anxious
Soon, after months of silence, winter suddenly began to snow.
At first, only a few specks of white snow fell from the sky, quietly and silently. Before long, the snow covered the eaves and submerged the entire window frame, falling like drifting catkins, or like heavy feathers, densely packed, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Lin Xu looked up at the gloomy sky outside the window, feeling a surge of pent-up emotions in his chest and utterly exhausted.
She fell ill and was bedridden for several days.
The southern expeditionary force achieved a great victory, but news of Princess Kunrou's disappearance quickly spread throughout Dayu, shocking the entire court. It is said that upon receiving the news, the eldest princess stormed into the palace, not only dismissing all the palace servants in the Golden Palace but also demanding that Emperor Su immediately summon the most distinguished generals of the dynasty. She further ordered these generals to sit down and discuss countermeasures, and that they set off from Mujing that very night, determined to find Liao Yan unharmed.
The Dou family was also restless because of the major incident in the Princess's family. Dou Huaisheng and other officials who had always been close to the consort Liao Qian rushed to Yong'an Ward overnight. Less than half a day later, He Qijiang, who had been ill for a long time, dragged his sick body and led a hundred men straight to the southwest to search for the Princess's whereabouts.
Ten more days passed without any news.
Even though Lin Xu was bedridden with a heart attack from anxiety, she still eagerly awaited news from outside every day. Dou Yanxun, despite being busy with his new job, took a few days off to stay by her side. Even her father, Lin Fu, personally sent a letter urging her to rest well under any circumstances, so as not to worry too much and disturb the baby in her womb.
The southwestern region is mountainous and treacherous. Although the Yunji Nine Tribes suffered a major defeat, many remnants remain. Liao Yan, despite her bravery and valor, is likely trapped deep in the mountains, unable to escape, after so much time has passed. Furthermore, if she were discovered alone by the remaining barbarian forces of Yunji, the consequences would be unimaginable… Liang Zhengyuan went to rescue her, but there has been no news of him since. She has no way of knowing whether the two have met, or if they are still separated, each struggling to survive…
Nevertheless, Lin Xu understood the sorrow and pity in everyone's eyes when they looked at her. They probably all thought that the two of them were in grave danger and were already dead.
But she simply couldn't believe it, and refused to believe it...
Soon after, many people from the mansion came to the villa to visit her in person.
Aunt Guo sat with Dou Chu, who had grown taller, for a short while before sighing repeatedly. She lamented how brave the princess was and how she had suffered such misfortune. By the end of the conversation, her eyes were filled with tears. Lin Xu became increasingly annoyed as she listened, so Zhu Ling asked the mother and daughter to leave, citing that she was unwell and needed to rest.
Aunt Zhen was bedridden for a long time. Lin Xu did not expect that after learning the news, she would send her maid to bring her a box of medicine to nourish the heart and prevent miscarriage. After all, the two had only been casual acquaintances before.
Immediately afterward, An Chan and Mu Shi, who had only exchanged a few words with Lin Xu, arrived one after the other.
An Chan is now greatly favored by Dou Yanzhou. She acts subserviently in front of him. In the past, Feng Daizhu was extremely strict with Dou Yanzhou, but now An Chan not only dares not stop him from drinking, but also serves him with a charming demeanor. She is now the most prominent figure in the main house. Even when she comes to visit Lin Xu, who is in a bad mood, An Chan wears a light pink brocade jacket with butterfly patterns, looking much more elegant than her previous maid's attire.
"Second Madam, please take care of yourself and don't overthink things."
Lin Xu listened to An Chan's sweet words of comfort and responded indifferently.
In contrast, Mu was much friendlier and more docile. She simply sat upright on the round stool, and having heard from somewhere that Lin Xu now had a great fondness for sweet and sour flavors, she brought a small basket of sour plums.
She sat quietly with her eyes lowered, her slender, pale fingers peeling the flesh of the plums for Lin Xu and placing them in a translucent, eight-petaled lotus-shaped dish. Once the plums had piled up, she handed them to Lin Xu all at once.
Lin Xu looked at Mu Shi's very serene profile. She was clearly not a person with outstanding features, but her actions made people feel very comfortable.
