Chapter 51: All eighteen boxes of gifts were accepted.
After speaking with Princess Wei Yihua at the Hundred Flowers Spring Banquet, Zhou Congyi visited the princess's residence twice more.
After these three rounds of negotiations, Yue Yining finally received the letter from Zhou Congyi. The handwriting was vigorous and powerful, like the author himself, proud and unyielding.
The letter stated that she was willing to join the Princess's camp.
On this day, before the morning mist had completely dissipated, seven gilded camphor wood chests were already stacked on the blue brick floor of the Princess's residence.
After finishing her morning court session, Wei Yihua passed by the gate of the mansion and happened to see servants carrying several conspicuous large boxes. The princess narrowed her eyes slightly; she recalled that she seemed to have seen this scene frequently over the past three days.
She casually called out to Suyue, "Which families have sent holiday gifts recently?"
Wei Yihua rarely interfered with the exchange of gifts between officials, because the Princess's residence had a master of ceremonies who handled all these matters. Without her saying anything, the master of ceremonies would regularly compile a list of the gifts that were put into storage and give it to her personal maid.
Su Yue: "Your Highness, the gifts sent to our residence over the past three days have all come from the same family. And they are not holiday gifts, but regular gifts."
Wei Yihua stroked the crescent-shaped nail guard on her finger, then paused: "From the same company?"
Su Yue: "Yes, they were all sent by the Xie family."
"The eldest son of the Xie family has sent a total of eighteen boxes of gifts over the past few days, all of which are for Master Yue."
Wei Yihua: "......?"
Wei Yihua: "Was it a gift from the eldest son of the Xie family?"
Su Yue: "Yes, Your Highness."
Wei Yihua found it a bit absurd. When did the eldest son of the Xie family get involved with Yue Yining? Eighteen boxes of gifts were no small sum; even minor officials and nobles would only give this much as betrothal gifts.
Wei Yihua pressed her temples, then, remembering something, lowered her hand: "Did Master Yue accept them all?"
Su Yue: "Yes, Your Highness."
Wei Yihua's pearl-adorned, upturned shoes stopped in place, and the embroidered gold shawls around her arms fluttered slightly. Her footsteps caused the two rows of maids behind her to stop, hold their breath, and bow their heads.
"…Su Yue, is Master Yue in her bedchamber right now?" Wei Yihua asked. "I have some questions I'd like to ask her."
Yue Yining was reading and drinking tea inside the hall. The delicate fragrance of Mengding stone flowers wafted from the silver tea basket with peony patterns, but it was suddenly startled away by the approaching tinkling of jade pendants from outside the hall.
She looked up at the sound, and a maidservant curtsied and entered the doorway: "Your Majesty, the Princess has arrived."
Yue Yining put down the book she was holding and raised an eyebrow: "I know, go and call someone to bring some snacks."
When Wei Yihua entered, she saw Yue Yining sitting behind the tea table, smiling and waiting for her. Her light blue robe trailed on the ground, spreading out like a shimmering spring lake. She held a bowl of tea and looked over, a smile playing on her lips, "Your Highness has come so early today. Did you come to see me right after court?"
"Is there something urgent?"
Wei Yihua gestured to Su Yue to dismiss the extra maids. After the double sandalwood doors closed, she sat down opposite Yue Yining: "Today, Censor-in-Chief Lin once again submitted a memorial, earnestly requesting Father Emperor to settle the foundation of the nation as soon as possible. This time, Father Emperor relented and announced in court that he would choose the crown prince from among the two princes who have come of age."
"When my eldest brother was the crown prince, Father also gave him a position in the previous dynasty so that he could gradually become familiar with the workings of the court. It was both a teaching and a training. Father has already ordered the Secretariat to draft the imperial edict, and I think the official positions for my third and fourth brothers will be finalized in the next couple of days."
Upon hearing this, Yue Yining straightened her expression.
Previously, the emperor's attitude had been ambiguous. No matter how much the officials, both high and low, advised him or submitted petitions, he never mentioned the matter of establishing an heir. Only today has he finally responded.
Thus, the struggle for the throne officially began.
Yue Yining nodded, and was about to say something when Wei Yihua cut to the chase: "Compared to that, when I returned to the manor just now, I saw several boxes of congratulatory gifts sent by the Xie family at the gate."
Yue Yining was cut off before she could say anything. She was speechless, and her fingers holding the teacup stiffened.
Wei Yihua squinted at her: "I was wondering why I kept seeing several large, golden boxes at the door these past few days. I was wondering which families had sent their Spring Festival gifts at the same time."
"It turned out that they were all sent by the eldest son of the Xie family."
Yue Yining: "......."
Wei Yihua: "It's really strange. Xie Qingyu has always been a person of integrity and uprightness. He has sent so many gifts over the past few days. Even a blind person could see the intention to curry favor."
Seeing that she remained silent, Wei Yihua became anxious and even a little annoyed: "I heard from Su Yue that Master Yue accepted all eighteen boxes of congratulatory gifts sent by the Xie family."
