20 - Facial rashes

Chapter 20 – Facial rashes

For this reason, Di Jing had to endure. Throughout the whole day, even though he was worried, he had to pretend there was nothing wrong and got through the day with much difficulty.

Early the next morning, he was already waiting in the study.

Will she be coming in today? Is she feeling better? Has her fever subsided?

He was making guesses in his heart and it was as if he was sitting on pins and needles. However, he still had a calm expression on his face. Finally, it was time for the morning roll call and after deliberately delaying for a few minutes, he found a guard to question him.

“Is Constable Shangguan here yet?”

“Reporting to my Lord, Constable Shangguan is already here. Does my Lord want to summon her?”

“This Officer has something to ask her. Call her over.”

“Yes.”

The big stone pressing on his heart was put down and knowing that she had reported for duty, Di Jing felt happy. When he heard the familiar sounds of footsteps approaching, he smiled. Then once again he put away his smile and regained his usual majestic appearance.

Shangguan Yan walked in and clasped a hand over a fist as a salute. “This humble one greets my Lord.”

This time, Di Jing raised his head and when he saw her, his majestic face froze.

“You……..what happened to your face?”

Di Jing had always been calm and would not show any change of expression even when he looked at a corpse. No one had ever made him feel so surprised that he stammered but Shangguan Yan had done it. In actual fact, Di Jing could not be blamed for being dumbstruck because her face was marked with rashes and was swollen. Her originally melon-seed-shaped face had turned into a bun-shaped face and she looked like a different person.

“My Lord, this humble one had a fever and rashes yesterday.”

“How did you get the rashes?”

“It’s probably due to the material used for the disguise which wasn’t suitable for my skin and I became like this.” She sighed with a grievous look.

If she is to walk down the street now, It’s afraid no one would recognize her. When she looked at Di Jing’s stunned and blank expression, she felt very satisfied because she had done this deliberately.

When she was at the Qin Mansion she had a way to make her face pockmarked, so naturally, she could make herself look ugly again but the pockmarked face could no longer be used. So this time, she changed her face to a face full of rashes that is even uglier than the pockmarked face.

She had two reasons for doing this.

One is when Di Jing sees that she had turned so ugly, perhaps he might become benevolent and no longer needs her to follow and serve him. She will also feel more relaxed. Two is that the disguise was too troublesome. It was always plastered on her face and could not be peeled off, which made her feel uncomfortable. Thus, It would be better for her to change her looks by taking medicine.

Di Jing stared straight at her. He was indeed shocked by her appearance but he was someone experienced in life, therefore very quickly, he recovered his calmness and somehow he had an intuition that it was a ploy.

At first, she had a pockmarked face in the Qin Mansion. Now that he had plotted and brought her to his side, she changed to a face covered with rashes. Although the reason she gave was that the disguise was not suitable for her skin, he was still suspicious of her words.

“So, that’s the reason. It was hard on you but it’s also good this way. Since your face had become like this, then others won’t be able to recognize you. So, you’re temporarily exempted from using a disguise.”

“This humble one obeys, but…….this humble one’s face had become an eyesore to my Lord.”

“This Officer values talent and had never judge people by their appearance. You’re talented, so feel at ease and this Officer won’t feel dislike for you.”

Ai! I was hoping that you will dislike me!

As she muttered in her heart, her face still showed gratitude. “Thank you, my Lord.”

“Alright, carry on with your work. This Officer will summon you again if there’s anything.”

“Yes. This humble one is leaving.”

She turned around and walked out of the study with a feeling of regret. She was hoping that he would send her far, far away because of her face. Since she did not make Lord Di dislike her, but it still made her very happy to be able to frighten him.

It was because of Fourth Junior Sister’s connection, she became acquainted with Old Man Zhao who was worthy of his title as a ‘divine doctor’. At first, he gave her the medicine that changed her face to a pockmarked face, and now again he had given her the medicine to change her looks.

Due to the toxicity of the medicine, she became feverish and after the fever had subsided, her face became swollen and covered with rashes. If one did not know her, one would think that the rashes on her face were birthmarks!

Every day she would swagger in and out with this face and except for Di Jing’s personal guard, no one knew that she is the Shangguan Yan who is supposed to be still languishing in prison. The other constables thought that she became ugly after falling sick and did not feel suspicious.

Because she wore the uniform of a female constable, soon the people gave her the title ‘Sorrowful-Looking Ghost Female Constable’.

Shangguan Yan was very satisfied with the title ‘Sorrowful-Looking Ghost’. Most people in the world regarded the scars and birthmarks on the face as inauspicious signs. In the past when she was investigating cases, her graceful and gentle appearance would always lessen her oppressive air as a government officer. That is also the reason why she always disguises herself as a man to do business outside. In this world, the people will always hold contempt for women and if she pretends to be a man, it would be much easier to get things done.

Look, now that she goes out to investigate cases with this face of hers, as long as she pulls her face taut and changes her expression, her air of official prestige will surge up.

If only she had known earlier that it is so effective! In the future, she will use this a lot more and she will seek out Old Man Zhao to ask him for more of this medicine.

