Chapter 24
Qin Chu glanced at the wine cup. “I cannot drink wine. Recently, I cannot even smell alcohol. Could you first have the waiter take the wine pot away?”
“Uh—” Zhou Er was left speechless. Wasn’t the Qin family built on winemaking? This Miss Qin had even brewed a new wine, yet now she was saying she could not smell alcohol? Did she take him for a fool?
Besides, was this really the time to discuss wine or no wine?
Qin Chu smelled the faint scent of alcohol in the air, the corner of her eye sweeping over Qiu Jinning’s expression. She could not stop worrying.
Qiu Jinning cooperated at the right time. “This official’s daughter also finds it inconvenient to drink. The moment I smell alcohol, my head hurts.”
Her heartbeat had already begun to quicken, and her breathing was slightly losing control. The scent of wine seemed to have lured out the love gu, stirring it into restlessness.
Zhou Er felt stifled. He poured himself another full cup of wine, then picked up the wine pot and walked out, handing it to the waiter.
Qin Chu took advantage of this brief moment to tightly squeeze Qiu Jinning’s hand. This kind of contact should have some effect, right?
The love gu absolutely must not flare up at a time like this.
Qiu Jinning silently squeezed back. Their fingers interlocked for a moment, then quickly separated.
Zhou Er returned. “This prince knows this matter is far too strange, but an imperial order is difficult to disobey. I ask both young ladies to consider the Baiyue realm and follow this prince to the capital as soon as possible.”
He could not let his eldest imperial brother’s and third imperial brother’s people see these two. The only plan now was to bring them to the capital one step ahead and settle them there first. In that case, he would be the only one able to come into contact with them.
Only then would he have a chance of winning.
Qin Chu and Qiu Jinning exchanged a glance, and neither spoke.
Go to the capital? She was unfamiliar with the place and knew no one there. The Qin family was in Jiuqu County. She was not going. Even if she wanted to see the prosperity of the capital, she absolutely could not follow this inexplicable Second Prince there.
Seeing them both silent in thought, Zhou Er slowly drank a sip of wine. “This prince also knows this is somewhat forcing you. If you two are worried about your families, this prince will naturally make proper arrangements for Master Qin and County Magistrate Qiu. You may rest assured.”
Qin Chu frowned. Worried about family? Arrangements? Why did those words sound like a threat?
Qiu Jinning also understood the meaning in Zhou Er’s words and asked coldly, one question after another, “If we are unwilling to enter the capital, will we be punished for resisting an imperial order? Once we enter the capital, will we have freedom? Or will it be no different from house arrest?”
Zhou Er was rendered speechless. He silently drank another sip of wine. The fragrance of wine was rich, but on his tongue, there was only bitterness.
“How could this prince place you two under house arrest? If it is inconvenient for you to come and go, it would only be for your safety.”
As if his thoughts had been exposed, Zhou Er’s eyes dodged away. He was the current Second Prince. Wherever he went, he was surrounded and admired by everyone. Yet now, he could not even enjoy a cup of wine freely and had to be cautious everywhere. It truly made him feel frustrated.
If Imperial Mother had not instructed him not to neglect the phoenix maiden, why would he need to be so careful?
Seeing that he did not deny it, Qiu Jinning said faintly, “If I were the Second Prince, I would not remain in Jiuqu County. Your Highness was granted the title Prince Xian by Her Majesty, so I presume your reputation is not undeserved. May this official’s daughter offer you a strategy?”
Zhou Er raised his brows. “Miss Qiu, please speak.”
Although the county magistrate’s daughter’s words carried thorns, they were still within a tolerable range. He wanted to see how Qiu Jinning planned to persuade him to leave.
Qiu Jinning’s expression was calm. “Second Prince should understand that pushing us into the open will only make your situation difficult. Only openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang is a good strategy.”
“How exactly would one openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang?”
“It is already May. I originally planned to enter the capital in autumn to participate in this year’s metropolitan examination. Miss Qin will also travel with me. In that case, only Your Highness will know the inside story, will you not?”
When speaking to a clever person, it was enough to stop at the right point. She believed this Second Prince, known for his virtuous reputation, was not a fool.
Zhou Er thought for a moment, then clapped his hands and laughed. “Miss Qiu’s words are absolutely correct. This prince was offensive just now. Tomorrow, this prince will set off for the capital and quietly wait for autumn to arrive. This is the command token of Prince Xian’s residence. When you two arrive in the capital, I hope you will send word. Farewell.”
