Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Meng Huaiqing was meticulous and skilled with his hands. He knew a bit of simple disguise techniques, applying a specially blended powder to my face and painting over it. He then applied a glue-like substance to the corners of my eyes and forehead, pinching the skin to create wrinkles.

Soon, I had been transformed into a sixty-year-old woman with a withered, sallow complexion covered in dark spots.

Meng Huaiqing, meanwhile, disguised himself as a middle-aged, pot-bellied son.

He supported me as we walked out of the Scripture Pavilion, heading to the main hall to offer incense and bow before finally walking out of Ci’en Temple with an air of confidence.

Perhaps our appearances were simply too ordinary, as we didn’t draw a single glance from the pilgrims or monks along the way.

***

The horse carriage traveled slowly along the official road.

I sat at the entrance of the carriage wrapped in a heavy cloak, while Meng Huaiqing sat outside driving the horses.

A thick curtain separated us.

Hugging a hand warmer to my chest, I let out a heavy sigh.

Meng Huaiqing’s voice immediately rang out. “What is it, Madam? Is the carriage too bumpy?”

“No.”

I didn’t know how to put it, but in the end, I decided to be honest. “You are a good man. How did you end up working for a demon like Yuan Heng?”

Meng Huaiqing gave a bitter laugh. “Perhaps birds of a feather flock together. I am no good man myself.”

I raised my hand, lifting the curtain slightly with two fingers to look outside.

Meng Huaiqing was wearing a felt hat. His face had been made darker and rougher, and he had attached a beard, making him look like a rugged commoner. However, his eyes remained beautiful.

They were melancholy and deep, full of emotion yet distant.

“Why do you say that?” I asked softly. “Have you killed someone, sir?”

Meng Huaiqing shook his head. “No, nothing like that.”

He opened his hand and stared at it for a long time. “But for the sake of fame and fortune, I nearly became a blade in a demon’s hand.”

I asked cautiously, “You’ve mentioned your grandfather more than once, saying he was once the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau and that the Meng Family has fallen into ruin. Is it because of that?”

Meng Huaiqing turned his head to look at me. After a long silence, he sighed. “You possess a wisdom far beyond your years. You’ve seen right through me.”

I smiled. “Perhaps it’s because I grew up without anyone to look after me. I had to learn to read people’s expressions from a very young age.”

Meng Huaiqing turned his body slightly to make it easier to talk to me. “My grandfather was framed by a treacherous official and sentenced to death by the Late Emperor. From then on, the Meng Family was relegated to the status of outcasts. I wanted to clear my grandfather’s name, and my only hope was to rely on Lord Cheng Wei. He has access to the old archives to reopen the case, and he has the power to fabricate charges to exact revenge for my grandfather. But the prerequisite for all of this was that I needed a powerful backer.”

That backer was Yuan Heng, without a doubt.

I lowered my eyes. “I was able to marry into the Marquis Manor because of this face. Is the reason you can stay by his side because you are proficient in the Face-Changing Technique?”

The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. Meng Huaiqing wanted something from Yuan Heng. If he…

“Madam, do not overthink things.”

Meng Huaiqing suddenly spoke, interrupting my thoughts. “While the Face-Changing Technique is important for staying by the Marquis’s side, what’s more important is that I can keep his beloved alive.”

I hurriedly asked, “Wasn’t that woman’s face ruined? Has she fallen seriously ill again?”

Meng Huaiqing hesitated, then finally said, “You could say that.”

I nodded in understanding. “So when you said you often go into the mountains to gather herbs, it’s also to treat that woman?”

Meng Huaiqing gave a hum of affirmation.

He shifted his posture and looked straight ahead, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation regarding “that woman.”

I closed the thick curtain and sat back inside the carriage to rest with my eyes closed.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

“Sir, you said earlier that Yuan Heng wouldn’t easily search Yankang Ward because of a County Captain, the one surnamed Song.”

I asked tentatively, “Before I married into the Marquis Manor, I once heard my father mention in passing that Yuan Heng’s first wife, Song Yulan, came from a prestigious family. Her mother was the Late Emperor’s sister, Princess Jincheng. At the time, my father also mentioned that Song Yulan had a brother who was a promising young talent. I’ve forgotten his name for the moment.”

Meng Huaiqing chuckled softly. “That’s right. Song Yan is indeed Song Yulan’s brother.”

As I thought.

I wanted to ask more.

At that moment, Meng Huaiqing said, “Sit tight. We’re about to enter Chang’an.”

***

Yankang Ward was bustling and crowded, a gathering place for merchants and laborers from all over.

After the donkey cart traveled slowly for over an hour, we finally arrived.

The house Meng Huaiqing had rented was at the very end of an alley. It had two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a small, elegant courtyard.

After entering, he went into the room on the left. He soon emerged having changed into a clean cotton robe and locked the door behind him.

As he wiped his face with a damp cloth, he led me around to familiarize me with the place. “There is enough firewood in the courtyard, and the meat and vegetables I bought at the market earlier are enough to last you alone for half a month.”

I was startled. “Are you leaving?”

Meng Huaiqing hummed. “It’s time for me to return from ‘gathering herbs.’ If I stay away too long, even if the Marquis doesn’t become suspicious, it wouldn’t be good if he sent people into the mountains to look for me.”

I looked at him with concern. “Then you must be careful, sir.”

Meng Huaiqing smiled and pulled a porcelain box from his robe, handing it to me.

I looked at him, puzzled. “This is?”

He smiled and pressed the box into my hand. “This is a newly formulated ointment. Its effectiveness in removing scars and regenerating skin is several times stronger than the previous one. If you apply it for five days at most, the wound on your cheek will surely be restored to its original state.”

“I’ve also left some pills on the table in the room to protect your pregnancy. Take some if you feel unwell.”

A warmth spread through my heart, and my eyes grew stinging and wet. “You are so good to me, sir. I… I don’t even know how to thank you.”

Meng Huaiqing looked at me and remained silent for a long time before saying firmly, “Then just live well.”