Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 89 But let the New Year bring joy to the world, without seeking fame or recognition in the ancient imperial stupa.

"Miss, the master wants to see you." Sunlight streamed into the room through the opened door, and Qingmiao's voice carried a hint of weariness.

These words reached Liu Jiao'an's ears as she quietly combed her hair. Liu Jiao'an put down her comb and raised her eyes. Her originally calm and clear gaze not only failed to soothe the newcomer, but also added a touch of sorrow.

"Miss, you can talk to the master about it. He also wants you to marry into a good family."

The third-ranking scholar refused the marriage proposal in the capital, and the master was now busy trying to get his daughter to marry him. Qingmiao felt that marriage was an important matter that couldn't be forced, but she couldn't understand why her daughter had been so absent-minded ever since she returned from the master's study that day: "Miss, the master is, after all, your father. If you really don't want to, I'm sure he won't force you."

Qingmiao spoke lightly, but she didn't think about how Liu Jiao'an had promised the master when she returned, nor did she think about why her young lady had left the Liu family in the first place—of course, this secret of the Liu family had long since disappeared when the previous batch of servants were dismissed.

Was her father really only looking for her about marriage? Liu Jiao'an didn't want Qingmiao to worry with her, so she turned around, her calm eyes like distant mountains: "Qingmiao, do my hair and makeup."

After getting dressed, Liu Jiao'an suppressed the panic that had been building up inside her. Looking at herself in the mirror, she remembered how her mother used to hold her in her arms and comb her hair when she was little.
Unfortunately, my mother didn't live to see me reach the age of marriage. My father, who would stand not far away with a kind face watching me and my mother, also didn't live to see my mother's death.

It was another sunny day outside the window. When I was a child, my mother would always choose a day like this to take me to the temple in the mountains to pray for my father and the local people.

I pray that my father can be a good public servant, I pray that my whole family is healthy and prosperous, and I pray that all the people are happy.

After my mother passed away, even on such a beautiful day, I rarely went out anymore...

"Qingmiao, you stay in the house. I'll go find my father myself."

Even Qingmiao was somewhat stunned by the sight of the young lady who had just finished dressing up. The sorrow of the past few days made Liu Jiao'an's furrowed brows even more pitiful, and her weakness and weariness perfectly balanced out a feeling that made people want to protect her.

Liu Jiao'an's mother was a beauty, and so was Liu Jiao'an.

No wonder Mr. Liu always told his wife before his daughter was born, "If it's a girl, she must look like you. I'll cherish her so much."

Before she could finish her thoughts, Liu Jiao'an had already reached her father's study. A familiar figure darted out, and Liu Jiao'an recognized him immediately.

It is the Three Constants.

Why is Sanheng here at this time?
Being here is...normal. A helpless, bitter smile played on his lips. What would his father hear from Sanheng this time?

But Liu Jiao'an knew that what she couldn't do at this moment was panic, and what she shouldn't do was feel guilty.

Was what her father's box really contained what she wanted to know? Touching an almost identical box tucked in her sleeve, Liu Jiao'an's eyes revealed a hint of struggle.

"You've arrived, have a seat." As Liu Qingxian entered her father's study, her father didn't react as strongly as his daughter had expected.

Seeing Sanheng and noticing Qingmiao's expression, Liu Jiaoan knew this conversation wouldn't end well, but she still tried to calm herself down: "Father, what is it that you called me here for?"

"It's nothing serious."

"Father, please speak freely." How could there be nothing serious? Liu Jiao'an's gaze swept across the table that her father had neatly arranged, and then moved to the shelf not far away—sure enough, the box was still there, but this time, the box had been closed.

The only reason Liu Jiao'an could have a second box was because it was a pair that her mother had personally chosen for her...

“In the past, when spring was in full bloom, your mother would always take you up the mountain to stay for a while. Now your father is too busy with his affairs to take care of you.”

“Now that you have Qingmiao, what I mean is…” Father Liu suddenly stood up, reached out and took the box off the shelf. “There are many letters from your father and mother back then. I think you’re grown up now and should take a look.”

"When I look for someone again in the future, I'll be able to find someone who truly suits my taste."

The box contained letters from her father and mother? Liu Jiao'an's carefully constructed mental state crumbled completely.

