Chapter 4: Eavesdropping, but unfortunately I couldn't talk to him
There was silence in Guanlan Pavilion.
Mu Yan lowered his head. He was originally feeling smug about his master being so fascinated by the girl's watch, but then he gradually realized that the atmosphere was strange.
He looked up hesitantly, not yet able to see his master's expression.
Xiao Yunqi suddenly stood up and said in a cold voice, "Have someone send the refreshments to Yun Mo Zhai."
Wh-what?
Mu Yan only saw Xiao Yunqi's back, but he felt a sudden prick on the back of his neck for no reason.
Not far away, Xue Zhiying just poked his head out from behind the bushes again.
When I looked up, the man who had appeared in Guanlan Pavilion was nowhere to be seen. When I turned around, I saw that he had already walked away in another direction with big strides.
Xue Zhiying hurriedly set off and headed towards the path in the same direction.
After the family dinner that day, she never found the chance to see Xiao Yunqi again.
He was rarely in the house during the day, so she didn't even have an excuse to return the book.
Today she went to the upper room to pay her respects. On the way back to the courtyard, she happened to hear a passing servant say that Xiao Yunqi had ordered tea and snacks to be prepared at Guanlan Pavilion, so she immediately took a detour and came here.
She lifted her skirt and jogged all the way until she emerged from the shade of the bushes on the path. Only a fluttering hem of her clothes could be seen briefly at the gate of the courtyard, and it soon disappeared completely.
Xue Zhiying stood there for a long while before she let out a sigh.
I finally met him, but I couldn't talk to him.
Xue Zhiying took a step and walked back slowly, thinking wildly in his mind. He didn't know how the girl had seduced him in the first place, and what other methods she could use.
Xue Zhiying returned all the way to Jingshuiyuan. Before she could sit down and think quietly, she heard footsteps outside the gate.
When Chuntao went to greet her, Xue Zhiying had already recognized that the person was a maid from the second house.
The maid bowed slightly and said, "My cousin is well. Second Madam, please move to the side hall. We have something to discuss."
Xue Zhiying replied softly, "Okay, I'll go right away."
After the maid left, Chun Tao came over with a worried look on her face: "Miss, the Second Madam wants you to come over, but is she going to discuss your marriage again?"
"That should be it."
Apart from that, Xu wouldn't pay much attention to her.
Chuntao's expression became more serious when she heard this.
At the beginning of this spring, Xue Zhiying was already seventeen years old.
Since her marriage was entrusted to Xu, Xu has selected many husband's families for her.
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, her marriage will be finalized in less than a year, and Xu should have made plans.
"Miss, why don't you find an excuse to refuse? I'll go and report to the Second Madam's room."
Xue Zhiying's expression softened and she chuckled, "I just agreed, and now you're changing your mind. If you report this, you'll definitely be punished."
Chun Tao pinched the hem of her skirt nervously and stammered, "Slave, slave, I'm not afraid."
Chuntao has been serving Xue Zhiying since she came to the Xiao Mansion. Although she is said to be serving her, she actually can't do much.
Chuntao is three years older than Xue Zhiying, but when she was young, she suffered from a persistent high fever that damaged her brain. Now her mental state is still that of a ten-year-old child. The doctor said that this is the only way she will live her life.
Even the immature Chuntao knew that the marriage arranged by Xu was not a good one, and in fact it was an even worse situation.
Xue Zhiying stretched out her finger and gently poked Chuntao's face, and eased her worries in a relaxed tone: "Silly girl, I'm just kidding. There's no point in hiding. Since the Second Madam called me, I naturally have to go."
In the side hall of Cuihua Courtyard, Xu was sitting casually in front of the tea table, drinking tea.
Seeing Xue Zhiying come in, she raised her eyelids, waved at her, and motioned her to come over and sit down.
"Greetings to the Second Madam."
"Please sit down." Xu put down the teacup and her eyes fell on Xue Zhiying.
