After Lan Chengyu escaped, Dugu Leng and I did not expose Aunt Li and Li Yu's crimes. If Steward Li and Li Kuan are watching from heaven, they will be satisfied with what we did.
Li Yu didn't actually know how to brew tea, but Aunt Li did. She skillfully brewed the tea three times and placed it in front of the memorial tablet, saying softly, "Let's smell the aroma of this tea again."
In that deadly aroma of tea.
Both are forms of gentleness that can kill.
Section 1 Blue Lotus
1
After settling things at the cloth shop in Yuhang, we originally planned to return to Qingfeng Town. However, Prince Yan Min of the Yan Prince's Mansion earnestly persuaded us to stay, and we couldn't refuse his hospitality, so we decided to stay at the Yan Prince's Mansion for a while. Dugu Leng was a restless person, and he went to the cloth shop every day to manage the business. I, on the other hand, enjoyed drinking tea and composing poetry with the Princess in the back garden of the mansion, and my days were quite pleasant.
I gradually became acquainted with the maids and servants in the Prince's mansion, so on sunny days I would go to the stables to feed the horses and cultivate a small plot of land to grow some pumpkins. The Princess assigned a clever maid to serve me; the girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, innocent, cute, and not shy at all, and was particularly endearing. She was watering the vegetable garden with a ladle and said, "Miss, we have plenty of money in our mansion. The Prince said that whatever you want to eat, just have the cook make it. Why do you grow your own pumpkins?"
"Xi'er, this pumpkin isn't really meant to be eaten."
"Miss is really strange. You don't eat the pumpkin, do you just look at it? It's not as pretty as the flowers in our back garden."
“These pumpkins are meant to be carved with someone’s name, and then used to vent our anger,” I said through gritted teeth, resting my chin on my hand. “The pumpkins in your royal kitchen don’t belong to me.”
Just as Xi'er was about to reply, the smile on her face suddenly tightened, and she respectfully curtsied to the person behind me, saying, "Greetings to Your Highness."
"Xi'er, go to the kitchen and tell the cook to make some pumpkin porridge for Miss Ruyan."
"yes."
I turned around and saw Prince Yanmin holding a pot of wine with a half-smile. He sat down and filled his jade cup. I must have been looking very worried at that moment, otherwise he wouldn't have scrutinized me for so long and said, "Miss Ruyan's pumpkin is probably impossible to open even if you hit it."
“A pumpkin is a pumpkin. If it could become intelligent, it wouldn’t be a pumpkin.” I sighed and said, “We’ve been in Yuhang for quite some time. Once the Qiantang River tide recedes, we’ll go back to Qingfeng Town to see my parents.”
"I've come today to tell you that this year's Qiantang River tidal bore coincides with Consort He's visit to her family. Since entering the palace at the age of twelve, Consort He has not seen the Qiantang River tidal bore for ten years, and I'm afraid she will want to watch it herself. The Emperor's decree has arrived, instructing me to protect Consort He's safety. At that time, there will be many fish and fish mixed together, so I'm afraid I will have to trouble you, Miss, to give me some advice."
"Your Highness is such a wise man that I'm afraid Ruyan wouldn't be able to get in your way, and the Imperial Concubine is protected so meticulously. Your Highness was worried that Ruyan would be too bored, so you asked me to participate. Your Highness is truly thoughtful."
"It's such a pity that Miss is so intelligent..."
"What's a pity?"
"It's a pity that such a rare and beautiful flower as Miss has been planted in a pumpkin patch."
A fleeting, suppressed emotion flashed in Prince Yan Min's eyes. So close, the faint sandalwood scent emanating from his clothes filled the air, making one slightly dizzy. He was indeed a romantic, otherwise he wouldn't have taken such good care of his seven or eight wives and concubines. And he certainly had the looks to be romantic; his handsome, dashing appearance was the dream of countless young women. Strangely, this prince's mansion possessed a peace rarely seen in other wealthy households, something that would surely infuriate the jealous husbands vying for his affections.
However, he saw clearly the estrangement between me and Dugu Leng. I felt awkward but didn't know how to respond. Dugu Leng and I were betrothed by our parents and a matchmaker, and we had never even met before our marriage. Neither of us were the type to willingly accept being controlled, yet we resigned ourselves to our fate. We treated each other with respect, but something seemed to be missing. That passionate, intense, and tender feeling of love described in books between men and women.
