A Shocking Dream

The two walked through the plum garden and arrived at a quiet room. The room was simply decorated, yet exuded a sense of elegance. Qin Rongchen sat down and motioned for Qin Ruoyu to sit down as well.

"Ruoyu, the villa has indeed been uneasy in recent days. Some unidentified people seem to be spying on us secretly, so I have to be more vigilant." Qin Rongchen said slowly.

Qin Ruoyu's heart tightened. "Uncle, do you know who these people are? What is their purpose?"

Qin Rongchen shook his head. "It's not clear yet. But I feel this matter is very serious. Perhaps it is related to some important secrets."

"Is it about the missing Snow Country scroll?" Qin Ruoyu asked tentatively, his eyes fixed on his uncle Qin Rongchen, his heart filled with tension and curiosity.

"Yes." Qin Rongchen did not hide it, his expression serious and solemn. He added, "The Snow Country scroll was mentioned by Yunshuang before she died. There were not many people present at the time, so the news would not have spread so quickly.

Qin Ruoyu frowned slightly, pondering the strangeness of the situation. "Then how could someone know so quickly that the scroll was at Hanmei Villa and come to steal it? There must be something fishy going on."

Qin Rongchen nodded slightly, "I have been thinking about this issue. This is definitely not accidental, someone must be secretly plotting it."

A gentle breeze blew through Hanmei Villa, and the plum blossoms swayed in the wind, as if telling an unknown story. Qin Ruoyu frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on his uncle, Qin Rongchen. "Uncle, do you suspect someone you know stole it?" He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to find more answers from his uncle's expression.

Qin Rongchen nodded slightly. He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the garden full of winter plums. "Yes, the news spread so quickly, and knowing that the scroll is in Hanmei Villa, it is indeed very likely that the crime was committed by an acquaintance." He put his hands behind his back and clenched them slightly, showing his inner uneasiness.

Qin Ruoyu also stood up and walked over to the emperor's uncle, looking out the window together. "Who could it be? There aren't many people who have any connection with the emperor's uncle." He bit his lower lip slightly, lost in thought.

Qin Rongchen sighed softly and turned around, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. "I've been thinking about this, but I'm clueless. Of all the people who were once around us, I just can't imagine who would do something like this." He shook his head gently, as if trying to shake off his worries.

Qin Ruoyu stared at his uncle Qin Rongchen, his eyes full of curiosity and confusion, "Uncle, what secret does this Snow Country scroll hold?" He took a step forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

"Perhaps only your royal grandmother knows the answer to this question. This scroll was not given voluntarily by the Snow Country back then. It was your royal grandmother who snatched it away and then lost it for a while before I found it." Qin Rongchen's voice was filled with the vicissitudes of time and the heaviness of memories.

Qin Ruoyu frowned, lost in thought. He wondered why the Empress Dowager had seized the scroll. What secret lay hidden within? Was it for the benefit of the nation? Or was there some other, more obscure reason? His gaze wandered among the plum blossoms in the garden, as if searching for a clue to an answer, yet his heart was filled with confusion.

Qin Rongchen sighed softly. "It's a long story. The situation back then was complex, and your grandmother acted for a purpose. As for the specific reasons, I only have a vague understanding." He tilted his head slightly, watching the clouds drift across the sky, his thoughts drifting back to that distant era. He, too, felt a surge of emotion. Although he had personally experienced those events, he had never fully grasped their mysteries. Now that the scroll had been lost again, he felt a deep sense of responsibility: he had to uncover the truth.

At that moment, a cold wind blew, and plum blossom petals fluttered down like a beautiful shower of flowers. Qin Ruoyu reached out and caught a petal, a sense of melancholy welling up in his heart. "Uncle, should we ask the Imperial Grandmother about the scroll?" He asked hesitantly, eager to know the truth but also worried about causing trouble for her.

Qin Rongchen nodded slightly, "This matter needs to be considered carefully. Your royal grandmother is old, and this matter involves many things that happened in the past, so it cannot be mentioned lightly. We need to look for other clues first. If we really have no clue, we can ask your royal grandmother for advice." He was also weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

Inside Hanmei Villa, plum blossoms still swayed gently in the breeze, emitting bursts of delicate fragrance. Qin Ruoyu looked at his uncle, Qin Rongchen, his eyes full of confusion. "Uncle, Yunshuang...why don't you have any reaction at all? Unlike when Lin Bingshuang died before?" Qin Ruoyu saw Qin Rongchen like this and felt that he didn't seem like a sad person.

Qin Rongchen was slightly startled, a complex expression on his face. He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Ruoyu, you don't understand. Yunshuang's departure was a huge blow to me. But after going through so much, I've learned to hide my sadness deep in my heart." A trace of pain flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly concealed.

Qin Ruoyu frowned, his heart filled with confusion. "Uncle, I don't understand. You have such deep feelings for Yunshuang, why are you acting so calm now?" He stared intently at Qin Rongchen, trying to find the answer from his face.

Qin Rongchen sighed lightly, "Ruoyu, there are too many helplessness in life. Yunshuang's death made me understand a lot. I can't always be immersed in sadness, I have more important things to do." He turned around and looked at the plum blossoms in the garden, his eyes revealing a firm look.

At this moment, a breeze blew, and the plum blossom petals fell one after another. Qin Ruoyu looked at the back of the emperor's uncle, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart. He knew that the pain in the emperor's uncle's heart was much deeper than he showed. But, would Yunshuang's departure remind the emperor's uncle of Lin Bingshuang? Qin Ruoyu pondered in his heart. She was just faking her death five years ago,

Now that the emperor's uncle knows she's still alive, will he still...

Qin Ruoyu longed to know the answer, but did not dare to ask easily.

In Hanmei Villa, a gentle breeze blew, and plum blossoms fell like snow. Qin Rongchen stood there, his expression complicated, his eyes seemed to be filled with endless memories. Qin Ruoyu looked at his uncle, guessing what he was feeling at the moment.

In Hanmei Villa, the breeze continued to blow gently, and plum blossoms drifted down slowly. Qin Ruoyu stood there, his mind a tangled mess of questions. After struggling for a long time, he finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Uncle, do you... still like Lin Bingshuang?"

Qin Ruoyu's voice seemed a little abrupt in the quiet of the villa. He looked at the emperor's uncle nervously, his eyes full of expectation and anxiety. He didn't know if his question was appropriate, but the curiosity in his heart made him unable to remain silent.