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墨書 Inktalez
Time flies, and before we know it, February is coming to an end.
In early spring, when the sun is absent, a chill still seeps from the frozen ground that has endured winter. However, looking at the buds on the willow branches, with one or two tender leaves peeking out from a certain twig and the sparse yet vibrant yellow of the Forsythia, one can't help but feel a sense of joy rising from deep within.
The Ruyi Rouge shop has been closed for several days, and even those who only occasionally come to the town for supplies know that the shop's female owner is about to be married.
Xing Ruyi, as usual, woke up in the afternoon. Before she could even glance at the gloomy sky, she was pushed into the room by Deer Lady to try on some newly bought accessories. Half-asleep, she allowed Deer Lady to fuss over her hair until she heard a soft laugh nearby, which made her realize there was another person in the room.
Looking up, she saw Yunxi, the Young Lady of the Luo family.
"When did you arrive, Young Lady? Why didn't Aunt Sheng call for me?"
"I just woke up a little while ago and just got here," Yunxi replied, stepping forward to fix Xing Ruyi's hairpin that had been knocked askew while they were talking. "As soon as I entered, I heard A Niu and the others discussing how you've been kept busy practicing etiquette by Deer Lady lately and often have to stay up until dawn. I thought you must be exhausted, so I didn’t have Aunt Sheng call you and just sat here waiting."
"It’s not just practicing etiquette..." Xing Ruyi said, ignoring Deer Lady's warning glare as she rested her head on the table. "Aunt Sheng wishes I could learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting overnight, not to mention that most terrifying skill of needlework. Young Lady, look at my hands; they can barely manage a simple prescription or cook a meal. To make me sit there with an embroidery needle for half a day without moving is truly draining my life away."
As soon as she uttered the word "life," Deer Lady poked her on the forehead.
"On such a joyous occasion, don’t speak of inauspicious things."
Xing Ruyi first stuck out her tongue at Deer Lady and then quietly tugged at her sleeve and shook her head. "Really, Aunt Sheng, please stop forcing me to practice those things other than etiquette. You’ve seen my average talent; even if I put in effort, I might not learn even a third of what others can do. Besides, I'm already of marrying age; no matter how hard I work day and night, it seems a bit too late."
"That's right, Deer Lady; everyone has their strengths. Ruyi is already quite impressive. As for music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework—it's okay if she doesn't excel at them. From what I've noticed, that Young Master Yin doesn’t seem to mind these things either."
Yunxi mentioned the fox casually; however, as soon as Xing Ruyi heard about it, she instantly exploded with anger.
"I'd rather not mention him; just thinking about it makes me angry. He knows I'm not interested in these things, yet when the Deer Lady wanted to teach me, he didn't come out to stop her. He keeps saying that learning more is always good."
Because she was angry, Xing Ruyi's cheeks were puffed up. Having woken up in the afternoon without washing her face, she still had a bit of sleepiness on her face, which, combined with her current expression, made her look even cuter.
"Before I learned the rules, he always urged me to go to bed early, afraid that if I stayed up late, I would be in poor spirits. Now, it's different; he's letting the Deer Lady discipline me. If I don't complete my tasks, I'm not allowed to sleep. Young Lady, just look at my eyes; there's no sparkle left in them."
Xing Ruyi complained as she pulled at her eyelids. Yunxi could only smile at her but had to hold back due to her usual composure.
Xing Ruyi didn't seem to mind much. After venting, she slumped over the table, gazing into the bronze mirror and poking at her hairpin-clad self. Half to herself, she said, "Sigh! If it weren't for the way the fox looks at me being the same as before, I would suspect he is deliberately making things difficult for me so that I would know when to retreat and voluntarily propose breaking off the engagement."
"Stop thinking nonsense!" The Deer Lady said as she poked Xing Ruyi's forehead with a finger. "Times have changed; although your marriage with Lord Yin hasn't been formalized in Qingqiu, after you get married, regardless of whether it's according to Qingqiu customs or human customs, you will have to return with Lord Yin. Once you go back, you'll have to meet people and handle matters according to the rules. While Qingqiu isn't like the human world where brides meet their in-laws with many restrictions, you are still different."