“Your Highness, I accept the saying that a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, even if she is a chicken or a dog.”
“Ruyan, this isn’t like you. Your self-sacrifice makes me uneasy…” Prince Yanmin downed his wine in one gulp. I gazed at the newly sprouted buds in the vegetable garden, filled with melancholy. Suddenly, I heard light footsteps behind me, the tinkling of jade pendants. My heart tightened, and I heard Dugu Leng’s pleasant voice: “So, Your Highness and Ruyan are drinking in this vegetable garden. If it weren’t for Xi’er, I really wouldn’t know where to look for you.”
"You're back so early?" I lazily raised my eyes.
"What, have I spoiled your mood, my lady?" Dugu Leng raised an eyebrow, his eyes shimmering with a spring-like light, like a pool of water suddenly coming to life. I felt as if my heart had been violently struck, and my head spun. I had indeed fallen in love with Dugu Leng. A love so resolute, so like a moth drawn to a flame.
He is my husband.
However, he was like a cloud floating in the sky, unattainable and making people hesitate to approach him.
2
Consort He's visit home kept the Prince Yan's residence extremely busy. Consort He originally intended to stay at her parents' home, but as a noblewoman, she dared not neglect her own daughters. The decision to visit her parents' home was quite sudden, and there was no time to build a new residence, while her parents' home was rather shabby, so she moved to Prince Yan's residence instead.
Consort He's father was a rather frugal old man who was originally a schoolteacher. He and his family stayed at Prince Yan's residence, waiting for Consort He to arrive in the middle of the month for a reunion.
As the princess and I strolled in the back garden, we encountered Master He instructing his servants to carry a blue lotus screen into the house. Upon seeing it, the princess's eyes lit up, and she said, "This blue lotus is truly rare. The lotuses in our Chewan Lake are all common white and red ones. If there really are blue lotuses, we will definitely go to great lengths to pick them."
Master He stroked his beard and chuckled, “Your Highness, you may not know this, but these blue lotuses come from the Western Regions. If they were to enter the Central Plains, they would likely not be able to survive due to the change in environment. This screen has always been the Imperial Concubine’s favorite. A few days ago, she even sent someone from the palace to inquire about it, saying that she absolutely had to bring it to the Prince’s residence.”
"I see." The princess nodded and added a few flattering words, "The Imperial Concubine's hobbies are truly extraordinary."
Just then, a maidservant rushed over, the plum blossoms on her embroidered shoes seemingly drifting into the wind, bringing a refreshing fragrance. Forgetting all formalities, she whispered something in the princess's ear. The princess's expression froze for a moment, then she smiled again: "Ruyan, what a coincidence! The maids, being clumsy, broke the prince's favorite antique vase. I'll go take a look right away."
How could a mere antique vase cause the princess to turn pale? Her lie wasn't very convincing, but I couldn't be bothered to investigate further. After all, this was Prince Yan's residence, and their family affairs were not for outsiders to interfere with. I returned to my own courtyard, where Dugu Leng was chatting idly with Xi'er at the door. He was smiling broadly, without a trace of worry. I sighed to myself, feeling a chill run through my very being.
Xi'er, with her sharp eyes, spotted me and called out, "Miss, you're back! The young master was just saying why you didn't come back. I'll go prepare some snacks for you right away."
Dugu Leng sat in front of the door, dappled sunlight dancing on his brow. I suddenly felt incredibly unfamiliar with him. I had been with this man for a year and a half, and apart from his name and family background, I knew nothing about his loves or experiences. We were just companions sharing a life.
"My husband is so handsome that he must be stunned." He waved his fan with a smile on his face.
I shook my head with a wry smile and sat down facing the garden full of spring colors. A few unknown spring insects landed on the flowers, and willow catkins drifted in from outside the wall, enveloping the entire garden like a misty rain.
Where did you go this morning?
“I… went to the cloth shop…” Dugu Leng said with a frown, “I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that something is about to happen.”
"When the Imperial Concubine returns home for a visit, you can't help but feel uneasy."
"Hmm, maybe I'm overthinking it."
I asked Xi'er to fetch water to wash up and take my clothes to wash as well. She took Dugu Leng's outer garment, but a handkerchief fell out from inside. She exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, this handkerchief is so beautiful. It's embroidered with blue lotus flowers. It must be the work of Yingchun from Jinxiu Yuanyangfang."
"Oh? Why is he carrying a handkerchief?"
