Chapter 123 Between the Clouds (Thirteen) For whom do you thank me?
On the day of the Shangsi Festival, Wei Yuanzhan kept his promise.
No one knows how he managed to extricate himself from the spring banquet held for him by the Lady of the Marquis, and soon an invitation in the name of the Crown Prince's wife was sent to the Song residence.
Zhi Rou declined.
An hour earlier, Song Congzhao received an urgent letter from Changli. The letter read: "While traveling through Hengzhou with the young master, we encountered bandits. The young master was wounded, but fortunately, he was rescued by righteous men and is out of danger."
The letter did not mention the extent of her injuries, leaving Song Hanjin feeling uneasy. So, that evening, dressed casually, she went out to Yuyang. The Song residence was in an uproar; upon learning of this, Zhirou stayed by Song Hanjin's side without leaving her side.
From the beginning of the Shangsi Festival, Zhi Rou and Wei Yuanzhan maintained correspondence but did not meet in person.
Until the spring search day.
Perhaps Song Congzhao couldn't resist Song Hanjin's pleas, or perhaps for some other reason, he actually agreed to let Zhirou go on the hunt this year. He only strictly forbade her to fire a bow.
Upon arriving at the hunting grounds, Zhi Rou found herself unable to use her skills. Initially, she was somewhat listless, but upon catching a glimpse of a figure amidst the brocade, all her worries vanished.
"Third Miss Song, Fourth Miss Song." A spring breeze blew, lifting a skirt. The young girl raised her face haughtily, her gaze fixed on Zhi Rou's face, her eyes indifferent.
After not seeing each other for a while, she took the initiative to greet her, but a bad feeling rose in her heart. Zhi Rou frowned slightly and didn't even greet her.
Huai Xian didn't blame her; in fact, a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes, which she quickly concealed. She smiled and said, "I was originally going to send someone to the Song residence today to deliver a gift, but since we've met here, it saves me some trouble."
Upon hearing this, Song Hanjin glanced at Zhirou with a puzzled look. She was equally exhausted, showing no emotion whatsoever. Her gaze, along with the scorching sunlight, completely enveloped Huaixian.
The feeling of being in a foreign land returned to her heart after several months. She couldn't help but turn her face away and look away. Instantly, a woman walked up, bowed her head, and curtsied to Zhi Rou and the other woman.
She was dressed as a maid, her face obscured by the beam of light.
Zhi Rou was still confused when Huai Xian continued, "This time when we returned to the capital, there were many changes in the people around us, and I am still not used to it. I imagine Miss Song feels the same way. I know that you and Jing Yao have a deep friendship, and she has been by my side for a long time, which is a bit unfair. So I wish to do a good deed and entrust her to Miss Song."
Upon hearing the name "Jing Yao," Zhi Rou paused slightly, her gaze shifting little by little before she finally recognized her.
His gaze returned to Huai Xian, and he frowned, saying, "Didn't the princess promise to release her from her fiefdom? What is the meaning of entrusting her to me?"
"Wouldn't the Song family be a better place for her?" She flicked her sleeve between the two, smiling lightly. "Miss Song, was your past affection all a lie?"
Jing Yao stood there blankly, then raised her face upon hearing this, carefully looking at Zhi Rou.
With her friend's gaze upon her, Zhi Rou, though aware of Huai Xian's strange behavior, couldn't help but soften her expression.
She stepped forward, her eyes moving from Jing Yao's hair to her hands. After several months apart, the lively girl had reverted to the submissive female official she had initially been.
Zhi Rou wanted to ask her why, but hesitated before speaking again, her tone encouraging and persuasive: "Sister Jing Yao, are you willing?"
Huai Xian's expression immediately hardened, and the polite smile on her face vanished without a trace: "Song Zhirou, do you think I'm discussing this with you? I pity that you two cannot stay together for long, so I bestow her upon you. You should be grateful."
Zhi Rou's gaze sharpened as she looked at Huai Xian without uttering a sound.
It was her own inconsistent behavior that made Huai Xian in the wrong, and no matter how much she tried to project princess authority, she couldn't withstand those eyes that made hearts race. Her face immediately turned awkward, and she felt even less confident than when she was in Bei Li, but even so, she refused to give up and leave.
Therefore, as Zhi Rou was taking off her boots, a hand grasped hers. She turned her head, and Song Hanjin shook her head at her, then gestured with her eyes to indicate that there were too many people around.
Zhi Rou was somewhat annoyed, and after a long pause, she lowered her eyes and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
When his old friend was "gifted" by a nobleman, their statuses were now different, and Jingyao no longer dared to treat Zhirou the same way she used to.
She remained silent and did not look at Zhi Rou's face, her bones standing straight, hiding the embarrassment in her heart.
Zhi Rou didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so she smiled slightly. Because she didn't look up, Jing Yao couldn't see her expression, but her voice was so comforting, like the afternoon sun shining on you.
“Sister Jingyao,” she said casually, leading Song Hanjin to her, “this is my third sister.”
He then turned to Song Hanjin and said, "These are friends I made in Beili."
As soon as the last two words reached her ears, Jing Yao's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up somewhat bewildered.
The face under the sunlight was quite different from Zhi Rou's. She was beautiful, but her smile was somewhat cold. Jing Yao could tell that such a smile came from the family precepts and cultivation of a noble family.
So he quickly lowered his eyelashes and said, "Greetings, Miss Song San."
