Chapter 56 deliberately teases the brooch with its gold-embossed cloud pattern, "Huan..."
Hongzheng Museum.
It was once the place prepared for the marriage of a princess in the previous dynasty. In this dynasty, it seems to have been forgotten. Only the eldest princess occasionally comes here to stay for a few days and enjoy the scenery of the old gardens. In the remaining years, the gates of the residence are always closed, and apart from the gatekeepers, there are not even any maids.
Although few people come here, it is still a precious place.
Yu Nie was stunned and mesmerized as soon as he stepped in.
The two courtyards are strictly regulated, with pavilions and towers arranged in a well-organized manner, and the gold-painted decorations on the eaves and brackets shine brightly.
Passing the screen wall, you are greeted by an artificial hill made of Taihu stones, with a winding stream flowing around it, exuding a cool breeze in this midsummer season. In the pond where the artificial hill is located, lotus flowers are in full bloom, their pink and white petals set off by the emerald green lotus leaves, and occasionally koi carp swim by.
Passing through the covered walkway and across the winding bridge into the inner courtyard, one is greeted by a tantalizing fragrance of flowers, a sight that dazzles the eyes.
In the corner, the crabapple and peony blossoms were in full bloom, their petals layered upon each other. In the center of the courtyard was a small lake, fed by a flowing stream, surrounded by cattails, with a few water lilies floating on its surface. Beside the lake stood a hexagonal pavilion, its sheer, translucent curtains of jasmine and crimson swaying in the breeze, revealing a square table inside.
Yu Nie walked halfway around the lake, looking at the houses and flower shadows reflected in the water, unable to distinguish which was real and which was a reflection, as if she were having a pipe dream.
A female official dressed in indigo robes told her that the lake was called "Half-Edge Lake," which was taken by the late emperor when he visited the area.
Yu Nie opened her mouth slightly but couldn't utter a single beautiful phrase. She hadn't read the Four Books and Five Classics since childhood, only learning some Taoist theories. However, she had studied the Analects, but due to its antiquity, the only thing she could remember was the line, "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me."
With her limited knowledge, she naturally couldn't utter those flowery, flattering words.
But you have to put on an act and say a few words.
She pondered to herself, lowered her dark eyelashes, and whispered a few words: "Father, it is truly a good name."
This statement is fairly standard; while it lacks any particularly brilliant or outstanding points, it is also not wrong.
The lady-in-waiting maintained a respectful demeanor: "Your Highness is absolutely right."
She bowed and said, "It's getting late. Please allow me to lead you to the bedroom for a tour."
Yu Nie breathed a sigh of relief, afraid that saying another word would give him away, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The group followed the cobblestone path along the lake to the outside of the hall.
When Cuiwei pushed open the sandalwood door of the carved bedroom, Yu Nie was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth for a long time.
This is no place to sleep; it's clearly a small palace. The room is spacious enough to accommodate at least twenty people, much larger than her previous bedroom in the Taoist temple.
The floral carpet beneath her feet was so luxurious that it felt like walking on clouds.
She didn't even dare to look closely, only feeling that every piece of furniture in the room was ten times more precious than anything she had ever seen before.
The female official stood beside her, keeping a half-step distance, and explained the function of each part to her one by one.
Following the female official's guidance, Yu Nie walked slowly forward, memorizing the purpose of each furnishing to prevent herself from making a fool of herself by not recognizing something.
After walking around for a while, she had a pretty good grasp of the layout and function of this luxurious residence. Looking at the room full of gold and jade, she felt a sense of unreality; everything that had happened in the past few days seemed to have placed her in a dream.
After the tour was nearly over, the lady-in-waiting led her into the Xianliu Pavilion, where guests were entertained.
She sat down on the Xiangfei couch in front of the screen.
The lady-in-waiting led the rest of the servants in the hall forward, bowing with her hands pressed to her forehead, and the palace servants behind her followed suit, prostrating themselves on the ground.
