As Xu Yunci emerged from the Funing Palace, the distant horizon was tinged with darkness. He gazed into the distance and sighed softly, recalling the Emperor's deep voice from inside the palace.
"Fan Tong is dead. Let's put the matter of Huayuan County to rest for now. I have a good understanding of this matter."
The emperor ascended the throne at a young age, and even though he was already over fifty, the majestic imperial aura he exuded when he sat on the dragon throne in a crimson dragon robe with gold thread was etched into his very bones.
"Has the Earl of Yunyang been behaving himself in the capital these days?"
Xu Yunci remained expressionless, but inwardly he wondered if rumors had recently surfaced and reached the Emperor's ears.
"Aside from visiting the Xu family's gate on the day I entered the capital, I have never appeared there before."
The emperor listened without saying a word, remaining silent and lost in thought. Xu Yunci dared not peek at the emperor's face, but her heart pounded with anxiety.
To be honest, he didn't really want the Emperor to pay too much attention to his younger cousin, as it felt like he was raising someone else's child. His younger cousin was now being pampered by the Xu family, and the Emperor's every move couldn't escape the eyes of the censors; he feared that doing too much would cause trouble for his younger cousin.
He came here today to plead guilty. It is fortunate that the Emperor did not blame Fan Tong for losing his life in the capital.
The case of Huayuan County is far-reaching, yet only Fan Tong has been brought to the forefront, while the people behind the scenes have remained undiscovered. The Emperor, however, clearly doesn't want to discuss it.
Xu Yunci suddenly thought of something, walked out of Funing Palace, and although he was not held accountable, he still felt a heavy burden on his shoulders.
As soon as they stepped out of the palace gate, Chang An went up to them and whispered, "Today, Concubine Shu from the Li family came to our door with her young master."
Xu Yunci sat in the carriage, his eyes closed, concealing the icy coldness within them: "What did you say?"
"What Chang Shun conveyed was that the Shu family must have come to find Miss Shu behind the back of the Earl of Yunyang, to remind her not to agree to return to Yunzhong County with the Earl of Yunyang. They also said that the Earl's mansion is in complete chaos now, and told Miss Shu to stay in the Xu family and never believe the Earl of Yunyang's nonsense."
"The Earl's mansion is in chaos?" Xu Yunci opened his eyes, a hint of doubt in them.
Chang An explained, "Ever since my aunt's dowry was sent to the capital, the Yunyang Earl's mansion has been almost completely emptied of its coffers, and there's no proper mistress to manage the household. The Yunyang Earl has also taken on concubines, so things are bound to get chaotic."
So, the Shu family is still a good one.
These days he's been busy with the Jingzhao Prefecture. The day the Marquis of Yunyang left the mansion in a hurry, he was no different, not even having a chance to say a word to his little cousin.
There was also that time when he rushed off without having a chance to explain.
He wasn't stupid; how could he not see that Li Shiyue was avoiding him? This feeling of being avoided and wanting to explain but being unable to was really uncomfortable.
"Moreover, the Prince of Yan's mansion sent someone to deliver something, but Chang Shun stopped it."
King Qin Ying of Yan?
The Xu family belonged to the Chonghua Palace faction and were loyal ministers personally selected by the Emperor for the Crown Prince. They had never been involved with the other princes.
Before Xu Yunci could ask any questions, Minister Chang An said, "It's a gold hairpin, said to be a gift from Prince Yan to Miss Biao. On the day of the polo match, Prince Yan accidentally dirtied Miss Biao's skirt during the game, and he specially sent it to apologize."
"They didn't say anything else, like what to do with the hairpin."
Xu Yunci raised his hand, pinched his brow with his thumb and forefinger, and rubbed it again and again. He felt irritable for some reason. When did his little cousin get involved with the Prince of Yan?
He left suddenly that day, and no one knows what happened in between.
The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Duke's mansion. As soon as he returned, the gifts sent by the Prince of Yan's mansion were handed to him.
The pure gold hairpin is inlaid with begonia pearls, which are elegant, but the hairpin itself is quite tacky.
Xu Yunci glanced at it only once, then placed it in his palm and prepared to walk towards the inner courtyard.
The door to Shousong Hall was open, and before Xu Yunci even reached the corridor, he could already hear the cheerful laughter of Old Madam Xu inside.
He glanced at what he was holding, stuffed it into his wide sleeve, and then stepped inside.
“I never said it was only for my sixth cousin. Grandmother, look, my sixth cousin is jealous.”
Li Shiyue smiled and snuggled into Old Madam Xu's arms. Xu Lingzi, who was nestled next to Madam Yang, couldn't sit still and made a move to step forward, laughing as she said, "Well, Yan Yan dares to tease me now. She's not the little darling she used to be anymore."
Li Shiyue blushed: "My cousin called me a little darling again. Does that mean my cousin isn't a darling too?"
Xu Lingqing sat beside Zhou Shi, covering her mouth and chuckling: "Sixth Sister is right, Cousin is truly radiant. The moon's radiance is as beautiful as a fair maiden, that's exactly what Cousin is all about."
After saying that, she spotted Xu Yunci walking in and said in a much louder voice, "Second brother is back."
The blush on Li Shiyue's face had not yet faded when she looked up and met Xu Yunci's calm gaze. For some reason, she seemed to see emotions that should not have appeared in those cold eyes.
She hurriedly looked away, then thought of the day Fu Yunning confessed his feelings.
No wonder Princess Chunhui and Miss Fu were both moved by such a person. If it were her, she would have spotted him immediately in the crowd.
Madam Xu was in a very good mood, and when she saw her most beloved grandson, her face was filled with a deep smile: "Didn't you say you were going to the palace? Why are you only coming back now?"
After exchanging greetings, Xu Yun invited everyone to sit on the other side of Old Madam Xu. His expression betrayed his exhaustion, and he said, "The Emperor kept his grandson to discuss some matters, which is why I returned a little late."
That was a matter of the previous dynasty, so Old Madam Xu didn't ask any further. She took Xu Yunci's hand, looked at the dark circles under his eyes, and felt both heartache and helplessness: "Then stay at home. It's so late, don't bother going to the capital."
These days, Xu Yunci has been busy in the Jingzhao Prefecture and has rarely been able to return to the Duke's Mansion. Every time he comes back, she can see the dark circles under his eyes and the fatigue in his expression.
Her most beloved grandson grew up before her eyes, becoming famous at a young age and favored by officials, which made Old Madam Xu feel gratified.
But this sense of relief was far less than heartache. As the heir of the Duke's mansion, Xu Yunci had far greater responsibilities than other young masters.
Li Shiyue noticed the melancholy beneath Madam Xu's smile and quickly said to Lianchun, "Quickly give my cousin some of the cloud cakes I brought. Grandmother ate quite a bit of them just now."
Madam Xu's attention was drawn, and she took Xu Yunci's hand: "Yes, try it. This cloud cake is sweet and not greasy. I don't know what clever method this girl used."
The cloud cake was cut thinly, and Xu Yunci subconsciously wanted to refuse it, as he didn't like sweets.
But when Lianchun brought it to him, he still reached out and took a piece, took a small bite, and found it melted in his mouth, indeed sweet and not greasy.
Something was sprinkled on it, but after drinking tea with it, the aroma lingered on my lips and teeth.
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