Chang'an, Wannian County, Shengpingfang, Duzhai.
"Alang, madam, we're here."
Quan Rui opened the curtain and saw that Du Youlin was still unconscious and his mistress Lu Fengniang was huddled in the corner of the carriage.
Instead, it was Jiao Nu who was occupying the soft support and glanced over lightly.
Quan Rui pretended not to see Jiaonu and called Du Youlin softly. Seeing that he was sweating finely on his head, he couldn't help but worry and asked, "Alang hasn't woken up for a long time. Do you want a doctor to come for diagnosis and treatment?"
Du Wei came over and said, "No need, let me rest and recuperate."
"ridiculous."
Jiaonu sneered and jumped out of the carriage. He ignored the busy people and stood aside with his arms folded.
A servant carried Du Youlin through the door. Seeing her appearance, he thought she was a maid and said, "Hurry up and open the door."
Jiaonu frowned in disgust, raised his hand and waved it in front of his nose, muttering to himself: "It's covered in mud and blood, it stinks to death."
"Hey, it's not like Ah Lang is going to lie down in the snow and be beaten with a cane." Quan Fu couldn't help but muttered.
He is the son of Quan Rui, the steward. He has been a slave in the Du family for several generations. This time he was taken to prison. The father and son were tortured, but they could not give in to life or death. They can be said to be loyal.
Jiao Nu was too lazy to talk to these slaves. He took two steps away, pointed at Du Youlin with his chin, and asked Xue Bai, "Do you think that coward is ridiculous?"
Xue Bai shook his head and said: "It's human nature."
He could understand the reason why Du Youlin was still awake.
Today, he and Du Wulang took refuge in Li Linfu and saved the Du family by chance. This move was despised by loyal ministers and upright men. But Du Youlin survived, so what can he do if he wakes up now?
It’s enough to scold Du Wulang. After scolding his son, do we still have to scold Xue Bai? After scolding, do we have the courage to die again? But why should we die?
It's better to remain unconscious.
"Slow down, slow down, send Alang to the main room."
As the sun set in the west and amidst the sound of evening drums, no one saw Du Youlin's eyelids twitching slightly unconsciously.
What was then moved into the yard was Liu Ji's body.
The master and servants entered the courtyard, locked the door, looked at the familiar scene in front of them, heard the last dusk drum, and felt a sense of peace that they had not seen for a long time.
Although I was only away for four days, to everyone, it felt like years.
"It's considered home." Du Wulang muttered.
~~
"Xue Bai, would you like some tea?"
After a simple dinner, Du Po came to invite Xue Bai.
In a hurry, she had changed into linen clothes, but she was in mourning for Liu Ji.
Du's house was rummaged in a mess by officials, and the servants were busy cleaning it up. Only the back garden of the fifth courtyard was still clean.
The two of them went all the way, and Jiaonu followed them all the way.
After the two of them sat down in the small pavilion by the rockery, Jiao Nu folded his arms, sat by the railing at the ceremony gate, and sneered: "Small door, small door."
…
"My grandpa is still in a coma, and I'm so confused that I can't thank you properly." Du Mei cooked the tea gracefully and said, "But the Du family will never forget your kindness today."
Xue Bai responded: "The Du family also saved me, they just helped each other."
Du Wei said: "I want to repay you, but I don't know if you can trust me?"
"Um."
"Whether you are an official slave, have offended the powerful, or are a heinous fugitive, I will always stand by your side." Du Wei did not show any solemn expression, but her tone was very firm, "Therefore, even if there is an unspeakable secret about your life experience, I will always stand by you."
, you can tell me. If you are an official slave and your family is ruined, I will buy you out of your country; if you offend the powerful, I will do everything possible to keep you safe."
As she said that, she looked up at Xue Bai, waiting for his answer.
Xue Bai said: "I really don't remember."
"Okay." Du Wei said: "Then tomorrow I will go to the Wei family of the opposite house and ask them what it was like when they picked you up. I should find out your identity."
"Thank you very much." Xue Bai nodded and suddenly said: "You look very similar to Du Erniang."
"Sisters are alike, my second mother...is she still alive?"
Xue Bai glanced at Jiao Nu sitting at the gate of the courtyard, lowered his voice and said: "This is what I want to talk to you about. The danger of the Du family is not over yet. Sandwiched between the East Palace and the Prime Minister's Mansion, survival will be difficult."
It’s very difficult. Dong Palace once tried to bury me and Qing Lan alive, and will only see us as a thorn in their side from now on; the Prime Minister’s Office will see us as bait that can be thrown at any time..."
Xue Bai is always serious and very patient every time he talks about business.
While Du Wei was sipping tea, she listened silently to what he was saying, and worries came to her mind again.
Liu Zang died, but his body was still in Jingzhao Mansion and had not been brought back; Liu Ji also died, and they had been married for several years. No matter how he treated her, she eventually became a widow.
A drop of tear flowed down Du Wei's cheek and dripped into the tea leaves.
Xue Bai stopped talking.
Du Wei wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sighed, "I'm so tired."
Xue Bai said: "If you can trust me, then let me handle it, okay?"
"Okay, you tell me what to do, and I'll listen to you."
"I may need to ask the Du family to do some dangerous things. Can you trust me?"
"trust you."
Du Mei couldn't describe how she felt when she learned that the prince had abandoned the Du family and that Xue Bai, who had nothing left, risked his life to bring the family back from hell. In the end, these two words were all he could say.
The tea was already boiling. She poured out a spoonful of water attentively and stirred the soup with the bamboo paddle without even raising her head.
"That's good."
