riot
She and Liao Yan continued to admire the snow, their backs to the crowd as they reminisced about the past. As dusk fell and the crowd dispersed, they reluctantly strolled home hand in hand through the snow. Since secretly forming an alliance with Liao Yan, their relationship had grown much closer than before, and this princess, who had always presented herself with an icy demeanor, now often teased her.
A graceful figure approached from afar. Miao Yiyun, wrapped in a thick white fur-trimmed cloak with embroidered sapphire blue trim, walked slowly and elegantly through the wind and snow. Miao Yiyun said with a charming smile, "I haven't had a chance to chat with the princess all day. I was wondering where she was, but I didn't expect that Lady Lin would get there first. I've been looking for her for ages."
Lin Xu smiled, curtsied, and said respectfully:
"May the Princess of Shou'an be well."
Miao Yiyun held a small hand warmer in her hands, her bright red lips and white teeth captivating. The little maid beside her stood obediently to one side, bowing respectfully to Liao Yan and Lin Xu with great trepidation. Lin Xu currently held no official rank, and although her husband, Dou Yanxun, had entered officialdom, it was not a minor, sinecure position in the Ministry of Works. Naturally, she could not accept such courtesy from someone close to the Princess of Shou'an, so her smile became even more humble and cautious.
Liao Yan smiled faintly and raised his hand, saying to Miao Yiyun, "You've always enjoyed lively gatherings, so you're naturally busy admiring the snow. What brings you here?"
Miao Yiyun glanced at Lin Xu, seemingly wanting to speak to Liao Yan alone. Lin Xu immediately understood and was about to turn away when Liao Yan tightened her grip on his arm.
Miao Yiyun looked somewhat sullen, and the radiant aura she had exuded just moments before, like a red plum blossom standing proudly in the snow, instantly diminished. After hesitating for a moment, she still spoke up: "Actually, it wasn't a big deal. It's just that His Highness the Third Prince's birthday is in a few days. I was thinking of asking the Princess about His Highness's preferences again, so that we don't make a mistake at the birthday banquet and lose face, becoming a laughing stock instead."
Liao Yan scoffed, "You've always been clever and proper, how could you lose face? You've inquired about the books the Third Prince likes to read and the calligraphy he practices several times. Just take that birthday banner, which is embroidered with eighty-one large red 'Fu' characters. It took you more than a few months to complete. I think everything is ready, except for the final push to make you feel proud."
Miao Yiyun blushed and covered her mouth with her handkerchief, saying coquettishly, "Princess, please don't laugh at me. What I did was just to win the favor of the Third Prince. I'm glad you don't think I'm foolish."
As the two women exchanged questions and answers, Lin Xu stood awkwardly to the side. In fact, as a classmate of the prince in Zhiqiong Hall for several months, she already knew the answer to Miao Yiyun's question, but Liao Yan refused to answer directly, only teasing and joking with a smile. So she could only pretend not to know and stand aside.
The sky suddenly darkened, and seeing that it was getting late, the guests who had traveled from afar had all taken their leave. Miao Yiyun's mother, dressed in fine clothes, stood in the distance waving to her. Seeing this, Miao Yiyun could only bid farewell to the two of them with some regret, and then got into the carriage with her mother.
Lin Xu stood at the gate waiting for Dou Zhen, surrounded by a bustling crowd of people, their elegant attire and graceful figures creating a vibrant scene. Liao Yan stood before the mansion's gate, smiling and waving goodbye to He Miaoyi and the other noble ladies, when suddenly he heard a gentle voice beside him:
"Why is the princess unwilling to help her?"
Liao Yan seemed not to have heard Lin Xu's words at all. She greeted several guests and then turned to look at her after a while.
“Yiyun has always been intelligent and quick-witted, and is already one of the best women in the city. I don’t need to help her with anything.”
The lanterns hanging high were hazy in the setting sun, casting half-light and half-shadow. Liao Yan's usually cold face was covered with a few icy coldness. She looked at Lin Xu's smiling face quietly, and after a moment she spoke, "Besides, haste makes waste. There is no need for me to teach her such a simple truth."
Dou Zhen soon rushed towards the gate and saw Lin Xu standing under the eaves waiting for her. She looked shy and timid. She then bowed gently to Liao Yan before getting into the carriage.
Lin Xu glanced back at Liao Yan again. A hint of weariness had slowly crept into her cold, beautiful eyes, making her appear even more desolate in the night. She couldn't help but comfort her:
"Since ancient times, all wealth and honor have been determined by the will of Heaven, so Princess need not be too sad."
Amidst the comings and goings of people, she seemed to hear Liao Yan sigh with deep regret.
"The Third Prince used to have some feelings for you, but you always pretended not to understand."
Liao Yan spoke slowly, his expression filled with melancholy:
"The former Yao Suran, and the current Miao Yiyun, have both fought tooth and nail for wealth and glory, becoming utterly despicable and disregarding any past affections. Why are so many people so eager for wealth and glory, yet you alone are not greedy for anything, only desiring to marry such a playboy?"
A vast expanse of white snow drifted around, eclipsing all color from the world. Liao Yan's sigh fell slowly along with the falling snow.
"Lin Xu, you are somewhat different from others."
.
The roads were slippery from the snow, and as it was getting late, the carriage moved even slower. By the time they finally arrived back at the Dou residence, it was already past midnight. Dou Zhen hurriedly alighted from the carriage, looking exhausted, but even so, she couldn't hide the shyness unique to young girls in her eyes. Lin Xu pretended not to notice, smiled and said goodbye to her, then walked alone to the other courtyard.
The surroundings were shrouded in a hazy light. As soon as she stepped into the hall, she felt a wave of warmth wash over her. Granny Qin quickly stepped forward with a smile and took her cloak: "You're finally back. The snow was so heavy today, I was worried that the journey at night would take quite a while."