Song Hanjin didn't say anything, but gave the servants a look, and they looked at Jing Yao. Song Hanjin pulled Zhi Rou aside and first teased, "Fourth Sister really has a lot of friends."
Everyone is willing to interact with each other.
Before long, she dropped her joking tone and carefully considered the matter for her: "Judging from the princess's appearance, she probably didn't have good intentions in giving her away. Is your friend truly a close friend to you?"
The questioning tone was almost as if the words "planting spies" were about to be uttered, but the thought vanished as soon as it took shape.
Someone came and asked the two of them to come over and set up the tent.
Banners fluttered in the wind, and the hunting lodges for princes, officials, and nobles were set up on the east and west sides, heavily guarded.
During the journey, Zhi Rou didn't want to neglect Jing Yao, but Song Han Jin was holding her hand and talking, so she really didn't have a chance to catch up with Jing Yao again. She could only turn her head from time to time and give her some comforting looks.
As she stepped into the shadows, the murmurs around her suddenly stopped. She turned around and saw a tall figure standing in front of her.
He was initially surprised, but then smiled and greeted them, saying, "Third sister, fourth sister."
For riding and archery, he wore a dark blue robe with the front lapels crossed and tapering diagonally to his waist from one side, the hem of which was wide, giving him a dignified appearance.
His step forward drew many stares. Song Hanjin, already displeased with his private relationship with Zhirou, maintained her usual distance, saying, "Prince Wei."
Wei Yuanzhan took two steps closer and stopped in front of Zhi Rou: "You didn't say you would come."
Because of his playful "Fourth Sister", Zhi Rou curled her lips and returned a bright and vivid expression: "It's because Prince Wei has forgotten."
He listened with a smile, not considering right or wrong. He glanced at Song Hanjin for a moment, and seeing that she showed no sign of avoiding him, he knew he couldn't be so petty as to try and steal her away.
After a moment's thought, he unusually greeted her, "How is Third Sister? I've heard a little about what happened to my cousin."
After all, they were cousins, and he couldn't ignore Song Qiyu's safety as if they were strangers. So he spoke with full sincerity: "A colleague of mine was transferred to Yunchuan last year. It's not far from Hengzhou and is a necessary route to Yuyang. When you arrive, my cousin, he will take good care of you."
This amiable demeanor surprised Song Hanjin, who had never known Wei Yuanzhan before. She was momentarily lost in thought, but managed to regain her composure and replied, "Brother, you are a lucky man, so I have nothing to worry about. I am grateful for your concern, Prince Wei. As for your colleagues in Yunchuan... if they are trustworthy, my Song family will naturally acknowledge their kindness."
After saying this, she lied again, saying that her mother was still waiting for them in the tent, and then she and Wei Yuanzhan tucked their sleeves and took their leave.
Before leaving, Zhi Rou spoke on Song Hanjin's behalf: "Thank you."
Wei Yuanzhan laughed: "For whom are you thanking me?"
"Naturally, it's the Song family."
The Empress was not present today, and Wei Yuanzhan wanted to tell her that she didn't need to be too restrained, so he stepped closer and reached out to grasp her palm. However, the sleeve of the sleeve slipped smoothly through his fingers, and the owner of the sleeve had already caught up with Song Hanjin and intimately embraced her arm, whispering to each other like sisters.
His hand froze in place for a moment, then he clenched it and let it hang down, looking over there.
She moved her lips, clearly responding to Song Hanjin, and casually glanced back, as if taking the opportunity to look at him.
Wei Yuanzhan's eyes and brows lit up with a smile.
"What exactly did Fourth Sister see in him?" Song Hanjin asked, glancing sideways.
Zhi Rou looked away: "Kind, smart, loyal...he smiles a lot."
Song Hanjin raised an eyebrow: "Are you talking about him? He looks more like you to me."
Zhi Rou raised her lips in surprise, her heart stirred, and asked curiously, "What does Sister dislike about him this time?"
When it came to his shortcomings, Song Hanjin knew them all by heart, but out of consideration for his feelings, she was reluctant to criticize him in front of Zhirou, so she answered softly, "Nothing."
As soon as they finished speaking, their gazes fell on a dashing woman.
She stared at her for a long time until she passed by, and then Song Hanjin sighed softly, "Seeing is believing."
"Does your sister recognize her?"
“I’ve heard my brother mention her before. Her troops are renowned. When the dynasty was fighting against the north, she led troops to support the Yuyang Army. My brother and she are old acquaintances.”
Zhi Rou paused for a moment: "She's a general?"
Didn't they say that there were no female officials in our dynasty?
Song Hanjin nodded, her words tinged with admiration: "In the nearly three hundred years of our dynasty, there has never been such a case before. She is the first. It is said that she disguised herself to join the army, but after only a month, her comrades noticed something was amiss and made a scene in front of the commander-in-chief. Later, it was her father who pleaded with the emperor to save her... It is quite a coincidence that she also has the surname Ling, but her background is very different from that of Miss Hewei."
Zhi Rou stopped walking and turned her head to look.
She wore riding clothes, and her robes swayed gracefully as she walked. Her body was more agile than that of noble ladies in the capital. Her pace was neither hurried nor slow as she walked towards Wei Yuanzhan.
Sunlight filtered through her face, and she smiled, a hint of ambiguity in her eyes: "How is Prince Wei doing? I was fortunate enough to miss witnessing your archery skills at the spring banquet that day. I wonder if you could show me today?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
