“Really?!”
“Absolutely!” Granny Cai said, beaming with excitement.
“I personally stayed outside Wenlan Court to keep an eye on things, worried that Cousin would run into trouble with the Heir. But I never expected her to come out so happy. Later, I asked Granny Zhao for news and found out that the Heir didn’t suspect Cousin at all. He even said he would find out the truth for her! Cousin was so happy she barely slept all night.”
Madam Shen frowned slightly. “Shiji trusts A’Li that much?”
Granny Cai laughed. “Madam, what’s there to worry about now? That little brat Song Qinghe wasted her effort! The Heir and Cousin’s relationship hasn’t been affected at all. From the looks of it, this marriage will go smoothly!”
But Madam Shen’s brow remained furrowed. “It all seems too smooth… I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.”
She didn’t know why she felt uneasy. Probably because things were going too perfectly.
Not even two days later, the “truth” was discovered. A maid from Cuizhu Courtyard came forward and admitted her mistake—she had accidentally sprinkled rose pollen on the hairpin.
The maid was punished and then sent away.
The Old Madam didn’t want the matter to escalate, and she certainly didn’t want Song Qinghe to be punished. The best outcome, of course, was letting a servant take the blame.
“Let this matter be over, and never mention it again,” the Old Madam said.
Song Qinghe, tears streaming, knelt on the ground. “Thank you, Old Madam.”
The Old Madam helped her up. “I only care about your reputation. If this matter spreads, it could ruin your name and make it hard for you to marry well.”
Song Qinghe’s face stiffened slightly.
The Old Madam patted her hand. “Shiji already told me—your marriage will be personally arranged by me. I’ll choose a good family for you, so you can marry as a daughter of the Lu family and never have to rely on anyone else again.”
Song Qinghe froze, opening her mouth but daring not to speak.
Whatever Shiji decided, no one could go against.
Her eyes grew red. Did he… really not want her anymore?
Days passed quietly. The Dingzhou treason case continued to be investigated. Lu Shiji had little patience to drag it out, and this time the process went twice as fast as before.
Back at the mansion, Shen Lichu would always appear, holding her sheets of calligraphy, pestering him for guidance, like a little magpie chirping nonstop around him.
This second life was much smoother than the first.
Half a month later, the Dingzhou treason case was finally concluded. Eight families of officials involved were executed and their estates confiscated, causing a storm of fear across the capital.
But with that, everything settled. People’s hearts slowly calmed.
The Ningguo Mansion held a banquet to entertain all the congratulatory guests. That day, nearly all of Yan Jing’s prominent families came.
From early morning, the mansion gate was busy with carriages and people arriving nonstop. Maids and servants ran around tirelessly, and the courtyard buzzed with lively chatter.
“Miss, don’t be late again today! Most of Yan Jing’s noble families are here. The Madam specifically reminded that you should arrive early, so no guest has to wait,” Chunxing chattered as she fussed.
“I’m a guest too, aren’t I?” Lichu said calmly, picking a hairpin from her dressing box.
“How can you be the same? Don’t you remember? The Dingzhou treason case is closed, and the Madam said your marriage to the Heir must be arranged as soon as possible. At a time like this, you really need to be careful,” Chunxing reminded her.
Lichu blinked, propping her chin as she looked in the mirror. “Chunxing, do you think Cousin Brother likes me?”
“Of course he does. Haven’t you spent these past days with the Heir?”
Lichu frowned, a bit confused. “But he’s always so cold. Sometimes he seems very kind, other times so distant.”
“The Heir has always been reserved. Besides, he’s the number one young master of Yan Jing. Naturally, he restrains himself, keeps proper distance, and would never overstep.”
“But…” Lichu frowned slightly, feeling a strange, unexplainable unease.
“Don’t overthink it. The Madam is helping you plan everything. This marriage will definitely be arranged. Hurry up, or you’ll really be late,” Chunxing urged.
Lichu didn’t have time to think more. She adjusted the pearl hairpin in her hair and then hurriedly set off.
Today, she wore a flowing red fairy dress, her twin buns tied with long red ribbons. The tassels and pearls on her hairpins jingled with every step, and the charms around her waist chimed softly.
She was bursting with excitement. Today, the Ningguo Mansion was holding a banquet—it promised to be lively.
“Miss, slow down!”
She was walking too fast, practically flying with joy.
Rounding a corner too quickly, she didn’t see someone and bumped straight into him.
“Ah!” She staggered back two steps, almost falling, and the man quickly steadied her.
“Be careful, Miss!”
Finally stable, she frowned and looked up. In front of her stood a man in a wide-sleeved, sky-blue brocade robe, his hair neatly bound with a jade crown, features sharp and handsome.
He had already let go, keeping proper etiquette, taking two steps back, and bowed with his hands clasped.
“Please forgive me, Miss. I didn’t see clearly—my apologies for the sudden encounter.”
Lichu froze for a moment, then cautiously asked, “Rongyu Gege?”
Zhang Rongyu looked up in surprise. “A’Li?”
“It’s really you! I almost thought I’d mistaken someone else!”
The Zhang family’s ancestral home was also in Yuhang, and they were old friends with the Shen family. The children of the two families had grown up together and were close.
But when Lichu was ten, Zhang Laoye received an official posting as governor of Youzhou, and the family moved there. They hadn’t seen each other since.
Zhang Rongyu smiled. “My father just got a new assignment back in the capital and only arrived in Yanjing two days ago. I came to the Ningguo Mansion with him for the banquet and didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m staying at my aunt’s house for a while,” Lichu replied quickly. “What about Shushu? Has she come back?”
Zhang Jingshu was Zhang Rongyu’s sister and Lichu’s best friend. When the Zhangs left Yuhang, the two girls had cried at the dock, holding each other tightly.
Zhang Rongyu chuckled. “She’s back. She’s here for the banquet too, currently greeting guests with her mother.”
Lichu spun around happily. “Then I’ll go find her!”
Zhang Rongyu watched her red skirt swirl behind her, bright and cheerful like a little sun. He shook his head with a smile—some things never changed from childhood.
At the banquet, men and women were seated separately.
The flower hall was divided by two tall embroidered screens, with the female guests on the left side.
Madam Shen sat at the head, surrounded by several noblewomen chatting with her.
Seeing Lichu enter, she smiled and waved. “A’Li, come over here.”
The crowd parted to make a path, and Lichu went to sit beside Madam Shen. “Aunt.”
Madam Shen took her hand and introduced her. “This is my niece, Shen Lichu. I specially brought her to the capital to stay with me for a while.”
“Truly, the waters of Jiangnan nurture people. Just look at her—what a beauty!” the noblewomen praised repeatedly.
Madam Shen looked proud but remained modest. “I still think she’s just like when she was a child—I can’t believe she’s grown up.”
“Not at all! Miss Shen looks calm and virtuous, a true lady of a great family.”
The praise made Lichu blush.
Madam Shen patted her hand. “Her parents adore her, hoping only to marry her to a good family so she can live without worry.”
“Of course! Miss Shen clearly has a blessed life! She must be matched with someone exceptional!”
“And speaking of exceptional, the best young master in Yanjing today is none other than Ning Shizi!”
Everyone knew exactly why Shen Lichu had come all the way to Yanjing—it was to secure a marriage with Ning Shizi.
Judging by how things were going, it seemed she might indeed be the first to gain favor.