Chapter 33: Huangjing City

Chapter 33

Huangjing City

On the third day of their escape, one of the Hou’s men rode up to the carriage window to report.

"Young Furen, the Hou has sent word. The Commander has mobilized troops and spread them out to search for you. There are soldiers in this area as well, closing in. What should we do?"

Nie Shuang pondered for a moment, her hidden hands trembling slightly under her sleeves. Deep down, she felt conflicted, regretting how she had treated him. She had left him, yet he was still searching for her. In truth, if she turned back now, she knew the Hou would not reprimand her.

But was that really what she wanted...?

She called for the procession to halt and summoned Da Shi and Wang Dongpo to meet with her.

"I, along with Xiao San and Xiao Tong, will ride in one carriage ahead, escorted by the Hou’s men. His soldiers are veterans, and I’m afraid the pursuing soldiers may recognize them. Da Shi, inform everyone that if questioned, say there are no women in this caravan, this is just the merchant’s caravan. You will oversee the assets. Dongpo, if anyone asks about the owner of the caravan, claim that you are in charge. The Commander surely knows I left the manor with a large procession. If I break away now, it should throw him off suspicion. Both of you are clever; think of good answers."

The two nodded in agreement, and Nie Shuang parted ways with her trusted maids. Fortunately, she had decided to leave ahead of the main caravan. When they reached another district, the local officials had already received messenger pigeons ordering checkpoints. Nie Shuang traveled in a carriage with her maids, escorted by the Hou’s men on horseback, who posed as her father, claiming they were taking his daughter to visit relatives. They passed through without issue, while the rest of the Hou’s soldiers, riding close behind, claimed they were on a secret military mission. As they were all sturdy men on horseback with no appearance of a procession as had been reported, they too passed the checkpoint smoothly.

Meanwhile, Da Shi and Wang Dongpo remained at rest when the pursuing soldiers arrived. To their surprise, Song Qilin himself was leading the troops. He was certain Nie Shuang had fled along this route. His men had seen the Hou’s people leaving the city with a large procession. Though the Hou had sent out decoy processions in all four directions, Song Qilin trusted his instincts.

Upon seeing Da Shi and Wang Dongpo’s caravan resting by the roadside, Song Qilin led his troops to inspect it. Wang Dongpo stepped forward to confront him. With a calm and dignified demeanor, his handsome face remained composed as he exchanged several words with Song Qilin. Scanning the caravan, Song Qilin saw no sign of the Hou’s men—only about fifty guards from the city’s protection agency.

He had already asked his close attendant and knew that the Hou’s men had been escorting Nie Shuang. But his servant was unaware that Nie Shuang had also hired guards from the protection agency. Since Wang Dongpo had spent his time in the inner palace, Song Qilin had never encountered him before and had no connection to Nie Shuang in his mind. Song Qilin, seeing no reason for suspicion, quickly rode off.

At the checkpoint up ahead, the guards reported they had not seen any other carriages pass through.

Song Qilin was deeply disappointed but quickly spurred his horse back along another route, hoping it wasn’t too late. He had just returned from traveling to another city without rest, and now he was tirelessly searching for her, neither eating nor drinking. His face was pale with exhaustion. Despite his subordinates’ pleas for him to take a break, he refused to listen.

If he delayed even a little, he might lose her forever...

He couldn’t allow that to happen.

By evening, when Da Shi and Wang Dongpo’s procession finally caught up, Nie Shuang sighed in relief. The path ahead now seemed safe. She could only wish Song Qilin a good life...

During the journey, Nie Shuang took good care of the guards and the Hou’s men. After all, it wasn’t her money being spent; it was all the Hou’s, so she didn’t feel the least bit of regret.

Meanwhile, the Hou found himself at a great loss. He had invested so much effort and money, but his troublesome son had torn up the divorce papers and called off the long-awaited marriage. Worse yet, after scouring the land to find her, his son had turned his back on the capital and returned to the border without a word, leaving all the unresolved issues for him to handle.

Two weeks later...

Nie Shuang finally arrived in Huangjing City. She had sent the Hou’s men back the week before. It was the afternoon when they reached the city, and the procession settled into an inn. Later, Nie Shuang accompanied Da Shi to meet with the real estate agent, who Da Shi had sent a letter in advance. Today, the agent wanted her to inspect properties before making a decision.

Initially, Nie Shuang intended to purchase a modest house for temporary living. If she planned to stay long-term, she thought it would be wise to spend some time in the city to figure out what type of residence would best suit her. However, when they arrived at the agent’s office, he proposed a large mansion.

"The owner of this mansion had a conflict with a powerful figure and plans to move their family elsewhere. The price they’re offering is quite low compared to the size and location. Would you like to take a look, Furen?"

Seeing how eager the agent was, repeatedly emphasizing the advantages of the mansion, Nie Shuang didn’t refuse.

"If it’s on the way and won’t take much time, let’s go take a look."

The first house was not large but was in a good location, and the price matched what she was looking for. If there weren’t a better option, she would have chosen that house. On their way to see the next house, the agent mentioned,

"Up ahead is the mansion I spoke of earlier. Would you like to stop and take a look, Furen?"

Nie Shuang nodded, and after a short carriage ride, they arrived in front of the large gate. Upon entering, she found everything the agent had said was true.

The mansion was built lavishly, with a spacious layout, and the furniture and household items were still in excellent condition. Upon inquiring about the price, she found it was only three thousand taels more than the previous house. After careful consideration, Nie Shuang made her decision.

For a property three times larger, in the same neighborhood, and only slightly more expensive, it was a valuable investment. However, she didn’t show any particular interest and instead pretended to ask with uncertainty in her voice.

"I’m an outsider, and if I were to purchase a house at this price, though it may seem like a good deal, I’m unsure if there are any hidden issues. If I buy it...and end up unable to stay...I fear I might face endless problems."

Upon hearing her concern, the real estate agent quickly waved his hands in dismissal.

"To be completely honest with you, the previous owner was a local merchant. Last month, he was involved in a legal case and fled the city with his family, leaving this mansion behind for me to sell at half the market price. You’ve already seen the first house, so you can understand that for just an additional three thousand taels, you’re getting a much larger mansion. Besides, the feng shui[1] of this mansion is excellent. If it weren’t for the trouble his son caused, they wouldn’t be selling it for this price."

"While the price is reasonable, but you see, it’s still three thousand taels over my budget. That’s double what I had planned to spend. Even though it’s a great deal, it’s hard to find a buyer on short notice. And considering his family fled due to legal trouble, there’s no telling if they’ll return or not. It might be better to lower the price a bit more. If we can come to an agreement, I can try to borrow the extra funds."

After viewing three more houses that didn’t suit her, Nie Shuang returned to the inn to wait for a response from the agent.

The next morning, the agent came to see her at the inn with good news.

"Furen, yesterday I relayed your offer to the mansion’s butler. His master can’t afford to wait any longer. He needs to sell quickly and take the money to join his family, so he’s agreed to lower the price by one thousand taels. However, the condition is that the payment must be made today. If you can arrange it, they will hand over the deed immediately."

Nie Shuang was pleased to hear this and agreed. That afternoon, the mansion’s butler came to the inn to meet with her. After completing the contract and sale, he handed over the deed and keys to the mansion in exchange for a promissory note worth five thousand taels.

[1] Feng shui, sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.