Chapter 66: The wedding date is set in Zhaizi.
Although Cong Ying obtained the title deed to the Jiang family mansion, he did not plan to continue living there.
A newly transferred official in Beijing took a fancy to this house. After Ji Caibing negotiated the price, it was finally sold for nearly three thousand taels. The next morning, Ji Caibing brought people to help Cong Ying prepare the ceremony.
Cong Ying didn't have much stuff, she packed it herself last night. When she saw Ji Caibing coming to her house, she invited her to the small pavilion for tea.
"This is aged Pu'er tea, older than this house. My grandfather said that this tea should be passed down to generations of scholars and poets. Now that the Jiang family has dispersed, there's no point in keeping the tea. It's better to drink it," said Cong Ying.
Ji Caibing sighed for her in his heart and asked her about her future plans.
Cong Ying said, "I've rented another house in Yunjing and am waiting to get married."
Ji Caibing said, "You seem unhappy. Did Third Young Master Xie bully you?"
Cong Ying shook her head gently. Her expression was calm, not one of joy, but not sadness either. She said, "It has nothing to do with Sanlang. I was just thinking about what my mother said before she left—she said I wasn't kind to my family, and that I was left like an orphan. If I marry into the Xie family, I'll make the same choice as her, desperately trying to raise a son to protect myself."
Upon hearing this, Ji Caibing angrily exclaimed, "That's bullshit! This is simply judging others by one's own standards. Ah Ying, you're not such a snob. Why worry so needlessly?"
Cong Ying smiled and said, "Yes, if you think positively, you might end up like Madam Xie."
Ji Caibing keenly sensed that her tone wasn't one of anticipation, so she asked, "Mrs. Xie is very kind, but you don't sound happy. Are you still dreaming of serving as a lady-in-waiting to your master?"
Cong Ying lowered his eyes and slowly turned the teacup in his hand.
Ji Caibing said, "Since you can't let it go, why not give it a try? I heard that the Taiyi Women's School accepts students based on their talent and knowledge, regardless of their social status. Whether they are nuns, maids, peddlers, merchants, or even redeemed slaves, it's no problem."
Just as Cong Ying was about to say something, she looked up and saw Xie Xuanlan walking towards them along the corridor. She quickly said to Ji Caibing, "Let's not talk about this anymore."
Xie Xuanlan guessed that she was going to clean up the old things today, so he hurried over after the court meeting. Unexpectedly, he was still a step too late. Cong Ying had already dismissed all the servants and came all the way in a very arrogant manner. Not even a doorman or maid was left to inform her.
Xie Xuanlan wanted to take Congying out, but Ji Caibing was quite dissatisfied: "She was with you yesterday, why does she want to go with you today? You two are not married yet, how can you monopolize her all the time like this?"
Cong Ying also pursed her lips and smiled: "I promised Cai Bing that I would accompany her to look at new fabric samples today."
Xie Xuanlan felt that Ji Caibing was getting in the way, but he remained pleasant and said, "I heard that Shopkeeper Ji had several truckloads of goods seized by the One-Eyed Dragon. Yesterday, I spoke to Minister Di of the Ministry of Justice, and Shopkeeper Ji will be able to retrieve them today."
Ji Caibing was suddenly shocked when he heard this: "Really... can you really give it back to me?"
Xie Xuanlan smiled faintly: "If it's too late, someone might take it away."
Knowing that he was trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain, Ji Caibing found it hard to refuse. She hesitated and said considerately, "Getting the lost property back is the most important thing. If you want to see fabric samples anytime, I can go with you."
Ji Caibing left in a hurry, and Xie Xuanlan proudly took Cong Ying by the hand and said, "She's too inexperienced to compete with me. Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
He was mysterious and refused to say what he was going to do. Judging from the direction he was heading, it seemed that the carriage was heading towards Xie's house. It passed by without stopping, and went around to the back of Congshan Academy and stopped in front of a house.
Although the gate of the house is not wide enough for carriages to enter and exit, there is a different world inside. It is actually two connected houses merged into a three-courtyard house. Xie's servants come in and out, carrying in all kinds of exotic flowers and plants.
Ying had a rough guess in her mind: "Is this... for me to live in?"
"Come with me."
Xie Xuanlan led her through the first courtyard gate, where they were greeted by a two-story octagonal building shaped like a pavilion. Both floors were furnished with brand-new yellow pear wood bookshelves. A gentle breeze flowed through the second floor, and through the window, the faint sounds of recitation from the Congshan Academy to the south could be heard. Lush greenery could be seen in front of them.
"You can drink tea, read books and entertain guests here in the future." Xie Xuanlan walked to the north window again, "Come and see."
A wide open space was set aside in the second courtyard on the north side, and many archery targets were planted.
He said, "This is for my little sister. You can watch me upstairs while I teach her archery. Of course, it would be best if you could try it yourself."
He then led Congying downstairs, introducing the side rooms to her as they walked: "Outside are the guards, inside are the maids. You and my younger sister will stay in the main room. The other two rooms are temporarily vacant for guests. How do you like them? Do you think they are acceptable?"
This house is not luxurious, but it is exquisite in every detail. It is rare that it is similar to what she used to in Yunshui Garden in the old Jiang Mansion. It is obvious that a lot of thought was put into it.
Cong Ying raised her hand to touch the newly planted osmanthus sapling in front of the main house, and smiled slightly: "Why be so extravagant? Didn't we say we'll get married within a year or two? By then, this house will be empty, which would be a waste."
Xie Xuanlan said, "That's different. If I bully you one day and you want to go back to your parents' home in anger, there has to be a place where I can't enter."
He spoke arrogantly, but his smiling eyes were full of concern.
