The night faded as the moon gradually disappeared, and the morning light pierced through the clouds, casting a faint golden glow on the embroidered clouds on the bed.
A fair hand emerged from the embroidered clouds, fetching the clothes from the bedside and putting them on. Then, barefoot, she walked to the window. Outside, the lake shimmered, tinged with the hues of the dawn. The thin mist of the early morning hadn’t dispersed yet, adding a hint of mystery to the still-lively Jade Spring Lake.
At that moment, footsteps approached from behind, and someone gently draped a cloak over her shoulders, saying, “It’s still early in the year, and the wind on the lake can be strong. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Yuanxi grasped the warm and sturdy hand, gently caressing her face with it. But Xiaodu noticed her bare feet and furrowed his brow slightly, saying, “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?” Just as Yuanxi was about to stand up, he pressed her down and gestured with his eyes for her not to move. Then he fetched her socks and shoes and knelt to put them on for her.
Looking at the contours of his eyebrows and eyes, Yuanxi suddenly smiled and said, “Besides Anhe and the others, you’re the first person to help me put on my shoes.”
Xiaodu also smiled and replied, “Well, blame it on my wife for being so worrying. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be putting shoes on for anyone else.”
Yuanxi felt warm inside, but then a thought occurred to her, and she asked cautiously, “What about you? Did the Princess… ever put shoes on for you?”
Xiaodu’s hand hesitated for a moment before he replied, “The Princess isn’t well and doesn’t like to see people. So I haven’t spent much time with her since I was young, except on birthdays and festivals. I often think that maybe my real mother is Yun Niang.” He chuckled as if mocking his naive self from years ago.
Yuanxi’s heart skipped a beat, and her gaze became vacant. By then, Xiaodu had finished putting on her shoes and socks and gently held her hand, saying, “So I always think, if I have children, I’ll try my best to stay with them, play with them, teach them to write, and never miss any moment of their growing up. Xixi, rest assured, our children will be different from us.”
Yuanxi’s nose tingled, and she squeezed Xiaodu’s hand, nodding vigorously. They were fundamentally the same kind of people, so she naturally understood his longing for family. But then, she began to feel afraid. If the Princess wasn’t Xiaodu’s birth mother, how would he face it? She bit her lip tightly, preferring to be wrong rather than let the truth hurt him again.
After returning to the mansion, Yuanxi went to Xiao Zhixuan’s room under the pretext of learning needlework. As soon as she pushed the door, Xiao Zhixuan jumped to her side, her gaze roaming over Yuanxi, and she deliberately said in an exaggerated tone, “I didn’t expect His Highness to be so romantic, hiding it for so many years. Sister-in-law, you didn’t return home all night yesterday, it must have been a wild and enjoyable night…”
Yuanxi’s face flushed slightly, and she lightly tapped her forehead, scolding, “You little girl, stop reading those messy novels.”
Xiao Zhixuan pouted and touched her forehead, saying, “I’m about to turn of age. Don’t think I don’t understand anything.” She was about to tease some more when Yuanxi turned serious and said, “Stop joking around. I came today to discuss something important with you.”
Seeing Yuanxi’s expression, Xiao Zhixuan understood that it must be related to the Princess. She quickly restrained her smile and said, “Has Sister-in-law discovered something again?”
Yuanxi said, “Do you remember the other day, that fortune teller said the Princess hates cherry blossoms and wants them all cut down? I always found it strange. Why would the Princess hate cherry blossoms for no reason? So I came to ask you if there’s a place in the Marquis Mansion with a lot of cherry blossoms.”
Xiao Zhixuan thought for a moment and said, “In recent years, there seem to be few cherry blossoms planted in the mansion. But I remember there’s a courtyard at the back that’s been uninhabited for years. When I was a child, I sneaked in once and saw a large patch of cherry blossoms. It was the first time I saw so many cherry blossoms, so I remember it distinctly.”
Yuanxi’s eyes gleamed as she said, “Do you remember exactly where it is? Can you take me there?”
Xiaozhixuan nodded and said, “But we have to sneak in quietly. The place is locked, and Father usually doesn’t allow anyone in. He scolded me thoroughly when he found out about it last time.”
Yuanxi tilted her head in thought and smiled, “That shouldn’t be too difficult. We’ll just quietly take the key and go.” With both aunties deceased and the Princess ignoring household affairs, Yuanxi had taken over various matters in the mansion, which proved convenient in this situation.
Armed with the key, they found the courtyard according to Xiaozhixuan’s memory. Yuanxi opened the weathered door, feeling a sense of oddity. Despite the withered trees and desolation, remnants of grandeur lingered among the ornate carvings and beams.
