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墨書 Inktalez
The Third Young Master has run away from home.
When I heard this from Yun Ying, my mind went blank.
...
Brother Three's face turned slightly red. "I mean, it's good to take a stroll around the residence. This huge Prime Minister's Residence, neither of us has had the chance to explore it properly together."
"Firefly, I heard you were ill a while ago. Are you feeling better now?"
...
Brother Three asked incredulously, his tone filled with urgency. "Father, Sister Four, how can Sister Four go?"
"Firefly, let's escape. No matter what, we can't let you go to that place that devours people."
Brother Three paused in his steps, looking down with a sense of grievance. "Then all... but not including Firefly... what's the point? It would be better to—"
...
All memories of Brother Three surged back at once, causing my head to throb painfully. I clutched my head in agony, biting my lip hard to stifle any sound. So it turns out, that day he insisted on leaving alone...
He looked at her with a sense of grievance and softly said it would be better to...
I remembered how he often took me to the Red Lattice Flowers later on. Every time that dark-eyed Su Xunnan would make things difficult for me repeatedly. Whenever those handsome young men teamed up to bully me, Brother Three would urgently grasp my hand and firmly say, "I won't allow you to bully Firefly; she is my treasure for this lifetime."
That foolish Brother Three, why was he so stubborn?
In truth, I didn't need Yun Ying to say anything; I already knew that Brother Three's departure meant he would retreat to Dongshan from now on, spending his days wandering the mountains with literary figures like Wang Xizhi and Zhi Zhun Monk, composing poetry and painting, living a leisurely hermit's life. History clearly stated that he did not wish to rely on his family's reputation to enter the officialdom after coming of age and looked down upon stepping into the complicated Eastern Jin political scene! Why, why was it like this today—
In history, there is a famous saying, "There Are Wise Ministers in the East," and among them is the renowned Xie An, Mr. Anshi.
Even though I know, I would rather pretend to be oblivious. I do not want to view anyone around me with the knowing gaze that sees their fate. Just as I have always known Huan Wen's future, and even the fate of the entire Eastern Jin Dynasty, so what? I am merely an extraneous person, not belonging here at all; how could I fantasize about changing anything? I just need to learn to accept everything lightly one day and calmly observe those historical events as they unfold. I am powerless to change anything.
I know that five days ago was Brother Three's coming-of-age ceremony. His resolute demeanor awakened me, making me stop dreaming. It made me realize that history is always history and has not changed because of my abrupt appearance.
As for the later story, I do not understand why Brother Three and Huan Wen went from being friends to enemies. How could that be something I could attempt to change? Even though I do not want to face reality, it is better to be a cowardly ostrich than to constantly recall their matters—
Just like every time before I sleep, I remind myself that you are Fourth Miss Xie, Xie Weiying, not the An Jin who lives for herself.
Yet deep down, there still lingers a fantasy about An Jin, which is why that boy named An Jin appears before the world in a mysterious manner. Who knows that this is merely my last remaining dream to fulfill… I am just afraid that one day, I will forget that I am An Jin. I am just afraid that I will truly become the complete Xie Weiying—
"Miss, are you alright? Third Young Master will definitely be fine; you don't need to worry..."
"Yun Ying," I waved my hand, "please go out and let me be alone for a while. I just happen to want to sleep." I curled up in the warm brocade quilt, praying for that remaining bit of warmth.
"Miss—" Yun Ying said with concern.
I smiled at her, "Don't worry; I'm fine, really fine." Isn't this the best? Brother Three's departure is simply his necessary path toward becoming a wise minister in the future. He will live there happily and purely without any secular interference; this is best for him. Why should I fret over him—
Everything will be alright; everything will be fine.
After a beautiful sleep, waking up brings another wonderful day.
I do not know when Little White returned, jumping onto my brocade bed and gently nudging my face with its head. I held it tightly; sleep now, sleep.
The next day, I surprisingly woke up very early and reviewed what Old Buddy had taught me in the courtyard. When did it start that instead of mischievously calling him Demon Child, I affectionately called him Old Buddy? Was it because he carried a warmth belonging to my father?
Undeniably, the balance of feelings had gradually tilted under his unconditional affection day after day. Though shy to admit it, I cannot deceive myself; he is both a good teacher and friend to me and a reliable family member.
If he comes back and can't find me, will he be sad? And if he finds me, a mere speck among the countless imperial women, will he be disappointed?
Will he still look at me with the same indulgence as before, sighing lightly at my lack of ambition?
I can imagine him angrily shouting at me, "How can the disciple of Master Sang Qin from the number one estate in the world come here to shrink away and fight over a man like some desperate woman? That would be such a disgrace! Make sure you don’t tell anyone you’re my disciple..."
After finishing my training, I felt refreshed. Back in my room, Yun Ying had already prepared warm water for me to wash my face. I quickly splashed some on and changed into simple clothes, rolling up my sleeves as I rushed to the kitchen. Yesterday, I had agreed with Yun Ying that we would make dumplings today.
Although my treatment here could be described as that of an abandoned imperial concubine, there were no eunuchs or palace maids serving me. There used to be some, but after Wang Dieyi's spoiled antics in bed, the few servants I had were reassigned. The emperor was generous to his favored concubines but claimed there weren't enough skilled servants in my palace.
However, this also spared me from dealing with those sycophantic little people. Yun Ying had stood up for me for a few days, but seeing that I didn't care much about it, she gradually forgot.
