xymnovel Chapter 28 An Incredible Event
Chapter 28 An Incredible Event
(I didn't get a spot in the first round of recommendations this week, and the new book has been in the library for a week. Next week will be a period without any recommendation slots, so the number of book collections will definitely be very low.)
Fortunately, this book doesn't have many bookmarks yet, but it's a steady read. Next week, I hope all readers can take some time to continue reading and interact with it. Thank you!
A slight noise came from inside the house.
A moment later, the door opened from the inside, and the Fujin's figure appeared in the doorway.
She wore a light purple cheongsam, and her hair was simply tied up in a bun, simple yet dignified.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, whether from the fact that the conversation had been overheard or from the surprise of Yin'e's sudden visit.
Su Mo'er followed behind the Fujin. When she saw Yin'e, she quickly bowed.
Then she stood aside with her head down.
"Why is the Tenth Prince here?" the Fujin asked, her tone neither warm nor cold.
Yin'e shook the oil paper bag he was carrying and said with a grin, "I went shopping and bought some snacks."
I remember you used to love the jujube paste pastry from Guixiang Village.
I also bought some trinkets, and got one for Su Mo'er too.
He handed over the oil paper package, and the Fujin glanced at it before taking it.
Her fingertips touched it unintentionally, but she didn't pull them back.
"That is..." The princess's gaze fell on the paper package in his other hand.
"Oh, this is osmanthus cake and poria cocos cake." Yin'e handed over the paper package as well. "I didn't know if you liked osmanthus cake, so I bought less."
The shopkeeper recommended the Poria cocos cake, saying that the ladies in the capital all liked it, so I brought some back to try.
The princess took the paper package, held it in her arms, and looked down at the colorful packaging.
The oiled paper has a red stamp from Guixiang Village, with an osmanthus flower and a crescent moon printed on it, and the words "Number One in Kyoto" written next to it.
There was silence for a moment.
Do you remember that I loved red bean paste pastries?
Yin'e smiled and said, "Of course I remember. Back when the manor made jujube paste pastries, you could eat more than half a plate by yourself."
Later... the kitchen wasn't used much anymore.
But I still remember the taste. This place's jujube paste pastry is the most similar to the one our family used to make. You should try it and see if it suits your taste.
He was telling the truth. At that time, they had only been married a short time, and there hadn't been the later arguments, cold wars, and complete estrangement.
The princess's eyelashes drooped slightly.
Su Mo'er stood to the side and said tactfully, "Tenth Prince, Princess Consort, this servant will go and brew a pot of tea."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The courtyard gate was not closed, and Su Mo'er's footsteps gradually faded away, and the courtyard became quiet.
The sun had already sunk below the western wall, leaving only the last rays of its afterglow hanging on the horizon.
The two sat side by side on a stone bench in the courtyard.
There was a fist's distance between them.
Not too far, not too close—just the right distance to talk without feeling overly intimate.
Yin'e took out those little trinkets from his pocket.
Wooden rabbits, glass beads, and small bronze mirrors were arranged one by one on the stone table.
"These little trinkets aren't worth much; I just bought them because they looked interesting."
He picked up the wooden rabbit, placed it in his palm, and handed it to his wife.
"Look at this rabbit, it's carved quite realistically."
The princess took the rabbit, examined it from all angles, and her lips twitched slightly, as if she were trying to suppress a laugh or perhaps showing disdain.
She pinched the rabbit's ears with her fingers and then stroked its belly.
"This doesn't look like a rabbit at all!" she finally spoke, her voice tinged with barely suppressed amusement. "With such short ears, it looks more like a cat."
Yin'e leaned over to take a look, scratched his head, and said, "He does seem a bit chubby... his legs are too short, and his belly drags on the ground."
But chubby rabbits are cuter, aren't they? What's the point of looking at a skinny rabbit that's like a bamboo pole?
The princess finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Seeing her smile, Yin'e felt much more relaxed.
He cleared his throat, and the smile on his face faded slightly.
"My lady, there's something I need to tell you."
The princess raised her head, looked at him, and waited for him to continue.
"The matter of the 200,000 taels of silver owed to the national treasury has been resolved. Ninth Brother has agreed to help me repay it, and we'll go to the Ministry of Revenue to complete the formalities tomorrow. You don't need to worry about it."
The princess was stunned.
"Ninth Master... you paid it back for me?" She repeated the word slowly and deliberately, her voice clearly showing surprise.
"Yes." Yin'e nodded. "I went to see Ninth Brother today and mentioned it casually. He agreed, saying it's only right for brothers to help each other out."
He didn't mention that he delivered medicine to Lao Jiu, nor did he mention how grateful Lao Jiu was or how he offered to pay off Lao Jiu's debts.
Some things don't need to be explained too clearly. Explaining them too clearly can seem deliberate, like showing off.
The princess was silent for a moment, then slowly stroked the rabbit's back with her fingers.
"That's...good."
Yin'e looked at her, then suddenly reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of her hand.
The princess's hand stiffened, and her fingertips twitched slightly.
But she didn't pull her hand back or move away; she just stood there stiffly.
"Ulan, from now on, if there's anything between us as husband and wife, just tell me directly."
No matter what difficulties we encounter, we'll find a solution together; we don't have to bear it all alone.
The princess raised her head and looked into his eyes.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed half of his face in a warm light, and his eyes were clear and open, without the perfunctory and impatient manner she usually displayed.
She had never seen that kind of light in his eyes before.
Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.
"Tenth Prince...actually...I..." The Fujin seemed to have made a great decision, wanting to tell Yin'e everything on her mind.
Yin'e was also looking at his wife, waiting for her to say something next.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
The footsteps were hurried and heavy, making a "thump-thump" sound on the blue bricks.
Yin'e and his wife turned their heads at the same time.
Yin De's figure appeared at the courtyard gate.
He was sweating profusely, beads of sweat streaming down his face.
He saw Yin'e and his wife sitting side by side on a stone bench, Yin'e's hand still resting on the back of his wife's hand.
He paused for a moment, his steps faltering at the courtyard gate, as if hesitating whether to come in.
But he quickly suppressed that momentary hesitation, strode forward, and knelt down with a thud.
"Greetings to the Tenth Prince, greetings to the Princess Consort."
"Get up." Yin'e stood up and withdrew his hand from the back of his wife's hand.
He knows Yin De too well.
This uncle, who has been with him for eight years, is usually calm and experienced, a person who wouldn't panic even if the sky were to fall. What's wrong with him today?
Something terrible must have happened.
"What happened? Why are you so panicked?"
Yin De raised his head, glanced at the Fujin (wife of the emperor), then at Yin'e (the emperor's son), opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.
"Speak your mind," Yin'e said impatiently. "The Princess Consort is not an outsider."
Yin De took a deep breath before uttering those words.
"Tenth Master, something terrible has happened."
He paused for a moment and swallowed.
"Lord Wei Dongting... was driven to suicide by hanging himself by Fourth Master's relentless pressure to repay debts."