The culinary skills of the kitchen maid at the Mei Mountain Villa weren’t half bad, especially her rural dishes which had a unique flavor.
After having their noon meal, Su Rong and Ye Guixue left the Mei Mountain Villa and set off to the city in the carriage.
Just like their journey up, Ye Guixue and Su Rong spent the entire ride playing chess. They played to a draw each time and, as they reached the entrance of Xie Residence, one game had just ended.
Instead of stepping out of the carriage as she had done in the past, Su Rong stayed inside, waiting for Ye Guixue to speak.
Ye Guixue spoke gently, "I plan on leaving in a few days. The only thing I am hesitant about is my niece, Qiuying. You suggested earlier that Qiuying should be placed in the Eastern Palace, which I think is quite appropriate. So, I’m still inclined towards that idea unless you have other thoughts?"
Su Rong said, "If you trust me, put little Qiuying into the Eastern Palace. Although I have not yet mentioned this to the Crown Prince, I believe he will not oppose it."
Ye Guixue nodded, "Let’s arrange it so."
He pursed his lips slightly, "You’ll see me off on the day of my departure, won’t you?"
"Of course." Su Rong nodded.
Ye Guixue chuckled, speaking gently, "You may step out of the carriage, Duchess. I do not need anything else from you."
Su Rong nodded and got out of the carriage, waving at him as she usually did.
Ye Guixue watched her quietly for a moment, then lowered the curtain. The carriage left East Fourth Hutong.
Standing at the door, watching Ye Guixue’s carriage recede into the distance, Su Rong sighed heavily, feeling an overwhelming fatigue.
She didn’t go to the courtyard where the grand madam was residing, but went directly back to her own. As soon as she got back into her room, she crawled into bed and fell asleep.
When the grand madam heard that Su Rong had returned, she looked at the sky and wondered, "Why did she come back so early? Haven’t the wintersweet flowers on the outskirts of the city blossomed yet? Nothing to admire?"
There was no response.
So the grand madam went in search of Su Rong’s courtyard.
A servant girl, who had been assigned by the Princess’s Residence to attend to Su Rong, met the grand madam. In a low voice, she whispered, "Miss Su seemed extremely tired when she came back. She instructed that no matter who comes, they should not disturb her. She wants to sleep properly."
The grand madam wondered if something had happened. In a low voice, she asked, "Was she hurt when she returned?"
The maidservant shook her head. "I didn’t see any injuries, she just seemed very tired."
The grand madam nodded, "In that case, tell me when she wakes up."
The maid agreed.
The grand madam was still not quite reassured. She took a few steps back, then turned back and came to the window. Leaning close to the window, she peered through the gauze window lattice. She saw that the curtain inside the room hadn’t been drawn. Su Rong seemed to be just lying under the covers. Assured that she was indeed sleeping, the grand madam turned and left.
Meanwhile, Ye Guixue who had returned to the Duke Residence, could barely muster a smile upon seeing Ya Qiuying waiting in her room.
Ya Qiuying was a very sensitive child. Looking at Ye Guixue’s expression, she carefully tugged at his sleeve and asked, "Uncle, did something happen? You don’t look very happy."
Ye Guixue looked into Ya Qiuying’s sparkling eyes, like agglomerations of grapes, sat down and gently said, "Uncle is indeed not very happy. You saw right through me."
Ya Qiuying looked up at him, "Your complexion and expression are not good, so it’s easy to tell."
"Clever little imp," Ye Guixue pinched her nose tip with a sigh, "Your uncle has been too confident. I only realized today that we should never underestimate anyone including ourselves, nor should we be overly self-righteous."
Ya Qiuying knit her eyebrows, "Uncle, what happened? Is Sister Su Qi involved?"
Ye Guixue nodded, "Yes, it’s about her."
Ya Qiuying was puzzled, "What happened to Sister Su Qi? She treats you very well; I can clearly feel that she likes you."
"She admires me more." Ye Guixue said: "For a while, she seriously tried to like me. But alas! I was too confident and didn’t hold tight onto her. Now, she..."
He suddenly stopped, forced a laugh and held his forehead, "Why am I discussing affairs of the heart with such a young child like you?"
