Chapter 5, Clouds of Suspicion

A moment of silence enveloped the surroundings, and after a while, someone spoke up: "What on earth are you talking about"

The maidservants hurriedly went to assist Madam Zhou when suddenly a loud voice exclaimed: "Wait!"

Pah, what about you? When the Duke Rui came last time, you applied powder and changed your clothes, even secretly padded your chest, what were you rushing to the front yard for?

The maidservants immediately scattered like birds and beasts, while Jun Ke straightened up behind the wall, lost in thought

In the Great Yan Dynasty, women were scarce, and there were not many female servants in each household. With her current status, Jun Ke had only one wet nurse, two senior maids, and two junior maids, which was considered a first-rate arrangement in northern Ji. Now that Hong Yan was bedridden and Cui Mo was no longer around, there was no one to accompany her. Jun Ke took the little chicken and followed the sound all the way.

Running to the wall, with no one around, Jun Ke took out the "Peerless Secret Manual" from her bosom. She had originally paid it no mind, hardly believing that if it were truly a peerless manual, someone would casually give it to her. Yet at this moment, holding it in her hands and looking at the ancient cover and the carefully wrapped spine in brocade, she felt a stir in her heart, sensing that the young man from last night had not deceived her.

Who is it, so bold as to be caught by the guards

Jun Ke's expression tightened, knowing that this sentence was crucial. She hurriedly pressed her ear against the wall to listen, but there was no sound for a long while. Then, it seemed that Cui Mo let out a sigh, followed by the voice of an elderly maid, which sounded ominous: "What are you all gathered here for? Is the work all done?"

As far as I am concerned, that monk from Kyoto...

Haha, indeed, who could it be if not Prince Rui?

However, upon opening it, she could not help but feel greatly disappointed. The martial arts terminology was as incomprehensible as a celestial book, and the diagrams of internal energy were as cryptic as ghostly symbols. Although Jun Ke was as familiar with the diagrams of human bones and meridians as she was with her own room in the research institute, she found herself utterly unable to understand the illustrations here

Her morning runs must seem like a peculiar act to the people of the Zhou residence, yet strangely, no one inquires about it. Jun Ke feels a strange sensation; the tolerance of everyone in the Zhou residence towards her seems to carry a flavor of pity and indulgence, as if they are indulging someone who is on the verge of death—because she is close to death, she can do whatever she pleases.

After returning to the room and sitting for a short while, the usually quiet inner courtyard suddenly became lively. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the courtyard, and faint whispers could be heard, tinged with tension. Jun Ke stepped into the courtyard to investigate, but found that there was almost no one in her own yard, not even Cui Mo, who was usually never far from her side.

You little minx, you can't go three sentences without mentioning Prince Rui! Truly a lewd and despicable person

Early in the morning, the sounds of dogs barking and birds singing awakened Jun Ke from her sweet dreams. She lifted the curtain and saw a line of dark blue at the horizon, pierced by the brilliant rays of the sun, after the rain had cleared.

Last night, I heard that someone broke into the backyard

A group of fools! Who knows, today they may be alive, gossiping and dreaming, but tomorrow they could be dragged off to a mass grave! Spare me the nonsense!

What are you trying to deceive me for? The daughter of Granny Zhang in my courtyard has already married the former courtyard guard, or so she said

Enough, you have mentioned the matter from three years ago three thousand times, my ears are becoming calloused from hearing it

Jun Ke withdrew her ear from the wall and returned to the library, raising her eyebrows. This group of lovesick young girls, as they talked, drifted off topic, and as they continued, they became lost in a dream. It was better not to listen at all

Jun Ke and that renowned doctor almost entered the inner chamber together. Upon hearing the nurse convey the cause of the illness, the doctor immediately said upon entering: "The lady must be suffering from a fit of anger causing phlegm obstruction! We must clear the phlegm immediately! Quickly help the lady to sit up, with her head down, and pat her back!"

The peculiarity lies here; the guards have left, yet there is no movement. Then it was heard that the front courtyard was wide open for guests in the middle of the night. Who is it that has such a grand presence

Jun Ke dragged up the little chicken—just now that dog barking was not it, but rather the fierce dog from the outer courtyard. Comrade Little Chicken is different from the usual dogs that enjoy an early morning stroll; it loves to sleep in. If the window is covered with black cloth, it can lie still and sleep for an entire day.

Immediately get up, put on your socks, and prepare to run around the yard. Junke has always maintained good living habits and never slacks off, such as running every morning.

Using a round-headed bamboo stick, she propped up the drooping eyelids of the little chicken, while Junke grabbed its neck skin and dragged it out

Martial arts cannot be mastered in a short time, and the body still needs to be trained. She was stretching her legs against the wall when she heard the footsteps of several people passing by the adjacent wall, engaged in conversation with one another

Enough with the nonsense. If you ask me, the Duke of Rui is good, but the Right Chancellor is not bad either. The Crown Prince's cousin, a descendant of meritorious officials, came to Jibei three years ago on official business. His Royal Highness held a grand banquet to welcome him. I accompanied the lady to pay our respects and caught a glimpse of him from afar. My goodness, that demeanor...

Nonsense, how could this be true? I will tear apart your filthy mouth!

The excited tone from behind the wall suddenly diminished. Jun Ke had originally not paid much attention, but vaguely, it seemed to be Cui Mo, who suddenly raised her voice uncontrollably, catching her attention.

Who cares who he is? What does it have to do with us? In any case, whoever it is, it certainly won't be His Highness the Crown Prince

Is it true that there are no penalties for breaking into the government office, and that one is treated with great respect? Are you speaking nonsense?

Sighing, Jun Ke put away the booklet. Indeed, novels are all deceptive. A person with no foundation in martial arts can traverse to another world and in no time master the profound and vast ancient martial arts? Nonsense!

During those ten years at the research institute, exercising was aimed at one day being able to run away, to have a good body so that if I couldn't find a job, I could still do manual labor. Nowadays, exercising remains for the purpose of escaping. Ever since last night, upon seeing those who were climbing walls and kicking tiles, her sense of urgency and crisis has become increasingly pressing. I must train, I must train; if I encounter someone skilled in training, I may not be able to fight them, but I must at least be able to run faster.

The direction was towards Fengqing Pavilion, where Madam Zhou resided. At this moment, people were rushing about in a chaotic manner, their expressions filled with fear. No one inquired when they saw her appear. Jun Ke made her way through the crowd and overheard from the maids' conversations that last night the general had returned to the residence. For some unknown reason, he had a dispute with his wife, and it seemed that things escalated to physical altercations. At that time, no one dared to approach. The general then left in a huff, and only then did the maids feel brave enough to enter the room. They found Madam sitting by the bed, her face pale. Before the maids could ask any questions, she collapsed. This caused a commotion among the servants, who hurried to summon a doctor while sending someone to find the general. The general was not at the camp or the Wang residence, but the doctor did arrive. Everyone was busy helping Madam up and tidying the disheveled bed, so the doctor could take her pulse.