sovbooks Chapter 64 Escape from Handan
Chapter 64 Escape from Handan
Chapter 64 Escape from Handan
After the afternoon rain stopped, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the northern suburbs in a flickering light. Horses hooves trampled the muddy road, splashing up tiny droplets of water that landed on the roadside weeds and slid down their veins.
Zhao Heng sat on the horse, his back pressed against the warmth emanating from behind. Zi Nu wrapped her arms around his sides, holding the reins, almost encircling him in her embrace.
This posture made him a little uncomfortable, but that was all. Zi Nu's hand holding the reins was very steady, and there was really not much of an intimate intention.
Perhaps she was simply a skilled rider who was used to carrying people on her rides.
The two fell silent for a moment. The horse's hooves splashed through the puddles. Water droplets hung from the willow branches by the roadside, occasionally dripping down and landing on Zhao Heng's shoulder, leaving a small, dark stain.
Zi Nu spoke first: "That chivalrous leader, have you reached an agreement with him?"
"It's settled."
"How can we make a proper solution?"
Now that a deeper cooperation has been reached with Zi Nu, and Zi Nu has been forced to get involved in the matter with Wu Ji, there is no need to hide it anymore. So Zhao Heng pondered for a moment and briefly recounted what happened at the manor.
He revealed the identity of Wu Ji, which he had half-guessed and half-told, including the past of the peasant hero and the existence of the courtesan. He also mentioned the agreement he had reached with Tian Guang: that the peasants would share information, and Zhao would provide cover for Tian Guang and Wu Ji to jointly eliminate the threat of the courtesan.
After listening quietly, Zi Nu rested her chin on Zhao Heng's shoulder, bringing them even closer together. However, she seemed oblivious, gazing thoughtfully at the distant, mist-shrouded forest.
"That courtesan, is she the Snow Woman's birth mother?"
Zhao Heng nodded.
Zi Nu stopped asking questions and said thoughtfully, "In that case, we'll have to be extra careful at Zuiyue Tower in the future."
Zhao Heng understood what she meant. Wu Ji was still on duty at Zuiyue Tower, and Tian Guang would inevitably be making clandestine dealings. If the courtesans became aware of this, Zuiyue Tower would become the center of a storm.
Zi Nu was telling him that she was willing to take the risk, but he needed to be aware of it.
"It won't be long," Zhao Heng said. "There has to be a resolution regarding Consort Chang."
After traveling another two or three miles, a small manor came into view, nestled among the trees. The walls were made of rammed earth and topped with blue tiles. Inside the courtyard, several old locust trees with gnarled branches cast a dense shade.
When Handan was besieged, the trees outside the city were almost all cut down. Looking at the trees he saw along the way, Zhao Heng guessed that they must have been replanted later. It had only been five or six years, but they were already lush and full of vitality.
Zi Nu's family seems to be quite wealthy, and even has a strong presence in the Zhao region.
"My family's estate here," Zi Nu explained to him. "It's usually only guarded by a few old servants. Young master, you're covered in mud; it wouldn't be appropriate for you to go straight back to your residence."
Since it had been agreed upon in advance, Zhao Heng would not refuse.
The two dismounted. An old servant had already come out to greet them upon hearing the commotion. Seeing that it was Zi Nu with a handsome young man, he didn't ask any questions, but simply bowed, took the reins, and led the horse to the side courtyard.
Zi Nu led Zhao Heng inside. The manor was not large, with two courtyards, but it was kept clean and tidy. The main hall was simply furnished, with the tables, chairs, and mats all slightly worn, yet exuding elegance. Zi Nu asked Zhao Heng to wait in the hall while she went into the inner room.
A moment later, she came out carrying a folded set of traditional Chinese robes and placed them on the table.
"These are clothes left here by my brothers from years ago," she said. "If you don't mind, young master, you can wear them for now. They're better than those muddy rags you're wearing."
Zhao Heng thanked her and accepted the clothes. He glanced at Zi Nu, who smiled, turned and walked out of the main hall, closing the door behind her.
Zhao Heng quickly changed out of his mud-splattered short tunic and put on a dark robe. The clothes were a bit loose, but they fit him well after he fastened the belt. He rolled up the wet clothes he had taken off and placed them on the table before opening the door.
Zi Nu was standing under the eaves, her back to the main hall, gazing at the old locust trees in the courtyard. Hearing the door open, she turned around, looked Zhao Heng up and down, and a satisfied look appeared in her eyes.
"You're quite the clothes hanger, young master," she said. "This outfit looks much better on you than on my cousins."
Zhao didn't respond to that question, but instead asked Zi Nu when she would set off to return to the city.
Zi Nu said there was no rush, as she had already sent her old servant into the city to tell Zhao Heng to come see her.
Zi Nu then explained, "I just sent someone into the city with a message to your two retainers at Zuiyue Tower, telling them that we'll be returning later and that they shouldn't worry or search for us. You've been traveling all day, young master, you should rest. Tea and refreshments have been prepared, you can eat before you leave."
