Chapter 083: Peach Blossom Cakes And Sachets

Today she came to practice the zither, not to argue or complain. Moreover, Xie Wei had neither provoked nor offended her. It was just that the nickname “Ning’er” had triggered more thoughts, stirring her emotions, and she lost control for a moment.

Crying in front of others is ultimately embarrassing.

Jiang Xuening hurriedly raised her sleeve and wiped her face haphazardly, smearing her makeup and looking like a tabby cat. She said, “Sand got into my eyes, it’s nothing.”

“……”

Xie Wei was suddenly speechless.

Jiang Xuening pulled herself together, looking as if nothing had happened. She put the medical book aside and asked him, “Sir, are you going to test my finger techniques today, or should I play ‘Chasing the Moon’?”

Xie Wei looked at her and responded with a “Hmm,” asking, “Have you mastered it?”

Jiang Xuening didn’t say anything, just straightened the zither on the table.

She hadn’t been slacking off these past few days.

She hadn’t played the zither before because Xie Wei said her mind wasn’t calm enough and forbade her from touching it. But she always knew that learning anything under Xie Wei’s tutelage couldn’t be done half-heartedly, nor should she take chances, because he was very serious about everything.

At this moment, she cleared her mind and began to play the opening piece.

It was another winter afternoon like this.

Since no one had informed her in advance of Xie Wei’s visit today, the charcoal brazier in the side hall had just been lit and wasn’t very warm yet. The window was half-open, letting in a bit of cold air. The light, wrapped in the wind, fell on the hem of his blue-green robe. Xie Wei stood in front of the desk, a distance away, watching Jiang Xuening play the zither.

It was true that her mind was hard to calm.

But once calm, she was indeed a promising talent.

The girl’s tear stains hadn’t dried, her face was smeared with rouge, and her naturally beautiful eyes were lowered, her long eyelashes lightly covering them, showing a seriousness that had never been seen before.

Her slender fingers were perfect for playing the zither.

The notes were all accurate, and the transitions, though still a bit rough and unpolished, showed that she had the basics down and had shed the clumsiness she had when learning the zither in the Fengchen Hall.

The flowing zither music resonated from the trembling strings.

For a moment, the side hall was silent.

When the lingering sound of the zither was about to end, Xie Wei moved slightly and nodded slowly, “You haven’t been wasting your time these days. You’ve got the basics down. Coming to this side hall isn’t just for sleeping, which is commendable.”

This was a tease about her falling asleep while he played the zither last time.

Jiang Xuening immediately said, “That was an exception.”

But just as she finished defending herself, her stomach growled with hunger. If there were more people and noise, it wouldn’t have mattered, but at this moment, only she and Xie Wei were in the hall, so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard. The originally slight sound was as loud as thunder on a clear day.

Jiang Xuening: “……”

Xie Wei: “……”

Their eyes met, one embarrassed and blushing, wishing she could dig a hole and hide, the other silently observing, clearly not expecting this, and even finding it a bit amusing.

Xie Wei raised a finger, lightly pressed his thin lips, and couldn’t help but laugh, “Indeed, an exception. Last time you didn’t get enough sleep, this time you didn’t eat enough. Those who know say you are favored by the Princess in the palace, but those who don’t might think you’re being punished and imprisoned in the palace.”

Xie Wei could be quite sarcastic at times.

Jiang Xuening bit her lip secretly, looking at him without speaking.

Xie Wei then asked, “Didn’t eat?”

Jiang Xuening replied sullenly, “Hmm, I lost track of time reading in the morning, fell asleep, and forgot to eat.”

The palace wasn’t like home; the imperial kitchen didn’t wait for anyone.

Xie Wei rarely felt like laughing.

Given his usual temperament, he wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters. There’s a saying that a full stomach makes one sleepy, and it’s best for scholars to maintain a slight hunger to stay alert and focused.

In other words, being hungry is just right.

However, Ning’er came to practice the zither, and she played quite well just now, showing effort. Considering her age, she’s still growing, so he showed some mercy and opened the food box on the corner of the desk.

Inside was a small plate of peach blossom cakes.

Xie Wei took it out and placed it on the tea table. While putting the kettle on the stove, he called Jiang Xuening, “Come and have some tea.”

From the moment he opened the food box, Jiang Xuening’s eyes followed him, almost glued to the small plate of peach blossom cakes.

Her stomach was empty, and she felt a tickle of desire.

Hearing him call her for tea, her first thought was: she couldn’t go. Xie Wei was her teacher, and she was the student; there had to be respect. She had heard Xie Wei’s rebellious words in the past and knew his secrets. Xie Wei had once considered killing her to silence her. What if the tea was poisoned?

