C74part2

C74: Collect the Snow (Part 2)

Except for a little dust on her face, Xie Xun did seem to be all right.

A pair of sparkling eyes, embedded in the grey protrusion of her face, appeared increasingly bright.

She came up to Xie Zhen and seemed to be avoiding something. ” sis, let’s go back, I’m so tired.”

Xie Zhen nodded and invited Zhong Rou into the mansion, “sister Zhong, come in too.”

Today, they had gone to the governoner’s mansion, and she had no idea what the result would be. After inviting them to the mansion to ask around, they found a way to stay and eat with them.

Zhong Rou didn’t refuse. She entered together with them and said to Zhong Shang, “Go home first. Tell our parents that I’ll be back later.”

Zhong Shang sat on his horse, looking down at the three of them, before turning his gaze to Xie Xun. He quickly retracted his gaze and smiled, “Alright.”

Then he reined in his horse and turned to leave.

When they returned to Jade Yard, Madam Leng was still sleeping. Xie Xun washed her face, and changed to clean clothes with her heart still fluttering with fear. “Did mother actually not figure it out…”

Xie Zhen shook her head and wiped the water off her face with a towel. “What’s wrong with your face?”

They were in the inner room, and Zhong Rou was sitting in the hall. It was only because of the conversation between the two sisters that she had no scruples.

“As soon as we reached the gate of the mansion, Brother Zhong Shang said that my face was too white for anyone to see through, so he painted my face with dirt from the roadside. He said that was the only way.”

“…”

Xie Zhen repeated asking, “nothing really happened?”

She shook her head like a rattle.

Xie Zhen couldn’t believe it. She led her outside and sat in separate chairs.

Xie Zhen asked Zhong Rou again, and was relieved to learn that nothing had happened.

“Did Ah Xun see the servant maid of Miss Lin’s? Was she the one who pushed you into the water that day?”

Xie Xun said “yes”. “She belongs to the second miss of Lin family.”

When she arrived at the governor’s mansion with Zhong Rou, they unexpectedly encountered the Lin’s miss at the door who was about to go out.

When she was in the carriage, her hands and feet were cold. Seeing her expression, Zhong Rou didn’t let her enter the mansion and instead made her wait at the entrance.

She sat obediently in the carriage and waited for half an hour. Zhong Rou could not get away, so Zhong Shang came out of the mansion first.

Xie Zhen clenched her teeth and was too angry to hold her teacup: “This Lin Family …”

“It’s shameless! How could they use a girl to vent their anger on matters concerning officials …”

Zhong Rou nodded, agreeing with her. “It is.”

However, even though they knew it was the Lin Family who did it, they did not have any conclusive evidence. Thus, they were unable to make a move against them for now.

The Lin Family had been on the cusp of a storm recently, and everyone in the imperial court was watching them. The Lin Family was worried that the emperor had sent people to investigate about Lin Ruii’s embezzlement, and it would not be long before a disaster befell the entire Lin Family.

It was because Lin Rui did not to restrain himself when he was an official. He had always been enemies with others, so no one helped him until now.

Even the First Prince, who had tried to rope him in in the past, now paid no attention to him.

The Lin Clan’s arrogance would not last for long.

After seeing off Zhong Rou, Xie Zhen thought for a moment about the matter that Lin Huaping had pushed Xie Xun into the water, she could’t let go.

Sooner or later, she would get it back for Ah Xun.

After Madam Leng woke up, Xie Zhen stayed at Duke Dingguo’s Mansion for a while, until it was dark, she got into the carriage that was going to return.

When she returned to the Prince’s Mansion, it was already dusk. The rays of the sun had dyed half the sky red, causing the two stone lions in front of the door to emit a bright orange glow.

Walking back to Zhanyue Court, she heard someone crying in the courtyard. After pausing at the entrance to listen for a while, it wasn’t hard to tell that it was Ouyang Yi’s voice.

She looked up at the plaque in the courtyard: Zhanyue Court.

she did not go into the wrong court?

Did this Ouyang Yi really take this place to be her own home?

Xie Zhen walked into the yard and saw the two persons sitting under the porch.

In the porch was a small red lacquer table. Yan Yu was facing her, and beside him was Ouyang Yi, who was crying.

Yan Yu’s face did not look too good. After saying something to her, she cried even more. Wiping her tears, she stood up and ran out.

Passing by Xie Zhen, she turned to look at her and kept running away.

It was getting colder and colder, and the ground was covered in a layer of frost. Yan Yu had been drinking warm wine in the porch and was waiting for Xie Zhen to come back, but he didn’t expect Ouyang Yi to arrive.

Annoyed, he dismissed Ouyang Yi with a cold voice, only to look up and see Xie Zhen standing next to the wall.

He stood up and knocked over the jug of wine on the table. “When did you get back?”

Xie Zhen walked towards the room. “Just now.”

He followed her and asked, “Why are you back so late?”

It was warm in the room, so she took off her bandages and warmed her hands with the hot tea the servant maid had brought. “I talked to mother a little more.”

He nodded. As seeing her normal expression, he didn’t know whether he should explain the scene just now. “I …”

Xie Zhen lifted her eyes. “Yeah?”

He hesitated for a moment before he tilted his head and said, “I don’t know why she came over.”

“So what did you tell her?”

Yan Yu felt a little guilty, and said seriously: “Nothing.”

Xie Zhen did not ask more. She didn’t want to waste her time on Ouyang Yi.

