Chapter 006 Xie Yuan’s Letter

Chapter 006 Xie Yuan's Letter

It was Lin Yingxue's first time attending the Flower Appreciation Banquet, so she didn't choose the eye-catching rose red. Instead, she opted for a sky-blue overcoat paired with a matching skirt. If another young woman wore this, it might seem too plain, but on Lin Yingxue, it exuded a simple elegance.

Wen Hui was pleased with her daughter's attire. Since that night, mother and daughter had not communicated much, as if nothing had changed between them, yet there was an undercurrent of emotion flowing between them.

"This hairpin was made by your maternal grandfather himself," Wen Hui said, taking out a hairpin and handing it to her daughter.

"No need..." Lin Yingxue tried to refuse, but the hairpin was still placed in her hand. "This ornament has a small mechanism."

Wen Hui twisted it, and the lotus-shaped petals opened, revealing a delicate little sword.

Lin Yingxue looked at Wen Hui, who had a faint look of nostalgia in her eyes.

"This was given to me by your maternal grandfather for self-defense." Wen Hui closed Lin Yingxue's hand around the hairpin. "If you encounter bandits again and no one is there to save you, you can use this to protect yourself. Not every time will you have such good luck."

Lin Yingxue thought back to that dangerous encounter and gripped the hairpin tightly.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Yingxue softly called, "Thank you, Mother."

Wen Hui was taken aback by this address, looking at her daughter with some apprehension. She did not reject the term as strongly as before but acknowledged it with a nod.

"For the flower banquet, don't be afraid. It's full of young men and women. If anyone says something unpleasant, just ignore them."

Lin Yingxue nodded, remembering that this was her first time attending the flower banquet while Wen Hui had participated when she was younger. She asked:

"Mother, could you tell me about the past flower banquets or outings?"

Wen Hui agreed but added, "There's not much to say."

Though she said there wasn't much to say, once she fell into reminiscence, she realized that her days in the Lin household were dark, while her past memories were like a string of bells on a vine, clustering together in the wind, laughing merrily.

Wen Hui looked at Lin Yingxue, who had a wistful expression in her eyes.

Wen Hui thought that in the past, she only wanted her daughter to recognize her position and contentedly be a concubine's daughter, eventually marrying into a small family as a main wife. Now, perhaps she should consider more for Lin Yingxue, at least ensuring she had a few close friends.

Lin Yingxue felt sorry for Wen Hui, noticing her mother's expression and couldn't help but hold her hand. "Actually, the flower banquet isn't worth attending. Those cousins who came over before were quite noisy, and I had nothing to talk about with them. I'd rather read a few books."

Lin Yingxue referred to the people from the Qingchun Marquis Mansion, some of whom initially avoided speaking to her due to Lin Baozhen's orders. As they grew older, they couldn't resist chattering, which gave Lin Yingxue a headache, making her think it was better without their company.

Their interests were entirely different. They mocked scholars, genuinely believing that reading was useless and that playing games was more fun. Lin Yingxue preferred reading to participating in those boring games.

A young maid came to inform them of the time, and Wen Hui stood up, escorting Lin Yingxue out of the small courtyard gate. She said:

"At the flower banquet, enjoy yourself. If anything interesting happens, tell me when you come back."

Perhaps Lin Yingxue wouldn't connect with those from the Qingchun Marquis Mansion, but with many people at the flower banquet, she could still make a few close friends if she didn't reject them.

Lin Yingxue naturally agreed.

Lin Yingxue followed the young maid to the outer gate and waited near the green curtain carriage. Soon, she saw the elaborately dressed Lin Baozhen approaching.

Lin Baozhen suited red well, wearing a silk robe with gold thread embroidery on top and a branch-patterned skirt below. The deep and light shades of crimson highlighted her fair skin, making her look radiant, earning compliments from the young maids in the courtyard.

Seeing herself in the mirror, Lin Baozhen believed she must look better than Lin Yingxue. However, upon seeing Lin Yingxue in her simple blue attire, she felt overshadowed.

Chang Yan spoke with a sour tone, "Dressed so plainly, you'll embarrass our eldest miss."

Lin Baozhen pinched the maid's face, also speaking with a tinge of jealousy. "Our second sister is quite thoughtful. When everyone else is dressed in rich colors, she'll stand out..."

Chang Yan immediately added, "She'll be very noticeable, and even Master Xie won't be able to look away."

Chang Yan then felt awkward, glancing at the eldest miss, realizing she shouldn't have mentioned Xie Jingzhi.

Mentioning Xie Jingzhi brought silence to the carriage. Coincidentally, the carriage had already left the Lin residence, so Lin Yingxue lifted the curtain to look outside.

Lin Baozhen found it dull and lifted the curtain on the other side, thinking about following Fu Jiaze to Tongwu County in her premonition dream. That place was desolate, but she thought that if she married Wei Wuhou (Xie Yuan), she could buy anything she wanted in the capital.

As Lin Baozhen thought about Xie Yuan, he was also thinking about her.

