Chapter 80 Birthmark Part1
After she was done with the lamp, she stood up.
In the distance, the river bank was brightly lit and filled with people. It was bustling with noise and excitement.
She wanted to take Yan Yu to guess the riddle, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped. She didn’t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that there was someone following them.
However, when they thought about it carefully, they felt that it was impossible. They were standing in the dark, so who would be able to see them?
She thought she was overthinking it. She stood at the intersection of the lake and the street, inadvertently raising her gaze to the second floor of a teahouse. Indeed, she met a pair of sharp and deep eyes.
The teahouse was set up right in front of the street. People swarmed towards the door of the teahouse. The first floor had a storyteller telling the story. The second floor was a private room. The attic was exquisite. It was clear that this was not a place where ordinary people came and went. She saw the man sitting by the window with two men in the uniform of the guards standing behind him. The man greeted her with a smile.
The First Prince?
Xie Zhen did not expect to meet him here, after a moment of astonishment, a feeling of discomfort gradually welled up in her heart.
She can’t say …. Instinctively, she did not like Yan Wen.
Yan Yu noticed her abnormality and followed her gaze. When he saw the people on the roof, his expression didn’t change, but his fists under his sleeves tightened secretly.
There were people blocking their way through the streets. Soon, the First Prince’s guards walked out of the teahouse and came up to them. “The Prince Ping invites the Sixth Highness to come down and take a seat upstairs.”
The First Prince Yan Wen was bestowed the title of Prince by the Yuan Hui Emperor when he was eighteen years old. He was currently residing in the Prince Ping’s Mansion outside the palace. The ‘Ping’ that Yuanhui Emperor bestowed upon him contained many profound meanings. It was most likely meant for him to calm his heart and live a peaceful life. However, the Yuan Hui Emperor did not understand his own children, Yan Wen was the first born son of the former Empress, how could he be willing to be an ordinary prince?
Now, the Yuan Hui Emperor was strong and healthy. Before the age of abdication, if anything happened to his body, perhaps the day of Yan Wen’s rebellion would come.
His military strength was now on par with the Crown Prince’s, while Yan Yu was highly valued by the Yuan Hui Emperor, and he had control of the two hundred thousand soldiers at the border. If he could take Yan Yu under his command, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. Then, the outcome of the battle between Yan Wen and the crown prince would be decided.
Unfortunately, Yan Yu belonged to the Crown Prince.
He had tried his best to win him over, but to no avail.
In addition to the irreconcilable contradictions between Yan Yu and him, there was still something he couldn’t resolve. He wanted to bribe Yan Yu, it was not that simple.
Yan Yu paused for a moment, then tactfully declined, “The Prince’s Wife not feeling well, please help me inform Big Brother, we are preparing to return to our Mansion, so we will not go up.”
The guard straightened up, glanced at Xie Zhen, nodded, and turned back to report.
Xie Zhen stared in the direction he had left until the guard went upstairs to report to the First Prince. The First Prince raised his teacup and shook his head in regret. Only then did they leave.
Xie Zhen noticed his displeasure and asked after they had left, “What kind of person is the First Prince?”
When they stopped under a bridge and the lanterns floated past them, Yan Yu finally said, “Prince Ping’s methods are vicious and his schemes are complex. It’s best if you stay away from him.”
He was not called Big Brother Yan Wen, but Prince Ping.
There seemed to be something else involved.
Xie Zhen nodded as if she understood.
At the same time, there were a few familiar figures standing on the opposite shore.
In the previous year, Madam Leng had asked Xie Rong to take Xie Xun around the streets and pick out some beautiful lanterns to bring back. During this period of time, the entire mansion had been rather depressed over the matter of Xie Liqing going to Wu Jiang. Since Madam Leng doted on the children, she intentionally made them go out on the streets to relax.
Xie Xun didn’t like lanterns. She liked Mianren on the streets.
Xie Rong let the seller draw a Xiao Xun, paid for her, and took her to the shore for a walk.
There were many lanterns under the trees in front, and red lines were drawn on the trees. Beneath each red line was a scented sache. Inside the scented sachet, there were half of poetry. This tree was covered with scented sachet, but there was only one pair of compelet poetry. If someone could obtain the complete poetry with another person, then that was fate.
Therefore, there were many girls and boys standing under the tree. One by one, they filled with hope, took down their scented sachets, and began to search for their fates.
Both Xie Xun and Xie Rong were not interested in the tree. One of them was too young, while the other one felt that it was too unreliable. Just as they were about to walk around the tree, they heard a sound coming from behind them.
