Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The Cottage Among Flowers.

After escorting Xie Changning back to her room, Fuqu dismissed the other serving maids.

With no one else around,

Xie Changning finally allowed herself to relax, no longer needing to maintain the tense composure she had before. She let her guard down, sitting dejectedly in her chair.

Clearly still regretting her ill-timed return, which had been witnessed by her sister-in-law.

She wondered if her sister-in-law would believe what she had said earlier. If not, how could she manage to cover it up?

Xie Changning was troubled.

Her face was a picture of distress, head bowed, filled with melancholy.

Fuqu poured a cup of tea and brought it over to Xie Changning. Seeing her despondent look, she couldn't help but squat down in front of her, trying to console her: "Miss, why don't we tell the Princess? With her backing, those people definitely won't dare to bully you anymore!"

"The Princess will surely keep it a secret, ensuring neither His Highness nor Third Young Master find out!"

"No, no way!"

Xie Changning immediately rejected Fuqu's suggestion without a moment's hesitation.

"Sister-in-law has already helped me a lot; I... I can't trouble her anymore," she said to Lotus.

Lotus said painfully, "But you can't keep allowing them to bully you like this, can you?"

Xie Zhangning's expression clearly showed a moment of hesitant silence, but after only a brief pause, she continued, "It... it won't matter; I... I just won't play the qin in class anymore."

"As long as the teachers stop praising me, they... they won't be mad at me anymore, and they won't keep bullying me."

At this, Lotus's eyes welled up with tears.

She was both heartbroken and frustrated.

Holding Xie Zhangning's hand, Lotus choked back tears and said, "They deliberately isolated you because you excel at chess and stopped talking to you. Since that day, you've held back in class, always losing to them."

"They ruined the pouches and sachets you made out of spite for your needlework, so you couldn't give them to the teachers, which earned you a scolding."

"And now, they won't let you play the qin anymore!"

"Do you really want to keep letting them bully you like this? You are the most esteemed young miss of our Wangfu; why should those people get away with bullying you like that?"

Lotus became more and more angry, her voice involuntarily rising a little.

If it weren't for Xie Zhangning stopping her, forbidding her from getting involved or telling Third Young Master and the Prince, she really would have wanted to give those people a good thrashing to let out her anger!

Xie Zhangning lowered her head in silence.

She didn't want to be like this either.

She also wanted to attend class properly and be praised by her teachers.

But she was even more unwilling to cause trouble.

It's better to have fewer troubles than more. Anyway, they wouldn't really do anything to her. At most, they would just push her a few times and not talk to her, that's all.

She had already grown used to it.

If they hadn't gone too far today, trying to snatch the sheet music her sister-in-law had given her, she wouldn't have run back crying.

"Young Miss—"

Seeing that Xie Zhangning remained silent, Fuqu couldn't help calling out again.

She thought she had persuaded Young Miss and was already planning to take her to Linfeng Pavilion to seek help from the princess.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhangning frowned and spoke, saying the same words of refusal again.

"Never mind."

Xie Zhangning shook her head.

"Young Miss—"

Fuqu frowned, feeling reluctant. She looked at Xie Zhangning, wanting to say more.

"Don't say anything, and you're not allowed to go to my sister-in-law," fearing Fuqu wouldn't listen, Xie Zhangning puffed up her cheeks and threatened as she did before, "If you go, I... I won't talk to you again."

"I don't want you... to serve me anymore, either."

After looking at Xie Zhangning for a while, Fuqu finally gave in, lowering her head and said in a hoarse voice, "...This maid understands."

Xie Zhangning felt upset seeing her like that.

She knew, of course, that Fuqu was helping her.

But given the situation at home, she really didn't want to stir up trouble, nor did she want to cause them worry or anger.

She had to disappoint Fuqu's kindness.

Fuqu didn't mention it again.

But if she didn't bring it up, someone else would.

Xie Zhangning had been crying for too long today. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she was worn out. After all, she was just a thirteen-year-old girl. When she was tired from crying, she wanted to sleep.

Fuqu helped Xie Zhangning to bed.

After she fell asleep, Fuqu quietly left the room.

