Chapter 8. He was her childhood sweetheart, and she…

"No wonder you've been late; this makeup and dressing up must have taken a lot of effort."

"It's Cui Yushi's daughter," she said sourly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her embroidered handkerchief.

She had specially worn an expensive purple dress today, and the hairpin she usually wouldn't take off was also a precious gem. She thought she would outshine everyone else, but now she looked dull and lackluster in comparison to Ling Zhenli.

"She's so beautiful."

"I thought she wasn't that good-looking."

Ling Zhenli pretended to be completely unaware that she had caused a commotion and walked calmly through the crowd.

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting." She stopped in front of the main seat and bowed slightly.

Seeing this, Cui Yuerong nodded to Ling Zhenli with satisfaction, signaling her to continue.

"I am honored to have you all grace us with your presence at today's flower banquet." Ling Zhenli took a glass cup from a maid. "I am late, so I will punish myself with a cup to express my apology."

When drinking, Ling Zhenli always paid attention to her dignified demeanor. When she put down her wine glass, a drop of wine remained on her lips, making her lips appear even more rosy.

In the silence of the garden, someone was the first to come to their senses and utter a word of praise.

Immediately afterwards, exclamations of praise rose and fell, surging towards the late-arriving eldest daughter of the prime minister.

"Please take a seat, Miss." The maid helped her to the head seat for the female members of the household on the west side.

Ling Zhenli was a little confused. Logically speaking, she should be sitting in the east seat, so why was she sitting in the west seat? Which prince or nobleman has come?

After they sat down, Cui Yuerong brought up the matter: "Yingyue, Princess Wuyang's daughter, Princess Yongtai, is also here today. She just went to change her clothes. When she comes back in a little while, you should talk to her a bit."

The daughter of Princess Wuyang?

She is the daughter of her enemy.

"Yes, daughter understands." Ling Zhenli nodded with a smile.

A short while later, Xiao Yuzhen returned after failing to find Xue Haoting. Upon her return, she saw a stunningly beautiful young woman sitting in her seat.

The girl even greeted him, saying, "Princess, may you be well."

Xiao Yuzhen couldn't say anything, and it took her a while to respond to her greeting.

Because she had seen this woman in the portrait in her second brother Xiao Chongheng's study!

She and the woman in the painting were practically identical, their eyebrows, eyes, lips, and even their body shape were exactly the same.

With a tentative attitude, Xiao Yuzhen went over and took Ling Zhenli's hands, smilingly inviting her to accompany her to admire the flowers.

Xiao Yuzhen was, after all, a county princess, and there was a distinction between ruler and subject. Although Ling Zhenli disliked her, he had no choice but to agree to her request.

A gentle spring breeze caresses the petals, causing them to unfold layer upon layer. Butterflies, drawn by the fragrance of the flowers, flutter among the blossoms, stirring up the vibrant spring scenery.

Xiao Yuzhen picked a pink peony and asked Ling Zhenli to pin it in her hair.

Ling Zhenli was carefully putting flowers in her hair when Xiao Yuzhen suddenly spoke up: "Madam Xue, have you ever heard of my brother while you are at home?"

Ling Zhenli was taken aback, not understanding why the county princess asked such a question, so she shook her head after adorning Xiao Yuzhen with flowers.

"Your Highness is too kind. I have lived in seclusion for so long that I would never know your esteemed brother."

Xiao Yuzhen thought she didn't know which brother she was talking about, so she added, "He is my second brother, the Duke of Yan, who shares the same father and mother, not my eldest brother from a different father."

Ling Zhenli smiled apologetically, her face stiffening: "The only thing I know about the Duke is his wedding to Princess Roujia. My brother told me about it. I heard the wedding was very grand, but unfortunately I didn't get to see it in person."

That's nonsense. Not only did she read it, she was furious because it reminded her of Xiao Chongheng.

Little did she know that the second brother mentioned by the Princess of Yongtai was Xiao Chongheng.

Xiao Yuzhen realized that her second brother was already married, and that what he had just said was impolite to an unmarried girl, so she tried to make amends:

"Madam Xue, there's no need to feel sorry. You'll be marrying your cousin, the Crown Prince, soon. Then we'll be family, and you'll be able to see us often."

Ling Zhenli's face darkened even more after hearing this. Princess Wuyang's family... Nobody wants to see you...

Seeing that she looked unhappy, Xiao Yuzhen wondered what she had said that had offended her. Xue Yingyue would be the Crown Princess next month, and offending her now was not a wise move, but she didn't know how to make amends.

