Chapter 51 Dust and Light (10) He liked it.
The invitation from the Princess of Jiayang County finally reached Zhirou's hands that morning.
On the couch, Xu Yueyuan subtly scanned Zhi Rou's eyes, leaning against the couch: "When did Rou'er develop a private relationship with the Prince You's mansion?"
What connection could Zhi Rou have with them? After a moment's thought, she realized that the Princess of Jiayang was looking for her because of the alleyway.
He frowned and asked, "Mother, can I resign?"
Xu Yueyuan straightened up, glanced at her for a moment, and found herself unable to see through this fourth girl. After a while, she said in a low voice, "The Princess Consort is too kind to you, yet you want to decline. What will others say about our Song family?"
Although she didn't know what the Prince You's mansion wanted the fourth young lady to do, as long as it didn't harm the Song family's interests, that was fine. Xu Yueyuan took a sip of tea, and seeing that the young ladies were still sitting in the room, she raised her sleeve and said, "Go ahead."
As they left Danyu Garden, the clouds dispersed, and the sun shone again on Song Hanjin's brows, revealing a worried expression: "Could it be because of that gathering, where Princess Jiayang picked a fight with you?"
How long has it been? How could the dignified county princess of Jiayang be so petty?
Zhi Rou seemed not to hear anything, her fingers frequently brushing against her earlobe, as if she wanted to grab it but dared not.
Song Hanjin glanced at her, stopped and checked her ear: "Second sister, what happened? What about the other one?" Turning around, her tone was tinged with resentment, "It's one ear that hurts, but why did you let her prick both of them?"
“I can’t just run away halfway through… It’s alright, I can tolerate it.” Zhi Rou pulled Song Han Jin’s hand down and slightly curled her lips.
Thinking of all the good things Song Hanyin had done at home these past few days, Song Hanjin couldn't help but mutter, "I think Second Sister would be better off going to a temple to cultivate herself; all she does is cause trouble for others."
He looked at Zhi Rou with pity for a while and comforted her, saying, "When your ears are better, I'll give you my pair of jade rabbit earrings. You'll look beautiful wearing them."
“Sister,” Zhi Rou’s lips and eyes fell together, her gaze fixed on the ground, “I don’t want to go to Prince You’s mansion.”
He looked utterly helpless.
Worried that Jia Yang would make things difficult for her, Song Hanjin hesitated for a moment and decided not to go to the family school, but instead led her back to the courtyard to change clothes.
The Prince You's Mansion is located near the imperial city, exuding an imposing aura, but its interior is entirely different from what one sees from the outside. Although it's called a prince's mansion, aside from being somewhat luxurious, it's practically no different from any other family's home, and even has a more down-to-earth feel.
Zhi Rou and Jia Yang were invited to a bright room. Jia Yang had just finished dressing up, and her face was clean and delicate, but she still looked sickly and haggard.
As the people arrived, Jia Yang sat in a rose chair and told them to dispense with formalities: "I am unwell, and I hope you two ladies will forgive any neglect." He then instructed the servants to offer them seats and tea.
"You flatter me, Your Highness." Song Hanjin and Tongzhirou stood up and sat down one after the other.
Zhi Rou avoided looking at Jia Yang, and her behavior was respectful and natural, without any impropriety.
The Princess of Jiayang had been observing her.
The day before yesterday, Jia Yang injured himself in the alley for the Empress and the envoy from Bei Li to see.
If a county princess of unknown status, who has been assassinated, were sent to marry a foreign ruler, not only would the king of Beili question this move, but the people would also feel indignant on her behalf.
Public opinion such as “Princess Jiayang has already encountered rebels in this dynasty, wouldn’t she be looked down upon if she went to another country?” and “Princess Jiayang is so pitiful” overshadowed Her Majesty the Empress’s intentions.
As she expected, the news reached the palace that night, and Her Majesty the Empress immediately sent people to Prince You's residence to offer condolences and requested thirty bodyguards from the Emperor to serve there. The so-called condolences were merely a probe to ascertain the truth; and the so-called protection was nothing more than surveillance.
Jia Yang originally intended to use her poor health as a pretext to imply to Her Majesty the Empress that she was unable to undertake the long journey and the heavy responsibility of marrying into a foreign land.
