Chapter 45

Not knowing whether it was intentional or unintentional on the part of Xu Sha'an, who was in charge of security, Huang Ying'er was arranged to sit in the same carriage as Zhang Weixin. Apart from the coachman, there was no one else in the carriage. Although Huang and Zhang had many complaints about Xu Sha'an's arrangement, they could not find a suitable reason to object and had no choice but to get into the carriage helplessly.

As the coachman gave a command, the carriage began to move slowly. Because a box of silver was placed in the carriage, taking up some space, Huang and Zhang had to squeeze together after getting in, which made them feel very awkward. Both of them had things they wanted to say to each other but did not know how to start. They were both silently thinking about their own concerns, hoping the other would speak first so they could have a way out and express their thoughts. As expected, the carriage was silent except for the faint sounds of the wind and the coachman's shouts from outside.

In the end, it was Huang Ying'er who broke the silence, unable to hold back any longer. She said softly, "Taoist Zhang, this time it was thanks to your rescue. Otherwise, my two family members and I would have already become ghosts under the blade. I am truly grateful." As she spoke, she noticed that Zhang Weixin was wearing casual clothes today and recalled that it was because she had listened to Uncle Yang's account of the so-called auction that she decided to leave the city and go to Yu Xu Palace to find out about this dubious Taoist, which led to her encounter with the bandits and this unexpected disaster. She felt both aggrieved and angry at the moment. Without waiting for Zhang Weixin to respond, she deliberately sized him up and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Or should I call you Master Zhang, or perhaps Mister Zhang?"

Zhang Weixin, hearing her thanks, was about to respond humbly but was taken aback by her subsequent words and did not know how to answer. Zhang Weixin had always been troubled by the fact that Huang Ying'er had kept something from him, suspecting that she had ulterior motives for getting close to him. However, upon reflection, he realized that he too had kept things from her. Moreover, from a certain perspective, no matter how their relationship developed in the future, the secrets about his background and origins would probably never be revealed to her. From Huang Ying'er's tone, Zhang Weixin could hear her endless grievances and felt a softening in his heart. He organized his thoughts and began to recount the standard answer about his background that the穿越者 (穿越者 refers to people who have traveled through time or space) used to introduce themselves to others.

As a university history professor, his eloquence and ability to organize his thoughts were quite impressive. The well-crafted story, told with vivid detail, became even more engaging and moving. Huang Ying'er felt as if she were right there, experiencing the tension and joy as he narrated, and soon forgot her grievances and dissatisfaction. When Zhang Weixin finally finished his story, describing their arduous journey back to the Central Plains and how they settled down with the help of Mr. Zhong, and how the auction gave them a solid financial foundation, Huang Ying'er sighed in relief. Her delicate and smooth face, flushed from the intense emotions, made her even more beautiful. Zhang Weixin, seeing this, couldn't help but be captivated.

The renewed silence in the carriage made Huang Ying'er feel uneasy. She turned her head and saw Zhang Weixin staring at her in a daze, causing her to blush and lower her head, saying shyly, "Don't look at me like that, it's embarrassing."

Zhang Weixin, realizing he had lost his composure, quickly averted his gaze and smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, Huang Ying'er, having heard his explanation, understood the difficulties he had in not being able to tell her everything at the time. Now that everything was clear, her heart was no longer troubled, and she was even a little pleased with his "impolite" behavior.

The silence in the carriage was broken again, but this time by Huang Ying'er, who, after a fierce internal struggle, decided to reciprocate his honesty by revealing her own background. As she slowly recounted her life over the past few years, Zhang Weixin's expression gradually became more serious. He never imagined that the seemingly gentle woman before him had such a tumultuous past, a story that could be written into a novel.

When Huang Ying'er also revealed everything she knew about the Feiyan Hall, Zhang Weixin was even more moved. Although he had not experienced it himself, he could imagine the severe penalties that secret organizations would impose on members who leaked internal information. Now that Huang Ying'er had risked her own safety to tell him this, Zhang Weixin understood the significance. However, he could not let his emotions cloud his judgment. Even though he no longer suspected Huang Ying'er—perhaps he should call her by her real name, Yang Xiaoyun—the team's rules could not be violated. As a committee member, he had to strictly adhere to them. Therefore, before he could make any promises to the expectant Yang Xiaoyun, he needed to report the situation to the committee and obtain their approval.

