Spring outing (repair)
The already quiet bedchamber seemed to become even quieter in an instant, filled with an indescribable ambiguity.
He stared at her intently, not saying a word for a moment.
Lin Xu avoided his gaze somewhat timidly. She lowered her head, pushed against his chest with both hands, and tried to push Dou Yanxun out the door.
"Hurry up, don't be late..."
However, amidst those concealing movements, Dou Yanxun clearly noticed a fleeting glint of aquamarine luster in the palm of her other hand.
She practically pushed him out the door.
I wonder where her seemingly frail body gets its strength.
Dou Yanxun looked up at the clear blue sky, not a single cloud in sight, but he smiled with great pleasure, shook his head slightly, and strode away.
With Qingming Festival just around the corner, the weather is getting hotter day by day.
Lin Xu, dressed in a light blue brocade dress with a soft, rain-like finish, smiled as she glanced at Rong Wei, who was playing with a ball of yarn next to the artificial hill under the corridor.
Snowball is clever and cute. In just one month since arriving at the villa, it has completely adapted to its surroundings and become one of the people in the villa.
Of all the maids, Rongwei was the closest to Xuetuan. Seeing how much she liked Xuetuan, Lin Xu put her in charge of taking care of Xuetuan on a daily basis.
With Fangxing by his side, everything was more than adequate.
Zhu Ling stood to the side, carefully taking stock of all the items to be delivered to the Lin family.
To celebrate Gao Youyi's pregnancy, Lin Xu sent a lot of tonics and also personally sewed two tiger-head hats and a bib embroidered with golden dragons playing with pearls on a soft indigo gauze.
The tiger-head hat was fine; she carefully learned how to make it stitch by stitch and finished it quickly.
But that bib took a lot of effort from Lin Xu. The design of the golden dragon playing with a pearl alone, with its incredibly intricate dragon scales, was something she had to grit her teeth and persevere to finish embroidering.
At that time, Granny Qin looked at her finished product carefully, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration, wishing she could use all the auspicious words to praise her efforts.
Lin Xu agreed, but secretly vowed in her heart that she would never touch embroidery again.
Besides these, Lin Xu also wrote personal letters, one to his father as usual, inquiring about the family's recent situation, and another to Liang Zhengyuan.
She had heard the other day that Liang Zhengyuan had returned from visiting relatives in Hecheng and would probably return to the Lin residence to stay temporarily soon.
Although his case was overturned, his imprisonment prevented him from receiving the rewards and recognition for his contributions during his trip to Yazhou. This undoubtedly left a lingering regret in his heart.
Therefore, when Zhou Qi sent word that Liang Zhengyuan might soon head south again to join He Qijiang and his former deputy general Zhao Qiang in quelling the rebellion in the Western Regions, Lin Xu was not surprised.
On the contrary, she, who had half of Hecheng's blood flowing through her veins, naturally understood the anger he was holding in, and his desire to fight to the death, return from battle, and wash away the shameful name.
The Western Regions had been plagued by turmoil for years. It bordered several small countries and was constantly threatened by barbarian invasions that ravaged the borders of Dayu and caused chaos among the people.
Before the new year, among the various kingdoms on the western border, the nine tribes of Yunji repeatedly invaded, and news had already reached the court that it would send troops to guard the border.
For Liang Si, this was a golden opportunity to make a name for himself and showcase his talents.
Meanwhile, in addition to the frequent wars in the west, the government and the public were also in turmoil.
Several aging pillars of the court retired one after another, leading to a major reshuffle in the imperial court. Niu Wenyuan, the former vice minister in charge of the trial of Liang Zhengyuan, was promoted to minister and succeeded the retired minister Bai.
On the other hand, Gao Yanbang, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, who was far away solving cases, repeatedly cracked strange cases and was personally praised by the Emperor. He was promoted two ranks and was exceptionally transferred back to the capital to become the new Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
Gao Yanbang is usually low-key, and the Gao family has declined in recent years, barely maintaining its former glory.
Therefore, when Gao Yanbang received the order to return to the capital, a group of high-ranking officials and nobles were quite surprised. Even Dou Huaisheng, who was usually shrewd and calculating, showed an unusually kind expression to Lin Xu, who came to pay his respects, during his rare day off at home.
The Gao and Lin families were related by marriage. The Gao family rose to prominence, and even though the father was low-key and honest, he still provided significant benefits to the Lin family.
Now that the Dou family has formed a marriage alliance with the Lin family, Dou Huaisheng naturally wants to personally select a congratulatory gift to show his care for the Gao family's "double blessing" relationship.
Lin Xu had long anticipated Dou Huaisheng's superficiality and his scheming for fame and fortune, and she sneered inwardly. However, in front of him, she naturally acted as respectful and obedient as a daughter-in-law.
The resurgence of the Gao family's power was unexpected by many, but for Lin Xu, who was well-versed in the political changes of the past three years—
This is just the beginning.
She clearly remembered that after Gao Yanbang returned to the capital, he would solve another strange case and rise through the ranks until he firmly held the top position in the Ministry of Justice.
