Chapter 62: The Mask

Meinang wasn’t surprised. “I guessed as much. How would any ordinary nobleman dare to embroider a coiling dragon on their robe? I couldn’t avoid him. On a snowy day, with the countryside so desolate and few travelers, they stopped me. This Prince Qi is very strange. Despite his serious injuries, he refuses to let his attendants assist him. He’s temperamental. I bandaged his wounds, and if he hadn’t been so restless, he wouldn’t have bled so much.”

Zhang Jing Yun said, “You bandaged him well. It’s rare that he allowed you to do that. Prince Qi is eccentric and doesn’t easily allow people close. I’ve informed Ling Xu Zi that you came. He has to stay at the manor to treat Prince Qi. I’ve made use of this gap to come out. I must remind you from now on, stay indoors. Don’t let Prince Qi see you again, and especially don’t appear in men’s clothing. The consequences would be serious.”

“Why?” Meinang was puzzled. Why would dressing as a man, a personal freedom, matter to Prince Qi?

Zhang Jing Yun’s expression became a bit awkward. Clearing his throat to cover his discomfort, he said with a smile, “It’s too windy, let’s get inside the carriage. I’ll explain as we go.”

“Alright.” Meinang, feeling the cold, quickly climbed into the carriage, and Zhang Jing Yun tethered the horse before following. Sister Lian remained seated in the corner by the door.

Zhang Jing Yun didn’t speak to Sister Lian, and Meinang sighed inwardly. She would have to send Sister Lian outside to endure the cold for a while. There was no way she could let her overhear anything about Prince Qi. If she slipped up, it could lead to disaster.

Meinang wrapped a cloak and blanket around Sister Lian, saying, “Go outside and keep Brother Lian company. Put this cloak on and cover your face with the hood to protect yourself from the cold.”

Sister Lian took the cloak and blanket, hugging them, and glanced at Zhang Jing Yun and Meinang, not moving or speaking.

Meinang understood what she meant and quickly said, “He’s a friend, it’s fine. We’re just having a brief conversation. We’ll call you back in shortly.”

Only then did Sister Lian lift a corner of the curtain, preparing to go outside, but she turned back and said, “Second Master, if you need anything, just call, I’ll hear you.”

“Alright, I know,” Meinang said awkwardly to Zhang Jing Yun, “My family is very simple and good… I hope you won’t mind any lack of manners.”

“It’s nothing.” Zhang Jing Yun smiled. “It’s freezing out. But why did you come all the way here yourself? Ling Xu Zi said he agreed to treat your brother’s illness. Was this the reason?”

Mentioning her brother’s illness, Meinang’s attention became sharp. “Yes, my brother from Yue Zhou has returned, but his condition has worsened. I was allowed to visit him this morning, so I rushed to find both of you. Please, I beg you to examine him, no matter what. I have no way to repay you, but I will remember your kindness forever.”

Zhang Jing Yun was confused. “Allowed? Didn’t Jun Ying… Lord Hou, return to Qin’s residence with you? If he had sent someone quickly, I or Ling Xu zi would have come.”

Meinang lowered her eyes and sighed softly. “I won’t lie in front of you. Every family has its troubles. Lord Hou confined me to the residence, forbidding me from returning home. My brother is near death, and after much argument, he finally allowed me to visit him. I had to leave early in the morning and return by noon. How can someone visit their family like this? I once asked him to invite Ling Xu Zi to treat my brother, but he said, ‘Ling Xu Zi and Zhang Xian sheng are my friends, they have important matters to attend to, and I don’t allow you to disturb them.’ I was so upset that I secretly came… I don’t want my brother to suffer at the hands of those quacks. I want him to recover quickly, and Ling Xu Zi promised he would help him recover in time for the spring exam…”

Her eyes suddenly reddened. “Mr. Zhang, Daoist, you are good friends with Lord Hou. Perhaps you will consider his face… but I, I rely on trust and sincerity. Please, Mr. Zhang, come with me. Please don’t refuse. Even if it’s just doing a good deed.”

Zhang Jing Yun looked at her in disbelief. “You’re talking about Xu Jun Ying? We’ve been friends for many years and know each other well. He’s not someone who would be so unreasonable.”