He ruffled Ya Qiuying’s hair, "Your Sister Su Qi still likes you quite a lot. As for me, your uncle will handle it. You, with your cute little head, stop worrying about adult matters. Or else you might stunt your growth."
Ya Qiuying, already looking worried, had half of that worry rubbed away by Ye Guixue. She pouted, "Uncle, I might be a child, but right now I’m the only one who can talk to you about what’s on your mind. Just don’t treat me like a child, I can understand what you say. Otherwise, it will be so awful for you to keep things to yourself."
Ye Guixue chuckled, "Little devil you are."
He lifted Ya Qiuying up and seated her on the chair, speaking softly, "I have talked with your Sister Su Qi. After I leave the Capital City of Daliang, she will settle you in the Eastern Palace."
Ya Qiuying looked at him, "Uncle, what exactly happened between you two? You can’t leave me in the dark. Otherwise, I will be anxious once you leave."
Ye Guixue thought for a moment, looking at her adult-like demeanor, he nodded in agreement, "Indeed."
He said quietly, "She returned my betrothal gifts, even the Tiger Talisman that commands a hundred thousand soldiers. She doesn’t want it anymore. So, our engagement has been called off."
Ya Qiuying’s little face turned pale, "Uncle, why did this happen?"
Ye Guixue said, "It’s my fault. I failed to make her fall in love with me. It’s because I was too confident and did not grasp the situation well. In short, we’ve agreed to act as close friends. You will stay in Daliang. She will ask the Crown Prince to arrange for your stay in the Eastern Palace, ensuring you are provided for and your safety is guaranteed. As for me, after returning to Nanchu, I need to consult your grandfather and your father..."
Ya Qiuying bit her lip, "Uncle, since you’ve called off your engagement and she has returned the Tiger Talisman that commands a hundred thousand soldiers to you, does that mean Sister Su Qi doesn’t want to be the queen anymore?"
Ye Guixue shook his head, "She doesn’t reject the idea of being the queen. She just doesn’t want to use her position as queen to gain the Ye Family’s support."
Ya Qiuying was confused, "Why is that?"
Ye Guixue explained patiently in a warm voice, "There’s someone else who is more important to her, someone she can’t bear to let down even if it means giving up the throne. As for me, perhaps I was wrong from the beginning. I thought that with the Ye Family and the Tiger Talisman, I had something to rely on. She’s a calm and rational person, she knows what’s the most beneficial for her. Since she accepted me, it means she has made up her mind. Although she doesn’t have feelings for me, I thought that after spending more time together, feelings would eventually develop. I believed that the constant trickle of small interactions could make deep impressions, gradually growing roots in her heart. But now, it seems like I was wrong. That’s why I said I was too confident."
He sighed, "If I had known this earlier, I would have valued winning her heart more. I have underestimated others indeed."
Ya Qiuying asked softly, "Uncle, who did you underestimate? Was it...Brother Zhou from the Zhou Family?"
Ye Guixue was momentarily surprised. He remembered the day he went with Ya Qiuying to congratulate Su Xingze in a Hutong named Dong Si. Zhou Gu gave Ya Qiuying a beautiful shuttlecock made from the tail feathers of a rooster as he passed by with Su Xingze and Su Rong. She really loved it. Zhou Gu even played shuttlecock with her, with an impressive performance sending it hundreds of times into the air without dropping it, causing the surprised Ya Qiuying to continuously gasp with excitement. No one at home played that game with her. He was always composed and did not play shuttlecock with her either. After that day, Ya Qiuying began to call Zhou Gu ’Brother Zhou’.
She really liked Zhou Gu too.
He slightly laughed, "Yes, it’s him. Your uncle underestimated him."
He had never expected Zhou Gu, who was already firmly and resolutely rejected by Su Rong, would make a comeback, snatch her away from him without a sound or scene. Zhou Gu never threatened or gave him a cold shoulder. He behaved courteously every time they met, not allowing Ye Guixue to detect any emotions he had towards Su Rong.
Zhou Gu was two years younger than him and is yet to be bestowed a title, but he gave Ye Guixue such a large ’gift’ without firing a single shot.
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