Alliance (Revised)
As night fell, a hazy veil enveloped everything around us.
Zhu Ling lit a candle and carefully examined her injuries. Finally, she gasped with heartache and cautiously asked:
"How did you get injured so deeply out of nowhere? Even though Qi Shi is bedridden, she hasn't changed her cruelty. Miss, are you alright? Should I go and fetch the Zhang family physician to examine your wound?"
Lin Xu opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them, his gaze sharp as a knife, yet his expression remained calm as he said:
"No need to trouble yourself, it's just a few minor injuries. There's no need to invite him over, so as not to disturb Father and Mother and cause them unnecessary worry."
Rongwei couldn't help but whisper:
"Although it's just a superficial wound, the weapon was still sharp. I think if we don't apply medicine in time, it might leave a scar in the future... Miss's skin has always been as fair as snow. What a pity it would be if she were to have a scar!"
Lin Xu curled his lips into a smile, a cool and resolute look appearing in his eyes:
"So what if I have a scar? No one can go through life without a scratch. If I care about even a small scar, I'm being too delicate. How am I supposed to face the real storms in the future?"
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with admiration mixed with a touch of worry. Zhu Ling then whispered:
"Miss, you have always been strong-willed, but you must always take care of your health. Aunt Qi is so crazy, she actually dared to hurt someone with a shard of metal today. You should be more careful in the future."
Lin Xu lowered her eyes and gently rubbed a bruise on her wrist, a mark left from the fight with Qi Shi earlier.
She curled her lips into a cold smile:
"Since Qi became bedridden, she has lost her former favor and must have harbored resentment for a long time. What she did today is what she has been thinking about day and night. I think she is now at her wit's end, and everything she is doing is just a desperate struggle. The more insane she becomes, the more it proves that she has no way out. Such actions are even more insignificant."
Rongwei sighed softly and spoke gently:
“It is certainly good that Miss has her own ideas. However, we servants are worried that you will be overwhelmed with work after returning home for the New Year. Although you have never wanted to fight with Aunt Qi in the past, she is full of resentment after losing her child and wants to hurt more innocent people with her anger. We heard from the maids in Yilan Garden who are in charge of guarding her that Aunt Qi is usually not in her right mind, and she often talks nonsense after her sister left... Who knows when she might cause even greater trouble.”
Lin Xu raised an eyebrow slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "Don't worry, she won't come up with any other tricks."
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei listened with a chill in their hearts, both understanding the meaning behind their young lady's words. Since that was the case, they could not persuade her any further, and silently lowered their heads to pack their medicine boxes.
For a moment, the room was quiet, with only the flickering light illuminating Lin Xu's fair face in half-light and half-shadow.
She looked down at the wound on her wrist, her expression calm. In the end, all the turmoil was just a passing cloud.
When she looked up again, her eyes flashed with an unusually cold light, as if she had already made new decisions.
"It's chilly tonight, and it's late. You should all go and rest early."
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei nodded in agreement, and quietly withdrew, gently closing the door behind them.
As the night grew dark, she sat alone by candlelight, her gaze gradually deepening.
The Qi family has harmed her for two lifetimes, and now it can finally be put to rest. The past is still entangled, but the future is fraught with danger and will probably never be more peaceful than today.
She carefully examined her face in the bronze mirror.
Zhu Ling had just carefully cleaned her wound and applied a layer of pearl powder to lighten spots and remove scars.
Although the wound was small, it was indeed as Rongwei had said; if not carefully treated, it would likely leave a scar. Lin Xu sighed softly and gently closed her eyes again.
.
This time, she returned home to visit her parents. According to custom, married daughters can only stay at their parents' home until the seventh day of the first lunar month. Fortunately, before she left, Dou Huaisheng had specifically instructed her that since it was a rare opportunity for her to return home, if she missed her parents, she could stay a few more days. So, she stayed until the end of the first lunar month.