As for my life here, it was well arranged. Qiqi Butler, who operated in the business world like a bottomless pit, naturally had his ways of providing me with everything I wanted, discreetly transporting items from outside the palace without anyone noticing. I wondered how many people he had bribed within these palace walls. Ah, let him continue to strive as a thousand-mile horse; all I need to do is sit back and enjoy.
I trusted him completely.
After enjoying delicious dumplings, I planned to disguise myself and Yun Ying as inconspicuous servants during the quiet midday hours to stroll through the Imperial Garden. A walk aids digestion—a truth that holds in both modern and ancient times. At this hour, those beauty-loving concubines wouldn’t venture out to sunbathe; they usually took their naps around now.
The Imperial Garden was astonishingly beautiful. Even the Queen Mother in heaven might only dream of such a place. It was truly breathtaking; no wonder ancient texts mention emperors frequently visiting the Imperial Garden. This ancient garden was indeed a celestial paradise.
With lush green leaves swaying gently, falling petals fluttering down, colorful butterflies dancing about, and fragrant flowers filling the air—despite it being late autumn, the southern climate delayed its arrival. With thousands of gardeners tending to it daily, there was no hint of decay.
The enchanting peonies gathered in clusters, unmatched roses blooming vibrantly, toxic yet alluring Nerium Oleander, radiant peach blossoms, and splendid white cherry blossoms—all competing for beauty. Wandering among them felt almost otherworldly; it was truly a realm apart from mortal life.
This is royalty—the residence of the most authoritative and highest-ranking emperor of this era.
In the garden, I danced joyfully like a fluttering butterfly, running freely. If it weren't for the worry of nearby eunuchs overhearing us, I would have laughed out loud in a joyful melody.
At this moment, I felt so happy—truly happy—I told myself in my heart.
On the way back, I encountered many bustling eunuchs and palace maids, hurrying to and fro. I wondered what they were so tirelessly engaged in; was there really that much to do in such a dull place?
Lost in my thoughts, I was suddenly nudged by Yun Ying with her elbow. Confused, I looked at her, only to see her lowering her head and gesturing with her eyes for me to look ahead. I turned my head and saw a steward-level Eunuch frowning at us, pointing his finger. “Hey, you two come here. Really, where has everyone gone today? Can we afford to delay matters concerning Consort Wang? You two follow me; the Imperial Concubine's Persian cat has climbed up a tree. You need to help me bring it down.”
Yun Ying seemed about to say something, but I subtly shook my head at her and respectfully followed the Eunuch with my head lowered.
After walking for a while, he suddenly remembered to ask us, “Which palace are you from?”
I signaled for Yun Ying not to speak and stepped forward with a flattering smile, lowering my voice as I respectfully replied, “Replying to the esteemed Eunuch, Servant is from Xiao Tiao Palace, doing odd jobs.”
His brows furrowed slightly at that but he didn’t say much more and continued walking.
We managed to avoid any mishaps along the way until we reached the tree he mentioned. He pretended to set up a ladder and easily climbed up to retrieve the large golden-furred cat. Guess what I saw behind the lush branches? Little White was smugly flirting with me, grinning as if it were my imagination that it winked at me in a mischievous manner. I nearly lost my temper and rushed over to give it a good smack on its backside in Jiu Nian Xuan.
Could it be that this little rascal had lured the precious little Persian up there for some romantic rendezvous, only to overlook its astonishing weight? Now it couldn’t get down! In the midst of this chaos, a passing eunuch searching for the precious little lady spotted them and hurriedly sought help. After all, this was Consort Wang’s beloved pet! How could it be toyed with like this? I glared fiercely at it; if it understood, it should be ashamed to death. Yet there it lay lazily on the rooftop, watching me as if enjoying the show of how a beauty rescues a cat.
Seeing that I successfully saved the little Persian, it suddenly sprang up and vanished without a trace.
Hmph! It may have escaped today, but it won't escape my wrath later. Just wait until we return to Jiu Nian Xuan. I thought angrily.
I smiled as if I had found a gold brick while carefully handing the little Persian over to the steward.
He smiled back as expected, his old face creased with lines. I continued to smile awkwardly, avoiding looking directly at him.
He praised us a few times before taking the cat back to his master for a reward. He didn’t even consider who had brought that fat girl down.
After sending him off respectfully, we continued on our way. One step, two steps; just three more turns and two archways until we reached Jiu Nian Xuan. However, my joy didn’t last long before another devilish voice rang out behind us—
“Hey, you two in front—”
Lowering my head, I walked quickly, pretending not to see—
"You two—" The eunuch in the Deep Robe rushed over, grabbing the sleeves of both me and Yun Ying, panting heavily.
"Did the Master call for us?" I took a deep breath, feigning surprise as I pointed to my own nose and asked.
He clutched his stomach and, without a second thought, threw all the books he was holding at me and Yun Ying while running. "These are the books His Highness needs. There's no time to waste! Hurry to Jingmen Hall! I can't hold it anymore; I need to use the restroom—" And he was gone.
I stood there, holding the books in a daze. Receiving Yun Ying's disdainful gaze, it felt as if she was saying, "Look at you, Miss. Your clever hands have turned us into Servants. We've been ordered around multiple times on this short journey."
"Miss, it seems we resemble those Servants even more than they do. Thanks to your guidance, Yun Ying has developed such talent today."
I rolled my eyes in an unladylike manner. Isn't this just proof that my disguise skills are excellent? And yet, she talks so much.
Sighing, I decided to deliver the books anyway. If I had known that the difficult and arrogant Sponsor would be so hard to please, I certainly wouldn't have been so enamored with the beauty of the Imperial Garden.
Indeed, lust is a double-edged sword.
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