“It must have been bought as a gift for Miss. Miss Yingchun has a very strange temper and is obsessed with lotus flowers. Especially this blue lotus flower, she embroidered it but doesn’t sell it, she only gives it to someone who is destined to receive it.” Xi’er’s eyes rolled and she smiled mischievously. “Miss, you might as well pretend you don’t know, maybe the young master is going to give you a surprise.”
I made a shushing gesture and quietly peeked outside the door to make sure Dugu Leng hadn't noticed what we were saying inside. Then I lowered my voice and said, "Xi'er, go do your laundry first, don't say anything." I stuffed the handkerchief back into his clothes, pretending nothing had happened.
However, Dugu Leng ultimately didn't give me the handkerchief. Instead, he quietly slipped it into his pocket and hurriedly left. I followed him to an embroidery shop called Jinxiu Yuanyang Fang. A pretty woman was looking around at the shop entrance. Upon seeing Dugu Leng, she smiled charmingly and led him into the inner hall. I was at a loss for what to do and could only turn around and go back to my residence.
Wang Xiongcheng 2009-09-10 22:16
3
This pursuit seems to have become a source of anxiety, so I've decided to stay in the courtyard and not go anywhere else. Prince Yan Min has come several times, but I've had Xi'er make excuses, saying I'm resting and won't see any guests. Dugu Leng, what do you want me to do? What is it about me, Liu Ruyan, that you can't see? If you truly love another woman, I'll follow your heart and won't bother you in the slightest.
After nightfall, Dugu Leng sent someone to say that he was meeting with friends outside and would return later. I remained outwardly calm, sent Xi'er back to rest, and then changed into my night clothes and quietly left the mansion.
The Embroidered Mandarin Duck Pavilion.
A faint firelight flickered inside. I leaped up and removed a tile from the roof. There I saw a woman with nimble hands embroidering by the light. The stitches were incredibly intricate, yet fine and even, and the lotus flower bloomed vividly on the silk.
Suddenly, a very familiar female voice was heard: "Miss Yingchun's hands are truly unparalleled in the world. Just looking at the pattern, she's practically brought this lotus flower to life."
Yingchun was embroidering with extreme concentration when the woman turned around, and that familiar face startled me. It was actually the Princess Consort of Prince Yan's mansion. She paced back and forth in the room, her face full of smugness: "However, if you reveal even a single word about this matter, your head will be in danger."
“Yes, Yingchun understands.” Yingchun nodded obediently.
I accidentally stepped on a tile, and Yingchun, alert as ever, looked up and asked, "Who's up there?" I hurriedly scrambled down from the roof, wondering how Dugu Leng had managed to provoke such a woman; she seemed to have some secret deal with the Princess. Under the cover of night, I quietly slipped into the Prince's courtyard, only to be caught red-handed at the gate by Prince Yanmin. He said, "Miss Ruyan, where have you been so late?"
"Your Highness, what are you doing here so late?"
"I came to find you to admire the moon, but Xi'er said she wanted to check if you were asleep, but you were no longer in your room."
I frowned and thought for a long time. Seeing that no one was around, I grabbed Prince Yanmin's sleeve in my anxiety and said, "I have something strange to tell you."
"Ruyan, listen to me first." Prince Yanmin's gaze was exceptionally gentle under the moonlight.
"Your Highness, I..."
"Ruyan, leave him." Prince Yanmin's eyes were filled with pain. "I don't want you to grow more and more haggard like this. Why are you so persistent with a man who doesn't know how to cherish you?"
“Your Highness, it’s not that Ruyan is stubborn, but… it’s that I love him. I love him.” These three words felt like a fishbone stuck in my throat, and I instantly burst into tears.
Prince Yan Min suddenly pulled me into his arms, and it felt like I didn't have time to refuse. But I really needed a shoulder to lean on. Even though I was capable of protecting myself, I was still a woman, and I needed to be loved. This feeling of tenderness instantly gave me a sense of belonging.
Even after I got back to my room, my heart was still pounding. I felt like a fool when it came to love; I didn't know how to face it. I lay in bed for a long time until I heard the door creak open, and Dugu Leng's footsteps were unusually light. He walked to the bedside, looked me over carefully, and said, "So you're still awake."
