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墨書 Inktalez
The weather was clear that day. Qing Wu was discussing the necessary items for their journey with Dou Mama when Azalea lifted the curtain and peeked in, saying, "Miss, Deng Gonggong has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Qing Wu glanced at the Peach Branch placed on the window and nodded, "Let him in."
Not long after her words, a person stepped inside.
He was tall and slender, slightly bowing, with a respectful and elegant demeanor.
His family name was Deng, and he called himself "Bu Wen." From then on, the world lost a person with the surname Zheng and gained Deng Bu Wen.
Qing Wu understood his meaning—no questions about his origins, no inquiries about his background, no asking for his original name.
Therefore, she did not pursue the matter further and tacitly accepted this name.
"I will be leaving in a few days. There is no need to send any more Peach Branches," Qing Wu said to the person before her.
Deng Bu Wen stiffened all over, suddenly looking up and realizing he had overstepped. He quickly lowered his head and asked, "Will you... will you come back?" His voice trembled slightly.
Qing Wu sighed inwardly, thinking that these past days had probably been harder for him than she imagined; he had truly suffered some bullying.
Others often mocked Deng Bu Wen for his questionable background and for being different from ordinary servants. Seeing that neither the Emperor nor Lord Liu protected him only encouraged them to bully him even more.
Qing Wu originally ignored these comments. However, after he arrived, he treated her words as if they were of utmost importance. Whatever she said, he would go to great lengths to fulfill.
One day she casually remarked that the birds in the tree were chirping and wondered if they were hungry. To her surprise, he immediately took some bread crumbs to feed them.
That tree was an extremely tall poplar. He had no skills or ladder and she had no idea how he managed to climb it. When he came down, his hands and face were covered in scratches. He didn't say a word.
If it weren't for Li Zi's keen eyes, no one would have known he had done this when he climbed down the tree after asking a couple more questions.
There were many such incidents.
She looked at Rockery Stone and casually mentioned that its position was inappropriate and needed to be moved. Before anyone else could take action, he had already worn his fingertips raw, moving it to a more suitable and aesthetically pleasing spot by himself.
She noticed the paint on the eaves had faded, and without a word, he quietly took a brush to touch it up...
Actually, Qing Wu was also aware of this.
Although Deng Bu Wen was most afraid of Huo Yun'ai, he listened to her the most.
When she saw the peach blossoms blooming beautifully in the garden, she asked Azalea to pick a few for her. Little did she know that before Azalea could even get started, he had already returned to Ningxin Pavilion with freshly cut Peach Branches.
He truly had a good eye.
Having read extensively and being well-versed in various arts, he was naturally different from ordinary servants.
Every branch he chose was an exquisite combination of flowers and bends in the twigs. Placed in a vase, they looked stunning.
If Qing Wu were to choose herself, she might not have done better than this.
Qing Wu was not one to be pretentious. She thought it was really nice and praised him with a simple "not bad."
Little did she know that from that day on, every morning when she got up, she would find newly cut Peach Branches in the house. Just by looking at the chosen branches, she could tell whose handiwork it was.
At first, it was nothing unusual. However, after seven or eight days of this, she couldn't help but notice. So she asked a few questions.
Azalea informed her that it was Deng Gonggong who had brought it early in the morning while it was still dewy.
Qing Wu was not a heartless person. Seeing him so concerned, there were one or two occasions when she saw him being bullied and casually spoke up to help him.
His life in the palace became somewhat better. But it was only a little bit better. After all, Qing Wu did not promote him.
Yet even with just a slight improvement, he became increasingly devoted to Qing Wu.
At this moment, seeing Deng Bu Wen so frightened, Qing Wu thought that he might be afraid of being bullied again if she left. She realized that her earlier words were ambiguous and not clearly stated, so she said, “I need to go to the Southwest for a while, but I will be back soon.”
In a few days, it would be Clear.
Master Wen specifically submitted a petition to Huo Yun'ai, hoping to request a longer leave for his granddaughter to return home for ancestral worship and to have her included in the family genealogy.
Huo Yun'ai readily agreed.
Yi Zhenglian was still in the Capital City. Upon hearing such good news, she decided not to return to Jiangnan immediately but to travel together and participate in Qing Wu's ancestral recognition ceremony.
Originally, Huo Yun'ai had some concerns about Qing Wu, but upon hearing that the Head of the Yi Family would accompany them, her remaining worries dissipated.
Firstly, Yi Zhenglian was an elder female relative; if anything happened to Qing Wu, having Yi Zhenglian around would provide timely guidance and be much more convenient.
Secondly, Yi Zhenglian had many capable people with her. Additionally, Huo Yun'ai had sent accompanying personnel and martial generals from the Wen Family to ensure Qing Wu's safety.
Qing Wu hesitated for a long time, not for any other reason, but because of the matter concerning the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Departments.
After organizing the information she had collected in recent days and consulting with the various matriarchs, she had a general idea of everyone's future direction within the Twelve Workshops.
The matter of the physicians was manageable. Yue Ying had already begun her lessons, coming every five days. When Qing Wu was absent, Doctor Luo would bring her along.
