Chapter 86: I haven't seen you, elder sister, for a long time. Our Qing'er is pretty again. ...
The rest period will be three days later.
Yu Qing and Xie Jing had gotten quite close the last time. So close, so close that the thought of their next encounter made her waver.
She found that it was not a good idea to decide on a meeting date too far in advance.
Because from the day you know, you start waiting. The longer you wait, the more you think about it, and the more uncomfortable it becomes.
That night, she had dinner in her parents' yard.
She didn't listen carefully to her family's conversation and was a little distracted. She didn't look up until Lu Yufu called her.
"Um?"
Seeing everyone else looking at him, Yu Qing put down his chopsticks in confusion and said, "...I was thinking about things at court, so I didn't hear clearly. What's wrong?"
Lu Yufu said, "Your eldest sister and her family are going back to Beijing to live for a while."
Yu Qing was stunned and asked in surprise, "Really? When will you come?"
Mrs. Lu had just received Yu Wei's letter from home.
Yu Wei's husband, Chen Zhan, is currently working away from home. Not long ago, an elder of his clan passed away, and the family went north to attend the funeral as per custom. They had not originally planned to stay for too long, but after the funeral, the couple decided that since they had returned to the north, they might as well come to Beijing to visit him. They usually lived far away, and the long journey was not easy.
So Shen Zhan submitted a memorial to the court and sent a message back, settling local affairs properly. After being granted leave, he set off for the capital.
Yu Qing hadn't seen her elder sister and her family for several years, so she was naturally surprised to hear this.
Chen Zhan is usually very busy, and they have a young child. They have been apart more often than together in recent years. Previously, he only came back during the Chinese New Year. Yu Qing thought he would have to wait until the end of this year, but he didn't expect to see him this time.
"When will they arrive in the capital?" Yu Qing asked, "I'll go pick them up."
Madam Lu said, "They had already set off when I wrote this letter. They're pretty fast. They should be in the capital in two days."
Yu Qing paused. That was the day she was going to meet Xie Jing.
"...It's fine," Yu Qing said, "I'm on vacation, so I have some free time."
After a few more words, Lu Yufu said, "You seem a little listless lately. What's wrong? Are you usually very busy?"
Lian Yuheng turned to Yu Qing. The old marquis had become a doctor after years of illness and now understood a little about health preservation. He said, "You don't look well. It seems you haven't been getting enough sleep."
Qiying glanced at her silently. Yu Qing: "..."
She was a little embarrassed and responded with a few words: "I will pay attention."
Actually, she didn't have any other worries. The main thing that affected her sleep was Xie Jing.
Qiying wasn't always in Yu Qing's room, and she didn't know when she'd sneaked out of the mansion at night. After she left, she came over and asked, "...You go to Prince Jing's place quite often?"
Yu Qing: "...not diligent."
Qiying raised an eyebrow, implicitly expressing her disbelief. Yu Qing felt a little wronged.
However, because of Yu Wei, she and Xie Jing need to change the appointment.
·
The next day she came to Prince Jing's Mansion.
The Xuanlin Guards paid special attention to the Xuanwu Street area where many nobles gathered, and kept a close watch on it. From his subordinates, Yu Qing could basically grasp the pattern of Xie Jing's going out and returning home. Unless he was traveling privately to avoid others, as long as he left the house normally, he would be seen by the guards.
If he goes to the Ministry of Revenue, he usually comes back at this time.
Yu Qing waited for a while, and sure enough, he saw a magnificent carriage approaching.
Xie Jing glanced out the car window and was stunned for a moment.
In fact, whenever he passed by here, he would habitually look towards the Xuanlin Guards. When he was in Beichen Division before, when he returned home in the evening, Yu Qing would occasionally come here with the Xuanlin Guards on duty, as if they were coming to see him off specially.
However, Yu Qing never came again after that, and he didn't think she was really there. Today, he could hardly believe his eyes.
He immediately ordered someone to stop the car, and Yu Qing also rode over.
Xie Jing asked, "Why is the commander here?"
Yu Qing said, "I was on patrol with the guards today and happened to meet His Highness."