She walked into the courtyard, called a maid, and instructed her, "Go to Third Young Master's place later and tell him that Young Miss has her period today and won't be having dinner with him tonight."

She couldn't bear to see Young Miss so upset and then have to act in front of Third Young Master.

So every time after Young Miss cried, to avoid others noticing, she would use this excuse to gloss over the matter.

Ordinary excuses wouldn't work.

They might even make Third Young Master more worried.

Only matters concerning a young lady's private affairs were something Third Young Master couldn't inquire about.

"Didn't my lady just have her period recently?" The maid looked confused and paled in fear when Furu glanced at her, bowing her head as she stammered, "I'm going right away!"

After saying that, she didn’t dare ask further and hurried out.

Furu watched her leave.

Just as she was about to go back inside to check on the lady, in case she needed something, an unexpected visitor showed up in the courtyard.

It was Bixi, the princess’s personal maid.

Furu was surprised to see Bixi but didn’t dare delay.

She quickly changed her course and hurried to greet the visitor.

"Bixi, what brings you here?" Furu greeted her politely.

Bixi smiled and greeted her in return, then glanced behind her and asked softly, "Where is the lady?"

Furu replied, "The lady is asleep."

Furu lowered her voice and asked Bixi, "Is there something the princess wants? If it’s not urgent, I’ll inform the lady later."

"The lady is very tired today."

Furu didn’t want to wake Xie Zhangning at this time.

"This has nothing to do with the lady."

Bixi said with a smile, seeing Furu’s confused expression, and then went on to explain, "I need to ask a favor and have you come with me. The princess wants to ask you something."

Hearing this, Furu realized that the princess hadn’t believed what the lady said earlier.

And now she was being called for the lady’s sake.

She wanted to speak with the princess.

But the lady had warned her earlier...

Furu looked worried.

Seeing her distress, Bixi continued in a low voice, "Furu, you know that the princess truly wishes for the lady’s well-being."

Furu, of course, knew that.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suggested it to the lady before.

With countless thoughts swirling in her mind, Furu looked at Bixi and finally gritted her teeth, making up her mind, "I’ll go with you!"

Not daring to let the lady know, fearing that she would become anxious and worried, Furu instructed a maid to go inside and attend to the lady, especially telling her that if the lady asked, she should say that Furu had gone to the kitchen.

After the maid agreed, Furu followed Bixi to Linfeng Pavilion.

...

Two quarters of an hour later.

Inside Linfeng Pavilion, Xu Duanyi's face turned extremely ugly after hearing the entire sequence of events.

Not just her.

Even Shiyu and Bixi had very ugly expressions on their faces at this time.

"How long has this been going on?" Xu Duanyi asked Fuqu with a grave expression.

It occurred to her that the situation might not be simple.

After all, the girls' academy was hosted by the Qu family, and Elder Qu was known for his integrity and righteousness. Those people couldn't possibly bully Zhang Ning openly.

But Xu Duanyi was surprised to learn that Zhang Ning had endured so much!

Going to school should have been a happy experience, learning and chatting with a group of girls the same age.

She might even make a few close friends.

But Zhang Ning had been subjected to bullying in such a hostile environment!

Xu Duanyi was a peace-loving person and seldom lost her temper.

But at this moment, a fire was uncontrollably ignited in her heart.

Fuqu dared not sit.

She bowed her head in shame and, after hearing the question, replied even more embarrassedly, "...Two years."

"What!"

Shiyu, unable to contain her frustration, was the first to explode. Frowning, she said, "Your mistress has been bullied for two years, and you just watched? Aren't you trained in martial arts? Why didn't you deal with those people? To avenge your mistress!"

Fuqu said nothing.

Her face grew even redder with shame, and she lowered her head further.

Seeing her distressed look, Shiyu grew even angrier and was about to continue when Xu Duanyi cut her off.

"Enough."

Xu Duanyi stopped Shiyu from speaking further.

Then, looking at Fuqu, she said, "Zhang Ning must have wanted to keep it hidden from everyone."

Shiyu didn't get it, but Xu Duanyi did.

