A man in a white narrow-sleeved long robe walked out slowly from the winding path behind, with a cloud-patterned wide belt around his waist and a piece of ink jade hanging from it. He held a bamboo bone paper fan in his hand and bowed to Yan Ruoxu, "Princess, may you have a long and healthy life. I am Lushí Luyu.”
Yan Ruoxu looked at him with a frown. She never expected him to attend today's poetry gathering, let alone Luyu, who usually guards the border in the harsh cold, to dress so elegantly.
His current face looked a few years younger than when he returned home to Yan Ruoxu before, but the hint of arrogance in his eyes still could not escape Yan Ruoxu's gaze. He still looked unruly. Without this scholarly robe, he now looked like a decadent character.
Yan Ruoxu averted her gaze and gave a slight acknowledgment. She couldn't reveal any private matters with him in front of everyone.
Everyone followed Yan Ruoxu and Qiao Shuyuan, walking through the elegant pebble-paved path and the sight immediately opened up.
In front was an artificially crafted winding stream, with seats on both sides, men on the left and women on the right, both maintaining the appropriate distance for socializing and communication. Qiao Shuyuan had indeed made an effort.
Yan Ruoxu drank a few cups of clear wine and chatted with the people at the table from time to time, appearing as if she had come purely for the poetry gathering.
She cast a sidelong glance at Yan Yushan, who sat next to her. She noticed that Yan Yushan was absent-minded, glancing back at Wang Zhuo, who was sitting across the water, and she had an idea in her mind. In a short while, Yan Yushan should urge her to leave the table and have a private chat with Wang Zhuo.
Yan Ruoxu signaled to Zhuier, who was waiting nearby, and then nodded slightly in the direction of Yan Yushan. Zhuier understood immediately.
She quickly walked over to the table where Yan Ruoxu was sitting, picked up the wine pot on the table and poured wine for everyone. When it was Yan Yushan's turn, Zhuier accidentally knocked over the wine pot, splashing Yan Yushan's exquisite brocade dress with wine.
"Princess, please forgive me, I didn't mean to." Zhuier put down the wine pot, feeling extremely anxious and quickly reached out to wipe the wine off Yan Yushan, then hugged Yan Ruoxu's waist, "Please don't be angry, Princess. I really didn't mean it."
This incident caused quite a stir, and everyone looked over. Even though Yan Yushan was annoyed, she felt it was inappropriate to make things difficult for a servant who was usually at odds with her, especially since she was Yan Ruoxu's maid. She didn't have the right to do so.
Yan Yushan forced out a stiff smile, "It's alright, you can go. It's just a bit wet, it's not a big deal."
Zhuier suppressed her smile and quickly left the table.
In just a short time, Yan Yushan leaned over to Yan Ruoxu and whispered, "Sister, Wang Gongzi is waiting for you. The Qiao family has a gazebo by the lotus pond at the back, and he's waiting for you there."
Yan Ruoxu pretended to be a bit shy and hesitant, "I feel a bit uneasy. Yushan, accompany me. I'm afraid to go alone, and now I don't know where Zhuier is. If it's just me, I'd rather not go."
Yan Yushan thought for a while, nodded, unwilling to miss this opportunity, "Alright, I'll go with you."
The Qiao family's gazebo was an exquisite structure, with a corridor that could only accommodate one person, leading to a pavilion in the center of the lake, allowing people to enjoy the scenery without being disturbed.
However, once the corridor was blocked, it would be difficult for someone in the pavilion to come out. It was quite ingenious.
Yan Ruoxu and Yan Yushan walked side by side to the side of the lotus pond, and they could see a man waiting in the gazebo, it was Wang Zhuo. He had already seen the two of them and was waving towards them.
"Yushan, I have something to give back to Wang Gongzi. I forgot to bring it just now, I'll go back to get it. You go and tell Wang Gongzi, I'll be right back." Yan Ruoxu stopped and pushed away Yan Yushan's hand.
