Jade Bi

As evening fell, the luxurious pleasure boat on the shore of Jiuqiao Lake was brightly lit, the flickering candlelight reflected in the clear, rippling water, adding to the serene beauty of the scene. Having experienced much, the group was somewhat disheartened, chatting quietly inside the boat. Princess Kunrou, after returning, rested only briefly before leaving, her gaze fixed straight ahead, seemingly oblivious even to Lin Xu's quiet thanks beside her.

Lin Xu, wrapped in a cloak, huddled in the corner by a candlestick to keep warm. Her fair and delicate face was mostly hidden by the cloak's hood, revealing only her extremely pointed chin and a small, exquisite pink earlobe.

It was even more captivating in the flickering candlelight.

After quietly drinking several cups of hot tea, Yao Sha finally felt better. He looked at Lin Xu sitting in the corner and recalled the scene on the deck earlier. When the woman pushed him into the water, she clearly had a fierce look on her face and used all her strength, but now she was pretending to be soft and boneless in front of everyone.

It was truly... quite interesting. He stared at the thin figure in the corner for a long time, his sense of amusement growing stronger.

After all, no one had ever dared to treat him like that before.

Yao Suran, seeing her younger brother's absent-minded expression, grew even angrier. She picked up her teacup, intending to take a sip to calm herself before devising a plan. Suddenly, a chill ran through her; she sensed something was amiss. Something was definitely wrong...

She looked around, and after a moment she finally understood why she felt this way.

After what had just happened, there was an eerie calm on the ship. Although everyone seemed normal, they all had their own thoughts and were even paying attention to the figure that was gradually disappearing into the darkness in the corner.

Even the usually composed Third Prince, sitting next to her, couldn't help but glance in that direction from time to time.

Yao Suran's breath hitched. A myriad of emotions surged within her, yet for the first time, she felt utterly helpless. She hadn't expected that her scheme would fail, and instead, she would become a mere foil to this insignificant Lin Xu.

How could someone as proud as her possibly ignore this? How could she accept it? Before, wherever she went, she was the center of attention. But now…

She sneered inwardly, recalling Princess Kunrou's arrogant demeanor on the deck and Lin Xu's pitiful appearance, which fueled her anger even more.

Lin Xu, since you're so ungrateful, then don't blame me...

Having never suffered a defeat before, Yao Suran felt an overwhelming sense of resentment. She slowly clenched her hands, her fingertips turning grayish-white from the force, and she barely managed to maintain a delicate expression on her face by clenching her teeth.

As dusk approached, everyone sat for a little longer before saying their goodbyes and leaving.

The third prince walked slowly at the back of the crowd. A eunuch accompanying him, noticing a signal in his eye, whispered:

"Third Prince, the one who played the zhongruan earlier..."

He then recalled the courtesans who had played several pieces on the boat earlier. At first, he thought their technique was skillful and somewhat interesting compared to the rigid music ensemble in the palace. However, they had been interrupted by an accident on the deck at a crucial moment and he had long forgotten about them.

Looking back now, it seems as tasteless as chicken ribs.

He merely frowned slightly, and the eunuch beside him immediately understood. He quickly waved to the servant standing behind him and retreated.

The Third Prince raised his head, his gaze searching for a long time among the backs of the crowd before finally settling on a thin figure wearing a hood. The gloom in his eyes deepened under the influence of the evening breeze and twilight.

.

Inside the Lin residence, at Luoya Residence.

Lin Xu sat on the chaise lounge, with a warm pillow supporting her waist. She drank two cups of hot ginger tea that Qingwu had prepared beforehand, and only then did she feel her body relax.

Qingwu looked worried, but seeing the rare weariness on Lin Xu's usually cold face, she knew she had something on her mind, so she simply said softly:

"Miss, you took too much risks today. If the guards who came to the rescue had been a step too late, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Lin Xu lowered his eyelashes and let out a long sigh.

"The situation was urgent at the time. Although I knew this move was dangerous, I had no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Fortunately, although Yao Sha was a playboy, he still cared about the reputation of the Duke's mansion. I used the excuse of saving someone to cover up the truth, and he could not argue any further. He could only keep quiet about me pushing him into the water."

Her tone revealed a hint of worry, and Qingwu gently comforted her, "Now that everything is alright, Miss, just treat it as a nightmare. Get some rest tonight and forget all about it."

Lin Xu shook his head, a faint, bitter smile appearing on his lips.

"Today, Yao Suran took the opportunity to slip Yao Sha's personal sachet to me, which shows that she had long harbored the intention to tarnish my reputation. She dared to point out in front of everyone that I had a close relationship with Yao Sha. Although this move was risky, if it succeeded, it would not only allow her younger brother Yao Sha to get his way, but also kill two birds with one stone and ruin my reputation."

As always, Yao's selfishness and ruthlessness remained unchanged.

Although I already knew she wasn't a kind person, I didn't expect Yao Suran to act so swiftly. Was she really that impatient?

Lin Xu lowered his head, the mockery in his eyes deepening.

In her past life, Lin Xu might have been easily manipulated, but having been given a second chance, she had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

She reached her hand inside her plain-colored blouse, where there was a very thin lining. A moment later, when she pulled her hand out, a fine jade disc with a double dragon design was in her palm.

Its color is flawless, and its surface is smooth and bright.

Standing to the side, Zhi Yuan exclaimed in surprise, "What is this...?"

The instigator, however, remained calm and composed, even managing a slight smile.

"This is the jade disc that Yao Sha always carries with him, hanging conspicuously on his clothes. Today, when he was struggling with me on the deck, I took the opportunity to seize it, and the commotion from the shoving made it difficult for him to notice. I had already planned that even if Yao Sha didn't use any tricks today, I would make sure everyone knew that Yao Sha intended to do something indecent to me. He won't get away from me cleanly."