If she were Zhang Ning, she wouldn't want anyone to seek revenge for her.

She would endure everything and keep it all hidden.

When someone is in a bad situation and can't fight back, all they can do is endure.

Besides, Zhang Ning was a kind-hearted child.

She was probably afraid that Xie Qingya and Peace would be heartbroken if they found out, and she wouldn't want to cause them any more trouble.

But thinking about how much hardship Zhang Ning had endured at such a young age, Xu Duanyi couldn't help but pity her.

After taking a deep breath, she looked at Fuqu and said, "I have noted everything you said. Rest assured, I will see to it that justice is served for your mistress."

Almost as soon as her words fell.

Lotus knelt down straight in front of Xu Duanyi.

Without hesitation,

Yihua—as they say—Lotus kowtowed several times to Xu Duanyi with such force that her forehead turned red almost immediately.

"What are you doing?"

Xu Duanyi frowned and hurriedly asked Bixi to help her up.

After being helped up, Lotus still looked at Xu Duanyi with tearful eyes and said, "This servant is grateful to the princess. I am useless. I care deeply for my young mistress, but I wavered and feared, afraid of one thing and another, which resulted in my mistress being bullied repeatedly, and I could do nothing."

"Miss Shiyu was right to call me out just now."

"I trained in martial arts to protect my young mistress, but I could do nothing—truly utterly useless!"

Xu Duanyi looked at Lotus, who was overwhelmed with guilt, and sighed softly, "Everyone is in a different situation, so their choices are naturally different."

"Shiyu wasn't targeting you, don't let it bother you."

Lotus shook her head immediately, "I understand, and I don't blame Miss Shiyu. Besides, Miss Shiyu was right to say those things."

"I am just useless."

She lowered her head, her eyes red, still immersed in self-reproach.

She hasn't had an easy time these past two years either.

Especially when she watched the young miss endure humiliation time and time again, yet she could do nothing.

She was originally born into the shadow guards, with no name.

After the incident involving the young miss, she was assigned to her side to take care of her.

The young miss bestowed a name upon her and treated her as family.

Yet she could only watch helplessly as the young miss was bullied.

How could Lotus not feel both sadness and guilt?

Xu Duanyi looked at Lotus and knew that saying anything now would be pointless. She also didn’t have the standing or authority to judge whether Lotus had acted rightly or wrongly.

She didn’t press the issue and continued discussing with the others.

Besides, since things had come to this point, judging these matters would be pointless.

The most important thing now was to solve the problem.

Noticing the redness on Lotus’ forehead, Xu Duanyi instructed Bixi to fetch a box of Jade Balm for Lotus to apply.

Bixi quickly went inside to fetch the item.

But Lotus didn’t dare accept it.

Feeling utterly useless, how could she dare accept the princess’s kindness?

She even considered that if the situation blew up and the prince and Third Young Master blamed her, even losing her life wouldn’t matter.

This was something she deserved to endure.

Now, she was still alive, but simply because she feared that once she was gone, the young miss would be bullied by even more people.

But now with the princess looking after things, she could finally feel at ease.

The princess would take care of the young miss and ensure she wouldn’t be harassed again.

"Do you really want to go back to the estate with that bump on your forehead? You don’t want Third Young Master to know about it just yet, do you?" Xu Duanyi asked her.

This clearly touched on Lotus’s concerns.

Of course, Lotus didn’t want that to happen.

After a moment of hesitation, she finally relented.

She bowed to Xu Duanyi again to express her gratitude, and then Bixi led her to the side to have the medicine applied.

Once the medicine was applied, Lotus immediately felt her burning forehead become cool and soothing, which was very comfortable.

But this wasn’t the time to focus on that, and she didn’t have time to think about it.

She stood up again and walked over to the princess. After thanking the princess once more, she asked respectfully, "Your Highness, what is your plan?"

"Is there anything this slave can do to help?"

Xu Duanyi was forthright and explained her intentions to her. "Tomorrow, I will go to the Qu estate."

Hearing that the princess was willing to stand up for the young miss, Lotus was immensely pleased.

Her joy was evident.

Her eyes sparkled.

