Jinyi Spring

Chapter 144 People I Don't Want to Remember
Xia tried her best to suppress the excitement that was about to burst out of her chest.

Prince Zhao is the son of Consort Xue, and his ascension to the throne is a foregone conclusion. If Yan'er can become his concubine, she will surely occupy one of the four consorts when Prince Zhao ascends the throne. At that time, even the Mingfu will have to rely on her.

Moreover, this marriage was directly bestowed by the Empress Dowager, so the Ming family would never suspect them.

But ultimately, we'll have to wait until next year. With such a long time, what if unexpected changes occur? What if the Xue family changes their mind?

The warmth in her heart suddenly cooled. A wave of joy followed by emptiness washed over her; her heart felt like it was being scratched back and forth by cat claws, hanging precariously, without any sense of direction.

Looking at Yulan, who was pretending to be calm, he warned her again, "You are not allowed to reveal a single word about what happened today."

Yulan hurriedly replied, "What's going on today? I've been serving Auntie her lunch."

Xia nodded in satisfaction and explained, "Actually, it's nothing. A distant relative from Madam Xue's family, who's gone through a lot of twists and turns, asked me to help arrange a marriage for Shanyue."

He ate only a few bites of food before getting up and leaving.

Sitting in the car, Xia realized that her clothes were soaked with sweat, and the makeup on her face, which she had rubbed off with sweat the whole way, must have been patchy and unsightly.

Upon returning to the Ming residence, she first went to her own courtyard to take a bath.

After fixing my half-dry hair and calming myself down, I went to Fu Rong Tang.

The old lady was taking a nap on a chaise lounge by the window in the west room.

The bamboo blinds were half-rolled up, letting in a few soft rays of afternoon sunlight. Two basins of ice sat in the room, their coolness dispelling the sweltering heat of midsummer. A maid knelt beside the couch, holding a small mallet, gently massaging her legs.

That couch was personally crafted for her by the old Duke in his early years. It was made of rosewood, carved with intricate patterns and inlaid with jade, and the words "Rong'er" were engraved in an inconspicuous place on the inside.

The person Xia envied most in her life was this old lady in front of her.

Born into an imperial family, she was born into wealth and privilege, and lived a free and unrestrained life, doing as she pleased for half her life. She also married a valiant and extraordinary man who held a high position in the court and who doted on her for decades. Apart from the hardships she endured in her early years fighting alongside the army, the old lady could be said to have enjoyed the best of fortune in her life.

And the person who most resembles the old Duke is him.

He is as graceful as an orchid or a jade tree, handsome and talented in both literature and martial arts... What is even more rare is his unwavering and devoted love.

But that person's eyes and heart were filled with nothing but that bitch Xiao Wan.

He didn't even give her a gentle look.

Xia instinctively didn't want to recall that incident. But for some reason, it surfaced from the depths of her memory now, as clear as yesterday.

She was just thirteen years old that year, and Xiao Wan was already the Empress.

Knowing that the woman he loved had already married someone else, she mustered all her courage, stood before him, her voice trembling, and laid her heart out before him.

He didn't even flinch.

He glanced at her indifferently, as if she were an unimportant object, his tone calm and utterly unmoved.

"Girl, please have some self-respect."

Those five words were like five fine needles piercing her heart, causing her unbearable pain. For many years afterward, she tried her best to bury that scene deep within her heart.

Her face flushed again for no reason; the lingering heat of that humiliation had not dissipated even after so many years.

She took a deep breath and said to herself, "So what?"

She no longer catches his eye, but now he lives a wealthy and leisurely life. His daughter is destined to be a concubine, or even an empress.

And what about the person he cherished so dearly back then? Now, in the Zixia Nunnery, surrounded by the dim light of the ancient Buddha, he has long since become neither human nor ghost, completely devoid of his former glory.

Xia lowered her eyes, raised her hand and gently rubbed her chest, pressing back the subtle bitterness inch by inch.

When she looked up again, her face was beaming with a smile.

She strode forward. "Mother, look at these two headbands. Do the colors suit you?"

She first took out a turquoise-colored brocade pendant with a round turquoise stone in the center and held it up to the old lady's forehead. Then she changed into a jade-green brocade pendant with tiny pearls along the edges and examined it from both sides.

"Your mother is beautiful; she looks good in anything," she flattered with a smile.

The old lady beamed with delight as she was coaxed, and patted the back of her hand, saying, "You have such a sweet tongue, you can make this old woman dizzy with sweet talk."

Pearl, who was standing nearby, chimed in with a laugh, "Auntie wasn't exaggerating. The old lady looks elegant and spirited no matter which one she wears."

