Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде

Глава 26

I covered my mouth, and tears streamed down my face. My aunts' final expressions seemed to be filled with pain; their features were distorted. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. I couldn't believe that the person lying on the cold, deformed ground was my dear aunt. I couldn't believe they had been poisoned.

Poisoning? How could someone be poisoned for no reason?

"Master, do you think they have ordinary food poisoning or were they poisoned by someone?" I asked Jiang Ming, who was watching from the side.

Jiang Ming examined it carefully and said, "Such a potent poison must have been deliberately administered. The authorities have known about it for a long time, but the person who poisoned it has not yet been found."

I couldn't help but tremble. Zi Nuo, who was next to me, noticed and quickly hugged me. He himself was also trembling slightly.

Who wants to harm them? Is it because of our relationship with my aunt or because of the Wu family?

Regardless of who caused it, someone will always be implicated.

If Zinuo and the others hadn't come back late, would I have lost Zinuo too? Should I be grateful?

"Zinuo, I'm sorry..." I hugged Zinuo and whispered, "You almost..."

Zinuo shook his head and hugged me even tighter; he was probably even more scared inside...

After the constables finished cleaning up, they carried away the bodies of my aunt and the others, saying they needed to examine them further. Zinuo and I watched as the white sheet, occasionally fluttering in the wind, disappeared from our sight. I never imagined that this would be how I saw my aunt for the last time, while she herself didn't see me.

The crowd had already dispersed, and Jiang Ming asked me what to do next.

"Can Zinuo come to the Prince's Mansion with me?" I asked. No matter what, I must keep Zinuo by my side and take care of him from now on. He is the only family I have left.

"Let's take it back and ask," Jiang Ming said.

We greeted Chunming and his father, exchanged words of comfort, and then went to Aunt's room to pack up Aunt and Zinuo's things. After packing, we left Chunming's house.

After we came out, we went back to the little courtyard where we used to stay. Some new houses had been built in that alley, but the one we stayed in was still a charred ruin, with some new weeds stubbornly sprouting from the rubble. I walked around the yard, and the flowers I planted last year had long since withered, which made me feel a chill in my heart.

"This is the happiest place I've ever been," I said, tears welling in my eyes. Zi Nuo, who was following behind me, gently took my hand.

“After this place was burned down, we took refuge at Aunt Wu’s house, and then I sold myself to the Prince’s Mansion,” I told Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming said, "If you're feeling sad, just leave." With that, he took my hand and Zinuo's and walked out.

Think about the days I've spent here, isn't it miserable? I was kicked out of my home by my father, and when I finally had a happy little home, it was burned down by a fire. I had a place to stay temporarily, but then my aunt died a violent death.

Is it tragic?

Fortunately, after being kicked out by my father, I was taken care of by the carriage driver along the way. After the fire, Aunt Wu kindly took me in. Now, Zinuo and I are all alone, but Jiang Ming is there to take care of us.

My aunt is gone, my brother is gone, but there are always warm-hearted people in my life.

I am not entirely without anything. At least I have Zinuo, Jiang Ming, Song Zhixuan, Lin Zhao, and perhaps Shen Haoyu, who has never made things difficult for me.

Back at the Prince's Mansion, Jiang Ming escorted Zinuo and me to Qiufeng Garden. He didn't go in himself, saying that I had to handle Zinuo's matter myself and that it was inconvenient for him to interfere.

That's true. Jiang Ming is just a martial arts instructor in the Prince's mansion and has no connection with the people of Qiufeng Garden. Shen Haoyu has already done me a great favor by asking him to accompany me back today, and I can't make things difficult for him.

Jiang Ming may have been with Zi Nuo when she entered the Prince's Mansion, and the gatekeeper did not stop her, but surprisingly no one stopped her when she entered Qiufeng Garden either.

"The young prince is waiting for you in the study," Da Cheng said.

So I took Zinuo to Shen Haoyu's study. It was already dark, and Shen Haoyu was reading by candlelight.

I pulled Zinuo down to kneel on the ground with me and called out, "Young Prince!"

Shen Haoyu put down his book, looked at Zi Nuo, and asked, "Is this your younger brother?"

I said respectfully, "Yes! Please take Zi Nuo in, Your Highness."

"Are you going to sell him in too?" Shen Haoyu asked with a smile.

I mustered my courage and said, "It's not about selling myself, it's about asking the young prince to take me in. Zinuo can no longer sell herself."

"What kind of logic is this? What benefit would I gain from it?"

"Lin En will serve you like a slave, at the behest of the young prince." I kowtowed to Shen Haoyu.

Shen Haoyu said "Oh" and said, "You sold yourself to the Prince's Mansion a long time ago, and you were originally meant to be at my beck and call. I don't get any extra benefit from taking in your brother."

"In any case, please, Your Highness, have a change of heart. Your Highness has taken in Lin En's younger brother. Lin En has nothing, and he can only repay Your Highness with even greater devotion." I said sincerely. I would be extremely grateful if he could keep Zi Nuo.

Zinuo and I knelt respectfully on the ground, awaiting Shen Haoyu's verdict.

After a long silence, Shen Haoyu said, "It's not difficult to let him stay here; it just means one more person to eat with. You can take him to your place first, and someone will bring you dinner later."

I thanked Shen Haoyu and took Zinuo back to my room. I knew that Zinuo could stay.

I fetched water and helped Zinuo wash up. Then I saw the bright, clear-eyed little Zinuo again. He was so real beside me, and I was filled with joy, hugging him tightly. Soon after, dinner was brought over, and Zinuo ate with gusto. Seeing him made me feel much better too. Everyone temporarily forgot about their aunt.

"Brother, can Zinuo be with you every day from now on?" Zinuo asked, tilting his little head. He was very smart; he had been calling me "brother" all day.

"Yes, Zinuo will never be alone." I said with a smile. Now that Auntie is gone, I will take care of him.

At night, Zinuo held me while I slept, refusing to fall asleep and insisting on talking to me.

"Brother, Zinuo has been waiting for this day for so long, but you never come back. I'm so afraid this is all a dream," Zinuo whispered in my arms.

"Sleep soundly, it's not a dream." I gently patted his back. He hoped being with me wasn't a dream, he hoped his aunt's death was a dream too. Between gain and loss, was such a price worth paying?

Zinuo stubbornly refused to sleep, so I had to tell him long-forgotten stories and sing nursery rhymes I had taught him before. After a long time, Zinuo finally drifted off to sleep with a satisfied smile.

I got up early in the morning. Although I was never assigned anything to do, I usually stayed by Shen Haoyu's side. He had to get up early to practice his martial arts, so there was no reason for me to stay in bed. Turning around, I saw Zinuo sleeping soundly. I smiled and walked out of the room. I still had this simple happiness by my side.

After Shen Haoyu finished practicing a set of swordsmanship, I quietly left and returned to my room. Zi Nuo had already dressed herself and was sitting obediently at the table. I felt a slight pang in my heart.