Seeing Lin Xu looking around without saying a word, Granny Qin knew what was going on and lowered her voice a few decibels: "Master had dinner alone earlier and had a poor appetite. He's resting alone in the study now."
She pursed her lips and remained silent, utterly exhausted after a long day. Although she hadn't eaten, she had no appetite. Qingmo brought over a basin of steaming hot water with rose petals floating in it. She slowly immersed her hands in the hot water for a moment, only then feeling the misty steam and the warmth spreading throughout her body.
Having not seen the two birds all day, Little Gray was unusually less aloof, fluttering its wings from its cage and looking at her with its bright black eyes. She smiled and added a small handful of millet, then took the gold-inlaid ladle and added fresh water to the trough. Little Red, meanwhile, flew up and down incessantly, and when the birdcage was wide open, it hopped playfully into her palm.
This moment of leisure and comfort lasted only a short while, when a commotion arose outside the door. Listening carefully, it seemed to be a sound coming from the other courtyard, growing louder as it approached. Zhu Ling lifted the curtain and went out to investigate, returning a moment later with light, quick steps.
Lin Xu looked up and saw Zhu Ling standing at the palace gate, her face full of worry.
"But what happened?"
The commotion in the dead of night was even more unsettling. Zhu Ling said, "It seems like someone from the main house has arrived and is waiting outside the courtyard."
Lin Xu stopped stroking Xiao Hong's feathers. Xiao Hong was very dissatisfied and pecked at her fingertips with its sharp beak. She put the bird back in the cage and then asked, "Did you say why?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a man's voice came from inside the courtyard. It was Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan, who were always guarding outside the hall. Zhou Qi said loudly, "Madam, the eldest son's family said that something was lost, and they have sent people here. They said that the whole mansion is searching for it."
Lin Xu casually picked up a thin, lake-blue velvet cloak and walked out of the hall. Startled along with her was Dou Yanxun, who also looked puzzled. He was only wearing a plain-colored everyday robe, and because it was late at night, his hair was half-hanging over his shoulders. He had clearly also heard the noise and come out of his study. Compared to his usual impeccably dressed appearance, he looked unusually approachable.
Sure enough, someone arrived in the courtyard. Lin Xu recognized the elderly woman somewhat; she looked like Zhao Mama, who usually served Feng Daizhu. Sure enough, she bowed and greeted Dou Yanxun and her before saying, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Second Master and Second Madam. But if things have happened so suddenly, this old servant had no choice but to come in the middle of the night."
Dou Yanxun's expression was indifferent as he interrupted Zhao Mama, raising an eyebrow: "What could be so urgent in the dead of night that it would alarm the entire Dou family?"
Upon hearing this, the maidservant beside Zhao Mama hurriedly replied, "Second Master, my mistress has suddenly lost an item. If it were an ordinary object, it wouldn't be a big deal, but this is a family heirloom that our eldest mistress brought with her as part of her dowry. It has suddenly disappeared without a trace, and the mistress is now crying in distress, sending people everywhere to search for it."
Lin Xu glanced at Dou Yanxun, who was mostly standing in the shadows. The night obscured half of his face, making it impossible to discern his expression. She then spoke gently, "Is that so? I wonder what exactly your sister-in-law lost. Since it's so valuable, we can help you search for it."
Fine beads of sweat glistened on Zhao Mama's forehead in the cold wind, her tone tense yet cautious:
"Reporting to Second Madam, this dowry item is truly extraordinary. It was originally a jade disc passed down through generations of the Feng family, crafted by a renowned craftsman from the northern frontier. Now it is priceless... If it were just an ordinary valuable item, that would be one thing, but this jade disc was a coming-of-age gift from First Madam's grandmother when she was young, carrying extraordinary significance, which is why it is so precious to our Madam. Now that it has suddenly disappeared, First Madam is extremely anxious and has sent people to search the entire mansion. We had no choice but to come to the other residence to bother you two."
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat, but her smile remained gentle: "Jade discs? Since they are so valuable, it's natural for sister-in-law to be worried. But I wonder when these jade discs went missing, and how they suddenly disappeared?"
She hadn't been home all day, and now that the incident had happened so suddenly and seemed quite strange, she naturally had to ask about some details to clear her mind.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Zhao Mama's face before she finally said, "Reporting to Second Madam, it was indeed this old servant's fault. Today, First Madam was unwell, so this old servant took Lang-ge'er to play with her while cleaning the storeroom. Who knew that, being of advanced age, I couldn't keep an eye on her, and Lang-ge'er actually grabbed this jade disc and started playing with it. It was also the maids' poor eyesight that prevented them from stopping her in time. By the time Madam discovered it, only half of the jade disc remained..."
After saying that, Granny Zhao stretched out her hand, and on her palm was a half-moon shaped jade disc that was incredibly lustrous under the moonlight. Upon closer inspection of its bottom, there was indeed a tiny character for "bead" engraved on it.
This is a piece of jade of exceptional quality, crafted from two crescent-shaped pieces. Even in the darkness of night, its clear, translucent beauty is still evident, its bright white hue rivaling that of the moon overhead. Truly priceless.
Lin Xu examined it carefully for a moment, then said:
“I see. But I still don’t understand. Since Lang’er lost it while playing, why not just look for it along the trails he went to today? Why come to this other courtyard?”
The young maidservant beside Granny Zhao said in a trembling voice:
"Reporting to Second Madam, that's precisely why. During the day, First Madam also brought Lang-ge'er to the villa to look for you, but they forgot that you had been invited to the Princess's residence today, so they turned back. We've been searching for quite a while now, but there's really no trace of you in the entire backyard, so we had no choice but to come here. Perhaps you were accidentally left here at that time..."
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