Since there was no news from the palace, the city gates were not sealed. Instead, they were under normal routine inspections. Ji Feiyu and Hua Hudie took a carriage and easily got out of the city.
The carriage headed south all the way, where there were singing birds, dancing butterflies, and green mountains like cages.
Sitting in the carriage, Ji Feiyu breathed in the fresh air outside, and her mood lightened up. She hadn't been out for a long time. Watching the scenery receding outside the carriage, she thought that this was the imperial city where she had lived for three years. When she left today, it might be years before she came back. Little did she expect that she would be slapped in the face so soon.
After a long and tiring journey, they didn't stop until evening in Ancheng. Ji Feiyu and Hua Hudie found an inn to rest.
Just as they were sitting in the lobby having something to eat, people from the yamen broke in.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Several officers with swords waved the crowd aside and walked towards their table. Ji Feiyu calmly took a sip of tea. When the officers got closer, she heard one of them knocking on her table and saying, "Miss, please come with us. Our master would like to have a talk with you at his mansion."
"Huh?" Ji Feiyu looked utterly confused. She was dragged aside, and then she saw another officer making a gesture to Hua Hudie and shouting to the people behind, "Come on! Beat him up!"
Ji Feiyu watched in surprise and heard Hua Hudie let out a sudden scream. Just as she was about to stop them, she was dragged away by several old women to the yamen.
Alas, wait. What's going on?
While Ji Feiyu was thinking whether the matter had been exposed so soon, she saw the magistrate looking at her eagerly and saying, "Oh, thankfully Miss Lian is all right. Otherwise, how could I explain it to Lord Shaoqing?"
Miss Lian? Lord Shaoqing?
Seeing Ji Feiyu's surprised face, the magistrate said, "Don't worry. I will surely send you back to the Lian Mansion safely. I will never let off lightly the villain who abducted you out of the mansion!"
Ji Feiyu was even more puzzled. She touched her face and then realized that he must be referring to the original owner of this face.
Ji Feiyu never expected that there was really such a person with this shy face. Moreover, she was the daughter of an official who had run away from home. Ji Feiyu couldn't help but smile helplessly in her heart. Hua Hudie, this is the good face you've given me!
Ji Feiyu was put under house arrest by the magistrate on the pretext of protecting her safety and was to be sent back to the imperial city that very day.
Ji Feiyu didn't dare to ask about Hua Hudie's fate. When she heard people whispering about it privately, she only knew that he had been beaten very badly. For this, she felt sorry for him.
Ji Feiyu never thought that after only one night's rest in Ancheng, she would be sent back to the imperial city again after a tiring journey.
As soon as she arrived at the Lian Mansion, Ji Feiyu was immediately locked in a room with good food and drinks. She was not allowed to go out. At the same time, Lord Lian, the Shaoqing of the Court of Judicial Review, came to her room every day to persuade her, saying how good the family of the grand preceptor was and that marrying his son would never be a bad deal.
Ji Feiyu was quite confused about this situation. After some probing, she found out that this Miss Lian was the daughter of Lord Lian, the Shaoqing of the Court of Judicial Review. Discontented with her father's attempt to seek wealth and power by betrothing her to the son of the grand preceptor, she had discussed eloping with her secret lover. It was said that she had been on the run for more than a month before she was found in Ancheng and captured. For this, Ji Feiyu couldn't help but frown and sigh. Hua Hudie, Hua Hudie, please check if the person has committed any crimes before you disguise me next time. It's really unfair for me to be captured back and take the blame for no reason.
However, after perfunctorily dealing with Lord Lian, Ji Feiyu suddenly remembered something.
It was said that Lord Lian wanted to marry his daughter to the son of the grand preceptor. Wasn't the current grand preceptor the great traitor Lin Chujie? And wasn't his son Lin Zhiran!
This, this, this was surely a fateful encounter!
These days, Lord Lian had come to Ji Feiyu quite a few times to talk her into it. In general, he was saying how good Lin Zhiran was and that she shouldn't be in a hurry to refuse. She could take a secret look first.
Ji Feiyu was quite helpless. Since she was acting as Miss Lian, she had to play the role to the end. However, her voice was still a bit different from the original owner's. When Lord Lian asked about it, she could only say that she had caught a cold and her voice was not very clear.
Ji Feiyu pretended to be a bit weak and said, "If daughter goes to take a look at that person as father wishes, can father release Sanlang?"
Sanlang was a name Ji Feiyu made up at random. Actually, it referred to Hua Hudie.
Lord Lian was very angry when he heard this. "Don't mention this person to me again. You have to go whether you like it or not!"
So Ji Feiyu was arranged to go to an attic. Through the beaded curtain, she secretly watched Lin Zhiran for a whole day, from when he was drinking with Lord Lian at the table to when they were chatting with each other. Seeing his upright appearance, Ji Feiyu couldn't help but think of Cheng Xuan again. She couldn't take her eyes off him and wondered how nice it would be if he were really Cheng Xuan.
After this, when Lord Lian came to ask Ji Feiyu if she hated Lin Zhiran, Ji Feiyu sincerely shook her head.
Seeing this, Lord Lian was overjoyed. It seemed that there was hope.
What Ji Feiyu was thinking about was how to get Hua Hudie out first.
Each of them had their own hidden agenda. It was just that Ji Feiyu looked more worried on the surface.
Seeing this, Lord Lian said, "Since this is the case, father is not forcing you to marry. If you are obedient, father can consider releasing your Sanlang."
"Is this true?" Ji Feiyu seized a glimmer of hope.
"Of course. As long as you get on the wedding sedan chair of the Lin Mansion obediently, I will release your Sanlang."
Ji Feiyu couldn't help but feel a bit wronged. She grabbed him and said coquettishly, "Father, no. You have to release him first. Only then can I marry. The place where father locks people up is too terrifying. After all, that person was someone daughter once liked. Do you really want daughter to be so heartless and just watch him suffer without doing anything?"
"Then how can I believe that you are really willing to marry Young Master Lin?" Lord Lian looked at Ji Feiyu earnestly. "Your mother passed away early. You are the only daughter I have. How can I not find a good family for you and let you suffer with that poor scholar?"
Ji Feiyu made a pitiful look. "Father, I understand everything you said. I agree to the marriage now and promise you that I will never think about that person again. Can't you just do as daughter asks and release him? Do you really want daughter to run away with him again?"
"You... If you say another word, father will break your legs!" Lord Lian was furious when he heard this.
Ji Feiyu quickly grabbed him and hugged his arm. "Oh! My dear father, just do as I ask. I've said that as long as you release him, I will cut off all ties with him!"
Lord Lian looked at Ji Feiyu rather suspiciously. "Really?"
Ji Feiyu nodded hurriedly. Only then did his expression improve a bit, but he still said reluctantly, "Well, I'll do as you ask."
Ji Feiyu lowered her head and said awkwardly, "Then let daughter make a clean break with him so that he won't pester me in the future."
Lord Lian gave her a skeptical look again.
Ji Feiyu said, "If father doesn't believe me, just send someone to watch us from a distance."
Only then did Lord Lian say, "All right. Now that we're back in the imperial city, I'm not afraid of you playing any tricks."
Hearing this, Ji Feiyu said happily, "Then father come with me!"
Lord Lian waved his hand. "This is a matter for you young people. What do you want this old man to do? Go ahead. Don't take too long to say goodbye!"
"Okay." Ji Feiyu nodded quickly and then ran out like the wind.
Hua Hudie, I'm here to save you! After I save you, just wait to save me from the wedding sedan chair!