But she knew the Empress's physician, Zheng. There was no ailment in the world that he couldn't cure; otherwise, how could the Emperor and Empress still be so healthy at their age? They should have passed the throne to the Crown Prince long ago.
Therefore, feigning illness was not only deliberate but also useless. After much thought, she finally came up with a safer course of action.
The only unexpected thing was that Miss Song and another boy that day.
Back at her residence that night, when Jia Yang sent people to inquire about Song Zhirou's background, she vaguely remembered who the other person was. She had seen him a few times at palace banquets before, and if she remembered correctly, he should be the heir of the Marquis of Yining, and the grand-nephew of Empress Wei.
For Yu Jiayang, the Crown Prince Wei was the more daunting variable, as he was not easy to approach. So she decided to first test the waters with the Fourth Miss Song in front of her.
"I ran into the Fourth Miss in Mingjia Lane that day. I felt that the jade pendant she was wearing looked familiar. It seemed to be a pair with the one my father gave me," Jia Yang said, his gaze still fixed on Zhi Rou's face, his expression calm yet sharp.
In this kind of situation, it's important to observe etiquette. With Song Hanjin present, Zhirou doesn't need to speak first.
Song Hanjin paused for a moment: "Fourth Sister's leg injury has just healed, and Physician Wang does not allow her to run around. The County Princess must have mistaken her for someone else."
"Oh? Miss Song was also injured?"
Zhi Rou slightly raised her eyelashes and heard Song Hanjin say, "To be honest, my fourth sister has been practicing martial arts since she was a child, and she has suffered many injuries from falls and blows. My mother often scolds her for it."
“No wonder, last time at Yunju Villa, Miss Song’s swordsmanship was truly admirable.” Jia Yang nodded in agreement, his expression remaining calm and unchanging.
"Please have some tea, ladies," she continued, her eyebrows lightly brushing back, her attention then turning entirely to Zhi Rou. "Is Miss Song the Fourth, who is usually so taciturn?"
Now Song Hanjin couldn't speak up for her. She rolled her eyes and gave Zhirou a "don't be nervous" look. In her heart, however, she thought: Princess Jiayang really came for Fourth Sister. Her words seemed to have ulterior motives, but she couldn't see through them.
Zhi Rou pondered for a moment, then slowly replied, "Please forgive my ignorance, my daughter ate too much spicy food the other day, and her throat felt like it was on fire. She couldn't bear the pain and it was really inconvenient for her to speak."
His voice wasn't hoarse at all; it was as ordinary as it could be.
Upon hearing this, Song Hanjin's expression changed slightly. She thought to herself, "How can Zhi Rou's ability to talk nonsense be so indiscriminate? It's one thing to joke among siblings and classmates, but how dare she be so arrogant with a county princess with unclear intentions?"
The unspoken meaning in her words reached Jia Yang's ears, and he secretly sighed that this Miss Song was a clever person and should not mislead her.
Jia Yang smiled inwardly, but put on a guilty expression. Just as she was about to say something, she heard two "Your Highness" greetings from outside, and then a dignified and elegant figure stepped in.
Song Hanjin and the other person turned around, quickly stood up, and bowed to her.
The princess smiled and gently helped the two women up, saying, "Please rise. You are all guests of the Prince's residence, so there's no need for you to be so formal."
Zhi Rou was wary of Princess Jiayang. No matter what she said or did, Zhi Rou would just try to appease her and make it clear that she would not interfere in her private affairs.
The princess's appearance was unexpected, and her voice was even more shocking. Zhi Rou's body stiffened, and she slowed down her movements a moment as she avoided the gaze coming from in front of her.
The woman wearing a veil and entering and leaving the Yuan residence... could she actually be Princess You?
"Please sit down. You are the two daughters of Lord Song Congzhao, right?" Her tone was unusually gentle, as if she was very happy that they had come to visit.
Zhi Rou fell silent again. Song Han Jin glanced at her, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. When she saw the princess looking over, she smiled lightly and responded.
Princess You was kind and hospitable, and kept them there for a long time. By the time they returned home, the sun was already past its zenith.
