Chapter 102: Returning home with warmth and morning dew, seeking a new life deep within the palace walls
The sky was just beginning to turn pale, and morning dew still hung on the leaves of the sycamore trees in the Fang Mansion. As Little Swallow climbed over the high wall, her skirt brushed against the dew-covered branches, and a few drops of cool dew splashed on her cheek, instantly sobering her up. She slipped back to the west wing, using the shadows of the columns as a guide. As she pushed open the door, she saw Ziwei slumped over the table, asleep. The candle had long since burned out, leaving only a small wick.
"Silly girl." Xiaoyanzi walked over quietly. She saw Ziwei's hair was stained with tears, and she was still clutching the unfinished peace knot in her hand. She took a thin blanket and gently covered Ziwei with it. Her fingertips touched her slightly cold shoulders, and her heart warmed - in this life, she could finally sleep peacefully.
The jade pendant with the Chinese character "薇" (Wei) on her waist poked at her palm, the soft jade still carrying the warmth of Emperor Qianlong's hand. Little Swallow carefully removed the pendant and examined it in the morning light filtering through the window. A tiny "荷" (He) character was engraved on its edge, matching Ziwei's half-jade piece perfectly. She had just tucked the pendant into her purse when she heard a soft sound behind her.
"You're back?" Ziwei rubbed her eyes and sat up, sleepiness still lingering on her eyelashes. Seeing Xiaoyanzi standing by the window, she immediately stood up and took her hand. "How is it? Did the letter arrive? Did he...did he say anything?"
Xiaoyanzi took her hand in hers, the warmth of her palm dispelling the chill from Ziwei's fingertips. "It's delivered! Guess what? He was so happy to see the letter, and he even asked me to bring you something." She pretended to be mysterious and pulled out a jade pendant from her purse, shaking it in the morning light. "Look, what is this?"
As soon as Ziwei's eyes fell on the jade pendant, her breath hitched. She reached out a trembling hand, her fingertips gently tracing the lines of the "Wei" character, then touching the "He" character on the edge. Tears welled up in her eyes. "This... This is the other half of the jade pendant my mother mentioned! Does he... does he really remember it?"
"Of course I remember!" Xiaoyanzi saw her trembling with excitement and quickly supported her. "He said he knew you were at the Fang family and told you to live peacefully and not to have any wild thoughts. He also said this jade pendant can calm your mind and asked you to carry it close to your body." She deliberately avoided the topic of rebirth and only spoke warmly. "See, I told him he wasn't a heartless person, right?"
Ziwei pressed the jade pendant tightly against her chest, tears falling on the jade, creating a faint shimmer of light. "I knew... I knew Mother didn't lie to me." She looked up at Xiaoyanzi, tears glistening in her eyes as she smiled. "Xiaoyanzi, thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I would have been wandering the streets."
"What are you thanking me for?" Xiaoyanzi pinched her cheek. "We are sisters. Your business is my business. Hurry up and wipe your tears. If you cry any more, your eyes will be swollen. My mother will ask questions if she sees you." She turned around and took out a piece of osmanthus cake from the lunch box. "Liu Hong sent it. It's still warm. Try it."
Ziwei took the osmanthus cake, the sweet fragrance mixed with the warm scent of the jade pendant filling her nose, and a heavy stone in her heart finally fell to the ground. She took a small bite of the cake, and suddenly remembered something: "You haven't slept all night, lie down for a while, I'll get you a basin of hot water to wipe your face."
Xiaoyanzi had just sat down on the edge of the bed when Xiao Jian came in, lifting the curtains. He was wearing a moon-white robe with his sleeves rolled up, clearly having just finished practicing swordplay. Seeing Xiaoyanzi return, the worry in his eyes faded a little, but he still frowned. "Did it go well? Didn't anyone find out?"
"Don't worry, brother. I'm very good at Qinggong!" Xiaoyanzi patted the peace knot at her waist. "The guards in the Imperial Study rotate regularly. The Emperor was waiting when I entered." She lowered her voice. "He accepted it all. He said he would protect Ziwei and me. He also asked me to... call him Emperor Father."
Xiao Jian tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the table, his gaze fixed on the morning mist outside the window. "Now that he's admitted it, what's his plan? Emin's men are still hanging around the Imperial Examination Hall. If they knew about Ziwei's situation, they would definitely take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble."
