Prison (repair)
After several days apart, Yao Suran's appearance was still stunning, but the arrogance and self-importance between her brows had completely disappeared, replaced by a hint of dejection.
Madam Yao was dressed in a gorgeous gown, and the gold-embroidered peony-patterned vest she wore was particularly exquisite. Even so, sitting next to Madam Chiang and Madam Soong, she looked somewhat gloomy and couldn't hide her lack of confidence.
It is common knowledge in the capital that the Yao family has fallen out of favor. Not long ago, I heard Dou Zhen say that Consort Yao Ziyuan behaved improperly in front of the emperor at the New Year's banquet. In a fit of anger, Emperor Su demoted her to Consort Ming and punished her by confining her to the palace to reflect on her mistakes. She has not received the emperor's forgiveness for several months.
The only person in the Yao family who holds military power is the second son of the Duke, Yao Qijiang, who is also the uncle of the sisters Yao Suran and Yao Su'an. However, today, the Cizhou he guards is also frequently harassed by the barbarians on the border.
Yao Qijiang, who held the rank of General of Mighty Valor, repeatedly advised Emperor Su to wage war against the barbarians. However, Zhao Xiang persuaded Emperor Su to remain inactive, arguing that "if war breaks out, the barbarians will be difficult to drive away, and the people on the border will suffer." This stalemate lasted for several months. Meanwhile, news came that the Cizhou region was increasingly being harassed by the barbarians, and the generals accompanying the army were growing resentful and even harboring thoughts of rebellion.
Therefore, it's only a matter of time before Yao Qijiang is driven to the brink of despair and deserted by his followers.
The Yao family had been suppressed time and again, and had probably long since run out of options. That's why they had no choice but to abandon their once proud pride and seek to maintain their relationship with some officials and their wives in the capital.
Looking at Yao Suran's face, which was now adorned with makeup but still showed signs of unease, Lin Xu slowly took a sip of tea. For a moment, he felt as if the past had turned upside down, and that fate was truly playing tricks on him.
She looked at Yao Suran, slowly nodded, and then put down the teacup in her hand.
"Sister Su Ran, it's been so long! How have you been?"
Yao Suran didn't really want to reminisce with her and wanted to avoid answering, but her mother was watching from the side, so she had no choice but to nod and say, "It's alright, I just stay at home growing flowers and plants, doing embroidery and practicing calligraphy."
Madam Yao smiled and said, "My youngest daughter has always been humble. Even when it comes to her specialties, she always prefers to downplay them. Didn't the painting of ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains that you embroidered earlier receive praise from several wives of princes?"
Madam Yao glanced at the others present, lingering particularly on Madam Jiang, and her smile softened even more:
"I've heard that our young Imperial Censor Jiang is quite fond of calligraphy and painting. Coincidentally, Su Ran has also recently had some insights into this matter. I wonder whose calligraphy our young Imperial Censor Jiang usually studies, and which school of painting he is good at?"
Lin Xu followed Madam Yao's eager gaze and looked at Madam Jiang.
Jiang Heng's birth mother was well-maintained, and her words were kind yet composed, befitting the prestigious Beiyuan family. However, a hint of displeasure flashed in her exquisitely drawn eyebrows and eyes, but it disappeared in an instant.
"Madam Yao, you are too kind. My son, Aheng, only spends his free time at home. He has not achieved any real expertise. Although he has a wide range of interests, he has only scratched the surface."
Madam Yao nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, then smiled and asked further:
"I've heard that the most famous place in Beiyuan is the magnificent scenery of Liaoyuan in early spring. I've been staying in Mujing for a long time, and it feels a bit cramped. I've been thinking about when I'll have the chance to travel around the rivers and lakes. If you happen to have some free time in Beiyuan, please let us know so that I can bring my Su Ran to pay you a visit."
Jiang Heng won the third-highest rank in the imperial examination last year, and within a year he was promoted several ranks to become the head of the Censorate, making him the youngest censor since the founding of the Great Yu Dynasty.
Lin Xu had only heard of this person's name a few times before and hadn't paid much attention to it. It wasn't until Gao Youyi mentioned this person at home that day that he realized that this was the young master who had spoken with Dou Zhen that day, and only then did he become more interested in finding out about this person's past.
Young and promising, with a beautiful and noble appearance, she is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after men in the court.
It now appears that, besides Dou Zhen, others have already set their sights on this coveted opportunity.
Bai kept her eyes lowered, playing with the string of beads in her hand in silence.
Madam Song picked up her teacup, slowly blew on the foam, and then said in a sweet, coquettish voice:
"I've just heard that the various departments of the court have been quite busy lately, with a backlog of imperial cases awaiting reopening for investigation in the spring. I imagine that this young master Jiang must be so busy that he can't even take a moment to rest."
Yao Suran kept her head down, making it impossible to read her expression. When she raised her head again, her eyes were fixed on the new buds of the willow tree outside the window, her thoughts already wandering elsewhere.
Lin Xu sat with the ladies for a while longer before Mrs. Jiang mentioned that she had something to attend to at home and wished to leave.
Bai was busy urging Fu Lian to see the guests off, while Madam Song took Madam Jiang's arm and said goodbye again and again, and escorted her to the gate.
