tell
Inside Yilan Garden.
Qi Shuang'er had a terrible headache, and a maid who was no more than twelve or thirteen years old was carefully massaging her head and glancing at her expression from time to time.
There was still a person kneeling inside the hall. In the wisps of incense smoke, her simple light green dress accentuated her outstanding temperament. Qi Shi did not even lift her eyelids, but simply leaned against the chaise longue.
Lan Yue had been kneeling for half an hour. Seeing that Madam Qi had no intention of letting her get up, she dared not move. Her knees were already aching from kneeling, and she couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Just as Madam Qi was about to speak, the little maid who was pressing her head down was startled and her hand stopped moving. She hurriedly looked at Madam Qi.
Qi Shuang'er sighed. Ever since Zui Zhi died, she was surrounded by a bunch of greenhorn girls, each one more timid than the last, which was quite annoying. She waved her hand, signaling the girl pressing her head to leave, and then looked at Lan Yue, who was still kneeling in front of her, and asked coldly:
"Did the master say anything else?"
Lan Yue lowered her head, her thick, jet-black hair hanging down her back. She had been kneeling for a long time, and fine beads of sweat had formed on her temples and forehead. She whispered, "Reporting to Madam Qi, when Master asked me how old I was, whether I had studied, and what else I could do besides needlework, I answered all your questions exactly as you instructed. Master did not ask any further questions."
Did the master serve soup this morning?
Lan Yue's voice softened a bit, "Reporting to Madam Qi, Zhao Mama brought the contraceptive soup early this morning, and I have already drunk it."
Qi glanced sideways at the man who was almost swaying, her eyes filled with hatred.
If it weren't for Lin Xu, why would she have bothered sending other women to the master's bed?
Lin Xu, who usually plays dumb to deceive others, was one thing, but she herself had been fooled by Lin Xu's innocent appearance, actually believing that Lin Xu was truly as stupid as everyone said. She never expected that Lin Xu would not only discover the matter of the Snow Artemisia powder, but also deal with Zui Zhi so easily. This was clearly a wake-up call. Perhaps... Lin Xu was waiting for her chance to deal with her too. How could she not be afraid!
Moreover, Lin Fu has always doted on this daughter. If she knew that he had once intended to murder Lin Xu, she probably wouldn't be able to stay in this family anymore... In short, she had to silence Lin Xu no matter what, otherwise all the wealth and glory she wanted would vanish.
A few days ago, she found a reason to detain me in my room for quite some time. When I came out again, Lin Xu had already gone to the Imperial Academy in the palace. The people in her room usually keep a close watch on me. I secretly sent a maid to check, and she said it was airtight... How can I find an opportunity to make my move?
Thinking about all this, Qi couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
Fortunately, Lan Yue is now a concubine, so there's no worry about whispering in her ear. At worst, she can persuade the master to marry Lin Xu off as soon as possible. After all, didn't she say the other day that she already had someone she wanted to marry? If she were to have another child, and the master didn't have a second wife, she only needed to lie low for another two years. Would she still have to worry about not having a status in the Lin family?
As for Lan Yue... well, I've already planned it out. Once that little vixen has a child, I'll take the child and raise it myself. It's a good, long-lasting solution: remove the mother and keep the child.
Qi glanced at the delicate and pretty Lan Yue again, and felt that her headache seemed to have gotten much worse.
.
When Lin Xu entered the study to retrieve the calligraphy copybook, Lin Fu had just returned from court, still in his official robes and looking tired and travel-worn.
Today, several officials clashed with the Prime Minister in court. These officials, always quick to seize upon a problem, would argue endlessly, while Prime Minister Zhao, wielding considerable power, was not someone to be trifled with. The morning court session, usually quick, was dragged on until now by these officials, and no conclusion was reached. However, Emperor Su appeared listless and unperturbed. The Emperor is deep in thought; perhaps he has already made his decision.