Xie Jing had originally been thinking of going to see Yu Qing, and now that she was here, he was naturally delighted. He smiled and said, "Commander, you've worked hard. Would you like to come to my house and stay for a while?"
Yu Qing nodded.
This was the first time Yu Qing came to Prince Jing's Mansion before sunset. Before that, it was always dark.
The exterior of the palace is magnificent and gorgeous, but it was actually a facade decorated when the emperor first bestowed it. Once you enter, you can see that the interior is not extravagant at all, but actually very elegant. There are flowers and plants on both sides of the path, which seems to be the style that Xie Jing likes.
She also observed briefly and saw that the guards were distributed reasonably, which showed that the daily defense was also thoughtful.
Yu Qing came to the tea room with him. After the strangers had left, they sat opposite each other, opened their mouths at the same time, and then both stopped.
Yu Qing said: "You first?"
Xie Jing said, "You go first."
Yu Qing said, "I had something urgent to do on the day of my holiday, so I couldn't come."
Xie Jing was stunned.
He thought about it for a long time and decided to muster up the courage to give it a try. If Yu Qing didn't agree, then he would talk about it later. If he didn't ask, he would never have a chance.
Yu Qing had once wanted to book a boat trip on the lake, but it never happened. If it were just the two of them on the boat, wouldn't that be enough to avoid other people? It would be similar to being at the palace.
So, he originally wanted to ask Yu Qing if she was willing to go to Nanhu. Unexpectedly, Yu Qing directly rejected the idea, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
“…Yeah, alright.”
Yu Qing said: "What did your highness want to say just now?"
Xie Jing said: "...I have nothing else to say."
Yu Qing was startled, wondering if Xie Jing had other reasons and wanted to reschedule the meeting. That was quite a coincidence. If that was the case, she didn't need to take it too seriously.
"Well, I'll be leaving first then."
"Wait," Xie Jing said, "...then, when is the next time?"
Yu Qing pursed her lips.
She thought, if it's not convenient to go on holiday, why not just postpone it for a day? But being so close to her made her seem eager, as if she was only thinking about meeting Xie Jing. So she said, "...let's see when I'm free."
Xie Jing gently tugged at her sleeve, preventing her from leaving. Yu Qing paused.
"Actually," Xie Jing hesitated, "what I wanted to ask you was, what do you think of Nanhu Lake? Staying in the room all the time is a bit dull and boring. It's very cool by the water right now, so it's perfect to go there in the evening. Do you... want to go there?"
Yu Qing raised his eyes.
Xie Jing said, "I can prepare a boat. We'll be the only ones there, and no one else will know."
Seeing Yu Qing remain silent, he felt a little uncertain and said, "Just now you mentioned changing the appointment, and I agreed."
The implication was that he wanted Yu Qing to agree to him once.
Yu Qing said: "Okay."
She had been there once when she and Xie Jing were still a loving couple. After the princess died, she was reminded of the past and rarely went there again. She usually wouldn't join in the fun there. The only time was when the prince gave a banquet and Xie Jing was there, and he lost a bag of money playing pot tossing.
Xie Jing asked, "Then when? If you have something to do during your holiday, can we postpone it for a day?"
He really didn't want to wait any longer, so he asked very carefully, fearing that Yu Qing would refuse.
Yu Qing nodded.
Xie Jing never expected it to be so smooth, it was a pleasant surprise.
He planned to press on with his victory and this time keep Yu Qing a little longer, ordering someone to bring some more tea and snacks. But Yu Qing said, "No need, I have to go back home for dinner tonight."
"It's just a snack," Xie Jing said, "It goes perfectly with this tea."
The palace's small kitchen was very efficient, and the dim sum chef quickly brought the tray up. Yu Qing noticed that he looked familiar, and the man's hands also trembled when he saw Yu Qing, and he almost couldn't hold the tray steady.
Yu Qing: "You..."
"Meet, meet the prince."
Before Yu Qing could say anything, he retreated in a panic.
Yu Qing: “…”
Her expression was complicated as she asked Xie Jing, "This person seems to be the one who worked in the Marquis' Mansion before, right?"