"He said he would take care of Emin first, then bring Ziwei to the palace to recognize her as his relative." Xiaoyanzi picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into his hand. "He also said he would adopt me as his adopted daughter, give me the title of Princess Huanzhu, and let me live in Shufangzhai with Ziwei. Brother, do you think I should agree?"
Xiao Jian was silent for a moment, biting into a piece of pastry. Suddenly, he smiled. "You already knew the answer in your heart. From the moment you decided to help Ziwei deliver the letter, you never thought of hiding." He pulled out a small cloth bag from his sleeve. Inside was some silver needles and ointment. "These are commonly used antidote needles in the martial arts world. You and Ziwei should each take half. The palace is different from home. You must be on guard against others."
Xiaoyanzi took the cloth bag and felt the cold silver needles on her fingertips. Her heart warmed. "I know. I will be careful."
At that moment in the Forbidden City, the morning mist still hung heavy in the Imperial Study. Qianlong sat behind the dragon-shaped desk, caressing Xia Yuhe's letter. Eunuch Su entered with ginseng tea. Seeing the redness in his eyes, he whispered, "Your Majesty, it's 11:00 AM. Time for breakfast. Censor Li has submitted a memorial alleging that E Min tampered with relief funds for the Jiangnan disaster."
Qianlong took the ginseng tea, his eyes sharp. "Leave the memorial. Send an order to Commander Li, asking him to send more people to monitor the E Mansion and not let any news leak out." He paused, then added, "Go to the Imperial Household Department and tell them to clean up Shufangzhai and decorate it in the style of a Jiangnan mansion, add more orchids, and hang a few wind chimes under the corridor."
Eunuch Su was stunned. "Shufangzhai? Hasn't it been unused for years? The Emperor wants to..."
"Just do as you're told." Qianlong interrupted him, his gaze fixed on the palace wall outside the window. The outline of the eaves was faintly visible in the morning mist. "In a few days, two distinguished guests will be staying there."
Eunuch Su quickly agreed. As he left, he saw Qianlong pick up the "Wei" jade pendant again, gently stroking it with his fingertips, a tenderness in his eyes almost overflowing. He had been with the emperor for many years, but had never seen him so concerned about anyone. He secretly made a note to himself: I must decorate Shufangzhai more appropriately.
At 9:00 PM, sunlight streamed into the west wing through the window lattice. Ziwei sat by the window, embroidering a peace knot. The orchids on the windowsill were wet with morning dew, lush and green. Little Swallow lay on the table, watching the silk thread flitting between her fingertips. Suddenly, she said, "Ziwei, how about I take you to the temple fair in Beijing sometime? I heard there's a lantern show during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It's so lively!"
Ziwei smiled and nodded. She tied the silk thread into a knot around the "Wei" jade pendant and tied it around her waist. "Okay, let's go eat that Yangchun noodle shop you mentioned. Add a little pepper." She suddenly looked down at the jade pendant, her eyes gleaming. "Xiaoyanzi, do you think... can I really see my father? Will he like me?"
"Of course!" Little Swallow came over and pointed at the orchid on the peace knot. "You're so gentle and you can embroider. He'll definitely love you when he sees you. Besides, who would dare to bully you when I'm here? The new sword technique I've practiced is amazing. With just a wave of my hand, I can..."
Before she could finish her words, Madam Fang came in with some snacks. She smiled and patted Xiaoyanzi on the back, "You're bragging again! You've just come back and you're already making a fuss. Come and try some of the almond pastries I made." She placed the plate on the table and her eyes fell on the jade pendant around Ziwei's waist. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, "This jade pendant is really beautiful. Is it..."
"It's a memory Auntie left for Ziwei." Xiaoyanzi quickly interrupted, grabbing a piece of almond pastry and stuffing it into Mrs. Fang's mouth. "Mom, the pastry you make is ten times better than the ones you buy outside! Ziwei, come and try it!"
Ziwei smiled as she took a bite of the almond pastry, the sweet fragrance spreading across her tongue. Sunlight fell upon the three of them, the jade pendant at her waist shimmering softly, as if tying the protection and anticipation of two lifetimes to the warm morning light. Deep within the palace walls, Qianlong meticulously annotated the blueprints in the Shufangzhai. Every stroke embodied the hope for a new life—in this life, he would transform regrets into fulfillment.
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