"How come I remember that last month, the coral tree from the East China Sea sent by the Yuan family, the Marquis of the State, was returned untouched by Master Yue? And the three boxes of gold combs and jade jewelry sent by the Yang family, the Prefect of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, half a month ago, were also not even glanced at by Master Yue? How come Master Yue has accepted all eighteen boxes of congratulatory gifts sent by the Xie family?"
Even Yue Yining stopped calling him that! Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Yue Yining quickly said, "Your Highness, there's a reason for this. Please let me explain..."
Wei Yihua: "Explain, I'm listening."
Yue Yining: "......."
If we don't make things clear, Wei Yihua probably won't let this go today.
Yue Yining naturally trusted Wei Yihua, so after thinking it over again and again, she decided to tell him everything: "Does Your Highness remember that when I was still living in Jiulian Town, I had a handsome male servant by my side?"
Wei Yihua frowned slightly, then relaxed her gaze after a moment: "It is true. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about this person."
"But when you said he had a handsome face, I immediately remembered. When I first met you, because of his outstanding appearance, I mistook him for your male concubine."
Yue Yining coughed twice and drank tea to cover her embarrassment: Why do you still remember such a thing!
Wei Yihua: "So? Why did you suddenly bring him up?"
Yue Yining put down her teacup: "Your Highness does not know, but he was actually a slave I bought from Jinling. At that time, I found that his appearance and behavior were not like those of a slave, and he was very strange. I thought there was another reason, so I spent money to redeem him. But later I learned that he had amnesia and did not know where he lived."
"Later, when I went to the capital, I did not take him with me because the day before the princess sent someone to pick us up, he was recognized by his family on the street and had already been taken back by his clan."
Wei Yihua listened, stunned. She was quite surprised and hadn't expected there to be such a story behind it all. "And then? After he went home, did he try to contact you again?"
Yue Yining nodded: "I ran into him again at the Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring Banquet a few days ago."
Yue Yining left it at that, but her pointed words had already given Wei Yihua enough information. Looking into Yue Yining's meaningful eyes, an unbelievable thought suddenly occurred to the princess. She stared at Yue Yining, hesitant and shocked, and asked, "You mean—"
Yue Yining nodded: "He is Xie Qingyu."
Wei Yihua stood there, stunned. Yue Yining knew that she needed time to process such a huge amount of information, so she patiently waited for her to calm down for a long time.
Wei Yihua finally came to her senses. "So Xie Qingyu wasn't actually sick at all. He just disappeared, but the Xie family kept it from him."
“No wonder, no wonder he was able to stay in bed for half a year and then miraculously recover, no wonder the Xie family refused all visits under the guise of visiting during that time, no wonder…” Wei Yihua suddenly remembered what Yue Yining had said to her when he returned on the first day of the Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring Banquet. She sat up abruptly, “You met him on the first day of the banquet, didn’t you? That’s why you talked to me about the Xie family and asked for my opinion.”
Wei Yihua frowned: "But why did Xie Zhi conceal Xie Qingyu's disappearance? As the prime minister, he has immense power and connections. If he hadn't concealed it, perhaps Xie Qingyu would have been found long ago, and wouldn't have been missing for so long..."
At this point, Wei Yihua suddenly had a clear understanding of everything.
She looked at Yue Yining, who was slowly putting down his teacup across the tea table, and met his clear, deep, and turbulent eyes.
Yue Yining: "This shows that Xie Zhi didn't dare let anyone know that Xie Qingyu had actually disappeared."
"The carefully groomed heir has disappeared without a trace for half a year. Xie Zhi must be more anxious than anyone else. But even under these circumstances, he dares not let out a single word."
"Knowing that his intervention would increase the chances of finding his eldest son, he still held back, which shows that Xie Qingyu's disappearance is likely to involve other incidents, and what Xie Zhi wants to hide and what he fears is this very matter." Yue Yining's eyes flickered slightly. "Once this matter is exposed, the consequences will be something the entire Xie family cannot afford."
Wei Yihua gazed intently, pondered for a moment, then quickly grabbed a sheet of Xuan paper, picked up her brush, and began to write. The ink meandered across the paper, like a plum blossom blooming horizontally, breaking through the flawless white jade.
After writing it, Wei Yihua folded the paper and called Su Yue in: "Send this letter to Lord Shen urgently, and make sure it reaches her today."
Yue Yining sat behind the desk, quietly watching Wei Yihua complete this series of actions. With her delicate hands, she picked up the cup and sipped the tea, letting the rising steam condense into dew on her eyelashes.
Su Yue closed the door and left. Wei Yihua looked at Yue Yining and said, "I arranged for Shen Liude to help investigate this matter. She has many connections in the Dali Temple and should be able to find some clues."
Yue Yining shook her head: "So much time has passed since this incident. Xie Zhi is a cunning and treacherous man. He may have already buried the truth completely. There's no need to have too much hope."
"However, Your Highness now understands why I accepted Xie Qingyu's congratulatory gift, doesn't he?"
Wei Yihua paused, then belatedly felt a surge of irritation: "...Hmm, I understand."
