Qiao Yin lifted the carriage curtain and saw Lu Jinzhi’s personal attendant, Zhuye, standing in front of the carriage. Behind Zhuye were two men carrying a large paulownia wood chest.
“Did you return everything?”
Qiao Yin stared intently at the chest, her voice trembling with excitement.
Zhuye had grown up serving Lu Jinzhi and was his trusted confidant. Lu Jinzhi had always looked down on Qiao Yin’s behavior, and naturally, Zhuye shared the same disdain for her.
Seeing her unfocused gaze and trembling voice, Zhuye couldn’t help but sneer inwardly: Serves her right. She brought this on herself. She played with fire and got burned.
“Everything has been returned,” Zhuye replied arrogantly, unable to resist a final jab. “The Young Master said these things are nothing but clutter and utterly useless. From now on, Second Miss Qiao should save her efforts and stop sending them.”
Qiao Yin had already stepped down from the carriage and approached the paulownia wood chest. She opened it to find it filled with various brocade boxes, each still tied with the red ribbons she had carefully fastened. To create a unique sense of ceremony, she had even practiced tying those bows for a long time.
“None of them were ever opened?”
Zhuye crossed his arms and lifted his chin, ready to mock her further, but suddenly, Qiao Yin burst into joyous laughter.
“Excellent! That means they’re brand new and can fetch a good price!”
“That bastard Lu Jinzhi finally did something decent.”
…
After returning from the Star-Gazing Tower, Lu Jinzhi felt a lingering frustration. The image of Qiao Yin smiling sweetly at Xie Yu’an kept replaying in his mind, refusing to fade.
Angered, Lu Jinzhi decided to punish Qiao Yin.
He ordered his servants to gather all the gifts Qiao Yin had sent over the years and return them in full.
After giving the command, Lu Jinzhi felt an immediate sense of relief.
Now Qiao Yin should be scared.
Not only Qiao Yin, but even Xie Yu’an would suffer a major setback because of this.
With this thought, Lu Jinzhi’s brush moved fluidly across the paper. He wrote over a dozen calligraphy pieces in one go, only stopping when he heard Zhuye’s footsteps outside the study door.
Zhuye had rushed back but suddenly halted just outside the door.
After waiting a moment, Lu Jinzhi grew impatient. “Why aren’t you coming in to report? Did you return everything?”
Only then did Zhuye enter the room, nervously twisting the hem of his clothes. “Reporting to you, Young Master, I happened to encounter the Qiao family’s carriage on the road. I stopped it directly and returned the items right there on the street.”
Zhuye had deliberately intercepted the carriage in public to embarrass Qiao Yin, but he didn’t dare mention that.
Lu Jinzhi saw nothing wrong with this and even allowed a faint smile to curl his lips. “And then? Did Qiao Yin accept them?”
Zhuye stole a glance at Lu Jinzhi. “She did.”
Lu Jinzhi was taken aback. She accepted them?
“Did she not make a scene?”
Zhuye lowered his head, not daring to meet Lu Jinzhi’s eyes, and replied softly, “She did. She made such a commotion that the whole street came to watch.”
That’s more like Qiao Yin. How could she not be heartbroken or cause a scene after being rejected like this?
Lu Jinzhi felt pleased inwardly, though he maintained a disdainful expression on his face.
“What kind of spectacle did she make this time?”
Zhuye gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and replied loudly, “When Second Miss Qiao saw that I was returning the items, she accepted them with great delight and even opened the chest right there on the street to sell everything. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she sold off all the gifts she had given you at bargain prices. Whatever couldn’t be sold, she took to the pawnshop to exchange for cash.”
“What?!”Lu Jinzhi felt as if he had been struck on the head, his mind blank for a moment, yet the words “sold cheaply” and “dead pawn” echoed deafeningly in his ears.
Qiao Yin, she was courting death!
Zhuye, seeing his master’s grim expression and the restless, irritable aura emanating from him, quickly thought of something and said, “However, this humble servant saw Second Miss Qiao go straight to Yunyi Pavilion and Zhenpin Pavilion after exchanging the money. She probably realized those items were unopened and knew you didn’t like them, so she went to buy new ones instead. She hasn’t given you this year’s birthday gift yet.”
