Chapter 58 Dust and Light (Seventeen) Was Fourth Sister doing this for him? ...

This is the second time this year that Zhi Rou has ridden in Song Qi Yu's carriage.

Inside the carriage, besides a low table, there were two additional shelves. On the left shelf stood a square box wrapped in brocade, a gift of apology from Song Qiyu to Song Hanjin.

Last time they talked about the exam, they said many hurtful things, and Song Qiyu tried to coax her for days, but to no avail. At noon, they passed by Fuyuanzhai, so Song Qiyu picked out some of Song Hanjin's favorite snacks.

Zhi Rou heard Song Qiyu say, "There is tea in the carriage."

"I'm not thirsty," she replied, then asked somewhat guiltily, "Did you come back from the academy, big brother?"

Song Qiyu nodded, his gaze lingering on Zhi Rou for a long time.

What happened to your arm?

When he asked, Zhi Rou glanced at her left sleeve and suddenly felt a little awkward: "Ah... it's just a minor injury, it'll heal with time."

Song Qiyu's gaze remained fixed on the folds of her sleeves, as if he could see something wrapped under the fabric, faintly tinged with red.

He looked away and raised his voice slightly: "To the clinic."

Zhi Rou had never been able to stop her older brother from doing what he wanted to do before. Now she had learned her lesson and kept quiet, only hoping in her heart that he wouldn't tell the family about it.

Sunlight shines on the shop sign, making the design stand out.

Inside the clinic, there were many people seeking medical treatment and buying medicine. Song Qiyu led Zhirou to queue in front of a female doctor. Most of the patients were women and children. When they saw the two teenagers standing over, they couldn't help but laugh.

Although the female physician Qin was knowledgeable about all diseases, she was especially skilled in gynecology.

Hearing the whispers and laughter around him, Song Qiyu raised an eyebrow slightly, without moving an inch. The warm sunlight slanted across his clothes, highlighting his refined and noble air.

"Big brother," Zhi Rou said in a low voice, "you go first, I'll line up by myself."

She was a woman, so she was not particularly attractive. But the fact that the older brother, a young man as tall as a pine tree, was standing there with her was too conspicuous.

Song Qiyu didn't care, he just glanced at her for a moment and didn't answer.

By the time Zhi Rou sat down at the consultation table, three cups of tea's worth of time had passed.

The female doctor tied up her left sleeve, frowning slightly: "Where did you learn this bandaging technique, young lady? It's too tight; it will damage your hand." As she spoke, she untied the bandage for her.

Zhi Rou pursed her lips nervously. The gauze was stuck to the wound. As she slowly peeled it off, her brows furrowed and her fingers curled up.

Song Qiyu stood to one side, watching her endure, and her hand hanging by her side clenched slightly, suddenly recalling last spring.

Zhi Rou went fishing in the river with Song Qizhang. When she returned with an injury on her hand, she was afraid that her mother would feel sorry for her, so she deliberately avoided the servants in the mansion and hid in the Zhiyu Pavilion to clean the injured area.

As the sun began to set, she sat in the pavilion with her sleeves rolled up, various kinds of wound medicine scattered on the stone table. After tinkering with them, she wrapped them with gauze, then bent down and bit one end, while using her other hand to pull the rest and tie a knot tightly.

After a while, the female doctor finished applying the medicine to Zhi Rou again: "All done. Be careful not to get it wet these next few days. Use the medicine once a day. Come see me again in two weeks."

"Thank you." Zhi Rou stood up, her eyes meeting Song Qi Yu's. She was slightly surprised for a moment, then called out, "Big brother?"

He gave a low reply, turned around, and walked out.

Smoke curls from the street stalls, and across the street, a teahouse is packed with customers, while a few sparrows flutter their wings and scramble for food.

Zhi Rou stepped out of the clinic, straightening her sleeves. Song Qiyu paused to wait for her, scrutinized her for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Who did this?"

Zhi Rou looked confused: "What?"

"Who inflicted Fourth Sister's injuries?"

His voice was soft and gentle.

Zhi Rou said "Oh," and at this point there was little she could hide: "I accidentally fell off my horse."

