"Since father is so considerate of the prince," the second son of the Jiang family slowly replaced the silver spoon, "why not to serve this braised quail..." Before he could finish his words, the Marquis of Yongding had already protected the agate plate in front of him: "The imperial physician said that I need to replenish my energy and blood!"
Xu held her forehead with her hand and sighed softly, then turned to Chen Ruyi with a wry smile, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, old lady." Chen Ruyi, however, stared at the compass on the prince's waist and suddenly said, "It seems to me that His Highness and Miss Song have a master-disciple relationship."
Jiang Shu's teacup tilted slightly at the start of her words. Xin Yidao took the opportunity to scoop up a spoonful of crab roe tofu, the delicious aroma making his eyes relax. Just as he was about to try more, Jiang Songyi suddenly dragged a whole plate of braised pork toward him, her almond-shaped eyes widening like a cat guarding its food.
[What a waste of food!] [Master loves this dish the most...] [I'll definitely make it for him in the small kitchen someday!]
Undercurrents surged throughout the banquet. Down in the west corridor, the Fourth Prince, Xinyi Zigu, gazed at the joyful gathering at the main table, his wine cup creaking in his hand. Aide Yao Zhe whispered in his ear, "Spies report that the Crown Prince coughed up blood last night..."
"Not enough." Xinyi Zigu poured the wine on the blue brick, "Tell the people in the Imperial Hospital that I want him to do this before the autumn hunt..." The unfinished words turned into petals crushed in the palm of his hand, and scarlet juice dripped through his fingers.
Jiang Yuyao coldly watched Yu Chuwei continue to chatter away, then suddenly stood up. "I heard Miss Yu came of age last month, and your father hired the chef from Tianxianglou?" She traced the lotus-patterned teacup on the table with her fingertips. "It's a shame... I broke the tea set the Censorate presented me with. I was giving it to one of my servants as a reward."
Yu Chuwei's face paled instantly. The noble ladies in the room suddenly remembered that last month, Yu Shi had impeached the Chan Sibo Mansion for seizing private land, but was instead found to have accepted bribes.
Suddenly, the clinking of cups could be heard from the main table. Xin Yidao was scooping crab paste and tofu into Jiang Songyi's bowl. "It's a courtesy to return gifts." The golden needle of the bronze compass in his sleeve suddenly pointed to the "Kun" position, the direction of the small kitchen in the Marquis's mansion.
Jiang Songyi bit the white jade spoon and chuckled, the tassel of her hairpin brushing against the back of the prince's hand. Marquis Yongding reached for his chopsticks again, but Xu pinched his thigh hard under the table, causing him to gasp in pain.
As the moonlight crested the eaves, Jiang Yuyao stood alone in the dark corridor. The aroma of the Delicacy Pavilion drifted in on the wind, mingling with the laughter of those at the head table. She suddenly remembered her coming-of-age ceremony last year. As she pinned her hair in front of the bronze mirror, all she saw was the deserted courtyard.
…
Yongding Hou Jiang Dinglian plunged his gold-inlaid ivory chopsticks into the Dongpo pork, and the greasy oil splashed onto the prince's clothes: "I am a rough man, please don't blame me, Your Highness." He glared at his daughter Jiang Songyi and pushed the whole plate of meat in front of Xinyi Daoyi, his jaw muscles as ferocious as a centipede.
Xin Yidao tapped the wine cup with a jade ring, his eyes sweeping across the girl's earnest eyes. "It would be disrespectful for me to refuse the County Lady's kindness."
[If you glare at Master again, the arsenic in the kitchen will have to be moved to another location tomorrow!]
The silver spoon in Jiang Jinzhao's hand clanged to the ground. Jiang Bochuan stared at the coral hairpins trembling in his sister's hair, vaguely remembering the Lantern Festival that year when eight-year-old Jiang Songyi chased them through three blocks holding a rabbit lantern.
Outside the Moon Cave, bamboo shadows danced. Jiang Songyi, skirt lifted, chased to the Nine-Curve Bridge, her lilac-colored shawl tangled in the white marble railings. The figure in the pavilion in the center of the lake, his dark python robe lifted by the evening breeze, the gilded sash around his waist reflecting the bloody glow of the setting sun.
"division."
"The county lady has the wrong person." Xin Yidao traced the incision on the pavilion pillar. It was the hexagram he had left with his dagger three days ago—Kan represents water, and represents numerous dangers. A koi carp leaped from the water between the lotus leaves, shattering the hope in the girl's eyes. "The Xuan sect emphasizes fate. We are not destined to be master and disciple."
Jiang Songyi stumbled and held onto the stone table, the jade bracelet on her wrist cracking. "In my previous life, you found me in a mass grave. The peach wood sword you carved yourself is still there."
"That was just your past life." Xin Yidao pinched his palm, and the smell of blood mixed with the fragrance of lotus: "I have never had a disciple named Chuchu in my reincarnation." He looked at the lanterns on the opposite bank that flickered on and off, and remembered the electrocardiogram ripples in the ICU that day.
As dusk swallowed up the last ray of daylight, Xinyi Zigu stepped out of the rockery, stepping on withered lotus leaves. Her python-patterned sleeves swept away the tears on the stone bench. "This prince wishes to take you as his principal wife."
"Get out of the way." Jiang Songyi pulled out her golden hairpin and slashed the back of his hand, blood dripping onto the hexagram symbol "Kan" (Kan), creating a smudged peach blossom pattern. Suddenly, Xiang Zhu's exclamation was heard from afar, and the lake reflected the blazing flames.
Xinyi Zigu blocked the exit of the Nine-Curve Bridge with his arm, the pearl on his crown swaying as he approached. "Songyi, this prince is willing to marry you as his principal wife. As long as you agree, the betrothal gifts can be brought to the Yongding Marquis' Mansion tomorrow."
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Songyi raised her foot and kicked. The Fourth Prince stumbled back, his brocade boots missing the bluestone, and he fell into the lotus pond with a plop. The water exploded with silvery-white splashes, startling gulls and herons so that they fluttered over the green leaves.
"Jiang Songyi!" Xinyi Zigu emerged from the water and wiped the duckweed off his face. "How dare you!"
The moon-white hem of her skirt bloomed like an ephemeral flower on bluestone. Jiang Songyi knelt down, her wide sleeves falling to reveal her frosty wrists. The Fourth Prince reached out to grab her, but she grabbed her hair crown and pushed her into the water. Rumbling bubbles, mixed with muffled curses, burst among the lotus leaves.
"Bad luck." Jiang Songyi stared at the fading struggling figure, her fingertips digging into her palm. The sight of blood at a coming-of-age ceremony was unlucky, let alone murdering a prince. She suddenly let go, grabbed the collar, and lifted the man onto the pavilion.
Xinyi Zigu collapsed by the railing, choking on water, his dragon robe stained with mud. Jiang Songyi felt his pulse, confirmed he was fine, and then left. Her embroidered shoes trod across the water-stained bluestone, emitting a faint fishy smell in the sun.
Suddenly, ripples formed in the pond, and Xinyi Dao burst out. He held a lotus stem, cut in the middle and straight outward, between his teeth. His wet hair plastered to his pale face, like a water ghost. His dark brocade robe soaked up the water, leaving deep marks in the pavilion with every step he took.
"Fourth brother." The Crown Prince's boot rolled over Xinyi Zigu's fingers, causing the unconscious man to twitch unconsciously. He leaned over and removed the jade pendant from the Fourth Prince's waist, examining the coiled dragon pattern on it in the sunlight. "Such an idiot, is he worthy of competing for the throne?"
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