After a few songs, Xie Miao asked to leave. Although Zhou Niannan was reluctant to give up, he didn't force it anymore when he saw that she didn't want to.
Mother said, respect Xie Miao, value her.
He walked in front and chatted with her sideways, "When I entered the palace, I only heard that there were three thousand beauties, and that the concubines in the harem were fighting for favour, and the intrigues were fierce. Only after I entered the Yulin Guards did I realize that it was not just the concubines. Even the palace maids, guards, and eunuchs are all two-faced people. Ha, I'm afraid even the crickets in the palace can outnumber one to a hundred and dominate the world."
He was multitasking, talking and walking down the stairs. His left foot accidentally stepped on air, causing his whole body to fall forward without any weight. Based on his skill, he could certainly stand firm easily, but his mind moved slightly, and instead of stopping, he let out a low voice——
Xie Miao hurriedly grabbed his arm, pulled him back to stand, and quickly let go of his hand.
Zhou Niannan pretended to be frightened, patted his chest and said, "Xie Miao, you saved me again."
She didn't see what he was up to, and there was something indescribable written on her face, "How old are you to walk without your eyes?"
Zhou Niannan was secretly amused, scratched his forehead and said, "Xie Miao, you are so kind."
Xie Miao was not moved, and even raised her eyebrows, ready to stab him with a few words.
He had expected it and spoke before her: "I was too stupid. I only made you angry in the past. I was wrong. I really know I was wrong."
Xie Miao's ears were calloused when she heard it, and she said helplessly: "How many times do you have to say the same thing?"
"This is the last time. From now on, you will listen to another sentence." He raised his face, his black eyes filled with tiny rays of light, as if he could lift up the stars in the sky with his hand, "Xie Miao, I like you, sincerely like you."
There was no duplicity, no impulsiveness. He genuinely and sincerely said he likes her.
Xie Miao did not respond.
So what if he likes? Not all love in this world will be responded to.
*
No one thought that someone was peering at them from across the vast lake.
Wen Rubin invited Su Panyan to visit the lake again and again. Su Panyan pushed the invitation several times, but she reluctantly agreed after being unable to push him away.
Wen Rubin was not unaware of her indifference in the past two years. He thought it was the shyness of a family's daughter as she grew up, so he didn't take it seriously. He had been in poor health since he was a child, and others were afraid that they would catch infectious diseases. Su Panyan was the only one who did not dislike it and would always bring delicious and fun things to share with him. They are childhood sweethearts who are engaged at the same time. They will get married in another year. He is willing to pamper her forever.
Wen Rubin handed her the new gadget, "Wanwan, this is a telescope. It is said that it can observe far to become near, and can see things ten feet away."
Su Panyan felt that it is novel and held it in her hand for a closer look, "Is it really that magical?"
Wen Rubin smiled and said, "You will know after you try it."
Su Panyan held the thin handle inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and aimed her eyes at the lens tube. She casually looked out, and found that the distant view had become extremely clear.
She was so pleasantly surprised that she blurted out: "Brother Wen, this thing is really interesting. Where did you get it? I want to give one to Xijun!"
Wen Rubin was taken aback and said awkwardly: "I exchanged gems for it from a businessman from the Western Regions. The businessman had already left the capital..."
Su Panyan realized her recklessness and lowered her eyes guiltily, "I'm sorry Brother Wen. It's my fault."
Wen Rubin stroked her head gently, "Silly girl, why do you apologize to me?"
The better Wen Rubin is, the more uneasy Su Panyan becomes. It's not that she doesn't like Wen Rubin. Being with him is a habit she has accumulated over time. He treats her gently and considerately, and almost always fulfil her requests. And Cui Muli - she got to know him through books, and she went from being disgusted at the beginning to being deeply attracted to him. Even though he is now arrogant and cold, rejecting her thousands of miles away, she still wants to get close, wants to touch, and wants to nestle beside him forever.
Assuming that she is not engaged to Wen Rubin——
Su Panyan thought about it thousands of times, but finally gave up with red eyes. She lacked the courage to disobey her father's orders, and even less courage to face Wen Rubin's heartbreak. She is one of the most ordinary and timid among countless boudoir girls in the world.
She persuaded herself to let go, but on the other hand, she couldn't help but approach Cui Xijun, thinking that it would be good to be closer to him. If he could respond, she might be able to develop the courage to resist the engagement.
But he didn't. Even at the Flower Festival Banquet, he took Xie Miao away in front of everyone.
Has he fallen in love with Xie Miao? Because they get along day and night in Cui Mansion, close to the water terrace? (t/n: close to the water is an idiom for getting priority or opportunities due to proximity.)
Su Panyan cried secretly and couldn't sleep all night. She racked her brains and couldn't think of a way to solve it. In the past, Cui Muli had a good impression of her, but his attitude was only a little gentle, and he never exceeded any words or deeds. However, he held Xie Miao's hand in front of the public without hesitation.
Su Panyan was in a daze for a moment, and then had a delusional thought: Maybe it's not too late? Before he takes any further step with Xie Miao...
