When Xiao Du brought Yuanxi back to the mansion, the crowd, who had been waiting anxiously all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Anhe’s eyes were swollen from crying, and as soon as she saw Yuanxi walk in, she rushed over and hugged her tightly, burying her head on Yuanxi’s shoulder. “Madam, you’re finally back.”
Yuanxi smiled and took her hand, comforting her softly, “Don’t worry, with Lord Marquis here, I’ll be fine.”
Xiao Du stood by her side, a faint smile playing on his lips. At this moment, Xiaochun, with a distressed look on her face, also rushed over. She was about to cry and complain like Anhe but was fiercely glared at by Xiao Du, so she immediately shut her mouth and turned to greet them politely, saying, “Lord Marquis, you must be tired. Shall I fetch some water for you to wash your hands and face?”
Xiao Du thought to himself that he wasn’t really tired, but he couldn’t help but glance at Yuanxi. Yuanxi understood his gaze and shot him a stern look, causing Xiao Du to touch his nose awkwardly. He then instructed Anhe, “Quickly, fetch some water for Madam to wash up.”
Anhe hurriedly agreed and turned to leave, feeling puzzled. Why was Miss’s face so red?
Xiao Du tilted his head slightly, looking up at the clear and bright sky after the rain. Yuanxi was standing within his reach, her hair gently brushing against his face in the breeze. It reminded him of her warm touch and soft lips, making his heart feel content and satisfied. Although last night didn’t go exactly as he had planned, it didn’t matter. They still had plenty of time to take things slowly.
Little did he know, just like the sudden rainstorm the day before, unexpected changes always came when least expected. Just after lunch, a messenger from the Marquis’ Mansion came to report that the Prince of Qing and the Princess were returning to the capital a day earlier than planned. The Princess would visit the Marquis’ Mansion to see the Princess tomorrow after meeting with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Yuanxi immediately felt tension rise in her mind, losing all interest in leisure activities and quickly ordered the maids to pack up their belongings to prepare to return to the mansion immediately.
Although Xiao Du was reluctant, he couldn’t go against his wife’s wishes. He had planned to have some intimate time with her when they returned to the mansion, but Yuanxi was too busy to pay him any attention when she walked in.
Finally, by evening, when he eagerly knocked on Yuanxi’s door, he was met with an apologetic Li Mama coming out. She said, “Madam said there’s too much to do today and she’s afraid of being distracted and making mistakes. She asks that Lord Marquis come back tomorrow.”
So Xiao Du experienced being shut out for the first time in his life, standing in the courtyard, sighing deeply under the moonlight: Turns out, when the wife is too high-spirited, it’s not a good thing.
The next day, as expected, the Princess of Qing arrived in her sedan chair. Since this visit was to see the inner family of the Marquis’ Mansion, the Prince of Qing did not accompany her. When the green curtains were pulled aside, several maids and servants helped a woman with a head full of jewels and dressed in luxurious attire out of the carriage. Every movement she made exuded grace and dignity—it was none other than the Princess of Qing, Meng Jingrou.
The steward of the Marquis’ Mansion had already gathered a group of servants to wait at the gate. As soon as they saw the Princess, they all knelt in unison and respectfully escorted her to the main hall.
Others were already waiting in the main hall. The Princess stood in the front, unable to hide her excitement when she saw Meng Jingrou, her face showing a hint of emotion.
Seeing an old friend again, Meng Jingrou couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, taking the Princess’s hand and examining it closely. They used to be close friends, like sisters, but seeing each other again after so many years, both with gray hair now, they couldn’t help but feel emotional. As they gazed at each other, memories flooded back, and both of them couldn’t help but shed tears.
Seeing the Princess coughing violently, Meng Jingrou couldn’t bear to let her speak too much. The atmosphere between them was also somewhat distant and formal. Firstly, because the Princess kept coughing, and Meng Jingrou didn’t want her to strain herself. Secondly, there were many outsiders present, so it wasn’t convenient to talk about private matters.
Fortunately, the banquet was quickly prepared, and everyone led the Princess to the dining hall. Meng Jingrou insisted on sitting with the Princess, but the Princess said she was afraid of passing her illness to her and insisted that she sit in the upper seat.
The old Marquis looked around anxiously but didn’t see Xiao Qing and Wang Shiqin’s figures. He felt a sense of unease in his heart and secretly sent Zhou Jingyuan to inquire.
As soon as Zhou Jingyuan left, Xiao Qing and Wang Shiqin walked in from outside, causing everyone to gasp in shock. On such an occasion today, Xiao Qing was dressed all in white, looking like she was wearing mourning clothes from a distance. Even Wang Shiqin was only wearing a simple dress, walking behind her with her head bowed. Both of them, in terms of their expressions and attire, were completely out of place with the festive atmosphere in the hall.
