Chapter 85 When I arrived in Jian'an, I entrusted you with something. Don't forget to give it to me...
After making an appointment with Xiao Chengyan, Hua Ruo, and Hua Shu to go to the night market to watch a puppet show in two days.
Yu Nie chatted with the group until the sun began to set, then saw them off.
As Zhao Huashu passed by the front yard, she saw Mei Nian's figure and her pace noticeably slowed down.
Yu Nie noticed her gaze and wanted to tell her about Gu Xiangzhi's illness, but her thoughts were interrupted by Xiao Chengyan's sudden change of topic.
As the group walked outside, Xiao Chengyan suddenly spoke up, turning to ask, "I heard from Attendant Feng that my sister is returning to the palace in a few days. I wonder if she has chosen a place to stay yet?"
Yu Nie shook his head.
Xiao Chengyan's words reminded her that once she entered the palace, many things would be difficult to do, and it would probably be difficult for her to escape Jian'an.
Upon learning that the palace had not yet assigned her a place to stay, Xiao Chengyan pondered for a moment, and the Xianyang Palace near the Empress Dowager's residence came to mind.
He said, "Why don't I ask His Majesty to bestow Xianyang Palace upon Qiqi? The scenery there is serene and the environment is elegant, making it the most suitable place for people to live."
He didn't seem to be joking: "The 'Yang' in Xianyang corresponds to the 'Yang' in Shuoyang, so it can be considered that you and Qiqi are destined to live there. It's the most suitable place for you to live. Besides, my maternal grandmother always complains that living alone is lonely. If Qiqi lives nearby, you can visit her often and keep her company. She will definitely like you as her granddaughter from the bottom of her heart."
"Xianyang Palace? Shouldn't I be going back to the princess's residence?" She had asked Cuiwei earlier where the princess would stay if she returned, and Cuiwei had replied that it should be the princess's residence.
Therefore, she thought that if she went back, she would definitely not be able to live alone in the main hall.
This is all because neither she nor Cuiwei knew that unmarried princesses usually resided in the princess's residence, while married princesses would occasionally be granted a mansion by the emperor.
But now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and has five princesses, it is obviously inappropriate for princesses of the older generation like Hua Ruo, Hua Shu, and herself to move into the princess residence.
The late emperor had few children, with only five princes and, excluding those who were already married, only three princesses remained. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he specially bestowed the Zhaoyang Palace and the Taiping Palace upon Hua Ruo and Hua Shu respectively.
Therefore, if she returns to the palace, she will surely be granted a new palace, and there is no reason for her to return to the princess's residence.
Upon hearing Xiao Chengyan's suggestion, she thought to herself, "No, please." But what she said was, "Such an arrangement is certainly good, but cousin, you don't need to go out of your way to find me a place to stay. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so there's no need to bother him with such trivial matters."
Her words were so inconsiderate.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan felt that what she said made sense. Just now, he was only thinking about finding the best palace for her and forgot that the emperor was busy with state affairs. He really shouldn't have bothered her with such a small matter.
He was about to agree to her suggestion when Hua Ruo spoke first, her tone carrying a hint of reproach:
"Xiao Chengyan, look at Hua Yan's awareness, and then look at you. You act rashly. If others were to follow your example, who knows what kind of trouble they would cause."
“You little brat…” Xiao Chengyan raised his hand to point at her, but then, considering that Yu Nie was present, he stopped arguing with her: “Forget it, as your cousin, I won’t stoop to your level.”
After saying that, he turned to look at Yu Nie, his expression showing a hint of reluctance, his eyes suddenly softening and becoming bright and gentle.
But perhaps because she cared about him too much, even though Hua Ruo was usually very easygoing, she noticed something was off at a glance.
He met her gaze for only a moment before hurriedly lowering his eyes: "It's getting late, Hua Ruo, Hua Shu, and I will go back first."
He scratched the back of his neck, his ear tips flushed slightly, and said in a deliberately relaxed tone, "Qiqi, you don't need to go for the marriage alliance now. Jian'an City is very big. If you don't mind, I'll accompany you around."
