Half lying inside the carriage all alone, her eyes closed, Gui Wan was drowsily falling into a light sleep, under such haziness, the mentioning of Consort Ying’s name once again travels into her ear, her brows knits together, having already left the imperial palace, how could she still be hearing this name? She slowly opens her eye, the ruckus outside the carriage gets louder and louder, to the point that even the heavy carriage curtains were unable to block it off, Consort Ying’s name can be faintly heard from the quarrel, Gui Wan was covertly intrigued.
Once again lifting the curtains, she asks: “Who are the people arguing ahead?”
The coachman respectfully stands by the side, hearing this questions, he immediately answers: “It seems that conflict has arose between people of the Shu Zhang Estate and Yao Estate whilst on the road, thus causing a scene here.”
Is there not enough dispute within the palace that even their relatives have to battle it out outside? Gui Wan coldly watches ahead, that type of heavy yet powerless feeling of disgust once again resurfaces in her heart.
“Madam,” The coachman was a little worried, to see Gui Wan with such unsettled expression, he has never seen the Madam be like this before, “Would you like to ask them to move aside for us to pass through first?”
“No need,” A trace of blurred smile floats to the surface of her face, Gui Wan sadly says, “I want to watch on.”
The coachman says nothing and withdraws to the side, the more he thinks about it, the more unfitting it seems to be, and so he runs up to a store by the side, getting hold of an errand boy, stuffing some silver to him, he whispers a few words into his ear, the errand boy hurriedly nods his head before running off in flying style, heading towards the direction the carriage had come from.
The argument does not seem to have the slightest means of stopping, there’s even the tendency to continue intensifying, with neither sides willing to give way, watching on, she was just about to make a move, when hurried hooves suddenly sounds, Gui Wan turns her head to look behind, a small squad of imperial guards speedily closes in on their horses, the leader of them is actually –– Lou Che.
A complexion as clear as jade[7], gentle warmth like that of the spring breeze, containing an unexposed prestige, with an indescribable appearance of magnificence that sweeps people of their feet, the arguing retainers of the two Estates, unanimously opens up a path.
Gui Wan watches, her husband indeed has some clever tricks, half merciful, half intimidating, simultaneously scaring off the two households’ retainers. With no drama to watch, the crowd quickly disperses, the people flowing out like endless streams, and instantaneously half the crowd has already disappeared.
Riding up close to the carriage, Lou Che’s eyes carries a hint of anxiety, gently asking: “What’s wrong? Why are you not returning home?”
Gui Wan raises her head, revealing a smile, “I wanted to get some fresh air, what made Lord Husband come over?”
Seeing the unsettlement carried under her smile, a look of absentmindedness, Lou Che’s deeply laments inside, he dismounts from the horse, walking up to the carriage, he sees strands of her pitch black hair lift up in the wind, interlacing with the ribbon, Lou Che reaches out to smooth over her loose hair, and conveniently pulls down the curtains, he turns his head back and orders: “Back to the estate.” Having said that, he also jumps into the horse carriage.