Well, well. The Flower Girl had some medical skills. Lu Yan had not expected it.
After confirming Shen Zhen was comfortable and supervising her taking medicine, he got up and slowly mad his way to Dongliyuan to the north.
Ever since Lu Yan had been welcomed as official of the Supreme Court, he had been exposed to Judge Zheng’s constant pestering. ‘Trust nothing but evidence’ had been carved into Lu Yan’s brain by his charming superior. What Lu Yan suspected was that Fu Man had intentionally set a trap for Shen Zhen to fall into so that she could offer her assistance and make both Shen Zhen and Lu Yan lower their guard.
He walked the same path Shen Zhen had taken, carefully observing his surroundings. The terrace road was narrow and winding. The wood was covered in melting snow. At the time of her fall, Shen Zhen had been holding a multitude of scrolls as well as a painting. One could not exclude the accidental slip. Thinking of this, Lu Yan squatted down and passed his fingers over the blue-gray stone steps that led to the storeroom.
Unexceptionable.
He straightened up, walking on until he reached Dongliyuan’s Songzhu Pavilion.
As soon as Lu Yan appeared at the doorstep, Retainer Liu put down the poker in her hand and welcomed him with the sincerest of smiles.
“Master.”
Lu Yan barely shot her a look of acknowledgment.
“Where is the concubine”, he coldly asked.
Retainer Liu had served in the Zhao Mansion for a big part of her life. She was accustomed to the nobility. And she had seen an innumerable number of wealthy merchants coming to pay respect their respects to her former master. Yet, among all of these, none of them was as handsome as this Master Wei. The fact he had deigned to choose her was something Fu Man could truly be gratified by.
Retainer Liu hurried to smile and make herself as low and servile as she believed would flatter the Master and pointed to the door.
“Concubine Man is inside.”
The servant did not think everything through before adding an unfortunate sentence.
“The concubine has been looking forward to the Master’s coming. She will be overjoyed to see the Master.”
Retainer Liu took two steps forward and slid the door to the inner room open for the Master. Striding in, Lu Yan shot Fu Man a dismissive glance. She was seated on a couch, not expressing the slightest bit of surprise. In fact, her gaze was placid and dispassionate, as if she had known he would appear at her doorstop in the early morning.
Lu Yan motioned for Retainer Liu to leave. However, the good servant only dumbly stared at this wave of his hand, as if she did not understand what he meant by it. It was obvious she wished to be included into the conversation. However, since the Master had clearly shown her presence was unnecessary and since she had been warned that he was a man who could not bear to be refuted, she had no other choice but to bow. And with a creak, the door was closed behind her as she left.
Lu Yan observed Fu Man.
“Let us talk. How have you learned medicine?”
His voice was calm. Also as trenchant as a sword. Had she prescribed some concoction, Lu Yan would have assumed she must have read it in a book and would have thrown it out of the window lest it harmed Shen Zhen. However, she had set a bone with her two, bare hands. Such a level of skill and physical strength did not come by books.
Fu Man met his glance, not even blinking. Her voice was soft and low as she answered.
“If Husband were to stay in this humble concubine’s room this evening, she would tell him everything, without concealment.”
Lu Yan frowned, not accustomed to have his will thwarted. Fu Man simply stretched a lazy finger, pointing at the door and then tapping her lips in a silencing gesture. He immediately understood what this Flower Girl was trying to warn him against. She and that Retainer Liu did not seem to be in agreement about everything.
Seeing as Lu Yan was staring down at her, a corner of his mouth slightly lifted, his eyes as dark as a pond at night and certainly as cold, Fu Man felt a shiver run down her spine, anxiety gripping her.
“Husband should not misunderstand. This humble concubine is not trying to negotiate. She only hopes Husband will remember Lord Zhao’s favor and welcome this humble concubine into the household.”
Lu Yan did not budge, silent and unyielding. His eyes never left her face.
“Is this a threat?”, he slowly asked in an almost tender voice.
Fu Man quickly shook her head.
“This humble concubine would not dare.”
“You would be well advised to tell the truth tonight. My Wei household cannot afford to keep wild species about. We merchants are not renowned for being charitable.”