The sincerity in the man's eyes was almost overflowing. Yu Nie looked at him and only received his open and honest enthusiasm, but she didn't notice at all that a vibrant emotion was quietly flowing in the man's eyes.
She replied, "Okay, then I'll thank you for your kindness, cousin."
Hearing her agree, Xiao Chengyan was overjoyed, and his handsome face reflected the same joy.
"It's a deal."
With a heart full of joy, he continued, "Then we'll be going now. We've bothered you all afternoon, Qiqi, you should get some rest too."
She hummed in agreement, then turned and spoke a few private words to Hua Ruo and Hua Shu.
After watching the group get into the car, she didn't dare to delay for a moment and quickly turned around and headed to the backyard.
In the backyard, Cuiwei had already had the seeds carefully packed, and she quickly came to greet her when she entered.
Unable to appear in person, she could only hold Cuiwei's hand and instruct her: "Be careful on the road, and remember to avoid the accompanying guards. If anything happens, come back and tell me immediately."
Cuiwei nodded solemnly, glancing at the two white-clad guards standing not far away, and replied in a low voice, "Princess, rest assured, this servant will definitely deliver the seeds safely to Lord Huan."
Mentioning Huan Xun brought back that familiar, stifling feeling to her heart.
Xiao Chengyan's words about refusing the marriage proposal now clearly echoed in his ears.
She clenched her fists, suppressing the inexplicable emotion, and looked at Cuiwei, saying, "Don't forget to give him the thing I entrusted to you."
She pressed her hand on Cuiwei's wrist: "Please pass on another message for me... just say... thank you for his help."
Last night she thought it over and over and felt that she should take this opportunity to settle everything today.
Who knows when she might be summoned to the palace, making it even more difficult to see him then? She dislikes owing favors to others, and he would be the first to be affected.
Cuiwei nodded emphatically in response.
The appointed time was fast approaching, and Yu Nie knew she could not delay any longer.
She gave Cuiwei a few more careful instructions before standing outside the back gate, watching them lead the carriage toward Yongxing Temple.
The journey was smooth. When they arrived at the agreed location, Cuiwei took the opportunity to rest and invited the several guards who accompanied her to have tea at a nearby teahouse.
Upon hearing of this good opportunity, the guards went straight to the teahouse without hesitation.
Lu Jinshi was already waiting nearby. He quietly took out Huan Xun's token and gestured to Cuiwei.
Upon spotting Lu Jinshi in the alley, Cuiwei first made arrangements for Bai Zhiwei, then said she needed to watch over the seeds and had to go outside.
It was just a few bags of seeds, and Bai Zhiwei didn't think anyone would steal them. He said "I'm tired" and left Cuiwei alone outside.
Seeing that Cuiwei was the only one left near the carriage, Attendant Lu waved his hand, and two men wearing straw hats immediately darted out from behind him. They walked to the carriage and quickly carried the seeds that Cuiwei had marked into the alley.
Taking advantage of the break, Cuiwei kept an eye on the guards in the teahouse while taking out the prescription given to her by Yu Nie from her sleeve.
She explained the purpose of the prescription, then took out the box that Yu Nie had entrusted to her and handed it to Attendant Lu: "This is a gift from my princess to Lord Huan, saying that she is grateful for your care these past few days. She has no way to repay you, so she can only express her gratitude with this gift."
Lu Jinshi glanced at Cuiwei. This gift was for Huan Xun, so he naturally had no right to refuse. He didn't say any unnecessary pleasantries and handed it over directly.
Just as the seeds were about to be replaced, Shiro Naoki, who was in the teahouse, was about to come out.
Cuiwei didn't say anything more to Lu Jinshi, but gave him a look, urging him to leave quickly.
Lu Jinshi understood and quickly disappeared into the alley with the seeds and gifts.
Without delay, he packed the seeds, drove the carriage, and entered the Jiheng Mansion through the back gate, avoiding being seen.
