly torn to pieces. She cried continuously, “My son! My son!”
The maidservant was grabbing onto the fallen woman while screaming with panic, “Someone come here! Quick, someone come here! The young master had an incident!”
The shout quickly attracted the house retainers. Soon, a fifty-year-old middle-aged man rushed in. Just when he arrived, he was shocked by the mess and blood in the room. He anxiously asked, “What had happened?”
The male voice finally made the woman jolt into consciousness. She tightly grabbed his hand and hysterically cried, “Sir… Sir, please save our son. The silver-haired man abducted him! Save him! Save him!”
When he heard ‘silver hair’, the man’s hand which was holding the woman shook uncontrollably. A silver-haired man! Why was it a silver-haired man? Thinking of what happened these days, the middle-age man’s face ashen.
