Chapter 83 – A “Coincidental” Collision On The Road
The main reason why the Plum Blossom Nunnery was famous was that the plum blossoms in the nunnery were very well planted and covered a wide area. In winter, when the plum blossoms were in full bloom, the red blossoms were like fire, the white ones were like snow, and the twigs soared high, forming an indeed most beautiful scenery.
Although it would be a little exaggerating to say the trees stretched over three miles, they were numerous enough to become the pride of the nunnery.
Most of the people came here at this time of year to feast their eyes on the blossoms.
Wei Yuewu’s carriage went steadily in the mountain road. The coachman was driving very carefully, lest that the carriage jolted and made Wei Yuewu uncomfortable. However, sometimes, it was beyond his control to avoid a crash when two carriages were destined to collide, even if he was exceedingly careful.
And so it happened, with the carriage colliding at a bend with another one that was coming down the road.
Fortunately, thanks to the good skills of the coachman and the slow speed of the carriage, the carriage avoided being overturned.
However, the other carriage opposite was not so lucky. Perhaps due to its fast speed when it came down the road, that carriage tilted to one side and a handsome young master sitting inside was tumbled out. He seemed to be injured, his hand supporting the other arm and the expression on his face being rather unnatural.
Wei Yuewu came out of the carriage with Jin Ling to see what had happened.
“Miss, are you alright?” The young master on the other side looked very polite. He didn’t mention his own injury. Instead, he expressed concern for Wei Yuewu gently. One could tell at a glance from his gentility that this was a well-educated young man.
“I’m fine. How are you feeling, young master?” Both ceremony and sense demanded that Wei Yuewu should respond with the same kindness now that he asked her out of kindness. Furthermore, it seemed that this person opposite her was not in very good conditions.
“I’m okay… I can hold on.” The young man smiled, and his voice was stifled suddenly as if some part of his body got twitched.
From the look of his, it was impossible that he was fine.
Although the downward-driven carriage should take the greater responsibility in this case of a crash on a slope, Wei Yuewu was fine now and this young master had a look of forbearance. No matter what, she should not leave the man here alone.
“Young master, a little way down is the bottom of the mountain. There are a few households at the intersection. How about we go there and have your injury checked?” Wei Yuewu suggested softly.
Her carriage had just turned up the mountain road. Not long ago, when they reached the intersection of the mountain road, Shufei told her that there were peasant households down the road leading to the Plum Blossom Nunnery. She had thought about letting Nanny Han live temporarily in one of them, but she was afraid someone might recognize Nanny Han. Therefore, she sent Nanny Han to a quiet courtyard near the mountain behind the nunnery.
“This… then thank you for taking the trouble, young lady.” The young man hesitated for a moment but nodded, perhaps because he was indeed feeling unwell.
Wei Yuewu asked her coachman to help the young man’s coachman get their carriage right and then let the young man get on his carriage, which set out and headed downhill in the front.
Wei Yuewu did not get on her carriage immediately. Her eyes fell on the spot where the carriage had upturned. There was a semicircular stain that was not conspicuous on the road because it was in winter. However, Wei Yuewu’s sharp eyes noticed that it was an oil stain that had slightly congealed from coldness.
The frozen oil would very likely make a carriage slip and capsize even if the carriage wasn’t charging down the road.
Fortunately, her carriage had moved slowly and in the uphill direction, and it was also a little far from that spot, so she was safe and sound.
A trace of coldness flashed through her watery eyes under her long eyelids. The oil looked very fresh. If it had been poured out for a long time, it would have frozen into ice on such a cold day. However, it was only slightly frozen by now. Obviously, it had not been spilled there for a long time.
Normally, no one would bring oil with them to see the plum blossoms. More coincidentally, the oil was not far from her carriage, and her carriage happened to bump into another carriage.
If there were so many coincidences in this world, Wei Yuewu was more inclined to believe that this was not a simple encounter.
Seeing that she had been staring at the oil on the ground, the coachman called her uneasily, “Miss.”
Wei Yuewu shook her head. She turned around and got into the carriage with the help of Shufei. She whispered to the coachman, “Follow them, drive slowly, and don’t get too close.”
She had only reported to the Madam Dowager about her visit to the Plum Blossom Nunnery this morning. There was no way anyone would know about it other than the people in her mansion.
The two carriages went down the mountain neither hurriedly nor slowly. The carriage in the front was not moving fast this time, as if that coachman was afraid that the master in the carriage would be injured again. Even so, Wei Yuewu’s carriage was still kept over thirty feet away and with no signal of surpassing.
The weather was fine, and carriages slowly turned up from the mountain road now and then. It was the time for the plum blossoms to blossom and people all came to enjoy the view. It was usually more crowded at the nunnery than in other places at this time of year.
Wei Yuewu’s carriage suddenly stopped and Shufei got out of the carriage. She went to the intersection and stopped a carriage.