Yue Yining, fearing that she might feel embarrassed, wanted to ease the atmosphere, so she smiled and said, "Now that I am a member of the Princess's household, I do need to be more careful in my actions. Although Xie Qingyu gave me these things in a private capacity, if I accept them, people will inevitably think that the Princess has accepted benefits from the Prime Minister's household."
"If Your Highness is unhappy about this, I will find a pretext to return these things after some time."
Wei Yihua, who had calmed down, raised her eyebrows again upon hearing this: "Who said I was angry because of this?"
Yue Yining was taken aback: "Then why is the princess angry?"
Naturally, he's afraid you'll be taken away by him.
But Wei Yihua would never say such a thing. She bit her lip and said, "I just find it strange that you always refuse to accept rewards without merit, but you make an exception for Xie Qingyu."
“I’ve given you so many things, but you haven’t necessarily accepted them all,” Wei Yihua added. “Many good things don’t even catch your eye, so why are you so happy with the ones he gave you?”
Yue Yining was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "So that's why!"
Wei Yihua looked at her, somewhat stunned. She rarely saw her laugh so unrestrainedly, her eyes radiant with joy, like the bright moon in her arms.
Yue Yining wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and said sweetly, "Naturally, it's because he understands my preferences."
"Your Highness probably hasn't seen the gift list yet, has he? If you have, you'll know why I accepted them all."
Wei Yihua was taken aback: "What did he send?"
Yue Yining deliberately remained silent, only smiling with her lips pursed. Seeing that Yue Yining was still keeping her in suspense, Wei Yihua couldn't help but reach out and tug at her: "Tell me quickly, or I'll call Su Yue in to ask!"
"Is this considered a threat?" Yue Yining laughed incessantly. "Let me think... Hmm, he gave me a box of teaware, including a celadon-glazed Ru kiln teapot with crackle glaze, a Hetian jade teacup with a Penglai painting, a mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell tea box, and more than twenty different varieties of precious tea seedlings..."
Seeing her beaming smile, and her eyes sparkling as she counted, Wei Yihua stopped being angry.
The princess's brows gradually relaxed: "I understand, I understand."
“Then you should accept it properly and don’t send it back. I won’t allow you to send it back to him either,” Wei Yihua said. “Also, you have to accompany me to discuss matters today, and we should also invite the Third Prince. The situation has changed, and there are many things that require adjustments to our strategies.”
"I have an appointment this morning," Yue Yining said with a smile. "If Your Highness wishes to discuss matters with me, perhaps we could postpone it until the afternoon."
The sun gradually rose higher, scorching the roof of the building. Yue Yining boarded the carriage that led out of the mansion and arrived at an inn on East Street. There were few people in the inn; only a few burly men were sitting in the lobby on the first floor, drinking. The windows were all closed, and the candles inside were not lit, making the room somewhat dark and gloomy.
When the waiter saw a beautiful woman in a white robe enter the room, he immediately perked up and greeted her with a smile: "Guest, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"
Yue Yining tossed two pieces of silver onto the counter: "I'm looking for someone."
After registering her name with the shopkeeper, Yue Yining went straight up to the second floor. The wooden stairs creaked as Yue Yining arrived at the wooden door at the end of the corridor and knocked five times, two short and three long knocks in a rhythm.
The moment she removed her fingers, the door opened a crack, and the old woman's cloudy eyes peeked out from the gap.
Upon seeing her, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Lord Yue?"
Yue Yining agreed with a smile: "Yes, I am Yue Yining. Madam Huang, let's talk inside."
The old woman, addressed as Madam Huang, opened the door and let Yue Yining in.
This is Madam Huang, the wet nurse of Xie Qingyu, the eldest son of the Xie family.
During their meeting that day, Yue Yining suspected that the eldest son of the Xie family had been replaced. Although Yue Yining also felt that A-Yu's demeanor and appearance matched the rumored Xie Qingyu perfectly, she was also well aware that there was no such thing as disguise in this world. Furthermore, Xie Qingyu had been back in court for more than three months; if he were not the eldest son of the Xie family, how could he have fooled so many eyes?
But Yue Yining knew that both the living and the dead could lie, and the most honest thing in the world was the divination; it would not deceive anyone.
Although it is unknown where Ayu got his current identity as the eldest son of the Xie family, he is most likely an imposter, and the real eldest son of the Xie family is probably already dead.
Unable to obtain more information through divination, Yue Yining secretly hired an informant to investigate the matter, eventually finding the source to be this Madam Huang.
Since Xie Qingyu returned to the mansion at the beginning of the year, the Prime Minister's residence has gradually released many servants. Logically speaking, such a large change in the servants of the Xie family should have alerted others to something amiss, but this process lasted for a month, and all the servants were bribed before being released from the mansion, so it was like a stone sinking into the sea, without causing the slightest disturbance.
Madam Huang was one of the servants released from the Xie family in January. After leaving the Xie family, she returned to her hometown to farm. If it weren't for her daughter's prolonged illness and the need for expensive medical treatment, Madam Huang would never have agreed to Yue Yining's request to return to Yanjing.
Yue Yining pondered that Xie Qingyu might know something about her.
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