The room was immediately filled with joyful laughter. The old lady was genuinely pleased and appreciated her filial piety.

Xia sat down on the embroidered stool, took the tea offered by the maid, took a small sip, and casually mentioned, "I ran into that girl Yan from the Xue family outside today... Oh dear, she's really spoiled rotten, her words and actions have no manners whatsoever."

The old lady looked up at her, her expression calm, but her words were clear: "That girl has been spoiled by the Xue family, so we must discipline Yan even more."

"Don't blame me for being heartless. I'm doing this for your future, mother and daughter. Only when Yan'er can control her temper can she find a good family."

Xia originally wanted to use the fact that Xue Yan'er had been released from confinement to sound out her intentions and see if she could let Yan'er out sooner.

Seeing that the old lady was completely unfazed, he could only force a smile and obediently reply, "Mother is right, that's what I think too."

The old lady said to Pearl, "Go to the treasury and get that cat's eye hairpin."

Before long, Pearl came over carrying a brocade box.

Upon opening the box, one finds a red gold peacock hairpin. The peacock is about half the size of a palm, with a round cat's eye beak in its beak.

The old lady handed the brocade box to Xia Shi, saying, "This is my dowry. It's been decades, but it's still fashionable."

Xia was overjoyed. "It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed. Then, a little embarrassed, she added, "Mother has already given me so many treasures. I'll keep this one for your granddaughter-in-law."

The old lady said, "There's still some to give to my granddaughter-in-law. This is for you, which means it's for Yan'er. She came to live with me when she was two years old, and I adore her too."

Xia was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears.

As the sun began to set, Madam Xue finally waited for her husband to return home and relayed her entire secret conversation with Madam Xia to him. She concluded with a cold laugh, "I utterly despise Madam Xia. She clearly betrayed the Ming family for personal gain, yet she insisted on putting on a reluctant and aggrieved act, only relenting after I repeatedly assured her that the Ming family was safe. A grown woman like her, can't she tell whether something is truly in danger or not?"
"That time too, she kept saying she couldn't let the Ming family down, and I had to beg her for a long time before she finally said it. How could she not know that selling Xiao Wan was the same as selling Ming Changqing and the entire Ming family? Humph, she wants to be a hypocrite."

After saying that, he noticed the man's extremely surprised expression and his heart tightened. "That matter, could it be that old man Ming has really found some dirt on me?"

Minister Xue shook his head and said, "It's still unclear at the moment."

He further instructed, "Keep Xia Shi in check. No one can truly tame that woman. She'll do whatever it takes for a profit. Besides, she's not just after profit. Even the Second Prince Ming would rather remain single than marry her; his love has turned to hatred... Hmph, the Old Man Ming and Princess Changning, such clever people, have been caught off guard and ended up with a wolf by their side."

He went to the outer study, where his two younger brothers and eldest son were waiting.

After hearing the retelling, Xue Jicheng's face darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "I heard Old Man Ming mutter such things years ago, and it even caused a scene before the Empress Dowager. Could it be that they really have become suspicious and are secretly investigating that matter?"

Still somewhat disbelieving, he murmured, "I remember, after I personally examined the baby, I had it buried deep in Qingmiao Mountain. After that, everyone who needed to be dealt with was dealt with. This matter shouldn't be revealed."

Minister Xue remained silent for a long time before asking, "It seems that the person in charge of delivering Xiao's baby was Physician Cai?"

Xue Jicheng nodded, then suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening, "One of Dr. Cai's husband's cousins, named Wang something... oh, Wang Tu, worked in the Imperial Guard. He drowned the day before Lady Xiao gave birth, but his body was never found..."

He looked at Minister Xue in horror, "Brother, could it be that the two of them are in cahoots?"

Master Xue said in alarm, "Could it be that Wang Tu secretly followed the eunuch who buried the body, dug up the remains and buried them elsewhere, and then waited for an opportunity to overturn the case against Xiao? Should we send someone to investigate the burial site?"

Xue Jicheng shook his head in frustration. "The eunuch who buried the person is long dead. Where are we supposed to find him in such a big mountain?"

Old Master Xue, who had been listening quietly, spoke up cautiously, "Over the years, although the late Duke Ming would occasionally bring up those words, he never truly broke ties with our Xue family. But now they're relentlessly attacking us... Could it be that they've actually discovered some clues?"

Minister Xue looked at his eldest son with satisfaction, and said thoughtfully, "The most suspicious thing is still the Wen family, and that Jiang Huaizhao."

Xue Jicheng suddenly straightened his back. "Brother, do you think Jiang Huaizhao might be Wang Tu? Did he tell Wen Qian about this and then hide among the common people, so that Wen Qian could relay any information to him?"

