Chapter 29: Ordering the Four Seasons Valley.
Four Seasons Valley.
"Squeak—"
The carved wooden door slowly opened in the cold wind.
Tuoba Xuan strode in, his clothes swaying in the wind, making slight sounds of breaking wind.
The room was pitch black, with only the faint moonlight outside the door barely illuminating the world.
Tuoba Xuan fumbled to light an oil lamp in the dim light.
The lights suddenly came on, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the figure of a woman sitting quietly by the window.
She had a slender figure, with long, silky hair draped gently over her shoulders, and she was wearing only a thin, white dress.
The cold wind poured in through the open window, gently blowing her hair and the hem of her clothes. The moonlight cast spots of light and shadow on her body, and the scene was both eerie and breathtakingly beautiful.
But she seemed oblivious to everything around her.
From the time Tuoba Xuan entered the room to the time the lights were turned on, she remained motionless and showed no reaction at all.
After staring at her back for a long time, Tuoba Xuan walked to the cabinet, took out a soft blanket, then quietly walked to her side and draped the blanket over her shoulders.
"Yiyi, why are you sitting here in the wind? You'll get cold."
He said softly, closing the window sideways.
As the windows closed, the sound of the wind in the house died down and everything returned to calm.
Tuoba Xuan turned around to look at Liu Yiyi, but found that she still maintained the same posture as before, staring at the closed window with a dazed look.
“Yiyi…”
He called softly, but received no response.
Tuoba Xuan's heart tightened, and he suddenly remembered something. He took out an exquisite box from his sleeve and opened it.
"Yiyi, I had this golden peony hairpin made especially for you. I remember you loved peonies the most."
As he spoke, he handed the golden hairpin to her.
However, Liu Yiyi still did not react and did not even look at him.
Tuoba Xuan froze for a moment, then forced the golden hairpin into her hand and held her hand.
The skin contact finally caused Liu Yiyi's eyes to fluctuate. She lowered her eyelids and met the gaze of Tuoba Xuan who was squatting in front of her.
After a moment of silence, Liu Yiyi sighed softly, withdrew her hand, and placed the hairpin on the table beside her.
"Tuoba Xuan, I stopped liking peonies a long time ago."
She said lightly.
Tuoba Xuan's face froze slightly, but soon returned to normal.
He held Liu Yiyi's hand again, and gently stroked her palm with his thumb.
"Then what do you like? I'll have someone make it for you."
He was still met with silence in response.
Tuoba Xuan felt frustrated. Just when he thought he would not get an answer, Liu Yiyi suddenly spoke.
"Please let me go."
Tuoba Xuan's smile froze instantly.
He stood up, adjusted the blanket that was about to slip off Liu Yiyi's shoulders, then leaned over and hugged her, his strength gradually increasing from gentle to tight.
He whispered softly in her ear,
"Yiyi, this will be your home from now on."
He seemed to be completely unaware of Liu Yiyi's resistance and continued to speak on his own.
"Haven't you always dreamed of having a home of our own? I'm sorry, Yiyi, I'm only realizing it for you now..."
His head rubbed Liu Yiyi's neck gently,
"I promise you, no one will ever disturb us again, no one will ever separate us again..."
"Enough! Tuoba Xuan!"
This sentence seemed to have touched the pain deep in Liu Yiyi's heart. She suddenly lost control of her emotions and struggled desperately.
"Ever since you asked to marry Princess Duanyang for fame and fortune, everything between us is over!"
Tuoba Xuan hugged her tightly and shook his head repeatedly to deny it.
"No, no, Yiyi, I don't love her. The person I love most in my heart will always be you!"
"But I hate you!"
Liu Yiyi suddenly screamed,
"You've ruined my life, I wish you were dead!"
After saying that, she suddenly grabbed the golden hairpin on the table and stabbed it hard into Tuoba Xuan's neck.
Tuoba Xuan reacted quickly and tilted his neck, but he still couldn't completely avoid the attack.
The golden hairpin cut his neck and shoulder, and blood gushed out instantly.
He sat down on the ground and instinctively reached out to touch it. His palm was instantly stained with sticky blood.