The female official said, "Your Highness Princess Shunhe is well. My name is Song Ai, and I am the head of the Imperial Household Department. I have been ordered by the Emperor to bring twenty-four palace maids from the Imperial Household Department to serve you. During your stay at Hongzheng Pavilion, Your Highness may request anything you need."
Looking at the vast number of palace servants kneeling below, Yu Nie had never seen such a scene before. Her palms, tucked into her sleeves, were sweating profusely. Fortunately, she had already undergone some "training" outside the city gates, and she managed to keep her expression on her face.
"Uh...please rise, everyone." She took a light breath, deliberately softening her voice.
Upon hearing this, Song Ai led everyone in bowing again: "Thank you for your grace, Princess."
After everyone stood up, they all stood still with their eyes downcast.
Not seeing a single person leave, Yu Nie muttered to herself, "These people are just standing here, does she perhaps need to reward them with something?"
As a newly crowned princess, she was unsure of what to do next.
Gu Xiangzhi, standing outside the door, took in her awkwardness.
He saw her lean back lazily on the couch, her two slender fingers holding the fan handle, waving it fast and slow, while she looked at Cuiwei beside her, her gentle face full of pleading.
Cuiwei was quick-witted and understood her meaning instantly.
She subtly took half a step forward and said to the crowd below, "Your Highness has had a long journey and needs to rest for a while. As for lunch, it will be served after Your Highness has rested properly."
Cuiwei glanced at Gu Xiangzhi at the door: "Gu Shaojian, please stay. The rest of you, go back to your duties."
He hasn't left yet; he clearly has something to say. Cuiwei could tell.
Having been allowed to leave, Song Ai led everyone in a collective curtsy: "We, your servants, take our leave."
The crowd left one after another, and the pavilion fell silent for a moment.
After everyone had left, Gu Xiangzhi gave a few instructions to the guards at the door before stepping into the pavilion.
Inside Xianliu Pavilion, only three people remained for a moment.
Yu Nie had spent the whole day maintaining her proper posture, and now her back was aching. Seeing that they were all familiar faces, she didn't bother to put on airs anymore, and simply slumped onto the chaise longue, picking up a round fan and fanning herself haphazardly.
Unfortunately, she wore too many jeweled hairpins, making it difficult to find a comfortable position. After trying several times, she could only prop her head up with her hand, rendering the jade pillow useless.
She couldn't sleep well, and she couldn't lie down comfortably. She was so exhausted that all she wanted to do was kill the person who had just walked in.
Seeing her so unrestrained and indulgent, Gu Xiangzhi lifted his robe and sat down at the table. The servant beside him quickly picked up the teapot and filled the teacup next to him with tea.
Gu Xiangzhi's gaze darkened slightly, and his voice was cold enough to chill anyone: "Your Highness, I advise you that there are many people and eyes in this place. You would better be careful with your words and actions and restrain yourself. Otherwise, if you accidentally reveal your true colors one day, I'm afraid no one will be able to save you."
A threat, a real threat.
She turned to Cuiwei beside her and said, "Listen to him, he's speaking human language."
Cuiwei shrank back, not daring to utter a single word. Rumors circulated that everyone working at the Imperial Horse Stables was a heartless and ruthless individual. Those black-hearted people wouldn't even blink an eye when killing someone.
The maidservant knew the importance of speaking less to protect herself, so she not only kept her mouth shut but also kept giving Yu Nie meaningful glances, urging her to be careful with her words.
Yu Nie is a case of ignorance is bliss. If she knew about this, she would at least be polite to Gu Xiangzhi on the surface.
She received a meaningful glance from Cuiwei, but she completely misunderstood it. She assumed that Cuiwei was intimidated by Gu Xiangzhi's cold demeanor.
She gave Cuiwei a reassuring look, indicating that Cuiwei didn't need to be afraid, after all, she was a princess now.
Despite being spoken to like that to his face, Gu Xiangzhi's cold expression remained unchanged.
He picked up his teacup and gently tapped the lid against the rim: "Whether it's human speech or not, as long as the princess can understand it, that's fine. Your Highness should keep my advice in mind. If you ignore it, I'm afraid you won't even be able to find a complete corpse in the future."