"Sister," Yan Yushan didn't want to let her go, held onto Yan Ruoxu's hand, "Wang Gongzi won't mind. Everything's fine, let's go over there."
As they were hesitating, Zhuier, who had disappeared for a while, suddenly appeared and grabbed Yan Yushan's hand, "There's a thief! Help, come and catch the thief!"
Zhuier, who had a loud voice, even people in the distance could vaguely hear the commotion after she shouted.
Yan Ruoxu lifted her skirt and ran to a nearby spot, shouting, "Guards, there's a thief in the residence, come and protect us!"
Several quick-thinking men had already turned and ran towards the commotion upon hearing Yan Ruoxu's words.
Qiao Shuyuan, as the host of the poetry gathering, hurried over upon hearing that something had happened in his residence. He happened to encounter Yan Ruoxu on the way, who appeared to be alarmed.
"Princess, come with me to a safe place." Qiao Shuyuan was afraid that Yan Ruoxu would be harmed and approached to help her leave. If something were to happen to the princess in his residence, the entire family would be affected.
Yan Ruoxu just wanted to delay as much as possible. Her face showed a lot of anxiety, "Have you seen Yushan? We left the table together earlier, and after we came out, we split up. She said she had some personal matters to attend to, and now I don't know where she is. What should we do?"
The government can't afford to have something happen to either the Princess or the County Princess. Qiao Shuyuan was also worried, and his brow was full of concern, "Did the Princess bring any attendants with her?"
Yan Ruoxu shook her head slightly and lowered her voice, "No, so I'm even more anxious."
As they were talking, other people also came over, and the commotion in the back gradually subsided.
A servant holding a torch and a thick wooden stick came over, feeling relieved like he had escaped death and reported to his master, "Miss, don't worry, it's been clarified. It's just a misunderstanding."
Hearing this, Qiao Shuyuan's suspended heart also fell back down, as long as everything was safe.
"What kind of misunderstanding?" Yan Ruoxu looked at the servant and asked.
"Well...", the servant was an old servant in Qiao's residence and had been serving in the family for many years. He already understood what to say and what not to say. He nodded slightly, "The servant doesn't really know. Maybe the master should go and see for himself."
Qiao Shuyuan was puzzled, "Why are you being evasive? Forget it, since it's a misunderstanding, we'll go see for ourselves."
Yan Ruoxu agreed, holding the remaining people from the table as they headed towards the pavilion at the center of the lake in Qiao's residence.
At the end of the crowd was a figure walking alone. He stared at Yan Ruoxu's retreating figure with his narrow eyes, a playful smile appearing on his lips, and an expectant look in his eyes as he turned slightly upwards at the corner of his eyes, as if he was looking forward to seeing a good show.
Luyu absolutely did not believe that the princess, known for her courage and stature in Dayan, would be frightened by a small thief.
The crowd had all reached the edge of the lake, and the guards kept by the Qiao family were already holding torches and weapons, standing around the edge of the lake.
In the center of the crowd stood Yan Yushan and Zhuier.
Zhuier was still holding onto Yan Yushan's hand, and with a look of guilt on her face, she said, "Princess, I know I'm wrong. I saw a dark shadow and chased after it, halfway I met you, afraid that you had been harmed, so I called for help, not realizing...," at this point, Zhuier lowered her head, seemingly afraid, and looked at Yan Yushan's expression, "I really didn't know, really didn't know that it was you and Wang Gongzi talking here. It was dark here, and I didn't expect it to be you two here. My eyes were sharp, please don't blame me, Princess."
These words seemed like a plea for forgiveness, but they vividly depicted a suggestive picture.
It was dark, a man and a woman, it really sparked the imagination.
Author's note:
Luyu: Touched +1, Tears +1, Excited +1, I finally made an appearance, my lady~
Yan Ruoxu: Oh, where did this little cookie come from? Haven't seen it before. Coldness +1, Disdain +1
Land Yuanzhe: Hehe