Song Zijin: "Just as Little Seven Sister said years ago, this..."
Zijin, Song Zijin.
Before his death, one of his two close attendants was Mu Tong, and his fiancée, whom he had known since childhood and who was still married to him, lived in their hometown of Guangling.
If the Qin family hadn't met with misfortune, Qin would have married Mu Tong the following spring after the winter snow. Her brother was overjoyed upon hearing this and prepared many gifts, even saying he would personally travel to Guangling to offer his congratulations on the auspicious day.
But the Qin family did not survive that winter, nor did they live to see that vibrant spring.
On the day she awoke in the secluded ancient town of Jiangnan, she recalled all the events of the Qin family and remembered this resilient woman with whom she had only met once, whose eyes always curved into a gentle smile whenever she saw Mu Tong.
She wrote to the capital, in which she wrote to her brother Luo Ling: Zijin, Song Zijin.
Later, just as she had predicted in her midnight nightmares, Song Zijin left Guangling for the capital. Filled with anger and resentment, she almost struck the Dengwen Drum.
Zijin's feet were blistered from walking all the way, she was so thin and haggard, but her eyes were filled with endless coldness.
However, before her letter could reach the capital, her elder brother Luo Ling noticed something unusual among the crowds in the capital and rescued her from her predicament with a pure and kind heart.
Later, Luo Ling temporarily settled her at the Luo family's villa in the suburbs, and was shocked to learn that she was still alive.
The elder brother said that Zijin must see her no matter what.
That spring, she met Zijin. Zijin said that Mutong died in Penglai and was buried there forever. He died at the hands of the Liang family, so she should go to the Liang family and end Liang Xu's life herself.
Her brother saved Zijin. If she had resolutely struck the Dengwen Drum that day, she knew Zijin would have surely died. How could she watch her jump from one fire pit into another?
Zi Jin wept that day, her voice mournful: "Mu Tong went with the prince. On the road to the underworld, if he had encountered the prince he had risked his life to protect, and he was also there with him, how desperate he would have been. Mu Tong treated me very well, and Mu Tong and I were supposed to grow old together. But alas... fate is cruel. If there is an afterlife, I will still be her wife, and Mu Tong will still be my husband."
She resolutely replied, "No! Liang Xu is a violent and cruel man who treats people like dirt! Mu Tong will never let you go, and neither will I! My Qin family has not plotted rebellion, and we will never stand by and watch a woman fall into that dangerous abyss!"
Zi Jin burst into tears, and after saying this, she picked up her bundle and walked out, her heart filled with determination: "Mu Tong's lifelong wish was to protect the prince's peace. Mu Tong was shot with several arrows, and he and the prince died with spears piercing their backs, their eyes wide open in death. I must go to the Liang family, find out the truth about the Qin family's destruction, and avenge Mu Tong!" She laughed bitterly, wiping away her tears, and said firmly: "If you, Miss, help me go, that would be best. If you refuse to help me, then I will find another way."
She stood in front of Zijin, gripping her wrist firmly with one hand, and looked at her, saying, "Zijin, there's plenty of time in the future."
Apricot blossoms and spring rain herald the arrival of early spring in Jiangnan. Song Zijin looked at the little girl before her, just over eight years old and almost nine. Her eyes were filled with resentment, yet she remained resilient and unyielding. Compared to this, what Song Zijin had endured seemed so insignificant.
The wooden boy died protecting his master, but the entire Qin family, numbering over several hundred, vanished without a trace that deep winter with a blizzard. The youngest sister of the Duke of Dingguo, only eight years old at the time, also narrowly escaped death in a river due to the machinations of thieves. She hid in Jiangnan, awaiting her return.
Song Zijin decisively put down his baggage and his resolute desire to leave, and walked up to the resilient young girl: "Miss Qin, Mu Tong is gone. From now on, I, Song Zijin, will protect you."
The capital city.
