Chapter Six
Outside the Zhang Manor gates, the red lanterns were replaced by white lanterns. Inside the Zhang Manor, people were crying around a coffin.
'The heavens are cruel... why take away the Zhang Household's only son?' madam Zhang asked.
'Madam Zhang, it was the drunk man's fault,' the Zhang caretaker said. 'A wine jar fell on top of master Zhang's head and killed master Zhang. It was an accident, the magistrate didn't arrest him. But I ordered someone to kill him.'
'You did a good job,' madam Zhang said. 'A life for a life. His family needs to feel the same pain I feel.'
'Madam Zhang, I heard a rumor about master Zhang's death,' the Zhang caretaker said.
'What's the rumor?' madam Zhang asked.
'I heard master Zhang was a substitute for elder Jiang,' the Zhang caretaker said. 'Elder Jiang would have died instead of master Zhang if someone didn't forewarn elder Jiang.'
'Did you say my son died in someone else's place?' madam Zhang asked.
'Yes madam Zhang,' the Zhang caretaker said. 'I heard the person who forewarned elder Jiang was Tao Fang Ao's fiance, Tao Tu Yun.'
'I don't care who she is,' madam Zhang said. 'She has to pay for my son's death.'
At the Tao Manor, Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu sneaked to the back entrance of the Tao Manor.
'Mistress, do we have to sneak outside the Tao Manor?' Su Wu asked.
Su Wu clutched the bags in her arms. Although it was a good opportunity to leave the Tao Manor, she was still scared that she and Tao Tu Yun would get caught leaving.
'There's no other way,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'We need to sneak outside the Tao Manor in the middle of the night, because the Tao Manor is heavily guarded during the day.'
'Mistress, Xiao Hong and the others will be upset that we left without saying farewell.'
Su Wu sighed and followed Tao Tu Yun outside the Tao Manor into a bamboo forest.
'Mistress, we're outside Luo Yang province,' Su Wu said.
'Let's take a rest here before we continue on our journey,' Tao Tu Yun said.
Tao Tu Yun looked at the faint lantern lights of the Tao Manor in the distance, and she felt conflicted.
Suddenly an assassin jumped in front of Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu.
'What a pity you two weren't be alive for long to continue your journey,' the assassin said and held a sword at Tao Tu Yun's chest.
'Who are you?' Su Wu asked in a shaky voice. 'What do you want?'
'Someone paid me to kill you two,' the assassin said. 'I'll make your deaths painless if you two cooperate.'
'It's me who you want to kill,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'You can take my life. This has nothing to do with Su Wu. Let Su Wu go.'
'Mistress, I'm not leaving you,' Su Wu said and cried. 'Mistress, if you die, I'm dying with you.'
Su Wu held Tao Tu Yun's hand and shook her head. She wasn't going to abandon Tao Tu Yun.
'Don't worry,' the assassin said. 'Neither of you will leave this place.'
Tao Tu Yun pushed Su Wu out of the way. But they both fell on the ground and the assassin's sword struck Tao Tu Yun's chest. Then Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu played dead.
The assassin saw blood on Tao Tu Yun and Su Wu's chests and thought they were dead so the assassin left the bamboo forest.
'Help!' Su Wu cried out. 'Someone save my mistress!'
Tao Fang Ao appeared out of nowhere.
'Second master Tao... save my mistress,' Su Wu pleaded.
Tao Fang Ao suppressed his panic when he saw Tao Tu Yun's bleeding chest. He pressed on Tao Tu Yun's vital acupuncture points so she wouldn't lose more blood.
'I'm taking Tu Yun back to the Tao Manor,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao carried Tao Tu Yun back to the Tao Manor.
The next morning, the lively atmosphere at the Tao Manor turned somber.
Tao Fang Ling and Luo Bing Liang waited anxiously inside Tao Tu Yun's bedchamber with Tao Fang Ao while a physician examined Tao Tu Yun's chest wound.
'Tao Fang Ao, what do you think happened to Tu Yun?' Luo Bing Liang asked. 'I can't think of one reason why anyone would want to kill Tu Yun and Su Wu.'