He covered his neck and looked at Liu Yiyi with shock in his eyes.
"Yiyi, it seems you really hate me..."
He laughed at himself, then struggled to sit up and slowly crawled towards Liu Yiyi.
"Well, if killing me can relieve your hatred, then come on. I will die without regrets if I die at your hands..."
Tears welled up in Liu Yiyi's eyes. She held the blood-stained hairpin tightly, her hands shaking.
As Tuoba Xuan approached step by step, her body involuntarily retreated until her back was against the cold window frame.
At this moment, she suddenly turned her hand and placed the hairpin against the side of her neck.
Tuoba Xuan's steps froze instantly.
"Yiyi, what are you doing? Don't do anything stupid!"
"Get out! I don't want to see you!"
Liu Yiyi screamed out of control, and the hairpin in her hand slowly penetrated into her neck, almost piercing the fragile skin.
"well……"
Tuoba Xuan reluctantly took a few steps back, one hand still stretched out in the direction of Liu Yiyi, trying to comfort her.
"Don't be impulsive and don't hurt yourself!"
He stared at Liu Yiyi's expression, and when he saw that she seemed to relax a little, he rushed forward, hugged her tightly, and quickly snatched the hairpin from her hand.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Liu Yiyi's emotions were completely out of control, and she struggled with all her might.
Being injured, Tuoba Xuan could not withstand her fierce struggle and had no choice but to let go of her hand.
"Okay, okay, I won't get close to you. Don't get excited. Don't get excited."
"roll!!!"
Seeing this, Tuoba Xuan also realized that Liu Yiyi's current condition was extremely unstable, and if he continued to stay here, it would only further intensify her emotions.
So, he had to sigh in compromise.
"Okay, I'm going out. You should have a good rest and don't hurt yourself again."
*
When Sun Zhiming hurried into the study, his eyes were fixed on the scene under the dim light:
Tuoba Xuan was holding a white porcelain bottle and sprinkling medicine powder on a long wound on his neck and shoulder. In the basin of water beside him, there was a blood-stained cloth hanging, which looked particularly shocking.
Sun Zhiming was startled and quickly walked to Tuoba Xuan's side.
"Sir, what happened? How are you injured?"
Tuoba Xuan did not raise his head, but responded calmly,
"It's nothing, just an accidental scratch."
After saying this, he sprinkled the powder evenly and was about to reach out to grab a clean cloth beside him to wrap the wound.
Sun Zhiming was quick to pick up the towel.
"Sir, please let me do it."
As he spoke respectfully, he carefully bandaged Tuoba Xuan's wound.
After the wound was properly treated, Tuoba Xuan finally asked,
"What's the matter with you coming to see me so late?"
He knew in his heart that Sun Zhiming's late-night visit must have something important to tell him.
"Sir, I need to report to you about Lin Bowen."
Sun Zhiming replied.
"I know that. Didn't you report this to me a few days ago?"
Tuoba Xuan was already in a bad mood, and now he was even more impatient.
"Yes, sir. But yesterday, a secret agent in the capital sent a message saying that they learned an important piece of information while dealing with the jailer."
Sun Zhiming paused and continued,
"It is said that Lin Bowen may have kept the letters you exchanged with him."
Tuoba Xuan said with disdain,
"What can a few letters prove? Those letters were written and delivered by Wang Xin. How can they be linked to me?"
"Yes, the letter was indeed written by the Fifth Concubine."
Sun Zhiming took over the conversation.
"But sir, do you remember that three years ago His Majesty specially gifted you with a batch of Western Region rice paper?"
"Xuan paper? What does this have to do with Xuan paper?"
Tuoba Xuan frowned, not understanding what was going on.
Sun Zhiming went on to explain,
"You later gave a portion of that batch of rice paper to your fifth concubine. Yesterday, after learning that Lin Bowen had left a letter, I went to the fifth concubine to verify the details of the letter to ensure that everything was safe. I found out..."
Speaking of this, Sun Zhiming looked nervous and uneasy.
"Among the letters you asked the Fifth Concubine to pass on to Wang Gui and then to Lin Bowen, two were written on that batch of Western Region rice paper."