Her rare return naturally delighted the entire Lin family. The whole family gathered together for meals and tea every day, chatting about various interesting events in the capital. Every day was peaceful and harmonious, making her even more reluctant to leave.
As night deepened and the evening breeze grew cool, Lin Xu, wearing a thin beige cloak with magnolia blossom patterns, silently passed through the winding corridors of the Lin residence and headed straight for the other side of the backyard.
The evening breeze was damp and cold, and all around was silent. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, causing the bamboo shadows to sway and reflect on the wall like tranquil ripples on water, flowing quietly with her footsteps.
She always moved with light steps, and now, taking advantage of the night, she almost blended into the darkness. Her figure flashed lightly, and she appeared in front of Lan Yue's house.
Before long, a warm candlelight faintly shone through the originally dark room, illuminating the thin window paper and casting a soft silhouette of a woman.
The person inside seemed to have known Lin Xu would visit late at night, showing no sign of surprise. Seeing the door gently pushed open, they stepped forward, a slight smile playing on their lips.
She spoke softly, her voice as gentle as the moonlight.
"Miss, you've finally arrived."
Lin Xu nodded slightly and took off the cloak with one hand. A clever-looking maid stepped forward and folded it neatly for her, putting it aside.
Lin Xu stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the room indifferently. Everything was simple and plain; if one didn't know this was Lan Yue's residence, it would look like a maid's room. There was absolutely none of the attire and furnishings one would expect from a favored concubine in the mansion.
Her gaze swept over the several neatly arranged children's clothes on the table in the distance, and a slight smile appeared on her lips:
"It seems that Rong-ge'er is doing quite well under your care and with his aunt's attention."
Upon hearing this, a gentle light appeared in Lan Yue's eyes:
“If it weren’t for Miss’s disregard for past grievances and her strong support for Lan Yue in the matter of taking her child, how could I have dared to hope that Rong Ge’er would be by my side and call me Mother? All the honor and favor Lan Yue enjoys today is due to Miss’s mercy in sparing her life. Lan Yue will never forget this kindness and will always follow Miss.”
When she got emotional, Lan Yue couldn't help but bend down and give Lin Xu a gentle bow.
Lin Xu curled his lips into a calm smile and subtly helped Lan Yue up.
"Aunt Lan, you're too kind. You're now the second-in-command of the household, and you're also a respected aunt who raised Rong-ge'er. There's no need for you to be so polite to me."
She looked around and saw that the maids had already tactfully retreated, leaving only Lin Xu and Lan Yue in the large bedchamber.
Lin Xu slowly took a few steps inside the hall, and when he spoke again, his voice was already a few degrees lower.
“My aunt is wise and naturally understands that my relationship with you is simply one of mutual benefit. Today I have secured this position for you, so in the future you will be careful and attentive when working for me. As the saying goes, ‘Success brings mutual honor, failure brings mutual harm.’ You must understand my thoughts, my aunt.”
Upon hearing this, Lan Yue's expression softened considerably. She sighed softly and said gently:
"Miss, there's no need to remind me. How could Lan Yue not know these principles, and how could she dare to forget them? I will keep everything in mind... I just wonder what Miss plans to do with Aunt Qi?"
Lin Xu's gaze turned cold, a mocking smile flashing in his eyes, and he said calmly:
"It seems you've heard about it too."
Lan Yue and Qi Shuang'er have an irreconcilable feud, and Lan Yue is probably the only person in the manor who fears Qi Shuang'er's resurgence the most.
No wonder those maids guarding Qi's house looked familiar that day; now that she thinks about it, they were actually spies planted by Lan Yue.
Lan Yue smiled, but did not deny it; she simply nodded slowly.
"Don't worry, Miss. I'm just sending people to secretly check on Qi's life or death. I won't do anything else."
