Chapter 328 Zong Qiao showed his affection

He Danggui sighed and shook her head when she looked at Chai Yutu’s shy and timid face. Peng Shi looked like a cold and ruthless person, who was utilitarian and self-sufficient. Loving him would be a tragedy. Then, after warning Chai Yutu to protect the wound from water, He Danggui said goodbye to her. She took some medicine from the medicine cabinet for Meng Xuan before leaving the Medicine Room. She called a serving boy to find Miss Ji to pick up Miss Chai by the palanquin.

She was about to go to the Depositary of Buddhist Texts, but Zong Qiao chased out and stopped her, “Miss He, may I have a minute?”

He Danggui stopped and nodded, “Sure.”

With a twinkle in his eyes, Zong Qiao asked, “Miss He, you didn’t read the letter that I gave you last time, did you?”

Letter? He Danggui blinked and apologized, “Well, I didn’t dare to accept your letter, but Qing’er was so kind and she took the letter for me. Later, the academy was in chaos and we got separated. I didn’t meet Qing’er. I guess she keeps the letter. Do you want to take it back?”

Hearing her words, Zong Qiao smiled and said, “I know. If you have read it, you would have a different attitude towards me.” Seeing her confused expression, he explained, “I know you are a straight person. I shouldn’t directly tell you this. But half a month have elapsed. If I don’t tell you now, I will lose the chance forever.”

He Danggui was puzzled. Wasn’t it a love letter? She was confused by his look. She nodded, “Please tell me.”

Zong Qiao approached and lowered his voice, “My family is based in the capital. My mother is from a prominent family in the capital – Jiang’s Family. Although Zong’s Family is inferior to it, we are also a wealthy family. As the saying goes, if you have relatives in the court, you will have a smooth official career. I will definitely succeed in the imperial examination held this autumn. It’s cut and dried. I wrote all these secrets in the letter and gave it to you. What do you think of my sincerity?”

It still turned out to be a love letter. He Danggui turned her head to look at the wildflowers on the roadside and smiled, “You do have great sincerity, and I am flattered. But you are so talented, and I suppose you will definitely succeed in the examination without help. You should focus on your study.”

However, Zong Qiao didn’t get her point and continued to ask, “I know you have your requests and I heard from my classmates that you have rejected dozens of boys. I know I may not be the best, but I am the sincerest one.”

He Danggui smiled and listened quietly. Zong Qiao lowered his voice and said, “I have two cousins in the capital, the elder cousin Jiang Yi and the younger cousin Jiang Pi, both of whom learned martial arts since childhood. They are now both imperial guards. Last month, a servant from my grandfather’s family came here and brought some local products of the capital. He told me that my cousins’ colleague Mr. Duan fell in love with a young lady when he came to Yangzhou City for business. After returning to the capital, he decided to take her as his wife and insisted on breaking off the previous engagement.”

The smile on He Danggui’s face disappeared when he talked. He was talking about Duan Xiaolou? How did he know that? Her romantic relationship with Duan Xiaolou was a secret. Except Qing’er, Meng Xuan, Bai Yangbai and Ling Miaoyi who ran across them when Duan Xiaolou confessed his love to her, no one knew it. Duan Xiaolou’s fiancee Guan Yun had some doubt and gradually learned about it later. Besides, Zong Qiao was a transfer student. He transferred to Chengxu Academy more than one year after Duan Xiaolou left Yangzhou City. How did he know Duan Xiaolou?

Zong Qiao continued, “Mr. Duan’s mother is an iron lady. She was a female general and had been on the battlefield with her husband. At that time, she strongly opposed it and neither of them made a concession. Two months ago, Mr. Duan’s father and son passed away. Duan’s mother was sorrowful and angry so she blamed the tragedy on the girl. She determined to take revenge on her, but she couldn’t kill the girl, which was in breach of the law. So she promised her son that he could marry the girl. But for the first three months after they got married, the girl must stay with her day and night.”

He Danggui looked at Zong Qiao’s face with her dark eyes and asked calmly, “Why do you say these words?”

Zong Qiao looked at her and sighed, “In three months, she will definitely be tortured and humiliated. Aren’t you afraid? If this happens, you will die! Miss He, the servant told me that the lady is named He Danggui, who is a raving beauty. How many beauties in the world are named He Danggui?”

He Danggui smiled sarcastically, “Sounds terrible. I am really scared of this powerful lady.” That was what Zong Qiao wrote in his letter. No wonder he was hesitant and sneaky when he gave the letter to her. Apparently, Qing’er did not read it as well. Otherwise, she would come to her and yell, “Duan Xiaolou’s mother wants to marry you!”