Xie Jing felt a little embarrassed, after all, he was caught by Yu Qing as a spy.
Yu Qing asked, "Why, he doesn't want to be a secret guard anymore?"
She thought to herself, could he have been beaten to a pulp or something? That shouldn't be the case. His arms and legs were still intact, and his tendons in his hands and feet were not broken. Could it be that he couldn't practice martial arts anymore?
Xie Jing said, "Oh, he changed his profession voluntarily. He felt that being a secret guard was not as good as making pastries."
Yu Qing: “…”
"I see," Yu Qing said, "was he the one who made the snacks earlier as well?"
She had tasted the ones Xie Jing sent her and they were indeed delicious, quite to her taste, and a bit similar to what she had eaten before at Wenhuayuan.
Xie Jing was delighted when he heard this, and then he watched Yu Qing try another new dessert and commented, "This one is better than the previous two."
Xie Jing: “…”
Xie Jing said, "Oh. He made them all. If you like, ask him to make some more for you."
·
Before going to bed that night, Yu Qing thought of Xie Jing's words again.
She thought vaguely, Nanhu? She vaguely remembered the time she and Qingjia went there together.
If she went to pick up her elder sister during the day and went to Nanhu at night, there wouldn't be any conflict. She should have asked Xie Jing to speak to her earlier. Or even if it wasn't possible that day, why wait a day? Couldn't she have done it earlier?
She fell asleep with her mind wandering like this.
·
On the day of the holiday, Yu Qing brought people to the outskirts of the city early.
A carriage was coming from a distance, and the attendants around it were very neat and well-behaved. She seemed to have sensed something, and sure enough, the curtain was lifted, and the people inside saw her and waved to her from afar.
Yu Qing also went forward immediately.
A beautiful woman in bright clothes leaned forward. It was Yu Wei.
"Why are you here?" she asked happily. "I thought the carriage looked familiar. The pattern is like ours. Why did you come all the way here? It's not like we don't know the way."
Yu Qing said, "I'm taking a day off today."
Yu smiled and said, "Come and sit with us."
She pulled Yu Qing into the car, reached out and touched Yu Qing's face, and said, "It's been a long time since we last met. Our Qing'er is handsome again."
Yu Qing: “…”
She felt embarrassed and took her elder sister's hand away, but Yu Wei was still smiling.
Yu Wei's carriage was also quite spacious. Inside, her brother-in-law greeted Yu Qing gently. He was holding his little daughter in his arms, so it was difficult for him to get up. Next to him was a lovely little girl, about six or seven years old, who said, "Uncle!"
Yu Wei and Shen Zhan are a loving couple, having been married for over a decade. Living in a distant and remote environment is much more comfortable than the turbulent capital, and neither of them looks their age. Shen Zhan, once the top scholar in the imperial examination, is both talented and handsome, and now a prominent figure with a strong record of political achievement. It's time for him to be transferred back in a few years.
The last time Yu Qing saw the child, the little girl was still very young. As for the younger one, he had not seen her since she was born.
She looked at her niece and naturally liked her very much. She didn't bring many gifts with her, so she planned to prepare some later.
"Isn't Yu Jin here?"
Yu Wei said, "A few days ago, Master Ji retired and returned to his hometown. I sent him there, but he was very busy with schoolwork, so I didn't bring him with me. At his age, he'd be disliked wherever he goes. I need to find a strict teacher to discipline him properly."
Yu Jin is her eldest son. Since he was born, the family had discussed that if Yu Qing had no children in the future, it would be feasible to let that child come back to be the crown prince.
Yu Qing smiled and said, "When you return to Beijing, you should be able to send your children to the Wen family's private school. The Grand Tutor will be stricter there."
"Is Old Master Wen still doing well?" Yu Wei asked. "I'll go see him in a few days. I wonder if he still recognizes me."
Yu Qing thought, he shouldn’t forget.
When Yu Wei was a child, she often caused trouble in the Wen family's private school. Even she knew that when she was studying at the Wen family, the teacher still had a shadow over her thinking of the eldest daughter of the Yu family.