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Xuan's eyes instantly became as sharp as a knife.
"Who has those letters now?"
If sight could kill, Sun Zhiming felt as if he had been cut into pieces.
He quickly answered,
"According to my inquiries, Lin Bowen's only daughter, Lin Xiangli, is planning to sell off the Lin family's assets. She's traveling with a man named Ling An and Tang Suzi. They're very likely to come across these letters when they're counting the family assets."
Tuoba Xuan's gaze fell back on the blood-stained hairpin on the table, and he remained silent for a long time.
"grown ups?"
Sun Zhiming was a little confused about what he meant and asked.
After a suffocating silence, he heard Tuoba Xuan say a few words lightly,
"Kill them all."
*
Winter morning.
Xiaoying sat on a low stool and soon heard the bubbling sound of soup in the pot.
She deftly pulled out a few burning sticks from the hearth and moved them to the ashes across the hearth to extinguish them.
The flames at the bottom of the casserole then subsided, gently stewing the essence of the old duck meat and soup.
Xiaoying stretched out her hands, placed her palms close to the stove wall, absorbing the warmth, and yawned involuntarily.
The hot air exhaled from the mouth condensed into mist in the cold air and dissipated into nothingness in an instant.
The fire occasionally made a slight crackling sound. Xiaoying held her chin with one hand, her elbow resting on her knees, and her eyelids gradually became heavy.
At this moment, a gentle greeting came from behind.
"Xiaoying, good morning!"
She suddenly started up, raised her drooping head instantly, and all her sleepiness disappeared.
Turning around, I saw Tang Suzi standing at the door.
"Miss Tang..."
Xiaoying was a little surprised.
Tang Suzi saw Xiaoying was awakened by him and looked a little apologetic:
"Sorry, did I speak so suddenly and scare you?"
"No, no,"
Xiaoying stood up quickly.
"Miss Tang, you came back so late last night, why did you get up so early this morning? Don't you want to sleep a little longer?"
She heard the guard mention yesterday morning that Tang Suzi returned home late last night, and she couldn't help feeling a little worried, but because of her status, she couldn't ask too much.
"Pavilion Master Fang needs to take another course of medicine without interruption."
As Tang Suzi spoke, he walked towards the stove, took out the clay pot used for decocting medicine from under the shelf, scooped a ladle of clean water from the water tank, and washed it carefully.
"I'll take care of the decoction. Miss Tang, you should go back and rest. You've lost a lot of weight recently..."
Xiaoying approached Tang Suzi and persuaded him.
"I'm fine, not sleepy. You still have to help Madam Zhao make soup, so you're too busy."
Tang Suzi insisted on his own opinion, so Xiaoying had to give up.
But seeing that Tang Suzi was worried, Xiaoying gently pressed her arm when she was adding water to the casserole and preparing to bring it to the stove.
"Miss Tang, this medicine...does it need to be simmered in a dry pan first, and then added with water?"
"Ah, yes!"
Tang Suzi suddenly realized and quickly poured out the water.
"I'm so confused..."
Seeing Tang Suzi's trance, Xiaoying finally couldn't help but be curious.
"Miss Tang, are you worried about something?"
Tang Suzi turned his head and glanced at Xiaoying, then silently put the casserole on the stove and replied in a low voice:
"Well, a friend is missing and I'm worried."
She squatted down and added some firewood to the stove, then picked up the matchbox, struck a match and lit the firewood.
"ah?!"
Xiaoying exclaimed, then reacted,
"So you went to see him last night?"
"Um."
Tang Suzi responded softly.
Seeing her gloomy expression, it was obvious that she had not found that friend yet.
So Xiaoying fell silent and stopped asking questions.
She knew that no matter how much concern she showed at this moment, if it could not be translated into actual action, it would only add to the other person's troubles.
Tang Suzi picked up the medicine tablets with chopsticks and placed them on the dry pot. After the pot was heated and the medicine aroma came out, he scooped half a bucket of water and slowly poured it into the pot, then covered it with a lid.
Afterwards, she and Xiaoying sat on the stools in front of the boiler, listening to the crackling of the firewood and the hum of rising steam.