Xue Bai was thinking, while watching Du Po fry tea and divide the tea.
Finally, he raised his cup and drank the tea. It was a little bitter, a little salty, maybe it was because of Du Po's tears...
~~
Jiaonu frowned impatiently, turned around and saw Xue Bai and Du Wei each leaning forward and whispering something to each other.
She couldn't help but find it ridiculous that the Du family prided themselves on being a scholarly family, and the eldest daughter's husband just died and she spent time with the younger man, making love to each other.
Not long after, Xue Bai got up alone and walked to the front yard.
Jiao Nu looked at him disdainfully and followed.
Coming out of the garden, I saw Qing Lan waiting on the veranda with a lantern.
"Xue Bai...Xue Xiaolangjun."
Qing Lan rarely said a blessing to Xue Bai, and her tone of voice was much gentler. She just glanced at him with a bit of complaint and said: "My wife said that you are an honored guest of the Du family and have prepared a wing for you. This way, please."
"
The wing she was talking about was right next to Du Wulang's house. It used to be Du Erlang's residence when he was at home. Anyway, Du Erlang had been away as an official for a long time and hadn't come back, so now he packed it up for Xue Bai to live in.
When I opened the door and walked in, I saw that someone was making the bed. Looking at the back, I looked awkward.
When the man turned around, it was Du Wulang.
"Huh? How do you do this?"
"The house is too messy and I am too busy to do anything. As a result, I am making the bed here, while you go to drink tea. Alas, but there is no way, who gave you the ability, hehe."
Du Wulang was talking with a smile when he saw Jiaonu coming in behind Xue Bai. He couldn't help but trembled, and he forced himself to calm down and said: "The Du family has also prepared a guest room for you, girl, in... in front."
"No need." Jiaonu looked at Xue Bai and said, "Alang ordered me to look after him, and I will live in the same room with him."
"ah?"
Du Wulang didn't know whether to envy or sympathize with Xue Bai.
Qing Lan quickly apologized and said with a smile: "It is inconvenient for a man and a woman to be alone. It is better for the girl to go to the guest room."
"Oh, it's not your turn to talk about the inconvenience."
Jiao Nu said, taking out a dagger from his waist and playing with it in his hand.
Du Wulang's expression changed and he took a few steps back gently.
Although Qing Lan was a maid, she was much more courageous and continued to persuade: "The bed in the wing room has not been made yet, so I invite the girl to stay in the guest room for the night. When the mattress is moved tomorrow, then..."
Jiaonu couldn't help but sneered and said, "I don't."
"I'm also doing it for the girl's own good."
"go out."
Qinglan's face was a little tangled, and she wanted to say more.
Xue Bai said: "It's okay, just let her settle for one night. She's tired these past few days, so go to sleep."
Qing Lan pursed her lips slightly, a little stubborn.
"She is here to protect me after all." Xue Bai explained again.
Qing Lan was so blessed that she left the wing and went to do other things, humming softly.
"Hmph, protection, what is there to protect?"
~~
Du Wulang peeked into Xue Bai's room from the corridor, shook his head, returned to the room, lay down on the couch, and sighed comfortably: "I'm so tired."
Many things that had happened in recent days were going through his mind like a fleeting glance, and he himself found them novel.
Fortunately, things have finally stabilized for the time being.
He rolled around, wrapped himself in a quilt, and soon fell asleep.
It was a very sweet sleep, and there were some other faint sounds in the night, but they couldn't wake him up.
Until the exclamation suddenly broke through the quiet night in Du's house.
"There's a thief!"
"Boom!"
A gong sounded.
Du Wulang sat up from the couch wrapped in quilt and exclaimed in surprise: "What's wrong?!"
"A burglar?"
Someone in the ear room also asked.
"Huh?" Du Wulang heard that the voice was Xue Bai, and he couldn't help but wonder: "If you don't live with Nasha... that little girl, how come you come to sleep in a small bed?"
Xue Bai came out of the ear room, found a candle to light, and said casually: "You only made one bed, and she took it."
"Ah, you really are." Du Wulang shook his head and said: "How can a man be humiliated by a little maid when he is a man of heaven and earth?"
"She had a dagger and said she would cut me if I dared to come near her bed."
"That's your bed." Du Wulang said angrily.
"Bang!"
Suddenly there was a loud noise, and someone in the next room knocked on the door and came out. A woman shouted: "Don't leave!"
Xue Bai then lit the candle and quickly blew it out.
The room suddenly fell into complete darkness and nothing could be seen clearly.
Only the sound of rapid footsteps was heard on the corridor, gradually heading towards the front yard.
Du Wulang was horrified and whispered: "What, what's wrong?"
"Donggong sent people to kill us, and Jiao Nu chased us out."
"Wha...what?!"
Du Wulang quickly slipped out of the bed, called Xue Bai and crawled under the bed, saying in a low voice: "Hurry, hurry, hide quickly."
"Has been chased far away by Jiao Nu."
"Then let's hide." Du Wulang had already got under the couch and said, "Come quickly."
suddenly.
With a "click" sound, the window was pushed open.
It seemed like someone jumped in.
"Bang!"
Something slammed on the couch.
Du Wulang's body trembled, he was so frightened that he fell into a ball with his head in his hands.
Then there was a series of smashing, and finally with a bang on the door, someone rushed out.
When Du Wulang finally came to his senses, he cautiously poked his head out from under the couch, only to see moonlight streaming in through the broken window, and there seemed to be no one in the room.
"Xue Bai? Where are you?"
He called softly, but when no one answered, he couldn't help but panic.