The Empress stepped forward, stopping Liu Meng Han’s hand, and spoke words of comfort. She had never liked Feng Ruo Yan, and if it weren’t for her worry that Xi Er would not be able to accept it all at once, she would never have allowed Feng Jin to save Feng Ruo Yan.
It was good this way; even if she lived, she would only be a sickly person, incapable of causing any great disturbance. It was best to let her recuperate well for a few years.
“Mother, this concubine was merely worried that His Highness would not be able to bear it. In His Highness’s heart, Sister is the most important…”
Liu Meng Han’s words were the epitome of a white lotus. First, she expressed her kindness, and then she sowed discord between Feng Ruo Yan and the Empress. This made the Empress dislike Feng Ruo Yan even more.
“Your Majesty, Imperial Consort, this concubine has matters to attend to at my residence, so I shall not impose further.”
Without the mood to continue watching these people perform, Feng Jin found a casual excuse to leave as quickly as possible.
Feng Jin’s words interrupted the Empress’s train of thought. She had no choice but to give up and turned her gaze to Feng Jin, saying, “Mistress Ling, you have worked hard this time. When we return to the palace, I shall grant you further rewards.”
“It was merely a small effort, not worth mentioning. This concubine dares not claim merit, nor dare she accept any reward from Your Majesty.”
“Mistress is too humble. It is not late, and there are children waiting at home. Gui Zhi, escort Mistress back to her residence.”
The older woman standing to the Empress’s left nodded in agreement, then moved to stand before Feng Jin. “Mistress, please…”
“Thank you.”
Feng Jin followed behind, walking with hurried steps. This place of troubles was not somewhere she wished to linger for even a moment longer. As she reached the entrance of the palace, she was wondering how to refuse Gui Zhi’s escort when she heard the sound of urgent horse hooves.
Turning her head, she saw Ling Mo Han riding on horseback. A smile immediately spread across Feng Jin’s lips.
“Why have you come?” Looking up at the man seated on the horse, Feng Jin’s voice was exceptionally gentle.
“I heard from the people at the estate that you had come to the Third Prince’s residence. When I waited for you at home for so long, I came to find you. Mount the horse, and I will take you home.”
Feng Jin looked at the hand the man extended to her and grasped it directly. She was then pulled onto the horse by the man.
“Lu Shi, escort these two back to their residence.”
With that, Ling Mo Han directly spurred his horse and galloped away.
“Two young ladies, I will escort you back by carriage.”
Lu Shi, left behind to do the laborious work, looked at Cai Qing and Chu Qing with a hint of helplessness and said.
“Let’s go, Chu Qing, we’ll take the carriage back.”
Cai Qing pulled Chu Qing’s hand and walked straight towards the carriage, not casting an extra glance at Lu Shi.
She was still angry about what had happened before. Even though Mistress had explained it clearly to her, she still felt uneasy that Lu Shi had not proactively explained it to her.
“Sister Cai Qing, I think Lord Lu truly knows he was wrong. Look how he didn’t even dare to make a sound just now. Why don’t you stop being angry with him and just forgive him this once?”
As an outsider, Chu Qing felt Lu Shi’s demeanor was somewhat pitiable.
Chu Qing truly couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up for Lu Shi.
“Which side are you on? Have you forgotten? It’s too much to speak up for an outsider!”
Cai Qing’s voice was tinged with anger. She really didn’t know how Lu Shi had managed to win over Chu Qing, it was truly excessive.
“Of course, I am on your side. I just feel Lord Lu looks a bit wronged. Look at how he wanted to speak to you just now but hesitated. He really looks a bit pathetic…”
“Pathetic… what’s pathetic about him? He brought it upon himself. Why didn’t he tell me the truth from the beginning? If he had told the truth earlier, would it have come to this!”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. It seemed she would have to wait a few more days before interacting with Lu Shi again.
Chu Qing looked at Cai Qing’s angry face. It seemed the more she tried to persuade her, the worse it got. It was better for her to remain silent.
The carriage arrived in front of the Ling Residence. Chu Qing still didn’t dare to speak, fearing she would make things worse and betray Lu Shi’s care for her over the past few days.
“We’re here, get off the carriage.” Lu Shi’s voice sounded from outside the carriage. Chu Qing immediately reacted and, as if escaping for her life, ran down and hurriedly ran into the residence.
Cai Qing only saw a figure flash before her eyes. By the time she came to her senses, Chu Qing was no longer there. Such speed… was she trying to escape for her life?
She lifted her eyelids and saw Lu Shi’s suddenly enlarged face appear before her. Cai Qing froze for a moment. “What are you doing here? Move aside, I want to go back.”
Lu Shi seemed not to hear her, still stubbornly blocking Cai Qing’s way, with a conflicted expression. His mouth parted slightly, but he couldn’t utter a single word.
“Hurry up and move aside. If you don’t, I’ll call for people!”