His acquiescence was a barely veiled insult.
Lu Yan slammed the door behind him as he left.
After Lu Yan’s departure, Retainer Liu rushed into the inner room, attaching her lips to Fu Man’s ear and hissing:
“This servant told the Miss to keep away from that Concubine Qin! Now, the Master knows you are well-versed in the art of medicine. It will be impossible for you to administer the drug Lord Zhao entrusted you with.”
Fu Man smiled lazily, calming Retainer Liu with a few words.
“Does nanny not see? There is nothing dearer than Concubine Qin to Husband. She is his heart. Had it not been for Concubine Qin’s mishap and my assistance, would Husband have come to visit me today?”
Retainer Liu seemed perplexed, and somewhat doubtful, at her miss’s words.
“Is the little lady prepared?”
Fu Man nodded, the sweetest of smiles etched on her fairylike face.
“I will simply tell Husband that I had been adopted by a doctor who taught me some skills. Lord Zhao has already erased all traces of my former life. How could a simple little merchant who has just arrived to Yangzhou investigate further? Besides, who would dare to question the Governor?”
Retainer Liu could not counter such arguments. She only had to nod and relax.
“This servant has seen that Concubine Qin. She is much more beautiful than you. When the master comes back, make sure to use some aphrodisiac incense to stimulate him so you can get him in bed. Otherwise, once the night is over, he will never visit again.”
“Do not worry, nanny”, Fu Man purred, flashing her pearl-white teeth.
Once Retainer Liu left her, however, she frowned in displeasure and fear, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
After Dongliyuan, Lu Yan hurriedly left the house altogether, only returning early in the evening.
When he reappeared in Chunxi Hall, he caught Shen Zhen partaking in dinner.
The dim light of the setting sun spilled over her erect back. Shen Zhen had not gone to the trouble of twisting her hair into one of her intricate hairdos. Rather, it softly hung over her shoulder, reflecting the purple and orange of twilight.
It was such a rare occurrence for Shen Zhen to welcome Lu Yan in this state of simple abandon, unperturbed and almost content.
She raised her head and the corners of her lips slowly curled up.
“Why did Your Lordship come back so early?”
Her voice was barely audible, as if she were the one, not Fu Man, who was planning on exchanging secrets with Lu Yan. She had already forgotten that she should not call him her lord, however Lu Yan did not have the heart to discipline her right this instant. Rather, he whispered back to her.
“There was little to do today.”
A bottle of medicine was retrieved from Lu Yan’s pocket and handed to Shen Zhen. Her long fine fingers curled around the little flask, caressing Lu Yan’s inadvertently. She shook the small container childishly, examining it with misgiving, like a cat who had encountered a particularly hideous sort of bug and did not know how to act.
“Is this for me?”
Lu Yan nodded.
“The morning medicine is to avoid blood stasis. This is for removing scars.”
Shen Zhen might have been as talented as any scholar, yet even her mind did not escape the vulgarity of vanity. She loved beauty, that much he had realized after all this time. And she was quite satisfied with her own share of it.
That horrible encounter with Governor Zhao at the Twenty-Four Bridges had left Shen Zhen with a scar on her palm. It was invisible to a stranger’s eye. Lu Yan himself would not have been able to find it if he had been set to do so. However, to Shen Zhen, it was as if she had been disfigured. She could spend hours staring at it and sighing heartbreakingly.
As soon as she heard the cream was used to reduce scarring, her eyes lit up. She quickly unscrewed the lid and took a whiff, thanking Lu Yan profusely.
Seeing as the Young Master had returned, Tangyue added a pair of chopsticks and a bowl to the table. At first, Shen Zhen had barely been hungry. But now that she had received her gift, she had no appetite whatsoever. She just wanted to go back to her room and apply the medicine.
Lu Yan observed her eager look with a cocked eyebrow. His palm patted the back of her head, as if she were some unruly lad.
“If you think you will be allowed leave this table without eating, you are quite mistaken.”
As soon as Lu Yan said those words, Shen Zhen felt like she had been immersed in cold water. She was so disappointed. But, she did not dare to confront that moody Lu Yan. She never knew what end was up and what end was down with him and did not particularly wish to discover it, either.
