When they met again, tears welled in her eyes as she gently helped Zhu Ruo up: ...
Zhu screamed in pain, and Chu Yening released her at the opportune moment. Zhu trembled with anger and hurriedly asked the maid beside her, "Whose family is this? And whose family is this?"
Tao Qingyun opened her folding fan with a whoosh and covered her mouth and nose as she walked over. She glanced at her with a hint of disgust, then smiled and said, "Madam, you don't recognize him, but you don't recognize me?"
Madam Zhu froze on the spot: "Nephew of the Tao family, what are you doing here?"
Tao Qingyun waved his hand, "I dare not accept such praise. It's just that Marquis Jingning has just returned to his homeland, so I brought him out to relax and have some fun. He's been away for ten years and has won many battles for the country." He raised an eyebrow, looking quite surprised, "What? Marquis Changxing doesn't know?"
The maidservant beside Madam Zhu immediately stepped forward and winked at her, then stepped forward with a smile and said, "So you are the Marquis of Jingning. Madam has been staying at home in recent years and did not know that you, young marquis, had returned to the capital."
"Shut up!" Madam Zhu immediately snapped at the maid, her face instantly becoming somewhat uneasy. Those standing close by could still see the purplish-red hue on her heavily made-up face.
Madam Zhu was furious. The Marquis of Jingning was only in his early twenties and already a promising young man. Meanwhile, her husband had only inherited the title of Marquis after he turned forty and was still mediocre and unsuccessful, making her feel ashamed in the small circle of wives from several prominent families.
These two mansions were worlds apart, like heaven and earth.
She looked at the group of people and stammered before finally managing to say, "Well, you all! You've ganged up on me, a mere woman. I'll definitely go to the palace and report this to Her Majesty the Empress for judgment."
Chu Yening chuckled softly upon hearing this: "Let's deal with today's matters today. If we cause trouble for others in the future, then it will be my fault."
As he walked towards Madam Zhu, he spoke in his usual lazy and nonchalant tone, saying, "On the battlefield, people kill without blinking an eye. Madam, you probably don't know that I'm suffering from hysteria. Even the imperial physicians can't cure me. If my hand trembles, it might just slip and land right on your neck. Madam is so young and beautiful," he deliberately drew out his words, "If you were to be disfigured because of this, it would displease Marquis Changxing."
Looking at the纨绔子弟 (a spoiled, dissolute young man) in front of her, Madam Zhu saw only mockery in his eyes. This young man in his early twenties dared to disregard her, the Lady of the Marquis, even though she was his elder.
Then Zhu looked at him more closely and suddenly saw a chill creep into his eyes, but his smile remained unchanged: "Remember, don't say things you shouldn't say. Don't do things you shouldn't do."
The young man before her wore a smiling face, yet Zhu felt a chill creep over her instantly. She shuddered and hastily ordered the servants behind her, "Return to the manor! Return to the manor immediately!"
Peace returned to the garden. Tao Qingyun smiled silently as she watched the group leave in disarray. Chu Yening glanced at Qin Weixi behind him, relieved to see she was unharmed. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small figure beside him about to run away. Chu Yening seemed to have anticipated this, chuckled, and immediately picked him up like a chick.
He said coldly, "Are you still going to run away? Didn't I tell you not to leave the temple! Not to run around!"
Juechen kicked his little legs and glared at him: "Let me go, let me go! How can you treat a monk like this, benefactor?"
Qin Weixi, who was standing beside him, frowned slightly upon seeing this, and Chu Yening immediately put him down.
Tao Qingyun stepped forward upon hearing the voice, finding it somewhat amusing. After examining Juechen for a moment, he remarked, "This young monk looks familiar." A sudden realization struck him, and he slapped his forehead, exclaiming, "Hey? Isn't this the young monk who was so pure of heart from that day?"
"What, you two know each other?" he asked Chu Yening, then turned his gaze back to Juechen with admiration: "Such a young age, but commendable courage, not bad, not bad."
Chu Yening remained silent, only staring intently at Juechen with a tense expression.
Juechen pursed his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and his bright black eyes darted around, scrutinizing them. But Tao Qingyun's movements as she waved her folding fan grew weaker and lighter until they suddenly stopped.
His smile froze on his face, and then with a "thud," the folding fan in his hand fell to the ground.
He immediately stepped forward and examined Juechen more closely, then reached out and stroked her head, saying, "Hmm? Let me take a good look." He then turned to Qin Weixi and said, "You come here."
Qin Weixi asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Tao Qingyun's face was solemn, her heart pounding in her throat. She muttered to herself, "I had a bad day today, running into that unlucky Zhu woman. I haven't seen her in so many years, I've forgotten what she looks like. Do you think these features are similar?"
Qin Weixi heard him muttering "Zhu Shi" under his breath. She walked closer and asked, "What does it resemble?"
Juechen, like Chu Yening, kept a straight face but did not struggle. He seemed lost in thought, letting Tao Qingyun scrutinize him.
Tao Qingyun turned to look at her, and suddenly whispered in her ear, "The Zhu family!" Then he took a few steps back, shook his head, and lowered his voice, saying, "She does resemble Uncle Zhu when he was young."
Qin Weixi followed his gaze, pondering his words. The Zhu family? She thought of the Zhu family she had just met, then recalled her Uncle Zhu from her childhood, and then looked at Juechen. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, the world began to spin, and then her ears rang.
Then, when her gaze fell upon the plaque hanging above the main entrance of the nunnery—Chengxin Nunnery—her heart tightened.
But back then, it was clearly concluded that Qingpai from Kunning Palace had personally led people to the Zhu residence to investigate. Thinking of this, she immediately turned her head to look at Chu Yening, who was still standing not far away, but was also looking at her.