Lin Xu stood under the corridor, watching the willow branches sprout new buds, a scene full of vibrant spring. Before long, a faint fragrance of laurel wafted around him.
She turned her head away, and before she knew it, Yao Suran had walked over and stood beside her under the flower corridor.
Those almond-shaped eyes, once full of pride and arrogance, are now desolate and lifeless, like a stagnant pool of water.
"It has been a long time since we last met. When my mother brought me here today, she was wondering if we would be able to meet you at the Dou residence."
Several pale purple primroses under the eaves are in full bloom, their fragrance carried by the gentle breeze, accompanied by the incessant chirping of birds, creating a serene spring scene.
Meanwhile, the low laughter of women drifted out from the half-closed small window.
"...She's just a poor, destitute family. Her husband hasn't even been granted a marquisate. She's so arrogant. Does she even dare to dream of having Young Master Jiang become her Yao family's son-in-law?"
Bai took a sip of tea, her voice still calm, "So that's why Madam Yao came all the way here with her daughter after we finished offering incense at Guangfo Temple today. It turns out she wanted to use my connections to marry her daughter to Imperial Censor Jiang. Madam Yao's mind is as sharp as ever."
"Madam Dou is too kind-hearted. Everyone in Mujing avoids her Yao family now. Didn't they used to dream of marrying into the Third Prince's family? Now that Miao's daughter, the Princess of Shou'an, is about to marry the Third Prince and become the future Crown Princess, what chance does the Yao family have?"
Madam Song lowered her voice slightly, tinged with a hint of mocking laughter:
“...I heard a few days ago that the one in the palace hasn’t left the house for half a year. It’s no different from being banished to the cold palace. Who knows when she’ll bring trouble to her family... We should have less contact with her.”
Yao Suran's expression remained unchanged. She gently closed her eyes in the breeze, and after a long while, she spoke in a barely audible voice:
Do you know that my brother is now practically a cripple?
Lin Xu then recalled Yao Sha's exceptionally fair face, which used to be filled with arrogance. And the day she turned 18, Yao Sha's frivolous behavior towards her; at that time, she almost lost her innocence by the slightest mistake.
These things happened just a few months ago, but when I think about them again, I feel a mix of emotions, as if it were a lifetime ago.
Lin Xu didn't speak, but Yao Suran continued talking to herself.
"He used to be obsessed with you, almost like he was possessed. He wouldn't listen to anyone's advice, which led to that disaster. After that incident, my father and grandfather were furious. They first broke half of his leg, and then punished him by making him copy Buddhist scriptures all day long and keeping him at home to reflect on his mistakes. But he still seemed to be haunted by a demon, constantly shouting that the mansion was haunted, disturbing everyone's peace."
Seeing that Lin Xu remained silent, Yao Suran sighed softly:
"Actually, you know what? From the first moment I saw you, I don't know why, I disliked you."
—I hate how you always seem so reserved, pretending to be my sister while your eyes always hide a burning ambition. You come from an ordinary family, have no education, and your looks aren't exactly outstanding in my eyes, yet you're the one who, from the moment you appear, draws everyone's attention and focus.
"...First my brother, then the Third Prince, and then that Zhou Weikan I hate so much... He owes my sister a life, but for you, he disregarded even that debt, repeatedly trying to talk to you and get your attention. And because of you, I lost everything I had before, becoming someone everyone despises. If I could do it all over again, when I first met you, I would have killed you without hesitation."
Lin Xu looked at Yao Suran's radiant face; in just a few months, she seemed to have aged several years.
As the spring breeze stirred, she watched quietly as those bright almond-shaped eyes curved into a sorrowful slit, and a single tear slowly welled up from the corner of her eye, drifting into the air with the swaying willow leaves.
In an instant, Yao Suran's face seemed to gradually overlap with the image deep in her memory, merging into one.
She was once such a bright and proud person, but now she is like a flower about to wither and die, utterly dejected.
Even though Yao Suran spoke with absolute certainty about her dissatisfaction with Lin Xu, Lin Xu, listening to her, could no longer bring himself to hate her.
After a long while, a sad yet stubborn smile appeared on Yao Suran's lips.
"We've clashed several times since we met. I admit I underestimated you before. Now that you've married your ideal husband, you're probably happy, but it's nothing serious. I'll be planning my own bright future from the sidelines... Lin Xu, when I rise to the top again someday, will you have another good game with me?"
As the forsythia fades and its fragrance wafts through the air, Lin Xu nods gently amidst the tender new buds of the willows and the intoxicating scent of osmanthus.
"Then it's a deal."
Unable to sleep a wink all night due to his worries, Lin Xu put on his outer robe in the dark the next morning and took out several volumes of the Dayu Criminal Code from the shelf in his study to read.
Dou Yanxun sighed softly, changed into his official robes, and went to the yamen first. Before leaving, he promised her that as long as there was any news, or if Liang Zhengyuan woke up, he would send someone back to pick her up.
Dou Yanxun had already stepped one foot out of the palace gate, but he turned back. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her furrowed brow, his tone unusually gentle:
"Don't worry, I'm here."
His lips were icy cold, and his kiss sent a shiver down her spine.
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