Chapter 118 It sounds like this county princess's experience was truly tragic.
On the fourth day after Achan returned to the capital, she went back to her house in Chongmingfang with Chen Hui. She had planned to visit the General's Mansion across the street after the house was cleaned up, but Lin Sui took the initiative to come.
Lin Sui led the horse that A Chan had entrusted to the General's Mansion, and carried large and small bags of food in his hands.
Achan quickly took the things from her hands and then led her to the stable to tie up the horse.
"I was planning to come find you again later, how did you know I was back?" Achan asked.
“My elder brother said so. He said that Lord Bai is escorting the Prince of Xiling back to the capital. I thought you had a relationship with him, so you would definitely travel with him. Therefore, I had the gatekeeper keep an eye on your house these past two days,” Lin Sui explained. “So, is Xiling fun?”
Achan recalled her experience in Xiling: "It wasn't exactly fun, but it was thrilling enough."
So she told Lin Sui about being attacked by a dragon on her way to Xiling, and how a few days after arriving in Xiling, she saw a huge dragon emerge from the Shen family.
Of course, she didn't forget to separate herself from these two stories and tell Lin Sui purely from an outsider's perspective.
Even so, it was enough to shock others.
"No wonder His Majesty wanted to kill the Prince of Xiling. Wasn't the Shen family just a vassal family of the Prince of Xiling's mansion?"
"Yes, Lord Bai deliberately got himself involved in the scheme to catch someone, and almost became the Shen family's son-in-law," Achan said jokingly.
Upon hearing this fascinating inside story, Lin Sui couldn't help but widen his eyes: "And then what happened?"
"On the day he got engaged, half of the Shen family was wiped out by that dragon, and the remaining half was seized by the Mingjing Division guards."
Lin Sui sincerely remarked, "Lord Bai has truly made a great sacrifice in order to solve this case."
"Who can argue with that?"
Lin Sui suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "I heard that the Marquis of Jinyang married Xue Ying to the Shen family, is that true?"
"You know about this too?" Achan was a little surprised. She thought Lin Sui didn't care about these things. "It's true. When Xue Ying died, Hui Niang went to see her."
"I didn't know at first either, but I heard it from Bai Yue yesterday." Lin Sui suddenly realized that A Chan didn't know who Bai Yue was, so she explained, "I met Bai Yue on the street before. She and her maid encountered a thief when they were out playing, and I helped her catch the thief."
Ah Chan couldn't help but laugh. This was just like Lin Sui's style; friendships always started with standing up for what's right.
"Her surname is Bai, and she's a member of the royal family?"
“Her grandfather is the Prince of Ying’an. When I mentioned you to her yesterday, she was quite surprised, as if she had heard about you from someone else.”
Achan nodded casually. She had no impression of Bai Yue, and Ji Chan should not have had any interaction with her in the past.
After Chen Hui finished tidying up the house, she let Lin Sui stay at her home for dinner. The three of them sat in the house chatting until evening. Only after hearing that A Chan wouldn't be returning to Changpingfang for the next two days did she return to the General's Mansion.
Lin Sui arrived after noon the next day.
This time, she didn't bring any food; instead, she brought an invitation.
"What is this?" Achan asked curiously when she saw the invitation in her hand.
"Bai Yue brought this over this morning. She said that the Prince Ying'an's mansion is holding a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, and the prince specially invited a ghost opera troupe from Jiaozhou. She invited me and you as well."
"Why did they invite me?" Achan felt that the invitation was a bit strange.
"She said it's more fun with more people. If you don't want to go, I'll let her know." Actually, Lin Sui didn't understand why Bai Yue would invite A Chan.
Achan wasn't initially interested, but after hearing Lin Sui talk about ghost plays, she suddenly changed her mind.
"It's okay, I've been free lately anyway, so I might as well go with you and join in the fun."
If nothing unexpected happens, that ghost opera troupe should be the one Yu Dajia belongs to. Regardless of why the invitation ended up in her hands, it's worth the trip for Yu Dajia's sake.
Lin Sui was pleased to hear her agree. She didn't really like attending these banquets because of what had happened before. Her reputation was terrible, and the young ladies from wealthy families avoided her like the plague. She couldn't be bothered to talk to them.
However, it was difficult to refuse Bai Yue's invitation, but with A Chan accompanying her this time, she felt much more at ease.
Achan took the invitation and opened it; the banquet was scheduled for three days later.
Chen Hui did not accompany A Chan to the banquet at Prince Ying'an's mansion this time. However, when picking A Chan up, Lin Sui repeatedly assured Chen Hui that he would protect A Chan well.
After all, Lin Sui is now considered a beginner cultivator, and ordinary people are no match for her. The two maids she brought were specially found for her by Lin Yi, and they both know some martial arts.
When the two arrived at the Prince Ying'an's residence by carriage, the place was bustling with activity. Judging from the carriages, most of those invited today were nobles and relatives.