'I'm in the dark like everyone else,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao looked worriedly at Tao Tu Yun lying on the bed. If he didn't wake up in the middle of the night, he was scared to think about what would have happened to Tao Tu Yun.
Tao Fang Ao was grateful he rode on horseback last night to help him sleep. If he didn't then he wouldn't have heard Su Wu's call for help, and he wouldn't have saved Tao Tu Yun in time. But he regretted he didn't find Tao Tu Yun sooner so she wouldn't be injured. He didn't know if Tao Tu Yun would wake up.
Tao Fang Ao remembered how much Tao Tu Yun's chest bled, and his heart tightened.
'Everyone shouldn't worry too much,' the physician said. 'Lady Tao is a lucky person. She wore a jade pendant around her neck, and it protected her heart. The jade pendant stopped the sword from piercing her heart. But she lost a lot of blood. If second master Tao didn't bring her back here in time, her life would have been lost.'
'Thank you,' Tao Fang Ao said and gripped the two halves of the jade pendant in his hands.
'Second master Tao, it's my duty,' the physician said. 'Lady Tao can keep her life. But her chest wound is deep. She'll be unconscious for at least a couple of days. I'll leave an herbal remedy for you to apply on her chest wound so she won't get a chest infection.'
A maid escorted the physician outside, and another maid walked into the bedchamber.
'Second master Tao, I brought a new dress for lady Tao,' the maid said.
'Tao Fang Ao, Bing Liang, you two wait outside while I help change Tu Yun's dress,' Luo Bing Liang said.
Tao Bing Liang walked outside the bedchamber first. Tao Fang Ao took another look at Tao Tu Yun's bloodied dress, and he vowed to take revenge on the person who injured his woman.
***
Tao Fang Ao interrogated Su Wu.
'Tell me what happened,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Who injured Tu Yun?'
'Second brother, you're scaring Su Wu,' Tao Fang Ling said.
'I... mistress and I headed east after we left Luo Yang province,' Su Wu said in a shaky voce. 'An assassin suddenly appeared. The assassin wanted to kill mistress. Mistress pleaded with the assassin to let me go. When the assassin's sword was about to strike us, mistress pushed me out of the way. We fell on the ground. The assassin's sword... struck mistress chest.'
Tao Fang Ao looked at the two halves of the jade pendant in his hands. If the assassin knew Tao Tu Yun was still alive, the assassin would return to kill Tao Tu Yun.
'Second master Tao, is mistress alive?' Su Wu asked.
'Tu Yun's alive,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'It's this broken jade pendant that saved her life. If she didn't wear it last night then the assassin's sword would have pierced through her heart.'
'Jade pendant?' Su Wu asked. 'The master sage is indeed a master sage. The master sage gave this jade pendant to mistress when she was sixteen, and warned her to always wear this jade pendant because it'll save her life.'
'Second brother, what is Su Wu talking about?' Tao Fang Ling asked.
Luo Bing Liang walked outside the bedchamber and she overheard Su Wu.
'Tao Fang Ao, tell us what happened,' Luo Bing Liang said.
'Su Wu, go take care of Tu Yun,' Tao Fang Ao instructed.
'Yes second master Tao,' Su Wu said and walked into the bedchamber.
'Sooner or later you two would have found out,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'I need you two to help me take revenge for Tu Yun.'
Tao Fang Ling and Luo Bing Liang listened carefully to Tao Fang Ao's plan.
Three days later, Tao Tu Yun woke up.
'Mistress, you're finally awake,' Su Wu said happily.
'I... didn't die?' Tao Tu Yun asked weakly.
Tao Tu Yun remembered her chest pain after the assassin's sword struck her chest. She thought she had died.
'Mistress, you're alive,' Su Wu said. 'Don't mention dying again. Mistress, you gave me a scare.'
'Su Wu, I'm sorry,' Tao Tu Yun said and smiled apologetically. 'Where am I?'