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie was not angry.
She suddenly sat up again and said in a coquettish voice, "Oh, Supervisor Gu, I'm so timid. You're scaring me to death by talking like that." She even exaggeratedly patted her chest as she spoke.
Gu Xiang paused in his hand, but did not turn to look at her.
Seeing this, Yu Nie's eyes flashed with cunning. She slowly walked to Gu Xiangzhi's side, deliberately covering her lips with her fan, and drew out her words: "That was just a joke. Please forgive me, Your Excellency."
Seeing that he still had a cold face, she suddenly leaned forward and stopped at just the right distance: "Surely someone as important as you wouldn't really hold a grudge against a little woman like me?"
She deliberately leaned forward, the hair ornament in her hair almost brushing against his shoulder. Gu Xiangzhi visibly stiffened and subtly moved aside.
Yu Nie saw this and chuckled inwardly. Instead, she moved closer and said, "Then let me pour you some tea to apologize. If you're still angry, I'll have to bother you every day." As she spoke, she reached for the teacup in his hand.
But before her hand could even touch the rim of the glass, he turned to the side and finally looked at her: "No need."
She had no intention of letting him off so easily, and made a move to reach for the teacup: "Your Excellency is so stingy, you won't even let anyone touch a cup of tea."
Yu Nie pressed closer, and the space behind the desk was so small that even Gu Xiangzhi had nowhere to retreat. He suddenly stood up to leave. But she seemed to have anticipated this, and with a few light steps, she blocked his path.
She tilted her head back, her eyes filled with innocence, and reached out to grab his hand. She felt the muscles beneath his palm instantly tense up, and she moved closer to him: "Why are you hiding, sir? Are you afraid I'll poison you?"
Gu Xiangzhi glanced down at her hand, his brows furrowed suddenly, and his whole body tensed up like a fully drawn bow.
He abruptly pulled his hand back, his voice icy: "This humble subject does not like to draw swords with others. If Your Highness takes another step forward, then this humble subject's sword will not discriminate."
Yu Nie almost burst out laughing when she saw him like this. On the way back to Jian'an, she discovered that this person hated it when others got close to him. If anyone touched him, he would feel uncomfortable for a long time. He was extremely germaphobic.
An eye for an eye, and having "taken revenge," she returned to her original position, satisfied, and replied, "It was my rudeness; please don't take offense, sir."
Gu Xiangzhi straightened his disheveled sleeves with a cold expression, looking as if they were dirty. He said, "Tell her to behave herself," and then left the room with a cold face.
Yu Nie watched all this, and his heart was filled with joy. He had finally gotten his revenge for the insults Yu Nie had just suffered, with interest.
Cuiwei, who was on the steps, watched the whole thing and her heart was in her throat. She quickly went to her side and said that she was too bold and was practically jumping on Gu Xiangzhi's sore spot.
Yu Nie wasn't worried. They had come all this way, and Gu Xiangzhi wouldn't bother with her over something like this.
Besides, she hadn't done anything excessive.
As the two were talking, Song Ai entered with her head bowed, holding several rolls of gold-embroidered brocade in her hands. She stood in the hall and bowed.
"What business does Song Juling have?" Yu Nie asked, his playful expression vanishing as he straightened his posture.
Song Ai presented the brocade with both hands: "Your Highness, the Prince of Guangning, Junior Tutor Huan, and the Tenth Prince have sent messengers with visiting cards, requesting Your Highness to review them. The three gentlemen have all arranged to come tomorrow to inquire after the Princess's well-being."
Upon hearing the name "Huan," Yu Nie's first thought was that it referred to Zi Jing. She only knew that he had been promoted, but had not inquired about his official position in detail.
When she received the visiting card, she unconsciously searched for familiar handwriting among the three scrolls of silk.
When she turned to the last volume, her expression suddenly froze. On the gold-embossed cloud patterned surface, the two characters "Huan Xun" were clearly visible.
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