On this day, although it was not yet the fifteenth day of the first month, the Marquis’s Mansion was adorned with festive decorations, bustling with activity.
Old Lady Li entered the kitchen, poking her head in and shouting, “Is the bird’s nest soup for the Madam ready? If the Marquis can’t wait and starts blaming you, I won’t take the blame for you.” Although she complained, her face was full of smiles. Mrs. Zhang, who managed the kitchen, quickly checked the stove and replied, “It’s ready, it’s ready. Oh my, you’re so happy since the Madam came back. It looks like you’re about to smile from ear to ear.”
Old Lady Li gave her a sideways glance, still smiling, and said, “Of course, I’m happy about the Madam’s return, but what’s even more precious is the Marquis’s affection for her. He stays by her side every day and even thinks of ways to arrange her meals. I bet the birds’ nests and ginseng in our mansion will all be consumed by the Madam.”
Mrs. Zhang chuckled behind her handkerchief and said, “Yes, yes, everyone knows that the Marquis dotes on the Madam the most. And you, you’re the one who talks the most in the Madam’s room. You’re blessed, truly blessed.”
Old Lady Li proudly touched the pearl hairpin on her head, exchanged a few more words with Mrs. Zhang, then carried the freshly stewed bird’s nest soup back to the room. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw the Marquis and the Madam abruptly separating. The Madam’s face still had a hint of blush. Old Lady Li suddenly felt awkward. She quickly pretended she hadn’t seen anything, put the food container down, and said, “The blood swallow that the Marquis wanted stewed has just been done. Please enjoy it, Madam.” With that, she hurriedly left the room.
Yuanxi looked at the bowl of bird’s nest soup, her eyes somewhat dazed. She raised her head with a pitiful look and said, “Do I have to eat it? Can’t I just skip it?”
Xiaodu picked up the bowl, blew on it to cool it down, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to her lips, saying, “Of course, you have to eat. Look at how thin you’ve become. Since you’re back, you need to nourish yourself properly.”
Yuanxi obediently opened her mouth and swallowed it, but couldn’t help feeling amused. She muttered, “I was in the palace, not in prison. Everything was taken care of there, and His Majesty arranged everything properly. Why are you worried that I suffered?”
Xiaodu snorted and said, “What’s so great about the palace? It’s not as good as our mansion.”
Yuanxi smiled and grabbed his arm, then whispered, “Of course, because in the palace… you weren’t there.”
Seeing her shy expression, Xiaodu’s heart softened. He was about to hug her tightly when Yuanxi suddenly sat up straight and asked seriously, “By the way, why was His Majesty so willing to let us go? I thought even if the Empress Dowager woke up, he would come up with other reasons to keep us.”
Putting down the bird’s nest soup, Xiaodu smiled triumphantly and said, “That’s because he was afraid he fell for the tricks of his treacherous ministers and fell into my trap.”
Curious, Yuanxi asked, “What treacherous ministers? What trap?”
Xiaodu realized his slip and suddenly lowered his head, closing his lips tightly. Observing his expression, Yuanxi suddenly understood something and tentatively asked, “Is it related to my father?”
Sighing, Xiaodu knew he couldn’t keep it from her any longer. He explained the entire plan regarding Xia Mingyuan’s return and how it was related to their departure. Seeing Yuanxi’s expression becoming increasingly sorrowful, he couldn’t help but say, “It’s all in the past now. You don’t need to ask anymore.”
But Yuanxi lifted her gaze and said firmly, “No, I want to know. I can’t just go into the palace in confusion and come out without knowing the truth.”
Only then did Xiaodu continue, “I suspected they were holding you and your mother to lure me. So, I deliberately arranged for some people to linger outside the city gate and sent fake reports back to the palace. Then, I arranged for Luo Yuan to meet your father, pretending to sound him out for you. After seeing you, he used the story we prepared in advance to make Xia Mingyuan think that everything was part of my plan. Your father, being such a cautious person, even though it was just speculation, as long as there was a possibility, he would risk everything he had gained so far. So, he’d rather lose this opportunity than take the risk. Just as the Empress Dowager woke up, His Majesty could only let you go.”
Yuanxi suddenly realized, “No wonder that day the tutor deliberately let me go near him, trying to make others believe that I secretly gave him the paper.”
Xiaodu nodded, suddenly asking, “By the way, why did he learn your handwriting and even deceive your father?”
Yuanxi said, “Because in the past, I always asked him to copy books for me to deal with our teacher, so he deliberately practiced my handwriting. Over time, he could imitate it seven or eight out of ten.”
Xiao Du “Oh” sound, but then his expression seemed a bit gloomy. Seeing him like this, Yuanxi couldn’t help but smile and ask, “What’s wrong? Are you jealous now?”
Xiao Du snorted lightly and said, “Am I such a petty person?” He then pulled Yuanxi into his arms and said, “In the future, when we have a daughter, we must find her a female tutor.”
Yuanxi buried her face in his chest and chuckled softly. After being apart for these few days, even his little quirks became so nostalgic.
The next day, Xiao Du had something to attend to, so he reluctantly left the room, repeatedly instructing Yuanxi not to run around and to wait for his return, as if afraid that she would disappear again once he left.
Yuanxi found it amusing but also felt a warm feeling in her heart. She pushed open the window and saw the snow in the courtyard slowly melting. In a few days, the delicate yellow flower he had planted specially for her should start budding.
She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the blooming flowers outside the window. Just then, Nanny Li pushed the door open and called out, “Madam?”
Yuanxi turned her head and suddenly remembered something important, but she had been avoiding asking Xiao Du about it directly. So she closed the window and asked Nanny Li, “Do you remember if, when I went to see the Empress that day, I used orchid-scented hair oil?”
Nanny Li shook her head in a hurry and said, “No, Madam, you’ve never had a box of orchid-scented hair oil.”
Yuanxi’s heart sank suddenly, and she asked again, “Where did you find the hair oil that day?”
Nanny Li was a little frightened by her expression and hurriedly thought back, saying, “I was afraid that I wouldn’t have time to prepare when we entered the palace that day, so I prepared all the dressing and grooming items a day in advance. As for the hair oil… I don’t remember if I took it out or not. I just remember that there was a box at hand when I was dressing you, so I used it.”
Yuanxi suddenly stood up and said, “Can you still find that box of hair oil?”
Nanny Li felt something was wrong, and she searched her memory while looking for the hair oil in the room. Finally, she couldn’t find the box of hair oil that Yuanxi had used that day.
Yuanxi felt a chill down her spine and couldn’t come back to her senses for a while. It turned out that someone was playing tricks. Who could that person be… She suddenly realized that she dared not think further.
Just then, Anhe called from the door, “Madam, Third Miss is here.”
Yuanxi hadn’t had a chance to see Xiaozhen since returning to the mansion. Now that she heard she was here, she quickly calmed down her emotions from earlier and smiled, saying, “Let her in.”
Xiaozhen walked in, calling out excitedly, “Sister-in-law,” but her face was full of worry. She glanced at Nanny Li beside Yuanxi, hesitated, and said, “Sister-in-law, can you ask Nanny Li to step out first? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Seeing her expression, Yuanxi knew something was wrong and quickly asked Nanny Li to leave and close the door. She held Xiaozhen’s hand and said softly, “What happened? Just tell your sister-in-law.”
Xiaozhen showed a frightened expression and trembled as she said, “I know Sister-in-law just came back, and I shouldn’t bother you with these things, but I accidentally discovered something, and I don’t know who to tell. It’s about…” She paused, her eyes filled with fear, and whispered, “It’s about the princess!”