She raised her face, her eyes, brown and bright beneath her fine hair, seemed to flicker with fireflies. "Big brother, do you think Father will take me to the autumn hunt this year?"

Song Qiyu looked down at her, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

Her hopes are likely to be dashed again.

After a long pause, he said, "If Fourth Sister wants to go hunting, there is an hunting ground outside the city. You can enter by presenting Father's letter." He paused, then added, "I can take you there."

Although it is slightly inferior to the royal hunting grounds, it is still sufficient for her to ride horses and hunt with a bow.

Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhi Rou's eyes dimmed slightly. When he finished the second half, she was momentarily stunned.

She didn't see any different emotions on her older brother's face, but hearing his words, her disappointment gradually faded away.

Zhi Rou smiled and said, "Okay."

When the carriage arrived, she didn't move, her gaze fixed intently on the opposite side. Song Qiyu noticed: "What does Fourth Sister want?"

Zhi Rou then came to her senses and replied, "Lotus flower pastry, Third Sister loves to eat it."

He also bought lotus-shaped pastries for Song Hanjin yesterday, but she returned them. Perhaps Zhirou would accept them if she sent them? Thinking of his younger sister, Song Qiyu maintained a slightly helpless smile.

He nodded slightly and followed Zhi Rou into the teahouse.

The aroma of tea filled the air, mingled with the sounds of conversation. At a table by the window, people were discussing, "The imperial court hasn't even made a decision about the marriage alliance yet. How did Brother Zhou find out about this?"

"My brother works at the Huitongguan (a government office), that's what he told me." The man scoffed. "If General Anyuan were alive, why would we need women to be married off to distant lands for political alliances? Wouldn't all our soldiers be..."

The other person quickly cut him off, saying, "Hey, Brother Zhou, keep your voice down!"

The man pursed his lips: "I didn't say anything wrong..."

Zhi Rou didn't react to the words "marriage alliance" mentioned earlier, but as soon as the name "General An Yuan" came into her ears, she subtly glanced at them, her eyes slightly raised.

Thinking of Wei Yuanzhan, Zhi Rou slowed her pace. A waiter came forward to greet her, and Song Qiyu immediately responded, ordering a tray of lotus flower pastries.

There were many guests in the building, and the waiter arranged seats for the two of them to sit down first.

Inside the doorway was a large expanse of gloomy darkness, while outside, the blazing sun cast a scorching glow that softened the interior, making it feel somewhat cool.

Zhi Rou looked up at Song Qi Yu and asked, "Big brother, who taught you how to shoot?"

Her thoughts wandered, and when she thought of Wei Yuanzhan, she could almost see him holding a gun.

The older brother looks a lot like him.

Song Qiyu was surprised by her question. He remained silent for a while, his gaze fixed on the tea table, his expression unreadable: "When I was young, I received guidance from the old Marquis Wei. After the old Marquis passed away, no one taught me anymore."

Zhi Rou thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Big brother and Wei Yuanzhan each have their strengths and weaknesses in their marksmanship. If you want to improve, why don't you practice together?"

She raised her head cautiously for a moment, then asked, "Did my older brother have any past conflicts with him?"

Otherwise, given that the Song and Wei families are related and live close by, why do the eldest brother and third sister always seem somewhat distant and cold towards the Marquis's mansion?

Upon hearing this, Song Qiyu casually replied, "They're just relatives by marriage, what grudge could they possibly have?"

He spoke in a very soft tone, and then remained silent for a long time. Zhi Rou didn't ask any more questions, but Song Qiyu's expression became serious.

Xu Yueyuan was betrothed to the Marquis of Yining. However, her younger sister interfered, and she harbored resentment towards her ever since. A year later, Xu Yueyuan married into the Song family in the capital, a marriage of convenience that left her feeling somewhat aggrieved. Fortunately, her husband was talented and renowned, and treated her exceptionally well. Over time, she gradually forgot about their childhood friendship.

That afternoon, Xu Yueqing and she argued again about Old Madam Xu's matter. Since they were going to bring up the past, they had to put their marriage in the open and carefully go over the details.