Xiao Qing only casually greeted the Princess and took her seat, ignoring the old Marquis’s angry gaze. He shouted, “What are you dressed like that for? Go back and change your clothes.”
Xiao Qing sneered coldly, casting a sidelong glance at him, and said, “My mother’s memorial service hasn’t passed yet, and my father thinks I should dress a certain way.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of everyone at the table changed. The old Marquis was about to slam the table and scold, but the Princess coldly spoke up, “A shameless woman like you, do you even deserve to wear mourning clothes?”
Xiao Qing turned his head to stare at her fiercely, resentment evident in his eyes. Wang Shiqin quickly grabbed his sleeve, signaling him not to say anything more. But Xiao Qing still smiled and said, “If the princess hadn’t done so many shameful things, why would she feel the need to hide in her room pretending to be sick every day?”
“You!” The Princess didn’t expect him to say such things. She was so angry that she felt a rush of blood to her chest, trembling as she pressed her hand against her chest, coughing up a mouthful of blood. The Queen was shocked and covered her mouth, exclaiming in alarm. Xiao Du and Yuanxi hurriedly rushed forward to support the Princess as she swayed and nearly fell. The scene in the hall immediately descended into chaos.
The old Marquis stood up in a rage, pointing at Xiao Qing and shouting, “Disobedient son, daring to show such disrespect to the Princess. I’ve indulged you too much in the past. Take him away and give him a severe beating!”
Wang Shiqin raised her head in fear, trying to plead for Xiao Qing, but Xiao Qing had already straightened up and turned away disdainfully, sweeping a scornful gaze over the panicked crowd. He then strode to the door, saying to the stunned servants, “The old master has given the order. Why aren’t you quickly bringing the sticks? I can’t wait any longer.”
The Princess trembled beside the table, her face pale as paper, seemingly greatly stimulated. Xiao Du and Yuanxi watched anxiously by her side, while Li Mama cried, “The Princess needs to rest and take her medicine as soon as possible. We might be delaying the Princess’s recovery.”
The Queen quickly had several people escort the Princess back to her room. With such an incident occurring, no one had the appetite to continue the meal. Worried about the Princess’s illness, the Queen only took a few bites before taking two trusted maids to visit the Princess’s room. She watched as the Princess took her medicine and prepared to rest before reluctantly returning to her quarters.
In the main room of her quarters, the maids had already set up curtains and lit incense. The Queen sat by the dressing table, frowning and staring blankly at a peony flower blooming in the room. After a while, she instructed the other maids to rest first, leaving only the most trusted maid in the room.
This maid had been serving the Queen since before she got married, and she could tell that the Queen was troubled. She quickly asked, “Is the Queen worried about the Princess’s illness?”
The Queen nodded, hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “Also, I can’t help but feel that the Princess has changed a lot.”
The maid said, “It’s been more than twenty years since the Queen and the Princess last saw each other. Now that they’re both married and mothers, their identities and experiences are different, so it’s natural that they can’t be the same as they were when they were unmarried.”
The Queen still frowned and said, “But…I can’t quite put my finger on it. I just feel like she’s become somewhat gloomy.” She thought for a moment, sighed, and said, “Forget it, maybe I’m just overthinking it. Perhaps she hasn’t been having an easy time at the Marquis’ Mansion. I’ll ask her again when she’s feeling better tomorrow.”
The maid smiled and said, “Don’t worry too much, Your Majesty. The Princess has a legitimate son to inherit the title, and there aren’t many nieces around the old Marquis. It’s just that she’s a little weak, but what could be troubling her?”
The Queen sighed and said, “It’s a pity she only has one son. It would be better if she had more children to rely on. And the Marquis’ Mansion seems to be declining day by day…”
She seemed to realize she had said too much and casually chatted with the maid. After rushing for a few days on the road and entering the palace early in the morning, she felt very tired and went to bed early.
Night quickly fell, and the rustling of the tree branches transmitted a chorus of crows. In a half-awake state, the Queen suddenly heard what sounded like someone singing in her ear, a sharp and delicate female voice softly singing a nursery rhyme, “Leading my love, pulling my brother, stepping on broken tiles without touching the ground.”
It sounded like a mother was singing her child to sleep, but why would it be in her courtyard, and why did it sound so close, as if…right beside her bed?
The delicate voice echoed in the silent darkness, unmistakably an old nursery rhyme, yet the more she listened, the more it felt mournful and piercing. The queen furrowed her brow tightly, waving her hand in an attempt to dismiss the disturbing singing, but the melody persisted right beside her ear, neither near nor far, neither urgent nor slow, singing in a sharp and delicate tone.
Even in her half-asleep state, she finally sensed something amiss and was abruptly startled awake. As she opened her eyes, she saw the face of a woman hovering above her head: dressed as a maid, with both hands gently caressing her belly. Upon seeing the queen’s eyes open, the woman ceased her singing, revealing a wide grin.