Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The moment she fell into the cold and hard embrace, Yu Qizhi's mind went blank.

It wasn't until the familiar scent of plum blossoms enveloped her senses that she suddenly felt an urge to cry.

The person behind her held her steady, then quickly released her, allowing her to stand firmly on her feet.

Yu Qizhi turned around urgently. Standing before her was a tall and slender man.

His features were perfectly symmetrical, yet ordinary enough to leave no lasting impression.

Seeing Yu Qizhi staring at him speechlessly, the man smiled gently, his lips curling in a way that exuded an indescribable elegance.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" His voice was clear and warm.

Yu Qizhi merely looked at him, shaking her head slightly, but her eyes welled up with tears.

After a moment, she realized it was inappropriate to stare so intently. She wanted to thank him, but before she could speak, the man beat her to it.

"Still fond of saving kittens, I see?"

His eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked at her with indulgence.

The kitten Yu Qizhi had been protecting in her arms had somehow landed safely on the ground and ran away, its fur bristling.

Hearing the gentle words from the man before her, Yu Qizhi's breath hitched, and her heart began to pound again after a long silence.

When she was young, Yu Qizhi was a bit naive. To fit in with her childhood playmates, she was encouraged to climb onto the roof of a dilapidated house to rescue a lame calico cat.

That roof was much higher than the branches of the current wutong tree. The house had been unoccupied for a long time, and the tiles crumbled underfoot, causing Yu Qizhi to fall and lose consciousness.

Everyone thought she had died and scattered in panic.

Lying alone on the ground, just as she was about to get up, the young master of the Feng family in Luo County happened to pass by. He stepped down from his carriage, bathed in the golden glow of the sunset, and squatted beside her, asking if she was alright.

From childhood to adolescence, Feng Qingling's hands had always been warm, but the man before her had cold hands and a cold embrace.

Yet, Yu Qizhi still felt a sense of familiarity and closeness with him.

Though his appearance and looks had changed, Yu Qizhi recognized him instantly.

"Ling... Ling..."

Like a wanderer who had finally found her utopia, the reunion with Feng Qingling had played out countless times in Yu Qizhi's dreams, but she choked up when she spoke.

Just moments after reuniting with Feng Qingling, the footsteps of the Marquis Mansion guards approached from the alley behind them.

"This gentleman, you saved me." Yu Qizhi quickly lowered her voice, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "How can I thank you?"

...

The guards from the Marquis Mansion, seeing a stranger before Yu Qizhi, immediately became wary.

"My name is Lin Ji," the man said, maintaining a proper distance and smiling gently. There was nothing untoward about him.

"Madam, it's time to go," one of the guards said, approaching her.

Yu Qizhi nodded at the guard, her demeanor natural and unassuming.

She climbed into the carriage, and the guard relayed Pei Jing's message that he was delayed and would send the guards to escort her.

She acknowledged this absentmindedly, her mind filled with thoughts of Feng Qingling.

When the guards appeared, Yu Qizhi sensed a sudden coldness in Feng Qingling's eyes, which quickly returned to normal.

What had Ling experienced over the years? Why did he change his appearance? What was his identity as Lin Ji now?

Yu Qizhi's thoughts swirled in the carriage, filled with these questions.

But deep down, she knew that as long as Feng Qingling was alive and willing to find her, that was enough for her. She hoped to ask him everything when they met again.

The carriage stopped at a embroidery shop in Chang'an's East Market.

This shop specialized in embroidery for the imperial court, using only the finest silk threads. Each piece required the skill of several expert embroiderers and was valued like a priceless treasure.

Only the nobility of Chang'an frequented such places.

Upon arrival, several half-finished embroidery designs were presented for Yu Qizhi to choose from.

The guards had already conveyed Pei Jing's instructions to select the landscape and bird embroidery.

Following his advice, Yu Qizhi chose the design, and an embroiderer took it to continue the work.

So, this was just a formality.

Confused, ten days passed, and it was the New Year's Palace Banquet. Only then did she realize that the landscape and bird embroidery was to be presented as a New Year gift from the Marquis Mansion to Empress Meng.

...

On the day of the New Year's Palace Banquet, inside Linde Hall, apart from the imperial family and royal relatives, only the Jin family, specially summoned by the emperor, was present.

As Pei Jing's wife, Yu Qizhi should have been seated among the officials' wives, without the privilege to meet the emperor.

However, Yu Qizhi was suddenly summoned to Linde Hall.

On the way, a eunuch explained the situation to her with tact and understanding.

At the imperial banquet in Linde Hall, the emperor and empress did not put on airs; it felt more like a family gathering, with younger generations presenting gifts and offering compliments.

Who would have thought that a small incident would occur during the gift presentation.

The County Princess Xiangle presented a set of blueprints to His Majesty, claiming that she had specially sent someone to purchase them for a thousand gold from a master craftsman hidden among the common folk.

It turned out to be a blueprint for a cleverly designed wheelchair.

It was known that the sixth prince, son of His Majesty and Concubine Li, had been unable to walk since birth and could only move about in a wheelchair. Although there were many skilled craftsmen in the palace, few had dedicated their efforts to improving wheelchairs. The sixth prince, however, was a resilient and proud individual, and even if his hands bled from pushing the heavy wheelchair, he refused to let the palace servants push him.

Seeing this, both His Majesty and Concubine Li felt heartache for their youngest son.

The County Princess Xiangle had been adopted by Concubine Li when she was young. When His Majesty saw the blueprints, he knew that Xiangle had specifically sought them out for the sixth prince and praised her for her thoughtfulness.

Xiangle understood from His Majesty's reaction that her gift had touched his heart.

Unexpectedly, He Lanmin, who was by the Crown Princess's side, reported to His Majesty that the blueprints were not created by a master craftsman hidden among the common folk but were, in fact, drawn by Yu Qizhi herself after the County Princess's full moon banquet and then handed over to her.

He Lanmin and Xiangle had always been at odds, implying that Xiangle had lied.

He Lanmin was reprimanded by the Crown Princess in public.

In front of everyone, neither His Majesty nor the Empress wished for the truth to be obscured and thus decided to summon Yu Qizhi for questioning.

As a small eunuch explained the situation to Yu Qizhi, a palace attendant came out from Linde Hall to announce that Yu Qizhi was to enter and meet His Majesty.

Upon entering the hall, Yu Qizhi was about to bow when His Majesty dismissed the formalities.

Everyone's gaze naturally fell upon her.

Yu Qizhi was tall and graceful, with a face that was perfectly beautiful—any more would be too striking, any less would be too plain.

To avoid any breach of etiquette, Yu Qizhi had carefully dressed herself for her visit to the palace. As soon as she entered the room, her presence seemed to gather all the light within the hall.

Empress Meng studied her closely, her eyes filled with admiration and surprise.

There was no need for the Emperor to inquire about such a minor dispute among the younger generation.

"Min Min says these blueprints were drawn by you," Empress Meng asked Yu Qizhi, "Did you create them?"