Lu Qing thought of his granddaughter’s husband, Yang Fang. Although he had never fully approved of the man, Yang Fang hadn’t divorced his wife after the Lu family’s downfall, unlike many others. This proved that, at least, he was somewhat reliable.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Qing said in a low voice, “Send her a letter to let her know we’re safe.”
It had been a long time, and his granddaughter must be worried about the family. This was a good opportunity to send a letter of reassurance, to ease her concerns.
Madam Song, Lu Qing’s daughter-in-law, breathed a sigh of relief, though she still felt uneasy. “Father, perhaps it’s better not to send a letter?”
She was worried about their son-in-law’s precarious position. If someone with ill intentions discovered the letter, it might cause trouble for Yang Fang.
Lu Zhou, holding a pen, had just finished writing a letter to the Song family but hesitated when it came to writing to his daughter. He shared his wife’s concerns—sending a letter could create unnecessary complications for his son-in-law, who might still need to assist their family in the future.
Lu Qing looked at his eldest son. He understood the worries of both his son and daughter-in-law.
“Do you also think it’s best not to write to Tiao’er?” Lu Qing asked.
Lu Zhou sighed. “Father, Yang Fang is currently serving in the court. If this letter falls into the wrong hands, it could bring trouble upon him. If Tiao’er ends up being blamed…”
He was worried about his daughter’s situation in the Yang household.
Leaning on his cane, Lu Qing snorted coldly, “If a single letter makes him blame his wife, then I don’t think Tiao’er should stay in the Yang family at all.”
Madam Song: “…”
Lu Zhou: “…”
That wasn’t exactly how things worked.
Lu Qing grabbed the pen from Lu Zhou’s hand. “If neither of you wants to write, I’ll do it myself!”
It was just a letter to reassure her. If the Yang family had an issue with it, then perhaps his granddaughter’s life there wasn’t as good as they had hoped.
The next morning, Gu Xingzhao got up without even eating breakfast and headed to the ancient era to collect the letters. There were a dozen or so letters, all marked with their intended destinations.
One of them was addressed to Lu Youtiao, meant for her at the Yang family, her husband Yang Fang worked at the Hanlin Academy in the capital.
Gu Xingzhao quickly remembered that this was the granddaughter of the old man, who had married into the Yang family and was pregnant.
This piqued Gu Xingzhao’s interest, and she promised Lu Qing that the letter would be delivered to Lu Youtiao personally.
She then took the letter to He Zhen’s residence.
Upon hearing about Gu Xingzhao’s mission, He Zhen accepted the letter. “Rest assured, I’ll handle it.”
Knowing that the divine being cared about the Lu family, He Zhen assured Gu Xingzhao that she would personally ensure the letter to Lu Youtiao was delivered.
Gu Xingzhao trusted He Zhen to handle things efficiently. However, recalling Liu Xiangbai’s recent suggestions, Gu Xingzhao wondered if it was time for He Zhen to leave the capital.
“Are you planning to go to the Northern Lands with your daughter?” Gu Xingzhao asked.
He Zhen shook her head. The drink business had just started, and profits were rolling in. She couldn’t bear to leave just now. Moreover, this was a task given by the divine being, and she had to see it through.
“I’ll stay in the capital for now,” He Zhen replied.
Gu Xingzhao frowned slightly. “Have you discussed this with Liu Xiangbai?”
Would Liu Xiangbai agree to let He Zhen remain in such a volatile place?
He Zhen nodded. “He mentioned it in a dream last night. In the end, he left the decision to me.”
Seeing that, Gu Xingzhao didn’t press further. It was, after all, a decision for the couple to make. The last time someone tried to rob He Zhen’s house, she had handled it decisively, making it clear to anyone with ill intentions that she wasn’t to be messed with. Now, no one dared to scale the walls of her residence.
“If anything happens, reach out to me directly,” Gu Xingzhao said.
After Gu Xingzhao left, He Zhen wasted no time in arranging for messengers to deliver the letters. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, she sent four people—two men and two women—to blend in.
As for the letter to Lu Youtiao, He Zhen decided to deliver it herself. Upon arriving at the Yang family residence and asking to see Yang’s wife, she was stopped at the gate. After slipping the guards some silver, she finally managed to have her message sent inside.
After a long wait, someone finally came out. The person, seemingly a steward, looked He Zhen up and down. “Who might you be?”
He Zhen had already prepared her story. “My surname is He, with a single character, Zhen. I was a childhood friend of Madam Yang before she got married. I now run a fireworks business and recently opened a beverage shop. I’ve brought some drinks for Madam Yang to try. If you tell her it’s me, she’ll want to see me.”
As she spoke, He Zhen held a food box containing several drinks.
The steward knew of the famous He family, the only ones selling fireworks in the capital. After a brief hesitation, he said, “Please wait a moment.”
He hurried back into the residence, and after some time, returned with a message: “My mistress has caught a cold and cannot receive guests. She sends her apologies to Madam He.”
He Zhen was taken aback but quickly regained her composure. Handing over the food box, she said, “No problem. Please deliver these drinks to her and wish her a speedy recovery.”
“Thank you, Madam,” the steward replied, taking the box and disappearing back into the mansion.
After leaving the Yang residence, He Zhen returned home and immediately wrote a message to the divine being.
“Yang’s household seems rather peculiar. After paying a hefty sum, I was finally able to get someone to relay the message. The steward claimed that Lu Youtiao has caught a cold and is too ill to see visitors.”
Gu Xingzhao was reviewing the latest account book from He Zhen’s beverage shop. The business was doing even better than expected, and soon, its profits might even surpass those from the fireworks.
After all, drinks could be enjoyed daily, while fireworks were reserved for special occasions.
Upon hearing He Zhen’s message, Gu Xingzhao frowned. “Caught a cold?”
“Yes, that’s what the Yang family said, but I suspect it’s just an excuse. The steward didn’t even bother relaying my message properly. I believe the Yang family is deliberately keeping her from seeing anyone.”
Sensing that something was off, He Zhen had kept her guard up during the visit. If the steward had genuinely delivered the message, he would’ve known that Lu Youtiao had no such friend named He Zhen.
After a long silence, He Zhen asked, “Shall I investigate further?”
The Yang family’s security was lax, and finding information would only require a little silver. It wouldn’t be difficult.
Setting the account book aside, Gu Xingzhao contemplated whether to check on Lu Yaoqiao herself or to inform the old man first. After hearing He Zhen’s offer, she agreed, “Alright, go ahead and gather some information.”
He Zhen immediately set about the task, and soon, the truth was uncovered.
“The Yang family did recently call for a doctor, but it wasn’t for Madam Yang’s cold. It was to prescribe medicine to protect the pregnancy of a new concubine that Yang Fang recently took in.”
Gu Xingzhao’s expression darkened, and her voice became icy. “A concubine?”
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