She and Yu Wei chatted, and even unconsciously talked more, and Shen Zhan occasionally said a few words. They talked and laughed, and soon they arrived home.
That evening, everyone dined together at the Marquis's residence; it was a rare occasion for such a large gathering. Yu Qing gave each child a handful of golden beans and sent for a number of toys.
After the meal, everyone chatted in the pavilion, while the two children were having fun.
More than two years ago, they also returned to Beijing, but as the New Year was approaching, something happened in the northern barbarians, and Yu Qing hurriedly went to the battlefield and did not spend the New Year at home.
The border was currently in turmoil, the court was unstable, and food supplies had to be raised and soldiers recruited for war everywhere. As soon as the New Year was over, Shen Zhan had to hurry back to deal with local affairs, and he didn't stay in the Marquis' Mansion for long.
Yu Wei naturally missed her family very much. Now she was sitting next to Yu Qing and would touch her whenever she had nothing to do. When Yu Qing tried to avoid her, Yu Wei said, "Let me take a closer look. It's been so long."
At this time, Yu Wei's eldest daughter Yu Yao asked, "Is Tuanzi still there?"
The girl did remember that two years ago, the Marquis's mansion had a puppy, so Yu Qing had someone bring Xuetuan over. Yu Yao was delighted to see the puppy. The child was not careful with her movements, so Yu Qing reminded her, "Don't touch its mouth, don't pull its tail, and be gentle when you hug it."
Yao'er said, "I know. My aunt said so."
Yu Qing was stunned.
She thought about who her aunt was, and Xie Jing's face appeared in her mind. She almost couldn't help laughing.
She didn't realize that the others had also paused for a moment, each looking at her cautiously.
Shen Zhan patted his daughter's shoulder. The little girl seemed to realize something and stopped talking. Yu Wei also said, "Yao'er, go over there and play with your sister."
Then everyone continued chatting as if nothing had happened.
Yu Wei and Madam Lu had been exchanging letters. When she knew that Yu Qing had been granted a marriage, she was a little worried. After asking a few times, she learned that Yu Qing and the princess got along very well.
Later, when he heard that the princess had passed away, he was very surprised. He heard that Yu Qing was not very accepting of it and did not allow anyone to touch the courtyard where the princess had lived. After returning to Beijing, he often went to pay his respects. So he tried to avoid these sad things and also told the children not to ask too many questions.
When Yu Wei and others returned to the mansion, they also went to pay a visit to the prince. They only met him once. After all, it was the dead of winter and the princess was weak. She rarely went out.
She didn't mean to disturb her too much, but her daughter was so overwhelmed by the puppy in the princess's room that she wanted to touch it, so the princess allowed her to do so.
Seeing that the princess wasn't difficult to get along with, Yu Wei let her daughter stay for a while. Unexpectedly, the little girl was quite impressed by the princess.
She glanced at Yu Qing, and then saw Yu Qing stand up, walk to the two children, lean over, and ask, "Yao'er, do you remember your aunt?"
Yao'er hesitated, not knowing how to answer, but finally answered honestly, "Yes. She is a princess."
Yu Qing said: "You know this too."
Yao'er said, "She's a beautiful sister. She also gave me a box of pearls."
Yu Qing said: "Then you can't call me sister."
Yaoer asked, "Hmm? Why?"
"..." Yu Qing said seriously, "Because there's a generation difference. You should call me aunt."
Yao'er said: "Oh, that's right."
Yu Qing did not feel sad for the moment. After all, the princess was still alive and her mood was different from before.
Children speak without restraint, and she even couldn't help laughing. She thought, don't let her see Xie Jing. What if she remembers Xie Jing's face and blurts out "Auntie"? She couldn't imagine the scene that would happen.
Yu Qing looked relaxed, not as if he was deliberately avoiding the topic. Yu Wei exchanged glances with her mother, and Mrs. Lu was also a little surprised. Yu Qing seemed a little different from before.
Yu Wei looked at Yu Qing thoughtfully, her eyes moving to the small purse around her waist.
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