Qingwu's face turned pale instantly, and she asked in surprise, "Miss, have you made a choice that might... jeopardize your innocence?"

Yao Sha is notorious, and associating with him will only harm Miss Lin's reputation in Mujing. Moreover, the Duke's Mansion is now extremely powerful, and if they were to confront the Yao family head-on, the Lin family would likely be at a disadvantage...

Qingwu looked at the very calm Lin Xu with concern, and really couldn't understand why she was willing to take such a big risk.

Lin Xu, however, simply played with the exquisite jade disc, his eyes sparkling like starlight.

"How could I not know that this move is dangerous? I also do not want to have any reprehensible involvement with Yao Sha, but if the Yao family's actions can make Princess Kunrou take action, it is worth it even if it endangers my own reputation."

Liao Yan has always hated evil and disliked the Yao family's flamboyant style for a long time. Even though she never spoke a word to her on ordinary days, she did not believe that Liao Yan, who considered herself noble but upheld justice, would stand idly by when the situation was critical.

The discord between the Yao sisters and Liao Yan was already evident when they rode in a sedan chair together with Yao Suran that day.

Yao Suran was arrogant and self-important, and only Princess Kunrou, who was of higher status than her, could suppress her at crucial moments.

When she jumped into the icy waters of Jiuqiao Lake, she was betting that Liao Yan, who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, would definitely help her, even if his intention wasn't genuine.

Fortunately, she won her bet.

.

June arrived as scheduled, and after the sweltering heat of the past few days, Mujing, which had already passed the summer solstice, was hit by successive torrential rains. Lin Fu, who had been in charge of the resettlement of flood victims at the beginning of the year, was now suffering from frequent torrential rains and the rising water level of the Weilong River. He had been unable to sleep for several nights in a row, worried about the floods.

The marriage arrangement with the Gao family in the north of the city, which had just been finalized a few days earlier, was thus postponed.

Gao Yanbang is now a sixth-rank official in the Court of Judicial Review, and he is often sent on missions to other places to handle difficult and serious cases. He and Lin Fu were only nodding acquaintances in their early years.

He had a half-sister who was a little older, but because she had been ill at Hankong Temple outside Mujing when she was young, she had not been intimate with men. Now that she had recovered, she was still unmarried. Therefore, when the official matchmaker told Gao Yanbang that Lin Fu was interested in remarrying, Gao Yanbang admired Lin Fu's good reputation at court and had heard that Lin Fu was deeply devoted to his deceased wife and was a man of great affection and righteousness. So he was very satisfied with this future brother-in-law.

Lin Xu was not familiar with the inner workings of the Gao family before, so he secretly sent Zhi Yuan to inquire. The information he obtained was not much different from what the official media had said.

It is said that Gao Youyi was plagued by illness in her childhood, so her master sent her to the mountains to recuperate. After several years, when she was brought back, Gao Youyi had grown into a beautiful young woman, attracting many families to come and ask for her hand in marriage.

However, Gao Youyi had little contact with men since childhood and was straightforward and outspoken, so she managed to dissuade several potential marriages. Years passed, and she remained unmarried, becoming known as an "old maid" among the public.

Although the Gao family seems unassuming now, and even less known because Gao Yanbang has been staying away from home for many years, the Gao family once had a brief period of glory.

The Gao family's ancestor, that is, the grandfather of Old Master Gao, served as the first prime minister after the founding of the Dayu Dynasty. Old Master Gao's maternal aunt was also once taken as a concubine by Emperor Taizong. In recent years, although the Gao family has gradually declined, in terms of family tradition and scholarship, it is still slightly superior to the Lin family.

After heeding Lin Xu's advice and deciding to remarry, Lin Fu sent a letter to the Liang family in Hecheng. The letter was earnest and respectful. Within a few days, he received a congratulatory reply from Old Master Liang. It was he who had advised Lin Fu to look forward, and now, seven years after Liang Shuangyu's passing, despite his deep regret and reluctance to part with his daughter, Old Master Liang still very understandingly supported Lin Fu's decision.

Therefore, the only person dissatisfied with this marriage was Qi Shuang'er from Lin Fu's household.

When Qi Shuang'er first heard that Lin Fu had the idea of ​​remarrying, she suddenly threw the glass in her hand to the ground.

The shards of glass were incredibly sharp, cutting Lan Yue's hands as she knelt on the ground to serve her. Bright red blood dripped onto the ground, a truly shocking sight.

After being promoted to concubine on her first night with the emperor, Lan Yue was elevated to the rank of Noble Concubine within a month. Although Lin Fu rarely summoned her, she spent her days grinding ink and adding incense in the study, gradually gaining some status in the vast Lin household. However, in front of Qi Shi, she still maintained a humble and subservient demeanor.

Huamei, Lanyue's personal maid, had long witnessed Aunt Qi's daily mistreatment of her mistress and harbored resentment. She tenderly tended to Lanyue's hand wound, tears welling in her eyes.

"Your Highness is too good-tempered. That Concubine Qi isn't even favored these days, yet she dares to boss you around like that. It really breaks my heart."

Lan Yue, who had been kneeling in Yi Lan Garden for most of the day, had her hair slightly disheveled and hanging down her back. She looked down at her wounds and smiled helplessly.

"So what? I was just a maid who did odd jobs. It was only through Qi's recommendation that I was able to enter the study to serve the master. And thanks to the master's kindness, he has always treated me with great respect. I am already very fortunate to be where I am today."

Hua Mei bit her lower lip and said angrily, "Fine, since Master has already arranged a marriage with the Gao family. Once Miss Gao is married into the family, although she will be a second wife, she will still be a legitimate wife. At that time, will we still be afraid of not being able to control this vicious Qi Shi?"