They presented their invitations and were then led to the back garden by a maid who was waiting nearby.
Before even entering the garden, they had already admired many varieties of chrysanthemums along the way. Flowerpots were arranged in a pleasingly irregular pattern along the roadside, with various flower pots vying for attention, and some varieties were quite rare.
This reminded Achan of the potted flower she had left in Xiling.
Seeing that Achan and Lin Sui were admiring the flowers by the roadside, the maid who was leading the way did not urge them and even slowed down her pace.
It took the two some time to finally reach the garden. The garden of the Prince's mansion was extremely large, stretching as far as the eye could see. The two followed the maid along the waterside corridor and walked forward. When they reached the first pavilion, they saw a round-faced girl dressed in gorgeous clothes standing there with four maids.
Upon seeing Lin Sui, the girl lifted her skirt and stepped forward to greet her, speaking as if they were quite familiar: "I thought you weren't coming today."
Lin Sui's expression softened slightly as she said, "How could I refuse your invitation?"
Hearing this, the girl was immediately delighted. Then she looked at Achan with undisguised curiosity in her eyes: "This must be Miss Ji, right? My name is Bai Yue. I've heard Lin Sui mention you many times before, but I've never had the chance to meet you."
"Hello, Miss Bai." Achan smiled at Bai Yue.
After only a brief encounter, Achan could tell that this Bai Yue was a simple and pure-hearted girl who could tell at a glance what people liked or disliked. No wonder Lin Sui was on good terms with her.
"Let's go to Shuixinzhai first. My mother and aunt are there. After we see them, we can go out and play."
Although Lin Sui felt that Bai Yue's mother might not like her daughter having too much contact with her, it was still polite to attend the banquet and pay respects to one of the hosts.
The two followed Bai Yue through the covered walkway. After descending the walkway, they came to a stage. People were busy setting up the scene, and several others were standing on the stage, probably familiarizing themselves with the location.
Achan's gaze swept over those people, but she didn't see Yu Dajia.
Soon, they passed the stage and arrived at the Shuixinzhai (Water Heart Studio) behind it.
Inside Shuixinzhai, melodious music drifted out, and even before entering, one could hear a woman's voice.
Several women were already seated in the spacious hall, all adorned with jewels and jade, clearly of noble birth.
Sitting at the head of the table was a round-faced woman with a plump figure and a smiling face; she seemed to be a very good-natured person.
She looked so much like Bai Yue that it wasn't hard to recognize her.
To the left of the Crown Prince's wife sat the gentle-looking Princess Xin'an, holding a seven- or eight-year-old girl in her arms.
"Mother, Aunt." Bai Yue walked in excitedly, first greeting her mother and aunt, and then greeting the others, "Greetings, ladies."
The ladies in the room responded with smiles. The little girl in Princess Xin'an's arms jumped off her mother's lap and ran towards Bai Yue, calling out, "Sister!"
Bai Yue reached out and caught the girl, pinching her cheek before introducing her to the two elders: "These are my good friends Lin Sui and Ji Chan."
"Greetings, Lady of the Heir Apparent, Princess of Xin'an." Achan and Lin Sui greeted the other party.
"Don't stand on ceremony. Today isn't a formal occasion, so please have fun." The Crown Prince's wife was even more gentle than expected. She didn't mention their family background, but only asked about their usual preferences. She even said that if they took a fancy to any of the flowers, they could just tell Bai Yue and take it home.
Bai Yue egged her on, saying that the chrysanthemums her grandfather kept in the Shuiyun Flower Room in the back were the most beautiful, and that she would go and move them in a little while. The young master's wife tapped her forehead lightly and scolded her with a laugh.
Princess Xin'an listened to the Crown Prince's wife talking to them, and her gaze fell on Achan.
She was a very beautiful girl, with graceful posture and elegant manners. Her voice was especially melodious, soft and charming; if she were to act coquettishly, few could resist.
Two days ago, she specifically sent someone to inquire about the relationship between this girl and Bai Xiuming. She thought that Xue Shi was exaggerating, but she didn't expect that the relationship between the two was deeper than she thought.
Bai Xiuming first opened the palace gates in the middle of the night to find the imperial physician for this girl, then rescued her from the hands of the Marquis of Zhenbei, and a few days ago they went to Xiling together, and finally they returned together, which shows that the relationship between the two is extraordinary.
If it weren't for Xue's description of how difficult this girl was, even she would have misjudged her.
She had originally thought that if the Xue family had only lost to the other party because of their incompetence, she could lend a hand. But now she had to think about whether it was worth it.
Achan quickly sensed the obvious scrutinizing gaze. She turned her head slightly and met the gaze of the Princess of Xin'an.
She smiled at the other person, who smiled back and then looked away.
After exchanging a few more words with the Crown Prince's wife, Princess Xin'an called her daughter, who was clinging to Bai Yue, back to her side. Only then did they leave Shuixinzhai together with Bai Yue.