“I… I…”
He was not eloquent to begin with, and now he didn’t know what to say. The words stuck in his throat, and he didn’t know how to express them.
“If you have something to say, say it. If not, move aside and don’t block the way!”
Cai Qing shouted angrily. After stammering for so long, she couldn’t get a single word out. Her good temper was also disappearing, with little left.
“I have something to say…” Lu Shi managed to utter a few words with difficulty. He rubbed the back of his head, and with a look of embarrassment, took a delicate pink box from his sleeve and quickly stuffed it into Cai Qing’s hand.
“I was wrong about what happened before. This… this is as an apology. Since you… since you’ve accepted the gift, then this matter is over. I’ll be going back now!”
With that, without waiting for Cai Qing to respond, Lu Shi hastily got off the carriage and disappeared in a flash.
Cai Qing looked at the box in her hand. Lu Shi was nowhere in sight…
What a blockhead, he can’t even speak properly, truly clumsy.
Inside the pink box in her hand, a pair of exquisite red agate earrings lay quietly.
At a glance, one could tell these earrings were not cheap. With Lu Shi’s meager salary, how much would be left after buying these earrings? In an instant, the earrings felt as heavy as ten thousand catties in her hand.
…
“Why have you brought me to the Prince Jing’s residence? Are we going home?”
Feng Jin frowned slightly as she looked at the three large characters ‘Prince Jing’s Residence’ on the plaque, asking the man who had brought her there. What was the purpose of bringing her to the Prince Jing’s residence?
“There are some matters to attend to, and it happened to be on the way, saving a trip and time.”
Ling Mo Han dismounted and helped Feng Jin down from the horse. The two, hand in hand, walked into the Prince Jing’s residence.
As soon as they entered the front hall, Lin Yu Wei’s figure appeared. She walked towards Feng Jin with a smile, directly ignoring Ling Mo Han who was blocking her way, and grabbed Feng Jin’s hand. “Sister Feng Jin, why have you come at this hour? You should have said something earlier so I could prepare. Otherwise, why don’t you stay for dinner tonight, and we can chat together.”
Feng Jin glanced at Ling Mo Han behind her. She was here to accompany him, and primarily needed to hear Ling Mo Han’s opinion.
Leaning in and whispering into Lin Yu Wei’s ear, Feng Jin said softly, “Ling Mo Han brought me here. He must have business with Prince Jing. I’m not sure when we’ll leave…”
“It’s alright, I’ll speak for you.” Lin Yu Wei’s eyes twinkled with a smile. She turned to Ling Mo Han behind her and said with a smile, “General Ling, could you allow Sister Feng Jin to stay a while longer so we can chat?”
Ling Mo Han nodded faintly in agreement, then went to Chu Chen Yi’s study as if he were familiar with the place.
When he arrived, the study was empty. However, a calligraphy piece on the desk caught his eye. As soon as he picked it up, the door behind him was pushed open from the outside.
“Why have you come during the day? Aren’t you afraid of being discovered?”
Normally, he would visit late at night. It was strange that he had come during the day.
“Today, they are too preoccupied to monitor you, and Feng Jin has come along, providing a pretext. You look travel-worn, where have you returned from?”
Ling Mo Han’s gaze remained fixed on the calligraphy in his hand, never once looking directly at Chu Chen Yi.
“When you speak to me, can you look at me? Must you always look at this piece of calligraphy?”
This feeling of being ignored was truly unpleasant. He felt as if Ling Mo Han was speaking to the calligraphy, making him feel uncomfortable all over.
He reached out and snatched the calligraphy away, tossing it onto the desk nearby.
“What are you doing now? You’re like a common shrew at the marketplace, quibbling over trivial matters.”
Ling Mo Han glanced at Chu Chen Yi with disdain. How could he achieve great things if he was so petty about such minor matters?
“How is the investigation into the matter I entrusted to you? Any leads?”
“Your so-called mother-in-law is indeed a spy from Xi Liang. However, she has not done anything while lying low in Dong Chu all these years. It was only when Bai Li Xi arrived in Xi Liang that she took action, aiming for the map of good border troop deployments in Feng Yuan Ping’s hands. It’s a pity she didn’t get the items before her life was extinguished.”
“Currently, the most lively place is the Third Prince’s residence. They are holding a wedding and a funeral together. Feng Ruo Yan is crying her heart out, begging Chu Yan Xi to bring Sun Shi justice and to find the murderer of Sun Shi. You must be careful and clean up your act so as not to reveal any clues, otherwise, this King cannot protect you.”
He had just returned from watching the spectacle at the Third Prince’s residence. He had to say, such a dramatic event was a rare occurrence in many years, and he had encountered it today.
“Shouldn’t the Princess Consort be the one to do this? You, a man, showing your face and doing such things, what excitement are you watching? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Even for such matters, he, a grown man, went, not only without shame but even as a source of pride. Truly shameless!