Whether the words came from the heart or were spoken in anger, no one expected that Song Hanjin and Wei Mingying would overhear them.

They were still young and had an unapproachable sense of pride. Who could tolerate Aunt Wen slandering her mother like that?

Song Qiyu's thoughts returned, and her gaze lingered on Zhi Rou for a moment: "Fourth Sister, did you tease He Tingzhou today because of him?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a look of panic appeared on Zhi Rou's face.

Big brother...did you see everything just now? He hadn't said a word the whole way, and she thought he was trying to help her out because she thought He Tingzhou and his group had bullied her.

She didn't want to be scolded by her older brother.

Zhi Rou lowered her head, just as the waiter brought out the lotus flower pastries. She heard Song Qiyu's voice fall above her head.

"They're gone."

Since the arrival of the delegation from the Northern Li Kingdom, the emperor has been preoccupied with border troubles for several months.

To ensure the peace and mutual benefit of the two countries, it was originally agreed that a princess from the royal family would be chosen for a marriage alliance. However, the envoy from Beili learned that the emperor only had one princess, who had already been married off. Therefore, he used the pretext of authenticity to demand Lancheng from the emperor.

Upon hearing this, the court officials were enraged, all saying that the territory should not be ceded and that since Beili was not sincere in its friendship, they should respond with force. Of course, there were also ministers who were of one mind with the emperor and did not want to send troops, saying that the people of Beili were skilled in riding and archery, and that if they attacked, they would have a 40-50% chance of winning.

The two factions were deadlocked and the discussion continued until today. The emperor, looking at the long sword on the shelf in the palace, suddenly remembered General Chang, who was too young and too brave.

Because of his mixed ethnicity, he was always the one to lead the army to quell rebellions whenever there was internal strife in the court. This not only weakened the power of aristocratic families and ministers but also secured the borders. What was even more remarkable was that all the soldiers he trained were skilled in riding and archery, and combined with his natural talent as a general, he won one victory after another in battles against the north.

Unfortunately... he served me, but was not loyal to me.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, but the emperor's expression was as if shrouded in white mist, revealing no trace of his true feelings. After a long while, the emperor put down the memorial and went to the empress's quarters.

It was already night when he arrived. The Empress was about to retire for the night when she heard the news from outside. She had no choice but to get up and put on her clothes. While the palace maids were still helping her put on her shoes, the Emperor pushed open the door and walked in.

"All of you, step back," he ordered, waving his hand.

The palace servants should all leave and gently close the door.

The emperor sat on the edge of the bed and, just as he had in his youth, wearily called out the empress's maiden name: "Lan Ci." He placed his hands on the bed, turned his face away, and said no more.

The Empress looked at him and smiled gently, "Your Majesty, what brings you to my humble abode?"

The emperor sighed, his already aged face appearing even more aged from months of toil. He said, "Only here can I find peace of mind."

"Is Your Majesty troubled by the matter of the marriage alliance?" The Empress frowned slightly, revealing a worried expression.

The emperor shifted his gaze to the flickering lamplight, pondering matters both inside and outside the court, and felt utterly exhausted.

He sighed again, neither confirming nor denying: "Cao Chuan has once again submitted a memorial today requesting to retire, and he has also recommended someone to me. Can you guess who it is?"

"I can't guess."

The emperor smiled faintly, then twitched the corner of his mouth: "Ling family brat."

The Queen thought for a moment and remembered.

The Ling family is renowned for its virtuous and capable members, many of whom serve as prime ministers or generals. Despite being the leader of a prominent family in the north, the Ling family never participates in factional disputes. Even when the Chang Yu case first broke out, Lord Ling did not utter a single word in favor of him in court. It was only after his daughter, Ling Xi, disappeared that he made an agreement with the Emperor to protect her.

Has the Ling family actually returned to the capital?

The Empress remained silent, and the person beside her also remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Lan Ci, you should summon Jia Yang to the palace tomorrow."

Other matters can be discussed and decided later, but this matter cannot be delayed any longer.

Author's note: New map loading...