Suddenly, Tang Suzi turned to look at Xiaoying,
"Xiaoying, do you hate Lin Xiangli?"
She remembered Xiaoying once mentioned that her parents also died in the broken bridge accident.
When Xiaoying heard the name, she was stunned for a moment, and then her eyes gradually became cold.
Seeing Xiaoying remained silent for a long time and just bit her lips, Tang Suzi realized that he might have touched her inner scars and apologized quickly.
"I'm sorry, I..."
Xiaoying interrupted her, staring at the dancing flames in the fire.
"If I said I didn't hate her, I'd be lying. If it weren't for her father, Lin Bowen, the bridge wouldn't have collapsed, and my parents wouldn't have died... That day was actually my birthday..."
Xiaoying's eyes were moist.
"If it weren't for that day when I was clamoring for roast chicken, and my parents went to town to buy it to satisfy me, maybe we wouldn't have encountered a rainstorm, or walked onto the Yulan Bridge, or..."
Tears welled up in Xiaoying's eyes, but they didn't fall.
"Xiaoying..."
Tang Suzi didn't expect that Xiaoying's parents' death had such a connection. She approached Xiaoying, patted her back, and comforted her in a silent way.
Xiaoying's voice choked up.
"I was full of anticipation at home, but I waited from morning till night, and my parents didn't come back. Until the neighbor uncle hurried over and took me to identify the body..."
After sobbing for a while, Xiaoying's eyes gradually filled with hatred, and her chest heaved violently with anger.
"It was Lin Bowen. He made me lose my loved one! I wish I could cut him into pieces, tearing his bones and peeling his skin to relieve the hatred in my heart!"
But after venting her emotions, she slowly calmed down.
"But now, Lin Bowen is dead, and his revenge has been achieved. My hatred seems to have faded with his departure. As for Lin Xiangli, no matter how innocent she was, she is Lin Bowen's daughter, and this blood connection cannot be severed. In the past, I really didn't like her, and I could even say I hated her. But now..."
Xiaoying was silent for a while and continued,
"Now, I still don't like her. But... I won't hate her anymore. Because she now, just like me then, has lost her loved ones, just like I did back then."
Tang Suzi looked at Xiaoying quietly, deeply moved, and didn't even notice the casserole lid buzzing due to the boiling steam.
"Miss Tang, the pot lid..."
Xiaoying wiped her tears and reminded him quickly.
"oh,"
Tang Suzi woke up as if from a dream, and quickly stood up and opened the lid.
As the lid of the pot was lifted, the swirling steam gradually dissipated and the atmosphere in the kitchen slowly returned to calm.
Tang Suzi continued to add pills into the pot as instructed by the doctor, but as she added, she suddenly found that the golden powder had disappeared.
She was rummaging through the medicine bag in the basket.
"Hey...where did the golden color go? I clearly remember putting it in the medicine basket..."
Seeing Tang Suzi rummaging around, Xiaoying asked,
"Miss Tang, what's wrong?"
"I remember putting the Golden Powder the doctor prescribed in the medicine basket, but... I can't find it..."
Tang Suzi lowered his head and unpacked the packages one by one to search.
Xiaoying seemed to have thought of something.
"Was the medicine basket placed under the stove last night?"
"Yes."
Tang Suzi answered.
"Could it have been taken away by a mouse? When I came to the kitchen this morning, Aunt Cai said she saw several mice."
Xiaoying said.
The two of them turned the medicine basket upside down, but still couldn't find the Golden Powder.
Tang Suzi sighed helplessly.
"Could it really have been taken away by a mouse?"
So she and Xiaoying bent down and looked for the medicine bag in the kitchen.
Sure enough, in the hidden drain in the kitchen, they saw the bitten medicine bag and scattered golden powder.
Tang Suzi picked up the pills helplessly.
"This pack of medicine can't be used..."
Then she turned to Xiaoying and said,
"Xiaoying, please watch the fire here. I'll go to the pharmacy and buy a new pack."
"Miss Tang, it's cold outside, I'll go."
"It's okay, I'll be back soon."
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