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墨書 Inktalez
Last time at the Yan Palace, if it weren't for Ying risking her life to protect him, he would have become a soul under the assassin's sword. She took a blow for him, injuring her shoulder, and even now she cannot lift heavy objects. He did not want her to suffer any longer, so when leaving the Yan Kingdom, he quietly brought her back with him.
What reassured him was that this girl was as considerate as ever, always knowing what he wanted most, no matter the time.
As he dressed, Ji Xun asked, "Young Master, where are you in such a hurry to go?"
"I'm going to see someone; you have met this person before. Do you remember Prince Dan of Yan?"
Ying's eyes flickered for a moment. "The person Young Master likes, I certainly remember."
How could she forget? That person who seemed like a treasure in his heart, the one he would never glance at anyone else as long as she existed—she would never forget in her lifetime. Even if she were dead, her spirit would cling to him, preventing him from finding peace for even a moment.
She said softly, "That person has been dead for a long time; why does Young Master mention her?"
"She has returned; she has come to Zhao Kingdom and is in the Six Brothers' residence. I am going to see her and bring her back." Ji Xun's expression was exceptionally gentle as he spoke, a smile he had never shown her before.
Ying couldn't help but clench her fists, a deep hatred rising within her. The scenes from that time flashed before her eyes—under the flowers and moonlight, two shadows entwined in love so intense it made onlookers grit their teeth. Now that time had passed and circumstances had changed, why did a dead person have to reappear? Why must she take away the happiness that Ying had worked so hard to obtain?
She forced a laugh. "Young Master, how can the dead come back to life?"
"The dead can indeed come back to life." Ji Xun laughed joyfully, his left hand tightening around the jade pendant at his chest, which felt warm, seemingly resonating with his current mood.
Every time he thought of Yan Dan, this jade would feel warm, making him increasingly believe that its special spiritual power had allowed her to be reborn.
Not long ago on his way back to Zhao Kingdom, he encountered a Yin-Yang Master who immediately told him that he was entangled with some unclean entity and that he must have made an exchange agreement with it. He didn't understand what that meant and initially thought the man was trying to swindle him. In this era, various masters emerged everywhere—Taoists, Legalists, Confucians, and Yin-Yang Masters who made a living through feng shui and fortune-telling. But he had never been interested in such people and hurriedly sent him away. As the man left, he warned him: "If you do not dissolve the agreement, you will not live beyond three years."
At that time, he didn't think much of it, but later he realized that what he said made sense. If the agreement hadn't been reached, Yan Dan wouldn't have come back. However, when he tried to find that person again, he couldn't. Eventually, he put the matter out of his mind, and now that he could see her, nothing seemed frightening anymore.
After getting dressed, he turned to leave and said to Ying, "I'll tell you about this later. For now, prepare some of her favorite foods and wait."
"Understood."
As Ji Xun stepped outside, he saw Zhong Yi rushing over. "Young Master, the King has issued a decree for you to enter the palace and meet with him."
Ji Xun hesitated. It seemed that he was fated to be connected yet disconnected from Yan Dan; they had missed each other several times before. He was very afraid—afraid of missing this chance again, not knowing when he would see her next.
Ying stepped forward and smiled. "Young Master need not worry. Why don't I go and bring her here? I am somewhat familiar with her, so this task should be manageable."
Ji Xun thought about it and nodded. He whispered a couple of things to her and then said to Zhong Yi, "Follow Ying and make sure to bring that person back." With that, he hurried into the palace.
His father rarely summoned him easily; if someone was sent to deliver a message this time, it must be for an important matter.
Once he left, Zhong Yi asked Ying, "Who is the person His Highness wants to bring back?"
Ying sneered. "That's something you don't need to know."
Zhong Yi felt uncomfortable. This girl relied on the Young Master's favor and looked down on all the warriors in the residence. Not only the warriors but everyone in this place was being bossed around by her; she had clearly become the mistress of the Young Master's household.
He felt resentful but couldn't do anything about it. Was he really going to complain about a woman in front of the Young Master?
The Nightingale was not in a hurry to leave; instead, she went inside to change into a luxurious outfit, applying a lot of makeup on her face and adorning herself with heavy gold and silver accessories.
Zhong Yi pouted, thinking that dressed like this, one might mistakenly believe she was going on a blind date.
As the two of them got into the carriage and set off, the Nightingale remained deep in thought, and it was unclear what was on her mind.
When they arrived at Master Ji Yan's gate, she suddenly said, "Wait here for me; I'll be back soon."
He was puzzled. "The master asked me to follow you."
"I don't need you anymore." She suddenly shouted, startling Zhong Yi. Looking at this girl with a gentle appearance, he didn't expect her to have such a bad temper.
If she didn't want him to go, then he wouldn't. He couldn't be bothered to argue with her and replied, "I'll wait for you."