'Mistress, this is second master Tao's bedchamber,' Su Wu said. 'Second master Tao insisted moving mistress to his bedchamber.'
Tao Tu Yun was surprised she returned to the Tao Manor. She understood Tao Fang Ao wasn't going to let her escape again.
'Mistress, you were unconscious for three days,' Su Wu said. 'I'll go cook a meal for mistress.'
Su Wu walked to the door and Tao Fang Ao's sudden appearance startled her.
'Second master Tao,' Su Wu greeted.
Tao Fang Ao saw Tao Tu Yun feigning sleep on the bed and he smiled.
Su Wu wisely left and closed the doors to give Tao Fang Ao and Tao Tu Yun privacy.
Tao Tu Yun opened her eyes after she didn't hear noise. She was startled to see Tao Fang Ao sitting on the bed and looking upset with her.
'Why did you runaway?' Tao Fang Ao asked.
'I... missed my parents,' Tao Tu Yun said.
'Tu Yun, you're lying,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'If you ran away because you missed your parents then why are you avoiding my eyes?'
'I... didn't want to stay here,' Tao Tu Yun said and bravely looked at Tao Fang Ao's intense eyes.
'I told you,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'You can't leave here until I have proof who is my fiance. By running away, are you admitting you're a fake? I want you to think carefully before you answer me. I don't care who deceives me, including you, because I'll make them pay for deceiving me.'
Tao Fang Ao was waiting for someone to return with the evidence. But he didn't need evidence to know Tao Tu Yun was his real fiance.
Tao Fang Ao knew Tao Tu Yun cared about him. But he didn't know why she continued to reject him. What secret was she hiding?
Tao Tu Yun felt like Tao Fang Ao could see through her heart.
'Tu Yun, stay here and sleep,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao stormed outside because he didn't want to argue with Tao Tu Yun while she was recovering from her chest wound.
Days later, Tao Fang Ao returned to his bedchamber to check up on Tao Tu Yun's condition again.
'Su Wu, is Tu Yun still sleeping?' Tao Fang Ao said.
'Yes second master Tao,' Su Wu said. 'Mistress is scared of cold weather. She always sleeps more during winter days.'
'Is Tu Yun feeling better?' Tao Fang Ao asked.
Tao Fang Ao sat on the bed and his fingers gently stroked Tao Tu Yun's pale face. Ever since the day they had a confrontation, she slept every time he checked up on her.
'Mistress, rarely left the bed,' Su Wu said. 'Rest and meals helped mistress recover faster.'
'Su Wu, you can leave,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'I'm staying here to take care of Tu Yun.'
'Yes second master Tao,' Su Wu said and left.
Tao Fang Ao couldn't believe what a foolish good heart Tao Tu Yun possessed. She would rather risk her life to save someone else's life by using her gift. Even when facing an assassin, she used her body to protect Su Wu's life.
'Tu Yun, you finally opened your eyes while I'm here,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'How is your chest wound?'
Tao Fang Ao tucked Tao Tu Yun's hair behind her ears so he had a clear view of her beautiful face.
'I felt better days ago,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'As long as I don't move strenuously then I won't feel chest pain.'
No matter how much Tao Tu Yun distant herself from Tao Fang Ao, he wouldn't give up on her. But she didn't want to admit that she loved him.
'Su Wu said that you've been lying in bed for days,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Do you want me to take you outside?'
'It's cold outside,' Tao Tu Yun said and pulled the blanket up to her neck.
'Alright,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Today it's snowing outside. Stay here and keep warm.'
'I heard Su Wu said you saved me that day,' Tao Tu Yun said.
'If I didn't find you in time, you wouldn't be alive today,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Tu Yun, who wants to kill you?'
Tao Tu Yun didn't think saving elder Jiang's life would lead to another person dying in elder Jiang's place.
'Tu Yun, don't think too much,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'What you need to do is rest so you'll recover faster.'
'Alright,' Tao Tu Yun said.
Tao Tu Yun let Tao Fang Ao hold her hand and closed her eyes. The love between them was hot compared to the cold snow outside.
***