Gradually, she grew accustomed to Mu's frequent visits. Sometimes, the two would sit quietly, and half a day would pass in the blink of an eye. Lin Xu had always lived a secluded life in the Dou family, keeping to herself. Although she was close to Dou Zhen, Dou Zhen spent a great deal of time each day studying calligraphy and embroidery, and now, with Bai's demands for her to quickly find husbands from various prominent families, she was even more preoccupied. Thus, Lin Xu gradually became closer to Mu as well.
Once the Laba Festival passed, the festive atmosphere of the New Year grew stronger, and with the coldest days of winter approaching, the chances of finding Liao Yan and the others became even slimmer. That day, after drinking a bowl of longan and white fungus porridge in the morning, Lin Xu sat on the veranda, quietly watching the two birds huddled together, snuggling close to each other.
Snowball seemed to know she was unhappy, so it kept circling around her feet and breathing on her feet, just to make her laugh.
Suddenly, someone hurriedly crossed the threshold of the courtyard, rushing along. It was Zhu Ling, her face filled with panic. "Madam," she said, "I heard that the palace has ordered General He to return. The Prime Minister and several officials from the Ministry of War have discussed it for a long time, and they have concluded that since the princess's whereabouts are still unknown, further searching is futile. Therefore, she should be posthumously granted the title of princess and given a grand funeral befitting a martyr..."
Lin Xu suddenly stood up. Even Rong Wei, who was beside her, couldn't help but panic and hurriedly stepped forward to support her.
How could these people act like this! Liao Yan is so audacious, does she care about the title of princess? There's no news of Liao Yan's whereabouts now, not even her body has been found, so how can she be buried yet!
Lin Xu's eyes narrowed, her face turning icy. "No." She coldly gazed at the long-paused, pristine snow, the world a vast expanse of white.
"Was it proposed by Prime Minister Zhao? Has the Princess made any move?"
Zhu Ling had just received the news from a servant outside, so she dared not delay. "That's right. I heard that several officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel have also agreed... The Princess has been seriously ill since entering the palace a few days ago, and I'm afraid she hasn't fully recovered yet..."
Lin Xu slowly clenched her fist. Rumors were circulating in Mujing that the once close Emperor Su and the Eldest Princess had developed a rift for the first time in years due to the Kunrou Princess incident. The Eldest Princess had even gone so far as to have a heated argument with the Emperor in the Golden Palace, in front of high-ranking officials, ending the meeting on bad terms. Her father, as the Right Vice Minister, was naturally present at the time. Upon returning, he came directly to the Dou residence to visit her, deeply worried, and urged her not to act impulsively.
But now, if even the eldest princess is helpless... the funeral will be held at 1 a.m. tomorrow, and then no one in the court will be able to help Liao Yan!
She refused to believe that Liao Yan and Liang Zhengyuan were really dead! She absolutely refused to accept it, and she could not stand by and watch these people place their names on the Book of Life and Death for two people thousands of miles away!
She even had a strong premonition that once the entire court declared a national mourning period, Liao Yan, even if he was unharmed, would never be able to truly return!
Thinking of this, Lin Xu was unwilling to delay any longer. Ignoring the astonished looks on the faces of those around her, she immediately put on a cold expression and said recklessly:
"Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the palace!"
.
A sudden snowfall began in the night, and the north wind caused the glass palace lanterns to sway slightly, making a tinkling sound. A thick layer of ice had already formed on the eaves, which continued to drip downwards, forming several sharp, long icicles. The palace walls were already covered with a silent, white frost.
The cold had seeped into my bones.
Before the towering gates of Chang'an Palace, a carriage came to a steady stop beneath the vermilion steps. Lin Xu wore a black fur coat, the soft down at the collar brushing against her cheeks, her clear, spring-like eyes revealing an unwavering resolve.
She stood alone in the wind and snow, her rounded waist barely concealed by her large fur coat. Her waist-length black hair brushed against her face, making her complexion appear even paler, her expression as calm as snow falling on ice.
She had left in a hurry. Dou Yanxun had been invited to a small gathering with Jiang Heng and other colleagues from the Censorate after court today and had not yet returned home, so she was able to leave the mansion in a relaxed manner.
Even in this urgent situation, she still retained a sliver of reason. Lin Xu understood her lowly status; such a hasty request for an audience would surely result in being turned away. She needed the help of a powerful figure capable of manipulating events…
Now, she has been waiting outside the palace for more than half an hour. Presumably, the letter she wrote before leaving has been delivered to the East Palace. Once the Third Prince receives the letter, he will know that she was the one who delivered it.