Those people only dared to act so arrogantly because they thought the young miss had no one to protect her. How wrong they were!

We’ll see if they dare to be so arrogant in the future!

Lotus couldn’t hide her smile.

Just as she was about to thank the princess, Lotus suddenly thought of something. Her expression turned hesitant again.

She hesitated and said, "But if we do this, we won’t be able to hide it from the prince and Third Young Master." She had already anticipated this outcome.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of punishment. Even if she lost her life, it would be her due.

With their background, they were born to protect their masters, and she had long since stopped valuing her own life.

She definitely wouldn’t want the prince and Third Young Master to know...

And as for the prince and Third Young Master… If they found out what the young miss had been through these past two years, how would they react?

Third Young Master would definitely not be able to bear it.

With his temperament, he would definitely fight those people to the bitter end.

If that happened, the young miss would absolutely not be able to endure it.

The hesitation on her face was unconcealed, and Xu Duanyi could clearly see it.

She also knew what Lotus was hesitating over.

"Do you think these matters can stay hidden for long?" Xu Duanyi interrupted Lotus's worries directly.

When Lotus looked over with a bewildered and dazed expression, Xu Duanyi said, "If you were found out by me today, how do you know you won't be found out by the prince and Peace in the future?"

"There are no everlasting secrets in this world."

"Moreover, you always think about concealing things, but have you considered that such secrecy might not be a good thing for those who care about you?"

This was a lesson Xu Duanyi only understood after she had grown up.

It’s strange, but the closer people are, the less they know how to interact with each other.

It’s common to share only good news and hide the bad, but such relationships are actually not healthy.

Secrets will eventually be revealed, and when that happens, those who care about them will only feel more pain and guilt.

"If they knew about the harm Zhang Ning has endured these past two years, they would only feel guilt and regret for not caring for her properly, sinking into even greater pain."

Lotus understood.

So she bowed her head ashamedly.

"I know Zhang Ning is a good person; she doesn't want to cause trouble for others."

"But sometimes, such behavior hurts people all the more."

"……I understand," Lotus's voice choked.

"Rest assured, the decision lies with Zhang Ning. I will only stand up for her. As for the prince and Peace, she will decide what to do, and I will not interfere."

Upon hearing this, Lotus felt immediate relief.

Her gratitude towards the princess grew even deeper.

She knelt down again before Xu Duanyi.

This time, Xu Duanyi quickly stopped her from continuing to bow. She had Bixi assist her in standing, saying, "We just applied the medicine. Don't waste it."

Afterward, Xu Duanyi glanced at the hourglass.

Fearing that Zhang Ning would wake up and not see Lotus, she told her, "Go back first."

"Don't let Zhang Ning know just yet."

"Tomorrow, just go to school with her as usual."

"I will handle the rest."

Lotus now admired her immensely, so whatever she said was gospel. At this point, she had no hesitation and simply nodded, saying, "I understand."

She bowed again and offered Xu Duanyi a respectful bow before taking her leave.

Bixi personally saw her out.

Shiyu, standing nearby, said angrily, "These people are outrageous!"

"Master, take me with you tomorrow, and I'll teach them a good lesson!" Shiyu tightly clenched her small fists, her face full of anger, clearly really angry.

Xu Duanyi had already been planning for that, so she didn’t decline. She first told one of the servants, "Prepare the ink for me, I'm going to write a letter to Zhiwei."

Qu Zhiwei was the oldest daughter of the Qu family, the eldest legitimate granddaughter of Elder Qu.

When it comes to Qu Zhiwei, she was indeed an extraordinary woman.

Among all the younger generations of the Qu family, Qu Zhiwei was the most similar to Elder Qu in both talent and skill in calligraphy.

However, she was famous in the capital not only for that reason.

At sixteen, Qu Zhiwei publicly declared her determination never to marry. Because of this, she had been criticized and gossiped about by many, and even her parents had scolded her numerous times.

They felt she was bringing shame to the family.

But Qu Zhiwei stayed true to herself and never changed her pursuits because of others' judgments.

She was now twenty-one, two years Xu Duanyi’s senior.