"Fourth Brother!" she cried out in her heart, forcing a smile as she looked at him, unsure whether her expression was one of sorrow or joy.
At this moment, Tao Qingyun's gaze also met Chu Yening's. Seeing Chu Yening's calm demeanor, he immediately understood the purpose of his visit today. Then, he began to feel a chill run down his spine. This boy, barely over ten years old, had been away at the border for ten years; what had he experienced during that time?
How could this be! How could it be done under the noses of so many people...
Qin Weixi's breathing became rapid. It turned out that there was a divine will at work. Back in the spring when she returned to the capital and recovered from her illness, she learned that Zhu Ruo had come here to cause trouble, so she thought of coming here to see Zhu Ruo.
That day, she accidentally fell asleep in Penglai Garden. In her dream, she saw the toddler calling her "little aunt," followed by the little nun named Juechen who came to inform them. She also thought of the day she looked at the roast chicken in front of the vendor, her eyes watery and tears welling up in the corners.
Thinking of this, she smiled and ran towards Chengxin Nunnery, feeling that every step she took was lighter.
An elderly nun in the nunnery looked somewhat bewildered upon seeing her hurried arrival. Qin Weixi, noticing someone, quickly stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, Master, where is Master Mingjing now?"
The kind-faced old nun clasped her hands together and said, "Amitabha!" Then she asked, "Master Mingjing is currently in seclusion, diligently studying Buddhism, and is not available to receive guests. Would you like to offer some flowers, madam?"
Qin Weixi shook his head: "I am an old acquaintance of Master Mingjing, I just want to see her."
Upon hearing this, the old nun glanced at the flowerbed behind her, and smiled kindly, saying, "If you wish to offer flowers, please follow me."
The old nun was about to guide her towards the temple ahead, but Qin Weixi curtsied and said, "Thank you, Master." Then she ran towards the flowerbed.
The old nun suddenly called out to her, "Please wait a moment, female benefactor."
Qin Weixi instinctively stopped as instructed. She turned around and saw the old nun smiling calmly, still standing there looking at her: "What is there to fear in two different worlds? There is emptiness in your heart."
Two worlds...
Qin Weixi unconsciously recited the words in her mind, then looked up at the clear blue sky, her heartstrings suddenly trembling. She then solemnly bowed to the old nun, and this time ran towards the flowerbed without looking back.
The sound of a wooden fish drum emanated from a house behind the flowerbed, a continuous thumping sound that grew clearer with each step. A moment later, Qin Weixi pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside with light, graceful movements.
In the past, her sister-in-law Zhu Ruo would often style her hair. In the mirror, Zhu Ruo was like a delicate peony, every smile and frown was extremely beautiful. Zhu Ruo loved the zither. She would often hold a guqin, her delicate hands as white as snow, and with a light touch of her fingertips, she could play many beautiful tunes.
Now she sits quietly kneeling on a prayer mat, tapping a wooden fish with one hand, a deep frown line between her brows. She is no longer the charming and radiant woman of her youth. She resembles a woman who has long secluded herself in her mansion, practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers.
Qin Weixi glanced around at the four corners of the world she was in, and realized that this was a secluded "deep mansion," a nunnery with strict rules and regulations.
"Sister-in-law, it's me!"
When the sound of the wooden fish stopped, Zhu Ruo paused, her hand still in mid-air, and then she opened her eyes and turned her head.
Now, even those bright eyes have lost their former luster.
"Who are you?" Zhu Ruo asked.
"Little Star?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she gently helped Zhu Ruo up: "Sister-in-law, don't you recognize me?" The tears slid down her cheeks and into her mouth, tasting incredibly salty, and her voice was somewhat hoarse.
"I'm the younger sister."
Inside Penglai Garden, Chu Yening and Tao Qingyun sat in the octagonal pavilion, while Juechen squatted by the lotus pond not far away, watching the fish swimming and laughing.
Looking at this carefree ten-year-old child, Tao Qingyun sighed repeatedly, "With such a little daughter, Ashuo can die in peace." He suddenly felt his throat dry and took a sip of tea.
Chu Yening said in a low voice, "...It's a kid."
Tao Qingyun was startled again and choked on her tea.
Chu Yening continued, "He is the only descendant of the Qin family. If he were a girl, it would be better, but since he is a boy, it would definitely be unfavorable to Zhu Ruo and her son given the prevailing political climate at the time."
Tao Qingyun asked, "So, you also arranged for Uncle Zhu to resign?" Suddenly, someone came to mind: "Does that old blockhead know about this?"
Chu Yening did not answer.
Tao Qingyun recalled that back then, all of them were caught in that vortex. Yet, he managed to hide the son of what the world called "the son of a disgraced official" in a nunnery, allowing him to live a healthy and peaceful life for ten years right under everyone's noses. Such meticulous planning.
Thinking of this, Tao Qingyun gritted her teeth, stood up, and slammed her hand on the stone table: "Fine! You didn't even tell me about such a big thing. And I haven't asked you about what happened back then. What exactly is this Cai Yuan?"
Chu Yening raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you also hide something from me, and that's been going on for ten years?" He lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea: "He is actually a member of Liang Shuwen's faction."
Tao Qingyun opened her mouth, quite surprised, and after a long while, she sat back down with a thud: "I felt something was strange at the time, and when A-Ling asked me what was strange, I couldn't explain it."
He looked up at Chu Yening opposite him and said, "What else is there? Tell me everything."
Chu Yening then held the teapot in one hand and the lid in the other, pouring tea for him. He said casually, "Sun Shaopu is in my residence."
With a "thump," Tao Qingyun lost her balance and slid off the stone bench to the ground.
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