However, she couldn't be sure whether the Third Prince would leave the palace to help her now that the situation was largely settled.
Lin Xu waited quietly beside the carriage. Zhu Ling's cheeks were already red from the cold. She looked at Lin Xu's tall, slender, yet lonely figure with heartache and whispered:
“Madam, it’s bitterly cold now. Even if you have to wait here, please wait inside the carriage…”
Lin Xu blinked and shook the snow off her eyelashes.
"I'm restless anyway, so it doesn't matter where I wait. It's alright, I'll just stand here a little longer."
The black fur coat she was wearing was a gift from her two cousins when she came of age. In the bitter cold of He City, the fur coat was enough to protect her from the wind and snow in Mujing, but even so, her heart was still in turmoil.
She had already made up her mind. She would wait here for another half an hour, and if the Third Prince still didn't come out, she would leave alone...
In the distance, the lights of the long corridor shone faintly, and a long wind blew the falling snow, which piled up on her shoulders. But the nearest vermilion palace gate remained completely silent.
She lowered her eyes, knowing that the hope was slim to begin with, and felt no sense of loss.
He simply exhaled and turned to look at Zhu Ling, saying, "It's time."
Zhu Ling was shocked. Was the Madam really going to disregard everything to this extent? Not to mention that even if she knelt outside the Golden Palace herself, the Emperor might not even pay her any attention. He was the supreme and noble Son of Heaven! Moreover, it was the dead of winter, and the Madam was pregnant. What would happen if something unexpected happened?
Zhu Ling was on the verge of tears, pleading with her repeatedly, but Lin Xu simply shook her head calmly. Having been by her side for so long, Zhu Ling knew this was the look of absolute certainty that Lin Xu wore when she had made up her mind. Now that things had come to this, no matter how much she pleaded, it seemed the lady would refuse to return before dawn to see the emperor…
Lin Xu turned around, looking at the endless expanse of white. He could no longer discern the road in the distance; everything was a vast, desolate expanse. In this cold weather, the southwest would only be more damp and chilly. Kunrou and her cousin were probably still trapped somewhere...
She closed her eyes briefly, brushing away the desolation that filled them. When she opened them again, her expression was one of unwavering determination.
.
The night snow had just stopped, and in a secluded inn in Yemo Old Lane in the south of the city, the lights on the upper floor were dim.
Five or six colleagues from the Censorate sat together. After court today, they had first returned to the Censorate to handle files, but then, at Jiang Heng's suggestion, they went out for a small gathering and stayed until now. The group was sitting together, talking slowly.
Dou Yanxun leaned against the window railing, took a sip of tea, and did not participate in the conversation.
Among the Censorate today, apart from Jiang Heng, he is the youngest among the newly appointed officials. Sitting with a group of colleagues with gray beards, he appears much more composed than before when he is quiet.
Some people were discussing the recent power struggle between civil and military officials in the imperial court, which ultimately backfired on those who wielded the pen. The old censor coughed lightly and said with a smile:
"...Lord Dou only returned to the capital this year, thus avoiding all these troubles and delays."
Upon hearing this, Dou Yanxun raised his cup, but only nodded slightly. He had now rendered great service and was summoned to the capital, so others were somewhat wary of him, let alone the Censorate, whose members could kill people with just a few words.
Seeing that Dou Yanxun remained silent, the group found it rather boring and began to talk about the recent sensational death of the princess. Judging from the situation at court today, Emperor Su would probably officially hold a state funeral for the unfortunate princess early tomorrow morning.
Dou Yanxun lowered her eyes, her mind flashing back to Lin Xu's melancholy demeanor at home these past few days. She had no idea how heartbroken she must be…
A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and then a guard walked in with his head down and whispered a few words in Dou Yanxun's ear.
The person who had been silent just moments before suddenly changed his expression, his fingers tightening around the cup in his hand until he placed it heavily on the table, spilling half a cup of tea.
Dou Yanxun suddenly stood up and only ordered in a deep voice, "Prepare the horses." The people at the table were stunned and hadn't come to their senses when he had already stood up, put on his fur coat, and left. A gust of wind swept through the wide hem of his coat, and he didn't even say goodbye to the others.
Several senior censors looked displeased, thinking to themselves that Lord Dou's temper was far too strong.
Jiang Heng, who had been sitting not far from Dou Yanxun, slowly raised his eyes. A glint of light flickered in his dark, inky eyes.
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