When Xue Hanshu arrived, Jiang Xu was out handling official business, and Xue Zhiyi was the only one in charge in the Jiang Mansion.
Xue Hanshu visited Jiang Wan, the young lady of the Jiang family, in the name of the wife of the third young master of the Yongping Marquis's mansion. As a communication between female relatives, there was nothing impolite about it. However, the two of them knew each other too well, and when they sat together, looking at each other, the scene was not very pleasant.
Xue Zhiyi calmly responded to Xue Hanshu's gaze. Her leg was still lame, but she had an exquisite cane in her hand. After long-term practice, she was able to walk slowly with an elegant pace.
"In the final analysis, the third sister is the luckiest. Not only did she survive, but now she has found her family and lives such a peaceful and comfortable life. She is truly enviable."
Xue Hanshu had her hair combed into a bun, and her every move seemed much more mature than before, with a bit of the appearance of a wife from a wealthy family. However, due to the hardships she had experienced in the past two years, her eyes were haggard and dim, making her look even older than Xue Zhiyi.
Xue Zhiyi only smiled faintly: "The Third Young Master's wife is a blessed person. The Yongping Marquis's Mansion is a noble family. The young lady's every word and action is dignified."
In the early days of their marriage, Xue Hanshu concealed the fact that she had a leg disease, which made the entire Zhao family hate her bitterly. After the Xue family fell, she was probably bullied in every possible way. However, since Xue Hanshu had been able to act like a good boy in front of Xue Zhiyi for more than ten years, she must have some tricks to coax people. It seems that Zhao Shen has been coaxed by her well. Now Xue Hanshu's clothes and expenses are all of high quality, and even her complexion has improved a lot. She even has the energy to be sarcastic in front of Xue Zhiyi.
Xue Hanshu raised her chin. Although she wasn't pregnant, she still stroked her belly out of habit. There was a hint of pride in her eyes: "As the mother of the legitimate grandson of the Yongping Marquis, how could I not be blessed?"
She emphasized the word "duke", as if she was chewing over her jealousy and hatred towards Xue Zhiyi over the past decade, as well as her resentment towards her own background.
Looking at Xue Zhiyi, she added, "I have to thank Third Sister for giving me such a good marriage, which has allowed me to be where I am today."
Xue Zhiyi just smiled indifferently. After such a long time, if Xue Hanshu still couldn't guess what she had done, then she was really hopelessly stupid.
So she didn't believe at all that Xue Hanshu came here just to show off her current superiority and her precious son.
Xue Hanshu smiled and said, "Since you are here to congratulate me, I won't come empty-handed."
As she spoke, the maid beside Xue Hanshu opened a long brocade box, and inside was a scroll.
When the painting was unfolded, it turned out to be a delicate and exquisite landscape painting.
"The painting 'Mountain Tour', by a famous artist of the previous dynasty, was created by a court painter. After the previous dynasty fell, the imperial palace was swept away. The whereabouts of this original painting remain unknown. I didn't expect it to be hidden in the Yongping Marquis Mansion." Xue Zhiyi could only sigh, "This is truly a priceless treasure."
Looking at the painting, Xue Hanshu smiled with an unclear expression in her eyes. "Speaking of which, I am truly very grateful to Third Sister. If I hadn't married off early, I would have ended up like Xue Panrou. Times have changed, and it's pointless to dwell on the past. My husband also hopes that you and I can reconcile and use this relationship to make friends with Lord Jiang. What do you think, Sister?"
Xue Zhiyi's gaze lingered on the painting for a moment, then he raised his eyebrows and smiled at Xue Hanshu. "This painting is rare, and the words of the Third Young Master's wife are even rarer."
She called out, "Qiuyun, take it, put it in the warehouse and take good care of it."
Seeing this, Xue Hanshu's smile deepened. She took the letter from the maid and handed it to Xue Zhiyi: "In that case, I hope Lord Jiang and Miss Jiang will honor me with a banquet for my father's birthday in seven days."
Xue Zhiyi took it: "Of course."
After seeing Xue Hanshu off, Xue Zhiyi began to study the painting.
Qiuyun asked her, "Miss, do you think there's something wrong with this painting?"
At this moment, Xue Zhiyi's eyes were filled with grimness. She used a mica stone mirror to carefully examine the painting.
"I think there's something wrong with the entire Zhao family."
The Zhao family was an old member of Prince Cheng's party who had not yet been exposed, and Jiang Xu was a traitor to Prince Cheng's party - she did not believe that the people from Yongping Marquis' Mansion came here with good intentions.
…
It's late at night.
There were not many guards in the Jiang Mansion, and a figure easily climbed into Xue Zhiyi's bedroom.
The familiar hug was filled with strong warmth, hugging Xue Zhiyi from behind.
Xue Zhiyi was facing the candlelight and looking at the "Mountain Tour" painting, which she had not yet figured out. The sudden movement of the person behind her startled her and made her drop the pen in her hand. However, Huo Wuyou reached out and caught it steadily, put it aside, and then turned around like flowing water, asking Xue Zhiyi to turn around and meet his eyes.
"What?" Xue Zhiyi asked him.
Huo Wuyou, however, said something completely irrelevant: "Why didn't you tell me that day?"
Xue Zhiyi was confused, but he saw Huo Wuyou's eyes full of joy, yet also a bit awkward. "You clearly knew that my uncle was going to arrange a marriage for us. Why did you tell me that day? I only found out today when my grandmother mentioned it."
"The decree hasn't been issued yet, so what's the rush?"
Leaving him aside, Xue Zhiyi continued to look at the painting.
Huo Wuyou came closer and said, "I can't wait to marry you. Isn't it the same for you?"
Seeing that he was still pestering her, Xue Zhiyi just turned his head and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek: "Is it ok?"
Huo Wuyou was satisfied, shut up, covered his face and nodded.
Business was more important. Xue Zhiyi pulled him over to the "Mountain Tour" and said, "This was given to me by Xue Hanshu. Can you help me find out if there's anything wrong with it? I feel like there's something amiss with this painting, and with the Yongping Marquis' birthday banquet in seven days."
When mentioning the Marquis of Yongping, Huo Wuyou's eyes dimmed. "Half of the court has been invited to his birthday banquet. I will also be there. If there is any movement, we should be prepared in advance."
Xue Zhiyi couldn't figure out anything, so he handed the scroll of "Mountain Tour" to Huo Wuyou and said, "Take it and take a look. See if you can find any clues."
As he was speaking, a cry of surprise came from outside the house: "Who is it?"
Judging from the voice, it seemed to be one of the four maids.
Xue Zhiyi suddenly noticed that Huo Wuyou's shadow was reflected on the window lattice by the candlelight.
It’s bad. If her brother knew that Huo Wuyou came here late at night, he would probably sharpen his knife all night long.
Xue Zhiyi pushed open the window and urged Huo Wuyou to leave quickly, but Huo Wuyou deliberately tried to be naughty. He pulled her into his arms and bit her lips lightly without saying a word.
A hint of smug joy appeared on his face, and then he stepped lightly and disappeared into the night.
So the maid who hurried in only saw their young lady standing by the window in a daze, seemingly... admiring the moon?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