After much deliberation, Zhang Weixin looked at Huang Ying'er earnestly and said, "Ying'er, oh, I'll call you Xiaoyun, I like that name better. Xiaoyun, I understand your feelings, and it is my good fortune to have your favor. However, I hope you can understand that I am not just responsible for myself. As an important member of my team, I am also responsible for the entire team. In other words, I don't just belong to myself; I belong to the entire team. We, who have returned from overseas, face a perilous environment in this unfamiliar land, which requires us to unite and face it together. Every member is indispensable to the team.

Therefore, when making any decisions that affect our future, we must consider the impact on the team and try to gain the understanding of other members. You can imagine that because of your previous concealment of your identity, the team members might have doubts about your intentions in interacting with me. Now that you have told me everything about your background, it shows your sincerity. However, before I can make any promises to you, I need to inform the team members, or at least the main members, to change their views on you."

As he spoke, he reached out and held Huang Ying'er's soft hands, saying earnestly, "I believe in the saying 'sincerity can move even the hardest stone.' I believe that with our sincerity, we can gain their understanding. Are you willing to give me some time to convince them with our sincerity?"

Zhang Weixin's words left Yang Xiaoyun somewhat confused. She did not understand why Zhang Weixin's personal feelings needed the approval of his teammates, who were not his parents or elders. However, from his expression and tone, she could tell he was sincere. Perhaps the process of returning to the Central Plains had been so arduous that they had become close brothers, trusting each other with their lives and not wanting to put each other at risk. Given her previous concealment, it was understandable that they were cautious. She could also feel that Zhang Weixin's feelings for her were genuine, and he was not just making excuses. Therefore, although she did not fully understand, she decided to accept his request and give him some time to convince his teammates. In fact, the challenges she faced were probably even greater than his.

After thinking it through, Yang Xiaoyun nodded gently at Zhang Weixin, who looked earnest, and said, "Although I don't understand why your team has such a strange rule, I understand my feelings for you and yours for me. So, regardless of whether I can understand your team's rules, I promise to give you time and hope you won't let me down."

With her understanding, Zhang Weixin felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He squeezed her soft hand and promised, "Rest assured, I won't let you down."

However, his grip was a bit too tight, and Yang Xiaoyun winced in pain, saying, "Gently, it hurts."

Zhang Weixin quickly let go, scratching his head and said awkwardly, "Sorry, I got a bit too excited." He then laughed foolishly, and Yang Xiaoyun shot him a few playful glares.

People often say that time flies when you're with a beautiful woman, and Zhang Weixin felt exactly that way. Before he knew it, the coachman had already informed him that they had arrived at the city gate of Liangxiang. Although he was reluctant, as one of the leaders of the gold transport team, he had to get off the carriage and communicate with the soldiers at the city gate to ensure the convoy could enter smoothly.

Fortunately, they often entered the city, and the soldiers at the gate were familiar with them. They knew that Zhang Weixin and his team had good relations with Magistrate Hu and Chief Zheng, and that they always gave them some "tea money" and "wine money" when entering the city. Therefore, when the military leader saw Zhang Weixin get off the carriage, he hurriedly greeted him with a smile. Zhang Weixin also smiled and chatted with him for a few moments, then handed him a string of copper coins that he had prepared in advance. The military leader, while pretending to refuse, waved for the convoy to enter the city.

After the convoy entered the city, Zhang Weixin did not rush to Qi Yu's house but decided to go to the Yuelai Inn to rest first. One reason was that it was nearly noon, and it would not be appropriate to visit Qi Yu's house with a large group during mealtime. Another reason was that Yang Xiaoyun's situation had not yet been approved by the team, and it would not be appropriate for her to be present during the transaction, to avoid any objections from other members. Moreover, the situation with Qingchen and the Yang family was still unclear, and he needed to understand it before proceeding. The others had no objections, as they were all hungry and were happy to have lunch before the transaction. Given the time, they would not be able to return to Yu Xu Palace before dark, so finding a place to stay was a good idea.

The owner of the Yuelai Inn, Mr. Cui, was very welcoming to Zhang Weixin and his team, regular customers. He arranged for them to stay in the east wing and, at Zhang Weixin's request, sent a servant to the Tianfu Building to order lunch for them.