Minister Xue's expression grew even more solemn. After pondering for a long time, he raised his eyes and said, "Things are unpredictable, so we must be on guard. Immediately dispatch two groups of men. One group will go to Jiangxi, carrying Wang Tu's portrait, to secretly search for him. We must find him alive or dead."

"We conducted a thorough investigation of the household registration system in the capital, as well as all orphanages and charitable institutions, verifying the records of all female infants born in July of that year—leaving no one out. If there were any doubts, we would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."

Xue Jicheng was very dissatisfied with his elder brother's suspicion and insisted, "The Imperial Concubine and I both personally examined him back then, and that little brat was completely dead and had no chance of survival."

Minister Xue looked out the window at the deep night, and thought, "Better safe than sorry."

That day, because the old lady was suffering from summer heat, Madam Xia went to the White Sheep Palace to pray for blessings. In the afternoon, she returned to the Ming Mansion and went directly to the Fu Rong Hall.

Madam Ming was also there.

After greeting the old lady, Madam Xia sat down next to Madam Ming, wiping her sweat and laughing, "Sister-in-law, guess who I ran into today?"

Madam Ming looked at her. "Who?"

"Madam Wan, whose maiden name is Li Ziyu, is the one who plays the flute exceptionally well."

Madam Ming suddenly realized, "Oh, I remember now, she's the one who's so alluring and got second place at a flower banquet years ago?"

Xia disliked the word "妖妖娆娆" (yāo yāo ráo ráo).

Xia's smile faltered slightly before blooming again, her tone becoming lighter and carrying just the right amount of reproach.

"What you're saying, sister-in-law—where is she alluring? She just speaks in a slightly coquettish voice. Her husband used to be the county magistrate of Tonglin County, and he was only transferred to the Nancheng Military Command as deputy commander two months ago."

"Her daughter's name is Wan Heyu. Oh my, she's so beautiful and pretty, I couldn't take my eyes off her. We talked for a while before I learned that the girl was only fifteen years old, born in the yin month and at the yin hour, and wasn't engaged yet. Hehehe..."

She laughed with great joy, her laughter almost overflowing with anticipation.

The old lady leaned back on the couch, and when she heard the words "yin month, yin hour," she raised her eyelids slightly. She had long considered Feng Chuchen as her granddaughter-in-law, but she couldn't say it for the time being.

He then feigned interest and asked, "Is that child really that handsome?"

Seeing that she was interested, Xia smiled even more broadly, "Of course, if I may not offend you, Miss Wan is only slightly inferior to you back then. She has a good temperament, is gentle and amiable, and is very likable."

These words not only flattered Wan Heyu, but also Madam Ming.

The old lady said, "We can't judge a book by its cover. Those girls mentioned earlier, weren't they all perfect at first? But they all had some flaws. Shanyue is unhappy about it. We need to find out more about them in private."

Madam Ming picked up her teacup and took a small sip, inwardly scoffing. This Xia Achan truly treated the Ming mansion as her own, interfering in her son's marriage time and time again. She would never agree to any girl Xia Achan mentioned, regardless of whether she had any faults.

She put down her teacup and said in a lukewarm tone, "The deputy commander of the military command is only a sixth-rank official. His social standing is far too low."

Xia looked troubled and sighed, "What my sister-in-law says is true. But for Shan Yue, she needs an extremely yin birth chart, outstanding looks, and someone of equal social standing to our family..."

She sighed and thought to herself, "It's tough."

The old lady nodded. "Our family doesn't need to climb the social ladder through marriage. As long as the girl is good-looking and doesn't have any strange faults, everything else is secondary." She then said to Xia, "Quickly send someone to inquire about her."

Thinking to himself, with so many of his fiancées dying or getting sick, a flawless girl would never be willing to marry Shan Yue. He decided to wait until he found out more about the girl before rejecting her.

Xia happily agreed repeatedly.

When the men returned from their official duties, Madam Xia specifically told Ming Shanyue about Miss Wan. Ming Shanyue neither agreed nor resisted as much as before.

He only said, "I will follow the arrangements of my elders."

After the meal, Mrs. Xia stayed to accompany the elderly couple for a walk.

On the way, Madam Ming whispered to her son, "The girl Xia said won't get better. I've been asking people to look for her for you in other places, so there's no rush."

Ming Shanyue hurriedly said, "Mother, I know what I'm doing. You don't need to search for it; good people will be blessed by Heaven."

Xia had been quiet about finding him a wife for some time. This sudden "enthusiasm" is unusual and suspicious. Xia must be plotting something again…

Under the moonlight, Ming Shanyue's expression was unclear, only a hint of sarcasm flashed across his lips.

Then let's leave it hanging for now!