Yan Ruoxu had a good sleep and woke up in the evening.
She opened her eyes and stared at the pale yellow canopy above her head for a while. She felt the fever had subsided, and her whole body was extremely comfortable.
When she turned her head to the side, she found her elder brother, Yan Li, holding a bowl of medicine, sitting by the bedside and looking at her.
"Are you awake? Feeling better?" Yan Li's complexion was a bit sallow, with faint dark circles under his eyes, like someone who had not slept all night. Yan Li had never been in good health from the day he was born; his face always bore a slight pallor, unable to withstand physical and mental fatigue.
Yan Ruoxu sat up, took the bowl of medicine from Yan Li's hand, held her breath, and drank it down in one gulp, then smiled and said, "I'm much better now, brother, you don't need to worry."
As she finished, she looked down at the empty bowl in her hand, and she already knew what Yan Li would ask next.
As an unmarried woman in a conservative society and as the eldest princess of Dayan, she spent a whole night in the deep forest with a man, causing the three families to search all night. If this matter leaked out, how would others gossip behind her back, and what would the world speculate about her? She didn't dare to think about it.
Yan Li took the empty bowl from her and put it on the table. He gave a slight smile and a look of indulgence, saying, "I have some other matters to attend to and can't stay with you for long. I'll come by later when I have time. Get up and move around now, I've instructed Zhui'er to prepare some food for you to eat later."
Yan Li's tone was gentle. He bent down to tuck Yan Ruoxu's quilt and didn't mention anything about the events of the previous night.
It seemed that this deliberate avoidance was probably due to the fact that Yan Ruoxu and Zhui'er didn’t want to irritate her, thinking that this matter was "better left unsaid."
Yan Ruoxu smiled bitterly. It was better not to ask. She couldn't come up with a good reason.
"Elder brother," Yan Ruoxu tugged at Yan Li's sleeve. "It's getting dark outside. Stay and have dinner with me. I see that you don't look too good. I'll have the kitchen prepare some ginseng soup for you later."
"You don't have to worry, these things, Father and Brother will handle them well. Rest assured and rest."
"Find Lu Yuanzhe." Yan Ruo Xu said firmly, the only thing she could think of now was to go find Lu Yuanzhe to discuss, General Feng is dead, but the evidence to clear his name still exists, the filthy and evil deeds seen in the Xiao family orchard are still vivid in her mind. Since she missed the opportunity to vindicate General Feng, she must settle the score with the Xiao family!
Zhuier was extremely uncomfortable upon hearing the name Lu Yuanzhe. This profligate young master somehow got involved with the princess, causing the princess's reputation to be ruined. Zhuier, being fiercely protective of the princess, felt angered just thinking about it and quickly stopped Yan Ruo Xu, her words mixed with a hint of crying.
"The princess is still going to find him! It's his fault, everyone says he doesn't like women, so why did he target the princess? Truly despicable!"
Zhuier's words were like a slap in the face to Yan Ruo Xu, shaking her out of her thoughts. It was not because of reputation, but the realization that with such a significant matter, the Lu family must also be in chaos.
She held Zhuier's wrist tightly, looking at the misty eyes of Zhuier, feeling a softness in her heart. There were not many people who genuinely treated her well, and Zhuier, who had been by her side since childhood, was one of them.
During those years as the distressed general's wife, it was Zhuier who had served diligently by her side, comforting and accompanying her. Her current state of agitation was also for her sake.
Enough, Yan Ruo Xu got up from the bed, sat at the table, picked up a bowl of millet porridge, took a sip slowly, and raised her eyebrows at Zhuier. "Look, I'm eating, no need to be so anxious."
Zhuier wiped away a tear, then smiled, walked over and picked up the silver chopsticks to serve Yan Ruo Xu her meal.
As the sky gradually darkened, it soon reached the time to light the lamps.
Under the flickering candlelight, the entire palace wall was quiet. Even the wind tonight seemed less noisy than usual.
Yan Ruo Xu stood under the hibiscus tree in the courtyard, looking up at the bright and delicate flower buds on the branch, but her mind flew far away.
In the emperor's study tonight, what kind of scene would it be? This matter was extremely confidential, known only in advance to the ministers most trusted by Emperor Gan Jing. Apart from discussing the border situation, they would certainly be deliberating the fate of the Feng family.
If she remembered correctly, after the Feng family was demoted, Feng Shouyi's wife Qian would lead the whole family out of the capital. Before leaving, she would swear to the ancestors of the Feng family that their descendants would never join the military, nor take up office, thus ensuring the loyalty of the Feng family to the Great Yan Dynasty for a hundred years, never to set foot in the court again.
