Chapter 256: Summer Solstice
Xia Zhi is Jiang Jiu's maid, and she doesn't have any golden fingers.
I just followed Jiang Jiu since I was a child, and learned a lot of truths through osmosis.
She also learned to read and write with Jiang Jiu, and Jiang Jiu treated her not as a maid but as his own sister.
Who would have thought that after arriving in the capital, Xia Zhi was forced to separate from Jiang Jiu.
Jiang Jiu went to Prince Qi's mansion, and she stayed in her own mansion to take care of Nanny Qian.
Who would have thought that she would be brought to Prince Ling's Mansion by the Sixth Prince.
Prince Ling has no queen, no concubines, and even very few maids in his house.
When Xia Zhi woke up, he found himself imprisoned in the mansion. He was so angry that he wanted to settle the score with King Ling.
But Prince Ling was too busy and was not seen every day, so she had no choice.
You can't go out, and you can't lose your temper at home. Jiang Jiu said that maids are also raised by their parents, and everyone is equal.
Then, everyone knew that King Ling had brought back a woman from outside.
The woman was very beautiful, tall and well-proportioned. She would look fat if she was a little fat, and thin if she was a little thin. Her eyes were like round apricots and her eyebrows were like willow leaves.
She is very beautiful, but has a bit of a weird personality.
She was obviously very angry, but she didn't like to talk to anyone, was cold and indifferent, and very arrogant.
Every time Prince Ling came back, there would be a big quarrel and tears, but no matter how much she quarreled, Prince Ling would not let her go.
She was disrespectful to her master and cold to her servants, but no one dared to argue with her.
Because she is beautiful.
Because she was the first woman that the prince personally brought back from outside.
On this day, Prince Ling, who had not been home for several days, finally came back.
When Xia Zhi got the news, she rushed into Prince Ling's bedroom holding her skirt.
"I want to go back. I want to find my girl."
Prince Ling was changing his clothes. He was slightly startled and said, "Madam Jiang...she...is dead..."
"What? What happened?" Xia Zhi's face turned pale and his whole body was shaking.
Prince Ling frowned: "Something happened in the palace today. The Queen's bedroom caught fire and she...died in the fire..."
Xia Zhi was stunned. The loud noise just now turned out to be an accident in the palace.
And Jiang Jiu...
Xia Zhi's eyes went dark and he passed out...
Prince Ling's heart tightened, and he stretched out his long arms and just managed to catch the person.
"Someone, please call the doctor."
*******
Zhao Zhuoran looked at the little girl in front of him, as if he had returned to yesterday.
On a spring afternoon, the garden of Prince Qi's mansion was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Prince Ling Zhao Zhuoran and Prince Qi Zhao Zhuoxi were walking slowly along the bluestone path when they suddenly heard the clear sound of a zither.
The sound of the piano was not like that played by ordinary maids. Sometimes it sounded like the gurgling of a spring, and sometimes like the flapping of a bird's wings. He could not help but follow the sound.
Turning around a cluster of blooming peonies, he saw a girl in a light green skirt sitting in a pavilion next to a rockery.
The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with long black hair like clouds, which was loosely tied up with a plain silver hairpin.
She lowered her eyelids and gently plucked the strings with her slender fingers. The sunlight shone on her through the gaps in the leaves, as if she was coated with a faint halo.
Zhao Zhuoran couldn't help but hold his breath. He had seen countless beauties, but never one as pure and elegant as this one.
The girl has picturesque eyebrows, a straight nose, and light pink lips. The most eye-catching thing is the small teardrop mole under her right eye, which adds a touch of charming charm to her.
The piano music stopped abruptly.
The girl seemed to have noticed something and raised her head suddenly. When their eyes met, Zhao Zhuoran felt his heart skip a beat. Those eyes were clear and transparent, yet they seemed to contain endless stories.
"Your servant greets the prince." The girl hurriedly stood up to pay her respects, but accidentally knocked over the teacup on the piano table. The warm tea splashed on the back of her hand, and she let out a soft cry and subconsciously retracted her hand.
Zhao Zhuoran took a quick step forward and was about to hold her wrist, but Jiang Jiu grabbed it first: "Did you get burned?"
The girl's wrists are slender and white, and feel as soft as jade to the touch.
Zhao Zhuoran's gaze suddenly froze - there was a faint crescent-shaped birthmark on the inside of her wrist.
This birthmark...
Memories from fifteen years ago suddenly flooded into his mind. He was only ten years old at that time, and he accompanied his brother on a secret visit to Jiangnan.
In a small town, they met a father and daughter who were singing. The little girl was only five or six years old, very cute, and had such a birthmark on her wrist.
The third prince laughed and said that the birthmark looked very much like the crescent moon in the sky.
Then...what happened next?
Zhao Zhuoran tried hard to recall. Yes, that night, the inn where they stayed suddenly caught fire, and in the chaos, the father and daughter were nowhere to be found.
The third brother was afraid that the father and daughter were in trouble, so he sent people to look for them for a long time but couldn't find them. This incident became a regret in his heart.
"Prince?" Jiang Jiu's clear voice brought him back to reality.
Zhao Zhuoran then realized that he was staring at her. Jiang Jiu glared at him and he coughed lightly: "What's your name?"
Jiang Jiu looked unhappy: "She is my maid, Xia Zhi. Why, the prince wouldn't dare to be interested in my maid."
Zhao Zhuoran knew that he was being rude, so he smiled faintly and changed the subject.
But his heart is always with this girl.
He wanted to know if the girl back then was her?
I also want to know what happened to the father and daughter later?
How come she has become Jiang Jiu's maid now?