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墨書 Inktalez
When you can clearly see a ghostly face, it proves that you are getting closer to death.
As Chang Tai left the inn, he saw a ghostly face imprinted behind the inn's main door. He looked closely and felt increasingly that it resembled Li Yan, who had just passed away.
The matter of Li Yan had already been reported directly by local officials to the Empress far away in Divine Capital Luoyang. The cause of death was recorded as "died of illness" in Ming Zhezhong, but in the secret report to the Empress, it was written as "suicide." Whether it was death due to illness or suicide from unbearable suffering, there was little difference in the eyes of the Empress, for only two people in this world knew the truth about Li Yan's death.
Thinking of this, Chang Tai turned around and took another look at the bedroom where Li Yan had lived.
After Li Yan's death, all the objects used for concealment in the courtyard had been removed, and now the inn's furnishings and layout had returned to their original state.
A gust of wind rose, causing the mourning banners hanging around to flutter. Just as Chang Tai was about to turn and leave, he locked eyes with General's wife Mu Xi.
Chang Tai nodded slightly at Mu Xi, saying nothing. She responded in kind, also silent, but Chang Tai could see a hint of murderous intent in her eyes.
He knew that General's wife Mu Xi was not an ordinary person; while the cause of Li Yan's death might be concealed from the servants, it might not be able to deceive her. But what did Mu Xi want to do, and what would she do?
With a slight furrow of his brow, Chang Tai opened his umbrella, picked up his lantern, and left the inn.
The heavy snowfall over the past two days had turned what was once a lively town into a desolate place. Coupled with the strange occurrences faced by the Night Watchman, and with General Li Yan falling ill and dying shortly after arriving at the inn, gossip spread throughout the Yun family gathering. As soon as darkness fell, everyone hurriedly closed their doors, fearing they might attract misfortune.
The walk from the inn to Ruyi Rouge shop did not require a long journey or much time, so Chang Tai took his time along the way. When he reached the front of the Rouge shop, he saw a young woman in her mid-twenties standing under the eaves. She was covered in snow, with mud splattered on her skirt and shoes. Looking up, he noticed her right arm half-covered and her hair in disarray.
Hearing footsteps, the young woman turned to glance at Chang Tai. In her large eyes, besides evident fatigue, there was also a hint of panic. When their gazes met, she instinctively bit her lip tightly.
Chang Tai stepped closer and saw that her lips were already pale; now with her biting them like that, they appeared even more colorless.
"Are you passing by or did you come specifically to visit Ruyi Rouge shop?"
As he spoke, Chang Tai closed his umbrella and hung his lantern at the door before pushing it open with his hand.
"If you happen to be passing by, feel free to come in for a cup of hot water. Looking at the lady, it seems she slipped and fell on the way. If you came specifically to the Ruyi Rouge shop, please come in; the shopkeeper Xing lives here. Although the shop is already closed, the shopkeeper is warm-hearted and will certainly not turn you away."
"Are you also someone from the Ruyi Rouge shop?"
"I suppose so!" Chang Tai replied, gesturing for her to enter. "The shopkeeper Xing calls me Brother Chang."
The woman stared at Chang Tai's face for a while, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered her head to follow him into the courtyard.
At that moment, Xing Ruyi was inside the shop playing chess with a fox, while Yin Yuan was as usual, munching on a chicken leg and constantly interrupting Xing Ruyi, behaving like a mischievous child. Li Mao was teaching A Niu how to identify various Rouge and Face Powder as well as commonly used herbal prescriptions. When he got frustrated with A Niu's slow learning, he would scold her a few times.
Xing Ruyi sometimes heard this but pretended not to, while at other times she would defend A Niu and retort Li Mao a couple of times, reminding him that when Li Mao first joined the Rouge shop, he was not better than A Niu. At least A Niu had a proper attitude.
The lively atmosphere inside the house stood in stark contrast to the coldness of the inn. Chang Tai watched in a daze, forgetting to introduce the woman following him. It was only when Xing Ruyi heard his footsteps and turned around that she noticed the woman standing behind Chang Tai with her head lowered.
"Brother Chang is back! How did things go at the inn? Will you need to go back tomorrow morning?"
"The Divine Capital has already sent someone over; if they travel quickly, they should arrive in these two days. Someone is taking care of things at the inn, so I won’t need to go back tomorrow," Chang Tai said as he stepped aside. "This lady is someone I met outside; I would appreciate it if you could help take care of her, Fox Demon."