However, since Dou Huaisheng wanted to give the Gao family a congratulatory gift, Lin Xu was naturally happy to do so.
Besides the writing implements and rare trinkets that Dou Huaisheng specifically requested, she also added many nourishing products and jewelry boxes specially selected for women.
For no other reason than the care and attention that Gao Yanbang's wife, Yang, showed her on the day she came of age, which she still cannot forget to this day.
Lin Xu stood under the eaves and watched the snowballs running around happily for a while, and couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. Fang Xing, facing the warm spring breeze, gracefully brought over a bowl of pepper and salt almond milk tea.
Even though her health gradually improved as the weather warmed up, Fangxing was still worried. She would always instruct the kitchen to grind fresh almonds and glutinous rice into a paste, and then cook it with crushed tea leaves over a low flame to make a bowl of apricot milk tea that nourishes yin and replenishes qi.
Fang Xing was born in Quzhou, but her family later fell into poverty and was relegated to a lowly status. As for why she came to Mujing and why she was hired by Zhou Weikan to infiltrate the Dou family, she refused to reveal any of it.
Steaming hot apricot milk tea exudes the fragrance of tea leaves and has a unique sweetness, making it a delicious treat even when enjoyed as a dessert.
Seeing Fangxing carefully place the bowl of tea with a cup of sweet and sour dried apricots on the table, Lin Xu looked away and said softly:
"You didn't have to do this."
Fangxing obeyed Zhou Weikan's orders, but in doing so, she saved Lin Xu's life. After that, Lin Xu stopped taking the medicinal meals to recuperate, and there were no more unusual signs around her. She originally wanted to send Fangxing out of the mansion and give her freedom, but she never expected that Fangxing would refuse outright.
"Fangxing is ordered to protect the lady. The lady's safety is Fangxing's most important mission now."
"You still haven't told me why your master did all this."
Since the Zhou family also had secrets, Lin Xu was very curious to know what the spies planted in the Dou family were up to.
Or, within this capital, are there others secretly lurking in other homes under Zhou Weikan's orders? What exactly lies behind the prestigious imperial merchant status of the entire Zhou family, or even Zhou Weikan himself?
No matter how she asked, Fangxing remained silent.
Lin Xu had no choice but to give up. Fortunately, Fang Xing was quick-witted, insightful, and observant. Having her by his side wasn't such a bad thing.
She sipped her apricot milk tea and had just put down her spoon when she saw Qingmo leading someone forward.
It was Dou Zhen, dressed in a plain white gauze dress and holding a round fan, with her personal maid A Yin following behind her. She walked gracefully along the flower-strewn path in the courtyard.
"Sister-in-law."
Because it was a pre-arranged outing, Dou Zhen wore an unusually exquisite makeup. Her eyebrows were dyed extremely fine with indigo, and when she smiled, a touch of crimson, matching her flowing brocade dress, shone through the corners of her eyes. It was a delicate and charming beauty unique to young girls.
Dou Zhen was born with a beautiful face. Her appearance was different from Liao Yan, who was noble and self-possessed, and also different from the Yao sisters, who were as beautiful as peach blossoms and as bright as the crescent moon. She was not like an ordinary noblewoman who was dressed in gold and silver.
She possessed a wealth of knowledge yet retained a woman's graceful charm, displaying remarkable talent without being arrogant or condescending towards those of higher status. This unique and ethereal quality naturally attracted unparalleled attention.
Lin Xu reached out to help her up, then looked at Dou Zhen closely, brushing away a few stray flowers from her temple. "Third sister looks so beautiful today. I think even the pear blossoms blooming by the Jade Stream would pale in comparison."
Dou Zhen's brows furrowed slightly at her teasing. "Where's Second Brother? Did he go directly to the yamen?"
During their conversation, Granny Qin had already prepared everything for their spring outing, and Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan had also prepared a carriage at the door, just waiting for them to get ready before setting off.
Lin Xu smiled and nodded, then helped Rong Wei move the snowballs that were excitedly circling around Dou Zhen away from her feet. Seeing that the weather was clear, the two sat for a while longer before leaving the mansion together.
It is already April, the warm spring season. Willows stand along the banks of Chanyu Creek, and the water is crystal clear, flowing gently.
The meadows along the stream are lush and green, covered with wildflowers in shades of white and pink. The air is filled with the fragrance of crabapple blossoms, and the fallen petals mixed with the soft willow catkins create a scene resembling a shower of stars.
Even though they set off early, the streamside was already crowded with people when they arrived.
Two or three girls walked hand in hand, their soft, sheer skirts swaying on the grass, tinged with a thin layer of mist.
The vibrant spring scenery is naturally the most captivating.
Even so, Dou Zhen's brow was furrowed with lingering thoughts as she walked. She kept her hand tightly gripping the round fan, her fingertips beginning to turn pale white.
Lin Xu saw this and gently took Dou Zhen's arm, offering her words of comfort:
"Don't worry, Third Sister, everything is arranged."
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