This woman was extraordinarily intelligent. Whether or not she was the phoenix maiden, he could not push her to the opposing side.
Most importantly, Qiu Jinning had convinced him.
Qiu Jinning rose and accepted the black jade token, which was about half the size of a palm.
Qin Chu did not fully understand what she had heard. She only kept watching Qiu Jinning’s complexion. Seeing that her face was slightly flushed, she could not help worrying and secretly reached under the table to touch the back of Qiu Jinning’s hand.
After Zhou Er finished the remaining half cup of wine, he hurriedly took his leave.
Only then did Qin Chu ask Qiu Jinning, “Why did he leave?”
He looked as if he were fleeing.
Qiu Jinning nodded slightly. “The Second Prince is a clever person. From now on, not only will he not approach us, he will also keep far away from us openly. Only then can he conceal the truth from others.”
Only by making the other two princes think he had not found anyone, or that the phoenix maiden he had found was someone else, would Qiu Jinning and Qin Chu avoid attracting anyone’s attention.
In that case, only the Second Prince would know their identities, and the matter would be foolproof.
Qin Chu vaguely understood. This meant the Second Prince would hide the fact that one of them was the phoenix maiden. If he did not want to arouse suspicion, naturally he could not interact with them often.
“When you said we would enter the capital in autumn, were you tricking him, or was that true?”
Qiu Jinning smiled calmly. “I originally planned to enter the capital to take the exam. If the love gu is not removed, I cannot leave you. Would Miss Qin be willing to travel with me?”
The words about entering the capital were meant to temporarily placate the Second Prince, but they were also her original plan.
It was only that Qin Chu had become a variable. In her original plan, she had not intended to travel with Qin Chu.
Qin Chu nodded. “Naturally, I must go with you.”
Seeing her nod, Qiu Jinning slightly pursed her lips. “What did you mean just now?”
Just now?
Qin Chu thought of the phoenix painting, and of how Qiu Jinning was the female lead, the prophesied phoenix maiden.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “Perhaps what the phoenix painting points to is true. Between the two of us, one of us is probably that phoenix maiden.”
In the end, she still did not say that Qiu Jinning was the phoenix maiden.
Wouldn’t that be directly pointing out Qiu Jinning’s destined identity as the female lead and pushing her toward the male lead? Qin Chu was unwilling to do that, and she did not want to.
In the end, selfishness gained the upper hand. She did not want to push Qiu Jinning away. She wanted to hold Qiu Jinning tightly.
Unfortunately, once the love gu was removed, she would have no reason to stay by Qiu Jinning’s side anymore. Faintly, she even hoped they would never find the aged strong liquor, so they would not have to separate.
But that would be wrong. Divine Physician Han was right. If she truly liked someone, she should pursue them openly and honestly.
After they found the aged strong liquor and removed the love gu, she would pursue her openly and honestly.
At this moment, she could no longer ignore her own feelings. She could no longer refuse to face that fluttering in her heart.
Qiu Jinning’s lashes trembled. She looked at the teacup on the table. “I was not talking about the phoenix painting. I was asking why you were under the table just now—why you touched my hand under the table.”
Qin Chu: “…”
“Just now, I saw that your complexion didn’t look right. I was worried the love gu was flaring up, so I—so I patted your hand.”
Qiu Jinning met her eyes and said meaningfully, “Is that so? I thought you meant something else.”
Qin Chu was a little dazed. Something else? What other meaning could touching her hand have?
Could it be…
Qin Chu abruptly stood and raised her hand as if swearing an oath. “I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you. I am an upright gentleman.”
Qiu Jinning gazed at the person before her and smiled. “I know Miss Qin is an upright gentleman who remains unmoved even with beauty in her arms.”
Qin Chu was even more confused when she heard this. No matter how she listened, those words did not sound like praise.
The next day, the newly appointed academic official resigned and returned to the capital. It was said he had found the person he was looking for.
That person was Third Miss Gu, who had learned of his princely identity and taken the initiative to seek him out. Zhou Er immediately devised a plan and escorted Gu San back to the capital with great fanfare.
As soon as the people sent by the Eldest Prince and Third Prince arrived in Jiuqu County, they heard about this matter. They had no time to linger and immediately galloped back to the capital, sending a message by carrier pigeon along the way: the Second Prince had found the phoenix maiden and was already taking her to the capital.
Only then did Qin Chu and Qiu Jinning breathe a sigh of relief. The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without words.
“Then shall we enter the capital in autumn? What does Miss Qiu think?”