But the small plate of peach blossom cakes was right there.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t resist the hidden temptation and moved over.

It wasn’t just for the food.

Xie Wei called her over for tea; how could she not obey?

Jiang Xuening thanked him, sat at the tea table, glanced at Xie Wei, and silently reached out to take a thin slice of peach blossom cake, taking a bite.

“……”

As the cake entered her mouth, she paused.

The slight joy on her face froze a bit.

Xie Wei didn’t notice at first, busy scooping tea leaves from the canister. He looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Xuening quickly shook her head, “Nothing.”

It was just different from what she expected.

But thinking about it, she knew that given Xie Wei’s current status and the place they were in, she couldn’t expect a particular taste. It was best not to reveal anything, or he might remember past events and possibly have a murderous thought again.

She quickly lowered her head and chewed slowly.

The soft ingredients of the peach blossom cake slowly melted in her mouth. Ignoring the overly sweet taste, it was quite delicate, enough to fill her stomach.

In front of Xie Wei, Jiang Xuening didn’t dare to be picky.

She ate one piece and took another.

Xie Wei noticed her expression and finally sensed something, asking, “The palace kitchen’s pastries, not to your liking?”

Jiang Xuening quickly shook her head.

Xie Wei’s gaze shifted from her to the plate of peach blossom cakes. These snacks were specially prepared for him in the side hall, but he rarely ate them. He picked up a piece and took a small bite. As the cake touched his tongue, his eyebrows raised slightly.

Jiang Xuening felt extremely nervous for some reason.

She didn’t dare to lift her head.

Xie Wei slowly put down the unfinished piece of cake, looked at her quietly for a long time, then moved his gaze away when he heard the water boiling. He poured the water over the tea utensils and began to make tea methodically.

This time, Jiang Xuening understood what it meant to “eat without appetite.”

Xie Wei didn’t say much else, only asking her about the texts she had studied recently, casually testing her knowledge.

After four rounds of tea, he told her to practice the zither again.

He himself did nothing more, sitting back at the desk, staring at the red-inked memorial for a long time.

After more than half an hour, he said to Jiang Xuening, “Your attitude is there, but your foundation is still too weak. People often say diligence can make up for clumsiness. It’s not entirely true, but not wrong either. That’s all for today. Don’t slack off after you leave. Starting tomorrow, your literary studies will also be tested. Come to the side hall at this time.”

Jiang Xuening finally breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and agreed.

Then she bid farewell to Xie Wei and carefully left the side hall, quickly slipping away.

Xie Wei sat in the side hall for a while longer before taking the memorial and leaving the palace.

The Xie residence and the Yongyi Marquis residence were separated by only a wall.

The difference was that the Yongyi Marquis residence faced the street, while the Xie residence was on the back side of the street, with one facing east and the other west, back to back. Thus, when his carriage returned home, it had to pass by the Yongyi Marquis residence, easily seeing the heavily armed soldiers outside, each with cold eyes scrutinizing passersby.

As soon as he got out of the carriage and entered the residence, up to the corridor, Jian Shu quickly walked towards him and whispered, “Besides Master Gongyi, our people also said they saw Young Master Dingfei coming out of the Hengyuan Gambling House early this morning. But that place is full of mixed company, and they lost track of him.”

Xie Wei stood under the corridor, saying nothing.

Not far from the side door came the sound of someone laughing and talking, greeting the gatekeeper and then walking into the residence.

Jian Shu heard it, turned his head to look, and then laughed, “Old Tao is back.”

He was the cook of the residence, known for his excellent cooking.

Old Tao, with his broad shoulders and round waist, was plump and cheerful, carrying a basket in one hand and a fish in the other. Seeing Xie Wei standing under the corridor, he hurried over to salute and said, “Master is back. I bought a fresh big carp today, still lively! The pastries I made a few days ago were secretly eaten by Young Master Dao Qin. I also bought a few pounds of glutinous rice and a pound of peach kernels to try making some peach blossom cakes!”

Xie Wei glanced at his basket, full to the brim, and nodded slightly.

---

Jiang Xuening dashed out of the side hall of the Fengchen Hall, not stopping until she reached the gate of Yangzhi Zhai. She looked back to make sure no one was following her and finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

Eating a peach blossom cake almost scared her to death!

She really had guts, daring to eat something given by Xie Wei, and even imagining it was made by him, as if she didn’t care about her life!

Fortunately, he didn’t notice, and she escaped safely.

She lightly patted her chest.

Yao Xi and You Yue came out of Yangzhi Zhai just in time to see her like this. They remembered her demeanor when she turned to find Zhang Zhe that day, and their hatred surged up. Yao Xi smiled faintly, “Second Miss Jiang, weren’t you practicing the zither? Why do you look like a thief? Did Master Xie scold you again?”