Meinang lowered her head and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She thought to herself, “This was a mistake. Why was I so honest? Ancient people valued loyalty and righteousness. If Zhang Jing Yun thinks I’m slandering Xu Jun Ying, he might protect him and refuse to go.”

Fortunately, Zhang Jing Yun didn’t seem offended. He spoke kindly to comfort Meinang. “Don’t worry, Ling Xu Zi always keeps his promises. If he can’t go, I’ll go in his place. I believe I can treat your brother as well.”

Meinang was overjoyed, bowing her head and thanking them. “You both have my deepest gratitude, my brother and I will never forget this kindness.”

Zhang Jing Yun quickly said, “No need for such formalities. Since you are dressing as a man, it would be inappropriate to call you by your name. Please don’t take offense.”

“You can just call me Qin Er.”

“Qin Er is no longer an appropriate name,” Zhang Jing Yun said seriously. “Since we are close friends, we must think of Jun Ying and you… Prince Qi is clearly very interested in you. The fact that he would go so far as to get close to a commoner in white clothes shows he is quite attentive. With his temperament, if he doesn’t see you again, he will certainly look everywhere for you. If you return to dressing as a woman and stay inside, he won’t be able to find you, and you can pretend Qin Er never existed.”

Meinang stared at Zhang Jing Yun in confusion. “He cares about me? I spent a lot of effort dressing like this. Did you really see through me?”

Zhang Jing Yun smiled slightly. “Your robes are a little loose, and your face is altered… I can tell who you are. It’s understandable that Prince Qi and his people didn’t see through it. After all, there are men more beautiful than women in this world… He doesn’t like women. If he finds out you’re a woman, and that you deceived him by pretending to be a man, you could bring trouble to yourself.”

“Prince Qi… How could he…” Meinang almost choked, her face turning red with anger. “What does this have to do with me? It’s not like I went after him. He’s the one who stopped me. Should I lock myself in my house for the rest of my life just to avoid him?”

Zhang Jing Yun felt embarrassed, but he sighed with relief. It’s difficult to explain such a matter to a normal man, but to avoid offending Prince Qi, he had no choice. It was clear that Prince Qi cared deeply for Qin Er. He had been asking Ling Xu Zi about his recovery while staying at Gui Yun Manor for over ten days.

After a brief silence, Meinang sighed to herself, frustrated with her bad luck. “In my past life, I never had to deal with this sort of thing. Why is it so troublesome now that I’m in this ancient world?”

Zhang Jing Yun, thinking she was upset over not being able to leave the house, pulled out a white cloth bag from his shoulder, rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out a thin leather mask.

“I once made two masks for my younger apprentice sister. She took one, but didn’t like this one because it was too plain, so I kept it. If you need to go out, you can wear this to avoid running into Prince Qi.”

Meinang was both surprised and delighted. She took the mask and touched it. “What’s this made of? Human skin?”

Zhang Jing Yun laughed. “Human skin? Where would I get that? No one would agree to give up their skin while alive, and dead skin on your face would be disgusting.”

Meinang said, “But the books say there are human skin masks. This material is so fine and tough, it almost feels like it.”

Zhang Jing Yun shook his head. “There are human skin masks, but we don’t use those. This one is made from ice spider silk. When you put it on, it’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s also good for the skin.”

“Really?”

Women always react strongly to words like “skin care” and “beauty.” Meinang raised the ice spider mask, examining it from all angles, then held it up to her face.

Zhang Jing Yun smiled. “This mask is applied in a special way. You need to heat it over a flame, and when it becomes transparent, you can stick it on your face. To remove it, just tap it with warm water, and it will come off easily.”

Meinang hurriedly opened a small wooden door under the side seat, pulling out a brass stove. “Perfect, I already have a fire.”

Zhang Jing Yun raised an eyebrow. “It seems you really planned ahead. You’re good at this.”

Meinang smiled and said, “A woman’s beauty is her life. I’ve always been careful.”

Zhang Jing Yun watched her heat up the mask, thinking that he must warn Prince Qi in advance. He was afraid that this small kindness would lead to trouble. But thinking of Meinang’s sincere gratitude, he decided to help her.

“Good luck, Qin Er,” he murmured.

“Thank you!” Meinang replied eagerly. “You are the most dependable person I know!”