Perfect Encounter - Chapter 8.1
Chapter 8
PROOFREAD BY AFREANA
Xu Matchmaker’s face flashed with panic, but she asked calmly, “I will assume that what you say is true. What did the General say?”
”First, if anything happens to me, he will know who is responsible. The military law is not the same as the magistrate’s court.”
Xu Matchmaker’s face stiffened. This reaction gave An Ruochen a little peace of mind, and she continued: “Second, the General said that since Granny Xu is certainly not in charge, he can let Granny go, but if the person who supports Granny’s activities remains uncaught, he must find someone to take the blame. Granny is a smart person. You know what to do.”
Xu Matchmaker dropped her eyes and said nothing.
“Third, since the matter of the horse farm has been done, it must be dealt with as soon as possible, so I hope Granny decides early. If it takes too long, the general will not be merciful.”
Xu Matchmaker listened quietly, then suddenly raised her eyes and sneered, “No more?”
An Ruochen stared at her and said coldly, “No more.”
Xu Matchmaker said: ”What kind of a person is the eldest Miss? If the General has something to say to me, why would he need the eldest Miss? The General has many people under him. Which one of them is not better than you? I’m not stupid, either.”
An Ruochen took a step forward: “You are now making a fool of yourself. Why didn’t the General send officials and soldiers? Think about it. If he sends those people, can you still enjoy walking around the city without any problems? Once this matter leaks, the general will have to arrest people and send them to the court. If no one else can be found, only Granny will take the blame. Also, Granny knows more than I do. When the time comes to silence the one who should be silenced, Granny should be clear in your mind as to who that person will be. Although I have said many things for Granny’s benefit, it is for my sake as well. I am afraid of death. I was risking my life to make the report. How did I know such secrets? The General is naturally suspicious. I can either be silenced by you or suspected by the General, and I choose the latter. But the General will have to leave one day, while Granny and I will continue to live in Zhonglan City for the rest of our lives. After I marry into the Qian family, I can’t count on my mother’s family. Who can take care of me? Since Granny is an important figure in the city, I hope I can get benefits from Granny in the future. When I think about it, between the General and Granny, I choose Granny. Do you understand the current situation, Granny? If I die, you will take the blame alone, and if you turn Mr. Xie in, you and I will be clear of suspicion.”
This long speech was reasonable and spoken fluently. Xu Matchmaker pursed her lips as she listened.
An Ruochen paused for a moment, looked at Xu Matchmaker’s expression, and then said: “Granny, the general has given us a chance by allowing me to discuss this matter with you first. Granny must think twice. The general promised if they catch the main culprit, he will not pursue you and me. I don’t ask for anything else. Granny knows my family’s situation very well. If any trouble arises after I marry Master Qian, it will be enough for Granny to offer a helping hand for the sake of my assistance this time.”
Xu Matchmaker hesitated and did not speak. An Ruochen took a step closer and whispered, “The general is watching us. When you go out, pay attention to the tea stall on the other side of the street and you will know. It is all I have to say. Think about it, Granny. If there are any difficulties or dangers, let’s discuss them properly. I still count on you in the future. Granny is helping me arrange my marriage, and it is reasonable for you to go in and out of the An House. The General or Mr. Xie cannot say anything about it. There is a wall between us. How would they know what you say and do?”
Xu Matchmaker thought for a while: “Have you ever seen Mr. Xie’s appearance?”
An Ruochen held down her nerves and said, “Not yet. If I saw him, I would have reported Mr. Xie, and then I would have discussed the situation with Granny. Wouldn’t that be better than this situation?”
Xu Matchmaker did not say anything.
An Ruochen said: “Granny should think about it. Stay out of dangerous matters, don’t let the General catch you. Come and find me again if you have decided.”
Xu Matchmaker pondered for a moment and nodded: “Okay.”
An Ruochen stared at the departing back of Xu Matchmaker until she was no longer visible, then she weakened and heaved a sigh of relief. However, her heart became restless. She had no certainty about what Xu Matchmaker would do.
An Ruochen returned to her room, pretending to rummage through her clothes and jewelry, comparing them for a while, and then looking at the rouge powder, complaining that the color was not to her liking. The maids consoled their Miss, saying she looked good in anything. But An Ruochen said no, it is better to buy more and she also craved candy from East Street.
