Long time no see
As winter approaches, banquets increase dramatically.
After Zhao Xiang's downfall, the Xun Xiang faction, who had suffered repeated oppression in their early years, naturally celebrated their promotion. Most of these people were elderly veterans, and the banquet lasted for several days, with many former officials even traveling from other places to the capital to join in the celebration. On the other hand, the position of prime minister could not remain vacant for long. After Emperor Su's health improved somewhat, he thought it over and decided to appoint Lin Fu, who had worked hard for many years and had a good reputation for integrity, as acting prime minister.
Thus, the Lin family suddenly rose to prominence again. Their relative by marriage, Gao Yanbang, was an upright man who solved many strange cases after entering the Dali Temple. Now, he was praised by the people as a righteous official, and his fame even surpassed that of Niu Wenyuan of the Ministry of Justice.
As Emperor Su's health gradually improved, the number of banquets, both large and small, in the palace gradually increased. Now, Lin Xu and Liao Yan were frequent guests at these banquets, and even if they were really tired, they couldn't refuse.
Although Mianxue was young, she was surprisingly not averse to these banquets. Whenever she was held in the arms of her wet nurse or Rongwei, she never cried or fussed. She was simply curious about every kind of food, but she would only sip a few bites before falling fast asleep. As a result, some noble ladies or aristocratic families who were on good terms with her were very fond of Mianxue. Even Madam Li from the Secretariat and Madam Zhang, the wife of Dr. Zhang from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, mentioned the idea of arranging a marriage between their children.
Lin Xu found this both funny and exasperating. Mianxue was so lovely and charming that she would naturally have no trouble finding a husband in the future, but she never expected to be noticed so early. She didn't take it seriously, but the next day, a plump pigeon flew to her door with a very inconspicuous strip of cloth tied to its right leg.
He wrote only two characters, the ink still wet—
No.
Seeing himself, so familiar yet so long-lost, Lin Xu could only smile and shake his head.
Mianxue was her precious treasure, so she would not make such a choice that concerned her lifelong happiness so easily. However, his secret concern for her and Mianxue did stir up ripples in her heart.
After all, ever since Liang Si and he had their conflict that day, and she moved to Liao Yan's side, the two of them had never had any contact on the surface.
She often suspected that he was even intentionally avoiding her.
Because sometimes she could clearly feel that wherever she went, there were several shadowy figures secretly following her. She had secretly tested them, and these people only appeared when she was in noisy places or when she was about to be in danger, and they clearly had no ill intentions. Yan Ya's skills were profound, and he always came and went without a trace, so he would never be easily detected. She thought that these people were probably the people he couldn't let go of, and they were secretly protecting her and Mian Xue.
As for Dou Yanxun now, since being appointed Grand Master of the Palace, he has risen to a high position, almost to the point of being able to manipulate events at will and influence the direction of the court. Despite such power, his expression has become increasingly cold and aloof, a half-smile often playing on his lips, making him enigmatic and inspiring both hatred and fear. His pervasive weariness and aloofness have ironically made him the most attention-grabbing figure in the court recently.
Many people hate him, despise him, yet also fear him, flatter him, and submit to him.
Sometimes she would watch him from afar, across the crowd. She would see the excited and whispering noble ladies around her, the obsequious officials swarming towards him, and even him walking step by step up the stone steps against the wind and rain.
A fierce wind howled, and thunder rumbled in the distance. He wore the familiar cloak she had made for him by hand, and he went against the current alone. The rain soaked his clothes completely, and the cloak danced wildly in the wind. She couldn't see his expression, but she could feel his loneliness from his silhouette.
That was in front of the Guangfo Temple on the outskirts of Mujing.
The temple gate was dimly lit, and his figure grew smaller and smaller until it gradually blended into the silence of the temple.
She didn't know how long she had stood at the foot of the mountain, only that her whole body ached. The rain around her umbrella gradually lessened until it turned from a torrent into a light drizzle, and the wind gradually died down. A deep voice came from beside her.
It is a banquet crow.
Rain dripped down his hair and clothes, and his face, half-covered by a black cloth, was cold and stern: "Madam, it's cold and foggy, I'll take you back."
It was at that time that Lin Xu finally asked a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
How exactly did you and him meet?
The long, dark figure paused in the wind. Yan Ya's cold, stern eyes, etched with a sense of world-weariness and a sigh in the rain, looked at Lin Xu and said, word by word:
“Madam, Yan Ya was originally a forgotten ghost in this world. In the past, when I was in dire straits and on the verge of death, only the young master took pity on me and reached out to save me from the mire. From that moment on, Yan Ya has only obeyed his orders.”
"...Yan Ya only knows that over the years, the young master has been lonely and has had a hard time, regarding worldly fame and fortune as fleeting clouds. Yan Ya also knows that your safety is the deepest and most important secret in his heart."
The rain pattered down as Lin Xu turned and walked slowly, the only words left in his ears being Yan Ya's last sentence.
"Please, no matter what, you must believe him."
In winter, to celebrate the Emperor's good health and recovery from danger, the palace held a grand three-day banquet, inviting the wives of high-ranking officials. However, Mianxue had a persistent high fever, so Lin Xu stayed home to take care of her for two whole days. On the third day, unable to refuse the repeated invitations from the Princess and Kunrou, he had no choice but to go to the palace to attend the banquet.