Congying wasn't the only one who heard what Zhao said. Xie Xuanlan didn't ignore her either. As his understanding of Congying deepened, he vaguely understood what she was afraid of and wanted to find a way to ease her worries.
Congying could certainly understand his good intentions, but she felt a little sad because of this overly cautious kindness.
She stepped forward and leaned into him, resting her forehead against his neck.
"Sanlang, let's set a date for the wedding, okay?"
Xie Xuanlan's hand on her shoulder paused slightly, and then he hugged her tighter. In the breeze and the fragrance of flowers, the shadows of the two lovers snuggled together intimately, and the wind could not move them away.
He said, "I'll ask my mother to calculate the date tomorrow. This place is also close to Congshan Academy. It will be a good place for you to stay when you are teaching and socializing at Congshan Academy."
＊
On the day Zhao was sent out of Yunjing and went to Linquan Temple in Chenjun, Prince Jin received a letter from Ying.
Though her words were polite and tactful, her message was direct: she did not want the Prince of Jin to send another person to ambush Zhao. She wrote, "My dear mother has hurt me; I should stay away from her, not harm her. I do not wish to enter into a blood feud with Your Highness, nor do I wish for Your Highness to dwell on this trivial matter. I only wish Your Highness to rest and recuperate, and live in good health for the rest of his life."
The implication was that she thought he was meddling in other people's business.
Prince Jin accepted the letter silently, leaned back in the armchair, and pressed his knuckles against his brow.
Zi Su knew that he was in a very bad mood, so she held her breath and stuck to the wall, afraid of attracting his attention. When she was about to slip away, it seemed as if the man opened his eyes on the back of his head and called her.
"Have you bought the house I asked you to buy?"
This is really a case of bringing up something that is not relevant to the topic. Zi Su said embarrassedly, "Your Highness, this is really unfortunate. When I found the owner, the house had just been sold this morning."
Prince Jin said indifferently: "Buy it back at a higher price."
Zi Su: "The person who bought the house is... is... Mr. Xie San."
The Prince of Jin seemed slightly stunned, then he gave a wry smile and stared at the curtain hanging from the beam without speaking for a long time.
Zi Su quickly explained, "This time it really wasn't me who leaked the letter to the Third Young Master. Your Highness, please understand!"
Of course, Prince Jin knew it wasn't her, because he had bought this house in his previous life. He just didn't expect that Xie Xuanlan would act so early in this life.
He thought for a moment and said to Zisu, "From today on, you don't have to stay in Prince Jin's Mansion anymore."
Zi Su was suddenly startled: "Your Highness!"
Although the Prince of Jin was unpredictable, he never tortured his servants and usually treated them like air. She was idle for half a month out of every month, and her monthly salary was quadrupled. If she was kicked out of the Prince of Jin's mansion, how could she find such a good job again?
Zi Su was heartbroken and swore with tears in her eyes, "I will never tip off the Third Young Master again..."
The King of Jin said, "You have martial arts skills and a clean family background. Go to Ah Ying and tell her that you were kicked out of the palace because of Zhao's incident. She will be kind and will definitely take you in."
Zi Su was stunned: "Huh?"
"Be by her side, protect her, keep an eye on her... From now on, if she encounters any major events or makes any choices, she must report them to me."
The King of Jin paused and said, "The monthly salary will be doubled."
Shiso: “Ah!”
Perhaps this incident with the Zhao family had a huge impact on Cong Ying's fortune. After sending Zi Su away, King Jin fell seriously ill again.
His body burned with fatigue, his mind was delirious, and he couldn't distinguish between day and night, dream and reality. He could only vaguely hear someone crying beside him, as if they were deeply concerned about him. He remembered some things from his past life, and with some strength, he shook the person's hand back, whispering, "Don't be afraid, Ying... I won't leave..."
Princess Xuande stopped sobbing and listened to his dreamlike whispers. After a long moment, she raised her head and asked blankly, "Who is Ah Ying?"
After asking everyone in the house, they found no girl named Aying. Doctor Zhang didn't know either. Princess Xuande wanted to ask Zisu about this, but the newly promoted attendant stammered, "I don't know what Madam Zisu did wrong, so she was kicked out of the house by His Highness."
Princess Xuande said, "Bring her back. I have something to ask her!"
Shiso has settled down beside Ying as she wished.
Cong Ying was grateful for her prompt report of the Prince of Jin's plan to poison Zhao, and upon learning that she had been expelled from the palace for this, she felt even more guilty and, of course, offered to take her in and treat her like a distinguished guest. Zi Su, feeling embarrassed to accept payment without any work, helped Cong Ying store her collection of books in the second-floor library. The two of them got along very happily, and that night, Zi Su remembered that she had left something at the palace, so she returned early the next morning to retrieve it.
As a result, he ran into people carrying a huge dark wooden coffin into the palace.
Only direct descendants of the clan could use coffins of this specification. Zi Su's heart sank. An old colleague she knew saw her and explained, "His Highness is very ill this time. We are just preparing this in case of an emergency. Oh, go and see her quickly. Her Highness the Princess is looking for you everywhere."
When Zi Su went to see the eldest princess with a nervous mood, she found her sitting by the window sewing a shroud.
Unlike the heart-wrenching moment when Prince Jin died last time, the eldest princess's expression was relatively calm, though with a hint of sadness in her tiredness.
Seeing Zisu, she sighed, "I know these days are God's pity on my son and me, and he's given us. I dare not covet them, but my son seems to have some regrets he can't let go of, and as a mother, I can't bear to see him like this... Zisu, he's obsessed with Aying. Do you know who it is?"
When Zi Su heard this, her heart tightened into a knot. A name lingered on her lips, but she trembled and dared not say it out loud.
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