Chapter 83: Moonlight keepsake brings back old dreams, earnest words of advice
As the night deepened, the candlelight in the west wing of the Fang Mansion remained lit. Ziwei sat at her dressing table, her fingertips gently stroking the unfolded scroll. The candlelight danced on her pale face, reflecting the complex emotions in her eyes.
This scroll, hand-painted by my mother, Xia Yuhe, depicts a panoramic view of Jinan's Daming Lake. It features fields of lotus leaves and pleasure boats floating on the water. In one corner, inscribed in elegant small characters, is the phrase: "After the rain, lotus blossoms receive the dew; the whole city is filled with spring colors, reflected in the lake's radiance." As her fingertips traced the most blossoming lotus in the painting, tears welled up in her eyes. This, she said, was the scene of her first meeting with my father.
Next to her was an elegant sandalwood folding fan, half a poem inscribed on it: "Her hair is loosely tied, her makeup lightly done. Green smoke and mist hang lightly, while the floating catkins and floating silk threads wander aimlessly." Mother said this was a legacy left by her father, and the other half was with him. And then there was the letter she cherished like her life. The paper had long since yellowed, but the handwriting was still clear, every word a reminder of her longing for her father and his instructions.
"Miss, it's late, go to sleep." Jinsuo walked in with a calming soup. Seeing her staring at the token, he gently advised, "We have to get up early tomorrow. Miss Xiaoyanzi said she would take us to visit the capital."
Ziwei looked up, her eyes red as she forced a smile. "I'm not sleepy. Looking at these again... is like seeing mother." She picked up the half mutton-fat jade pendant. Moonlight shone through the window lattice onto the jade, casting a warm luster. "Jinsuo, tell me... can I really find my father? The capital is so big, will he... have forgotten mother a long time ago?"
Jinsuo put down the soup bowl and held her hand: "No, miss! Look at these keepsakes. The master must have loved the lady back then. How could he not remember them? We will definitely find it!" She looked at Ziwei's thin shoulders and said distressedly, "If the lady's spirit is in heaven, she will definitely bless you, miss."
Ziwei pressed her cheek against the cool jade pendant, tears silently sliding down her cheeks: "I'm not afraid of hard work, I'm just afraid... I'm afraid that it will all be in vain and I won't live up to mother's instructions." She remembered her mother holding her hand before she died, saying incoherently "Go find your father... Tell him... Yuhe has been waiting for him all her life", and her heart felt as if it was blocked.
Jinsuo wiped her tears and said, "Miss, don't let your imagination run wild. Drink your soup and go to sleep. The Fang family is so kind, and Miss Xiaoyanzi is so enthusiastic. There will always be a way."
Ziwei nodded, carefully tucked the token into a brocade box, and hid it close to her body. She drank some calming soup and lay down, but sleep was impossible. The moonlight shone brightly outside the window, casting a hazy shadow on the crabapple tree in the courtyard. She remembered Xiaoyanzi's words earlier that day, "The palace is as deep as the sea," and a sense of unease crept into her heart. But as she thought of her mother's last wish, that uneasiness gave way to a stronger resolve—no matter how difficult it might be, she would give it a try.
The next morning, Xiaoyanzi took Ziwei for a stroll in the Fang Mansion's courtyard. The spring sun shone through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and plants. A few sparrows chirped on the branches, adding a lively atmosphere.
"Look at this crabapple tree! It'll be in full bloom in a few days. The whole yard will be covered in pink. It's so beautiful!" Little Swallow said excitedly, pointing to the crabapple tree by the wall. "And those peonies over there are a variety my mother specially had brought from Jiangnan. The flowers are bigger than bowls!"
Ziwei looked at her lively appearance and raised a gentle smile at the corner of her mouth: "The courtyard of Fang Mansion is so beautiful, like a painting."
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Xiaoyanzi raised her chin proudly. "When you live here for a while, you'll know that the best thing about my house isn't the yard, it's the snacks my mother makes! I'll ask her to make you sweet osmanthus lotus root for lunch today. I guarantee you'll want more!"
Ziwei smiled and nodded, but her heart was still thinking about finding her father, and her pace gradually slowed down.
Xiaoyanzi saw her worries and pulled her to sit on the stone bench, her tone becoming more serious: "Ziwei, are you still thinking about finding your father?"
Ziwei hesitated for a moment, then uttered a soft "hmm," her eyes slightly reddened. "My mother has waited her entire life, and I can't let her go with regrets... But I really don't know what to do. The capital is so big, and I don't even know his name. I only know that he stayed in Jinan and left these keepsakes."
Xiaoyanzi looked at the handkerchief tightly clutched in her hand. It was embroidered with tiny lotus flowers, exactly the same as the ones Xia Yuhe had embroidered in her memory. She took a deep breath and spoke carefully, "Ziwei, I know you're worried, but there's something I must tell you."
"You say." Ziwei looked at her seriously.