The Nightingale turned and entered the residence. She had been frequently coming and going with the master lately, so no one stopped her as she easily walked inside.
The master could possibly be called San Chun now; she just needed to find someone named San Chun.
Early in the morning, San Chun had breakfast and was studying embroidery threads with the Embroideress in the Embroiderer's Workshop. Yesterday, she had mixed the colors using a special fuel combined with some herbs and alum, dyeing it into a vibrant yellow that was perfect for embroidering flower centers. Besides her minimal medical knowledge, she also understood quite a bit about the properties of certain herbs from Qing, along with the dyeing techniques learned from Ying, which resulted in an efficient outcome. After staying up all night working, her arms felt sore and her eyes were aching.
She rubbed her eyes and said to several Embroideresses, "You all continue with the embroidery; I'm going to take a short nap."
One Embroideress replied, "Spring, go ahead; anyway, there's just a little left to finish this garment."
San Chun nodded and yawned as she stepped out the door.
As soon as she stepped outside, she noticed a woman standing in the courtyard, dressed in noble attire, wearing a rather expensive red hairpin. She was very beautiful, delicate, and had a somewhat fragile demeanor.
She glanced over but didn't pay much attention; Handan produced many beautiful women.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard the woman call out, “Yan Dan.”
In her life, she had been called many names; San Chun was often summoned by various titles, but very few dared to call her Yan Dan to her face. Even in the State of Chu, those young masters would address her as Crown Prince Dan, especially since the one daring to call her that was a Girl.
Stunned for a moment, she turned to look at the woman again and saw her staring at her with a fierce expression.
“Don't you recognize me? Right, how could you possibly recognize me? I'm just a maid.”
She let out a soft “oh,” thinking that this might be Ying.
Ying was the maid who had always followed Ji Xun. Ji Xun often referred to her not as his maid but as his sister, treating her like family. It was only because of her unusually lavish attire that San Chun couldn't recognize her at first.
Not wanting to acknowledge her, she said, “Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else.”
“No mistake; it’s definitely you, Young Master.”
San Chun was taken aback. “Did Ji Xun send you?”
"Yes."
"Does he know I'm here?"
"Yes."
She thought about it; that day she brewed tea, he should have tasted it.
"What did he ask you to do?"
"The young master wants you to go back to Yan Country. He doesn't want to see you; staying here will only bring him trouble."
San Chun scoffed, thinking such words would fool no one, not even a ghost. She knew Ji Xun too well; he would never say that.
The nightingale curled her lips. "You don't believe me?"
"Why should I believe you?" San Chun snorted. "But what about you? Do you hate me?"
She hissed, "Why wouldn't I hate you? Wherever you are, he never pays attention to me." As she spoke, her face tightened, and her expression looked quite terrifying.
San Chun really didn't want to be too harsh, but it was difficult to sound pleasant when facing someone who looked at her with hatred.
She said, "You're just a maid."
"Not anymore. I saved the Young Master, and the King has already appointed me as the Young Master's Concubine. Just look at my attire; isn't it obvious?" Ying deliberately twirled around her a couple of times, showcasing her splendid outfit. Then, with a smile, she began to recount how she and Ji Xun enjoyed their intimate moments together, how gentle he was with her, and even the marks on his body that she knew all too well, intentionally sharing the details with San Chun.
"Do you know how gentle his hands are? He even praised my well-developed figure."
"He said my skin is as delicate as jade."
"He enjoys being with me... very much..."
As San Chun listened, her cheeks faintly flushed with a hint of red, unsure if it was from embarrassment or anger. Initially skeptical, she found it hard to believe how detailed Ying was; after all, which unmarried girl could be so knowledgeable about matters between men and women? Moreover, Ying seemed to know every little detail about Ji Xun, many of which even she was unaware.
What San Chun didn't realize was that Ying had been serving Ji Xun closely, even accompanying him during baths, making her naturally well-acquainted with his features. As for those indecent moments, having spent two years in Yan Palace, how could she not have witnessed the affairs between nobles and women? Some nobles even indulged with palace maids while asking her to serve them.
San Chun felt a sudden shock in her mind; Ji Xun had taken a concubine. Although a concubine is not a wife, given her understanding of Ji Xun's dedication and cleanliness regarding emotions, he wouldn't casually take a concubine. The thought of this woman being so graceful and alluring made her feelings quite complicated.
Ying noticed her unusual reaction and secretly smirked. Those in higher positions often had strong self-esteem; they looked down on servants like her but were oblivious to the fact that the lower-ranked often acted without regard for face. What did it matter if she spoke nonsense? Eventually, she would become Ji Xun's wife or concubine, making him belong solely to her.
Since she was capable of scheming against her back then, she was determined to go all out now.
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