Qin Weixi recounted to Song Zijin what she had seen at Jingyun Temple that day. Song Zijin's face remained deathly pale, but suddenly she smiled through her tears: "The wooden boy is still alive. That's wonderful, he's still alive. Girl, I'm going to find him! I'm going to find him!"
Qin Weixi was genuinely happy for them. Perhaps, like Zijin, Mutong had also returned to Guangling to look for Zijin, and both of them thought that the other was long gone. She suddenly returned to the capital as a Luo family girl, and Mutong would not recognize her no matter what, but he would definitely recognize Zijin.
That's fine.
Inside Kunning Palace.
Jiang Yuanfu was sitting on a small couch peeling lychees, while Qingpai stood beside her with a tall fruit plate. Seeing the princess deftly peel the lychees one by one and place them into the plate, Qingpai smiled. Meanwhile, Empress Tao remained with one hand on her forehead, her eyes closed in a light nap.
Led by the head eunuch of Kunning Palace, a eunuch walked in, bowing and keeping his head down.
Empress Tao frowned slightly upon hearing the noise.
The head steward, Eunuch Chen, said, "Your Majesty, it is an important matter."
Empress Tao gave Qingpai a wink, and Qingpai handed the fruit platter to Zishu beside her and dismissed the palace maids who were serving in the palace.
"What is it? Come closer and tell me."
Eunuch Chen whispered something in her ear first, and Empress Tao's eyes flashed: "What did Grand Secretary Liang answer?" She glanced coldly at the eunuch: "Tell me in detail."
Upon hearing this, the eunuch hurriedly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Liang was summoned to the palace yesterday..."
Jiang Yuanfu, who was sitting on the small couch, trembled slightly, and the juice from the lychee she was peeling splashed all over her.
She stood up, her eyes widening in surprise, and exclaimed, "Liang Lang?"
Empress Tao first dismissed the eunuch who came to deliver the message, then chuckled and beckoned to her. As Jiang Yuanfu approached, Empress Tao said again, "Zhenhui, calm down."
Empress Tao sat on the phoenix chair, took a handkerchief to wipe the sticky liquid from her hands, and said with great majesty without raising her head, "Zhenhui, your mother will definitely choose a satisfactory marriage for you."
Jiang Yuanfu lowered her eyes: "What about Eighth Sister?"
Empress Tao continued to carefully wipe her hands, asking, "Zhenhui, what do you think?"
Jiang Yuanfu turned around and looked out of Kunning Palace, at the vermilion walls and red tiles in the distance, her expression dazed.
Inside the Fanyin Hall of the Jingning Marquis's residence in the capital city.
Chu Yening, dressed in a pigeon-blood red belted long robe, with her hair half-down, lazily curled up on the long couch with her eyes closed. One hand rested on her forehead with two fingers, while the other casually stroked the small bouton hanging from her waist.
In ordinary households, the main hall is typically furnished with elegant tables and armchairs for entertaining guests, arranged in a dignified manner, with framed calligraphy and paintings adorning the walls, conveying both solemnity and order. However, in the main hall of the Marquis of Jingning's residence, two daybeds flank the main hall, with a chaise longue in the center. The walls are decorated with images of young men in flowing red robes, dancing with swords under the moon, in bamboo groves, or by mountain streams. It's utterly absurd.
On the day he returned to the capital, his third aunt, Madam Ge, who is still alive and in very good health, came to see him. Leaning on her cane, she looked into the Fanyin Hall and shook her head and sighed repeatedly.
But Chu Yening disagreed. He peeled some fruit and ate it with Ge Shi, laughing, "Third Aunt, Father was so obedient and law-abiding, but what happened to him in the end? He still ended up as a skeleton, eaten by insects and ants as spring turned to autumn. He was buried in the yellow earth!"
Zhoufeng ran wildly inside the Fanyin Hall, while Jiuqu tossed a palm-sized wooden ball with Zhoufeng's face painted on it back and forth. The two, man and dog, were having a great time.
Songyang walked in from outside and said in a low voice, "My lord, the things have been delivered."
