Chapter 62 Deepest love for nothing
Lu Jiangbei also looked back at Gao Jue, telling him firmly, “I went back to Yingtian Prefecture of the capital yesterday, and went to Changye Tower to find the informant who provided information. It had been confirmed that the news is true. Gao Jue, do you remember what we have learned from the subordinates who pried into information in the Taoist temple? He said He Danggui’s mother, Luo Chuanxiong, was the legitimate daughter of Luo’s Mansion in Yangzhou City, but Ms. He’s father, He Fu, was just a man of a depressed family in Yangzhou City. This year he just made an Eighth-Grade Guarding Commander of the Capital. The year they got married, everyone thought it was inconceivable, even suspected some possibilities like that ‘The two elope first and then get married’, ‘the man board first and then buy the ticket’ or ‘the woman looks ugly or has unmentionable disease’, and these made Master Duan very angry.”
Gao Jue loosened Lu Jiangbei’s plain brocade collar and recalled that there was such a thing. At that time, he did not want to get involved in this boring topic, so he jumped to the roof to sleep, but still caught the words of discussion unconsciously.
Lu Jiangbei smoothed the wrinkles on his collar and continued, “It turned out that everyone was wrong at that time. Luo Chuanxiong, He Danggui’s mother, married He Fu 3 years ago. So, He Fu is just his stepfather with the same surname as He Danggui. According to the informant, He Danggui’s biological father is not anyone else, but He Jingxian, the one of He’s Mansion in the capital, who is also your beloved Ling Miaochun’s biological uncle.”
Gao Jue was silent for a moment, then suddenly questioned, “But I heard that He’s Family which specializes in providing official medicine has no contact with the other two. The prescriptions of San Qing Tang of Luo’s Family and Ren Shu Tang of Guan’s Family are universal. Many of them have been printed into books and spread to ordinary people. However, there are many secret recipes developed by Yao Shi Tang of He’s Family in their prescriptions, which have excellent curative effect and are incomparable by the other two. 5 years ago, San Qing Tang and Ren Shu Tang were interested in the prescription of a kind of pill that made by Yao Shi Tang. They went to visit and asked He’s Family for advice, but they were refused. After that, the relationship between He’s Family and the other two families were more incompatible. How can He’s family get married with Luo’s family?”
Lu Jiangbei turned the jadeite ring on his thumb and analyzed various possibilities, “Perhaps 10 years ago, the two families have had a good relationship in private for a while. For some reason they did not open to the public, and then He’s Family drove Luo Chuanxiong and her daughter away, which made the two families changed from relatives by marriage to enemies. Or perhaps the two families have always had a feud. The elders arranged such a marriage in order to resolve the feud. Later, they found that still could not be resolved, so they got back to be enemies. Anyway, after 10 years, it is unverifiable. Our informant had infiltrated He’s Mansion several times to inquire about the news. No one knows this old anecdote, but all said the present Madam He is He Jingxian’s first wife. Obviously, when the new Madam He was welcomed in He’s Mansion, a batch of servants were also replaced to cover this family scandal.”
After hearing this, Gao Jue frowned again,
“Even if she is Miaochun’s younger cousin, so what? What do you mean by saying all this?”
Lu Jiangbei sighed, looked at the dark eyes of Gao Jue and said with a low voice, “Gao Jue, I just don’t want to see you continue to suffer. You’ve been looking for a face that is similar to Ling Miaochun’s for 3 years. When you embrace them into your arms first, then you find those people are totally different from Ling Miaochun. We have worked together for many years, and I have come to a conclusion that you are always in two extremes when dealing with women of the world. Before Ling Miaochun died, women in your eyes were divided into 2 parts: Ling Miaochun and other women. To the former you were deeply sorrowed, while to the latter you completely ignored.”
Gao Jue was immersed in meditation and thought of his youth with Miaochun. All sorts of the past came into his mind. He had to admit that Lu Jiangbei described very closely. At that time, Miaochun was the only woman in his world. The love of resonance between them became the motivation for him to do everything. His eyes and heart couldn’t see other women.
Lu Jiangbei went on leisurely, “After Ling Miaochun died, women in your eyes are divided into the women who are not like Ling Miaochun and women who are very similar to Ling Miaochun. You are still indifferent to the former. For the latter, you fell in love with each other firstly, and took them home to find out that you had read them wrong before. The more you looked at them, the less they looked like Ling Miaochun. Finally, they were reclassified as the former.”