Zhao Heng didn't stand on ceremony. Since Zi Nu had already arranged for someone to deliver the message, Meng Ben and Luan Ding wouldn't cause trouble rashly. He also needed to calm down and go over today's events in his mind again, so he nodded and thanked her.
Seeing that he agreed, Zi Nu turned and walked towards the back of the courtyard. After taking a few steps, she turned back and said, "Please make yourself at home, young master. I'll go check how the tea and snacks are prepared."
When Zi Nu brought the tea set, Zhao Heng was already seated in the hall. She sat down opposite him and personally brewed the tea. Her movements were unhurried and methodical, from taking charcoal and starting a fire to pouring water and waiting for the water to boil.
Zhao Heng watched her hand move between the tea utensils, resting his chin on his hand without making a sound.
He recalled that during the Warring States period, tea culture was relatively simple. Tea leaves and broth were often boiled together and eaten like vegetables, a rather rustic method. Zi Nu's method, however, was more refined. She first roasted and crushed the tea cake, then steeped it in boiling water, filtered out the tea dregs, and kept only the tea broth.
This process is almost identical to that of later generations. However, considering that this place is set in the era of Qin Shi Mingyue, it is not surprising.
The tea was ready. Zi Nu poured a cup for Zhao Heng first, and the two sat facing each other to drink tea. It was a scene of a beautiful woman pouring tea indoors and a beautiful spring day outside, which was quite elegant.
After slowly drinking the two cups of tea, Zi Nu put down her teacup and picked up the teapot to pour more tea for Zhao Heng.
Zhao then raised his hand to cover the rim of the cup, saying, "Thank you, young lady. I always drink tea in moderation; drinking too much won't help me grow taller."
O
Zi Nu paused for a moment, then laughed out loud. Without saying anything more, she got up and walked to the low cabinet next to her, took out a clean ceramic cup, poured half a cup of warm water from another pot, and brought it back to Zhao Heng.
Zhao Heng thanked her, picked up the pottery cup, but didn't drink, waiting for Zi Nu to continue.
Sure enough, after Zi Nu sat down again opposite him, she picked up her teacup with both hands, blew on it gently, took a sip, and then suddenly said, "I've been thinking, you should still go to the birthday banquet at Lord Pingyuan's residence."
Zhao Heng put down his cup and looked at her.
Zi Nu then explained, "The Lord of Pingyuan's residence has invited Zuiyue Tower to provide music and dance for entertainment. I could have declined, but since you are going, I thought I would take this opportunity to make some moves."
"What article?"
"Although the young master is of noble status in Handan, he is still young and lives a secluded life."
Zi Nu said, "Few of the nobles in the court have seen the young master. Although Lord Pingyuan has been recuperating at home for a long time, all the prominent figures in Handan will attend his birthday banquet. If the young master can make an appearance at that event, it will be easier for him to get things done in the future."
Zhao Heng remained silent, lost in thought.
Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Zi Nu continued, "I've also heard that Gongzi Yan will be helping out. He seems to have prepared a musical performance to present as a gift at Lord Pingyuan's birthday banquet."
Zhao Heng's brows twitched slightly; he was indeed somewhat surprised by Zi Nu's excellent information network.
"The lead dancer is said to be exceptionally skilled in dance and also proficient in swordsmanship," Zi Nu said. "Prince Yan's actions are ostensibly to celebrate Lord Pingyuan's birthday, but secretly he most likely wants to curry favor with Lord Pingyuan's household. Although Lord Pingyuan has been ill for a long time, he still has three thousand retainers and deep roots in the Zhao state."
If Prince Yan can establish this connection, it will be beneficial and harmless to his efforts to seize the throne.
Zhao Heng listened quietly and nodded, inviting Zi Nu to continue.
Zi Nu then said, "Young Master Yan has gone to great lengths to arrange the music and dance, and someone from Lord Pingyuan's residence will need to entertain them. If you can exchange a few words with people at the banquet and let those nobles remember your appearance, they will naturally pay more attention to you if any rumors arise in the future."
Zhao Heng picked up the cup, took a sip, and after a moment of contemplation, looked at the lukewarm water in the cup and said, "What you've done, young lady, has probably gone beyond the scope of our cooperation for profit."
Zi Nu was slightly taken aback, then smiled without saying a word.
Zhao Sui looked up at her and continued, "Not only have you been introducing artisans and working tirelessly for the weaving workshop, but now you're even keeping track of the wind direction in Handan for me. If you continue to help me so wholeheartedly, I'm afraid I won't be able to repay you in the future."
Zi Nu held the teacup in her palm, smiled, and gently stroked the rim of the cup, as if carefully choosing her words. After a moment, she said, "Young master is a smart man, and you should be able to guess that my family is actually facing difficulties."
Zhao Heng didn't say anything, he just looked at her.
Zi Nu continued, "If we hadn't been in such dire straits that there was no one else available, the clan wouldn't have entrusted me, a mere woman, with the task of managing Handan. Although I've been in Handan for several months, Zuiyue Tower has been established here for many years. The elders there have a deeper roots in Handan than I do, know more people, and have a wider network of connections. When I first arrived, they were outwardly respectful, but I know what they were really like behind my back."