Jiang Xuening turned and saw her.

Yao Xi’s hostility towards her had gradually become apparent these days, but many people hated her, so what was Yao Xi compared to them?

She wasn’t worth paying too much attention to yet.

Jiang Xuening wasn’t angry at the sarcasm. After all, she played the zither well today and even received a rare compliment from Xie Wei.

Not being over the moon was already restrained.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled leisurely, “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, Miss Yao. Today, I finally got to touch the zither and received a word of praise from Master Xie. I will continue to work hard and not let down his painstaking teaching.”

People may not always want to see their friends doing well, but they definitely enjoy seeing their enemies doing poorly.

If the person they hate is doing poorly, even hearing about it from afar brings secret joy.

Jiang Xuening was undoubtedly Yao Xi’s enemy.

But not only was she doing well, she was telling others to their face that she was doing well, with a relaxed smile that felt like needles piercing Yao Xi’s heart!

Yao Xi was speechless.

You Yue, already scared, kept her mouth shut, not saying a word.

Jiang Xuening clapped her hands and walked away lightly.

You Yue observed Yao Xi’s expression and said softly, “Maybe she’s just putting on a brave face. Everyone knows she’s famous for being uneducated. Learning the zither also depends on talent. She’s so clumsy that she doesn’t even know the finger techniques. How could Master Xie possibly praise her? She just said that to upset you.”

Yao Xi took a deep breath and turned away.

Just as she reached the gate of Yangzhi Zhai, her gaze swept over and she paused: there was a sachet on the ground where Jiang Xuening had stood.

You Yue followed her gaze, bent down naturally to pick up the sachet, and turned it over. The light blue background was embroidered with a delicate peony in dark blue thread, with fine stitches, very beautiful.

“Isn’t this Jiang Xuening’s?”

Feeling a bit disdainful, she pursed her lips and raised her hand to throw it into the flower pot nearby.

Unexpectedly, Yao Xi saw it and snatched it away, looking at it.

You Yue was puzzled, “Are you going to return it to her?”

Yao Xi’s thoughts were swirling, but her eyes were dark. She said, “It’s just a small sachet, what’s the rush?”

You Yue said nothing more.

Yao Xi stared at the sachet for a while, then casually put it into her sleeve, saying, “It’s not too late to return it to her later. She wears it every day, so it might be important. If she loses it and can’t find it, she’ll be anxious.” You Yue laughed, “That’s good.”

Jiang Xuening had just left, and they were too lazy to call her back, so they went straight to the Imperial Garden.

A few days ago, the tiger’s claw plum in the palace had already bloomed.

The Empress Dowager’s cold had also improved a bit, and the Empress, to bring some cheer, invited the concubines from various palaces to the Imperial Garden to admire the plum blossoms. Thanks to Xiao Shu’s influence, the companions from Yangzhi Zhai could also join in the fun.

Of course, Yao Xi and You Yue didn’t want to miss such an event.

In the plum garden, the tiger’s claw plum was the earliest to bloom, and the wintersweet had also sprouted small buds.

Walking in the garden was quite enjoyable.

You Yue, from the Qingyuan Earl’s residence, was of humble origin and loved to make connections. Especially in such a rare occasion, she eagerly flattered the concubines, which Yao Xi didn’t like.

She, being from a noble family, disdained such behavior.

So halfway through the banquet, she quietly left the crowd to admire the plum blossoms in the outer garden.

The plum garden was quite large.

Yao Xi said she was admiring the plum blossoms, but as she walked, she couldn’t help but think of Zhang Zhe, whom she had seen in the Kunning Palace that day, and the letter of annulment she had seen in her father’s study. Her heart was filled with sorrow and hatred, and she unknowingly walked deeper into the garden.

The end of the garden was somewhat desolate.

A secluded pavilion, rarely visited, stood among the plum trees, which were densely planted around it.

It looked eerie and a bit frightening.

Yao Xi wasn’t very brave. As soon as she arrived, she came to her senses and wanted to turn back. But after only a few steps, she heard footsteps and low voices from the other side of the plum garden.

“If I hadn’t noticed the clues in Yangzhi Zhai that day, with your careless thinking, letting that little palace maid be interrogated on the spot, what would you have done if she accidentally revealed the truth?!”

“It was my foolishness, I lost my composure.”

“Everything is easy to do but hard to think through, especially in the palace. No one is a fool! Acting rashly without understanding the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses is truly disappointing.”

“……”

“Now Jiang Xuening is fine, but you’ve made an enemy for yourself; and another Jiang Xuehui has come in, not outstanding in appearance, but academically able to compete with you, and she is likely the owner of that embroidered handkerchief. You’re not just foolish!”