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and one could tell who it was just by the sound. Chu Yening nodded, and Song Yang quickly withdrew.
"Where are the people? Where are the people?!"
Tao Qingyun strode into Fanyin Hall with an air of grandeur, holding a folding fan. Upon seeing the scene, which resembled a painting of a sleeping beauty, she was momentarily stunned.
He couldn't help but chuckle twice, pacing back and forth around him: "How delightful, how delightful!"
He mimicked the gossip among the city's aristocratic youths about the Marquis of Jingning's romantic escapades: "Come and see, the young Marquis of Jingning is embracing a young lady..."
"She's more beautiful than the flowers!"
"Just as Little Seven Sister said back then, who will benefit from this appearance in the future?"
Chu Yening suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at him: "What is it?" But a rare smile appeared on her lips.
Tao Qingyun closed her folding fan and sat down opposite him: "I heard that someone is quite the big shot since taking office! He's really outdone that Liang scoundrel. I, Tao, have to come and thank you."
"How should I thank you?" Chu Yening asked.
"Want some wine?"
Tao Qingyun's lips twitched: "You fell into the wine vat? I heard that you got drunk that day and climbed onto the Luo family's wall, falling into A-Ling's yard."
"What? You've come to the wrong place? Trying to sneak into a woman's room at night? Why are you acting so strangely lately?" Tao Qingyun suddenly sniffed the air, smelling a strange fragrance: "What's that smell?"
Chu Yening suddenly stood up, two strands of hair at his temples fluttering as he did so, and the small incense ball hanging from his waist began to make a clanging sound as the incense burner and incense stick collided.
Tao Qingyun narrowed her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Old fox."
Chu Yening smiled slyly: "Want to go for a drink?"
"You invited me?" Tao Qingyun asked.
Chu Yening replied quite generously, "It's not impossible."
Tao Qingyun narrowed his eyes again, thinking to himself that there was a trap. "I'd like to see what tricks you're up to."
Inside the carriage of the Marquis of Jingning's residence, the two leaned casually against the carriage arm, one on each side, ignoring each other. Tao Qingyun, however, would occasionally glance at him.
Tao Qingyun called out, "Hey you smiling tiger outside the curtain, after we've had some wine, prepare two horses. We're going to go out of the city for a spin."
Jiuqu and Facai sat on either side of the cart, and Jiuqu said with a hearty laugh, "Alright!"
On another wide alley, Cai Yuan, accompanied by his servants, furtively attempted to sneak into the Woxue Pavilion.
Ten years ago, he was unfortunately wounded by the sword of the Marquis of Jingning's heir, and subsequently resigned from his official post, spending his days in a daze. He thought that after his exile, His Majesty would let that brat Chu go unpunished upon his return to the capital, leaving him with only the title of Marquis of Jingning but no real power. Who would have thought that His Majesty would remove the eldest son of the Liang family from his position as commander and replace him with the Marquis of Jingning.
Cai Yuan was furious. Seeing the medicine brought by the servant, he swept it to the ground with a wave of his hand. Unexpectedly, the steward, looking back every few steps, entered the inner courtyard with a secret letter in his hand, dismissed the servants, and presented it to him.
Upon seeing this, Cai Yuan felt instantly refreshed, as if he had drunk a delicious shot of strong liquor on a warm winter's day. The letter stated that the Marquis of Jingning had been acting strangely lately, and he should keep a close watch on him.
He asked the steward, "Did you see it clearly? Did his personal attendant really sneak into the Snow Pavilion so furtively?"
The butler nodded.
“Woxue Pavilion…” Cai Yuan narrowed his eyes, pondering, “Isn’t that a place for watching opera?”
"Go and fetch me some good clothes! I'm going out of the manor. A letter has arrived from above; I must restore my former glory!"
"Just you wait and see, one day His Majesty will personally invite me back to the imperial court to trample on this brat Chu's head!" Cai Yuan called over two strong guards, leaned on his cane, and hurriedly left his residence.
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