Gao Jue frowned his thick eyebrows and wanted to open his mouth to argue a few words subconsciously, but there was no argument. Because Lu Jiangbei was still right. After Miaochun had passed away, a lot of times he walked on Dize Street, which was full of their memories, his eyes were always searching for her figure. Some people had her back, some people had her hair, some people had her eyebrows and eyes, some people had her nose and mouth, and some people had her voice. But he couldn’t piece up a complete her, so he took them back to his yard, arranged them to live in one place all day so that he could piece them together gradually.
Later, he took the son and daughter of the concubines back to Gao’s Mansion. Ling Miaoqi was quiet at that time. Half a month later, she followed him to the secret separate yard. The next day, she went to gouge out the eyes of the two among the 8 concubines. So coincidentally, those two pairs of eyes were the most similar to Miaochun’s. The two who lost “Miaochun’s eyes” became very strange. He could find no trace of Miaochun from them, so he asked people to send them away immediately. Lu Jiangbei described him as a “Cold-blooded and cold-hearted” person, which was appropriate.
Lu Jiangbei hesitated for a moment and said, “Gao Jue, I’ve never seen Ling Miaochun’s appearance before, but since the day before yesterday, I heard that He Danggui is Ling Miaochun’s cousin, and Master Liao analyzed that your attitude towards He Danggui is different from that of other women. I wonder if they are similar in appearance. There is a folk saying that ‘most of the girls look very similar to their aunts...”
“Well, I don’t want to talk about it. I won’t see that woman again anyway.” Gao Jue interrupted him abruptly, and asked in a rather harsh tone, “You must have found out the identity of the master of Wuying Tower. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have such leisurely and carefree mood to inquire into other people’s family affairs. Is there any selfish intention of you to care so much about others who look like their aunt or grandmother?”
Lu Jiangbei chocked for a short while, then reopened his mouth after a long time and said with an official tone, “Our Changye Tower is an intelligence agency, which the Emperor secretly installed in the people. Since Wuying Tower dares to target us everywhere and still be very powerful all the time, the power of Wuying Tower’s master can compete with the power that My Majesty empowered among the public. It’s hard to imagine which civilian force could stand up to the imperial court. So, for, we’re still looking at high-ranking officials in the court, and the possibility of military officers are still higher than civilian officers.”
“Well, you didn’t find any substantive clues if you say so. The work efficiency of Changye Tower is really disappointing. It turns out that you spend too much time on investigating other people’s aunt and cousin.” Gao Jue left after saying that.
Lu Jiangbei grabbed his right arm and asked, “Hey, where are you going?”
Gao Jue asked again, “Where do you think I’m going? I have already said that I will never see that woman again. Even if I meet her accidentally, I will turn around and leave. Aren’t you satisfied?”
Lu Jiangbei patted him on his shoulder to comfort, “Well, this topic is over between us. Whether Miss He is with Master Duan or not is their own business. Afterwards we won’t mention her again, OK?” When Lu Jiangbei felt Gao Jue’s anger disappeared slightly, he explained in a soft voice, “Gao Jue, don’t you have a 12-day-long holiday this month? I want to know where you are going because the Department of Imperial Guard has raid actions recently, so I want you to report your vacation place to me. And I can contact you to support the raid when necessary.”
Gao Jue said without hesitation, “Go ask lynx and then tell him that the price has been increased to 15 jars. If he gives me one jar less, I will twist that woman’s head off and take it as a stool to sit.” Then Gao Jue stepped on the courtyard wall and left Lu Jiangbei confused there.
At 11:00 of that night, Mingyue Alley, Xiaodong Street, Hongpei Avenue, Yangzhou City.
Mammy Tang knocked on side door of the East Yard of Luo’s Mansion. She was going to see Madam Luo in Fu Shou Yard to report what she had seen and heard in Shui Shang Temple. However, when she saw that all the lanterns in the mansion were changed into white palace lamps, she couldn’t help feeling her heart tightened, and asked the manservant who opened the door for her, “What happened? Is there anything wrong with our mansion? Is everything OK with Madam Luo?”
The manservant covered his mouth and whispered to Mammy Tang, “Mammy, I heard it’s... Master Zhu of the First Branch is dying, so Second Mistress Luo asked Administrator Liu to prepare what should be prepared first, so as to avoid not knowing what to do at that time.”
※※※
Madam Luo was so sorry about Master Zhu that she only drank some jade fish soup for dinner, then squinted on the soft couch in the wing-room. Gan Cao asked her several times, but she still did not want to move to bed.