Yan Ruo Xu looked up at the bright moon and the shadows of the trees, feeling quite uncomfortable about this.
"Sister!" A young man dashed out with sweat dripping from his forehead. When Yan Zhe heard that Yan Ruo Xu was looking for him, he immediately entered the palace, unable to ride any further after passing through the Zhuque Gate. Reigning in his horse, he came running, now gasping for breath upon seeing Yan Ruo Xu.
Yan Ruo Xu turned back and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief, "No need to rush like this. Look at you, you should be more steady."
The young man, without arguing or speaking, sat down with a chilly face on the stone bench under the tree, pouring a cup of tea for himself and drinking most of it in one go.
Seeing him like this, Yan Ruo Xu knew he was angry. Angry at his elder sister for not explaining the situation to him, for hiding it from him. But how could she explain the complexities of the situation to someone as impetuous as Yan Zhe?
Yan Zhe's fiery temper might lead him to confront Xiao Yanchen in front of the Emperor before the truth could be known. The Xiao family's deep roots would not be shaken by empty talk.
"Little brother." Yan Ruo Xu sat opposite him, looking at his feigned indifference, and asked softly, "How is the information I asked you to find out?"
Yan Zhe suddenly looked up, slammed his fist on the marble table, "It's been confirmed. Lu Yuanzhe is still kneeling in their family shrine! General Lu's whip has broken several times. Humph, I say this is a deliberate bias, the punishment was too lenient!"
Yan Ruo Xu was stunned. Lu Ruqing seemed like a reasonable scholar-general. Why would he resort to such a method of disciplining Lu Yuanzhe? Lu Yuanzhe was of marriageable age, unlike a child. Perhaps, as Yan Ruo Xu suddenly remembered, the rumors were true. Maybe Lu Yuanzhe's refusal to marry and have children had made General Lu so angry.
Yan Ruo Xu shook her head. She could almost imagine Lu Yuanzhe's temperament. Even if he was beaten to within an inch of his life, he wouldn't say a word wrong. The more General Lu punished him, the more frustrated he would become.
"Little brother, that's not what I asked." Yan Ruo Xu brought back her wandering thoughts and remembered the real purpose of her sending Yan Zhe to inquire at the Lu family - to establish contact with Lu Yuanzhe.
Yan Zhe, with a somewhat resentful tone, pulled out a letter from his pocket and tossed it on the table in a very unwilling manner. "Here, he wrote it."
Seeing the flowing calligraphy on the envelope, Yan Ruo Xu inexplicably felt a sense of comfort. The few clear characters "Princess Chang's Personal Delivery" indicated to her that she was not alone in this destined thorny path, and that she had an ally to shoulder it with her.
Yan Ruo Xu put away the letter and looked at Yan Zhe, who was still sullen, and nudged his arm with her elbow, "Little brother, it's been a long time since I've seen you practice swordsmanship. Have you made any progress recently?"
Yan Zhe's stiff face finally showed a hint of liveliness, and his eyebrows danced as he crossed his hands in front of his chest, "Okay, I've learned a few more moves. Want to see me perform them?"
"Good, I'm looking forward to it," Yan Ruo Xu smiled and nodded.
The moonlight was cast through the sparse tree shadows, gently spreading across the earth.
Tonight, the night was enchanting, and the fragrance wafted through the air. The young man under the hibiscus tree exuded a vigorous aura, dressed in white like jade, his black hair dancing wildly, wielding a silver sword in his hand, performing graceful and handsome moves, truly embodying the qualities of a youthful hero.
Yan Ruo Xu watched him in a trance. Yan Zhe was not yet of age, and he had countless bright days ahead of him, with great ambitions and dreams waiting to be fulfilled. He should live a good life, not end up like in the previous life, with nothing but death and darkness. That was not his destiny.
"Well done!" This time, Yan Ruo Xu watched with particular attention and sincerity, applauding and cheering for Yan Zhe continuously, her eyes filled with smiles.
The author has something to say:
Lu Yuanzhe: Darling, our relationship has taken a step further.
Yan Ruo Xu: Um... but you mentioned Xiao Yanchen...
Lu Yuanzhe: In the future, one child will have your surname and one child will have mine.
Yan Ruo Xu: Ugh... I feel like Xiao Yanchen is...
Lu Yuanzhe: If it's a daughter, I hope she will be as beautiful as you.
Yan Ruo Xu: ... Someone, please take this lunatic away.
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Rolling~ Sakura~ Seeking feedback and collection~ From the author's ramblings