When Xie Hongyu left, the cold-faced county magistrate personally saw her off.
But none of the people noticed anything unusual about him.
Xie Hongyu also thought that the magistrate was using the excuse of sending them to curry favor with Qingyin, so she smiled gratefully at him as she left.
Zhan Heqing didn't move his fingers, and when the words reached his lips, he only said dryly, "Have a safe journey."
"Thank you, Magistrate."
In his despair, the woman who had captured his heart boarded a boat and headed towards the rising sun.
...
Having learned the news early, Qingyin, who was already working at the Hanlin Academy, changed into an inconspicuous black robe and stood at the city gate, waiting for her sister's arrival.
As the evening sun gradually sets, the last rays of its afterglow still retain their final brilliance.
The passersby on the street did not notice that the masked man in this corner was the top scholar who had amazed everyone in the capital that day. Only occasionally would their eyes fall on the outstanding young man with his elegant demeanor, leaving them in awe.
But upon seeing the familiar green bamboo carriage with its horses, Qingyin suppressed her excitement and stepped forward. The people in the carriage also recognized the prominent adult by his familiar figure.
"grown ups?"
Inside the carriage, a woman's joyful voice rang out: "Is it Ah Yin?"
Qingzhu happily replied, "Yes, Miss."
The curtain was hurriedly lifted, revealing Xie Hongyu's familiar and beautiful face, now pale from the long journey.
"Ayin?"
Qingyin quietly lifted a corner of her veil, revealing her captivating eyes, and smiled brightly: "Oh, elder sister, welcome to the capital."
The boy was exquisitely handsome, with beautiful features. The change was so drastic that it was almost frightening, but Xie Hongyu still recognized the boy or girl she had raised at first glance.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile: "Ayin."
...
The Xie Mansion was purchased by Qingyin with the money she earned from selling a few antique items she found along the way. It wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either.
The entire mansion looked exactly like the Xie family mansion in her memory. Xie Hongyu covered her mouth in surprise and hurriedly walked closer to take a look. She looked at the huge sycamore tree in front of the gate, her eyes red, and looked at Qingyin: "How could this be...?"
She imagined the Xie family mansion in her childhood, which was still quite nice.
Although her father and mother were always arguing, she was so happy back then, with her parents' protection and the company of her relatives...
“My sister used to love telling me about our Xie family. There was a big sycamore tree in front of the gate, as well as a bamboo grove and a stream. There was a rocking chair in the courtyard for reading. I asked around and finally found some things. Sister, you’re home.”
So don't be sad anymore, don't be in pain anymore, I will sweep away all the hurt you've suffered.
The boy stood in the sunlight, smiling gently; his fair skin seemed to glow, radiating warmth and light.
Xie Hongyu raised her hand as if to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight, hiding the tears streaming down her face. "You silly child, that's enough. Don't stand in the sun anymore. Go back inside."
Xie Hongyu nudged the boy, her eyes filled with amusement.
Aside from the vulnerability tainted by her emotions, she remains a woman with a powerful soul.
Qingyin smiled and said, "I'm not afraid. So what if I get tanned?"
"Alright, I don't want your pretty face to get tanned," Xie Hongyu teased, poking Qingyin's fair cheek.
Perhaps because it felt good to the touch, she couldn't resist poking it again.
As she waited to raise her hand, she noticed a suspicious red dot on the boy's delicate face and guiltily turned her head away.
He changed the subject: "Alright, let's go inside."
Qinghe looked at the handsome young man who was very close to the lady and felt a little nervous. Firstly, she was amazed by the young man's appearance, and secondly, she was also nervous about his identity. He was a newly promoted top scholar in the imperial examination, which meant he was a high-ranking official in the court. Qinghe secretly looked at Qingyin.
I only occasionally see something that looks familiar, but I can't quite place it.
Once inside the house, Qingyin dismissed the others, leaving only her older sister and Qinghe behind.
Looking at the curious yet nervous Qinghe, Qingyin chuckled and switched to a female voice: "Where did your courage go? Wasn't it the first time you met me and called me a skinny monkey?"
Upon hearing the familiar title and voice, Qinghe's eyes widened.
Xie Hongyu glanced at Qingyin, who was trying to amuse Qinghe, and said, "Alright, don't scare her silly. She's my only personal maid."
"Okay, okay, big sister, I'll do whatever you say." The boy winked mischievously, his eyes sparkling with liveliness.
Xie Hongyu glared at her, annoyed. She only had one good younger sister, who had helped her rebuild the Xie family and even became the top scholar in the imperial examination. How could she bear to be angry with her?
At this moment, Qinghe also came to her senses. She pointed at Qingyin and then at Xie Hongyu, her fingers swaying as if she had epilepsy, which made Qingyin laugh at her silly appearance again.
Enraged, Qinghe chased after Qingyin, trying to cover her mouth to stop her from laughing.
The joy of childhood and the familiar feelings of Qingyin easily stirred Qinghe's feelings for her friend, as if their connection over the years had never been broken.
After bringing her elder sister over, Qingyin felt more at ease handling affairs in the imperial court.
But recently, for some reason, the emperor who used to like her has started to make trouble for himself. He'll suddenly ask for this or that, or suddenly ask her to rewrite her well-written records.
Qingyin couldn't figure out whether His Majesty the Emperor liked her or disliked her. If he liked her, why did he deliberately cause trouble for her? If he disliked her, these things were all minor and, in some respects, not even a problem.
Qingyin couldn't understand His Majesty's thoughts, so she could only deal with things as they came. Whatever the emperor wanted, she just patiently did it.
After half a month, Qingyin suddenly noticed that Emperor Chongzhao would glance at her from time to time while processing memorials. Qingyin felt tired for His Majesty for turning his head so often.
Sure enough, not long after, Qingyin heard His Majesty's voice: "My dear minister, are you all alone at home?"
Her voice revealed no emotion, but Qingyin couldn't speak freely.
Although Emperor Chongzhao always appeared kind and approachable in front of her, showing no signs of danger, it would be foolish to believe that you could speak freely to an emperor.
Qingyin pondered for a moment, her brows furrowing as she said, "Your Majesty must have heard of my background. I was just a homeless child who was fortunate enough to be taken in by my sister, which saved my life."
“My elder sister was not a lucky person, because she unfortunately fell into prostitution. She used... that money to raise me and educate me. I became intelligent, and only then was I able to avoid seeing Your Majesty.”
"So Your Majesty, if it weren't for my elder sister, I wouldn't exist in this world."
...
Emperor Chongzhao rubbed his brows, looking at the emperor who had recounted the past and whose face had become somewhat fragile. He felt a little guilty, but was also moved by the story of Sister Xieyin raising Xieyin despite being a courtesan. He waved his hand generously.
A great destiny fell into Qingyin's hands.
"The Virtuous Lady," Qingyin said, her head bowed, concealing the smile that seemed to come true in her eyes.
With the emperor's title, no one dared to speak ill of the elder sister's former identity anymore.
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