Xing Ruyi understood this well; it was precisely because she understood that she endured daily lessons on etiquette and tortured herself. Just as she was about to sigh and feel sorry for herself, a particularly important question suddenly crossed her mind. Could it be that people from Qingqiu also had to learn needlework and make their own clothes? It seemed that when she first met the fox, he wore clothes he transformed himself into. As for learning to buy clothes like humans did, that habit seemed to have developed only after arriving in the Golden Tang Dynasty—not for himself but for Xing Ruyi. After all, when Xing Ruyi first crossed into the Golden Tang Dynasty, she was like a blank slate—one could say she was clueless about everything. Even buying clothes meant dealing with the currency exchange rate of the Golden Tang Dynasty was beyond her comprehension.
The Deer Lady saw through Xing Ruyi's thoughts and couldn't help but reveal the truth.
"Lord Yin doesn't want you to learn any rules out of concern that someone might make things difficult for you in Qingqiu. He notices that as the wedding day approaches, you seem increasingly troubled. If he doesn't find you something to do soon, he's afraid you'll overthink things and end up getting sick from it. To put it another way, whether it's these rules or skills like music and painting, neither Lord Yin nor we expect you to master anything. However, knowing a bit more can never hurt."
The more the Deer Lady spoke this way, the more guilty Xing Ruyi felt inside. In truth, she understood all this too well; it was just that as the wedding day drew closer, she felt increasingly anxious as if something significant were about to happen. Rather than dwell on it deeply, she preferred to treat these tasks set by the Deer Lady and the fox as missions assigned to her; this made her feel somewhat relieved.
"It's normal to feel anxious before getting married."
Yunxi sat down opposite Xing Ruyi. At this moment, although her figure hadn't changed much, there was a hint of maternal glow in her eyes and brows; her demeanor seemed gentler than before.
"Before I married my husband, my situation was quite similar to yours, Ruyi. You know that Matriarch Luo didn't like me and tried every means to obstruct our marriage. At that time, I was both happy about finally being able to be with my Husband and worried about facing Matriarch Luo daily after joining the Luo family; life would become increasingly difficult. But once I married my husband, I found life wasn't as hard as I had imagined; now it's already a completely different situation."
"Now that we've reached this point, I can't help but want to ask Young Lady how Lord Luo's case is progressing. Since then, Brother Chang has been helping to arrange my marriage, and I hardly go to the Yamen anymore. Although I care about matters at your home, I am still an outsider, so it's not appropriate for me to ask you directly or to have them inquire on my behalf."
"The case has indeed been clarified. Master did not make much of a defense; he laid everything bare in court. After all, he is a pitiful person who has spent most of his life playing another identity, another person. Though he appears prosperous on the surface, he has always lived in fear behind the scenes. As for the case, it is still held at the Yamen. Considering Master’s other identity, the County Magistrate is also conflicted, unsure whether to handle it as a regular homicide case or report it secretly to the court."
"If I were that County Magistrate, I would treat it as a regular homicide case. The court's secret guards, especially those hidden within one's own jurisdiction, and with their wife being a relative—reporting this could lead to suspicion given Wu Zetian's paranoid nature. It might not be seen as loyalty but rather as ulterior motives. If things escalate, he might also find himself implicated; it would be better to act as if he knows nothing. Even if the court investigates later and the person is already dead, it would be judged according to court law and would not leave room for gossip."
"Ruyi, do you really think so?" Yunxi blinked: "Actually, my husband has considered this too; he wants to privately approach the County Magistrate and ask him to handle it as a regular homicide case, but he's unsure if that would be appropriate."
"Your husband’s surname is Luo; while appearing now may not cause harm, one cannot guarantee that he won't be used as leverage in the future. If there’s a discussion to be had, I suggest that Young Lady's family take the lead."
"Are you suggesting that Yunxi's maternal family should step forward?"
"Just find someone from a collateral branch to go; ideally, they should look ordinary enough so that they won't be easily remembered. This matter is merely about reminding the County Magistrate; as for the background of this reminder person, it can exist but shouldn't be too heavy."
"I understand what you mean; Yunxi gets it." Yunxi stood up and bowed: "Yunxi came today with another matter to earnestly request of you."
"There’s no need for such formalities between Young Lady and Fox Demon. Just let me know what you need help with; if I can assist, Fox Demon will certainly do my best. Just please don’t involve any homicide cases again. You know I’m about to get married and truly wish to avoid any bad luck."
"Of course!" Yunxi nodded: "I know you've been running Ruyi Cosmetic Shop for quite some time now and have received much praise in Luoyang City; it's even hard to come by its products. I came today on someone else's behalf to ask if you have any prescriptions that can enhance one's beauty?"
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