Just as I stepped out the door, I saw a maid leading people towards me.
The two sides met head-on, and Achan was slightly taken aback, realizing it was actually Xue Shi.
Xue spotted Achan from afar and stared at her with a gloomy gaze that made her feel very uncomfortable.
As Madam Xue approached, Achan suddenly spoke up: "Madam has been staring at me. Is there something you want to say?"
"Your plan has failed; the Marquis is already safe and sound."
"Is that so? Then congratulations, Lady Hou." Achan was somewhat surprised. It seemed that Bai Xiuming had acted quickly and had actually arrested the person.
She hadn't expected this matter to do anything to Marquis Jinyang; she simply didn't want them to have an easy time, so she deliberately instigated Bai Xiuming to cause them trouble.
Seeing her nonchalant demeanor, Madam Xue's breathing became slightly heavy: "I will remember everything you have done."
Ah Chan chuckled softly, then said meaningfully, "Madam Xue, don't worry so much. You don't look well, so you need to rest properly. If anything happens to you, the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion will be depleted."
"you……"
Achan nodded slightly to her, then left without looking back, leaving Xue Shi standing there, staring intently at her retreating figure.
Although Bai Yue was simple-minded, she knew that A Chan and the Xue family did not get along well, so she explained, "My mother is not familiar with that Madam Xue. She was invited by my aunt."
At this point, Bai Yue's eyes flickered slightly.
Aunt originally intended to invite Ji Chan as well, but she heard her mother and father say that they were having some difficulty and didn't know if Ji Chan would come after sending the invitation. She also remembered that Lin Sui had said that she had a good relationship with Ji Chan, so she took the initiative to agree to the invitation.
Although I don't know why my aunt invited Ji Chan, I don't think it's anything bad.
"The Princess of Xin'an?" Achan's heart skipped a beat. This princess was actually acquainted with the Xue family. Was she invited here because of Bai Yue, or because of this princess's wishes?
Recalling what had just happened, she found it difficult to judge whether the county princess liked or disliked her.
Achan didn't think about it any further and asked, "The county princess doesn't seem to attend banquets very often?"
"Yes, my aunt injured her health in her early years because of my grandmother, so she doesn't go out often. In the past, she would only come to the Prince's Mansion to accompany my grandparents."
"How could the county princess, who is so noble and precious, have injured her body?" Achan asked curiously.
Bai Yue couldn't keep a secret. When she heard her question, she followed up with, "One year, my grandmother was seriously ill. My aunt knelt and prayed all the way to Guoan Temple in the freezing cold to pray for my grandmother. Later, my grandmother did get better, but she was left with a lot of illnesses."
"I see. The county princess is truly filial," Achan exclaimed, then asked, "I found the county princess's daughter quite adorable. Why didn't you bring that little girl out to play with you earlier?"
“My aunt treats Bao’er like the apple of her eye. If Bao’er is brought out, she will definitely follow.”
"Aren't you at ease with him in the Prince's residence?"
Bai Yue sighed, "This is another regrettable thing. Years ago, my aunt and uncle had a son, but while my aunt was praying for my grandmother, the child was kidnapped and never found again."
"Didn't you report it to the authorities?"
“How could we not report it to the authorities? But my uncle wasn’t home at the time, and neither was my aunt. Those unruly servants became negligent when their masters weren’t around. By the time they realized the person was missing, two days had already passed, and they couldn’t find him anymore.”
Achan nodded, it sounded like this county princess's experience was truly tragic.
"No wonder, the county princess has it really tough."
While Achan was talking to Bai Yue, Lin Sui suddenly looked behind the artificial hill and shouted, "Who's there? Come out!"
Achan and Bai Yue also turned to look over. After a while, a person slowly walked out of the cave in the artificial hill.
"Master Yu?" Achan recognized the other party's identity.
Yu Dajia's face was still pale, and her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying.
Seeing this, Lin Sui couldn't help but feel a little regretful. She thought someone was eavesdropping on their conversation, and she shouldn't have called them out earlier.
Yu Dajia bowed to the three of them and said, "I'm sorry to bother you."
"You're from the opera troupe, right? We didn't bother you at all; we're the ones who disturbed you." Bai Yue's tone was gentle, and she didn't seem to care about such a trivial matter.
At this point, she looked even more like her mother.
Yu Dajia stared at Bai Yue for a long while before shifting his gaze to A Chan.
At this moment, she had composed herself and said to Achan, "Miss, what a coincidence, we meet again."
"It's not too much of a coincidence. I heard there was a ghost play at the Prince Ying'an's mansion today, so I came to support him."
Yu Dajia twitched the corners of his lips, as if he wanted to laugh but couldn't: "Then I certainly won't disappoint you today, Miss."
Then she said to Bai Yue, "I'll be leaving now."
Watching Yu Dajia's departing figure, Bai Yue frowned slightly. She felt that the slender figure was somewhat familiar, but she was certain that she did not know this person.
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