She went to the inner room to change into a fresh set of lightweight clothes. When she turned, she saw Yan Yu still sitting in his chair. She thought for a moment and then told him what Xie Xun had seen in the governor’s mansion today. “…”

“The Lin Family hated our family. Second Miss Lin wanted to help her father, so she began to have evil intentions towards Ah Xun.”

Yan Yu wore a solemn face and sneered, “The Lin Family is unable to protect themselves now, and they are actually trying to harm others?”

Xie Zhen wiped her hands with a towel. She wanted to say, that was it the same that Ouyang Yi was living under the protection of others, but she also had the intention of fighting against her?

However, she only thought about it, but didn’t say anything in the end.

She deliberately smiled and asked, “What if they want to harm me?”

Yan Yu stared coldly, “Dare they!”

Xie Zhen looked at him and stuck out her tongue.

He looked away from her and said coldly, “I’ll take care of it for you.”

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhen did not respond at all, only gave a calm “Oh” and then walked past him without showing any sign of emotion.

He took her hand and said stiffly, “You don’t believe me?”

Xie Zhen narrowed her eyes. “I do.”

He pursed his thin lips and asked dryly, “Then why don’t you respond?”

She talked barefaced nonsense. “I’m to moved to say something.”

Yan Yu stared at her.

She curled her eyes and smiled. Without warning, she lowered her head and gave him kiss on his cheek. Her voice was as sweet as honey. “Thank you, Brother Xiao Yu.”

His handsome face reddened, but he was still unsatisfied. He squeezed her hand and scooped her into his arms. He lowered his head, found her lips, and tasted them properly.

After winter, the first snow fell in the capital.

When Xie Zhen woke up, she felt colder than usual. She walked over to the window and looked out.

She let out a cry, and without even bothering to put on her outer clothes, she excitedly walked into the courtyard to step on the snow. “What a heavy snow!”

When Shang Yu saw this, she hurriedly brought her a gold-and-red cloak from the house and wrapped it around her. “Be careful, young lady, for fear of catching a cold!”

She was in a good mood. Her face was covered in footprints as she stood under the tree. She glanced back with a smile, her eyebrows were curved like crescent moons, and her skin was as smooth and delicate as a jade.

It was a pity that Yan Yu was not here. He left before dawn. He had heard that he was going to the crown prince’s mansion to work with Yan Tao.

Xie Zhen got interested. She let Shuang Yu prepare a small jar. She’s going to collect the snow in the plum garden in the backyard.

Using the cleanest snow on the branches to boil tea, the tea that was boiled out would be extremely fragrant and earn countless praise.

Just as she walked out of the courtyard, her small face revealed a smile that hadn’t been seen for a long time. However, her smile didn’t last for long. When she saw the person walking towards her, she slowly withdrew her smile.

Ouyang Yi seemed to have changed. She wore a white silk coat and chiffon dress, and her white embroidered flowery cloak was wrapped around her.

Not only that, she also wore pearls on her head, and what was more dazzling was her hairpin that was embedded with gold thread, green leaves and pearls. It was worth quite a lot.

Xie Zhen stopped.

She stopped in front of Xie Zhen with a smile on her face and bowed. “Where is the princess going?”

Xie Zhen walked around her and kept walking. “Where I’m going? Is this what you should ask about?”

She continuously follow her. “I thought I was just caring about you!”

Xie Zhen smiled. “I have father and mother, and His Highness who care about me. How can it be your turn?”

Ouyang Yi choked with anger. After much difficulty, she deliberately walked in front of her. Under the sunlight, the golden silk leaf dazzled as she said, “Hey, didn’t you notice that I was different?”

Xie Zhen ignored her and kept walking.

She said from behind, “Couson asked someone to make this new set of clothes for me. Even this hairpin was given to me by him. Do they look good?”

“I feel that the color is a bit plain, but it doesn’t matter, I’m in mourning for my mother …”

She was so noisy on Xie Zhen’s side so that Xie Zhen finally stopped and smiled and looked her up and down. “They are good.”

She looked pleased with herself.

The next instant, Xie Zhen smiled at her and said, “Do you believe that if you keep nagging, I’ll have your clothes taken off?”

Ouyang Yi’s face paled. Looking at Xie Zhen’s complexion, it seemed that she would really do such a thing.

Moreover, this was the sixth prince’s Mansion, and she was Prince’s wife. What could she not do?

“You …”

Xie Zhen stopped smiling and turned away from her and headed for the Plum Garden.

Xie Zhen’s good mood was spoiled, and she was angry. After collecting half a jar of snow, she came out of the Plum Garden.

Her face was red with cold, and she breathed out white mist.

Shang Yu followed her the whole way, not daring to say a word in the plum garden. She wanted to persuade her to return earlier, but judging from her obstinacy, she guessed that she wouldn’t listen to anyone.

Therefore, she had no choice but to accompany her in silence. She waited for her anger to subside before coming back with her.

Back in Zhanyue Court, Xie Zhen put down the small jar, let Shang Yu and Shuang Yan go into the room for packing.

Shang Yu exclaimed, “Young Lady, why … why do you want to pack?”

Her voice was calm as she stubbornly said, “Let’s go home.”

She was not angry any more, but she had made a decision in her mind.

Rather than seeing Ouyang Yi that was making her unhappy all day, she might as well stay at Duke Dingguo’s Mansion for a while. Whatever Yan Yu wanted to do with her, let he do. Whatever clothes he wanted to give her, let he do.

She didn’t mind it, just let him do.