"Letters?" They were actually letters from Father and Mother? Could it really not contain evidence of Father's wrongdoing? Or had Father discovered her purpose? Liu Jiao'an was losing control of her emotions. "Father and Mother exchanged letters?"

“Yes, your father and mother also had a period of time filled with unexpected twists and turns. Don’t you want to see it?” Liu’s father, Liu Qingxian, smiled so much that the corners of his eyes turned up, showing that he had genuinely liked Liu Jiao’an’s mother. “Sometimes I think, if your mother and I had recognized each other sooner, or been bolder enough to confess our feelings for each other in the letters…”

"Can we spend more time together?"

'When we were looking at each other, your mother disguised herself so well that I had no idea she believed the other side, nor did I know that the letter on the kite was from her hand.'

It sounds like a clichéd love story. But since it happened to her own parents, Liu Jiao'an couldn't help but be briefly immersed in such sweetness and warmth, even forgetting for a moment the true purpose of her trip—that the box contained letters between her parents. Could it be that her father really hadn't done anything he shouldn't have?
"It's hot, why are you wearing so much?"

"If it gets too hot, it won't be good to go up the mountain to play... Are you planning to go see your cousin? I heard she's on Huangshan Mountain now. If you go see her, your father will feel more at ease."

Was her father subtly telling her to back down? Liu Jiao'an finally just nodded: "It was a bit windy last night, and I was worried about catching a cold, so I wore more clothes. But today the sun is shining brightly."

"Well, that's good... You're getting older now, and you can take care of yourself. You also have Qingmiao by your side, so I don't need to worry about you too much." Father Liu didn't say anything more, and his gaze returned from the obviously bulging cuffs.

Did you see the person who just went out?

"Who is it?" As expected, Sanheng had said something. Liu Jiao'an's heart tightened, and she threw the question back to her father. "He looks somewhat familiar, but I can't remember who he is for the moment. Is he someone from the Liu family?"

"When I returned this time, many old faces were gone."

Liu Jiao'an is intelligent, just like her mother.

Otherwise, the dashing young man of yesteryear would not have truly fallen in love with a woman raised in seclusion.

“Sanheng came to me to ask when he could return to the Liu family mansion. He said that his parents are getting old and he can’t bear to leave them to work alone in the mansion. He also feels bored staying alone in the small courtyard left by your mother and wants to return to the Liu family mansion.”

“I said this matter needs your consent. After all, that courtyard and tea plantation were left to you by your mother, and someone should take care of them. Sanheng has been there for a long time, so he is more adept at handling things.”

Liu Qingxian seemed oblivious to any ulterior motives his daughter might have, simply making arrangements with her one by one. "Father, if Sanheng wants to come back, then let him come back. After all these years of friendship, I should have brought him back with me when I returned."

"That's good. He can also help Qingmiao a bit... If you remarry in the future, and the two of them are compatible and get married together, it would be a beautiful story."

Qingmiao wouldn't like Sanheng, Liu Jiao'an thought to herself: What kind of deal did Sanheng make with her father? Did he really come back just to be with his parents?
"Alright, go and rest. I'll think of a solution for the courtyard and the tea plantation."

“Since you are willing to let Sanheng come back, then it is not like I have made a decision on my own.” Father Liu stood up again and handed the box he had just received to Liu Jiao’an with both hands. “I told your mother that I, Liu Qingxian, would be good to my daughter for the rest of my life.”

"Jiao'an'er... if Father accidentally does something wrong, you must tell Father and ask for his forgiveness."

Holding the box in her hands, it felt neither light nor heavy, yet Liu Jiao'an found it strangely weighty. Perhaps it was because it contained the memories and love of her father and mother—as if possessed, she nodded under her father's watchful gaze, then carried the box out of Liu Qingxian's study.

Along the way, Liu Jiaoan did not rush to open the box. It wasn't until she steadily placed the box in front of the dressing mirror that Qingmiao came over with curiosity.

"Miss, this is..."

"Letters from Father and Mother."

Upon opening the box, the papers inside were clearly older than those from that day. My heart, which had just calmed down, began to pound like a drum—my father had found out after all.

My father clearly knew, which is why he deliberately changed the contents of the box.

If she kept quiet, her father would let it go out of consideration for their father-daughter relationship; but if she continued, perhaps…

"Miss, what's wrong?" Qingmiao noticed that her young mistress seemed to be in a very bad state. She could tell that her young mistress's gait was light when she returned, so why was she different now? She was even worse off than when she left the room to see the master.

