Chapter 44

It seems that group of people has begun to notice something. Fortunately, she anticipated this and brought back everything related to Juzi to the mansion.

On the day Juzi was injured, it happened to rain heavily, washing away all traces of blood on the ground. They probably haven’t discovered anything and should still be in the stage of suspicion.

However, this matter shouldn’t be dragged out for too long. Although there is now physical evidence in the form of account books and letters, without witness testimony, it’s not enough to convince Her Majesty to punish them.

It takes at least three days to travel to and from Langzhou, so they can’t just sit and wait during this time.

Lu Yuner pondered this, her peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly.

After finishing her afternoon class, Lu Yuner sought out Wen Qing under the pretext of academic discussion.

The two began talking animatedly as they strolled, unknowingly reaching the lotus pond. Looking out, it was still a vast expanse of rippling green, lush with vitality.

Lu Yuner lowered her gaze slightly, a hint of wandering passing through her beautiful eyes, as if falling into a whirlpool of memories. Scenes of meeting Su Qingwan here flashed through her mind. Thinking back, quite a few things happened that day, and after that, her entanglement with Su Qingwan seemed to have started changing from that day on.

It did sound a bit like a story of a man offering himself to repay the kindness of saving his life.

Unfortunately, as the protagonist of the story, she didn’t find it particularly moving.

“Dr. Lu, what are you thinking about?” Wen Qing noticed Lu Yuner’s dazed gaze at the lotus pond.

Lu Yuner came back to her senses, “Nothing, I was just mesmerized by this poetic and picturesque scenery.”

Looking at the lush green lotus leaves, like layers of green waves, resembling jade plates, adorning the shimmering lake surface even more brilliantly.

Wen Qing smiled and said, “Indeed, this scenery is intoxicating. But this lotus pond is so vibrant and breathtakingly beautiful thanks to Liu Bing’s careful tending. That’s why it’s such a magnificent sight!”

Lu Yuner turned slightly and asked, “How so?”

Wen Qing explained, “Although the Imperial College has dedicated gardeners, this lotus pond has always been tended by Liu Bing. Liu Bing and I studied together at the Imperial College back then, she was my classmate and good friend. During our studies, for some reason, she became particularly fond of this lotus pond. At first, everyone was like her, enjoying strolls here in their free time. But as time passed, people grew tired of the scenery through the four seasons, and since this lotus pond is a bit far, fewer and fewer students came here. Only she remained consistent.”

“Later, we both became doctors at the Imperial College and became colleagues. On her first day of work, she asked the Grand Sacrificer for the job of tending this lotus pond. It’s a pity that now, with such a pleasing view, there are so few people stopping to appreciate it.”

After hearing Wen Qing’s account, especially the latter half filled with sighs, Lu Yuner was deeply moved.

Indeed! Flowers bloom and wither, looking similar each year, but people change year after year.

Lu Yuner: “But there will always be someone attracted by this scenery, pausing their steps, just like the two of us, right? Even when no one is admiring, flowers bloom for no one, yet can still be beautiful on their own.”

Wen Qing paused for a moment, looking at Lu Yuner and said, “I think Liu Bing would be very happy to hear Dr. Lu’s words today.”

Lu Yuner suddenly recalled Han Ranzhi’s words: “Do you know the former male doctor of the Imperial College, Yan Luo, Dr. Yan?”

Wen Qing was visibly startled, then nodded: “Of course I know him. Yan Luo, Dr. Yan was the first male doctor at the Imperial College. He once taught at the Women’s Academy and was also a mentor to Liu Bing and me. However, there was a period when Dr. Yan suddenly stopped coming to teach, and later we learned that he had resigned from his position as a doctor and returned to his hometown. Although Dr. Yan was a man, he was exceptionally talented, and the female students all respected him greatly. It’s a pity we didn’t get to say goodbye in person, he just left quietly.”

So that’s how it was, this Yan Luo was Liu Bing’s mentor.

Lu Yuner’s eyes narrowed slightly as she continued, “Sometimes leaving without saying goodbye might be the best farewell.”

Or perhaps there were unavoidable circumstances and difficulties, or maybe it was just a façade created to cover something up.

Wen Qing: “Perhaps so!”

Having obtained the answer she wanted, when Lu Yuner casually asked about the “haunted” bamboo grove, Wen Qing clearly didn’t know much either, her account matching Sheng Qingzi’s exactly.

After chatting briefly, Lu Yuner returned to her mansion. During the days when Mu Yang was staying at the mansion, as long as there was nothing urgent, Lu Yuner would return to stay at the mansion.

This was also Mu Yang’s small request to her. The Lu and Mu families had been close for many years, and after the death of Lu’s parents, the two families still frequently interacted. Now that he had come to the capital, it was to see her, so naturally, she should keep him company, otherwise, he would be returning home in a few days.

Although the capital was bustling and lively, in her heart, it couldn’t compare to the quiet comfort of the small bridges and flowing waters of Jiangnan. So before taking the position of Minister of Revenue, the original owner would spend as much time as possible staying with Aunt Mu when she had enough time.

Even after taking office, Lu Yuner would take the opportunity to stay for a few days during her southern inspection tours.

Just as she reached the outside of Jixian Gate, a voice as clear and pleasant as a spring bubbling called out to her, “Dr. Lu.”

Lu Yuner looked towards the source of the voice, and it turned out to be An Caihe.