“Seventh Miss!”
Xie Xun turned around, biting on her sugar. Amongst the crowd, she saw Princess He Yi standing in the light.
She was wearing a long skirt. She wore a silk cape with gold makeup, and a pearl green dress. She was very pretty. It was obvious that she had been carefully dressed up. Xie Xun saw a girl around her who was about the same height as her. She wore a brocade hairpin, a gold dress with a light red silk dress, and a yellow embroidered skirt. Her figure was slender and elegant, and although she was dressed in an eye-catching manner, her face was covered by a transparent silk veil, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes and a pair of elegant willow leaf eyebrows.
She followed the direction of Princess He Yi’s gaze. That glance was filled with the moving of the wind and the moonlight, which made people’s imaginations run wild.
Xie Xun didn’t have a deep friendship with Princess He Yi, so when they got close to her, she shyly smiled: “Are you guys here to watch the lantern festival as well?”
When Yan Yao’an saw Xie Rong, she usually straightforward young miss blushed and didn’t dare to look at him too much. She quickly looked away and said to Xie Xun: “Yes, I originally wanted to ask Sixth Brother to bring me here, but since he didn’t agree, I had no choice but to come out myself.”
It was only at this time of year that the Yuan Hui Emperor allowed her to leave the palace.
Saying this, Yan Yao’an introduced the girl beside her, “This is the fourth daughter of the Grand Secretariat Gu, Gu Ruyi.” With that, she introduced the two of them to Miss Gu. “Ruyi, this is the Second Young Master and the Seventh Miss of the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.”
Gu Ruoyi looked at the two and smiled.
Even so, Yan Yao’an was an impatient person. Before she could say anything, she caught sight of the Marriage Tree hanging behind her. “What’s that?”
Xie Xun had just known it, so she could explain it to her. “There is a scented sachet hanging on the tree, and within the scented sachet is written a poem. If two people’s poems could be combined, it would be a kind of fate.”
Hearing this, Yan Yao’an’s interest was piqued, and she led Gu Ruoyi forward, “Let’s go take a look as well!”
She had not taken two steps when she saw Xie Xun and Xie Rong standing there motionless. She thought for a moment before turning around and bringing Xie Xun along with her. “Ah Xun, come as well.”
Xie Xun would not refuse someone, so she had no choice but to follow them.
She turned to Xie Rong for help, and he actually followed her.
They stood under the tree. The one below had already been picked up by the others. Yan Yao’an wanted to reach the top one. She stood on tiptoe for a long time, but still couldn’t reach it. She was not convinced, so she asked the guards behind her to help her take it off. She did not open it, and encouraged Gu Ruoyi to take a scented sachet as well.
Gu Ruyi picked the one closest to her.
The two of them opened it at the same time. Yan Yao’an’s note was written in calligraphy: “How does your jade face look like? Plum blossoms, snow in the spring, body is covered by clouds in morning sunlight.” They looked at Gu Ruoyi’a note, it was a simple sentence: “Wishing you well and a long time.”
Yan Yao’an read the note over and over again, feeling very depressed, “What does this mean? How easy is your note to understand,” Wishing you well and a long time, we can see the beautiful moon together!”
Gu Ruoyi’s eyes held a smile as she comforted her: “It’s just joining in for the fun of it, there’s no need to take it seriously.”
She thought for a moment before feeling much more at ease. However, when she turned her head to see Xie Rong holding a scented sachet in his hands, her hope was rekindled. “What did Second Young Master’s note?”
Xie Rong folded the note with a normal expression and put it back into his sleeve. “It’s just a casual poem.”
Yan Yao’an pursed her lips in disappointment. It would be great if she could form a pair with him.
She turned around to speak to Gu Ruoyi, who was standing in a brightly lit area. Her face was tranquil, and her eyebrows were like moths in the ocean. She tilted her head and smiled at Gu Ruoyi, revealing the splendor of her surroundings. Xie Rong looked away, and just in time to see Xie Xun join in the fun. She pulled down a scented sachet from the tree, and mysteriously untied it in front of him. “Suddenly looking back, that right person was in a place with no lights? What’s that?”
Xie Rong rubbed her head and led her away.
After a few steps, he saw Yan Yu and Xie Zhen approaching from the other side. He immediately forgot about the note and called out from afar, “Sister!”
Xie Zhen and Yan Yu had originally planned to return to the Mansion but they didn’t expect to meet them. Now, they couldn’t even think of returning.
“Ah Xun! Brother!”
When sisters met, they would inevitably have a lot to say.