As for other places, arrangements needed to be made to ensure that personnel continued to pay attention.
Qing Wu had been busy with these matters for several days.
In fact, those with keen ears in the palace had already guessed about her movements with a fair degree of accuracy. However, Deng Bu Wen was under her command, and due to a lack of trust in him some time ago, Qing Wu had not allowed him to take on much responsibility; she only let him assist in Ningxin Pavilion.
Since she did not make any arrangements, he truly did not inquire further. He remained there honestly, even unaware that she was about to leave the palace for the Marquisate.
Qing Wu sighed quietly and said to Deng Bu Wen, "While I'm away, keep a close eye on Jade Orchid. If there's anything you need, seek out Uncle Yu. He is broad-minded; as long as you don't overstep your bounds, he will help you."
Actually, she hadn't intended to arrange things this way for Deng Bu Wen. She originally planned to wait until her return to assign the palace maids to various places within the Six Bureaus before letting him take charge. But seeing his current situation, it seemed better to keep him busy rather than let him wait idly.
Upon hearing Qing Wu's words, Deng Bu Wen's previously dull eyes indeed brightened slightly as he eagerly nodded and bowed in response.
Dou Mama watched his retreating figure with a worried expression.
She did not know Deng Bu Wen's background but felt that his attention towards the young lady was indeed excessive. Moreover, he carried himself uprightly and behaved elegantly, unlike the usual servants. She asked, "His attentiveness is truly excessive. If His Majesty were to find out..."
Qing Wu understood Dou Mama's concerns.
Huo Yun'ai's feelings are probably clearer to Dou Mama and Uncle Yu than anyone else.
However, Qing Wu really hadn't worried about this.
Huo Yun'ai is resourceful; even matters outside the palace are rarely beyond his control. Moreover, this is within the palace.
How could Huo Yun'ai not know about Deng Bu Wen's actions?
"It doesn't matter," Qing Wu said with a smile. "Since he is working by my side, he naturally needs to be diligent."
Dou Mama was about to say something but then reconsidered; that person was no longer a real man, so she decided against it.
Once everything was arranged, Qing Wu went to bid farewell to Huo Yun'ai.
Huo Yun'ai had already set aside all his affairs and was waiting for her in Zhaoning Palace.
Seeing the girl’s joyful expression, the parting sorrow that had weighed on him all night grew heavier. He held her hand and played with it, discussing, "Who do you plan to take with you on this trip?"
Seeing him like this, Qing Wu suddenly recalled what Dou Mama had said earlier.
Although she felt that Dou Mama was overly concerned and that Huo Yun'ai wouldn't mind the matter of Deng Bu Wen, looking at the displeased expression on the young man's face—he seemed as if he wanted to tie her up to prevent her from leaving while pretending to be generous—she found it amusing. She decided to tease him a bit and seriously began to list off who she would take.
"Of course, I will bring Dou Mama and Azalea. I will also take Danqing and Peach Branch. It's better to have more people for support. Hmm, it wouldn't be good not to have someone strong with me. How about... we just bring Deng Bu Wen along as well?"
After waiting for a while without hearing a response from Huo Yun'ai, it was neither good nor bad.
Qing Wu looked up in confusion and saw the young man staring at her coldly with half-closed eyes.
Although his face was filled with anger, his eyes were brimming with jealousy that kept bubbling up.
Their gazes met, and Huo Yun'ai gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence through clenched jaws: "You dare!"
Qing Wu was taken aback, realizing that while he didn't mind Deng Bu Wen's actions, it had to be under his watchful eye. Once she was out of his sight, it was not allowed.
Unable to help herself, Qing Wu shot him a glance and huffed, "Angry."
Seeing her like this, Huo Yun'ai instantly understood that she was just trying to scare him. He relaxed.
However, after the girl left, he couldn't shake off an unsettling feeling. He felt like he had overlooked something important.
After fidgeting for nearly an hour without settling down, he suddenly remembered something, and a shock ran through him. He couldn't help but grip harder, snapping the red brush in two.
Huo Yun'ai casually tossed aside the broken brush and stood up abruptly.
The girl was already thirteen, the age for discussing marriage. Moreover, she had returned to the Wen Family Ancestral Home this time.
What was most abundant in the old house?
The nosy uncles and aunts from the neighborhood who loved to pay attention to people's marriages. And their young sons and nephews.
The old man of the Wen Family was also someone who would not tolerate any disobedience.
If he listens to the Old Neighbors exchanging words, and gets too happy, regardless of the Liu Family's wishes, he might just arrange a betrothal for the Girl...
The Young Emperor grew increasingly alarmed as he thought about it. He quickly raised his voice to call Uncle Yu and ordered, "Prepare the carriage! We are leaving the palace!"
Uncle Yu was taken aback. "Your Majesty, what is this..."
"The Zhenyuan Marquis is returning to his hometown, and I will see him off."
The young man’s face was tense as he spoke coldly.
—By the way, he would also clarify a few things.
To let everyone know that this is his girl.
However they took her away, they must return her just as she is.
No one is allowed to covet her!
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