As I slowly entered the Prime Minister's residence, bearing the red gold and kingfisher phoenix hairpin gifted by the Empress Dowager and the bamboo orchid hairpin meticulously carved by Jiang Yan himself, dusk, like a soft veil, gently gilded the majestic stone lions at the gate with a warm golden glow. That warm gold, like the passage of time, imbued this ancient residence with a unique warmth.
The young marquis was like a little cannonball, full of energy. Carrying his gilded wooden sword, he rushed out of the courtyard. The red silk on the tassel of the sword swept across the bluestone floor with his movements, startling a few sparrows that were originally pecking at their food. They flapped their wings and took off into the sky with a hint of panic. "Sister!" The young marquis's voice was clear and loud, like the chirping of birds in the early morning, breaking the tranquility of the evening. "Did Jiang Zhuangyuan confess his love to you? I knew he had bad intentions when he stared at you, Tang Hualong... No, he had good intentions!" His innocent face was filled with excitement and curiosity, and his eyes were shining brightly.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll knock you over the head." With a smile on my face, I gently dodged his swinging wooden sword. The tassel of the phoenix hairpin in my hair brushed against his nose like a spirit. The young marquis shrunk his neck in itchiness, but he still wore a bright smile.
Eldest sister Su Qingyao leaned gracefully against the carved pillars of the hanging flower gate, a delicate painting. She wore a moon-white ruqun, the twin lotus embroidered on her skirt shimmering softly and captivatingly in the setting sun, as if each lotus flower told a beautiful story. She raised her chin slightly, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and said, "The orchid and the phoenix seem like a foregone conclusion." She then extended a mother-of-pearl brocade box. I gently opened it, revealing the newly developed "Twin Lotus" rouge. The rouge, a wondrous shade of pink and white with a hint of lavender, resembled the clouds on the horizon, delicate and captivating. Eldest sister looked at me, her eyes filled with concern and determination. "If Jiang Yan dares to bully you, I will dye his newly made top scholar robe the color of Twin Lotus and make him wear it to the morning court." Her voice, though soft, held an undeniable authority.
Walking into the main hall, Prime Minister Su was holding a teacup, pretending to be majestic. His thumb gently stroked the lotus pattern on the edge of the teacup, and that action seemed to be thinking about something. "I heard that you stole the show at the Queen Mother's birthday banquet?" Prime Minister Su's voice was steady and peaceful, with a hint of concern from an elder. I was about to say a few humble words, but he had calmly taken out an apricot-yellow gold card from his sleeve. The four characters "Su Ji Yin Hao" were carefully inlaid with silver wire on the card, and it gleamed with a noble light under the sunlight. "If the bookstore is short of money, take this to the main branch in the West Market." The sunlight shone through the window lattice and sprinkled on the silver hair on his temples, adding a bit of vicissitudes of life to him. He suddenly coughed lightly, his expression a little unnatural, "Just now Jiang Yan sent someone to deliver a sugar painting to thank me... cough, thank you for the delicious snacks in the mansion."
Mo Zhu couldn't help but stifle a laugh. She gently removed my heavy headdress, a hint of playfulness on her lips as she said, "Master, there's a note hanging from the tail of Jiang Zhuangyuan's sugar-painted dragon. It says, 'Thank you, father-in-law, for your help.'" Su Xiang's face flushed red, and he nearly dropped the teacup in his hand. He paused for a moment, then feigned composure and hummed, "This kid... is quite polite." His slightly flushed cheeks betrayed a hint of joy within him.
However, peaceful days are always short-lived. Within three days, Mo Zhu rushed into the warm room like a hurried swallow, clutching the account book. The silver butterfly swaying in her hair had fallen to the back of her ear, making her look a little embarrassed. "Miss!" Her voice was filled with anxiety. "Lin Wanyue spread rumors on Liuli Street, saying that Jiang Zhuangyuan was the one who poured tea and wrote poems for your Queen Mother's birthday banquet! She also said..." She lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard, "that you and Jiang Zhuangyuan had a secret affair and relied on men to get to the top."
Hearing this, the abacus beads I was fiddling with scatter with a click. Outside the window, the crabapple blossoms are slowly falling, a few petals drifting through the cracks like ethereal butterflies. Their pure white petals look a lot like the lint from the hem of Lin Wanyue's pristine white skirt. "I've run out of tricks," I gently picked up the beads, and suddenly my mind flashed back to the account book my eldest sister handed me three days ago. It clearly recorded that Lin Wanyue not only bribed the painter but also took out fifty taels of silver on credit at Jufulou. These misdeeds, like stains on her body, only served to highlight her unbearableness.
At that moment, the young marquis slammed the door open like a whirlwind, his wooden sword raised high, nearly striking the doorframe. "Sister!" His eyes burned with rage. "I'm going to cut off that vicious woman, Lin Wanyue's tongue, and feed it to the dogs!" His voice was filled with fury and impulsiveness, as if he was about to rush out and seek justice for me.
"Put down your broken sword." The eldest sister followed in, holding a cowhide account book with the words "Qingfeng Painting Studio" clearly printed on the cover. Her eyes were firm and sharp, as if she saw through everything. "To deal with such a person, you have to hit her in the face with the things she cares about most—like her pitiful reputation as a 'talented woman.'" She slowly flipped open the account book, and a page was prominently circled in cinnabar: "On the sixth day of the third month, Lin Wanyue purchased Wang Er's drawings for 'Peach Banquet' for ten taels of silver."
I gently stroked the cinnabar seal on the account book, as if I had touched the vein of truth. Suddenly, the corners of my mouth curled up, revealing a hint of confidence: "There's a poetry gathering at Yuelai Teahouse in three days. I'd like to invite this 'talented woman' to appreciate her 'excellent works.'" My voice was filled with unquestionable determination, as if I had already seen Lin Wanyue's embarrassment.
Finally, the day of the poetry gathering arrived. The Yuelai Teahouse was decorated with exceptional liveliness, its carved eaves festooned with red lanterns. The lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, like a string of festive notes playing a joyous melody. Lin Wanyue, accompanied by three pedantic-looking scholars, sauntered into the teahouse. She wore a plain white dress, the hem of which trailed a fine dust across the blue bricks like a flowing cloud, as if emphasizing her feigned elegance. She gently stroked the sapphire hairpin at her temple, her eyes etched with a hint of provocation. "Miss Su, I've heard you're amazing at pouring tea and composing poetry. Could you demonstrate it?" Her voice was tinged with sarcasm, attempting to dampen my spirit.
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