Qiu Jinning said faintly, “Let us enter the capital in a few days. We should always plan ahead.”
She did not intend to follow the Second Prince’s instruction and wait until autumn. The metropolitan examination would begin in March next year. Her elder brother had already gone ahead of her, and she planned to head to the capital early as well.
Hearing that they would be entering the capital ahead of schedule, Qin Chu could not help feeling worried. “In a few days? But my father still hasn’t returned. Then the Qin family will have no one in charge.”
“Presumably, your respected father has already returned to the residence by now.” Qiu Jinning thought of the ten jars of white liquor Master Qin had sent to the county magistrate’s residence early that morning. Although it was strong liquor from the north, it had not aged enough. It was only several decades old.
Master Qin had not found a hundred-year-old aged wine. After finishing his business, he returned with only ten jars of strong liquor. The moment he entered Jiuqu County, he instructed his servants to send them to the Qiu residence.
At this moment, he had already returned home and listened to Steward Qin recount everything that had happened during these days.
“Hahaha! Chu’er has grown up! She has become capable! My Qin family actually has a xiucai now.”
After Master Qin tasted the new wine and read the court’s commendation document, the smile on his face could not be stopped no matter what.
From ancient times to now, among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants ranked last. No matter how rich the Qin family was, in the eyes of those scholarly clans and scholars, they were still inferior. His son was unruly, and his daughter had a disability. He had originally thought the Qin family would never produce a scholar in this lifetime.
He had not expected his daughter to give him such a great surprise. If the wine-tasting banquet had not only passed a few days ago, he would have wanted to hold a grand feast for three days to satisfy the joy in his heart.
By the time Qin Chu heard the news and hurried over, she had not even seen him yet when she heard hearty laughter coming from the courtyard.
When Master Qin heard Qin Chu say she wanted to go to the capital, not only did he not object, he even agreed. “Chu’er should indeed go out and broaden your horizons. In the future, you will be better able to take over the family business. Father intends to promote the new wine outside Jiuqu. Yellow wine is limited by region and only sells well in the south. Beer is different. Go ahead first and scout the path.”
Master Qin agreed readily. Looking at Qin Chu, he nodded again and again, almost unable to stop himself from laughing wildly. As expected of his daughter. The Qin family finally had a successor.
As for his son, that useless bastard who ruined everything he touched could just be raised as an idle person. The Qin family did not lack one person’s food.
Qin Chu then stayed at home for another three days, and also listened to Master Qin laugh for three days. Before she left, when Master Qin heard she was traveling with Qiu Jinning, he felt even more at ease and ordered someone to bring over a wooden box.
Guanzi opened the box and her eyes instantly went straight. “Miss—”
Master was too generous. Although the Qin family was wealthy and Miss did not lack silver, Guanzi had grown up by Miss’s side and had never seen so many silver notes before. An entire box was filled with them.
Qin Chu sighed softly. “Bring it along. When a child travels a thousand li, the parents worry. Having more silver makes things easier, and Father can also feel more at ease.”
She was not the original Eldest Miss Qin, but she could feel Master Qin’s sincere love for his daughter. Since she had accepted this affection, she now bore an additional responsibility toward the Qin family and toward Master Qin.
Qin Chu did not reject this feeling. In the modern world, she had been an orphan. Having an elder care for her felt rather nice.
On the day they left Jiuqu County, because the daughters of the Qin and Qiu families were traveling together, the two families gathered in one place.
County Magistrate Qiu was on duty, so the one who came from the Qiu residence to send them off was Madam Qiu.
Unlike Master Qin, a grown man sobbing pitifully, Madam Qiu was quite calm.
First, she trusted Qiu Jinning’s conduct. Second, she had specifically sent her trusted head maid, Ziyun, along.
Ziyun was also Qiu Jinning’s wet nurse, also known as Nanny Ziyun.
She bore a heavy responsibility on this trip. Madam had instructed that she must keep a close eye on Miss and not let the good-for-nothing Eldest Miss Qin bully her.
There was no need to mention all the parting reminders. The carriages slowly set out.
Jiuqu County was right next to the capital. The distance was not far. A fast horse could arrive in one day, and by carriage, it would take at most two or three days.
Near noon, the carriages stopped beside a tea stall. Everyone planned to get down, stretch their legs, and drink some water.
Nanny Ziyun stayed close to Qiu Jinning every step of the way. She also quietly instructed Luyao, “We must keep watch carefully. Especially, we cannot let Eldest Miss Qin touch Miss improperly. We must stop her.”
