After the autumn rain, the sky began to clear, and the grand drama had just come to an end. The flower hall had returned to tranquility, with only rainwater dripping from the eaves, like a transparent curtain of rain hanging there.
Concubine Cai emerged from behind this rain curtain and suddenly saw a figure flash by the wall. Startled, she quickly rushed over to grab the person, hissing in a low voice, “What are you doing here!”
Xiao Zhixuan raised her tear-filled eyes, staring fixedly at Concubine Cai. Her dark pupils held disappointment, anger, and deep, concentrated grief. Concubine Cai felt her heart skip a beat under that gaze and couldn’t help but lower her head to avoid those sharp eyes.
Xiao Zhixuan spoke coldly, “I finally understand why you had me stay in my room today to help you copy books—you were afraid I’d discover your shameful deeds! You… why did you…”
Before she could finish, Concubine Cai covered her mouth with one hand, saying in a trembling voice, “If you want your mother to die, go ahead and shout all you want. Don’t you know who I did this for?”
Xiao Zhixuan’s eyes showed a struggling expression. She gripped Concubine Cai’s arm tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. Various emotions flickered through her eyes before she finally softened and resignedly let Concubine Cai pull her into the room.
Concubine Cai dismissed all the maids from the doorway and slammed the door shut before turning around urgently, “Xuan’er, listen to my explanation. Mother has her difficulties.”
Xiao Zhixuan was both angry and pained, staring at Concubine Cai like a stranger, her voice sharp and mournful, “What kind of difficulties would make you poison Elder Brother and frame Sister-in-law!”
Concubine Cai’s expression changed. “So this is how you see your mother?” She laughed self-mockingly, “Your elder brother is such a formidable person—do you think I have the ability to poison him?”
Xiao Zhixuan was momentarily stunned. In her rage, she hadn’t considered this point, and now felt somewhat shaken. But she quickly gathered her thoughts and coldly questioned, “Even if Elder Brother’s poisoning has nothing to do with you, what about Sister-in-law? You tampered with that sachet, didn’t you? I asked Gui He, and she said that after you returned to your room, you shut yourself in alone for a while, then went to the Princess’s courtyard by yourself without letting any maids follow. Later, Sister-in-law was summoned. Do you dare say this has nothing to do with you?”
Concubine Cai sighed, her gaze somewhat evasive, “Xuan’er, I told you not to interfere in this matter and to just let Mother handle it. Why won’t you listen?”
This was tantamount to an admission. Xiao Zhixuan was too angry to speak, only glaring at her furiously. Concubine Cai met her gaze for a long time, her face showing a desolate expression, “This matter is far more complicated than you imagine. In any case, now that the Marquis is unconscious and Madam can barely protect herself, no one will know about our affairs. When the household restrictions are lifted, I’ll find a way to leave. Without me, this mother covered in stains, you can peacefully be the young lady of the Marquis’s household. Your elder brother and father have always doted on you since childhood, so they certainly won’t make things too difficult for you.”
Xiao Zhixuan was stunned by her words, momentarily forgetting her previous anger, and asked in a trembling voice, “Mother, are you going to leave me?”
Concubine Cai felt sour in her heart and wanted to reach out to embrace her, but Xiao Zhixuan suddenly stepped back and stubbornly turned her head away. Concubine Cai had no choice but to withdraw her hand helplessly and tidy her hair, “Mother is reluctant to leave you too, but if it comes to the worst, leaving would be the best strategy. However, before I go, I won’t let that person have an easy time either. Now the waters in the household are murky, so perhaps if we struggle a bit, things might still turn around.”
Xiao Zhixuan stumbled backward and collapsed onto the kang, tears flowing continuously, feeling helpless and lost. She buried her head in her arms and cried for a long time before looking up and murmuring, “But what about Sister-in-law? She can’t be wronged like this.”
Concubine Cai shook her head, “Foolish child, when we can barely protect ourselves, why do you still care about her? Do you think she had no knowledge of that matter when your elder brother tested you? Have you forgotten how you offended her before? If she gains power in the future and becomes the mistress of the household, won’t your position in the household be even more difficult?”
Xiao Zhixuan shook her head frantically with red eyes, “No, Sister-in-law isn’t that kind of person. Mother, I beg you, save Sister-in-law. If this accusation is confirmed, Sister-in-law will die!”
Concubine Cai’s face turned cold, “If we want to save her, I would have to step forward and admit that I tampered with it. Do you think Mother would still be alive then?” She closed her eyes sadly, “Between Mother and her, you choose one!”
Xiao Zhixuan’s eyes showed despair as she buried her head in pain, not knowing what to do for a moment…
The next morning, Luo Yuan brushed the dew from his clothes and stepped out of his home, preparing to go to the Hanlin Academy for morning attendance when he suddenly saw a familiar figure rushing toward him from the side.
When he saw who it was, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Third Miss, how are you here!”
Xiao Zhixuan’s clothes were covered in mud, her hair disheveled, and her eyes swollen from crying. She said to him mournfully, “Scholar Luo, you must save Sister-in-law!”
Luo Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned around calmly, “The domestic affairs of the Marquis’s household have nothing to do with Luo. I’m no longer a teacher at the Marquis’s household, so why should Third Miss come looking for me? It’s cold and dewy here—be careful not to harm your health. Third Miss should return quickly.”