She decided to do it and dragged the maid along to go.
The Purple Cloud House is in the east of the city. She must meet the general as soon as possible, it will be a big problem if there is any delay.
Just as she reached the gate, she was caught by Mrs. Tan from the second house.
“Where are you going?”
An Ruochen hung her head as if she was timid and honest. The maid replied, saying Miss wanted to buy some new rouge and candy.
Mrs. Tan sneered, “The eldest girl has been very extravagant lately. You’ve been buying one thing after another and still haven’t bought enough? You can easily get money and use it without worrying. If you have so much money to spare, then next month’s allowance for the first house should be reduced.”
An Ruochen’s face showed panic: “Second Mother, the candy doesn’t cost much, don’t deduct my monthly allowance.”
Mrs. Tan hummed: “You are about to get married, don’t be so wild-hearted. You should restrain yourself even if the master doesn’t say anything about you. Don’t go out today. You haven’t finished embroidering your wedding pillow, have you? Spend more time on these important matters.”
An Ruochen didn’t dare to refuse, and her maids were busy answering “yes” respectfully.
Mrs. Tan looked at An Ruochen one more time and left with a flick of her sleeves.
An Ruochen’s heart sank. The opened door of the residence was about to be closed again by the doorkeeper. An Ruochen looked at the tea stall across the street. The familiar man and the stall owner were looking at her. When they saw her looking over, they seemed to be busy chatting. An Ruochen kept watching them until the door was closed.
Meanwhile, Big Long just came out of the county government office. He came here to discuss the case of burning down the horse farm with governor Yao Kun and others.
Some people said they heard the bandits shout with a South Qin accent, but when the county government sent people to check the South Qin people in Zhonglan City, they didn’t find any suspects. When negotiating with the South Qin, the officials of the other side still said the same thing, that the South Qin would never send people to do this, and the Xiao Kingdom should not use this as an excuse to plant evidence. If the Xiao Kingdom has proof, they should bring it out. South Qin will take responsibility if it is done by their people, but if the Xiao Kingdom used it to provoke a dispute, then the Xiao Kingdom would be responsible for the consequences.
Yao Kun was a bit worried at this stage. The matter of bandits present at the border has not yet been solved, and now the important places in the city were being attacked, which was much more serious than the matter of bandits. He thought the South Qin does not have the guts to fight, but how can this act of sabotage be explained then? The attack on the horse camp is not a trivial matter. However, it seems to be a little too much to declare war for this reason. If the war breaks out, the consequences would be unimaginable, and Pingnan County will not have a peaceful day.
Therefore, Yao Kun along with other officials found Big Long to discuss how to respond. The first way is to write a report to the court. The second is to suspend the border trade between the two countries as a means of retaliation. Jiang Hongqing and others supported the second matter, but the Department of Commerce hoped Big Long and Yao Kun would think twice about it, as it would affect not only South Qin, but also Pingnan County and the Xiao Kingdom as a whole. If they really can’t be sure that it is the work of South Qin, it would be better to handle the response cautiously.
Big Long agreed with Yao Kun’s decision. There should be some action to see the other side’s reaction. The officials will handle the negotiations, while the military will train their troops, strengthen the safety fortifications, and check the border.
The general has spoken, others could not object. This matter was settled.
When Big Long came out of the courthouse, he saw Xie Gang waiting for him. Big Long did not say a word and rode alongside Xie Gang. The latter quietly said: “The spy came to report that today Xu Matchmaker went to the An family. When she entered, everything was as usual, but her face was a bit unpleasant when she went out and she paid special attention to the tea stall across the street from the An House. Soon after she left, the first Miss An wanted to go out, but was stopped at the gate by the second wife, Mrs. Tan. Miss An seemed very reluctant, keeping her eyes on the tea stall before the door to the residence closed.”
“Hmm.” Big Long responded, indicating that he heard. After a while, he said, “You go and tell the people watching Xu Matchmaker not to slack off and keep a close eye on her. Where she goes, who she sees, pay attention to all of it and report everything, no matter how big or small.”
“Yes. What about the An family?”
“I’ll ask Zeqing to make a trip there. An Ruochen knows him. She should know how to seize this opportunity if she has something to report.”