Zhao Heng asked, "Is it 'paying lip service while secretly going against it'?"
Zi Nu smiled and said, "More than that. The things I tell others to do are immediately passed on to other people. If I want to replace a few people, they can find seven or eight reasons to stop me, and each reason is valid. After all, there are plenty of people in Handan who only recognize their own people, and they don't recognize me, the new person in charge."
Zhao Heng hesitated for a moment.
Zi Nu continued, "I'm not entirely clueless about who's behind those people. Several times, I tried to negotiate with those nobles to sound them out and see if I could use their influence to put pressure on the people in the building. But I don't know if they've been fed too much over the years, or if in their eyes I'm just some nobody who came to Handan on behalf of my clan to beg for a living, they really don't take me seriously."
As she said this, she suddenly glanced at Zhao Heng and then laughed.
"Only you, my esteemed friend, seem to be treating me as someone important, whether due to your young age or your inexperience."
Zhao Heng paused, then put the cup down after bringing it to his lips.
Zi Nu smiled and said, "That day at Zuiyue Tower, when Young Master and Lord Jianxin were confronting each other, I stepped in to mediate. To be honest, at first I just didn't want Zuiyue Tower to get involved in too much trouble. After all, Lord Jianxin is a man who holds grudges and seeks revenge. If he takes it out on Zuiyue Tower, my future will only be more difficult. But later—"
She paused briefly, as if recalling the scene from that day.
"Later, the young master's words left Lord Jianxin speechless. I was watching from the side at the time, thinking to myself, this young master is quite bold for his age. Later, the young master said he wanted to hire Xue Nu as his teacher. I thought it was just a youthful impulse. But after the young master left, I sent someone to inquire and learned about his relationship with the Qin hostage, his fall into the water and unconsciousness, and his drastic change in personality after waking up."
Zhao Jingjing listened without showing any expression.
Zi Nu said, "The more information I gather, the less I can see through you, young master. You might say you're just young and impetuous, but your actions are more measured than many adults I've met. You might say you're secretive, but you are indeed quite—how should I put it, frank and open—when you treat others?"
As she spoke, she said self-deprecatingly, "Initially, I cooperated with you, young master, simply because I was interested in the profits that those textile machines could bring. But today, you sent a retainer to deliver a message saying that you have encountered trouble and asked me for help. I thought that since you have asked, it means that you trust me. Since you trust me, I cannot treat this as just another business transaction."
Zhao Heng then pondered and said, "So, Miss, you came here today not just for the profits from weaving?"
Zi Nu nodded: "Yes. Not entirely."
The tea in her hand had gone cold, but she didn't mind. Holding the cup of cold tea, she said, "Young master just asked if I would be able to repay you if I helped you so much. I thought about it and decided to be frank. I have my own reasons for helping you."
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Zhao Heng looked at her.
Zi Nu said, "I need to be frank with you, young master. I won't be staying in Handan for long. Although my clan has some connections in Zhao, our roots are actually in Han. We're planning to make some new arrangements in Xinzheng as well. But before I leave, I must cleanse the clan of its inhabitants. However, I know that the people in the tower are unreliable, and the nobles in the city look down on me. I can't do all this on my own. I need someone I can rely on."
Regardless of the true nature of Zi Nu's so-called family, she ultimately couldn't bear to abandon her roots in the Central Plains. It's no wonder that Zi Nu later became the manager of the Zi Lan Xuan in Xin Zheng, and it's also no wonder that she remained well-informed even after the fall of the State of Han.
Seeing Zhao Heng nod slightly, Zi Nu said, "Although you are young, I have observed that you treat people equally regardless of their status. You are prudent and responsible in your actions. When you were in danger, you chose to stay behind so that your retainers could go first—I have seen all of this. Therefore, I believe you are a reliable person."
Zhao Heng slowly took a sip of water, then put down the cup and looked directly at Zi Nu, saying, "Miss, this is a bet."
Zi Nu chuckled softly, not avoiding Zhao's gaze, and said, "It's a bet. I'm betting that you will succeed in the future. I'm betting that you will remember my kindness today and help me in the future. I'm betting that there is indeed someone in this city of Handan who is willing to treat me as someone important."
Zhao Heng placed his hands on the table, looked at the smiling Zi Nu opposite him, and after a moment, nodded: "Since you have been so frank, I have taken note. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will certainly repay you."
Hearing him say that, Zi Nu's eyebrows curved into a smile. She suddenly leaned forward, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at him with a hint of mischief, saying, "I really believe what you say, young master. It's strange, but after saying those words just now, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders."
Zhao Heng glanced at her but didn't respond to that. He simply placed his hand on the table and said, "Since we've come this far, I also have something I'm struggling with, unsure of how to do it. But if you could help me, I could proceed with confidence."
Zi Nu raised an eyebrow and sat up straight again: "Please speak freely, young master."
Zhao Heng looked at her and said, "I would like to ask you for help, young lady, to assist Prince Dan of Yan in escaping from Handan."