Everyone of Luo’s Family was considered to know some pharmacology. And they also knew the truth of “Foods are for Nourishment while medicines are the opposite” more than ordinary rich families. Every time people at home had a slight headache, the doctors invited were the best doctors in Yangzhou City, and the medicine was also the most refined medicinal materials in San Qing Tang. However, they didn’t expect that the medicine could only cure the disease, but not save his life. This evening, Madam Luo got the news and also went to see Master Zhu. His dying look was able to tell that he could not live. His mother’s eyes were like swollen walnuts after crying, but Master Zhu could hardly keep his eyes open.
Doctor Ma and Doctor Wu were the best doctors in San Qing Tang and they were also helpless. Madam Luo sighed and thought if Grandpa Luo was still at home, maybe he could use San Qing Acupuncture to have a try. But he suddenly disappeared a few days ago. The manservant of back alley reported that he had seen Grandpa Luo once. On that day, he was in a new grey cloth blouse, which was cut in rags by scissors, white linen leggings wrapped around his calves, and a pair of muddy old cloth shoes that he got from somewhere. Carrying a big medicine basket, he went out of the gate and walked towards the west. Grandpa Luo usually came back after half a year at least, and three years at most so far. It seemed that Master Zhu’s illness couldn’t count on him.
This month, Luo’s Family was really in bad moments, and there were many disasters.
The first thing was that Miss Yi was found behind the rockery in the garden. She was badly beaten. It was suspected that maybe she climbed the rockery and fell down to be dead. After hearing the news of Yi’ death, Madam Luo really did not know how to tell this to Chuanxiong. Chuanxiong married twice and got this only daughter. What a poor little girl! Suffered such an accident at such a young age… Later, hearing that Yi came back to life in the Taoist temple, Madam Luo was so happy. She was thinking about who should be invited in the big feast among their relatives and friends. However, something bad happened to Master Zhu.
Madam Luo tossed and turned, and couldn’t sleep. Then she heard Gan Cao whisper to her and asked if she was still awake.
Gan Cao came to call her at such late night. Was it meant that Zhu had dead?! Madam Luo felt sudden chill in her heart. The lovely twin grandchild just lost within a flash. A few days ago, she went to see Zhu’s situation. He was just a little sick and would get better after taking two doses of medicine. How could he suddenly become skinny and bony without human shape? Alas, his mother must be very sad now.
Although Chuanbai of the First Branch wasn’t her own blood, the East Yard of Luo’s Family had always been a thin male. In addition to the legitimate son of Chuanpu in the Third Branch, i.e. Master Ji, there was only one son of the concubine in the First Branch, Master Qian. 4 years ago, there was a clan marriage in the First Branch. Master Qian got married with Lan, the eldest legitimate daughter of Dong’s Family, and also the niece of his legal mother (Ms. Zhao). The young couple was talented and beautiful. The next year, they gave birth to two lovely twins, which added a lot of vitality to the family. Madam Luo had been holding these two great grandchildren in her hands for fear of falling out and being afraid that they would melt if she contained in her mouth. But recently, because of Yi, she had no time to take care of the First Branch...
Madam Luo felt her energy had been much shorter since her 50th birthday held last year. She was too indolent to manage many things, and turned a blind eye to many things peacefully. Even when Yi was at home before, she also pretended not to see how her second daughter-in-law treated Yi, and gradually she seemed to really ignore it. It also made Yi feel wronged at home.
Since she really did not want to see the scene of the first granddaughter-in-law crying, she pretended to have slept very well and snored two times. Gan Cao called Madam Luo twice again in a low voice. Seeing that she was sleeping heavily, she closed her mouth and walked out.
Madam Luo stopped snoring at once and listened to the noise outside. The first sound was the rustle of lifting the curtain, then the creak of closing the door. Through the door, Madam Luo heard a faint voice of Gan Cao, “Mammy Tang, I called several times, but Madam Luo didn’t wake up. Why don’t you come back tomorrow morning...? Guess you don’t know that Madam Luo is sad because of what happened to Master Zhu. She turned over and sighed just now. We are so anxious that we don’t know what to do. It’s rare that she fell asleep now...”
Then, Mammy Tang said vaguely, “I had a lot of trouble at Shui Shang Temple, and I come here overnight... If it is just about Third Miss, there’s no harm to wake up Madam Luo tomorrow. But now it had connection with Master Zhu... I don’t know how to explain this to you. Anyway, go and wake Madam Luo up first!”
Madam Luo sat up straightly from the soft couch, wondering, “What is the matter with Yi? Why does Hong Jiang come back from Shui Shang Temple in the middle of the night?” Madam Luo casually stepped on the soft shoes, lifted the curtain and went out of the wing-room. She opened the door heavily and asked, “What happened? Tell me clearly!”
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