Why would such a fine courtyard be abandoned? Yuanxi pondered this as they walked a few steps. Suddenly, she crouched by a tree, scrutinizing the ground for a while. She picked up a dry branch, stirring the soil underneath until Xiaozhixuan, curious, asked what she was doing. Yuanxi then led her to the main entrance.
The door wasn’t locked and creaked open easily. Inside, thick layers of dust covered everything, and cobwebs clung to the corners, indicating long-term abandonment.
Although the furnishings had been removed, Yuanxi stood still for a long time, her gaze slowly scanning the remaining desks, beds, and walls. Then, she closed her eyes, imagining the room’s former appearance.
At that moment, Xiaozhixuan tugged at her sleeve, saying, “Sister-in-law, there’s nothing here. We should leave soon. I feel a creepy chill in the air.”
Yuanxi opened her eyes abruptly and said, “Xuan’er, a woman used to live here.”
Xiaozhixuan was stunned, her curiosity dispelling her fear. She looked around and asked, “How do you know? There’s nothing here.”
Yuanxi pointed to the desk, saying, “Here, the marks indicate where a bronze mirror was placed. These scratches are from accidentally hitting it with a golden hairpin.” Then she walked to the wall beside the bed and said, “The color of this wall suggests that clothes were smoked here. So, I believe not only did a woman live here, but she must have held a high status.”
Xiaozhixuan widened her eyes in surprise, “But as long as I can remember, no one has ever lived here. The courtyard has always been locked.”
Yuanxi turned to her, frowning, “That makes this even stranger.”
Before Xiaozhixuan could react, Yuanxi pulled her to the courtyard, pointing at the soil by the tree, “Look at this soil. It has been disturbed in recent years. Digging through the top layer, you can still see some undecayed cherry blossom petals.” She surveyed the courtyard and continued, “And there are no weeds around this tree. Typically, if a courtyard hasn’t been tended to for over ten years, the weeds should be very tall by now.”
Confused, Xiaozhixuan muttered, “So, Sister-in-law, are you suggesting that someone has been secretly tending to this courtyard?”
Yuanxi nodded and said, “But what’s strange is that this person only tended to the courtyard and never entered the house. You mentioned seeing the cherry blossoms in the courtyard blooming very well. Cherry blossoms are delicate plants. Without careful cultivation, they would wither and die within a year.”
Xiaozhixuan said, “So, you mean someone has been secretly planting flowers in the courtyard for years? But why? No one has lived in this courtyard for years.”
Yuanxi shook her head, saying, “I don’t know. But I have a feeling that the person who lived in this courtyard must have had a significant connection to what happened to your Princess all those years ago.”
At that moment, footsteps and voices suddenly approached from outside the courtyard, startling both Yuanxi and Xiaozhai. They hurriedly rushed out to lock the courtyard gate, but unable to escape in time, they discreetly hid in the bushes nearby. The footsteps drew closer and closer until two maids appeared, chatting and laughing as they walked towards them. They stopped near the courtyard gate, and one of them exclaimed softly, “It’s all your fault for not watching where you’re going, how did we end up here?”
The other maid’s face showed fear as she said, “Oh, Amitabha Buddha, how did we accidentally come here again? This courtyard gives me the creeps. Last time, I even saw that crazy woman wandering around here, and it gave me nightmares for days.”
“Oh, don’t even talk about it. I heard that the crazy woman was sent away from the mansion. Do you think she’s dead, and her spirit returned here…” The more they spoke, the more frightened they became, finally fleeing in terror.
Meanwhile, Yuanxi and Xiaozhai, hidden in the bushes, exchanged a knowing glance and whispered in unison, “The crazy woman… Lady Yun!”
After dinner, Yuanxi, using the pretext of familiarizing herself with the accounts, persuaded Shao Du to let her stay alone in the account room. She claimed that she needed to thoroughly review the mansion’s accounts to become a competent mistress and manage the finances. Although Shao Du was reluctant to let her handle things alone, he had promised not to interfere, so he reluctantly agreed to trust her.
Yuanxi spent the entire night buried in the dense account books until she finally found the ledger from twenty-five years ago. She quickly spread out the papers, meticulously recording all the items listed under unfamiliar courtyard names. She then tucked the list into her bosom and went to Xiaozhai’s room.
“Fei Han Courtyard… it must be this one! I vaguely remember the other courtyard names, all of which were renovated in recent years, but I’ve never heard of this name,” Xiaozhai said confidently as she examined the stack of papers.
Yuanxi quickly pulled out the list for Fei Han Courtyard and scrutinized each item. While the listed items seemed ordinary—clothes, fabric, food, and some supplements—she suddenly widened her eyes and trembled slightly. With a trembling voice, she said, “The woman who lived in Fei Han Courtyard likely… was pregnant back then!”