"Eh?" Wen Rubin frowned.
Su Panyan came back to her senses and pursed her lips uncomfortably, "What, what's wrong?"
Wen Rubin put down the telescope, shook his head and said, "Maybe my eyesight is wrong."
Su Panyan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What did you see?"
Wen Rubin thought for a moment, "Do you still remember the cousin Third Miss Cui brought to the Flower Festival Banquet?"
Third Miss Cui's cousin?
Su Panyan said: "You mean Xie Miao, Miss Xie?"
Wen Rubin nodded silently and handed her the telescope.
Su Panyan looked at it with some confusion, then slowly her eyes widened, her heart beating rapidly.
What did she see? It's Third Young Master Zhou and Xie Miao. Unexpectedly, they are drifting on the lake together?
The two figures were reflected in the small lens, and they were sitting in the pavilion admiring the scenery. Zhou Niannan played the flute while Xie Miao rested her chin on one hand and listened quietly.
Ignoring the identity, it is truly an eye-catching and harmonious scene.
Many scenes flashed through Su Pan's mind. At Zhiwei Tower, Third Young Master Zhou was quarrelling with Xie Miao; at the racecourse, Third Young Master Zhou chose Xie Miao to feed the horses; at the Flower Festival Banquet, Third Young Master Zhou glanced at her accidentally...
Could it be? !
She was confused and worried: "They, are they having a private meeting?"
Wen Rubin had a face full of disapproval, "If I remember correctly, Second Young Master Cui held her hand during the Flower Festival Banquet."
He seems gentle and has no temper, but in fact he adheres heavily to a Confucian code of ethics at heart. In his eyes, a woman should obey the three virtues, behave in a well-behaved manner, and abide by the duties of a family's daughter.
Take the women at the Flower Festival Banquet as examples. Whether it is the outspoken Third Miss Cui, the arrogant and domineering Princess Qingyang, or the Miss Xie who is eloquent but behaves intimately with the Second Master Cui in public - —
None of them are as good as his cute and polite Wanwan.
Wen Rubin secretly thought: To be entangled with two men, this Miss Xie inevitably has no self-respect.
Little did he know that at this moment, in his Wanwan's heart, her thoughts are completely of another man.
*
Wen Rubin sent Su Panyan back to the Su Mansion. Turning around, Su Panyan changed carriage and headed to the Criminal Department.
She twisted the handkerchief anxiously in the carriage and told herself: She has good intentions. She couldn't bear to see Xie Miao being half-hearted and deceiving Cui Muli's feelings, that's all.
The carriage stopped in an alley not far from the Ministry of Justice. She sent someone to find Cui Muli and inform him that she had something urgent to tell him about Xijun.
Two quarters of an hour later, Cui Muli came to the alley as agreed. When facing irrelevant people, he always looked calm and asked: "What's wrong with Xijun?"
Su Panyan's eyes instantly turned red and she asked bitterly: "Second Brother Cui, can I only come to you because of Xijun's affairs?"
As if he couldn't see her weeping, Cui Muli said concisely: "Yes."
Even though Su Panyan was used to his indifference, this still stung her. She deliberately ignored the pain in her heart and asked in a low voice: "Second Brother Cui, you like Xie Miao, don't you?"
There was silence for a moment, and just when she was in a subtle state of mind and thought he wouldn't answer, he said, "Yes."
There was no evasion or quibble, he simply admitted that he liked Xie Miao.
Su Panyan's eyes flashed with panic. Then she quickly regained her composure and said in one breath: "I, I just saw Xie Miao and Third Young Master Zhou together at Dongyang Lake. They were alone and she is by herself, and they met in private. Their behaviour was also intimate. I think they are mutually interested in each other. Second Brother, she is not a good match for you, you must not let her delay you!"
Delay?
Cui Muli laughed, but the meaning was unclear.
Su Panyan quickly explained, "I'm telling the truth. At that time Wen——"
"Wen Rubin was there too?"
Su Panyan's thin shoulders were drooped, like an abandoned little rabbit, looking downcast and pitiful.
Cui Muli turned a blind eye, "I understand."
Su Panyan was dumbfounded, that's it? That's all? But then she thought about it and became happy again. He has a deep and secretive nature. Now that he knows this, he will definitely exclude Xie Miao from his wife candidate list.
That's enough.
As for Xie Miao and Third Young Master Zhou——
When Xijun ends the confinement, she will give a little reminder to make Xijun mentally prepared.
*
Shen Yang was keenly aware that the Young Master was in a bad mood.
In the afternoon, the Su family's Young Lady looked for the Young Master to talk for half a stick of incense. When he came back, although the Young Master seemed calm, he exuded a "don't mess with me" aura around him.
What did the Su family's Young Lady say to the Young Master?
He was curious in his heart, but his face was as expressionless as stone.
Cui Muli had no time to pay attention to the guard's mood. He followed Chief Minister Luo to investigate the case. His authority increased, and the clues he came into contact with were as thin as spider silk, densely wrapped into a giant cocoon.
