Calculation (repair)
The bluestone path in front of the Huo family ancestral hall is winding and twisting. Beside two strange stones covered with moss in front of the gate, an old Taoist priest with a white beard sits solemnly, half of his body hidden in the clouds and mist.
He was the "destiny" that Lin Xu had already arranged for today.
The old Taoist priest closed his eyes and murmured, fiddling with the tortoise shell in his hand, reciting the pre-arranged judgment.
As the sounds of voices and horses' hooves drew closer, the old Taoist stroked his beard, glanced at the approaching figures, and then let out a long sigh.
The laughter and chatter vanished into thin air in an instant. The crowd was puzzled. Then they saw the old Taoist shake his head, speak in a low, hoarse voice, yet revealing a hint of detachment.
"I see that the Nobleman's destiny palace is afflicted by the Red Phoenix and the White Tiger, and I fear that within five years he will surely suffer a bloody disaster."
"You audacious commoner, how dare you offend His Highness!"
The guards beside the Fifth Prince immediately stepped forward with their swords, intending to remove the person who was making a show of deception.
The Fifth Prince, however, tightened the reins with a somber expression, looking worriedly at the old Taoist priest sitting on the ground.
"Sir, what do you mean by that?"
The two tortoise shells the old Taoist priest was fiddling with collided, producing a crisp sound. The crack on the tortoise shell was clearly visible, but the old Taoist priest remained calm. He simply shook his head again, then ignored the guards who tried to stop him, and slowly got up and left.
The hunched figure quickly disappeared into the woods, leaving only a long, drawn-out sigh behind it, which soon dissipated into the air.
"This calamity is inescapable; only death can break it."
A gentle breeze swept by, causing the banners hanging high in front of the ancestral hall to flutter. The Huo family members stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, their interest extinguished by the sight, and they were too frightened to even breathe.
The Fifth Prince stood in the wind, the corner of his wrinkled silk robe fluttering slightly. His gaze was fixed on the blue brick ground beneath his feet, and his expression was somewhat cold.
Huo Qizhen, who had been chatting amiably with the Fifth Prince, now stood to the side, and it was clear to everyone that the Fifth Prince had become somewhat wary of those words. Huo Qizhen hesitated, then finally coughed softly and tentatively said:
“Your Highness, it’s fine to believe a little of what this muddle-headed old Taoist says, but to believe it completely would be foolish. His words are hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood, so how can we take them seriously? Your Highness is a prince, and you are destined for unparalleled nobility. In my opinion, this charlatan is just spouting nonsense and is not to be trusted.”
The Fifth Prince frowned, looking at the old Taoist's disappearing figure in the distance, his face showing displeasure.
Zhang, who had been walking hand in hand with the other women, walked over steadily. Her expression was calm, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes hinted at a sense of alertness.
The lingering smoke of sandalwood incense rose from the ancestral hall, swirling among the trees, while the pines and cypresses swayed in the wind, creating a rustling sound. After a long while, Zhang spoke softly, breaking the silence.
"The wandering sorcerer's words are nothing but nonsense. Your Highness possesses the auspicious signs of a rising sun and a dragon's head; you will surely be safe and sound—"
Before Zhang could finish speaking, the Fifth Prince's face turned angry, his voice was extremely low, and he sneered repeatedly:
"If it's all nonsense, how could it be so accurate in mentioning the movement of the Red Phoenix Star? This matter clearly involves only you and me..."
He seemed to remember something, glanced around, and saw that his relatives all looked fearful, their heads bowed. Only then did he reluctantly stop talking. But the depression in his heart did not diminish at all.
What does "cannot be broken without death" mean?
He was of royal blood, the only child of the late Consort Gui, so how could he be "unsolvable in this calamity"?
Although Huo Qizhen's advice was unpleasant to hear, it was not enough to anger him. However, seeing Zhang's calm and unquestionable tone made him feel even more frustrated.
It's all because of Zhang Shi, who runs rampant in the Huo family every day. Not only did she take away his incompetent uncle's power to manage the family, but she also insisted on interfering in his marriage.
If she hadn't constantly been saying that the Huo family was not what it used to be and that they needed to find a prominent family to marry into in-laws to revitalize the family business, he wouldn't have actually thought about getting married as soon as possible!
The Fifth Prince grew increasingly angry, immediately mounted his horse, and coldly said to the guards:
"Go and bring that old Taoist priest back to me! I want to see who's playing tricks!"