"You saw what kind of person Lord Liang was yesterday," Xiaoyanzi said, lowering her voice. "The capital is different from Jinan. The officialdom is very complicated, especially those officials with ties to the palace. They're all arrogant and won't help you if there's nothing to gain from it. It's too dangerous for a girl like you to go around asking around with a token."
Ziwei lowered her eyes, her voice a little lost: "But I have no other choice... These tokens are my only hope."
"I'm not asking you to give up." Xiaoyanzi held her hand, her fingertips feeling a little cold. "I'm telling you to be careful. Don't trust strangers easily, and don't show your token to anyone casually. People are often treacherous. If you meet a bad person who steals your token or even sells you out, you won't even have time to cry."
She recalled Ziwei's experience of being deceived in her previous life, and felt a lingering fear. "And... since the person you're looking for could leave behind such a token, his identity must be extraordinary, right? Maybe he's connected to the officialdom, or even... to the palace?"
Ziwei was shocked and looked at Xiaoyanzi in surprise: "You...how did you know?" Before her death, her mother did vaguely mention that her father was of noble status and might be an official in the court.
Xiaoyanzi's heart skipped a beat, realizing she'd let something slip. She quickly covered it up, "I was just guessing! Think about it, someone who has such a fine jade pendant and writes such beautiful calligraphy must be no ordinary person. Such people are the hardest to find. There are so many rules and taboos, and one can get into trouble if you're not careful."
She looked at Ziwei's bewildered expression and emphasized, "Ziwei, listen to me. Don't rush to look for her. Stay at my house and get well. Then we can make a long-term plan. I'll ask my brother to help you keep an eye out. He knows a lot of people and might have some clues. If you go in blindly alone, you'll only suffer."
Ziwei fell silent. Xiaoyanzi's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing her impatience, but also calming her down. Yes, she had already suffered a loss once. If she acted rashly again, she might not even be able to keep the keepsake left by her mother.
"I know you're doing this for my own good." Ziwei held Xiaoyanzi's hand, her eyes full of gratitude. "But... can I really trouble you for so long?"
"What trouble is it?" Xiaoyanzi patted her chest. "We are friends now. Your business is my business! Besides, my mother likes you very much. She even told me yesterday that she wants to teach you how to embroider lotus flowers!"
As they were talking, a maid came to invite them to the front hall for breakfast. Xiaoyanzi pulled Ziwei up and said with a smile, "Let's go eat! Only when you're full can you have the energy to think of a solution! Even if it's a big deal, you need to fill your stomach first, right?"
Ziwei was amused by her, and the heaviness in her heart dissipated a lot. She watched Xiaoyanzi's back as she skipped and jumped. The sunlight shone on her like a layer of gold, making her feel strangely at ease. Perhaps, in this isolated capital city, meeting Xiaoyanzi was truly a blessing from heaven.
After returning to her room, Ziwei opened the brocade box and took out another letter from her mother. The handwriting on the letter was gentle and firm, expressing her longing for her lover and urging her daughter to be strong and brave. She gently stroked the letter and whispered, "Mother, don't worry, I will be careful. I have met good people who will help me."
The sunlight from outside shone through the curtains, falling on the letter paper, as if giving the beautiful handwriting a layer of warmth. Ziwei took a deep breath and hid the brocade box again - although the journey to find her father was difficult, she was no longer alone.
On the other side, Xiaoyanzi found Xiao Jian and said seriously, "Brother, can you do me a favor?"
Xiao Jian was wiping his sword and raised an eyebrow when he heard this: "Is it related to that Ziwei girl?"
Xiaoyanzi nodded and briefly explained Ziwei's situation, omitting any speculation that her father might have connections to the imperial court. "She's just looking for her father, and she only has some old keepsakes. You know a lot of people in the capital, could you help me find out if anyone knows a woman named Xia Yuhe from Jinan, or... has seen a similar jade pendant?"
Xiao Jian looked at his sister's serious expression and put down his sword. "I can ask someone to keep an eye on it, but you know, there are so many people in the capital, and it's hard to investigate such old things. Besides..." He paused, "Are you too concerned about Ziwei?"
Xiaoyanzi's eyes flickered for a moment, then she said firmly, "I just felt sorry for her, and... I felt a strong affinity with her the moment I saw her, as if we'd known each other for a long time. Brother, please help her, she's really had it very hard."
Xiao Jian looked at the pleading look in his sister's eyes and finally sighed, "Okay, I'll have someone investigate. But remember, don't get yourself involved. Some things... are not something we can get involved in."
"I know!" Xiaoyanzi nodded quickly, but secretly made up her mind - no matter how difficult it was, she would help Ziwei find her father. In this life, she would never let the regrets of her previous life happen again.
The spring sunshine bathes the Fang Mansion, illuminating the courtyard's flowers and plants with vibrant life. Two girls, their destinies intertwined, each harbor their own worries in this unfamiliar capital. Yet, through an unexpected encounter, they begin a new life of mutual support. Little do they know how this seemingly ordinary encounter will unleash the turmoil of the capital and even the imperial court.
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