/

That day, after obtaining Lin Baozhen's birth date and time, he almost burned it several times but finally handed it to his mother.

The matriarch of the Xie family was surnamed Ma. Seeing her son present a birth date and time for compatibility, she was puzzled.

After consulting a master, Ma Matriarch's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Xie Yuan's arm tightly.

"Whose girl is this? The master said her birth date and time are excellent, bringing natural blessings. If she marries you, everything will be safe, and you'll have children! Her fate is good."

Ma Matriarch's voice grew excited and high-pitched.

No wonder she was so excited; Xie Yuan was her only son. In the battles within the household, she had eliminated all the other concubines' sons, becoming the ultimate victor.

Unexpectedly, the cruel consequences of these battles fell on her only son.

Xie Yuan had the fate of a heaven-defying solitary star, causing repeated misfortunes in betrothals. Even when he managed to marry, the bride died on the wedding night, and another fled during the third-day return visit.

Without a main wife, they took concubines! As long as Xie Yuan had heirs, it would suffice.

Unfortunately, the concubines changed like crops, none bearing children, even those who had previously given birth. Once they entered the Weiwu Marquis Mansion, they ceased to conceive.

With such a vast estate needing an heir, they reluctantly adopted Xie Jingzhi from a collateral line. Because she was unwilling to pass the estate to Xie Jingzhi, he remained the nominal eldest son of the marquisate without being officially recognized as the heir.

Now, seeing Lin Baozhen's suitable birth date and time, Ma Matriarch couldn't help but feel excited.

Hearing this result, Xie Yuan was silent for a moment before saying, "Mother, this person almost became engaged to Jingzhi. Although she and Jingzhi have no private relationship, her affairs caused a stir in the capital. Moreover, her father is only a few years older than me. He is the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

Ma Matriarch frowned slightly, "Was this birth date and time kept for a previous engagement? If it doesn't work out, we can arrange for Jingzhi to marry her and send him away. Then..."

Xie Yuan was stunned by his mother's suggestion and coughed lightly before saying after a moment, "There's no need for that. She gave me her birth date and time a few days ago, saying that if I was willing, I could go to her family to propose."

Thinking about this, Xie Yuan couldn't help but feel some ripples in his heart. After all, because of his poor fate, he had considered marrying a merchant's daughter or an illiterate farmer's daughter as his main wife. Now, Lin Baozhen, who came from a respectable background, was willing to marry him. How could he not be moved?

Since she could become a legitimate wife, Old Lady Ma became instantly excited, repeatedly saying, "What are you hesitating for?"

"Although she says there's nothing between her and Jingzhi, the rumors have spread widely. Public opinion can be terrifying."

"Regardless of public opinion, her willingness to marry you is good!" Old Lady Ma said. "Yuan, this Miss Lin is your last chance given by heaven. Are you really going to let it slip away?"

Xie Yuan certainly didn't want to miss this opportunity. Thinking of Lin Baozhen's charming and lively face, he blushed slightly and then looked determined, finally giving his mother an answer.

"The flower-viewing banquet is coming up soon. I'll have Jingzhi deliver a letter to her. Proposing must follow proper etiquette."

After this discussion, Xie Yuan pondered for a long time and wrote a letter. When Xie Jingzhi found out that the letter was for Lin Baozhen, he was full of disbelief. "Father, this is absolutely not possible. At the flower-viewing banquet, everyone is already prepared to mock both of us, and now you're having me deliver a letter to her."

If possible, Xie Jingzhi would avoid Lin Baozhen at all costs.

"This letter is on my behalf," Xie Yuan said. "Besides, since there's nothing between you, why do you care about others' gossip? Do you really have something with her?"

"Of course not!" Xie Jingzhi replied without hesitation. "Originally, whether I was engaged to her or not didn't matter much. But after meeting the second Miss Lin, I realized what I truly desire."

Xie Jingzhi had thought he could marry anyone, but the moment he saw Lin Yingxue, his heart was struck hard, making him realize the kind of wife he wanted.

He even had someone inquire about Lin Yingxue. This illegitimate daughter of the Lin family rarely left the house, but through connections with the younger generation of Changqing Houfu, he learned about the books she read and the poems she wrote. He felt that if he could win Lin Yingxue, it would be a delightful addition to his life.

"Second Miss Lin won't work," Xie Yuan directly refused. He couldn't say outright that he was going to marry Lin Baozhen, so he said, "You are the heir of Wei Wuhou. How can you marry an illegitimate daughter?"

"Father, I really like her."

Xie Yuan, preoccupied with thoughts of Lin Baozhen, brushed off Xie Jingzhi's concerns: "We'll talk about Second Miss Lin later. If you like her, you shouldn't ruin her reputation. Remember not to say or do anything inappropriate."

In Xie Yuan's mind, once he married Lin Baozhen, Xie Jingzhi wouldn't mention liking Lin Yingxue again.

Xie Yuan solemnly handed the letter he had written overnight to Xie Jingzhi: "Jingzhi, the content of this letter is very important. Make sure to deliver it to Miss Lin."