Chang Tai's gaze swept over the woman's skirt. Following his gaze, Xing Ruyi understood what he meant.
"If you don’t mind, Fox Demon has two old garments that might fit you based on our sizes," Xing Ruyi said as she walked up to the woman. The woman was slightly taller and heavier than her, but clothing from the Golden Tang Dynasty was not as strict about sizing as later periods; both tops and bottoms were quite loose.
Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes showed some emotion, but she remained standing still. Xing Ruyi took a couple of steps forward and noticed that the woman did not follow her, so she turned around to look at her.
"Is there something you are concerned about?"
"Thank you very much, Miss Hui Niang! May I ask if you are the shopkeeper of this Rouge shop?"
Xing Ruyi nodded.
"Hui Niang, I..."
Before Hui Niang could finish her sentence, she suddenly clutched her chest and began to cough violently. As she coughed, she tried hard to suppress the sound, forcing her mouth open to continue the sentence she had just started. However, the more she tried, the worse her coughing became. Under the light of the lantern at the door, her face grew increasingly pale.
Seeing this, Xing Ruyi hurried to her side, observing her closely and asking, "Madam, do you have a chronic illness?"
Hui Niang nodded.
"Fox Demon has some knowledge of medicine. If you don't mind, please return to your room and let Fox Demon check your pulse."
The lady clutched her chest, nodded, and her face turned from pale to red—though this redness was due to her coughing fit.
After a brief pulse check, Xing Ruyi carefully observed Hui Niang's condition during the episode and listened intently to her cough. "Madam, you have a chronic illness, and it is quite stubborn. This condition is called Asthma, which belongs to respiratory system diseases. During an attack, most patients experience severe shortness of breath and wheezing symptoms; hence it is also known as asthma."
Hui Niang nodded repeatedly. "You are correct; I have indeed suffered from Asthma for a long time. My father often blamed my mother for my illness, claiming that it was due to her bad fate that I suffer from this condition."
"Absurd! Are all men so unreasonable? Why should a child’s illness be blamed on the mother? To be blunt, isn't it your father's lack of virtue that has led to your suffering from this stubborn ailment?"
These words were spoken in haste by Xing Ruyi out of concern. However, even if they held some truth, they inevitably made others uncomfortable—especially those men still in the room and Hui Niang herself, who suffered from asthma.
The fox touched its own nose and lowered its head to study the chessboard.
Chang Tai, Li Mao, and A Niu exchanged glances.
Chang Tai said, "Fox Demon, you are being too one-sided; not all men are like that."
Li Mao: "Yes! Yes! Shopkeeper, you can't say that all men are bad just because of one scoundrel. This lady's father is unreasonable; it's his lack of understanding, but it has nothing to do with the word 'man.'"
A Niu: "I, A Niu, have not yet married, but I know the saying 'the illness in a child pains the heart of the mother.' This lady's father, and thus her mother, indeed has some shortcomings that easily lead to heartache."
Hui Niang: "What the young lady said resonates with me. To be honest, when I was younger, I thought the same way. My mother may not be a virtuous woman, but she is considerate in everything and has always cared for my father and me. In contrast, my father often drinks and causes trouble, disturbing the peace of our family. Before I even came of age, he squandered our family's inheritance. If I had to blame my illness on someone, I would also think it was my father's fault."
"The Fox Demon is fine in every way except for this mouth; sometimes words can go too far. Please don't take those words to heart, madam."
Chang Tai glanced at Xing Ruyi.
Xing Ruyi made a ghost face at him and said, "Though the words are harsh, the truth remains. Why should we women bear all the blame?"
Chang Tai shook his head helplessly and looked at the fox: "Fortunately, it's him who will marry you as his wife."
"I think it's great; anyway, I won't blame all the children's issues on the Fox Demon." The fox picked up a chess piece and placed it on a square on the board, then glanced at Yin Yuan: "What do you think?"
Yin Yuan nodded eagerly: "Father Fox is right! In my father's eyes, Consort Ruyi can do no wrong. As for the child, in my father's view, they are just someone who brings trouble to Mother. If the child gets sick in the future, Father will only blame them for not taking care of themselves properly and making Mother worry."
"As long as you know!" The fox said as it placed another piece.
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you to my future husband over there who is studying the chess game. As for this one who only eats children, he is my adopted son; however, he is no different from a biological one. Those earlier words were merely out of the Fox Demon's frustration and personal emotions; I hope you won't take them seriously. Asthma has various causes, but there is indeed one related to parents. May I ask if there are any similar patients in your family?"
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