She got straight to the point and said, "I called you here today to discuss the flower banquet at the Rong'en Marquis's mansion. We've received an invitation, and the old lady has instructed that you be allowed to accompany her this time to see the world."
Xu raised her hand slightly, and the nanny waiting beside her immediately signaled the maid to bring up several pieces of brocade with bright colors and fine texture.
"Since you're representing the Xiao family at the banquet, your attire shouldn't be too plain, or you'll be looked down upon." Xu's eyes swept over the material. "This is some new material I got from our warehouse. I'll have someone make you a new dress."
Xue Zhiying looked at the gorgeous material, but showed no joy at all: "Thank you, Madam, for your kindness, but I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for such an occasion..."
"There's nothing wrong with that. There's a reason for letting you go." Mrs. Xu interrupted her and said bluntly, "Prince Lin'an happened to meet you before and left some impression on me."
After saying that, she picked up the teacup and gently stirred the tea foam as if she was in a good mood.
Xue Zhiying's heart sank, and she clenched her hands in her sleeves: "...Prince Lin'an?"
Xu nodded: "You have to understand that with your background, it is a rare opportunity to be favored by such a noble person."
As Xue Zhiying had expected, as she got older, Xu had already chosen someone to marry her.
She didn't even know when she had ever been seen by a noble person like the King of Lin'an. It could only be Xu's doing behind her back.
Seeing her lower her head and remain silent, Madam Xu didn't take it too seriously. She continued, "A girl must eventually find a home. The Lin'an Palace is something many people dream of, but it's beyond their reach. If you're lucky enough to serve this noble, it would be a great blessing for you. You'll have someone to rely on for the rest of your life. At banquets, you must follow etiquette and behave properly, but you must also... know how to seize opportunities. Do you understand?"
Xue Zhiying didn't know what kind of person the King of Lin'an was, but she knew very well that the Xu family would definitely benefit a lot from him.
Contrary to her usual behavior, Xu gave her advice and tried to persuade her earnestly, as if she was afraid that she would mess up at the banquet and lose the benefits she was about to get.
She didn't want to go, but she couldn't refuse, and she didn't have the right to refuse.
But if she just went to attend a banquet with obvious intentions, she seemed to have a chance to leave the house.
Xue Zhiying took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Zhiying understands. I will follow Madam's instructions. Will I go to the banquet in Madam's carriage?"
Xu moved her lips and was about to answer when she thought of something else.
She was silent for a moment before turning her head and ordering, "Prepare a separate carriage for your cousin on the day of the banquet."
Then he turned back to Xue Zhiying and said, "I'm not available for this flower banquet, so I won't be attending. There are a few other people from the mansion attending the banquet, but they are not well-known to you, so you can go on your own."
Xu's behavior was a bit strange, and she even arranged a carriage for her.
Was it because she wanted to create the illusion that she was valued in front of the King of Lin'an, or was there someone at the banquet that Xu didn't want her to have any contact with?
*
A little after midnight, a handsome young man in white appeared in Yunmozhai.
Mu Yan, who was guarding the gate, was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed his head and saluted: "Greetings, Prince Xie."
The person who came was the eldest son of Duke Xie, Xie Heng.
Xie Heng frowned slightly, but there was no oppressive sharpness in his expression, only a look of inexplicable dissatisfaction and pickiness.
He waved his hand casually and strode towards the study.
Not long ago, he was the only one who dared to enter Xiao Yunqi's study without knocking, but this time he was met with a glare even colder than the one from the previous person.
Xie Heng chuckled softly, "We agreed to discuss matters at Guanlan Pavilion with me today. I haven't blamed you for going back on your word and making me stay in this dreary room, but you're the first to glare at me."
Xiao Yunqi ignored him.
Xie Heng asked: "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing." Xiao Yunqi's tone sounded calm, and it did not look like anything had happened.
