Use a trick
Miss Song's gaze towards Lin Xu couldn't help but feel a little more affectionate. After all, she absolutely hated Yao Suran!
Although the two of them were not on good terms before, they still maintained a polite facade. However, last year, Yao Suran, knowing full well that she had feelings for the heir of the Prince of Gong, still schemed to drive a wedge between her and the fourth young lady of the Prince's mansion. It was all her own fault for being so foolish; she hadn't dared to compete with Yao Suran before… and now her perfect marriage had been ruined by her. That bitch Yao Suran was so arrogant, not even offering a single word of apology from beginning to end…
Such a ruthless person, thankfully heaven has eyes, the Yao family is already doomed and can no longer cause any trouble!
Thinking of this, Song Er felt much better. She then smiled.
"I never knew that Madam Dou was not only beautiful, but also humble and intelligent. We got along quite well. I heard that she had studied at Zhiqiong Hall before? That means she was classmates with the Third Prince and Princess Kunrou."
She had just noticed that this Mrs. Dou seemed to be sitting at the same table as Yao Suran and the others.
Lin Xu nodded slightly, fully aware of the situation, but a hint of regret slowly surfaced on his face:
"...I was fortunate enough to enter the palace to study in the past, which was naturally the best time of my life. However, now that time has passed and I am entering the palace again, I cannot help but feel nostalgic. After all, time flies..."
Miss Song was testing Lin Xu. She had heard that the cheating incident had ended inconclusively, and Lin Xu had almost disappeared afterward, hastily getting married. If it was really Yao Suran's doing, Lin Xu must be full of resentment and frustrated.
As expected, judging from his tone, he was very sad, which made Song Er even more certain.
“Sister, why worry? Everything in this world is ever-changing, like clouds and smoke. For example, the osmanthus in bloom here is beautiful and fills the hall with fragrance, but it is an early bloomer. In a few more days, the hibiscus and chrysanthemums will be in full bloom. Sister, you have left the school and now have a happy family. That is a wonderful thing.”
Song Er seemed to be genuinely trying to comfort her, even changing his address from the somewhat distant Madam Dou to that of a sister.
Lin Xu then showed a look of deep agreement. Seeing this, Song Er was even more pleased, so he simply moved closer and started chatting with Lin Xu about everyday things.
The two noble ladies who had walked over arm in arm with Song Er earlier looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed.
The two women were still unmarried young ladies from families of slightly lower social standing than Song Er. They could only follow Song Er's lead, but Song Er always openly and secretly disliked them for being stupid and unable to come up with any insightful ideas. Seeing that Song Er had made new friends and was getting along very well with them, the two women couldn't help but feel neglected.
All that could be heard was Lin Xu smiling as he recounted amusing anecdotes from his school days:
"...The Third Prince is naturally exceptionally intelligent and possesses great wisdom. However, the Fifth Prince is also a man of great talent and martial prowess, a truly remarkable man. Not only is he well-versed in military strategy, but he can also recite the 'New Book for Technical Schools' from memory. I heard that during the hunting grounds in the past, the Fifth Prince was unmatched on horseback, galloping like the wind... He is truly a heroic and dashing figure."
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light gradually appeared in Miss Song's eyes.
Is the Fifth Prince... the one born to the late Consort Gui, who was inseparable from the Third Prince?
She often overheard her father whispering political matters with his advisors at home, and knew that the Third Prince becoming the Crown Prince was almost a certainty. Moreover, the Fifth Prince was so close to the Third Prince. Hearing Lin Xu's words, he seemed like a brave and unparalleled archer...
She still remembered how her mother was heartbroken and blamed her every day after her marriage to the Prince of Gong's son fell through. After hearing what she had said and learning that Yao Suran was behind it all, her mother was even more furious with the Yao family of the Duke's mansion.
Now her mother is already worrying about her marriage every day and has been looking for people to help her find a husband. If her marriage is not as good as Yao Suran's, she will be so angry that she will vomit blood!
Moreover, during the banquet today, she felt a chill run down her spine when she saw Princess Gong sitting among a group of noblewomen, her expression cold and aloof… After all, that was once her future mother-in-law, yet now she didn't even dare to greet her. After what happened last time, Princess Gong had completely lost her hatred for the Song family…
Seeing Miss Song's daydreaming expression, Lin Xu knew that his exaggeration had probably had an effect. However, he could only say so much; if he continued to praise the Fifth Prince, it would seem too deliberate and would backfire.
So she gently stroked Miss Song's hair and chuckled softly:
"Speaking of which, the Yao sisters were quite familiar with both His Highnesses back in school. I was merely an observer later on, so naturally I can't compare to their long-standing friendship..."
After saying that, Miss Song's face indeed turned slightly pale.
Lin Xu knew that her purpose had been achieved. After chatting with the others for a few more minutes, she excused herself to go wash up. After saying goodbye to Song Er, she strolled towards the washroom.
Having gone through this ordeal, she felt much lighter. She dipped her hands in water mixed with fragrant dew, then carefully examined her face in the gilded bronze mirror on the carved mahogany table.
The camphor incense burned quietly, its wisps of smoke floating in the air, adding a touch of surrealism to everything. The person in the mirror clearly still had the same face, with a cool and aloof expression and eyes like sharp waves, but only when the eyes were lowered did a trace of coldness flash by.
I wonder how much of my melancholy words that Miss Song just said actually came to her attention.