Fortunately, Ling Zhenli didn't want to argue with the Princess of Yongtai about such trivial matters, so she changed the subject and started talking to her about Xue Haoting.

She had heard the Prime Minister's wife mention that Princess Yongtai had a high opinion of Xue Haoting.

Sure enough, once the conversation started, Xiao Yuzhen couldn't stop, asking her all sorts of questions about Xue Haoting. Ling Zhenli only intended to touch on the subject briefly, saying a few nice things about him. She hadn't had much contact with Xue Haoting, and the most frequent contact was in bed. She was afraid that saying too much would give her away.

Before Xiao Yuzhen could ask Ling Zhenli a few more questions about Xue Haoting, a maid from the Prime Minister's residence arrived.

"Miss, Madam needs you urgently. Please come quickly." The personal maidservant hurried over and reported in a low voice.

Ling Zhenli's heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the fan in her hand.

She glanced at Princess Yongtai and whispered to her maid, "Tell my mother I'm going back now."

Seeing this, Xiao Yuzhen nodded sensibly and went for a stroll in the garden with her personal maid.

Upon returning, he saw the Prime Minister's wife beaming with joy, as if some great joy had occurred. Ling Zhenli no longer had the cold expression she used to have.

"Mother, what brings you here?" Ling Zhenli asked respectfully.

In front of everyone, Cui Yuerong seemed to be showing off, and said with a smile: "Run'er, your father just sent someone to say that His Highness the Crown Prince will be a guest at the Prime Minister's residence tonight. He had been declining to come before, but when he heard that you made an appearance at the banquet today, he hurriedly said that he would come tonight. Don't waste too much energy during the day, you should focus on preparing for the banquet tonight."

Ling Zhenli couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. She must have thought that she wouldn't come, which is why she didn't. But as soon as she heard that she was going to show up, she said she was coming. She must really care about her as her fiancée.

"Yes, Mother, I will make good preparations."

The Crown Prince's sudden announcement of his arrival caused quite a stir among the women around him. They had long heard that the Crown Prince was exceptionally handsome, but he rarely attended banquets hosted by aristocratic families, making it harder than climbing to heaven to see him.

Ling Zhenli hurriedly called her maid to fetch some painting paper, as she wanted to create a painting to present to the Crown Prince at the banquet.

"I've heard that the Crown Prince loves the pipa. Why don't you compose a piece for him?" Cui Yuerong subtly hinted to Ling Zhenli.

Ling Zhenli immediately understood: "Mother is right. I will prepare the music after I finish painting."

"Go quickly."

Ling Zhenli used to be proficient in all the arts at home, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She could paint a peony with ease, but she didn't want to paint it in such a distinctive way. She wasn't the real Xue Yingyue, not a "peony," but at most a "peony."

After hesitating for a while in front of the flowers, Ling Zhenli drew an ambiguous painting and had the maid put it away, preparing to present it to the Crown Prince that evening.

Ling Zhenli, carrying the painting, walked slowly along the corridor, intending to return to the inner courtyard to practice her pipa music.

As I walked, I heard a soft voice calling from behind: "Please wait, young lady."

His voice was clear and resonant, carrying a hint of anticipation and eagerness.

The voice was very familiar to her; she remembered it clearly. She realized that the man was currently in the capital, and with his current status and position, he was more than qualified to be a guest at the Prime Minister's banquet…

Ling Zhenli had imagined countless occasions for her to meet him again, but she never thought it would be now, and she never expected it to be at the Prime Minister's residence.

She and he are no longer the same as before. People always have to look forward. She can't turn back, absolutely not.

Ling Zhenli paused slightly as she pondered, then quickened her pace a little.

"It's been years, and you can't even recognize my voice anymore?" The voice drew closer, its tone filled with even greater anxiety.

Seeing that Ling Zhenli still didn't turn around, Xie Daojian couldn't help but call her name.

"Ling Tang, I know you heard me."

When Ling Zhenli heard him call her name, she sighed, finally stopped, and turned around.

A young man dressed in an indigo brocade robe stopped beside a pillar.

A familiar yet unfamiliar face. Ling Zhenli's breath hitched. It was indeed Xie Daojian.

But she lowered her eyes and bowed, her voice calm and unwavering: "Young master has mistaken me for someone else."

Xie Daojian stepped forward, took out the jade pendant that Ling Zhenli had given him a few years ago from his sleeve, and said with a determined look, "Do you still recognize this item?"

Ling Zhenli's pupils contracted slightly.

She had already been confiscated and forced into prostitution by the government; Xie Daojian couldn't possibly not know that, so why would he keep this item?