As she admitted it, Zong Qiao told her everything, “I heard that Mr. Duan also had hatred for that ruthless lady, so he agreed to make her his concubine and dedicated her to his mother. His family is very powerful. If he wants, he could take you from here tomorrow. I bet that Madam Luo won’t oppose him.”

He Danggui was speechless. She had to admit that Zong Qiao was right. Not long ago, Madam Luo heard that Duan Xiaolou succeeded to the marquis title. Her first reaction was to let He Danggui marry Guan Mo because Guan’s Family and Duan’s Family were in-laws. Ridiculous! However, if that really happened, she would feel so anxious. Fortunately, she already had Meng Xuan.

So, she must let Meng Xuan come to propose marriage as soon as possible. But she didn’t think that Duan Xiaolou hated her. He would not retaliate against her in this way. He was not that sort. However, would his mother force her to marry him?

Looking at He Danggui’s gloomy face and sniffing her fragrance, Zong Qiao felt pity for her. Then he confessed to her, “I have studied in the north and traveled to the south several times. I have met all kinds of beauties, but they are not as charming as you. You are like snow lotus, orchids and poppies. I cherish and respect you and I can’t bear to see you suffer such bad fortune. For a girl, choosing a good mother-in-law is more important than choosing a good husband. My mother is kind and virtuous. If you marry me, she will treat you well as I do. Our clan is registered in Jiang’s Family. My father was a matrilocal son-in-law before leaving Jiang’s Family with my mother.Jiang’s Family has remained in good relationship with Duan’s Family for generations. If you marry me, Duan’s mother will spare you considering our relations.”

Though He Danggui would not consider Zong Qiao’s courtship, the message was very useful. She should thank him and then reject him.

“This is the content in my letter.” Zong Qiao was a little excited. He even came up to grab her hands but she dodged. He licked his lips and stared at her chest, “I feel happy when I see your pretty face. It feels like that a cat is scratching me. You could be my concubine first. After you give birth to a boy, I will ask my mother to make you my wife. I promise I will not take any woman as my wife before that. I promise!” He even rushed forward to hug her.

He Danggui felt it funny. Every man said these things to her. Two years ago, Duan Xiaolou said that Guan Yun would be his wife and He Danggui would be a concubine first, but she could be promoted and even become his wife if she gave birth to a boy. Meng Xuan also said the same words in the bamboo grove at Chengxu Academy. He said that Meng’s Family had strict rules and only tolerated wife and concubines who had children. The more children a woman had, the more merits she obtained, which could even offset her mistakes.

He Danggui dodged and sneered. Did she look like the kind of woman who was so capable of bearing children? She was too slim. If they wanted to have more children, Qing’er would be the best choice.

“Zong Qiao!” Luo Baiji yelled, “What are you doing?!” He was incredibly angry.

He Danggui and Zong Qiao turned their heads and said in unison, “Nothing.” They looked at each other, and He Danggui lied, “Mr. Zong was telling me an interesting story about the academy. But suddenly he slipped and fell over. Considering the courtesy, I didn’t help him up and dodged. Don’t worry. He is a decent person.”

Luo Baiji was still suspicious and came up to question Zong Qiao. He Danggui said she wanted to go back to the room to put on more clothes because it was getting windy in the evening. Then, she took a small path and sneaked into the Depositary of Buddhist Texts. She found a few of Luo Tianyi’s handbooks for sore treatment and quickly thumbed through them. However, she didn’t find anything useful about icy Zhenqi. She wandered around the bookshelves again but still gained nothing. Did this kind of book only exist in schools having icy Zhenqi?

He Danggui remembered that Liao Zhiyuan once mentioned they were all from the same school. When she saw them fighting, she found that they all used the same martial art skills, which indirectly confirmed it. Except Gao Jue who showed different arts of lightness, they look no different. In other words, Gao Jue should be able to treat the injuries caused by Lu Jiangbei.

Two schools in the world were famous for Cold Palm. One was the Wujianmen School in De’an, and the other was the Hongmen School in Dali. Although Gao Jue didn’t tell her the schools to which they belonged, but after sounding him out for several times, she believed that they were from Wujianmen School – a mysterious school. Wujianmen School had no connection to the legitimate world or the underworld. Their detoxification recipe was definitely top-secret. How could she get it from Gao Jue?

In fact, Qing’er would be a better person to ask Gao Jue because they were closer. But Meng Xuan was still reluctant to tell her why he made an enemy of the imperial guards. If she went to ask Gao Jue recklessly, he might know her relationship with Meng Xuan. Three years ago, Meng Xuan was hunted by the imperial guards because he wanted to save Su Xiaoxiao. He mentioned it in the Fantasy Dream. However, this time he said that he was stabbed by Lu Jiangbei because of her. But she never offended Lu.