Over the past five years, she had continued to write books, host intellectual gatherings, and even began to study astronomy. Outsiders still talked about her a lot, and even the Qu family members were quite dissatisfied with her, but Elder Qu adored this granddaughter of his.

Therefore, no matter how dissatisfied the Qu family was with her, they didn't dare to do anything.

Xu Duanyi had a fairly good relationship with Qu Zhiwei.

Xu Duanyi's calligraphy, chess, and painting were also considered among the best, and as a result, she had often been compared with Qu Zhiwei.

Occasionally, when they met, the two would exchange ideas a little.

They got along well in temperament; Qu Zhiwei was not someone who would fawn over others, and although Xu Duanyi came from a prestigious family, she was neither arrogant nor disrespectful.

As they got to know each other, they naturally grew closer.

A while ago, when Xu Duanyi wed Xie Qingya in a grand wedding ceremony, Qu Zhiwei was away and was unable to return in time.

However, two days ago, Qu Zhiwei sent over a gift to congratulate her on the wedding, letting Xu Duanyi know that she had returned.

She had originally planned to find time to meet with her and see what she had been researching lately.

Unexpectedly, they had now reconnected due to the situation with Zhang Ning.

Xu Duanyi did not mention the purpose of her trip to the Qu family in the letter.

It wasn't because she was afraid of tipping them off.

It was just that Qu Zhiwei was not someone who liked to involve herself in such mundane matters.

She didn't want to bother her with these things unnecessarily.

Besides, with some people, even if the Qu family knew to handle them with care, it would be useless.

This trip to the Qu family, she definitely had to make.

Watching her finish writing, Bi Xi couldn't help but worry, "If you directly tell Miss Qu that you're going to the Qu family tomorrow, will it alert them prematurely?"

Xu Duanyi took the handkerchief Shiyu handed her and wiped her hands as she said, "She won't. Zhīwēi never involves herself with affairs of the household, and she won't mention the fact that I'm going tomorrow to anyone."

"Once the ink dries, send it over."

"Yes."

*

That evening.

Xu Duanyi came up with an excuse not to have dinner at Xie Zhangning's place.

She didn't want the young girl to exhaust herself, putting on a brave face while speaking with her.

"Are you really not going to inform Prince Nan'an about Miss Xie's situation?" Before going to sleep, Bixi asked Xu Duanyi.

She was afraid that Prince Nan'an would end up blaming their mistress.

Xu Duanyi shared this concern.

But she had already promised Fuquing and didn't want to put Zhang Ning in a difficult position.

After all, this was Zhang Ning's decision.

She could only advise, but she shouldn't make decisions on her behalf.

"Let's not say anything for now, and wait until Zhang Ning makes her decision," Xu Duanyi said, wanting to ask if Xie Qingya had come back yet but deciding against it.

She told Bixi to rest, planning to get some rest herself.

But after Bixi left, she found herself unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Actually, her body was already very tired. She hadn’t slept well last night, and hadn’t had time for a nap today.

Her mind was dull.

But her spirit was like a tightly stretched string, constantly tense and unable to relax.

She turned her head to the side.

There was only one candle left burning in the room.

It had been left there on purpose for Xu Duanyi, in case she needed to get up during the night.

The bed curtains hadn’t been fully drawn, allowing a bit of outside light to filter in. Tossing and turning restlessly, she suddenly turned her head to look at the pillow that hadn’t been used in a long time.

It was the same bright red pillow, embroidered with symbols of blooming flowers and a full moon.

As she had done many times before, Xu Duanyi reached out and gently traced the auspicious patterns, then slowly curled up, drawing closer to the pillow.

In fact, Xie Qingya had only slept on this pillow a single time.

Any trace of his scent had long since disappeared.

Yet, Xu Duanyi still found a sense of peace.

Drowsiness slowly took over, and as Xu Duanyi rested her head on Xie Qingya’s pillow, she drifted off to sleep.

……

Xie Qingya, meanwhile, was still awake.

Xie Qingya went outside the city today. A trusted confidant reported that Commander Chen, who had been kept outside the city, was approaching his final days.