Xiao Zhixuan kept shaking her head, “Scholar Luo, I know I was wrong before, and I know that you and Sister-in-law could never have had any improper relationship! But now the situation is critical, and only you can save her. Please, you must help her!” After speaking, she walked to Luo Yuan’s side and quietly told him about how Xiao Du was poisoned and how Yuanxi was framed, though she deliberately omitted the real culprit, only saying that villains were working behind the scenes, hoping he could give Yuanxi an idea to escape her predicament.
Luo Yuan felt sweat form in his palms as he listened, but looked at her suspiciously, “With such a major incident happening, how did Third Miss manage to get out?”
Xiao Zhixuan was stunned, knowing he still didn’t trust her. Her face immediately turned bright red as she said, “I’m very familiar with all the terrain in the household. Today I… crawled out through a dog hole!” As a young lady of the Marquis’s household, speaking of such embarrassing matters made her face burn with shame, and she didn’t dare look up at him.
Luo Yuan pondered for a long time, then sighed deeply, “I truly sympathize with Madam Xiao’s plight and understand that Third Miss is anxious to save her sister-in-law, but there’s really nothing Luo can do. Please return, Third Miss.” With that, he walked straight past her, preparing to move forward.
Xiao Zhixuan became desperate and, caring about nothing else, grabbed his arm, “In the end, Scholar Luo still doesn’t believe me, right! I, Xiao Zhixuan, swear that I’ve come only to save Sister-in-law. If I have even the slightest other intention, may I be cursed to have mouth sores tomorrow and die from a perforated stomach!”
Luo Yuan turned back to look at the determined expression on her still-childish face, his gaze gradually becoming complex. After a while, he said, “Do you truly want to save your sister-in-law?”
Xiao Zhixuan quickly nodded, pleading, “Please, Scholar Luo, you must help me.”
Luo Yuan withdrew his gaze and said slowly, “Then deliver a message to Madam for me. Whether in favorable or adverse circumstances, as long as she remembers her original intention, she won’t be trapped. I once taught her a poem: ‘The Yao yellow peony has the purity of celestial beings; buried in manure, its spirit remains unyielding.’ If she can comprehend this principle, she’ll naturally find a bright path through the fog.”
Xiao Zhixuan frowned in confusion, completely bewildered. While she was still dazed, Luo Yuan suddenly emphasized, “Third Miss, have you remembered clearly? Let me repeat it once more—remember to relay it to Madam word for word.”
Xiao Zhixuan snapped back to attention, seeming to finally understand something, and quickly nodded excitedly while carefully memorizing it. Sunlight slowly emerged from the clouds, gradually lengthening the shadows of the two figures at the door.
“The Yao yellow peony has the purity of celestial beings; buried in manure, its spirit remains unyielding.” Yuanxi silently recited this once in her heart, then looked at Xiao Zhixuan sitting before her in disheveled condition but with eyes bright with excitement, feeling quite puzzled herself.
Xiao Zhixuan, afraid that she wouldn’t believe her, hastily swore oaths and made vows, almost crying from anxiety, “Scholar Luo really said exactly this, and told me to remember it well, saying that as long as you comprehend it properly, you’ll definitely understand. Sister-in-law, you must believe me!”
Seeing her in such a state, Yuanxi understood that this time she was truly sincere, and felt moved. Moreover, this poem was indeed one that Young Master had once taught her, and she vaguely remembered it seemed to be about peonies.
Her gaze slowly moved toward the window, and she suddenly realized something, remembering that Xiao Du had once said, “Next spring, yellow peonies will bloom outside your window,” and “If I’m not here, let these flowers keep you company instead.”
Yao yellow, peonies, manure… could it mean that something was buried under those yellow peonies? Yuanxi suddenly clenched her hands tightly, her heart racing wildly. But why would Young Master know about this? And why would he tell her through Xiao Zhixuan?
Her heart was in turmoil, yet she was also full of doubts, unable to make a decision for the moment. At this time, seeing her strange expression, Xiao Zhixuan quickly asked, “Sister-in-law, have you remembered something?”
Yuanxi looked back at her, hesitated for a while, then forced a smile, “Not yet. I probably need to look through some books and think more. You’ve worked hard today—go back to your room to change clothes and rest. If I have any leads, I’ll have An’he notify you.”
Xiao Zhixuan also understood that her current appearance must be quite disheveled. Since she had been eager to bring the message to Yuanxi, she nodded, held her hand and said many comforting words before reluctantly leaving.
Yuanxi watched her figure disappear from the window, then quickly called for Nanny Li and An’he, “Go quickly to that ‘Delicate Yellow’ peony that the Marquis planted with his own hands and dig around it to see if anything is buried there.”
After a moment’s thought, she called them back, “Wait, wait until evening when no one is around, then go. Be very careful not to be discovered.”
Late at night, two figures appeared under the ginkgo tree in the courtyard. They carefully turned the soil with a small spade, trying not to touch the flower roots. Fortunately, after digging for only a short while, they struck something hard. Joy appeared on both their faces as they carefully excavated the object with their hands. Upon close examination, it turned out to be a thumb ring carved with snake patterns, gleaming faintly silver in the moonlight.