"When I saw her that day, she had clearly lost her mind, spouting nonsense, and even struggling desperately to stab me. It was nothing more than a last-ditch effort. Once she is no longer of any use, there is no need to keep her in the mansion to continue spouting nonsense."
Lan Yue lowered her eyes and smiled, a hint of calm ruthlessness appearing in them. Her usually gentle face rarely showed such a hearty smile.
"That's good. The Qi family has committed many evils and harmed many people in the past. Now they have fallen to this state, which can be considered as reaping what they sowed."
The room was silent, save for the flickering candlelight. After a long silence, Lan Yue, looking at Lin Xu's composed face, slowly said:
“Miss, if you need Lan Yue’s help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. Although Lan Yue is only a concubine in the manor, she still has some influence with the master and madam, and there are some advantages that you can use to help her.”
Lin Xu nodded slightly, a calm and profound light appearing in his eyes, and said softly:
"Now that you know that Rong-ge'er is being raised by you, you should take good care of him. Father had a son in his middle age, so he naturally values this child even more. He chose you because of your caution and meticulousness. You must take good care of him in your daily life. The past is nothing but a passing cloud. As long as you are willing to keep this secret and my trust, you will have no worries about a peaceful and smooth life from now on."
Upon hearing this, Lan Yue's expression turned solemn, and she replied very seriously:
"Miss, please rest assured. Lan Yue has spent her life wandering alone. It is already a great blessing that she can raise Rong Ge'er. She dares not ask for anything more."
Lin Xu's fingertips lightly brushed against a bronze lamp on the ebony wooden table. She raised her eyes and said softly:
“Of course. Since we are family, there is another matter I need your help with, Aunt, which is to keep a close eye on everything in the household. Now that I am away from home, it will be inconvenient for me to come back again. If there is anything unusual in the household, you must inform me immediately. No matter how small it is, you must do your best to ensure that the household is safe.”
Lan Yue nodded, but still looked puzzled.
Lin Xu said softly, "Father is usually honest and upright. He has the power to promote and appoint people but refuses to seek personal gain. It is inevitable that some people will hold a grudge and secretly plot revenge. Of course, this is just my guess. However, the current situation in the court is turbulent, so we must make plans as soon as possible."
Lan Yue frowned slightly, but nodded and said:
“What you say is true, Miss. Although Lan Yue comes from a humble background and does not understand these political matters, Miss is intelligent. Just tell Lan Yue what to do. I usually serve the master in the study and inevitably see some people who come to pay their respects to the master. I will pay more attention in the future.”
Lin Xu nodded. "That's good. But you must be careful in your actions, lest you cause your father and mother worry. Mother is already tired from taking care of the housework every day, and I don't want to make her work too hard."
Lan Yue replied softly, "I understand."
The two gazed at each other for a moment, their eyes exchanging a tacit understanding, their alliance seeming to grow even stronger in the quiet night.
Lin Xu deeply understood the principle of "not using those you doubt, and not doubting those you use." Naturally, she entrusted this matter to Lan Yue without any further suspicion.
After sitting idly for a while, she turned to leave, but Lan Yue gently called her from behind. Turning around, she saw Lan Yue with a worried expression, yet her eyes were incredibly firm. She said softly:
"Please take good care of yourself, Miss. The night is chilly, please be well."
.
As Lin Xu slowly walked away, his figure gradually disappearing into the night, the bedchamber returned to calm. Lan Yue couldn't help but sigh softly, raising her hand to touch the children's clothes laid out on the table. Those countless children's shoes and socks were all embroidered by her, stitch by stitch, through the night.
She looked at the embroidery patterns and smiled affectionately.
No wonder people often say 'a mother is strong.' I never thought that someone as fragile as myself would one day have something I would risk my life to protect.
Her alliance with Lin Xu not only concerned her own future favor and honor, but also Rong-ge'er's future. And she would undoubtedly do everything in her power to uphold this alliance.
She knew she would do anything for this child. She would even risk her own life.
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