Chapter 55
He followed the scent, walked through the bamboo forest, and saw the Hibiscus Garden hidden among the flowers and trees. The garden gate was ajar, and the fragrance was wafting from inside.
He had an idea and pushed the door open.
The courtyard was quiet, save for a little maid napping in the corridor. The window of the main room was open, revealing a slender figure sitting at a desk, seemingly concentrating on something.
He walked over lightly and saw that Song Qingyuan was not doing needlework, but was... repairing an ancient book.
In front of her lay a yellowed fragment of a scroll, and beside it were various tools: small tweezers, a brush, and a bowl of what looked like a sticky paste.
Her expression was focused and calm, her fingers were slender, and her movements were light and precise. She carefully picked up a small piece of the same yellowed paper with tweezers, aligned it with the damaged part of the page, and then dipped a brush in a little paste and gently glued it together.
The whole process was as quiet as a painting.
Shen Yanzhi was so absorbed in watching that he forgot to speak.
Caiwei woke up sleepily and saw the prince at the door. She was so scared that she almost screamed, but was stopped by Shen Yanzhi with a gesture.
Song Qingyuan seemed to have noticed the movement as well. She finished the last step at hand before slowly raising her head. Seeing Shen Yanzhi, a hint of just the right amount of surprise flashed in her eyes. Then she stood up and bowed calmly: "I didn't know that Your Highness had arrived. I'm sorry for not coming to greet you. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
Her voice was as clear and crisp as the collision of jade. It did not have the coquettishness of Wen Yue, nor the coldness of Cui Jingyue. It had its own unique charm.
"It's okay. This is me who came here uninvited." Shen Yanzhi's eyes fell on the ancient book in front of her. "What are you doing?"
"Your Highness, this is a rare copy from the previous dynasty that I came across by chance. Unfortunately, it's mostly damaged by insects, so I tried to repair a few myself to amuse myself." Song Qingyuan smiled lightly, revealing a pair of small dimples. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Your Highness."
"Excuse me? This kind of craftsmanship is something that even the craftsmen in the palace might not be able to match." Shen Yanzhi walked closer and took a closer look at the repairs. The flawless workmanship was evident, demonstrating his skill. He was a little surprised, "You also know this?"
"My father loves collecting books. I have been with him since I was young and have learned a little bit from him." Song Qingyuan said as she naturally put away the tools on the table and brewed a pot of tea herself.
The aroma of the tea is also very special. It is not the precious tribute tea, but a herbal tea with a faint scent of wild chrysanthemum.
"Your Highness, please have some tea." She handed him the cup. "This is chrysanthemum tea that I dried myself. It is very effective in clearing the liver, improving eyesight, and dispelling depression."
Shen Yanzhi took the teacup, the warm touch coming through his fingertips, he looked at Song Qingyuan. She was wearing a simple lake blue dress, without any makeup, but she had a fresh and unworldly temperament.
She was not like Wen Yue, who was always thinking about how to please him; nor was she like Cui Jingyue, who was always reminding him of his responsibilities and identity.
With Song Qingyuan, he felt that he was not a prince, but just an ordinary man where he could temporarily put down all his defenses and worries.
He took a sip of tea, and the fragrance was indeed refreshing, and the depressed mood in his chest seemed to dissipate a lot.
"Your garden is quite quiet." He praised sincerely.
Song Qingyuan smiled and said, "It's quiet, but a little boring. I can only play chess with myself on weekdays to relieve my boredom." As she spoke, she pointed to a chessboard on the small table next to her. There were black and white pieces interlaced on it, and it was a fierce game of chess.
Shen Yanzhi's interest was piqued. He was already a master of chess and could see at a glance that the chess game was ingenious. Although the white piece seemed to be at a disadvantage, it had laid out a desperate counterattack in an inconspicuous place.
"Did you play this chess game by yourself?"
"Yes," Song Qingyuan smiled a little embarrassedly, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Highness. Caiwei and the others don't know how to do it, so I have no choice but to fight each other."
"Interesting, really interesting." Shen Yanzhi sat down and picked up a black piece. "How about I walk with you for a few steps?"
"I couldn't ask for more." Song Qingyuan's eyes flickered as she agreed happily.
The two of them began playing chess in the small world of Furong Garden. There was no flattery, no probing, just the gleaming of swords on the chessboard and the occasional casual chat.
Their conversation shifted from chess to military strategy, and from military strategy to historical allusions. Shen Yanzhi was astonished to discover that Song Qingyuan's knowledge and talent far exceeded his expectations. She always offered novel and unique insights where he least expected them, leaving him with a sense of sudden enlightenment.
Before he knew it, the game was over and it was already dark. Shen Yanzhi had lost by three stones.
Instead of being angry, he felt refreshed. This was a comfortable feeling he had not experienced in a long time.
"I lost." He looked at Song Qingyuan with undisguised admiration in his eyes, "Your Hibiscus Garden is truly a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Song Qingyuan stood up to refill his tea, smiling broadly, "Your Highness, thank you for letting me play chess with you. It is my honor to play chess with you."
Shen Yanzhi stood up and prepared to leave. When he reached the door, he suddenly turned around and looked at Song Qingyuan deeply. This woman, whom he had always ignored, was like a book he had never opened, now revealing only an intriguing prologue, making him eager to read on.
After he left, Caiwei came up to him excitedly: "Master, you are amazing! The prince looks so happy!"
The decent smile on Song Qingyuan's face slowly faded. She picked up the white piece that would decide the outcome and gently rubbed it between her fingertips.
"Happy?" she whispered. "That's not enough. What I want is not his momentary happiness, but his heart."
She won half a move against Shen Yanzhi, but in the bigger chess game in the backyard, she quietly made a crucial move.
Meanwhile, in the study room of the main courtyard, Luzhu presented Cui Jingyue with a copy of a letter she had just intercepted. The letter was addressed to Wen Yue, but apparently it had not been delivered to her. The content of the letter was very simple, consisting of only eight words:
"Be patient and wait for the right opportunity."
The signature is a small character "林".
Cui Jingyue's gaze lingered on the word "Lin" for a long time, and her eyes gradually became cold.
Wen Yue, this chess piece, indeed had someone else behind it. The Lin family... were distant relatives of the Empress Dowager. While not prominent within the court, they held a deep and complex network. What were they trying to achieve by planting a thorn in the palace?
She held the paper close to the candle flame and watched it slowly turn to ash.
It seemed that the drama in this palace was even more complicated than she had imagined. The storm had just begun.
Chen Yanzhi returned to his study. The night breeze carried the faint fragrance of plants and trees from the direction of Hibiscus Garden, which completely dissipated the depression in his chest. For the first time, he felt that this dull palace was not so boring after all.
He thought of Song Qingyuan's calm and composed appearance, as well as the hidden edge in that chess game, and a smile unconsciously curled up at the corner of his mouth. This woman had indeed given him a big surprise.
He ordered his servants: "Tomorrow, send the set of the four treasures of the study from the previous dynasty in the storehouse to Furong Garden."
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