An Caihe himself was handsome and refined, as gentle as jade, standing gracefully under a tree, exuding the elegant and quiet temperament of a young master from a noble family in every gesture.

In the daily teaching process at the Imperial College these days, she had quite a good impression of An Caihe. He didn’t have the delicacy often found in noble men of the capital, but instead was modest and self-respecting, making interactions with him extremely comfortable.

It had been some time since classes had ended, yet he still hadn’t left. She asked in a gentle tone, “Director An, is there something I can help you with?”

An Caihe smiled gently, his eyes carrying a hint of faint shyness: “It’s like this, when I returned home, I happened to mention to my father your heroic act of saving someone in the Imperial College dining hall. My father found your life-saving method quite interesting and wished to learn from you. So he would like to invite you to our mansion tomorrow for a gathering.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuner immediately understood.

This An Caihe came from a noble family with good family traditions, a proper noble young man.

His mother, An Ran, was the Minister of Personnel, which was the head of the Six Ministries, in charge of the appointment, dismissal, and assessment of civil officials.

His father, Lu Yuan, came from a family of medical practitioners. With a heart of compassion, he often provided free medicine to save people, earning great respect and love from the common people.

Moreover, when Lu Yuner previously served as the Minister of Revenue, she and Minister An were considered colleagues and had naturally met in court. In fact, she still owed Minister An a favor that wasn’t really a favor.

Initially, when she was appointed as Minister of Revenue by Her Majesty, breaking convention, and being the youngest and least experienced among these ministers, most officials in the court didn’t think highly of her, believing that a mere girl couldn’t handle such a great responsibility.

However, this Minister An showed her some kindness. Although they didn’t talk much, every time there was a discussion in court, he would give her enough respect, being neither partial nor biased.

Thinking of this, it was a good opportunity to inquire about Yan Luo. Although the Imperial College was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, the appointment and dismissal of officials were managed by the Ministry of Personnel. Yan Luo’s information and records should be on file.

Lu Yuner nodded slightly, agreeing, and smiled, “Alright.”

Lu Yuner, out of habit or courtesy, would always smile at those who showed her kindness.

But she was born with a pair of captivating and narrow peach blossom eyes. When she smiled slightly, they curved like crescent moons, with a faint pink tinge around the corners of her eyes. If one looked for a long time, it would give a feeling of being slightly intoxicated yet not quite.

It had the charm of “a回眸一笑百媚生” or “a parting glance full of tenderness”, inevitably captivating one’s heart and mind.

Unfortunately, she was unaware of her own beauty.

An Caihe, encountering that kind and gentle gaze, felt his heart suddenly skip a beat. The smile on his lips deepened, “I’ll go back and inform my father right away. Dr. Lu, this student takes his leave.”

As soon as Lu Yuner returned to the mansion, Mu Yang happily came to greet her, calling out loudly: “Sister Yuner, you’re back!”

“I’m back.” Lu Yuner smiled faintly at Mu Yang, then her expression turned neutral, showing no particular emotion, “I’ll take you out to play tomorrow evening, do you want to go?”

“Really!?” Mu Yang was slightly surprised, then grabbed Lu Yuner’s arm, his eyes shining with excitement, but then he pouted and said, “These past few days, exploring the streets alone has been so boring.”

Lu Yuner frowned slightly, “Didn’t Manager Chen accompany you?”

“What use is that?” Mu Yang complained, “Sister Yuner knows that I easily get indecisive when buying things. Every time I come across several items I like, I don’t know how to choose. When I ask Manager Chen which one looks good, she always says they all look good. If I insist she choose one, and ask her why she chose that one, she can’t give a reason other than it looks good. She’s not like Sister Yuner who is both patient and understands a young man’s thoughts.”

Hearing this and meeting Qiu Yi’s helpless and frustrated gaze, Lu Yuner naturally understood Qiu Yi’s difficulties. For someone as straightforward as Qiu Yi, guessing a young man’s thoughts was indeed a bit challenging.

She then smiled and solved the problem at its root, “In the future, if you like them all, just buy them all.”

Mu Yang frowned, bringing out his small business mind, and said seriously, “That won’t do. Mother said that for anything that requires spending money, we must consider it carefully and not be extravagant. Besides, Sister Yuner still has to manage this big family, I should be frugal for Sister Yuner’s sake.”

“Yangyang has grown sensible.” Lu Yuner raised her hand to pat Mu Yang’s head, smiling with approval.

“Oh right, I’ll go check on Juzi first.” Lu Yuner turned to leave.

“My lady! That…” Qiu Yi immediately called out to Lu Yuner, glancing at Mu Yang as she spoke.

Mu Yang quickly changed his expression, suddenly putting on an ingratiating face, grabbing Lu Yuner’s hand again, trying to win her over: “Sister Yuner, promise me first that no matter what, you won’t get angry.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuner’s scrutinizing gaze swept over the two of them, and she asked curiously, “What have you two done to Juzi?”

“You have to promise me you won’t get angry first.” Mu Yang held Lu Yuner’s hand tightly, swaying it back and forth gently, coaxing.

Lu Yuner: “I won’t get angry. Now can I go see Juzi?”

Mu Yang obediently let go of her hand, and Lu Yuner went to where Juzi was recovering. Before she got close, she saw a black, dirty thing, and exclaimed in surprise, “Is this your doing?”

Qiu Yi quickly said, “My lady, this is my fault. Please don’t blame young master Mu.”