A thin layer of cold sweat covered her forehead, and her face, though powdered, was still pale. When Qingmiao saw this, she panicked immediately: "Miss, Miss, what's wrong? Don't scare Qingmiao, Miss!"

Now that things have come to this, and he has seen his father's box clearly, and the contents of the box have disappeared, will his father, who knows that he has come back with ulterior motives, still be able to do what his mother told him?

"Qingmiao, I'm not feeling well. Could you go and pour me a cup of hot tea?" Liu Jiao'an wanted to calm down. A cup of fragrant tea was usually a refined pleasure, but now it could also have a little medicinal effect, helping her to soothe her and calm down, and clear her mind.

"Okay lady."

Although Qingmiao was worried, she didn't want to cause any more trouble for Liu Jiao'an. After glancing at Liu Jiao'an with concern, she turned to the side and began to make tea.

What should I do? Where did the original contents of the box go? Are they with Sanheng? What did Sanheng say to my father?
A series of questions lingered in Liu Jiao'an's mind, and even a cup of tea couldn't wash them away.

Unexpectedly, Liu Jiao'an detected a faint taste of blood in her tea today, a subtle yet lingering flavor on her lips and teeth.

"Miss, Qingmiao will be there for you no matter what. Don't worry, everything will pass."

Somewhat hastily putting down her cup, Liu Jiao'an continued Qingmiao's words without hesitation: "What if I said I knew the root of your family's problems?"

"Miss?" Qingmiao wasn't stupid. Connecting the dots with Liu Jiao'an's expression just now, she thought of an impossible possibility and stammered, "Miss, was it... was it someone else?"

"I think it was a man-made disaster."

“But not the group of people who were imprisoned and questioned by the court back then.” The cup of hot tea just now failed to dispel her vexation, but instead extinguished the warmth that had just ignited in Liu Jiao’an’s heart. “It is people who are still alive now, people who are still living well.”

“I know about your young lady, but I may have to let these people go... or rather, I can’t do it…” Liu Jiao’an’s words became incoherent. Perhaps it was because she had drunk too much cold tea and accumulated dampness, or perhaps even Liu Jiao’an didn’t know what to do now.

"Miss, I understand."

"Miss, life is full of disappointments. Don't take all the blame on yourself."

The years have worn Qingmiao down to the point where there's nothing she "must do," and offering comfort is precisely what she excels at. Someone who can comfort even herself can easily comfort others.

"No, it's a different Qingmiao." In the vast Liu mansion, hadn't she enjoyed it? Liu Jiao'an knew that many people would say she was the one with the least right to criticize her father's evil.

But Guan Tongtong, who grew up with him, his father, Cheng Jianwei...

Qingmiao's parents, Qingmiao... and those strangers he had never met before, he wanted to give them the explanation they deserved.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, a bright sun not only in Huizhou but also in the capital.

"Sir, the top scholar has sent a visiting card and wishes to meet you."

After the results were announced, many people came to make friends with him, and Cheng Heng was already overwhelmed with them, let alone Zhang Shuwen.

Having just seen one person off, he didn't even have time to drink a sip of water. Cheng Heng couldn't understand why Zhang Shuwen was suddenly interested in coming to see him.

"What brings you here, Your Excellency, the Top Scholar?" The invitation had arrived, and the person was already waiting at the door. Cheng Heng had just nodded when Zhang Shuwen was brought in. "Now that my esteemed elder brother has passed the imperial examination, it should be I, your humble brother, who should pay my respects. Why trouble Your Excellency, the Top Scholar, to come in person?"

"My dear brother, you still know how to talk." Zhang Shuwen sat in the seat of honor that Cheng Heng had specially reserved for him, without being overly polite.

Cheng Heng smiled and did not deny it.

"Actually, I've come here for no other reason than that you have something troubling you. Perhaps what I have here can help you in some way..."

"Brother, you jest. What do you have to say, brother?"

“I have an old acquaintance, and you have a good sworn sister. I only ask that when you return to Huizhou, you bring some gold and silver to that old acquaintance for me. I will take care of your worries.” For these people of “status,” an exchange of benefits is the safest option. Zhang Shuwen did not hide his purpose and frankly explained his intentions to Cheng Heng.