She had always been a picky eater, poking around her bowl unhurriedly. It was the first time Lu Yan saw her filling her cheeks with food, fearing she might burst.
In a blink of an eye, she had almost polished the whole table off. Even the soup had been almost all drunk. Lu Yan had actually had to fight for his meal with the usually restrained and elegant Shen Zhen.
She looked up at him eagerly, her eyes as bright as stars and her lips pressed into an inflexible line. She did not speak. She did not need to speak for Lu Yan to know what was passing through her mind.
“Just go already”, he sighed, defeated.
Shen Zhen excitedly waved to Tangyue.
“Come help me up.”
Lu Yan observed her limping out of the Western Room, shaking his head in exasperation. She was lame and yet, could only think about beauty.
After dinner, Lu Yan made his way to the study, picking up a secret pile of papers containing the names and legal information of all the Western Regions’ citizens who were in Yangzhou at the moment.
Reaching the last page, he started lightly tapping the table with his forefinger. The Bai family. Barbarians with a Han family name. How interesting.
When he looked through the window, he realized the sky had darkened. He made his way back to Chunxi Hall. As he entered, Lu Yan found Shen Zhen seated on a couch, a candle in one hand, a jar of medicinal cream resting on her thigh and the fingers of her other hand trying to tend her wounds. He walked over in a brisk stride, removed the jar of medicine from her.
Her leg was truly swollen.
“You are truly capable. One needs skills to fall like this when going to a storeroom”, his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
He was as cold, dismissive and demeaning as ever. He only ever opened his mouth to shame and admonish his interlocutors. Had it been one month ago, Shen Zhen might have blushed and cowered. But she had gotten familiar with and used to his ways. If there was one person who knew his finicky ways, it was her. Therefore, she simply turned a deaf hear to most of his criticism and comments. She lived much better for it!
Lu Yan softly rubbed cream onto her wounded shin, with a tender care Shen Zhen had not expected from him.
“Your Lordship should rest.”
In the past few days, he had taken the bad habit of leaving Luyuan at dawn and coming back in the middle of the night. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked haggard at best.
Lu Yan shot her a tentative glance.
“I will be going to Dongliyuan tonight. Do not wait for me. Go to bed early.”
Going to Dongliyuan?
Shen Zhen clearly understood what Lu Yan proposed to do. However, had she been asked her opinion, she would have expressed nothing but surprise. The almighty heir to the Zheng Duchy who played the role of stern keeper of morals in society, embodiment of dignity and steadiness, entertained a mistress and was about to lose himself in the arms of a beautiful concubine.
Lu Yan raised his eyes, staring at her without moving. Before he had the time to say a few more words, explaining his intentions, Shen Zhen simply let an uninterested ‘very well’ filter through her lips.
That was it. Nothing else. An indifferent word of assent.
The man’s eyes gradually darkened and he could not help his hands. He grabbed onto her bruised shin, knowing full well it would cause her pain. She yelped in surprise and hurt. And it did not alleviate his own helpless feeling of disappointment.
Lu Yan’s face relaxed into an expressionless mask, though he was overcome with rage. He screwed the lid back onto the medicine jar and threw it aside.
Coldly snorting, he wished to convince himself that her lack of interest had no effect on him.
Was it necessary for him to explain his actions to his mistress?! She was nothing but that, a mistress. She was not entitled to know where he was spending the night or why. He did not owe her such consideration.
Thinking of this, he turned around and left.
He arrived to Dongliyuan at two minutes past midnight, carried by a night breeze that chilled one to the bone.
Knowing as “Master Wei” was coming to spend the night, Retainer Liu had busied herself with preparing the chamber before waiting at the door with a lantern in her hand.
Lu Yan slowly walked into Fu Man’s chambers, made his way to a table and sat down, his unwavering gaze never leaving Fu Man.
“Speak.”
Fu Man cautiously glanced Retainer Liu’s way, clenching her fists.
“Why does Husband not rest for a while and listen to this humble concubine leisurely?”
Retainer Liu echoed her mistress’s words.
“Yes, indeed! There is no rush.”
They had to keep him for the night. If they were to talk his ear off, he would have no reason to stay.