The grand ceremony was held in the Taiji Hall. From the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), bells and drums sounded in unison, their sound reverberating throughout the palace. Everywhere was magnificent and splendid, with layers of crimson gauze screens inside the hall, and nearly ten thousand lamps lit. The gilded beast heads at the corners of the hall gleamed dazzlingly in the firelight.
Lin Xu took a seat among the noblewomen, but before she could exchange pleasantries with Madam Li and the others, she was stopped by a gentle voice that she hadn't heard in a long time.
"Second sister-in-law."
Dou Zhen, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, stood beside the table.
Having not seen her for so long, Dou Zhen was now almost as thin as a bamboo skeleton, unable even to support the weight of her loose brocade robe. Her shoulders and neck were so frail that they seemed as if a gust of wind would break them. Lin Xu was taken aback for a moment, but then saw that Dou Zhen was still as beautiful and refined as before, but beneath her flawless makeup, the unconcealed weariness in her eyes was almost palpable.
Before Lin Xu could answer, Dou Zhen leaned forward slightly, a polite smile on her lips. She frowned slightly, coughed a few times, and said gently, "It's been a long time since I've seen you, sister-in-law. I wonder how you've been?"
Lin Xu looked at Dou Zhen with heartache, knowing that Dou Zhen was devastated by the sudden loss of her parents, but she never imagined it would come to this. She didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only tighten her grip on Dou Zhen's hand. Just then, a clear, melodious girl's voice rang out beside her:
"Indeed, it's been a long time since I've seen Lady Zhao'en. I'm so glad to finally see her today."
He Miaoyi was still as beautiful as ever. She curtsied to Lin Xu and then gestured towards Dou Zhen with her chin, saying, "Zhen'er has no appetite, how can she not lose weight? I had a hard time persuading her to come out today! You must teach her a lesson today. People, the most important thing is to eat properly!"
After He Miaoyi finished speaking, she couldn't help but pick up the venison jerky that had just been served on the table. Her eyes sparkled, and she ate with great relish.
Seeing He Miaoyi's still pure and lovely face, Lin Xu felt much more relaxed. It seemed that although He Qijiang did not become the new Vice Minister of War as he wished, it did not affect his mood or make him depressed.
Dou Zhen blushed slightly at He Miaoyi's words, but she maintained her gentle smile and said softly, "I just haven't had much of an appetite lately, it's not that I was being deliberately negligent."
Lin Xu felt a pang of sadness. The intimacy she had shared with Dou Zhen in the past was still vivid in her mind. Although she hated the Bai family, Dou Zhen was ultimately innocent. How could she face her now, looking so haggard? Lin Xu sullenly drank two cups of fine wine. The music was already playing, and people were clinking glasses.
Perhaps due to her melancholy, Lin Xu unknowingly drank several more cups than usual. When she came to her senses, she was already feeling a little dizzy. She then made an excuse to leave her seat and walked slowly along the long corridor outside the hall. The cold wind swirled around the lamplight, and the night was chilly. Zhu Ling tenderly wrapped Lin Xu's cloak tighter around her. The cold wind brushed against her face, which also helped to dispel some of the effects of the alcohol.
The peace lasted only a short while before a nearly broken sob rang out behind me.
"Sister-in-law."
Dou Zhen hadn't even put on a cloak; she was dressed in only thin clothes and had chased after them. She looked rather flustered, and was slightly out of breath when she reached the corridor.
"Sister-in-law, I haven't had a chance to talk to you in detail yet, after all, it's rare for us to see each other these days..."
After saying that, Dou Zhen forced a smile, but tears were already welling up in her eyes.
"Zhen'er, don't say that. We're still doing fine, aren't we?"
Dou Zhen ignored Lin Xu's words of comfort. Her eyes drooped, and tears welled up in her eyes. She sobbed softly, "Sister-in-law, do you know that I have never been happy since I married into the Prince's Mansion?"
“Song Xiyan is the best at acting cute and charming. I’ve been fighting with her for a long time and I’m always at a disadvantage. After a while, I’m really tired of it. And do you know that ever since the Dou family lost power, the Princess Consort has been even more harsh on me, often bringing up old grievances to mock me? If I do anything that displeases her, coupled with Song Xiyan’s secret instigation, my mother-in-law will punish me by making me copy scriptures or confine me to my quarters. The Crown Prince is incompetent and has never protected me… Sister-in-law…”
The night wind outside the corridor was bitterly cold, and soon Dou Zhen's face turned red from the cold. In the dim light, Lin Xu looked at the once delicate and beautiful talented woman who was famous in Mujing, now crying and almost curled up in a ball, so miserable. Her heart ached with unspeakable sorrow.
"Come, don't cry. Today is a day of celebration. What if someone with ulterior motives sees us?"
She took off her rabbit fur cloak and draped it over Dou Zhen, then embraced her comfortingly.
"The moon has its phases, and things in life can't always go as planned. Zhen'er, you are so intelligent, you naturally understand this principle, and I also understand the sadness in your heart."
Dou Zhen huddled in her arms, sobbing intermittently. After a long while, Dou Zhen finally stopped crying, but her voice held a hint of hesitation, "Thank you, sister-in-law, I feel much better now. However... there is something else, and I don't know if I should say it."
Seeing that Lin Xu didn't speak, Dou Zhen raised her face and quietly looked at Lin Xu.
"Zhen'er seems to have discovered... Second Brother..."
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