Chapter Twelve: A Stroll in Spring

After shaking off Zeng Lang, Lu Ying hurried home. In these times, nothing was more important than filial piety. The marriage between Lu Ying and Zeng Lang had been arranged by both families, and she had always known that dissolving it would not be easy. Yet she had not expected Zeng Lang, who was clearly dissatisfied with her, to be reluctant to break the engagement.

This turn of events was beyond her expectations. Lu Ying frowned deeply.

At fifteen, no matter how sharp and clever a young girl might be, she could not truly fathom the thoughts of men. Zeng Lang's feelings toward her were exceedingly complicated—how could she possibly unravel his schemes?

Upon returning home, Lu Ying busied herself with cooking, bustling about with spirited energy.

That night, Zeng Lang did not visit the Lu household.

The next day was a rare day off for Lu Yun. The siblings had worked tirelessly selling written characters, earning a considerable amount of iron coins. Whereas they once could only afford bone broth twice a month, now it simmered daily. Their staple food, formerly a mix of coarse bran, wild vegetables, and a little sorghum pressed into cakes, had been wholly replaced by pure white rice. Even so, they spent only five iron coins a day, with eighteen left over. And so, day by day, their savings grew; now, nearly sixty iron coins lay beneath their bed, not to mention the unexpected gold ingot. The siblings felt they had never been so affluent in their lives.

With finances no longer so tight, Lu Ying resolved to devote half an hour each day to careful study. With her current memory and understanding, if not quite able to remember everything at a glance, she could at least memorize after reading two or three times. She thought, once she had mastered all the books in their home, she would no longer need to climb up and down searching for references when explaining texts. Her efficiency would improve exponentially.

Having made this decision, Lu Ying planned to enjoy a rare day of rest for both herself and her brother.

Thus, early in the morning, she shooed her brother out the door. No sooner had he left than Lu Ying spotted a familiar donkey cart in the distance.

It was Zeng Lang’s cart!

Lu Ying curved her lips in a faint smile, locked the door decisively, and vanished into the alley in a few swift steps.

She had barely walked a hundred paces when she heard Zeng Lang’s voice behind her: “Auntie, have you seen Ah Ying?” Aunt Yang replied warmly, “Is that the young master from the Zeng family? Ah Ying was just here. Let me see if she’s around.”

…

Hearing her name called behind her, Lu Ying’s gaze grew dim, but in the next instant, she smiled lightly, quickening her pace as she departed.

After a month of constant toil, Lu Ying finally enjoyed a rare moment of leisure. With the spring breeze on her face, the peach blossoms blooming brilliantly along the roadside, and crowds of city folk heading to the outskirts for spring outings, Lu Ying was moved, and decided to follow them, walking along the main road.

She had not gone more than a quarter hour before she suddenly recognized a familiar figure ahead, mingling with a group of youths, seemingly delighted.

Lu Ying hurried forward and called out, “Ah Yun!”

Lu Yun stopped in his tracks, eyes widening instantly. A tall, slender youth beside him asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“I think I heard my sister calling me,” Lu Yun frowned, rubbing his fine brows, muttering, “Oh dear, it seems my ear problem is getting worse.”

The tall, slender youth laughed, “Ah Yun, it’s not your ears that are the problem—it’s your heart. You’re always thinking about your sister.”

Lu Yun shot him a glare, about to reply, when Lu Ying came running up, breathless, calling, “Ah Yun, I’m calling you, why didn’t you answer?”

At the sound of her voice, her brother turned around hurriedly. When his eyes met hers, his pupils widened in surprise.

“Ah Yun, what’s the matter?”

Lu Yun blushed and mumbled, “Sis, why are you here too?”

“I had nothing to do, so I thought I’d go for a walk outside the city. Ah Yun, where are you all headed?”

Seeing his companions casting furtive glances at his beautiful sister, Lu Yun quickly stepped forward, blocking their view, and whispered, “It’s said that Lord Qiu will pass by here, so everyone is gathering to greet him.”

Lord Qiu? Lu Ying had heard of him—a scholar of vast learning, upright character, and, most importantly, known for promoting talent. He held great prestige in court and among the people. Wherever he went, scholars flocked to meet him, especially those from poor families, for if Lord Qiu favored them, they might rise out of farming and join the ranks of the gentry.

The group had walked less than five li when a joyful shout rang out ahead, “He’s coming, he’s coming—!”

At the cry, the youths cheered and rushed forward, eager to greet him. Lu Yun, seeing this, forgot about his sister and dashed after his companions.

Watching the jubilant youths, Lu Ying’s lips twitched, and she paused.

Lu Yun was only twelve or thirteen; still young, lacking in knowledge—not yet at the age to scheme for the favor of great scholars. So, after a smile, she did not follow, but turned aside.

She was already at the outskirts of the city, beside a hill about two hundred meters high. The green mountain was lush, flowers blooming everywhere, and even the grass beneath her feet was tender and fresh, as vibrant as these youthful days. Lu Ying walked along the base toward the summit, unconsciously breaking into a smile.

The sky was clear, the spring breeze was warm—the best time in the world. At this moment, many were out enjoying spring’s vitality, so she was not lonely.

After wandering for a while—about half an hour—Lu Ying headed back.

As she reached the foot of the hill, she sensed something amiss!

Where there should have been a genteel gathering, the scene was now tense and silent. She glimpsed several dozen men clad in armor, armed with spears, pacing to and fro.

Something was wrong—trouble!

Lu Ying hurried forward.

Soon, she reached the edge of the crowd, where three or four dozen spring tourists had gathered. At the center, a line of youths dressed as scholars knelt on the ground, each with a cold spear pressed against their back. Among them was Lu Yun!

Lu Ying’s face turned pale as snow. Seeing no one speaking, she bit her lip and retreated several dozen steps to a tree, where she bowed to a few learned scholars chatting nearby and softly asked, “Gentlemen, what has happened here? Why are the guards present?”

Lu Yun’s features were striking, and the scholars glanced at her without suspicion. A thin, tall scholar in his thirties sighed, “Lord Qiu is dead! No one knows who did it, but these youths have been implicated!”

What?