Song Hanjin sat upright in the carriage, the curtains drawn to block out the blazing sun. She observed Zhirou closely for a while, guessing that there was some hidden story between her and the Princess of Jiayang. Just as she was about to ask, the carriage suddenly stopped.
"Miss, it's the carriage from the Marquis of Yining's residence," a servant outside reported.
The road was packed with tourists, and two cars were waiting to meet each other. Song Hanjin frowned and said, "Let them pass first."
Upon hearing that it was the Wei residence, Zhi Rou pushed open the door and went out to take a look, her gaze meeting Lan Ye's.
I wondered, where is Wei Yuanzhan going?
Because of Sheng Xingyun yesterday, she didn't speak a word to Wei Yuanzhan afterward. She couldn't muster any enthusiasm to watch her older brother play Cuju in the afternoon, and kept thinking about Wei Yuanzhan.
Having made up her mind, Zhi Rou raised her hand and waved lightly at Lan Ye as a greeting. Then she leaned back in the carriage, considering her next move.
Not long after, the servant returned and reported, "Miss, they let us pass first."
Song Hanjin was slightly surprised, and after a moment, a wry smile appeared on her lips. Why hadn't she and her brother received such courteous treatment from Prince Wei before?
The following day, Zhi Rou finally spoke to Sheng Xingyun.
In the bright sunlight, she tossed her thick, curled eyelashes and said to him, "I'll give you a chance to make amends, do you want it?"
Sheng Xingyun nodded vigorously without hesitation: "Whatever you ask me to do, just give the order."
Zhi Rou smiled brightly, waved her sleeve to let him walk with her, and before leaving, she called out to Wei Yuanzhan, "Are you going to Qiyun Garden?"
Wei Yuanzhan stared at her for a moment, then looked back at the table: "Hmm."
"Wait for me, I'll be back later." After saying that, Zhi Rou's figure disappeared into the gate of the family school along with Sheng Xingyun.
The Sheng family has been merchants for generations, running countless restaurants and teahouses. These are the easiest places to start investigating who is behind the rumors.
Sheng Xingyun wiped her hands clean, sat down behind the desk, picked up a peach and ate it, muttering, "Yuan Zhan asked me to investigate yesterday, it won't be that quick. Sit down, what would you like to eat?"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Zhi Rou raised an eyebrow. "I'm going back."
"No!" Sheng Xingyun stood up to stop her, tossed the half-eaten peach to the waiter, and said sternly, "I'm just apologizing to you, aren't I? Just eat a couple of bites, and take some to Yuan Zhan, and we'll call it even, okay?"
Zhi Rou ran out without having lunch, and she was indeed feeling a bit hungry. After hesitating for a while, she walked over and sat down by the window.
Sheng Xingyun laughed again, pointed to all the dishes that Wei Yuanzhan liked, and the waiter wrote them down and left the room.
Sheng Xingyun said, "Yesterday I heard Lan Ye say that Yuan Zhan made a pledge to the Marquis that if he cannot stop the rumors within half a month, he will go to Jiangdong and not return to the capital."
Zhi Rou paused for a moment: "Half a month is too short. Does Wei Yuanzhan...do he like Jiangdong?"
“What doesn’t he like? I think he likes anywhere he can get away from his father.”
"So he wants to go?"
Zhi Rou felt a sudden heaviness in her heart, perhaps because in her mind, she had never thought about parting with Wei Yuanzhan.
"Do you want to go?" Sheng Xingyun leaned against the railing, looking at Wei Yuanzhan with anxious eyes.
"No," he answered quickly, almost without hesitation. Sheng Xingyun breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Why? Isn't your grandmother in Jiangdong?"
Wei Yuanzhan remained silent for a long time.
His grandmother was in Jiangdong because his grandfather had gone there. Every year at the beginning of the new year, he and his sister would go to visit her. But if he left the capital this time, without his father's permission, when would he be able to return?
At the end of the cave entrance, a girl's melodious voice rang out. Wei Yuanzhan turned his head and saw her and Song Hanjin playing hand in hand. When they met Master Zhou, she quickly straightened up and awkwardly greeted him, "Hello, Master Zhou."
Wei Yuanzhan smiled, but very quietly.
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