A strange fragrance clung to Dugu Leng's clothes, refreshing and invigorating. I felt as if I had smelled it somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it. He sat on the edge of the bed, bathed in moonlight, his delicate features as soft as if they had been pulled from a spring. I reached out to touch his cheek, but he grasped my hand instead: "Ruyan, there's something I'm unsure whether I should say."
Actually, he has always been very polite to me, treating me with utmost respect, as if afraid of offending me in the slightest. I suddenly felt a void in my heart, but I still smiled and said, "Just say what you want to say. You've started to be polite to me now."
"When I came back from the backyard just now, I saw a sedan chair hurriedly leaving the mansion."
"Are you sure it's leaving the manor, and not entering it?"
“That was definitely leaving the manor, and after the sedan chair left, I found bloodstains at the gate.” Dugu Leng shook his head and said, “Perhaps I’m just overthinking it.”
If they're entering the manor, it's highly likely the Princess Consort has returned; if they're leaving, then there must be a second group of people secretly operating in the darkness. The Imperial Consort's visit home, seemingly a joyous occasion, could actually be a source of dirty deeds for some. Seeing me lost in thought, Dugu Leng flicked my forehead and laughed, "My lady, have you gotten a bit crazy from solving cases? Maybe someone in the manor is sick, so you're out looking for a doctor in the middle of the night!"
“My lord, you are mistaken. If they were sick, it would be one thing to go out to seek medical help, but if they were injured and the blood could flow outside the sedan chair, it must be no small wound. There is a doctor in the west wing of the manor, why didn’t they go directly to the doctor instead of going out to seek medical help overnight?” I sighed and said, “I still feel uneasy about it.”
Dugu Leng lifted my chin and said with a light laugh, "I can't convince you, but I don't want you to get involved in other people's family affairs. I also don't want you to suffer any more harm."
"You're implying something; you seem to know something. What do you mean by 'other people's family matters'? If someone really dies, I can't just ignore it."
"Yes, yes, my good wife is a chivalrous hero who roams the world with a sword."
"I don't believe you're completely unmoved." I looked at him with a grin. "Otherwise, you wouldn't know this is someone else's family matter. But since you put it that way, I'll listen to you for now. I believe you have your reasons."
The night was eerily quiet. I lay in bed all night, unable to sleep, just staring out the window. I had a vague feeling that something was about to erupt that night, plunging this picturesque city of Yuhang into a bloodbath.
4
I didn't fall asleep until the rooster crowed at dawn last night, and when I opened my eyes it was already noon. Xi'er drew some clean water from the well for me to wash up. The woman in the bronze mirror looked slightly pale, and the dark circles under her eyes added to her sickly appearance. Xi'er said, "Miss, the young master went out early this morning and told Xi'er not to disturb you."
"He went out again?" Before I could even sigh, Xi'er said, "Strange things happened in the manor and the city last night. Young Master found it interesting and went out with the Prince. He said that when you wake up, we'll go to Jinxiu Yuanyang Fang."
I jolted awake and looked up, all sleepiness vanishing from my mind. "Good Xi'er, come and tell me what happened."
Xi'er clicked her tongue, her face full of horror: "Miss, you don't know. Last night, Yingchun from Jinxiu Yuanyangfang died. She died in her embroidery workshop. Her body was hacked to pieces and found in the water vat inside the workshop. The government sent a coroner to piece the body together. It was terrifying."
"What strange thing happened in that mansion?"
"This morning, Master He rushed to our Prince, saying that the Imperial Concubine's most treasured blue lotus embroidered screen had disappeared. That screen is so heavy; it would take several people to lift it. And with so many people guarding the courtyard, how could it just vanish like that? I heard that the screen was also made by Miss Yingchun. And coincidentally, on the very night Miss Yingchun was murdered, all the blue lotus embroidery disappeared. It's really strange. Perhaps it's the work of a vengeful spirit."
"Good child, don't talk nonsense. There are indeed many wronged souls in this world, but the ones who cause trouble can only be the living."
“Xi’er understands. Does Miss really want to go to that embroidery shop?” Xi’er said hesitantly, “I…I…I dare not go…I didn’t even dare to keep vigil when my grandmother died.”
"Hehe, you don't need to go, I'll go myself."
I changed into a pink and white silk dress, casually fastened a jade hairpin in my hair, and went out. When I arrived at the Brocade Mandarin Duck Pavilion, I found that everyone had already left, and only two officials were guarding the entrance. I walked over to them, but they stopped me and said, "A murder has occurred here, young lady, you cannot go in."
"I……"