Luyao nodded like a chick pecking rice, but inwardly, she disagreed. Stop her? Stop what? Miss might be hoping Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing would touch her.
The two parties arrived at the tea stall and sat at neighboring tables.
Nanny Ziyun went to the carriage to fetch dry food. When she returned, she saw the table already filled with exquisite pastries. The Qin family’s plump maid was still rambling as she introduced them. “This is osmanthus cake, this is red date cake, this is millet cake… Our Miss specially prepared them for you. Miss Qiu, please see whether they suit your taste.”
Qiu Jinning looked at the person watching from two steps away and said softly, “They suit my taste very well.”
Hearing this, Qin Chu nodded. As long as they suited her taste. These had all been prepared by Master Qin. She had just happened to offer Buddha flowers borrowed from another.
Nanny Ziyun felt complicated watching this. How was she supposed to stop this? She could not very well forbid Miss from eating, right? She glanced at the dry food in her hands and silently put it back in the carriage. The pastries prepared by the Qin family looked very good.
With pastries to eat, who would eat rice balls?
“Miss, the Qin family truly is rich. Look at these pastries. They must all be special offerings from Upstairs Tower.” Nanny Ziyun had a sharp eye. Having followed Madam Qiu, she had enjoyed plenty of good food as well. After eating two pieces, she could tell they tasted like Upstairs Tower.
Qiu Jinning curved her lips. “They should be from Upstairs Tower. I will go thank Miss Qin.”
Nanny Ziyun ate the pastries, nodding while picking up another piece of osmanthus cake. Delicious. Even Madam had never eaten them so freely, after all. Master was an honest official, and the household lived on his salary. They could not spend lavishly.
In the next instant, the corner of her eye twitched, and the osmanthus cake in her hand nearly fell.
She saw Qiu Jinning walk to Qin Chu’s side and lightly raise her hand, letting it fall near Qin Chu’s ear.
Qin Chu stood still. She nervously pressed her lips together and did not avoid Qiu Jinning’s hand.
Her fair hand moved gently, and Qin Chu felt the warmth of the other person’s fingers beside her ear.
“Your hair was messy.” Qiu Jinning calmly withdrew her hand, her face without waves.
Qin Chu froze, then lowered her voice. “Is the love gu flaring up? Should we get into the carriage?”
Qiu Jinning nodded unconsciously. In truth, the love gu had not flared up. She had simply wanted to touch Qin Chu all of a sudden. That was all.
But since the person before her had already found a reason for her, she might as well follow along naturally.
Seeing her nod, Qin Chu hurriedly turned back and got into the carriage. Qiu Jinning, considerate of her inconvenient left foot, copied the little maid’s movements and supported her.
Qin Chu also did not refuse her kindness. After getting into the carriage, she turned back to take Qiu Jinning’s hand, not forgetting to pull down the carriage curtain.
Nanny Ziyun lowered her head and looked at the pastries on the table. Enduring her craving, she put down the osmanthus cake. But just as she stood, the little maid beside her grabbed her.
“Nanny, where are you going?”
“Let go of me. Miss got into the Qin family’s carriage.”
Luyao held on tightly. “Just now, it wasn’t Eldest Miss Qin touching Miss improperly. Nanny, didn’t you see? It was our Miss who touched her first. If you go stop them now, who are you stopping? Miss?”
Hearing their conversation, Guanzi, who was beside them, instantly awakened her instinct to protect her master. She grabbed Nanny Ziyun’s other arm. “The skinny maid is right. Ruining someone’s good thing will get you struck by lightning.”
Nanny Ziyun was held so firmly she could not move. Her heart also wavered. It did seem like their Miss had made the first move. Then should she still stop them?
Madam, oh Madam. You gave this old servant such a difficult task.
Inside the Qin residence’s carriage, once the curtain was lowered, Qin Chu took Qiu Jinning’s hand. “How do you feel? Can you endure it? If I had known, I would have brought a few pots of sobering soup.”
This love gu was far too domineering. It could flare up even without smelling alcohol. She did not know whether sobering soup would still work. If it did not, what should they do?
Qiu Jinning followed the line of Qin Chu’s arm and slightly turned, leaning into Qin Chu’s embrace. “This is enough.”
In the end, she had still failed to guard her chaotic heart, borrowing the name of the love gu again and again to draw close to this person.
Qin Chu naturally tightened her arms around the person in her embrace.
If sobering soup did not work, then the only thing that could work was her…
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