But no matter how big the problem is, Xiao Yunqi always looks like this.
Xie Heng couldn't help but look at him suspiciously a few more times.
Unable to figure out what was going on, he could only turn to business: "Luo Xian has been here, right? I asked you to use the Great Zhou Law Explanation to trick him, and it worked. What did you get out of him..."
Xiao Yunqi interrupted him: "It's useless."
Speaking of this, his eyes darkened a little: "He confessed it himself."
Xie Heng was stunned and muttered, "Such a good method, how could it be useless?"
He walked forward, pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite Xiao Yunqi. "Well, it's really hard for you to use a gentle approach, but as long as your goal is achieved, what are you going to do next?"
When it comes to government affairs, Xiao Yunqi finally stopped being so frugal with his words.
He said sternly, "I've already handed Luo Xian's case over to the Dali Temple. There's no need to bother with him anymore. This batch of military pay is just floating on the surface; there are still some limbs underneath that haven't been completely severed."
Xie Heng glanced at the file spread out in front of Xiao Yunqi, and saw a gold-painted invitation card underneath the file.
He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly: "Are you planning to attend the banquet in person?"
"Well, the fish are in deep water, so you have to throw bait."
The two discussed for a long time, and by the time the plan was finalized, it was almost noon.
Xie Heng's expression relaxed. "Now that we've finished our business, let's find a place to relax. I heard there's a nice new teahouse in the East Market."
"No." Xiao Yunqi's gaze fell back on the case file. "I have to go visit my father later."
"Okay." Xie Heng didn't force it. "Then we'll discuss it after things have made some progress. I'm leaving first."
Silence returned to the study, leaving only the case files glowing dimly in the sunlight.
After a while, Xiao Yunqi finally walked out of the study.
As soon as he reached the door, Mu Yan, who had been waiting outside, came forward and bowed to report: "Master, the head of the family sent someone to see you half an hour ago, asking you to go to Cuihua Courtyard to see him after you finish your business."
Xiao Yunqi frowned slightly.
Cuihuayuan is the courtyard of the second wife.
He was silent for a moment, then calmed down and said, "Well, let's go now."
"Yes, I will send someone to inform them."
Xiao Yunqi stopped him and said, "No need. Go get something for me and bring it to Cuihua Courtyard."
"Yes, Master."
*
On a quiet afternoon, Xue Zhiying crouched and walked stealthily along the path beside the main residence of Cuihua Courtyard.
She was somewhat concerned about Xu's abnormal behavior, wondering if Xu had any other intentions besides wanting to send her to see the King of Lin'an.
In any case, she also wanted to confirm whether she would have the opportunity to do her own things on the day of the banquet.
Xue Zhiying recalled that a year ago, she was the cat in this place and heard Xu's plan to use her to gain benefits.
But at that time, she overheard it accidentally while looking for her lost handkerchief, and now she was eavesdropping intentionally based on that experience.
In this critical situation, she felt that she was much bolder than before and even dared to eavesdrop.
But perhaps because it was not quiet enough around her during the day, she bent her body, tilted her head, and her cheek was pressed against the cold wall, and the conversation in the side hall was unclear.
"Let... take Yichu with you."
"Well, don't let him be with…."
"Who knows what kind of poison has possessed him? I've tried to persuade him countless times."
"Don't worry...it will be done."
Xue Zhiying held her breath and concentrated, but still could only hear intermittent voices. It seemed that Xu mentioned her eldest son Xiao Yichu to someone.
She wanted to get closer to hear more clearly.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps.
Xue Zhiying panicked and moved away from the corner. She stood up straight and turned around to see Xiao Yunqi appear in front of her.
He was tall and slender, his face covered by the shadow of the corner, and he gave her a dark and unclear look.
She gasped, a cry of surprise rising instinctively in her throat.
Xiao Yunqi's expression changed slightly. He immediately raised his hand to cover her mouth and pushed her against the wall.
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