Zhu Xiang returned to Jian Gong Zhai and ran to her side room, burying her face in the blankets and sobbing. A young maid who shared a room with Zhu Xiang, unsure how to react, hurriedly went to inform Yan Ning. "Madam, please go and see! Sister Zhu Xiang has been crying ever since she came back from outside!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Ning put down the snail-shell ink she was holding and hurriedly went to the side room. She found Zhu Xiang crying on the bed, helped her up, and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did Xi Ying wrong you?"
Zhu Xiang didn't want Yan Ning to be troubled by her, so she wiped away her tears under the covers, raised her head and said, "No, it was just that I was overthinking things."
Yan Ning touched Zhu Xiang's swollen cheek and asked incredulously, "What happened?" The servants of the Fucha household were not allowed to wear makeup; they could only wash their faces with water each day, so anything on their faces couldn't be concealed. Zhu Xiang gently touched her reddened cheek, wishing she could rub off a layer of skin to remove Hai Sheng's filth.
"If you don't tell me, I'll go to Changting Garden right now and find out!" Yan Ning said, getting up. She had been harmed by Xi Ying herself, and she couldn't let Zhu Xiang suffer along with her.
Zhu Xiang quickly grabbed Yan Ning's hand, which was stained with snail-shell ink, and told her about the humiliation she had suffered at Changting Garden. Just as Yan Ning was about to react, Zhao Xing's voice rang out from outside, "Is Zhu Xiang here?"
Zhu Xiang shook her head vigorously at Yan Ning, indicating that she didn't want to see Zhao Xing right now. Yan Ning understood Zhu Xiang's feelings; although she was gentle and docile, she had a very strong personality. Yan Ning helped Zhu Xiang lie down and went out the door.
Beneath the crabapple tree, Zhao Xing stood bathed in the glow of the sunset, awaiting the arrival of his beloved. He held several pieces of glutinous rice cake in an oiled paper tray; the warm cake was Zhu Xiang's favorite. Zhao Xing's face flushed slightly with excitement, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Yan Ning stepped forward, and Zhao Xing's gaze shifted from expectation to astonishment. "Madam, what are you doing here?" Yan Ning circled around Zhao Xing, drawing out her question, "Isn't it mealtime now? Where did you get this?"
Zhao Xing lowered his head in embarrassment. "The general had business in the palace and ordered me to return first. I saw that there was nothing to do in the military camp, so I came back and asked Chef Wu to make some glutinous rice cakes for me!"
Yan Ning smiled at Zhao Xing and reached out to pinch a piece to taste. Seeing this, Zhao Xing quickly covered his chest with the oil paper and said ingratiatingly, "What delicious food hasn't Madam eaten? Let's leave this for Zhu Xiang!" As he spoke, he secretly peeked inside.
Yan Ning glanced at him helplessly and said, "Zhu Xiang is a little tired, so I let her rest in her room! She should be asleep by now!" Zhao Xing did not doubt Yan Ning's words, his face full of regret. This was the dish that he had cooked personally by Chef Wu under Yan Ning's name.
Zhao Xing gave Yan Ning a perfunctory bow, then picked up the oil paper and prepared to leave, planning to heat it up later and bring it to Zhu Xiang.
Yan Ning said to Zhao Xing's back, "How about I beg the general to let you two get married?" Rather than delaying it, it would be better to let them get married as soon as possible, so that Zhao Xing could protect Zhu Xiang legitimately. Yan Ning thought to herself.
Zhao Xing turned around with a start, placed the glutinous rice cake wrapped in oil paper in Yan Ning's hand, and said in a crisp voice, "This servant thanks Madam for her kindness! Please take this and eat it! If it's not enough, I'll go to Chef Wu's place to get some more."
Zhao Xing jogged back to the military camp, leaving Yan Ning holding a glutinous rice cake with a helpless expression.
When Heshen returned from the palace, he saw an official sedan chair and a commoner's sedan chair parked in front of his residence. Heshen instructed Liu Quan to turn the sedan chair around and return to the residence through the side gate. After he was seated, his steward Liu Hutu came forward to report that Tatala Suling'a, the Circuit Intendant of Raoguang in Jiangxi, had come to visit with his daughter.
With his hands resting on the newly replaced rosewood table, Heshen's eyes were like crescent moons, and his smile was unfathomable.
As soon as Su Ling'a and his fourteen-year-old daughter Nalan stepped into the main hall of the front courtyard, they bowed respectfully. After Su Ling'a finished bowing, Heshen offered a slight gesture of support, saying, "Lord Su Ling'a, you are too kind!"
After straightening up, Su Ling'a smiled obsequiously and said, "Now that Lord He is a favorite of the Emperor, it would be my honor to kneel down even if you asked me to do so, let alone just a simple bow!"
Heshen smiled and returned to his seat, picking up the blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl and inhaling the aroma of the tea. The Emperor was preoccupied with the matter of the southern tour, and Heshen, having only recently gained the Emperor's trust, saw this tour as an opportunity to showcase his talents.
Heshen was worried about not being able to gain access to officials in Jiangnan when Su Ling'a happened to visit him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed such a foolish person as Su Ling'a into his residence. What official would so openly visit other officials? Wasn't this just giving others ammunition for criticism?
Heshen slowly opened his eyes, took a sip of tea, and asked, "May I ask what brings you here today, Your Excellency?"
Su Ling'a rose from his chair in a panic and pulled his daughter aside. "This is my daughter, Nalan. She greatly admires Lord He and wishes to recognize him as her godfather. I hope that Lord He can take her into his household and raise her personally!"
Liu Quan couldn't help but laugh out loud, secretly mocking Su Ling'a's foolishness. She wanted to sacrifice her daughter's innocence to curry favor with Heshen, but with her godfather as an excuse, how could the master still bring her into the household?
Heshen glanced at Liu Quan with slight anger, then turned to refuse Su Ling'an, only to meet Nalan's eyes. After a moment of distraction, Heshen nodded in agreement.
Liu Quan, full of confusion, saw Su Ling out of Hedi. When he returned, he saw Heshen take the handkerchief from Nalan's hand, cover Nalan's face, leaving only her eyes exposed, and say absentmindedly, "You are so beautiful like this!"
Jiwen settled Nalan in Yalan Pavilion, then went to Heshen's study. Seeing Heshen resting with his eyes closed, she lifted her skirt and gently approached him, lightly massaging his temples. "I am guilty!"
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