As Zhuye finished speaking, the restlessness on Lu Jinzhi’s face vanished without a trace.
He thought it over and found Zhuye’s analysis quite reasonable.
Qiao Yin was most adept at reading people’s expressions. In the past, a mere frown from him would let her know what was amiss, and she would immediately correct it.
“Tell the gatekeeper that if Qiao Yin comes, don’t give her a hard time. Let her come see me,” Lu Jinzhi said magnanimously.
…
Eastern Palace—
Xie Yu’an alighted from the carriage and entered with familiar ease, heading toward the Crown Prince’s study.
The study was perpetually filled with a faint scent of medicinal herbs. Seeing someone enter, Crown Prince Jiang Huailu set down his brush and asked curiously, “Why are you so late today?”
Xie Yu’an raised the box of pastries in his hand. “I came across a delicious pastry shop and got delayed.”
Jiang Huailu made a sound of surprise and put down his brush. “Since when have you taken a liking to such things?”
Xie Yu’an’s eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, as if tinged with a hint of pride. “Today.”
Jiang Huailu glanced at Xie Yu’an, his expression of satisfaction piquing his curiosity. He reached out a hand and said, “So delicious? Let me try some too.”
Xie Yu’an moved the hand holding the pastries behind his back, his expression turning serious as he changed the subject. “What matter does Your Highness summon me for?”
Jiang Huailu looked at his own hand, still empty in mid-air, and thought to himself: Since when has Xie Yu’an become so stingy, not even willing to share a single pastry?
He withdrew his hand and picked up a memorial from the desk, handing it to Xie Yu’an.
“A group of bandits has appeared in Minzhou in the northern borderlands, harassing the people for months. Someone needs to lead troops to suppress them. I want you to go. By the time you return, it will coincide with the rotation of the Five Armies Camp, making it justifiable for you to take command of the entire camp.”
Although Jiang Huailu was already the Crown Prince, the other princes remained covetous of the position, with the Third Prince Jiang Huaiyan being the most formidable.
Though Jiang Huailu was both the eldest and the legitimate heir, the Empress’s maternal clan was weak, far from the ease and advantage enjoyed by the Third Prince, who was backed by the Duke’s estate.
“Recently, the Lu family has been making frequent moves, seemingly intending to form a marriage alliance with the Prime Minister’s residence. That Lu Jinzhi has not only won the favor of the Yan family’s daughter but also has the daughter of the Jing’an Marquis pursuing him relentlessly. The Lu family truly knows how to play both sides.”
“Your Highness need not worry. The Jing’an Marquis Estate will not side with the Third Prince.”
Xie Yu’an interrupted Jiang Huailu, set down the memorial in his hand, and stated firmly, “I cannot go to Minzhou. I can recommend someone else to Your Highness.”
“Ah Yu,” Jiang Huailu suddenly lowered his gaze, clutching his chest with a pitiful expression. “Who are you going to recommend? You won’t abandon me, will you? We’ve grown up together since childhood. Ah Yu, help me one more time.”
Xie Yu’an rubbed his forehead. “I don’t have time. Let Xie Ren go.”
Xie Yu’an turned and left with a flick of his sleeve. Jiang Huailu, unhurried, took a small note from a drawer—a message he had received earlier by carrier pigeon.”It seems Qingxuan was right, the iron tree really is about to bloom.”
…
As the sun set in the west, Qiao Yin, holding her recovered money pouch, joyfully returned to the Jing’an Marquis Estate.
Originally intending to buy some gifts to give Xie Yu’an tomorrow, but with Lu Jinzhi as a cautionary example, she decided to first understand Xie Yu’an’s preferences before catering to them.
As soon as she entered the house, she spotted her elder brother Qiao Mo from afar. Qiao Yin excitedly ran over and asked, “Brother, quickly tell me, what have you found out? What does Xie Yu’an like?”
Qiao Mo looked up at his younger sister, his expression dim, his eyes filled with pity:
“Little sister, maybe you should just keep pursuing Lu Jinzhi.”
Qiao Yin: Huh?