But as long as Miss Song puts her mind to it and secretly sends someone to inquire about the Fifth Prince afterward, then the matter she planned for Dou Zhen can be considered half successful.
Zhu Ling wrung out a soft handkerchief soaked in mint and osmanthus dew and gave it to Lin Xu to wash her hands. Seeing that they had been there for quite a while, it was time for her to return to the banquet. So, she and Zhu Ling retraced their steps.
But before she had gone far on her way back, she saw a figure vaguely visible among the leaves of the jacaranda trees ahead.
The moon casts its shadow across the sky, and the delicate fragrance of osmanthus wafts in on the breeze, becoming slightly stronger.
A graceful figure stood beneath the moonlight. Princess Kunrou wore a dark purple long dress embroidered with gold cloud patterns, over which she wore a silver-gray gauze robe, exuding an indescribable air of elegance and nobility. Her phoenix eyes were half-closed, their gaze seemingly tinged with a hint of coldness, yet she did not look away, but simply kept her eyes fixed on Lin Xu.
Liao Yan seemed to have been standing here for quite some time. Could it be... he was waiting for her?
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat. When she came, she was still thinking about Liao Yan, realizing that the two of them hadn't seen each other for quite some time. Since they became friends, even if they hadn't seen each other for a long time, they had often corresponded. Now, she was busy with various matters in the manor and hadn't seen Liao Yan for several months without realizing it.
She was overjoyed. She quickened her pace and walked to Liao Yan's side, giving him a graceful curtsy.
"This humble servant greets Princess Kunrou."
Jieyi was Liao Yan's head maid who had served her since childhood, and in the Princess's residence, she was practically a mistress. She wore a light purple soft silk jacket with a front opening, but her face was very kind. Jieyi quietly watched Lin Xu walk over, seemingly overjoyed to have met the princess by chance, and couldn't help but secretly glance at the princess.
But then she noticed that the princess's previously stern expression seemed to have relaxed a little. Even though a fleeting hint of aloofness crossed her face, the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Jieyi couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
She was secretly worried that the princess might not forgive Miss Lin.
Several months ago, the princess was worried about the safety of young master Liang, so she wanted to secretly use her connections to ask for help. However, before she could even leave the manor, she was stopped by the eldest princess and was kept at home for a long time.
She was just a servant girl, and knew nothing of the world. She only knew that the Princess had thrown a huge tantrum over this matter and had people keep a close watch on the Princess, fearing she might run away if she wasn't careful. The Princess was depressed for a long time because of this, living in constant anxiety, but helpless, until…
Until that day, when the Prince Consort was happy for the Princess, he invited the Princess of Shou'an County to come. Miss Miao was the Princess's childhood playmate, and they used to be very close, but gradually they had become less close. Unexpectedly, that day, the Princess of Shou'an County showed the Princess something that made the Princess, who was determined to go out and rescue Young Master Liang, speechless and even her eyes red.
She knew that the princess was truly angry this time.
From then on, the princess resumed contact with the county princess of Shou'an, but never mentioned Miss Lin again. It was only after meeting Miss Lin that the princess began to smile more often while painting and practicing calligraphy. She used to often say, "That Lin Xu said..."
But how could everything have changed so suddenly? Even the clever and insightful Jieyi dared only speculate about the reasons in private, but once or twice she overheard Miss Miao whispering in the princess's ear, "You were used before, you must be discerning in the future..." and suddenly she understood. That Miss Lin seemed to have done something behind the princess's back.
So, when the county head kept glancing behind that screen, Jieyi couldn't help but feel a little worried. Polite, knows how to behave, and is the most beautiful woman imaginable... Although she hadn't met this Miss Lin often before, she had always liked her very much, and was afraid that the county head might quarrel with Lin Xu.
But now it seems she was overthinking things.
"It's been so long since I've seen the princess, I really miss her." Lin Xu was completely unaware of all this commotion; she was only overjoyed to see Liao Yan.
Liao Yan's face was half-hidden in the moonlight as she looked at Lin Xu. Her usually clear and piercing eyes now seemed to have gained a sudden brightness upon seeing her.
Liao Yan's face was already small, and because she was attending a wedding banquet, she wore light makeup, which added a touch of aloofness to her usually spirited features. She listened quietly to Lin Xu speak, and suddenly felt even calmer.
After a long while, he reached out and helped Lin Xu up.
She had said long ago that there was no need to be overly polite in front of her.
Lin Xu never listened, and whenever he saw her, he was always very polite.
Liao Yan glanced at Lin Xu again. She seemed to have lost even more weight in the months she'd been away. What happened? Hadn't she married the man she used to yearn for? Or was she simply unhappy at home?
"Has Dou Yanxun treated you badly?"
Liao Yan was always straightforward and never beat around the bush. As soon as she spoke, she carefully observed Lin Xu's expression, seemingly trying to find a flaw in her words.
Lin Xu was quite surprised and laughed, "Why would the princess think that way? He... treats me very well, he's just a bit busy."
Liao Yan nodded. She had naturally heard the news that all three members of the Dou family, father and sons, would be promoted, which was rare not only in recent years but also in the past in Dayu. Her father, as the son-in-law of the emperor, was well-versed in literature and often discussed current affairs with his retainers and advisors, Dou Huaisheng being one of them in the past.
As proud and aloof as she was, she always looked down on the Dou family's obsequiousness and never deigned to even glance at them.
But as long as Lin Xu marries into the family and doesn't suffer any mistreatment, then she's doing well, and that's all that matters.
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