After I died, the scumbag prince cried down the city wall

As she turned around, she walked slowly, her shoes lightly stepping on the winding paths of Songhe Garden, and every step seemed to measure the emptiness in her heart.

The surrounding pine trees and crane sculptures added a sense of tranquility and detachment, but this peaceful scenery could not soothe the troubles in her heart.

Once upon a time, she thought she knew Wen Yinyang very well, but now she finds herself gradually getting lost in his increasingly complex and confusing mood.

At dawn the next day, just as the sky was turning pale, Cui Rong had already gotten up, tidied her clothes as usual, and prepared to go to Songhe Garden to learn the piano.

Outside the door, the rising sun penetrated the mist, casting a mysterious golden veil over this ordinary day.

Unexpectedly, Cuizhu came into the house in a hurry, almost jogging, with undisguised anxiety in her eyes.

"Miss, I just received a message from Qing'an that the young master can't come back today. He needs to deal with urgent government affairs in the palace. He asked you to practice the fingering you learned yesterday."

Hearing this, Cui Rong unexpectedly felt a sense of relief in her heart, as if the tension and anxiety of the past few days had been briefly relieved with this news.

Every word of her comforting words revealed sympathy and tenderness: "My cousin has really worked hard. Thank you for your hard work."

Cuizhu tried to comfort her and make the atmosphere more relaxed: "Please rest assured, young lady. The young master promised to complete all matters within this month at the latest. After that, he will have more time to guide you personally."

"Then let's look forward to next month."

Cui Rongrong's voice was as light as a feather, but it couldn't conceal the subtle sense of loss.

Cuizhu placed the zither gently on the table, her movements delicate as if she were treating a newborn baby: "This is the zither that the young master specially asked me to send to you. I hope you can practice diligently and don't slack off."

Cui Rongrong's eyes swept across the body of the zither, and her brows could not help but frown. She responded perfunctorily, like a leaf falling in the autumn wind, floating by: "Just leave it here."

Cuizhu's smile was still as warm as before, but mixed with a hint of helplessness, and then conveyed another unpleasant news: "The master also specifically mentioned that he will check your progress when he returns. If your fingering skills have not improved significantly, then the daily teaching time will be extended to four hours."

This sudden "reward" left Cui Rong speechless for a moment, and her emotions were mixed, intertwined into an invisible web.

She forced a smile and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "I understand."

As the sound of Cuizhu's footsteps faded away, Cui Rongrong's face was instantly covered with a layer of gloom like dark autumn clouds.

Su Yue moved the zither to the desk lightly, and the scattered string sounds seemed to flow in the air. There was a hint of teasing in her words: "Master, you really don't forget to care about my piano practice in your busy schedule."

Cui Rongrong's lips curled up into a cold smile, with a gleam of sarcasm in her eyes: "He is just afraid that I am living too leisurely."

Seeing this, Su Yue quickly changed the subject, her tone slightly awkward: "What is the reason for the eldest master to be in the palace this time? Is there a new storm coming up?"

"It's probably the follow-up to the salt tax case."

Cui Rong thought to herself that this seemingly simple Jiangnan case had disturbed the entire Beijing officialdom like a butterfly effect. If the root of the problem was traced back to the end, I'm afraid no one could escape responsibility.

She didn't want to worry about this matter anymore. If Wen Yinyang was busy with government affairs, it would be a kind of peace and quiet for her, and she could take this opportunity to deal with more pressing matters.

Su Yue mentioned yesterday's episode: "By the way, Master Lin expressed his gratitude for the medicine bag you asked him to deliver yesterday, and said that if he had the chance, he would definitely thank you in person."

Cui Rongrong's eyes were far-reaching and her tone was indifferent: "The spring exam is approaching, and the end of the month will be the moment to decide his fate. It won't be too late to talk about gratitude after he passes the exam."

She stared at the guqin in front of her, her heart churning.

Lin Han’s situation is safe for the time being, but the most urgent thing at the moment is how to get out of the vortex of the Wen Mansion unscathed.

Wen Yinyang's refusal to give up forced her to find new countermeasures.

"Girl, the seventh girl is here to visit."

Ding Dong's announcement interrupted her thoughts.

Cui Rongrong was stunned, and then told Su Yue to put the zither away properly.

Cui Yunhe walked into the room with a smile on her face and called softly, "Sister Cui Rongrong."

"Please take a seat."

Cui Rongrong was a little surprised. She remembered that the Taiming Lake incident left Cui Yunhe with lingering fears. She thought she would be depressed for a few days, but she didn't expect that she seemed to have come out of the shadow so quickly.

"Why are you so happy today?"

Cui Rongrong poured the tea herself and asked casually.

Cui Yunhe smiled brightly, sipping tea and saying, "I'm naturally happy to be with my sister. My grandmother is going to Zhaojue Temple to pray tomorrow. How about we go together?"

Cui Rongrong agreed. Although she had no intention of getting involved, she didn't want to create any more trouble in light of the lesson from last time.

This time it was initiated by my grandmother and it is just an internal family activity, so it shouldn't cause any more trouble.

"The whole family is going out this time, except for the Sixth Sister and the Third Madam. Father said that they can't leave the boudoir until the Sixth Sister gets married."

Cui Rongrong smiled and said, "This way, your life at home should be much easier."

Cui Yunhe's eyes flashed with cruelty: "Even if she regains her freedom in the future, I will not be afraid. Sooner or later, I will make her pay a hundredfold for the humiliation and pain she has suffered over the years!"

Cui Rong held her hand tightly and comforted her: "Since the Third Master has punished the Third Madam and Cui Yunhe, you should have no worries in the future. As for marriage, you can consider asking the Second Madam to help arrange it. She has always been rigorous and meticulous in managing household affairs, and she also takes good care of the children of the side branches. You can rest assured."

Cui Yunhe's face changed slightly, and she quickly declined: "No need to trouble the Second Madam."

Cui Rongrong was puzzled: "Why?"

Cui Yunhe hastily withdrew her hand, twisting the handkerchief unconsciously with her fingers, and stammered, "It's nothing, it's just that I feel that I'm only fourteen years old, and the marriages of my fifth and sixth sisters haven't been confirmed yet, so I'm not in a hurry."

At this time, Cui Rong accidentally discovered that Cui Yunhe was wearing a mutton-fat white jade bracelet on his wrist. The texture was smooth and flawless, and it was obviously priceless.

"Where did you get this bracelet?"

She was wondering in her heart that the third room was living in poverty and Cui Yunhe's monthly allowance was often deducted. Such a valuable thing should never be something she could own.

Cui Yunhe stroked the bracelet, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke, his voice as thin as a mosquito: "I'll tell you, but you must keep it a secret."

"Oh?"

Cui Rongrong's curiosity was aroused.

"It was given by Prince Zheng."

Cui Yunhe lowered her head, her voice containing a hint of shyness and weakness.

Cui Rong was stunned for a moment, and then, as if waking up from an unreal dream, she slowly asked, "Is he familiar with you?"

"We had no contact before, but he helped me during the incident at Taiming Lake. Later, when I was crying alone by the lake, he appeared quietly and comforted me. He said he felt sorry for me, and from then on, he would send people to greet me every morning and evening."