While Shangguan Yan was feeling proud, Di Jing started to feel worried.

This woman……doesn’t she want to appear more beautiful in front of him? It is said that a female makes herself beautiful for the person who loves her. Every day, she would sway in front of him as though she doesn’t mind her ugliness which gave him a headache.

“Qiu Dan.”

“This humble one is here.”

“Go and investigate how she disguised her face.”

Qiu Dan was stunned and raised his eyes to look at the Lord. The Lord who had always ignored the matters regarding other people seemed to have been agitated by Constable Shangguan.

Does he need to be concerned about this kind of thing?

Suddenly, Di Jing stared at him. “If it is a disguise, it might prove useful for this Officer when investigating cases in the future.”

Qiu Dan lowered his head hastily. “Yes, this humble one will do it straight away.”

Ai, the Lord is obviously unhappy that Constable Shangguan sways in front of him with her ugly face but just refuses to admit it! Others might believe him but he, Qiu Dan has been with the Lord for a long time, so how can he not be aware of the Lord’s feelings for Constable Shangguan?

The Lord has a deep attachment to her. Since he likes her, wouldn’t it be better to let her know? Instead, he had her arrested then put her in jail, and then looked for reasons to make her stay by his side. How can the girl understand all this?

However, how would he know that other than his Lord’s desire for face, his Lord also wanted to succeed and would never fight a war when victory is uncertain?

After all, they have to work together on cases in the future and if he is to reveal his feelings too early……..it will be good if he is successful……..but in case once he confessed……. Then how are they going to get along in the future?

At that time, don’t even mention scheming for the heart of the woman he loves!

Besides, one thing that Di Jing is uncertain about is……..how much does Shangguan Yan care for Pan Gongzi ?

Do they love each other or are they just following the parents’ orders and the matchmaker’s words? If it is the latter, things are much simpler to handle but if it is the former…….it will be a little tricky. In case this is not handled well and the woman is snatched over but her heart is unobtainable, the woman will blame him.

Therefore, Di Jing planned to take everything step by step by first focusing on winning her heart.

Tomorrow is a rest day, so Shangguan Yan is in a particularly good mood. Rest days are also the best time for the shops’ businesses, so she would be visiting her shops after work is over today.

However, this little mood of hers was observed by Di Jing.

After Shangguan Yan had recorded the sorted files into a book, she took the book to Di Jing’s study.

“My Lord, this humble one, Shangguan Yan requests a meeting.”

“Come in.”

She pushed the door opened and walked in to find Di Jing standing in front of the table. With one hand placed behind his back and his other hand touching his chin, Di Jing was staring at the documents on the table.

“My Lord, the files have been sorted out, and the list here is written by this humble one. My Lord, please check it.”

“Mm……put it on the table first.” He pointed to the side of the table without looking at her while concentrating on the documents.

She walked over to place the book on the table and passing by, she took a curious glance as to what Di Jing was so interested in that he seemed to be in a trance. Unexpectedly, with this one glance, she saw a portrait of a woman on the table.

In the portrait, the woman looked very charming and moving. Her eyes were misty and the corners of her mouth were slightly curved into a delicate smile. The silk handkerchief in her hand was embroidered with peach blossoms and her graceful posture exhibited a variety of amorous feelings like a flower waiting to be picked by a flower admirer.

Shangguan Yan could not help but frown. On seeing that Di Jing was staring so intently at the beauty in the painting, there was a slight discomfort in her heart but then thinking that it had nothing to do with her, so she suppressed the feeling of unhappiness.

“This humble one is leaving.”

She turned around to leave but was stopped by Di Jing.

“Wait.”

She turned around again and asked. “My Lord, what other orders do you have?”

“Why are you frowning?”

She was stunned and hesitated before she replied. “It’s afraid that the words of this humble one may make my Lord unhappy.”

“Speak. No matter what you say, I promise not to be angry with you.” He had referred to himself as ‘I’ instead of ‘this Officer’ which indicated that both of them are friends at this moment with disregard for official ranks.

In fact, when he talks to her in private his tone is usually very casual and Shangguan Yan also does not like to talk to him formally. She still preferred the way they quarreled and joked while they were in the Qin Mansion. They often bickered with each other happily without the need to adhere to etiquette.

“It’s you who ordered me to speak, so I will say the truth. Although the woman in the painting is beautiful, she is not someone who is contented and not a good person for men to get attached to.”

“Oh?” Di Jing looked turned sideways to look at her with interest. “Do you know face-reading?”

“I don’t know how to read faces but I have a woman’s instinct. The woman in this painting has peach blossom eyes and an enchanting posture. She is a vixen who likes to seduce men. My Lord holds an important and influential position, so it’s best not to get attached to her. Moreover, no matter how fragrant is the flower, it can’t be compared to the good wife in the family.”

Di Jing nodded. “The words spoken are right. This woman does indeed seem flirtatious but I’m not married yet, so there’s no good wife in my family.”

Shangguan Yan was stunned and turned to look at him in surprise.

Before she could speak, Di Jing already knew what she was thinking and he said. “If I didn’t say I am married, then what other reason can I give to the Qin Family to reject the daughters that they stuffed to me?”