That was their token of love, so it doesn't count anymore.

Seeing Ling Zhenli's reaction, Xie Daojian was finally satisfied. After taking back the jade pendant, he asked her, "You clearly heard me, so why didn't you pay attention to me just now?"

"..." Ling Zhenli didn't know what to say and remained silent.

Seeing her luxurious attire and having heard about her past experiences, Xie Daojian could easily guess her current identity.

“I’ve looked for you, I’ve asked my current father for help, but he’s unwilling to help me. He’s worried that someone else will help me, so he locked me in the house. He just wants me to forget you as soon as possible. If it weren’t for finding me another marriage, I wouldn’t be able to leave the house today…”

Ling Zhenli didn't know how to face him. Hearing what he said, she interrupted him hastily and flusteredly: "That's good. General Chen is doing this for your own good. You should get married. What happened between us is over. There are plenty of girls at the banquet. You should take a look at them."

"Tang'er, there will be no one else in my heart but you," Xie Daojian quickly explained to her what happened back then. "Back then, it was because my biological father repeatedly insulted and beat my mother. My mother couldn't bear it anymore and took me to remarry and come to my father's place in the capital. You know that, right? I wrote you many letters back then, but you never replied to a single one..."

“Because I didn’t receive it.” Ling Zhenli frowned. “Did you really write me a letter?”

“I kept writing until the Ling family was raided. I wrote at least twenty letters a year. You never replied to my letters. I went back to look for you, but Uncle Ling wouldn’t let me see you. He said you didn’t want to see me and told me to stay away from you.”

...

It certainly sounds like something her father would do.

The father was an upright and incorruptible man. He felt that Xie Daojian's mother had married into the Empress's family, which was full of rules and regulations. Xie Daojian had become a young master of a wealthy family, and his feelings for his daughter would only be temporary. Even if his daughter was lucky enough to marry into the General's Mansion, she would face many difficulties in the future. So he made a swift and decisive decision.

Ling Zhenli, mindful of their past relationship, relented: "This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else."

The two bypassed the maids and servants of the Prime Minister's residence and came to a quiet courtyard where no one was around, making it convenient to talk.

Ling Zhenli recounted everything that happened after her home was raided to Xie Daojian. Apart from the matter concerning Xiao Chongheng, Xie Daojian was someone she kept deep in her heart. Having finally regained him, she didn't want him to know that her heart had belonged to another man during their separation, even if it was only for a short time.

"The Prime Minister is not a kind person; you cannot believe everything he says."

“He condoned Xue Haoting’s bullying of me. I don’t believe a word he said. I just had no choice. If I didn’t become Xue Run, I wouldn’t even know how I died.”

Ling Zhenli frowned, looking preoccupied.

Xie Daojian felt very sorry for her when he saw her appearance: "Then are you going to listen to him and marry the Crown Prince?"

“Now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to marry the Crown Prince.” Ling Zhenli lowered her eyes.

"Yes." Xie Daojian's eyes were dark and somewhat unwilling, but he said, "When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, you will be the Empress."

"So many things have happened, I don't even know if I'll live to become Empress. The Xue family has something on me, and they've tied me to this boat. I'm at their mercy. They can kill me anytime they want, but I'm still somewhat useful, so they won't let me die for now."

After saying that, Ling Zhenli laughed self-deprecatingly.

"I can help you, Tang'er. I can help you find out their dirt on you and let you regain the power in front of them." Xie Daojian couldn't bear to see her being controlled by others.

"If you're willing to help me, please also help me investigate my father's case," Ling Zhenli said solemnly.

"Uncle Ling's case?"

"I always felt there was more to what the Prime Minister said about my father than met the eye." Ling Zhenli's voice was soft, but her words were clear. "He said my father took the blame voluntarily, but I know my father. He was upright and incorruptible and would not die for a fabricated crime."

Xie Daojian frowned: "Good, it just so happens that I work in the Ministry of Justice, so it will be convenient for me to investigate."

"If General Chen objects, then you shouldn't..."

"Although I am not General Chen's biological son, he loves my mother and therefore regards me as his own son. He would not be willing to dismiss me from my post. Besides, he has been an enemy of the Prime Minister for many years. I am doing him a favor. He will be happy to do so."

Xie Daojian's promise to help made Ling Zhenli feel much more at ease. At least from now on, she wouldn't be alone and would have someone to rely on. Although Xiao Chongheng's example was still fresh in her mind, Xie Daojian was her childhood sweetheart, and she was willing to trust him.