Wei Shao rushed back to Jinyang in the late evening at the end of July, covered in dust. His horse slowed down as he headed for the government office in the northern part of the city. Finally, Wei Shao stopped his horse, pondered for a moment by the side of the road, turned his horse around, and went in another direction.

……

Su EHuang’s head disease has not been well these days. After returning from the government office that day, she could not travel again and has been resting in the post house.

From the first day she stayed in the post house, the postmaster knew her identity through the mouth of her attendant. She was the Madam of the late Zuo Feng Yi, which was fine, but she was the widow of a dead Han family member with an empty name.

What made the postmaster look at her differently was she was related to the new lord of Jinyang, the Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao. The day after she arrived, she visited the Marquis of Yan’s wife, who lived in seclusion. After she returned, she had a headache. When Mrs. Yan heard about it, she sent a doctor to visit her.

It showed that their relationship was indeed extraordinary. In addition, because of Miss Su’s generosity during the past half month when she was staying in the city, the postmaster was attentive and thought highly of her.

In the evening of this day, the postmaster hurried to the back hall, came to an exquisite and quiet room, and knocked on the door.

Su E Huang’s maid opened the door and revealed her face, and the postmaster said, “Marquis Yan is here! He is in the front hall, asking Madam to go over and talk.”

When the postmaster uttered these words, his attitude was respectful.It was shocking. The wife of the late Zuo Feng Yi could make the Marquis of Yan come here personally. It seemed that their friendship was indeed exceptional.

The maid asked the postmaster to wait for a while. She turned back inside and repeated the words.

Su E Huang was lying on the bed with one arm supporting her neck and her eyes closed as if asleep. A servant girl knelt beside her and pounded her legs and feet.

She opened her eyes. She said, “Tell the postmaster to tell the Marquis of Yan I have a headache. Can he please come in for a chat?”

The maid went out to deliver the message and returned. “The postmaster said he had already mentioned that Madam was recovering from her illness here. The Marquis of Yan said that if Madam is too weak to meet now, he will return another day.”

Su E Huang said, “No need. Tell him to deliver my message. I will go to see him after a short rest.”

When the postmaster left, Su E Huang quickly turned over and rose from the bed. She changed into a thin silk robe she had prepared many days ago. A delicate orchid embroidered on the lapel was lying on her plump chest, catching people’s eyes. A long, thin belt with a jade pendant tied her waist. This clothing revealed the beauty of her mature body. She looked into the mirror and slightly dabbed a layer of rouge on the cheeks and lips. She did not comb the hair but put a few strands of hair on her temples instead. Her hair was slightly loose. Different from a moment ago when she got up from the bed and wore a sickly attitude.

After Su E Huang looked at herself in the mirror, she out of the room with the support of two maidservants left and right. She crossed into the room and saw the back of a man standing before the wide-open window.

A dim red sunset slanted in through the window, enveloping the man, casting a long shadow on the ground, and making him appear magnificent. He seemed to be looking into the distance or thinking about something. His back remained still.Three years ago, Su E Huang began to try to get close to this man again. But only now did she have the chance to meet him again with no one else around.

Su E Huang took a deep breath and was about to open her mouth to call out when Wei Shao turned around and walked quickly toward her. He stopped in the middle of the room, a few arm’s lengths away from her. His gaze fell directly on her face, saying: “How is Madam’s health? I had been away from Jinyang when I received a letter from my wife. She mentioned Madam in her letter. Then I realized that Madam had arrived in Jinyang as well.”

His tone was indifferent. Su E Huang, however, was faintly stunned. She had envisioned many kinds of encounters with Wei Shao. About the opening scene when they are alone.

But none of them had this scene. There was a ‘wife’ in the middle. Wei Shao learned about her arrival through the mouth of his ‘wife.’

A discomfort feeling as if she had been humiliated, slowly emerged in her heart. She stared at Wei Shao for a moment. Then, slowly said: “My head disease, since I got married, has been tormenting me for many years. Whenever I am not in a good mood, it will strike. When it’s struck, life is worse than death. I asked for medicine from many sources, but it did not work. Then I met a doctor who gave me a prescription and told me to rub the pills according to the prescription and take the pills at the onset of the disease so the pain could be relieved. I asked the doctor the cause of the disease, and the doctor said, this is a mental disease. Medicine can stop the pain but can not cure the root. I should eliminate the disease in my heart, then can I be cured.”

Wei Shao looked at her: “Madam should pay more attention to the body and not get depressed. I came to ask you, Madam, how is your illness?”

Su E Huang was uncertain what he meant by asking this, hesitated, and said, “After so many days of rest, it is almost ……”

Wei Shao nodded: “That’s good. Didn’t Madam say that you want to go to Luoyang? How about tomorrow? I will send someone to escort Madam to Luoyang.”

Su E Huang was stunned and said, “When the postmaster came to deliver the message, I was lying down, I was weak and did not want to leave my room, but when I heard that Marquis was here, I struggled to get up. I’m afraid I still won’t be able to travel tomorrow ……”

Wei Shao nodded again: “Fine. Then Madam can rest at ease. When you are well enough, have someone send a message to my wife, and then I will send someone to send Madam on your way. Since you are not feeling well, you should return to your room.”

After saying that, Wei Shao turned around and left.

Su E Huang looked at his back. When he was about to exit the room, she took a few steps after him and whispered: “Erlang, Don’t you want to ask why I abandoned you and married another man? Why did I suffer from a head disease and my voice was destroyed?”