When news of the raging locust plague reached the capital, the two prime ministers took the lead in donating disaster funds. Other officials donated generously, and finally together with the national treasury, five million taels of silver were collected for disaster relief. At that time, Emperor Chengxuan appointed Dian Ziming, the governor of Liangjiang, as the imperial envoy to be responsible for the disaster relief. Later, General Ningde returned to the capital in triumph and offered to join the army to protect the silver.
Yes, it was General Ningde, Zou Yuandao who took the initiative to join the disaster silver escort.
What is his motive? Is he really obsessed with money and is he eyeing the five million taels of silver? In that case, why had he been so frugal in recent years that his family of three had been scrimping on food and clothing?
Unreasonable.
Cui Muli changed his mind: Human crimes are caused by nothing more than love, wealth, and hatred. Suppose Zou Yuandao is not motivated by money, but by love or hatred...
Hatred. Zou Yuandao was born on the border. His parents died at the hands of Beidi people. When he was fourteen years old, he joined the army to kill the enemy and he killed his enemies with his own hands.
He checked the life story of Zou Yuandao. He joined the army at a young age and kept himself clean. After meeting his wife, Lu Xianghe, when he was twenty years old, he fell deeply in love with her. Lu Xianghe has never had any entanglements with other men, and the couple has a deep love for each other.
Cui Muli gently touched the bridge of his nose with his finger, and after a while, he took out a letter from the drawer.
It contained an investigation of Lu Xianghe. He had read it several times. Except for the fact that Lu Xianghe had an unknown serious illness in Zhengcheng thirteen years ago, which resulted in infertility, there was nothing unusual about it.
After the Honghe River Valley silver disaster, Lu Xianghe took Zou Yuandao away to seek medical treatment. He briefly disappeared for two years, and when he reappeared, they had Cong'er.
Speaking of Cong'er... his life experience is also full of doubts.
Cui Muli turned his attention back to the files on the table. The four officials who were responsible for escorting the disaster silver, General Ningde, Zou Yuandao, had both legs disabled; Liangjiang Governor Dian Ziming and Yongzhou Prefecture Mu Renyan died on the spot; and Longxi County Governor Yao Tiangang was found guilty of collusion. The bandits implicated their nine clans...
An idea flashed through his mind, and the long red phoenix eyes lowered, like a thoughtful fox.
He was careless and ignored the two most obvious people.
*
The moon hung over the stars, and Cui Muli raised his head from the case file.
The incense in the incense burner has burned out, leaving only misty smoke that slowly melts into the silvery white light.
Cui Muli tilted his head slightly. He supported his forehead with his right hand, and slowly rubbed his temples with his fingertips.
Behind him was the golden water bodhi necklace that was sent back again. According to Qiao Mu, even the door of Haihua Yuan was no longer open to him.
Xie Miao, ah, Xie Miao...
A year ago, who could have predicted this scene?
He leaned back slightly unhappy. He interlaced his knuckled fingers, and tapped his index finger rhythmically.
Looking at Niannan, he seems to be serious about it. Sending flowers and going on lake tours are common ways of pursuing a little girl.
But is Xie Miao a little girl?
Cui Muli didn't think so.
It was easy to see through Xie Miao in the past. The young girl's eyes were full of admiration for him, and she believed in all his casual jokes——
Yes, she was not delicate and pretentious at the beginning, but because one day his classmates teased him for not being close to women and insisted on asking him what kind of woman he liked. He was impatient and casually answered: He likes delicate and innocent girls.
Delicate and innocent means being clear and easy to control.
Unexpectedly, she was also in the garden that day and happened to hear this joke, so she set her heart on becoming the look he liked.
At first, he found it funny. She was obviously very articulate when arguing with Niannan in private, but when she was in front of him, she was like a weak willow supporting the wind, taking three breaths with one step -
Her purpose was clear, and everything she did was to win his favour and marry into the Cui Mansion.
He would naturally remain at a respectful distance from girls focused on interests and gains
Until one day her temperament changed drastically and she put up a high wall towards him, and the preferential treatment in the past was no longer there. She put away her delusional thoughts and stayed calm. Her eyes that were once full of joy were now only calm and polite.
At this point, he was just a little surprised, not even touched. However, everything changed when she appeared in her true form and provoked his nerves several times.
She is like a stamen that matured overnight, exuding a heavily scented and enchanting fragrance, while wrapped in a soft package within a hard shell. Only through complete possession can you enjoy the surprise and beauty.
Now that he has smelled the fragrance, he is unable to give up picking it, even if there are others watching eagerly.
Others.
He rubbed his forehead and sighed, looking quite distressed.
Why is it Niannan?
They are friends who grew up together since childhood. They are as close as brothers. They used to eat and play together, but now it is even more outrageous that they have fallen in love with the same person.
Does he want to give it up?
He smiled briefly, leaving behind his usual coldness, with a stern look on his face.
That was his cousin, why should he give up?
"Shen Yang." He called.
Shen Yang stepped in and bowed his head respectfully, "Young Master."
He closed his eyes as if asleep, and said calmly: "Go and find out what the Second Young Lady is busy with recently."