Three months later.
A young woman dressed in a pale green palace gown walked unhurriedly to the palace gates and presented her exit token to the guards on duty: “I am Ling Jingshu, attendant to Noble Consort Xian. I have been sent out of the palace today on Her Ladyship’s orders.”
The guard on duty checked the token before opening the palace gates.
The heavy, solid palace doors swung slowly open, and brilliant sunlight fell across the young woman’s fair, rosy cheeks. Her eyes shone like a sky full of stars — a beauty that struck the heart. The guards on duty appeared to be staring straight ahead, yet every one of them had the corners of their eyes fixed on her.
Behind the young woman walked two more palace maids in their court attire. One was tall and slender, with a plain and unremarkable face. The other was fair-skinned and delicately featured, her face brimming with excitement.
This group of three was none other than Ling Jingshu and her two attendants.
“Young Miss, the carriage is waiting over there!” Bai Yu had spent a full year cooped up inside the palace, and now that she finally had the chance to go out, she was nearly babbling with excitement: “Let’s go quickly! It will still take an hour or two to reach the Ling estate!”
Ling Jingshu’s expression remained outwardly composed, yet her pace quickened of its own accord.
Indeed!
She had entered the palace at the start of the first lunar month, and now it was the very last day of the twelfth. A full year had truly passed. She could finally leave the palace and return to the Ling estate! She could see her loved ones again after such a long separation!
Thinking of Ling Xiao, thinking of Ling Jingyan, Ling Jingshu’s footsteps grew lighter and lighter.
Bai Yu and Qiao Yun exchanged a smile and hurried after her.
These past few months had been the most comfortable and pleasant stretch of time Ling Jingshu had spent since entering the palace.
There was no need to speak of how well Noble Consort Wei treated her — the others in Lingbo Palace were also, for the most part, warm and friendly. She spent her days helping Noble Consort Wei manage palace affairs, and she was a Female Official of considerable standing within the palace. Even those haughty consorts who carried their noses in the air were exceptionally courteous toward her and rarely gave her any trouble.
The Emperor had been recuperating in Zichen Palace all this while, and she had not set foot inside Zichen Palace even once in all these months, with no opportunity to appear before him. For her, this was certainly a good thing.
The Crown Grandson was busy with affairs of state. Though he visited the palace fairly often, he had never once come to Lingbo Palace — whether by design or chance, he had avoided any opportunity for them to meet.
This, too, allowed Ling Jingshu to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Prince Yan continued to reside long-term in Zichen Palace, attending upon the Emperor personally each day. In the eyes of the court and the wider world, he had earned himself a fine reputation for filial devotion.
Those who had previously whispered mocking remarks about Prince Yan now sang his praises without exception.
But none of this had anything to do with Ling Jingshu anymore.
The ones she hated most were Empress Xu and Princess Changping, and now both of them had received the ends they deserved. The resentment and bitterness in her heart had settled. As for Prince Yan’s surging ambitions and his struggle against the Crown Grandson — she had no way to intervene, and no inclination to trouble herself over it.
Avenging herself against the Lu Family was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Bound inside the palace walls, her freedom constrained, that wish for revenge had been pressed down to the depths of her heart.
Every few days, Wei Yan would use the pretext of checking Noble Consort Wei’s pulse to come to Lingbo Palace to see her. Each time, the two of them could only be together for the brief span of about half an hour — yet even so, it was more than enough comfort for two hearts that belonged to each other.
Noble Consort Wei was the most perceptive and understanding of people. Without waiting for Wei Yan or Ling Jingshu to say a word, she had already taken the initiative to suggest letting Ling Jingshu leave the palace for a day to visit the Ling estate. Bound by palace custom, she was required to return before the palace gates closed and could not spend the night outside. Subtracting the time for the round trip, she was left with roughly half a day.
On New Year’s Eve, Ling Jingshu rose before dawn and left the palace as early as she could.
More than an hour later.