“Aunt’s reprimand is right.”

Empress Dowager Xiao walked in front, with Xiao Shu following behind.

One had a face full of barely suppressed anger, scolding sternly, while the other had lost her usual calm demeanor, listening quietly with her head down.

There were no palace attendants following them.

Clearly, such words were not meant for others to hear.

The footsteps gradually approached.

Yao Xi had always been close to Xiao Shu, so even if she didn’t recognize the Empress Dowager’s voice, she could identify Xiao Shu’s. Hearing their conversation, she broke out in a cold sweat, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

She absolutely did not dare to show herself.

Seeing a cluster of plum tree branches intertwined nearby, enough to hide a person, she held her breath and quickly hid behind them, not daring to make a sound.

The Empress Dowager continued walking, passing by the plum trees, saying, “Although you are one of the rare intelligent members of the Xiao family, you are still young and inexperienced. Your thinking is not thorough enough, and you haven’t devised adequate contingency plans. That day, you almost fell into a passive position in the hall. And you acted on your own without even telling me! Do you think I can’t see what you’re trying to do?”

Xiao Shu replied, “Ah Shu is ashamed of disappointing Aunt’s teachings.”

The Empress Dowager sighed, “The Emperor experienced the rebellion of Prince Pingnan firsthand and has been suspicious ever since. He is not even close to me, his own mother, and chose an Empress from a humble background, not selecting a single concubine from the Xiao family, out of caution. But Jie’er is gentle and close to me. I know you have great ambitions, and looking at the capital, no noblewoman is more suited to the position of Empress than you.”

Yao Xi, hiding behind the tree, dared not move. Although she told herself not to listen if she wanted to live, she couldn’t block her ears, and the words kept coming, making her more and more terrified.

The incident at Yangzhi Zhai that day was Xiao Shu framing Jiang Xuening!

It was all for Prince Linzi, Shen Jie, and to become the future Empress!

Then she heard Xiao Shu say, “Aunt means…”

The Empress Dowager coldly said, “As long as the Emperor is around and wants to make Jie’er the Crown Prince, he will not tolerate a Xiao family woman becoming Prince Linzi’s consort. You must be patient.”

Xiao Shu said, “Do I have to watch others take the position?”

By this time, their footsteps and voices had become distant.

Yao Xi swallowed, not daring to stay any longer. She quietly circled around the plum trees to leave.

But in her panic, she made a mistake.

As she bent down hurriedly, she accidentally bumped into a plum branch, causing the flowers to shake and the branches to make a noise.

“Who’s there!”

The Empress Dowager turned around, seeing only the moving plum branch from a distance, and instinctively shouted!

Yao Xi immediately knew she had been discovered and ran away in a panic.

In her extreme fear, malice also surged.

Her eyes filled with a fierce look, and she reached into her sleeve, grabbing the sachet she had picked up earlier, and threw it on the ground. Then she quickly left the plum garden, took a detour, and returned to the plum viewing banquet.

With a bunch of concubines admiring the plum blossoms in the palace, and even the Empress Dowager present, Jiang Xuening had no interest in joining the crowd.

In the Liushui Pavilion, Fang Miao was being pulled by Zhou Baoying to play chess.

Jiang Xuening walked over, sat beside them, and started peeling the peanuts brought by the palace servants while watching the two compete on the chessboard.

It wasn’t until dusk that those who had gone to admire the plum blossoms returned.

Seeing the chess game in the Liushui Pavilion, everyone gathered around, curious to see how much Zhou Baoying would win against Fang Miao this time.

Xiao Shu was among them.

Seeing the pile of peanut shells beside Jiang Xuening, Xiao Shu smiled faintly, her eyes flashing as she handed a sachet to Jiang Xuening, saying, “I found this outside earlier. It looks familiar. Is it yours, Second Miss Jiang?”

Jiang Xuening was startled and looked up.

The sachet hanging from Xiao Shu’s fingers was the one You Fangyin had made for her first business deal, using silk sent by the silk farmers. The dark blue peony was very unique and beautiful.

Looking down at her own waist, she found it empty.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, took the sachet from Xiao Shu’s hand, and without much gratitude, said coldly, “It’s mine. I don’t know when I dropped it. Thank you.”

The edge of the sachet was frayed, as if caught on something.

Jiang Xuening looked at it with some distress, gently smoothing it before frowning and hanging it back on her waist.

Xiao Shu quietly observed her expression and behavior, easily sensing her reluctance to speak much, but apart from that, she seemed very calm.

You Yue, watching from behind, was a bit confused.

Yao Xi, however, felt her heart pounding like a drum, almost losing her footing.

Next