Although he was in charge of personnel selection on a daily basis, he was not actually involved in factional struggles and simply did his job in a routine manner. Now that Prime Minister Zhao was in charge of the government, Lin Fu had a vague feeling that Emperor Su's indifferent face meant that he had been enduring for a long time.
Lin Xu, on the other hand, was all smiles. Since sending her to the palace to study, he had seen many young girls with serious faces, and it had been a long time since he had seen her smile like this. Lin Fu's mood instantly improved, and he couldn't help but ask, "How are your studies lately?"
Lin Xu still smiled: "The teacher previously taught us the Zuo Zhuan and the Gongyang Zhuan, and recently we have been studying the Doctrine of the Mean and contemporary commentaries."
Lin Fu struggled to maintain a serious expression, but inwardly he was quite pleased.
He studied under the renowned Confucian scholar Mu Jing in his youth and passed the imperial examination at the age of nineteen. Had it not been for the successive deaths of his parents and the six-year mourning period, he would certainly not be holding the current position of Right Vice Minister in the imperial court. However, he himself is not particularly ambitious for power. He simply does his job well and fulfills his duties, just as his grandmother, Madam Lin, had instructed him to do so when she was still alive.
Lin Xu's "great achievements" over the years have almost made him dare not ask for anything more. He only hopes that his daughter will grow up safely and happily. He has almost forgotten that she was also very intelligent when she was young, and could recite the entire poem "Linjiang Xian" in her baby voice while in Liang Shuangyu's arms. Recently, Lin Xu has been behaving well and studying diligently every day, which makes his old father's heart flutter a little more.
"I am very pleased that you can concentrate on your studies. However, you must not overwork yourself. If you feel tired, I will have the kitchen prepare some nourishing soup for you every day."
"Thank you for your concern, Father. But Aunt Qi always cooks too many dishes for me. Eating too many sweets always makes me dizzy and makes me gain weight."
She tilted her head slightly, her face showing a touch of girlish naiveté. "Nowadays, our family is sparsely populated, and it's hard to judge the amount of food we cook every day. I see that my classmates who are going to school at the same time all have brothers and sisters. If I could have a younger sister or brother to go to school with, it would be much more lively."
Lin Fu's heart stirred slightly; how could he not understand his daughter's meaning?
If Shuangyu were still here...
Sadly, his wife passed away seven years ago. She left without a word, and he missed even seeing her one last time... If he had stayed by her side back then, would this separation by death have been avoided?
Lin Fu, who was over thirty, slowly closed his eyes, his throat feeling a little dry: "After your mother passed away, I never wanted to remarry, so you became my only child."
Lin Xu looked at his father, whose face was filled with sorrow, and said softly:
“I know that Father was truly devoted to Mother. Even when Grandfather wrote to you a few years ago asking you to remarry, you refused outright. Mother would surely be very grateful to have your sincerity in the afterlife. But the past is like smoke in the wind. If another brother or sister were born into the family, you would have the joy of having a child to play with, and you would gradually move on.”
Lin Fu never expected that one day it would be this usually unruly and ignorant daughter who would persuade him, and he couldn't help but be moved.
"Qi's background is humble, and I know that it is impossible to elevate her to the position of a second wife. I have never even considered it."
Lin Xu looked enlightened: "Then Father should carefully select a woman from a respectable family and of good character to marry as your second wife. I will fully support you."
After Lin Xu left, Lin Fu stared blankly at a slightly yellowed bamboo pen holder on the bookshelf.
That was made for him by Shuangyu herself when she was alive. Memories of his past with his first wife unfolded before his eyes like a scroll painting—
The joy of the wedding day, the harmonious marriage, the swelling of Shuangyu's body during her pregnancy, and his putting down his book to massage her shoulders; on the morning of the delivery, she looked delighted and said happily, "Fulang, last night I dreamed of a pair of orioles singing to me on the branches, chirping so cutely, how about we name our child Xuxu?"
Seven years have passed; that person has been gone for seven years.