Inside the carriage was an old lady. Although she was displeased, she was quite kind to ask her servant to lift the curtain and look at Shufei.
“Madame, I’m sorry to bother you. My mistress ordered me to ask if you had ointment in your carriage. Our carriage collided with a young master’s carriage just now and that young master was injured.” Shufei curtsied respectfully first and uttered the words articulately.
“I don’t have any ointment with me. Ask those behind my carriage!” The old lady shook her head. She didn’t take many servants with her, nor did she have this kind of medicine. An old lady like her wasn’t in the habit of bringing ointment for injuries. It would be very considerate of her to think of bringing some medicine to prevent cold.
“Thank you, Madam.” Shufei stepped back and let the carriage pass. She then stopped the next carriage.
After repeating this for many times, all the passengers in the carriages that came up the mountain knew that Wei Yuewu’s carriage had collided with the carriage that was parked on the roadside. However, most of them didn’t have the ointment. They could only express their regret and sympathy for Wei Yuewu’s current situation.
Xie Qingzhao, who was in the front carriage, was also paying attention to what was going on behind him. Although the Sixth Miss Wei was stunning, he had more faith in another young lady. There was a trace of smugness around his lips when he saw Wei Yuewu going along with him to have his wound checked. The situation developed just as he had expected.
As Wei Yuewu was new in the capital, she did not know that this Xie Qingzhao was not an ordinary person. He was this year’s Bangyan (the person who came in the second place in the imperial examination) and was now well-known in the capital. He not only spoke properly but acted calmly and leisurely. It was said that the Emperor thought highly of him and wanted to give him a good position. As there was no special arrangement for him now, he was assigned to the Imperial Academy.
Therefore, although this Bangyan Xie came from a humble background, there were many families that wanted to marry their daughters to him. However, he said that he was too young to think of marriage.
But even so, many aristocratic young ladies who had seen him riding on a horse across the street lost their heart to him.
This Bangyan Xie also thought highly of himself. He wanted to marry a young lady with both talent and good looks. What was the point of being good-looking without talent? Moreover, Bangyan Xie was ambitious. Talent and appearance wouldn’t necessarily impress him, but power mattered most to him.
Marquis Hua Yang would be a good choice, as he was said to be highly valued by the Emperor and had only one first daughter.
A girl like Wei Yuewu was indeed easy to deceive. As long as he assumed a genteel manner and acted like he cared most about others rather than himself, she would surely fall for him as he expected. It was not at all difficult for him to win such a girl’s heart.
However, now, when he saw Wei Yuewu’s maid stopping carriages one after another, the smile on his face froze and his brows slowly furrowed. Stopping carriages to ask for ointment? Did she do this intentionally, or did she naturally think in this way? This was completely different from what he had expected.
Shufei had gotten some ointment at this moment. She walked to Xie Qingzhao’s carriage that was also parked on the roadside and said to him, “Young master, my mistress asked from others to obtain this ointment for you. Try it, and if it doesn’t work, please go down the mountain to find a doctor. You can go to the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang and report the cost for compensation.”
She extended her hand and unaffectedly handed over the ointment and even purposely spoke out the address aloud. There wasn’t a single trace of flirtation or intimacy in her manner.
“I thank your mistress. I’m fine.” Xie Qingzhao had to say so at this time. He started to reexamine the Sixth Miss Wei whose appearance had stunned him.
It was truly strange that this Sixth Miss Wei actually didn’t have any interest in such a fine character as his. Usually when aristocratic young ladies saw him like this, they would definitely follow him with shyness. Yet, this lady acted so candidly.
“Young master, remember to go to the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang. My mistress lived there.” Shufei seemed to be afraid that Xie Qingzhao didn’t understand her, so she reminded him again before going back to her carriage. After that, their carriage turned around and slowly left with Xie Qingzhao gazing at them in surprise.
They really left without the slightest hesitation?
This stupefied Bangyan Xie who was currently widely favorable among aristocratic young ladies in the capital. They just… left like that? Not even a handkerchief was left to him?
Didn’t he hear that this Sixth Miss Wei had never received much care or concern? He had been confident that he only needed to put on small play and would be able to captivate her. Did he run into the wrong person? But no. That maid clearly said that he could go to the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang to find them.
Shufei got into the carriage and the carriage went slowly onward. She couldn’t help asking, “Miss, what did that man want?”
“Maybe just a coincidental encounter!” Wei Yuewu smiled coldly. Right, it was a “coincidental” encounter that was carefully designed.
That was just a covert attempt to win girls’ heart, under the guise of his courteous and elegant manner, his handsome appearance and his gentle and caring voice. If she was really so ignorant, she might have fallen for him.
Well, this person was quite funny. People like him wouldn’t be easy to find!
“Sixth Young Lady, that… that person is the latest Bangyan. His surname is Xie.” The coachman’s voice came from the front with some hesitation.
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