Lu Yan clicked his tongue in distaste at the servant’s lack of decorum. The rules of the Zhen Duchy were strict. Servants had no say in their masters’ matters. They were not even tolerated to address them in general.
He cocked an eyebrow at the old woman.
“You. Leave.”
There was no one more unwilling to leave than Retainer Liu. If truth be told, she had to listen to feel at ease with herself. Someone had to ensure that Fu Man girl did not slip from Lord Zhao’s control. Therefore, she plucked up courage and valiantly stood up to a fuming Lu Yan. Something had to be said about this old woman’s heroic bravery.
“This is the first time the Miss is stepping out of the boudoir. She is inexperienced. It is inevitable that she will need assistance. This old slave does not dare leave.”
According to local customs, the first time a woman received her husband’s favor, she might indeed have had another woman to guide her. But that woman was generally a more expert concubine, not an old servant! This old woman believed herself to be protected by Governor Zhao’s high standing in society, sputtering nonsense as a result. The only thing she achieved was making Lu Yan imagine Shen Zhen assisting Fu Man in serving him, remembering just how indifferent she had been when he had announced his going to Dongliyuan! He had come absolutely incensed. Now, he wanted to commit murder.
He grabbed onto a tea cup on the table and hurled it at a wall. The fine porcelain shattered in thousands of pieces flying throughout the room.
“Who gave you the right to question my rules?!”, he roared.
Retainer Liu was left stunned and horrified at such a reaction from the usually restrained and polite Master Wei.
“But Lord Zhao—”, the servant stuttered, hoping the mention of her old master would cool Master Wei’s temper.
“This is my Wei family”, Lu Yan barked mercilessly.
“If you wish to return to the Zhao Mansion, you can walk out of Luyuan first thing in the morning!”
Panic washed over Retainer Liu. She was nothing but an old woman. And the man in front of her, though she did not know it, was a fourth-ranked imperial official. In his anger, he let the aura of an official of the Supreme Court overwhelm the servant.
Mother Liu desperately tried to explain.
“This old slave did not mean … This old slave …”
“Do I need to repeat myself?!”, Lu Yan viciously hissed, his eyes narrowing.
Retainer Liu had no choice but to yield. The ferocity, the snake-like hiss, everything spoke of murder. Who would come to the help of an old servant if the master of the household decided to strangle here out of rage?
Therefore, she cowered out of the room, her head low, trying not to make eye contact with Lu Yan.
Fu Man stepped forward, unruffled by the scene she had witnessed. She poured Lu Yan a cup of water, presenting it in her slow, feline manner.
“Husband should calm down”, she drawled.
Lu Yan took the cup, glanced at the water coolly, raised his wide sleeves, concealing the lower half of his face, and took a sip.
Fu Man watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed, feeling the rhythm of her heart finally slowing. Perfect. She kept her peace until she determined enough time had passed and then, she spoke, dropping the ridiculous titles:
“Fu Man wishes to make a deal with Young Master Wei.”
Lu Yan narrowed his eyes at the change in titles.
“Let us hear it”, he invited, with the characteristic indifference Lu Yan was known for, as opposed to Young Master Wei.
“The water Master Wei just drank contains medicine Lord Zhao has ordered me to administer. It creates dependence. Master Wei will wish to drink it every day, going without food, being obsessed with the idea of obtaining his next dose. And with time, the medicine will corrode Master Wei’s intestines until death ensues.”
Fu Man paused, her dark eyes flashing, her expression denoting all the shrewdness of her mind.
“And I have the antidote.”
Lu Yan smirked, his interest piqued.
“And what would the deal entail?”
“I want two thousands copper coins and my liberty.”
Lu Yan picked up the cup from which he had drank and handed it to her.
“Since when is spurge from the Western Plains worth two thousand copper coins?”, he asked good-naturedly.
Fu Man’s lips trembled in shock. She could feel this opportunity to save herself slipping through her fingers. This plant extract was colorless and tasteless. It was one of the main means of defense the tribes of the Western Plains had. How could a mere little merchant from Jingzhou know anything about it?!
“I assume Master Wei has not drank.”