He was left alone in the world, guarding their only child. Sometimes, looking at that face so similar to hers, those almost identical eyes, he would still feel a pang of pain in his heart. So he couldn't bear to hit her, couldn't bear to scold her, and cherished the only daughter she had left him...
Now, their daughter is much more sensible and has even asked to find a tutor to study. The little bully who used to harass the neighbors has gradually calmed down, and especially when she smiles, she really looks more and more like her.
.
As summer days grew longer, cicadas chirped incessantly in the courtyard. Lin Xu, dressed in an extremely thin, dark smoky-colored gauze dress, leaned against the cushions, idly knitting a knot.
Occasionally, the chirping of two parrots could be heard overhead. The little guy's feathers had fully grown in. Little Red was more lively, and its beak was rarely idle. Little Gray, on the other hand, was much calmer. Every day, it would peck at grains of rice to eat, and then, after a hearty meal, it would preen its feathers until each feather was neatly combed before closing its eyes to rest. Compared to Little Red, Little Gray was much more virtuous.
In her past life, Lin Xu disliked needlework the most; even sitting upright for a quarter of an hour felt like punishment. Now, she was much more composed and began to find things that ordinary girls liked to do to pass the time. Sometimes she would pick up a needle and thread to embroider some patterns, and sometimes she would practice calligraphy. Once, Lin Xu enthusiastically embroidered a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water, but Liang Zhengyuan mistook it for a pair of fat geese, and she ignored him for three whole days.
But her calligraphy has been improving more and more.
Before she turned seven, Liang Shuangyu taught her to write, and she wrote in the delicate and elegant small regular script. Now that she has picked up the brush again, and with the daily instruction from Fu Sheng, her handwriting has gradually become stronger, and sometimes you can even see some of the style of Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan.
Since the last incident, Qingwu had been completely loyal to Lin Xu. However, seeing her young mistress's behavior every day, she always hesitated to speak. It wasn't until she saw Lin Xu embroidering the pair of mandarin ducks on a handkerchief again that she finally couldn't help but whisper:
"Actually... if everything you've done is for Young Master Dou, then I have no choice but to speak up."
Lin Xu stopped her needlework and looked at Qingwu, who had a slightly distressed expression, with a puzzled look.
"I've heard that Young Master Dou is a notorious womanizer. Miss, you don't necessarily need to do all this to please him. Even if you're in love with the eldest son of the Dou family, I'll still believe your efforts won't be in vain..."
Lin Xu couldn't help but cough lightly.
...Is Dou Yanxun's reputation really that bad?
She was somewhat similar to her former self—both were disliked by everyone. Thinking this, Lin Xu found it rather amusing. Qingwu saw that smile and felt that her young mistress was clearly blinded by love and unable to extricate herself.
Lin Xu lowered his head, staring blankly at the mandarin ducks playing in the water pattern in his hand.
In truth, deciding to approach the Dou family in this way was a last resort. As a woman, even if the people of Dayu were more enlightened, she couldn't just barge into their doorstep alone and declare that she wanted revenge, could she? Using marriage as bait was the fastest and most discreet method she could think of at the time.
It was nothing more than risking her life by marrying the son of her enemy. Besides, she had already died once; she had nothing to fear anymore.
But the reason for choosing Dou Yanxun was actually partly due to personal reasons.
In her past life, she had little contact with the Dou family. She only heard that the eldest son, Dou Yanzhou's wife, came from a prominent family in the northern frontier, and that their wedding was a grand affair, one of the most magnificent celebrations in Mujing's history. But in her memory, Dou Yanxun, though a womanizer, had never married. At least, that was the case before her death.
Moreover, in Lin Xu's eyes, he was not as unruly as outsiders described. Perhaps it was a brief encounter in childhood, during which he had witnessed his sorrow and loneliness, or perhaps it was when he looked closely into that person's eyes that he always felt there was a deeper meaning in them.
—That kind of aura that she couldn't yet fathom, yet could still sense as cold as an abyss, unfathomable.
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