After entering the east wing, Zhang Weixin first arranged for Yang Xiaoyun, who was waiting for news from Qingchen, to settle in. Then, taking advantage of the time before lunch, he gathered Xu Sha'an and Zeng Zhilin and told them everything Yang Xiaoyun had told him, seeking their opinions.

Xu and Zeng were also surprised to hear about Yang Xiaoyun's complex background. They could also sense her deep affection for Zhang Weixin, as she had risked her life for him.

From Xu and Zeng's perspective, they had no objections to the relationship and thought it was a good thing for lovers to be together. However, Xu Sha'an also pointed out that the final outcome of the relationship was not up to them. Although Zeng Zhilin was a member of the review committee, according to the rules, he and Liang Ziyue had to approve it together for the committee to accept it. Moreover, since Zhang Weixin was a committee member, the team's rules required the committee to review the matter again.

After explaining the rules, Xu Sha'an also encouraged Zhang Weixin, patting him on the shoulder and saying, "Old Zhang, don't worry too much. Although Yang Xiaoyun, due to her sensitive background, did not tell the truth before, causing some suspicion, she has now made up for it with her actions. Her story also explains the doubts we found during our investigation. I believe that both Liang Ziyue and the other committee members will accept her explanation and will not deliberately try to break up the relationship."

Zhang Weixin knew Xu Sha'an was right, nodded, and thanked the two of them. As for the outcome of the relationship, he could only leave it to fate. They chatted for a few more moments and then heard Qingchen's voice outside the courtyard. The three of them quickly went out and saw Qingchen and the two members of Yang Xiaoyun's family entering the courtyard. From Yang Kefu's behavior and expression, it seemed his eyes were not seriously injured.

Qingchen came over to greet Zhang Weixin, Xu, and the others, explaining that Yang Kefu's eyes had been treated at a medical clinic, and the lime had been washed out, so there was no problem. Everyone was relieved, and Yang Xiaoyun, who had come out of her room upon hearing the news, also sighed in relief. She was worried about Yang Kefu's health and feared that if his eyes were damaged, Liu Yunyan would notice when she returned from Youzhou, making it difficult to deceive her.

After the battle outside the city, the relationship between the people from Yu Xu Palace and the Yang family, especially Yang Kefu, had grown closer. Now that Yang Kefu was fine, everyone was happy. When the lunch from the Tianfu Building arrived, they all gathered around a table, except for those guarding the vehicles, and enjoyed a hearty meal, chatting and laughing.

After the lively lunch, everyone returned to their rooms in small groups to digest their food and prepare for the transaction with Qi Yu's family. At this time, a servant from the Tianfu Building, after receiving the meal money from Zhang Weixin, approached him with a smile and asked, "Is the food to your satisfaction, Taoist Zhang?"

Zhang Weixin, while picking his teeth, nodded and said, "Satisfied, satisfied. The Tianfu Building is indeed the best restaurant in Liangxiang, and the food is excellent."

The servant then asked tentatively, "I wonder how long Taoist Zhang will be staying in the city. If you have the time, our boss, Mr. Chen, hopes to have a chat with you and the other Taoists."

Zhang Weixin, who had been speaking politely out of habit, stopped picking his teeth and asked with a puzzled look, "What does Mr. Chen want to talk about?"

The servant shook his head and said, "I don't know, sir. Mr. Chen didn't tell me."

Zhang Weixin thought for a moment and realized that since he and Mr. Chen were acquaintances, Mr. Chen probably wanted to discuss some business matters. After all, the auction they held at his restaurant was very successful, and Mr. Chen, being shrewd, would see that they had some unique business insights and might want to learn from them. Therefore, he asked the servant to wait a moment and then went to discuss it with Xu Sha'an, Fan Wucheng, and Zhao Dawei. Xu and Fan also thought that Mr. Chen might want to learn some new business techniques from them, so they agreed to accept Mr. Chen's invitation.

Zhang Weixin then returned to the servant and said that they agreed to Mr. Chen's invitation and would visit him after their current affairs were settled. Since they planned to invite the Qi family to dinner at the Tianfu Building that evening, the meeting with Mr. Chen was tentatively scheduled after the dinner. The servant, having received the confirmation, left the other servants to clean up and went back to report to Mr. Chen, indicating that Mr. Chen was very interested in the matter.