With that, he yanked on the reins, and the red-brown horse beneath him neighed, its hooves slamming down, trampling over a few fallen leaves, before galloping wildly out of the winding path.
The wind howled, his clothes fluttered behind him, and the cold mist among the pines and cypresses was lifted, creating a gap.
After chatting and drinking a cup of tea, Lin Xu and his companions heard the cold wind howling across the river and the incessant clatter of horses' hooves, startling a flock of birds into flight from the woods.
Before they could even see what was happening, another gust of wind howled, and two or three dark figures followed closely behind the first one. Judging from their clothing, they seemed to be the guards who had accompanied the emperor earlier.
Lin Xu watched the Fifth Prince hurry away, a secret smile appearing on his lips.
As expected, the Fifth Prince was indeed provoked by the Taoist's words and jumped up in anger, abandoning the important ancestral worship ceremony for the day and leaving in a huff.
All of this was completely unexpected. In fact, this was only the beginning.
Dou Zhen withdrew her gaze from the opposite bank, her beautiful face filled with worry and fear. She couldn't help but give Lin Xu a meaningful look.
Although Dou Zhen already knew about today's plan and that the Taoist priest was acting on Lin Xu's orders to use celestial phenomena to hint at the Fifth Prince's intentions, she still hadn't expected the Fifth Prince's reaction to be so intense. She was terrified, fearing it would cause even greater trouble.
Dou Yanxun put down his empty teacup, his palm gently stroking the hem of his robe on his knee, displaying a calm and composed demeanor, as if he were watching a good show.
"Why did the Huo family suddenly become so angry during their ancestral worship ceremony? It's quite a scene on the other side."
After speaking, he turned to look at Lin Xu, a smile playing on his lips, but his words carried a deeper meaning:
"Today, the lady invited us to go on a spring outing. Who would have thought that although the scenery of Chanyu Creek is pleasant, it is not as exciting as this well-made show?"
Lin Xu knew perfectly well what was going on, so she looked up to meet his gaze, which was half searching and half testing, and smiled quite frankly.
She wasn't afraid that Dou Yanxun would notice something from this.
On the contrary, some might use his reaction today to verify their own suspicions.
As she spoke, a gentle breeze, like shattered jade, swept by, scattering a few scattered petals at her temples, pure white as snow.
Those eyes curved into the gentlest arc, yet they possessed a clarity as clear as pine needles falling into frost on a mountaintop, even faintly revealing a bottomless chill.
"...Although it has been some time since I left Zhiqiong Hall, I still remember that when I was studying there, the Fifth Prince was the most impatient. Whenever he encountered poems or essays that he couldn't memorize, he would get annoyed. Speaking of which, I heard that the Third Prince will soon be getting married to the Princess of Shou'an County. The Fifth Prince used to be inseparable from him, so naturally he will give a generous gift."
Lin Xu smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt as she spoke softly. Her voice was icy, and although she was joking, her eyes held no warmth whatsoever.
"The Fifth Prince has always been eager to be the first. Now that he has completed his coming-of-age ceremony, he will surely be able to find a woman who is a good match for him in both appearance and family background soon."
Dou Yanxun's expression remained indifferent upon hearing this, only glancing at Dou Zhen, who stood silently to the side with her head down, her cheeks deathly pale. A hint of realization clearly appeared on that sharply defined face.
He naturally understands everything.
But Lin Xu stared at him with a smile for a long time, only to see that he remained silent, chuckling softly a few times before looking away and gazing at the elegant figures in the distance—
They seemed completely indifferent to the matter.
She took everything in, and a sense of disappointment slowly crept into her heart.
At least in her heart, she originally thought that Dou Yanxun viewed this third sister in a somewhat different way.
For a long time, his position in the family has been rather awkward. He is neither favored by the mistress of the house nor was he abandoned by his biological father when he was young, and was sent alone to a desolate place thousands of miles away.
Although he and his elder brother Dou Yanzhou seemed close on ordinary days, it has been common for brothers to quarrel and even become enemies since ancient times. If this is the case between close brothers, how much more so between two brothers who are of different legal status and inevitably have conflicts of interest?
Of the entire Dou family, there was only one Dou Zhen, and only Dou Zhen could be considered someone who knew him well.
The Fifth Prince is unruly and has nothing to offer except for his illustrious lineage; he is clearly not a suitable match for her. Dou Yanxun must have already figured out the purpose of today's visit, yet he remained silent.
It was as if who Dou Zhen married, who she lived with, and whether she was happy or not after marriage had nothing to do with her brother.