This Commander Chen was the veteran brought over by the Black-Clad Man back in the day.

After that, Xie Qingya had secretly kept Commander Chen outside the city, ensuring he was well taken care of.

Upon receiving the news, Xie Qingya was naturally concerned.

As soon as he returned, without stopping to eat dinner, he left the city through a secret passage from Mei Xuezheng's residence.

He had been traveling all night.

Now that he had returned, Xie Qingya was covered in dust and utterly exhausted.

Lingji had been waiting outside the whole time. As soon as he heard some noise from inside, he quickly went in and opened the door for them.

Seeing his lord coming out with a cloak and his face hidden under the hood, Lingji could not make out his master's expression. Just as he was on the verge of asking about Commander Chen, Changfeng grabbed his arm and shook his head at him.

Lingji felt his heart sink.

Xie Qingya hadn't said a word. He removed his cloak and went to wash up by himself.

Changfeng glanced at Xie Qingya, then ushered Lingji outside.

"Sir Chen..."

Outside, Lingji looked at Changfeng and asked in a hoarse voice.

Changfeng's expression was grim as well. After a moment of silence, he replied in a low voice, "He's fading, just holding on..."

Years ago, he had suffered a severe injury.

The fire had injured him at his core.

Though he had been well cared for over the years, it was ultimately in vain.

Now, he's holding on, hoping to see the day when the truth is revealed.

Everyone knew, even the master himself, but it still caused unavoidable pain.

Commander Chen—

The sole survivor of the Battle of Nagano.

Lingji wanted to say something, but his heart felt heavy, and he couldn't speak. His eyes slowly turned red. Suddenly, he clenched his teeth, turned back, and slammed his fist hard against the pillar under the corridor.

Changfeng didn't stop him, allowing him this silent release.

After a while, Changfeng spoke in a hoarse voice, "Alright, was there anything that happened at the mansion tonight?" He was more mature and calmer than Lingji.

With the weight of sorrow pressing on his heart, he asked about today's situation.

He was worried that something might have happened at the mansion while they were away.

Lingji also gathered himself and spoke in a rough voice about Lotus going to Linfeng Pavilion today.

"Why on earth did the princess summon Lotus?" Changfeng frowned.

Then he asked, "Was there something else?"

Lingji didn’t withhold anything and continued, "There is also a letter. The princess wrote to the eldest Miss Qu. Our people secretly reviewed it; there was nothing unusual in the content. It’s just that tomorrow, the princess is going to visit Miss Qu of the Qu family."

Changfeng frowned in thought.

Before the princess married into the royal family, they had thoroughly looked into it.

They were aware that the princess had a good relationship with Miss Qu.

But what’s the deal with Lotus?

Before Changfeng could ponder further, he heard the prince calling him from inside.

Changfeng quickly collected himself and went in.

"Your Highness."

Xie Qingya was preparing to sleep.

As per usual, he called someone in to ask about the situation in the mansion that day.

He sat on the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and asked, "What did Lingji say?"

Upon hearing this, Changfeng hesitated before responding. Seeing the prince’s exhausted appearance, he ultimately decided to keep this to himself for now.

Though he wasn’t sure what was going on with Lotus, it probably wasn’t anything major. If something were wrong, Lotus would have reported it.

He would send Lingji to ask about it tomorrow.

To find out what exactly was going on.

The prince had been extremely tired lately.

Changfeng was genuinely worried that if this kept up, the prince’s health would fail.

"Nothing special happened today, Your Highness. Please get some rest."

Hearing this, Xie Qingya said no more and waved for him to leave.

Changfeng replied and backed out.

Before leaving, he blew out the candles in the room.

The room suddenly became dark, and Xie Qingya lay down fully clothed but couldn’t fall asleep.

The moonlight shone through the window.

Xie Qingya lay there with his eyes open, silently gazing.

His expression seemed calm.

But his mind was in turmoil, causing his temples to throb.

His hand suddenly darted under the pillow.

There was a handkerchief embroidered with ink orchids.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally couldn’t resist and grabbed the handkerchief, and his chaotic mind gradually quieted down. Xie Qingya finally closed his eyes.