Huan Xun was practicing archery at the archery range in his mansion. He shot three arrows at once, and all of them hit the target.
Lu Jinshi dared not delay and quickly stepped forward to repeat Cuiwei's words, presenting them along with the prescription.
Huan Xun glanced at the square box in his hand and said calmly, "Open it."
"Yes." Attendant Lu quickly responded and carefully opened the box.
Huan Xun glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw a translucent Hetian jade thumb ring lying quietly in the box.
*
The following day, as dusk fell, Langxi and Ahui had spent several dozen days traveling from Huaiyuan to Jian'an, not to mention the several days they had wasted going to Jingyuan.
Fortunately, the rain in Jincheng County was stopped, and they were able to travel faster by water.
The moment they finally stepped into Jian'an City, the magnificent scene unfolding before them was something they had never seen in Huaiyuan.
The green locust trees were like canopies, and the bright red flowers peeking out from the top of the wall were like fire. Painted boats were moored in a staggered pattern on the Jin Yue River.
Wine flags fluttered in the wind, and men and women were mostly dressed in jeweled crowns and jade sleeves. The long street was bustling with traffic, and the world was in a frenzy of activity. The luxurious and lively atmosphere was so dazzling that it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
This was completely different from the scenery they had encountered along the way.
There were no beggars everywhere, no refugees displaced, and everywhere was filled with the sounds of birds singing and dancing, a scene of peace and prosperity.
This was not Langxi's first time returning to Jian'an.
She spent her childhood here until she was five years old, when her family was framed by the gentry and had to move back to their hometown.
Now, stepping back onto this land, Jian'an's prosperity far surpasses what she remembers.
She stood with Ah Hui in front of the Secretariat, looking up at the plaque above the door with its strong characters "典章垂训" (meaning "Establishing Rules and Instructions").
Before she could approach and inquire, two guards had already come over upon hearing the commotion. Their eyes swept over them, and they asked in deep voices, "What brings you two Taoist priests here?"
Langxi asked in a calm and composed tone, "Please inform me that I am Shen Langxi, an old friend of Xu, the Compiler of the Secretariat. I have come to see him today because I have something important to return in person."
Upon hearing that she had come to see Xu Jingyang, the two guards exchanged glances, then looked her up and down, before squinting at Ahui standing to the side.
One of the guards replied meaningfully, "Xu, the Imperial Secretary, is no longer serving here. You two should inquire elsewhere."
"Other places?" Langxi and Ahui exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with confusion.
She took a half step forward, her tone becoming more earnest: "May I ask, young sir, where has Xu Zuoshi been transferred to? We would be so kind as to give us some information."
The guard's face showed a mixture of reluctance and impatience, his tone carrying a hint of warning: "Master, you should ask someone else. As your servant, I really can't say much. But I advise you not to look for Xu Zuoshi Lang right now. He's tied up with important matters and probably can't see you two."
Before he could finish speaking, the guards raised their arms as if to shoo him away, not waiting for Langxi to speak again.
Langxi stood there, stunned, not expecting this outcome.
She had originally planned that if she could see Xu Jingyang, she might be able to ask him to find a way to see Yu Nie, but now that thought had just surfaced when it was immediately dashed.
Seeing her furrowed brows, Ah Hui quickly gestured with his hand: "Junior Sister, don't worry. Isn't Brother Xu's younger brother also working in Jian'an? Why don't we go and ask him first?"
Langxi turned his head, his gaze falling back onto the open gates of the Secretariat.
In the letter I received last month, Xu Jingyang said that he was engrossed in compiling the national history, which would probably take many years.
How come his position has changed in less than a month?
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the unease in her heart.
When he turned back, he had a faint smile on his face: "Junior brother is right. But it's getting dark, let's find an inn to rest first. Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the Martial Guard Camp to look for the literary collection and see what exactly happened to Jingyang."
"Wenji" is Xu Cai's courtesy name; she sometimes calls him that.
Having made up their minds, the two turned side by side and headed toward the inn in the city.
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