Lin Xu's original plan was to use today to bring up the matter and carefully observe Dou Yanxun's reaction. If Dou Yanxun also felt this was inappropriate—
She could then take the opportunity to cooperate with him.
Dou Yanxun works in the Ministry of Works and usually deals with landowners outside the Mujing Courtyard in handling trivial matters related to registering estates. If he could use his official position to spread rumors in the court, it would surely further prove that the Fifth Prince is in deep trouble and is destined to be afflicted by the Red Phoenix.
The Huo family and the Fifth Prince, being suspicious by nature, might not have taken the Taoist priest's words to heart at first. However, once rumors spread among the common people and in the imperial court, it would inevitably make them more hesitant to arrange the Fifth Prince's marriage.
Furthermore, if this rumor were to actually reach the imperial palace, or be casually mentioned to the emperor, then the Fifth Prince's marriage would likely no longer be up to him and the Huo family to decide.
The saying goes, "Four ounces can move a thousand pounds," meaning only the person inside the Golden Palace can influence the Fifth Prince's marriage and even his life and death without lifting a finger.
At that time, even if Zhang wanted to use this power, she would never dare to do anything foolish like disobeying the emperor's orders.
And that was the true purpose of all her plans.
Unexpectedly, he not only easily saw through that today's outing was all her doing, but also remained indifferent to it—completely wasting her hard work.
Filled with disappointment, Lin Xu stood up.
The warm and gentle spring scenery that had just been there quickly turned dark. Looking up, several dark clouds had drifted in on the horizon, as if rain would fall at any moment. The people who had been enjoying the spring scenery by the stream had soon dispersed in droves.
A downpour is imminent, and dark clouds are looming overhead.
But it also perfectly reflects her current state of mind.
Zhu Ling and Yin'er quickly packed up the things on the brocade cushion. Lin Xu and Dou Zhen had come by carriage, while Dou Yanxun had come by horse. But if it rained soon, riding a horse would probably leave them soaked.
Zhu Ling then asked Lin Xu with concern, "Would Second Master like to ride back with you in the carriage?" Zhu Ling was only asking casually, figuring that the manor would send someone to take back the horse he had ridden there after the rain stopped.
Unexpectedly, Lin Xu's expression turned cold upon hearing this. His usually aloof face was now even colder than frost, with a hint of anger.
“Since you came on horseback, then you may ride back home on horseback. Traveling by carriage is inevitably stuffy, and nothing compares to the comfort of riding a horse.”
This is why they insisted on refusing to let Dou Yanxun in.
Upon hearing this, both Zhu Ling and Dou Zhen looked at her with concern.
Dou Yanxun saw all this but remained unperturbed. He stood leisurely under the willow tree, watching with his arms crossed as the maids finished tidying up, and then Yin'er helped Dou Zhen into the carriage.
However, just as Lin Xuyi lifted her skirt to get into the car, she heard him say lazily behind her:
"Madam, please wait."
Lin Xu had only made a sarcastic remark to him out of anger, and the anger dissipated once it was over. Especially when Dou Zhen looked at her with concern, she suddenly realized that it seemed somewhat inappropriate to make sarcastic remarks about Dou Yanxun in front of outsiders.
Especially... the two of them always played the role of a loving couple in the household.
Moreover, in his view, it seemed more like she had failed to outmaneuver him today and had instead lost her temper and become angry.
When Dou Yanxun's voice rang out, Lin Xu's body trembled, and he felt inexplicably guilty.
She slowly turned around and met his eyes, which were just as beautiful as spring blossoms.
Willow catkins, dancing in the wind, drifted down onto his robes, then were swept up by the breeze, swirling and scattering. His pale pink eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, their depths shimmering, and the corners of his lips were subtly curved upwards—a perfectly ordinary, languid, and playful expression.
From her perspective, however, that face seemed devoid of any smile.
"Such a beautiful scene, yet instead of appreciating the spring, Madam harbors schemes against me..." Dou Yanxun's voice was low, drifting over lightly with the willow catkins.
After saying that, he chuckled softly, a hint of regret in his voice. The smile in his eyes remained undiminished, but a clear sense of disappointment lingered. "I thought that Madam had genuinely invited me to enjoy the spring scenery together."
He was even more sarcastic than she was.
"no......"
Lin Xu opened his mouth, as if to argue, but then saw him stop smiling and speak again, his voice filled with an undeniable firmness.
"Mount up."
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