The carriage was nearly at the gates of the Ling estate.
Ling Jingshu had been overjoyed the entire way, yet now that the moment was at hand, a flutter of nervous unease crept over her. She unconsciously touched the hairpin at her head and asked Bai Yu softly: “Bai Yu, look at me — is there anything out of place?”
This was likely what people meant by the bashfulness of one who draws near to home.
Bai Yu studied Ling Jingshu carefully, then smiled and said: “Young Miss, there is no need to be nervous. You look perfectly fine — not a thing is out of place.”
These past days, the Young Miss had lived in peaceful ease. Her complexion was rosy and her eyes carried a smile. She looked simply wonderful.
Ling Jingshu gave a small sound of acknowledgment, let out a long breath, and steadied her heart.
The carriage came to a stop.
Qiao Yun went to knock on the gate. The gatekeeper opened the side door, and when he saw it was Qiao Yun, he was momentarily taken aback. His gaze moved further back, and the carriage bearing the palace insignia immediately came into view.
The gatekeeper’s face broke into a look of delight. Without waiting for Qiao Yun to say a word, he called out loudly: “It’s Miss Jingshu, returned from the palace! Someone go quickly and bring the good news to the Master and Mistress!”
A quick-footed manservant immediately answered the call and darted off to report.
Ling Jingshu listened to the sounds from outside the carriage, and the emotions she had just managed to press back down surged up again, impossible to suppress.
She had truly come home!
“Bai Yu, come with me as I get down from the carriage.” Ling Jingshu’s voice trembled slightly.
Bai Yu answered at once, steadied Ling Jingshu as she stepped out of the carriage, and walked with her to the gate.
Very shortly after, a young man came running up at full speed, calling “A’Shu” as he ran.
Reaching her, with no time yet to clearly see each other’s faces, he threw all restraint aside and pulled her into his arms. His voice broke as he spoke: “A’Shu, you’ve finally come back! A’Shu!”
Ling Jingshu’s eyes grew hot, and her voice broke too: “A’Xiao, it’s me — I’ve come back. I’ve come back to see you. Let me look at you — you haven’t grown taller in all this time, have you?”
So saying, she drew back slightly and studied Ling Xiao intently.
The two of them were twins — before, they had been about the same height, and their features were quite alike.
After a year apart, Ling Xiao had shot up considerably, standing a full half-head taller than Ling Jingshu. The last traces of boyish innocence had been swept entirely from his face, which was now handsome and resolute, his gaze steady and determined.
Ling Xiao had grown up!
In the year she had been away, he had become a young man!
Ling Xiao, too, was urgently taking her in — and seeing that her color was rosy, her health and spirits excellent, her beauty even more striking than before, the tight knot in his heart loosened just a little.
It seemed A’Shu had not suffered too terribly in the palace.
“A’Shu, A’Shu!” Another familiar voice rang out. Before the sound had even faded, Ling Jingyan’s face appeared — overjoyed and astonished all at once.
“Cousin Yan!”
At the sight of that familiar face, all the emotion Ling Jingshu had been suppressing rushed out of her. She grasped Ling Jingyan’s hands, her eyes glistening with unshed tears: “It’s me — I’ve come back. I’ve come back to see all of you.”
Ling Jingyan was so overcome she was laughing and crying at the same time: “You heartless thing! You went away for a whole year. All that time inside the palace, you didn’t think to find some way to send word back to us. We thought of you and worried about you every single day, not knowing how you were faring in there. And now you finally thought to come back!”
While they were speaking, Ling Ji and Madam Jiang arrived together.
Then Ling Daye and Sun Shi followed.
Curiously, Ling Wuye was nowhere to be seen.
Ling Jingshu had no opportunity to ask about Ling Wuye just then, and quickly stepped forward to greet everyone in turn.
Sun Shi dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, then broke into a smile: “A’Shu has come back so rarely — don’t stand about in the doorway. Come inside where we can all talk.”