The autumn breeze is cool, and the tall, sturdy red maple tree on one side of the entrance to Chengyu Pavilion has already put on its new autumn clothes, with even the stone steps at the entrance covered with fiery red maple leaves.
The afternoon sun was even more dazzling, its warmth making one feel as if the height of summer had not yet passed.
Li Shiyue leaned against the railing in the pavilion, feeling somewhat drowsy. Chrysanthemums were in full bloom in the garden, and the small pavilion was perched atop the artificial hill.
She leaned on the railing, the open window inviting her to look down at Xu Lingzi and Xu Lingqing's playful figures, their occasional laughter drifting over.
It wasn't that she didn't want to play, but it was the season, and she had caught a cold and really didn't want to move. Xu Lingzi couldn't bear to see her like that, so she pulled her out to get some fresh air, which made her head clear up a lot.
The cold wind came suddenly. Li Shiyue had been cooped up in Chengyu Pavilion all day, feeling heavy-headed. Now that she had caught a gust of wind, she didn't feel so bad.
I heard soft footsteps behind me. The pavilion was paved with brown wooden planks, and stepping over the threshold led to a dozen or so blue stone steps that led directly to the foot of the artificial hill. So even though the footsteps were soft, they were easy to hear.
Below, Xu Lingzi was pulling Xu Lingqing to admire chrysanthemums. Li Shiyue turned around and was surprised to see the person who had come. The surprise in Li Shiyue's eyes seemed impossible to hide.
Xu Lingwan pursed her lips and stopped not far from the door, not moving any further.
"I... I was just wandering around and didn't know you were here."
Li Shiyue sat up straight, her gaze calm, and couldn't help but stare at Xu Lingwan's face, without saying a word to expose Xu Lingwan's foul-mouthed lie.
Xu Lingwan clenched her fists. Seeing Li Shiyue's calm attitude, anger welled up inside her. She frowned and shouted at Li Shiyue, "I came here on purpose."
"Let me tell you, you have no chance of becoming my sister-in-law. My third brother is destined to marry a noblewoman. You'd better stop daydreaming."
"Don't think you're so great just because you've been granted the title of County Princess. After all, Princess Chunhui is the Emperor's real daughter. She's only giving you some comfort out of respect for the Xu family and your elder sister. Don't take advantage of her kindness."
After saying that, Li Shiyue remained calm, her eyes showing no emotion whatsoever, only a half-smile on her lips, as if she were mocking Xu Lingwan's words.
A word unspoken speaks louder than a thousand.
This undoubtedly ignited Xu Lingwan's anger. She took a few quick steps forward, her face contorted with rage, but the next second Chunling stretched out her arms and blocked Li Shiyue's path.
"Even if the Emperor is only considering the Xu family and the Empress, my daughter is now the County Princess. These are the words of comfort the Tenth Miss is saying. How can you not reflect on why the Emperor doesn't give you the title of County Princess out of consideration for the Xu family and the Empress?"
Don't be a sour grapes.
Especially considering Xu Lingwan's previous harassment of Li Shiyue, Chunling was unwilling to tolerate her temper and watch the girl being bullied.
Xu Lingwan's expression changed, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Li Shiyue stand up from behind Chunling and walk out from behind Chunling, her smile more pronounced than before.
"Who told you I would marry your third brother?"
Xu Lingwan, with her neck stiff, could not possibly say that her mother had mentioned in front of her that Xu Yunyang should marry Li Shiyue. With the title of county princess, the officials might think more highly of Xu Yunyang, which would be beneficial to his career.
The dowry in Li Shiyue's hands can guarantee that the second wife will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives.
A joyful voice inside her kept telling her that if Li Shiyue really married her third brother, with her mother around, she would definitely not have a good life. This was also to vent her anger.
But there was another voice in her heart. She didn't know if it was just her imagination, but ever since that time at the ancestral hall, whenever she saw Li Shiyue, she kept thinking about the faint pain in her palms.
He couldn't help but touch the spot where he had been hit with his other hand. This action was seen by Li Shiyue, whose smile became even more pronounced.
Xu Lingwan raised her head and, feigning bravado, pulled back behind her: "Mind your own business. Anyway, you're not good enough for my third brother."
Li Shiyue shook her head, not wanting to say anything more to her; after all, talking to a brick wall was truly exhausting.
If she were to marry Xu Yunyang, it would be a question of who is unworthy of whom. Even if the Earl's Mansion is not as prestigious as it once was, how could she, the eldest daughter of the Earl's Mansion and the Princess of Yichang County bestowed by the Emperor, possibly fall for a hypocrite who is two-faced? Is he trying to pass her off as Li Shiyue from her past life?
"Shi Niang, why are you talking nonsense again?"
Xu Yunyao stood at the door, not knowing when he had arrived. Not only was Xu Lingwan surprised, but even Li Shiyue could not hide her surprise.
Since that day, she hadn't seen Xu Yunyao for a long time. She didn't know if it was because of that incident, but Old Madam Xu no longer mentioned Xu Yunyao in front of her. Instead, she talked more about Xu Yunci.
Madam Xu never mentioned this change, nor did Li Shiyue test it. In any case, Madam Xu wasn't pressuring Li Shiyue about the marriage, so Li Shiyue was happy to be at her own pace.
When Xu Lingwan saw Xu Yunyao, her tail that had been wagging instantly retracted, and she even shrank back, unwilling to be laughed at by Li Shiyue in front of her: "I didn't, Fifth Brother, don't talk nonsense."
Having said that, she disregarded the rules, lifted her skirt, and ran straight down the steps past Xu Yunyao.
Xu Yunyao curled his lips. He disliked this cousin the most. She was spoiled and could never distinguish between what was important and what was not. Only his grandmother was tolerant and did not hold it against the younger generation.
Otherwise, if it really came down to strict and rule-abiding elders, she would have had a hard time.
In an instant, only the two people and Chunling remained in the pavilion. Chunling looked at Li Shiyue, and seeing that she did not speak, she cautiously looked at the young man at the door and sighed inwardly. If the young lady did not speak, she was not sure what to do now.
Before Xu Yunyao could even speak, Li Shiyue could only see his lips move slightly. Suddenly, his servant came over and whispered something in his ear, causing Xu Yunyao's expression to become slightly unnatural.
He turned and disappeared from Li Shiyue's sight, but Li Shiyue actually breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in her previous seat.
"Girl, are you really not bothered?"
Li Shiyue raised her eyes and looked at Chunling, whose face was troubled: "What do you care about?"
Chunling pursed her lips. Of course, it was Wu Langjun's business. The old lady had clearly chosen Wu Langjun for the young lady. Who could have known that the maid would suddenly interfere?
The old lady then entrusted the matter to the fourth madam to handle herself. She was supposed to throw out the maid who seduced the young master, but the maid insisted that Xu Yunyao had drunk too much and wouldn't let her go.
Speaking of status, that was a maidservant that Zhou herself had sent over. If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter, but the one being betrothed to Xu Yunyao was Li Shiyue, whom the old lady had always favored. Naturally, Zhou was unwilling to offend the old lady.
But who could have imagined that the Fifth Prince would take that maid as his concubine, and now she is a proper mistress?
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