Her heart was pounding in her throat. But she valiantly tried to conceal her fear, licking her lips nervously. Lu Yan nodded, his eyes flashing.
This particular sort of spurge had been described in a book called ‘Pharmacopoeia’ that he had found in the Supreme Court’ library. Since poisoning cases were rampant and could be highly creative, Lu Yan had thought it of good taste to acquaint himself with some drugs. It might have been colorless and tasteless, but this spurge extract would give water a yellowish quality while some green impurities would settle to the bottom. The former Judge of the Supreme Court had been kind enough to leave this precious book to them as a heirloom.
However, this was the first time he heard there was an antidote to it.
His eyes stalked Fu Man, taking in every detail.
“I will give you this one chance. Do not trifle with it, unless you want to be sent back to the governor.”
Then, he mockingly pointed behind himself, at the door.
“With your nanny, of course. Do not fear, I shall not keep her.”
“Your real name”, Lu Yan demanded.
Fu Man eyes widened, she blanched and lowered her head. She could only lie.
“I am not sure to understand what Master Wei is saying.”
“I would suggest that you thought it through, then.”
Lu Yan was very leisurely. He had the night to him and was quite bored since he refused to step a foot back in Chunxi Hall.
“I could also have asked when you had made it from the Western Regions to Yangzhou. However, had I done so, Miss Bai would not have had the chance to present herself. I assumed you would wish to go through the rules that regulate polite behavior.”
Truth being said, Lu Yan had little to no information about the woman facing him. Yang Zong had indeed gotten his hands on a census of Westerners in Yangzhou. Among them, only the Bai family practiced medicine. And there had indeed been mention of a Miss Bai. This Miss Bai had been engaged to get married, but had disappeared out of thin air.
Lu Yan’s speaking her family name so directly had been done to unsettle her. And it was most successful. Lu Yan was truly worthy of being called an official of the Supreme Court. Fu Man crumbled to the ground.
“Is Master Wei a member of the court?”, she whispered in anguish.
Lu Yan only looked down on her, embodiment of the far-reaching imperial power.
“Then, Master Wei must know my brother’s situation. Can he be saved?”
In her eagerness, Fu Man slowly started to let her guard down.
“I believe Miss Bai would know that this is not how transactions work. You should rather tell me everything you know and then, I might consider saving anything of yours.”
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she took desperate breaths, doing her best to calm her distress. This man who was seated in front of her, examining her with the ruthless, calculating eyes of an official was her only chance at salvation.
The candlelight in the house flickered gently, distorting Fu Man’s features ominously.
“My mother was a shaman from the Western Plains whereas my father came from Xingping. Together, they compiled a book called ‘Pharmacopoeia’ that they then presented to an Imperial Magistrate of the Jin Dynasty. Later on, they died. Only my brother and myself were left to carry on the tradition of the Bai family. We eventually moved to Yangzhou to open a drugstore. But one year ago, a group of unknown people stormed it, taking us hostage. They threatened my brother with my life, forcing him to produce all sorts of drugs. As far as I know, not one merchant or official of Yangzhou has been spared by my brother’s spurge extract.”
Speaking so, Fu Man’s shaking fingers came to rest on her face.
“Our Bai family has never harmed anyone before now …”
The expression of Lu Yan’s eyes grew deeper. What she said was credible indeed. He was convinced that not many people had ever heard of this ‘Pharmacopeia’. What were the odds that some girl who had not yet stepped out of the boudoir would mention it?
For some strange reason, the more he looked at Fu Man’s features, the more he felt an eerie sense of familiarity. Where it came from, he did not know. It was as if the two of them had already met at some point.
The Western Regions.
The Bai family.
It was as if a hand had reached out and grabbed onto his throat, strangling him mercilessly.
“What is your brother’s name?”, he demanded in a weak voice.
Yang Zong had been investigating a seventeen-year old girl. There had never been mention of a brother. Fu Man raised her head in hope, whispering in a mournful voice the name of her beloved brother.
“Bai Daonian …”
Lu Yan’s pupils contracted and he felt his heart skipping a beat. He heard that strange buzzing sound once more in the deepest recesses of his mind. All that he had seen in his dreams flashed in front of his eyes once more.
Bai Daonian …
